#his kids would have a field day if he adopted a new recruit with black hair and blue eyes

[iguessthisisanewobsession]

Danny was being harassed in broad daylight.

He can’t get the guy to take a hint and frankly he’s going to be late for his new job if he can’t get through the door.

Just when he was starting to think that he would have to hit him, a hand gently rested on his shoulder.

“Hey Chum sorry it took me so long to get here but traffic was a killer! Is this man bothering you?”

Turns out His boss Bruce Wayne is actually a nice man.

Too bad Gotham gossips worst than a small town.

Seriously guys, this isn’t funny, it stopped being funny the third time he got picked out of a crowd as the “new Wayne.”

[dejwritesarchived]

Who did you added to the nyc gang

*clears throat* under this thread is only my rambles i did in my notes app, okay? okay. also slightly contains spoilers for sculptures !! so if any of my followers that read sculptures...do not read this if you don't want to it be spoiled for you !!!!

well, we're adding two members to the crew. one is somewhat recruited by shuya..while the other is related to shuya and shao.

1. there's my blasian boo..niko hirota. his father is japanese and his mom is black. he's a computer science major at nyu. he's never met his father, him and mom moved to new york when he was very young. which his mother never mentioned anything about his father. he just assumed he died on something. he's 6'1, with smooth caramel-colored skin (but he also has vitiligo), a shit ton of curly hair, and he's really an introvert. like he rolls his eyes in annoyance at any loud person or sound and would rather stay home trying to solve a rubix cube than go out partying. he's also so quick to remind people his name is spelled with a 'k' and not a 'c'. with shuya being in new york city, he wants to build his own empire. he wants to have a crew just like how his father. he met niko in his biology lab course when dante didn't come to class and he was stuck with the one quiet kid that minded his business the majority of the time. shuya peeped at his last name and instantly knew that the kid was the son of benjiro hirota. a man that shuya's father was close to until he got set up and soon killed. shuya remembered vividly how upset his father was about, gloating about how a good man was taken away from his family. which when the sato's went to pay their respects, benjiro's wife and child were long gone. disappeared as if they didn't even exist. cue shuya basically adopting this boy into the crew as the hacker. dante and shuya stress this boy out! he has so many moments where he stares into an imaginary camera like he's in the office.

2. (she will be getting introduced soon or mentioned) there's lucretia 'lu' sato. she's the cousin of shuya and shao. the only child of shuya and shao's uncle. she's younger than shuya, but older than shao. she has a potty mouth and an even sharper tongue. her father actually got killed when she was twenty-one which technically sparked the tension between the sato's and the yakuma family. she has photo genetic memory which pushed her into the medical career field. however, she got kicked out of medical school because she stabbed her professor that was being inappropriate with her in the leg with a scalpel. technically the yakuza's medic, but sometimes hate it cause everybody be knocking on her door at any times of the night or day. currently wants to fight shuya for totaling her audi last time he was in japan.

[krinsbez]

The DC Identity-Swap AU: A World/Storybuilding Fanfic Project (that needs a better name)

What follows is what has been come up with for a DC Universe where many heroes and villains ended up with different identities, initially conceived of by comradepitrovsky and expanded on by me and others.

In some cases, the said heroes ended up with different supporting cast members, in others not.

Let us begin, with the founding members of the Justice League: -Superwoman: Diana Kent, the Last Daughter of Paradise. For…reasons, Themyiskara had to go to another dimension, but baby Diana couldn’t come, so at Hippolyta’s request, the Olympians sent her to a Patriarch’s World couple who would raise her right, namely Jonathan and Martha. She’s dating Lois Lane and her archenemy is Lex Luthor, with whom, I want to be clear, there is ZERO Foe Yay, because she’s disgusted by him, and he’s intimidated by her. -Green Lantern: Kal-El of Krypton, who the Guardians appointed to lead the Corps through the transition to running itself. Came to Earth because he needed a break, stuck around because sweet RAO this planet needs help. He managed to keep Sinestro from going off the deep end, so he’s part of the Council Kal set-up to help him run the Corps, along with Kilowog, Mogo, Abin Sure and…not sure. -Zatara: Bruce Wayne. After his parent’s deaths, Bruce was adopted by their close friend John Zatara, who realized the kid was tied to the demon Barbatos, and they figgered out a way for him to use that power for good. -Captain Marvel: Barry Allen, while studying Forensic Science in college, took some classes, and became friends, with Archeology Student C. C. Batson (there is considerable overlap between the two fields, right?). When Batson and his wife were murdered during a dig in Egypt, Barry offered to help with the investigation, and ended up becoming SHAZAM’s champion. -The Flash: Hal Jordan, test pilot for Ferris Aircraft, was struck by lightning whilst flying their latest prototype, and ended up tied to the Speed Force. (Note, like Johnny and Jessie Quick, can fly) -Hawkman and Hawkgirl: Arthur Curry and Dinah Lance. The former encountered the wreck of a Thanagarian spaceship whilst exploring underwater and ended up with the soul of Prince Khufu. Dinah was hanging around her Uncle Carter's place and had something similar happen with the soul of Chay-Ara. -Martian Manhunter. J'onn is exactly the same. Other thoughts, somewhat random, in no particular order: -Ollie was zeta beam'd from The Island to Rann instead of Adam Strange. -Adam is instead Metamorpho. -Eel managed to drag himself to Slaughter Swamp before succumbing to his wounds and so ended up becoming Swamp Thing. -Owing to…complicated feelings WRT to her adopted brother, Zatanna ended up hanging around with her dad’s colleague Thaddeus Brown, and took up his mantle instead, becoming Madame Miracle, Magical Escape Artist! -T. O. Morrow built Red Torpedo first, she got possessed by a water elemental somehow, rebelled against his programming, and ended up traveling to Atlantis, overthrew the tyrant Orm, was acclaimed Queen, married Mera, and now fights crime on the surface as Aquawoman. (I’m gonna say she sometimes wears a human disguise that looks Aquawoman-11, because I fancy her and will use almost any excuse to get her into one of these things) -Ray Palmer and Ralph Dibny became Firestorm. -Instead of becoming Cheetah, Barbara-Ann seized the power of Teth-Adam and became Captain Marvel’s archenemy. -Pam became the Cheetah instead, and is an enemy of The Flash, with no small amount of Foe Yay. -In addition to that, Hal is also in a Love Triangle with Carol and Lady Blackhawk, who came to work for Ferris after arriving in the 21st Century due to time travel shenanigans. Arguably a Love Quadrangle, since he's competing with his alter ego. -Selina and Helena are both Star Sapphires and both of them are pursuing Kal-El, who is receptive to both. -Barry is still with Linda, Wally is Capt. Marvel, Jr. -The Batson Twins became Superboy and Supergirl, but I haven't come up with specifics. Help please? -Bruce adopted Raven and Garth. Suggestions for codenames? -In an effort to gain the power to defeat Superwoman, Lex made a deal with Ares, confident that he could handle the God of War. He is now possessed by Ares, but has no idea, assuming that the ideas Ares puts in his head are entirely his own, because he’s too arrogant to believe anyone else can control or manipulate him. It helps that Ares largely approves of Lex’s ideas and doesn’t need to do much. As a side-eeffect, Lex’s power armor has a distinctly Ares-y feel to it. -Klarion is in Bruce’s Rogue’s Gallery. Said Rogue's Gallery also includes the Sivana family. Which means that yes, Bruce is dating Beautia. -Bruce's archnemesis is the man who in the normal reality became Black Manta, who I've always headcanoned as choosing to torment Arthur purely by random chance, and obviously picked differently here. Since there's no need for a nautical theme, he uses a different codename; Black Bat. -The first thing Kal-El did after completing training was rescue Kandor. Brainiac swore vengeance, and upon escaping from the Sciencells, discovered how to harness the Yellow Light of Fear. In addition to using it himself, he also unleashed a number of Phantom Zone criminals, took over their minds, and equipped his enslaved army with Yellow Rings.

-The Olympians left Diana some magic thingummy that allowed her to be trained in Amazon combat techniques, etc. in her dreams or something, because she needs something to make up for the lack of super-senses, but if she has the Lasso, I'm not sure how Lex can be a problem for her?

-Dick was adopted by the Dibnys, got himself the Gingold Extract, and fights crime as Firestorm’s sidekick, Elastic Lad.

-Mister Mind is one of Diana’s Rogues.

-Dr. Psycho is in Hal's Rogue's Gallery. Presumably, wossname the guy who framed him so he could steal his fiancee Mavra didn't do quite as good a job gaslighting her, she found out the truth, and he murdered her to cover it up. He is therefore unable to blame her for the plot in a feeble and cowardly attempt to save himself when Psycho comes after him. This leads to misogyny being a less prominent aspect of Psycho's particular psychosis, with his primary targets instead being "Alpha Male"-types like the man who ruined his life. And hey, here's Hal Jordan....

-Gen. Eiling as Reverse-Flash, Y/N? -Thawne become Sabbac, Y/N? -I think I'm gonna say Pam still has her canon powerset in addition to being the Cheetah. -Since one of the best things about Hal is how he hates being told what to do, but is most comfortable in jobs where he's in a disciplined hierarchy...Zinda recruits him to create a new version of the Blackhawks. Not sure who else is in it; I can think of a bunch of ace pilots in the DCu, but they’re all American, and the Blackhawks should be an international operation. Possibility; the same temporal shenaniganry that dropped Zinda in the modern-day also spat-out Hans Von Hammer, the Enemy Ace. -I'm adding Captain Nazi to Hal's Rogue's Gallery. Since Hal is Ambiguously Jewish, his sidekick is Inuit, and in this 'verse he's part of a team that's a legacy of an group founded to fight the Nazis, I feel like it works. Also, Hal's other villains thus far are a bisexual woman, a dwarf, and a US Air Force General, people who are naturally inclined to have beef with him and vice versa. -Abra-Kadabra being one of Bruce's villains, Y/N?

-Circe is one of Bruce’s Rogues and they have UST.

@videodromeda

[getetteroo]

what are durth’s adventures around skyrim like? :3 when does she meet her pals, and in what order did u play her quests in-game? sorry if this is a loaded question, i just rly love her ;-;

I decided to make a bit of a timeline under the cut. It’s not the most interesting written thing, but it’s pretty much everything. I will go more into detail about how she met Inigo and Rumarin later in a different post. 

Before Helgen-

Age 6 - Durth lost her mother to the Thalmor at 6 years old, prompting her family to move from Markarth to Riften.

As a teen she and her brother get up to a lot of trouble in Riften, but their dad made sure they know not to meddle with the guild. Uncle Urag comes over every once in a while to teach them to read and write and Durth eventually gets a small job at the Temple (mostly keeping things clean.)

Age 18 - Durth has been accepted at the college of Winterhold! She meets Onmund, Brelyna and J’zargo there. She spends four years at the college and the quest takes place in the last two of them. 

Age 23 - Instead of being made the new Archmage because really? I’d like to think she’d been offered some sort of apprenticeship Psijic Order. She went with them and spend quite a long time there. She wasn’t actually planning to ever leave but someday she suddenly got a letter stating that her father was dying.

After Helgen-

Age 27 - Durth travels home in hope to see her dad one more time before he dies. However upon arriving at the border she immediately got picked up by the imperial army and carted to Helgen. 

Durth saw the dragon, saw the chaos, followed Ralof out and then BOOKED it to Riften. She was able to meet up with her family,  she didn’t tell them what happened on her way there not wanting to bother her father on what pretty much turned out to be his last day.

After that, she decided to leave again. She thought about making her way to Winterhold to figure out what the hell was going on in skyrim these days. But on her way out of Riften she got recognized by Brynjolf who, as he tends to do, immedeatly tried to recruit her into the thievesguild. Durth being incredibly insulted and emotional started a fight. 

And that is how she met Inigo, being tossed into the same cell as him. And she pretty much immediately broke down and dumped everything that happened to her that day on him. Together they came to the conclusion that maybe, the jarl of Whiterun should be notified of this. Y’know seeing as far as Durth knows, only two people actually made it out.

From there the quest pretty much continues as normal.

On her way from High Hrothgar to the tomb of Jurgen Windcaller she meets Rumarin. She is head-over-heals within a week.

In between the main quest they get up to a lot of shenanigans, turning into a full fledged adventurers group. She picks up Lucia somewhere on the way.

Age 29 - Then as the peace treaty failed, Durth joined the stormcloaks. She got into an argument about it with Inigo and Rumarin, not talking to either of them for a while. Inigo ended up doing quite a lot of work to stay friends with her but Ru was a bit to stubborn to contact her first. 

During the war she adopts Braith after her parents die in the attack of Whiterun. Almost being branded a deserter for it by not seeing the entire fight through. Durth absolutly hates having joined the Stormcloaks after they storm Markarth.

After the rebellion and being kicked out after a fight with Ulfric she returns to her friends with her tail in-between her legs, asking them if they still want to help her end this thing. And they did. Inigo even following her to Sovengarde and back.

Age 30- she is finally done with the main quest. She stays at home in Riften for a while but grows restless pretty fast. She officially joins the College of Winterhold again and does mostly field work. And so they keep adventuring for some time, mostly on the east side of Skyrim so she can stay close to her daughters and the College. She gets married to Rumarin somewhere around this time.

Age 33- Some cultists show up to Riften and threaten her and her kids in the middle of the market square, she is not amused. She pretty much speedrunned  her way to Miraak. 

Age 40 something- The kids are moving out, her brother wants to move back into Honeyside (which is technically his.) Durth, Ru and Inigo build a house in The Pale. Durth gets even more involved with the College again now that she’s closer.

Age 50 something- Durth is getting a little bit too fragile for Adventuring, she takes up a teaching position at the college. Inigo, even more fragile comes with her and settles down in Winterhold, loving company he opens a small bar as Winterhold is slowly rebuild again. Rumarin starts adventuring again, usually solo but there is no shortage of friends they made along the way that need help sometimes.

Age 58 - Durth officially becomes Archmage. Most would have preferred an elf, not seeing the use of someone so old already to be Archmage. But with Brelyna already chosen als her successor most people just accepted it, if only to give Brelyna more time to prepare. No one really expecting Durth to do her ABSOLUTE DAMNDEST to get Winterhold back on the map.

Durth tried to make the public opinion of the College better, and it worked! She actually got involved with the politics in skyrim, unlike how the college before tried to distance itself. Winterhold grew, it wasn’t going to be what it once was but people were making a start. She actually became friends with Jarl Korir, took a lot of work though. 

Age 84 - Since Alduin Durth had been toying with the idea of time travel. The idea of going back an fixing mistakes she made, seeing what could have been or maybe just giving herself more time. Mora had been showing up every once in a while to feed these ideas, wich ended up being her downfall. One day she opened a black book and she did not come back.

Sorry for any grammar mistakes, but that’s about it. (i’m glad you love her <3)

[achilleid]

Laisrén Blackfern ed.

— oc questions

BASICS

What’s their full name? Laisrén Blackfern

What does their name mean? Why were they named that? Laisrén is a celtic name derived from “lassar” meaning flame/fire. Blackfern is a chosen last name. If you asked him, he’d try to say he picked it because of some profound reason, like because ferns are resilient and hardy plants or something, but he entirely picked it because he thought it sounded cool. 

Do they have any nicknames? Rén. Pronounced like “rain”. 

How old are they? Time functions really oddly in the Sidhe. When he last lived in the human realm, he was seventeen human years. That was nearly a century or more ago by human time. Physically he appears about 32-33.

When’s their birthday? December 29th (human) or 9th Day of Winter (Sidhe)

What’s their zodiac sign/element/birthstone/etc.? Do they believe that holds any significance? Capricorn/earth/tanzanite-- Laisrén believes in zodiac signs in a very nonchalant way. He is from a magical world where all kinds of weird stuff happen when someone is born, so being told some aspect of his personality is theoretically identifiable by his “sign” he’d probably just shrug like “Sounds legit.”.

What’s their species/subspecies? Do they have any special/magical abilities? He is a half Seelie/half-Unseelie Folk. Folk are presented in my world like a combination of elves and fae. Seelie are generally characterized by their more warm toned skin colors, affiliation with the light, spring and summer, Unseelie are associated with autumn and winter and tend to favor darker, cooler tones. Laisrén is a mix of both types. There are stereotypes associated with each kind of Folk, but ultimately it is entirely based on the individual.

What “class” do they belong to (for fantasy characters)? If none, what weapon do they favor? He would definitely be a Ranger class, duel-wielding swords and using a bow. 

APPEARANCE

What do they look like? Laisrén owes 90% of his appearance to Levi Ackerman from Attack on Titan I won’t even lie. So he is roughly 5′9″, has dark black undercut hair and dark green eyes. He has a warm beige skin tone that darkens in the summer. 

Do they have a face claim? Nope!

What’s their style like? Clothes, hair, makeup? His go to outfit is a black doublet with a silver jerkin over the top. During combat, he favors a set of dark leather armor and a dark cloak. Lots of dark colors. For a half Seelie, he dresses almost exclusively in the dark or jewel colors favored by Unseelie.

How do they carry themselves? What’s their default expression? Perpetual resting bitch face. And he carries himself with an air of self-assuredness and confidence that is entirely unforced. It is just how he is. Granted, he could look cool and collected and inside his thoughts are going a mile a minute. Very good at hiding how he feels.

Do they have any physical ailments or disabilities? Laisrén was saddled with a curse at a young age. His skin, starting at the fingertips of his right hand, is turning black and spreading upward. As of present day, his hand has blackened up to his palm. His nails grow much sharper and faster on that hand as well. Laisrén covers this with gloves.

PERSONALITY

What’s their alignment? Lawful Neutral

Which one of the 16 Personality Types do they fit into? ISTP

What are their hobbies and interests? Do they have any particular “favorites” (food, books, and so on)? He is a big fan of games, especially strategy games. He would love Risk, History of the World and other games like that and probably plays Folk equivalents when he can. Chess too. He’d enjoy card games there were not luck based. He also does like to read and his favorite meal ever is high tea. The man will try any blend of tea ever created and he loves having a nice herb garden.

What are they bad at? He is not the best cook. Food is something to just be consumed as quickly as possible for energy, so getting him to sit down and have a meal and just ENJOY it is very hard. He also is a fitful sleeper and is very bad at picking up on subtext or subtleties when speaking with people. He does not take hints. He does not even know a hint is happening.

What kind of things do they dislike/hate? Disorganization, MESS in general. This is both literal and figurative. Messy emotions will have him cleaning the same room, polishing the same armor or sharpening the same blade in a wholly meditative process trying to either work through or ignore his feelings.

Do they have any vices/addictions/mental illnesses? His secret vice is his love of sweets. Food is mere fuel until it is chocolate and covered in strawberries or something and then he is like “.... okay maybe a few bites.”

What are their goals and motivations? Currently? Managing his curse, keeping an eye on his “niece” and her son. Caring for his mother secretly. His goals later become more aligned with the main character’s and becomes ensuring the safety of those he cares for. Full stop.

What are their manners like? Any habits? He is not impolite, but he can be brash. He knows how to behave in different situations though, so his “brash” on the field and his “brash” at say a gathering or a meeting is very different. He has a habit of clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth when he is annoyed and only ever breaks eye contact with someone if he is feeling wholly and deeply vulnerable. 

What are they most afraid of? Living for centuries upon centuries only to turn around and realize he has done so alone and always will.

BACKGROUND

Where were they born? What was their childhood like? He was born in the Sidhe, but within a week was abandoned in the human realm. His childhood was spent raised in an orphanage during the early 1900s on Earth. He lived in London and sometimes falls into a cockney sounding accent when he is tired. 

What’s their family like? Well. His mom is thought to be absolutely bonkers because she pulled a changeling thing. And she is, on some level, mentally not all there. In Folk culture, there are some events that can cause a Folk to become trapped in one emotion and unable to overcome the enormity of it and remain “stuck” there. His mother fell into a Despair upon the death of her partner, so he cares for her and the remaining family of her human adopted son from the shadows.

What factions or organizations are they a part of? What ranks and titles do they hold? He is a Hound of the Wild Hunt and Captain beneath the commander responsible for training new recruits. He trains the soldiers of their ranks.

How do they fit into their “story”? He is at one point in the story, love interest, secondary protagonist, secondary antagonist. 

Where do they currently live? What’s their place like? He resides in a home called Elden Keep, which is a an old fortress manor that once was used as a hunting lodge. It has a western tower with a turret. It is a house of rich brown woods and plush green carpets and a very lovingly tended to garden.

How do they eventually die? WELLLLLLLLL-- they eventually succumb to the curse, but it is temporary. More like an emotional and mental death and then a rebirth. 

RELATIONSHIPS

Do they have any friends? Would they consider anyone to be their best friend? His commander Eimer and his fellow captains. Later, he becomes closer friends with Cyra’s group.

What’s their friend group like? What role do they play in it? He is definitely not even the oddest of his group, that belongs to Dillion, the resident mad scientist/mage (he’s nice! just eccentric). It is a nice blend of people and neurosis haha.

What’s their love life like? (See also: ship question meme.) Do they have any kids? Prior to his relationship with Cyra, Laisrén would have casual encounters, but nothing serious. His longest fling lasted probably off and on for a few months. He has no issues with accepting and reciprocating sexual advances, but has not had a lot of experience with feelings being mixed in until Cyra. With Cyra it starts physical, but ultimately he realizes it is satisfying in a way that past ones have not been because his emotional needs are being met.

Who do they look up to? Who do they trust? He looks up to and trusts Eimer above everyone. He is his best friend, his commander and his fellow Hound. They went through recruitment together, battles and all kinds of bad shit. 

Who do they hate? Do they have any enemies? His enemies unfortunately, when revealed, are some powerful people. He grows to hate Queen Nevan and by extension, Druth, Cyra’s uncle and the Queen’s grand commander.

Do they have any pets? He has a few horses, but he’d never refer to them as “pets”.

Are they good with kids? Animals? Good with animals. Kids he is shockingly popular with, even if he doesn’t really make an effort. They appreciate his honesty and the fact he talks to them like they understand things.

[astyle-alex]

[Fanfic] Museum Mishap | the BatFam

I’m posting an older fanfic to kick off my attempt to be more involved with the Tumblr Fandom community!

Museum Mishap  |  Chapter 6/6

Fandom: the DC Universe, Batman & co. Pairings: Jay x Tim Characters: Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson Rating: Gen Audiences Warnings: None

Total Word Count: 38,590

Summary:

Middle-School Tim Drake is on a field trip to the Science Museum, but with a WE exhibition of top-secret new technologies being staged in the basement, Tim separates from his classmates and breaks into the staff-only areas by using the skills he's developed over years of stalking Batman and Robin.

Current-Robin Jason Todd catches him in the act, but he's not there to confront Tim for trespassing or truancy - he's there because there's a rumor on the street that Tim Drake knows Batman's real name. And the rumor's gaining ground, quick, drawing in the wrong kind of attention.

When a Drug-Lord decides to take the rumor seriously enough to kidnap the little genius, Jason jumps into the crossfire. It all goes downhill from there. Fast.

(Jason is 14, Tim is 12)

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Museum Mishap Chapter 6: Safe

           It’s five weeks after Jason disobeyed Batman’s orders to drop the idea of investigating the rumor that a random rich kid knew the vigilantes’ secret identities.

           Five weeks since Jason let himself be kidnapped by the upstart drug lord Lorenzo Sabini in an attempt to protect the kid who was Sabini’s real target – the kid rumored to know impossible things about Batman and Robin.

           Five weeks since Jason’s leg was broken – in the line of a duty he never should’ve been asked to shoulder, never should’ve been allowed to feel bound to carry – and Bruce Wayne rediscovered the impossible duality of being responsible for the life of a child that he’d somehow managed to forget. That had faded from his mind when Dick had grown up enough to go off on his own – without his Guardian having any legal say in stopping him.

           Batman has been able to bury the raging concern, the guilt he bears for introducing Jason to such a dangerous lifestyle – for not doing more to discourage his interest. Batman is able to silence the voice that says Jason acted honorably, if stupidly, by insisting that Robin needs to do better, to be better, so that he can keep the boy inside the costume safer.

           But Bruce is having trouble letting Jason heal.

           ‘Suffocating’ Jason calls his attentions, merely ‘stupid codling he doesn’t need’.

           Jason submitted to three weeks of strictly bedrest – a godsend if Bruce could ever believe in such things. He’d offered only mild resistance to being benched for six weeks – to rigorous and thorough PT, and light, careful exercise and a slow return to the training regimen that kept shaping Robin’s growing body into something more heroic than the average simple human.

           But there was no point in even trying to bring up the idea of retiring Jason’s pixie boots for good – of trying to convince him to stand down from the Vigilante fight.

           Bruce knows that, but he still tries it – once, in a terse conversation that gets shut down before he even makes it to the first point of reasoning – and then he swallows the rest of the worry and buries it in silence alongside his fury at Jason’s constant reckless disregard for his own safety. Bruce knows he can’t stop Jason, can’t force him out of the cape, so Batman vows to train him harder, push him further, make him stronger, make him faster, more durable, more prepared – keep him safer.

           It’s a compromise.

           And it has to be enough.

           Because Jason is already back on his feet.

           He broke his own way out of the cast almost a week ago – refused to apologize or sit for another casting – and though Alfred’s managed to somehow force him into a sturdy brace, guilted him into maintaining his use of the crutches… Jason’s been back inside the Cave twice already while Batman has been out – at least twice.

           The Cave’s security cameras have caught him on the Salmon Ladder the last two nights in a row – going through two sets his first night back, and four the next. So that was two nights, at least, that security footage showed Jason working out inside the Cave, but it was possible there were nights he wasn’t tagged on the Cave’s security footage. Dick had certainly learned to sneak down without being caught on camera. Bruce doubted that Dick would share his secrets with Jason – but it was not beyond possibility.

           Bruce kept meaning to add more cameras, to ensure that every inch of the cave was covered by an unblinking eye equipped with filters in Starlight and infrared, but that project kept getting sidelined somehow. He kept getting distracted.

           Because his kids kept getting hurt.

           But it’s been five weeks since Jason got hurt.

           He’s getting better, and his bullheaded determination is just the same as it was before the injury – the stubborn streak still apparent, now even more so if anything had changed.

           But there’s something else about Jason that’s different.

           Bruce almost can’t see it – almost convinces himself it’s not happening, because he’s so damn hopeful that it is happening that his chest constricts with this strange kind of joy or pride or something and he doesn’t know what to do with it.

           Because Dick and Jason are talking.

           Not fighting, talking.

           Alfred’s caught them playing video games. Together.

           They were supposed to be doing homework – Jason’s been back at school for three weeks and while Dick’s purposefully selected freshman college classes don’t require constant attendance, they do give assignments that need to be turned in online – but still…

           Dick and Jason are getting along.

           His adopted sons are becoming brothers.

           Bruce notices.

           And wants it to be real so badly that it hurts.

           Batman notices, too.

           But Batman notices other things, as well.

           Batman notices how the Wayne Boys have befriended the kid Jason got himself kidnapped alongside.

           Batman notices how Nightwing volunteers to swing off on his own every night for a cursory once over of deterrence through Coventry and around the area in the Upper West Side where Sabini’s gang and the rumors they’d acted on had run amok – had being the operative word, seeing as how the entire area had been scared so straight there hasn’t even been a purse snatching in over a month.

           Batman notices how quiet the supposed-civilian kid at the center of those rumors is when he’s home alone – which is often – how the only thing he talks about out loud, in range of Batman’s listening devices, is how much he admires the caped crusaders and how much he wants for their ramshackle team to work together as brothers and sisters in arms – to work through their issues and be a kind of family.

           Batman notices.

           And he watches.

           And he’s concerned by what he sees.

           So tonight, as Nightwing swings off towards Coventry – with a big smile and a wholly unnecessary flip – Batman decides to investigate the kid firsthand.

           The civilian’s name is Timothy Jackson Drake and he is twelve years old, enrolled as a sixth grader at Gotham Preparatory Academy Primary Campus. His parents are Jack and Janet Drake, famed globe-trotting researchers and archeologists, and the second generation of Drakes to head up Drake Industries – a leading Wayne Enterprises competitor. The Drakes reside in the mansion that neighbors the Wayne Estate – another statement of how DI both complements and competes with WE.

           Timothy Drake seems mostly unremarkable.

           He’s skipped two grades, and his teachers say he’s got a remarkable mind, but he lacks significant social skills and spends most of his time alone – tinkering with some project or other. He’s never demonstrated a particular drive to be anything when he grows up, but he’s applied to the Wayne Tech summer camps three years in a row – despite being under the age requirement – and his bedroom is littered with DI equipment and half-finished robots he’s clearly engineered himself in the hours and hours he spends unsupervised.

           Lucius Fox likes him.

           In the way that some people like puppies.

           Bruce isn’t even entirely sure how Lucius Fox discovered the Drake kid, but it’s in his files in the Batcomputer – Fox has his name on a recruitment list, circled in red sharpie with a smiley face next to it.

           So, Timothy Drake is a smart kid.

           But he’s just a kid.

           According to all of Batman’s information, Timothy Drake is just a kid.

           A civilian who happened to have a bad stroke of luck and got his name wrapped up in a rumor founded on nothing more than a junkie’s word and some evidence that the kid in question was a vigilante fan.

           Is still a fan, somehow, despite the circumstance that admiration landed him in.

           Timothy Jackson Drake seems like nothing more than a dedicated fan – a child, not a threat. But the evidence is so peculiar – there are ridiculously strong indications that the rumor carried truth, and yet… the notion that the child knows nothing is so convincing that Dick and Jason agree on it… which in and of itself makes the evidence seem suspect…

           Thus, Batman is set on investigating the matter further for himself.

           A twelve year old civilian would be in bed at this time of night, tucked safely into the labyrinth of the Drake Mansion.

           So as Nightwing peals away to the west, Batman plots a course northward.

           He’s planned this carefully. His choice of direction does not immediately alert Nightwing to his intentions. He’s been rotating where he patrols after splitting off from Nightwing, moving counterclockwise by a dozen blocks every few days. Now he’s pointed right towards the Robbinsville area, where he’s stashed one of his getaway vehicles – a rather bland, all-black motorcycle that’s nothing special, but is quick and maneuverable enough to get him to the Drake Estate and back before Nightwing realizes he’s deviated.

           He even has Batgirl prepped to back Nightwing up if something happens – Barbara is visiting her father this weekend and doing research for her own case in Chinatown. She might not be actively patrolling, but Batman had been sure to give her warning of his activities.

           He trusts her discretion, and he knows she would be as worried as him about Nightwing's probable – and possibly willful – oversight of the threat posed by Drake. Batman does not want to think Nightwing would be so foolish as to dismiss a threat simply because it doesn't seem actively threatening – or worse, because he wanted to curry favor with his adoptive brother – But it’s always better to be safe.

           So, Batman is tracking north – from slightly further east than he’d originally planned, drawn off course by what seemed to be a mugging, but quickly resolved as Batman ID'd a drunk man resisting as his friend took away his keys – and he’s determined to get to the bottom of Drake’s capabilities and influence.

           He’s about to swing down to the last tall building before the midrises and family homes of Robbinsville take over Gotham’s footprint when he spies a figure huddled on the rooftop.

           Had Batman been approaching from his planned route, he wouldn’t have seen the figure until he touched down on the roof – within easy knife throwing distance of the stranger, with no chance to react if an attack was imminent.

           Carefully, Batman swings around to the far side of the building and climbs silently up to roof level after landing on a balcony. He creeps close enough to ascertain that the would-be assailant is small – even with a massive jacket attempting to keep out the late January chill, the figure is miniscule… a child.

           Concern leaps, unbidden, into his chest as he wonders what could possibly bring a child onto a freezing cold rooftop in the middle of the night. The apartment building is not the lowest rent residence in the region, but it has its fair share of alcoholics and abusers. It would not be unheard of for a child to sneak away for what respite they can get and the Bat knows that this situation takes precedence to his Drake investigation.

           Batman is just about to announce his presence – From far enough away to hopefully prevent the kid from falling off the roof in fright, though he has his grapple gun ready just in case – when the kid shifts.

           An eerie blue glow lights up the crouching figure’s face as his phone flares briefly to life.

           It's Timothy Jackson Drake.

           Batman frowns, continues to silently observe.

           Drake curls more tightly around his knees. He huffs – breath turning instantly to steam that catches in the city's light – And mutters, “He should be here by now... There’s no sirens, no breakouts, nothing to keep him away… unless he’s not coming this way tonight… but he should be… he’s been moving north… but maybe I miss-counted the interval, or maybe I’m too far north… but this is the best vantage to check on Robinsv-”

           His mumbled monologue – which Batman is certain he is not intentionally speaking aloud – is interrupted by a sneeze.

           “Bless you,” Batman says, stepping from the darkest shadows.

           “Thanks,” Tim returns.

           A beat passes, and then Tim whirls around with a string of oddly pronounced Chinese curses spilling from his tongue.

           “Batman,” Tim breathes, awestruck and a little bit fearful.

           “Timothy,” Batman returns, “I hear you’ve been looking for me.”

           It’s true, the kid had just mumbled as much. There was no one else he could possibly be waiting for here, not with the details he’d murmured about having tracked to find him.

           “Um, kinda,” the kid admits.

           He’s not as surprised by Batman’s recognition of him – of the Bat using his name directly – as Batman would’ve thought. He is nervous though, antsy. Batman scans him for weapons, but nothing notable shows up in any of his cowl’s filters and the coat is too cumbersome for any shapes beneath it to be positively identified.

           Tim does have something in his hands, though – something he’s clutched close to his chest. Bare fingers glow ghostly in the night, tremble in the freezing air.

           It’s not a weapon that he’s holding, or a camera – like might be expected and acceptable from a fan. It’s a set of note cards. Note. Cards. Like he’s practicing for a speech.

           On an ice cold Gotham rooftop in the middle of the night.

           Bruce Wayne is thrown by that. Far enough to make Batman pause.

           Batman regards the kid standing before him in the darkness.

           Timothy Drake stares back.

           “Did you have a reason?” Batman asks eventually.

           “Huh?”

           “To be looking for me, did you have a reason?”

           Timothy looks down at his hands, at the half-crushed note cards he’s holding. “Yeah,” he says slowly, quiet with the kind of resignation Batman knows is guilt.

           “Well?” Batman prompts when Timothy offers nothing more.

           The kid flinches, and Batman fights a wince of his own.

           The obvious reasons Nightwing has for underestimating this kid assert themselves plainly. He is a child, small for his age and easily frightened. There seems no reason to suspect him of anything – except that he was waiting on a rooftop for Batman, intentionally. A rooftop even Batman didn’t know he would be visiting until about a week ago.

           “I’m worried about Robin,” Timothy admits. “And Nightwing, and Batgirl, for that matter, but mostly Robin.”

           “Why?”

           Another flinch. Bruce Wayne consciously tries to reel back the Batman ‘grr factor’, as Dick has termed it. And yet… Timothy clearly knows more than he should. Perhaps the gravel and growl is worth it to extract that information.

           “Because they need you to listen to them – that’s why you fought with Nightwing to begin with, right? You, um, you passed his mantle on without letting him explain why he didn’t want you to?” Tim’s actively struggling to make eye-contact.

           Batman doesn’t verbalize a response.

           He’s evaluating how this kid could possibly know what he does without knowing the names beneath the masks – it’s possible, he supposes, but extremely unlikely.

           “I get why you didn’t, he was still a kid and not very good at making his important points clear, but when he went to California, he didn’t want you to let him go, he wanted you to bring him home,” Timothy rambles, losing his battle for eye-contact.

           Batman scowls.

           Timothy swallows dryly. Consults his notes.

           “They need you to help them,” Timothy says.

           Batman’s scowl deepens, and he must make some sound because Timothy doesn’t just flinch this time, he yelps and curls into himself. His cards get squeezed so tightly they pop out of his hands and scatter across the rooftop. Timothy dives after them, but the roof is wet with the afternoon's snow shower and the antifreeze that keeps it from becoming ice.

           There is no recovering the careful presentation Timothy clearly had planned for this meeting. But Timothy isn’t willing to admit defeat immediately.

           “Timothy Jackson Drake,” Batman says as the kid in question scrambles with his wet paper, frowning at the smudged and ruined ink like he should have been able to plan for that – like he should’ve had a contingency.

           At Batman's voice saying his full name, Timothy freezes and stares up at him like a frightened deer.

           “Tell me how and why you have come to know so much about the relationships between the Gotham masks.”

           “That’s not important,” Timothy says. Quick, dismissive, like the point truly doesn’t matter in his world-view, or to his understanding of his place in it.

           “It’s not?”

           “No. What’s important is that you’re not letting them do their jobs,” Timothy accuses.

           And then he promptly freezes and stares up at Batman like he just then has realized not only what he said, but how – how direct and confrontational it was.

           “They don’t have jobs,” Batman replies, level and calm. “They are children.”

           “Not when they're wearing masks,” Timothy snaps back immediately. “When the masks are on, they’re vigilantes. Nothing else.”

           Batman narrows his eyes at Timothy's temerity.

           And fights himself to keep from agreeing with Timothy’s point. But his disagreement doesn’t make it any less true. No matter how much he wants to remember that under the masks the heroes who have joined his crusade in Gotham are children, he can’t ignore the truth of Timothy Drake's words: when the masks are on, they’re not children – They can’t be.

           Batman cannot ignore that – can’t pretend it away.

           But he can insist on one smaller truth. “They do not have jobs.”

           Timothy glared – actually glared at Batman in full cape and cowl and scowl – and said firmly, “Their job is to make sure you remember why is it that you do yours.”

           Batman blinked behind the lenses of his cowl.

           “That’s not how it works,” Batman defends. Weakly – he knows.

           But he’s not entirely sure what to do with this child, this strangely mature tiny human with hope and sweetness and innocence – and uncomfortably valid points – lecturing him like Batman is the errant child here.

           “You can’t possibly be that stupid,” Timothy says – a moment later looking wide-eyed and horrified by his words, yet still going on with speaking as if his mouth had detached itself from is brain and was running on a will of its own. “They care about what happens to you, which makes you care about it. They need you alive, and you – on some level, at least – recognize that need. It keeps you safer. And it makes you be a better person, in trying to set a good example for them to follow. And that’s important.”

           Tim pulls more air into his lungs, enough for another leg of his tirade, and goes on, “Without Robin, Batman is too violent, too aggressive… like Green Arrow starting to gain ground in Star City; you’re too much like the criminals you hunt to make a genuine, lasting difference. Without Robin, you’re just scary. Robin tempers you; makes you an inspiration – makes people believe that you aren’t just hurting bad guys, but also protecting good ones.”

           Tim manages to close his mouth and keep it shut after that – if only by the simple force of his clear mortification sealing off his words.

           “Timothy.”

           Terrified eyes peer up at Batman.

           “What do you know about us capes? There was a reason Sabini had an interest in you and I’m not convinced it was just a junkie’s word and evidence that you’re a fan,” Batman lays out simply – calmly, regaining control of this discussion.

           “I know that you’re necessary,” Tim replies in a squeak.

           Eyes narrow behind the lenses of the cowl.

           Tim ducks his head, fully aware that he has not answered Batman’s question.

           “I know that Gotham needs you,” Tim reiterates. “I don’t know who you are beneath the masks, and I don’t want to know. I just want to help you keep Gotham safe. Because I’m not a mask, I’m just a fan… but I can still help.”

           Batman regards the young civilian carefully. He has Jason’s spirit and determination, Dick’s unyielding sweetness, and Barbara’s practical acceptance of humanity’s flaws.

           “You don’t know our civilian identities?”

           Tim shakes his head. “I don’t care about them.”

           Batman does not believe him – does not believe that he doesn’t know, or that he doesn’t care. Timothy Drake knows more than enough to be dangerous.

           Dick has always been a terrible judge of character – in some ways, he always sees the best in people, in their potential – so his support of Timothy Drake as a non-threat means little.

           But Jason is the most astute observer of humanity Bruce has ever encountered – he can read a person’s entire psyche in a gesture, find their cracks and weaknesses and apply just the right leverage to break them. And he’s never thrown from thinking that a seemingly innocent person is capable of doing a great deal of damage – would never underestimate a threat like that.

           Case in point: how he hadn’t let go of the potential threat Tim posed to begin with.

           Jason had decided Tim was safe.

           Batman decides to trust his Robin’s judgement; Bruce puts faith in his son.

           Batman heaves a sigh.

           “It’s time to go home, Timothy,” he says. “This is no place for a child to be, and you shouldn’t be out at this time of night.”

           Timothy frowns.

           “It’s my city, too,” he mumbles.

           Batman takes no quarter and as soon as he gets a nod of permission – Jason’s taught him how to work with children who aren’t like Dick, with an insatiable desire for physical contact – Batman hoists Timothy up and settles him on his hip. Batman holds tight to the child and shoots his grapple gun to carry them down to street level. He sits Timothy on his motorcycle and speeds across the city to Drake’s own door.

           There is no one home.

           Concerning in a very different way.

           Batman knew the Drakes were away. Bruce didn’t realize the implications of that beyond how Timothy was left unsupervised – hadn’t until right now.

           “Do you want me to come in,” Batman asks, awkward and uncertain of whether it would help at all to walk the kid to his bedroom. Batman should not linger – should not even consider the idea of tucking this neglected child into bed – but Bruce cannot quite bear to drag himself away just yet. He needs to know that Timothy is safe.

           Timothy is staring at him like he’s shown up as Batman to a career day at school.

           “Why?”

           “No one’s home.”

           “No one’s ever home,” Timothy replied blankly, adding. “I don’t need a real babysitter, let alone Batman. But Nightwing probably needs backup.”

           Batman nodded. Accepted that he needed to push the Bruce in him down until they finished with the night’s patrol.

           Tomorrow he could look into Timothy Drake’s circumstances.

           “Be safe, Timothy,” Batman fare-wells. “Stay off the streets, and be careful, or this will not be our last conversation.

           “You be safe, too,” Timothy replies. “Or I’ll just have to find you again.”

           Batman almost chuckles. He waits until Timothy locks the door behind him, and then he takes his motorcycle back to where he’d stashed it across the bridge from Robbinsville.

           He meets up with Nightwing and finishes patrol.

           If he’s more reticent than usual Nightwing doesn’t comment.

           The teenager is still wearing the blinding goofy smile of his, broader now after a successful sweep of Coventry – no new rumors of Tim Drake. And he’d saved a cat from where it had gotten stuck on a gargoyle after it had slipped out of its apartment and ventured off an inopportune ledge beside the balcony.

           And because that’s the kind of hero Dick is, he chatters on incessantly about the cat and how it wailed and scratched him at first and yowled as he swung around the building, but then it purred and refused to let him go when it realized he’d brought it home.

           Beneath the cowl, Batman almost smiles.

           When he and Nightwing make it back to the Cave, Jason is not down there – the only evidence that anyone has been down there since he and Nightwing left is the snack left out for them by Alfred. Jason is in bed, asleep and dead to the world when Bruce slips in to check.

           Jason is safe.

           And Dick is safe.

           And Alfred and Barbara are safe.

           His family. Safe.

           And Tim is… safe enough for the moment.

           Tonight, Bruce will sleep.

           Tomorrow he will reevaluate the child and his circumstances.

           But tonight, Bruce Wayne basks in the truth that has a Family.

           And his family is home, and safe.

           It’s a foreign feeling.

           But a good one.

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[multimetaverse]

Jamie Johnson 5x10 Review

Tonight was a surprisingly busy ep that did a good job balancing angst and levity. Let’s dig in!

Dillon finally went home tonight after what was probably a couple of weeks. The show continues to do great work with Dillon’s sexuality. Graham begins to make amends by coming of his own accord to the Walker-Cotton house and apologizing to Dillon but he hasn’t magically become a good person. He wants Dillon to keep his sexuality a secret which Dillon pushes back against but as loathsome as Graham can be he does have a point that being openly gay could very well derail Dillon’s football career; after all it’s the same conclusion that all the gay professional players in Britain have reached. This whole story line has been surprisingly nuanced especially for a kids show. Shaun Duggan mentioned that Graham would have a journey of his own and I would assume we see more of it in the final eps 

One thing I do think the show has failed to do is include Dillon’s mom. Presumably they don’t have the actress this season but we really needed to see her support Dillon on screen when his dad and brother are homophobes. Hopefully they bring her back in S6 (and bring back Elliot)

It’s a minor detail but I really liked that when Alba comes into the living room to share her news that through the window we can see Graham walking towards the front door; it shows a real attention to detail on the part of the production team. Also the ‘’We Are Family’’ poster with the rainbow on the kitchen wall while Dillon and Graham talked was an inspired touch

The small moment when Dillon asked Becky and Dawn what he should do was really cool; seeing adult lgbtq people give advice to kids dealing with their sexualities is rare on tv in general, on kids tv it’s virtually unheard of; Cami and her gf trying to help Bobby on Doafp being the only example that comes to mind. The show did a great job normalizing lgbtq parents and families and there was an excellent implicit contrast drawn between the loving and supportive ‘non-traditional’  Walker-Cotton family and the cold and strained ‘traditional nuclear’ Simmonds family

I’m so glad that Ruby and Alba have finally been adopted and the photo album Becky and Dawn made was very sweet. I wonder if they stick with Osborne as their surnames or start using Walker-Cotton

Dillon being second in the credits? We love to see it folks

Zoe gets a recruitment montage for a heist soccer game so her and Kat can have one last chance to impress Geri Seddon who apparently doesn’t work very hard at her scouting job if she’s missed all these players. In the first good deed Jamie has done in weeks he calls up Jack and she gets Archfield to play against Zoe’s ragtag team. To the show’s credit Archfield pretty easily wins the day at Goodfield as they realistically should. Zoe and Kat get into Hawkstone though and Alba gets flagged as a future talent so all’s well that ends well

Zoe vaguely apologized for being an ass to Jack and she finally did the right thing with Kat and returned the pendant which which Kat promptly lost again. Zoe treating other girls as the enemy has been a core part of her story since she joined the show back in S3 and it looks like that’s behind now as her and Kat are real friends

I think Mike calling for girl power was the funniest line of the night

This Eric/Aisha/Freddie love triangle is a right mess but I’m finding myself invested regardless. Freddie and Aisha have good chemistry and their commentating was cute. Freddie not knowing Kat’s last name was funny as was Aisha’s observation about Mike’s yelling. Aisha was also right about peanut butter and honey being a delicious combo

We got a refresher on Eric’s sad backstory, brutal that he hasn’t seen his mom in 2 years.  Well I’m sure that Eric’s issues with abandonment won’t come into play as Aisha and Freddie grow closer! Imagine tuning into a livestream for a football match only to hear two 13 year olds get into a pissing contest over a girl they both fancy

Also nice to see the kids be kids and go to the cinema

This show has really done a good job with diversity especially since the series isn’t set in or around London (S1 was filmed in Nottingham and recent seasons have been filmed in Wales). In particular, JJ has avoided having their two black male characters, Eric and Freddie, fall into stereotypes. As much as I can’t fathom why the show needs this love triangle, it is refreshing to see two black kids shown as the closest thing this show has to romantic leads. American kids shows have done a great job with female black characters but when it comes to black male characters things are much worse. Zay on GMW largely fell into the sassy black friend stereotype. As for Walker on Andi Mack, the less said the better about how he was romantically involved with two girls of colour only to lose out to two white boys before being written off as a shoe gifting player in a way that played into harmful stereotypes about black men being promiscuous 

Another ep where Jamie basically just makes a cameo but because the show has such a wide bench it doesn’t hurt the ep at all. Boggy is basically Jamie’s housewife at this point and it’s sad as hell to watch

I think this is the first time Jack has been back where she hasn’t had a scene with Jamie. The official insta account reposted someone asking the show to make Jamie and Jack a couple, we’ll one day learn if that was straight baiting

Interesting to think about how different the show would be if Jack was still a main, would Dillon’s story be getting nearly so much focus? 

Looking Ahead:

Liam thinks Aisha is Eric’s soulmate? I wouldn’t have pegged him for a romantic at heart. I love that he keeps bouncing around the friend trio trying his chances with a new member every week, at the beach he tried with Freddie and now he’s trying with Eric

It seems likely that Eric is denying that he likes Aisha because of his abandonment issues and it looks like he skirmishes with Freddie on the field. I wonder if he’ll be honest with anyone about his feelings

Boggy’s breakdown is upcoming, I really don’t think he’s Jetpac11. Looks like 5x12 is the video game tournament with the Jetpac11 reveal, I still think it’s Archie Royle, but Jethro Stevenson would be a great twist

I lean more and more towards Dillon signing with the Northport Rovers as a way to forge his own path and because he trusts our problematic fave Duncan Jones to stand firm against homophobia. It would also bring Duncan’s S5 story full circle, he was so focused on trying to bamboozle Jamie into signing for Northport that he overlooked the other very talented player he had right in front of him. It seems like Dillon’s story line is trending towards him wrestling with coming out publicly as a professional player in S6 and proving to himself, his father, and the world that an out gay man can be a professional footballer

Until next week Jamie Johnsoners

[mycupoffanfiction]

His Second Chance Part 17

Bucky x Reader

His Second Chance Masterlist

Main Masterlist

Bucky comes back from Wakanda with Steve, ready to begin his recovery from his days as the Winter Soldier, but there’s one thing he doesn’t take into account - you.

Warnings: Soft fairly non descriptive smut (first 3 paragraphs), fluff, sadness.

Word count: 2500

Bucky and the Reader explore their options seperately, Reader starts to feel overwhelmed.

ALL TAG LISTS ARE ALWAYS OPEN 💖 feel free to come and chat, my blog is always open for you 💕

If your tag is crossed out, I haven’t been able to tag you. 

_______________________________

Soft. So soft.

Gentle sunrays pushing through the curtains, the quiet hum of traffic in the distance, the odd faint order here and there shouted by Steve as he trained the recruits in the early morning outside. Sheets beneath your fingers, bunched tightly in your hands, a soft mewl escaping your lips, back arching slightly as you let out a shaky breath. “Bucky.” You whined. “I’ve got you.” He hummed against your core, the vibration sending a warm feeling through you as you drew closer to your orgasm. “Let go for me.” Bucky whispered and just like that, with a few more flicks of his soft tongue, you were a trembling mess. Whining out and moaning, no regard for whether Sam could hear you or not as Bucky worked you through your orgasm. He tried to keep you going for a second one, but you gently nudged him away.

 A proud smirk played on Bucky’s lips as he knelt over you, lining himself up. “Love makin’ you feel good.” Bucky whispered, coming down to kiss you, lips pressing softly against yours, an almost erotic groan coming from deep in his chest as he slowly nudged into you, gently thrusting until he was confident his harder movements wouldn’t cause discomfort.

 Grunts, heavy breaths, skin against skin. Soft touches and sweet kisses trailing over your cheek and neck. Hot breath against his skin, your delicate lips against his shoulder, his beard rough against your cheek, but so, so good. A soft moan met with a gruff huff of a breath. Hushed I love you’s and gentle praises as you both drew close to your climaxes, Bucky holding himself back so you could have your release before his. Another snap of his hips and you tumbled over with a sharp gasp, a moan and Bucky’s name on your lips. Bucky followed after you, a few grunts and a drawn out moan. Eyes on yours, full of love, full of adoration like you were the only two people in the world.

 Your face was pressed against Bucky’s bare chest as you both caught your breath. Your arm draped over his middle, fingers tracing lazy circles and swirly patterns over his chest. Sex was a safe haven for Bucky, so intimate, so loving that the voices in his head all but disappeared. They had no power in his mind when he was enjoying acts of love with you and it gave him all the more reason to worship you the way he so desperately wanted to and take his time.

 Words weren’t even needed to share the feelings of love between the two of you. Bucky was so in tune with you, with your mind and your body. You both knew how you felt, even if no words came or the words you spoke while you were tipped over the edge of euphoria made no sense at all, it was love. It was all love.

 Bucky could get used to this life. Waking up to you every morning, making food together, baking cakes and pastries, playing videogames and reading together. Bucky could get used to all of it, in fact, he was getting used to it. But soon he’d have to introduce a new part of his life when he was only just getting used to real life again.

 Domestic life or back to the field again? Bucky pondered, stretched out lazily on the sofa in his fitted sweats and a black t-shirt. It’s one direction and then the other, something happens to continuously tug Bucky to the opposite path. Why was this so hard? Why did it need to be so hard to just make a decision? It felt near impossible.

 You have to fight. It’s your duty to pay back what the Winter Soldier did.

No. You weren’t him, you don’t owe anything, it’s okay to want something else.

Bucky scrolled through listings on his laptop. Cats. When did he become so obsessed with cats? He’d never cared much for them back in the day but- oh just look at this one, so fluffy. Bucky was absolutely sure he needed at least one. If not five.

 Perhaps he would fight for a while, see where it lead him. Perhaps he just needed to do it, serve his self-given time until he felt he’d had enough, he’d done enough and he’d retire. Maybe the idea of a bakery or a café was just a silly fantasy. Adopting a small herd of cats was a silly fantasy, who was he kidding? No one would let him have little creatures roaming around the tower. Perhaps a normal life just wasn’t within his reach.

Perhaps you’re just not allowed a normal life, Barnes. Bucky sighed. I can hope.

 Bucky longed for a life in New York. Quiet, peaceful, the only stress being simple things like loading the dishwasher and paying the bills on time. He dreamed of a Brooklyn apartment, one with a feature brick wall and exposed pipes he’d paint with beautiful colours. A life where he could wake up and see your pretty face and look forward to a day full of spending time with you. He longed to look after another life, not a child – he wasn’t ready for that and perhaps you didn’t even want one, but a cat. Five cats. That was his dream. He imagined himself laying on the floor, a little cat pawing at his beard and long brown hair, sweet little mews for attention causing Bucky to grin and chuckle. A weight on his chest, you as you snuggled up to him giggling at nothing in particular. Carefree.

I can hope.

 A sigh left your lips as you sat rigid on your bed, staring at your TV. “Crowds of angry protesters took to the streets outside of a therapy centre yesterday afternoon when Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes was rumoured to be taking an assessment to work alongside the Avengers.” The news host reported. “That man is dangerous, letting him into the Avengers is a terrible-.” An angry protester was cut off as Steve stood in your doorway, TV remote in hand, the screen going black.

 “Thought we made this a rule after what happened with Wanda.” Steve said softly as he padded across your room to sit beside you. “No watching the news after something bad happens.” The bed dipped slightly as he sat down next to you. “And that was something bad, sweetheart.” His fingers gently brushed over the cut on your forehead. “I hate it, Stevie.” You sniffled. “I hate what’s happening, these people don’t see Bucky, all they see is the Winter Soldier.” You leaned against his shoulder, trying hard to hold back your tears.

 “They don’t see him like we do, but that’s why we have to keep going, show them that he’s not a threat and he’s here to help.” Steve spoke just above a whisper as he wrapped an arm around you, holding you tightly. “I know it’s hard, I know.” He whispered. “He’s got us though, he’s got you. We’ll help him through it.” Steve assured you as you squeezed him around the middle, finally letting your tears roll down your cheeks. “Hey, no, you’re not supposed to cry, sweetheart.” Steve hushed you, gently wiping away a tear with his fingers.

 Bucky walked into your room, heart stopping as he saw you and Steve cuddled up on the bed, tears rolling down your cheeks as you clung to Steve’s light grey shirt. Steve gently shushed you, his big arms around you trying desperately to comfort you. Bucky’s eyes met Steve’s and they shared a look, Steve giving him a tight lipped smile before turning his attention back to you, his hand gently smoothing over your hair. Wonder what’s caused my girl to cry, maybe I did something wrong. Oh god, did I do something wrong? Did I hurt her this morning?

 A second dip in the bed on your other side alerted you of Bucky’s presence. Arms winding around you, sandwiched between two super soldiers. Never had you felt so safe and comforted in your life. Steve had pulled you from that miserable time in your life, gave you a second chance. And then Bucky came along, broken and lost and you did the same for him that Steve had for you. A second chance.

 But was this it? Was fighting again a second chance or was it a poor attempt to be Bucky’s old definition of normal? All he’d known since the war was fighting, death and destruction. It might be for the innocent, being an Avenger might be for the greater good, but the goodness of it was just a guise for the fight hidden beneath it. The same grizzly details. There would always be tough consequences. There would always be a fight, injury and pain.

There would always be death.

It was still a fight, it didn’t matter who it was for, who it was to protect. It was still a fight and neither of you were sure that it was what you wanted. Was it okay to not want it?

Yes, because you both deserved to be happy, both deserved to do what you wanted.

No, because you felt like you owed something. You to the Avengers for taking you in and saving you, showing you a better life and Bucky felt he owed the whole damn world a piece of him and even then he wasn’t sure that was enough to pay back what he’d been made to do.

 Inner conflict knitted your brows together, tears falling and soaking into Steve shirt. A third set of arms, warm, soft, gentle. Sam. What on earth had you done to deserve such a caring family? A trio of soldiers who took care of you, who loved you in different ways.

 You hadn’t wanted this. Once you had been a normal girl with your whole life ahead of you. Normal was a strange thing, ultimately it was subjective. Normal for you had been a regular teenager, school, friends, a slightly unstable homelife. And then you were thrust into the rabbit hole of Hydra. Your mother had taken away the last vestiges of what normal had been to you and twisted it into something else. Normal became painful, terrifying, abusive. And then it became calm, and quiet and full of love when Steve found you, when he walked into your shitty basement and scared the fuck out of you in the middle of the night.

 But now normal was different. Sure this wasn’t what you had seen for yourself when someone asked you ‘where do you see yourself in ten years?’ But despite it being utterly insane, so insane that you were Captain America and The Falcon’s honorary sister and Sergeant Barnes’ girl, but it was your life now and you full heartedly embraced what you had.

 Maybe it was worth the fight.

 “Can you stop?” Sam huffed, removing another photo of a random cat from the front of the fridge and putting it in a pile of other printed cat photos. “I’m trying to introduce the idea of having cats around by putting photos up.” Bucky said matter-of-factly as he prepared a nice hot cup of coffee for you after you’d finally calmed down. “I think you’re just doing it to piss me off.” Sam scoffed, rolling his eyes. Bucky was about to continue when he saw you slip outside onto the balcony.

 Bucky shared a look with Sam before moving across to the balcony with your coffee and grabbed his hoodie on the way out for you. “Hey pretty girl.” Bucky spoke softly as he walked out onto the balcony, placing your coffee down on the little side table next to where you sat. “Hey Sarge.” You sighed, breathing in the lovely coffee smell before Bucky move to drape his hoodie around your shoulders.

 “What’s going on, darlin’? Talk to me.” Bucky’s gaze fixed on yours as he lowered himself onto the small bench next to you. You let out a long, shaky sigh and closed your eyes. Looking out over the city skyline, you took a few deep breaths, taking a moment to compose yourself and have a sip of coffee. “I’m too soft for this Buck.” You finally spoke. “It’s been over a year since I found out I could use fire and it’s no where near controllable. Just last week I nearly burnt Steve’s arm to a crisp and I can’t calm down when I’m in that state until all my energy is spent and I pass out.” You huffed. “I have to fight, if I don’t then I have to leave and if I leave, I lose the Avengers. My only family.” You closed your eyes, shaking your head. “I can’t lose that.”

“You don’t have to.” Bucky rested his hand on your knee. “Don’t have to fight, don’t have to leave either.” He reassured. “Bucky, those people protesting yesterday- I couldn’t even handle that. Everything is overwhelming, I wasn’t meant for this.” You avoided eye contact. I wasn’t meant for this. Oh pretty girl, you and me both. “It’s too much, Bucky.” You leant against him, his arm coming around to embrace you and hold you close. So warm and comforting. So protective.

 “You don’t have to do this alone, doll. We’re in this together. You duck out, I duck out too. You move forwards, I move forwards too.” Bucky whispered into your hair. “I couldn’t ask you to do that.” You looked up at him, eyes meeting, a pained expression on your face. “You’re not asking, I’m doing it of my own free will.” Bucky spoke softly. “You’re not alone anymore. You’ve got me, Steve and Sam. Those two love you so much, you have no idea how protective they get of you when we’re talking. Even if you stopped fighting and we left the Avengers, they’d never leave us, never leave you. They couldn’t do that.” Bucky pressed a little kiss to your temple while you took a moment to think.

 “Darlin’, when I got here you gave me a piece of advice, you said you always have a choice. You can always say no and you can always back out. So can you, doll.” Bucky lowered his voice to just above a whisper. “I know it isn’t black and white and you can’t make a decision on the spot, just know that whatever you want to do, I’ll do it with you.” Bucky concluded, sitting back against the bench cushions and taking in a deep breath of the crisp autumnal air. You leaned into him, taking a long sip of your coffee. “Thank you, Bucky.” Your lips curved upwards in a gentle smile.

That’s my girl, my sweet girl.

___________________________

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[grayroman]

⌠ OSCAR ISAAC, 41, CISMALE, HE/HIM ⌡ welcome back to gallagher academy, ROMAN GRAY! originally hailing from BLACKTHORNE, this alum specializes in RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT. when i see them walking around in the halls, i usually see a flash of (dark curls above scratched up reading glasses, milk and sugar with a hint of coffee, a multitool in the pocket of a worn brown leather jacket).  it’s the pisces’ birthday on 03/09/1980, and when they were still in school their most requested dish was SPINACH AND RICOTTA RAVIOLI from the school’s chefs. hopefully their presence can help ease the minds of gallagher students.

                                                  𝗥𝗢𝗔𝗠𝗜𝗡’…

ACESS: GRANTED FILE NAME: GRAY, R.; 40; NO AGENCY

Roman Gray has had many ups and downs, sadly typical for someone in this line of work. Still, he likes to think he’s a pretty upbeat, healthy, friendly guy, though he may just be doing a good job hiding all the trauma in his life– again, sadly typical for someone in his line of work. He grew up without the knowledge of the spy world, and never attended a spy prep school. In his public high school in Queens, New York, circa late 90′s, he's the smartest kid in class, leagues above any of the other students. Coming from a low-income family, Roman figures the only way he’d be able to go to college was through a scholarship, so he works hard, thankful for his sharp intellect and aptitude towards technology. Naturally, the president of Robotics Club, he goes on to win several awards, and become nationally recognized– well, in the student robotics and technology community. But that, and his high IQ, puts him on the radar of Blackthorne Institute.

A letter arrives at the Gray household, asking for a chance for Roman to meet with recruiters from a boy’s university in Virginia. The family all jumps at the chance, and Roman meets with two of the buffest and suavest guys he’s ever seen in his life at a nearby coffee shop. They seem to eye the way Roman engages in polite conversation with his favorite barista, how he takes his coffee with 60% milk and sugar, and the way he kindly offers to pay for their drinks. Nonetheless, they disclose to him how his age and intellect would make him a great fit for their school, that even has a Research & Development major that would put his unique skills to use, as well as give him an additional new breadth of skills. However, if he enrolls, he would have to move to Virginia full-time and because of the nature of their private school, he could not withdraw until his degree was complete. But if he so chooses, Roman has a full four-year ride.

It’s a hard decision, to leave his family, but they all agree that this would be the best for all of them. He could go to a university that would not only allow him to pursue his passion, but not cost him or his family a cent, and put him on the road to being able to help provide for their future. So, despite the red flags and the slightly off-putting nature of the recruiters, he accepts.

When Roman first shows up to the Blackthorne Institute For Boys, he’s instantly in for a culture shock. The school is nothing like he’d imagined– bleak and dark, rigid and rough. And when he learns of it’s true purpose, of the world of spies, he feels betrayed. But the problem is there is no getting out now, he's stuck, feeling trapped and tricked by the institute and the people in charge. Still, they promise him that with his proficiency for his major, they could guarantee him a job upon graduation, and that if he tried to leave beforehand, everyone would be sorely unhappy. So Roman stays, in desperate hope to provide for his family, focusing on honing his craft, and channeling all his anger at the cruel nature of the school into all the physical training.

When his third year of school rolls around, he’s gotten good at throwing punches and shooting firearms, though he’s still definitely not the best in those departments– not to mention he hates it. But he’s at the top of his class when it comes to his major, making huge strides and taking advantage of the resources at his disposal, all while managing to keep his goodhearted disposition despite the harshness of the school. But this is also when he starts to hear rumors of the institute’s graduation process, and all this comes screeching to a halt, sick to his stomach. There’s no way out, he knows that, he doesn’t have to ask his instructors. So does that mean…? Roman barrels on ahead, refusing to think about it, refusing to accept that future.

By the time of his senior year, his father gets laid off from his low-rung corporate job, the only thing that had been keeping their family afloat. Loans are taken out, his family is put under more strain than ever before, and Roman resents both the capitalist assholes that had cut corners to line their pockets and the school that was keeping him hostage away from his family. Towards the end of his last year at Blackthorne, the CEO of the corporation is on trial, for revelations of embezzlement and even other heinous physical crimes committed against individuals in his employment. He’s at his peak of frustration, and with all the pressures of the school crushing him, he sets out on his graduation. After executing a hit on the CEO, Roman is silent the entire drive home, and upon reentering the school, runs straight for the bathroom to vomit.

Blackthorne pulls through on their promise, setting up a now emptier Roman with a job at an agency, working on developing and building new weapons. He hates it, really, but it pays extremely well, allowing him to support his family on his salary alone, and it gives him the space to later become one of the foremost experts in his industry. After years there, his murder farther in the past with each day, Roman starts to become more himself again, a humorous hotshot and quick as a whip. He even meets his best friend at that agency, a field agent who understands him better than anyone else.

Nearly a decade ago, while out on a mission, this best friend is caught in a struggle with his opponent, and as a result, the enemy gets a hold of his gun– a model Roman had made himself– and shoots him.

Roman quits immediately.

Since then, he’s become a freelance worker, taking jobs all over the globe, always moving. He’s been consulting on research studies and developing tech for hire, making a good earning for himself, and enough to keep sending his family back home money every month. On the outside, he’s his regular self– jovial, extroverted, cracking jokes and staying on top of his work, but he’s acquired a fear of staying in one place too long, making it impossible to commit to anyone or anything.

Fresh off a juncture in Berlin, he gets a call from one Laura Sutton, offering a mentoring job as a Blackthorne alum and expert in Research & Development at her school, the prestigious Gallagher Academy. While he’s not jazzed about being back in Virginia under Blackthorne’s name, and having to see the many faces of students he was once like, he takes it anyway. To Roman, this should be just another consulting job, and nothing more.

TL;DR - THE FACTS

the R&D alum who would have been here since January lol

was a Blackthorne graduate in order to support his family, since they promised him work after graduation

hates Blackthorne and all it’s memories, did not fare well there, and the hit he had to perform in order to graduate is his only direct kill, and one of the worst moments of his life

worked at agency for many years developing weapons

became a freelance agent after the death of his best friend, works on research and tech for anyone in the spy world who would pay

a bit of a nomad, doesn’t like to stay in one location too long; roaming loner with a heart of gold

generally friendly and easy-going; does his best to ignore all past trauma with humor and smiles

likes to pretend he’s tough, but he can’t take coffee black, has to have alcohol that’s sweet and fruity, and is obsessed with some musicals, so

not super happy about being here as a Blackthorne alum, but he does want to help the students

weary of all this Brotherhood nonsense, can’t help feeling guilty for all the kids, he doesn’t feel strange in wishing there wasn’t so much violence

protect the kids! he’s ready to adopt them but not really he can’t handle commitment, he refuses to like the kids too much

CONNECTIONS

Elise Park

Jack Stone

Irene Bradford

Naomi Powell-King

Hal Hardy

Allie Beckett

and that my friends is what you missed on glee!! hmu on disc to plot!! this has been another strud special!!

@gallagherintro

[olicitybishop-clairmont]

Arrow 7x15: Training Day “Not-So-Live” Blog

And here’s another “not-so-live” blog for episode 15.

Enjoy!

1:48 - Team Arrow could take out the entire SCPD if they wanted to with one hand tied behind their backs.

3:20 - Things were better when Oliver was mayor. I mean, there was Diaz and nearly the entire city government was hell bent on taking him out, but he was a better mayor than Mayor Pollard.

3:42 - Hearing Oliver say "our baby.”

Also, he is totally the health crazed husband who makes Felicity weird super food meals with kale and broccoli and quinoa when all she wants is mac and cheese and chocolate and ice cream.

Oliver and Felicity talking about children and babies and their family will always make me smile. They are so stinking cute.

4:52 - "I'm starving. I'm also nauseous."

I'm sure there are plenty of fics out there where we see Oliver doting on a pregnant Felicity and he's talking to her belly and feeling their kid kick and playing it classical music and totally being a doting husband/soon-to-be father. Cause something tells me we are not going to get much of the happy on this show.

5:49 - William and Mia look so different. And they already know each other so well.

7:50 - Ok. Ew. What is in those bullets?

10:45 - Felicity excited about being able to say the dead guys' skin melted off makes me laugh. 

11:10 - I know the SCPD has protocol, but with Team Arrow being deputized, what they can do is legal. Why not use their resources? Like Felicity said, it would be so much faster.

12:05 - Oh, William. Why didn't you listen to your little sister?

13:20 - At least someone is paying attention to Ben Turner.

13:47 - "Oliver made me a promise before he left here. He said he'd get me my freedom. Where is it?"

Yeah, where is it, Oliver? Lyla? Because with Diaz dead, you have a new opening for a Ghost Initiative recruit. And you probably won't even need to put a bomb in his head!

15:36 - How in the hell is this partnership supposed to work if they can't even wear their uniforms or weapons?!

16:00 - Seeing Team Arrow in the field without their usual leathers feels so very wrong.

16:48 - "Loophole!"

24:40 - "Have I told you lately how smart you are?”

"Well I never get tired of hearing it."

24:50 - Random Pregnancy Craving Alert! "I want mint chip."

I wouldn't put it past Oliver to make Felicity some ultra-healthy organic mint chip ice cream.

26:38 - "You have failed this city!"

It is so refreshing to hear that phrase again!

27:25 - I love that Oliver got fed up and did his own thing, but that is gonna come back to bite him in the ass when Midas gets to walk on a technicality.

31:56 - "Come here, my little hawk."

So Connor Hawke is Ben Turner's son turned John Diggle's adopted son. Wonder how that happened.

32:57 - Emiko killed Diaz? Why? 

Right before Diaz died it sounded like he knew who was standing at his door. Did he know Emiko? Did they work together for Dante?

Emiko is getting shadier by the episode...

33:50 - So that’s why Dinah was obsessing over the partnership working out. She lost her Canary Cry. I wonder if that’s still the case in the flashforwards. I mean, don’t tell me Felicity or Curtis didn’t come up with some sort of tech to help her.

I still don't like Rene, but he gave Dianh the pep talk/kick in the behind she needed.

34:57 - FELICITY FIXED UP THE ARROW CAVE! It looks so good!

But if she fixed it back up, why is it in ruins again in the flashforwards?

35:11 - OTA SCENE!!!!!!!

Oh it's been so long! I missed them so much!

35:52 - "We're having a baby."

"That's amazing! That's wonderful!"

I feel like Digg is gonna keep popping in at random moments giving both Oliver and Felicity baby and pregnancy advice.

"We're going to do this the Team Arrow Way." 

The best way.

36:40 - William comparing Mia to Oliver and his catchphrase.

"That's a dumb thing to say."

"That's what our dad used to say."

38:14 - "You're a genius."

"I am. Like, literally."

39:46 - With Felicity using the Arrow Computers and her home security system, are we seeing the Archer program develop in real time? Also, when will we see Felicity handling Helix?

40:25 - "Suit Up!”

43:29 - Seeing Team Arrow out in the field with their leathers? This feels right!

45:44 - Now that's how you do it! Use your assets and work together!

49:06 - THAT WINK!!!

49:22 - Diggle giving Felicity ginger chews to help with her nausea. AW! Delicity!

49:50 - "I think you're on to something big."

50:36 - Emiko knows Laurel is Black Siren? Is that because she's from another Earth?

Also, Laurel, don't let your fears keep you from telling at least Felicity about Emiko. Team Arrow would be angrier at you for knowing and keeping it a secret than telling them.

52:00 - Olicity baby names! Lucas and Mia. "Short for Moira."

52:29 - "They'll always have each other to lean on."

Clearly we know this didn’t pan out.

53:10 - Felicity rambles even when she's making a recording to her children.

53:48 - "Your father and I did it to protect you. We did it because we love you."

54:11 - "So we're ignoring her."

"Definitely."

Really. Did anyone expect any different?

Great episode this week! Some great OTA scenes and plenty of cutesy Olicity, which I will never get tired of. Looking forward to the next episode!

[douchebagbrainwaves]

WHY I'M SMARTER THAN PEOPLE

If you watch little kids playing sports, you notice that below a certain age they're afraid of the ball. If another country wanted to establish a rival to Silicon Valley. Instead of writing Word directly in C, they'd be amazed at how little there is and how little it does?1 Other parts you don't understand as well, and more importantly, can't take liberties with.2 I first met him, I thought; these impressive things seem easy to me; I must be pretty sharp. In startups, the big winners. And even though Boston is the second biggest startup hub in the US and the world, we tell the startups from those cycles that their best bet is to move to Albuquerque just because there are some smart hackers there they could invest in.3 Since the custom is to write to persuade a hypothetical perfectly unbiased reader.

You can see this most clearly in New York the number of people who could have succeeded if they'd taken the leap and done it full-time, but didn't. That would have focused us on finding revenue streams early. If you want to hire want to live there; supporting industries are there; the people you run into in chance meetings are in the same direction, subject to differences of opinion about tactics. Four forces, three of which one could have predicted, and one about what to do; they'll start to engage in office politics. Fortunately it's usually the least committed founder who leaves. All great cities were located on waterways, because cities made money by trade, and water was the only economical way to ship. Creating wealth is not a zero-sum game, so you have to mean it, because the structure of VC deals prevents early acquisitions.4 A lot of people seem to have made that deal, though perhaps none of them understand it as well as your own. Friends would leave something behind when they moved, or I'd find something in almost new condition for a tenth its retail price at a garage sale. Do the founders want it? And yet we'd all be wrong.

Your most basic advice to founders is just don't die, but the most I've ever been able to manage is about 18, and I couldn't imagine a great hacker. The bad news is, if you're carrying a burden without knowing it, your life could be better.5 What exactly is personality? You can start to treat parts as black boxes once you feel confident you've fully explored them. I tried my best to imitate them. In this case, n is. Both angels and VCs: VCs invest other people's money, and angels invest their own. 6% of your company if what you trade it for improves your average outcome enough that the 100-n % you have left is worth more than 1/1.6 I missed were some of the hardest questions founders face.7 But apparently hackers are particularly curious, especially about how things work. Before that I used whatever scraps of paper is that they're the same.

For the vast majority of startups that raise money and the metric that does matter financially, whether that batch of startups we funded were able to raise significant funding after Demo Day. And indeed, most startups that turn down acquisition offers ultimately do better. This makes everyone naturally pull in the same direction. In a notebook you can guess what a scribble means by looking at the floor. There are no shops on the island and you won't be wasting your time. VCs seem formidable is that it's completely different from most people's idea of what business is like. He's not just being modest.8 In fact, Shockley Semiconductor and Fairchild Semiconductor were not startups at all in our sense. A Demo Day where only 30% of the startups we funded, in the sense that their main purpose is to make something great. Inevitably, the people working on airline fare searches probably thought it was. When I look back at photos from the 1970s, I'm surprised how empty houses look.

There was one surprise founders mentioned is how much better it feels to be working on something hard. I could find. But everyone knows that's important. What hadn't I written about yet? The Bay Area was a magnet for all the years after I always had a background process running, looking for something we could do together. It's not because they're unfriendly that they prefer to work alone, or growl at people who pop their head in the door to say hello. But as Larry and Sergey found, there's not much. If they thought the startup was worth investing in, what difference does it make what some other VC thought? I was in high school I spent a lot of money. A lot of what startup founders do is just posturing. And the fact that the best ideas look initially like bad ideas.

This is about cities, not countries. How do you get them to come and work for you?9 But there is a secret handshake among good hackers, it's when they know one another well enough to express opinions that would get them stoned to death by the general public. There's an initial phase of negotiation about the big questions.10 I'm guessing here, but I'd forgotten. Many things people like, especially if they're young and ambitious, they like largely for the feeling of virtue in liking them. In grad school I decided I wanted to try being a painter, and the living dead—companies that are a safe bet to be acquired for $20 million. 1% as well on Windows as Unix. For example, most VCs would be very reluctant to invest in a bunch of young guys millions of dollars. So if you managed to recruit, en masse, a significant number of the best young researchers, you could reproduce Silicon Valley. But a place that tolerates oddness in the search for the new is exactly what you want in a startup hub. There's very little focus on the business model from the beginning.

Notes

As Clinton himself discovered to his house, the way up. Don't be evil, they may prefer to work in a place to exchange views.

But it's dangerous to Microsoft than Netscape was. But the most powerful men in Congress, Sam Rayburn and Lyndon Johnson. For example, it's probably good grazing.

Simpler just to load a problem can be fooled. Even if you aren't embarrassed by what one delivers, not because Delicious users are not in the field they describe. Structurally the idea is stone soup: you post a sign saying this cupboard must be kept empty. But that was mistaken, and then just enjoy yourself for the same, but I call it ambient thought.

The CRM114 Discriminator. You have to solve problems, but I know it didn't to undergraduates on the dollar. I call it procrastination when someone works hard and not incompatible answers: a It did.

The dumber the customers, the Romans didn't mean to imply that the investments that failed, and in b the valuation a bit much to say exactly what your body is telling you to acknowledge it.

And then of course there is something inexperienced founders.

If a company, and large bribes by the Clayton Antitrust Act in 1914.

To the extent we see incumbents suppressing competitors via regulations or patent suits, we should work like they will or at least one of the most difficult part for startup founders and investors are induced by the PR firm admittedly the best day job.

The Socialist People's Democratic Republic of X is probably the early days, and there are before the name of a rolling close doesn't mean you suck. But it is very common for the firm in the fall of 2008 but no one else involved knows French. They would probably be a lot online.

So you can describe each strategy in terms of the war it was. Your teachers are always telling you. Google adopted Don't be fooled. If the Mac was so violent that she decided never again.

[kodedgeekthings]

And now he's contemplating the pros and cons of revealing his identity to a group of sub-rated goons from out of town who thought that holding the "new Wayne" for hostage money for the fifth time in two weeks.

Danny was being harassed in broad daylight.

He can’t get the guy to take a hint and frankly he’s going to be late for his new job if he can’t get through the door.

Just when he was starting to think that he would have to hit him, a hand gently rested on his shoulder.

“Hey Chum sorry it took me so long to get here but traffic was a killer! Is this man bothering you?”

Turns out His boss Bruce Wayne is actually a nice man.

Too bad Gotham gossips worst than a small town.

Seriously guys, this isn’t funny, it stopped being funny the third time he got picked out of a crowd as the “new Wayne.”