#i love talia v much

[fancyfade]

tec 1062 has Talia saving Bruce's life again truly Classic Talia ™

(didn't screencap it but bruce was on the ground and about to be pulverized by this guy :P his internal monologue was worried)

[fightwing]

i'm not the monster here, i'm simply a mother. / @veiledoath

he's frustrated with himself, mostly, for not seeing it coming. gotham rogues don't play fair, and a dick grayson who has spent the majority of his life reading between the lines of crime should have known that damian would be too late. dick was busy with the bomb, and damian with the victim but by the time he realized it was odd how the wrong wires intersected, the victim was dead. and above all else, above damage control, finding the assailant, above calling in for back-up, in that split second, dick should've known that damian, who never accepted failure, would not accept his comforts. so he's already annoyed, first with himself, second, with the situation and taking advantage of a young child's guilt complex, and now, third, by the delay in his manhunt. he hadn't meant his 'i don't know' to talia's initial ask to sound as thoughtless as it did, and knowing she likely wouldn't believe him anyway didn't harbor any love lost. and while her words don't stop his anger, it deflates it greatly. his mother. they may not see eye to eye on everything -- on much, even, but they had two, very VERY important people in common. the well-being of which surpassed any other instincts. nightwing sighs. one hand on his hip and the other dragging over his domino and up into his hair. he's frustrated at the situation, not at her, and he needs to remember that. " i wasn't lying. i don't know where he is. he disabled his comms and tracking. " and he wasn't in any of the spots he usually ran to when he was upset but ultimately wanted to be found. that alone settled in his stomach like a stone. the idea that it was dick, specifically, he might be running from. and from that, dick knows what he has to do. as his self-sufficient father's son, he has a hard time forming the words but as a desperate man, he swallows his pride. " i need your help. " and because he knows what he's asking, and who he's asking it from, he adds: " please. "

[thesulkycroissant]

So there's this saying that the only time you see the middle of the road is when you're going from ditch to ditch, and that most of the time is how I feel about the canon v fanon debate.

Genuinely, I feel like people get so stagnanted in this idea that something isn't canon - which, what is comic canon anyway? I strain to unravel the mystery of which comics get to "count" and which do not - and focus on it so much that they miss any aspect of nuance.

Tim's parents are a great example. Tim's parents exist in the way they do for a simple out-of-universe reason: the writers wanted to avoid the mistakes they made with Jason by both differentiating him from Dick (making him not an orphan) and giving him a "buy-in" with Dick (something to connect them -> the circus). (Their logic was that Dick was the key to getting readers to like Tim, and that neglecting his buy-in was their misstep with Jason.) At the same time, Tim having parents is a problem because what parent is not going to notice their kid being gone all the time playing midnight vigilante? Solution: absentee parents. But now the shift to in-universe happens. Tim's parents are gone all the time, but it's not malicious; they're just kind of clueless. They love Tim. Tim loves them. But they are not around. And this out-of-universe choice, once you enter into the universe, logically can - maybe even should, if you're taking the characters seriously - effect how a character reads.

Tim's parents are gone all the time. There's every probability that would cause trauma. Unintentional, but fun to explore! The comics do a very little. I think fandoms can often make the mistake of believing subtle abuse (like neglect) is not sufficient, so it gets elevated to something physical. But your parents loving you and also causing you trauma is a relatable experience, I think. Even your parents doing their best and still causing you trauma is.

Jason being the angry Robin is another rough one. Because yeah, I agree, Scott Lobdell did some wacky and unkind things to Jason's backstory. But Jason, even going back to his original (not original, but his original non-just-Dick-but-blond) backstory, is a traumatized orphan willing to take the risk and steal tires from the Batmobile as a means of survival (in Gotham! In Crime Alley!). Why can't Jason be angry? In the throes of adolescence, at a time when he feels safe with Bruce, doesn't it make sense for his trauma to find its way out in anger? Can't he both believe Robin is magic and be angry? Can't he be sweet and angry both?

Dickie and anger. Yeah, anger plays a role in certain story arcs of his. In NTT, and in the first 80s Nightwing run, the stories take pains to show that the anger is triggered by something and channeled into brutal focus. And that it does not serve him. Dick's relationship with Kory in NTT nearly falls apart because of his anger. He treats her very poorly. I see a lot of people saying they want Dick to be angry, but not allowing Dick to learn how to control his anger is not giving the character his dues either.

And Damian. Shoot. Reading the One Bad Day comic for Ra's al Ghul kinda ruined me a bit because of how much Ra's obviously loves and respects animals, and how can you not see the echo of that in Damian's love of animals? Damian's League trauma is such a thing worth exploring, and I think the value of exploring it only goes up when you add in the complicated factor of the fact that Talia and Ra's do love him, and he does see them when he looks in the mirror, and every day Damian has to decide which parts of his family - his whole family - are good to keep and which are not.

Anyway. There's probably more, but this post is already pretty long lol. Nuance is cool, that's all.

[kitchenisking]

Day 1

White Picket Fence by lilmissdaydreamer - (Rating: G, Words: 1,307)

Derek never imagined he’d make it here. Sure, he had always hoped that he would make it to some version of happiness, but even in his wildest dreams he never thought he could have it all. True happiness. A family. Love.

i can't take it that boy drives me so damn crazy by asexualclassicist - (Rating:Explicit, Words: 4,072)

“I’m… afraid.” Stiles cocked his head in confusion.

“Afraid? But why?” Derek let out a dry laugh, no humour in his eyes.

“Because so far people have always run away as soon as they realise it’s too much.” Stiles sat there in silence until the meaning behind the words finally filtered through.

“You mean,” he swallowed around the massive lump that had suddenly formed in his throat at the thought of – “you’re big?”

or Stiles has had enough and would really love to get fucked by his boyfriend

or the tale of Stiles Stilinski’s size kink

Quiet the Voices in My Head by In_Over_My_Head - (Rating: Explicit, Words: 17,611)

“Oh um, am I not allowed?” Pushing his glasses up on his nose, he turned and got his first real look at the basketball player. What he saw made him almost fall out of his chair. Holy fucking shitballs this dude was super hot and super pissed.

“It’s a closed practice.” Dark, thick eyebrows pulled down into a V above his nose turning his scowl into something slightly murderous, but somehow still gorgeous. Holy Ted Bundy, what was happening to him?

“Oh, ok well I can go, let me just get my stuff together here.” Stiles started stuffing his books back into his bag, “You know if you don’t want people in here maybe you should lock the door. I mean I’ve been here for a while, and no one noticed me at first.”

“Exactly how are the players supposed to get in and out if we lock the door?” The angry look had adjusted itself to an are you stupid look. Stiles took a second to be just a little angry that neither of those expressions distracted from his insanely attractive face. How was that even remotely fair?

Make It Hurt by ToastMaloneIII - (Rating: Explicit, Words: 854)

Derek feels the sting of tears again. Stiles wants him to say it. He wants Derek to admit that he asked for this, that he likes when it hurts.

The Wedding Planner: A Sterek Retelling by Arver7 - (Rating: Mature, Words: 32,417)

This is The Wedding Planner AU no one asked for; sprinkle some angst, some miscommunication, and a surprise heat...and well, a recipe for a Sterek romcom.

Everglow by HisBeloved - (Rating: Mature, Words: 15,258)

Stiles' spark awakens upon seeing Derek being attacked by a basilisk. After miraculously healing Derek (warning for graphic descriptions of gore and severe, life-threatening injury) and bringing Scott back to life, Stiles vows to finally tell Derek how he feels.

The Time Capsule by Warlock_Nerd - (Rating: G, Words: 5,416)

While walking on the Hale territory, Stiles trips and falls over something sticking out of the ground. It's a box.  He takes it home and goes through it only to discover that it's not just any old box... but a time capsule made by Derek and his siblings a year before the fire. Inside are letters and photos and more.  What happens when Stiles shows Derek the capsule?  What reaction could Derek have when seeing the only thing that survived the fire that killed his family? 

Emotional and Sad yet Hopeful and Love. :3 

(Also - Warning - All the Hale's are made up except for Derek, Laura and Talia. The rest are original character so read it as a AU. Thanx :3

made of you by quackquackcey - (Rating: Explicit, Words: 6,217)

Stiles struggles with the aftermath of the events in season 5, but when everyone forgets him after he's taken by the Ghost Riders, Derek calls his name.

Why is it that even in the darkness, Derek always sees him? And why is it that despite Derek's intentions to stay away, he can't help but stay by Stiles' side? 𖤓☾

---

"You're all I've wanted," he breathed more than spoke, the confession cracking his voice, "for a long, long time."

Wish On A Star (A Candle Works Too) by inhystereks - (Rating: G, Words: 1,403)

Bittersweet.

That was the best way to describe this birthday.

Stiles was turning 17 and nothing was like he thought it would be when he got to this age. He could imagine that a lot of people thought that, but he doubted that very many people felt it as deeply as he did. Stiles wondered how he would feel next year, whether he’d still be surprised by the way his life was going or if things would have settled into a routine by then.

A Happy Accident by alikatastic  - (Rating: Explicit, Words: 5,668)

Derek and Stiles had danced around each other for what some would claim was years. A few weeks before Stiles was set to leave for DC, he and Derek had finally gone on a few dates. Stiles didn’t want to be that clingy person, driving Derek away from him by suffocating him. Of course, Derek had plans of his own, namely an apartment in DC.

[bumblesimagines]

this wasn't supposed to happen.

i did a number on your back. sorry about that.

we should do that again sometime.

Fiona Gallagher

we should do that again sometime.

this wasn't supposed to happen.

i did a number on your back. sorry about that.

Pronouns: He/Him/His, M!Reader

As consciousness seeped into his body and his senses slowly awakened, he was hit with a few realizations that quickened the process of waking up. He couldn't hear Génesis babbling away in her crib nor the loud strays he often fed mewling for food outside. The springs in the mattress beneath him dug slightly into his skin and the smell of cheap booze and perfume lingering in the air invaded his nostrils. The mattress abruptly dipped slightly and strands of hair tickled his shoulder, startling the exhaustion fully out of his system.

The room around him was unfamiliar. The walls were covered in chipping paint, there were enough clothes on the floor to give to twenty people, random bottles of water and beer were sat about in different places, and there were odd stains on the barely visible rug. The chaos and mess of the room made his skin itch. (Y/N) exhaled quietly and tilted his head to look at the owner of the bedroom. Shit.

"I can't wait for ya'll to meet them. I swear, they are the kindest people in this whole city." (Y/N) hummed, absentmindedly listening to his cousin's girlfriend go on and on about their neighbors, the Gallagher family, as he raked his fingers through his eldest daughter's hair and detangled the small knots that had formed. Veronica held his other daughter at her hip, cooing and clicking her tongue to keep the toddler entertained whilst they made their way over to the tall house right next door. 

"V's right, (Y/N). You'll love 'em. Debs and Talia are gonna get along great." Kevin piped in and scrunched up his face at Génesis, a wide smile breaking out on his face when she burst into giggles and gleefully clapped her tiny hands together. Talia clutched her dolls close to her chest and tentatively peered up at the house when they entered through the front yard. 

"I bet Carl's going to be tripping over himself when he sees Talia." Veronica giggled and gently pinched one of Talia's reddened cheeks, listening to her boyfriend pound loudly on the front door until it swung open and a teen's freckled face greeted them. He looked between them all curiously and a fond smile appeared on his lips when he noticed the bundled-up toddler in Veronica's hands. 

"Hi, I'm Ian." He introduced himself a bit meekly and stuck out a lanky arm to shake (Y/N)'s hand before stepping back and allowing them to enter the house. The house seemed bigger with an archway connecting the living room to the kitchen and dining room. There were two staircases on opposite sides of the house leading up to the second story, nearly each step covered in toys and beer cans alike. It looked like a tornado had rampaged throughout the rooms but (Y/N) tried to contain his judgment and put on a smile for the family. Veronica had mentioned there was only a twenty-one-year-old managing all five of her younger siblings with their drunk father occasionally crashing on the couch. 

"Oh, a baby!" A little girl not much older than Talia squealed and sprang up from the couch, nearly trampling her brother in the process of reaching them and earning a swift glare. She jumped up onto her toes and smiled widely as she delicately ran her finger over the back of Génesis's hand, cooing softly and introducing herself. "Hi, baby. I'm Debbie." 

"Guys, I'd like you to meet (Y/N) and his daughters, Génesis and Talia. They're going to be stayin' with us next door for a little while so make them feel at home, alright?" Veronica called into the living room, barely drawing the other teenager and his little brother's attention away from the action movie playing on the television. She scoffed quietly and muttered under her breath before flashing the woman heading down the stairs a smile. The pretty brunette returned it and gasped softly at the sight of Génesis in her arms. 

"Well, aren't you a pretty little thing?" She cooed warmly and chuckled sweetly at Debbie's fascination with the baby, one hand rising to comb back the hairs sticking out from Debbie's ponytail. He assumed she was Fiona Gallagher, the eldest daughter taking care of all the kids. Fiona was tall and slim, almost lanky like her brother but held a more at-ease air to herself than he did. The bags under her eyes were subtle, just barely noticeable, and her hair had been tied up into a messy ponytail that barely restrained the wavy locks. She looked up from Génesis and met his eyes. Her brows slightly lifted and her lips parted and closed, a hint of red spreading across her cheeks. 

"Nice to meet you, Fiona."

He'd promised himself before leaving Kentucky he'd stay in his lane, that he wouldn't involve himself with anyone again for a while. Talia's mother had been one thing, someone he couldn't bring himself to be resentful despite her refusal to be in their daughter's life. They'd been two naive fourteen-year-olds messing around who faced the consequences of not being more careful. Becoming involved with Génesis's mother, however, had been his fault. The lengthy criminal record and history of short relationships should've been big enough red flags to abort ship before they could be tied together permanently, but he'd ignored them and her own recklessness led to her incarceration. Two failed relationships, two motherless daughters. With his shit luck, he could only hope Fiona was on some sort of birth control.

"Fucking hell." He sighed heavily and rubbed his palm over his face, making vain attempts at ignoring the subtle throbbing in his temple. (Y/N) pushed himself up and swung his legs over the edge, picking his briefs up from the floor and slipping them on. Fiona groaned quietly behind him and he peered over his shoulder at her as she rubbed her eyes and stretched out across the small bed, the mattress beneath her creaking with each movement. 

"Jesus, I did a number on your back. Sorry about that." She chuckled and tucked some of her frizzy hair behind her ear a bit sheepishly. Fiona sat up and leaned back against the wall, one arm reaching out to rummage through the nightstand until she found a cigarette pack and pulled one out. Dangling one between her fingers in his direction, she said, "We should do that again sometime."

"No, Fiona, this wasn't supposed to happen. I- I have too much on my plate right now to deal with... whatever you want this to become. I don't need the girls getting confused either. I appreciate the warm welcome into the neighborhood but... for your sake and mine, we should just stay as neighbors."

[batbabydamian]

Hey, I started reading Robin son of Batman because of your recommendation (I literally have a print of your post on my phone to not forget lol). Honestly? One of the best things I ever read!!!

Thank you for opening my eyes! Damian has been one of my favorite characters for over a year, but I didn't read/watch much of him because of school, life (and probably an executive dysfunction in the mix).

Maya is incredible. I loved her.

I haven't finished all the issues yet, but do you have any other recommendations?

WAH this makes me so happy, i'm glad you still gave it a shot even with how busy life is!! ;v;

i’d love to give reccs, and i’ll try to go a beginner friendly route! tbh you can pick up whatever here, but since you've read R:SOB i’d immediately follow up with Batman and Robin (2011) #1-8! this first arc is what’s referred to in Maya’s introduction, and it's just. so good.

Main Books

Batman and Robin (2009)

Dick as Batman with Damian as his Robin!

#20-22 Tree of Blood: Dark Knight vs White Knight arc is done by Tomasi and Gleason, the team for the next Batman and Robin series

*Batman and Robin (2011)

Bruce and Damian figuring out their relationship as both Batman & Robin and father & son

imo you can enjoy the ride and read straight through this but i’ll add context to avoid as much confusion as possible since there’s the occasional tie-in or offscreen events, like Damian’s death nbd

Batman Incorporated (2012) #1-10

events leading to Damian's death - affects Batman and Robin (2011) from issue #18

kind of a tough read especially with how Talia's written, but a lot of iconic bits like Batcow, Damian's vegetarian declaration, Alfred the cat, "We Were the Best, Richard."

Robin (2021)

another self-discovery adventure, particularly after Alfred’s death and a fallout with Bruce (and questionable writing choices from his last Teen Titans run)

Batman and Robin (2023)

currently ongoing! after a number of events, Bruce and Damian are back as a duo

Damian Dynamics!

Batman: Streets of Gotham (2009) #7, 10-12

arc where Damian meets one of his first Gotham friends, Colin Wilkes

Batgirl (2009) #5-7, #17

Steph and Damian dynamic! "the bad cop, worse cop" dysfunctional duo

Red Robin (2009) #13-14

early Tim and Damian dynamic that of course includes fighting haha. funny enough, accidentally my first intro to Damian LOL

Teen Titans (2003) #89-92

Dick!Batman has Damian join the Teen Titans. Start of Damian and Rose Wilson dynamic that’s extended in Robin (2021)

Batman: Gates of Gotham (2011)

Damian meets Cass and has a brief team up

Gotham Academy (2015) #7

Damian meets Maps Mizoguchi! they have a few other meetings, but outside of that the series itself is a great read!

Robin War Event (2015)

Robin War (2015) #1, Grayson (2014) #15, Detective Comics (2011) #47, We Are Robin (2015) #7, Robin: Son of Batman (2015) #7, Robin War (2015) #2

Duke and Damian dynamic! not exactly beginner friendly but these are the main issues in order for the event! you can also read the TPB version for everything including Tie-Ins

Nightwing (2016) #16-20, #42, #43

#16-20 Nightwing and Robin arc!

#42 Dick on a mission to save Damian! the one appearance of "Wiggles" the dragon

#43 Dick, Roy, and Damian team-up

New Talent Showcase 2018 "Catwoman: Pedigree"

Selina, Damian, and Alfred the cat

Batman: Prelude to the Wedding - Robin vs. Ra's Al Ghul (2018)

Selina, Damian, and Cheese Viking - Damian's fav game shown in Nightwing: Rebirth (2016)

Monkey Prince (2022) #1-4

Marcus Sun Shugel-Shen's main comic, but Damian features as a fun dynamic here before they're in more serious circumstances in Batman VS Robin (2022)/Lazarus Planet event

Superman (2016) #10 - 11

the beginning of the Super Sons! featuring Maya!

Super Sons (2017)

solitary arcs but there’s a few event tie-in issues later

Adventures of the Super Sons (2018)

literally more Super Sons adventures lol galactic shenanigans yeehaw

Challenge of the Super Sons (2020) 

Super Sons time shenanigans feat. the Justice League

Robin 80th Anniversary (2020)

"Boy Wonders" - brief Damian feature as Tim considers his next step in life

"My Best Friend" - Jon's thoughts on Damian and their dynamic

"Bat and Mouse" - refers to Damian's unfortunate Teen Titans (2016) run at the time of release which follows up with Teen Titans Annual #2 where Damian briefly gives up Robin

Extra Comics!

Superman/Batman (2003) #77

Kara and Damian in a Halloween team-up! also the appearance of "Li'l Matches" lol

DCU Halloween Special '09 "Cavity Search"

Damian out on a solo mission for Halloween night. Immediately after is Tim's Red Robin story "Then and Now: Our Father's Sins" which is more somber in contrast but also a good read!

DCU Halloween Special 2010 "Robin the Vampire Slayer"

a Dick!Batman and Robin story featuring the vampire Andrew Bennett

Cursed Comics Cavalcade (2018) "The Devil You Know"

Halloween themed comic with a sweet short story of Damian alongside Solomon Grundy

DC's Terrors Through Time (2022)

"Trick or Treat" a Super Sons Halloween story

"The Haunting of Wayne Manor" Damian and Deadman story - in the end, Boston kinda refers to Nezha's possession of Damian in Batman VS Robin (2022) which was happening at the time of this release

Batman: Li'l Gotham (2013)

lighthearted series that instantly makes me smile with the silliness and Dustin Nguyen’s art i love this dearly

Secret Origins (2014) #4 "A Boy's Life"

a retelling of Damian's origin story

Detective Comics (2016) #1001-1005

Batman and Robin vs the Arkham Knight (unrelated to the game)

Truth & Justice (2021) #6/#16 - 18 Digital First version

cute story of Damian’s birthday! Juni Ba’s art is so fun!!

DC Festival of Heroes: The Asian Superhero Celebration (2021) “Special Delivery”

short story about Damian! and poisoned pizzas. completely forgot the artist Sami Basri drew Rebirth Damian here before catboy Damian lol Cass’s story “Sounds” is also cute! Marcus makes his first appearance in "The Monkey Prince Hates Superheroes"

DC VS Vampires (2021)

Damian makes appearances throughout this elseworlds book, but the one-shot DC VS Vampires: Hunters (2022) is vampire Damian-centric!

Batman: Black and White (2021) #5

“Father & Son Outing” short story written and drawn by Jorge Jimenez!

Batman: Urban Legends (2021) #20-23

#20 “My Son” Talia and Bruce focus

#20 - 23 “The Murder Club” 4 Parts

Tiny Titans (2008) #33, #39, #45, #47

a few appearances but SO CUTE, LOOK AT HIM

*Batman and Robin (2011) reading guide

i'm mostly trying to avoid the "what did i just walk in on?" kinda feeling when i first started reading comics LOL i'll list the comics where events take place, but you don't necessarily have to read them to go through this book since things are usually explained as quickly as possible in the first page or so

#0 Someday Never Comes

Talia and baby Damian before he grows up to meet Bruce

#1-8 Born to Kill

just an incredibly solid arc for Bruce and Damian!

#9 Court of Owls Tie-In Issue

Damian VS a Court of Owls Talon. While Bruce is occupied with a home invasion of Talons, Alfred makes a call for allies to protect targeted Gotham public figures from Talons. During Batman (2011) #1-11

#10-12 Terminus

Damian challenges the previous Robins sans Steph

Batman Incorporated (2012) is occurring at this time where Talia has placed a bounty on Damian and there's small mentions of that

#13-14 Eclipsed/Devoured

mostly solitary arc! end of it leads into the Death of the Family event

#15-16 Death of the Family Tie-In Issues

Damian and Joker face-off... Alfred's been kidnapped by the Joker, and Damian goes looking for him. During Batman (2011) #13-17

#17 Life is but a Dream - Death of the Family Epilogue

a sort of subconscious check-in through the dreams of Damian, Alfred, and Bruce. Nightwing (2011) #17 features Damian encouraging Dick after Death of the Family events

#18 Undone "Requiem"

Bruce dealing with Damian's death from Batman Incorporated #8

other reactions to Damian's death: Dick in Nightwing (2011) #18, Tim in Teen Titans (2011) #18

#19-23 Denial, Rage, The Bargain, Despair, Acceptance

Bruce through the stages of grief with some batfam appearances in each. also introduces Carrie Kelley into continuity as Damian's acting tutor.

Batman (2011) #19-20 also addresses Bruce's loss

#23.1-23.4

these could be skipped - villain stories, also related to Forever Evil event.

#24-28 The Big Burn

optional Batman and Two-Face/Harvey Dent arc, #23.1 is part of this story!

Damian's resurrection and return

#29-32 The Hunt for Robin

Ras took Talia and Damian's bodies from their graves, and Bruce goes after him.

-> Robin Rises: Omega

continues events from #32. if you don't want to jump to this, basically, Glorious Godfrey and a bunch of parademons from Apokolips are here for a chaos shard which Ra's put in Damian's sarcophagus. at some point, Bruce gets a hold of the shard where he sees a vision that leads him to believe Damian can be resurrected. Godfrey ends up taking the shard, along with Damian's body since it was emitting the same energy.

#33-37 Robin Rises

Bruce hellbent on retrieving Damian from Apokolips and reviving him

-> Robin Rises: Alpha

necessary to read and continues events from #37! Damian's back with a bang lol

#38-40 Superpower

Damian adjusting to having superpowers and being alive again

Annual #1 2013 Batman Impossible

sweet (and funny) one-shot of Damian sending Bruce on a meaningful scavenger hunt around the world while Damian gets to be the cutest Batman for a bit

Annual #2 2014 Batman and Robin: Week One

one-shot takes place during Damian's absence. after Bruce and Alfred find a mystery gift left for Dick, Dick recounts a story he had told Damian from his Robin days.

Annual #3 2015 Moonshot

one-shot Batman and Robin adventure on the moon!

...and of course after Batman and Robin (2011), Damian's story continues in his first solo Robin: Son of Batman (2015)!

[skyfallscotland]

Things I loved about Onyx Storm, in no particular order 🖤⚡️

This is an addendum to my overall review post—there’s also one about the things that I didn’t like here.

I do love ride or die riorgail, even if their characters didn't feel quite right to me (dare I say fanon-esque?). In any case, threatening people for the one they love? 10/10, would eat it up every time.

The dragons being every rider's first love? It won't be a surprise to you if you've read BRV but I adore this take so much.

She was the first to choose me, to elevate me above all others, the first to see every ugly side of me and accept it all, and every single person in this fucking canyon will die before they remove a single one of her scales.

Ok then!

And Violet?

“You see, that’s my little one.”

I'm crying!!

Tairn and Andarna? Like that's her father!!!

“Do not go any deeper than your claws!” Tairn lectures, his tail nearly taking out a tree when he pivots to watch her go. “I swear, if you get in over your head, I’ll let you drown.”

Their every interaction made me:

Except for this one, which had me tearing up!

Tairn cranes his neck forward and growls. “You will not raise your voice to her.” Andarna turns her head and narrows her eyes at Tairn. “Do not ruin this for me.” Hurt stabs through the bond and Tairn recoils, his head drawing back to cover Ridoc and me.

Then there's Sgaeyl—mother!!!

“You are an inconvenience for which there is no adequate measurement.”

She wasn't talking to Xaden all book (v upsetti spaghetti) but she still would defend him with her life because she's mum!!

“Tell her the truth. He loathes her,” Tairn suggests. “As does Sgaeyl. The life-giver is lucky she wasn’t scorched this morning, though I do believe Sgaeyl is still contemplating her options.”

Speaking of mothers, I both hated and loved the Hedotis chapters. I really enjoyed them, I thought they were fun, Violet channeled the twin she doesn't know she has (lol iykyk) which was in my opinion out of character for her (threatening someone's kids???) but despite the lack of character growth to get there, I still really enjoyed this sequence for all its emotional aspects.

“How does she”—he points to the door—“ deserve my ten minutes when she fed me chocolate cake on my tenth birthday and vanished later that night? I am the fulfillment of a contract for her. Nothing more. I don’t give a shit how she looks at me, or whatever bullshit she undoubtedly spewed at you. The only reason we’re in her house is because she’s married to one of the triumvirate, and I have no problem using that to get what we need.”

I don't know how chocolate cake is still his favourite food because that would ruin me. (It just did).

Violet's protectiveness in this sequence was everything though! 😭 Fuck you, Talia!

“What I need is for Xaden to be all right. If that means setting this house on fire and leaving without accomplishing anything else on this isle, then I’ll hand him a torch.”

Onto other characters, Ridoc is still hilarious and honestly his humour and one-liners saved my reading experience from being downright terrible, same with Cam—sorry CamLAEN! (lol)

Once again, I really thought she might kill Ridoc for a second there (this is very much a flipped Iron Flame re-write in some aspects lmao) but thankfully for everyone involved, she didn't.

"Violet was out of control. She kicked a queen’s ass and poisoned Xaden’s mom and all three Hedotic heads of state, but secured us an army.”

“Oh, and just so we’re clear, that strike up there wasn’t”—he gestures between us—“ you know. Us.” He flinches. “I mean, it was us because I pissed her off, but it wasn’t us… us, if you know what I’m saying.”

Confirmation everyone knows about the lightning storms.

The representation—as someone living through Australian summer, I really appreciated that POTS was represented more thoroughly in the hot climate of the Isles, though it was still never actually touched on (I think there could have been a line in there explaining why it was relevant/what was happening in her body and that she wasn't just tired) but still, happy to see it there and (don't take this the wrong way but) maybe to see Violet struggle more, just a little.

Then there's Dain.

Dain! My boy, my baby. He was 110% done with everyone and I'm so here for it. He was going through it!

“Was that a compliment? What the fuck is going on?” Dain asks, his gaze flying to mine. “Did you give him something?”

Dain puts both hands up, palms outward at his chest. “How in all that’s holy am I to blame for this?”

“Love wasting my time,” Dain mutters, then shoves the small booklet I recognize as the language compendium for Unnbriel into the chest pocket of his flight jacket.

Aaric sighs from beside Xaden, then proceeds to speak like he was freaking born here. Dain looks ready to murder him.

I also got my wish for him and Sloane, which was unexpected but appreciated! (I created tags for not one but TWO of the ships in this book and I am so stoked about it!). It also makes Rebecca's TS song choice of The Prophecy for him make a lot more sense.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Xaden calls up at Dain as he dismounts, but my focus firmly locks over Brennan’s shoulder. “Following her ass,” Dain replies.

“I don’t coddle first-years anymore, so train. Your. Signet.” “Asshole,” she whispers, and the flush in her cheeks deepens.

I love them, your honour. I would read whole books about them.

Speaking of—

“What the fuck are we going to do with that thing for the rest of the trip?” “Her name is Broccoli, not that,” he mutters.

These two (three?) are iconic and I want more of them. I want Mira recovering from her injuries and Drake coming to check on her and dumping a kitten on her chest, and Mira pretending she doesn't like Broccoli but secretly finding her comforting and letting her stay (and him, too, because it's love).

Professor Riorson. God this was ridiculous and I hated it, but it made me laugh.

The normally sweet drink tastes bitter in my throat.

Absolutely fan service but I'm positive it made us all groan aloud at the same time, which was amusing.

“Agreed,” Ridoc says. “And it’s always the same fight.” He lifts his hand to his chest. “I’ll trust you if you stop keeping secrets!” He drops the hand and scowls. “It’s my secretive nature that attracted you, and why can’t you just stay out of harm’s way for five fucking minutes?”

“You could hyphenate,” Garrick suggests. “Or combine? Riorgail? Sorrenson?”

Also, fan service, which, did I like it? No, but I laughed at (because otherwise I'd cry so).

And then there were lines like this, that made me absolutely tear up and hit me in the feels:

But something is broken between here”—he taps the side of his head—“ and here”—he repeats the motion above his heart. “And I can’t control it.

He cups the back of my neck and pulls me within inches of his face—close enough to kiss. “I could reach the rank of Maven, lead armies of dark wielders against everyone we care for, and watch every vein in my body turn red as I channel all the power in the Continent, and I would still love you. What I did doesn’t change that. I’m not sure anything can.”

So yeah, even if my overall experience was messy and chaotic, and perhaps not the best it could be, I did still love parts of it and find some of it enjoyable. I'm trying to change my mindset for a re-read, but I think it's best if I have some space before I try again.

In the meantime, what was your favourite thing? 🖤

[enden-k]

Hey random question but how did u build Gallagher? His kit is confusing 😅

Any tips?

this is my current gallagher build

im currently waiting for huohuo lc to slap it on him since its rlly amazing but yea. tried multiplication out and i quite like it for the advanced turn and making gallagher act faster than he already is.

i used different lcs before that tho and while the gallagher one (what is real?) provides additional break effect, the healing only goes to himself and if you already have enough break effect (up to 150%) on him it is not rlly needed tbh. u should get enough from subs alone

but yea its all up to you and what u got ofc so i wont say much to that

now, gallagher scales with BE and you also want him rlly fast. his besotted state makes enemies receive more break damage while restoring allies HP when they attack marked enemies. if built right gallagher can instantly heal large amounts and often saves mates in tricky situations, i cant even count how often he saved my butt.

you focus on BE until max 150% (50% of his BE gets converted to outgoing healing w his passive) and SPD. mine is running on 2p messenger (SPD) and 2p shooting meteor (BE) with main focus on SPD and BE substats and i think he is the speediest i have now with firefly (only my boothill manages to squeeze himself before him akjcbsk) while providing v good heals. so yea, this is the best set you can give him i think. 2p messenger for SPD and 2p shooting meteor or watchmaker for BE.

for planar sphere and rope, im currently running broken keel for the lack of a good talia set and i havent done the new one yet to try out. all those 3 work fine on him. make sure to give him an energy regen rate rope !

always make sure when you wanna ult and hes about to have his turn, save it until its his actual turn. you can get him up to 3turns alone and quickly heal/cleanse if needed (go E or basic attack if you need SP, then Q and then E or enhanced attack)

idk if i make much sense, missed smth or if im much help, its very late rn. hope it did tho!! lmk if things are unclear, my friends always ask me abt builds and teams in gnshn and hsr and i love to help where i can !!

[about-faces]

I'm still loving Gotham Nocturne and I wish it was getting the love/respect/attention is deserves. I've spoken several people who haven't been reading the current Detective Comics run because they're Batmanned Out (good lord, do I get it) and they see it as just another attempt at some kind of "ultimate Batman story with Batman fighting the ultimate evil," which I strongly disagree with.

THAT SAID... as time has gone on, and the story seems to be reaching its finale, there are a few things that stand out of me as problems with this epic storyline.

1.) It's one of the most egregious examples of "writing for the trade paperback." This simply isn't a story that's meant to be read month-to-month. It's too slow, with too little "happening," at least on the superficial level. Paradoxically, it's NOT a story that should be binged! The best comparison that comes to mind is Better Call Saul, since that's the only other example of serialized media that's meticulously slow-paced yet INCREDIBLY RICH for those willing to engage with it on its level rather than expecting it to be Breaking Bad (or in Nocturne's case, a typical Batman story.) Ram V is capable of writing super-engaging monthly issues, as the fantastic Rare Flavours proves, but that brings us to...

2.) The story is sprawling. Maybe even TOO sprawling. When it comes to people who are sick of Batman, I try to sell them on the fact that this story is about GOTHAM AS A WHOLE, right down to the villains who call it home, and how everyone there is as intrinsically a part of Gotham as Batman is. But ensemble stories like that are tricky, and it makes the focus feel all over the place at times, with alternately too much and too little attention being paid to the main players, Batman included. It's a balance that was handled beautifully with Batman: The Audio Adventures, but it seems a bit more awkward here. Again, it's hard to pull off!

Like, we have characters pop up and then vanishing without explanation. We got Azrael back in the AzBats armor for the first time in decades, like, holy shit! That should be a HUGE development! And then, poof, he vanished! There's simply no time to explore Jean-Paul's character because there's so many other things the narrative needs to explore.

This feels like it would have really benefited from a companion series, something to focus on the characters the way the backup stories have done, but just more so. I think about how Peter Tomasi would write companion books to the main big storylines written by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, and Scott Snyder, and how he'd focus on character, which always enriched the greater "big important storyline." Which, in turn, also brings me to...

3.) The backup stories have really lost a lot of their punch since they stopped being written by Si Spurrier and were taken over by Dan Watters. Watters is incredibly capable, make no mistake, and his Cheshire/Lian Harper story is one of my favorite parts of this entire saga. But by and large, his tales focus more on the spooky and weird sides of what's happening with Nocturne, whereas Spurrier's stories were more focused on characters navigating the weirdness of the events. As a result, Spurrier gave us what I consider to be some of the very best stories about Jim Gordon, Harvey Dent, and Victor Fries ever written. I really miss those, and how they enriched Ram V's (possibly overly-ambitious) narrative.

Ultimately, Gotham Nocturne feels like the Batman equivalent to an arthouse film, which means it's going to be appreciated by a handful of nerds while leaving most other fans cold, and I can't really blame them. If anything makes me sad about all this, it's how all this incredible character work with Bruce, Harvey, Victor, Talia, and others is going to be ignored. Hell, it already is, given the complete lack of acknowledgement we've seen in other Bat-books for what's going on in Nocturne.

At this point, I just hope it sticks the landing in the finale, because I want to be able to have a complete, satisfying epic to recommend to people who want something a bit richer than the typical "guy in Bat costume punches clown" stories we usually get.

[vivievienne]

Project Sekai Characters as books — Headcanons

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: Have you ever thought what pjsk characters would read in real life? I have. So here you are.

𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞: Why did it take so much time...? Im hungry. Treat it as a celebration of the new update!

𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: some silly headcanon's, slightly ships mentions, may include book spoilers.

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 1162.

The Dark Vault — V. E. Schwab

I tried to deny and I am still thinking that I am wrong, but I couldn’t help and put this here. Ichika somehow reminds me of Mackenzie. I think she would become a Keeper and hunt Histories. I just don’t know who should be the Wesley and the Owen of this story.

The Summer That I Turned Pretty — Jenny Han

CUTE!!!! CUTE!!!!!! CUTE!!!! She is definitely Belly 😭 You couldn’t tell me otherwise. She would love this story just as much as I do. Similar to Shizuku, she also is a big fan of Jenny Han. I think that she has a big bookshelf of romance novels, because of her time spent in hospital.

A Thousand Boy Kisses — Tillie Cole

Guys, I know I gave too many romance novels, BUT THIS… Just hear me out. This is such a good book, I love this story so much. Poppy and Rune deserved a better ending than this. I know that Honami would cry as much as I did when Poppy died and then she would cry from happiness because they met in the afterlife and will be happy forever. 

The Twin — Natasha Preston

Shiho would also be into crime stories just like Haruka, but for me she likes thrillers more than these. Why do I think she would enjoy this book, though? She definitely would like the concept of Iris slowly copying Ivy’s lifestyle, taking her friends to her side and even her boyfriend, dad, etc. She would read Ivy’s investigation with big interest.

Ophelia After All — Racquel Marie

Ophelia = Minori. Don’t even try to prove me otherwise. They both discover their true identity slowly but progressive. The Talia in Minori’s life is Haruka (I think so at least). Minori and Ophelia would really do anything for them. Also they are both really passionate about things they like (flowers (especially roses) for Ophelia and becoming an idol to Minori)!

Where The Crawdads Sing — Delia Owens

I had a really hard time choosing this book and I am still not sure if this one will fit, but... yes. A murderer, some undiscovered truths, lonely childhood, the landscape of beautiful swamps. Also the language is really fascinating (when I was reading I needed to read the same line a few times cause I couldn’t understand anything…). These all details make this book more and more mysterious. I imagine Haruka as someone who enjoys this type of crime stories).

To All Boys I've Loved Before — Jenny Han

I just can’t help, but imagine Shizuku as someone who really enjoys these hopeless romance novels (like I do…) and she would be a big fan of Jenny Han’s books. I just love this idea. I think that this one would be her favorite because of the various letters it includes and unexpectable twists after that. 

Kisses and Croissants — Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau 

First, both are dancers. Second, both are really passionate about their goals and would do anything to achieve them. Third, Airi reminds me of Paris. I don’t know what to add besides these. I just think she IS this book.

The Good Girl Guide To Murderer — Holly Jackson

I was about to give this book to Shiho but then I thought “No, it's too boring”. As we know, Kohane is a fan of dangerous things and I think that she would love this book somehow. Like, when she read it, she puts her eyeglasses on and turns into A REAL detective! I can’t help but this is how I see her (read as: me).

Looking For Alaska — John Green

Next person with whom I had a big problem to choose the right book. But when I remembered this one, I was like: “Gosh, she’s her”. Yeah, she reminds me a lot of Alaska. I don’t know why but Alaska’s frivolity made me think about An when I was reading this book. They would get along.

Scythe — Neal Shusterman

Did I say I had a big problem with choosing a book to character? Then forgot. HE WAS IMPOSSIBLE. I don’t know how I chose this one but it was really difficult for me. It’s not that I think that he's ignorant but bro just doesn't like to read… Still, I think that he would love the idea of Scythes, istg. Even though I didn't read it, I trust my friends judgement.

Aristotle and Dante — Benjamin Alire Sáenz/Dead Poet Society — Nancy H. Kleinbaum

I didn’t mean to choose two…I know it's called favoritism, but… It’s Toya, so we forgive. Ari and Dante remind him of him and Akito. He thinks that he is Ari (he is.) and feels exactly like him. They both have problems with expressing their feelings and they both have partners who are their suns.

As for Dead Poet Society… It's self explanatory. I think that it’s his comfort and favorite book all of the time and he just loves this one with his whole heart.

Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo — Taylor Jenkins Reid

First, actors. Second, sharp tongues. Third, in love with a girl. Fourth, have a director best friend. Further explanation is unnecessary.

Eleven Paper Hearts — Kelsey Hartwell

I KNOW THIS IS THE NEXT ROMANCE NOVEL but guys, they just have a “hopeless romantics club” and enjoy reading them. She would love this book. It’s so cute.

The Inheritance Games — Jennifer Lynn Barnes

(hard decision time…) ANYWAYS. He loves solving puzzles. He would be the one who doesn’t feel dumb reading it but neither would he solve some of them. This could be his favorite book.

When You Get The Chance — Emma Lord

Both are aiming to become the stars of theater/musical and he would just love Millie Price for everything because he is just like her somehow, and he understands too much how hard is the road to become a star. 

Graveyard Shift — M. L. Rio

She just feels that Nightcord is some kind of group like them. After all, they both work at night; they all are really different people at the day but some secrets, the same goal, connects them together.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue — V. E. Schwab

Mafuyu says in one of her 1koma’s “I like Aquariums… As I look in, I feel myself become transparent”. So what if she makes a deal with a devil and becomes forgotten? Her family, her friends, everyone wouldn’t even know that she ever existed? I think that it would be something that she would like to try at least.

If We Were All Villains — M. L. Rio

Painters, secrets, rivals, dark academy. I feel like this is what Ena would like a lot and rereads over and over. No need to explain further.

Fourth Wing — Rebecca Yarros

Surprised? No need to be. Even if Mizuki clearly enjoys cute things, I still think that when it comes to literature, she would like something… with more action and emotional thrill like this. Also it’s a fantasy and I think that she would really love this genre.

[kdotan]

lolirock headcanons part 2 bc I have more of these suckers:

Nathaniel is a photography and art student with an interest in 3D modeling (he’s the one who did the car and space prop effects for New Star Generation!) The reason why he works so much is bc art school is expensive as hell and he wants to save as much as possible.

He’s also kind of a work-a-holic. don’t let his chill voice deceive you he needs to be doing something with his hands 24/7

nathaniel’s manager: i legally can’t schedule you this many hours. nathaniel: PLEASE

Iris loves the little v-tuber models bc she thinks they’re cute and pretty. nathaniel sits at her side sweating thinking of complex rigging.

Besides that, Talia has a side interest in cartography and Auriana likes sewing and resin-casting. Putting glitter into things is just an Auriana thing.

Auriana actually has really damn good hand-eye coordination. Lolirock goes to one of those carnivals and she completely dominates those throwing games and gets a huge stuffed animal. She gives it to talia.

Auriana would adore those frappachinos with 10 billion toppings. she can’t get diabetes because she is not human, but boy is she trying.

Iris is a white chocolate person. Auriana doesn’t care what type of chocolate she gets. Talia doesn’t like chocolate.

Calix and Borealis both have a ton of natural hot springs.

Praxina and Mephisto’s family originated from Xeris, but they have Ephedian roots (pink/red hair.) Their father was some dishonored noble advisor kicked out of the family.

[mischiefnevermanaged89-blog]

Love Me Like You Do~ Part 5

Juice Ortiz X Reader

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Okay everyone! Listen up!” I yelled as I gathered the crew around the bar. “I appreciate all of you being here tonight. It’s going to take all hands on deck if we’re going to be as busy as I hope we are. Now, my wonderful kitchen guys, have you made the decision on who’s doing what tonight?”

Leo, Remi, Paulo and Joe all nodded. “Yes ma’am, boss. I’ll take the lead and Joe and Remi will be working on helping cook the orders and Paulo will be getting them ready to head out the door.” Leo explained.

“Great.” I turned to the girls. “Amelia, Serena and Cypress, you three know what sections you will be?”

“Yes ma’am. I’ll be the balcony. Serena will be mid section tables 5 through 10 and Cypress will be all the booths.” Amelia responded.

“Awesome. Now, Donna and I will be helping out Talia and Willow at the bar. I’ll occasionally make my rounds. If I come across a table needing drinks and you haven’t made it back to them yet I will help out. That’s why we have the walkie system. If any of you get overwhelmed out on the floor or at the bar, just press the button on the belt walkie and let me know. Same goes for you guys in the kitchen. Ding the bell four times to let me or Donna know you need help. I don’t want anyone struggling tonight, okay? We’re a team. A family.”

Everyone nodded. I gave them the okay to get everything in order and they went their own ways.

“Hey, Donna? Can you come with me to the apartment? I need help finding something to wear.”

She nodded. “Of course!” She linked her arm with mine and we walked out the back.

When we got inside she started digging in my closet. She dug way back to the back and pulled out some skintight black jeans.

“Now these are nice!” She held them up. “Here, put these on.”

I took them from her and put them on while she dug around some more. I was surprised they still fit after all those years of carrying them around. I went to look at myself in the mirror but Donna stopped me.

“Nope! Not yet. I want to complete the whole look before you do.” She smiled that devilish smile at me.

I playfully rolled my eyes. “Fine.”

She then gave me a pair of knee high boots with a shirt heel and a Sons of Anarchy shirt that I had made my own before I left. I cut the sleeves off and put purple rhinestones around the sleeve edges and had cut a V into the neckline, stitching it with silver thread.

Once I had it all on, she sat me down at the table and began fixing my hair and makeup. After half an hour she was done.

“Okay, go look!”

I went to my stand up mirror and gasped at the sight. Donna had done my makeup natural and my hair was pulled back with a rhinestone clip with a few strands pulled out to frame my face. I stared myself down. I almost didn’t recognize myself.

“He’s going to fall head over heels for you in this.” Donna said, leaning her chin on my shoulder.

“Who?”

“Who else?”

“Juice?” I shook my head. “I doubt it. Sure he said he likes me but I don’t know if he feels anything different.”

“I beg to differ. The way he looks at you is the way I catch your brother staring at me sometimes. Like I’ve hung the moon and the stars are my halo. I think it’s just more than like.” She smiled.

“I never got to tell him how I felt. He got the call for club business. Then I was busy preparing for the dinner and tonight. I haven’t got to talk to him much.”

“How do you feel about him?”

I sighed. “Likes he’s everything I didn’t know I needed. Like the missing puzzle piece my heart needs to be complete. He sees past the extra weight and accepts it, even if I don’t.” I whispered the last part.

Donna smiled. “I think I have an idea of how you can finally tell him. Come on. I’ll tell you on the walk back. It’s almost time to open this place up.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Guys! Let’s go! Amethyst Edge opens in less than an hour! I want all of us to be there when (Y/N) opens the doors!” Clay yelled across the clubhouse.

Whoops and hollers were heard all around. The guys filed out the Clubhouse doors and onto their bikes.

“Where’s Piney?” Clay asked.

“He already left for the bar. Wanted to be sis’s first costumer.” Opie replied.

Clay just nodded. “Let’s go!”

It took all of 15 minutes for the guys to make it to the bar. The parking lot was already filling up. Opie patted Jax and pointed. He smirked and tapped Clay to show him, too. (Y/N) had made a section just for them in the front, a reserved parking sign for each of them and all. They made their way to the front and parked.

Juice found his spot and smiled. He couldn’t wait to see you tonight. He hadn’t been able to talk to you in a couple weeks properly and it was driving him crazy. Him and the others walked in the bar.

“Holy shit. Little Winston pulled it off. This place is amazing!” Tig said.

Music was already playing through the speakers and people were gathering in different sections. They made their way to the bar. Opie spotting Donna first.

“Hey babe. Where’s (Y/N)?”

“Hey guys. She’s giving herself a pep talk before she addresses everyone to get the night started. Give me a sec.” Donna put her earpiece in. “(Y/N), they’re here.”

“What’s that about?” Juice asked, pointing at her ear.

“It’s out means of communication. She told me to let her know when y’all got here. She didn’t want to start anything before.” She nodded her head to the stage. “Speaking of.”

The music stopped and everyone turned towards the stage area.

“Holy shit.” Juice whispered under his breath, or so he thought.

“She’s beautiful, right?” Donna asked.

“Yeah. She is.”

Donna gave Opie a wink before turning her attention to her sister in law.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I took a deep breath and walked out of my office and onto the stage. The lights brightened and the music stopped. I looked out through the crowd and couldn’t help my smile. I spotted the guys in the back and instantly my eyes found Juice.

“Hi everyone! My name is (Y/N) Winston and I’d like to welcome you to my place, Amethyst Edge!” Hollers went around. “A few things before we officially open this place. We have food, drinks of any kind, pool tables and karaoke. If you hit on any of my girls, and they reject you and you keep pestering them, you will be out. I want this to be a atmosphere everyone can enjoy. If you want to show us the vocal talents, the karaoke list is to the left, pick and let us hear you. If you see Son with a kutte, don’t be afraid. They are my family and Amethyst Edge unofficial bouncers.”

I looked at my watch. “It is now 7pm, Amethyst Edge is open for business!”

Whoops and hollers went around. I started the music back up and hit the button for the lights to strobe. I made my way down to the bar.

“Welcome boys! It’s officially opening night and remember, two rounds on me then you got to pay up. The girls know to start the tab and I’ll leave it amongst you to figure out who pays.” I gave each of them a hug.

I finally made it to Juice. The smile I adored so much plastered to his face. “You look beautiful.”

“Thanks. Donna helped. Now.” I went around the bar. “You’ll be my very first customer, what can I get you?”

“Surprise me.”

I gave him a smirk. “Coming right up.”

I made him an Old Fashioned and passed it to him. He took a sip and his eyes got wide.

“Oh shit this is good.”

I gave him a wink. “You’re welcome. Need anything else, you know what to do.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Juice sat at the bar and watched (Y/N). She was a natural at bartending, even better being out and interacting with the customers. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her all night.

“Juice? You good?”

He turned to see Opie sitting there, watching over his wife and sister.

He nodded. “Yeah. I’m good. Just enjoying this.” He raised his glass.

Opie smirked. “I know what your enjoying; and it’s not just the drink.” He nodded his head towards his sister. “Have you told her yet?”

“Yeah, sort of. The night we left for the run. I didn’t get to hear what she was going to say. We haven’t been able to talk much since.”

“Give her time. She’s just enjoying this high of her business doin so well tonight. She’s been a busy woman. I promise you, if I know my sister well, I’d say she likes you, too.”

Opie patted his friend’s back and walked to the table with the other guys. Juice really hoped Opie was right.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Karaoke had started and I was having a blast. The songs people had chosen really made the people in the bar more excited. I kept watching the guys every now and then, making sure they were being taken care of.

“(Y/N), it’s almost time. Come on.” Donna pulled me away and towards the back.

When the last person finished their song, Donna cut the lights. She put me on the stage and chose a song and a light strobe. I took a deep breath and relaxed. This was the perfect way for me to tell Juice how I felt.

The song started and the lights started blinking with the music. I took a breath and started singing.

You're the light, you're the night

You're the colour of my blood

You're the cure, you're the pain

You're the only thing I wanna touch

Never knew that it could mean so much, so much

The lights got brighter and when the guys seen it was me the started hollering.

You're the fear, I don't care

'Cause I've never been so high

Follow me through the dark

Let me take you past our satellites

You can see the world you brought to life, to life

So love me like you do, la-la-love me like you do

Love me like you do, la-la-love me like you do

Touch me like you do, ta-ta-touch me like you do

What are you waiting for?

Juice couldn’t believe it. (Y/N) was on the stage singing, and could she sing. He felt his heart start to race and pound out of his chest. He couldn’t stop watching the way she moved with the words.

Fading in, fading out

On the edge of paradise

Every inch of your skin is a Holy Grail I've got to find

Only you can set my heart on fire, on fire

I found Juice in the crowd, watching. I knew it was now that he had to know how I felt. I caught his eyes and sang with everything in me, hoping he would know.

Yeah, I'll let you set the pace

'Cause I'm not thinking straight

My head's spinning around, I can't see clear no more

I let me heart sing through and took a deep breath.

What are you waiting for?

Suddenly my girls started belting out with me.

Love me like you do, la-la-love me like you do (like you do)

Love me like you do, la-la-love me like you do

Touch me like you do, ta-ta-touch me like you do

What are you waiting for?

The guys started whooping and hollering. Juice could feel his heart swell with love. She was actually singing to him. Her words and emotion had him on the edge of his seat.

Love me like you do, la-la-love me like you do (like you do)

Love me like you do, la-la-love me like you do (ye-yeah)

Touch me like you do, ta-ta-touch me like you do

What are you waiting for?

I'll let you set the pace

'Cause I'm not thinking straight

My head's spinning around, I can't see clear no more

I pointed in Juice’s direction, watching how he was watching me.

What are you waiting for?

Love me like you do, la-la-love me like you do (like you do)

Love me like you do, la-la-love me like you do (ye-yeah)

Touch me like you do, ta-ta-touch me like you do

What are you waiting for?

Love me like you do, la-la-love me like you do (like you do)

Love me like you do, la-la-love me like you do (whoa)

Touch me like you do, ta-ta-touch me like you do (ah)

What are you waiting for?

I finished the song as everyone erupted in applause and yells. I gave them a smile. That’s when I seen him come running to me.

Juice was out of his seat and on the stage before he knew it. He grabbed (Y/N)’s face in his hands and look led in her eyes. That adorable smile creeping in when her eyes met his.

“Is that really how you feel?” He asked.

I nodded. “Yeah. It is.”

Suddenly his lips met mine. My heart exploded with the way he kissed me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. Everything around us faded away. After needing air we laid out foreheads together.

“I love you, (Y/N).”

I smiled. “I love you, too, Juice.”

He gave me that heart melting smile and took me off the stage. Once back with everyone cheers went up all around.

“Treat her right, or I’ll be the one you have to worry about.” Opie said.

“Don’t worry, baby. He’s going to treat her good.” Donna said kissing Opie’s cheek.

I couldn’t be happier than I was in that moment. Everything had fallen into place. I had my family, my business and a wonderful guy. Who could ask for more?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: Well, that’s it folks!!! You all have been so amazing reblogging and liking this story!! It went bigger than I though!! Any comments or thoughts on this are welcomed!

[bitterrobin]

brutalia for the ship ask!!

What made you ship it?

I really started getting into the ship once I researched Talia before Damian came along. I think their romance felt very...classical in a sense? Like, it's an old-fashioned tragic romance, opposite sides in conflict, typical kind of comic story. The implications that Damian existing has on their characters made it so much more interesting, and I especially like their current semi-divorced vibes in comics. (At least, Ram V really made their close-but-separated dynamic work.)

What are your favorite things about the ship?

It's rare for any of Bruce's love interests to stick for so long. Talia is an iconic character, imo, and I think the push and pull she has with Bruce is one of my favorites. Writers just don't take advantage of the tragic conflict anymore, because they made Talia a villain. Again with the "classical" vibes, but Talia has always felt like a princess to me. Bruce, with his whole prince of Gotham thing, and Talia as Ras al Ghul's daughter - idk, it lends a mythological sense to the relationship thats different than Bruce/Selina or even Bruce/Harvey or that story where he was with Silver St. Cloud.

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

I do think that they're better off apart. Is that controversial? I don't know. I feel like their relationship, while strong and very whirlwind, wasn't going to last. Not sure exactly what ages they were when they met (been a bit since I've read the comics), but I know Talia was young. To me, their relationship feels like something that was great going when they were young, but inevitably something was going to split them. Talia wasn't allowed to have a full free life until she left her father, and maybe just a bit of that freedom was being with Bruce. They did love each other, still have that affection, but as full adults (with so much changed) I don't think they can be the same as they were when they met. (Especially not in canon anymore, Grant Morrison I'm in your walls.) Maybe another unpopular opinion I have on brutalia, is that their divorced vibes adds more to their dynamic with Damian than they would if they were still together or even if they were complete enemies. That line he has where he goes something like "why can't I choose you both?" in his first appearance should've been more important imo.

[franollie]

do you personally think that fandom brings up misogyny unnecessarily and even when it has nothing to do with the issue at hand?

like some people get up and arms if you don’t ship batcat or brutalia (you’re not obligated to like anything for any reason) or if you ship bruce with someone else this topic will come up for whatever reason even though when there are actual instances of blatant misogyny in fandom and it’ll go fully ignored by these same people.

a point of bruce’s romance is to establish that he can’t really be endgame with any one person so i personally ship him freely. i don’t know why fandom is so obsessed with tokenizing certain shippers as certain prejudices when i’m sure that they genuinely have never interacted with said shipper one on one in their entire life

sorry for taking so long on this i have a LOT of thoughts on the topic

ok so in short: yes, i do think fandom loves to cry misogyny.

that being said, fandom operates in a blatantly misogynistic way (see how in large fandom favors men over women regardless of whether or not that man had more or less screen time than the woman). misogyny in fandom is a very real thing, but it is more a fandom as a whole problem than an individual problem. the only way the problem of misogyny in fandom can be solved is by actually engaging with the women in whatever franchise you're enjoying (writing for them, making art, reblogging art, writing metas, etc). show them the same amount of love that you show other characters

with that in mind, it is also important to note that sometimes you just don't gel with a ship or a character. i agree that people are drawn to certain dynamics and relationships, and you are allowed to ship what you ship. let's take the brutalia/batcat v bruharvey/batjokes because they are similar in dynamic (batman and one of his rogues). it wouldn't be fair to call a bruharvey or batjokes shipper a misogynist just because they don't ship brutalia or batcat. now, if they ship batjokes but hate talia for killing, then you could play the misogyny card. really it's just a matter of how you specific people interact with characters. i think a better example of this is superbat v clois.

i'm gonna try and stay as unbiased and objective as possible because superbat fans scare me lmao but a lot of the criticisms for superbat are about how it ships these characters at the expense of their relationships specifically with the women in their lives. to be even more specific, clark's relationship with lois. it isn't fair to say that "all superbat shippers are misogynist because they ignore lois" because i don't know why every superbat shipper ships superbat. maybe superbat is nostalgic to someone because they grew up reading justice league comics or the world's finest comics, maybe they haven't read or watched that much stuff with lois/clois in it, maybe they just think the idea of superbat is fun, who knows what the reasoning is. the problems really arise when they begin to change lois's personality and character to fit their ship whether it's by writing her as some bitchy ex of clarks or as a "girlboss who doesn't need a man and is superbat's biggest shipper uwu".

i do think when it comes to comic book fandoms in particualr there is another added layer of fandom superiority when it comes to shipping where there are the "correct" ships and the "incorrect" ships. but that's a whole other topic for another day

just to reiterate: fandom misogyny is a very real problem (look at the top 10 ships on ao3 for the past 5 years and that becomes abundantly clear) but the only way to combat it is by actually creating and sharing works positively featuring the women you like.

[batbabydamian]

🦇🐥 Batman and Robin (2023) #5 rambling and a conspiracy theory lol

tbh this is the most exciting issue for me since…the first one 💀 i’m going to talk about the story and art separately because Nikola Cizmesija’s one of my favorite action focused comic artists so this issue’s a treat 😭

Alfred used to mediate during a lot of Bruce and Damian’s early relationship, so it’s refreshing to see Bruce take more initiative involving himself in Damian’s life even if it’s for a case lol

a couple instances of Alfred’s fatherly support on behalf of Bruce and Damian from Batman and Robin (2011) #2, 4, 39 and Teen Titans (2016) #1

Damian seems to take Bruce's involvement more as a sign he’s not reliable rather than Bruce finally just. being around to help him. which is fair 😭

this is complementary to Cizmesija’s art, but i love this half of the page so bad 😭 the negative space and the shaded foreground with Damian mid-run gives this feeling of time kinda stopping for us to really feel the impact of Damian’s entrance AND the effect it has on Bruce, like!! that wide eyed expression in the below panel!! 😭

Bruce’s quiet “you can do it, son” to A FULL BODY CHEER OF “GO, DAMIAN!” Bruce witnessing Damian be great outside of Robin, and on top of that it’s just another mundane moment that Bruce has wanted with Damian 😭

this is such a goofy bully line sdfgh though the whole “broken” bit might be a callback to Batman and Robin (2011) #1, in that Bruce is really trying to do his job as a father here or i'm likely reading way too into it

SO the “shocking ending” of Zach being Zsasz’s kid was definitely a surprise but then got me wondering what is up with Williamson doing reveals of new kids for villains lol otherwise, the hints in the issue were neat!

the tally marks!! at least tallying blocks is pretty innocent compared to kills 😭

and Damian would recognize how Zsasz moves, since he’s personally fought him before in Streets of Gotham (2009)!! very much not in a sport, but uh maybe it was to Zsasz

the art!! first a shoutout to the colorist Rex Lokus for giving Damian his green eyes and maybe melanin (it didn’t look consistent throughout so i say maybe)!! 😭 also a Talia by Cizmesija!! even though this panel calls her a “not great” teacher…💀

SUCH A FUN PAGE 😭 i’ve been into montage scenes lately lol and i love how quickly Cizmesija establishes Damian’s routine - Tues, Wed, and Fri are the funniest for me!! Damian grumpily getting lectured by his teacher in the foreground while his classmate’s still visibly steaming from the hit he took LOL, DAMIAN’S BUG EYED STARE WITH HIS SUNGLASSES UP, and then Damian looming. stealthily. in a tree. while some kid is blatantly pointing him out HAHA 😭

Cizmesija’s use of motion lines and effects when conveying movement is so cool!! the shonen manga vibes jumps out!! the smoke/dust trails following the movements; the limbs and soccer ball having a sort of blur effect with the motion lines. V COOL.

which leads to my favorite part of Cizmesija’s work - HIS IMPACT SHOTS!!

more motion lines and effects!! the splatter effects!! the arcs!! the jolting impacts!! GRRAAHH!! the setup to that impact shot of Zach's block is so great, and then following with Damian's reaction!! i almost wish that "???" wasn't there, just because that expression of stunned silence already feels so loud!!

last thoughts about Cizmesija's art is that i'm really hoping for a showdown between Damian and Zach next issue because i need to see a Damian fight scene in Nikola Cizmesija-fashion 😭 we get a taste of it with Orca and soccer but i NEED MORE LOL for now, dropping the moment when Damian overpowers Zsasz, in Batman: Streets of Gotham #11 since it was such an epic moment

okay SLAPPING MY CONSPIRACY BOARD!! so on another note Principal Stone being Shush is starting to feel like a red herring and Ms. Heather Hall could actually be Shush. Shush’s main point about Damian as his instructor was emphasizing how much potential he has, but the “wrong” influence could affect that

Stone and Hall have made the same observation about Damian’s potential, but the difference is how they address that - one wants Bruce to be more involved while the other wants Bruce to back off

Stone acknowledged Damian can take care of himself but still wants Bruce to step up in Damian’s life; Hall says it’s okay to be a helicopter parent BUT implies giving Damian space (which we already know Bruce has given so much of after Alfred’s death to the point of neglect 😭)

Hall even suggests moving Damian on to college, which would estrange Damian further. also idk how Damian kicking his teammates/bullies asses at soccer is really “making friends” lol

and of all the subjects she’s teaching, it’s AP Biology - according to the current case Batman and Robin are working on, which is centered around DNA-sequencing, it makes Hall the perfect accomplice to Langstrom

this is where my brain started reaching because i laughed at first at how specific that comparison is, but then it just made me think of how Shush’s first introduction was sniping Bruce LOL anyway, Bruce’s reaction is me 😭

one more Cizmesija appreciation panel - the lil running effects behind Damian :)

[smidgen-of-hotboy]

Our Angel of Brahma, pt. v

Sorry not sorry.

@ceaseless-watchers-special-girl @ananxiousgenz @the-private-eye @demonic-panini @gwenlena

SOUND: COMMS BEEPS. RECORDING BEGINS. (MUFFLED SNIFFLING) BAIRD (REVOLUTIONARY): It’s been– ten years. A decade. And I thought I was over it by now. I thought I was past this. I– I didn’t even cry this much last year over my dad. Fucking hell… I didn’t even cry over my mom!  SOUND: FIST BANGING AGAINST TABLE. BAIRD (REVOLUTIONARY): I love my mom. I love her so much, but I forgot about what she did for me. I forgot about feeling sad for her… (BIG SNIFFLE) We have not seen our Angel of Brahma, for fifteen years. It has been fifteen years, and I am still waiting for my mom to come home. I am still waiting to bury my dead.  It’s been ten years, and I’m still waiting to bury you, Charlie. There’s nothing left of your old life. I tried looking for something, anything, but I kept coming up empty-handed. I miss your Mom’s cooking, and I miss your Dad’s jokes. I miss your baby sister’s chubby little cheeks, and I miss– (BAIRD COUGHS) I miss singing for you. I’m still singing but what good is it if the only person I wanted to let hear me isn’t around? Can’t be here?  SOUND: KNOCKING ON DOOR. HINGES CREAK. HUSHED VOICE.  BAIRD (REVOLUTIONARY): Get out! SOUND: METAL CAN HITTING DOOR. DOOR SLAMMING SHUT.  (BAIRD HUFFING) BAIRD (REVOLUTIONARY): Fuck. Iris is going to kill me later. Heh– maybe it’s for the best… You wouldn’t want me talking like that.  (BAIRD CLEARING HIS THROAT) Last week on Brahma: Josie’s girls saved up enough creds from doing their little odd jobs around the block to barter for chocolate from a Constable. Josie found out, and she was livid. The girls gave me their chocolate and wished me a happy birthday.  This week on Brahma: I have not celebrated my birthday in ten years. I forgot I even had one. It has been ten years since we lost you, Charlie. Josie’s girls are grounded for another week. Talia is counting on me to help organize the next community meeting. We’ve heard rumors from the Constables about expansion plans to New Kinshasa. But we’ve also heard rumors that they’ve caught the Angel. I don’t wanna believe it, but…  (BAIRD SIGHS) I’m not going to.  I miss you, Charlie. I miss my mom and dad. I miss Hank’s dog. I miss Mrs. Darius… And I miss you. There’s so much I miss but if I could have just one more day with you, one more adventure, one last kiss, one final goodbye– I’d give up anything in a heartbeat. I’d lose my voice if it meant you would scream at me again like I was sixteen, trying to get involved with Talia in the revolution with our “book club”.  (SNORT) If only you could see me now… I gotta go, Charlie. Promise me you’ll be waiting for me on the other side. SOUND: COMMS BEEPS. RECORDING ENDS.

(CALYPSO HICCUPS AND BLOWS HER NOSE)

- Baird was 16 when he started his “book club” with Talia. Their first “reading” was Fahrenheit 451. There are no libraries left on Brahma (TRUE). Baird mentions a “community meeting”. The book club was a cover up (and Charlie got mad? Why?) 

- He was 16 when Josie’s twins were born (SIDE NOTE: they would be about 10 at the time of recording). 16 when Hank’s dog died and Mrs. Darius was diagnosed with radiation poisoning. 

- 16+10= 26? Baird is/about 26(?) at time of recording

- 26-15= 11? Baird was/about 11(?) when Peter Nureyev threatened the G.A.S., and Baird’s mom “vanished” overnight

- 26-1= 25-10= 15, Baird was/about 15(?) when Dad was beaten, taken, and presumably killed by the Constables? 

- Who is Iris? Another neighbor/community member? Why would they come into the place Baird’s at so nonchalantly? 

- CHOCOLATE AGAIN! It likely did come from New Kinshasa back when Baird agreed to sing for Charlie. 

- Baird didn’t expect to have such big emotions over Charlie. What did happen to Charlie? Presumably dead? Why? Did they both get caught up in the revolution? Must be what happened to Baird’s parents now happening to them. What happened to Charlie’s family? Also presumably dead? (SIDE NOTE: Frannie says there’s a way to trace older recordings, but it would take her a long time and cost me more creds than I have right now. Is it worth it? She also did not like me mentioning Dark Matters. Something about her friend getting caught up in that mess 3 to 4 years ago because she became a pirate?? Unclear what this means. But she did say that if I waited a bit I would get a nice juicy email with all the information about every single Baird in the galaxy, all I needed to give her was a rough age range.)