#i really did miss you guys and i'm really really sorry that i just upped and left without much warning

[a-most-beloved-fool]

i got sent to in-school-suspension because i was thirsty <3 it was stupid <3

what's the most demented thing you guys got in trouble for in school mine was when an english boy in my class made fun of my name and called my mum a (derogatory word for irish travellers) so i told him my ira uncle was in town and was coming to blow him up after school

[aangelinakii]

SAFEHOUSE.

— at least you've got each other.

summary : daughter of the mayor, who'd had an attempt on her life, bruce has tasked his son with protecting her in one of his various safehouses around the city. he's never had to do this before, and it doesn't help that you're sort of cute...

note : fem reader if you cannt tell very sorry znd also they're both teenagers like 16 ish

note 2 : also possibly a little out of charscter ? i haven't consumed a lot of damian media 😪 but i also do think he would behave a little differently when he's older compared to when hés like 9

work for robin was changing.

damian wayne expected to be running across rooftops, kicking bad guys in the face and eavesdropping in vents. not sitting around in a safehouse, protecting the mayor's only child.

for the amount of lying around they did, damian wouldn't really call it protecting. it seemed more like just hanging out.

his knee bounced a mile a minute from where he sat at the empty table in your quite non-descript box of a safehouse, eyes flickering over constantly to your frame in front of the cuboid vhs-playing television — what an old thing it was.

it had been quite difficult trying to harbour a relationship with you; of course it would be, having to go into hiding with a random teenage boy your age after having your life threatened by the usual gotham terrorists.

with a sigh, he got to his feet, and you glanced up from your old black and white movie. he stepped up to the door, fingering the locks to make everything was in place, and then past the curtains, which swayed slightly with movement, but were thick enough to keep out the light from outside.

these days it was difficult to even tell what time it was.

he did this a lot, probably as a way to pass the time, probably cathartically; checking the locks, checking the curtains were still heavy in front of the windows, giving the small apartment you stayed in the impression of being empty.

when he was done he turned your way, stepping boredly toward the back of the couch, where you'd already redirected your attention back to the television.

this was an old hitchcock one from the forties — quite bland, actually, but it wasn't like you didn't have anything else better to do.

when you first got here, neither of you having seen a vhs player before, it took a good hour to figure it out, and, at the time, you'd thought you and damian would get along well, laughing along together when you finally managed to insert the tape. now, after almost two months, you'd found barely anything to share a laugh about.

the cushioning on the back of the couch beside you sunk, and you peered over to see damian leaning against it, eyes glued to the pixel-ridden screen. with a huff and a few more moments passing, he spoke, glancing down at you from the corner of his eye. "i'm sorry i'm... not much help. i'm not really used to this whole protecting thing."

he stepped away, and you craned your neck to follow him. he began to pace from behind the sofa, talking with his hands as he kept his eyes on his feet. "i'm used to protecting people outside, not confined in here. i'll be honest, i'm going a bit mad in here."

an involuntary chuckle brushed past your lips, and he glanced up. "i completely get it," you returned, resting your arm on the back of the couch. "i'm not used to this, either. usually i'd be with my friends, or something — but i'm not even allowed to reach out to them. they probably think i actually did get shot."

you don't miss the way the corner of his mouth turns up as he circles around and continues his pacing.

this might be the most conversation you've had in three weeks.

where you think he might speak again, you can only hear the tinny voices of laurence olivier and joan fontaine, but your eyes continue to follow his movements. he seemed antsy, nervous; all he seemed to be these days.

"hey," you said out of nowhere, grabbing his attention, but he doesn't stop walking or cracking his knuckles. "why don't we do something you'd usually do?"

he considered your words for a moment, but kept pacing. "like what?"

your eyes trailed off, glancing around the room. it consisted of a small kitchen area and a little two-seater table, but you mostly stayed on the couch, getting through the wicker basket of tapes beneath the television. in the corner was a door to the bathroom, and two other doors to each of your miniscule bedrooms.

but in all the limited space within the main room, between the table and the couch, it was empty enough for movement.

"you said you're used to protecting outside," you hummed, looking back at him. by now, he'd stopped his pacing and was eyeing you inquisitively. "what do you ususally do?"

damian gave a shrug. "hit... people?"

with a shrug of your own, you jumped up to your feet. "why don't we do that? hit each other?"

once again, the corner of his mouth perked up. "hit you? i'm supposed to be protecting you, don't you remember?"

a laugh passed your lips as they curved into a smile. "no, no." and you walked around the sofa to face him. "you can just pretend. like, show me your moves. or teach me something."

your teenage bodyguard sized you up for a moment, flesh sinking beneath his mouth as he chewed at his gum pensively. after a few beats, he began to nod slowly. "if you think that will help."

"sure it will," you smiled as you reached out for his hands, palms slightly rough in yours, and dragged him out into the little space between what was supposed to be the dinner table and couch.

once you were out of the way of anything too valuable — like the tv — you let go of his hands and took a few steps back. "so how do we start?"

it seemed when being prompted to do so in a safe environment, damian struggled to get in the headspace of a fight. he'd been raised by assassins, it usually came as second nature.

perhaps it was that he was being watched, where it was only him and you.

sheepishly, eyes focusing on a spot on the wall behind you as opposed to actually you, damian took on a wider stance and carefully bent his legs. he looked agile, lean, and when he brought his forearms up to the sides of his head, his hands didn't curl tightly.

like this, he seemed to morph; from that quiet, almost shy, awkward boy you'd spent the past month and a bit with in, to a viper ready to strike.

instinctively, his eyes narrowed and his jaw set, like he were really about to attack.

with less ease than him, you attempted to match damian's stance, bending your knees slightly and bringing your forearms up to shield the sides of your head. but this only caused damian to let out a huff of a laugh.

"what?" you hummed, unable to stop the corners of your mouth lifting.

before you, damian's shoulders fell lightly. "nothing, it's just... no, it's not funny." although you could still see that smile behind his shielding arms, he made an attempt to compose himself.

your previous casual stance returned, your arms falling to your sides and your back straightening. "hey, i'm trying my best here!" you retorted, but a laugh slipped out. "not everyone is batman's side-kick."

"i know," damian responded, watching as you resumed your mirroring of his stance. "i think i forget not everyone has trained like us sometimes, because i'm constantly immersed in it. usually."

testing the ease of your knees and the weight of your shoulders, you opened your mouth to speak again. "what next?"

after a few beats, damian gave his reply. "well... i suppose you'd attack."

with a gesture of your fingers, you beckoned your opponent forward. "attack, then. give me your worst."

despite his dismissive chuckle, damian edged forward, however uncertainly. "absolutely not," he joked in return.

useless in this position, all you could do was watch damian as he silently made to assess his next move; lid covering eye, your lashes fluttered past with your blink and damian appeared much closer, his slow attacks falling purposely short as he pretended to strike various areas of your torso and up.

after a false kick brushed off your side, you straightened up again. "how could i protect myself? if i ever needed to." and at this moment in your life, it seemed very much that this would be helpful information, just in case your life is tried again.

closer than you'd seen him, damian's hair had messed with his shadow boxing. he had dark hair, the colour he shared with his father, but its untidiness must've been inherited from his mother. he owned a perpetual tan, olive in undertone, darker contrasting freckles dotted once below his left eye and then a smaller one merging into the skin of his lip. he was both boyish and owning feminine qualities; the untidiness of a boy, but the sharpness of a woman you'd never want to cross.

with a soft cough in the back of his throat, he reached out an arm, extending it past your ear. "if i was going for an attack here, you would take your other arm and push me away."

as he spoke, you followed his instruction, bringing your arm up, forearm against forearm, to hit him back and dodge out the way.

"a lot of it is timing," damian spoke again, slowly bringing his other arm up to jab at you throat without actually making contact. "timing, reaction and reading. you need to anticipate the action of your opponent before they even make it; that's what makes a good combatant."

your hand came up to take damian's wrist, stopping it where it had stopped anyway, and pushed it up over your head. "i'm not very good at this," you chuckled sheepishly, feeling a little stupid at this slow-motion combat.

pulling his arm back to his side, twisting it just as carefully as he had been to lose your light grip. "you don't have to be. you're just learning now."

as your fingers fell from his skin, your eyes met.

for a moment, damian stumbled upon his words. "but i could teach you if you wanted; something we could work on while we're holed up in here."

[brawberryz]

the present does not exist, time is an illusion, buy gold!

Batfam × neglected Bill Cipher! Reader

《Platonic!》

Note: English is not my first language, sorry if there is any translation error

Imagine that you were neglected throughout your life, it was really something that you cared very little about

The people who knew you told you that you were a genius, that with your intelligence you could change the world, everyone noticed your talents except your family

While you believed you began to be interested in creatures that for some were not real or just myths, you faced many creatures that almost killed you, but no one noticed when you mysteriously disappeared to go to the Gotham forest to see those fantastic creatures

Over time you wrote a diary where you noted all the anomalies of Gotham, some more dangerous than others

Everything was going well until you discovered HIM, Bill Cipher the God of Chaos

You met him while visiting an abandoned library, I found that strange book where he recounted his powers, while you were reading you saw that on the last pages it was written in blood letters

"DO NOT SUMMON"

For many that would have been a great warning but for It was a sign for you, you started to get more interested in this guy called Bill

You started to investigate and look for something that would tell you more about this strange but interesting being

After months of research and failed invocations you were finally able to meet him as a person

"Well, well, well, uhh it's been a while since I was summoned"

Bill said without realizing that you were about to faint, it worked...IT WORKED!

After hard months you were able to summon him, it felt like you had won some important prize

"Ahem, uh...hello, Bill?"

You hesitated a little as you spoke, you read that this entity was very dangerous and could easily end entire universes if it so desired

"Oh, hello strange human! Then with whom do I have the honor?"

Bill said as he floated around you

"I'm (name)...(name) Wayne"

You couldn't believe it was really happening, those days without sleep and researching without stopping were worth it

You had so many questions to ask this Bill, it wasn't every day you could summon an all-powerful god

"Nice name, strange human"

Bill spoke with a mocking tone as he looked at you with his one eye, from the first time he saw you he knew you had something special, your intelligence was unmatched by anyone, you reminded him of Stanford, although he could say that you are much smarter than Stan

This was going to be fun, maybe you're the piece he was missing to be able to free his dimension again

And luckily for him, no one was going to stop it this time

From that moment on, your strange friendship with Bill began

You let him use your body and control you, in exchange he showed you the secrets of the universe and gave you information that no one had ever heard before

But not everything was perfect, every time Bill used your body he ended up doing stupid things, like jumping off the damn stairs and hitting a policeman

Among other crimes that for some strange reason no one in your family found out about

He also did other stupid things like getting a tattoo on your ribs that you will regret for the rest of your life

After a while your bond began to grow stronger, or so you thought

How stupid you were to trust someone like him

"We were supposed to be friends, you lied to me!"

Your soul floated around Bill, you thought that when Bill asked to borrow your body it was going to be like every time but this time he refused to change bodies

"Friends? I don't have friends, you were just one of my pawns for my plan, and now that I have everything right where I want it I don't need you anymore"

Bill said mocking how innocent and foolish you were to believe that they were friends, something that he was going to thank you for was having a good body, you had resistance and good mobility that was going to be very helpful

"Well I have to go, dinner is getting cold"

He said indifferently as he approached the door, before you could stop him or do anything the door slammed shut in front of your face

For the first time in your life you were afraid, afraid of what Bill could do now that his plan was almost complete, you felt like a fool for believing him

_

Bruce noticed how you were weirder than usual, since you entered the kitchen and you sat down you knew something was wrong and it wasn't good

"(Name)...is something wrong?"

Bruce said as he stopped eating and looked at his daughter seriously

"Of course I am dad! Why would something be wrong?"

The girl said as she tilted her head and gave him that strange smile, something was wrong...

(Name) would never answer like that or smile at him like that, her usual response would have been to shrug and continue eating but now there was something strange about her, as if she wasn't her

"Well... you look weirder than usual, I just want you to feel okay"

The other family members suddenly looked at you and Bruce, they looked at each other, it seemed that everyone agreed that you were acting weird

"Nothing's wrong with me, I'm just happy... very happy"

(Name) said before abruptly getting up from the table with her empty plate in hand

"Dinner was good, see you later family!"

The girl said as she walked out of the kitchen waving her hand happily

In the minds of everyone sitting at the table there was only one mutual thought

Something was very wrong with you, and whatever it was they were going to find out

No matter what it took

Poor idiots, if they knew that soon everything was considered important like their universe is about to disappear forever

Everything was happening the way Bill wanted, now no one was going to stop him because there was no Stanford or the Pines family to stop him again

It seems Bill Cipher got his way again

I love writing about my hyperfixations and combining them and making a weird AU

I'll just leave this shit undone and go to sleep, byee

[love-byers]

boyfriends who defend and reassure each other <3

"Wait, this is Will's fault?!" 1x01

"I'm the only one acting normal here! I'm the only one that cares about Will!" 1x01

"Will could've cast protection last night, but he didn't. He cast fireball. [...] My point is, he could've played it safe, but he didn't. He put himself in danger to help the party." 1x01

"She pointed at him, at his picture. She knew he was missing, I could tell." 1x02

"Maybe it's his ghost, maybe he's haunting us." "It's not his ghost." "And how do you know that?" "I just do." "Then what did they pull out of that water?" "I don't know! All I know is Will is alive. Will is alive!" 1x04

"Hey! Hey! Hey, Troy! Hey, Troy! You…you think this is funny? […] I saw you guys laughing over there. I think that's a real messed up thing to do." 1x04

"Now she's going to let him die in the Upside Down--" "Shut up!" 1x05

"I'm gonna get you home, okay? I'm gonna get you home." 2x02

"Maybe...maybe that's good." "Good?!" "Just think about it, Will. You're like a spy now. A super spy. Spying on the shadow monster. If you know what he's thinking and feeling, maybe that's how we stop him. Maybe all this is happening for a reason." "You really think so?" "Yeah, Yeah I really do." "What if he figures out we're spying on him? What if he spies back?" "He won't." "How do you know?" *grabs his hand* "We won't let him." 2x05

"Closing the gate will kill him." 2x09

"It's a cool campaign it's really cool!" 3x03

"What if you want to join another party?" "Not possible." 3x08

"I don't think Mike is gonna like that you're lying to him. And he doesn't deserve that, and when he finds out he's gonna be mad." 4x02

"Seems like you've made it super clear you're not interested in anything I have to say." "That's just not true." 4x02

"I was being a total jerk to El, I deserved it…" "No. No, you didn't deserve anything." 4x04

"Listen, the truth is, the last year has been weird, you know? I mean, Max, and Lucas, and Dustin, they're great, they're great, it's just...it's Hawkins, it's not the same without you. And I feel like maybe I was worrying too much about El...I don't know, maybe I feel like I lost you or something. Does that make sense?" *nods* "I have no idea what's gonna happen next. But whatever it is, I...I think we should work together. I think it'll be easier if we're—we're a team. Friends. Best friends." "Cool." "Cool." 4x04

"I should've explained myself, because then maybe Eleven would've taken me with her and things would be different, but…" "No-" "I—I didn't know what to say." 4x05

"Sometimes...I think it's just scary to open up like that. To say how you really feel. Especially to people you care about the most. Because...what if they don't like the truth?" *nods*4x05

"Sorry." "No--" "No, it's so stupid given everything that's going on." 4x08

"See how you're leading us here? You're guiding the whole party, inspiring us. That...that's what you do. And see your coat of arms here? It's a heart. I know it's sort of on the nose, but that's what holds this whole party together: heart. And without heart, we'd all fall apart. Even me. Especially me." 4x08

"He's not going to stop, ever. Not until he's taken everything, and everyone. We have to kill him." *grabs his shoulder* "And we will. We will." 4x09

[eggfriedricedwasian]

Ive seen things where people have kids who are dark haired and eyed at birth and turn light haired and eyes when they get older or vice versa.

I headcanon Janet with blonde hair and green eyes and Jack with black hair blue eyes.

Im using this on Tim.

Tim was born with blonde hair green eyes and looked like Jack as a baby, but when he got older, around 4ish, he turned black haired and blue eyed and started looking like Janet.

His parents were both in a love hate relationship with this change. On one hand they want him to have their colors and look like them...

On the other hand they miss when he used to look like the other parent.

Just imagine:

Tim going through old pictures in his gazillion boxes of pictures, the family is helping him.

"Who's this baby? Steph's?"

Someone asks. They look over to see Duke holding a photo of a blonde baby, smiling a gummy smile with curly blonde hair and green emerald eyes looking brighter than a kryptonian in the sun.

"No.. That's.. who is that baby?"

Steph asked very slowly. Guess they forgot to tell Duke that Steph's daughter was a sensitive topic amongst them.

"Steph gave up her daughter at birth, Duke. And it was a traumatic experience for her so we don't talk about it."

Bruce informed.

"O-Oh! I'm sorry."

"It's okay, you didn't know"

She waved him off with a smile, but everyone still wondered who the baby was.

"Tim?"

"Yeah?"

Tim replied from inside his closet. He walked out upon no reply, setting down another box filled with camera equipment and saw all their confused faces.

"Who's baby is this?"

Duke turned the picture and Tim looked at it closer.

"Oh!"

Tim smiled, taking it and putting it next to his face.

"It's me!"

He smiled just as bright as the baby, which happened to be him, in the picture.

.

.

.

"WHAT!?"

The family, including Alfred, stared jaw dropped shocked at the guy.

The baby in the photo, smiling oh so brightly like the sun, green eyed, blonde curly hair, with the cutest little red polka dot dress on, was Tim, who had straight-ish black hair and blue eyes, didn't smile as brightly as the moon, who only gave smirks and grins, and was wearing a long sleeves under a Limp Bizkit t shirt with very baggy jeans.

"Yeah.. Genetics! Ya know..?"

"Explain."

Jason demanded.

"Well, up until I was 4-ish I had my dad's face but my mom's green eyes and blonde curly hair, but then it turned black and my eyes turned blue and straight-ish and I started looking more like my mom."

He rubbed his neck sheepishly.

That started the searching of Tim's baby photos. They'd organize the Bat photos and the hero photos later, right now they needed to find all of the blonde hair green eyed baby Tim photos.

It was no secret that Tim was trans, so when all the photos of a little girl in dresses and skirts showed up they weren't phased. It was hilarious to see all the pouty faced pictured of Tim in dresses.

The photos did get put up around the house with Tim's (begrudgingly(willingly)) permission.

Dick wanted him to bleach his hair but he refuses to damage his hair.

But also imagine this:

The older that Tim gets, the blonde comes back. He still looks like his mom, but his slowly starts turning blonde again, and his eyes start having a greener tint/hue to it.

The first to notice was Bart.

Bart was braiding Tim's rather ling hair when he points it out.

"Hey Tim, your hair's got some blonde in it!"

"What?"

Tim runs to the mirror and looks in it. Yep. Sure enough his hair was growing some blonde strands. And now that he looked, his eyes looked more green than it's normal blue.

"Oh my gosh.."

He calls Bruce.

Bruce who was in a JL meeting.

"I'm in a meeting."

"B! Im going blonde again! Ans my eyes! They're turning green!"

Tim says, somewhat panicked, somewhat excited.

Bruce blanks. Because.. what. What do you mean his baby boy, who he loved staring at the blonde and green eyed baby pictures of, was resorting back to that color.

"...really?"

He asks very hesitantly at first.

"Yeah!"

Tim turns his head down, showing his scalp. And there, right there, were several prominent, yet blended, strands of blonde growing in a curl pattern amongst the straight black locks.

Bruce just about cries right then and there.

Because then Tim does a close up of his eyes. And yep. His eyes have a but of green in them.

"That's great, sweetie. But I'm in a meeting right now."

"Oh! Sorry!"

He hangs up.

Bruce doesn't.

He's still stuck on the call smiling like a sappy parent whose kid just did something so small yet so touching. There were tears in his eyes and none of the JL knew what to do.

[cosmerelists]

Observations of an Employee at a Trampoline Park (That is Frequented by Cosmere Characters)

Characters at a trampoline park requested by @queenfishiethemagnificent :)

[This post contains some WAT-jokes! Specifically in the entries for Szeth, Leshwi, & Kaladin/Syl, just in case you want to skip those!)]

At a trampoline park somewhere in our world there works an innocent employee who keeps a diary about what they experience at their job. Here are some of the observations on the Cosmere characters who inexplicably show up at this trampoline park.

1. Szeth [warning: Wat spoilers]

That bald guy (Seth? Zack?) was back again today. I have never seen anyone bounce so seriously. I don't know how to describe it, exactly. He never smiles or laughs; he bounces like it is his Job to Bounce and he Must Take It Seriously.

But also he's really good at it? I feel like he must have trained as a dancer or something because he's actually really graceful, always landing on his feet and then soaring right back into the air, like a beautiful bald kangaroo.

SO serious though!

2. Ann

Oh man it was the saddest thing today. There was this woman who came in really excited to try our Extreme Trampoline Dunk Zone--you know, where you bounce up and can dunk a basketball. She was like, "Oh yeah, I'm great at making baskets" and paid for the entrance and everything and then I watched her miss. Every. Single. Throw. S-She kept at it, though! But, like, I didn't think it was possible to miss that many in a row...

After like the saddest half hour of my life, her friend came by and brought her glasses. She did WAY better after that!

3. Elhokar

That guy who broke his leg came back!!! I honestly can't believe it, since when he left he was saying that it must have been the "assassins" trying to get him "again," and he seemed really upset and also it's kinda horrific when bones break here.

But he was back, and much calmer, and said he was sorry for making a fuss and also did I want to feel his leg because it's "really funky feeling now." I said no, and he nodded gravely, and went off to bounce I guess.

Weird guy. Seems to mean well. I hope the assassins don't get him, I guess.

4. Vin

I had to kick someone out today :( I call her Coin Girl. She kept, like, throwing coins down onto the trampoline! She said it made her fly higher which, like, isn't how science works?

To be fair, she did gather up all the coins she was throwing down. Kinda weirdly so...like she'd snatch them up almost as if they were being magically drawn directly to her...which is also not how science works!

And also to be fair, she was able to jump almost alarmingly high... And it was weird how the coins were almost driven down into the trampoline like they were being pushed by a great force...

But still! Throwing change around on the trampolines is NOT okay!

5. Wax

Okay, is coin-throwing like a meme or something now? A tiktok challenge? Because I had to kick someone ELSE out today! And this guy was old!! He had kids and a wife and everything!! And he was ALSO throwing coins around and then soaring up really high into the air while holding his kid who was shrieking in laughter and it WAS really cute but again! No! Throwing! Coins! In! The! Trampoline! Park!

Maybe I need to make a sign...

6. Adolin

When this very buff guy came in and wanted to try the Battle Beam (where you fight with padded sticks while standing on this beam over a pit of foam cubes), I wanted to be like, "You know that's for kids, right?" But instead I just pointed the way.

I peeked in later, and this guy was letting the little kids WAIL on him and kept dramatically "dying" and falling into the foam pit. The kids LOVED him. It was super sweet.

7. Sarene

Ha ha as if in DIRECT contrast to yesterday we had this woman come in today who also wanted to try the Battle Beam only this lady was MERCILESS. She was knocking kids into the pit left and right. To be fair, she was also giving them tips on their stance and stuff, so I bet she teaches fighting or something, but mostly it was hilarious to see her sending kids flying left and right.

The kids seemed to like that too, actually. Everybody likes to be thrown into a foam pit sometimes.

8. TenSoon

A dog tried to get into the trampoline park today. I was like, "Uh, are you with someone" and I would SWEAR he shook his head!!!

Anyway, we don't get dogs come into the trampoline park, and for some reason I told him that, and he walked away.

Weird.

9. Yumi

Okay most impressive dodge ball feet to date. So in our dodge ball area you basically bounce around and try to hit people with balls, blah blah blah. But also if you CATCH the ball when it's thrown at you, the thrower is out.

You should have seen this woman!! She was, like, catching ball after ball after ball. I swear she ended up with like a dozen of them, stacked high in her arms, WHILE BOUNCING!!

How did she do that?? She's got to be some sort of master stacker!

10. Leshwi [warning: Wat spoilers]

Most people wear tights or shorts or something you can move in if they come to a trampoline park. Not this lady! She came in wearing a dress whose train was like eight feet long, I swear. Maybe it was a wedding dress or something?

Then she went straight to our High Bounce area and started jumping. I'll admit that when she reached the highest point, and the train of her dress was like flowing down around her, it did look pretty cool.

She was also humming the whole time, and the melody felt really sad somehow. If that was a wedding dress, I don't think it worked out. :(

11. Lift

Had a teenager come in today wanting to try our Ninja Obstacle Course. I gave the safety spiel and she was like, "Don't worry. I'm stormin' graceful" (is that what kids these days say instead of "fucking"?).

And to be fair, she DID complete the course. She also scooted on her butt over any balance obstacle. But you know what? Whatever works! Good job, kid!

12. Kaladin & Syl [warning: Wat spoilers]

Okay, so the most gorgeous couple came in today--like, I don't know if they WERE a couple; I just mean they were both gorgeous and came in together, you know? The man was very tall and muscular and had luxurious hair, and the woman was wearing blue body paint (look, it worked) and a blue dress and wow. They bounced on that trampoline like it was a dance, and they seemed to be having a fantastic time. You know how some people seem to BELONG in the air? These two did.

I could have watched them bouncing together all day.

[askthehcc]

Hey Tango! (And also Zed) Are you missing the Brits now that most of them have left? Are you keeping in touch with any of them outside of them being Grian's friends?

Tango: Skizz and B will do a video call once a week or so and I try to jump in when I can.

Tango: I don't keep in regular contact with the other guys, but like... not because I don't like them or anything, just cause life is busy, ya know?

Tango: I kinda want to ask Jim for Blue's number, but I don't really have anything to say to him...

Tango: [shrugging]

Tango: I just think he's kinda cool, y'know?

Zedaph: he did have cool hair.

Tango: Yeah and like Jimmy talks him up all the time. He says he's really good with, like, design and stuff. Plus, he gets to meet a lot of cool people with his job.

Tango: he just seems like an interesting person – would be a cool guy to be friends with.

Zedaph: For sure.

Zedaph: I mean, the only Brit I got to know properly was Jimmy and I'm pretty sure he's still kicking around here somewhere.

Tango: Yeah, somewhere around here...

[Interviewer's note: At this point, Jimmy steps into the frame, having just arrived at the cafe. With his laptop bag hooked over his shoulder, he throws a peace sign up at the camera.]

Jimmy: Heyyy~

Tango: Hey Jim.

Jimmy: Sorry to jump in, I just heard my name as I came through the door.

Tango: Oh, we were just talking about what a squatter you are here.

Jimmy: Hey! I buy my coffees.

Jimmy: Sometimes.

Tango: You mean when me and Grian aren't on shift.

Jimmy: Yeah, or Mumbo. He's given in to the Jim-Jam charm. He couldn't resist for long.

Zedaph: Well, who couldn't?

Jimmy: Correct answer, Zed.

Jimmy: But, also, if none of you guys are here, then what's the point of coming in?

Tango: Heh.

Jimmy: Speaking of, I'll let you carry on. I'm gonna go set up in the corner.

Tango: Sure, I'll bring your drink over when I'm done.

Jimmy: You, Tango Tek, are literally the best person ever, do you know that?

[Interviewer's note: Jimmy exits the foreground and reappears in the background as a blur, setting up his laptop on a far table.]

Zedaph: ...

Tango: ...

Zedaph: ...

Tango: [Scoffs]

Tango: Shut up. Leave me alone.

Zedaph: [laughing]

Zedaph: I didn't even say anything!

[havendance]

I have still not gotten around to reading the valentine's story that everyone's been talking about, but Scilly's post did get some of the juices going in my brain so take a little unedited ficlet about them running into each other again.

--

Flour... flour... where did they keep the flour in this store? Tim stared intently at the shelves in front of him. "Pick up some fresh flour after patrol," Bernard had said because apparently he couldn't just leave the flour in the paper bag it came in in the cabinets of the houseboat. Surely this little 24 hr place had to have some. If they didn't... maybe it was just on the other side.

He rounded the corner only to walk straight into someone else.

"Sorry! I should've— wait, Ari?"

Across from him, his one time girlfriend blinked in recognition. "Tim?" She laughed. "Wow, it's really been a minute, hasn't it? How have things been going with you?"

He shrugged. "Oh, you know, the usual." He (finally!) spotted the flour behind her and ducked around to grab it. "Just grabbing a couple things."

"Same," she said, holding up the half gallon of milk in her hand. "It really is wild seeing you again. And not just on the news."

Tim scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I really did have a wild few years there, didn't I?"

"I'll say! Getting stuck in No Man's Land, taking over Wayne Enterprises—I'd see the news a be like 'I used to date that guy.'"

"I didn't really take over Wayne Enterprises, it was more like a figurehead thing."

"Still, it was wild to see."

They both started to make their way to the checkout.

"I'm sorry, by the way," Ari said, "about your dad."

The words hit him in a way they hadn't in a long while. "I—" he let out a breath. "Thanks. It's been a while."

"It's been years since my dad died and I still miss him. When I saw on that you'd been adopted by Bruce Wayne, I thought about, like, reaching out and offering my condolences," she shrugged. "I just kept overthinking it and worrying that it'd weird."

"I was... going through a lot then," Tim said. "I don't know if I would've responded, if you did. I appreciate the thought though."

"You always were bad at making time for me," she teased.

"I was a real idiot then," he said with a sheepish grin.

Ari reached out and tapped him on the chest. "That you were. We both were, first love and all that."

There was a lull in their conversation as they both paid for their items.

"Look," Tim said once they were outside. "Can I walk you home?"

"Flirting? I do have a boyfriend."

"What? No! I just uh, you know, Gotham, at night. It's important to stay safe," he finished lamely.

She smiled. "I was teasing you. I'm still living across town with my aunt and uncle, but you can walk me to my subway stop."

"Okay."

They'd been walking for a minute when Tim said "I have one too. A boyfriend I mean."

"Oh," she sounded surprised. "I mean, good for you and all."

"Yeah, I just—what we had. I still cared about you, it didn't fall apart because of that. It was just—" He was fumbling over his words again.

"We were fourteen," Ari said.

"We were fourteen," Tim agreed.

They walked a little farther in silence. Ari said "You're actually the second ex I've had to come out to me."

"Really?"

"My first college boyfriend—I dated him for about a month before he told me he was actually gay and broke up with me."

"Sounds awkward."

"It was. So don't worry, you're doing better than that."

"Thanks, I guess.

Ari laughed.

"So college," Tim said, hurrying to change the subject. "Are you still doing fashion design?"

"History, actually. I want to go to law school. Make a difference."

"I'm sure you'll do great."

"What about you?" she asked. "Are you at college?"

"Uh, not really. Don't think it's for me. I've got a place on the Marina. I've just been hanging out there recently."

"With the boyfriend?"

"With the boyfriend," he admitted.

They'd reached the subway stop. Ari paused at the top of the stairs. "It was nice seeing you again. If you're ever in Little Odessa, be sure to swing by my Uncle's restaurant and say hi."

"Will do, and if you're ever around the Marina, I know some good seafood places."

She smiled. "I'll keep that in mind. See you around."

"See you around." He waved goodbye as she left and then went his own way into the night.

[peapodbond]

that was us part eight

aka fuck it friday

tagged by @leashybebes

skipping ahead a few parts because i can and i want to. aka 7x05 as seen through the lens of the former fiancee/current besties abbysaltommy text thread

abby texting, tommy texting, sal texting

so, how was the first date?

turns out evan is not out to anyone.

it was his first 'date with a dude', but he's an ally.

sounds like a train wreck. (sorry, abby)

that part was oddly okay? it was adorable.

his best friend showed up at the same restaurant on a date with his girlfriend. evan said that we were 'going to pick up hot chicks later'.

i ducked out of going to the movie and just went straight home after dinner.

sal, cue us up a grindr best of lineup.

wait, i want to know what tommy said about the hot chicks.

not proud of it but i made a closet joke. the friend's girlfriend is moving in so it wasn't out of nowhere. i don't think any of them caught it, actually. but it made me feel a little better.

that's my boy!

you're a menace, sal. at least it was on the first date, tommy? it could have been worse.

mm. this feels like a sign that i should take a break from dating.

as opposed to the absolute bevy of dates you've been on recently?

sal, don't be mean. when was the last time you went on a date?

all right you two, no infighting. as fun as it is to watch you argue, i'm here for some moral support.

we can do that. hey, at least you can use the helicopter rescue to land dudes.

helicopter rescue? what helicopter rescue?

it's not a big deal.

tommy flew into a fucking hurricane and found a capsized cruise ship.

oh my god. days like this i miss la. nothing like this ever happens in phoenix.

i'm lucky i didn't get fired, okay? and we are not doing a grindr lineup. one bad date is not going to get me back on the apps.

you get one week to mope and then we're going for drinks and you're flirting with someone at the bar.

that's not a bad plan, sal. i approve.

at what point do i get a say in this?

you don't.

you don't.

their text thread sits quiet for a few days and abby debates asking tommy for more details. between jordan and marcus he hasn't had much to smile about, and even though he'd only met evan two weeks ago, the way that he'd talked about him… she'd really thought that tommy's luck was about to turn around.

they're driving tess to tucson for a college tour when she finally has enough time to text tommy separately.

it was one bad date abby, i'm fine.

yeah, but you liked him. like, really liked him.

i've really liked a few guys. and i've survived. we didn't even know each other for a full month. he'll just be a great kiss and a fun evening and that's the end of it.

a great kiss, huh?

i already told you that.

let's talk once we're back from the college tour? it's been a while.

sure, but you're signing up for a party viewing of love, actually.

double feature with die hard?

…evan just texted me.

what did he say?

do you want me to go fight him.

he wants to meet for coffee.

you should do it!

hm. at least you get a free cup of coffee. he is buying, right?

sal. yes, he's buying. i really liked him, you know? up until the hot chicks it was the best date i'd been on in… a while.

definitely go, tommy. you haven't said you had the best anything in a long time. abby thinks the last time she heard tommy say something was the best he'd ever had it was when she still lived in la (but after they broke up). if it's not great, it's just coffee. it's only going to be an hour or so.

i feel like someone should play devil's advocate but abby's got a point.

sal, how about i text you if i need you to fake an emergency and leave?

no, don't approach this like it's going to go badly!

works for me. i've always got you on speed dial, buddy.

you can hide any pitchforks the two of you might have found.

so it went well?

the question is how well it went.

sal.

sal.

what? just because he's not out doesn't mean they couldn't have some fun.

he actually did come out? to his best friend and his sister. we're going to try again and go on another date.

where's he taking you?

better be somewhere fancy.

i am not telling either one of you where it is. one of the delucas would try and pop up to spy on us.

i'm in pheonix, you can tell me separately.

it would be gina. definitely. she's small and sneaky.

they're not even denying it. you can find out where we're going after he's actually out to everyone.

sal, don't ruin this for us.

what? i'm being supportive.

so where's the date?

i'm not telling you.

why not?

because you'll tell gina and gina will tell sal and someone's going to pop up like a demented jack in the box.

i resent that implication.

because it's true?

see if i watch another romcom with you, tommy kinard.

that's a dirty lie, abby clark. listen, if we survive the second date then maybe i'll tell you two snoops more about him.

i'll let gina know ;)

i always regret introducing you two.

me and gina or me and sal?

all three of you.

here's hoping date number two is better than date one.

your lips, god's ears, etc etc.

[solei-eclipse]

okay. hello guys. my bad for not responding to stuff or being as active recently, had a lot of work to be done and other stuff to focus on that took a lot of my time. I wanted to make more art, but I unfortunately had to put that energy into other things (which got to the point where I could not put them off any longer and had to stay working on it). I know I missed a lot of stuff and I'm sorry for it

[buttercup-art]

hey

[trashcanwithsprinkles]

Do you have any Zhongli/Zhongchi fic recs? I haven’t found any that are nearly as good as yours 😔😔

funnily enough someone already asked this, but it was quite a while ago and tumblr is a mess to search old shit thru so here, this is the post this was asked during the ao3 crisis of- .......last year? i can't remember. either way, the post starts w me saying i don't have all the names and links but dw, after ao3 came back up i edited the post so you should see all authors and links in the recs.

i have to admit that for reasons unrelated to the fandom i haven't been reading many zhongchi fics as of late? so like- bear in mind i don't have an updated mental picture of any of the recs after the post was made. so if one went off the rails or if one of the WIPs finished, i'm not aware;; i also mention in the post that i'd add more recs if i had access to ao3 (which i didn't at the time bc it was down), and while that is true, it's been so long since i read any of them that i wouldn't be able to confidently reccomend them outside of 'i somewhat remember the plot and i remember liking it'. also i don't remember half of their names. so uh- yeah that's the list i think

[dawntheduckrb]

I'll stop posting wips eventually but it's been five days since I've said anything and I don't want anyone to think I'm dead/dying/stuck in a ditch and withering away, so here's 10% of the reason I disappeared (the duck is stuck in rendering hell) (and my little baby laptop is screaming at me every time I open up this file)

I might still be mostly lurking for a little bit so please be patient with me in the meantime 🙏🙏

[bobzora]

acheron so good she makes me want to complete gold and gears to unlock erudition blessings

[scienceismygirlfriend]

Reading asks:

2. Flops! Or 9. Compels me tho

2. flops! i consider this one a flop because i really wanted to like it BUT. i did not enjoy Things In Jars. it had a great premise, and i love a ghost sidekick as much as the next guy, but it just did not come together for me. and the most frustrating this is that the things i didn't enjoy about it don't seem to be the things that bothered anyone else who didn't like the book so i didn't even get the cathartic release of reading the two star reviews of the book!!

9. compels me tho: this is maybe a goofy answer but i read the first dinotopia children's novel (Windchaser) while on a road trip and it's pretty simple and predictable but DINOSAURS THOUGH. i don't know why i never read this as a child (i devoured A Land Apart from Time) but i know i would have been soooo annoying about it if i had. it's cute!

[elwolfen]

I wonder if my dad is fucking dead rn