#is there such a thing as too many tags?

[gingkos-eldritch-secret]

Fanfiction commentary and recommendations: Lex Luthor´s ascend from supervillainy to fatherhood Part IV (chapters 16 to 20)

The Original story can be found here.

The previous parts of the commentaries can be found here:

Part I

Part II

Part III

Part V

Part VI

Part VII

So, the classic silly rambling before the actual commentary part is surprisingly part that´s the hardest to do. Go figure.

Well. At least aside from formatting. I may have found out how to make links into hyperlinks, but I still have a problem with getting the HTML code to do what I want and just center the line break. And I´d also love to do blocktext, so that there are the most even edges of text possible on both sides, but I know the second one just WON´T work because different devices and different formattings so it would just look awful. I could still center. But my brain hates HTML code rn. Why is HTML so much easier on AO3?

But to build anticipation: I know that the next few chapters will be kind of wild. Or. not really 'kind of' but actually a bit wild. As in: The Joker´s involved. I mean, with all of the foreshadowing in the past few chapters I was really not surprised, but damn, do I hate the man.

With the knowledge of not being with that knowledge: back to the regularly scheduled program.

○○○••○○•••○○••○○○

So? Which topic do you think chapter 16 starts with? Ding ding ding! You´re right! Lazarus Pits! Or rather: the price some people have to pay for the boon. In Jason´s case? His sanity.

And also the helpless feeling of just. Not knowing. Not knowing why or how he was the only one that suffered such harsh side effects when the rest of the family got away more or less scot-free.

I … can´t imagine how hard it must be to know all the darkness that dwells in oneself can just … erupt like some kind of volcano. Even worse if you wake up after such an eruption and just. Don´t remember. It´s frightening. And that Jason has endured that for years now? Oooof. He needs more hugs from his friends and family ASAP. Especially because he seems to feel like such a burden …

But how did we get to such deep introspection from him? Because he finally feels as if he´s getting back from the pits. You remember what I said about Jason feeling a lurch in his chest?

Yeah. It´s still happening, again and again and it´s kind of crawling up his throat.

And as I can´t imagine that feeling all too pleasant - he just kind of. Slowly falls onto the floor. Or. He would have, if Dick hadn´t caught him, good older brother that he is.

It doesn´t help that Danny collapses as well.

And then he throws up something green and goopy and it starts to move towards Danny and ugh. It sounds so digusting and horrifying I kinda had to take a moment to get a drink because god damn, that was not a comfortable experience to read about and any time I reread this for corrections I feel this imagine return to my mind.

Thank god for Alfred saving the day, because as the only one with his faculties intact he just puts a bowl over this … thing. And it helps! Whoooooo!

But now we have an exhausted Jason, a collapsed Danny and a very worried family. And not just any worried family, but a worried batfamily. Good god that can´t end well, can it?

Because of course, after the discussion about his health problems the family gets even more worried when his heartbeat slows further. And since he´s not awake, he can´t even veto going to a hospital. Thank god for Duke though, because he got them to go to Dr Thom(p?)kins instead.

And of course they´re suspicious now. Probably more of Lex than Danny, but still.

Tim, bless his soul, wants to tell Lex what just happened because any parent should know what happened to their child. Especially since there could be allergies or traumata involved.

But no, bruce just wants to get him to a clinic. It will come back to bite him in the ass - that I can promise.

And where does it come back to bite him in the ass? Right at the clinic. Jason may be fine, but Danny? In the eyes of the doc? Fuck no, he´s not. I mean, he never is, but they don´t know that, do they?

And because of all the radioactivity and the health problems and because he´s a sus mf - what does Bruce do? He wants a blood sample.

Now. We know how Danny is about his blood. It´s a dangerous thing. Thank god for Leslie and her ethics though. Because I don´t think neither Danny nor Lex would forgive him for that breach of trust and bodily autonomy.

Bruce and Damian are both deeply suspicious because the matter seems quite close to Lazarus pits and fear that Lex may be experimenting on him … and also Damian kinda lowkey hates Danny because he has hurt his family twice already, however unintentional and who says he won´t hurt even more of them?

And after that whole ordeal? Danny just decided to take his legs into his hands and get the hell out of dodge.

Can´t blame him tbh. Really, really can´t blame him.

So where does the baby boi end up? At a random roof in Gotham where Harley finds him. Predictably she thinks he maybe wants to jump though our Boy quickly reassures her that that´s not the case.

Doesn´t change the fact that he´s still spooked though. Mainly because he thinks he did something wrong and now the Waynes won´t want him as a friend anymore, because why would they? He hurt them and then they even had to get him to a clinic and Harley, please do something about this, it´s just sad to read :')

And now Danny doesn´t even wanna call Lex, because of the situation because he fear he´ll never be allowed to go anywhere again because he was 'right' and just. Danny I understand your fear, but comunication please.

Of course he deflects by asking if the Joker was around, which somehow leads to Harley taking him to her and Ivy´s place? Don´t ask me how it happened, the only I way I can condense it is if I say: they ranted.

This leads to this part of the conversation:

“Really? Then why did… you know,” he said, looking her up and down. “I know it couldn’t have been just the Joker that made you this way. He’s your… origin story, not your love interest.”

And I think that just endeared danny to her forever.

So while Danny cuddles with Bud and Lou on the Couch, the bats are freaking out because they lost Danny. And what do the bats do best when they panic? Suit up and spread out. 

Lex is finally being called. Suffice to say the conversation does not go well. At all. And Lex is now on the way. Because of course he is. Especially after Bruce basically insulted him by insinuating he´s a bad parent. Way to put your foot in your mouth, Bruce.

And what else does happen on this lovely day? The Joker gets out, because of course he does. Why not make bad things even worse? That´s what this man does best after all.

Meanwhile Ivy is exasperated at Harley´s antics, seeing as she wants to steal Danny from Lex and yeah. Just a typical start to girl´s night i guess? Catwoman will have fun with this situation, i can already tell xD

Now if only I knew what Damian would want those bolt cutters for?

Selina arrives! And instantly thinks Danny was kidnapped as well.

That topic quickly shifts though. And what does it shift into? Bruce´s batdoption problems. It´s just such a good meme and I´m not even mad about it.

It also seems a put a few things into perspective for Danny since she tells him that some people don´t think Lex to be a good parent. For very good reasons to be honest, but I guess it still stings a bit ...

In the end girl night starts with them just trash talking Bruce and his furry tendencies. As well as his hypocrisy when we consider his dating history. How a man with such a moral compass can deal with dating people such as Talia or Catwoman I will never understand. I know, I know. Sexual Tension. But Sexual Tension does not cause you to conceive a child together (that´s just trash as well. I gotta be solidary xD)

So in the typical girl night fashion, they talk about feelings and who may have a crush on whom and how oblivious some people (*cough* Danny *cough*) are and there´s many an adive to be had. They´re just gal pals having fun :D

Meanwhile Lex is annoyed at the Gotham airspace seeing as he can´t get into the city without changing vehilces because a certain clown blew up some buildings.

Meanwhile girl night changed into poker night and well. I don´t think any of them play fair xD

The conversation that follow are easily put under the "What happens on girls’ night, stays on girls' night" category as Ivy suitably calls it.

The bats and birds still haven´t stopped searching. Joker´s still a crazy piece of work and Danny? Danny is just losing at Uno and living his best live.

[nuvamata]

(link to original)

[cj-the-random-artist]

This was supposed to be lighthearted and I think it reads that way??? Idk but it was fun to make

(For context: the two followers getting married are Pana (the dog) and Julon (the deer (???)) and their kid is Fianna, and I know you can't officiate follower marriages in game but if we could that would be fun but really I just needed a context that would raise this topic of conversation lol)

Again. It's not a perfect comic and I was kind of rushing at the end but dang I enjoyed making it. I hope y'all like it and may good things happen for y'all today :D

[porrigens]

ryuji kisses for kiss ryuji day!

[nerime]

is this hate or foreplay at this point 🤔

[lilybug-02]

:) I am so sorry. The stickfigure brainrot is real and I need help.

[wltsquareih]

It's the twins bday today!

[paladinsbrainrot]

kids

full version + close ups !!

original version (since I updated this after i got a better look at their outfits)

[bigintorobotsrightnow]

Swapping Edgar and AM's humans for my amusement. At least Edgar's making friends. ( Don't worry Madeline and Moles are fine, AM should be the one scared of these two certified computer fuckers smoochers )

[heartorbit]

find another role, carry on the show

[biggest-gaudiest-patronuses]

anyone else have multiple traumatic memories associated specifically with holidays/family vacations? because that is a topic I never see discussed in all the So You Had A Shitty Childhood, Now What? self-help books i've been reading. but for me, it was a significant thing. and the more i think about it the more it seems like this would be an (unfortunately) common experience. would be grateful to hear if this matches other peoples' experiences...

[gingkos-eldritch-secret]

Fanfiction commentary and recommendations: Lex Luthor´s ascend from supervillainy to fatherhood Part V (chapters 21 to 25)

The Original story by @halfagone can be found here.

The previous parts of the commentaries can be found here:

Part I

Part II

Part III

Part IV

Part VI

Part VII

We left off with the Joker free, Parental figures and vigilantes worrying and a legendary girl´s night. What could go wrong?

The answer is everything.

I´ll warn you now, because I´ll be discussing the things happening in the fic: be cautious about the gore and torture and visceral descriptions about violence here. I mean, it´s Danny Phantom and DC. So a little bit of this shouldn´t surprise any of us if we think about the subject matter. Especially because it´s the joker we´re talking about. But yeah. Even though I won´t be all to graphicgraphic, I´ll still be referencing these topics.

On another note: the social media part of this fanfiction is giving me life.

○○○••○○•••○○••○○○

Now we dive right into the first scene, where goodbyes are being made. Catwoman goes home after a night of card games and shenanigans and Danny sleeps on the couch squished between two hyenas and please could someone draw this scene? Because it sounds utterly adorable. Or has he slept earlier? I have no clue, my reading comprehension at 3 o´clock in the morning has never been the best.

Or well. Danny already has slept on the couch. Now he just wants to flee from a certain ex-villain who wants to put him into one of her old costumes.

Selina meets Bruce on the way home, who seemed to have had a long night of searching behind him. And still, as exhausted as he must look, she is still thristing after him. Power to you, i guess. I mean it´s the two furry adjacent people, so I´m not surprised xD

They also talk about the reason 'why' bruce is so tired and Selina finally grants him a small respite and just tells him where Danny was - and off the bat goes in the hope that he´ll find Danny before the Joker does. And that´s just the problem, isn´t it? Because when it is foreshadowed like this? It never happens as we hope it does. So, of course the Joker finds Danny first, but that comes later.

First Harley and Ivy´s place gets blown up, while Danny has been on his wa to Wayne manor. Does he go farther away from the explosion? Of course not. It´s Danny 'herocomplex' Luthor we´re talking about. So, of course, he runs towards his new friends´house.

And as hard as Tim tries to get there in time, Danny was faster and the Joker? He had already been waiting. They straight up drive into Danny with a van and pick him off the floor like a ragdoll before they zoom off. Not that it will do the Joker and his goons any good in the long run, but for now they´ve certainly succeeded in their quest for violence.

As the clown realizes that Danny is Luthor´s ward and not Batman's he gets the absolutely hilarious (not) idea of getting a camera. With the thought process 'what will Lexie do when the brat is being being broken and tortured on live camera'? God, he´s such an awful person.

Though I think that is quite degratory to the 'person' part of this sentence. I don´t know what I want to call the joker, but even monsters have more humanity than this. So then what is he? An abomination? A thing? A blight on humanity? Either way, he´ll get his comeuppance.

So the joker broadcasts a torturing session on live television. With Danny already roughed up from the … way he has been brought to unconciousness by the man and his goons.

Meanwhile good old Jim Gordon is feeling faint because. That´s Lex Luthor´s son. That´s a civillian. That´s a freaking CHILD being tortured. And he can´t even do anything to help.

The Joker gets some torture advice from the life stream viewers (and how much do you have to abhro a person to do something like this? How inhumane must you be? How much must you dehumanize the person being tortured to even get the bright idea to bring them even more pain?). And also just uses some of the nice comments for torture adivce. Someone compliments Danny´s eyes? Would be a shame if we took them now, wouldn´t it?

I think poor old Jim worries even more because Danny is so uncharacteristically silent. Not. That him being loud would be much better, what with the Joker being the Joker …

And Lex is just entering boss mode as he watches his son beng tortured on live television. I understand the man.

And the bats are just frantically searching for the warehouse used. One of these days they´re getting a heart attack from all of their regular adrenaline highs.

So while the Joker just gloats into the live stream and taunts the viewers he does not realize that Danny being Danny slipped through his bonds and took the knife stuck in his thigh out all the while slipping into the darkness to ambush the joker with a gun. He took out the camera instead and the chase? Was on.

It really is an action scene absolutely worth reading, but it ends with Danny getting a shot to the shoulder and Joker getting a shot to the chest. Of course that doesn´t stop our most hated abomination though. Oh No. He wants to take Danny with him.

And Danny? He has had enough. He just. Melts the Joker´s brain via eldritch form and that´s that for now. Until Jason bursts in and finds them and just gets Danny the hell out of dodge and into a hospital.

Though at first there´s Jason freaking out a bit at the situation because: how did that happen? I mean, I understand his priorities. Especially because Danny doesn´t look like he could pack a punch and the Joker seems to have died because of fright (though he also realizes that he died of blood loss) - with his hair turned white and his face a mask of horror. But the man who killed him is finally, finally gone. And while he ruminates Danny wakes up.

Jason realizes Danny knows it´s himself. He realizes that Danny somehow knows his idendity and while he wants to talk about THAT, he also sees just how horrible Danny´s condition is and wants to get Danny to agree to a hospital. Good idea, but the trauma is just. The trauma …. Poor Danny.

He´s still a snarky little shit though, because he instantly banters with Jason as he does first aid, horrified at the implications of Danny knowing how to get a bullet out of himself via FORK. Danny what the fuck???

So while Jason gets Danny to some transport vehicle, they talk. And Jason grapples with the inormation that a) Danny somehow seems to be able to see souls and b) has died before.

It´s kinda ruined by Danny telling him that 'I told you guys I had a heart failure. You realize that you technically die when your heart stops, right?`  Never change Danny, never change. Now, we know that that´s not the whole truth, but ... yeah I can see why he´d use that as a shield. It is technically the truth after all.

So while the GCPD forces Danny into the hospital, Danny …. Wants Jason to come with him. Jason can´t really say no when Danny trembles with fear, now, can he? At least one of them doesn´t have to be alone with their fears for now.

Lex is on a more or less literal warpath as he storms into the hospital asking after his son. And he begins to immediately rip into Gordon beause that is his son. With a hospital trauma. In a hospital. And while he still doesn´t like this, at least Red Hood is with him. Better him than Brucie boy in any way. (And wow, that were many 'hospitals' in a short paragraph ...)

Danny and Jason talk and I think Danny was this close to fist fighting the doctors when they wanted to give him an anaesthetic for the bullet removal. I like the attitude and I know he did it, because those things don´t work on his weird biology, but still. The part of me is just so immensely worried it´s not even funny anymore.

Jason is doing an introspection about Danny and his pain tolerance, the reactions to hospitals and the scars and i think he just wants to put him into bubble wrap and keep him somewhere safe. i feel u bro, i really do. But as you´re part of a story, I seriously doubt you can fo that. We can´t from our past. Even if we desperately want to. Doubly so in fiction. Especially in fiction. I mean. it´s a literary device :')

Lex arrives on the scene and instantly begins to fuss over his son. It´s honestly sweet, even when he threatens the nurses and doctors present to sign NDAs or ELSE.

I also think Jason realizes how important Lex is to Danny when he just instantly melts into his arms and begins to cry, even though he´d held strong before. Nary a tear or reaction. But people do react differently with people they feel safe with.

And he feels jealous. Because he could´ve had this with bruce, couldn´t he? If not for the pit or his reactions. Or is it his own fucked up personality keeping them apart? I don´t think that Jason really knows anymore.

So while Lex thanks Red Hood for being there, Jason reveals that he hadn´t done much. Which leads to attention on Danny who´s basically like 'So I kinda maybe killed the Joker? *jazz hands*'

Which is of course the moment Batman enters. Now that can only go badly. Not that many things in this fic have gone well . I have the feeling that i say this in every part at least once and i DON´T wanna repeat myself so often, but. Well. Ain´t it the truth anyways?

So. Lex may or may not have dwindled in his opinion on both Bruce Wayne and Batman. And really, who can blame him?

One could not keep his son safe in the first place and the other couldn´t save him when the Joker got him.

Of course he´s hating the situation. And of course he´s frustrated with the people here now. Especially as Dick wants to talk to Lex alone as Gordon and Batman interrogate Danny. And it is an interrogation. Or it will be. I think that´s happening in the next part. And oh boy... It will not be pretty. At all.

Dick and Lex --- well the conversation certainly could have gone better. And they certainly could have behaved better in the first place, but …. Lex respects the honesty and the reasons. Honestly, Dick´s a straight up miracle worker in this regard. Props to him! He deserves a cake for that masterpiece. Seriously >.>

Lex not happy about any of them. Not in any defintion of the word. But he accepts it. The family is still on very thin ice for now though.

And Lex ....he now knows what other think of him as a parent. How they fear for Danny. Because a former supervllain as an adoptive father all of a sudden? People do not believe that. He realizes what could have gone wrong now. And that´s just painful to think about. Who would want to think about being a bad parent? What if Danny hadn´t wormed into his cold, dead heart? I think I´d have felt sick if I realized how close I came to being the same as the neglectful parents and the abusive godfather ...

He also thinks of how easily Danny could have been just another Wayne child instead of his own. And while he now certainly hates Bruce less, I doubt that he´ll like him either for a long time.

[statementlives]

chester and norris potentially communicating through case files will be the death of me i fear.

[hoshiina]

pairing: hoshina soushirou x gn!reader (no prns)

summary: in which he realizes you were the one for him

warnings: none i think !

wc: 1100

Hoshina wasn't a player. He wasn't one to say yes to everyone who came his way nor was he one to lightly pursue just about anyone who slightly interested him— not to mention he didn’t fall easily to begin with. He was a busy man in a dangerous line of work so having a relationship simply didn’t make sense most of the time.

However, this is not to say he hasn’t had a few relationships here and there. He loved those he dated, he really did. He did not believe in dating for the fun of it nor did he believe in starting a relationship he knew would end at some point, but subconsciously he tried not to get attached. He kept his distance and locked away his heart to keep from getting hurt. Was it unfair? Well yes, but he was scared. Everyone has something that terrifies them greatly, this just so happened to be Hoshina’s.

Yet, recently he could tell that something was different with you. It had only been a few months since you started dating, but he feared the shift in his feelings. He knew what it was— he knew very well, but as soon as he admitted it, it would be over. There’d be no going back for him. He knew he was being rather irrational, he knew that if he sat down and confronted these emotions he’d realize they weren’t that big of a deal, but he couldn’t. He’s never been able to.

However, while fighting this kaiju, it became plain obvious that he was simply in denial. 

It upset him how important you were to him, but more than that it upset him that he knew he was important to you. You had made it so painfully clear that he meant the absolute world to you and that broke him to pieces every single time.

To him it was easy being alone— he just had to make sure his job was complete before he died. If he could ensure everyone’s safety or at least help Mina out, there was nothing more he wished for. Yet while fighting Kaiju no. 10 today, when he saw his life flash before his eyes, his immediate thought was of you. If he died you’d cry. And that alone was going to get him home alive.

He’d rather die than make you cry. Especially not alone.

As he stood up again, he could see his blood dripping from his wounds and immediately it made him chuckle. You’d cry anyways when you see the state he’s in. 

I’ll have to be around to wipe your tears at least, he said to you in his head.

He was incredibly lucky that you didn’t work on the battlefield, his heart simply would not be able to take it. But he did, and for you he’d have to get home safe. Even if no one else cared that much, not even himself, he knew you would.

All of a sudden, it was easy to admit. He was hopelessly in love with you, in a way he didn't know he was capable of. He wished that he would spend the rest of his life with you and he hoped you would spend the rest of yours with him. Perhaps he was just afraid and a little flustered to admit that he was important to someone, especially someone special to him too. He had seen how painful it was for those left behind, a little too often. 

But there was an easy solution to that, he’d just get back to you safe every time. He just won’t make you worry and he’ll be there for you. This was supposed to be a dilemma, something he thought he'd stress over, but in the moment he felt eerily relaxed, definitely not like he was fighting an identified grade kaiju. The rest of the fight was a blur, he couldn't remember much. His head was clear but the fatigue had taken over at that point, but before he knew it, the kaiju laid in front of him still.

He was faintly conscious as they rushed him into an ambulance and patched him up. Once he was properly treated and awake, they had warned him to stay put and take it easy, but all he wanted to do was see you.

As soon as he left his assigned room, he immediately bumped into you. You had been waiting to be let in to see him. You took one look at the way he was patched up and tears welled into your eyes. He could tell you didn't mean to, you didn't want to worry him.

“Please don't cry,” he said softly, wiping your tears away. He couldn't help but smile at the sight of you. “I'm perfectly fine.”

“I'm not crying,” you said with a scowl on your face, but the way your voice cracked was not very convincing. “I'm so glad you're back.”

“Can't live without me?” he teased. He knew you couldn't live without him, but he couldn't either. Yet, now he even hated the thought of you living without him, let alone with someone else, so here he was. And here he always will be.

“Shut up,” you said. “You know I can't.”

He knew, but hearing you say that still made his heart flutter. He reached out with his right hand to grab your left and held it carefully. He leaned in to kiss you, but it was so much sloppier than the careful ones he usually gave you. Forgive him, he was terribly exhausted.

“I can't either,” he said, snuggling his face into your shoulder.

“You can't?” you asked, a little surprised. It broke his heart that he had possibly made you feel such way.

“Not for a second,” he said, still avoiding eye contact. “I'd rather die than wake up without you next to me, actually.”

You wouldn’t reply, so he brought his head back up to look at you.

“Oh, don't cry,” he said and chuckled a little, wiping your tears away as he kissed you again. “I didn't mean to make you cry.”

He hadn't let go of your hand and although he was gentle, he held it firmly. He didn't say anything, but he vowed to himself that he'd put a ring on it someday. He wasn't letting go of you ever.

You were the one for him.

[umblrspectrum]

hi heres art so you pay attention to me now go read the tags

[chiricat]

assorted wips again

1. anchan space buns!!

2. emo arisato twins + ryomina and akiham

3. mzen x p3

4. suzalulu sketch dump

5. suzalulu + souyo (eng voice actor joke)