#modern Red

[thebookbutterfly]

fanfiction isn’t enough, I need to chew on him

[seatoss]

This game is childhood to me. How I miss it and it's delightful design

[batfamgalore]

*They’re at a gala and Damian is self conscious because Bruce is giving a lot of attention to someone else’s baby and now Damian is trying to convince Jason that he’s better*

Jason: You’re right, you’re way cuter than a baby. I’m gonna go check on dinner.

*Walks away, turns to Dick who was watching the whole interaction*

Jason: Sometimes I like to just toss a grenade and run away.

[toyastales]

Well that is one captivating image.

[giotanner]

John "Soap" Mactavish - behind the Red Skull mask

(Hey cod fans please help me to be in your circle with a reblog)

Tiktok entire video

[janasojka]

At night everything is more intense.

[incorrectbatfam]

Stephanie, driving: This isn't our car.

Tim, on the phone with Bruce: What?

Stephanie: This isn't our car. They must've given us the wrong one at the valet. That's why the bluetooth wasn't working.

Tim: We stole a car. Are you serious?

Bruce, still on the line: What's happening?

Tim, panicking: We stole a car! We gotta go!

Stephanie: We did not steal a car, Tim. It was given to us.

Tim: Why are you giving me attitude? You're the one that stole a car!

[ryuzakemo128]

Four Horsemen

Chapter Three: A Song of Winter’s Snow

Pairing: Alfie Solomons x Red (Female Reader)

Genre: Modern, sci-fi, fantasy, fluff, mystery

Masterlist: Link

Previous Chapter / Next Chapter

Chapter Summary: Red thinks about how this all started. The memory of her involvement with The Four Horsemen.

(Red’s point of view)

As winter's icy grip tightens outside my bedroom window, I seek solace in the warmth of my blankets and the comforting hum of a heater. But despite the physical comfort, my mind is restless, haunted by the memories of my past life as a member of the enigmatic group known as The Four Horsemen within the FSB.

The true nature and purpose of The Four Horsemen remain shrouded in secrecy, like elusive shadows in the night. The FSB provided vague explanations, but I hunger for the truth. The origin of our group, whispered among the elite, remains hidden in ambiguity.

I remember a conversation with a close friend, back when The Four Horsemen were mere speculation—a concept the FSB was determined to bring to life. The details of its inception are obscured, intentionally veiled. The involvement of the elite hints at a deeper purpose, both intriguing and unsettling.

My first encounter with an elite, cloaked in darkness, lingers in my memory. At the age of 18, after rigorous training, I found myself face-to-face with the enigmatic figures who shaped the path of The Four Horsemen.

Memories of how I became one of them came flooding back to me, hitting me like a freight train in the middle of August. 

I walked into the room, dimly lit and suffused with an air of secrecy. A note, cryptic and intriguing, instructed me to meet someone in this clandestine setting. Shadows danced on the walls, their movements mirroring the enigma that surrounded me.

As I cautiously stepped forward, my heart pounded in my chest, anticipation mingling with a hint of trepidation. I had been prepared for this moment, but nothing could truly ready me for the sight that awaited. "What would they want from someone like me?" My mind began to ponder.  The room was filled with an intense silence, broken only by the sound of my own breathing. And then, from the depths of the shadows, a voice emerged—a voice that carried both authority and mystery.

"Welcome, Red," the voice whispered, its tone sending a shiver down my spine. "You have been chosen to join The Four Horsemen, a group of individuals with extraordinary abilities and a shared purpose."

"I'm still training though," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. "I doubt this would be allowed," 

I jumped a little as the voice behind me said "Doubt is a luxury we cannot afford, Red. You have been carefully selected for a reason. Your potential is undeniable, and your training will continue under our guidance. The Four Horsemen do not seek perfection but rather the strength to face the challenges that lie ahead. Embrace your abilities and the path that awaits you."

"You do not seek perfection, then why don't you form the group yourself, I mean your presence alone would be enough," I replied. "Is the FSB even ok with something like this?" 

The room fell into a hushed silence as whispers swirled in the background, almost as if the walls themselves held their breath. Then, the voice spoke again, this time with a note of caution and secrecy. "The FSB may not be aware of our existence, Red. The Four Horsemen operate beyond their knowledge, a hidden force that acts in the shadows. We have our own purpose, our own mission. And you, Red, are an integral part of it."

I knew better than to ask more questions, the more questions I ask, the more anxious they became and the less I wanted information to be revealed in this way. I nodded, understanding the delicate nature of the situation. Silence enveloped the room once again, and I could sense the weight of the secrets that bound us together. The voice continued, its words carrying a sense of urgency.

"Red, trust is paramount among The Four Horsemen. We operate in secrecy, and our strength lies in our unity. Together, we possess the power to shape destinies, to influence the world in ways unseen. The FSB may have its own agenda, but we transcend their limitations. We are bound by a higher purpose, one that requires us to navigate the shadows with caution and precision."

"I will embrace this path, this hidden existence. Guide me, and together, we shall unveil the secrets and face the challenges that await." I said, slightly concerned what the challenges might actually be waiting on the other side for me. 

The voice behind me exuded a sense of satisfaction as it responded, "You have made the right choice, Red. Your commitment to the path of The Four Horsemen will lead you to the answers you seek and the fulfillment of your true potential. We shall guide you every step of the way, preparing you for the challenges that lie ahead."

I knew there was no turning back. The path I had chosen would lead me into a world of shadows, secrets, and extraordinary abilities. The mysteries surrounding The Four Horsemen were now intertwined with my own destiny, and together, we would unveil the truths that lay hidden in the depths of darkness.

As I left that dimly lit room, the weight of responsibility settled upon my shoulders. The journey ahead would be treacherous, but I was determined to embrace it wholeheartedly. With the guidance of The Four Horsemen and my connection to the ancient traditions of Rodnovery, I would face whatever challenges awaited, unraveling the secrets that bound us and fulfilling my role in this enigmatic group.

[ohmy-guy]

ohmy-guy

[thrythlind]

Facts about the world of Modern Red and Web, Wood, and Water (spoilers for unpublished tales)

Could be mistaken for 21st century earth.

Slight differences in traditional colors (stop sign red with seafoam lettering, unknown shape)

southern-hemisphere nation, temperate/cold climate, culture mildly-themed on Slavic myths, south of a nation where an expensive, ill-researched dam ruined several economies and ecologies... still stated as a triumph, strong rural tradition. Was used as a pawn in a now past cold war, implied to be a small country without much influence. North of several ice-cap adjacent mining operations. Used as a vacation spot for the miners

unknown nation, site focus a tourist resort for ski, heavy spider population, in summers, webs everywhere, locals dismiss it, so spiders probably not naturally dangerous. pale-skinned locals, different hemisphere from prior nation

unknown nation with no real discussion aside from religion

unknown nation with no characterization at all, home to a soldier

"Noel" - mobile video game console, analogous to a Switch. Misa has one.

"Ophilia" - music streaming website. Willow has a "sorting playlist" for when she's arranging her occult tools and other such things.

Board games, one with a four-color comic book style and superheroes. One with woodcut styled cards and figures based around folktales. Misa owns both. They are co-op with a solo play mode. The superhero one has a number of different scenarios to play through and may have a legacy-ish campaign.

LGBTQ+ positive, neither of the focus settings have had anybody remark on either Misa (Modern Red) being Pan/Poly or Willow (Web, Wood, and Water) being lesbian.

Sex Worker positive, at least Willow's culture and Quartz's. Willow's nervousness of interaction is just how she is when trying to socialize and more so when intimacy is involved. Quartz mentions testing for her therapeutic license in a month.

three known faiths, mention of at least a dozen, probably many more. Faiths aren't named but some terms have been used.

Knowers and Speakers... Knowers are witches who know tricks about doing magic and how the supernatural functions. Can be good or evil. Speakers are rarer and not common knowledge. They're people on the path to becoming gods themselves. Scions, basically. Speakers understand and can speak all languages, whether mortal, spirit, animal, plant, virus or object. Within their framework, all things have some degree of sentience.

Heralds, any person or anything can become a herald given proper circumstances, but it's rare. Buildings included. Heralds are "not gods" and "angels is the wrong word". Heralds can bring word of either truth or falsehood. So, same basic type of being but could be evil or good. Sort of mixing ideas of Judeo-Christian angels and saints, Zoroastrian or Netjer truth, with some Shinto-style animism. Some Heralds have a sense of humor.

Divine Beasts and Shepherds. Shepherds might be the priests. Faith does use the term gods. Divine Beasts can become the patrons of witches. In thoughts (not written yet) Divine Beasts' role is to test and bedevil humanity, but Willow is not concerned when Quartz says her patron is "one of the Divine Beasts", and Willow is conversant in multiple cultures' occult matters as a trained exorcist. So the Divine Beasts are probably range from mischievous to benevolent.

Witch is a term used applied to occultists who work with magic but aren't magical themselves. Analogous to "Sorcerer" in Scion. Prohibitions, Patrons, and Talismans demonstrated so far. Talisman is only mentioned. Willow works on a Prohibition (can't sleep alone) and Quartz has a Patron (unnamed butterfly Divine Beast).

"Things from Outside" come from worlds that (unlike the pantheons) do not overlap naturally with The World. They have no context for good or bad, friend or foe in the world. Their natural physics is alien. This makes them extremely dangerous, especially as they only come into The World when something brings them in.

Undead, there is a type of undead known as an "Olga" she was resurrected by a Knower from Misa's faith by their metaphysical rules. She exists in a transient state having never been truly claimed by her faith's afterlife or any other but also the gods of the Knowers and Speakers can't just remove the life she has. So she exists in a state of dwindling sensation and emotion that becomes increasingly worrisome to maintain. By drinking blood the Olga regains the ability to feel and have motivation, but this normally wears off. The olga in the story subsists on voluntary "tips" earned while bartendering.

Two divine entities for sure.

Some sort of Butterfly related "Divine Beast", Quartz's patron, never met, just implied by the visual aspects of her magic.

Unnamed goddess who agrees to be Misa's sponsor at the end of Modern Red

[where-does-the-heart-lie]

Based off of this post righ here

the subsequent dialogue coming after the phone call is something along the lines of

"How the hell do you have UTAS PHONE NUMBER??!?!??!?!" "well, she gave it to me, of course~" "thats, ,, THATS NOT WHAT WE MEANT?"

[1spooky2me]

I heard you like magic🪄✨👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩

[batfamgalore]

Roy: Jason, I need you to do this. You’re sneakier than I am. You’re a bigger liar. You have no moral compass.

Jason: Look, thanks for all the compliments, but breaking into one stupid party? That’s not even a challenge.

[tanuki-kimono]

Sleek higanbana (red spider lily) themed modern outfit by Furifu.

This kimono is a modern take on the “muso” technique, a see-through tailoring which uses fine sha silk to unveil a pattern painted on the lining.

Here Furifu calls this tailoring nijuushitate (二重仕立て, lit. double tailoring), and drapes blood red higanbana under a misty over layer.

The matching obidome adds a very cool detail!

[janasojka]

moon landscapes, spring.

[dcyliqht]

marie antoinette chappell roan is so fucking iconic