#no one in my family has ever heard of moderation

[listen-to-the-inner-walrus]

The problem with my family is that we agree that we're going to get each other one (1) surprise gift for Christmas.

And then my mom's like, "by the way, I got you both two."

So me and my brother are like okay, we're gonna get each other and mom two (2) surprise gifts for Christmas.

And then my brother asks me if I can wrap some of his gifts for my mom for him and he brings me three (3) surprise gifts for my mom.

So now I need to buy three (3) surprise gifts for my mom and brother for Christmas.

And then my brother brings me another gift to wrap for my mom so now he's at the four (4) surprise gift level.

Plus however many he's wrapped himself.

So now, me having originally stuck to the one (1) gift agreement has to suddenly buy another gift and then another gift and then another gift so I don't feel bad for not getting them that much.

And my mom's like "well, it's the thought that counts" and I'm like well yeah obviously, but you also told my brother wanted to originally buy me a goddamn mini fridge for my surprise gift so I can't imagine he didn't spend a lot on these gifts, and I did not plan to spend this much on gifts because I planned to buy a bunch of board games for us to play as an extra surprise.

Anyway, I've now gotten them both five (5) gifts plus one (1) novelty gift and also on top they have a board game wrapped as a present also because ahhhhhhhh why can't we stick to the rule we all agreed to earlier?

[calummss]

Enchanted To Meet You | Damon Salvatore

masterlist

summary: following an invitation sent by giuseppe salvatore, you arrive at the newly built town of mystic falls and meet his eldest son, damon salvatore, who is enchanted by you the second your eyes meet

pairing: fem! reader x damon salvatore

words: 1.5k

a/n: needed a sweet human damon so i wrote this fic

It was a dark night when your carriage pulled into the Salvatore estate in a town called Mystic Falls. It was your first time you’ve stepped foot in the small virginian town.The carriage came to a halt, horses neighing when you felt the coachman get off his seat as the body moderately swayed. Seconds later the door was opened and you set eyes on the white estate. Lights illuminating the property, guests entering the doors as three men stood out front, shaking their hands and welcoming them to Mystic Falls.

You placed your hand on top of the footman’s hands, carefully stepping out of the carriage and onto the ground, your blue gown squeezing past the carriage doors, brushing off any wrinkles that might’ve appeared. Touching up your hair, you made your way to the stairs to officially arrive at the party.

‘Miss Watson,’ Giuseppe Salvatore greeted you with a kiss to your gloved hands, the two younger men on either side staring at you. ‘How lovely of you to come out tonight. I hope you will find the party most pleasant.’

‘Mr. Salvatore,’ you curtsied as he took your hand, greeting him with a smile. ‘Thank you for the invitation. I was pleased to be invited. Since I was a little girl I have forever adored your get-togethers so greatly. On behalf of my parents I will extend their condolences for not being able to make it tonight. You must know they begged me to tell you how very unpleasant they felt with the short notice. Apologies.’

‘No apology necessary,’ he expressed. ‘Please meet my sons, Damon,’ he nodded towards the dark haired boy, ‘and Stefan.’ The blond one.

‘The famous Salvatore brothers,’ you fixed your gaze on them. ‘I’ve heard quite the tales of the two of you. Your closeness and gentlemanliness travels a great deal of distance. Many of the ladies in town fancy you without ever having set eyes on you.’ You disclosed, feeling Damon’s eyes linger on you as you took turns to study their features. ‘But I can attest that you two are a sight for sore eyes…’

‘You flatter us, Miss Watson,’ Stefan took your hand and placed a kiss on your glove. ‘Word of your beauty travels too. We too can see why.’

You turned your head to Damon who took hold of your gloved hand, his warmth spreading through the material as his lips touched that same fabric, your stomach churning as he looked up at you with crystal blue eyes, batted through dark lashes.

‘Miss Watson, it is a pleasure that you could join us this evening. I hope my father’s party will be to your liking.’

‘The pleasure is all mine, Mister Salvatore.’ You lifted the corner of your mouth, removing your hand from his grasp and passed them to step into the house, welcomed by the soft chords of violins and a piano, clinking of glasses and chattering mixed with lighthearted laughs.

You took a look around the room, every surface sparking with decorations, women in their best gowns—men in their best suits. All come together to celebrate the founding of the new town. The so-called founding families talking of their plans over expensive drinks.

‘Miss Watson,’ you picked up the voice of Damon Salvatore sneaking up on you.

You turned over your left shoulder to find yourself standing opposite him. His curly locks falling down his forehead, highlighting his pale skin and icy eyes.

‘I apologise for catching you so early on, but I was wondering if you might like a tour of our new home?’ His eyes gleamed at you. ‘Our garden has a beautiful view of the lake that is lit by tiny little fireflies,’

‘You are taking too good care of me, Mister Salvatore.’

‘Please,’ he gave you a polite smile, ‘call me Damon.’

‘Then you can call me, Y/n,’ you returned the smile, seeing his fist ball up.

‘Shall we?’ Damon placed his hand in front of his torso, nodding you to take his arm to chaperone you across the large estate.

‘We shall,’ you said, latching yourself onto Damon’s arm as he guided you out of parlour, the atmosphere immediately quieting down as soon as you left the celebrations, only servants and household staff occasionally crossing your paths.

Damon walked you down to the riverside, the sound of flowing water making you appreciate nature. The glow of fireflies swarming through the night’s sky underneath the stars. Wind sweeping across your skin as you glanced back at the house.

‘You know, some might think we’re courting.’ He chuckled, him too sharing a look at the house.

‘We hardly know each other, Damon.’ You tilted your head, seeing that he was already looking at you. His eyes are still sparkling despite the lack of light. ‘And our so-called courting is bound by you showing me your home.’

‘What would you like to know about me?’

‘I haven’t really thought about what I’d like to know, I must admit,’ you chuckled, staring back at the fireflies and the water.

‘How about I start?’ He suggested, taking the initiative to walk along the river.

You hummed in response.

‘Have you ever been courted before?’

‘Damon!’ You snapped your head towards him, very much shocked by his sudden question. ‘You are prying into a lady’s personal life…’

‘It’s a conversation starter!’ He protested, his pearly white smile making your cheeks grow hot.

‘Fine,’ you sighed jestfully. ‘A few months ago Mr. Cooper from town asked to escort me to the Wilson’s family celebrations. When we were alone I tried to return to the others as it was highly inappropriate to be alone in his presence,’ you occasionally bumped into Damon’s side as you kept walking. ‘But when I tried to leave, he wouldn’t let go of my arm and came so close to my face I knew he was going to kiss me. But I didn’t want to. So my hand sort of slipped and I hit him so hard, blood started to drip from his nose. And since then he’s been avoiding me.’

‘Are you serious?’ Damon stopped, letting you take another step before you realised the crunching of grass got quieter, turning around to see his half lit face. Eyes staring at you.

‘Oh my,’ your eyes darted across the ground, taken aback by your loose mouth, ‘I don’t know why I told you that. That—that was uncalled for and inappropriate. It was an accident…hitting him. He was a kind gentleman and my clumsiness ruined a perfectly good courting.’

‘What are you talking about?’ Confusion coated his lips. ‘You didn’t do anything wrong, Y/n.’

‘I didn’t?’

‘You didn’t.’

‘I’m sorry but you were just so silent I thought this story was upsetting you,’ you breathed out deeply, your fingers playing with the hems of your gloves.

‘Oh, I am a serious listener,’ Damon said, his tone letting you know that he was smiling. ‘He was, excuse my language,’ cough, ‘a dick.’ He smirked, whispering the last words of the sentence.

‘Damon!’ You acted shocked, your mouth opening to a wide smile.

‘What?’ He laughed.

‘Perhaps you are right,’ you pondered. ‘He was a really big dick.’

‘Language, Miss Watson!’ Damon scolded you, giving you the same fake shock factor you had just moments ago.

‘You are a bad influence on me, Mister Salvatore,’

‘Are you accusing me, Miss Watson?’ Damon stepped closer, his delightful nature making you more relaxed than you ever have been around a man you’ve only known a couple of hours.

‘I certainly am, Mister Salvatore.’ You stepped even closer, so closer your chest almost touched his, feeling the warmth of his breath clash with the mild night’s air.

Your eyes lingered on his lips, pink and plush as his tongue came out to wet them, glancing up at his eyes, seeing that they were staring at your lips before meeting your eyes.

‘This is inappropriate,’ you whispered, your chest rising as your breaths got deeper.

‘It is…’ Damon whispered back, his delayed breathing reaching the skin of your neck.

Your faces inched closer, lips hovering over each other, enough space to save yourself from improper behaviour. His scent so addictive. Your lips lingered, your noses touched as you breathed in heavily, torn whether or not to kiss him but you were scared someone would see. But it was just a kiss? Could anyone blame you if you just wanted a simple taste?

You leaned in closer, placing your lips on his as his lips melted into yours, pulling out the kiss. Damon placed his hand on your face, allowing him to hold you. A tight feeling in your chest spread heat through your entire body, compelling you to completely give into his touch.

When you slowly pulled away, he rested his head against your forehead, his gaze on your as you panted in silence.

‘I think I like you, Miss Watson.’

‘I’ve liked you the second I set eyes on you, Mister Salvatore. This kiss only proved how I felt, even if it meant that I would sin for you.’

‘Very inappropriate, Miss Watson.’ Damon lectured with jest.

‘Indeed.’

[remembrancer-of-heresy]

His Moon

Summary: Horus learns that Lorgar has a daughter. The thought of his own child takes over his mind.

Horus/fem!OC, Emperor and Lorgar's daughter (OC, platonic), Lorgar/fem!Reader

Warnings: yandere, kidnapping

Word count: 1002

Song: The Cure - Lullaby

This fic was born because of this beautiful post.

The Warmaster looks at one of the many contracts and freezes, unable to sign. Memories of brighter days on Terra capture Horus. The primarch simply cannot, cannot sit behind the documents. The title of Warmaster weighs heavily on his shoulders. The responsibility of continuing the Crusade as a leader weighs heavily. He wants simple human affection.

Horus loved his sons. Everyone was dear to him, especially the members of Mournival. Yet they were war machines. Perhaps much better than ordinary people, but the primarch was connected to them only by gene-seed. Pure science and controlled selection.

It was not the same as the childhood of the primarch himself. When his Father taught him astronomy, the art of war and told him stories of the past. It’s an unforgettable feeling to look at the man in front of you and listen to his every word. While you yourself are still a boy who has not seen the world and has not known its taste.

Neither brother could understand Horus. Couldn't take the place of the Emperor's favorite son. Because that's how it was. The Warmaster was found before anyone else - and therefore Terra is not just a home by name. No matter how hard some of them, especially Lorgar, tried to earn the Emperor's love. All their attempts were doomed to failure.

Even worse, the primarch of the Word Bearers had caused real anger with his behavior. Horus thought that everything would end with the burning of the Monarchy. Until he was told interesting news. Lorgar had a wife. One of the civilians of Colchis, with whom he... fell in love. And he took her to himself. But that was not all.

She was pregnant with the primarch's child.

Something clicked in the Warmaster’s head and he decided to visit the Imperial Palace. Discuss new trade routes, diplomatic meetings, military tactics. Horus did not want to show his excitement. But he so wanted to see a new life. From his primarch blood.

***

“Her name is Erda.” - The Emperor cooed over the cradle with a toy in his hands. A sight unusual even for Horus. - “Unlike all of you, she grows much slower. Even than an ordinary person. But this has its own joy. She will stay this small longer. Isn’t she a beauty, my son?”

It is difficult to discourage a primarch. But little Erda did it. Unfortunately for Lorgar, his daughter will remain on Terra with the Emperor forever. Daughter. Horus says the word again in his mind, tasting it. It sounded like family; love is hidden behind this word.

She is very small, half asleep, but still carefully watches the wooden horse that her current father carved. The girl was bathed in love from birth. And although she was surrounded by the gold of Terra, her lullaby, soft blankets and toys emitted a moderate light. Gentle. Almost lunar.

The girl reaches out and grabs the horse. Smart eyes wait expectantly for some action. Until the Emperor, with a smile that even Horus has not seen, begins to squeeze her. Erda bursts into laughter - the most beautiful melody the Warmaster has ever heard.

"Yes. She's a beauty."

 And Horus can't help but want to take her. But she is still not his child.

***

There is a stir in the chambers and Horus looks up. A smile spreads across his face by itself. The serf girl cleaned his armor with zeal, wanting to scrub away the hardened dirt. The primarch liked best when it was she who looked after his armor and cleaned his room.

At first, the primarch thought that the reason was that she was the best at performing her simple duties. But no, other serfs did a better job. The man had to admit that he simply enjoyed her company. She was nice. A pretty and kind girl - her quiet presence was calming.

Everyone had to look at him with adoration. The Warmaster deserved it. And the serf was no exception, but her devotion was more tender. As if she was always nearby, as if it should be so. If Horus had any tempting thoughts, he suppressed them.

But now... they came out again, taking over his mind. Lorgar was not afraid to admit that he had fallen in love. He lost his wife only because he was terrible at his duties. His pathetic brother incurred the wrath of the Emperor only because he could not renounce the senseless traditions of Colchis.

But Horus was the favorite son. Horus was the best among his brothers, a magnificent warrior and politician. Everyone loved him and everyone wanted to please him. It was not for nothing that his Father gave him the title of Warmaster. The primarch worked as hard as he could, couldn't he take some nice little liberties?

The girl stops and looks sharply at the primarch. Apparently she felt someone else's gaze. Horus can't help but stare at the way her cheeks grow warm and her hands clutch the rag to her chest. So fragile and tender compared to him. She needs only the best care. Especially when her belly will be filled with new life.

"My Lord?"

Even though she is a serf, Horus wants to do everything right. The girl was already amazed by the primarch’s aura. There was no point in putting pressure on her or forcing her to do anything. A man could be a Warmaster not only on the battlefield, but also in romance.

And he really wanted to win such a little heart. Besides, then Horus will have a story for their child about how he met his mother. Omitting details about the imbalance of power.

“Have you ever thought about becoming a mother?”

The last word permeates the entire essence of Horus and he can barely restrain his carnivorous smile. Soon, very soon, his Luna Wolves will be holding a little brother or sister in their arms. It just needs to wait.

And then a lullaby will also appear in his chambers.

[luvyeni]

THE BUTTERFLY GARDEN ; LEE HEESEUNG

pairings. yandere!heeseung x fem!reader

wc. 1.4k

warnings. dark fic, reader is trapped , but heeseung has brainwashed her , oral (m. recieving) , unprotected sex , names (butterfly, baby, pretty) this is just fiction , this doesn't portray heeseung irl at all !

synopsis. heeseung loves you so much , his pretty little butterfly.

authors note. loosely based off a book i read called the butterfly garden by dot hutchinson , it's a really good book , i recommend it ! someone asked for a yandere heeseung fic and i thought of this

heeseung loved butterflies , he thought they were the most beautiful creatures he'd ever laid eyes on. as a kid , he'd go to his grandparents's house — his grandfather was very rich man , who had a huge mansion , with a huge green house , the size of a mini mansion — that's where his grandmother kept all her flowers , and butterflies.

he'd watch the butterflies fly around the green house, all sorts of different colors , he was mesmerized by them. when his grandparents past , he inherited all the money , along with all the properties , including the green house.

heeseung hadn't outgrown his obsession , rather he gained a new one , you. he saw you one day , working at a coffee shop he often visited , he couldn't keep his eyes off you. he could remember the outfit you wore , a yellow sundress , you were so sweet , the way you greeted everyone. your smile , you were so beautiful , like a pretty little butterfly... he had to have you , he needed to add you to his butterfly collection.

he watched you for silently months , learning everything about you , where you were from , your family name , favorite things. you didn't have many friends , so that was good , no one to really miss you. while watching you , he made some moderations to the green house , adding a beautiful bedroom , with all your favorite things , along with a bathroom. he made sure everything was perfect — perfect for his newest and prettiest butterfly yet.

it was so easy befriending you , you were polite to anything with a pulse , all he had to was introduce himself , and your friendship blossomed from there. you thought he was so cute , you never really got attention from boys , so it was new. you'd seen him multiple times at the shop , so you were aware of his existence. he was kind , and sweet.

you never saw the signs , you would have never believed that the doe eyed boy had a sick and twisted plan brewing. first he got rid of your family , isolating you from them , telling you lies , saying that they hated that you two were so close , that he was only using you as a charity case , until you stopped contacting them all together. your so called friends didn't even need any pushing , he just wired a few thousand into their bank accounts , telling them to back off. when you came crying to him , telling him that they completely cut you , he put a act , telling how he always said they were no good , that he was the only one for you , he was your only friend , you believed him , you believed that he was the only person who had your back , that everyone else basically hated you.

that's when he knew he had you...

that was was about a year ago , a year and 6 months to be exact. a year and 6 months since you last seen your family , or friends , or the outside for thay matter. a year and 6 months since he trapped you in his butterfly garden.

"butterfly , where is my pretty little butterfly?" you heard his voice , the door closing on the way in. "im in here!" you called from the bathroom , running out into the indoor fields where you spent most of your days , alone with the butterflies , watching them fly around. "hello pretty , it's been a while hasn't it." you smiled , nodding. "almost a month , i missed you so much." it was sick , you knew that , but he was your only source of friendship , that love that you so desperately craved.

"did you , i missed my butterfly too , i watched you from the camera , wishing to be with you while on my trip." he said , pointing to the camera in the corner. "maybe next time i can go with you." he shook his head. "now you know you can't , butterflies are fragile , people will hurt butterflies and i can't have you getting hurt and corrupted by those people , now can i?" he caressed your cheeks , noticing your frown.

"those work trips are boring anyway , i would rather be playing here with you in the garden." you knew what he meant by playing. "don't you like playing here with me and the other butterflies?" his doe eyes always made you feel bad about asking to go out , he knew that and he loved to use it to advantage. "i do , i promise i do love the garden." he smiled. "good , now don't ask about it again , okay?" you nodded. "i won't heeseung , i promise."

"good , now how about you show me those pretty wings of your , take off your shirt off for me." you turned around , taking your sweater off , revealing the huge tattoo on your back — butterfly wings. he had gotten them tattooed on your back the 4th day you were trapped here , it took almost 5 months to heal. "so pretty." he could feel himself growing hard in his slacks , just from the tattoo. "my pretty butterfly." he pressed his hard cock against your ass.

"i think you're the prettiest one here." he kissed your shoulderblade. "butterflies don't live long , but you , you'll last forever , won't you." he kissed your neck. "hee-heeseung." you moaned softly , he was sick , this was sick , you shouldn't want him to touch you , you shouldn't crave his touch. "i'll never let you go." he bit down on your earlobe , he genuinely meant what he said , he was never gonna let you go.

"get down on your knees." he said sitting on your bed once you reached your room. you sunk down to your knees , his bulge right in front of your face. "you see how hard i am for you?" he palmed his cock , unzipping his pants , his cock slapping against his stomach. "come on , grab it." he groaned as you wrapped your hands around his cock , jerking him off. "fu-fuck , put it in your mouth." you obeyed , taking him fully into your cavern. "sh-shit , just like i trained you to do , good girl."

he grabbed the back of your head , guiding you up and down on his cock , you gagged around his length , tears wielding in your eyes. "you looks so pretty , gagging on my fat cock , drooling." he grunted , pushing your head down , fucking up into your mouth. "fu-fuck im gonna cum , gonna cum down that pretty throat of yours." he whined , pushing your head down one last time , keeping you there as he came , hitting the back of your throat. "fuck!" he pulled you off him , you coughed , finally being able to breathe.

"you did so good , took my cum so well." he pulled you up , manhandling you on to the bed , putting you into his favorite position , face down ass up , so he can see the wings on your back. "such a pretty sight , my beautiful butterfly." he lined his cock up at you entrance. "so tight." he filled you up , his cock stretching you open like always. "your pussy is always so good , you feel so nice around me struggling to take my cock." he grunted , thrusting inside of you.

"fucking beautiful baby , gonna keep you here forever -fuck- the only butterfly i need." he began to fuck into your hole much faster , you gripped the sheets below. "fe-feels like heaven." his eyes were trianed on the tattoos as he fucked you , pushing your back down to hit a new angle that made you scream. "shit , heeseung im gonna cum." he grunted , fucking you faster. "fuck , cum for me , cum all over my cock." he rubbed your clit , you mouth formes a 'o' shape before you came , legs shaking.

"oh fuck , you're squeezing my cock , im gonna cum." he pushed your body flat against the bed , using your tired body to get himself off. "fuck , im cumming ngh fuck !" he whined , his cum painting your walls , pulling out milking his cock , more cum spurting on your back. "sh-shit." he stuttered , he breathing heavy. he looked down at your body , almost getting hard again , the way his cum looked on the wings , made his cock jump in arousal. "shit , i'm gonna get hard again if i keep staring at your pretty wings , covered in my cum like that."

you whimpered , trying to move away. "n-no more." your voice horse , body sensitive to touch. "i know , i know my fragile butterfly is so sensitive." he climbed off of you. "no need for clothes , i want to see my butterfly covered in my cum for awhile , just for me." he wanted to capture this moment.

"my pretty little butterfly"

©️LUVYENI

[anonymous-existences]

2 : Blazing Bravery

Danny was putting on his helmet, Dante already in his motorbike waiting for Danny to approach and finally ride the bike so they can leave for Dante's work, before he could walk away from the door he heard Pariah clear his throat before placing a hand on Danny's shoulder.

"Baby Ghost, Jasmine has told me that when humans visit one another they tend to bring gifts to the other as a sign and courtesy of politeness. Thus in this new understanding I have decided that you shall bring these to the workers of Dante's Dutiful Job." Pariah handed Danny a small box of cookies, freshly baked home made cookies Jazz has taught him to cook. "Thanks Dad." Danny mutters with a smile as he took one cookie from the batch.

Dan pressed his motorbike's horn, "Gotta go!" Danny just ran to Dan and waved goodbye as Dan drove away, Pariah was frozen by the door of the shop. He took a deep breathe, "Ghost Prince, Baby Prince, Baby Ghost, Daniel, Danny.... called me Dad." He mutters as he approached Jazz and Clockwork in the Living room.

"Pardon? What did you say Pariah?" Jazz tilts her head confused and didn't get to hear what Pariah fully said. Pariah took a deep breathe again, trying to contain his happiness, his joy, his excitement under a calm facade. "The Little Ghost Prince, Baby Ghost that is Daniel... Called me... "Dad"...." He says trying to sound calm but there's an underlying hint of rejoicing tone under his breathe.

Jazz perks up and starts clapping, "Congratulations!" Jazz just exclaims and Pariah's lips tucked a small smirk ever so tiny bit slightly in his face, he was proud and rejoicing internally at the advancement on his and Danny's Father-Son relationship. "I'm so happy for you my dearest Pariah." Clockwork floated over to Pariah and kisses the man's forehead delicately, Pariah hummed, core purring in delight.

"Yay! Danny called Daddy 'Dad'! Yay! Yay! Yippee!" Elle jumped around the coffee table happily still holding onto her crayons and bond paper where she's drawing her family for a class assignment. "Yes, Yes, after Daniel comes home we shall celebrate. Will Daniel know the reason of such celebration? No, we are not to say a single word about this Alright?" Pariah glances over to his husband and his two daughters.

Both girls looking at each other before looking up back at Pariah before giggling and nodding along in amusement, "Ofcourse Dearest, I won't say anything." Clockwork hummed also amused by Pariah's reaction to finally being called "Dad" by Danny, Pariah was leaning his head of Clockwork's hands as they caressed the Man's cheeks.

Dan was driving to Crime Alley in moderately fast speed, "Now I understand why Elle can't go.... You never told jazz you worked at Crime Alley?" Danny raised an eyebrow, "She don't need to know little twerp, spare me the worry panic she will perform...." Dan sighed soon stopping Infront of a garage.

"Heya Lucas, I brought my brother, don't worry he's no trouble." Dan parked his bike and took off his helmet and helped Danny helped his own off, Danny looked over to the 'Lucas' person. "Hey Dan, you must be Danny." Lucas crouched slightly to Danny's height smiling in eagerness, "I'm Lucas, your Brother's friend! It's nice to finally meet you Danny!" Lian had a Lean Tall Frame, His hair dark and curly and tied into a messy bun, he had intense amber eyes and piercings on his ears and lip, his skin was a natural warm brown, Danny looked up at him still befuddled by the other man's height.

"It's nice to meet you too sir... I wasn't really aware that my brother talked about me to his friends...." Danny smiled awkwardly, fidgeting slightly as he shook Lucas' welcoming hand. He was still getting used to strangers and new people, his anxiety every so paranoid and overwhelming, Danny looked over to Dan who was setting up their helmets nicely in a rack by the counter. His cheeks had a hint of reddish tint assuming that Dan could hear the two's small interaction. "How old are you Danny?" Lucas finally asked, still crouching to meet the boy's gaze.

"I'm uhm— 17 sir—." Danny stuttered, he was taken aback when Lucas started to smile and laugh softly. Danny tilted his head in confusion thinking that maybe he did something wrong. "Please just call me Lucas or Kuya, no need to be so formal kiddo." Lucas ruffled Danny's hair under his hood and Danny flushed up in Embarrasament immediately running over to Dan and hiding behind him.

He heard Lucas from afar laughing even more in amusement as Dan just raised an eyebrow, now confused on what they talked about, "What's up Twerp?" Dan glanced over to Danny who had his palms on his cheeks in hope of calming down the embarrassment in his face. "Nothing..." Danny sighed out as the flushed red cheeks finally soothed down. Danny then perked up as he saw the backdoor.

"Dan, Dan, I know you want me to stay here and all but can I go to the back alley? I promise I'll help later Im just gonna check on my friends." Danny asked tugging on Dan's jacket whilst easily taking Dan's phone in the man's back pocket. "Is there WiFi here?" Danny asked again, "Yes there is WiFi and yes you can stay by the back or wander off. Just... Make sure to be invisible... So no one spots you and possibly try and you know, get you in danger." Dan whispered the last sentence and Danny nodded with a nod and entered the staffroom lounge and headed out to the backdoor with ease.

The familiar weight of a tracker embedded on his hoodie that Dan had placed on him Incase of emergencies and a panic button In his sleeves within easy reach of his fingers if he were ever to be around too much danger, he smirked playfully and slipped into near-invisibility. Although he wasn't fully and truly intangible at the moment so he wouldn't feel the exhaustion creeping up on his nape, he still blended with the shadows and the corners of the darkness seamlessly.

He floated upwards and wandered around Crime Alley, the unfamiliar cacophony of distant rumble of traffic—the screeching of tires— rustling of rats somewhere in the rooks and crannies of the alleys... And the whispers of Crime. They whisper to him, Danny took off one of his earrings that dampened his abilities as he placed himself atop a roof of a tall building looming over crime alley.

The ghosts whispers, the shades murmur and the greatest of it all is the information they provide. Dead Men don't tell tales, they tell secrets and wisdom, they speak through the static—chirps—warbles of the ever so familiar Ghost Speak. Danny took all of the whispers in, noting them in his mind. Not because he really planned to tell anyone anything, but because it's interesting and new, he slowly floated back down near the dumpsters planning to walk to the garage by himself soon enough.

Danny perked up at the sudden grumbling of a stranger he didn't notice was even present near him, for a moment forgetting his invisibility he instinctively pressed himself in the grimy brick walls of the alley. Danny looked over atop the dumpster, He could make out the silhouette of a figure huddled deeper in the shadows, illuminated only by the flickering neon sign of a nearby bar casting a sickly yellow glow.

The voice, rough and edged with frustration, was a low growl. The figure was holding a phone and a box of donuts sitting atop the dumpster(gross) but it's smell was temptingly delicious. Danny didn't dare approach as the stranger spoke, "Weeks! It's been weeks, and I still haven't found the damn rat! Someone's feeding the Crimson Hand everything. Every move we make, every heist we plan… they know it all!."

A sharp, ragged breath hitched in his throat, the silence that followed heavy with unspoken threats as he held the phone to his ear, "And they're getting bolder. That last job… it nearly went south because of this leak. Nearly." He grumbled in frustration, in a moment of rage he stomped off still yelling on the phone and leaving the delicious box of donuts behind.

Danny a mischievous smirk plastered on his face stood up, no longer hidden in the depths of the shadows, he approached the box of donuts and opened it eagerly. "Mmm... What a treat." Danny snickered to himself, licking his lips and stealing the box of donuts whilst cackling menacingly in his head. "Right.... This is stealing.... Maybe I can..." An idea popped in his head as he pulled out his glow in the dark inked pen and sticky notes that he always carried just in case.

Danny as he was munching on one of the donuts wrote what the guy was having a problem about, knowing that he'll most likely come back for his donuts after all. Danny lent his ear to the murmurs of the ghosts, "Crimson... Trace... When's he doing the stealing stuff?.... Mhm... Uh-huh.... Novem...ber.... Thirteen..... At 12 AM...mid.. night... At the Caffeine Fix Cafe down three blocks in this alley secret route in the backdoor to a harbor...? Okay—" Danny wrote on the sticky note and also gave directions on where said 'Rat' Salvador would leak their information.

"Thank you!" Danny smiled and ate another donut, he stuck the note with a spare box he found somewhere, it was a bright neon green sticky note that has a ghost doodle on it that was bound to stand out in the dark gloomy alley, he stuck it to the sides of the box and floated back up the rooftops and ate his donuts peacefully.

The man burst back into the alley, his face a mask of furious frustration. He frantically searched the ground, his eyes darting around, his breath coming in ragged gasps. "The donuts! Damn it, where are the donuts?!" He muttered, his voice laced with a barely controlled rage that was quickly overshadowed by a rising panic.

He spotted the neon green sticky note almost immediately, its ghostly doodle a stark contrast to the grime of the alley. His eyes widened as he snatched up the box, his fingers trembling slightly as he read the message. A low growl rumbled in his chest, a mixture of disbelief and seething fury. "Sorry for stealing your donuts. . . I can help you tho with some info… November 13th… midnight… The Caffeine Fix…Crimson Trace is distributing stolen stuff and embezzling funds." he whispered, the words tasting like ash in his mouth.

His voice rose in a torrent of barely coherent rage. "Those treacherous low lives!" He slammed the box down, the sound echoing in the narrow confines of the alley, more curses and threats were yelled in the empty air of the alley, the Man soon driving off in a rage with his motorbike. Danny licked his lips as he finished eating another donut.

Danny just hummed, "I should bring back the rest of these donuts to Dan..." He smirks playfully as he floated back to the garage safely, hoping to avoid danger or anything related to a crossfire on his way back. Danny entered the backroom lounge of the Garage and was met with Dan resting on the couch with Lucas just about to head out of the room to the main front.

"Oh hey Danny!— woah are those a box of donuts— did you steal that??" Lucas asked confused as Danny placed the boxes of donuts in the table, "I traded for it." Danny merely said, not elaborating more information. Lucas didn't ask further as he knew it wasn't his business and that it was Crime Alley either way. Later that night went as usual as Dan would say.

They were closing up and Lucas has already left since he had to come home to his kids, Danny was playing on his switch playing Animal Crossing, Reworking and Rebuilding some structures on his island. He listened as Dan, a man of few words but possessing a surprisingly rich baritone voice, began to sing along to the music playing softly from his phone – a powerful, swinging rendition of "My Way" by Frank Sinatra. The song's bold and confident melody perfectly complemented Dan's deep, resonant voice. It wasn't simply humming; it was singing, his voice a commanding, resonant sound that seemed to fill the entire garage.

He poured emotion into each note, his voice hitting every note with effortless precision. The lyrics, about a life lived on one's own terms, resonated with a quiet intensity. Danny just stared and kept wondering if he too could one day sing like that, Danny perked up as he noticed a battered Motorbike pull up outside the front of the workshop, Dan didn't as he was still immersed in his impromptu performance.

The man took off his helmet and stared at the open entrance of the workshop, stunned in his motorbike watching Dan pour his everything into singing. Dan raised an eyebrow and narrowed his eyes to identity what the man looked like, He had A big bulky frame with black hair with a white streak(just like his hair!), his eyes were a sapphire deep blue with a hint of ectoplasmic green that Danny was ever so familiar of.

He stood there, seemingly captivated as he listened to Dan. Danny called out to Dan finally after finishing his lollipop, "DAN! CUSTOMER!" Danny yelled and Dan froze, "Ah... Oh, Sir Jason." Dan says as he met eye to eye with the other man. "Hey there Dante, and please I keep telling you— just call me Jason." The other man, 'Jason' smiled gently as he placed his helmet between his hip and arm. "I'm here actually for an oil change— I know it's late and also my baby girl kinda looks battered up so I'm wondering if you can help fix her up and all as well." Jason just says.

"Ofcourse! You're always the late night customer anyways." Dan snickered and took the bike with him inside, Jason following suit and meeting eye to eye with Danny, for a moment their eyes flashed an ectoplasmic green upon setting eyes on each other. Danny's breathe hitched, not out of fear but out of curiousity on this man who's core looks beaten and half-formed. Dan seems to have noticed before and had been the one to slowly cleanse and feed 'Jason' ectoplasm through being in each other's vicinity.

Danny stood up from his corner, "Who's this?" Jason asked tilting his head to the side and hiding his interest and suspicion on the teenager. "This is Danny, my little brother. C'mon Danny introduce yourself." Dan nudged Danny's back and Danny shook Jason's hand, "it's nice to meet you, Sir. You must be Jason, Dan talks nicely about you sometimes—Ack—" Dan hits Danny's back, Danny snickered mischievously.

"Sorry, My sister likes to hear about our days and all so we just kinda talk about everyone we meet Since yk, new to Gotham and all." Dan motioned his hand and sighed in embarrasament, Jason merely chuckled in amusement. "It's fine! It's no biggie, I'm glad I could be part of your dinner talks, it seems very fun." Jason just smiled and Dan nodded, still embarrassed about Danny talking about their dinner gossips.

Dan walked away to work on Jason's Bike and left Danny and Jason by themselves, "You like him." Danny immediately stated and Jason flinched, "W-what— I don't know what yo— why would you think of that conclusion— haha— he's just a frien— don't tell him, I'll pay you." Jason stammered and failed at coming up with a reasonable excuse on the spot, "500 buckaroos." Danny smiled menacingly, "You're a greedy kid." Jason clicked his tounge, his cheeks still flushed a tint of red.

"Uh-huh, And this is Crime Alley, plus this is also Gotham, so it's 500 bucks or I'm snitching." Danny stuck out his tounge but soon enough smirked mischievously as Jason handed Danny 500 bucks and Danny slipped the money in his pockets. "What are you anyways....?" Jason slowly muttered and glanced at Danny, "Just like you, but also different at the same time. I'd rather not talk about it." Danny scoffed and Jason nodded in understanding.

They are to never speak about their eye contact interaction. Dan kept working on Jason's Bike making it look as new as if it was bought just earlier that Day. "Jason Todd by the way." Jason states his full name, "Daniel James Nightingale, Just call me Danny." Danny replies and both just silently nodded at each other.

Dan finished with Jason's Bike and let Jason leave soon enough, Dan took a deep breathe and sighed, "Alright Chum, let's go before we're late for Father Pariah's dinner cooking, I heard he wanted to cook tonight." Dan chuckled and Danny nodded with a smile putting on his helmet afterwards and following Dan outside who now had his helmet on for safety even if they didn't need it.

The roar of the engine was a counterpoint to the city's nervous hum as Dan and Danny sped home, their faces obscured by motorbike helmets. Dan, driving, navigated with practiced ease, avoiding the city's crime ridden roadways — the narrow, twisting streets and notorious crime hotspots. A fight, even a brief one, was the last thing he needed, especially with Danny along. He'd already pushed his luck too far.

"Dan, I hear gunshots." Danny blurted out making Dan immediately halt his speeding bike with utmost relentlessness, perking his ears he finally picked up on the gunshots slowly nearing them, the cacophony of screaming and an obvious gang fight where they would not want to be caught in the crossfire of. Dan sped off away from the crossfire but unfortunately his bad luck caught up to him and now they were right in the middle, surrounded, fallen debris swallowed by flames blocking their way.

Dan immediately slides his motorbike in one of the alleys and grabbed Danny, embracing the boy in his arms tightly. "Shush, let it die down, if any of them comes here.... I'll kill them." Dan's eyes flashes a dark crimson red, determined to protect Danny from the danger of being caught in the middle of a crossfire. Danny nodded clutching onto Dan like a little scared kitten, he didn't want to feel pain especially not right now.

This was no normal gang fight, this was a whole arsonist gang fight where buildings are engulfed in inferno. Danny's core thrummed at hearing the screams, he wanted— NEEDED to save them. It is his obsession, his purpose of —Living— but Dan immediately held him back. "Look champ, if we're gonna save them put on your hood and you're gonna have to let me come with you." Dan demanded and Danny nodded.

— — — — —

The inferno in Crime Alley raged, a terrifying spectacle of destruction. Crimson Trace gang members, fueled by Ignis's reckless ambition, systematically torched buildings, creating a chaotic kill zone. Civilians screamed, fleeing in terror, their panicked cries swallowed by the deafening roar of gunfire and the crackling of flames. The air itself vibrated with fear, thick with smoke and the metallic tang of blood.

Red Hood, perched precariously on a crumbling rooftop, his voice tight with grim urgency, relayed the scene to the Bats. "B, this is a fucking massacre! Some bastard named Ignis is personally overseeing the arson. They're trying to wipe out the competition and claim Crime Alley as their own! Especially Me!"

Batman's voice, a low, controlled rumble, cut through the comms. "Nightwing, rooftop disruption. Robin, prioritize civilian evacuation. Red Hood, assist Robin, Red Robin and Spoiler also assist Robin in saving civilians, avoid casualty as much as possible. I'll handle Ignis." A hint of concern and steely determination, unusual for the usually stoic Batman, laced in his tone.

Chaos escalated quickly as fire does great damage, Dan could tell it was only that specific part of crime alley and it's probably to do with the many roadways and alleys Separating streets from one another quite confusingly. He looked up and saw Robin on a small balcony on a higher floor trying to pick a lock of a blocked off semi-metal window.

Dan growled under his breathe, seeing someone so young in the heart of an inferno an arsonist and many others has started. Danny still clung onto his back, as Dan suddenly scaled the wall. "ROBIN! OUT OF MY WAY!" He quickly snarled which took Robin aback and immediately jumped out to another window as Dan slammed his fists on the metal windows revealing the kids trapped inside.

"Hey there... C'mon it's safe. Robin's here to get you all out..." Dan's gaze softened and his hands reaching out to the kids as he carried them out, Danny also holding onto them as he scaled the wall and dragged Robin up to the rooftop where he deemed it safer for them before dropping them off, "Jesus Christ, He's your Age Danny, a fuckin Robin!" Dan huffs out and dropped Robin but gently put down the kids for Robin to tend to.

Robin and Danny made eye contact and Robin immediately upon seeing Danny's face started to flush up under his mask. Stunned and nervous but he was fast enough to focus on the situation at hand. Robin immediately tended to the injured children as much as he could with the limited equipment he's brought, he was about to turn to Dan and Danny to check on them but it turns out they'd have already gone back down to apparently save more lives and risking themselves.

"Danny. What do the ghosts say?" Dan asks, Danny had one of his earrings off hearing the ghosts of Gotham, directing them to trapped civilians and guiding them so they wouldn't face any major danger other than some goons that Dan can easily knock out. "East. Eastward, 4 story building, first floor right by a window painted yellow, the Windows are barricaded with hard thick wood and there is a woman and a baby inside as well as some cats that are apparently guarding them trying to keep them safe even if they know they really can't do anything at all. Faster Dan." Danny states as fast and as coherent as he could.

Dan growled and jumps above debris that blocks his way, his hands partially burned from the fires they're running through, the weaker whispering shades actively protecting Danny and Dan from getting any major injuries or burns as they whispered and guided the two halfas to the building they say where the trapped people are. "There are two more kids with the woman now, Dad is outside in the crossfire, gang member of the... Black Prints? Oh.... That's the guy I helped earlier? You're protecting him too? Good good... Do that yes." Danny conversed subtly with the ghosts of Gotham.

Dan punched slid atop a hood of a car and found the yellow window of the building described, "Cover your body." Dan reminded Danny and Danny immediately curls himself behind Dan as Dan punched through the wall leaving his knuckles bruised and bleeding. "Hey! Are you okay?!" Dan asked as he ran inside , the fire was spreading and he could hear the meowls of the cats.

Dan didn't hesitate to grab the inflamed debris that's blocking his way and shoving it to the side creating a much safer pathway for the trapped people, "Jesus Christ, Lorraine is that you?! Fuck! c'mon now! Get moving get moving!" Dan carried the weakened Woman and one of the teenager kids holding the baby, Dan guided them out of the building before it collapse on them, the cats were nestled inside Danny's hoodie as Danny clung onto Dan's back much also like that of a cat.

"You. None of you question what I'm about to do okay?" Dan glanced over at the kids who just nods in understanding before Dan carried them all and floated and left the physical plane along with the others he's carrying, actively transmitting his Intangibility abilities temporarily to those he is touching as he gets them to a safer part of the alleys and drops them off where he knows a Bat will find them.

"Shush okay? You didn't see us." Dan reminded the kids and the cats as the kids nodded in understanding, the cats clinging onto the passed out woman, 'Lorraine' as Danny recalls Dan calling her. Dan ran back into the fire, Danny kept guiding him as the ghosts whispers in his ear. Eventually they run into a struggling Red Robin as he tried to lockpick a door because he genuinely can't take it down.

"Out of the way little Red Bat." Dan scoffed, Red Robin was taken aback and Spoiler pulls him out of Dan's path as he tackled the door sending it flying out of it's hinges, he groaned slightly and then his eyes landed on a familiar face. "Oh my fucking ancient— LUCAS—" Dan recognizes his friend on the floor coughing, "KUGG— wassup Da-cugh- Dan." Lucas looked bleary as Dan grabbed Lucas holding the urge to shake his boss, he sighed and shoved him on a stunned Red Robin's arms and heading to Lock Lucas's basement fully so his snake and turtle pets wouldn't get caught in the inferno, good thing the Door was Metal.

"You! You're a civilian too! C'mon!" Red Robin yells and Dan stopped the urge to roll his eyes, "Stay out of my way Red Robin, We both know you need any help you can get at this moment. Do what you do as always. Be a Hero." Dan sneered and punched the window open and headed out from there running through the alleys once again. "Welp— he's a fast lad— cough— fu—huck, my insurance ain't gonna cover this— cough— atleast he has my pets saf— cough— safe." Lucas coughed out more, struggling to breathe in the smoke as Spoiler carried him and lead Lucas to the safe zone/camp as fast as possible.

Red Robin sighed and tried to chase Dan but was promptly halted by a debris that's in flames suddenly falling information of his path, he nearly touched the fire and trip towards it but managed to fall backwards instead, his chest heaved and his heart racing at the near-death experience, "Jesus Fuck that's gonna keep me more awake than coffee ever did." He blurted out with a gasp, slowly standing up with his body trembling subtly at the adrenaline rushing in his veins.

Tim runs to find out that most of the gun fighting were dying down. As if the goons of Crimson Trace was coming back to their base, Red Robin couldn't help but follow one of the retreating goons. They were running right in the middle of the inferno's heart— but why— Tim just knows Batman and Red Hood are there and he needs to keep finding trapped survivors.

— — — —

Ignis, his amber eyes burning with fiery intensity, a wide small plastered across his face. He held the remote aloft, One hand with the remote and the other holding a fireball suggesting he is a Meta who uses fire. His voice a raspy baritone whisper that echoed through the gloomy abandoned building he has settled in. He chuckled lowly as Batman and Red Hood were unable to move any closer to him, "One wrong move..." He hissed, "And Gotham's underbelly turns into a pyre, Every corner, every den of vice, will erupt in a symphony of destruction! Park Row, choked by its own darkness, will finally be cleansed by fire. And you, Red Hood, will be the first to burn."

Ignis's cruel gaze hardened as he loomed over the two bats, carelessly waving around the remote that's connected to several bombs scattered around that specific side of the city, specifically Red Hood's claimed turf. "Oh I know how you bats work oh I know so well~! Especially you Batman!" Ignis continued and laughed menacingly. "I know how you work the most." His smirk widens as Batman stood still.

Batman was thinking of the ways he can turn this situation around with Red Hood's help. "You think you can stop me bats? You think you can stop the Crimson Trace? Well you can't!" Ignis laughed louder. "Cleansing? You think you can play god you bastard? You think you can decide who gets to live and die?!" Red Hood yelled, his hand was subtly hovering over his gun, ready to shoot at any given opportunity.

Ignis smiled widely, "This city is a festering wound, a breeding ground for corruption. It needs a strong hand, a leader who can bring order out of chaos. And that leader is me."

"Order through fear and violence?" Red Hood scoffed. "That's not leadership, Ignis. That's tyranny."

"Fear is a powerful tool," Ignis countered, his voice dropping to a menacing whisper. "It keeps people in line. It makes them obey. And obedience is the foundation of a strong society."

Danny, kicks his back and sent his tumbling forwards and the remote flying right in Batman's hand, "Real Lame Dude." Danny scoffed and raised his fits prepared for a fight. Ignis, his face contorted in a mask of rage, roared, "Who dares?!" He scrambled to his feet, his eyes scanning Danny the source of the attack, He pulled out a gun and Red Hood did the same at the same pace.

Danny moving in unnatural speed kicked the gun out of his hands and uppercuts his face, Ignis growled as he stumbled back. Batman, ever the strategist, saw the opening and lunged forward, a well-placed kick to Ignis's chest sending him crashing into a nearby wall. The impact sent a shower of plaster raining down, momentarily obscuring the scene.

Red Hood, never one to miss an opportunity, used the distraction to his advantage. He sprinted towards Ignis, a flurry of punches aimed at his exposed face. Ignis, however, was not one to be easily subdued. He roared with fury, his body ablaze with a sudden burst of fire. The flames danced around him, a fiery shield against Red Hood's onslaught.

Danny, sensing the shift in the fight, moved with a blur of speed. He dodged a fiery blast, his agility honed by years of being Phantom. He landed a powerful kick to Ignis's side, sending him reeling. The impact knocked the wind out of Ignis, momentarily extinguishing his fiery aura.

Batman, seizing the moment, charged forward. He landed a precise strike to Ignis's jaw, sending him crashing to the ground. The impact was enough to stun him, leaving him vulnerable. Red Hood, taking advantage of the situation, rushed in and disarmed Ignis, his gun clattering to the floor with a metallic clang.

Danny took this opportunity and roundhouse kicked Ignis's face in frustration, Batman subdues the man who's now weakened because of Danny and their collaboration in taking him down. Because of Danny they were able to assess and quickly take him down before any more casualty were to occur.

Batman's face remained impassive as he cuffed and successful seize Ignis to the ground. "We need to get him out of here before he recovers."

— — —

30 minutes has passed since Ignis has been handed over to the Police. Danny was being tended to by the ambulances as Him and Dan had burns on their hands and arms, Danny just chuckled at Dan groaning as his hands were patched up by the nurses. Batman conversing and relaying information to the police as the firefighters soon put out the fire.

Danny leaned his body to Dan as relief and exhaustion overtook his body, the adrenaline dying down. Lucas was sat beside Dan as he was breathing in his inhaler, "You okay Lucas?" Dan raised an eyebrow, looking over to Lucas who breathed out in relief. "Yep! Feeling Dandy and better than before, atleast I'm not surrounded by fire anymore." Lucas snickered and Dan sighed, staring at his bandaged hands.

Danny glanced to his side for a moment and saw Robin practically dashing to him. "You! Are you okay?" Robin asked Danny, Danny could feel he was worried. "Yes, yes I am now." Danny chuckled, "You shouldn't recklessly just—" Robin stammered and Danny tilts his head. Robin caring for him? That's odd.

"Thank you for caring Robin, but I'm fine really!" Danny smiled softly making Robin wince. Danny was confused on why Robin is reacting so... Cute?. Danny just snickered finding the young vigilante adorable. "Robin! C'mon, B is calling." Red Robin called out from afar, clicking his tounge before facing Danny again. "Just please don't risk yourself like that again. It is very unethical and unnecessary." Robin nearly stuttered out and then walked away.

"Vigilantes are odd..." Danny leaned back on Dan's arm, thinking of the time he too was a vigilante technically. Does phantom count as a vigilante? Probably.

"DAN! DANNY!" They heard cry out, both boys flinched in surprise. Dan looked over to the source of the voice and saw Jazz teary eyed stomping over to them with Pariah and Clockwork behind her. "Oh my god— are you okay— oh— fu-uck— why didn't you call? DAN!" Jazz just held onto Dan's shoulders and then looked over to Danny, sobbing as she checked Danny and Dan's Injuries.

"Damn, Hi Jasmi—" Lucas started but was promptly cut off by Dan's glare. "Oh god, you too Lucas? Are you okay? I know you have asthma—" Jazz also frantically checked Lucas's body. "i-i'm fine miss Jasmine—" Lucas stuttered nervously with a hint of red in his cheeks, visibly flustered.

Danny upon seeing Pariah and Clockwork immediately ran to them, "Dad! Father!" He cried out as Pariah immediately swooped him up and embraced him tightly, "Fuck— are you— fucking.... Goddamit... Baby Prince don't.... Don't jump into danger like that ever again..." Pariah tried to hold back his tears.

"I'm sorry.... I had to .. save them." Danny said sobbing in Pariah's arms, Danny was scared too but he needed to save those people trapped inside the buildings. Pariah just sat on the ground and hugged him tightly, feeling his shoulder dampening because of Danny's tears. "I know Prince, but please atleast say something before running off from Dan... He's the only one who can keep you safe without us there."

"I know... I'm sorry." Danny was clinging onto Pariah tightly, "don't say sorry but please... Let's go home okay...?" Pariah ushered them into the car, especially Dan and Danny.

Danny sat in Pariah's Lap clinging onto his dad like a scared kitten, Clockwork Carreses Danny's Hair softly, Jazz and Dan in the back was still. Jazz was hugging Dan close to her chest Elle was staying at home with their neighbors Penner and Keigo. "I'm here Baby Prince, you did good... You did so well." Pariah muttered softly as he drove away.

"Mhm..." Danny just hummed as Pariah placed his free hand on Danny's hair, keeping the boy close as he drifted off to sleep in Pariah's Lap, Exhaustion finally taking over his body. Danny closed his eyes, "Sleep now Little Daniel." Clockwork softly whispered, and so he did.

I hope you all had fun reading XD this is the longest chapter I've made in so long :33

As always this is Spectral Mysteries in my Masterlist! :)

Masterlist

[weemietime]

1. there's no such thing as a soul and 2. why does israel specifically need to be where it is now? israel has not even existed for a century. many different people have inhabited the land for thousands of years, mostly arab. is the only argument for the current geographic location of israel a religious argument? why can't it be anywhere else? if it's not a religious argument, why is the land so important if the it was jewish land thousands of years ago? is america justified in its existence despite having killed dozens of millions of native americans? WHY CANT ISRAEL ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD? WHY IS ISRAEL EXPANDING INTO LEBANON AND WHY IS IT BUILT UPON THE EXPULSION OF HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PALESTINIANS? Religious arguments should not be taken seriously in the current day. The only other argument i've heard from zionists is one of racial superiority. Zionism boils down to white supremacy and Judaism/Jewish people are completely separate from that. The original zionists claimed to be secular marxists. How can you reconcile these inconsistencies and expect people to not think you're genocidal???

Good l-rd, the Kremlin-Hamas propaganda pipeline workin overtime. *Pats trunk* I can fit so much Nazi gibberish in this bad boy. 1) I don't give a shit that you don't respect my traditions and my beliefs, we already know you have no respect whatsoever. Cool.

2) Israel is where it is now because it is Israel, you deranged fucking lunatic. No, the people who have lived there over the last centuries have NOT been Arabs. There is ZERO archaeological evidence to back up a claim that Palestinian Arabs have been in Israel from the same time as Jews.

3) Point blank, everything you've built up here is a Nazi lie. this is false. A lie. We Jews dig up thousands years old shit from our culture in Israel. Not Arab/Islamic culture. It isn't there. You know your little al aqsa flood operation as Hamas calls it. Arabs built Al Aqsa over our most precious Beit hamikdash. Just for spite by the way. Muhammed hated Jews, ask the Jews of Medina how he handled them. Oh you can't they all got beheaded and enslaved.

Then turn around and call us colonizers when we return street names to their ORIGINAL Hebrew. You're ignorant as fuck of history, "dismantle colonialism" but simps for Hezbollah, the long arm of the IRGC who colonized Iran from the native Persian population. Do you know how many countries Arabs conquered? You don't know shit about the Middle East, keep us out of your fucking mouth.

This is called DARVO and its a tool of colonizers to suppress indigenous history and tradition and overwrite what really happened. And y'all are mad about it because Jews won't let it happen. We won't let you gas light and manipulate us and say see we're the indigenous ones when Arabs were the ones who rolled in and stole our land in the first place.

Arab migrations happened and the Arabs who lived there knowingly lived in stolen land, that is not our fucking problem. I would be content to live in peace with Arabs. I would respect moderate Islam. I would even say sure you can call Israel your homeland even though it's not, whatever.

By the way when Israel declared independence Israelis didn't force Arabs out of their homes. The Arabs all ganged up on Israel and attacked. The Arab league told those people leave your homes, we will kill all the Jews then you can come back. Welp they lost. Tel Aviv wasn't there before 1920s, dipshit. Most of Israel has been build on ceded, legally purchased land.

The amount of private land that was taken from innocent people occurred as insulation from terrorism from a war six other fucking countries started at once. Israel is genocidal huh, Israel has never once fired the first shot in any war its ever been in. Think on that you limp ugly bitch.

We're a community, a family. That's what Judaism is. By the way, that's what the people in those kibbutzim were doing too. They were peace activists, pro Palestinian peace activists, lol. They tricked them for twenty years, multiple generations, being their friends.

But Hamas doesn't want peace and they openly say it over and over and over again to you dumb fucking imbeciles, over and over and over. No peace, no compromise, no ceasefire. They want total annihilation of Israel and Jews world wide. That's their agenda. Don't even fucking come back if you can't acknowledge that this is what they want to do.

Palestinian Arabs can't even pronounce the word Palestine in Arabic lmao. It's not got any Arabic etymology. It was a slur to mock US, THE JEWS, by the romans. Can you pickup a G-d damn history book and read for once in your piss baby life?

[acourtofkindness]

Thank you for sending in all the stories, here you can find the collection! Some of these are one-shots, some are longer stories, just click your way through them and also check out their other fics!

Dear Lucien, Dear Elain: An Epistolary Fic

by @zenkindoflove and @crazy-ache After the winter solstice in ACOSF, Elain and Lucien exchange letters as a means to get to know each other away from prying eyes. This fic is a collection of those letters.

Summer Heat

by @zenkindoflove Summer Court is hosting the Summer Solstice Summit and the Night Court is sending their best emissaries to attend. It will be Elain's first time mingling in another court, and it's a good thing she has an expert guiding her: the mate she's been ignoring for the last two years. Meanwhile, Eris has been sent to the summit to spy on Summer's developments. What he doesn't anticipate is entangling in a steamy, forbidden romance.

playgirl

by @damedechance Under the anonymous screen name witch_hazel, Elain Archeron has been moderating the chatroom of rising OnlyFans creator, swiper-no-swiping (Lucien) for a little less than a year. When he comes to Velaris from out of town, they agree to meet up, and the unspoken attraction between them reaches a boiling point.

Separate My Body From My Soul

by @crazy-ache from the fic summary: When Lucien Vanserra is held captive by his father in the cruel depths of Autumn, there is only one force more powerful than politics that can save him—his mating bond with Elain Archeron. She must make the choice to save him, even if it means binding their souls forever.

Realizations, Finally

@trappedoutside124 (ao3) The meeting of the High Lords in Adriata means that Elain will be face-to-face with her mate for the first time in months. Despite herself, she can't help but wonder where he goes each evening when he leaves the castle with Vassa and Jurian. So, she decides to find out.

The Dance of Day

by @wyse-ink (ao3) It's not the first time Elain thinks she could get used to the perks of the Day Court, even if she can't get her mate out of her mind.

The Things that Go Bump in the Night

by @fieldofdaisiies At breakfast Elain and Lucien’s daughter has some questions about the things she heard the previous night, a little afraid her parents were fighting, and of course Nesta and Cassian are present, making it even more uncomfortable; this is inspired by a scene from bad moms 3

Our Hearts Still Beat the Same

by @zenkindoflove "She stood on the bridge for a few minutes, hoping that the rain might wash away the seething anger and bottomless anguish that crackled under her skin. More, more, more, repeated again and again to a steady beat. His heart beat." Elucien, Two-shot, Post-ACOSF. Part One is Cozy Tension. Part Two is all smut.

They Say I Did Something Bad

by @separatist-apologist Elain Archeron's fiance is a total stranger to her, though his family's reputation for cruelty and avarice is not. Dreading a lifetime with a cruel, cold man, Elain decides to have one last night of freedom. Attending an infamous masquerade ball, Elain meets a stranger who offers to show her pleasure beyond her wildest dreams. It's just one night of debauchery. What could possibly go wrong?

Emissaries With Benefits

by @velidewritesWhen diplomacy fails, Prythian courtiers Elain and Lucien like to resort to a steamier kind of negotiation.

I Know Places We Won't Be Found

by @separatist-apologistapologist They'll be chasing their tails trying to track us down Elain Archeron and Lucien Vanserra are two sides to the same coin, not that they'd ever know it. After nearly four years of ignoring each other, the mating bond between them, and their trauma, Lucien has had enough. While Lucien is ready for resolution, Elain is still trying to figure out who she is now that she's not human, and unravel her cauldron-blessed powers which seem to intensify with each passing year. When an accidental street fire prompts Elain to call Lucien for help, Lucien decides to take Elain from the Night Court entirely, effectively kidnapping her. Tucked away in the Spring Court, far from prying eyes, Elain will have to reconcile who she was as a human with who she is as a Fae, and decide if the man she's mated to is who she wants to spend the rest of her immortal life with.

I Like You

by @fieldofdaisiies Elain decides that she is ready to make a move towards Lucien. And yes, it is a bit sad.

All You Have Is Your Fire

by @clockwork_ashes (on ao3) 'I can hear your heart beating through the stone.' For the briefest of moments, Lucien wondered if his mate would know exactly when his heart’s steady rhythm came to a sudden stop. Elain goes to the Autumn Court demanding an audience with the High Lord to save the mate she can barely stand to be in the same room with. She ends up having to stay much longer than she bargained for.

Tales of the Fox & the Fawn

by @lucienarcheron A series of short snippets to fill my Elucien heart <3

Heading Straight to You

by @lucienarcheron Inspired by a tumblr post I've also linked below: "I need elain to have her anthony bridgerton moment where lucien asks if she wants him to sever the bond and leave & she goes “do you think there’s a corner on this earth that you could travel to far enough to free me from this torment? you are the bane of my existence. and the object of all my desires." So I decided to give elucien their own bridgerton moment :) Enjoy!

This Time, I'm Ready

by @lucienarcheron Inspired by Long Story Short by TS. I was listening to it randomly and a scene of Elain started playing out in my head. Recommend listening to it while reading :)

Throw Me To The Flames

by @separatist-apologist Elain only ever meant to deliver a message to Vassa on behalf of her sister's court. She never intended to see Lucien. And she CERTAINLY didn't mean to get in the way of a knife that was only ever meant for his chest. Kidnapped, and dragged helpless to the continent, the two will have to work together if they want to survive.

The Last Of The Real Ones

by @separatist-apologist I'm here in search of your glory, there's been a million before me; that ultra kind of love you never walk away from. Elain Archeron finds fate to be cruel when her youngest sister, Feyre, cuts down a wolf one frozen, winter night and a beastly Faerie Lord named Tamlin demands retribution in the form of her life for the Fae lost. Elain is dragged into Prythian and eternal Spring where a mysterious blight has made magic more dangerous than ever. Navigating eternal Spring is made more difficult by Tamlin's infuriating emissary Lucien Vanserra and his sharp tongue. As the blight spins out of control, Elain will have to decide how far she's willing to go to keep her new home safe. ACoTaR re-write; just come inside.

Sounds of Summer

by @animezinglife Time seems to move more slowly in the Summer Court, and Lucien and Elain take in every second. A short scene of the two in Summer.

Never Not Mine

by @separatist-apologist Elain Archeron has been betrothed to the seventh born son of Autumn for as long as she can remember. With her family's reputation in the balance, Elain is resigned to her fate. That doesn't mean she has to like it...or that she has to make it easy for him.

[wheredidhiseyebrowsgo]

Hi!

First off, this is my first time asking for some fic recs. but thank you for your service. I am new to this fandom but have been in MANY other fandoms and you are doing some fine work, friend. Hats off to you!🫡

Now onto my fic search, I just read “A Tiny Bit of String” by bunnymaccool. It was absolutely lovely, but only a one shot and I need more! I was wondering if there are any other fics out there similar to it, namely where some or all of the Hales magically return and Derek has to deal with suddenly having his family back? Or any other Fix-It Alive Hale Family fics. Preferably Sterek, but non-ship related would be fine too. Thank you for your help!! :)

Yeah I think so.

A Tiny Bit of String by bunnymaccool

(1/1 I 14,283 I Teen I Sterek)

The pulling of a single bit of string can sometimes, perhaps, unravel the entire piece of knitting.

Sometimes the universe decides it has taken too much… and chooses to give back.

***

Castle On The Hill by thegirlnamedcove

(3/3 I 4,742 I Teen)

“I figured it out!” Stiles skidded into the loft at ten at night, all noise and kinetic energy. Derek was parked in an armchair up against the picture window, a book in his lap, and irritation growing by the second. “What?” “Magic. I figured it out. Well, some of it, the important parts, hey how opposed are you to bloodletting?” He sighed and snapped his book shut, rising from the chair to head Stiles off before he started poking around trying to find Derek’s knives. “Moderate to very. What did you figure out?” “Derek. I can bring them back. The Hales, your family, I can bring all of them back.”

Dream of Life Again by BarlowGirl

(1/1 I 18,321 I Explicit)

“You better be ready,” Lydia says as she cleans dirt out from under her nails with an antiseptic wipe. Stiles can smell the lemon scent even from where he stands a few feet away. She’s probably going to end up covered in blood in a few moments, but she likes to be in control in any way she can, so he doesn’t tease her about this. “It’s time to start.”

“I’m ready,” Stiles says and he’s pretty sure it’s not even a lie. Hopefully.

Scott, Stiles, and Lydia each sit at one point of the triskelion that Lydia’s drawn on the tarp. The center is a tight knot of some language Stiles had never even heard of before this, written in ink in tiny writing. It’s beautiful and also makes him slightly nauseated. Lydia makes both cuts, so the blood drops from Stiles’ arm and Scott’s, too, into the center of the triskelion. There’s wolfsbane on Scott’s knife, not enough to make him sick, but enough to keep him from healing too quickly.

It’s a surprisingly simple thing, after that, for what they’re doing. Blood, a few words, and a little magic.

Just those things, and, for the first time in three years, Laura Hale gasps in a breath.

No Other Love by Idday

(1/1 I 18,745 I Teen)

And maybe it’s irony, or the universe at work, or maybe it’s just Derek Hale’s shitty luck, but that’s when, at that exact moment (as Stiles will swear later), there’s a knock on the door. “Laura?” Derek breathes in disbelief, and Stiles feels his own face fall into confused slackness. Because the girl standing in the doorway? The last time Stiles had seen her—or, well, half of her—she’d been very naked, and very, very dead. “Hey, baby bro,” she says with a grin. ... OR: The one where Laura comes back from the dead, and it turns out to be bad for Stiles, because he’s suddenly spending a lot of quality time with one of the coolest people he’s ever met, and her brother. The guy that he might be just a little in love with. He's not okay.

Oh Alpha, My Alpha OR Pack. Finally. by iLuvSteterundSterek

(15/? I 30,680 I Teen)

What if Lydia resurrected Laura instead? And what if Derek gave the alpha spark back to the rightful alpha? The Hale Pack might finally regain control over Beacon Hills. The only problems may be the emissary who failed his pack, and the hypocritical wolf who thinks that Beacon Hills and Stiles are his.

AND

@lovesouthernsweettea suggested this one!

One More Again by HelloWhyTheFuckAmIHere

(16/16 I 22,238 I Not Rated I Sterek)

When a strange man appears in the Hale Pack territory with an unusual proposition for Stiles and Lydia, Stiles is unable to resist going back in time to stop the Hale House fire.

Even after a few bumps in the road, Stiles finds himself in the past with one nearly-insurmountable goal - getting Talia Hale and the rest of her family to trust him with their lives.

[forabeatofadrum]

Ever After (22/22) - COMPLETE

Notes: I did it! I finished it before the 25th! 🥳

Thank you @klaineadvent for hosting, as usual! Till the next advent.

AO3 | S&C

–

EPILOGUE

One year later

--

Tickets to New York Comic Con are way too expensive.

Blaine would know, since the credits that his parents gave him a year ago are, to no one’s surprise, utterly useless. He and Kurt had to pay in dollars!

But it’s a special occasion. It’s a reunion of the cast of The Cooper Chronicles movies, including the actor who played Blaine. But they’re not here for him. They’re here because B.D. Dalton is making an appearance, which is basically unheard of.

B.D. loves her privacy and has barely made any public appearance since the final movie came out. But she’s made an exception for the anniversary.

“I am going to see my creator,” Blaine mutters and he and Kurt take a seat in the convention hall.

“Yup.”

“So weird.”

“She won’t know, though.”

Of course she won’t. Apart from Kurt, no one knows the truth. Kurt and Blaine have created a story for Blaine. He’s Blaine Anderson, originally from a town in the middle of nowhere in America, and he’s lost his parents in an accident, so he moved to the big city to start anew. He and Kurt met in New York, but lost contact. Blaine then found Kurt again, and no one can disprove it. It helps that Santana believed herself to be high when Blaine arrived. She totally hallucinated this fire portal! What a trip!

It also helps that no time had passed on Earth when Kurt was in Daltonia. That was a huge relief for Kurt. No worried friends and family! No awkward explanation of where he’d been for days! When Blaine heard, he was happy for Kurt, although he did wonder if that means that time in Daltonia is now stopped.

But Kurt didn’t think so.

“I never belonged in Daltonia, so the world I am from was halted to a stop while I was there. You, on the other hand, do belong on Earth now,” Kurt had explained, and he had a reason for thinking that Blaine was at home on Earth. It’s thanks to his mother.

It’s been a year since Blaine moved to this world, and he’s getting used to it. He doesn’t regret his choice, especially since he now lives with Kurt, Rachel and Santana in the loft. Waking up next to Kurt is a dream come true, and it makes it all okay. He’s still as directionless as before, and even more so, since he has to adjust to a new world, but he’s also more optimistic than ever.

The panel starts and Kurt and Blaine applaud loudly, together with the many other fans.

It starts off rather boringly. Everyone talks about their experiences filming the movies and what not. Blaine hasn’t seen the movies. He still hasn’t even read the books. Maybe he never will. It is still too strange for him.

But when it’s time for the audience to ask questions, he sits up.

Kurt’s hand flies up.

“Yes, you,” the moderator points towards him.

Kurt stands up. He talks about how much he loves the book series and the movies, and how happy he is to see B.D. in the flesh.

“My question is for B.D.,” he continues, “If any of your characters would come to life, what would you say to them?”

“Any?” B.D. asks.

Kurt nods.

“Well, that is easy. I would tell them I love them,” she says with a warm smile, and Blaine instantly believes her.

The audience also coos and awwwws.

Blaine also raises his hand.

“Yes, with the bowtie?” the moderator says.

Kurt sits down and Blaine gets up instead.

“Uh, hi B.D.”

“Hello,” she says back.

“If, uh- Imagine your world were real. Daltonia were real. And it would exist alongside this one, do you think it’d be possible for people between them to be connected?”

B.D. blinks a couple of times. She did not expect that question, which is fair, because it sounds ridiculous. Only Kurt and Blaine know the truth.

“I don’t think so, because Daltonia is a world of fiction,” she answers, obviously. She frowns. “May I ask… Connected how?”

“Well, I found out that the character of queen Pamela was originally planned for another book. You repurposed her for this series.”

“True.”

“And, uh, what if- I mean… What if because of that, queen Pamela would always be a bit, uh, off within the world of Daltonia?”

That is Kurt and Blaine’s theory. When Kurt found out about queen Pamela’s character, he immediately started theorising. What if queen Pamela also didn’t fully belong in Daltonia, even though she never knew? And if so, then her child may be the same. Maybe that is why Kurt, who definitely didn’t belong in Daltonia, reacted towards Blaine’s potions and why Blaine was able to read the books, even though they came from a different world.

It’s a theory, though, and they may never get an answer. Definitely not now. B.D. Dalton seems absolutely confused by Blaine’s question, and of course she is.

“Never- Never mind,” Blaine says. It was a bit unfair to expect an answer from B.D.

“No, it is an interesting thought!” B.D. reassures him, “Pamela did come from a story that took place on Earth, even though it was still a work of fiction. And I hope I didn’t write her as an outsider, but it’s true she’s the one character who wasn’t originally created for Daltonia. So who knows?”

It’s an open question to a weird question, but Blaine takes it.

“Yeah. Who knows? Thank you.”

Blaine sits down again. Kurt puts his hand on Blaine’s leg and they continue listening to the panel. At one point, another fan asks if B.D. has ever thought about continuing the series in any way, be it through a sequel, a prequel, or something set in Daltonia.

“No, Daltonia is over for me,” B.D. says, “I have said it before, and I’ll say it again: I have no interests in revisiting it. I think the books ended where I wanted it to end, and I don’t want to risk besmirching that.”

“But you’ve really never thought about what the characters would be up to now?” the fan presses on.

“Never,” B.D. says with a smile, “I have no control over the Chronicles Club anymore. I’d like to think stories live on, even without the author’s interference. And you are free to use your own imaginations, but for me, I have let them go on.”

Kurt squeezes Blaine’s leg and their eyes meet. They share a look. They know that B.D. is right, and it’s their inside joke in a way.

The panel ends. The moderator thanks everyone for coming and the cast and B.D. leave the stage with a huge applause. Then, the convention room slowly empties.

Blaine follows Kurt out, but it’s so crowded, and he loses Kurt in the crowd. That’s fine. Blaine’s adapted to this nifty device called a cell phone. He can call Kurt. He first follows the stream of people, just to be sure, but it’s no use.

Blaine has to make the phone call. He can do it.

He sneaks off to another room, opening a door without reading the sign. He needs a quiet spot.

“Oh.”

Blaine looks up.

B.D. Dalton and two other people are standing in this small room. Blaine must’ve accidentally gone backstage, or what they call it.

“Sorry, sorry, I wanted to make a phone call!” Blaine sounds apologetic, “I will… leave.”

“Wait a minute,” B.D. says. Blaine stops in his tracks. “You asked the question about queen Pamela.”

“Uh. Yeah.”

“… What was your name?” B.D. asks and she looks at him, really looks at him.

“Blaine. Blaine of- Anderson.”

“Blaine,” B.D. says with a hushed voice. Her eyes are basically staring into his soul. Does she recognise him for who he really is?

That is silly.

“Like the prince,” she says, sounding awed and confused, as if she’s glad to see him but can’t understand why.

“Like the prince,” Blaine confirms with a smile. If only she knew.

She keeps looking at Blaine for a while. The other people in the room are confused. But then she quickly shakes her head and laughs quietly, as if she’s realising something funny. The moment has passed.

“Nice to meet you, Blaine,” she says, voice normal and professional, “Now go before security thinks you’re a stalker.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

Blaine leaves the room with his heart beating in his chest. For a moment, B.D. recognised him. She might believe it was silly of her, but she did. Blaine doesn’t know what that means, but it makes him feel happy and warm.

“Oh, there you are!”

Kurt walks towards Blaine.

“Sweetheart, I lost you in the crowd.”

“I’m here!” Blaine says. His face is glowing. He is so happy. Kurt notices.

“Anything interesting going on?”

“I will tell you later,” he says, “At home.”

He first needs to sit with it for a while. He’ll probably never speak B.D. Dalton again, but it’s fine. He has this moment.

“Ready?” Kurt takes Blaine’s hand. They’re going to a merch hall. It’s going to be weird to see different interpretations of Cooper in fanart.

Blaine gives Kurt a quick kiss.

“Yes. Lead the way.”

--

End notes: And that's a wrap for this year. Thank you all for reading and coming along on this ride. I had a lot of fun writing it, and it reminded me how much I love writing Klaine. We all love Klaine! That's why we're here, eh?

I also had a lot of fun creating Daltonia. Maybe I'll make a post with my inspirations for this fic, but that will have to wait. Now, I am going to celebrate the holidays with family. Goodnight, and till next year (which is in a few days)!

[shapeshiftersvt]

M'Mothm'n.

Here's the thing about the Mothman. Even though he scared the ever-living shit out of the people who saw him, the speculation around him has become, over the years, actually very kind. What if he's only here to help? What if he's trying to warn us about impending disaster? What if that horrible feeling you got that something wasn't right, what if that was the Mothman telling you to look out, be careful, danger is coming, doom is nigh?

It's one thing to be a harbinger of doom; there are apparitions of ghostly black dogs all over the world that will give you that, red eyes and all. It's another to have one who actually means well.

I'm going to be an Old Queer for a minute, now, and talk about gay politics in the USA as I watched it over the past thirty years. My experience is my own; my history is shared, but not universal. Sound off in a reblog if you saw it happen differently. I want your story, too.

There’s a certain line the right wing in this country likes to use against The Gays, one I’ve heard since I was a small child. It goes: queer people are threatening our way of life. Queer people are the pebbles that start the avalanche of apocalypse, the collapse of civilization as we know it. If marriage becomes something other than Man + Woman, or if Man and Woman become something other than we think they are, then we will lose everything we know and love.

The rise of the Respectable Gay in the 1990s was a pushback against this. “See,” cried Degeneres and Savage and all the rest, “see how we’re so very normal? We want to get married and buy a house and have 2.1 kids and a white picket fence. Our marriage doesn’t threaten yours. How could it? We’re just normal, ordinary, white, moderately wealthy, people. We're like you."

This move shifted the narrative across the 90s and 00s. Homosexuality was officially decriminalized in '03, and we got gay marriage in 2015, and every year in between there was another Influential Gay Person saying "I just want to get married, that's all." There were even commercials about it, remember? “Gay marriage is just like yours. Only gayer.”

But... in the mid-2010s this was already wearing thin. Transgender people, gender non-conforming people, gays who didn’t go in for two-person marriage, everyone in the greater LGBTQ+ umbrella who had thrown their support behind gay marriage and waited our turn to get our rights; we'd all been mobilizing, too. We'd been putting together our own coalitions, under the aegis of the greater umbrella or not. And, here's the crux: we were, in fact, threatening the right-wing Christian ways of life. Just by existing in public, by talking and writing and performing and living our lives during the Transgender Tipping Point, trans and non-binary people like me were challenging the foundational definitions of Man and Woman as exclusive, all-encompassing categories of humanity.

It wasn't just the right, either. Straight liberals who were totally on board with gay marriage would look at us and say, "um, wait, really? Really, like that? Do you have to?" The discomfort was palpable. This was my experience with my own family; they were fine with me dating and getting married, but a new set of pronouns was forcing something on them. It was hurting something intrinsic to their identities. It was, in a very real way, threatening them.

I'm happy and grateful to say that most of them learned to discard the parts of their own foundations that excluded me from existence. This is rarely easy for anyone. I'm honestly proud of those members of my family who have learned to look the Mothman in the eyes, so to speak, and think, "He's just here to help."

("Pop your hood up," I told this model, "and look at them. They should see their impending death in your eyes."

Layton is an incredible model, a great human, and they know and love the Mothman. They knew exactly what I meant.)

It can be awful, sometimes. When I'm unapologetically myself in public, I can walk past a line of protesters at Planned Parenthood and see the hostility rise up, the anger and revulsion and fear. And I do think it is fear, at the core of it. I think something in them knows that I'm just one of 2.6 million transgender people out here, living my life, casually being a harbinger of their doom.

Next time they come to Brattleboro, I ought to greet them with red glasses and a twelve-foot wingspan.

[greenapplespider]

Happy Blorbo Blursday from the Creators Club. Has your character ever lost someone important to them? How has this loss (or lack thereof) affected their current interpersonal relationships? What would they do if they lost someone close to them now?

In my story ‘Blood in Moderation’ loss and death are major aspects of the story. Not a single character operates within the setting absent of it.

For this ask I’ll examine the character Damian.

Damian is a young man who, at the start of the story, lives cooped up in his father’s apartment. The rest of the building abandoned and run down, situated in one of the poorest parts of the city. Well below his father’s upper-middle class station, but it was easier this way considering what Damian was. A child touched by magic.

Magic was a thing of particularity in the DVR, usually a signifier of prestige and wealth; a thing of noble pedigree. But among common and low-born men it was a thing of danger- a public safety hazard. For how could a working class family provide for- manage and control- a child who could potentially blow up a city block in a fit of rage or frustration?

The short answer being, better men had determined such a thing far above the station of the less well-to-do. And thus, these gifted children were taken, becoming wards of the state- often never seen or heard from again by their families and friends.

Damian’s magic first presented itself when he was 11- his mother left shortly after, "… unable to handle the stress", his father had put it. Damian’s world shrunk that year- his father pulled him out of school, he stopped seeing his grandparents- his father forced him into magic restraints- and his life became the four walls of their new apartment. His father promising he wouldn’t let them take him away.

Damian’s father became the only thing he had of the outside world.

At 17 he was nearly stir crazy- but, if he left and entered the world he would surely lose his father. Damian hoped he’d be able to forgive him.

—

Thanks for the ask <3 @bardic-tales @creators-club

[iaminsideyourwalls]

Sorry for the ask so soon after my first one, but really, I would love to hear about any head canons you'd like to share! :O Do you have a favorite merc?

Don’t apologize for asks, I love asks! I even put it in my bio.

You couldn’t ask a parent to pick a favorite child could you??? ;_; (although I do think about sniper every day.) I’ll give you a headcanon for all of them then.

Scout

he retained some French from when he was little. He’s not good at it in general but is a lot better at understanding it than speaking it. He can eavesdrop on Spy but can’t conjugate être. I also like versions of Scout that speak Spanish when people hc his mom as Latina.

Sniper

one of my all time favorite headcanons is Māori Sniper. Also, if you’ve seen this blog you’ll know i believe he’s an autistic king.

Engineer

I know a lot of people tend to portray him as a tender, kind, empathetic guy but I genuinely don’t think he’s ever felt empathy or genuine compassion in his life. Sure he knows how to act sweet and polite and soft and nonthreatening all the time but no matter how long you’ve known him, if you get in his way he’s already designing a new machine in his head to blow you away into the last century.

Demoman

Objectum Demoman is one of my all-time favorites. For real. I will genuinely ship him with eyelander, idgaf.

Soldier

I really love trans soldier headcanons. His transmasc swag is off the charts. It’s hard to come up with hcs for Soldier because he’s so fucking wild you could put him in any situation and it could be true. Lived in a diving bell for two years? Sure. Favorite food is un-husked kernels of wheat? Absolutely. Replaced his dick with his big toe so he could use it to walk? I could go on.

Heavy

during and after he obtained his phd in Russian literature he published a number of fiction books under a pen name. They’re all tasteful romances with subplots of political intrigue. They gained high critical praise and are still moderately popular in bookstores in Russia and some neighboring countries. all the royalties from sales go to his family. He’s also an autistic king.

Pyro

I don’t have many headcanons for pyro because I like keeping the whole mystery. I don’t wonder what’s under the mask or come up with possible names because I think the whole of the character is that mystery. But I will say that as great as unicorns and rainbows and cupcakes are, there’s really nothing Pyro loves more than hanging out with Engie in his workshop and pretending to help.

Medic

as far as my own headcanons, I have a lot. Here’s some. He does not have a driver’s license—he taught himself to drive by stealing a car. He’s insecure about his voice but he talks too much to really care. He’s always wanted a motorcycle. He puts drugs in his morning coffee. He doesn’t like classical music, he listens to the top 40s on the radio and sings along. The peppier the better.

One of my favorite Medic headcanons I ever heard was that he only has medical training as a veterinarian and I think that’s hilarious because it could absolutely be real.

Spy

He’s smart but he’s not as highly educated as he wants people to think. He never went to a university and maybe never even finished school. Just like Scout, he’s so damn good at what he does that he can afford to be more concerned with appearance and showing off than anything else. They’re both committed to making people see what they want them to see and nothing deeper.

[burningvelvet]

I completed Anne Brontë's Agnes Grey in one day yesterday. I'm in a book hangover, but here are my initial thoughts on the novel, as well as on Anne:

- Anne is an underrated Queen, but I already knew that from The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, her second novel. If only she hadn't died at 29! Agnes Grey was her first foray into novel publishing, and proves how much she developed her talents in the interim between itself and Tenant, which most people would agree is much better.

Yet, for a debut novel, Grey is nevertheless impressive. Her acute observations and descriptions of social experiences are some of the most clear I've ever read, and she was as adept in her satire as Jane Austen. After reading both her novels, Emily's only, and more than one of Charlotte's (Jane, and currently 1/4 through Villette) I can say she's certainly the most moral and progressive Brontë, and maybe even the most socially intelligent. There's a lot of humor in this book, and despite some of the dark themes, it never feels miserable.

Anne was a remarkably resolute woman, which comes through in both her heroines; even when they are oppressed and trapped in the most dire situations, they consciously refuse to adopt a victim mindset, instead trusting in their own strength and resilience. After enduring much suffering, both heroines trust in their faith, focus their energy on creating good lives for themselves, and by doing so achieve happiness in the end.

Anne Brontë's heroines are true examples of female stoics in the original philosophical sense, capable of great empathy and feeling as well as self-control and self-discipline. The Anne Brontë heroine has a quiet confidence about her. She champions moderation and common sense, not because she is boring or easily written off by the misogynistic epithet of "prude," but because she has witnessed true chaos and experienced true misery, and these things have served to make her more calm because she does not internalize them but triumphs over them. She has decided to learn from life's lessons and seek a life of tranquility, simplicity, and faith.

- This novel has everything! We've got the (literally designated) not-so-reformed rake in Sir Thomas Ashby (and what a rakish name that is), we've got some demonic children, we've got a sexy country parson, religious discourse, depictions and poignant criticism of classism, sexism, marriage, animal abuse, etc.

- Mr. Hatfield is basically Mr. Collins from P&P. Matilda rejecting him was golden.

-- The beginning of this novel, summarized: "I can't wait to meet these amazing children I've heard so much about! Gee, I really hope they aren't sociopathic animal torturers! What are the odds, am I right?"

-- No wonder the Brontë's didn't succeed in setting up their own school -- being a governess or teacher was simply horrible back then, as it largely still is today, and I think for the most part some of them simply weren't cut out for the job to begin with -- which is saying nothing bad about them or their abilities. Maybe if they lived today they would have done well as teachers or professors with a little more modern structure and having workers rights, etc...

-- I like the short length of this novel! It goes by very fast, and I read the first 100 pages or so myself very quickly, and the rest in audiobook format, but this is very rare for me. I've become accustomed to the Brontë family "language." I'm glad I didn't start with this novel though; I think it's easier to appreciate Agnes Grey after reading their "greatest hits" (Tenant, Jane, and Heights). It definitely isn't my favorite Brontë novel but then again I don't have a favorite. They each fulfill slightly different functions yet have many overlapping themes, so it's difficult to rank them.

-- I think one of the reasons this novel may not be as popular as it could be is because the first half of the novel is generally bleak and this may cause people to give up. The narrator's life generally improves in the second half of the novel, but still, Grey does not have as much dramatic "umph" as does what I hereby dub the "Brontë Greatest Hits Triad" (Heights/Tenant/Jane) which all will prefer. Still, the novel is worth reading for any Brontë fans as it is good and contains many of the Brontë tropes we all know and love. It also stands as a marked contrast to Anne's second novel The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, and makes me appreciate that novel so much better.

[felixravinstills]

Hii im rly interested to know whT drew u to felix

Hahaha, you know I'm surprised that no one has sent this as an ask before! Anyway, thanks for the ask! I shall try to recreate the timeline of my growing obsession to best illustrate what happened, because honestly, I don't think any explanation can truly explain how we got here:

Pre-the movie, I already was super intrigued by the mentors (and also Gaul). I was actually moderately intrigued by President Ravinstill as a precursor to Snow, but I paid no special interest to Felix. (except debating occasionally whether he was genuinely nice to Dill). But I was really interested in getting any crumb of the mentors that I possibly could.

I didn't watch the movie right away (my family was about to take a trip around the time it came out. we were busy), but I'm not really a spoiler person, so I heard about it. I somehow did not hear about Felix dying

On January 4, I was severely jetlagged and decided to watch the movie when I couldn't go to sleep.

Felix's first scene came on. The line "Have you tried this lamb? It's scandalous!" was said. I was enthralled, because who says that?

I don't think that was actually enough to get me to fully go all in on Felix, but I do remember thinking "what if I made this my whole personality" <- little did I know that that was an omen

Truly, I don't think I would have gotten this insane this quickly about Felix if he didn't die in the movie. That sealed the deal. Pact made in blood. I have a penchant for liking doomed characters. Maybe my favorite character traits are death flags idk. Friends have watched movies with me, and after I've declared a favorite character, they have preemptively declared that character dead.

Felix died. My first legitimate reaction was "omg, I killed him."

I wasn't insane from the moment the movie stopped, but on the 4th, I had made this sideblog (it wasn't originally called felixravinstills tho). 5 days later, I had started writing my Felix/Festus/OC fic, Close Your Eyes, and by the 21st, I had downloaded everything necessary and created my first ever gif

And now I'm here. Still here but having fallen farther into cursed Ravinstill brainrot.

Thanks again for the ask and letting me recount the events leading to now! I doubt it really explains anything, but it is what it is!

[thestalwartheart]

Hellooo I thought I might bang out some incoherent thoughts following your post about the influx of Blanc fans who hate Bond (or think they do because they've never actually bothered to watch any of the films) since I can't sleep :). I mentioned in my reply to your post earlier that a lot of people can't handle the idea of being emotionally invested a piece of media where the main character is morally ambiguous which genuinely annoys/terrifies me. It would be interesting to get a sense of how you/others actually became Bond fans in the first place and some of the reactions you get from people if you tell them. I get that part of the appeal for Benoit is that he's a bit of a blank slate. You can really project whatever you want onto him because he intentionally doesn't have many defining characteristics, other than the fact that he's queer and has a killer wardrobe. He's always in control of every situation he's in as well as his emotions and understandably, he makes you as a viewer feel safe. Like I get that and I love him dearly but he's also ripe for a certain kind of fan to be really really annoying. I also remember during the glass onion press tour when Edward Norton would always say in interviews that he thought Daniel was more Blanc than Bond in real life and when someone told Daniel about that he was basically like "what the fuck is Ed on about??" which I thought was hilarious. Not to read too deeply into it but I genuinely feel like so much of what he brought to Bond comes from his soul and I always got the sense that his Bond films are deeply personal, which is why they have us out here crying and throwing up. Anyway, thank you for all you have given to the Bond/00Q/Daniel Craig enjoyer community, you are truly a gem <3

I became a Bond fan when I was about twelve and my mother decided moderating film content for a girl about to enter high school was a useless endeavour. Pierce Brosnan was my first Bond. It was the gadgets that hooked me in, mostly, but I grew up after that point watching the films and loving them. Casino Royale was the first one I ever saw in cinema and I'll never forget the tension during that poker game with Le Chiffre. You could really hear the audience's teeth grinding with the stress lol.

I've never really heard any adverse reactions from people when I tell I'm a fan of Bond, but that might be because Daniel Craig's interpretation of the character seems to have lent the films a certain credibility that people aren't as willing to extend to the previous films. At worst, people think it's a bit naff that I like them, which...yeah sure. It probably is! But cringe culture is dead and I am enough of a critical thinker to enjoy problematic or morally ambiguous content without believing any of it should happen in real life. For instance, I think had there been a real public inquiry into intelligence services like M faced in Skyfall, I would probably take the side of the opposition. But it's Bond, so I was cheering M on while she quoted Tennyson.

The best way I can sum my thoughts on Daniel Craig and Bond is to refer to the lovely Ben Whishaw, who said in this interview that Daniel was remarkably clever in the ways he managed to bring the franchise into the twenty-first century, while still being aware of the history of it.

Interestingly, he also said there actually is a lot of Daniel in Bond's character, which is something I was delighted to hear him point out. I mean, Daniel Craig will be the first to admit that he doesn't want to be anything like Bond (see this post for an example and a laugh). Yet, he manages to capture the really vulnerable core of Bond under all that masculine posturing. In the end, Bond has accepted that life isn't all about duty to your country. Love, friendship and family are the things that make you feel steady even when you feel like you're about to tear yourself apart. I can't imagine any previous iteration of Bond managing to carry off that message in a believable way. And I think it happened because Daniel Craig had an incredible, unprecedented amount of creative control over the character.

I'm sure the Knives Out films gave Daniel a wonderful reprieve from having to carry all that literary and film history, but he's so proud of those Bond films, and has said so over and over, even when he's been frustrated with the toll on his body and his personal life. They're great films, and, oddly enough, I think people are only realising it now that his era is over. I hope more people dive into them and see the passion he had for that role, even with all of its ups and downs.

The last thing I'll say is that some fans have a tendency to project their own joys, frustrations and preferences onto actors, assuming that they are, in some way, facsimiles of the characters they play. At the end of the day, Daniel Craig simply doing his job. The characters are brilliant because he is brilliant. It's not real life.

Anyway, I'll continue stanning both Bond and Blanc! Thanks for the ask, friend!

[mathlann]

Big Lore Dump be upon ye. Nothing necessarily in-game related but a bunch of stuff that probably won't get its own post.

The von Valancius ancestor that eventually led to Casimira was from a ne'er-do-well bastard line of the family from Scintilla centuries back. This forgotten von Valancius eventually got in trouble with the law, but like many a bastard noble too valuable to kill outright, he was given a gun and some provisions, dropped onto Iocanthos with others of his ilk and abandoned. He married a local and had a few kids before eventually growing restless and trying to amass his own warband. Unfortunately, he lacked the combat and leadership abilities his family and descendants would be known for, and thus he met a grisly end after a good 20 years on the planet. His passing went barely remarked upon and his presence likely would have been erased outright if not for the Sisters of the Orders Famulous at the Abbey of the Dawn keeping a record of it.

Cas' native language is Ashleen/Iocanthan High Gothic, an archaic dialect that isn't spoken off-world but is moderately intelligible with its modern counterpart due to the influences of Imperial settlement. She eventually learns standard High Gothic on its own but she does have fun using her own dialect when talking shit because while someone who knows standard High Gothic may get a vague gist of what she's saying to everyone else it sounds fancy enough that they probably won't catch on so long as her tone doesn't shift.

Vhaebos VI is probably the favorite of Cas' domain planets, despite (or because of) how miserable it is. She has a large manor on the planet and is a regular patron of the arenas. She takes more "rest stops" on Vhaebos VI than on Dargonus or Janus in part because as a positive side-effect of the hostile social and physical environment, many of her most annoying nobles and hangers-on think twice about following her there for any extended period of time.

As she gets more settled in as Rogue Trader Cas does develop a taste for luxury, even though she doesn't ever fully adopt the more cumbersome Imperial styles. She has a large collection of furs and jewelry and at least one of her fancier court gowns is made of color-shifting Vaporian silk. This mantua is probably the closest to what she casually wears on Dargonus, fancy but not too structured.

Hardly anyone has actually seen them in full, but Cas does have tattoos going up her arms and extending back to her shoulder blades. While they are mostly clan/culture related with a few religious motifs thrown in, there's a thin line between God-Emperor-honoring folk tattoos and "this seems Khorne-y" so she keeps her arms covered just to avoid the hassle.

Cas is not very good at showing certain negative emotions (fear, pain, anxiety, etc.) or having to rely on others when she's physically vulnerable. She doesn't necessarily judge other people for having those emotions but as the Leader™ she feels as though it's bad for her to show them so she prefers to ignore or deflect from those feelings when they occur (ie, "the officers don't get to know about my kidnapping, shut up and throw me a party"). The exception to this being if the other person she's talking to is going through the same thing, then the walls can come down a little, like during Heinrix's moment in Commorragh. Beyond that, any attempt to intimidate or be protective of her automatically puts her in fight mode. (Abelard has found a semi-reliable way around this through the art of harrumphing but even then she has a good chance of ignoring him.)

She's very family oriented. The Ashleen are a clan-based people and even beyond the four siblings she grew up with, the idea that wherever she went there was a good chance of being in some proximity to at least one or two distant kin was just her reality. And so going off-world for centuries-removed relatives she's never heard of, only to then have two of those relatives die and the other go off to be evil was deeply unsettling and isolating. Getting cut off from the Imperium, and thus her homeworld later did not help with those feelings in the least, even if it was ultimately for the best.

The above reason is also one of the many as to why the Werserians are Cas' favorite nobles. She and Abelard don't agree on a lot but his family is always reliable and not prone to internal squabbling.

Bonus YM-specific HCs, (for @poetikat lol 💕)

YM is publicly known to be a mutant (by accident of Her Ladyship's warp travel late in her pregnancy, a side-effect of his home planet's environment, or a sign of the God-Emperor's disfavor for his mother's close association with Xenos, depending on who you ask). He can almost be compared to a voidborn with his height and thinness, if not for his coloring being so unnervingly vibrant. And like the voidborn, among people newly introduced/not frequently in contact with him, he's almost universally considered to be somewhat unpleasant to encounter. It wasn't as noticeable when he was an infant/small child and even as an adult there's nothing obviously wrong about him per se but his general person is just....uncanny.

Despite her past flagrant impiety, perhaps in a fit of conscience (or pressing from her Seneschal) Cas had nearly every sanctification, public ceremony, and convention followed to a T before and after her son's arrival. All of this was done on Dargonus, except for his actual birth, which took place in the privacy of Vhaebos VI. The first few months of YM's life were spent there before his official presentation to the court at the capitol, to the dismay and suspicion of the type of nobles and church men who cared about that kind of thing.

Even though Astartia's death does complicate her relationship with the Werserians quite a bit, Cas arranges for some of the younger Werserians to be raised alongside her son in lieu of siblings of his own. She does this in the hopes that he will have some actual close connections to rely on when he eventually takes over the dynasty and these Werserians in turn all receive prestigious positions when they come of age, whether they end up serving on the flagship or not.

YM was an incorrigible child, an absolute terror at the palace from infancy. This slowly got better with age but with the exception of close friends he still maintains a certain capricious meanness and an overall carelessness with other people's well-being that, while probably in-line with most noble scions, has been known to go far enough (with people of status) to be a frequent cause for concern.

Like his mother, he is a frequent patron of Vhaebos VI's arenas and rewards his favorite gladiators handsomely. It's been said that he himself fights in the arena incognito, which he did as an adolescent once or twice due to a dare from friends, but not nearly as often as the rumors say.

Also like Cas, he speaks Ashleen, although not her level of fluency and as an adult acquires some of the same tattoos she has, particularly the clan-specific ones. He also has a few deed-related tattoos similar to those of Cas' sister Eisha, by his choice and as a consequence of his own adventures.

He's also mostly fluent in Aeldari (Drukhari dialect) and conversational in the Asuryani dialect. Neither group particularly likes this. But he is in semi-frequent contact with both factions of Aeldari due to the state of the Protectorate so the skill is useful.

He is a swordsman! Which he's quite good at, although he does have some nasty scars from a few close-calls. There's one vicious one on his left arm that he's especially proud of, from where a Khymera nearly split his upper arm in half diagonally.

His first important "Rogue Trader" journey on the Charybdis happened when he was a teenager, and it's rumored something terrible occurred on board during that time even though nobody actually speaks of what it was. He doesn't return as a regular member of the crew until his thirties.

In the interim decade or so between the Incident and when he started assuming a more hands-on role as heir, he just...disappeared from public life and was unable to be easily contacted. Allegedly he went off to go see the Expanse on his own, but curiously not on a von Valancius ship. Cas never made much of a fuss about it despite only a few blips of contact and various rumored sightings over the years. Eventually he returned, scarred and triumphant, and was welcomed back as though he never left.