#only works for me because the story's so good. I always LIKE Alfred but I'm rarely passionate about him yk? | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

zeawesomebirdie · 11 months ago

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hi !!!! did NOT consider you might like to have the ask again to answer it. if you do:

seeing you post about your old west au is motivating me to at least draft my stuff out for my fic, too!!! so, firstly: good god thank you. secondly, what kind of drafting process do you normally go through? you don't have to answer this but everyone i know is pretty particular about how they write so i'm always curious!!!

Gosh okay I'm still so embarrassed about accidentally posting this before it was ready!! Lesson learned: only work on long posts on desktop (very affectionate). I'm going to copy paste what I had originally said, but there will be added stuff because it wasn't anywhere near ready to go (if you thought it was long before, honey you ain't seen nothing yet!)

Also I still am so proud of you for working on your fic, we are writing buddies now hand in lovable hand I love you thank you for enabling my rambling <33

Buckle in, here we go!

SO! My drafting process is always a moving target. I do what works best for the work in question, and things change depending on my energy and fatigue levels plus my motivation and interest levels

So that said, right now my process usually looks like:

ramble at someone in DMs, copy and paste rambles into a google doc for safekeeping and marinating

zero draft, aka word vomit until a plot forms, block out actions and the occasional dialog, determine chapter and story arcs

first draft, aka Where The Real Writing Happens

optional second draft, but only if the fic is under 10k

line edits

post :)

find a bunch of typos that I somehow missed during line editing, fix those before anyone notices

I will be showing examples because this is a bit hard to explain and Extremely Intense to a lot of people, and yeah that's because it is! I approach writing fanfic the same way I approach writing original fiction, and I find it works best for me as a plotter

If you are metaphorically inclined and familiar with oil painting: I write the way an oil painter paints. First I block in the big shapes, the gestures, and the colours. Then I come back in subsequent drafts and increase the detail until I'm done!

Further information and actual examples of my drafts will be below the cut, because this is gonna be super long and I love talking shop ^.^

And general content warning for non-graphic violence and graphic smut (and shitty early drafts); the examples are from Bruce Wayne/Dick Grayson fics

So before we get into the zero draft, I want to point out two things: first, I do full rewrites. This is why writing takes me one million years. I retype each and every word in each and every draft. Second, I'm actually trying something new with the Old West!AU, for reasons I will explain in a moment!

I started doing full rewrites in 2019 after a college writing course, in which we read Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott; she encourages the reader to embrace the shitty first draft. I ended up really benefiting from a zero draft too, something I first learned about in 2020 from someone on authortube who I no longer remember the name of. The zero draft is essentially a pre-draft, in which one gets the gist of the story out of their system before the prose clogs up the spigot

For me, zero drafts are something that need to be finished as fast as possible in order to get done at all, so due to the sheer length of the Old West!AU, I'm trying out writing little bullet points instead of my full zero drafting. Right now this fic is at 27 chapters, and this is part 1 of 3 total. I will be going back and filling in the actual blocking once I have all the scenes roughly accounted for

Context for the Old West!AU: Bruce is the Bat, a vigilante gunman who only kills when he needs to but still has the fastest draw on this side of the Mississippi. Now that he's taken care of the man who killed his parents, he's returned home to his Uncle Alfred and gone straight, meaning that he's hung up his guns and gone back to homesteading the family land. He adopts Dick and then a year later Jason as well, when small burglaries start happening in town, so he takes the Bat out of retirement and goes to investigate.

My bullet points started out like this:

Open on comparison between Bruce's first gun and the Bat's guns. Introduce Joe Chill, general drunkard. The Bat calls out Chill, shootout, Chill is killed. Chill drew first. Moment of reflection between Bruce's first gunfight at 15 to this one, at 21. Bruce goes home.

And that's the whole entire first chapter!

However, now they look more like:

The Sheriff runs up and shoots at him. The Bat has him disarmed with his own gun barrel to his throat in an instant. It doesn't take the Bat much time to get info out of him either. The burglar is only going after small change, not enough to be noticeable. That rules out the gambler, easily. The Sheriff can't do shit about it, because no one is willing to start an investigation for such small change. The Bat shoves the Sheriff to his knees and is gone before he notices. Alfred is waiting for him when he gets home, and asks. Bruce tries to deny it, but the clothes are in his hands and he can't. So he sighs and says he may have made a promise, but… there might be more to this than there seems, okay? He just… has a bad feeling about it. Alfred can't accept this, what about his sons? Bruce can't take this, and tells him he doesn't have to. Their yelling wakes up Dick and Jason, who stand in the doorway to their bedroom and look on with the door mostly closed.

Eventually both Alfred and Bruce yell each other out, and they sit down for coffee as dawn breaks. Bruce breaks the silence first, saying Alfred is right. Alfred tells him he understands. Bruce decides to let the Bat go for real now.

This is about half of the chapter, and closer to the blocking I normally do in zero drafts

So far this pre-zero draft seems to be working, given I've already finished part 1, but I also can't wait to come back and do the blocking in because that's when the fic really starts to take shape!

Usually though, I just start with a zero draft. I'm going to show you two different fics for the zero draft examples, because they were done differently, and like I said at the beginning, I try to adjust my process based on what is called for by what I'm writing

This first is from the fic I'm writing for @ful-crum. It's a 5+1, in which it is five times Dick fucks Bruce to distract him from discussing his emotions plus one time they actually discuss their emotions and then fuck about it.

Tim and Jason turn up an hour later, and they're incredibly concerned. Dick waves them off. Tim takes him at his word and heads to bed (he has a meeting with Wayne Tech at 8am tomorrow, ugh), but Jason sits down next to the bed and asks Dick what he thinks Bruce is going to say. Dick tells him he's not sure, I mean, it's B, y'know? Jason just nods, and they lapse into silence. Then Steph and Cass come in, and Bruce is most noticeably not present. Cass signs something about bed, and Steph tells Dick that she's worried about Bruce, to which Jason snorts and says they all are, but she insists that Dick talk to him. Dick doesn't even need to take more than a moment to decide that won't be happening. But Steph goes to bed, and it's nearly 04:00 when Jason heads up too, saying he'd love to help Dick lecture Bruce about staying out late but he's got stuff to do tomorrow. Dick asks if he wants to know what stuff, and Jason gives him a smirk and says ask him no questions and he'll tell him no lies. Dick can live with that.

As you can see, this is just general staging directions and vibes

This second example was supposed to be for BruDick Week 2024, but I accidentally got carried away and ended up deciding to write a longfic for it instead. The prompt was "brudick meet their AU!selves," so I did 66!brudick meets the Gotham Rogues Polycule, an AU in which Bruce, Dick, and Clark are in a very elaborate polycule with half of Gotham's villains.

Batman and Robin were on a normal mission in the middle of the day, on the trail of Catwoman, who's been stealing from the Gotham Museum of Art again. One moment they were walking into the museum, the next they were in a weird swirl of energy. Robin clings to Batman and asks what's going on, and Batman tells him steady Robin, we just have to stay calm and see what happens. The energy clears as someone calls out “incoming! Clear the floor!” and they find themselves in what is clearly the Cave, except it's even more high tech than anything they've ever seen. There's three people in suits like theirs standing in front of a massive screen, and Robin identifies the Riddler immediately, even if he doesn't recognise the other two. Before Batman can stop him, he charges the Riddler, who jumps behind the man in black and blue with a laugh. Batman does call out for him to stop, but he ignores him. The man in black and blue meets his every move, almost like he's fighting himself, and he calls out to the man in red and blue “a little help here, Supes?”

The biggest difference here is how drastically these fics changed from their zero draft to the first draft rendition, and that is entirely because of how fleshed out they ended up being (or not being, lol)

When I zero drafted the 5+1, it was with the intention of that specific part simply being a chapter, whereas my original zero draft of the 66! meeting the polycule! fic was actually intended to be a two shot at most. I unfortunately lost control of the plot during the first draft of that one, and it spiraled into a longfic, which will become more clear in a bit!

Basically though, the goal of the zero draft is to know who's where and why at all times! With longfics, there is often a restructuring that happens after the zero draft is written, where I move scenes and sometimes whole chapters to their best locations. This is where I make the most use out of a beta! Pacing is a big struggle for me and it is easier to fix at this stage, before I have all the prose and have become attached to what I've written

Next up is the first draft, and this is a whole new document. This is where I write The Actual Words. This is more or less the final version of the fic, for longfics, give or take a few paragraphs and a shit ton of line edits. Having said that though, I write in fits and bursts, because y'know disabled and stuff. So I write a paragraph or two at a time, and I am constantly adding and subtracting words and lines and sometimes whole paragraphs while I am actively working on a chapter

I'm going to show the first draft versions of both of the above fics, and due to the length these will be extremely excerpted but they should serve as examples regardless. Generally speaking, my zero drafts are about 1/3 of the length of my finished fics, however the 5+1 is currently proving to be an exception so that number may not be super accurate

First, the 5+1:

“You did take care of them, right?” Dick asked, groaning when Jason’s mouth thinned as he looked away. “Is Steph at least still with him?” “Last I heard, they were—” Jason started, cutting himself off when the Cave’s alarm signaled the arrival of newcomers. A moment later, two muddy bikes roared into the garage, leaving dark tracks behind them as they parked haphazardly together on the far side of the garage. With the return of Black Bat and Spoiler, the only empty place on the garage floor now belonged to Batman himself. Dick tried to catch Jason’s eyes as they waited in the med bay for Cass and Steph to strip off their suits and join them, but Jason turned away from him, though he didn’t rise from the bed. Something must have gone down after he’d fallen unconscious, Dick was sure of it. Why else would Bruce have sent everyone else home early on a patrol night? He could already see it in his mind’s eye, Batman doing God-knew-what out in Gotham alone, Bruce coming home with a busted lip that Dick would have to personally clean up before they went to bed, how that lip would scab over and feel under his tongue when he kissed Bruce the next morning after waking up in their bed—Bruce’s bed—on accident. How that scab would stretch when the ghost of a smile caught Bruce by surprise after one of Dick’s terrible puns. “You okay?” Steph called across the Cave as she and Cass walked toward the med bay. “Never been better,” Dick replied, trying not to be put out at Jason’s eye roll. He put up a hand for Cass to inspect when she came up to his bedside, and after she had nodded her satisfaction of his health he smiled. “I’ll be right as rain in no time.”

And the 66! meets polycule! fic:

“You!” Robin shouted, not waiting for Batman to back him up as he charged toward the Riddler. Riddler didn't move—in fact, none of the three moved—then Robin was on him, punching his face hard enough to hear a distinct crack. That startled all three into action, Riddler swearing up a storm before throwing himself behind the blue masked man, who blocked Robin's next hits without hesitation. “Robin!” Batman called from somewhere behind him, but Robin ignored him, focusing his energy on striking past the masked man's defenses to get at Riddler. “I know you're behind this, you– you scum!” Robin snarled in Riddler's direction, placing a perfectly timed jab toward the masked man's left cheek and then feinting to the right. But the man met him easily, as though they were merely sparring. “I'm not who you think I am!” Riddler exclaimed, his hands cupping his face but doing little to staunch the blood streaming from his nose. “Let's slow down for a minute, okay?” the masked man said, his voice maddeningly level as if Robin wasn't trying every trick he knew to get past him. “We can explain.” “Yeah kid, there's a good explanation here, we promise,” Riddler added. Robin growled and spun around the masked man's reach only to find him once again directly blocking him from Riddler. How in the dickens did he know exactly where Robin was going to strike before Robin himself knew? And why on earth was he protecting the Riddler? “Supes, we could use a hand here,” the masked man said, still obnoxiously calm, once again blocking Robin's fist and this time circling his hand around Robin's wrist to twist his arm behind his back. In a blink, Robin was lifted into the air by his collar, the blue and red suited man holding him at arm's length. Robin continued to struggle for a moment, but finally Batman came into view, frowning up at him. Seeing Batman's disapproval took every bit of wind from Robin's sails, and he deflated instantly. If Batman didn't think he needed to fight, then he probably didn't need to.

So as you can see, I just kinda fill in the details with each draft!

Which is where we come to the optional second draft. I try, I really do try, to do a full second draft of everything I write. I always am glad to have done one, once it's done. The problem is, I really do have very limited energy, and anything longer than a chapter or two just doesn't get finished if I try to give it a full second draft. I've instead been doing really vigorous line edits, which I don't have an examples of because those are done in the same document as the first draft!

Now, you're probably wondering why on earth I gave a smut content warning at the beginning of this post. WELL.

I am calling myself out as a newbie when it comes to the art of smut writing. My 5+1 fic, the one where literally every single part has extremely explicit smut, has the following in the zero draft:

Yes, that is not one, not two, but three "cue smuts." Clearly I was new at this (affectionate)

Shout out to past!me for this in the last part though, because at least it actually has some semblance of blocking even if it is still extremely lacking:

The kissing escalates (as it often does) to smut over the desk (though Dick does try to move the documents out of the way, even if Bruce is growling at him to leave it alone; he doesn't want to be the reason Tim has another caffeine-induced breakdown).

I didn't figure this out until I was actually writing this fic, but it turns out I not only need to block in regular action scenes, I also need to block in the smut, because otherwise I will be sitting there having no fucking clue what to write (very affectionate)

So I now present what a zero draft of smut looks like! This is from a 5+1 in which there are five times Bruce and Dick fuck because of Poison Ivy's sex pollen and it "doesn't mean anything," plus one time they fuck because they actually want to:

Dick asks if they can take off their suits, it's too hot he's too hot, and Bruce says okay, that's a good idea, and internally he's panicking because oh no. Oh no. But the moment the words are out he sees the relief in Dick's face, and realises Dick needs to be told what to do right now, so he tells him clearly to strip, it'll help. Once Dick is fully naked in the other seat, he turns to Bruce and asks if he needs help with his armor. His hand is tentatively, almost shyly stroking his cock, and Bruce is really struggling to not watch. He tells him no, he doesn't, and takes off the chest plate and arm armor, but leaves what's left of his leg armor on. He decides he can safely put his hand under his boxers, but Dick makes a little noise, and when he looks over he can clearly see Dick watching him stroke himself. Oh fuck. He's cumming before he even realises it, his boxers getting wet and sticky and his cock still so maddeningly hard and he strokes himself through it, unable to stop himself from moaning even as he tries to keep himself in a clinical mindset. Dick asks to see him, and Bruce, despite knowing what a bad, horrible idea this is, pulls down his boxers to reveal his cock. Dick shifts his hand on his own cock to mimic what Bruce is doing, and Bruce has the horrible realisation that he doesn't even really know how to jerk himself off. Dear God, hopefully Alfred stays the fuck out of the Cave tonight.

So it's really just more of the same general blocking directions and vibes!

Another thing of note for zero drafts, I try to use as few words as possible to get what I need across. These are only ever intended to be seen by myself and a beta, assuming anyone else besides me even sees them at all, so I use slang and shorthand and leave notes for myself in the text itself

This can be a bit weird for when I show it to betas (or anyone else, for that matter!) because there are some fics where the tone or the vocabulary in the zero is incredibly modern despite the fic being in a historical or pre-modern setting!

And I have yet to actually write the first draft of that one, so I'm going to give you the first draft of the "Cue more smut (but this time against the batmobile 😌)" scene so that you can see the difference between the blocking and an Actual Scene:

Bruce had turned his back to him, bracing himself against the batmobile, and Dick took hold of Bruce's hip to hold him steady when he slid a finger into his hole. A soft moan was all he got in verbal response, but Bruce pushed against Dick's finger despite Dick's best efforts to do this slowly. Chuckling under his breath, Dick slid in a second finger, relishing in the clench of Bruce's muscle as he began working him open. “Easy, B,” he said softly, leaning over him enough to move his hand from Bruce's hip to his cock. Bruce growled and arched into his touch, taking in Dick's fingers completely. “Someone's in a rush tonight, huh?” He didn't get a verbal response, not that he ever did. Bruce rarely spoke while full, relying instead on nonverbal communication to indicate his needs. It hadn't taken long for Dick to become acquainted with his movements back when they started this; after all, fucking was no different from fighting, not for them, not when they had flown side by side across Gotham for more than half of Dick's life. And Dick knew Bruce would always try to get him to rush just a little, knew he'd give in like he always did, wanting to have his cock inside Bruce as soon as physically possible just as much as Bruce did. He wasted no more time, sliding his fingers out and releasing Bruce's cock just long enough to slick up his own. The small whine from Bruce at the loss of contact ought to be ignored, ought not be acknowledged, and Dick knew that, but he couldn't resist leaning over to kiss the small of Bruce's back. Bruce huffed at him, glaring over his shoulder. Dick met his eyes with a grin. Then Dick gripped Bruce's hip again, holding him steady while Bruce leaned back to meet him, and slipped into his tight heat. There was a soft moan from Bruce the moment he bottomed out; Dick leaned forward again to kiss up his spine, keeping his cock buried deep even while Bruce began to rock back into him.

I do think the fic for @ful-crum would be easier if I had proper blocking for the smut, but also I do love a good challenge and you live and you learn, so I'm not super invested in going back and blocking in the smut at this point in time!

And honestly, once the line edits are done that's pretty much it!

I keep a little "posting info" doc for each and every fic I write, to which I add tags as I come to them in writing, so that I don't have to think about what needs to be tagged at the end after I've already forgotten what I've written. That has saved my butt so many times ngl, especially for longfics!

But really what keeps me from posting more often, despite how much I write, is that I fully finish fics before I post them, even if I'm posting them on a weekly or whatever basis. This is mostly because I can't guarantee when I'll need to randomly take several months off of writing, and I don't want to leave anything unfinished, but also because I don't want to actually end up leaving something unfinished for a few years until I cycle back into the fandom

And that's it!! Thanks for tuning in to this little master class :) If I can clarify anything please let me know; I tried to explain everything that I thought needed it but I can never tell what others will need more clarification on!!

And also, thanks again for asking this!! I don't know many people who do full drafts, or even many people who don't completely pants everything they write, and so I'm always excited to discuss my process!! I also am a firm believer in "take what helps and leave the rest," so if you find something in my process that sounds like something you'd like to do, give it a whirl!! I think it's super important to share the different kinds of processes there can be for writing, because everyone really writes so differently, you know?

Anyway, thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoyed my shitty early drafts (very affectionate)!!

#asks #idk what to tag this so that ill be able to find it again lmao #also shout out to whomever told you to resend it bc i was fully prepared to just have a screenshot of the ask and tag you in a post #this was very fun!!!#oh and this is for you and anyone else who sees this:#feel free to pop in my ask box and ask about what i'm working on at any time!!#i could ramble for hours about my wips #and to be able to talk about them is always a pleasure!!!

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zahri-melitor · 1 year ago

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DC Universe Holiday Special #1 (2008)

Another of my favourite Christmas Specials.

The Man In Red – Santa Claus. An origin story for Santa Claus, modelled on Clark’s histoy. (Hits all the beats of a Last Son of Krypton recounting)

Somewhere Beyond the Sea – Aquaman! You know who I haven’t seen in any of the compilations yet? Arthur! We’ve had Garth, but no Arthur. In any case this is uh quite a story. Arthur rescues a couple lost at sea in a boat, the woman extremely pregnant. He's guided to shore by his father's lighthouse...only to realise it was a star behind the lighthouse, not the lighthouse itself. When the couple gets ashore they're met by two men 'dressed like kings' (this is the point when I groaned). Yes, Arthur's the third Magi/Wise Man here.

Instinctively, willingly, I join them and knee before her and her unborn child. I look at the other men, who came bearing gifts. I feel ashamed because... "I'm sorry. I have no gifts to give." "No, Sea King, you gave me the most important gift of all." They walk away. I know I will never see her again, never meet her child, I should feel empty, but this is the most special of nights. I fight every urge to join them. Instead I make my way to my one true home, the sea.

Good King Wenceslas – this is a Paul Dini and Dustin Nguyen team, if you need selling on it. It's just the main verses of the Christmas Carol, but it's done as an Elseworlds where the King is the Bat and the Page is a Robin (The peasant is Alfred).

A Day Without Sirens – Commissioner Gordon, Batman, Oracle. The premise is the city bands together for a day without the need for emergency calls or police intervention. Jim gets a little bit of hope (Oracle actually diverted the phones for a day and had Supergirl doing all the work, as a Christmas present for her dad).

Reminiscent of and in conversation with The Silent Night of the Batman from Batman #219.

It’s a Wonderful Night – Nightwing and Robin. This one I know inside and out. Tim goes to a Christmas Eve showing of It’s a Wonderful Life because it was Jack’s favourite Christmas movie. He runs into Owen Mercer there for the same reason, which makes things awkward as their dads killed each other. Dick, who’s been looking for Tim, arrives and gives Tim his Christmas present: one of Dick’s original costumes, a gift that he manages to sneak in RIGHT under the deadline of oncoming events, as Battle for the Cowl starts only three months later.

Christmas With The Beetles – Blue Beetle. The story of four generations of a criminal family and breaking the cycle, through the lens of three generations of Blue Beetle. (It's sweet. It's exactly the sort of ethos I love to see in a Blue Beetle story).

An Angel Told Me – Huntress. 'Teacher!Helena and her students'. In this one Helena lends a hand to one of her students, Alejandro, who is about to be suspended for bullying and who has an abusive homelife. She gets the kid's father locked up for drug possession and illegal firearms, so he'll be placed in care with his grandmother, and gets his suspension transferred to helping her with the 'Reach' program, which is community assistance for disabled students. (The depiction of autism in this is very stereotyped, and it's clearly not the ONLY disability in play)

The Night Before Christmas – Teen Titans. They all go to a Christmas market.

Jaime and Traci are an adorable couple in this.

But the meat of the story is Cassie and Tim, who are both more settled now, after One Year Later has finally fully spooled out, and able to talk about their losses.

(Also I've always adored the art and colour in this story, which is by Michael Dimotta and of a style you really don't see in superhero comics much)

Party Animal – JLA. John Stewart and Roy Harper capture Shaggyman right during the start of the JLA holiday party. Vixen, who's organising it, orders them both up there asap so the two decide to bring Shaggy along.

It's very much an office party.

Let There Be Light – Doctor Light. This is basically a character history piece of Kimiyo Hoshi for people unfamiliar with her backstory and motivations. The villain fight she's in knocks out the Metropolis power grid, so Doctor Light turns it back on.

#DC Santa read along

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your-royal-villainess · 2 years ago

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DC Super Hero Girls: Gotham Academy - Senior Year

(It’s badly written but I think it’s okay hehe)

Alfred: Miss Ashton, the sauce you made for the penne is just absolutely exquisite!

Harvey: -I can tell, I took a spoonful

Letrexa: Aw shucks, thanks guys... but uh Alfred, you can just call me Letrexa I- I'm fine with that

Alfred: *clears throat, slightly flustered* Yes, of course. Would you mind me asking how you get the right consistency while maintaining the flavor? It can be a bit tricky at times even though you are doing precisely what is written in this very top-notch cookbook that I own. *shows the enormous vermilion velvet-covered book with elegant bronze decorative bands perfectly attached into the spine that was laid across the marble countertop.*

*Harvey and Letrexa stared intently with their eyes widened.*

Harvey: Wow, that is a book.

Letrexa: *turns back to Alfred's question* Oh um, that's probably just the boiling temperature, try checking the heat if we're talking about the consistency. I'd like to think that in a dish they're all the same but they're made differently. That's why instead of following one thing that applies to the other, why not do the same procedures but use a definite method because they all got their individual process. Take this as an example, for the most part, I only followed your recipe that you told me then I just dumped stuff in that I think it'll taste good with. Though it's important to follow the right amount of proportions when adding the ingredients, trusting your guts adds up a big advantage in defining the flavor you wanna give.

Alfred: *his eyebrows were raised impressed with her aptitude* Duly noted!

Harvey: So what's your next masterpiece? Mines a chocolate mousse - *whispers* don't tell them I already made some but I ate it so I have to start all over again.

Letrexa: *giggles* Heh, don't worry, that would be telling. So it's sort of an um a béchamel but with a bit of a twist, I'm adding a few drops of Worcestershire sauce, this thing has been one of the most long-running favored ingredients in our household. *held up one arm holding a long wine-like bottle*

Alfred: You must have a great mentor to have such a fine skill in cuisine!

Letrexa: *bents her head down avoiding eye contact* Er I wouldn't say "fine skill in cuisine". However I did pick up a thing or two from great moving folks... I see my mom do it all the time and those cooking shows on television. Nothing but some prevalent influential ideals, I guess. -Anyway, don't you think it's a little too much pasta? We still have some tagliatelle and lasagnas over that bowl.

Alfred: Not at all! *his tone was cheerful and ecstatic not long after his brow started to furrow while his voice lowered a bit, slowly changing his aura into a doleful one* Well I uh suppose it is kind of rather too much since there won't be any other guests around. *sighs* ...But it is what he wants at the moment, I cannot argue with that.

*Letrexa and Harvey exchanged perturbed glances, then a moment of silence took over while everyone worked on their own course.*

Harvey: Say Alfred, you've known Bruce longer than we have, so was he always that sad and cryptic?

Alfred: *lets out a deep calm breath* Answering truthfully from my stance... he wasn't always like this, yes at times, but it's hard to differ one's behavior as a young child and as they mature.

Harvey: Hmm 'kay, so Alfie, why don't you tell us more about yourself? Since we're here and guess it's time to get ourselves to know more about each other, right?

Alfred: Now then, what do you two want to know about?

Harvey: Ehhm... hm, maybe about your career? Hobbies..., hidden talents... or anything!

Alfred: Career... let's see. How about my history with the Wayne family? Think I could share a bit of some non-confidential stories.

Harvey: Sure, go ahead

Alfred: How do I start this? *takes a short ambivalent look from afar* Well... as you both have already known I've lived most of my life serving my departed masters who deemed me as if I were a part of their family...

*Tiny hints of smiles lit up their faces*

Alfred: ... and that I've been looking after Master Bruce for almost two decades from now

Letrexa: Hm, must be a living heck- ah! Uh a heck of a ride!

Harvey: Nice save

Alfred: Heh, I presume it is in that case. Going back, there has been some legal dispute after- *beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!*

*The loud chirping of the heat alarm interrupted the conversation*

Alfred: Oh dear! Looks like I got too absorbed in reminiscing! *pulls out the tray in the oven*

Harvey: *to Letrexa* Do you think Wayne acting all this got something to do with Hammerhead?

Letrexa: Maybe... but I don't entirely believe it-

Alfred: Thank goodness they're not all burned!

Harvey: Well that's a relief!

Letrexa: *peers at the bowl in front of her, looking pensive* Hey, uh Alfred, this is a little mortifying to ask this favor, but can we make Bruce's favorite food that you serve to him?

Alfred: Why what a thoughtful idea, Miss Ashton- eh ey- I meant, Letrexa! I'd be glad to help out.

Background redrawn for better quality based on the cameo of the Wayne Manor East kitchen from the episode MultipliciZee. Alfred Pennyworth and Harvey Dent are canon characters, and they respectfully belong to DC/Warner Bros., as does the DCSHG concept. Letrexa Ashton admittedly belongs to me. The storyline does not distort any timeline in the DC Super Hero Girls show by default.

#dc #dc super hero girls #dc super hero girls 2019 #dcshg #dcshg 2019 #gotham academy #dc oc #dc super hero girls oc #dcshg oc #dc animated universe #dc au #alfred pennyworth #harvey dent

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wanderingmind867 · 1 year ago

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My experience with doctor who is I was never able to sit through much of it, but I still loved the cast. Especially with the old years. I couldn't sit through the serials often, but I still liked a lot of the cast (don't ask me how they works, I don't even know). probably also doesn't help that I'm easily scared, so the episodes with a lot of horror influences are bad for me.

Despite all that, I loved some of the actors. Of all the show's doctors, here's my favorite (in no particular order):

Jon Pertwee (I love his fashion sense, for some reason. He seems so old fashioned but also so fancy. It's nice his son is also acting. Sean Pertwee got to play Alfred in Gotham. Honestly, Jon Pertwee probably would have been a good Alfred too, but I'm going off-topic).

William Hartnell (Not much to say here I can't repeat elsewhere. I'm a sucker for older characters in fiction, and so I'm naturally biased here).

Colin Baker (He seems to have been done dirty by the network. I feel bad for him, because he had a charisma to me. He did his role very well. His characters bombastic and egocentric personality made him seem fun to me).

Sylvester McCoy (He always seemed very charming. I also like the Umbrella thing. He just seems like he was a good performer).

Christopher Eccleston (only one whose tenure I saw all of. He was a good actor, really fun and charming. Better than both David Tennant and Matt Smith, in my opinion).

Peter Capaldi (didn't like all his horror stories, but I loved Peter Capaldi as an actor. He was fun and talented. And what can I say, I have a bias for the older actors. Maybe I relate more to old people then to young people or something)?

Jodie Whittaker (My Mom wasn't a Sci-fi fan and Never liked Doctor Who, but she liked Jodie Whittaker. I remember that much. Jodie Whittaker just had a fun energy, from what I saw).

If I didn't mention a Doctor here, know that I have more nuanced opinions on them (I'm probably either neutral or I just dislike them).

#doctor who #I'll Tag all the actors too #jon pertwee #william hartnell #colin baker #sylvester mccoy #christopher eccleston #peter capaldi #jodie whittaker #my thoughts

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princesssarisa · 2 years ago

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Character ask: Eliza Doolittle & Henry Higgins (My Fair Lady)

Eliza Doolittle

Favorite thing about them: What a feisty, passionate, determined young woman she is. She stands up to her social "betters" even as a poor flower girl, seizes the chance to improve her life, clings to her integrity at all costs, and gains new inner strength and self-respect by the end of the story, no longer letting Higgins dominate her and standing on her own without him. (And IMHO, the musical's traditional ending where she goes back to him doesn't negate this: see "Unpopular opinion" below.)

Least favorite thing about them: In-universe, hmm... probably that she takes her anger at Higgins out on Freddy in the song "Show Me" (although it's a good song).

Out of universe, there's the fact that so many people seem to view her as a generic Cinderella-like ingénue who only exists as a prop for Higgins to play off of, and/or as a weak, spineless thing who falls in love with her abuser and is poised to be his "Stepford wife" in the end. How can they lack basic comprehension to see what a strong, dynamic character she really is?

Three things I have in common with them:

*I have brown hair.

*I love chocolate.

*I can't stand being treated unfairly.

Three things I don't have in common with them:

*I'm not a Cockney flower girl.

*I've never taken lessons in diction.

*I wouldn't shout a swear word at a race horse in public.

Favorite line:

Her entire story of how her father revived her diphtheria-stricken aunt by ladling gin down her throat.

Her resistance to the thought of marrying for money – seemingly her only option now that she's become too ladylike to rejoin the working class – implicitly likening it to prostitution:

"I sold flowers; I didn't sell myself. Now you've made a lady of me, I'm not fit to sell anything else."

At Mrs. Higgins's apartment:

"You see, Mrs. Higgins, apart from the things one can pick up, the difference between a lady and a flower girl is not how she behaves, but how she is treated. I shall always be a common flower girl to Professor Higgins, because he always treats me like a common flower girl, and always will. But I know that I shall always be a lady to Colonel Pickering, because he always treats me like a lady, and always will."

Her response to Higgins saying that she talks about him as if he were a "motor bus" when she says she won't be "passed over":

"So you are a motor bus! All bounce and go, and no consideration for anybody."

And this line from the original play Pygmalion:

"If I can’t have kindness, I’ll have independence."

brOTP: Mrs. Higgins, Colonel Pickering (although he's also guilty of giving her no credit for her social triumph), and possibly Henry Higgins in the end, if you prefer a non-romantic interpretation.

OTP: Let the debates about who she belongs with rage on forever; I ship her with independence, self-respect, and any man she chooses.

nOTP: Her father Alfred.

Random headcanon: Her mother died when she was about seven or eight years old. Not in childbirth, because in Pygmalion she recalls watching her mother encourage Alfred's drinking because it made him more cheerful. Since then (or maybe starting earlier), she's had a long and fairly quick succession of "stepmothers"; the one Alfred finally marries is the seventh.

Unpopular opinion: In no version of My Fair Lady or Pygmalion – not Shaw's play, not the musical's original stage production, not the musical's film version, or any other version – has Eliza ever been just a "puppet' for Higgins to "puppeteer" or "clay" for him to "sculpt." I think it's nonsense whenever some critic describes her in that way and talks as if any attempt to portray her as a strong woman is a radical revision. Of course the differences between Pygmalion and My Fair Lady are partly to blame: from what I've read, Alan J. Lerner did consider Higgins the real central character, and so he lessened Shaw's original emphasis on Eliza's personal growth in favor of more emphasis on Higgins' arc. But whether in the play or the musical, Eliza is and has always been a feisty, strong-willed heroine who matures over the course of the story, and who can "do bloody well" without Higgins in the end. Even in versions where she ultimately goes back to him, she's not being "submissive," she just chooses on her own terms to give him a second chance.

Song I associate with them:

"Wouldn't It Be Loverly?"

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"Just You Wait"

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"The Rain in Spain"

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"I Could Have Danced All Night"

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"Show Me"

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"Without You"

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Favorite picture of them:

Julie Andrews in the original 1956 Broadway production:

Audrey Hepburn in the film version.

Melissa Errico in the 1993 Broadway revival.

Lauren Ambrose in the 2018 Broadway revival.

Amara Okereke in the 2022 London revival:

Henry Higgins

Favorite thing about them: His wit, his impressive intellect, his idealistic passion for the study of language, and the respect he gains for Eliza by the end.

Least favorite thing about them: His sexism, classism, self-absorbtion, and general mean streak.

Three things I have in common with them:

*I'm a nerd about the things I care about.

*I don't have high society manners.

*I have no desire to get married.

Three things I don't have in common with them:

*I've never studied phonetics.

*I'm usually humble and considerate of other people.

*I'm not a middle-aged British man.

Favorite line:

His response to Eliza's "Didn't I say that?" after she recites "The rain in Spain..." and he "corrects" her Cockney pronunciation:

"No, Eliza, you didn't 'sy' that, you didn't even 'say' that. Now every night before you get into bed, where you used to say your prayers, I want you to say "The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain" fifty times. You'll get much further with the Lord if you learn not to offend His ears."

His pep talk to Eliza where he shows her empathy for the first time and inspires her to finally recite "The rain in Spain..." correctly:

"Eliza, I know you’re tired. I know your head aches. I know your nerves are a raw as meat in a butcher’s window. But think what you’re trying to accomplish. Think what you’re dealing with. The majesty and grandeur of the English language. It’s the greatest possession we have. The noblest sentiments that ever flowed in the hearts of men are contained in its extraordinary, imaginative, and musical mixtures of sounds. That’s what you’ve set yourself to conquer, Eliza. And conquer it you will."

His famous response to Eliza's breakthrough:

"By George, she's got it! By George, she's got it!"

His philosophy of manners:

"You see, the great secret, Eliza, is not a question of good manners or bad manners, or any particular sort of manners, but having the same manner for all human souls. The question is not whether I treat you rudely, but whether you've ever heard me treat anyone else better."

His admiration of Eliza's newfound strength of character, even though it's directed against him:

"Eliza, you're magnificent. Five minutes ago, you were a millstone around my neck, and now you're a tower of strength, a consort battleship. I like you this way."

brOTP: Colonel Pickering, and possibly Eliza, if you prefer not to view the musical's ending as romantic.

OTP: Let people debate about whether he belongs with Eliza or not; I ship him chiefly with self-awareness and personal growth.

nOTP: His mother.

Random headcanon: He's on the autism spectrum. Many people have argued this already. His eccentricity, his hyperfixation on phonetics, his lack of the most basic social graces, his failure to connect with others emotionally or to realize how he comes across to them, and his tendency to act like a man-child despite his outstanding intellect (which in Pygmalion at least, he's aware of – at one point in the play, he admits that he's "never been able to feel really grown-up") can all be seen to point in this direction.

I'm not blaming autism for the worst of his flaws, though. I blame those on his upbringing. While Mrs. Higgins is likable in her disapproval of her son's bad manners and her affection and support for Eliza, I can imagine her being a bit like a female version of Jane Austen's Mr. Bennet when raising him: content to wryly complain about his behavior instead of teaching him to behave differently. And who knows what kind of man his late father was?

Unpopular opinion: I don't think this story's ending needs to be either "Eliza and Higgins are going to get married and live happily ever after" or "Eliza drops Higgins like a hot potato." Even in Shaw's "prose sequel" to Pygmalion, where he emphasized that Eliza will eventually marry Freddy and that Higgins would have made a terrible husband for her, he did write that she and Higgins will reconcile as friends (albeit bickering ones). The ending of My Fair Lady is ambiguous. Maybe Eliza and Higgins will become a couple, or maybe they'll just be friends, but what matters is that Higgins has realized Eliza's value, while Eliza doesn't need him anymore but chooses to forgive him, and their future relationship (whatever it will be) has the potential to be healthier and more equal than before.

Also, his final "Where the devil are my slippers?" can, and ideally should, be delivered as a self-deprecating joke.

Song I associate with them:

"Why Can't The English"

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"I'm an Ordinary Man"

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"A Hymn to Him"

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"I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face"

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Favorite picture of them:

Rex Harrison in the original Broadway production and the film version:

This painting of Richard Chamberlain on the poster for the 1993 Broadway revival:

Harry Haddon-Patton in the 2022 London revival:

#character ask #my fair lady #musical #eliza doolittle #henry higgins #ask game #fictional characters #fictional character ask

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look-at-the-soul · 1 year ago

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Hi again! 🥰 Here's the second part of the gossip 😂😅

Ok so about the first movie I mentions the The Batman Vs Dracula (2005)... honestly it's probably not a scary movie at all😂 I just have a very vivid memory or watching it as a kid and being terrified of "scary" movies very since. It was on of those straight to DVD animated movies. There was to be an animated cartoon show called "The Batman" and I use to watch it ALL the time with the animated Justice Leagues. The movie was one of those like off set ones. Like you know how there was Tom and Jerry the show and then they had all the individual movies with separate plots that kinda ignore the other stuff! It was like that and since it was like a kids show movie they actually probably didn't show any violence at all I was just not a child who liked vampires😂 The actor who actually voices Batman in the show and movie is the same guy who narrated the Curious George show so that about how kid friendly it was😂 I mean it probably wasn't a bad movie it just scared me so bad and I've hated movies like it since🤣 it took me ages to watch like Vampire Diaries or like Grimm after😂

I'm gonna be honest too😂 I also only watch The Christian Bale Batman movie after starting Peaky Blinders and hearing Cillian was in it😂 Plus my dad already had it so I don't have to pay😂 It was actually a good movie though! I still need to see the other two in the series😂And it defiantly have to look up Anthropoid too maybe if you think it's good! English is my only language but if Cillian's in it I can probably just watch for him😂😂

And ohh yes! I'd defiantly recommend some of those other movies too! Most of them are Alfred Hitchcock movies and his stuff is good (or the thrillers are)! I was even thinking a while back if trying to include in of his works in a Peaky Story I was trying to right! Did you know the first film he directed came out in 1922 (Number 13) ! It's technically on the list of lost films but be still released a good number in the 20's and 30's😂 I wanted to get something where the reader is at the movies with Finn or Isiah and when they hear who the director is they won't stop making jokes about his last name😂

I'll defiantly have to take a look at "The Medic" when I can too! I'm honestly not super use to reading the real person stories, I usually stick to the totally fictional character, but I'll definitely have to give it a try if you think it's good! I think I've read some of the other stories on the lists though and I remember liking them a lot!! So I'll have to look into it!

I think I may end up leaning towards Bonnie or Michael for the comedy blood dialogue story, but I still want to write for Ollie, even if it is Platonic I feel like he's appreciated😂 He's basically to Alfie what Lizzie is to Tommy and we know how hard Tommy made it😅 I can imagine Alfie being even harder to work for sometimes when he's pissed (Even if I do love the man!)

And yes! Omg! Michael changed so much even after the first two seasons 🥲 I can both understand why it happens but also I really liked like S2 early S3 Mike who wasn't totally power hungry and trying to be a mini Tommy! Even though we see bar again once I always wonder what happens to his Foster Family, or at least his Mother and Brother! I think if there was an episode where Mike like ran into his little foster brother who's grown up now it could have been interesting! Like it could have been cool to see how that played out if his little brother showed up one day needing help because he didn't realise mike wanted to forget them (Maybe I have a new idea now😂) The first time I saw him in the pics and trailer of season six with the mustache was kinda shocking to me. Because then I saw the mustache all I could thing about was how it remind me of Inspector Campbell's (And Hitlers). And since considering what Campbell did to the family (esp. to Polly for Mike to get out of jail that one episode in S2😭) it made me draw a parallel. It was like proof he had turned in to one of his families worst enemies and that's when I knew who was gonna die🥲 Or like it was proof he had kinda of turned into what both his mothers never wanted him to be😭 And that just struck me with how much he had changed since the start! I think Finn's character was kind of how Polly wanted Michael to turn out (At leat the part where he wasn't made for the family business) but because of all the trama he had gone though and his own inabliltiy to share his feelings or be content with what he had he kinda went down😭 He really was an interesting character though and I really did like him in the very first seasons he was in! I really do wonder how he would have turned out if he had never left his foster family after first meeting the Shelby's.

It did make me laugh the other day though. I was trying to start Animal Kingdom b/c I wanted to see more stuff Finn Cole was in, and it seemed to me like it was like a Modern Day American Peaky Blinders almost😂 And then I found two more thing he was in (I'm still looking for more😂) and I read their synopsis. And it hit my mind that based of those 4 movies Finn Cole seems to enjoy playing Characters that start of as like the "innocent Farm Boy / Nice guy" types and slowly become more corrupted or end up becoming power hungry or the "darker bad boy running from the law" type😂 Also he seems to enjoy taking roles with characters in difunctional Families, and don't get my wrong he plays those characters very very well (like the empty stare he did as Mike sometimes was creepy!) but I kinda want find something with him in it where I don't have to prepare myself for someone to die or murder someone every few episodes 😂

And that you for your kind words about your inbox being open💕💕💕 They really make me smile!🥰🥰🥰 I may have to do the thing you mentioned with a side blog or another one! That's so nice of you❤️❤️ Your so great!!❤️ I feel a little bad every time you say it's open but I still kinda hide😂😭 My anxiety has been getting better tough! I'm hoping that soon I'll actually get back on and start interacting with my actually blog and stuff! 💕🥰

And it's ok about the music too! One of my friends ended up finding a hurricane playlist on Spotify and I didn't realize how many songs there were referencing hurricanes😂 Once the lights went out we played Uno in the dark with only a small lamp to see our cards😂 it was actually fun and a good distraction! We also played Cards against Humanity enrich went how you may expect it to go with a bunch of college students😂

And here is my end now!❤️ I hope you are doing well and I can't wait to hear from you again! I enjoy our messages very much! Have a great Day or Night!❤️

Xoxo Gossip Girl🤫

Hello darling, I’m so sorry this took me ages to reply!

How have you been? 🥰

(I’ll add this to the ask box I left for you in my master list (at the end).

I don’t remember watching that movie at all…. But since you mention it’s not scary, I guess I will add it to my list then! (I’m a chicken when it comes to terror films lol) omg I can’t believe never heard of this cartoon! Maybe it wasn’t popular in my hometown? Oh but of course I know of Tom & Jerry! It was one of my favorites! Just like the animaniacs (is that correct?) I remember watching the last Tom & Jerry movie in like 2021? But I guess the different plots was a plan so you didn’t have to watch it in order… oh no! curious George? Guess I will have to google that one! Because it does t ring a bell, I used to watch more like Melissa explains it all and Sabrina 🤭🤭 hahah about vampires since you enjoy them, did you see Buffy? Interview with a vampire is a must then, I know I watched that one a looong time ago! You know just about two years ago I was able to watch that Halloween film (sorry I forgot the name) where Angelica Houston is a witch and she and other witches get together in a hotel and they all turn into horrible women and then put a spell on two kids who saw them and turn them into mice? It’s an ancient film but I haven’t found the “courage”to watch it until recently haha

Oh don’t worry dear, I didn’t know it was Cillian until later hahaha because he looked kind of different as Dr Crane huh? Yeah! I liked it too, whenever it’s on the tv I watch it again :) oh you should watch Anthropoid it’s one of my favorites! Everything about it is amazing, the story, the characters… incredible work! Tbh, there are some films I only watched for him too 🤭 like Trascendence or Anna haha…

Ohhh thanks for the recommendation! The name doesn’t sound familiar, but sometimes I’m so so distracted that I don’t pay enough attention so maybe I’ve watched some of his films without knowing (?) hahaha I think that’s a great idea for one of those lines that feels so natural and funny! It’s an unusual -and funny- last name.

It’s been so long but I guess we were talking about mrs murphy’s fics (?) don’t worry if you don’t read the real person stories though, it’s understandable:) there are loads of other stories -all amazing- to read, I’m trying to catch up in a few but it’s a never ending story hahaha

So have you written for Ollie? Well you definitely have a true point there with the Tommy-Lizzie comparison and I also think Allie is probably as hard as a Tommy to work with…

Michael was a good kid, but he got carried away and like you said he tried to become a mini-Tommy and that messed him up, who knew things would end up like they did ? Right? It’s one of those things we got stolen from the show,like his adoptive mother forgot about him? They never crossed paths again? (Why does this sounds like a plot for a fic? 😂), ugh the mustache was horrible! 😳 hmm I see what you mean there, haven’t thought about the resemblance between Michael and Campbell until you mentioned it! It’s sad the way his character turned out, all of that frustration and anger towards his own blood? He had a good life, but well… he’s gone 😂 . She practically raised Finn! Another sad story, the poor boy doesn’t feel like he belongs there… and made mistake after mistake.

Oh is it good? Never seen it, but I think I remember watching some advertising for it in some channel… hahaha how’s the search going? I don’t think I have seen anything else from his work, I just know Ada (Sophie Turner) did another series but it was canceled later. Hmm really? That sucks! The poor guy will get stuck into that kind of characters and the. It will be hard for him to get different roles 😂 or so I think… why do I think he has the type for a doctor in Greys Anatomy? 😂 like one of those interns you really dislike because he’s a total douche 🤭 let’s hope he gets another kind of role where he’s not the resentful guy 😁😁😁

I mean it! Every time you need to talk to someone, you know where to find me! And no, please don’t feel like that at least not with me 🥰 feel free to come as a anon, side blog whatever makes you feel comfortable and safe! I haven’t heard from you, so I hope everything has been good with you darling.

I know the hurricane was a long time ago, but I’m glad that you guys found a way to stay busy during that time (I love playing uno btw! Can go for hours 😆), that’s my go to game sometimes! Most of the board games to be honest, monopoly, uno, memory…

This is all for now, hope to hear from you soon! Don’t hurry though take your time or reply in parts, whatever works for you! I really wish (worry) about your anxiety as I know it hits like waves at times, so take care of yourself, sending you all my love as usual, would love to hear from you!

XoxoGg s🤫🤐

Link to the most recent replies here and here ♥️

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skylathescholarly · 5 months ago

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Okay, sorry this took me a few hours to get to! this is funnnnn! I'm leaving out original works cuz... well, they're boring. Or I don't remember what I named them and don't have access to those files currently. okay here goes-

we have many miles before we win the human race - Batfam, y'all know it, it's the hip and happenin' ongoing WIP that I actually post

"do you even care?" - Batfam, the these are the days one-shot I half-wrote. it was for the Sweet and Spicy Bingo prompt, but I never finished it lol

just a doc entitled "Dagur and Varian lolllll" which contains a detailed outline - yes this is a HTTYD Race to the Edge and Tangled the Series crossover because Varian is one of my number one blorbos and Dagur is my friend's, and we literally had so much fun dreaming up a scenario in which they would meet and if we ever write it, it will be. so so funny

Guys i just found an MCU oc story that i have a very very vivid storyline for in my head but can never get very far in when i write it because there's too much story and connecting the pieces is really really boring lol anyway the doc is entitled Trauma? Uhh, never heard of her... lol wow there's so so many ideas in my notes too, but they're not really written, just. vague thoughts. but have some of those too!

Okay so like. My Newsies AU. My Newsies AU pleaseeeeee I'm in love with thissssss okay I'm sorry it's what's going to happen literally as soon as we have many miles is done

"Pleaseeeeeee do something anything with Eraser Man" - this note happened when I discovered the Gotham Rogue known as. Eraser Man. Look it up please it's so funny

I have in my notes some ideas for a oneshot inspired by @the-booty-crusader's I Don't Belong Here (I Wish I Was Special) where the multiverse Alfreds get to have... a chat... I will write this someday I freaking swear

Okay. Here's my favorite, cryptid-y, magic/sentient Gotham AU I made up and hoarded like a dragon for so long. Because like, what if, when Bruce puts on the cowl, something happens, and it's like he's thirty again, top of his game, prime Batman, his back's only been broken once or twice, that bad knee really isn't that bad, did you see him pull that move just now? He couldn't in the gym earlier. Over and over and over, the cowl goes on, the Batman appears with a vengeance and goes back home, removes the costume, and sits down carefully because while Batman is still young and thriving, Bruce Wayne is getting older, and his children notice, Alfred notices, that he moves slower, he's in pain more when the cowl is off. Bruce notices too. Bruce doesn't stop. He has more to do, he will be out in Gotham until he absolutely can't anymore and it's not looking like that's going to happen anytime soon. This is good. This is good, right? He can help, he always wanted to help, isn't this what you wanted?

okay well. that got heavy there but yay thanks for the tag, Quo! I came across some original short stories as I messed around looking for these, it was so fun!

No pressure tags: @glucosegaurdian @maccreadysbaby

Got tagged by @brb-on-a-quest AGES ago and am only just getting to it. But.

Rules: Make a new post with the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! Then tag as many people as you have WIPS.

I have too many wip folders so I'm sorry:

I Quit. (batfam)

Ghost AU (batfam)

Extracts (batfam)

Untitled Document (🤭) (batfam)

babies (batfam)

talons (batfam)

babysitting (batfam)

b meets t (batfam)

merlin series (merlin, obvi)

Found Him (batfam)

my limits tested through merlin (merlin)

A Dance Across The Stream (merlin)

tim gets de-aged to a toddler (batfam)

Danny meets Tim (batfam x danny phantom)

BRUCE WAYNE WRITES FANFICTION AU (batfam)

Oh No Merlin Fics I Knew This Would Happen (merlin)

Invisible Chains (Melencholia) (merlin)

D&B find out first AU (batfam)

So these aren't all, there are... an equal number of more. But, heh, let's just work with this first yeah?

Love to get some asks!

No pressure tags: @cygnusdoesthings @sardonic-sprite @pericreatesstuff @uncertainwallflower @blightwritesfic

@igotthisaccountunderduress @tristicorde @wakkoroni @foineswoine-writing @foursixtwonineoh-pieces-of-lego

@vamillepudding @chemical-processes @myfairkatiecat @walkthruthewords @peaceheather

@skylathescholarly @marithefriendlyghost @themundanemudperson

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wesavegotham · 2 years ago

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Batman vs Robin #1

Well, it's good that Tumblr allows more than 10 pictures nowadays, this is a long issue with lots of dialogue. I'm not really going to talk about the first few pages with Alfred coming back because we've all seen those and this will be too long as it is. Let's get into it.

So Bruce goes down to the batcave and is greeted by Damian, Jakeem Thunder and Tim Hunter:

Despite showing a lot of doubts about Alfred's return and questioning him for hours earlier, Bruce doesn't show the same amount of confusion when his son waits for him in the batcave seemingly to murder him. His first reaction is to present himself as authoritative and angry with Damian. As if he had already expected his son to return to him agressive sooner or later.

When you remember how Bruce and Damian parted ways in Robin #15 this doesn't make sense. Under Williamson Bruce tried to be softer and more understanding with Damian and Damian left him on friendly terms. Waid not caring for what other writers have done with Damian is an issue that will become even more apparent in a second.

"He's always been egocentric, ruthless, impatient to replace me, but this..."😒

Even if I try to ignore that Damian hasn't been serious about wanting to replace whoever is currently wearing the mantle in AGES, Damian has made it clear in Teen Titans Annual 2, when he left Bruce again at the end of Tomasi's run on Detective Comics and in Robin #15 by Williamson that he's trying to get out of Batman's shadow and wanting to find out who he is away from the two legacies he was born into. So why is Waid making Bruce think that? Damian has made it clear enough that this isn't what he desires. Why is Bruce only thinking that Damian must not be quite himself because he tries to kill him now? Bruce describing Damian with all these negative attributes is also making it hard to believe something Bruce tries to say later.

I will admit that it's nice that this Damian calls out the "I love you, but sometimes I truly don't like you" line from Tomasi's last Tec arc. But I really don't know why this Damian acts like Bruce hasn't apologized for how he treated Damian after Alfred's death. Bruce has told Damian that he doesn't blame him and that it wasn't his fault. We've been over this. And ever since Teen Titans annual 2 Bruce has tried to get him back as Robin and to come back home. Bruce hasn't rejected Damian. He could have done a better job as a father, but he didn't do that.

This page really makes me wonder how possessed Damian actually is. I mean of course he is possessed by Nezha. But Waid mentioned in an interview that Nezha is bringing Damian's struggles back to the surface. So...is Waid saying that all of this IS deep down in Damian? And Nezha is just triggering it? Erm...not sure if I like that. It ignores too much of Damian's developement and makes it appear as if Damian's changes weren't genuine and just on the surface.

Bruce trying to say what I assume was supposed to be "You are the son I wanted" kinda doesn't land when you remember how unfavorable Bruce thinks of Damian in the beginning. The son you wanted is in your own words "egocentric, ruthless and impatient"? Er...yeah, doesn't sound like it, does it.

Something about the "I only wish you were wearing pearls" line makes me cringe.

Alfred just comes of as MUCH more emotionally affected and invested in rescuing Damian than Bruce is. And yeah, I get that's partially because Bruce is Bruce. But when you feel the need to write ANOTHER Batman vs Robin story then it would be great if Bruce would show more feelings than just "guess I have to free my asshole of a son now". Why should I care when the protagonist barely does?

It's just great how the characters pay lipservice to Damian not being himself, but otherwise completely act like Damian is the enemy here😑

Waid really tries to make you take Damian as the antagonist serious, but it simply doesn't work. This is a kid. I don't ask myself "will Damian beat Bruce and take over as Batman?", not even for a second. Damian in a batman suit is cute, not threatening.

As for the last page, I'm aware we don't know why Damian freed Nezha yet. Waid might reveal that it wasn't actually his fault like the last line implies. But trying to make it appear like Damian is responsible, even just at the beginning of your story, doesn't make me feel excited. You only earn a tired eye-roll from me.

I really hope this story will improve over the next few issues because this didn't catch me. And you might think "isn't this person usually totally in favor of Bruce getting called out? Why isn't she happy with this?"

Well, not every callout is created equal. There is a difference between a good guy calling out Bruce and a bad guy calling him out. If a bad guy calls Bruce out there is always this sense that their words don't have to be taken to heart because they are completely evil themselves. Criticism from a good character feels way more valid and serious. I also feel like this Damian talks way too much. It's almost as if Waid knows that this conflict feels forced and tries to justify it by having Damian throw everything at Bruce at once, even the issues that got already solved or never existed in the first place.

But hey, it looks like Alfred is back? Yay!

#damian wayne #bruce wayne #batman vs robin

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gothamvengeance · 7 months ago

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Bryce closes her eyes at the information passed on. She kept learning about Holly; and about Selina. Always snippets, never entire stories. There was always another piece of a puzzle being offered. Never too much, never completed puzzles. Pieces that Bryce always had to put together herself. Whether intentional or not, Bryce preferred it this way. When they shared, she listened. And when words or hints were dropped, she'd take them to heart.

There were a bunch of damaged people in this estate...

"Like I promised before. I'll be more considerate from now on. This also includes to Holly. I never meant-" Bryce stops herself. Hand drawing along her chin, then she simply exhales. No reason to bring it up, to start apologizing again. Selina knows. They discussed this all in great detail. No reason to dredge up the same over and over, it will only grow tiresome. "I'll do better."

But Bryce shakes her head, reaching out to take Selina's hand. Thumb gently caressing each knuckle. She can pull away, there's never a tight hold. Because Bryce wants her to have the option to, to not overwhelm her. Bringing that hand closer she offers a peck to the back of it. "Don't say that."

"I know what you're trying to say, but you can say it without putting yourself down. And there are absolutely parts of you that shine through in that kid. And... that's a good thing."

"When a child is raised properly and with love, they have aspects of their parents left behind in them." Sadly, negative traits can also stick around. But Selina was working so hard, so very, VERY hard to not let anything negative stick to Holly. And not to herself, either. "And I see those good aspects."

Bryce huffs and release Selina, slicking fingers through her hair. That annoying habit. Yet, she refuses to cut her bangs. Alfred has begged her several times. And has now started trying to use Selina and Hollyanne to make it happen.

"Not happening. I don't think there's any aspect of me I'm more embarrassed about than Brycie." A joke stuck in her throat. About how she'd really leave this time and not come back if Selina got to see Bryce act like that the whole evening. But such jokes are in bad taste, maybe in the future. When it won't hurt as much; for both of them.

And like a pet called by their owner: Bryce lights up. Her eyes grow a little bigger. A sheepish smile pulls on her face and she stands upright. "Really?" To correct those rumors, this would be great! Yeah, she was still bothered by those kids despite everything. At least they acknowledged their relationship but.

"Should we kiss..." Bryce murmured to herself. How far would she go to make those kids change their tone? Should she put on a top to show off her breasts more? Just to make it clear, she was a woman?

Deep down, she acknowledged she was being petty and quite frankly: pathetic. But she couldn't let it go...

“that’d make her real happy. i just… i made sure she knew you were coming back. she has to know you’re coming back. or that you want to. —kid spent a week without me when the city was locked down, she was scared out of her fucking mind. the others looked out for her but.. i was gone. it’s sort of my life’s mission to make sure she never, ever thinks i want to be anywhere else.”

and bryce gets it, on some level, but not on this level. not when something completely basic is cataclysmic and it’s solely because hollyanne occupies the sacred space in her heart known as ‘daughter’. bryce has to understand because she, herself, has been a daughter — and to alfred, she always will be.

loved. holly must only ever feel loved, loved, loved. she must know it every second without a single hitch, must only ever be able to call to mind that warmth. it’s absolutely needed. if she feels a single other aspect selina would be crushed.

(she’s realistic. she understands that a kid is going to say they hate you at some point (and yet holly will never utter this sentence) and she’s ready for it. but she thinks it’ll hit her harder than bane ever could’ve.)

she laughs anyway. bright, sunny, honest, related always to the little girl she loves best.

her cheeks redden only just, do emerge those tricky little dimples. they pop sheepishly from the corners of her pretty lips, lovely. she finds herself glancing down, brushing her own palm over the landscape of her cheekbone. it’s a nervous tic.

“sweet of you to say. i think it makes me happier that she’s not like me. that kiddo? brilliant. she’s never gonna do any of the stupid shit i did. she doesn’t even want to. she is my other hero.”

that’s true. holly has given selina a life she never would’ve had, a life that she’s built for the sake of this baby she loves so. she’s crafted happiness no one can possibly imagine — has built skyscrapers for holly, gotten her far more than ponies.

and she won’t stop there, not ever. thirteen or thirty, hollyanne kyle is her little girl.

“daph’s pretty fun at events. give it a shot. i’ll even orchestrate it so it’s not a disaster. she’s fun. like, usually no trail of blood to mop up after.”

she laughs again. the sound is incongruent, a strange and awkward bark that sounds as though it turns and teeters and creaks on rusted hinges. the sound is skittish, the heart of her — accidental. she doesn’t mean it, but she doesn’t know why it has to come out. sometimes it feels like every noise she’s dying to make is poking out of her sides, bulging from her ribs. every touch she doesn’t follow through. every breath she measures like a recipe.

she finishes the cigarette, watches the last of it tumble away. her grin, however lopsided, remains.

she tries hard to keep it there.

“you can come with me to pick up holls on monday. how’s that?”

#IC - The Dark Dame of Gotham #Verse 00 - Main #clawsextended #'A cat and a bat; The bat is uptight causing them to fight. But the cat knows better and won't let it upset her. An endeavor forever...'#[ Bryce 'refuses to let some nonexistent man (herself) be considered Selina's boyfriend' Wayne. ]

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mrsalwayswrite · 4 years ago

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Sinners and Saints (Sihtric x reader)

Summary: One day you stumble upon your childhood friend, Osferth, whom you have not seen in years. Yet the more time you spend with him, the more you find yourself drawn to his companion, Sihtric….and the butterflies his dark eyes give you.

This is my contribution to @emilyhufflepufftlk 100 followers challenge! Congratulations again! I’m so happy for you!

My prompt was - "Love doesn't discriminate, between the sinners and the saints." - Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton (in bold within the story)

Words: 5500

Warnings: A couple of swear words, fluff, my poor attempts at humor, Osferth being a good bro.

Tag List: @deans-ch-ch-cherrypie @flowers-in-your-hayr

This gorgeous moodboard was made by @flowers-in-your-hayr. All credit goes to her!

"...so there she was, aye, and next thing I know, she flips 'er dress up and I see the most perfect set of…."

"I'm going to be sick." Osferth mumbled to himself, trying to block out Finan's retelling of his prior night. To the laughter of his companions, he started to push away from the outdoor table at the alehouse. He was no virgin anymore, Finan and Uhtred had seen to that, but he still felt squeamish when listening to their stories of recent conquests. His mother's voice whispered in the back of his mind, things she had told him before her passing, about respect and love. Plus, he could not help but think that this idea of conquests, of women's worth derived from what pleasure a man could take from their bodies, was what brought bastards into this world….like him.

"Alright, Finan, we get it. You saw the arse of a goat and couldn't help yourself." Uhtred teased, slinging an arm around Osferth so he could not escape them- most likely to find a church and pray for their souls.

"Oi, lord! Ya know that was one time!" Finan feigned mock-outrage, making Uhtred and Sihtric laugh.

Osferth put a hand over his eyes as if that would somehow block the image from his mind. Something he desperately did not want there.

"How much longer are we here, lord?" Sihtric asked, changing the subject, while twirling a dagger between his hands fluidly.

Although Osferth would never admit it aloud, and God forgive him, it was hard not to be jealous of how easily his companions handled their weapons like they had been born with weapons in hand. They continued to tell him it was practice. Recently though, he decided it was a gift that he clearly did not have.

"Until I feel satisfied with the training of Lord Godwin's fyrd and his defenses." Uhtred stated indifferently, as if it was something he had to repeat to himself often.

"Ya think King Alfred knew how much of a horse's arse Lord Godwin is?"

Uhtred glanced up, a tiny smirk on his lips. "Probably."

"But he knew you were the man for the job." Osferth commented. Not necessarily to defend his father but to hopefully bolster Uhtred's confidence. "The men respect you, even if their lord fails to acknowledge his own respect."

"The baby monk is right." Finan said. "What else needs to be done for the town?"

Uhtred and Finan began discussing ideas and strategies, Sihtric adding an occasional comment but mostly just listening.

Osferth found his attention wandering, since this was an area outside of his expertise. His gaze drifted to the town and its residents who moved about to complete their duties under the midday sun. Their group had only been in this large town for two days and already Osferth was keen to return to Coccham.

From amidst the crowd, a familiar face caught his attention. The world tilted off its axis as his entire body went rigid, all his focus zeroed in on her. His heart hammered in his chest and the air whooshed from his lungs painfully.

"Y/n?" He muttered to himself, disbelief and shock clearly painted in his tone and on his face.

"Baby monk, ya alright?"

Finan's words did even register, so consumed by the ghost before him. Rapidly, he slid off the bench, almost losing his footing when he went to stand, but pressed on, hurrying towards her.

"Y/n!" He called, an almost desperate tone in his yell.

When she did not turn around, he shouted louder. "Y/N!"

That time she paused, then slowly turned to find him standing still amongst those walking around him, a solid rock in a stream of people. He held his breath as he intently watched her expression, suddenly worried seeing him would not be as meaningful as he hoped. He could see her utter his name silently, eyes wide. Then in the next moment, she dropped the basket on her hip and ran towards him. He opened his arms just in time for her to collide with him, and with her embrace, a painful wave of nostalgia and guilt crashed over him with the strength of a tempest.

"It's really you." She finally whispered, peering at him in awe.

"Hi." He smiled, his own shock clouding his mind from forming coherent sentences.

Then to his surprise, she reared back and punched him in the arm.

"Ouch! What was that for?" He whined, rubbing the offended limb.

Throwing her hands in the air, they landed on her hips as her voice rose in anger. "For disappearing in the middle of the night without telling me!"

"I did tell you."

"That you were THINKING about leaving, not that you WERE leaving!" She reared back and punched him in the arm again, ignoring his pained cry as she continued to berate him. "I spent an entire day running around the monastery trying to find you only for Father Harold to finally pull me aside and tell me you left for Wincheaster."

And there was the heaping of guilt he knew he deserved. "I'm sorry….I just….I just knew if I didn't leave that night, then I never would."

Her face softened at his quiet admission, understanding passing in her eyes. "I know. I wasn't truly surprised…. Just wish you'd have told me before."

"I'm sorry."

She sighed, all anger and frustration disappearing, much to his relief. She was a force to be reckoned with when truly in her fury. "So, what are you doing here?"

"Ah, traveled here with the Lord Uhtred to assist Lord Godwin in his defenses….or something."

"Uhtred? That Uhtred?"

He smiled at her, catching the reverence in her tone. "That very one."

"How did you find him? How did you join him? Wait! Are you a warrior now? We have a lot to talk about and you better get started." There went the hands on her hips again, making his smile widen at the image. Even as a young girl, when her hands were on her hips, you knew she meant business.

"Would you like to meet him first?"

A shy look passed over her face that he was unused to seeing. "I'm…. I'm not presentable to meet a lord."

He scanned her, noting the dried mud on the hem of her dress and shoes, the small smear of what looked like flour on her left temple. What he noticed most was how the years had made her even more beautiful. She had always been a pretty girl but now, she truly looked like a beautiful woman. A fact he was unsure of how to feel about.

He chuckled lightly after a moment. "Well, you certainly smell better than Lord Uhtred so I think it's fine."

That caused her to tip her head back and laugh loudly, the desired effect of his comment. She gathered up her basket and walked next to Osferth, back to the table where his companions were. It was impossible to ignore their curious stares as they approached.

"Lord Uhtred, may I introduce y/n. Y/n, this is Lord Uhtred of Bebbanburg." Osferth said, standing next to her at the end of the table.

Uhtred nodded graciously, clearly wondering why this woman mattered and why Osferth was introducing her.

"Oh, it's an honor to meet you!" Y/n gushed, a bright smile on her face. "Uncle Leofric told us so much about you, but I never thought I'd ever meet you in person."

"Leofric?" That caught his lord's attention, his gaze narrowing and eyeing her with renewed interest. "How did you know that turd?"

"When he came to visit Osferth, he'd tell us stories."

"Ah….all exaggerated, of course." Uhtred said with a cocky smirk.

"Wait. I think we're missin' the most important thing here." Finan leaned forward, dark eyes bouncing between Osferth and her, as he pointed a finger at them, hand still wrapped around his cup. "Ya said 'Uncle Leofric'....are ya related to Osferth?"

Osferth answered quickly. "No, her family owned the farm next to the monastery, so we grew up together." Then he furrowed his brows as a thought hit him. He had been so amazed to see his childhood best friend (only friend really) that he had not realized that she should be back at the farm and not in this town. "Wait, y/n, why are you here and not at the farm?"

Her face crumpled for a brief second before she was able to mask it into a neutral expression. She shrugged casually, but he could read the subtle tension in the action. "We lost the farm, so mother and I came here to look for work."

"Ah." There were so many things he wanted to ask but could tell now was not the right time. If she lived here, he would have plenty of time to hear the full story later. Instead he decided to change the subject. "So, you know Lord Uhtred, the others are Finan and Sihtric…. And Sihtric is also a bastard." He added as an afterthought.

That made her face light up as she turned to look at the Dane. "Hey, another bastard! We really need to start a club. We can all rant about how awful our fathers are."

"You're a bastard?" Uhtred asked, shock evident in his voice.

"Yes, my lord. My mother was a servant for a lord. Got pregnant. The lord's wife did not like that so sent my pregnant mother back to her family. Certainly, it was our Lord's Will because how else would I have been able to grow up with Osferth?" She asked, patting him on the cheek affectionately. He blushed and swatted her hand away, much to the other's amusement.

"I reckon you have quite a few amusin' stories of growin' up with Osferth, eh?" Finan smirked.

"I might….but I don't share secrets for free." She matched his smirk with her own crooked smile.

He slapped his hand on the table. "I'll owe ya a drink! I need to 'ear this."

"No….oh no, no, no." Osferth said but knew it was a lost cause before he even tried to deter them. The rest were already deciding when and where to meet that night. "Lord help me."

"It's not that bad." She teased, bumping his arm with hers. "The worst one is when we went streaking naked through the monastery."

Osferth felt his face heat up like the flames of hell itself as everyone laughed. "It was your idea."

"Yeah, yeah, so you like to remind me." She smiled fondly. "Now, if I don't get back home, my mother is going to think I've run off with some man or I've been kidnapped. Either way, she will raise the fyrd herself to find me. I will see you all tonight."

The others said their goodbyes but before she could step too far away, Osferth gently touched her arm, halting her movement.

"Y/n….I'm….I'm glad our paths have crossed once again."

She pulled him into a tight embrace. "I am too, Osferth. I've missed you." With that, she turned and walked away with her basket still on her hip; but not without glancing over her shoulder at the group before disappearing around some buildings.

Once out of sight, Osferth sighed and turned back to his companions, only to see them all still staring intently in the direction she disappeared.

"No….y/n is off-limits to you fornicators." He stated firmly, well as firmly as he could be.

"She's very pretty…." Uhtred declared, a playful grin on his face.

"Lord, no. All of you, keep your hands off of her."

"Or what?" Finan chuckled, eyes alight with mischief. "You'll fight us, baby monk?"

"I will if I must."

"Alright. Her dignity won't be tarnished." Uhtred lifted his cup in Osferth's direction. "Your reputation might be tonight depending on what stories she shares."

Osferth groaned, sitting back down next to his lord. "I'm going to need a lot of ale."

"That can certainly be arranged!" Finan laughed, jovial once more.

As discussion started back up again, they all missed the silent, longing glance Sihtric snuck one last time in the direction she walked away….

*****

Over the next several weeks Lord Uhtred helped increase the defenses of the town and instructed the guards and fyrd how to better defend against the Danes.

During those weeks, you found yourself frequently spending time with Osferth and his companions. First it started off with meeting them in the evenings for ale, laughter and good company. Within days, it became almost expected for one of them to purposefully seek you out. Most of the time it was Osferth and Sihtric coming to join you in whatever your tasks for the day because they were bored or unwanted in meetings. It was not difficult to tell that although they were certainly welcomed members of Uhtred's group, not everyone else saw them in such a positive light.

So the three of you often passed the hours away together, waiting until evening to rejoin Uhtred and Finan at the alehouse. Their presence became such a regular occurrence that your mother practically adopted them, they even had their assigned seats at your small kitchen table for meals. Somehow, they seamlessly slipped into your daily life in a way that seemed like they were meant to be there this whole time.

Even at the alehouse in the evenings, you usually found yourself nestled between Osferth and Sihtric on the bench. A place you certainly found yourself enjoying more and more….especially next to the Dane.

Over the weeks, there was something growing between you and the Dane. It gradually revealed itself with each passing day, growing like the roots of an oak tree. It was through the borderline flirtatious comments that you teased each other with. It was in the subtle touches that caused butterflies in your stomach to dance, from your fingers barely gracing each other when passing something, to the way you leaned your head on his shoulder when your eyelids threatened to close, to the way your thighs would touch under the table and away from view of the others. It was in the lingering looks when your gazes locked and you swore you never wanted to look away. It was in the consistency of being next to one another whenever you could, either sitting at a table or just walking down the street, almost like your bodies were magnetized to one another's.

Plus the more you talked to Sihtric, the more you desired to know about him. For he was like no other man you had ever met.

Almost a fortnight after you reunited with Osferth, there was one particular evening after staying out far too late with the four men and drinking a bit too much, Sihtric graciously offered to walk you back home. You knew propriety demanded Osferth should be the one to escort you but he was already passed out, head on the table and snores emitting from his mouth. Giggling at your childhood friend, you accepted Sihtric's offer and the two of you easily fell into step.

On the walk you learned more about his past, about going up in Dunholm and his cruel father. You had heard bits and pieces while with Osferth and the others. Maybe it was under the cover of darkness, maybe it was the extra ale flowing through both of your blood, but he confessed secrets to you he had never told another besides his mother. When you reached your home, before he could slip away, you clutched his arm and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. After, you bid him goodnight and slipped inside your humble home.

After that night, he always walked you home, sometimes alone and sometimes one of the others would join. But when it was just you two, when you were alone, you would bid him a goodnight with a kiss on the cheek or he would kiss your hand, locking eyes with you in a way that made a fire stir in your belly and your core clench.

There was definitely something between the two of you, but neither seemed able to verbalize it or take the next step.

*****

"So, what is going on between you and Cedric?"

You turned your head to look at Osferth, who laid on the grass next to you, soaking in the heat of the early afternoon sun. "What?"

"You know….that blacksmith. The one you were talking to the other day."

"Oh." The memory hit you. You had stopped by to drop off your mother's damaged cooking pot for Cedric to attempt in fixing, although you personally thought it was a helpless cause. The dent in it was significant, but he offered to see what he could do. As you dropped it off at his workshop, the two of you began discussing an approaching saint's day and the celebration that would occur with it.

Several minutes later, you heard your name called and looked over to see Osferth and Sihtric walking towards you. You bid Cedric a farewell, promising to stop by the next day to come pick up the pot. After receiving his promise to try his best at fixing it, you headed off towards the stables with your fellow bastards. At the time, you had not thought the encounter significant but with it happening two days ago and Osferth now bringing it up, you wondered how long he had been ruminating on it.

Finally, you simply said, "he's a good man, and has been kind to my mother and I since we arrived here."

"Is he….pursuing you?" Osferth turned his head to scrutinize you, his lips pursed slightly as if concerned about your answer.

You openly laughed at the notion. "No, that's silly. He is just a kind man."

If anything, you had to fend off flirtatious advancements from some of the young men that worked under Cedric. Those same young men quickly learned to keep their eyes on their work and mouths shut. When one openly called out to you, and before you could offer a sharp retort, Cedric threw a hammer at him from across the shop. He bellowed that he did not allow heathens to work for him and if they chose to act godless then they needed to find a new place of work. Their blatant interest diminished after that and Cedric made a point to be the only one that conversed with you if you came to the shop. Although he was easily ten years your senior, you found him a likeable man with a quick wit and sarcastic comments that occasionally left you in stitches.

The idea of him pursuing you was an amusing idea. He was still a bachelor, never having married, claiming that his work and apprentices kept him far too busy for much else.

Your answer appeared to satisfy Osferth. A thoughtful look crossed his face and he opened his mouth as if to speak, but immediately slowly closed it and turned his head back to stare at the blue sky.

A stillness settled after your answer, only interrupted by the frequent bird song and the wind through the tall grass. You closed your eyes, enjoying the sun's warmth and just lying around relaxing on the hill outside of the town, away from the hustle and bustle and chores that demanded your attention.

"He was watching you like a man who wants a woman." Sihtric stated after a couple minutes of peaceful silence.

Startled by his sour tone, you shifted up to look over at the Dane. He sat on the other side of Osferth, one leg propped up and an arm casually slung over it, but his gaze was focused straight ahead, staring off into the distance. Now that you thought about it, over the past two days Sihtric had become more reserved and sullen than you had ever seen. Even his companions commented on it a few times to which he would shrug his shoulders or make an excuse and walk away. You had thought he just missed Coccham, the group having been away for so long, or something happened that made him introspective. It had also not escaped your notice how the prior closeness between you two had halted. Now you wondered if there was something more to his demeanor.

"Well, that is most unfortunate for him since I am not interested in him."

"Does your mother not want you to marry?" Osferth asked, his voice deceptively neutral.

Sighing, you leaned back on your hands. Eventually you knew Osferth would bring up the topic, he was your friend after all and you were certainly of marriageable age. Actually far too old to not be married by some people's standards, but you ignored them. "She does but she has told me that she will not force it upon me. She said I should make my own choice….that if I am able, I should choose love."

You knew your mother offered you that choice in hopes your life would turn out differently than her own.

"But if Cedric is a good, kind man….could you not love him….or someone like him?" Osferth pressed.

"Perhaps. There are plenty of men I have seen who the church would call a 'good' man but are cruel in their own home, and there are many men who are calloused but it's obvious they love their wife and children. My love doesn't discriminate, between the sinners and the saints. I would rather choose a man whom I know loves and cares for me than a man I know is 'good' but carries no love in his heart." You paused, the candid confession rolling off your tongue before you realized it. Sighing, you ran a hand over your hair before quietly saying. "I just….I just want someone that loves me….sinner or saint."

Not a word was spoken as all three contemplated your statement, the silence hanging heavy like a brewing storm. Tilting your face to the sky, unable to meet the gazes of your companions, you chastised yourself for the candor with which you spoke. Osferth had asked a simple question initially and you chose to make it complicated. They did not need to know how you longed for love, how the hope for it in your potential future was what kept you going. It was foolish and you supposed after this, they would only see you as a silly girl with outlandish dreams of a storybook romance.

Finally, Osferth broke the silence. "Well, I shall be praying fervently for this man….hopefully he knows what he is getting into before he marries you."

You laughed, appreciating his lighthearted comment. Reaching a hand out to smack Osferth's arm, you teased. "Keep that up and you won't be invited to my wedding."

"Your mother will let me in."

"Yeah, you're probably right." You glanced over in the direction of the town, regretting that your time away had to end. "I need to head back, those chores won't finish themselves."

The three of you headed back to the town, quiet contemplation cloaking your group. Yet you feared that whatever spark lay between you and the Dane had been extinguished forever by your unexpected honesty. For still he refused to look your way, keeping his gaze focused forward. If your heart fissured within your chest, you swallowed down the pain. It was better for the spark to die out now then burn brightly only to be smothered later.

Or at least that was what you told yourself.

*****

"What you said….about the sinners and the saints…."

You whirled around, heart leaping into your throat with a silent scream on your tongue. In the small herb garden behind your house, you had thought you were alone. After the awkward conversation on the hill earlier that day, you sought solace in your chores. Thankfully Osferth and Sihtric headed back to meet with their companions on their own accord, leaving you to trudge through your muddled thoughts with all the grace of a newborn foal.

Now you found the very person who your thoughts centered on, standing just a few paces from you….and your heart began to race for a very different reason.

When his voice trailed off, those dark eyes that set fire licking through your veins dropped to the ground, you quietly stood up from where you had knelt, wiping the dirt from your hands, although you moved no closer.

"Sihtric?" You tried to prompt him.

"Is it true?" His piercing gaze lifted to meet yours, stealing the very breath from your lungs. "Your love doesn't discriminate?"

"Yes." You breathed out.

He nodded silently before taking a step closer to you. "And what about….what about Danes?"

Your chest pulled tight at his words, yet a coy smile grew on your lips. The flutter in your belly made your gaze drop for a moment as you tried to stifle the excitement making butterflies dance. Although this was no declaration, it was the closest the two of you had talked about what lay between you. Taking a steadying breath, you prayed this moment would not pass by without confessing the truth that you had harbored in your heart for weeks now.

"Not even towards Danes." You shook your head, the smile still on your lips. "And…. There is one I'm becoming quite fond of lately."

"Yeah?" He took two steps closer, somehow moving cautiously but eating the ground with each determined step.

"But….do you think this Dane could be….fond of me?" You softly murmured, feeling as if your heart lay in the palms of your hands for all to see.

That last step separating you two disappeared almost before you finished asking your question. His hands ever so gently reached over to take yours, entwining your fingers together. The two of you stood so close, your chests almost touched with each breath you took. Your breathing seemed to cease under the intensity of his gaze and a shiver raced up your spine. Yet you had no desire to withdraw from him.

"He would be a fool not to." He whispered, the barest hint of a tremble in his voice. "I'd bet you are constantly on this Dane's mind. That he cannot go a day without seeing your face and hearing your laugh. You are the first thought that he wakes to and the reason he falls asleep with a smile. That you have become the north star that it seems the gods have been guiding him towards for his whole life."

As he spoke, everything faded to oblivion around you. The past and future vanished. Dane versus Saxon disappeared. The world narrowed down to this….this moment….this moment that you had dreamt of but never thought would come true.

The two of you continued to stand there, lost in one another's eyes with fingers intertwined. Your heart raced within your chest but a cooling breeze swept away the fears that plagued your mind. For staring at him, you knew he spoke no falsehoods. That he owned your heart just as much as you owned his. That very heart you could feel hammering away in his own chest. His eyes fervently held yours, a silent conversation, a confession, spoken only in looks but you both understood the language. His gaze dipped down to your lips, tracing them before slowly rising once again to your eyes. A curl of pleasure blossomed in your core as you witnessed the fire now in his eyes.

"If this Dane wanted to kiss me…. I wouldn't mind."

A deliciously, sinful smirk teased his mouth. "As my lady commands."

His head tilted, leaning towards yours. Unconsciously your eyelids fluttered closed. Then the briefest of touches made your knees weak and your mouth part open in a sigh. After a moment's hesitation, he continued to shower your jawline with kisses. Needing to touch him, your hands landed on his chest, feeling the tunic that covered his firm chest. Your hands moved upward to grasp the back of his neck, his pulse jumping for a second as your nails scraped his skin. His hands landed on the curve of your waist, bringing you even closer to him, erasing the unwanted space between your bodies.

As his lips began their ascent upward along the otherwise of your jaw, you moved. For the burning sparks in your body screamed if he did not kiss you, you would spontaneously combust. Shifting your face, you stole a kiss on his lips before he could place it on your skin. It was more of a gentle pressing of your mouths, but even then, you heard a sharp inhale from him. Before you could question him, his mouth returned to yours with soft, probing kisses that urged you to respond. Not that you would ever deny him. What started off as a gentle flame quickly became a roaring fire. Breathing became unnecessary, for how could air bring you life when your body craved Sihtric, when your lungs demanded to breathe him in instead. He led you in a drugging kiss that had you melting against him. Your lips drank from one another as if that alone could sustain you forevermore.

"THANK YA, GOD!!"

The passionate kiss abruptly ended as Sihtric and your gazes darted towards the side of your house. Only to be met with the sight of his three companions standing at the entrance in various states of smugness.

"Oh, for the love of Odin…." Sihtric mumbled.

You buried your face in Sihtric's chest, face heated in embarrassment but unable to stop the giggles that poured forth. So caught up in finally confessing your feelings and kissing the man who haunted your dreams, you forgot that anyone could walk by and see you. His arms tightened around you, keeping you within his protective, loving embrace….and you knew there was nowhere else you would rather be.

"Took the two of ya long enough." Finan continued, leaning against the side of your humble home with a shit-eating grin.

"Amen." Osferth had a small, teasing smile on his face. "Thought I would have to lock them in a room together before one of them finally confessed."

Apparently, you and Sihtric were not as subtle as you previously thought. Now it made sense why Osferth was questioning you about Cedric and your thoughts on love and marriage earlier. Your heart flooded with gratitude towards your childhood friend, for without him you doubted neither Sihtric or you would have spoken up. Peering over, you caught Osferth's eye and mouthed a quick 'thank you'. He nodded, a simple joy radiating from his face.

"Lord?" Sihtric called over with a blank expression. "Permission to continue?"

Uhtred chuckled. "I guess you've waited long enough. Go ahead."

Without waiting a moment longer, Sihtric tipped your face back up towards his and claimed your lips once more. You vaguely thought you heard laughter coming from the others but it all blurred away, like a faint sound while underwater. All you could see, all you could feel, all you could hear was Sihtric.

Just how you wanted it.

Suddenly you yanked your head back, your breathing labored and lips swollen. "My mother is helping at a nearby farm today. She won't be back until it's dark."

He hummed against your skin trailing small kisses along your jawline and down your neck as if unable to keep his hands and mouth off you now that the dam had been released.

"I'm not as pure as Osferth thinks me to be."

That statement made his actions stop. Carefully he raised his head to meet your gaze. "After dark?" He confirmed, voice rough in a way that sent a bolt of heat through you.

"Yes, she planned on having supper with them….so my home is currently empty….and I did just clean my blankets the other day…."

He swooped in to give you a feverish, greedy kiss that left no doubt where his mind had gone. When he finally pulled back, you were surprised your legs could still hold you upright. Your whole body felt like puddy in his arms and he had only kissed you, albeit you doubted you would ever forget the way his mouth worshiped yours.

"You are certain? You want this?" He softly asked, staring into your eyes once more. "You want me?"

It was the last question, the vulnerable undertone, the hint of insecurity in it that sealed your decision. Letting your actions be your answer, you grabbed his hand and started pulling him in the direction of the door to your home. It did not take more than a second for him to come beside you, wrapping his arm around your waist.

With his taste on your lips, the future did not matter right now. It did not matter that he was Dane and you were not. All you knew was Sihtric was neither a saint nor a sinner, but simply a man deserving of love. The river of your love was pointing you directly towards him, and you silently vowed to never let it run dry.

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