#she then is like “gotta go! I have civilians questioning my absolute rule and black widows to put on their balls”

[il3x]

every day I wish for a Taylor Doesn't Turn Herself In AU simply so she can interact with Accord. I want Taylor "raised by an English professor" Hebert to bond with Accord over ruthless supervillainy for the greater good, the importance of public infrastructure, and respecting good old English grammar.

[tryingmydarndest]

Thank You (Luka Couffaine x Reader)

Summary (Part 1/probably 3): The author goes on a bit of a tangent about how Y/N goes on a bit of a tangent about Viperion. Who may just have a little, big ol' crush on them?

Tags: -not enough actual relationship -fluff -but like, a weird sprinkling of angst that I didn't plan on right at the end???

Word count: 1.6k

A/N: Inspired by this fic by @seriously-sirius-black <3. Luka? OOC? Idk, probably, I don’t write fanfic. But I am actually kinda proud of how well Alya turned out. Writing this made me realize how much of a mom friend I apparently headcanon her as. I wrote this gender-and-as-everything-else-neutral as I can make it (lemme know if you see ways I can improve, tho idk how much more fanfic I'll even be writing). Also, I freakin' RAMBLE and overuse italics, but ya get what ya get and ya don't gotta fret. Ooh, important note for future parts (if i write them) - this is a kinda!au where the miraculous users keep their miraculous. also if I had a nickel for every time I get awkwardly specific about the placement of both of a character’s hands I’d have TWO nickels. Happy reading!! <3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3

Part I - Paris's Cutiest Heroes

The look currently on Marinette’s face as she sputtered out a response was priceless, “Cat Noir? Cat Noir!? What makes you think I’d find Cat Noir attractive at all? And- and- HIM- the cutest superhero! Ridiculous!”

“Utterly ridiculous?”

“Nice one, Alya”

“Thank you so much, Y/N,” you gave Alya a high five on your way to your seat next to Juleka and Rose on the couch facing Marinette and Alya. A sunny Friday after school was the perfect place for Kitty Section and their entourage to hang out. Unfortunately without Ivan and Mylène, seeing as their anniversary called for a private celebration. After pushing a couple couches onto the deck of The Liberty, Alya had predictably started talking about Paris's resident hero team. Today, she chose to ask everyone who they deemed the cutest, and she made sure to jump on Marinette's... interesting response, “And girl, he has the same silky golden hair and dreamy emerald eyes as Adrien Agreste. What’s utterly ridiculous is you freaking out and dodging every time we bring up superheroes!”

The designated snack-boy, Luka, walked out precariously carrying three bowls of goodies for everyone, “Alright, I got more popcorn. Sorry, but looks like we’re out of cheese flavoring, Y/N”

“Oh... that’s fine. I honestly wasn’t expecting it since I forgot to ask,” your free hand not reaching for the bowl rubbed the back of your neck, “but thanks for remembering.”

“Oh, um yeah- Always," is it creepy to remember something so specific? Someone as nice as Y/N wouldn't be interested in some creep. Ugh. Luka took a seat with his own bowl after passing Alya and Marinette theirs. He ended up next to you on the floor, leaning against the arm of the couch, dangerously close to touching your legs.

Rose reached for the popcorn as she interjected, “You know, Alya does have a point. So Marinette, why don’t you just tell us who you think the cutest superhero is, if you don’t like us guessing?”

Somehow Marinette’s face went even paler as she spoke, “What- I mean, I don’t- I haven’t thought- Wha- what about Y/N? Why aren’t you interrogating them?”

Alya crossed her arms, “Because Y/N says the same thing about the same hero every day. Just watch. Ahem, Y/N, care to weigh in on the cuteness level of our lovely Parisian superheroes?”

You looked up from the bowl you had stolen back from Rose with wide eyes, "Hey! Okay, no, that is not fair! Besides, what is our criteria for 'cute'? I mean... Are we going just by physical characteristics? Is costume a factor? What about the animal they're representing, could our opinion of that make this whole thing unfair? And cuteness is so subjective anyway... Why are we even reducing these amazing and honorable superheroes to just their looks? I mean we could be talking about skill, or their powers or power lev-"

"-And your answer would be exactly the same. Seriously, are you done trying- and might I add, failing- to talk yourself out of this one yet? Or should I just read the article you wrote for the Ladyblog?"

"You said you deleted that!"

Luka had perked his head up at your initial fumbling response and turned to you when he spoke, "You wrote an article? That's pretty cool."

You rubbed your face to try and distract yourself from the burning embarrassment, "Umm, yeah. But it was terrible and extremely not. worth. publishing." You hoped the glare you sent the girl in question was enough to scare her into deleting it on the spot, or to at least lie about it, "So Alya kindly deleted it, right?"

Sitting up with a smug look and crossed arms severely lowered your faith that she'd keep quiet. "A good journalist archives everything. Especially something as juicy as one of her besties going on for five thousand words about how dreamy the great Viperion is," dramatically fake-fainting into Marinette's lap, Alya could barely finish before bursting out in laughter. Of course, quickly followed by the others joining in to varying degrees. Juleka and Rose happily giggled to themselves, Marinette looked more relieved that the heat was off her, and Luka seemed to be shocked, or maybe just holding back to see how you were taking this.

Horribly. Horribly embarrassed would describe how you were taking this conversation. You sat there stock-still as you hoped that none of the others could hear your heart's desperate attempts to pound its way out of your chest. That's certainly all you could hear, at least until Alya's voice brought you out of it, "Hey, it's fine," she made her way over to sit next to you as she continued, "We all have our little hero crushes. That's why I bring it up all the time, to show you that it's totally normal! I mean, we all know how I could go on about Carapace for days," Alya gestured for the others to continue, and used her other hand to try and comfort you.

"Well, I find Ladybug to be just absolutely adorable and so kind.... oh it just makes me so happy knowing she's keeping all of Paris safe," Rose added softly.

Juleka brushed a strand of hair aside as she spoke, "Rena Rouge is super mysterious, pretty rad in my opinion."

Alya was rubbing your back like the mom friend she is to try and help encourage you, "See? Super normal, so go ahead and release all this pent up Viperion energy that I know you have. Maybe it'll encourage Marinette here to finally join in the fun!" Alya stuck her tongue out at her best friend, who responded promptly by smashing her face into a pillow.

You just sighed, "I mean- it’s- it can't just-'' were you supposed to just get over it all just like that? Well, at least the embarrassment was wearing off, maybe you could just entertain her for a bit, "Well- um, you see.... HisHairJustLooksReallySoftAnd- you know what. Nope. Can't do anymore of this. Yep- that's all you're getting out of me!" This time when everyone started giggling, you were able to comfortably join them. It was a nice feeling.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A nice evening chilling out with your friends was always welcome, especially with the rising number of akumatizations making that less possible. But the night had come to a close. Alya and Marinette went home, Juleka was walking Rose back herself, and Luka and you had volunteered to clean up. Luka stopped drying the cup in his hand for a minute as he looked at you, “Um, I know it might not be my place, but I want you to know that you don’t have to be embarrassed about the whole... Viperion thing.” God, how am I supposed to take the news that MY crush has a crush on.... Sort of me? Am I supposed to count it as me at all?

“Oh, um. Yeah, thanks. I think I’m over the embarrassment now that it’s out. I don’t know, it’s just that a lot of people think it’s weird since he’s kind of a new hero,” how are you supposed to explain this to him? That you kept such a non-issue secret from him, especially without getting suspiciously defensive about it. “And then people use that to try and say that I only like him for his looks..... And that’s not it! I don’t know, it’s kind of.... A lot? To explain, that is.” This was not going well.

“Oh... Well, what is it? That you like about him, I guess.”

This was so not going well. But he was waiting for a response so... “Uh, well I guess it did kinda start..... that way.... but then I started doing research. I learned about his power and saw videos of his fights. He’s really good! Especially for being so new, which kinda goes into why his power makes me like him so much.” Shit. Rambling, I’m just talking and talking and I need to stop. But how am I supposed to change the subject now? And now Luka’s sitting down, and he seems so invested. Why does this have to happen to me?

“What do you mean by that?”

Luka’s voice kindly shuts your little thought-spiral in its tracks. What were you saying? Oh, Viperion’s powers! You can talk about this, you know this. Just keep talking, at least he seems interested in it, “Well, you know how he can go back and redo the last couple of minutes?” Luka nodded, “Well, we always see the time that worked out. Us civilians get to keep going from the one time it all went right. Just imagine all the times he failed, all the times he couldn’t get it right. It could be dozens, maybe even hundreds of times! He must get so discouraged at some point, I mean I know I would.... I guess I didn’t really think about it at first, but.... but, I doubt I could keep that determination, and I’m so glad Paris has a hero who can, and does.”

Silence. Why was it so quiet? Oh no, he thinks I’m weird. He must think-

“All of this from ‘his hair looks soft’?”

“Hey! You can’t tell me not to be embarrassed, then make fun of me! That’s against the rules!”

Luka chuckled as he said, “Against what rules, exactly?”

“The Rules Of Best Friendship, duh!”

“And who exactly said you were my best friend?”

“Well... your loss, I guess. Now you won’t get an invitation when I plan Rose and Juleka’s wedding,” you brushed off his offended glare as you took the seat next to him.

“She’s my sister.”

“She’d take my side.”

I’d take your side, too. I will always take your side. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

A/N the sequel: I am super bad at finishing things, but I really wanna keep motivated to finish this (like I have a full, probably 3 part, plan for this). If you guys want to help, shoot me a message and I'll send you a link to the google doc I'm writing this on. Feel free to leave a little comment (pls be kind, obviously) and see my writing process! Idk, would any of you guys be interested in that? Would you just get annoyed at having already read the thing before I post it?

[a-wayne-at-heart]

[Bruce, Jason, & Damian Panels] The New 52′s “Convergence: Batman and Robin” (2015)

Writers have shown us time and time again that fatherhood does not come easy to one Bruce Wayne. It definitely wasn’t easy raising a Dick Grayson or a Tim Drake, let alone a Jason Todd or a Damian Wayne, even with Alfred Pennyworth around. (Not to mention his “daughters” and other less-troublesome “sons”). But we’ve gotta hand it to the ol’ Bat - he never stops trying.

This miniseries is aptly entitlted “Fathers & Sons”, and it’s easily becoming one of my favorites.

We’ve seen the pattern of resentment among the Robins that comes with feeling replaced. All the four (main) Batboys have gone through it at one point in their vigilante careers: Dick with Jason; Jason with Tim; Tim with Damian. And now, interestingly, Damian with Jason?

You’d think that the li’l former assassin would have gotten over his insecurities after having proven himself a more-than-capable Robin to both Bruce and Dick... Perhaps, it’s a testosterone thing? Or possessiveness over their father?

Whatever the reason, it paves the way for combination angst-and-fluff interactions that I absolutely adore!

A little backstory (and some spoilers):

"Convergence" was a company-wide DC Universe crossover event during the New 52 run focused on Braniac's obsession with collecting cities from ended timelines and trapping them in domes on a planet outside of space and time. It has several spin-offs, including this two-issue one.

In a domed Gotham City, Batman and Robin rescue Poison Ivy from some rogues. She had been cultivating Robinson park in order to feed the citizens for free, and her colleagues basically saw it as bad for criminal business. When Killer Croc attacks Batman, Red Hood (with his assistant Duela Dent, a.k.a. Scarlet) shows up unexpectedly and saves him.

“Jason... Todd? Why’s he here?”

In the next set of panels, both Bruce and Damian question Jason’s sudden appearance - but probably for different reasons. Bruce seems genuinely curious but welcoming, while Damian’s more he’s-not-supposed-to-be-here.

More under the cut:

“Where have you been?”

Not “Get lost, you’ve done enough”, not “I’m calling the cops on you”.

Awww, Bruce, your “daddy” is showing!

“... Because I have help.”

Fandom tends to portray Batman as a lone wolf who hates working with others, when that’s only partly true. He rarely (openly) asks for help (for efficiency and martyr-ish reasons), but he also rarely has to. The Batfamily has his back whether he prefers it or not (which, I’m pretty sure, he does). And, once in a while, he’ll acknowledge it and have symptoms of gratefulness. 

In the last panel, I like how the artist puts the quote beside Damian’s face. I’d like to think that Bruce is either acknowledging the importance of having his Robins, or hinting to Damian that Jason’s contribution to the fight was valuable. 

“Maybe it’s time you got yourself a new partner. Or an old one.”

Now, the following scene is very reminiscent of an exchange between Bruce and Tim regarding Damian (which I previously posted about here.) The irony being that Damian’s in Tim’s shoes this time, insecure about where he stands with Bruce now that the long-lost black sheep of the family has returned. Like Tim, he feels that said sheep should earn his place in the family and resents that Bruce seems to be forgetting years of ugly life-threatening disputes with Jason.

But, as far as parents go, Bruce is fair, to say the least. In moments like these, he tries to reassure the concerned child of his love and lets him/her see where the other is coming from.

“Of all the things I learned from you... how to be a father was not one of them.”

If you’ve read the “Batman and Robin” series (the second volume, where Bruce reclaims the cowl from Dick, and Damian stays as his Robin), then you’ve seen the frustrating tug-of-war between Bruce and Damian. Bruce was learning how to be father; Damian, a son. There were so many lovely moments between them that actually made me tear up!

In this heartfelt scene, Bruce is seeking comfort from (the ghost of) his father. Clearly, Batman and son still have a ways to go. If there’s something that can get under Bruce’s skin - apart from his parents’ death, of course - it’s family tension.

(In spite of their argument, Bruce considers taking Damian on patrol, knowing how much his son loves it.)

“I don’t want to fight you.”

I suppose being a fictional vigilante family affords them the right to be this ExtraTM  (on a rooftop, a helicopter on standby),  but really this is just your typical brotherly brawl at home.

Throughout the issue, we get a glimpse of a now-“reforming” Jason. He shows up out of nowhere, with no other agenda than to fight side-by-side with his family. He holds back his punches against Damian even when he could use “self defense” as an excuse to Bruce. (Maybe he can relate to Damian? After all, they’ve both tried to kill Tim out of Robin-fueled resentment.) His defenses are down when Bruce calls him out for his “unacceptable” behavior”. Here’s a Jason who wants a truce, however uneasy.

Damian’s disdain for Jason isn’t unfounded, though. Jason’s track record... Well. Come on. Plus, remember the time when he humiliated Batman and Robin, almost exposing Dick and Damian’s secret identities to the whole world via the internet? 

“Both of you... STOP IT.”

And the “daddy” just keeps falling from his cape. 

Before Bruce gets to answer such a loaded question, a disembodied voice interrupts their moment (whew!) and tells them that the cities will have to fight one another to survive. 

... Which, of course, is unacceptable to Bruce, whose mantra is that there is always another way. A group called The Extremists arrive in Gotham City and the Batboys are forced to push aside their differences to deal with the threat. 

“Both of you... concentrate on your jobs.”

Damian’s snarky by nature, and Jason’s not one to just let a li’l brat get away with insulting him, so...

Annnnnnd Batman breaks his no-civilian-names-in-the-field rule like a mother hen panicking for her two chicks.

Now, this next set of panels just... *sigh*.

In a clever (or desperate?) attempt to get his sons to work together, Bruce actually uses his opponent to reenact a traumatic Batfamily moment. (I mean, how may Bane-like villains are there? And, how many parents do you know use life-and-death situations as teaching moments?)

“We’ll get your father.”

And, just like that, a mutual protectiveness over their father (come on, Jason, just say it already) actually gets them to cooperate!

“We still have a job to do. Together.”

You know who you wouldn’t want as your enemy? Crime-fighting brothers who have just recently made ammends (and have Batman as their dad!).

“Got you.”

“I’m here...”

"This is what we do. This is what we’ve always done. We protect the things that are precious to us.”

“The universe made us orphans, but we don’t have to stay that way. Go be with your family, Bruce.”

And the cherry on top? Our favorite Batfamily “uncle”/co-parent droping by from the sky to share in the feels... (He clearly watched the whole thing unfold.)

In spite of how much his children push him (or each other) away, Bruce doesn’t give up on them (and, well, vice versa). He’ll let them run away, but not without stuffing a care package in their knapsacks first (figuratively speaking).

World’s Greatest Detective, in peak physical condition, revered by superheroes and villains in the Multiverse... and “dad” is still his greatest challenge.