#she's not NOT protecting kon. but she's also not like. connected to this child. he doesn't MEAN anything to her

[dcxdpdabbles]

DCxDP Fanfic idea: The Cousin

Clark had always known that Krypton was an entire planet with more than just a few cities scattered about, but it was a very distant knowledge that he grew up with.

Yes, it was sad that he was among the few Kyptonians left in the universe, but Clark has always considered himself human before anything else. He was Jonathan Kent and Martha Kent's son long before he learned of his identity as Kal-El.

It made him feel guilty that he preferred being Clark Kent to Kal-El, but it was the honest truth, as mean as it was.

Kara had once accused him of not understanding what it mean to have lost their home planet like she did. She often pointed out that his Kryptonese sounded like someone who had learned it as a second language. She also claimed that he was only pretending to be Kryptonian in another argument, and the worst was when she stated he wasn't Kryptonian enough. She raged because she was mourning the loss of her planet and people, and lashing out at him was easier.

He knew that, but it still stung, though not in the way she wanted. It stung because of the guilt: He agreed that he was prouder to be considered an Earthling than a Kryptonian.

He couldn't help that English rested more comfortably on his tongue or the scents of Earth's food were far more appetizing than the meals Kara made (As close to her family's recipes as she could. There were some spices Earth similarly couldn't substitute)

His rocket ship was his parents' attempt to stuff as much of their culture as they could into it before their people were wiped out. He tried hard to learn everything they managed to save, but he didn't connect to it as strongly as he did in history class listening to the USA's humble beginnings.

He felt guilty about that, too.

When they found Kon-El, he let Kara give him a name, only to later discover what Kon in Kryptonian meant. By that point, the clone had built an entire identity out of the name, and seeing his cousin's smug smirk made his insides turn.

He didn't like the clone, but he didn't think the boy deserved that. Though Clark should have done something, eventually, he would help rebrand the name, shifting the translation of the more modern (or it was before Kypton was no more) to an older Kryptonian one. Although Kara acted like he was destroying more of their culture, Clark felt it was better this way.

It was a struggle to be trapped between two worlds, but Clark knew which one he would choose every single time.

Then Bruce found the boy.

As usual, Bruce kept an eye on all major powers, including up-and-coming heroes. He first gained wind of the young hero in Amity Park from a young Wes Weston, who posted daily about Phantom. Since Phantom seemed to fall under the jurisdiction of the Justice League Dark, Clark didn't pay much attention to him.

Bruce had eyes on the young hero and had sent Robin to offer training and support, but the boy seemed much more interested in staying in his own part of the world and fighting the dead. Clark could respect that.

All heroes had an area that was undoubtedly theirs, and Phantom picked the most haunted place in the country to protect. It made sense. Months went by with Bruce occasionally bringing up the boy in meetings, to either update them on his work or praise the child for his missions in that weird, emotionless way Bruce talked as Batman.

Then, one day, Kara barged into the meeting, about to argue for her right to join the Justice League, when her eyes landed on the hologram of Phantom, which was frozen in place. Her mouth opened and closed, eyes wide, before she blurted out, "You found someone from the house of Lor-Van!?"

"What?" Clark sat up, recognizing his mother's maiden name.

"Look at his chest! That's the Lor-Van symbol!" Kara screeched, hope starting to bloom in her eyes. "He's your cousin, Kal. Likely from your mother's young brother! I heard he was attempting to make a rocket on the other side of Kypton, but I never knew if he was successful....but he must have! He has your mother's eyes!"

Clark feels like someone kicked him in the chest. His voice cracks as he asks, "There were other refugees from Kypton?"

Whatever glee was on Kara's face died a painful death as she turned away, hiding her tears. "Not everyone believed Uncle Jor, but not everyone thinks he was lying. They just didn't make it."

The silence in the meeting hall is heavy. Clark is only half aware of his teammates shooting unsure glances between the two aliens until Bruce clears his throat. "If Phantom is truly of house Lor-Van, I think it's time to approach him again, especially since he's a ghost. Anyone with magic can take control of him."

"Oh," Kara's voice is small. "He didn't make it either."

Clark leaps to drag Kara into a hug. She goes willingly, but doesn't hug back as she stays stiff as a board, hiding her face in his chest. "He should have been your age. Makes sense why he's still a teenager."

He doesn't know what to say to make her feel better. Nothing will feel better when you lose your entire world.

"We could go meet him, " he offers instead. Clark feels Kara move her head against his chest in one brisk nod, but it's enough for him to excuse himself from the rest of the League. They wave away his apology, offering to come with them for moral support, but Clark feels it's something he and Kara should be able to handle on their own.

She's crying on her way back to Earth, aiming for the part of the planet that houses Amity Park. Clark could have just had the Zeta beams from the Watch Tower, but he felt a flight would have done her some good.

"I don't know why I'm sad," She laughs wetly. "It's not like he's my cousin. He's a cousin of a cousin. I just thought...."

"I know," he tells her, pretending not to see the flooding tears behind her. Maybe we can find out what happened to him."

Maybe he was raised on Earth before his early death. Maybe Phantom is like me. Clark says, but he hopes. Even if it were a ghost, it would be nice to have someone understand.

The two Supers don't say anything else as they re-enter Earth's skies, and they can spot a ain't green glowing monster fighting against another smaller white glowing figure on the horizon.

[demonic0angel]

PhantomBat Next Gen 2.0

I remade this post bc I’ve been thinking about it for awhile lmao (click for clarity)

The numbers symbolize age, so 1 is the oldest, and 12 is the youngest. Each square also separates each family. And ofc, these are my preferred ships so maybe your idea of the PhantomBat next gen is different.

Details are always susceptible to change, but notes and details (very long) are below:

1) Abigail “Abby” Crystal Weston: (31 years old) the adopted daughter of Stephanie and Wes. She is Stephanie’s biological daughter that she gave up for adoption when she was 15. When Stephanie got pregnant for the 2nd time with her son, she felt depressed and guilty for her first child. Wes used his investigative abilities and connections to find her daughter and they discovered that she was still unadopted. They quickly adopted her and only years later did they tell her the truth. She is a civilian, but is aware of her family’s activities and acts as an alibi. Fun fact: she is married and has a daughter!

2) Jove Dillon Gordon: (24 years old) He is the adopted child of Barbara Gordon and Valerie Gray. Originally part of the DP universe, he became a liminal through contamination and accidentally transported himself into the DC universe. He was adopted by Barbara and when his origins were revealed, Valerie stepped in to help (and then they fell in love). He’s a hero named Rabbit and has teleportation and time/matter manipulation abilities that he hasn’t fully discovered yet. Fun fact: he is albino!

3) Marillyn “Mari” Maddy Grayson: (24 years old) Dick and Dan’s only child. Her conception was an accident because Dan didn’t think he could get pregnant, but when it happened, they were overjoyed. She is extremely mischievous, free-spirited, and a bit arrogant, but she is brave and bold, often the first one to defend her family. She is a hero who takes on the name Flamebird to fight alongside Dick. She has pretty strong halfa powers and can switch between forms as a hero. Fun fact: She is best friends with Elinor and the two usually travel together.

4) Elinor “Ella” Catherine Nightingale: (24 years old) Jason and Jazz’s oldest daughter. She is tall and very intelligent, having gained both of her parents’ literature loving habits. Compared to Mari, she is more mature and responsible, but she still enjoys a fun time. She has no powers, and takes on the name of Romola as a hero with wolf motifs like Jazz. Fun fact: Her face is a female version of Jason’s!

5) Seth Austin Weston: (24 years old) Wes and Stephanie’s oldest son. He is a great investigator and brawler like Steph. He works as a hero by the name of Warning, since he wanted to have a somewhat similar name to Spoiler. He can be abrasive and he focuses on the big picture rather than details, but he is protective and very loyal. Fun fact: He is considered a player by his cousins.

6) Thomas “Tommy” Bruce Drake-Kent: (20 years old) Tim, Kon, and Dani’s oldest son. When he was young, his dream was to take over the world. He still has that dream as he’s older, and he is extremely successful in taking the steps necessary to recreate the world into a utopia. He is a civilian with no powers, but he uses his money and skills to support and provide for his brother and cousins. He has a bit of brother-complex, but he just really loves his family. Fun fact: He takes advantage of the fact that he has Vlad, Lex, and Bruce as grandparents to further his goals.

7) Alfonso “Alfie” B Nightingale: (20 years old) Jason and Jazz’s only son. He is the twin of Marianne and is the middle child. He has no powers and takes on the name of Remus as a hero with wolf motifs like his mom. He and Elinor are the wolves to Marianne’s Little Red Riding Hood. He is quiet and serious, but he has a soft side. It’s also said that he looks a lot like Bruce. Fun fact: He used to have a very long emo phase!

8) Marianne “Annie” Talia Nightingale: (20 years old) Jason and Jazz’s youngest daughter. She is the twin of Alfonso and is the youngest. She has no powers and takes on the mantle of Little Red in replacement of Jason (he is alive, just mostly retired). She is cheerful and air headed, but she can be a bit trigger happy and has a temper. However, out of her entire family, her strength is extremely strong. Fun fact: She got her blonde hair from her paternal grandmother! (Sheila Haywood)

9) Melia “Mel” Misty Wayne: (18 years old) Danny and Cass’ oldest daughter. She is the twin of Daphne. She is rowdy, mischievous and careless, but also very empathetic and compassionate. She has halfa powers and uses them as a hero named Omen. Like Marillyn, she can also switch between forms as a hero. Her core is one of water. Fun fact: Both she and her sister are extremely talkative, which Cass loves.

10) Daphne “Daph” Rain Wayne: (18 years old) Danny and Cass’ youngest daughter. She is the twin of Melia. She is quiet and shy, but also very brave and excitable when comfortable. She has halfa powers and uses them as a hero named Herald. Like Marillyn, she can also switch between forms as a hero. Her core is one of ice. Fun fact: She has a secret girlfriend that no one knows about.

11) Sean Kyler Weston: (18 years old) Wes and Stephanie’s youngest son. He is a basketball player like his dad and has no powers. He wants to live a normal life, but like Abigail, is aware of their family’s identities and helps as an alibi. Fun fact: He used to want to be a hero, but after watching his family get hurt constantly, he decided to stay a civilian and help in other ways.

12) Kenneth “Kenny” Clark Drake-Kent: (17 years old) Tim, Kon, and Dani’s youngest son. He is extremely bold, cheerful, and adventurous. As a child of both a Kryptonian and a halfa, he is extremely powerful and has abilities of both races. As such, he is considered the next “Superman”. Even at 17, his powers are not far from rivaling Clark’s and Danny’s. Fun fact: He is out and very gay, with a boyfriend that he lets no one meet.

Notes:

+ Most of the OG Batfam and Phantoms are semi-retired. They still patrol and check on things, but since their kids reached the age of 21, they’ve been drastically lessening their heroics. Bruce is fully retired tho and mentors the kids.

+ There are 2 hero teams, one with the older kids (Jove, Marillyn, Elinor, and Seth) and the younger kids (Marianne, Alfonso, Melia, Daphne, and Kenneth). They split up for their hero teams out of Gotham, but when inside of Gotham City, these are the teams they usually regroup in.

+ The only ones with powers are Jove, Marillyn, Melia, Daphne, and Kenneth. The others have no powers, but are varying degrees of liminal.

+ Elinor is considered the de facto leader of the PhantomBat kids, with Marillyn as her right hand due to their efficiency and skill on the field.

+ If I had to powerscale the hero kids, it would look like: Kenneth >>> Jove > Daphne ≥ Melia > Marillyn > Marianne > Seth ≥ Elinor > Alfonso.

+ Melia and Daphne are named after water nymphs associated with Apollo, the god of prophecies, within Greek mythology. Melia means “ash tree” and Daphne means “laurel tree”. Both were consorts or desired lovers of Apollo.

+ Seth and Sean have middle names that are somewhat related to their uncles (Easton and Kyle).

+ I assume that in this AU, the Phantoms have cut off Maddie and Jack and don’t share their name anymore. As such, they either take the last name of their spouse or just use the last name Nightingale.

+ Any other notes on names can probably be found in the OG post that is linked above.

+ Bruce cried like a baby at every birth of his grandkids. He cried harder whenever they have names that relate back to him. At the rate that he kept crying at every birth, his kids just let him cry all over their newborns while the Phantoms were like ???? every single time. He is a grandfather of 12 and very, very proud of it.

+ Yes, it was also very weird when people were pregnant around the same time. There were months in between (ofc), but they definitely gave each other awkward laughs whenever they started showing. Danny and Jazz were especially baffled to be having twins one after another.

+ Dani had the most difficult birth because she couldn’t create her own DNA, so she had to drink blood (from Kon and Tim) and eat a lot in order to have a somewhat stable birth. There are lots of science shenanigans I kind of want to get into, but I think it’ll be awkward to talk about here, so maybe I’ll write about it one day. (I love science stuff and world building :3)

+ Damian and Duke are either married/dating their own partners, but Damian has no kids while I don’t really know Isabella that well?? But Duke and Izzie probably have 2 kids as well. Idk what to decide with Sam and Tucker, but they help Danny with his stuff and the kids.

[jessilynallendilla]

DPXDC SUPERMAN AND CONSTANTINE FIC REC

TITLE/LINK RATING COMPLETED-WORD-COUNT SERIES

DP FIC REC HOME POST

let me know if the links aren't working and feel free to suggest any

& SUPERMAN 

Lex Luthor's Chance Of Fate  G 3,730 SERIES 

Years ago, Lex met a little boy at a tech convention. Some thirteen years later, they meet again. He's just as sassy as Lex remembers too. 

Two For One Special  T 12,583 

While in Gotham, Clark gets mistaken for Bruce Wayne. He's not alone in his dilemma, however, because a teenager by the name of Danny is also mistaken to be Tim Drake. At least Clark's having fun with his fellow captive. 

Oh Him? Don't Pay Him Any Attention He's Just Our (Resident Cryptid) New Intern  T 

Lois just wants to protect Danny, Clark just wants to adopt Danny, and Danny just wants to keep his job and NOT get fired. Jimmy Olsen wishes he wasn’t a professional photographer who could clearly tell that Danny Fenton is a spitting photoshop color reverse image of Danny Phantom. Perry White wishes he hired someone else. Needless to say, the Planet is a mess. 

You With The Sad Eyes  M 12,641 SERIES 

All it takes is an attempted kidnapping gone sideways for the Kent family to (eventually) gain a new member. Follow Jon and Clark as they try to unwind the mystery of the meta boy named Danny and all the secrets he keeps. 

Living Is Hell, What Else Is New?  T 5,546 SERIES 

A Connor Kent from a universe where Superman is a huge jerk arrives to the Like and Survive universe right in front of the Teen Titans. Kon takes his new identical brother home to meet his dad. 

Foundling At The Door  T 25,987 SERIES 

Kon had half a second to think so much for the quiet day before the tear in reality warped and twisted in ways that his mind simply refused to comprehend, bolts of green lightning arching out of the shattered mess leaving scars in the sky as a horrible after-image. And then someone fell out of it. A tiny, injured figure tumbled out of the break in time and space, plummeting to the ground in tattered hospital scrubs stained red and green. He moved before he could think, darting forward in the air to grab the battered body, not caring what else might come out of the ominous tear in reality above them. Elle escaped the GIW, if barely. Unfortunately the portal she created has sent her not to the Ghost Zone, but an entirely new dimension - one that doesn't have enough ectoplasm for her to survive, let alone leave. Badly injured and surrounded by strangers, the best option she has of surviving is going along with the assumption that she's a Kryptonian, whatever that is. At least Not-Danny and his boyfriend are nice. 

The Cryptid Of Smallville  G 

Danny gets de-aged and Clockwork sends him to the Kent’s because they’re used to raising superpowered children and time moves different on their Earth. A collection of connected one-shots surrounding the ten years Danny lives with the Kent family. 

Star Child  G 1,291 SERIES 

Although Martha lost her unborn baby, that doesn't stop her from being a mother. Nor does it stop her from showing kindness to strangers. She is surprised to see how one stranger shows his appreciation. 

Tomato Farms And Runaways  G 1,511 

It's amazing how much money merchandise can get you, enough to per-se... get way. Enough to leave behind a bad situation. It's not like he wanted to leave home, but with his parents finding out about the accident, and him being Phantom, there were no other choices left for him. Not with his parents on the loose looking for the "ghost who kidnapped their poor son and impersonated him". And after all, he could use a break. They all could. Him, Sam, tucker, jazz. 

Just the Typical Weirdness  G 6,622 SERIES 

Just a little ficlet with the idea of "Esperanto is Ye Olde Kryptonian" 

Get That Out Of Your Mouth (You Don’t Know Where It’s Been!)  NR 

Spring break, really just a great opportunity to try for the, well, who really knows how many times, to try and map out the Ghost Zone! Unfortunately for Danny, this little field trip of his has taken him much farther from home than expected. In a place that is simultaneously very different, and very similar to his world, Danny Fenton is trapped in Metropolis, powers weak and his own self following after, he needs to either find a way home, or a new source of the ectoplasmic energy he’s living off of. Meanwhile, in the home team, Lex Luther’s change of heart has everyone on high alert, especially as the lives of teenagers become pawns in a dangerous game of chess. Robin and Superboy, Superman and Red Robin, are all pressed to prevent such a catastrophe before it’s too late. 

& CONSTANTINE 

It's Hard To Make Friends When You're Half In The Graveg 886 SERIES 

For the record, neither Barry nor Oliver know how a teenaged Eldritch Abomination got into headquarters. They do know, however, that it's obviously Constantine's fault. 

A King's Gamble  G 

As tensions grow between Phantom and Plasmius, both vying for the title of King heir, the instability of the Ghost Zone affects Earth, pulling a reluctant John Constantine into the world of ghosts and ghost hunters. 

Beach Day Demons  G 4,823 SERIES 

John Constantine mistakes Danny as a possessed teen while he’s on his break to the beach. Chaos ensues! 

Afterimage  G 2,277 

The Justice League are having trouble with a ghost and Constantine really want to deal with it before the ghost's king comes to collect his wayward subject. Bruce thinks it sounds like a good solution for someone to come and collect the untouchable enemy until he suddenly, horrifyingly, doesn't. Barry let out a yelp and Bruce instinctively flinched backwards as he could feel his skin tingling, hands spasming, muscles twitching, and hear stuttering in his chest as the electricity in the air surrounding them increased increased increased. 

“The king has arrived,” Constantine choked out through clenched teeth. 

Really, Danny just wanted to take Skulker back to the Zone. 

Danny What The Fuck??  T 3,731 

Phantom is almost comically overpowered compared to the Justice League on account of not only being a boy king of an alternate dimension, but also because he fought creatures from said alternate dimension and whilst Constantine did that too -on a rather unfortunately regular basis- he didn't fight Darkside level threats on his own at fourteen years of age. Hence how overpowered Phantom was. But he was also still a boy, which might be how Constantine found himself looking down the barrel of a gun. 

Hellblazer And The Phantom  T 

After John Constantine finds himself in Amity Park, Illinois (courtesy of the House of Mystery), he learns about the ghosts of the town, most notably the Ghost Boy, AKA Phantom. When John is strong-armed by the Fentons into helping during a ghost fight, a wayward spell hits Phantom, erasing all memories he has of his human life. Considering the alternative is letting the Fentons experiment on him, John takes the young ghost kid under his wing. However, both of them are in over their heads as they try to get Danny's memories back, and Constantine is NOT father potential. 

Surprise First Meetings With Eldritch Beings Are NOT Fun.  T 1,909 SERIES 

People go missing all the time. It’s a sad fact but true. So it doesn’t catch the Justice League’s attention in the beginning. But when bodies start to be found in failed summoning circles, it finally pings on their radar. Bad news, they can’t tell who, or what, the cultists are trying to summon. 

Be Not Afraid (Or Whatever)  G 1,192 SERIES 

The weather god- though Constantine swore it was 'just' a ghost- had pinned down the entire Justice League. While they'd managed to trap Vortex in a two square mile area and evacuate civilians, and even arrested the cult responsible, they in turn were trapped in a small warehouse, protected only by the blood blossom spray and salt circle Constantine made. Enter the terrifying and awesome (and Barry means that in the biblical sense) Ghost King, stage right. 

Dimensional Sector D3C8QX9 And Why It Sucks (Less Than You'd Think)  T SERIES 

"…Wait. Oh. Oh, no. Oh, fuck. It's that dimension. Why'd have to be that dimension? Urgh, getting back is gonna be such a pain!" 

The Leaguers present exchanged unnerved glances. An eldritch abomination they couldn't contain nor defeat being angry about their stay didn't exactly bode well. 

"What do you mean?" 

The endlessly black eyes singled in on Barry, making him shrink back. For some reason, he doubted even he'd be fast enough if the being in front of him decided to hunt him down. 

"What I mean" it said with a grin willed with too many teeth and too little emotion "is that I'm stuck here for now. And you better buckle up, buddy, because I just decided just now to make it everyone's problem." There was a pause in which the eery glow around the being pulsated. "I'm so going to find whoever did this and move all their furniture two inches to the left." 

Wait, what? 

The Impossible Summoning  G 8,530 SERIES 

There's a new Ghost King in town, and among those freaking out from this news is the Justice League, who want to know if this is something they should be concerned about. Fortunately, John Constantine and Zatanna Zatara are on the case and have a copy of the ritual to summon the ghost king. However, someone, possibly the Ghost King or the ritual's author, really doesn't want the summoning to work. 

Pay Your Dues  T 

For Bruce, the beginning of the end began on an unassuming day in April. Or... John Constantine gets arrested and is sent to trial in the Infinite Realms. Somehow, Bruce's life is worse for it. 

John Constantine Goes To Amity Park.  T 14,811 

John Constantine goes to Amity Park and meets the Fentons. 

The Time I Got Summoned To A Different Dimension To Help Batman's Son  NR 2,129 

Danny became the ghost king after defeating pariah dark. He never really thought of any consequences to that, other than being a ruler of the dead of course. Which meant even less time to sleep and study for school, but still, that was the only downside to being the ghost king. Or, well, at least as far as he bothered to think it through. So yeah, he's quite surprised to find he can be summoned now. And also surprised to be finding it out as he's summoned away from his house to some meeting hall surrounded by people in weird costumes. Yeah, maybe he should also be surprised that apparently the summoning can work across dimensions 

Family Leave  NR SERIES 

He knows he can leave his kids unsupervised in his house. He's done it before. And sure, he has a lot of unexplained incredibly powerful objects just lying about. But his kids aren't stupid. One of em's even in his twenties. Not to say they aren't dumb. They're definitely dumb. They're just not stupid. They'll be able to handle themselves.... ? Nevermind. He's not leaving the house unless the dimensions are colliding. Fuck Gotham, fuck Batman, and fuck the League. No way. Shit. It's mandatory. 

There's Ghosts Haunting The House Of Mystery  T 1,792 

Constantine has an unexpected guest show up to the House of Mystery, funny thing is, he can't find them! Now if only the three suspicious looking ghosts in his living room knew where their guest mysteriously ran off to... 

Constantine's Tournament  G 2,582 

John Constantine is far from the first person to try to worm his way out of consequences by selling his soul to multiple entities. Too bad he doesn't figure that out until he sells his soul to a random teenager. 

The Peacock Chronicles  T 5,418 SERIES 

John Constantine needs help closing up a Lazarus Pit in Gotham. Danny Phantom can close up Lazarus Pits. This should be a perfectly straightforward arrangement between two people with the same interests in mind- unfortunately, Danny's intentions end up just a tad lost in translation. Constantine should've known doing a favour for a guy like Batman would be a mistake. 

Good Ol' Uncle John And His Ghost Nieces And Nephews  G 3,176 SERIES 

John Constantine is Uncle to 4 kids, maybe more. He just wants a smoke and a drink. They just keep causing Chaos. Once they sent the house to the Ghost Realms. That made him late for work. Not fun. 

Amity In The Ghost Zone  T 

What if Amity Park got stuck in the ghost zone after it was teleported? The city doesn't return on its own after Pariah Dark is defeated. Without knowing how to get the whole city back to the living world, Danny tries to evacuate the residents but most Amity Parkers don't really want to leave. Some people do, but many decide to stay. After all, Amity Park is their home, and the idea of having to start over somewhere new isn't very appealing. So the town, for the most part, continues on like normal. In the words of the great philosopher Dr. Ian Malcom "Life, uh, finds a way." 

Of Gravestones And Names  NR 4,862 

John Constantine didn’t know how he ended up as a father of two eldritch abominations but here he is making Mac n’ Cheese for the two horrors. 

Like A Lamb  G 1,376 

John Constantine would never call himself a kind man, much less a good man, but the kid at the corner table of this fast food restaurant was making him want to be both. Not that John’s kindness would really help the kid, in the long run. 

Daniel Wayne - Escape From Fenton: The Infinite Realms  NR 1,720 SERIES 

John Constantine hates scientist, especially ones who cut the fabric of reality to open the a gateway to the Infinite Realms. He also doesn't like the government. And he barely puts up with the Justice League. 

Debts Always Come Due (And Sometimes That's A Good Thing)  M 

After years of playing off one demon against another so that, even with selling his soul multiple times, none can actually claim it, John Constantine finds out that one of his ancestors royally screwed him over and his soul is now the property of the Ghost King. But things don't go QUITE how he expects. 

A Little Accidental Adoption Never Hurt Anyone! Right?  T 

After Constantine meets the supposed High King of the Infinite Realms, they make a deal. It helps them both out, but neither seems to realize it's not just a deal anymore...well except Clockwork, but he's leaving them be for now. Or Constantine accidentally adopts Danny but doesn't realize it anytime soon. 

I Just Wanna Talk  G 

Danny is the inter-dimensional personification of the IRS for Death and the Unliving, and he just has a couple questions. 

Contractual Obligations  T 114,383 

Danny is doing his kingly duties when a demon breaks into a meeting demanding the king’s soul. Now Danny has only a few months to find his birth father and nullify this soul contract or else he becomes a slave to the demon on his 16th birthday. 

The Family  T 

The death of a necromancer caused some of his more sentient belongings to go berserk and the JL is called to clean up. They unearth an ancient scroll from the magician's residence and Justice League Dark is called into investigate. But why does it look like they want to move to the other side of the galaxy? 

Constantine, John  T 1,545 SERIES 

Danny muses on the enigma that is John Constantine and his relationship with the man. 

Who's Helping Who?  NR 4,815 SERIES 

Concerned about rising signs of villains co-conspiring to create a hefty summoning spell, Batman and select members of the Justice League decide to gather information with a summoning of their own. Danny Phantom's been missing from Amity for weeks. His friends have been scouring beneath the surface of the infamous GIW, but any traces of Phantom have been buried deep. Too deep for them to follow. But when Danny feels the pull of an otherworldly force powerful enough to summon him through his binds and chains, he holds out hope for something better on the other side. 

If You Give A Bat A Burger  T SERIES 

Strange things are going on in Gotham: A series of crimes linked only by a sentence uttered. A drug that no one seems to be selling, but lots of people are taking. An old enemy reborn, or someone pretending to be him. Graffiti that can't be photographed by normal means. Bartenders disappearing without a trace. John Constantine is also there. Danny wants nothing to do with any of it. He just wants to sell burgers and survive. Actually, he'd like to go home again, but since that isn't possible, he'll stick with burgers. Gotham's vigilante's have other plans. This is why Danny doesn't do favors. 

Mentory Stable  G 1,162  

Constantine thinks that Danny Phantom should stay in Amity Park. The Justice League thinks that they should be allowed to help. One person gets the last word. 

Dressed For Death  T 

The list of people John Constantine feels bad for is relatively small. The amount of people who feel bad for Phantom is probably smaller. 

WELL, Isn't This A Bitch Of An Unsatisfactory Situation.  M 6,917 

When Danny had been asked where he went when he wasn't hero-ing, he had pointed at the Well. He'd been thinking of a place for a quick ecto-blob ghost snack; he hadn't realized Amity Park would believe that he was murdered and dumped there. He hadn't expected they would try to protect it from the GIW. Hadn't expected the local police to show up to investigate. And he knew he was in deep shit when it turned out that yes, there was a body down that well. Lots of bodies, in fact. Entire families worth. There's a serial killer loose in Amity Park, and if Danny wants to get the stupid out-of-towner heroes off his back and save Vlad, ew, then he needs to figure it out quick. 

Minor Miscommunication Makes Danny A Happy Halfa T 1,525

Danny likes keeping Amity Park to himself. The Justice League can bother some other ghost and leave his city alone. But alas, Batman comes with the dreaded words and apparently he's the Ghost Ambassador and not the King? Oh he might have some fun with this!

[kurorosanime]

25 Years Later:

"A Boy Setting Out For A Journey ✕ Leaving Behind The Sound Of The Wind"

The opening episode of Hunter x Hunter has always been very special for me. It’s almost a self-contained story and one unlike how a lot of other battle anime would open, continuing in the unconventional manners of Togashi Yoshihiro, but it is given further unconventionality thanks to the talents of the anime staff.

Rather than witnessing the death of the protagonist (a la Yu Yu Hakusho) or seeing them engage purely in an action set piece to showcase their prowess (a la Dragon Ball), this is the isolated story of a boy and his mother parting ways. Mito is shown to somewhat resent Ging for abandoning her, and loves Gon, which in turn leads to her despair over Gon’s own desired departure. That he too wants to leave her behind, like Ging had before him. 

Gon and Mito’s relationship is a realistic portrayal of the classic concept of the boy who must leave his home behind. Often it is the case that mothers are not present- Son Goku is an orphan, Yabuki Joe is an orphan, the various Joestars do not tend to have living or active mother figures. It is an issue ignored or sidestepped to ignore the reality that this would be an incredibly bitter experience for the mother in question.

This is not to say it is in any way deconstructive, but rather, it is evocative of where the narrative is intending to go. That ever present idea of the “departure”, the day when we leave someone behind, and later, of course, the day we reunite with them. While this episode focuses on that departure, Gon’s intent is one of eventual reunion- to find his father.

Adjacent to this narrative, we have Gon’s friend, Kon. The little foxbear cub is a microcosm of what is happening in the main thrust, a child that is forced to depart from its mother, and eventually has to grow and live on its own. It is initially shown either in the shadow of its mother and then later in a bush near its mother’s corpse. But, eventually, Gon gets Kon to leave his den and join him, and we see Kon grown to the same size as his mother by the end of the episode, as well as having made new connections outside just Gon. It’s an allusion to how Gon could grow once outside his own mother’s protection. 

A motif connected to this used consistently throughout the episode is that of wind. What is, essentially, Mito’s theme is the first ending song of the anime, Kaze no Uta or, Song of the Wind. It is used as a motif at three points within the episode, those being the initial lingering shots of Gon preparing to catch the Master of the Swamp (immediately prior to his signing up for the Hunter Exam), when Kite takes Gon under his wing in the flashback, and when Mito gives Gon Ging’s fishing rod. It is a motif used to signify the growing distance between the two and Gon finally leaving his mother behind, but it extends beyond just the musical motif.

At several points in the episode, windchimes are invoked, as they hang in Gon’s room. It’s made clear that they signal his return, the sound of the wind following him and representing his true home with Mito, and they’re how Mito finds him for their final confrontation over Gon’s desire to become a hunter. The final scene with Mito in the episode also contains these windchimes, but she only finds his room empty. It’s there that she truly comes to terms with his departure, and finally says “Take care”, to which the windchimes move once again. It’s a somber scene, but another somber moment was in Gon’s departure from Mito itself, once again the wind plays a role but this time in the clouds, with the evening sky colouring them and showing a cloud bathed in green separating from a cloud bathed in red, the colours of Gon and Mito. 

The final play on this motif is, obviously, the ending song. It works as a parallel to the opening, which shows the four main characters waking up underneath a tree as the sun rises. In the ending sequence though, we see Mito, waiting underneath the moon, and it goes beyond that start into day and then night again, concluding on shots of the window to Gon’s room being closed and Mito’s choker being left behind. The ambiguity is there, and it conveys a message of “Both of us will know when you return”, the idea of Gon finding Mito’s choker and Mito hearing the windchimes when Gon opens his window. 

As an aside, another interesting musical element I noticed within this episode was the usage of Kurapika’s theme. Kurapika would not be formally introduced until episode three, though his character theme is utilized twice in this episode. The first is when the loss of family is discussed, first Gon’s belief that his parents are deceased (as well as the issue of what to do with the foxbear cub now that its mother is dead) and the second is during Mito and Gon’s confrontation on the night before Gon’s departure, a scene showing his determination as well as the already established departure from his bonds here. If you're familiar with Kurapika's character then this is an apt musical choice for both of these scenes, and it becomes especially interesting later in how 1999 uses the characters of Gon and Kurapika as almost points of contrast.

As a final statement, I would like to highlight how unique this episode is among its peers- not other battle anime, but other Hunter x Hunter anime. The opening of Hunter x Hunter has been adapted thrice now, once in 1998, again in 1999, and for a third time in 2011. While the 1998 and 2011 adaptations merged the opening two chapters into one, the 1999 anime chose to linger on just the first chapter, expanding primarily on Gon’s relationship with Mito and the bittersweet feelings the two shared as the inevitable conclusion slowly reached.

Comparing to the manga’s version of events, we can gain an eye for the direction of the episode, primarily in what is cut. The establishment of what hunters are in the iconic opening page is dropped entirely, putting the onus on Kite to explain that later, and instead of shots establishing Whale Island, we receive shots establishing Gon’s home life. Before we get to meet Gon, we meet Mito. Before Gon can bring in the Master of the Swamp, we learn of his trials to reach that point, of what he learned about himself and the world around him to get there. Where Chapter 1 begins in a bombastic manner, excited for the adventure to come, Episode 1 begins in a sorrowful manner, nervous for how that adventure might play out and scared for the inevitability of the departure. 

In fact, it wouldn’t be a mistake to say that while other adaptations frame these opening events from the perspective of Gon, the 1999 adaptation frames them from the perspective of Mito. It is not that it is attempting to encroach on ‘edgy’ territory but to highlight just how much of a toll this takes on those left behind.

Another change is the 1999 anime’s aesthetic sensibilities. Comparing to the original manga, Kite berating Gon is almost portrayed comically, Kite gaining exaggerated facial features for the encounter, while the 1999 anime pursues a consistent look for him. Again, it’s not trying to be edgy, but trying to evoke a greater sense of realism and a 'grounded' feeling for the events, which you can take issue with- Hunter x Hunter is innately fantastical, but it's all part of this more emotional experience.

Connected to that, an element 1999 introduces is greater emphasis on Gon’s own vulnerability, in line with its pursuit for anime original character dynamics. Mito’s tendency to look away while lying is something invented within the manga, but the 1999 anime gives Gon the same trait in its original scenes. You gain a retroactive explanation for how Mito knew Gon was lying in that when Gon explains how he knew Mito was, a subtle element that deepens the bond the two share, here, something added for a typical viewer to linger on. This vulnerability Gon has will go on to be a controversial part of 1999 and the most distinct difference it has from the manga and other adaptations, and I'll talk about the (possible) reasons for it I've gleamed from Japanese sources later on when it becomes increasingly more relevant.

It's really hard to stop talking about this first episode- it does a lot. A lot in just 24 minutes and it creates a very distinct opener from both the manga and the other two adaptations of the first chapter, and I love it a whole bunch. It is honestly amazing how much it can continue to appreciate for me after so many years and even after understanding my nostalgic biases and separating them from my normal view.

It may not be 100% faithful or even 50% faithful, but it is something truly great, and I hope my incessant rambling will get through to someone. Trust me, the next few episodes won't be nearly this heavy, it's just there is way too much going on in this episode and I barely used my notes, it was hard to keep this to a relevant point.

I love Aunt Mito.

[mae-kent]

mae’s dynamics with her friends as i see them

- mae & clark: vaguely adopted siblings. weird about each other. (recommended reading: action 677)

- mae & lana: sisters!! she puts up with so much from mae

- mae & lex (pocket): lex is mae’s beautiful perfect creator and mae is lex’s dead gf come back to life as a weapon he doesn’t even need (rec: superman #22)

- mae & lex (main): she’s a princess and he’s evil old xenophobic elon musk

- mae & bart: neurodivergent teenagers who decided to be friends on no basis other than vibes (rec: new titans annual #11)

- mae & kon: child stars in a fake relationship for the media that they almost believe is real for like. a week (rec: adventures 502 and action 689)

- mae & roy: young adult hero friends. idk they’re weirdly normal i enjoy it

- mae & liz: mae and her healthy pseudo rich aunt figure (rec: supergirl 1994 #2-#4)

- mae & gretchen: mae and her toxic pseudo mother in law (rec: supergirl 1994 #1-#4)

- mae & kyle: toxic bisexual friendship

- mae & draaga: right people wrong time.. i miss u draaga (rec: action 675)

- mae & john henry: sweet friends. she’s not afraid to show him affection. they fight well together. reminds me a bit of draaga but without the romance. (rec: adventures 505)

- mae & the eradicator: she wants the best for him and worries he doesn’t have the connection to humanity needed to protect it (the death and life of superman novel by roger stern)

- mae & lois: her brother’s gf and someone mae’s bf is into. mae respects and trusts and values lois but also is hypocritically annoyed by her emotions sometimes. (supergirl & team luthor, superman 77, and action 692)

- mae & guy: two people who both have zero self control and a lot of power. (warrior #31)

- mae & lar gand/mon-el: lex’s pet angel and another lost soul he’s sent her off to save.. but he’s not really on board for salvation. (valor #2)

familial, friendly, romantic

let me know if i forgot anyone!

[aerascreamer]

This is literally keeping me awake so I wanna talk about it:

If you want to make Tim East Asian or half East Asian specifically, then do not portray his parents as abusing and violent.

For one, writing the Drakes as abusers who hit Tim and expect him to be a perfect doll erases all nuances of their family dynamic. You could do so much more by exploring the effects of neglect, by writing about Jack and Janet’s love for their son that is too often is eclipsed by their priorities to their work or by exploring Jack’s efforts to connect and protect his son before his death. Heck Tim was that 🤏 close to use Lazarus Water to clone/revive him with Steph and Kon. Tim loved his dad, Jack loved his son.

Nightwing 1996 #139

Painting Jack as just a violent abuser is a detriment to his character but it gets worse if combined with the headcanon that he is East Asian. Same goes for Janet.

Asian parents are often portrayed negatively, with the “Tiger Mom” stereotype. Take Shiva or Talia (1/2 or 1/4 Chinese), who are casted not motherly, cold, unloving, seeing not a child but a tool in Cass and Damian. Or they aren’t given the opportunity by narratives to be mothers and raise their kids normally, like In Cheshire (Jade’s) case. She herself too didn’t grew up in a loving home.

So by making both Jake or Janet Asian and abusers feed into this circle. Instead, it would nice to nuance the thematic and The Drake’s character much like in the Marvel movie Shang-Chi and the legend of the ten rings. Wenwu is also not a good dad who blames his son for the death of his wife. But the man is driven by grief that clouded his judgment and broke the remaining ties with his family. But his grief is fuled by love, the love for his family. So at death’s door he sees the mistakes he made, he sees the hurt he caused to his son and gives the rings to Shang-Chi to fight the demons he unleashed in his mad quest.

I need to see more loving Asian parents represented

[catastrophic29]

Tim Drake Fic Recs

Liminal Spaces (Finished)

One of my favourite fics! Where Tim is taken by young justice verse batman cause he has horrible eating and sleeping habits, and he takes down the light. Really good, love his characterisation, Damian was so adorable and protective in this. Also read the other works especially Compression.

Your Universe is Kinda Soft (Finished)

This is another Tim going into another alternate universe fic, this ones before Jason dies and the Titans remember everything.

Prudence in the desert. (Unfinished, but hasn’t been updated in a while)

Pru is injured and she meets the the batfam, none of them have met her and know one knows what happened to him during the time Bruce was missing.

Abandoned Nest (Unfinished)

One where Tim leaves cause he doesn’t feel like he’s part of the family, so he moves to Brazil and is still in contact with Tam, Cassie and Pru. He adopts a child named Neves and Kon and Bart come back to life. Neves and Damian are both kidnapped and they meet.

How To Accidentally Acquire a Brother

I love this fic!, So Tim isn’t Robin and everyone is a bit deaged except Damian who is still ten. Janet and Jack Drake are really horrible here and run a drug ring. So Tim goes yo the Red Hood (AKA Jason) and gives him evidence on his parents crimes. Tim is really sweet and a genius in here and he knows Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Barbara Gordan, and Stephanie. The Batfam are trying to find out how Tim knows everyone while he’s in Jason’s safehouse. He becomes Red Robin briefly but more like an Oracle for Red Hood.

birds fly in every direction (Unfinished and hasn’t been updated in a couple months)

So Tim (who is not Robin or Red Rbin yet) sends evidence on criminals to the police under an alias, and Jason and Tim meet at school. The batfamily grow to like him and his parents are kinda douches, he knows their identities and reveals them later it’s really good, both angsty and funny.

Jason's birds (Unfinished)

A fic with a platonically possessive Jason and a sentient pit, Jason realizes that his family is kind fricked up, so he kidnaps Tim then Dick than probably more. Shows mostly Jason and Tim, but later shows a lot of Dick.

On The Road (Unfinished, pretty much abandoned cuz it hasn’t been updated in over a year.)

This one is unfinished and on the shorter side (only four chapters) Where Tim doesn’t interact with the batfamily much and is shot protecting Damian. The batfam is kinda bad but mostly redeemed.

Sticks and Stones (Finished, only four chapters)

Kinda sad, lots of emotional abuse , Stephanie is not portrayed very good in this but most of the stuff she did in this is cannon. Has protective teen Titans.

Oneshots

Bird's Night Out

Really funny and angsty with Batbrother relationships all connected, mainly with Tim and Jason. Begins when Jason calls cps on Bruce/Batman. and later Tim’s angry and Jason moves in with him cause he’s alone and Tim’s helping him plan revenge on Bruce (Non-violently) Later Dick and Damian come in.

and ill spend my whole lifetime with your life line wrapped around my throat

Posted as a series cause its a oneshot that’s from two different perspectives. (Jason and Tim) Centres around the titans Tower incident but where Tim is on a phone with his parents and it shows how bad parents they are.

That Awkward Moment When You Accidently Call A Rogue Mom

Has past Joker Junior Tim, and good Harley Quinn.

Tim the terrifying

Really good series where Tim is kinda ruthless and protective of his family and friends. I especially like the first and last ones.

Light of Gotham

Short, portrays a darker Batman and Robin.

postscript

Some connected oneshots with the aftermath with Red Robin, slightly morally dubious Tim.

Blabbermouth

Tim with truth serum, pretty funny.

Trouble

A CEO of Drake Industries Tim with TimSteph and Oracle Tim. Batfam are bodyguards.

The Warmth of Pandora's Box

Constantine and Tim friendship with Coraline crossover, tho the character Coraline doesn’t appear. Just the Beldam, I hate coraline (cause it was scary and I’m a wimp) but this was interesting.  

ASSassins

Some more shenanigans with the assassin Trio and Tim. The justice league and batfamily are there too.

And If You Wrong Us

Some good Damian and Tim platonic relationships. With a bit of Damian angst.

First Meeting

Shows Tim as CEO of Drake industries, he was never Robin and it portrays how he is alike to his mother. Has Morally ambiguous Tim drake and the assassin Trio but mainly Pru. Minor Tim Drake/Pru.

you must have the words in that head of yours

One of my fav oneshots of Tim with both Jason and Pru friendship and its really funny.

Criminal deals are best made on a full stomach

A oneshot where the assasain Trio run a diner afte and Tim decides to bring Bruce there. Really funny.

Alien

Lazarus Tim where him and the assassin trio (Pru, Z and Owens) are dunked in the lazarus Pit. At Gotham he’s dosed with Ivy’s truth serum and Jason find him.

Other Lazarus Tim fics includes:

The Robin he left. (Oneshot)

The Tim Drake Jukebox (Series)

No Grave Can Hold My Body Down (Has Evil Tim)

Identity (Pretty Long, lots of )

Mama Amma (Has Tim as a mother)

Those are the ones I like, tho if you want more look at this tag.

https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Lazarus%20Tim

I have a lot more, so I might do a part two or add some fics to it later. Hope you like them. Tim’s my favourite Robin.

[bigskydreaming]

Brain topic du jour is reflecting on the frankly weird as fuck pattern in Dick’s life where....he barely ever experiences losses one at a time. Most of the loss he’s experienced in his life is compounded by him losing multiple people and other elements of stability all at the exact same time.

1) When his parents died, in some continuities this is coupled with him losing his extended family of his aunt and cousin as well, with his uncle left comatose and on life support for years before he eventually died as well. Even in continuities without Richard, Karla and John, the loss of Dick’s parents is compounded by the additional loss of his circus family in the sense that he was taken away from them by the state and their constant reassuring presences in his life were no longer comforts he was able to rely on.

2) When Jason died, Dick didn’t just lose his brother, as the tragedy was compounded by Bruce’s reaction. I’ll never be able to gloss over the effects of NTT #55, personally, because I think its too key to Dick’s entire characterization and the specific direction his character took in the years that followed this, to like....disregard that Bruce however unintentionally, while lost in his own grief, added to Dick’s own sense of loss for Jason in probably the worst way possible. As by kicking Dick out and telling him to leave his keys, Dick - having no way to know or guess that they’d ever reconcile, just like he never actually went back to the circus being a regular presence for him - to Dick, this was in essence the equivalent of his childhood tragedy all over again. Losing not just one family member, but his whole family in one sweep, and all the comforts and stability offered by a home he was forced to leave. Even Dick’s contact with Alfred was minimal for awhile, because why would the guy who basically JUST saw history repeat itself and was like, well I know how THIS tends to play out.....why would he think that if Alfred felt forced to actually choose between his loyalties to Bruce and Dick respectively, that Alfred would pick Dick over the man he’d known and raised from childhood himself?

3) Titans Hunt. I know I harp on this one a lot, but you can’t deny that it fits the pattern. Dick didn’t just lose one friend and teammate.....he lost Joey, he lost a good four or five lesser known Titans who nevertheless were people he viewed as directly HIS responsibility to keep safe. With these tragedies compounded by the fact that though comics played out a lot more slowburn and extended stories over years back then, like.....the aftermath of Titans Hunt was still everpresent and directly died into Dick’s reactions and emotions during the Mirage storyline and everything that happened with the failed wedding and his breakup with Kory AND the fact that he was literally forced off the team he’d basically founded, by the government agency that took over the team and appointed Roy as its leader in his stead.

3) Graduation Day. The second time the Titans disbanded it was again not due to a singular loss, because Dick didn’t just lose Donna at this point, but also Lilith died in the exact same story and though Lilith is criminally underused, like, she’s also one of Dick’s oldest friends. She was literally the first Titan to join after the original five. This then led into the Outsiders era, where Dick was shown to still be reeling from the losses of this story for an extended period of time, and in a fun parallel to the Titans Hunt aftermath, Dick was also ousted from his leadership of THIS team by essentially a vote of no confidence by his teammates (and uh, Bruce too, literally).

4) The Blockbuster arc. Where Dick’s emotional state was due to a continued string of multiple losses. He lost his apartment building and almost every one of the neighbors he’d built a community out of, as we’d been shown him actively involving himself in their lives and vice versa for YEARS before this point. Then he lost his circus, his childhood home, burned to the ground and with dozens of deaths - both spectators and actual performers Dick had known and loved as a child. Then he lost his relationship with Barbara, his sense of self-security and autonomy to Tarantula, he lost another teen vigilante who died in his colors, the mantle HE’D created, when Stephanie was believed dead in War Games, and it all culminated in losing the city he’d invested himself in as his CHOSEN home, the place he dedicated himself to protecting, when Chemo blew it up.

Oh just for the record - my nonexistent passport to the magical kingdom of Narnia for a fic that raises the point when bringing up Tim’s losses in the Red Robin era, that like.....ALL of the above happened at literally the EXACT SAME TIME as all Tim’s referenced losses occurred. Obviously Steph meant more to Tim than Dick on a personal level, but I also included her largely as an anchor point to the timeline, to show how that death, and not long after that Jack Drake’s and then Superboy’s.... occurred right smack in the middle of one of the absolute WORST periods of Dick’s life. To be clear, I don’t intend this to suggest that no actually, Dick had it harder than Tim - nah. 

No thank you. Hard pass. I hate that sort of thing even in support of my own faves over other characters. No, instead the thing I’d love to see explored more is just in light of the SPECIFIC angle fics take here - that Dick’s actions while Bruce was lost in time showed an obliviousness to everything Tim had lost lately - for literally ANYONE to bring up or introduce into the timeline here an awareness of everything Dick had lost AT THE EXACT SAME TIME PERIOD. To establish that actually, Dick didn’t just ‘not understand what it was like’ - rather, its more accurate to say that nobody in universe around this time ever shows an awareness of Dick’s own losses and says oh wait, that doesn’t track then. 

Because obviously, with this stuff put in proper perspective, Dick understands VERY VERY WELL the exact thing we’re accusing him of not understanding by being oblivious to Tim’s losses that he’s not actually oblivious to because he tries to talk to Tim about them all the time, while meanwhile its everyone else who has absolutely mum to say about the fact that Dick’s emotional state is compromised to hell and back at this point, not JUST because of losing Bruce, but also because *gestures wildly* literally ALL OF THE ABOVE in the exact same time frame Tim’s extended losses happened in.

And okay I am going to indulge in slight tiny itty bitty pettiness and point out my ire that so many fics set during this time tend to recite listicles of Tim’s losses, with Steph, Kon and Jack Drake at the very top of said list....while paying no attention whatsoever to the fact that STEPH WAS LITERALLY BACK BY THE TIME THE RED ROBIN SERIES HAPPENED. She’s LITERALLY a person Dick sends to check up on Tim after Tim turns Dick away when he tries himself. How are you gonna stress the impact Steph’s loss has on Tim when you’re not even acknowledging STEPH’S RIGHT HERE IN THE EXACT SPECIFIC CANON STORY YOU’RE CITING??? I just. afhioskhflafhlafhklfahlfa. 

And not to put too fine a point on it, but you know who ELSE was also back at the same time? CONNOR. Superboy LITERALLY was already back to life by the time the Red Robin series even began. Like, the issue where a resurrected Kon and Cassie (Wonder Girl) have a heart to heart about the fact that Tim and Cassie ‘connected’ during his absence and Connor stresses that this doesn’t bother him or make him feel negatively towards either of them at all, because hello, he was literally dead at the time, why would he mind that two of the people he loves most in the world sought comfort in each other? Yeah, that issue? Literally came out BEFORE Tim even became Red Robin.

I MEAN. I’m just saying, when people constantly take shots at Dick’s choices during this period because of how much Tim had lost before Bruce already, in order to shift focus away from the fact that Dick lost Bruce every bit as much as Tim did......and you repeatedly emphasize the SAME three names as the focal point of Tim’s losses while paying no acknowledgment whatsoever to everything Dick lost at the exact same time Tim lost these three.....it quickly becomes kiiiiiiinda relevant in my opinion THAT TWO OF THE THREE NAMES CONSTANTLY MENTIONED AS BEING TIM’S LOSSES ARE NO LONGER EVEN LOST BY THE TIME THE SUBJECT COMES UP. Again, I’m just saying! Pettily, mind you! I am aware of the pettiness, I just beg awareness of like *again gesticulates wildly at all of the above* ALL THAT!

LOL.

But I digress.

5) When Bruce was believed dead while he was lost in the timestream. Again, Dick didn’t just lose the father who had been the only parent in his life for almost TWICE as long as his first parents......this was coupled with the loss of numerous other sources of stability in Dick’s life. There’s the matter of his personal sense of identity and self-expression....Dick FOUGHT against becoming Batman, trying to handle Gotham in Bruce’s absence as Nightwing for as long as he could, because he knew being Batman was very much NOT going to be good for him. He put so much of himself into building his identity as Nightwing, establishing himself in that role, that self-image, that yes, I maintain it was an actual LOSS for Dick, to feel like he had no choice but to give that up and everything it meant to him and his own life, in order to essentially live Bruce’s life for him in his absence. 

Because it wasn’t just being Batman that Dick was struggling with at this time....he also had to act as the patriarch to the Wayne family, essentially raise Bruce’s ten year old son, step into Bruce’s old role in Wayne Enterprises, all while getting no acknowledgment for any of this, for literally LIVING his father’s life instead of the life Dick had worked so hard to build for HIMSELF....because of course Dick’s actions and struggles couldn’t even be advertised beyond the family and close friends, because the whole point of him doing all this was so that nobody else even realized that Bruce wasn’t really there anymore. Dick didn’t just assume Bruce’s responsibilities. Dick assumed Bruce’s life, so thoroughly that most people didn’t even put together that Bruce was ‘dead,’ between Dick handling Bruce’s actual roles and responsibilities while Hush made public appearances as him. 

Like, when you’re living someone else’s life so completely that nobody can tell they’re even gone....how on earth does that leave any time or space for you to have ANY kind of life of your OWN, y’know? Not to mention the fact that like in so many times previously....all this meant that Dick couldn’t even afford to let his grief for his own losses show, because he wasn’t supposed to be grieving any losses in the first place, that was the whole point of the con!

Additionally, couple this with the fact that throughout this time period, Dick didn’t have Tim to lean on at all, because it was never that Dick kicked Tim out or neglected him or didn’t care....he’d actively stressed how much he needed Tim, because the partner Tim was convinced Dick chose ‘over’ him - Dick was the first one to admit back then that he DIDN’T trust Damian yet, couldn’t afford to, because he was all too aware that Damian didn’t give a fuck about him yet and couldn’t be guaranteed to step in to have Dick’s back - because that required mutual trust that Dick literally just hadn’t had time to build yet. And add to THAT the fact that during this time, Jason was actively antagonizing the family and Dick in particular at every turn, trying to bring them all down and basically write over what all of them saw as Bruce’s legacy with Jason’s own version of what he thought that should look like.

Also also, take into account that unlike how often we see fanon depict Dick as just too stubborn or proud to ask for help, there’s the fact that he actually had very few avenues TO ask for help! As already established, he DID ask Tim for help. Not like Jason was an option at this time, and Dick’s friends weren’t actually just sitting waiting in the wings and groaning about the fact that Dick was trying to do all of this solo....nah, they kinda had their own problems, which Dick was all too aware of?

Like the fact that in the wake of Final Crisis, it wasn’t just Bruce that was believed lost. Many other key Leaguers like Martian Manhunter were dead or lost, with others struggling to fill the gaps left in their absence. Cry For Justice happened right after Final Crisis too....that story where Lian was murdered? So it wasn’t like Dick was remotely going to try leaning on Roy when Roy had just lost his freaking DAUGHTER and very much wasn’t handling it well (and not to overshadow Roy’s loss at ALL, but please let’s not act like Dick - who had literally been the person to put a baby Lian in Roy’s arms for the first time and had known that girl for pretty much her entire life - like, it shouldn’t be used to detract from Roy’s loss at all, but it shouldn’t have to, to just acknowledge that Lian’s loss right at this exact time was painful as fuck to Dick, who’d loved his niece like crazy.)

The pattern of compounding, concurrent losses in Dick’s life. I’m just saying. Its there.

And it extends into the New 52 as well, where Forever Evil came right on the heels of Dick losing his circus in THIS continuity to the Joker, just as a way to hurt him in Death of A Family. And with the aftermath of Forever Evil and Dick’s own literal death, being like....the complete loss of Dick’s entire life, even though he was revived quickly. That didn’t mean he got to live HIS life though, since Dick Grayson was believed dead and he was told had to remain so, so its like fuck whatever he actually wanted to do as he went about on the Spyral mission aka something that pinched his own sense of morality and personal agenda at every turn and was kinda the last thing a therapist would recommend for a trauma recovery period, lol. And like, for all the focus that was paid to how Dick’s family were hurt because they believed they’d lost him when he was actually alive, let’s not forget that for all intents and purposes, Dick DID lose his family in the wake of his resurrection because he was flat out told over and over that due to what ‘he’d LET happen to him’ he was an ACTIVE danger to them, and thus wasn’t allowed by Bruce to contact any of them or lean on them to any degree, until Bruce got amnesia and stopped blocking Dick’s pleas to return home by just not being there to pick up the secret phone line at all. 

(And omg, the obliviousness that just EMANATES off the hot takes that Dick had a ‘choice’ in all this and he still CHOSE to do what Bruce told him....like. LOLOL, stop being pissy about me bringing up the term abuse apologism when its literal victim blaming to paint the guy who had to be beaten into ‘agreeing’ to the Spyral mission in the immediate wake of the trauma of DYING, all while his father vocally blamed him for his own suffering and the ‘threat’ he now posed to his family, keying directly into the guilt complex Bruce knows damn well is at the core of most of Dick’s motivations.....fucking please. There’s no choice in all that. That’s active emotional, mental and physical abuse aimed at directly manipulating Dick’s actions, delivered by the guy who knows Dick best in the world and whose approval - particularly when Dick is at absolute rock bottom aka Current Location - matters more to Dick than just about anything because his sense of self-worth has more in common with dog shit than actual dog shit does. Or something. Idk. That analogy got away from me. But like. You get it.)

BUT. I. DIE. GRESS. (I guess).

Aaaaaaanyway, so yeah! That repeating pattern throughout Dick’s life of ‘loss? What loss (singular)? My losses only come in groups, lolol, fuuuuuun’ - mmmm. Yeah. So that’s what’s on MY brain right now. Thoughts?

[lexpressobean]

I've been thinking about these 3 alot...

... and how much they seem to really respect Shino. I know it's a filler, but, like... Why does it seem like Shino has a knack for finding children who have wondered off away from school? Like, he's just taking a walk, making his way around the village or surrounding forest, and then there they are. Kids playing hooky or some shit. And Shino just takes it upon himself to approach them and steer them back to where they should be, while getting them attached to him somehow in the process??

But honestly. If this was just one of many times this had happened, I'd say Shino does this not out of his knack for teaching or having a way with kids. Rather, he developed a way with kids and easily applies that to his teaching because he has a strong desire to simply protect children. And it's not even from some paternal instinct as much as survival, because I think it stems from the developing trauma of losing Torune to Danzo. And I don't think it's all subconscious either.

Like I know the novel and anime frames his desicion to teach as a sort of a new goal in life as the war has ended for a couple years already and a noticable Peace has been achieved by the Blank Period and well... He's an Aburame.

Like, the Aburame are literal living, breathing, walking bioweapons. With no fight to utilize that, what else is there? Well, much like the Nara have the Nara forest and Pharmacology specifically, The Aburame most likely have a historical stake in the area of Konoha, perhaps it was simply in their Ancestral Home. Idk, but they're here to stay, they ain't budging. They're Clan Culture is very Martial and I'd argue Spartan in nature, but otherwise, they do other things too. I think they'd do well as major players in the conservation and research of native species of animals and plants, but definitely insects too. I bet they play a huge part in the general area's ecosystem, especially due to the fact that the Kamizuru clan attacked with a whole clan's worth of non-native Hymenoptera that could very well have become and still are an irritatingly and consistent problem as invasive species tend to be. And as a far as goods go, why not put some of them to use and handle an apiary? Honey is a great good to sell. All of this is great as a clan that no longer needs to fight. But, what about individual members in general, and so Shino?

Well Shino is the Heir of this clan. This Noble Clan. This "ready to throw hands at any moment" clan. It's future is in his hands, so to speak. So I doubt Shino would completely sever his connection to Shinobi life all together. And so, teaching at the Academy would be a great way to keep that connection. Teachers have to know their stuff, after all.

But what if in order to ensure teaching was his calling, Shino did his absolute best to make Jounin ASAP so he could take on a Genin Team. And. And by chance, it ended up being these three?? And they are absolutely STOKED!!! And they also pass Shino's genin test, which... would probably be a feat in it's own right. But they already know Shino, and Shino has bestowed upon them some wisdom they actually took to heart! Yeah, well, in reality they might be just a tad too old to be Shino's first official genin squad, but they were still his squad one point in a sense, right?

Kon Nohara, Tano Ikemoto, and Aoki Kobayashi

I even gave them names help Imagine these three are already chuunin at least and decide they want to pay Shino a visit and even volunteer to help Shino during class time on a collective day off because they admire him so much (T~T)

But even then if not these three kiddos, maybe these three li'l shits lol

Even in times of Peace, Shino's special set of skills seem too useful to waste, and being a Jounin teacher would definitely have been a way he could still go on missions, but also definitely commit to becoming a Sensei at the academy once he was 100% sure and got older. Kurenai became a Jounin/Genin Squad Leader in her late twenties, but in comparison I see Shino doing that more mid-20s. (He needs some time to travel and find his big bug friend and generally live a little?)

Kurenai was a Genjutsu Specialist who manned a Tracker/Sensing based team. This sounds like it was a highly beneficial combination, even if she ended up being somewhat sadistic lol. Asuma was bound to Team 10 by Tradition as InoShikaCho and Sarutobi have that Pact together. Kakashi's team was literally Cherry Picked for him specifically by the 3rd Hokage. And Gai, a Taijutsu Specialist, had a team that Specialized in Taijutsu and Physical Offense.

Of all four teams, Kurenai and Gai were very suited to their teams, Gai in a complimentary way and Kurenai in a Challenging way. In that same vein, I think Shino would imitate Gai. Shino as a Shinobi himself has a general set of skills, but the way he goes about them are very niche. But, he was always very stealthy, and could sneak up on nearly anyone. Gags aside, he could go unnoticed as long as he wanted too, and by the time he was noticed or was ready to attack, he has you quite literally surrounded. Honestly I can see why Search and Destroy would be an Aburame's forte, but when there's no need, a person with a personal skill of high quality stealth could probably man a team with an emphasis on Reconnaissance and/or Surveillance, even Bodyguarding. I feel like Shino would probably put an emphasis on Stealth and Tracking too, utilizing his insects as sort of assistants that keep tabs on his students (Stealth Test) as well as to encourage just enough fear during too much down time in his students to inspire quality training opportunities, so maybe Kurenai rubbed off on Shino more than they all realized haha

(Plus I'm sure his students would be be smart and thoughtful enough to eventually understand what Shino and his bugs are: a complete unit. They realize just how strong and dedicated Sensei really is to be the way he is, and they all learn more in depth about Kikaichu and it's like WOW SENSEI YOU REALLY ARE RISKING BEING EATEN ALIVE EVERY SINGLE DAY, AREN'T YOU? But he's still here, because THAT'S how strong he's become over the years and the confidence to manipulate the Kikaichu while having to think of current chakra level, the most efficient use at any given time, how many he actually needs, how long usage will last, ect. They are high maintenance, man!)

Shino would no doubt produce highly skilled Bodyguards and Masters of Stealth. Maybe the type that would end up being in high demand for the eventual Celebrities that start to pop up as times change, but still very much needed when it comes to Criminal Activity, like in Sora-Ku?

But as time passes and he decided to teach at the Academy, he'd feel very at ease to do so. He'd be happy to be put in charge of all these children, because he would be able to help teach them things they need to know to defend themselves and others in a world where adults like Danzo had and will continue to exist. Maybe while he's at it, he'd use his stance as a Noble Clan Heir and accomplished Shinobi to push for changes in government with Sai's help and with Naruto and Shikamaru's cooperation? Like, the truth does come out, everyone on the Council were actually horrible and had too much power. So HERE are some ideas and REASONS why these ideas should be implemented because Shino's not going to let his brother's life and death be in vain!? HELL no, we WILL make some changes around here. Shino sees his students and just wants a future where no kid ever has to live in fear of being completely taken advantage of by the very system that was supposed to keep them safe and they pledged allegiance to.

I cannot help but think of the quiet but absolute fear little Shino was harboring for the years to come after Torune was taken by that strange man and Father Shibi didn't even attempt to stop him. His own father didn't dare beat the shit out of this strange man who came looking for him, and the only solution for Shino to stay was for Torune to make himself look more desirable as an asset and be taken instead. I bet there was a lot of misplaced resentment there for a while, and talks that just didn't happen. Maybe a classmate doesn't show up to class one day and Shino is IMMEDIATELY stressed out and just... takes it upon himself to look for them after class. And he's relieved when he see they're simply at home with a fever. Shit like that just fucks with Shino, because theres people taking kids and no one is doing anything about it?? And then as Shino grew older he realized exactly what happened and how slimy the machine of Konoha really is and it was never completely Shibi's fault that Torune had to leave. He grows mentally at a faster rate than most of his classmates, and knows more than a kid really needs to know.

Shino doesn't want that for any other child. Shino is the kind of person who hears kids screaming outside of his house and he can't tell if they're playing or being murdered and it's stressful to the point he'll check through his window and he sees them for himself. He get stressed out seeing a kid in public unattended and WANTS to approach them to help if need be but also maybe he's overthinking it and the parents are there somewhere and he'd just end up looking suspicious. Like, that's what I kind of figure for Shino. He's so hyperaware of the power dynamic between kids and adults and seeing a kid so ready to fall victim to that makes Shino feel ill the more he thinks of what could happen. And he wonders if watching the kid in the market until they finally reunite with their parent so he could move on with the rest of his day causes him even a fraction of the the utterly disgusting flurry of nerves and fear that Shibi must have felt all those years ago. It goes along with his desire to spare every single little insect's life he can. It goes a long with the fact he only gets violent unless absolutely necessary. Like he wants to be strong but he doesn't want to go mad with power either, less he becomes the very thing that hurt him and his family in the first place.

Originally Shino wanted to become strong to be able to defend himself because at a very young age adults failed him and Torune. But then that changes to defend not only himself, but others as he grows on a team, and realizes trust is important. And then he figured if there must be adults out there that would hurt a child, it's only logical that he should become one that would only nurture and teach one to be strong as well.

Anyway, yeah. Had some feelings. Thanks for coming to my TED talk.

[alltheboysandgirlsiloved]

The Mermaid Theory

Or, as i like to call it:

How is Kenji’s trauma related to Mantah Corp

subject: Kenji’s obsession with mermaids and how it can be related to the storyline in general

(warning: this is longer than anticipated)

Lettuce begin:

Kenji Kon (age: 15) is one of the main characters appearing in Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous. He ended up on the camp because his dad is filthy rich which Kenji often uses to make a point. Some other traits that we relate to his character are: general dorkiness, loyalty and self-esteem issues (deeply rooted with how his entire confidence is mostly based on how much he thinks it depends on his wealth, however it is not a subject for today)

One of the things that the fans picked on while watching the show is Kenji’s strange obessesion with mermaid.

The first time a mermaid is mentioned by Kenji is actually in episode 2 season 1, when he says “a dream is like when you save mermaids from a shark”. We all thought that this comparison is just a form of a comic relief. But bro, I don’t think it’s funny anymore, in fact I think that it’s one of the signs of trauma or a distant memory. The kind of memory that maybe even Kenji himself doesn’t understand quite well.

The mermaid keeps coming back every now and then, the two moments that I want to mention here are:

the scene when Yaz wakes Kenji up and he mumbles something about “saving a mermaid” to which Yaz asks him if he only ever dreams about mermaids (which is an indicator that it’s a re-occuring dream)

little Kenji’s drawing that Sammy finds in his father’s photoalbum. The drawing shows a family (presumably Kenji’s family) and a mermaid

Based on that we can assume one thing for sure: mermaids (or one mermaid) were an important part of Kenji’s childhood. Whether they were an imaginary friend or something more real is up to you to decide.

Let’s keep that in our minds and focus on something else. Or rather: someone else aka Kenji’s father.

He’s a bizzare character. We’ve never seen him. He seems absent from Kenji’s life and yet he is in the background to everything that happens in his life. Ha, more than that. This seemingly gloomy and very neglectful person seems to also be looming over one more thing:

The entire Jurassic World.

Kenji’s father is a part of Jurassic World (the park) in a way that seems fitting and completely out of place at the same time. Yes, sure, he is rich but the more you think about it, the weirder his “presence” is.

You know what resonates with the same exact energy? 

Mantah Corp. They are there but at the same time - where the hell are they? Who’s in charge? Where are all the big, phat fishes, huh?

I know that this theory may be slightly far-fetched but I think that one of these fishes is in fact Kenji’s father. Kenji’s father who has a bazillion of secrets (for some reason Kenji is not allowed to enter one wing of their house). Kenji’s father who is always busy. Kenji’s father who is so influential that park empoyees allow his kid run around Jurassic World mostly unsupervised. Kenji’s father who owns a very suspiciously-looking building in a part of the island that is closed to the public. A building with a dock that is not on any map.

A building that doesn’t look like “just a penthouse”. It looks like a business building. Everything in Jurassic World has a meaning, everything more or less fits into that “jungle-like” aesthetic. But not Casa de Kenji. No, it looks like a place where important people hold their meetings. We know for sure that it’s not a hotel and yet it has many floors. Casa de Kenji is a building that for some reason keeps at least 5 limos in the garage. 

My point is that Kenji’s father and everything related to him is very suspicious. And the fact that Kenji doesn’t know much about him doesn’t help it either.

So let’s theoretically assume that Kenji’s father is related to Mantah Corp. What do we know about Mantah Corp?

Mantah Corp is a bioengineering and genetic oriented company. They hired (more like black-mailed) Sammy to spy for them in JWCC because they wanted to aquire InGen’s research and technology. 

Now, some of you could ask: “Okay but if that’s the case then why Kenji’s father didn’t steal the genes/technology already? He has access to everything after all?”

That’s a great question and I have a very simple answer to that - money and power. I think that Big Kon has too much to lose. If it was discovered that either he or Kenji are spying he could lose everything he accomplished so far. If there’s one thing rich people love it’s using other people to do the dirty work (enter Sammy).

Now. Now for the final question:

How is it possible that Kenji has no idea?

The answer is, once again, simple - mermaids.

As I mentioned earlier Mantah Corp is a company that deals with  bioengineering and genetics. Just because they are not as sucessful as InGen doesn’t mean that they’ve never accomplished anymore. Or - should I say -  that they accomplished something that they’ve never showed to the public. 

I think, that in fact they probably accomplished a lot behind the closed doors. But you know who had access there? Innocent baby Kenji who didn’t even know what he was looking at.

(using e750 picture in a tank because I don’t own a mermaid in a tank therefore I can’t offer a realistic picture)

What would a child think if they saw weird creatures trapped in tanks? What would he think if he saw creatures that didn’t look very human-like, yet that were alive and perhaps even showed some form of intelligence? 

The kid would assume that it’s a mermaid. Or marmaids. That someone trapped. That need to be saved. (Kenji never indicates that he is afraid of the mermaids, if anything he wants to be their protector)

And if said child started talking, mentioning the mermaids, drawing them, what would the parent do? They would lock the doors and never let the kid inside ever again. They would try to protect the kid (or protect the business, with Kenji’s father it’s hard to tell).

One more thing.

I’ve seen some people say that the mermaid on Kenji’s drawing is actually his mother. I gotta be honest I’m not completely sold on this theory). But it doesn’t mean that the mermaid can’t be related to Kenji’s mother at all. Think about it. If Kenji’s father is so dedicated to work, maybe his mother was just the same. Maybe she worked at Mantah Corp’s labs and when Kenji asked “where is my mum?” his father (or a babysitter, my bet is on the babysitter) would tell him “she’s at the lab”. And what’s also in the lab? Mermaids. that’s how Kenji connected mermaids to his mother, who most likely died at some point.

Because he had little to none memories of her, he connected the mermaid with his mother. Yet the memory of a mermaid was still more vivid. It replaced the memory of his mother. That’s why he’s more focused on this creature than his mother (that he never mentioned).

My other theory is that his mother actually died even earlier, maybe in an accident that happened in the lab, or maybe she simply worked there and that’s the only thing Kenji remembers about her. Either way baby Kenji saw mermaids are part of his family. Because his parents spent most of their time with these creatures.

The third theory is that Kenji’s mother was against what Mantah Corp was doing with their research and experiements. She wanted to expose them and the people at Mantah Corp didn’t react too well. Being aware of that Kenji’s father promised himself to keep his kid away from that mess to protect him. That’s why he never allowed Kenji to come back to the lab. (seems gloomy and sad but not entierly impossible)

Conclusion:

Does The Mermaid Theory explain everything? Absolutely not. there are still many questions left. I feel like the theory would be more complete if we knew a little bit more about Kenji’s mother or more about Casa de Kenji.

Either way I thought this little theory was interesting enough to be shared with the community. 

If you’ve made it this far - thanks for reading. It would mean a lot if you passed it on, shared it, shared your opinions, shared your own theories. My brain is jwcc-wired so the more conversation this theory sparks, the better for me.

Once again, thanks for reading! I really hope that season 4 will explain a little bit more in terms of Mantah Corp and Kenji’s mermaids.

[heyitsani]

I Cannot Be Broken

Omega!Dick Week Day 5: MILF!Dick

Word Count: 2898

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Talk of past Non-Con (nothing graphic) and Robincest (obviously)

Pairing: Dick Grayson/Jason Todd

Summary: James Grayson-Todd finds out some of his dad's past after an Alpha gets a little too friendly with the other man while picking James up from school.

Notes: This mentions the situations with Mirage and Catalina but without any kind of detail.  It also deal with unsavory intentions that are not acted upon.    

Also, I skipped day three and four on purpose.  I will not be posting day three, but day four will come tomorrow after I post my story for the prompt I picked for day six.  Day four would have spoiled day six so I chose to wait.  Sorry not sorry.

You can also read this on AO3 here

“Is that your dad?”  James looked up from his phone to see his dad leaning against the Bentley while surrounded by a group of women and men, cooing over the infamous Richard Grayson.  It took all his will not to roll his eyes at the sight, having seen it so many times in the past.  But it was rare to have his dad pick him up from school and not Alfred.  The worst part about the crowd was that his dad hardly ever noticed the attention, yet it persisted.

His papa had said it was because his dad was unable to see himself the way the world did.  There were too many people in his past that had taken advantage of his dad and now his self-image was shattered.  Too many promises to love, care, and cherish his dad that had eventually been broken and then the blame for those broken promises placed on him instead of where it belonged.  It had made James cry for his dad at first, but then his papa had said it was in the past.  And all they could do was shower him with affection and love now.

“Jamie,” his dad smiled brightly when he spotted James and pushed through the crowd, going straight for his son.

“Hi Dad,” the boy greeted, easily slipping into the waiting arms despite most kids shying away from affection at the age of thirteen.  James could hear the tittering behind his dad and the snickers from his classmates, but he didn’t care.

“Uncle Dick!”  James released his dad and shot a glare at the kids who were watching them as his cousin Harper, Uncle Tim and Uncle Kon’s daughter, came bouncing up to them and demanded a hug.

“Dude,” James looked at Robert when he materialized next to him.  “Your dad is a total MILF.  Look at that crowd.”

“Ew, don’t talk about him that way.”  Shoving his best friend’s shoulder, James looked back to where his dad was still chatting with Harper.  He was aware that his dad was a good-looking man.  You’d have to be blind not to noticed and even then, James had a feeling a blind person would still know.  Because he wasn’t just beautiful outside, but inside as well.  Dick Grayson was the kind of Omega that if he were to write about him in an English paper, he would be considered Mary Sue because as far as James was aware, his dad had no flaws.  At least ones outside of his abysmal self-worth.

His dad was the kind of man who would give anything to protect others.  And he did just that, each night as Nightwing.  And he had done it back when he had been Officer Grayson for a brief moment, long before James had been born.  And he did it whenever he saw someone in need on the streets of Gotham.  It had always been a point of contention between him and Papa, who had to scold him constantly for trusting strangers in a city like Gotham.

And while it was amusing to see his papa treat his dad like a child in those lectures, it was concerning at times how his dad was too trusting.

“It’s true dude, whether or not you want to admit it.”  James just rolled his eyes and frowned at the man who had separated from the group of fans that his dad had previously been surrounded by.  The look of him immediately caused the boy’s hackles to rise and he moved closer to his dad.

“Richard, here is my card.  Please call me about that coffee date to discuss the possibility of WE getting involved with the charity.”  His dad took the card and James didn’t miss the way the Alpha’s fingers lingered against his dad’s.

“Thanks,” his dad said brightly, but it was too bright.  James had learned how to spot the mask that his dad wore in real life now and again when he was in situations he didn’t feel comfortable in.  Stepping closer to his dad, James gripped his hand. 

“Dad, is Papa home yet?  I wanted to ask him about something with my homework,” James interrupted anything the strange alpha might have said in response, pulling his dad’s eyes down to him.  He could tell his dad knew it was a lie.  His papa had mentioned he would be home late that night when they had been having breakfast that morning and he knew his dad knew he remembered.

“I do believe he is.  Shall we?  Harper, is your dad coming to get you or would you like a ride?”

“Uncle Jon is coming to get me.  I’m going to hang out with him and Uncle Dami today.”  James kept his eyes on the alpha who had narrowed his eyes at the blatant dismissal.  When the dark eyes shifted to James, the teen smiled innocently at the man before letting his dad pull him along to the waiting car.

“Nice seeing you all,” his dad said kindly as he opened the door for James, who waved to Robert as he remained on the steps and watched with observant eyes.  James slipped into his seat and waved his phone at Robert as his dad rounded the car and slipped inside.  The instant the door was shut, James heard the rush of air his dad let out.

“Dad?”  James waited for his dad to look over at him before he did or said anything else.  When the older Todd-Grayson looked over at him, James reached for his hand.  “You okay?”

“How do you feel about stopping by to see Papa?”  James nodded but frowned.  Spontaneous visits while his papa was working were rarely a good thing.  “I’m good, baby.  I just could use a little more stabilizing than just his scent back home.”

“Want me to call him?”

“Yeah, that’s a good idea.”  James nodded and pulled out his phone.  He ignored the text from Robert asking what had exactly happened a few minutes ago and pulled up his papa’s number, hitting call.  The phone rang a through to the point that James was fairly sure he was going to get voicemail until it clicked as it connected.

“Jamie, you okay?”  And of course his papa would think something was wrong.  James never called while he was working unless it was an emergency.

“I’m okay, Papa.  But Dad and I are going to come by.  We just wanted to let you know.”

“What happened?  Is your dad okay?”  There was some mumbling in the background and a growl from his papa.  “Handle it.  I have something to take care of that is more important.”

“He said he’s good, but something weird happened at school.  I think he just needs to see you.”  James heard his papa grunt over the phone and then a door shutting.  “We’re turning onto the street from school now.”

“I’ll be in my office; Sheila is being told you’re coming now.  Just come right up.  Let me talk to Dad.”

“Papa wants to talk to you,” James held the phone out to his dad, despite knowing neither of them liked talking on the phone while driving. 

“Jay,” his dad said, voice slightly more strained than it had been just moments ago.  “No, I just need to see you for a moment.  I know you’re busy today.  I just need a few minutes.”  There was a pause in the conversation on his dad’s end and James tried to strain his hearing to listen to what his papa was saying but he wasn’t having any luck.  “No.  No, Jay.  I know.  I’ll explain when we get there.”  His dad listened, glancing over at James for a moment before he came to a stop in front of the building.  “We’re here.  No.  We’ll be up in a minute.”

His dad didn’t bother saying anything else before he hung up the phone and handed it back to James, who watched his dad closely as they got out of the car.  The familiar mask of Richard Grayson-Todd slid back into place and James just frowned more.  He hated that mask.

“Hello you two!”  Sheila’s ever cheerful voice greeted them as they stepped inside after his dad handed his keys off to the valet out front.  “Mr. Grayson-Todd is already up in his office.  Can I send anything up?”  She asked as she held out a bar of chocolate that she kept in her desk just for James.

“Thanks, Sheila,” James muttered as he took the bar.

“Thank you, Sheila.  I think we’ll be fine though.  This is a short visit; I know his calendar is full today.”  The girl nodded sagely to his dad and James could see that she could see the cracks in his mask.  She had been working for his papa for long enough that she knew them before they were married in the eyes of the public.  “Call me later tonight, I’d love to have you and Gracie over for lunch this weekend.”

“Of course,” she smiled brightly, turning back to the computer she had been focusing on before they had come in.

“Come on, Jamie,” his dad said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder to guide him to the elevator.  The palm scanner allowed them access to the top floor where his papa’s office was located without having to key in the security code, and soon enough they were headed up.

The doors hadn’t even opened and they could already hear his papa growling at someone.  And he heard his dad sigh in response.  But he didn’t smell annoyed or frightened.  No, he smelled guilty.  But James couldn’t figure out why.  He hadn’t done anything.

“I said to handle it,” the doors opened to reveal his papa talking on his phone with his back to them.  But the sound of the door opening caught his attention and he turned toward them, visibly sniffing the air before frowning at his mate.  James stepped forward and gave his papa a hug before heading down the hall to where the kitchen was located so he could get a drink for himself.

A glance back before he entered the room revealed his dad with his face buried in his papa’s neck and his papa’s arms wrapped tightly around his dad.  A sight he had seen plenty of times in the past, but this was different.  He couldn’t put his finger on the reason why, but it was.

The clock on his phone told him that about twenty minutes had passed when his papa came in to find James sitting at the table eating the chocolate Sheila had given him.

“Hey buddy,” his papa greeted, dropping into the chair across from him.

“Is Dad okay?”  He watched his papa nod his head as he broke off a piece of the chocolate for himself.  “What was wrong?”

His papa sighed and leaned back into his chair, glancing over his shoulder toward the door before looking back to James.  “You remember the talk we had about the people who had used your Dad for their own devices and hurt him in the process?”  James nodded; he would never forget that conversation.  “Well, a few of those times it was…physically focused.”

“Physically?  Like because he’s good looking?”  His papa raised an eyebrow.  “Kids at school call him a MILF.”  The older man snorted at that.

“Oh, Dick would hate that.  Don’t ever tell him.”  He let out a few more chuckles, shaking his head, before he went back to serious.  “But no, not because he’s good looking.  I mean in more nonconsensual ways.  Do you understand?”  It took a moment for it to hit him but then James jerked back, and his eyes flew toward the door.

Rape.  His papa was referring to rape.

“But…that…”  He looked down at the table and tried to figure out what to do with that information.  It made sense.  His dad hated when people outside of the family and their close friends touched him without him initiating it.  And the air had shifted when that alpha had touched his fingers earlier while handing over the card.

“I can see you working out the issue in your mind right now.  You understand what the trigger was today?”

“That alpha…”  His papa nodded and sighed.  “But I don’t understand why we had to come here?  People have touched him without his consent before and I’ve never seen him react like this.”

“I’m usually already there.”  That was true.  “And the intention matters.  Your Dad said that he could smell what that piss poor excuse of an alpha wanted,” his papa growled.  “And that he knew about me but broadcasted his intent clearly anyway.”

That was disgusting.

“It’s not a part of your Dad’s past that he likes to have known, but we both thought you deserved an explanation.  And now you know for future incidents.”  James nodded, pushing the rest of the chocolate away no longer interested in it.  “He’s also going to be a bit on the smothering side tonight.  He doesn’t like that you had to witness this.”

“He’s always so good at hiding things.”  His papa hummed.  James had to wonder how many times his dad had been hurt before he had learned how to fool the people around him.  “Papa?”

His papa hummed again and watched him from his spot, rocking onto the back two legs of the chair he sat in.

“Does Grandpa know about what happened to Dad?”

With a shake of his head, his papa set his chair on all four legs and folded his arms on the tabletop.  “Your dad will never admit it and the rest of the family is probably in denial about it, but Dick is his favorite.  It’s not a purposeful thing and it’s not really anything Dad has done.  Not even anything the rest of us have done,” his papa explained.  “But your dad was B’s first kid.  And he was basically sunshine personified, he still is despite all the shit he’s gone through.  But Dick came to him when B needed that.  He chose your dad.  Yes, he chose Uncle Tim, Uncle Duke, me and Aunt Cass, but Dick was the original.  And Dick is everything I think Bruce wished he could be.”

James could see that.  He knew that his grandfather’s parents had died when he was about the same age that his dad’s parents had died.  And despite that tragedy happening in front of both of them, they were like night and day.

“So, what does that mean?”

“It means that while Bruce couldn’t avenge me for what the Joker did, he wouldn’t have hesitated to do it for your dad.”  James opened his mouth to argue that fact, but his papa held up a hand to stop him.  “I got over that fact a long time ago.  Your dad helped me move past that hatred and anger, and B and I were able to deal with our issues.  But Bruce has been kept in the dark about this for that specific reason.  He never would have hesitated to take out the people who hurt your dad.”

James considered what his papa said before sighing.  “What about you?”

“What about me, pup?”

“What did you do when you found out?”  He watched as a dark look passed over his papa’s face and that was enough of an answer for James.  The people who had touched his dad in that manner would never touch someone like that again.

“Hey Jamie, you ready to head home?”  James and his papa looked up at his dad who was now leaning against the doorway.  He looked significantly better, but still a bit frayed around the edges.  “Travis is here to collect you for that meeting off site,” his dad told his papa, who swore under his breath and pushed out of the chair.

James stayed seated while his papa walked over to his dad and placed his hand against his neck, leaning down to kiss the top of his dad’s head.  “I can figure the rest of the night out if you need me to come home early.”

“I’m okay, Jay.  This was enough.  I’m going to stay in tonight though.” 

“I’ll call Damian and Jon?”

“Nah, I’ve already asked Tim if he and Kon could do a sweep since Harper is with Dami.  We’ll see you when you get home, though.”  His papa nodded and pressed a kiss to his dad’s lips before slipping out of the kitchen.

“Take care of your dad, Jamie.  Call me if you need to,” he called out, glancing over his shoulder to give James a look that his dad couldn’t see.  James only nodded before looking back to his dad.

“Can we order pizza?” James asked, standing from his chair and grabbing the remaining chocolate to hand to his dad, who always had a sweet tooth.  The man chuckled softly and took the candy.

“Yeah, Jamie.  We can get pizza.”

“And build a nest in the living room to eat and watch a movie in?”

“That sounds perfect, pup.  Just perfect.”  James felt relieved when his dad leaned down to kiss the top of his head and he saw his papa nodding his approval halfway down the hall.  Shower him with love and affection.  James could do that.

[writersblocktango]

Fan-Casting the Batfam

So DC Titans has me super pumped and hopeful for the future of DC’s favorite family. In my opinion, they absolutely nailed casting Dick and I have great aspirations for their casting of Jason. But who else will fill in our favorites?? Here’s how I imagine it.

To remind you here’s Brenton Thwaites as Dick Grayson and Curran Walters as Jason Todd.

So there are our first two batsons, but what about the Bat himself? Now, I’m still holding out for Titans to unite with the DCEU, but should that not happen, I envision either Jason O’Mara or Thomas Gibson playing the caped crusader. They’re both exceptional intense actors and have both already voiced Batman in the cartoons. Who could be more perfect?

Next we have to cast the first of the Batgirls. Certainly no damsel in distress, Barabara “Babs” Gordon joined Batman’s side soon after Dick’s departure in the comics as the kickass sidekick Batgirl and later became her own heroine known as Oracle. Smart, driven, and fiery I see her being played by a quippy and quick-tongued Carson Young.

Next comes another fan-favorite member of the Batfam: Timothy Drake, Robin III. Now there was originally a huge campaign for Ryan Potter to play Tim, but for obvious reasons (hello Beastboy) that won’t be happening. But who will fill that spot? Tim is a genius and one of the first people to ever discover the identities of Batman and Robin I, and after the [[SPOILER] death of Jason Todd 😭], Tim approaches Bruce and asks to become the next Robin, realizing how much Batman needs Robin. Most importantly, Tim has to be wickedly smart and full of a dark dry sense of humor. He also struggles with severe anxiety, depression, and sleep deprivation, as well as a run in the comic books where he’s turned into a broken minion of the Joker, so whoever plays him will have to add a great deal of depth and nuance to the character. I imagine Cameron Boyce, Israel Broussard, or Froy Gutierrez as being equal to the task, and while I can see each of them bringing something special to the role I would admittedly like to see Israel Broussard (pictured center) take on the cowl most of all.

After Tim came Cassandra Cain, expert martial artist and all around lethal weapon. Raised with limited human contact with the sole intent of being formed into the worlds greatest assassin, she becomes a ward of Babs, at the behest of Bruce Wayne, after saving the life of Babs’ father, Commissioner Gordon. Cassandra soon becomes trained as the next Batgirl and later becomes her own interpretation, Black Bat. Cass is often quiet and somewhat aloof, not having a childhood, friends, or family before. Her portrayal will rely largely on physicality and body language. Depending on what age she’s meant to be portrayed as I can see Lana Condor, Arden Cho, or Jamie Chung taking on the role.

After Cassandra, the next person to join the Batfam was Stephanie Brown. Daughter of a Gotham criminal and villain, Cluemaster, Stephanie donned the alter ego of Spoiler to patrol and stop her father’s schemes. Deciding she likes her life as a crime fighter she continues patrolling and begins to connect with Robin III, Tim Drake. Later, at a point when Tim is away, she even dons the Robin suit basically demanding her way to Batman’s side as the first female Robin, and still fights even after Bruce demands she give it up. Stephanie embodies the perfect balance of style, joy, enthusiasm, fire, whit, and confidence. That being said, I imagine her as being played by Hunter King or Ellie Fanning.

Next we have the youngest member of the Batfam and another fan-fave, Damian Wayne. The only biological child of Bruce Wayne, Damian was born from an ill-advised tryst between Batman and, sometimes enemy/sometimes lover, Talia Al Ghul. Raised as the inheriting leader of the League of Assassins and only deposited at his father’s front door around age 10, it’s fair to say Damian has some pretty serious issues. He struggles with morality, compassion, self-control, boundaries and authority, but hey growing up is hard. It’s also important to note that for a while, after [[SPOILER]the supposed death of Bruce Wayne], Damian serves as a sidekick and almost as a son to Dick. Depending on what age they decide to go with I’d like to see Damian played by Robert Daniel Sloan, Ethan Andrew Castro, or Aidan Gallagher.

Later, after Damian mellows out a bit, Batman takes on another sidekick: Duke Thomas. One of the latest additions to the Batfam, Duke is one of many in Gotham to take up the role of Robin in the year that Batman goes missing. Bruce later brings Duke into the fray integrating him into Wayne Interprises during the day, and training him to patrol as the hero The Signal by night. While I can imagine lots of people bringing this well-meaning justice seeker to life, my favorite for the role is Alfred Enoch.

And finally, last but not least, we have the latest edition to the Batfam Harper Row aka Bluebird. A punkie Gotham engineering student, Harper feels eternally grateful to Batman after he protects her brother and herself from being assaulted in the streets. But how can he show this gratitude? By suiting up and joining him on the streets as the crime fighter Bluebird of course! Known for her purple hair and being a bit of a wild card, Harper is brilliant and talented but volatile, and effortlessly cool. I’d love to see her played by someone equally as awesome such as: Victoria Justice, Paris Berelc, or Sydney Park.

*BONUS ROUND*

We’ve already seen Wonder Girl, Donna Troy, in Titans and a few members of the Bat Family, but what about the Superman family? If we’re expanding the DC Universe and possibly setting up Young Justice they’re essential, so here are my casting ideas for Conner “Kon-El” Kent and Jonathan Kent.

Max Lloyd Jones as Connor Kent and Noah Schnapp as Jon Kent.

[zombiesbecrazy]

Home is Where the Ring Is

Summary:  The Green Lanterns of 2813 have two jobs that they take very seriously - serve their sector admirably and protect their most treasured and endangered citizens with honor and valor.

Note:  Once upon a time I read a fic (that I can't remember the title of) about how the Green Lantern Corps was very protective of Kryptonians because they were considered an endangered species. This weird cracky fluff spun out of that and me wondering who would be responsible for looking after them if that were the case.

AO3 Link

It was silly, feeling homesick like some sort of child.

In the grand scheme of the universe Farthlé was not that far from home, not really, especially when you were able to travel quickly through space whenever you wanted with the help of a glowing green ring. Fylip was only one sector over, but he was three months into his six month rotation and all he really wanted right now was his mom’s homemade lufdenheim for dinner. He didn’t even like her cooking when he was home, because it was positively dreadful and left a heavy feeling like rocks in his stomach, but he missed it none the less.

Searching through his kitchen he tried to figure out if he had the right ingredients for chicken tetrazzini, one of his Earth favourites, or if he’d have to make a trip to the store to satisfy that particular craving. He had really grown to like the food here. There wasn’t pasta back home. Or cheese.  So many different types of cheese. On most days, the cheese alone was worth the station.

It was lonely sometimes. Being an alien on a strange world. Being without his friends and family. Being a Lantern in the wrong sector. Sure, 2814’s Lanterns always invited him when they got together on Earth, it wasn’t the same as hanging out with Somar-Le back in 2813.

His sworn duty was worth it, but he was having a hard time remembering that today.

The destruction of Krypton was a sad mark in history for the Green Lanterns of 2813. The defenders at the time had arrived too late to help and were only able to watch the devastation from a distance as it had been decimated. An entire planet gone; a catastrophic extinction right before their eyes. It wasn’t the first time that it had happened, nor would it be the last, but the sector’s Lanterns mourned it as if it were their own world. They had lost one of their charges.

Until one day they discovered that the Kryptonians were not extinct, only endangered and there was one on Earth. And then another. And then it was a full family pod of there, as well as the bottled city of Kandor. They were small, yes, but they were still Kryptonians contained safely in the glass walls.

The species they had thought were lost had survived and 2813 would not fail them again. Never again. They had a new mission to uphold.

Since that day, one of the Lanterns from 2813 always stood guard over the Kryptonians of Earth, ensuring that they were safe and protected from harm. The Guardians had tried to tell them that it wasn’t necessary, that this mission was above and beyond their call of duty, as had the Green Lanterns of 2814, who all called Earth home and said that they include the Kryptonians in their protection, but the 2813 Lanterns declined. Arrangements had to be made because of this, and once it was realised that the 2813’s mission was permanent. With the Guardians, they decided that if a solo Kryptonian appeared another sector, it was the duty of the Lanterns of that sector to protect them. The Earth pod was the largest settlement in the universe and if it was 2813’s sworn oath to look after them, it was their responsibility even though they were residing in 2814’s jurisdiction. For the most part, Farthlé and Somar-Le stayed out of 2814’s business unless one of Earth’s Lantern’s asked them to assist, and likewise they left the Kryptonians well being to them, unless one left the pod to go off planet. General rule was then that Farthlé stayed with the pod and the travelling family member was then the responsibility of the sector they were in. Kal El was pretty good at texting before going off world so they were alerted to the situation. He was fortunate to be close enough to his sector that he could assist if needed, and in that case he alerted Hal or John that he needed to be away and they cared for his Kryptonians.

There were a lot of rules and contingencies in place for a very small collection of people, but it was worth it and it usually worked out well for everyone.

It was strange to be looking after essentially four people instead of an entire sector of space, crisscrossing between insanely easier and infinitely more complicated all at the same time.

Farthlé and Somar-Le had decided that they would split the duties of who would spend their time on Earth with their most precious charges, rotating every six months, while living in an apartment they shared in Metropolis. It was only fair to split both the burden and the honour of this revered task. It was a sacred and noble act and one that he was proud to follow the tradition of, even if the Kryptonians poked fun at them for it.  They kept insisting that they didn’t need a special guard detail, but it wasn’t really up to them to make that call. The rings of 2813 taught them the importance of the as soon as it attached to their fingers for the first time. It was part of their history almost as much as it was the Kryptonians.

Sector 2813 will always take care of its own.

Over the years, Farthlé had taken to treating the pod in the same way as most Earth family units seemed to when they did not live together, keeping most of his tabs on them with their telecommunication devices. Noting that he didn’t have any chicken for the meal he had hoped to make, he closed the fridge and decided to make his standard rounds, pulling out his phone and texting the same group he did every night.

Farthlé: Daily check in. Everyone still alive?

Dots appeared on the screen as he waited for a response. Probably Kara. She was always the first. He wasn’t overly concerned today. It had been a slow news day in general on the planet so he had no reason to think that anything had happened to any of his charges. He had done a fly over in the morning to peek in on all of them and they were all fine, but he still needed the reassurance that he hadn’t missed anything as they lived their regular lives. He found it fascinating, the way they had seamlessly assimilated. Despite the responsibility of the duty, for the most part he stayed uninvolved. The last time he had to step in was because of Zod and ended with banishing him to the Phantom Zone. At least he knew where that Kryptonian was tonight.

Kara Zor-El: I’m alright. I broke a heel.

Farthlé sucked in a breath and transformed into his uniformed appearance, green glow filling the room. How had Kara injured herself in such a fashion? Kryptonite, surely, but he needed more… wait. She had indicated that she was fine. He tried to calm himself, resisting the urge to open the window and fly towards her location without more information.

Farthlé : How?

Kara Zor-El: It got stuck in a grate when I was running to catch the subway.

Farthlé gritted his teeth and powered down before taking a few deep and steadying breaths. She was going to be the death of him some day, he just knew it.

Farthlé: You mean you broke the heel of your shoe.

Kara Zor-El: Oh, yeah. Sorry. Stop panicking. I can hear your heartbeat from here. Though if you want to buy me some new ones, that would be sweet.

Farthlé : The Corps are not buying you new shoes.

Kara Zor-El: But I need them. I’m a poor orphan without shoes. Help me, Green Lantern.

Farthlé : No.

He knew that would be the end of the conversation with Kara. She wasn’t one for chit chat with him over text but she did like to meet up in person from time to time to chat about their home sector. Farthé had never been to Krypton, but she had been to Fylip as a child as well as some of the other planets and he was really the only person she could talk to about it. It was nice, the connection that the two of them shared from home. She often made him feel less homesick when he was feeling down, but he didn’t like to intrude. He was mainly an observer and didn’t want to disrupt the life that she had built for herself on Earth.

Jon Kent: I’m good, but my dad isn’t home yet. How are you today? I miss you!

Farthlé smiled at young Jonathan’s words. He had recently got a phone of his own, and as far as Farthlé knew, the only numbers stored in it were for his family, Robin from Gotham and himself. Jonathan had called him his fairy godfather last time he had seen him. It must rather seem that way to a child.

Farthlé: I’m very well. Thank you for asking.

Jon Kent: Can you do my math homework?

Farthlé: You must learn math, Jonathan. It is important on all planets.

Jon Kent: But there's just so much…

Farthlé: Even if I were able to help you in that way, I could only do half because you are only half Kryptonian.

Jon Kent: Does that mean that if I were dying, you would only half save me?

Farthlé: Well, no. I am still not doing your homework.

Jon Kent: Fine, but I’m telling my teacher that a Fylipian Lantern ate my homework.

Farthlé: You are welcome to try to use that as an excuse however I don’t believe it will work.

There were a few minutes of silence from his phone, hopefully meaning that Jonathan had returned to his studies. There were still two more to hear in from. The general rule of thumb was that if he didn’t hear back from them within thirty minutes that he was to start to investigate.

A new bubble popped up.

Kon El: The other person you are only going to half save is also alive and well and thriving. Krypto and I are chilling.

Farthlé: Very good. Give Krypto a pet for me. He is a good dog.

Kon El: Will do. Question – do you save me to a level less than or equal to Jon? As a clone-hybrid am I only like… 25% saveable?

Farthlé sighed. Were all Kryptonians this insufferable? He shook his head when he realised that about 90% of all Kryptonians alive in the universe were in this group chat, so it was rather easy to infer that, yes, all Kryptonians were like this.

Farthlé: I will save anyone with Kryptonian DNA with equal measure, regardless of the percentage.

Kon El: My hero! My future 12.5% Kryptonian children are so lucky!

Another twenty minutes passed and Farthlé started to wonder if he was going to have to contact one of 2814’s Lanterns. He knew that Kal El was off world on a Justice League mission, but he had been due to arrive back earlier in the day. He had not heard of any delay in their return but it was known to happen. If something had gone wrong, he would have been contacted. He was tapping out a message to Hal Jordan that he wasn’t entirely sure if he was going to send or not, because Hal would just accuse him of being a mother hen when a notification came through.

Kal El: Jon, ask Mom for help with the math. Conner, you are just as Kryptonian as any of the rest of us. Kara, you are an adult with a job, buy your own darn shoes. Farthlé, I arrived safe and sound on the Watchtower and am heading home soon. I’m fine. Kyle took very good care of me. Sorry that I forgot to check in earlier. My phone was dead.

Tension released from Farthlé’s body as he read the words. He knew that it was hypocritical, but he didn’t like it when one of his charges left the planet. There was a sense of safety when they were on home. Everywhere else for them just felt so… alien. He laughed at his own foolishness as he typed back.

Farthlé: You are not a house plant that I asked Kyle Rayner to water, Kal El.

Kal El: Then why do you never ask Guy to follow me when I go off planet?

Farthlé: No comment. Thank you for letting me know you are home once again.

Seconds later, Farthlé’s phone was ringing. It was not an unexpected call.

“Do you have dinner plans tonight? We’re having lasagna if you want to join us. I’m going to call Conner and Kara too. Big family meal sound good?” Kal El sounded good. Happy. The mission must have gone well.

It wasn’t uncommon for Kal El to invite him to dinner and it was a usual occurrence when he returned from off world missions. It was like he knew that Farthlé was practically itching to see him in the flesh and ensure that their longest charge was all in one piece, just has he had been when he left Earth days before. He was trying to make his job easier. While his insistent Lantern guardians amused him, Kal El always did his best to include them into his life and tried to make them feel welcome on Earth. He knew what it was like to feel like a stranger in a crowd. Farthlé was lucky, being able to blend in with the humans and Kryptonians and that it was much harder for Somar-Le to venture out in public without a concealment charm disguising his avian like visage, but he was still an outsider no matter how much time he spent on Earth.

The dinner invitation sounded like it always did. Perfect. It wasn’t home or his mom’s food, but it was the next best thing when it felt like he was a galaxy, and not just a sector, away.

“I would love to. Thank you for the invitation.”

After all, it was easier to keep an eye on all the Kryptonians if they were there together. Dinner together made strategic sense.

The pasta and cheese combination was just an added bonus.

[earthschampion]

Here’s a small portion of a multiple-part story I wrote several years ago:

I’m in the process of completely re-writing the story because... Holy Plot-lines, Batman, the original is awful!  Like many, I’m not a fan of New52, and I haven’t really read much of Rebirth.  For those who have been following me for a while, you know I write pre-boot, mainly.  So in my writing, my Teen Titans team is where the series left off right before New52.  Red-Robin, Superboy, Wonder Girl, Raven, Beast Boy, Ravager, and Solstice.

Anywhere, he’s a small sample from the story:

It was another gorgeous morning in San Fransisco; the sun rose over Titans Tower, it’s beams shining through each window.  On the top of the Tower stood a small, green rooster.  Beast Boy, as always, was the first Titan to wake. "Gooooooood morning, San Francisco!" Gar yelled as loud as he could, enjoying the warmth of the morning sun on his feathers.  Once returning to his normal form, he made his way down to the kitchen in order to prepare breakfast for himself.

As he started up the stove, he felt a gust of wind behind him.  Turning to his left, he noticed Bart at the fridge. "Morning, Bart, hungry?"

"Always, but right now I’m just really thirsty.  Couldn’t sleep last night, so I was at the pool.”  Bart pulled out the orange juice, then grabbed himself a glass from the dishrack before sitting at the counter.

“What’s wrong?  Trouble getting the relationship rolling with Rose?”  He dropped a handful of spinach onto the frying pan, then went to the fridge for egg whites.

The speedster’s face turned red as he choked on his sip of orange juice.  “What?!  Trouble?!  No! No trouble!  Things are smooth sailing with Rose!”

“Dude, it’s all good.  Bro-talk is happenin’ right now, we’re cool.  Sure, we get on each other’s nerves from time to time, but that’s what bros do.”  Gar served the omelet and put it in front of Bart.  “Here, a token of Bro-ness.  We cool?”

Bart looked down at the omelet, then back to Gar, who was holding up his fist.  A smile formed on his face, respectively pounding his fist against Gar’s.  “We’re cool.  Thanks, bro.”

“No problemo, hermano.”  Gar went back to the stove, preparing another omelet for himself.  “So tell me, what’s kept you up?  Is it Rose?  Somethin’ else? I’m all ears.”  He joked, having his ears turn into those of a Bloodhound.

“Well… Okay, yeah, it’s gotta do with Rose.  How real you want me to be?”

“Just don’t give me a play by play, and we’re solid.”

He let out a sigh as he re-filled his glass for a third time.  “Alright, well, our relationship basically started as a one night thing.  She was being flirty with me, and asked if I’ve ever been with anyone, then… Y’know.  Anyway, it was never anything official, she just basically comes to me when she wants to do stuff.”

“Not a bad agreement, there.”  Gar flipped the omelet before getting started on mixing the waffle batter.

“Well, not at first.  It was great, She was my first, and she taught me a lot.  But, I want an actual relationship.  I mean… I’ve always been kinda jealous of Conner and Cassie.”

He looked to Bart, pointing to his rabbit ear.  “Careful, Barty.  Kryptonians can’t always shut their super-hearing off.”

After throwing out the empty orange juice carton, Bart added it to the shopping list on the fridge.  “He probably already knows, anyway.  I mean, I love being a speedster, I’m not jealous of that.  But, he’s always had Cassie.”

“Everyone likes an Amazonian.”  Gar put his omelet on a plate as he gave Bart a wink.  “Can’t blame ya there, buddy.”

“I mean, Cassie’s gorgeous, but she’s always been a sister to me.  I mean, they’ve always had each other.  It’s something I’ve wanted, but… It’s hard, man.  And yeah, I get to do things with Rose and we sleep in the same bed every now and then, but I want it to be official…”

He placed the first waffle on the plate, then began filling up the waffle maker a second time.  “Have you thought about telling that to Rose?  That you wanna be boyfriend and girlfriend?”

Bart stabbed his omelet with his fork, a red shade appearing on his face.  “Once, and she laughed at me.”

He couldn’t control his laughter, it was too much to contain.  “She what?! You’re joking!”  Upon turning around, he saw the seriousness in Bart’s face.  A look that’s rarely seen.  “Oh, man, I’m sorry to hear that.  What’d she say to it?”

“She isn’t “the dating type.” That she doesn’t “do dating.”  And “why do we need a title?  What’s wrong with this?”  Basically, everything I didn’t want to hear.””  He stuffed his face with a bite from his omelet, then went over to start up the coffee maker.

Gar sat next to Bart’s seat at the counter, pouring some syrup onto his waffles.  “I mean, not to be rude or anythin’, but she’s right.  Don’t think about you and Rose for a second, just focus on Rose’s qualities.  She’s a badass, sword-fighting, cigarette-smoking, white-haired, single-eyed babe.  She drinks, she does whatever she wants, and won’t settle for anythin’.  She may sound rude and mean when she says those things, but maybe it’s because she knows you deserve someone better?  She knows you deserve someone who’s fun and innocent, someone who can be playful.  You probably can’t see it now, because you’re too busy being infatuated with Rose.”

“Dude, when’d you get so mature?”  Bart laughed as he lightly punched Gar’s arm.  “I mean, you’re probably right.  Right now, I want Rose and only Rose because of everything we’re doing.  If we were to stop, maybe I’d find someone else.”

“Who says you can’t be looking now?”

“W-What?  Whaddya mean?  I’m with Rose, dude!  Haven’t you been listening?!”

“Loud and clear, m’man.”  Gar pointing to his deer ears.  “And from my understandin’, you two aren’t together.  You guys are F.W.B’s.”

Bart raised a brow, finishing up his omelet.  “Fun With Babies?”

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he let out a long sigh.  “Friends With Benefits, bro.  Meaning you two aren’t together, but you’re doing things.  Get it?”  He rolled his eyes, then looked back to the speedster.  “Fun With Babies?  Really?  What’s wrong with you?”

He nodded, quickly washing his plate and fork in the sink.  “So, you’re saying I should be looking for someone right now?  You know how hard it is to find someone in the superhero community?”

“So? Date someone outside the hero community.  Wally did it, So did Barry. Hell, even Superman did it.”  Gar took a bite of his omelet, then went over and poured two cups of coffee for himself and Bart.

“I wanna be with another hero, I don’t wanna have to hide who I am.”  Bart took the mug, grabbing a banana before heading back to the counter.

After putting some vegan-creamer in his coffee, Gar sat back down, changing into a chimpanzee as he ate his own banana.  “Ooooh, I see.  So we have some desires, do we?  What else is on the requirement list to date Kid Flash?”

“That’s really it.”  Taking a sip from his coffee, Bart grabbed a spoon and added some more sugar.  “I just need to be honest with her.  As long as we get along, and she’s a beautiful hero, I’ll be happy. Anyway, enough about me.  I got a question for you, actually.”

“Shoot.”  Showing a set of finger guns, he changed back to his normal self as he took another gulp of his coffee.

“Why is it you don’t ever come down with Raven?  You’re always first.”

“Because Raven likes to sleep in a bit more than I do.”

“Okay, yeah, but I mean… Conner and Cassie come down at the same time… Tim and Stephanie come down at the same time, whenever she stays over, that is… Don’t you like to stay in bed with Raven?” Gar finished his coffee and twirled his spoon.  “Well, yeah, I guess when you put it that way… Truth is, Raven isn’t much of a cuddler.  It’s hard to express emotions when your father is literally a demon that feeds on your emotions.  I’m honestly surprised we’re able to do the things we do?”

Bart brought over the coffee pot, topping Gar off before refilling his own mug.  “Stuff like what?”

Raising his mug as a sign of thanks, he took a sip before continuing.  “Like, we hold hands, we kiss, we cuddle at night.  Once in a while, other things… I think she blocks herself off sometimes when she feels she’s getting too comfortable.  She may be part-demon, but she’s also part-human.  And like everyone else, the human-side of her craves connection and emotion.  It’s an ongoing war in her, she can only feed her human-side’s cravings so much before Trigon can have a chance at using her.”

“I didn’t think of it like that… But she seems to be expressing herself a bit more, right?”  She actually gives me hugs and plays with my hair when we watch tv!”

He laughed a bit as he took another sip from his coffee.  “She thinks of you as her youngest brother.  She said she enjoys when you fall asleep next to her, you’re like a cat.”  Gar changed into a cat as he hopped onto Bart’s lap.  “You vibrate when you snore, like your form of purring.”

“Knock it off!”  Bart laughed, pushing Gar off of him.  “Wait, she thinks of me as the youngest?”

“Yep!  Tim’s the oldest because he acts the most mature.  Kon is the middle-child, and you’re the baby.  In Raven’s eyes, anyway.”  He laughed again, bringing his plate and mug to the sink.  “As for the girls, Rose is the oldest, Cassie and Stephanie are twins, and Kiran is the youngest.”

“Kiran… Hmmm.”  Bart tapped his foot on the barstool as he looked towards the doorway.  “Do you think--”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Loverboy.”  Gar patted Bart on the back.  “Baby steps, I know that’s hard for you.  It’s more like baby miles, in your case.”

"Garfield, let him at least have some hope." Raven walked in, giving Bart a gentle smile as she ran her fingers through his hair. "Good morning, Bart.  Things with Rose aren’t going well?"

"Mornin' Rave.”  Bart leaned his back, resting his head against her chest as she played with his hair.  He would never admit to it, but Raven was like a second mother to him.  She always seemed so protective of him, and he loved his quality time with her.  “Your Nat-Geo of a boyfriend gave me some advice. Are we still watching that movie together?" He smiled wide as he offered her an orange from the table. She gladly accepted the orange before placing a gentle kiss on his forehead.  “Of course, we didn’t marathon the entire “Ultimate Ninja” series for us to not watch the seventh one.””  Raven left Bart and went over to the fridge, grabbing milk before going to the cabinets for cereal.  Leaning over, she gave Gar a kiss on his cheek.  “Good morning, Garfield.”

“Mornin’, honey.” He returned the kiss before motioning towards Bart at the counter.  “You give him kisses, too?”

A gentle roll of her eyes, she patted Gar’s cheek as she spoke quietly.  “You know my love for him is different than my love for you, Garfield.”

“Mhm.”  Gar went back to putting the dishes away, grabbing Raven a bowl, as well.  “Let’s make sure it stays that way.  I don’t need you trying to hit on my woman, Speedy.”

“Wrong hero, but noted.”  Bart placed his mug in the sink before looking back to Raven.  “Hey, Rave?  When are we watching the movie?”

“As soon as I finish eating, I’ll meet you on the couch, deal?”

“Sounds good!  See ya, Rave!  And Gar… Thanks.”  He gave them both a smile and a salute, then ran out of the room.

Gar looked to Raven, an eyebrow raised as he leaned his back against the counter.  “Ultimate Ninja, huh?  I didn’t take you for a kung-fu fan.”

Raven shrugged her shoulders as she carried her bowl of cereal to the counter.  “I don’t particularly enjoy it, but I know Bart loves to snuggle up to me and have me play with his hair.”

“You know because he told you?  Or because you felt it?”

“Both.”  She covered her mouth as she finished her spoonful. “He told me how he loves showing me his favorite movies and shows.  What he didn’t say, however, is how he thinks of me as his mother, in a sense.”

Once again, he couldn’t control his laughter.  “Sheesh, he thinks you’re old?  Want me to knock some sense into the kid?”  He flexed his gorilla arm, before walking over to sit beside Raven.

“That is unnecessary, I think it’s very sweet.”  She continued to eat her cereal for a moment.  “He misses his parents, and I can understand that feeling.  I’ll admit, since I first felt this is what he thinks of me, I have purposely been acting more… Motherly towards him.”

“So the snuggling on the couch and the kisses…?”  Gar’s voice trailed, raising a brow to her.

“If it makes you uncomfortable, Garfield, I will stop.  I am being honest when I say it’s strictly platonic.”  She put down her spoon, reaching for his hand.  “My love for you is… Passionate.”

A smile formed on his face, looking down at their hands.  “If the kid thinks of you as his old lady, it’s fine.  But if he starts gettin’ flirty, we’re gonna have problems.”

She turned Gar’s face towards her lips, kissing him gently.  “Do not worry, my love.  Now, if you excuse me.  It’s time for me to meditate through-- I mean, thoroughly enjoy “Ultimate Ninja 7: The Samuracalypse.”  She gave Gar one more kiss before meeting Bart on the couch, the menu screen already on the television.

Bart had his legs stretched out on the couch as he played on his tablet.  Glancing up, he noticed Raven walking into the room.  “Hey, Rave!”  He sat up straight, putting his tablet on the coffee table.  “Check it!  I’ve got some Oolong tea here, for ya!”  He smiled wide, pressing the volume button on the remote to unmute the television.

Eyes widened, Raven looked back into the kitchen and noticed there wasn’t a teapot on the stove.  “How did you make the tea?  I was in the kitchen with Garfield the entire time.”

“Ninja skills, Rave.  Ninja skills.”  He smirked, patting the seat next to him.  “You ready for the movie?”

What she said to Gar was true, she has purposely been acting more motherly towards Bart.  What she did not tell him, however, was that she’s been viewing Bart more as a son.  It was something she would keep to herself, just as her knowledge of Bart’s feelings.  She sat on the couch, and took the mug from Bart, who immediately rested his head against her chest.  Raven wrapped her arm around him, her hand slowly brushing up and down his arm.  “Whenever you are ready, Bart.  And thank you for the tea, it was very thoughtful.”  Raven gave him a gentle smile as she took a sip from the mug.

“Raven, we don’t have to watch this if you don’t want to...”

“But how will we know what becomes of Ninjokyo City?  And the rise of the robot samurai’s?  Aren’t you curious?”  She looked down at him, noticing a concerned look on his face.  “Is something wrong?”

Bart looked down and played with his fingers.  “You don’t have to lie about liking the movies, Raven, it’s okay.”

With a sigh, She put the mug back on the coffee table before looking to Bart.  “Bart, do you know why I’ve watched the past six Ultimate Ninja movies with you?”  She gave him a moment, but only received a shrug as a response.  “It’s because I enjoy spending this time with you.  It doesn’t matter what we watch, I’m more than happy to sit here with you.  It’s calming, which is very ironic, considering how you’re normally all over the place.”  She chuckled as she lifted his head up.  “I appreciate this time spent with you, Bart.  It’s nice to focus on something other than my inner demons, for lack of a better phrase.”

He sat up and wrapped his arms around her.  “I like it, too.  Thanks for putting up with me, Raven.”  He released from the hug and handed her the remote.  “So, what would you like to watch?”

“Absolutely anything else other than Ultimate Ninja.  For all I care, Ninjokyo City can crumble to the ground.”  She laughed, giving Bart another gentle kiss on his forehead.  She let Bart rest his head on her lap as he stretched out on the couch again, her fingers combing his hair as they channel-surfed.

[bookdragonlibrary]

Fifth Tuesday YJ appreciation

1-3 ; 4-6 ; 7-9 ; 10-13 ; 14-16 ; 17 ; 18 ; 19 ; 20 ; 21 ; 22 ; 23 ; 24-26

—————————— Quiet Conversations

- 1st January. Ok so this is happening in the same time that part of the previous episode.

- Silas tries desperately to connect back with his son :( Now their motivations are reverse. 

- He feels bad :( That’s why he wasn’t there in the previous episode :( 

-  I love than you still see Fred’s true form in his reflexion. How did you feel Vic? Wait, did he spend the whole day outside?!

- The Father box has spread :(

- Where’s Gar?

- Jeff is there! And so is Dreamer! What didn’t they call the New Gods sooner? 

- So Metron is an inventor among New Gods as he created Motherboxes, Fatherboxes and boomtube and his Mobius chair I guess.

- So it was a runaway note :(

- “We’ve talk” Now the Team will ask questions and discover she’s dying. 

- So cute Fred wants to stay for his BF and Tara is concerned for Violet. 

- Brion is a little bit confused with everything going on...

- Is that a M for Metron? Nope, it’s a nose xD Wait, what? The Source Wall. Source of what? The universe? Are this people? Is it people who are the source of this wall?

- Aw Harper got a bruise :( 

- “Must be great to have a lot of people worried about you...” Her father seems pretty careless, yeah.

- Love Tara’s big smile! :D This is promising!

- Dhabar. I suppose this is in Qurac? Violet had to boom tube there. 

- Cousin? Oh it’s her mother! But Violet seems pretty emotionless. I mean, of course, she never met her :( 

- Can Violet speak Arabic because she remembers it from Gabrielle’s memories or she can speak any languages thanks to the Motherbox technology like Scarab?

- So the Center is built near the Star labs. Erdel initiative again. It’s the Zeta lab. Ed talked about it in the previous episode.

- I wonder how Atantis was designed to be understood underwater. Are Atlantis also lips readers? 

- Since they can’t communicate, how did Kaldur know she wants to go?

- This is Eduardo senior. 

- A41. There are 40 Leaguers? :o Wait, what is the A designation for already? Since B is for the Team. Kaldur is now 27. 

- His magic is rusty but it worked perfectly. Imagine how powerful he would be if he had finished the magic school! :D 

- So she’s Indian! :D

- She is happy! :D That should have been so frustrating to not be able to communicate with people. I think they have no idea where she comes from since they can’t hear the language underwater.  

- Silas Stone is A42. So Jace just authorized him. Nope. Dr Irons.

- Thanks for the body horror. That wasn’t necessary. I think Vic and Violet are cursed because they are both through enormous pain this season...

- So the nose from earlier belongs to Gog. So all the people in the wall are gods.

- Minosyss Ring. Must be outside our solar system.

- “My brother.” So Clark still considered him as a brother?!

- Put him in a coma? I know it’s logical but still :( 

- Jace covers her phone. Should be her mentor. So they isn’t someone she wants the Team to see? Bad news :/ 

- Whoa! The parademons’ lasers are strong enough to put Superman inconscious :o 

- This is a strike! :D

- So Conner has his Kryptonian name: Kon-El!

- “I’m glad to see you.” At least, this has changed :) 

- So the League is still after the Furies and stolen minerals to finish whatever machine this was.

- Wait! Granny had finished her machine already?!

- Now the Team now she is also working for Darkseid.

- Clark as his best man? He didn’t have better choice?

- “1.5 Kryptonian” So Conner isn’t 50% from Clark and Lex. 

- Harper’s brother, Colin, has a black eye? This can’t be rough housing.

- “If i say anything, you have to tell the authorities.” So Harper is more afraid of being separated from her brother than she is of her dad.

- Why “of Atlantis”? King Orin isn’t sufficiant? Oh it’s for introducing him to the girl :)

- She noticed he lied. Thanks to her meta powers? I know people think she is Dolphin, so maybe she has something similar to their sonar to... feel emotions and feelings of people? 

- I love that their gesture of respect is a fist on their forehead, maybe to imitate the sonar of dolphins? This is the tiny details which show a fantasy culture ;) 

- Yes, she must talk to her mentor as they’re talking about Violet. 

- Brion is sad and lost :( 

- Now she says Halo instead of Violet. Why?

- That was a good speech actually. It made him smile again. 

- Aw! So Vic was still missing his father :3

- “I am here to watch him die.” Thas wasn’t the plan, dude!

- “I have never seen a Fatherbox completly override an organic system.” Wait to see Violet!

- “Death is common place.” The problem between humans and gods, they don’t see things the same. 

- Clever idea, Jeff. And Conner just throw him xD And Metron just stand up like nothing happened xD

- “0.5 of nothing.” Is it because he half human? (mostly)

- Sha’lain’a and Clavin Durham, Kaldur parents! I know he was named after him but I ignored his character was also his adopted father. 

- Dolphin (I will call her like that until she has a name, because refering as the girl isn’t pratical) doesn’t like hug. Or to be touched in general? Because of the trauma I think :( 

- So Kaldur’s parents adopted her? Hey, Kaldur has a little sister now! I knew he was a good big bro figure! :D  (So please don’t ship them, that would be gross I think :/ )

- Calvin comes from San Diego. 

- “It is more than I ever received up there.” She should have a heartbreaking backstory :’(

- “I have known bad men” I don’t like when tragic backstory involve a young girl and bad men. They often take the same route... :/ 

- It’s great someone finally says to Kaldur is a good person :3 We waited for this since season 1 and he particularly deserved it after season 2.

- I live M’gann knows this is a lie but still acts like it’s true to make Harper talk :)

- So Harper has the gun to bring it away from her alcoholic father. And guess let’s try it after I suppose?

- “Alcohol and fire arms, not a good mix.” “Duh!” The call back xD 

- I love how she said she’s a big sister protecting her little brother and reminds her she’s a kid too :’( And then telling her it’s normal to be more afraid of a unknown situation (what comes next) than the present situation (which is worse but at least familiar). 

- Even her voice is hearbreaking! :( 

- Did you notice on the board in the background “Living with abuse is not a life”? 

- Violet still wants to “fix” people, meaning bring them peace?

- We see Brion watching Fatherbox’ soul and understand what Violet is/ the difference between Violet and Gabrielle. 

- “The soul of the Fatherbox has returned to the source.” So all Mother and Fatherboxes come from the Mobius chair. 

- Vic is now Mobius tech. No more Fatherbox. Good news. 

- “No and yes.” What is that supposed to mean? And who was he looking at while saying no?

- Finally a hug between Vic and his father! Maybe now Fatherbox isn’t a threat anymore, Vic think it’s safe to be with his dad again :) 

- So Violet wanted to heal Gabrielle and go stuck in her body instead. Could it still be possible to resucitate Gabrielle? Can it happen if Violet actually die for real?

- “Everyone reacts differently in difficult times.” Gabrielle’s mother has such a deep philosophy. 

- Samad lost his brother and Gabrielle’s mother lost her husband and now her daughter :( 

- She is so sweet to Violet! :’(

- Tara and Violet hug! 

- M’gann bring Harper and Colin to Child Protective Services. I hope they would have new parents! Who would they be? Someone we know? Would they be heroes too? As Harped is a vigilante in the comics. Batman will adopt her? Or would it be M’gann and Conner?

- Dolphin is happy! :D 

- And here is Wyynde, King Orin’s guard/councelor? AND KALDUR’S BOYFRIEND?! This is so great! I knew he was bi in the YJ show! (Edit: Greg said he’s polysexual actually.) This was straightbaiting for people who wanted to ship Kaldur with Dolphin! 

- Jace is so happy to see Violet back! :) 

- Tara is talking to Slade! And she seems wanting to stop her infiltration mission because it’s a good environment for her! :) 

- The message at the end! 

It was a really great episode with a lot of happy endings and characters moving on. 

[saranel]

Do you think UraYoru has lil parallelism with IchiRuki bond and chemistry ???? 😊😆🐕🎩 🐇🍓✨

Tagging @cocosy who asked the same question

I think they have some big differences in terms of dynamic, seeing as how the personalities and combinations involved are quite dissimilar, but I can definitely see ways in which they are alike.

Fights against Yammy are pretty romantic, I guess?

(more under the cut)

1. Chemistry

Okay, let’s start with the obvious one! There’s a reason both are such popular pairings (the most popular for each character by far), and chemistry has a lot to do with it.

Anyone who’s ever done any creative writing can attest to this, but certain characters simply take over and do the work for you, so to speak, once you become familiar enough with them.  I’ve only ever written the one IchiRuki fic, but when I tried to write dialogue for them, it just… flowed.  Same with Kisuke and Yoruichi.  I may have to tweak and polish to get the final result feeling as IC as I can make it, but the way they interact with each other feels natural and easy to replicate on paper.

And it’s all due to the fact that these two pairs have been set up in canon to work so well together.  Both Ichigo and Kisuke interact with plenty of other characters in the story with fun results, but when they interact with Rukia and Yoruichi respectively?  That’s when we get sparks. 

2. Bond

As a pair with such a long history, Kisuke and Yoruichi have an understandably deep connection.  There’s little doubt in my mind that they ‘clicked’ from the start, whenever that may have been, but there’s no denying that their centuries-spanning relationship contributes to their intimacy (both platonic and romantic).

For earlier adopters of the manga, I imagine the wait from the moment Yoruichi first gave the audience a glimpse of her shared past with Kisuke, to seeing them share panel time again must’ve built a lot of hype.  Kubo went on to be a tease for years concerning those two.  The nature of their relationship was even brought up in Kisuke’s Radio Kon interview, so this was obviously something the readers were wondering about from early on.  

And I think that one of the earliest events of the Arrancar arc was basically Kubo’s response to the audience’s rising curiosity:

Kisuke and Yoruichi were a big mystery to us at that point (NOT TO MENTION ELEVEN YEARS LATER), and Kubo displays some tremendous, economical storytelling here by giving us a succinct, yet rich answer as to what exactly Kisuke and Yoruichi are to each other:

Partners.

In every sense of the word.

I’ve often seen fans talk about the shadier aspects of Kisuke’s character and exclaim, aghast, “Does Yoruichi even know about this?!!!” and it always makes me laugh.  Because honestly, does anyone truly believe there is a single thing Yoruichi doesn’t know about him by this point?

Yoruichi knows exactly who this man is and she accepts him, warts and all. And vice versa. 

They know each other well enough that words are hardly ever needed:

And this is why it astounds me that Ichigo and Rukia reach such a level of understanding in only a few short months.  

Like I said, I firmly believe that Kisuke and Yoruichi were also a pair that developed a deep bond very fast, but given their long-standing relationship, they serve as an example of an unbreakable bond in the manga.  No one in their right mind is going to dispute those two are close, so when it becomes easy to draw a comparison between them and other pairs in the manga, that’s when you know it’s real:

^^^ What she actually says is more along the lines of: “Well I thought I might as well use this piece of crap you made so you wouldn’t whine, but without it, I would’ve dodged just fine!”  which is a tsundere’s way of saying ‘I love you’

And now you know why Kisuke wears that little half-smile in that panel ;)

3. Personalities

A few months ago, I made this super long post about the bond between mentor and student, and in writing it, I was surprised to discover ways in which Kisuke and Ichigo are alike that I hadn’t considered before. 

I like to think that this is one of the reasons Kisuke chose to mentor Ichigo: because he sees everything good about himself in his student, but none of his worse qualities. He sees a version of himself that was once more optimistic and a little less pragmatic, fiercely protective in a way that bordered on carelessness. 

Kisuke was a lot like Ichigo before the events of TBTP and his exile, and though he learned to trust in his subordinates and colleagues, his more sentimental side always shines through when someone he loves is in danger, façade and common sense be damned.  He couldn’t stop himself from following Hiyori, and he couldn’t stop himself from rushing to Yoruichi’s aid, either, instead of joining Ichigo against Yhwach.  

Similarly, Ichigo is the ‘softie’ of the pair to contrast Rukia’s stricter, more militaristic personality.  It’s Ichigo who found a little ‘sister’ to protect in the middle of the damn Hueco Mundo desert, Ichigo who will fiercely defend and show concern for people who were once his enemies:

It’s Kisuke and Ichigo who will drive away even the people they love in order to protect them (it’s worth noting that Rukia also does this at a certain point, but the circumstances are different and I’ll get to why shortly):

And it’s a similarity Kisuke himself remarks upon:

That’s not to say that Rukia and Yoruichi are cold in comparison, or not just as protective; not by a long shot.  But perhaps because they were both raised as nobility, they often fight a visible war with their own feelings:

In Yoruichi’s case, this is far more pronounced, to the point that she appears borderline emotionally stunted at times (see: tsundere).  Yoruichi was most likely taught that emotions are a weakness since she was a child (see: Byakuya, too).  I have this headcanon (last section) that Yoruichi must’ve been a very lonely child before she met Kisuke, carrying the immense weight of a legacy on her shoulders from a very young age.  And if, as I suspect, she had to compete with other candidates to earn the title of Clan Head, she was forced to sacrifice many things about herself in the altar of duty.    

Rukia’s upbringing for the first few years of her life was radically different, but we know for a fact that she was forced to grow up fast, in order to survive on her own in the Rukongai.  When she lost every single friend but Renji, she was the one who kept on pressing forward, the one who suggested entering the Academy.  And in a perfect storm of terrible events, her own feelings of inadequacy were only exacerbated when she was adopted by the Kuchiki Clan and treated so abysmally by Byakuya.  Rukia has been swallowing her own feelings since she could crawl: she swallowed the pain of being alone for a big part of her childhood so she could toughen up and survive, she swallowed the pain of losing her friends, the pain of under-performing in the academy, of being so blatantly ignored by Byakuya, the tremendous guilt over what happened with Kaien. 

What’s fascinating to me is that despite all this pressure, despite their loyalty and recorded sense of duty to the Gotei, both these women are in possession of a heart that always steers them in the right direction when it matters:

At this point, even Rukia has resigned herself to the fact that Ichigo is going to die.  She doesn’t think there’s any chance of survival, and yet instead of begging and pleading for forgiveness, for mercy, she doesn’t hesitate to make matters even worse for herself. She is literally throwing her life away just so she can be there for him in his final moments.

And then, of course, there’s this:

Do I even need to say anything here?

Yoruichi was a woman who had everything: beauty, wealth, status, respect, power, a family, friends, apprentices, and she left it all behind without a moment’s hesitation, when she didn’t even have to.

Both these women seem to struggle with expressing affection at times, but their actions always speak louder than words.  And when it comes to giving their men a swift kick up the ass when they desperately need it, they don’t hesitate even for a second:

4. Bonus: Design

It’s a well-known fact that Kubo’s original concept art for Bleach (then ‘Snipe’) had Ichigo in glasses, with black hair, but he famously changed the design specifically so it would match Rukia’s:

“Before the story was decided a Shingami uniform popped up into my mind. Unlike the design we have now it was like a uniform from Catholic school where they wore a black jacket over a white blouse with a black bowtie… and they carried a huge scissors. I thought that was what Shinigami was like. After that, to match Rukia’s design I changed Ichigo’s character design. Like Rukia had black hair so it’s best if Ichigo didn’t have black hair.”  

– Tite Kubo

And I just… I live for this kind of crap in fiction, because when it’s applied to a pair that already works well on so many different levels, it becomes the icing on the cake:

THEY LOOK SO DAMN GOOD TOGETHER.  

I love that they’re opposites in many ways, but still similar in plenty of others.  There’s always a great deal of love for pairs that are completely opposite, but from personal experience, these kinds of relationships aren’t built to last.  Give me pairs that complement each other, not pairs that are always in disagreement.  Pairs that challenge each other, but can still coexist harmoniously.  Ichigo and Rukia have their moments of tension, there’s spark, there’s passion, but they’re on the same wavelength where it counts.

And I can’t help but feel this also applies to Kisuke and Yoruichi to a T.

Kubo never made a similar declaration about Kisuke and Yoruichi’s design, but looking at this panel*** makes me think that he applied the same design philosophy here as well.

Black hair, fair hair; dark skin, pale skin; black uniform with white obi, white uniform with black obi; black turtleneck, white undershirt.

Even in their color versions, they are created to look harmonious: the pale yellow of Kisuke’s hair is complementary (i.e. opposite on the color wheel) to the purple undertones in Yoruichi’s; her golden eyes are similarly complementary to his bluish grey eyes; green, purple and orange form a color triad:

Yoruichi shows up early enough in the manga (albeit in her cat form) to make me think that Kubo conceived of Kisuke and Yoruichi as a pair from the beginning.  They were designed to look good together, and they do.  

*** Not to mention that in the manga, this panel is framed in black, making it a memory.  And since it’s Yoruichi speaking, this is her memory.  Notice how Kisuke looks on ahead, looking happy and lively, while Yoruichi is the one who’s looking at him, showcasing a gentle, affectionate smile we’ve never seen before or since in the manga.  

She’s always been a happy, laid-back person, but expressions of open, genuine affection are extremely rare from her, and the fact that she looks at him with such pride, smiles at him so softly, is really all the proof I need, tbh.