#the Valerie scale

[valerieismss]

Revamping the Valerie scale! It’s split into “10s” and “7s,” where “10s” are categories that i’m ideally at 10 with, and “7s” are categories where ideally I’m at a 7, because a 10 would be venturing into manic territory. Here we are:

10s:

Friendship (am i satisfied with my friendships? Or am i really lonely?)

Hopeful Outlook (am i feeling fulfilled or am i becoming depressed with a bleak outlook?)

Moral Satisfaction (do i feel like i am being treated fairly? Can’t even address the world here)

Clear conscience (am i ruminating like crazy over guilt or do i feel fine with myself?)

Tidiness (is my room clean?)

Zen (am i irritable and overstimulated or am I totally zen and unaffected?)

Cleanliness (Do i feel filthy? Did i just step out of an everything shower?)

7s:

Egoism (am i approaching grandiosity or do i hate myself intensely?)

Physical energy (am i about to pass out or am i zooming around everywhere?)

Mental energy (can I not think or am i about to explode with ideas?)

Ambition (do i want to become a neet or am i gonna piss on the moon?)

Notation is similar. [ 10 | blah blah blah ] you get the point

[thewindbandit]

The silliest skykids :]

Cranked these out with @awkwardpossum0

we r winning

Close-ups under the cut

[kitsunabi]

*xilonen onscreen in trailer*

Mom: oh, she’s Nice

Me: RIGHT?!?

[sanchoyo]

I’ve always been interested in things like choose your own adventure stories or when community polls choose what happens in a story. Tbh I would love to write one (I know there’s a way to do this on ao3, the choose your own adventure part not the poll one as far as I’m aware) it’s just a matter of 1. Making time to do it 2. Deciding what story/fandom to write it for 🤨

[autism69]

ngl the name maximillian goes hard

[jinjeriffic]

DCxDP - Death and Taxes

Broke college student but also the Ghost King Danny looking at the stack of complaint forms in his inbox about people cheating death. In a stroke of sleep deprived inspiration, he issues a royal decree that anyone who has properly died before (I.e biologically dead, not just clinically dead) is still a citizen of the Infinite Realms, even if they were resurrected. And have to pay income tax to the Crown.

He establishes the Infinite Realms Revenue Service, recruits the ghosts of some meticulous accountants and sends them after all the assholes who think they can escape Death and Taxes. Starting with the worst offenders (ie those who have escaped death the longest/most often). Your tax bracket scales with how many times you died.

Just picture Ra's al-Ghul, in the middle of giving some speech to his assassin cult when this Phil Coulson looking ghost dude shows up behind him to "discuss the back taxes he owes to the Crown".

Every magic user worth their salt is suddenly swamped with messages from panicked villains and heroes who are trying to figure out wtf is going on and how to get out of this. Constantine is sweating bullets.

Danny hires Valerie to do mortal side "casework", because a, she's just as saddled with student debt as he is b, has worked fast food and knows how to handle asshole customers c, doesn't take shit from anybody.

Imagine Vandal Savage, Felix Faust and Red Hood awkwardly sitting in a waiting room with a stack of documents each, ready for their number to be called so they can dispute their claims. Being called in and utterly flummoxed at the unflappable, bored young woman at the desk who somehow has files on everything about you - birth record, death record(s), who you killed and when records... now declare your income as a crime lord/dictator/sorcerer, sir.

Meanwhile Danny is planning on how he can allocate the taxes to open a soup kitchen for Lunch Lady to work at and similar shit. He is determined to be a good king, dammit!

[puppetmaster13u]

Idk I just had the intrusive idea of the JL or some hero investigating the GIW or some other group with suspicions of them keeping merfolk or similar what with the giant tanks and what's shown in their paper trails over the years.

Only for Big Ass realms naga to swim by the observation window in the water.

From top to bottom, left to right: Valerie, Sam, Tucker, Jazz, Danny, Ellie & Dan

Like I am saying 30ft (9.1m) at the least from head to tail, probably bigger in giant rooms. And like, visibly has been there for a while. Like the GIW have been studying them as the only available specimens after they hypothetically destroyed the portals.

The GIW is the ghost investigation ward after all, not extermination. Though that doesn't mean they're exactly treated the best either- more akin to something like a snake or crow, like semi-intelligent animals like dolphins, chained to make taking samples & dragging them from the ecto-infused waters easier.

And maybe they're a little feral, muzzles on save for feedings preventing them from talking, if they even remember how to make noises that aren't in the words of the Zone anymore.

Maybe they've convinced themselves that it could be worse, they could've been killed like Vlad, like an animal that had bit too much, over and over. Maybe they've convinced themselves that this isn't so bad, even if they're treated less than human, even if they've not seen the sun for who knows how long now.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Design Thoughts?

-Metal Core Valerie, her scales are literally made from it, in blacks and reds like molten gemstones. Her scales are sharp too, designed for easily cutting through stone. Lots of spikes that glow when channeling energy.

-Plant Core Sam, scales designed for plant seeds to catch hold and take root not unlike a sloth's fur, hiding the sharp thorn-like ones lining her backside. Also, acid. Blacks, greens, and flashes of bright purples & greens that hint at the poisonous nature

-Storm Core Tucker, very thick scales designed for going through the sand with side spikes that help channel electricity. Has both a rattle and a pair of stingers that could hypothetically 'plug in' to things as well. Some of the most bioluminescence of the group.

-Ocean Core Jazz, she is the most aquatically designed out of all of them, with lures all across her body that mimics the lights reflecting off water, tricking the mind from noticing her. Large carp-like scales and several rows of teeth. Lots of blues in coloration with hints of oranges & yellows like a sunrise at the sea

-Space Core Danny, with large amounts of spikes and 'vents' that cover him in an aurora if he were free. Spikes with their own miniature gravity forces, twisting the area around him as he moves. Black iridescence & swirling white-blue patterns like galaxies are painted across his body

-Moon Core Ellie, covered in fine needle-esque scales not unlike how actual moondust is. Very rough like sandpaper and a fin that mimics the tail of a comet tinted ecto-green. Mostly monotone colors otherwise.

-Sun Core Jordan, with similar vents to Danny but with flames and plasma. Thick fur at the end of his tail not unlike how Vlad's was, with thick scales that allow for swimming through molten material that could melt anything and anyone else. Blacks, whites, blues, almost like white-hot coals

[currentfandomkick]

Mer!Danny won the poll. And tumblr keeps eating my intros.enjoy!

Origin of Mer!Danny

Danny wasn’t sure when he started hiding in the aquarium as Phantom, but it happened. Hey knew he had a bad habit of checking that the bubblers and air filters for the animals were working.

The sharks… spooked him at first. Mostly the big ones. The rays are sea pancakes he coos at. But the big sharks? The ones that look like sharks send something in the back of his mind off.

The day he was flung into a tank as Phantom he froze.

This annoyingly strong ecto-octopus showed up and kept going after him as Fenton and Phantom. And responded to Taco, Tapa, and Toby. So name probably stars with a T and its intent on keeping him.

At least Skulker stays in the thermos.

Valerie was handling it her way, and he hated that it calmed him down.

Danny just. Wanted a break from it.

And now the stupid sharks were swimming to him and. And.

He blacked out a bit.

He was tiny.

The shark was huge.

The sharks were around him and… brushed against him for the most part.

He was pushed to tiny cave by one’s fin and just… stayed there.

Evil Taco can’t hurt him here.

Danny wiggled at that. He was tiny. And his tail was… different? He blinked slowly at it. The pattern reminded him of drum fish and scorpion, but looked more like a koi fish with the fancy fins and shape.

He managed to look at his hands and oh. He has black scales there too. And some flecks of green. A bit(?) of his sides had a slip of white and then it was just his skin.

He. He needs a nap.

Danny passes out in the little cave the sharks gave him.

Taglist will be on master post just so i don’t have to scroll on all the parts. Masterpost should be tagged as such, and i’ll link it here

[littlesmartart]

DRAWTOBER #6 - (you know what they say) about old habits by Eglantine

Afterwards, Jin Guangyao returns home to say goodbye. At the same time, Lan Xichen tries to take a step forward.

I am a really big fan of fics that may not necessarily be hugely long, but which create just a very palpable atmosphere and manage to do excellent world building without swamping the reader with detail - and this fic is one of those. anyone who knows my art will know that I'm not a big background person but I got this idea in my head that I wanted to make this moment like that scene in Pride and Predjudice where everyone in the room around them just disappears as they look at each other so BACKGROUNDS IT WAS. I based the Golden Scale bar on Valerie in New York, because all the gold and yellow and the subtle flower motifs just seemed right.

so yeah - I should say more, but honestly, saying "this fic was so good I voluntarily drew extensive backgrounds just to properly illustrate a scene from it" should be enough of a recommendation on its own.

[valerieismss]

Mental Energy: 5

Physical Energy: 10

Mind darkness (the scale should be 0 is im great and 100 is damn girl): 55

Clarity: 10

Egoism: 30

Ambition: 40

Cleanliness: 35

Loneliness: 60

Messiness: 30

Irritability: 60

Moral indignation: 60

(I might as well do 0-20 scales if I’m doing this by fives. Maybe even 0-10. Um. I think I could organize this better.)

Thinking about a quantitative scale to describe how I’m feeling at any given moment…played needy streamer overload recently and I liked the meters. Here is my idea

Mental energy: well how in the mood am I for thinking. 0 meaning not at all and 100 meaning omg yes I’m going crazy with thoughts my head is exploding. Ideally I’m at 80

Physical energy: self explanatory how tired am I physically. 0 I’m dead 100 I’m bursting with energy. Ideally I’m at 80

Mind darkness: how bleak is my current outlook…how depressed am I, how much is my mental illness affecting me. 0 is like get me to a hospital and 100 is like damn I’m so fine right now

Clarity: is my mind super scattered? 0 is yes I have too many racing thoughts 100 is wow I am at nirvana tbh.

Egoism: self image. 0 is Jesus Christ I hate myself (emo thoughts…) and 100 is wow I am the best person alive I can do anything. Ideally I’m at 75

Ambition: how much do I want to do my goals and such. 0 is fuck this shit what am I even doing 100 is I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I WILL DO. Ideally I’m at 80

Cleanliness: How dirty do I feel. 100 is wow I’m squeaky clean! 0 is I’m rotting

Loneliness: Um how lonely am I. 0 is wow I’m surrounded by friends 100 is I Have No One.

Messiness: how messy is my room/space. 0 is squeaky clean 100 is garbage dumpster

Irritability: how irritated am I…0 is wow I am so fine and 100 is I AM SO DAMN OVERSTIMULATED!!!!!

Moral indignation: well. How do I feel about things. 0 is no moral and righteous anger in my personal life (I am always angry about the state of the world) and 100 is Jesus Christ going on monologues

If I think of more I’ll add it. I think this is good

[ultravi0lence14]

Witchy Woo

sam winchester x witch!reader

2k | fluff, slight angst, fem pronouns

summary: calling on their witch friend to help with a case, sam might get a lot more than he bargained for when he fears she’s gotten hurt.

warnings: choking, moderate level of violence

your relationship with the winchesters had started rocky, to say it lightly.

you were a witch, born in a long lineage of wiccan’s who used their powers for evil, subsequently getting killed by hunters in the process. you, on the other hand, weren’t like that. your mom tried to get you to see the family craft, to see what your legacy was, but you just couldn’t.

there was already enough bad in the world, why be one of the people enabling it when you could help do good and get rid of it?

at first, the winchesters didn’t see that so easily. they were raised on the pretences that if something was of supernatural being, then you kill it. so when they showed up in your home town investigating a case, you were the first suspect on their list.

the two men came barging into your home, spewing non sense about how you were hexing town residents and that they had the bullets to end your magical killing spree. you were confused, as you would never kill people and actually were great friends with some of victims found dead by a witches hand.

after semi convincing them that you were good, you helped the winchester boys track down the real culprit — with a lot of grumbling from dean in the process. turns out, it was valerie edmonds. the middle aged divorcee who lived down the street from your house. if you were being honest, you were quite surprised she was a witch, for she never gave you that vibe in the slightest.

since then, the winchester’s have called you if they needed a specific type of magical help on a case. it took a lot of time and work for them to fully grasp that you meant no harm. but when it stuck, you were practically apart of the team.

now, as you drove into the parking lot of some dingy motel, trying to spot out the winchester’s room number, you think back onto how you guys met. how everything that has happened since then has felt so surreal to you.

you helped people in your town, but never on a bigger scale like sam and dean did. it felt nice, finally being able to feel like you are really making a difference in the world.

barley lifting your hand from knocking on the wooden door, the hinges creaked as non other than dean winchester swung it open, giving you a tight lipped smile as he let you into the motel room. sam was sat at a small wooden table, hunched over with his eyes glued to his computer screen, reading some article he found on this cases lore.

you were slightly new to what a hunter’s day to day life was, for you had only met the winchester boys shy of a year ago. you’d assume, the half eaten pizza boxes and multiple beer bottles littered on the floor was an accustom to the lifestyle

those weren’t your only thoughts as you stepped through the threshold. your eyes couldn’t help but latch onto sam’s hunched figure, face drawn into concentration as he searched and searched for anything on this vengeful spirit they were after.

ever since you had gotten slightly acquainted with the two, you couldn’t help but harbour a slight crush towards the younger of the brothers. he was so soft spoken, sweet in how he treated victims families or anyone in general. how could you not fall in love with him?

the bed springs squeaked as you sat on mattress, dean moving to sit at the table with sam. as you sat your bag beside you, dean broke the somewhat awkward silence in the room. “let’s just cut to the chase already. Y/N, we need your witchy ass for this case.” sam finally looked up from his computer, turning your way and smiling at your form, making a light blush dust your cheeks as you smiled back.

“what do you need help with? is there any spell or ingredients i need to look for?” the look on dean’s face was juxtaposing what you expected his reaction to be. he looked almost guilty, like what he was about to say was not going to be something you’d like.

scratching the back of his neck, dean opened up about what plan he had already devised. “well, it looks like the spirit we are hunting is going after witches. so i thought that maybe you, i don’t know, lure it out?” your face was passive, not really knowing what to think. dean didn’t specify what you would be doing this certain hunt. but to his knowledge, you could easily hold yourself against an angry ghost, so you were trying to give him the benefit of the doubt.

sam, on the other hand, was not having a second of what his brother was suggesting.

“no,” he stated, shutting his laptop almost to make a point. “absolutely not. we are not putting her in danger.” his eyes kept glancing back to you, almost as if the mere mention of you luring out the ghost was getting you killed.

standing from the bed, you walked over to sam and put your hand on his shoulder, getting him to turn his head and stare up at you with the widest eyes you’ve ever seen. if you were being honest, you almost gave in and agreed with sam right then and there.

but you held your ground, smiling at him as dean looked incredulously between you two. “sam,” you started. “i will be fine. i have handled worse, and you and dean will be there if something goes wrong.” this made him relax slightly, looking over to his brother before grabbing your hand on his shoulder and squeezing it.

“that’s settled.” said dean, getting up from the chair and moving towards his duffle bag. “we leave for the club this ghost hunts at in fifteen.”

walking towards your bag, you turned to dean with your hands on shoulders. “one thing though. you two aren’t putting me in some shitty ideal of what clothes witches wear. got it?”

“i can’t believe we agreed to let you wear those poser clothes.” dean grumbled, in the drivers seat of baby as you got ready to go into the bar. “this ghost will never believe your a witch in that.” his comment made you laugh, stopping halfway out the car as you turned your body to look at him. “are you forgetting dean that i am the only witch here? i think i would know what the supposed attire is.”

dean huffed as you got out of the impala, giving yourself a once over in your mid length, cloth dress. waving goodbye to the boys as your brown boots shuffled against the gravel of the parking lot. the white of your dress reflecting the sun as sam watched the bar door shut behind you.

he was worried, to put it lightly. he knew you could handle yourself but he never liked you putting yourself in imminent danger. his thoughts were stopped as he looked over to dean, who was giving sam a certain look that had the younger winchester reeling back in confusion.

sighing to himself, dean leaned his arm on the window and looked over at his brother. “dude, she’ll be fine. you are just worried cause you’ve got a fat crush on her.” the shock in sam’s face was enough to make dean laugh, putting the car in drive so that him and sam could go and find the cemetery where the spirit was buried.

“i do not have a crush on her!” sam sounded so exasperated, that an actual bark of laughter left dean. making the older winchester shake his head as he turned out of the parking lot. “whatever you say, sammy.”

on your end of things, you had sat yourself at the bar top, remembering how sam said that the ghost usually strikes after the victim had a couple of drinks in their system. you didn’t want to drink too much, for being tipsy wouldn’t help with stopping the ghost. so you resulted to one margarita, nursing a cup of coke for the rest of the night.

when you got a text from dean on the go ahead, you got up from the stool, paying your tab as you inconspicuously made your way to the alley behind the bar, pacing back and forth as you waited for the ghost to appear.

as you started losing hope in this plan, a force from behind you grabbed your arm and threw you into the nearest wall. groaning on the impact, you looked up to see a ghastly looking woman, ripped dress blowing behind her as she snarled in your direction.

she disappeared to then only reappear right in front of you, grabbing your neck and lifting you against the wall. you struggled to breathe as you waited for the boys to burn her bones. but that didn’t come as fast as you hoped. you were starting to lose consciousness, scratching at the ghosts arms and wishing you brought some iron with you.

a futile attempt to mumble out a spell was crushed as the ghost squeezed tighter, cutting off your airways and making it almost impossible for you to speak.

with your last shreds of consciousness dangling in your hands, you heard a loud shriek as the ghost let go of you, dropping you to the ground and erupting in flames, disappearing forever.

swallowing in deep gasps of air, you got up from the ground and steadied yourself against the wall. slowly walking to where the parking lot was and waiting on the side of the road for dean and sam to pull up in the impala.

when you heard the faint rumble of the comforting car, you looked up to see sam jump out of the passenger seat before dean could even throw it into park. the younger winchester ran over to you, grabbing your arms and inspecting his eyes up and down your frame, making sure you were okay.

“sam, i’m fine.” you laughed as he worriedly brushed some mud off the front of your dress. that only caused him to look up and gasp slightly, bringing his hands to the side of your neck as he turned your head back and forth.

“oh baby, your neck. it’s all bruised.” you hadn’t even looked at the aftermath of the ghosts firm grip on your neck, now not wanting to as the sorrow in sam’s eyes from the mere sight of it made your heart drop.

all you could do was shake your head, holding onto sam’s forearms with your own hands. “i’m fine, sammy. i’m alive, the ghost is gone.” but that didn’t seem to sooth his freaked expression, only being able to hear his quick inhales of breath and the wind blowing around you.

gulping in some air, sam shook his head, speaking his next words in one breath. “i was so scared, i can’t lose you.” sam had barley finished his sentence before his lips crushed to yours, moving his one hand to cup your face and the other to wrap around your waist.

you gasped into his mouth, hands going to the back of his head to grab onto the tuffs of hair at the back of his neck. he was pulling you impossibly closer, almost as if he could mold your body’s together and never let you go.

pulling away, your hands went to the front of his brown carharrt jacket, looking into his eyes with such intensity that a normal person would be inclined to look away. but not sam, he could stare into your eyes forever.

breathing in deeply, sam leaned his face closer to yours. “i told myself if you were okay that i wouldn’t wait anymore. i can’t go another day without being with you, i just can’t.” his words sent tears to your eyes, reaching up so you could properly hug him.

his arms went around your waist, and everything just felt better. sam was yours, and you were his, and everything just felt like it should be. as sam pulled away, he planted a firm kiss on your cheek, grabbing your hand and leading you towards the impala. “cmon, my love, dean’s probably getting impatient.”

watching the two of you walk hand in hand, dean just chuckled to himself, turning so he could throw the car out of park. “fucking finally.”

**can’t lie, i wrote most of this either in class or munching on a rice bowl

[miss-squishy]

Can you draw Valerie standing on scales to check her weight, only for her belly to block her view of the numbers?

I sure can

[demonic0angel]

DP Headcanons

Just some headcanons I have about DP and its characters

1) Jazz had a lot of extracurricular activities in high school and was even cheerleader captain for a short period of time. She’s extra and a perfectionist, so she was also valedictorian, class President, and prom Queen.

2) Dani was trained to be an assassin. Vlad’s training and her unstable composition meant that she fights quick, fast, and dirty.

3) Jazz is considered a master of all weapons, particularly long distance weapons, but her hand-to-hand is the weakest in the team. She’s long limbed and very tall, so she doesn’t like moving around too much, which means she relies more on weapons. I think she’d also have weak bones (which is true for tall people), so she probably also likes fighting with melee weapons for that reason too.

4) Danny is a master at imitation. His ability to use the ghostly wail means that his voice adapted to imitate others’ voices too. I think it would also be cool if he had an ability to change his appearance like Amorpho, where he can imitate people who have died, usually as psychological attacks.

5) Danny having his ghostly wail also means he can sing really well.

6) Danny was too young to be the Ghost King when he was 14, so Jazz was expected to be the Queen Regent until he turned 16. However, he asked her to continue being regent until he was 18, so she stayed for 4 years. In that time, she completely reformed the laws and rules of the Ghost Zone until it was extremely organized (but unfortunately also rather totalitarian. Thankfully, Danny fixed that very quick but still maintained a lot of the laws she created.)

7) Both Dan and Dani like to be called “Danny/Dani”, but when around Danny, they stick to Dan and Ellie. This is bc I don’t believe they’d just change their names so easily when they grew up this way and in some ways, they are literally Danny, so I don’t believe they’d like changing their name, but they are aware that Danny is the OG so they change their names when he’s around.

8) Danny is the most well-rounded fighter of the group and as he grew older, his powers and strength grew exponentially. His identity as both human and ghost meant that he rules over all aspects of death and life. He gets new and random powers almost every day and they never stop growing.

9) In terms of strength, Sam is stronger than Tucker. The power scale in my imagination looks like this: Danny > Dan > Sam >=Tucker = Dani > Jazz > Valerie. This doesn’t mean that the people on the bottom are the weakest, it’s just according to raw strength and my ideas of Danny’s royal court.

10) Danny has no specific queen/consort but only bc Sam, Tucker, and Valerie are chasing off anybody else. I can’t decide if he’s specifically polyam or not, but I think the relationship between all 4 of them is definitely complex and hard to understand, even for them.

[space-dreams-world]

Two Graysons for one:

So we all know that Dick Grayson is supposed to become the greatest Talon of the Court of Owls: The Gray Son, Dick wasn't Mary and John's first child.

Enter Daphne Mary Grayson (Danny Fenton) the firstborn Grayson who dissapeared during Haley's tour in Europe.

The European Court of owls (Ecoo) were impatient for their Gray son and couldn't wait until Haley's arrived in Gotham. So they end up kidnapping Daphne, taken to become the possible Gray son, unaware Mary Grayson was pregnant with Dick at the time. Daphne does get small doses of electrum, but the Ecoo are waiting until she is older to fully convert her in a Talon for the court. During one of the plots to assainate an wealthy business person, an earthquake occurs and Daphne, injured ends up falling through a crevasse that connect to a cave system that directly leads to an ectoplasm pool that she accidently falls in.

Now this where things get tricky. Dick life still plays out the same way (Bruce bait, Robin, Nightwing,etc...) As Nightwing, Dick gets into contact with a magical-infused virus that could very well kill him unless he gets the blood of biological family member (John and Mary are dead, William Cobb has more electrum than blood in him and they cannot synthetisize the virus out of his blood to try put his blood back in him) this looks like it could be the very end of Dick Grayson. Everyone in the Family decides to air out their grievances to their big brother, the bird who brought all of them together. It's also worth mentioning that someone has been murdering influential people that are part of the Court around the world but has started to make their way towards Gotham warning them that their time is up.

Now, last time with Daphne, she fallen in an ectoplasm pool. What we find out is that after that fall, she appears in the states (Meddling Clockwork) unaware how they got there. Daphne gets spotted by Jazz Fenton and decides to be her big sister unaware that Daphne is somewhat disoriented from the ectoplasm and electrum sort of melding together giving Daphne some enhanced abilities like, slight healing, speed and able to go longer without proper sustenance. Daphne's electrum is barely visible around her heart and her eyes are blue with a ring of amber or gold with flecks of green ectoplasm.

The Drs. Fenton decide to "adopt" Daphne to please their daughter, and Daphne becomes Danny Janus Fenton. Canon episodes happen, except I want to say that Phantom Planet may have caused the Metahuman appearance. Danny's parents, while not to hate him anymore , can not get over their guilt that their passion killed their child. Danny is still close to Jazz, Tucker, Dani (Ellie and the clones), Valerie and Wes, surprisingly. Danny and Sam sort of split because Sam could understand that Danny was a murderer and Danny thought that Sam reminded them too much of their court days.

Danny would be genderfluid ( somedays it's Danny, others it's Daphne) since Danny always felt she lacked some control over her life.

Now, how do the Graysons meet? Two days before Dick possibly dies, someone is at the door. Alfred or possibly Tim opens it to inform them that they werent taking visitors before being shocked as the person at the door looks almost exactly like Dick (Tim would know as he has seen John and Mary Grayson before their demise) Danny goes to say that they are here to help their Baby brother as it was announced publicly that Dick Grayson has caught something terrible and was possibly on their last legs. Tim and the rest of the family want to get the validity that this is an actual relative of Dick and not some fake. Danny's D.N.A is uncorrupted enough that they can 100% tell that Danny is actually related to Dick on a much closer scale than they realize like an uncle or second-cousin, and they don't want to risk it. And if it didn't work, Danny wanted to see her baby brother alive before he died.

[preemshots]

oc smash or pass

tagged by @theloverstemperance tagging ANYONE who wants to do this but hasn't yet. please tag me as the person who tagged you so i can read about your OC :D rules: pretty self explanatory. include physical descriptions or pics, and propaganda. the “other” label can be used for “sexuality misalignment” (ie: oc is femme and you’re gay, vice versa or you aren’t into smashing but a specific thing you wanna do with them like perhaps hug or study them under a microscope idc).

BASICS

Full Name: NV ("nut v". i never picked a real full name, but it's also not valerie or vincent lmao) Nickname: V Age: 27 in 2077 Height: 5'10" Eyes: Black Kiroshi "The Oracle" with red emissive pupil UI Gender: nonbinary Pronouns: they/she; masc>femme nouns Sexuality: yeah. (bi/pan/queer/poly all of the above)

PROS

obvious: NV is outwardly reserved and focused most of the time; brow furrowed, slight resting grump face. but they're also terrible at hiding what they're feeling and it's easy to break this focus. if they like you, they'll react strongly to you--usually with snark, bold suggestions, or by getting flustered.

dependable sucker: prefers to serve others before self, and once making a choice follows through with it (even if they know they'll regret it or have been deceived).

observant: pays attention to every detail of everything they can, will randomly give you the most thoughtful gift or something you mentioned needing/wanting but forgot about.

enduring: can tolerate a lot--physically, mentally, emotionally, even without certainty of reward at the end.

switch: their dynamic depends on the person, but generally are top-leaning. they are just as eager to struggle for dominance as they are to be put in their place.

work hard, play hard mentality: they overwork to justify seeking pleasure and good times, believing strongly in indulgent treats and blowing off steam--and most importantly, treating others.

1TB SDD memory: their sense of humanity is extremely dependent upon their connections with others above all else, whether close/personal, casual/transactional, or human/AI. they will not forget you.

cybernetically enhanced: stronger than average, but they're made of mostly doll parts, so you know. pleasure enhancements are included >:3

CONS

thrill seeker: they constantly want to test the limits of their cybernetic body in ridiculous ways--whether with new, dangerous drugs, by jumping off buildings in corpo plaza, or watching hacked BDs. their cybernetics aren't even particularly strong; they deliberately choose cheap/basic models and are more than willing to blow money on repairs/replacement parts.

rat: refuses to buy food unless it's for others. they'll openly steal food off tables as they pass by random people dining on the street to get the very limited caloric intake they need. if that fails, they'll even eat something off the ground if it doesn't look too gross.

deeply unwell: it's not just the creepy look of the kiroshis; years of cybernetic replacements have eroded NV's sense of humanity. while there's no risk of a full blown cyberpsychotic breakdown, a sort of gnawing omnipresent craving for violence lives inside them, something they consistently indulge in on a small scale via work when the opportunity presents itself. though it's not enough to motivate their decisions, they do enjoy the excuse.

the fool: their sense of identity is largely defined by choice and the guilt that follows. nudging them into misguided choices is not particularly difficult.

indifferent reaper: they are acutely aware of the nature of merc work, how often they're required to pass judgement on behalf of others whom they may not agree with, as well as how often they are given the unique opportunity to pass life-or-death judgement themselves. but even when executing something they feel is right, they don't really believe in greater moral justice, only luck and bad luck.

feral: the relic and johnny's influence prevent further decay of their humanity but also exacerbate a tendency to overindulge in all their vices. they WILL get themselves into trouble.

narrow viewpoint: particularly focused on individual survival, they don't often examine the larger picture (of corps, society, long-term manipulation, etc.)

EXTRAS

former nomad who loves cars and driving around. they are either the best driver (on the clock) or the scariest (off the clock the thrill seeking mentality kicks in, no thoughts head empty, my insurance will cover this, etc.)

utility netrunner: very skilled but only uses it for doing spooky shit, never direct attacks.

throwing knife user. likes to pounce on their prey and abuse finishers.

also a failed arasaka corpo who loves bullying other corpos but is absolutely embarassed about being a failed corpo. it is not hard to see why they were bad at it.

smoker.

eager to follow a leader but generally suspicious of organized groups that recruit. indiscriminately hazes every ganger in night city, will beat their asses for fun and then sell their guns back to them

more propaganda under the cut (warning for slight spice 🌶)

[mariacallous]

More than a decade since Russian lawmakers banned "LGBTQ+ propaganda," the Kremlin's self-declared crusade for "traditional values" has found a new target — Russians who don't want children.

On Nov. 12, the Russian State Duma voted to outlaw the support and promotion of "childfree propaganda," effectively imposing fines on those who publicly express such views.

Once approved by the upper house of the country's parliament and signed into force by Russian President Vladimir Putin, individuals can be fined around $4,000; state officials will see a $8,000 fine, while the fine for businesses can hit up to around $50,000 and get the company's license revoked for 90 days.

Being vague in its interpretation, the legislation could be used to target advertising or selling of contraceptives and further restrict abortion rights. A last minute exception was made in the law for those who have chosen to remain celebate for religious reasons, such as monks, at the request of the Russian Orthodox Church.

The term "childfree" describes adults who have consciously decided not to have children, rather than those who may not be able to give birth. While it first hit the feminist mainstream in the 1970s, interest in the term has grown in recent years as more young women discuss their own complex decisions on child-rearing online.

That, according to Russian officials, is a threat — both to Russia's social fabric and its already plummeting birth rate. In June 2024, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Irina Yarovaya equated being childfree with a weapon "aimed at Russia's younger generations."

"When we talk about protecting life, law enforcement officers know what to do. If you have a person with a weapon in their hands, they act as decisively as possible," she told visitors at the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum. "So how should we act here when we are also dealing with weapons that are aimed at younger generations?"

On the surface, the law may seem superfluous. There is no wave of childfree activism in Russia and no organizations advocating for the rights of adults without children. The law is also unlikely to affect Russia's sluggish demographics: couples who wish to have children often have more pressing concerns, such as the country's uncertain economic and political scene.

"The law is striking in the sense that it seems so completely unnecessary; it seems like a response to something that doesn't really exist," says Dr. Valerie Sperling, professor of political science at Clark University in Massachusetts.

"For people who want to have children, it's not like a post from someone who says they don't want to have kids, or even a post saying that other people shouldn't have kids, is going to change their mind."

But such laws do have benefits for the Russian government — both at home and on the global stage.

Patriotism and conformity

Russia's declining birth rate has been a key concern for the Kremlin since the 2000s. In many ways, the move to ban "childfree propaganda" is the latest in the long line of pro-natalist policies, which range from the practical — such as providing cash payments to families following their children's birth — to the repressive, such as limiting abortion rights.

Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, however, has sent this long-standing policy into overdrive. State messaging on the importance of childbearing has become increasingly aggressive in recent years, says Sperling. In a speech to mark Women's Day in March 2024, Putin described motherhood as women's greatest gift and a "glorious mission."

A year prior, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Putin and Russian Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights Maria Lvova-Belova, over the deportation of Ukrainian children from Russian occupiead parts of the country.

Putin previously praised Lvova-Belova for her work overseeing the deportation of Ukrainian children, portraying it as a so-called "humanitarian effort" to "protect Russian citizens."

Lvova-Belova claimed that 700,000 Ukrainian children have been brought to Russia since the start of the full-scale invasion.

One factor of the Russian state now going against the local population unwilling to have children is rooted in how society's image of patriotism meets with gender roles.

If men are pushed to show national pride during wartime by enlisting, women are similarly expected to show their devotion by raising children loyal to the state. "The reason that pro-natalism is highlighted during wartime is because women's status as mothers is what lends them their patriotism. Women are supposed to be dedicated to the cause by raising future soldiers and supporting whatever wars the state engages in," Sperling says.

But it also reflects how Russian society has become increasingly repressive. Pro-natalist laws can also be used to punish or pressure those who do not conform to the state's narrow vision of what a family should be. Russian lawyers have already raised concerns that the "childfree propaganda" bill is vaguely worded and could be interpreted to stifle conversations on anything from abortion to birth control.

It could also become an additional legal tool for the Russian security services to punish those who stand against Moscow's invasion of Ukraine — particularly feminist activists who have become a key part of Russia's small anti-war resistance.

"Targeting feminists is one of the presidential administration's main goals, as they know that women's protests are currently the strongest and most powerful force within the country," says feminist activist Ira Heuvelman.

On a practical level, she worries that the law will impede sex education for teenagers, resulting in a rise in unwanted pregnancies and illegal abortions. But she also believes that the law could be used to target any woman without children who is involved in opposition activity.

"Pregnant women or those with children are less likely to have the power to resist (the government), given the many economic and social pressures they face," she says. "They will likely find some high-profile cases and imprison individuals to scare others. Even though "child-free propaganda" only exists in the minds of the presidential administration, they will manage to fabricate cases and bring them to trial, making the process as public as possible."

A global signal

Such laws, however, are not purely domestic tools. As with the ongoing persecution of the LGBTQ+, legislating against "childfree propaganda" is being marketed by the Kremlin as part of a global struggle for socially conservative values.

When discussing the law at the end of September, Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of Russia's lower house of parliament, told journalists that childfree ideology was being promoted by the United States. "Our country is vast and their (U.S.) ideology is dangerous. Under no circumstances should it be allowed to spread," he said.

For the Kremlin, the image of Moscow as a conservative bastion against a degenerating "liberal West" is a vital soft power tool, says Dr. Jenny Mathers, senior lecturer in the International Politics Department at the University of Aberystwyth. It portrays Russia as an ally of countries and leaders that share similarly conservative, often oppressive social tastes.

"There are some key countries, especially in the global south, where this message of 'traditional values' really seems to resonate," says Mathers. "It serves a foreign policy purpose. It's one way of creating a more positive image of Russia in the wider world, at least for some."

Socially conservative rhetoric and policies have helped Russia find common ground with countries with whom it may otherwise have little in common. These emotive topics can also be used to stress resentment towards the West. "They tap into the shared sense of yes, we too are feeling oppressed by the West and their demands that we should give rights to LGBTQ+ people and so on," says Mathers. "It makes some communities in the international arena more sympathetic towards Russia, more willing to listen to what Russia has to say."

Once they have that sympathetic ear, Moscow can also use that opening to gain support for its own goals. The conservative rhetoric to which the "childfree propaganda" bill belongs does not just provide an identity for Russia on the global stage — it is also a platform that can be used and twisted to justify the country's invasion of Ukraine.

Russian officials have repeatedly spoken of the need to "save" Ukraine from liberal Western values by bringing it back under Russian control.

When Putin announced the start of the full-scale invasion in a televised address on Feb. 24, 2022, he decried a West that "sought to destroy our traditional values and force on us their false values … attitudes that are directly leading to degradation and degeneration, because they are contrary to human nature."

Days later, the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, insinuated to worshippers that Russia was protecting Ukraine's Donbas region, consisting of partly occupied Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, from Western governments angry that the region did not want to hold a pride parade.

"It's this idea of Western deviance versus Russian purity and morality," says Sperling.

"The implication is that Russia was obliged to invade Ukraine to prevent the irrational, immoral, perverse Western incursions on Russia that would take place if Ukraine remained an independent state. That is where it all ties together."