#the bats leading theory is that he has been cursed

[yall-batman-fanfic]

Angels and Demons (Halloween Special) Part 3/3:  Justice League Dark x Magician!Reader

Synopsis: They were all too late. Mammon has come to earth and the only one who can take out the Prince of Hell is Vivian, and to do that she needs to unlock a power that she's been hiding and a power that even her mother and John fears.

“No…” Bruce fell to his knees as he saw Vivian's lifeless body in the fountain. Her stomach cut open. Entering the bloodied pool, Bruce pulled her into his arms and held her tight. “No, no, no…”

“Bats… I,” Constantine looked away from the sight of her corpse. This is what he was willing to do all those years ago, but as he looked at her now, John couldn't fathom what he was capable of up close. In theory he could – maybe with anyone else he could. But Vivian. He'll admit that during their time together he did care for her, not as much as she did for him but he did. And it was unfair that he never gave her what she only wanted from him.

It took her years to find that with another man. Someone who deserved it more.

“Alfred, send the Mech Suit,” Batman ordered in his comms.

“Sir, the prototype isn't finished yet. It's not safe to use for combat!” Alfred spoke through their comms. 

“I don't care! Send it in!” 

“Batman, don't,” Nightwork spoke in their comms. “This is suicide. Do you really think you can defeat that by punching it?” 

“I don't care,” Batman carried Vivian's body from the pool and placed her on the ground. He covers her up with the cape to hide the body until he returns for her. “That bastard is mine. They killed my wife. My world. And I am not holding back now.”

“I'm with you on this, B,” Jason spoke.

“Jason!” Oracle tried to talk him out of it but Jason was out for blood too. When he came back from the dead, he promised to always protect her but he wasn't there to save her from this.

“So am I, Father,” said Damian. 

“No. All of you stand back. This son of a bitch is mine.”

The pod landed on Lady Gotham's island like a meteor crashing to earth. But this one didn't create a crater, it just crushed the ground and took hold of it as Batman approached the pod and scanned his palm on the biometrics scanner. The machine came to life and transformed into a large mech suit with a pilot's seat in its chest. 

“Are you just going to stand there, Constantine?” Batman said with the suit's comms, giving him a robotic sound.

“I'll make sure to follow your lead. Just clear the path for me, would you?”

Batman said nothing and left the island in the suit, preparing for war. 

Alone on that island, Constantine knelt before Vivian and pulled the cape off her body. He eyed the markings on her side. The tattoos. He cursed. Conjuring the spear to his hands Constantine slashed that side of the tattoo then started carving on the other side of her body as he started the ritual. 

“Shoddy work, Madeline Pryor,” Constantine muttered as he finished. “Let’s hope this works, shall we?”

Standing up, Constantine held his hands over the body and began the incantation. Beneath his hovering hands, Vivian's body began to burn and mend, her bones and flesh knitting back together, the swelling disappearing. 

Vivian gasped and shot up as life came back to her body. She ran her hands through her body, feeling where the knife ripped her open but felt her body whole again. In fact, she felt far better than she felt even before all of this. 

“Welcome back to the living, Vee,” Constantine held out his hand to her.

Taking it, Vivian got up to her feet and asked, “I was dead.”

“You were.”

“But I wasn't in hell? What happened, where's Bruce?”

“I brought you back to life, love. See this,” he pointed to the scratched out tattoo. “That spell doesn't counter bad spirits. It keeps away something more powerful. There's a reason why I did what I did then, and it was the same thing that scared your mother to do that. Your power is not just magic like ours. You have something that exists across universes – the destroyer and creator of all things. A Phoenix. And I was afraid of it too.” John then pointed to her other side where the scars were shaped in runes appeared. “With a new and proper seal, it doesn't keep it locked up. It lets you access it like a door…”

“You did this?” Vivian said in a whisper.

“See it as an apology that's been way overdue, love… Batman's gone to Gotham using a mech suit, and he's probably fighting that bastard who killed you. Wanna go on a test run with your new tricks?”

Vivian looked at where the battle in Gotham commenced. “Just like old times, John?”

John smirked. “Aye, just like old times. But this time, you lead. Give ‘em real hell, Vee.”

Pushing her forearms together, fighting the force that kept it apart, Vivian cast the incantation to break the binding: “Otni eht thgil, I dnammoc eeth!”

Gold flames burst from where she stood and touched the heavens, and before it could clear up, Vivian disappeared from John's side and was flying across Gotham's harbor like a comet. 

~*~

It wasn't the demon he was fighting. 

As he rocketed himself to Gotham, he was met halfway by Superman and the mind-controlled Kryptonian was ripping the suit piece by piece as they fought over Gotham harbor. He didn't want to do it, but Batman was forced to use the Kryptonite he kept in the mech suit to weaken the man and punched him across the face. 

This wasn't the fight he was putting his life on the line for. The fight he had was with that demon who killed his wife. But Superman has done the damage on the suit, the pod was almost ripped open, and since it was a prototype its rockets were failing, and the power was shutting down. 

They were falling from the sky with no hope of a soft landing!

A force pulled Batman and Superman from the great height they were descending from towards land. It felt like gravity was forcing them to land, but before they could crash, the suit and Superman halted in midair. Opening the pod, Batman came face to face with a miracle.

“Hello, my love,” Vivian greeted with her magical energy exhuming around her like flames, making her fiery hair float around, and her eyes shone gold.

“Vivian,” Bruce gasped.

Smiling softly, Vivian placed down the armor and Superman to the ground and helped him out of the suit. She was actually standing there, unharmed, whole, and new. The injuries she got were healed, leaving just scars on her body. Her hair shone like fire, and her clothes changed as well. It was no longer the torn and bloodied ones she had, this time it was made of robes of flames and fashioned to some battle armor that befits a witch.

She took his hand, removing the glove she placed on her cheek, letting him feel the familiar warmth of her magic. But this time it felt warmer and powerful. “Missed me?” She teased and kissed his palm. 

Bruce cupped her face and pressed his forehead on hers. “You were gone.”

“I know.”

“I saw your body…”

“I know, and I'm sorry that you had to go through that again, Bruce,” she kissed his tears away. “But I promise, it will never happen again.”

“Don't leave. It feels like it will be the last if you do,” Batman whispered, holding her tight.

“But I promise you, I won't. And someone has to kick that little fucker's ass.”

Bruce laughed and leaned down to kiss her. He wrapped his arms around her thighs and carried her off the ground, making Vivian laugh in the kiss.

“Oi,” John appeared at the harbor beside Superman who was gaining consciousness. “I brought you back from the dead to deal with that. You can eat each other's faces later, got that, Vee?”

Breaking the kiss, Vivian got down from Bruce's hold and handed him his cape. The cowl fixed to complete the set. 

“Gotta go to work,” she said with a teasing smile. “Before I go…” she held out her palm at Superman's direction and cast the incantation. “That will get the big guy off your back.”

Vivian shot into the sky, with her magical energy, followed by John. Leaving Batman with Superman who was just recovering from the Kryptonite punches.

“Was that…” Superman began.

“Yes.”

Superman took a breath. “Remind me later that the League needs to discuss the amount of power Batman has in his arsenal.”

“She's not part of my arsenal, Clark. She's my wife.”

~*~

“Get Etrigan off the ground,” Vivian told Constantine, which was how he was floating above it all with the demon at his side being held by Zatanna. 

At the very center of it all, Constantine saw the burst of light forming some sort of explosion. Gold flames covered Gotham's streets yet nothing burned. It just removed the dark magic that influenced the people around them. On land, sea, and air. 

The power of the Phoenix, John thought as he watched her cleanse Gotham of Dark Magic in one swoop. Seeing the cleanse was done, he set him and Etrigan down before he, Zatann, and Etrigan joined her at the road. 

“You know, as a mom, I really want to tell his dad about his temper tantrum,” Vivian mused as they watched Mammon summon more of his army.

“Wouldn’t that be interesting? You and Lucifer butting heads in PTA?” Constantine snickered. “Do you think the devil is old-fashioned or does read parenting blogs today and talks about his feelings to the brat?”

“I always thought him to be more of the corporal punishment type of parent. I mean, look at him, the kid's basically screaming for daddy's approval.”

Mammon screeched at their direction and had his hoard of demons attacking. 

The first demon that came at her, Vivian pressed her hand on its chest and blasted heavy flames, turning it to ash, then waved it around to destroy the wave that came at them. 

“I think you got this covered, Vee. Maybe I should just hop into a pub. Any recommendations?” Constantine jokes.

“Take him with you,” Vivian pointed at Gabriel, and the fallen angel was pulled from the ground and found himself kneeling before John. She sent another wave of purifying flames at the legion, leaving Mammon alone and for her trap in a magical circle above which she created to have at least a hundred mile radius, not giving him any chance to flee. She breathed out, and started the incantation.

“I will come back for you, Pryor!” Mammon sneered as his flesh started to burn.

“Who says I'm sending you back?” Vivian called out. “I'm making sure that you never come near me or my family ever again.”

“No!” Mammon ran towards her with his claws about to cut her in half but Vivian held him by his face and restrained the demon.

“I was going to say something witty and badass. But I thought, fuck it,” she said and blasted golden flames at his face, turning the demon to ash. Destroying it completely.

Once the bright flames disappeared, so did Vivian’s Phoenix form, leaving her in her bloodied clothes earlier and a nauseating feeling. She immediately felt someone at her side, and looking up she smiled at the sight of Dick keeping her from falling to the ground. 

“Hi kiddo,” she reached up to him. Dick chuckled and leaned down so she could mess with his hair. “Sorry about movie night.”

“Are you serious right now? You’re more concerned about movie night and not the fact that you just died and came back to life, and burned that demon to ash?” Dick chuckled.

“Priorities,” she shrugged. “Hi, little bird!” She waved weakly at Jason who came down and ran to her side to cover her up with his jacket. “Such a sweet boy, always looking after me,” she teased Jason.

“You scared us earlier, Ma,” Jason chastised her. 

“I know.”

“But that was badass. Saw everything from the building.”

“Where’s Red Robin and Robin?” She asked.

Right on time, Tim and Damian arrived to see how she was. Damian wrapped her in an embrace and listened to her heart. Making sure it was beating and this was her.

“You came back,” Damian said.

Vivian caressed her boys’ cheeks and whispered. “I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”

Getting up with Dick’s help, Vivian walked towards John who still had Gabriel in a binding spell, hanging from a street light. Huffing, Vivian said, “What to do, what to do?”

“Your call, Vee,” Constantine said as he lit a cigarette. “You were the one who was violated by a demon because of this bastard.”

“It seems a little too easy if we just poof him to ash.”

Constantine smirked. “Aye, far too easy. Do you reckon Arkham would take him?”

“Huh, that’s a good idea. I mean, King Tut’s there. I’m sure we can have a delusional angel there too.”

“But before we do,” John cast an incantation, putting a collar around Gabriel. “No way out of that. No divinity, no magic.”

“We’ll take him off your hands,” Wonder Woman appeared with the other members of the Justice League. A warning that they don’t do harm to someone who has already surrendered.

Vivian and John moved aside and let Green Lantern take Gabriel, but before the Lantern could leave, Vivian called for Gabriel and asked, “If it wasn’t Mammon who gave Ritchie the deal nor was Balthazar, who did it? Because you have no power to give them what they really desire.”

John removed the gag around his mouth to let the fallen angel speak. But Gabriel remained silent.

“No point in hiding your benefactor, Gabe,” John said. “It’s over. Out with it.”

Gabriel glared at them. “Something that is way out of your league.”

It wasn’t exactly an answer but it was all they were getting from him. Green Lantern left to take him to whatever prison would keep the immortal.

Before any of the Leaguers could say anything, Batman walked up to Vivian and wrapped her in an embrace, leaving the other members speechless as he held her tight.

“My love,” he whispered.

Vivian smiled in the embrace. “You’re lucky this area is deserted, Bats.”

“I don’t care. I got you back, that’s all that matters now.”

Vivian looked up to him and kissed his lips. “I love you,” she whispered.

The cough broke the couple from their embrace. It was Superman who caught their attention and said, “We’ll start with the clean up here in Gotham. We’ll also encourage the other local governments to send aid to Gotham after tonight.”

“And that’s my cue to leave!” John said. “Oi, Bats, where's the nearest pub that doesn’t sell shitty drinks?”

Batman hummed in annoyance.

“Actually,” Vivian got out of Bruce’s embrace. “I need a drink too. I had a really, really, long day and I just need a pint.”

“You need more than one pint, Vee. You just had a demon crawl out of your body like you were delivering a C-section.”

“Do not ever give me that mental image again,” turning to Bruce, she said and kissed his cheek and said, “I’ll see you at home. Zatanna, come on! We deserve to celebrate! You too, Blood!”

Laughing, Zatanna joined as the two old friends, John and Vivian, walked down the road with Jason Blood coming back from Etrigan. As  they left, John and Vivian started singing some song off tune. Jason was about to join them but Dick grabbed his arm and said, “You’re helping clean up.”

With the magic users heading to the nearest pub they can find, the Justice League were left to work with cleaning and rebuilding the damaged parts of Gotham. 

“So… when are we gonna talk about the Professor’s new magical powers?” Flash asked.

~*~

After the events of the demon prince causing a rampage in Gotham, everything was back to normal with the Justice League and the help of other local governments giving aid to Gotham. Wayne Enterprises too gave their generous aid to those in need of medical care and for those who lost their homes.

In their home, Vivian and Bruce spent their time together after weeks of being swamped with work by gardening. The couple cleaned Helena’s stone and replaced the flowers that were dying with fresh new ones. Joining them in their peaceful time were the boys who took the other parts of the vast space – Jason trimming the hedges, Tim and Dick pulling out weeds, while Damian worked on Alfred’s little vegetable garden, making sure it was well kept. Inside, Alfred prepared their meal once they finished.

“The Justice League had a meeting the other day to finalize some things that have been bothering the other members,” Bruce spoke, breaking their comfortable silence.

“And what is it?” Vivian asked.

“We’ve extended the invitation to Zatanna. She’s agreed to join.”

“That’s nice, Zatanna would fit in. And John?”

“Constantine is still under evaluation.”

Vivian chuckled. “And?”

Bruce paused in his gardening and said, “They also want to extend the invitation to you. After recent events, they believe that it’s for the best that we have the Phoenix’s capabilities with the JLA.”

“The Phoenix. Already got a superhero name, huh?” Vivian teased. “They’re afraid that Batman’s got a world-destroying power up his sleeve now and wants to keep him underwraps by manhandling me? Tell them not to worry. My power is something that I can access if I want to, not something that I can’t control anymore. Thank John for that.”

“I’ll make sure to send him a message. But Vivian, what do you think?”

“What do you think, Bruce?«

"It's not my decision to make, Viv. It's yours."

Vivian leaned in and kissed his lips. "You know exactly what to say... but really, do you want me to join?"

"No, not really,” Bruce held her hand. “Not because I don't want you there or because I don't believe you can handle it but because a selfish part of me wants you to be here. Where you're safe. And even waiting for us to come home. Watching my back. Most of the members of this family already live that life, I would want at least one person who keeps us grounded. To remind us of the life that we are fighting for all this time. To make sure the boys have a life outside this job. For me too."

“Then I won’t join,” Vivian said. “And not just because of your speech, Bruce. But because I’m happy with my life now. I love my job at the university. I love teaching and doing all that research. And, I am getting used to making documentaries too.”

Bruce laughed and pressed his forehead against hers. “I’ll make sure that’s the only thing we show on all the televisions in Wayne Tower’s waiting areas.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” Vivian grinned.

“What can I say? I’m in love with my wife… Thank you, Vivian.”

“What for?”

“For bringing me back from the grave. For giving Bruce Wayne a chance to live a life again.”

“I love you, you know that?”

Bruce got up, bringing Vivian with them, both finished with their work. “I think I know now.”

“What?”

“The protection spell you created for each of us.”

Vivian smiled at him teasingly, “and what is that, my love?”

“You sneaky, witch,” Bruce pressed a kiss on her cheek. “The nickname for the boys. And that song you and Alfred always sing whenever you prepare dinner.”

“And for you?”

“You just said it… boys, finish up! It’s time for lunch,” Bruce led Vivian back to the manor where Alfred waited by the door with Titus barking happily.

After the boys kept the tools in the shed and washed their hands, they joined the couple in the kitchen where Alfred showed them the menu for this afternoon. As they ate their meal, the music played in the background, and for once, they were a normal family spending a normal afternoon together. Happily.

~ Epilogue ~

“Desire, I’m coming to you.”

Dream appeared in the Threshold where Desire keeps the sigils of each one of their siblings, including his own. Sitting there, acting innocently, Desire greeted Dream with a purring hello. But Dream was not there for tricks.

He held his sibling by their throat and made them look at him. “I know it was you who caused the chaos in the Waking World. Learning the desires of the dying mortal, the fallen angel, and the demon. Giving them false promises.”

“I do not know what you talk about, Dream,” said Desire.

“Do not play me a fool, dear sibling. I shall warn you the last time. Leave the Phoenix be,” Dream ordered. “Or you shall answer to Death, Destiny, and myself for your recklessness. Is that clear?”

Desire smiled mockingly. “Yes, I wouldn’t want to cross you again, Dream.”

Satisfied, Dream released his sibling and walked away, but before he left, Desire called out, “She has your eyes, brother.”

Dream halted for a moment and then left the Threshold.

[misty-groves]

Rewind (here we go again) Prologue

Rating : T

Summary: When Ivy Wayne wakes up in her past, she is given the chance to change things for the better. She takes it because she wants to do better this time.

Warnings: Time travel, multiple timelines, cursing,

Other: Ivy Wayne is an oc, Danny Fenton is Damian's twin

Series masterpost

When given another chance, Ivy Wayne takes it with both hands and runs. She's not unhappy with her life, but she could do better if given a re-do, as most people could. Unlike most people, she seems to get a re-do.

-------

Ivy knew this morning she was going to have a weird day. She woke up with one of those premonition headaches that mean trouble.

Then she went and got into a fight all alone, got gassed, and watched the world turn black.

She wakes up at fourteen in her room, both of her baby brothers in her bed. She's smaller than she remembers, less pain than there should be.

Odd.

Danyl is in the middle, Damian on his right. The twins are asleep in her bed, clinging to eachother and her.

They are safe.

And also apparently four.

This is weird. But she can adjust.

She needs a plan. If she can get a message to her family she can get the all out. Maybe she can speak to mother.

At this point, she can't say. But she knows her mother loves them as much as she can.

She knows that the night she faked her brother's death- her mom asked very few questions.

She needs to send them to their own rooms soon. She supposedly "babies" them far more than she's supposed to. But really, children need affection and love.

She takes another minute or so though. She basks in having both of them here again. She enjoys how warm and real they are.

She misses them at this age- after she faked Danyal's death they never saw him again. She's not even sure he got away. But he escaped their grandfather.

She looks to Damian, who has his little fist bunched up in his twins shirt. He has Bruce's nose- from before the many breaks of their father's nose.

Danyal clings to her, his long lashes rest against his cheek. He has freckles that are faint, but they are there all the same. He has a sharper nose than his twin.

She rouses them gently, whispering words of love before she sends them off. She kisses their heads and smiles softly as they sneak out.

Her boys.

Her baby brothers.

She takes a slow breath as she tries to remember what lead up to this.

There had been the morning headache she's learned is really premonition...

And then...

Ivy had been fighting a new villain before she passed out from a new gas, and then she woke up here. She'd watched the world go black- had someone yelled?

She had been alone though.

Things aren't connecting right- but she's unable to deny the warmth and swell in her heart when she sees her baby brothers so young.

She stands, stretching her arms above her head. She's sore- and her back pulls against long, thick scabs.

She wouldn't say she missed this. The whip always leaves such ugly scars.

So far, her working theory is time travel of some sort or perhaps dimension hopping. But so far it looks like she is familiar enough to not be terrifying for her.

She dresses, strapping weapons to herself as easily as she always has. Growing up with the Bat as her father and the being in the leauge has left her fond of many weapons at all times.

She has siblings to protect.

There is a knock at her door, "Ivy?"

Ivy opens the door, finding her mom. She just tilts her head, "Mother."

"Your training has been pushed forward today, join me in the training room in ten minutes."

"Yes, mother."

Talia dosen’t smile, she doesn't frown either. She just turns on her heel, satisfied with the conversation.

Ivy grabs her own katana, and sweeps down the hallway.

She goes to the kitchens to grab a small hunk of cheese and bread, eating quickly. She's always hated fighting hungry.

She makes it to the training room in time, a whole minute to spare even.

It's laughable, how easy she falls into old habits. She's careful to control her movements, maintaining the hesitancy she remembers from before. She had always been so scared to truly hurt those she loves.

She loses, of course she does, but she dosen’t fail. She lasts a goof twenty minutes before she's beaten. And she could probably win with her honest skill but she's not supposed to have that yet.

"You did better than last time." Talia says as she stares down at her daughter, a bright air around her.

"I have been training."

"It shows." Talia almost smiles, lips twitching as she removes her foot from her daughter's chest, sword falling to the side.

Ivy stands, brushing herself off easily. "I am glad it's noticeable."

Talia just stares at her. Something unreadable passes her face, a funny pinch in her elegant brows.

"You improved so much the span of three days, you doubled your standard time."

Ivy tries her best to stifle the urge to preen at that. She instead tries to figure out a better response than 'whoops'.

She stares at her mother, searching the calm face for help. She takes a slow breath, "I have been training hard?"

It was supposed to be a statement, unfortunately it comes out as a question.

"Try again. The truth this time."

Ivy sighs slowly. The truth? She couldn't say for sure what that is, but her best guess is timetravel. Though how she explains that she doesn't know.

Talia just waits.

"I don't know what caused it... but I would bet money I was sent back into time."

"That makes very little sense."

"I don't know what happened, but yesterday I was twenty and in Gotham. Today I'm fourteen and here."

Talia stares at her, looking as though she wonders if her daughter is loosing her mind. Which would be a fair sentiment.

"You're serious."

"Let's go again, I won't hold back."

"You held back?" Talia snorts.

Ivy just raises a brow. She was holding back, even if she's a little weaker now than she remembers she has far better training and instincts drilled into her mind.

Talia lunges and Ivy dodges. This time, it's quicker paced, each moving with grace and speed deadly to others.

Ivy, ducks, weaves, hits, and uses her powers. She sends bolts of her sheild energy with precision. She beats her mother, seven minutes in.

Foot on her mother's chest, sword to the woman's throat, Ivy smiles. "Do you believe me now, mother?

Talia blinks up at her, looking literally and figuratively floored. "That- is new."

Ivy backs up.

"You said you were in Gotham, was the leauge-"

"I left the leauge when you had to stop grandfather."

"Oh?"

"We need to talk later. I need your help, and our intrests align nicely." Ivy says simply, putting her katana away and folding her arms.

"They do?"

"It protects the boys."

"I see." Talia brushes her self off.

Ivy just watches. She has half of several plans. With a little more time, she'll have solid plans. With a little more time, she'll get them all out.

"Perhaps in a few days we can have tea to discuss." Talia offers.

"If you have time, I would love that."

-------

A week passes before Ivy and Talia are able to truly get away far enough to talk. Really talk.

They settle in a secluded part of Talia's wing, tea steaming on the table.

"You're from the future. "

"A version of it. I need your help to straighten things out."

"How?"

"Grandfather will go too far, he gets to the point he wants Danyal dead and you too. He wants to take all weakness from Damian."

"Oh. Is that so?"

"You lost Danyal in my time. I think you know where I'm going with this."

"Would it work?"

"Of course it would. Dad is protective- and I think we both know I will stop at nothing to protect my brothers."

"I'm not sure-"

"You are no coward, mother. You are not weak or stupid. If you do as I suggest you can avoid the danger to your son's, and gain power."

"Are you so sure you would risk staging a coup? You are far improved, but you are still young."

"I will help plan, but any mutiny is your prerogative. But your children will be safer with you in power and them in Gotham."

"I don’t like that idea of you three so far."

"I don't like the idea of being backed into attending Danyal's funeral. Again."

"Azizi." Talia says, "Tell me, does Bruce raise my boys well?"

"Bruce loves his sons. They're better off living with dad full time, but if you take power and initiative he will be happy to co parent."

"And are you okay to go back?"

"Mother, Gotham is my home."

Talia sighs slowly, "Let me think."

"I will."

"You're very brave, my little moon."

Ivy smiles softly, unrestrained as she does. Her voice is soft, "Thank you, mother."

"You know I could inform father about this, your goading and your knowledge. You should know that conspiracy has a heavy price."

"I do."

"And you took the risk."

"It's for my family, I'll take any risk."

"I'll do it. But it will take time."

"Thank you." Ivy says.

She means it too. She'd expected a harder sell.

Talia just watches her, the woman's green eyes, much too like Damian's. She seems to be searching for something- but Ivy dosen’t know what.

-------

Bruce is surprised to get another letter so soon, usually he only gets letters from his daughter every four months. He just got one last week, so the letter is strange.

Dear dad,

I have a lot to explain, first of all you have two sons mother has kept hidden. They are twins, Danyal and Damian.

Second, mother is working on taking control of the leauge. Which is long over due if I do say so myself, and I do.

Thirdly, my brothers and I will be coming home at a date mother provides later. She needs to focus on the takeover and we will be safer at the manor.

Lastly, I miss you and please tell the others I love and miss them. It has been hard to he far away from you. I have had to make changes to survive in the leauge, and sometimes wonder if you could still accept me.

Anyway, I don’t know when I'll be home but I will be. Mom will tell you more. I'm sorry to dump this all on you, but I wanted to prepare you.

The twins are five, and highly trained for their age. They have been trained by the leaige to be heirs for the last three years and are used to a high station.

I have been their gaurd since I got here, and I think you'll love them. They aren't super well socializedbut they are kind.

Damian has green eyes and loves animals. He's a literal genius who picks things very quickly and is very protective of those he loves. He dosen’t trust easily, and he seems to enjoy art when he can do it.

His favorite colors are green and black, he loves swords, and he would love to have a diagram of any animals. If you're setting up his room, he wants his bed to allow him to see all entrances.

Danyal loves the stars, so much that I've taken time to teach him constellations and their stories. He's a little more trusting and a little softer. He has asked to learn more about space, but I think the books at home will help.

His favorite colors are blue and grey, he loves mythology, and would love to have glow in the dark stars. If you're setting up his room, he likes to have a nest of sorts in the closet to feel safe.

They have been raised only in violence, and taught that killing is not only okay but expected. They have killed, but they don't know better. I have done my best but you know as well as I do that nothing I do will stop what they've been taught. So I've taught them not to be cruel with it. Which is not necessarily enough but better than nothing.

I know this is a lot of information and I'm sorry, I also wish I had more. I'll see you as soon as I can, I love you.

Lots of love,

Ivy

Bruce just stares for a moment or two. The words swim in his mind, knowledge almost choking him with the weight of it.

His baby girl is coming home.

He has twin boys he's never heard of, raised in the leauge. The young children have killed.

His daughter has been in the leauge for two years now, and has possibly killed. She's a gaudd to the heir(s?) Of Ra's.

He can't feel disappointment in the children, circumstances allowed little choice and she has taught them not to be cruel. Which is better than anyone else has done.

He can teach the boys, and he can let his daughter relearn kindness.

He can't believe Talia, hiding all of this. Raising children to kill. Likely forcing his sweet girl to kill, so she survives.

He will not begrudge his daughter, he knows how ruthless the leauge is. It's what she chooses when she's home that will determine things.

"Master Bruce?" Alfred asks.

"I have twin boys. And their coming home with Ivy eventually." Bruce turns with wide eyes.

"Oh, dear. I suppose I have rooms to prepare."

"Ivy left information for that." Bruce says, holding out the letter with trembling hands.

"Very good, thank you." Alfred says as he takes it gently in his gloved fiingers.

Bruce let's go with a frown. "Alfred... she's coming home."

"I know."

"Talia hid children from me."

"She did." Alfred says softly. "But you're going to meet them."

--------

Next

[storiesbyrhi]

Witch!Reader x Bat/Vampire!Eddie Munson Series Masterlist The Grimoire The Timeline

Warnings: canon typical violence, horror genre typical violence, swearing, animal death, no beta, warnings updated each chapter.

Synopsis: No witch has stepped foot in Hawkins since 1845, but when Vecna opens the ground and poisons the town, a voice begins to call to you. Have you been brought back to this cursed place to heal the townspeople’s wounds, to save a hexed bat that always finds its way to you, or to redefine your history with a reunion 150 years in the making?

Chapter Summary: The timeline narrows and questions begin to find answers. 2777 words.

Notes: Thank you to @toomanyacorns and @courtingchaos for help with this chapter.

1986

As the sun set and what was left of Hawkins retired for the night, your eyes fluttered open under the watchful gaze of Eddie. He hadn’t spent the day in bed next to you; he drifted throughout the trailer, avoiding patches of sunlight while he taught himself about the modern world.

The refrigerator was a marvel. And the stove. He’d watched you use it to make water boil so quickly. It all had such wonderful implications. He could keep blood cool and consumable, then warm it up to body temperature.

He played with running water and used it to clean. It didn’t feel natural for him; he wondered if perhaps he had been someone of great wealth and importance before the hex, for he had apparently never learnt how to complete a basic chore.

Eddie wanted to help though. He opened the washing machine that lived next to the fridge, but realised that there was nowhere to hang the clothes you’d shoved in there. It took his hyper speed hands only minutes to braid string into a thin rope strong enough to hold weight. He twisted the fabrics over the sink, then hung them over the washing line he’d strung up like fairy lights in the lounge room. Eddie was pleased with his work and hoped the string wasn’t magical and important in any way.

When there was nothing left to do, he returned to the dark bedroom and took his place beside you. He thought about your murder board mind. He had questions of his own.

…

Questions of a recently unhexed vampire

Who was I before the bat?

Who cursed me and why? - Theory: I was cursed before the witches discovered the means to kill vampires. The cursed transfiguration was simply a method to render me inoffensive. - Probability demands the conclusion that it was this witch’s coven who cast the hex.

Why do I not feel compelled to act in a way which is in accordance to what I believe to be innately vampire behaviour? - Theory: I have simply forgotten and my senses will return to me. - Do I want my senses to return to me, restoring typical vampire behaviour?

Have I known this witch before I was the bat? - I feel I have known her all my life.

Why has she acted in a way which is not in accordance to what I believe to be innately witch behaviour?

Why have I not abandoned her?

How can this end in any way other than grimly? - Theory: It cannot, and yet I will not deviate from this path as lit by the witch.

…

“Good evening,” Eddie said as you woke.

You had slept through the entire day. Would your body adjust to this new nocturnal routine? Groaning, you sat up and looked around with messy bedhead and a dazed expression on your face.

“Hi,” you croaked.

“You slept deeply,”

“Yeah… Needed it.”

Eddie followed your lead, sitting next to you with his back against the wall. With legs stretched out in front of you both, you sat in the quiet for a moment.

“Can you hear it too?” you asked him.

“The silence? Where he once was?”

Nodding, you looked at him. “I wonder if it will stay like this. Or if Hawkins really is cursed. The history of this land is drenched in blood. Maybe that’s its legacy.”

Eddie hoped that a blood drenched history didn’t forsake something’s future. “I was thinking,” he changed the subject. “While you were asleep,”

“Uh-oh,” you sang.

He smiled softly. “I remember destruction. Fields ablaze. Unnatural sounds. Before Hawkins,”

“Okay, good. Let’s figure it out then.” You sat up straight, brought your legs in to fold beneath you. “There are key points in history. If you remember them, then we can get an estimate of when you were cursed… We already know you predate 1843. But the land had already been taken from Native Americans, right? It had been colonised,”

“Yes,” Eddie answered.

“So, we’re somewhere between 1680 and 1843… That’s still like,” you paused to do the math. “163 years… Fuck.”

Eddie filed through his bat memories. It occurred to him then. “I would have been here, like that, the last time you were here,”

“That’s… strange to think about… Um. Okay, so in 1680 a comet lit up the sky. It was visible in the daytime. Do you remember that?”

“No,”

“Alright… So, let’s jump forward. War. You would have seen that. Mid 1750s, the French went to war with the British Empire. Both sides had support from different Native American groups. We didn’t side with either, just offered aid to the injured. It ended in 1763, officially.”

Eddie frowned and shook his head.

“No? So… We’re down to 80 years. This is good. I don’t know why we didn’t do this sooner,”

“Vecna, I imagine,” Eddie quipped.

“Yeah. Right,” you agreed, wriggling on the spot a little. Eddie could tell you’d locked onto this date finding project. Your eyes were bright and you were speaking fast. “After the war, jump a few decades and Indiana becomes part of the U.S. That’s when it would have started to look different…” It was a desperate time, you remembered. Trees began to be cut down on mass. The Native Americans were increasingly being displaced by violent and vicious methods. The coven had remained focus on the flatlands; they tried to preserve a small piece of goodness in a rapidly changing world. 

“In 179… 1? 2? The humans began to dig out space for a lake. The ground was hard. The trees’ roots ran deep and it made everything difficult,”

“The heart shaped lake? I don’t remember a time before it.”

You bounced on the spot. “Yes! The lake took decades and, in the end, we had to intervene. The humans were killing themselves and their technology had not advanced enough to help. Eddie, that puts you in 1830. You had to be hexed sometime between then and 1843, if we’re right about why you were hexed instead of killed,”

“And if we’re not?”

“I don’t know why else a witch would do it. The hex would have taken so much magic. Maybe even more than one witch cast it… Transformation is not something we routinely do. It can go wrong. It can be cruel. It’s just not… normal.”

Eddie nodded. “Well, are you comforted by this conclusion? One item less on your list of questions?”

“Yeah… But more than that, it means I know where to look for more answers. If you were hexed by a witch here between 1830 and 1843, it means you were hexed by someone in my coven.”

Eddie had already played with the idea in his mind, ultimately deciding it was more than likely. Somehow, you hadn’t. Had it been somewhere deep in your subconscious, unwilling to give itself a voice? Or, despite your many lifetimes on Earth, had you been naïve?

Eddie braved asking the next obvious question. “But you did not hear of a vampire being caught and hexed? Not one witch spoke of something so rare?”

The forest gate. The image of it flashed behind your eyelids. The feeling that you were the one to build it, but no memory to lend credence to that. No memory of a vampire cursed to a bat form.

Like he could see it on your face, Eddie shook his head and said, “You cannot ask them. If you do, they will know that you know. And what becomes of both you and I then?”

“I know. It’s just…”

“I do not like it either. If we are our memories and they have been toyed with… Who are we?”

You would have been able to define yourself a month ago. Now, you weren’t so sure. “I think I might be a bad witch,” you whispered, unsure where the words came from. “Not bad as in evil… As in… wrong, in some way. Not how I naturally should be.”

He looked almost human for a second. His lips were pink and his hair was soft. Eyes shining, the bedroom light reflected in them. Then, he smiled. Teeth. “If you’re a bad witch, I’m worse vampire.”

…

1836

Before she was Kelsey, she was Fern. Your best friend. Your clever best friend that knew you had been sneaking away into the dark night for almost a year, timing well with the first whispers of vampires in the flatlands. When the colony attacked, so ended your secret rendezvous. Although the conclusion she had drawn terrified her, Fern trusted you unconditionally.

Her trust in you meant when she saw your aunt and mother capture a vampire wearing one of your woven leather bracelets in the dead of night, her blood ran cold.

“Amabel! Amabel! Wake up!” she hissed, pulling you from your bed. You felt groggy, your heart consumed with the grief of losing Eddie. “There is no time to explain. But you must come.”

Barefoot, you let Fern pull you to where Penelope was working. Quietly, you and Fern went around the back of the small hut on the outskirts of the village, peering through a window.

The three witches inside were standing around a figure slumped on the ground. They had witchfire at the ready and were talking in hushed whispers.

“Is that your… your…” Fern couldn’t bring herself to say it.

“Eddie,” you gasped. You looked at Fern with abject terror on your face. “He’s not… He’s not like them. I have to-”

“Wait!” Fern hissed, pulling you back down before you could do anything rash. “Do you understand the gravity of what you have done? This is more than excommunication, Amabel. This is… This… There are no words for this is!”

You saw she was just as terrified as you. You nodded slowly, a tear rolling down your cheek. “I know. I know of the disgrace and the betrayal. I wish I understood myself better… Go home, Fern. Save yourself from this mess.”

Fern watched you disappear around the side of the hut. She couldn’t bring herself to leave you alone, but she couldn’t watch through the window anymore either, scared of seeing what would happen to you. Sitting in the dirt, Fern listened as you made yourself known.

“Amabel,” Sally said. “This does not concern you. Go-”

“It does. He does.”

The witches looked from the vampire to you. It took only a second for all the pieces to clink into place. Your wandering mind. Frequent absences. Disinterest in the search for a vampire death cure. How did they not see it before? They failed as coven leaders. As sisters. As family. The witchfire died in your mother’s hands as she noticed Eddie’s bracelet for the first time. She made a pained gasping sound and stumbled backward.

Eddie’s eyes met yours. His expression made your stomach churn. You knew he’d gone willingly with them; he would not have hurt them.

“He is not like the others,” you stated clearly.

“There are no exceptions, Amabel,” Penelope replied.

“Do you think it is this easy to capture a vampire? It is night out. You have no magic death. You have not burned him with witchfire. Why would he be so compliant? How do you think you have managed this?”

The women looked at each other, shame washing over them. They had been complacent. Perhaps ego had shadowed caution. At any rate, they had lost the upper hand and were all at once afraid of the vampire again.

Your aunt’s fire grew in preparation for an attack.

“Stop!” you screamed, launching yourself to cover Eddie. He remained on the floor, crumpled into himself behind your legs. “You cannot hurt him. He is not a threat to any of us,”

“Mistakes have been made,” Sally tired. “On both your part and ours. But a vampire is always a threat. Whatever wickedness he has been spilling into you, whatever lies, you must overcome,”

“The only lie of which I hold him accountable was the promise he would leave this place. That he would go safely into the night, abandon the colony, and let us do our work.” You turned to Eddie and held a hand out. The ties that bound him came off easily, like he’d been the one holding them there in the first place. He stood and apologised through expression alone. “Why are you still here?” you demanded of him.

“I intended to leave, as I promised. I couldn’t… I…”

“You stupid, stupid vampire,”

“Amabel!” Gillian’s booming voice. “If the coven learns of what you have done…”

“They can’t know. We must protect her,” Sally interjected.

“And if we do? And other covens learn of that? Dissemination… This could be all of our undoing,” Penelope warned. “Time cannot be turned back. What damage has been wrought can only be mitigated by what we do now,”

“Fern, who has also not heeded your plea to leave, was right. Witches have been excommunicated for less,” Gillian said. “Show yourself, Fern.”

Stupid, stupid witch, you thought.

Although Eddie was outnumbered, five witches to his one vampire, and he was the only thing in the room capable of killing the others, he knew doom when he felt it. He could run. They would never catch him. What would they do with you though?

“One dead witch could be explained away. But not two,” Penelope said, narrowing her gaze on Fern.

Your reaction was stoic, like your aunt's. Fern’s eyes grew wide and Sally audibly gasped. Eddie prickled behind you at the threat to your life.

“You would ask filicide of me?” your mother whispered.

“The coven has asked worse of you. And you have answered that call. She has knowingly, willingly, joyfully crossed boundaries we don’t dare to speak of. What reflection can she see? What punishment is just? What role must we play to heal this damage?”

“Penelope is right,” Gillian said, voice free from the righteousness Penelope’s held. “We must decide and act out this reckoning tonight.”

The left, binding you, Eddie, and Fern to the hut with temporary magic.

You turned first to your friend. “Why didn’t you leave?!” you hissed in a whisper.

“Me? I do not think you are in any position to demand reason from me… Besides… They would have simply come for me. Clearly they knew I was there.”

You nodded, and Fern watched you bite back tears. Eddie moved closer to you, pushing against you to try to provide comfort.

Like she was suddenly aware of him, Fern looked Eddie up and down. “So… Amabel… Where are your manners?”

The two exchanged hesitant nods, and Fern explained how she had put together the pieces of the puzzle. How she guessed the unguessable. She’d always known you best.

When twenty minutes or so had gone by, you and Fern sat on the straw covered floor. Eddie paced circles around the hut, glancing out the windows. In their company, the two people who you loved most in the world, you had it in you to have hope.

In the forest, the witches stood and discussed your fate.

“Do not act so pious now, Sally. If it were anyone else’s daughter you would have accepted death as reasonable,”

“Stop,” Gillian warned before her sister could say anything. “It doesn’t matter. There will be no death tonight. With vampires in the flatlands, we will need as many of us as possible,”

“We agree on his fate. A subject to find a method to kill them?” Penelope stated more than asked. The others nodded.

“Amabel will fight it,” Sally said.

“We will give her no option,”

“Does her judgement bear some consideration? She has no reason to trust a vampire. Yet, she does. What if she is right about him. What if there is another use for him?”

“Sally, your mind is clouded. There is no such thing as a vampire spy,” Gillian almost laughed.

“Whatever he is, we did not think that could be…”

“No. Amabel’s judgement does not receive consideration. Any appearance of humanity in the creature is a trick and nothing more. We bind him by night, burn him in sunlight by day, until we can find a way to destroy them,” Penelope said with such finality that Sally resigned to it.

“And of the girls?” Gillian asked.

“This must be stripped from them. There cannot be a shadow of doubt about the evil of vampire when this war begins in earnest. We bind the vampire until his death. We take Amabel and Fern’s memory of all of this. They will not recognise his face.”

End Note: If you are wondering why this update came so late, it is because I got mega inspired by some horror I was reading, then wrote To Break a Covenant. If you haven't read it yet, I'd love for you to give it a go. Heed the tags/warnings though.

I am still taking ideas/requests for 1986 things Eddie can learn about now that Vecna is gone and they have some time on their hands.

As always, thank you for reading! xo Rhi

Fic Taglist: @kaitebugg03 @paranoidmunson  @idkidknemore @paprikaquinn @stardustworlds @loz-brooke @wyverntatty @vintagehellfire @dark-academia-slut @scarletwitchwhore @becks1002 @mrsdollardog @heyndrix @luceneraium @rosaline-black @devilinthepalemoonlite @goldencherriess @iamwhisperingstars @wiltedwonderland @blueywrites @breezybeesposts @jadehowlettthewolf @spikesvamp79 @foreveranexpatsposts @tortoiseshellspells @wingedpeachjudgegiant @stardustmunson @live-love-be-unique @fangirling-4-ever @reanimated-alice @b-irock @gh0stlybunnie @myown-worstenemy-2003 @woozzz @cyberxlust @hiscrimsonangel @buckysbarne @m00nlight101 @word-wytch @spicysix @briasnow-blog

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[silvyavan]

Big shit theory time as I take an all nighter from internship, horrendous health for the past 3 months and in general just not having energy to even draw.

Is Asta an Anomaly or The Universe's Lifeline?

Allow me to elaborate.

Lucius has been HELLA adamant about Asta being a flaw/anomaly/abomination but all of this is based on Asta being manaless and Asta not being seen in all of the timelines Lucius saw.

The thing is, we saw from chapter 360, that Lucius, while in stasis while Julius went around doing whatever, CANT see the events that transpire in the 20ish years that he's away. Ironically, this being chapter 360, it essentially shows that Julius isn't all seeing and his future visions aren't 360 degrees. It's likely that, rather than seeing the WHOLE future, he sees the future he will experience, not the futures of others.

Julius mentions his magic is to "steal" futures/time as well. Essentially, it sounds a lot like weaponised life span stealing, which Licita has.

However, Julius remarks that this is his magic, whereas Licita has it as a body condition. Whether this condition is because she has a hereditary curse like Henry or because she believes it's that because she has no other explanation, we don't know.

There might be a distinction between life/magic and futures. In the case of Julius, rather than stealing someone's lifespan, he might actually be stealing looks INTO their futures. The reason I bring up Licita is because its likely Licita isn't necessary a human who HAS a future, and Asta might be the same. Or rather, a future that happens more often than not.

The thing is, Lucius' assumption of Asta being a flaw isn't wrong, but its not correct either.

Asta has no mana yet continues to live. Mana has been often times seen to be intertwined with fate, especially as Vanessa's Rouge has been shown to tamper with fate.

If Asta has no Mana, he has no connection to Fate, meaning any future he has will never have the same outcome. As a result, Asta is always in near death scenarios, many of which could go wrong at a moments notice.

Lucius can't see into a future with Asta because no future Atsa has is the same, and thus Lucius can't get the common equivalent of his fate. Asta could've died in MANY scenarios and any battle he was previously in. Many major developments in his life could've happened, not happened or replaced by different scenarios, leading him out of the timeline he's in into a new one.

Right off the bat and prior to the Star festival at 90 fucking chapters, Asta could've died at the grimoire ceremony by Revchi, in Saussy, in the dungeon, in the attack on the Capital, in Nean, in fucken Raquey against Vetto and in the Witch Forest at least THRICE. Against Lucifero ALONE, HE COULD'VE DIED 5 TIMES OVER.

Asta is EXTREMELY prone to near death scenarios. The possibility of him dying in each one is high and it wouldn't be ridiculous for Lucius to see timelines where Asta died early, and thus, affecting the people he'd fight against.

It's very clear in chapter 360 that the reason the magic Knights are holding up a lot better than Lucius expected or ever foresaw is because ASTA has lived long enough to affect the world on a grander scale.

The thing is, Asta affecting the world and the people around him on THIS big of a scale isn't something natural. Hell, him being summoned by a mass Fate Gate from Hino may imply that, the longer Asta lives, the stronger his effect on Fate itself.

Asta, because he's not tied to any concrete future, has the ability to passively/actively bend Fate with his actions. The longer an unseen variable exists, the more the equation changes.

The question is, is Asta's longterm effect on Fate an anomaly or an inherent trait? If Asta's fatality rate before he turns 18 really THAT high, what's keeping him alive for so long in this case, other than his own stubbornness?

There's 4 ways this can go:

1. Asta is Black Clover's Madoka, in which his death is so tied in with the stability of the world, that him dying just resets the timeline over and over.

2. Asta's survival in this timeline is entirely based on the fact that he is manaless. In other cases, if Asta was born with magic, his fate would've been set in stone as he had mana and was connected to Fate. Asta being born manaless may let him narrowly avoid death BECAUSE his death can't be written into fate as he has no mana for it to be tied in.

3. LICITA is the real anomaly, and her giving birth to Asta is a butterfly effect of unbridled proportions. There's a reason why there's so much fog around the circus that is Astas conception and birth, and if Tabata is using Licita as a Chekhov's Gun to reveal some fucked up shit, its gonna be due to how he was born.

4. Asta physically cannot die. He can be near death as a physical person, but he straight up cannot die from his injuries. Asta had been told by Mimosa that it was a close call when he got stabbed in the stomach but Asta also had a whole HOLE in his chest and then floated around the ocean until he washed up on Hino and then laid in the sun for fuck knows how long. Asta not having mana means he physically cannot die, and the reasons surrounding that might be more demonic than not.

All in all, it's just a lot of questions in how Asta managed to survive this long, outside of his own refusal to die. Is it simply a trait of his soul, an inherent trait, a fucked up ability or just straight up being wrapped in a whole bunch of weird shit? If anyone knows, it's Tabata.

[sloanesallow]

Mama's Potatoes

Sebastian can't cook. Good thing the Niffler can. (Written for the OHL Discord server November prompt; "Comfort Food".) Sebastian Sallow x F!MC (Siobhan Sloane) Tags: Fluff, domestic married life, pregnancy, Sebastian can't cook and you can fight me, Peter the Niffler. 1.7k words [Ao3] | [Wattpad] | [Tumblr Masterlist]

Sebastian doesn’t know what he’s doing.

It’s a rare feeling. He’s not stupid—he wouldn’t be the youngest curse-breaker at the Ministry if he were—and usually knows how to handle a daunting situation. Crazed Inferi, dangerous artifacts, unusual hexes, you name it. But this…this is a new level of difficulty.

He’s been standing in the kitchen since sunrise, flipping through old cookbooks and Sloane’s recipe journals, looking for something—anything—within his skillset. Despite his wife’s numerous demonstrations and seemingly limitless patience, he has never quite gotten the hang of cooking. If his father-in-law were there, he’d scold Sebastian. What self-respecting man can’t cook for his pregnant, bedridden wife?

He hates this, hates that he isn’t good at something so simple.

It should, in theory, be akin to potions, which he excels at. But alchemy isn’t the same as cuisine—you can’t just throw everything in a pot and hope for the best—not if you want it to taste good. Cooking is science, not magic, regardless of how easy Sloane makes it look. Maybe that’s why she’s so good at it, because she insists on doing it without spells. She’s a natural, and Sebastian…

Well, it’s a good thing he provides in other ways.

With the birth of their child imminent, however, she’s resigned to the bed, on strict orders from the nurses at St. Mungos to keep off her feet. This leaves Sebastian in charge of the meals, which he knows are lackluster, even if Sloane never complains. If they were still in London, he’d pop out and grab something from the local shops, or hire one of the house elves in their old building as a cook. But they moved to the countryside in preparation for Little Sallow’s arrival, settling down where he’ll need to be self-sufficient.

What he wants is to prepare something hearty and healthy, something warm to lift her spirits before the baby comes. Sebastian allows himself five more minutes of wallowing in self-pity before opening another worn journal, hoping he’ll see something he’s helped Sloane make before. These recipes aren’t in her familiar script, but he quickly finds something promising—Beef Stew.   

Except…half the instructions are in Irish.

Sebastian grumbles to himself—just another thing he hasn’t mastered. He’s learned a few languages in his lifetime, largely due to the thirst for knowledge and travel associated with his work, but Irish isn’t one of them. And while his wife is of Irish descent, she speaks it so infrequently that he never caught on.

“This must be her mum’s,” he says aloud, discouraged. He continues to read over the old parchment and the idea of surprising Sloane with one of her mother’s recipes is too enticing to shake.

Sebastian is nothing if not ambitious.

The best-case scenario is that he manages to cook a delicious meal. Worst case, he blows up their kitchen. It wouldn’t be the first time.

Emboldened, he gets to work, rolling up his sleeves and clearing off the counter so he has space to prep. Instructions in hand, he grabs everything he needs—or thinks he needs—pots and pans and cutlery, and lights the stove with the flick of his wand. Before he can do anything else, it is yanked out of his hand and he whirls around to find Peter, Sloane’s beloved Niffler, already stashing the wand away in his pouch.

“Merp!”

“Hey!” Sebastian shouts before clenching his jaw, glancing toward the hallway that leads to where Sloane is still sleeping. He looks back at Peter in annoyance. The two tolerate each other, but mostly bicker about who Sloane loves more. “Give that back, Peter. I need it—”

“Merp!” he interrupts, batting Sebastian’s hand away when he tries to touch his fur.

Sebastian sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I don’t have time for this.”

Peter makes a series of noises that sound very much like the Niffler is mocking him as he stares at the tattered journal in Sebastian’s hands.

“What?” he sarcastically laughs. “Are you going to help me?”

For a Niffler, Peter is incredibly expressive, furrowing his brow and blinking his beady little eyes. “Merp.”

Sebastian can’t believe he’s about to have a Niffler be his sous-chef. “Fine.”

“It’s beef stew, at least I hope it is,” he continues, reading over the recipe again. “Sloane must have it memorized because I’ve never seen her use this.”

Peter chitters.

“Right,” he mumbles, moving to the cold box where they keep their perishables. “At least this is in English. Two pounds of roast, cut into small cubes.”

Sebastian places the parchment-wrapped meat on the counter before scratching at his chin. “One point of…what is…prátaí?” He frowns, reluctantly looking at Peter for guidance.  

The Niffler huffs and carefully scales down the side of the counter before scurrying toward the garden door. He pushed through the little flap Sloane installed, poking his head back in a moment later to glare.

“MERP!”

Sebastian follows after the little beast until they are in the middle of Sloane’s vegetable garden. There’s a little bit of everything, and even though they have the space (and magic) to grow whatever her heart desires, she’s kept a modest size. Peter digs at the soft soil, right beneath a small plot marker that reads Mama’s Potatoes.

“Oh,” Sebastian hums, feeling dumber than before. He grabs a nearby basket before crouching down to take the unearthed potatoes from Peter. “Since when do you know Irish?”

“Merp,” Peter answers, as if to say ‘I’m smarter than you, Sallow’.

The Niffler continues to roam the garden, bringing Sebastian the vegetables and herbs he needs for the meal. When the basket is full, the two head back inside where Peter monitors the prep work with an intimidating aura that rivals Papa Sloane.

Sebastian follows the instructions the best he can, relying on memory and Peter’s so-called translations. He tenses every time routinely grabs his wrist to correct his movements, wondering if he should hand over the knife to let Peter cut the vegetables but figures. Then again, the last thing he needs right now is a knife-wielding Niffler. 

He cooks the meat in a hot skillet until the cut pieces are lightly browned, before moving on to the vegetables—sauteing the diced onion, garlic, rosemary, and bay leaves until they are soft. Peter pushes over the bottle of red wine, and Sebastian carefully pours the liquid into the pan, stirring until Peter gestures to add the beef broth. Once everything is combined, he adds back in the meat and secures the lid before placing it into the hot oven.

“Should be ready in…” he reads over Mama Sloane’s instructions.

“Merp,” Peter chirps, tapping the counter three times.

“Three hours,” Sebastian nods.

He takes some time to tidy up and quietly sneaks down the hall to see his wife still fast asleep. Too nervous to leave the food unattended again, he makes himself comfortable on the floor in front of the oven and starts counting the minutes as they pass by. Peter joins him for a little while but eventually disappears, only returning when it’s time to add in the rest of the vegetables.  

An hour later, Sebastian holds his breath, protective mitts trembling as he pulls the steaming pot from the oven. He prays to Merlin, and maybe a few other deities, before slowly lifting the lid to inspect the final product. Peter climbs back onto the counter to peer inside, his bill opening slightly as he sniffs the air.

“Want some?” Sebastian quips, scooping a hefty portion into a bowl.

Peter shakes his tiny head. “Merp.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Sebastian mutters, taking a bite for himself. It’s not bad, though he isn’t sure if that means it’s good, either. It certainly tastes just about the same as when Sloane makes it, but doubt swirls in his mind. “I hope she likes it.”

If he hoped for some semblance of encouragement from Peter, he doesn’t receive it. Instead, the Niffler huffs and leaps from the counter before scampering away. Sebastian reminds himself to find the little troublemaker later so he can get his wand back. Good thing Peter can’t perform magic—right?

Sebastian places the bowl onto a tray, along with a spoon and a cloth napkin. He tears off some bread from the loaf he (barely managed) to bake the day before and runs back out to the garden to pluck a few flowers for good measure. After steadying his nerves the best he can, he ventures back down the hall to the bedroom.

Sloane is awake now, reclining in their bed, eyes closed as she smooths her hands across her rounded belly. She glances up as Sebastian crosses the threshold, surprise lighting up her expression when she spots the tray in his hands.

“You cooked?” she asks, struggling to sit up. Sebastian quickly sets the food down on the nightstand so he can help her, softly laughing at the way she’s too focused on the steam rising from the bowl to cooperate. She sniffs the air. “Is that…my mother’s stew?”

He falters when he notices the shine of tears in her eyes, making sure she’s comfortably leaning against the pile of pillows. Her emotions have been heightened, to put it mildly, throughout the pregnancy, but he still didn’t anticipate tears.

“Hey, hey,” he coos, brushing back her hair and swiping his thumbs across her cheeks. “It’s alright, sweetheart. I just wanted to make sure you don’t starve.”

“Well I am starving,” she whines and he holds back his amusement, kissing away her pout.

“Here,” he says, making sure Sloane has a good handle on the bowl before leaning back. “I uhh…hope it turned out right.”

Sloane takes a moment to take in the aromas, smiling at him with glossy eyes as she stirs the bowl. “Thank you.”

Sebastian can’t respond, not when he’s still terrified that he’s done something wrong. He watches her, unblinking, as she finally takes a taste. As soon as the spoon is in her mouth, her eyes go wide and she goes still. He panics, leaning forward to grasp her shoulders and tug the spoon from her hand and mouth.

“Sloane? What is it—oh fuck—” he curses, heart racing, clumsily placing the food back on the tray before fussing over her again. “Did I poison you? Are you dying?”

Sloane snaps out of the trance to shake her head, her mouth twitching into a shaky smile. She grabs one of Sebastian’s hands and presses it to her enlarged abdomen. His chest tightens for a completely different reason when she finally speaks.

“I think the baby’s coming.”

[lucid-stories]

The dwinddling light in his dark world | Lilia x Malerie (OC)| A Twisted Wonderland AU

Warning/s: -Inaccuracy in roles and characters -Angst(?) -Multiple (2) POVs -slight(?) General Lilia x Fem! OC(Malerie) -Book 7 Chapter 4 events are implied here

-1st writing so bear with me

Characters: Lilia Vanrouge Child! Silver Baul Zigvolt Malleus Draconia (Mentioned) Mallenoa Draconia Revan Draconia (Mentioned) Knight of Dawn(Mentioned)

Princess Laiyer

Lilia POV

"Father" asked the young boy.

"Yes, silver"

"Can you tell me about the angels again"

"Fufufu, of course"

Angels, they are the guardians of this realm. Tasked to guide and direct the mortals with their lives… silently. Beings who have witnessed the creation and the destruction of all that has and will exist.

"Father, have you met one?" "… A long time ago", the bat fae replied with a melancholic smile. "I witnessed a birth of one"

Angels were not always born as angels. They are chosen. Those who have inspired many and lived for the sake of others in their lifetime are "gifted" those ethereal white wings and will no longer be bound to the constrains the world designed.

"💩" "General! you can go ahead to Wild Rose Castle, we will follow afterwards" "Baul, take command" Without waiting for the reply of his comrade, He flew towards the place where the Iron Men are targetting. "FASTER! FASTER! I hope I'm not too late…" And in that moment of desperation, he teleported.

"Bold of you to march straight into our territory."

The silver armoured man replied in a mocking tone, "With your precious prince consort, Duke Revan, dead. What do you think happened to your crowned princess."

"… Iron Men! You will pay for your sins! " Lilia, filled with intense rage and grief with the loss of 2 of his close friends, went into a killing spree in an attempt to reach the egg they left behind.

-Malerie POV-

"Sister! You can't, you mustn't" she pleaded.

"I will be back soon with Revan". Mallenoa reassures her little sister, "I am one of the best mages in the world, I won't be in critical danger"

"I know you are! However, we are in war and you are with a child!" She throws multiple reasons she can think of why Mallenoa must not leave the castle's premises.

"All the more reason to find him. In order to hatch our spawn" Mallenoa counters

"What if something happens! If they reach the castle or you…"

"If anything happens, you are here. I trust that you will keep everything under control while I'm not around. That also includes my child"

"WHAT"

"I TRUST YOU" She yells a second before she goes to the last known location her husband was seen"

"You should've joined Lilia and the others" She sighed as she looked at her soon to be niece or nephew.

"Your irresponsible mother left you with me" She complained. "However, she was right, I'll make sure no harm will come near you. Nice to meet you, eggie-chan. I am your mothers something degree cousin"

Shocked Malerie noticed it move a bit. "Are you greeting me back? Must be a gentleman then"

Malerie spent the next days caring for the egg, giving it enough love and magic power in substitute for the parents'.

In theory, it would take atleast 10x the amount of care for an unrelated fae to hatch another's spawn but since Malerie is related albiet distantly to both parents, it should work with doubled the effort.

However, as days passed, her dreams became more frequent. Being blessed or cursed with the ability to foresee the future, she could vaguely see that her clan's time is dwindling.

At first, she thought it must've been some kind of mistake however, no matter how much she tried to change the weaves of fate, it kept leading to the same outcome.

The sounds of the heavy artillery and the smell of iron only confirmed their fate as they start to surround the castle.

The family head, Queen Maleficia, has not been in the palace for several decades now which only means one thing.

If they already got the princess and prince consort, they must be coming for the 2nd and 3rd in line, the egg and myself.

"Baby, I promised to keep you safe and you will so just trust this aunt alright?"

'Although talking to an egg is weird, it is somewhat comforting but, I'm only 286 years old, did they really expect me to care for someone who could be my little brother along with the castle that would be under siege anytime soon'

"… Eggie-chan, I will cast more protection and stealth spells on you. Not even my aunt or sister will be able to undo it until you are completely safe." I'm scared "I will redirect their attention to me so, It was an honor to be able to meet you your egg-highness"

3rd POV

"Lilia- NO STOP!" Malerie positioned herself in the middle of the battlefield in an attempt to stop the bloodshed, keyword:attempted. A stupid move which caused her to be at the receiving end of the very Mysterium weapon wielded by her bethrothed.

"-Malerie!! " Lilia quickly regains his senses and stopped the rampage only after seeing the blood of his beloved.

"You will be okay" "Stay with me" Lilia cried as he tries to stop the bleeding. "Why did you enchant my weapon to the very thing that could kill you"

"… B..ause… I… lo.. you" She uttered what would be her last words as her breaths become shallow and her eyes losing their sparkle.

But that wasn't what hurt him the most. It was the fact that she left him with a smile as if forgiving him after what he had done.

"Malerie… " The princess of the opposing side lets out tears after loosing her best friend.

"Humans… Mark my words. You will pay for all the blood we've lost ten- no hundredfold" He vowed after slowly shutting his beloved's eyes and laying her somewhere she can be safe

"Do you really think that is what she would want"

"Shut up, Human" Lilia starts to lose the tiny bit of reason he got back from her death.

As he starts to rampage, once again, a sudden flash of light followed by a deafening sound came from the place where Malerie's body was supposed to be.

In her place, it looked like she was once again alive. Like in a deep slumber, still breathing but however, what once was the ebony colored hair now turned into a platinum blonde, the horns that stemed from her forehead, which were a symbol of the draconia family, has disappeared and what replaced it was a blinding halo atop her head and wings with feathers as white as snow.

In short, 'everything about her was ethereal.'

'I am unsure if it's because I loved her too much or because it is just her'

"You" The angel proclaimed, "destroyed the peace and lives of thousands. You, the princess and their so called "knight of dawn" shall be the ones to pay the price"

The final word of judgement she passed before she along with the ones she mentioned disappeared without a trace.

With events happening so fast, he was dumbfounded. Of course in normal circumstances he would be quick to act however this time it included the only person he loved, one he promised his life to, and the one who he is already married to (in paper w/o the ceremony yet because they're still considered teens), and the one who he already shared his body with.

In that moment, he felt distraut just before hearing a voice in his head.

'Please support Malleus in my stead and live for the both of us, alright?'

A surge of uncontrollable emotion filled the young general which caused him to cry for the first time in decades and fueled him to drive out the rest of the Iron Men, who lost their morale with the lost of their knight of dawn and princess, and the equipment they brought of which wrecked havoc on their land which brought back an era of peace and prosperity of the faes

To be continued(?)

[fischerfrey]

Weekend with The Grays 2022: Day 02

6th of December: The Welcome Ball 2.0

Gryff’s Winbourne Christmas Chronicles: Part 1

Malcolm Stolberg-Burke has a little problem: he’s not a very good dancer.

Words: 1.1k

A/N: This may or may not be canon, lmao

MCs included:

Elian Goldcrest by @potionboy3​

Primrose Gray by @endlessly-cursed​

MCs mentioned:

Cecilia Balinor by @endlessly-cursed​

The ball had barely begun, and Malcolm watched as Primrose and Elian spun on the dancefloor with growing anxiety. He had always been a dreadful dancer, a fact his sister never let him forget. In theory, he knew all of the popular dances but when he attempted them, it usually ended in disaster. It had given him quite a lot of grief during his year as an earl and he couldn’t very well ask Prim to dance if he was only going to step on her dress or toes. As the orchestra began winding down, Malcolm made his way into the field of Elian’s view. He was trying very subtly to get his attention. Prim and Elian exchanged a few words and all the proper pleasantries, then went their separate ways. Elian had noticed him hovering, because of course he had.

“Malcolm,” he said as he approached. “Why do you look like an overgrown, lost child?”

“I need your help,” Malcolm told him. He really, really needed help.

“Of course you do,” Elian said. “Wait, with what? I’m not going to ask Primrose to dance with you on your behalf.”

“No, I can’t ask her to dance at all, because I’m a terrible dancer!” he explained, rather too frantically to his own taste. This was ridiculous.

“You’re an earl? How have you survived up to this point?”

“By being unapproachable and generally unpleasant to be around.”

Elian let out a heavy sigh. “Alright, come with me.”

“Thank you!”

“Don’t thank me yet.”

~

Malcolm and Elian snuck into one of the empty rooms on the second floor. It was quite a bit smaller than the ballroom but still sizable.

“This will do,” said Elian appraisingly. “Now, pretend I’m Primrose.”

Malcolm gaped at him. “You’re… I’m not sure I can do that.”

Elian rolled his eyes with a lot of drama. “Do you want my help or not?”

“Fine, fine, alright,” Malcolm relented. “Lady Gray, will you do me the honour of dancing with me?”

Elian, being the little shit that he was, put on his worst Prim-imitation. “Oh, I would love to!”

“She doesn’t sound like that,” Malcolm said grumpily.

“Play along now, Burke.”

Malcolm gave up, extended a hand and Elian took it.

“Do you like my dress?” asked Elian, batting his eyelashes comically, still continuing his terrible Primrose-impression. “I had it specially made for this occasion.”

“Elian—,” Malcolm started firmly.

“Do you think it matches my eyes?” Elian continued.

“Yes,” Malcolm muttered in his most passive-aggressive tone. “It’s lovely.”

“Now, remember, I’m the girl, so you’re supposed to lead.”

“I know how it works, theoretically,” Malcolm defended himself. “It’s just that my feet don’t seem to do what I tell them to do.”

“It’s because you’re too tall for a human-being.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be pretending to be Primrose?”

Elian snickered. “I have no idea what you two talk about when you’re alone, the weather? The consistency of pastries? Or wait, is that too titillating?”

“Now you’re just teasing me.”

“Of course I am,” said Elian. “Here, try being a little less stiff, you’re moving like a scarecrow.”

Malcolm tried and stepped on Elian’s toe. “Sorry.”

“I’m sturdy, but you might want to try avoiding that with Prim, she’s a bit more delicate than me.”

“Ha, ha,” was all Malcolm said. He was beginning to think this was not going to be helpful at all. They danced for a while longer, mostly with Elian leading, because Malcolm was truly hopeless. Eventually, Elian took a step back and said: “My deepest apologies, but I don’t think even I can help you.”

“Am I really that bad?”

“Yes, but I have another idea.”

“What is it?”

“Just tell Prim that you’re a terrible dancer and let her handle the rest.”

“I can’t very well do that!”

“Yes, you can,” Elian insisted. “Honesty is the best policy!”

“Says you.”

Elian shrugged. “The point is, you are friends, you can just tell her.”

“This is different.”

“Then just don’t ask her and sulk in the corner all evening, watching her dance with all the other eligible bachelors who are not unapproachable and unpleasant to be around,” Elian said, helpfully.

“You’re no help at all.”

“We best head back, I don’t want to start any scandalous rumours.”

“Don’t you have at least five of those circulating about you at any given time, anyway?” asked Malcolm.

“A lady never tells,” Elian said and headed out.

“I hate you.”

“I know!”

Malcolm followed him down the hall, feeling not at all better about his fortunes.

~

Malcolm grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing waiter. Elian had already gone off to somewhere, probably to find Henry. He hadn’t been this nervous since giving his first speech as earl of Harrendale. Truth be told, this was probably worse. Not because it was more formal, because really, it wasn’t. The room was filled with people he knew from school, and it wasn’t as if Primrose and he hadn’t danced before, but it was very different to share a dance at a school event than this. He wanted to make an impression. It was perfectly possible, in fact, that Primrose knew he was a terrible dancer but had been too polite to say. He wasn’t sure if that was supposed to make him feel better or worse. He took a sip of the champagne and placed it on a table. The night was not getting any younger.

~

He found Prim talking with some of her friends. She looked beautiful, but then again, she always looked beautiful. He pretended to be extremely interested in a landscape painting of Winbournshire when he noticed Cecilia Balinor, one of the ladies Prim was talking to glance his way suspiciously. Merlin, why was he being so fussy about this? He mildly regretted leaving his champagne behind but couldn’t go back for it now. He straightened his back and headed toward the ladies.

“Evening, ladies,” he said as he reached them.

“My lord,” said Primrose. “Have you enjoyed the evening so far?”

“Yes, Winbourne is quite lovely this time of year,” replied Malcolm. “Or any time of year, I imagine.”

“It is,” said Primrose. “You should see the village in spring, when the first leaves come out.”

“I would like that very much.”

“Perhaps it can be arranged,” Primrose said with a smile.

Malcolm cleared his throat. “Lady Gray,” he started. He really was so incredibly bad at this. “Would you do me the honour of sharing the next dance with me?”

Primrose, to his relief, looked delighted. “Yes, I’d love to,” she said, but not in the exaggerated tone Elian had used. Still, he had to give it to the man that he knew Primrose quite well, even if he was unable to take anything seriously.

~

Malcolm and Primrose left her friends to head towards the dance floor.

“I have a confession to make,” said Malcolm.

Primrose looked at him in surprise. “Oh?”

“I’m not much of a dancer.”

She let out a quiet laugh. “Oh, I know, Malcolm.”

“Well, that’s a relief.”

“And I don’t mind,” Primrose continued. “I’d still rather dance with you than anyone else here.”

That made Malcolm blush. Primrose held his arm tighter.

“Don’t worry, I’m a good enough dancer for the both of us,” she whispered, as the first notes of the waltz began to play.

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - When Bad Gossip Happens to Good BL

Aug 2022 Wk 3

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs. Organized by which ones (in each category) I’m enjoying the most.

Ongoing Series - Thai

The Eclipse (Fri YT) Ep 2 of 15 - This is a great show and the leads are killer! Their conflict contrasted to moments of empathy contrasted to flirtation and then hints of genuine affection is nuanced and beautifully performed. I expected no less from this pair, but I’m delighted to see that they’re executing so well. This show has the sophistication and balance of something like Gifted, Not Me or Bad Buddy, which basically means this is the best we can expect from GMMTV. NeoLewis are also doing a better job than I expected. They aren’t my favorite pair. However Neo unexpectedly excels in a serious part. Finally, an actually deserved and appropriate pratfall moment. Very nice. 

Vice Versa (Sat on YT) Ep 6 of 12 - Living together = fake out. Curse you GMMTV! Look, here’s the thing, flaws and all I pretty much spend this entire show smiling. I don’t mind being manipulated when we are all having so much fun with it. Is Tun/Puen super suss. Oh yes. Do I care? NOPE. *bats eyes in Jimmy nation* 

21 Days Theory (Sun YT ) Ep 2 of 4? - X is def flirting in the “pulling pig tails” fashion. Also wooing his bf2b’s mum is very smart. (Why is BF2B not a 3rd gen Kpop group? I ask you.) Meanwhile Q & his friends are the new candidates for the “only one brain cell between them” club. Like Tine’s crew in 2g all over again. 

THAI LIGUISTICS CORNER

X is older than Q. X uses pom/khun & rao +kap which is stiff, adult, and somewhat formal (and pom is age backwards for him and Q). Pom is oddly servile coming from an older kid. 

Q jumps around a lot in response to this adult speech from a phi: pom/khun but also rao/nai + (a reluctant) kap, but never phi. (I don’t think I’ve ever heard a high school BL use nai this much.) 

There was a conversation about formal speech and the end of ep 2. Q was telling X that he could use guu/mueng rather than rao|pom/khun. Q had been sort of attempting to match X’s formality by using nai as a more formal version of phi, and was struggling because, I think, it’s too grown up sounding. X declined guu/mueng, he finds them too rude to apply to someone he likes. X then offered to call Q just by his name (avoiding having to choose entirely), but I think Q finds that too intimate. But phi is still not discussed and Q goes back to rao/nai at the end. So honestly I’m really not sure what the hell is happening. 

I rewatched all their interactions through 3 times and I’m still mostly mystified.

My Only 12% (Fri iQIYI) Ep 2 of 15 - Cake and Eiw’s relationship reminds me of a high school version of the friendship that’s central to the movie Big Eden. There’s a part of me that wants that to be where this narrative is going too. I’m not gonna say more, because everybody should watch Big Eden. Yes, it’s ultimately happy. However, if this narrative does choose to go with a more mature approach, then this show will ultimately be sad, as a BL. Regardless, SantaEarth are doing a really killer job with this set up. They couldn’t have chosen a better pair. Cake calling a Eiw a sheep when Eiw’s name essentially sounds to me like ewe is hilarious. I don’t think they’re being that clever, though.

Coffee Melody (Mon Viki) Ep 5 of 10 - I do love how tough Jean is - flame on, indeed. Plus his boyfriend 2B has magical pink hair. (Are they secretly a marvel superhero team?) This was another ep of a show where I didn’t care that the leads were apart, because that just meant more side dishes. It’s not bad, this show, it’s not good either, tho. 

Love Mechanics (Sun WeTV) Ep 9 of 10 - Random new faen fatal in the 11th hour is annoying. And the boxing match is a dumb plot device. But the theme around food, family, affection, and acceptance was great. Mark is so good at flirting and Vee is so confused when that skill is targeting him. Someone give YinWar a better BL. Please? 

Love in the Air (Thurs iQIYI) Ep 1 of 13 - Mame’s creature has indeed whipped me into a verbal frenzy. So yeah, that’s another dumpster fire trash watch happening. Come with me if you wanna BURN and smell bad. Good times. So what’s this show like? Terrible. Also entertaining and engaging and kinda hot. Like all good dumpster fires. 

Unforgotten Night (Weds on GaGa) Ep 9 of 12 - I don’t have very much to say about this episode. I guess they are cute boyfriends? But do we want cute boyfriends from our mafia daddy? I ask you? TRASH WATCH IS HERE!

Check Out (Sat IQIYI) Ep 11 of 12 - Jumping back to high heat like we in 2021 ep 0 I see. Fine. Also: chalk one up for an uke bj (usually bjs are seme penance) thats 3 i think: Gen Y 2 (sort of, PokeTongue always strike me as verse), SCOY, and now Check Please Out. 

My Secret Love (Sat YT) Ep 12fin - This drama suddenly got sensible and interesting in the finale after the time jump, and the reason for the split turned out to be a decent one. But frankly, that was just frustrating. Because I got a glimpse that this could’ve actually been, if not a GREAT show, at least a passable one. But they saved this for the last 2 eps? That’s just annoying. Another wedding makes me feel like this trope is becoming ubiquitous in Thai BL. Who knew Grey Rainbow would end up with us here? In the end, I can't really recommend this. There's much better Thai BL these days, and tons of it. DON’T BOTHER 6/10 Full review on MDL. 

180 Degree Longitude Passes Through Us (Mon GaGa) Ep 1 of 8 - As others said this is a queer family drama not a BL. It’s fine but I don't like the lead character. He's a brat in the wrong way. Especially at 20 years old. It’s also a bit slow moving and oddly paced. I’m DNFing for now. Maybe I’ll watch it when it’s completed.

I gotta say iQIYI is really taking a stab at cornering this market and I’m not sure how I feel about it. 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Minato Shouji Coin Laundry (Japan Weds GaGa) Ep 8 of 12 - So it finally came, the episode where Minato has to break Shin’s heart. It was more delicately handled than I thought it would be, and that did surprise me. It was wistfully sad rather than gut wrenching. I still loved it, of course. SQUEE WATCH ALONG 

Takara-kun and Amagi-kun (Japan Thurs GaGa & Viki) 1 of 8 - GaGa’s subs are more poetic but Viki’s are more comprehensible, so I’m doing... BOTH. It’s cute. Amagi is an ADORABLE sunshine bean nugget but I’m not sold and his confession came out of nowhere. It’s maybe too high school? (GASP, did I just actually type that?) I did really like that we switched perspectives to Takara so soon in the series. Now we know their tortured pining is mutual. I like that, even if it means the whole rest of the show will be about miscommunication. “I like him so much that it feels stupid” is a killer line (GaGa’s version). Taraka is a seme who is scared of his own semeness. That said, this show is from the Mr. Unlucky and Senpai studio featuring Jpop idols, so I’m not expecting much. But I do love a high school setting and JBL has been killing it lately. 

Papa & Daddy 2 (Mon GaGa) Ep 3 of 8 - I hate hate HATE the grandparents bloodline = have another child plot. It’s really upsetting to me in a visceral way. I didn’t even realize I had a trigger around this kind of bullshit. However, the gender plot-line is interesting. And, to no one’s surprise, I continue to have terrible 2nd lead syndrome.

Want to See You (Vietnam YT) Ep 13 - What happened? Did I miss it? Was last week the ending? Are they on hiatus? Is it a crowd funding tactic? Why tf MDL can’t list VBL is increasingly annoying. 

In Case You Missed It

GaGa stepped up and will broadcast War of Y, if any of you want more PAIN in your lives. 

GMMTV dropped Zero Photography to their YouTube, it’s a GL advert special featuring InkPa from Bad Buddy. It was cute and sweet. But that’s it. 

Gossip

Apparently Jimmy (of JimmyTommy) has withdrawn from Middleman's Love and so they need to recast both leads. Bed Friends seems unaffected. 

There are quite a few pairs that Cheewin could hand this too. Anyone wanna take bets? Who would we fantasy cast from his line up? (Cheewin uses his pairs in Y-Destiny, War of Y). Middleman’s Love requires and YOUNGER seme and an older but nerdy (or capable of being nerdy) uke for an office set romance about an intern pursuing his boss. So I think BillySeng and MaxNat are NOT right for this. Other options? Toru & First, KimCop (of course), BoomPeak if you wanted to dip into the well (and if they were up for it), PerthLay if they need bigger names. 

More bad news, Korean BL Oh My Assistant probubly DOA. Read this. 

Next Week Looks Like This:

Starting: Thai BLs What If & Work from Heart. 

Ending: Love Mechanics and Check Out the series (thank fuck). 

Still to come in August? About Youth (Taiwan), Ghost Host, Ghost House (Thai), Ai Long Nhai (Thai). I’m gathering data for September releases now, so if you have any you’re excited about, leave a comment. 

I’m streamlining my systems to better keep track of BLs as they are announced and put into production, yes, there is a NEW spreadsheet as part of the DOOM (currently with 96 entries). Look, I never said this was easy. But now I can answer peeps when they ask me about upcoming stuff. 

This week’s best moments?

Yeah I know it was a sad bit, but that’s why I liked it. Vice Versa needed a bit of a low point. But also...

How to catch a live husband 101. 

Truth in BL, 21 Days Theory. 

Epic eye rolling in Love in the Air. Also, accurate picture of me the whole time I was watching the first ep.

The shoe tie! A pretty rare trope in BL actually. Common in Kdramas. Of course, I like it because it’s always fun to see a seme kneel. 

This was SO FUNNY. This is what the GMMTV boys excel at: snappy dialogue and great friendship groups. (The Eclipse)

I LOVE A boy who crush-sniffs another boy’s shirt. 

The pining is strong with this one. (Takara & Amagi) 

But then when he’s THAT CUTE, what can ya do? 

(last week) 

current earworm? P1Harmony’s Doom Du Doom

[littlebigmouse]

About the potential mole in the rebellion...

Given that information about the rebellion has leaked, people have naturally started considering who could be a potential mole. I have some thoughts:

Steve: people have pointed out that Steve's design seems to have shifted a little since last episode - most notably the position of his literal moles. Other than that though, I don't think he's a turncloak - with how little characterisation we've got from him, spending half an episode establishing his change of heart just to go back on it one episode later sounds confusing at best. And he would have had no reason to pretend to have changed for King for so long. Now there is the theory that someone else is pretending to be Steve - Adrien, for example - but I don't think that's true either. Since Steve was at the hideout the whole night, that would imply that the EC has access to the hideout/knows the exact location and went there - but instead of arresting every member of the CATTs and splitting them up, they just replaced one goon? An illusion that could be noticed so easily of someone accidentally spilled their drink on Steve? I don't think so

Eberwolf: honestly I just think this would be super boring because we know nothing about Eberwolf. It's true they have no established motivation to be rebelling, but we've gotten no hints and not even a line of dialogue - "Eberwolf betrayed everyone" wouldn't get more than a vague shrug from me. Who would care, honestly. Same goes for the other members of the BATs.

Raine: yes, Raine's been acting all twitchy this episode, but I really think this is all related to their motivation being "protect Eda", which isn't exactly going to be achieved if the plan goes off without a hitch. Eda and Raine remember that Eda's curse almost destroyed the two of them too. They know what they're getting into, and Raine making all manners of worried faces at everyone is them dealing with the fact that they are currently leading the one person they wanted to keep safe straight to disaster for the good of the people. Raine winking at Luz and promising to keep Eda safe looked more like them putting on a brave front for the sake of a kid to me, which is a loads stronger character conflict than whatever the implications of Raine's betrayel would be. Since we already had one "Raine is working for the EC" fake out, I really doubt they'll hit us with another

Darius: I have nothing to say to that except that it wouldn't make sense to send Hunter to protect Luz in this case but also I'd personally think it would be ridiculously funny if Darius turned out to be actually evil? Evil again? It would be so unnecessarily dramatic. He seemed genuine about protecting Hunter so I doubt he'd betray the cause like that, but if he did - yeah you go you funky little diva. But yeah, I don't think it's them either.

Which brings me to my theory on the whole matter: External means of espionage. Belos doesn't need a mole in the rebellion. Belos has an Oracle Coven Head, if not a whole Coven, under his thumb. Scrying potions are an established thing. There's probably any number of spells and measures to find out what your enemies are up to, no need to send someone disguised in person or whatever. It's also realistic if Belos had known about the CATTs the entire time - Hunter must have gotten "the whispers" about rebels attempting to invade the Emperor's mind from somewhere, after all. Since Belos seems to have ensured replacements for all Coven Heads, there really isn't much point for him to bother with their intricate little plans beyond setting them a trap for when they show up. And since Terra at least overheard a crystal ball call between Raine and Eda, it's not unreasonable to assume she's also figured out that Raine isn't exactly under her thumb (anymore). As Darius noted, they're a "terrible" actor (opinions vary, but I digress).

Tl;dr: there isn't a traitor among the CATTs, Belos just knows how to brew scrying potions.

[thetombedspirit]

New OWL HOUSE Theory!

Now, the newest episode reveals a bit more lore to the series. It gave us Vee and the backstory of the Basilisks, it gave us the “In-Between” and an insight to the portal. It gave us Luz’s hometown, Gravesfield, and it gave us a little more backstory about Phillip Whittbane, more so about how he had a brother and that they both ended up stuck in the Demon Realm.

Now, these brothers are important. Not just to the story, but to Luz’s hometown, Gravesfield. According to the wiki, Gravesfield was a ‘peaceful’ colony in the 1600s, until the brothers ‘mysteriously disappeared’. I mean, they have a statue of themselves standing in town.

Now, I probably won’t be the first to tell you this, but the statue on the right looks like he could be Phillip Whittbane, the man who looked for a way out of the Demon Realm and documented it in his diary. 

The statue on the left, is his brother, who has yet to be named or touched upon (though I have a theory of what his name is;))

Now, the Phillip statue doesn’t just look like, well, Phillip. But he also looks eerily like someone else. Someone we already now a good bit.

Belos.

I bet if someone were to edit most of his hair and his boils out of the way, he would look a lot like the Phillip Statue.

And in terms of the brother, he also looks like someone we already know.

I mean, the statue basically looks like a Hunter in his early 30s at least. And that’s not all I want to talk about.

Now, theories have been blowing up about who Belos was and who the brothers are to the Demon Realm. And I’m not the first to speculate who Belos and Hunter are.

But in order to touch onto that, I need to draw back and dive into another theory I believe to be canon.

Ever since Eclipse Lake, everyone has been speculating that Hunter could be a Grimwalker.

Now, no-one is particularity sure what a Grimwalker is, but the common theory is that a Grimwalker is a sort of artificial clone that requires a few ingredients that we’ve already seen in season 2.

The Galdorstone = heart and power, Palistrom wood = keratin, Stonesleeper lungs = ?, Selkidomus scales = ?, Bone of ortet = ?

And not only that, but one key detail that the page shows is that the Grimwalker has pinkish-red eyes. Kinda like...

Yeah, like Hunter. And despite looking like a witch (pointed ears) he doesn’t have any magic, and needs a staff in order to perform magic. He struggled teleporting the first few tries when he started using Rascal as his staff, but soon got into the grove of it once his mind was on the fight. Who else can’t do magic without a staff?

Luz needed to use a staff (Owlbert) in order to activate the glyphs on the door without doing it manually like she usually does (tapping the glyph to activate)

Is it coincidence, or is there a reason Hunter can’t perform magic normally like Willow or Amity can?

So here’s the theory.

Belos is Phillip and Hunter is a Grimwalker clone of Phillip’s brother, who I suspect was also named Hunter.

When I first watched ‘Eclipse Lake’, I genuinely felt, through Belos’ gestures and expressions towards Hunter, that he genuinely cared about him and his safety. I was since disabused of this notion and reminded that Belos is an abusive man, through and through, but I do think he cares about Hunter.

But I think he cares more about controlling Hunter and his interests.

Let’s look back at the photo of the picture.

In possession of one brother, the one on the right, you can see that in his left hand he’s holding a piece of paper with a circle drawn in, much like glyphs and in another we can faintly see that he’s holding a weird looking staff. It doesn’t seem to have an animal on it like the typical witch’s staff.

Kinda like Belos and Hunter’s 1st staff.

Now, in ‘Yesterday’s Lie’, we learned that Belos is the experimentive type. I mean, he made the staffs in the first place, right? Claiming them to be pure magic. And he brought the Basilisks back from extinction in order to perform experiments. Mostly, how they draw out and consume magic.

Not only does this show that Belos is capable of creating artificial life, but that he’s also planning something that includes drawing out ones magic and consuming it.

Tell me, when Belos needs a recharge, what does he do?

He draws out and consumes the magic of the Palismen. Just like how Basilisks consume magic from witches.

While his methods are much to be desired, he appears to be a kind of inventor or scientist. I mean, just look at how he’s repairing the door.

Now, Phillip seems to be a philosopher. His writings and diary entries imply he’s a educated man, a thinker.

And now to his brother, who, from now on, I’m calling Hunter Sr.

Hunter Sr. is depicted shaking hands with someone who bares a faint likeness to Principle Bump (possibly a wild witch). This could indicate that he’s rather friendly with the natives of the Demon Realm.

But that’s not the interesting part for me. It’s what’s perched on his shoulder.

A bird. And that bird looks awful familiar.

Yep, Hunter’s Cardinal, Rascal. And remember, Rascal originally belonged to someone else, as he was once one of the many abandoned Palismen in the Bat Queen’s care, and it is implied that he has been with her for a long time.

Now, Hunter Sr is certainly older then the Hunter we know, and based on the body language of the statues, Hunter Sr seems to be more assertive, poised confidently and looking ready to lead, while Phillip seems to be more of a follower then a leader.

From what we’ve gathered here, Grimwalkers seem to be raised from infancy, and if Hunter is 16 like it has been said, then that could tie into why Palismen wood is so hard to come by. And it would make a bit of sense that Hunter couldn’t do magic without a staff if he was a copy of a human man. Human’s don’t have bile sacks like witches and most demons do. Hunter may look like a witch, but he’s not a witch. He’s a human that just looks witch-like.

And Belos hates wild magic with a passion. He won’t even let Hunter mention, despite what an advantage it would be to study Wild Magic would be (know thy enemy, ya know?)

Anyway, here is what I think happened to the brothers and how Phillip became Belos.

So they end up in the demon realm. Not sure how, not sure why. And they try to find a way back home, and as they do, they learn a lot about the demon realm and it’s diverse culture and methods, with Hunter Sr even making a Palismen with the help of a Wild Witch, whilst Phillip makes his own form of magic by studying the glyphs. This may cause the brothers to quarrel as Hunter Sr appears absolutely taken by this world while all Phillip wants to do is return home.

Eventually, they try to find Eclipse Lake, and something happens. Something involving Wild Magic, or maybe not involving it at all, but none the less, Hunter Sr looses his life as a result and maybe leaves Belos cursed. Belos blames wild magic (perhaps the witch betrayed them, perhaps not and Belos is just looking for someone to blame)

Eventually, Phillip rises to power and becomes Emperor Belos. He hasn’t given up his goal of returning to earth, but now he also plans his revenge by outlawing all wild magic and planning to eradicate it once and for all. He plans the Day of Unity, he creates the coven system and silences anyone who calls out his abusive rule.

Eventually, he successfully creates a Grimwalker of his deceased brother. And not only that, but now he has Hunter under his control, has him thinking that Wild Magic is dangerous and savage and can not be trusted. Not only does he have his brother back, so to speak, but he also has him coming around to his way of thinking.

Though that cycle may break, thanks to a return of an old friend, Hunter’s Palismen.

Anyway that’s all I got so far. Belos is Phillip, Hunter is a Grimwalker fashioned to look like Phillip’s deceased brother and Rascal is Hunter Sr’s old palismen. Anyway, let me know what you think.

[another-fantasy-world]

Hi! Can I request a part 2 to your Valkyrae imagine?

GIF isn’t mine. Credits to the owner!

Title: Idol’s Inspiration Part 2 

Pairing: Valkyrae || Rae x Fem! Reader

Summary: A collection of moments involving an idol and a streamer

Warnings: Cursing?. Just pure fluffiness

Word Count: 3,043 words

I had way too much ideas on this one so this is going to be a collection of said ideas. Have fun!

Actually, I saw someone on my dashboard asking for Rae x Reader imagines, so hi to that person!

You can read Part 1 Here

➽───────────────❥ 

You took a couple of days before you gathered the courage to actually message Rae, you also spent those couple of days staring at the paper containing her number and your phone, which also has her number punched in. 

“Okay. I just have to press send...” Your fingers hovered over the icon as you chewed your lips in nervousness.

“Oh damn it.” Luna groaned before snatching your phone and pressing send, barely giving you time to retaliate

“Hey!” You complained, staring at her in disbelief

“You were taking too long” She shrugged, sipping on her milkshake as she tossed your phone back to you

You only had time to roll your eyes before phone vibrated.

‘About time you texted me, I was beginning to think you forgot. Oh and totally, I could make a lobby for you rn’

‘Sounds good! I’m free this Friday!’

You smiled, well, looks like you’re playing with your favorite streamer group this Friday then.

-

Your bandmate Jace actually owns a gaming pc, to which you borrowed to play among us, which ended you up here, in his room, on a private discord call with Rae, her helping you set up for tomorrow.

“So is this your first time, ya know? Playing among us?” Rae asks as the download bar for the proximity chat

“Oh no. Uhm, My bandmates and I play all the time, sometimes on public lobbies and sometimes we drag our crew to play, especially while on the tour bus. Plus, I watch you scream and play all the time so you don’t have to worry about me Rachel” You explain, smiling softly at the memories, trying to ignore the feeling of content and satisfaction at how easy her name rolled out of your tongue

“That’s cool.” She replies, about to say something when a bark interrupts her

“Mika! Hi! Hi baby~” You hear her coo, your smile widening

“Raeeee! Tell Mika I said hi!” You chuckled

“Y/N says hi!” She says, running her hand through Mika’s fur, the white furball now sitting in her lap

“Awee~ You’re both so cute~” You coo, laughing when Rae hid herself behind Mika

You spent the night talking about random stuff, setting up for the game and running a test run with her, but then laughing when you realized you can’t play with just the both of you, ultimately deciding to start early tomorrow for a test run. Her also adding you to their discord before sleeping.

-

“My new favorite seafood!” You furrowed your brows when you heard Sykkuno’s voice fill your ears when you joined the discord call

“Shrimp.” Brooke giggled

“OOOOOHHH. So that’s why they were saying shrimp for Rae. I was like, what does that even mean?” Rae’s sentence caught you off guard, especially since you just tweeted that exact same phrase before logging in.

“shit.” You mumbled, having dropped the lid of the water jug you were drinking from.

“Y/N! HI HI HI HI” Rae greeted

“Hello.” You replied, a little overwhelmed at being the center of attention.

“Pfft- My chat is saying shrimp for Y/N now” Sykkuno announces

“Mine too” Brooke agrees, soon followed by the rest of the lobby, making you laugh

“I’m Sorry, Sorry! Actually, I may know why that’s happening. Fun fact! I actually gave people permission to shrimp for me on an interview, since I found it funny, especially since I’m also shrimping for someone.” You explained

“Oh yeah! I saw that clip.” Rae mumbles, trying to decide which color she should be in and what hat she should wear

“I wonder who Y/N is simping for. Hmmmm. Who could that be? Hmmmm.” Toast teases

“Yeaaah. I wonder who that could be.” Poki replies, her teasing tone much more evident

-

It had been a couple weeks now since you first played with Rae and her friends, her friends who are now also your friends. You were pressured to stream on YouTube by your fans and also Rae, who you now have late night talks with.

“Y/N! Hiiiiii!” You hear Rae as you rounded, soon followed my Corpse’s voice

“Choke me-” Corpse started

“LIKE U HEYT MEH BAT U LAB MEH-” Rae continued, mispronouncing words that made you chuckle

“Lowkey wanna date me when you hmm me.” You sang, connecting the wires

“NEW SONG! NEW SONG! Corpse and Coldify! C and C!” Rae exclaimed, her little red bean circling you and Corpse

“Oh yeah, definitely, Corpse? You up to it?” You ask, doing a little wiggle to show your excitement

“Hell yeah! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA” he does that deep voice thing that made you flinch

-

“I can’t stand it. I can’t stand the sound of my voice.” Rae exclaims, talking to chat you assume.

You rolled your eyes, finding Rae’s voice beautiful. You jumped out of the vent, knowing that no one was around, making her scream

“Hi! Just wanted to pop in and let you know that your voice is actually beautiful and I would love to sing with you some time. That’s all, I’ll go back to killing now, Oh! you might want to check vitals, love.” You say, hopping back into the vent, laughing silently. Then abruptly stopping when you realized you called Rae “love”, glancing at the chat, who were now spamming your ship name with Rae

Seeing Lily alone, humming a tune, you quickly popped out of the vent, sliced him in half before a meeting was called, Ludwig finding Toast’s body.

“Before we start. I just want to say, to the person who called me “love”... You don’t get to call me that then run away!” She exclaims

“Sorry! I got embarrassed!” You pouted. You wiggled your eyebrows at your chat, smirking slightly

“Uh-huh. Oops, Sorry Lud. Carry On” Rae says, letting Lud explain his “Different Universe” theories about how Toast died.

-

“Heeeey...” Rae trailed out, her cornering you in storage

“Hiiii?” You smiled nervously. You don’t know what was happening in her mind

“Soooo... Babuska?” You immediately got what she was implying, nodding frantically, before realizing she couldn’t see you

“Yeah. Yeah let’s do this!” You both walked out, Rae on the lead while your white character trails after her

“OH LOOK! There’s Corpse! And Sykkuno! Hiiiiiii!” She greeted cheerily, somehow you could see the evil smile on her face

“oh- Oh. Hi Rae! We’re just shooting some space rocks here!” Sykkuno says, her green character circling Rae

“I see. I see... Babushka.” Rae states, you wait a couple of seconds letting Sykkuno and Corpse panic first, before slicing Corpse in half.

“OH JESUS! You killed Corpse! You killed him! You really kil-” He was cut off when Ash creeped behind him, biting his head off

“Thanks Ash.” You say, laughing as Rae gasped and laughed as well

-

“Rae~ Oh Rae~” You chuckled, looking for the brunette

“What?!” She exclaimed from her spot behind the seismic reactors

“Oh uhm, are you streaming right now?” You asked her, preparing yourself for what you are about to say.

“Uh yes? Duh?” 

“Ohkay... well, hypothetically, If I were to ask you out, is it okay if I do it on stream orrr?”

“Well, hypothetically, I would be fine with it either way, yes.”

“Oh okay!” You clear your throat

“Ms. Valkyrae, The Valkyrae, Rae, would you please grace me with your presence on this coming friday night and allow me to buy you dinner, m’lady?” You say in your best posh voice

“...Yes” She says in a small voice

“Great! I’ll pick you up at 7!” You say

“Great! Okay”

“Great. I’ll kill you now.” you say

“Wait what?!” she exclaims, her scream perfectly cut when the victory sign flashes on your screen.

“THE AUDACITY! HOW DARE YOU! I- I CAN’T EVEN” She rages

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” You apologized, laughing your ass off

-

“I’m on Y/N Protection Services! She’s been dying a lot lately!” Rae exclaims, you rolling your eyes at her dramatics, both of you were impostors.

“Well, thank you m’lady” You replied, faking gas

“Ooooooh! I have speci, come.” Rae says, her red character slicing toast nonchalantly when you passed him doing telescope

“Uhm-”

“Shh.” 

And suddenly, when the decontamination doors open, Poki emerged from it, panicking you killed her.

“Oh shit! No! Wait! I’m sorry! Pokiii!” You whined, following Rae into decontam

Finding Janet in Speci, You go to say hi, only to be interrupted by the body being found.

“OH NO! TOAST! He was just with me! OH JESUS!” Sykkuno exclaims, making you bite your lip to avoid laughing

“Where’s the body?” Jack asks

“Medbay, by the telescope” Brooke answers

“It has to be Y/N! She’s the only one who could’ve killed Toast!” Janet accused

“Hey! What?! Why me?!” you complained, 

“You came from upper decontam! Toast’s body is in medbay, That’s sus.” Janet says, you were about to defend yourself when Rae chimed in

“There is a possibility that Y/N is the impostor.” She states

“Wha?! RAE?! You- You were with me in speci!”

“What? No I wasn’t! You’re lying! I lost you when I was doing gas! I was looking for you everywhere!” Rae says making you look at chat with a pout

“I didn’t see her there either...” Janet backed her up

“Wha?! Guys?! Come on, let’s skip! There’s barely enough evidence!” You desperately say, trying to save yourself

In the end, 7 heads voted for you.

“...Y/N will remember this.” You state before being thrown off the ship, welcomed by Poki and Toast’s laughter

“Yeah. Yeah. Hmmpf.” you huffed at Poki and Toast

“My girlfriend just betrayed me. Rae betrayed me chat, she just, she pushed me off the plank. She just, watched as I burned in the lava. She kicks me out of her bed for Mika, and now she betrays me, then pushes me off the plank. Ohhh the pain” you dramatically say as you followed Rae, her returning to specimen

“Listen, chat, Y/N if you’re listening... That was payback for that one time you killed me behind reactor right after you asked me on a date! Okay!” You rolled your eyes and looked at your camera with an annoyed look in your face

But your smile slowly returns as Rae goes on a mass massacre making you both win without meetings, making you bounce in your seat, clapping

“Good Job Rae! That was so good! You successfully scared me, I might not sleep in your room now.” You teased her, making her gasp

-

“Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Hello everyone and welcome to the streeaam! Part 2. We are starting the playthrough of little nightmares 2- Hold on, Y/N’s calling.”

“Love?” Your voice rings out through Rae’s phone

“Hiii Baby! You’re on speaker” Rae states while looking at the game settings

“Oh. Well Hi chat! Anyways, Mcdonalds? I’m 5 minutes away, don’t start little nightmares yet, come on.” You whined

“Oh you big baby, I wasn’t starting without you.” Rae laughs

“Liar, I was watching your stream.” You deadpanned

“Pshh. Pshh! But yeah, Mcdonald’s fine. And hurry up! I wanna play!”

“Okay, okay sheesh, I’ll be there with your chimkin nuggies” 

-

“Baby?” You knocked on her door, even after all the months that you have been together, you always knocked on her door before entering, incase she was doing something.

“Come in love! Perfect timing.” You open the door to see your girlfriend playing with Mika, Little Nightmares 2 plastered on the screen. You approached her and kissed her forehead

“Hi Babe. Hi chat! How are you guys doing? Hold on, let me set this down.” You say, arranging the food on Rae’s desk, careful not to spill anything

“Are we ready? Baby, grab your chair. Are we ready? Are we ready? I’m so excited!” The excitement in her eyes is making you smile

“Oh she’s excited alright, she wouldn’t shut up about it chat. Trust me” You chuckled.

“Will there be a lot of screaming? Rae?” You read chat

“Uhm. Hopefully not, I don’t know dude. Can’t control my screams.”

-

“A Shoe!” Rae gasps

“Baby, there’s literally hanging kids dangling in a net and the first thing you notice is the shoe?” You looked at her in disbelief

“Oh. What happened to you guys? Stinkyy. Oooooh. Physics!” You bit your lip and shook your head at your girlfriend’s antics

“Y/N, I feel comfort when I hold this shoe.”

“Ouch. Are you saying I’m not comforting you? Rude.”

“Stop trolling!” She says, turning to you as you held up a fry

She raises her eyebrows before biting the whole fry, along with your finger.

“Ouch! Damn it Rae! You’re like a chihuahua”

“Owa Owa.” 

-

“I’m sorry. OUWGHH?! OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, PALAMPARAMPARAMPARAMPALAMPRAMPRAMPRAM! SHE’S COMING!”

“RAE! RUN! RAE! RAE! RAE! HOOOOLY SHIT! RAE! RAE! RACHEL RUN! RACHEL! RUUUN!” You panic, gripping her thigh as the teacher neck elongated, following your little character into the vents

“SHE DOESN’T CARE! SHE DOESN’T CARE! PLEASE?!” 

A moment of silence pass the both of you as the character Rae’s controlling gets to safety. Rae slowly turns to meet your eyes, and bursts out laughing.

“You should’ve seen your face!” You laugh at her

“OH OKAY? Like you weren’t screaming for me to run.” She says then proceeds to repeat what you said while in a panic, making you laugh harder

“Sorry for screaming, it’s just really gross and unexpected.” She says sheepishly to her chat, which was now spamming ‘HAHAHA’ and ‘Damn how long is that neck’

-

“So, this question is directed to Ms. Y/N.” The interviewer moves his body to face you.

“Yes?” You smiled, guessing that this must be about you and Rae

“How are you feeling about your pictures trending on Twitter worldwide?” he asks, a smile on his face as the pictures flashed on the large screen behind you

“Ahm, it’s really great. A lot of hard work was put into that photoshoot, mostly because my girlfriend, Rae refused to put on the dress and was attached to the suit she’s wearing right there. God, she looks so beautiful. Uhm, but anyways, it took a lot of effort to get her out of that suit. ” You grinned

“Ahh. I recognize that look, Makes me remember about my wife and I. You’re so smitten. Can I just say that I ship you guys so hard.” The interviewer says

“Ah- Thank you. Hehe.” You say, embarrassed but proud

“While were on this topic of trending pictures, Can you guys explain whatever these pictures are? I’m pretty sure your fans already know what these are. But an explanation would be nice” The interviewer now addressed your whole group

“Well, considering that Y/N is dating Rae, Luna is dating Sykkuno and Jace is dating Imane, or Poki,  Okay, so there’s this AU that’s around their community where they are mafia’s and we’re all members now. We all joked about being apart of their mafia, to which they agreed. So now Rae and Y/N are now the assassin duo, Poki and Jace are their supervisors and Luna, Sykkuno and Corpse are the deadly trio” Sebastian explains

“Their community is so creative I swear. And combined with our fandom, the fanarts and fanfictions are the best.” Luna says, a smile present on her face

“And yes, we all do read fanfiction, in multiple platforms.” You laughed, the live audience gasping in surprise

“None of you are safe.” Jace says in a playful intimidating voice

-

“Okay, I’m gonna get off. Thank you for watching. I’ll see you guys later, thanks for watching, I hope you guys enjoyed the stream. Uhmm. Appreciate you guys. Byeee!” you hear Rae end her stream from your spot in her bed.

“Hunter x Hunter? or AOT?” you ask her as you put your phone in silent and set it aside, opening your arms for her.

She crawls into your side, cuddling you while groaning lightly.

“Do you wanna take a bath first? Or do you wanna eat dinner? Maybe take a nap first? You’ve been streaming for 13 hours baby, your eyes are probably tired now.” You say, running your free hand through her hair

“Naps and cuddles please.” she mumbles, her head buried in the crook of your neck

“Okay baby, I’ll just put AOT on, oh wait. Hmm, Jujutsu Kaisen sounds great right now. No, wait even better, Ouran Highschool Host Club.” You go to turn your head to ask Rae, but you see her asleep. 

You chuckle quietly, knowing Rae, she can overwork herself, sit on a chair for 13 hours, playing various video games, while you really can’t see yourself play videogames for 13 hours straight, you admire that she has the patience and energy to do that.

Smiling, you lower the volume of the Anime that you’re watching, slowly pull the blankets up as Rae shifts closer to you, clinging like a koala. Mika jumps up and settles in between the two of you, Your smile widens at the feel of things, the calmness, the silence, the tranquility and the sense of home, something that only Rae can provide. Something that you have been looking for ever since your career took off. The constant trips to the studio, the paparazzi, the world tours, the concerts, the interviews, everything, everything was worth it when you know you’re coming home to her. 

You didn’t even know how you got to where you are now, cuddled into Rae, the comfort streamer you never thought you would meet, even when you mostly stayed where she stayed... Dating her was a dream, you didn’t believe it at first, she quickly proved that dream theory wrong when she kissed you, under the rain. As cliché as it seems, that was the day you both silently agreed to never let go of each other and take care of each other even if the other is half way across the world.

Even if dating her means also dating her room mates and her chat...

You would never trade it for anything. 

Even if you knew she would scream her ears off once she knows that you have a whole album that’s inspired and dedicated to her.

[clarenecessities]

As my followers may have picked up from my long, spiraling rants, I’ve undertaken a new research project, courtesy of the death grip She-Ra has on my brain. And guess what? It’s finally at Disseminate Information Stage! So I’m going to lay out all of the gods, demigods, and godbeasts of the Masters of the Universe. With sources!

This table is more of a cheat sheet. We’re gonna tackle this god by god, with a section on Actual Lore & a meta section to help you decide how valid you think they are, because frankly some canons are more canon than others.

Asklepia, Benevolent Snake Goddess

Lore: Asklepia is one of two snake goddesses, the benevolent twin sister of Serpentia. We know very little about her abilities, but the Snake Clan (a clan of human warriors) were said to worship her, and they were famed for their architecture and healing. She had the ability to curse and deform people--to what extent is uncertain, but she’s known to have condemned a fallen priest named Ka, whose disfigured likeness now adorns Snake Mountain.

Behind the Scenes: First appearing in the 1987 comic “Il Nero Cristallo Del Potere“, Asklepia remained nameless for over 30 years, until Masters of the Universe Classics (MOTUC) released a few choice bios. For the unfamiliar, MOTUC seeks to reconcile the often contradictory canons into one overarching narrative, which is great in theory, but in practice is kind of like putting ice cream on a hot dog. And calling it a Chilly Dog ® as if that makes it taste better. But I digress. In 2019 they released a bio for the Staff of Ka which finally put a name to the less-evil Snake Goddess, in an obvious nod to Asclepius and the asklepian (that staff+snake icon people put on medical stuff).

Sharella, the Green Goddess and/or “Avatar” of Asklepia

Lore: Contradictory

Long Version: Okay I’ve put avatar in quotes because it is... contentious. Basically, and you’ll see here why I felt the need to make this post instead of relying blindly on the wikis, Sharella was introduced (in the ‘87 licensing guide) as a tribal leader who had joint custody of Gray, the original name of He-Ro’s alter ego, while he was growing up. This was further developed by Emiliano Santalucia’s concept work, wherein she was the leader of the Green Tiger Tribe (GTT) specifically. While the comic concept was not run through licensing & is thus not “canon”, the idea of her leading the GTT persisted. This teeny tiny image of her from Tytus and Megator’s 1987 Italian box art was all we had until 2008, when one of He-Man’s accessories described her as the “warrior woman ally” of Queen Veena, “who had been changed into the immortal green-skinned avatar of the Goddess Asklepia”. In 2009, MOTUC released a figure for The Goddess, apparently forgetting they’d done that shit the year before because the packaging did say “K’yrulla” was her real name. They had to cover it up with a sticker. 

So who’s The Goddess? Way back in the days before Mattel solidified any of the lore around MOTU, there were mini-comics released with the toys. Initially, the Goddess served a similar function to the Sorceress in the cartoon, and was in fact sometimes called the Sorceress. She facilitated He-Man’s transformations, gave him missions, was generally magical and mysterious, etc. If you know who the Sorceress is, and you can picture Teela, but green? That’s about it.

Back to Sharella, though. The Third Ultimate Battleground rolled around in 2015, and for the first time since some packaging in the 80s, we saw Sharella in action! She was shot through the heart with a poison arrow. Yeah. But don’t worry, she received a blood transfusion from Moss Man (who we’ll get to later), and was transformed into the Green Goddess! She’s immortal now. How Asklepia figures in here is sort of unclear, which is weird since this is still part of the MOTUC line, but whatever. Whatever! Queen Grayskull (the aforementioned Veena) received a bio in 2015 as well, which described Sharella as her apprentice who became “The Goddess”.

Horokoth, Aspect of the Mother Goddess

Lore: DC went a little batshit (pun intended) with the lore for the Eternity War. Here the Goddess is three combined aspects, “Serpos” (Serpentia) for the Snake Men, Zoar for the human “Eternians”, and a third, invented deity called Horokoth, who represents the Horde. Horokoth is “the coming destroyer. The darkness at the end of days.” and is represented by a bat.

Behind the Scenes: That last link has a clearer picture of her, it just didn’t crop well. Also, I confess I couldn’t bring myself to read Eternity War. As thrilling as the prospect of a cohesive narrative is, if I wanted to see Adora slit her brother’s throat there’s the edgier side of deviantArt to peruse. Therefore I know little of Horokoth outside of a few still images of Hordak. The bat was almost certainly selected for the Horde’s vespertilian emblem.

Hordeous, God-Beast of Horokoth

Lore: A “primordial”, bat-like godbeast of Horokoth, created in response to the god Saz’s feline races. Their face was “forever infused“ on the surface of Horde World by Horde Lord (Hordak and Horde Prime’s father in the MOTUC canon) to grant their family power and immortality.

Behind the Scenes: Yes they’ve used some words wrong, but they’ve got the spirit, right? Hordeous was (allegedly, this is secondhand) an invention of the MOTUC crew in answer to Horokoth. Now, the Horde Supreme bio predates Horokoth’s introduction by about 3 years, but obviously the comics were in production already. There’s an undated sketch of Horokoth Hordak from an undated interview (thanks for nothing you useless website) but in that same gallery there’s an orko sketch labeled 2012 so. We’re good right? That makes sense, timeline-wise. Anyway the comics slam dunked Horde Prime out of existence and combined him with Horde Lord so it’s contradictory anyway. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Serpentia, Malevolent Snake Goddess

Lore: The evil counterpart of Asklepia, Serpentia is the goddess of the Snake Men. The priest Ka of the Snake Clan forsook Asklepia in her favor, destroying Asklepia’s sacred orb and stealing the Serpent Ring (an artefact capable of transforming humans into Snake Men) from the Ophidian Spire with King Hsss. In DC’s triune interpretation of the Goddess, Serpentia (here ‘Serpos’) is blood, passion, and desire. A primal and primordial force appearing to the Snake Men in their own image.

Behind the Scenes: Okay yes I’ve reused the Asklepia pic but in my defense they are twins and this is the easiest one to crop. So here’s the thing about Serpentia: we only got a name for her in 2019. We knew there was a snake goddess, and she was pretty evil, or at least hostile towards mammalian life (see: the source of the pic I chose for her). Where Asklepia references the asklepian, ‘Serpentia’ is a much more heavy-handed snake reference, even though Anguis was right there. Those Masters Mondays came through for us, though, with the shield and staff of Ka, Ssssylph, and of course MOTUC’s Dark Despot Skeletor, which is. something. Though only recently named, Serpentia has been a shadow over Eternia since the Snake Men’s introduction in 1985 (or, depending on how much of the presented backstory you accept, even sooner in the form of Skeletor’s lair, Snake Mountain).

Serpos/Sarcedon, God-Beast of Snake Mountain

Lore: Contradictory, but the gist of it is he’s a very large snake with elemental magic and a grudge, that was turned to stone and became Snake Mountain.

Long Version: Snake Mountain was conceived of towards the end of 1982, but wasn’t revealed to the public until September of 1983, with the debut of the Filmation cartoon. For another year, the snake coiled around its summit was simply a carving, its mouth hollowed out for Skeletor to stand in and loom. But in 1984 the Snake Mountain toy was released, completely discarding the Filmation design in favor of the hewn face of the figure we now call Ka. Instead of a snake carving winding its way up the peak, the Mattel toy featured a ‘striking serpent’, alive and attached to the mountain itself. From there, it was an easy leap to make to ‘this carving comes alive’. So easy, in fact, that they did it twice!

First attempted in 1985 in the newspaper storyline “Vengeance of the Viper King”, the snake was here called Sarcedon, the World Destroyer. At the dawn of time, he was said to crush Eternia within his deadly coils. He burrowed deep into the ground, causing fearsome storms that nearly destroyed the planet. Only a fearless hero (implied to be He-Ro) could defeat and imprison Sarcedon. Using a macguffin called a Mirror of History, He-Man forced Sarcedon to behold his own reflection in a reference to the Medusa myth that kind of missed the point of it being reflective. Sarcedon was sent back in time, Snake Mountain was restored, the good guys win, blah blah blah.

That was the last of it until the MYP cartoon in 2004. Serpos as a name was actually first invoked by Mer-Man in a 1982 minicomic, but like it probably wasn’t about the snake. Anyway in the MYP cartoon the Snake Men get this thing called the Medallion of Serpos that lets them un-petrify the snake around Snake Mountain, grow two more heads, and unleash his godly wrath. He breathes fire, trashes Eternos, beats up He-Man, then turns his attention on Castle Grayskull to consume the Orb of Power (containing the strength and wisdom of the Elders, who had first trapped him in stone). He-Man cuts off Serpos’s extra heads with a sword upgrade, the Elders are somehow magically restored to life, and they re-petrify him. Snake Mountain is restored, the good guys win, blah blah blah.

Zoar, the Fighting Falcon

Lore: Contradictory, but it sure is a bird!

Long Version: While Sharella’s backstory is fraught because of the comics couldn’t decide what they wanted her to be, Zoar was similarly tangled up by the toyline. Initially male, he went through several color schemes, some prettier than others. Though there was a vague association with the Sorceress before the cartoon (recall that pre-Filmation, the Sorceress was just the Goddess), Filmation made them literally inseperable by designating Zoar as the Sorceress’s falcon form, to which she was confined when leaving Castle Grayskull.

Some of the comics and Golden books showed Zoar as being flipping enormous & ridden into battle as a steed by Teela and Man-at-Arms. Pre-Filmation, Zoar was always referred to as male, but post-Filmation, always female, as an incarnation of the Sorceress.

The Eternity Wars comics describe Zoar as the third aspect of the Goddess, the ‘Great Preserver’ whose light would shine through the universe for eternity. They pull off a sort of tripartite priestess thing where it’s Serpos/Zoar/Horokoth represented by Teela-Na (the Sorceress)/Teela/Evil-Lyn.

MOTUC, of course, had to reconcile all of these contradictory canons. How’d they do it? “In the folklore of Eternia, the golden falcon symbolized the godhead Zoar, a powerful deity of Preternia. As a god, Zoar could appear in both male and female guises and while the blue-tipped female falcon was associated with the Sorceress of Grayskull, the golden falcon represented Zoar's masculine nature.” So Zoar is genderfluid now, and the Sorceress is merely borrowing their form when transforming into a falcon. This bio also established that Zoar had anointed the first Sorceress, Veena (Queen Grayskull), which explains why she has wings for no apparent reason.

Also it’s not offically MOTUC but the scultors of the line, Four Horsemen, made a single anthro Zoar for Power-Con 2013. In case you need that for some reason.

Glorybird, Emissary of Zoar

Lore: Many millennia ago, there were three siblings, who were very poor and mistreated by their stepmother, but had hearts filled with kindness and love. Zoar, recognizing their resilience and desire to help people, sent an emissary named Glorybird. Glorybird bestowed upon each sibling a divine gift, but as they used their new powers to fight for good, their stepmother revealed herself to be a Celestial Witch & attempted to sacrifice them to Zoar’s “greatest enemy”, Horokoth.  

Backstory: Okay, so the Star Sisters (and Glorybird) were in exactly one episode of She-Ra, primarily to set them up as new toy designs. While prototypes were made for these, the figures weren’t actually produced until MOTUC released figures for them in 2012. Though they were referenced in Princess Prom, and we saw a brief cameo in a background, Glorybird was absent until the introduction of the Star Siblings in Season Five.

That’s right! This bird is a god, and there’s nothing you can do about it.

Saz, God of All Felines

Lore: One of the “Gods of the Multiverse” (he is the only member named explicitly), Saz was a blue-furred, feline deity responsible for the creation of all cats, humanoid or otherwise. He transformed himself into an enormous cat-beast to defeat Serpos and Hordeous, whose progenitors created them in envy of his children. Though Serpos was defeated, Hordeous escaped into the cosmos, and Saz himself vanished mysteriously.

Behind the Scenes: “By the whiskers of Saz!” is a fun pseudo-swear made by various cat races throughout MOTU, first in He-Man’s “The Cat and the Spider” and later in She-Ra’s “Magicats”. That was the only real mention of him until... okay, so MOTUC bios aren’t always attached to the product. Starting in 2018, they did this thing called Masters Mondays where they put unposted bios on the org forums. So while we’ve had the sword since 2010, we didn’t get the background on it until March of 2020. And then a couple weeks later, the Cat Mask of Catra bio referred to him as a “mystical being” instead of a god, but the mask was from 2011 so. He may not have been a god yet. It really depends on when the bios were actually written.

Saz wielded a blade probably best described as a falchion, whose quillon & langet formed a vaguely triangular shape around a deep red gem. I want to be clear that while it looks totally rad, this sword would be very impractical and have poor structural integrity were it not made by a literal god. Do not make swords like this. Also it’s almost certainly riffing on the Sword of Omens from Thundercats (affectionate).

Sabe-Or, Son of Saz

Lore: A green-furred, orange-striped paladin, Sabe-Or is one of the only named Ancients. He inherited his father’s blade upon Saz’s mysterious disappearance, and lived for centuries more. Upon his death, he transferred his “heroic essence” into a group of Eternian tigers, forever transforming them into the Green Tiger Tribe, whence both Granger (steed of King Grayskull), and Cringer, steed of Prince Adam.

Behind the Scenes: So “Battle Cat Man” is a concept that’s existed since they decided to make their hero ride a wicked tiger into battle. If you show a kid a superhero, and a supertiger, apparently the natural inclination of most children in the 80s was to combine the two. There are so many custom action figures. So, so many. Sabe-Or is visually a clear reference to this concept, and canonically seems to be the closest we’re going to get outside of the Thundercats crossover, unless you count Cowarros from 4H’s Mythic Legions line (I do, because it means Purrrplor is also canon and I fucking love calling him that).

Moss Man, Ancient Eternian Nature God

Lore: An ally of King Grayskull, Moss Man was something of an Eternian cryptid in the centuries leading up to He-Man Times. He has control over all plant life, the ability to meld with plants, and apparently can imbue sentience to said plants.

Behind the Scenes: Moss Man wasn’t featured in many episodes, because he’s a little... incredibly over-powered. He’s literally Bigfoot from 5000 years ago with magic powers. And like, since I don’t think the writers appreciate how long 5000 years is, you know what happened 5000 years ago? Stonehenge. This bitch is Stonehenge-old. But sure, you can trace a direct line of descent from his contemporary. smh. Anyway according to MOTUC his real name is Kreann’Ot N’Norosh so make of that what you will. Also his toys were pine-scented. I just love that.

Evil Seed, Rebellious Creation of Moss Man

Lore: Created by Moss Man to help fight in the Great Wars, Evil Seed betrayed his master and turned to evil (who could have foreseen this...), finding joy in corrupting all forms of plant life for his own amusement. Moss Man imprisoned him in enchanted chains, keeping him restrained for many millennia.

Behind the Scenes: According to MOTUC, his real name is Sero Malustro, clumsy New Latin for “(to) plant evil-burnt“. Why his name is New Latin and Moss Man’s is... whatever that is, I have no idea. As you can see from the image I included, he originally had an artichoke head, which was upgraded for the Mike Young Productions (MYP) cartoon. Personally I think the artichoke rules.

Volcana, the Fire Goddess

Lore: Canonically, she’s a fire goddess, and the mother of the Volcano Magus. Together, they are a rising force that seeks to conquer Etheria in the wake of Hordak’s defeat.

Backstory: Volcana has taken a long a twisted journey, but was first revealed to fans at Power-Con 2016 in a panel revealing previously unseen concepts and characters. After the first wave of She-Ra toys, a second wave was planned with a snow focus, to bring more attention the Filmation-neglected Frosta. This began with the introduction of a fire villain, an “evil lady that glows with heat” who would attempt to melt Castle Chill. That concept actually refers to a character named Amber (not Ember, as one might assume) who was reworked into a benevolent counterpart, Volcana’s twin sister.

Volcana was later fleshed out to be a Fire Goddess with flame-red hair, x-ray vision, and arms sculpted with flames. Her cape flew up with flame detail that rose up to control the volcano (of Volcanica, a proposed toyset that seems to have been reworked into the Crystal Falls). She was emphasized by Mattel to not start fires, which, honestly, is probably why they scrapped the character. He-Man couldn’t use his sword as a sword; a woman made of fire was basically doomed.

Now, though, we’re several decades in and lines made for collecters that are largely in their 30s and 40s can say whatever they want! So she’s canon, even if Amber isn’t. Yes there’s only one mention of her. Amber technically was mentioned in an unproduced episode titled “Amber Waves of Flame”, but as it was unproduced, it’s noncanonical.

Volcano Magus, Sinister Son of Volcana

Lore: Living within a dormant volcano, the Volcano Magus of the German audio plays was the source of most of Catra’s power and all of her evil intent. He supplied her with magic for spells and schemes with which to assail the Crystal Castle, but neither she nor Clawdeen were aware of the dark influence he held over them.

In the MOTUC canon, he’s specified as the son of Volcana, a demigod from the “Region of Volcanoes” who craved the nature magic of the Whispering Woods. When he learned the Twiggets were inextricably linked to that magic, he used his powers to petrify the former Rebels (this was after the Horde's defeat) and kidnap three Twiggets to drain the magic from their souls. Twiggets, for the uninitiated, are like purple tree-elf things. According to MOTUC, Razz is a Twigget, though the ‘real’ name they assigned her doesn’t fit their naming convention. She is purple, I guess.

Kowl, who avoided petrification, read Razz's spellbooks to find a way to save his friends, and learned of an Entrapment Gem that she hid in a shoe, for some reason. He confronted the Volcano Magus, spoke in the ancient tongue of the First Ones, and sucked him into the Gem.

Backstory: Admittedly this stuff is second hand, as I don’t speak German & they only have transcriptions/translations for the He-Man tapes anyway, but if anybody can find me an audio file I will do my best to verify. The MOTUC stuff at least I can confirm 100% because it’s from 2019 & I do speak English, for better or worse.

Oak, the Jackal God

Lore: Oak was the terrible Jackal God worshiped by the denizens of Zhar, an ancient civilization that once existed in a remote, forested region of Eternia. Long ago, Oak was imprisoned within a statue which could be found within the Temple of the Jackal. When Skeletor removed the statue from the temple, Oak broke free of the enchantment which imprisoned him and wreaked havoc on Eternia. Although the Jackal God was immensely powerful, he could be weakened by the elements of nature and was ultimately foiled by a rainstorm conjured by the combined powers of He-Man's sword and the magic of the temple's guardian priest.

Backstory: I have lifted this from a He-Man guide word for word as I cannot for the life of me find a copy of the Brazilian Editora Abril comic he came from, O Templo Do Chacal (1986). The description is like, suspiciously similar to the plot of the He-Man episode The Cat and the Spider, except the Grimalkin was never described as a god. The rest of it--statue, Skeletor, storm defeat--plays out almost the same. True pity I can’t find the original source, but I do trust this guidebook. You may be interested in Ceres from the UK comics--another dog-slash-statue who frankly might as well be a god himself, but as he’s not called one in canon he’s not going on the list.

The Bitter Rose Goddess

Lore: As Man-at-Arms told the legend, “Every day, a woman climbed Rose Mountain to look for her husband to return from the war. Alas, he never came back. Her tears poured from her cheek and entered the ground. One day she disappeared, but where she stood was a single, solitary rose. It’s the only thing that grows on Rose Mountain.”

The Insect People, who lived at the base of Rose Mountain, believed that the Bitter Rose is all that held the mountain together (and when it was picked, they were proved right). After the flower was restored, it transformed into the Bitter Rose Goddess herself, who explained that she had been a prisoner of her love's sorrow, so bitter that she refused to allow anything else to grow on Rose Mountain. She blessed the surrounding area, blanketing the jagged peaks with roses, and disappeared.

Backstory: She’s kind of... barely a god. She showed up in one episode and no other media & has objectively less power than like, every single demon they ever brought in. I almost didn’t put her on this list.

Mask-Ra, Goddess of Masks

Lore: A goddess who created the magical Masks of Power.

Backstory: Mask-Ra was first mentioned in 2019 and like, look, I’m gonna be real. I don’t respect her. She’s an invention of MOTUC (unless they were drawing on this concept art of Maska-Ra, which I doubt bc he was a Man-E-Faces precursor) and they retconned her into having created Catra’s mask, which is kind of redundant given the entire episode Magicats. This mask did not need two bios. There are no other mentions of her in any canon.

Potential other Masks of Power: The Deemos and Tyrella masks from the He-Man episode “Masks of Power”, lizard and canine masks from the mini-comic “Masks of Power”, Lord Masque’s Demon Mask from the He-Man episode “House of Shokoti, Part 1″, and whatever the hell Red Shadow has going on.

Procrustus, Giant Guardian of Magic

Lore: During the creation of the various dimensions (5 in MOTUC canon but demonstratably higher everywhere else), the gods installed the four-armed, immortal giant Procrustus to guard their secrets at the heart of Eternia. There lay the Starseed, from which the entire dimension was created. It still held immeasurable power, and could be used to conquer entire universes. Hordak, in an attempt to access the Starseed, cracked Eternia in two with the Spell of Separation. Though he was (mostly) thwarted, from then on Procrustus was forced to hold the two halves of Eternia together from within, lest the planet break apart and the Starseed be exposed.

Backstory: First appearing in the mini-comic “The Magic Stealer!”, Procrustus is a lot more tangible than most gods. We know where he is, at all times, and he seems confined to one size. His powers appear to be largely physical, as he had to burrow out of the ground to investigate in the mini-comic instead of teleporting or like, magicking the dirt away. This was his only appearance until MOTUC released a figure for him in 2012. He also showed up in the Subternia map the next year, holding Eternia together.

Standor, Cosmic Creator of Power

Lore: “Before time began, the great Gods of the multiverse convened in the Hall of Power to create all that was and all that will ever be. Head architect of this great task was Standor. A cosmic being of unlimited imagination, Standor helped lead his fellow deities by fueling their energies with raw creative force.”

Backstory: Released for Comikaze 2013 to celebrate the partnership of Mattel and Pow! Entertainment, Standor is literally just Stan Lee But a God. The prototype was called Standar--idk why they changed it, but I think it’s because it’s too easy to confuse with “Standard”. They made a bio for his sunglasses. I don’t want to talk about it.

Bash-Or, Slain Mystic God-Beast

Lore: Very little is known of Bash-Or, the Ram. His last remnant was sealed within the Ram Stone by the ancient sorceror kings of Zalesia, imbuing it with his divine power to overcome any barrier, magical or otherwise.

Backstory: Bash-Or was revealed in the bio for the Ram Stone, September of 2020, but his spirit (previously referred to as ‘the Spirit of the Ram Stone’) was twice utilized by Skeletor in the MYP cartoon, to great effect, before the stone was destroyed.

[theyre-just-blocks]

Let’s talk about Big Q, shall we?

As always, I’ve got stuff to say about Quackity (the character). And after today’s streams, I’ve got a few things to say/point out. I did not stay up to write this 2,343 word character analysis, no I did not.

Right off the bat I noticed how uncharastically quiet Big Q was during the whole thing. He wasn’t streaming it today either (yeah, he streamed later, but still) and I just thought that it was interesting. He had his moments where he was himself (cursing, being loud, taking off his clothes) but there were moments where he was just,, uncharastically quiet. 

On top of that, these quiet moments were spent staring at Ranboo. At least, his character was positioned so that it was looking directly at him and it’s rather unnerving, especially with that smiley face skin. Then when Dream reveals Ranboo to be a “traitor” Quackity even said, “I fucking knew it”, so something tells me that he’s been suspecting Ranboo for sometime now. 

When they were at the festival too, he was acting odd. On top of staring at Ranboo from time to time, he approached Ranboo about him wearing armor in L’Manburg. Of course, wearing armor in L’Manburg isn’t permitted, but it was raining and Ranboo is half enderman. Quackity seemed to really be angry with Ranboo for breaking that law, albeit he was hiding most of his anger, but I’m sure that Ranboo has worn armor before within the walls of L’Manburg. So why all of a sudden? Why call it out? Then when he asked Tubbo about it and Tubbo said that they could make the exception, Quackity responded with “Alright, whatever you say Mr. President '' in the most passive aggressive voice that even I felt attacked.

On top of that little moment, Quackity excused himself from a Festival game to “go get something”. Granted he didn’t seem to take that long (I didn’t really get a number) but while he was gone he was whispering to Tubbo about when Dream was coming. But I just thought it was weird that he just disappeared like that. When he came back, of course, he didn’t have anything. Not even Tubbo knew what he was doing. But no one seemed to question it at all afterwards.

Let’s also talk about how nervous Big Q seemed about the Dream confrontation. He was clearly worried that Dream might not show. He was nervous, he admitted that he was. When he went up against Techno, someone he’s feared for a while now, he wasn’t nervous. He was confident. He even PVPed him, but all of a sudden with Dream he’s nervous? We’ve seen him stand up to Dream before (Mexican L’Manburg) so why would he be worried about whether Dream shows or not? 

And of course, we can’t forget to mention his skin changes. I thought I was seeing things when Quackity’s profile in the list of members on the smp showed up as a frowny face. I thought that was just some kind of glitch or something because it would go back to normal a few seconds later. And I noticed that there seemed to be something wrong with his face. When he would turn, it seemed like his face wasn’t connected. And wouldn’t you know, I wasn’t seeing things. Several times today in the ruined Community House, Quackity had the unnerving frown (and a bald head) and when he was talking to Tubbo about Ranboo, he kept turning and it was very clear that the smiley face is a mask and the true face of Quackity is a frown. 

Speaking of his discussion with Tubbo about Ranboo, let’s talk about that whole ordeal, yeah? When I thought they had dropped it, moved past the need to talk about Ranboo’s book and involvement with Techno and Tommy, Big Q drops the bomb by demanding that they execute them. Thank god Tubbo was able to talk some sense into him (PTSD will do that to you), but it was still yet another account of Big Q wanting to see some bloodshed. And he was awfully persistent about it, to the point where it was concerning. 

And going back on what I said in a previous post about Big Q always wanting power, right from the elections, I got my confirmation about it in Tubbo’s stream today at an hour and thirty three minutes. 

“Tubbo, listen to me. What you need is order, Tubbo. The fucking issue is that there’s no order in L’Manburg. Nothing that’s been happening up to this point has been order... I want what’s best for the country. That’s what I’ve wanted since the very beginning, Tubbo. If not then I wouldn’t have ran! I want to be President Tubbo, I want to do something good” 

Whether it’s an obsession with power, a need to maintain order, following governmental ideals, or an actual want to do some good, you can’t deny that Quackity’s character has always wanted power, an opportunity to prove himself. And maybe because L’Manburg keeps failing him, keeps failing to give him those right opportunities to do so, that’s why he leaves. He’s frustrated with the country, so he just...leaves. 

And if Quackity’s Greek parallel is indeed Icarus (I think Techno mentioned it once in a stream) then power would be his hubris, his downfall. His want for power and need for order are going to be the sun that’s going to melt his wings. If he is working with Dream to get power, isn’t that the LITERAL definition of “flying too close to the sun”?

Also, this is a little unrelated. But in Bastille’s song “Icarus” there’s a line that goes, “You put up your defenses when you leave. You leave because you’re certain of who you want to be,” and I just think that’s very fitting for Quackity in terms of what just happened. 

There was a lot that happened with Big Q’s character today, and seeing as he’s my favorite on the SMP (aside from Sam of course) I was thrilled with today’s streams. But in terms of where these new developments might lead, I’m a little worried. So yeah, I’ve got theories. 

We discussed this in the Awesamdude discord, but the possibility of Quackity being a suspect for the destruction of the Community House came up. Here are a few reasons why he is one of the prime suspects (the other being Dream):

Quackity left during the Festival to “go get something” and this could’ve been the perfect chance for him to go and grief the Community House.

Though we know that Dream hates Quackity and Quackity hates Dream, it’s possible that they’ve made a deal. Dream could’ve promised Quackity the power he’s wanted since day one. Whether that be in guaranteeing that El Rapids can remain a country, or after Dream destroys L’Manburg, Quackity can come out on the top. He can have what remains. It would be an easy way out for Quackity after being dismissed time after time again and denied the chance to prove himself and build the ideal government. 

That could explain why he was worried about Dream showing up or not. He wasn’t worried about the deal Dream made to Tubbo (showing up without armor), it was more so the deal Dream made with Quackity and getting the power that Dream promised.

Not to mention, it also benefits Dream as well. By getting Quackity on his side by using power as leverage, he’s able to eliminate one of the few threats to him on the SMP. True, I’m sure he’ll betray him in the end/use him, but right now he needs to focus on Tommy and the discs. He needs to get Quackity out of the way, so by siding with him and making a deal, it makes things easier for Dream.

And if Quackity is possessed by Schlatt, Dream was an old ally to Schlatt, so if Schlatt took control during the deal, then it would make sense why it was made. 

It’s possible and very likely that this isn’t the case though. They really do seem to hate each other and Quackity is very adamant about killing Dream. But maybe it’s all just an act? Maybe it’s just all a plot to ease sus off of Quackity. 

But why and how could Quackity leave his friends like that so easily? Oh boy, lemme tell you..

I will never let go of possession Quackity/Reviving Schlatt AU. 

If Quackity is possessed then it would make sense why he’s able to let go of his friends so easily. Schlatt might be manipulating him behind the scenes and thus cause Quackity to lose trust in his friends. Schlatt felt betrayed by everyone (as he should) and might be telling Quackity that the same will happen to him. Quackity even admitted to not trusting Ranboo from the start, and that could be a result of eating Schlatt’s heart and having his influence on him. 

Let’s also not forget how ready Quackity was to kill Ranboo. He wanted an execution. He kept repeating “traitor” like a broken record. Tubbo even pointed out the parallel to Quackity that he was doing EXACTLY what Schlatt did to Tubbo at the festival. Quackity himself even said that he was LIVID about Ranboo being a traitor. And even after Tubbo tried to talk sense into him how Ranboo wasn’t a traitor, he just has short term memory, Quackity still referred to himself as such. 

It would make sense that Quackity would hate traitors. In terms of his character, he was betrayed by Schlatt. Someone who he thought would love him and help him rule Manburg in a way that would help everyone, his ideal government. But of course, Schlatt was shit and didn’t fulfill those expectations. And then when things did get better, his country betrayed him. Tubbo betrayed him. When Quackity agreed to stand up against Dream and not exile Tommy, Tubbo agreed with him. Then he went against that plan. And L’Manburg didn’t meet up to his expectations. It never did and he never got the power he wanted. 

And if Quackity is possessed by Schlatt, that could also explain his whole bit about going on and on about killing the traitor. When Schlatt found Tubbo to be the traitor, we know what happened. He had him executed. That whole scene leading up to his death, he kept saying how everyone left him. When he needed them most, everyone left. He felt betrayed by them, so it makes sense that after finding out that there’s ANOTHER traitor in the cabinet, he’s going to get angry about it. He doesn’t want it happening again. 

And with Wilbur’s comment about Schlatt being a lawful evil. He’s going to keep order no matter what it takes. If you’re a traitor, you’re going to get what’s coming to you, so it would make sense that he’d want Ranboo dead as well. And even if that’s not the case, the description of wanting order no matter what fits Quackity’s current character right now. 

Now let me add in Dad Schlatt because I have daddy issues. 

I like to think that if Quackity is possessed by Schlatt or something, his whole speech to Tubbo before saying he was out and leaving was just Schlatt trying to communicate to his son. He was angry that Ranboo would betray his cabinet and maybe because he wants to be a better dad or something, he wants to make sure the thing that happened to him doesn’t happen to Tubbo. He tells him not to trust anyone, even Quackity (it could be him warning that Quackity and Dream are working together) and that he can’t let people walk all over him. He’s trying to give him advice, trying to guide him to be a better president. 

If he wasn’t able to help Tubbo at all when he was alive, maybe this was the one chance that he got to do so.

But more likely, that was just Quackity trying to give Tubbo some last advice before leaving. 

Now, maybe he left only to return with a revived Schlatt? Only to watch Doomsday from the sidelines? What is he planning?

And what was up with the frown? I don’t think I’ve seen him keep it on for as long as he did in the past. I had thought that it might’ve been a result of eating Schlatt’s heart, but that wasn’t the case. I went back to look at old videos and sure enough, the frown was underneath the smile. I don’t know if this is something that’s always been there, or if it appeared after a certain event (election maybe?) but I want to know WHY he has it. 

Is it just for memes? Is it supposed to symbolize the fact that he puts on this literal mask to appear to be the “funny guy” when that’s not the case?

Or, or, if we’re going off shape-shifter Quackity, what if that’s one of the traits? That magical part of him (being a shapeshifter) could also maybe allude to his personality. He’s going to change to make sure he fits in. If he’s got to act a certain way to get where he needs to be, he’s going to do it. He’s going to change in order to ensure that happens. If Dream says to join him and get power in return, then maybe he’s going to say yes. 

And let’s not even talk about the fact how he basically has the same smiley mask as Dream and his real one is the opposite. 

Whatever it is though, it caught me off guard today, but it makes for some killer fanart and headcanons, so I loved it (though I was uncomfortable when it happened). 

I was going to wait and see how the events played out tomorrow and then talk, but this obviously was already a lot, so it be easier to make predictions now and whatnot and then see what happens tomorrow. 

With that being said, I am, scared. 

[miraculous786]

My Miraculous Ladybug Salt, Maribat & Adribat Requests and Prompts - Masterlist

All Miraculous Ladybug Works

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A Visit to Princeton Academy

Summary: Miss Mendeliev and Bustier’s class take a trip to the expensive private school Princeton.

Wait, the principal there is your best friend’s uncle? Wow, Lila, that’s amazing!

-----

A Grandfather’s Love

Summary: Curious as to why his granddaughter missed one of their weekly baking sessions, Roland Dupain decides to figure out why.

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The Assassin - The Protector

The Protector’s Vengeance

The Protector’s Entrance

The Protector’s Plan

The Protector’s Battle

The Protector’s Defeat

The Protector’s Past

The Protector’s Aftermath

The Protector’s End

Summary: He was tasked to assassinate the girl.

Not devote himself as the Protector of her and her best friend.

Fox!Felix (Arctic Fox) Art by @i-will-be-your-ace

Arctic Fox Redraw by @krissykat0207

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Listen

Summary: Ladybug has had enough of Chat Noir’s pestering for a date.

Too bad they argued about it in public.

-----

Disappointed

Summary: Alya remembers the time she was severely disappointed in Marinette.

But she didn’t expect the tables to turn - and a strong sense of déjà vu when they did.

-----

I’m Surprised You Don’t Recognise Me

Summary: Lila decides to blame Marinette for prank calling the Fire Department.

Luckily her friends and family are ready to defend her.

-----

Angel in Disguise

Summary: Lila’s a demon.

Luka’s an angel.

One wants to steal souls - the other, protect them.

It just so happens the two are targetting one soul in particular.

-----

Cupcake?

Summary: King Monkey, or Kim.

The boy with a crush on one Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

And hero that is terrible at keeping his identity secret.

-----

It’s Your Birthday

Summary: Adrien knows she's been tormented by the whole class - all thanks to a liar.

Wouldn't you know, it's Marinette's birthday, and he has the perfect present.

The downfall of Lila.

After all, Princesses deserve to spoilt.

-----

Of Brothers And Beverages

Summary: Marinette, along with her co-worker Adrien, notice an exhausted teen at the coffee shop they work at.

Naturally, they decide to see if he's okay - leading to a sibling-like friendship between them and Tim.

It's no surprise that the delicious pastries Tim bring home catch his brothers' eyes...

...and they decide to investigate.

-----

Domestic Anniversaries

Summary: As a surprise for their anniversary, Damian takes Marinette to the local pet store to adopt some animals.

And man, do they adopt.

-----

An Awkward Reveal

Approvals And Explanations

Headcannon

Summary: Who can blame Edward Nygma for being protective over his adopted daughter?

The very daughter who was dating Damian Wayne right under his nose.

It was only a matter of time until Marinette's dad and uncles found out, along with her boyfriend's family.

Now they want to meet her in person, much to the annoyance of the Riddler's overprotective instincts.

-----

I Expected Business, Not...Babies?

Summary: Tim only wanted to complete his work in Paris - easily, peacefully, and most importantly, safely.

He didn't expect to come across a villain turning people into kids.

Or one of those very kids thinking of him as their "Bwuda".

-----

A Familiar Melody

Summary: Luka can hear a heart's tune.

And can tell who's is who's - with or without the mask.

-----

Crazy Coffee Conspiracies

Summary: A theory about Ladybird and Red Robin dating...

...and both being aliens?

All it takes is an oblivious Adrien Agreste and one sleep-deprived Tim Drake to prove the theory true.

If it is indeed true, that is.

-----

A Mother And Her Instincts

Summary: It's a mother's instinct to protect her children.

And if said children happen to be Paris's heroes?

Well, that only means that there's more to protect them from.

-----

The Teeter In Your Tune Is Destined For Disaster

Summary: For as long as Luka could remember, he had possession of an ability that no one was aware of.

It was both a gift and a curse.

-----

You Were To Babysit, Not Abandon

Summary: Lila thinks that babysitting Alya's sisters is a great way to manipulate the reporter.

Too bad she doesn't realise what little devils they are.

Nor how a certain Adrien Agreste is so keen on keeping his friends, and their relatives, safe from her.

-----

A Bat Protective Of A Cat

Summary: Bruce Wayne, as the godfather of Adrien Agreste and practical brother of Emilie, takes it upon himself to save the boy from Gabriel and his emotional neglect.

Only, he didn’t anticipate the ladybug-themed heroine to barge in and try to bring back the partner that she thought to have been kidnapped.

-----

The Bad Get Outed In Bad Ways

Summary: You know the saying: 'Liar, Liar, Pants On Fire'?

An akuma strikes Lila, with their goals unknown to most. It comes as a big shock to all when said saying ends up being true.

After all, she is a liar.

-----

The Demon And Her Angel

Summary: The demon Marinette Dupain-Cheng comforts her angel boyfriend after a falling out with his father.

And perhaps gives him a reason to think about if he truly wants to stay in heaven.

-----

Her Boyfriend, My Girlfriend

Summary: Marinette's class is insistent on her turning up to a date with Adrien that Alya prepared.

What they don't know is that she already has a date, with a boyfriend that none of them would expect.

-----

A Frisbee Flying At A Fiancée That Fled

A Dinner And Domestic Discussion With A Designer

Headcannon

Summary: Marinette and her partner Kagami flee Paris in an attempt to escape Adrien Agreste, and find themselves relaxing in a Gotham park not so long after.

Only for a stray frisbee to disrupt their date.

-----

My Cousin

Summary: By accident, Marinette and Adrien change Harley Quinn into a young teen using their magic.

What follows are shenanagins involving a jester, a liar, a dumb class and two hyenas.

-----

Queens Have No Need For A Prince

Knights Are The Ones That Save Royalty

Summary: Queens don’t need a prince.

What they want is a king.

-----

A Hidden Hades Hunting For (Hopefully) Her Husband

A Willing Persephone Is Welcome Whenever

Summary: He said he'd love her no matter what domain she ruled over - so why did he leave? Why did he not return to Earth?

Marinette makes the decision to make sure he does, and who knows? Maybe he'll be okay with that.

-----

[samsoleil]

you can now read the homeschooled au on ao3! or you can keep reading here. in this installment, the boys go to a mall for the first time and have an Experience™

(cw for sensory overload, if that's something that doesn't quite butter your bread roll)

One day, Sam realised that their dad was just a person.

He can’t remember the conversation, if it could be called that, in its entirety. But what he does remember with a surreal vividness is seeing Dad’s face, cold and hard with rage and frustration, and thinking, I don’t understand. Real life doesn’t have those scenes where the camera cuts to the perfect moment to explain the characters’ motivations. Dad had a whole life before Sam and lives most of his existence separate from Sam, with his own ideas and interpretations and some sort of equation that added one dead wife and two kids and came up with the mess that’s been Sam’s life so far. This experience of the world, a mark of being human.

And that thought was like a spotlight had been shone on Sam’s little corner of the world, this glaring thing, an unavoidable truth. It isn’t always there but, when it is, it’s inescapable. If Sam’s honest, it’s fuelled the fire in more than one of his arguments with their dad. Sam wonders if this is how Eve felt after biting into the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, cursed with a realisation that can’t ever be unlearned.

But Dean’s different. Dean’s life isn’t this impossible, untouchable thing like Dad’s is; it’s Sam’s life, too, this thing they share, and Dean lives life more than anyone else Sam's met. Admittedly, Sam can name the amount of people he's actually met, beyond the handful of cashiers he's made uncomfortable eye contact with, on one hand. But he can't imagine that anyone who's ever spoken to Dean has left the conversation thinking, Well, he doesn't experience life as much as I do.

That’s not the point. The point is, Sam’s become accustomed to the concept that people in the real world have thoughts and feelings and lives that Sam will never know. But he and Dean had wanted to try going to a mall for lunch, instead of their usual cafés, and Sam had no idea that you could find this many people in a single place.

"Wow," he says, standing with Dean in the doorway.

There really are just so many of them. Parents with their kids, old couples, gaggles of teenagers laughing and shouting. Sam sees a group of girls around Dean's age in bright colours, hair falling in a sheet around their shoulders. He sees two young parents with their baby, jostling them up and down as they wail, drawing dirty looks from a couple of older women chatting over coffee. Everything is fluorescent bulbs and colour and sound. It's wonderful. It's horrible. There are so many of them and Sam has no idea who any of them are. It’s the Tree of Knowledge again, if biting into fruit was comparable to plummeting off a cliff, and he doesn't think he’d be able to handle feeling like this all the time. It's almost too much, to think that everyone here is just as alive as Sam and Dean.

Sam reaches out slightly to tangle his fingers between Dean's. Dean's hand relaxes easily, less soft and larger than Sam's, and grips him reassuringly after Sam's fingers are threaded with his. He feels better, after that. He watches the small family as the baby suddenly stops crying, their mother pressing a pacifier into their mouth and receiving a gummy smile. Genetically, a person's DNA is half their mother and half their father. Sam has a matching theory about himself as a whole. Half of Sam is characters from books, TV shows, movies, and half of Sam is Dean.

He follows after Dean as they move out of the doorway, away from Sam's sudden movie moment, and they melt into the crowd. It's even worse once they get in there, and Sam keeps overhearing snippets of conversation, fragments of this bustling chaos of lives.

"-working Friday, and I don't know if-"

There's a girl with an ear full of piercings, silver and solid, wearing all black with ripped jeans and a leather jacket-

"-assignment? I haven't-"

-and the sun streaming in through one of the windows flashes off the glass of one of the stores, momentarily turning Sam's vision white, and it's enough to make his eyes sting-

"-Sarah, Katy, wai-"

-while the air is filled with the scent of a hundred different foods, sweet as spun sugar one second and then the smoky thickness of meat, and Sam's head turns to follow the smell of flowers carried by the curls of a dark-skinned man in jeans-

"-long black, two sugars. Do you ha-"

-who greets an older woman with greying hair, and Sam turns back to face the direction they're heading and sees a crowd of people too thick to move through.

"-believe, I mean, it was so-"

He squeezes Dean's hand. Dean squeezes back. Sam squeezes again, and they have a back and forth for a minute or so as they wait for a space to open up in the crowd ahead of them. Sam knows what the person at the counter is ordering and what the people at the table behind them did for their weekend and what Donnie did to Amy, did you hear?

I heard, Sam thinks viciously, Everyone in a ten mile radius heard, can you shut up?

And then he feels bad, because it's not their fault it's so loud in here. He can barely hear himself think. He can't even hear himself breathe, can just feel his lungs inhaling and exhaling in his chest. The functional unit of the lungs are small sacs called alveoli that have walls one cell thin, and the culmination of Sam's can usually run a five minute mile but today, now, they're barely keeping him standing.

"-diagnosis, it all happened so fast-"

It's been a minute since he last squeezed Dean's hand, so he squeezes again. And Dean squeezes back, hard, and that seems to help the frantic energy building in Sam's body, so when Dean starts to relax his hand Sam squeezes again and he doesn't let go.

"-don't know what I'd do-"

And Dean looks back, and something must show in Sam's face, because then they're moving, the crowd be damned. Someone brushes against Sam and he feels every part of it, too aware of the fabric of their shirt brushing against Sam's flannel. Someone else steps on the side of his shoe and he wants to step on them back, wants them to finish the job, wants to break out of his body. Dean's squeezing Sam's hand hard enough that he feels the bones in his hand shift, but it's all he has, right now. The rest of him is too busy paying attention to everything else.

"-rotten leaf in my salad, I want-"

There's a group of children laughing and stumbling over their feet, their mothers following behind with gentle smiles and chattering conversation, and Sam feels this tug of want-

"-failed my midterms, so I just-"

-and there's someone in a bright, multicoloured jacket holding hands with a girl dressed in all denim, laughing as they reach up to gently grasp her chin and lean in-

"-loud in here, do you want-"

-so Sam looks away, and no matter where he looks there's another person, another family, another store, another thing bright and beautiful and he can't take it, okay, it's just too much-

"-I said, that's crazy, no way-"

-for him to handle right now, the everything of it all, the thought that, all this time, the entire world has existed just outside of their motel room and he's barely a part of it.

"-beautiful, Mary-"

Sam's heart jolts in his chest.

I can't do this, he thinks desperately, still moving with Dean, pulled along by him, his hand encompassed by Dean's. He tamps down the visceral urge to just lie down here, press himself into the tile and be consumed. He sidesteps a puddle of someone's chocolate thickshake, his stomach turning over. He can feel the slick of his sweat between Dean's large, warm hand and his own. Part of him wants to tug away to dry his palm on his jeans, but he feels like he might fall apart if he does.

Dean leads him into a store and the temperature change shocks him, sending shivers cascading down his spine, and Sam feels suddenly unwell, like when he has the flu. But it's quieter in here, the cacophony of the mall muted by the racks of clothing. The fluorescents take all the red away, leaving Dean wearing an ugly brown flannel, and that sick feeling grows stronger. Sam closes his eyes, letting Dean guide him. He flinches at the clatter as Dean pulls something off the rack, the hanger tapping plastic against metal railing, and lets himself be swept along, around a corner and into a changing room, Dean pulling the curtains closed.

Sam bypasses the bench to sit down on the floor, gaze fixed on where the curtain brushes against the faux wood linoleum. He can still hear the chatter in the store, muffled as if underwater.

Dean crouches down in front of him, breaking his line of sight, but Sam can't move. He can't stay still. He's going to fall apart. He's going to turn to stone. He wants to run, run, out through the mall and back home, he wants to crawl into Dean's chest and stay there forever and never go outside again. Fuck outside. Outside is overrated. Outside is filled with people who couldn't give less of a shit about Sam, going about their days while he falls apart in the middle of a food court. Outside is filled with people who aren't Sam and Dean, living TV lives while they spin out on some highway in Nowhere, America.

"Sammy?" Dean says, and it's so loud, what the hell, Dean.

Sam untangles himself from his little ball of limbs to silently shoosh him, and he watches as the tense line of Dean's shoulders relax infinitesimally from where they were hitched up around his ears, all worry. Dean bats his hands away gently, fine, fine, he'll be quiet.

What happened? asks the moue of Dean's mouth, the furrow between his brows.

Sam shrugs.

That's not an answer.

And Sam knows it's not, but how is he meant to explain it when even he doesn't know what happened? It was just everything, all at once, and it crept under Sam's skin and into his head and he couldn't escape it. He looks up at Dean, helpless, and Dean's hands come up to cradle his face and it's alright. It'll be okay. Sam tips his head into the warmth of Dean's skin, lets his eyes fall closed.

Someone laughs from in the store and Sam flinches, then feels Dean's hands move to cover his ears instead. Sam sighs and leans into Dean's chest. He expects to hate it, being touched, worries that he'll want to shed his skin in a heap at the feeling of it, but it's Dean. Sam presses his forehead into Dean's ribs firm enough to bruise, and Dean pulls him along as he reshuffles on the floor so that Sam is between his legs, wrapped in warmth, anchored to the world. He moves his hands away from Sam's ears and Sam, with a bitter-sick feeling of betrayal, clamps his own over them, pressing hard. But Dean puts his hands on Sam's back instead, rubbing soothingly, and that's better than anything else.

A few moments pass, quietly, just the two of them. Sam’s still stuck in his head, which is tuned into the world like a radio turned up too high, but he does his best to focus on the smooth movements of Dean’s hands up and down his back, fingers running over the knobs of his spine. They’re called spinous processes, and they lengthen throughout the cervical spine but are mostly the same size in the thoracic spine. Sam checked. Dean kicked up only a little bit of a fuss. And when Sam realises that he’s playing that memory in his head, eyelids heavy, he notices that he’s feeling a little better.

As if reading his mind, Dean moves his hands to rest on Sam’s arms, and Sam settles back. He takes his hands away from his ears, blinking hard. His chest feels a bit tight, but he’s okay. He conveys as much to Dean, who looks over him, expression doubtful. But when he sees Sam watching his face he plasters on a grin, rubbing Sam’s arms quickly through his shirt before he moves back, too.

Dean signs for Baby. They don’t have to stay.

Part of Sam wants to leave, but it feels like giving up. And he wants to try the mall, was excited until he became overwhelmed and, if he tries, he can make the adrenaline feel more like anticipation.

“I want to stay." He accompanies the words with their signs. “Can we get pizza?”

Dean kept bringing it up in the car, subtle as a truck, and Sam saw some slices of a vegetarian pizza through the glass of one of the counters. It’s an easy choice to make. Sam doesn’t really feel like pizza, but he knows that Dean will try to cheer him up the same way he cheers himself up. And it works, for the most part. Dean just hasn’t quite realised that the main reason why is because Sam likes seeing Dean happy.

And, fine. Sam knows Dean needs him to be happy, too, and maybe that plays a bigger part in it all than Sam would care to admit. He knows that if he asked to leave, they would be as good as gone. It's enough to make him feel lightheaded, sometimes, the things that Dean would do for him. And it's not even because he has to. He chose Sam, over their dad, over hunting, over the chance to be free from Sam's drama forever. So they'll stay, and they'll get pizza, and they'll buy jackets and underwear and Dean's paraphernalia, and then they'll be gone. Sam just needs to hold on for a few more hours.

Dean beams and Sam feels his cheeks flush in response. Dean's so, so proud of him. He circles Sam's heart through his shirt and Sam feels something bright and beautiful settle in him. It’s contagious.

"That's my boy," Dean says, ruffling Sam's hair.

Sam pushes him away gently, reaching up to fix his hair, and Dean rocks back, still wearing that easy smile. Sam has to look away, eyes settling on the amulet sitting on Dean's chest and shining dully in the crappy change room lighting. Sam doesn't know how he does it. Sam knows better than anyone that life isn't always sunshine and roses but, even with Sam losing his grip over and over, Dean's still here. Maybe it's selfish, but Sam can't help but be desperately grateful. He wouldn't trade where they are now for anything. They're alive now in a way they weren't before, and Dean seems to be genuinely enjoying it. Sam wants to love existing that much.

Dean stands and offers him his hand.

One day, maybe I will, Sam thinks, and he reaches out.

[samiralula01]

Jason Todd is the Anti-Batman

* A pointless rambling of the relationship and parallels between Bruce Wayne and Jason Todd.

Picture this opening scene: There are two boys in a dark alley.

One is dressed in an expensive suit with a tie his dead father helped him with only earlier that evening. His hands are stained red with the same blood now puddled on the grimy cement. His face is in shock.

The second boy is dressed in tattered jeans and hoodie. His hands are stained with tires grease and are clutching a tire iron. His face is in shock.

Decades later, there are two more scenes to consider.

A seriously injured man sits slumped over in his father’s study. Without warning, a bat crashes through the window, and everything falls into place. He now knows what he needs to do.

Elsewhere, an emotionally distraught teenager is curled up into a fetal position on a hotel room floor. Heart wrenching cries can be heard from him. But it is only momentary. He now knows what he needs to do.

These two individuals are Bruce Wayne and Jason Todd. While they are both broken and determined men, Batman is a hero. The Red Hood is not. He is the anti-Batman and this is why.

Two Boys in an Alleyway

Despite similarities in their stories’ early themes and elements, Bruce and Jason came to walk down very different paths. One of justice, and the other vengeance. Batman is determined to protect the innocent and Jason more so on punishing the guilty. Both their ideologies have intrinsic flaws, of course, and will naturally clash often. But this wasn’t always the case.

Before they became a father and son perpetually in mourning for who they once were and what could have been, Bruce and Jason were remarkably similar. The two are cut from the same cloth and Bruce knows this better than anyone else.

In the Dumpster Slasher three-part story line, (Batman #414, #421, #422) Bruce becomes emotional. Violent. He sits in the batcave alone that night and contemplates his emotions.

“Nearly blew it. I let it get too personal. Lost my detachment...nearly lost control. Almost beat Cutter to death. Wouldn’t have been any big loss.”

Only one issue later, at the end of this story arc, Robin is out on the streets and becomes angry when he happens upon a pimp is threatening a prostitute with a knife. Now, I want you to compare his line here to Bruce’s and note what Jim Gordon said to him as well.

Batman: "I think he’s had enough, Robin. What were you trying to do, kill him?" Robin (Jason): “Would it’ve been that big of a loss if I had?”

It is important to note here that Batman is not worried or upset just because Jason roughs up a pimp. That would be hypocritical considering his own earlier actions. If anything, it’s because one of the main reasons Batman even takes in these kids, these ‘robins,’ is because he doesn’t want them to be like him.

And Jason was acting just like him.

Jason can and has screwed up and failed due to his own actions, but it was never the reason Batman became upset with him. His reactions in the comics when Jason does things like running ahead and ‘jumping the gun,’ are more like this:

He either makes a teaching moment out of it or is attempts to understand Jason’s reasons in doing any such thing. When Bruce does become harsh in his discipline, it’s either when he feels as though Jason has endangered his own life or as I said, he acts too much like him.

While there are quite a few more similarities between Bruce and Jason that makes them alike, such as both being introverted and interested in obtaining all sorts of knowledge that they might not even feel is relevant, they are both, at the core of their characters, deeply caring and compassionate people.

The differences only start to show with how they act on it.

The Not-So Dynamic Duo?

“What happened to you as a child, the terror, the pain, the horrors (...) you were broken, and I thought I could put the pieces back together. I thought I could do for you what could never be done for me. Make you whole.”

Hot take. Jason Todd is a villain and is best written as a villain. 

Not in that campy way like he’s written during Dick and Damian’s Batman and Robin run while wearing that stupid pill-headed hood, (although, I grant he has a few lines that are enjoyable to read) but in all his serious, vengeful and downright brutal motives. 

The Red Hood is the perfect Batman villain because he’s so different from what the widely perceived perfect foil to the controlled and disciplined Bat is...the Joker. 

The Red Hood was vengeance at its purest. It is justice without being tempered by mercy. It is the rage of victims who were forgotten to become statistics. While other vigilantes wait for a cure, hope for rehabilitation, and pretend their system works, the Red Hood is a man of no such faith.

And this makes him a villain. And a damn good one.

During the Red Hood’s time as a crime lord in Gotham, he goes around blowing up buildings. He throws grenades into trucks. He mows down his competition with gunfire. Batman comes upon the bloodied hanged corpse of a man he was finished interrogating. 

But what is so compelling about this all is that before all the murder, all the guns and explosions, Jason Todd was a very different little boy. And all the great and memorable villains start that way.

The Joker is not someone you’re meant to sympathize with or even understand. In fact, I find him more terrifying because he’s unknown. He has no backstory (unless you want to believe the one he gave in Killing Joke, but the clown has a new story for every face he meets) and seemingly does what he does for a laugh of all things.

Jason Todd is in pain. He’s traumatized. Betrayed. Buried. Replaced. He is no one’s son because his father abandoned him.

Once upon a time, Jason Todd was a boy who saved himself. One of the biggest lies that Batman himself perpetuates is that he saved Jason from a life of crime. He tells Alfred that Jason was always dangerous. Bruce simply took him off the streets before he could be any worse.

But I don’t believe that’s true.

Jason grew up surrounded by crime, poverty, substance abuse and yet this amazing kid saved himself everyday by making a conscious choice to be kind and care about school, care about keeping his mother alive for over a year when he was just a child himself. That amazing kid was magic. 

Jason Todd as Robin was magic.

“Jason smiles. A bright smile. The kind Robin, the Boy Wonder should have.”

A good portion of his character’s assassination was in order to push the Tim is the perfect Robin idea. It was editorial decisions. The same ‘suits’ who insisted that Tim Drake be the Robin in the New Adventures cartoon despite having Jason’s backstory and personality. But I digress on that. 

Jason Todd was an introverted, studious, and emphatic person. He wanted to make friends with other kids his age even though he was a loner at heart. He joined the school baseball team and was a class officer, even if his training kept him from most social interactions.

He was also very much in tune with non-verbal cues and small changes in the environment around him. He was a thoughtful person who could be found admiring the stars or passing by scenery. When he teams up with the New Teen Titans, we get to see these aspects of his personality:

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything so beautiful before. We’re actually riding above the clouds.”

“Every so often, I notice you become awfully agitated...like something was going on you didn’t want to be part of. Something’s wrong, isn’t it?”

It didn’t take Bruce long to fall in love with this boy and ask to legally adopt him. He found him to be smart, thoughtful, quick at learning and funny as hell. Their first meeting opens with Batman laughing in the very same alley his heart was ripped out decades earlier. 

Even in the Rebirth canon, (RHATO #48) we see that Bruce is already set on taking in Jason while he’s still with Ma Gunn’s school. He likes this kid. A lot.

“Butler, actually. You’ll meet him someday, I’m sure.”

Jason Todd was happy. Most of the time. Unfortunately, he still wrestled with depression and would sleep all day on occasion and could be found crying hidden away on his own, withdrawn from the concerned Bruce and Alfred.

In A Death in the Family, Alfred and Bruce sit down and discuss Jason’s worsening mental health, particularly after the Diplomat’s Son where Jason becomes witness to sexual assault, suicide and the failings of both Batman and the GCPD to protect innocent people. Barbara, his tutor, someone he cared about and got along with, is also shot a few months earlier.

Bruce thinks Jason has become suicidal. Alfred does not disagree with this theory and supplements it with things he’s observed himself about the ‘lad.’

“I’ve come upon him, several times, looking at that battered old photograph of his mother and father, crying. When he’s seen me, he’s hidden the picture and left the room, refusing to talk.”

It is then that Jason discovers the truth about his mother at the worst possible time, when he’s not even thinking straight, and thus leads way to the tragedy that will be his murder at the hand’s of the Joker.

The Curse of Jason Todd

“Do you have any idea what you have done?! Do you? You have no inkling of what you’ve created -- what you have unleashed! You have set free a curse upon this world!”

Red Hood: Lost Days, which depicts Jason’s dark post-resurrection origin, opens with Ra’s al Ghul bellowing this line, the steam from the Lazarus Pit still rising off of him. 

I’m not going to analyze this line, I’m just using it to supplement a point of mine I hope I’m getting through well enough. The Red Hood is a compelling, tragic villain. He is similar to Batman in ways that Bruce always knew and may have even feared because of how intimately he knows his own deepest, darkest thoughts. Jason is the perfect foil as an antagonist for him because of what he represents to Bruce.

And it’s not his anger, or his rage, or even his brutality. 

It’s his compassion. His caring. His emotions. And how they can open up the worst parts of themselves. 

Both are motivated by preventing whatever trauma happened to them from ever happening to anyone else. They both trained for years with this motivation. And they’ve both acted out on the very person who inflicted their trauma onto them.

Here’s where their paths start to differ, however, and what separates them with a line of morality.

They both get angry. They both care so damn much. About Gotham, about innocents, about each other. They both get too emotionally invested and deal with consequences related to that. To manage with that, Bruce shuts down. He creates all these choices, rules and symbols. He uses every ounce of his self control to keep them. 

Bruce Wayne is not a good person. He forces himself to be with discipline and will. He chooses to be a good man and constantly pushes himself to live up to that. Because it’d be too damn easy to be just like the Red Hood.

Jason doesn’t understand that. Because no matter what Bruce had done or will do, he doesn’t hate him. He can’t. Despite his denial of the fact to different people, he still thinks of Bruce as his father. This great figure that so many others revere and are even intimidated by.

He’s not the only bat-kid to think of Bruce in this light despite the fact that the man is not. It took Dick years to overcome that perception. Tim only just started to begin understanding this true nature after his own father was murdered. 

But even if he did understand his (once)father, he still became the complete opposite of him despite so many early parallels. He doesn’t hold back his words and emotions, he doesn’t go into a state of controlled dissociation or emotional disengagement.

Jason Todd—the Red Hood—is Batman without all his rules and control. In a way, he’s what the darkest part of Batman himself wants to be. Jason does what Batman can’t do when it’s needed.

Because in Batman’s book, life beats out justice. Even if he could take down abusers and murderers, he won’t. He will choose saving and protecting lives over the apprehension of killers...he always does.

Batman is justice. Red Hood is vengeance.

Jason is a victim’s fantasy. He punishes and kills the guilty. Something Batman won’t do.

He is the anti-Batman for better or for worse.