#the slaughter bab

[cybervigilante]

thinking about how bruce never accepted kory and was relieved that dick didn't end up marrying her :(

[cemetegee]

Dying as a Skill Issue

I just made a post about Ianthe's "Dying is for suckers." quote and now I realized that "Dying as a skill issue/dying as failure" is actually an essential part of her character.

In the psychogram story The Unwanted Guest she talks about it even more. She presents several deaths of known characters to Palamedes and tells him why they have died in her opinion:

Ortus did not die because Crux was an asshole and killed him, but because he was too sad.

Abigail did not die because Cytherea murdered them, but because she brought her husband to Canaan House as her cav. (This point is especially random. As if Cytherea wouldn't have slaughtered Babs as well...)

(It's by the way interesting that she doesn't mention Jeannemary and Isaac here. Maybe even she knows that that would be hella tasteless. Ooorrrr she has a different reason.)

Dying is for suckers in her opinion and dead people died because of a lack of skill.

That even partly explains why she wants to become a Lyctor (and likely a God or even more than a God) so much: Dying would be a personal failure to her.

[renirae]

Batfamily members as The Magnus Archives fears!!

Bruce - the Dark, the Hunt

Dick - the Stranger, the Vast

Barbara - the Eye

Jason - the Slaughter, the Desolation

Tim - the Lonely, the Eye

Steph - the Desolation

Cass - the Dark, the Hunt

Damian - the Hunt

Duke - the Spiral

notes/explanations!:

yes Bruce and Cass are exactly the same fears, I just feel like that makes sense for them considering their personas haha

Dick as the Stranger is mostly because of him when he was Robin - like, I think his eerie laugh is perfect for it!

okay Babs as the Eye is like the most obvious connection ever lmao

Jason is also related to the Buried, but unlike with the Desolation I don't think it's in a way where he'd actually become an avatar of it

this is probably(?) more fanon Tim, but I've seen a lot of people agree on this actually!

Steph as the Desolation is because her entire vigilante persona was made to destroy her dad's plans, so I think it's fitting!!

Duke was difficult, but I eventually realized I could put him as the Spiral since he's associated with illusions :)

Damian was actually the hardest of all - I feel like as vigilantes all of them are Hunt-coded so it seemed a bit too obvious, but it just made the most sense for him!

I've been thinking about these for a WHILE, so hopefully they're pretty accurate!! let me know if you agree, or if you have some totally different suggestions ^^

[vlueberries]

i would love to know ur dickhelena thoughts that might be controversial actually… i recently finished a bunch of huntress reading so she’s been on my mind a lot

Idk maybe the most controversial thing is how much I care about the two of them as a pair. I think their friendship is more compelling than Dick and Babs as a relationship or Helena and Babs (whatever tf you’d call what they have going on). And I just wish that we’d gotten more of Dick and Helena together, I feel like their dynamic had so much meat to it. There was so much to dig into that was never full explored. And I think leaning into it would have been good for the development of BOTH of them as characters.

I’m not saying I think they should be a couple, but it makes me sad that nobody seems to care about them as a pair. There are so many Dick Grayson fans and I feel like a large portion of them barely know who Helena is. And Helena fans generally don’t seem to give a fuck about Dick (correct me if I’m wrong, that’s just based on my observations… also fair enough). But they make such interesting foils and you could do so many different stories with the two of them and their opposing viewpoints. And it’s always more interesting than pairing Helena up with Batman because Dick and Helena actually seem to care about each other on a human level and they have this unnamable tension between them that I think works so so so well.

The dynamic I’m talking about is pretty contained to the 90s through to 2011. Dick and Helena’s dynamic in Grayson is fun but it also feels like both of them (but especially Helena) are completely different characters there. And to be completely honest I don’t know a lot about what their relationship looks like since Rebirth.

What I wanted from them was for their relationship/friendship/working partnership to get the breathing room to stretch and grow. I wanted it to be painful and sweet and difficult. I wanted their chemistry, their similarities, and their camaraderie to MEAN SOMETHING!! And it was pushed aside by people like Chuck Dixon who were very very keen on pushing Dick and Barbara as a power couple (Nothing against Babs, I absolutely adore her. Really don’t like DickBabs tho) I also think a lot of writers at the time disliked Helena so they did their best to make it seem like she meant nothing to their precious Nightwing.

I think they work better as friends than as a couple. They’re both quite uncompromising characters with core values that don’t line up. It could be interesting to explore a romantic relationship between them, but anytime that’s been done it just feels… off to me. I don’t mind the sometimes sexual aspect of their relationship, it works for me sometimes, but at other times I do think it feels a little bit forced (Devin Grayson why is Helena randomly shoving her tongue down his throat). Anyway.

Dick can’t love certain parts of her, (her willingness to kill bad people). Helena can’t love certain parts of him (his rigidity, to put it lightly). And I think what they both need is a kind of freedom they’ll never be able to find in each other. It’s crazy because both of these characters have a sort of wild and free personality at times but neither of them are free. Helena is bound by the memory of the slaughter of her family, her old mob ties, her guilt, her compassion and hatred in equal measures, her religion, Batman and Gotham. Dick is bound by his love for Bruce, the shoes he has to fill, the version of himself he needs to live up to, the version of himself Bruce imagines is real, the weight of all the people who rely on him etc.

There’s this dedication and commitment and fervor at the core of both of them and they’re both orphans and they’ve both experienced so much violence and they both have a chip on their shoulder about Batman and yet they have so much to argue over it’s GREAT!!!!

Anyways love them a lot ok byeee!

[elizabethemerald]

A Shade Darker than Red: Part 12

Masterpost AO3

The mood in the Clocktower was tired, but celebratory. The three different teams had returned triumphant, though the mission had not been without its injuries. Danny alone was unmarked, he floated languidly above the others as they slowly returned to the Clocktower, only flitting lower to anxiously check over Jazz and Jason once they returned. 

Barbara had welcomed Cass, Steph and Danny back first. She had been so relieved that her Batgirls were safe. Steph had few cuts and bruises, and even with her brass knuckles, her hands were cut up from fighting the Talons. Cass, the girl who was practically Barbara’s daughter, was covered in injuries. She had clearly over extended herself to keep Steph from taking worse injuries. The two girls immediately went for the Clocktower showers to try and get the smell of the sewers off their skin and out of their hair. 

The Slaughter Swamp team were next back with Jazz utilizing a portal gun built into her suit to appear in the base with an unfortunately large cloud of midges. Duke got into the shower that Cass just abandoned with his armor still on, no doubt hoping to clean off as much of the muck from the swamp as possible. Tim took the time to strip down to civies before he got into a protracted argument with Steph through the shower door about her using all the hot water. Steph shot back that she had way more hair than he ever would and she had a right to use as much water as she wanted. Barbara made a note in her systems that if the Bats were going to continue using her Clocktower as a base, she would have to install more showers. 

Danny helped Jazz to shed her power suit, complaining good-naturally about the damage to the suit that he would have to repair. That was until she winced stepping out of the opened armor. Danny immediately zeroed in on the motion, and when she hesitantly lifted her shirt to reveal the mottled colors on her chest of several bruised and cracked ribs, his eyes started glowing a toxic, Lazarus green. The temperature in the Clocktower dropped at least ten degrees. He helped her to the couch that Cass and Steph usually slept on, and once she was laying down created some ghost ice to help reduce the swelling and pain. Babs guessed by the way his tail lashed the air that if Jazz hadn’t been successful Danny would have portaled back to the swamp and torn Grundy apart. 

His agitation only increased when a jittery and anxious Jason returned with Damian and Dick in tow. Barbara was worried about ghost mind control as they shared their report. Danny once again looked like he was about to fly off and wring the neck of this Fredrick Showenhower, but instead was comforting Jason and talking to him quietly near the ceiling. Dick had multiple injuries, including his own bruised ribs that he insisted absolutely had to be kept a secret, with a guilty glance up towards Jason. Dick also got a thorough scolding because apparently Damian had been fighting with a broken wrist and he hadn’t noticed. 

Duke and Tim did eventually join the rest of the family, fresh from the showers and thoroughly de-swamped. Duke had found a garter snake hiding in his body armor during his shower and kept double checking his clothes to make sure that he was snake free. Dick and Damian showered quickly then got their injuries wrapped up. 

Once everyone was settled on different couches, relaxing and recovering, Barbara arranged for food to be delivered. She wished Alfred was there to celebrate with them, but he was still on his extended “vacation” with the Kents. She was fairly certain that he was actually spending his time with a more intimate form of relaxation with his contemporaries, but quite frankly, she didn’t want to know, and he deserved to enjoy his time after having to deal with Bruce for so long. 

By the time food arrived and everyone was resting, some of them were nodding off into their plates as the exhaustion from the day weighed on them. Dick looked around before catching Jason’s eye. 

“So Jason now that the curses have been broken, what's next?” He asked. 

Jason sighed, and set down the ghost pizza he had been eating. He floated down to be level with the rest of his family, as the others focused again. Duke blinked and shook his head to shake off the clinging sleepiness. 

“I guess that’s one bad habit we all got from the old man.” Jason said, ignoring Dick’s flinch. “We can’t really relax while a mission is in progress.” 

“At least most of you don’t treat your entire life as a mission like he did.” Jazz declared. There were some who flinched again, reflecting on the shortcomings they inherited from Bruce. Though there were some who felt a sense of relief, knowing that at least they were better than him. 

“Next, I will use my authority as King to free Gotham from her chains, and place the burden on Jason’s shoulders.” Danny said. “If you are ready, I can do that now.” 

Barbara watched as Stephanie and Cass sat up and focused. They alone of the Bats had seen what Danny was truly capable of as the Ghost King. 

“And does that mean that Jason will be back?” Dick asked, desperation in his voice. 

Both Danny and Jason looked guilty for a moment. 

“Dick-” Jason started but was interrupted. 

“No! We did this whole mission, risked all of our lives, simply because you asked.” Dick’s anger and long unaddressed grief came storming to the front. “You said that Jay would be able to stay in the city.”

“I did.” Danny took on the regal posture of the crown. “And he will. But he won’t be human.” 

“But you-”

“Jason isn’t like me.” Danny cut Dick off. They had all seen Danny take on human form during their planning session. “Maybe if Bruce hadn’t intervened, if Jason had more time as a human, he could have been a Halfa as well. Now however, I am the only one of my kind.” 

They could all see the weight and grief in Danny’s eyes at his words. They had seen that same weight in Superman’s eyes and in Martian Manhunter’s. The weight of having outlived everyone else like you. They could see how it hurt even more, considering Jason could have been one as well. 

“But we have Jason’s body, we could dig it back out.” Tim seemed desperate, but Jason shook his head. 

“Timbo, I’m not going to possess my own corpse.” Jason said, his voice low and sad. “That’s not how someone becomes a Halfa. It’s about equality. Danny is fully human and fully ghost. He’s half human, half ghost. It’s balanced. It's why he’s such a powerful King.”

“The responsibility, the burden, that I am offering Jason is that of the City Spirit. He will be here to watch over the city and all of its denizens; human or ghost; cop, crook or hero. He will become the very streets you watch over, the very buildings you swing from. He will watch over you all in spirit and you will be able to see him as he is now.”

“And then what?” Damian all but demanded in his question. “Jason takes up his watch, and what about the rest of us? Do we continue to fight the endless battle against the evils that plague this city?” 

“All of you may not have to.” Jazz said. “With some of the curses on Gotham broken, those that fed on and corrupted the denizens, with Jason’s strength and not having to fight to heal an injury like the current Gotham spirit, some of the darkness that plagues the city may be eased. The never ending crusade may one day ease.” 

That seemed to leave the Bats flummoxed. Even Barbara didn’t know what she would do if she wasn’t Oracle. She could see the same confusion, the same fear on the faces of the others. Who were they if they didn’t need to be vigilantes anymore? Danny either could sense the question on their minds, or just knew from his own hero days what they were thinking.

“The future of Gotham’s cape scene is up to you now.” Danny said. “Each of you can choose what you want from life, and that doesn’t necessarily mean being a hero.” 

“What about Batman?” Tim asked. 

“What about him?” Dick growled, but Tim was already shaking his head. 

“Not Bruce, Batman. The symbol. Gotham needs a Batman.” 

“Does it?” Jazz asked, her voice placid. 

“Yes!” Tim declared. “Barbara put the numbers up.” 

Barbara turned back to her computer and with a few key presses put the data that the two of them had been running in secret. The data showed the rise of criminal activity, including organized crime and costumed rogues. It also showed a rise in injuries taken during patrols and a drop in successful arrests. It wasn’t extreme, but the data clearly showed a trend. 

“We may have beaten some of the causes of the problems we’ve faced, but we haven’t eliminated all of the threats to the city. And the struggle against the criminals is taking more and more out of us. I believe that the threat of Batman as a symbol keeps the criminal element restrained, not just in their normal activity, but in their actions against us as well. I’m not suggesting we ask Bruce back to the city, but I think we need one of us to stand up and be the symbol.” 

“Well what do you want Batman to represent as a symbol? ” Danny asked. Settling on the back of the couch, his arms resting on Jazz’s shoulders. Neither of them seemed surprised or concerned by the direction of the conversation. 

“Batman cares for the people of the city.” Dick said immediately, remembering his early days as Robin, before the crusade had consumed Bruce’s heart. 

“Batman draws the attention of the worst of the Rogues so they don’t target civilians.” Barbara offered, thinking how other than the clown most Rogues would rather match wits with the Bats, than random citizens. 

“Batman is a detective, he solves crimes others can’t.” Tim said, thinking of the hours spent in front of the Batcomputer researching different cases. 

“Batman does not kill.” Cass signed with a firm hand. 

“Batman used to be known for hating metas, things are changing and Batman should change with it.” Duke said, his voice soft and tenuous, the others nodded and patted him on his shoulder. 

“Batman raises up those who want to be heroes.” Steph declared, thinking of her own training and the training the others had gone through, and how it could have been better. 

“Batman is the best trained fighter.” Damian whispered, remembering the tales his mother had filled his head with about his father, before reality shattered those fantasies. 

Jason snorted from where he was leaning on the back of Barbara’s wheelchair, mirroring Danny leaning on the back of Jazz’s couch. 

“Sounds like you’re describing Cass.” 

Cass sat up startled. Her head whipped around, her eyes wide as the rest gave her smiles and considering looks. 

“I am not a detective. I needed help to read when I first started.” Her signs were more flustered than usual, then she looked at her hands, and her signs seemed to stutter. “I don’t speak. I can’t be Batman.” 

“Does Batman have to carry every part of that role by herself?” Jazz asked. “Haven’t each of you been performing those roles even when Bruce wore the cowl? You’re not alone Cassandra, Stephanie has an amazing skill with people, Timothy has deduced what even Bruce wasn’t able to. Where you might fall short, the others shine.” 

“Together you create something greater than Bruce could ever conceive.” Danny said, looking over the Bats, before looking to Jason. “You create something greater than even Gotham could.”

Cass’s hands shook as she signed to her family. 

“Are you sure? You want me to be Batman?” She asked. 

“Yes! And I’ll be your Robin!” Steph declared before she pounced on Cass and kissed her. 

For once, Cass was caught by surprise as well. 

.

When Cass and Steph were eventually separated, both blushing like mad, especially at the wolf-whistling and cheering of the rest of the family, plus Danny cackling like a hyena, the Bats and Phantoms settled. Cass was going to be Batman. The rest of the details could be worked out later. First they had to see to the exchange between Gotham and Jason. 

The Bats watched in awe as Danny summoned the Spirit of Gotham to the Clocktower. Steph earned an immediate light-hearted smack to the back of her head from her new sort-of, maybe girlfriend for ogling the spirit. None of them could deny however, how beautiful they found Gotham. This was the spirit of their home, how could they not find her beautiful? 

Jason once more knelt before her, while Jazz and Danny gave her respectful nods. The others bowed or knelt and spirit looked over them all with love shining in her eyes. She bid them all rise, and she greeted each of them by name, mentioning their accomplishments, and how she had watched over them. Tears glistened in their eyes as Gotham revealed the grievous wound in her side. 

Danny stood, his full regalia in place before Gotham and Jason. He looked them over closely before stepping around behind Gotham. She knelt, her head down, and Danny reached down and pulled her long evening coat from her shoulders. She panted and her shoulders drooped as if a horrific burden had finally been taken from her. She fell forward onto her hands as blood filled tears of relief dropped to the floor. 

“Gotham, Shadowed Protector. I relieve you of the duty you have carried for so long.” 

Jazz knelt next to the former city spirit and helped her to rise, wiping the blood from her face. All the Bats stood as one out of respect for what she had done for them their entire lives. Danny waited until Gotham could stand under her own power, when she gave him a nod he turned to Jason, who knelt as well. 

“Jason Todd, son of Gotham, Protector Spirit, Beloved Brother of King Phantom, I name you the new Spirit of Place of the City of Gotham.”

Danny gently placed the jacket on Jason’s shoulders. 

The Bats and the Phantoms watched as the weight settled onto Jason. He also fell to his hands, his breaths coming fast even though he didn’t need them any more. He grit his teeth and growled, taking the burden and making it his own. The evening coat shifted and morphed into an armored leather jacket. Lava flowed and flames roared across his body and Jason rose to his feet. His crimson, blood soaked helmet enclosed his head and burning, twisted rebar wings burst from his back. 

“May I present to you, Red Hood, the new Spirit of Gotham.” 

Jason stood there breathing heavily for a moment before Danny pulled him into a tight hug, that would have crushed any bones he had. The rest of the Bats surrounded him and hugged him, the flames licking harmlessly at them, as no member of Jason’s family had to worry about being burnt by him. After each of the Bats had slowly peeled themselves away from him, Jason pulled Gotham into a hug. He pressed his face to her shoulder as he held her. 

“Thank you for watching over me.” He whispered.

[aliteralchicken]

The way that it’s canon that Babs, Cass, Bart, and Kon lectured Tim about being mean to Steph haunts me in the cringing sense. It sounds so Steph-Centric fanfic like but… it’s canon… (Why would Kon & Bart even care about Steph??? 😭)

I will always defend Megan Firzmartins work (with the exception of YJ:DC) because a lot of male writers have got a lot less shit for much worse writing, I defended this issue in particular when it first came out because 90% of the complaints I saw were people being mad that Stephanie wasn’t *being homophobic* towards him

listen I get why she did it, she got slaughtered by Steph fans and timsteph fans for breaking them up despite the fact that Tim and Steph have broken up many times before and had many other love interests

to be completely fair to her she wasn’t the one to change Steph’s personality, she just gave her the same personality ever other writer has been giving her in recent years, if she gave Steph a more classic Steph response of reacting with anger and jealously there would be people absolutely crying out about it

And I partly blame young justice 2019 for the young justice being Steph’s friends plotline, because there’s no reason Steph and Kon should be anything more than frenemies especially after the whole Superboy vs robin teen titans issue

but overall, I would’ve loved it if they allowed Steph to be pissed off like she would’ve been pre new 52, it adds conflict in the batfamily, gives her back personality flaws that were very interesting, it’s adds something to the story especially since Cass would have to pick a side

I would’ve loved to see bart and kon trying to be there for Tim because breaking up with his girlfriend, not talking to his family and joining a self harm cult in order to take it down is very concerning and he’s not exactly the face of mental health (side note I do actually quite enjoy how she writes Bart)

overall, everyone being so insistent Tim talk to his ex after their breakup, not on his own terms, without this being shown as a bad thing, is not what I wanted to read, especially given that Tim ends up forcing himself out of the closet as an explanation rather than doing it naturally, I would’ve much preferred him going to her, rather than everyone forcing her one him

[bitimdrake]

pssssst hey quick question on the dl - who is helena bartinelli??

i cannot answer anon questions on the dl, so answer on the up-high, which she deserves:

HUNTRESS

a.k.a. Helena Bertinelli, a.k.a. Gotham's coolest and most notable antihero, crossbow-wielder, and purple bat-associated vigilante.

Helena was born to an Italian mob family, but spent her childhood blissfully unaware of the family business--until her entire family was slaughtered in front of her when she was eight. She stayed with family overseas for the rest of her childhood, learning how to fight and protect herself.

She came back to Gotham for both vengeance and justice, and became one of Gotham's many vigilantes. Though her focus is on the mob, she'll step in to stop any crime.

She's also a schoolteacher! Good for her.

She is discerning in who she chooses to kill, but she does kill. As you can imagine, this put her at odds with Batman for a long time. Helena is pretty much the premiere example of Bruce trying to claim control over every vigilante in Gotham, no matter how little right he has. The argument on killing/ethics is valid, but his default was basically "do exactly what I say and fall in line under my command, or stop completely," which is why he's an asshole control freak and why I'm constantly mad about how she was treated 👍

She was an absolute mainstay of the Batfamily before Flashpoint (2011) and it is personally hurtful to me that people don't know her. (Like, to be frank? She had far more of a presence than Damian or (living) Jason in the post-crisis era.)

You could count on seeing her in any major Batfamily crossover, from Cataclysm to Battle for the Cowl.

She was central to the biggest Batfamily crossover ever, No Man's Land, where Gotham was locked off from the rest of the country and turned into a lawless wasteland. Bruce left to sulk for the first couple of months and in absence of any other vigilantes in the field (only Oracle having remained in the city), Helena donned the mantle of the Bat for herself to protect the city. And when Batman came back, in return for all she'd done, she got...yelled at, assigned impossible tasks and criticized for not achieving them, her costume stolen and given to someone else, lied to, abandoned in the face of impossible odds, and shot multiple times protecting kids. Absolute fucking hero, honestly.

She also was on the Justice League for a while, though admittedly I have barely touched that run. To my understanding, despite nominating her for the position, Bruce was also the one to revoke her membership there.

Fortunately! things improved!!

In the early/mid 2000s, Helena joined the Birds of Prey, Oracle's team, and found legit friendships and support there with teammates like Dinah Lance/Black Canary. She finally got more respect in the community, and had a much better time.

Additional relationships include:

A big sister/annoying little brother type thing with Tim, who may disapprove of her killing but simply likes making friends too much :)

A great relationship with Vic Sage/the Question

One single issue where she met Steph that presented SUCH interesting potential that I desperately wish had been followed up on

On and off romantic/sexual tension with Dick, depending on the writer, which culminated in a single hook up that apparently most people around here would rather pretend didn't happen, though I really don't think it's that bad

A complicated relationship with Barbara, partially due to clashing personalities and conflicting morals (with Babs being nearly as much of a control freak as Bruce), and partially due to a shared history with Dick because DC loves making women be catty

Surely others from her first solo or time on the JLA that I don't know well enough to list!

She's rad and determined and takes no shit but cares a lot, and I love her. We deserve more stories tying her teaching day job into her night work. We also deserve more stories with her in general.

If you would like additional Helena beyond just cruising my tag, I recommend:

Batman/Huntress: Cry for Blood - far more Huntress than Batman, this is a great 6-issue miniseries about Helena reckoning with her past, ft the Question.

Batman: No Man's Land - if you have the time for it, a big storyline but worth it.

Birds of Prey vol 1 (1999) - Helena starts to appear around issue #57 and becomes a central character from there.

[sadiehaleheart]

Bruce, Lan Clan heir and Lan Sect #1 disciple, losing his parents. and being hurled into the Burial Mounds. and learning to wield resentment! Within Rules! I'm definitely not picking a bat, tho, that's a homonym for happiness

Dickie, son of wandering cultivators: is this orthodoxy, or a butterfly? Proceeds to drive Lan Qiren NUTS

Jason, Nie Clan kiddo somehow lost in greater Yunmeng: this is terrible and I cannot punch my way out or can I 

Timbo, Jin (???) Clan: so, admittedly, I am rich as fuck. But my folks are awful, and I have taken my communication butterflies and talismans etc to the next level, and I am desperately aware the status quo is BAD and needs changing by, er, someone 

Babs, once Jiang/Jin and now returned to her mom's Meishan Yu sect: so technology CAN cure some of our problems. I shall be stabbing many of you ASAP. Or just as soon as these hyper-competent lesbians, with bird-themed titles, say I'm ready

Damien, half Wen: LEGACY MATTERS. also the xuanyu of slaughter is kind of cute FIGHT ME over my MURDER TURTLE

Anyway, the Untamed x Batman could be very very funny

[soylent-crocodile]

Onerous Aspic (Monster)

(Yule Ooze by Steve Prescott)

(Oozes are real weird to balance. Just as written, they simply lack stuff like saves and AC. I think I did this one well enough though. Anyway, who loves food crimes?)

CR7 TN Huge Ooze

Long thought to be a joke, an edible ooze, the onerous aspic is unfortunately all too real. Rumored to be created by a mad cannibal-alchemist, or even the archfiend Gorgaleth himself, the onerous aspic devours all animals in its path, paralyzing those too big and preserving their bodies perfectly in a process that turns themselves into a perfect treat for a massive dragon or a wealthy cannibal feast. Onerous aspics are often made by such creatures with the intent of doing just that- letting them collect prey for eventual slaughter. A few crafty necromancers, however, have learned to use them as walking larders, as any animal contained within the aspic is perfectly preserved.

In combat, onerous aspics particularly tend towards the largest and meatiest animal they can, otherwise simply wandering forward into battle.

This brown-yellow jelly slithers forward, small animals and unfortunate adventurers perfectly preserved within it, their faces frozen in fear.

Misc- CR7 TN Huge Ooze HD10 Init:-4 Perception:-5, Blindsight 100ft Stats- Str:22(+6) Dex:2(-4) Con:26(+8) Int:-(-5) Wis:1(-5) Cha:1(-5) BAB:+7/+2 Space:15ft Reach:5ft Defense- HP:125 (10d8+70) AC:14 (-4 Dex, -2 Size, +10 Deflection) Fort:+11 Ref:-1 Will:-2 CMD:21 Immune: Ooze traits, mind-affecting effects, cold Special Defenses: DR 10/Slashing or Bludgeoning, Preservatives Offense- Slam +12(2d6+6 plus distraction) CMB:+15 Speed:40ft Engulf (DC17, 3d6 bludgeoning) Distraction (DC22) Special Qualities- Mindless, Cooking Ecology- Environment- Urban, Underground Languages- None Organization- Solitary Treasure- None Special Abilities- Preservatives (Su)- An onerous aspic gets a +10 magical deflection bonus to AC. Additionally, all organisms killed by its engulf ability are perfectly preserved as long as they remain in the ooze. Cooking (Ex)- Fire damage that would be dealt to an onerous aspic is instead dealt to any creatures inside it. Dead bodies within the aspic that take more than 10 fire damage are no longer perfectly preserved for the purposes of necromancy or reviving, but are fully cooked.

[girlactionfigure]

*ISRAEL REALTIME* - "Connecting the World to Israel in Realtime"

HAPPY CHANUKAH !!! Chanukah night 7 TONIGHT 🕎🕎🕎🕎🕎🕎🕎

◾️MORE SHIP ATTACKS BY THE HOUTHIS… a Marshall islands-flagged chemical tanker reported an "exchange of fire" with a speedboat 55 nautical miles (around 102 kilometres) off Yemen.  A speedboat with armed men aboard approached two vessels transiting off the coast of Yemen's Red Sea port of Hodeidah.  (AP) the Houthis launched two missiles at a commercial ship in the Bab al-Mandab Strait but missed, according to US officials. An American vessel intercepted another drone launched by the Houthis. (The ship that the Houthis tried to hit is the Ardmore Encounter tanker that carries the flag of the Marshall Islands.

Also reports of a shipping attack on the other Yemen coast near Oman.  Quickly becoming a major disruption to world shipping.

◾️THE TOLL… we previously reported on 8 lost in battle, two more are reported killed yesterday as well - the worst day since the first day of the war.  https://www.timesofisrael.com/ten-soldiers-including-two-senior-officers-killed-in-gaza-fighting-and-deadly-ambush/

◾️JENIN… (Arab city, West Bank, terror center)  Firefights with IDF forces still going on, day and half continuous.

◾️FALSE ALERT - MODI’IN MACCABIM REUT… siren alert malfunction.  Homefront Command is working to fix.

◾️INCREASING RESERVE AGE… the Ministry of Defense distributed a memorandum of law to increase the exemption age from reserve service to be raised in order to prevent damage to the IDF's combat capability in the midst of war. According to the plan, the exemption age will be increased by one year for regular soldiers, officers and certain positions. 

◾️GAZA, WEAPONS EVERYWHERE (no innocent / civilian spaces)… Lt. Col. Oz, Nahal's 931st Brigade: We entered about 500 houses in Jabaliya. In 90% of them we found weapons, inside wardrobes, in the kitchen, in UNWRA sacks and under babies' beds. There were grenades, weapons, guns, rifles, RPGs and many other weapons.  We arrived at the mosque, which apparently looked innocent. When we broke the door on the third floor, we were surprised to discover an advanced combat space there: they built a training facility there, like we train in the bases, they managed to build it in the mosque! We killed more than ten terrorists there.

◾️SOLDIERS MOTHER’S SAY… ( https://m.facebook.com/Mothers.Soldier ) "Our sons in battle, not Biden's son or Blinken's son - our soldier's life comes before the enemy's citizens.”  Ilanit Dedosh, mother of a commander in Golani "Don't be influenced by foreign considerations - bomb from above.” 

“We are in the most just war, against a cruel enemy who slaughtered, raped, massacred babies, women and hundreds of our brothers and sisters. We must trample him, and kill them to the last - and not stop until victory! We call on the IDF and the government - do not endanger our soldiers without a real operational need, do not put before your eyes any other consideration, not legal, not humanitarian or international pressure, Our sons are the ones in battle, not Biden's son nor Blinken's son, tell everyone in a clear voice - the lives of our soldiers come before the citizens of the enemy. We as mothers will not accept any risk to our soldiers that is not from operational considerations only. Loving, trusting, and strong - we are behind you! Fight until victory!" added the mothers.  “You promised that you would not surrender and that you would not change the plan of action, do not endanger fighters in vain!”

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

bad ending!reader meets the white cat? it's been a while, they've settled into their routine as a specimen by now, but the cat reminds them of their humanity and acts as kind of a respite from all the axe murder

"So the darkness has consumed you..but what is darkness if not a long tunnel leading towards the light?"

"Poetic as ever, aren't we?" You sneered down at the pinkish white cat in front of you, hands curled tightly around the handle of your axe.

It was the very same weapon you used not only to break down boarded-up doors throughout the mansion, but also to put an end to Specimen 9's madness in the final room.

However, its usage didn't stop there.

Long before encountering that red fleshy monster, you've acquired the axe back in Specimen 8's section, using it for self-defense against the other specimen who relentlessly chased you down the halls.

It's what any sane person would do in a horror setting if they were given the means to fight back.

But the more time you've spent with it in your possession...something happened.

When a random Specimen 1 popped out at you after just barely escaping Ben with your life, you took all your frustration out on it as you swung the axe several times until it fell off the wall. You were sick of its stupid smiling face mocking your torment.

It may have been the most "passive" specimen, but it sure as hell was the most annoying, too.

And seeing the cardboard remains scattered around your feet brought a smile of relief to your face, before you carried on.

Later, when Specimen 2 showed his face once again, you immediately turned around and plunged the blade into his neck, effectively slicing his body in half after a bit of struggle. Although he could reform himself easily, it bought you enough time to flee to the next room.

He hasn't chased you since.

You didn't know if Spooky placed some enchanted curse on this axe or what, but one thing became very clear to you:

It's that you started to enjoy using it, as though it was meant for you to take all along...and not the hunter or any other victim from before.

You'd be lying to yourself if you didn't feel some degree of euphoria from slaughtering all those unusually violent deer like the savage animals they were.

How could Deer Lord reprimand you for harming his "children"? They were the ones who attack first! They provoked you! It was all just self-defense!!

Of course, you were wise enough to not swing it at everything and everyone to conserve your stamina...although the rage you felt whenever a specimen dared to come near you gave you all the adrenaline you needed to push on.

Even Babs--who couldn't be harmed by your blade--looked shocked when you charged at her and tried taking her down anyways, ignoring the hallucinations she was inflicting on your psyche.

She wondered why they weren't as effective on you as before..but you escaped her clutches once again.

The further you ventured beneath the mansion, the more belligerent you became, having finally lost it once you reached the thousandth room..

Only to be met with the false hope of escape, with Spooky officially introducing you to your final test:

Specimen 9, aka the Taker, who was dead set on not letting you leave here alive.

But the fight was mostly a blur. You barely registered the fireballs that seared your skin, the screaming pillars of his past victims' spirits, and the shadowy hands that tried dragging you under.

All you could remember was how you knocked him out of the sky, before hacking his body to pieces with a maniacal smile on your face, his blood splattering on every square inch of you.

The fun only ended after Spooky was forced to step in and take him away from you. He was still a specimen being studied, after all, so he had to be preserved.

But she wasn't mad at you one bit....far from that, in fact.

If anything, she was very impressed with how you've swung your axe around, both recklessly and with unmatched cruelty. She could see that you certainly weren't some boring ol' human looking to expose her mansion's secrets. Oh no.

This place has brought out your true nature, making you give into your instincts to kill, keep killing, and kill a little bit more....and overkill.

None of this, she observed, was out of survival anymore. You were simply sadistic now.

Spooky liked that, and so she offered you a place in the mansion as a specimen yourself. She remarked that everybody likes the "survivor turns into a monster" trope...and thinks you'll fit the role quite well.

Thus, you were designated as Specimen 14: The Axe Wielder.

You've lost track of time the moment you entered the mansion, but you've become very well-adjusted to your routine here. All you did was roam the underground maze and target any visitors under the guise of being a lost person yourself, luring them into a false sense of security...like you once have.

Your total fatality count was wracking up numbers quite fast.

As for the other specimen, well, they've seem to have forgiven and forgotten any of your past transgressions against them...although it's probably just because Spooky told them to. But regardless, you struck up some friendships with them fast.

But one day while you were aimlessly wandering, you winded up way back in one of Specimen 7's rooms...reencountering that stupid cat who tried acting like your therapist.

You never trusted her. How could you trust anything here in this hellish place?

"Tell me..what are you really?" You stared down at the feline, who swished her tail as the grandfather clock kept annoyingly ticking in the background. "Are you Spooky's dead cat?"

"I am the antithesis of the evil that dwells here. The guiding light in the darkest shadows. It's not too late to help you, but first you have to- "

"What good is your advice if I'm already gone?" Sneering, you readied your axe, growing more enraged by the second. "You deceived me..just like she did! You didn't tell me about Taker, or..or anything! So WHY would I listen to you?!!"

"...because I still see hope in you, Specimen 14." She spoke calmly, her optimistic tone not wavering a bit. "Or should I say...[y/n]."

For a moment, you tensed up, recollection flashing in your mind. You didn't know how she knew that name, but it meant nothing to you now.

"That name is dead to me....and so are YOU!!!" With a yell, you brought the blade down on her head--

But she vanished into thin air.

"Where are you?!" You snapped, eyes glowing red with fury as you searched the room, tearing open the nearest door in an attempt to find her.

However, you were greeted by a quaint office-like space. It looked quite cozy, with motivational posters plastered on the walls, wooden shelves lined with books and soft plushies, and a comfy couch right there in the middle of it all.

This was new. You've never seen this room before.

The little white cat was on the furniture, sitting like a loaf of bread with that pure smile adorning her face. "Come sit, why don't you? We both ought to be comfortable. A little respite is good for the mind, body, and soul."

You said nothing to that, but after a few long moments of hesitance...your legs started moving on their own. The axe's blade scraped the ground as you dragged it behind you, although she didn't seem bothered too much by the awful noise it made.

And you sat as far away from her as you could.

For about a minute or so, there was nothing but silence...save for the gently ticking clock from faraway. The axe's handle was still gripped tightly in your hand, as though it was attached to your own limb.

Then the white cat spoke up. "See? Isn't this much better than all the running around and endangering others surrounding you?"

"...for the record, they endangered me first." You corrected. "So let's get that straight. But...I'll admit my legs have been killing me lately.."

"So you do feel exhaustion and pain, that's good! Both of those and more are all of the human qualities tucked away within you." She chirped. "They're not gone, but simply asleep."

"........"

"This house of horrors has taken many things away from people, but the one thing it can't take from you is-"

"You don't even know half the horror I went through.." You growled. "Have you been to any room beyond the 400s? I don't think so...so just stop it. Whatever you're trying to do here isn't helping as much as you think it is. Maybe it could have before, but you're too late."

For once, she stayed silent, instead looking the other way and smiling at the poster.

Shaking your head, you closed your eyes and tried taking some deep breaths to calm yourself down.

It felt..strange not to be killing or breaking anything for once. For some reason you just didn't...feel like doing any of that right now.

This room was probably having another weird effect on you.

Then you suddenly felt the cushions shift in pressure and quickly looked over at the cat. She was standing up now, slowly creeping over to you. "What are you doing?" You eyed her warily. "Don't come near-"

However, you paused when she climbed into your lap and curled up right there and then. Then she gazed up at you, tilting her head in a cutesy way.

She was purring, too.

'Damn it...' As the glow faded from your eyes, you stared down at her for a few long seconds, before a bloodied hand came to rest on her back. Then you gently stroked her fur, hearing her purrs increase in volume.

It didn't take long for you to finally relax, letting go of the deathgrip you've kept on the axe since the moment you obtained it. You let it rest against the furniture--still in your sights, but no longer in your clutches.

Maybe you could stay here for a while.

[mangaka-devotee]

"What about her tale?"

Well allow me tell you...When she was a small child our heroine remembered having a lovely family. Her father a tifling, her mother a drow, and the there was herself and her baby brother both tiflings that each inherited their own pick of genes from thier mother.

It was a good and happy life, her father was a kind, gentle man, whom work round the village to aid everyone and earn for the family, While her mother sorceress a strong and brilliant, her little brother was just a tot at the time, a bubbly little bab she adore entirely...in truth she adored all her family. But alsa she did not have them for long for at age six then came..."The Raid"...

She couldn't remember what she been doing before she heard the screams and destruction, and seen all the fire and soilders destroying her home. She been terrified everything's was a blur she couldn't tell you how she survived the ordeal at such a small size.

She only rembers a brief black moment before finding her self curled the ash and rubble. Right when the beastly party had had all taken thier fill of the slaughter and chaos. All she could hear was the fire that was lift...she didn't know what to do but she was so so tired. Her little body had some how willed it self back to her bead at homewith her parents,through the rubble and smoke hardly aware of the death that surrounded her...no matter how near.

[arterartthings]

My Bab fun sheet

Some notes about Barbara’s abilities

Small backstory of Barbara:

Barbara Strawberry is a teenager from Ashland in Pennsylvania. She became what is now known as Specimen 5 after being kidnapped by a mysterious cult and sacrificed to entity known as The Mother. The Mother, realizing that her Followers gave her a child ‚tainted’ by the Leader, pitied her. Barbara’s body encased in clay was reanimated by Mother and slaughtered the insencere cult members. Barbara’s soul remained dorment in in her own body for decades, until one day a mysterious person appeared in House on The Hill. Just after few hours from chasing the mysterious explorer, Barbara was resurrected as herself from before the ritual. Barbara remembers nothing from the day of the ritual sacrifice (which is for the better).

With almost everyone she knew from school being adults and indeterminate state of her real family, Barbara decided to stay in the house among other monstrous residents who still recognize her as one of them and Zachary Gāng, the host of Specimen 12 who is in similar situation as the girl, taking on the responsibility of being her guardian figure.

⭐️Barbara Fun Facts⭐️

Originally, Barbara was a rip off of Oka Ruto from Yandere Simulator (I created her around 2016-17, long before the shit plumeted)

Originally, Barbara had skills of summoning demons from Goetia and that was ther reason the cult kidnapped her. Obviously, that got scrapped later on in my life

She loves collecting 80’s tech, victorian era china and overall etheric/astrology decor

She’s 1/4 American, 1/4 German and 1/2 Korean

She has a younger brother

Her favorite dish is Ramen with wontons and kimchi (her mother’s invention)

[tacticalhimbo]

— 10 Fandoms, 10 Characters, 10 Mutuals

@perpetuagf tagged me in this and i am OBSESSED, tyvm for tagging me babs <3

apologies in advance if anybody gets a repeat tag in this!

@carlosoliveiraa | @alexxmason | @captastra | @bbrocklesnar | @vendettapandav | @kourumi | @scarfacemarston | @captain-radioactive-mentality | @ollierachnid | @theavaricesystem

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

AIDEN PEARCE | WATCH DOGS; this man embodies older brother rage and it resonates so hard. like. the protectiveness over his remaining family. the fact he acknowledges (even if a bit harshly at times) that he is a bad guy. the fact he thinks he is utterly irredeemable… obsessed with him and his funky sense of fashion

APOLLYON | FOR HONOR; bastard woman. but i love her for it. her backstory doesn't get a lot of mention and i constantly think about how being a child when her family and such was slaughtered, and to have seen how the man who swore to protect them simply turned his back… i just. the way she's grown into someone who is willing to maintain the presence and intensity of war just to showcase its brutality. the way she took said man's armor and forged it to be her own. her brain!!! she is evil and i support women's wrongs o7

ARCADE GANNON | FALLOUT; the original "just like me fr" character, and one of the first canonically queer characters i had exposure to. my favorite companion always. his personality? incredible. his backstory? tragic. his humor? dry and awful, but i still love it and love him

DR. VIKTOR VEKTOR | CYBERPUNK; literally the character with the most transmasc swag i think i have ever witnessed in a game. like. genuinely. this man is trans to me and i am just so head over heels for this old man and his humor and his genuine care for those within his circle

ELSA WOLCOTT | WILSON'S HEART VR; underrated game and underrated character. genuinely. she is such a good character. i love the whole "parent who will do anything and everything for their child" trope (see: my inclusion of sam fisher and, by extension, aiden pearce). but like genuinely, elsa is such a tragic character when you look past the humor of the plot (re: the game being a mish-mash of horror tropes). i wish she coulda had a redemption arc q0q

MAJOR JACK KRAUSER | RESIDENT EVIL; bastard man. but i love him for it. the dynamic he has with leon (aka his obsession over his former ally) is so… man!!!! he also has transmasc energy and i really don't know how to explain it. he just. does

OBI-WAN KENOBI | STAR WARS; my first fictional crush fr, but also he is just. the character ever. the things he's been through, the way he uses them to better himself. the way he tries so hard to be a good man for everyone around him… obsessed

PUNISHED "VENOM" SNAKE | METAL GEAR; i am so normal about this man (lie) and the fact that he is a shell of his former self that has been molded to fit another's perfect image in an attempt to achieve a greater cause (one that would inevitably become corrupted and lead to his own death) and i just. mm. obsessed again

SAM BECKER | FAR CRY; underrated fave. i love sam's bombastic personality and how it stems from the fact that, after facing tragedy and having to adapt a role that makes him complicit in shit, he finally feels hope at things getting better (at least that's how i see it). he is my tragic little meow meow and i am still so sad about his death. i literally know it happens and every time i play the game i start getting so :((((

SAM FISHER | SPLINTER CELL; i discovered him while playing ghost recon and then he single-handedly shot me into the splinter cell series and now i am rotating him in my brain always. his character arc is one of my favorites, and a scene that always plays in my head is the one in conviction when he finds out the truth about his daughter's disappearance like. ugh!! plus i just love very involved and protective father figure characters (if you haven't noticed the trend on this list. and if you did? shush <;3)

[the-coiner-prince]

Tw // blood , knife , violence

Slaughtesque

[ slaught(er) + esque ~~ slaughtesque ]

A gender connected / related to or described as The Slaughter , from The Magnus Archives . The fear of brutal grotesque violence , of anger and hatred consuming oneself motivating acts of extreme violence .

[ flag ID : a rectangular flag with nine horizontal stripes , the colours from top to bottom are : black , light gray , blood red , dark red , red , dark red , blood red , light gray , and black . in the center of the first flag there's a bloody knife . end ID ]

~ day four of @transolar #apocalcoining event ~~ Destruction

Coined by the prince 👑

[ PT : Anyone can use the terms that the charming has coined , but ke asks to Please DNI if any of these aply to you: racist, sexist, ageist, antimogai, antiliom, BaB, ableist, transmed, transcum, fujoshi, radfem, terf, proshipper, anti-agere, antifurry, NSFW blogs, (NO)MAP, zoophile, necrophiliac, incestuous or supporter of those who act on these types of paraphilias. end PT ]

[croc-odette]

akiva goldsman did an interview about the snw season 2 finale where he was like yeah the gorn just represent pure evil monsters because sure there's kindness in the world but there's also monsters :) because declaring an entire species to be so 'monstrous' and evil that we are free to slaughter their children without remorse is sooo much better of a story than the one TOS did with the gorn, right? -_-

it's also like we know you think the gorn are evil violent monsters that must be destroyed despite the starfleet's chickenshit policy that living beings should be 'understood'.... because you've done this episode like 4 times already! we get it! it was boring the first time. the people who are like 'well maybe it's building up to the eventual conclusion that the gorn are kind-of sort-of intelligent sentient beings and we shouldn't just gleefully kill off their babies' and i'm like.... at this rate they will establish the plot of an already-existing 50 min episode over several episodes over 4 YEARS!

Darren Mooney excerpts:

“I’d appreciate another chance to study them up close,” Sam Kirk tells Pike in the mission briefing. “With a phaser?” Noonien-Singh inquires. “How else will we determine how best to kill them?” answers Kirk, who is the ship’s xenoanthropologist. “I would like to aid in that study,” adds Joseph M’Benga (Babs Olusanmokun), the ships’ doctor. Pike then instructs the crew to arm themselves, as Nami Melumad’s score hits the classic Star Trek fanfare.

There is no discomfort or unease here, as the crew load up with what Lieutenant Erica Ortegas (Melissa Navia) describes as “super cool toys.” There is no hesitation when Noonien-Singh ambushes “a Gorn youngling” in the street, effectively executing a child. It’s all played as thrilling spectacle. After all, the sequence of Ortegas piloting the shuttle into the atmosphere of Parnassus Beta, dipping below the treeline before recovering, was the big opening beat in the season’s trailer. It’s visceral and exciting.

Despite its obvious nostalgia for the Star Trek of the 1990s, the pop culture of “the end of history,” and “the unipolar moment,” “Hegemony” suggests that Strange New Worlds is still a product of the War on Terror that has shaped every Star Trek since Enterprise. It might hide that sensibility beneath a polished nostalgic exterior, but it is still there. Indeed, Spock’s (Ethan Peck) flight through the debris field consciously evokes a similar sequence in the War-on-Terror-adjacent Star Trek Into Darkness.