#they are in their mid to late teens / which is normal for teens to experience during that time

[thevoidstaredback]

Barry knew something was wrong when he woke up that morning, but he couldn't place what. There was nothing wrong in the house, nor with his family. His team were as normal as they could be, and none of his rogues had gotten out, nor was anyone causing any trouble in Central City. Then, just as he'd gotten off work at the police station, an emergency meeting for the Justice League was called. Ugh, David's gonna be pissed that he has to call out!

The Watchtower, when he got there, was a mess. Heroes were obviously panicking, and there must be magic users on board because there were things flying every which way. The meeting room, however, was somehow worse.

"What the hell is going on?" The Flash demanded after ducking behind a chair.

"Constantine and Deadman are on a warpath!" Aquaman helpfully supplied from where he was hidden behind his own chair.

"I gathered that much," Flash shouted over the noise of a chair being shattered against the wall behind him.

Aquaman scowled at him. "The hell do you want me to say? I don't know what's got them so upset!

The door opened again, announcing Batman's presence. He cleared his throat and the room instantly fell silent. Things kept flying around, but they were much more lax than they had been. Cautiously, the gathered heroes emerged from their makeshift hiding places to sit in their chairs.

"What's this about, Constantine?" the Dark Knight asked once everyone was seated.

Instead of the Brit, the ghost beside him was the one to answer. "You idiots-" he growled, "-have really fucked up this time!" he shouted.

Flash idly noticed that only the heroes operating in America were present. Huh. He had a dream just like this last night!

"Slow down," Wonder Woman tried to placate, "What's going on?"

Now it was Constantine's turn to talk. "The US Government are more aware of magic then any of us-" He clearly meant the JLD. "-are comfortable with. The fact that they somehow hid it until now is baffling."

Since when is the US Gov. aware of anything? Flash quietly wondered.

Deadman, visible to everyone and slightly calmer than before, said, "It's been brought to my attention that your government as been targeting my people." He held up his hand and raised his voice to stop anyone from interrupting him before they could. "They've taken a child."

This time, both the ghost and the occultist allowed the noise to overtake the room. Superman was the one to put a stop to it by directly asking the two, "What do you mean they've taken a child?"

Zatanna, fashionably late, entered the room and clicked on the projector like this entrance had been practiced. If Flash didn't know any better, he would've thought she had practiced it. As the screen lit up, she took place beside her two teammates. "Phantom is a small time hero in a nowhere town in Illinois - at least, it usually sticks to Illinois - called Amity Park. We've been keeping tabs on the place, though Deadman here is the only one to have ever had repeated contact."

On the projector screen was the picture of a child near or in his mid-teens. He wore a black HAZMAT suit with white accents, white knee high boots, and white elbow gloves. His hair was white and his eyes the colour of cartoon radioactivity. He was snarling in the photo, obviously having been taken during a fight, if the ready stance was anything to go by.

When Zatanna moved to the next slide, it was an overshot of a place that was somewhere between being a town and a city. It was big enough that not everyone could possibly hope to know everyone, but small enough that everyone knew someone who knew someone. Based on the experience of several heroes, as well as several different statistics, it didn't look like the kind of place that would have a lot of police needed crime, let alone a dedicated hero.

"Several World Ending events were started and stopped here." Constantine continued, "Remember six months ago, when natural disasters erupted all over the planet? We tracked the epicenter to here. Same as four months ago when three quarters of the planet's population took an impromptu nap."

The slide was changed to show an empty field. "Two months ago," Deadman picked up, "The entire town and everyone in it disappeared off the face of this planet." Again, he waited out the uproar from the Justice League, continuing as though uninterrupted after they'd quieted down. "Three days later, it all reappeared," The picture was replaced by another overshot of the town, but there was a green tint to it. "A week later, I was called back to my home in the I̷͈̋̿̀̚n̶͙̙̲͇̤̪̅͋͘f̶̟̰̬̤̀̉̕i̵͕̫͖͔̟͝n̸̮͙̋̎̆̈́̂̈i̷̬̫̤̱̱̒͌͌t̷͉̪̐̂̿͝è̴̙̊ ̴̪̠͍̞͆̌̀R̵̻͙̺̯͌e̸̫͉̖̙̖͐͆͊͠ȧ̵̭̻̩̙͇̔͜l̴͔̝͒m̸͖̦̟̠̭̥̄̇͆̀s̶̢͉̳̪̦̹̑͠. That is where I offically met young Phantom."

"Why is it green?" Aquaman wondered.

"Were you keeping tabs on the place before or after this all happened?" Batman asked over him.

"Before," Zatanna answered, "An interdimensional rift opened up in the town eleven months and five days ago. A second one opened up in the same town ten months and two days ago."

"Why didn't we know about it?" Flash asked, nothing else joining the pure curiosity in his voice. "This kinda seems like something all of use should've been told about."

The magician shook her head. "Because this is our area of expertise, not yours. None of you could've done anything except make things worse if you knew."

The speedster nodded, accepting the answer easily. He didn't like working with magic. He didn't understand it, and it took way too long to actually start believing in the stuff, but he knew there was no way he'd be useful in situations that relied on magic. Best leave that to the professionals.

"I went to the town to scope things out and met Phantom," Constantine said, the slide changing to show another picture of the young hero. He was hiding in an alley, staring at his hands with something akin to fear in his eyes. "He let me take a look at the rift, explained a few things to me, and then we set up a means of contact, though he only ever talks to Deadman."

"Wait," Robin spoke up from where he was beside Batman, "I know that place!" Batman didn't show any reaction other than turning to look at his protege. Robin, for his part, glided smoothly past the look from his mentor. "Me and the rest of my team passed through there about three months ago. We met the town hero, but it wasn't Phantom."

"What do you mean?" Wonder Woman asked.

"The town's hero is called Red Huntress. She's helped out the Young Justice a few times in the past few months with some supernatural issues. She deals mostly with ghosts, though."

Deadman bristled, obviously not liking something that the boy had said.

"Oh?" Superman asked, "What did she tell you guys?"

"That Phantom's one of her rogues." Robin said, "Apparently, he causes a lot of property damage and doesn't stick around to help with relief efforts. She told us that he also kidnapped the mayor, and has attacked the local high school too many times to count."

"That's a load of shit," Constantine muttered under his breath. Louder, he said, "Phantom has only ever worked to protect his town. Red Huntress didn't show up until two months after he started his work!"

"We wait to act until we have more information," Batman, the paranoid bastard, ordered, "As soon as we know exactly who we can trust and what we're going into, we'll stick to recon."

Deadman slammed his hands on the table. "You're government took a child! This is not the time for recon! This is time to act!"

"Recon." Batman stood. "Robin, I want a report from you about your team's interactions with Red Huntress, as well as a report from herself. Constantine and Zatanna, I want a full report on everything you know about Amity Park and whatever's going on there. Dismissed." Then, he walked out of the room, Robin trailing closely after him.

"Um, Bat?" Fash stood, stopping Batman and Robin in the doorway, they both turned to face him, "Maybe we should hear them out? This sounds serious."

Batman stared at Flash for a moment longer before walking back into the room. He gestured for the three present members of the Justice League Dark to continue.

Deadman had a small look of relief flash over his face. "Your government's been sending ghost hunters to Amity Park for the better part of a year now. They were dead set on catching Phantom, and now they have. We don't know-" He cut himself off. After a few seconds, he disappeared completely. Constantine's and Zatanna's phones both went off. Nearly an entire minute after Deadman disappeared, the alarms in the Watchtower went off.

"Fuck," Flash swore.

Part 2 Part 4

[meara-eldestofthemall]

Is DC at the stage where they're unwilling to let time flow anymore (a 'Time Crisis' if you will), and the only way anyone's age changes now is through 'time shenanigans'.

Because there has to be an upper limit for how old they will allow a character to be - e.g. (For several reasons) They will never allow Bruce Wayne to turn 50.

You got it in one. Time is now an enemy that needs to be kept at bay, Why?

DC (and other comic books) have to keep their characters within a believable age range. It’s why DC has never allowed their characters to age in real time. They can’t and still keep them viable as Intellectual Properties.  Batman premiered in Detective Comics Comics #27 in March of 1939. Since Bruce was supposed to be somewhere around 22 to 25 years old at that time, he would pushing 130 years of age today.

The biggest canonical age-up in the Batfamily was Dick Grayson. Because of the 1966 Batman TV show he went from a ‘tween to a teen overnight. This was back in the days when I was young, meaning that comic books weren't really taken very seriously. The TV show was a huge success, so DC climbed on board the gravy train and tried to match as much in the comics as they could. 

 After the show ended in 1969, DC wisely realized that keeping an 18 or 19 year old in this costume...

was a truly bad idea (if not soft core porn at that point). Which is why Dick changed to Nightwing.

Dick was about 20 years old (maybe a little older at this point). He was a young adult but an adult by anyone’s standards. Dick then went to Bludhaven where he got not only his very own city to protect but better fashion sense as well. 

What this inevitably meant is that Bruce had to be aged up as well, leaving Bruce in his early 30′s when Dick became Nightwing. Batman got a series of Robins. First Jason..

Who was with him for 2 to 3 years. Batman is now early to mid 30s when Jason dies. Then Tim...

who started as Robin at 13 and stayed Robin until 17. That’s another 4 years. Bruce is now in his very late 30s. Then Stephanie...

who stayed Robin for all of 2 minutes before Tim was Robin again.

Bruce was in his very late 30s when Damian, age 11, came into the picture.

Four more years passed and not only did Tim go from being Red Robin to Robin again but he lost, then gained back a year of age. Damian went from 11 to 13 years of age, making Bruce in his early 40s.

The point is that each new iteration of Robin ages Bruce up. He’s now supposed to be in his early 40s. He’s beginning to feel age creeping up on him. A part of Bruce is finally ready to accept that he physically won’t be able to continue as Batman in another decade or so.

This is why the “Time Crisis” as you call it is vital. Batman has to be kept no older than he is now to be believable. It’s also why Damian got an upgrade to 13 but Tim is going to stay 17 basically forever. Yes, DC can pull some time shenanigan’s and let Damian and Tim get maybe a year older each but that’s it. 

The bottom line is simple. Batman and family are the biggest money makers DC currently has. If rumors are to be believed, Batman and Co are the only real money makers DC has. They’re pulling no end of crazy storyline stuff with Bruce but the one thing they cannot do is make him older. As someone in her late 60s I can tell you from experience that your early 40s are when you have the unpleasant awakening that you can’t push yourself like you used to. Sickness hits you hard. It takes longer to recover from injuries. You’re reminded of the wear and tear you put on your body over the years when you get out of bed each morning. 

“Time Crisis” isn’t really a crisis. It’s simply acknowledging that Batman isn’t Superman or Wonder Woman. He’s Bruce Wayne and Bruce Wayne may be the pinnacle of what a normal human can reach but he’s not an alien or a demi-god. Bruce Wayne is only mortal and all mortals fade with time. 

[iwasnotaslasher]

Not my rugby mom ass plotting a SuperBat Rugby Coach AU.

I would stick with some background canon facts, like Bruce as the heir of a rich Gotham family and Clark as a Kansas country boy adopted by farmers, but no alien powers or masked vigilante stuff. The two of them are just former professional players from different rugby teams: Gotham's Knights and Metropolis Meteors (yes, I lazily copy-pasted the canonical football teams' names, sorry not sorry).

As both closeted bi and madly attracted to each other, they developed a secret fling which lasted almost throughout their careers. They used to sneak away from the after-match party to fuck senseless, and of course they were in love but never confessed to each other. The relationship never got past the fling stage, mostly because they thought they could not have a real future, since they were both too scared to be ostracized by their teams if they would come out.

Eventually everything was put to an end when Lois came into the picture. Clark settled with her, they married, and later they had Jon, as well as becoming foster parents for Connor. After a good career, Clark retired from playing in his late thirties to become a match reporter and since then he carried a fairly normal mid-class life in Metropolis.

Meanwhile, Bruce quitted rugby in his early thirties, after a serious injury that almost left him paralyzed, and became fully invested in running the Wayne Enterprises. As for his love life, he kept jumping from one relationship to another, none lasting more than a few weeks. Only notable exceptions were his two and a half divorces: first marriage with Selina, his everlasting on-going-off-going affair, ended just after months; second marriage with Talia, lasted a little more, and from whom he had Damian; and then again he tried with Selina, but only to be left at the altar. Gossip magazine going wild every single time he's spotted with a new flame, also because he was known to have a weird habit of adopting a new kid whenever he divorced (or almost got married).

Alfred still jokes about the fact that they can't afford another marriage, since surely Bruce would end up adopting another kid when he eventually divorce. But he's secretly very pleased to have so many kids around the Manor.

Fast forward to the present day: they are both in their mid forties and single, since Clark is now divorced and Bruce has resolved to never commit again and just have fun.

And they are both involved in rugby again, but as coaches.

Every year Clark holds a rugby summer camp for troubled teens at Kent farm, with Ma's enthusiastical hospitality and the help of his long time friend Diana Prince, also a former rugby player.

As for Bruce, of course he founded a teen league, called it The Robins, and enrolled all his kids into it.

Now picture this: Bruce and Clark casually meeting after all those years and oh boy the mutual attraction is still there as if not even a day had passed. Clark ends up inviting him and his Robins at the summer camp for a weekend of training and matches, and Bruce, as a big city guy, can’t catch how much the offer from a mid-western country man is intended to be real, so he accepts just out of politeness. But after some weeks the league recieve an actual invitation, so now they are forced to go.

You can guess where 20 years of sexual and romantic tension between them can lead them when they find themself again on the field. But oh well, it's just for the sake of honoring the old times, not because they are actually in love. Two divorced dads coming out as bi in their forties and just living their love openly? Come on, it's not viable! Also, what would their kids say?

(spoiler: it's all so obvious that they got it since the beginning and they are already scheming some shenanigans to finally see their dads/coaches happily ever after)

Except after the summer camp they can't stop thinking about each other.

After months of ruminations, Bruce feels compelled to reciprocate the experience by inviting Clark and the kids to an improvised winter camp hosted at the Manor. Closing with a New Year’s Eve costume party à la ‘Romeo + Juliet’ (yes, I want to write about Bruce brooding around with an eye cowl).

The kids are thrilled, Alfred and Martha are already exchanging ideas about the wedding venue, Diana can't wait to be maid of honor, everyone is betting on when the proposal will be done.

The only two completely oblivious are Bruce and Clark, sneaking around the Manor at any given moment to indulge in heated making out sessions, trying their best to not get caught red-handed.

Much for Alfred's amusement but less from anyone else, they will end up not marrying right away and secretly enjoying for a bit the intimacy of not sharing their relationship with the whole world. They will eventually do it, years later, in a small (for Bruce’s standards) ceremony at Kent farm, with all their now grown up kids and grandkids. The rugby match and after-match party will be memorable.

Coincidentally, at some point during the party the happy newlyweds will sneak away for a while…

[nobite02]

Dean and Metallica

Dean was born in 1979, which puts him in Generation X. Even though he is technically at the tail end of this generation (generations are not decided by birth years; I will die on this hill), his personal experience would have been more typical of the middle of the generation. It's generally accepted that music taste develops in adolescence and early adulthood, around 12-25.

Many of the bands we see as Dean's favorites were at the peak of their popularity in the mid-70s to early 80's. This would include Led Zepplin, AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Kansas, Lenard Skynard, and Blue Oyster Cult, which are all of the classic rock variety. Still, there is also Iron Maiden, Motörhead, and Def Leppard, which are more hard rock moving into metal categories. All of these bands have their most popular albums, which come out from anywhere between 1974 and 1984, which would make Dean around 6 years old. Suggesting that these are the bands that John may have listened to.

However, Metallic is also one of Dean's favorite bands. Metallica was formed in 1981, and their first 5 albums were extremely popular from 1883 to 1991. The black album, or their self-titled, came out in 1991, meaning Dean would have been 12, right around the time people developed their music tastes.

We don't see Dean enjoying much of the popular Gen X music, such as any of the prominent grunge bands: Nirvana , Peral Jam, or Alice In Chains . Alt-rock, such as Weezer, Green Day, REM, and Rage Against the Machine. Other metal bands popular in the 90s include Mega Death, Pantera, Slayer, and Anthrax. We see evidence of glam metal through the fake names they use and bands like Warrant, Kiss, Mötley Crüe, and Poison, but it's minor.

Metallica is well known for popularizing the thrash metal genre, which began to develop in the early 80's. Many elements that categorized the genre come from punk and hard rock of the late 70's and 80's. Eventually, moving into more of a hard rock style with the black album and later albums. Many of their influences include classic and hard rock bands of the 70s, all of which have been mentioned. All to say that Metallica was new in the 80s and "underground" and would have been popular among teens rather than adults who liked rock.

John, an enjoyer of typical "classic" rock, would have likely found Metallica too fast and chaotic. Dean, being 12 when The Black album came out, would have likely found it on his own (though other kids or just listening to the radio) and began developing an interest in Metallica. John and Dean likely would have fought about it due to John not liking it, the pushback of normal adolescents' developmental stage, and the sense of self-development.

Enter Sandman and Some Kind of Monster are referenced/played in the show. Enter Sandman is the top track from Metallica and was released in 1991 on the black album. Some Kind of Monster is from their 2003 album St. Anger.

This was a lot to say that Metallica sticks WAY out from many of the other bands Deans enjoys. To me, it appears something HE chose to listen to vs. what John listened to. Metalica's lyrics often address addiction, war with anti-war statements, religion, and mental health.

I suggest listening to Dean's favorite Led Zeppelin song, "Ramble On," against any Metallica song. Some of the top ones are "Enter Sandman," "Master of Puppets," "Some Kind of Monster," and "One."

Most of this is pulled from my head, from what I know from my parents, my history of rock and roll class I took 4 years ago, and some minor googling. PLZ share any other thoughts you all have. I'd love to hear them!

[youremyheaven]

I need some advice. I feel like I'm dying. Going through the worst period cramps ever (never had this in the past 11 years), it literally feels like someone is stabbing my cervix, uterine walls and the pathway walls (I feel a bit shy calling it what it is...like a normal woman). Its so bad, I've never had it like this before. Has to do with the fact I was having isues, doc put me on meds, as soon as the dosage was done: red sea spilleth over.

Know any home remedies to help? Or just any other advice to deal with this? Can't go to the doc rn, she'll suggest to hold off pain meds, I am taking over the counter anti-inflammatory stuff..yk the one for fevers and other pains. Its not working. Its been so debilitating...I can't sleep, sit, breathe, do anything...yk the type of pain that makes you bend and make your mouth water...idk if that happens to anyone else but yeah....

OMGGG 😩😨😨😓that sounds soooo rough, I hope you're feeling better now???

I have taken meftal spas for cramps since I was maybe 16-17 years old. Idk if that's available in other parts of the world??? but its widely available in India and its specifically for period cramp induced pain<333 I'm not a doctor so pls don't take any medication without exercising caution first!!! you may not react well to it or it may have adverse effects bc of the medication you're already taking ://// 😩😩

on that note, practicing yin yoga (which focuses on releasing stress from the hip area/psoas muscles) has greatly changed my reproductive system as a whole tbh, my sex drive changed, my relationship with my body changed (like even the way i walk changed bc my hips loosened up, which meant i walked more "freely" dont tell me its woowoo,, yk can just tell when someone's body is very "frozen" or "stiff" looking) and yesss my menstrual cycle was immensely affected by it.

i used to have HORRIBLE cramps, irregular cycles, HEAVY bleeding etc in my mid-late teens (this was because of trauma + eating disorder, in case u wanted to know) and now? my period is 3 days long, light bleeding, little to no pain and i attribute alllll of that to yoga<3

now i specifically like to do certain mudras and asanas (poses) which are supposed to help the female body specifically

and while this can help u when u are on your period, i suggest making it part of your lifestyle and living according to your monthly cycle's phases so that you can experience smoother periods. i dont think its realistic to do them if you're experiencing immense pain 😭

Legs-Up-The-Wall Pose (Viparita Karani)

This pose is known for increasing blood flow to the pelvic region which helps enhance the health of your reproductive organs.

2. Baddha konasana aka butterfly pose

helps the uterus<333

3. balasana or child's pose

tbh this might actually help even if ur ON your period, lying down like this is soooo soothing and comforting. ppl overcomplicate yoga, when the reality is that holding your body in certain poses can emotionally feel very comforting/freeing/nourishing etc but then again im only familiar with yin yoga/restorative yoga (there are manyyyy different types of yoga)

4. happy baby pose

as the name suggests this is how babies lay down and they seem happy for no reason,, i remember the first time i consciously did this pose and i was like???? this is yoga??? bc i would randomly do poses like these for no reason in bed (im sure we all do when we're bored) and if i intentionally do it?? its actually good for me??

again this pose helps with the hip muscles!!! the female body is always preparing for childbirth. regardless of whether or not you want to be a mom, taking care of your womb health and reproductive well being is CRUCIAL bc whether we like it or not we were designed this way and dont think of it as "preparing my body to bear children" just think of it as "preparing my body to be at its best" (the bearing kids is just a bonus) .. the state of your womb affects your whole being!!! its not a joke!!!

now here's some mudras:

yoni mudra

yoni means womb and as u can see, this pose imitates the 🫣🫣 its a highly beneficial mudra for women and helps with overall pelvic health. you can do it sitting cross legged. i like to chant mantras and do this pose,, it kicks in quicker or smthng idk 😳but it feels ✨

2. prana mudra

do this mudra on both hands btw!!

prana means life force

this mudra helps with overall immunity and pain management!!!

3. prithvi mudra

prithvi means earth and this mudra helps balance the earth element in your energetic system which means its gives you strength, resilience and physical energy (in case u feel tired, fatigued etc for no reason) as those are the qualities of the earth

now for some pranayamas

Bhramari/ honeybee buzzing

this is my fav bc its so simple and easy to do!! and who doesn't want to buzz like a bee??? 🥰😍

2. anulom vilom

this is also a very simple pranayam for beginners

the whole idea is to get your body into a state of relaxation so that you dont operate from a place of stress or anxiety. you can just feel peaceful all the time. imagine being that unbothered!!

sorry for going off on a tangent (me with every post lmao) these are some beginner friendly yoga asanas/mudras/pranayamas (all of which are diff components of yoga) that u can try when u feel comfortable!!

NOW about alleviating pain ASAP:

hot water bag

put that thing on ur stomach and lie down (after taking medicine) my mom used to do this all the time and it helped her a lot

2. roobois tea

i drink roobois tea almost everyday hehe but its said to help alleviate menstrual cramps 🤔and lower blood pressure,,

3. chamomile tea

is also said to help with period pain :o

4. look into your diet, sleep, overall lifestyle

you may not have had pain of this sort before but babe NOW UR A WOMAN ✨and u have to look at your lifestyle and ensure that its something that helps a woman's body feel rested and calm

being stressed all the time can take a physical toll on you and lead to all kinds of diseases later in life!! its in your best interest to RELAX

idk how much this helped 😭😭the most convenient thing to do would be to take medicine but u said u can't so :((( hot water bag + roobois tea???

ALSOOOO always wear socks during your period and keep your feet covered. i have sensitive feet so i wear socks at home often (this is uncommon in india, where we have a tropical climate lmao) BUT KEEP THOSE FEET COVERED,, there's some kind of science behind it but i dont remember it lmao,, all i know is that it makes me bleed less<333 and have more cozy periods and sleep better<33

ALSOOOO,, this could be an old wives tale but it worked for me (but im also delusional😍) eating dark chocolate and/or having a spoon of oil on day 1 of your period makes your period go smoothly?? 😭😭😭there's no harm in trying hehe

ALSOOO and ive never tried this but heating up like a tablespoon of oil and applying it to the bellybutton area 😳😳can help alleviate period pain 😳😳

lastly and most importantly, im just a girlblogger and NOT A MEDICAL EXPERT so pls dont put urself in an adverse position bc of something i said 😭😭😭

love always,

heaven ✨

[tanoraqui]

rereading the Dalemark Quartet because of this fantastic podcast series, and a few notes:

I really cannot imagine Duck as looking like anything but my own younger brother. I don’t imagine Tanaqui as looking like myself, despite the many years of having this username and relating intensely to DWJ’s first girl narrator & mythic history-weaver trope. I don’t have any problem imagining Gull, Robin or Hern as they’re described. But Duck, young or grown, looks like my little brother (who, for the record, is currently doing grad school chemistry, which is definitely a sort of magery).

I’d argue that Mitt and Navis have a parallel moment of first-meeting, future-of-the-country-deciding Mutual Vibes Check to Hern & Kars Adon. It’s just that Mitt is 3 years old at the time, so Navis is mostly going “why is there a toddler here. …Hildy-coded, though”, while Mitt has gotten all the way to “he’s a little strange but I can and will trust him with my Dream of a Better World.” (They are both correct.)

I’m having a LOT of thoughts about the fantasy trope of “there used to be magic & gods but now there’s less or none at all”, and all its variations, in comparison to Tolkien and modern works. But I’m having so many that it needs to be a separate post and maybe short essay.

The structure of the series is so interesting. It’s not chronological at all, which actually makes the gap—15 YEARS—between books 3 and 4 even more agonizing to imagine waiting through. Books 1-3 are all separate tributary rivers pouring into 4, and each one ends on more of, in effect, a cliffhanger: Cart and Cwidder with a fairly normal “this adventure is entirely resolved but there are likely more to come.” Drowned Ammet wraps up the story but is lacking some denouement, they never actually reach the North, it’s just safely in sight, it’s clear that they will reach its relative peace & safety—but we don’t see them do so, and we don’t know what happens to them when they do. And Spellcoats! Has a vision of how the plot will resolve, but very pointedly ends before showing it! All we have to know what happened to any of the characters is a historically uncertain postscript, and the knowledge that (more) modern Dalemark exists as it does! Much less any mention of anyone or anything—except technically the earl and earldom of Hannart—from either of the previous books. And she left the readers like this for fifteen years!

If I’d been a teen in the late 70s reading these books as they came out, when Crown of Dalemark was accounted in the mid-90s, I would’ve screamed aloud. I would love to know if anyone reading this post did have that experience.

[vagabond-umlaut]

HIIII KIT <333333 you said you were okay w selfship asks so!!!!! here i am :33

first of all >:3 i’m a sucker for the falls first/falls harder dynamic, so!!! in your selfships, who fell first and who fell harder?? 🎤🎤 or did you both fall at the same time??? i need to knowwww!!! 

anddddd i also . love & adore….. sun/moon pairings……… 👉👈 so i’d love to know where your selfships fall on that scale too!!! :3 i get sun vibes from you but i could see moon too…. super curious to hear abt this one hehe

anyway!!!! ily kit <3333 i hope sukugo r treating you nicely!!!!! feral cat men smh…

AAAHHH ARIIi, TYTYTY FOR SENDING ME THESE QUESTIONS! I SERIOUSLY LOVE ANSWERING ASKS ON MY SELFSHIPS SM— i'm hugging u so very tightly rn *mwah mwah mwah* @twentyfivemiceinatrenchcoat

who fell first? who fell harder?

kitoru

honestly speaking, the lore of my ship w satoru changes w the seasons 🤭🤭 but acc to the information i hv as of summer 2024, i'm the one who fell first. and 'toru is the one who fell harder. i fell for him a very long time ago— back when i was in my mid teens and he was in his early twenties. but nothing romantic happened then– wtv hints i gave him either went over his head or he intentionally side-stepped them. and i js stopped giving him hints after one or two failed attempts, js staying happy with staring at him from afar, or yk, relishing wtv moments i used to get him as being one of his acquaintances... [he used to see me as a 'friend'. i nvr thought he cld see me as a 'friend', haha] but yk, when we grew up, i crossed quite some distance into my twenties and he too entered his late twenties— this is when the tectonic plates of our relationship slowly started shifting. i cld feel it, but i did not want to hope once again js to get heart-broken a second time— satoru, however, felt the shift like an earthquake. it's like, one moment he was thinking of me like he wld think of a friend, but then smthng happened, and he was like, "oh. this isn't how i think of shoko or nanami. oh. oh."— and well, let's js say, satoru was not rly in the mood for dating... he was more like, "omggg, ily! i'll take care of u! i'll make sure u hv a happy life! why don't we get married engaged, hm?" [i love my men a bit yandere 😂]

kitkuna

i think, mr. darcy's words fit sukuna and my dynamics the best 😄— “i was in the middle before i knew that i had begun.” we did not hv a very normal start to our relationship. sukuna js abducted me from my family and made me his queen. and i js became his queen and began to live in his temple or palace or fort or wtv. and yeah, we js started living together the way two ppl married as if for tax benefits start living together under the same roof. tht is it... except, tht doesn't stay tht is it for long. usually, i wld be content w some yummy food, interesting books, and nice comfy clothes— but over time, i began to notice i was feeling stuff other than js content. over time, this heavy feeling inside my chest began to grow lighter and i began to feel freer— and i realised, it was because of this freedom i was experiencing here. smthng i nvr got to experience when i was w my family— that place was rly good, yeah. i was treated rly well. but i felt more like ' a bird inside a golden cage' there. this observation changed my perception of sukuna from a housemate to smthng more amiable, perhaps smthng more affectionate, and i tried to get closer to him, inch by inch— actually millimetre by millimetre, 'cause i love to test the waters 1st then dip my toe into it— and then one fine day, when i wake up from an afternoon nap and i find sukuna sitting at the table, totally immersed in scrolls of poetry... an odd thing happens in my chest— which occurs again at dinner a few nights later... when i notice him eating as messily as ever— smthng which repeats when i catch him napping one day, akin a big cat lounging in the shade— a phenomenon which starts to happen multiple times a day very very soon... needless to say, i quickly diagnose it as a case of falling in love w my hubby 😌😌 as for sukuna... i don't rly think he feels love... he kidnapped me 'cause he was lwk intrigued by me. [idk why] he married me 'cause he grew highkey intrigued by me. [i still hv no idea why 😭😭] and he gave me space, never tried to be bad or scary to me 'cause he gave me some amt of respect as his wife, his queen [i nvr went to his court tho. i preferred drinking fruit juice and reading a good book in the shade of a tree] [were u able to guess i'm lazyyy] but then, one day, few weeks after i was able to extricate myself from my jumbled emotions and reach a definitive diagnosis— i found him snoozing under the same tree i take rest under, w a very amateurish book titled 'how do you know you are in love'— and i actually got rooted to the spot. and sukuna, heaven knows how, woke up while i was busy gaping at him. and he made an embarrassed face and dashed away— uraume later confirmed, their lord was feeling an odd thing in their chest; esp the last few weeks— roughly the same time as when i first encountered my symptom. later tht night, when i started subtly teasing him, calling us soulmates, he js put a blanket over my head to shut me up, but did not kill me— guess he loves me, huh 🤭🤭

who is the sun? who is the moon?

be it kitoru or kitkuna, i think i'm the moon, babes 😇😇 tho not a full moon. i'm more of a waxing crescent, methinks... 'cause i feel like i'm bright, but not bright enuf to light someone's path thru a forest at night... i js hv the potential, heh [i'm defo not the sun, babes 😅😅 i can be a lil grumpy and mean tbh, hahaha] satoru and sukuna, on the other hand... i think they are the sun in our dynamics. they can be both the comforting sun of chilly winter mornings, when i need them to be here for me, to hug me, to kiss me, to love me— and the scorching sun of a summer noon, ready to burn anyhting and everything which dares to bother me... [i love satoru and sukuna being a little crazy in their love for me 🥰🥰]

they're treating me pretty well so far, babes 🥰🥰🥰 and fr fr— feral cat men make me go insaneeee 😂😂😂

now i too wanna know ur answers to these same asks for ur selfships, my loveee 🤗🤗🤗 [no pressure tho!! only if u wanna ❤️❤️]

[csa-survivor-confessions]

(?) This one is an odd question, but I’m afraid of the dark. I feel like it’s borderline nyctophobia, or just a very light version of it.

Since I was little I was kinda afraid of it, guess most kids are so it was normal. I grew out of it for a while, but then it kinda came back in my teens, maybe late teens?

It was an on and off thing back then, I’d have some period of time in which I would sleep with a light on, and some other periods in which I could sleep without any on. Usually the times I felt the need to have a light on were after watching a scary movie or during times I’d been having nightmares (I tend to have periods of time where I have nightmares almost every night, then they’d stop for a while).

I feel though, that with every passing year it gets worse. I’m in my mid 20’s and it’s been almost a year or two now since I can’t seem to be able to sleep without any lights on. I don’t know why… idk what happened. Guess the nightmares have also been getting worse, I’ve started waking up screaming now and then… but the thing is, that even when I’m not having any nightmares at all, I still feel the need to have a light on.

I just feel weirdly afraid. When the lights are off I keep staring at my door just in case, bc I fear the moment I turn away from it someone will be standing there watching me. I fear turning around bc I fear someone will be behind me, either in bed or watching me. And idk…

Maybe I’ve watched too many scary movies, or maybe it’s a fear from my childhood I never got over. Lately though, I’ve been thinking if it could be some sort of ptsd, or something related to csa. I… I still don’t remember anything—if anything happened at all I mean, and I know you can’t tell me if it did or not either… guess just wanted to ask your thoughts on it, and if you had any information on nyctophobia and if it could be linked to past trauma?

That’s it. Thank you.

And thank you for everything too… this blogs means a lot, what you do means a lot.

Hi!

So from what I've read, it seems PTSD is a common cause of specific phobias including nyctophobia. Many kinds of traumatic experiences in the dark can cause nyctophobia not just sexual trauma and not just childhood trauma. An upsetting adult experience that occurs in the dark can also cause the development of a phobia. Lower-grade stressful experiences that might not cause full PTSD-level symptoms in other domains of functioning can also cause phobias.

It can also come from exposure to stories and/or information of things being in the dark you can't see that are dangerous and can cause nyctophobia especially if you are predisposed to fears like having anxiety and other factors. It seems some people can also never grow out of childhood nyctophobia if this fear persists due to continual exposure to stories of the dark being scary. Genetic factors can play a role, and learned behaviours in childhood can be a factor too.

So it does seem that there is a complicated constellation of factors that might be causing your fears and I'm very sorry you are going through this. So if you have other reasons to suspect sexual trauma then of course this might be part of that. But on its own, it's not a huge sign of CSA as many people have intense fears of the dark without CSA.

I'm sorry I can't give you an exact reason you are going through this, but it seems like there are good treatment options!

Relaxation techniques and good self care seem to be good to start with on your own!

It's also totally okay to sleep with a light on. It's not the end of the world. Maybe if a night light or something similar so it's a little less harsh on your eyes if that is enough light for you. Working so your not terrified is of course important but don't beat yourself up for accommodating what you need to be able to sleep.

Types of CBT to help re-frame thinking seem to have a consensus as helpful too.

Good therapy with guided exposure type therapies seem to be seen as good therapies with a professional. If you can look into finding a therapist who works with specific phobia disorders that would be best to look into if at all possible for you. I know that can be hard financially for a lot of people but could be good if you can.

I hope this does help still.

And thank you for the kind words.

Be Blessed,

-Admin 2

[nd-babblinggoblinfromthevoid]

Seeing some other users pop up who also have pots, and reading their past and current struggles has inspired me to write a little about my experience. (From what I remember anyway.)

Just in case, tw/cw pregnancy loss is mentioned.

My symptoms started right smack at 13. I had always been slightly heat sensitive but not enough to really think about it. Then I turned 13 and it was like I was burning constantly. But also, even when I was hot, my extremities would still sometimes be ice cold.

I fainted in the shower, daily. I almost always felt it coming beforehand. The sudden dizziness and weakness. It was my normal routine to feel that, lie down, black out, wake up, then resume my shower. (Usually 5-15 minute black outs)

I knew something was wrong, but I was a young teen. My thoughts were "too scared to address it" and "I'm just being a baby" and "What doctor is gonna believe a teenager these days". So I suffered through it.

It was horrible. My teen years were riddled with unnoticed tachycardic episodes brushed off as "you're out of shape" and "just push past it". Meanwhile i felt like i was dying.

I know teenagers biologically need more rest, but i was chronically fatigued and of course, "lazy teenager" label got thrown at me constantly. I tried to stay active, productive, but it got harder and harder. (Not knowing I also struggled bcuz of audhd but that subject is touched on in a previous post.)

When I really branched out into life and into the workplace at 18/19, it hit me that this wasn't going away. This wasn't a weird teenage thing i was experiencing.

I could work, but was significantly more exhausted than my coworkers and the only one ever to stop a lot, Cool down, rest. Drove managers nuts because "you're too young to be this way" was said to me constantly.

Through a few job changes in my early twenties it got harder and harder to work. Exhaustion. Overheating. Tachycardia. I fainted at work idk how many times during a really bad streak.

On top of pots brain fog, I'm audhd (which i didnt know until mid-late twenties) so my brain just doesn't brain for me and all I had going for me were labor jobs. That's all i had. That's all i knew i could do.... and i was slowly becoming unable to do that.

I didnt push to see a cardiologist until i got pregnant with my first child. I was terrified. That pregnancy exacerbated my pots and i thought that pregnancy was going to kill me. If it didnt, then giving birth would. My resting hr was regularly in the 140s/150s and i was fainting/near fainting all the time.

But i saw a dick of a cardiologist who nearly immediately dismissed me as a hysterical pregnant woman who just had anxiety. Even in our first consult appointment he was already very not hiding the fact that he wasn't taking my concerns seriously. Even after I told him these symptoms weren't just popping up during pregnancy. That it'd been most of my life. (In one ear out the other let me tell you)

I suffered horribly through that pregnancy not knowing i also had pots so my heartrate and blood pressure were bonkers whenever i went to appointments, not knowing that i only had high bp bcuz they'd check it after I'd sat down in the lobby, stood up, then immediately sat down in a room. Which as y'all know fucks hr/bp and all that without being pregnant. But we didn't know. And the only dr I'd seen, dismissed me.

I thankfully got through the pregnancy and all was well. My symptoms went back to pre-pregnancy intensity. Life, a loss in between, and another full pregnancy happened. This time my pots didn't overly act up. I only struggled bcuz that baby was a biggg one.

After recovering from my 2nd birth i thought for months about everything. My health. My life with my kids. How i was sick of not having answers. Sick of how that first dr treated me. So i told my primary all of this and she sent me to the same heart institute, but a different dr.

NOW THIS DR LET ME TELL YOU.

From the GETGO the vibe was different. He listened. Talked with/to me not AT me. Actually listened with the intention of listening and absorbing the information, not listening with the intent to say whatever he was already wanting to say and just waiting until i stopped talking (like the previous dr)

He took me seriously. After info dumping my 16 years of suffering he was already ready to get testing done and scheduled and i nearly cried when he left the room because HE LISTENED HE TOOK ME SERIOUSLY.

I had my testing done (tilt and breathing) and he saw me for the followup but they hadnt gotten the results back so he pushed the dept for the results and one hour after that appointment, he called me and said basically "yea you failed the test almost immediately and your results were consistent through the whole thing so I'm proceeding with the diagnosis of pots"

He explained the basic no cure but you can try xyz to help and you need to listen to your body when it's having symptoms dont ignore it to your detriment. All that.

I hung up. And cried all evening/night. Happy tears. Tears of relief. I got my answer. I was listened to. I actually got through it. But also tears of grief. For the girl who suffered. For the young woman who thought she was gonna die during pregnancy/birth.

I'd had (and still slip into sometimes) a harsh mindset of self hate for years. Why am i so lazy. Why am i so weak. Pathetic. Etc. It just spiralled all the time and pots + audhd is a shitty mix and to be approaching 30, with answers I've wanted and needed for half of my life.... I just... uff da! It's a lot.

I was diagnosed February of this year. So it's still kind of fresh for me. I'm still trying to find what works for me officially to navigate it. But I definitely am trying to give myself grace for all the years I thought everything was my fault. Or that I just wasnt trying hard enough.

I'm sure I've missed some things but my memory of my life is really patchy from audhd and trauma. But I think this covers the bulk of it and feels good to info dump about life when, for most of it, I bottled everything.

[eschynite]

i'll always be sensitive about the age gap thing. i've been in 2, one with a 6-year gap (17–18 and 23–24) and one with a 13-year gap (19–22 and 32–35). the former relationship wasn't abusive, but what issues we did have were definitely related to my lack of experience relative to his *despite the fact that i was significantly more experienced than the average person my age.* i do not think that's a coincidence. it was overall bad for my self-esteem bc he expected more of me than i could offer. he shouldn't have pursued someone that much younger than him, considering how much changes for a person between their late teens and early/mid 20s. i was financially and verbally abused in the latter relationship, and i'm certain that his reasons for pursuing me were the manifold ways in which i was exploitable. A LOT of people went out of their way to bring up to me that their parents had a large age gap, the relationship made sense bc i was so mature, and so on, but looking back, while i can recognize that it did make plenty of people uncomfortable, none of them said anything. the existence of highly online people who claim that an 18 y/o and 21 y/o can't have a healthy relationship doesn't change the fact that our culture generally treats young women like sexual commodities and a large number of people defend their exploitation in the context of relationships with considerable age gaps. like, most people. so it is, idk, Triggering to me to see so many ppl like Adult age gap discourse is stupid xD no, it isn't. please continue saying it's weird for a 23 y/o and 36 y/o to date if it means age gaps involving very young adults in general become less normalized

[cybermagia]

After all, it wasn't the best decision for a human family to move into the outskirts of a 51. But it wasn't unheard of. The prices were lower for humans, for whatever reason, so those that had nowhere else to go ended up flocking to these places, these manufactured borderlands. The only cumbersome thing was getting themselves certified as humans, but the Behrharts had went through the process uncommonly fast. It was just a simple scanner and set of photos and a new ID card for each one of them. Emily Behrhart, proud mother of four, and the kids Jake, Ruby, Winona, and Zander. Just one mother, and no other parent to speak of, which was commented on at least once through the screening process, but Emily, called "Mama Behr" by those who knew her closest, herded her little rowdy darlings (We're almost all teens, mom!) through every scanner with warlike resolve.

Surprisingly, it really wasn't too hard to get acclimated to the 51s. Sure, it might be... different, odd, et cetera, the usual holoscreens and cybernetic implants seen in normal crowds now speckled with fur and fangs and buglike, wide eyes, but it was welcoming.

That was the fault of the Weres. Emily couldn't call them all werewolves, because though most of them looked like they were mid-transformation into some sort of dog, there was the odd cat or pigeon or - never mind that, though - what was REALLY important was the party that ended up starting after a few of them hollered about the new neighbors and ending no fewer than ten hours later, well into the breaking of the morning and leaving the poor Behrharts with more brimming casserole dishes than they knew what to do with.

So, yes, the Weres. The best, or rather most friendly, cryps to have as neighbors. Emily and her brood got out of that experience with what was essentially a messy, piecemeal guide on how to survive amidst the 51s, told by the whole pack of the weres bit by bit over the course of the night.

Feed the Fae scraps and don't look too hard at the Demons. That's the first rule. If you don't feed the Fae, they'll go rummaging through your trash, and they're hell to deal with if they get trapped in the bin, which they do, frequently, even if you feed them. But they do it less if they get offerings. The Demons will thank you for that, seeing as the Fae are what they used to be.

Never let someone with fangs bite you. That too. Whether it's a Were or a Vampire or even a latent case of Zombification Syndrome the result will never be that great and you don't want to find out too late what the hell it was.

And wear a mask too. There's always something in the air.

All the insider tips tried not to blur together in Emily's brain after - she wrote them down and pinned them on the fridge, just in case. She really couldn't get just one thing out of her head, though - the invitation to join the pack. She scoffed, but her heart was warmed by the gesture. No, she was staying fully human, and her kids were too.

But even so, she had to ask.

"Are you sure you're fine living on this street?"

"Yeah, mom, don't worry about us!" was the dismissive chorus of her brood heading across the street where their new friends waved out of windows.

“Are you sure you’re fine living on this street?” “Yes mom. The werewolves across the street party too loud, but they turn it down if I ask them. Plus the vampire family next door keeps the crime rate low here”

[tyrannuspitch]

Further dead parents thoughts:

Part of the reason I like the idea of Sherlock and Mycroft's parents being dead is because Sherlock seems to have a specific fascination with death which goes beyond him being heroic, edgy, or low-empathy.

He doesn't just investigate crimes. He's very picky about which cases he takes on, and he doesn't normally choose, say, robbery or blackmail. The cases that get his attention are almost always murder.

Many of the experiments we see him do involve human bodies, and are specifically focused on how the body changes after death (eg post-mortem bruising) - things that have little practical use besides investigating murder.

The way he decorates his flat. Painting of a skull? Basic. Taxidermy and animal bones? Getting a bit gothic now. A real human skull which he talks to??? Now that is freak behaviour.

Arguably, his recklessness. The first episode shows Sherlock having what I would call passively suicidal impulses - he isn't exactly trying to die, but he doesn't seem to value his own life very highly at all. Obviously, part of this is the same unhappiness and need to escape that drives addiction. But I do wonder if there's another side to it - a morbid curiosity which means he isn't just being pushed away from life, but actively called towards death...

So, Sherlock is intellectually fascinated with death (specifically, human death, which also means... humans.) I think it would be fair to say that he tries to understand the living through the dead. Autistic interests are often a lens through which you see the world, and to investigate murders, Sherlock needs to develop and practice a framework for understanding social behaviour - which he has done with remarkable success. But it's still not quite enough. He can observe, but not connect. He's always the scientist, outside looking in.

(And there's something sort of symbolic in there, isn't there? Being fundamentally separated from human connection by death... Being unable connect to others because the people who were meant to teach him how are dead... [Which is, of course, far from the whole of Sherlock's social problems. But still, perhaps, part of them.])

Sherlock also seems to take a kind of comfort among the dead. Until he met John, he apparently had regular one-sided conversations with a skull, and referred to that skull as a friend. (This could be a joke, but it strikes me more as him letting something slip.) There is a void in Sherlock's life that he fills with the dead: The dead can't reject him. The dead listen to him. The dead need him - death gives him a purpose and a place to belong.

And I don't think it's just loneliness, either - I think there's a subtly existential side to it. Sherlock has built his whole life around understanding death and finding reasons for it. Every single day, he chooses to confront the question: "Why did this person die?"

(Incidentally, I think Moriarty is tormented by this question. He would say that Sherlock can only answer "how", never "why", because there is no reason or greater meaning to human mortality. And while Sherlock is constantly searching for meaning on an individual scale, Moriarty is lashing out at a meaningless universe by embracing its meaninglessness. Yes, Sherlock, people have died. That's what people do.)

Of course, none of this necessarily means that Sherlock is responding to the death of someone specific, let alone the death of his parents. He could just be tormented by death itself.

But let's imagine for a moment that it was his parents. Let's imagine that it was sudden, and violent, and in his mid-to-late teens: an age where it's likely that he would have a rocky relationship with them, but still young enough that their sudden loss would change him forever. Let's imagine he was already trying (and/or being pushed) to grow up too fast, and then his home/family/childhood disappeared overnight. And let's imagine that the violence was an accident, like a house fire or car crash, perhaps with a story to unpick, but with no motive, no villain, no satisfying reason. It would make sense, wouldn't it?

[thevoidstaredback]

Okay, so! I've just chugged a Mountain Dew and I'm putting everything else on hold. I have been struck! You can thank these guys

Barry knew something was wrong when he woke up that morning, but he couldn't place what. There was nothing wrong in the house, nor with his family. His team were as normal as they could be, and none of his rogues had gotten out, nor was anyone causing any trouble in Central City. Then, just as he'd gotten off work at the police station, an emergency meeting for the Justice League was called.

The Watchtower, for lack of a better term, was a mess. Heroes were obviously panicking, and the magic users on board had things flying every which way. The meeting room, however, was somehow worse.

"What the hell is going on?" The Flash demanded after ducking behind a chair.

"Constantine and Deadman are on a warpath." Aquaman helpfully supplied from where he was hidden behind his own chair.

"I gathered that much," Flash shouted over the noise of another chair being shattered against the wall.

Aquaman scowled at him. "The hell do you want me to say? I don't know what's got them so upset!

The door opened again, announcing Batman's presence. He cleared his throat and the room went silent. Things kept flying around, but they were much more lax than they had been. Cautiously, the gathered heroes emerged from their makeshift hiding places to sit in their chairs proper.

"What's this about, Constantine?" the Dark Knight asked once everyone was seating.

Instead of the Brit, the ghost beside him was the one to answer. "You idiots have done fucked up!" he shouted.

Flash idly noticed that only the heroes operating in America were present.

"Slow down," Wonder Woman tried to placate, "What's going on?"

Now it was Constantine's turn to talk. "The US Government are more aware of magic then any of us-" He clearly meant the JLD. "-are comfortable with. The fact that they somehow hid it until now is baffling."

Deadman, visible to everyone and slightly calmer than before, said, "It's been brought to my attention that your government as been targeting my people." He held up his hand and raised his voice to stop anyone from interrupting him before they could. "They've taken a child."

This time, both the ghost and the occultist allowed the noise to overtake the room. Superman was the one to put a stop to it by directly asking the two, "What do you mean they've taken a child?"

Zatanna, fashionably late, entered the room and clicked on the projector like this entrance had been practiced. As the screen lit up, she took place beside her two teammates. "Phantom is a small time hero in a nowhere town in Illinois - at least, it usually sticks to Illinois - called Amity Park. We've been keeping tabs on the place, though Deadman here is the only one to have ever had contact."

On the projector screen was the picture of a child near or in his mid-teens. He wore a black hazmat suit with white accents, white knee high boots, and white elbow gloves. His hair was white and his eyes the colour of cartoon radioactivity. He was snarling in the photo, obviously having been taken during a fight, if the ready stance was anything to go by.

When Zatanna moved to the next slide, it was an overshot of a place that was somewhere between a town and a city. It was big enough that not everyone could possibly hope to know everyone, but small enough that everyone knew someone who knew someone. Based on the experience of several heroes, as well as several different statistics, it didn't look like the kind of place that would have a lot of police needed crime, let alone a dedicated hero.

"Several World Ending events were started and stopped here." Constantine continued, "Six months ago, when natural disasters erupted all over the planet? We tracked the epicenter to here. Same as four months ago when three quarters of the planets population took an impromptu nap."

The slide was changed to show an empty field. "Two months ago," Deadman picked up, "The entire town and everyone in it disappeared off the face of this planet." Again, he waited out the uproar from the Justice League, continuing as though uninterrupted after they'd quieted down. "Three days later, it all reappeared," The picture was replaced by another overshot of the town, but there was a green tint to it. "A week later, I was called back to my home in the I̷͈̋̿̀̚n̶͙̙̲͇̤̪̅͋͘f̶̟̰̬̤̀̉̕i̵͕̫͖͔̟͝n̸̮͙̋̎̆̈́̂̈i̷̬̫̤̱̱̒͌͌t̷͉̪̐̂̿͝è̴̙̊ ̴̪̠͍̞͆̌̀R̵̻͙̺̯͌e̸̫͉̖̙̖͐͆͊͠ȧ̵̭̻̩̙͇̔͜l̴͔̝͒m̸͖̦̟̠̭̥̄̇͆̀s̶̢͉̳̪̦̹̑͠. That is where I offically met young Phantom."

"Were you keeping tabs on the place before or after this all happened?" Batman asked.

"Before," Zatanna answered, "An interdimensional rift opened up in the town eleven months and five days ago. A second one opened up in the same town ten months and two days ago."

"Why didn't we know about it?" Flash asked, nothing else joining the pure curiosity in his voice.

The magician shook her head. "Because this is our area of expertise, not yours. None of you could've done anything except make things worse if you knew."

The speedster nodded, accepting the answer easily. He didn't like working with magic anyway. He didn't understand it, and it took way too long to actually start believing in the stuff, but he knew there was no way he'd be useful in situations that relied on magic.

"I went to the town to scope things out and met Phantom," Constantine said, the slide changin to show another picture of the young hero. He was hiding in an alley, staring at his hands with something akin to fear in his eyes. "He let me take a look at the rift, explained a few things to me, and then we set up a means of contact."

"Wait," Robin spoke up from where he was beside Batman, "I know that place!"

Batman didn't show any reaction other than turning to look at his protege.

Robin, for his part, glided smoothly past the look from his mentor. "Me and the rest of my team passed through there about three months ago. We met the town hero, but it wasn't Phantom."

"What do you mean?" Wonder Woman asked.

"The towns hero is called Red Huntress. She's helped out the Young Justice a few times in the past few months with some supernatural issues. She deals mostly with ghosts, though."

Deadman bristled, obviously not liking something that the boy had said.

"Oh?" Superman asked, "What did she tell you guys?"

"That Phantom's one of her rogues." Robin said, "Apparently, he causes a lot of property damage and doesn't stick around to help with relief efforts. She told us that he also kidnapped the mayor, and has attacked the local high school too many times to count."

"That's a load of shit," Constantine muttered under his breath. Louder, he said, "Phantom has only ever worked to protect his town. Red Huntress didn't show up until two months after he started his work."

"We wait to act until we have more information," Batman, the paranoid bastard, ordered, "As soon as we know exactly who we can trust and what we're going into, we'll stick to recon."

Deadman slammed his hands on the table. "You're government took a child! This is not the time for recon! This is time to act!"

Batman stood. "Recon. Robin, I want a report from you and your teams interactions with Red Huntress, as well as a report from herself. Constantine and Zatanna, I want a full report on everything you know about Amity Park and whatever's going on there. Dismissed." Then, he walked out of the room, Robin trailing closely after him. The rest of the America Based heroes following their lead.

Constantine found it very hard to not light up a cigarette. "Fuck."

"You can say that again," Zatanna agreed.

Deadman sank to the floor quietly.

Storyboard Part 2

The JL is stuck in a time loop, trying and failing to save the now misunderstood hero Phantom, after initially dismissed him as one of Red Huntress's enemies, which tragically allowed the GIW to get their hands on him which had the domino's effect of declaring a war between the dead and the living.

[captainsquality]

i love sports i fucking love sports i miss playing sports

my greatest agony is that ive been sick literally half of my life and havent been able to actually PLAY sports in any formal capacity, especially not the ones I enjoy the most(which are team sports) since my mid/late teens. for reference I turned 31 at the start of this month.

I would play SO much soccer and volleyball and baseball, if I could. I would do so much rock climbing and cycling. I would skateboard so much more often(and probably better) if I weren't just so fucking fragile and unhealthy at my base.

I do think that if not for a lot of my non-physical health issues getting in the way of me keeping healthy routines and exacerbating my physical problems I could be a lot more active at least in solo sports. I want to see about hitting up hiking trails here locally as the weather finally starts cooling down this autumn bc sure its rly just walking but I love being outdoors and rolling in the dirt and climbing shit and the thing is that i havent gotten to do those things in any actual, real capacity in years and years and years

if I had been able to have a normal school experience, if I were able to have any semblance of a normal adult social life, I would probably spend a TON of time still doing team sports in community leagues(soccer especially, I miss soccer so much), and I would probably commute by skateboard or bicycle wherever possible.

I wish to god i could figure out a way to beat back some of my mental issues enough to get an actual workout/exercise routine going, even just low impact, improve my health so i can actually do some of these things I love doing but cant bc of health limitations. One of the greatest agonies of my disabled life is that I actually adore and love a huge breadth of activities beyond the few very sedentary ones my body actually ALLOWS me to enjoy with any regularity.

I fucking miss soccer, man. I literally loved playing soccer SO much. I don't even have opportunity to just. pass the ball around with people anymore. Not even fucking THAT much less actually playing on a team, even for just like futsal. I was actually pretty good as a player. Not Star Player worthy, but I understood the game reasonably well and I had tenacity and good passing skills so I tended to do very well as a wingback or midfielder and made some pretty damn good assists and even goals when I was playing in leagues.

as a teen, pre-HRT, a tiny willowy soprano playing casual keep-away with my three brothers, I was the smallest and weakest person the field, functionally. but I was fucking STUBBORN, not because I was determined to win, I was determined to participate. I wanted to play. I wanted to be part of the experience.

which means that despite my brothers ranging in height from 5' 10" to 6' 1" in comparison to my 5' 5" with the weight of a six pack of sodas behind me, I was still making steals and connecting passes to my younger brother with actual, genuinely skilled maneuvers that left my oldest brother, a college undergrad, jawdropped at my skinny fourteen year old ass swiping the ball from under him and into the 'goal' (two predetermined trees acting as posts).

I never WON a game in those little sessions but god did I love just getting to play and I fucking miss it! I miss soccer and I miss swimming, I miss baseball and volleyball and rappelling and skating and I hate that doing any of these things again, even in a casual context, is so completely inaccessible to me. and not even just because of my physical limitations.

there are not places for me to do them. there are not people for me to do them with. there are not accessible resources for me to find either of those things.

anyway sorry im done ranting. i didnt have a cohesive point other than i miss sports and felt a need to vent about it. thank u for letting me complain, carry on

[jenthehumanist]

Funny Story involving Fantasy by Earth Wind and Fire

I was a band geek growing up. I played in the Torrance Area Youth Band and did field shows and toured the country with them - all while I was a young - 14 year old teen. Was even on TV in Canada.

Our field show that year was spectacular and our key song was Fantasy by Maynard Ferguson. In fact, we did several songs from the Carnival album. We played BIrdland as well.

Here's the thing, I only really knew Fantasy from Maynard via field show youth band. I had no idea it was an Earth Wind and Fire song.

Fast forward to today. I'm on the porch doing solitaire and listening to music and - Fantasy by Earth Wind and Fire comes on. LOVE the song. Excited to find out who originally did it! Turns out Maynard's version is a cover. Ok - so far so good. I'm in my mid 50s, but I've finally put 2 and 2 together. I've heard the Earth Wind and Fire version a huge number of times. Probably heard it on the radio back in the day. I listened to easy listening. But I never really thought about it - just enjoyed the music in the moment without giving it a second thought.

Here is why the story is so funny. I used to know a trumpet player for Earth Wind and Fire. In my late teens I was working at a record store/high end audio store in the Old Town Mall in Torrance CA. A few doors down was a chain electronics store. One of the high end sales people there was a former trumpet player for Earth Wind and Fire. He and I would chat a lot as he would come in to browse our albums as I bought lots of cool unique things. Also, we both liked jazz. I used to play saxophone in a working big band all through high school. Missed out on a lot of normal high school stuff because I was playing gigs most weekends. I don't remember his name, but I'm pretty sure he was Michael Harris - judging by the photos.

So - as a young teen I was obsessed with the song Fantasy (the Maynard Ferguson version) because of the field show band I was in. As a late teen young adult I knew the guy who originated all those super cool trumpet lines. Only I had no idea I knew the guy who originated all those trumpet lines. I knew he was formerly with Earth Wind and Fire which I thought that was super cool - because - who doesn't like Earth WInd and Fire. I just didn't connect Fantasy with Earth Wind and Fire because to me it was a Maynard Ferguson song without lyrics. I would have been star struck had I known.

I'm this many days old and I just figured it out. Also, this is clearly another one of those stories that my son thinks can't possibly be true but is. I was chatting with a friend about it and - kids just don't have the freedom we used to. Parents don't send their newly minted teens on month long road trip with high schoolers anymore to have these experiences (the field band experience - that leads to the big band experience that leads to the trumpet player from Earth Wind and Fire having something in common enough to converse with a 17 year old white girl working in a record store).

[foreaft]

HEADCANONS : LUNA & FRED ft. @ofwarriorsmade !

The following was taken from OOC talks between myself and Jenny @ ofwarriorsmade.  If George is mentioned, it pertains to Kezzy’s George @ humanbludger !  Anything of intimacy : kisses, cuddling, etc., happens when they are 16+ !  Normal behavior for two teens.

Luna, as a fellow member of the magical community of Ottery St. Catchpole, grew up interacting with the Weasley family for as long as she could remember.  She is a child - hood friend to many of the Weasley children, but she’s not as close to Bill and Charlie, as they were several years older than her.  She is closest with Fred and Ginny.

After her mother’s death, Luna relied heavily upon the Weasley’s for emotional comfort, specifically Mrs. Weasley and Fred.  During the funeral, Fred stood back with Luna, an arm around her shoulders & holding her hand to comfort her, while others paid their respects, visiting her mother’s casket.  Luna couldn’t bring herself to look at her mother, and she cried herself to sleep every night for a month.

Fred gifted Luna one of his old stuffed animals and a shirt of his; with Luna’s ( subconscious ) reliance on sense of smell, aromatherapy, such a small gesture was paramount in her ability to distract herself during the night.  By recognizing his scent, from the stuffed bear and wearing the shirt he gave her as a sleep shirt, she could distract herself with a different thought process.  Instead of thinking about her sadness & sorrow, Luna would be prompted to think about the next day and spending time with Fred and the Weasley family.  “ Oh, I wonder what will be for lunch / dinner, I hope Mrs. Weasley let’s me help her cook ! ”

HEADCANONS [ FRED & LUNA ] : CONTINUED .  .  .  !

Fred is very amused and intrigued by Luna, her thoughts and what she says.  He believes everything she says to be very endearing, very positive, and he always wants to hear more.

While Luna did take the Flying class during her first year at Hogwarts, it was Fred that taught her how to “ properly ” fly ( his words ) during a summer break from Hogwarts.  She was more receptive to his teachings, and that may be due to how well they understand each other, and the benefits of one - on - one teaching.  She’s also not so shy around him.

They spend a good deal of time underneath the shade of a tree, when the weather permits, that’s labeled by everyone ( but them ) as their tree.  He tells her about the dreams he has, and she often reads to him, the Quibbler usually when she’s younger, answering questions when /if he has them.  It’s their place to share secrets and talk freely to each other without judgement or nosiness from others.

She doesn’t just read the Quibbler to him, she reads him different genre of literature too ( a mixture of his favorites and hers ), mostly novels.  When they’re in their late - teens, their reading time together is often a time of affection as well.  With Fred’s head resting in her lap, Luna uses magic to levitate the book and turn pages as she finishes a page, one hand fiddling with his hair, with the other arm resting across him.

Fred has a difficult time concentrating when it comes to reading, and he finds it more interesting when she reads aloud.  Luna often studies with him, finding it beneficial to herself and for Fred; they study under their tree or in the living room of the Weasley home.

She encourages him to speak about his dreams and ambitions aloud ( even when he believes they may be dumb ), believing that they have more power when spoken.  She’s been very encouraging of him, trying to help him see that there is value in himself and in his dreams, especially when he is down about himself and / or life.

She actually made a big speech ( in the summer of ‘95 ), under their tree, about how amazing and unique and genuine Fred is, and it was the first time that she spoke of loving him.  He took it as she loves him as a friend, and not as the romantic love that it had slipped out as.

George sees the way that Luna looks at Fred, and the way that Fred looks at Luna, and he is the first to know / recognize that the two deeply love each other.

Fred and Luna miss each other dearly during Fred’s first three years at Hogwarts ( ‘89 - ‘92 ), they try to keep in touch with letters, and spend a good deal of time together when he’s home for summers & holidays.

Ever since she was a young girl, Luna has always been very intrigued by Fred & George’s antics / humor.  She always giggles at Fred’s jokes and comments.

Fred & George have never made fun of her ( tease her maybe ), and have never made her feel that it’s a negative thing to be weird or strange.  She is eternally grateful, as their acceptance of who she is helped her to remember that she should not bend or break, or change, for anyone.

Luna writes Fred letters every week to two weeks during her travels across Northern and Central Europe ( 2000 - 2008 ).

She only allows Fred, Ginny, and Molly, sometimes George when he wants to show up Fred, to play with / style her hair, but she enjoys it very much when Fred does it.  He’ll braid her hair, and sometimes put wildflowers from around the Burrow in her hair.  She and Ginny show him how to do different things, and lets him practice them on her.

The summer of Fred’s first year at Hogwarts ( ‘89 ), he is up early, knowing she will be too, and goes to her house to invite her for a walk and show her the book he has stolen from Hogwarts ( that he intends on returning, of course ), a book he thinks she’ll enjoy reading.  He catches her sniffing the open pages, and she gets a little self - conscious, and she attempts to change the subject by asking him where he got it.  She does find out he took it home ( and probably shouldn’t have ) and makes him promise to return it when he goes back.

Luna attends the Yule Ball, hosted during winter holiday of 1994, with George Weasley.  It is a platonic invitation, two good friends attending to have some fun.  Though Fred took Angelina, Fred does ask if he may dance with Luna for a bit, and Angelina with George, and Angelina sees no issue with that.  She actually might be in on knowing about it with George.

During their school years, Fred used to find her at the Ravenclaw table and make ( silly ) faces at her to engage with her even when they had to sit so far away.  It made her so happy to know that even if everyone in the school disliked or avoided her, she would always have a friend in Fred.

Fred once discovered a Gryffindor student partaking in hiding Luna’s belongings all around the castle, and he got into a physical fight with the kid over it.  The kid never helped bully Luna ever again.

After discovering her house - mates stealing her stuff, he’d give them looks whenever he could, when he walks Luna to her table, during study hall, etc.  The bullying became a tad less frequent, but it still happened at least once or twice a week.

Fred did make sure to sit with her, or call her over to the Gryffindor table, during Great Hall meals and study periods / study hall.  He’d sometimes even bring over George or Ginny too.  Luna lit up whenever she was surrounded by her friends.

Despite having his own plate of food, Fred would steal off her plate, something she didn’t mind because she’d do it right back.  This was often a way they engaged in social interaction together during meals, and it was a way that Luna was introduced to new foods as well.  Fred would get things she wouldn’t have, and she’ll try a bite.  Some things she liked, some she didn’t.

They’d often sit close enough that their sides were touching, often subconsciously without meaning too.  When Luna noticed it happening, she took comfort in it and that Fred seemed to be just as content with their closeness.

Just before the Battle of Hogwarts, being the realistic person she is, Luna decides it is time to tell Fred how she feels about him; so she pulls him aside and tells him E V E R Y T H I N G.  If she dies, at least she died with no secrets, and if he dies, then he dies knowing she loves him.  She does not care at this point if it ruins their friendship, it is better to die knowing he knows.  He responds in a way she doesn’t quite expect, with an understanding and their first kiss, simple & short yet meaningful.  After which he makes a joke, “ Sure you aren’t a Gryffindor? ” and it makes her laugh and tear up, then he says he’s loved her for a long time, but that is all there is time for, and she’s whisked away by others to finish battle preparations.  That is the last time she sees him .  .  . until the war is over.

When the battle is done, Luna finds Fred in the designated infirmary area, and he is severely injured from being crushed by a wall.  She moves to him quickly, a hand cupped over her mouth; she will be strong for him, but as she sits beside him, holding his chilled hand, she has to stop herself from asking the healers if he is going to die.  She falls asleep sitting beside him, and he wakes later, relieved to see that she is there, there and ALIVE.

When he wakes again, and she is awake to see it, she can’t help but cry in relief.  Some of it is also a release of emotions based on the trauma experienced during the battle; but she moves to give him a soft kiss on the forehead, and immediately moves to get a wet rag and wipe his face clean of dust & dried - blood / sweat.

She isn’t sure if it’s from his injuries, or if he is overwhelmed with all that has happened, but he blurts out everything he’s wanted to say to her, and he’s wearing a bashful smile but he’s exhausted.  It is her turn for a simple, “ I love you, Fred Weasley, you just rest ” she smiles, I always will; until they can be alone.

The healers did ask her to leave while they do the immediate repairs on Fred’s body, but Mrs. Weasley insisted that Luna could stay with him if that’s what Fred wanted, and as they begin, Luna starts to feel like that isn’t a good idea because the healing is painful, and Fred is squeezing her hand hard & crying out in pain, but she must be strong for him, she has to be.  He needs her, she will not leave him.

Weeks after the immediate healing repairs, her head is in his lap, and he’s working on his fine motor skills by trying to braid her hair, and he apologizes for making her endure that experience.  But thanks her for sticking by him.  She sits up and reassures him that she will always be there when he needs her, and she gives him a soft, soft kiss.

After the Battle of Hogwarts / war ( in ‘98 ), Fred takes some time during his recovery to travel with Luna during the beginning of her internship in late 2000, early 2001.  Though she loves having his company, she does talk to him about going back to London to be with his family and continue his passions.  He can’t run away from his problems, as much as she loves that he’s traveling with her.  She comes back every three months to visit him, spending most ( if not all ) of her time with him when she comes back for those few days.

Fred is claustrophobic after receiving his injury during the war, but the vehicle Luna uses for her travels is enchanted to provide the comforts of a studio apartment.

Fred & Luna don’t really officially declare themselves an item / couple after the war; however, they are an unofficial item / couple.  They are loyal to each other, and after she begins her travels, they are somewhat intimate together ( kisses, cuddling, sharing a bed, etc. ).

Fred is guilty of forehead against forehead contact, and rubbing / brushing noses.  Luna honestly loves it so much.

Luna loves all of his affectionate gestures, whether he’s playing with her hair, holding her hand or holding her, helping her in the kitchen and tucking strands of hair behind her ear or helps tie her hair back when her hands are covered in batter / ingredients.  She loves him so much.  She does sometimes get a tad embarrassed by his attention, because she didn’t get much positive attention, in that way, especially during the school years.  So when she catches him staring at her, she smiles sheepishly and looks away, her cheeks flushing a little.

Though, when he helps her in the kitchen, he requests being paid in kisses and being the dedicated taste - tester of her food.

He flicks little bits of food / ingredients at her, and then insists that it’s not him, HE BLAMES THE NARGLES.  And she deadass looks him in the face, unamused at first, then a wicked smile sometimes crosses her face and she unloads the contents of the prep bowls at him.  FOOOOOOD FIGHT.  His mischief rubs off on her over the years.

When she initiates food fights, she says “ it’s not the nargles, they inhabit plants and there’s no plants in the kitchen so nice try ” and he pretends to be offended, giving her a gasp, fake offended that she’d insinuate he was lying, HOW DARE, before it’s all out war.

Fred has helped Luna be a bit more .  .  . wild & mischievous.

Sometimes forehead rests and nose brushing is to lure her into a false sense of security and it erupts into vicious tickle wars.

She LOVES when his hands cup her face, because she is always cold, and his hands are always so warm.  She loves embraces and cuddling with him for that reason too, not just that, but you know.

Luna wears his shirts to sleep, his smell helps lower her stress levels and relaxes her.  When Fred is away, she actually uses his pillow instead of hers.  Even after washings, things he’s interacted with smell like comfort.

Fred & Luna used to wear each others scarves while at Hogwarts, and after Hogwarts as well.  Luna with his Gryffindor scarf, and Fred with her Ravenclaw scarf.

When cuddling at night, Luna is sometimes the big spoon, and sometimes the little spoon.  She moves around frequently at night, but thankfully she doesn’t accidentally kick or punch Fred.  She just naturally turns over a good deal.

She DOES sleepwalk frequently, at least three to four times a week, and due to Fred being a light sleeper, he normally wakes when she is getting out of bed.  He follows her until she either manages to get back to the bed during a spell, or when she wakes somewhere foreign from a sleepwalk spell.  She was surprised the first several times to turn and find him following her, and she apologizes every time, but it does make her feel safer to know that he’s watching over her.  She’s ended up very far from their home before, and after he found her sleeping in the woods, he’s never let her sleepwalk alone after that.

Luna’s moving actually doesn’t disturb Fred too much, it only wakes him fully when he recognizes that she’s getting out of the bed during a sleepwalk spell.  When she simply moves, he acknowledges it and sometimes gives her a kiss on the cheek or pulls her closer to him and goes immediately back to sleep.  He snores, but it’s a soft snore.  She actually finds his snoring relaxing and rhythmic.

After the war, Arthur gets into muggle television shows, and Fred soon catches on too.  He and Luna have two TVs, one located in their bedroom, and one that is in the living room where Luna can see & hear it from the kitchen.  She’s really into cooking shows.  Fred and Luna also have date nights where they watch muggle movies / shows and have a buffet of snacks on the coffee table.

Fred can’t dance, but that doesn’t stop him from dancing, he doesn’t care how he looks when doing it, and Luna doesn’t mind dancing, she actually enjoys it when she’s doing silly dances with good friends and family.  She does know how to do a basic waltz box step, but that’s about it.  All her other moves are random af, just like Fred’s, and she loves it when he randomly twirls / picks her up and twirls and dips her.

Fred has the ring for months before he proposes; he plans and plans and plans ( nice dates, beautiful dinners ), but each time, there’s something not quite right about it, and he waits.  He actually proposes under their tree at the Burrow, he is nervous and blurts out the question, and pulls out the ring seconds later.  Luna assumes that he is asking as a general question, like “ Will you marry me one day?, ” but as she goes to respond, she notices he’s moving to fetch something from his pocket, and its a RING.  Her expression literally goes from :) to :O to :D to jumping up and throwing her arms around him.  YES, she breathes, because he’s embracing her so tightly and she’s so happy she’s breathless.

Fred actually asked her father, Xenophilius, for his permission / blessing to marry Luna, and Xenophilius took his time saying yes, even though there was never a doubt in his mind about saying so.  Fred leaves sweating bullets but grinning like a fool.

Xenophilius does manage to keep it a secret from his bright & brilliant little moon, and when she and Fred come to tell him the news, he knows immediately why she is so happy, and he’s like MY BRILLIANT LITTLE MOON, I’M SO HAPPY, and Luna is confused because how does her dad know before she’s even said anything.  Fred confesses to talking to her dad about it first, and she’s so intrigued by the idea of that, because sure, Fred’s planned pranks before, but he planned all of this, he spent time planning things for her, and it’s such a serious thing to think about, and she’s just so happy that he took the time to think it through and that fact just makes it all the more better.  She loves him so much.

Luna and Fred would love to have a family together, they’d likely have three to four kids, with one set of twins.