#whale studs

[mensuited]

[klemen-tine]

White Whale

Platonic!Yandere Batfam x Male!Deaf Reader

First Batfam post... this obsession for DC and specifically the Batfam has come out of nowhere and has me by the throat.

But here you guys go.

Thoughts

Sign/Morse Code

Speaking

TW: Hints at past attempted rape, disability discrimination

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Things have been quiet, but at the same time hectic, in the Wayne manor as of lately. Almost everyone was there, sharing the same space and eating the same meals. Almost. The third oldest brother, Y/N, was missing. It stung to say, but the truth of the matter was that he had run away. Leaving behind the external processor of his cochlear implants, and only taking a backpack of clothes. He had left behind the credit card Bruce gave to everyone, only taking out a large sum of cash the day before and booking it. 

Only one note, ‘I’ll be fine.’ All the trackers left in a straight line on his bedside table, some still covered in blood from when he must have dug them out of his body. It made some of the family members wonder if Y/N had always been aware or if he had found them by chance. 

It’s been three months, and everyone was about to go crazy. How could they not? Y/N, for how independent he was and capable, was deaf and has only known the Manor. Jason, the closest to Y/N, has been more vicious on the patrols and was constantly pacing back and forth in the library. Reading and rereading all of Y/N’s favorites (even though he hated them), and sometimes even just sitting in Y/N’s room. Taking in what he had left behind, barely taking any clothes, none of his electronics (his phone was still here), and one of his favorite books that he always kept in his room. 

Jason’s going to put a tracker in that book once they get Y/N back. 

Nevertheless, sometimes he just sits there. On Y/N’s bed, and takes in the room, sometimes he’s alone and sometimes he’s with a sibling. Every now and then he’ll see Bruce in here, thumbing through Y/N’s journals. 

When Jason closes his eyes, could feel the ghost of Y/N’s touches, the feeling of Y/N’s smaller and thinner body resting against his as he read. Thin fingers gently pressed against Jason’s throat to feel the vibrations, picking up when Jason spoke in a higher or lower tone, laughing when he made an obnoxious voice for a character he absolutely loathed. Cold hands gently cupping his face under the sweaty red helmet, grounding Jason to the present. 

Dick, as the eldest child, prided himself in being in-tune with his siblings. He would bend and twist himself to keep himself available and aware of his siblings' emotions. He was the guy everyone went to when things were wrong or they needed advice. So, he wonders what he did wrong for Y/N to leave without saying anything. Their third older brother never hinted at anything being wrong, or even any sign of him wanting to leave. There was no change in his moods, no change in interests, no major cash withdrawals besides the night he left. 

His older brother instincts were stressed and have been stressed since his little brother had disappeared. In his hands, he fingered a silver stud that Y/N had left behind. Smart of him, because a small tracker was placed underneath the tourmaline gem. The blue hiding it wonderfully while also looking beautiful on Y/N’s skin. Decorating his ears that he had pierced himself (he can still hear Alfred’s outrage whenever he is reminded of that), and being the only piece of jewelry that they wanted him to wear. 

Still, Dick had wished he had taken them. He wonders if Y/N knew about the trackers in these earrings, or the trackers in the pairs of shoes he left. If he did, the other did a great job in not letting anyone know. However, if he didn’t, then it made this all the more frustrating. How could their deaf, non-combatant, and to be frank average intelligence, brother get out of this heavily monitored manor? Tim had spent years upgrading the systems, making it stronger and stronger each time. 

So, how? More importantly, why?

Dick couldn’t wrap his head around the reason why Y/N would want to leave. He’s fed great food, he has a nice bed, he can read great books, and he’s always surrounded by family. It’s not like they limited his time outside, he can basically come and go when he wants. 

As long as he was back in the manor by nightfall, Y/N could go anywhere. 

What sucked even more was that none of them had the slightest clue where he could be. Y/N could be dead for all they know. 

Dick subdued that thought, having faith that the self-defense they had drilled into Y/N would keep him safe until they found him. However they all intimately know how unfair and unkind the world can be. Y/N, sweet and defenseless Y/N, was all alone somewhere in the world. The worst outcomes kept reappearing in his mind and playing on Y/N’s past traumas. 

Why couldn’t his brother see that he was safest here? Everyone praised the Lord that Y/N expressed no interest in being a vigilante, and that his career of choice was instead choosing to be an editor. He took a gap year this year, which everyone rejoiced over. Y/N was a hard worker, and was someone who fully dived into things without taking a break. Like Tim. 

Still, Dick wished Y/N would see what they saw. Y/N needs them, just like how they need Y/N. Dick flopped into the couch, thumbing through his photos and finding one of him and Y/N. When they do find him, they’re going to have to remind him where he belongs. 

++++

Y/N took in the sun rays with a content smile. His once pale skin now has a slight tint to it, and his hair now lighter due to the sea water and sun. The white beaches reflect the warm rays and the blue waters look like familiar eyes. It took him a while to get used to being on his own, which was proof that he needed to do this. Never in his life has he felt so free. 

The wind tossing his hair and the view of waves crashing on the shore had him smiling. The Moby Dick in his hands as he reread the pages, noting the post-it notes he had in it, jotting down his thoughts and musings. The Dominican Republic beaches were already something to die for, but here on the hidden beaches, where only a handful of people knew of its location, were worth killing for. Y/N looked back at the small bungalow he was renting, paying in cash to keep his name off the lease and only staying until March before he will leave for Europe, and smiled. A cute little thing that looked like it could topple at the slightest storm. The electricity was powered by a generator and there was no hot water. Maybe warm, but never hot. Which Y/N was shockingly fine with. It wasn’t like it was cold here like how it was in Gotham. 

His biggest stressor was cooking. Which furthermore proved how he needed to do this. Out of all his brothers, he is the only one who doesn’t know how to cook. He can make the basics, like mac-n-cheese, ramen, rice, and basic pasta dishes. However, when his landlord had given him a fish to eat, Y/N stared at it with great embarrassment. 

It’s not like he had a phone, or even the internet, to google it. 

He had almost set the kitchen on fire but that’s something he’s not going to tell his landlord about. 

Thankfully, despite how well-hidden this bungalow was, the community around was strong and well-receptive to him. When he first told them that he was deaf, which was completely by accident, he started getting free food and notepads to write on. However, no one treated him differently. He wasn’t coddled, besides once again the free meal every now and then but he’s positive that also has to deal with how frightened he looked when he was asked to help out with cooking one time, nor was he pestered. 

As much as he loves his family, the Wayne family could be… a lot. Always around him, constantly monitoring him, coddling him like he was going to break at the slightest hint of him facing a struggle. Some of them unknowingly, or unintentionally, use his deafness against him as a reason why he couldn’t do certain things. He is grateful to Bruce for giving him his hearing somewhat back, the cochlear implants truly made life easier, but Y/N was curious about the part of him. 

He lost his hearing at the age of 10, a gradual process that started when he was 8. The nerves in his ears deteriorated to the point not even the sound of a building explosion could be heard by him. Being deaf in East Gotham as a 10-year-old was basically a death sentence. It didn’t help that Y/N was naturally curious, meaning there were a lot of things he stuck his nose in that he shouldn’t have. It is only because of Jason that he is alive, which the other will always deny but Y/N stands by. 

Jason and him had met when they were both 6, being neighbors with similar living conditions had made them close. Jason was with him when his hearing started to disappear, and he was with Jason when Catherine had died from an overdose. The two of them took to the streets and set up a small base in an abandoned building. 

He was with him when they decided to steal the Batmobile's wheels, clinging onto Jason’s red hoodie when the local vigilante had lifted him up by the collar of said hoodie. Those eyes that peaked through the mask drifted from defiant blue eyes to terrified E/C eyes. 

They had become twins, brothers with different last names and different birthdays, but twins nevertheless. Inseparable and always joined at the hips, only leaving each other when Jason went on patrol as Robin and Y/N chose to stay behind with Alfred. While Jason learned how to kick someone’s ass, Y/N learned how to treat them when their own asses got kicked. 

He cried when Jason died. Sobbed and deteriorated as he slept in Jason’s room, and sobbed some more when he tried to read some of Jason’s books. He let Dick comfort him, taking him on daily excursions to the beach and riding on the back of his motorcycle. Bruce had read to him, just how Jason used to, and while it wasn’t the same he appreciated the man trying. Alfred continued to be the emotional support they all relied on him to be, and constantly patted his shoulders and baked him his favorite treats. 

Y/N screamed at Bruce when he brought Tim back, stating that he was the new Robin. He made it clear he wasn’t mad at Tim, but Bruce. He gave the man the cold shoulder for weeks while making sure Tim was accommodated for. He cried again when Jason came back, hugging the other and cupping Jason’s older face between his hands. He rested a hand on Bruce’s shoulder when Damian showed up, feeling for him and showing emotions that Bruce could not. 

Y/N loves his family with everything in him, and he knows that he is loved back. However, the love from one person was different from the love of multiple people. Y/N knows, is intimately aware, that their love is the type disguised as golden necklaces and stained glass windows. When in reality, they are chains and the gold bars of a cage. He knows they kept him dependent on them for life necessities, such as food, money, and a place to sleep. 

He was never allowed to get a job. When he tried he was rejected or never called back. He was allowed to cook, but only the basics, as Alfred didn’t want him hurting himself. His curfew was before nightfall, meaning in winter 4:30 was when he had to be back inside the manor. 

They gave him his hearing so the silence would continue to be deafening. It is why he left the external processors. Whether Y/N liked it or not, he was deaf. He is a part of that community, and it is about time he got used to that part of himself. 

The young adult knows his family loves him, and wants to care for him, but as an adult he knows that he needs to learn some things about life on his own. 

Bruce taught them all well. Alfred taught them all well. His older brothers and younger brothers taught him well. Y/N is ready for this. He has been for a while. 

Closing his book, marking the page with the bookmark, he watched a sperm whale breach for only a moment before disappearing under the waves. Unable to hear the sound it made, but the sight of it was enough. He set the book down on the towel and made his way to the waters. 

++++

It was an accident. It truly was. However, it was a happy accident that had everyone packing and getting ready for the trip. 

One of Tim’s classmates had just returned from vacation, and she was showing photos of the sperm whales that gathered. Tim looked because it was shoved in his face, and he nearly snatched her phone out of her hand. In the back, dressed like a local, he was there. His eyes focused on the breach sperm whales, but Tim would recognize him from any angle in any get up. 

He asked what beach she was at, and she said Playa Rincon, Dominican Republic. Y/N was in the Dominican Republic. But for what? Y/N has never shown any interest in the tropics or even the ocean in general. Sure he loves the beach, but that was it. Never has he expressed his desire to go to another country to experience it. 

So, what could have been there that would draw Y/N in? With the amount of money he withdrew, he could have bought a plane ticket anywhere in the world, and he chose the Dominican Republic. Without a doubt using a fake idea, a fake name, and he was probably using a different name to either rent a place or buy a house. 

Sure, they can all just go over, but if they do they would have to tear apart the country to find him. They work fast, but words can travel faster. 

There has to be a reason why Y/N went. Something there that would at least narrow the search. 

Tim looked around Y/N’s room, searching for anything that would give him a hint. Anything. 

He glanced at the bookshelf where the only book missing was the Moby Dick. A book about how a group of whalers get bested by a giant sperm whale that is believed to be a god. It is a book about a Captain that has a self-destructive obsession with the white whale called the Moby Dick. Based on a true story of a crew on a ship called the Essex. 

“I’ve always felt bad for the whale.” Tim raised an eyebrow, staring at his brother who was stroking their youngest brother’s head as Damian slept on. The book In the Heart of the Sea in between his thin fingers as he met Tim’s inquiring gaze. 

“There is no proof as to why the whale rammed into the Essex, but many believe it was due to a mistake. The hammering in the hull of the ship sounded like another whale.” Tim signed, ‘But why do you feel bad?’ Y/N smiled, “Because, not only were they being hunted but now a book written about how this one whale is the reason a reputable Captain goes mad really does paint them in a bad light.” 

‘Whaling has been outlawed.’ 

“Still, I bet this book only increased it for a while.” Tim watched Y/N bookmark his page, closing the book before returning his hands to Damian’s head. 

‘Do you like sperm whales?’ Y/N beamed, “I do. They really are such an amazing animal, I hope I get to see one in person.” 

Tim stood straighter, pulling out his phone and doing a quick Google search. The Dominican Republic is the only place where sperm whales stay all year. 

“There’s no way.” 

“What.” Tim brushed past Damian, rushing down to the Batcave and ignoring the glare the youngest sent him. It didn’t take long to find whale sighting information. It took even less time to find the pattern. Series of reds, blue, yellows, and green decorating the waters around Dominican Republic. The red dots were where the most recent sights were, and he stared at the location his classmate was at when they saw the whale. Where Y/N’s photo was accidentally taken. 

There is only one spot that the red dots haven’t reached yet, and if the pattern stayed true, they had about two to three days. 

Tim fished out his phone, calling Bruce, “I know where Y/N is.” 

+++

Bruce loves his sons. He would risk himself for them and would do everything in his power to ensure they are safe. Yes, they had been Robins, yes Jason had died, yes his and Dick’s relationship was still rocky, but damn did he love them. 

He stared at a photo of when Y/N and Jason were 13, 6 months freshly moved into the manor, and it was him and Dick standing on opposite sides of them. Jason grinning brightly, holding a more timid Y/N’s hand who was holding onto Bruce’s jacket. Dick was crouching next to Jason, laughing at something the other had said before the picture was taken. Y/N, when they first moved in, had been terribly shy. He always hid behind or stayed next to Jason, and watched Bruce and Alfred with hesitant eyes. Jason on the other hand was outspoken with his mistrust, but willing to comply with their rules for some things. 

Bruce remembers when Y/N first helped Alfred dress their bruises and scratches. Alfred taking on a more unruly Jason, while Y/N helped with the minor stuff on Bruce. He had rubbed Y/N’s head with his ungloved hand afterwards, and he watched as those E/Cochromic eyes widened before a large smile took over his young face. Bright and happy with little care in the world. 

He had wanted to keep that on Y/N’s face forever. 

Bruce will be the first to admit that he didn’t do a great job in that. All his failures hung in front of him, and Y/N and Alfred were reminders that those failures didn’t affect just him. Yet, Bruce watched Y/N power on. Continuing to keep his chin up and shoulders back, taking on the new day with more determination. 

Y/N had learned to be strong on his own, and while yes, Bruce is extremely and undeniably proud of him, he is also worried. Terrified. Something he shared with everyone else. The world is unkind to people who are different. It’s unkind to people in general, but to add in something about yourself that you cannot control and that is different from everyone else, it is terrible. Y/N, for how normal he pretends to be, is far from it. 

It stresses Bruce out. He is constantly worried for him, constantly double-checking and ensuring that Y/N is okay. Bruce doesn’t want to admit that he is softer to Y/N because he is deaf, because that is not the complete truth. If anything, Bruce knows he is more controlling of Y/N because of that. Always having to know where he is, who he’s with, what he’s doing and whether it is safe enough for him or not. 

A helicopter parent that the child cannot hear. 

So when Tim had told him of how Y/N had somehow managed to get to the Dominican Republic, and was most likely living there, Bruce wanted to flip a table. All for some whales. He was more stressed than impressed over the fact that his son, who had no experience with Robin or anything illegal, managed to not only get a fake passport, a fake ID, and then live in another country for three months. 

“Oh that kid?” One of the locals recognized who Bruce was asking about, a smile on their face as they recalled what an excellent free diver he was. The man grinned, pulling out a camera that had Bruce raising an eyebrow, “I’m an underwater photographer. That kid is a natural in the ocean.” Bruce stared at the photos, and even he could admire just how in place Y/N looked amongst the coral reefs and deep blue. Long legs looked fluid, and his body lithe like the fish he swam amongst. 

Y/N looked free. 

“Pleasant to talk to as well. It's a shame he’s deaf, he’d be a great teacher for other free-divers.” Bruce wanted to deck this man across the face for stating that Y/N couldn’t do something because of his lack of hearing, but that would be hypocritical. How many times has he used Y/N’s disability against him? 

According to Tim, this area is the next stop for whale sightings, meaning Y/N has to be somewhere around here. The family has split up, asking the locals and looking around the tourist areas. 

“Did he say where he was staying?” The local shook his head, “No, didn’t ask either.” Bruce wants to break the man's fingers just to make sure the other doesn’t know. The local, as if sensing the dangers he was in, gulped, “But if I had to guess, he most likely lives near coral reefs.

“Somewhere he could free dive constantly without having to go out on a boat. Afterall, for how short of a time he’s been doing it, he’s extremely impressive. A lot of this sport takes practice.” 

Bruce nodded in thanks. It is the  Brucie Wayne smile now on his face, “Thanks, and how much for the photo?” 

Y/N stumbled back to his place, his cheeks flushed and a giggle on his lips. In his hands was a bottle of homemade tequila from one of the locals he had just gotten done partying with, and the taste was thick on his tongue but he couldn’t deny that the heat in his belly was addicting. Stumbling into the tiny bungalow, he set the bottle down on the kitchen table and resisted the urge to take another sip. 

Doing a quick stretch, he watched the waves crash against the beach, the full moon illuminating the waters and the white sand. 

Only one more day and the sperm whales should be at this side of the island. Maybe they’ll be here tonight. Scratching the nape of his neck, Y/N released a pleased sound before making his way to his room to grab stuff for the shower. He moved in the dark, knowing where everything was and not needing to add to the electricity bill. 

The room itself was nice, probably the most grand room in the entire space. Above the bed was a large window that allowed for natural light, constantly illuminating the room. In the soft light of the moon, Y/N navigated his room with practiced movements. The fire in his gut making him stumble sometimes, but nothing serious or even alarming. When he lifted his gaze, his eyes landed on the book on his bedside tables and something else. 

Furrowing his brows, Y/N walked to that part of his room, and his eyes turned hazy momentarily as his fingers brushed over the external processor of the cochlear implants, thumbing them and feeling the cool metal under the pad of his thumb. Fond memories of when he first got his hearing back, if only somewhat, and the way the world burst into noise. 

He chuckled when a memory popped up of him and Jason arguing, and Y/N had taken off the processors and closed his eyes so he couldn’t see or hear Jason’s argument. The fight dissolved into laughter, Jason hugging Y/N and the both of them landing on the carpeted floor. 

They were the external processors he left behind when he left the Wayne manor. Decorated in small stickers that Tim and Dick jokingly put on them, and the small scratches from when Damian had accidentally dropped them. 

The processors he left behind to start this new life figuring out how to cope with silence. 

The processors… he left… behind… 

His E/C eyes widened and he made a quick sprint for the door, dropping his clothes on the floor. He has to go outside where there is open space and where he can hopefully be seen by a local. His family of vigilants excelled in close-combat and combat the needed tight spaces. It wasn't like Gotham had a lot of room to begin with. 

He had to get out of here. Y/N has to leave, or at least give himself a chance. 

When he threw open the door, he almost collided into the broad chest of one of his brothers. His eyes glanced up and he met the crazed and desperate eyes of his twin. The red helmet off of his head and exposing the bags under his eyes. Guilt crushed Y/N’s chest, and he wanted to cup Jason’s cheeks within his hands. He wanted to assure others he was safe, that he was fine, and that he was ready to do this. 

But they would never get it. 

He took a step back instead. Jason followed, and Y/N nearly screamed when he felt the floor creak beneath his feet. 4 other pairs of feet moved, making the wood creak and vibrate under his feet and alerting him that they were all in his home. 

‘Ready to come home?’ Jason signed, and Y/N felt the wood creak. Y/N shook his head, never taking his eyes off of the man in front of him. Jason's facial expression changed.

‘Too bad.’ Y/N dodged a pair of hands that were behind him and barely side-stepped another pair. Jason stood in front of the door, ensuring that Y/N could not leave through it. He remembers just how slippery the other could be, and he was not risking it. 

Y/N raced to the kitchen, grabbing the handle of the tequila bottle, and holding it like a bat. In front of him was his family, Damian, Tim, Dick, Jason, and Bruce. None of them were dressed in their vigilante outfits, and that is because Y/N is not a criminal that needs a suit to fear. He is their brother who needs guidance from his family.

“C’mon Y/N, vacation is over.” Dick said, and Y/N had difficulty reading his lips but he understood it. 

“No.” Dick’s jaw clenched and he could see Tim grab something from his pocket. 

“Y/N. If you wanted to see the whales you could have asked.” Y/N scrunched his nose, and tightened his grip on the bottle, “Put that down, and let's go.” Y/N shook his head, “No. I want to stay here.” Dick’s lips pursed and Damian scowled, “Why? You have no hot water, you can’t cook, there is literally nothing here other than those whales.” Y/N’s face must have made a terribly pained expression because Damian looked like he had been the one to be chastised. 

“I want to learn how to do things on my own.”

“That's so stupid Y/N. Come on.” Y/N shook his head, “No! No, I-I want to stay. I am the only one who get tre-treated like glass. Not even Babs gets treated like me!” Jason glared, “That is different Y/N, and you know it.” 

“How?! She is in a wheelchair, and I am deaf. We are both handicapped, but when she wants to do something you have little complaint but when I want to do something you have an entire novel!” It's not fair. Y/N shouldn’t be mad at Barbara, because it is not her fault. But even he couldn’t stop the feeling of resentment building in his chest when he sees how free Barbara is compared to him. 

Y/N doesn’t hate Barbara. He couldn’t hate her, because she’s his sister just like everyone else were his siblings. But he is frustrated. So undeniably frustrated. He spent an ungodly amount of nights laying awake and staring at his ceiling as he thought about it. Trying to find the reason why he is treated like the slightest gust would send him stumbling. He wanted a valid reason. 

“I am deaf. I am not stupid or-or incapable of taking care of myself!” 

“That is not why we are doing this!” There’s no point in yelling because he couldn’t hear it, but Y/N could see the way their throats flexed and mouths opened wider. Y/N shook his head, “I am not glass! I want to learn how to be inde-independent.” He had to slowly say that last word, but he got it.

“I. Am. Staying.” 

This is exactly why Y/N left. This is why he left the way he did. Why he had too. They don’t get it. They’ll never get it. How could they understand? They have always been able to make their own decisions. They have always been able to do things that Y/N only wishes he could do. They had such a stangle-hold on his life that the slightest hint of wiggle-room, they only tightened their hold even more. It was suffocating and painful.

It was even more painful because Y/N still loves them, and he knows they love him. That this was just a version of their love that was unfortunately, or fortunately for everyone else, reserved for only him. A chain and leash meant for only him. A cage for him. With intricate gold bars that looked beautiful, but still kept him trapped.

He missed Bruce’s signal, but he watched how Damian was the first to move. Y/N isn’t too sure how he dodged Damian, the little gremlin he was, but he also knows that they weren’t going hard on him. He knows they are not treating him like a criminal, but as a brother. Which means, Y/N was somewhat at an advantage. Bruce and Jason had made sure Y/N knew the fundamentals to self-defense and how to use his surroundings. 

His biggest downfall however, was him focusing on Dick and Damian, and forgetting that one of them technically could still intervene. Tim, with whatever he was holding didn’t join the fray and Jason was too busy guarding the door as a just in case. Which is why when a large hand gripped the wrist that was holding the still intact tequila bottle, twisting the joint in a way that had Y/N dropping it, had him crying out in shock. His short fingernails digging into the callused skin of his adopted father, Bruce Wayne. 

The man stared at him with a heated glare and Y/N fought off the urge to shrink under the heavy gaze. However, he threw his weight back, trying to dislodge the grip around his wrist. Bruce used his other arm to immobilize Y/N’s upper body, stopping him from throwing an elbow or scratching his hand. Trapping Y/N’s body and making his already racing heart nearly burst in panic. 

“No! Let go!” Y/N wanted to stay. He has to stay. His foot stomped and he released a cry, and when he looked down he wanted to cry. The tequila bottle had shattered, and Y/N was the only one who was barefoot. He could feel the glass cutting into the skin and the sting of alcohol entering the wound. 

‘Shit!’ He grit his teeth, trying to push aside the pain and get Bruce’s grip off of him. Only, someone was touching his feet now and he didn’t mean to panic but he kicked up. Memories from Crime Alley filled his mind as large hands gripped his ankles, and Bruce’s grip changed to better accommodate someone who was no longer standing. 

His throat closed up and he began gasping as he tried desperately to ground himself. His eyes blown wide and tears now streamed down his face as those hands were replaced with others. The darkness of the bungalow now shifted to the darkness of Crime Alley, and the way the counter and island now looked like the buildings of the Alley way had Y/N screeching. Thrown back into the past with painful shove and memories that clouded his vision. 

“Jason! Jason! Help, help they’re touching me.” Another pair of arms replaced the ones around his arms, and the hands around his ankles let go, but it did nothing. Y/N was effectively back to the past where it was only him and Jason. Those strong arms encircled around him, keeping his own arms pinned and secured, and they began to rock. 

Tapping on his skin and Y/N’s mind began translating it. There was no ASL or Morse Code in Crime Alley, but when Jason and him realized he was going deaf they made their own. One that is unique to them. 

One Y/N still remembers, and so does Jason. 

‘It’s okay. It’s okay, no one is doing anything. It’s just me and the family.’ Y/N shook, and he struggled to catch a breath. There is a hand on his chest, trying to ground him, and he wonders if that hand is the one that is gripping his lungs and making it so hard to breathe. 

‘It’s okay, it’s okay. You are here. You are safe. We’re safe, and we’re going home.’ Before Y/N could process that, there was a sharp prick in his neck, and before he could shout once more a hand covered his mouth, and his body tried to escape the grip. His thrashing only got weaker and weaker as whatever drug was given to him. 

His eyes grew blurry and the last thing he saw was Jason’s face. 

++++

Waking up was hard. His head felt heavy and his limbs couldn’t move. Opening his eyelids seemed impossible, but when he did he groaned. The light was too bright and his limbs too heavy to do anything other than to continue groaning. 

A hand rested on his forehead, and Y/N was too exhausted to try and shake it off. He could hear some shuffling and he furrowed his brows. He took off his external processors a few months ago… 

That night returned to his memory full force and Y/N groaned from the headache. The hand on his forehead moving to massage his temples. 

“Shh, I know. You had a crazy time.” It's been a long time since he heard Bruce’s voice, but it was still deep and gravelly just how he remembers. Y/N turned his head with difficulty, and met those blue eyes that have been staring at him intently. 

Y/N opened his mouth, but closed it. The argument he had with everyone was still fresh in his mind, and he couldn’t help but to continue feeling bitter. Bruce, sensing his son’s thoughts sighed exasperatedly, “Y/N, I admire your drive for wanting to be independent, I really do. But pulling a stunt like that is exactly why we worry.” Y/N scrunched his nose, “You don’t trust me.” 

“That’s not-” 

“It is. If you did trust me you would let me stay out later than nightfall and would be okay with me traveling without a babysitter.” Bruce removed his hand, and stared down at Y/N. His expression is painfully neutral, “Y/N.” 

“You, and no one else in this household, trust me. Then you sit here, listing out everything I do that makes you lose your trust in me, but it’s hard to lose what I never had,” He was voicing his opinion, an opinion that he has had for a while but has never said anything about because he didn’t want to interrupt the balance. 

More importantly, he didn’t want to admit it to himself. They always called him trustworthy, but they never did trust him. He trusted them though. He trusted them with his life, with his secrets, and his insecurities. Then they throw all of that back in his face and expect him to continue making the same mistakes. 

Bruce sighed, as if he was talking to a child that has needed to be told multiple times why they can’t put a fork in a toaster. He met Y/N’s E/C eyes, staring into the irises and seeing the truth behind his words. One of his fingers gently touched one of the external processors, “It’s not that I don’t trust you, I don’t trust other people. This world is awful to people who are different.” Y/N scrunched his nose, and Bruce continued, “You still panic when your ankles are touched.” 

“That’s not fair! That was a stressful situation and you all just made it worse and then-” 

“I know. I know. Dick knows and he is sorry about that, but you stepped on glass.” 

“You made me drop the bottle.” 

“You shouldn’t have been dri-” 

“I’m 23. I’m legal to drink in every country.” 

“Y/N-” 

“I was fine.” Y/N wanted to cry. He had a taste of freedom and then it was taken from him. Forcefully so. 

Bruce stood up, almost knocking the chair back as he did so, and Y/N flinched. He was unable to move still, because whatever drug Tim had given me must have been a muscle relaxant as well. He watched as Bruce schooled his emotions, quickly swallowing them down and then sighed. 

The man leaned down and pressed a kiss into Y/N’s H/C locks. His hand now cupping Y/N’s ear and external processor, “You are grounded until I say otherwise, Y/N. You will stay within these Manor walls until I believe you have learned your lesson.” He ignored Y/N’s face of exhaustion and disappointment. Not at himself, but at Bruce. The man made his way to leave, but before he closed the door, he looked back at his son. His son who had turned away from him and was taking note of the bars over the windows. 

Bruce closed his eyes, feeling his disappointment in the situation and shut the door behind him, making sure to lock it.

_________

THIS WAS SO LONG!!!

[teenwolfvore]

Halloween Hijinx

(A day late, but not a dollar short lol. Meant to get this up on Halloween. I also did a few stylistic things. I would love feedback)

Summary: A hungry mummy Scott McCall eats Derek Hale.

Scott's phone was buzzing. And buzzing. And buzzing. All from the same person, Stiles. The texts read as the following.

Stiles: hey where are you

Stiles: Scott call me back

Stiles: Scott, have you seen Derek?

Stiles: seriously dude, come on, answer me.

Stiles: dude I could totally be dead right now.

Stiles: I died

Stiles: Scottttttttttttttt

All of those and the multiple calls went ignored. Scott was in the middle of something important. He was currently eating Derek Hale as a Halloween snack.

It all started about an hour ago. Scott asked Derek to help him out with his costume. Scott decided that he was going to be funny this year and go as a mummy. Complete with the toilet paper wrapped around his body. Derek, forever the grump, wasn't going as anything this year. But he was going to be a good friend to Scott and help him out.

Derek moaned at Scott getting undressed, but Scott was body positive. Derek rolled his eyes at the True Alpha’s mentality and began to help him out, starting with his legs and feet. There was just one small underlying problem that would eventually jump its way back to the present.

Scott hadn't eaten all day.

Between lacrosse practice and work immediately after, Scott was lucky he was even getting to go to this party that he was putting this costume on for. He didn't have time to eat at all. He just justified it by telling himself that he was going to eat when he got to the party. No big deal, he just needed to sit long enough to be wrapped in toilet paper.

Scott underestimated his hunger. His stomach was doing whale calls throughout this entire process. Derek making multiple comments on it as he bandaged up Scott's thighs and eventually his waist. Scott bit his lip and tried to ignore his hunger pains. “Just a little while longer.” He told himself.

It was when Scott's arms were being bandaged that Scott got desperate. Derek was adamant about not moving until it was done and Scott's werewolf hunger was getting the best of him. Scott did his best to just relax and not be so antsy, but he couldn't help it. Especially when he locked eyes onto Derek.

(Derek Hale)

It was no secret that Derek was a beefcake of the highest magnitude. Big arms, big chest, big everything. Practically packed with protein. Scott didn't even realize that he was drooling until Derek told him that it was falling onto his chest. Scott had begun to rationalize if he could actually eat Derek. It had to be, Scott had big meals before, Derek shouldn't be too hard. And after wrestling with the idea for long enough, Scott finally felt his hunger boil over.

The second that Derek took his hands off of Scott, the true Alpha pounced. Suddenly the older wolf was pushed to the floor. Derek tried to fight off the mummy Alpha werewolf, but it was no use. Derek was no match for Scott's strength and his hunger. Any attempt to reason with Scott went into one ear and out the other. Then before Derek could shout, his face was stuffed onto Scott's tongue. Scott is more than surprised by the taste, happily gulps more of that yummy stud down.

Scott's neck bulges as he swallows Derek's neck. Derek's big boulder shoulders are no issue. Scott rips the t-shirt that he was wearing to ribbons. He didn't want anything obstructing Derek's meat. He squeezes the shoulders together into his mouth and swallows. Scott had pinned Derek's beefy arms to his side. Scott's mouth was almost stretched to its limits. The drool coming out of his mouth was overflowing.

Scott horked down more of that beefy stud desperately. He needed to have this meal in his belly yesterday. Derek's beefy chest and nipples are quickly tasted before Scott tips his head back to get them down his throat. Scott then slides those abs across his tongue and counts those hairy bumps of muscle. He was grateful that Derek was such Adonis and could provide him with a hearty meal.

Scott uses his claws to take off Derek's jeans to get access to gorgeous rump and his cock. Scott collects Derek's cock into his mouth and begins to play with it. With most of him down, there wasn't much that Derek could do to stop him. Derek's frantic motions had turned to lustful wiggles. Derek briefly forgot that Scott was eating him and was more focused on getting himself off. Scott felt his own sizable cock getting hard and pushing through the toilet paper. He began to jerk himself while jerking off Derek. The larger wolf moaned at the bottom of Scott's throat until eventually he couldn't take it anymore. He blew his load all over and in Scott's mouth. The alpha drinks it all down and sends it to splatter over Derek's top half. A little bit dribbles out of Scott's mouth and falls down onto his own cock. Amused by getting his prey off, Scott continues his meal.

Derek was too exhausted now to resist meaningfully. His legs were limp as Scott slurped them up like noodles. Scott had begun to lose layer after layer of the toilet paper because of his stomach bulging. The more that Scott filled up with Derek, the less toilet paper he had. Scott lost his abs and soon gained a Derek sized bulge. Before too long, the only thing that was left was Derek's large feet. With a couple of slothful bites, they soon are completely swallowed up behind Scott's jaws. Then with a single gulp, Scott sends the rest of Derek's legs to join his gut.

Most of Scott's tan belly was revealed now with just a few sashes of the toilet paper left. Underneath was the engorged belly and Derek Hale bulging from within. Scott sighs contently as he rubs over Derek's form. His hunger had finally been sated and with such a big meal too. Scott licks his lips to remind himself of Derek's flavor. With that heavy weight in his belly, Scott lays out on the floor with his arms and legs spread.

Scott looks over to see the texts that Stiles had been sending him. Scott chuckles as he just clicks it off for now and steadily rubs over the other werewolf trapped inside of his belly covered in his own cum. Scott's own cock still hard regains his attention. He quickly grabs a hold of the lengthy member with both hands and begins to jack off again on his overstuffed belly. It doesn't take long for Derek to get active once again inside of Scott's belly. Apparently he wasn't too happy with being a device to get Scott off. Scott chuckles as he uses one hand to taunt Derek by patting his head. Scott grunts and moans as he gets close, eventually he releases his own load all over his hand, belly, and the toilet paper. Just as he does so, Scott unleashes a huge burp that shakes his room.

The alpha werewolf smiles contently as he looks at cum covered belly. Derek was still moving slightly but he was exhausted at this point. Scott grabs his neglected phone and finally responds to Stiles.

Scott: Hey Stiles, Derek and I are going to be a little late. I had to go for a snack. What do you think? ;)

Scott snaps a picture of his belly and sends it as an attachment. The younger wolf looks down at his belly again and smiles. He continues to give his gut pats and rubs reminding the big beefcake werewolf of what he was.

Food for a true Alpha Werewolf.

[mychlapci]

Ok imagine smol medic first aid who works at the research center getting to fuck all the big scary wrecker merformers to knock them up. (This gonna be a bit long sorry :<)

I kinda just imagine the wreckers being a pod of different whale like merformers and maybe springer being a hybrid of land dweller tarantulas and merformer prowl (or other way around). First Aid has been studying this specific pod for ages. All of them seem to be outcasts of their species so they formed their own lil group.

Their nickname „wreckers“ is because they tend to wreck ships that enter their territory.

They had to be captured due to being too aggressive and were put into the research center.

Aid notices that they were all pretty sexually frustrated cause no one will mate with them, since they all have either some slight deformation (for example impactor‘s missing arm, springer already being a hybrid) or are socially inept (or both) and that kinda causes other mers to stay away from them. So Aid wants to help them and tries to pair them up with other inhabitants from the center, which does not end well for most of them, especially impactor and megatron, who despite being the same species are trying their very best to kill each other (their salty exes).

So first aid was like: if you want something done right you gotta do it yourself

and starts performing mating rituals on them.

At first they were all confused and but slowly got charmed by first aid‘s surprisingly accurate attempts at courting them (he do be doing his homework on mating rituals). Eventually they all let Aid spike them and all of them get knocked up but now first aid is stuck with a whole pod of giant merformers who are desperate for his transfluid and are also very much needy and attached to him but only him and they won’t let any other staff members near them or the shit ton of sparkling they produced.

oOoho this is good food. 

The “wreckers” are really just a mismatched pod - whereas most pods are made of reproducing mers and their offspring, the wreckers seem to be “rejects” from the mating pool… First Aid is the researcher watching them and he feels pity on them, especially when he sees some of them sneaking off periodically to try and rub their slit against any solid surface, unable to relieve the frustration…. The thought of claiming them all for himself pops into First Aid’s mind immediately, but he stalls it for a while by trying to pair them up with recently released mers… but he’s absolutely thinking about pounding those fat, swollen slits the entire time. He’s secretly glad when the breeding program fails and he can take things into his own hands. 

I can absolutely imagine First Aid turning all those giant, strong mers into squirming sluts, big claws clinging to the little land-mech as those poor, neglected valves are filled with so much transfluid that they’re all just lounging around at the end, no longer aggressive. They’re happy little swollen carriers, first and foremost <3

oh, they push out so many pups. They go from a small, aggressive pod of antisocial mers to a big, big pod of (semi)docile carriers and their little stud...

[mothpawbs]

edit: yooo part 2 is out go look at it!!

royal gals from arc 1! i used this as a way to further illustrate and explore my fashion headcanons, and i love how these turned out. design notes under the cut!

CORAL: i wanted her to look deceptively kind and bubbly, so i tend to draw her big and round like a whale. two inspiration for her design are king dorephan from breath of the wild and granmamare from ponyo. i give her a big coral crown and pearl jewelry. she has a lot of teardrop shapes bc she's probably sad about a lot of things

GLACIER: my favorite queen <3 i wanted her to look regal and no-nonsense but kind. with the exception of her crown, most of her accessories are very sleek and minimalistic. and of course i had to give her glasses because i'm obsessed with giving dragons glasses. i can't decide if the spikes on that crown are opal or enchanted ice, but the studs are black tourmaline.

SCARLET: the og bad bitch!! i love designs that make her look like the world's scariest, swankiest peacock, and the animated wings design was a huge inspiration here. her face markings are meant to look like a helmet. the mail vest she's wearing here is more for show than protection, an ostentatious piece she wears around the palace rather than something she'd don in battle. this is generally the fit i imagine she would wear to court sessions and arena matches.

MOORHEN: i would love to know more about her tbh. i like the colors i gave her, i think the shades of brown work really well together. the cord around her neck represents her sibs, the knot having four coils to symbolize each of them. she has agate embeds all over her, with the majority on her horns, wings, and wrists/ankles. i imagine she has tattooed wing membranes as well.

GRANDEUR: i wanted to make her look regal and positively ancient, and i think i succeeded well enough. her frill shape vaguely matches glory's, as well as her affinity for orange and gold color accents. the flowers are based on tropical rhododenrons.

BATTLEWINNER: ooo she was fun. basically no opportunity for fashion, as i'm sure anything she'd try to wear would burn or melt in her lava bathtub, but i got to do some fun scarring on her. her snout is all scratched up, one of her horns broke off at some point (i imagine that happened during her throne challenge, and that nightwings spar with their horns like rams or deer. she probably got slammed into a wall or something) and her ears are all kinds of shredded. any water vapor around her face and neck tends to solidify into ice, building up into big sparkly icicles over time.

[svltth]

I’m gunna be a dad?

❗️Please send in some request❗️

Context: you have been feeling sick recently and thought it would be best to take a pregnancy test.

Category:fluff

Warnings:vomit

Tom era:man bun/17

————————————

Tom had left for band practice early this morning leaving y/n by herself for a few hours while he was gone.  She had woke up feeling a a little nauseous but she didn't think much of it as she has felt it for the past couple of days. Y/n made her way downstairs to make herself some breakfast.

As the girl was making her food her mouth suddenly went dry and she felt a lump in the back of her throat. Her body quickly went cold as she ran to hers and toms shared bathroom. She crouched down onto her knees, holding her hair back with one hand whale the other held onto the toilet seat as she threw up into it.

After she was done, she stud up and brushed her teeth to get the taste out her mouth. Y/n sat on the bathroom floor in case she needed to vomit again. As she was sat there a thought piped into her head. "What if I'm pregnant" y/n said out loud as she began to panic.

The only thing she could think to do was call her best friend Taylor and ask her to come over with a pregnancy test. So that's what she did, y/n walked out the bathroom and into her bedroom to get her phone. She clicked on Taylor's contact and held the phone to her ear.

T: "hey babes you ok"

Y: "hey Tay listen I need you to come over and umm bring a pregnancy test"

T: "OMG ARE YOU PREGNANT!?"

Y: "maybe I don't know"

T: "ok I'm coming now"

Y: "thank you"

Y/n put the phone down and waited. To be honest she kinda hopped she was pregnant but was worried about how Tom would react, was he going to leave her if she was pregnant or would he be happy about having a baby. She was snapped out of her thoughts by a knock on the front door. 

Y/n quickly ran downstairs and opened the door for Taylor. "You're a life" she was cut off by Taylor grabbing her arm and pulling her upstairs to the bathroom with a smile on her face hoping her best friend was pregnant.

Taylor gave y/n the pregnancy test and pushed her into the bathroom. "Calm down" y/n chuckled out at her best friend excitement.

"No hurry up and take the test" Taylor said urging her on while she waited outside.

"Ok ok" y/n said taking a deep breath before taking the pregnancy test. She opened the door for Taylor once she had finished.

"How long do we have to wait?" Taylor asked her best friend.

"Umm it says 3 minutes" y/n answered looking at the information on the box.

"Do you think you are pregnant?" Taylor asked as they both sat on the floor waiting for the results on the test.

"I don't know I mean it's possible I am, and I have felt sick for a few days lately but is only really been in the morning." Y/n said looking worried.

"Don't worry y/n you will be fine and I will be here for you if you're pregnant or not ok" Taylor said noticing y/n's worried expression.

"I know I know but what if Tom doesn't want kids or he thinks we are too young to have a baby I mean we are 27 but we haven't really talked about having kids" y/n said now beginning to panic.

"Calm down, it's been about 3 minutes want to check?"

"I can't do it you look for me"

Taylor stud up and grabbed the pregnancy test from off the side. Her expression changed quickly to a huge smile. "You're pregnant n/n" she said pulling her into a hug, y/n let tears of both joy and shock fall down her cheek as she hugged back.

Toms pov:

I had just got home from band practice, I kicked off my shoes and shouted to y/n as I was exited to see her and wanted to cuddle for the rest of the day but she didn't answer so I shouted to her again but she still didn't answer. I thought she might just have her headphones on or something so I made my way up to our bedroom but she wasn't there, that's when I saw the bathroom door shut and I heard voices behind it.

"How do I tell him Tay, what if he leaves me?" I heard y/n say it sounded like she had been crying. I started to get worried now, why does she think I will leave her?

"Tell me what n/n" I said from the other side of the door with my arms crossed over my chest. After a minute she opened the door slowly revealing her with red eyes. Taylor slipped past us and left the room.

I sat on the bed and looked up at her. "What do you need to tell me love?" I said with a soft tone to make it as easy for her to talk about it as possible.

"I'm umm I'm pregnant Tom" she said quietly looking closely at my expression. I wave of happiness hit me, I shot up and pulled her into a hug while drowning her in kisses. "You're not mad?"

"Why would I be mad we are going to have a baby y/n a little min us running round" I said with a wide smile on my face as I looking into her gorgeous eyes. "It is mine isn't it"

"Yes" she chuckled pushing her forehead against my shoulder wrapping her arms round my shoulders.

"I'm going to be a dad"

❗️Ignore mistakes❗️

[onepiece-polls]

One Piece Shipping War - Round 1 Side A

Propaganda under the cut.

Propaganda for Jinbe x Robin:

They’ve become a fast favorite of mine! Their interactions in Wano are sooooooo cute

Jinbei is a stud and Robin recognizes that

Robin may be my shipslut

Robin is always been a little bit more humorous and playful with the older men of the crew, like Franky and Brook. But Jinbe is the only one she’s ever outright called handsome, with this flirty little tone and she is so, so real for it tbh. She’s weak for a man who is big, blue, benign and brave, and that’s because she has excellent taste. I just know the two of them would be the sweetest couple, two very mature individuals letting loose and having fun.

Propaganda for Yorki x Brook

They are married. Have adopted a giant baby whale as their child. Had a tearful goodbye where one was dying and showed only the other the pain they were feeling. They were captain and first mate.

Why Oda why? ;(

That moment when Yorki's ill on his bed, but he's still laughing and telling the crew to be happy, but the moment Brook's the only other one in the room they both go to pieces? That's what fucking gets me.

[goingtoweather]

Another little history essay about how death was handled on whale ships.

[x-elyssa-x]

Remix AU - Chapter 3

Part 2 / Part 4

Bubble swam forward, not paying attention to anything. All kinds of small fish passed her by, and she made happy noises to them. Inside, Trollex and Beat Drop were looking at the map. The map showed all six kingdoms that the techno king intended to visit.

"I think we should start with Symphonyville.", said Trollex. "I like the symbolism of this decision. The oldest kind of music mixed with the new kind of music. Classical trolls will definitely appreciate it."

Beat Drop nodded, but he had his own plan.

"And I think we should start with Volcano Rock City. It's the closest."

"Where's the symbolism?", Trollex crossed his arms.

"Barb came to our kingdom first.", Beat Drop said. "Now we visit her first."

Trollex hummed thoughtfully, then agreed with his friend. That was also good symbolism. Besides, they would save time between trips to other kingdoms.

Trollex was really looking forward to his first remix. He felt an excitement similar to the one he felt at his first party. It was amazing. Colorful lights, a happy crowd, and great music. Trollex hoped that other trolls would feel the same. The same excitement.

After a few hours, the whale-bus found herself in warm waters. The warmth was caused by the volcano that was in the rock trolls' territory. This meant that they were close to their first target. Once they were close to shore, Bubble, using her strength and endurance, began to tear through the ground, creating an underwater tunnel. It was uncomfortable, but it didn't hurt her. The closer they got to Volcano Rock City, the warmer it got. Trollex had to make sure they had enough water in their bottles. He didn't like his skin drying out.

Volcano Rock City, the city of the rock trolls, was nothing like Techno Reef. Buildings covered in leather and studs, caves, stone roads, thorny plants, lava flows that flowed through the city, and a sky that was perpetually covered in dark clouds. Living in such a climate was very difficult, but for the rock trolls, there was no better place. They were happy and wouldn't change a thing.

Riff, the queen's right hand, was just leaving college. He was a student, and a studious one at that. He was keen on an education, something that was not really common in rock troll society. Riff was about to head home when he felt the ground begin to shake. The trolls around him stopped, alarmed by the sudden earthquake.

"Is the volcano erupting again?", one of them asked.

"It just erupted a week ago.", another commented. "It's a bit too early for that."

Suddenly, the ground cracked, split open, and the hole filled with warm water. Then, a large whale emerged. The rock trolls were very surprised. Whales did not exist in their waters, and especially not in the middle of the city. Riff walked closer, wanting to see what was going on. Bubble, seeing the other trolls, smiled, and then opened her large mouth. Inside, was Trollex and Beat Drop. Both looked happy and satisfied with achivig the first goal of their journey.

“A techno troll?”, said someone from the crowd.

“And he has a flying fish.”, added another.

Riff recognized who it was. He walked closer to the whale.

"Um, hi.", he said. "I think I recognize you… You're… King Trollex, right?"

"Right.", Trollex nodded. "And you are…"

"Riff. We saw each other during…", Riff fell silent.

He didn't want to think back to the world tour, especially knowing what he and the rest of the trolls had done in the Techno Reef. Trollex just looked at his fish companion, then back at Riff.

“It's in the past.”, the king said with a smile. “There is nothing to remember.”

The male rock troll sighed with relief.

"Then what are you doing here, your highness?" he asked.

"Is Barb home?"

Barb, the queen of all hard rock trolls, was a strong leader, always ready to rock. With a guitarr in her hand, she led her trolls, giving them the best heavy music. Her concerts always ended with some epic explosion or chaos, which everyone loved. But at that moment, Barb was calmly sitting on the couch and playing the melody to her new song. She was going to play it during her next concert.

Then, the door opened and Riff walked in.

"Hey, Barb!", the young rock troll shouted.

The Queen stopped playing and looked at her friend.

"Yo, Riff.", she said. "Good to have you back. We need to practice a new song."

"In a moment. We have guests."

Barb tilted her head. She hadn't expected anyone. Maybe it was Poppy? But instead of Poppy, it was Trollex who stood in the doorway, holding a weird looking suitcase. Beat Drop, who was sitting in his hair, couldn't stop looking around curiously. The young king seemed very excited about his visit to Rock Fortress. The building itself looked like the others in the city, only larger, with extended underground. Barb, seeing him, put down her guitar and approached her guest.

"King Trollex?", said Barb with unconcealed surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Hey, Barb. Good to see you.", Trollex greeted her. "We're here to get to know your music better."

Barb didn't quite understand what Trollex meant. And why. Before, no one from outside their kingdom wanted to know more about hard rock, especially after what had happened… Some of the trolls were still distrustful of them. Riff went closer to his queen.

“He wants to learn,”. he whispered. “He said he wanted to understand rock at its source.”

Barb nodded. Well, at least the techno trolls were more open-minded. This could be a great opportunity to warm up their relations.

"Well, if the fishy wants to learn, then let it learn.", said Barb. "But on my terms. Trollex, we're going on stage."

"Do I need to bring anything with me?", asked the techno king.

“Just the desire to ride hard.”, Barb smiled knowingly.

After a moment, Trollex, Beat Drop, Barb and Riff were under the stage. It was huge. Huge speakers stood on the sides, to which electric guitars were connected. Barb jumped on the stage and grabbed one of them.

"Hard rock is more than just loud music and headbanging. It's a lifestyle.", said the queen, before playing a few riffs on her guitar. "We put in all our energy, all our soul! Rock allows us to express ourselves and what we feel. Get it?"

Trollex nodded. Then, Barb started playing the guitar, and Riff joined her a moment later. They both played, jumped around, not caring that they could accidentally break something. Trollex was impressed. The rock music sounded pretty good.

"This will make a good remix.", Trollex said to himself quietly, and Beat Drop, who was still hiding in his hair, nodded. "When they're done, we'll start our experiment."

But to get started, they needed to record some audio. Luckily, like any troll, Trollex also had a few little things hidden in his hair. Including a recorder. Beat Drop quickly found it, and began secretly recording a rock concert.

After a few minutes, Barb and Riff ended their performance in grand style. Barb smashed her guitar on the ground.

"Woo! That's the kind thing I love!", shouted the delighted queen, then she looked at her guest. "Did you like it?"

"Very much!", Trollex smiled and clapped his hands. "Actually, I'd like to play something too. Can I?"

Barb, thinking that Trollex wanted to try his hand at heavy music, let him on stage. When the young king and his companion were on stage, suddenly, Trollex put down his suitcase. He opened it, and it turned into a DJ station. Barb and Riff watched all this with obvious confusion.

"Trollex, what are you doing?", asked the queen.

Trollex didn't answer. He took the recorder from Beat Drop and connected it to the station. Then, he looked at the rock trolls.

"I hope you like it!", he said cheerfully.

He turned on the station, and techno music began to play. The sound alerted the other trolls, and they quickly ran to the stage to see what had happened. The rock music the queen had been playing earlier, flowed through the speakers. Barb suddenly realized what was happening.

"He wants to remix our music!", she shouted, and ran towards the stage.

Before she could climb on it, the rock music mixed with techno, and a powerful drop with bass boomed out of the speakers, pushing Barb and her trolls away. Trollex played his own concert, the only way he knew. The way he mixed rock with techno made the rock trolls' music no longer sound like theirs. It wasn't rock anymore. But Trollex and Beat Drop didn't really care. Their experiment was a success! They could remix other music with their own, creating something new and unique. Something better. The rock trolls couldn't get on stage and stop it. The bass from the speakers acted as a barrier. All they could do was stand there and watch as their beloved music was mixed with techno, against their will…

After a few minutes, Trollex finished his rave. He was very proud of himself. His new music was recorded. He couldn't wait to show his new remix to his trolls. While he and Beat Drop packed up their DJ station, Barb and Riff tried to calm down the trolls. The remix had a bad effect on them. Everyone had a headache, some were even having a small panic attack. The more Barb tried to control the situation, the angrier she became. She quickly turned to the stage, where Trollex and Beat Drop were getting ready to leave.

"You! What was that!?", Barb screamed at them.

The young techno king stopped and looked at Barb, not understanding what she meant.

"Well… Music?", Trollex tilted his head. "I took rock and mixed it with techno. Cool, right?"

"No! Very not cool at all!", Barb continued to scream. "When you said you wanted to play something, I thought you'd take the guitar, not desecrate our music!"

"Desecrate? I made it even better!"

Barb wanted to shout something back, but the way Trollex said it, caught her off guard. Did he really think what he did was good? Before Barb could get over her shock, Trollex smiled innocently, taking her silence for agreeing with him.

"Thanks for everything, Barb.", said Trollex. "I'd love to stay here longer, and play you more rock remixes, but I'm should continue my trip."

Then, Trollex whistled, and the ground shook again and split. The hole filled with water, and Bubble came to the call. As Bubble opened her mouth, Trollex, along with his fish companion, walked in. In farewell, the techno king made a rock hand gesture, and then Bubble submerged herself, disappearing under the water, leaving behind a large hole, and upset trolls.

Barb felt helpless. She couldn't believe she had let this happen. Her music had been remixed against her will. She felt awful. It might not be as awful as her world tour, but it still wasn't good.

"Barb? Is everything okay?", asked Riff, slowly approaching his queen. Her silence was very worrying.

Then, Barb looked at her friend, and there seemed to be fire burning in her eyes...

[mensuited]

[fyxestroll]

The Finite and the Infinite

Mikhail Legwork/OC; masterlist A Namless will witness many changes in their long journey.

“Conductor, do you think anyone from the Express’ old crew would return?” The crew ticket is clipped to the strap of her dress, its golden shine a sharp contrast to the muted pastel of her clothing. It’s a proud reminder of her decision to return—to the closest a Nameless has to—home.

Pom-Pom pauses their sweeping, “Why? Is there someone you’d like to meet again, Inka?”

The archivist shakes her head, “I don’t.” She does but doubts those she wishes to reunite with are still alive or have any intention to come aboard the Express again. “At least, not that I can remember.” There’s a twinge of sadness on the conductor’s face as they resume sweeping.

Inka leans against the plush seats of the parlor car, staring up at the whale-shaped lights on the ceiling. Currently, it’s just her and the conductor as Himeko and Welt went off to explore. The silence is something she’s unused to. The Astral Express Inka remembers was one teeming with life, passengers—crew or otherwise, milling about, cluttered objects left behind in the parlor car and an old friend dragging her off into another misadventure.

It reminds her all too well how much has changed. 

It’s a reminder she tries to avoid.

It's why Inka spends most of her days indexing the logs in the data bank, resuming her role as the Express’ archivist. It’s better to drown in her self-imposed workload than to drown in nostalgia. She’d find herself working to the point of collapse, waking to Himeko—occasionally Welt, draping a blanket over her and telling Inka not to work herself too hard.

(And in her half-asleep state she’d mistake them for a well-dressed young man playfully smiling at her, saying the exact same thing.)

She stares out into the star-studded cosmos and sighs. “Why did I even leave the Express in the first place?”  In her long journey, she has forgotten and could only hope that a reunion with those she parted ways with would remind her.

(Or would forgetting all memories of them be for the best?)

notes: reader version will be posted when im done with exams. no actual mikhail on this one yet. this is mostly meant to establish inka as a character.

thanks for reading <33 please let me know what you think <33

[citizenscreen]

The exciting, star-studded premiere of Hughes-Goulding-Whale’s HELL’S ANGELS at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre #OnThisDay in 1930…

[brian-in-finance]

Cait #17. Personally, I think that outfit and look should score higher as well as a few others which are way better than the first 10. Still, she made the list which is good to see.

93 Of The Best Oscars Dresses Of All Time

https://www.elle.com/uk/fashion/celebrity-style/g26388237/best-oscar-dresses-ever/

Thanks for the message, Anon. 😃 I loved her 2020 ensemble… whilst never losing sight of fashion sense’s subjectivity (a sentiment that really hits home this London Fashion Week 😖).

Here’s Number 17:

Designer: Valentino / Year: 2020

Numbers 1 through 5 are under Elle’s text. Numbers 6 through 16, and 18 through 93, live in the link.

93 Of The Best Oscars Dresses Of All Time

From Barbra Streisand's exquisite Arnold Scassi pantsuit to Halle Berry in Elie Saab, we've collected the best Oscars dresses of all time.

For many, the Oscars awards ceremony is hotly anticipated for its choice of winners. Cinephiles discuss intently if Brendan Fraser's comeback role in The Whale will nab him Best Actor In A Leading Role, or if Paul Mescal will pip him to the post. Others tune in for the meme-making cultural moments, be it a slap heard around the world, or a calamitous misreading of 'Moonlight' as 'La La Land' (it could happen to anyone, right?).

But for us, and we suspect you too, it's the sport of red carpet dressing that keeps us coming back for more. Having the ability to promote (or demote) a near-unknown to a leading lady in the blink of a ballgown, the power of a stellar styled look cannot be understated. Be it Audrey Hepburn in Givenchy in 1954, Michelle Williams in Vera Wang in 2006, or Lupita Nyong'o in Prada there have been some truly marvellous -dare we say history-making - gowns worn by the best actors in the world on the night of the Academy Awards.

So devoted are we to the best dressed stars of the red carpet, ahead of the 96th Academy Awards (taking place on March 10 2024) we've gone through each and every one of them to find the 93 best Oscar dresses ever worn. You're welcome!

Designers: Jason Wu and Messika / Year: 2023

Designer: Alaïa / Year: 2023

Designer: Moschino / Year: 2023

Designer: Rodarte / Year: 2023

Designer: Jean Paul Gaultier Couture / Year: 2022

Elle

Photo: FarFarAwaySite

Remember… Irish actress Caitriona Balfe looked stunning — as per usual — on the red carpet at the 2020 Oscars in Valentino Haute Couture! The 40-year-old newlywed wore a unique outfit that involved a dress and a blouse when she walked the carpet at her first Academy Awards. She stunned in the black, fishtail-style gown which fell straight down her body in an extremely flattering style. But the strapless dress wasn’t the star of the show: it was the sheer pink blouse she wore over the top! The high-neck blouse was made of a very light material, and fell down to her hips. It also featured a gorgeous, oversized bow which she wore to the left of her neck. Stunning! The model-turned-actress accessorized with silver stud earrings and a matching silver ring and bracelet. Caitriona slicked her beautiful brunette tresses back into a tight bun near the nape of her neck, and polished her look with a bold red lipstick, and red nail polish. What a star! — Hollywood Life

[sugar-omi]

Omg I love your mermaid!Cove! Can I request some more please? 🩵

surprisingly i have many ideas on mer!cove lol, i didnt think i did but this is so long!! so enjoy<3 tysm for the ask anon, im glad you liked my mer!cover hehe<33

tags : Fluff, headcanons

eta a bit on cove w sharp teeth <3

mmm... merman cove is so pretty even in human form

in human form, he has scales in a few places

down the side of his hips to the top of his thighs and a few straglers on his ankles

his scales are blue and green. they're iridescent as well, super pretty

the closer to his chest, the lighter his scales are but there's still some dark ones around his hips that are more like a navy blue

his fins are probably on the greener side as well, and im thinking more translucent too

i looked at some fanart, i think his tail would be more on the "capey" side as well

and if i can go as far as you link you to this beautiful kokomi fanart by nataliadsw on twitter: here

in fact i'd even say the fins are like in the art! very sparkly and pretty

how do we feel abt a purple to light blue gradient?

i was thinking abt his ears too n yk how some ppl draw mermaids with fins for ears or whatever?

i think his ears are long like an elf, but the tips have a blue-to-flesh gradient. maybe even

lots of pretty piercings!! has gold and pearls in his ears.

ETA BC I TOTALLY FORGOT ABT THIS

BUT COVE HAS SHARP TEETH <333

well, sharp canines anyway

kinda like this photo: here

imagine his lil sharp smile..... i love him

also don't ask me how he shifts. bc i have no idea

as far as I'm concerned he's like a fucking Dino capsule that you drop in water and inflates

LIKE A FUCKING ORBEEZ

okay that settles it, that's what we're going with LMAO

oh my god

before i forget.. mer cove is Big

know how i said orc!derek was like 7 foot?

cove is like 7 foot 2 or some shit

idk, but derek has competition!!

i don't think that's the normal height for mer-people either. well. not mermaids anyway. orcas and whales? for sure

he has claws as well!! he tries to keep them short bc he's clumsy but he has em

ykw i didn't considered webbed hands.... is that an idea?

...nah. i think his tail makes up for it since i imagine cove is missing some key mermaid qualities due to being part human

in his human form he has the claws as well

back to the big, 7 foot thing!!!

cove has big hands as well, of course in his mer form but also in his human form

even in his human form he's still over 6'5

lots of piercings in his ears. has studs in his ear lobes and has a chain connecting his helix and his stud on one of his ears

a chain of pearls on his wrist!!!!

oh. my. god.

waist chains.

of course he doesn't wear these nice shiny all at once lol, he's not into being blinged out like that, but wears any jewelry he's gifted all the time <33

wears waist chain's mostly when he's in human form, since he doesn't have any fins getting caught or evil pirates to worry about

!!! i almost forgot

he brings you many many gifts

he's like a puppy this way

you have jars of shells and sand, some sand different colors from certain beaches he's visited.

cove even brought you your own string of pearls, and you have mini towers of different colored sea glass

so many gifts that you have a whole book case for them and even then some things spill into other areas of the house

whether or not you met cove at a young age, i think you start to understand what all his different chirps and sounds mean

like a few quick chirps are a sign of happiness

i even imagine he purrs like a cat so he'll put your hand to his heart and let you feel the rumble of his chest

or he'll nuzzle your cheek and you can hear it in your ear <33

[cozzzynook]

Could we get some.kermay dratchrod?

Rodimus and Ratchet being two calm mers in the rescue center, Drift being a angry and aggressive mer. So they put Rodimus and Ratchet in a tank with Drift, and maybe Drift was beginning his heat, thus got aggressive, so the two offer some mating gifts, which are accepted. Drifts fragged senses and the staff maybe are lost when weeks later Drifts the calm one, and Rodimus and Ratchet get a bit aggressive l, they learn those two knocked up the in heat mer

This is really cool.

Drift comes in aggressive because regular bots are known to do terrible things to merformers and so he’s on guard and the stress triggers his heat which makes even him more aggressive because he’s wanting to mate and he’s scared because what if they use him as a breeding mer and do horrible things to his spark pups?

But then he’s not given a stud but two calm mers who smell concerned for him and try to give him space while also trying to take care of him.

They make it known they’re friendly and mean no harm while tilting their neck cables in submission as they bring him food.

They swim off and watch at a distance to make sure he eats and they never fail to bring him enough or even snacks if he looks peckish still.

The tank is extremely large with its own ecosystem and Drift has plenty of room to make his own nest that feels so lonely because he accidentally made it big enough for the other two.

He’s on day three of his heat when he feels the water shift and sees the two with both food and a courting jewel in their servos.

A perfect decoration for his helm fins and they even noticed he was a skilled mer fit for combat seeing as they fashioned the hilt and stone of a sword together.

They presented the courting items to him and backed away to give him room for judgement.

He debated accepting not out of fear of them hurting him but because he didn’t want to seem desperate and rush.

The two were extremely attractive by their peoples standards and while one was a whale mer and the other a smaller tropical mer he had no qualms about mating them.

He was honestly surprised they’d even want a shark considering how territorial and vicious his sub species could be.

They proved themselves more than able to handle him though.

Taking his bites and claws in stride as they spiked him and filled his forge sack to the brim with transfluid and eggs.

His heat lasted a few more days than it normally did and within two weeks he understood why.

His tail and lower abdomen was beginning to swell and he felt hungrier than usual.

They’d managed to spark a pup or two inside him during their mating and he was oddly pleased with the outcome.

They spent a few more weeks within the caves of their home getting to know each other and bonding, getting his abundance in food and transfluid his mates happily provided for him before coming to the surface where the bots could see them.

One tried to get too close and was almost dragged down into the water by Ratchet if it weren’t for them gripping the railing for dear life.

The bot left energon marks on the dented pole and the others knew to stay away.

It wasn’t until he was really showing did they try coming near him again did things take a turn.

He was swimming with his mates near the opening when a bot tried to shoot a dart at him only for Rodimus to push him out of the way in time and take the shot.

He was so worried for his mate only to see him swim quickly to the surface and latch his fangs into the bots neck cables ripping them out digging his claws inside and using his venom to melt their cables and plating.

Ratchet wasn’t any better using his weight to tip over their attached dock that allowed them to dive in. Drift watched as Ratchet grabbed a bot off Rodimus back that shocked him leaving parts of his scales burned.

He’d never been more angry in his life.

Ratchet managed to grab the bot who shocked Rodimus and dragged them down into the water where Drift showed them just because he was pupped doesn’t mean he wasn’t still the most dangerous mer in their facility.

He was painfully quick in circling the bot before attacking his neck and dragging him all the way to the tanks floor where he began to dig in.

His mates watched his back as he ate and the bots on the surface did nothing as he fed.

It was later on that night his mates Ratchet and Rodimus told him that the few surface bot words they understood were, “pupped,” “territorial,” and “new worker.”

As mer it was in the sires nature to kill if their pups carrier was in any perceived or actual danger and carrier were known to be calm unless provoked.

And so they weren’t at fault for the situation because the facility should’ve never electrocuted Rodimus or antagonize a carrying mer.

Drift was happy the facility wouldn’t do anything to them but he was also more weary of them along with his mates.

By the time their pups came things were calmed down and he was relaxed again.

He was more than happy to be laying in their nest with their twin pups on his chassis.

[thecreaturecodex]

Redback Gorger

Image by Johnny Duddle, © Simon and Schuster

[Sponsored by @glarnboudin. An Awfully Beastly Business is a series of chapter books for young readers, set at a nature reserve for monsters. I read the first of them, and it was okay I guess. I'm definitely not in the target audience for them, but likewise if I was eight to ten when they came out, I could see myself having fixated on them. The redback is the cover monster of the second book, Sea Monsters and Other Delicacies, in which the villains hope to use it as the centerpiece of a seafood feast of exotic monsters. In order to avoid giving the redback just an adjective name, I resorted to the "adjective verber" formula beloved of Magic the Gathering and 4e D&D.]

Redback Gorger CR 17 N Magical Beast This creature resembles an octopus with the face of a frogfish. It has a craggy exoskeleton covering its body, studded with red plates along its back. It has eight tentacles, each of which is as thick as a tree trunk and lined with suckers that ooze a black resin. Growing from its head is a very long, flexible appendage ending in an eyeless blue snake’s head.

Redback gorgers are among the rarest of sea monsters—rarely is there more than one adult per ocean basin on any given planet. They are long-lived ambush predators—they spend most of their time resting or slowly swimming along the abyssal plains, then move higher into the water column to hunt. Although their jaws and tentacles are strong, they prefer to incapacitate their prey by injecting it with a super-cooled venom, carried in the fangs of their false head. The false head can smell, hear and sense heat, and can strike around cover. The redback gorger feeds primarily on large fish and small whales, which it paralyzes with its venom and then swallows without a struggle.

Despite their massive territorial requirements and rarity, redback gorgers can communicate through infrasound vocalization, similarly to whales and elephants, and use this to demarcate territorial boundaries and determine fertility status. Redbacks mate only once or twice in their long lives, but produce around a million tiny planktonic eggs during each mating event. The vast majority of larval redbacks are eaten while still tiny and planktonic.  On the rare occasions a redback gorger appears on the surface, it may probe its surroundings with this false head, giving the impression that a sea serpent or plesiosaur lurks below the surface instead of a much more dangerous predator. They can survive on land for brief periods, but only emerge onto land as an act of desperation.

Redback Gorger              CR 17 XP 102,400 N Gargantuan magical beast (aquatic) Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Perception +18, tremorsense 60 ft.

Defense AC 32, touch 9, flat-footed 29 (-4 size, +2 Dex, +1 dodge, +23 natural) hp 283 (21d10+168) Fort +20, Ref +14, Will +14 DR 10/magic; Resist cold 20,electricity 20, fire 20; SR 28 Defensive Abilities deep dweller, fortification (50%)

Offense Speed 30 ft., swim 50 ft. Melee bite +27 (2d8+10 plus grab), sting +27 (2d6+10/19-20 plus poison), 8 tentacles +25 (1d8+5) Space 20 ft.; Reach 15 ft. (30 ft. with sting) Special Attacks critical envenomation, swallow whole (AC 23, 28 hp, 4d6+16 bludgeoning)

Statistics Str 30, Dex 15, Con 27, Int 2, Wis 20, Cha 16 Base Atk +21; CMB +39 (+43 grapple); CMD 62 Feats Blind Fight, Combat Reflexes, Critical Focus,Dodge, Improved Critical (sting), Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Mobility, Multiattack, Power Attack, Spring Attack Skills Climb +15, Perception +18, Stealth +0 (+12 underwater), Swim +23; Racial Modifiers +12 Stealth underwater SQ water dependency

Ecology Environment any ocean Organization solitary or pair Treasure none

Special Abilities Critical Envenomation (Ex) If a redback gorger succeeds on a critical hit with its sting attack, it injects two doses of its poison simultaneously. Deep Dweller (Ex) A redback gorger is immune to cold and pressure damage due to water depth, and can move vertically through the water column without penalty. False Head (Ex) A redback gorger’s sting attack can move around obstacles, allowing it to ignore any cover except for full cover. Poison (Ex) Sting—injury; save Fort DC 28; duration 4 rounds; effect 4d6 cold damage and 1d6 Dex drain; cure 2 saves. Tentacles (Ex) A redback gorger’s tentacles are treated as a single secondary attack.