#you can literally look at literally anything and find that the reason why it is that way is because of a patriarchal bias

[serendipitous-girl]

𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒈𝒏𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍

⊱✿⊰ summary: headcanons with bakugo and a black cat girl

⊱✿⊰ warnings: swearing, suggestive comments, fighting ig, idrk

⊱✿⊰ notes: i have had this request for like fifteen months lol but im finally doing it for my pookie's bday. Happy birthday ml 🫶 im posting it now so i dont forget lol

❀ he hates you at first sorry not sorry. bakugo just sees you as yet another one of those extras who happen to have an annoying tendency to fight with him. i feel like he might respect your tenacity but barely and he still hates your guts whoops

❀ on the topic of hatred, your other classmates half are jokingly shipping you and the other half are just wishing you two would stop fighting. mina is at the head of the shipping bandwagon especially after she read a book with rivals to lovers. todoroki might say he ships you guys only because he thinks it means he wants you two to get along lol

❀ your arguments would mostly be stupid shit like who rescued who, who did better on the assignment. you guys are rivals who also get into fistfights because why not.

❀ bakugo doesn't think much of your swearing problem because he's used to it by his mom. you're just another annoying person who happens to like using some naughty words all the time (him in girl form)

❀ i feel like the way you two get closer is kinda sad but also drama yay. basically mineta was being an S-class pervert and he was literally harassing you.

❀ and it made you uncomfortable so you started to fight back. bakugo doesn't find you until the aftermath, huddled in the corner of the dorm while trying to hide your tears

❀ he didn't know seeing someone cry could make his heart clench like that. But for some reason, seeing you all teary eyed and sad made him want to punch the living daylights out of whoever made you like that

❀ as awkwardly as he can, he tries to comfort you. His large hand patting your back, not saying anything since words have never been his forte. He was used to using anger to battle his sadness, he didn't know how to help someone succumb to it.

❀ you guys sit there in comfortable silence until you explain to bakugo what happened. he'd always hated the little brat but now he was wishing he had uraraka's powers so he could throw mineta into space. how was the creep still in the hero course?

❀ lets just say the nice day mineta looked more like a cranberry than a grape

❀ you guys aren't particularly close after that but he does tend to notice you more which means his respect for you goes up. you're in combat training and you beat deku? fuck yeah he likes you now. even if you don't hate deku like he does he still thought it was awesome seeing you beat the daylights out of him.

❀ the moment he realized he liked you was when he almost lost you. by now hanging out was pretty regular for the two of you, even if bakugo would rather die than admit that he sees you as a friend. and since you guys spent time together he was around for whenever you got crushes...and told him about it.

❀ most of the time he would shrug it off, especially since half of your crushes were fictional and why would he care? he's not jealous! however you started falling for a boy in class 2b which (for some reason) was a major no go for bakugo. why would you want to date a stupid extra when he was right in front of you

❀ despite what everyone says he isn't the most emotionally constipated. it takes awhile yeah but i imagine he started going to therapy during the course of the show so he started to understand what feelings went where and etc

and one thing was for certain: this feeling was love.

❀ he started being a massive asshole after that. he went right back to always arguing with you or ignoring you completely. he might understand his feelings but that doesn't mean he knows how to handle them

❀ he was so wrapped up in his angry emoness that he didn't know you had stopped talking to the boy from class 2b, forgetting him entirely. he also failed to notice the hurt looks you'd give bakugo before you snapped right back into your harsh comebacks.

❀ the reason you guys even talk it out is during a simulation where the both of you get stuck inside rubble. you were both exhausted, dehydrated, and heartbroken.

❀ you just couldn't help but ask, "why do you hate me?" which basically broke his heart into a million little pieces. he couldn't help the way he admitted to his feelings, the way he handed you his heart in hopes you'd keep it safe...and safe you did.

❀ if you two as rivals were bad you two dating is even worse. you guys are the ultimate power couple, able to tear anybody down with a few well placed sneers and snorts.

❀ everybody either loves or hates you guys. mina obviously loves you guys even if you two are constantly arguing still plus with the added of you two tag teaming one person. she loves when she manifests things.

❀ you guys still have that silly banter and with your tempers. but now you guys made up your arguments with kisses and cuddles

❀ you guys aren't allowed to get paired together for assignments because you are either bickering or making out. and aizawa is too tired to try to stop it.

lori © 2024. please don't copy, modify, or do anything weird with my writing! i like reblogs and comments but please be kind as this was my writing.

[aemondapologistfrfr]

Anything for You - Pt3

daemon x daughter!reader 

Part 1 Part 2

Summary: The King and the Hand come up with a plan to get you and Daemon to come back to court. Daemon is barely able to contain himself when he lands on the docks of King’s Landing. 

Warnings: 18+ different PoVs bc i was feeling it, swearing, pregnant!reader this chap, coercion into like kidnapping?, the rogue prince fr, death(not mc), blood, swords, threats, p in v

Authors Note: idk why i locked in writing this like i planned to keep it cutesy and i was like wait 🤭 short hair daemon in his armor 🙂‍↕️ i never intended for this to be more than a one shot but here we are 😶 literally stopped writing my other stuff and was sat

Word Count: 3.8k 

                                         ᓚᘏᗢ

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King and Hand PoV

The King and the Hand sit in the empty council chamber trying to figure out the best course of action. Daemon and his daughter have been gone for almost three moons now and the Keep is starting to speculate. There’s been no word from Dragonstone which could either be good or bad. Whispers around the realm speak nothing of the two, leaving the King at a loss. The King looks at the Hand waiting for his next idea on how to get at least the Princess back to court. 

The King has put in his best efforts to push back the prying Lords who were vying for the Princess’s hand. They come around the council chambers and throne room like vultures awaiting her return. The Queen tells the King daily what she overhears from the Ladies and her handmaidens and it’s been causing his temper to rise. 

“Even the Queen is being questioned about their location.” the King sits back exasperated. “I’m at a loss. I don’t know what to do.” he looks at his Hand. 

“I will send out our best men to sail to Dragonstone. If they find the Princess they’ll bring her back to us.” the Hand pulls a blank piece of parchment in front of him. They spend the next couple of hours picking the company to send and decide on having her guard lead them. They hope she’ll take kinder to him and return with the men. The Hand has the King write a note to place in the Princess’s absence for Daemon. 

“If she’s there and we can get her,” the King shakes his head. “Daemon will not take this lightly.” he looks to his Hand with worried eyes. “Might it be best if we just leave them?” the Hand scoffs. 

“He directly disobeyed your commands. As he does time and time again. You are the King. If you can not control your own brother the realm will begin to see you as weak.” the Hand tries not to let his annoyance show. “The Princess’s hand can garner us alliances, armies. My King, it’s never my wish to speak so poorly about Daemon-“ 

“Yet you never seize the opportunity to do so.” the King shakes his head leaning back in his chair. 

“He’s undermining you. He knows he’ll keep getting away with it.” the Hand searches the King's eyes. “I urge you to send these men out at daybreak.” the King exhales at the Hands plea. 

“Fine. See to it then.” the King waves him off. “Pray to the Gods Daemon will see reason.” the King looks to the ceiling as the Hand goes to make the preparations. 

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Your PoV

I always heard stories of how the mornings were unpleasant when carrying a babe but I’ve never felt more at peace. The maesters here say I am the most relaxed princess they’ve had the pleasure of helping with her pregnancy. I know my father is the one to thank for that. He absolutely worships me morning, noon, and night. The moment my eyes open he’s pressing his lips across every inch of my body whispering sweet words. He stays attached to me until I plead him for a break. 

“I’ll go fetch your handmaidens to bathe you and get you ready for your garden walk.” he presses his lips against my brow before slipping out of our chambers. 

I’ve quickly grown fond of my new company of handmaidens here. They dote on me and have a gentler touch than the ladies I left behind in King's Landing. They pour milk and flowers into my bath and keep their hands on me until I’m resting against the back of the tub. After they bathe and lather me in oils and perfumes they pull a flowing dress over my head and help escort me down to the gardens. 

I quite like being on Dragonstone again. I forgot how quiet and peaceful it is. The low grumbles and songs of the dragons bring me such a sense of comfort and I feel truly calm and at home here. I don’t need guards hovering around me and I can walk in the gardens at my leisure. I let the leaves and petals brush against my fingertips. I stop and bend down to smell the lilies that wash over my senses. 

I delve deeper into the gardens and smile when I approach my bench. It sits near the edge of the gardens and overlooks the Blackwater. I lean back and pull my feet under me as I watch the waves lap against the shore. I tilt my head back and shut my eyes to allow the sun to kiss my skin. Its warmth engulfs me and a smile starts to spread across my face when I hear approaching footsteps. 

“I was wondering if you were going to join me today.” I hum turning. My face falls as I see my guard from King's Landing. “What are you doing here?” I tilt my head. 

“Hello, Princess.” he bows his head before clearing his throat. “Your father wanted to surprise you with a ship to bring you back to King's Landing. If you’ll follow me.” he outstretches his hand and I look at it.

“Where is my father? Why wouldn’t he just fly me back on Caraxes?” my brows furrow. 

“He has a couple more things to finish up here and then he will join us.” he nods his head. I study him curiously but I can’t find a reason not to trust him. He’s protected me my whole life, surely he wouldn’t cause me any harm. 

“Okay.” I rise and grab his arm. He sets a piece of parchment on the bench and begins to lead me back through the gardens. “Why are we taking this way?” I look up at my guard and he keeps hauling me down the back steps.

“It’s much faster this way.” his words seem rushed but I shrug this off. 

As we make it to the dock I see a couple other men I recognize waiting for us on the boat. Once I’m on board the boat begins to move back out into the Blackwater. I watch as we move away from Dragonstone and take a seat on the bench watching it become smaller and smaller. I watch as some of the men on the ship clap my guards back and offer him hushed words of congratulations. 

“When will my father join me in King's Landing?” I look at the man closest to me. He ignores me and goes over to the cluster of men causing a frown to form on my face. My chest tightens and I begin to feel alone and foolish for not going to my father first. A tear slips down my cheek at the same moment I hear Caraxes roar ripple across the Bay. 

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Daemons PoV

Daemon had been waiting for his Princess to return for well over thirty minutes now. He knows how she likes her time in the gardens so he didn’t think anything of it at first. He enjoys seeing her so peaceful here so he doesn’t pay it any mind. When an hour goes by he rises from his seat and starts into the gardens. 

He strolls through them silently admiring and keeping an eye out for his wife. He tries to listen and see if he can catch her humming but all he can hear is the breeze through the leaves. When he doesn’t spot her on the main path he starts in the direction of her bench. He curses himself for not starting there but when he approaches he finds it empty. He looks across the Bay before going to turn back to the castle until he spots a piece of parchment. He lifts it and begins to read. 

Brother-

It is not my wish to anger you or fight with you. You are both wanted and needed back at court. The Hand and I have sent her guard and a group of men to sail her back to King's Landing. We have many potential suitors for her that can look past how you’ve sullied her. I have called some Ladies to court as well to hopefully satiate your appetite. I wish to see you come home.

-The King, Your Brother 

Daemon growls, crumpling the note and throwing it in the Blackwater. He curses loudly off the edge of the cliff and Caraxes deafening answering roar comes from out of the pits. He runs back to the castle and makes his way to the doors that lead to the docks. He rips them open and sees the guard standing just on the other side. He slams his fist into his face and his vision goes red as he continues to pummel the guard in front of him. 

“My Prince,” the guard gurgles. Daemon slams him onto the stone. 

“You’ve let my wife be taken from right under your nose.” Daemon repeatedly hits him as the guards movements begin to lull. 

“My Prince, a moment,” guards from inside the castle try to stop him. The last blow lands with a crunch and the sentry goes limp on the stone. 

“Clean this up and wash the stone.” Daemon barks out before storming back into the castle. 

He takes two steps at a time and pushes his way into their chambers. He grabs Dark Sister from the solar and makes his way down to the pits. He quickly puts his armor on and places his helm before walking out on the platform as Caraxes approaches. Daemon grabs onto Caraxes snout and looks him in the eyes. 

“We are getting her back.” Caraxes blinks at him and Daemon takes to his mount. 

Caraxes drops them off the edge before shooting them forward. Daemon stays on high alert looking for the ship that is carrying his wife. The breeze carries them quicker and Caraxes turns his snout slightly and pushes on with purpose. Soon they’re circling above the ship and Caraxes serenades them with his song. Daemon watches as the sails sway and has Caraxes fly higher. He wishes to land on the boat and claim his wife once more and end this farce but he doesn’t know if the ship will maintain its integrity under Caraxes and he won’t risk his wife and their child. 

He curses under his breath and tugs Caraxes in the direction of the docks at Kings Landing. Caraxes circles above the city grumbling and lets his tail trail across the roofs. He makes his way back over to the docks and sees the ship approaching. Caraxes heeds the command to land at the docks and the common folk who don’t move out of the way quick enough forfeit their lives to the rogue Prince and his dragon. Horses and guards break through the crowds and the Hand comes into view. Daemon stays atop his dragon as he looks down upon the man. 

“The King commands you to stop this.” Daemon laughs at the Hand's words. 

“I do not see the King.” Caraxes tail whips closely to the Hands feet. He turns as the boat begins to dock and the men aboard look to the Hand nervously. “Surely, you knew I would come.” Daemon drawls. He starts to slide off the side of Caraxes and lands to the ground with a thud. He unsheathes his sword and points it at the Hand. “You would take a pregnant wife from her husband? Steal her away and marry her to another?” he tilts his head, stalking over to him. “And be daft enough to think there would be no consequences?” he laughs, pushing the tip of his blade into the Hands chest. 

“If you kill me here the King will never forgive you.” Daemon clenches his jaw knowing that the Hand is right in this matter. 

Caraxes pushes the Hand back with his tail and he tumbles to the ground. Daemon turns and stalks over to the ship to retrieve his wife. His brother would be unforgiving if he took his Hand but for the men who took his wife? He could find ten more of them on the street. As he approaches the boat he calls out for his wife and she comes forward with red cheeks. He sees the tears staining her perfect face and how puffy her eyes are. It’s going to take all of his resolve not to burn down the entirety of the Red Keep. 

“Come here, sweet girl.” he hums and she walks up to him and folds into his arms. He rubs her back as he feels her sobs rack through her. Every sniffle has him seeing a darker shade of red. He pulls back and cups her cheeks. “Did these men cause you any harm?” he searches her eyes. 

“No. Only taking me from you and my gardens.” her voice is soft and his nostrils flare as her tears continue to flow. His hand rests on her stomach before he kisses her brow. 

“Go to Caraxes. Hug his neck and don’t look behind you.” she nods her head and he watches as she wraps her arms around his dragon. He takes one step onto the ship and the guards have their swords out in a blink of an eye. Daemon lets the rage take over him and pour out through Dark Sister. As the men continue to surround him he smiles as he slashes and slices through them. He nods at the last man standing who looks at him with a heaving chest. 

“My Prince, I was only-“ his head falls to the wooden floor. 

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Your Pov

I jump as I feel a gloved hand wrap around my arm. I turn around and look up and see my father. My tears start anew and I cling against him. He holds me tightly and presses his lips to the top of my head. He unwraps me from his embrace and helps me mount Caraxes. He wraps a hand around me and holds tightly to the reins and shots us into the skies. My stomach drops as we approach the Red Keep and he begins our descent inside the inner courtyard. 

As we make our way down we see people scrambling to get out of Caraxes path and once they see my father step foot on the ground they run even faster. I hold onto my fathers arm and he begins to walk us into the Keep. He wastes no time taking us to the throne room and upon entering I see the King sitting with a frown. My father takes his helm off and lets it drop to the floor with a thud.

“How dare you take my pregnant wife from me.” I watch as my father stalks toward the King. I shuffle quickly up to his side not wanting to be away from him. 

“Enough of this Daemon. I am tired of the cease-“

“Your Grace,” the Hand bursts through the doors, panting with a dozen guards on his heel. The King dismisses the guards and the Hand composes himself before taking his place next to the King. “He’s killed countless men today on the docks.” the King looks at his Hand with raised brows. 

“What did you expect? You truly thought he would allow this? Did I not warn you yesterday?” the King glares at the Hand. 

“I urge you to punish him.” my father lets a laugh slip out. 

“My wife and I will be returning to Dragonstone. Where we will remain for the rest of her pregnancy, unbothered. If you send anyone else to try and take my wife I will send you what is left of them.” his words are laced with promise and the King continues to stare at us.

“You cannot possibly be considering allowing this.” the Hand looks at the King, taken aback. 

“If we would’ve left them, none of today's events would have occurred. She’s with child. You planned to marry her to some Lord but her babe will come out with silver hair. What else would you have me do?” The King looks to his Hand exasperated. 

“You are the King. It is your choice.” the Hand looks forward blankly. 

“And you are my Hand, my council.” the Kings voice rises. 

“Mm, this seems as if it’s a personal dispute.” my father hums. “We’re leaving.” he dips down to grab his helm while his other hand encases mine and we begin to exit the throne room. 

“I wish to pack a bag. I want some of my dresses and jewelry.” I whisper up to my father. 

“Of course, sweet girl.” he smiles down at me and leads me up my chambers. 

He seals us into my chambers and I walk over to my wardrobe. I turn and give a slight jump as my father is standing there with a bag. I look up to him and slowly take the bag out of his hands. I continue to look up at him and nibble my lip. His cheeks are still lightly flushed and his hair is askew from his helm. 

“What’s wrong?” he tilts his head with a scrunched brow. 

“I think you look handsome in your armor.” I mumur. 

“Is that so?” he chuckles, caressing my cheek. 

“Very handsome, my husband.” I nod my head as his eyes darken at my words. 

“Mm, I quite like that title for me on your tongue.” he pulls me closer. “My little wife.” he presses his lips against mine and I melt into his touch. 

“Thank you for saving me.” I mumble against his lips. His back straightens as if he just remembered today's events and ushers me back over to my wardrobe. 

“I will always come for you.” his words cause a blush to creep up my neck. “Pack your bag so I can take you home.” I quickly pull down a couple gowns and toss them into the bag before doing the same with most of my vanity. 

My father leads us through Keep and the guards step back in his presence. We find Caraxes snapping his jaws as the guards who are brave enough to stay in their stations outside. He dips his wing down and once we’re settled into the saddle he carries us into the skies. My fathers hands are wrapped tightly around me the entire flight back. 

                                         ᓚᘏᗢ

I wake in the middle of the night to the hearth still breathing warmth into our chambers. My father has his arms wrapped tightly around me and his breath is tickling the back of my neck. I squirm in his arms and his response is to pull me closer. He presses his nose against my nape and presses his lips against it a moment later. 

“Go back to bed.” his voice is thick with sleep. 

“I want some water.” I trail my fingertips across his arm. 

He slowly unwraps his arms from me and walks over to the table. I admire his nude form in the firelight and watch as his muscles flex as he walks back over to me. I reach up for the cup but he shakes his head and brings it to my lips. I take a couple sips and he sets the cup on the bedside table. I reach out and press my palm against his torso. I trace my fingers over the defined lines and he steps closer.

“I was scared today.” I whisper looking up at him. 

“Of what, sweet girl?” he looks down at me tenderly. 

“That they were going to take me from you.” my eyes start to fill with tears. “That they’d make me marry someone else and take my babe from me.” my voice breaks as I start to cry. 

“I will never let that happen.” his brows furrow and I reach out and pull him closer. “You’re safe. No one is taking our babe. You’re mine and only mine.” he crawls back into bed with me and I tug at his arm until he’s hovering over me.

“I don’t get why they can’t just let us be.” I sniffle as tears continue to fall down my face. 

“They will after this if they’re smart.” he presses his lips to my forehead. “If they try again, I’ll burn the whole fucking city down for you.” he whispers against my brow. 

“I need you, daddy.” I wrap my arms around his neck. He lets out a soft chuckle before placing his lips on mine. His hand travels between my thighs and I spread them waiting for his touch. His fingers slide up my slit and I writhe beneath him. “Please,” I wrap my fingers around his length and he groans, resting his forehead against mine. I guide him to my core as he swirls around my bud. I arch up as he slowly pushes into me. 

“Gods, you’re such a good girl.” he slowly rocks into me as I gasp into his neck. With every roll of his hips he pulls whimpers from my mouth. His hands rest on either side of my head as our lips mash together. He pats my thigh and I wrap them around his waist and he groans into my mouth. He kisses down my jaw and makes his way to my neck to suckle and bite. 

“Daemon,” I breathe out his name and his hips snap into mine. 

“Sat it again, sweet girl.” he purrs in my ear, rolling his hips.

“Daemon, please,” I gasp as his hips begin to fall into mine faster. I rock against him as my pleasure begins to coil quickly. He bites down onto my shoulder and I dig into his. “Daddy,” my toes curl as I fall apart around him. He groans into my neck spilling his pleasure into me. 

His lips find mine and we continue to cling to one another. He pulls out of me and pulls me back against his chest. His arms wrap around me and one of his hand splays across my stomach. He peppers kisses across my shoulder blades while slowly tracking patterns onto my stomach. 

“I love you so much. I will never let another day like today happen. I promise you this.” his arms tighten around me at his declaration. 

“I love you. Thank you.” I scoot back into his chest and hold his arms around me.  

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masterlist 🔌 

and if i say we’re having three more parts of this and two of them are already done - one of them being a prequel to part 1 🫣😏

taglist ✍️

anything for you tags: @mamawiggers1980

@clarityisnofun @gabriella-aesthetic @callsignwidow @llynx7 @violetiss3lfish @ka1afbr @akiko-oo @papichulo120627 @lizzylovebooks280501 @thatgirl101blog @1-fuzzy-squirrels @arya-brooke @ashovertheriver @zanygot7straykidsbonk @moonymoo1 @malfoycassimalfoy @april-notthemonth69 @anaviieiraaa @p45510n4f4shi0n @neocockthotology @thereaderwitch @hardkiddonut @faenyra @hiimava11 @daintylittlesunflower @primroseluna @fiction-fanfic-reader @povofjustme @multilover19 @alexxavicry @cedstars @fuckalrighty @mrsmunson-harrington @misspendragonsworld @nz2004

[deeppenguinstudent]

I don't care. I will ALWAYS defend Thea muldani. You guys talk about the age range between Kevin and Thea, which is so dumb because Kevin was 18 and Thea was 21. That is basically Jerejean's age range (22 and 19), which is 3 YEARS. And I don't see anyone talking about Jeanne's age range? (19 and 24).

To the people saying that got mad that she said, "Are you sure ur not up to ur old tricks again?" literally just what? Please, please read her wiki because the reason she said that was because she thought tetsuji was the one who beat him up, NOT riko.

She was the ONLY one so far that even questioned riko's authority and acknowledged he was a bastard (somewhat). She's not fucking blinded by the Nest. She's JUST Exy obsessed like Kevin!!

Also let's talk about this?

The rumours had gotten so bad that both the master and Kevin also believed Riko's words? How the hell was Thea supposed to know anything? She was a victim as well and it just annoys me so much when people use this to just completely stain her character and make her a huge bitch. She's literally a dark skinned woman. Even tetsuji told her that she has to work twice as hard because people wouldn't take her seriously. If she even had an inkling of an idea knowing what they did to him, she would fuck them up

Also the reason why no one batted their eyes was because the Ravens fucking eachother is completely normal. It's some sort of screwed up thing that's been going on for generations, even before Riko and Kevin had joined Evermore.

To the people who say Thea does not care about Jean I will literally chew your lungs BECAUSE HAVE WE BEEN READING THE SAME BOOK.

Do you guys not realise how close Jean and Thea truly were? Thea and Kevin were the only two that Jean actually had a good relationship with in the Nest. Just look at the text!! Thea is one of Jean's weaknesses because he trusts her so much, and we know that Jean always blurts out shit he's not supposed to when he's beside people he really trusts (Neil, Jeremy, Kevin)

Her little parisian duckling! He literally followed her everywhere 🙁🙁 Gosh they mean so much to me. (Also, the reference to Elodie's duck dress and Thea's way of calling him?)

Last bit. I just find their relationship is just watered down SOOOO much because people hate Thea for unconventional reasons. You can dislike her character for sure, but I feel like a lot of people have so many misconceptions about her so I just wanted to clear it up!!

Please Nora give us more Thea and Jean in TSC2 😔😔😔

Edit: Sexual grooming is the action or behavior used to establish an emotional connection with a minor under the age of consent and sometimes the child's family to lower the child's inhibitions with the objective of sexual abuse. This is the definition of grooming btw and it's confirmed that Thea dated two other people when Kevin was a minor and didn't think of him like that until he was a freshman in college ie 18 years old?? It's completely different because she wasn't even pursuing him at all??

[artist-issues]

and another thing.

if every character that has a unique characterization in their thought process, or fictional perspective, MUST BE “autistic” or “neurodivergent-coded,” that character is no longer relatable to people who don’t self-diagnose, or identify with, or are not diagnosed with, autism or anything on the neurodivergent spectrum.

I mean honestly I see you guys out here telling me that Mulan is neurodivergent, that ROZ from the Wild Robot is neurodivergent and gee, so is Brightbill, that Hiccup is neurodivergent and Ariel is autistic.

Ariel. The “girl next door” princess.

The whole point of characters, especially main characters, especially main characters in children’s media, is to be believable and relatable, on some level. If they’re all ‘special brain-different,’ they’re only relatable to people who accept that label or are given that diagnosis.

AND. It does a huge disservice to the storytelling techniques.

A story is supposed to get under the mental guard of a person. You’re supposed to take your hands off the “thought” wheel and your feet off the “emotion” pedals, and let the story drive your brain and heart to a new place. Or an old place you haven’t been in a while, or were forgetting.

One of the best ways to do that is to create a character that, on the surface, seems special and unrelatable. Like a girl living in the Imperial Dynasty of China, or a literal non-human robot. You can’t, on the surface, relate to them as easily, so you naturally start to think, “what would it be like to be seeing the world through these new eyes?” And then you’ve given up the wheel and pedals of your mind to the movie. You find yourself relating to concepts like motherhood and protectiveness, which the robot character is experiencing, but you’re looking at those concepts through new eyes.

That is why the character is a robot. Not so that she can be an allegory for your “special-undefined-perspective-on-life which is sometimes called neurodivergence.” She’s not a robot for that reason. She’s a robot because a robot character flips the “what would it be like to learn everything over again?” switch in your brain, and then the story can show you it’s focus, (like motherhood and kindness in The Wild Robot) after the switch is flipped.

and it’s flipped for everybody, (“neurodivergent” and “neurotypical”) not just people who identify as the vague term “neurodivergent,” or have been diagnosed as autistic. Stop fitting everything into vague-enough-to-be-claimed, but named-enough-to-be-a-special-identity boxes. You’re ruining the universal, unifying value of it all.

[roseofhybrids]

there's something I've been thinking about recently, and tonight seems like a good enough occasion to talk about it

back when I was in therapy, every session my therapist would ask the same question

"What is something you're looking forward to this week"

The first time she asked that, I just figured it was a part of getting to know me as a new patient. Building rapport and trust and such. But when she repeated it every time I spoke to her, it made me wonder why she'd ask that specific question every time

Well, after thinking it over for a while, I think the reason she asked that is because it's really important to have something to look forward to regularly in life. Even if it's something small, as long as it's something you can find a little joy in See, nearly every time she asked me that, my answer would be that I was looking forward to my weekly DND game. It wasn't something too grand, just me and a few others messing around for 2 hours on roll20. But I felt happy when DMing for them, it wasn't much, but it still something that brought a little bit of fun every week

I feel like that's a critical part about staying alive on the day to day. Your life doesn't have to be filled with every day excitement like you're living a wealthy influencer lifestyle in order for you to carve out a bit of happiness for yourself

Like I said, it can be something small. Maybe it's DND games, maybe it's seeing the new episode of a show you like air, maybe once a week you let yourself order a pizza or eat out, maybe you and some friends get together to a watch a movie. Could even be that you just set aside a few hours where you can do something you like, literally anything as long as it brings you some enjoyment. Just a bit of time when you don't have to be productive and working and worrying about everything

I know the idea of doing something just for yourself can feel selfish, like you're wasting precious time. Especially with everything that's going on in the world, it can make you feel guilty for letting yourself find joy when some many others are suffering and in danger

Take it from someone who spent the latter half of their schooling dealing with dysthymia, self harm, and constant panic and anxiety attacks. Feeling nothing but misery 24/7/365 will help nothing. Depriving yourself of any positive emotion day in and out will fix nothing. All it will do is land you in either the grave or a mental hospital, and you certainly won't be able to help anyone from either of those places

If you want to help others, you'll have to be able to support yourself first. And that means not letting the stress of being alive build up to the point of crushing you under its weight. Take an hour or two every few days to let yourself truly breathe and relax. Think of it as fortifying your self for what's to come. You'll need some way to maintain your strength through the storm if you ever want to see the other side of it I'm not saying to ignore the bad parts of life, just don't ignore the good parts either. Even if you have to make those good parts with your own hands Eventually, the world will get better. But that will take time, so you will need to work to ensure you are around long enough to see it

This week, I'm looking forward to the new Dandadan episode, and going to get my new dog his name tag This month, I'm looking forward to making Thanksgiving dinner and getting to have some turkey and pumpkin pie Next year, I'm looking forward to starting a project that I've been thinking about for months

What is something you are looking forward to?

you don't gotta tell me it if you don't want to, just make sure you have one

[epickiya722]

Sometimes, I forget that there are people who find protagonists like Izuku, Tanjiro and Yuji "boring" because "they exhibit typical shonen protagonist traits" and one of them woukd be "They're nice, they're kind, they're all sunshine".

Which, okay, have your tastes, that's fine.

But when it comes to characters who are kind and/or nice, there's layers to them.

Just because a character is nice, doesn't mean they're kind and vice versa.

A character can be the most evil one in that story and still show kindness to some people somehow. A nice character may be the one to do immoral things, Yuji being an example.

The reasons for why a character is nice and/or kind varies, too.

Some are just genuinely born that one. Some may be selective as to who they show those sides, too, because of their own morality. Maybe, a character is being kind or nice to also manipulate others. Some characters may choose to be kind because who will, despite the cruelty of the world?

Also, I feel like, even with people outside of a fandom, they hear or seen a character being nice and kind, they just stop at that and don't think they're capable of being ruthless.

Like, Tanjiro canonically has a pure soul, but multiple times he has shown he is not only a menace in a fight, but he has shown to be one in casual situations. Sometimes, he's not even aware he is because he is so nice.

Izuku, he's a sweetheart, too. But even he will just shut off that "sunshine" to literally tear into you. He has been told in canon to hold back his emotions, the most prominent one being his anger. When he's angry, go apologize!

Yuji, look, let's be real... he is sunshine and rainbows, but that boy is probably the least sweetest one out of these three examples. Hold back? Yuji don't know what that is. No, no, he really don't. I kid you not, this kid doesn't. You can't even use the fight against Junpei as one because he punched Junpei UP into a window. Had Junpei not have that shikigami, he would have gotten major injuries.

My point is!

Just because a character is kind or nice or both, it doesn't mean...

A) it's the only trait they have.

B) they're not capable of not being kind or nice.

I think some see nice and kind and associate it with being "soft" in a derogatory manner.

Which, first off, there's nothing wrong with being soft.

I'll be honest, it will sound silly (go ahead and laugh actually, I encourage it), but if you asked put a character like one of the mentioned protagonists in front of me along with their villain and asked me "who I'm more scared of" I'm pointing at the protagonist.

Listen to me. Don't let that cuteness fool you.

With a villain, I am well aware of that villain being evil and will hurt me no matter what I do.

With someone like Yuji or Tanjiro or Izuku, they look nice, they look kind but it's like you have to be careful to not to trigger them in a way to set them off. You're caught off guard but those sweet faces and then next thing you know, BOOM! You got knocked out.

If anything, as much as people like to clown on these characters, they're only just following the footsteps of the ones before them.

Just like those legends, they started from the bottom and grew stronger over time and even with being a chill person or don't want to do evil, that doesn't exempt them from being not "a sweetheart".

I said it before, but a sunshine character to me is a character who is warm but lethal, like sunlight.

[phantom-0-writer]

snipbit from my fic

danny is talia and bruce's biokid (this is a flashback to how they met)

The plane had been airborne for less than an hour when Talia heard spluttering. “What is the meaning of this?” She demanded the nearby servant. 

“There seems to be an unexpected issue in the engine. We are required to force a landing immediately.”

Taking what she could on her person Talia found herself on the tallest building in a city somewhere in northeast USA. The billboards led her to the conclusion this city was named Gotham. Talia was told that she would have to remain in the area for a minimum of 75 minutes before another extraction would be available. 

The city of Gotham was to Talia as any other American city she had arrived in for her missions. Loud, obnoxious, and boring. Talia had enough money that she could exchange it for 500 USD. The only place she could find that was available for exchange at this hour was a location in Park Row, and the person with whom she traded had attempted to swindle her out of it. Taking her amount of cash she found herself at the closest location that would offer her a place to stay without seeming suspicious as long as she purchased an amount of food. 

While the name Batburger was not very appetizing, Talia ordered a simple drink. While advertised to contain no sugar the sweetness of it was oppressive. She sat in the corner where she had the widest range of view while remaining partly out of sight. The workers paid her no mind. 

“Pick whatever you want, Jason.” The woman said, looking up at the overhead menu.

“You mean it?” The child, Jason, exclaimed with unbridled excitement. Was there something special in the food that Talia had not noticed? “I can have whatever I want?” He asked again, making the phrase jumping for joy literal. 

“Of course. It’s your birthday after all.”  The woman looked down smiling at the child. Talia could see the stress around her eyes but the child could not. If it had been Talia’s father and Talia in that setting, she would have been greatly punished for that oversight. 

“Umm,” Jason thought of his choices thoroughly, “How about some fries?” He asked tentatively. The woman nodded. The boy paused hesitatingly, “Can I get large fries?” He whispered as if it were blasphemous to ask. 

The woman looked displeased with the situation, but she smiled nonetheless and nodded again encouragingly. Why would the child not be punished for not noticing such blatant signs of displeasure? Perhaps the standards of those outside the League were much lower than Talia had initially thought. 

“And I’m not going to share.” The boy then declared, looking up for approval. 

“They’re all yours.” The woman laughed. The boy looked away, heading to the cashier to declare his wish again. 

“Would you like anything to drink with that?” The cashier asked.

Jason didn’t say anything, stepping back for the woman to take charge of the conversation. Disgraceful. The woman was about to answer but stopped herself and turned to Jason again, “Do you want anything?” She asked him. Jason’s eyes went large and he nodded vigorously. 

They paid and sat in an empty booth by the window while the woman watched the child eat, sip and talk. What could it be about the children Talia witnessed today that had made these women act the way they do? Talia had never been allowed such leeway at any age, even the slightest hair out of place was reason to be reprimanded. Her father had shared that practice with her trainers and caretakers. It was only because of her upbringing that Talia was capable as she was now, and with the softness given to them these children could never hope to achieve anything in life. Talia would never be this way if she were ever unfortunate enough to sire one. 

It was eleven minutes after Talia sat in the Jason and the woman had arrived that the door to the building was barged through. “No one moves if you know what’s good for you.” The masked man demanded, waving a gun around. To the cashier, “You. Pull out all the cash in the register.” 

“How about I pull the rug on you instead?” A new much younger voice echoed through the building. A child in a brightly colored suit appeared, taking down the assaulter with ease. “Eh, that one was a bit of a miss.” He commented to himself, “Don’t you think so?” 

A much larger and much darker figure appeared now. “I thought it was pretty good.” He said quietly. He took the gun from the man, and tied his arms and legs into immobility. 

Jason turned in his seat looking up with just as much excitement as when he’d ordered his fires. “Woah, Robin!” He declared. Then turned to the woman and whispered loudly and excitedly, “See! I told you he was real. You couldn’t see him before because he’s magic.” 

The brightly colored child looked up and waved at Jason. Robin and the large man exchanged a quiet conversation. “How’d you like it if I walked you and your mom home?” Robin offered them. 

“Oh, I’m not his-” The woman started. 

“That’s so awesome.” Jason squealed, grabbing his food and bombarding Robin with questions about seemingly unrelated topics. 

Perhaps Talia would attract more attention if she did not leave after such an interaction. Throwing away her bottle of surgery poison she headed for the door. It was at three meters when she stopped her steady pace and turned to the shadow that did not belong to her. 

“Is there a problem?” Talia asked. She had taken the time to be dressed more similarly to how northeast Americans preferred, and while her favorite blade had been left for her to collect there were many knives hidden on her person. 

The man in black didn’t respond, treading on his words. Talia could tell that he suspected her, she would need to perfect her act to not be spotted. “I don’t think I’ve seen you here before.” He commented. He was trying to get a read on her. 

“Do you make it a habit to have everyone's face memorized?” Talia asked in return. She made her accent was how the others in the shop had spoken, and that her inflections matched how Americans spoke.

“Everyone whose face I need to know, I do.” The dark cloud of a man responded. 

“That would explain why you don’t know me, then.” Was there something Talia had done to give away that she was not anything more than ordinary?

“You’re mistaken.” His voice was gruff and monotone, making it difficult for Talia to conclude what exactly he was insinuating.

Something shifted in the distance. Talia made sure not to show any signs of having noticed. Something dropped to the ground next to the man, and with the aid of the streetlights Talia could see the colorful boy from earlier, Robin. 

“Batman.” He addressed the man first, before turning to look at Talia curiously. The man, Batman, must be his superior. There was silence for a moment before Robin spoke again. “Don’t tell me you didn’t check in because you were busy flirting.” He asked, startled. The child’s appearance seemed to be enough reason or distraction for the man, and after a short exchange between the duo they left Talia to herself.

Talia wasted no time after she boarded the League's jet to begin her research into who she had just encountered. Batman was not known as anything more than a myth; Robin, by those who met him, was theorized to be the ghost of a boy from Gotham’s history. It took Talia longer than she thought acceptable to find any information of value, but her conclusions were substantial. Batman was an alias of the famed Bruce Wayne, ex-millionaire, now billionaire, and Robin, his newly instated ward of a tragic past, Richard Grayson. There were more than mere rumors to support this finding, and Talia made herself well aware of all details of their past. 

Talia made sure the file of the two, one she kept in her personal collection, was regularly updated. When Talia received the location of the next mission she found she was already quite familiar with the location. It would undoubtedly push an encounter with Batman. 

It would be a test to both their skills to see how long her presence could go unnoticed. There was a rush Talia felt when she landed in Gotham. The target for her mission was Bryan Edwards, a researcher who the League believed would be useful. His allegiance, thought, was known to be fickle. Talia’s objective was to find Bryan Edwards’s research and stage a natural death with minimal suspicion. The mission would be simple if it’s location was anywhere without a mythological vigilante detective and his bird themed Boy Wonder.

Talia knew the location of her mission and made her way there waiting for her target to arrive. She spotted Bryan Edwards before he entered the hotel he would be staying in for the next two nights. His car pulled into the front of the hotel and Talia watched him exit for the valet to take it away. Unexpectedly, a second person exited the car as well. Talia recognized the stout man as Bryan Edwards's most recent research partner, an up-and-coming geneticist, Collin Kilye. The League of Assassins, as well as the League of Shadows, had been interested in him, but he showed little promise and no substance. 

Talia knew the mission required patience and silence. The thrill of being caught, though, was exhilarating, something she hadn’t experienced since she’d attempted to sneak into the kitchen past her curfew while she was still undergoing the brunt of her training. That had been the only time she had been caught, and Talia willed it to remain as such. 

When the moon made the shadows shift, Talia found herself looking over her shoulder. Once, it cost her sight on her target. In that time she looked away Bryan Edwards made his way to the elevator and onto the 26th floor where his suite was located. Cursing herself for being distracted, Talia relocated. Next time when the shadows shifted and the sky had not, Talia knew who stood next to her. 

He did not address her, and Talia wondered if he thought she had not noticed him. Perhaps it was him who had not noticed her. Talia’s hair stood on end knowing that her prerogative was so close to being spotted, knowing that there was an actual and real threat to her mission here. Talia made sure that nothing could give her away. Her breathing was silent and wholly controlled, and there was no light that could reach and expose her. 

From the opposing rooftop Talia kept full view of Bryan Edwards’s hotel room, and with her so did Batman. He watched Bryan Edwards pace around his living room angry at someone on the other end of his phone. Talia would check his phone logs later. 

Batman stepped forward, closer to the edge of the roof. He put a finger to his ear like last time, “Target in sight.” Could it be that their missions would be intersecting? This made things all the more interesting. Did Batman being unable to spot her from a short distance mean that she was the superior skilled of the two? It would be rash to conclude it now, there was much more to test. 

Batman left the rooftop he’d unknowingly shared with Talia and used a grappling gun to help him reach the balcony to Bryan Edwards’s room. It hooked around the guardrails with the sound of metal scraping metal, announcing his arrival. Talia wondered what Batman’s goal was with Bryan Edwards since his strict moral code would mean that he would not be looking for the same thing as the League of Assassins.

At the sound, Bryan Edwards hung up the phone still irate. He kept it with him as he opened the doors that would let him onto the balcony. He stood with an air of superiority in the center of the space where he would be the most vulnerable, demanding that the perpetrator show themselves. Talia wondered if he thought himself so strong that he should not be concerned by someone who was able to approach from the balcony to his 26th floor suite, or if it had not occurred yet to him.

“Show yourself! Who's there?” Edwards demanded. There was silence when no response came, suddenly disrupted by the thud of metal boots hitting the floor of the balcony where Bryan Edwards stood. 

When Talia could not hear the conversation she knew she needed to shorten the distance between them. The hotel building had a sum of 31 floors, the distance of 4 floors, not including the one Edwards resided in, should be a short enough distance to remain unnoticed and still be able to learn of Batman’s plans. 

On the roof, Talia could make out the conversation better. Batman spoke quietly, making it more difficult, but the fact he was speaking at all so publicly proved that he had not noticed Talia. She could not stop her lips pushing up in delight at the fact. Nothing Batman was able to gather from the suddenly fearful and quaking Edwards was anything Talia was not already entirely aware of. 

The conversation concluded, and Bryan Edwards receded back inside his suite, quick to lock all the doors and shut himself in his covers. When Talia saw Batman move to her rooftop once more she hid herself in the shadows. Moments after the tall man arrived, another joined them on the rooftops. 

“What did you learn?” Batman asked the newcomer before his colorful clothes had become entirely visible. 

Robin pulled out a closed hand, then pulled out a finger at each point he was able to gather. “Well first off, nothing he did seemed very legal.” Batman nodded, a small smile threatening at the edge of his lips at Robin's disparaging tone. Robin paused to reflect on the conversation he had been electronically spying on. “He mentioned a name, Ekin Tzu, right?” Batman nodded in confirmation, “We’ve definitely heard his name somewhere.” Robin’s face scrunched in thought, then suddenly realization came to him, “He was the guy leading the Lucky Hand Triade!” 

“That’s right.” Batman said, pushing Robin to conclude what that could mean. 

“But they’re just weapon smugglers, why would they be interested in genetic research?” Robin questioned, his counting forgotten and a hand coming to his chin. He frowned, “Maybe they decided to change job outlooks?” He shrugged when he couldn’t seem to come to a conclusion. 

“They’re working for someone else.” Talia decided to supply. It was risky, but Talia was confident she could conclude the mission even with the added target by Batman if she had managed to so easily evade him for so long. 

The duo turned to Talia, surprised, and in an unintentional synchronous movement pulled out a bladed boomerang shaped like a bat. Robin didn’t recognize Talia when she stepped into the light, and she hadn’t expected him to. 

The other was not surprising either, “Talia al-Ghul.” Batman addressed her. 

Her face pulled with self-satisfaction of being known by the one person Talia ever thought may be capable of besting her. “Bruce Wayne.” She returned. His shoulders tensed at the address, but seemed only minimally surprised. He’d done just as much research on her as she'd done on him. “I see you really don’t forget faces.” Talia wasn’t sure what pushed her to play so coy. She was not to be seen. Yet here she was seeking out attention that should be unwanted. 

“Um, hello?” Robin spoke up looking between her and Batman confused. “Isn’t this the part where we kill her for knowing who we are?” He asked his mentor, incredulously. 

“Robin, we do not kill.” He said it sternly, but with the fatigue of having already had this conversation many times. 

“Whose we, old man?” Batman gave him a sharp look for the duration of time he felt comfortable leaving Talia out of his sight. It wasn’t very long. 

“Why are you following us?” Batman turned away from the insubordination that would have gotten any member of the League of Assassins immediately killed. 

“I should ask you.” Talia knew that Batman would shadow her every movement now as long as she remained in Gotham. It wouldn’t matter so long as he only learned her true purpose after the fact. 

“You’re here to stop Lucky Hand from impeding on Edwards research.” Batman concluded just as Talia had wanted him to. Unbeknownst to him, Lucky Hand’s Ekin Tzu was working to further the League's prerogative. But they would never answer as such regardless of integration technique since the Luck Hand Triade was not aware of truly controlling them. “What does the League of Assassins want with Bryan Edwards?” The threat of Batman was not that he may be able to out maneuver Talia in a physical fight, even if he had trained under their own tutelage for many years. The threat of Batman was his intellect, even with incorrect information he could land at the correct conclusions if Talia was not expertly careful. 

“I’m afraid that’s confidential.” Talia smirked. Letting the conversation conclude, Talia stepped back into the shadows to let her tracks disappear. 

“Wait.” Batman called suddenly. Intrigued, Talia turned to him, head tilting. “We have a similar goal.” Talia doubted that to be true. Robin looked baffled by Batman sharing the following information with an untrusted third party, and it served only to interest Talia more. “One of my informants learned that there was a hit placed on Edwards, I am currently in the process of searching for whom it may be.” 

Talia made sure her external expression didn’t display any of the amusement the statement gave her. “You’re requesting my assistance on your detective work?” She asked blandly, letting herself sound bored and uninterested to see how much Batman wanted her cooperation. 

Robin’s head bobbed between the conversation he was witnessing, but he tried to speak up again, “I’m just as confused as her. I thought you said-” Batman cut him off. 

“You have valuable information on the matter, and since this is a time sensitive case it would be most beneficial to both parties involved that we combine forces and work together.” 

“You didn’t let Batgirl work with us, but now you’re asking her?” Robin argued. “What happened to ‘we work alone’? You don’t bend your rules for justice, or whatever, but you bend them for a pretty lady? Next thing you know you’re gonna be bending-”

“Robin.”

The child huffed and crossed his arms. “You’re just angry because you know I’m right.” Batman gave him a look of exasperation. 

Talia watched the exchange. As a child Talia had often been sent on missions with a supervisor who was meant to lead her and correct any on-field errors or missteps, but they had never been done with such leniency. If she were to be the next Demon’s Head there would be room for errors in any area of her work. Robin apparently did not share equal aspirations.

Talia considered the offer, and let it show in her expression knowing that Batman was awaiting a response. If he thought her expressions slipped away from her, then he would expect her to keep less secrets from him. Talia was curious to know what it took to earn the Batman’s trust and why it had been her that had gained it and not the other Gotham vigante. What would the repercussions to her, inevitably, breaking this trust be? 

The mission was meant to be easy, one she could have handed off to a qualified subordinate. It was purely by the location that Talia had taken up the mission for herself. 

“Should I decide to offer you my partnership, know that it is temporary and I will offer no more information that I would like to.” Talia scrunched her brows with seriousness, and frowned with a small displeasure. Her curiosities would not be answered if Batman were to begin prematurely suspecting her intentions. 

“I understand.” Batman nodded. 

Robin looked displeased, “This is not happening.” He said exasperated, pulling on Batman’s cloak. “Hero rule 1: You don’t work with the bad guy. You know why? Because they’re bad.” 

Batman ignored him, “We should stay where Edwards is still in view, in case the attacker comes.” He offered. 

Talia nodded, putting on a face of seriousness. “Given the positioning of the suite, I think that rooftop is a better vantage point.” She suggested the one they both chose less than an hour ago. 

“I agree.” Batman walked to the corner of the rooftop, about to leave, “Will you be able to get across on your own?” He asked her. 

“Gag!” Robin called, already half way through the air. 

Talia laughed, “I’ll manage.” 

They reconvened at the designated original rooftop. From here there was an intersection where you could see entirely into the suite without any billboards or buildings obstructing the view. They stood the small measure away while they shared information. Talia would not admit that she could feel the air around them stir at every micro-movement he made, and she certainly would not admit it made her uncomfortable in a way she did not entirely dislike. 

Batman did not offer Talia information she did not already know and Robin did not conclude anything Talia had not already deeply considered. To not deepen the seed of distrust yet, Talia offered information she was certain Batman already knew or would eventually conclude. She played the part of wanting “Bryan” to stay safe, and said sentences she thought would come from someone so self-righteous that they would break the law and call it good while calling bad others who did the same. 

It was another hour in that discussion, until Robin suggested they search his apartment while he was asleep and would be none the wiser of it. It would be the perfect cover up for Talia if she was seen sneaking in there in the future. When she expressed her agreement, the hesitant Batman agreed as well, and the prideful Robin groaned at his mentor.

The suite was easy for the three of them to infiltrate. The interior was bare as most hotel rooms were with an artificial look of hominess. Bryan Edwards had scattered many of his things around the room which provided enough reason for Batman and Robin to search through them. Talia uses the time to memorize the layout to save her time when she’d come back to conclude her mission later. 

At arrival she had adorned a pair of one use gloves, citing her finger prints, Batman had only nodded in understanding while Robin rolled his eyes. Neither found a problem with it. Bryan Edwards’s computer, in which his files were stored, was on the couch. There were jackets and coats sprawled on the lounge chair. Talia searched in their pockets to feign curiosity in the area. Making herself busy in the room until it was time to leave, then when it was Talia took her gloves off and in a manner of distractedness she never had on missions and pretended to unknowingly discard them in the suite garbage. It was a sign of their presence there which would be a danger and unwanted. Talia would recall the incident later when Batman could no longer shadow her and go back into the suite to complete her mission and retrieve the gloves before morning. 

“I estimate there is not much more left that we can hope to find tonight.” Talia says once they returned to the initial rooftop. 

Batman nodded, “It’s time we continue our patrol as well.” Good. Batman reaches into a pocket in his belt and pulled something out. “You must have been distracted.” He commented, showing the formerly discarded gloves. 

Talia’s surprise at the finding was not feigned. Had he seen her throw them out and gone back to fetch them? That would require that Batman be paying much more careful attention to her actions than she’d originally anticipated. He would be more inclined to be suspicious of her intentions now, clearly having known that Talia was not so careless as to leave traces behind. 

“I hadn’t even realized.” She lied. 

Robin scoffed, “Even I know not to do that.” 

Talia had known the risks of exposing her presence to Batman but she’d done it anyway to test just how capable he was. And he’d proven to be more so than she’d been expecting. If Talia is unable to complete the mission before her allotted time period and the Demon’s Head was to find out how the failure came to be, Talia could imagine the type of repercussions she would face. A small regret was beginning to creep into Talia at her earlier decision. The negligible change of failure at the simple mission had now increased. But Talia was the most capable the League had to offer, no matter the chance of failure, she would not succumb to mediocrity.

Robin and Batman bid their farewells, stating their intention to return here tomorrow to continue their detective work. Batman and Robin pull out their individual grappling hooks and Talia watched them depart.

It was then that Talia had noticed it, nearly by chance. Robin’s grappling hook had snagged into itself, but Robin in his overconfidence had not waited for it to make purchase before jumping and following behind his mentor who was already airborne. 

Talia had no intention of stepping in. All her life she’d been trained to be the perfect assassin, the perfect killer. There was not a mission she had failed, or performed any less than expertly. She was never noticed unless she wished to be. She had perfect control of her accent, tone, inflections, expressions, body language, and knew about every region and the acceptable customs in each that she would never draw attention to herself. Talia always acted perfectly in par with how she was expected to and how she expected herself to. 

But for some reason this time was different. The air around her seemed to push her to act, nonconsensually infusing its will that the city’s squire be saved from his own demise into her. Her legs moved before her mind commanded it. Her arms gripped the corner of the roof and the back of Robin’s collar before she ordered them to. And she was handing off the side of a dark building in the middle of Gotham Central, 45 stories in the air before she had thought about the consequences of doing so. 

Talia could not reasonably expect to land on the ground unscathed from a 45 story American building. And it would be unfathomable for a partly trained Robin to do so without sound equipment. Batman was locked into motion from the original rooftop to his destination and could not recourse without needlessly risking his fall as well. 

When Robin realized his previously imminent death had been stalled, he looked up at Talia, stunned and shocked. It did not take much effort for Talia to swing her arm that was holding Robin from death and tossing the young boy to safety onto the same rooftop he’d attempted to depart from. 

There had never been a time in any of her missions where Talia would have trusted any of her mentors or tutors to have done the same for her. If it had been Talia at the age Robin was, plummeting to her death well in distance of being caught, the Demon's Head would have received the report that his daughter and heir had failed the mission and died with no regret or remorse. 

Talia pulled herself onto the rooftop. Her heart was pounding. It wasn’t from fear, certainly, or physical strain. Her vision was beginning to spot. Talia forced herself to stand straight, and her face to remain neutral when Batman rushed to his protege. Talia’s stomach churned in unsettlement. Why had she done that? The wind sounded too harsh all of the sudden, and the scent of smog was overwhelming. 

[swordsandarms]

i know you just tend to lurk (me too) but your fandomised rhaegar thoughts are very validating lol. ive always thought blue roses are symbolic of a child born from love, not symbolic of a woman. like lyanna has the roses cause she's jon's mother and rhaegar's love, not because they're her "thing"? never thought that was far fetched til coming online lmao.

OK, this was in my drafts for like a decade.

The roses aren't really the child or the woman, but a representation of the (tragic, but bittersweet) love itself. Though, of course, Jon as the "fruit"/"proof" of it is still at the centre of it all.

Used to hate the concept of "tragedy" and not understand how that can be compelling/satisfying. Turns out a lot of tragedy is badly done, hence the feeling of meaningless/pointlessness of it all some of them give you. Look at HOTD. The problem with the writing is that everything is made meaningless, not that your "favourite" isn't winning everything. It is the fact that it's all bitter and no sweet at the end of the day. (Not the book version, which is also a matter of how much better ASOIAF handles the "continuation" of the tragedy better than GOT).

I see Rhaelya as a representation of the concept: "The love was there. It didn't save anyone, it didn't change anything, but the love was there."

Once you get to look at it like that, it becomes very annoying when people in the fandom sound like a broken record of "what's nice about this?? EveRYoNE dIeS". Yeah, that's how tragedies work, but look at it as such and you'll see the nice, too.

It's not about how "oh, why would you think the author is trying to paint Romeo and Juliet as a romance when he liked Rosaline before, and now suddenly her overnight?"/"oh, it's all about how they are dumb teenagers messing up"/"oh, isn't Orpheus the dumbest for turning round".

Romeo and Juliet are young people finding a shiny thing in a shitty society that creates generational cycles of pain and hate for stupid reasons. The ending is satisfying not because the love is successful but because the characters - and readers are meant to - finally get that. Orpheus turns round because he loves Eurydice and if you did you would, too.

Westeros is a hellscape of ambition, heartlessness, and corruption. Everyone is stabbing everyone's back for a bit more of land, a bit more of wealth, a bit more political influence. Selling and pawning their loved ones for a corn chip. (Controversial opinion, neither Elia or Lyanna should have been in that position, but that's the reason why, "loving families" and all. Even more Controversial, Rhaegar shouldn't have been in that position also. And that's the "good" people - as Controversial as people might think that statement is for Rhaegar. But also OH, you mean selling off Cersei didn't work out well cause she was meant to be a pretty object and didn't have to be taught about armies and resources, just vanity? Or Lysa for some reason wasn't all that grateful to papa to give armies to the great alliance when they needed them, for reasons of keeping the one "trueborn child" she had sheltered, cause that's the one thing you promised her she could get if she did your bidding?) Looking away from what is fair when it is "lawful" according to the status quo (and fandom finds it easy to pinpoint it when it's someone deemed hateworthy, but will be 1000% lenient towards a Ned Stark, and will even hold characters they hate accountable when putting FAIRNESS ABOVE LAW).

And the thing about ASOIAF fandom is THEY LOVE THIS SHIT. They love to romanticise it all. But there's the paradox of it all. Romanticising comes with this idea of unrealistic wistfulness, I guess. If a character lives in "the cruel real world", the romanticised ideal is nice to think about. If they actually reach for ideals, they are fools who should get real about living in the "cruel real world".

Oop, I ventured far from the point. But I just love the whole CONCEPT of the blue rose at its roots. 💙 It literally means just that at its roots. Something wistful but unattainable.

[maliciousalice]

Hear me out (or don't... it's fine I'm just venting and mean) yeah um I don't believe Chakotay was saved in Prod*gy s2.

[purpurussy]

.

[lilowoof]

ngl gamers, I think I'm gonna inevitably lose to the hormones and depression in the near future XD

Can't bring myself to be active cause I'm using a lot of energy to not vent post all the time. But fuck it, into the tags I go!

[diltonsstrangescience]

I was thinking about Dilton’s insane garage laboratory again, and I got an idea for a comic. I would draw it, but I draw so slowly that it would take forever to finish a 6+ page comic, and I have too many other ideas to work on. So all you get is a written summary:

— Dilton’s dad hears from the other parents (or the newspaper) that multiple cars have been broken into or stolen in the past few weeks, and he decides the family needs to keep their car safely in the garage instead of the driveway, at least until the perpetrator is caught.

— He informs Dilton that this means Dilt needs to clear all his science stuff out of the garage to make room for the car.

— “You want me to dismantle my lab? Dad, please, don’t do this to me! Anything else!”

— “This isn’t a punishment, it’s just how things have to be for the foreseeable future. Your lab was our garage first, and we need a garage more than we need a lab right now.”

— “But how can you expect me to transport all of my equipment within the day? Where can I possibly store it all? How can I continue my experiments under these conditions?”

— “Why don’t you ask those friends of yours for help? I’m sure they’d be more than happy to lend a hand. That boy Moose, especially, should be useful in carrying your computers around.”

— So Dilton asks the gang for help, and they agree to help him clear out his lab, as well as each taking a portion of his science stuff to look after (there wasn’t enough space in Dilton’s room for all of it). They also agree to keep Dilton’s experiments going themselves, in small ways like taking notes on observations, or adding three drops of such and such to this concoction each day… etc. They’re all excited, thinking it’s going to be fun to try their hand at mad science for a while.

— Next comes a series of little Disasters caused by Dilton’s science in the hands of his inexperienced friends over the next few days.

— One of his friends ends up drinking some sort of potion (or multiple), either on accident or on purpose, and there’s some kind of weird effect—I’m not sure what yet, but almost definitely a minor transformation of some sort, on the same level as turning green or growing a tail or only talking in parrot squawks. This causes humorous problems in their life. (Jug wouldn’t drink unknown potions on purpose, because he has common sense, but Archie has none, so it would make more sense for him to do it intentionally.)

— One of his friends has to look after some animal test subjects, like mice in cages or something, but it turns out the animals have been made superintelligent, and they break out and start sabotaging the character with clever plots. The character fights back, mostly unsuccessfully, and things descend into Tom & Jerry territory. (I think this would be funny with Jug, especially since Hot Dog could be there too, animal vs animals.)

— One of his friends (maybe Betty?) has to look after a robot, and all seems cool and fine until it malfunctions (not her fault) and turns evil or chaotic and starts destroying things. (Its glowing eyes turn from green to red, so it’s clear that it’s evil now. This was an intentional design choice on Dilton’s part, as a warning sign in case of malfunction, and because it looks cool.)

— Veronica is given something she doesn’t need to observe or use, just store somewhere and not mess with. But at a fancy party, she tries to show off to her rich friends that she’s smart as well as beautiful and wealthy by showing off ”””her””” cool new invention, and she turns it on. She immediately loses control of it, whatever it does, and it causes a Disaster. This one’s working correctly, but Veronica doesn’t understand how it works or how it turns off, so it’s still causing a problem. (Hmm… maybe a weather-creating machine? Imagine a blizzard packed into a ballroom.)

— (Midge and Moose also helped Dilton, so I need to think of two more disasters. Or maybe, since they’re closer friends to Dilton, they know a thing or two about science and following instructions, so they don’t do anything they’re not supposed to, and they happen not to meet with any malfunction-type accidents. Everything goes fine with them.)

— The comic ends with Dilton’s dad reading in the newspaper that the crook who was breaking into and stealing all these cars has been caught and put in jail. He says to Dilton that this means their car is safe (because problems are very simple in this world), and so Dilton can have the garage back for his lab. (Let’s say it’s been like a week since the start of the comic.) Dilton is excited, and says he’ll go find his friends right away and tell them, and get his science stuff back. He rushes out the front door, only to find all his friends running up his sidewalk together, all carrying the science stuff he gave them and begging him to please take it all back! (Dilton is surprised, because he had no clue about all their problems, but everybody else looks like a wreck from their individual ordeals. This is all in stark contrast to how excited they seemed in the beginning to take on the science.)

— The end! That last scene was the punchline and final panel.

[steakout-05]

headcanons i have about Craig the scientist :)

as are most of the characters i have headcanons for, Craig is on the autism spectrum. he has a flat effect to his voice and facial expressions, doesn't really get most social cues, doesn't know how to react to others in pain the "right" way, misunderstands metaphors and speaks in quite a direct manner because it makes the most sense to his brain. he's quite a literal thinker. he also tends to hyperfixate so hard on a task that he forgets his basic needs and hygene, and thus has quite an unkempt look underneath that hazmat suit of his (which i will get into later!). Barry often ends up needing to get Craig something to eat because of how long he hyperfixates on something.

Craig sometimes doesn't exactly pay attention to his tone of voice, so sometimes he can say something that, to him, sounds completely normal, but because of his tone, can end up sounding really ominous to other people by accident ("We know who you are, Barry.")

Craig has traumatic cataract in his left eye (or wherever the fuck craig's visor crack is supposed to be in canon lol) from the explosion in 'Level 2' and is half blind in that eye. his eye has a very clouded look as a result of the injury. he's also got a huge scar there too that required some pretty gnarly stitches later, and his skin is almost completely numb around that area.

Craig also never really had the best eyesight before the injury, so he's always wearing these big ol' nerdy glasses underneath his helmet. and yes, they are tacked together with a band-aid lol

Craig is one of the few scientists who is not a clone of Peter Simpkins, the late friend of both Professor Brains and (in my headcanon'd canon) Craig. i like to think that Craig and Simpkins knew each other when they were first recruited by Legitimate Research and was pretty close to both him and Brains, and since Simpkins died, Brains has kind of taken more of a liking towards Craig (mostly out of loneliness and needing someone to help around at the lab, but he has a genuine fondness for him under his demanding and angry exterior).

There's a bit of a fan theory that Craig is the same guy as the scientist in the 'Robot Bird' rock opera, which i like to believe is the case. i mean, he's got the same monotone voice as Craig, it's gotta be him. i hope this does end up becoming canon because i think it'd make for an interesting conflict between Barry and Craig!!

Craig may or may not be related to Lab Lady.

Craig's counterpart in the mirror universe is named Kayla.

Craig is demiromantic and is questioning his sexuality (he thinks he might be bi or pan), though he definitely knows he loves Barry <3

Craig has an unhealthy habit of wiping his embarrassing memories, like, a lot. he wipes memories of awkward accidents in the lab, particularly painful failures, and most importantly, the memories of losing literally all his stuff and his career to Barry, which is why he doesn't immediately recognise him in the shorts. Craig has a lot of trouble recounting stories from the past because of this memory-wiping and felt a sense of emptiness, which getting hit in the head certainly didn't help with, so he tried inventing that apple in the Multiverse Madness event to get some of them back. it was pure dumb luck that Barry didn't end up witnessing what happened to Craig in the 'Robot Bird' opera and both are completely unaware of the disastrous can of worms that could have opened. bro's gonna end up like wallflower blush if he doesn't keep that memory erasing under control

and finally...

under his helmet, Craig has messy dirty-blonde hair, a rounded face that has a few stray facial hairs he forgot to shave, a long scar down the left side of his face, hazel coloured eyes and pale skin. this design is inspired by the designs made by @dexterno-artz and @schnabel53 respectively :D

this is a sketch of my finalised(ish) craig design!!! i've shown earlier versions of this guy in a couple of older posts but i haven't really revised his design much until now. i kinda had the idea of him looking like a stereotypical nerd and then made him messier. i might tone the amount of hair he has down a tiny bit but also i really like the nerdy bird's nest thing he has goin on :) i like to think he literally hasn't brushed his hair in several weeks and it's just become a bird's nest from nights of staying up doing science stuff

how i feel about barry tbh. he's literally so dumb i love him

(also apologies for the photos being kinda blurry and me forgetting to turn off the filter. again. in my defence it looks really nice and orange on my phone)

sometimes i like drawing him saying stuff from the shorts to get a feel of how he'd look when talking and make sure he looks juuuust nerdy enough for me to go "yep that's craig". also his big,g, handns,s,

drew this as a quick side profile sketch to get a general idea of how i want to draw him from this angle. he's talking to barry offscreen and falling in love with him <3

stupid little comic with a stupid little interaction that would definitely happen between these stupid little guys <3 barry being a little asshole every now and then is very entertaining to me. i need to see him antagonising craig and starting an old couple bickering argument with craig, that would heal me i think

i think i'll post more of this design in the future, i really quite like it a lot :)

[orcelito]

listen as fun as writing is, im generally in complete control of the situation. i can set up a high-stakes scenario, but it's not tense for ME bc i know where things r gonna end up

which is why shit like dnd is so fun. it's 100% improv. me improv lying by omission thru a zone of truth to these people who can and have Already almost killed me, who would sic their legion of knights on me if they got even a Sniff of the fact that i took part in regicide. it wouldve been very very bad. it was TENSE. and it was so fun lfkjslkdfj

lying by omission and pointing at a dude i hate as the one at fault for it all. perfect scapegoat.

[gu6chan]

i would kill for a cup of this right now

[medicinemane]

I don't know, I get tired of a lot of positivity

Like yes yes, the world's wonderful and I'm so strong or whatever generic thing is being said (because it's always so generalized to the point of meaningless), but you know shit is what it is, and the only way forward is with changes I manage to make... which you're not helping with at all

And as for like... my internal mood, I'm deeply isolated, sorry if hollow platitudes don't sooth the gaping maw inside me

It is what it is, and I probably get my shit together enough to do stuff like teach out of my basement like I'd like, it's just I believe that I'll be alone in a crowd like I've always been

But positivity... I just... I kinda get sick of it. There's this guy on youtube I watch who talks about economics stuff, he's recently started doing positivity and... I just fucking know his personality enough where it's like sorry mate but I'm not interested in hearing you spout Secret light kinds off drivel

...I don't know, I suppose it boils down to this

One, I can barely fucking take in positive things said directly to me, about me. Generalizations don't help even a little... I'm a mess, I'd really like someone to toss me a life preserver instead of always tossing confetti at me while I struggle to stay afloat... doesn't help

Two, the world is a terribly imperfect place, and rather than taking a mentality of "everything will work out", I think it's important to acknowledge that sometimes good people live alone, die alone, and they never got the break they needed and slowly bled out

I think it's worth knowing that if you can't step in and help yourself, then maybe no help'll come at all

...I don't know, I suppose in the end the core of what I'm saying is a lot of positivity seems like self help tier stuff and... I get tired of that, and I see so many good people struggling and... eh... either I can at least come in and say something positive custom fit to them, or I can keep my mouth shut

Just fucking let me rot. Help or let me fester on my own, you know?

I got rid of the trailer, I maybe did something like cleaning though I can't tell... at what point will my pace on trying to make things better be good enough for people, and I'll be able to stop having people tell me to fix my life... as if I hadn't thought of that already

...everyone means well, it's just tiring