#you wouldn't be the first renegade

[theultimategoodgirl]

Vegaspete x H of H Playbook by Anne Carson

[lunarharp]

shirahama-sensei reminded me she has a thing for the teacher from pokemon s/v so i randomly went off on an au where qifrey is the professor. etc

[mccoys-killer-queen]

yeah but can we talk about how sexy Styx’s music sounds

[lamentingwclf]

A slight wave of relief runs through Gwen's body when Bucky mentions that Steve was okay enough. Though she didn't want to hear another picked fight was the reason he wasn't here, it was better than him being too sick to step outside...though he'd probably try that too. "Maybe he should stop going to the cinemas since seemingly that's the only thing that comes of it." She shakes her head before giving a small smile. "Well if you see him again today, tell him I missed him- but come on. I think I finally gathered enough courage to ride the Cyclone today." Gwen's smile widens before she begins to walk, staying close enough to Bucky's side as her thumb softly fidgets with the diamond sitting perfectly on her ring finger. "....Are you sure you're alright?" she asks after a few minutes of silence between the two. "You seem sad today...is everything okay?"

His initial response is a noncommittal noise of thought, as he shoves his hands into the depths of his pockets. It's a habit he's picked up whenever he's around her, his best friend being the only one to notice - but smart enough to not raise the question. Bucky can't be tempted to touch or cause trouble if he's caged in such a way. Though, as they fall into an easy pace, him moving slower to accommodate her smaller stride, he noticed she's fidgeting with her ring. It's a fairly new development, one that he is sure her father is over the moon about, but her constant fiddling and bringing attention to it gives him an ache in his chest he's not ready to deal with. He's not ready, and she's too perceptive. It would be easier to hate it if the guy was an asshole. But he wasn't. So Bucky's hands were in his pockets. "You going to tell him that?" He says finally, instead of answering her actual question, as Steve is a safe topic, and one easily shared between the two. "He can't run, play sports, dance. No one looks at him twice, except as an easy target. What else does he have?" The list of what he didn't have was easier identified: he doesn't have the piece of paper crumpled in Bucky's fist - a surprise to no one who has been paying attention to the draft, but he'd failed to tell anyone had arrived. He was going to have to tell them soon, though, the day he was meant to leave fast approaching, but the fight had dimmed his courage - more so, what Steve was spitting out after - all the things he wanted, the injustice of his circumstances - how lucky Bucky was. Yep - Lucky Bucky. "So why the sudden courage? It's still going to creek and look like it's bound to fall over. It's still going to smell like vomit. What changed your mind?"

@chamberedbeauty

[baarishgf]

renegade is sooo kanej coded like every single lyric makes me insaneeeee

[wttcsms]

you wouldn't be the first renegade to need somebody, atsumu miya

pairing atsumu miya x reader word count 1.4k synopsis love for you is holding him; love for him is allowing himself to be held. content contains hurt/comfort, intimacy, atsumu-centric, insecurities, unconditional love, showering together but make it sfw

The stinging spray of scalding hot water from the showerhead should be enough to get him to leave, but he barely registers the pain, can’t seem to bring himself to feel the heat, can’t seem to bring himself to feel anything.

No — that’s not entirely true. He feels one thing.

Devastated. 

Everyone knows Atsumu Miya likes to talk shit on and off the court. It’s his thing, his trademark, his brand. Lots of athletes like to talk big about how they’re going to win; who the hell is going to support a guy who walks onto the court with a well, it’ll be alright if I lose. 

He’s staring down at the tiles of the shower, can somewhat register the persistent barrage of water spraying onto his back as he has one hand splayed on the wall, shoulders slumped, water dripping from his hair and running into his vision, making everything blurry. 

Don’t blink, he tries to demand of himself, but the issue is, we can’t always control our bodies. He has to shut his eyes, just for a brief second, and in that second, it all comes back to him.

The opposing team at set point. His team depending on him to serve. One point left. Only one chance. He can feel the stadium’s crowd holding their breath, can feel the lack of air in the atmosphere, can hear how loudly the blood is rushing to his head. Dizzy. Dazed. He doesn’t give into pressure, not anymore, not ever. Doesn’t feel performance anxiety, knows better than to try to attempt something flashy just for the glory of a good story to tell. 

Give ‘em a serve they don’t have a chance of receiving, he demands of himself. 

The final seconds of the match all come to him like stills from a movie, each frame another devastating blow to his ego, his self-worth, his very being. The ball is in the air, he’s bending his knees to prepare for the jump, his hand making contact with the ball. Something’s off, he can feel it upon first contact, but it’s too late to save, too late for him to change anything.

The ball lands.

On his side of the net.

He’s frozen in place as he stares ahead. He can tell the other team is cheering, slapping each other on their backs, and he can hear the blow of a whistle, the celebration from the crowd. But all he sees is the ball. All he sees is his failure.

Atsumu has spent a good portion of his volleyball career knowing that he plays the game better than most. It’s why he feels so comfortable talking about the lack of skills other players display. It’s why he always has something to say at practice, on the court, during a post-game interview. 

And he knows he makes mistakes. He knows that he’s only human. But a bad serve in the middle of a game isn’t as crushing as knowing that he is the sole reason as to why the Black Jackals’ season is going to be ending early. 

Where did he go wrong? He did everything perfectly, did everything the way he usually does. Why couldn’t he perform? Why did he let his team down? Why—

“Atsumu?” 

He doesn’t look up, and all you can see is the sad shape of his outline from the foggy glass door of the shower. You know that Atsumu probably wants nothing more than to be alone right now, but you can’t help but worry when fifteen minutes have gone by, and you could still hear the shower running. That’s your first sign that something is wrong.

Atsumu is a notoriously quick showerer, to an almost concerning degree. When you first started living together, you debated planning elaborate tricks to see whether or not he was even using soap. (Which, in hindsight, was just flatout silly; he walks out the shower smelling overwhelming of his Axe Men’s 3-in-1 and Old Spice deodorant.) 

No — the first sign that something is wrong would be his uncharacteristic silence on the trip back home. He hadn’t responded to your it’s okay, baby, you’ll get ‘em next season. Instead, he just looked out the window, the devastated expression on his face silencing you as well. Even when he lost to Kageyama, he had been disappointed, upset, but still talking big about how he was going to crush the Adlers next time around. He had then made a comment about Tobio’s stupid haircut, and that’s when you told him if he doesn’t have anything nice to say, he shouldn’t say anything at all.

Now, you’d give anything to have him say something. Something for you to work with.  

“Atsumu?” You call out for him again, worried when you don’t see his figure moving. 

Pathetic. Atsumu thinks that’s what he is. A loser, a fucking scrub, a failure. Even if his teammates won’t admit it, the media will. And what then? Will you think that about him too? It’d be the truth, wouldn’t it? Isn’t that why you’re in the bathroom now? To pity him? 

He’s too busy tearing himself down to react to the distinct sound of you sliding back the glass door of the shower so you can enter it. There’s a brief burst of the cool air of the bathroom hitting his exposed body, but it evaporates the moment you shut the door. 

“Oh, ‘Tsumu.” You whisper it, and he wants to tell you that he’s not fucking fragile. That he’s not going to shatter into a million pieces if you just raise your voice, if you tell him how you really feel about him. He doesn’t move, doesn’t turn around to face you. He doesn’t want to. He can’t.

His skin is red from the heat of the water, his back staring at you angrily, hurt. The skin’s going to need some time to heal, and you turn the faucet, lowering the temperature of the water. 

“Turn around, honey. Please?” You’ve never seen Atsumu so upset before, so quiet. You wait several minutes for him to actually do as you request, and you think it’s only because he wants a way to get rid of you sooner. 

You don’t say anything to him as you reach for his shampoo, letting it lather in your hands before you give him a pleading look, one that has him leaning down so you can reach his hair. It feels nice, he thinks, the way you’re shampooing his hair. You’re gentle with your movements, and it almost relaxes him. 

You use your body wash on him. Massage the suds into his skin, but you’re mindful of the amount of pressure you apply. You know which areas of his skin is more sensitive from its exposure to the hot water, and you are careful with the spots of his body that he had chosen to be negligent with. 

“Am I so fuckin’ worthless that you have to do somethin’ as simple as bathing me?” He’s not angry at you. He might spit out the words — words that come out sounding all raw and scratchy, like they had to personally claw themselves from his throat — but the anger is not directed at you. It’s at himself. 

“Look at me.” 

His eyes are glossy, wet, shiny, and you know it’s not because of the shower. You’ve never seen Atsumu cry before, and you’re not sure what you’re supposed to do. So, you do what feels right. You whisper his name softly, tenderly, and it’s this tenderness, your unwavering softness, your unconditional love, that breaks him. That makes him feel safe enough to break. That makes him think of the possibility that you’ll take these jagged pieces of him and piece them back together for him, with him. 

He’s so much bigger than you. You tell him all the time that he’s larger than life, and he thinks about that comment as he lets himself sink into your open arms, as he lets himself be held. He has never felt smaller in his life, and in your embrace, he buries his face into your shoulder, letting his warm tears mix in with the water already on your body.

“I don’t know how you can still look at me.” He mutters, and every word is spoken onto your skin, tiny blades striking you. 

Atsumu isn’t sure what he wants to hear, isn’t even certain that there’s anything that could be said to ease his devastation, but melts into you even more so when you tell him,

“Atsumu, I thought you already knew that nothing can change the way I look at you.”

[dynamitegun]

I have this dumb mental image of an aged Liara, now in her Matriarch stage centuries after the end of the games leading a diplomatic mission into Krogan space. Upon arrival her staff are horrified by a band of Krogan soldiers that meet them at the landing zone led by a grizzled leader. His scales marked by a hundred battles and a demeanor to match, roaring out a 'request' to speak to "the one in charge."

The mood is tense. Krogan space is civilized but along its border bands of renegades, holdouts of the old ways of war aren't uncommon. The mission has a few Asari commandos providing security but they're outnumbered two to one. Should they turn back? Stall for time and try to plan an escape?

Instead, Matriarch T'Soni holds up a hand, calming her staff and without a word, walks down the ship's ramp towards the Krogan completely unarmed, in nothing but her gown, ignoring the cries behind her begging her to come back.

She reaches the band of Krogan warriors, looks the leader up and down and places her hands on her hips.

"Is this anyway to greet your mother, Grunt"?

A tumbleweed passing makes the only sound

The Krogan grins, and scoops Liara into his arms for a hug, lifting her off her feet and spinning her 'round.

"I missed you." He says softly. She pats his shoulder as he places her down again.

"It's good to see you again too Grunt. You've got quite the command here it seems." She feels a smile on her lips as she waves her hand at the Krogan milling about, all trying their best not to stare, just as stunned as the members of the Asari mission.

"Yep. I've got my own brigade now. Aralakh Brigade. Over 2'000 strong. All under my command." His voice rings with pride. Liara nods.

"She'd be proud if she were here you know. Of what you've become Grunt. Following in her footsteps."

Grunt laughs. "She would, wouldn't she"? He doesn't wait for an answer and Liara knows he doesn't need one. They both know the answer. Shepard had taken Grunt in, seen past the tank bred warrior exterior to the boy beneath and had taken him to her side.

When Liara learned of this upon meeting Grunt for the first time on Utukku (Learning her bond mate had an adopted son that she'd never seen fit to mention) she had been surprised, but surprises were something she had grown used to with Shepard.

"Kid just needs a bit of direction Liara. Give him a chance." She could still hear Shepard's voice in her memory reassuring her.

She had been right "on the money" as she was fond of saying.

Liara ran a hand down her front, straightening the folds of her dress as she put back on her 'matriarch face'. "Well then. We have a schedule to keep. A meeting with the planetary overseer. Would you escort us"? She asked aloud.

Grunt nodded, with a slight twinge in his own voice putting on his 'Commander' voice. "I'd be honored, Matriarch T'Soni." Turning he bellowed out to his troops. "Form up!"

Liara walks back to her staff, almost all with wide eyes at what's unfolded before them. She crosses her arms. "As I recall we have a schedule to keep, do we not?" Breaking the trance they rush to their duties. She turns her back to them, hiding a small smile and watches Grunt form up his troops. The way he orders them into formation reminds her of no one but Shepard, a small piece of her still alive all these years on.

She would be proud.

...

I'm of the option that Femshep is Grunt's adoptive mom, and realized that even if she won't be around forever with Grunt, a romanced Liara certainly would be.

[gilverrwrites]

Just a little bit bad

Villain!Dick Grayson/Robin!Reader, 1K words Kinktober entry 11: Corruption Warnings: Mild dub-con | Choking Requested by: Anonymous

Nobody knows who Renegade is, not even Batman. Gossip amongst the underground varies wildly, some say that he’s a former cop or secret agent, others that he’s a mafioso, a villain since the day he was born. One story goes that he used to be some sort of acrobat or gymnast and you can believe it. He just loves to put on a show. Even now, he’s balanced on the tip toes of one foot, the other crossed over the back of his leg. His back is perfectly arched as he leans forward, pressing all of his weight onto your burning throat with one hand. The other holds your utility belt just out of reach, turning and twirling it as he examines your tools. Clearly, he finds nothing of interest, as before long he throws it, with significant force. It lands out of sight. Hopefully on an adjacent rooftop, and not an alleyway far below.

You stare with wet, stinging eyes as he re-focuses his attention your shaking form, ignoring the way you claw at his forearm. He angles his body to the side, tilting his head, lips twisting into an amused smirk before he sighs in mock wistfulness and casually asks; “Do you ever get tired of it?”

You've no idea what he's talking about. Couldn't answer him with more than a choked cry if you wanted to, but he knows that, it's part of his game. Ever since your first faced off, Renegade seems to take a particular joy in making you squirm. This isn’t the first time he’s had you cornered, but it’s the first time you’ve been without back-up. You do your best not to tremble at the ominous though that he has you trapped like a mouse, wrapped around his fingers, right where he wants you.

When you fail to reply to his question with more than the narrowing of your eyes he laughs, slapping his head as if to say ‘duh’ before he explains. “I mean do you ever get tired of being the hero?” As though the problem with his question had been the finer details.

The lack of oxygen is quickly making you lightheaded but you've enough whereabouts to shake your pounding head.

“No? Huh.” He finally releases your throat, kicking back onto two legs and playfully scratching his chin in consideration of your answer. Immediately, you launch yourself at him but you're still weak. Sluggish from being suffocated. Renegade easily stops you in your tracks, pinning you back to the wall, this time with his whole body.

One unyielding hand holds your arms above your head, suspending you a few inches above the grounds, and his legs tuck snuggly between your own, his thick, muscular thighs ensuring you're spread around him.

His breath feels unnaturally cold on the heated skin of your face as he nestles against you. Speaking low, almost intimately, he continues to probe; “C’mon Robin, don’t you ever get sick of all that self-righteousness? All that straight-and-narrow bullshit?”

Your body is still reeling, you’re panting for air, your heartbeat rings in your ears; violently pulsing throughout every inch of your body, but you notice when Renegade begins to trail his fingers ever so lightly along your stomach, brushing dangerously close to the junction between your legs, but never crossing the line.

You're two distracted to answer his question, but you feel the smile on his lips as he presses them into your jawline, speaking into the sensitive spot just below your ear. “Is it hard? Pretending you don't want to be bad? Just a little bit?”

“I’m not pretending.” You finally offer him an answer, voice soft, barely a whisper, and you blame it on your strained vocal chords. “I am good.”

“You’re good.” He echoes, tone steeped with mocking. Leaning back, he blatantly examines your hot and swollen face. His stormy eyes watching you as he chews his bottom lip in such a way that you have to admit it’s maddeningly enticing. “Batman must be sooo proud.”

You wouldn't have had a smart quip if he'd allowed you the time, instead you suck in a loud, sharp breath as he takes your mouth with his own. His kiss is harsh and hungry, like he’s trying to consume you, and though it would pain you to confess it aloud, you melt into it quickly, allowing him to have his way with your lips, nipping at them until you open for his tongue to slip between them.  

Your chance to really put a stop to things comes when he releases your bound wrists, but the moment comes and goes, and you do nothing to fight him. In fact, you unabashedly wrap your arms around his shoulders, helping, encouraging him even, when he cups your thighs and lifts you until you're crushed against each other. You feel clumsy, unable to rock your pelvis with the same grace as Renegade, but you do it anyway, rutting yourself against the hardened bulge in his suit.

“Such a good, good birdy.” Though he sounds sweet, you know it’s a taunt; meant to remind you of the claim you’d made only moments ago. Despite his ridicule, you continue to buck your hips, roughly rubbing your clothed and tender core against him because beneath all the pain, and adrenaline, beneath the shame, you like how it feels.

“Look at you.” Renegade knows this too, and he’s fucking smug about it, gripping your chin and forcing you to look down, to watch yourself grinding on him. “What would the people think, if they could see you know, huh? Practically begging for some big bad dick.”

The flush upon your skin is no longer from the asphyxiation. It’s entirely sexual and moral frustration. Luckily, he doesn’t expect an answer to his rhetoric, instead he asks you to confess something much more much challenging. “I think you want to be bad, just for me. Am I right?”

Any words you can conceive catch in your throat. You want nothing more than to continue, but can't bring yourself to agree with him; the enemy, the bad guy. Yet he looks so good under the sombre city lights, and his body feels so sinfully right, pushed up against yours. His voice is so mesmeric as he whispers more words of encouragement. “Come on little bird, wont you sing a sweet song, just for me?”

Please try not to stress over things that are out of your control!

Kinktober Masterlist

[lila-lou]

✨ His only exception - Pt. 6/? ✨

Summary: 12 months ago, Butcher went above and beyond to have you join his team. You had a simple office job at Supe Affairs. The same thing every day, working from 9 to 5 and watching Butcher and his team defeat one renegade after another. One evening, however, something changed.

Pairing: Soldier Boy x Reader

Warnings: Language

Word Count: 2515

A/N: This is part 6 of “His only exeption”.

English isn’t my first language, so please be lenient. 💙✨

You could both hear Frenchie, but neither you nor Ben wanted to be the one to look away first. Be the one to give in. For once, Frenchie realized he was out of place a little quicker than usual and ran away before things got too messy.

“I definitely don’t have to fucking justify myself to you. I'm fucking Soldier Boy. I don’t have to justify myself to anyone”, he stood in front of you with broad shoulders and looked down at you.

“That’s not the point”, you raised your voice, but you were put in your place faster than you would have liked. With his forearm on your chest, he pushed you against the wall next to the door.

Once again he was portrayed as the bad guy, even though all he wanted to do was help. Wanted to do the right thing. Ben thought you were different, that you saw something good in him, but obviously he was wrong.

“I think i went too soft on you. Know your fucking place or I’ll make you”, he growled threateningly, fixing his gaze on you for a moment longer. He shook his head pathetically, the corners of his mouth hanging as he heard your heart start to race. “Fucking pathetic. Like all fucking women”, he hissed, releasing you with a firm jerk.

Ben had to protect you both. Despite all the hate and anger within him, or perhaps because of it, he still behaved like a soldier.

He had to protect you from losing your life because of him or his actions, and he had to protect himself from being abandoned and disappointed by a woman again. He wouldn't let something like the the thing with the Russians happen again. Whatever made him want more from you, than your mouth around his cock, wouldn't be allowed from now on.

It was Annie who broke the silence between the two of you by entering the room. “Hey (y/n). How are you doing? How you feeling?”, she gently stroked your forearm. Your eyes stayed on Ben for a moment, but he fled, leaving the two of you alone.

"Good. I guess”, you mumbled, watching Ben leave.

Annie pressed her lips together as she saw your longing look. “Nuh-uh… (y/n)… Seriously. You don’t want this, trust me”, she sighed, looking at you with pity. “He’s not one of the good guys”.

“I don’t know what you mean” you murmur, wrapping your amre around your torso. Lost in thought, you chewed on your bottom lip as you continued to look at the door to the room.

“Mhmm, sure. Now try again”, Annie murmured.

Your eyes met Annie's and unfortunately revealed too much of what was going on. Feelings, that you neither could nor wanted to place, were boiling inside you.

Shaking your head slightly, you sighed, thanked Annie for looking out for your well-being, but then left the room.

After a long shower, you slipped into fresh clothes and walked past the living room, where Ben and the others were sitting, to leave the apartment. “Oi, where are you going?”, Butcher called to you, craning his head. A football game was playing in the background. “Just out. I need some fresh air”, you crossed your arms and looked into the living room from the door. “I don’t think that’s a good idea”, Butcher replied, putting his beer on the table. "Should I come with you?", Annie looked at you.

Ben was listening to your discussion about whether or not you should go out alone, but he acted as if his attention was just on the television.

“I’m a Supe now. What’s going to happen?”, you shrugged, earning a snide mockery from Ben. “You have something to say, huh?”. You narrow your eyes at Ben, who is sipping his bottle of whiskey. “Oh, absolutely not, Dollfface. Go out and have fun”, he gave you a fake smile. Butcher looked at the two of you and knew something was off. Why would Ben react like that to what you just said? But he couldn't put his finger on it. “All fucking amateurs”, Ben chuckled, standing up with his whiskey. Before he walked past you into his room, he stopped right in front of you and leaned so close that his lips touched your ear. “You'll notice soon”, he whispered, winking at you and leaving you confused.

“See you later”, you mumbled after a while to Butcher and left the apartment.

Ben should have told you, but he didn't. He didn't even know why. It would have been much safer for you to know.

You walked through the dark and empty streets, lost in thought, for over two hours. Aside from desperately trying to discover your abilities, you were busy trying to understand Ben's behavior. One moment he was kissing you, the next he was treating you like a worthless piece of shit. He had saved your life, but he was also the one who had put it in danger. You felt like you were hanging on a rope that he tightened or loosened at will.

But what did you actually want? In any case, you didn't want to be a Supe. Never. And now you have the crap. And then the whole thing with Ben. It felt like you hadn't had any other topic on your mind for weeks than him. It wasn't that you were in love with him, but rather that you tried to find justification in all of his actions, despite your actual dislike for Supes. Not seeing him as the bad guy. Like Annie. Or the others. You knew there was something good in him somewhere, even if he really didn't make it easy for you to stick to your beliefs. Despite your best efforts, you just couldn't put your finger on what made you so attached to Ben. Of course you had a similar sense of humor, often similar opinions and views and of course Ben was really good looking. But that wasn´t enough for… You couldn't even finish your thought, and probably wouldn't have wanted to, when suddenly someone landed on the floor behind you. With a force that almost knocked you to the ground.

“Well, look at that. Who do we have here?”. The Supe puts his hands on his hips behind you. “What is a beautiful young woman like you doing here all alone?”. Your breath hitched as you turned around to make sure it was who you thought it was. After you had been looking for him for months and there was no greater mission than to finally catch him alone and take him prisoner, the son of a bitch just stood in front of you.

"Are you speechless?", Homelander cocked his head to the side before taking a few steps towards you. You needed to somehow regain your nerve. “Homelander. Wow. What an honor”, you accomplished your acting masterpiece and bowed slightly. "Mhmm, all nice and polite. Well-bred. I’m almost thrilled”, he gave you a bright smile. “Of course you know who I am, but would you like to tell me your name?”, he was now standing directly in front of you. You knew that even as Supe you wouldn't stand a chance against Homelander. “(y/n)”, you said, quieter than you planned as his scent invaded your nose. Normally you wouldn't be so awkward and intimidated around Supes, but Homelander was different. Not only was he stronger than all the other Supes, he was also crazier.

“Pretty name, pretty girl. But seriously. Don't you know how dangerous it is out here this late? With the psychopath Soldier Boy on the loose”, he shook his head and clicked his tongue. You almost raised an eyebrow at his statement, but you stopped yourself at the last moment. He of all people said Ben was a psychopath.

“Oh, I'm a Supe too, it's okay. But thanks”, you waved and were about to leave, but Homelander’s laughter stopped you. "You? A supe? Hardly, darling. I can smell your human blood from miles away. Not to mention your off heartbeat”, he placed a hand on your shoulder.

Your eyes met and as a cold shiver of the bad kind ran down your spine, Homelander's pupils moved quickly and repeatedly left and right as his eyes narrowed. It seemed like he was trying to concentrate. His mouth opened and he raised a finger before putting it thoughtfully to his lips.

With much effort, Homelander could hear the Compound V in your blood and feel it pulsating under his hand on your shoulder. But it wasn't pure V. It was mixed. He frowned in confusion and surprise. And from one second to the next his expression was ice cold. How could you be alive with compound V in your blood and still be human? What were you?

"Who did this? Why are you still alive?", he pulled on your arm so hard that it almost broke. As shocked as you were, there was absolutely nothing you could do. Especially not when Homelander grabbed your jaw and squeezed it tight. "Answer me!", he roared before being thrown backwards with great force.

When you turned around, you saw Ben. Well, the pissed off version of Ben. With quick and heavy steps, he walked determinedly towards Homelander, who stood up again within seconds. "You did that!". He knew as soon as he recognized Soldier Boy. “If you want to fight, then fucking fight! But do like a man and stop scaring little girls, like a little pussy”, Ben hissed and swung his shield, but only hit the street, which immediately opened up as Homelander quickly turned to the side. "What was your plan?", Homelander looked at Ben with his crazy eyes and wide grin. Ben swung again, but missed his target again. “Did you want to equate her with us and it didn’t work? Maybe I should try it".

That was all Ben needed to escalate. With anger flaring within him, he lunged at Homelander and started a actual fight. Meanwhile, trying to ignore your dizziness and racing heart, you fished your phone out of your pocket and called Butcher.

"We'll be right there, darling", Butcher grinned on the other end of the line before gathering the others and heading out.

The minutes before Butcher and the others arrived seemed like hours. And all you could do was watch helplessly as Ben and Homelander beat each other to death.

However, when Ben was on the floor with Homelander on top of him and you saw Homelander's eyes start to glow red, you knew you had to do something. Ben’s chest began to glow too, but you knew he wouldn’t recharge in time. As if guided by an invisible force, you grabbed the nearest stick from the ground, run towards the two of them and ram the stick into Homelander's ear. He roared, fell to the ground and while you were still on top of Ben and his burning chest, Ben pushed you away with all his strength before finally exploding.

It was a blessing that Butcher showed up at that exact moment and with great difficulty catched you before you hit the ground. While Annie sprinted off with Hughie to find Homelander, Butcher handed you off to MM before he and Kimiko ran into the cloud of dust surrounding Soldier Boy.

“It’s okay, I can stand”, you murmured. MM carefully lowered you to the ground, keeping an eye on you as you frantically asked about Ben. You started to run, but Frenchie stopped you with a hug from behind. “Wait”, he murmured and like MM, looked expectantly at the dust that was slowly but surely dissipating.

It seemed like you couldn't catch your breath until you saw Ben walking towards you. As always, unharmed. When he arrived with Butcher and Kimiko, he brushed the dust off his suit and looked around. “Fucking pussy. Hiding somewhere”, he cursed under his breath as he continued to look out for Homelander, not noticing how his arm had found its way around your waist. He held you protectively, just inches away from his body as he scanned the entire area. Butcher looked at the two of you thoughtfully, but was brought out of his thoughts by Kimiko, who nudged him with her elbow as Hughie and Annie returned. “There’s no sign of Homelander", Hughie announced between heavy breaths. "Fucking amazing!”, Butcher cursed loudly and hit the nearest lantern so hard that it fell over and shattered with a loud crack.

As Butcher and Hughie discussed what to do, you only now became aware of Ben's tight grip on your body. You looked up at him, breathless. Only when your eyes met did he lower his arm and take a step away from you.

A few minutes later you were in the backseat of Hughie's car with Ben. Annie at the wheel and Hughie in the passenger seat.

“How did you even know where I was?”, You looked sideways at Ben as he swallowed a few pills so he wouldn’t have to endure all this shit sober anymore. “Don’t bother”, he murmured, crossing his arms and closing his eyes, hoping you would let the subject go. “The fuck, Ben. Why can’t you just talk to me?”, you raised both hands angrily. "Why can't you just shut the fuck up?", he replied monotonously, his eyes still closed.

You just groaned in annoyance because you knew he wouldn't tell you anything in front of Annie and Hughie anyway. His moods would probably give you whiplash at some point.

When you got home, you wanted nothing more than to fall into your soft and warm bed and forget the last 3 days. Unfortunately, Butcher had other plans. First he wanted to discuss what had just happened.

The meeting went slowly. And while Ben could at least get drunk and snort one line after another, you had to endure it all sober and tired. You felt like you were at marriage counseling as Butcher paced in front of you and the couch, you answered questions, and Ben either sniffed oder drank.

When Butcher finally left you alone after almost an hour, you followed Ben into his room.

“(y/n). Seriously. What the fuck do you want?”, He groaned in annoyance as he sank onto his bed and you closed the door behind him.

“I wanted to thank you. For saving my life. Again”, you sighed, dropping your hands. “And", you walked over to him and sat down onto the bed next to Ben. “I want to know what all the Supe Blood stuff means. Homelander said I wasn't a Supe. What am I? What have you done to me, Ben?”.

———————————

A/N: Please let me know what you think.🥰

-

Part 7

-

Taglist: @deangirl96, @thatgirljayy, @suckitands33, @deans-spinster-witch @mimaria420 @kaz11283 @uncle-eggy

[larluce]

Arthur and Merlin travel back in time without knowing the other is from the future too AU

Tagging @aceauthorcatqueen , @fallenxjas , @smileytrinity ,@lucifertookmyshoe , @an-entity-i-think , @thecornerofbelu , @griffonskies , @odinjm , @cinnabon-sweetroll-tiramisu , @thelady-mary , @bennedict , @nightninjaboy , @st8-of-grace , @star-rie , @error-username-not-available , @dogberryrowan , @jamieweasley13 , @tansyuduri , @tercais , @robynnemrys , @evadne01 , @serasvictoria02 , @hairdryerducks , @hopeaha Sorry for the delay, my college classes started and this fragment turned out to be quite long. I hope you enjoy it.

LINKS TO THE OTHER PARTS OF THIS AU HERE: PART 1 , PART 2 , PART 3 , PART 4 , PART 5 , PART 6 , PART 7 , PART 8 , PART 9 , PART 10 , PART 11 , PART 12 , PART 13 , PART 14 , PART 15 (You're here) , PART 16

In "To kill a king"

Gwen's father, Tom, consorting with Tauren.

Tom: (exclaims, after Tauren turned lead into gold with the mage stone) Gold!

Tauren: (smiles evily) Pure priceless gold. Yours, blacksmith, if you keep your mouth shut.

Tom: I don't think that's going to be possible.

Tauren: (confused) What?

Arthur: (Enters with guards suddenly) Seize him!

Tauren: (Tries to scape, but he trips and is quickly surrounded. He turns to Tom, furious) You! You set me a trap!

Arthur: It was me actually. (turns to Tom) Well done, Tom.

Tom: Anytime, sire.

Tauren: (yells while he's taken outside) You'll pay for this! All of you! (is taken away by the guards)

Arthur: Tom, you put yourself at great risk by agreing to participate in this ambush. Your service to the crown won't go unrewarded.

Tom: (bows, grateful) Being of service to you is enough reward for me, sire.

Gwen: (enters, crying) Dad! (goes to hug him)

Tom: Gwen! (hugs her inmediatly) What are you doing here? I told you not to come! It's dangerous!

Gwen: And you expected me to just wait until you came back of your suicidal mission?! If something had happenened to you I couldn't bare it.

Arthur: (smiles, glad he could save Gwen the pain of losing her father) You didn't come alone, did you? (calls out) Merlin!

Merlin: (comes out of his hidden place and goes to Arthur, smiling not at all guilty) Someone had to have your back. (thinking) And make sure Tauren didn't scape.

Arthur: (perfectly knowing it was Merlin who made Tauren trip) As if you could. (calls out again) Lancelot?

Lancelot: (comes out of his hidden place and aproaches too) Someone had to look after them. (pointing at Gwen and Merlin).

Arthur: (sighs again and calls out again) Morgana?

Morgana: (comes out of her hidden place and aproaches too, in anger) You put my friend's father in danger and you expect me not to make sure you didn't get him killed?

Arthur: I know you weren't fond of this plan, but there was no other way to capture Tauren. And look, everything turn out alright.

Morgana: And now Gwen and her father are in the crosshairs of a whole group of renegade sorcerers!

Arthur: The king agreed put guards at their house, they won't be unprotected.

Morgana: They wouldn't need protection if you hadn't involved them in the first place!

Gwen: My lady, (puts a hand on her arm) it's fine. We knew what we were getting into and you know I'm not defenseless. I know how to use a sword.

Morgana: (calms down and smiles at her) You sure do. (turns to Arthur) You better put the best guards at their disposal.

Arthur: They already have one. (turns to Lancelot) Will you protect them?

Lancelot: With my life!

Gwen: (blushes at Lancelot devotion and smiles)

Merlin: Arthur, (gives him the mage stone he just picked up) Tauren dropped this.

Tom: Is what the sorcerer used to turn lead into gold.

Arthur: (serious) They're going to come after this.

Time skip. In the dungeons. Morgana goes to Tauren's cell.

Tauren: The king's ward. (laughs dryly) What brings you here? Do you rejoice in our misery too?

Morgana: (gets close) I don't rejoice in anyone's misery. Even yours, that almost got an innocent man killed.

Tauren: So you're here to lecture me?

Morgana: (gets closer and whispers) Allies can appear in unexpected places (puts a key in his hand). Good luck. (leaves)

Tauren: (very confused, but smirks to himself)

Time skip. Tauren scapes from the dungeons and is running away being followed by knights. Morgana appears dressed in a cape riding a horse, picks him up and they flee together. Once they left the knights behind they make a stop in the woods.

Tauren: (gets off the horse, suspicious) Why are you helping me? Is this a trap?

Morgana: If it was, it would be a very poor one. (gets off the horse too) Look, I'm not delighted to see you either, but I needed to scape from Uther and you're the best option I have.

Tauren: But you're his ward.

Morgana: (raises her voice, suddenly scared) I won't be when he finds out what I am!

Tauren: (realises, surprised) You're a sorceress.

Morgana: (nods, shy and her eyes water) I didn't want too, I didn't choose this! But I keep having these visions in my dreams and hearing voices in my head. I didn't want to believe it but then a made some vase explode with my mind and I... (she trembles and cries) I don't want to be a mosnter! I don't want to die!

Tauren: (puts a hand in her shoulder, gently) Magic is not something you should fear, my dear. Is a gift, you're special. The only monster here is the murderer the calls himself king.

Morgana: (snifs) I know. (sadness turns into fury) For years I've seen him kill thousands of innocents while I could only watch. But I don't want to be useless anymore. I want to fight.

Tauren: (still a little distrustful) How can I be sure you're really on our side?

Morgana: (pulls the magic stone out of her pocket and gives it to him) Do you believe me now?

So Tauren brings morgana to his hidden place with all his followers. She intruduces herself, explains her situation and they accept her. With the king's ward now on their side, now they can plan their next move.

Morgana: I really don't want to come back.

Tauren: It's for the best. It won't be long before Uther sends search parties after you. Don't worry. You won't have to suffer his tirany anymore if everything goes as planned.

Morgana: WHEN averything goes as planned. (she smiles and kisses his cheek) Thank you. For accepting me. (gets on her horse) Goodbye.

Tauren whatches Morgana in awe before going back to his camp. He smiles triunfanly. Tomorrow Uther will finally die.

Time skip. Morgana makes a stop in the woods and meets Arthur, Merlin and group of knights.

Arthur: (greets Morgana) Did they fall for it?

Morgana: (smiling) It was easy as cake.

Flashback

Arthur, Uther and Morgana in a room, planning strategies.

Uther: It's very risky.

Arthur: I know. But it's the only way.

Uther: We could wait for them to attack Tom's place to captured them. If they're really going after the stone-

Arthur: But they won't send all of them. Especially with their leader captured. With this plan we can finally find all of them and kill them once and for all.

Uther: (smiles, proudly) You're right. So, who are you going to assign this important task to?

Arthur: I'm still working on it.

Uther: A servant perhaps?

Arthur: No, Tauren is no fool. He knows a servant can be easily hired or ordered to do stuff. He'll know it's a trap for sure.

Morgana: And if it was someone who is nobelty? Someone that can't be paid or order to do stuff because they're too close to the king? Someone like his ward?

Arthur: (concerned) Morgana...

Morgana: (determined) I can do it.

Uther: Absolutly not. It's dangerous!

Morgana: I know how to fight! If I can convince him that I'm on his side-

Uther: (raises his voice, sternly) No, Morgana. End of discussion.

Morgana: (leaves enraged)

Arthur: (sighs as he watches her leave and turns to his father) I'll talk to her later. Make her see sense.

Uther: Good luck with that.

Time skip. In Morgana's chambers. Morgana is siting on her bed and Arthur knocks the door.

Arthur: (opens the door slightly) Can I come in?

Morgana: As if you have to ask.

Arthur: (enters) He only worries about you, you know? I do too.

Morgana: I'm not helpless. For once I'm trying to help. I'm trying to support his absurd cause and he doesn't let me.

Arthur: (sits next to her) You don't really support him though. You don't support any of this.

Morgana: There's a reason Tauren and his men got to this point. Uther started this by killing all sorcerers indiscriminately. He brought this on himself!

Arthur: I know. I don't share his ideas on sorcerers either.

Morgana: (in disbelief) Really?

Arthur: Yes!

Morgana: And yet you're organising this slaughter.

Arthur: Because these sorcerers did do harm. It doesn't matter that my father wronged them first. They must to be stopped.

Morgana: Because they are evil sorcerers?

Arthur: No, just because they're evil. Nothing more.

Morgana: (softens her expression, a bit hopeful) You really don't believe all sorceres are evil?

Arthur: I did help you save that druid boy, didn't I?

Morgana: But... You never spoke up and always followed Uther's orders blindly.

Arthur: Because I had to, not because I wanted to. And you speak up more than enough for the both of us.

Morgana: Well it would have helped me for you to speak up for me there.

Arthur: I agree that you could easily fool Tauren. It wouldn't be hard for him to believe you don't share the king's ideas despite being the king's ward since that's already true anyways. But I also agree with my father that it's too dangerous for you.

Morgana: Wouldn't it be for anybody?

Arthur: You're the king's ward.

Morgana: So it's only okay to endanger others if they are not nobelty, isn't it?

Arthur: (sighs) You still don't forgive me for using Gwen's father.

Morgana: Will you forgive me easily if I used Merlin for something like that?

Arthur: ...

Morgana: Let me help. You'll be leading the ambush, Uther doesn't have to know I was involved. Please.

Arthur: (sighs longly) I'm going to regret this.

Morgana: Yes! (hugs him) Thank you!

End of flashback

The ambush is a success. Arthur and the knights kill Tauren and all his followers, leaving a pool of blood behind. It helped that the mage stone Morgana gave to Tauren was actually a replica Merlin helped made.

Arthur: (thinking, while looking at the corpses coldly) 285.

Morgana: (horrified at Arthur's display and guilty because despite knowing they were evil, these people were like her and accepted her)...

Merlin: (overwhelmed, but mostly concerned) Arthur?

Arthur: Lets go. (leaves)

Morgana: (to Merlin) Has he always been like this when he... does this kind of missions?

Merlin: (trying to reassure Morgana, but mostly himself) Yeah... It's... it's normal (thinking) But he has never been this numb while killing people before…

And they leave in an uncomfortable silence.

[kiryoutann]

𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐈𝐃! 𝐀𝐔 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬 ::: 𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐀

LOST AT SEA MASTERLIST (COMING SOON). GENSHIN IMPACT MASTERLIST.

Reincarnation should be a good thing, right? A new chance in life, to become yet another soul chosen to navigate the world once again. Until it isn't.

In the first life, mermaid! reader meets a prince charming. They call him "Ajax" - you learn this after eavesdropping on the mortals' conversation from behind a rock.

Of course, your siblings have warned you about those two-legged landlubbers - that they are cruel, they are merciless and greedy.

"By Poseidon, sister – don't you dare go to shore again. They'll catch you like they did Ariana! They'll descale your fins and take your heart for who knows what!"

When one of your sisters said that, you just nodded pretending to understand. But, well, someone's gotta be the Ariel of the family.

Because it was impossible that Ajax could be the same as those cruel humans.

I mean, don't your brothers and sisters see how he treats animals? That slobbering furry thingy that always follows him every time he wants to go sailing? Mortals call him "Boris". That Boris creature.

Somehow, fate brought you two together. Even the sea and land cannot separate the two of you.

"He promised to marry me, sister!" you said to one of your sisters.

"And you believe him? How will you make sure he will keep his promise, sister? Oh, don't tell me… you've given him that?"

For mermaids, love is not a luxury, but a precious resource. They are said to have just one chance at love in their lifetimes.

When they foolishly give their hearts to a renegade, fate decrees that they shall forever dwell in a state of limbo, torn between the land and the sea. This means that they cannot survive for long on dry land, nor can they venture too far into the depths of the ocean. Instead, they are forced to live on the edge, forever caught between two worlds, no longer able to fully commit to land or sea.

But, Ajax wouldn't do that, right? He is too good, and loves you too much to betray you.

Wrong. Because the night before your wedding, Ajax betrayed you. With another woman.

Every land has a history. The modern era Blue Lagoon is no exception.

In each wave that washes upon its shores holds within it tales of the past, a silent whisper of the countless stories that have shaped the present.

Someone said, before becoming an island exclusively for old money and celebrities, the land once saw the great fury of mother nature.

The storm was so cruel that an entire kingdom was wiped out without a trace. On the other hand, people full of fairy tales say that it was the work of a broken-hearted mermaid.

And when actor! Ajax moved to the said island after breaking up with his cheating girlfriend, he almost laughed from how stupid it sounded. In fact, local people here believe it enough that some people in his circle constantly discuss the existence of a mermaid amidst the champagne and celebrations.

"I think the people here are quite creative. Should submit a script, maybe a director will accept it for a movie." he says. His way of making conversation in his first meeting with the highest paid model of the century - you.

But, when this is Ajax's second life, it is not yours. These cruel centuries have destroyed many but your grudges - your memories.

People are talking about lost kingdoms? About mermaids? As you sipped your champagne and smiled fakely at Ajax, in your heart you knew the truth.

That, indeed, there was an empire before it crumbled. There was love before betrayal. There were mermaids before humans.

And now, caught between land and seas - as a supermodel, you stand before the very vessel that once belonged to your former treacherous lover.

SUPPORT ME THROUGH KO-FI! CHECK MY WRITING COMMISSION.

[katebeckets]

LISTEN THROUGH SILENCE: An MSR Playlist ⤷ Part Two: Scully

It feels close to you, somehow, to say your name out loud.

playlist / songs ↘

SIX by Sleeping at Last / Similar to with Mulder, I haven't really thought about what enneagram I think Scully might be, but the lyrics of this song are so her. Plus: "I want to believe—no, I choose to believe—that I was made to become a sanctuary." I constantly think about "I want to believe" in the context of Scully because that's very much Mulder's thing, but it takes on so much significance when you think about it relating to Scully (just like Mulder choosing not to believe things takes on special significance as well). Mulder wants to believe in so many things, but Scully wants to believe in Mulder—and she chooses to believe.

RENEGADE by Big Red Machine & Taylor Swift / Very very Scully to Mulder. I mean— "there was nowhere for me to stay, but I stayed anyway" and "you fire off missiles 'cause you hate yourself, but do you know you're demolishing me? And then you squeeze my hand as I'm about to leave" and "it's time, you've come a long way / open the blinds, let me see your face / you wouldn't be the first renegade to need somebody" and "is it insensitive for me to say / get your shit together / so I can love you." But "open the blinds, let me see your face" really gets me because Scully truly does see Mulder, she sees him better than anyone ever has.

BETWEEN THE LINES by Sara Bareilles / Oof, this one huuuurts. I chose the title of this playlist from this song ("listen through silence") because I feel like it goes pretty well with Mulder's playlist ("amidst the chaos," also from a Sara Bareilles song) and because it's so much of what Scully does while Mulder learns—she listens through silence and reads between the lines. ALSO: "I'm queen of attention to details, defending intentions if he fails." Scully is forever the first to defend Mulder no matter what he does, always from a place of love.

BREATHE by Lauv / There are so many songs that could be applied to both of them, but for some reason or another I choose it for one of their individual playlists (this being one of them). I think one of my favorite parts fits Mulder better—"I should leave 'cause you deserve better"—but overall this song made me think of Scully, especially during I Want to Believe. "You're my all and more, but I need room to breathe."

WATER WORSHIP PRAY by Grace Power / This song also makes me think of I Want to Believe, and I especially love this song for Scully because of all the religious imagery. "How can two people fall apart when they both want the same thing? How can my happiness be you, but I'm not happy at all?" OW. And also: "First peace I ever knew / Can't love you well enough to keep you or enough to let you go / I'd rather stay in purgatory with you than in heaven alone."

IF PATIENCE DOESN'T KILL ME by Alison Sudol / I'm very aware that this is a pretty specific sound that not everyone will love, but I love Alison Sudol and I feel like this song is perfect for Scully so I kept it anyway. I just feel like the lyrics fit her perfectly—"if patience is a virtue, I abound / ... / if patience doesn't kill me, I'm yours." And it's where the description comes from—"it feels close to you, somehow, to say your name out loud." It feels like they constantly are calling for each other both because they want them there and trust they will be there, but also because the simple act of calling for each other makes them feel less alone.

GIVE UP THE GHOST by Rosi Golan & Johnny McDaid / Another song I love (I would've titled this "Quiet the Noise" if I hadn't already used that as a playlist title) that takes on new meaning when you think about it in an MSR context. Ghosts take on a different significance when thinking about Mulder (also, @leiascully just KILLED me with her fic and "I don't love anything more than I love you, Scully. Not even ghosts." Literally what the fuck). Even the very beginning of this song—"come here, it's all worth the fight when it's you, dear." And "slow down, we're losing the meaning of words now / quiet the noise 'cause we made a mountain of minuscule things." And Scully really does quiet his noise.

THE BEACON by A Fine Frenzy / The lyrics in the gifset are from this song and if I could write out the entire song without it being ridiculous, I would. I swear this could truly be a song written by Scully about Mulder. I mean, just starting with the first verse: "You say your time has come / you're tired of waking up / don't be obscene, I can't conceive of living without you / You say you drag me down, no one should want you now / I start to cry, you kiss my eyes and say I'm not allowed to." And then, AND THEN the second verse: "you were a child forgot / lessons of love untaught / now no embrace can quite replace the one that never found you / I was raised tenderly / all that was taught to me / I will apply / Your parents tried, but they didn't know how to." Like. Okay. Sure. That's fine.

SATURN by Sleeping at Last / I know I'm not alone with this one because I've seen multiple videos of them set to this song, but I chose to put it on Scully's playlist because it really makes me think of Mulder's abduction arc/when he wakes up in "Deadalive." Just imagine her listening to this song sitting by his side, holding his hand, willing him to wake up. GAH.

YOU MATTER TO ME by Jessie Mueller & Drew Gehling / This is another song I was debating for both of them, but the first verse especially makes me think of Scully: "I could find the whole meaning of life in those sad eyes / they've seen things you never quite say, but I hear / come out of hiding, I'm right here beside you / and I'll stay there as long as you'll let me."

SOMEONE WHO LOVES ME by Sara Bareilles / This song wrecks me and has some of the most beautiful lyrics I've ever heard. One reason I love it for Scully is because of the hug at the end of "Irresistable." This is another song I would have considered for a playlist title ("my home, my heart") if I hadn't already used it before. But the way it's sung always gets to me—"my home, my heart, thank god you are someone who loves me," like she's exhaling into the safety of his arms.

I F*CKING LOVE YOU by Zolita / The song pretty much says it all: "what if I let it slip, tell you that oh my god, I fucking love you."

WHO WOULD'VE THOUGHT by Emily James / I absolutely love the first part of this song when she says "I just wanna say that I'm not going anywhere anytime soon unless it's with you." What really made me think of MSR was this, though: "'cause we've been busy lying to ourselves, swearing it would never work / promising that we were just friends / it's funny how it doesn't make sense / and then it does." And I love the idea of Scully thinking again about how different her life is, how this is so far from where she thought she'd be, but with a little bit of wonder: "who would've thought that it would've been you?"

[celaenaeiln]

Ive been reading the older comics (1950s) of World’s Finest, and I just realised Batman is so smiley and full of expression while Superman kind of isn’t. Is there a reason for this change or is it just the authors and time changing haha

YES!! Yes to both but I have so much to say about this because it's not just about time changing, but the way real life changed is intertwined in the comics in their character growths.

Batman

Let's start with the grim avenger. Here's the thing - the grim avenger wasn't grim because he had Dick Grayson by his side and I'll explain how the medal ages and Bruce's happiness is connected to how close Dick was to Bruce and the relationship Dick had with Bruce influences his view later on of his father in comparison to how the rest of the batkids see Bruce.

As you said, Bruce was the happiest he's ever been in the 1950s. He and Dick had the time of their lives, sunshine, glory, joy, adventure - you name it and they had it all. This was the Golden Age.

Batman (1940) Issue #46

Detective Comics (1937) Issue #95

But as time passed, Dick eventually began to grow up. When the Teen Titans first formed, the Golden Age of comics transitioned into the Silver Age as Dick began to work more independently from Bruce but was still close. The Bronze Age was when Dick was on the cusp of leaving and then just left (1970s-1985s).

The reason I'm bringing this up as to why Bruce changed, it has to do with Dick. When Dick went off to college, Bruce actually shut the cave down and moved out of the manor with Alfred because he didn't know how to be Batman without Dick. He said he was going on a little soul-searching to find himself again.

Batman (1940) Issue #217

But real-life readers got really mad this and said, "Bruce was always a grim detective. When he was with Robin, he was too happy! We want to see him angry like he used to be!" So the writers realized that Bruce turning away from Batman was huge mistake so this set forth the grim avenger batman thing again.

Dick also feels the same way, that him moving to college was what changed the dynamics between them.

Secret Origins (1986) Issue #13

Granted Bruce is mad that Dick decided to drop out of college in favor of being Robin but it's also about the fact that Bruce wouldn't have responded like this before. Something's changed. And overall it can be summed up to Bruce being angry, frustrated, upset, and lonely with Dick gone, those emotions compounding into a new or renegaded form of Batman, Dick coming back and realizing - he doesn't want to be controlled and he doesn't want to be this new darker version of Bruce. The change in idealisms were Dick is more light-hearted and Bruce is slowly becoming Darker weighs on Bruce too.

Bruce's pov of the situation -

Batman (1940) Issue #138

Dick's pov -

Secret Origins (1986) Issue #13

Dick didn't want to be like Batman, Bruce was already upset but Dick's gradual distance from who he was turning into combined with his frustration of himself - it led Bruce to become the person he is now, someone he doesn't like and it's this circling self-hatred of what he become that keeps him perpetually angry and moody.

It's so important to talk about this because it's not just a time change, it's actively part of the comics. It's part of who Bruce is and why he is this way now. To explain more on what I said and elaborate further on what you said about Bruce becoming less smile-y :

Batman (1940) Issue #359

He lashes out at Dick, feels bad about it, and grumps over how he can't trust anyone in the world and this just keeps continuing over the years.

Tim and Dick actually talk about this too, the idea that Bruce was different with Dick then he was later on. Going on a slight tangent here but during one time in Gotham Knights Dick gets "dismayed" at Tim because Tim questions Bruce's morality and Dick's like "How dare you! He's a good person, he's amazing." And Tim's just like "No, he's not??"

Batman: Gotham Knights Issue #26

Dick grouches about this with Barbara and she tells him -

Batman: Gotham Knights Issue #26

slayy

Again what she says "First of all, the Bruce who raised you and the Bruce who works with Tim are not exactly the same man. Tim has had a very different experience, and is likely to have very different thoughts and beliefs."

Tim says it too in Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying when he's comparing Dick and Jason's Robin eras -

Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying

And Dick talks about it again with Checkmate in the Checkmate (2006) comic about how he used to make Bruce laugh. He's quiet for a moment and then they talk somberly about how Bruce never laughs anymore.

So to sum it all up, the reason Bruce changed was because Dick drifted apart from him as he aged and he grew more independent, and Bruce as a result felt stifled and upset by this change and grew more independent too but in a darker way, and all these changes between Dick and him as well as within himself led to him being gloomier and grumpier. The authors also played a big part in acknowledging Bruce changing as a result of Dick leaving but also due to the readers' responses of having Batman return to his stern countenance of a time before Dick came along. Hence the decreasing medal ages that went from a happy Bruce Wayne to the sad and waspish one we know now. But maybe it also has to do with the fact that Bruce and Dick stopped getting to ride the backs of dinosaurs, fight pirates, and play prince and the pauper with real princes lol.

Superman

Clark is a very different story and I think it's because of how it's the reverse of Batman. In the beginning Clark was very - stern? He definitely wasn't smiling or laughing or fuzzy feelings but it wasn't the author's intention for him to be any of that. In the beginning, Superman was portrayed be a powerful and virtuous hero, fighting for truth, justice, and the American way. This portrayal was aimed at providing readers an uplifting and optimistic character during hard times because he was created in 1939 and it was the end of the Great Depression (1929 - 1939) and the beginning of WWII (1939 - 1945). The fact that it was the end of the great depression only made it worse because the depression only ended due to millions of men and women going off to fight war. So it was just VERY upsetting times and therefore Superman was a symbol of hope - for the war.

Superman (1939) Issue #12

Superman (1939) Issue #8

Superman (1939) Issue #34

But as soon as the war ended, you see a shift in the way Superman is written.

Superman (1939) Issue #36

Superman (1939) Issue #76

I guess it all comes down to this - Clark's writers were focused on his deeds. It was about solving problems and that's it. Whereas with Bruce, the focus was on solving problems but it was done through his relationships. He relied heavily on Dick as a partner and best friend and they were able to share their difficulties and have fun whereas Clark had no one, except Lois but in civilian identity. Because of this, it wasn't until later comics when writers started introducing new elements, exploring different aspects of his character, and adapting to the changing cultural and social contexts that these interpretations have included moments of joy, personal growth, and triumphs, as well as challenges, conflicts, and moments of introspection.

Superman: Heroes

It was both the ending of the war and gradually interacting with other characters that made his personality lighter and funner to read. You can even think about it this way - as Clark started to rely more on people, he started to open up and become more light hearted as the years passed but as Bruce began to distrust people and rely less on others, his personality grew darker and angrier. Bruce and Clark went through the same personality changes but Bruce started pretty early on with Dick and lost him leading to a downward turn in personality whereas Clark started with no one then gained Lois and Jimmy Olsen causing an upward trend. Two sides of a coin.

Moral of the story folks: learn to rely on others or end up like Batman.

[topaz-carbuncle]

"To be loved is to be known" is a quote that I've been thinking about a lot recently, especially when it comes to how well that quote can work with garrus and Shepard's relationship. Both platonically and romantically.

Even before his romance, from the moment you recruit garrus, he's checking up on Shepard without any prompting. "Frankly, i'm more worried about you. Cerberus, Shepard?" He knows that Shepard wouldn't be working with them without a damn good reason, so he accepts whatever reason Shep has, instead choosing to voice his worries and rejoin Shepard as if those 2 years never happened. He trusts shepard enough to join a potentially dangerous workplace, knowing shepard would not allow anything to happen to him.

Not to mention that Shepard didn't exactly get to officially ask Garrus to join the crew, he just woke up in a new Normandy med bay and they both knew he would be there until the end. No Shepard without Vakarian, and all.

In mass effect 3, regardless of romance or bro/femshep, Garrus is the one to get Shepard to rest after Tuchanka. He knows that besides Earth, losing Mordin was the first personal hit that Shepard has taken since the war started. Being a pessimist, he is also more than aware that it won't be the last and that there's only so much that platitudes can do. So he does what he can, reassuring Shepard that he will keep an eye on things (unromanced) and will wake her (romanced) if anything happens. He knows the stress and burden that's been placed on her, so he does what he can to lessen it just enough to get a few hours of sleep.

My personal favourite romance scene in the 3rd game is the conversation with him after Thessia, despite Shepard's worsening mood when speaking to the crew post-mission, he continues as normal. He doesn't make a huge deal out of the mission and instead, Shepard is met with relief with the news about his family, critical thinking when discussing the call he made, then sharing her own thoughts before allowing herself to receive his comfort.

Garrus knows what Shepard needs in these circumstances, he's always there to give her the truth as well as to reassure her. "But humans want to save everyone. In this war, that's not going to happen." , "I tend to expect the worst, anyway." and "Before a certain turian with no romantic skills to speak of tries to cheer you up?"

He doesn't sugarcoat his thoughts, he doesn't downplay anything for her sake because he knows she needs someone to be that rock for her.

It goes both ways as well, especially if you view the outcomes of Garrus' loyalty as Shepard acting on behalf of what Garrus will need vs what he wants if you talk him down from taking the shot. Shepard knows that Garrus is standing on a thin line between getting justice for his team or acting out of revenge. She knows that shooting sidonis won't undo the hurt and will just be another body piled on top of it all, this time the blood actually being on his hands.

Or, if you prefer the renegade path, Shepard knows that Garrus needs to take out the final thing keeping him tied to Omega. That Garrus needs his team to be avenged so that he can stop carrying those souls with him and finally put them to rest.

It's such a brief discussion, but after recruiting him in me3, shepard is also very quick to ask about his family and then reassure him that they will be okay. After everything they have been through (not even just with the reapers) and all the losses they have collectively endured, she still doesn't hesitate to comfort him when it comes to his family.

I just love these two and their relationship so much

[queenofthearchipelago]

"Go and tell your friend the good news..."

That's what the Metatron said to Aziraphale before the Final Fifteen. And I wanna take a second to talk about the word choice there.

The Good News

In Christianity, people tell each other to "spread the good news." They believe it is part of their purpose to spread the good news.

And what is the good news?

That Jesus died on the cross for their sins, so they can be saved from death, and live forever in Heaven with their Heavenly Father, their God who loves them. All they have to do is believe.

So when the Metatron tells Aziraphale to "tell his friend the good news." He's not saying that to be friendly. He's not saying this is an amazing and happy thing. What he is saying is "Angel, serve your purpose. Spread the good news."

He's telling Aziraphale to do his job.

It was an order. And that's why the Metatron walked in after the Final Fifteen assuming that Aziraphale was coming with him. Because simply by having that conversation with Crowley in the first place, he'd already said yes to the job of being an angel again.

He spread the good news.

You can be saved. From Hell, from death. You can come live forever with your soulmate who loves you. You can be saved.

"Heaven is the side of good."

He did his job.

This is it, the moment he was no longer a renegade angel. He going in to work.

And this?

Just, maybe let's analyze the final fifteen with the assumption that Aziraphale was already working the moment he walked into the bookshop. I think we'll find some value there. And perhaps some more insight into his intentions. Did he actually want Crowley to come with him? What did the Metatron say that Aziraphale felt he had to return to being a working angel after just one conversation? All we actually know is what Crowley knows. What Aziraphale decided to tell him about what the Metatron said, after all.

And more importantly...

Was the Metatron using the phrase "the good news" as a threat? That Jesus was coming back and everything would be destroyed? That Crowley would die and be sent to Hell forever if he didn't accept the good news?

Or maybe that Crowley wouldn't just die. Maybe he'd be destroyed if he said no.

Or maybe...

Or maybe Aziraphale thought it was all a trap, and he didn't want Crowley to come. Hence the insults about Hell being the bad guys among other strange choices in what he said.

All I know is that Aziraphale is a horrible liar. But he can do it when he needs to.

"You have my word as an angel."

An angel.

An angel.

He can lie. As an angel.

Not Crowley's angel. Heaven's angel.

He can lie as an angel.

Maybe Aziraphale does know better than thinking Heaven is the side of good. But he's clocked into work and he's lying his ethereal face off for the greater good of saving Crowley and hopefully Earth too.

[totallyunbiasedspnpolls]

BEST NEEDLE DROP IN SPN

This will probably be our toughest triad of polls KNOWN TO THE SPN FANDOM. (In our humble opinion, at any rate.) Firstly: what is a needle drop? For the purposes of these polls, a needle drop is an instance of music licensing, or music not written for (but brilliantly used in) the show. There were bunches, but we narrowed it down to our top 30, divided at random into groups of 10. The three winners of these polls will then compete for the A-1, first place, bestest needle drop in hit cult series, Supernatural. Hold onto your headphones, fandom, and LET'S GET VOTING!

NOTE: We didn't include 'Carry On Wayward Son', because come on, that just wouldn't be fair. Oh, and we used the original show selections, not whatever transpired via Netflix. Part 2 Part 3