#Home Tuition for Class 5 | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

directdogman · 2 days ago

Text

We asked some of the DT cast for stories from earlier in their lives!

Gingi: "Hmmm... That's a tricky one. Well, there was... Uhhh... Okay, no. Not that. Uhhh... Pass."

Randy: "From MY life? Uhhh... Like, from when I was a kid or something? Uhhh... I, uhhh- Oh! Okay, s-so... I think I was about fourteen, right? Uhhh, my father was kinda... Y'see, he'd yell at me sometimes, like, "Randy, why aren't you GOOD at anything! I didn't raise a lazy QUITTER. You're going to find something that you're GOOD at if you're gonna continue living under this roof!" So, uhhh, I had to learn to play an i-instrument, y'know?

Uhhh, I-I think he picked the clarinet for me 'cause my brothers already played guitar and piano, y'know? Uhhh... Then I was trying to practice it at home... a LOT, and he stormed into the room, SNATCHED it from my hands and snapped it. He went off about how I couldn't do anything right, I was a failure of a son, I didn't live up... [Randy clears his throat] Heh... Anyway, I was relieved! I HATED playing that thing! I could never get my fingers in the right places fast enough, y-y'know?"

Karen: "Hmmm... I don't have many stories from when I was in school. I kinda kept to myself. I wasn't noticed a lot. I liked it better that way. But, when I was seventeen, our class was entered into a regional math competition. Basically, we had to solve equations in our spare time, and whoever got the most right answers got a prize. I did a LOT of them. Fifteen hours worth, one week. I was mostly curious to see how I'd place if I really tried for a short burst of time, see how I ranked. But, I kept going... and I ended up ranking in the top 5. Nationally.

The organizers invited all of us to a ceremony where they handed out prizes. Our parents too. I watched other people from my class get smaller prizes one by one, for participating and when I didn't get one, I figured they'd just forgotten about me. It happens, I wasn't surprised. But, then out of nowhere, they started handing out scholarships to the top 5 entrants. I was one of the five.

I can't tell you how it felt to be one of them, to be seen. To be recognized for giving it my all. Anyway. My parents weren't there, they arrived an hour after the whole thing ended, after everyone left. I told them about my win. My mother pointed out that the scholarship would've only covered a portion of my full tuition. I asked why they weren't there. She got angry and said I'd texted her the wrong time. I didn't. We went out for dinner after that. My sister seemed proud."

Oliver: "Oh, man! Uhhh... Where to begin! Y'know, I was a real menace when I was in school! I wanted the world and I wanted it now! Oh! Oh! Okay, so back when I was in high school, we got all this HAM and then... Oh. Actually, y'know what, that story has a crime in it- Not, like, a BAD one, but...

Okay. Uhhh. Something, uhhh- Oh! I've got it. So, I was six years old, right? My mom came to pick me up from school that day, as per usual! The thing is, it was actually my BIRTHDAY! She didn't give me my present that morning, said she'd show me what she had for me as soon as I got home. I was stoked! I knew it had to be something REALLY gnarly or really pathetic for her NOT to want to show it to me right away and there's no way she would've short-changed me!

So, we got home and there it was. She'd gotten me a SNAKE. I'd been reading books, talking about 'em CONSTANTLY... I didn't think she'd- Uhhh- It's not- Well, it wasn't a typical gift to give a kid like me, y'know? But, she noticed how much I loved them and wanted me to have one.

Aw, he was the cutest little guy too! A corn snake! So, y'know, I got to hold him all the time and... Aw, I miss that little guy! I called him Mr Slithers when I first got him, but then we started calling him Schlep! Y'know, like Asclepius? The Greek God with the snakes! Aw, I miss that little guy… We didn't always have much, with my dad gone, but she always made sure I knew how much I meant to her."

Norm: "You want a story from MY life? Pardner, I've been around the world, OFF the world, in one end o' a wormhole and out th' the other SIDE. Where would I begin? Well... I worked at NASA for a spell, but I... Ah, t' hell with all that. I was with the Air Force, back in Korea. I 'member... Back when I was still a Corporal, actin'-Sergeant, th' job wasn't JUS' about shootin' down other planes. Sometimes we also handled folks who surrendered on th' ground, y'know? Admittin' POWS, which we traded back fer our own.

Anyway, we had this one fella, Choe somethin'... You'll have t' forgive me, it's all a lil fuzzy now. He was a conscript, o' course. Jus' wanted to see th' end of the war. 'Cause o' my rank, it was my job t' oversee th' cataloguin' what he had on 'im and t' get him t' sign the completed inventory. The fella had a PPSh-41. Full drum. Doubt he'd ever even fired th' thing... It was MY firs' time holdin' one. Always wondered how they handled.

I looked at Choe, I looked at my buddy Reggie... Oh. I knew Reggie from all th' way back in Phoenix... He picked up the language better than me... Y'know, they used t' give us candy in our rations. Hershey's Tropical. Haven't seen any on the shelves since the warp, but… Eh. A half-decent candy bar's pretty fillin', good source o' calories, stops yer men from losin' their goddamned minds. Even perfected the recipe fer the climate. Didn't melt like the bars here. Sorry, I'm ramblin' again.

So, I made Choe an offer, with Reggie's help. We leave the gun offa the form, he gets the candy bar. The, uhhh, gist of what he said t' Reggie was that the gun was o' no use to him now that he'd been captured, but he'd very much like the candy bar. So, we left it off the form and o' course, he signed it. That night, me and Reggie went out, drank a whole bunch o' somaek and fired that thing off 'til we didn't have a single bullet left fer that drum. That night was really somethin'."

God: "Oh, man, have I seen some shit... I mean, hell, I've lived a lot of lives… I know I mightn't look it now, but hey, I had my fair share of jobs, little things for myself to do, friends... But, not anymore. Y'see... Ah. I just had this feelin' set in over time. A realization, I guess you could call it. There was this rot inside me. Every go around, there were these similarities. I'd notice more of 'em each time. I'd know stuff before it happened. I'd know people's thoughts before they'd think 'em... and. It was revolting, what I was doing. Keeping people around me that I knew would outlive me, taking up valuable time, making their lives worse for… Ah, you wouldn't get it.

Anyway, I tried to shove the feelings down for a long time, but sooner or later, I couldn't sleep at night, ignoring what I knew. I was a piece of filth, plain and simple. I made the world worse for being in it, and I couldn't make up for all that time, bein' around people for so long. The only thing I could do to make it up to everyone was to disappear. But, if I just went, people would've missed me. That wasn't right either. They had to know why. So, I went to everyone I knew. Well, anyone who'd care if I left. And I told 'em everything about me. Every bad thing I'd said, done, the things I should've done... What I was, deep down. If I thought of anything I didn't want to say, I said it. With as much detail as I could think up.

Then, I started walking. I doubt anyone came to look for me. Doesn't really matter now, does it? Heh. I've been wanderin' ever since. You gotta keep your distance from people, y'know? A quick bite and a how-do-ya-do's dandy and all, but any more than that, and you risk getting attached. Or havin' other people get attached to you. Nothin' lasts forever."

Bigfoot: [wistful ape noises]

(It was dark at the foot of the Appalachian mountains. Far above the tapestry of leaves and pine needles, the sky was alight with stars. Distant, yet the dim specks staining the dark expanse above the trees were the only light reaching this place now. A shaggy behemoth sprinted through the foliage at a breakneck pace, knocking any tree unlucky enough to be in its path back with its hefty arms. Never slowing down, never stopping.

Suddenly, a powerful beam shone down from above. Brighter than the moon, glaring like the sun. The giant halted suddenly, locking up as the light hit its lens. It looked up slowly, his gaze trying to meet the light. Barely perceptible amidst the haze, a figure loomed on a branch, its silhouette visible against the sky as the absence of starlight. Its spotlight head flickered as if it was scanning, now the brightest thing against the sky. After a pause, the figure unfurled its wings and gracefully glided to the ground, where it landed. Even against the windless tranquility of the woods, its landing made little sound. The hulking beast didn't stir. He had seen this figure before, always at a distance. Closer each time. Mistakable for the moon against the night sky.

The furred brute thought to flee, but it had seen this figure in flight. He was swift, but it was much swifter. The figure inched gradually closer, its steps slow, deliberate and silent. Slower than it'd had ever moved before. As it stopped right in front of him, its head dimmed, allowing him to see it better. As he studied its slender figure, its head cocked in place, as if scanning him. A dim whir now audible from the bulb. At that moment, the monster felt as if the being was looking into his soul. Its movements were sorrowful and graceful, each movement angled like a bow. It could truly see him.

Slowly, a feathered wing extended towards him, gracefully connecting with the side of his head. The first time he'd felt the contact of another in a quarter of a century. The monster barely shirked, causing her to retract her wing momentarily. As he gazed back towards her, his lens now locked onto the bulb sitting atop the slender body before him, the figure's wing slowly caressed his face. No noises were exchanged, but the beast knew what this touch meant. "You could be happy."

Momentarily remembering who he was, the behemoth retracted. He sighed, his gaze now meeting only the dimly lit leaves at their feet. She too knew what this meant. "There is another." The figure looked down as well, visibly dejected. Not at his rejection, but for fate's cruel acumen. After a silent moment, its wings unfurled and it took flight, disappearing into the branches above them. Unsure of itself, the monster stepped forward, the moon's light glinting between the branches. Regaining its composure, the titan began its sprint again. Never ceasing, never yielding. It would find its family. Even if it had to search every inch of this land.)

Little Billy: "get fucked, narc."

Stabby and Shooty: "Oh, man! Have WE got some stories!" "Lotsa stories! Heh heh heh!" "Y'know, we're kinda bad boys… Hard eggs!" "The hardest! HEH HEH HEH!" "Y'know, we-" "Oh! Oh! Slick! Tell 'em about the time you i-" "…No. Not that one, bro." "What?! It's the most GANGSTER shit either of us h-" "I said DROP IT! OKAY?!" "…" "…" "…" "…" "Sorry, bro…"

Mayor Mingus: "What is this, for a MAGAZINE?! I don't have time for any of this. In case you haven't noticed, I have a CITY to run, and anything I don't do myself WON'T be done correctly. Now, if you'll excuse me..."

("When I was a kid, I used to bring Maw Maw to church. Someone had to. When she got older, she lost much of her sight. Her optical sensors deteriorated and she wouldn't let anyone open up her head to replace them. She never explained why. I was happy to spend time with her, though. Especially since my father never joined us. Like HE'D ever step foot in a church.

I never believed in any of that malarkey either, to be clear. I don't even think she did, until her later years. Perhaps it comforted her? I guess that's beside the point. After every sermon, we'd go out and get a burger at the Burger Hovel in the mall across the street. Then, we'd go upstairs and she'd try on clothes at the department store. Because of her sight, she couldn't read the tags on her own. She needed me there for that, to know if something would fit. She rarely bought anything. I think she just liked trying them on, being someone else for a little while... It was nice, though. Being useful, helping her do something she couldn't do on her own.")

#dialtown #dialtown phonegingi #phonegingi #dialtown karen #karen dunn #dialtown oliver #oliver swift #mayor mingus #dialtown mingus #sgt norm allen #dialtown norm

373 notes · View notes

mochinek0 · 4 months ago

Text

Daminette December: 5- (SUB) Not Dead Yet

Robin froze as a civilian jumped in front of a speeding vehicle, pushing a child out of the path. He had never seen someone in Gotham act so selfless. He quickly changed his route and rushed to the scene. What surprised him even more was that the civilian was a girl about his age. He wasn't sure when medic had arrived, but he kept an eye on her vitals. They had looked over the child, learning he only had a few scratches.

---

Robin wanted to know more about the selfless civilian. He snuck into her hospital room and learned her name: Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Through his background research he learned she was a foreign exchange student at his school. She was from Paris. The doctors had notified the school, but that's where the communication seemed to have ended. Damian decided to make it his mission to learn her reasoning; she wasn't like him. She wasn't a 'Robin'. It should have been his job to save the child.

Damian quickly notified the hospital that Marinette was now under his care and his name. Marinette was to be treated as a Wayne. He would be paying for her bills; he wanted all tests and lab results. Within seconds, he had her medical file on his screen. He quickly called her parents in Paris and informed them about the sitcuation; they had never been notified. Damian told them he would be talking to the school about their lack of ethics. He was going to be pulling some of their funding, but the Dupain-Chengs' didn't need to know that.

"I do have a few questions." Damian spoke, addressing her parents.

"Of course." Sabine stated quickly, "Anything to help!"

"This isn't medical." he continued, "What is your daughter doing so far away from Paris? It says she's enrolled in Gotham's fashion program. Surely she realizes that she would have more opportunities at home."

Tom and Sabine sighed, before Tom spoke, "Our daughter was heavidly bullied. It wasn't one person or a few. From how she explained it, it was her whole class; staff included."

'What?'

"We spoke to the board about our daughter's mental health and her concerns. Once they heard staff was involves, they allowed her to transfer anywhere she wanted."

"And she chose Gotham." Damian declared.

Sabine nodded, "She has a full paid scholarship that was to be revoked if they found evidence that Mairnette was making the whole thing up. We would have to pay her tuition or her way home, ourselves. We heard from the board last week that a student was expelled for instigating everything. They also told us that the staff were to receive disciplinary action."

"I could not picture your daughter as a bully, after saving a child." the young Wayne commented, "I will keep you updated with her progress."

"Thank you." They replied.

---

The moment Marinette woke up, Damian was notified. On his way over, he called her parents with the news. When he walked in, she was sitting up, staring out the window. She turned at the sound of the door and it was as if he was seeing her for the first time again. He froze. The pictures he had viewed of her didn't do her eyes justice.

'Bright blue eyes and raven hair; she must have been a Robin in another life.'

"My name is Damian Wayne." He introduced himself, "I have been in communication with your parents about your progress. Do you remember what happened?"

"No." Mari replied, "Do I know you? I don't remember you."

"No." he spoke, "I saw your act of bravery and wanted to help."

Marinette smiled, "I'm glad I've met someone so kind."

'Kind, me? This girl wasn't a Robin; she's an Angel.'

---

With the help of the doctors and her parents, they had come to realize that Marinette was suffering amnesia. She had lost years of her life. She had initially thought she was in Paris. Her parents decided not to overwhelm her, all at once, and told her she signed up for a foreign exchange program, but they would talk more about it when she was fully recovered and could be discharged from the hospital.

Damian walked Marinette through Gotham's Botanical Garden. He had brought a spare notebook and pencils, in case if she wanted to draw. She hadn't felt like drawing since she woke up, but her parents told her she loved it. It had been one year since she woke up, and she was fully capable of walking on her own. Marinette had been determined to get through her physical therapy. Damian kept her occupied with tutoring her, both for schoolwork and languages. As they looked around, Damian could picture her underneath the trees drawing in a notebook. He could see her up close to flowers, trying to get the petal details right or the colors.

"Marinette." He spoke so softly, she almost missed it, "Do you regret losing your memory?"

"No." she answered, instantly, "I saved Michael and....it brought you to me. I made a friend, I will always remember."

Damian remained silent as she continued to look at the flowers. It was at that moment he realized he hadn't met a mysterious person; he had met his future wife.

"Besides, I'm not dead yet." Mari smiled, "We can help more people, can't we?"

"Yes." he spoke, grabbing her hand, "We can."

@maribat-calendar-events

TAG LIST- DAMINETTE: @meme991001 @umbreon-worshipper @stainedglassm @jasmine-the-fox @psychicdelusionwerewolf @vixen-uchiha @mysteriouschar @missmadwoman @kanamexzeroyaoifangirl @dissarraymania @tundra1029 @abrx2002 @mrsjacuinde @ledalasombra @animegirlweeb

UNSPECIFIED- @animeweebgirl @a-star-with-a-human-name @alysrose-starchild @fandom-trapped-03 @dood-space @moonlightstar64 @saltymiraculer @marveldcedits20 @09shell-sea09 @icerosecrystal @insane-fangirl-of-everything @blueblossombliss @nickristus-dreamer @megawhitleycalderonpaganus @tigresslily @legodetectivemalsblog

#marinette x damian #damian x marinette #marinette dupain cheng #damian wayne #mlb x dc #dc x mlb #obsessed damian #brave marinette #amnesia marinette #savior marinette #daminette #daminette december #mochinek0

151 notes · View notes

satellitespinner · 1 year ago

Text

✼ mommy issues .. (one)

a/n: oh did you think this was gonna be a cute lil fluff fic? nahh it’s sad city down there!! be careful..

content warnings: ANGST panic attacks.. hurt (no comfort.) joel is dead. ellie’s a lil sad :/// ellie’s a lil anxious… ellie’s a projection of me.. ANYWAYS. reader and ellie are kinda the same but different ??? swearing ofc.. reader is very much okay with being a lesbian ! and she’s on good terms with the baby fawtha cause what! ellie is not fond of children apparently?? she also might be autistic.

wc: 2k.

taglist: @flowersforvi @diddiqueen @ellslvr @saturnsdrafts @3lli3l0v3r @williamssgirl @liasxeatt @adelaide013 @a-little-bit-of-everybody @elliessweetheart @pedropascalsbbg @ellies2missingfingers @nelzooo @r3starttt @jaeminpookie @onlinelesbo @tphmnv @p4ison1vy @pascals-doll @snowy-vee @diddiqueen

ellie grew up around masculinity, thats why people assume she is the way she is. but ellie can assure that her brain would work the exact same way if she had a mother.

plus, she had joel. that was really all she needed. she still knew how to be a woman. it’s not like she grew up without a mother and didn’t know anything about herself.

2 WEEKS AND 4 DAYS AGO..

ellie sighed and threw the white stained towel over her shoulder. fuck she muttered under her breath as she read yet another email.

ATTENTION STUDENTS!

You will all be required to purchase the following textbooks in order to complete the course - They will help immensely in the upcoming exam. I recommend reading carefully and thoroughly.

Sincerely,

Prof Morgan.

all 5 of the books linked in the email were over $150.00 each. how the fuck was she supposed to work that out? all while paying her own tuition, rent and utilities.

“yo, williams!” her manager jesse yelled, interrupting her calculations.

“breaks over.” he snatches the towel from her shoulder and makes his way back into the kitchen with it in tow.

she scoffs and shoves her phone back into her polyester pocket. jesse’s head pops back into the room “oh and” he starts before turning to her. “you’re training today” she scoffs and lifts herself off the chair.

“is that even in my job description?” she follows him out of the kitchen once again.

“sure it is, i just described it to you.” he winks, ellie huffs.

the sky had dimmed by the time ellies shift was over. skating home was gonna be a bitch.

“you need a ride home?” dina places a hand atop her shoulder, a helpful smile on her face. ellie really wanted to say no. she’s been asking for help from others so much lately.

“no, uhh- i’ll get home t’night. thanks dee.” she nods as she grabs her skateboard from her locker. have the trucks always been this lose?

“no, i insist.” dina presses. she pulls out her keys and throws her bag over her shoulder.

“let’s go, my child.” she giggles at the nickname. ellies shoulders relax.

“thanks again, i really appreciate it.” ellie said, her tone laced with genuine gratitude. dina dismisses her with a hand flick. “don’t even sweat it.” she bragged. “now get goin, it’s late.”

ellie pushes the car door open with a steady grip on her skateboard. her smile falters as she waves dina off.

she unlocks her door with a trembling hand, she hated being alone.

the picture of her and joel neatly placed beside the coat rack mocked her as she placed her skateboard down in its dedicated spot. she stared into the picture until the colors morphed into one big glob.

the loss of not just a parent, but her only parent cut her deep. she could barely lift her head for the first while, nevermind go to work. she should be proud of herself! but she isn’t.

how could she be? she felt like everyone else in her life was doing so much with themselves. dina had a kid for fucks sake! dina had a whole kid and ellie couldn’t even get to class on time.

“fuck.” she muttered as she placed her keys down. bills upon bills were flooding the kitchen counter. tears burned at her eyes, blurring her eyesight.

i look so pathetic right now. she thought. a slight chuckle leaving her throat at that.

she tried to blink back the tears but she couldn’t, they just kept coming.

her silent whimpers quickly turned to snotty sobs as her chest heaved in and out involuntarily. she placed a heavy hand on her heart as she slid down the kitchen cabinet. soon enough she found herself completely breathless and wailing.

she eventually calmed herself through deep breaths and a cold glass of water. as she does through every panic attack, although the melancholic feeling always lingered.

after joels death ellie could never find herself truly happy. especially not in an environment where he was everything, everytime she turned around she was reminded of the man who wasn’t even her real father.

nothing was really hers.

she made her way down the dark, dusty hallway to her bedroom. desks adorned with pictures of her and joel. she ignored them this time.

she stripped of her uniform and took to the shower. the water burning her skin till it turned red. she scrubbed harshly at her scalp and body. she smelt like grease. gross.

the after shower feeling made her feel a bit better. she grabbed her toothbrush and rinsed it before wiping a glob of colgate toothpaste on the bristles and shoving it in her mouth.

ellie chased sleep for what felt like an eternity. her damp hair scratching at her neck was definitely a part of the problem.

thank god she didn’t work saturdays..

the first 30 seconds of ellie’s day were complete bliss, usually. but not today.

today ellie woke up to the obnoxious sound of a child crying. she decided right then and there that the universe hates her and wants her to die. (but she thinks that about everyone in her life..)

she scoffs and walks over to the curtains, her own padded feet already annoying her.

she peeks out the curtain only to be met with a u-haul and an suv parked in the driveway next door.

new neighbors, how wonderful. and they had a whiny kid! perfect.

she continues watching out the window until she sees you hand off the kid to its father. her eyes follow you until you step into the u-haul and start dragging boxes out. that’s when she sighs and decides to get ready for the day. even though she doesn’t want to.

your entire life you were desperate to be equal. to be taken seriously. you craved maturity.

you spent your entire childhood chasing adulthood. you were desperate to grow up. you didn’t know it then, but you would regret it.

the one thing you didn’t regret, was felix. the baby that you got out of your last relationship. that was before you realized you were very much a lesbian..

“cmon baby, just put your shoe on.” you struggled against the child in the backseat as he wailed. the sound was excruciating.

“please- can you just let mommy put your shoe on?” you gritted as you attempted to shove the shoe onto her other foot.

“no!” he screamed, almost directly into your face. that was it.

“you know what? fuck it.” you muttered the last words under your breath. truthfully you already weren’t setting a good example, but hey! let not say fuck infront of our kid!

you gave up on the shoes and shushed him gently as you undid his seatbelt from his car seat. you placed him in the arms of his father, tossing the shoe into his dinosaur covered backpack.

he slowly came down from his tantrum as he placed his head on his dads shoulder.

“you sure you don’t need me to help unpack?” your ex asks, unsure of leaving you behind with an entire house to furnish.

“yep! i’m good!” you smile. you gently kiss your baby’s forehead before shutting your car door.

the father nods in response. “just text if you need and we will be here. isn’t that right felix?” he asks the child who nods profusely.

“of course mama!” he shouts causing you and his dad to laugh. “well alright then!” you rush, it was still early but you were eager to get to your gardening before dark.

you watch as your ex buckles the kid in and situated himself in the car, before pulling out of the driveway he rolls down felixs window.

you blow kisses as the pull out of the driveway and take off to ‘the old house’ in your sons words.

as soon as the car is out of sight you make your way over to the U-Haul.

you’re so focused on getting this last box out of the truck that you don’t even feel the presence creep up behind you.

“hey did you need some hel-”

“what the fuck!”

you jump in fear before turning around. being faced with a red headed, green eyed girl.

“oh my god, i’m so sorry.” she apologizes calmly. an awkward look on her face as you stare at her wide eyed.

you chuckle lightly before putting your hands on your hips. “it’s alright, hon.” you reassure.

you two just awkwardly stare at eachother for a few seconds before ellie finally speaks up again.

“i saw you struggling. did you want some help?” she asks. her eyes drifting to the box filled with gardening tools.

“oh that would be amazing!” you said before wiping the sweat of your forehead.

ellies eyes follow a droplet of seat down your neckline all the way down your cleavage. she finds herself licking her lips

before you introduce yourself.

she darts her eyes back up to your own, praying that you didn’t see her blatantly check you out. “i’m- i’m ellie.” she jumps over her words.

since when did you not know how to speak, idiot? she internally face palms before walking over to pick up the box.

“where do you want this?” she asks with a grunt as she steadys the box in her arms.

“just over here” you direct, letting her follow you as you walked over to the side of the house. she follows you and sets the box down with ease. she jokingly wipes the dirt off of her hands before nodding and starting to walk off.

“oh sweetie! i don’t wanna be a bother but would you mind helping me with one more thing?”

you must’ve been magic because somehow you swindled ellie into helping you with almost everything, and she was totally fine with it.

currently you were both at your kitchen island, laughing over a bottle of wine.

ellie had confided in you about school and you had rambled to her about what it’s like to be a mother.

“yeah, i mean- besides pregnancy it’s not all that bad.” you admit. ellie’s face shifts at the mention of pregnancy.

“i don’t know if i could ever have a baby inside me. i think i’d like- die.?” she questions. “not that i would of course” she giggles. your face becomes a look of confusion.

“no boyfriend? or just not one for kids?” you ask. you totally forgot that it’s very possible for her to be-

“i’m a lesbian” she answers and takes another sip of wine. her eyes watching your face for any negative reaction.

you clap your hands over your mouth quickly. now it seems obvious.

“i am so sorry, that totally slipped my mind.” she laughs at your attempts to redeem yourself.

“it’s totally chill, don’t worry.” she reassures, a smile on her face.

“i am too, actually.” you admit, it was your first time admitting it to someone other than yourself of your now ex husband.

“oh i was just gonna ask if that was your husband out there earlier.” she fidgets with the rings on her fingers as she asks.

“well, ex. it’s not easy to find a baby sitter that actually takes care of my kid these days.” you admit to her. she ponders for a slight moment before speaking up again.

“well, if you’re looking. i’m usually free during the day, i work nights most of the time.” she offers up. she wasn’t really sure why. she wasn’t even a fan of kids.

“really?!” it looks like your eyes had bulged out of your head. “god that would be amazing! i’ll pay you!”

ellie didn’t hear anything besides ‘i’ll pay you’ that’s all she needed to know.

“yeah of course. i’ll take him.” she confirmed.

that night ellie left with your phone number and a smidge of hope in her heart.

#˚ ༘♡ ⋆ mommy issues¡fic #ellie williams x reader #ellie williams #tlou #tlou fanfiction #tlou2 #₊˚ʚ ᗢ₊˚✧ ﾟizzie writes!?#ellie tlou #ellie x reader #ellie williams fluff #ellie williams angst #ellie williams x you #ellie x dina #ellie williams fanfic #ellie x reader fluff #ellie x fem reader #ellie x y/n #ellie the last of us

529 notes · View notes

creampuffqueen · 6 months ago

Text

Mal's Modern Avatars AU

Welcome one and all to my Avatar College AU, the premise of which is that the three female Avatars share an apartment during college and are all best friends. This is the official character intro post!

Yangchen Ngodup - she/her

Major: International Relations, minoring in Philosophy, Psychology, and Political Science (yes she is insane for this)

Sport: Volleyball setter (fall) & track sprinter (spring)

Clubs: Debate team, Model UN, Volunteer Chair for Eco-Representatives Club, Choir (soprano) & Class President her senior year

Family: Raised by her older sister, Jetsun, who disappeared without a trace when Yangchen was 7. After her sister's disappearance she lived with her elderly relatives Tsering and Dagmola. Her senior year of high school she went to live with her Uncle Boma in order to get in-state tuition for her top choice college

Other: Owns two siamese cats named Pik and Pak. Routinely exceeds the daily recommended caffeine limit. Leader of a bar trivia team that kicks ass

Kavik Aliyak - he/him

Major: Pre-med, hoping to specialize in emergency medicine

Sport: Intramural wrestling for one semester, drops it for intramural ice hockey

Clubs: Math Club, Chess Club, Pre-med Society

Family: Parents Tapeesa and Ujurak, brother Kalyaan who is 3 years older than him

Other: Complex relationship with his older brother. Attempted to rush a frat but decided it wasn't for him. Was a Resident Advisor for two years. Receives a yearly National Merit scholarship for his proficiency in math. Works part-time as a cashier at a local boba shop

Kyoshi Jampa - she/her

Major: Literature

Sport: Basketball, attends on a scholarship for the sport

Clubs: Poetry Club, Ceramics Club, Forestry Club, a small stint with the campus newspaper

Family: Abandoned at 5, bounced around the foster system until ending up with Kelsang at 10. Her parents passed away in prison when she was 13, and Kelsang officially adopted her when she was 14

Other: Sings backup vocals for The Flying Opera Company, a small band started by some of her friends. Works as a barista at a local boba shop. Very shy due to bullying during middle and high school. Her and Rangi's families are extremely close

Rangi Sei'naka - she/her

Major: Pre-law, wants to specialize in criminal justice

Sport: Intramural soccer and taekwando

Clubs: Debate Team, History Tutoring, LGBTQ Club

Family: Parents Hei-Ran and Junsik. Her father passed away from leukemia when she was 12

Other: Part of the school's ROTC program in the army branch. Attends this school specifically to be with Kyoshi

Korra Egoak - she/they

Major: Kinesiology

Sport: Intramural soccer, wrestling, and rugby

Clubs: President of the LGBTQ Club

Family: Parents Senna and Tonraq, plenty of close extended family on both sides

Other: Was homeschooled her entire life. Originally scouted to swim for a different college, but suffered an accident in high school that left her both traumatized and paralyzed. She is mostly recovered, but still deals with PTSD and occasional depression. Has a service dog, Naga

Asami Sato - she/her

Major: Mechanical Engineering

Sport: Intramural Jiu Jitsu

Clubs: President of the Robotics Club, LGBTQ Club, Chess Club

Family: Parents Yasuko and Hiroshi. Mother was killed in a home break-in when she was 8. Her senior year of high school her father was arrested for insider trading, and his million-dollar company reverted to her. It is currently being run by others, but she plans to take over after she gets her degree

Other: Part of a sorority

Relationships:

Yangchen & Kavik began dating the summer after their freshman year. Influenced by his older brother, Kavik broke up with her over winter break their sophomore year. He quickly regretted this and spent the next semester making it up to her until they felt ready to date again

Kyoshi & Rangi began dating their senior year in high school after being friends for several years. When Kyoshi got into this college, Rangi instantly decided to follow her

Korra & Asami met while Asami was dating Mako. She, Korra, and Mako all bounced between each other for a few months before the two girls realized they liked each other far more than they liked him. They began dating the spring semester of their freshman year

Yangchen, Kyoshi, and Korra became friends their freshman year and decided to rent an apartment together for their sophomore year. They enjoyed it so much they kept the apartment together until they all graduated

If you want to read more about this AU, check out this post or this post. Or this silly incorrect quotes post. Also feel free to send asks about it if you're interested!

#mal's modern avatars au #atla #tlok #chronicles of the avatar #avatar yangchen #avatar kyoshi #avatar korra #yangvik #rangshi #korrasami #kavik #rangi sei'naka #asami sato #yangchen x kavik #kyoshi x rangi #korra x asami

74 notes · View notes

thornyfluff · 1 month ago

Text

Soundwave and his casette-care grievances: Poor Mamawave cant get a break!

I swear---society hates working parents, and the older I get, the more I think Megatron was right about society.

Anyways, after some smoldering, I made an exasperated flufffic as to what really made Soundwave become a Decepticon that became a comic. Today is also my birthday, btw...😅

***might make a follow-up pic/comic for this if I get enough love for it***

Seriously! 3 weeks of trying to set up a babysitter for the 6 days that Im working during the 2 week gap of summer break limbo. I admitted defeat on Tuesday when the backup babysitter, to the backup babysitter, to the backup baby sitter flaked out. The first one, after meeting us, immediately messaged back that she found a "career boosting" gig/job opportunity closer to home (I have no Idea what redflag if any was percieved, but I blame the fluffy dinobird of mine). The second one called in sick hours before the scheduled time. the third one couldn't do the specific days and times I needed, and I have no idea what happened to the fifth... that was the furthest I got. My first choice, a certain well-known app/site that you could probably guess was the most frustrating. $40 for a 1 month sub to post and message made absolutely worthless by their verification system that failed to process my ID, and despite reaching out to support and escalating it, it's been almost 2 weeks and 5 or 6 inquiries but Im unable to contact any of them because of the stupid verification issue. 🤬😤😵‍💫 Not to mention, their price ranges seemed to be more than I'd make for the part-time hours that I work at this point...

Any hoo... finished another semester. passed my college classes but tanked my 4.0 because Im stupid, and I hate math and this particular geography class (ahem---teacher)... My account's on hold till I pay my tuition... SO ---Summer break, yall! I'll be working with kiddo in tow and building up on a small art/craft shop with various witchy, whimsey, and probably fandom type things, too.

Today, I planned on sleeping in this morning but instead, spent the first 2 hours of my b-day running around the whole neighborhood after my shit-head of a dog who pried the window open and escaped the yard. That furry asshat chased rabbits, played in the tall grass and mud, caused chaos with other dogs and tricked me, and like 4 other neighbors who tried to help and seemed amused about it all into thinking we had a chance. He ran away with dog cookies, pepperoni, cheese, and dog treat jerky. He kept recharging every time we caught up with him by muddy grass rolling and a little decorative water fountain. He finally gave in when he was too tired to run away anymore and accepted a burger tossed into this nice lady's backyard and coaxed into there. (She was so nice! I think she spent half that time watching and laughing at us from the porch tho.) LOL. All of this while keeping track of my kid whose eager helpfulness creates more chaos and listens as well as the dog does half the time... despite the chaos, errands, adulting and exaughstion today, on the bright side, I may have made a new friend who helped me catch him and made the whole thing more amusing (kudos to their kindness!). Kiddo's bday card and gift they bought me by themself (with dad's money) a little while ago had me almost tearing up at the love and thoughtfulness, and my grumpy dragon husband got me my favorite chocolate dipped kanolis made of heavenly chocolate and angel orgasms. He straightened up the house for me and made dinner--- grilled up some lobster tail that was on sale! Soooo damn goood!!! 🥰 I'm gonna sleep so hard in this food coma coupled with the scent of my new 'Art of the Root' candles tonight. 🫠

31 notes · View notes

mrsjellymunson · 2 years ago

Text

Hello! 👋

Long fic requests: ON HOLD FOR NOW || Ask box (messages, tag games, short requests): OPEN || Inbox: ALWAYS OPEN

Hi, hello, I’m Kittie and I’m obsessed with Stranger Things. I’m married to Eddie Munson and there’s nothing you can do to change my mind. I write for Eddie (x fem! & gn!reader) and Steddie (for them and x reader), and, very occasionally, Joseph Quinn. I hope to write for other characters too, and already have ideas for Mr Clarke and some of the girls. I’m very friendly so please feel free to message or ‘ask’ 😊 I’m new to fandom (and old, in Tumblr terms!), so if I get things wrong please be kind. I’m fairly new to writing, and I’m enjoying myself immensely and hope you enjoy what I write (and if you do, please let me know!)

I have general and series-specific taglists, if you’d like to be on either just drop me a comment, ask or message 😊💗

🔞 Important: I post and share mature and dark content; DO NOT interact with my blog if you’re under 18 🔞 If you want to follow me please put something in your bio like your age/age range, or respond to my request for confirmation.

Content key:

💗Fluff ❤️Mature themes ❤️‍🔥Smut 💔Hurt/angst 🖤Dark themes

FIC LIST BELOW THE CUT

Series/Multi-Parts:

THE BIOLOGY TUTOR 💗❤️❤️‍🔥 virgin!Eddie Munson x fem!tutor!reader Eddie’s failing class, again, so you offer two different styles of biology tuition, textbook-based and *ahem* practical

KNOCK AT THE CABIN ❤️🖤💗❤️‍🔥 Eddie Munson x fem!reader Post-S4, Upside Down exists. After the events of the previous months, everyone is shocked by the unexpected return of an old friend. But how much has he changed?

DAMSELS & DEBAUCHERY: The D&D Chronicles 💗❤️❤️‍🔥 Dungeon Master!Eddie Munson x fem!reader You play D&D with Eddie and the rest of Hellfire Club, but it’s not the only game you want to play with the handsome DM…

GOOD THINGS (Come in Threes) 💗❤️❤️‍🔥 Steddie x older!fem!reader Moving to a new town was hard, but some of your son’s new friends make the transition easier

HELLO, STRANGER/HEY, BOSS 💗❤️🖤 Eddie Munson x gn!reader Black comedy/dark humour. A stranger buys weird stuff at odd times, and as the cashier at the local hardware store you’re not sure what to make of it

Oneshots, 5+1’s, etc. (newest first):

The Essence of You 💗❤️❤️‍🔥 Steddie; Eddie Munson x Steve Harrington 7.3k+ An argument, shared feelings and soft, slow smut

That Was You? 💗 Eddie Munson x fem! or gn!reader 1.6k A meet cute in a record store

Take Care of Me 🖤❤️💗 Eddie Munson x fem!reader 7.4k Eddie rescues you after a disastrous date [REQUESTED]

The Boy Is Mine, Kittie’s edition 💗❤️ Eddie Munson x fem!reader 1.6k A romantic night in at the trailer, using prop & dialogue prompts

Candyman, Candyman, Candyman 💗 Eddie Munson x fem! or gn!reader ~2.1k A Valentine’s 5+1: Five times you get to give Eddie a kiss, and one time he kisses you back

S.A.N.T.A. BABY 💗❤️‍🔥 Eddie Munson x fem!reader ~10k A festive 5+1: Five times you embarrass yourself in front of Eddie, and one time you don’t…

Ficlets, drabs, asks, headcanons (newest first):

Kiss The Sky ❤️ ~850 Eddie Munson x Gareth Emerson; weed is smoked, feelings are revealed [inspired by Purple Haze by Jimi Hendrix]

YELLOW (1) ❤️💗 ~950 Eddie has a costume crisis, but the Corroded Coffin guys get him through it [crack fic; based on a song]

Drummer!Eddie Munson headcanons 💗

Get Lucky 💗❤️ ~1k Corroded Coffin ficlet featuring Eddie Munson & Grant/‘unnamed freak’

A Crown For Your King 💗 Eddie Munson x gn!reader Eddie takes you on a picnic [ask]

What are those stains on Eddie’s mattress? 🤔 SFW Part 1💗 NSFW Part 2 💗❤️❤️‍🔥 [ask, headcanon]

Eddie Munson brings home a box of kittens 💗 [ask, headcanon]

‘Til Next Time ❤️❤️‍🔥 can be rockstar!Eddie Munson x fem/masc/gn!reader 0.7k. A tryst with your secret lover

Thinking About Dom!Eddie’s Thighs ❤️❤️‍🔥 Eddie Munson x gn!reader

Something To Crow About 💗❤️ Eddie Munson x gn!reader Eddie dresses as Eric Draven (With accompanying art and an edit with me in!! 😍)

Series:

GOOD THINGS (Come In Threes) 💗❤️❤️‍🔥 Steddie x older!fem!reader

Oneshots:

His Tears Were Aqua Like The Ocean 💔❤️🖤 ~1.19k Eddie causes Steve pain [based on song lyrics]

YELLOW (2) 💔❤️❤️‍🔥 ~1.3k Eddie doesn't react well to being on tour [based on song lyrics]

The Goldilocks Effect 💗❤️❤️‍🔥 ~2.4k Steve wonders whether he’ll ever find a relationship that has it all Read on AO3

The Essence of You 💗❤️❤️‍🔥 7.3k+ An argument, shared feelings and soft, slow smut

Ficlets/minifics (<600words, newest first):

Too Hot To Handle 💗 Red Like Wine ❤️‍🔥 Under Pressure ❤️❤️‍🔥 Under Control ❤️‍🔥

Keeping Score (Eddie’s version) 💗❤️ Keeping Score (Steve’s version) 💗❤️ Need a Ride? ❤️

Meet Me💗❤️🖤 Something Old, Something New💗 Time Me ❤️❤️‍🔥

Hurt Me ❤️💔 Dress Up 💗❤️ Look At Me ❤️ Say Hello To My Little Friend 💗❤️

One Fine Day (1.1k)💗 A One Time Thing❤️‍🔥 I Need A Moment💗

“The Stuff”❤️‍🔥 The Counter Argument❤️‍🔥 Top & Tail💗❤️ Turning P!nk💗 Fool Me💗❤️

‘It’s My Birthday!’💗❤️ Pin Me❤️ The Edge of Insanity❤️❤️‍🔥 Fill Me (dom!Steve)❤️‍🔥

Fill Me (dom!Eddie)❤️‍🔥 Filler ❤️ Play Me💗 What’s His Name Again?💗

Find Me ❤️🖤💔 Teach Me❤️❤️‍🔥 Steve’s Keychain💗 Mud Cakes & Pancakes💗

Special Treatment v2❤️ Special Treatment v1❤️

We’re definitely not thinking about JQ’s unnamed Warfare character doing push-ups ❤️ [ASK]

‘Til Next Time ❤️❤️‍🔥 can be Joseph Quinn x fem/masc/gn!reader 0.7k. A tryst with your secret lover

Happy Halloween, Love ❤️❤️‍🔥🖤 Joseph Quinn x fem!reader, RPF 4.4k. Joe raids the costume department at work and conspires to make this Halloween your most memorable yet

Non-ST writings:

‘Til Next Time ❤️❤️‍🔥 A CHOOSE-YOUR-OWN-CHARACTER FIC 0.7k. G/N!reader x celebrity!masc!character. A tryst with your secret lover

If You Go Down To The Woods Today Freaky happenings in a forest featuring OC/RPG characters

Fic recs:

This section is a work in progress, but here are some to start you off:

Authors and fics

Eddie fluff recs

Some of my fave authors

Crafts, bears and other random sh*t:

(I'm working on organising my tags and compiling these)

For Stranger Things Build-A-Bears search my blog for the tags ST bears, bab, or Kittie's bears

For my ST merchandise finds search ST merch 😜

For profane embroidery search Kittie swears

Blanket permission statement:

I welcome transformative works based off of my fan works! This could be art, edited images, translations, podfics, anything really! You don’t need to ask permission, but you’re absolutely more than welcome to go feral in my inbox about ideas. I do ask that you please tag tf out of me in WIPs and finished projects so I can see 😺 (And if you’re a minor I’d ask you to contact me first so we can discuss what content, if any, is appropriate)

A note for fanbinders specifically: Please only share non-editable typeset files (such as PDFs) with other fans. It’s okay to send typeset files to a service for printing.

And in case it’s applicable here, I DO NOT give permission for any of my works to be copied, edited, shared elsewhere (without my permission first) or otherwise plagiarised, or fed into any AI programmes

BTW if you come across anything like typos, inconsistencies, broken links or whatever please let me know, I honestly will not mind! 😍🙏

I’m still feel fairly new to all this, but I understand that comments and, especially, reblogs are the lifeblood of this site. Please support each other and share the creativity! 😘💗

271 notes · View notes

helenstudies · 10 months ago

Text

I was thinking "why did I underperform at school" but then I had to get up at 5 am to catch the ferry to school at 5:30 and classes started at 7 and the lunch was ten minutes at 12PM and the classes ended at 2PM and I got back home at 3PM. Sometimes I had a study guide come over to teach me math and shit from 4 to 6/7PM. No wonder I underperformed. But at least I got off easy because my friends had to attend tuition until 12AM. Like. Jesus FUCK.

#I think some of those were probably human rights violations but I didn't sleep well enough to retain all those memories #I can barely remember the subjects I studied #education #vent #myanmar #burma #and most of it was rote memorization. and by that I mean you have to get even the “a” “an” “the” in all the right places #I attended a private school #but public school is no better. starts at 9am and ends at 3pm and all tuitions made you study at least 3 to 8 hours more

43 notes · View notes

theloveinc · 2 years ago

Note

I am in love with the idea of sugar daddy bakugou, he would have to physically drag me out of bed to class, I set like 5 alarms and then still not go

IT'S ABSURD, like you can't even lie to him abt it either because he has your whole schedule memorized!! You think you've finally gotten away with missing one morning class just to sleep in and cuddle, but NOPE, after one hit of the snooze button he's pulling off your blankets and flickering the lights on and off.

You're like, "can't i just be your housespouse, stay home and do chores???"

And he's frowning, "first you were beggin' me for tuition, now you don't even wanna go???" (i'd immediately get up to argue with him but that's another story)

He is so annoying lmfao. Has an argument for all of your complaints, and will try to slap your butt if you don't get up. And the worst part is that he really does want you to do well !!! and get a degree in case you need to support yourself ever. Good LUCK not feeling guilty and trying to get out of homework, too.....

(and LITERALLY ME THIS MORNING, my alarm rang for an hour and apparently i just did not give enough of a fuck to notice😭😭😭)

#bakugo #youre like 'but i'm tired!!' and he's like 'you got an extra hour of sleep bc i drive you now'#you're like 'my bags not packed!!' and he's already packed it for you (poorly but still)#got dam!!!#it is funny tho the one time he does let u skip and u tell ur prof ur sick #only for them to see you on the hero billboards instagram with him #anyway was thinking abt this on the way home and i thought abt that one 'i'm tired of this grandpa!!'#you when he gets a peak at your notebook and starts trying to explain stuff to u #HELP ME PLEASE #thats u on the phone to kiri #hope this was an ok answer!#caitie things #anon #gen

156 notes · View notes

anyataylorsoy · 10 months ago

Note

I would love to know five facts about a hellcheer art school AU 🥰

several days later

1) I think Eddie would probably be a traditional media artist, like illustration. He would be working on his own graphic novel. Chrissy would be more into textiles and she’d tell her mother that she was going to school for fashion, but really she’s making a giant quilt of her mental health journey for the school exhibition 💕

2) Eddie would be paying for school by doing various odd jobs including posing for the art classes, playing guitar in a church’s band on Sundays, and working in a retirement home cafeteria. Chrissy volunteers at the retirement home for her scholarship program and she waits until class to tell Eddie that she noticed him: “you look much better without the hairnet.”

3) Obviously, Corroded Coffin still exist in this universe, and they play in a seedy bar with an alleyway entrance on Tuesday nights. It’s popular amongst the college kids, though, because happy hour is $2 drafts. Eddie finally gets the nerve to invite Chrissy to come see them play. She unfortunately has a panic attack in throngs of drunks and goes home. Eddie shows up to her apartment after the show with his guitar: “I believe I promised you a song.” He doesn’t even get to the chorus before Chrissy is in his arms.

4) Chrissy’s mom finds out she isn’t doing fashion design and is “wasting her life” on an art degree and stops paying for the other half of Chrissy’s tuition. Eddie gets her a job as a barback at the bar. Eventually, the bartender teaches her how to make drinks during the slow times and she gets a promotion. She demands they give Corroded Coffin the prime Friday night spot.

5) They eventually find a converted warehouse apartment and move in together in their senior year. Chrissy’s completed quilt hangs on their wall and Eddie has stacks of his comic book on the coffee table waiting to be sent off to publishers. They’re hosting Wayne for thanksgiving, nothing is going right, but they’re on the third bottle of wine and having a grand time. Wayne’s brought Eddie his grandmother’s wedding ring and it’s burning a hole in Eddie’s pocket, but he’s waiting until Christmas. …or at least the Macy’s day parade.

send more AUs, maybe?

#i’m so sorry i abandoned this in my drafts for daaaaays #hellcheer #ask meme #erythromanc3r

27 notes · View notes

ersatz-ostrich · 11 months ago

Text

See You Again

Chapter 4: The Waynes

Jason Todd x f!reader

You meet (some of) the Waynes. Things start to get complicated in more ways than one, but you’ll figure something out eventually…right?

[A/N]: AEEOEOEEEUUUGHHHH I'M SO SORRY EVERYONE I'VE BEEN GONE FOR LIKE TWO MONTHS 😩 I guess you guys have seen all manners of excuses by now but I was definitely agonizing over the dialogue for each character. I wanted to showcase all the ~funny stuff~ that's happened to the reader as a side effect of this silly little virus and introduce some conflict between Jason and the reader because a reunion like this can't be all sunshine and rainbows and happy tears. There's got to be sad and angry tears and awkward moments, too (I mean, it's not every day that someone you used to know comes back from the dead, right? And then you discover that they and their whole family are the most notorious vigilantes in your home city...anyways). It doesn't help that I've been pretty busy with other things over the past few weeks. So sorry for the wait and I hope you guys like this chapter!

Warnings: a little profanity

read here on ao3 (tbh I recommend it because this chapter's like 4.8k words)

<< previous || next >>

masterlist

The Batcave

5:45:03 AM ET

True to its name, the Batcave was damp and bone-chillingly cold.

Tim knew that it was probably because the Cave’s sensitive electronics and weaponry benefited from cooler environments and that the damp was unavoidable in the enormous cave system, but he liked to think that Bruce kept it that way because it made him feel like he was really the ‘Bat’ in ‘Batman’.

At least the Batcave didn’t smell of guano.

The cold light of the Batcomputer burned into his tired eyes as he sifted through the computer’s files on the Batfamily’s special guest. He found scholarly articles, a few brief reports from news outlets in your hometown, and of course, the media firestorm that had just begun to pick up speed.

“Still awake?” Tim felt a firm hand on his shoulder—Bruce’s—but made no move to meet the Bat’s gaze. “Your patrol shift ended hours ago.”

“I know,” Tim replied, fingers flying across the Batcomputer’s keyboard. He knew all of Bruce’s hotkeys and had also programmed his own to expedite his surfing through the supercomputer’s expansive resources. “It’s just…I got curious about our new case.” Standing behind Tim’s chair, Bruce hummed.

“Yes, well…” He eased his strong but aging body into the chair next to Tim’s with a sigh. “...it is a little more personal this time.”

“Oh, yeah? Do you know Dr. L/N?”

“I’ve known her since she was in the seventh grade,” Bruce answered. “She and Jason met when I enrolled him in Gotham Academy. She was there on an academic scholarship—Y/N was very bright, and young for her class. Jason grew very attached to her during that time. From what I understand, she gave him a sense of normalcy in his life and kept him company when he felt isolated from their other classmates.

She took Jason’s loss very hard. Alfred and I did our best to support her, especially since Jason had died during a critical period in her academic career. She’d gained a reputation for her academics and research projects while she was a student at the Academy. There were a lot of eyes on her. She experienced significant pressure to perform.

Jason’s death made me feel a responsibility to do right by Y/N. I opened the Manor’s doors to her, as well as my connections to Gotham’s academic circles. I helped pay for her tuition when she went to Yale, and then her doctorate at the University of California in Los Angeles. And so…having her here is another way I want to support her, for Jason’s sake.”

“I saw what happened to her. I was just getting off patrol when Jason brought her in. IT looks like he cares for her a lot…I’ve never seen him act like that.” Tim paused. The clicking of the Batcomputer’s keyboard and the white noise of the Cave’s machinery filled the air as the pair fell into a comfortable silence. Finally, Tim spoke. “How much do we know about Y/N’s case?”

“Ah, the Polestar virus. It seems like her vaccine, which was still in an early phase of testing, neutralized the virus in a way that allows it to live within the tissues without consuming it.”

“This is so niche,” Tim muttered as he read your file. “Information almost exclusive to the CDC, STAR Labs, and…the Public Health Agency of Canada?” Tim was used to being puzzled by cases with limited information. This one in particular intrigued him. “What’s Canada got to do with this case?”

“The Polestar virus was discovered by a joint US-Canada expedition into the Arctic,” Bruce answered. He reached over to type in a series of commands into the Batcomputer, which summoned a file window containing an internal government write-up about the expedition. In it were photos taken by the researchers of the remains, mummified by the ice, of three ancient humans, whose hair and nails had remained intact after millennia beneath the ice. One of the mummies—a small girl—displayed peculiar metallic spots, especially on the extremities, which the researchers noted.

“The mummies have been exhumed from the ice and are currently being held in Canada,” Bruce read off the file. “There’s also a write-up from Canadian anthropologists about the tattoos on the bodies. Traces of the virus were found in the girl’s body, but the samples STAR Labs works with were extracted from an ice core they took from the site.”

“Do we know why there were humans in the Arctic, thousands of years ago?” Tim asked, incredulous. “That sounds…improbable. But then…we’ve seen weirder things, haven’t we?”

“Precisely. What happened to the media coverage?” Restings his elbows against the Batcomputer, Tim ran his hands down his face, blinking a few times to stay awake.

“A break-in at STAR Labs is always troubling news,” Tim replied. “Anchors and analysts are beginning to speculate about the political premises of the situation, but the government’s kept quiet about the details. No one knows what’s been taken or why the break-in happened.”

“So rumors are flying.”

“They’ll die down once people realize the government isn’t going to let slip what happened. You never know what journalists might find, though. They’ve already confirmed independently that all of the surviving staff have been accounted for…except for one missing researcher.” Bruce’s eyebrows shot up.

“Interesting.”

“It might be best for Y/N’s safety if we cooked up a story about an abduction,” Tim commented as he browsed the growing collection of Polestar files. “We should find out who broke in and why they wanted to obtain the Polestar virus.” Tim’s hands stilled over the keyboard. “I wonder what’s so important about this virus. What do they know that we don’t? Why is it so important that it doesn’t leave the government’s hands?”

“Y/N almost gave her life to protect the security of this virus. I suspect she knows something we don’t.”

“She could be protecting something whose potential she doesn’t even know. Someone’s definitely out to get this virus, and she could get caught up in the meantime.” Something flashed in Bruce’s eyes.

“Even if STAR Labs withheld that information from her, she’d find a way to get it out of them,” Bruce murmured. “She wouldn’t be satisfied with being kept in the dark. She’s relentless. That’s something…”

“I think you see a little bit of yourself in her. Is that why you stuck by her all this time?” Tim prodded in a teasing tone, which earned a small huff out of Bruce.

“Perhaps.”

You slept deeply and without stirring. To any outside observer, you looked serene. Unbeknownst to them, though, you were caught, body and consciousness, in a bizarre dream.

You stood under stormy skies, on a set of steps that seemed to reach for the heavens and stretch towards infinity. You could feel the cracks and imperfections of the rough stone beneath your feet; they felt as if they were worn by the beats of hundreds of footsteps that had come before you. You could feel the coming storm in the air and the wind whipped against your skin. You looked down at your hands, still blackened and stained like they were covered in burnished iron, and flexed them experimentally, astonished by your dexterity and control over your body in what you knew to be a dream.

Free me.

Your head snapped upwards. Those words kept echoing through your head, in the way that voices in dreams did, not quite heard as waves rippling through the air but also not completely within the confines of your mind’s realm.

You stumbled up the steps. The stones dug into the soles of your bare feet. You could feel a pull leading you farther up the steps, as if you were magnetized. With every step, that magnetism became exceedingly strong; what was at first a tug that was barely there started to feel like a harsh hand dragging you. Your arms and legs grew heavier, as if weights had been strapped to your wrists and ankles, and when the burden became unbearable you collapsed on the steps, the worn edges of each stone step scraping your exposed skin.

Grunting, you willed yourself to lift one hand, and with significant effort, the other. You could still feel the invisible power pulling your chest into the ground. When you finally raised your head, you saw Jason, as he was months before his death, standing before you on the steps.

“Jason…” You forced through gritted teeth. To your horror, when you blinked again, that image of Jason disappeared, replaced by a crumpled form on the stone steps before you. “Jason!” You cried out. Panic flooded your body, propelling you to crawl up the steps toward where he lay. Slowly, agonizingly, you gripped his shoulder and turned him over. Your eyes widened when you saw his clear blue eyes framed by a tattered domino mask.

It was then that you realized that he was dressed in the Robin suit you had seen in photos and blurry vigilante-chasing videos while you were in high school. Your panic and desperation peaked when you saw how his body was broken and bloodied, fresh bruises blooming all over his youthful face and the skin exposed by the tears in the Robin costume.

“Help…me…” He croaked out, and you felt your heart split.

“Jason, stay with me, please,” You rasped, clutching his bare hand, his gloves lost in a melee you never knew he’d fought in. You could feel the sticky, congealed blood—was it his? Or someone else’s?—coating his palm and seeping into every groove and crevice in his skin.

Free me.

The voice returned, compelling you to turn your gaze skywards. At the top of the stairs, which you once thought had no end, was a purple glow.

Free me!

The voice seemed to echo from there, the owner of the voice still obscured from where you were sprawled.

“Please, I can’t let you go…please…” You begged. Jason’s grip on your hand waned as your grip on his tightened. You couldn’t stop the tears from flowing as you screamed,

“JASON!”

Wayne Manor

10:48:39 AM ET

“JASON!” You cried out. Your arms shot forward, outstretched, and you pitched forward into a sitting position. The covers were disheveled and your pillow was on the floor.

A strong grip caught your flailing arms as you reached out desperately, breathing heavily as your heart hammered in your chest.

“Easy now, I’ve got you,” Jason’s warm, deep voice soothed you as he let go of your wrists to pull you closer into his arms. Your shoulders shook as he ran a comforting palm up and down your shoulder blades, yet your heart refused to slow as the world came back into focus.

When you finally pulled back from the embrace, your heart was still thumping wildly. Pinpricks of heat rose in your cheeks and tinting your ears.

“Jason, you…actually stayed for the whole night?” Now it was Jason’s turn to flush with embarrassment. “I thought you would…”

“Leave?” Jason interrupted. “I slept like a rock.” Truthfully, it had taken Jason at least an hour to tune out the feeling of liquid fire coursing in his veins when he lay next to you. He shifted his gaze to the bedside table, where the vintage clock read 10:48. At the base of the clock was a handwritten note in Bruce’s script.

Sleep in. BB is covering your routes. Come see me after breakfast.

—B.

Jason cracked a small half-smile at the slip of paper. He made a mental note to bring Cass some takeout the next time they went on patrol together as thanks.

You opened your mouth to say something, but the words died on your tongue when Jason’s gaze returned to yours.

Odd, you thought. You thought his eyes were blue, not green.

“Are you hungry?”

“I’m starving,” You answered. You hadn’t eaten since your lunch break back at STAR Labs, nearly twenty-four hours earlier. You’d elected to skip dinner that night so you could spend an extra-long session running tests in the Coffin, but of course, things just had to go awry.

“Come on, then,” Jason got off the bed—he’d slept on the covers, you noticed—and offered you a hand. “I’m sure Alfred’s prepared something good.”

You followed Jason out of the bedroom and down the long corridors, reaching the Manor’s grand staircase where the late morning sun was already filtering through the windows. Their curtains had been drawn by a single, faithful butler every morning without fail.

“Hey, is everything alright? I heard screaming and—wait a second!” You caught sight of a blonde stopped in her tracks at the foot of the stairs, dressed in what looked like a purple stealth suit with a flowing cape and hood. “Jason, who the hell is she?” She called out, gaping at you both.

“Steph—” Jason began, but she cut him off.

“Oh, shit, I’m still in my gear! U-uh, don’t worry, I’m just a really dedicated cosplayer—”

“Steph, it’s okay!” Jason exclaimed. “She knows. It’s all good.”

“Oh, in that case, I’m Stephanie. I just got back from patrol, so I’m gonna go shower and I’ll join you guys for breakfast. Or is it brunch?”

“Nice to meet you, Stephanie,” You replied weakly, still wondering what Stephanie had to do with the Waynes—or the Bats. With an exasperated sigh that had no real aggression behind it, Jason led you down the stairs and into Wayne Manor’s bright and airy kitchen. The counters and cabinets were spotless and the enormous stove showed signs of frequent use but also careful maintenance. Freshly cleaned pots hung over the kitchen island where an astonishing breakfast spread was displayed.

“Sometimes I forget you guys are richer than God,” You whispered. “That looks like a week’s worth of my groceries.”

“Probably costs as much,” Jason whispered back. “Definitely took a while to get used to after growing up on Park Row.”

“We feed a large family here at Wayne Manor, Miss L/N.” Alfred materialized in the doorway, putting away a cloth he had been using to polish some silverware. “Please, help yourself.” You grinned as you set about putting together your breakfast, chasing away the stomach pangs with big bites of food.

“What did we do to deserve you, Alfred?”

“I ask myself that every day,” He replied dryly. “Enjoy, Miss L/N, Master Jason.” Alfred disappeared into the mansion, off to perform some obscure chore or aid the Bats with their operations.

Your focus returned to the ghost sitting across from you.

“So…what happened last night?” Jason asked. “Were you having a nightmare?”

“Something like that,” You mumbled, gluing your eyes to your breakfast plate. You didn’t dare mention that you saw him, right before his death, even though you had never witnessed it happen. “Probably a side effect of the infection.”

“What happened?” Jason asked, brows raised. “I thought the infection was done with. What did you see?” Your brow furrowed.

“Jason, why do you want to know so badly?” You replied defensively. In your peripheral vision, you could see Jason tense subtly. “I had a nightmare. I don’t remember what happened, only that I was scared and I panicked.”

Jason’s fork and knife rattled on the china.

“You’re lying.”

“So what if I am?” The hostility in your voice rose. “What happened last night is the least of my problems right now. I don’t want to talk about it.” Jason’s stool scraped against the kitchen’s immaculate floors.

“Fine then. Keep it to yourself,” Jason stalked out of the kitchen. You stood up swiftly, disturbing some of the dishes on the countertop.

“What—Jason, where are you going?” You shouted frustratedly at his retreating form. He didn’t turn around. You sat back down and put your head in your hands, feeling the turmoil grow inside of you. The emptiness Jason’s loss had created in your heart yawned, threatening to collapse like a sinkhole.

“I hate to intrude, but—.” You raised your gaze from behind your palms to see Stephanie, dressed in flannel bottoms and a Gotham University sweater. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, I just…forget it,” You sighed. “I don’t want to keep you from your breakfast.” At that, Stephanie filled her plate and took a seat next to Jason’s forgotten breakfast. “Did you see where Jason went?”

“He probably went off to the Batcave,” Stephanie replied. “You’ve been there, right?” You nodded.

“It was the first place he took me after I got here.”

“Where are you from?”

“Los Angeles, but I’m originally from Gotham. I grew up and went to school here.” Stephanie raised her brows.

“Is that how you met Jason?” You nodded again. “Huh. I guess that’s why we never met.”

“Are you part of the Wayne family?”

“What? No, I’m not a Wayne. I’m just…it’s complicated.” Stephanie laughed lightly. “My name is Stephanie Brown, but you can call me Steph. I used to date Tim, y’know, one of the Wayne kids. Keyword, used to. Now, I just work with the Waynes.” Something clicked in your head.

“I haven’t told you my name; I’m Y/N L/N, by the way. Do you work with the Bats under the alias of Spoiler?”

“Nice to meet you, Y/N. Yeah, I’m Spoiler. Do you follow Gotham vigilante news or something?”

“Sort of. I live and work in LA now, but I like to keep tabs on what’s going on in Gotham. Most of the stuff that comes my way ends up being updates on Batman and other vigilantes.”

“Then…whoa, what happened to your hands?” A grin broke onto your face as Steph’s eyes widened.

“I’m surprised you didn’t notice earlier,” You replied. “This is why I’m here.”

“What the hell?” She stood up, rounding the kitchen island to inspect your skin. “What happened to you?”

“What the hell is an understatement,” You joked. “Long story short, I got sick. I got treated here at the Cave, but it left…some lasting effects.”

“Do I even wanna know?”

“It’s so weird! My hands are like metal, but not. They feel normal, but I think they have the strength and properties of metal.” To demonstrate, you walked over to Steph’s almost-empty glass of orange juice and knocked your knuckles against the glass.

“Wow,” Steph breathed. “Duke’s gonna be so stoked that there’s another meta at the Manor.”

“Who’s Duke?” You inquired.

“Another Wayne kid, Duke Thomas. Bruce took him in not too long ago. He works the day shift, so he’ll be back later today.”

“Wow, Bruce has been busy collecting strays since I’ve been gone, huh?”

“You have no idea,” Steph laughed. “So, how did you get to know the Wayne family?”

“I met Jason in middle school, at Gotham Academy,” You answered. “I studied there on a STEM scholarship funded by Kane Industries. Jason and I became friends, I came over to the Manor a few times and met Mr.—I mean, Bruce. After Jason died, he paid for me to go to college and grad school.” You smiled sadly at the memory of finding a letter outside your dorm room in Bruce’s script. It was late in April of your senior year, just a few days before you were due to commit to your college of choice—and just a few days before the anniversary of Jason’s passing.

“Wow, I had no idea you went way back with the Waynes,”

“So do you, right?” You replied. “I guess we’re both, you know…bystanders to everything the Waynes have done.”

“I’d say we’re both victims of the Wayne drama. Us and Babs and probably Cass, too.” You laughed lightly, trying to mask your unease as the memory of Jason storming out of the kitchen came crashing back.

“Who’s Cass? And who’s Babs?”

“If you’re gonna stick around the Manor, you’ll meet them eventually.” Steph collected your empty plate and her own and dropped them in the sink with the silverware and glasses.

“Wait, let me—” Steph raised her hand, stopping you.

“It’s better if you didn’t. Alfred would never allow a guest to do the dishes in his house.” Grabbing your wrist, Steph led you out of the kitchen, up the stairs and into Bruce’s study.

“Are you taking me back into the Cave?” You asked.

“If I’m right, Jason is down there with Bruce right now. And if he knows what’s good for him, he’ll apologize to you.” Steph turned the clock hands and the front of the clock swung open to reveal a staircase. “Come on in.”

The Batcave

11:10:44 ET

“So, what do you think?”

“I think this equipment was distributed underground, Jason,” Bruce replied. “Whoever was running this operation knew what they were getting into. But that’s not what I want to focus on right now, because we can’t figure out anything if you don’t calm down first.”

“The fuck do you mean?” Jason bristled. “I haven’t done anything.”

“You might think I’m a bad father, but don’t think I can’t tell when you’re frustrated.” Bruce leaned in over the table covered in illegally-traded weaponry and equipment Jason had taken back from the Los Angeles break-in. “Tell me, Jason. What’s on your mind?”

“Why do you care now, of all times?”

“Because something’s clearly bothering you. I’m doing this because I want you in the best possible state of mind, for the sake of everybody, including yourself.”

“You can just say that you think I’m unstable, Bruce.”

“Just tell me, please. I want to help you fix whatever is bothering you.”

“Jason?” Jason’s eyes flitted up to a platform carved out of the formations of the Batcave. There, he spotted you and Steph.

“Y/N? Steph?” He called out. “What’s going on?”

“Jason,” You repeated, descending the steps to where he and Bruce stood. “I don’t—I can’t—I’m—” You stammered, struggling to translate your thoughts into speech. You started to fidget, not knowing where to place your hands or your gaze. “I’m sorry I was so defensive earlier. What happened last night was hard to process. I hope you can understand that Iwasn’tcomfortablenoughtotalkaboutitwithyouand—” You rambled, inhaling sharply. “—andI’msorryifImadeyoumad—”

“Y/N.” Bruce cut you off. “Breathe.”

“I—” Jason sighed deeply, running a hand down his face and grimacing. “Don’t be sorry. It’s my fault I got mad.”

“I feel like I’m thirteen again,” You complained. “I don’t know what to say.”

“If you’re thirteen, I must be ten. I shouldn’t have walked out on you. That’s the last thing you needed right then. I’m sorry.”

“That’s the first time I’ve ever seen Jason apologize like that,” Steph whispered to Tim, who had floated over from the Batcomputer when you’d arrived. “Like, that’s totally different.”

“I know,” Tim hissed back. “They definitely have history.”

“Like…history?”

“Still,” Jason pulled a swivel chair away from a nearby terminal and sat down. Nervously, you took a seat across from him. “Will you tell me what happened? All I want is to make sure you’re okay.”

“It’s complicated.”

“That’s okay. Shit, when is anything not complicated?” Jason shifted his arm, as if to reach for yours, but at the last second his arm fell away to rest on the workstation you were sitting next to. “Take it slow. I’m not going anywhere.”

The Batcave

12:34:08 PM ET

“That’s all I know about the virus. I’ve only been on the team for a few months and the project’s fairly new. I was already crossing a line when I tried to investigate its origins and behavior even further on my own.”

“Still, it helps us figure out who might be interested in it, or why it’s been kept on the down low,” Said Tim Drake, spinning around in the chair in front of the Batcomputer. He looked to be no more than six years younger than you—twenty, maybe twenty-one. His eyes were tired, as if he had been awake all night, but analytical. You could see that behind them, his mind was constantly chugging away, considering different approaches and theories. You understood the feeling—of always contemplating something; of being in constant, restless motion and never being able to stop. “Oracle and Jason are doing their best to trace who sent those guys. Is there anything else that you don’t know that we could try and find?”

“STAR Labs has my work phone and my work computer, but…I kept all of my personal observations from my tests in a lab notebook that I kept at home. Maybe it would help if we had whatever data I managed to record in my notebook. If there’s anything else, it’ll be at STAR Labs, but I don’t think it would be a good idea for any of us to revisit that place now that it’s been…compromised.” You replied uneasily. “Speaking of which, the authorities still think I’m missing.” You raised your hands to show Tim. “And if I turn up again, they’re definitely gonna notice this.”

“Yeah, we’re gonna have to finesse this. When you inevitably reappear, we can cover up your skin easy enough,” Tim mused. “And we can definitely get a hold of your notebook. What else has changed?”

“Bruce and Jason told me I’m magnetic now.” Tim cocked an eyebrow.

“Huh…maybe it’s time to run a few tests.”

The Batcave

1:15:56 PM ET

An MRI, a blood test, and many, many fridge magnets later, you and Tim had reached a (potentially publishable) conclusion.

“So you are magnetic,” Said Tim. “Like, on-and-off, ‘cause this MRI is unreadable because of all the interference but it’s not like every piece of metal you walk by sticks to you.”

“Unless I really concentrate,” You added. “It’s like using the Force. Or whatever Magneto does.”

“It’s like you’re Dr. Polaris or something.” Tim muttered.

“What? Who’s that?”

“Oh, sorry. He’s some Green Lantern villain.”

“You know Green Lantern?” You blinked owlishly at Tim.

“It’s a long story.” He sighed.

“Okay, you nerds,” Steph appeared beside you, holding what looked like pieces of body armor from her Spoiler suit. “Time for some field testing.” You followed her to the side of the Batcave where an array of training apparatuses had been set up—punching bags, weight racks and machines, life-size dummies, the works.

“Field testing?” You echoed.

“Yup.” Falling into a fighting stance, Steph strapped on a blocking pad meant for sparring and held it in front of you. “Punch it, not me, to be clear.”

“ Punch it?” You said incredulously. “I don’t…I’ve never…” You faltered.

“Don’t worry! Chances are, you won’t hurt me. This stuff’s built to withstand a lot. I’m already wearing my gauntlets, too.” You made a face and wound up, landing the punch half-heartedly on the cushioned, reinforced material.

“That all you got? Punch it, hard as you can.”

“Okay,” You replied uneasily. “Here goes.” You drew your fist back again and swung with all your might, and yelped when the impact produced a louder sound that you’d expected and made Steph stumble back.

“Y/N? You okay?” Jason called out from where he and Bruce were communicating with Oracle, who was stationed at the Belfry.

“Y/N? Why isn’t anyone asking if I’m okay?!” Steph argued, tossing aside the blocking pad. “Holy shit! I was not prepared for that. Not the first time I’ve been punched by a super. You never get used to the feeling, though.”

“I…I had no idea I could do that.”

“Are you kidding? You’ve got fists of steel…literally. That virus definitely did something to you.”

“We’ll know more once I get a biopsy and more scans. In the meantime, maybe try the punching bag instead of Steph.” Tim remarked, walking over to you and Steph.

“Wait, try this first,” Steph hurried over to a corner of the Cave and returned with a piece of wood. You suspected it to be part of a crate.

“She’s not some black belt martial arts master…” Tim grinned mischievously. “...hit it as hard as you can.”

From across the cave, the sound of splintering wood made Bruce and Jason jump.

“Holy shit!” You yelled.

“Are you okay? Do you have any splinters?!” Steph exclaimed, holding the crate lid, now split into two jagged pieces where you tried to smack-slash-karate-chop it. Tim grabbed one piece and raised it as if to smash it over your still-outstretched fist, and you held your hand still, bewildered. Upon impact, the wood was reduced to smithereens, only a small piece left in Tim’s hands. You had barely felt the impact on your hand.

“No! Yes! I mean, no! No, my hand’s fine!” You stared at your hand, all shiny and discolored, with wonder. “What the hell is wrong with me?” Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Tim approaching with a sheet of metal. “Oh, don’t you fucking dare … ”

~~~~~~~~~~I REALLY NEED A BETTER DIVIDER HELP~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jason, walking past Y/N, Tim, and Steph: …what are you guys doing? Y/N, covered in fridge magnets: *peels off a magnet saying “I Beat The Riddler And All I Got Was This Stupid Magnet”* Y/N: Um…scientific experimentation?

[A/N]: LOL the ending of this chapter is so unserious I swear, I couldn't have pulled this off without all of the kind comments and support. Yall are amazing ♥️ Thanks again for reading! x

~~~~~~~~I MEAN IT THIS LOOKS SO WEIRD ON MOBILE~~~~~~~~~~

See You Again taglist:

@witchymomfrien

If you would like to join the taglist for this fic, let me know in the replies!

#jason todd #jason todd x reader #red hood #red hood x reader #jason todd x you #red hood x you #dcu

30 notes · View notes

crowmagus · 18 days ago

Text

Ritual Sacrifice Works

It’s blood magic 101, you kill something - you get power out of it equivalent to its value.

But, the thing about ritual sacrifice is that people overestimate the value of a soul really - I mean particularly animal souls. Human souls are a whole different thing and are not the focus of this class. And frankly, you’re not going to find anyone teaching that sort of stuff with the current political climate.

Anyways, what really trips people up is “value”. What is the sacrifice of a goat really worth? Now, I’ve been pushing for this university to start teaching rudimentary economics - but they keep turning me down. So unfortunately I’ve got to teach you all economics instead of getting right into the blood magic.

A metaphor I always like to use is think about a protein bar.

Y’know right now for a good protein bar you can get it at the store for $2.00. Honestly I even balk at that price but I do pay it because I like to have some protein bars at home for a quick snack if I’m on the go.

But imagine now that you’re trapped in the Appalachian Frostwoods, and you’re starving. Now how much would you pay for that Protein bar? How much value does it have?

Ask a starving person and they’d pay any price for that food.

Value is subjective - this is not just a matter of our modern markets, it is a matter of reality. Now, I know the average person going to study magic doesn’t like talking about the financial market.

It sucks, I get that - but you really need to start thinking about supply, demand, effort, labor, cost benefit analysis, all that boring shit.

I hate to break it to you, but magic isn’t exciting most of the time. You’re going to have to transmute some very esoteric experiences into numbers, and you’re going to have to check and double check those numbers to make sure your ritual actually works.

You want to know what the #1 cause of death for magicians? It’s not demonic interference, despite what the tabloids will tell you. It’s not arcane feedback, it’s not overdraw, it’s none of these fancy things you learn about in your stories.

No, it’s overconfidence. You’ll have amateur - hell even experienced magicians. You’ll have them using their “gut” feeling to cast spells. They’ll feel like they’re invincible - they sacrificed 100 chickens to build their water breathing spell.

They get overconfident and then they’ll act all surprised when 5 minutes into a submerged megastructure they suddenly can’t breathe anymore.

So let’s talk about this, let’s talk about value.

Blood sacrifice is huge right now. Nearly 30% of the world’s chickens and rats are now being sold to magicians for blood sacrifice or other magical rituals. You can buy one hundred chickens for around 200 bucks.

Ten years ago, that cost would have been at least triple. Now imagine how much a chicken would be worth before factory farming, imagine how much work goes into raising a chicken in ancient egypt.

Let’s say you’re working off of a spell written one thousand years ago, and it asks for 10 chickens to protect you from bad luck and ward off foul smells for two years. Well, I got bad news for you buddy. If you try to cast that spell with ten chickens - you’re lucky if you get half a day of warding from that thing.

But what if I told you that another person had that spell work for a year with just one chicken? Some of you seem interested in that. If there’s one thing every magic student loves, it's a loophole.

Well sorry to disappoint you but this isn’t the loophole you’re looking for. We’re back at subjectivity, we’re back to the protein bar in the middle of the freezing woods.

Instead of being a well off magic student with your tuition paid by mommy’s money, imagine you’re destitute. You’re living in the middle of a corn field, you can’t afford a tent, and your body is withered from malnutrition.

For some reason, you’re trying to cast this spell. The two bucks you’d pay for a chicken is suddenly worth a lot more isn’t it? I’m willing to bet you’d be able to get that spell to work for YEARS off of just one chicken.

Now imagine you couldn’t buy a chicken, but instead had to catch one in the wild? Imagine working yourself to exhaustion catching one.

That chicken's value has gone up even more.

But you have to remember - the value of that chicken that you just cost, it’s subjective. It can change, it works both ways.

If some big industrial magic company comes by you and offers you ten bucks for that chicken that you nearly died catching, it’s not going to really be that much more effective for /them/ than a farm-raised chicken.

Because for them - for the people buying it, the amount of labor for them specifically is not really higher. They’re paying such a low cost for this chicken. You might think paying 10 bucks for a 2 dollar chicken is going to give you five times the value - but that’s only the case if 10 dollars is worth 5 times as much to you as 2 dollars.

I see some of you are scratching your head, and I get that. But you have to remember that for a multi-million dollar corporation, such small numbers are basically the same.

If I ask one of you for two cents, you’re going to have about the same reaction as if I asked for one cent. You have roughly similar emotional attachment to such small values.

These facts about subjective value are why it’s so hard to scale up magic on an industrial scale. It devalues itself.

The only way these massive corporations really work is by employing tons of grunts with subjectively high value of their sacrifices. And even then it’s tricky, very tricky.

You can’t game magic, trust me - we’ve been trying for thousands of years. Over the course of your time at this university, you’ll be developing a sense of honesty. You’ll learn to quantify the true value of things from your perspective.

If you have any doubts - hell even if you’re confident. I implore you to run the numbers.

Now with that out of the way, I’d like all of you to turn to page 87 in your textbooks and start reading about the “Butcher’s Principle”. I’m going to head over next door and bring some pigs in for our next demonstration.

#magic #economics #fiction #urban fantasy

8 notes · View notes

handsomegentlebutch · 1 month ago

Note

What would consider to be marrying into upper middle class? Cause I lowkey wanna do that too but like what would be the class signals or distinctions to clock someone as upper middle so i can marry their ass lol

I hate rich ppl. But I am also getting desperate. Would love to own a home someday. Making $60k annually is a stretch goal of mine. A dream, if you will.

I also wanna clarify that I grew up so broke (and still am) that I have a hard time seeing the difference between super rich and upper middle class. Theyre the same to me lmao but anyway...

Someone who grew up with and/or currently has the following:

1) owns more than one house (ex: vacation home. not 'my mom owns her house and i own my house' i mean 'i own x number of houses' or 'we like to vacation at the cabin we own')

2) owns more than one car (as in multiple vehicles that they own and are in their name. I *dont* mean they have a car and their dad also has a car, yanno?)

3) someone who sees a big bill (ex: university tuition) and says "oof that's a lot" and then casually pays it like it's nbd

4) no debt and/or extremely manageable debt that they only keep around for the sake of their credit score

5) shocked that homeless people have phones*

6) "we weren't rich, but we were comfortable" (they are VERY insistent that they aren't rich. Weirdly defensive about it. Think the way T*ylor Sw*ft claimed she was "working class" while living in a literal McMansion and her parents were able to buy a fuck ton of her album to put her on the charts)

7) regularly has more than $10k in savings**

8) white collar job that probably has some stupid, useless ass title like "Directional Operations Manager" and this job is not only cushy but contributes nothing to society. The kind of job where they send 3 emails a week and attend meetings made up of buzzwords.

9) their home looks like a place Neal Caffery would rob

*not every homeless person has a phone, obviously. Most my clients have phones but not all. Shit happens in the streets, things get lost, stolen, etc. That said, I used this example bc ppl who grew up with money struggle to wrap their heads around the idea that poor people don't look and act like Victorian orphans and do sometimes have nice things and access to technology. Think of that fox article that accused poor ppl of not being poor bc they had refrigerators

**and they can KEEP adding to this regularly. This isn't like a freak occurrence where they're over the fucking moon bc things have been going well for once. I mean they could have like... serious car problems and pay for it easily or lose their job and be able to live off their savings for several months

#butch speaks #answered #asks #anon #white collar #side note. i love that show lmao.#ive been studying from sivi btw #innerchildabortionclinic #her and failson are inspiring #would love to have the lesbian version of that ngl

8 notes · View notes

musings-ofa-muse · 6 months ago

Text

Everyday I spend 15-20 minutes walking to my tuition classes and what i dread the most is the 5 minute walk through a busy street with men on motorbikes slowing down to stare at me.

A few days back, i turned to my left to look at a puppy briefly and when I turned, two men on a bike were right next to me, the one sitting at the back had turned to look at me and was barely 3 inches away. Naturally, since I hadn't expected that two people woukd be so close to me out of nowhere and I was a little off guard, I flinched. And the man at the back had the most sinister "smile" on his face seeing my reaction. I spent the 20 minutes before my class trying to calm down.

Since then, I'm carrying a pen in my pocket.

Yesterday again, i was walking to my class and another man very obviously turned to look at me and I was 2 seconds away from using the pen.

These are the two of more obvious times when this has happened but the countless men of all ages turning to stare hasn't gone unnoticed by me and hasn't made this daily occurrence any less unnerving.

A week back, i was walking back home from a class with two friends of mine while a man had eye contact with me out of nowhere. He was crossing the road to walk into the street I was walking by and I looked towards him only because I saw him walking in my direction and realised I had to move to make way for him (the entrance to the street was pretty narrow and there were 3 people ahead of me and a few behind me). Almost automatically, he started following me. At one point, my female friend was a little ahead of me and my male friend was ahead of her (We were in a file because of oncoming traffic) and the man moved right next to me and said something about being friends. I ignored and continued walking. The man walked ahead and stopped by a street side vendor and kept looking towards us until we had passed by him. I had to walk the remaining half of the way alone that day because the friend that usually accompanies me wasn't there.

The relief i felt when he stopped following and I reached home alive and well can't be described.

My point here is that everyday women and girls all around experience something like this. Something involving men that makes them carry objects in their bags and pockets for defence. That makes them spend 20 minutes reassuring themselves that they are safe now. That makes them gulp down glass after glass of water when they reach home and be DAMN GLAD they weren't raped or assaulted or physically harmed in any way.

My point here is that I DONT WANT TO DREAD WALKING TO MY CLASSES. I DONT WANT TO ME AFRAID OF EVERY MAN WHO LOOKS MY WAY EVEN WHEN HE HAS NO HARMFUL INTENTION. I DONT WANT TO HAVE TO PRAY THAT THE GUY FROM MY CLASSES WALKS WITH ME EVEN THOUGH I AM NOT PARTICULARLY FOND OF HIM JUST SO OTHER MEN WITH VIOLENT INTENTIONS WOULD LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE.

I DONT WANT TO BE UNSAFE IN MY OWN NEIGHBOURHOOD. I DONT WANT TO BE UNSAFE IN MY OWN CITY.

#women #feminine rage #feminism #catcalling #radical feminist safe #india #delhi #unsafe #women safety #safety #womanhoodg

16 notes · View notes

aeneakarts · 10 months ago

Text

‼️ EMERGENCY COMMISSIONS OPEN ‼️

I have my current situation all explained after the cutoff but to put it short, my younger brother has been hospitalized for sudden lung complications and I am across the country away from family trying to finish my final year in college. Tuition + medical bills in America is an absolute nightmare for a barely middle-class family so I am trying to help my family by opening commissions!! Reblogs are very much appreciated <33

All commissions in my carrd are open, from pixels to digital to animated items. If there is something you would like that isn't listed on the carrd (such as ref sheets, customs, phone wallpaper, badges, etc), feel free to inquire about it and I can get you a quote. I am quite desperate and would honestly consider doing nsfw commissions as well for an additional 50% of the original price. Payment will be through ko-fi/paypal!

Carrd with commission prices: https://neacomms.carrd.co/#

Trello for commission updates: https://trello.com/b/pX0vbAXb/owed-art

Contact: Feel free to send me a dm here on tumblr but I would much appreciate if you are able to instead contact me on [Toyhouse]. Feel free to also send me a friend request on discord @/Aeneak if you prefer that as well. My carrd lists my email for contact as well but do note that you might get a delayed response there.

Donations: If you would rather just leave a donation (trust me when I say even $1 can go a long way) feel free to send what you can/are willing to spend through my ko-fi or Paypal. Note that my ko-fi is able to process credit/debit/and other forms of payment as well!! <3

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/aeneakarts

https://ko-fi.com/aeneak

If you are reading this then thank you for taking the time to do so, it is more than I could ever ask for <33

So just yesterday on Sept. 4th it felt like any other normal day, I get to my dorm to video call family and instead of seeing my parents at home, I see them both in tears as my younger brother is laid in a hospital bed with tubes and oxygen and wires from several medical devices coming out of him. He had a normal morning but as he was dropped off to class he started to have chest pains, not one hour later he had to get picked up from school and soon enough he was rushed to the ER. After some xrays the doctors had said there were some holes in his right lung which had collapsed and had been giving him complications in breathing properly and gave him severe pain. He spent the night in the hospital, and earlier today he was taken for surgery to get a pump installed to help him breathe and get his body to recover and heal. I am so so thankful that things are going smoothly but he will be in bed in the hospital for the next several days, my mom is with him just about every second possible and my dad has also taken the week off of work to spend as much with them as possible. I am stuck across the country barely starting my year in college and have no way home, the best I can do is continue my studies but with no current income, I am opening commissions to work on between classes. I have been here the past two days since I found out about this news absolutely sick to my stomach unable to eat/rest properly trying to go through my day as normally as possible. I am Hispanic so my family is very close-knit and they mean the absolute world to me, especially my brother who has always been by my side and we do just about everything together, hell, he would always look up to me for everything and has been inspired to dabble in art because he saw me doodling all the time.

We still do not know why this happened suddenly, they tell us it can be common for athletes especially those who push their bodies to the limits, but my brother does not do any kind of sports. He is not unfit either, he is the healthiest person I know and always watches what he eats, so to have this suddenly happen was completely out of the blue. My parents will stay with him in the hospital for the next 5 nights until he can hopefully be released to recover at home. During this period we are not getting any income and with everything that's happened so far, the medical bill is going to be a nightmare.

If you are unable to send in a commission request/donation please do not worry, everyone is going through their own struggles and I completely understand, take care of yourselves first!!

A reblog is always very much appreciated to help spread the word but regardless, if you've made it this far thank you so so much for reading everything, I hope you all are having a wonderful day/night and if not, I truly hope things get better for you soon! Please take care and remember to drink water <3

33 notes · View notes

lev1hei1chou · 2 years ago

Text

Fun fluffy animes that I loved

This is basically a list of animes that helps get over or deal with the trauma inflicted by various animes. At the moment, I guess fellow JJK fans might need this, and prolly AOT fans on November 5. Have fun watching

Haikyuu

Short Synopsis: Determined to be like the volleyball championship's star player nicknamed "the small giant", Shoyo joins his school's volleyball club.

Episodes: 85 + 5 OVA

The worst thing that can possibly happen is either the 3rd year students graduating or you being unable to support a specific team (nah cuz bro how do you pick and root for one? I end up being happy for the team that won and depressed for the team that lost)

Two movies are coming up soon

Highschool Babysitters

Synopsis: After the sudden death of their parents on a plane crash, two young brothers named Ryūichi Kashima (a freshman in high school) and his younger brother Kotarō (a preschooler) are left orphaned and having no place to call home. The chairwoman of the prestigious Morinomiya Academy offers to take the boys into her care, giving them a new house and free tuition, on the condition that Ryuichi helps out with the school's daycare center while also attending normal classes during school hours.

Episodes: 12 + 1 OVA

Note: Plane crash seems sad but trust me, its only mentioned in the first episode, and the rest 11 is just fluffy goodness. Nothing can prepare you for the cuteness.

Cells At Work

Synopsis: One newcomer red blood cell just wants to do her job. Between bacteria incursions and meeting a certain white blood cell, she's got a lot to learn.

Episodes: 31 + 7

A good mix of science and entertainment. The episodes dont have to be watched in any specific order.

Mr. Osomatsu

Synopsis: The everyday lives of identical sextuplets who cause mischief.

Episodes: 75 + special eps + movies

Has a good amount of 18+ jokes, but its not too overwhelming. It doesnt necessarily follow a plot, and each episode is usually two different stories combined. So, skipping episodes should be fine. Also, it features very popular voice actors for the sextuplets (Geto's VA, Gojo's VA, Levi's VA, Koro sensei's VA, Erwin's VA and Haku/ Sugawara's VA), Iyami (Obanai Iguro's VA), Totoko (Shoko's VA)

The Vampire Dies in No Time

Synopsis: The story follows the famed vampire hunter, Ronaldo, who receives a job to destroy the supposedly invincible vampire lord Draluc and rescue a human boy he allegedly kidnapped.

Episodes: 24

Note: Its a hit or miss, the running gag is used constantly and gets tiring at times, but the overall anime is a good watch. I personally loved John the Armadillo

Buddy Daddies

Synopsis: Assassins Kazuki Kurusu and Rei Suwa meet Miri, a girl looking for her father on Christmas Day. Kazuki, Rei, and Miri unexpectedly end up living together.

Episodes: 12

May get dark at times, so I wont guarantee that itll be a smooth sail, but we get a wholesome conclusion so you can count on that! Otherwise VERY fluffy

Blue Lock

Synopsis: High school soccer players from across Japan gather for a controversial project designed to create the best and most egoistic striker in the world.

Episodes: 24

Isnt exactly true football, but yeah. The anime is pretty fine. It doesnt exactly go under the fluffy anime like i mentioned in the title, but you can check it out if you want.

Free!!

Synopsis: The story is centered on high school student Haruka Nanase, a gifted swimmer. After encountering his childhood rival, Rin Matsuoka from Samezuka Academy, he and his friends revitalize Iwatobi High School's swim team.

Episodes: 37 + specials and movies

This anime to me, personally is what haikyuu is. A great comfort anime which knows how to make the viewer connect with the characters. I dislike it when the whole anime gets reduced to just fanservice, like guys lets look beyond that and actually enjoy the plot.

Life Lessons With Uramichi Oniisan

Synopsis: From smoking and exercising to nihilistic outbursts, everyone's big brother Uramichi always brings up the not-so-moral side to his life lessons

Episodes: 13

This one is very real and relatable in many levels. Theres a lot of screenshots and panels available online, so you can check a few out before watching!

Obey Me

Synopsis: Brothers Lucifer, Mammon, Leviathan, Satan, Asmodeus, Beelzebub, and Belphegor are among the most powerful demons in the Devildom, serving as officers on the student council at the Royal Academy of Diavolo (RAD). However, being avatars of the seven deadly sins, their behaviors often tend toward the extreme. Their everyday antics belie their high status and fearsome reputations among others of their kind. When viewed behind the scenes, the members of this family are more lovable—and laughable—than they first seem!

Episodes: 24 + 1

It's based on a popular otome game, and can be watched as it is even if you havent played the game. The basic idea is that theyre based on the 7 sins, so their personalities are really amusing. As for the plot, its pretty wholesome.

Play It Cool Guys

Synopsis: Despite their distinctive personalities, Souma Shiki, Hayate Ichikura, Shun Futami, and Takayuki Mima all have one thing in common: though naturally clumsy, the four disguise their embarrassment from tiny slip-ups by maintaining a composed demeanor. However, it is actually the guys' airheaded natures that makes the girls' hearts throb. No matter what happens in their daily lives, the boys do their best not to lose their cool!

Episodes: 24

Each episode is barely 10-13 minutes, so it just doesnt feel enough lol. Most of their slip ups are relatable and could get a chuckle from the viewer. The art style is a little different but its good. Definitely worth watching, once or even multiple times.

Tanaka Kun is Always Listless

Synopsis: For high school student Tanaka, the act of being listless is a way of life. Known for his inattentiveness and ability to fall asleep anywhere, Tanaka prays that each day will be as uneventful as the last, seeking to preserve his lazy lifestyle however he can by avoiding situations that require him to exert himself. Along with his dependable friend Oota who helps him with tasks he is unable to accomplish, the lethargic teenager constantly deals with events that prevent him from experiencing the quiet and peaceful days he longs for.

Episodes: 13 + specials

Not gonna lie, Ive wanted to act like Tanaka. The characters are lovable and the anime is worth giving a try. An underrated gem. I personally loved the school festival episode.

@satoruukisser hope this helps!

98 notes · View notes