#doesn't mean that robin is meant to be left behind

[azalea-blooming]

This is my formal protest against "Tim needs to grow up and move on from Robin!"

Disrespectfully, Robin isn't the training phase. Robin isn't only for children. Robin is a respected vigilante who is expected to continue being a vigilante.

Specifically with Tim, he already grew up. He did that. And he found that he wanted to continue being Robin because that was the most helpful to the people of Gotham and it made him feel fulfilled.

Robin was never supposed to be a child forever. Robin is a mantle that can be carried by one person for their entire lifetime. Dick Grayson didn't make Robin as something he wanted to move on from.

Tim even said that he'd stop being Robin when someone better came along. Not someone else willing. Someone better. Someone who would perform the role of Robin better than he could.

And that 'someone' hasn't appeared yet.

[honeyjynxxed]

DeadTired Draft

"You're very good at pretending to be a shadow."

Tim's voice shook Danny from his quiet note taking and he looked up at his study partner with furrowed brows and confusion on his face. "I'm sorry?" It was as much a question as it was an apology which meant it was neither really.

Electric blue eyes pinned him in place, and Tim looked at Danny as if he had just said the sky was green. "If I had not been partnered with you in our ecology class I wouldn't know you exist. No one at this school knows you exist besides the staff and even then you're a name to a face to a grade. Nothing else. You're very good at pretending to be a shadow, a bodiless thing gliding along the edges of society."

Danny bit his lip slightly, mulling these words over. Tim was right of course, he never allowed himself to make waves, he stuck to the background of any place he was in, and really he was surprised that he wasn't more noticeable with how often Tim Drake-Wayne was his study partner. "I guess...I've never really like attention anyway. Why, you stalking me, Drake?" He raised a brow at the other boy, attempting to hide his confusion behind snark. He hardly ever used Tim's last name, either of them, but this seemed like an appropriate time to do so.

"Hiding something, Nightingale?" Tim snarked back but there was a bit of genuine questioning under his tone that had Danny tensing up in his sit, gripping his pencil a little too tightly in his left hand. "I can only contact you through your student email, you don't have a phone number or a phone period as far as I can tell, you have a laptop that barely works and seemingly requires a blood sacrifice to do the most basic of tasks. You live on campus but you never let me see your dorm, you never agree to meet me anywhere but the library on campus and I just-" He lets out a heavy sigh and runs his hands through his hair and suddenly Danny is a lot less tense in his seat. When Tim's eyes settle on him again there's genuine concern there and it breaks his heart. "I am worried. Daniel Nightingale doesn't exist outside of this college and it makes me think you're running from something or someone. If that isn't the cause then by all means please tell me I'm overstepping but Danny..." Tim reaches across the table that separates them and grabs at his free hand. "If you need help I'm here, ok?"

And oh...oh Danny's core positively sings in his chest at the admission. Protection was a major obsession for Danny and the way Tim talked, the way he explained his thought process, it made Danny feel warm and fuzzy inside despite the permanent chill in his body. Tim wanted to protect him and wasn't that so sweet? "I-" Danny stuttered before a sad smile was spreading across his lips and he gave the boy's hand a gentle squeeze. "I appreciate that but unless you have a way to somehow get an entire government organization disbanded and legislature revoked then I'm afraid this is out of your ballpark."

And really, Danny should've known better than to open his fat mouth. He should've known that the Fenton luck would bite him in the ass with his first real friend since Sam and Tucker. Tim may have dropped the conversation after that but by no means had he dropped the topic entirely. No instead apparently he had somehow gotten into contact with the Justice League because less than two weeks later Batman, Red Robin, Superman, and John Constantine of all people were waiting for him inside his dorm when he got back from a late night of studying.

What.

The.

Fuck.

[prlssprfctn]

In his new room - in his new house - Jason searches up for a circus performances and stares at them for hours. First, he watches at them mindlessly, unconsciously curious, and then, he starts to take notes.

He is a street kid, and everything about him screams of that. So, he is nowhere near the grace of these performers on the screen. His arms are not that strong, too, but he is agile, and his legs are much stronger - he can think of something.

He can be just as good as the boy he is replacing.

It is not like someone tells him to match Richard Grayson, and it is not like someone admits that Jason is here to replace the first Wonder Boy, but Jason heard Bruce's conversation with Dick earlier. It was meant not for his ears, but it doesn't matter now.

"So, now what, you exile me, and bring a boy to replace me?!"

Jason is not mad. All of it ‐ adoption papers, the manor, the school - is much more than he ever thought he would get in his life. Being replacement doesn't sound as bad anyway; especially, if his brother is so cool.

So, he makes notes on circus performances and slightly chopes his hair. They are much curlier than Dick's - he has more of a wavy ones, and the only ever look that way, when they get long; his childhood photos with short hair looks too straight - but the cut does its magic.

The next day, Bruce compliments his hair absentmindedly and is positively surprised by his new moves on the patrol, asking where he learnt it from. Jason lies about not remembering, but his cheeks are flashed, and his smile is all about teeth. He can't wait to show it to Dick once they finally get on a mission together.

Expect, when they do, Dick just nods and mutters a light-hearted "good job" before leaving to talk with his team. And Jason knows Dick doesn't want to be mean - he gets it; no one feels good about having a replacement, especially the one that seems so cheap in comparison - but he still cries that night in his pillow, feeling himself a little kid, even if he isn't one. Even if he never was.

Jason wonders if his own replacement would make him understand Dick.

But Jason never gets replaced.

No matter the taunting voice of the Lazarus Pit in the back of his head - that sometimes sounds suspiciously like Talia's; you remain unavenged and replaced - and his own intrusive thoughts that spiral in uneven lines, Jason doesn't think Tim was ever meant to be his replacement. Being replaced means to match the person that was meant to be left behind. And no one asked Tim to be like Jason.

If anything, memory of Jason was thrown under the rag, hidden and locked securely in heads of those who survived. And if they brought Jason up, then it was always an example of what Robin shouldn't do: run away, disobey, and allow emotions to consume you. So, not much of an exemplary original. More like an opposite.

Jason feels an urge to explain that to Tim once; when they sit together on the rooftop, almost like a proper family, instead of broken pieces of someone's idea of a one.

'You could never replace me,' he says, and the instant it leaves his mouth, he knows it came out wrong.

Tim rolls his eyes.

'Yeah, dude. Whatever.'

'No, I mean—' He grits his teeth, scrapping slightly the back of his hand. 'I mean... You could never replace me, because... Because you were always better.'

Tim freezes. His big blue eyes shift in something more confused, and it is almost as if he is not sure how he needs to react — to protest? To agree? To thank him?

Jason doesn't know what to do, too.

He wants to say: it is easy as that, babybird. They wanted to have someone who would have nothing in common with me — someone who could help them to forget about my existence, about the existence of the failed Robin.

But he can't make himself speak again. And he is not sure he wants to stay any longer to hear Tin manging to put his thoughts in the words; he is better than him at this, too, and he almost always sounds convincing.

So, he leaves.

In his room - in the building he owns now - he ruffles his outgrown hair, fluffs up the white streak, and passes by his only remaining photo with Bruce in the frame, on the shelf under the stolen tire.

He still does this semi-circus move in his fights - almost frozen in the air, with his back arched - but he doesn't expect anyone to compliment him anymore.

[fuctacles]

Changes

@genderthings ST Women's Day: bouquet T | 805 | Pre-Steddie | Transfem Eddie, coming out, canon adjacent, phone calls | I am not sponsored by Lego but they can call me wink wink | Ao3

"Hey, you're good at making gifts, right?"

"Who is this?"

For a second, Steve blanks, wondering if he's dialed the right number. But the voice in his ear sounds right. 

"Steve? Steve Harrington?"

"Dude, I haven't heard from you in forever."

"Come on, it's been a couple of months at best," Steve protests, but as he starts doing calculations in his head, it doesn't sound as short anymore. 

"Uh-huh, try half a year."

"Shit. Sorry, Eddie. Moving had been... a lot. Guess I've lost track of time. How's life?"

"A lot of work. We have a few labels interested in working with us, but we have to make a few more demos to get signed for an album. But it's... It's good, it feels good."

Steve smiles at the receiver, happy that another one of his friends is following his dreams. 

"That's great! I'm happy for you guys. We should meet up when you're less busy."

"Yeah, totally," Eddie agrees quickly. "I have something to tell you, actually."

"Yeah? What is it?"

"I, uh... So much has changed, man. Different city, different life... It's not Hawkins anymore, you know"

"Tell me about it," Steve chuckles. 

"And I'm changing too. And I'm worried it might be too much."

Steve frowns. Change was always scary, and often meant someone would be left behind, usually him. But he soldiers on with a joke. 

"What, you got even more tattoos? Human painting style?"

"You bet your ass I did," Eddie laughs. 

"Well, Hawkins might hate it, but as long as you're happy, your friends will have your back. We didn't save the world for nothing, right?" 

"Right," he parrots. "So, what did you want to ask me?"

"Ah! Women's Day is coming up and I'm completely blank on what to give Robin."

"Dude." There's a shuffle in the other side, like Eddie changed his position to be more comfortable. "You're her weird cosmic bestie, shouldn't you know her best? How could I possibly be of service?"

"Well," Steve draws out the word, slumping against the wall. "She buys all the books she wants, she's against expensive clothes, we're stocked on candy for a year, and we have limited space. But she said she'd like something to decorate her room, make it more homey."

"Uh, a plant?" Eddie suggests. 

"Eddie. Would I be calling you if the answer was as simple as a plant."

"I'm guessing Buckley is a serial plant killer then."

"She murdered my basil plant and I haven't forgiven her yet."

Eddie snorts before making a loud hum.

"Alright then, well. A painting, a poster?"

"She already has so many posters," Steve groans. "I'm not sure there's even space left on the wall, not after she stole that huge Madonna one."

"I see the big city is doing her good, huh?"

"I need ideas."

"I don't know, man. You're close enough, get her a vibrator or something."

"Already got her one for Christmas."

It's Eddie's turn to groan.

"Just give her fake flowers, Jesu— wait. Does she like puzzles?"

"Uh, yeah? But we have nowhere to display them, so—"

"Did you know Lego has flower sets?"

"It was a great idea, thank you so much! I forgot how much fun it is."

Eddie laughs on the other end of the line. 

"I'm glad to be of help. What did you get?"

"A bonsai tree. It looks great."

"Good to know you're living my dream," he chuckles. 

"What do you mean?" Steve asks curiously, before flopping down on his bed for the conversation. 

"I fucking love Lego, but this shit is so expensive. And, don't tell anyone," Eddie lowers his voice. "But I do like flowers, and can't keep them alive neither."

"I'll keep that in mind," Steve chuckles. "Sooo, when will you be free to meet up?"

"When you said about changes, I didn't think you mean...."

"Tits?" Eddie finishes for him, her shoulders angling in to hide. "If you can even call them that."

"No, don't hide! They're—"

A smirk grows on Eddie's face. She might be wearing make up and style her hair differently, but her dimples are all the same.

"Yeah? How are my tits, Harrington?" she teases.

"Shut up," he grumbles. "You look good, okay? And you'll keep changing, right?"

"Oh, yeah. I'm aiming for a rack..." she forms her hands into cups in front of her chest. "...this big."

"Who'll pay for the chiropractor?" he raises his eyebrows.

"Uh, my rock star salary? Duh," she rolls her eyes. 

"Mom, I am a rich man?" 

"Exactly," Eddie grins at him.

On their way back, Steve pulls her into a florist's and buys a single rose. 

"For the Women's Day I've missed," he explains, handing it over with a wink.

Next year, Eddie gets two bouquets: live red roses and a sunflower Lego set.

tags: @blasvemous @phantomcat94 @wheneverfeasible

[snakeredbirdbatkatana]

You Didn't Save me (I begged You Not To)

Lex Luthor is not a good man.

He is a literal supervillain, he's also more than aware of the consent issues of what he did when he created Connor.

Yet he is surprised by how furious Superman is making him.

Not that he isn't always angry with Superman but before it wasn't quite so personal.

It was a bigger issue what Superman stood for what he was but right now he's not picking the fight with Superman but with Clark Kent.

He has spent as much time as possible studying everything about kryptonian's from their weakness to their language.

Essentially, Superman should keep better track of his belongings.

Kon-El means abomination.

Lionel Luthor was never a kind man he knows exactly why he is who he is today. He still has slight scars from his fathers belt. Cruel words that years after his father's death, will still haunt his memories.

When he was younger he was friends with Bruce Wayne before being a Villain was his priority.

He remembers hiding at Wayne Manor a feeling of safety he had never felt before.

He's also more than aware that his old friend is running around as a Bat.

Bruce Wayne even as a child always stood for hope was always ready to change the world to stand for something better.

That's is why years later Lex Luthor is knocking on a door that he's not hundred percent sure he won't be turned away from.

Yet Kon-El means abomination.

"Mr. Luthor I was unaware Master Bruce was expecting you?"

Alfred looks older than Lex remembers for some reason the man always seemed above aging untouchable even by time.

"He's not, I need to speak with him please it's urgent."

He is a Luthor begging is below him, but right now he feels fourteen again, with the belief that the people within Wayne Manor can fix anything.

"Of course. Master Bruce is in his study, I will lead you please follow me Mr. Luthor."

He doesn't bring up how he knows the way. That he once ran chasing after Bruce hiding in that very study. That they had broken a vase playing like little boys did. He doesn't bring up crying, terrified that Alfred had promised him no harm should come to him in these halls.

He doesn't correct how he used to be Master Lex. He lost that privilege long ago.

It's been a very long time since he has laid eyes on Bruce Wayne he's seen the tabloids, even a passing glance at a gala but for some reason he didn't picture slight gray hair, a dark black suit, he imagined a Gotham Academy Uniform or a Nirvana Shirt that Lex always wanted to steel but never quite worked up the courage.

He doesn't even hear Alfred's depart he can't tear his eyes away from Bruce.

His throat is dry like all the moisture has somehow left since he walked through the doors.

He is Lex Luthor but right now he doesn't remember what that means.

"Kon-El means abomination did you know that?"

His voice weak. Bruce's face doesn't change, blank.

" I am not my Father. I don't know what to do but I refuse for my child to think he isn't loved by at least one of his parents."

He breathes.

"All those year ago, you told me that you would help that all I had to do was ask, I was an idiot, it's too late for me but not for him."

Bruce's voice startles him he hasn't realized how deep in his own mind he had sank.

"All you had to do was ask."

Bruce's face painted in the same smirk as if they were eighteen again smoking on the manors roof.

Lex Luthor is not a good person, but for Connor Luthor he will try he will rebuild bridges, bend his pride he will beg on his knees.

He never understood how a parent should be or what it really meant to wake up everyday and have your whole being dedicated to loving and protecting something.

As he watches the rise and fall of his child's chest wrapped in the arms of the third Robin safe in his penthouse behind security straight from Wayne Enterprises and he doesn't regret it.

He know's he would do it all over again and when next Sunday comes and he gets a invite to brunch that he never throught he would see again he knows it was all for the better.

[angstyentropy]

The writers of Robin War did not get We Are Robin at all, on re-read it's quite obvious they didn't care for them at all. They treat We Are Robin (WAR) as if it's useless, they're importance is downplayed at every turn and they barely get any moment to shine.

(break because this is a long post)

Most of my issues start after the Robins meet up at the gym. Duke starts giving a speech while his friends stand off to the side. Up until this point Duke has never been treated as a leader and the We Are Robin team have only acted as equals.

Everyone decided independently to go out and fight crime, everyone is on the same page and that's why they work together. They're a group working together because they want to, they aren't a gang working under a gang leader.

Damian immediately shows up, tells them they aren't Robin, tells them to go home, insults them and beats up both Duke and everyone else. On top of dozens of people being arrested our first impressions of We Are Robin are them being portrayed as weak and incompetent, and I hate that this isn't a one time occurrence.

Grayson #15 literally starts with WAR saying they are Robin only to immediately be corrected by the "main four" Robins followed by Dick talking about how inexperienced they are. Not long after we get a two page spread of Damian berating them and beating them with ease.

What happens right after they get trained? They get captured and rendered useless before they could do anything. What happens when they're captured? You guessed it! They get insulted more. They don't even get to show off any training as they escape, they just reach between bars and throw Tim upwards, the next two encounters with the Talons barely show any of WAR fighting either.

I get that this was supposed to show the difference in skill but we haven't been shown WAR doing anything that doesn't show how weak they are, it's overkill and is just discrediting all of them. Plus it's missing the entire point, they aren't meant to fight super villains and they aren't meant to be super soldiers.

For the Third? Fourth? Time now Damian defeats all of them again. Can you tell how tired of this I am yet? Finally after all that we get to see We Are Robin fight!

...But it didn't feel satisfying at all, not to me at least. The fighting is relegated to the background, in the first panel it shows most of them hiding behind a wall while the Talons attack. Then the next one has us focusing on Duke and Damian's conversation and fight. This empowering moment is then turned into Duke, a member of the group getting beat up by Damian again.

The kid who we just met gets his time to shine, he's been afraid this entire time so he must get his moment to be brave here. Nope, he didn't defeat the Talon and is about to die, hopefully another member steps in, showing the teamwork and strengths of We Are Robin? No, Damian saves him and tells him he's not Robin.

Finally we reach the last moment of WAR fighting, there's nothing quite as bad as the others but most of the panel is taken up by conversation and we're left with one image. I'm sorry but one image doesn't make up for the countless times they've been mocked in this event.

That's it, that's everything, that's how We Are Robin was portrayed in Robin War and it was absolutely. fucking. horrendous.

I think it's pretty clear that they only saw We Are Robin as an army, a group of people lead to fight others. This should've been obvious to the writers but WAR isn't an army or a gang, it's a movement and a movement is very different. The Robins aren't pawns to send off into battle to fight super villains. They're kids trying to make a difference, they work together to protect others, they inspire others to join and together they can bring change. That's where their strength comes from.

Dick, Jason, Tim and Damian talk lots about what it means to be Robin and they talk a lot about how WAR aren't Robins. From the get go we're more likely to agree with them, they have all been Robin and we're likely way more attached to those characters. None of them really see anything wrong with their words and you never get to see an argument for WAR's opinions on what Robin is. This removes so much nuance, undermines the entire movement and makes everything they're doing seem meaningless.

Another thing that I think is important to mention is in We Are Robin #6 (the last one before Robin War) the team face off against a Talon. Duke gets shot and Riko steps in front of him, fiercely facing them down. After Riko is taken care beaten alongside Duke, Izzy pulls out a gun to defend them and herself. Dre and Dax saw this from blocks away and came running, saving the others and fighting alongside them. All of them run in head first and the versions of them in Robin War almost look like cowards in comparison.

Then we get this amazing internal dialogue and fight scene, I'll let it speak for itself.

In We Are Robin five of them are taking on one Talon and they didn't even defeat them, in Robin War they seem to be able to beat Talons almost singlehandedly. But they still felt so much more powerful in We Are Robin, fighting side by side with each other. It felt impactful and to me, that small victory was infinitely more important than any win seen in Robin War.

It saddens me because if the writers cared a little bit more it could've been good but they didn't and it really shows.

[ababanerb]

The Sign

Part of the Stardew Valley Inktober for the Grapefruit Sky Discord Server. Cheers!

(also posted to AO3)

Sebastian doesn't believe in Yoba, but his mom does, and so do his friends. He doesn't have any faith in The Sign of The Vessel, and he only goes to Sunday Service when his mom drags him along. But that doesn't mean he doesn't recognize a sign when he sees one.

Or-

Sebastian finds religion, just not in Yoba.

Sebastian does not believe in Yoba. He never has, or he at least can't remember a time in his life if he did. His mom does, though. Robin wears The Sign of The Vessel on a gold chain around her neck, a gift from Demetrius, even though his stepfather doesn't believe in Yoba himself.

There was a period of time, when he was in middle school, and he wanted to impress Abby, where he had worn The Sign of The Vessel around his neck on a silver chain. Then an upside down Sign on his earring when he went through a phase of total hatred for Yoba in his early teens.

Now, though, he hardly ever wears any jewelry, not unless he's going into the city or if he's making a post on social media. And none of his jewelry holds any religious meaning, he doesn't want it to.

So, Sebastian is twenty-four, and his small cluster of friends in Pelican Town is limited to Sam and Abigail, both of whom believe in Yoba. To some degree. And Sebastian still doesn't.

After all, what kind of benevolent deity would put him through so much shit? Take away his father, and replace him with a man who hardly tries to fill the space left behind? What kind god would stick him with a dad who had been abusive and absent, but make the replacement so neglectful that it made him miss the abuse? 

No kind god would leave him stuck in a town he can't seem to get out of. 

It doesn't matter to Sebastian, if Yoba has a plan for him, or that he's exactly where he's meant to be. Doesn't matter that his mom is a great mom — and she is. And it doesn't matter if Demetrius sucks because Maru is nice even though he pushes her away half the time because he partially holds her to blame for the way he'd been treated after Robin got remarried. It doesn't matter.

None of it matters.

Because Sebastian knows that he's meant for more. Knows he's meant for something better than his basement room. Meant for more than being shoved downstairs to be forgotten, to be replaced. Knows he's smart, smart enough to get a good job in the city and get the hell out of Pelican Town. Knows he wants more than a quick fuck out of the girls he talks to.

And he knows, when his mom drags him down to the Temple of Yoba inside Abby's home to join the town on Winter Star, that Yoba hates him. He glares up at The Sign, and it almost feels like it taunts him as he glowers where he sits with his mom. The gold is brilliant, blinding with the sun beaming in, and he hates it.

But his mom doesn't. He can hear her murmuring a prayer beneath her breath, her hand pressed to the golden Sign that dangles from her neck. He can hear her asking Yoba for prosperity in the next year, for the whole family. 

But then, he hears, “And please, more than anyone, give Sebastian a sign. Show him you have a plan,” She asks, low beneath her breath as she asks Yoba for more. Which is odd, since the religion of Yoba has always been more of a silent thing. 

But his mom always asks. Always. And sometimes, she gets what she asks for.

He doesn't believe in Yoba, and he knows he's not the only one. Shane doesn't believe either, and for his yearly checkup with Harvey, the town’s doctor also doesn't seem too inclined to believe either. And for as much as he hates Alex, he can appreciate that the other guy also has a lack of faith.

But Robin believes in Yoba, and she reminds him, on the first day of Spring, that Yoba has a plan. And he's part of it.

Which is cryptic. 

Especially at ten in the morning when he's just woken up and pouring himself a lukewarm cup of coffee. 

“That's— Okay. Thanks, Mom,” He says, voice tired, and a little concerned for his mom’s mental stability as she walks out the door with her tool bag slung over her shoulder. Off to some job Lewis had commissioned her for. 

Work on the old farm, he recalls vaguely. She’d told him a week or so ago, when he’d been knee deep in code. 

That also doesn’t matter, he decides as he takes his steaming mug of coffee back downstairs with him. The farm on the West side of town had been empty for most of his life, and if he ever met the old farmer, he can’t remember. 

If anything, it probably got bought up by another old dude, He thinks as he settles into his desk chair, pulling up the project he’d had to pause last night when his vision had gotten so blurry he’d forced himself to bed. He goes back over the lines and lines of code he has written, finding more mistakes near his stopping point from the night before, fixing them and continuing with his project. The deadline is two weeks away, but he’s nothing if not determined to get the fuck out of Pelican Town and into Zuzu. 

Or at least out of the basement. Away from Demetrius.

Either one is good, as far as he’s concerned.

He codes well into the night again, and he gets his project done well ahead of schedule. Sending it off to his client and grabbing his pack of cigarettes, he heads out to the lake next to his house, and forgets all about his mom’s trip to the old farm earlier that day, and whatever she might have said about the new farmer. 

It doesn’t matter, after all.

But then it does. Because that Friday, when Sebastian meets up with Sam and Abby for a drink and a game of pool, they’re both talking about the farmer. About you. Like you’re Yoba, like you’re the Vessel for some benevolent power. 

He chalks it up to Small Town Reaction To New Neighbors™, and leaves it at that. He lets the two of them get their ranting out, and proceeds to kick Sam’s ass at billiards while Abby struggles through Journey of The Prairie King . 

He has to admit that he’s curious, mind wandering to the new farmer on his walk home. The night air is still chilly in the early Spring, biting at him even through his sweater. His cigarettes burning a little more on the way down in the cool air, and he relishes in it. 

When he was younger, still in high school and rebellious in the only ways he knew how, he’d chainsmoke until he made himself sick. Dubious therapy videos and time taught him that it was less rebellion and more a cry for help. And he’d wondered what kind of god would let a kid feel the way he had. 

He still wonders, sometimes, when he lets the thought creep in and he smokes too much weed too late at night. Wonders why Demetrius’s desire for a lab had trumped his need for a bedroom, why he’d been pushed down into the basement when Maru had gotten everything.

Silly, really, because he’d learned to love his basement bedroom in high school, when he’d realized what he could get up to with no one to hear him. 

Sometimes though, he’d find himself wishing he’d been caught. Like Sam or Abby, who’s parents cared, sometimes too much. 

Doesn’t matter, though. Not when he’s been building up his savings and he can almost afford the move even though he’s been able to almost afford the move for years now. 

He forgets about it over a bowl of weed.

He meets you by chance, a few weeks later, when the weather has gotten warmer and Spring has begun to give way to Summer. And he gets it, very suddenly, what Sam and Abby had been talking about. 

You’re– not quite real, it seems at first glance. But you notice him from across the lake as you emerge from the mines, bag slung over your shoulder. You’re glowing, and he blinks and chalks it up to it just being a trick of the light. You wave to him from across the lake and make your way around the lake towards him.

You close the distance shockingly fast, and as you approach the glow that surrounds you seems to grow stronger, and he wonders if it really is just a trick of the light.

“Hello, I’m (y/n),” You introduce, and you keep your hands firmly near your sides, “You must be Sebastian, right? Your mom, er, Robin told me about you when you moved in.”

“Oh.” He blinks at you, staring for a moment before he opens his mouth, choosing his words carefully, “You just moved in, right? Cool.”

You smile broadly at him, before twisting your bag on your shoulder, rummaging through it until you produce a stone. A perfect, tear shaped crystal rests in the flat of your palm as you offer your hand to him. When he takes it, it’s cool to the touch, and it doesn’t warm even when he sticks it in his pocket and says, “I really love this. How did you know?”

You merely smile at him, your hands back at your sides again, “Just a feeling,” You tell him, and his mother’s words from the first of Spring come rushing back to him.

“Huh,” He remarks, his own lips quirking up, “Must be a sign.”

“Must be.”

Sebastian doesn’t believe in Yoba, and he can’t call himself atheist, not anymore. Because even he recognizes a Sign when he sees one.

[melanieph321]

will you make more robin fics or headcanons? 🩷

Ofc ❤️

Reader x Robin Le Normand - New Addition

Reader works for Alteltico Madrid medical staff, directing physical tests on the players. One of them being Robin Le Normand, the newest addition to the team.

Enjoy!

"Okay Y/N, we've got a couple of the U21 guys coming through to do their ECG's. I suggest you deal with them while we take on the players from the first team.

"Great." You muttered, as five years of studying physio therapy had all gone to waste in the name of male misogyny. Working for Atletico Madrid, arguably one of the biggest football clubs in Spain, was a dream come true. However, that dream was dimmed by the likes of your colleges, who only thought you were good for analyzing players ECG charts.

"Turn around." You said dully. "Now raise your arms."

"You mean show you my gun's." The young U21 player said, flexing the meat attached to his bony arms.

It was bad enough that you had to deal with teething football player's all day. It clearly boosted their already sky high confidence to stand half naked in front of a girl not too far off their own age.

"So what do you think?" Said the young player, stepping off the treadmill, putting his shirt back on.

"You're test results are fine. Pretty good actually."

"I told you I've been hitting the gym this summer."

You snorted unintentionally.

"What, you don't believe me?"

You pressed the boy's chart to your chest. "It doesn't matter what I believe Mr Garcia. All the team wants to assure is your fitnesses for the upcoming season."

"Well, am I?"

He looked so dumb, you thought. A sort of juvenile intelligence that came about young boys who spent most of their days running around a grass field with other mindless boys.

"Fit? Yes, that you are Mr Garcia. See you during our the next check up." A smile remained platsered on you face as he left the room. But once the door shut behind him you threw the young man's chart amongst the other's piling up on your desk.

"Ugh, I can't take it anymore more."

You slumped down against the nearest wall, your legs folding up beneath you. Jealousy, was the only right word to describe how you were feeling. You were jealous of your colleges, some of them fairly new at their jobs, just like you. Despite their incompetence, the team saw it more fitting that men should analyze men, leaving the boys to you. A woman.

"Hello, is anybody in here?"

There was light knock on your door. One that made you shoot up from the floor. You were met by a pair of glaring brown eyes. Belonging to a man whose height barley made him fit through your door.

"Are you...Y/N?" He said, invading your space by entering your office without your permission.

"Erm...yeah." Your hands were quick to dust off the dirt on your lab coat. "That's me, but who's asking?"

"Erm...I guess that would be me who's asking." He chuckled. "I'm Robin Le Normand. I'm new on the first team and was told to come to you for my ECG."

"Of course you were." You sighed, but made a gesture for the player to close the door behind him. He did so cautiously before stepping further into the room.

"I'm assuming that the first team wants a full body profile of you?"

"Yes. That's why they told me to come here. They've been running tests on me all morning." He said, sounding a bit exhausted.

"Well, prepare to do more running."

"Seriously?"

"Jupp." You pointed to the treadmill. "In order to track the electric signals of your heartbeat I'm gonna have you running to get your pulse up."

"Great." He sighed, but made his way over to the dreadmill located in the middle of the room. Several electro cords hung from the side of it.

"Should I just start running?" He asked.

You approched the treadmill and grabbed a bundle of the electro cords. "Yes. But first I've got to attach these to your skin."

"Oh, okay."

"Yeah, so just take of your clothes and I'll prepare some stickers."

You turned around in search for the stickers meant to attach to the players skin. However, the lack of movement behind you made you stop what you were doing and turn back around.

"Erm...is everything alright?"

Robin still stood beside the treadmill, a slight blossom to his cheeks. "You...you want me to undress?" He stammered.

"Yes. Your shirt and pants please."

"With all due respect," He coughed. "Wouldn't that be a bit uncomfortable."

"For who?" You frowned. "I can turn on the AC if it's the draft you're worried about?"

Robin shook his head, a sly smile on his lips. "I meant, wouldn't it be uncomfortable for you, if I took my clothes off?"

"Why, because you're a man and I'm a woman?" This was definitely a first. Non of the other players had hesitated to strip for a ECG. You dare say that some of the players seemed to look forward to the akward moment when your rubber gloved hands nipped at the twigs that they called chest hair. "I assure you Mr Le Normand, this will just be another day at work for me."

"It's Robin."

"Huh?"

His gaze diverged from yours. "Mr Le Normand is my dad. You can call me Robin."

"Well then, Robin. I'm gonna head out for a moment since it appears that we are out of stickers. Hopefully, that will give you all the privacy you need to get undressed."

He nodded. "Thank you."

It was odd, yet refreshing. A player with morals. It was easy to say that running Robin's ECG chart might have been the highlight of your career as a physio. Firstly, his profile was more than impressive. As a defeder, a lot was expected of you when it came to size and strength. For Robin to uphold a stamina similar to a left wing, really impressed you. Professionally, of course.

"There, all done." You said, removing the last sticker from Robin's bare chest, now slightly damped with sweat. To your suprise he was as hairless as an infant, his pecks large and defined.

"So...am I good to go?"

"Mhmm, sure. You can put your clothes back on now."

"Great" He chuckled. However, kept his eyes on you as he did. "Is this what you do all day, run players ECG'S charts?"

"Unfortunately, yes." You grabbed a spraybottle of sterilizer to hose down the treadmill with.

"Does some of the players ever give you a hard time about it?"

"I wouldn't say the players do. It's more so my colleagues. But you know..."

Robin stared at you blankly, a slight twitch to his brow.

You paused what you were doing, the spray bottle in your hand. "Why are you asking?"

Your words made him come out of it. His temporary trans. "Oh, I was just wondering." He ran a hand through his damped hair. "My sister was supposed to become a physio. I guess that's similar to what you do, no?"

"Physiotherapy? Yes. Yes it is."

Robin nodded, a disturbed look on his face. "She quit, though." He draped his Atletico Madrid t-shirt back over his head. The sweat on his body made the shirt glue to his skin. "She quit her studies because some of her male classmates were giving her a hard time during training. Making her feel uncomfortable, you know."

You nodded. Knowing very well of the terrible experience that a lot of women in a male dominated field had to go through. "I'm sorry that happened to her."

Robin pinched the bridge of his nose, appearing done with the conversation. Done with you really. However, as he stumbled towards the door, clearly exhausted from his morning full of testing, he stopped in the frame and regarded you sincerely. "If there's ever anyone giving you a hard time, I swear I'll help you deal with them."

You shoulders withered, the spraybottle pressed tightly in your hand. "Thank you Robin. I appreciate you for saying that."

"I mean it." He nodded. "Even the slightest joke thrown your way, I'll make sure that person never even tries to look your way again."

A shiver ran down your spine. It was either of terror or you were just tremendously turned on.

"I'll see you later, Y/N." Robin shut the door behind, with the same caution as the last time.

"See you." You squealed and confidentiality astablished that you were indeed tremendously turned on.

[sweetbillwriting]

In The Dead of Night

THREE

Characters: AU Eric played by Bill Skarsgård from The Crow (2024)

Setting: This story is set in A WHOLE OTHER WORLD than the movie. Shelley isn't a part of this story. Eric will be different from the movie, especially because I haven't seen the movie.

Warnings: 18+. NSFW. Heavy themes. This chapter mention suicide.

Notes: The Snapchat name is made up so if there is a user with this name it's just a coincidence!

“How is he?”

“Ehm… They've put him in a coma for now…”

“What happened?”

“It was some accident in the garage. He got hit in the head.”

Robin sighed deeply but sounded more disappointed at his uncle than worried.

“Mom has called three times a day and talked nonsense. She forgets who's hurt, or she wonders why I leave my wife like this…” He laughed unamused, and I swallowed hard. I couldn't imagine what he went through.

“I can visit her if you want? Maybe she just needs some other company.”

Robin was quiet on the phone for a bit too long, and I started to wonder if he had hung up on me.

“Hello?”

“Yeah! Yeah, that's probably a good idea. But don't let her talk so much; she just gets upset and-

“You mean about your brother?”

The thought was never to force him to talk about Eric like that, especially not when he was worried and upset, but Eric was the only thing I could think about.

Robin was silent again, but then sighed deeply.

“Yeah, about Eric... You don't understand; she can be so upset that no one can calm her down. Sometimes they've even needed to use calming medications. It's not worth it. She's sick, she doesn't need that stress.

“But... it's her son.”

“I will not discuss this, Della. You don't understand," he said forcefully before hanging up in my ear. I made an offended scoff and looked at my phone. I understood he was upset, but I just wanted to help. Right?

I wonder if this meant I shouldn't go to Lotti. Maybe he didn't want me there at all if I showed signs of wanting to talk about his brother, but I had already decided that I would go to Lotti. She needed to talk about Eric, just as much as I did.

×××

I had another reason to go to Lotti. When I was there trying on her old clothes, I had left it all behind, so now I could just say I wanted to continue where we were forced to say goodbye.

She sat outside that day. It wasn't as hot that day, and small breezes played with her chestnut hair. She sat by the table we had been sitting by with Robin, and she looked a little tired and confused in her relaxed, light blue button up shirt.

“We heard from her son that there’s been an accident in the family?” Asked Fiona carefully before we walked up to Lotti.

“Yeah, her husband's brother. He's in a coma right now," I said with a serious look. It was sad, but I mostly felt bad for Robin.

“Oh, that's awful. I know he has talked a bit with her about it but didn't succeed, so we decided with him that we would just say he's on a trip.”

I nodded and then gave Fiona a sincere thank you. It was always amazing to meet people who really cared for others, and she seemed to be amazing with Lotti.

Walking up to Lotti, I waved my hand with a smile while I crossed the lawn to get to her. Lotti gave me a small smile and pulled out a chair for me.

“Where is Robin?” She asked at once, and I licked my lips in preparation for the lie.

“He's on a trip. With another friend of ours.” I smiled and sat down on the chair she had pulled out.

“And Max?”

“You mean Odin? He's at home; he can be home by himself for a few hours.”

Lotti nodded and looked around at the other residents with distaste. I had just met her twice, but that sort of judgmental face didn't feel like Lotti.

“Someone has stolen my shoes.”

I gave her a confused look and then looked around at the people.

“I think it's that bitch, Debbie. You should see her son, fat like a walrus, who came to visit her once and ate up all of Nikolaj’s birthday cake even if he wasn't invited,” she muttered to herself. It was obvious this day was a bad day, and I started to feel like I shouldn't have come.

“Ehm… Lotti, I just had some questions.”

My stomach twisted in shame, and I could feel my cheeks heat up. I should’ve just left her alone to rest, but I had too many questions. Eric had stolen both my heart and brain, and I needed answers, especially because of how realistic my dreams were. I started to question my own sanity, especially when I searched for the username on Spotify Eric, in my dreams, gave me and it existed and had lists full of punk, metal, and rap. It really looked like it could be his account.

“What was Eric’s girlfriend’s name?”

Lotti gave me a confused look but then seemed to search for the name in her head.

“Simone… Ehm, Davis, I think? Why do you wonder?”

I smiled, forced and shook my head.

“I just- maybe- I- Maybe I know her?”

Lotti didn't say anything, just gave me a strange look. It felt like the normal Lotti would have just been happy talking about her son, but now she looked at everyone with suspicion.

“Was his biological mother’s name Linda? Is she alive?”

I understood at once that this was the wrong question to ask because Lotti looked at me in rage and flew up from her chair.

“Linda was a fucking meth whore!! The only good thing she did was Eric, and he…”

I looked at her in shock and could hear nurses run to us behind me.

“Eric was the only good thing she did, but she had given him her awful, dirty habits! My son!! She destroyed my son!”

The tears had started to stream down her cheeks now, but she also huffed heavily, like it took all her power to scream.

“Lotti, Lotti…” Said Fiona and walked up carefully to Eric's mother, who gave her an upset but calmer look.

“I think it's time to rest now.”

Lotti looked at her first with protest but then breathed out tiredly.

“Yes, yes…”

Fiona gave me a quick look before the two of them walked in, and I tried to calm down my heart rate that had been raised by Lotti's behavior. I took some deep breaths. I felt awful over what happened and that I was responsible for it, but I also felt another bigger feeling that made my heart rate go up again.

Neither Lotti nor Robin had given me Eric's biological mother's name. It was just Eric. The same thing with the Spotify account.

How could a person in a dream give me new facts I hadn't even been close to having before?

×××

3.32 PM. 3.33 PM. 3.35 PM. 3.37 PM. 3.39 PM.

The clock ticked on and I looked at my phone like I had a reason to but I didn't. I laid on my bed staring up at the ceiling while Odin stood on the rug looking at me confused.

Eric. Eric. Eric. Eric. Eric.

He was the only thing I thought about. Everything from the memories from my dreams (his laugh, his sad eyes, the shyness behind the tough look, his kisses), the little others had told me but also the big question: What was real?

I had always had vivid dreams, dreams with a real plot and people with clear facial features but this was something else. I couldn't feel the difference between my dreams and what was happening for real the day before. The experiences were just as clear and in some way the dreams even felt more real because Eric awakened such big feelings in my body.

Could a dream be real? Fuck, I had really started to lose it because not only couldn't a dream be real but Eric was also dead. He even said it himself.

Fuck, no, he didn't, it was a dream. I had really started to lose it when I thought about “Dream Eric” as a real person, who could tell me he was dead.

I turned to my side and looked at Odin who whined and made some nervous steps. He needed to go out and as a dog mama I had no other choice than to go out with him. Maybe it would be good for me.

It felt like a hot day in late July when I went out the door, and Odin pulled on the leash as usual. He barked at two dogs, loudly and rudely, and it was a struggle getting him to shut up. I saw how the other dog owners judged me, and when the second one finally had their back against me I started to cry. It was all too much. I probably needed help for real because the only thing I had thought about the whole walk was that I needed to ask Eric how he had made Odin so calm.

Eric was dead. It was a dream. I need to understand that. The guy in my dream was an imagination created in a bored, lonely, love-starved person's head, from a picture of a beautiful, mysterious man. Maybe I needed medications for hallucinations. I started to cry even more and it made Odin whine and pull in the leash worriedly. I didn't care if they were hallucinations. The only thing I was really worried about was that I would never see Eric again.

×××

‘Simone Davis’ was a quite common name, and when I searched for her on Facebook and Instagram, I got so many hits that it wasn't even worth checking ten accounts.

I needed someone else to tell me more about Eric. It was obvious Lotti was too fragile, but she also had a mother's perspective. Robin didn't want to talk, and others had just heard rumors because Eric had never lived in this town. Simone Davis was the only thing I had to go by. I hadn't tried much before I found a Simone Davis that actually seemed as believable as it could be. I had just looked through Robin’s 800 friends on Instagram because it felt like I should, never really believing I would find her, but there the raven-haired beauty was. She had a picture where she stood with her long black nail against her burgundy lips, and you could see her tattooed arms just like Eric had. Her tattoos were better made, though, and had more artistic motifs. She looked like the girl; you were equally envious of her looks as you were afraid of her. Of course, Eric's girlfriend was a mistress of the night, not a thrift store loon like me.

I looked through her pictures; they were mostly selfies or pictures of records or abandoned houses. It was obvious she was a photographer, but her favorite subject seemed to be herself until four years ago, when a face I knew took over. I was forced to hold in my tears because I felt so stupid, lying in bed, hugging my big dog while crying over a guy I'd never met. But there he was, but in the last photos he wasn't. It was his face, but also someone else's. He was rail thin, and his face was sunken in. He had some sort of wound on his lip that was bloody but blue on the edges. I couldn't tell if he had dark circles around his eyes or if they were fading black eyes.

It was the junkie Eric. It wasn't hard to tell. He had his hood up in most of the pictures, and they missed the love and happiness the pictures she had taken before of him had. The earlier ones were bright, dreamy, and sexy. These were taken in the dark, unfocused, and many were really unflattering. It looked like he was high in some of the pictures with either an unsteady gaze or his eyes on their way up in his head. They were terrible pictures, and I cried with so many different feelings. It felt like I looked at the man I loved, all broken. I cried because I had never seen anything like it before, but I also cried over how loveless the pictures were. It looked like his girlfriend stopped loving him long before they broke up, and instead of taking flattering portraits of him, he was just a lifeless subject, an object she documented.

The last picture of him was a black-and-white one, with a crow sitting on his hand. He smiled proudly against the camera, full of happiness and life. He looked like the Eric I knew. Around him was a white heart, like a frame.

Don't do drugs, kids.

It was the only text under the picture, and I could see the picture was uploaded three years ago. It was her goodbye to him.

×××

Big green eyes looked at me. There were gold specs in them, like gold dust in a green forest river. It must have looked like that when they started to find gold in California.

I knew those eyes, framed with dark lashes and a hiding place for secrets. I knew those eyes.

I took in Eric's whole face, the pixie nose, how his lips had disappeared because of a broad smile, the dimple and the many tattoos. I threw myself around his neck in happiness and relief at seeing him again. I didn't even think about the fact that we were lying in my bed.

“Wait, wait, wait!” Said Eric with a laugh, but he let me hug him for a few seconds before moving away. I looked at him with confusion until I registered his bare shoulders and chest under the cover.

“I'm naked,” he said in such strong embarrassment that he covered his face with his hands.

I giggled in excitement and surprise.

“What? But I'm not?”

I wore a thin white tank top and a pair of silky pajama shorts. It was a regular sleeping outfit for me, it was even the same I had gone to bed with before waking up in my dreamland.

Eric dragged his hands over his face and made a sound of embarrassment, and I laughed at him.

“Fuck, you must have decided this. If this the kind of dream you invite me to, I expect some action.”

He looked at me teasingly, even if his cheeks were pink.

“I decided? I think you decided you wanted to show off!”

I said it with a laugh, but snuck closer to him and played with the edge of his cover. He gave my hand a look and smirked a little while scratching his brow over and over.

“I don't have any power over this, I just show up here!”

“So do I!”

“But it's me who came here naked!” He said it with a pointed smile. I laughed and pulled on the cover a bit.

“Maybe you should just roll with it then?” I pulled on the cover a bit more with a beating heart. “Show me…”

Eric stopped scratching his eyebrow and looked at me amused, but then pulled the cover from his body. His long body. I don't think I've seen anyone take up so much space in my bed. He was full of doodled tattoos, like someone used him as a bulletin board. Under the tattoos, he was so ripped that I felt my mouth get dry, but I had the opposite reaction between my legs. He didn't have a six-pack, but an eight-pack, and they traveled down to those sharp lines framing his shortly trimmed pubic hair and then down to his cock. He was half hard and bigger than anyone I've been with. It was pink, and visible veins crawled up to his adonis belt. Fuck. Fuck.

“Oh fuck…” I said with a moan, biting my lip. I didn't dare look at his face, and I didn't dare touch him. Instead, I just looked between his abs and his cock and pushed my legs together.

Eric took my chin and steered my face towards his. He smiled a little playfully, and I giggled with a blush.

“I've never been with a guy like you…” I whispered and dared to lay my hand on his naked chest.

“A guy like me?”

“Ehm…” I felt my blush intensify, and I didn't know where to start.

“The tattoos… Your body…” I giggled, embarrassed again, and looked away. Eric made an amusing sound and sat up completely against the headboard with spread legs. His cock was next to me now, and it felt like it was a third person in the room.

“Your size…” I said with a lower voice and looked from his cock to his face. Eric smiled proudly but was also a bit embarrassed and pulled his cock a couple of times.

“Isn't it your turn now? Give me a little show?” He said it teasingly and made me laugh, embarrassed. He looked at me for a while and smiled kindly.

“You don't have to,” he said, seeing my embarrassment turn to insecurity. I looked at him with love and sat down close to him so I could kiss his plump lips. It quickly turned into deep, passionate kisses, probably because the both of us were so horny. I dared to take my clothes off while we kissed because it felt so much more natural, and Eric pulled me easily up in his lap so I could straddle his thick thighs. He leaned back a little to be able to look at me, where I sat naked on top of him. I could feel his erection against the inside of my thighs, hard and hot, and I dragged my wet folds over his while leaning back on my palms. Eric made a heavy exhalation and looked at my hips roll over his member.

I bit my lip. I felt sexy under his gaze and let one of my hands drag down my chest to my sex so I could touch myself while his big eyes watched me.

“You're such a dirty girl…” he said with a deep, raspy voice, but let me continue. “Show me, show me your cunt, show me that little wet hole…”

I giggled, leaned back more, and spread my folds with two fingers. He made an aroused little whine that transformed into a roar before he attacked me, so I fell on my back. I made a little scream through my laugh while he kissed my face and neck. I dared to drag my hand over his pulsing erection, and when he made a bit of a pained sound, I looked up at his pretty face. He looked into my eyes, then down at my legs and between them, and pushed my thighs towards my belly. He looked up again, obviously seeking some sort of consent, and I nodded. I would have consented to anything.

He kissed down my chest and belly, and with surprising smoothness, he crawled down between my legs. I looked up at the ceiling, up at my turquoise rice paper lamp. I had him between my legs. Eric was between my legs, and I could hear him breathe heavily before he carefully started to give my folds open-mouth kisses. I closed my eyes, but a bark startled me at once. No, no, no! Would I wake up now?

“Odin! Go away!” Eric said it authoritatively, and I could hear Odin leave the room. I breathed out in relief and took a pleasant new breath when Eric started to kiss and suck my folds again. It was obvious he wouldn't stress this. He took it one thing at a time; he didn't touch my clit until his lips and tongue had tasted all the secret hidings in my pussy so when he started to massage it with the tip of his tongue, I felt close to an orgasm at once. He pushed his tongue hard against the bottom and shook his head side to side, but I didn't need more than a minute before I came over his face.

I couldn't stop moaning, dazed, and euphoric. I laughed, but it became a throaty moan again when Eric pushed into me determingly.

“Okay?” He just said when he had just pushed in, and I nodded but was completely overwhelmed by the intense orgasm at first, then how girthy he was. He held my arms over my head by my wrist while he pushed into me and searched for my eyes. When he was sure we could share the moment together, he started to move his hips skillfully, and I needed to use all my powers to hold my eyes open. It was intense. So intense.

×××

I was worried after that dream that I would never see Eric again, but the dream started to come every night. Exciting, amazing dreams. We visited his old school, his favorite park he used to draw in, and some cities I had visited when I traveled through Europe and Asia a few years ago. It was weird having places like the Eiffel Tower and the streets of New Delhi by ourselves, but in all my dreams, we were alone. We made love on a balcony in Barcelona without anyone seeing us. I sucked him off in front of the ducks in the park. It was like a dream. It was a dream. Or was it? I couldn't understand, and when I was home in my bed with Eric again, I felt a need to ask him some questions.

We laid naked next to each other. We stripped as often as we could when we were together, sometimes just to touch each other's skin.

“Where are you when you're not here, with me?” I asked carefully. He spooned me from behind, and I played with one of his big hands.

“I don't know,” he said shortly, and I could feel him shrugging. “I guess it's mostly dark? Sometimes I think I can hear someone talking, but maybe it's your regular life I can hear in some way?” He laughed a little in confusion.

“So you like, sleep?”

“The eternal rest, I guess.” He stroked my hair away from my neck so he could give me tender kisses there. I was quiet and let his kisses take over my thoughts. It was too depressing to think about. Too weird to think about. Eric was lying in a coffin under dirt. His body… I tried to get the thought away; the inner pictures were too awful.

After some more kisses, I could hear a growl in my ear. No, it wasn't Odin; it was Eric.

“Is the puppy here again?” I said with a laugh, and he licked my ear, and I was forced to lay a hand over it because it became too much.

Eric had a really playful side, especially under the foreplay. It wasn't a part of our lovemaking, but he loved acting like a dog or like he had never seen a woman's body before he gave me a hard pounding.

The puppy crawled up, so he stood on all fours over me and nuzzled the side of my neck and naked chest. When he lightly bit one of my nipples, I pushed him away. 

“Bad dog!” 

He gave me a big-eyed look but smiled playfully and then continued with playing and fighting me, like he was a dog who hadn't learned to play nicely. He made me laugh but was also, strangely enough, aroused. It was something so sexy in a man looking like Eric wanting to play that he was a puppy. 

××× 

“So you have slept more than 12 hours per night this week? That doesn't sound good at all!” Said Desiree while she put more sugar in her tea. 

She had come to me after work because she thought I was so bad at answering my phone. She was worried about me, while I didn't think much about my real life at all. I thought about Eric. My days were short, so I could meet Eric again. I went up, ate, took a shower, cared for Odin, and fantasized about Eric. Then I went to bed again to be able to talk about silly things like what really happens to a worm when you cut it in half, scream with music we had listened to as kids (Evanescence was great for it) and make love in all sorts of ways. I hadn't even thought about having a social life outside of my dreamland. 

“You miss Robin?” 

“Hm?” I looked at her confused until I realized what she meant. Robin was still with his uncle. 

“Oh, yeah, yeah, sure. We hang out quite a bit, but mostly I'm just tired,” I said with a shrug. Desiree looked at me inspectingly. 

“You must tell me if it is something... I mean, you asked about Robin's junkie brother; are you taking drugs or something?” 

I made a little laugh and made a face. 

“Of course not! I would never! You know that! I don't even take painkillers!” 

“I know, I know. But you sleep too much. You should do something about it.” 

I shrugged my shoulders because I had no plans on sleeping less. The only thing I didn't know then was that my dream, playing puppy with Eric, would be my last dream about him. 

The first night, I thought it was maybe just that night, but when it continued, I started to cry myself to sleep, but Eric wasn't there to comfort me. Instead, I had the boring dreams I've had before the dreams about Eric, about rude customers, and about friends I hadn't seen for ten years. Eric was gone. 

I looked at my bed tiredly the fifth day. I hadn't slept a thing that night, and it felt like I never wanted to sleep again. I knew you died if you didn't sleep or started to eat your own flesh or something, but I wasn't afraid of that. In my darkest moments, I wondered if death was the answer to everything. Reunite with Eric in the land of the dead. After all, he was there, so if I wanted to find him, I was forced to join him there. I thought about methods to do it—taking pills, cutting my wrists, jumping in front of a train—when my phone rang. I looked at it and felt some sort of hope in me when I saw Robin's name. 

“Robin?” I answered quickly. 

“Hey! I'm on my way home!” He said it brightly, and I laughed in relief. 

“Oh, god! I missed you so much!” 

“Have you? You haven't called?” He said it with a laugh, and for a second I saw his brother in my head, laughing—the reason why I had neglected Robin. 

“I'm sorry, I've just had some trouble with my sleep. How is your uncle?” 

“He's good. He's awake and up, and yeah, he will be fine.” 

“That's so good. Oh my god, Robin... I missed you so much…” I said and cried silently for myself. 

××× 

I really tried to accept that everything with Eric was a dream. Sometimes the brain is weird and my imagination created something I needed right then and there. It was strange to think that the only person I really had been in love with was a creation in my brain, that the passionate sex we had was probably me masturbating in my sleep. It was also weird to think about what creativity my brain must possess without me knowing it. 

After two more weeks without Eric I decided to make a change and went back to work. Instead of my shorts and tank tops I wore long 70s skirts and airy 90s dresses. I knew I needed to act like I was okay to be okay. Robin cut my hair in my regular style so it looked fresh and cute again and after a month more I started to date a friend of one of my colleagues. Her name was Angelica and worked as a dog trainer and complained over Odin every chance she got, even if she couldn't discipline him either. In those moments I thought about Eric. I also thought about him when she went down on me and he was better at it, even if she shared the same anatomy as me. I continued to date her even if we didn't have anything in common. It felt like it was what I should do in this world. In a world without Eric. 

××× 

Angelica pulled on my dress and I looked at her irritated as we stood by the bar waiting for our turn. I had a short black lace dress on, and I knew she tried to say that she thought I needed to think about its length. When I leaned into the bar counter too much it rode up, and some lucky people could probably see my ass cheeks. To Angelica's horror I instead pulled it up a bit more so people could definitely see my ass and she pulled it down fast. 

“Fuck, must you be so uptight! It's Friday for fuck sake!” I said and got a pleased nod from a guy standing next to me. I gave him one back like we were members of the same club and Angelica rolled her eyes. 

“Can't you think about me a little? I don't think it's cool you do stuff like that when you're here with me!” She said over the music, quite loudly. 

“Yeah, yeah,” I said with a shoulder shrug. 

Angelica could be quite controlling and jealous and it had surprised me because she was a knockout. She was that kind of a girl who guys tried to turn and beg to be straight but she didn't want cock. She wasn't like me and could miss a cock when I was with a girl. She thought they were gross, just like the men attached to them. 

“Can't we go home instead?” She said and I looked around at the people in the club. I wanted to dance, even if it was bad music. 

“Can't we dance?” I asked with a sweet smile. Angelica looked at me sourly and crossed her arms. For a moment I felt forced to do what she wanted but then a remix of Video/Radio by System of a Down started to play and I felt my heart start to beat so hard it definitely tried to crawl out from my chest. Memories from a dream made my blood into fuzzy soda. 

“I must dance!” I just said, and jumped out on the dance floor alone and pushed my way forward to the DJs podium. 

I was good at dancing on my own. I pushed away every hand that caressed my skin, ignored every friendly smile, and moved away from every crotch that tried to push against me. I was in my own world, or in mine and Eric's. He danced silly, sometimes lost in the music, but he also pulled me close to him so we could enjoy each other's closeness and feel our pulse go down together. Eric was the only dance partner I needed. When a Justin Timberlake song came on it felt like it was time for me to leave the dance floor. It wasn't music Eric would dance to. I searched for Angelica, and for a few seconds I wondered if she had left without me, but then I saw her on a couch with a dark haired girl, sitting way too close to each other to be okay, if I cared. I had thought the thought before, that I needed to break it off with Angelica, but didn't know what to say. Now she gave me a reason. Angelica played with the girl’s hair, and dragged her hand down her tattooed arm. It was then I looked more closely at the girl’s face. Yes, it was. I was almost positive it was… 

“Simone?” I walked up to her, and Angelica, and Angelica quickly moved away from the girl. If I hadn't been drinking I would have never dared to play my game, but now I was a bit drunk, high on my fantasies of Eric, but also a bit pissed Angelica humiliated me. 

“Yeah?” Said the girl, and looked me up and down confused. She wore a black tank top and black jeans, nothing special at all, but they looked great on her. I sat down, in between them just to be annoying, and looked at Simone closely. She was hot in a much more interesting way than Angelica, and in another world I maybe had tried to flirt with her too. 

“Aren't you Eric's ex?” I said it carefully, I didn't want to upset her. She looked away with an unreadable expression then sighed. 

“Yeah.” 

I nodded a little, and tried to slow my heart rate by taking a few deep breaths. 

“I'm sorry for your loss. It was three years ago, right?” 

“Hm?” She looked at me confused, and I looked at her in a similar way. 

“Since Eric's death?” 

“What the fuck are you talking about? He isn't dead.” 

I looked at her like she was speaking another language. I couldn't understand what she was saying but sweat broke out on my forehead and under my arms. If she said what I thought she said something was really weird. 

“Yes he is, I know his brother…”

“No, he's out there, being a high asshole as usual.”

“No… He died, his mom-” 

Simone took up her phone and scrolled through something, then she pushed her phone in my face. It was a story on Snapchat by someone called “JickJackRoo42”, and there next to another tattooed guy he sat, alive and well. He had a joint between his thumb and forefinger, and inhaled when he noticed the camera. 

There he was. Eric. My Eric. Dead Eric, but fully alive Eric. 

“Eric isn't dead!” 

× 

[mona-tiktak]

ok so we know robin has the "you rule, you suck" board in v3 where she keeps track of steve absolutely failing to get dates.

what if, and hear me out, steve purposely bombed. not bc he was still hung up on nancy or bc he lost all his charisma.

but bc he was scared of getting close to anyone again. scared that he would start a relationship to drag them into the shit with the upside down. scared thay it would only blow up in his face. scared to be called fake or bullshit.

in v2 where nancy calls him bullshit, and says they werent in love, that it wasnt real and then she goes to cheat on him.

that had to have had a lasting impact on him. he purposely acts like "king steve" to get the disgusted looks, the let downs, the what have yous. he acted put out by not getting a date but in reality he was happy they turned him down, relieved even.

i also have this thought that eddie, max and eleven are really the only ones who notice that the sigh he lets out is not actually a sigh of defeat but rather relief. not dustin bc hes away at camp. this leads to another hc. still in same universe as this.

it would change the confession scene in the bathroom after the russian truth serum. making it go differently.

the scene would go a lil something like this:

There's a shuffling in the stall next to Steve followed by a huff, "Fuck it," is muttered softly.

"Have you ever been in love before?" Robin asked, demanded even.

Steve lets out a scornful snort before replying "Once, with Nancy Wheeler."

"That priss?"

"Yeah," he sighed. "Though priss is not the word I'd use to describe her."

"Are you still in love with her?" Robin's voice was curious, soft.

"No. Definitely not," he said, staring at the ceiling. The room may have stopped spinning but the lights still looked like stars to him with left eye swollen shut and the pounding in his head. "Haven't been since that Halloween night, I think, honestly."

"Oh?"

"Let's just say Nancy is a bit of a mean drunk and the feelings that I thought were returned, weren't."

He pulled his eyes away from the lights above and stared down at his hands. His left pointer finger was crooked and felt as it were on fire every time he so much as grazed it. The knuckles on his right hand hurt in a way they hadn't after his fight with Billy. Flexing his right hand sent a flare of blistering pain across the back of his hand, up his forearm and now the knuckles moved in a strange way.

There was another shuffle from behind him and suddenly a hand encompassed his wrist. He looked over and saw Robin's face, her expression was pinched.

"I'm sorry," she croaked out.

"It's okay."

"It's really not."

He barked out a laugh and shrugged. "It's not, but it will be."

She nodded sagely. He looked back at his left hand again, this time looking closer at the middle finger. The interrogater had ripped it off in an effort to get the answers he wanted but Steve hadn't cracked. His only goal during all the pain was to keep the others safe.

"Dustin said something to be about needing to find my Suzie."

"Suzie?" she questioned, one eyebrow arched.

"Some girl he met during his trip away, I'm not entirely sure she exists but that's besides the point," he said. "Pretty sure the little shit was trying to say was I need to find my own Suzie. At first I didn't really want to. I mean I thought that Nancy Wheeler had been my Suzie and she broke my heart and that's not an experience I want to relive in all honesty."

He stopped and looked down at her, "I think I understand what he meant now."

"Steve," she whispered stricken, her face pale. The palest it had been in the last two days, really. "What are you saying?"

"I mean I meet the most awesome girl this summer. One who isn't afraid to speak her mind as well as four languages and who helped me keep two dumb, smartass kids safe, what about that doesn't seem like someone I wan-"

"I'm a lesbian," she interrupted loudly. Her hand still gently clutching his wrist. "That thing about Mrs. Click's class and the staring wasn't because I was obsessed with you but because she was and I couldn't stand it." Tears had begun to well in her wide eyes but she made no move to wipe them away. "You always got crumbs everywhere and always asked the most ridiculous questions and I wanted her to look at me like she looked at you."

"Mrs. Click?" he asked, with equal measure shock and concern and Robin let out a wet snort of laughter.

"Oh my god no!" she exclaimed. "Tammy, Tammy Thompson."

"Ah, ok. That makes more sense," he chortled softly. Robin's hand disappeared from his wrist and he took the opportunity to slip his hand into hers. "If you had let me finished before you so rudely interrupted me. You would've known that I want you in my life but I didn't mean it romantically Robin. I want you in it as a friend."

"Oh."

"Yeah, oh."

"It doesn't bother you?" she asked, after a moment.

"Does what bother me?"

"That I'm a lesbian?"

"No, it doesn't," he replied. "However you could do so much better than Tammy Thompson, she's a total dud."

it continues to follow canon from there. sorry if its a bit sloppy i havent written in a while but i hope you enjoyed.

[galaxymagitech]

Whumptober 2024 Masterlist

1. 5:30 AM - Tim is captured by a former Joker goon who is desperate to prove a point. He’s rescued, but something still seems…off. And time is swiftly running out. - RACE AGAINST THE CLOCK, Search Party

2. Rollercoaster - The Bats all think it’s about Jason’s death, and, well, it’s not not about his death. But it’s about a whole lot more than that. (The children of Crime Alley all want to be Robin.) - TRUST ISSUES, Amusement Park, "You got away with the crime while the knife's in my back."

3. Undone - When he says, “I’m not Jason Todd,” he means it. His family does not know what it is to be undone. - Fingerprints

4. Bedeviled - Robin had thought it was over, but with Slade, it never is. When the spores’ effects resurface, Robin becomes trapped in a waking nightmare. - HALLUCINATIONS, "You're still alive in my head."

5. Sunburn - It’s an offhand comment someone at UNIT makes. “Spend too long in the Doctor’s presence, and you get sunburn. Yaz scoffs, at the time. The Doctor is no sun. - SUNBURN

6. I'm Fine (I'm Bleeding Out) - Batman and Robin respond to an intense hostage situation. Robin tries to save the civilians, only to find that there’s just one left alive—and she’s quickly slipping away. - NOT REALIZING THEY'RE INJURED, "It's not my blood."

7. The Weight of the World - Damian, according to the phone call Dick received twenty-three minutes ago, stabbed a lunch aide with a plastic spoon. - Unconventional Weapon

8. Warning, Unheeded - Bruce sets up a schedule of sleep deprivation and meditation to train Dick's circadian rhythms into the proper routine for a nighttime vigilante. Alfred, however, has concerns—not just about this training, but Robin as a whole. - SLEEP DEPRIVATION, Forced to Stay Awake, "Leave the light on."

9. A Cry for Help - Tim tells himself that, because it’s dark out and he doesn’t intend to be spotted, no one will see the bruises. He daydreams, sometimes, that he’s wrong. - Bruises

10. The Family Wing - Tim gets a concussion at patrol. That's routine; expected. What he can't figure out is why Bruce seems to...care. - BLOW TO THE HEAD, Slurred Words

11. Vestigial - Sometimes—most of the time—all the time, Tim gets the sense that he’s not real. (It takes less than an hour for Tim to cleanse the brownstone of all traces of his presence.) - Loneliness, "Leave no trace behind, like you don't even exist."

12. Holy Doppelgänger, Batman - ASBaR Dick Grayson is transported into another universe...one where Bruce Wayne hugs his ward and Robin lives happily in the Wayne Manor. - STARVATION, Underground Caverns

13. Cause of Death - Jason’s legs dangle over the edge of the fire escape as the acrid smoke burns his nostrils. It’s been a while. Long enough that he coughed when he first lit the cigarette between his lips, like a ten-year-old sitting cross-legged in an alleyway, wanting to feel old. - Familial Curse

14. How to Be a Ghost - Tim's parents refuse to pay his ransom or even notify the police of his kidnapping. So, of course, Tim gets his revenge. Who better to be a ghost than the forgotten child? - LEFT FOR DEAD, "Because I want you to know what it feels like to be haunted."

15. Petrify Me - Bruce never moves on from his parents' deaths. But Dick was never meant to be chained down by grief. - CHILDHOOD TRAUMA, Moment of Clarity

16. Be Your Own Hero - 5 times Steph helps herself + 1 time she doesn't need to - Wound Cleaning

17. A Hollow Heart - They were supposed to be forever. Batman and Robin. Bruce and Dick. Shadow and sun. Partners. Instead, they’re this: eyes flickering away without ever meeting, fists clenched without any fight, and a terrible, terrible silence. - "We had a good run."

18. Trigger Finger - Jason plants a bomb underneath the Batmobile. In most universes, he decides at the last minute that his revenge will take a different, more circuitous path. In this universe, he triggers the explosion...and immediately regrets it. - REVENGE, Unreliable Narrator

19. The Only Way Out - Leslie Thompkins’ hands do not shake. But as the years pass, she struggles to remain unflappable in the face of the Bats' suffering. - One Way Out

20. Gravedigging Tales - Jason parks himself in Dick’s apartment and tells him that he’s not going back until the Justice League has returned from space. Dick doesn’t respond to ultimatums, demand avoidance cultivated by years of fighting—arguing, Jason, not actually fighting, calm down—with Bruce, so he goes back anyway. - EMOTIONAL ANGST, Shoulder to Cry On

21. Post-Mortem - Jason wakes up in the middle of his own autopsy. - BODY HORROR

22. A Ticking Clock (No Compromise) - A snippet from Tim's time in the League of Assassins - BLEEDING THROUGH BANDAGES, Reopening Wounds

23. Broken Pedestal - Tim warned himself that Bruce wouldn’t be everything Tim built him up to be—the perfect superhero, the perfect mentor, the perfect father. So, it’s okay that reality doesn’t match up perfectly with his dreams. But then, Tim sees something that he isn't supposed to see. - FORCED CHOICE, Broken Pedestal, "I'm doing this for you."

24. A November Night - Damian isn't used to the cold. He's freezing, but he doesn't want to look weak in front of his father. - Substitute Prompt: Shivering

25. Stitches - Damian needs to get stitches, but was raised to believe that using anesthetic would make him weak. Dick doesn’t know what to do. - Stitches

26. Apocalypse - Cassandra still has nightmares about killing. - Nightmares

27. Voiceless - 5 times the Batkids lost their voices to Bruce + 1 time Cass found hers. VOICELESS

28. If You'd Like - Jason knows that Bruce signed up to adopt a normal twelve-year-old child, not one who can stare at horrific cases for hours without being disturbed or learning anything new. If Bruce wants, though, Jason can pretend for him. - DENIAL, Exposure

29. Unprofessional Behavior - Tim, straining under the long hours of patrol and training and his parents' expectations for his schoolwork, struggles to complete his report. Exhausted, he finds himself making the "mistake" of falling asleep while leaning against his mentor's side. - FATIGUE

30. Miracle Number Four - It takes a miracle to bring the dead back to life. It takes a second miracle for a nurse to recognize a badly-injured boy in a coma as the dead son of a celebrity. - RECOVERY, Hospital Bed

31. Nightlight - When Dick was nine, Bruce tried to send Dick to therapy. It didn't go so well, and most of that was Bruce’s fault. - ASKING FOR HELP, Therapy

[wolfjackle-creates]

1000 Follower Celebration!

I'm blown away, honestly. The last time I had any notoriety in a fandom was back in, like 2007 or 2008 when I was on the Dibbuns Against Bedtime fan forums for Redwall. I was made the head of my dorm as the site started dying because I was the most active member in said dorm.

But you all? You're here because you like something I'm making? It's so wild to me. I appreciate every single one of you. Every like, every reblog, every comment. They warm me up.

I've been thinking over the last few days what I want to do. The obvious answers—prompt fills, polls to determine what I write, story snippets—I do all that with too much regularity. And I'm trying to avoid taking on more fics as I focus on the ones I've already got going.

So we're gonna do something a bit different this week.

Over the next week (From Wed 2/21 to Wed 2/28) send me the title of one of my WIPs (listed below) and I will respond with a few paragraphs. Not my usual 1.2-1.6k that I like to do for WIP Wednesday, but a few paragraphs. At the end of the week, I'll compile them all and post everything in a single post.

I won't be adding all the links like I usually do with each addition to a story until I post that final draft, but I'll tag everything with "[story name] 1000" so you can click that and follow along with the fic in some sort of order.

There are six WIPs eligible for the game! Please limit yourself to one fic per ask, but you may send in multiple asks. I will request that, for now, you limit yourself to one request per fic (aka a max of 6 requests per person). If I find that I'm able to keep up, I may waive that request in the upcoming days. But it will depend on how busy my inbox (and life) get.

Bring Me Home

Ghost!Robin

Answer My Call

I'll Carry Your Heart (Until I Find You Again)

Want to Hold On and Feel I Belong/Bad Reveal AU

Empathy!Verse

I totally forgot about the Empathy!Verse when I did my last ask game. Mostly because that has been entirely written on Tumblr and I...kinda forgot to transfer it to a Scrivener document. Ooops. 😅

Something to Feel isn't on this list because I want to dedicate my time to it today. I'm close to the end, I think, and already have one ask in my inbox about it that I totally meant to get to before now (if it's your ask, I promise I haven't forgotten you!).

Brief Story Summaries

Bring Me Home: Tim and Danny are online friends and know each other's secrets. Currently in the arc where the Young Justice and Team Phantom help Danny escape after a reveal gone wrong.

Ghost!Robin: Jason is haunted by the ghost of the Robin he used to be. Danny finds out when Jazz introduces him to Jason over a meet-the-in-laws dinner. Currently, Jason and Robin are meeting with Frostbite to learn what may have happened.

Answer My Call: Jazz is sending texts to Danny after he escaped a GIW facility and they can't talk. But it turns out Jason is the one who's actually been getting them.

Carry Your Heart: Jason and Danny meet in the Ghost Zone while Jason is dead. They become friends. But Jason runs to Desiree to wish for his life back. A wish she fulfills. Danny goes to visit him, only to find his core left behind in a lair that's in ruin.

Bad Reveal AU: Danny is living with the Waynes when he finds out they're also the Bats. He freaks out because he believes the bats are working with the government (aka the GIW). So he shoots Bruce and runs away. The bats are now trying to convince him it's safe to come home.

Empathy!Verse: Liminal!Jazz is studying in Gotham and feeling the lack of other liminals to interact with. After getting used to the undercurrent of emotion that follows all interactions with ghosts/liminals, humans just feel...flat. Then one day, she literally runs into another liminal as she's going to the library. Jason Todd. Only... he doesn't know what it means to be liminal. So Jazz is there to show him.

[danwhobrowses]

One Piece Chapter 1120 - Initial Thoughts

And we're here again

Back from Break and Ready for a Robot Rumble The transmission continues and the Gorosei are converging, but the crew are still looking for a a way out

Let's see what we have going for us this time

Spoilers for the Chapter, Support the Official Relase

Yamato's problem with the kids is swiftly resolved with Denjiro's appearance, now the Daimyo of Kibi

Oda's notes mentions Rayquaza which is my favourite legendary Pokémon so I gotta shout that out

And with the title being 'Atlas' I think we know what's gonna happen

26 years ago in Punk Hazard, Clover comes to visit Vegapunk to help him research the Void Century

You can see a head at the top of the giant fence, which I would assume is one of the Numbers, the one in the Bruce Lee suit back in Wano I'd guess

Also Vegapunk's artificial dragon is diddy sized

Since he works for the Government, Vegapunk of course says no, wondering why Clover keeps getting released

Of course he's the smartest man in the world, so he quickly surmises that Clover is likely attempted bait for his associates

He insists that the past should be left behind, but Clover has personal reasons for investigating it

He knew someone who was a D. his older brother!

Claíomh D. Clover, surprised but should've expected an Irish name from him, Claíomh or Claidheamh means 'Sword' btw

His unnamed brother was killed in front of him for being a D, he lied and told the killer it was just a friend

'How am I meant to accept a world where you can die for having the wrong name?' - tragic given that he died uttering a name

Taken aback, Vegapunk tells Clover to leave, forgetting what he heard and telling his old friend to stay safe

'The voices of the past call out to you' - again with the heavy hitters Clover

Insisting that he will uncover history to the point he will be unable to be ignored, we flash forward to the Ohara Incident, where he uncovered history to the point where he was unable to be ignored

Fuck you and your bowl cut Caesar, revelling in the fact that Ohara got nuked

And excuse you that ain't some brat that is Nico Robin my (at that point in time, future) wife

We see another internal thought from Vegapunk while at Ohara, sad that Clover and the scholars chose death, hoping that someone would continue where they left off

And back to the present, Vegapunk's transmission echoes Clover's words about the voices of the past, but also that History is written by the Victors

Zeff cameo, also Tequila Wolf shown again - Oda keeps having it show up what is the secret?

Also my wife Nico Robin, still listening while having to handle her past trauma as Vegapunk notes how history is erased or rewritten, but still lives on in the survivors and the oppressed

Zoro and Jinbe didn't latch onto the ship as planned, because Lilith is objecting the plan to leave now

She has done all the math and the wind direction, calculating that any change of direction caused by V. Nusjuro can be fatal since it'll change the landing position

But up comes Atlas, and she smacks the shit out of Lilith

The crew is naturally confused, but Lilith is KO'd and something switched off in her head

'I'll leave her in your hands, take off! I'll make sure you make it in One Piece' - ...is, is that a roll credits moment?

The KOing of Lilith was tactical though, since she switched off her connection to the main hub - causing York to believe Lilith is dead

V. Nusjuro makes a charge as the Straw Hats ready their Coup de Burst, but is met by a charging Atlas

V. Nusjuro cleanly takes the arm of the Vegapunk of Violence, but she doesn't need that arm to do what needs to be done, as she pulls the Gorosei away for the Sunny to fly off

Back down below the Navy have to take in the fact that it's a full blown Kaiju movie going on right now

Luffy, Sanji, Franky and the Giants have the classic One Piece 'boys love robots' moment

Emeth speaks to Joy Boy, glad to meet them again

Luffy though, confused, doesn't know that he's being addressed

Even centuries old giants are able to do the 'oy' backhand gag

Noting that the Gorosei are Joy Boy's enemies, Emeth resolves that they are their enemy, and they are glad to fight for Joy Boy again

Ju Peter and Warcury are still very willing to put down Emeth, and end Vegapunk's transmission

But Luffy and the Giants are making their leave, as Brogy asks if Emeth's a friend

Luffy notes that it said it was protecting 'some guy called Joy Boy'

But here's the interesting part, the Giants didn't hear a voice: that was the Voice of All Things, perhaps even a voice of the past huh?

Still a kid, Bluegrass attempts to refocus the Navy back on the longboat

Vegapunk's closing words mention that people should have the right to learn from the past, from all perspectives

Ju Peter preps a big human teeth chomp, but Emeth is readying an attack

Sanji and Franky await the beam or a rocket punch, but instead they get a fizzle

Blue balled, Emeth gets its arm bitten off, the 900 years have done a number on the weapons it had

Saturn meanwhile comes charging, leaping off Ju Peter to land on the longboat

His main focus seems to be Kuma and Bonney, but Sanji spots the Sunny taking flight from up above

The trajectory seems good but the distance is still short

and not far behind V. Nusjuro cuts through Atlas, mocking her attempt at a grand sacrifice

but Atlas' expression turns soft, and with a smile she notes she's simply lending a hand

And from her death, the explosion propels the Sunny towards the sea

Usopp and Chopper doing right by thanking Atlas, as York revels in being the 'Last Vegapunk' - only to be corrected by V. Nusjuro

Emeth realises that it has rusted for too long, but there was a time Joy Boy spoke of, and they wonder if they can 'use it' for this moment

During all this, Vegapunk notes how Roger and his crew must know the full story, that they must've heard it from the 'purest source possible', and that it may end up determining how things transpire in the future

Prisoners cover the final panel

Oh shit he did say it, the government did try to keep it under wraps: Gol D. Roger

Well it looks like it's curtains for Emeth. We pour one out for Atlas, the first Vegapunk Luffy met, who was nothing but welcoming to him, who fought even when outmatched against Lucci, and sacrificed themselves to help the Straw Hats, just as Edison did.

Last chapter many were suggesting Bonney4Nakama, but I wonder if this chapter does anything for Lilith4Nakama. She was a bit argumentative, but it is still a hell of a feather in the cap to have a Vegapunk on your team, even if it is Grand Fleet. Plus she is the most pirate of the Punks, looting ships for resources and funding, and as the 'evil' one the WG would spin the story so she can't persuade the world about what truly happened.

This chapter had some good stuff when it came to the importance of history, it could've been very easy for Ohara to have been forgotten to the story, but Oda maintains it as a centerpiece of history, the destruction of Ohara literally triggered so many other smaller events that have snowballed and come to bite the Gorosei. Emeth speaking using the Voice of All Things is interesting too, because Zunesha did that as well, the Sea Kings did that too, did Joy Boy unite all races under this voice perhaps? And what is it really?

Questions upon questions, but now that Luffy has heard the name Joy Boy I wonder if he will at one point try to inquire into it, Robin has been quietly soaking up this knowledge, it is a lot to take in but it also feels like she will have more things she can reveal to the crew from it.

The Sunny makes it to sea though, Saturn seems to be the last obstacle (Egghead has been pretty cyclic; Lilith and Atlas were the first met Vegapunks but were also the last allied Vegapunks, Saturn was the first Gorosei obstacle and now he's the last), who does it fall to in order to stop him? Sanji is due a moment that's not undercut by failure, but it can also fall to Kuma to push away the first true obstacle and mastermind behind every tragedy in his life one last time, his powers are designed to push things away.

There seems a tiny bit left of Vegapunk's transmission and I'm still waiting on why it needed a video feed, but it would bode to finish on a strong closing argument.

[entomjinx]

Luffy and his perception of love

Small thing from twitter because twitter is exploding and I realized I never posted it here. Inspired by my urge to subvert expectations and this post:

Luffy's perception of what it means to be loved may be warped by all he's been through. His own love is pretty much unconditional, and he cares so deeply for others. However, when it comes to being loved himself-

He thinks he has to earn it via fighting or persistance.

Before I delve into individual characters, I'd like to acknowledge that Luffy is probably the most emotionaly intelligent person in the manga, but also that trauma can affect how a person views themself, leading them to hold themselves to higher/different standards than others.

Let's start with Garp. Garp constantly puts him through training as a child and tells him he must be a marine. He uses his "fists of love" on him to try and make him obey. The one time we see Garp look even remotely affectionate is when he thinks Luffy will become a marine, only for him to get even angrier upon Luffy declaring he wants to be pirate king. He also left him alone in the jungle all the time, and even threw him down a ravine.

Dadan makes a point of loudly declaring she doesn't want them around, which is an obvious lie to the audience, but not as much to the kids. The "If you don't hunt, you don't eat," rule in the mountain bandit's hideout also helps reinforced that important things (food, love) must be earned.

Luffy followed Ace around for three months, being hit with attacks meant to seriously injure him so that he'd be forced to stop following. Many of those attacks may have killed him were he not made of rubber. When he caught up to Ace and met Sabo, they threatened to kill him for knowing about the treasure. Instead, they leave him behind for Porchemy to find.

They spent all that time moving their treasure because they expected Luffy to tell Porchemy it's location. Instead, Luffy went through several hours of torture and refused to speak. If not for this, Ace and Sabo wouldn't have let him be their friend, let alone call him brother and love him. (and while we, the audience, know that Luffy might have broken through to them another way, Luffy doesn't. He would think that not giving into the torture is the biggest part of why he was allowed to be their friend, and later brother.)

He had to blackmail Zoro into joining the crew at first, and Zoro threatened to make him commit hara kiri (suicide via disembowlment with a blade) should Luffy get in the way of his dream to be the greatest swordsman.

He had to free Nami from Arlong for her to join the crew for real.He argued with Sanji at every turn until he wore him down (I refuse your refusal). Robin didn't call him (or anyone) by name until post Enies Lobby, choosing to only refer to him as "Captain."

He saved the lives of most of them, or offered them a way to complete their dreams.

He fights tooth and nail to gain their trust and friendship, because he thinks that they love him the way he loves them if he doesn't. Which could be a major part of why the strawhat grand feet's willingness to follow him confuses him. We know he values freedom above all else, and that he wants them to do what they want, but he still doesn't understand why that choice was following him... because he hasn't done enough to earn that.

Yes, they were all involved in the chaos that was Dressrosa, but that doesn't equal loyaty to that degree.

If it did, Law would finally admit they were friends, and not just allies. Hence his continued insistance of friendship and even though Law says they'll be enimies in the future at the end of Wano, Luffy ignores it. He knows it'll just take so more persistance, because that's what's worked in the past. Growing up in the Gray Terminal would have taught Luffy that people who are nice right off the bat or who suddenly switch to being nice probably want something from you, and while he is canon attitude leads him to not care most of the time, he's definitely aware of it. So he expects people who will eventually care for real to be meaner at first. as if "Real love is always earned and never just given" is a true statement in his mind.

On top of all this, Luffy hates being alone. So of course he fights so hard for these friendships, for the love that he has for his crew and friends... because without them, he'd be alone. What other choice does he have?

[bylerlipglances]

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(STONATHAN RECEIPTS)

Part 11 : Steve's 'Fudged' confession | Who is Steve's type?

Steve Harrington is madly in love with Jonathan Byers but too afraid to admit it.

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When Robin and Steve were captured by the Russians at the mall, she told him she liked him. A vague, half-truth. And now, we know what she truly meant. It wasn’t about romantically liking him. it was about the obsession with wanting to be like 'King Steve' to have his charm and charisma to win over the crowd.

Maybe that was the way to survive as a queer kid in the 80s. keep it ambiguous, speak in half-truths, test the waters. Say just enough… without saying too much.

Later, in the bathroom scene, she tells him the truth that she wasn’t into him. She was into Tammy Thompson.

and Steve does the exact same thing! He pulls a full UNO reverse on Robin. Tells her he likes her. mirroring the very move she once made on him.

again, it's the 80s, perhaps the best you could do was circle the truth and hope someone else saw what you couldn’t say.

I have to hand it to Steve, who might actually be the cleverest character on the show. He learns fast, adapts faster. Robin came out to him, and he responded with jokes and half a truth. Not a lie, exactly… but definitely not the whole story. Steve held back. without revealing the full extent of his own reality. If anyone’s going to outsmart Vecna in the end, it wouldn’t surprise me, if it’s Steve. Because beneath all the charm, He’s a master manipulator when he needs to be.

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Steve might’ve said he was talking about a girl… but everything else was screaming otherwise. His eyes are down, avoiding contact, the classic Harrington lie stance.

And Right behind him....dead center in the frame...is a MEN's URINAL!!! A literal male symbol hanging over his shoulder while he describes his so-called “dream girl” !!!

That confession in the bathroom wasn’t about ROBIN, and it sure wasn’t about some girl. It never was...It was about a guy. All the way...

and the confession is very 'Jonathan' coded too.

And he didn’t even need to say it out loud. The framing said it for him.

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Steve has a tendency to fudge the details and tell half-truths

Steve fudges a lot!

Fudges:  -> it means to avoid straightforwardly answering a question or addressing a subject -> Fudge is an American word from college slang meaning "a made-up story." -> Also, Fudge Packer refers to (pejorative): Male homosexual

(like when he doesn’t mention to Dustin that there are three phones but only says there are two until Robin corrects him, s4 while looking for eddie)

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Found someone who is better for me.....it's 'crazy'

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Steve admitted, he doesn't love Nancy. So who is he so crazy for then?

With Nancy gone, only one person left....the one who just might have driven Steve hopelessly crazy.

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Steve hides a lot behind his words. That’s exactly why I’ve never fully bought his endless dating stories. In s4, when Robin tells him he doesn’t know what he wants and just keeps going on a million dates…

Either she knows (if she is a lesbian with elite-level gaydar) and is respectfully giving him space to come out on his own terms or she’s truly in the dark. (But Robin’s smart. Like, really smart) So I don’t think she’s clueless. I think she sees more than she lets on.

and I like to believe Steve does know who he wants(He also plays dumb but he is a smart dude). He just buries that truth the way he buries so many others under charm, jokes, and carefully rehearsed stories.

That’s why I don’t fully buy his s4 confession to Nancy either. Yes, he talks about his dream, future...California, Yellowstone, beachside life, road trips. And maybe all of that is real. But what he carefully avoids saying, is 'who' he really wants to share that life with. And it’s not just anyone. It’s Jonathan. It always has been.

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Steve is probably asking about himself. Is he likable enough be to liked by somebody he secretly loves? does this guy deserves this awesome girl guy.

Who is this "Awesome?"

Dustin's sarcastic remark: don’t play dumb. Just admit it, you love ‘awesome'

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not even in the "ballpark?" aka baseball ground? BASEBALL BAT->Jonathan. they both share the same baseball bat)

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'Awesome' is the one who broke Steve’s heart and held his hand.

who once pushed him away, too scared to be seen in his most fragile state when Steve first showed up at his door.

who placed an injured hand over Steve’s chest...right over his heart and told him to leave.

But Steve didn’t. He stayed. He followed the voice of his heartbeat calling out through flickering lights, screaming alarms, and the quiet ache of unsaid words.

And when it mattered most, Steve didn’t run. He fought. For love. For the boy he fell for. For Jonathan.

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From that moment on, Steve stays by Jonathan’s side. through it all, every step of the way.

which continues.... even in s2 (Steve-Jonathan are standing exactly where two lines are intersecting each other)

[glitterguts13]

Dr Ratio/Aventurine/Sunday with pregnant Aventurine, with all three trying to do right by each other and their baby after everything that went down in the Penacony storyline (I don't know how it'll end but let's just pretend everything works out)

It's been a week and I still haven't emotionally recovered from 2.1 I need Hoyo to stop hurting my babies, please, and thank.

(JK I love the pain)

Seventeen system hours.

That day felt so long ago now, but it still sits heavy on everyone's mind. Ratio, ever the rational one, wanted to talk about it, get everything out in the open and to fix things because the good doctor didn't leave problems unsolved.

Sunday didn't take the same approach, because ackowling the issue meant acknowledging how he'd hurt and almost killed their lover. How close he had been to taking away the brightest light in their lives and he couldn't do it. Instead, he spends their time together lavishing his partners with gifts and spoils but still keeping a safe emotional distance.

While Aventurine waves it off, saying it is fine, he doesn't care, all that matters is that things worked out at the end, even if he still woke up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat and violently trembling from the nightmare of having the Harmony dug deep into his aching brain.

Seventeen system hours.

It was hard to believe it had happened at all, or that they still hadn't managed how to talk about it without one or all of them ending up so heated they needed to walk away.

"Veritas, you're crushing me." Aventunine grumbles under his breath, feeling the scholar's tight arms wrapped around him while they prepare for a dinner party that evening. The doctor mumbles something he can't make out before loosening his grip.

"You always hold me like I'm about to disappear," he says it as a joke, but the way Ratio goes still behind him makes Aventurine's heartache deep.

"I didn't mean-"

"Quiet." a trail of kisses is left down the back of the blond's neck and over his bare shoulders.

"Are you almost ready?" the click of Sunday's shoes alerts the pair before he turns the corner to their room. Aventurine hears the breath catch in his lover's throat, and Ratio quickly releases his hold.

"You look...divine." Sunday struggles to find a word powerful enough to describe his beautiful lover, but it is nearly impossible. The garment left his shoulders exposed, but draped softly around his arms and dipped low at his chest. The cloth hugged the curve of his swollen belly, his hands resting gently atop it. A faint blush creeps over his cheeks, unable to look away.

"I don't remember purchasing that for you."

"Because you didn't. Robin did. Not that I need either of you to buy me things." none of the three could be described as anything short of idiotically wealthy, but Sunday and Ratio always insisted on spoiling Aventurine regardless. Not that he minded at all.

"She's excited for tonight." Sunday quirks a small smile, something he'd started doing a lot more recently with Robin having returned to his life.

"That makes one of us," Aventurine grumbles, tugging at his sleeve and adjusting the hem of his top.

Ratio places a hand on his shoulder, and Sunday steps closer, cupping the blond's face with his hands.

"You don't need to be worried. Everyone will love you."

Aventurine snorts, eyes darting to avoid Sunday's eyes.

"The family was less than thrilled to find out, I can imagine 'polite society' will be even less understanding of you having a child with a-" he stops himself, mouth snapping shut and eyes squeezing closed.

"Aven, I love you," Sunday pauses, glancing up to meet Ratio's eyes, "We love you. All of you. Every part of you." Ratio's thumb graces over the brand on Aventurine's neck, and he shutters.

"Other people will not be so understanding. If it was only me, I couldn't be assed to care but our baby is going to be the center of attention and the target of so much-"

"And if anyone so much as looks at you wrong, I'll have their heads." it isn't an empty threat, and it only causes Aventurine to shutter once more.

"You are not facing anything alone. Not anymore." Ratio wraps his arms around his lover's waist, large hands resting over the taunt bump. Sunday joins him, gently running soothing circles where their unborn child slept.

"You two are impossible, you know that?" the men chuckle, Sunday coming to meet Aventurine's mouth with a deep kiss, and Ratio's lips working their way back across his neck. The blond moans, shivering and pulling away from their touches.

"If you don't knock it off we're going to be late."

Sunday laughs, and Ratio rolls his eyes.

"Very well, we'll simply finish this when we return home tonight."