#other than that and a bit of a change to his cowl he was perfect

[s0fter-sin]

wooimbouttamakeanameformyselfere

[orionsangel86]

I watched X-Men 2000 tonight. Yup the Deadpool and Wolverine brain worms got me - at least for a little while - so I figured I'd rewatch the old movies that I havent seen in over a decade and have basically forgotten entirely at this point.

You know what really stunned me? Even more than the slow pace, serious tone, actual dedication to telling a coherent and interesting story with layers of meaning and social commentary attached to it, as well as a sincerity that's been missing from most superhero films since the MCU was born (thanks Josh Whedon).

Nope, what shocked me most was this:

This is a perfect specimen of a man. Look at him. He's gorgeous. But look at his chest? His arms? He's muscular, he's pretty well toned, he's hairy. He's definitely got a six pack - but it's nicely covered by a healthy layer of fat. His skin is plump, he has a bit of squish to him. He'd probably be great to hug (Jean Grey certainly gives him a good squeeze lol).

When he sits down he looks like his stomach will roll just nicely. Like a stomach should.

I know my point here is obvious. It's just that scrolling the Deadpool and Wolvering tag is basically 50% "oh they definitely fucked in the Honda Odyssey" (yes lol) and the other 50% is just horny posting over Wolverine's topless scene like the entire site suddenly adopted Deadpools horny brain.

I gotta give props to Hugh Jackman for his dedication to turn himself into an actual comic book character - because that's what this new movie does. It gives us a comic accurate Wolverine in practically every way (except for his height lol) the suit is amazing, the cowl was a joy to see brought into live action. The body too though was straight out of a comic book artists male power fantasy.

What I wanted to emphasise was that this:

Is extremely tough on the human body. What I wanna know is how long he starved and dehydrated himself for before filming this scene? How long before they shot this did he last drink some water? Because damn that must have been tough. The oil and the lighting probably help further emphasise the muscle, vein, and sinew definition. It's probably similar to how body builders prepare before a show.

Nothing about body building is healthy though. So in the coming weeks as the whole entertainment industry rides on the coat tales of this movies success, and everyone goes crazy over Hugh Jackmans physique, please don't feel pressured into thinking that his 2024 physique in the movie is remotely realistic - or realistically attractive. Like I get the fantasy sure, but come on. I'd personally rather lie on a cushioned bed than a concrete floor.

Deadpool may disagree with me, but he's a masochist lol.

Oh and whilst I stand by the shade I threw at the MCU above, I think Wolverine's different physiques in the movies is a good standard of comparison for how much superhero movies have changed. Because when superhero comics first started getting adapted I think a lot of the choices made were about how to bring them to live action realistically and believably and the attitude was to try not to make them look ridiculous. The first X-Men movies definitely do this.

It was about bringing the comics to life in a way that fit in our world. But over the years, as audiences got more and more used to comic book movies the movies became more and more like comic books and less like a realistic adaptation of a comic book. Does that make sense? So as the movies attempted to bring the comics to life in a way that was less realistic and more comic accurate, the demands on the actors to sculpt their physiques to meet the standards of comic book art became normalised.

I think Deadpool and Wolverine is the MOST comic book accurate of all superhero movies made in the past 2 decades. Half the time the images from the movie look like they could be literally pulled from the pages of the comic books. The story is convoluted and stupid, the plot is barely there and is full of gaping plot holes and elements that don't fit any past stories. The action is ridiculous, extremely fast paced, gratuitous, and violent to a hilarious level. But it's so entertaining, joyful, exciting, and laugh out loud hilarious throughout.

It reminded me a LOT of my attempts at reading through the Deadpool comics (I've read a lot of them but no where near all of them).

To sum up this rambling message with multiple points, I'll say that Deadpool and Wolverine is a really fun movie that I thoroughly enjoyed, but make no mistake there is nothing real in it at all. It is almost literally a comic on screen. Don't expect anything more than that and you'll enjoy the experience.

[batsandbirdbrains]

idk about you but my dad always got a haircut when he would drop us kids off I think I’d be so funny for him to be like I’ll be back in an hour and come back with one centimeter off his hair (it was getting a little curly)

Omg you KNOW Bruce would be super weird about his hair. It needs to be just the right length to pull off the Brucie persona, but it can’t get in the way of the cowl.

I like to think his hair curls just a bit at the ears and brushes the back of his neck. It’s long enough to look thick when he gels it and styles it, but not so long that it feels bulky and annoying under the cowl.

Also I fully believe he’s been going to the same barber his whole life. This barber knows exactly how Bruce likes his hair, cuts it perfect every time, and Bruce sees him every couple months like clockwork. And it’s always on a Friday afternoon, for some reason.

Bruce Wayne has had the same haircut since he was 18 and he likes it that way because then he doesn’t have to think about it.

I like to think one of the first things Bruce and Dick did to like bond or whatever was Bruce taking Dick to the barber with him. Dick got a lollipop. No one had ever cut Dick’s hair other than his mother, and he was upset and didn’t want to do it, but he’d been pushing his hair out of his eyes with an annoyed huff for weeks now, and Bruce could just tell that Dick wanted a haircut but was maybe a little scared of the change.

But the barber was so patient and asked Dick exactly what he wanted, let Dick be as specific as he wanted, and followed his instructions to the letter. Dick’s eyes were a little red and watery and he was sniffling, but he was smiling by the end. The barber had lots of puns and jokes to tell the whole time. Dick was fascinated. And then he got a lollipop? What a great afternoon.

Dick doesn’t always get the same haircut like how Bruce does, but he does continue going to the same barber until the guy retires.

[soleminisanction]

So a while back I ran the numbers to confirm a suspicion that fandom trends towards a trans Tim Drake, and there's a lot of bits and pieces around his canon material that I think contributes to that interest. But there's a particular, subtle one that's been poking at my mind a lot because I think it might actually be a pretty significant factor that nobody really notices:

His costumes.

The original Robin costume, the one Dick and Jason wore, is childish but exposing. It's innocent enough when they're being drawn as spunky children, but during the period when Dick's still wearing it into his late teens and early 20s, it's practically as revealing as a lot of the women's costumes (and, in retrospect, almost certainly laid some of the groundwork for him sometimes being sexualized by the art and writing the way female characters normally are -- George Pérez, at least, absolutely put him on display every bit as much as he did Starfire and Donna).

Damian's costumes, meanwhile, lean more into archaic/fantasy armor designs and are thus largely genderless outside some vague allusions to the codename's Robin Hood roots. And Steph's is, well, a minidress, and one designed to show off her figure, drawing explicit attention to her femininity.

But then you have Tim's most iconic costume, his original one, which is not only fully covering in a way the original look isn't, it also, by virtue of being designed in the 90s, sports a very specific feature: molded body armor shaped to look like pectoral and abdominal muscles. In other words -- an idealized male body.

Not every artist always included that detail, but it was an explicit part of the design that you don't see as much these days, at least not for teen heroes. Which means it's inadvertently the perfect costume for a trans masculine Boy Wonder. It's got built-in body shaping. The cape and tunic layers even help to make his shoulders look wider.

Tim's second costume, the OYL later suit, doesn't explicitly have this body shaping element, but some artists still hint at it in the same way that Dick's Nightwing suits do (ie, we assume they're not showing off their real muscles with skintight suits for safety reasons, but who knows). Plus it comes with the bonus gay longing of changing the colors to mourn the dead crush he's too deep in the closet to recognize.

And then you've got his modern Robin look which has the same kind of shaping going on in a sleaker, more subtle way, though it can vary from artist to artist how much the red part of his suit is drawn as a breast plate vs. a part of the bodysuit.

As a bonus, the design also has a tendency to make him look lean and lithe, in an interesting contrast to Damian who, despite being physically smaller than Tim, tends to have a presence that makes him come across as stockier and more solid, possibly because he's more heavily armored.

You even see this with some of Tim'snon-Robin looks. I've mentioned this elsewhere but, the original Red Robin look making him look older when the cowl was up honestly makes a lot of sense. That suit was originally designed for a Dick Grayson who was pushing 60 to conceal the extent of his age while still communicating his maturity and development. It makes sense that it'd work the other way, to make 17 year old Tim look like he's in his late 20s/early 30s.

It's tunic over a body suit design is also just aesthetically pleasing in terms of forming an elegant male body type, the same way a well-cut suit can be. Again, it does especially nice things for the shoulders, which is why I personally prefer it to the fully bodysuit redesign they give him in the latter part of the series. Although as we can see from the details in Marcus To's art, even that body suit has seams strategically placed to suggest muscles.

And then of course there's the 2016 Rebirth era Red Robin costume, which is just a more heavily-armored version of his classic Robin look that's trying really hard to make him look masculine and mature, which means... exaggerated muscles.

And the thing is, it's not that this doesn't happen with other characters' costumes. But for various reasons it specifically didn't happen with the other Robin costumes, like I described at the start.

Which is not something I think people consciously notice. But I do know that, when I was writing my transmasc Tim fanfic a few years before realizing that I myself was also transmasc, one of the images that solidified the story for me was how good it would've felt the first time a transmasc Tim put on his new Robin costume and saw the Boy Wonder looking back at him. And I remember specifically thinking about how nice the shaped armor would be for that sort of thing.

It's kinda funny how an obvious attempt to enforce gender norms wound up, for lack of a better term, backfiring, at least in my opinion. There's just something about exaggerating the masculinity of Robin, a role designed to contrast and foil the already exaggerated masculine ideal of Batman, that makes it feel like a performance.

[sliipppy]

Because I am insane and sleep deprived, here is my attempt to make sense of the batfamily ages and what I believe they are currently at, with full explanations. Fair warning, although I have done like, legit research and have reasonings, some of these still fit into headcanons.

Bruce - 45

Dick - 28

Babs - 30

Jason - 23

Tim - 21

Steph - 22

Cass - 23

Damian - 14

Duke - 17

Bruce is the oldest, obviously. However, when he first adopts Dick he is still young himself. Hence why along with their father-son relationship, they sorta have a brotherly relationship. (Specfically in classic comics, Bruce would often refer to him as a brother. ) I like how it complicates their relationship and how it shows he wasn't really ready to nessicarily handle a child. I like to hc that he got adopted at 8, which would make Bruce 25 when he adopted him.

It was difficult to settle on this age because the age in which Dick became Robin has been changed so many times. Originally, he was 7. New Teen Titans says he was 8. Other comics say he was 10, 12, and even 15. I feel like most people say 8, and for the sake of my own agenda, I'm saying 8, and you can not stop me.

I think 28 is a good age for Dick. Babs similarly should be around his age as they grew up together (at least in newer canon since she used to be quite a bit older.), but she's always been portrayed as older even when around her age, and to kinda account for the weirdness surrounding her age I put her as 30. She becomes Batgirl at 18, and likely becomes Oracle when she's in her 20s, probably around 23.

Batman tells Cass multiple times in Batgirl 2000 that she and Jason were the same age, so that makes it easier to rule the two together. Addiontally, Cass, Steph, and Tim are all around the same age range, Cass being the oldest, so that makes things easier too. Cass starts operating as Batgirl at 18 which would make Tim around 16 when she takes the cowl. This works since Tim became Robin at around 13 and he had been Robin for a good amount of time before Cass became Batgirl. I think it's a litttle longer than I'd like. But whatever. I was considering ignoring canon and saying he becomes Robin at 14, because I think 2 years as Robin before Cass rather than 3 is more fitting but whatever. It does fit since Tim was introduced way earlier than Cass, however real time doesn't really affect these ages. Anyways, big sister Cass supremacy I think people forget she's one of the oldest. I think she might have been de-aged to be around Tim's age but FUCK that she was originally Jason's age and this is my headcanon and I like to thing N52 didn't fuck everything up in my happy Tumblr space.

We know Steph is 1 year older than Tim because she's a freshman in college during Batgirl 2009, and he's a high-school dropout in Red Robin 2009 as he searches for Bruce. Stephanie becomes Spoiler at 15, and Robin at 16. She comes back when she's around 17-18. This lands our 2000s trio with ages at 23(Cass), 22(Steph), and 21(Tim).

Jason is a mess. At least I thought he would be, but it actually turned out kinda perfect. We know Jason and Cass are the same age, so he's at 23 with her. He becomes Robin at 12, and dies at 15. He comes back as Red Hood at 18 and was dead for around 3 years. Jason Todd is 18 when he comes back to life because right before War Games, Bruce takes Cass to Jason's grave, on his 18th birthday!!! and of course the event that acts as a sort of aftermath to War Games is Under the Red Hood so Jason is 18 when he first becomes Red Hood. Cass is still a fairly new character when UTRH happens, so i think her being 18-19 when he comes back fits well. Tim being around 16 kinda fits nice too as hes around the same age as Jason when he died. I think Steph being so close in age also helps since so many parallels are drawn between the two.

Detective Comics #790

Duke is still a teenager, and he is regarded to be one of the youngest bats, but still quite a bit older than Damian. In We are Robin, Duke is 16, as shown in the who are the robins bonus art. He is still a newer character and hasn't been Signal for long. I assume that by the time Batman and the Signal rolls around, he's 17 and is still currently 17.

We are Robin #4

I'm pretty sure Damian was 14 in Robin (2021) but I could be wrong it's been a while since I've read it and I never finished it so idk if he ever aged since then. He became Robin at 10, so in those 4 years, he's obviously grown and matured a lot, but I mean, who doesn't those are formative years. I was gonna bump him up to 15. However, this doesn't work. He is supposed to be 10 while Tim is 17. (Babs says he's ten during Batgirl 2009, and we established Tim is 17 during this.) To keep it consistent with the others, I'm keeping Damian at 14.

Batgirl 2009 #17

Feel free to correct anything I said here if it's incorrect. I am not perfect nor all-knowing. Also I'm horrible with math and numbers so I probably fucked something up here so feel free to make fun of me for that. Or you can make fun of the issues I have below.

Issues :

Dick can't be Robin at 8 if I stick with these ages because that would mean at the time Tim is 1 which means he wouldn't even be able to remember the show which means he would never be Robin.

I would've liked Bruce to be a little younger when first taking Dick in, but also I think Bruce is at his best when he's a middle aged man and I didn't want him to be below 45 because I wanted him to be on his late 40's.

It's hard to characterized Duke after We Are Robin because he's supposed to he a teenager, however he was 16 in We Are Robin and it feels like he should have been Signal for a bit longer than that. This isn't as big of a deal, because I still think it's believable for him to have only been signal for about a year, and it's mainly just DC inconsistency, but it still bugs me.

Damian's entire age is sorta messy and there's definitely issues with it lol.

I think Cass' age is around the same as Tim's post 52 to fit with him since their the same generation. But i chose to ignore that, and you can't stop me I choose what canon I want.

ヽ(o´3`o)ﾉ

Anyways, if you've read all of this, I fear you might be a little crazy. However, thank you!!!!!! Feel free to like leave your own opinion/headcanons. I LOVE hearing them. Thank you! Bye!

[misty-groves]

Do you understand that we will never be the same again?

Fandom: DC, Batman specifically

Characters: Ivy Wayne (oc), Bruce Wayne, Damian Wayne, Tim Drake, Jason Todd's Memorial

Relationships: Ivy Wayne & Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne & Ivy Wayne, Damian Wayne & Ivy Wayne

Summary: Ivy comes home after everything that happened in the league of Assassins, and she sees the infamous 'Good Solider' plaque. It doesn't go very well. (Aka: I'm not telling you good job dad this memorial was shit!)

Rating: T

Warnings: cursing, Lazarus pit side effects, bad coping, Good Solider memorial, mental illness, violence, Bruce Wayne is Bad At Communication, Damian Wayne is Bad At communication

Other: If I missed anything, please let me Also I wrote one of my favorite lines ever in this fic so even if you don't read it please know that I wrote a banger line: "...Bruce Wayne puts his foot in his mouth for breakfast..."

-------

Ivy lets herself get lead into the bat-cave with a soft smile, watching as Damian sees it all for the first time. The boy looks around in reserved awe, unused to things such as a giant penny or a dinosaur in a cave.

She thinks it's adorable.

She's got an ache in her chest watching her brother too, but that's okay.

Going to the cave without her big brothers is weird. But that's what's happening and she's not going to let it ruin her day. (That would be letting The Assholes win. Ivy doesn't do that anymore.)

She glances to where Tim Drake hovers by the Bat computer in a modified Robin costume with darker colors. She feels a swell of green rushing up and immediately squashes it down.

Robin is magic. It's power.

And Her Robin wouldn't want her punishing the new Robin.

Besides, her problems are far more to do with the adults than the kid.

"Ivy?" Damian prods as he turns to her.

She turns her gaze to her baby brother, "Yes?"

"Where is your suit?" Damian asks.

"Oh, unless they moved it it should be up there." She smiles as she motions to the elevated walkway with a row of suits in tubes.

The suits are all retired or last choice back-ups there, from every hero to have used the Bat Cave as a base.

"Well let us go examine it." Damian declares as he marches them forwards.

The boy moves like a general, not waiting for confirmation simply trusting his will to be followed.

Ivy follows her brother in perfect step with the younger.

Bruce trails after his kids, as of unsure what to do. Which seems fair, he hasn't seen his daughter since she died and he met Damian yesterday.

Ivy snickers when they pass the original Batman suit. The blast from the past is both nostalgic and hilarious.

She'd forgotten her dad had that cowl for a bit. (Thank god he changed it.)

The keep walking past retired or last choice Batsuits before the move into the suits Dick has used.

"What is this monstrosity?" Damian gapes as he stops beside the original Robin Costume.

The original costume is a sigh to behold, bright traffic light colors doing nothing to aid stealth. The glorified leotard with a button up shirt and pixie boots is certainly memorable.

"Ah yeah, Dick said pants took away from his aerodynamics." Ivy says with a snort.

"Those-" Damian screeches in abject horror- " are scaly underwear!"

"I don't know why Dick is like that." She shrugs. "He added pants later. He got cold."

Damian just gives her a dubious look before turning beck to the fashion crime that he just witnessed and pursing his lips.

They keep walking, passing several retired costumes.

Ivy stops to mourn the disco-wing suit, losing the respect of her baby brother for her adoration of the travesty of a suit. (She thinks that's a little rude since it was a little bit of a memorium to other heroes and also Iconic.)

She then says a quick farewell to the slutty titans costumes from That Era. Saying something about 'everyday was a tits out kinda day back then'.

Bruce just makes a face, wondering if this is somehow karma.

They pass a few more costumes, including her own, before stopping at Jason's memorial.

Damian had some thoughts about her costume she designed at age nine, sighting it rather impractical in the bright red but at least it had pants.

The memorial draws the attention of both siblings.

Bruce watches the children, unsure what to expect. Damian has never gotten to meet Jason... Ivy had adored the boy though.

Bruce just- he just hopes his daughter like the memorial. That it brings her closure to see her big brother remembered.

"Jason Todd." Damian reads the name on the plaque, only to continue "Good Solider."

Ivy stiffens, gaze snapping from the ruined suit to the polished metal.

The bloody uniform in the case feels like a slap in the face to everything Jason- and Robin- ever was. A tragic shrine to a death that was unearned and needlessly cruel.

She reads the plaque, 'In memory of Jason Todd. Second Robin. A Good Solider.'

Oh.

She feels her blood start to boil.

"What. The. Fuck?!" Ivy snarls as she whirls around on her dad, fighting the urge to bare her teeth in outright threat.

"Was he not a good solider?" Damian frowns, eyeing the case and wondering why they would bestow such a high title on someone who didn't earn it.

"He was a child!" Ivy snaps sharply as her eyes narrow while staring her dad down.

"Ivy it's just a memorial." Bruce says weakly.

He knows as soon as he says it that it was the wrong thing to say.

Ivy tilts her head slowly, almost predatory. Her eyes almost look green despite them having been a different color her whole life as far as he knows.

She turns back to the memorial slowly, eyes flicking back and forth between the destroyed suit and the plaque.

It's a betrayal to the highest degree.

Ivy can handle a betrayal against her.

This is again Jason.

She has never handled disrespect towards her people well. The fire in her veins demands payment and she can feel the green starting to rise again.

Ivy knows she should probably fight the green but she doesn't think she's wrong to be so upset. In fact- she thinks Jason would understand.

Her vision is starting to blur.

"Ivy." Damian says as he steps closer. "You are blowing this out of proportion-"

Ivy is swinging a fist at the glass before she can decide if she wants to. Green swims fully in her vision.

Her fist connects and cracks the bulletproof glass with a satisfying crunch.

"Ivy!" Bruce gasps.

The horror he feels at both the strength required to crack the case first try and the action in general are rising rapidly.

She likes the sound of the cracking glass. A frenzied- blood thirsty grin pulls at her face.

Green only gets stronger. Her blood starts to boil.

Ivy revels in the sting of her knuckles as she swings alternating punches at the glass until it shatters.

Someone grabs her arm and that's all it takes.

Green overtakes her and she loses herself. She can't see anyone.

She fights whoever grabbed her arm mercilessly. Slamming fists, knees, elbows, and kicks into their form.

Nothing is okay.

And then-

Then she's somewhere else, axe being pressed into her hands.

She can do this.

She feels someone directing her in a task she can't identify. She doesn't know much but her body moves to comply.

Who ever it is calling the shots has to be one of three people, so it's probably no more dangerous for her than usual. No more dangerous than poison.

-------

Damian sits a few feet from his sister, watching her chop the wood he set her up with. He would usually have joined her fight, but it seems bad form to kill their father.

He also doesn’t exactly understand what set Ivy off. The little metal plate seemed a kind memorial. What better to he than a good soilder?

She's been slowing down on the wood chopping for a bit, probably coming back to herself.

He's been out here with her for a few hours now and he still couldn't place the source of her wrath.

"Ivy?" Damian asks.

She turns slowly, eyes still almost glowing. "Dami?"

He ignores the rush of warmth hearing the Arabic term of endearment, knowing he needs to focus on other things. His sister is always too free with affection anyways.

She's not all back, but she's a lot more in control.

She very likely knows who he is and where they are though.

"Are you feeling better?" He asks.

She stares at him, brows knitting. Her memories seem to he returning as her eyes take on the same stormy hue as usual when upset. "Less foggy."

"Good."

"What... did I do?"

"Attacked Father."

"Fuck." Ivy groans.

"What set you off?" He asks. Far less afraid of her Pit Rage than most.

She sighs slowly, looking up to the sky. "Jason's memorial. They put that stupid fucken- Good Solider!"

"I do not understand."

"Good Solider!" Ivy snaps sharply, eyes flickering a toxic green glow and back to green grey stormy seas. "GOOD FUCKEN SO'LD'AH?! MY BROTHA WAS NOBODY"S FUCKEN SO'LD'AH!"

Her accent thickens and morphs into the Crime alley accent she hides. She's got her arms moving with her words.

"That seems to be a high compliment." Damian acknowledges.

"JASON WASN'T A FUCKEN SO'LD'AH! JASE WAS A KID! A FUCKEN KID WHO WENT 'N DIED IN A BLOODY FUCK UP CAUSE BRUCE IS TOO STUPID TA KILL JOKAH!"

"Father's reluctance to killing hardly constitutes a reason to put down the memory of a talented fighter."

Ivy gives him a look that promises she's taking a pound of flesh from someone.

Damian isn't scared though, he is in no danger. Not from his sister.

Instead, Ivy takes several slow and deliberate breaths. She's crossing her arms as she tries to reign herself in

He just waits. He knows it will all come with time.

"Dami," She says, soft despite her anger. She looks to him again, eyes free of Lazarus glow for the moment. She's obviously struggling with her accent when she asks, "If I died, would ya want my memorial ta be like Jason's?"

"What?"

"If I died, would ya want me to have a memorial just like Jason's?" She asks as she tries to fight back the accent further.

She has never liked the looks the accent earns her even though she's not exactly ashamed it is easier to hide.

Damian can not help feeling like this is a simple question. But the way she asks it- careful to phrase it...

He is sure he is missing something.

He clicks his tongue, "Tt, I would never let your uniform be displayed in such dis-repair."

She snorts, "Glad I'm not the only one who thinks it was distasteful."

She's forced most of the crime alley out of her voice.

Damian watches her, trying to puzzle out her distaste of it all.

He agrees the ruined costume is tacky and maybe even disrespectful but the plaque seems respectful and of high praise.

"I can't believe dad." Ivy sighs heavily. "Reducing Jason to a solider. Oh that mother- Jason wasn't a good solider."

"Is the memorial a lie? Was he a bad fighter?"

Ivy gives a startled laugh, eyes falling to her brother. "No. No, Jase... Jase was good fighter, but he wasn't a solider."

Damian purses his lips again. He loathes to admit defeat but if he craves any chance at understanding he must. "If you want me to understand your upset, you must explain it better."

She just sighs. "I'm mad about the phrase good solider. It makes it sound like all Jason was. It's like that all Jase was to dad. A solider."

"So?"

Ivy grits her teeth for a moment.

Then she takes a slow shudders breath, reminding herself as firmly as possible that for every wrong she's feeling right now Damian isn't involved. Remembering that her brother isn't the one behind it and is in-fact just a kid looking for answers.

Damian doesn’t get it, but he does know she's beyond upset.

"If I died and my memorial only said "Ivy Wayne, good solider... how would you feel."

"Angry your name was messed up." Damian huffs. "You are an Al Ghul. Your name is Ivy Al Ghul- Wayne."

She huffs, "Thank you. But if all it said was my name and good solider... what then?"

He does not understand the sudden surge of protest in his mind. If he were with anyone else... He wouldn't even bother trying to untangle it but he's been working on trying to understand feelings with his sister.

So... Damian thinks.

Good Solider... that is high praise and if his sister was memorialized that way in the league it would be an honor.

His sister is a fierce Warrior, one of the only teachers he hasn't surpassed. She's their grandfather's beloved Hawk. She's the only person he's seen hold their own in fights against their mother and grandfather both.

Though, the softer- sentimental part of him that he ignores often disagrees.

His sister is a Warrior... but she is more.

She's the only person who has been truly and unfailingly loyal to Damian as a person and not as an Al Ghul. She sang him lullabies and held him through his most embarrassing nightmares.

Ivy may have taught Damian to throw knives with deadly precision, but she also soothes his tears.

"I would tell stories... You are a Warrior to behold, riati... but I would tell others about you outside fighting."

Ivy gives a bitter sweet smile, the kind she gives when he's said the right thing but it doesn’t help anything. "That's what's wrong, Damian. They've memorialized him as a fighter and stripped away everything else."

"Oh." He says as his brows knit.

"Yeah."

He looks up to her, trying to find the words to express the twisting feeling in his chest. "I am... sorry."

She shakes her head. "It's not your fault."

"I know." He agrees.

"So.... how badly did I attack dad? Is he hurt?"

"Of course he is. You rarely miss." Damian says with pride he doubts he will ever lose.

His sister is amazing like that

"How badly hurt?"

"Broken ribs. Broken wrist. Broken nose." He shrugs. "Not too bad."

"Oh god." She cokes off, blood draining from her face.

"What?"

"I- I am so mad at him but I- I didn't wanna break his nose or ribs or anything."

"He will heal and get over it."

"I don't know that he will... I guess I should go face the music."

"If he makes a fuss I can always seek retribution for you."

Ivy gives a soft smile, "Thank you, bit that's really not necessary. Things are different here."

"We will see. Perhaps you can tell me absolutely Jason later."

"Maybe. I should go see how it's gonna go."

-------

Bruce sits in the cave searching the data base for information on the Falcones with Tim at his side when he hears Ivy coming down the stairs.

Tim stiffens, glancing to Bruce.

He shakes his head to the boy. No reason to react before they know what's going on.

He tenses, though, unsure how this is about to go. He doesn’t want to fight his daughter, but he won't let her attack Tim.

Ivy comes down, arms crossed across her test and shoulders raised. She stares at the floor though, which is a point towards no more physical altercation.

"Ivy?" Bruce asks.

She looks over, face a mix of afraid and angry. "Dad."

"What are you doing down here?"

"I wanted to talk. Maybe explain." She shrugs halfheartedly.

"Oh?" Bruce grunts.

"First of all, that memorial is shit." She scoffs.

"You had no right to wreck it." Bruce says evenly.

She takes a slow breath. "I'm not here to argue."

"Good. Then you know what you did was wrong and you shouldn't have attacked me."

Ivy grits her teeth, eyes flashing the toxic green from before as she takes a slow breath again. "I apologize for attacking you, I thought I was over the pit rage episodes."

"What?" Bruce croaks.

He knows, logically, that his daughter was put in the Lazarus pit. He was unaware she had negative side effects but he should have expected it.

"I got too upset and Pit Madness took over. I know that's not an excuse and I am sorry. Even if that memorial is a blatant disrespect to Jason... I shouldn't have attacked you."

"Pit... madness."

"Yes. I know I fucked up-"

Damian is hurdling down the stairs, sword on his back and a challenge in his eyes. He looks ready for a fight when he sees the hitch of his sister's shoulders.

He's caught by his arm, Ivy moving quickly. "Damian what the hell?!"

Bruce just blinks.

"Father was about to do irreparable damage with his words." Damian scoffs.

"Oh, sweetheart, Bruce Wayne puts his foot in his mouth for breakfast. I'm sure I'll live." Ivy says fondly, reaching out to ruffle her brothers hair as if he wasn't ready to engage in combat with Batman.

Bruce just watches. It's almost reassuring to see his daughter still has a soft spot for children but this is all so weird.

"Go back... you suffer pit madness?" Bruce frowns.

"Sometimes." She shrugs. "I'm working on it."

"So... the attack was pit madness?"

"I know it doesn’t excuse anything. But yes." Ivy says stiffly.

Damian is glaring again, as if challenging Bruce. Even with his elbow in his sister's hand he looks ready to pounce.

Bruce is struck for a moment by a memory. He can almost see Jason holding Ivy by her elbow all those years ago in an attempt to stop the girl from attacking a bully.

"We can talk about the pit madness later. That explains lot. I would still appreciate if you refrained from destroying memorials."

"That memorial was shit." Ivy scoffs again.

"That memorial is for my son."

"That memorial is for a fucking child solider, not Jason." Ivy says shortly.

Bruce flinches a little. His son has never been a solider. His son-

Alfred put up the plaque.

But the looks his daughter gives him is scorching, the kind of look that screams she's not going to forget this. That she will remember this and it's going to be something that cuts a divide between her and the culprit forever.

Bruce is faced with a choice, like he so often is.

He can choose to take the blame, and face likely irreparable damage to his just found relationship with his daughter.... Or He can tell the truth,and turn that firey rage on Alfred, and watch his daughter lose faith in the man who's basically her grandfather.

Bruce makes a choice to save other people, just like always.

"Jason was a fighter." He says stiffly.

Damian clicks his tongue at that. "Tt, clearly you don't understand the concept of empathy."

Ivy has to take a breath at that one. She's been working on Empathy with Damian for- years. In the environment Ra's Al Ghul provided it was an uphill battle both ways and in the rain. But he's come further. He's closer.

Damian is a little better at identifying complex emotions in his mother and his sister.

Bruce is floored, getting that retort from a child who threatened his protege last night is surreal.

Tim chokes on a noise, "What?"

"Damian, go upstairs for me, please. If you want I'll tell you about Jason later."

Damian gives her a considering look, as if searching for answers to a question he hasn't asked. Whatever he finds though is enough.

"I expect as much." The boy says before going back upstairs.

Bruce watches the temperamental boy storm upstairs with a frown. "That was... efficient."

"What was?" Ivy frowns.

"You're good with Damian." Bruce says. Trying to find the words he wants. "He's so temperamental. He challenged me to combat last night."

Tim nods. "Yeah he threatened me too."

"I'll talk to him. But you should understand he was raised by Ra's and Talia."

"I do."

"I don't know that you do. Also, if you ever make another memorial say Good Solider I'm going to feed your balls to a pack of rabid dogs while I make you watch."

"Excuse me?" Bruce gapes at the colorful threat that he can't be sure is actually empty.

"That's a shit memorial dad. Jason was more than a solider and if he saw that it would break his heart."

"Ivy..."

She gives a sharp, predatory smile that screams Talia. Ivy just blinks serenely. "No more child soldiers, Dad. No more shitty memorials."

"Kid..."

"I'm going upstairs because I'm losing my grip. Try to be patient with Damian." Ivy says before she storms back upstairs.

Tim turns to Bruce, frowning. "What was that? Why didn't you tell her Alfred put up the memorial?"

"It'd hurt her worse."

"Oh."

"I'm sorry you had to see that. And I'm sorry Damian threatened you."

"It's not your fault." Tim says. "I just... Don't remember Cardinal being so volatile."

"Some of that is the pit madness. She's doing very well with it all things considered." Bruce muses.

He can recall the way pit madness rots the mind. He knows how easily the Lazarus Pit corrupts completely.

He wonders how much of her control stems from the obvious need to protect Damian?

"She's right... That memorial is shit." Tim mutters to himself.

Bruce huffs.

[jaded-quill]

Finally watched "The Batman" and the first thing I gotta say is: WTF that was Colin Farrel as Penguin?!

Ok though, I get the love for it now and how it stands out from all the previous Batman iterations. The biggest thing being Batman himself. Like, I am no Pattison fan. Nothing against the guy, just not a Twilight fan, etc, but he did a great job.

So the character really fits the canon with being Batman, who only becomes Bruce Wayne when he had to. Even more of a recluse than older versions because, let's face it, any modern telling has to account for technology causing issues otherwise.

He's already established as The Bat, but is still learning how to use the persona, and he spends more time being The World's Greatest Detective than beating people up.

I wanted to laugh at his hopelessly emo look when the suit and mask have just come off, but Batman has always been emo. He just doesn't usually look it quite so much.

I love how he runs around in a bulky jacket with a hoodie hood and often biker helmet to lurk in the shadows as a normal dude. His quick change is at least once just shucking the jacket and putting on the cowl.

I love how Jim Gordon is practically a friend, and has kept other cops from trying to arrest Batman, and they have this wary reaction to the Bat, but accept his help.

I love Selina, and the chemistry the two have right off the bat. It feels a little different. She feels a bit different.

I appreciate the badguy mostly succeeding for once, partially because Batman's ego or self-preservation gets in the way and stops him from properly interpreting the evidence at a critical juncture. He was so certain Riddler had figured out his identity, but if he'd really stopped to think, he'd see that the "platonic flirtation" with Batman didn't jive with the attempt on Bruce's life. Instead, he was convinced his cover was blown and very nearly gave himself away because of it. It was a seriously impressive display of barely-masked vulnerability peeking out through his eyes and posture as Riddler talked about Bruce.

Oh and he spends at least as much time rescuing people during the flood as he does kicking ass. Maybe more. The bit with the flare was a stellar set of visuals that told so much without words.

Also, the use of his Vengeance title throughout finall made sense when he realized at the end that he could also be a source of hope.

Like, just stellar writing.

Even his tech seemed advanced in some ways, but mostly the really useful shit like the contacts, which are very likely to be real soon enough if they aren't already.

Nothing too outlandish, really. Also, while he does have a souped-up batmobile, his fancy regular car he takes to the memorial service is a perfect impression of the shape of his traditional ride while still a normal enough car.

Basically, I just really appreciate this movie, a ton. It isn't something I'll rewatch a bunch, but I gotta give judos.

[smoothlikealikeasnake]

Strawberry Princess Chapter Eight ‘The Piercing Mystery’

Pairing - OT7!BTS x Reader, Hybrid!BTS x Hybrid!Reader

Genre - Hybrid!Au , Hybrid BTS x Hybrid Reader, fluff, angst, eventual smut, slow burn? , alternative reality , strangers to lovers , strangers to friends, friends to lovers

Warnings - So much fluff, teasing, suggestive moments, slight insecurity, lmk if there’s anything else!

Summary - When a certain hybrid starts to appear whenever Jungkook is at the gym, an immediate pull is felt between the two and their eventual friendship soon is spread to the rest of his pack.

Previous Next Overview

The room Taehyung had brought her into had a large window facing onto the city, it also allowed for the brief moments of sunlight in the window to pass through and highlight the walls, that was why Taehyung had the idea to bring in Y/n at that specific moment. The sun was taking over the desk and wall Taehyung wanted Y/n to be, as it moves it would create unique shadows and patterns on the area so this might be a bit longer than a ‘quick’ borrow.

Y/n was struck at the request and equally confused

“Model? Like try on designs?” - Her brows were furrowed as she tried to understand her role in that moment, focusing on Taehyungs expression as a soft smile took over.

“Try on and let me take pictures, if that’s okay” - Y/n had never seen him be so hesitant as he said something to her but at his words her jaw dropped, confused as to why he could want to take pictures of her specifically, perhaps it was opportunity.

“I’m sure you have models far more fit that you could ask, right?” - Y/n began to shift almost uncomfortably, truthfully she was insecure and had never done anything of the sort before.

“Maybe with more experience, but they don’t have what you have, what I’m looking for, it would be forced and you are the perfect model the perfect muse for my vision, please kitten” - Taehyung almost seemed to ramble about his thoughts because slowing down to ask again. His speech made her realise he genuinely did want her and maybe it wasn’t just convenience so she hesitantly answered.

“What do I have to do and wear?” - Y/n took a breathe before making it clear she agreed, it was worth it watching the shine in Taehyungs eyes, a newfound sense of inspiration seeming to transpire before her. She could practically see the way his brain was turning with possibility before he span around quickly, rushing over to his desk and looking at various designs he had made in the last few hours. There was 3 he wanted her to model and definitely more to come but for now he had to decide which to use at what time.

A white silk midi dress that had a cowl neck that was only loose enough to be slightly revealing, the straps thin and tight to make sure it didn’t fall. It was backless, the silk dropping strategically to sit just above its wearers widest part of their hip, seductive yet sensual. It was form fitting but not suffocating, truthfully no other model would do because these designs were tailored to what he wanted to see Y/n in and thus they were her measurements. The next was a full length pink dress, blush pink, with a floral lace overlay, it was off shoulder with only thin straps to sit on the arms, fitted once again before loosening mid thigh. The next dress was a red and white gingham sundress, tight from chest to waist before puffing out to accentuate the widened area of hips, it flowed to just above mid thigh but was lined with a white soft tulle to help hold shape and prevent unnecessary movement with the wind. The straps were of the same gingham material and created a square neckline.

With how the light was shining without any shadowed pattern onto the desk in that moment he decided on the white silk dress to start. Picking it up and spinning on his heel to hold it out to the restless girl behind him.

“How about this one first, I can leave for you to change or I can turn around” - Taehyungs voice was so smooth it made Y/na knees feel weak as she struggled to answer

“U-Um you can just turn around” - He nodded and did as he said, walking over to his table to begin setting up a camera, not once turning around while she felt the fabric, soft and so smooth on her hands before taking off her shirt, thankful that the dress had built in support as she hadn’t put her bra back on earlier. The thought back to the earlier events made heat rush over her cheeks as she stilled for a second, knowing that Taehyung also briefly knew what went on and growing quite embarrassed. She still had the dress in her hands so Y/n quickly pulled it over her head finding it fit perfectly and not to mention felt amazing on her skin, it had her wanting to purr even before she could see it on herself properly. Her heart was warm as she thought about him wanting her to model the dress for him, especially something so beautiful. She could feel the cool air hitting her back when she moved her hair to adjust the straps and once she was finished, she let him know he could turn around.

“I’m finished” - Taehyung turned around at her words and looked at her with a combination of emotion in his eyes, inspiration and admiration that created a spark, electric causing his striking blue eyes to stun Y/n for a moment. His scent was strong in the room, she hadn’t noticed before but it was filling her nose and making the sun that shined in seem even brighter, the air clearer in the strangest way. Her breath caught in her throat in a gasp at his next words, that playful and dominant gaze he had the day they met returning as he stalked towards her, the same powerful aura around him even if he was in casual clothes this time.

“You make it look so good, so soft and perfect, I think it might just be you though” - his flirty words made her cheeks bloom into a light shade of rose, she felt impossibly small as he stood over her, she was almost nervous.

“Can I just adjust it on you?” - Taehyung asked as the straps were slightly twisted and a few glances ruching where they shouldn’t be. Y/n nodded shyly at him, not knowing what to do with her arms when Taehyungs large hands gently settled on her waist, pulling the fabric to where it should be, her eyes followed his hands as she focused on how big, slim and soft they were, his touches the perfect inbetween of gentle and assertive, confident as he pushed and pulled all over, eyebrows furrowing in concentration.

Y/n had to hold back a little gasp as his hands made contact with her bare skin, he slipped his slim fingers under her straps to straighten them before moving his hands back down to her waist, firmly planting them there this time as they made brief eye contact, the stare so intense it seemed to freeze in her mind as if it was on repeat for years even though it was a mere half second before Taehyung spun her around, manhandling her to look and feel where he needed. He let his hands graze up her spine before one fell to her exposed lower back, admiring the curve of her back as he leant forward, over her shoulder and down until his lips brushed the shell of her ear.

“Perfect” - that singular word had Y/n’s mind hazy, knees feeling wobbly as she was glad Taehyung let his hand sit on her back, pushing her over to the desk, she didn’t quite know what to do so she looked back for a little direction with wide eyes that made Taehyung swoon.

“How about you lay in your side, head held up by your arm?” - As he spoke, Taehyung gently picked up Y/n and placed her sitting on the table even though she didn’t need him too, it made her giddy for some reason, quickly trying to recreate the image he had in his head.

Taehyung stood back, tilting his head to focus, she was perfection but she was tense, not knowing exactly what to do so he decided to set up his camera, giving her time to settle. It seemed to work slightly but she was lightly biting her nip nervously, he walked over, putting one hand on her face and watching her eyes close from his touch and her entire body relax, he let her face sit on her hand and she held that position. It all seemed so much more natural now, one of her legs slightly falling over the other due to her position on her side, accentuating the curve of her hips and allowing the silk to highlight from its slight movement, creating a beautiful silhouette. The hair danced over her shoulder, a single strand aesthetically laying over her face as Y/n’s free arm was relaxed over her side, falling naturally. The sun made parts of her hair shine golden at the crease of the waves and ringlets while her rosy cheeks were accentuated.

Taehyung knew in that moment everything he had imagined was put into the world, quickly moving towards his camera and snapping a few shots from various angles, closer and further and when Y/n lightly opened her eyes, still heavy as she barely looked at the camera, he felt like he’d happily freeze in time in that moment, quickly capturing it, knowing he would keep a variety of these for himself if not all of them.

Taking his time to make her laugh, smile, blush and move naturally, Taehyung caught so many amazing pictures, you could see how much more comfortable Y/n had gotten even after everytime he asked her to change positions, even after he asked her to stand with her back to the camera to capture the detailing on the back, gently sliding her hair over her shoulder for her before putting it into a messy low bun that looked too classy for how quickly he had put it together, he knew exactly what he was doing and it showed, even if she didn’t.

“Wahhhh beautiful, who are you wearing today miss Y/n” - Taehyung kept teasing her as she looked over her shoulder, the sun capturing her in the best way, her hands pulled over her face in a shy smile, he was quick with capturing every moment he found beautiful and was sure the candid shots would be perfect for his promotions of this collection if she was comfortable with them being posted.

He was making her feel truly special, like a model, like she was famous, like she was the most beautiful girl in the world and she couldn’t stop her smile even when she tried to hide it to get a more relaxed shot. He captured images of her side profile, of her back, of her laying, sitting, posing a bit dramatically, of her trying to quickly run towards him and catch the camera when he was being particularly teasing.

The light seemed to bend for her, to accommodate her and accentuate her as every angle caught made her look ethereal, like an angel. Only when Taehyung had got just about every angle and pose did he ask her to change into the next dress, repeating the process with her in various places and positions, the room was warm, their scents mixing, Y/n’s sweet strawberry with Taehyungs musky spice, cinnamon and vanilla, all you could hear was laughter and the snapping of a camera along with their sweet teasing of eachother. Taehyungs duality was striking to Y/n, this side of him completely different to the side she had seen when they first met, she liked that.

———————————————————————————

Time seemed to fly as they were stuck in their own bubble; wrapping up the photoshoot when Tae had photographed each of the dresses Y/n was wearing, that time only brought them closer as Y/n found her shy front starting to diminish. The room was almost bursting with the scent and feeling of happiness and joy, laughter and comfortability. The photoshoot had taken near to 2 hours, neither of them had noticed how Jungkook peeked in about an hour through and when finding them in their own little world, smiled to himself and went back to the couch.

After the final dress, the two found themselves a bit disappointed it was all ending but equally happy that it had happened. Y/n had changed back into the shirt she had and only then noticed the slight chill of winter that was in the home, despite the heating. Her legs were out so she decided it would be best to seek out her trousers from before, not caring before but grasping now that she was just walking round in Hobis shirt and Jungkooks boxers, she began to feel a bit self conscious about it.

“Thank you for being my model kitty, you were so perfect” - Taehyungs praise was followed with gently pulling her into a hug by her waist, his hands around her lower back as a small squeak almost left her from the quick movements, praise and warm embrace that had her heart racing and cheeks heating up, her scent grew slightly sweeter as she tried to pretend she wasn’t gently purring, hoping Taehyung couldn’t feel the vibrations but he definitely could.

“Why don’t you go see Jungkookie again, I’m sure he missed you” - he seemed back to his teasing self as he ruffled her hair, knowingly slightly knocking the base of her ears as he watched her inhale a sweet gasp and grow redder by the second before stepping away with her hands fiddling before making her way into the hall.

Taehyung watched her rush away with a soft smile, shaking his head as he could feel his own heart racing, chest rumbling as his hybrid side made him create his own version of a purr, his tail was swaying softly and he knew he should try to get back to work.

Y/n took a detour instead of immediately going back to Jungkook, softly stepping down the hall, feeling as if she was sneaking around which she potentially was, she was sneaking into the pack room, only to retrieve her trousers of course, and potentially bask in the scenes held in there. Especially when Jungkook and Hoseoks were so strong the moment she walked in, it had her legs feeling all wobbly again and she had to bite her lip to regain focus on her task. It was easy enough, one of the boys had neatly folded her clothes for her on the nest and she quickly padded over to put on the soft bottoms but stopped when she saw Hobi’s sweatpants that had been picked out for her right next to her own pile. It made her hesitate as she looked around, scanning as if she would be caught before snatching the bottoms and pulling them up, soft on her legs and scent making her purr once again, eyes drooping slightly in comfortable bliss.

When they were on, she didn’t exactly know what to do with her pile of clothes but in her head, since they hadn’t been moved since they had been put there maybe she’d leave them until she left, so she quickly moved out of the room, not before sneaking a glance over her shoulder and feeling giddy at the sight of the nest she had made. She couldn’t help the questions that ran through her head

Would it be soft enough for Jin’s standards, he was always so perfect to her she just hoped it would be up to his expectations

Would there be enough pillows so that Yoongi could nap comfortably wherever he put his head, something about him seemed like he loved to sleep and to follow up that thought she couldn’t help but rush back in to quickly fluff up the pillows and flatten the creases in blankets for Jin before moving away again

Would Namjoon be proud of her nest, would he think it’s nice enough for his pack, would he softly rub at her ears and tell her she’d done a good job? She knew he probably wouldn’t but the thought it his praise made her body shudder with happiness

Would Jimin find it pretty enough, he was so good with everything appearance wise would he find it worthy, she didn’t know what she wanted it to be worthy of but just that their opinions really mattered and she couldn’t quite think about why in the moment

And Taehyung, would Taehyung want to pull her into one of those tight hugs in the middle of it and rub at her ears praising her for it, that seemed far too appealing for her to not rush around perfecting every last bit of the nest, feet softly padding around as she darted to fix every little corner, unknowingly freshly scenting the entire room and biting at her lips and nails with a soft smile.

She definitely hadn’t forgotten about Hobi and Kookie but they had already seen her nest, even been inside it, took care of her inside it so she assumed they had liked it, hoped they would want to be in it again, her mind was running wild so much so that she didn’t even notice the new or familiar presence in the room.

“Such a perfect nest kitten, how about I take you to Jungkook so you can watch something with him hmm?” - Hoseoks words were slowly passing through her brain as his big hands gently took her hands away from her mouth so she couldn’t fidget and nibble at her nails, he took in her blown out pupils and slightly messy hair where she’d hurriedly pushed it out of her face in her process of perfecting her nest, she was soft in every way and it probably wouldn’t help being in a room so full of possibilities so he did what he knew best and took control. His gentle touch seemed to encourage her as he gently wrapped an arm around her waist and guided her out of the door, closing it behind him both to stop the scents inside from making her softer and also to stop them from getting out. Hoseok had things to be doing but when he heard rustling and the soft padding around she had been doing in the room next to his, along with her sweet strawberry scent, he rushed to see what was happening. Y/n had tried to look back over her shoulder into the room but Hoseok moved his free hand to grasp her chin between his index and thumb, pulling her face forward, it wasn’t rough but it was assertive and seemed to have Y/n melting into his side, mind slowly forgetting about her previous rush of thoughts and just relaxing. Her soft tail sought out his own and wrapped around it, possibly to ground herself and maybe pull him in closer, the contact made Hobi’s body tense slightly and still before continuing as he wasn’t expecting it but he welcomed the gesture as Y/n softly sighed in content.

“Kook-ah, come help kitty won’t you” - Jungkooks head spun around at Hoseoks words, he dropped his phone on the sofa and jumped over the back to come take Y/n from Hoseoks hold, he didn’t ask any questions when neither of them seemed distressed or upset, Y/n just seemed soft and Hobi smiled before telling Y/n he would come sit with them later and going back to his room.

“Y/nie let’s watch a movie hm? That’ll be nice won’t it” - Jungkooks voice was soft as he held up her head to look at him with a gentle touch, at the sight of his face Y/n smiled dopily with a happy nod and reached out for his hand which he joyfully held and led her to the couch. He sat upright, softly guiding her to lay down with her head across his thick thighs and body curled up beside him, her hands raised up to her head and rested on his thighs before beginning to move, pushing and pulling gently while she let out soft purrs and he couldn’t help the twitch of his soft tail and smile that grew as she got comfortable. His hand moved to rest on her side, rubbing small circles over Hoseoks clothes that she’d been put in while his other hand put on a movie he found of Netflix. Her head was facing the tv for the most part until she started to stir on his thighs after about 25 minutes of the movie, she was a lot more in control than she was before and found herself bathing in Jungkooks soft and comfortable scent, his strong thighs that she’d been kneading below her head and his overall look more handsome than ever. Y/n felt butterfly’s just looking at him as he became far more interesting than the movie. She had her head flat down on his thighs instead of the side of her face so she could watch the way he would struggle to stay still, fidgeting with his free hand while his other moved from Y/n’s side to her stomach, still rubbing. His tongue was lightly darting out to play with his lip piercings and Y/n could see the shine of his tongue piercing, the whole display entirely innocent as Jungkooks eyebrows were lightly furrowed in concentration and he used his veiny hands to push back his hair. The display had Y/n feeling shy around him again, trying to hide her face In her arms everytime his tongue darted out, she loved how it he was always so expressive, like when he eats good food he looks angry, it was so endearing to her.

“Doesnt that hurt?” - the words seem to fall out of her mouth as her thoughts raced, there was another thought of does it hurt when he kisses but she definitely wouldn’t ask that, just the thought made a blush rise to her cheeks.

“Not at all, maybe when it was healing it would have but not anymore” -

He made a display to prove his words by biting onto the ring and pulling his lip a few times before sliding his tongue over it to push it back into place, the action may have been entirely innocent but it made goosebumps rise all over Y/n’s body and her cheeks heat up as she wanted to hide in her hands.

Her thoughts were quickly cut off when Jungkook gently grabbed one of her hands, brought it up to his lips and pressed a light kiss to her fingertips.

“Pull it.” - the simple words made heat rush to Y/n’s brain as her eyes widened slightly, hesitant but following his words as she gently swiped her finger over the ring as first before holding it between her fingers and giving it the gentlest tug. She observed his reaction as she couldn’t take her eyes off his face, watching his doe eyes drop slightly. She couldn’t help but tug a tiny bit harder and watched his eyes close, lips parting and he definitely didn’t look like he was in pain. Just out of curiosity after that, she played with the ring between her fingers, pulling it with different strengths, watching his reaction as he left out soft grunts at the harder tugs and would open his eyes the tiniest bit at the softer tugs, not the shiny and wide doe eyes he always held but a darker pair, only opened slightly but so alluring.

“Is there anything they hurt to do?” - Y/na eyes were full of curiosity as she carefully asked, Jungoook opened his eyes and looked down at her with a light chuckle

“You sound like you want to get one yourself, curious are you?” - the way Jungkooks voice had dropped to speak to her made her want to curl up and hide behind her hands, it was predatory despite being a prey hybrid, her voice seemed to falter as butterflies flew threw her body.

“N-no I don’t want to I just wanted to know” - She only had her ears pierced and hadn’t really thought about any other piercings, a lip ring wouldn’t suit her in her opinion though. On Jungkook however, he looked like a dream with his piercings.

“This one hasn’t really been painful from the start, the worst was my tongue but that isn’t painful now either” - Jungkook moved the underneath of his tongue piercing to between his lips and pushed is across to emphasise, Y/n often forgot he had a tongue piercing, truthfully she would only remember when she caught sight of it shining when he was talking or when they were kissing

“My tongue swelled for a while and made my lisp a lot more noticeable” - For some reason his words made Y/n giggle slightly, imagining him at the time, she imagined him to be so cute, her own laugh made Jungkook smile brightly.

“Does any of your pack have piercings?” - Y/n’s curiosity didn’t seem to end there

“Well that’ll be for you to find out won’t it?” - Jungkooks teasing voice and smile made Y/n look at him a bit struck, needing to know what he meant by that but interrupted by the sound of the front door opening.

“Kook? Come help me with this” - Seokjin’s voice called out to the living room, not seeing Y/n as she was still laying on his lap, hidden by the back of the couch. Jungkook whined childishly, picking up Y/n under her arms and pulling her onto his lap sitting with her front pressed into him, strong arms wrapping tightly around her waist as she squeaked from the sudden movement.

“I can’t, Y/n wants me to stay and she’s asking about my piercings” - Jungkook held Y/n tightly against his chest, jokingly speaking for her as Jin moved from inside the kitchen and seeing Y/n’s slightly shocked face and squished position on his lap

“Aish, Jungkook let her go” - the moment Jungkook reluctantly loosened his hold, Jin glided over and gently placed his hands on Y/n’s sides, much like Jungkook had done and picked her up, out of Jungkooks lap and into standing before softly straightening her shirt for her.

Y/n was staring up at him wide eyed at his actions, so easily just picking her up like it was nothing, it was making her almost dizzy from how attractive she found the pack, their easy displays of strength that might not mean anything to them but so much to her. She felt like she had a middle school crush again, wanting to rock on her feet and bat her eyelashes at him. Jin cut off her thoughts when one of his pretty hands landed softly on her cheek, making her focus on him, he looked away to talk to Jungkook before meeting her eyes

“Kook go start to put things away please. Are you okay sweetheart, you seem a little lightheaded hm?” - Jin’s voice was like a symphony, so smooth and yet so full of emotion in every word he spoke, Y/n definitely would never get over how perfect their pack was. He was right however, his alluring scent and actions had made her lightheaded, not that she’d complain, she just wanted a hug but she wouldn’t ask for that.

“I’m okay Jinnie, thank you” - she was quiet as she responded, hands twitching to refrain from falling into his embrace, something Jin noticed but wouldn’t make it obvious so he did the next best thing to give her what she needed

“It’s so good to see you again, you feeling okay?” - Jin gently pulled her into his embrace, feeling her heartbeat get faster and hearing her take in a sweet gasp at the contact, her scent getting sweeter as she subtly nuzzled into his chest. Jin dipped his head down to get closer but was welcomed with the thick scent of Jungkook and Hoseok, attached all over her neck and scent gland, it made his eyes widen and curiosity grow but he wouldn’t show that while he was with Y/n.

“Mhm, thank you for all the meals, were so delicious” - she was mumbling her response into his chest, like she had just woken up, she liked telling Jin how nice his food was, it always made a pretty blush rise to his cheeks, like it did with her whenever she was praised for just about anything.

“That’s okay sweetheart, im glad you liked them, I’ll get started on lunch now too” - Neither had realised how long they had been hugging until they both reluctantly pulled away, Jin gesturing towards the kitchen where Kook was finished unpacking the groceries. When all three were together Jungkook didn’t hold back from getting close to Y/n again, walking up behind her and resting his head ontop of hers, leaning down slightly to do so, he just rested and watched as Jin walked over to get some food for lunch out

“Y/n was asking about if any of us have piercings besides me” - Jungkook said with a smirk and watched as Jin stopped for only a second, Y/n was watching with confusion and was even more curious when Jin asked a question back

“And what did you say?” - Jin had an eyebrow raised, only out of curiosity

“I said she’d have to find out herself” - Jungkook replied with a proud smile

“Hmm, that’s right” - The entire interaction was making Y/n more confused and she just had to know what was happening, she needed to know what they were being so cryptic about

“How should I find out myself?” - Y/n was almost physically leaning in to find out the answers as if that would make it clearer

“You’ll find out with time” - Jin’s words were said in a tone that told her no more questions, shutting down her words but not her thoughts, even when he quickly changed the conversation on to what he would be making for lunch.

“Do you like Kimchi-jjigae sweetheart?” - it was a simple dish for him to make and warming, especially in the winter months.

“Oh yes I haven’t had it in so long” - Y/n’s eyes lit up a little bit more than usual at the opportunity to have more of Jin’s delicious food, as if on cue her stomach rumbled quietly, making Jin chuckle and move faster while Jungkook moved his hands from besides him to wrap around her waist and rub her stomach gently as if she was in pain and he was trying to soothe her, it was sweet, comforting, definitely warming, he radiated so much heat all the time if she was cold before she definitely couldn’t be now. Her own chest started to vibrate quietly in appreciation as her eyes slowly fluttered shut for a few seconds.

“Yoongi will be coming home for lunch too, he finished up early so he should be back any time now” - Jin spoke while preparing the meal for everyone. As if on queue, the sound of the front door opening was heard and Jungkook began to move away to greet Yoongi, but stopped mid way to lean into Y/n’s ear and whisper

“I’m not the only one with a tongue piercing” - Those words made Y/n’s breath catch in her throat, mind racing with all the possibilities of who has what piercings, she really didn’t know why it was so intriguing, maybe she found Jungkooks ones more exciting and attractive than she’d like to admit.

Citrus seemed to take over the kitchen when Yoongi walked in with Jungkook, he had a smile, shaking his head as Jungkook purposefully annoyed him when he looked up to greet the other two in the kitchen. Once he had, Jungkook went to take a seat at the kitchen island while Y/n was stood watching Jin cook from a little bit away, she was deeply focused on two things, Jin’s cooking and the piercing mystery. So deeply focused she had no idea Yoongi would sneak up and playfully swipe at her fluffy tail, he was nonchalant about it, simply muttering to her as he walked past her, leaving her to stand stunned and staring and in complete admiration.

“Still so much to learn kitten” - in that moment, Yoongi’s words had multiple meanings, so much to learn, he does piercings, surely he has a few of his own and from then on Y/n told herself she would keep watch of his lips, as weird as it may sound. Her pupils dilated in focus as her tail started to whip behind her, covering Jungkooks view a few times

Once Jin had finished, he and Yoongi put the food on the table, Y/n was watching Yoongi so closely that she hadn’t moved from her spot so Jungkook took it into his own hands, standing behind her and crouching to lift Y/n by her knees bridal style beginning to spin around and sing a song about the meal while Y/n giggled and held onto his neck before being placed down, coincidentally next to Yoongi who she began to watch through the side of her eye, trying to act normal while she waited to see if he had a piercing.

“I’ll go get Taehyung and Hobi” - Jin stood and walked off, Yoongi had opened his phone and began scrolling and something Y/n hadn’t noticed him doing before is moving his jaw just slightly side to side, her attention was caught by Jungkook once again who dramatically threw his arms and head down onto the table whining about being hungry. It was funny how close and comfortable Y/n had become with them, it was like they had known eachother for so much longer than they really had.

“Finally! I’m starving” - Jungkook span around in his seat as Jin came back with the two members, Y/n looked at them as they arrived and smiled warmly before she gave a second look to Hoseok, suddenly remembering what had happened earlier that day, sneaking a glance at Jungkook too as her face grew redder and hotter by the second, impossible to hide as her eyes were wide and she refused to look at the two again out of embarrassment. It was easy for what happened to slip from her mind either Jungkook because he was always so… domestic with her, made it all seem natural. Hoseok on the other hand, had that aura that made her feel soft and pliant around him all the time, even when he was his bubbly self it couldn’t mask over the ways he immediately made her body feel.

“Careful kitten, your drooling” - a deep whisper from Yoongi warmed her ear and made Y/n’s gaze leave the two males who had made her feel that way, her gaze instead snapping to Yoongi as a playful glare and a ‘no I wasn’t’, the playful scowl on Y/n’s face made Yoongi laugh, agreeing with a ‘sure, kitten’.

When everyone was settled it was time for everyone to dig in, each of the boys took it upon themselves to help Y/n in serving her food, piling each of the sides and main for her and refilling her drink. This sort of treatment wasn’t something Y/n was used too but god could she get used to it, being pampered and showered with care, it made her purr involuntarily, extremely quietly as she tried to hide it, thinking she succeeded.

She hadn’t. Yoongi was sitting right next to her, his hybrid side made it easier to recognise feline mannerisms and sounds, he could practically feel the vibrations coming off of Y/n without even touching her, it made his own chest rumble in a similar way, he was proud they were making her feel this way, especially himself as their hybrids seemed to have created a hierarchy already, in terms of leadership and submission, Y/n was leaning into the place she was put in already by accepting their care.

That also meant, he didn’t have to get close to her neck to smell Hoseok and Jungkooks scents surrounding her, along with her own, abnormally sweet scent underneath the two. It also didn’t help that she was in Hobi’s clothes if she was embarrassed or trying to hide what happened. It was clear she was trying to play it off, distracting herself by eating away the delicious meal as simple conversation was made across the table. In fact, she was so focused she hadn’t realised a little bit of the stew had dripped from the corner of her plump lips until Yoongi reached to her, wiping his thumb across the area and pulling away. Y/n’s eyes snapped to him and watched as he opened his mouth and licked the stew from his own thumb but what caught her attention the most was the glimpse of something silver, it made her eyes widen and she almost dropped her utensils, wanting to point at it as if she was making a point. Instead, her gaze just switched to Jungkook, eyes wide now in knowing but when he met her gaze he was simply confused.

It made sense really, for him to have a tongue piercing, as a piercer and all but with no other face piercings, maybe it was more unexpected to her, it’s not like she’d do anything or say anything, besides to Jungkook but it was just a surprise. And maybe extremely attractive, tied in with his sharpened canine fangs and dark hair, it really brought out his panther features and that was making Y/n’s own hybrid spiral. She wanted to lean into his shoulder next to her, rub her cheek against him and absorb his scent, wrap her tail around his and stick to his side. He made her feel soft and warm without even trying, all of them did, she hadn’t realised once again as she involuntarily started to purr, louder this time, not hidden at all. To everyone else she just seemed happy and comfortable but Yoongi could see her watching him from the corner of his eye. She was purring for him and that made a proud smirk take over his features, even if he didn’t know exactly why.

He wanted to pull her in and let her purrs soothe any tension in his body, let her curl up and get comfortable with him before she falls into a deep sleep, surrounded by his and his packs scents, safe and warm. Even if he didn’t know exactly what had gone on with her and his two mates earlier in the day, he could smell how good it was for each of them and that only added to the pride in his chest, his back straightening and chest puffing out while the whiskey and tobacco in his scent became more prominent, feeling like a piece in his pack that was missing was finally here, like they would be fulfilled.

Once lunch was eaten, Y/n insisted that she help clean up with Jin while everyone got back to their tasks, she took all the plates off of everyone and made her way to the kitchen and practically begged to help, complimenting ‘Jinnie-Oppa’’s cooking and saying she needed to help. He wasn’t giving up until she took a step closer, looking up at him with wide eyes that he couldn’t say no to, finally reluctantly agreeing.

Y/n didn’t know just how much she had them wrapped around her finger as she happily waited for instructions on where to start incase Jin had a process. He guided her with a gentle hand on her back, leaning over her to check on her at every stage, barely brushing his chest on her back and whispering sweet praise to her as shocks rushed up her body.

“That’s it well done sweetheart”

“Perfect, your doing amazing pretty girl”

“Just like that, nearly done beautiful”

Each word was making her body and mind feel softer, the tingles turning into butterfly’s and she couldn’t help but lean back into his chest everytime he leant over to check on her, melting at the sound of his heart, she desperately wanted to rub her cheeks into his chest and did a few times, only very lightly but it was enough to rub her scent onto his. Every praise had her cheeks hot and eyes fluttering shut for a few moments, progressively drooping more and more as she would of became like a ragdoll if it wasn’t for her trying to focus on each task Jin gave her, as simple as they were.

Jin had noticed the effect his praise was having on her after the first set of words, she had tensed shyly only for a second as heat rose to her cheeks before her body relaxed. After that, each small touch was followed by almost silent gasps as she subtly leant into him to quiet whines when he stopped touching her, he was filling with pride by the second, the rewards of taking care of her being evident in her every breath. As she leant into him and shared her warmth even if only for a few seconds, he did the same, dropping down his head a rubbing his nose as her hair, gently scenting her with his soft earthy wood scent and hearing her sweetly gasp audibly this time as he nuzzled gently between her ears. One of Y/n’s arms shot up, slipping behind her into Jin’s hair, it made him hesitate, stopping his motions as he worried he stepped too far but let out a grunt as Y/n gripped his hair and pushed him closer to her head, encouraging him to keep going.

Jin’s hands slipped to hold her full hips, resting softly before pulling her back flush against himself, the range of his scenting and nuzzling expanded only slightly, moving to the outside of her ears, the tip of his nose gently grazing the base of them when his head tipped side to side, with every little contact, Y/n would grip his hair and release, purr and gasp, she started to squirm in his hold when it switched from Jin’s nose to his plump lips grazing her ear slightly parting so Y/n could feel his warm breathing. Y/n began squirming more, the feeling so pleasant but verging too much when she was trying to hold onto herself at the same time, her hand began to shake in his hair, other scrambling to stabilise herself. Jin seemed to pick up on that, his grip on his hips become just a tiny bit firmer as he sent out more of his scent to reassure her, letting her know she could let go. In her attempts to hold onto her mind from not knowing if Jin would be ok with her being soft like that, she didn’t even notice Jin’s reassurance and he realised this himself.

Taking it into his own hands, Jin moved to the base of one of her ears and opened his mouth just a bit wider, letting his teeth graze over the edge making Y/n shudder before he pressed his teeth so gently into either side, gently nibbling at her ear and that did exactly what they both wanted. Y/n’s legs almost gave out as she completely relaxed onto Jin’s chest, his grip tightening to hold her up as she let him scent her, warm and soft in his arms, he slowly finished scenting her and getting high on her own scent when he pulled away just enough to speak to her, his own pupils dilated and chest rumbling happily.

“You did such a good job at helping me, thank you sweetheart” - The single line of praise was enough to have a sweet whine rip through Y/n’s throat as she tightened her grip on his hair and had him groaning into her head. Y/n giggled happily at his thanks and nuzzled into his chest.

“Come on, let’s get you to the couch, is that okay sweetheart?” - Jin asked and waited until he got a nod before slipping his hands, one down her side and behind her thighs and the other up behind her back before easily lifting her bridal style, his actions made a happy squeal leave Y/n’s mouth as her soft tail wrapped around his arm and her hands refused to move from his hair until he layed her down on the couch, a pillow under her head and blanket over her body. She nuzzled into the blanket that had been scented by each of the pack over time, huffing softly into the pillow under her head and kneading both items to get comfortable, her eyes closed with a happy smile on her lips and she fell asleep within two minutes. Jin loved how happy she was to sleep at pretty much any time of the day, it would make her the perfect little nesting mate for all of them.

Little did he know, she had left proof of exactly that in their nesting room, a warm and fuzzy nest filled with her scent, one she had made with each of them in mind, subconsciously promising her interest in them.

Jin stayed with Y/n until she was fully asleep, he left shortly after checking on her and when finding her happily purring away, cozy under the blanket, he decided to leave to do a few things he’d had planned for today and in exchange, he would get someone to sit with her so she didn’t wake up alone.

The only person who was not busy in that moment happened to be Yoongi, Jungkook would have been if he had not gotten a sudden call to arrange an appointment for a client and having to do a consultation about ideas and such. Yoongi was also on his way to the living room anyway so it seemed to work out perfectly, he just sat at the edge of the sofa next to a napping Y/n and took out his phone to scroll on.

His presence seemed to make her stir as her nose twitched, clearly sensing someone else in the room after Jin had left. It actually made her wake up, sleepily opening her eyes and looking to where he was sitting, finding him sitting comfortably but the thing that made her eyes seem to open just a tiny bit more was the silver ball between his lips, slowly sliding, the piercing that had been on her mind for a while before she slept and in her sleepy state, she found herself just blurting out the obvious statement from her head.

“You have a tongue piercing” - Her quiet words made Yoongi’s head snap towards her, eyebrows knitted together in slightly confusion as the silver ball slipped back between his lips.

“Yes?” - The way he said it might have seemed rude but he was just curious, and luckily Y/n noticed that and took it that way.

“I had no idea, suits you” - Her words were a mere mumble at that point, slowly drifting off again as her eyes drooped again, it then finally clicked to Yoongi what she had been staring at during lunch, it was what was making her so intrigued and that made him chuckle lightly, amused.

“It does doesn’t it” - Yoongi wasn’t cocky but he knew it fit in with his features, he got a hum in response from Y/n, his response had made her wake up slightly more however, no longer drifting back off as she didn’t say any more for a minute, just watching him quietly.

Yoongi knew of course, instead of saying anything he instead just went back to his phone and continued running the piercing over his lips, Y/n watched him doing so intently before quietly stretching out her arms and legs. In doing so she kicked Yoongi’s thigh but he didn’t take any notice, ignoring her actions and that seemed to confuse her. So, following her mind she did it again, gently obviously but with intention this time, and when he didn’t react again, she waited a moment before doing it again, and again, not quite realising that she was intentionally trying to annoy him now, only playfully of course.

After the 5th kick to his thigh, Yoongi caught her ankle in his hand, making quick movements to pull her by said ankle until his arm was stretched out the other way, her thighs now ontop of his as she let out a quiet yelp of surprise, staring at him now with her lips slightly parted and eyes wide as she looked at him.

“Enough of that” - His words were firm but he didn’t sound annoyed at all, ignoring her actions once again even as she was positioned with her legs fully on and over his lap. This was almost funny to Y/n, fuelling the playful glint in her eyes as she giggled and felt her tail begin to swish underneath her. She took a quick glance at his phone and found he was just scrolling through socials feeds and wasn’t trying to find anything or do anything too important it seemed. With that in mind, she flipped onto her side on his lap ‘accidentally’ knocking his phone until it nearly fell out of his hands.

“Oops” - Y/n was smiling playfully as she said it, it made Yoongi actually look up at her this time, stopping all his movements and captured her eyes, seeing her blown out pupils as she waited for his next move, if any. It was intriguing to him how she could switch from shy and polite to so playful in a matter of seconds.

“Aish, so polite and sweet for Jin-hyung and like this for me, what’s that about hm?” - Yoongi waited for her answer with his eyes back on his phone and his words seemed to stun her for a moment as she didn’t notice how differently she would act around each of the men.

“You’re fun to tease, I like being good for Oppa” - Y/n’s tone had a spin of that sweetness she always had with Jin when she mentioned him. The answer made Yoongi chuckle, gummy smile on display and mesmerising to her before he shook his head, smiling falling as he caught her eyes again.

“And you don’t like being good for me?” - His words made Y/n’s breath hitch, she tried to think about it but couldn’t think of a time she’d been like she was with Jin for Yoongi.

“Ah right, you’ve never exactly been good for me” - Yoongi answered his own question immediately after asking it, finding Y/n’s mouth opening and closing as she tried to find an excuse

“I would praise you if you were good for me you know, you’d be all happy and bubbly after” - Yoongi knew she liked that, even without experiencing it himself much, the way she reacted for his pack mates when they praised her was enough for him to know he was right.

“Your fun to play with” - Y/n’s words seem to form with a small smile but she did wonder what it would be like to be sweeter and more chilled out around Yoongi, if he was gentle or teasing, with words or small actions like pats on her head.

“I’d be more fun if you just behaved” - He said it trying to seem irritated but he couldn’t hide the small smile pulling at his lips.

“And what good would that do me?” - Y/n said it playfully rolling her eyes to provoke him

“Maybe just try it and see hm?” - Yoongi’s voice seemed to drop multiple octaves when he said that and it did well to keep her quiet, her words dying on her tongue.

———————————————————————————

Jungkook eventually took Y/n home as she had a art piece to begin, their drop off went as usual, Y/n falls asleep in the car, Jungkook walks her to the door and when she’s inside he gets a kiss that made her even more embarrassed than usual as she remembered what had happened earlier that day and got shy under his amused gaze. Practically screaming into her pillow when he left, not fully processing the entire day until she was in her own room.

Not only had that happened with Hoseok and Jungkook but she had nested in their pack nesting room with consideration of each members potential preferences, her hybrid side trying to impress them, that alone had her screaming into her pillow again but this time at herself embarrassed at doing something so emotionally intimidate and suggestive when she wasn’t even in their pack. She also had no idea how they would even react, if they would ever mention it, what they would say.

Instead of thinking, Y/n threw herself into the shower and got on with the commission she was meaning to begin, refusing to even look at her phone after thanking Jungkook for a lovely day and a thank you for driving her there and back too. She refused to check for a response and anything else, putting her phone on silent and leaving it as a problem for future her, tomorrow Y/n.

In Bangtans pack home, Y/n’s scent lingered pleasantly strong in the living room and a little in the kitchen. It was strongest in the nesting room but, every room further than the communal living spaces (kitchen, living room ect) were smell proofed to keep scents in rooms, with the door closed no one had any idea what was waiting for them in the room, besides Hoseok who was too busy to have it at the front of his mind for a few hours.

Jimin got home shortly after Y/n left while Namjoon came last, Namjoon had a quite set out routine for straight after he would get back, to help his depart from a work mindset and relax. He’d get in, hang up his coat, greet everyone, shower, change and take 10 minutes or however long he needs to just stop and detach from his day and to refocus his mind before he would go out to everyone. It worked everytime, everyone knew his routine too so he went about it as usual but he’d had a particularly rough case that day so he wanted to spend his unwind time in the nesting room. He’d freshly showered, hair almost dripping still when he made his way to the nest room, not expecting the sweet strawberry scent that would hit him the moment he opened the door, so strong it would almost have him stumbling back. It wasn’t unpleasant, it was delicious to him actually but just unexpected and very strong.

Namjoon could feel a rumble start to grow in his chest as he walked in, from his hybrid observing and trying to understand what was and had happened. There was a perfect nest, heavily scented by Y/n with a little underlying scent of Hoseok and Jungkook, every edge seemed to have been touched up and perfected before she left, it was far from rushed. The pride in his chest was growing by the second when he realised she had made this nest for presentation, leaving it neat for them to find, an offering or perhaps a request. It was clear she had used it, along with the two boys but afterwards she had neatened it up for viewing, or perhaps use. In the middle of a room so full of their scents, filling it up with her happy scent it was like heaven, like he finally felt complete.

Namjoon didn’t even have to sit down in the nest to feel recharged and his stress dissipating as if it never existed, time seemed to disappear around him as 20 minutes passed by in what felt like only 1 or 2. He only moved from his frozen stance when Jin came looking for him, finding him in the room and being almost as stunned as he was by the view and smell inside, he had to take a good look around, almost analysing every little placement as he started to pick out things his pack members would take special liking too, and that he would take special liking too, just like Y/n had hoped. Even if he was more than happy and relaxed in the room he had to know some context, especially as the wolf hybrid in the room was standing with an almost puppy like look in his eyes as he scent beamed around him.

“Joonie, you okay?” - First of all Jin wanted to check up on his mate but when he made eye contact with him he could tell he was more than okay, warm and happy, then it was time to talk to Hoseok and Jungkook to find out what had happened, not that he was complaining.

Jin brought Namjoon back out into the living room but the sweet scent of the nesting room stuck to him and where everyone was regrouped in the living room, no one could resist bringing him close and sniffing, taking in the warmth in the scent mixed with his own. All while waiting for a flustered Jungkook and surprisingly calm Hoseok to explain. They kept it brief, not going into too much detail as not to give too much out and risk upsetting Y/n but Taehyung sat knowingly the entire time, while not being in the room, witnessing what had happened.

Every member who wasn’t aware of the events before (4 of them) were both extremely surprised and truthfully excited at the events, especially when Jin brought it back around to the topic of the nesting room, where everyone found themselves going. They seemed to form a half circle around the bed, staring for moments even if they had already seen it before Jimin couldn’t resist any longer and launched himself into the nest, happily making himself comfortable and making a noise closest to a purr, a vibrating rumble in his chest, his pupils dilated and he held onto parts of the nest tightly but made sure not to mess it up in any way. He was followed quickly by the rest of the members who found themselves having favourite aspects and spots of the nest.

It took a lot of convincing for them all to leave to get into pajamas, any thoughts of their day forgotten as they put on a movie that was barely being watched, each finding themselves far more interested in taking in the pretty best Y/n had made for them, taking every single moment they had to relax in it. Her scent was taken in hungrily by each of the members, happy and relaxed noises falling naturally from each of them, only wishing Y/n was really there in that moment. No one had to address the truth behind the nest, that it meant Y/n was putting forward her own feelings or atleast beginning too and each of them found themselves thinking of ways to court her, to show her how they felt back. She hadn’t just left a piece of clothing or a small gift in one or two of the members bedrooms or anything that would mean she only felt this way towards a few and not all of them, she had made them a nest, in their nesting room where each of their scents were present and they happily held onto that knowledge, that acceptance.

Jungkook couldn’t help but take out his phone, snapping a picture where you could see each and every one of his mates relaxing in the nest in various positions and hesitating for a second before captioning it “pretty nest” and sending it to Y/n with no other context. It was evident how happy they were, with Yoongi’s dopey smile behind his black hair that had been growing quite long recently, Jimins comfortable position on his front with one leg bent up, Taehyungs sleeping face resting on Namjoon’s thigh, Hoseok’s lazy position with his body slack against a pillow, Jin’s hands softly caressing the blankets and pillows she had used to make it and Namjoon’s head thrown back with that stunning smile. They finally felt complete.

All Y/n could do in response was throw her blushing face back into a pillow and screaming into it again, not even knowing how to reply other than “gym tmrw? 💖” as to change the subject but Kook could already see her reaction through the screen, smiling for hours before he happily drifted off.

———————————————————————————

Thank you so much for reading! I really hope you enjoyed this chapter and pls lmk your opinions! Asks are open for drabbles and character interviews ect for Strawberry Princess. I really enjoyed this outcome even if it is a bit all over the place in terms of plot but next we will have some focus on members who haven’t had as many scenes!

ཐི♡ཋྀ

———————————————————————————

taglist -

@m00njinnie @singukieee @maisyyyyyy @noortsshift @bunnybears-stuff @autherpj @simeonswif3 @kiki-zb @msrmimi

[the-firebird69]

You should see my husband's face I can kinda see it and he is looking at it and he's saying ohh that looks familiar and it's from Disney World no Disneyland that's where it was.

Hera

hahaha and are married can you tell lol he sys it and code and due to kansas and yes her stuff lol man o man he is doomedd

mac daddy

ahead i am

aways

Hera

It's a very cool front end and he wants to have the going and we agree and he wants to have the rear end like the middle of the Ferrari or the Australian supercar and not that long in the back and he doesn't like it longer than it is it might have to be a little bit yeah a little bit but not much really you have to bring the front end forwards a little the rear is OK and he likes the rear design it needs a cowl on the bottom of course but we we think it's not bad it needs some work and it needs to be modernized of course but it's very fast and it came from Disney World no it came from Disneyland and it is the design of Mary and he made one that's different and that's JC but he drove in her car and she's kind of violent towards him and no mercy but really a lot of it is derived from the max. But our son is going to redesign with help it's going to be a two seater mid engine pretty much the same shape you don't have to change much There'll be the same size but the rims need to be larger the front end has to come forward a little it's kind of a tough fix The rear has to be pushed out like the cena as the front does too about an inch and a half or two inches and the rear is about 4 inches at the wheel and the front needs an accent cowl I need air intake of his design and it has a tunnel and you need an outtake out the rear and it's supposed to travel near the exhaust Outlet and it'll heat up a little and it will suck cold air into the engine compartment while the engine is idling The rear middle would have two sides like on the Ferrari of Magnum PI And you'd have a smaller viewing window the whole thing would not be window with a louver that matches the shapes on the middle and those are not breathable they're there to cool the metal of course the gunnel will be straight.a nd with gull wing doors that dont split the roof are in only four inches. teh front end shape is near perfect. and shorter no but move forwards andyes. and ony four inches. and the engine will fit. it needs to have accents that are modern. not much. a new emblem. yes nope same old one smaller to be tactful. a new inteior and bg has it already. and he is pleased. all lightwight. full cage and enclosure. all safety for the speed. colors hahaha. The colors are a trick the way it is is they or me to be the same colors as the racetrack. Yeah the toy. But you can use two tone and really he set the pace again use these colors and Bugatti picked it up and some others it's from a Raceway Entertainment ride at Disneyland and Jay Leno didn't believe it and he looked and said wow these people are insane. Our son had a great time he was shocked at first how scary it was he got ahold of himself and he's driving and driving and concentrating then he's having a good time is testing it and almost tried to break out again. So here we go he said you can have the colors like the original and you could do like a two tone and some of the super cars have it they have like an accent of black on things when it's yellow and to keep the label like the same size and it would really really really look good The lights are an issue hideaway lights are hard to do and they get stuck a lot

It looks like there's two sets of lights because there are but he wants you he wants to put only the one in the front and he wants to have the square one not the round one round one makes it look small and high and low beam and it's better down front and this front end doesn't look bad but it still got the toy effect. We're gonna go ahead and try and get a design of ours and it says the sun has one it just doesn't have the knockdown frame and knock down enclosure and knock down cage. But we should probably look at the body style and he's trying to get it over I think I've seen it so we're gonna take a look at that and it's gonna be nice. We will probably make a version with the full frame and motor and a kit for the Volkswagen but we want to have the frame and motor and enclosure in cage kit for the contest and you don't have to do this car it's just AC1 at about 90 inch wheelbase and there's some other parameters that we're going to meet but it's going to be a wide body and it's going to look intense. Now BG is building them and they cost a lot because it's a lot of work it's renovation really the cost on this car will be very low I would be surprised if it was $15,000 assembled and we have estimates already for 8 to 9 thousand dollars for the whole kit and we have an estimate for top speed 200 to 80 miles an hour and that is whith the base gas motor and base transmission. tons like it really fast and cheap. and online and the way it should be. fibg reinforced carbon and some plastic. fun colors ok

Thor Freya

Olympus

Zues Hera

we do this now

savage oppress

[yvtro]

also, in light of your writing on bruce and his secret identity vs jason not having a civilian identity, what do you think would change? i think it's an exellent point but i'm not sure there's more in it beyond he'll understand that split better? i mean personally i'm not sure how to interpret the way bruce uses this v much at all. like, beyond logistics. idk how bruce wayne processes this and how jay would, if you catch my meaning.

this is a really good question, and tbh i'm not sure of the answer myself? (and yet i went on to write a literal essay)

the thing is, i sympathise with jason on this a lot. there's no actual objective line between bruce wayne and batman. the way bruce compartmentalizes his identity is rather hazy, and esp in relation to people who know both of his identities it seems to be internal (and a coping mechanism) rather than anything else. there's certainly an element of wanting to remain true to civilian life in order to stay close to people (btw this is something that got severely distorted with the rise of popularity of an over exaggerated brucie persona) and avoid becoming an authoritarian figure (something that jason actually does... interesting). but as i said, with people he trusts (including his kids) he doesn't make this separation clear.

so there's no clear conceptualising of bruce's thinking that could make jason go: oh, that makes sense actually. valid. don't kill the joker then. but to twist your question a bit, i think what jason would need in order to actually reconcile with bruce is not even understanding how bruce divides all of this (because once again, it's arbitrary and of use only for himself), but rather:

- be clear with bruce on the fact that bruce is his dad no matter in cowl or not and that jason is his son both in mask and without it,

- (hey it's fascinating how it's possible for bruce to stay in denial and detach himself from jason's demands and desperation in utrh because jason is in mask too. do you think it would go like that if jay went through with his whole plan without a red hood? using his actual name? a dead son of bruce wayne coming back to gotham, going on a murder spree and establishing a crime empire. now that would be something that would actually disrupt bruce's flow. if jason recognised what the whole problem was about, and if he thought that he wanted bruce as his dad and not batman, i think he would do it this way.) (sorry for the random tangent.)

- but also appreciate that parenthood is not bruce's only role in life. this has to do with what was pointed out in the tags of my post; children tend to perceive their parents through their responsibility towards them. growing up, you realise that your parents are also normal people, and that while they are responsible for you, their failure to meet your needs does not always come from some place of neglect or malice. they're just flawed human beings. jay didn't have an opportunity to go through normal healthy emotional development, so he idealises bruce's role in his life (as kids tend to do) and all bruce's decisions extremely personally. so, tldr: you have to agree that batman is jay's dad, sure, but batman has other stuff going on for him than being a dad. only children can be as naive as to believe that their dad can (and should) abandon everything for their sake. and well, i'm not saying that jason's demand is completely confused: you would imagine that any father in power to protect their children would do so; and if batman can't do it, then maybe he shouldn't be a father. (fair and square. vigilantes don't make for the best parents because the world will usually come first) but most adults learn to compromise and sympathise with their parents more, and accept that they're not perfect. even if they love you unconditionally, they will not do everything and anything for you.

this will sound incredibly boring (and frankly speaking, is; there's no big resolution or anything) but i think if jason were in a better place and had time to mature more emotionally, he would eventually come to this conclusion. i know that lots of people say they hate scenarios in which he just gives up on his grievances to "play a happy family," but, isn't that how life goes? does it have to be "playing" a happy family if you simply learn to let go of something? personally i definitely wouldn't like it to happen abruptly, and as quickly as it usually does in fanfics, but i'd say realistically jason would either come to this realisation as years go by (and he's not 18 and scared out of his mind anymore) or he would decide that vigilantes with moral codes simply make for shitty fathers as a rule and give up. alternatively he remains resentful but in bruce's vicinity forever.

i don't know, does it make sense? this is all pretty much thinking out loud, let me know what you think.

[lemonlushff-iy]

Do you want to play a game?

You do? Good.

You know how these games work if you’ve ever seen one of Clearwillow’s...but game rules are HERE since it’s slightly different! I hope this is fun for people...that was my goal! And I hope you catch the “Easter Eggs” in it. I’m curious how many people will find them all. 

I’ll post everything once it’s done on FFN and AO3, and you can catch what I’m doing for @clearwillow‘s game early on my Patreon HERE! (It might be more smut...It might be fluff. WHO KNOWS! It will be OLR related...and it will go up as soon as it’s finished!)

Special thanks to @underwater0phelia​ for kink help and @clearwillow​ for additional edits...and the IYFF BC for brainstorming! Art by @clearwillow​ for @eringobroke​ - used and edited with permission. 

And now without further ado... The first treat (aka, the “freebie”).

Starting Fires

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from the Inuyasha universe.

"Inuyasha, stop," Kagome giggled, trying to wriggle out of his hold as he pressed wet kisses up her neck. "I don't want to burn your bacon…"

"It's just bacon," he reasoned, his hands sliding up under her shirt. Or should he say his shirt? Fuck...there wasn't a better sight in the world than his best friend...his best girl...Kagome...Wearing his shirt in their kitchen in their house. Now that he had her again, he weren't never letting go of her. "I don't mind eating something else for breakfast."

"You will when your stomach is rumbling later," she blushed, grabbing his hands and pulling them down, his fingers grazing over the lace fabric of her panties. "Behave yourself and go grab a cup of coffee."

"I'd rather grab your—"

"—Coffee!"

She reprimanded, flipping the bacon in the pan. He placed a gentle nip to the side of her neck before moving away from her, a disappointed pout on his lips.

"Fine. But let it be known that I'm doing it under protest," he grumbled, moving to his cabinet to pull out a mug.

"Your protest has been duly noted, Sir," she teased, turning away from the stove to pick up her own cup of coffee. She brought it to her lips, sipping from it as she watched Inuyasha pour himself some. Their life together felt so surreal still. It felt strange to wake up in their house and cook them breakfast.

But it was a good kind of surreal.

The kind where she found herself pinching her arm to make sure it wasn't all some crazy dream. This was their life. And...she loved it.

"Mmm," he moaned, taking a sip from his cup. "As good as ever, Kags," he grinned toothily, and she risked entering his personal space to press another kiss to his lips.

"Glad you like it," she replied, running away from him again when he moved to squeeze her ass. She removed their bacon and eggs from the pan as a text message chimed on both of their phones, and Inuyasha raised a brow in curiosity. She watched him slide his thumb across the screen, before muttering out a low "Huh" as he read the text.

"What is it?" she asked, picking up their plates and placing them onto the island.

"See for yourself," he shrugged, placing the phone down next to her plate. "It's from Sango."

That already piqued her curiosity. Kagome picked up the phone, leaning over the countertop as she read it.

"Hey Guys!" She began aloud. "Miroku and I decided to throw a Halloween party this year. We know it's a bit last minute, but we were hoping you guys could come since you aren't heading back out to California like you thought. Let us know if you can make it! Trying to plan in terms of food. Love you!"

"Love you too," he grinned, and she couldn't stop the shy smile even if she wanted to. She didn't think she would ever get tired of hearing that again from him. The words were like a balm to her soul.

"What do you think?" Kagome asked, handing him his phone back as he began digging his fork into his eggs.

"Up to you," he shrugged. He really didn't care either way. He was just glad he didn't have to go out to California with her. Though, to tell the truth, he wouldn't have minded. They could have had a night in...just the two of them...And he was always a fan of nights in with her. But..."We can go. I know you wanna…"

It was true too. He had seen the way her eyes lit up when she was reading that message. The way she was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet. Kagome didn't want to spend the night in. She wanted to spend her first Halloween back in Montana at a party with old friends.

"But...You...Don't?"

He shrugged.

"Don't matter either way. I'm fine going. I'm fine staying home and fucking ya seven ways from Sunday."

"Yash!"

"What! It's tha truth," he replied with a smirk. "And you can't tell me ya don't like the sound of it," he continued, running his tongue over his fangs. The cute little blush he pulled from her was worth it.

"Well...How about a compromise?"

He paused, lifting his brow in curiosity.

"Go on…"

"What if we went to the party...Just for an hour or two...and then afterward we can come home and have sex? Oh! We can even wear couple's costumes again!"

The phrase couples costume made his butt clench so tight he could probably twist off a beer cap with his cheeks.

"I'll agree to go to the party...but not the couple's costume."

"But Yash," she whined, coming around the island to take his hands. "That's part of the fun…"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"I'll wear something slutty?"

"N—" He began, ready to tell her no again when his brain processed her offer. "Keep talking."

"I'll wear something slutty and sexy?"

"...Uh-huh...And what else?"

"...And you get to take it off of me?"

He almost said yes...but he was a greedy fucker. He was probably gonna take it off of her even if she hadn't offered that.

"Do I get to do more than that?"

"You mean other than wear a matching outfit?"

"I do."

"Well," she began, tilting her head to the side and pursing her lips in thought. "I'm assuming that sex is a given…"

"But you can say it anyway, and make it interesting," he shrugged. If he was going to get roped into this...because he was going to say yes, because he loved her...then he wanted to squeeze as much as he could out of this.

"Ok...If you do it, sex is on the table...and I'll also add you picking the place and position," she decided, causing his eyes to light up.

Place and position huh?

"Well...In that case Darling, you've got yourself a deal!"

Her childlike squeal and the way she giddily clapped her hands, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet, made him feel like he made the right decision.

"Now let's talk costumes…"

He groaned, shaking his head and digging his fork into the eggs on his plate.

Then again...Maybe not…

He let her prattle on for a while, running different ideas past him...But he knew that it ultimately wouldn't matter. He was going to give in to whatever she wanted. If she wanted him to go as a hot dog, and she was going to be a bottle of mustard? That was what was going to happen. Wasn't sure how she could make it sexy...but sure. Her call. Prince and Princess? No fighting it. Batman and Catwoman…

It had piqued his interest, but she almost instantly changed her mind. The cowl would be uncomfortable for his ears.

So, she decided on a fireman and a dalmatian. He looked over at her phone when she held up a picture of the costume she had found for him and sighed.

"That's what you want?"

It didn't look too bad. And it looked like he could maybe get away with just wearing the pants. He was going to have to be sneaky about it though...He could do just a t-shirt and those pants.

"Please?" she beseeched, batting her long lashes at him. "It will be so cute! And you'll look so good!"

He tilted his head to the side, and she chewed the inside of his lip as she watched him roll her suggestion around in his head. She really liked the fireman outfit. She thought it would be fun! And he would look good in it too...She could already picture him slowly taking off the jacket to reveal his bare torso...the suspenders holding up his pants hanging limply at the sides as he slowly peeled himself out of—

"—What are you thinking about Kagome?"

She looked up at his face and saw him looking at her, a smirk stretching his lips as he limply held the phone, leaning down across the island.

"N-nothing," she blushed, swiping out to grab the phone from him, but he pulled it away from her at the last second.

"Nu-uh. I can smell it when you're lying…and I can smell it when you're—"

"—NOTHING!"

She insisted, grabbing the phone from him this time, and his grin turned predatory.

"Ain't nothing, or you wouldn't be smelling like that," he countered cheekily before his gaze began to darken. "Ya know...You don't have to keep that bottled up…"

"Inuyasha," she warned as he straightened, running his carefully filed and declawed fingers along the island countertop as he slowly came around to her side.

He was ignoring her, however.

"Kagome," he replied, closing in on her in just a few short strides. "Were you thinking about me in that fireman outfit?"

Sometimes she swore he could read her mind.

"N-no…"

"Liar," he purred, placing his hands onto the granite top on either side of her hips. He had effectively trapped her...and he was looking at her like prey.

It made her swallow because her mouth was suddenly dry. And made her lower abdomen heat. The intensity and desire in his gaze...the slight glint of fang in the morning light…

Fucking hell...She wanted to be his prey. Wanted to be captured and eaten and...eaten…

He inhaled deeply, his eyes rolling to the back of his head as he lowly moaned, "Fuck Kags…"

"W-what," she swallowed, and his smirk widened into a fangy grin before his lips crashed into hers.

AN:

I WILL ONLY DO THIS WALL OF TAGS ONCE! All future treats will be completely hidden under cuts so I don’t spam everyone’s timeline with in your face kink!

@clearwillow, @keichanz, @dangerouspompadour, @nartista, @kaze-ranna, @superpixie42, @sticky-llama-perfection, @pinkpigeonstudio, @mcornilliac, @itzatakahashi, @zelink-inukag, @juliatheanimelover7, @i-dream-of-soup, @smmahamazing, @the-lucky-ones311, @cyncyn981, @animemomma96, @ayari17, @underwater0phelia, @sailorbabydoll92, @l-taisho29, @animelove1313, @littlemissinukag​, @gofoulpuppycollector, @umacaking, @chanin29​,  @willowandfog​, @lebiishoujo​, @theinuyashareader​, @bluejay785​, @irrationalandimpossible​, @cstorm86​, @ruddcatha​, @desiree239​, @littledaisy91​, @liz8080​, @cannibalsforbreakfast​, @horriblehowl​, @arcprz​, @daisy-st-pati3nce​, @senneth-pendra​, @nsr0716​, @eringobroke​, @kagometaishostory​, @thisshipisbananahs​, @sunsetskys​, @ajoy3fanfics​, @sangoslays​, @v0dka-cat​, @cloudsz04​, @lavendertwilight89​, @yurawiththegoodhair​, @saturnsilence​, @lavaffair​, @blairex​, @fawn-eyed-girl​, @fandomobsessions016​, @neutronstarchild​, @preciouslyours​, @kalsies​, @shnuggletea​, @ladyphoenix0711​, @littlestuffstohide​

See you at 500 notes!!

[thevindicativevordan]

Why isn't Nightwing a bigger deal? He has all of Batman's skills and Superman's faith in humanity and is arguably the most beloved hero in the DCU, but most people seem to know him either as the leader of the N̶o̶t̶ ̶J̶L̶ Teen Ttians or just Robin.

Thank you for asking me about Nightwing, I've been wanting to write a piece about him for a while now. The short version is that everyone who claims Dick becoming Nightwing was him "moving out of Batman's shadow and becoming his own man" is completely wrong.

Dick Grayson is a fantastic character, someone who saved Bruce Wayne in-universe both by forcing Batman to grow up a bit, and the countless times he saved Batman's life as his partner whether as Robin or Nightwing. Dick saved Batman in the real world as well, hard to believe but Batman was actually in danger of being cancelled due to poor sales early on. Enter Robin, a young daredevil audience stand in the creators hoped would get kids interested in reading Batman. And it worked! Sales on Batman doubled once Robin showed up which is crazy to think about, but Dick Grayson has always been a popular character. Cartoons like Teen Titans, Batman: The Animated Series, and The Batman only helped grow his audience.

Character-wise, Dick Grayson really does fill a number of crucial roles in the DCU. For Batman, Dick is proof that Batman is a positive force. Meeting Batman helped change Dick for the better, helped him heal after his parents died. With Dick, Batman can take comfort in knowing that yes, he has made a difference in the world for at least one orphan boy, which is all he wanted when he lost his parents himself. To the wider DCU, Dick is a friendly face who convinces others that Batman is competent and not a complete asshole. He took this kid in, trained him to be one of the best heroes the DCU has seen, and did it all out of the kindness of his heart. That someone like Dick can confront the evils of Gotham and not break means there's still hope for that city. As Robin, Dick has led the Titans and is an icon in his own right as The Sidekick, the original, the one every other Robin is built around copying or contrasting. The one all other superhero sidekicks are drawing on as a basis. As Robin Dick Grayson is very much on Batman's level.

Just not as Nightwing. As Nightwing, Dick has been a second rate Daredevil which means he's a third rate Batman (fully prepared to get hate for this but I've read and enjoyed the Miller and Bendis DD runs so I feel entitled to my opinion). A typical Nightwing run tends to go like this: Moving to Bludhaven (which is Gotham... but WORSE!), Dick Grayson usually enrolls in a pointless job we don't care about in order to provide some meaningless soap opera drama that doesn't go anywhere. Patrolling the city as Nightwing, he fights a variety of bad guys who are usually rather lame and unthreatening, with his big bad being a Kingpin knockoff called Blockbuster. Villains are fought, long running plotlines are set up, then everything is abandoned because it's Batfamily event time, and Dick has to run back to Gotham in order to play sidekick again. Usually his involvement is completely superfluous and it would've been better if the writer had gotten to opt out. By the time we finally get back to Nightwing's solo plotlines, the audience has usually ceased to care and the run gets cut short.

That's how Nightwing has been since the New 52 at least. Anyone who thinks that's "becoming their own man" is out of their mind. Dick is so thoroughly in Batman's shadow that he got shot in the head and spent a longer time as "Ric" which everyone fucking hated and sold like shit, than he did as Agent Grayson which was extremely well-received. Reiterating: Ric went on longer than Grayson because of a fucking Batman plotpoint Tom King wanted where Bruce was sad and cut off from the Batfamily because of Dick getting shot. Not just calling out King either, how many times was Kyle Higgins Nightwing run derailed because of Scott Snyder's crossovers? Or how about that entire run getting dumped to the side because Johns wanted to out Dick during Forever Evil, a Justice League/Lex Luthor story? DC has repeatedly made their contempt for Nightwing clear, he's Batman's sidekick still in their eyes, and he serves whatever story role the Batman writer wants.

Hell his best stories tend to have been the ones where he's not Nightwing. He was Robin in a good chunk of the Wolfman/Perez New Teen Titans run. Morrison really showcased his depth as a character when they wrote him as Batman, their time with Dick under the cowl was actually one of the first Batman runs I ever read, and no Nightwing run has ever matched it in terms of quality in my humble opinion. Scott Snyder's work with DickBats also was a high point for the character, showing Dick as competent and examining his relationship with Gotham and the Gordons. King and Seeley gave him one of the best comic runs with Grayson, a series where he wasn't even a "superhero" technically! When it comes to actual pre-New 52 Nightwing runs that are highly recommended where he *is* Nightwing, there's Chuck Dixon and uhhhhhhh... Tomasi's brief run before Dick became Batman? It's not exactly an overwhelming list.

Look there has been good work done with Nightwing, I'm not claiming there hasn't been. Tim Seeley wrote a great run with Nightwing Rebirth. Seeley fleshed out Dick's Rogues Gallery with cool new ones like Raptor, he brought back old foes like Dr. Hurt (why oh why couldn't you have brought back Flamingo too?), he gave Dick's world some character it solely needed. Bludhaven under Seeley is pretty much the only time I've really felt like it lived up to being Dick's city.

The problem with fictional cities is you have to put in the work to give them the character of real cities. You have to make the cities feel like characters in their own right. Gotham is the best example of this, it's a character all it's own, one that tells you a lot about Batman and his cast. In contrast Bludhaven is usually one of the worst. Any place that wants to claim to be worse than the city that is built over the gate to hell and gets wrecked every other month by the Arkham freaks has to really put in the work to compete. Simply put, Bludhaven typically fails utterly. There's nothing about it that makes you really buy it's worse than Gotham, I mean does anyone really think Nightwing's Rogues wouldn't get their lunches eaten by Batman's? No, no one genuinely buys that. When Bludhaven claims to be worse, it just comes across as tryhard, an attribute that does end up telling you about Nightwing in unintentional ways.

So Seeley didn't do that. Instead he created a city built for a hero like Dick Grayson. Someone who is bright and flashy, but does have an element of darkness to him. Someone who loves the spotlight, but often uses it to obscure. Seeley turned Bludhaven into Las Vegas, and that was the fucking best concept for Bludhaven I have ever seen, it makes so much sense. Las Vegas is the "Entertainment Capital of the World" and isn't that the perfect city for a hero who got their start working in the circus? Isn't the aesthetics of the gleaming casinos, the glamorous sex appeal of the performers, and the spectacle of the shows, all being used to cover up the seediness of mob bosses meeting backstage perfect for Nightwing? It's so utterly unlike New York City, yet Las Vegas is still dangerous, it's got a crime culture all it's own. Seeley used it to great effect, as did Humphries during his brief run, and I will always be pissed that DC didn't continue to use it. That should have stuck around and been the definitive look for Bludhaven.

How Seeley's take on Bludhaven was treated feels like a small scale version of how Nightwing in general gets treated. Whenever creators pitched ideas for him, if editorial thought there was potential to break big, they asked for those ideas to be repurposed for Batman instead. Anything big or good gets repurposed for Batman or tossed to the side so Nightwing can go back to his default: having irrelevant adventures in a city that is supposedly worse than Gotham but can't live up to it. Just like how Nightwing is supposedly better than Batman but never gets to show it. Goddamn it's so frustrating seeing his potential get wasted like that.

The Nightwing book should be one of DC's most ambitious books in terms of storytelling. You can go from traditional superhero stories, to romantic soap opera, to spy stories, to crime noir, to horror, to cosmic adventures, and ALL of them would fit because Nightwing is someone who has a foot in both Gotham and Metropolis. He's got friends everywhere on every team, and has been a hero longer than most Leaguers have at this point. No reason DC should still be afraid to let him loose and insisting on hewing close to what Dixon established almost over 30 years ago is only holding him back. At the very least get him some better Rogues, why the hell didn't he get to keep Professor Pyg? That's Dick's villain not Bruce's! Bullshit that they didn't let Dick keep him. Hopefully Flamingo comes back, with a slight revamp I think he'd make a great reoccurring Nightwing Rogue.

Luckily it does look somewhat like Nightwing fans have reason to be optimistic. While Taylor isn't to my taste, DC clearly views him as a "big" writer, and that they put him on Nightwing says a lot. Taylor has been selling well so far, so hopefully he gets to tell his story, hilarious that even he lampshaded having to write Dick running over to Gotham for another tie-in after Taylor's big opening arc was all about Dick committing himself and his money to Bludhaven. Scott Snyder is apparently working on a Black Label Nightwing book which will explore how he's a different detective than Bruce. The Gotham Knights video game has him as one of the main stars, and while Titans is... controversial, it's one of the most popular streaming shows and Dick is the main character. There's a lot of content coming that features him in the starring role, and that will only help his star rise further.

For the first time in, well, ever it feels like DC may be serious about elevating him. Time will tell if it pays off, but I for one choose to be optimistic that the 2020s will be a turning point for Dick Grayson where Nightwing becomes hugely popular in his own right. Not just as Batman's sidekick.

[stxleslyds]

Also, the writers' failure to understand, every crime Jason committed had a motive. Attack other criminals? Holy warrior destined to purify the world of evil. Attack Bruce? Joker's still alive. (Oh, Jason, it's much worse than that.) Attack Tim? A parody of what he once was. He wasn't just a "bad boy". He was dangerously insane.

Hi, Anon! Yup, there seems to be a lot of things that writers have gotten confused about Jason Todd/Red Hood and the biggest one is his motivations to kill certain criminals.

Let’s be honest, Judd Winick set a golden path for the upcoming Red Hood writers. But each and every writer that used Red Hood in their stories completely missed the point of Jason’s character. All of them. It’s so incredibly wild to me that every other writer read UtRH and came up with whichever version of Jason they came up with.

Let’s list the writers that completely missed the point.

Geoff Johns in Teen Titans vol.3 #29.

Geoff Johns was one of the first to completely mischaracterize Jason, why on earth would Jason go to the Titans Tower to beat up Tim? This is not me saying that Jason would never do that because Jason thinks of Tim as his brother or a friend or the person that he can trust the most from the Bat-Clan (can you believe Lobdell tried to sell us that one?), this is me saying that Jason wouldn’t have done that because he couldn’t have given less of a fuck about Tim’s existence.

When Jason found out that Bruce had another Robin he wasn’t bothered by his “replacement” he was mad at Bruce for having another child playing hero after he lost his life as a fifteen-year-old. Jason didn’t even think of Tim as his replacement as fandom likes to make us believe, Jason called Tim “pretender”. And that was that, but to go from minimal recognition to go out of his way to beat him up at Titans Tower is a massive mischaracterization.

Paul Dini in Countdown (to Final Crisis).

Paul Dini in Countdown did absolutely nothing with Jason, I am sorry but that’s all he did. Him writing Jason was like watching a dog trying to catch their own tail. He started with a pretty basic take on UtRH Jason, then he added a bit of Jason being an annoying man with Donna, then we had the jealousy arc because apparently, Jason had the hots for Donna but she didn’t want anything to do with him and he was all angsty when she paid attention to Kyle instead of him, and then, later on, he had that whole Red Robin bullshit (I am sorry about this, but I absolutely hated that, it was so dumb, I am so glad it didn’t last long because it was just too bad), and after all that mix of just not interesting stuff he went right back to the Jason that he had at the very start. It was a waste of time, but I guess that he had to be there because he was an anomaly and all that. I just think that was DC’s first try at making Jason Todd/Red Hood something more than just a street-level vigilante and they failed miserably.

Tony S. Daniel in Batman: Battle for the Cowl.

Even though the first two did make mistakes with Jason’s characterizations, this man was the first to just throw UtRH out of the window and make up his very own version of Jason Todd. And his version was horrendous, that Jason had no problem with attempting to kill children and innocent people, he also really wanted to be Batman because Gotham needed a Batman and he wanted to be the person to wear the Cowl and he was looking for a Robin for himself.

I know, the whole concept is the perfect opposite of what Jason Todd and Red Hood were in UtRH. Every aspect of BftC Jason is based on nothing.

Jason wanting to be Batman because Gotham needed Batman is just the beginning of what’s wrong in this book. Jason became the Red Hood (in part) because he believed that Batman and his ways weren’t what Gotham needed so he made a better version of Batman with Red Hood (according to him) because Red Hood did what Batman refused to do. Another thing that is just wrong is Jason wanting, Damian, Tim or Dick to be his Robin, there is just so much wrong with this, first of all, Jason wanted Batman to stop having Robin because child soldiers ran the risk of dying at a very young age and that’s exactly how he saw the whole thing because that was what had happened to him. Second, if Jason was mad at Bruce for getting another Robin why would he now want one of his own to team up with his Batman? Damian was a child, Tim was someone that apparently Jason hated (because Jason beating Tim was mentioned in this event), and then Jason actually asked Dick Grayson, Nightwing, to be his Robin? Listen, there is no way that was Jason, nothing about him makes sense, even taking into account that Jason had beaten Tim already in this event Jason actually tried to kill both Tim and Damian (it might have been just one of them but yeah, it still doesn’t make sense).

I just don’t think that Tony S. Daniel knew who Jason Todd was, maybe he got confused but the thing is, his “villainous” and deranged version of Jason Todd allowed a villainous and deranged version of Red Hood to happen with the next writer that I will be talking about.

Grant Morrison in Batman and Robin vol.1 #3-6.

This was the birth of the villainous, deranged and bloodthirsty Red Hood. There is absolutely no trace of UtRH Jason here, not even if we are looking at the opposite of things like we could do with Daniel’s Jason. Grant Morrison wanted Dick and Damian to have a villain to match their Batman and Robin and they decided to give us a red-haired-pill-headed-red hood. Everything from Morrison’s characterization of Jason is crazy, from the red hair (hello pre-crisis) to the awful Joker’s Red Hood looking suit, everything was just weird.

I still don’t believe that was Jason, to be honest, I would rather think that version of Jason was actually a rouge Skrull that came all the way from the Marvel Universe and lost his way in Gotham City. Maybe when he made the jump between universes, he got too much information and got confused and took the form of the wonkiest Jason Todd he could come up with.

This Jason was absolutely deranged, he knew exactly what he was doing and he didn’t care if innocents died. This Jason was the one that got locked up in Arkham. This is the Jason that Dick put in Arkham for Jason and everybody else’s safety.

Dick putting that Jason in Arkham wasn’t a bad thing or something that anyone can use to shit on Dick Grayson (not on this house). This Arkham was reformed and that Jason knew that if he stayed in that new Arkham he would stay away from trouble, but here is the thing, that Jason loved trouble, so he took all the tests to prove he wasn’t insane and asked to be transferred to Blackgate (where all the Red Hood’s enemies were). That Jason didn’t ask to be sent to Blackgate because the Joker was a cell away from his in Arkham, he did it so he could go on a killing spree in Blackgate (which he did when he got there).

Skrull Jason was just bloodthirsty and nothing like UtRH Jason, he had no motive other than just killing for fun or whatever. He didn’t want to protect Gotham and he couldn’t have cared less about the drug trade in Gotham. In Batman and Robin vol.1. Jason Todd was unrecognizable. And luckily, we never saw him again.

Scott Lobdell in Everything that he ever wrote about Red Hood.

This one is pretty self-explanatory. Lobdell was the king of overpowering Jason, he was the one that drove Red Hood farther and farther away from his street-level vigilante status. He continuously added more to him, he was a big deal because he was meant to take down Ra’s al Ghul, he was a big deal because he was the only human to train in the All-Castle and learned to summon the All-Blades.

This Red Hood’s morals and ideals were kind of gone, there just wasn’t any kind of interest in Jason to get rid of drugs or try to control its trade in Gotham, he just had no interest in street-level threats, everything was extraordinary in both New 52 and Rebirth. If he wasn’t in space he was in some mystical land. His friends and allies became even more and more powerful, his level of power was completely off compared to the others. His personality was ever-changing and quite honestly you could barely see the Jason that he once was.

This Jason also was very inconsistent in the way that he felt towards people (obviously because Lobdell is a shitty writer), he wanted to follow Batman’s rules and was shown as someone that still had fond memories of his life with Bruce before he died but was also willing to let those memories go, to move on? Maybe? I don’t know. But he changed his mind about Bruce and following his rules or not for a very long time. Jason was also a little bitch about Dick, and he was a little bitch because he (Lobdell) never gave the reader or anyone a concrete reason as to why he hated him so much and then in Rebirth he decided that Dick wasn’t that bad. Also, Jason went from “Willis Todd, abusive husband and father that deserved to die” to “Willis Todd abusive husband and father but he sent me letters when he was in prison and Penguin had him killed so now, I really want to avenge him”. Yeah, I don’t really know why that happened and like most of Lobdell’s arcs and stuff it was never really completed or well thought out.

Lobdell’s Jason characterization was a mess for ten years and that’s the prime reason why Jason is a character with no solid background, story or future.

James Tynion IV in Red Hood and the Outlaws.

Tynion’s Jason Todd was a hero, he was like a mini Tom King Batman. Everything he did was right and there was just no way that you could bamboozle him. This Jason was able to hold to Blades that drained his soul as well as hosting the Untitled in his body (that were able to drain his soul too) and on top of all that he completed his journey of the Chosen One by making those ancient martial arts moves that he learned before he was Robin even though Talia hadn’t been able to master it yet.

Scott Snyder, Tim Seeley in Batman Eternal and Batman and Robin Eternal.

A mess, this was pure New 52 levels of bullshit and they all just wanted to push the “Batfamily” and while Dick was gone, they were trying to make Jason fill the void that Dick left in Batman events. It didn’t work at all and all they did was mess around with Jason’s characterization more.

Geoff Johns in Three Jokers.

I have talked enough about Johns’ takes on Jason Todd and Red Hood, but let me tell you something real quick, if a writer thinks that the best they can do with a character is make them give up their morals/ideals for an unrequited love interest, then they can keep that idea for themselves. Geoff Johns wrote a book that was absolutely not needed and then proceeded to butcher every characterization that he could, Three Jokers was three issues long and he managed to add more trauma to Jason’s torture, push the narrative of Jason being at fault for his own murder and make Jason’s motivations to be the Red Hood weak enough to make him want to give up his work for a woman that he barely knows (and doesn’t like him at all).

Joshua Williamson in Future State: Red Hood and Robin #5.

Now, with Williamson I have issues only when he writes Jason, not because his stories are bad, don’t get me wrong, I would have completely enjoyed FS: Red Hood if it weren’t for the completely unnecessary Rose/Jason side plot he had going on. Jason was clearly working undercover for some people that he hated working with. He had to arrest or kill “masks” (vigilantes, just like he “used” to be) for the Magistrate.

His ideas were pretty solid, Jason did the job but he never killed the masks and actively didn’t trust the Magistrate but he was working there to tear them apart from within, and that’s amazing if Williamson had given us Jason Todd/Red Hood working undercover to dismantle an organization I would have been really happy.

But that’s not all he gave us, even if I just forget about his failed attempt at giving Jason a relationship, I can still see that Williamson is the kind of writer that wants (or is just following DC) to make the “Batfamily” happen no matter how dumb and out of place it looks in comics’ canon. So, I am a little bit weary, any writer that leans too much towards making Jason and Bruce work together and become a family makes me want to scream, but I do understand that is just me, many people want those two to be buddy-buddy, I, personally, would love to see Jason kick Bruce in the balls and tell him to lose his number.

Chip Zdarsky in Urban Legends: Cheer.

Ah, yes, I remember the days in which I thought that this could have been something good. Well, I was utterly wrong and I suffered all the way through this mini. I feel like now I can safely say that Zdarsky only wanted to write a Batman book but DC told him, “Hey you can write Batman but it has to be within a Red Hood story, but don’t worry, you don’t have to know much about the Hood guy, just come up with something and write Batman around that”.

I know that’s what happened because I read that story and all we got from it was horrible characterizations for pre-Robin Jason, Robin Jason, Jason Todd and Red Hood. I don’t know how he did it but yes, he managed to mess it all up.

From Jason not really wanting to be Robin and acting recklessly every step of the way, to secret desires of a perfect family with Bruce and so many other people that he couldn’t care about, Urban Legends: Cheer is the perfect book to avoid at all costs if you believe that the concept of “Batfamily” is the biggest lie, DC is trying to profit off this time around.

Zdarsky also nerfed Jason in ways that I thought DC only wanted to nerf Dick Grayson. But I was able to see that I was wrong. Zdarsky’s run also pushed some of the most disastrous narratives that DC really wants readers to believe like: Robin Jason wasn’t good at his job, he was too reckless and ultimately his death was his own fault. Yay! I want to cry!

I will give Zdarsky two points for at the very least showing that Red Hood wants to protect children and that he has a huge issue with how the drug trade is controlled and abused in Gotham City, it had been a while since we had seen that aspect of Jason’s Red Hood make an appearance.

-

It’s just too many writers completely missing the point of Red Hood’s character or simply writers agreeing to destroy Jason’s uniqueness in the DC Universe so DC (as the publisher) can further push the abomination that is the “Batfamily” in comics’ canon.

I do agree with you Anon when you say that Jason isn’t just a “bad boy” but I also don’t think that we can call UtRH Jason “dangerously insane”. Personally, I will only use that last description for BftC and Batman and Robin Jason, those two were dangerously insane indeed.

UtRH Jason was very meticulous in who he wanted dead and who got to live. He entered Gotham’s most dangerous world and he had to make a big entrance, he invited the eight most prosperous street dealers to a meeting, showed up with the decapitated heads of each of their right-hand men and an AK-47 and said:

“I am offering you a deal. I will be running the drug trade from now on. You will go about your business as usual. You will kick up forty percent to me. That is a much better deal than the Black Mask will give you. In return, you will have total protection from both the Black Mask and Batman. The catch? You stay away from kids and schoolyards. No dealing to children, got it? If you do, you’re dead.”

This was Red Hood! Red Hood wanted to control the drug trade in Gotham because he knew that Gotham is far too corrupt and filled with drug lords for him to just want to eradicate drugs from Gotham. If he had tried that he would have been a dumbass, but he wasn’t. He didn’t want to start a gang war and get innocent people killed because of it, he wanted to set the rules of his new Empire and he had to start with the street-level drug dealers, from there he grew until he became a major pain in Black Mask’s ass.

We went from Jason wanting to control the drug trade and take over Gotham’s underworld so people like Black mask couldn’t have people work for him (or being dependent on him) when they were still in high school or were in a vulnerable position, to Jason fighting a war for a mystic land because he was their “Chosen One”. DC really wanted to do something grand (yet boring) with Jason instead of sticking to a street-level vigilante that could have become a Drug Lord to control the drug trade of a city that is so filled with crime and corruption that it can’t be saved by anyone.

Batman doesn’t eradicate crime, he “controls” it, puts a blank it over it, lets it nap up until it wakes up once more to make more mess.

Red Hood had other plans, certain criminals didn’t get to nap, or, better said, they would get to nap forever.

So, no. I wouldn’t call that “dangerously insane”, I will call that “vigilante that believes himself judge, jury and executioner” of a city that is drowning in crime and corruption.

Anyway, I hope you have a really nice week Anon and thank you so much for sending me this ask!

[erosia-rhodes]

Review: Pleasantly surprised by The Batman

I did not expect to enjoy The Batman because the trailers made it look like a film that took itself way too seriously, and I was like, “Do we really need another Batman movie right now?” But just like I didn’t think we needed another Star Trek movie and then fell in love with the 2009 reboot, I found myself enjoying Matt Reeves’ film which somehow found a new take on a character that is older than rock n’ roll. It’s not perfect, but the things I liked far outnumbered the things I thought were dumb, so let’s break it down like that.

Things I loved

The original take that Bruce Wayne is a barely functional, emotionally stunted, human being who is unable to connect with others. This totally tracks when you think about it. You’d have to be seriously unwell to dress up as a bat and beat people up at night, right? He was probably forced to go to therapy as a kid and it just didn’t take, so now he does this instead. He’s so messed up that he’s incapable of creating a cover as an irresponsible playboy like he does in other films. This man isn’t just broken, he’s shattered! Some people have suggested he might even be a bit autistic. (The last time I remember seeing a new twist on an old character like this is when Matthew Macfadyen’s Darcy in the 2005 Pride and Prejudice wasn’t so much an arrogant guy, just an introvert with social anxiety who comes off that way.)

Batman is also more flawed than I recall him being in any other movie. He’s quick to judge, totally misreading the Selina/Falcone situation. He’s a bit of a prick to Alfred about the Wayne cufflinks and quickly feels shamed when he learns they were a gift from his dad. He crash lands in his bird suit. His car stalls out once before he gets it going. He’s kind of naive about how deep corruption goes in Gotham City. And he didn’t notice that criminals were embezzling from the Renewal fund that his own father set up. All these flaws make him feel like a real person (which can be hard when dealing with a guy who dresses up like a bat). This dude has a lot to learn and a lot of room to grow in any sequels which leaves the potential for a satisfying character arc.

Leaving the grease paint on Bruce's eyes works so well. It matches the emo vibe, but is also practical. I’m always a bit annoyed in other Batman films when the dark eye makeup magically disappears when he takes the cowl off.

I love that Bruce lives in the city instead of residing in the suburbs. If you’re going to police the city, you should live there, and not be a cop who lives 20 miles away and drives into town to lord over a community they’re not part of. It also makes logistical sense since it cuts down on his response time to emergencies.

They really nailed the Batman/Catwoman dynamic. Lots of unresolved sexual tension and mutual longing there. Lots of similarities in their characters, but differences that challenge and change each other. I also liked that it was a key part of the story and not just a side plot.

Catwoman in general was awesome. Good job, Zoë Kravitz!

The film didn't end in a big CGI battle. Refreshing! Take note, Marvel!

Things I liked

Wayne manor looks like the love child of a gothic cathedral and a McMansion. It’s bonkers, but I love it. It’s also a bit rundown and not well taken care of, just like Bruce.

Since he’s still in his early, low-tech years, I liked the DIY vibe Bruce had of running around the city in a hoodie and a backpack, even though I don’t think you could fit the bat suit in a backpack.

Felt right that most people weren’t all that impressed or scared by Batman. He’s still building his reputation at this point and taking on small-time criminals, so he’s mostly seen as a weirdo rather than a threat.

It was refreshing that the new mayor is a young, black, women instead of another white dude, which feels reminiscent of real people like Muriel Bowser of DC or Keisha Lance Bottoms in Atlanta.

There was good POC representation overall too with Zoë Kravitz and Jeffrey Wright cast in main roles.

So glad we didn't have to watch the Waynes get murdered again or Martha's pearl necklace break and scatter because they were too cheap to buy one that’s properly knotted, as Comic Book Girl 19 pointed out years ago.

It was nice to see Bruce’s parents be flawed as well, with Thomas accidentally getting a reporter killed and Martha dealing with mental health problems. They tend to come off as saints in the other films.

The introduction of a history of mental illness in Bruce's family was an interesting way of suggesting he might be a bit mentally ill too.

It was great that the cops kept commenting on the absurdity of letting a vigilante at a crime scene. It was classic “hanging a lantern,” but I appreciated it. 

There was a stripper pole at 44 Below but no gratuitous stripping scene! This was the most miraculous thing in this entire film!

Catwoman wears a chunky heel which is the most sensible heel to wear if you’re a superhero. It provides maximum stability while preserving flexibility of the sole, making it easier to walk in than a wedge heel. Jill Bearup has a great video about this topic.

The Riddler’s incel army that congregates in a hidden chat room felt like a modern problem that could actually happen.

Batman is referred to as the world’s greatest detective, so it was nice to see him do some detection here, even if the Penguin had to help him with the rat riddle and a random cop figured out what the carpet tool was.

The whole film noir vibe overall worked really well, and the visual look of the movie matched that tone.

Robert Pattison does have an amazing jaw line.

I like how understated John Turturro’s performance as Falcone was. He’s got this soft-spoken, kind uncle vibe to him, but you know he’d snap your neck in a heartbeat if he had to.

Overall, it was interesting to see a film focus 90% on Batman instead of Bruce Wayne, since this film seems to imply Batman is his “real” self, at least at this point in his life.

I liked that Selina has much higher emotional intelligence than Bruce. She's able to read people at the club and manipulate them in a way he seems incapable of. And I do think she was manipulating Bruce a bit when she kissed him on the roof since she needed him on her side. Oh, those femme fatales!

Things I’m ambivalent about

I don’t know how I feel about the prominent use of Nirvana in this movie. This might be because it makes me feel old.

Batman’s parents were murdered in 2001? Ok, I definitely feel old.

The Riddler basically got away with everything, right? He didn’t blow up Bruce Wayne, but he achieved all his other plans. His incel army let him down in the end, but that’s not really his fault. Getting arrested was one of his goals, so the fact that he’s locked up isn’t a triumph either. So, the villain sort of won?

It’s kind of weird that married couple Peter Sarsgaard and Maggie Gyllenhaal have both been blown up in Batman films.

Things I disliked

The opening was boring. Yeah, I know the Riddler’s voyeurism of the mayor’s mansion parallels Bruce spying on Selina later on, showing similarities in their characters, but I didn't know who he was spying on, so I wasn’t invested or interested it. Then we had to watch a boring political debate on TV until finally, finally, the Riddler appears and something interesting happens.

When Batman beats up the gang at the beginning of the film, it would have been nice if that had hooked into the main story in some way. It does a good job of establishing the character and showing that the people he saves are also scared of him, but it feels tangential to everything else. You could lift it right out and you’d still understand the plot of the film.

The voiceover of Bruce’s journal entries reminded me way too much of Rorschach from Watchmen, so it didn’t work for me at all. It also seems dumb to be documenting your crimes in such detail.

So, yeah, the first 12 minutes had me believing I was right to assume this would be a bad movie until we finally got into the main story and things turned around.

Jeffrey Wright’s voice is so distinct that I kept thinking of him as the Watcher from the Disney+ What If…? series, which was distracting, but not really anybody’s fault. (Shame on you, Jeffrey, for deservedly getting so much work!)

Colin Farrell was good, but why was he hired to play the Penguin? Fat people get less acting opportunities than thin people, so I would have preferred they hire an actual fat person instead of letting a thin person take that role.

I wish they’d been more clear about whether Selina was in a romantic relationship with Annika or not. The fact that they were living together and she called her “baby” suggests intimacy, but then Selina kissed Batman the day after she found Annika dead, which would be really tacky if they had been an item.

Some of the more absurd exits. Do people have to leap off buildings and slide down repelling lines all the time? Isn’t the elevator more sensible sometimes?

I could have done without all the Ave Maria. It’s kinda overused.

The movie is too long. They could have shaved some time off at the beginning and also near the end. Kill your darlings!

Things I hated

I typically love Michael Giacchino’s work, but the Batman theme sounds way too much like the Imperial March from Star Wars. Someone should have taken him aside and told him this was basically plagiarism. Every time it played, it took me out of the movie and broke my suspension of belief because I was looking around for Darth Vader to show up.

I have come to hate any scene in a movie or TV show where a character makes a big murder board with lots of photos and strings and pushpins and Post-Its. It’s old and tired and I don’t think people actually do this that much in real life. I get that it makes an interesting visual, but it just feels dumb. So, I am not a fan of Bruce Wayne spray painting the floor of his house as he puzzles things out. I know he’s eccentric and he’s at a particularly low point because Alfred was hurt, but what is the housekeeper going to think? Has she figured out he’s Batman and never said anything cause she’s so close to retirement?

No one is upset that Batman created a fiery wreck on the interstate that destroyed at least one semi truck and probably injured several people? It was totally reckless and if someone did that in real life, I would want them jailed. I’m sure the people on NextDoor Gotham City had something to say about that!

I ended up thinking about this movie way more than I ever thought I would. I generally love the world they’ve built here. I hope the sequel leans into the things that worked and away from what didn’t. I’d like to see Bruce start to build a public, philanthropic identity as a way to be a source of hope in the city, and not just vengeance, even though he’ll feel totally awkward and uncomfortable doing so. It’d also be nice to see Catwoman and Penguin show up again instead of wiping the board clean like they do in other films. It would make this feel like a lived-in world where people don’t just disappear because you’re rolling out a new plot.

And hey, the mayor’s son could be the new Robin! Seriously, this kid had the most traumatic week ever. First he finds his dad gruesomely murdered, then he’s almost run over at the funeral where a man explodes, and then he gets stuck at Gotham Square Garden during a mass shooter incident and flood. This kid is going to be so fucked up. I bet he lives in fear of duct tape and lying for years. All you have to do is kill off his mother and have Bruce adopt him since he already deeply empathizes with the kid.

Good job, everybody! Looking forward to visiting this world again in a few years.

[roswellnmsource]

Lily Cowles Talks Stunt Work on Roswell, New Mexico & the Action-Packed Final Episodes This Season

So, finding out that there's been another alien Roswell really threw the audience for a loop. What were you thinking when you heard that there would be another alien in town?

I mean, I was like, finally. I'm ready for a little new alien blood in the mix, like let's stir it up. We've had our little pod squad, and we have this super tight little dynamic, and it's been pretty insular. They've had to keep everything to themselves, and so I think finding out that there's another person that's like them, another alien. How exciting.

What are the implications? This might change everything. I was really excited about it. I'm like, let's go, plus he's super cute, so.

That's very true. Can you preview what's next for Isobel and everyone as they process this new development?

Yeah, well, I think Isobel is...I think her initial reaction she's excited to bring someone new into the fold. And it's a little more complicated than that. We have a conversation you see with Isobel and Kyle, where he sort of is like, you might want to take this a little slow because this is a man of God.

This is a man whose vocation is faith-based. And to tell him that he's an alien might kind of complicate his life.

So, how much do you really want to ruin someone's life by telling them that they're an alien or change it for the better but I think Isobel is looking forward to kind of bringing someone newer to the fold and wants to share everything and learn from him.

And she's pretty enthusiastic about it. And it's going to have to learn how to handle that with grace and tack, which I think can sometimes be difficult for her. I know she can sometimes be quite straightforward with things.

Beyond that, Isobel is going on a date in this episode, which is so exciting for her. And I think she's going to be faced with having to break down some of the walls that she's built up that she's been working on. So, I'm kind of like personal internal conflict, but also a lot of opportunity.

And I think our writers handle it all so well, and it's going to unfold in a very fun way.

Sure. So, family is very important to not only the fabric of Roswell but to Isobel in particular. Can you tell us a bit about what family means to Isobel?

Yeah. I mean, I think Isobel has always had to lean so much on her brothers. There may have been the small amount of codependency. You might say with the trio because they have this enormous secret, they can't share with anybody else.

I mean, me personally, I have so many friends. I like to go around and talk about all my problems and everything with all my friends, but Isobel doesn't have as many people, or she didn't up until recently that she could talk about these things with, so her family was sort of everything for her.

These two people who understood who she was and saw her for who she truly was.

For the rest of the world, she had to, for many years of her life, kind of wear this mask and do a kind of performance of something that was sort of half-truth. Now, her circle has expanded a bit over the seasons of Roswell, which has been great—adding friends like Maria and Rosa and Kyle, Alex, and of course, Liz.

We've gotten all this new group of people that can support her. But I think the first 25 years of her life were basically just her and her brothers. And so, that loyalty goes really deep, and I think it will always be the trump card for her. I think it will always take precedent over everything else, which can be good, and it can be bad.

Yeah. And that kind of leads me into my next question, which is that Isobel has some of the best dynamics on the show. From Isobel and Michael and their brother, sister bond. And obviously Isobel and Max and this new bond now with Maria. What's your favorite Isobel dynamic?

It's hard to pick one because I love them all so much. I love working with Amber. I love the Isobel and Rosa dynamic so much because it's...there's so many layers in there. There's definitely the 'Oops. I'm sorry that I murdered you with your friends'.

But then also, Isobel kind of guiding her in Rosa's journey learning about her powers, and I think Isobel really took her under her wing. And I think that means a lot to Isobel to be able to be a guide for someone and somebody's mentor. But as time has gone on, the tables have also been turning.

There are lots of times when Rosa has been a mentor to Isobel.

And I love the female dynamics, that is... it's so rich. There's so much in there. Two women who are learning from each other and growing and supportive of each other, and challenging each other to be better. And it comes from this really complicated history that they were able to overcome.

So, to me, that sort of female dynamic is just like, oh, I love to see that.

I love Isobel and Kyle together too. It's really fun. Isobel knows how to shoot. She comes in just with so much energy. And I think there's something that happens. There's some kind of chemistry there, right? There's something, and it all maybe started at Planet Seven.

But, I think Kyle is someone that Isobel really trusts and leans on, and he's like this solid foundation for her, like a real confidant. But then there's more to it than that.

And there's something that's just, it's hard to put your finger on with them, but whenever I'm working with Michael Trevino, the scenes just...we find these little places that things just kind of pop and these unexpected moments come up and it feels like a really complex dynamic.

And I'm excited to see where that goes.

For sure. I got to talk to Michael, and he said very similarly that you guys had a really great dynamic, and he'd like to see more Kyle and Isobel scenes.

You know, give the world what they want! How bout it, Roswell!

Yes! So, Isobel has gone on quite the journey throughout the course of Roswell, and throughout season three as well, we've seen as she's dealt with Jones. So, can you speak to Isobel's resilience and how we will continue to see her growth?

Yeah, absolutely. Playing Isobel has been such an honor because it's a story that I think is so powerful for so many women. She began as this kind of Barbie doll. She was very performative, had this perfect little mask on. She was kind of closed off to the world but had this way of acting that seemed right.

And I think that's the dynamic that a lot of women can relate to.

It's like wanting to come off as being sort of perfect and having this veneer that seems like everything is good, but you're really disconnected from this deep, authentic truth that might be a lot more complicated and maybe messier, but you know what Isobel had to go through in Season One with Noah, it just rips that all off.

I mean, it wasn't by choice.

It happened to her. She was definitely victimized by the thing, and she had basically no other choice but to grow and adapt. And it gave her an enormous amount of freedom. And so often, suffering is terrible, you wouldn't wish it on anyone, and yet it can also lead to enormous amounts of growth.

And that's what I got to see with Isobel that she had to pick herself back up and connect with those deep parts of herself that she'd kind of been denying her whole life. And become strong. You have to find that strength within herself and not just leaning on the men around her.

She didn't have any female friends, and she was pretty co-dependent with all the men in her life. And Season Two, we saw Isobel discovering herself on her own terms.

And I think it's such an incredible gift that the writers gave to this show to see a female doing that, to find her way on her own terms and sort of have to relearn everything and say, "Well, who am I? What do I want? And how do I get that?"

And now we're just seeing her continuing down that path, she's becoming this warrior, she's becoming this total badass, and I think there's never like an end to it.

It's not like she started out like this, and now it's like the end of the story, 'Hooray! She found herself, and now she's like a badass warrior.' It's in Season Three, I think we're seeing her struggling with what does it mean to be a warrior? What does it mean to try to be a strong female?

How much are we suddenly becoming too self-protective when we begin to build this armor where we're making sure that no one's going to hurt us again? Well, is that armor preventing us from also being vulnerable with other people?

And I think the writers have been so gracious to give this arc to a female character that's been so multifaceted.

So, I'm just so grateful. I can't wait to see where Isobel goes, and she just keeps evolving and changing and shedding her skin and becoming something new, and like I said, it's never like a destination; it's all about the journey. So that's been really fun as an actor to be able to play with.

I have to ask about the stunts in episode eight because the scenes between you and Nathan were fantastic. How was it to shoot those scenes?

Oh my God, it was so much fun. Season Two, I had told Carina, our showrunner at the time, girl put me in some action stuff because I had some martial arts background. And after everything that had happened to Isobel, I was like it'd be great for her to become more empowered in her own physical body too.

So that, we started to kind of build the foundation there, and we're seeing it now paying off, all of this training that Isobel is always talking about. We're finally seeing her in action.

In that episode, in 3x08, directed by Benjamin Bray Hernandez, it was so incredible to actually be able to do this stunt work and with Nathan, who's a great, great stunt guy too.

I mean, I swear in another life, he would like to be a stuntman, Nathan. But the two of us actually got to do most of our own stuff.

I mean all of the pool cue, all of the hand to hand. There were a couple of things that a stunt person came in when we did the backflip over the table. We're like, yeah, that's not to break your neck during that. But besides that, everything was us, and it was so much fun to work with a director who was himself a stuntman.

So, he knew how to really direct.

Every strike needs to be telling a story and the way that he filmed it on the actual film, the lens that he was using. All of this stuff was just, it was like a masterclass in stunt work. So much fun, I was so sore, and while I thought that we were using pool cues, I was like, "I'm sorry, I have never used a pool cue in a fight."

And of course we got on the set, and Nathan from Texas, is there whipping it all around in his hand, spinning the pool cue, homie has been in like 15 pool bar fights, and I'm like, "How do you hold it?"

But I think we're a pretty good match-up, and there's more to come between Nathan and I. I'm so grateful. He's an incredible partner to work with. I feel so safe with him. I did one time jab him with the butt of my pool cue pretty hard in the groin.

So, sorry for that, Nathan. But besides that, it was such a fun experience, and I'd love to do more of that.

That's amazing. Outside of Isobel's storyline this season, has there been another story that you've really enjoyed that's played out in Season Three?

I mean, all of it is so compelling.

I've loved seeing, in this last episode, we saw Alex taking on so many of the demons that I think this beautiful parallel storyline of Alex and Michael, both working through the traumas of their parents, what they've inherited from their parents. Michael learning that he is the son of this evil dictator, but his mother is maybe this amazing hero.

And Alex working through the trauma of what his father was.

And I think that a compelling, compelling story is what we inherit from our parents and what we choose to move forward with or what we want to rebel against.

Do we become our parents, or are we given the opportunity to change them, fix their mistakes? And Kyle is dealing with this too with his father and the Valenti code and all of that.

So, I love that the lineage, the kind of questioning of how lineage proceeds through us and what our obligation is to the family line, I think that's beautiful.

And last question for me, with the finale on the horizon, what can the audience expect from these last batches of episodes?

Oh my gosh. Stuff gets so crazy, Whitney! It pops off. I mean, filming it was some of the most intense work I've ever done. We were like Marines. We were like Navy seals. We bonded so hard over just the sheer physical, emotional, and psychological difficulty that we all have to go through over these next few episodes.

It's full of action. It is full of suspense. It's going to be such a roller coaster for the audience, and I cannot wait for them to see it. It's going to be a huge payoff. Our writers did an incredible job, and yeah, I think it's just going to knock people's socks off.

[bubblegumbeech]

What use is a Memory Compared to a Future?

Day 1 Dannymay: Memory

 He woke up slowly, feeling like an empty pool of water catching rain for the first time. His thoughts were short, tiny little things pittering and pattering around in his mind. His senses came back to him in fragments, the feeling of cold stone solid against him and surrounding his body entirely, an electric unrecognizable smell mixing with the faint scent of death and decay, then sound.

 “Pariah?” a voice said. It was a nice voice, low and deep with a touch of gravel. He liked listening to it.

 “By all means, you can stay in the sarcophagus, if you wish.”

 Was he in a sarcophagus? He cracked open one of his eyes. The other simply twitched and sent a twinge of pain across his face. It took a moment for the image before him to come into focus.

 When it did, what he saw was breathtaking.

 Ruby red eyes and smooth blue skin hidden under a deep purple cowl framing the most beautiful face he had ever seen. At least, he couldn’t imagine ever seeing a face quite as beautiful as this one. If features like this were common then he would probably greatly enjoy his existence surrounded by them.

 “Ah,” the beautiful stranger with the beautiful voice spoke, “you’re awake. I was beginning to worry.”

 The stranger’s voice was dry, and held a touch of familiarity that he filed away as important for later. It was likely that something was amiss, if the stranger knew him while      he     did not yet know himself.

 He wet his lips and tried to speak, his voice rough with disuse, “you needn’t lie.”

 It had been a lie, or at the very least, it had not been the full truth, that this stranger worried about him. It was likely a quip, a sarcastic comment meant to rile him, and Pariah felt it best to respond in kind. The last thing he would ever admit to was any kind of vulnerability, especially in front of something so seemingly perfect.

 His eyes caught on the scar that snaked its way through the stranger’s eye and along his cheek. It was the same eye that refused to open for him and he wondered if there was a connection. A history that was held out of his reach. And then he wondered exactly why he seemed to lack any memory or solid knowledge at all.

 The first step, of course, would be figuring out who he was. The next would be figuring out where he was, and then figuring out this stranger, and what relationship they might have had. Whether he needed to do something to drag this handsome stranger closer to him.

 The stranger scoffed, “I see you haven’t changed much, Pariah. Too much to expect you to believe someone might have anything resembling affection for you-“

 “Do you?” he asked, testing the name Pariah in his mind. It fit surprisingly well, clicked into place and was pleasant to hear spoken in the stranger’s deep voice.

 The stranger blinked. “Do I what?”

 Pariah stepped fully out of the sarcophagus and into the stranger’s space. “Harbor affection for me?”

 A flush spread over the stranger’s cheeks, a deep purple spilling like watercolor in the soft blue and creating a tantalizing contrast. “I hold no such thing!” he hissed, sharp fangs on display as he scowled.

 A shame. Pariah would have to make moves to change that somehow.

 He acknowledged the stranger’s discomfort and took a step back, taking the chance he had to observe in his surroundings.  It was a castle, large and mostly European. Upon further inspection, however, influences of ancient Egyptian tombs could be found in the details, and particularly the traps  . The deep red of the brick was at contrast with the slight green of the ambience around them- ectoplasm. As for where he was …

 His mind drew a blank. He could recognize the ambient ectoplasm for what it was, but could not name the location itself. How frustrating.

 “Pariah?” the stranger asked as he stepped away to more closely examine the castle’s structure.

 Pariah turned his attention back towards him, taking in the stranger’s appearance once more. Beyond the beauty and piercing red eyes, he had a clock embedded into his chest, and his legs dissolved into a wispy tail, his cloak floating gently behind him. A ghost. He was a ghost.

 From the soft thrum of the core in his chest, and the lack of any beating heart or need for air, Pariah was likely to be a ghost as well. Objectively it made sense, and when Pariah attempted to stop and think about it, there was little else he could have been.

 He wondered, if he should ask a question, would the stranger answer? Would it be best if he attempted to hide his lack of familiarity? Would admitting it plainly be equivalent to holding out a dagger with which he may be attacked? But how much could he discover without fully tipping his hand?

 The sarcophagus… Clearly he’d been sealed away in it somehow, and possibly for some time. Pariah tilted his head before turning to his companion and asking, “How long?”

 Best to keep it vague, bank on assumptions made.

 He watched as the stranger’s expression twisted, just slightly. Enough for Pariah to read the guilt, the discomfort, and he found himself wondering exactly who this was, floating in front of him almost close enough to touch but far enough to flee.

 “Longer than I can justify,” he finally answered. “In all honesty I’m surprised your core is so intact. I would have expected some kind of damage, locked away as you were.”

 Damage, yes, that was certainly likely. He turned away. Would the stranger follow if he left?

 There was really only one way to test it. He started walking towards the entrance of the castle, looking around and taking in everything he could, each puzzle piece and missing bit of knowledge. Something clicked into place. He recognized the structure, could describe the ambient ectoplasm outside the windows, and he could feel his age. He knew there was a history here that he had once been privy to. A history that was lost to him now.

 Being that he was a ghost now, it was likely that at one point he had been alive. That was how ghosts worked, right? Then again, it seemed unlikely that his companion had ever been constrained to something as fickle as mortality.

 His companion had followed him, at a distance and clearly uncomfortable with his actions, but following nonetheless. It settled something inside Pariah, a hum of affirmation in his core. Now if only he could find a way to discover his name, or at the very least a moniker by which to call him.

 “No more questions, Pariah?” Suspicion laced his words, and Pariah glanced back at him, not bothering to stop. There was too much he didn’t know, too much he could give away. “I didn’t take you for the silent treatment type.”

 “Everyone experiences things that might change them,” he offered accusation, interested in whether the barbs he planted would pierce.

 His companion flinched, small, almost imperceptible. An admittance of guilt, something that Pariah should probably hold against him. It was entirely possible that the one who released him from his sleep had been the one to force him into it in the first place.

 Was his loss of memories intended, then? Or merely a side effect? Was he refusing to admit something already well known, or keeping his companion in suspense? What an interesting dance they were in, a tug of war where Pariah had no rope to spare and no reason to admit it.

 “You seem more subdued. Seeing my face when you first awoke, I expected for you to fly into one of your rages,” his companion said, offering an accusation of his own right back.

 Strange though, flying into a rage didn’t sound like him. It seemed too sudden a thing for Pariah, a quick burst of uncontrolled emotion. Was that something he should expect from himself? He’d have thought himself in more control than that.

 But he need neither admit nor deny anything here and now, so instead he switched tracks entirely, turned towards his companion and said, “Why would I awake in a rage, when the first thing I see is as beautiful as you?”

 The other ghost sputtered, the same colorful blush splashing across his cheeks, and Pariah longed to follow it beyond where the hood hid it away. He wanted to uncover him and see his ethereal companion in his entirety, every feature unobscured and available for Pariah to peruse at his heart’s leasure. He desired to trace his fingers along every feature, to catalog them properly so that he might not forget them again, no matter how pleasant the discovery.

 “Is this some ploy to win me back into your arms?” his companion said. The ambient ectoplasm swirled around them, drenched in his emotions. Twisted, complicated things painted in thick layers of history and intimacy that Pariah was a stranger to. “Did you forget I betrayed you? That we saw your fall, orchestrated it twice over? Do you think perhaps I might trust you, when I have no reason to expect anything but bitterness and resentment from you?”

 “So you’re saying I’ve succeeded before?”

 There was a pause, a moment in time where nothing moved, and his companion stared at him, incredulous. Pariah dared not move himself. As skittish as the other ghost was, there was no reason to risk scaring him off so soon. Especially when Pariah had only just now admitted to lacking the history his companion was so clearly drowning in.

 “You don’t… remember?” he asked, his voice soft. Pariah tilted his head, an admittance in itself, and watched as a kaleidoscope of emotions seemed to play upon the other. It was fascinating, to watch the scowl melt away and be so easily replaced with increasingly more complicated emotions. Hope, anxiety, distrust.

 It was intoxicating.

 Pariah had him before, in his previous life, and lost him. He’d have to be sure, this time, not to let go.

 “...Your name.” It could have been a question, or a statement. Pariah answered either way, easily offering the name he had inferred. Judging by the way his companion’s face crumpled though, he hadn’t been entirely correct. “It’s Pariah Dark.”

 Ah, yes that sounded more complete. A full name for what was once a complete identity, not the tattered shreds held together that Pariah was now. He nodded and his companion nodded back, guilt quickly overtaking his features.

 Well that wouldn’t do. Out of all the expressions he’d seen so far that was certainly the least attractive. The coy smirk from earlier, or the flustered blush, those suited him better by far. Pariah stepped closer and spoke softly, “I’d rather know yours, I think, so that I needn’t call you handsome stranger in my head.”

 The blush came back easily and Pariah smiled, reaching a hand to tug away the damned hood blocking his view. A gloved hand grabbed his wrist, stopping him, and Pariah stilled at the contact. He purred, touch starved in his long captivity, and the other ghost looked up, caught, his eyes wide and startled.

 Pariah lifted a brow, his question unanswered, and his companion released his arm and backed away, out of reach. He didn’t let the disappointment show, simply followed with his eyes. They tracked every movement, every shift of his shoulders, the ticking of his clocks. It was some time before he was able to answer at all.

 “Clockwork. My name is Clockwork.” He frowned, clearly hurt but unwilling to show it. “Are you telling me you don’t know who I am?”

 That wasn’t accurate, Pariah mused, it wasn’t so much that he did not know who Clockwork was, but rather that Pariah could not remember him.

 “I know who you are,” he argued. That was, if anything, what he knew most assuredly. It was there, etched into Pariah’s core and written plain as day upon Clockwork’s features.

 “Oh?”

 “You’re mine.”