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[shoalsea]

i started this a year ago for fun and then forgot about it for several months, but after many hours the cleans are done!

character animation for Frequency

music is Smokey Eyes by Lincoln

[shoalsea]

Finally caught up with this fic, which is now more than 270k words long and currently also my favorite thing on the entire internet??? It's only two chapters away from completion, so I'm trying to form enough coherent thoughts to recommend this in time for other folks to jump on the bandwagon because this is seriously one of the best things this fandom has ever produced. Very heavily based on DC comics canon (specifically Impulse and Flash comics) but you do not need to have read those to follow this story, like, just skim the Inertia wiki and then dive in, you will not regret it. This Fic Has Everything: clones (and clones and clones), time-travel, an insanely convoluted and indescribably satisfying plot, extreme silliness, absolute devastation, great visual story-telling and gags and also literal pictures because cryptocism is a hell of an artist (the way the character tree keeps changing!!!!), crazy fun fight scenes, incredibly upsetting fight scenes, a plethora of original characters that I now care about more than 90% of canon characters, really creative and innovative use of speed/time powers, beautifully nuanced character development that ties into all of these wonderfully chewy themes because this story is Very Sci-Fi, by which I mean it not only plays with all kinds of fun sci-fi concepts but also digs into the philosophical implications of those concepts in a way that is just so impressive and satisfying to read. There are about a hundred other things I could say about this fic, but I'll just end with the fact that it's also wildly re-readable, which is one of my favorite qualities in writing. Like. There are lines that are funny or interesting or just pass you by on Read #1 and that turn out to be Absolutely Devastating on Read #2 because this thing is just so beautifully constructed. Absolutely floored by this and having the time of my life. Also literally floored, I think I need to go lie down and process my feelings about those last few chapters because W O W.

Summary:            

The thing about all these clones, CRAYDL thought defeatedly, is that they really do look like him. The bossman, who could always be iterated a hundred times over. CRAYDL wasn’t expecting Plan B to feel so much like a betrayal. - After his confrontation with Max Mercury and Impulse in the speed force, Inertia disappeared into the lightning winds, and did not return. CRAYDL, after too long deliberating, finally activates the failsafes; created in case of the first Inertia’s death. Because Project Inertia would always, inevitably, continue. But Thaddeus Thawne the Second is very much alive. And he can’t help continuing just the same.

And thus the Too Many Thads AU actually has words to its name!!!

[shoalsea]

Chapter 13: Gotham Trying to sneak through Gotham was probably a mistake. Tim backs up his new name suggestion with gifts, and Pru refuses to stop coming up with extremely questionable schemes. 

[shoalsea]

This is stunning! I love your attention to detail here and that you chose to illustrate this pivotal moment in this story. Poor Pru with her battered face and irritated piercings and even more irritating personal bonds with other people!

Fanart of Pru, specifically from @shoalsea’s delightful fanfiction Compassion Builds No House! I can not recommend it enough, it’s very well written, and was my introduction to this character! This scene is from chapter 11, which is a really fun chapter.

I had fun deciding how to draw Pru, and took some liberties with her design. In the Red Robin comics her piercings are inconsistent, and her nose gets injured weirdly often. In her first fight with Tim I believe he breaks her nose three times, in issue 10 Steph kicks her, and in the very next issue a Spider slashes her across the face. Bad times for Prudence.

After reading the comics and then rereading Compassion Builds No House, the story feels like the natural progression of many of the characters and storylines introduced in the comic run. The characterization is all excellent and nuanced, and there’s an element of mystery to it that I really enjoy. There are lots of clues and hints to later reveals, which make those reveals so much more satisfying.

I definitely plan on doing more fanart for it, and if there are any recommendations or requests those are welcome!

[shoalsea]

Chapter 12: Blüdhaven Pru demands the truth and makes some decisions. Tim explains everything, including the origins of one of his worst jokes.

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Chapter 11: Near Norilsk (ii) Tim makes some questionable choices, Pru is chaotic, and everyone else just tries to keep up.

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Chapter 10: Near Norilsk (i) Pru pulls together an unlikely search party and contemplates her worst betrayal yet.

[shoalsea]

I am losing my entire mind over how insanely beautiful this is. The art style! The hashtags! The absolute perfection of all the little architectural details and the colors reflecting off the rain-slick stones of the square. I have stood in this spot in the rain at night and this captures the atmosphere of this place so wonderfully. And I loved writing this scene so much and I now I just get to look at it? Whenever I want?? 😭

Týn Church in Prague / Krásná Praha - Týnský chrám ❤️ #architecture #Prague #churchtyn #tynskychram #staroměstskénáměstí #visitprague #pragueviews #streetofprague #rain #nightphotography #wonderful_prague

"They were mostly just a pair of blurry figures in the background of other people’s tourist pics." - Compassion Builds No House by @shoalsea

[shoalsea]

Chapter 9: Istanbul Pru finally gets what she’s been hoping for, and Tim ruins everything by being even more secretive than usual.

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Chapter 8: Prague Pru tries to avoid her problems and just finds newer, spookier ones. Tim indulges in some tourism and tries to talk about things that are better left unsaid.

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Chapter 7: Lagos Pru's side-quest gets interrupted by a global crisis, and standing on the sidelines turns out to be a lot harder when you know the people trying to save the world from imminent destruction.

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Chapter 6: Hong Kong Tim conspires to make Pru spend more time with other people, including multiple Bats, and the true genre of this fic is finally revealed.

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Chapter 5: Saint Petersburg When something goes wrong in Gotham, Pru is forced to admit that she might be a little bit worried about Tim. Turns out everyone else is too.

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Chapter 4: New Orleans Pru takes matters into her own hands, and Tim suffers the consequences.

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Chapter 3: Busan Tim is busy, Pru’s become a very bored stalker, and Lonnie might have accidentally started a book club.

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Chapter 2: Montréal Tim get stuck in tutorial mode, Pru shares a story from her past, and only one of them enjoys their joint heist.

[shoalsea]

Chapters: 1/12 Fandom: Red Robin (Comics), Batman (Comics) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Tim Drake & Prudence Wood, Tim Drake & Lonnie Machin, Prudence Wood & Lonnie Machin Characters: Tim Drake, Prudence Wood, Lonnie Machin Additional Tags: Slow burn friendship, case fic adjacent, unrealistic language acquisition, outdated pop culture references, Single POV, Minor Original Character(s), Canon-Typical Violence, Tim Drake-centric Summary:

In which Prudence Wood's transition from League Assassin to vigilante-adjacent operative goes about as smoothly as anyone could expect and Tim displays a deep dedication to puns, pop culture references, and rampant paranoia.

Granted, the paranoia turns out to be entirely justified.

Or: Pru travels the world, Tim schemes, and more than one alliance is tested.