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bluejaysandblackbats · 7 months

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Blue Ribbon Birdie

Fandom: DC Comics, Batfam

Summary: Tim Drake meets Ted Kord at his fifth-grade science fair.

Chapters: 1/1

Characters: Tim Drake, Ted Kord, Janet Drake, Jack Drake

Additional Tag: Bittersweet Ending, Parent-Child Relationship, Hurt Tim Drake, Absent Parents, Angst

Tim stood beside his trifold poster board, rocking back and forth on his heels and toes, waiting for his parents to arrive. They promised they'd come, but it was getting late, and the judges were about to arrive to judge fifth grade. He wasn't the best student when homework assignments were involved, but he put his whole heart and soul into his science project. Tim thought that if he won, his parents would stick around longer than usual to celebrate. He'd worked tirelessly on the project for weeks, hoping it'd sustain their attention. It wasn't like there was a big competition. It was the usual run-of-the-mill volcanoes, clean pennies, solar systems, and potato batteries. He was a shoo-in.

He thought it'd be a regular science fair with teachers for judges, but he was in for a shock the moment the door opened. Ted Kord. Most kids there didn't know who he was, but Tim did. Ted was his tech hero. He was a modern-day inventor and an all-around good guy.

His heart skipped a beat as Ted made his rounds. Tim was in the very back corner, so he knew he'd be one of the last people Ted spoke to if he had time. And oh man, did Tim hope Ted would have time. Had he known Ted Kord would be a judge, he would've worn a better shirt. His mind raced as he tried to hold onto one central thought. His presentation. Tim rolled his shoulders back and went over his speech in his head. He'd given the same speech hundreds of times before to his nanny. He wasn't sure she was listening, though.

Tim wasn't sure if anyone ever listened to him, but it didn't matter. He liked things that way. At least that's what he told himself. But today was different. He'd impress Ted Kord, and then his parents would have to notice him.

Ted Kord approached Tim's table and smiled. Ted reached out to shake Tim's hand and introduce himself, but before he could speak, Tim took a deep breath, and words spilled out of his mouth. "You're Ted Kord! You're the greatest modern-day inventor there is," Tim smiled.

"I don't know about all that," Ted grinned, "It looks like you've brought something extraordinary to the table. Literally. I don't think I've seen a QR code at one of these things before... I'm excited to see what you've got for us today."

Tim took a second breath and shut his eyes before explaining his science project. He explained how he used coding to develop a quick crisis hotline for Gothamites, even providing a way of exiting the site for fear of being caught. He started to doubt himself, wondering if his project was good enough, but the look on Ted Kord's face told him everything he needed to know.

Ted beamed. "May I? I won't be able to think until I scan the code," Ted whispered. Tim nodded and watched as Ted scanned the code and navigated the site. "If this whole elementary school thing doesn't work out, you've got a job with me. Seriously, though, this is impressive... For anyone. I don't know about the other judges, but I'm ready to give you the big blue ribbon and a patent. This is-. I mean, wow... What else can I say?"

The other judges said their piece, but Tim couldn't hear anything after Ted's commendation. Tim could feel the warmth in his cheeks as he smiled. He stared at his feet and nearly burst into tears when Ted knelt on one knee and pinned the first-place ribbon to his shirt. "You should be so proud of yourself. You made a sophisticated website that can be put to use to help people in need. That's the coolest thing in the world," Ted whispered. Tim was so overcome with emotion that he hugged Ted. The sudden display of affection took Ted aback, but he hugged Tim back.

Tim let go and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm sorry-."

"It's fine. Where are your folks? I'd love to meet them." Ted looked around, and so did Tim. They were nowhere to be found. Another broken promise.

"They're out of town on business," Tim answered, "It's okay, though. I'm gonna write them all about it... Can I-? Would it be too much to ask for your autograph so I could show them that I met you?"

"I'll do you one better. Wanna take a picture?" Ted suggested. Tim nodded and smiled despite the pit in the bottom of his stomach. His teacher took pictures of Ted and Tim standing in front of Tim's poster board, and Ted signed the back of Tim's poster board.

Once the school day ended, he rode home, carrying his poster board with tears in his eyes. He kicked himself for being upset, but he thought things would be different this once. The house was empty, except for his nanny. "How'd you do?" she asked. Tim took his ribbon off and set it on the counter. "What's with the long face? You won!"

"I'm just tired," Tim mumbled. She nodded and let him go to his bedroom. He sat on the floor and shed tears, face hidden in folded arms.

His parents came home the day afterward, thinking they were in time for Tim's big day. "Told you we wouldn't miss your big day for anything-."

"It was yesterday," Tim interrupted, "I forgot to remind you that the timezone's a day ahead here..." Janet frowned and elbowed Jack.

"How'd you do?" Jack questioned.

"I got first place for fifth grade, but I'll know how I did for the school-wide part once the judges go over the fourth, fifth, and sixth winners," Tim answered. He couldn't be moved to display any excitement. He wanted to, but he also wanted them to feel bad for missing it. It was selfish and childish, but goddammit, he was the child. And it wasn't fair. They should've been there cheering him on like all the other parents.

"Oh wow! Tim, that's great news!" Janet exclaimed as she showered him with kisses. It made him feel better, but not enough to provoke a smile from him. "That must've been so exciting!"

"It was... I met Ted Kord and everything," Tim whispered.

"Ted Kord was there?" Jack questioned. Tim nodded.

"I got his autograph. It's on the back of my poster board," Tim replied. Jack picked up the poster board and turned it over.

"How about we get ice cream to celebrate?" Jack suggested. Tim shrugged.

Ice cream wouldn't fix this. Everyone's parents showed up. Except his. And he won! If there was any time when a tantrum was warranted, it'd be right then and there. "You guys promised," Tim cried, "You promised that you'd be there no matter what... And everybody's parents were there! Even the parents of the kids with dopey science projects were there! I worked really hard, and nobody showed up! It's not fair! It's not fair!"

Janet and Jack frowned. They weren't sure what to do with Tim's emotional outburst. To them, it seemed sudden. Janet sat on the floor, unsure what to say, so she reached for him. Tim fought her at first, but he eventually gave in. Jack messed up his hair. It didn't change anything because that wasn't what Tim wanted. Tim wanted an apology but wasn't willing to ask for one. It was the first and last time Tim openly displayed his anger and disappointment in them.

#batfam #blue ribbon birdie fic #oneshot tag #tim drake #ted kord #janet drake #jack drake #Bittersweet Ending #Parent-Child Relationship #Hurt Tim Drake #Absent Parents #Angst

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lonniemachin · 2 years

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You have pre reboot Lonnie reading list? 👀

Lonnie Machin/Anarky/Moneyspider Pre-Flashpoint Reading List

You bet! This is going to get a little long, so I’ll put everything under the cut. Personal favorites will be starred with an asterisk and issues most important to his character/story will be bolded, though I do heavily suggest reading unstarred comics as well. So, without further ado…

(I included a few personal notes that reflect some of my own thoughts and feelings. Feel free to disagree with anything I’ve written, I just figured I’d add them in case anybody was curious about what I have to say.)

* FIRST APPEARANCE - Detective Comics (1937) #608-609

FIRST APPEARANCE AS ‘Moneyspider’/FIRST MEETING WITH TIM DRAKE - Detective Comics (1937) #618-620. Arc also depicts the death of Tim’s mother Janet Drake.

CW: Racist depiction of Haïtian people and misrepresentation of Vodou and Obeah. If you’d like, you can skip or skim the ‘Obeah Man’ arc, as Lonnie is only relevant in the unrelated B-plot involving Tim’s detective case (most prominently in issue #620) or forego the comic entirely. Most essential information is that Lonnie meets Tim, it provides context for some later appearances, and Lonnie is established as a proficient hacker who managed to siphon funds from WayneTech.

* Robin (1993) Annual #1

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #16-18

* FIRST MEETING WITH OLIVER QUEEN (Green Arrow I) - Green Arrow (1988) #89

* The Batman Adventures #31 (DCAU)

Batman Chronicles #1 (second story)

* Batman: Shadow of the Bat #40-41

NOTE: This is sort of where you begin to see Alan Grant (Lonnie’s creator)’s emerging Randian Objectivism and Neo-Tech sympathies show. It gets kind of weird about technology and “enlightenment” among other things. As Lonnie was always meant to reflect Grant’s political beliefs, I will not say this is ‘OOC’, but I will say that I personally am not a fan of the direction. These two issues are massively important for the character, so I will advise they be read.

Anarky (1997) #1-4

NOTE: As stated above, Grant (and thus Lonnie) takes a turn into Neo-Tech Objectivism (which, if I may be frank, is scam pseudo-philosophical garbage). Though this is Lonnie’s first solo comic, I myself have mixed feelings about it for that reason. However, if you want to see more of where the character goes, Lonnie having a cute dog he really loves, developing history and characterization, and a second brush with the occult, feel free to go ahead.

* Batman: Shadow of the Bat #73

NOTE: Though this is a relatively minor appearance, it’s still one of my favorites.

Anarky (1999) #1-8

NOTE: A messy series that nobody wanted (I mean this almost literally, Grant did not want to write it) and got cancelled before they could disprove the Joker paternity arc. I’ve softened on some parts of it over time as I’ve learned more about the editorial mandates and hard situations the creative team went through that resulted in a little bit of disaster, but I still approach it with a healthy amount of criticism from a fan perspective. I will say that the over-the-top antics are relatively normal for a comic book and most of my contempt comes from the fact that the politics are not my favorite and I dislike certain character and writing decisions, etc., but it does feature some characterization I do enjoy so I won’t write it off.

CW: American Confederacy (Mandated “Haunted Tank” cameo appearance) in Issue #7. Issue is skippable without missing anything too important.

Young Justice: Sins of Youth #1

Sins of Youth: JLA, Jr. #1

* Green Arrow (2001) #51

NOTE: One of my favorite Anarky comics of all time and a genuinely wonderful character examination featuring a team-up I adore.

Robin (1993) #180-183

NOTE: Some time between Green Arrow (2001) #51 and these issues, Lonnie was shot in the head, chemically paralyzed, and kept catatonic (comatose? Both are used) by Ulysses Hadrian Armstrong, aka The General. Ulysses would keep Lonnie attached to an iron lung and wire his mind to a digital communications network, forcing Lonnie to work for him. He is able to talk using speech synthesis and explore the depths of the internet/communicate with others as ‘Moneyspider’ once again. This sets up his role in Red Robin (2009). The writer, Fabian Nicieza, does not show what led up to this happening and you’re only told more of the details through inference and research (he detailed that Lonnie got shot on a forum post, for example), so I felt it necessary to go over here.

Red Robin (2009) #13-25

NOTE: Lonnie begins to work with Tim Drake full-time as ‘Moneyspider’ as he recovers in Leslie Thompkins’ clinic. Issue #25 is his last appearance before the DCU’s New 52/Flashpoint reboot.

#asks #if anyone knows of any cws i should go in and add please let me know! i’d be happy to do so

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ao3feed-brucewayne · 1 year

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is that a lamp?

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/1CKqu9o by L1ttle_Bird3 (UTMVNightLight) Tim blinked when the power abruptly went out, casting the room in darkness. “Oh.” There was a silence for a moment, before he noticed there was a faint luminescent glow, yet so very noticeable in the pitch black background. “Is that a lamp? Where’s the light coming from?” Someone, probably Dick, questioned, before he realized, ‘oh, they’re talking about him’. Sadly, his panic made his eyes widen, which only made the unnatural light even more conspicuous. “Tim, is that–” He blurted out the first thing that came to mind, “I ate a flashlight!” His thoughts had wandered back to that really old meme where a person shook themselves, started glowing, and said, ‘I swallowed a flashlight’. God that was so stupid. There was quite a noticeable silence, that only seemed to prolong his awaiting death sentence (when did he get so dramatic?). Well, this has happened. “But why would that make your eyes–” First excuse coming to mind, go. “I have tapetum lucidum! Y-You know, the thing that makes cast eyes glow and lets them see better in the dark, haha—” --- Day 278 - Lamp Words: 1252, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Series: Part 4 of blunted claws turned on its owner Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: Gen Characters: Tim Drake, (Mentioned) Tim Drake's Parents, Dick Grayson, Bruce Wayne, Batfamily Members, Jason Todd, Damian Wayne Relationships: Tim Drake & Dick Grayson & Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne & Damian Wayne, Batfamily Members & Tim Drake, Tim Drake & Dick Grayson, Tim Drake & Jason Todd, Tim Drake & Damian Wayne, Tim Drake & Jason Todd & Damian Wayne Additional Tags: Bad Parents Jack and Janet Drake, Court of Owls, Tim Drake is a Member of the Court of Owls, Tim Drake is a Talon, Blackouts, Power Outage, Tim Drake-centric, Tim Drake Needs a Hug, Tim Drake Has Issues, POV Tim Drake, Wayne Manor, Childhood Trauma, Cold, Near Death Experiences, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Temporary Character Death, Past Character Death, Kinda, Lies, Crack, Tapetum Lucidum, Tim Drake & Damian Wayne Get Along, Tim Drake & Jason Todd Friendship, Eyes, Cat Puns, Bad Puns, Dick Grayson Makes Puns, Secrets, Family Secrets, sleepy and loopy tim is prob the only way they get answers, and its bc he mentions random shit like its normal, Mentioned Jack Drake, Mentioned Janet Drake, Bruce Wayne Tries to Be a Good Parent, Tim Drake's Missing Spleen, Siblings, Sibling Bonding, Sibling Love, Jason Todd & Damian Wayne Bonding, Reveal, Backstory, Assassin Tim Drake, Kind of..?, Tim Drake is Not Okay, Tired Tim Drake, LITERALLY, Jason Todd Swears, Chaos, Batfamily Dynamics (DCU), Domestic Batfamily (DCU), Batfamily is a Mess (DCU), jason likes annoying people read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/1CKqu9o

#IFTTT #bruce wayne #batman #the caped crusader #the dark knight #dcu #ao3 #ao3feed

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incorrectbatclan · 5 years

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Hiiiiii I'm new!!!!! Could you please explain who's who? Who's in the Bat Family, and their backstories please?! ❤️❤️

For this I’ve only done Bruce’s actual like genuinely adopted family (and Alfred) because it was getting really long!! Let me know If you want to hear about the rest and I’ll either make another post or reblog this one and add onto it. I tried my best lol!!

Alfred Pennyworth - Bruce’s batler and kind-of-dad rolled into one, tired, old man who just wants his family to be safe. The best baker, cook and costume creator of the group, absolutely no one can touch him or I Will Cry. Used to be in Her Majesty’s Secret Service before moving to America, so he can kick some ass - I’ve heard different code names for him, the most popular being Agent A or Penny-One, both very good at keeping secret identities secret. 👨‍🦳 /10

Bruce Wayne - This one should be obvs, he’s Batsy. Son of Martha and Thomas Wayne, he was orphaned when they were shot in an alley on their way home one night. He’s also a multi-billionaire due to his company Wayne industries, which you never hear anything about bc all he does is run around dressed in his fursona costume and punch people. Emotionally constipated, but he does love his kids a lot, even if he doesn’t show it. He’s 80 years old this year (2019), what an old man. Get some therapy. Around 40-45? 🦇/10

Dick Grayson - The original Boy Wonder/Robin. An absolutely feral child, and a slightly calmer adult. Was probably responsible for Batcomputer, Batmobile, Batarang, and many others due to his Holy Puns Batman! Born and raised in a circus as a trapeze artist/acrobat until his parents fell and died at any age between 8-12; it changes regularly. After this, he was taken in by Bruce and destroyed every chandelier he had by swinging off of it. When he’d outgrown Robin, he became Nightwing, a name he got from the Kryptonian legend and moved to Bludhaven (Gotham’s little sister city). He’s known as the funny one in the family, but in any other group, he’s the serious one so take that as u will lol. He’s the Robin you’ll see in pretty much any show about DC that has sidekicks in. Has a temper, don’t let fanon fool u. Was also Batman when Bruce died for a little bit before he was found again. Also “””””died”””””” for a bit, worked as a secret agent, back now. Absolutely amazing appalling sense in fashion. Around 24-27? 🕺/10

Cassandra Cain- Daughter of two of the best assassins in the world, and was raised to be a human weapon until she ran after her first assassination at age 8 and lived on the streets until 17 where she became one of Oracle’s agents, and later Bruce took her in and adopted her too. Due to her father’s training, she’s unable to speak with words well, and instead can read peoples body language and movement, often uses sign language to speak instead if the writer’s not a coward. She’s highly skilled in many different ways and is also my fucking child, I love her a lot. She went by Batgirl for a bit, before going by the code name Black Bat. Sometimes Orphan is used but I’m not sure why or in what comics. The cool one. She’s around Jason’s age, maybe younger, probably older. 🥰/10

Jason Todd - The second Robin, now Red Hood. Died angry, came back wrathful. Jason was living in Crime Alley, one of the dingiest places in Gotham, which is where he saw the Batmobile one day, and just decided to rob the wheels. Right there and then. Not only that but when Bruce caught him doing it, he started smacking him with a tire iron. He’s the passionate one, to say the least. Anyway, Bruce saw this kid robbing him and he was like ‘I have to have him’. So he did. For about 3 years maybe, then he died. Bc, he ran off, and the Joker killed him in a warehouse oop-. Anyway, he came back maybe a few years later to find another Robin in his place, and the clown who killed him still kicking, so he went on a murderous rampage, taking the mantle of Red Hood until he calmed down a bit. Now he’s like that angry brother u only see on holidays because Alfred makes him. Under all that anger he’s a sweetheart though, and I’m pretty sure he loves Classical Lit. Sometimes runs around with a group called the Outlaws, members changing regularly, but you have to be a redhead. Bizarro is the exception bc u can’t say no to him. Around 21? 😠/10

Tim Drake- Tim was the son of Bruce’s next-door neighbours, Jake and Janet Drake, often depicted as assholes, bc they literally just leave their kid to go do whatever they want ig????? Anyway, Timmy was like super smart, and when he was young, managed to figure out who Batman and Robin were bc he stalked them and took pictures of them every night. Sneaky. Then Jason died, Bats was like all sad and shit and wasn’t coping well so Tim just knocked on his door and was like ‘Yeah okay make me Robin’, and after maybe the 10th attempt, Bruce did. Anyway, his parents died somehow (the ‘how’ varies) and Bruce was like, yeah okay I’ll have another one. Tim’s a master hacker and he’s all-around baby, mainly bc he doesn’t fucking sleep. Was Dick’s first Robin when he was Batman, before Damian came along and got Robin instead, so he named himself Red Robin because he’s creative and petty like that. Not that I wouldn’t be tbf. Went off to find Bruce when he “died” bc he didn’t believe he was dead, and he wasn’t so like? Anyway, he changed his name to Drake recently, which is stupid so just ignore that. Needs to stop drinking coffee. Around 17? 🐉/10

Damian Wayne-Such a precious little shit. Blood son of Bruce Wayne and the assassin, Talia Ah Ghul, daughter of one of Bruce’s frenemies. He was trained all the way through his childhood to be the perfect sidekick for Bruce, so some of the things he was taught fucked him up a wee bit, but he’s slowly learning that not everything has to be difficult and he is allowed to have fun sometimes. In his eyes for a while, he was Bruce’s only son, because he was the only blood related one. Soon got told to shut up and shown that that wasn’t true. Now secretly loves his family but would die before admitting it. A baby. Became Dick’s Robin after Tim and they ended up being really close and I love them a lot. Absolutely adores animals, and adopts every animal he sees. Just like his father does with kids. Around 13. 🐈/10

The others are Kate Kane, Duke Thomas, Stephanie Brown, Barbara Gordon, Jim Gordon and Selina Kyle. A villains list would be quite fun actually too!

Second Post! - Rest of the vigilantes

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sirsapling · 4 years

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MORE TAGGED POSTS

I got tagged in a bunch more things I didn't respond to fast enough, so UNDER THE CUT THEY GO.

I have too many things to respond to, so I won't be tagging, but consider yourself tagged if you want to do any.

IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS

Tagged by the wonderful @bardingbeedle

Pass the happy!🌻🌿 When you receive this, list 5 things that make you happy and send this to 10 of the last people in your notifications!

Lying in warm blankets in an cold room. Bonus points for snow outside.

A fresh Buzz cut

Talking to @bardingbeedle

Having long, passionate rambles about the Marvel Ultimates

Hashbrowns, bacon, maple syrup, maybe a pancake, and a sausage too.

Tagged by the chaotic @s-hylor

top 3 cities you want to visit: Toronto, again. Colorado (I know its a state not a city I just want to visit ashes AND GET SNOW). And I would like to go back to Italy again. (I also want to visit, just, all of my fandom friends but I don't want to drop all their locations lol)

favorite marvel character: Ults!Steve Rogers and then Ults!Tony Stark. Not counting stony, Anthony the brain tumor, and not counting clones, Gregory Stark.

white chocolate - yay or nay?: Love it, love it, love it.

favourite board game: God Save The Queens- A board game about Bees I invented with 3 other people at University last year for a project.

how many countries have you been to: 10, I have been very luckily graced with the ability to travel to Europe with school a lot.

(Wales, France, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, America [Florida, Boston, New York], Spain, Portugal, Italy, and finally Canada.)

favorite thing to do on a rainy day: Anything indoors I might usually feel guilty about doing when its sunny. Tv or games particularly

favorite holiday: Christmas. I am a Christmas slut, call me festive sapling I LOVE Christmas.

pen or pencil: Pen. I once bought 7 in lisbon at the same time bc they were perfect and I didn't want to run out.

favourite kind of soup: Cupasoup Chicken noodle, I don't really like soups tbh, I like broths, and gravy type things I make too much of and eat like a soup (like golden Currys or korma sauces)

your typical order at a cafe or coffee shop: Caramel Frappucino or an iced Mocha. If I'm gonna pay a fuck tonne for coffee I'm gonna get a drinkable dessert.

favorite ride at an amusement park: Any slow rides that show you shit, like spaceship earth at EPCOT. I’m not really a speed dude.

the color of your sneakers: RED, red shoes are the shit folks, a good pair of red converse goes with everything.

favorite pbs show (or little kids show if you didn’t have pbs): Uh I used to watch pokemon then winnie the pooh every single night. But little little kids show I used to watch a show called 64 zoo lane with my grandma so I have fond memories

Rules: name your favorite female characters from 10 different fandoms, then tag 10 people.

Tagged by the wonderful @ashes0909

Natasha Romanov - Marvel Cinematic Universe

Carol Danvers - Marvel 616

Janet Van Dyne - Marvel Ultimates

Izumi Curtis - Full Metal Alchemist

Martha Jones - Doctor Who

Garnet - Steven Universe (if she doesn't count bc, space rock, Connie)

Rosa Diaz - Brooklyn 99

Ann Perkins - Parks and Rec

Princess Caroline - Bojack Horseman

Pam Poovey - Archer

LOOK I know there was a lot of cheating here, but I don't have non marvel fandoms really, and I have a hard time remembering a lot of the TV I enjoyed.

Rules: Share your top 10 AO3 additional tags. Tagged by the mysterious @nigmuff

look I don't know if I have enough tags to make this a justified representation, but the ones shown are v much on brand.

Fanfic trope meme

I was tagged by the delightful @capnstars and @crownofstardustandbone

slowburn or love at first sight // fake dating or !!!secret dating!!! // enemies to lovers or best friends to lovers // oh no there’s only one bed or long-distance correspondence // hurt/comfort or amnesia // fantasy au or modern au // mutual pining or domestic bliss // smut AND fluff // canon-compliant or fix-it // reincarnation or character death // one-shot or multi-chapter // kid fic or road trip fic // arranged marriage or accidental marriage // high school romance or !!!!middle-aged romance!!! // time travel or isolated together // neighbours or roommates // sci-fi or magic au // body swap or genderbend // angst or crack // apocalyptic or mundane

Look guys, I’m boring. I like domestic 30-40 year olds in secret relationships. We knew this.

And now buckle the fuck down folks because I'm about to answer 50 questions about me no one is gonna stick around and read.

tagged by @bardingbeedle the only person who would put up with reading this much about me.

What is the colour of your hairbrush?

I have a buzz cut, I don't have a hair brush anymore.

Are you typically too warm or too cold?

Too warm. I have been warmer than most people my whole life, and I often need to sleep with a fan on.

What were you doing 45 minutes ago?

Working on a sketch for an MTH fill (update from the end of this: I have spent an hour doing this fuckin thing)

What is your favourite candy bar?

Bounty. My favourite candy is Reese’s Pieces but I like a bounty. Or like, and chocolate without fruit in it tbh.

Have you ever been to a professional sports event?

Yes, one of my parents referees Championship Football here in the UK. I have been to a few of his games. I also went to the London 2012 Paralympic closing ceremony, if that counts.

What is the last thing you said out loud?

‘Oh, this will last me a few days’ I was talking to my mother about 1/2 a can of pringles, I was lying.

What is your favourite ice cream?

Vanilla. I am boring. But the best ice cream i’ve had was a cream/milk flavoured gelato in Florence, that shit slapped. I also like cheap strawberry ice cream when no one is trying to put strawberry bits in it.

What was the last thing you had to drink?

Dinner. A spinach, banana, summer fruits and coconut yoghurt smoothie (with extra raspberries). Its my nightly dinner to cheat more veg into my body.

Do you like your wallet?

Very much. It’s about 7-8 years old, it is faded to hell but it has spiderman and a pony ride stony pin

What was the last thing you ate?

See above smoothie comment, but if that doesn't count, a sugar free mint polo.

Did you buy any new clothes last weekend?

Nope. I don't buy as many clothes as I want to, bc mens clothes in larger sizes are hard to find or expensive here.

The last sporting event you watched?

F1, I don't keep up but I watch a little with my dad every now and then.

What is your favourite flavour of popcorn?

BUTTER. They don't really have it here, and I don't go to movies much when in the states. But @festiveferret introduced me to it when we saw Ant-man and the Wasp, and much like poutine and Tim Hortons, I still crave it.

Who is the last person you sent a text message to?

My dad.

Ever go camping?

Yes, I was a Scout. I have done enough camping to not want to do more, it was fun when I wasn't organising it.

Do you take vitamins?

Yes, but not as often as I should, and as much as my mother bothers me too.

Do you go to church every Sunday?

Nope, not even when I considered myself christian. I go only go to church for other peoples events, and I’m an agnostic now.

Do you have a tan?

I cannot tan. I just can't, I burn lobster red in 5 minutes outside without literal sun cream for BABIES

Do you prefer Chinese food or pizza?

Chinese food, It was easily what taught me to like more foods also, I don't eat tomato so I can't have most pizza. I love a good garlic base/bechamel, but you can't really get that here easily (yes yes I could make my own but that ruins half the point of pizza)

Do you drink your soda with a straw?

I don't drink carbonated drinks, because its like drinking pain. The fuck is wrong with all of you.

What colour socks do you usually wear?

Various colours, but I consider red on the left, blue on the right, my lucky socks. No I don't know why, but I take all exams and interviews wearing them. It’s just a thing.

Do you ever drive above the speed limit?

I don't drive, but if I did, No. Theres a lot of questionable laws out there but Traffic laws aren't one of them.

What terrifies you?

Pfft, most things from spiders to rollercoasters. But more seriously, Being shouted at. Shout at me and I start hyperventilating, its a thing. Also not knowing if someone is mad at me. I’m not good at reading people,

Look to your left, what do you see?

The wallet shown earlier, and the sugar free polos mentioned after that.

What chore do you hate?

Vacuuming. It makes everything in my body hurt. I would rather clean toilets.

What do you think of when you hear an Australian accent?

@s-hylor

What’s your favourite soda?

See above. I do not like your pain liquid. Apple juice for life.

Do you go in a fast food place or just hit the drive-thrus?

Either delivery or kiosk, I don't like talking to people where possible, I often need tweaks I don't want to have to remember to repeat.

Who’s the last person you talked to?

@downeyhills

Favourite cut of beef?

I don't generally eat beef, lamb, or most red meats. I love crispy chilly beef, but as anyone can point out its bc your generally don't feel the texture of the beef.

Last song you listened to?

Everybody Wants to Rule the World | Tears for Fears | Pomplamoose

I’m on a Pomplamoose kick, and I also just love this song anyway.

Last book you read?

Understanding Comics (The invisible Art) - Scott McCloud

Favourite day of the week?

Friday nights. The weekend is ahead and @loraneldin and I take to wrangling our beloved usual suspects through another week of Ults Book Club.

Can you say the alphabet backwards?

I can barely say it forwards.

How do you like your coffee?

With milk and sugar, or ultimately, in a Caramel Frappuccino bc I'm a bitch like that.

Favourite pair of shoes?

I have walking boots that don't make my flat ass feet feel like they’re dying. OR my black and green crocs (Fight me, they’re useful).

The time you normally go to sleep?

9-10 is what I'm working on, but I fluctuate depending on if I'm working on something or not.

The time you normally get up?

5-6 If I have a choice in the matter, but often 7-8 if I didn't get to bed at the right time. I’m more about getting the right hours in for my diet than time specifically.

What do you prefer, sunrise or sunsets?

Sunset is the prettiest, but I like to be awake to see the sun rise.

How many blankets on your bed?

One big thick comforter, because that's the uk standard, and I get too hot otherwise.

Describe your kitchen plates

Two types, big wide white ones with a navy blue rim. They are so large I never use them, and little Navy saucer plates I use a lot.

Do you have a favourite alcoholic beverage?

I don't drink, so no. I drink apple juice or Shirley temples when I'm in pubs/bars

Do you play cards?

Sometimes, I like to teach people to play Old Maid. It’s the monopoly of card games.

What colour is your car?

Again, I do not drive.

Can you change a tire?

I am aware I just said I don't have a car, but I do know how to change a tire. Everyone should go learn its pretty simple.

Favourite job you’ve ever had?

I have only had one job really and two job experience jobs. I did experience in a school library for a week and that was v fun and chill. I did all the jobs they had prepared for me in 2 days so I alphabetically reorganised their fiction section for the rest of the week. I LIKE ORDERING.

How did you get your biggest scar?

I no longer have a gallbladder, so I have 3 scars across my torso from that, the biggest right in the middle of my ribs. Non surgical wise I have matching scars on my knees from ripping holes in them when tripping. I have weak ankles and also I got both of those at different times.

What did you do today that made someone else happy?

I gave my spare animal crossing Iguanodon skull to a wicked artist I follow on twitter so he could complete his dino park.

#text post #tagged in #wow long post #wow x2 #tag memes

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that-shamrock-vibe · 5 years

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Movie Review: Maleficent Mistress of Evil

Disclaimer: I am posting this review the day the movie first airs in the U.K, so if you haven’t yet seen it and want to go in with a clear head, don’t read on until you have.

So...when the title of your Maleficent: Mistress of Evil and your main advertising driving force is the reveal that there are others out there like Maleficent who seemingly take her in to wage war against the humans, not having Maleficebt really do anything evil in the entire movie is a little bit of a let down.

I do understand why they went with the title because of course Maleficent in the original Sleeping Beauty movie called herself the mistress of all evil and she is arguably the greatest Disney villain. However, in a sequel to a reinterpretation of that Disney Classic, particularly as Sleeping Beauty is one of few Disney Classics to never receive the Direct-to-Video/DVD treatment, I was kind of expecting them to delve further into the villainy side of the character.

Now don't get me wrong, I enjoyed this movie as I enjoyed the first Maleficent in 2014. But I mainly enjoyed the sequel for the same reasons I enjoyed the first one which are Angelina Jolie's performance as well as the character of Diaval.

However, one thing I both loved and had issues with in the sequel is the fantasy angle of the movie. It is of course a fairy tale fantasy movie despite Michelle Pfeiffer’s character insisting this isn’t a fairy tale.

But the great fantasy elements are that from the first movie in the world-building of the Moors and the castles and the Moorfolk and even the costumes all screamed fairytale. I was never once taken out of the fairytale element in this movie. The CGI has definitely been plussed from the original and it’s most notable in the creatures because they don’t look as cartoonish as they did.

And yet, there is an element missing from the first movie and I kept thinking back to the scene where Aurora first meets Maleficent in the Moors at night. For some reason that scene has a slightly mysterious and dark tone to it whereas here the darkness is more in the actions than the atmosphere.

It’s hard to say this is a great movie in terms of story, the movie has a lot of story as there is a lot of stuff happening, but if you were to sit back and allow yourself to spot the flaws in the movie, because while I don’t think it’s riddled with problems there are some obvious issues that can take you out of the movie if you let it because it almost took me out at one point.

Cast:

Despite the fact that this is a movie titled Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Angelina Jolie doesn’t quite have the same presence on screen as she does in the first movie. This is still my favourite Angelina Jolie role, even though this version of Maleficent is a deviation from the source material I thought Jolie commanded the screen and the look in the first movie.

While she still commanded the screen whenever she was on it, the movie has portions of the movie when she isn’t on screen. Instead, the best character in this movie seems to be Michelle Pfeiffer’s villainous queen.

I love how Michelle Pfeiffer, 27 years after bringing her own interpretation to Catwoman in Tim Burton’s Batman Returns, this actress still has the acting chops she had back then. I thought her turn as Janet van Dyne in Ant-Man and the Wasp was very good, as a villain though Michelle Pfeiffer lets loose and can be just truly evil.

Elle Fanning is apparently the main character of the movie as I think Aurora has the most screen time. One aspect of growing up with the Disney Classics is that while as a child you may be lost in the fantasy and the magic, as you get older you do see the flaws and for me Aurora was not exactly an interesting character. While Ariel was a terrible role model, you had Aurora who was quite literally asleep for most of the movie. In both Maleficent and now the sequel she plays more the girly princess playing make believe.

Sam Riley as Diaval is still one of my favourites, I don’t quite understand why he’s been left out of the promotions for this movie in favour of Warwick Davies, other than the fact it’s Warwick Davies, but they contributed about the same.

The others did about as good a job as either they did do or how you would expect them to do depending on if they’re returning or new actors.

Recommendation:

So as I say, this isn’t the greatest movie out there, but then again I didn’t have high expectations going in. I wanted to see a sequel to Maleficent and I got that. It’s not a movie I am in a hurry to see again but if someone was to suggest it I would happily sit and watch it.

So that’s my non-spoiler review of Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, what did you guys think? Post your comments and check out more Movie Reviews as well as other posts.

#maleficent #maleficent 2 #maleficent: mistress of evil #angelina jolie #disney #michelle pfeiffer #elle fanning #sam riley #diaval #princess aurora

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incoherentbabblings · 5 years

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First Date (9/9)

Tim has one more test to pass before Bruce will allow him out as Robin. Like Dick and Jason before him, he has to avoid being caught by Batman for one night. He has already failed once, and is determined to succeed this time. Determination which might not count for much when Stephanie Brown is on the run from the mob. Her mother kidnapped as a way to threaten her father, Stephanie manages to escape and run into Tim. Unable to leave Stephanie alone when she is in need, Tim decides to try and multi-task. All he has to do is rescue Stephanie’s mother, take down the mob, avoid Batman, and get Stephanie to agree to a proper date all in one night. Absolute anarchy ensues Ao3 link here!

Tim hadn’t felt so close to crying since his mom’s death and dad’s coma. He sat, silent and despondent, staring at his knees, trying very hard to not start blubbering.

Batman, as always, was a stone pillar next to him. Saying nothing, making no noise, not even breathing for all Tim knew. He was brooding as much as Tim was.

He had failed the test. Again. But more than that, he had endangered a mother and daughter, and allowed a man to have been killed.

Head blown off. What a way to go.

Dick had warned him once, that not stepping in front of a bullet was not the same as firing the gun. Dick spoke as if he knew from first-hand experience. Tim couldn’t hold himself responsible for every injury and death that occurred, it would drive him insane with guilt, but still, Tim wondered what would have happened if he had done what he was supposed to.

Stephanie wouldn’t have gotten shot and fallen off the bridge for one thing.

All that was bad enough, but when Bruce said that he had found Tim just before he had run into Stephanie, Tim began to choke on his tears. He hadn’t even managed an hour. He had failed in every possible way.

He coughed in a lame attempt to cover up his unsteady breathing and to force air down his constricted throat. Batman finally took pity on him and spoke quietly once more. Thanking every god in every possible form, he didn’t sound angry.

“We’ll get back to the cave, Alfred will give you the once over, then I want you to go home. We’ll talk properly next weekend. Your father will be expecting you home soon. I’ll find Arthur Brown this week without you in the cave.”

Nope. The disappointed tone was worse. What Bruce was saying was reasonable, but Tim really didn’t want to sit around waiting to hear that Robin was a dead pipe dream.

“What time?” Tim asked. Bruce opened his mouth to respond, but Tim interrupted before he could reply. His nerves were getting to him. “I’ll come around at three. Yeah, I’ll do that.”

Bruce pressed his lips together and said nothing. Tim took that as a fine.

He managed to hold it together for Alfred to give him the metaphorical thumbs up. Changing into clean clothes, Tim waited whilst Bruce was checked and promptly sent straight to bed to rest. Tim rummaged through his bag, eating food he’d purchased at the corner store, and turned his phone back on. There were no messages from either Ives nor his father, so Tim guessed his lie had been a success. Alfred offered to drive Tim to his car in town, ready for Tim to drive back again to his father’s, and pretend he’d had a nice evening with Ives.

Sometimes lying to his father was easy. This was not going to be one of those times. Standing in the car park, Alfred placed a gentle hand on Tim’s shoulder, sympathetically – practically – saying goodbye and sorry. Tim smiled and shrugged it off. He got in his car and watched as Alfred left. The weather was still awful, grey and wet and chiller than it had been yesterday. It seemed to match his mood.

Head falling forward, Tim banged his temple against the steering wheel of the car, cursing himself for several hard years work, effort and dreams gone down the drain.

For the sake of a girl.

Tim felt no resentment at Stephanie. Not for one moment did he think anything that had happened last night was her fault. No, honestly, Tim knew where the fault lay.

Driving home was slow and painful. Traffic was bad and the weather was worse. By the time he got home, he just wanted to crash into bed and not emerge for the next week. But no, Monday was just around the corner, he had a week of school to get through. Maybe it would be easier, without training in the evening. Without anything to work towards.

Plonking up the steps to the front door, and desperate to distract himself from the heartbreak, Tim wondered how he could go about getting in contact with Stephanie. Opening and closing the front door, Tim somewhat resembled a drowned puppy.

“Tim?” He heard his father call from the living room. Steeling himself, Tim took off his shoes, and tried to smile.

“Hey dad.”

His father was bent over the coffee table, assorted papers and what looked like bills in his hand. Dana was probably working with a client in town.

“You just back?”

“Yeah. Sorry, I’m a bit soaked and shattered. Didn’t get much sleep.”

“You head out at all with Ives?”

“Um, just for a second, picked up some food and stuff. Played games mostly.”

His father nodded, then looked away, satisfied with Tim’s succinct responses and ready to return to his work.

“Well go ahead and take a nap if you want. It’s still early.”

“’Kay.”

Tim went to go up the stairs, then paused for a moment and turned back. He sat on the couch next to his father, who blinked owlishly at his son. They so rarely spoke, but even Jack recognized the solemnness in his son’s posture.

“Dad…how did you and mom meet?”

Jack was not expecting this question. He swallowed uncomfortably and put down the papers.

“We met through work. There’s not really a grand story to tell.”

“But how quick did you know? That you…liked her.”

Jack frowned, like he knew he wasn’t able to give the answer Tim wanted to hear. A broken marriage close to divorce before Janet’s death did not make a romantic story. “Tim… I don’t know. Honestly, I never really thought about it. Why? What’s brought this up?”

Telling half-truths was than flat out lies, so Tim twisted his hands and tried not to burn red from embarrassment.

“When I was out yesterday, I ran into a girl.”

That made Jack interested, he puffed out his chest and leaned back against the sofa, smirking knowingly and ready to needle Tim.

“Oh? And you think you’re head over heels?”

“After less than a day? Yeah, a little.”

Jack smiled kindly. “Everyone’s different Tim. Just because your mother and I didn’t…” His discomfort returned, like he wasn’t willing to lay bare his relationship with Janet to Tim. He broke off abruptly, then smiled once more, but this time it struck Tim as slightly patronising. “Doesn’t matter. You’re only sixteen Tim. Got your whole life ahead of you.”

Tim said nothing, trying not to start crying again. What he had wanted and planned for his life to be was no longer an option. A whole life of what? Taking up the family business? He felt the corners of his mouth turn down, and he struggled to neutralise his expression. Jack watched him with some concern.

“I guess so. Still, you’d like her. I think. She’s… pretty sharp.”

“She have a name?”

“Stephanie.”

As he spoke, Tim froze, remembering he had his phone. Pulling it out, he went to Facebook, and tried a search to see if she would come up. He found her not too far down, smiling beatifically in a cheesy grin for the camera. She was sitting at a dining table, probably at her school. A girl with bright blue hair was sat next to her, resting her head on Stephanie’s shoulder. The rest of her profile was private. Jack tilted his head as he looked, musing on whether or not he liked the name or the face. Abruptly ashamed for some reason, Tim decided to leave before the conversation could get derailed and Jack could give an unsolicited opinion.

“Anyway,” Tim stood up, leaving behind a wet patch on the sofa from his wet jeans and jacket. “I’m gonna go nap. See you later.”

Glad for the awkward conversation to be over, Jack waved Tim off silently and returned to his work.

Slipping into his room, Tim pulled out his phone once more. Staring at the smiling Stephanie, he hesitated only for a moment, then clicked to send her a friend request. He threw his phone onto his bed and tugged his shirt off to change into his pyjamas, exhaustion quickly making him feel a bit dead on his feet. Crawling into bed with wet hair, he sighed sadly. He truly didn’t want to face the next week. He buried his face into the pillow, and his chest began to shake with unspilt tears.

An aggressive buzz buzz on his phone pulled him away from despair long enough to activate his home screen.

A notification lit up before his eyes – Stephanie had accepted his request.

Tim didn’t know he was doing it, but he smiled at his phone, and for a moment the disappointment and crushed dreams vanished.

When one door closes…

***

“Is it okay that we talk out here?”

Bruce, who had opened the front door for Tim, paused, but nodded. Tim was being cowardly, refusing to go all the way downstairs only to do a walk of shame back up and off the estate. Best to get it done over and quickly, like ripping off a bandage, but Tim thought it more akin to hacking off a leg.

Shutting the door firmly behind him, Bruce and Tim sat on the stairs to the entrance of Wayne Manor. Tim placed his skateboard down in between them, to act as a literal and even metaphorical shield from anything that would come his way during the awful conversation. The sun was out, for once, and it was warm enough to not need a jacket. The two sat silent for a moment, watching the gravel path up the hill. The wind blew gently, disturbing the taller grass.

Tim waited for the anvil to drop.

“Arthur Brown was hidden over in Gotham Village, near the university campus. He’s back in police custody. Said he was doing the world a favour, stealing the money from human traffickers, said he did nothing wrong. His wife and daughter are going to have to testify about what happened to them. I trust Stephanie won’t reveal who helped her last week?”

“She hasn’t so far, no.”

“Hmph. You did well Tim, given what you had to work with.”

Tim stared at Bruce from the corner of his eyes, keeping his face turned forward, and expression caught between incredulous and anxious.

“I doubt that.”

“Look, there are two aspects to last week. The first, the test, you failed miserably. I told you not to linger at the starting point, which you proceeded to do. I don’t know if Dick told you that disobeying my advice is a good idea, but it wasn’t. You were told, you didn’t listen, and it backfired.”

This was what Tim had been expecting. A shopping list of what he had done wrong.

“That would have been that, except I think meeting Stephanie changed everything.”

Tim slowly turned his head towards Bruce, who was in return not looking at Tim. The kindlings of hope sparked.

“You tired to balance the test with looking out for a civilian hunted by the mob. I understand why you did what you did. It was all for moot considering you had already failed by that point-”

Ouch.

“But you protected her, saved the mother and made a significant dent on one of Gotham’s mob groups. Any other night that would have been a success. But you failed the primary objective.”

Tim took the stillness after Bruce’s speech as his cue to defend himself, but he didn’t grab it. “I could have activated the beacon you gave me. She could have been safe with you the entire time.”

“And I still would have failed at the warehouse. Except there may have been more of them there instead of arrested on the bridge and corner shops. You came, you won.”

“It was Steph’s idea… And she took out loads of people along the way.”

“Would she have managed alone?”

“No. No, she asked me to stay with her. She couldn’t have done it alone.”

“And neither did I.”

Baffled by what Bruce was saying, Tim tried to catch Bruce’s gaze, but he seemed stubborn to avoid it, as if he wouldn’t get the words out if he looked at Tim.

“I spoke at length with Alfred, Dick and Barbara. They think you’ve warranted the name. I suppose Dick’s opinion counts for Robin more than the others.”

“…What did he say?”

Sighing, Bruce planted his hands down behind him, leaning back, face contemplative.

“That Robin wasn’t mine to give, regardless. Dick had given you his blessing, and that was all that mattered. I said perhaps, but Tim also wants to work with me, and that part I do need to give my blessing to.”

“And… do…you…?” Whispered out of fear of what one syllable word was to follow, Tim watched, chest and stomach squirming with anguish, as Bruce blew an angry gust of air out and screwed up his face.

Alfred poked his head out the door then, making Tim jump a mile. Alfred smiled mischievously.

“Master Tim, I’ve let a young girl through the front gate. I believe you know her?”

“Wait what the what?” Tim turned to see Stephanie huffing over the crest of the hill on a bicycle. Tim and Bruce both stared in utter astonishment as the girl who had been shot twice less than a week ago began to wheel down the slope, apparently quite happy and over her brutal injuries.

“Well then,” muttered Bruce, standing up. He stared at Stephanie was a sort of fond bemusement. A distant echo of, “Oh this is a bigger hill than I thought,” drifted over to the manor, and they watched as she whirled over, pink helmet juddering up and down on her head. She was wearing jeggings with giant sneakers, and an oversized sweater that made her look like she was from the wrong decade. She belonged in a nineteen eighties teen sitcom, not twenty first century ragged Gotham.

She came to an abrupt stop at the base of the steps, losing control of the bike as it turned sideways sharply. She stumbled off, catching her foot on the pedals, squealing as the bike fell over onto her. She caught it, and corrected herself. Smiling brightly, she took off her helmet. Her golden hair had gone a bit static, flyaway strands sticking upwards. Bright red cheeks and a breathless joy made Tim’s mood lighter just from watching her.

“Hullo!” She greeted, glib as always. She wasn’t looking at any of the three men on the steps, however, she was focused on the massive scale of the stone house looming down. “Nice to meet you Mr. Wayne. Your house is very big.”

Bruce had put on his Brucie face and laughed fakely. “Yes, it is big. Who are you?”

Stephanie started awkwardly, and laughed, finally looking at Bruce, Alfred and Tim. “Oh. Sorry. This is rude. I’m Stephanie Brown. I’m hunting for Tim Drake which, hah, found you.”

Tim trotted down the steps and reached for her bike, holding it for her. “And how’d you do that?”

“Well, I found out where your dad lives, which – long story – was funny ‘cause when I turned up he said you were at Wayne Manor ‘cause you know you just casually hang out at Wayne Manor sometimes, like normal people do, so I asked him to tell me where it was ‘cause I wanted to surprise you! Are you busy? I think I’m interrupting something aren’t I? I can go if you want. Your dad was looking at me funny. Did you tell him about me? Did you tell him you’re madly in love with me?”

Tim blushed, Bruce stared, and Stephanie laughed.

“Seriously though, have I come at a bad time?”

“No! No, you’re fine.”

She really wasn’t fine, nor was she supposed to just roll up to Wayne Manor with no invitation, but Alfred could have turned her away if he felt there was a need to.

“Oh, good, I just don’t want to be a bo – Hey! That’s your skateboard?”

Tim looked back at it sitting on the top step. “Oh. Yeah, that’s it.”

“That’s so cool! Can you show me how to ride it? Got time to go to the park?”

Stephanie was interrupted by Bruce, who walked down to be on equal standing with the young couple. “Stephanie?”

“Yes?”

“I’m just finishing up with Tim. He runs chores for us every now and then you see. But we’re pretty much done now.”

Tim reached out and held Stephanie’s wrist, needing the physical contact. She nodded, completely oblivious to his mood.

“Sure sure. Sorry both, I know this is a little off the cuff.”

“Quite alright!” Bruce said, turning away. He reached across and grabbed Tim’s skateboard, and held it out for him. More than a little despondent, Tim limply took it.

“Tim, see that you come back around tonight though. Need to start fitting the suit for the thingy. Better let your dad know that your workload is going to go up from now on.”

Blinking at the floor, Tim felt the gears grinding in his head as the dots connected and the stars aligned. He looked upwards at Bruce; Alfred’s nose twitched mischievously at his employer.

“…Sure. I’ll tell him.”

“Grand. See you tonight Tim. Nice to meet you Stephanie.”

“Nice to meet you too!”

Tim stood, jaw against the floor, unable to comprehend what he thought had just been hinted. Bruce said nothing more and returned inside the manor.

Suit…Work…Evenings…Robin???

“I will buzz you out once you reach the front gate Miss Brown.”

“Thank you Mr…”

“Pennyworth.”

“Pennyworth! Thank you, Mr Pennyworth!”

Alfred rolled his eyes and closed the front door, leaving Tim and Stephanie alone in the front porch. Tim wanted to run a mile. He wanted to jump up and down. He wanted to swing Stephanie around. He wanted to ring Dick or Babs and just scream down the other end.

Instead, he turned to Stephanie, and kissed her cheek.

“Can’t believe you tracked me down.”

“I have my ways.” She whispered conspiratorially. “You know you can look people up from when they register to vote? Your dad’s a good citizen.”

“Oh… yeah. He tries.”

She giggled and went to climb back on her bike.

“To the park then? Then dinner.”

Tim gently bumped her back off. Saying nothing, he stuffed his board in his backpack and climbed on her pink bike. He gestured for her to clamber on as well, perched on the bars on the back wheel. She chuckled, the playfully slapped her helmet on his head and buckled it nice and neat.

“Onwards chauffeur.”

“You know,” he said as they set off. Getting over the hill was going to be a nightmare, Stephanie would be just as quick walking, but a strike of insanity made him determined to carry the two of them over the hill. He began to puff with the strain. “You shouldn’t… have cycled all this way! Your stitches…”

“Ah, it’s fine! Fit as a fiddle. Clean bill of health, mental and physical. Well kinda, but hey. I’ll get there. Mom and me got a court hearing in a few days. Starting to get on first name basis with those guys, seems like we’re there once a year… Anyway, you’ve been doing okay this week? I was worried about you. After the friend request I hear nothing…”

“Me? Stephie, I’m not the one who was… sick all over herself, hunted by the mob, shot in the leg, shot in the stomach… thrown off a bridge, betrayed by her father, tasered two people… and knocked out a few others, and of course let’s not forget running over your mother.”

“…Words hurt Timothy.”

“Wow… Timothy. Full name derision.”

He huffed and pressed on, struggling up the hill. He was determined to succeed, if only for the fact that he had a sneaking suspicion that Bruce was definitely watching through the front window. He was Robin now, he would cycle up a hill for goodness sake!

“Hey come on. Going home with Batman after… he wasn’t cruel was he?”

“Cruel? No. Felt like it at the time... He’s a big fan of the silent treatment. But –”

The bike wobbled as it had slowed down to an unbalancing pace. Tim grunted and stood up to gain more momentum. Stephanie saw the effort he was putting in and decided to tease him.

“But…?”

“But… it’s…fine.” Stephanie grinned as he punctuated each word with a cycle of the pedals, watching his cheeks puff in and out with the effort of speaking. “I…failed…the test… but… I still… got Robin…Wheew!” He stopped as he reached the top, collapsing on the hard seat. Stephanie tapped the top of the helmet, Tim’s jaw vibrating from the impact. She clambered off the bike, noticing he wasn’t pressing the breaks. The hill turned downwards, straight towards the large black gates that Mr Pennyworth had promised to open for them.

“As you should! Best guy for the job.” She moved to the back and rested her hands on the back wheel and frame of the bike. She rocked it back and forth, Tim raising his heels off the floor to allow her to do so. “And this is good. Now you can train me too to help at night.”

“Wait wh-”

She shoved as hard as she could, sending Tim rocketing down the hill. He screamed the whole way down, causing her to double over with laughter. He jolted the bike to the right as she had done, but still flipped completely over, rolling professionally as he was no doubt trained to do. Stephanie ran down the hill, breathless with joy. The bike clanged against the fence, which comically began to swing open a moment too late to prevent Tim’s accident. As she approached, she could hear him bitching to himself.

“God what the hell! Some warning would be you know…welcome”

She crashed into him, kissing him hard on the lips. Instantly his hands went up, squishing her cheeks. It was a wet and clumsy kiss, one that made a squelching sucking noise when they separated, but to Tim it was perfect. Steph pecked his lips once more.

“You have no idea how glad I am you were there last week.”

“Me too.”

She smiled, then reached behind Tim and tugged out his skateboard.

“C’mon, it’s flat from here on out. You skate and I’ll cycle. My dad’s going back to prison, my mom is safe, and I am healing nicely. Now…I want my first date, boy wonder.”

Taking off her helmet from his head, she set off, waving him to follow her. She wanted to move past her parents, wanted to look forward to something better, something more. That sweet, earnest, handsome boy who was more a hero than any Bat. Tim was her greatest chance to do more, to be more.

Snapping the board and wheels down, Tim kicked the ground a few times, then caught up. The past week of misery fell behind him, and instead of one door being slammed shut in his face, it was like the entire wall had caved in. So many new possibilities, and all with this mystifyingly bright faced blonde riding next to him.

***

Bruce and Alfred watched on the CCTV monitors as the pair rounded the hill and stumbled through the gate together. Both men were struck with how young they were.

Alfred coughed politely. “Those two may grow to be joint at the hip Master Bruce.”

Bruce said nothing and continued to watch. He frowned momentarily, but not from anger, only from being deep in thought.

“You think so?”

“I received the impression they are quite smitten with each other.”

“Let’s see what happens. If Stephanie truly does want training, to prevent a repeat of last week, maybe we can help her. Her mother and her are a bigger target than ever.”

“Hmm. I will inform Miss Gordon. She seemed quite intrigued by Miss Brown.”

“Sounds good Alfred. I need to call Dick, see if he can come home tonight.”

Bruce continued to watch until the pair were out of sight of the cameras. He laughed quietly to himself. Any plans he had made for Tim becoming Robin were looking increasingly vague.

Somehow, he didn’t particularly mind.

#dc #timsteph #tim drake #stephanie brown #bruce wayne #my fic tag #finished!!

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inevitable-anna · 5 years

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Escape The Night S4X01 Spoilers

I’m so sorry that this took so long! I accidentally deleted my draft, when I went to post it!

Hopefully, this should have a ‘keep reading’ thing so I don’t spoil the show for anyone.

[[MORE]]

I love the flashback of the first three seasons in the beginning! And uggghh Colleen's screams from the maiden still give me chills.

Yass that's my gal Liza "I'll come back for you" yes I love my explorer gal so much, I hope we see more of he- oh wait, she's dead. I do have some questions about her, so I may put them in another post if you are interested?

I don't trust the SAE. They still seem sketchy to me?

Everyone in the fandom had really cool and interesting theories about Bretman and why he was in this season. Then he finally shows up and it turns out Nikita (who looks great!) invited him and told him there'd be cute boys.

"what about me? I did cancel my livestream for this" Mat I love you.

The Collector looks awesome and she has a jewelled key! The medusa monster with her looks great too!

Anyone else slightly creeped out that the guests are wearing different outfits to the ones they died in? Did the Collector spend time picking out a new role and outfit for each guest? Did she make her lieutenants have a fashion show for her to see what outfits she liked? Did she have folders on potential roles and outfit ideas? I need answers here!

MY FAVOURITE GAL IS BACK!!! RO'S BACK! "She's dead, I'm dead, so I'm dead... so where am I?" I love her so much! Please let her escape this time!

I love Gabbie immediately asking questions, like 'the last thing I remember is having my heart ripped out and dying... so is everyone here dead? Let me check'.

"You literally pushed me into the box, Ro!" "We-well, everybody did"

"Umm... Alex, maybe "you know I killed both of you, right?" isn't the best thing to say at the moment?

I love Destorm and Gabbie immediately teaming up again, it's nice that they still have each other's backs!

I can't really see who says "did you kill me?" (Sounds a bit like Tana?) And who responded with "I thought you died with Vine?" But I love it so much.

"Hugs and kisses"? Really, Joey? "I do not like this" well! They probably didn't enjoy dying!

Anyone else slightly curious as to why Tana dressed like a cowgirl if her role is the 'Pin-Up Girl?' Am I being dumb?

JUSTINE! You have other things to worry about then 'residuals'! Do the smart thing, okay? get your residuals after/if you escape! Duh!

"You can't double die" are you sure about that, Destorm? I mean, this is 'Escape The Night' where the only consequence is death, even when you've already died!

"Nikita said there was going to be cute boys" "where?" Gabbie!

I'm loving Gabbie taking charge! "Okay, everyone stop fighting, I'm freezing. I look amazing but let's figure this out" anyone else get major "I'm hungry!" vibes from S2?

*guards appear* "I'm thinking maybe we are in heaven." Not the time Ro!

My man! Alex! He went off on that guard! He's come along way from "nobody was able to escape their deaths so I'm not going to try and fight mine" to attacking a guard! I mean, he lost the fight but he tried!

"The Enforcer don't run. I strut" yass, Destorm!

The Sorceress is back!! My favourite villain! "Last time we met, we killed each other, shall we do it again?" This is why the Sorceress is my favourite villain! She's so sassy!

Mortimer is back! Not sure if I trust him though?

"Mortimer is my man from when I was still alive, however somehow since I died, I have gotten married and had a baby" I laughed so hard at this because I didn't expect it at all!

Mortimer asking "Colleen, are you with Janet" is so sad! Though in the show, did he call her Janet or mum? Because isn't it slightly strange to refer to his mum as Janet? I don't know, I'm probably reading into this too much?

Tana doesn't remember what the Sorceress looks like? Gabbie's reply is brilliant! "She killed you, me and Destorm."

"She killed Alex, huh? I mean, you tell me, I was dead"

The Collector kept the Sorceress in her study?

The Sorceress teasing Joey with the onyx trinket is everything I needed in life!

Joey calling out the Sorceress for having a giant portrait of herself in her mansion after she calls the Collector a "pretentious b*tch" for having one is amazing!

"Isn't she a copycat?" Can the Sorceress stay with the group the whole season and make sassy comments, please?

"She wanna be you so bad" "Mm-hmm"

Okay, I have said this a few times already but I'll say it again, 'final death' SERIOUSLY?

"I like know I've done a lot of bad stuff and I might go to hell but I really didn't think it would be this early in life" and "I have been told quite a few times that there is a special place in hell for me, so, I don't think it will be too bad" are moods.

I find Destorm and Tim complaining about the others following the Sorceress really funny.

I laughed so hard at "I always learned never to trust strange, white women".

Tim attacking the air and saying "you gotta come around the corner like this" is really funny to me.

"Thanks for the help" Colleen, I can taste the sarcasm there.

I like that Alex understands that having a grudge against Joey is slowing them down, otherwise they would still be stuck in there for their 'final deaths' come morning.

20:59 isn't the painting that Tana takes down from the Sorceress' mansion in S2X04?

Destorm says he doesn't know who to trust so he's taking the lead, to me, that sounds like a logical thing to do?

"Now more shirtless men with knives are running at me, what is going on?" Well, you did agreed to come back for S4, Tana!

22:06 IT'S AN EGYPTIAN RUBIX CUBE!

I wasn't sure what to think when Bretman was announced for the S4 cast, but now he's here, I actually really like him! He's funny and I like that he sincerely thanks Justine for giving him the egg/eye thing. I look forward to seeing more of him in the show!

It's nice that Destorm is realising that Tana is more than a pretty face, now for the rest of the S2 group to realise that. It was one of the things that really annoyed me in S2 that they kept saying that Tana wasn't helping but when she offered to do something, the group wouldn't let her do it.

"Originally I was here on a rescue mission, but I feel like I just made things worse." Well, you haven't really rescued anyone yet? I mean, yes the guests are free from the exhibits but they're still trapped in the museum.

Joey, I agree with Tim! Make the guards dab or even better... make them twerk!

"Can they tell us where to find some food?" "I have breast milk" I choked.

I was not expecting the Sorceress to stab that guard! I mean, I guessed that the Sorceress would still be evil but I hope she sticks with the group for a little longer, purely because she's my favourite!

"This is something. A clue." The way Ro says clue is so cute and reminds me of 'Scooby Doo' for some reason?

"Most frightening exhibit yet" mark me down as terrified and intrigued!

Again, 'FINAL DEATHS' COME ON!

"It's fine, the SAE will get here before we even have to do any of that." Are you sure about that, Joey? Really sure? 100% sure? Absolutely, positively 100% sure?

Ro is so happy when Destorm tells the group about door. "Look at you being a team player" I would like to see them interact more, I feel like they would have an interesting dynamic.

"I think we just opened the Egyptian exhibit" really, Alex? I thought this was the Tudor exhibit! Because the Tudors love of Egyptian hieroglyphics is very well known!

Tana is pulling her weight and I love how the S2 group are like 'what? How?'.

The prosthetic makeup on the Pharaoh is amazing! He looks great!

"This beef jerky looking ass b*tch" Bretman is great!

At the end when the 'this season' bit plays, I slowed it down and watched it and spotted a Minotaur! Which will be awesome as I love Greek mythology!

Okay, so if you watch the 'this season' section, right at the end, you can see Benjamin/The Man With No Name so has the Collector collected previous lieutenants?

Again, I’m sorry that I didn’t get to post this yesterday because I was stupid and accidentally deleted my draft!

I hope you enjoy it and I would love to hear about anything you noticed during the episode or any questions! If you like this, I may be able to try and do one for ep2 as well.

Have a nice day!

#escape the night spoilers #escape the night all stars #escape the night 4 #escape the night

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bigskydreaming · 5 years

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Whoops, I should’ve made this its own thread, I didn’t mean to shift the direction of that OP’s point about antiblackness. My bad. So this is literally just the same post I made on that last reblog, I just deleted it and made it a separate thing.

Anyway - @vague-humanoid

I really like Ryan Potter in Gar’s role and so I can’t be SAD about him having it, exactly, but at the same time I’m still a little bummed that it makes it almost a certainty that he won’t be cast as Tim Drake whenever and wherever he eventually turns up in a show or movie. Because a) the dude really wanted to be Tim SO BAD and he really put himself out there in a way I hardly ever see ANY other actor campaigning for roles for themselves. That video he made of him doing a fight scene using Tim’s signature bo staff and complementary martial arts and acrobatics, with him doing all his own stunts? Was awesome, and like....he’s so fucking good. And he’s definitely a good actor as we’ve seen, and anyone who’s that fucking passionate about a role, like...you can’t replicate bringing that kind of passion to a role if you don’t already feel it yourself, and I can’t imagine anyone matching it, TBH. So anyone else is honestly gonna feel like a bit of a let down IMO.

And also b) Tim Drake was originally intended to be biracial. Janet Drake was going to be Asian (I’ve often heard it said she was supposed to be Japanese originally, but my hunch is Wolfman intended her to be Chinese, and that there was always a longterm plan to at least suggest at some point that Lady Shiva might be Tim’s real mother. A bunch of writers had been trying to tie her closer to the Batman mythos for awhile at that point, like, when Jason went looking for his biological mother, she was one of the three possibilities he was narrowing down which....no comment....just confusion. Moving on. But like, they’d had the idea of making Lady Shiva the mother of one of Batman’s allies or eventual proteges for some time, and I’d bet anything the plan at least on Wolfman’s part was for it to be Tim. I don’t think its at all a coincidence that they ended up bringing her in to the Robin title later to train Tim herself. Or that after they ended up not going that direction with Tim, it wasn’t all that much later that Cassandra was introduced...and revealed to be Lady Shiva’s daughter....in pretty much the same way it was rumored they were trying to pitch Tim at first.

Anyway, sorry to ramble and go off on a tangent, just saw your comment about Gar and got bummed again but also not lol. I really enjoy Potter’s take on him, but ugh, I really wanted him to be Tim too, sigh. LMAO.

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the-paris-of-people · 6 years

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That Cute Couple You See at a Coffee Shop

SURPRISE! (Or not?) I’m your @tgpsecretsanta @alys07! I hope you enjoy this Cheleanor Cinderella Story/College AU I wrote for you! You can read it on AO3 or down in the cut below!

P.S. special thanks to @chidi-anagonye for editing! <3

Summary: What happens when Chidi and Eleanor begin messaging each other online, with no idea of who the other really is?

Words: 5555

I got my latte with almond milk this morning, pinged Chidi’s penpal. A special shoutout to you, bud.

A grin slipped onto Chidi’s lips. He was in the middle of class, his seminar about Middle Eastern civilization, but still he typed back,

I’m jealous. But! at least you’re able to enjoy it without any of my agony and guilt.

Did you just make a joke? She wrote back. Look at you! I’m impressed. Character development.

You taught me well.

“Chidi!” Tahani hissed, catching Chidi in the middle of his lovestruck look at his computer. “Chidi!” She cried again, tapping his desk with her manicured index finger.

“Huh? What?”

“Look, I know you are quite infatuated with this mystery girl, but can you please pay attention for one moment so we can meet with our group project partners?”

“Right! Sorry!” Chidi cleared his throat. As he whipped out his notes from his backpack, Tahani squinted at Chidi’s iMessage. Blushing furiously, Chidi clicked the ‘X’ at the corner of the window. The last thing Tahani needed to see were his ramblings from last night, after he told his mystery friend that he wished they were a couple he had seen at the coffeehouse, studying together, staring into each other’s eyes. He then panicked because he realized how desperate he sounded. To cover for his semi-flirty messages, he typed out a long explanation, spanning paragraphs, but it didn’t work. He was bad at lying, and the worst part was, he wasn’t even drunk. He was just that awkward.

“Ugh,” Tahani sighed, flopping down in the seat next to him dramatically. “Chidi, you obviously like this girl. It’s been three months. Are you ever going to tell her how you feel?”

“First of all,” Chidi shut his laptop. “You should not be reading my messages! Also, no. It wouldn’t be right to disclose my feelings if she doesn’t have all of the information she can possibly can have about me. And! I don’t know if she has a boyfriend, or girlfriend, or if she’s romantically interested in any gender at all! It would be ethically unsound for me to dump that burden on her. And since finals are approaching, and it might distract her, too!”

“I mean that’s technically true, but still-“

“Alright!” interrupted Eleanor, the de facto leader of their project team, barreling in from the doorway. “Let’s get to work!”

Perfect timing, Chidi thought, letting out a sigh of relief.

“Did you just get to class?” he inquired, eyeing the coffee cup still in hand and scarf around her neck. It didn’t surprise him, Eleanor always came late, but still, it floored Chidi how she strolled in with unabashed confidence. Chidi shriveled away when he arrived even one minute late, how could Eleanor muster the guts to come forty five minutes after class began?

“Long line at Michael’s,” Eleanor explained, setting her cup down and pulling her messy notes onto the desk. As Chidi learned from their midterm presentation, Eleanor wasn’t the best student, but she was the best at organizing their projects of the four of them. Unlike Chidi, she didn’t waver on which details to include and unlike Tahani, she wasn’t concerned with how to woo the teacher for self-validation. And unlike Jason, she actually had… a brain, so she could contribute sometimes.

(To be honest, Chidi didn’t know how Jason got into college at all. Not that he minded having him there, he always offered free snacks at their group meetings, but he wasn’t... the sharpest tool in the shed)

“By the way, I saw Jason nuzzling with Janet by the windows,” Eleanor mentioned. “ So I guess they’re not coming either.”

“Wait, Jason and Janet together?” Tahani asked, flabbergasted. Tahani wasn’t the only one surprised. Jason was a great guy but Janet wasn’t exactly... his type. She was pretty, funny, president of the student body and the Scholars Club. On top of that, she knew everything. He wasn’t exaggerating. She literally knew everything. Sometimes his friend Simone joked she was secretly a robot. “Since when have they been… dating?”

“I wouldn’t say they’ve been ‘dating’ if you know what I mean,” Eleanor snorted. She flipped through her stack of loose leaf paper and pulled out her project notes, clicking into her planning mode, “Alright, so we have five more days to put together our final presentation, and from what I remember from what we talked about on Tuesday, no one has any weekend finals, so I vote we get together Saturday and Sunday and just bang this shiz out, ya feel me?” Proud of her quick thinking, Eleanor laid back in her seat and propped her feet up on Jason’s vacant chair.

“Oh!” Tahani clucked. “I’m sorry Eleanor! But no can do!”

“I’m sorry?” Eleanor sat back up.

“What Tahani is trying to say is, the Scholars Club has a ball on Saturday of winter finals week,” Chidi filled her in, “And since Tahani and I are on the board, we’re busy planning until Saturday, and then on Sunday, we have to clean up and debrief, so it probably won’t be until Monday that we can work on the presentation.”

“Seriously?” Eleanor threw her head back and groaned. “Why didn’t you mention this earlier?”

“Well, we’ve been caught up with other finals, Scholars Club events, I’m part of the Plato society…”

“Oh my god, I get it, you ner-” Eleanor paused mid-sentence.

Chidi cocked his head at her. Was she about to say nerds? Huh. He felt like he had heard that phrase from somewhere, but he couldn’t place where…

“-naturally very busy overachievers,” Eleanor covered. She froze for a second before flapping her lips exasperatedly, folding up her notes and shoving them back into her backpack. “I guess we’ll just do it on Monday around my philosophy final, then.”

“I’m sorry, Eleanor,” Tahani patted her hand. “But I promise I’ll come by your dorm tonight to give you that face cream. It will make all your blemishes disappear!”

“Tahani, I never said-”

“Oh, I’m so excited to see your triple, Eleanor!” Tahani interrupted, clapping her hands together. “I bet it’s just so… quaint.”

She shot her one last grin before gathering all her books and striding away, her floral dress billowing behind her. Eleanor’s mouth dropped open at she watched Tahani exit, still wondering what just happened.

“Don’t worry,” Chidi told her. “She gave me face cream last week, too. You don’t need it.”

Eleanor’s eyes sparkled before she coughed and stood up, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. For some reason, Chidi found himself liking the way her eyes glimmered under the fluorescent lights, how the ends of her mouth softened, how her cheeks tinted pink. She looked pretty.

Calm down, Chidi, he scolded himself as he shook his head. One crush at a time.

***

I ate a quesadilla for lunch today, Chidi texted mystery girl later that day, at the library with Uzo. And now I have a giant stomach ache.

I’m sorry, philosophy cutie, she instantly replied. I wish you didn’t feel so sick all the time :(

The campus health center is open until 7. She added. Maybe you can make an appointment? She sent him a link to the online appointment maker.

I have to study for my psych final tomorrow, Chidi messaged. But thank you for checking for me. That was really nice of you.

Guess you’re not the only one with character development. :)

Chidi chuckled to himself. He began crafting a witty response, clicking on the urban dictionary link he bookmarked to match her constant use of casual slang. He felt Uzo peering over his shoulder and turned around.

“Shrimp freak again?” Uzo lifted an eyebrow.

Chidi nodded.

Uzo, his childhood best friend, his roommate, his pseudo-brother, was one of the only people who knew the full story. Of how Chidi wrote under a pen name for the university’s online philosophy zine. Of how one day, “StoneColdSteveAustinfreak” had commented on his post, mocking his rigidity and suggesting he “lighten up.” Chidi responded politely, requesting that she directly contact him for her difference in perspective, and two days later, he received a message from shrimpfreak1014 over his newspaper gmail chat. At the time, he was refining his midterm paper for deontology, checking every now and again for messages. Somehow, he remained embroiled in an argument with her until three A.M.

She irritated Chidi to to end. She was argumentative, and she made fun of his nerdy habits, and her sense of humor was cruder than he liked. But at the same time, Chidi didn’t want to stop talking to her. She was sharp and witty and unlike anyone he’d ever met. She was selfish, but she was trying to be better. She was rude, but she apologized when she went too far. She coined herself as a moral particularist, yet she sometimes cited Kant in her arguments, emphasizing when she did just to tease him.

And soon, as their chats grew more and more frequent, they became closer. She messaged him during her work breaks, and he talked to her while he worked on his homework late at night, bags sagging under his eyes as he alternated between his essay about Plato to their discussion of Tim Scanlon. They were friends, advisors, maybe even confidantes, their conversations ranging from philosophy to their favorite coffeehouse on campus to their lives outside of university. She told him how she emancipated from her parents at fourteen, how she worked three jobs to pay off her student loans, how she decided to become a better person after a near-death experience getting her stomach pumped. He confided that his grandmother passed away last year and he missed her, he missed the snacks she used to send and the stews she used to serve. Since then, he told her, he had been more anxious than usual, the simplest of decisions causing his palms to sweat and his leg to bounce .

Listen, dude, how about this? She wrote. Since you’ve been my dorky mentor and you’ve helped me a better person and all the junk, why don’t I help you make decisions? I’m good at that stuff, anyway.

You would do that? He asked.

Yeah, man, I owe it to you! She insisted. The next time you freak out over a big decision just come to me.

And so he came to her each time he freaked out, faced with a choice between white or black, right or left, frozen mocha or coffee.

Just get the frozen mocha, she would reply, as if choosing was so easy. You don’t even like the taste of fair trade coffee at the cafe, so why not get something you enjoy?

You’re right, said Chidi, shocked at her ability to choose without qualms. And so they went on, Chidi as her philosophy mentor and shrimpfreak as his decision maker, and Chidi found himself aching for her messages. During the day, his mind began drifting to her: how perfectly she complemented Chidi, how since they started talking, he softened her and she strengthened him. He wonder about her in ways he shouldn’t, about how her eyes were probably bright and fearless, about if her mouth would curl after a quip, about how her skin would feel against his, cuddling in Chidi’s bed-

No, no, no. It was wrong. How could he have a crush on her when-

“Chidi?” Uzo waved a hand in front of his face, snapping him back to reality. “Chidi? Dude, are you freaking out about your crush on shrimp freak again?”

“A little,” Chidi squeaked. “Okay, well a lot,” He admitted. “I can’t handle this anymore, Uzo! I mean I’ve kept this from her for way too long, and I’m the one who’s always maintained a moral code of honesty! And if I do tell her how I feel, it could potentially destroy our relationship and all the progress she’s made! And who am I to destroy progress, Uzo? I don’t have that kind of authority!”

“Listen, you’ve got to calm down, man,” Uzo advised, while Chidi gasped for air. “Look, it seems like this is eating you alive inside…”

“Pretty much everything does!”

“Right, but it seems like you like her a lot, so… why don’t you put yourself out there? ” He punched Chidi lightly on the shoulder. “Ask her to the Scholars Club ball.”

“The Scholars Club ball?”

“The Scholars Club ball.” Uzo nodded. “Just so you have a shot at meeting in person. I mean, it’s been four months and you don’t even know her real name. You can just go as friends, too. No pressure. But this way, you don’t have to worry about her not knowing who you really are, and if you want, you can come clean and tell her about your feelings.”

“Huh. That’s not a bad idea, actually.” Chidi pondered, tilting his head. If they went to the Scholar’s Ball together, they could have a lot of fun. Shrimpfreak could meet Uzo and Tahani and Simone, and they could talk and laugh all through the night. And maybe, just maybe, (just a thought!) they could slow-dance together, too. He even knew how to sell it to her. There were tons of caterers and free cocktail shrimp. He’s sure she would like that.

But there were drawbacks, too, and Chidi had to consider those, too. Maybe he could make a pros and cons list. Or maybe he would use that Magic 8 Ball in the student union to make a decision for him.

“I’ll think about it,” he told Uzo.

“You’re going to stay up all night agonizing about whether to ask her, aren’t you?” Uzo anticipated.

“Yeah, pretty much!”

“I know you too well, buddy,” Uzo laughed.

***

“Eleanor!” Tahani sang outside her door. “I have your face cream!”

“Oh, no,” Eleanor muttered. “Here we go.”

She closed her laptop and ripped down her Stone Cold Steve Austin poster. Eleanor wasn’t sure if Chidi told her about their messages, but wasn’t taking any chances. She scanned her room for any other defining items that might give her away. Luckily, she wasn’t much of a decorator, unlike Becky, who littered her desk with pictures of cats, Spiderman figurines, and frog drawings by her cousin, Jeremy. Yeah, sure, the frog sketches were cute, but the Spiderman figurines? Come on, Becky!

“Hello, Eleanor!” Tahani greeted as Eleanor opened the door, waltzing right into her room without permission.

“Sure, come on in, Tahani. I definitely invited you.” Eleanor grumbled and flopped onto her bed.

“Here’s a bag with some face cream, and some other Korean skincare products I’d thought you might like to try!” Tahani perched herself on the edge of Eleanor’s bed. As she examined the rest of Eleanor’s dorm room, her face scrunched. “Why, this space is awfully… cramped…”

“Because it’s a dorm room,” Eleanor drawled sarcastically. “It’s small? It’s something normal college students usually live in?”

“I mean it’s nothing compared to the spacious single I have in the Scholar’s Club house, and it’s not as quaint as I thought, but I have to admit, it’s quite cute. Aside from the Spiderman figurines on that desk, which are creeping me out…”

“Right? Thank you!” Eleanor threw her hands up in the air emphatically. “I keep telling Becky to turn them to the side so we don’t have to see them!”

“Though I suppose they would creep out the people walking and looking at the dorm windows,” Tahani giggled.

“Haha! You’re right!” Eleanor snickered. “There’s no winning, is there?”

“Not unless you accidentally throw them in the garbage can!” Tahani joked.

“That’s the best idea you’ve ever had, babe!” Eleanor rolled over from laughing so hard. Tahani, who was keeling over with her laughter along with her, suddenly stopped, focusing on the left corner of Eleanor’s room.

Eleanor’s eyes widened. Oh no. She had completely forgotten that she left her work backpack on her desk. It was free of badges and patches and tacky Becky-like decorations… besides the small shrimp keychain on the zipper.

Shit.

“Say Eleanor,” Tahani spun back towards Eleanor. “Shrimp doesn’t happen to be your favorite food, does it?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Tahani,” Eleanor challenged, shooting Tahani her sharpest eyes. Tahani’s normally light demeanor darkened to match Eleanor’s venomous stare.

“Anyway,” Eleanor swung her legs around her bed and stood up. The faster she could shove Tahani out of the room, the better. “I think it’s time for you to go, Tahani,” She pushed Tahani back towards the door with her feeble muscles. Jeez, she was surprisingly strong. “Buh-bye! See you Monday!”

“Hang on just a second,” Tahani resisted Eleanor’s shove.“You don’t happen to have a poster of Stone Cold Steve Austin, do you?”

“Again,” Eleanor choked. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Tahani. See you later, okay buh-bye!”

“Oh, really?” Tahani smugly leaned against the doorframe, pointing to the back of the room. “Then why is that Stone Cold Steve Austin poster on the ground?”

Eleanor flicked her eyes back to the back of the room. Her Stone Cold Steve Austin poster was lying face-up. Fuck. She tore the poster down but she forgot to turn it over or hide it under the bed. Damn it, Eleanor!

“Okay, fine, you caught me!” Eleanor caved. She sighed and walked back to her bed. “I’m shrimpfreak1014.”

“Well, since I am very well-connected,” bragged Tahani, shutting the door and joining her on the bed. “I happen to know the identity of the lucky man you’ve been talking with-”

“Please,” Eleanor rolled her eyes. “ I know it’s Chidi. I sit behind him in class and he’s not super discrete about messaging on his laptop.”

“Oh,” Tahani shook herself out of her initial shock before agreeing, “That is true. But if you know who he is, and you both are very close, why don’t you tell him who you are?”

Because it’s Chidi, she wanted to say. He’s intelligent and patient and kind and he genuinely cares about people. He cares about me. But I don’t even know if he cares about me me. Eleanor me.

And I couldn’t stand losing him if he didn’t.

“Because I don’t even know if he likes me,” she said instead. She avoided Tahani’s gaze as her eyes welled with tears, tucking the strands of hair behind her ears. God, she probably looked like an idiot, getting all soft talking about how much she liked him. “We always bicker while working on projects, and he always gives me a funny look whenever I say something ignorant, and I just… I don’t want him to change his mind if he knows who I really am…”

“Eleanor,” comforted Tahani, rubbing her back in circles. “I’ve known Chidi for a long time, and he doesn’t dislike anyone. Including you. And also…” Tahani hesitated “You never know how someone will react if you tell them how you feel, so it never hurts to try. Like the time I told Daniel Radcliffe that…”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it,” Eleanor cut her off. “I always get it. But…. Thanks, Tahani. I guess. Maybe. I’ll think about it.” She smiled up at her in between sniffles.

“No problem, friend,” Tahani gave her one last pat on the back before heading back to the door, this time, without Eleanor forcing her out. “Well, I better get going. I have to run a bunch of errands for the ball. But Eleanor,” Tahani lingered in the doorway, rocking back and forth on her feet. “If you ever want to get lunch or something…I’d be happy to put something in my calendar.”

“That would be great, Tahani,” accepted Eleanor, grinning. Sure, Tahani was a snob, and she name-dropped too much. She wore heels even though she didn’t need them, and she was too concerned with her popularity…but she also had a good heart. And she was kind of fun to be around. It was only fair that Eleanor gave her a chance.

“But only if we go to get burgers,” she added. “I’m not much of a fancy girl, and you could use some loosening up.”

“Well, I look forward to the grease.” Tahani bobbed her head, then double-checked, “Is grease something to look forward to?”

“You’ll see, babe,” Eleanor winked at her. “You’ll see.”

***

Chidi paced up and down the shiny, hardwood floor of the Scholars Club house kitchen. He had been at it for an hour and a half. Femi already came down to check if he was okay, and he had already scarfed down three bananas from the ornate ceramic fruit bowl Tahani had made for the kitchen. Okay, he was going to go over the possible outcomes one last time, then he was going to decide on what to do…

Hey, bud, his phone vibrated in his hand, disrupting his train of thought. Haven’t heard from you in awhile. Feeling alright?

Chidi trembled as he reread the message. He couldn’t keep up this charade any longer, otherwise he would just end up freezing her out. Yeah, that’s what normally ended up happening with his friends and ex-girlfriends he couldn’t break secrets to, but he didn’t want this to happen with her. He didn’t want to lose her; he wanted this, finally, to be the one that stuck.

You know what? His mind whipped into shape and settled, He was going to do it. If shrimpfreak had taught him anything, it was how to be more decisive. He yearned so badly to meet her, he yearned for nothing else, but he was letting the tossing and turning of his mind prevent him from going for what he desired.

Hey! He texted. Thanks for checking up on me. I was just thinking how to ask you something. So I’m part of the Scholars Club on campus and we’re having a ball on Saturday night. Do you want to go with me? Just as friends, of course. There’ll be free shrimp!

He held his breath while he waited for her response. Nothing.

He removed another banana from the fruit bowl. Maybe the overload of potassium could somehow carry him through the day.

***

It was only in his final class of the day, creating a study guide for philosophy of neuroscience alongside Simone, when he heard back from shrimpfreak1014:

Sorry man, I have work from 9-5 tomorrow and then I have to finish my group project. :(

Oh, Chidi responded, swallowing his disappointment. I understand. Good luck with finals! If you end up having time, feel free to come by.

Yeah, honestly, dude, I’m not really sure if I will. I don’t know if I’m ready to meet yet.

Chidi blinked, pushing down the sickening feeling slithering up his throat.

That’s okay, He reassured, although he was stewing in his own regret. We can just meet when we’re ready. There’s no rush, right?

No response.

Chidi heaved as he ran his fingers through his hair.

“You okay, Chidi?” Simone asked, tapping him on the shoulder.

“Yeah,” He somehow managed to lie through his heaving. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.”

This was why he couldn’t make decisions.

***

On the day of the ball, Chidi rose with dread.

He was surprised he could get up at all- his muscles fatigued from restless turning, his eyes strained from rereading old messages all night. Uzo calmed him down for a little bit in the morning, promising that shrimp freak just needed some time to process the idea of meeting him in person. Chidi told him he was probably right, but still, he checked his phone a couple more times to see if she had messaged back.

The rest of the day kept him distracted enough; he and the rest of the board met in the living room to begin ball preparations: wrapping carnations around the banisters, confirming arrival times of the caterers, transporting surprise gift bags to the gazebo. He felt normal, for the most part- until he overheard Simone and Vicky talking about their dates.

Chidi’s stomach boiled with agony. He didn’t know why he cared so much- he had been fine with not having a date, with not meeting his secret friend in the near future. Now he couldn’t get it out of his head, and he hated himself for it. Why did he have to go and ruin everything?

As the sun lowered over the Scholars Club house hill, the guests rolled into the living room. Chidi feigned a smile as he tore them in half, trying not to let his misery get the best of them. They had planned this ball for months and at least it was going well: the decorations colorful yet classy, the guests adorned in flowing gowns and fitted suits.

After he finished up registration, Chidi floated throughout the house to different groups, greeting them and asking if they were having a good time. It wasn’t a distraction, he tried to convince himself. It was part of his job as a board member. He wasn’t trying to keep his mind off shrimpfreak at all. He wasn’t even thinking about her.

“Chidi!” beckoned Simone from the kitchen.

Chidi let out a sad smile and moved towards Tahani, Uzo, and Simone. As he approached them, Tahani handed him a plate of shrimp. Chidi thanked her gratefully and popped it in his mouth, humming delightfully at its taste.

“Mmmm.” He turned to Tahani. “You did a great job with all of this. The shrimp is so much better than last year, and people seem to be having a great time.”

“It’s much better than the one Kamilah threw two years ago, isn’t it?”

“Oh, much better,” Chidi reassured, and he meant it. Kamilah’s taste was a little too loud and garish for him, but Tahani struck the tasteful balance between sophisticated and fun.

“Be honest,” Uzo slugged an arm around his shoulder. “How are you holding up, man?”

“Could be better,” He shrugged. “But, I’m not doing horrible. I think… I’m going to go outside for a little bit. Get some fresh air.”

“Oh,” Uzo dropped his arm from his shoulders. “Do you need anything else?”

“I’m okay.”

“Would you like some more shrimp, Chidi?” Tahani extended out another plate.

“I’m good,” Chidi tried to think of an excuse so he didn’t sound lame “I’ll come back in later… maybe… to get some more.”

Skeptically, Simone crossed her arms. “You’re going to go outside and read until you calm down for a bit, aren’t you?”

“I-I-I-I-I, um-” Chidi stuttered, but their gleeful chortles freed him explanation.

“Go ahead, mate,” Simone shooed him off. “Just come back after the dance ends to clean up. We’re going out to iHop after.”

Chidi confirmed their plans one last time before he left for the gazebo. On the way out, he grabbed his copy of Symposium, the one he had purposely left on the living room table in case he wanted to escape. Deftly, he balanced the book with his plate of shrimp as he pushed open the door. He paused on the steps to appreciate how beautiful the night was, the thickness of the black winter sky, the shimmering stars that lay overhead. The gazebo stood brightly against the dark with its fresh white paint, quickly drawing Chidi in with its solitaire.

Ever since he was a freshman, Chidi sought solace in the gazebo. He frequently snuck away when he needed to be by himself, especially after his grandmother passed away. It boasted a sprawling view of the campus and open panels that breathed in fresh air. Yes, the paint was chipping, and the roof crumbled when it rained, but Chidi loved it nonetheless. Last spring, Tahani held a fundraiser for its restoration, and by fall, it had returned to its former glory. The days of Chidi’s secret, safe place slipped away as he found kids, not even from the Scholar’s Club, using it as a gathering spot to down shots. He was surprised no one was out here right now. He hoped it stayed that way.

Chidi closed his eyes, listening to the plucking of the guitar seep out of the house. He was in his favorite place. The music inside was slowing, the shadows were swaying loosely, and he felt, just for once, that he could handle things.

He opened his book and begin to read.

“Hey nerd,” A brash voice echoed from the doorway mid-paragraph. He snapped his head up to see a familiar frame leaning against the entrance. Wait… was that? No… it couldn’t be…

“Are you reading Plato during the ball?” teased Eleanor. She sauntered over and joined him on the bench.

Chidi opened his mouth to ask her more questions, but instead, he broke into a grin. It was Eleanor. Of course it was Eleanor. No one else was as funny and hard-working and brave as she was. He should have known. He had crushes on both shrimpfreak and Eleanor for the same reasons; how could he not have figured it out before?

“Just needed to get away for a little bit.” He shut back his book and slid it to the side. Eleanor was dressed more casually than normal. Her hair was messy, she sported oversized, food-stained sweats, and still, Chidi couldn’t take his eyes off of her. “Did you kn-”

“Yeah, yeah, I knew,” Eleanor scoffed. “You leave your messages open way too much, Chidi.”

“Right,” Chidi couldn’t help but laugh. She was right. Tahani was always telling him that, too.

Eleanor bit her lip and gave him a shy smile.

He scooted closer to her.

“Um, I created a rough outline of the project!” She cried. She began fiddling with her fingers. “It’s almost done, we just have to add more details in the slides.”

“You worked on the project?” Chidi felt himself warm towards her. He knew how much she hated schoolwork. “Without us there?”

“Yeah,” Eleanor shifted in her seat. “I mean, you and Tahani and Jason are all my friends. I just figured it would make things easier for all of us, since I had the time.”

“That was really nice of you, Eleanor,” His voice fell quietly at the end of his sentence. Eleanor glanced down at her shoes, failing to hide her blush. Chidi wanted to hold her so badly, but he kept talking,

“So, you emancipated from your parents when you were fourteen?”

“Yup. That’s why I work three jobs. I’m surprised you never noticed. I’ve been on shift when you ordered your frozen mochas at the coffeehouse.”

“And you like shrimp?”

“More than I love life itself. And I’m ready to wolf down this unlimited free shrimp! If I’m still allowed to, that is.”

Chidi ducked his head down and chuckled to himself. He couldn’t wait to talk with her the rest of the night.

“I can’t believe you came,” he said happily. “I’m really happy you did.”

“You are?” Eleanor’s eyes shone.

“Of course I am,” He lifted her hand and stroked her palm with his thumb. Eleanor wove her fingers in his and squeezed his hands, leaning her forehead against his.

“I’m sorry,” she apologized. He could feel her shaking against him. “I said no because I freaked out, not because I didn’t want to see you.”

“I understand,” Chidi empathized. “I freak out all the time.”

“That couldn’t be more true,” Eleanor agreed endearingly.

They moved in closer to each other.

“Eleanor?” Chidi licked his lips nervously. He didn’t know why he was about to ask what he was about to ask, but he really wanted to. “Can I- can I kiss you?”

Eleanor beamed up at him.

“Go ahead, bud.”

Chidi sprang his lips onto Eleanor’s, moving his mouth passionately against hers. Eleanor drew back at first, startled, but then she sank into the kiss, her mouth curving against Chidi’s in a smile. Chidi removed his hand from hers and wrapped them around her back, sliding one down to her waist and the other up her back. As Eleanor laid her hands on his stomach and let them travel up to his shoulders, Chidi reveled in having her fingers against his chest. This, he realized, thoughts unlocking as they kissed and kissed, is what he always dreamed of. It was always Eleanor he heard when reading her messages. It was always Eleanor he imagined kissing. It was always Eleanor he longed to be near, and now he finally was: her tiny little body pressed against his, her mouth moving with trademark feistiness he admired and loved.

They kissed until their lips grew weary, reluctantly pulling apart as they clung to each other still. Eleanor gazed up at him, her eyes full, and it struck Chidi that he’d never seen her so happy. Guess they both made each other that way.

Chidi kissed her forehead as she snuggled herself his chest. He felt ready to make million decisions right then, with Eleanor in his arms in his favorite place, the brisk air gusting all around them.

“Hey, shrimpfreak.” He bumbled as the music spilled back into the gazebo, “Do you- do you maybe want to dance? Um, with me?”

Eleanor laughed, tugging Chidi up onto his feet.

“Come on, Kantafficado.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Show me how it’s done.”

#tgpsecretsanta #alys07 #cheleanorfic #cheleanor #tgpfic #i hope you like it bbkins!#im sure its littered with errors when I was copying and pasting over whoops!#still hope you like it!#userleila

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chronicbatfictioner · 5 years

Text

A Real Boy - Chapter 25

In a sense, Tim ought to be glad that everything went quietly - Dad didn't get to hear of anything connected to Tim's name and thus unable to complain and/or proverbially cash in on Tim's achievements.

Bruce, obviously, preferred everything to move on quietly and silently, as their investigation discovered the culprit of the odd creatures that have been sporadically appearing all over the world.

"Just imagine how many kids out there wishing to do magick to call their deceased loved ones and would do so if we keep magickal artifacts unguarded..." Barbara mused.

"She didn't need to... she's not a bad kid," Tim breathed. Their investigation discovered a teenage girl named Kitrina who had been literally trying to catch a demon by 'creating' them.

"Yes, Tim, she was trying to prove her worth to her Warlock family. But..." Bruce sighed. "...I have been concentrating too much on maintaining peace and security for the magickal people, I've forg-- neglected the fact that there are other warlock families like mine. Those who never... changed their ways, like the Falcones."

"I have never heard of them, either," Tim admitted. "I mean, I've heard of the Falcones as a mafia family, alright. But never as warlocks..."

"Because I have been preventing them to get in touch with other magickal kinds." Barbara said. "Way back then, like, when I was little; my father used to say that the Falcones smuggled magickal creatures for some kind of perverse rituals. When I started... before I became the Oracle, I used to work with Bruce to rescue those creatures and return them to their homes. The Falcones used to use those creatures for experiments and..." Barbara sighed, "it wasn't a pretty sight. There... were extractions. And I'd rather not say what kind of 'extractions'..."

"For the sake of my delicate ears?" Tim scoffed.

"No, because if I recall them, I'll have nightmares tonight. Again. I had Zatanna removed the sight-memories magickally just so I could blink without having flashbacks." Barbara deadpanned.

"Sorry..." Tim mumbled. "It's just..."

"You've been treated like a kid. You are a kid, but I'm not seeing you as one, intellectually. You're Janet's kid. But you're Tim first and foremost. You've shown your priceless-ness, and precociousness, thus far. I know you will benefit - and by default, we, too - from getting just about all of the information I have available. But the description of the experiments the Falcones did to those beings is just... not worth knowing. Maybe just to cement the thought that there are people who are just careless of other living beings."

"She... that girl, Kitrina, she didn't exactly do anything to living beings..." Tim pointed out. "I mean, not to be defensive of her..."

Barbara shook her head, "I get it, no, she's still... how old? Thirteen? She did what she did because she was curious and trying to prove herself. In a sense, she was trying to create sentient creatures from objects. What she did was - should be harmless if she was properly supervised. How many times did you create things just because you knew you can?" Barbara smiled placatingly.

Tim huffed, "I don't create, I alter. And yeah, in that sense, I've broken quite a number of things trying to figure out how it works."

"And you're only a few years older... anyway!" Barbara abruptly turned around. "This one is settled - thank heavens. What's next for you, Tim?"

Tim glared at Barbara unblinking for a few seconds. "This is... technically not settled at all. What about Conner? How did he get back? What about the earthquake and Jason's warning of it releasing creatures? I mean, we haven't seen creatures from the earthquake, yet, have we? What about the crop circles and such?"

"That would be for me to ponder and you to help with the research, technically. But the proverbial physical activities are generally concluded." Barbara said. "Oh yes, there are thousands of unanswered questions around here, alright. Just... we can't answer them all at once, no matter how much we want to."

"So now I just go back to campus and pretend none of these happened?"

"Oooh, I wouldn't be so optimistic," Dick chimed in, nearly suddenly appearing behind Tim. If Tim did not know that Dick has been literally scaling the walls of the cave as if it was made for wall-climbing, he might have gotten surprised.

"Neither would I," Jason - this time Tim was a little surprised. Jason had teleported there and his wings were still smoking slightly. "The bright side is that Rachel had wiped the collective memories of Gotham of the scary odd living-unliving creatures. The not-so-bright side is that... yeah, all of those questions you've asked."

"My not so bright side is... well, generally, these stuff are like weed. You kill one spot, they grow in another with a different shape. So.. yeah, best we can do is to stay prepared." Dick explained.

"'We'?" Tim quoted, a little incredulous. "I mean, I get that you guys kinda have to... I mean, like cops..."

Dick's smile was a little ominous. More ominous since it was directed more to Jason than to Tim. "...and yet he asked if he 'should' just go back to campus and pretend none of these ever happened."

"I didn't say 'should'." Tim stated. "Just... I mean, where do I fit in in your group? Do I need to be here? Do you want me to be here, or--"

"That is all up to you, Tim," Bruce coming out of nowhere did surprise Tim to the point where he jolted slightly. "We cannot force you to stick around in here, specifically. But we do have the resources you might need if you wish to research whatever interests you."

"I see," Tim mulled. "I... I'd like to think it over, Bruce. I need to get back to school, first and foremost. And then there's my crew out in San Francisco - not to mention my father...

Bruce nodded slowly, "I understand," he said. Tim kept a straight face to hide his disbelief. But Bruce left it at that - still another surprise, and disappeared for the rest of the day while Tim was packing. He reappeared when Tim was packing a lot of things into his car.

"I hope you don't take this as a sort of 'finalization' of your... training, if you will." Bruce remarked.

Tim paused, did a little mental dance after successfully shoving yet another bag into the boot and realized that he was yet to enchant the boot to make the lid close. "No, I guess not." he told Bruce. "I mean, I'm only right down there, at the brownstone. Only now it's a bigger brownstone because we need to--" he paused and looked at the other car. "Well, I need to include Stephanie and Harper's place into mine's protection spells and sigils and all that..."

"Dick can help you with the spells for the next-door..." Bruce remarked.

"I know, but that won't be necessary. Cassie and Raven will fortify it, too - especially since they'll be spending more time there with Conner and all... I guess there's no more West Coast trip until... well, until my dad realized that I literally didn't spend his money..." Tim smiled ruefully.

"...or mine, for that matter." Bruce replied, shrugging. "It might take a while, Tim... for him, that is, to accept that you're a magi."

"Oh, might take forever. I mean, he still hasn't acknowledged mom... But at least his wife is okay with it." Tim agreed. "And he'll be able to see that I'm-- I'll be within his sight and am actually going to college and stuff, you know? --things that are important in life." That was not a snark emphasized by a snarky pout, no. Tim actually believed that a college degree is important for him to get. If anything, it should allow him to retain control of Drake Industries, rightfully and legally so.

Bruce nodded, and then nodded toward Jason. "Be well, Tim. Jason is an excellent familiar to have."

"I know I am," Jason quipped and winked mischievously from the other side of the car. "But seriously, though, we'll still be coming back 'cause I still need to do a lot of researches for those... the warning stuff. Especially for that, that is..."

"I would say you're welcome here with or without Tim, but..." Bruce paused.

"Yeah, yeah... whether I want to or not, he'll be dragging me to come over, anyway. So... see you later, Bruce? Thank you for everything."

"My thanks is for you two, Tim, Jason. It is a pleasure working with you both."

"Here's to the new Wayne squad!" Dick called from somewhere behind the door. Don't be a stranger, eh, guys?"

"Definitely not," Jason replied before Tim could think of anything nice to say back. "Besides, not to be ominous or whatever, but-- winter is coming." he smirked. "--and by winter I mean for you, Bruce. You're reaping what you've sown, soon."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Bruce asked.

"Eh, I don't know, either, really. Just.. it's just there in the prophecies. I just said the 'winter' part for fun." Jason shrugged. "Shall we? I got the feeling - a proverbial one, thankfully - that your dad is about to froth from the mouth if you're late. Also, can I drive?"

"Yeah, we better go," Tim nodded, and added for Bruce's benefit, "and yeah, unfortunately, dad forgot that I've already gotten my license... he'd freak out of he sees me driving."

Bruce smiled wearily, "I suppose he would... Anyway, see you later, Tim, Jason," he shook Tim's hand warmly, and then Jason. "...if you hear anything more of this winter thingy you're talking about..." he told Jason.

Jason nodded, "I'll holler. Let's go, Tim," Jason all but jumped excitedly into the car - an old Mustang that Bruce pretended to let Tim buy so that his father would not be suspicious of Tim's mobility. But it was enough to get Jason excited about driving it. "This baby is ready to rumble, Timbit. Let's go!"

"See you guys later, Bruce, Dick..." Tim waved awkwardly, glad that Bruce had started with 'see you later' instead of 'bye'.

As they roared out of the Wayne Manor's gates, Tim couldn't help but to look back.

"There's... a big cloud up North," he observed.

"Yeah, the mountains are waking up," Jason replied, rather absently. "What?" he demanded when he caught Tim's glare.

"I'm still not sure if you're speaking literally or figuratively," Tim admitted.

"Oh, literally. We're not done here, Timbit. Nowhere near done at all."

"I know," Tim agreed. "But..."

"Yeah, yeah,,, life happens; yadda yadda... We'll be back here before we know it."

Tim inhaled slowly. "I just hope that whatever's coming up, my grades won't suffer from it." he huffed. "Seriously, if I can trade my skills with one that can create term papers out of thin air, I'd do it."

Jason laughed. "Oh, man... I think you're the first magi I know who's more worried of grades than world's end..."

"...and how many, exactly, do you now?" Tim cocked an eyebrow.

"Oookay, not many. But anyway! Shall we take the expressway and floor it?"

"No! No, no, no, no, no!" Tim nearly screamed as Jason made the entry into the expressway and promptly moved to the fast lane. "Jason! You don't have a license!"

"Make me one," Jason replied.

"No insurance, either."

"Make me one - just the card, maybe."

"I don't wanna die here!"

"Nope, you're not gonna. I can teleport, remember?"

"I hate you."

"Never. You love me."

Tim sighed, wondering just what is it he was getting himself into - what the future might bring.

At least Jason is confident that Tim wouldn't die on the expressway...

#Tim Drake #Jason Todd #no-capeAU #Magi!AU #Barbara Gordon #Dick Grayson #Bruce Wayne #oy vey #it's completed #at least for now #there will be part 2 #sorry for the delay #life happened #not sorry that adulting happened #JayTim

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poison-basil · 6 years

Text

Detective Richard Grayson - Chapter 6

A scream rips it way out of Dick’s mouth when a hand lands on his shoulder while he’s pouring his two am cereal. Another hand quickly silences him by covering his mouth. He drops the box in surprise, the contents scattering across the tiles. The intruders grip on his shoulder is harsh, nearing painful.

Dick tries to twist to see who’s there, but the grip the figure has on him is too tight and rigid for him to move. He berates himself mentally for not knowing someone was in his apartment.

“I’m going to let you go. If you try to run? There will be consequences.” When Dick doesn’t do anything the assailant shakes him sharply. “Do you understand?”

Dick releases a harsh breath through his nose and nods. He wants so badly to just run into the living room and grab his side arm, something to put a barrier between him and this man.

This intruder.

The hands retreat and Dick spins to look at who’s behind him. Taking a step back Dick presses himself up against the counter, accidently rattling the bowl and sending the spoon to the floor with a clatter.

“Ba--” Dick chokes on his surprise. “Batman.”

He’s barely visible in the dark and Batman swipes his cape around him pulling the shadows of Dick’s apartment around himself like a shroud. It’s unnecessary, Dick thinks but from what Dick’s heard from Gordon theatrics like theses are apart of the Batmans MO.

“Detective Grayson.” The statement is simple, short and Dick doesn’t know what to do with that. Dick has several guesses as to why he’s here, Tim being the main one. He knew it was coming. Though he thought it would happen in the middle of patrol or perhaps a couple weeks ago when Tim had let Dick know that Batman had been informed.

He just hopes that he doesn’t get hung out the window by his leg as Batman asks him questions. He’s heard the stories. It’s not pleasant.

Dick nods, hoping thats all Batman needs to carry on.

Apparently it is. “I’ve heard that you know something that you shouldn’t.” His shadowy bulk looming over him.

“I know a lot of things that I shouldn’t, like what porn Black Mask watches.” Dick bite his tongue as soon as the words leave his mouth. What was wrong with him, sassing the Batman. Letting him know that he knows what porn Black Mask likes.

Of all the! Anything else would of been better! Now he just sounds like a freaking weirdo.

There’s no doubt that no matter how this goes down now, Tim is going to find out what Dick just said and lord it over him.

There will be no mercy.

Batman just looks at him, mouth frowning. Talking to Batman definitely feels different to talking to Red Robin or Hood. They like to joke, fling around quips like nobody's business, constant in the noise. The uneasiness that settles over his apartment is unwelcome.

The silence is stifling and Dick feels his leg start to bounce but quickly stops, hoping that the vigilante didn’t notice. Dick doesn’t want to let him know how much this is getting to him and stressing him out.

“I need to know that my people are safe.” Batman growls.

Dick holds up his hands, “I don’t know what you mean, I don’t know anything.” He tries.

Batman growls at him and Dick knows that if he didn’t know that Batman was going to turn up and threaten him at some point he would be in a puddle of tears from that sound and offering up his soul for forgiveness.

“I might know something…” He says, his voice coming out a lot weaker and less confident than he intended.

Batman takes a step closer crowding Dick further back and along the counter. “What do you know?” He snarls.

“About Tim.” He says. Dick retreats further along the counter as Batman comes towards him. “A--About Jason.”

“What about them?”

“That Timmy’s the Red Hood and that he used to be Robin, that Jason was the first Robin and now Red Robin…” Dick takes a deep breath and raises his hands to cover his face while screwing his eyes shut before continuing. “That… Bruce Wayne is the Batman.”

When nothing happens Dick slowly opens his eyes, but keeps his hands raised, just in case Batman wanted Dick to see his justice be delivered.

Dick slowly lowers his hands and stares dumbly at the man in front of him. While Dick had closed his eyes Batm- no Burce freaking Wayne had pulled down his cowl.

Knowing how was under the mask and seeing it be brought to like in front of him were two completely different things.

Bruce looked worn and old a complete flip to the guy that parades around parties with women on each arm and a dopey smile on his face. This man looks in need of a strong drink.

“I know that Tim talked to you Richard. He said you’d figured it out yourself.” Bruce’s voice is gruff. He goes and takes a seat on the sofa, Dick follows and sits in the nearby chair pushing the spare pillows out of the way.

“Yeah, only recently though, never would of pegged ol’ Brucie for being the Batman you know? But seeing Tim after so long and Red Hood showing it. Somethings just clicked for me.” Dick rubs the back of neck. “Pretty embarrassing to be honest, I’m a Detective and I had clues left, right and centre and it wasn’t until it was literally in front of me that I put two and two together.”

Bruce’s eyebrows raise incredulously, “Richard you weren’t supposed to figure it out.”

“I know but--”

He’s cut off a raised gauntlet. “I just need you to promise me something. I could easily have your memories manipulated, remove the knowledge of our identities from you. But there is no guarantee that you would not find out again and if too much information is taken, you could become someone else entirely and I do not wish to erase Richard Grayson. I don’t believe Timothy would forgive me. So I would like your word that you will not let anyone else know what you know, that the information does not leave this room.”

Dick’s insides quiver with the knowledge that he’s under this man’s thumb. That he could have lost his memories of Tim, of their nights together.

Shudders at the phantom loss.

“I won’t say anything, I swear. I wouldn’t risk hurting Tim like that.” Dick says, Bruce gives him a firm nod.

Bruce raises from the sofa and prepares to make his way out and Dick calls out to him as he pulls the cowl back on.

“Just one thing? I know it's not my place to ask but… Why Robin? Why are your sidekicks called that?” Dick’s heart thunders in his chest.

He’s been wondering about it since he first learnt of the boy wonder. The named called to him in ways he hadn’t felt since he was a kid.

There is a long silence as The Bat just stares at him, unmoving and Dick prepares himself for him to just leave without an answer.

Bruce pulls a grapple from his belt and opens the window. “There was once a young boy who loved to fly, he wore bright colours and went by the name Robin. I thought it fitting that the boy who flies by my side, my light in the dark, be named after such a person.”

Struck dumb, Dick watches as Batman exits his window to the fire escape.

Bruce named Robin after him?

He knew there was a chance but the hope was almost crushing to the point that he had to let it go, though there aren’t many kids brave (stupid) enough to go around Gotham in colourful leotards calling themselves Robin.

But to know that Bruce had honoured him? His parents? Tears burned in his eyes as he tried to foolishly stop them from flowing. He remembers his parents faces as Bruce Wayne introduced himself that fateful night. Introducing Dick as their Little Robin.

Dick laughs to himself as he remembers. At the time he had been totally embarrassed to be called that by his Mom and Dad, telling them to knock it off and stop calling him that. Red in the face while looking up into the face of a younger Bruce Wayne.

Sniffling, he wipes his nose, what he wouldn’t give to hear his Mother’s sweet caring voice once again calling him to dinner, or his Father calling him in from playing with Zitka.

One of the highlights to that tragic day was meeting small shy Tim. Looking so out of place in his little suit, with his disinterested parents. His face was so pale and tiny, his eyes big and blue, truly striking with the wonder in them as he looked at excitement going on around him.

Dick remembers the trembling in Tim’s voice as he asked him questions. The tense stance he took when Jack or Janet placed a hand on him, made Dick want to lash out and pull him away, he barely knew the kid but he looked so uncomfortable.

Dick had taken him to the side and asked him if everything was ok at home as quietly as possible. Barely able to talk, Tim had stuttered his way through an apology. It was heartbreaking.

That was when he promised to do the quadruple somersault for him.

Tim had lit up like a Christmas tree, a grin on his face as he thanked Dick like he’d just handed him something precious.

Dick rubs his face and gets up, his bones and muscles ache as he stretches.

He grabs his phone on the way to his room, cereal forgotten.

He wants to talk to Tim.

#Detective!Dick #batman #bruce wayne #dick grayson #DickTim #My writing #dcu #fanfiction

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synshine · 6 years

Text

2017. 26.

this year, like years past, was filled with struggle - suffering - but also adventure, release, growth, stability, exploration, and heart.

I spent almost the entirety of 2017 (starting feb 22) sober. No alcohol. No drugs. No caffiene. The only exception was a beer I drank when spending time in a bar with Jim and Jesse the day they cut the tireswing down and a miniscule drag of cannabis during band practice that same day.

Much happened as I retraced the boundaries of my networks - reconnecting friendships gone stagnant by traveling the globe, and forming new ones while out at those edges. Briefly, I spent last december with sara and maddie in seattle where I worked on erradicating polio in nigeria with Intellectual Ventures for two weeks. On new years Heather and I flew out of newark to Dakar, Senegal for a two week trip with varsity Rambax - playing sabar on a beach and touring the country. From Dakar I flew to Beirut, Lebanon to visit my dear friend Bilal, got a surprise visit from Josefine, and finally learned what the middle east outside of Isreal was like. There is much love and beauty in that city. Once home I spent the XGames with my sister and friends in aspen - my first time visiting an extreme sports competition, something i'd always dreamed of. I moved back and forth between boston and new york a lot, eventually living in brambleberry, meeting the newer members of the haus in cambridge, jamming with scubaphone and with nick and evan at brambleberry. collaboration on computer generated art with rich. Jumping into the cab of a moving truck with a pizza pie, experimental sax blaring, nick's grin and evan's smile brightening the 2AM night - back of the truck filled with gamelan. Went to my first political protests, savored time at Lunch Club, watched movies at LSC with woz and others, listened to Noam, consulted on art pieces that fused music and taste, helped install amazing kinetic sculpture, took my first dance classes. I started psychotherapy in cambridge - a huge first step towards climbing out of a long-standing depression. I spent a lot of time outside in nature. lying in grass. meditating. walking around the charles. drawing. throat singing. finding figures in clouds. learning how to backflip. got back into skateboarding. I found love in so many places. Met Karen, reconnected with Janet, met Farah, reconnected with Marty, reconnected with Marie and more. Found solidarity with the whole of the senior house community. Fought the man HARD. and I wouldn't say we lost. I played music at ROAST again this year, and played my first gig at a bar. I practiced with rambax a lot during the time I was still in boston. I had my 5 year reunion. I met may-lee - my drawing partner. I sailed. I moved back into somerville with Katy and Silas and Adri and Sara. I hung out at pokernight. I spent time with Rob. I reconnected with Tracy Gleen. I biked 3 miles to get to cambridge/mit. I went to today junior's shows. I spent time with alex and krista in vermont. I spent time with Jonathan in cambridge. I spent time with feldmeier and sara and katy and laura and silas and john.

I was recruited.

I made a decision to leave boston. To reconnect with those who were on the west coast. To see what life was like over there. To satisfy that voice inside of me that had been wanting to move for ages - but wasn't sure why (and still am unsure why).

I went to firefly. My first sober firefly. The best one yet. I played music with strangers in front of a crowd. I saw esther and had positive interactions with her. I let go of jealousy and envy. I grieved my childhood friend's suicide, my mentor's death, and my grandfather's death. I watched their spirits and energy dissolve in the burning of the temple that nova designed, glimmering ashes rising to the stars - to start the cycle again - to be free and then be-coming. I wailed. I cried and screamed and released. and in my hardest moments, my truest family came to comfort me. jonathan, connie, evan, nova, joe, probably more people all hugging me tightly and keeping me close to their hearts. it made me feel like there was hope - that we are all a family - that we can be here together in harmony.

I flew to san francisco the next day. I took a job building flying electric vehicles. I moved in with damon for a bit but finally lived with my friends who had shipped to the west coast - people i look up to - people i love but haven't seen in forever. logan, scott, josh, buro, chris and yuanyu, and many more. I reconnected with my now west coast family. I saw tim and star and nagle and rebecca, amy, dan, laura, julian, sam, merry, eric, christy, the list goes on. I let go of my crush on damon. I let go of my crush on technology. I have been working for almost 6 months - the longest i'd ever worked for a company. I traveled a lot - watched paula get married to ike and held laura in my heart on the same day, as she married john. I danced with paula's family. I let go of marty. I roadtripped with mark and melinda. I saw value in myself. I saw alison and robin and sergei. I went to siggraph. began to let go of technology and science more. made friends with zanzie and hung out with josh and kiva again. bodysurfed naked with alex at 5am on venice beach. damn i love that place. saw Janet a lot. I saw the eclipse and roadtripped with danyQ and RMO all around the north midwest. I went to burning man. a childhood dream literally 10 years in the making. I met many people, and began to find the thread back to myself. I found core. I found sara and sara and dan and many many others. I got chaos to hug me. walked through duststorms, danced my ass off, loved strangers and was loved by strangers. turned down SO many offers to consume things I didn't want to. interacted as genuinely as I could. Fell in love with myself. Fought in the thunderdome. Took the playa home with me. I keep it in my heart. Sent out some postcards. began meditation again. biked from sf to mountain view many times. started paragliding. I went to the tep retreat. Connected more with karen and ira and all the current teps. took me a while, but eventually felt like i was home again. nature is beautiful. people are beautiful. life good. Met up with core in vancouver, in sf, and at tiffy's wedding. got into my first car accident. I found the ecstatic dance scene. met amanda and keri and june and navid. ashlan and zenevie from slacklining. found beloved. found mission skate shop.

In review - life has been kind and amazing to me. I hope to continue drumming and drawing and growing plants in the future. I am finally okay with walking away from technology. I hope to continue to reconnect with my family all over the planet, and get better at connecting and interacting with others. I haven't recorded much of the struggle here, but I also hope to spend a lot less time hating myself and being hard on myself. Learning to love myself has been difficult, but I know i'm getting better at it - just have to practice every day. In january I will start spending a lot more time at upland. I'm very excited for what awaits. Also, I'll be in NYC/boston the 25th-4th if you're around.

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