#Cassandra was supposed to be meeting some friends but she ????? ended up there???

[our-happygirl500-fan]

A nice detail that I kind of noticed was that the Rise opening in season 2 is slightly different than it is in season 1

When we see inside the Turtle Tank when Leo lands on top of it, originally in season 1 only April & Donnie are in the Turtle Tank but in season 2 Splinter is with them as well.

Another interesting change between season 1 & 2 is that the group of villains that we see, changes between seasons. In season 1 we see Meat Sweats, Hypno, Warren, Repo, Big Mama & a bunch of Mutant Silver Fish.

However in season 2 we see that Meat Sweats & Big Mama have been replaced by Sloppy Joseph (the mutated sloppy joe that Draxum kept from the episode  Mystery Meat) & Harold (the botanical gardens grounds keeper/ security guard who mutated in the episode How to Make Enemies and Bend People to Your Will)

The Mutant Silver Fish also Disappear from the openings between seasons 1 & 2 (maybe to represent the Turtles dealing with bigger, more serious threats?)  however there are other additions  

Mrs Nubbins (Repo’s cat) now appears in the season 2 opening alongside Repo Mantis possibly representing how Mrs Nubbins got mutated at some point in the middle of season 1 as the cat actually appeared pre-mutation in the episode Repo Mantis.

Ghostbear: Peekaboo losers!

Mikey, Leo, April & Donnie: Ghost Bear!?

Raph: Oh! Love the new look! Oooh hey, can I get a quick selfie?

Ghostbear who has also been added to the season 2 opening as similar to Mrs Nubbins, Ghost Bear also mutated in the middle of season 1 when he mutated in the episode Snow Day.

Hypno: That’s my Warren! Oh, it’s good to have ya’ back roomie/ magical assistant/ friend. Doves! Let’s go make fun of game show contestants on TV.

Another change is that Warren has switched from sitting on Meat Sweat’s shoulder to sitting on Hypno’s shoulder which might represent relationship that developed between Warren & Hypno in season 1.

Casey/ Foot Recruit was also added to the season 2 opening possibly representing how Foot Recruit was kind of supposed to have a bigger role throughout season 2 as apparently it had been planned that April & Cassandra were supposed to have a rivalry throughout season 2 but unfortunately most of their episodes were cut & the only one we got was Always Be Brownies.

Though most of Casey’s episodes were cut from season two she still did have quite a journey with her ending up on the side of the Hamato Clan so it would have been interesting to see where she would have been in an opening had Rise gotten a season 3.

Especially since it seems as though in the time between the end of season 2 & the movie Cassandra has been placed firmly in the ‘friend’ category for the Hamato Clan according to April as she calls Cassandra ‘our friend’.

April: Whoa! Looks like our friend Cassandra here has been busy

Finally, the final change between the season 1 & 2 openings is that Draxum has been replaced by Shredder as the seasons ‘big bad’ which makes sense as Draxum has his redemption arc in season 2 starting in the episode Repairin’ the Barron

Draxum: I told you Carol I do not want to meet your daughter

Karai: Thank you my young Hamato’s, we will always be with you

Oroku Saki was freed from the Dark Armour at the end of season 2 & went off to be with the other Hamato spirits so if Rise had gotten a season 3 a new Big Bad would have ended up in the spot of Draxum & Shredder

The ‘Big Bad’ of season 3 could have possibly been one of the Krang or Big Mama as though the Krang were always meant to be the movie’s antagonists we do know that at least one Krang was left on earth at the end of the movie.

However Big Mama could also possibly be a contender for the ‘Big Bad’ of season 3 as we know that the original outline for the third season was meant to be the Turtles looking for the two missing Turtle siblings & with the fact that Big Mama’s Assistant has been implied by the Rise team to have been one of the two missing siblings it’s possible that the Hamato Clan could have come into more direct conflict with Big Mama in the third season.

In the movie Krang Prime’s throne was made out of a Triceraton skull meaning that Triceraton’s do most likely exist in the Rise universe so the ‘Big Bad’ of season 3 might very well possibly been a Triceraton invasion.

Leo: They wanted to wipe out their ancient enemy the Krang

In the 2012 series one of the reasons for the Triceraton’s invasion was due to the Krang’s presence on Earth. A lot of the people who worked on the 2012 series also worked on Rise as well & as such some similarities between the two shows can sometimes be seen (such as both iterations having April & Casey be teens). It’s possible that Rise could have another similarity to the 2012 series by having the Triceratons come to Earth as a response to the Krang’s own presence there.

If the Triceratons do come to earth due to the Krang’s presence there then the events of the movie could possibly set up the Krang as the series next big bad.

Anyway the differences between the season 1 opening and the season 2 opening include:

Splinter being added to the Turtle Tank with April & Donnie

New villains in the villain group shot

A different ‘Big Bad’ in the final scene

So it is possible if Rise had gotten a season 3 the season 3 opening might have had Casey in the Turtle Tank with Donnie, April & Splinter (maybe standing behind one of their seats?), a new villain group shot with possibly villains that were introduced in the middle of season 2 or villains that will be introduced in season 3 & a new ‘Big Bad’ in the final scene.

[gale-gentlepenguin]

Gale Reviews: Deadpool & Wolverine

(Thanks @knightsweeties for the GP Wolverine art)

Now I happen to be a fan of the merc with the mouth. And so when I found out there would be a 3rd movie I was hyped. When I found out Disney was producing it … less hyped. Mainly because Disney has been hit or miss with superhero movies after Endgame.

But having watched it, And letting my bias die down I can tell you exactly how I feel about this as a movie.

For this review I will be covering the following.

The Plot,

The characters

The “Meta”

The Choreography

The Lesson

Final thoughts.

____________________________________________

The Plot

When it comes to Deadpool, plots are meant to be simple in order to allow for all the shenanigans. Deadpool and Wolverine is a movie that sounds like it will be complicated but is actually surprisingly straight forward.

Wade/Deadpool finds himself in a funk after his shenanigans in the previous movie and failing to join the avengers.

But despite that, he still has a good amount of people in his life. And they celebrate his birthday.

Suddenly the TVA (Time variance authority) appears and pulls him in. Where Paradox tells him he’s being pulled into the main timeline. Deadpool is hyped because it means he gets to be a hero again!

But he finds out that his timeline is dying because the “Anchor being” is dead. Turns out it’s the Wolverine from the Logan movie. And because of this Paradox decides instead of waiting for that timeline to decay he would use a timeripper to destroy it. (A literal time bomb)

Deadpool then goes to try and revive Wolverine. Which he digs up his corpse, and TVA agents appear. (This is the actual start of the film) Deadpool uses Logan’s corpse to kill the TVA agents.

Deadpool then starts traveling the multiverse for different Wolverines (each one beating the s*** out of Wade) before finding the Wolverine that would accompany him for the rest of the movie.

He returns to the TVA to find out that he picked up the Worst Wolverine and that this isn’t how Anchor beings work.

The duo gets tossed into the void. Where they are supposed to get eaten by the Alioth. (Deadpool points out what episode of the show it’s from.) Deadpool and Wolverine meet a bunch of characters thrown into the void (all from 20th century Fox movies) where they eventually meet the main Villain Cassandra nova, Professor Xavier’s twin sister that was removed from the timeline as a baby because she was dangerous.

The duo barely escape and travel to find the “Resistance” in order to fight Cassandra and escape the void.

There they meet Electra, Blade, Gambit (from the unaired tv show), and X-23. The one from Logan.

They eventually go back to fight Cassandra and after a failed assassination attempt on her life by Pyro who was hired by the TVA. DP and Wolverine manage to get back to DP’s Timeline.

Unfortunately Cassandra Also shows up because she is salty with Paradox and decides to use the time ripper to give herself the power to destroy every timeline

Deadpool and Wolverine end up fighting an army of Deadpool variants before being saved by Peter.

They stop the Time ripper with the power of friendship and because of that Cassandra Nova gets ripped apart and Paradox gets arrested by the TVA’s Hunter B-15.

Deadpool gets his timeline restored. Wolverine ends up becoming part of DP’s friend group and it ends with Deadpool reconciling with Vanessa.

Overall it sounds complicated but the movie always does a decent job explaining anything that the viewer would be confused by without slowing down the movie pace. It fits very inline with the Deadpool movie plot lines. Though some scenes did drag on and some things felt like padding. It was a solid plot.

8/10

__________________________________________

The Characters

Deadpool: Ryan Reynolds does arguably his best performance of DP in this movie. I felt like the balance of plot and parody was in top form. There was never a scene where I said “Deadpool wouldn’t do that.” Solid performance and is the most fitting actor for the hero they are portraying. 10/10

Wolverine: Hugh Jackman is the best at what he does and he plays most of the Wolverine variants. His performance as Wolverine in this is second only to his performance in Logan. I love the reveal that this was X man Origins Wolverine. Turning one of my least favorite movies into something I can enjoy. 9/10

Cassandra nova: Emma Corrine’s performance of Xavier’s crazy sister is solid. I love how absolutely vile she is. She is vicious, petty, unhinged and manipulative. You understand why SHE is a threat. And her unhinged mannerisms explain why she doesn’t just kill people right away. She loves to toy with them. But the best part is, her plan is a reaction. If paradox had left her alone, she wouldn’t have even bothered leaving the Void. I love that part. It’s very Maleficent of her. 8/10

Mr.Paradox: he is exactly what you would expect, a disgruntled employee that thinks he knows better than everyone else. He’s slimey, cowardly and thinks he’s smarter than he is. His name also fitting how much of a contradiction he is. He claims he’s doing what’s best for the TVA, yet is going behind their back to do his plan. And his ending scene is *chef’s kiss*. 8/10

The Resistance: Blade, Elektra, X-23, and Gambit are all phenomenal characters. The way they play off of Wade and Wolverine is some solid banter. Though the break out for me was Channing tatum’s gambit. But all of them had their moments. 9/10

Deadpool Corps: From Dogpool to Headpool.I loved each variant of Deadpool. I even liked Nicepool who had the funniest death. Lady Deadpool being portrayed by Blake Lively. And baby pool and kidpool being portrayed by Blake and Ryan’s kids. Lovely. Though Peggy’s performance as Dogpool was AWE-inspiring! Stealing every scene she was in. I think the DP variants were in all the scenes they needed to be in. Not over used. 9/10

Blind Al: Leslie Uggams gives another amazing performance. Top tier and the best character in the movie. Just as important to the Deadpool franchise as Deadpool and Peter. 10/10

Peter: Rob Delaney crushing his role as Peter. He is used the perfect amount. No notes. 10/10

Overall the rest of the supporting cast and cameos were all solid and the casting could not be better.

9/10

__________________________________________

The “Meta”

Deadpool is no stranger to 4th wall breaks. But this is the first movie where the Meta is such a huge part of the plot. The references and used assets of previous movies and shows make up 90% of the movie. Now I want to say that this isn’t distracting… but it kind of is. It makes the film just feel like a 2+ hour 4th wall break. And for some people, that can be jarring.

For me, I enjoyed it and I was expecting it. But to those going in expecting a typical marvel movie. It’s not that.

That being said I like how even if you didn’t know about the properties you can get enough of an explanation to follow what’s going on. I haven’t been keeping up with everything marvel so there were some things I didn’t know. The movie rewards you the more you watched the things it references, but it rarely penalizes your enjoyment if you don’t.

Overall I thought the Meta was fine but a few tweaks could have made it better.

7/10

______________________________________

The Choreography.

This is the best fight scenes I’ve seen in the franchise.

All the fights have interesting gimmicks or styles that it never feels repetitive. It always has something new, gives great drama and suspense. And the fight in the Toyota is one of the most fun fights in marvel.

And that opening sequence maybe my favorite in the franchise.

And that Climax (I almost cried)

Absolutely no notes

10/10

____________________________________________

The lesson

I know how shocking this sounds, but yes, this does have a lesson. It actually has 2 lessons.

The first we learn from Deadpool. That purpose does not need to be grand. To be a hero you only need to protect those you love, cherish your world and you will never falter. Or simply put. Realizing how much one Matters.

The second lesson is Wolverine, that mistakes and failures do not need to define us. We can change, we can grow, we can be better. Redemption, or in a way the opposite of Wade’s issue. The past doesn’t need to matter if you focus on the future.

Both lessons are shown by both characters (especially in the climax) such a solid character growth for both characters. (And the matter and Antimatter convergence)

8/10

_________________________________________

Final thoughts

The movie for me is an 8.5/10

I loved the movie for what it is. It is a bit clunky at some points. But the heart of the characters is there. The movie has a soul, something I felt was lacking from Marvel since endgame. The movie jokes that it’s the marvel messiah. I also think they made the joke in bad taste (disrespecting the man upstairs)

Though if they do believe that this movie could save marvel, I honestly can’t say it’s true. But I can say it’s my favorite marvel movie post endgame. Just barely beating out No way home.

[spencerberkeley]

DON'T WORRY, BE HAPPY:

Look, you know what happens if you don't spice up the dash. People die. Mistral's doesn't get enough love so...let's do this to it I guess idk. Features Spencer, Cassie, Nora, a bunch of NPCs and a vaguely referenced dude. Date: Evening of 21/8/24. Warnings: Kate up to her usual ish. 

“I hate French food so fucking much. Why are you doing this to me?”

“Laurent recommended the place, and I said I’d—”

The initial disgust present on Cassandra’s face dissipated in an instant, instead replaced by amusement, and all he could do was grimace in annoyance that he had somehow ended up calling her his best friend. There was no point finishing what he was about to say. Slowly, she lifted her hand from the thankfully (in her humble opinion) foodless table, giving him a dramatic thumbs-up.

“Don’t start this shit again.”

“Ooh friend!” The blonde cooed loudly.

Too late.

“French friend!”

This time it was Nora who chimed in, and he shot her a look that very much said ‘traitor.’

The reference earned a few sniggers from the others gathered around the table—Jessica and Llewellyn, in particular—and worse, drew the attention of several onlookers. Spencer didn’t care enough to offer them any attempt at an apology for bringing literal farm animals to dinner, but tried to hush the pair of idiot blondes for his own sake.

They were a party of eight and he regretted almost every choice intensely. Cassandra and his former girlfriend, Jessica Mirzoyan, sat opposite, smirking like school girls at his expense. His two sisters flanked her new partner, his cousin, Llewellyn, to his left. Camilla’s husband, Philip, and his childhood friend, Jack, were engaged in their own conversation, entirely separate from the mess at the table, to his right. They were down two, though. Jasper and his new girlfriend—or old, if they were going to get technical about it, he supposed—were also supposed to be in attendance, but given her apparent reticence sparking concern during their vacation earlier in the month, Spencer suspected it was for the best that they weren’t being subject to whatever the fuck this was.

“You know when you lecture me about being too busy with work to socialise with you?” Spencer began, pointing a finger at Cassandra accusatorily. “Maybe it’s because you’re shit.”

“I’m actually a blessing, but okay.”

“A blessing,” Nora repeated for emphasis, taking a very ladylike sip of her champagne. “Speaking of blessings, though, where is Alexis? You better not have left her at home with the kids so you can get drunk on a school night…”

“Nah, some shit came up with Gaius. Mum is babysitting.”

“Mine, too,” Camilla added.

“She’s watching all of them?! You realise dad has the larger inheritance, right? This better not be some morbid tactic to send the woman to an early grave…”

The conversation was light-hearted, and he appreciated it given the weight his day had landed squarely on his shoulders. A meeting with Elizabeth Acton had left him reeling so spectacularly, Spencer had almost cancelled last minute so he could go home and try to figure out what the fuck he was going to do. As much as he pretended the people surrounding him were nothing more than irritants, however, the reality was that in that moment, he was more grateful for the distraction than they could begin to understand. Particularly when he was no longer sure that this could be as regular an occurrence as he’d like going forward.

Eventually, the food was delivered by a very proud looking waiter. Most displeased was he, upon returning to check on their progress, to see Cassie pushing hers around the plate like a petulant toddler who would’ve been better suited to chicken nuggets.

It was the first time everyone had been relatively quiet, though; a contrast to the otherwise bustling restaurant around them.

Until the ambience was disturbed by a shrill shriek coming from outside.

Spencer checked his Rolex. 19:39.

In typical British fashion, everyone’s eyebrows pulled into a frown, though none commented aloud. It was more an annoyance—how dare somebody mildly inconvenience their evening with such unbecoming behaviour—as opposed to concern for what may have caused the outburst. The only one seated at their table that seemed to be worried about what might be happening outside of their little bubble was Nora, typically enough, and she attempted to steal a glance through the window they were seated beside.

“It’s South Ken, Nora. Somebody was probably spotted wearing last season’s Chanel,” Jack brushed it off, though not without attempting to get a look, himself.

Spencer almost huffed out a laugh at that, but it died in his throat before it ever reached the others.

Suddenly, something just…didn’t feel right.

A few people around them had got up from their tables with similar intent to be nosy; perhaps, when they noticed the normal evening crowds making their way down the street begin to disperse in what was almost certainly not a reaction to somebody’s poor fashion choices.

It wasn’t his first time being caught up in a situation like this, but given how he reacted, one could’ve been fooled into thinking so.

It couldn’t have been more than twenty seconds between the first scream and the sound of gunshots ripping through the comfortable normality of Kensington and Chelsea. The onslaught was so loud it couldn’t have been anywhere else but right outside, and as much was confirmed as the sounds of nearby windows shattering intermittently pierced the panicked screams of the diners.

Champagne and fois gras was sent flying as people sought cover beneath their tables. Threw them aside in an attempt to get away from the room and the stray bullets finding the interior, entirely. Except it didn’t much seem like they were strays. It seemed like someone was aiming them directly at the fucking restaurant.

Pick a table by the window, Laurent had said… It’ll be fun, he’d said…

Spencer reflexively grabbed for Nora, attempting to drag her beneath the table to take cover, but she was attempting her own rescue on Cassie, and she was out of his grip before he ever truly had it. Philip was trying to pull his wife to safety, but the continuous shots in their direction made it hard to tell where was safe, and where was directly in the fucking firing line.

What were they supposed to do? Where were they supposed to go?

Glancing around for something they could all duck behind, every single sense heightened by the immediate shot of adrenaline, he took note that a woman a table over had clearly been struck. Though he could see her moving, the blood pooling around her seemed so swift in its escape, he probably would’ve wondered if her demise was an inevitability had he not been so focused on trying to help the people he loved avoid a similar fate.

Everything was a blur, eerily reminiscent of another time he’d been showered in glass at the hands of murderers.

Why here? Why now?

A Frenchman lying limp on the blood-stained pavement outside answered both of those questions, but nobody present beneath the table could’ve known that.

It felt like an eternity of ragged breathing and thumping hearts until it finally stopped.

The screaming didn’t, though. Nor did the wails of pain. Grief, in some cases, he didn’t doubt.

“What the fuck—” Jessica, always the calm and collected one, was utterly betrayed by the wavering in her voice. Spencer was surprised she could string a sentence together at all.

“What’s happening? Is everyone all right?” Camilla, then.

Cassie was practically catatonic, and he realised quickly, this was not her first encounter with a firing squad. It seemed she was even less equipped to deal with it than he felt. Maybe in some cases, experience wasn’t always such a good teacher…

“I think I’m bleeding,” Nora said shakily.

Spencer’s head shot up immediately in spite of the fact everyone else was too scared—rightfully so—to stray from their hiding spots. What was to say whoever had done this wasn’t just fucking reloading? What if this wasn’t really over as quickly as they thought it was?

“What do you mean? Where?”

“Oh, Jesus.”

“It’s just—” His sister’s attempt at an explanation was cut off as she gasped out in pain, Llewellyn attempting to place pressure on the wound. “It’s just my arm. I think it hit my arm.”

“We need to get out of here. Is everyone else good?”

“There’s blood on me, too, but I think I’m—” Philip started, his slicked-back hair dishevelled for perhaps the first time in his existence, before he was looking right at Spencer. “It’s not mine. Spencer, you’re bleeding.”

What?

Maybe it had been a mistake to assume he felt so detached from that moment because of stress, or anxiety, or pure fight-or-flight reflexes. In fact, he hadn’t felt a fucking thing until he’d looked down at himself, the faces of the others around him paling. It didn’t require too much searching when ‘you’re bleeding’ suddenly felt like the biggest understatement in the world. Evidently, when he’d jumped to his feet in an attempt to grab for his sister, he’d exposed himself to the window.

He hadn’t felt a fucking thing then but he sure did now.

The blood was soaking into his dress shirt at a terrifying speed, and he was suddenly very aware of an intense pain growing just beneath his ribcage. Oh, fuck.  

One hand reached for his upper abdomen, another for the table.

One missed and he found himself falling to the ground, body suddenly weak as though it took seeing it with his own eyes for his brain to fucking register what was happening.

It was enough to break Cassie out of her trance, though.

Might’ve laughed at her crawling toward him hurriedly on all fours like something out of a horror movie if he hadn’t felt himself starting to fade a moment later.

Maybe he hated French food now, too.

And maybe, he wouldn’t have to worry so much about Elizabeth propping him up to be the next Leader of the Conservative Party if he was fucking dead.

[bearcreekhq]

MEET JUNI

Full Name → Juniper "Juni" Alexandra July

Age → 29

Birthday → October 13th, 1994

Order & Type → first, solo

Gender & Pronouns → cis woman, she/her

Sexuality → bisexual

Occupation → activity director at Kindred Spirits Retirement Home

THEIR STORY

There was no shortage of reminders in Juniper's life that she was a mistake; the result of a one night stand. The hands-off parenting that was endured most of her life one of many. It wasn't Cassie's fault that she wasn't fit for parenthood, and put the same pressure on her daughter daily as she did the students of NYADA. Juni always tried her best to please Cassie and make her proud, but she was lucky to earn the occasional smile or hug. It wasn't that Cassandra was heartless, she just didn't know how to parent. It wasn't part of her plan in life, and Juniper tried not to fault her for it. That didn't mean it didn't hurt though.

Despite his lack of income, Nate was the warmer parent. Juniper didn't get to see him often because he moved away from New York, but she tried to communicate at least a few times a month. He would praise her high marks in school and ask how her day was. It was strikingly different to Cassie's approach of ignoring her half of the time, unless to ask if she had finished her homework. What Nate lacked in money, he gave in heart. The exact opposite of her mom.

Things changed however once Juniper entered high school and took a spot on the school dance team. She did always enjoy dancing, and there was no denying it was in her blood. Her mother was the best of the best. Juni had learned some here and there while sitting in some of Cassie's classes. She was supposed to be doing her homework, but t was difficult not to be distracted by the graceful dancers. She was in awe of them, but especially her mom. What Cassie lacked in motherhood, she excelled in charisma and talent.

Never in her life did Juniper have a parent in the stands until her mother showed her support at a Homecoming game. Juni proudly strutted her stuff on the field, with the reminder that this might be the only chance she had. Although Cassie didn't make it to every game, she made a bit more effort to show presence. Juniper felt like maybe they had something in common they could bond over. While it wasn't an ideal relationship, it was more than she had ever expected.

Her senior year came much more pressure, this time not from herself to get attention, but Cassie. She insisted Juniper apply for NYADA, and every night after her class they went to work. It was a painstaking process, but in the end Juni ended up right where mother and daughter wanted her to be. If she had thought Cassie as her mother was difficult, having her as a teacher was a nightmare.

Worked to the bone, Juniper found her passion for dancing beginning to dissipate. It was no longer enjoyable, but she kept pounding the pavement until a leg injury made her unable to continue. That spark of pride from her mother was gone, and immediately Cassie cast her aside again like she was no use to her. Juni was devastated, but not surprised. It may have been her way of pushing Juniper to keep trying, but she was done trying to please and sacrifice. Although she no longer could pursue dancing professionally, that didn't keep her from trying to stay out of the spotlight.

New York lent many opportunities for stardom. Considering her ability to play the happy daughter despite the despair deep inside, Juniper tried her hand at acting. Nothing major ever came to fruition, but she managed a couple of short films and some local theatre roles. The passion she'd once harbored for dancing never seemed to return. Nor did it lend itself elsewhere except for playing the guitar. But Juni wasn't sure she could go down that road. She didn't want to turn another passion into and obligation by making a career of it.

Juniper was grateful for the people she met along the way in theatre, particularly her best friend. Even with distance between them, they have done their best to keep in pretty constant contact and fill each other in on their lives. She had also fallen in love with a fellow theatre companion. Finally she felt content with her life, even if she couldn't decide what was next for her career. It would all work out she had assured herself. At least she wouldn't be alone.

Everything came crashing down months later when he left her at the altar. No communication, no explanation. Juni was humiliated and heartbroken. It was the final straw. Packing up her things, she fled to Bearcreek to stay with her father until she could gain her footing. Luckily her best friend would be close by, and with her help she had a job waiting in the town that was probably the tenth of the size of home. Maybe though she would finally find herself, and a place that actually felt like home.

Since the failed wedding, Cassie has reached out to Juniper to console her. One of the rare times she showed that she cared. Juni has yet to respond though and isn't sure she's ready to open that wound anytime soon, especially with her mother. She doesn't want her pity or negativity. All she ever really wanted was to be loved.

[cocogum]

Casey is lost.

It’s tragic to realize that the original timeline was supposed to truly end with everyone dying on their own by sacrificing themselves to protect what’s left of their home planet.

Despite the low numbers and chances of survival from this whole experience, the brothers did not care and still kept trying to live until their last breaths.

Because of this movie, we come to find out that all the funny shenanigans and good memories that the Hamato family experienced were for it to all end in tragedy and loneliness.

It’s strange to think that THIS was in actuality the original timeline (and demise) for the turtles. Because it’s a bit hard to believe that they had created so many memories together during missions that they finally can’t complete one. And yet, it’s the most realistic ending for these four.

With so many good things happening to you, you’re bound to receive some bad ones later on. Yes, the turtles had a long life and managed to get so many adventures before it all came crashing down on them. And maybe that’s fine. Maybe that’s acceptable. They died in tragedy but a good sleep will do them good.

Not to mention that it’s quite ironic and poetic that all of those horrific tragedies happened because of Leo’s cockiness.

It all started with Leo. And it ended with Leo.

There is a reoccurring theme in the movie that keeps on supporting Leo no matter what action he presses on the team to do.

And that is the theme of time.

Throughout the movie, there was a repeated conversation about the same topic going on between Leo and Donnie that introduces the idea that no matter how a situation may look impossible, anything is possible. Donnie seems to reject that way of thinking while Leo completely adopts it. We have Donnie explaining why this belief of his brother is deeply flawed based on the reality of things and how not everything just coincidentally goes according to him.

This theme took place in two scenes.

The first was right in the beginning with the pizza box challenge and the second was when they were about to sneak into Krang’s ship.

But it looks like whatever type of danger was thrown at the family, it seems like Leo’s perseverance and unbelievable luck were right all along while Donnie’s logic and realistic views were mistaken.

Or as Leo delicately puts it:

“Donnie’s WRONG!”

Yeah, sure everything went fine after Leo put Krang back in the prison dimension but this success means that a new timeline has been added to the original one.

Saving the world before Krang could have had access to his army meant that the timeline split itself and now has a second-time branch.

This not only reinforces the fact that rise!tmnt is inconspicuously darker than it intends to be, but it also means something big for Casey.

He’ll never actually see his timeline again.

He’ll never see his masters and his mother.

And he’ll never know what happened to the rest of his comrades who were fighting before Casey entered the portal made by Mikey.

Your choices are what shape you as a person over time. Now that the events of the past have been altered, it’s highly likely that the Hamato family will not act the same way Casey once knew them as.

Just because Casey knows these people, that doesn’t mean they’ll grow up to act the same way they did in his timeline.

Even though everyone had a happy ending, Casey is, unfortunately, the only one who doesn’t have one whether he realizes it or not. His friends and family aren’t there. They were long gone in a future that has been unwillingly abandoned by him.

He would literally never see the people he cares about ever again.

Casey might not even meet himself in this timeline.

It is unclear who his father could be but the chances of Cassandra meeting him again without the apocalypse could be very thin.

The krang invasion is what brought people from everywhere together. This is where she must’ve met him and had Casey. So since the krang’s attack never happened in this timeline, Cassandra might never meet Casey’s father and have him.

Leo was so caught up in the events of the potential threat of the Krang invasion that he, along with everyone else, did not think about the consequences that it would bring.

Everything comes with a price.

Whether they won or lost the battle, there would always be good things and bad things trailing their actions.

This is one of them.

Defeating the Krang before the invasion could happen has likely made sure that Casey won’t exist in this timeline.

Sure, the Casey from the timeline where they lost against the Krang can still live in the second timeline. But he’ll be aware that he’ll never exist in this one. In a timeline where people don’t have to live in caves, don’t have to eat rats for every meal of the day, don’t have to constantly hide in fear of getting killed, don’t have to listen to horrifying stories about the invaders, and don’t have to hear the cries and wailing of the people who lost their loved ones during missions.

His existence never belonged in a happy carefree one.

“Our future isn’t written until WE write it!”

Leo’s quote may be the cruellest thing Casey has ever heard.

Can you imagine being in one of the turtles’ shoes?? Like they have to eat rats for dinner that’s like trying to eat your dad’s ancestry. And they eat that for EVERY SINGLE MEAL for the rest of their lives??? Who even decided that they should all eat rats?!!!?!

[greypetrel]

For Aislingl: 7, 12, 16!

Thank you for asking! <3

Tis the prompt list

7. Who is your OC’s best friend? How did they meet?

Pre-Inquisition: Vyrina was an elf of her same age in the clan. She was kind and very, very romantic, the kind of girl that starts to plan her marriage at 9 and wants to marry early and have lots and lots of children. They played together as children, Aisling was very shy at first and Vyrina was very delicate and quiet, they got along well and stuck around. Vyrina started her apprenticeship with the Keeper, as an herbalist and healer, so they spent a lot of time together, share opinions of Elfroot, take walks in the woods to forage (Vyrina has better eyes to spot mushrooms). When she finally managed to have a child, Nehnis, Aisling became the official aunt. Aisling's the aunt of her second born, even if she was already away when he was born.

Inquisition and post: Dorian. They met in Redcliffe, he saved her life with the amulet and they just clicked. They have a similar mind, like magic and to stretch its limits and experiment, both have had bad experiences with families. Aisling likes to touch and hug and Dorian doesn't mind at all.

12. Does your OC have a love interest? How did they meet? What makes them work well together? If no, tell me about their “type” or why they prefer to be alone. (Being alone is valid!)

After a long-term relationship with a huntress in her clan, which was not the healthiest relationship ever (Ydun wanted a power couple, Aisling never cared about power, she took pride in being the First just because it meant she was good with her magic), and a fleeting crush over Cassandra (She stole a kiss. It didn't end well. They made up some frienship back)... Cullen.

She approached him in Haven to form a better relationship, since they had to work together, and they didn't trust each other. It turned out they got along pretty well. They're both practical people who like simple things, are drawn to position of leadership because they can shoulder responsibilities and take duty seriously, and that are making up as they go being underqualified for their roles (Cullen commanded a garrison of Templars, yes. Not an army. Not an army that's supposed to siege fortress and do more than contain mages). None of them expects the other to speak when they're together, they can just... Vibe together without speaking. They're both big softies that like animals, care for the other when the other just won't. Aisling puts some fun and reminds him to stop once in a while, Cullen gives her stability and faith in herself, redo the bed each morning and will eventually cook because she can't.

16. How organized is your OC? Do they like to have a place for everything and everything in its place, or do they live inside a tornado of chaos and mayhem?

Aisling lives in an ordered mess.

She's not tidy and is not used to have a lot of space for herself, so... She fills it. Usually she has piles of books scattered around, there's usually a blanket spread before the fireplace with pillows on top that serves as her reading nook and she never puts away, she plays basket with her bin and discarded papers she wants to throw away, and has THE CHAIR OF CLOTHES. Redoing her bed in the morning is something she finds extremely tedious and with little sense, and today she won't iron ANYTHING. If Cullen wants his shirt ironed, he can suit himself. (*flash of Cullen ironing socks*)

She knows the placing of every single item in her chaos, every pile of books has a sense ("On the couch there are books about magic, near the desk there are treatises on military tactics, next to the window the ones on etiquette, Orlesian history is this way") and her mess has a lot of order about it. So much so that when her maid -Frida- tidies her room, she can't find anything anymore.

The only think that she keeps maniacally tidy is her workstation of little chemist. Every jar of herb is neatly labelled, they're put in goot order as well as the instruments and empty flasks. Outside that table it's chaos she can navigate, but the mortar? Immaculate.

[smolandweirdwriter]

I'd like to order one talk about Rebellion's not about labels please

But seriously, it sounds interesting so tell us about it!!

okkk so basically this is a fig-centric fanfic where she basically... helps her friends come out? kinda?

it starts with fig & kristen going to a gsa meeting in the beginning of junior year because kristen convinced her to go, and everyone is talking about like discovering their sexuality and coming out, and someone asks fig what her sexuality is & shes like "I don't really think it matters tbh", which prompts a whole discussion/debate and fig has literally never known that sexuality was this complicated and she goes home and starts to panic a little bit bit.

she & kristen talk and kristen says something like "if you're not sure of something, that's like a time of doubt right? I'd talk to Cassandra" & so fig talks to cassandra and comes to terms with the fact that it's okay if she doesn't want to label herself and it's ok if she's not super sure of who she is

she then helps gorgug as he's VERY much not certain if or why he likes Unit because they a) use they/he pronouns, and b) are a bronze cube???? so yeah gorgug's very confused rn. he's never really thought about his sexuality, although his parents are very open-minded (maybe a little TOO open minded), so now he's a little bit worried that maybe he's got it wrong. he & fig are recording together one day when unit texts gorgug. fig teases him about it, prompting gorgug's confession to his uncertainty. Fig basically goes, "But do you like them??" and when gorgug says yeah fig says, "Then ask them out, dummy!! It's ok if you're confused--but don't let that stop you from being who you are." so gorgug asks out unit

fabian has not asked mazey out yet, and at this point, riz has come out as aroace, and fabian is determined to support that. he's riz's best friend, he has to support him! he loves riz! but he realizes in one sickening, sleepless night: he loves riz. he really, really loves riz. panicking, he spends the rest of the night pacing and trying to convince himself he's wrong. the next morning, he finds riz and it's... not a great interaction, all things considered. afterwards, fig asks him what's going on and he confesses. fig winces sympathetically and asks him if he wants to go get ice cream. they get ice cream and talk about unrequited crushes (fig has had... many). and it's ok. he'll move on. eventually.

the next chapter is in the summer after junior year.

riz is asexual and aromantic. and he's learning that that's not bad, or wrong. but he's struggling with feeling alone. one day after school, fabian and mazey are on a date, and kristen and tracker are reconnecting after tracker came back for a bit after her breakup with Nara, and fig is supposed to go on a date with ayda but riz looks so, so lonely as he's walking home. so when ayda texts fig that she's realized she's supposed to have dinner with her dad tonight and can't go out with fig, fig's not too upset. she spends some time with riz and they have a sleepover and talk about the future until late at night. and in the morning, riz is happy because he's not alone, and he has friends who do love him, and there's nothing wrong with him, and fig won't leave him alone. none of them will. he's important to them all, just as important as their partners

later, they go to fallinel for vacation and adaine is?? having a crisis?? she thought she was straight, but wait she did not remember Nara being that nice or smart or pretty, what's happening to her? she doesn't want sex, but someone to hold hands with or kiss would that be so bad? but does she want to be in love with a girl? and is that real, because she's never even thought she was anything other than straight until her friends came out, so isn't that kinda fake of her? if she didn't know there were options other than straight, would she still be straight? she ends up voicing all of this to fig at 3 in the morning, who helps her calm down, and that's when the titular line is said by fig

[spook-e-snail]

hey so I've been going through your self ship tag and I'm genuinely curious, what's your dynamic like with Cassandra? Like is there a backstory between you two or is it like an unspecified thing?

I've actually never thought about how to describe the dynamic with words weirdly enough? Like I'm not sure if cringe fail husband and equally cringe fail girl boss wife is the best way to explain it. Like they kinda feel like they're the only ones who get each other in a way? Its hard to describe but just trust me bro 👍

Putting this all under a read-more because its long as fuck lmao. But yes! I do have a backstory :))

So! I actually have a few different concepts for my backstories! The main plot I actually have a(n unfinished) fic for!

The basic idea is my insert (Kurt) moves to a new town a few years after the events of PS. The plot roughly follows the love conquers all route. Like Pico was able to talk Cassandra and her gang out of their initial plan but you can tell she's like one mild inconvenience away from doing it all again. Everyone is alive albeit mildly unhinged.

Back when I was first introduced to PS I actually had a dream Cassandra hit me with a car so I kinda wrote that into the self ship lore. Sounds weird but trust me I make it work

She hits him with a car (that isn't hers). She learns they have a lot im common, they become friends, she realizes she likes the little emo bastard, she lets him know she's an alien and he's chill about it, they kiss, pretty typical stuff tbh.

Now while my insert's plot doesn't follow the main ps timeline I fucking love the angst some of these ideas have. I also wanted to make a chart to make it somewhat more easy to follow.

(ignore the first part of the chart I fucked up the bubbles are supposed to say before/after not yes/no)

The plot where they don't meet is obviously kinda boring so I'll talk about it first to get it out of the way. She's dead. He doesn't meet the iconic goth alien. They don't smooch. The end. (Tbh if I ever start self shipping with any other PS/PS adjacent characters I feel like this would be where my insert goes off and smooches some other characters)

I feel like the "fine red mist" ending would be closest to the game? Like the death part anyways.

In both of the non boring original timeline endings Cassandra is very dishonest about what it is she's doing. She realizes Kurt fucking despises how flawed the American education system is and has a general hatred for authority figures and makes her plan seem less like a massacre and more like a really big protest. He isn't given a gun or anything but he is the one who was told to chain the doors shut

As the name implies, Kurt in fact does get blown up in this ending. Again this ending plays out the most like the games. She doesn't shoot Kurt like she does Spike and Pierre but he does still end up dying whenever the back wall collapses in a very bloody cartoonish fashion. Pico ends up killing Cassandra and saves the day. The end :))

Anyways the partners in crime ending is a bit less developed you could say? Like Cassandra does still flat out lie about her intentions with the school and acts very recklessly with the lives of the rest of the goths, but instead twords the end she's like "Erm actually fuck this I'm getting out of here," and basically takes Kurt and goes into hiding right before they are killed in the final boss fight. But weirdly enough Kurt is fine with all of this and just kinda goes along with it. They run from the law and r fucked up evil cycle paths together 💔💔💔. The end.

There's definitely some holes but that's the basic idea plus some extra plot stuff!!

[moonieshinesims]

Generation One - Chapter Thirteen

It's the final few days before River moves off to college with Havarti and Cassandra! How will she and her friends end their last summer together?

River and her friends had been filling up the majority of their summer with part-time jobs and random outings. It was the last time they'd get to see one another as a whole for a while, so they decided to go to some abandoned ruins a couple towns over.

She wasn't quite sure she and the other girls were dressed for this kind of outing, but she decided to have fun with it anyways. There were water balloons there, provided by Koshari and Johnny, so they had a water balloon fight.

There was also a hot springs where they all decided to take a dip.

The water was murky and green. River hoped it didn't house some sort of bacteria or parasite that would kill them all.

Malcom was right, it did feel good despite the nasty green color.

"Yeah, in a week. Are you going anywhere?" She directed the question at Koshari, because she knew Johnny would never go to college. He was a freelancer and moonlit as a stand up comedian. You didn't need college to be funny.

"Yeah. Mom made me apply to University of Britechester." UB was the more traditional college across town from Foxbury.

"Wow! UB. What are you going to study?"

"I dunno, I was thinking communications and art history. I'm not sure yet though."

"Well, UB is right across town from Foxbury, so we'll have to meet up sometime!" River suggested. She liked hanging out with Koshari, he had always been nice to her.

"Koshari would love that!" Johnny said, a little too excitedly, "After all he's been talking about you nonstop for like -"

Koshari elbowed him in the ribs. It seemed as if River hadn't heard him anyways, but Koshari could feel his face practically melting off, and it wasn't from the hot springs.

The following weekend River's mom told her they were going to go out for a final family lunch together.

"It's your last weekend spending time with us...!" Bee said, "I've got plans to take you to a nice meal. We're all gonna go!"

River was being somewhat difficult and Bee didn't like it. Again, they were never all that close, but Bee wanted to let River know she does love her and care about her, and wants her to be happy.

"We're going and you're going to like it!"

Two days later they arrived at Bob Pancakes for their reserved lunch. The restaurant was in the same neighborhood that Havarti and Cassandra lived in, so of course it was expensive.

Everything in that area looked like something out of a movie.

River was convinced that her mom was more excited for the meal than she was, so she tried to stop complaining once they were inside the building.

River sighed and wondered why her family felt she thought so lowly of herself. Maybe it was the way she carried herself? Maybe it came across in the way she spoke? She had worked hard on her attitude and hobbies and even her looks over the past two years! She supposed she still had a long way to go...

That night Havarti gave her a call, reminding her where to meet so they could ride into campus together.

She'd packed, but didn't have much to bring with her. Havarti had told her she set up their housing and she wouldn't have to worry about too much, but hearing that made her worry more.

Where were they going to be living? What sort of weird situation was Havarti getting her into now?

She went to bed feeling excited and scared and a little sad.

It's not like she couldn't come back for holidays, but this was her first big step into moving on with her life, becoming a real adult.

It was scary, but it was also her first real step at hunting down Ichiban.

[the-broken-truth]

Can I request i male reader who treats all of the lords and mother mranda like his own kids cause of his animal instincts? 🙍‍♂️🐾

(You can choose the sifter)

Broken (Chuckles): Hello, @imanewboi99 - back again to spoil me with delicious scenarios, are you? (Reads ask) A Shifter that treats The Lords & Mother Miranda like his children? Hm...I can imagine the Lords but the Lords see Mother Miranda as their mother...I'll make him Miranda's Lover - Hopefully that is good for you, my friend. As for Shifter Form... I'll make him a Caracal Cat; I like their ears and they have stubby little tails, plus cats are one of the animals I think will take in another animal's infant as their own. Now, let the words weave together!

Note: The Reader will be known as [Father].

🦇 [Alcina Dimitrescu] 🦇

When Alcina met [Father] during the Lord Meeting, she didn't like him for the simple fact he was a man but she was curious of the large feline ears he had in replacement for his human ears & they weren't just for show - he made that clear when Karl called Alcina 'Lady Super-Sized Bitch' during a Lord Meeting, causing the tall buff man to walk over to the 4th Lord and glare down at him.

His Response: "You will not refer to another Lord, your sister, and my daughter as a 'bitch' in my presence or the presence of your mother and siblings again, Karl Heisenberg or I show you the power I hold in a way you will not be fond of. Now, apologize to Alcina this minute."

When Karl didn't move fast enough, [Father] grabbed the German by his trench coat and held him high (Keep in mind that [Father] is around the same height as Alcina) with a glare on his face and snarl in his voice, "I SAID 'APOLOGIZE', YOU UNGRATEFUL BOY!'; Karl wheezed out an apology before the man placed in back on the pew, "And never...disrespect anyone of my children again, I wouldn't let any of them do it to you, Son." then he went to sit.

As time went on, [Father] would come to Castle Dimitrescu and repair any kind of structural damaging or ask Alcina if she needed anything to be delivered to the castle.

Alcina would say, "Father, you don't need to worry yourself with these petty issues."

But he would say, "As your father, I don't want my eldest daughter and granddaughters to be without. Please, let me be a good father and grandfather to you and my granddaughters, Alcina."

Alcina was touched and handed him a list of things she needed to be taken care of that no one else would do or couldn't do. Everything was done within a few hours.

When it comes to the daughters, [Father] loves them as a man would love his biological grandchildren.

He would come to the castle with gifts: A new book collection for Bela, Gadgets of Torment for Cassandra, or a new weapon for Daniela.

If the daughters were bored and had nothing to do, [Father] would turn into his Feline Form and let the daughters hunt him, but he was rather fast & which made the daughters have fun with the chase.

[Father] has a manor that is around the same size as Heisenberg's Factory and the daughters love to visit because the large man spoils them too much.

They would go every single weekend but one day, Alcina told them that they didn't need to go everything single weekend and to give [Father] some space. The daughters didn't like that and called their grandfather to complain and waited around the corner when Alcina received a call from [Father].

"Father, all I said was they don't need to be over there all of the time," Alcina explained.

"Alcina, don't say anything to me; you are lucky that I am 5 whiskey glasses in, otherwise I would come to get them myself. Call the carriage and bring me my granddaughters." He hung up after that.

Not wanting to disappoint her Father Figure, she called the carriage and delivered the daughters and she was given a case of fine wines to relax with while they were with him.

She may hate men - but [Father] was the only man-thing she would admit to caring about. Mother Miranda picked well.

🎎 [Donna Beneviento + Angie] 🎎

[Father] knew that Donna was timid & Angie was her way of communication - he didn't want to frighten her thus began their relationship with phone calls.

For the most time, he spoke to Angie and each conversation would with [Father] asking if Donna or Angie needed anything; yes, he considered Angie another person and not just a doll.

On the occasion that they did need something, he would go purchase what they needed and let it on the porch of Beneviento Manor, knocked on the door, and stepped away; he knew that Donna was scared of his height.

One day, he was delivering some Doll Parts Donna asked for, he did his normal routine and was about to leave when Angie called out and asked if he wanted to come in for tea. He accepted.

He shrunk himself to be a more acceptable height for Donna and the three of them had tea and conversation.

Donna became more adjusted to his presence and would call him herself - without Angie - and ask if they would have tea, make dolls together, or work in the garden together.

One day, he came with an eyepatch with the Crest of House Beneviento stitched into it as a way to cover the scar but not her whole face.

At the next meeting, she wore it.

Salvatore complimented her on it and she said 'Father made it for me.'

He smiled.

🐟 [Salvatore Moreau] 🐟

Salvatore was curious about [Father] but was too nervous to talk to him - thinking he was going to be mean or make fun of him his appearance. Imagine his surprise when [Father] wanted up to him and smiled before saying, 'Hello, Salvatore. It's nice to meet you, son.".

Salvatore looked at him with wide eyes - he thought of Salvatore as a son? He didn't make fun of him?

Salvatore and [Father] would talk whenever they saw each other at the Lord Meetings but one day, [Father] asked to spend a day with his son because he never got to learn about him.

Salvatore was nervous but agreed.

When [Father] arrived at Salvatore's Territory, he was displeased that his son was living in such poor conditions and he vowed to do something about it and his son's vomiting.

The two of them spent hours watching movies together and eating cheese & fish while Salvatore told [Father] everything about him.

One day, Salvatore was surprised to see his father building a new house on steady ground and told Salvatore that it was his new home because he was not gonna let his Lord and Son live in poor conditions like that. Salvatore was also informed that there was a new collection of movies for the two of them to enjoy.

They have movie nights every Wednesday and Sunday.

As for Salvatore's vomiting, [Father] was able to make an elixir that prevents vomiting but Sal has to drink it every month. It's bitter but he will do it regardless.

🛠 [Karl Heisenberg] 🛠

[Father] knew that Karl was still cross with him for embarrassing him before Mother Miranda and the Other Lords & no real father would want his son to be angry with him at every family get-together.

[Father] went to Karl's Factory with an apology but when he went inside, he saw his son running from a strange contraption with a large drill arm.

His Paternal Instincts kicked in and he charged at the creature, crushing its head in his hand before turning to his son to make sure he was alright.

Karl was angry to see him at first but he did thank him for saving his life before that thing turned him into a pin-cushion. He then asked [Father] what he was doing in his factory and the taller man said he didn't want any bad blood between the two of them and offered his services to his son.

Karl wasn't interested and first but he then realized that he could use [Father] to get inside information on Miranda so he agreed.

The two of them worked on projects, blueprints, or repairs for hours, enjoying each other conversation and presence.

[Father] asked the 4th Lord to be kinder to the other lords - he hated seeing his family argue and be bitter with each other.

Karl - while he never saw the others as his family - agreed to this for the sake of the only one he really respected and cared for.

Karl was still planning on making Miranda suffer for what she had done to him and the others...but...Did [Father] really deserve it?

This man - he had a heart of gold - but it was clear he suffered as well and this 'family' was the only thing that kept him together, kept him happy - Karl didn't want him to be unhappy.

What would destroying Miranda and this 'family' do to [Father]? Karl wondered but at the same time, he didn't want to know. This man was a father to him...what was he supposed to do?

🧪 [Mother Miranda + The Lords As A Whole] 🧪

Miranda would wake up to the smell of [Father]'s cooking and coffee every morning - he refused to let her start the daily research without a good meal and coffee, and she didn't object to this - the man made some delicious food.

One day - Miranda went to the meeting grounds and found the man cleaning, fixing pillars, and making individual thrones for the Lords, Mother Miranda, and himself. Reason: "My wife and children are not sitting on old ass furniture and possibly getting sick."

The Lords love their thrones - he even made one for Angie.

When an argument - mostly between Alcina and Karl - broke out, [Father] would roar for them to shut up and respect the Mother of All and each other.

"You are my children - not savages - and you will act like it or I shall show you how savages were treated where I came from!"

It would take Miranda's gentle hand to calm him when the children acted out of line.

When it came to the Cadou Experiments - [Father] would aid Miranda or his children without a second thought. Whatever they needed, he would get for them.

[Father] would try to have a family dinner with everyone at his manor once a week, just so the family could all be together.

As much as Miranda didn't want to admit it - she loved the dinners; it really felt as if she had a real family.

Maybe...when Eva was returned to her...they could be a family.

[End]

[rosella-writes]

self-rec meme

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you’ve written, then pass on to a couple of other writers. Let’s spread the self-love!

Thank you @exalted-dawn-drabbles and @cleverblackcat for the tags on this! Last time I got to highlight some fics I was proud of that hadn't reached many folks, which was really rewarding. I've written quite a bit since then so I'm happy for the chance at another go. 💚

1. let them not make me a stone (and let them not spill me)

Post-DA Inquisition || Solas x Virelan Lavellan (past relationship) and Friendship Boogaloo || M for childbirth themes || one-shot, complete

Virelan Lavellan gives birth to Tulin, but she's not alone. Iron Bull has guided her through pain worse than this, Harding has always been her firm foundation, and Dalish of the Chargers brings the comforting words of their shared people into the forefront of her grieving mind. Solas is not there, and she breaks her own heart long enough to miss him.

2. red is the colour of lust (but green is what lust leaves behind)

DA-Inquisition//Green Knight AU || Solas x Virelan Lavellan || M for violence and sexual themes || 6 chapters, complete

A creature of legend challenges King Deshanna of the Dales. Virelan, her youngest knight, answers the call. In which Virelan is Sir Gawain, Deshanna is King Arthur, and Fen'Harel is the Green Knight. Virelan deals what should be a deadly blow to the wolf in her king's hall, and is fated to receive a blow in kind from him in a year and a day. When the time comes, she sets off on her journey to meet her fate. Along the way she meets Envy, Fear, Compassion, Pride, a Lord, a Lady, and an old hag who talks too much.

3. my life is like the dust (that hides the glow of a rose)

DA-Inquisition || Cassandra x Solas || Rated T || one-shot, complete

When Seeker Cassandra Pentaghast first met the elven apostate, she would have put him to the sword as an accomplice to the murder of the Divine. As time goes on, he becomes her closest friend. In which Cassandra teaches Solas to ask permission before casting a barrier spell on her, they comfort one another after losing Wisdom and the Seeker order, and dance together at the Winter Palace.

4. pick a star from the sky

DA-Inquisition || Solas & Cole || Gen || one-shot, complete

A human child's mother died during the attack on Haven, and while it is now safe, dry, fed, and protected, it is still in need of being held. Solas tires of its squalling and deigns to carry it. Cole interprets the baby's thoughts a little bit, and Solas supposes human spawn isn't so bad after all.

5. Basvaarad

Post-DA-Inquisition || Solas & Saarebas OC || T for violence || 3/10 chapters completed

A saarebas's arvaarad falls in battle against Agents of Fen'Harel. She is determined to fulfil her duty under the Qun and end her own life... until an opinionated elf stays her hand. In which Fen'Harel saves an enslaved mage during his campaign to lower the Veil and winds up with a very large, very traumatised daughter.

Tagging in turn (with absolutely 0 pressure): @thebookworm0001, @melisusthewee, @rakshadow, @dreadfutures, and @noire-pandora

If you've completed this recently, feel free to reblog it with me tagged so I can share it, or make a new one with moar fics. 🥰 I'd love to see!

[the-insomniac-emporium]

Bound Blood (Cassandra Dimitrescu/Reader, Soulmate AU) Pt. 5

Fandom: Resident Evil: Village Rating: T+ for language Warnings: None Summary: Local soulmates finally reach the "friends" in "enemies to friends to lovers". A little softness goes a long way. Nice, mostly gentle chapter to make up for the previous one's angsty ending. Previous Chapters: 1: Sharing Is (Not) Caring; 2: Bloodbath, Baby!, 3: Haunt Me Dearly, 4: Portraits For Ghosts

5: Heart Of The Matter

“This is embarrassing,” you mumble, refusing to look Cassandra in the eyes. Softly, she runs her fingers over your chest, spreading the medicinal salve. There’s an unspoken judgement in her expression. Minor movements are no less painful than major ones, so you try to sit still, as much as you’d rather be with anyone else. “Can you hurry up, at least? I don’t care if it takes longer to heal in the long run, I just want to get out of here,” you snap. For a split second you think Cassandra’s going to hit you in response, with the way she looks at you, and you involuntarily flinch. But the hit never comes, merely a sharp sigh.

“If you didn’t want to get treated, you shouldn’t have started a fight- especially not such a pointless one,” she says, continuing to rub in the medicine and evidence alike. At this, you shrink into yourself, hating the harsh sting of truth. Yeah, you think, she’s got me there. Victory is a fast fading feeling, dearly missed in the wake of the growing shame in your chest. Why had you given in to your impulses? Why had you broken the only peace you had known in weeks? It’s a thought that snags on the corners of your mind, weighing down your cognition, leaving you unpleasantly distracted from the present. “Almost done. Then you can go sulk in private, somewhere you can’t bother me, alright?”

Nodding, you accept your fate with what little grace remains. What more could you even do? Ask her to stay by your side? Hardly. But as soon as the last bandage fits into place, and her gentle yet calloused hands smooth the last edge, a whisper of an ache springs into your heart. It’s not a yearning for Cassandra specifically, merely a reminder of your unwilling loneliness. When the door closes behind her, you stare down at your hands, wishing to hold some meaning within them. Maybe I can find Daphne around here somewhere, you think. Then you slowly rise to your feet. Better to sit with a kind stranger than a harsh familiar face.

---------------------------

That night, you find yourself cautiously approaching Cassandra’s room, feeling like a death row inmate on their way to the executioner. Every step is begrudging, and you almost can’t bring yourself to open the door. But you manage, in the end, stepping in with your eyes downcast. No voice, grumpy or otherwise, greets you. One glance tells you that your soulmate is already asleep, and you mentally thank all the gods you can name. It doesn’t take long to get ready for bed. It does take a minute to slide under the covers, careful not to wake Cassandra. This time you don’t move closer to her, or wrap your arm around her waist, too… exhausted to try anything along those lines.

When you dream, it is of an ever familiar room, shrouded in darkness, stained with the blood of hundreds. Someone’s laughing- a woman, maybe several. Down here, someone is always laughing. You try to laugh with them. It’s a lie, a small deception, that lets you pull your thoughts away from your misery. But they don’t appreciate it when you join their cacophony chorus. Their cackling shifts into screaming, bitter lungs sending waves of ear-splitting sound. Over and over, it gets louder, unbearably so, and closer, closer all the time. Just a few cells away. Just a few more fucking seconds and they’ll be right on top of you. This is a dream you’ve faced down before, yet the ending is unknown. They always get louder, always barrel down the path, towards you, howling endlessly.

They never reach you. No, they’re always coming, always so fucking close. Never in your sight. Never digging claws into your chest. But the anxiety does not fade- you are tipping back in a chair, never falling, never able to find your balance.

When you wake up, it’s with a flinch, teary eyes snapping open. A hand rests on your cheek, brushes away the stains. Whispered words drift through the air, too hushed to be understood, daring to lull you into a relaxed state. It’s Cassandra, of course. Even in your tired state, you know this, know that she’s trying. What you don’t know is whether or not she’s awake enough to process what she’s doing. After all, you hardly are, and her touch is the gentlest thing you’ve ever felt. But you do not get to enjoy it for terribly long. Soon enough your vision fades, the embrace of slumber overtaking you once more.

---------------------------

For a few days, there is relative peace. Meals are delivered to Cassandra’s room, where you mostly dine on your own, though she occasionally joins you, even if you do not speak. Every evening she ensures your wounds are treated, often handling it herself. When she does, you do your best not to meet her gaze, for you cannot stand the traces of affection you see there. Try as you might, you find yourself unable to taunt her the way you had done the first day. The way she’s changed her behavior, adapting to your trauma’s revelation, haunts you to no end.

“Drink this,” she says one day, before bed, holding out a steaming mug. Of course you don’t take it, of course you stare at her with an eyebrow raised. Acceptance was never an option. “It’s just tea. Bela says it might help. With nightmares. Not-” she paused to frown, unsure if she even wanted to finish the sentence- “that it helped me. But you’ve been… tolerable, lately, and I figured it wouldn’t hurt to try.” Then she’s reaching out again, expectantly. Blushing ever so slightly, you finally take the mug, giving her a quick nod before taking a sip. There’s a hint of sugar, just enough to make things interesting.

“Thanks,” you murmur, after swallowing the lump in your throat. Already Cassandra is turning away, focusing on getting ready for bed. You want to say more, to actually hold a conversation with her for the first time in days, but your mouth feels oddly dry. So you just sip your tea in silence. Of course, you think, I’m only ever improvising a monologue, or tripping over my own tongue, as if it were a resting place for my chattering teeth. At least the beverage wasn’t as bitter as your thoughts. By the time you’ve finished your drink, Cassandra is in bed, watching you with an unreadable expression. “Need something? Or just waiting for the poison in my drink to kick in?” You ask, surprising yourself.

“Finally remembered how your mouth works, hmm?” Cassandra teases. Again you’re blushing, having expected her to be more annoyed than amused.

“I never forgot. I simply, you know, uh… figured that you needed a break, after my last demonstration,” you counter, remembering the way your vocal chords had complained, and the way her arm had felt around your throat. It’s not the direction you meant to take the conversation in, but she doesn’t seem to mind. If anything… she’s blushing. For a moment you’re confused, then you finally recall the ‘incident’ in the tub. Oh fuck, you think, that’s worse. Maybe. Probably? What should I say? In the end, the words leave your mouth in a rush, as they were prone to do. “Based on how red your cheeks are, I’m going to assume you don’t need another reminder. Let’s just get some rest now, yeah?” Next thing you know, there’s a pillow flying towards your face.

Still, it’s better than nothing, and the impact serves only to make you smile wider. When you climb into bed, you find yourself face-to-face with Cassandra. She’s never laid like this with you before. It’s unexpected, even more so when she shifts forward, less than an inch away from your face. Understandably, you end up blushing more than you’d like to admit.

“What was that about red cheeks?” She asks, voice low and breathy, knowing exactly what she was doing to you. Before you can think of the ‘smart’ thing to do, impulse kicks in, making you go in for a quick kiss. It’s supposed to be a joke, a counter to her teasing. But she leans into it. She kisses back. Both of you are blushing hard when she pulls away, a few moments later. You’re trying to stutter out a response, clever or otherwise, and she’s rolling her eyes, rolling onto her other side, putting her back to you. Words fail you. In the end, you are forced to try to sleep, regardless of what just happened. When you dream, there are no nightmares this time. Just a warmth you had thought forgotten.

---------------------------

More days pass, with your tongue slowly loosening up, fueled by playful banter with Cassandra. Neither of you dares to mention the kiss. Nor do you ever speak for too long, as if knowing that your mind still resisted peace. Most evenings are still filled with nightmares, all mimicking your trauma, and you are left to wonder if the tea had even worked that first night, or if something else had helped. In the hopes of more success you drink a mug every day before bed. Admittedly, Cassandra does bring it to you, meaning that forgoing it would require turning her down. That was… harder to do, these days.

When she asks you to join her for lunch, you don’t hesitate to agree. But as you’re waiting in her room, casually reclining on her bed with a book in your hands, a distant scream echoes through the castle. Instantly you’re panicking, wondering who was in trouble. It reminds you so much of the dungeon that you can’t move. Was one of the servants being punished? Had someone merely forgotten to close the door to the basement, and you were hearing the same cries that caused your nightmares? Even though the screaming does not last for long, it renders you helpless, shaking in every bone. It’s not until the door opens that you can think again.

“Change of plans,” Cassandra announces, stepping into the room. There’s a worried expression on her face, and her voice tells you she’s distracted. When she sees the state you’re in, however, she’s quick to sit next to you. “Hey, you’ve got nothing to worry about. It’s Daniela that does. She- her soulmate-... it’s bad. That’s all we know. One second she was fine, the next she’s howling in pain, and there’s a huge scar on her back. We’re going to have a ‘family lunch’, per mother’s insistence, in case it helps Dani think about literally anything other than what just happened.” With that, one of her hands moves to your own, giving a reassuring squeeze. To her surprise, you’re quick to return the gesture.

“I can come with,” you blurt out. Then she’s raising an eyebrow at you, wondering why the hell you’d ever offer to spend time with her family. The family that had imprisoned you. And, of course, intended to drain you of blood, or dine on your flesh. Even you weren’t a hundred percent sure. “This has got to be hard for her. I… I knew someone who went through something similar. Strange as it is, I want to show my support. If you’ll allow me, that is.” There’s neither a pleading tone nor a hint of anger in your voice. But Cassandra still hesitates, eying you, clearly questioning your motive.

“Alright, fine,” she says, after a deep sigh. “If you do anything to make her feel worse, I can’t- and won’t- stop my family from killing you, blood bond be damned. They’ll make it painless, for my sake, but that’s the only kindness you’ll get. Got it?” You nod, giving her hand another squeeze. “Good. Now let’s get going, I don’t want to make Dani wait.”

---------------------------

It’s quiet. Awkward, even. Daniela is clearly still shaken up from her experience, with red eyes, makeup staining her cheeks. No one seems to have the slightest clue of what to say to her. Even you are silent, unable to find a good opportunity to lend your advice or sympathies. Which makes it all the more painful when you find Daniela watching you, eyes narrowed, a tremble to her lower lip. Both Cassandra and Bela seem to notice, pausing their eating to wait with bated breath. Part of you swears you can hear their thoughts of please don’t say anything, please don’t say anything, for the love of everything good in this world. So, naturally, Daniela does in fact say something. But it’s not directed at you- rather your soulmate.

“Did you really have to bring them? Huh? Felt like pouring salt in my wounds?” Her throat is obviously sore from crying, or screaming, likely both. This certainly wasn’t how you wanted your first meeting with her (or her mother) to go. So you summon the best of your courage, replying before Cassandra even opens her mouth.

“I asked to come. I wanted to show my support,” you reply. There’s a pause, with Daniela glaring at you, before she speaks slowly and with unveiled rage.

“Don’t make me laugh. You really thought I’d want to see my sister’s soulmate right now? Alive and well? God, you’re perfect for her, absolutely clueless,” she growls, smacking her fist against the table. Things have gone from bad to worse, but you don’t give up, deciding to take a risk as best as you could. After all, Cassandra had made it clear that your life was on the line.

“Tell me, was the pain bad enough that you passed out?” You ask, ignoring the way your soulmate kicks your feet. She’s desperate for you to shut up, especially now that Daniela’s too angry to even respond. “Are you still in pain now? Answer the question and I’ll either explain, or let you use my bones as toothpicks.”

“Fuck you!” Daniela cries, rising to her feet. Instantly her sisters are standing as well, though it’s unclear what ‘side’ either of them are on. For now, their mother remains sitting, staring at you intensely. When you refuse to back down, the tension in the room flickers, fading a tad. “The pain lasted ten minutes. It’s stopped. They’re…”

“They’re not dead, then. Reason to celebrate, yes?” You suggest, raising your glass before taking a long drink from it. Everyone is eying you with visible confusion. “When I was younger, I was with my best friend during the worst hours of her life. She had met her soulmate at age twelve, three years prior. We had just been… hanging out. Talking. The next thing I knew she was screaming like her blood had turned to acid, sobbing her eyes out. Then she blacked out. By the time she came to, we were at the hospital, and we ran into her soulmate’s family. She asked them what was wrong, why she was in so much pain. I, uh, I think you can guess the answer. Not the specifics, yeah, but the general gist of it. It took twenty four hours for the physical pain to stop. According to the doctors, that’s pretty average. So your soulmate isn’t dead. Chances are you haven’t even met them yet, and someday you’ll see that scar on their back, and you’ll know. I know that this doesn’t make everything okay, but I hope it helps. At least a little.” When Daniela finally brings herself to reply, having sunk back into her seat, it’s with a soft voice, hardly more than a whisper.

“It does. Thank you.”

---------------------------

Later, you’re walking back to Cassandra’s room when she suddenly pushes you against a wall, staring at you with fear in her eyes.

“What you said earlier. About your friend. Was that true?” You’re nodding, quickly, desperate to get her to release you. But she doesn’t. Instead she’s looking at you with concern, tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes. “Goddamnit, you better not ever fucking die on me then, alright? Promise me. Right now!” A thousand thoughts go through your mind, a thousand jabs or otherwise cruel remarks, but when you speak, it’s with a hushed reverence you cannot describe.

“Same to you. I know you’re practically immortal, but I don’t fucking care. Don’t die on me. Don’t- just don’t. I promise, but you better fucking mean it too, alright?” You say, openly crying, ignoring the way Cassandra’s expression softens at your words. As soon as you’re done speaking she lets you go with a nod, turning back to the hallway, already walking towards her room. You’re not entirely sure what just happened… but you know you’re glad it did.

[soulmate-game]

part 2 (of that new bio!dad fic)

Dick whipped his head over to Bruce, who could feel the heavy gazes of all his children as if they were physical. If they had had heat vision like Clark, he would have already been reduced to a puddle of mush. Bruce shifted, the only sign of his discomfort, but he recognized that the middle of a gala was no place for this discussion. There were too many busybodies trying to listen in for the latest gossip. So he plastered on a smile that he couldn’t quite feel, and held a hand out to Marinette. He was careful to keep a good distance though, and left the choice for contant purely up to her.

The young woman looked down at his hand, then back to his face. Damian had been shocked silent by what she had to say, and perhaps even more by the all too telling way that Bruce hadn’t so much as implied that she was lying, and the look he was giving her was making her a little uncomfortable. Yes, she hadn’t planned on interacting with her father more than just the years-overdue confrontation she had just done, at least not while at the gala… but her plans always left room for improvisation. She could make this work.

With a soft sigh, Marinette extended her own hand— half the size of Bruce’s, he noted almost immediately with a rush of illogical fondness— and grasped his lightly. She couldn’t help but notice the way his impossibly blue eyes brightened, no different than her own when she was particularly happy, or the way his mouth twitched with a barely suppressed beam. Instead, he controlled himself enough so that the only smile he gave would look professional and entirely in character to the nosy socialites still spying on them, and led them out onto the dance floor.

What everyone else saw was the unfairly charming Bruce Wayne giving his young guest of honor a simple dance. Just a basic swirl around the floor that every other social elite had learned when they were five. Clearly he was taking it easy on the self-made girl, who probably didn’t have experience with such dances. Humoring the accomplished young woman with his approval for a moment before he would slink back to his family or patrol the crowds and make the necessary greetings and meaningless chatter.

What his family saw was Bruce taking time to slow his steps, not for Marinette to keep up but rather to prolong the event. What they saw was the grace in Marinette’s steps as she never once faltered, and that Bruce was careful to take his cues from her instead of the other way around. He only led the dance in technicality, Marinette had all the real control.

What they saw was a father’s first dance with his daughter.

“Eighteen,” Dick whispered, eyebrows drawn low. “She said she’s almost eighteen.”

“Well, that lines up doesn’t it?” Jason asked gruffly, his own gaze never leaving the dancing duo. “We were planning on doubling up your big thirtieth birthday party as your eighteenth adoption anniversary,” he reminded his brother, who just made a slightly distressed noise in the back of his throat. Whether it was at the reinforcement of his adoption coming only months after Marinette being put up for adoption, or the fact that he was turning thirty, nobody could really tell.

“Hurt,” Cassandra spoke up from behind them, looking incredibly concerned as she watched the dance. “Uncertain.”

Stephany rolled her eyes, fidgeting from her quickly building energy. Anger was making her restless. “Of course she’s hurt. Bruce replaced her, with a boy he knew virtually nothing about, not even that long after she was born. How do you think that made her feel, when she found out?” Stephany let out a little growl, grabbing a flute of champagne from a passing server and downing it in one gulp. She ignored Dick protesting that she wasn’t of age yet, which made her wrinkle her nose. “Only one more year, Dickhead. Get over it, I need the buzz.”

“Well,” Barbara sighed and maneuvered her wheelchair around the group so that everyone could see her. “Nothing we can do right now but be supportive and watch Bruce like a hawk so he doesn’t make this worse,” she stated easily, not looking even the least bit ruffled by the news despite the disturbed glitter in her eyes.

“... Guys,” Tim spoke up, not looking at any of them. “Who wants to volunteer for Damian duty?” At first glance, it might seem like Tim was thinking about his own first disastrous meeting with the younger boy. Once everyone paid attention though, they could see that the truth was that Damian had snuck away and Tim was pointedly looking at a slightly hidden-away staircase to the second floor.

“Shit,” Dick muttered, but before he could say another word Jason shoved him back and started towards the stairs.

“No, not this time Dicky. I’ll talk to the brat.”

Back on the dancefloor, Bruce and Marinette broke away without any fanfare at the end of the song. If Bruce tried to hold her eyes for a moment too long, nobody noticed besides his observant children, and two of Marinette’s protective friends.

Then, just to make sure that nobody caught on with the help of hindsight, Bruce said something vaguely polite and praising, which Marinette accepted with flawless, distant poise. And they went back to their own groups, Bruce quickly noting that two of his sons were missing. He raised an eyebrow, about to ask why when a presence behind him caught his attention. Unlike Marinette and Chloe, this newcomer was not at all trying to hide their approach or be sneaky about it, even though Bruce couldn’t hear any footsteps that were close enough to belong to the mysterious entity. Closing his mouth, Bruce turned around only to be greeted by yet another vaguely familiar face. Bright green eyes bore into his, unreadable.

“Mister Wayne,” the newcomer greeted, voice warm but stiff. If the Waynes hadn’t all had years of recognizing when a person was only pretending to be cordial, they never would have suspected that the boy was anything but pure-heartedly happy to be there. But they did have that experience, and thus they instantly honed in on the very well-hidden fact that he had a bone to pick with them. Or, more probably, with Bruce.

He cut an impressive figure, for all that he was lithe muscle instead of bulk. Hair that was lighter than Chloe’s, less like cloth-of-gold and more like sunlight glinting off of wheatfields. It somehow hung in gravity-defying tufts, yet perfectly arranged to evoke a calming aesthetic. Like the fluff of a long-haired cat, almost, and it looked just as fluffy and hypnotizing. It contrasted with his emerald eyes, impossibly vibrant in their gleam. And the suit he wore was decidedly top-notch, much like the other two they had met from his class. He was daring, in a dark silver suit that slightly shifted in the light, green accents that matched his eyes standing out strikingly against the collars and trim, and coiling in tantalizing swirls at the cuffs. The lining of the suit jacket was done in a dark green that could almost pass for black in the right lighting, adding a layer of both drama and mystery as it peeked out at the back of his collar, the insides of his sleeves if he moved just the right way, at the bottom hem of the jacket when he turned or bent just so. And with his notoriety in the modeling world? He always knew exactly how to move or place himself to get the reactions he wanted. And he was clearly showing off the craftsmanship of his suit just then as he faked adjusting his cufflinks and lifted his head just the right amount to both look challenging and let the dark green on the back of his collar flash in the light in such a way that Bruce and those nearest him wouldn’t be able to miss the brief reveal of color.

“Adrien Agreste,” Bruce greeted back, eyebrows pulling down in slight confusion. Normally the topic of clothing was far from his genuine interest, but in this particular case it was an intriguing, and possibly even concerning, observation. So he said next; “That suit is not of your father’s usual style of design.”

Adrien scoffed, straightening out his suit’s jacket and making the obsidian buttons glint. “Of course not. I’ve started my rebellious phase— or, well, I finally started being blatant enough about it that my father noticed anyway,” the way his lips curled was decidedly not very attractive, but painted a vivid picture of a son who despised the way he was treated. Adrien quickly wiped the distasteful expression away and replaced it with a camera-ready smile. “I’m wearing one of Marinette’s designs, much to his chagrin. She insisted on making this for me as soon as she heard that my father was planning on sending me in a white suit.”

Bruce quickly caught on, and sighed. How long would the gala go on for, again? He didn’t remember what time it was anymore. “Your friend Chloe already got a pretty clear warning in. I suppose you know as well?”

Adrien’s grin darkened with mischief, and he nodded all too happily. “Of course! Marinette told me almost as soon as she found out, a few years ago. You see, we had to put down a very solid rule about secrets between the two of us. She has a bad habit of trying to shoulder the entire world’s problems and not tell anyone about it, if you don’t pay close enough attention,” his voice was deceptively light but his eyes were hard, warning. “And let’s just say, I have a lot of experience with bad father figures. I can recognize them a mile away by now. The signs of neglect, of apathy,” his eyes suddenly lightened when he saw how Bruce’s throat visibly caught, how the man didn’t seem to realize he had stopped breathing. Maybe he was being a little to mean, Adrien thought. So he let the dark slip out of his eyes, and his smile turned more genuine. “You don’t have those signs. You looked at Marinette like you were both the happiest and most miserable man in the world at the same time. But you can’t change what you did to her, Mister Wayne. If you want some advice from Marinette’s oldest friend?” Adrien held out a closed fist.

Bruce took a second to realize what was happening, too busy trying to recover from his situational whiplash and wave of relief. Once he caught back up to the present, however, he held out his open palm and let Adrien drop something into his hand.

To his shock, it was a pen, engraved with the name he recognized as Marinette’s biological mother. He also recognized it as a popular model of pen-knife. He raised his eyes to Adrien, who winked.

“Marinette doesn’t know I had this made. And she has a lot of tricks that might surprise you, but what she wants more than anything is stability. If you try to give her that, show that you care and you want her safe— and then prove that you’re gonna stay— then maybe you can repair the damage you’ve done. It won’t be easy though, Mari is the single most stubborn person I’ve ever met. And I grew up with Chloe.”

Bruce closed his hand around the pen, swallowing a lump in his throat. He couldn’t quite figure out why, but Adrien’s faith in him and his help… somehow felt significant. He nodded to the young model.

“Not to worry, I have experience with stubborn,” he glanced back at his other kids with a small smirk. None of them were the least bit repentant. “And I do want to stay. Thank you for the advice.”

Adrien shrugged. “Don’t thank me. If you hurt her again, you’ll never see my revenge coming. It can be rather… catastrophic,” with that ominous threat, Adrien bowed dramatically and turned to leave and do some rounds charming the elites. Bruce tucked the pen in one of his hidden pockets, but stayed silent after that. He had a lot to mull over.

—*—*—*—*—*

Damian leaned on the railing of the balcony, looking out over the gardens behind the gala’s venue. He was glaring at nothing, and his hands trembled from where they gripped the rail. It was five minutes, a little longer than he had expected but not that odd considering everyone’s distraction over Marinette, before he heard the glass doors behind him creak open.

“Yo,” Jason greeted, knowing it was better not to catch the boy off guard. None of them were good with surprises anymore, for good reason. It was always best to announce their presence before they made someone react violently on accident. Damian’s shoulders relaxed a little— not a lot, but enough for Jason to notice. The older man sighed, walking up and leaning on the rail next to his little brother. “What’s on your mind, kid?”

“That could have been me,” he almost instantly blurted. It was still hard talking about his feelings, but certain things were easier with Todd. This was, apparently, one of them. “If Mother hadn’t kept me a secret.”

“I don’t think so,” Jason disagreed, shrugging. “There are several big differences here. For one, Marinette was born three years before you were. By the time you were born, he already had Dick and he would have only been a year, max, away from taking me in. Which means he already had built up his problem with taking in kids, and nothing would have gotten him to give up a chance at raising you. With or without Batman getting in the way.”

“But then why—” Damian growled. “Why did he give her up?”

“Because he’s an idiot,” Jason remarked bluntly. “You know how he is. He didn’t have a kid at the time. Hell, Bruce would have only been twenty-two back then. He only adopted Dick on impulse because Dick reminded him of himself, but before all of that shit? He probably made a million excuses about not being able to raise a baby and be Batman at the same time. About his life being too dangerous for a kid. Which, yes it is, but that clearly didn’t stop him later.”

“She’s older,” Damian muttered, this time softer.

“Yup.”

“Her mother wasn’t an assassin, probably. She designs. I hate to admit it, and you are never to repeat it to anybody, but her work that we’ve seen so far is impressive. She can clearly charm even the most stuck-up of gotham’s upper crust.”

“Yeah,” Jason agreed neutrally, his eyes never leaving Damian.

“Father won’t need me. He already doesn’t have much patience—” Damian was cut off by a flick to the nose. “Hey!”

“Not my fault you’re being stupid,” Jason defended himself. “Look, B’s actually been real patient with you these past few years. I mean, when was the last time he yelled at you? Or told you that stupid ‘justice not vengeance’ line?”

Damian opened his mouth, then closed it. After another moment, he replied; “Almost two years.”

Jason nodded. “It might take him way too long, but he can still learn new tricks. Especially after that mess with Heretic, he’s been trying really hard to be better to you. He still screws up, because I think we all know by now that he’s a bigger mess than any of the rest of us and that’s an accomplishment, but he’s trying. He doesn’t keep you around because he needs you. He’s got plenty of us around if all he wanted was soldiers— though none of us would stick around if we thought that’s all he wanted.”

Damian flexed his jaw. He was still the most violent of the kids, besides Jason. He saw Bruce rubbing his forehead or pinching his nose far too often at some of his decisions or comments. He was stubborn, impatient, reckless.

But hadn’t Bruce himself told him on several occasions that he wasn’t trying to make him a perfect soldier? Hadn’t Bruce himself said that he just wanted Damian to grow into himself?

It was just really hard to swat away those stupid voices in Damian’s head. Voices of the past, mostly, old dialogue he had never actually forgotten. That he merely pretended had never affected him. The “you’re too violent”s, the “that’s not how we behave, Damian”s. All the old lectures, the old fights. They echoed like stupid little gremlins of doubt.

“...Marinette has his eyes.”

“Don’t beat yourself up over something like that,” Jason’s voice was soft, but gruff at the same time as he cuffed Damian over the head. “You didn’t choose to be born, idiot. And despite being a little demon, none of us would reverse it, You’ve saved all our skins at least once. And besides,” he nudged Damian a little with a grin. “You’re not half bad, nowadays.”

Damian chuckled. “That makes one of us.”

“Hey!”

@peterxwade24 @mizzy-pop @maskedpainter @ladybug-182 @khneltea @itsmeevie01 @fusser90 @woe-is-me0 @lolieg @moonlightstar64 @jayjayspixiepop

[heyitsjay03]

Headcanons about each of the lords (+the Duke if you're writing about him) if they ever happen to adopt a little child?

THANK YOU ANON MY THE UNIVERSE BLESS YOU WITH PILLOWS THAT ARE COLD ON BOTH SIDES

okay okay okay okay this has definitely been on my mind so lets get into the thick of it

Alcina Dimitrescu

(im starting off with alcina for obvious reasons)

Alcina would be on the way to the church with the slimy moron, the demented doll, that disgusting manthing and Mother Miranda

She'd kiss her daughters goodbye and head off through the snow, quietly muttering about how cold her ankles were

while Moreau is literally up to his chin in snow but its fine

as she gets closer to the church she keeps hearing this. thing. it sounded familiar but she couldn't exactly put her finger on it.

she strays from the path to find it because it was just so familiar

as she weaves her way through the snow, her dress gets caught on something. she leans down to get her dress unstuck when she realises its this tiny basket.

like seriously. just a little woven basket in the middle of the snow. and it doesn't look like its been there for that long- there's hardly any snow on it

when she tugs at her skirts again, the basket makes the same noise she's been hearing

she stands back up to her full height, staring down at the basket with narrowed eyes

this cannot be a good idea, can it? opening a strange basket in the woods after being lured out here. it's probably some village manthing's trap.

she's about to step away when she hears the sound again- much more intense and much more clear

Alcina leans down and opens the lid of the basket

inside is this tiny thing- all soft and warm in a padding of blankets

a baby

she stands and looks around

who on earth would be so moronic as to leave their baby in the snow? it's much too cold for a baby to survive-

oh

she sighs, getting onto her knees to pull the baby from the blanketed basket

the meeting will have to wait. it's too cold even in the church for this tiny thing.

when she finally makes it back home, she's greeted by her daughters in a swarm of buzzing flies.

as they manifest in their true forms, they're asking what- or who, rather- their mother brought for dinner

Alcina smiles and shakes her head, unwrapping the small bundle clinging to her breast

"this... is your new sibling" she announces, "they'll be staying with us from now on."

and the sisters are ecstatic. a new sibling!

Daniela especially is happy that she is no longer the youngest. she usually is the one to parade around the castle with her sibling on her shoulders, showing them the coolest hiding spots for hide-n-seek and the windows with the best views

Bela is incredibly protective. like. incredibly.

she smelt blood from across the castle and when she found her little sibling sniffling about a skinned knee earned from a game of tag with Angie, she lost her shit and almost broke the damned thing with her sickle

And Cassandra has been caught reading bedtime stories by nightlight multiple times. she tries to play it off but everyone knows that she loves- absolutely adores- her newest sibling

we all know Alcina is such a wonderful mother to the girls so adding another baby to the mix was a guaranteed success

she's so doting and careful (a little overprotective at times but she means well) as she is with her girls

as the child grows into a teen, she panics a bit because "my beautiful baby is growing into such a beautiful, talented adult" so expect a lot of late night visits when she just sits on the edge of her bed and just admires how much you've grown

Salvatore Moreau:

now this one is an easy one too if i'm 100% honest

think Moses type beat

(if you don't know, Moses was found in the riverbank in a little basket)

apparently i really like baskets

anyways

Moreau was so out of his element when he found this tiny, screaming, writhing piece of soft flesh

the first few weeks were rough

but he eventually got the hang of it (with Alcina's help of course)

he would take his child fishing every now and then- just the two of them out on a boat for a few hours

the kid would literally swim more than walk and that little fact would make Moreau so freakin proud

also this kid would be so well-versed in movie and film history it's stupid

like expect this little 4 or 5 year old babbling not about toys or snow or how many sticks they found but instead about the copyright war over the film Nosferatu and the destruction of its copies

Moreau, as the child gets older (like 11 or 12) would have just a tad of trouble trying to keep the kid out of the village

he'd wake up one day and go out onto the lake, expecting his child to be swinging their legs off the dock and watching the sun rise over the water

and when he finds that they were not, in fact, swinging their legs off the dock and watching the sun rise over the water, he p a n i c s

i mean, full blown red alert

all of the lords are summoned to help Moreau look for his missing kid, the lycans are given an article of clothing to help find the scent, Mother Miranda goes to search the village herself- the whole shebang

and when the kid is found playing with the village children, Moreau bursts into tears

needless to say, the kid isn't allowed to go to the village anymore

until they're fifty (Moreau's words, of course)

but the kid sneaks off more and more as they get older, using Alcina or Donna or Karl as an excuse to be away

and Moreau knows but he never says a word

seeing his child happy and free with the kids their age makes him happy, even if he is a tad, a tad, a tad bit nervous

Donna Beneviento:

when Donna found this child huddled up against the base of the stairs leading up to her front door, she at first thought it was a doll of hers

it was only when she actually walked outside that she realised it was this shaking, shriveled child in tattered clothes

she spent a good five minutes just staring, wondering how on earth she's supposed to react

that's when Angie jumped in and pulled at her skirt, telling her to "let the kid inside, already!"

Donna went immediately to work on some clothes- why on earth were they wearing such ragged things?! it's freezing outside!- while Angie entertained in the parlour

honestly, it didn't go well

the kid was a little bit unsettled by the floating doll that moved and spoke on its own FOR GOOD REASON

and when Donna walked back in with her measurement tape and some fabric, the kid backed themselves into a corner of the room with their gangly legs tucked into their chest

Angie sighs from the opposite side of the room, letting her little feet fidget as she gestures to the kid. "they're no fun" she pouts, "wouldn't even let me know their name"

Donna puts her materials down slowly and lifts her veil back before attempting a small smile

it takes a while but upon the offer of food, the kid finally lets Donna make them some clothes while Angie makes conversation

she works in silence, only offering small awkward smiles

Angie finally brings up the topic of where their parents are when the kid's clothes are done

when the child goes silent, Donna nods in understanding before hurrying off to make a room for them

as Angie helped tug the blankets up to the child's ears, they promised they'd be gone in the morning

Angie was the one to tell them off.

"You'll stay as long as you need, you silly goose!"

and the child did

Donna would let them tag along for meetings so long as they promised to keep quiet and help keep Angie out of trouble

most of the time, it didn't work and they both would end up in trouble but Donna let them come nonetheless

and when the other Lords question where on earth this little kid came from- all dressed in black fabric that matched Donna's dress, she just shook her head and let Angie chase them off verbally

she'd spend literal HOURS locked in that workshop making new little friends for her child and when they were old enough, she'd let them into the workshop

and when they were even older, she'd walk them through making their very first doll on their own

she'd just watch with pride as they carefully painted the freckles with a shaky hand while Angie danced around their ankles singing of how excited she was to have another friend

The Duke:

he would be setting up shop near the base of the Dimitrescu castle when he catches a kid trying to steal some his wares

he wouldn't be terribly upset, more concerned

it wasn't something shiny or expensive that they were trying to steal

it was some of the steaming-hot food he had left to cool in the wintry air

he confronted the child gently and with a warm smile

"That's cordon bleu," he says, gesturing to the steaming plate. "I can make you some if you'd like"

and as the child eats, the Duke continues tidying up his shop for any future customers

the child, through a mouthful of food, points to different items and asks their purpose, their price, their possible enhancements

the Duke answers each question with patience, happy for the company

but he doesn't just let the questions go one-way

"How about a trade?" he asks as the child asks about the strange-looking bottle of green liquid. "An answer for an answer."

the child agrees and the Duke starts to peel back layers of why the child was here looking for food

they had been orphaned by the last lycan attack, only barely making it out by fleeing into the woods

they tried to forage off of berry bushes and successfully managed to kill a pig- only for the blood to attract lycans before they could properly eat it

the Duke nods and continues busying himself with his shop, feeding the horse that pulls the wagon

the thought had hit him when he watched the child petting his horse

that horse hated everyone. including him at times.

maybe...

when he offered to take the child in, the kid nearly burst into tears and thanked him repeatedly, swearing to earn their keep

and they did, seven times over

what started off as a purely business venture morphed into something more as time went on

when the child would come back from selling smaller household items like gasoline and the occasional package of bullets, the Duke would have them climb onto the roof of the wagon and watch the sun set together with a plate of food

speaking of which, like Moreau, the Duke would raise the most cultured child

this kid would know how to prepare and identify different dishes and their ingredients just by looking at them or smelling them

and their palate would be far more sophisticated than most adults

the Duke, as the child gets older, would eventually allow them to choose destinations to set up shop- even outside of the village

wherever his child wants, the shop would go

it allows them to see the world and its earthly wares together- something the Duke had lacked in his life before the child was brought into the picture

Karl Heisenberg:

listen to me very very carefully

this man would be the most chaotic father ever to walk this earthly realm

when he finds this kid in the elevator of his factory, he's kinda standing there like 🧍 "what the hell-"

and when the kid starts spamming the button while maintaining eye contact, he kinda snaps out of it and starts chasing after them as they drop down to a different floor

it goes on for a solid twenty minutes before he finally managed to track them down in the corner of his office

and when i say this man is confused, i freaking mean it

i mean

why the HELL would some random kid be in his factory? don't they like... play with ponies or something at this age?

to be fair, this man literally has never been allowed a childhood so

obviously he starts scolding the kid ("what the hell are you doin' in here? it's dangerous and there's some really freaky shit here, kid"), dragging them to a nearby sink because "holy shit kid, you're filthy"

the kid is silent essentially the whole time, just kinda staring into his eyes

and of course Karl's gonna be like "...the fuck're you doin'?"

the kid's face is cleaned off and Karl sends them back out towards the village with a scratchy blanket he pulled out of the bottom of his desk drawer

he's working on his 'equipment' one day when he starts reaching for a wrench, keeping his focus on the body on the table

when i say this man jumps skyhigh at the kid asking a question, i mean it

he drags the kid back out, yelling about how dangerous it is and how "you shouldn't do that! you're gonna get yourself killed! go back home!"

the kid doesn't listen

it becomes a regular thing- Karl finds the kid wandering around the factory, Karl brings the kid out of danger, Karl tells them to get lost

eventually (day thirteen of this) he asks why the child keeps coming back

and he hates the answer he gets

it was something along the lines of "it's warm and there's nowhere else for me to go"

so Karl reluctantly eagerly lets them stay

it's a lot of rules at first (a kid shouldn't be allowed to just wander around a bunch of mindless cyborg killers, let alone a factory) but eventually the child learns to mind Sturm and the others

doesn't mean Karl does not have a fullblown heart attack when he walks into his workspace to find the kid tracing their finger along the center of the battery for the Soldats

after a very long talk (and some deep breathing) Karl reluctantly eagerly lets them sit against the very far wall to watch him work on the machinery- not, under any circumstances, the actual bodies

as the child blossoms into a young adult, they start to help out with certain aspects of Karl's work

exclusively machinery because Karl could not physically handle having his kid watch him get elbow-deep into a corpse

and Karl is so freaking proud of it

when the Soldat is kicked to life, he's got his kid in his arms and cackling like the proud dad he is

yeah. paternal Heisenberg>>>

[lepusrufus]

Double edged scalpel ch. 2

Ch. 1

Summary: Cassanda Awkward Asshole Dimitrescu

---

After a couple weeks of doing normal maid chores, Nicole was not expecting to see the dungeons again. Not after Cassandra’s little “failed experiment”. But all good things must come to an end eventually, don’t they? And to an end they came when a faint buzzing reached her ears mid-mopping the floor in one of the main halls.

 Two gloved hands were placed on her hips, pinning her in place, while Cassandra's chin came to rest on her shoulder. She inhaled deeply before finally speaking. 

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" 

Yes you very much are. 

"Of course not, my lady." 

"Good good. Sadly my study is quite a mess again and I was wondering…" one hand came to teasingly caress Nicole’s cheek. “You aren’t busy tomorrow, are you?”

She wasn’t. In fact, tomorrow was Nicole’s day off, something that she would bet on a lifetime supply of coffee that Cassandra was well aware of. It took every ounce of self control not to let a groan accompany her next words.

“I am not.” Asshole.

She felt herself being spun around, Cassandra’s face uncomfortably close to hers. “Be there by ten then.” And, with the sickle now under Nicole’s chin, “Don’t be late.”

And just as easily as she appeared, Cassandra dissipated into a cloud of flies and made her leave. A sigh of relief got caught in Nicole’s throat when she noticed the other two sisters standing in the doorframe opposite from the one Cassandra flew out of. They both gave her an amused look, seeing the faint blush on Nicle’s cheeks and, to her dread, they both approached her. Bela was the first to speak, thankfully keeping her distance.

“So what exactly is your deal? Immune to all the blood and gore, hm,” she hummed, eyes inquisitive .

“It’s been a while since Cassie was so dead set on scaring someone,” Daniela chirped in from behind and Nicole had to force herself not to snort at the nickname.

So that’s what this was about. Lil’ old Cassie was throwing a hissy fit because one person in this castle wasn’t cowering and bowing at her feet the moment they saw some blood splattered on her otherwise beautiful face. If she had to work in this hellhole of a village, then at the very least she could get some mild satisfaction out of annoying the family sadist. With the other sisters however, there was no point in hiding what her “deal” was. 

“I worked as a medical examiner.” At a raised blonde eyebrow she specified, “I used to examine dead bodies. Autopsies and all that.”

Bela’s face turned from mild shock to amusement, her eyes darting to the younger sister who straight up started laughing while the eldest, at least trying to keep her composure, chuckled. 

“Oh this is gonna be interesting,” the redhead said through giggles.

---

Nicole really had hoped that Cassandra meant 10 pm, with how the Dimitrescus were nowhere to be found during the early day, and she would still have the day to herself until night came. That idea went completely out the tinted windows when, at nine thirty, the head chambermaid came to remind her of the change in schedule. She quickly downed the remaining coffee from her cup while mentally cursing and bolted to her room to change into proper attire, then out the door she went. 

Where was she even supposed to meet the brunette? The doors to the dungeons were bolted shut and she doubted Cassandra would oh so graciously escort her this time. Then again, Lady Dimitrescu did say that she had to be supervised. She got her answer when the doors opened with a click and a drawn out groan from the heavy wood. Cassandra was standing there, eyes scrutinizing as ever while giving Nicole a once over. Then she pulled out a pocket watch that looked at least a century old.

“You’re…” eyes narrowed at the small silver object. “Seven minutes early. Oh you’re as annoying about being on time as Bela aren’t you?”

Well you did make it a point to tell me to be on time, you absolute hypocrite. Instead of voicing her opinions though, Nicole settled for following the other girl deep into the castle’s undergrounds, through damp and oddly warm corridors. The giddiness was back into Cassandra’s demeanor, golden eyes occasionally turning to the small redhead walking behind her with an expression of barely concealed glee. This was definitely not good news. 

It took about .5 seconds to notice what got the brunette so happy when they entered her study. The room was definitely cleaner than the first time, only a handful of devices were dirty and the floor needed some mopping. The tables however... One was covered in fresh blood and the other had a dead body sprawled on it, partially covered by a stained sheet. Oh the irony.

While Nicole was cleaning the unoccupied table, she was facing the brunette, somehow trusting her even less with a scalpel in hand than with a sickle. Not that watching her absolutely botch an autopsy was much better mind you. 

Has nobody taught you about the Y incision?!

That's too dee- congrats you’re making a mess.

That cut needs to go lower. What, are you afraid of some balls?

Oh my god are you trying to take the heart out before even taking care of the guts-

“What is it?” Cassandra’s voice came with a low growl, then a slight cock of the head. “You’re staring.”

“N-nothing,” Nicole stumbled over her reply, realizing too late that her hand had stilled on the rag she was using to clean the blood.

“One thing that I hate more than being disrespected is being lied to.” The warning was clear in her tone. “So I’ll ask again: what is it?”

Nicole was sure that being criticized was something she would hate even more, so she made the split second decision to go with a white lie.

“I just...find autopsies quite fascinating.” Well, in a way she did.

“...You do?” Golden eyes widened in what was probably the first truly genuine emotion Nicole has ever seen on Cassandra’s face: surprise, and a hint of curiosity. 

When Nicole reaffirmed her reply, the brunette’s eyes stayed on her for a few long seconds, trying to find the traces of a lie. When she found none, she just dismissed the other girl with an awkward cough and a “Those knives won’t clean themselves.” 

A tense silence fell on the room, only disturbed by the occasional clink of metal tools or the sloshing of organs being handled by the brunette. After the table was wiped to a reflective surface, Nicole moved on to mopping the blood trails on the floor. She was grateful for the chance to step away from Cassandra, if only for a bit. After the floor too was clean, it was time to wipe the few dirty blades, thankfully not as many as last time. She took a dagger from its holster on the wall and carefully ran a piece of cloth over the blade, washing away dried crimson clots. 

As much as it was probably a bad idea, she couldn't help throwing a subtle glance behind her at Cassandra. A few organs were placed on the table at the body’s feet, and she was taking notes in a leatherbound notebook that looked well used. The idea that she had any interest in the bodies beyond being food gave Nicole an oddly nostalgic feeling. It sent her right back in high school, when one of her friends who took art history classes was telling her all about how da Vinci used real dead bodies in order to study anatomy. Yeah, da Vinci but the more attractive versio- fuck.

She hissed and retracted her hand as she felt the sharp blade cut her wrist and almost dropped the dagger. The effort to conceal the pain was there, but useless as Cassandra was by her side in mere seconds. 

"Oh did you cut yourself?" She asked with feign concern, and grabbed her hand. "Here let me help you with that." 

"Oh no I'm okay really no nee-" 

Nicole's words died in her throat when Cassandra stuck out her tongue and dragged it, slowly, across the cut, collecting every last drop of blood. To top it off, she let out a low moan and gave the soft skin there a small nip, successfully making the redhead’s breath hitch. Now any normal and sane person would think I still have a knife in my hand, I should use it, but Nicole would be lying to everyone and then herself if she said she didn’t have a thing for danger. And it doesn’t get much more dangerous than this, now does it.

“Mm...you taste wonderful.” 

Was she supposed to thank her?

“You’re lucky you intrigue me, otherwise you would make for some fine wine.” She finished with her trademark cackle.

Oh she was definitely not getting a thanks now. Nicole rolled her eyes slightly, tugging her hand away. She was half expecting Cassandra not to release her, but instead she let go of her wrist and, with a giggle, she returned to her work without another word.

---

That night, Nicole made damn sure to wash the cut until her skin felt like it would have a permanent sensation of pins and needles. Once a bandage was securely wrapped around her wrist she sat down with a cup of tea, not quite ready to sleep yet. How ironic would it be if she died of an infection while living in a castle where people are literally turned into food and wine.

Although in all honesty, she was quite certain her death would be far more entertaining.

[miraculous-trinity-leo]

Whacky Gotham, Goofy New York, and Chaotic Paris.

(Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5) (Part 6) (Part 7)

Chapter 5: Then Let The Games Begin

•—–—–·†·–—–—•

Soooo, the Batfam is panicking, Gotham's confused as to why Iron Man is flying over Gotham like a madman, and Maria is with two of Gotham's Sirens (but only Ivy and Harley know this) having a wonderful time playing with Bud and Lou.

Let's start with the Sirens.

Harley is watching over Maria and Tikki as they sleep with Bud and Lou, Ivy walkes over to sit next to Harley, handing her a cup of tea.

"So, what's the diagnosis?" - Ivy

"She has some sort of trauma, has class issues... and handles more than she should, but still does everythin', on top of bein' a hero. She's been through some sh-t Pam." Yeah Harley may have found out Maria's a hero (if the tiny god and magic were anything to go by).

"Is she alone?" - Ivy

"No, thankfully, she has supportive parents, and friends that aren't little sh-ts. I think they're also heroes, she also has a lot, and I a mean A LOT of pent up emotions, she doesn't show anythin' negative, only positive things. She seems to shrink in on herself if she thinks she does somethin' wrong. Pam, we both know there's a limit to how much crap a person can take before they snap, and she's such a sweet kid. There has to be somethin' we can do to help her Ives." Ok she found out alot, but in Marias' defense, they have trustworthy souls, and they were the only other people (besides her friends) that she talked to about it, yes she had her Maman and Uncle to talk about hero stuff, but for the stuff her class does, she only ever vented (without being negative) to her friends.

"Her class is visiting the Botanical Gardens in three days, and it's a 2 part tour, so we can see just what's going on. If it's bad then we scare them a bit, if it's bad bad... they can handle a few slightly poisonous plants right?" - Ivy

"God I love the way ya think Ives, do ya think she can stay with us? I mean look at how cute she is with Bud and Lou... Oh my god, she's cuddlin' dem, and ya gave her a flower crown, how'd I miss that?! Where's the camera?"

Harley took a picture to remind her of this wonderful moment. As Ivy and Harley looked at the picture, they both promised to keep Maria safe, and maybe become sorta kinda-ish parents to her while she's in Gotham.

•—–·Now back to the Bat-Chaos Bat-Cave·–—•

Tim took over the chair and was now searching the possible locations with Jarvis, Damian was sitting on a different chair, trying to act cool, but he wouldn't stop looking over at Tim, to see his progress. Bruce was talking over the comms with Tony. Dick and Jason, weren't helping (they kept feeding each other worse and worse ideas of what could have happened to Maria). Then they heard Jarvis speak.

"I have found the most likely area Ms. Dupain-Cheng would be in. Her phone died about 56 blocks away from her hotel, if we don't count kidnapping, or murder, she would have thought about asking for directions, but may have decided not to considering the city she is in. So that leaves us with a possible 15-25 mile radius from her last known location. I think it best to divide into groups of two, have Oracle stay and update you if anything on security, and or traffic cameras happens. Bruce will be with Tony, Dick will go with Tim, and Jason will go with Damain to search within the area. Stephanie and Cassandra will search around a 5 mile radius near Wayne hotel." as Jarvis continued to explain the other details, the Batfam began to suit up, Batman met up with Iron Man, and they took the North area, Nightwing and Red Robin took the East area, while Red Hood and Robin searched the South. Steph and Cass were on foot in civilian clothes, searching the West area they were assigned.

They searched for the whole day, and came up with nothing. Until Oracle saw a video from a traffic cam around 9pm, 15 blocks away from where her phone died. She called it in and everyone went back to the cave. Once everyone was at the Bat-Computer, Oracle pressed play, the cameras didn't have sound, and it wasn't close enough to see if she was ok.

They watched as she went to an overgrown parking lot and sat down. She was looking down at the ground, and that's when they spotted two figures round the corner and spot her. They watched as the two figures approach Maria, and saw the startled reaction she had. They realized it was Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy that were talking to her, then they saw Maria collapse. They watched as Harley made sure she was ok, looking over to Ivy before looking back to Maria and picking her up. The last thing they saw, was Maria being carried away by two of Gothams' most dangerous rouges, but now they knew where to look next.

•—–· Back to Ivy and Harley ·–—•

Harley continued to take adorable pictures of the children.

"God, they're so f-ckin' cute!" - Harley for the 20th time

As Ivy continued to watch while caring for her plants, Catwoman walked in.

"Hey girls, got the stuff for movie night, so what are we- Holy mother of cats! He adopted another f-cking child didn't he! Where the hell does he keep finding them?! 7 was ment to be the god DAMN LIMIT!!!" - Catwoman

Maria jumped at the sudden shouting and may have accidentally summoned a yo-yo (one made useing creation magic and protection magic) before saying.

"Tikki where's the akuma?! How long was I out?! Forget it Tikki spot-" she then realized she wasn't in Paris, and seeing a new face, she also realized she just spilled her secret to another person within the same day... kinda

"Fffffffffffudge sunday that fell on the pavement!" - Maria shouted in baker profanities

"That's not how ya curse sweetheart. It should go more like-" Harley was cut off by a vine Ivy had summoned.

"Harley, cursing makes the plants sad, you know this." - Ivy said removing the vine

Harley just walked over to Maria and whipsered it in her ear.

"You're supposed to say it more like this, ' ..... .... ... .. ....... .. ... .....' ok?" - Harley ended with a big smile

"... I will never see this world in the same frickin' light ever again." - Maria

"ehh close enough." - Harley

"Can someone please tell me, WTH is going on here, on our special girls day off?!" - Catwoman

"She is a new member of the Sirens as of today, and as a member, she's unda our protection, so effective immediately." - Harley

"Cool." - Maria

"Harley." - Ivy

"Wut... first things first, if she is going to join, she needs to be very flexible, know how to fight, and be incredibly intelligent." - Catwoman

"She beat Ed's @ss with a gun pointed at her, and solved every riddle with ease, so I'm positive she'll be an amazin' addition to the team." - Harley

'God she sounds like a new mother now' "But we don't know how good her flexibility is." - Catwoman

"I know, hey Maria, ya wanna do some tricks with me, of course we need to stretch first, but do ya wanna give it a go?" - Harley

"Sure." - Maria

Ivy and Catwoman sat down on a couch a few feet away from where Maria and Harley stood in the empty part of the building. They started out with stretches, and to Catwoman's surprise (and Harley's delight) Maria copied Harleys streches perfectly.

"Ok, now that that's done, we'll start with some cartwheels, then move on to flips, then handsprings and so on." - Harley

Maria gave Harley a nod... and they were off... literally, Harley did a cartwheel into a handspring, and a few backflips, Maria executed it flawlessly. Harley did some more complicated gymnastics tricks, and Maria did it, Harley did triple backflips going into a cartwheel, into a summersault, and Maria did that perfectly as well. This went on until both Harley and Maria were slightly out of breath, both having massive smiles on their faces.

"Ives, please let her join, she's like a mini me." - Harley then hugged Maria and they somehow both tripled in cuteness as they both did puppy (or Puss In Boots style) eyes at Catwoman and Ivy.

"Sure Harley." - Ivy said walking over to give Harley a small kiss on the cheek.

"Okay... but she doesn't have a costume yet, and she still has to think of a name for herself." - Catwoman

"Is a mouse good, like a mouse themed costume, that or a Turtle themed one. What do you think Harley?" - Maria

"Mmmm, I like that with the mouse you can always toy with Cat, ya know, cat an' mouse stuff, turtle seems... weird even fawh Gotham, so personally I would pick mouse, just because of the cheesy jokes you could do." - Harley

"Very funny, ok then, give me a moment."  Maria then reached out her hand, her eyes then started to glow an icy blue, and a small portal opened in front of her, she reached in and pulled out a small pendant necklace. After she put it on a small mouce appeared and greated itself, Marias' eyes going back to normal after closing the portal.

"Hello I'm Mullo, nice to meet you all."

"Omg omg omg, It's soooo f-ckin' CUTE!" - Harley

"Best to assume all of them are extremely cute Harls." - Ivy

"What the Hell did I miss in the week I was gone?!" - Catwoman

"Ehh, not much, oh but Iron Man did fly aroun' Gotham a few times earlier this mornin' like a madman." - Harley

"Oh sh-t." - Maria

"Maria are ya ok? That was ya first official proper curse in my presence." Harley said looking over to the girl.

"He's gonna kill me." - Maria

"Wait, what do you mean Marigold?" - Ivy

"... He's my Uncle, and I never got to text him I was ok, since my phone died before I met you." - Maria

"Hey, I'm sure he'll understand, now what are we watchin'?" - Harley

"I think we have more important matters other than movies at the moment!" - Catwoman

"Ok, Me Myself and Irene it is." - Harley

"No! You basically kidnapped Iron Mans' NIECE!!!" - Catwoman

"Technically, she fainted and us bein' the good Gothamites we are, decided to take her with us, to make sure she was a-okay." - Harley

"I'm ganna need more than just a six pack of soda to get me through this... Just put the movie on already." - Catwoman

Catwoman sat at the far left end of the couch, next to her sat Ivy, then Maria, and then Harley, Bud and Lou by their feet. All of them sharing one big blanket (Becuase if Iron Man did show up, or any of the birds, then Maria was in a protective burrito and they may not see her right away) and they started the movie.

•—–·–—•

"Oh god, the poor cow." - Maria

.........

"Hahahaha, he stuck a whole f-ckin' chicken head in that guys @ss" - Harley

"The poor chicken." - Maria

"Maria you don't want to see this part." - Ivy then lightly covered her eyes for the ehem, chicken extraction.

.........

"Anyone up for another movie?" - Harley

"That depends." - Ivy

"Any suggestions Cat?" - Harley looked across to the other end of the couch to see Catwoman already sleeping.

"She took her cat-nap already? Seriously?" - Harley

"... What about Pirates of The Caribbean?" - Maria

"I'm good with that." - Ivy

And they started the next movie, Maria was happy, it felt like when her maman and papa would sleep with her when she made a pillow fort. It was a loving atmosphere, it felt safe, and nothing could ruin it. Marias' eyes became heavy, and she leaned her head on Harleys' shoulder, falling asleep after a few minutes.

Ivy paused the move looking over to see both Harley and Maria sleeping, soon Ivy also fell asleep in the comfortable silence.

…………………………

Around an hour later Maria woke up in a panic, she had a nightmare, and kept looking around frantically for someone with tears running down her face.

"What's the matter hun?" - Harley said looking around to see if someone had gotten in. When she looked back at Maria she saw that she was crying.

"What happened?" Harley asked in a kind voice that was filled with motherly love.

"I, just *hic* had a bad dream that's *hic* all, I'm fine." - Maira said trying to wipe the tears away.

"You're ok, I promise nothin's goin' to happen to ya as long as Ivy and I are here, ok hun?" - Harley hugged Maria, and she could feel the girl let out a few more sobs, and quick breathes.

"Thanks Maman." Maria didn't even realize what she had said, it just felt natural for her to say it.

"You're welcome hun." 'Omg I'm gonna cry, she called me maman!' Harley rubbed small circles over Marias' back, and began humming until she fell asleep, she continued to hug Maria until she also fell asleep.

•—–· Back to the Chaos Bat-Cave ·–—•

"What do you mean she's with two of Gotham City's Sirens?!" - Tony

"Tony, calm down, I'll call Selina, she can talk to them and get this all sorted out." - Bruce

"Your fiancee is a Gotham Siren too?! Why didn't you tell me?!" - Tony

"Why isn't she picking up? And unlike some people, this family doesn't like outing our secret identities... on live TV." - Bruce

"Oh well excuse me for not keeping my secret identity a SECRET!" - Tony

"I'll try calling her one more time." - Bruce

"Bruce, it's 3am. Who in their right mind ever stays up this late.... aside from this family." - Tim with a giant coffee mug in hand.

"... I'll just call her one more time." Bruce then connected it to the Bat-Computer so everyone could hear.

•—–· Back to the Sirens ·–—•

Catwoman's phone is ringing like crazy, waking everyone up, including a tired, annoyed, and confused Selina.

"Wth does he want at 3 in the morning?!" - Selina

"Just answer it so we can keep sleepin'." - Harley still hugging Maria

"I'm putting it on speaker, so you lot can testify against his @ss in court, for disturbing the peace."

•—–· Over to Batsy ·–—•

"Selina I need to ask-"

"WHAT THE F-CKING HELL DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND ABOUT A GOOD NIGHTS REST!" - Selina

"Oooooh, she sounds pissed Bruce." - Jason

"I'm sorry to call you at this hour, but we need to find a girl that looks just like every single one of my other kids." - Bruce

"Bruce... I thought we agreed that 7 kids was. the. f-cking. limit." - Selina

•—–· Back to the Sirens ·–—•

Selina looked over to Maria before muting the speaker.

"Do you want them to know you're here Kitten?" - Selina

"... I'm tired, I haven't had coffee, I have no filter, so f-ck it, act like you never saw me today, and let them drown in chaos. " - Maria

"I think I like filter less Maria." - Harley

"Okay." Selina shrugged her shoulders and then un-muted her phone, putting it back on speaker mode.

"Where was she last seen?" - Selina

"She was last seen with Harley and Poison Ivy, I want you to see if she's still with them." - Bruce

Selina looked over to Maria and Harley, both of them shook their heads with mischievous grins.

"I've been with them all day, and I haven't once seen a girl that looks like your kids. Now can I go back to sleep, and forget this ever happened?" - Selina

"WHERE IS MY NIECE!!!" - Tony

"Oh, hey Tony, didn't know you were there, don't know who, or where your niece is, but good luck trying to find her. Oh and Bruce, I'm shutting my phone off so you don't keep calling till the butt crack of dawn. And congrats it's now 4am. you owe me a lunch date, uh-ba-bye." Selina then hung up her phone and turned it off.

"That went pretty well if you ask me, now I'm going back to sleep." - Selina

•—–· Back to Batsy ·–—•

The room was silent for a few minutes before Jason spoke up.

"Does that mean that Pixiepop ran away and is even more lost now?!" - Jason

"Oh god, what do we do, what if she got hurt?!" - Dick

"What if she got kidnapped?!" - Jason

"What if she's with a big time Gotham Villain?!" - Dick

"... What if she got more coffee?" - Tim

"Oh Hell No" - Jason/Dick

"... Lets all go to sleep, and when we wake up, we'll head over to their base and double check. She could've just said that because I called her at 3am." - Bruce

"But my niece is still out there!" - Tony

"You're going to sleep Tony." - Pepper then dragged Tony to his room.

•—–· Back to Maria ·–—•

Selina went to a different part of the building, where Maria assumed the bedrooms were. Ivy had gone to the greenhouse to be with the plants, and now it was just her and Harley left on the couch, and she couldn't sleep.

"... Harley?" - Maria

"Yeah hun?" - Harley

"I can't sleep." - Maria

"Well, watcha wanna do till ya get tired?" Harley asked sitting up a little straighter to get a better look at Maria.

Maria gave a sly smile, and looked Harley in the eyes "Want to go free-running on the rooftops?"

"... Alright, but lets get some coffee, and a snack in us first." - Harley gave her a side hug, before getting up to go make the coffee, and grab some snacks.

After they had their coffee, they climbed to the roof of the base. Harley was in her outfit, bat in hand and ready to do some bonding.

"So, how does ya outfit work?" - Harley

"Like so, ready Mullo?" - Maria

"Yes Maria" - Mullo

"Ok, Mullo, Get Squeaky!" A bright light flashes, and when Harley could see again, Maria was in a dark gray suit, wearing black knee high boots, with a strip of pink at the knee, and black elbow length gloves with the same pink strip at her elbow. Her mask was a slightly lighter gray on the top part, and pink on the bottom. Her hair was pulled into two buns with pink ribbons that faded to gray, and to black at the very tip. Her jump rope around her waist forming a tail going just below the back of her knees.

"Just when I think ya can't get any more adorable. So what should I call ya?" - Harley

"You can call me Multimouse." - Maria

Soon they were racing and doing tricks off different roofs, they were really enjoying themselves. From one of the roofs they heard a commotion in one of the alleys, when they looked down they saw a man holding a woman at gunpoint.

"Not good, seems like he's got issues, probably lost his lover, most likely has additions to drugs and alcohol, and seems to be a little tipsy." - Harley

"I've got a plan." - Multimouse

…………

Multimouse droped a little way behind the guy, grabbing his attention while Harley got the lady to safety.

"You know there's a help center two blocks from here that would be more than willing to help you." - Multimouse

The crook just raised his gun to her trying to keep it steady as he spoke.

"Give me all your money little girl, or else I'll hurt you."

"1. That's not how you hold a gun. 2. That is no way to treat any girl. and 3. Instead of money, I'll give you my jump rope." - Multimouse

"Why the hell would I want your jump rope, that thing looks worthless." the crook lowered his guard enough as Multimouse pretended to hand over her jump rope, only to use it in a quick motion to dismarm the man, as Harley promptly knocked him out with one swing.

"Lets neva have ya at gunpoint again, okay hun? I'm afraid my heart can't take it." - Harley said while tying the crook to a lamppost.

"Sorry, but it was the best idea I could come up with at the moment, besides, any guy with a gun would feel like they have the upper hand if they're facing a random little girl with a jump rope, rather than Gothams' Harley Quinn with a bat." - Multimouse

"Sadly I'm just too popular with the kiddos on the street." - Harley

…………

They continued to stop a few more muggers on the way back to the base, and when they got back they peaked around the corner to see the whole Batfam plus Iron Man talking with Ivy and Selina.

"How much you want to bet we can get back out before they see us?" - Whispering Multimouse

"... Lets try hidin' in the kitchen." - Whispering Harley

As they tried to sneak by (still in their costumes) Selina just walks over and draggs them to the group.

"Here, now let me sleep!" - Selina

"Dang it Selina we wanted tah see just how long we could hide out in the kitchen!" - Harley

Selina did a double take now realizing they both went out.

"... You didn't." - Selina

"We wanted tah go free-runnin'! So what?" - Harley

"She could've gotten hurt Harls." - Ivy

"My suits magic, I am invulnerable to bullets, normal magic, swords, knifes, anything staby staby, and I can withstand any temperature in it." Multimouse said with a slight pout.

"Hold up, is she a magical girl?" - Red Hood in the background

When Selina let go both Harley and Multimouse went behind Ivy for protection.

"We can still make a run for it." - Harley whispered to Multimouse

"... Ok, I'll meet you on the roof." - Whispering Multimouse

Harley gave a nod as she slowly inched her wasy closer to the door that lead to the roof, as she saw Iron Man approach Multimouse.

"Please get out of your suit, we need to talk about why you're here-" - Iron Man

"Multitute!" - Multimouse

Harley then saw Multimouse shrink into dozens of tiny little versions of herself as her clones spread out in all directions, one of which was heading right for her.

"Wth, you never told us she could use magic!" - Red Robin

Harley picked her up, and slipped through the door without anyone noticing.

"That was great, but how do ya get back tuh normal size?" - Harley

"Simple, I just merge back with my clones." As she said this, all her clones came back, and she merged with herself, becoming normal sized again.

"Where to?" - Multimouse

………… So now The Batfam is trying to find many long gone Mini-Multimouses, and Harley seems to have disappeared with her. Harley and Multimouse are now running over the roofs, heading for Wayne Manor.

"So why are we going to Wayne Manor?" - Multimouse

"Because, Batsy will neva think of lookin' for us at his own home, at least not fawh a little while." - Harley

When they arrived at the Manor, Multimouse de-transformed as Harley knocked on the door.

"Ms. Quinn, Ms. Maria, pleasure to see you here, please come in." - Alfred

"Are any of the bat-birds here?" - Harley

"Ms. Barbara, Ms. Stephanie, and Ms. Cassandra are the only ones here at the moment." - Alfred

"Do ya think you can keep us bein' here a secret from Batsy?" - Harley

"Harley? What are you doing here with Maria?" - Barbara

"It seems that Ms. Harley and Ms. Maria are now playing hide and seek with the rest of the family." - Alfred

"Did someone say hide and seek?" - Steph

"Yes, so could we maybe try and keep this a secret from everyone else, please?" - Maria

"Sure, it was starting to get boring around here. We can all hide in the living room no one ever use. Barbara you show them the way, I'll get the food/drinks and boardgames." - Steph

"Is this alright with you Alfred?" Maria

"It's all right Ms. Maria, you can hide out in the old living room." - Alfred

"Thanks Alfie, ya the best." - Harley

"Thank you Alfred." - Maria

"Ok then, follow me." - Barbara

…………

In the old living room, Harley, Maria, Barbara, Steph, and Cass began to formulate a plan.

"Ok, so the best way for them to never find you is to have your phone off, stay away from any and all cameras, and show your face to no one." - Steph

"So, do you have anything in mind that you might want to do?" - Barbara

"Can we put them on a wild goose chase?" - Maria

Cass nodded to Marias' suggestion approvingly.

"I can hack a few traffic cams to help with that." - Barbara

"We can also throw in some useless hints, to throw dem even further off our scent." - Harley

"Good idea Harley." - Barbara

"Thanks, but how long do ya think we should make it last?" - Harley

"As long as Maria wants it to." - Barbara

"Then let the games begin." - Maria.

•—–—–·†·–—–—•

Chapter 5 complete. Hope everyone is stayin' safe, Rockin' those Positive Vibes, and havin' an absolutely wonderful day. BUG-OUT 🐞💮🐞

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