bankingcourses-blog

[nonasimming]

Unlike me, who does not dream of labor, Ollie is working hard to be an astronaut.

[bats-and-the-birds]

I made a post involving young/feral/perceived cryptid Dick Grayson and someone tagged something about Barry Allen losing his mind when this terrifying child befriends his nephew and I have NOT stopped thinking about this since.

Because like, imagine you're Barry Allen. You've been doing this hero thing for a while, and you've seen a lot of things, but now your nephew has gotten himself wrapped up in this too, and goddamnit, you're worried because you know this life isn't easy.

Then he makes a friend - Ollie's boy, Roy Harper - and you breathe a little bit easier, because you know that however rough this life is, it's worse without friends. Besides, it's sweet. They're young boys, and they roughhouse, and tell stupid jokes, and play video games together sometimes. It's nice to see Wally just be a kid with someone that he doesn't have to hide from. And, yeah, sure, they get into trouble sometimes, pull pranks that go too far, get themselves in danger because they think they can take on something they can't, but it's still a net positive, because you need friends in this line of work, and that's exactly what they've found.

And you think about Robin. Not often, but you do think about him. Because you know nothing about him, and you don't want to, but he still has the face of a boy that's younger than your nephew. You wonder if he has friends.

But really, you don't think about him that much. You don't want to. He's freaky, and generally, thinking too hard about anything to do with the Bat is inadvisable.

Then there's a fight. A big one. You don't even really know who's fighting on your side until everything has cleared. It was basically the entire Justice League, no one dead, but a few injuried. And your nephew's there too. And Roy. And Robin.

No one really goes near Robin, ever. It was an unspoken rule, of sorts, and you're pretty sure it's just because everyone's scared of messing with Batman's little bird, though whether that was due to fear of Batman or the bird himself, you're not sure.

But Wally doesn't seem to know this. Wally doesn't seem to care. He runs up to Robin with a big grin on his face and grabs his hand, trying to tug him over to where Roy was patching up some injuries.

You notice that Robin doesn't go with him immediately. In fact, he looks confused. But if you know anything about your nephew, he's persistent, and eventually Robin lets himself be dragged over. Roy seems unconcerned, but you can tell that the other adults in the vicinity shift uncomfortably, unsure of what they should do, or if they should do anything at all.

It doesn't last long anyway. Batman calls for Robin and he bounds off, but you notice he stops and hesitantly waves a gloved hand at your nephew before he leaves. Wally waves back.

You don't think much of it.

Then, the next time you and Ollie catch Wally and Roy fighting something they shouldn't be, Robin's right there with them. It's the first time you've seen Robin without Batman in close proximity, and you think he looks just a little bit more human. He smiles sheepishly with the other boys when they're chastised for fighting things that they shouldn't, and you watch Roy ruffle his hair like there's nothing to be worried about. You're still worried.

You still don't think much of it though. Even when Robin's there with the two of them the next time, and the time after that.

But then, oh dear god, he's in your house. You don't actually notice him at first, for two whole hours, because it's normal to see Wally and Roy sitting on the couch and playing video games. You just don't realize that there's a third head in between them until you sit down in an adjacent armchair to see what they're playing, because Robin is just short enough that his head doesn't peak over the back of the couch.

You have to blink a few times to make sure what you're seeing is real, because nestled in between the two slightly older heroes in their civilian attire is Robin, sans his gloves, cape, and boots, but otherwise still in full uniform with his mask still firmly in place, holding a video game controller and laughing while Wally elbows his side to try to make him lose.

And you just sit back in your chair and stare, because what the hell are you even supposed to do in this situation? Your nephew has decided to make friends with Batman's goddamn son - the boy that you've seen sneak up on League members with super hearing, break a grown man's femur, and somehow fade into shadows in a bright yellow cape - and it worked. And now he's playing video games on your couch. And you don't know what to do about that.

[oleander-nin]

If your request are open, could I request a few headcanons with the Rise Turtles?

The reader found a turtle mutant child alone in NYC and took them in because the parents abandoned them after they mutated. How would the Turtles react to their s/o or crush suddenly being the new mom to a turtle mutant?

A/N, not important: Thank you for the ask, and if you're ever curious about requesting, you can check my pinned post which has my requesting rules linked. This one was tough for me because I personally love kids, and used to volunteer at a daycare camp type deal, and it kinda shows through. This kinda ended up being more about the child than them w/ you. Sorry. Any criticism is welcome, constructive or not. This is supposed to be a gender neutral reader, so if I screwed up somewhere, please tell me.

-Ollie

Tw: My writing, kids, Mikey's part mentions future marriage, Donnie suggests adoption

Words: 400

Summary: ROTTMNT turtle's s/o becomes the new parent of a mutant turtle. Yay, responsibility...

Mikey:

Surprised, but willing to help.

Thinks it’s literally the sweetest thing you took in the small mutant.

Wants to make sure you’re okay with everything and don’t put too much pressure on yourself.

He’s really worried for the kid as well, and wants to make sure you’re both doing okay.

Supports you with the kid to the best of his ability.

Offers to bring you food more often so you can focus more on your job and taking care of the kid.

Tries his best to build a proper relationship with the kid.

Mikey loves you, and wants to possibly marry you in the future.

If this kid is now part of that future, he’s on board.

Donnie:

Is mostly indifferent to the new child in your life.

He thinks it was a noble act, but a vastly unnecessary one.

In Donnie’s mind, you don’t need a kid. You’re only a young adult and haven’t figured your life out yet.

Why adopt some random kid when there’s a yokai family out there waiting with possibly open arms?

Anyways, Donnie got yelled at for his hypocrisy because SHELLDON.

Shelldon is more excited than Donnie.

Donnie helps if you ask, but leaves you to it for the most part.

It’s your life, he doesn’t care too much what you do with it.

Plus, seeing you act sweet to the kid is nice.

Raph:

Gets happy when he meets the kid.

Thinks you’re an angel for taking care of the kid when you technically didn’t have to.

Brings it up to Splinter on accident.

Now you have a rat-man giving you childcare advice.

Helps with anything you ask.

He wants to spend time with you, and now you are constantly with the kid, so he spends time with the kid too.

Bonds with the kid pretty quickly.

Leo:

Is concerned, but helps where he can.

Like Donnie, he’s concerned because you’re still a young adult yourself, and he doesn't want you to get overwhelmed.

To help, he ends up becoming the kid’s dad more or less.

Gets really excited when the toddler laughs at one of his jokes.

Instant acceptance, will steal the child from you if possible.

Almost co-parents?

He likes the kid, and he likes you, so he has no problem helping out whenever he can.

Bribes Mikey to babysit so he can still go out with you alone though.

[speedforce-zoomies]

Y’all know what I think would make an interesting AU?

If everyone in the 90’s Young Justice was a clone or a “clone”

Canonically we’ve already got two out of the main ten

Conner Kent/Superboy being a “clone” of Superman & Lex Luthor

& Slobo being a clone of Lobo

Two things to note 1) I think it’s kinda boring if all of them have the same backstory so I’ll still try to give them all a reason that they’ve left Cadmus early in life

And 2) If we’re looking at all the various DC works 1 to 1 clones usually have some major issues

For example the other attempts at cloning Superman didn’t work, the DNA was too unstable

And in the DCAU, the Supergirl 1 on 1 clone had the side effect of being mentally connected to Supergirl which made her mentally unstable and Waller purposely avoided going the 1 to 1 route with Terry implying that it was still not a smart route to go down decades later

Therefore every “clone” will still have two “parents”

Let’s start with the other members of the core four

Tim - obviously a clone of Bruce, could add in Selena’s DNA if the scientists want some extra kick or he could still be the son of Janet so that he’s raised in a similar manner (rich kid upbringing) to Bruce

Janet and Jack could be having fertility issues and are given an opportunity to have a child through Cadmus and they just ignore all the weird stuff like rich people tend to do. Maybe they know Tim is Bruce’s clone, maybe they don’t. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Cassie - Diana Prince & Steve Trevor - not only would this give them access to the Amazons/Themyscira but also to a member of military personnel who knows a lot of stuff he probably shouldn’t

If this pairing Helena Sandsmark could be chosen to adopt her specifically so that she has a higher chance of interacting with the Greek gods which activates her powers (I mean Helena is already canonically interacting with them - might not be hard for Cadmus to realize that)

Could also do Diana & Helena Sandsmark, she could be in the same boat as Janet in the earlier scenario and just rolls with all the weird stuff.

Bart - Barry and Iris. Could still have the aging problem and still raised in Virtual Reality just some centuries behind the usual route. Imagine him thinking up the twins names himself - I mean Dawn and Don as twin names SOUND like they came from a kid raised in VR lol. When Barry and Iris later have the twins, they just roll with the names because Bart said them so matter of fact and Cadmus acts like they aren’t surprised that Bart got it right about Iris’s pregnancy.

Maybe they send him to go find Wally through suggestions from the VR so that he can better learn his powers/can become the next Flash and then Wally sends him to Max like in canon.

Now for the others…

Cissie - super easy Bonnie & Ollie. Bonnie as an Olympic-level archer wants her daughter to be the best archer and a hero and so she seeks out Cadmus and asks just straight up asks them for a clone.

Greta - I’m sorry to say is a mystery. She was a failed clone but no one seems to know who her original DNA came from.

Anita - could be a clone of her mother Oshi if Agua killed Oshi before she had Anita. Cadmus could reach out and be like hey Donald Fite it’s not the same as having your wife back but um, we could clone her? Give you a kid? Maybe Agua pushes for it idk

La'gaan - I couldn’t find much about his history prior to him becoming an Atlantis citizen so I imagine Cadmus might have captured his “parents” or maybe it’s someone who works with Orm and wants to send in a spy and though a child would be easier to get in than an adult. When Aquaman makes him a citizen he decides not to betray his confidence.

Ray - cloned from the original Ray and his wife or another golden age hero. Again pretty simple. Cadmus just thought he was neat. They are obsessed with Sun based superheroes after all. Ray is one I could see being locked up in Cadmus until the formation of the team since he was already locked away from the Sun in his origin story.

So at some point I imagine Tim would probably start to unravel things which would lead to similar events to canon (regarding the formation of the team I mean) but I just think it would be interesting since cloning is so prevalent in the DC universe to have an entire team of clones or “clones”

Maybe after distributing the other clones Luthor gets the idea to actually raise Conner himself which is always a fun AU

Plus with all this cloning going on they could potentially have the tools to prevent Slobo’s body from degrading which is a nice bonus

What do y’all think?

[sephirthoughts]

Vincent's New Kid Just Dropped CH 1.

THIS NERO IS VINCENT'S SON HC HAS BURROWED INTO MY BRAIN HELP

stupid blurb about Vincent who has never slept with a woman finding out about his third biological child. includes sephiroth being his son and he and cid's daughter Olivia, from my sephiroth and sister HC silliness. might write more if the spirit moves me

[WARNING: i scribbled this up in like twenty minutes so please ignore any typos or whatever]

Sephiroth was seated on the floor, at the coffee table, with Ollie in his lap, helping her make colorful scribbles on a coloring book with a set of crayons, which Vincent didn’t have any recollection of owning. He ignored it. The sheer number of Ollie-related things that had been appearing in the house recently was past the point of addressing.

He’d been furious when his eldest son first began showing up in their home, uninvited, at all hours of the day and night. Then he’d been worried about the man’s motives and their safety, since he was human super-weapon literally unstoppable by any means known to man. Then he'd been wary of letting Ollie get attached to someone who might just up and vanish from her life.

But everything Sephiroth had done so far was consistent with his stated desire to care for his little sister, and gradually, his constant presence became a part of their daily lives. If nothing else, he was huge help with baby duties. Vincent and Cid hadn’t slept this well or had so much free time to actually be together, for months. 

They hadn't discussed their biological relationship, apart from that first night, when Sephiroth had dropped it on him, like a bomb, but it didn’t seem there was much to say. Sephiroth called him ‘father’ from that point on, and never addressed it further. 

If Vincent was honest, with himself, he liked seeing Lucrecia’s son this way; with his armor off, literally and metaphorically. He looked so much like her, when he was at ease, and that manic, Jenova-tainted light wasn’t in his eyes. He was so gentle and soft-spoken, too, it was like he was another person. In disposition, Sephiroth was actually very much like Vincent, not Lucrecia, though Vincent didn’t realize it.

Right now, his long, silver hair was pulled back in a loose braid (otherwise it would all go directly into Ollie’s mouth, via her chubby little grabbers), and he was wearing black jeans and a thin, white t-shirt, with a v-neck so deep that the cleavage between his absurd pectoral muscles was visible. At least he was owning his aesthetic. 

Vincent sighed as he measured rice into the colander. Now that they were just settling into a comfortable routine with Seph and Ollie, there was another bomb to drop on the family beehive. 

Vincent had another biological son, created the same way, from his genetic material and without his knowledge or consent. Another deeply traumatized, poorly socialized, possibly criminally insane young man, with highly dangerous abilities and no one who cared if he lived or died. 

Vincent’s paternity had already been established in absentia, and he received a subpoena, to give testimony regarding his adult son’s potential for recidivism, and the practical threat he posed to humanity in general, as an augmented individual. That was how he found out about his second son. A subpoena. 

The prosecution wanted to execute Nero, out of hand. The defense said he was mentally unstable and driven to extremes by systematic brainwashing and horrific abuse. Vincent couldn’t allow them to just kill the young man, no matter what antagonism had lain between them. In the end, he was remanded to his father’s custody, under house arrest, depending upon his behavior during that period, and providing his father consented to such an arrangement. 

When Vincent told him it was a possible outcome of the trial, Cid agreed to it, without batting an eyelash. They had one child intentionally. That was what they’d both wanted. Now they had three, all biologically Vincent’s, two of whom were adults who had tried to kill one or both of them, at some point. Cid seriously deserved some kind of medal for world’s best husband.

Speaking of which, he’d be back with the newly acquired family member any minute, now. Cid had taken Nero to shop for basic necessities like clothing and toiletries, and Vincent was supposed to be preparing Ollie and Seph for their new brother’s arrival. Instead, he was hiding in the kitchen, cooking rice, because that’s what he did when he was stressed out and avoiding conflict with family members. After all, that’s what his mother had always done. 

When she was upset that Grimoire had missed yet another milestone in Vincent’s life, or when she suspected Grimoire of having an inappropriate relationship with his assistant, or when Vincent and his father were arguing yet again, about Vincent joining the Turks, rather than pursue the sciences; she would never confront her husband or join any disagreement, until after she’d gone to the kitchen and cooked rice. 

Once, when he was little, Vincent asked her why she cooked so much rice. She told him that no matter what was going on, nothing was ever made worse by having something to eat. Now, many, many years later, as he stood at his own sink, sifting through the smooth, heavy, little grains under the running water, shaking out the strainer, watching the cloudy water turn clear as the starch was rinsed away, he understood the purely meditative value of the exercise, too. 

Nothing was ever made worse by having something to eat, nor by taking a beat to calm down and reflect, and if you could also do something productive while you were at it, all the better. Pushing the button on the rice cooker, he went back into the living room, prepared to tell his children about his other child. 

Of course, that was the moment Cid burst in the front door, his blue eyes ablaze, his blonde brow deeply furrowed, and a cigarette hanging from his lips, having very clearly had some manner of altercation with that selfsame child. 

“Get your ass in here, or I’ll carry ya, myself!” he shouted, out the door, as he remembered he had a cigarette, and paused to grind the butt out in the little bucket of sand. Then he turned to Vincent, shaking his head. “Sorry for showin’ up in a huff like this, babe, but this kid is somethin’ else. He could make a saint swear.” 

“It seems this person can make you swear, at least,” Sephiroth observed. “Though, you seem to swear whether or not there is any provocation, at all.”

“Baaa-paaaa!” Ollie squealed joyously, reaching for Cid, who accepted her from her brother and twirled her around. 

“There’s my lil’ princess. Papa missed ya so much,” he cooed, his entire manner softening and brightening, as if his baby daughter were a literal sun, casting its rays on him. 

There was a noise, and all three looked up, to see that the patience-trying person in question was standing in the doorway, arms crossed tightly on his chest, looking down at the floor, which was such a common posture of Vincent’s, Cid would have laughed aloud, if he hadn’t already been so pissed off at the kid.

“Nero,” Vincent said. “Welcome home.”

LINK TO CH. 2

[zahri-melitor]

My comments on the Extended Generational Sorting Algorithm:

Gosh there are some murky in-betweens here.

G-1 – JSA and teams like the All-Star Squadron and the Blackhawks. The WWII edition. This is occasionally merged with G0 as timelines shift, but includes Hippolyta, Ted Knight, Sandra Knight (as Phantom Lady), Alan Scott, Jay Garrick, etc. A lot of this cohort have aging issues and several have grandkids in G1 or G1.5. Zinda simultaneously belongs to this group and G1.5.

G0 – JSA, the gap between WWII and the first JLA. This is the younger JSA cohort who aren’t so tied to WWII and the gap after. Dinah Drake. Ted Grant. Johnny Quick. Giovanni Zatara. Walter Chase (the Acro-Bat). Bruce’s parents. The Kents. Jim Gordon. Etc.

G1 – JLA land! Bruce, Clark, Diana, Ollie, Barry, Hal, Arthur, etc. You know them. Your idea of a headlining JLA includes these folk.

G1.5 – Birds of Prey and JLI zone. Characters too old to be Titans cohort but younger/clearly different than the G1 headliners. Barbara Gordon and Dinah Lance are the stalwarts of this group, plus I’ll add Helena Bertinelli, Cameron Chase, Kate Spencer, Kendra, etc. I guess I’d probably put Harley Quinn, agewise, here too. Also would add Beatriz, Tora, Booster, Ted Kord, etc. Guy and Zatanna sort of bounce between here and G1 depending on storyline.

G2 – it’s the Titans! Dick, Donna, Wally, Roy, Garth, Victor, Gar, Kory, Raven etc. Their agebounds are probably Roy as the oldest and Gar as the youngest, though Gar’s given to them as a courtesy – he’s realistically a member of G2.5, he just hangs with G2. We also add Kyle and Connor and Jesse Quick etc to this cohort despite them not being core Titans given their strong connections to particularly Donna and Wally.

G2.5 – The JL Taskforce kids and Jason’s non-existent team. Ray Palmer’s Teen Titans. This is a group of individuals that has never properly coalesced. Overlaps in age with both the bottom of G2 and the top of G3 but distinctly don’t belong to either. Jason, Ray, Grant, Argent, Cynthia, Eddie, Snapper Carr, plus Danny Chase and arguably Gar all fall into this group. Rose Wilson overlaps with G3 but vibeswise probably also belongs to this group. I am tossing up whether Anissa and Jennifer Pierce belong here or in G2.

G3 – Young Justice. Tim, Kon, Cassie, Bart, Cissie, Greta, Anita. Cass Cain belongs here despite being the same age as several G2.5s. Steph, Charlie, Black Alice, Jaime, Zachary Zatara, even a handful of the newer folk like Jinny Hex slot in here. Several Supergirls including current Kara, Courtney Whitmore IS a member of this group and the three oldest Marvel kids (Billy, Mary and Freddy) are currently aged into this.

G4 – Damian’s Teen Titans. Damian, Jon Kent (yes even still with the age up), Emiko Queen, Ace West etc. If they are still a teen right now in DC storytelling or SHOULD be a teen, they belong here (if they’re a teen and SHOULDN’T be they’re probably a G3/G5). The Gotham Academy kids. Arguably the Titan Academy kids too? Agewise the DEO Titans kids but spiritually probably not (also the chances of us ever seeing them again is…low) The younger Marvel kids (Eugene, Pedro and Darla especially) are with this group.

G5 – so this group are either alternate G3 or G3.5s. Too new and too un-networked with G3 to be absorbed. Jace Fox, Yara Flor, Jackson Hyde, Duke Thomas and the We Are Robin cohort all belong here. Kong Kenan, Avery Ho, etc also are members.

G6 – Titans Offspring Gen. Almost everyone in this group has been artificially aged, which is a thing, hey. Lian, Irey, Jai, Cerdian, Robbie. Maxine, obviously. Otho and Osul-Ra.

G7 – Help I’m From Earth-One: Power Girl and Helena Wayne.

G8 – The Lost Children – also Help I’m From Earth-One in a lot of respects but they’re in their teens, not adults. May get folded into other groups if they get more use.

[fridurwrites]

Hi hi hello I have an incredibly random question about old feathers among young pine trees, how old exactly do you imagine ollie and kae to be? (And maybe the other characters too)(Since I imagine ollie is younger than sani, who is 25 iirc?) I dunno I’m really curious over this for some reason, maybe a weird question but ehhhhh

The temptation to say kaepora is somewhere over 300,000 is high

No, though, Ollie is a little younger than Sanidine (early 20s) and Kaepora's age is kind of hard to pin down due to her circumstances, but she would've been a young adult when she disabled the blocker.

Esker's in their 50s and doing quite well (I refuse to settle on Hearthian lifespans at the moment but they're not actually elderly). Gabbro's late 20s. Player 3 (to avoid spoilers) is roughly equivalent to a human in their mid 30s. Does all that help?

[theonlyblackcanary]

Seeing Red

In a bid to strengthen his mother's election for mayor of Starling City, Oliver agree to adopt to help her. Despite being told to adopt a child, he decides to adopt Roy Harper, a teenager who was close to being kicked out.

@atiny-angel @swifteforeverandalways @axelwolf8109 @jackiequick @epickiya722 @greek-freak101

"You want me to adopt a kid to help with my mom?" Oliver raised an eyebrow. "Well, yes but to also help that kid" Felicity said.

"To make my mom look better as a candidate"

"Look Ollie, I'm saying this as your future sister in law, you can give someone a good life. Especially when they have no one in their lives"

Oliver let out a dramatic sigh. "Okay, I'll do it"

-----

Oliver made a mental note that he wasn't going to listen to Felicity ever again. The orphanage was run down and he was close to buying the damn thing to run himself.

"This is really the only orphanage here?" He whispered to Laurel. "Apparently" She muttered back. Oliver spotted a teenager, dressed in tattered jeans and a red hoodie, curled into a small ball by a window. "Who's that?" He asked the woman who ran the place.

"Roy Harper, poor thing. His father died when he was young and his mother was addicted to vertigo. He came to us a few months ago just to get off the streets but... he's almost eighteen. We can't keep him after that"

Oliver looked at Laurel. She smiled at him.

-----

Roy thought he was dreaming. Oliver fucking Queen was filing paperwork to adopt him. Him.

"We can go up to your room and grab your things?" Laurel offered. "There's not much but sure" Roy muttered.

He grabbed just a backpack with some books. Laurel had to stop herself from asking questions, wondering if what he was wearing was his only form of clothing.

"All done" Oliver said, holding up the papers. Laurel kissed him. Roy looked uncomfortable and hugged his bag to himself. "We can order some food before heading back to my place?"

Roy's stomach growled before he could answer. His face turned red and he nodded, looking down.

-Big Belly Burger-

"Even though you can afford the expensive places, you go here?" Roy asked Oliver. Oliver grinned. "My mom, technically now your grandmother, went here all the time"

Roy smiled a bit. "I guess I had a completely different idea of being rich in my head" Laurel came back with three milkshakes, a waitress setting down chicken tenders for her and burgers for Oliver and Roy

"How much am I gonna owe you for this?" Roy asked quietly. "Nothing?"

"That's not true"

Oliver's heart hurt. "Hey, I know you're going to be legally an adult soon, but I'm not going to make you pay for anything" Laurel nodded.

"But-" "No buts, I'm paying for everything I can until we can open a bank account for you"

"I guess I can get used to that" Roy smiled.

[violetswritingg]

Canary Cry

Robin/Nightwing (Dick Grayson) x OFC!

Description: Her violence was silent. Until it wasn't.

"I'm fine."

"Fine is just another word for drowning."

Rating T-M (mentions of blood, child abuse, mental health, cannon situations of violence and the like. Loss of parents, hard of hearing/deaf character, poorly written fight scenes lol)

Want to read the other chapters?

Click here

9

Mount Justice

August 8, 09:58 EDT

"Any word on Goldfinch yet Kaldur?" M'gann asked as the team minus Wally made their way down to the beach. The young Martian girl having been checking in daily since they had all figured out that she was in trouble.

"Good question, I've been keeping my feelers out and I haven't gotten any kind of sign that they found her." Robin piped in, his worry clear. Superboy didn't have much to say on the matter and the leader sighed. As today was supposed to be fun, a distraction. But he couldn't blame them for worrying about a teammate. It just meant that they cared.

"No, I have not been informed but I'm sure we would have been told if something bad happened to her. I'm sure she is fine." The older Atlantean shut down the somber discussion topic, only getting slightly worried glances from the two younger teenagers.

~~*~~

The only reason Kate was even allowed out of the house at this point was because she was being chaperoned by Ollie and Batman and Red Tornado. The arrow carrying man and Dinah keeping a close eye on her ever since the stunt she pulled, having only really been back for about a day when Oliver wanted to introduce the team to Artemis. And he wanted Kate there to soften the blow as he was informed from Red Tornado that the team had been asking about the girl.

All day yesterday was filled with a lecture from Dinah and Kate promising to never run away again and apologizing. There may have been a couple of tears, but Kate won't ever talk about that. Dinah has essentially grounded her and given her just a bit stricter house rules about curfew (when not on a mission) and texting her to keep her updated and what not. All incredibly reasonable considering what she did.

Things were by no means back to normal, but they were on their way.

Which is how Oliver managed to pry Kate away from Dinah's hands and whisk her away to Mount Justice. As well as promising that other responsible adults would be there. She could hear the footsteps of the others coming from the hallway and Kate couldn't help but be tense.

Kate wasn't the most honest person; she lied a lot. To the people around her, mostly to herself, but still. She thought it would be fine. But as soon as she saw Robin and M'gann light up at her appearance, the two of them rushing over with Superboy and Kaldur walking at a normal pace behind them, she knew she was in trouble.

"Kate!" M'gann went to give her a hug but pulled back at the last second, an embarrassed smile on her face, Robin bouncing on the balls of his feet as he grinned. Talking a mile a minute in more of a Wally fashion than a Robin one.

"Hey guys." Kate waved and Robin scoffed.

"Hey guys? That's all we get? Where were you? Tornado didn't budge and no one was telling us anything except any info on your whereabouts were on a need-to-know basis-"

"What he means to say is, it's good to see you. And welcome back." Kaldur interrupted Robin with a hand on the younger boy's shoulder. Kate smiled gratefully up at the older boy.

"It's good to be back. Sorry I worried you guys, last-minute top-secret mission with BC." Kate shrugged and felt her stomach pull in guilt. All her teammates just accepted it like Ollie said they would. Believing her even when she was lying straight to their faces, because they trusted her. Even though she has done nothing to deserve it. She had never felt more like a fraud in her suit than now in this moment.

Ollie put a gentle hand on her shoulder and squeezed lightly. The shorter girl looking up at him with a look many in the room hadn't seen from her before.

When Oliver let go of Kate and their moment was over, he cleared his throat, tensing up under the eyes of four very confused or in awe teenagers. "Alright everyone-"

"Recognized, Kid Flash. B-0-3." The computer rang out interrupting the League member.

"The Wallman is here! Let's get this party star..." Wally got a little ahead of himself and tripped as he entered the cave, his arms overloaded with beach supplies. A beach ball flew out from under his arm and bouncing past Batman and Red Tornado. "...ted."

Artemis hadn't really said a word besides polite greetings with Ollie and Kate when they went to go pick her up in Gotham and Zeta Beam here, the girl probably picking up on how tense Kate was around her and deciding not to poke the bear.

But when Wally showed just how... Wally he can be the gloves came off, "Wallman huh? I love the uniform. What exactly are your powers?" Kate had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. Seeing someone else make fun of the redheaded speedster will never not be amusing to the blonde. But she'd rather not publicly support Artemis at this moment in time. Considering the voice in the back of her head that is screaming that she is there to replace Kate. Which is unfounded and makes no sense considering she is Ollie's new protégé and not Dinah's, but Kate is incredibly territorial, and her own insecurities will not be stopped from rearing their ugly heads in situations such as this one. So, silence it is.

"Uh who's this?" Wally asked, walking closer, pale skin on display and an unflattering swipe of thick sunscreen on his nose is what made Kate break.

"Have enough sunscreen on Kid?" Kate mocked lightheartedly and Wally's eyes bugged out. Next thing she knew he was a blur and she was being swung in a circle.

"Oh my god I thought you were dead!" Kate couldn't help but laugh, if not only for the sheer shock of her sudden position. It's almost like Wally realized what he was doing a couple second after he did it, which is honestly on brand for him. And he let her go, taking a quick step back, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish grin. "It's good to see you Goldie."

Kate let that one slide, just this once. Her eyes narrowed and she just huffed, Wally quietly cheering while Kate just rolled her eyes. Getting back to the original topic though, Wally's eyes landed on the new girl and he asked, "Who are you?" with attitude that made Kate's eyebrows raise.

"Your new teammate. Artemis." Artemis, with bow in hand, tried to come off as in charge, and it worked unless you were looking for the signs she was nervous. Which Kate was.

"Kid Flash. Never heard of you."

"Uh- She's my new protégé." Green arrow came to break the tension, his hand finding Artemis's shoulder, holding the girl at his side. Kate watched with a blank look, and a jaw tick that no one missed.

"New Protégé- What happened to your old one?"

Wally's question was answered by the computer, "Recognized, Speedy. B-0-6."

"Well for starters he doesn't go be speedy anymore." Roy walked through the zeta beam light and Kate's reaction was telling. Her shoulders slumped and her whole body looked stiff, she wouldn't look at the boy. "Call me red Arrow."

He looked like a completely different person, which she had already noticed before when he was in civies but seeing him in a completely new suit stung a little for an unknown reason. Gone was the little hat she spent hours teasing him about, and the robin hood esque design. Swapped out for a black and red suit, simple lines of the contrasting colors adorning the top and pants. He had grown out of the last suit it seemed. It was just one more reminder to Kate that things had changed and she hated it.

"That's original." Kate muttered under her breath, slowly growing nails cutting into her palms as she clenched her fists.

"Roy- you look-" Green Arrow's attempt to speak to his old protégé was shut down by the young adult.

"Replaceable."

"It's not like that. You told me you were going solo." Kate visibly cringed, knowing that's not what Ollie should have said to the boy he essentially raised.

"So why waste time finding a sub? I bet your already looking for one for Goldfinch too huh?" Kate tensed even further, feeling the harsh words slice her soul and feel the burn of his blazing eyes on her from behind his mask.

"Hey, that's too far." Green Arrow warned under his breath, Roy not backing down.

"I bet that's why she bolted huh? Didn't think that one through did ya?" Roy smirked slightly as he whispered, solely trying to get under Oliver's skin, not air out even more of their dirty laundry than they already were. If Roy was right, and he was assuming he was based on Oliver's reaction to his words, the man an open book if you knew what to look for. And Roy did. "Not surprising. Can she even use that bow?" Roy picked even further, voice back at full volume.

"Yes. She can." Artemis stepped forward, cutting off Green Arrow's voice before he could even get a word out.

"Who are you?" Wally thought it was a good time to interject, it was not.

"I'm his niece."

"She's, my niece."

Kate wanted to roll her eyes harder than she ever had at how bad that lie was. But she was part of the cover, so she couldn't. Feeling other's eyes on her to confirm, mainly Wally's Kate gave a stiff nod, crossing her arms over her stomach and sinking into her hip.

"Another niece?" Rob smirked, mimicking how Kate was standing, arms crossing over his chest and leaning into one hip.

"But she is not your replacement. We have always wanted you on the team, and we have no quota on archers." Kaldur stepped forward, arms held open in diplomacy.

"And if we did, you know who'd we pick." Kate wanted to duct tape Wally's mouth shut. The red head more annoying than usual today. Or maybe she was just on edge being back and suddenly having Roy in front of her again after their little chat. Which left where they stood in the dark and peeling open Kate's barely healed wounds from him just up and disappearing on her in the first place.

"Speak for yourself." Kate rebuked, earning wide eyed looks from most of the team. Kaldur and Robin recovering while Artemis sent the girl a small smile. Even though she knew Kate didn't one hundred percent mean it, the outward support was enough for her. It made Artemis feel a bit more secure in her position.

"Whatever Baywatch, I'm here to stay." Artemis grinned wolfishly at the speedster. Roy turning on his heel and taking a couple steps away from the archer trio.

"You came to us for a reason." Kaldur prompted, once again trying calm the high tide.

"Yeah. A reason named Sterling Roquette."

Both Robin and Kate had visible reactions to that name, the Boy Wonder pulling up the holo-computer connected to his glove, "Nano-robotics genius and Claytonics expert at Royal University in-"

"Star City," Kate interrupted, "She's been missing for two weeks. Just vanished out of thin air."

Roy chanced a glance at the blonde girl, turning back to the larger holo-screen he pulled up just as she met his gaze with one of steel. "Abducted two weeks ago," He corrected, the corner of his mouth quirking up for a split second as he felt her burning glare in the back of his head, "By the league of shadows."

Kate glanced at Artemis, the older blonde feeling her eyes on her and meeting the silvery blue with a neutral air. Both breaking away and paying attention to the files around them after a moment.

"You want us to rescue her from the shadows?" Robin awed, stepping forward in excitement. Wally and the Martian girl beside him doing the same. Kate knew that wasn't what was going to happen though knowing Roy he-

"Already did." Roy pointed to one of the floating screens, "One problem though, the shadows had already coerced her into making a weapon Doc calls the Fog." The pictures changed to show the weapon he was talking about, Kate's nose scrunching up at the design. It reminded her of the bed bugs at one of the foster homes she had stayed in, the bites itched for weeks.

"Comprised of millions of microscopic robots. Nano-tech infiltrators that are capable of disintegrating anything in their path. Concrete, steel, flesh, bone. But its true purpose isn't mere destruction. It's theft." Kate found herself nodding to herself, from what she knew of the Shadows that tracked. Dinah and she hadn't crossed any of the League's assassins but Kate knew they liked to use Star City's ports to launder goods through.

"The infiltrators eat and store raw data, from any computer system, and deliver the stolen intel to The Shadows. Providing them access to weapons, strategic defense, cutting edge science and tech."

"Perfect for extortion, manipulation, power broking, yeah... Sounds like the Shadows." Artemis listed, letting out a silent breath at the end of her sentence.

"Like you know anything about the Shadows." Wally scoffed.

"Shut up Carrot top. She's right." Kate rolled her eyes, Wally sputtering and holding out his arms in offense. Getting hit with Artemis's smirk right after and losing it.

"Who are you?!"

He was ignored.

"Roquette's working on a virus to render the fog inert." Roy continued, annoyed at all the interruptions.

"But if the Shadows know she can do that-" Robin started.

"They'll target her," Roy confirmed his line of thinking, "Right now she's off the grid. I stashed her at the local high school's computer lab."

"You left her alone?" Oliver questioned, disappointment weighting heavy on his brows and voice.

"She's safe enough for now." Roy went on the defensive.

"Then let's you and I keep her that way." Oliver proposed, desperate to mend the bridge between them. For himself, and for Kate.

"You and I? Don't you wanna take your new protégé?" Oliver tried to close the gap between him and his ex-protégé but was held back by Batman. Kate wasn't happy though, her insides twisting into pretzels every second Roy stood in front of her. She was so angry, but she had also missed him. She wasn't sure how to move forward, but if he wanted to air the dirty laundry out where everyone could see it then it wasn't just going to be Oliver that was left out to dry.

"It was your decision to leave Roy. To cut ties." Kate ground out, crossing her arms over her stomach loosely and glaring, "We didn't make you, so stop acting like you were forced out or something. Honestly! You are such a-"

Oliver grabbed Kate's arm; the girl's mouth snapping shut as she fumed.

"You brought this to the team. It's their mission, which means it's hers now, too." Oliver let go of Kate when he was sure she wasn't going to attack the red head. Motioning to Artemis as he spoke.

"Then my Jobs done." Roy scoffed, rolling his eyes behind his mask, and walking around the team.

"Recognized; Speedy, B-0-6."

"That's Red Arrow, B-0-6. Update." And just like that Roy was swallowed in the light of the Zeta tube and gone. Kate wanting to scream.

~~*~~

While the rest of the team left the briefing room Kate waited, causing the team to stop when they realized she wasn't with them.

"Finch you coming?" It was M'Gann that asked, the rest of the team stopping all with varying looks of confusion and worry.

"I-"

"Recognized, Black Canary. 1-3."

"Fuck." Kate cursed under her breath, her chin tilting to the ground as her eyes clenched shut. Face heating up in embarrassment at the predicament.

"Goldfinch won't be going." Dinah spoke as she walked across the room, stopping partially in front of the girl, slightly obstructing the team's line of sight.

"I thought she was back though." Robin spoke up, chancing a glance at his mentor, who just gave his protégé a look. Meaning, stay out of it.

"She's not cleared for missions." Dinah cleared her throat, reaching behind her and gripping onto the girl's wrist. Her shoulder's falling slightly from their previous tense position.

"Wait, was she injured again? Are you okay?" Wally asked, standing beside Robin, worry in his tone.

"I'm-" Kate cut herself off, already feeling the glares from the team, Artemis just looking around confused.

"If she is not injured, I would request she join us Black Canary. She is an integral part of the team. We have already felt her absence these last couple of days, if this mission has anything to do with the League of Shadows I believe she will be needed as you have a lot of experience with them in Star City." Kaldur stepped up, fighting in his own way against the adults. Kate positioned herself so she could see the team, eyes stinging behind her mask.

"I hear you Aqualad, but like I said-"

"BC..." Kate gripped the woman's jacket sleeve and tugged, "Please." Kate pleaded quietly, her words not being heard by the team who was too far away, "If you need to chip me like a dog I will let you, just please let me go. I promise I'll come back."

Dinah looked down at the girl and sighed, wanting to hug her tight and never let go but couldn't in front of everyone. It was a tense moment as everyone watched the two blondes. Oliver eventually coming over and whispering into Dinah's ear. Whatever he said making Dinah cave. The woman letting go of Kate and nudging her closer to the team.

"Go, before I change my mind." Kate grinned and mouthed a thank you to the woman before bolting over to the team. The smile on her face erasing the thick air surrounding the teenagers, the team leaving the room.

Dinah took a breath and crossed her arms over her chest, eyes cutting to Oliver when Kate turned the corner. "Are you sure it's reliable?"

"It's reliable." Batman spoke up, Dinah glancing at the man. Her shoulders curving inward as the woman seemed to crumple inwards while dragging her hands through her hair. Taking the holo-screen pad the man in black handed her. The dark circles underneath her eyes dragging them down at the display. A yellow dot moving through marked hallways, blinking every couple of seconds with a soft sound pulse.

~~*~~

[goldeneyedgirl]

I hope this question isn't too specific, but since the last snippet you posted of the babyfic, I've been wondering if Alice and Jasper are the kind of parents who throw birthday parties for their kid with a bunch of little children in their house or if Alice would be the kind of mom who goes to bake sales or whatever in the pre-school, or if this all would be too much of a risk for them. It's funny and curious to think about how they'd deal with all the needs and wants of a tiny person who actually grows up (and I assumed Alice, just like Jasper, doesn't age in this universe). Also I just think is funny to imagine Jasper going to pick up his son at school and all the other kids are scared of him because he's all murderer-like and then out of a sudden he's all soft because his kid is running towards him with a big smile :)))

Hi Anon!

So, when it comes to public-facing things, Alice and Jasper can only be Ollie's parents until he's in first grade. Alice's genetics are fucky, and she does stop aging when she hits 21 (though, spoiler alert, she is not immortal), so at a certain point she looks too young to be Ollie's mom. So they are a lot more involved before Ollie starts first grade.

By second grade, they've moved with the Cullens and Ollie has a bunch of different cover stories (Jasper's half-brother from foster care; Esme and Carlisle's biological son; cousin etc - Ollie looks way too much like a mini-Jasper for him to convincingly pose as only being biologically related to Alice, which is bittersweet for her.)

So when Ollie's in pre-school and kindergarten, Alice is juggling college, a part-time job, and her family. She definitely attends all his open days and school plays etc, but Esme and Alice's stepfather Simon are definitely more likely to be the ones that volunteer in Ollie's classroom, and contribute to bake sales. Honestly, Alice's cooking and baking is pretty hit or miss most days, so she wouldn't inflict her baking on innocent school children.

Jasper attempts a box-cake mix once for a bake sale and it's an event remembered with horror by all the Cullens. No one is sure what he did wrong, but that cake was not fit for consumption.

Jasper tends to keep his distance from the school for obvious reasons, but he has absolutely done school-pick ups, and he's always in the back of the auditorium during Ollie's school plays, filming everything.

Unfortunately, he's not serial-killer-looking enough when he does collect Ollie from school because a couple of the teachers have a bit of a soft spot for him, and how he and Ollie light up when they see each other. (There's definitely more than one mom at pick-up, waiting to see if its Alice or Jasper that picks Ollie up because they all think it's so unfair how good looking and happy the Brandon-Hales are. "I'm not sure if I want to be them, or be their bff, or do them, or what," - more than one bewildered, dazzled onlooker.)

Ollie socializes a lot with kids on the Res because Alice's stepfather lived there as a kid, the Pack obviously knows about Ollie's genetics, and Alice can be acknowledged as his mom at all times there. There is a single birthday party when Ollie is three held at La Push, where Jasper is allowed by the Elders to attend for sixty minutes with the Pack guarding him. None of the other Cullens are allowed to attend. It's a very precious memory, and one that Jasper knows the Pack did not make without long consideration and a lot of concerns. It's something he can never repay them for, and he treasures getting to be there to watch Ollie body surf and roll around on the beach.

There is also a singular entire-class birthday party for Ollie when he's in kindergarten that is held at the Brandon home. Jasper lasts for about half of it before he needs some space. Alice has more than one glass of adults-only punch because the only kid she likes is her own. Rosalie and Emmett have the best time ever.

After that, birthdays tend to be a family-only affair.

[lindyloosims]

A little update on the extended family front, Donovan got married to Caleb and Wesley's daughter Cassidy Vatore-Vo! They now have twin girls Tianna and Roxanna Goth.

Cassidy didn't want kids so Donny is doing all the work. She looks so happy doesn't she?

And Liberty also got married, she and Raul Lopez hit it off when she was visiting Serenity and the boys. Now she's expecting a baby too!

Raul isn't a nice guy though, they fight constantly, but all Libby wants is to be loved. I hope she finds what she's looking for in her baby and finds the courage to see her true worth. I'll always be there for her and she knows that.

For a moment I thought that maybe Heidi had seen the light and dumped Carmelo Landgraab's ass, but alas it was a young adult greeting her outside! Not a new boyfriend at all!

Olly is doing really well in his toddler stage, he's quite crafty. He also talks a lot more than Claire did at that age albeit semi-coherent ramblings!

OLLY: Goooooooooo!

This picky eater phase on the other hand, well we could all do without it!

OLLY: Ick! *spits*

⏮️Previous/Next⏭️

[vyvesvi]

just started asia super young 😅 funny how a show can seem super popular when you're out of the loop but when you finally start watching it's crickets

this is my first time watching a youku show, i like the pacing BUT I HATE the fact that they cut so much from the free eps (free is 1 hr vip is 2.5+ 🫠). so like the irresponsible working adult i am i committed to monthly subscription (that i WILL remember to cancel the day the finale airs 😁). the other thing that i find really disappointing is that free voting on the youku app doesn't count towards their rank, it's just for extra promo 🫠 apparently you need to pay separately through their site or have a weibo associated with a mainland # (acc to fans based in hk w weibo accounts they can't even vote. when the show is filming in hk. and conducted half in canto.)

but i WILL be tuning in even though im desperately confused about everything. i watched eps 1 - 3 using the free version so im gonna do a quick recap and hopefully start catching up with the extra content tomorrow 🙏

ASY PICKS (based on ep 1 - 3)

ults: gemini (hoàng huệhùng/huang huixiong) & albert (aihe)

these two...how could you not say cunt. gemini is a 99 liner from vietnam, a short king, his nose is pierced, his dancing is clean, and his vocals are great. does he speak chinese? no. but does he serve face? like his life depends on it (because it does). he's already on my list of survival show contestants who will live on in my brain in perpetuity. aihe is the other main slayer from the same audition group (medusa). just look at him. he walked out and i went bitch???? he's like if hu yetao and xue bayi had a baby that was mad as hell. he's an 03 liner from xinjiang, pretty good vocals, and great dance skills. had to use that shitty laptop pic bc it just radiates his whole vibe.

i like you!: vic (zhang shengxi), orenda (shuhao), walker (wang kun), kong sonhei (jiang xinxi), & karl (ting tzelong)

vic is a 2000 liner & and member of enone. his rank is so oddly low bc he gets pretty good screentime and is very talented?

shuhao is a 2000 liner. he wasnt a pick until he did his solo rap but he's the best rapper, undisputed, on this show. plus he composed & produced & wrote & arranged their group's whole audition song? kingie.

walker is an 05 liner with a musical theatre background. to me he has a very broadcaster type face - kind and open. i noticed him mostly for how he was taking care of his younger audition partner, it was very very cute 🙄(🥹).

xinxi is an 02 liner & a member of the yuehua brigade. member of the bg boyhood (all of whom are competing) and i believe the theme song center. but more importantly, he's my birthday buddy!😁🥳 i'll admit to noticing him first bc of the bday thing - i was actually pretty unimpressed by boyhood's audition. still, he's a very good/solid boy group member to have.

karl (ting tzelong) is a 97 liner with roots in canada & hong kong. he's a Fantastic singer and was the runner up in the mr. hong kong contest? don't think he can dance but that voice, singing or speaking...

i know you & ur fun: ollie

ollie (06, under yuehua) was on boys planet so im very familiar with him (side note but this show has so many former iqiyi show contestants but none from tencent 😭). honestly he's not a pick for me but i like his energy, he's a great variety member. also i don't want to see him lose so 😭 that said i've always thought he raps like he's reading a children's book but he's graduated to slam poetry🎉

hmmm: sky (zhao tianyi)

so. sky's audition was iconic. this 14 y/o kid sang, rapped, played the piano, synths, talkbox, did streetdance, and jumped into a split. he clearly loves music & is very intense about follow this passion. but 1) he's 14. 2) he clearly wants to be a soloist, thus far i can't see a single team player bone in his body. these things combined have put him lower on my list (i especially didn't really care for how he interacted with gemini during the team selection but we'll see if that continues in ep 4). but he's here currently for his talent.

keeping an eye out: archie (sin ching fung), hugo (wong singcheuk) & service (sun xiaowei)

archie (98) is a singer, he sings! but honestly so many ppl on this show are good & he can't really dance so...we'll see

hugo (03, apex member) ...in his audition he looked like a member of my token bg POW lol. he has a lot of potential i just need to see more

service (03) i saw some star potential in his audition, we'll see

[autisticempathydaemon]

For the Redacted match-up! ^_^

A song I’m currently fixated on: “the lakes” by Taylor Swift. The whole song is just so beautiful and wistful. 😭 And something about the melody of these lyrics just hits so right.

Specific lyrics: “I want auroras and sad prose/I want to watch wisteria grow right over my bare feet/Cause I haven’t moved in years/And I want you right here”

Enneagram type: 6w7. (And just for fun, I’m an ISFP as well)

YouTube essays: I don’t think I can focus my attention on a video for that long, tbh. It’s the same reason I can rarely get through movies in one siting. 😂

Imaginary childhood friend: I think her name was Amy? Don’t remember much else, though.

Falling asleep: I always sleep with my fan on, no matter the weather. I have to have the white noise, otherwise it’s just too damn quiet in my room. Usually I’m propped up by two pillows, cuddling one of my stuffed animals or something. If find that I can’t sleep, or just want something to fall asleep to, I’ll put on one of Redacted’s sleep-aids.

Name change: Cheesy as it sounds, if I didn’t have my current name, I’d love to be named Juliet. It just has such Main Character Energy™️ (and I mean that in a good way) and is freakin’ romantic as hell to me. (And yes, I’m aware that the play is a tragedy, not a romance. 😂)

Favorite Redacted audio: If I had to pick one, I think “Serenity Daemon Helps You Relax and Sleep”. That video is just so freaking comforting and sweet, and it’s knocked me out more times than I can count.

Redacted boi with no appeal: Regulus. Yanderes just aren’t my thing, and he legit scares me. 😅

Book/Movie/TV show you could quote entirely: I’ve watched The Breakfast Club so many times, I could quote it forwards, backwards, and sideways.

Redacted BFF: Elliott. Take away the “Lovers” aspect of his relationship with Sunshine, but keep all the playfulness, teasing, and banter that they have together, and I’d be perfectly happy. 😊

(It’s also a really perfect coincidence that Eli’s said he’s the “Protector” type, and I just so happen to like being protected. XD)

Go-to tired ramble: Most of the time when my any of my friends and I would have a sleepover and it was late at night, we’d just get really deep and start talking about life.

Go-to gas station combo: I try to avoid gas stations when I can, just because I hate the smell of gasoline. But I’d probably get a plain Hershey bar and a bottle of water. (I know, I’m boring. 😂)

Favorite playlist: Do you mean Redacted, or just in general? Because the answer depends.

For a general answer, Jacksepticeye’s play through of Night In The Woods. That game is honestly such a comfort one for me, and I can watch that playlist a million times over and never get tired of it.

In terms of Redacted, Ollie’s. If there’s angst abound on the channel, or I’ve just had a bad day at work or something, I can run to his playlist and feel like I’m getting a big, warm, metaphorical hug. 🥰

Guilty Pleasure: I still read, and love, young adult novels. I don’t care that they’re “predictable”, and that I’m “too old to be reading them”. You can pry those fluffy, romantic, cheesy-ass books from my cold dead hands. 😆

Anything else about me:

I seriously think I’m the biggest Swiftie I know. When I say I’m obsessed with her music, I am not kidding. 😂

I’m a huge musical nerd. And coupled with that, I love, love, love to sing. (Provided I know that no one’s listening, anyway.)

I’m a total introvert, and am pretty shy/quiet in general, unless I’m around my friends.

My love languages are quality time and physical touch.

I maaaaay or may not have a slight candle obsession. (Bath and Body Works ones, specifically.) Seriously, I have like, four unburned 3-wick candles sitting on my dresser, and I’m convinced I just like to collect/look at them as opposed to actually lighting the things. 😂

I’m a cat person through and through

This one’s random, but I felt like adding it anyway. I basically live in one beat up pair of combat boots. There are not a lot of shoes in my closet.

I have this thing where I either tear through a TV series in like, a few days, or I don’t touch it for months. The same with books. I don’t know why I do that. 😂

My favorite colors are blue and purple 💙💜

Well, if you’re a cat kind of guy (gn), you know that’s gonna make things easy for me! Though it might not be the boy you think, because I’ve got a case to make for you and Milo Greer.

What I really like about y’all is how the things y’all like (other than cats) contrast and how cute that contrast is. Like, I don’t think Milo’s a Swiftie but man shows up and shows out to take you to her Eras tour. The Breakfast Club isn’t his favorite movie, but he’s seen it with Marie; he’ll say the iconic lines with you when y’all watch it for the hundredth time. He doesn’t really love musicals but he can hum along to Alexander Hamilton with the best of them because that’s an ensemble piece and you need a backup singer.

Milo’s just a really great boyfriend who shows love with a combination of Quality Time and Acts of Service with little sprinkles of Gifts. It’s not just time spent with you, it’s time spent engaging in the things that interest you and make you happy. It’s the time thinking of you when you’re apart and bringing home fun, new candles he saw at the store. Although he is definitely not opposed to physical touch- y’all have a lot of cuddle nights, just you and him and Aggro.

Song:

However big, however small/ Let me be part of it all/ Share your dreams with me/ You may be right, you may be wrong/ But say that you'll bring me along/ To the world you see/ To the world I close my eyes to see

Now, I said Milo’s not really a musical man. You know what he is? A bisexual king with good taste, which means he loves you and a good Hugh Jackman flick especially since Zac Efron is involved. So I think he’s a big fan of The Greatest Showman and of singing the addictive, earworm-y songs with you. A Million Dreams is the sentimental choice, but y’all go fuckin hard to This is Me.

Runner-Ups:

Guy is absolutely a Swiftie and a musical theater kid, okay? Erik hasn’t confirmed it, but I know it in my spleen to be true, so he’s a fantastic runner-up for that reason. Vincent is a runner-up because he adores but despises that you stick to one pair of torn-up shoes and constantly showers you in luxury footwear. I think that’s cute.

note: I understand you completely candles are not just scent pieces they are decor

Read this post and send me an ask if you’d like a match-up of your own! 💌

[nautiscarader]

Fertile Friday-Molly takes Ollie's load and ends up pregnant

(this kinda goes with the previous Mollie drabble)

"Give me your load..."

"W-what?", Ollie froze, hearing his girlfriend's command.

"The box you're hauling, lemme help ya", Molly clarified and she grabbed the other end of the elongated box containing their belongings.

They have just moved in, their own small flat, now littered with other cartons. It reminded her of the day his family moved in next door, and how she fell in love with him...

"Darn it's hot", he muttered and took off his shirt, as the heavy box was put to the floor.

"Okay, this is not fair", Molly protested, "You-you just cannot undress, and-and show me those perfect abs..."

"Molly, I barely have any muscles here."

"Ssh, I'm talking", she continued, tracing her finger across his slightly muscular chest, "And it is just not fair, like, this is a perfect porn opening setup. What am I supposed to do?"

Molly looked up at her flabbergasted boyfriend. And as their eyes met, they both knew the answer.

Molly jumped into his arms, her legs locking behind him, and the two waltzed towards their bedroom, until Ollie reminded her of one important detail, breaking their kiss.

"We haven't put the bed together yet"

"Then take me against the wall", she spoke in low, sultry voice, as she fumbled with her panties, slipping them just enough to let him slide in.

"No foreplay?"

"No. Take me raw and let's mark this place as o-OURS!"

Molly yelped as his tip pushed her lips apart and made her feel the texture of the wall behind her. Ollie secured the back of her head with his hand, as he did exactly what she asked for: taking her raw and ruthless, though accentuating each thrust with a kiss.

Molly hold onto his shoulders, her legs locked firmly behind his back, responding to each and every push that made her feel like he was trying to demolish the wall behind her.

And with each one, her mind was filled with images of their future, with their place decorated, and full of joy as the two began their adult life as a couple...

"Molly...!", a sudden grunt from Ollie interrupted her fantasy, "I-m-!"

"Inside!", Molly answered at once, tightening her grip around him, her lips silencing any worries.

The next moment her body shook as his thumb toyed with her clit, the sensation strengthening with every pulse of thick seed shooting deep inside her.

The young couple stayed locked in their blissful moment of pleasure, slowly slumping to the ground, their bodies and lips still locked.

"That was a good test run", Ollie huffed, admiring Molly's reddened face, stricken with post-orgasmic bliss.

"Yeah... but we still have lots to do, so put on your shirt, mister, so you don't distract me."

She tossed the shirt at him and let him help stand her up. She pulled her panties up, feeling the warmth of the creampie that has now been trapped inside her. She made sure to remember to deal with it later.

But with tons of work to do around their new place, she never did. And now, months later, as Molly got used to her new, pregnant body, she could never walk past that wall without being reminded of the heated moment that marked the beginning of their new, extended family...

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🦇 Tilly in Technicolor Book Review 🦇

Rating: ���⭐⭐⭐

❝ "Like a crystal prism. You absorb the world around you but somehow release this brilliant spectrum of colors through your words that people see themselves in. It's a gift." ❞

❓ #QOTD What would you name your signature nail polish color? (Shatter the Stars purple or The Blood of My Enemies red for me)❓ 🦇 Tilly Twomley is a chaotic rainbow, while Oliver Clark is a constant midnight sky. When they're seated beside one another on a flight to London, even the smallest interactions--from taking their seats to ketchup explosions--seem to end in disaster. They have no clue they'll be working together all summer, interning for Tilly's sister's nail polish start-up. Between Tilly's ADHD and Oliver's autism, their different ways of communicating and seeing the world tend to clash...while bringing them together, too.

💜 The books that take me by surprise are always the most difficult to review. Mazey Eddings' YA debut is a stunning exploration of two neurodivergent minds; a story only Eddings could have written, as she was diagnosed with both ADHD and autism herself. It's evident in the internal dialogue, which grants readers vivid insight into both beautifully unique minds. Tilly is a relatable young adult with no idea how she fits in the world with her mind's unique wiring, while Ollie is eager to design a future for himself, despite his inability to process situations at times. Tilly's boundless energy and mood swings clash with Ollie's preference for familiarity and control. Their differences create the perfect opposites attract romance with beautiful neurodivergent representation from someone who understands both mindsets personally. The chapter titles are fun, the character growth is natural, and the supporting cast brings depth to both Tilly and Ollie's worlds. Tilly in Technicolor is hopeful, charming, and heartwarming all at once; a full spectrum of emotion we don't get often enough.

🦇 I could praise this book for ages, but it does have an unsteady start. Despite the delicious slow burn, the transition from coworkers to friends to lovers wasn't as smooth as I would have liked. I also think the tense relationship between Tilly and her mother was resolved too easily. As someone with parents who "want what's best" but can't empathize with certain conditions (in my case, depression and anxiety), Tilly's mother's sudden acceptance felt too abrupt. The ending felt abrupt as well; this was one of the few times I would have appreciated an epilogue.

🦇 Recommended to any YA lovers looking for a beautiful, unique coming-of-age story. Though it certainly has its fluffy moments, the story is also real and raw; a must-read. (I do think we should categorize this as New Adult, though.)

✨ The Vibes ✨ ❤️ Neurodiversity Rep (Autism & ADHD) 💜 YA Debut 💙 Meet Cute Disaster 🗼 Traveling Europe 💛 First-Person Dual POV 💚 Slow Burn 🤍 Forced Proximity

❝ "They don't have the right to make you feel uncomfortable to fit their ideas of what's proper." ❞

🦇 Major thanks to the author @mazeyeddings and publisher @stmartinspress / @wednesdaybooks for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley @netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. #TillyinTechnicolor

[zahri-melitor]

DC Pride 2022:

I didn't particularly like the Damian and Jon story (not in the least because I generally don't get much from the way they're characterised in stories together), but it did crystallise a few things for me about why I find "it's a Pride parade!" stories so unutterably dull.

I'm not going to go into the 'is Pride a riot' debate that I know was everywhere when this issue came out, but I think the thing is...the art never actually LOOKS like a parade to me, as it doesn't hit the right notes.

Where are the Dykes on Bikes at the head of it. Where are the old people who founded this. The history OF the parade is encapsulated in the shape of the parade itself. It's always too young, too sanitised and too twee.

The Nubia and Io story just reminds me I really want to read all the Nubia stuff (I'll get there!)

Connor's story is that awkward line of 'we need you to come out' and 'coming out stories are so formulaic'. Connor, definitely throw that letter in the bin. You absolutely don't actually want to send a letter to your mother about the specific details of what you do and don't want to do with other people physically. The awkwardness in your memory of what you said will never ever go away.

Alysia Yeoh's story is clearly not contemporary (probably mid Batgirl 2016 I think?) because Babs isn't using the Clock Tower when this issue came out. It's...nice. Adult. Slightly tired.

The Jackson Hyde story is cute. I feel it's making Xebel a lot calmer and friendlier than it's usually portrayed but I haven't read enough Aquaman to be definite on that. Hang out with your boyfriend, Jackson!

The Jo Mullein story I need to come back to after I've actually read Far Sector but felt fun.

The Ray Terrill story...is extremely funny if you have actually read Ray and Dinah's 1990s interactions.

What's calculated to make Ray run off to help immediately? Dinah calling for back up!

Dinah. Dinah. Behaving like this is how you had that massive fight with Ollie where he thought you were cheating on him with Ray thirty years ago. (Do it again, it's very funny to me)

Ray: nobody has every shown me affection before Dinah: acts like a human being Ray: dedicates his entire diary to being aimed at Dinah

ANYWAY. Story is fine, the bonus by reading it through a 90s lens is amazing.

The Kate Kane story just being Jacob Kane being proud of Kate made me laugh (I don't actually think you're that supportive, Jacob, but I'm glad you think you are trying to be in your mind). On the other hand it's sweet to frame something through a proud parent.

Tim's story: I laughed realising they'd given this to Travis Moore. They clearly wanted it to be pretty. Nice that they went to Fair Day.

More seriously though: this is very in tune with Tim having other moments of self discovery (To the Father I Never Knew, the first Father's Day with Bruce). Very similar internal monologue.

As I say annually, the Harley/Ivy story is unnecessary. This should be in their own titles.

(Sorry Earth-11, I do not care about you)

And then we get to the only story in the ENTIRE ISSUE with any real grit to it (Kevin Conroy's autobiographical piece) and they slap an advisory warning on the front.

And look, I get why, but also it's so...hmm...we should be able to acknowledge more complicated stories and common narratives without having to warn people. We don't put warnings like that on the front of Lobo (well, aside from the comic being titled 'Lobo'). It should be possible to acknowledge the joys of identity while still reflecting on the past. It's not even anything more than a single slur a bunch of times plus period homophobia and the AIDS crisis. It's not shocking? or surprising? or unexpected?

DC Pride Tim Drake Special #1:

Okay so this is UL reprints plus one new story?

I think the most disappointing thing about the Steph story is that the characterisation doesn't really ring true to any of the characters involved? Steph is allowed to be jealous. Tim's allowed to be avoiding her and shouldn't be getting nagged by everyone to talk to her (especially given the preceding stories and the DC Pride story make it clear Tim and Bernard have been dating for months). It's a cute fantasy but it doesn't feel realistic for the failure points of the personalities of any of the characters involved (Tim, Steph, Conner or Bart), and Cass is once again just used as an adjunct to Steph, rather than someone who has her own independent relationship with Tim.

The art is cute, I even think Tim and Steph did need to clear the air on page, but...it could have used some more grit? Depth? Possibility of things going wrong or people feeling hurt? Less of an ideal fantasy that worked perfectly?