#The attitudes of the Two Jason are opposite

[jinjeriffic]

DCxDP Prophecy Universe Part 5

Part 4

After collecting their bags from the library lockers Jazz led him down the hallway until she found a small, unlocked, empty classroom. The room was barren except for desks and a whiteboard. I guess they don’t bother locking it if there’s nothing worth stealing.

Jazz sat her messenger bag down on the teacher’s desk and pulled a whiteboard marker out of a side pocket.

“Right,” Jazz began, “I don’t know how much you know about ecto-entities and since, as you said, the reports on them tend to be pretty biased, I’m just going to start from scratch. Sounds good?” she rambled.

Tim hopped up onto the front row desk and tried his best to look like an attentive teacher’s pet.

“Yes, Ms Fenton,” he said cheekily.

Jazz gave him an amused look.

“Careful Mr Taylor, or you’ll end up in detention,” she said lightly. She turned to the whiteboard and gathered her thoughts for a moment, then wrote ECTO-ENTITIES in large block letters, “Many people refer to all ecto-entities as ghosts, but this is actually a misnomer. Ghosts as most people think of them, i.e. the restless spirits of the dead, are only a small subset of the ectoplasmic population. There’s plenty of them that were never human to begin with,” higher up on the board, she wrote INFINITE REALMS, “Ecto-entities originate from a parallel dimension to ours, which is called the Infinite Realms by its inhabitants. Though my parents refer to it as the Ghost Zone, that name is woefully inadequate.” Jazz paused and glanced at him.

“Kinda like foreigners renaming places instead of using the one in the native language, gotcha,” Tim nodded. They had dealt with alternate realities before, so this wasn’t completely out of left field. He would go along with it for now. Jazz gave him a small smile.

“That’s right!” she said and tapped the whiteboard, “Now, the Infinite Realms and our dimension are closely interconnected, like two sides of the same coin. Large scale damage to one would cause similar devastation on the opposite side and vice versa,” she gave him a serious look.

“Which makes the hostile attitude of the paranormal research community rather worrying,” Tim mused, “If someone did something stupid the blowback would hit us too,” If he wasn’t trained to read people he would have missed the slight tightening around Jazz’s eyes.

“That’s the theory anyway. And it’s not like the US government ever dropped bombs on people just to see what would happen,” she chirped with false cheeriness.

There’s a story there, Tim thought, and not the kind you would find in a history book. What the hell has been going on?

“I’m guessing getting access to the Infinite Realms isn’t as easy as calling an Uber though,” he joked.

“You’d be surprised,” Jazz said wryly, receiving a raised eyebrow in response, “there are places where the barrier between worlds is naturally thin, allowing temporary rifts to form more easily, but they can pop up pretty much anywhere in the world. It’s what allows ecto-entities to enter our dimension. It’s also not unheard of for humans to stumble into the Realms either, though they’re lucky to return at all,” she twirled the marker between her fingers, “Time doesn’t seem to work the same way in the Realms as it does here. Just in case you ever come across one, make sure to leave through the same portal you entered. Otherwise you might find yourself stranded in the Middle Ages, or far in the future with everyone you know and love long dead.”

Tim had to fight to keep down a wince. The whole Bruce Lost In Time Debacle was still an emotional scar for the family, they really didn’t need a repeat performance.

“Duly noted.”

“Some entities are able to open and close rifts at will,” Jazz continued, unfazed by Tim’s dry tone, ”though that ability seems to be pretty rare. It probably requires an unusual level of power or incursions would be much more common.”

“That would explain the little disappearing trick Damian’s delivery guy pulled,” Jason murmured through Tim’s earpiece, “But does that mean we’re dealing with a fucking super ghost?”

Tim gave a thoughtful hum and drummed his fingers against the edge of the desk.

“Do you think humans could open a portal to the Realms?”

Jazz gave him a wry smile.

“You just summed up the bulk of my parents’ research over the last two decades. They managed to build a functioning portal about two years ago.”

Tim choked. Jason swore.

“What?! But that’s-! How is that not all over the news?!” Tim sputtered. Jazz just sighed.

“My parents have been ranting about ghosts since they were in college,” she said wearily, ”Most of the scientific community had written them off as crackpots years ago. It doesn’t help that large concentrations of ectoplasm generate some kind of interference that messes with recording equipment. Short of kidnapping the naysayers and shoving them bodily through the Fenton Ghost Portal it’s hard to prove anything. And thankfully even my parents aren’t that crazy,” she finished with an eye roll.

Tim buried his face in his hands. An interdimensional portal. What the fuck. He thought back on everything Jazz had told him so far.

“What’s ectoplasm?”

“You’ve been paying attention!” she smiled and added some notes to the whiteboard, “Ectoplasm is the basic building block of everything in the Infinite Realms, and by extension ecto-entities. Hence the name. It’s the equivalent of matter in our dimension; atoms, protons, quarks, etcetera. I’m not a physicist, so I can’t tell you exactly how it works, but that’s why ecto-entities are able to interact with our physical world in such fascinating ways. Flight, intangibility and invisibility are all common abilities for them.”

“Wow, what a fucking security nightmare. B is gonna freak,” Jason groused. Tim tuned him out to focus on Jazz’s continued explanation.

“My parents have been experimenting with using ectoplasm for power generation, but it’s proven extremely volatile. It seems like it’s affected by things like belief and emotion which is absolutely fascinating,” she said with a gleam in her eye, “not to mention its effects on organic tissue. Have you ever had your dinner come to life and try to eat you?”

Tim had a sudden, horrible suspicion.

“Can’t say that I have,” he managed to squeeze out past the lump in his throat, “Um… Jazz, what does ectoplasm look like?”

“Well that depends on what it’s been affected and shaped by but in its raw form it looks like a bright green, glowing liquid,” she tilted her head, “Why do you ask?”

Over the comms, Jason made a sound like someone had kicked him in the crotch.

“Lazarus water?! Is she talking about the fucking pits?!” he choked out.

Tim made a valiant effort to keep his own reaction in check.

“Oh, just wondering how I’ll recognize a ghost- er, ecto-entity when I see one,” he lied with fake casualness, “You mentioned something about powers?”

“Yes! All the entities we’ve encountered so far have exhibited powers which are common to their species, as well as additional powers that seem to depend on the individual core. I’ve theorized that powers develop as a response to stress related to either their Obsession or death trauma…” Jazz trailed off, “aaaaaand I’ve lost you.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s not your fault, I know I have a tendency to ramble,” she said sheepishly and considered the bullet points she had written so far, “Let me backtrack a bit. Not all ecto-entities are ghosts. There’s personifications of concepts, which I theorize are formed through the collective consciousness of living beings. They are entities which represent Hope or Justice or-”

“Time?” Tim interjected. Jazz gave him a calculating look.

“...sure. They are among the most powerful entities and have powers related to what they represent. I suspect they may have even been worshipped as gods at some point. You definitely wouldn’t want to mess with them,” at Tim’s nod, she continued, “There’s also the Neverborn, which are formed when ecto-entities choose to reproduce. They are entirely of the Infinite Realms, and thus were never ‘born’ into our world.”

“Ghosts can have children?” he said, surprised.

“Yes, although I’ve never been able to get the details on how it works. They don’t like to discuss it with outsiders. And considering they can look like dragons or disembodied floating eyeballs I’m not sure I’d want to know the exact mechanics,” she joked.

“I’m sure there’s plenty of people who’d disagree with you on that,” Tim muttered, then paused. “Wait, dragons?”

Jazz waved her hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about it. The point is that there’s way more to the other side than most people realize. There’s probably lots of things I’ve never even heard of. It’s quite exciting, really!”

Tim worried about it. A lot. Jason had also gone suspiciously quiet.

“So, ghosts are just the tip of the iceberg?” Tim hedged.

“Exactly. What sets them apart from other ecto-entities is that they are usually created upon the death of someone or something from our dimension, which gives them motivation to come back here,” Jazz added more notes and arrows to the whiteboard. “All entities have something they call a core; think of it as their central organ or brain. It houses their consciousness, and its nature affects what powers they get. There’s all kinds of elemental cores like fire and water, but also more esoteric ones like shadow or technology. An ecto-entity’s body is composed of ectoplasm and moulded by their core. Their physical form is malleable and heavily based on their self-perception. With experience they can change shape to suit their needs.”

Tim mentally added shapeshifting to the growing list of powers to worry about. So far it sounded a lot like a Martian’s.

“So can ecto-entities grow and age?”

“It depends. The Neverborn usually do, but a lot of ghosts have a bit of a Peter Pan thing going on where they don’t want to. They are often ‘stuck’ at the age they were when they died, physically and mentally. Though there’s always exceptions.”

Tim hummed thoughtfully. Something had been bothering him since ghosts had first entered the equation.

“Jazz, if ghosts don’t age or die, why aren’t they all over the place? Even if rifts are rare, shouldn’t there be hundreds of thousands of years worth of dead folks wandering the Earth?”

She gave him a sad smile.

“I never said ghosts couldn’t die, Adam,” she said carefully, ”And not everyone who dies comes back as a ghost. The ones who do typically have some unfinished business holding them back. Like an obsession they never got to fulfill, or a loved one they are watching over. Once they are done, they are free to move on to whatever Afterlife awaits them,” she sighed and crossed her arms, “It also takes a lot of energy for a ghost to do anything in our world. I think a majority of them never hit that level, or can’t keep it up for any significant amount of time. It’s also part of the reason my parents are so biased against them.”

“I’m not sure I follow.”

“Think about it. Most ecto-entities are just like regular people, going about their business and keeping their heads down. The ones who are both motivated to cross into our world, powerful enough to manifest and tend to make themselves known are the troublemakers. It would be like an alien looking at the population of Belle Reve and concluding that the majority of humans must be super villains! It’s sample bias.”

Tim bit his lip. This all sounded worryingly plausible, which would mean a literal world of trouble about to come down on their heads. Fuck, just what we needed.

“You mentioned that ghosts can die. I assume you don’t mean from old age, right?” he queried. Jazz looked at him wearily.

“You’d be right. If an ecto-entity’s core is too badly damaged, they will cease to exist,” she said cautiously, “It doesn’t help that ghosts tend to maintain a strength based social hierarchy and are fiercely protective of their territory. Ecto-entities usually have a lair within the Infinite Realms, and those who cross over to our dimension often establish a haunt to call their own. Any intruders would be met with violence,” she sighed and rubbed her forehead, “My parents have also been developing weapons to fight ghosts with… varying degrees of success. A lot of their tech runs on ectoplasm which makes it pretty temperamental.”

Seeing Jazz’s obvious discomfort with the topic, Tim decided to switch tracks.

“Is there any way to tell for sure if my brother came back as a ghost?”

Relieved at the change, Jazz made a see-sawing motion with her hand.

“Kind of? My parents tried for ages to build a ghost detector but they never got it to work quite right. Too much ambient ectoplasm in Amity I guess,” she shrugged as if that statement wasn’t extremely worrying. “You could always grab a ouija board or something and try asking. Just… don’t ask a ghost about their death. It’s a major trauma for most of them and there’s no better way to send them into a frothing rage. If they volunteer the information that’s one thing, but to ask about it is like the social faux pas among ecto-entities.”

Tim nodded and made a mental note to get his hands on some Fenton tech. He had a feeling it was going to be a long week for him.

Jason and Tim didn’t speak until they were safely back in the car. Tim was mentally composing the report they would have to make to Bruce. He was not looking forward to his reaction.

“So,” Jason began with fake casualness, “an interdimensional portal in Illinois.”

“Yep.”

“Creatures made of fucking Lazarus Water.”

“Sounds like it.”

“And we still don’t know if our mystery meta is Bruce’s dead kid or not.”

Tim groaned.

“It all adds up though, doesn’t it? The camera glitching, the powers, the portal…”

“And that damned prophecy. The personification of Time, huh?”

Tim pinched his nose to stave off the growing headache. They contemplated the fucked up situation they had stumbled into in silence for a few minutes. Finally, Jason sighed and started up the engine.

“Rock-paper-scissors for who has to tell B?”

Part 6

[aezuria]

okay okay but like could you do hcs about Jason grace x shy/cutesy fem!reader?? It would be so cute omgg everyone looks up to Jason as this intimidating badass leader but his gf is just the cutest, softest, most adorable lil thing ever??

*ੈ✎ he don't bite! (yes he do!)

content: jason grace x reader; hcs

warnings: none?? i made this more camp jupiter based tho sorry

note: THIS REQUEST WAS SOO CUTSEY OMGGG jason is a doberman bf fr

so like yk how everyone in camp jupiter sees him as this super tough guy???

who wouldnt; he was the former praetor, son of jupiter himself, literally trained for war since he was a toddler

why is a guy like that walking around with YOU??

the most sweetest girl to ever grace the earth

how does that even happen?

jason is quite literally marching around with perfect posture, glaring at everyone (he's really just squinting cause he forgot his glasses... again)

and then he sees you!!

even with shit eyesight he knows the shape of you by heart

and his whole demeanor just?? softens? lights up? relaxes? all of the above

it was just such a rough day for him; he forgets everybody around him and just scoops you into his arms, burying his face into the crook of your neck

a bit of an awkward position with him having to bend down at a weird angle but he doesnt care!!

he just wants to hold you and have you hold him and cuddle :((

meanwhile everyones like WTF WHO ARE YOU AND IS THIS REALLY JASON

literally melts in your arms the second you hug him back

"you wanna go rest?" you whisper into the crook of his neck, to which he nodded against your shoulder. you laughed lightly and pulled away, or at least tried to. "let's go then."

he begrudgingly let you out of his arms, following behind you

everybody else is still reeling in shock btw

you guys were the TALK OF THE TOWN for WEEKS after

one of those things where youd never guess but when you know abt it, it just makes SO much sense

you guys are polar opposites in such a good way (to everybody else at least)

cuddling with you is his best relaxing thing to do

you literally had to get him a life cause the only things he knew to do were work and fight

bro has never had a day off like ever

once you two started dating, he was introduced to the most addicting drug: physical touch

he was probably really shy at first; really really likes it but feels like he doesnt deserve it cause all hes been treated with is harshness

and hes unused to being so gently handled

(someone give him a hug fr)

which is what YOU did!

now he love loves it, especially on days like these when everythings just too much and all he wants to do is unwind

runs to you like a puppy

LOVE LOVES being the little spoon even though hes shy abt it

he can do both but smth abt being held instead of doing the holding for once makes his heart heavy in a bittersweet way

would spend all day in your arms if he could just get out of his workaholic attitude (which is never, but hes doing better with you)

okay, we can all agree jason is scary when hes mad

which is USUALLY unlikely unless someone hurts his friends or smth like that

but sometimes he just looks mad and if you werent close to him, you wouldnt be able to tell the difference

but back to him being MAD mad

like, abt to beat the living (dead?) shit out of a monster mad because there is one RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU EW GET IT OFF

he just, did NOT NEED THAT TODAY HES TIRED AND SAD AND that was his breaking point

unleashes HELL on that poor monster, literally calls down a whole storm

the skies turn dark, clouds heavy with rain and the whole camp just looks up like ??? was this on the weather forecast

then it starts raining LIGHTNING and they all know who it is

and go inside and hide

was it a bit overdramatic? yes, but jason deserves to be dramatic sometimes

once he FINALLY finishes the job, he stomps back into the camp, terminus even taking note and doesnt say anything quippy

youd think he has the plague by the way people make room for him to walk

but then you poke through the crowd and spot him. "jason?"

hed know your voice anywhere, his head immediately turning to the direction he heard it

you were already right next to him, rubbing his arm and giving him your signature sweet smile

the stormy air around him seemed to part for you, like you were sun seeping through the cracks in the clouds

"y/n," he greeted you warmly, linking your arms together

what an odd sight the two of you made, but a cute one nonetheless!

[strangeshoepatrolbandit]

Brotherly Love P.t 2 J.T

Jason Todd x Al-Ghul/Wayne reader(platonic)

Brotherly Love Masterlist <- right here

Gender Neutral

Summary: Time at your father's has broken apart your relationship with your brother, but what about your adopted brother?

Warnings: insecurity, mentions Scarecrow and his toxin, mentions of murder.

~☆~

You were sitting down in the library, reading one of your favorite books, and sipping the tea you had made just a few minutes beforehand. The ache of being alone had finally disappeared weeks ago, you don't even know if Damian has left the Batcave, you wonder if he too missed how things were before you came here.

A sound of footsteps alerted you before the large library doors opened, it was that man that you had seen talking to Alfred, the guy with the familiar eyes. You watched as he closed the door behind himself, his eyes caught your own as he glanced at you with no readable expression. You kept eyeing him as he passed the couch you were sitting on and headed straight for the bookshelves, he reached a hand up before grabbing onto a worn out book.

He turned around and started heading towards the couch opposite of you, you quickly looked away, staring down at your own book as an attempt to look busy.

As he sits down and opens his book you look up again, trying to figure out why he looks so familiar, and notice the book he has is green, and the spine is falling apart, the title has worn away probably from how old the book was.

"Y'know it's rude to stare." The mysterious man across from you commented, snapping you out of your daze making you look back up at his face that was now facing you.

"Who are you?" You questioned, still confused about what looks so familiar about him, the man across from you chuckles, and his face breaks out into a smile confusing you even more.

"Straight to the point huh?" He he chuckled out again, "well I could ask you the same, you came here with that brat didnt you?". You wanted to snap back, defend your brother from this random man that seemingly knew him.

"Yeah...I did" you mumbled out looking back down at your very own book. The change in attitude seemingly left the man a little lost, and not knowing what to do, he shifted a bit and gripped his book a little tighter. His lips pursed and his eyes darted to things around him as he sat in the awkward aura that had taken over the enormous room, his eyes once again looked at you as he thought about what to say to lighten the mood back up.

"My names Jason." He introduced finally answering the question you asked him, his eyes softened and the corners of his lips slightly rose when you looked back at him.

"(Y/N)." You responded, your brain was scouring for anything that could pinpoint why you think you know him, but sadly, no knowledge of 'Jason' had come up.

"Yeah, you're the old man's kid." He stated, somehow knowing you, just like he knew Damian, seriously who was this guy? He must have sensed your confusion because he answered your question immediately.

"Bruce took me in when I was a kid, and I have some history with Talia."......was this guy in your head or something what is going on?

"The library was my favorite place when I first moved in." Jason spoke, talking to himself as he looked back down at the book in his hands.

"Mine too." You mumbled....

~☆~

The two of you sat there until Jason had gotten about halfway through his book, he had then run down to the Batcave and you hadn't seen him since, when you asked Alfred he told you that Jason had come by to talk and to borrow something from Bruce. Later that night after dinner you ran to catch up with Bruce before he got to the Batcave, hoping to get answers to some questions.

"Bruce!" You called out, not really on the term 'father' yet like Damian is. Bruce stopped walking and turned to look at you, waiting for you to catch up to him.

"What is it, Y/N?" He questioned once you finally reached his side, after putting out his arm for you to hold on to he started walking again.

"Is Jason another one of your adoptees?" You questioned, your head turned up to look at Bruce who was looking back down at you with his eyebrows raised.

"Well yes he is, my second....why?" He answered, curious as to why you would bring up Jason.

"Well he came by today." Your statement took the older man by surprise, Bruce hadn't even known Jason had been at the Manor, after their most recent fight that caused Bruce to explode and say some things he didn't mean Jason had cut off his communication with the rest of the family. Surely this visit meant that he's ready to speak again, hope filled Bruce, maybe Jason would forgive him so that he can have his son back again.

~☆~

Before you knew it you and Bruce reached the Batcave, and he looked down at you yet again, eyes holding nothing but love, offering a small smile he hesitantly let go of you. As you turned around to leave, Bruce had stopped you to ask

"Do you know what he came for?". You shifted your body to face the taller man yet again, this time his eyes were holding a look of sadness, begging you to say that he came for his father.

...

"He came to get something from you, then he sat in the library and read with me." You answered, before staring your journey back to the kitchen to help Alfred with dishes.

~☆~

Bruce finally had time away from Wayne enterprises, and Dick was going to be in town for the next week because of a case, seeing an opportunity, Alfred had put together a dinner and invited Tim and Dick. Which lead you to where you are now, sitting next to Dick and Tim, Dick was talking to Damian whilst Tim was talking to Bruce about business at Wayne enterprises.

Conversations were cut short when Alfred had come out with all of the food, everyone had collected what they wanted and started completely new conversations with other people at the table, except for you, you just sat there staring at the food you were eating.

A knock at the door caused everyone to stop their conversations yet again, curiosity got the best of everyone as they turned to look at the entryway of the dining room once two voices were heard.

...

"Master Jason is here." Alfred announced, as he walked into the dining room, and just like he said Jason was there right behind him. The scarred man had taken a seat across from you, where a plate was already sat waiting for him to fill up, you and Damian had gone back to eating, unbothered by the awkward aura surrounding the other men at the table.

Dick was the first to speak, mumbling a "Hey Jason" served with a half smile, The man across from you just glanced up at him and muttered out a "Dick." in acknowledgement, after that the rest of the men around the table started eating again, continuing their conversations from earlier, leaving you to sit there and silently eat your food.

A foot nudging your leg from under the table got your attention, your head shot up to look at Jason who was staring at you with his eyebrows knit together, his face showed a look that silently asked 'are you okay', offering him back a slight nod you went back to eating.

~☆~

Bruce had cleared his throat therefore making everyone at the table look at him, he set down his utensils and brought his hands together to sit under his chin, before looking at you and Damian.

"I spoke to Talia, and we both think it's best if I enroll the two of you into school." He revealed, as if he was just a normal single father, and he looked at each of your faces to catch your expressions.

"We are far to intelligent for schooling with a buch on simpletons." Damian exclaimed, seemingly annoyed that Bruce would even think about putting him in a room of regular kids.

"I know that Damian, but we just think it will do the both of you good." Bruce sighed trying to get Damian on board with the idea.

"But-" Damian started before you interrupted him, "Mother is not coming back anytime soon, is she?" You questioned, school would only mean that you and Damian would be staying here longer than anticipated.

"No Y/N, she's not" the older man muttered out, and went back to his food as an attempt to end the conversation at that.

(Trust me I know Talia talking to Bruce and being like "yeah put our kids in school whilst I hunt Deathstroke" is a little weird but I have a vision.)

~☆~

After dinner Bruce, Dick, Tim, and Damian had all retreated to the batcave, and Jason had just up and disappeared. Alfred had already came and picked up all of the plates from the table you were still sitting at, your head was hung as you stared at your hands in your lap.

Everyone had willingly left you, they had all got up and left you, that wasn't fair. Why does Damian get all of their attention, why is Damian more liked than you, is it because he has proven himself worthy since he is Robin, is it just because he is more bearable to be around? Talia may have not been the best mother but oh how you wish she was here for you right now, maybe she would understand how you feel, maybe she would spend time with you, even if it was just training. Bruce had been okay at first but as time went on and Damian proved himself worthy Bruce had become distant, spending more time with Damian-

"Hey-."

Your body snapped up and your instincts kicked in as you were pulled out of your thoughts, the hand that was just placed on your shoulder was now behind the back of the body you had bent over the table.

"Jesus, calm down!" The person yelled, as you looked down at the body you identified as Jason, letting go of his hands you backed away from the table, Jason straightened his back as he turned to look at you, slowly he brung both of his hands up to hover around his head in a way to show that he means no harm.

"Calm down will ya." He whispered out, gesturing to your rapid breathing, he slowly brung down one of his hands and reached it out towards you only for you to move away from him yet again.

"I'm fine." You muttered out, looking down at your feet, and trying to steady your breathing. Jason lowered his arms back to his sides and waited for your breathing to regulate before speaking again.

When your breathing finally went back to normal you looked up at Jason who was just staring at you, a smile broke out on his face and you could see that he was trying to hide a laugh. Your eyebrows furrowed as you tried to guess what he wanted to laugh at, the look you gave him only caused his laughter to finally break out. Once Jason's laughter died down he moved towards you and raised an arm to put around your shoulders.

"Come on." Was all he said as he pushed you out of the dining room.

~☆~

Your enture body was stiff as Jason lead you around the Manor, his arm still residing around your shoulders. The two of you walked down the long hallways, no conversation being made, just admiring the art along the walls. There were various paintings hanging, some sporting random people you've never seen, others looked like younger variations of Bruce, Dick, Jason, and Tim. You wondered if Bruce would sit you and Damian down to get yourselves painted, Ra's himself had had a couple commissioned of the two of you, but never hung them.

Jason guided you down another hallway, you could feel the warmth from his skin seeping in through your clothes, his arm was heavy, a resuring weight, a reminder that he was still there right beside you. He brought a feeling that you had never felt, maybe it was the fact that you have never been held except by Damian, who's embrace lacked comfort and love, maybe because he himself never experienced that.

You could smell the cologne that he sprayed before visiting, that traditional man smell was on him but the more you focused you could tell that he smelled like Tobacco, Gunpowder, leather, and something earthy, hints of something sweet hit your nose as you continued to breathe, like he had been in a bakery.

~☆~

Jason and You had come to a halt in front of a pair of doors, doors that you're highly familiar with, doors to the library to be in fact. Jason took his arms off of your shoulders to push open one of the doors open, gesturing for you to go first and himself after. Jason walked past you, seemingly heading for the couches in the middle of the room but he soon passed them too, ending up in front of one of the many bookshelves, the very one he stood in front of when the pair of you read in here the other day. Speaking of the other day Jason was now grasping the same exact book that he had the other day, old, green, and missing its title. Jason scoured through the book, seemingly reminiscing, you watched as Jason straightened his back, closing the book and looking directly infront of himself, before looking back at the book one last time. Jason turned around face you, his legs moving towards you, book still in hand, his eyes kept moving from the book and the floor.

"Here, I noticed what you were reading the other day." He stated holding the book out to you with a smile on his face, trying to hint that you would like this book as well.

"What is it?" You questioned, curious as to what the book in fact was, before taking it in your hands and tracing along the cracked spine. One of Jason's arms went to rub the back of his neck, and his eyebrows knit together as if trying to find the answer to your question.

"To be honest, I don't know, book was here way before me." The man infront of you confessed, Jason let out a chuckle before heading towards the door again, opening it and gesturing for you to step out.

"Where are we going?" You questioned him again, first he led you all the way to the library without telling you where you'd be going, now he's trying to get you to go somewhere else.

"The cave." Was all he muttered.

~☆~

Everyone was already in their suits, crowding around the office chair infront of the computer's, you and Jason stood behind all of the boys with curious looks on your faces.

"What is it this time." Jason asked breaking the silence that hung around the room, Damian turned to look at him, if looks could kill, Jason Todd would be a dead man again.

"Homicide." Bruce answered first, never once taking his eyes off the screen. From the looks of it, he was looking at the filed police report.

"Wow, surprise, it's Gotham." You remarked, Jason turned to look at you with a hidden smile on his face, your own face mirroring his after you made eye contact. Damian turned to look at you, offering the same look he gave to jason seconds before. Dick stood up straight and rested his elbow on your head. Quickly, he looked down at you, then Jason, then back to you.

"Not all of the murders in Gotham stem from Scarecrows gas." Dick informed."The infected committed the crime this time." He finished, Jason moved from beside you, heading for the entry from the batcave and back to the Manor, you pulled Dicks arm off of your head and went to follow Jason back up.

Once back up Jason headed straight towards the front door, and fled down the front steps of the Manor.

"Jason, wait!" You called out to him as he hopped onto a motorcycle.

"What?" He asked, putting on a helmet.

"Where are you going?" You questioned him

"work." Was all he said before revving up his motorcycle and speeding off.

...

You stared down at the book in your hands, tracing the faults on the cover with your fingers, honestly in a family of vigilantes you should've known that he's one too.....

~☆~

....

I got so much support on p.t 1 of this and that makes me so happy, I hope you enjoyed this part as well. I don't know when it will be uploaded, but I am going to write another part. <33

(Pt.3 is out now)

Taglist: @sanjanapm @unofficial-jaytodd-wife

@texaschainslvt

@godknows-shetried

@wendds

@celestair

@lorosette

@knoxx-seresinbradshaw

@agent-nobody-knows

@5sos-wdw

[bomber-grl]

Leo Valdez x Child of Apollo ✶ ₊ ⊹

Pairing(s): Leo Valdez x Gn!Reader

A/n: I’ll probably do a child of Apollo one where they’re the opposite of the stereotype lol

Honestly if you’re a child of Apollo then you’re more likely than not extroverted and more into the arts

So going off of that you’re definitely outgoing and pretty much the personification of sunshine

That’s what Leo notices about you when he first sees you

And seeing that people who are out of his league are his type, it’s an automatic attraction

Most likely introduced to you through the infirmary

Will and your other healer siblings were busy with more injured people and Leo was there due to some invention gone wrong

So when Will leaves after settling him,the last thing he expected was to see you

You began helping him and he wouldn’t be too surprised if you pointed out his drooling

Your gentle touches and soft voice, plus your patience and upbeat attitude really just made him simp even more lmao

After that he was practically begging annabeth to officially introduce him but that never really ended up happening cuz she’d just shoo him away

That however, changed when he was shown around and given a chance at handling other weapons

Once he got to the archery part of it he was absolutely terrible

He was pretty bummed out but when he noticed then switching out helpers, much to his surprise you were actually there

Once again handling and gently guiding him even when he failed terribly

He decided to shoot his shot (haha get it?) and he made the worst joke/pick up line known to man

He was so embarrassed especially since it came out half assed and said through his stutters

Then you laughed

You were so gorgeous and just honestly so attractive that once you left, Jason and Piper had to drag him away because of how mesmerized he was

Of course the two of you share more interactions, even before you got together

But once you do make it official? He’s honestly just the best and and likes watching you heal others (even if it comes off as uncomfortable or creepy-)

Plus he uses you to secretly heal his injuries without getting the backlash of being scolded

+ he gets to spend time with you

What really makes him confess to you, if he hadn’t already-

Would be pretty stereotypical and kinda cringe but please bare with me

So it all happens when at the nightly campfire and your siblings- in traditional Apollo spawn fashion, decide to sing some songs and play some instruments

- which isn’t exactly a rare occurrence

Apollo children get many talents in the arts and you just happen to be one of those people-

Once you finish Leo is so mesmerized that Jason had to shake him out of it

And if his jaw was on the floor, he’s guilty as charged

He’d probably confess by doing something spontaneous and would probably accidentally confess in front of your whole cabin

🚶‍♀️honestly can’t even say anything since you agreed to be his s/o

Most times he’d probs just love to watch you heal others and just be in your presence

Even if it could come off as creepy or uncomfortable sometimes….

Anyway, he’d definitely love to ask you to heal him especially in secret so he doesn’t get scolded

—And then he ends up getting scolded by you too …

Well not only were you seen as kind in his eyes by your always help with whatever you could: arts and crafts, music and other things you could lend your guidance

Because of how much you tend to be nice - it def left him shook when you suddenly got a little attitude

And ofc it’s when he decided to sneak in your cabin, wake you up, all cuz he wanted to do a nighttime rendezvous

I meannnnn who are u to decline??

So you do, yknow half unconscious basically being dragged along and Leo ended up learning his lesson to not interrupt your beauty sleep

Especially when it’s morning and he asks what that was all about

Then you’ll go on to explain during night just isn’t the ideal time of day for an Apollo kid

Plus add a “never do that again “

And he never will 🫠

Mostly out of fear

He learned his lesson

Anyway-

We all know how Leo is

He uses humor to cover up how vulnerable and sensitive he truly is

And he was admittedly afraid to pursue a relationship especially because you have to be open

And being open with his emotions would mean having to be basically stripped naked and seen at his core for who he really is

It’s only when you accept him and comfort him when he’s insecure -

That he realizes that maybe he was silly for thinking that way in the first place

Ofc you still have to bare with him and his shenanigans, plus the injuries he gets from them

You still love him at the end of the day ofc despite how often he gets hurt

Then you just cuddle and hope not to be ripped to shreds by harpies 🫠😭

Atleast you can heal him and go back to bed immediately LMAOO

Because of how upbeat you are, your reassurance and comfort to Leo really helps him out

I mean how could he be so pessimistic around someone so optimistic and energetic

So of course he returns to his charming and ridiculously cringe self

He’s really just grateful to be dating you

Especially for that fact you’ve never snitched when he would sneak out and stuff

If you were to ever make him a poem or anything he’d probably fluster/cringe

I mean you probably know it’s cringe which is why u even showed him lol

However, the day Leo mentions haikus you tell him to please shut up before you here the familiar voice of your father from afar.

[angelltheninth]

Remind Me to Hate You

Pairing: Prince!Jason!Todd x Enemy Princess!Fem!Reader

Tags: nsfw, smut, forbidden relationship, hate sex, dry humping, enemies to fuck buddies, teasing, banter, hallway sex, quickie, dirty talk

Word count: 2.2k

A/N: This is part of the Behind the Ballroom collab hosted by @blueparadis.

When Jason started at you from across the table with a smug expression the least you wanted to do was slap him. The most you wanted to do? Well that would make the entire peace negotiation moot.

Plus you were well aware that in his father's kingdom he had the advantage. The Red Prince of Gotham, your sworn enemy, and yet the object of many of your wet dreams as of late.

As the princess it was your duty to attend this peace meeting and make sure things went smoothly. That was your mission and you will not let Jason and his boyish charm distract you from it.

"You listening Princess, or is your head in the clouds. Or perhaps the gutter from how you've been looking at me the whole meeting." Jason leaned on his elbow, his red hood somewhat obscuring his face, but you could clearly see his blue eyes looking at you.

"Jason. Behave." King Bruce reprimanded him but it seemed to have very little effect as he only shrugged and leaned back with his hands behind his head, his smug smile not leaving his face for the entirety of the meeting. Honestly you couldn't wait for it to be over either, perhaps then you could talk some sense and manners into him because he seemed to have barely any from what you saw of him.

Jason was crass, rude, loud and impulsive. The exact opposite of a model prince. The exact opposite of what you should want. And yet you found yourself fingers deep in your pussy at late hours of the night, thinking about him. It was maddening.

What was even more infuriating was that he refused to just let you be. He was constantly teasing you, even now as you walked out of a pretty tense meeting, there he was, right at your heals, his red cape dragging behind him.

"That could have gone better. And my old man was really trying in there. He always fancied himself as more of a businessman you know?" He gestured a lot with his hands. You noticed that ever since you met him. And also how big his hands looked.

"So I assume you're the complete opposite. From the rumors I hear you were more than happy to rush into a battle with us. You need to get a better hold on your impulsiveness, and rudeness, because one day it might get you in trouble." You tried to walk in front of him and to your bedroom but Jason was a little too fast for you. Unfortunately.

He slouched down a bit, his face now the same height as yours, "And will you be the trouble I get into?"

"You are so damn crass. I would never dream of being with a man like you. I'm surprised you're even a Prince with that attitude of yours." Except you did. An embarrassing amount too. "Now if you'll excuse me I- Jason!"

His hand held your wrist tight as he pushed your against the nearby wall, his face so close to yours you could feel his breath tickling your lips. His eyes were colder than usual, sending chills down your spine. But strangely, or perhaps not given your recent nightly activities, it wasn't the bad chills.

"I hate being in these meetings just as much as you do. And hell I probably hate you just as much as you hate me. The difference is that I don't dwell on that every passing hour of the day, I actually try to have fun and not have a stick up my ass the whole damn time."

"How dare yo-" His mouth was on yours before you could finish your rebuttal. There was nothing soft or gentle or sweet about the kiss. It was a messy fight for dominance that neither of you wanted to lose. It was hard to tell who won at the end because the only real reason you separated was because your lungs could only handle so much. "What the fuck was that?"

Jason licked his swollen lips which then formed a smug smile, "So you do curse. Not every Princess-y behavior. And in any case I think this," He looked between the two of you, "Is a much better solution than the two of us trying to kill each other. More fun too."

"And what is this Prince Jason?" You narrowed your eyes at him, fearing that his answer would be be the truth you've been afraid to admit this whole time.

His lips brushed against yours again, his eyes looking deeply into yours, pulling you along by an invisible thread, "Our lust. I've seen how you look at me. Let me be the first to admit I've had to take care of my cock many times since I saw you. And I've come to the conclusion that you'd be better at it than I."

"You underestimate my self control." You didn't deny his claim, Jason would take note of that, you knew he would.

"I think you overestimate it. And mine too." This time it was you who kissed him first, wanting him to just shut up already and stop speaking the truth. It was torment to deal with it in private, to have it all out in the open like this was driving you crazy. Jason was driving you crazy.

Yet no matter how you tried to fight this feeling you opened your mouth for him, you slid your tongue against his, you explored his mouth, you swallowed his moans as he did yours, you grew more wet as you felt him get hard and poking at you.

"I always appreciate an honest woman." He grinned against your lips when his hand traveled under your skirt and pressed over your underwear, clearly wet and slick from your arousal, "I think someone's been having a few dreams like this."

"Are you betraying your own thoughts?" You threaded your fingers together around his neck, grabbing at the hood his wore and pulling it down, revealing the entirety of his annoyingly smug and handsome face. And that damn annoying, yet absurdly attractive lock of white hair that always fell perfectly over his forehead. "Perhaps you should learn to keep such lewd things to yourself."

"Perhaps you, my dear Princess, should learn to be more honest with yourself. But I know exactly how to loosen you up." His thick finger poked at your opening through your underwear, pushing in as far as he could, the fabric providing a barrier but also something to grind against, especially when he was so closely pressed against you, "I can't wet to get you in my bed. Not tonight though, there's work to do in the morning. Can't risk your daddy finding out that I defiled his precious little girl right as peace negotiations are going on."

So he wasn't going to fuck you? That realization only made you more angry at him. You're not some delicate flower that needs to be saved under a crystal bell.

"The more you talk the more you make angry. Why?" You bucked your his into his hand, needing to get this over with, perhaps once it's out of your system you'd be able to get a good nights sleep. Oh who were you kidding, it would probably make the issue worse. Jason was a danger, one that you seemed to have no problem getting close to. "Why do you insist on it?"

"I think you're incredibly hot when you're angry. And I think that us fucking out our anger sounds pretty fun don't you?" You moaned at his words, feeling the warmth of his palm cupping your pussy over your underwear.

"No." Yes. It sounded incredible. You could ride his cock until he passed out and couldn't get it up anymore. He could rail your pussy until it was so sensitive just him breathing on it would make you come.

"Didn't take you for a liar Princess, or such a harlot, you're getting my hand wet even through your clothes. I must be doing something right aren't I? Mind you I have been getting a lot of praise for my skills."

Praise? Him? In this sort of thing. For reasons unknown it made your heart squeeze and ache, "From who?" You nearly spat the question at him without even realizing it.

"Oh you know. A maid here, a nice tavern lady there, a beautiful knight lady. A very annoying enemy Princess." His hand withdrew just as he spoke those words, he examined it with curiosity for a moment before grabbing you under your thighs with both hands and lifting you up. Your legs wrapped around on their own accord, your hands fisting against him, one into his hood and the other into his jet-black hair. "At least I'm hoping that her Highness will like it."

As hard it was to admit you liked it very much in your fantasies. Time to see how the real Jason compared.

"Just try me." Your lips pressed over his in a challenge.

"Oh I intend to. This will only be a taste. You better be able to handle it." That was not a threat, it was a promise and one that you were eager to see him keep at that.

Jason accepted your challenge, he always did, meting you in the middle with just as much ferocity as he put into grinding his hard cock against you. The bulge hit exactly over your clit, each roll of your hips against his sending more ecstasy into your brain. You wished there was no clothes in the way so you could feel his throbbing hot hot cock against your naked pussy, feel his cum trickling down, see it. Yet you were well aware of the risks. Even if you didn't get caught there was a chance you could get pregnant if he didn't pull out in time.

Part of you wished he wouldn't. That part of you scared you, so you decided to hide it away under moans and whimpers and chasing quick pleasure and release.

"You can go faster, I won't break. You say you hate me, so fuck me like it. Or I will." You rolled your hips in a long and slow circle, knowing how much he could feel your wet pussy even through layers of clothing.

"When this treaty is settled maybe I will. For now be a good little Princess. Or are you saying you can't get through this ordeal without having some good cock clamming your cunt? If I knew that was the case I would have spared you the agony and seeded on your first night here." His grip on your thighs became more firm, almost as if he was trying to brand you with his hands, "I can feel your pussy fluttering. You want to get breed by your enemy, ready to open your legs for the first real man you see. You claim to want the throne of your kingdom but the only thing you really want is me being balls deep in your pretty pussyhole."

"I'm partly flattered that you thought about my pussy so much you've come up with such a narrative. Perhaps it's your cock that needs some company other than your hand." You saw him clench his teeth at you, good, you just had to keep provoking him until he exploded. You leaned in close to his ear, your voice dropping to a low, sultry tone, "I could ride it all day, keep it warm for you until its time for you to give me your cum. Suck you off and taste you, taste us."

"Fuck." He groaned, his voice strained, "That's right. You're a Princess to your people but for me you'd be a harlot. A warm hole for my cock. Instead of a throne you'd sit on my cock all day, taking it like the needy wonton woman you are. I could stay inside you all the time, fuck, even during meetings if I could." His voice suddenly got more high pitched, he clearly shared more than he wanted to, "We'd be perfect together don't you think? Both strong and stubborn as hell." He chuckled, no laughed, laughed with that boyish laugh you heard so much about. It melted your heart a little to hear such a sound.

Your legs locked tighter around his lower back, pressing him flush against your body, your breasts aching for a moment before he realized he was crushing you pushed away, at least his upper half.

"Indeed. We might be." You kissed him again, your bodies shaking in unison as you continued to hump each other like rabbits in heat until your orgasms crashed and subsided. Yours, sending a flood of fresh arousal down your thighs, Jason's, making a very prominent stain on the front of his pants that you're not sure how he intends to hide. "But I'm afraid you're gonna have to do better than that to win me over, my Prince."

"The pleasure will be all mine, my Lady." The pleasure, if this was anything to go by, will very much be for the both of you. If you didn't actually kill each other first that is.

[kaleidoscopewritings19]

Title: Nicotine & Chanel

Characters: Jason Todd and Female!xReader.

Warnings: None, mentions of smut?

________

When you had met Jason, the two of you were polar opposites. You were sophisticated, dressed up, and looked well put together every single day. Jason was reckless, and had a go with the flow attitude. He was the epitome of “walk to the beat of your own drum.”

He was dangerous in the eyes of your family and friends. Jason didn’t belong in your social group, and you didn’t belong in his. However, that didn’t stop the two of you from being together.

When you brought him to different events with your socialite group, everyone would stare as the two of you walked in together. But you held your head high, and smiled at the thought of Jason’s arm wrapped around your waist.

Your parents questioned your choice of continuing this relationship, but you didn’t pay any mind to them. Jason was different around you, he was kind, caring, and a complete gentleman. But he also had his fiery side, which you adored. He didn’t treat you like a fragile of porcelain like past lovers had.

Mornings that were once filled with brunches, were now filled with sleeping in late, and feeding your need to be with Jason.

He was addicted to you; much like his addiction to nicotine. He had no intention of giving you up, and he would always find a chance to get you alone.

In a past relationship, you would have complained about the cigarette smell, but now you loved it. When he would light up that Marlboro cigarette, sometimes you would take a hit off of it. Your lips would stain the cigarette, but he didn’t mind. He actually thought it was sexy.

Jason loved everything about you. From your legs, to your face, and to your hair. He loved every inch of you and praised you almost every night. You were his new addiction, and he was by far, more addicted to you than his pack of cigarettes.

Whenever the two of you went somewhere together, the two of you left an aroma of Chanel No. 5 and nicotine behind. It wasn’t a bad cigarette smell; it was combination of new leather and a hint of nicotine. And Jason loved the scent you would leave behind in his bed. The smell was sexily intoxicating.

One day, he stood in your bathroom as he lit a cigarette. You were getting ready for another gala event, and you were combing through your hair.

“Marva doesn’t like it when you smoke in the apartment.” You say and Jason smiled. “Yeah, your maid seems to hate me for some reason.”

You picked up your bottle of your Chanel perfume, and sprayed a generous amount to your skin. Jason put out his cigarette onto the marble counter, “That’s one reason she doesn’t like you.” You say with a smile, and it only took him a few strides to get to you.

His hand went to your hip, and his other hand went to your chin. Jason inhaled your scent, and gently caressed your bottom lip with his thumb. “I think this should be our signature scent.” He said and you looked up into his eyes.

“And what would that be?” You asked and Jason pressed a slow, but bruising kiss to your lips. It was slow, and he gently bit onto your bottom lip.

“Nicotine and Chanel.” He whispered against your lips. You pulled away, “So I’m not the only one that it turns on?” You asked with a coy smile.

Jason picked you up and sat you down on the counter top. “No. It’s intoxicating. And in a good kind of way.” He said as his lips explored your neck.

His hand trailed up the slit of your dress, “How important is this gala to you?” He asked while teasing you with his finger tips.

You moaned at the feeling of his finger tips running along your laced panties. “Not very.” Jason pressed kisses from your knee cap up to your thigh, and his tongue began to trace its way up to where you need him most.

After on final kiss, he stood up. “Well, we better go so your parents don’t think I’m a bad influence.” He said as he fixed his tie, and pulled back down your dress.

Throwing your head back, you sighed. “C’mon Jay. Let’s just stay here and we can-”

“Not right now, Princess. We have a gala to attend.” He said as he helped you down from the counter top.

He pulled you close to his body, “Maybe we can find a broom closet to get lost in.” He said before leaving you to stand in the bathroom alone.

_____

I hope you guys enjoyed that short x reader. Thanks for reading!

Xoxo

[green-lotus]

Raphael making out headcanons, pt 1

(disclaimer: i tend to imagine more ugh vanilla stuff when IT comes to sex, even tho that's not quite the best word for it. don't misunderstand, i'm all in for some wild ideas, but i'm not into really rough sexual stuff, but more of intimate, passionate ones myself, so to speak, so that's the filter all my headcanons naturally go through. if your red turtle wet dreams include getting dominated & straightforward railed & being aggressively cummed into, good on you, but that's not so much of what i will be sharing here. even if I do have some fun parts i'm working on. having said that!)

So!

• I've seen many headcanons' on how Raph would be probably kinda possessive and jealous of his s/o, and I just don't vibe with IT tbh. Sure, he may have some issues with it, but given how playful he can be when not feeling threatened in any way, I'd say that given the right amount of reassurement and love and acceptance, he may go basically the opposite direction and even enjoy his partner casually flirting with or teasing other people, only for the pun to be that they're falling back into his arms and leaving the other person quite fucking bewildered to say the least. That would both play to his more fun side & would give him the much needed public display of appreciation, praise & putting him in the first place

• Imagine Casey strolling through the lair to find something he misplaced there earlier and seeing Raph with his partner starting to casually make out on the couch in the corner. Casey is not his dad nor any of his brothers, so Raph doesn't feel like he needs to show off or hold the tough guy attitude. Casey freezes, as Raph and his s/o stop, lock eyes with him and then with each other with a mischievous smile

"Raphael, look... He's looking at us, the self - elected half - assed Jason Voorhees... maybe he wants to join in. Sweet fuck look at his face"

"Should we let him watch?"

"Oh, and share the sight with a hockey slut? Nah, he didn't deserve it, that's all for me under that shell"

"Should I let him at least undress you then?"

"Man, you wanna kill him? And yourself, in the process? What's here is for your eyes and hands only tonight"

Casey's long skidaddled away at this point but you're having the most delicious fun watching him die inside

• That being said, I do believe that in the right circumstances he would have no problem making out in the middle of the lair and letting his brothers hear a bit of the fun between you two. He would want to pride yourself in what you're doing between you and that he has you and you want him

• He would particularly enjoy falling asleep together and someone finding you in the morning laying with each other, with obvious implication of what was happening before you two dozed off

• Particularly Leo, yeah. Leo is speechless, annoyed or at least slightly bothered, Donnie is a bit awkward but just assumes it for what IT is and goes about his business being just quietly glad for you two

• Raph may not be the best of a showman in that regard but boy would he enjoy just observing you dancing, stretching, getting naked or doing anything explicitly innuendo, if not just for him then knowing full well he is around seeing what you're doing

• And shit, would he love the moment you come to undress him, there's not much there except for those hilarious pants or his mask or shoulder pads but it's something

• You make him undress you as well. It's some sort of handsy exercise for him. If Splinter's making him knit he can handle your dresses, lingerie and jewellery

• You make him wait for you. It's killing him but he's enjoying that and the taste of you after is all the sweeter

• I'd bet Raph would love to make out to the music. Some deep techno/ rap vibes with something a bit more rhythmic and rock - ish in between. but for more gentle times he would accept and try to vibe with whatever his partner's into

(yeah I've been trying to put together list off songs i imagine would play to his taste in bed, but i'm just not really that knowledgeable in those music areas, if anyone has any suggestions please share)

[beyond-abyss]

Batman Essay 1 ~ (9-5-23)

Batman’s numerous protégés remind him of something inside himself. Each young vigilante exudes a specific aspect of Bruce Wayne’s personality, inspiring him to train them. Sometimes the more influence Batman has on one of his protégés, the more they pull away from being just like him. The way Batman chooses to live, and the mindset that compels him are almost entirely impossible to imitate, no matter how much someone tries to follow in his footsteps. In fact, the harder a protégé tries to be like Batman, the more they realize that his very influence saved them from being like him. The one exception is Jason Todd. The harder Jason tries to be the opposite of Bruce, the more like Batman he becomes. In my educated opinion, Jason Todd is the most like Bruce Wayne in personality than all of the other members of the Bat-Family.

Understanding Batman becomes easier when his protégés are considered. Dick Grayson reflects Batman’s desire to save people, and the heart that guides him. Barbara Gordon reminds Batman of his own adaptability and intelligence. Tim Drake is Batman’s endless curiosity, the desire to understand why. Damian Wayne has Bruce’s stubborn attitude, unyielding in his convictions, to a fault. Stephanie Brown is Batman’s desire to punish criminals. Cassandra Cain reflects Batman’s loneliness. Duke Thomas is Batman’s sense of justice, his righteous will. Many of them share more traits with Batman than their strongest attribute, but I believe that Jason Todd shares almost all the same traits as Batman.

Batman, at his core, is a little boy who was terrified by a random evil he was helpless against, and resolved to take personal responsibility for preventing anyone else’s violent death. Bruce wrapped himself in his fears and rage, becoming Batman, but inside, the force that drives him is grief: the pain of love lost. Jason Todd is the same. Raised in an environment of fear, young Jason Todd watched his father taken by the prison system, and his mother Catherine taken by drugs. He had to fend for himself on the streets. Growing up in a state of constant fear makes it incredibly difficult to trust anyone. Nightwing told Jon Kent, “Batman’s natural state is distrustful. Try not to take it personally. Something happened to him when he was a kid. And now he looks for danger in every situation and tries to control it,” (Superman Son of Kal-el). Jason and Bruce are ruled by the same unwillingness to trust others, to rely on anyone else, because they fear the helplessness of the heart.

The core of Batman is his helpless heart, the fear of the grief that still echoes through him. Time and time again, audiences are shown that what Bruce Wayne fears the most is losing more people that he loves. So often Batman pushes away his Bat-Family when he is going through more trauma. Jason Todd is the same. He carries the same helpless heart as his core. Early in his solo series Red Hood and the Outlaws (N52), Jason and his two companions are required to give up their most cherished memories as collateral, returned upon their exit. Starfire and Arsenal quickly take back their most cherished memories, but Jason Todd walks past and says, “Keep it.” The memory that he left behind was of a night he was too sick to be Robin, and stayed home. Bruce joins him on the couch, demonstrating that in that moment, spending time with Jason when he needed him was more important than going out as Batman. They watch TV together and young Jason falls asleep on Bruce, safe and happy. The fact that it’s his most cherished memory reveals that at his core, Jason is his heart, but just like Bruce, Jason fears that love becoming grief. He literally pushes away what he loves most, just like Batman.

All of the Bat-Family have love at their core. They all want to help people, save lives, and stop crime. I argue that Jason Todd shares the same brand of helpless love as Batman, where everyone else has learned how to let people get close instead of pushing love to arm’s length. Batman has a reputation for not trusting anyone, even his closest friends. He infamously has plans to take down the Justice League, preparing for any eventuality where he cannot trust the people dearest to him. Jason Todd is prepared to ditch his companions at any time too. He alienates Roy Harper (multiple times), he prepares to shoot Bizarro once, and he concocted a plan to erase his own mind and take on the League of Assassins alone, never letting his best friends in on the plan. Jason chooses to maintain his distance from the Bat-Family, despite repeated attempts by his siblings to get close to him. He intentionally makes himself out as the bad guy to push them all away. Especially Bruce.

As Bruce occasionally pushes away his family, so too does Jason Todd purposefully alienate the Bat-Family with his methods of crime-fighting. All the Bat-people fight crime, but most of them do not rely as much on fear and violence as Batman does. Nightwing leans into being friendly and asking his friends for support. Oracle is cooperation and persuasion. Tim Robin is outsmarting your enemies and beating them before they begin. I have seen Spoiler demonstrate that crime fighting can be efficient with as little danger to civilians as possible if you think like the bad guys do, turning their methods of subterfuge against them. Cassandra Batgirl is faster and more precise in defusing dangerous situations. Signal can get someone to stop committing crime without laying a hand on them. Damian Robin uses the same fear and violence that Batman does, with difficulty, because he has less experience trying to be nonlethal. Red Hood fights crime by committing crime. Red Hood has a reputation built on fear and violence, because he has a lethal record. Many criminals know the Bats don’t kill, so they fear Batman less than their murdering bosses. But criminals know all bets are off with Red Hood, as he is known to behead, blow up, and annihilate people. Jason Todd chose to be Red Hood specifically to alienate himself from the other Bats.

Red Hood appears to be as different from Batman as you can get, but although their methods are opposed, their personalities are parallel. Jason Todd and Bruce Wayne both want to save people and stop criminals to try and feel less helpless themselves. Jason and Bruce both grew up in a state of fear that all the other Bat-people lacked. Dick Grayson put it best when he said to Batman, “You and I were both about the same age when our parents were murdered. … But when my parents were murdered, you found their killers that very same day. Then you brought me into your home. You protected me. You gave me a great life. Because of you I never grew up wanting revenge. I grew up wanting to protect and help others because you protected and helped me,” (Robin 80th). Bruce lived in fear after his parents were killed, and he traveled the world alone trying to learn skills so he’d be prepared for any situation. He guards his heart, wrapping it in rage so he’ll never be let down by people he loves leaving him. He uses his fists to try and solve problems that can never be solved with violence. He uses his incredible intellect to wear a mask and keep people at arm’s length instead of letting them help him. Jason Todd is the exact same. Lived in fear, traveled the globe alone learning and preparing, guards his heart and looses his rage upon the world for disappointing him. Uses violence to stop violence. Chose a mask that would intentionally alienate him from his family. Just like Bruce.

The only way Jason and Bruce differ is Batman’s unshakeable sense of self and incorruptible mission. Batman fights crime, and doesn’t kill. Jason Todd, on the other hand, has an identity issue. He has been Robin, Red Hood, Red Robin, Nightwing, Wingman, and even Batman. He uses nonlethal methods when he’s in Gotham, but doesn’t bother holding back outside city limits. He fights crime, but also commits crimes. Jason thinks of himself as neither good nor evil, just following what he thinks is right. He’s a survivor (as his childhood shows), but sometimes he also wants to die (“Maybe I was better off dead,” RH&tO Rebirth). He alienates himself from the Bat-Family, but always comes when they call. Jason lacks the unyielding purpose of Batman. Bruce Wayne defines himself by being Batman, but Jason Todd can’t seem to make up his mind about who he is underneath his masks. Jason is, however, solid in his personality. A little boy afraid of the random cruelty of crime, living with the grief that people who love you can leave you all alone, but determined enough to do something about being so helpless. At the end of the day, the key is compassion.

Bruce and Jason are both big softies with warm hearts pretending to be dark and scary with violence.

[heavencasteel420]

I just really like mix-and-matching Jonathan, Nancy, Chrissy, and Jason in fic. Here’s what I have so far:

Jancy: my main thing, obviously. If you’re following me I probably don’t have to explain.

Jason/Chrissy: I do like a doomed high school relationship, and theirs just seems incredibly lonely on both sides. Chrissy’s isolation is obvious, but deep down I think Jason probably feels like something is missing—his Morning in America mindset just won’t allow him to go near the problem.

Jason/Nancy: I am haunted yet amused by the idea that, in many ways, Nancy was and kind of still is his type. The combination of prim good- girl persona and strong leadership skills probably did something for him before she developed a reputation and stopped playing nice! I don’t think she would have been interested in him for long—even when dating Steve, she seems primarily attracted to his sense of humor and non-rigid attitude towards sex, qualities that Jason does not possess—but the Tom Cruise resemblance might’ve reeled her in if he’d noticed her before Steve did.

Jason/Jonathan: I have a one-shot planned where Jason helps patch up the Byers house post-S1 because he’s a Good Christian. They become friends against all odds and Jason almost rethinks his rigid beliefs, but a disastrous almost-hookup drives him way in the opposite direction. (Meanwhile, Jonathan is like “I have never ‘unpacked’ anything in my life and I’m not about to start now.”) Oddly enough this is my most canon-compatible fic idea.

Jonathan/Chrissy: mostly I want them to hook up or generally interact because they are the two older teen characters whose problems are the most viscerally upsetting to me personally. I think they could do something really weird about it! I have a story planned where the background is that he got taken to the UD instead of Will. He and Nancy and Steve all became friends after he got out (she still got involved because of Barb and Steve kind of stumbled in after her), but Jonathan didn’t bond with her like in canon and she didn’t enlist his help against the lab because he was too busy being possessed. There’s less strain on her and Steve’s relationship because he isn’t jealous of Jonathan (their mutual friend) and never had to ditch his friends/walk back any public libel, but they still disagree about the lab. So she has no one to help her with the lab and finally decides that she has to move on, which means breaking up with Steve and applying to a fancy prep school back east. (This is kind of a bummer situation for Nancy, but I think it’s valuable to acknowledge that her worth as a person isn’t dependent on Justice for Barb, and sometimes a person just has to move on.) He and Steve remain friends; Steve’s other friends find this weird/annoying but accept it as a holdover from his relationship with goody-goody Nancy. Then Steve goes to college and nobody’s shocked when angelic Chrissy takes over as “popular person who’s nice to Wan Mysterious True Crime Victim Jonathan.” Jason’s like “I don’t know, babe” and Chrissy quotes Job at him (“Those at ease feel contempt for misfortune!”) and Jason’s like “oh my bad.” But really Chrissy is not in a good place herself and she’s gonna do something weird about it.

Nancy/Chrissy: I would set this during S2. All of S1 happened, but Joyce was like “fuck this shit I’m out” thanks to the UD stuff and the town’s shitty reaction, so she and the kids and Bob moved to Maine. They’re all fine eventually because the MF has geographical limits and Bob is genuinely a good dude. Nancy and Jonathan write to each other but she decides she has to move on romantically. But she is still not happy with her popular boyfriend or his crowd…and neither is Chrissy! I don’t know what else happens yet.

[augment-techs]

AH gotcha! Song Lyric Prompts:

'Cause we all wanna party when the funeral ends Ba ba ba, ba ba ba And we all get together when we bury our friends It's been ten fucking years since I've been seeing your face 'round here And you're walking away And I will die in this place

or alternatively, from the same song:

Well, you can hide a lot about yourself but, honey, what are you gonna do? And you can sleep in a coffin, but the past ain't through with you 'Cause we are all a bunch of liars, tell me, baby, who do you wanna be? And we are all about to sell it, 'cause it's tragic with a capital T

~MCR (Kill all your friends)

Working Title: up until 3am Fandom Tags: Boom! Comics Power Rangers; Mighty Morphin Power Rangers; Go Go Power Rangers. Relationship Tags: Eugene Skullovitch/Billy Cranston; Jason Lee Scott/Farkas Bulkmeier; to be decided. Character Tags: Matt Cook; Farkas Bulkmeier; Eugene Skullovitch; Violet Arias; Hailey; Tommy Oliver. Additional Tags: Meet-Ugly; Alternate Universe - Role Reversal; Multiverse/Grid Theory. Summary: In another dimension, somewhere in the vast multiverse, the teenagers that Zordon chose to fight Rita Repulsa had a little more attitude. This was not the best Color combination Zordon had ever had, but then again, he supposed, as long as it worked...? Orange, Purple, and Green. All chaos colors, all unstable, all of them very flawed and very beneficial in their turns. Blue and Black. It was rare to get these colors to prefer and tend to the female-presenting Rangers, but Zordon was grateful and didn't question the Power in this. This is not to say that he does not question the Power in its choices going forward with these teenagers that are so different from the ones chosen so often on different plains of existence. Here, there is no Ranger Station headed by Bulk and Skull in a rivalry with an entitled rich kid. These two are not the leaders--this group doesn't have a singular hand at the helm, but a group of loners that will put aside their differences to protect the Earth--but they are powerful in their own right. They have scars from pasts that keep trying to drag them down, down, down once Rita realizes there's really something interesting in messing with people who are a different kind of breed than normal Rangers; Purple and Orange are devastatingly rare for a reason. Here, there was no end of all things when Tommy Oliver became Lord Drakkon, death meeting Violet and Matt so young, so they don't get put in coffins and they find a way to become the better people they want to see in the world. Hailey doesn't grow old and scarred and powerful in her own right leading scores of freedom fighters. Oddly, Matt still breaks away from the friends he's had for years, the girl he thought he might come to love, but because he ends up the liar after one of them is stolen when his back is turned and it's his opposite Orange that sees the truth at first glance when Green was supposed to be so powerful--powerful enough to become a great warrior, but Matt has to become better as a person first. Oddly, it's Violet's Blue and Hailey's Black that draw them to Tommy Oliver trying to stay a loner, stay to himself. Here, he is no super fighter that draws Rita's attention and finds friendship with Jason's group after the fallout of mind control. Here, Tommy finds friendship in Hailey handing him something to keep him mellow in the bathroom stalls behind the football field. Here, Tommy finds friendship in Violet's quiet authority when they're paired up often in school or she helps him and Hailey get rid of the smell on their clothes with rolling eyes. So much is different. So much is better.  It's kind of tragic what an anomaly among dimensions they are.

[out-of-control]

KEYS

words: 2159

warnings: injury (light), suicidal thought

summary: Jim’s life after leaving Jersey.

Jim brings a box of dishes up the two flights of stairs- Jay’s, of course. Jim doesn’t have much in the way of possessions. One small box of keepsakes, one box of clothes, his bass, some pedals. For the past month it’s all been sitting in a corner of Jay’s old bachelor pad, Jay sacrificing his bed to Jim while he’d fought the fevers and spasms. Close quarters, to say the least. But at least it meant Jay could watch him like a hawk, too. No amount of begging and pleading was going to waver him. This wasn’t his first rodeo with Jim.

Jim stacks the last box along the wall of all the others and stands in the bare living room and surveys the space, sticking his hands in his pockets, drinking it in. Jay’s starfished out on his own bed, in his room. Jim shuffles over to the counter separating the kitchen and picks up one of the keys laid out there, closing his fist around it. He’s never really had an apartment before. He’s never had his own room before. 

—

He's scared to play shows again. It's not the playing that's the problem- it's the people. They're unpredictable. He doesn't trust himself to say no if someone offers. He doesn't trust anyone in general, really. He feels so fragile, like he can't risk getting attached to people. Like everyone is just a risk for him to get hurt, and then he’ll finally shatter beyond repair. He doesn't know what else to do. He gets a bit stir crazy, so Caleb talks him into trying a part-time job at his friend's small studio, as an in-house bassist and sound engineer. It's weird, at first. Really weird. Having a real job, in a professional setting. But Tyler's a laid back guy who understands what he's going through, and he ends up really liking it there.

—

His paranoia starts getting worse. Jay’s been keeping hold of the car keys. He tries to sneak out one night, just to get something to turn his fucking brain off for a Goddamn second of peace, something to give him a decent night's sleep instead of the nightmares, but he gets caught. Jay reaches out to a friend of a friend, who hooks him up with another friend- a therapist who'd be willing to take Jim on.

—

They decide to do something about the Tercel. He can’t look at it without getting impulses. They send it off with a friend to keep it on their lot to rest with some other old cars. It’s too painful to sell it or destroy it, but they have to at least get it out of Jim’s orbit. Jay keeps the keys and plates to give to him sometime down the road.

—

He grips his arms, hugging himself tight as he paces fervently in his room. He could just go right out that door, go right back to one of his old haunts. It’d be that easy. Or he could take a shortcut and go straight off a bridge instead. That’d be nice, he thinks. He digs his nails in, and a spasm rakes his clawed hand down his bicep, catching on one of his little burn scars. The blood starts to well up. He abruptly breaks out of his pace and pivots, smacking his head against the doorframe. His eyes go straight to his phone where he put it down, the date displayed in the corner taunting him. Begging him. Two years. He shuts his eyes, grits his teeth, and grinds his forehead against the wood. “JASON,”

—

Jim takes the lid off his coffee and kicks his feet up on the opposite side of the bench on the Hamilton patio, receiving an unimpressed look from Caleb in response. He shaved off all his blue hair since Jim saw him last, his new blonde buzzcut matching a lot closer to his attitude. Which is funny, because in that same time, Jim cut his hair short and dyed it bubblegum pink. “You’ve been playing shows again, yeah?” Caleb inquires.

Jim nods, blowing smoke out of the side of his mouth. “Been helping Ty in the studio still, too.”

Caleb eyes him, considering. “You looking for a bigger commitment?”

“I don’t know, I guess. What, are you trying to court me?” Jim smirks, and Caleb rolls his eyes.

“I’m not, but Drew is. I know they’re your style, with the ridiculous BPM and whatnot.”

Jim straightens. “You serious? Nervous System?” and Caleb nods. “That’s like, big,”

“If you’re up for it,” Caleb nudges him in the leg with his knee playfully. “It’s not get rich and famous big, but it’s something to keep you busy. I know they’ve had an eye on you since we were playing together, and Brandon asked if I’d put a word in since you’re back in the scene. I don’t know if you feel comfortable touring again yet, but the offer’s there. They’re doing this big tour opening for Divine Submission soon and their other guy can’t make it. And then a couple bar shows to follow-up. Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit. That kinda deal.”

“How long?”

“Four months, give or take.”

Jim tilts his head back and forth, considering. “I wanna do it.” he smiles. “I think I can do it.” “You sure you can handle it? Don’t rush yourself.”

Jim shifts a little in his seat. “I’ve been- um. I’ve been doing a lot better. Actually working through shit, instead of just trying not to look at it. Playing again’s been doing a lot for me. I have been thinking about going out on the road again.”

—

Jim leans back against the bar, holding the rim of his beer bottle against his lips. He runs a hand through his hair, pushing it back, still damp with sweat. Boston-- nearing the end of the tour. They’re playing theaters, no more than half full for their opening sets-- usually less. He likes the early slot, honestly. A fraction of the pressure, and he gets paid whether people show up or not. Maybe he doesn’t carry the command over the crowd he knows he’s capable of, but he gets to sit back and watch the other band do it for him. It’s been getting crazy-- Divine Submission really started blowing up a month or two into the tour, and the shows are all selling out.

He takes a swig and puts the bottle down on the counter, letting his arm rest there, zoned out staring at the stage. He memorized their set by the second night. He can’t help but be analytic about it, it’s how he got this good.

Something touches his arm, and he flinches, bringing it up against his chest. A short, curly haired guy blinks up at him, and gives Jim a sheepish smile. “Sorry, I shouldn’t’ve- your tattoo. Single Mothers. One of my favourite songs. I saw it while you were playing.” Jim doesn't have much to hide in a fishnet shirt.

“Oh-” Jim hesitates before offering his arm out. The guy takes it and runs a finger over the ink- coordination clearly not at its best- and then over the scar cutting through it, and Jim bites the inside of his cheek to fight back the urge to wrench his arm away again. It's been a long time since someone touched him there.

“Man, if there’s any tattoo to get fucked up, it’s this one. It might even make it better,” he says, seemingly lost in Jim’s apparently fascinating skin.

“I’m- Jim, by the way,” Jim says, clearing his throat, and the guy finally looks up from his arm, looking horrified at himself. 

“Shit- sorry. Riley. I didn’t mean to just come and like, feel you up,” he says, letting him go and rubbing the back of his neck. “You were like- incredible by the way. I’ve never seen anyone play like that. Fuckin’ hypnotic. You deserved a way bigger crowd.” A beat later, he adds, "I think it suits you, y'know. The ink." He smiles.

Jim presses a thumb into his wrist. Get it together, James, this guy isn't here to hurt you. “Thanks,” he says, turning around to lean over the bar as he drums his fingers against it. After one incredibly agonizing moment, he turns his head back to this guy Riley, and asks, “Do you smoke?”

—

Before the third last show, Jim accidentally walked in on the headliner squabbling. Their bassist had a family emergency, and they had to choose whether to cancel the last couple shows or if he’d stay and play. Jim offered to play for him. They didn't believe he could, but they did a quick run through of the set because, fuck, what do they have to lose, and he proved himself right.

—

Jim peeks his head out of his room, claps his shitty little phone shut and gives a bewildered look to Jay, who’s reading a book on the living room couch. “You will never fucking believe the call I just got.”

Jay doesn’t look up. “Did Mark get himself locked in the venue basement again?”

Jim laughs. “No, Christ. Divine Submission wants me to go audition cause I blew their dicks off so hard with Nervous System like last year or whatever. And by audition they mean hired on the spot if you’ll take it. Full-time member. Not just touring, either.”

Jay puts his book up against his chest and looks up at him, a little too fast to be cool about it. “You’re not serious.” 

“Dead serious.” 

“Aren’t they- what the fuck? Aren’t they massive?”

A toothy grin spreads its way across Jim’s face as he nods slowly. “Uhhh-huh.”

Jay sits up to look at him proper, smiling big, and waves a hand for him to continue. “In New York. I could commute, but- y’know, border. You wanna come be my kept man?”

Jay pretends to consider it. They both know he has a life here. “Tempting offer.”

“I could tote you around at award shows while I’m busy being a famous rockstar. You could roll up in your best knitted sweaters,” Jim teases.

Jay laughs, but then he wrinkles his brow. “You sure you’re gonna be okay?”

Jim holds his arms out, in a grand gesture, beaming. “Are you fucking kidding me? I made it.”

—

Jim gets back home after another four-month tour. He tosses his keys into the bowl by the door, kicks it closed, props his bass case up against the wall. He hangs up his black leather jacket, and then flops face-first into the living room couch with a huff. His living room couch. He’s tired, but a good kind of tired. Life’s good. An apartment in his name, a motorcycle in his name-- with a real license to go with it-- and the paycheck to keep it all that way, plus more. He’s busy, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

He rolls over and sprawls out, unbuttons his shirt-- not that it was very buttoned to begin with. It’s quiet, save for the faint hum of the city through the window. The date’s coming up soon-- May 15th. 6 years since, and still he always remembers that date. The scars are still there, but the pain’s dulled. It’s bearable now, and without having to take something to get him there. Four and a half years, he hasn't.

Jim traces his fingers down that raised line down his forearm, through the ink he emblazoned his wrist with when he was so much younger. He can’t help but think about it every time the date passes, about the aftermath, about where it took him. Being so close to where it all unfolded, every unremarkable Brooklyn basement. Every time he passes that spot in Secaucus on the Turnpike. Every time he passes The Prosecutor-- where it used to be, at least. Every time he passes the exit that led to that awful apartment building. He bends his knee and looks down at the hole in his jeans, the very edge of his tattoo just barely peeking out.

He still holds the guilt. He still holds the fondness, too.

Jim lies there, staring at the ceiling and fiddling with his rings, considering. He rolls off the couch, narrowly catching himself before he hits the floor, and makes his way to his room. He pulls a shoebox out from underneath his bed and rifles through, polaroids and weird little statues and cards and trinkets and wristbands and lanyards and pulls out, buried at the bottom, two keys-- a piece of tape stuck on one, like a label, nothing but a phone number. He slumps back against the wall, sitting there on the floor, as he turns them over in his hand for a few minutes. He pulls his phone out of his pocket. He taps out the number. He calls.

—

[shiv100]

World Cup 2023: England vs New Zealand – A Clash of Titans

Prepare for an epic battle between England and New Zealand as they head to head at the 2023 Cricket World Cup! In what promises to be a thrilling encounter, these two powerhouses of cricket will vie to claim this coveted trophy - each boasting impressive lineups of star players eager to showcase their abilities and lead their respective nations towards success.

England will rely heavily on their formidable batting lineup, led by Joe Root and Ben Stokes, to set big totals and pressure New Zealand. Meanwhile, their opponents will place their trust in Kane Williamson and Martin Guptill's explosive bat.

This clash will not only test cricketing skills but will also serve as a cultural clash, with England's traditional approach facing off against New Zealand's bold and unpredictable style of play. As both teams battle it out on the field to secure victory - don't miss this exciting showdown that will leave cricket fans breathless! Don't miss out! Don't miss this epic showdown, which promises to leave cricket fans on the edge of their seats!

England and New Zealand cricket history

Cricket has an illustrious and rich heritage in England and New Zealand. England, as the birthplace of cricket, boasts an extensive tradition in this game; the England cricket team known as Three Lions has experienced immense success over time - winning the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, among other accolades! They are famous for their strong batting lineup, disciplined bowling attack, and ability to adapt quickly in changing conditions.

New Zealand, long known for its love of sports, has made significant strides in cricket over recent years. Led by Kane Williamson and featuring teamwork and a never-give-up attitude. Although considered a smaller cricketing nation, New Zealand has produced world-class cricketers who have contributed greatly to international tournaments.

Team analysis: England

The England cricket team is an unstoppable force in world cricket. Renowned for their aggressive and attacking style of play, England have consistently been among the highest-ranked teams. Led by Joe Root's elegant stroke play and ability to anchor innings, Ben Stokes provides added firepower in England's middle-order batting lineup; Jos Buttler and Jason Roy provide formidable pressure against opposition players.

Read More :- World Cup 2023: England vs New Zealand – A Clash of Titans

[rosiechiffersmedia]

Laura Mulvey  

Laura Mulvey explores the male gaze which is apparent in the media, and it means women are objectified as it defines their identity in relation to a male character. This important theory of hers is shown in many media forms. The use of the male gaze in music videos is done through impactful techniques which encourages the male audience to think about the people seen in a particular way. The use of camera movement and angles are key for this. Their placement ensures what the focus is, this is also called voyeurism. 

 Music videos are largely made for a heterosexual man's perspective. An example of a music video which is clearly made for the satisfactions for this audience is the video Toxic by Britney Spears. Here there is clever camera positioning used for her to be a “sexual tool”. The use of the low angles and close camera positioning contribute to where the focus in the visuals should be. Her clothing contributed to this attitude as well. Goodwin states that this type of visual ensures there is success in the music video. Laura Mulvey states that women are visual pleasures as there is a dominated male industry. This means that inevitably there are constructed representations of women from a masculine point of view.  

The male gaze attempts to explain the narrow representations of women outside the typical roles in media where they are seen. The fact that women are shown in music videos to please the male audience suggests that there isn't enough interest for them to be shown in more meaningful ways. The theory suggests that this frequent theme teaches women to think that they need to behave and look this way. As the media creates our own identity, I will ensure that in my own music video this identity which can be created is positive and doesn't have aspects which my TA feels the need to live up to. There isn't only one form of media this appears in. Advertisement, movies, magazines and music videos all include the theme of the male gaze. This has therefore become a prominent part of our media culture and something which is such a big part that it has become the normality of our media today. 

Laura Mulvey explores the ways in which women are portrayed in the media. This is done according to her in two different ways. The first being “virginial innocent” character, this is seen in many movies and media in general. The representation of this of this suggests that women are conveyed as more vulnerable and promiscuous and males as more dominant and powerful. These opposites support her theory further as this reoccurring theme of the males being more powerful than the women is seen. Although many music videos are powerful like the music videos Single Ladies by Beyonce, there still is indication of them performing for men and allowing the male audience to pick one of them. As this music video portrays a few women dancing together there is a theme of choosing the best of them. Supporting her theory further. The message of the music video is powerful however it differs by the visuals and how the camera is making them look and come across. 

An example of a music video which portrays the theory clearly is “Wiggle Wiggle” by Jason Derulo. Here the artist is surrounded by many women on the bed. This suggests a certain power he has over these. The women look weaker than him as he has authority, and they are going along with the situation they are in. There are many low angles which show women's body parts closer, low angle therefore suggests how they are lower than men as Jason in the video has direct address and high angles. These clear differences in camera use are another factor which supports the theory. The clear inequality which is shown in this music video is detrimental to a female audience. As the artist is influential and has a large audience there is a clear abuse of power he has. This music belittles women and encourages the objectification of them. It suggests to a male audience how they should act as their favorite artist (Jason Derulo) does this too. I am not using a pop song for my own music video. I will still ensure that the  focus is on the situation and the lyrics of the song, rather that amplifying men or objectifying women. As this is what I have taken away from this important theory. 

[tessxii]

Introduction to Tess & Nora from the wattpad story ''Before the End | A Stranger Things Story''

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·. MEET • TESS WHEELER

Name: Tess Wheeler Age: 20 (Is the oldest sister of the Wheeler family) Appearance description: Long black (dyed) hair, bright blue eyes, always wears dark makeup, metalhead fashion style, average height and has a resting bitch face. (This is actually how I look like lol) Personality: Brutally honest (doesn't have any filter with words, cusses a lot and can get really bitchy if necessary), very introverted but has some loud moments, very loyal and is considered a freak Bestfriends: Nora Ross & Robin Buckley Friends: The rest of the Hawkins gang Love pairing in the story: Eddie Munson Likes: Rainy days, smoking, Alone time, Horror movies, Scaring people, Metal/Rock music & drawing Dislikes: Popular crowd mainly cheerleaders, school, the upside down & parties (can go to a party if forced though) A little bit more about Tess Wheeler: Tess is the oldest sibling in the Wheeler family, she discovered everything regarding the upside down back in '83 when Will Byers went missing. At the time she was someone who didn't have much of a friend group until the scary events happened which brought new friendships to her such as Nora Ross who became her bestfriend and with friends the younger kids Dustin and Lucas. Nancy is the sibling she is the closest too even if she is like the ''opposite'' type of Tess they have a good sistership. In '84 when the mind flayer possessed Will she also grew a friendship with Steve Harrington, that was after he stopped being an asshole to say the least along with becoming friends with Max Mayfield. During the school life she's been troubled such as skipping whole school days and classes, not giving that much of a shit about grades which caused her to be held back twice. She was meant to graduate High School when Steve graduated but she didn't, in '85 she earned a second bestfriend which is Robin Buckley and along with Nora they became a little friend trio. Tess have never been the type to be in relationships as she just knew she had no potential in being a girlfriend to anybody not only because of her attitude and how she looks like, being one of the only metalheads that are a girl in school had it's downs. In '86 it's when things started to change for her, not only had she promised Nora and Robin to actually do her school work so she could graduate finally and what motivated her was to get out of Hawkins to start a new life. What made school a bit more annoying is Jason Carver and his group of friends who always made fun of Tess which have caused in several punches in the face from Tess (no shame in that really, he deserves it). Along with promising to do her school work and graduate in '86 she connected with someone she never thought she would ever expect having in her life, that being Eddie Munson the school ''freak''. Being so stubborn as she is she didn't know that she is falling hard for him and that he is doing the same, two people who are so alike each other fit like puzzle pieces. The question is how they're going to survive the upcoming events from the upside down...together.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·. MEET•NORA ROSS

Name: Nora Ross Age: 19 Appearance description: Brown hair long enough to reach her shoulders, brown eyes, is pretty short (Kinda Nancy's height), petite, doesn't wear too much make up but likes to keep it cute, very cute fashion sense that would be considered girly and has the kindest smile. Personality: Pretty shy and doesn't like to get unecessary attention, but can get very confident and outgoing if she trusts somebody. She has her sassy moments which usually comes unexpected which is cuz of her adorable appearance. She is very well behaved and formal, is also like the second brain of the gang after Dustin as she is very intelligent. Bestfriends: Tess Wheeler & Robin Buckley Friends: The rest of the Hawkins gang Love pairing in the story: Steve Harrington Likes: Romantic movies, reading, photography, nature, taking care of plants and writing Dislikes: When people are too loud, the popular crowd, the upside down and (believe me or not) school too

A little bit more about Nora Ross: Nora is an only child and lives with her mom and dad, she doesn't come from a strict family as her parents are pretty chill but she is raised to be very well behaved. She also is neighbors with the Wheelers. She also discovered the upside down back in '83 when Will Byers went missing which was also the year she developed a strong friendship with Tess Wheeler who became her bestfriend. She's always had some slight interest in Steve Harrington but it felt rude of her to have that small crush because at the time Steve was together with Tess younger sister Nancy Wheeler, she pretty much became the second babysitter as she had to make sure the younger ones aka. Mike, Dustin, Lucas etc were safe during the scary events. In '84 she tried to move on from her crush but it didn't fully disappear when she found out Nancy and him had split. She developed a really good friendship with Max Mayfield at the time too, she taught Max that why Lucas was acting so ''strange'' was because he had a crush on her and was the one who styled Max for the Snow Ball prom. Her school life have never been that much of a trouble, she's always been intelligent with the subjects in school and have had to help a couple students with their homework a few times which includes Tess. In '85 she earned her second bestfriend which is Robin Buckley who she grew closer to during the awful time with being basically kidnapped by the Russians. Her, Robin and Tess eventually formed a little friend trio which became unbreakable and during this time around her crush grew incredibly strong for Steve to the point Robin also had started to push Nora to say something. As of events of '86 when things starts to get more extreme with the upside down doing again, more shit to Hawkins she's decided that she is going to say something to Steve and see what happens. Along with the distraction of trying to get Tess to graduate with her that year but something happens which feels like a dream coming true....but can she survive it and will Steve be by her side?

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

Here is the information I can give so far about Tess Wheeler and Nora Ross, these two are just me and my real bestfriend Nora being put into the book. Like I said in the previous post about this book is that there is slight changes only such as our ages (we're 22 and 21 in real life but 20 and 19 in the book) and the fact that we're American in this book, the stuff such as our personalities and looks/fashion sense (that includes our dislikes/likes) are actually real. I'm actually a metalhead in real life, I have one hell of an attitude but can be nice if I like you, I was actually held back in school twice which caused me to graduate later than everyone else so that's not even made up either. When it comes to Nora she's actually that kind, tiny bit shy but very smart, her fashion sense is also incredibly cute. And oh, there isn't anyone that fits Steve Harrington more than her but she could say the same for me and Eddie. - HERE IS THE LINK TO THE BOOK: https://www.wattpad.com/story/318404693-before-the-end-a-stranger-things-story

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[itsapapisongo]

very nice | choi seungcheol

Pairing: Choi Seungcheol x Gender-Neutral Reader

Genre: Fluff | Non-Idol AU | Rom-Com

Word Count: 2.5k

Warnings: Language, minimal crack-like humor, and suggestive themes.

Summary: Tricked into going on a blind date, you find yourself sharing lunch with a charming stranger. Hilarity Ensues.

Taglist: @97-liners | @neonun-au

It starts with a sigh and aside to no one in particular but yourself:

“This is a terrible idea.”

It suddenly dawns on you that this night out with your friends isn’t going to be a night out with, well, your friends. You agreed to this clusterfuck of an idea—enjoying a couple of hours with friends you haven’t seen in God knows how long—because it had been set up at the last minute and saying ‘no, thank you’ wasn’t really an option. A break from the routine would do you a world of good and you thought to yourself, sure, why not, what’s the worst that could happen?

Well . . . this is the worst that could and will happen.

Because by the time you realize the so-called night-out-with-friends is a set-up for a blind date, you’re already seated on a nice table in a nice restaurant, opposite a complete stranger—a handsome stranger, so okay, that’s nice but, like, he’s still a stranger—and you’re left staring in disbelief as your friend, dear sweet N, leaves you to your own devices.

N waves, winks, and motions finger-guns with a mischievous smirk. You read their lips (“Have fun, baby!”) and try your damn best to hide the scowl that briefly transfigures your face. Two thoughts instantly cross through your mind: “you’re leaving me here?” and “what the fuck?”

“I’ll kill you,” you mouth back, motioning a thumb across your throat.

N shrugs, flips you the bird, then somehow disappears from sight Jason Bourne-style.

You blink, awestruck, and mumble, “That’s a neat trick.”

“Excuse me,” a manly, soothing voice startles you. “But I feel like missing out and I’d like some context. Before—er—any killing occurs.”

What? Oh, right. Blind date.

You blink once, twice, then slowly turn to the stranger—handsome, yes, but still a stranger—and smile a small, if sheepish smile that doesn’t quite reach your eyes. He does the same, though his is genuine and somewhat empathetic. For a moment, other than a bout of awkward silence and quick glances at each other, nothing happens until he reaches out with his right hand and smiles widely, as though to indicate the awkwardness is now a moot point.

“Choi Seungcheol,” he introduces himself, left hand delicately placed across his chest as he slightly bows his head. He stays like this for a second then sits straight, gives your hand a firm shake, before leaning back on his chair. “I’d say I’m thrilled and definitely not nervous, but I’d be lying.”

You say your name and he smiles, whispering it, committing it to memory. Anxious, You give the dinner room the once-over—waiters here and there, people having conversations in a variety of volumes, some eating, others waiting—and drag your chair forward, just enough so that you’re comfortable but not close enough that he might notice you’ve moved.

“So you’re . . . unthrilled and nervous?”

He half-smiles, beaming. “Anxious would be a better term.”

“Anxious isn’t the word I’d use for myself,” you retort, surprised at your own bluntness. He raises an eyebrow, equally surprised but not offended. “I didn’t mean that in a bad way. It’s just that—”

“It’s unexpected, I know.” Seungcheol shrugs, rolling his eyes in a I get it sort of way. “Especially when your friends trick you.”

“Yeah,” you mutter with a gentle but derisive shake of your head. “Our so-called friends.”

Seungcheol scoffs and shrugs again. “Our friends, nonetheless.”

You open your mouth to reply but, other than air, nothing comes out. You’re speechless, taken aback by both his polite tone and care-free attitude. He smiles at you, probably finding your dumbstruck expression both amusing and adorable, and simply chuckles at himself before taking a sip of water.

It’s odd that you hadn’t really noticed how handsome he is—well, you have, but not with depth—and when you do you just freeze. You blink, inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth, and mumble a dazed, almost dreamy “oof”. Seungcheol doesn’t notice because at that exact moment he glances at his menu.

Truth is, he isn’t. Choi Seungcheol is pretending to read the menu because he’s scared shitless and nervous beyond reason. You don’t notice because you’re looking at him like someone observing a masterpiece in a museum: delicately, silently, with so much appreciation that you lose yourself in the moment.

His hair is dyed in a grayish-blue tone that suits him rather well, parted in the middle, cascading over his brow and eyes. Though his complexion isn’t immaculate and you notice an imperfection here or there and a stubble settling in around his chin and upper lip, you can tell he takes care of himself and that he definitely has a skin-care routine. His lips are wide, slightly heart-shaped, perfect for passionate kisses or gentle pecks on the forehead. You wonder how’s that possible, mentally shrug, and chalk it up to genetics—and God having favorites.

“Good Lord,” you hear yourself whisper.

And so does Seungcheol because you watch—in slow-motion that isn’t as slow as you’d like—as he straightens his posture and looks up. Suddenly you’re making eye contact. Your eyes widen but you don’t look away. Instead your gaze lingers on his and you find yourself cursing through gritted teeth. Seungcheol’s eyes are dark, dreamy, and kind. They focus on you for a second before they move away and he decides to hone in on the menu again.

Those fucking eyelashes, you muse, eyes narrowing in jealousy and astonishment. Yeah, God does have favorites and He sure likes to brag about them.

“Do you know what you’re gonna have?” he asks in a shaky voice that prompts him to clear his throat. When he speaks again, it’s in a tone infused with confidence and baritone. “Because, truth be told, I’m really hungry.”

“That makes two of us,” you reply, nodding and thanking whatever deity is listening for bestowing upon you something to talk about. “What do you have in mind?”

“No idea. I’ve never been here before.”

You repeat how that makes two of you and he chuckles. It’s a light, almost child-like sound that makes you smile and blush but you’re too caught up in the moment to notice. Unsurprisingly, Seungcheol is still eyeing his menu and unconsciously pops his lips, muttering under his breath something about steaks. With a shrug and a sigh, he meets your gaze and shrugs, shaking his head as if to say hell if I know.

“This place is a bit—”

“Fancy,” you finish for him, putting on a snobby expression and pretentious accent that he finds funny because he guffaws and immediately covers his mouth. You glance over his shoulder and notice that a few heads turn your way but you wave as if you know these people and feign a smile. “Good food, huh?”

A lady with the face of someone that has sniffed shit but can’t quite get the smell off of their nose shakes her head at you and turns away. Her companion, a balding man, just stares, then looks at the snobbish woman with a blank expression.

“What do you say if we go somewhere else—” Seungcheol pauses, unsure of how to phrase the proposition. “—fancy?”

“I’d say, ‘let’s go right now’.”

“Cool,” he replies, half-smiling. “I know a place around the corner. Tasty food, ice-cold soju.”

“Lead on, MacDuff.”

Though the smile doesn’t disappear, it falters for a bit as he tilts his head.

“That’s—that’s not right,” he mumbles.

●

“LAY ON?”

He nods. “Yeah.”

“Not ‘lead on’, but ‘lay on’?”

Another nod as he serves the refills the shot glasses for the fourth time.

“Lay on, MacDuff,” he says in a flowery voice, one hand dramatically motioning a half-circle above his head while the other gently places the soju bottle in the center of the table. He clears his throat and recites, “Before my body I throw my warlike shield. Lay on, Macduff, and damn’d be him that first cries, ‘Hold, enough!’”

Whoa. That’s intense.

“You’re into Shakespeare?”

Seungcheol snorts and shakes his head as he offers you the shot glass. “Nope,” he replies, his voice low. “But I learned some of it for an audition.”

“How did that go?”

“It went—how to put it nicely?” He hums, nods, then meets your gaze. “I didn’t get the part.”

“Why?”

Seungcheol shrugs, but the gesture isn’t very convincing. “I don’t know.”

You click your tongue and say, “I smell bullshit.”

He chuckles, raising his glass. “Drink up,” he says, smiling. “Geonbae.”

“Geonbae,” you repeat after him, nod, then—clink!—bring your shot glass against his.

Drink, gulp, groan as heads are thrown back, then chuckles all around.

You’re still getting used to the taste of soju but it doesn’t taste as it usually does. Which is to say, it’s stronger than anticipated and it knocks you off your ass fairly quickly. But as Seungcheol serves the fifth shot, it tastes sweeter than ever before. Maybe it’s the fact that you feel at ease or that your stomach isn’t empty—because you’ve snacked on the banchans while you watch Seungcheol cook the beef—but you feel like you can drink the entire bottle and still be standing.

You down the shot and wince as it goes down your throat, nod, and give a thumbs-up. Seungcheol mimics the gesture with a sheepish half-smile and a small, but adorable nod.

“So, Mr. Shakespeare, tell me—” You scan the banchans and click your chopsticks together, settling for some green cabbage kimchi. “—why didn’t you get the part?”

“Alas, it wasn’t meant to be.” Seungcheol shrugs but doesn’t meet your eyes as he turns the beef on the small grill. Quietly, almost humming to himself, he serves you a piece on your plate, neatly putting on top of your rice. “Let’s eat deliciously, huh?”

You blush when you notice his smile. It’s the type of smile that crinkles his eyes and displays his teeth. It’s the type of smile that makes him look unbelievably cute and you wonder if he’s real, if all of this is really happening.

“Thanks,” you manage to say, unable to look away from him.

“That’s going to get cold.” Seungcheol points at your plate without looking. “None of this should go to waste, y’know?”

His mouth is full, his lips greasy from the noodles. He munches loudly and closes his eyes every so often, enjoying the food at his own pace. It feels like you’re an audience of one for an exclusive, never-before-seen gratis mukbang.

Gratis, which is, y’know, free of charge.

You blink, your reverie interrupted by Seungcheol briefly glancing at you. He looks away, clears his throat, and quickly refills the shot glasses. Once that’s done, he hands you the shot, nods, clinks his glass with yours, then moves forward to drink it when you decide to make something clear by asking—

“Are you, like, an actor?”

Seungcheol chokes mid-drink and snorts loudly. He coughs, smacks his chest, and clears his throat. All of this happens in less than three seconds. You can’t help but chuckle, though deep down you know it’s out of embarrassment; the nerves got the best of you. As he cleans himself up, looking down to avoid showing how red in the face he is, a sudden silence falls over the table. It’s as though Awkwardness itself had made itself a body and decided to join you at the table.

“Are you—are you okay?”

“I’ve been better,” Seungcheol replies, blushing and avoiding your gaze. “But I’ve also been way worse.”

You notice that he missed a spot: his left cheek is stained with sauce. You take a napkin, think of cleaning it, but instead relent. The napkin is balled up tight in your hand, crumpled and unusable. A microsecond ago it seemed like a good idea so why did you hesitate? It’s not like you’re flirting or trying to send a message—you’re just being nice.

But, knowing your dating history and the type of people N always wants to set you up with, gestures like these can be and often are misinterpreted. Thus you backpedal and decide to eat and try to keep the conversation alive, as friendly and unromantic as possible.

“I’m sorry,” you apologize, offering a small but clearly pained smile. “I didn’t mean to—well, y’know, have you choke on your food.”

“It happens,” he replies in a whisper.

Seungcheol shrugs, but he, too, looks pained. Maybe he still feels something in his throat or perhaps he’s just shaking off the shock. You look down at your plate and you just . . . blush. Sure it’s just a banchan of white rice with a sizable, delicious-looking, expertly cooked piece of beef, but it somehow feels special . . . something that’s not meant to be granted . . . something to be cherished . . . something very nice and unique.

“That makes two of us,” is your sheepish response and you hear him chuckling.

“Yeah, it really does.” He scratches his chin with his right hand and smothers it with some soy sauce that coats his chopsticks and index finger. “Shit, did I just—do I look like a slob?”

You raise an eyebrow and look past his shoulder, as though a camera is there waiting for a snarky aside. Instead, pursing your lips and shaking your head, you think to yourself: Boy, are you crazy? You look like a whole damn meal. Slob? Slob, my ass.

“You—slob—no—never.”

Seungcheol, who looks confused, leans forward to whisper, “Uh—what?”

Blink once, twice, thrice. Get out of your head, says a voice that’s oddly familiar. And if it’s familiar it’s because it is. It’s the Rational You. The voice that is constantly chastising the No-Filter You, the #HardHours You, and plenty of other You’s, and you often ignore it because not only is this voice way too formal but it’s a little too anal-rententive about most things. Which, in his case, is a phrase that means absolute everything.

He’s looking at you, says Rational You in its usual deadpan tone, so you better snap out of it.

“Are you okay?”

“Uh . . .” You blink, nod, smiling. “I am.”

Seungcheol smiles, nodding as he refills the shot glasses.

“Geonbae!” he exclaims.

CLINK!

Both of you down the shot, shake your heads, and chuckle.

He tells you about how he’s trying to be an actor. You tell him about how you’re trying to quit your job and start your own little photography studio with N. In between shots and more beef and kimchi stew and six packs of beers, fears and aspirations are shared. You forget about how you felt initially. He does, too, his smile growing each passing minute as you tell him about how you always thought Shakespeare was certainly interesting yet very overrated.

He is all smiles and giggling, and you can’t stop looking at him.

●

THE REST OF the night flies by. When it’s time to leave, you share the bill. No fuss, no muss. You share a cab and he walks you home. When you part ways, he smiles, shakes your hand, and walks back to the back. As he steps into it, he turns and calls you.

“Let’s make this a recurring thing,” he says, smiling with crinkled eyes.

“Let’s!” you reply, waving at him.

You watch as the cab drives away. And as you enter your apartment, you simultaneously curscurseise and thank N, who you find sitting on the living room couch with a glass of wine in hand.

“How did it go?” N asks, wiggling their eyebrows.

“It was nice.” You nod, flopping beside them with a chuckle. “Very nice.”