#What is STEM & Robotics

[anglerflsh]

day and night / the creation of adam

[give-grian-rights]

YOOOOOO I'VE SEEN SOME OF MY MUTUALS AND PEOPLE i FOLLOW REBLOG YOU, BUT I DIDN'T YOU WERE PART OF A FRC TEAM LETS GOOOOOO

YEAHHHHH im trying to get back into mentoring this year but college has me girlrotting. i love competitions i love FRC i love robots i love Dean Kamen i love the spirit i want to be buried in the pits

even if sometimes i remember that there's teams literally sponsored by NASA and i want to put my head into a wall. like CONGRATULATIONS. IM VERY HAPPY FOR YOU. but on the otherhand jeez ain't it great that you have several hundred thousand dollars and NASA engineers volunteering for you. thats very ethical

like obviously they cant just bar NASA engineers and other highly skilled individuals from volunteering because its GREAT that they want to be involved but also its just funny.

[toonagi]

everybody shut up and look at my creatures

[infizero]

do we think eggman's love of machines and dislike of other living creatures comes from his family ignoring him

[seaside-lovers-archive]

i hope he knows he is one of the most beautiful things i have ever seen

[thickest-slimiest-malware]

thats a bold statement..

[teratheo]

Eugh robot worldbuildingm.... . . ..

[stemroboedtechcompany]

[liketolaugh-writes]

Bruce looking past the fact that (recently adopted) Danny is a powerhouse and recognizing that he has other skills also. <3

Danny is a STEM kid and just as brilliant as his sister, you cannot convince me otherwise

Danny gave Bruce the handwritten list of powers in the morning. Bruce stared at it over his cup of coffee, then gave Danny a flat, somewhat disbelieving look. Danny shrugged sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Sorry,” he said, perching on one of the stools. “I can point out the ones I don’t use if you just want to work on the ones I do. At least I have an idea of what needs improving with those.” Alfred gave him a cup of coffee and a plate of bacon and French toast, and Danny smiled at him. “Thanks, Alfred.”

“We’ll have to prioritize your training,” Bruce allowed after a moment, frowning down at the paper. Dick leaned over to look and whistled. “But all of these will be addressed eventually. You should have at least a moderate grasp of every tool at your disposal.” He looked up. “You intended to work in the lab today, correct?”

Danny nodded, playing with a strip of bacon. “I’ll probably spend most of today making a big batch of phaseproof coating,” he said. “Then I can experiment with mixing it with paint and maybe coat some of your spare weapons in it? That should work for the bo staff and escrima sticks, maybe a set of brass knuckles. But I’ll need to make a different solution for the edged weapons.” His mind wandered, thinking of how he could adapt what he knew of the Bats’ gear to work against ghosts.

“Who’re the brass knuckles for?” Dick asked, raising an eyebrow at Danny. Danny flushed and shrugged.

“Batman,” he said. “You don’t really use a weapon, right?” Bruce grunted. “But phaseproof cloth isn’t something my parents ever really figured out. I can work on it, maybe, but I thought brass knuckles would be an okay compromise for now.”

“Hn.”

“Good thinking,” Dick praised with a smile. “It’ll be easy to add to the utility belt too. Should we ghostproof my main set or a spare?”

“The main, I think, if you’re okay with it,” Danny said, tilting his head thoughtfully. “You probably won’t even notice. But the edged weapons should all be spares. Ecto-treated metal tends to glow.”

“Not great for stealth,” Dick nodded. “Whatever you think is best, baby spook. We have the resources.”

“You’re hyper-specialized,” Bruce noted without inflection, sipping from his coffee. Danny winced.

“Sorry,” he muttered. It was easy to forget that all this was pretty useless outside of Amity Park. Bruce shook his head.

“It’s not a problem. But we’ll need to diversify your skillset. Your talent for chemistry and engineering should expand beyond ectoscience alone.” He studied Danny contemplatively. “Higher education might be beneficial, perhaps a PhD.”

Danny’s eyes went wide. “What? I’m barely passing high school!”

“I had Casper High send over your transcripts,” Bruce said. Danny flinched. “You had a B+ average in middle school, with a particular bent for math and science. You also participated in several advanced extracurriculars, including a junior astronaut program, space camp, and competitive robotics. Further, you clearly have a comprehensive understanding of your parents’ work, which eludes both the Justice League engineers and JL Dark. You had these talents prior to acquiring your powers, and it would be a waste to discard them in favor of your raw combat ability.”

Danny stared at Bruce, open-mouthed and speechless. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d considered even the possibility that he could have a future outside of his hero career.

“…Do you think I could do that and be a superhero?” he managed after a minute, quieter than he’d meant to.

Bruce nodded sharply. “Most Justice League heroes maintain a career outside of heroics,” he reminded Danny, without even sounding like he thought Danny was an idiot for asking. “Aside from myself, there is also a Pulitzer prize-winning journalist, a museum curator, a forensic scientist, and a fighter pilot.”

Danny had known that on some level, but it had always seemed unreal. Practically a myth. “When am I going back to school?” he asked, hardly able to believe that he was suddenly looking forward to it.

“At the beginning of next semester,” Bruce said. “Your parents’ trial should be completed by then. I assume you don’t want to be announced publicly until that happens.” Danny shook his head fervently. “You may need to complete some make-up classes online, but we can discuss that next week.”

“Thanks,” Danny said sincerely. He was talking about a lot more than his re-enrollment.

[autonomousroboticorganism]

they get jealous (TF Prime)

featuring - Optimus Prime x F!Reader, Bumblebee x F!Reader, Knock Out x F!Reader, Smokescreen x F!Reader, Wheeljack x F!Reader, Soundwave x F!Reader, Shockwave x F!Reader

summary - the bots have trouble witnessing you interact with/stare at another bot/human, and you think it's cute/funny

warnings - none

*(R/M/N) - random male name

OPTIMUS PRIME

Optimus is far from a jealous guy. He trusts you with every fibre of his being, and he does not and will never doubt you because his faith in you is that strong. He knows how dedicated and committed you are to him, so he never has to worry about that. It's just that sometimes he is unsure of himself because he is big, alien and unaccustomed to human tradition.

When Fowler brings in a human soldier to assist with missions that require human intervention, Optimus is initially agreeable to the idea. There has been a need for someone to run interference for the bots when Fowler wasn't available, which was evident a few times during the course of the last few months.

"This is Private (R/M/N)," Fowler introduced him when everyone, imcluding you and the other humans, were gathered all together. "The department has decided that a younger and more...active," he said the word disdainfully, "human recruit was needed."

Miko let out a giggle, earning Fowler's glare, and you had to try your hardest to keep from grinning. It was kind of funny.

"Private, this is Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots," Fowler went on to gesture at your lover. "I trust that you will work well together." And with that, the older man left.

(R/M/N) and Optimus spoke for a moment, before the human soldier turned his attention towards you and Jack, Raf and Miko. He looked relieved at the sight of other humans, and made his way over to join your group.

"Hi," he smiled sheepishly, "Is it as every bit daunting as I think it is spending so much time around these titans?"

"You get used to it," Miko grinned. "So, how many battles have you been in?"

"Miko!" You and Jack scolded simultaneously.

"No, it's okay," (R/M/N) chuckled, "I don't think I've seen as much war as Optimus, but I've been on a few rough assignments in rough places." He then launched into an explanation.

While the soldier spoke, Optimus walked over to listen. But he was quickly distracted when (R/M/N) began to only look at you, and began exaggerating his heroics in a blatant attempt to impress you. No one noticed except for Jack and Optimus, who exchanged looks.

"Excuse me, Private, (R/M/N)," the Prime finally decided to cut in when he'd had enough of the soldier's flirtatious looks and subtle flirting, "May I borrow my partner, (Name), for a moment?"

"Oh, you guys are dating?" He sounded disappointed. "Sure."

You were happy to go off with Optimus, as always. You had no idea he was feeling a little jealous, until you noticed that he wasn't talking about anything as you guys walked away.

"Optimus," you called for his attention, smirking, "Are you perhaps...a little jealous, of the new guy?"

"I do not know what you mean," he pretended to be clueless.

"Uh huh...So what did you need me for?"

"I needed you for...cuddling," he ended up saying, the word still sounding foreign in his voice. Which only gave him away further.

You laughed, "That's cute. You don't have to be jealous of that guy, babe. You're way more impressive, and I think we've established that my type is a certain big, strong and handsome Prime. There's nothing for you to worry about at all."

He seemed to relax after you said this, a smile forming on his lips, "That is good to hear. Thank you, (Name)."

"Anything for you."

BUMBLEBEE

Bumblebee trusts you with his entire spark. But his jealousy often stems from the fact that he's an alien robot who is so much bigger than you and thus harder for you to love, and that he can't speak to you like a normal person/Cybertronian. You, of course, understand him and constantly reassure him that you love him regardless of his inability to speak, and regardless of how big or alien he is. He's your Bumblebee, and you do everything you can to remind him of that.

But when Fowler introduces a new recruit, a human soldier to run interference when he's unavailable, Bumblebee starts to get uneasy just knowing that there's a human male your age (Jack too, but Bumblebee trusts Jack) around the base.

"Huh, maybe this won't be so bad after all," (R/M/N) commented after his eyes settled on you, and he started to approach.

Bumblebee's jealousy is ignited in that moment, and fueled by his inability to tell the soldier off for that remark. He crossed his large arms and became a pouty, cross scout, watching you talk to the soldier.

"They're fun to be around," you were telling him. "It's sometimes frightening, but these are the good ones. They're like family now."

"It must be hard having to keep this secret to yourself," he moved closer, sympathetic. "I'm open to being a confidant if you ever need one."

Bumblebee started complaining and whining to Smokescreen, the closest bot to him. He was asking your guardian to tell the soldier off for him, because his flirting was setting Bee off. Smokescreen found this amusing, much to Bee's chagrin.

But you noticed your scout was distressed, and excused yourself to go and approach him, "Bee, sweetheart, are you alright?"

He crossed his arms and pretended to be nonchalant, but when he said 'what do I care if you're making another male friend', you started laughing as you realised what was wrong.

"Bumblebee, are you jealous?"

He beeped and whirred defensively, claiming that he wasn't jealous and he was completely fine and nothing was wrong. All of this made you laugh even harder, and he whined in complaint.

"I'm sorry baby," you giggled, "I just think it's so funny and so cute how you're jealous of someone who I wouldn't even look twice at. Seriously, he's nothing compared to you, my one and only." You started scaling his leg. "You are the only one I have my eyes on Bee, and I won't talk to him any more than I have to because I have my incredibly wonderful boyfriend to spend all my time with. I enjoy our conversations more, even if you're unable to talk, okay? I always have, and I always will."

He felt better after you said that, and scooped you up when you had just reached his waist. He held you in his servo for a moment before nuzzling your smaller form against his face, making you giggle and wrap your arms around his helm.

"My sweet Bumblebee," you kept telling him, praising him and flustering him until he'd forgotten what he was jealous about.

KNOCK OUT

Unsurprisingly, Knock Out never had any fears about you leaving him for someone better, because he considered himself the best. The best looking, the best lover, the best physician, etc. That and he felt secure in your relationship, he knew you wouldn't want to leave him even if you could. You were just as obsessed with him as he was with you. His pretty little human girlfriend.

Unfortunately, he did not consider that you might be in awe of one of the Autobots.

He had taken you out of the warship to let you get some fresh air, as he did so every week. Being stuck on the Nemesis wasn't good for a human, that much he knew, and you needed to get more human food anyway.

He didn't expect it to turn into a high speed chase with the Autobots.

"Is that Bumblebee?" You suddenly asked, looking out the window at a black-and-yellow vehicle speeding up beside Knock Out. "That's such a cool car!"

Knock Out let out a growl, before ramming the Autobot a little harder than necessary. The scout spun off the road, and you laughed.

"Jealous much?"

"I am not jealous!" He protested, "I always do that to the Autobots."

"Right..."

You continued to watch the yellow Autobot pursue your boyfriend, amazed at how quick and agile the scout was. He was skilled for a mere scout, and you wondered why he hasn't been promoted.

"Stop admiring Bumblebee!" Knock Out hissed, jealousy clear as daylight in his voice.

"I'm not!"

"I can see you staring!"

"Okay, okay, sorry," you laughed, finding his reaction cute. "But you know you're much better than he is, right? I don't have to tell you that."

He called for an emergency groundbridge, and sped into it the moment it opened. He liked to taunt the Autobots, but he didn't want to risk it with you inside. His first priority was to get you to safety so they wouldn't take you away from him, and apparently ignore you like a little child because of what happened.

"Knock Out, babe," you laughed, "Why are you pouting?"

"I'm not pouting!"

You raised an eyebrow, "You finally speak to me."

"Sorry, I thought you wanted to talk to Bumblebee," he responded dryly.

"So you were jealous!" You smirked, then tried to get closer to him. "You don't have to be, you know. He's cool but nowhere near as cool as you. I mean you're sleek, shiny and you've got the best paintjob I've ever seen." In times like this, buttering him up usually worked. "You're the most attractive Cybertronian I have ever seen, and I love watching you fight because of the way you move. You have a certain elegance to your movements, which I think is really impressive."

He side-eyed (optic-ed?) you for a moment, before giving in, "Fine. Come here."

You grinned and rushed to his open servo.

SMOKESCREEN

Smokescreen gets jealous a little too easily. He's not an insecure bot, but he does worry that since he isn't from here and he's not like you, maybe one day you'd get tired of not being able to do everything human couples can and you'd leave him for a human. He trusts you, but sometimes he's reminded that you're both very different and it hits him hard. Fortunately, you do everything to ensure him that you are not going to leave him and that you actually prefer him over any human boy.

However, his jealousy returns when Agent Fowler brings another human to the base. This one is a soldier, a young one just a little older than you, but not by much. Fowler said it was because the soldier could help when he was unavailable, but Smokescreen was not impressed.

"Do you ever get used to having giants walk around you?" (R/M/N) asked you when the introductions had ended.

"Eventually," you answered. "They're careful where they walk, in case you're worried about about that."

Because you and the soldier were similar ages, you could talk about a few things you couldn't with your younger human friends. So when you spent an inordinate amount of time talking to him, you didn't see anything wrong with that. But Smokescreen, the clingy bot he was, wanted your attention now. And it was annoying him that you were still talking to (R/M/N).

"Hey, sorry to interrupt but I just need (Name) for a moment," the young bot cut in, scooping you up without waiting for a response from you or (R/M/N).

You laughed, noticing the irritated look on his usually cheerful face, "I didn't think it was possible for you to get jealous, you're so happy and optimistic all the time. What's got you so worried, hmm?"

"Nothing," he grumbled, not meeting your eyes. "I'm fine."

You found it cute how he thought he could lie to you, "You don't have to worry about (R/M/N), you know. I don't plan on being with anyone but you. You're the coolest guy I know, and I don't think I could feel this way about anyone else. Now stop pouting, you big baby. I'm all yours."

He mumbled something unintelligible but gave in, letting you kiss his cheek. Instantly his worries melted away and he was smiling again, that bright smile you loved so much.

"Do you really mean that?" He asked, still a little nervous.

"I really mean it, Smokescreen," you assured him, "I promise. You are my one and only and no human guy is going to change that."

"Oh so I should be worried about Cybertronian guys, then?"

"I never said that!" When he started laughing, you grumbled, "I think I liked it better when you were jealous." And he just laughed even more at that.

WHEELJACK

Wheeljack doesn't get jealous a lot, if not ever. He feels secure enough in your relationship to trust that you won't leave him for any human guy, and he's not worried about the Autobot mechs. Much less the Decepticon ones. He just sometimes doesn't like how someone talks to you, or he'll get annoyed when you spend so much time talking to someone else and not enough time with him. Because yes, sometimes he just wants you and when you're occupied he tends to sulk. Everyone knows when, because he's a lot moodier than usual.

Like now, for example. Agent Fowler had brought in another human to help the team, in case he was ever unavailable. To make matters worse, it was a human male soldier that had tons of stories to tell, which piqued yours and Miko's interest.

Wheeljack had just finished a mission with Bulkhead and Ultra Magnus - much to his chagrin, he had been forced to go with Optimus's second-in-command. When he returned with those two, he noticed you and Miko sitting with the new guy and listening to yet another one of his stories.

"...but he timed the explosive wrong, so we were thrown a few feet into the air while trying to get out of the house. His eyebrow was scorched off, but he laughed the whole situation off like it was nothing."

Miko said something bizarre about eyebrows, while you managed a small laugh. You hadn't seemed to notice that the Wreckers were back, and it only added to Wheeljack's irritation.

"His stories better than mine, sweetheart?" The bot walked over, and didn't even try to hide the annoyance in his tone.

"Huh?" You were confused, but then shook your head, "No, of course not. He was just telling us about one of his closest encounters."

"You call that a close encounter?" Wheeljack scoffed, then looked at Bulkhead, "If only he knew."

You raised an eyebrow, starting to suspect. Wheeljack never boasted about his own adventures unless he was trying to make a point or he was feeling cooped up and wanted to convince someone to let him go track a con to beat up.

"Yeah, you must have some crazy stories," (R/M/N) agreed.

You laughed and stood up, going over to the Wrecker who was narrowing his optics at the human soldier, "Something the matter? Is the big, strong Wrecker intimidated by a human?"

"Intimidated?" He growled, "I'm not intimidated."

"Then what is it?"

"What's what?"

"Wheeljack."

He sighed, holding his servo out to you to get onto, "I just don't like that he's taking up your time with his boring stories."

You laughed again, "Boring? Oh, you are jealous."

He looked at you sceptically, and you laughed once more as he spoke, "Jealous of a small human who hasn't even seen half the things I have? Not a chance."

"Okay, tough guy. But you don't have to be upset, I like listening to your stories more. They're way more exciting," you kissed his faceplate.

"That's right. Don't you forget it."

SOUNDWAVE

Soundwave doesn't express emotions around anyone but you. And even then, he uses the screen on his visor to communicate. However, that doesn't mean that he doesn't feel. He doesn't feel as strongly as others, but he still feels. But he doesn't show it in the way others do. Unfortunately, since you came under his care he found himself doing a lot of things unexpected of him.

You liked to talk. You spoke enough for both you and the silent Decepticon, and he listened intently. When you spoke to him, he gave you all his attention knowing he can't talk back. And some very small part of him thinks that it troubles you that he doesn't talk to you.

He's not at all disappointed or upset when you make a friend in Knock Out, who loves to talk about himself to you. Soundwave is content that you have someone to have animated discussions with while he's busy, but eventually it gets to a point where you hang out more with Knock Out than you do with him.

Like today, he finished a task for Megatron and walked to his berthroom, expecting to find you reading and waiting for him like you usually did. However, you weren't there, so he proceeded to check Knock Out's lab. And you were there, lying asleep against one of Knock Out's tools, though Soundwave noted it wasn't a dangerous one.

"Ah Soundwave, I was just about to call you," the mad doctor approached. "She fell asleep a little while ago."

The silent Decepticon nodded and picked you up gently, holding you in a manner that didn't disturb your nap. Without another word to Knock Out, he left with you and took you back to his berthroom. You woke up on his berth, and looked around in confusion.

"Soundwave?" You called, noticing he was for once not looking at you. And he was obviously aware you were awake. "What's wrong?"

He typed something out on his screen: you fell asleep in the lab so I brought you here.

"I'm sorry," you apologised, feeling guilty though you didn't know why. "I just lost track of time. And I didn't want to disrupt your work, I know you're handling something important for Megatron."

He shook his head, then typed out: I can do both. You do not disturb me. I also like to see you at any given moment.

You smiled at that, "I'll keep that in mind next time."

He responded with another message saying that he's going to try and finish earlier so he can spend a little time with you before you sleep. He would never admit it, but he was jealous of how often you got to see others because he was always working. Maybe he needed to change that.

SHOCKWAVE

Like Soundwave, Shockwave is often busy because Megatron entrusts him with so many important projects and tasks. He barely has time some days to spend with you, as you're usually asleep when he's finally done. He is content with holding your sleeping form, but he would rather you be awake to tell him about your day.

So when you make another friend aboard the ship, Shockwave doesn't think much of it at first but soon realises that his busy schedule is pushing you towards someone else, even if it's not purposely.

You suddenly ran into the lab giggling and laughing as you looked over your shoulder. Laserbeak followed seconds later, the little metal bird entertaining you while Shockwave worked. He had to admit, he didn't think Soundwave would have been the best option for a friend for you, but he was the least hostile. You were probably safer with him than any others.

That thought made Shockwave stop for a moment, an ugly feeling filling him. He was by no means insecure, but he knew he could be too engrossed in his work, and he knew he was physically imposing. He'd scared you the first time you'd met, and he often wondered how safe you felt around him.

"Soundwave's surveillance drone seems to like you," the scientist noted as he continued his work, glancing at you once to make sure he knew where you were.

"Oh, yeah!" You beamed. "Soundwave added a new feature that allows Laserbeak to actually interact with me!"

You sounded so excited that Shockwave turned to look at you, seeing how much fun you were having. He didn't have anything that could elicit such laughter from you, and a small part of him was tempted to shoot Laserbeak.

"If you would like, I can create something even better for you," he suggested, "You could help me design it." Maybe that was also an excuse to have you around him more often.

Your eyes lit up at the idea, and you sent Laserbeak back to Soundwave as you climbed onto Shockwave's table, "That sounds fun! What do we start with?"

Shockwave was so good at hiding his emotions, you didn't even know he had been jealous. But your eagerness to help him and spend time with him above everyone else is what put him at ease, knowing he wouldn't be so easily replaced because you were so attached to him.

[seat-safety-switch]

Trust me when I tell you that I love my local Mexican restaurant, with their molcajetes full of sizzling beef and their extremely inexpensive tacos. There's just one downside: their parking lot kind of sucks. It's one of those narrow 1960s jobs, where you have an exit only on one side, and it's constantly full of food-delivery types blocking the lane so you have to do weird ninety-point turns just to park.

Now, let's get one thing straight: I do not at all care if I get my doors "dinged." A couple years ago, a then-new Acura MDX parked a little close to me, and their kids banged their door into my door. This was enough contact for the rust demon to jump from my Valiant onto their car, and by the time they had returned from the store, their vehicle and its delicious Nipponese steel had been wholly consumed. Only the tires remained. No, I just don't like the inconvenience of having to strongarm-steer my wheezing piece of garbage into this tight lot. Things are bad enough that I've actually thought twice about going to get Mexican food. I know. I can barely believe it myself.

My parents didn't raise me to be someone who gives up easily. In fact, if you ask Child Protective Services, they didn't raise me at all. Television brought me up to idolize heroes like reruns of Clutch Cargo and whatever cool robot toy they wanted to sell that week. And if there's one thing those daring pioneers wouldn't accept, it's a slightly inconvenient parking lot.

What's the easiest way to fix a parking lot with only one exit? By adding another exit. Turns out the city construction workers nearby just keep their keys in the bulldozer, as long as your definition of "in the bulldozer" also includes the site supervisor's locked office inside a fireproof safe that doesn't stand up to the weight of a bulldozer rolling down the hill into it after having its parking brake released. I plowed a neat car-width divot through the nearby sidewalk – take that, walkable neighbourhood – and now the vibe of the entire parking lot had changed for the better.

Unfortunately, I had not counted on the increased traffic that this would bring. All of the city, it seems, was also putting off getting Mexican food. This slight inconvenience factor actually served as a pressure-control valve of sorts. With the floodgates wide open, the place was now crammed stem to stern with hungry rich folks and their conveniently-parked luxury cars 24 hours a day. Let this be a lesson to all of you: never try to make things better.

[speedforce-zoomies]

I love the running gag of Tim Drake getting caught up in Cult Activities:

1) In his 1991 mini series - his first ever solo adventure? Gets caught up in King Snake’s bs which is often stems from the dude wanting to rule the Kobra Cult (Tim has to deal with the jerk on and off as Robin due at least in part to this obsession of the Kobra Cult).

2) Then in Robin (1993) #82 Tim meets Danny Temple and is like hmmm, something weird is going on with this dude. Then in issue #88, Danny is kidnapped by a robot with a snake on it. Then has to deal with the Kobra Cult from issues #89-92.

3) In Batman: Contagion (1996) the Order of St. Dumas, which is a religious cult, releases the biological weapon “The Clench” which Tim catches and then has a rough time cuz of it.

4) AND Tim’s practically a cult leader himself in the Titans Tomorrow (2004) future timeline and present Tim has to deal with his evil cult leader future self.

5) While Tim does not directly interact with the Cult of Conner in 2006 (52 #11, 13, 14) Cassie Sandsmark is a member which we can assume impacted him indirectly.

6) In the resurrection of Ra’s al Ghul (2008) Ra’s wants to either recruit Tim or take over his body and messes him up a bit, both physically and mentally and Ra’s is very much running a cult.

7) In the 2009 Red Robin run Tim is forced to work with Ra’s and the League of Assassins against another cult: The Council of Spiders who kill two of his allies and cause him to lose his spleen.

8) In Robin War (2016) #2 Damian has temporarily joined The Court of Owls and fights Tim

9) Then in Batman: Urban Legends #4 (2021) he meets up with his HS friend Bernard Dowd who gets kidnapped by the cult: Children of Dionysus.

10) And in Tim Drake: Robin #8 Tim Drake has to deal with Children of Dionysus again alongside Bernard who is now his boyfriend.

That’s ten just off the top of my head and I could be missing some (please let me know if I have!) but it’s like the writers are like Tim hasn’t had anything too bizarre to deal with in a little while… Hmm, you know what Tim could use? Another cult to deal with lol

Poor boy must be so tired of dealing with cults

At this point I’m just waiting for a plot line where Tim finds himself as an unwilling cult leader or is unwillingly made the face of a cult 😭 like that time Wally West was in “Blood Will Run” (2001)

[cottonlemonade]

Marriage Of Convenience [finale]

word count: 2667 || avg. reading time: 11 mins.

pairing: post-time skip!Kuroo x chubby!Reader

genre: fluff, friends to lovers, slow burn, slice of life

warnings: tooth rotting

synopsis: Marriage is not a big deal, right? Anyone can do it and it comes with a whole lot of benefits! That's why your friend proposes to you one morning with all the elegance and romance of an empty pudding cup.

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] [Part 5] [Part 6] [Part 7]

“How long has he been standing there?”

The shop owner looked at her employee, then followed her gaze to look at the young man outside studying the pre-arranged flower bouquets in deep serious thought. With a quick check of her watch, she said, “About 15 minutes.”

“Shouldn’t we help him?”

“He’s been avoiding eye contact, I think he’ll run if we get too close.”

The employee snorted and went back to sorting through a new shipment of twigs and greens, snapping off broken leaves before placing the long, pristine stems into a water-filled bucket, while the owner went over the books.

“Oh, he found one!”, the employee whispered excitedly as the man outside bent down to pick one of the bigger bouquets, “Nevermind, he put it back down. - Wait, nope! He took it again. - Hello, sir. Did you find what you were looking for?”

The young man nodded and paid with a friendly smile, then grabbed his carry-on and left the store, ringing the small bell above the door as he did.

“Do you think it’s for his girlfriend?”, the employee wondered, watching the man halt in front of the store and looking down at the flowers.

“Oh, is something wrong with them? Looks like he is talking to himself. - Eh? He just - did you see? He just gave them to an elderly woman. - Aaand he’s gone. - Wait no, nevermind. There he is again. What's up with this guy?”

The shop owner looked up once more, watching the obviously emotionally torn man pick up a much smaller bouquet this time, with only a handful of the same flowers.

“Hello again, sir.”, the employee greeted with every ounce of non-judgmental professionalism when the man placed some cash on the counter, “Excellent choice. Do you need it wra- Oh, no? Alright then, have a nice day! - There he goes. Weirdo.”

You jumped off the couch when you heard the keys slot into the front door, then remembered that “playing hard to get” was a thing, and so simply walked instead of ran down the corridor.

“I’m home.”, Tetsuro announced unnecessarily.

“Welcome back.”

“These are for you.”, he said, holding out the flowers, before adding with a nervous chuckle, “Don’t eat them all at once.”

“What?”

“Nothing. - So, how was your weekend?”

“Pretty good. Did some laundry.”

He nodded, mildly impressed.

“Did you use the new fabric softener?”

“I did.”

“And?”

“Very soft.”

Very robotically, Tetsuro stretched out his hand to touch your sleeve.

“Very soft.”, he confirmed.

Rocking slightly on the balls of your feet, you waited, and when he didn’t say anything either, you gestured vaguely behind yourself.

“I’ll… let you come inside and put these in some water.”, then turned on your heel and stiffly walked to the kitchen.

“So.”, he said a few minutes later, taking the seat next to you in the living room, hands on his knees, rubbing them awkwardly back and forth. You weren’t any better. You had your fingers slotted between your thighs and focused on a fake plant on the TV console.

“So.”

“We’re attracted to each other.”

“Yup.”

“Hm. You sure?”

“100%. Crazy about you.”

“Huh. Same here.”

“Sorry.”, you said with a frown.

He placed a hand on your shoulder for comfort.

“Don’t beat yourself up. Neither of us could have possibly seen this coming.”

“I know, but what are we going to do?”

“If you give me like two hours, I’ll put together a new PowerPoint?”, he offered.

“Honestly, I think I just really wanna kiss you.”

His head snapped to the side, and his eyes widened.

“If you want.”, you added quickly.

“I-“, he cleared his throat, “You sure?”

“Hm mh.”, you finally tore your eyes away from the plant and looked at him, almost squirming in your seat from giddy excitement.

He turned to the side to face you for a better angle, shrugging with equally flustered laughter, “Yeah. - I mean, yeah, this is normal. We’re married. Would be weird if we didn’t.”

“Absolutely. Really, we’re being weird by not … kissing and stuff.”

“Completely agree. I can imagine our neighbors must have been whispering about this for months.”

“Are you stalling?”

“Like you wouldn’t believe.”

“You don’t have to-“

“Oh I want to.”, he assured you, and you saw his adam’s apple bob in his throat as he swallowed before he grabbed the back of the sofa and leaned in.

“Waitwaitwait-“, you had your hand against his chest to hold him back and could feel your heart pounding up to your ears, while his beat just as hard beneath your fingers, “My lips feel a bit dry.”

His eyes dropped to your mouth without him moving an inch.

“They look fine to me.”, he said in a low tone you’d never heard before. Somehow, your nervousness seemed to have calmed him down.

“Nope, definitely dry.” With shaking fingers you fished a tube of lip balm from your pocket and he watched patiently but with a cocked brow how you thoroughly and slowly applied it.

“D-do you want some?”

Without waiting for an answer, you touched the tip of the balm to his perfectly smooth lips, but your hand was so shaky that you smudged it a bit. He smirked and, with his other hand, gently grabbed your wrist to steady you. Since he didn’t hold you in place, you could apply the balm more easily, absolutely mesmerized by how shiny and even more inviting his lips now looked.

“And?”, he asked teasingly once you were done, not letting go of your wrist.

“I don’t think this is your color.”, you used your thumb to wipe it off again, feeling electricity surge through your body at the touch, “Do you want another one?”

“Now who is stalling?”, he chuckled.

“I’m just saying, I have a bunch more in my room, I can-“

In the midst of your ramble, you had tried to get up off the couch, but his hand tightened on your wrist, pulling you to sit back down. Your breath hitched.

“It’s gonna be okay.”, he said quietly.

“I know.”, you murmured.

You had kissed your fair share of people in your life, but somehow had really underestimated just how strong your feelings for him had grown in such a short amount of time.

Nothing mattered anymore. Nothing but the feeling of him, the smell of him, the taste of him.

You involuntarily hummed into the kiss, feeling him smile against your lips. A blind grab for his collar let you pull him closer, and he shifted, hand moving from the back of the couch to your waist to hold and squeeze as you lay back, him towering over you.

More so on instinct than anything else, the tip of your tongue slipped between your lips when he pulled away, decidedly out of breath.

“You good?”, he asked.

You wished you could take a picture of your husband’s blush, his lips tinted and smeared from your lip balm.

“Yes.”

“Sublime.”

Tetsuro lowered himself again, deepening the kiss while you giggled, and he loosened his grip on your wrist only to entwine his fingers with yours.

Your lips were still plump and tender from the kissing, and while the shower got rid of the remaining lip balm smears on your mouth and neck, the sensation was now permanently burned into your brain. Your husband stood next to you in the bathroom that evening, brushing his teeth alongside you, every so often making eye contact in the mirror, only for both of you to look away with shy, frothy smiles.

“Oh!”, he said suddenly and quickly rinsed out the foam before straightening again, “I forgot to give you your present!”

You began bouncing excitedly on the spot as he hurried out of the bathroom, giving you enough time to finish up your own brushing.

“Close your eyes.”, came his voice from outside the open door.

“Why?”

“Because your husband asked you.”

“But you didn’t ask-“

“Just close your eyes, darling.”

There was fluttering in your stomach at the nickname, accompanied by some deep satisfaction that this previously trivial endearment now turned you into goo. You did as you were told.

“Closed?”

“Yup.”

You heard the shuffling of his slippers on the floor and a moment later felt him step behind you.

“Okay. Open.”

It took you a moment to focus because seeing him so close behind you in the reflection was rather distracting. The necklace dangled from either side of his large hands, hovering over your shoulders. Your eyes widened when you recognized it.

“How did you…!”

“I called ahead and they had it in Osaka.”, he said and maybe it was just your imagination, but his usual grin seemed a lot softer than before.

You didn’t know what to say. All you could think of was to raise your hand and just kind of wiggle your finger to show off the ring.

“It matches.”

“It does, doesn’t it.”

When you were too frozen to move, he held the delicate chain in one hand to brush your hair out of your neck, the soft touch of his fingertips made you want to lean your back against his chest, but that felt counterproductive, so you finally reached up to help him. He inched a little closer to fiddle with the clasp, and his breath grazed your skin, making your poor heart pound once again.

“All done.”, he said quietly, his hands moving to rest on your arm and hip. In the reflection, you watched as he hesitated, his lips so close to your shoulder that you felt the heat radiating from them.

“Do it.”, you encouraged gently.

Your eyes met in the mirror.

“Do what?”

“Whatever you wanted to do just now…”

Unfortunately, you caught the glint of mischief too late and so couldn’t stop him before he bit you. It wasn’t painful - more a nip than a bite - but you yelped on instinct, and he leapt out of the bathroom with you hot on his tail.

In the hallway, he spun around, waiting to pounce, and you shrieked again in delight when he wrapped his arm around your waist, his hand dipping into your doughy middle, and he nommed you again.

“Sto-hoop!”, you laughed. Your husband turned you to face him and cupped your cheeks in both his hands, peppering your forehead, nose, and lips with pecks before beaming into a longer, minty-fresh kiss. You swayed from side to side as he maneuvered you backwards until you were trapped between him and the wall. With fistfuls of his shirt, you tugged him close to you, your head swimming from his honestly straight-up unfair kissing skills.

“Thank you.”, you said sweetly when he drew away for air.

“Looks pretty.”, he noted, and from the way he looked at you, it wasn’t clear if he meant the necklace or the blush creeping along your cheeks and ears.

“Ahem… yeah. We~”, you lengthened the word, “should go to bed.”

“Really? Oh okay. Yeah.”

He followed you to your door and didn’t halt where he usually did.

“Uhm, Tetsu?”

“Hm?”

“Goodnight?”

“What? I thought… shouldn’t we sleep in the same bed?”

“Why?”

“I dunno, feels right? It’s fine if you’re not ready, though.”

“I mean… I guess I am, but I didn’t think it would happen… now.”

“So, when you thought about me this weekend…Was this not the first thing on your mind?”

“Well, yeah, but I’m trying to be mysterious and aloof here.”

He laughed and gave you another kiss.

“We’ll wait then. Today was a lot, I get it.”

More kisses were placed on your lips, and one last one on your forehead.

“Sweet dreams, darling.”

You chewed the inside of your cheek as you watched him go down the hall to his room.

Kuroo lay awake - of course, he did. If he weren’t so hellbent on staying quiet so you could sleep, he would have yelled into his pillow and flopped around on his bed as if he were doing the worm on the dance floor. He had known for weeks now that he was in love with you, but initially had no intention of ever bringing it up to not make the marriage uncomfortable. The sheets rustled when he rolled over and looked out his window, finding patches of night sky between the tall buildings to focus on. Tokyo was never actually quiet, but at least the honking had ceased, and the rushing of the cars turned into soothing white noise. Without thinking about it, he reached up to touch his lips, suppressing a new wave of need to woop and cheer into the darkness of his room. It didn’t take long for his phone to be in his hand, and he scrolled through the weekend’s texts between you and him, grinning wider and wider until… bzzt.

“Hey, so I wanted to ask”, began the text from you, “if you need help with your silk bonnet? I know the first couple of times can be tricky to put it on.”

He shot up and yanked the perfectly fastened bonnet off his head, before replying, “Oh yeah, I’m really struggling here. Thanks, darling.”

Stupidly, he smoothed out his sleep shirt, looking around the room in the small light of his bedside lamp he switched on to check if anything needed to be tidied. When he heard your bedroom door open, he just shoved his entire hamper into his wardrobe and was just straightening some stray papers on his desk when you knocked.

Just like the first time, he sat on the edge of the bed, looking up at you while you fumbled with the fabric. He would have liked to grab the backs of your thighs to pull you in, kissing the softness of your tummy, but figured he should keep it casual.

“Voilà.”, you said, running your fingers along the hem to make sure no hair was untucked.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

His eyes landed on the necklace that you hadn’t taken off yet. It sat right on top of an already fading mark he left on your skin when he had gotten carried away on the couch.

“So… okay. I’m gonna go back. - Sleep tight!”

“Wait.”

“Yeah?”

He tried to come up with an excuse for you to stay longer, but it all sounded idiotic in his silk-bonneted head. But not to worry. You beat him to it.

“You know, actually, on second thought, I don’t feel comfortable walking all the way back in the dark by myself.”

He quickly caught on and played along, nodding with pretend earnestness.

“I think it would be for the best if you stayed the night here. For safety. Would make me feel better, personally.”

“Of course.”

“You get it.”

You lay down side by side, your hands so close to each other on the comforter that your pinkies were barely touching.

“Sooo… lights out?”, he asked.

“Not yet.”

He turned to look at you with a nervous but teasing grin.

“I thought you wanted to sleep.”

“I do. - I do… but…”

“But?”

“I wasn’t done getting kissed yet.”

“I see~ Well”, he reached out to brush a strand of hair behind your ear, “we can’t have that.”

“It’s gonna be okay. It’s gonna be fine.”

“At this point, are you saying it to me or yourself?”, he asked, highly amused, and watched you fix your hair in the reflection of your phone for the hundredth time.

“Both. I think. - Where did I put the fruit?”

Your husband gestured simply at a large, fancy basket at your feet on the doorstep.

“Right.”

He smiled and gently grasped your chin between his thumb and index finger, tilting your head for an easy kiss.

“He likes you. Don’t worry.”

And without waiting for a reply, he rang the doorbell, hoisting the fruit basket into his arms.

“Tetsuro?”, Mr Kuroo blinked in surprise, “Y/n dear. What brings you two back so soon?”

Tetsuro shrugged, “Hey, dad, so, funny story.”

art: @freaka_loonyz on Instagram, X, Pinterest and TikTok

taglist: @etsuniiru @nocaffeineallowedtome @princessshart @aldebrana @grassbutneo @melimelisworld @yatoatyourservice @ranscutedoll @remiratboi @armeenix @doodle-with-rhy @bingbongsupremacy @theloveonagiseishiroslife @bakingcurosity @changkleta @nifflermini

The absolute biggest thank you to @haikyu-mp4 for listening to me ramble about this story for months, encouraging me through writer’s block, editing and brainstorming ✨🫶🏻

And thank you to every single one of you who read it til the end and for your comments and reblogs. You are amazing! I hope you liked it 🌱

[sunarryn]

DP X Marvel #1

Don’t get me wrong—I love DP X DC, but I want more post for DP X Marvel, so I decided to write my own.

Danny had been in Amity Park, dodging international press, paparazzi, and the occasional FBI van parked outside his house, because, well, saving the world and exposing the existence of ghosts kind of made him a big deal. The whole “I’m actually Phantom” reveal had sent the world into a meltdown, with headlines like “Teen Ghostboy Saves Earth, Wears Same Hoodie for Six Days” and “Should Phantom Pay Taxes?” clogging up the internet.

That’s when Tony Stark showed up.

In person.

“You ever consider switching teams?” Tony asked while eating a hotdog in Danny’s kitchen like he owned the place. “I don’t mean ghost to human. I mean ghost to Avenger.”

Danny, halfway through microwaving leftover pizza, blinked. “Is this a recruitment thing or are you just lost?”

“A little of both.” Tony admitted. “I’ve got a proposition for you. Comes with a full scholarship, housing, no taxes, and a lifetime supply of Pop-Tarts.”

“…Okay but like. Why Pop-Tarts?”

“I have a theory about your ghost metabolism and artificial preservatives.” Tony said, waving his hand like it was normal science and not the start of an exorcism. “Anyway. Stark Industries internship. Full ride to Midtown School of Science and Technology. We pretend this is for science—understanding ghosts and ectoplasm and your stupid glowy ice powers or whatever—and I get to say I recruited the coolest teen superhero before the other billionaires.”

“You just don’t want me joining Batman.” Danny muttered.

Tony narrowed his eyes. “Don’t say the B-word in my presence.”

So that’s how Danny Fenton—Amity Park’s favorite undead menace—ended up in New York City, living in a swanky Stark-funded high-rise with a fully stocked lab, an entire ghost-proof gym, and a contract that explicitly stated “NO OPENING INTERDIMENSIONAL PORTALS BEFORE 9AM” in Comic Sans.

Midtown High was wild. First of all, every student looked like they either had a skincare sponsorship or fought crime on the weekends. Second, the STEM program had actual quantum computers. Danny’s old school had a vending machine that exploded if you pressed B5 twice.

Third: Peter Parker.

Danny met him on his first day, right after being hit by a rogue drone in robotics class and slamming face-first into a whiteboard that read “No running in the lab.”

Peter looked down at him. “You good, man?”

Danny blinked. “Spider-Man?”

Peter blinked. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Danny smirked. “Uh-huh. Tony says hi.”

Peter yanked him up by the arm and shoved him into a janitor’s closet so fast it could’ve given someone whiplash.

“Shh!” Peter exclaimed. “You can’t just say that out loud! People don’t know!”

Danny shrugged, now intangibly phasing halfway through a mop bucket. “Relax. Everyone already knows I’m Phantom. It’s not like we’re on equal secret identity footing here.”

Peter blinked at that. “Wait, you’re Phantom? Like THE Phantom?”

Danny stuck his head through the wall dramatically. “Boo.”

Peter shrieked and punched him. Which didn’t work. At all. From then on, they were inseparable.

Mostly because Tony made them sit next to each other at every Stark-sponsored science conference with assigned seating and a label that said “Teen Angst Section.” But also because they kind of understood each other. Weird powers. Exhausting double lives. Constant media attention. Love lives that were mostly disaster zones.

Also, because every time there was an emergency in New York, Danny would dramatically yell, “I GOT THIS!” turn into a glowing ghost, phase through the ceiling, and leave Peter holding their science project like, “Great. Now I have to explain this to Ms. Warren.”

There was a running bet in the school on how many times a week Danny would ghost out during class. The record was four times in a single Monday. Once during math. Twice during lunch. Once mid-presentation, when his eyes flashed green, and he mumbled, “Hold up, I think a ghost just tried to eat a nun,” before vanishing.

He got an A. Mostly out of fear.

They became known around Midtown as “Science Boyfriends,” a term coined by their English teacher after they accidentally blew up the chemistry lab and rebuilt it with better airflow and a smoothie bar.

Peter tried to deny it. Danny didn’t.

“I mean, he’s cute.” Danny would shrug while eating a granola bar and floating upside-down. “And have you seen his calves? Spider thighs? Man’s got spider thighs.”

Peter threatened to web his mouth shut. Danny turned intangible and said “do it, coward.”

Happy Hogan was having a mental breakdown.

“Mr. Stark.” He said once, after catching Danny phasing through a vending machine and Peter falling out of a ceiling vent. “They’re going to destroy the school.”

“They’re already destroying my will to live.” Tony muttered, sipping coffee while watching Phantom carry Spider-Man bridal-style on a street livestream. “But you can’t deny the brand synergy.”

And oh, the public loved Danny.

Kids wore Phantom backpacks. There was a whole TikTok trend called “Go Ghost Challenge” which was just teens flinging themselves over furniture in hopes of catching flight. People stopped him on the street for selfies. A company released a Ghost Repellent Spray that was literally just Febreze with a green label.

Meanwhile, Danny and Peter were balancing AP Physics, ghost attacks, Stark internships, and trying to keep a low profile despite Danny being literally neon.

Peter was this close to combusting.

“I can’t keep doing this.” Peter whispered during lunch, forehead pressed against a table. “My GPA is dying. I’m dying. My soul is cracking. I haven’t slept in three days.”

Danny, completely fine, sipping chocolate milk through a straw, replied, “I think a banshee tried to possess the home ec teacher.”

Peter stared. “… Danny.���

“Her cupcakes were glowing.”

“DANIEL JAMES!”

It didn’t help that the media kept speculating if Phantom was dating Spider-Man. There were articles like “Who’s the Top Ghost? Our Editors Discuss” and “Teen Heroes: Roommates or Soulmates?” Danny read them out loud during lunch.

Peter screamed into a burrito.

And then there was that time someone tried to kidnap Peter during gym class. Bad idea. Danny turned invisible, slammed the guy through the bleachers, and then flew Peter to safety in front of the entire school.

“You didn’t have to carry me!” Peter hissed later. “I had it under control.”

“You were duct-taped to a chair.” Danny pointed out.

“I was about to chew through the tape!”

“Like a squirrel.”

“Like a spider!”

After that, it wasn’t just the school that shipped them. The city did. There were shirts. Stickers. Fanfiction. Someone made a rap.

Tony started selling merch.

“We’re not even dating!” Peter yelled one afternoon, dodging a drone with their faces painted on it.

Danny just winked. “Yet.”

And honestly? They made a good team.

When ghosts got loose, Danny handled the supernatural. When aliens showed up, Peter webbed ‘em to the nearest wall. When things exploded, they blamed Flash Thompson.

Midtown might have been chaos. Their lives might have been actual flaming garbage fires. But in the middle of it all, Danny and Peter were the weirdest, most terrifying, most effective duo the teen superhero world had ever seen.

One had ghost lasers.

The other had web shooters.

Both had the fashion sense of stressed-out raccoons.

And somehow, they made it work.

Until Danny accidentally opened a portal to the Ghost Zone during prom. But that’s a story for another day.

[hot-patootiee]

Flowers of Contempt

To show his hatred for one King Steve, Eddie begins to weld beautiful flowers with insults imbued into them to gift Steve. Steve does not know flower language.

Misunderstandings, falling in love, finding out and coming out, etc.

Part 1 <Part 2> Part 3

Will be on AO3 soon.

Steve hadn’t seen Eddie in awhile. But, he wasn’t even sure if Eddie was someone whose path he crossed regularly in the first place. Maybe the boy was avoiding him, Steve could never be sure.

Tommy never brought up any sort of retaliation again, so Steve felt mildly better about him.

Today had been good, he had gotten a B on his pop quiz because of all of Robin’s help studying. They were going after school for an ice cream to celebrate.

When Steve finally spotted Eddie after two weeks, he was in a similar state he was when he first met him. Eddie beelined for Steve, and in the gaps of the people passing he could see another delicately twisted hunk of metal. Finally, he came close enough, dropping to one knee in front of Steve and presenting the flower.

“For my liege, from a simple jester such as myself.”

Eddie still seemed strained, Steve couldn’t help but notice the yellowed skin around his brow bone. Steve looked a little harder and noticed a bruise ringing his neck and green and yellow splotching on his shoulder. It stood out against his pale skin and Steve couldn’t ignore it. His eyebrows furrowed as his concern slowly became visible on his face.

“Are you okay?” Steve questioned, not even looking at the flower yet, just staring into Eddie’s dark eyes.

Eddie’s lip curled and his eyes momentarily flickered away from Steve’s gaze. When he finally made eye contact, Steve could see barely concealed rage in the tensed muscles of his face.

“What, is it not good enough for you?” Eddie responded with a sharp accusatory tone. His muscles tensed and Steve couldn’t help but feel like he was being threatened.

Steve finally looked at the flower. It was flute-like with the petals forming a chute. The chute was carved and it looked soft and rounded. It gave way at the top to beautiful, silken petals. The iridescence of the flower and the circular shape of it gave way to a halo of rainbow color.

“No, it’s beautiful, I love it. But, what happened to you?” Steve defended but he got the feeling that he was poking at something Eddie didn’t want him to.

Eddie shifted on his knee “Doesn’t matter.” He thrusted the flower into Steve’s hands. Steve’s fingers curled around the stem, briefly making contact with Eddie’s warm hands.

Eddie got up and then he was gone.

Steve squeezed his fingers around the stem, rubbing the smooth metal to help soothe himself. The hallway was mercifully empty at this point as many of the spectators had chosen to make their way to class.

Steve’s heart clenched and he recognized Carol attempting to get his attention, but couldn’t be bothered. He ignored her tapping on his shoulder and robotically walked towards his next class.

Steve could feel nothing other than the confused pain in his chest.

He felt something in his chest crack in response to the crushing pressure.

It was only then that Steve realized he didn’t really like who he was. The realization came suddenly and without Steve’s approval.

He wanted to be unapologetic and free like Eddie was. He felt a little ashamed that he had allowed people like him to be targeted. He was King Steve and he had all this power to do what? Drink and get girls?

Eddie was so beautiful and Steve felt a little uncomfortable with what that meant for him. Was he one of those people that his friends hated? A faggot who craved the attention of men due to some unseen defect.

When he saw himself in the reflection of the bell he wondered where his defect could be hidden. He scrutinized himself and failed to find anything.

He rubbed his thumb along the stem as he thought.

The feeling blooming in his chest felt so delicate and sweet, how could it be the result of something wrong with him?

People had been wrong before about black, Asian, and Irish people. Maybe they were wrong about this too. It didn’t feel shameful, it felt like something that movies would be made about. Something pure and sweet for couples to coo over on a screen. It didn’t feel wrong.

Maybe he should apologize to Jonathan for what he called him.

Instead of going to his class, he turned and made his way towards the dark room which he knew Jonathan would probably be in.

Maybe this was his first step to be something different.

When he got there, there was a little blinking light that indicated it was being used. He quickly slipped inside, hoping that he didn’t ruin Jonathan’s photos.

Steve could see a figure bathed in red light.

“Jonathan?”

The figure jumped, startled at the sudden noise.

“Who is it?” Steve watched as his shadow turned towards him, the light highlighting his cheekbones and nose.

“Uh, Steve.” He hesitantly responded. Jonathan seemed to crumple slightly in response, putting down his tools on the table.

“Look Steve I don’t want these pictures ruined, could we do this somewhere else?” Jonathan sighed.

“I’m not going to hurt you. I came here because..” Steve struggled to speak, trying to force the words from his throat.

The silence strained between them, stretching thin as Steve struggled with his words.

“I’m sorry.” Steve choked out.

“You’re sorry?” Jonathan seemed baffled.

“Yes.” Steve confirmed

“Wanna elaborate?” Jonathan probed.

“I’m sorry for calling you a queer, I know you probably aren’t and I know now that I shouldn’t use it as a derogatory word.” Steve hurriedly pushed out in a meek voice, guilt weighing down his usual confidence.

“Is King Steve giving me the it’s okay to be gay talk?” Jonathan laughed out.

“Look, I know I’ve been bad in the past and I’m sorry for anything I’ve said or anything Tommy has done, you didn’t deserve that. The photos are your job and I shouldn’t have given you shit for doing it.” Steve persisted, ignoring the fear creeping up his throat at Jonathan’s laughter.

“Will you do it again?” Jonathan asked in a serious tone.

“No.”

“Okay then, I forgive you I guess. I mean you aren’t the worst offender by far.” His shadow shrugged and the tension in his frame seemed to seep out of him.

Steve shrunk a little at Jonathan’s admission.

“Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?” Steve offered.

Jonathan paused for a second.

“Will gets left home alone for a while after hanging out with his friends. Could you watch him? He normally gets home at 6, but me and Mom both have work and can’t watch him. Money is a little tight right now, but I can give you whatever extra I have to spare for gas.” Jonathan seemed a little uncomfortable after his spiel, the worry tainting his tone showed Steve that it was something he had really been stressed over.

“Okay, starting tonight?” Steve confirmed.

“Um, yea if you could. I’d really appreciate it.” He replied, resorting back to his shy nature.

“Can I get your address?” Jonathan hurriedly scribbles his address on a spare piece of paper before handing. Steve grabs it and turns to leave.

“Hey, Steve, you’re actually not half bad.” Jonathan admits. Steve can’t help but smile in response.

“Neither are you, Jon.” Steve left, pulling out the flower and rubbing the stem as he left.

…

After school Steve met with Robin again. It was a day they didn’t need to meet, but with his recent success in European history, they made an exception. She still seemed a little wary around him, but seemed happy to have her popsicle from the ice cream truck paid for.

“I talked to Jonathan today.” Steve admitted, he was unable to resist the bone deep feeling of Robin being a sort of confidant. She urged him to do better things with a conviction and confidence that had never been directed towards him before.

“What happened?” Robin asked suspiciously, falling for Steve’s bait.

“I apologized for what I’ve said to him.” Steve said with a gummy smile, on the other hand, Robin’s jaw dropped.

“Really?” Steve nodded.

“Yup.” Steve popped his lips.

“And what possessed you to do this?”

“I felt bad, I yelled at him and called him a queer. I recently learned that it was wrong to do that. They’re people and just 20 years ago America was wrong about black people, and maybe gay people are the same way. Maybe there’s nothing wrong or bad about them, but it’s just us that are wrong. You know what I mean?” Steve rambled, trying to justify his frankly sudden change without including his own feelings in this revelation. When he finished he quickly silenced himself by shoving his popsicle in his mouth.

Robin stared at him, bug eyed at his admission. She quickly relaxed, resting her hand on his knee and leaning into his space.

“Steve, is there something you want to tell me? I won’t judge you.” Robin asked hesitantly.

Steve went quiet, unable to understand how Robin had read him so easily. Was he wrong? Was there something actually wrong with him that he couldn’t see?

“I’m safe, I won’t tell anyone. You can trust me.” Robin repeated quietly, squeezing Steve’s knee.

“How could you tell? I thought nothing was wrong with me?” Steve whimpered.

“There isn’t, sure you’re a bit of a dick, but you’re trying. I just know how to look past the whole facade thing you got going on.” She waved her hand vaguely towards his face.

“It doesn’t feel wrong?” Steve stated with a questioning tone.

“It isn’t.” Robin confirmed.

“I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. Especially not a…” Steve couldn’t finish.

Robin looked at him and Steve could tell she understood what he wasn’t saying.

“It’s all okay, just make sure you use protection. You’ve heard about that plague going around.” Steve winced at her choice of words, but nodded.

“We can go somewhere safer to talk this out another time.” Robin said simply, eyes scanning the empty area around the bench they sat on.

Steve shrugged “I have to attend practice now anyway. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Robin smiled and waved as he got up from his seat, stripping the popsicle stick of the last of the cold treat and tossing it in the trash.

Steve smiled back at her with purple tinted lips.

Datura, Angel’s Trumpet: Deceitful Charms

Part 3

AN: Next chapter is fucking intense. I have it half drafted and goddamn does Steve burn bridges.

Yes, Steve is constantly subconsciously thinking, Would Robin be proud of me?

[hoodedjelly]

my Jenny, Tuck, Brad, Shelden, and Vega older designs ^__^

i'm watching mlaatr, still not done, i think i got like 10 more eps (and if i'm being transparent i skipped around eps... i just wanted to see vega...). And i'm absolutely loving the show!!!! i love these characters a lot, didn't like Shelden at first i'm going to be honest, #1 Shelden hater for a bit there. but he chilled out in season two and i started to ship breldon with that too so now i just love him so much.

more about my personal headcanons:

Jenny: - I am under the belief that she is transgender. Jenny was made genderless, so her deciding to be a girl was strictly her choice and i believe that makes her trans. (She's also a lesbian) - she did grow a bit, im not gonna explain how idc really i just liked her being a taller lady :-) - she has A LOT of different cute outfits and hair styles, honestly too much to draw. she never transforms back into her base show outfit when crime fighting, she just fights in her cute summer dress she don't care. - her and vega are dating grrgrgrrrr - when vega is in rule she makes it so there is complete free access between earth and cluster prime for citizens in both places. - I say that cause i think when jenny is older she moves in with vega, technically living in cluster prime but visits earth like everyday. And brad/shelby/tucker/wakeman visit cluster prime - Jenny also hangs out with the nicktoons unite gang, but i deffo feel like its just that secondary friend group that you don't talk to with for months. when you talk again its the same goofiness as before - i think danny calls for her help when he needs it (also manny) Tuck: - he is still a little shit but we love him - adhd boy - questioning cis (he/him) - he got into robotics/stem and builds little silly things - with that, he gets help from Shelby - pretty much just a silly teen, he's on the internet a lot and has "cringe" interests - but idk he's having fun and being silly and finding himself (those interests is stuff like sonic and among us) Shelden(Shelby) - honestly kinda nervous about ppl thoughts on my Shelden, idk it makes so much sense in my brain - hits you with the transfem beam (she/they) Pansexual (she just wants anyone type of vibe) - I think when jenny is visiting vega often that leaves Shelby and Brad hanging out alone a lot. which they don't mind honestly, they are actually good friends! - but during that they just get closer and start catching feelings. Shelby eventually lets go of her feelings about jenny and realizes they were a real jerk and weirdo to her. brad helps them through that and eventually her realizing she's trans. blah blah they in love and kiss at some point. - Shelby is also a furry lmaooo her fursona is a cat.

Brad: - bisexual cis man (he/him) - Still his old brad self if i'm being honest. - totally forgot to say i think all 3 of them go off to college together (even though jenny doesn't have to i feel like she would prob want to just for the experience, but tell me if you think differently i'm still unsure) - i really don't know what else to say sorry brad! he's literally just as silly as ever man. he's just also gay - i will say here i feel it takes a lot longer for shelby and brad to start dating then jenny and vega. they got that slow burn kinda shit going on, since a lot of that is shelby being confused about her feelings. and jenny and vega just hit it off right away if im being honest, very high school sweethearts. - (also i think shelby makes brad make a fursona to match hers, so brad got a dog fursona)

Vega: - Lesbian cis (she/her) - That ending of her just ruling cluster prime was just so crazy to me cause like, aint she like 16? - i think she has a lot of stressed nights and fearing she's not doing the right thing for her people, and jenny tries to help as much she can - that is why jenny visits so much, she wants to help her. - very much got those nights were she accidently falls asleep at her desk, jenny finding her and giving her a blanket and a kiss goodnight - it's not like she's unhappy, she is actually very very passionate about her work and wants to NOT be like her mom - and yeah she deffo goes to robo therapy for the stuff with her mom. - i think it's a conflict where vega is scared her mom is gonna come back and jenny has to reassure her that if she does they'll get rid of her for good.

imma be honest a lot of my hcs are pretty half-baked and random things, im sure im going to think of more stuff in the future but that will be in different posts.