#and the moments after diana is rescued

[sheswoven]

i have major bones to pick with every 'parental' figure in diana's life . the smallest bone , though , goes to ysabeau .

[ghostbsuter]

Wonder MOM ( part 1 )

Happenings/mentions of:

Child abuse, possible trafficking, kidnapping and blood!

Nothing is explicit.

.・゜-: ✧ :-

Someone was in that cage.

Controlled anger aside, Batman made sure his footsteps were to be heard, speaking slow and calm as he approached and slid off the cloth.

"Everything will be okay now, are you–?"

With the cloth aside, Batman got a good look at the unconscious person inside.

He knows that face.

Thats—!!

"B! B, can you hear me?" Oracle calls, considering no one else seems to talk, he assumes Barbara put them into a private line.

"I'm here, Oracle." He answers easily, hands gripping the lock and fishing out the familiar pick-locking equipment.

"You went silent for a moment there, B, we got worried."

He gives a grunt at that, ripping the cage bars open and carefully checking for a pulse.

It's there, barely.

"Oracle, call Agent a to prepare, I'm bringing someone over."

"Got it. B, be careful, please."

Bringing the teen, the same age as his youngest, out of the cage seemed a bit harder than thought.

With some manoeuvring and carefully placed feet, the big Bat brings them both out in one swoop, tight on his hold.

His head rolls to the side, groggily blinking awake and peering up to Batman.

"Batsy?"

"Sleep, I'm getting you out of here."

"...knew you'd find me." Messy black hair hides the way he squishes his own face into Batman's side.

"Mom's probably very worried..." he gives an awkward laugh, throat dry and burning with the move.

The movement and warmth lulled him into sleep quite easily.

(Batman's expression, even if stony and blank, covered in a dark veil, anyone can see the carefully hidden layer of fury.)

—

Patrol was cut short that night, the boy in Alfred's care, and Bruce didn't hesitate calling Diana immediately after.

"Hello—"

"I found him."

Diana, Wonder Woman, remained silent upon the response, a quite inhale echoing through the call.

"They brought him all the way to Gotham?"

The man nods despite knowing Diana wouldn't see, giving a verbal answer after.

"I have a report of all injuries he has been subjected to. I'll send you the list."

There is a moment of silence before a sharp hiss from Diana comes through.

"They took his blood–?!"

"Not much from what Alfred gathered, but enough to get a running supply for their... plans."

"I'm coming over. Bruce, you and I both know the dangers of his blood in the wrong hands."

"Let's discuss this once you're here, Diana. Safe travels."

With a click and the call ended.

One look, and he has the eyes of most birds and bats on him already.

"The boy. You know him." Damian steps forward, arms crossed and cape off. The others must have come back not long ago and eavesdropped on his conversation.

"I do."

(The fact he doesn't elaborate nor does anyone either speak up is quite hilarious, wasn't it for the situation.)

The silence goes on, eyes sweeping over Stephanie's furrowed, thoughtful expression, Tim's calculating gaze, cass's curious yet open body language, duck's suspicious raised eyebrow and Damian's 'I dare you' scowl.

At least they didn't wake duke with their commotion.

"What's going on?" Jinxed, Duke himself comes down the stairs in his sleeping clothes, yawning.

"Duke, you're supposed to sleep."

"Sorry, sorry, apparently family drama is happening, and they needed more support." He jerks his hand towards the gaggle of vigilante children(1)/teens/one adult that is only an adult because of age laws.

Bruce suppresses a sigh.

There's a giggle to the side which gathers the attention of everyone.

Around the same height of damian, slightly thinner, is the teen B rescued not long ago. And who should not be awake either.

Alfred gives a smile, arm out stretched to support him on his way to the batclan, eyening his form with tapt attention.

"Batsy!" Ignoring the snorts and coos, Bruce nods back.

"Danny." The kid grins broadly, approaching.

He gives a wave to the other, attention solely on Bruce however.

"Is my mom coming?"

"Yes, she is on her way."

"Wonderful!"

He claps, arms bandaged to his throat, sickly pale and absolutely looking like prime adoption bait.

Cass approaches, hands ready to sign the most wnated question of everyone in the room and Bruce is already feeling the words of denial at the tip of his tongue.

'New br—'

"No."

Cass isn't backing down, expression only getting more determined.

'Honorary brother?'

He doesn't stop the sigh escaping, especially when Danny jumps up at the words with glee.

"Yes! Honorary!"

She seems very pleased with that, holding her hand out for a silent request, qnd once approved, gave a nice headpat.

"I'm actually surprised you didn't tell your kids of me, batsy." Danny side eyes the man, grinning mischievous.

"It slipped my mind."

(No, he doesn't break under the gaze of every person's disbelief stare directed at him. He stronger than that.)

(B did avoid meeting anyone's eyes tho.)

"Wait, so who is the moth—"

A green portal opens in the middle of the cave, and it has the most tense and drawing weapons.

Wonder woman stepped through.

"That answers my question then."

"Mom!"

Diana swooped him up, holding him closer and ducking her head into his black hair.

The Lady peers up at Bruce with a smile. "Thank you."

Her attention shifts to the child. "Frostbite will be expecting us, are you doing good enough to walk or should I–"

"I'm okay! I can walk!" Danny puffs his chest to prove it, giving her a reassuring smile.

Diana's brows knit together in worry. "Very well." She accepts, reluctant. She leads him to the still open veil of green, nodding towards pennyworth and both bid their goodbyes.

For now that is.

The portal closes.

"So, how were we originally supposed to know about Diana having a son??"

"HIS MOM IS WONDER WOMAN????"

"I'm so glad this isn't another adoptive brother. Honorary is good enough."

"HOW COULD YOU KEEP THIS FROM US, B!!!"

"Does that mean we have a miniature Trinity of the originals?"

[lvrdrafts]

Crumbs of Cinnamon, Mended Hearts

Summary: You are in the hospital after an attempted suicide but you feel less alone than ever

Pairing: Bucky x f!Reader

Warnings: Mentions of suicide

A/N: Imma make a part 4 cus I wanna make Bucky suffer

Part 1 Part 2 Part 4

You were at an all-time low, you couldn’t imagine a life without Bucky and it made you miserable.  You started to have fewer customers since the negative attitude in the bakery was not one that made people want to come back.  You couldn’t go back to your family, they thought the bakery was a bad idea in the first place and you could already imagine the shame on their face.  You were all alone with no friends, family, and work.

You didn’t have enough money to pay for rent for the bakery or your home and now you were forced to sell your dream store.  You felt as if your whole world was crumbling from one man.

Bucky had noticed your bakery had now been for sale and he was seeing you in the apartment less and less.  He was starting to worry about you but every night Diana helped him forget about those worries.  So the worry became more of a task put on hold.

You didn’t want to bear the pain anymore so you decided to end it.  You had went to the bridge at the park at midnight.  You didn’t want to be saved or seen.

You felt the whole world slow down, the cold breeze hitting your shoulder. As you jumped you felt your life flashed before you. The instant your body was completely submerged, you froze. The panic talking a complete hold of you.  You realized you didn’t want to die but it was too late.  As your eyes were beginning to close but you saw someone ,a man with wings, an angel, dive into the water.  Then it all went black and you feel as if your body has given up.

At the hospital Sam was pacing around, worried if he was not quick enough to save you.  That’s when Bucky came in asking everyone where you were.

“I’m gone for two weeks and I’m flying back home to see my best friend committing suicide.  How the fuck does that happen” Sam yells at Bucky trying to hold back his anger as much as possible.

“I fucked up.  I fucked up so bad and I pushed her away and I acted like a dick and I-“ Bucky starts ranting on but Sam ignores him.  Sam had finally gotten on good terms with Bucky but it all seemed to crumble. 

As Sam was about to comment, the Doctor came in and said you are able to get visits.  Sam rushes in to see you.

“y/n/n what the fuck where you thinking. You scared the hell out of me" Sam admitted, his voice cracking with emotion.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she replied, "I'm sorry, Sam. I didn't mean to put anyone in danger. I just... I felt overwhelmed. I don't even know how I'm alive, it's like an angel rescued me. I don't know if it was real or just my mind playing tricks on me." you chuckle laughing at that foolish thought.

Sam looked at you with a gentle smile, hiding the truth behind his eyes. "That sounds like quite an experience. Sometimes, our minds can create extraordinary things in moments of distress. But what matters is that you're here, safe and sound."

Sam cleared his throat, looking at you with a mix of relief and affection. "Y/n, I can't tell you how happy I am that you're alive and getting better. I was so scared when I found out what happened, and I couldn't bear the thought of losing you."

Sam's eyes glistened with emotion, and he squeezed your hand gently. "You're a strong person, y/n, and you've been through so much. But I want you to know that you don't have to face anything alone. I have a friend who has a friend who is willing to pay for your bakery and I can help around the bakery." Sam says putting his hand on your shoulder as you look in his eyes thinking how lucky you were to have him "You don't have to do this alone."

Sam's grip on your hand tightened, and he looked into your eyes with such intensity that it took your breath away. "Y/n, I can't bear the thought of losing you," he confessed, his voice trembling with emotion. "When I found out you got hurt I realized how much you mean to me, how much I care about you."

"I was so worried, and I couldn't stop thinking about all the things I wanted to tell you," Sam continued, his vulnerability shining through. "If something had happened to you, and I never got the chance to say it, I would regret it for the rest of my life. So, here it is: I love you, y/n, with all my heart. And I promise to always be here for you, no matter what."

"I... I feel the same way, Sam," you replied, your voice filled with emotion. "You've been there for me through everything, and I can't thank you enough for that. You mean so much to me."

Sam smiled, relief was evident in his eyes. "I'm so glad you feel the same way, Y/N. I want to be here for you"

Before the two of you could say more, Sam's phone suddenly rang, interrupting the moment. He gave you an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, I need to take this call. I'll be right back."

As Sam stepped out to take the call, you were left alone in the room with your thoughts. That's when the door opened, and Bucky entered quietly. His expression was one of remorse, and he seemed to hesitate before speaking.

"Y/N, I... I'm sorry," Bucky said, his voice filled with genuine regret. "I should have been there for you, and I should have realized what you were going through. I didn't mean to push you away, and I'm so sorry for not being the friend you needed."

You looked at Bucky, feeling a mix of emotions. Part of you wanted to hear his apology and accept it, but another part of you couldn't forget the pain of his rejection. You remained silent, not knowing what to say.

"I know I messed up, and I don't expect you to forgive me," Bucky continued, his voice filled with sadness. "But I just wanted you to know that I truly am sorry."

Before you could respond, Sam returned to the room, and you could sense the tension between him and Bucky. Sam looked at Bucky for a moment, then at you, his expression softening.

As Sam noticed the lingering tension in the room, he gently squeezed your hand and looked towards the door. "Hey, I think Y/N might need some alone time right now," he suggested, giving Bucky an understanding look.

Bucky glanced at you, his expression conflicted, but he nodded in agreement. "You're right," he said softly, his eyes never leaving yours. "I'll give her some space."

As Bucky turned to leave, you felt a mix of emotions, unsure of what to say or do. Before you could say anything, Sam leaned closer, cupping your face gently with his hand, and pressed a soft kiss on your lips.

Bucky paused for a moment, his hand on the doorknob, and then he turned back to look at you one last time. His expression was a mix of sadness and frustration, and without saying a word, he slammed the door shut behind him.

The hours passed, and Sam stayed by your side, offering quiet companionship and support. Eventually, the fatigue of the day caught up with you, and your eyes grew heavy.

"I think it's time for you to rest," Sam said softly, seeing the exhaustion in your eyes. "I'll be right here if you need anything."

You nodded, feeling grateful for his presence. "Thank you, Sam. You've been amazing," you murmured, already feeling yourself drift off to sleep.

Sam smiled tenderly, brushing a strand of hair away from your face. "Sleep well, Y/N," he whispered, his voice a soothing lullaby. "I'll be here when you wake up."

Taglist

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[nileqt87]

Jamie McCrimmon in Tales of the TARDIS

The most special thing that's come out of Doctor Who in years. But the most important return for me will always be Frazer Hines as Jamie McCrimmon. I want him back in a full episode. His story is so rich for a return that could only involve the Doctor (and/or the TARDIS), as well as not only having clear parallels to Donna Noble's mind wipe, but also being the Classic companion who most meant it that he'd never have left the Doctor willingly and would've followed him until the end.

For the record, this Jamie was the inspiration for Jamie Fraser (note the actor's first name being Frazer) in Outlander, as The War Games (my favorite Classic serial) was what Diana Gabaldon was watching when she came up with her idea, which is arguably Doctor Who fanfiction that 'ships time-traveling highlander Jamie McCrimmon with that serial's WWI nurse, Lady Jennifer. Frazer Hines is well aware of being the inspiration and even cameo'd.

Jamie was not only the longest-serving companion in Doctor Who history (yes, even more episodes than the Brigadier, though Sarah Jane beats him with her spinoff) with his 116 episodes (1966-1969, 1983 and 1985) and this short (2023), but he's also one of the greatest examples of the Doctor's closest and most-beloved companions not necessarily being chosen for being the most "equal" (the idea that companions from humble or easily-belittled beginnings like Jamie, Jo, Leela, Rose, Donna, etc…, who all struggled with insecurity over their worth due to their backgrounds, are his intellectual inferiors and thus not as worthy or appropriate as non-human companions like Romana or River, or even human genius Zoe here, for the Doctor to love--which is an insult to the Doctor and what he fell in love with humanity for), but for being the most human, genuine, loyal and loving as well as brave. This is one thing that Russell T Davies understood so well and Steven Moffat didn't quite get.

Jamie was hardly afraid to call the Doctor out when he disagreed or thought the Doctor had callously gone too far, by the way. Just watch/listen to The Evil of the Daleks for that, which is where the Doctor manipulates Jamie's very humanity to get him to rescue Victoria from the Daleks along with him being the source of the "human factor" used to create human-Dalek hybrids. Jamie's desperate, heartbroken, unrequited reaction (sadly, reduced to just audio, which captures the sound of a kiss) to Victoria's departure likewise puts to bed the idea that sentimental emotionalism and the Doctor dealing with companion reactions at their most human began in the Russell T Davies era.

Jamie certainly was more of a skirt chaser, albeit quite innocent, than you'd assume would be depicted in Classic Who! As much as Ian and Barbara, and then Ben and Polly, were depicted as couples in the TARDIS, they never got such an explicit declaration of feelings as Jamie's in Fury from the Deep.

Jo is the Classic companion who arguably admitted to having feelings for the Doctor himself, describing Cliff Jones as a younger version of the Doctor for why she's choosing him. These shorts allude to this moment as well, though frame it in retrospect as Jo having chosen Cliff over the Doctor, despite her arguably having more of a basis for feelings towards the Doctor than Sarah Jane in School Reunion and her inability to move on (highlighted beautifully when she walked down the aisle alone after her wedding day betrayal, only to be comforted by the Doctor, not to mention her adopting all the children she never had), which made her a mirror to Rose's future. Jo is thus a mirror to Sarah Jane as the companion arguably in love with the Doctor in a not-so-platonic way who moved on and found real love vs. one who didn't move on until it was too late, and who was likewise a mirror to Rose, who is famous for being the companion most explicitly in love with the Doctor to the extent that her moving on involved ending up with the Doctor's Metacrisis (but ultimately choosing him, their daughter Mia and a human life over the Eighth and Eleventh Doctors in Empire of the Wolf).

The Second Doctor's favoritism of Jamie extended so far as to go back for him (quite rare for the Doctor) when he was forced to work for the Time Lord Celestial Intervention Agency (season 6b, which isn't so much a theory anymore) and the reaction towards Jamie was probably the most cuddly and warm the Sixth Doctor (to the extent that the turbulent relationship with Peri got a little better for that one serial because of Jamie's presence) sadly ever got on screen before Big Finish salvaged the era. Jamie always brings out of the best in the Doctor and what the Doctor loves humanity the most for.

That Frazer Hines was so genuinely close to Patrick Troughton in real life (they were quite the mischievous pair, often sneaking gags in past the censors in addition to their pranks!) comes across so beautifully in every voice impression of his old friend and through his portrayal of Jamie whose love for and wish to have never left the Doctor is unquestionable.

Obviously, there was that fear of what he had left to return to, but also his belief that he needed to be there to protect the Doctor, which he always took it upon himself to do. Jamie would no doubt get along very well with the Brigadier (whose first story was with Jamie), Leela and Ace in their willingness towards protective violence, not to mention Ian and Rory often facing having to fill that role a little more reluctantly. And most of all, one of the deepest, most-loving friendships among Doctor and companion. Yes, there is exactly one iteration of the Doctor whose closest, most-favorite companion (that tendency towards favoritism was already there) was unambiguously not any of the female ones and was an even firmer break from the Doctor's old model of replacing his granddaughter with a relationship that felt far more like friends/partners in crime with a hint of fatherliness or mad uncle. And of course, this twin mop-topped Odd Couple fit in nowhere. Jamie was as out-of-place and "alien" as the Doctor wherever the TARDIS landed.

And given where he was sent back to by the Time Lords, his future without his memories looked pretty dire. His immediate return involved being being shot at, hanged, put on a slave ship by the Redcoats or fleeing to France--which was the context of his situation when the Doctor saved his life and he walked into the TARDIS when he was a piper from the Battle of Culloden in 1746 who could neither swim or read, and who was as likely to call an airplane a "flying beastie" as calling a Cyberman "the Phantom Piper", and then was returned to that sans all memories but for his first adventure before entering the TARDIS.

Obviously, Russell T Davies has given Jamie quite a happier ending than his tragic comic fate in The World Shapers in which old Jamie has finally gotten his memories back, but his family (he married Kirsty McLaren, daughter of the laird whom he was a humble, orphaned piper for, from The Highlanders) has abandoned him over it and he rapidly ages to death in sacrifice. The Tenth Doctor also had a comic companion named Heather McCrimmon (descended from those five daughters, but still retains the surname!) who still carried her ancestor's Artron radiation energy from the TARDIS. I would love to see Jamie meet Heather, who would be awesome to see realized on screen.

[book--brackets]

The Chronicles of Faerie by O. R. Melling (1993-2003)

American Gwen and her Irish cousin, Findabhair, have long planned a summer of backpacking around Ireland, visiting sites out of the old legends of fairy folk. Little do they know that it is the summer of the Hunter's Moon, a dangerous time for mortals who meddle with the kingdom of Faerie. One night, camping out on old ruins, Finn is kidnapped by the Faerie king, who wants her for a bride and possible sacrifice. It is up to Gwen, the more indecisive of the two, to rescue her cousin.

The Farsala Trilogy by Hilari Bell (2003-2006)

Stories are told of a hero who will come to Farsala's aid when the need is greatest. But for thousands of years the prosperous land of Farsala has felt no such need, as it has enjoyed the peace that comes from being both feared and respected.

Now a new enemy approaches Farsala's borders, one that neither fears nor respects its name and legend. But the rulers of Farsala still believe that they can beat any opponent.

Three young people are less sure of Farsala's invincibility. Jiaan, Soraya, and Kavi see Time's Wheel turning, with Farsala headed toward the Flames of Destruction. What they cannot see is how inextricably their lives are linked to Farsala's fate -- until it's too late.

Everworld by K. A. Applegate (1999-2001)

David’s life was pretty normal. School. Friends. Girlfriend. Actually, Senna was probably the oddest aspect of his life. She was beautiful. Smart. But there was something very different about her. Something strange.

And on the day it began, everything happened so quickly. One moment, Senna was with him. The next, she was swallowed up by the earth, her screams echoing from far, far away. David couldn’t just let her go. Neither could the others. His friends—and hers. So, they followed. And found themselves in a world they could have never imagined. 

Now they have to find Senna and get home without losing their lives. Or their minds. Or both…

The Wizard Knight by Gene Wolfe (2004)

A young man in his teens is transported from our world to a magical realm that contains seven levels of reality. Very quickly transformed by magic into a grown man of heroic proportions, he takes the name Able and sets out on a quest to find the sword that has been promised to him, a sword he will get from a dragon, the one very special blade that will help him fulfill his life ambition to become a knight and a true hero.

Inside, however, Able remains a boy, and he must grow in every sense to survive the dangers and delights that lie ahead in encounters with giants, elves, wizards, and dragons.

Star Wars: Jedi Apprentice by Dave Wolverton and Jude Watson (1999-2002)

Twelve-year-old Obi-Wan Kenobi desperately wants to be a Jedi Knight. After years at the Jedi Temple, he knows the power of the lightsaber and the Force. But he cannot control his own anger and fear. Because of this, the Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn will not take him on as a Padawan apprentice.

Now Obi-Wan is about to have his first encounter with true evil. He must face off against unexpected enemies--and face up to his own dark wishes.

Only then can his education as a Jedi truly begin.

Skylark by Meagan Spooner (2012-2014)

For fifteen years, Lark Ainsley waited for the day when her Resource would be harvested and she would finally be an adult. After the harvest she expected a small role in the regular, orderly operation of the City within the Wall. She expected to do her part to maintain the refuge for the last survivors of the Wars. She expected to be a tiny cog in the larger clockwork of the city.     Lark did not expect to become the City's power supply.     For fifteen years, Lark Ainsley believed in a lie. Now she must escape the only world she's ever known...or face a fate more unimaginable than death.

Westmark by Lloyd Alexander (1981-1984)

When Theo agrees to print a traveling showman's pamphlet, he only thinks of the money it will bring in. Instead, it sets off a chain reaction that results in the smashing of the press and the murder of his master. Caught on the wrong side of the law, Theo must flee the city. Soon, he has teamed up with the traveling showman Count Las Bombas (who is actually a con artist) and his servant. The trio is soon joined by Mickle, a clever, strong-willed girl with a mysterious past. Performing feats that astound and amaze, the motley crew falls into a trap set by Chief Minister Cabbarus, who is determined to wrest power from the grief-stricken king. Now they must not only save themselves-they must save the kingdom...

The Goblin Wood by Hilari Bell (2003-2011)

One terrible day, Makenna, a young hedgewitch, witnesses her mother's murder at the hands of their own neighbors. Stricken with grief and rage, Makenna flees the village that has been her home. In the wilds of the forest, she forms an unexpected alliance. Leading an army of clever goblins, Makenna skillfully attacks the humans, now their shared enemy.

What she doesn't realize is that the ruling Hierarchy is determined to rid the land of all magical creatures, and they believe Makenna is their ultimate threat - so they have sent a young knight named Tobin into the Goblin Wood to entrap her.

In this captivating fantasy adventure, the difference between Bright and Dark magic is as deceptive as our memories, hopes, and fears -- and the light of loyalty and friendship has a magic all of its own.

A young hedgewitch, an idealistic knight, and an army of clever goblins fight against the ruling hierarchy that is trying to rid the land of all magical creatures.

Hexwood by Diana Wynne Jones (1993)

When Controller Borasus receives a strange letter from Earth he is both curious and alarmed. Someone has activated an ancient machine and is using it for most trivial purposes. Surely no one would dare to tamper with Reigner seals in this way? Yet the effects of such interference resonate throughout the universe, so he decides to go to Hexwood Farm to investigate…

On Hexwood Estate, Ann watches the mysterious comings and goings with interest. She knows something deadly is going on – or is Hexwood simply altering her too?

Guides for Dating Vampires by D. N. Bryn (2022-present)

Vincent Barnes has suffered four years as a vampire, and they’ve been the most miserable years of his pathetic life. Too poor for black market blood, he feeds from sleeping humans to survive. He tries to never intrude on the same prey twice, but after a single delicious taste of a long-lost childhood neighbor, he can’t help returning for seconds.

Wesley Garcia has been waking up with fang marks. Lucky for him, he needs a vampire—to use as bait. He’s certain Vitalis-Barron Pharmaceutical killed his mother, but to gain access to their covert research labs, he has to bring them a bloodsucker for their experiments. 

Step one, a dramatic offer: Stay, and you can bite me. 

Vincent leaps at the chance to gobble Wesley up.

Wes’s plan is perfect. He’ll befriend the vampire, then trick him into coming to the lab. No fighting, no fuss. But Vincent is more than Wesley has bargained for: sweet and shy, with intoxicating fangs that awaken new desires in Wes. As the two bond, Vincent believes he might have finally found someone worth putting his trust in... and Wes fears neither of them will survive the betrayal he has planned.

[florart98]

Jackson Lamb in season three.

I just finished my rewatch of the third season for a fanfic I'm thinking about. And I can't stop thinking about Lamb and his whole reaction to Standish's kidnapping.

Lamb is the first to realize that Standish didn't show up for work, and he quickly understands that this means something bad happened, because she never arrives late without warning, nor does her cell phone run out of battery, nor does she take the tube to come. He is worried, even angry at River for not following Donovan when he bumped into him the previous afternoon. (Although it is normal for him to get angry with River, in this case it is more exaggerated than normal, how would River know that they wanted to kidnap Catherine)

Throughout the season Lamb is violent about getting Catherine back, from the first moment when River doesn't dare to tell him that he saw Donovan before and Lamb says:

Or when Louisa calls him to tell him that everything indicates that Catherine was kidnapped, she asks why anyone would do that, and Lamb responds:

And when they release River, he asks him what you would have done if you got this photo and he says:

There's a great moment where he and Chapman are in the laundromat, Chapman offers him a drink and Lamb declines.

Chapman's face when he tell him that they took Standish seems perfect to me, because he knows Lamb, he knows how he defends his people, and, of all his people, they took Catherine. This is big. Catherine is not just anyone.

Then, when he discovers that Catherine is not in real danger, he is visibly calmer, at least for a few minutes, until he discovers that the Tiger Team has revealed itself and now Catherine really is a hostage.

We have that great moment where he gets into Sly's car and then into Judd's lunch. He is so angry that he talks to more and more powerful people until someone brings Standish back to him. But that doesn't happen and he has to go look for her himself. Thanks to the help of Standish herself, who pointed to the wall in her kidnapped photo, Roddy is able to discover where they are keeping her locked up.

So Lamb spends all day doing everything he can to get to Standish back. And he himself is going to rescue her

And he arrives and she's sitting there playing scrabble. After he home-aloneing the house and getting out of there, comes the big fight and the big reveal.

When they are in the car with Standish, just before the fight at the gas station starts, she talks to Roddy and tells him that she knows how to read people and Lamb makes fun of her. (referring to how he has no idea what Charles did)

When they park at the station, Lamb is upset, not angry, he's not yelling like he usually does, but instead he's silent, which is why she says he never wants to talk about anything.

I think Lamb is upset because he spent all day trying to find her but when he gets there she only talks about Charles. And I understand that he hates Charles, the man betrayed them and because of him his companions died. But you have to understand that Catherine doesn't know anything about that, in her eyes he is the perfect man who extended a hand to her when everyone abandoned her.

Catherine has no idea that Charles was worse than Ingrid or Diana, for her he was an honorable man, and Lamb hates that, he hates that she has him on a pedestal, so, knowing that he is going to hurt her, he tells her the truth that he had been hiding from her for years. And not only does he tell her that Charles betrayed them all, but he also used her.

Also, it really bothers him that she says Charles was an honorable man, because he wasn't. And Lamb may be many things but he truly has honor, he will never betray his people, and he would do whatever is necessary to save them.

So, in my opinion, Lamb didn't think about it, not really, he was tired, he was angry with Charles's betrayal and with Standish for admiring him so much, that he needed to break that illusion in her. I think at the end of the day he regrets doing it. He really does, as he tells Judd, Standish runs my diary, now I don't know what he'll do without her. He did everything to find her and when he finds her, he loses her.

Special mention for Marcus saying what we all think:

[aviolettrose]

So I once posted an idea about the Arkham Knight timeline, and I have another idea for it

(Triggerwarnings for mentioned SA, vomit and things you shouldn't do with it, and torture)

(It will get dark, I'm not going into detail but the stuff is still dark)

(please look out for your own safety and scroll further as soon as you get uncomfortable)

Bruce rescues Jason after locking the Joker up into Blackgate.

The Joker taunted that B's little bird doesn't scream like he used to, and Bruce just freezes and goes to Arkham where he finds Jason completely injured and unresponsive.

Bruce brings Jason to the Justice League Station (because he doesn't trust anyone else more with his son at the moment), and there he gets the needed medical attention.

Jason needs a wheelchair, he can't use his hands properly (he also has different kind of injuries), and he doesn't really talk to anyone (only to:

-Diana, because she was his childhood hero and she's the only thing that never changed in his entire life;

- Barbara, because it's his fault she is in a wheelchair she was the first person that he trusted when he moved into the manor (because she's a woman and he only trusted women back than due to trauma he got by men in Crime Alley) and it greated an special bond between them;

and

- Alfred because it's Alfred).

The younger members try to get him to talk but Jason looks at them empty as if he doesn't really believe that they're there with him and it freaks them out.

Jason can't really eat. After just eating either rotten food or living things (like mice), his gut can't keep normal food in (it's normal actually, when the gut gets only weird things or nothing, it needs time to accept normal food, that's why you have to eat light food at first like chicken, rice and so on).

Dick and his team (either the Titans or the young justice team, whoever you prefer, tbh) tried to eat with him once, but Jason threw up into the trashbin. He was only able to because Dick saw that something was wrong and caught on, on time, and held the bin.

(Jason had a panic attack afterward because he thought that they're going to force him to eat it, like they did)

Then Dinah tries a therapy session, but he just looks her deep in the eyes and says , "The last therapist I saw graped me. Are you going to grape me too?"

Dinah tries to gain his trust by saying stuff like, "I would never do something, you don't want to. If you want, I can talk to Diana and ask her if she can be with us as your support. Do you rather wanna talk to her instead of me? "

However Jason just replies,

"If I ask you to kill me and to finally release me from my pain, would you do it?"

And Dinah just excuses herself, and as she leaves the room, because tears threaten to come out of her eyes and she can't cry in front of a patient.

(She cries because Jason is a child, let's say about 14 or 15, he came to Arkham when he was 13, and he shouldn't ask people to k¡ll him)

(Jason also leaves the room after her because he knew that she was lying and wouldn't help him. No one wants to help him)

Clark once wanted to help him with his physiotherapy, and Jason just started to scream at him that he should leave, but Clark didn't leave, so Jason started to crush this man's mentality with question.

"Why won't you leave me alone?! Did you enjoy it so much to hear me suffer that you want an encore?"

"Did you like the way I threw the rotten food up? Or how they fed me with rats and cockroaches?"

"Did you enjoy it to hear me scream when he pulled out my nails?"

"Did you enjoy it to hear me getting waterboarded and electrocuted?"

"Did you enjoyed my screams when they graped me? I bet it get you off. Did you listened to me getting g@ng graped while you slept with your wife?"

And Clark Kent, Superman himself, started to cry, knelt down on his knees and started to apologize to Jason, (who sat in his wheelchair and just looked at him with so, so, so much hate) telling him that he hadn't heard him the whole time and that if he did he would have been the first person to show up to help.

But he wasn't the one who showed up and rescued him.

It was his dad

Bruce

Batman.

He doesn't know how to feel about Bruce. Yes, he rescued him, but he is also the reason he was there, but he replaced him after three months, as if he meant nothing.

Jason hates Tim.

He calls Tim pretender and taunts him every time he sees him.

"Do you really believe that you're soo much better than me?"

"It's just a question of time when he replaces you, like he did with Dickiebird and me."

"You're nothing special."

(In reality, he tries to get Tim to quit so he doesn't end up like Jason)

(And it hits Tim really hard because he admires Jason, and Tim tried to tell Jason that if he wants Robin back, he can, but Jason just scoffs because no one should be Robin. Robin died in Arkham, and that's it.)

(Here's a list of all the torture that happened, I got it sent by @caramel----comforter (<3), so please look take a look by both blogs if you've time)

[is-on-its-way]

In the name of the Father, the Skeptic and the Son

Episodes: One Son/ Two Fathers

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Epilogue

·˚ ༘ ༊*·˚·˚ ༘ ☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟﾟ･༘ ☾･ﾟ⋆･ﾟ:⋆·˚ ༘ ˚·˚·༊ ༘ ˚·⋆:ﾟ･⋆ﾟ･*☾ ༘⋆:ﾟ･⋆ ☾ ༘ ˚·˚·*༊ ༘ ˚·

Chapter 3: A place to find a common ground

He wondered what he should say. He’d given her the space she’d requested but it had been four days. Four days of worry and regret and sleeplessly going through old case files and internet forums to pass the time hoping she would call. Hoping she wouldn’t give up and walk away from… him.

·˚ ༘ ༊*·˚·˚ ༘ ☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟﾟ･༘ ☾･ﾟ⋆･ﾟ:⋆·˚ ༘ ˚·˚·༊ ༘ ˚·⋆:ﾟ･⋆ﾟ･*☾ ༘⋆:ﾟ･⋆ ☾ ༘ ˚·˚·*༊ ༘ ˚·

He entered the anteroom to Skinners office and nodded at Arlene who pursed her lips at him. He glanced at the couch and saw Scully sitting there, reading a book. She was dressed more casually than he’d ever seen her at work. She had on high cut jeans with a black belt and penny. loafers. A silky white blouse was tucked in and a black jacket with the sleeves pushed up over top. Her hair was undone. It had a windswept curled look he remembered from the times it had dried after they’d been caught in the rain. Mulder did a double take. She was, if possible, even more attractive in this small rebellion. She gave off an air of nonchalance he wished he possessed at the moment.  

He sat down on the far side of the couch and she glanced at him quickly before going back to her book. He wondered what he should say. He’d given her the space she’d requested but it had been four days. Four days of worry and regret and sleeplessly going through old case files and internet forums to pass the time hoping she would call. Hoping she wouldn’t give up and walk away from… him. He couldn’t hang it on the x files anymore, they were probably here to get fired. Although he didn’t know why Kersh hadn’t called them in to do it. He was sure he’d take special pleasure in the task. Maybe Skinner had requested to do it because he wanted to be the one to let them down easily.

Arlene hung up the phone with a click and announced “Director Skinner will see you now.”

They stood and Mulder waited for Scully to enter Skinners office first. They sat down in their regular chairs and waited as Skinner read through some paperwork. He’d barely looked up when they entered. They waited for him to finish. Scully rested her head in her hand. Mulder fidgeted. Skinner looked up from his paperwork finally and said “Agent Mulder, Agent Scully.”

“Morning sir” Scully said.

Mulder nodded.

“I have good news and other news.” 

“Do we get to pick what you tell us first?” Mulder said sarcastic.

Skinner looked at him and said “No”.

Mulder raised his eyebrows. 

“Agent spender is missing. Presumed dead.” Skinner said seriously.

“What?” Scully said shocked.

“How do you know?” Mulder sat up in his chair.

“We didn’t find a body but there was enough blood at the scene to assume.”

“Was the blood tested against his DNA?” Scully asked. 

“Yes.”

“When did this happen? Where did this happen?” Mulder said.

Skinner grimaced and glanced at them “The janitor found the scene in the x files office the day Agent Spender resigned.”

Scully put her hand over her mouth. 

Mulder said “It was his father.”

Skinner raised an eyebrow “While that may be, there is no evidence of that and even if there was…” He didn’t continue but they both understood. There would be no justice here. Mulder shook his head and sighed.

“What about Diana?” he asked and he could feel Scully shift in her chair.

“She contacted the office, she only just escaped trying to rescue the victims in that warehouse. She wants off the x files for the time being. She’s taking an extended leave of absence.”

“Thats why I called you both in. Theres a case they were both working on. Its undercover as far as I can tell, and time sensitive.

“Wait a minute, are we back on the x files?”  Mulder asked in disbelief.

“For the time being, yes.” 

“Kersh allowed this?” Scully asked with the same incredulity.

“Kersh has washed his hands of this and kindly passed it back to me.” Skinner said voice tight.

“He dumped a shit pile on you, sir. Because he wanted to wipe his hands of responsibility of this.” Mulder said annoyed. “What does ‘for the time being’ mean?”

“It means I don’t know. Everything is up in the air right now. Those people who died in that airbase were high up members of the CIA and Department of State. Its chaos right now. Which is good for the both of you because the x files is the least of anyones worries at the moment. For now, you should consider the x files yours.

Skinner frowned, a muscle worked in his jaw.

“Agents Ramirez and Grey can fill you in, they’re Special Surveillance Group you have a meeting with them at woodies…”

“Woodies sir?” Mulder asked

“The Woodward & Lothrop Service Warehouse. It had a department store called Woodies once” Scully spoke to him for the first time. 

He glanced at her and she looked down.

“Yes. The meeting is in an hour to go over the plan, I believe they’re ready to go the day after tomorrow. It’ll take some…” he looked at them awkwardly “outfit changes.”

They both simultaneously furrowed their brows in concern.

·˚ ༘ ༊*·˚·˚ ༘ ☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟﾟ･༘ ☾･ﾟ⋆･ﾟ:⋆·˚ ༘ ˚·˚·༊ ༘ ˚·⋆:ﾟ･⋆ﾟ･*☾ ༘⋆:ﾟ･⋆ ☾ ༘ ˚·˚·*༊ ༘ ˚·

They walked towards their FBI vehicle from the garage level elevator doors. Mulder started before she could open her door. “Scully can we talk? I think we should be on the same page if we’re going to be undercover.”

She stopped and turned, leaning on the rear door of the car. She crossed her arms and looked at the ground as he stood in front of her.

Mulder started as if they had been having this conversation earlier in the day. 

“Scully you’re the only one who’s ever listened to me in any meaningful way. I asked you to call me by my last name because I felt comfortable enough with you to ask. I thought we had… an understanding, something maybe… special. But if you want to call me Fox, you can. I don’t want you to think I was insulting you by asking that.” 

She looked at him considering, then nodded her head. 

She sighed. “The smoking man was at her apartment. Don’t you find that a little suspicious?”

“Maybe a little, but Spender keeps tabs on everyone. He’s gotten a hold of me a number of times, that doesn’t mean I’m working with him.”

She bit her lip.

“And… I want to tell you this because I don’t want it getting to you some other way. She kissed me.”

Scully looked at him a blank expression on her beautiful face. “Oh my god” she said hurt etched in her voice as if all her worst fears were confirmed. “Why are you telling me this?” She looked at him bewildered.

I don’t want you to get the wrong idea if it… were to get back to you. I didn’t reciprocate, I… ”

She had tears welling in her eyes “I don’t want to know this. I don’t want to know any of this.” She backed away from him along the side of the car.

He bit his lip and considered what to say to save this situation. He was a certifiable idiot for thinking she’d appreciate this honesty, but he was more worried of it getting to her in any other way besides this. 

“Scully it wasn’t like that for me.” He said gently.

“She’s manipulating you Mulder. That woman was monitoring MUFON women. That includes me. She is part of covering up vital information that could’ve saved all of those women. The truth about what happened to them and to me.”

She was looking at him in disbelief “Those people raped my body. Stole things from me I can never get back. They broke…” she searched for how to say what she was feeling as a tear fell down her cheek “me. And they did it to hundreds of other women. I’ll never understand how you can trust her.”

“Scully you’re too close to this to be impartial.”

Her chin quivered at this and she looked directly into his eyes as she whispered “I thought it was both of us who were close to this. I thought you of all people understood what they take from us.”

“Scully” he said apologetic as she turned to open the car door. He muttered “Fuck” under his breath. “I’m sorry Scully”

She turned back to him hand on the car door. “You keep implying this is just about the x files. That this isn’t personal for us. Between us. Its wrong. You’re wrong.”  

“Don’t you think I now that.” It was his turn to be upset with her. “We’re nothing but personal Scully. I care about you more than I’ve cared about anyone in my entire life.” 

She looked stricken, caught off guard.

He took a breath and forced himself to calm “I meant that about Diana, not about us. I’m usually a good judge of character, Scully. I was right about Skinner when you were convinced he was the mole. I happen to believe its the same with Diana.”

She shook her head and with a strangled voice said “No. Not when you’re kissing each other and…” she laughed coldly.  “Its none of my business though is it. She looked away from him. “I wouldn’t want this” she motioned back and forth between them with her hand “to get too personal.” She said bitterness in her voice.  She turned and sat in the passenger seat and closed the door.

Mulder realized he was breathing heavily. Her last sentence struck him like a slap. He walked around the back of the car to the trunk. And leaned against it, letting himself calm down. He hadn’t realized Dianas connection, however opaque, to MUFON was so hurtful to her, but of course it would be. And he’d just admitted to kissing the woman she suspected of being personally involved with her case. He let her have a minute alone, then walked to the drivers side and got in. 

“Let’s just… put this on pause until we get through this case.” She said stoically. 

He had to admire her dedication to the work. “Agreed” he said. As he turned the car on and peeled out of the parking spot.

·˚ ༘ ༊*·˚·˚ ༘ ☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟﾟ･༘ ☾･ﾟ⋆･ﾟ:⋆·˚ ༘ ˚·˚·༊ ༘ ˚·⋆:ﾟ･⋆ﾟ･*☾ ༘⋆:ﾟ･⋆ ☾ ༘ ˚·˚·*༊ ༘ ˚·

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Epilogue

@today-in-fic 🌞

[fishfingersandjellybabies]

@northoftheroad: Strikhedonia, with any Batman character

Strikhedonia - The pleasure of being able to say “to hell with it”.

~~

By the time Batman arrived on scene, the battle was over. The day - world - had been saved.

And by the smallest of them, no less.

Jon and Damian had been hanging out, as young friends do, when they were attacked and kidnapped by inter-dimensional demons, hellbent on destroying the planet - and entire universe.

And somehow, in the length of time it took the Justice League to mobilize - less than an hour - the boys had rescued themselves, defeated the villains, and saved everyone and everything.

Bruce began to slow as he neared them. Jon and Damian were in the center of the crowd, Jon leaning happily into his father’s side, while Damian absolutely glowed under the praise of Wonder Woman, and Dick’s hand on his shoulder. He debated leaving them to it, heading on to deal with the more logistical things of the attack. The evidence, the clean-up, the motives, the contingencies for next time. Clark and Diana had the boys, he wasn’t needed there.

But then he felt himself stop completely. Stare towards his son, covered in blood and bruises, clearly nursing an injury on his right arm. The one pointedly not looking at Clark and Jon as Clark subtly fussed over his boy.

...To hell with it.

Without a word, Bruce practically sprinted forward. He didn’t acknowledge Dick when his eldest looked up at him. Instead kept his focus on Damian, and engulfing him in his arms as soon as he was close enough. 

Damian gave a confused hum as Bruce hooked his chin over his shoulder, clutching at the back of his head. “Father?”

“I’m so proud of you.” He whispered. After a moment, he leaned back just enough to kiss at Damian’s temple. “And I’m so glad you’re safe.”

Damian didn’t respond, other than to wrap his arms as tightly as he could around Bruce’s chest and duck his face against his throat.

It was more than enough.

[agent-troi]

after many years, I just rewatched Lazarus.

Was Mulder a bit jealous of her relationship with Jack? She does seem to be distracted with Jack when Mulder went to rescue her.

Then, when she asks Mulder "what does it mean" in reference to Jack's stopped watch, he answers "it means what you want it to mean". He doesn't give her any comfort or assurance to help her feel better.

Perhaps I have misread their interactions because I have seen the whole series and have certain expectations from Mulder. I wonder what it was like to watch this episode when it first aired and the audiences didn't know what was to come.

i think perhaps he was a little bit... maybe more curious than jealous, as i think this is the first time in the series he learns about any of scully's past romantic relationships (this was just after beyond the sea too, so maybe he begins to connect the dots re: older male authority figures).

i have to disagree about the "it means whatever you want it to mean" line tho, although i think my initial reading was more in line with yours (my thoughts on a lot of things have shifted over time through rewatches and consuming other people's meta lmao). i think he said that specifically to reassure her, because he knew she was afraid to believe willis had really been possessed by dupre, and he wanted to give her space to process that and also space to grieve, because she lost someone she cared about. whatever mulder's personal feelings about willis and scully, he's gonna show her compassion because that's just the kind of guy he is. scully did the same when mulder's old partner jerry lamana died, and even when diana died, because what matters most to both of them is the other's happiness. when one of them loses someone they care about, the other one will put aside any grudges they may have to comfort them❤️

also, when mulder says "dana, are you okay?" and "this one's important to me"🥺🥺🥺 top tier early msr moments fr❤️

[alwayschasingrainbows]

Hi, @alwayschasingrainbows. There's something I'm curious about. We know the moment when Anne realized she loved Gilbert. But we didn't see the moment when Gilbert realized he loved Anne. Have you ever thought about this? When and how do you think he noticed?

Hi! Thank you for your lovely question, dear @pinkenamelheart!

Of course, Gilbert told Anne "I’ve loved you ever since that day you broke your slate over my head in school.” But loving - and realizing that we love - are two entirely different things.

I think that Gilbert was charmed by Anne from the first moment he saw her. There was definitely something about her that caught his attention; perhaps it was her large, gray-green eyes that revealed her extraordinary character and intellect? He had certainly shown more interest in her than in the other girls, from the very beginning. Immediately after the unfortunate incident at school, during which he called Anne "Carrots", he tried to apologize to her and gain her sympathy. He gave her a candy heart, and later - an apple (both gifts were of course refused).

I think that over time this fascination turned into admiration as he saw how intelligent and persistent Anne was. He probably watched her from a distance, noticing how she blossomed and transformed from a child into a graceful and charming young girl. After Anne dyed her hair and had to cut it, he noticed that it had become darker. I think he realized how much he liked Anne when she again rejected his offers of friendship, when he rescued her from a sinking boat (or rather; from a slippery old pile).

Later, he was reciting a poem during a concert and when he got to the line: "There’s Another, not a sister,’ he looked straight at Anne. He was probably already aware of his infatuation.

I think Gilbert knew from the very beginning that Anne touched his heart in a way no one had ever touched before.

If I had to pinpoint a specific moment when Gilbert realized he had fallen in love with Anne, I would say it was when he first saw her in the brown glorria dress Matthew had given her. Anne outdid herself with her recitation talent and looked exceptionally charming.

After the show was over, Diana told Anne: "When you ran off the platform after the fairy dialogue one of your roses fell out of your hair. I saw Gil pick it up and put it in his breast pocket." It seems to me that this gesture clearly indicates that Gilbert fell head over heels in love with Anne.

Although I think he may have realized this earlier, and the process was gradual.

Thank you for your question! <3

[female-buckets]

Stewie: "You never doubt UConn or what we can do. Being at the game in January against Notre Dame, they were struggling with their depth and a lot of people needed to step up. You fast-forward to what we've seen in March and now April, I'm really proud of what they've been able to accomplish getting to this point. This is why they play. This is why they've practiced since September. I'm excited to see them leave it all on the court."

DT: "You know, there's always a moment during a season that's a reality check. For that team, that Notre Dame loss was the reality check in the sense that, 'No one is going to come to rescue you. No one is going to feel sorry for you. No one is going to care that everyone's hurt. No one cares that you have Connecticut on your jersey.' But you have to go out there and be that. Think about that moment for them — big game, big rivalry, big history against Notre Dame. They felt all that and it hurt them. It's funny, I spoke to Paige on Wednesday and she said, 'I don't want Notre Dame to happen again.' Trust me, I've had that in my life, too."

Stewie: "What Geno's been dealing with these last few years is with a lot of injuries. When I think about the injuries we dealt with in my four years it was really in my sophomore year when we had like six players at one point. Getting the players to fight, to continue to buy in to what they want to do, to understand why you're here, deal with that pressure to continue to find that greatness and chase perfection is what it's about. With this group it's different because they're fighting for each other. They're playing for the ones that can't. That's equally important. Those injured players want to be on the court but they want to make sure they continue to give out energy the best they can."

DT: "When Coach is in these situations, he digs in harder. I think the players felt that earlier in the year and they didn't like it. But he's doing it for a reason. He's doing it for Friday night. There will be 20,000 people in the building, playing against the hottest player in the country and every 3 will feel like a bomb. Are you going to be prepared for that? That's what he has done month by month. It's not easy because when Coach brings the heat it's the most pressure you'll feel as a human being, forget as a basketball player. Having to perform, having to live up to it, having to keep your head and be a great teammate, it's a life lesson you carry with you forever."

Stewie: "Paige is becoming more and more comfortable. In the beginning of the season she's getting the rust out a little bit after not playing for a year. Now she's taking matters into her own hands whether it's offensively or defensively. She's doing whatever she needs to for her team to win. At the end of the game she wants the ball in her hands offensively. Defensively, she was out there the other night guarding JuJu Watkins. That's tiring. But she didn't care. I watch Paige in a few different ways. I watch it as a fan because I want to cheer on my Huskies. But also from knowing all of the pressure that is behind Paige and the way she's able to perform her best under that pressure. That's what makes her great. To have that similarity, I miss being able to compete in March Madness. But watching her brings that back to me."

DT: "I just have so much respect for her. She could easily average 40 points per game. Instead, she's out there making sure that her teammates know that she trusts them. That's why they're here. Paige trusts every single one of her teammates at any given moment. Then in those big moments, greatness comes out. Two years ago, Paige was the best player in the world at her age. And now she's there again. It does take awhile to come back from injury. At the beginning of the year you'd watch Paige and think, 'She's not the same Paige!' Well, she hasn't played for over a year. The game of basketball is about rhythm, about consistency. When you're not on the court it is hard to have that. You see after four or five months of being on the court, being in rhythm, being in basketball shape, she looks incredible."

[aboutzatanna]

Zatanna, Wonder Woman and Barry Allen go undercover in this issue of DC Retroactive: JLA- The 70's #1 (2011) and Diana is absolutely terrible at it:

For those who don't know DC Retroactive are untold stories set in past continuities mostly by writers from those eras.

This issue was written by Carey Bates with art by Andy Smith.

(Side note: While Diana being 'bad' at going undercover is just a two page gag, it makes more sense for me that Diana, former 'Goddess of Truth' and wielder of the Lasso of True wouldn't be comfortable with secret identities. I never liked the idea of Diana needing a secret identity. )

The plot of this issue mainly revolves around Adam Strange, who is accidentally transported to Earth Prime following a fight with Kanjar Ro so Barry, Diana, Zatanna and Ollie travel to Earth Prime to rescue him while Hawkman and Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) take on the newly empowered Kanjar Ro.

Earth-Prime is basically "our world" where the JLA are all fictional characters and the writers and creators exist on that earth. It's also the world where Superboy Prime originally came from. Since Adam had his mind zapped at a mental institute, the only solution is to find DC editor and Adam Strange super fan Julius Schwartz who can jog Adam's memory.

I'm not really a fan of creators writing themselves or their collegues into the story. It feels very self congratulatory. Especially since WW's lasso could have solved the whole thing. I much prefer how Marvel did it, like an Easter Egg, where Stan and Jack would sometimes appear as themselves in issues of Fantastic Four. But I guess you can look at this issue as Carey's tribute to Schwartz. This issue also came with a reprint of Justice League of America #123 where Carey Bates wrote himself (or rather his Earth Prime counterpart) as the villain of the story.

Adam Strange himself is a character that I have mixed feelings about. He's very much a product of his time but the ordinary guy with a space suit, jetpack and helmet really appeals to the young boy in me who loved the Rocketeer. I don't think anyone has ever quite figured out how to make him relevant today. Tom King tried in his mini but it was the usual trope of 'lets reveal this innocent Silver Age character is actually a horrible person' variety of reinvention.

Anyway, enough rambling, since this is a Zatanna blog, here is a few moments with her that I like:

-The League chilling on the tower, Diana looks like she is oogling at Zee plus Hal being a Pink Floyd fan:

-Zatanna and Barry interactions plus Barry taking a leader ship role:

-This bit about mind wipes:

Knowing how much of a nerd Barry is he probably folded inside when she called him boss.

Also while this was most likely an excuse to bring in Julius Schwartz, Zatanna not tampering with minds is more in character for her during this period especially since the arc with her mom also had a subplot of her being mad that her father played with her mind. Another point deducted from Identity Crisis.

Blink and you miss it panels where the artist is clearly showing off their ability to draw human body in perspective:

And Diana wanting to take a selfie after the League defeats Kanjar Ro:

(also Diana's clearly a history geek, only a history geeks would drop random facts about Incas completely unprompted):

Overall, it's an old school issue. Very much a throwback. Still it's noteable that the writer of this issue didn't do the almost obligatory 'Zee gets gagged or taken out early so other characters can shine' plot. Every one has a role and everyone contributes their fair share to help defeat the villain.

[randomfoggytiger]

X-Files Collector's Edition: Diana Fowl(ey) Play-- Part III: More S5-S6

Diana Fowley S6 (and some S7) fics are here-- some of these are my personal foul favorites~.

Loose chronological order below~!

Canon

@gabby-msr/ScullytoyourMulder's (WBM)

A Simple Office Accessory

""These questions were left unanswered. She supposed she should have brought them up with Mulder but they didn’t really talk about exes. She knew she wasn’t eager to talk about Daniel. Not now, not ever.

She’d put up a professional front in front of the guys; she was - after all - fishing for information on her for work-related reasons. A thousand questions burned her lips, and from the looks on the Lone Gunmen’s faces, she knew that they could see right through her.

She neared the filing cabinets that stored closed cases and paused to consider them.""

The End Scully rifles through the files to dig up Diana's history. What she finds discourages her on many levels.

deslea/Deslea R. Judd's (Ao3)

The Lone Hand (Ao3) 

""We were at a nuclear power plant with documented technical difficulties overnight, Agent Spender. I just wanted to be safe."

"Jeffrey. And I notice that didn't stop you from taking a four hour drive after Mulder was apprehended."

"I was restless, Jeffrey," she said, stressing his name a little. "Gunplay does that to me.""

Post The Beginning Jeffrey Spender is sensing something off in Denmark (or in this case, Diana Fowley.) She distracts him with his disgust of Mulder.

Vignettes in 155

""She wants him to know about the path to hell, and about the good intentions that led her there. She wants him to know that she's never killed, never maimed, never betrayed another. She's never sold her body, nor forfeited her soul.

She wants him to know that it can't be stopped. She wants him to know so he will let it happen, not postpone it for a useless month or year. She wants it over for them both. She wants him to let go of the redhead, because the redhead is his fight, his struggle, and she knows she could be his rest.""

A compilation of various characters in One Son saying goodbye to the people they love-- Diana being one of them.

A Woman's Code (Ao3)

""I was pleased when Diana returned from abroad. I never wanted her to leave in the first place. She said it was for the best - that Fox would be safer this way - but she was wrong. We didn't know how wrong until that Scully woman came along.

I knew Scully was trouble the first time I saw her. When she came to me at my husband's funeral to tell me my son was alive. That stupid, interfering woman. She should have let me suffer rather than put him at risk in that way. I knew at that moment that Dana Scully would enable Fox's foolishness, not hinder it. And that was exactly what happened.""

Amor Fati Diana is in tight with Tena Mulder. The two women commiserate over Mulder's condition, and slimily plan ways to circumvent Scully and her silly little ways. It's a bit AU if you (like me) think Mulder's marriage isn't canon.

And So It Ends 1/2

""Need I remind you that it was your idea to bring me here?"

"I have days," he said with a glare, "when I wish I hadn't."

Diana snorted. "That doesn't surprise me. You're your own worst enemy, Alex."

He opened his mouth to point out that people who had to be rescued from assassins shouldn't throw stones, then thought better of it. Their bickering was nothing more than misplaced exhaustion. There was no need to make it worse."" 

AU-- S8 Diana mourns Mulder's death while helping Krycek and Marita (who are married) try to save the planet. She also gives them couple's advice.

@scullywolf’s (Ao3)

The Beginning

"He’d just gone off with her, and why wouldn’t he? She didn’t question his beliefs or demand proof before blindly charging off after phantoms in the night. Scully hadn’t forgotten the look in his eyes when she’d told him she didn’t remember what had happened in Antarctica, that she couldn’t corroborate the things he claimed to have seen. He seemed wholly unimpressed that she was trying to maintain her integrity, annoyed even. And maybe it would be easier to just go along with him, to follow where he led even when logic screamed at her that there was still no proof of anything. But she had to try; she owed it to herself to not let her judgment be clouded by the fact that some part of her was still bitterly disappointed they hadn’t been able to finish what they’d started in the hallway outside his apartment, even though another part of her was terrified about what would happen if they did.""

Scully is frustrated with Mulder; but is mildly soothed by Gibson's reassurance about her partner's clear cut feelings about Diana.

The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati

""The idea that he could ever, in a million years, turn his back on Scully is nothing short of absurd. As wonderful as it would be to find his sister, to live a life free of monsters and conspiracies, the void left by Scully’s absence would be unbearable. That he could possibly give up on her, on them, falling instead into Diana’s arms with only the barest hesitation, is simply inconceivable. Only a dream has that sort of power, the power to render mundane something so outrageous.""

Scully and a neurologist are both shocked and relieved at how little damage Mulder had from his brain surgery. But celebration is set aside when she is told the news of Diana's murder.

@scullysexual/PostApocolypticAlien's

Following Behind Him (Ao3)

""The guilt still gnawed at him for your ending up here with him. And for the pricey bill Kersh did end up sending your way for the Crump case. He wouldn’t stop breaking the rules, you knew that, but he would try to loosen the collateral damage made towards you.

“Well, have fun.” You try to make it sound as genuine as possible, no hint of snarky or jealously (though you were jealous about him getting to use braincells because you were sure your own were dying from lack of us at this point)

“I’d offer you let you come but…”

“Spending time with Diana doesn’t appeal to me?” you finish for him.

He laughs. “Yeah, something like that.""

Post Drive Scully is not jealous that Mulder is doing cases with Diana, knowing that he still needs that connection to the X-Files.

tiredmoonlight's (known as FandomsandXFiles) Someone Else

""Scully didn’t want to answer, because she trusted this woman about as far as she could throw her, but she had backed herself into a corner. “I went to look for Agent Mulder,” she said. “He needs medical attention.” 

Diana’s voice changed. “Is he okay?” 

“He will be, but I really need to talk to A.D. Skinner.” 

There was silence at the other end of the line. “I’ll see if I can find him."" 

Triangle Diana had answered Scully's call for help; but retreats seeing Scully holding Mulder's hand in the hospital.

@alldolleduppink-blog/AllDolledUpPink's

Tangerines - Chapter 6

""Diana stared back at him with a frown. “Fox, the only fruit you consume is the kind that comes in a plastic jug.”

He furrowed his brows in displeasure that she still recognized these type of relevant details about him. He hoped that the same things he knew about her could still be applied or his plan to get the X-Files back was doomed. He enjoyed a cup of orange sugar water now and then but he had changed in other aspects of his life. He was no longer the shell of a man she left behind for better prospects of a career. Mulder still didn't have his sister and he had lost his life’s work, but he was a whole person now.""

Post Triangle Mulder zips by Diana to catch up with Scully, leaving his former girlfriend to sit in her jealousy.

@agentscully/agent_scully2084's Date Night

""Hello Fox,” Fowley said with a polite smile, “Dana.”

Mulder ignored her, and Scully nodded curtly as the pair stepped into the now empty elevator.

Scully stared at her shoes. Mulder pushed the button a little too forcefully and exhaled slowly. Scully placed her hand on Mulder’s forearm and said his name quietly. She looked at him concernedly, her jaw set, eyes wide, eyebrows slightly raised.

“I’m okay, Scully,” he said.

She knew he was lying.""

Post Triangle Mulder is simultaneously avoiding Diana and being shocked at Scully's blatant push to move their relationship to the next level.  

odamaebrown's How to ruin your love life

""So, apparently, his type included brunette and blondes, what happen with red haired, Mulder? Had you got a trauma or something?. OK, OK, I know... I am jealous, again, but come on, it is not fair. I have saved his life many times, I have fed his fishes, I convinced him that he will not lost his tongue if he eats vegetable one per week... Shall I dye my hair or what?""

Post Dreamland II Scully is fumingly jealous over Mulder presumably getting his attention consumed by Diana, waitresses, and Kersh's secretary.

@katy-kt-katie/Aliens99's

Movie at Mulder's

""You were all worked up, full of energy when I got there. Don't act like I made you stay up," she teased.

"You didn't seem to mind, just let yourself in."

"Well, you gave me a key."

Then he lifted his hand to her and they did some kind of secret handshake gesture with their thumbs. Diana was absolutely dumbfounded.""

S6 Diana is suspicious of Mulder and Scully's movie nights; but CSM brushes those thoughts aside with a simple devaluation of Scully.

Three Rooms

""Three rooms?” Scully and Mulder said in unison.

“No. There should be four rooms. Can you please check again?” Diana asked, although she didn’t seem as surprised by the accommodations as they did.

“Ma’am, we show your reservation as three queen rooms. I’m sorry to say, but there aren’t any more rooms available as we’re booked solid with a bike tour coming through all week.”

“I guess we‘ll take the three rooms then,” Diana said, with a disappointed sigh, though Scully still wasn’t buying it. “I’m so sorry, Agent Scully. I guess I didn’t get your room added to the reservation.""

S6 Diana baits Mulder onto a case by allowing him to bring Scully. Her attempts to get him alone lead to MSR having to share a room... which leads to a furthering of their relationship.

Diana at the Gunmen's

""Okay, we can help, but you said you are working with Agent Mulder?” Frohike said, placing the brain scans on an illuminated table.

“Of course,” Diana replied.

The three men looked at each other confused.

Byers giggled nervously, “What about Agent Scully?”

“Agent Scully?” Diana repeated, sighing.

“Yes,” Langly said, defensively.""

It appeared this woman, Agent Scully, had admirers in Mulder’s friends too.

AU-- The End Diana takes the scans to TLG instead of Scully, getting her own dose of jealousy.  

@choralmeres's (Ao3) It Always Leads To You

""Did they even realize that they leaned towards each other when they walked- as if they were magnets with some kind of gravitational pull? That they’d defensively place their hands on each other?

Or perhaps they were doing it on purpose; maybe Fox had planned it with Agent Scully. Maybe it was his way of payback for her leaving all these years ago. He never seemed like someone who would do that. Perhaps he had changed.""

S6 Diana "loses" her wallet so Mulder will take her to lunch. Her plans turn to dust when she sees Emily's picture in his wallet.

abracadabra's Motives

""With revulsion, she watched the viper attempt to charm the pants off the men who seemed only too eager for her company. As one, they oriented themselves to her, following her words and her movements with hypnotic attention. At one point, the men leaned in closer. It appeared as if their female colleague was about to impart some rather important information by the look on her face and theirs. Instead, they all burst out laughing.

Scully snorted and turned toward the window. Which was why she never heard the brunette approach until she was looming over the booth.""

S6 Scully watches as Mulder distances himself further and further, lying to her and seemingly cavorting with Diana. (Spoilers: It's revealed that he was assigned a crucial mission against his will.)

@leiascully's (Ao3)

Exit Strategy

""Diana had thought he understood.

There had been moments of hope when she’d first returned. She’d baited him with irresistible fragments of truth. She’d murmured to him about visions of the future. Everything had been in place. She’d taken care to secure their positions in the world to come.

And then Dana Scully had stumbled in the hallway and half-collapsed against the wall."' 

S6 Diana is angry at her past self for dumping Mulder-- now he's loyal to Scully.

Enemy Territory

""You know, Agent Scully, my name is in a number of those files as the agent of record. Maybe even more than yours.”

“I’m aware of that fact, Agent Fowley,” Scully said. “I’ve corrected quite a few inaccuracies in those reports, and a truly astonishing number of typographical errors. Word processing software has certainly improved since you abandoned the X-Files the first time.”

Mulder swallowed hard. Scully jostled past Diana and into the basement office. Diana glared at him and he tried not to hide behind his file.""

Mulder is trapped in an elevator with Diana and Scully, trying not to get caught in the middle while Scully roasts her nemesis on a spit.

@i-gaze-at-scully’s (Ao3) Pad Thai and poison apples 

""They get out together though, naturally, at the basement level. Scully wants to be smug, wants to rub it in Diana’s face that this is her office, her work, her.... she wants to, but she can’t. Not without a nameplate on the door. Or even a desk.

Mulder, for better or for worse, isn’t there. Scully, determinedly ignoring Diana, sits at his desk and begins working on the latest expense report.""

S6 Diana rubs the fact that Mulder invited her to lunch in Scully's face. Even when he forgot the lunch date, Scully has no solace. 

o0Stella_Dana0o's The Promises You Can't Keep

 ""Well, at least it was worth calling Agent Fowley back. I'm glad she's alive." Scully said about to fall asleep.

"What do you mean? Diana was with you." Asked Mulder, confused.

"She was at first yes, but then she told me you needed her there, so she called some backup and she left." She tried to explain despite the fact that she was exhausted. At this moment it clicked in his brain. That's why Scully was alone at the hospital. That's why Diana insisted on going with Scully.""

Mulder detours Scully to help Diana and Jeffrey Spender on a case. He's left, furious, when Diana purposefully leads Scully into danger.

@lotsoforangesoutside/@lotzzoforangezoutside‘s (Ao3)

Apples and Oranges

""Diana watched him and supported his path into the basement, and he thought that was friendship. He even thought so after she left without saying goodbye.

Everyone had their own ambition, he told himself.

And now he was ready to admit and accept that Diana was more than what he knew about, more than the person he had worked with and discovered the X-Files with.""

S6 Mulder compares Scully's spotless loyalty and Diana's twisted one.  

@cecilysass‘s (Ao3, Gossamer)

The Kaleidoscope - Chapter 2 (Ao3)

""I ended things with you because of my job. Not because I thought there was something wrong with you, Fox.”

“Hmm.” Mulder nods. “Okay.” There is another pause, and then he adds weakly: “Well, it worked out for the best anyway, huh.”

Some might even say she dodged a bullet, he thought.""

S6 Scully is dating a nice bank dude, upsetting Mulder terribly. Diana calls to make sure he's okay and definitely not to egg him towards her.

The Kaleidoscope - Chapter 4 (Ao3)

""He stares at the messages again, twisting the kaleidoscope absently as he does. They’re all written in Scully’s neat handwriting, recording Diana’s name and time of call, dutifully jotting down each message: “You apparently left your sweater in her car Tuesday evening.”

He imagines the artful way Diana probably described his sweater being left in her car: what details were left out, what details were included. What kind of story she made the forgotten sweater tell. How she might have wielded that in conversation with Scully.""

Mulder is still concerned about that banker dude, so much so he almost gets hit by a truck. In the ensuing course of events, he realizes that Diana had twisted his love life to Scully, making her think he wasn't available.  

LuminousPie's

Five Times Mulder Got Injured and One Time Scully Did

""I was just thinking about how many times Mulder has been in the hospital in the last 5 or so years.” She didn’t allude to her own ailments. She suspected Diana already knew.

Diana put down her magazine and crossed her arms, “Is it a lot?”

“I’ve lost count.”

“Mulder was never injured when I was with him.""

Scully is by Mulder's side through his life-threatening injuries, one of which includes Diana trying to shove her away from Mr. Sleeping Beauty.

What Goes Up Must Come Down

""Scully tries not to gag. As much as she doesn’t want to tell anyone about her relationship with Mulder, sometimes she really would like to show off a bit. She imagines wiping Diana’s smile right off her face and rubbing it in.

She’s petty but she’s not mean however. Mostly she just feels sorry for the woman. Her desperate attempts to get Mulder’s attention in the last few months have been embarrassing, especially when she saunters into the bullpen, her hips swinging like a pendulum, her lips painted the brightest of red, to sit on his desk. The slit of her skirt is always designed to show off as much leg as possible. Even today, with her tight ponytail and cleavage popping jacket, it just comes across as silly. Mulder is a visual creature but he’s also myopic and singularly focused. If his attention is on you it isn’t going anywhere else. Diana for all her so-called Mulder wisdom has yet to realize this.""

AUish-- Mulder and Scully are privately dating; but the secret gets out when they and Diana are involved in a horrific elevator accident.

Anne Haynes’s (Gossamer)

12 Tales of Christmas

""I can't catch my breath for a second.

I have to go back in there. I have to go be there for Scully. But when I start for the door, Diana grabs my arm again. "She doesn't want you in there, Mulder. She can't afford to be distracted."

I want to yell at Diana. I want to say, you don't understand! You don't know what you've done to her. But I'm silenced by the secrets between Scully and me. Secrets we never speak.

Silence stretches between Diana and me as we lean against the wall outside the morgue, waiting for Scully to emerge. I suspect that my partner may choose to go out the other way, just to avoid us. I wonder if I should just let her go and lick her wounds alone, away from prying eyes.""

Pre-Tithonus Diana maliciously assigns a baby autopsy for Scully, covering up her intentions to Mulder by establishing trust in her rival's medical assessment. Her exploitation goes over Mulder's head while he ponders on the cracks in his relationship with Scully.

First Day Back (Gossamer)

""I should have called you--"

"I guess you never made it to El Rico."

She shook her head. "I couldn't go without you."

He didn't believe her. But calling her on the lie didn't seem like a prudent thing to do at the moment, so he just gave a slow blink and tilted his head slightly. "That was three days ago. Where have you been?""

Post One Son Mulder is shocked to see Diana in the cafeteria; and is further chagrined by her obvious lies. He draws a line in the sand; and meets up with Scully to apologize. She apologizes in return.

@contrivedcoincidences6/Spooky66/geektime66

Unnamed

""Oh, Agent Scully, is Fox expecting you?” Diana says with a smirk.

Everything inside Scully goes still and cold. Diana’s words echo in her mind and she grasps for a response even though she doesn’t fully understand the words she’s hearing.

“Is that dinner?” Mulder’s voice calls from another room and horror streams through Scully’s veins as fight or flight kicks in.""

Post Tithonus Scully is ready to make moves on Mulder. She is thwarted and heartbroken when she sees Diana in his apartment. Luckily, he's able to clear it all up later.

Cut (Ao3)

""She…Diana… for a long time she was the only person to love me,” Mulder starts as he crouches next to her.

“I’m not ready to say all of that was a lie.”

Scully wipes at her eyes, still refusing to look at him.

“Just because she’s not on your side now doesn’t mean it was all a lie, Mulder. People change. Things happen.""

One Son Mulder promises to look into Diana, trying to mitigate Scully's heavy mistrust.

My Last Testament (FFN)

""Of course it was hard for me to see those women being used for the experiments but I knew that it was necessary for our survival as a species. I knew that someday history would remember these women as the saviors of humanity.

The only time I was called back to the U.S. during my time away was to help take care of a growing problem with Fox. They had assigned him a partner whom they had expected to discredit him.

The moment I saw her credentials and background I knew that they had made a foolish mistake.""

Amor Fati Diana muses on her machinations and excuses.

FridaysAt9's Fort Marlene

""She watches the screens, taking in the two agents, separate yet together in their individual shower stalls. They could have been sent in separately, but together was faster and had the added bonus of allowing Diana to observe their dynamic during a situation that she assumed was unusual for them. 

Agent Scully was angry when they had been ushered into the contamination area, but Fox was reserved. Diana watched as he let his partner yell and fight, not stepping in to calm her, but rather letting her work out her frustration as he offered silent support by her side. 

On paper, Fox and his partner are complete opposites; one a believer in anything that even hints at the paranormal, the other, bound to science and the laws of nature, rejecting everything her partner believes to be true. Agent Scully had been sent to spy on him so that the high ups within the FBI could shut him down before his quest could become a crusade, but she had instead remained by his side, sharing in his work and continuing his cause. 

Diana had hoped it wouldn’t come to this, thwarting their efforts and interfering in their investigations. The quarantine is a little extreme, but she has an objective she needs to follow."" 

One Son Diana observes Mulder and Scully in the decon shower, slicing through their dynamic in seconds and expertly erecting road blocks between them.

@mihosayuri/neytirijade's There's No Competition

""Slowly but surely, she’s able to penetrate the defenses Scully built around Mulder, the ones that marked him as hers long before Diana ever returned. But one day, they put the two agents in quarantine.""

One Son Diana loses her mind over the decon shower footage.

@queeenpersephone/light_loves_the_dark's wishbone

""Mulder spots a crown of auburn hair right where Scully had promised she’d be, ignoring Diana’s finger pointing her out on the empty corner. He wants to scoff at the notion she’d spot Scully before him. Scully is his sixth sense, his North Star. Even when they’re at odds, some intrinsic compass inside him is always pointing to her.""

One Son tries to beg Scully to come with him and Diana. She bites back, railing at him for using the "love" word. He follows in her wake.

@thetwoguineabook/sixpences's As Through Fire

""The headlights catch a flash of some animal's eyes at the roadside before it ducks away, and she wonders if Fox will look through the bodies in the hangar for her, call in his partner and her test tubes and speculum to file and categorise blackened remains.

She had been surprised to discover that Fox and his little half-Irish wolfhound really aren't sleeping together; she'd had him fixed on her in '91, as she'd intended, but she never expected to leave such a lasting impression."" 

One Son Diana meditates on her cutthroat attitude as she and CSM make their escape.

EPurSeMouve’s Dinner

""The silence is thick after they are left alone, but they both wait until his order arrives. And then it is him who speaks first.

"Tell me what happened."

And, in her cool, soft voice, she does. She tells him of late arrivals and frantic getaways and bodies burning in the rear view mirror. Of running, hiding. Cheap motels and seclusion.""

Post One Son Diana meets Mulder after three weeks. He sees through her lies, mourning her former self.

contradiction_to_nature's (WBM) Stop By Anytime

""It was risky not to call first.

But if she had, he might have told her he could do without the file, that he will just wait until she finds him in the office tomorrow. Manufacturing a reason to drop by is dangerously transparent. She is hoping he won’t notice, or won’t care. She saw light in the window from the street. He’s home.""

Post One Son Diana stops by, ready to seduce; and is shocked that Scully is staying at Mulder's in comfy clothes, unthreatened and matter of fact.

AUs

Flywoman's (Ao3) The Blessed One Bites the Bullet

""Frowning, she slipped her glasses off and rubbed at her eyes, weighing the evidence, and rapidly reaching a conclusion that she didn't like one bit. Then she jumped up, switched off her laptop and shoved it into its case, grabbed her keys, and ran for the door, white terrycloth bathrobe flapping. Normally she would never disturb anyone at this hour, but there was *no time*, and the Lone Gunmen were the only ones who could help her.

No lights were visible under the door when she arrived, hair straggling and blue flannel pajama legs damp from a sudden downpour. She rapped sharply enough to sting her knuckles and then waited, shifting her carrying case from one sore shoulder to the other.""

Crackfic-- Scully wakes TLG in her pajamas, needing their help tracking down info on Diana. Instead, she sympathizes with her youthful movie indiscretions with Duchovny.

Erin M. Blair’s (Ao3)  Discovery Of Samantha

""I had no idea that you know Fox, Dana," Diana replied, to Scully.

"Fox and I had been married for almost a year," Scully replied, as she smiled at her husband. One could see the love that she has for Mulder sparkling in her blue-green eyes. "We are still partners on the X-Files."

"Oh?" Diana replied.""

AU-- S5 Diana thinks she can't get between married parents Mulder and Scully; but Scully STILL has an insecurity streak concerning her. (Also, one of their friends turns out to be Samantha.)

Enjoy!

[the-dog-watch]

The Nutmeg of Consolation

I was talking on twitter how I have an nonspecific affection for all the boats in this series, so I suppose I was destined to love this one regardless. This book is both sweet and nutty to me, just like the ship of its namesake. It’s sentimental, but its sentimentality is shot through with a tinge of unease; enjoy these good times while they last, it seems to be saying (I have learned to always do this, in these books.) There's a sense of foreboding or oncoming disaster—which isn't new; both The Ionian Mission and Treason’s Harbour were suffused with dread—but it’s also planting the seeds of upcoming discord, both among the crew and between Jack and Stephen themselves, which is somewhat novel. 

Jo Walton said in her review this book lacked a clear shape and could have been split up and added to books before and after it but I very much disagree. Joy is the keynote of this book; unconstrained, pure joy is a part of this book in a way that is not present in either the preceding or succeeding novels, a joy that's made more vivid by its contrast with some very dark moments--an island in Melanesia that has been decimated by smallpox but for two small children, or the Botany Bay penal colony where we catch up with poor Padeen.

The strength of this book is Stephen’s character arc. It forces him to step up and take responsibility, for those two little girls I mentioned, and for Padeen, and these sort of messy demands for emotional attachment and connection are something that a Stephen from earlier in the series might have shied away from, especially when he’s under stress. He’s worried about Diana, he’s worried about their baby, he’s worried about his financial situation. It’s hard not to feel a little proud of him for how he handles everything (no laudanum this time!) and of course it’s impossible not to feel extremely happy for him when he finally learns that he has a daughter.

“Why, Doctor,” [Tom] said, his face brightening, “how happy I am to see you back. You look as gay as a popinjay, as cheerful as if you had found a five pound note. I hope you brought the poor old barky some good luck at last. God love us, what a week!”

Perfect Girlfriend Tom Pullings reacting to Stephen’s face after he gets the news, confirming what I have always known about Stephen: that he is cute, despite his constant insistence that he’s the ugliest girl in school.

We start on the beach with the erstwhile Dianes (RIP Diane!!!) shipwrecked in the South China Sea. After a rough start and a pirate attack, they are rescued and their fortunes turn around when the governor of Batavia gives them a new ship, The Nutmeg of Consolation. What a name! She is my new best friend in all the world.

It'd be hard to dislike this book, even if I wanted to. Joy is its keynote, as I said, starting with the fortuitous reunion early on with Surprise and culminating with Stephen finally receiving the word that his daughter has been born back at Ashgrove Cottage. Between this and the reunion with Padeen in the hospital in Botany Bay, the climax of this book sees Stephen at maybe the most emotional we've ever seen him, and the highest pitch of his spirits coincides with a nearly fatal rupture with Jack.

Their disagreement is over Padeen, whose imprisonment in the penal colony Stephen feels responsible for, for the reason that he kind of is. He feels guilty enough about it that he almost doesn't want to see Padeen at all, just wants to arrange Padeen to have a less abusive work environment from afar, but of course after a very touching reunion with a flogged and emaciated Padeen, he promises to help Padeen escape and is then shocked when he learns that Jack has no intention of allowing any convict, even Padeen, to escape on the Surprise. After wrestling with himself all night (and remembering, "Hey, I became insanely wealthy five books ago,") Stephen resolves to leave the ship rather than abandon Padeen, as he sees no use in reasoning with Jack.

"Middle-age has come upon Jack Aubrey at last, the creature. I never thought it would."

MEOW. God both Stephen and Jack so bad at being mean to each other, even at their most pissed off.

The break-up is narrowly avoided same as it always is: by some absolutely goof-ass near-fatal cataclysm that befalls Stephen, rendering him utterly adorable and winning him his point assuming he doesn’t succumb to his injuries, which of course he doesn’t. This time the cataclysm is a platypus sting, last time it was nearly OD'ing on opium and falling off a tower, and the time before that it was falling out the stern window into the fucking ocean. Stephen is near-death but he wins the argument with Jack in absentia; Padeen carries him back to Surprise, Jack is in no state to object, and the other Surprises naturally don't even think it's a question; of course Padeen is coming with them.

Is this cheap? Am I sick of conflict being obviated each time by Stephen nearly dying? Honestly...your Honor, his bisexual airs and swagless haplessness have bewitched me body and soul. He can fall off as many towers and get poisoned by as many monotremes as he wants as long as it keeps being so fucking funny, and as long as it keeps reminding Jack not to be an asshole and to remember the power of friendship and camaraderie and all that gay shit. Usually when Stephen and Jack are fighting about whatever I don't feel compelled to take sides but in this case it's Padeen all the way, baby. I don't fuck around, Jack can eat it.

My advice to Jack: maybe fix your liver, balance your humors, get fat and happy again?? Maybe experience the redemptive power of love and you'll calm down??? Spoilers: that is basically what happens (the book ends with him and Stephen literally holding hands) but he's still smarting from the disagreement at the beginning of the next book, with my new NEW best friend Clarissa Oakes, who for once is an actual woman and not a boat like I assumed she would be when I first saw the title of the book in the UK. I don't hold her not being a boat against her, though, and neither should you. See you next time!

Personal Ranking

The Far Side of the World (10) > HMS Surprise (3) > Desolation Island (5) > The Nutmeg of Consolation (14) > The Reverse of the Medal (11) > The Ionian Mission (8) > The Fortune of War (6) > Master & Commander (1) > The Surgeon’s Mate (7) > Treason's Harbour (9) > The Letter of Marque (12) > The Thirteen-Gun Salute (13) > Post Captain (2) > The Mauritius Command (4)

[amemixfan]

Y’all let me tell y’all about the absolute mess that is Love Royale.

In case you missed it, Fusebox released a new game this afternoon. Fusebox, the British company that makes Love Island the Game decided to try their hand at a game about the British royal family.

And it’s about as “good” as you can imagine. Obvious spoilers below.

Let’s hit the basics:

•MC (female main character but looks like there will be a future male option) is an American who is now living in London. Previously, she was a PR person for influencers. Now she’s decided to try her hand at working for Buckingham Palace as a member of the firm (because that elevation of careers is such a natural trajectory).

•The interview goes terribly. MC gets a ton of insta notifications letting her know that her ex is now engaged during the interview. Of course, she decides to check her socials while in the midst of said interview and has a chance to respond to social media while the interviewer (the Queen’s personal secretary) stares at her. My high school career center coach would pop a blood vessel if she saw that.

•She of course does not get the job. The secretary (Mr. Crawford?) tells her that the position has already been filled. Apparently some hotshot daughter of an ambassador was hired right before MC walked in, but they didn’t bother canceling her appointment. MC gets escorted out by said daughter of the ambassador who (in true Fusebox fashion) is bitchy and will be your new rival.

•As she gets escorted out, MC has a chance to meet Duchess Meghan Markle. (I’ll get to how the game portrays the royals in a sec).

•MC makes it outside the palace and is told by her best friend that there is a bunch of secret messages left behind by Princess Diana throughout the palace. Her friend suggests her sneaking about to find one since she’s already at the palace. MC decides that trespassing on what is one of the most secure buildings in London is a great idea because YOLO. No, seriously. She says YOLO at one point.

•At the stables, MC meets a mysterious guy named Rory who escorts her to Diana’s secret message. She manages to uncover a hidden message under the plank which mentions William. While there, Rory gets called off somewhere else and leaves her.

•As MC wanders around, she stumbles into a fight between Prince William and Prince Harry. The fight is over some secret between the two which ends when William takes a swing at Harry and gives him a shiner. MC snaps a photo of the moment and either posts it online or keeps it to herself when she gets caught by security.

•She is then arrested for trespassing and privacy violations. While arrested, she meets the second LI (forgot his name) who is a chef. He brings her food while Crawford steps out after threatening to have her thrown in prison. There’s a potential moment with the second LI where you can use his cellphone to talk to your best friend and check your social media to see if the photo went viral.

•Crawford then returns and tells her that someone wants to meet her. Princess Kate arrives through a secret entrance and decides to rescue MC. She heard about what happened and is impressed MC made the bold choice of posting a photo online of the royals fighting / or I’m guessing kept it private if you didn’t. She floats the idea that MC should be hired for PR anyway since she’s what the monarchy needs for their future.

•MC then gets to meet the rest of the Fab 4. They make their introductions and fight with each other about the Oprah interview. After their argument, they decide to take a vote over whether to hire MC or not. The vote is in a tie with Meghan casting the tie breaker to hire her.

•There’s then a chance to speak with either Kate or Harry in private before MC makes it back to Crawford. Crawford agrees to hire her since the Fab 4 are in agreement but on a trial basis. Apparently Queen Elizabeth will make some announcement in 14 days and MC has until then to impress the Firm and stay on permanently as an employee.

•From there, MC begins her trial run. She is tasked with helping William and Meghan choose things to auction off at a banquet for charity. She also has a moment to speak with Meghan privately (and do yoga with her) or speak with William privately (and ride a helicopter with him).

•The current episode ends with Rory (the first LI) taking MC to the throne room as he escorts her to her new room. In typical Rory style, he gets a phone call and has to step out. While he’s out, MC has the option to either sit on the Queen’s throne or stare at it.

•Of course, she gets caught doing whatever she chooses. Queen Elizabeth herself strides in with her corgis and tells her that she hopes she won’t regret what she just did before the episode fades to black.

That was a summary of the current 3 episode out. There will be a total of 14 in the game and they will be released on an unknown schedule similar to Love Island. I will be playing them when they’re out because, to quote MC, YOLO.

Now let’s talk Royals.

The game has the Fab 4 and Queen Elizabeth in its cast list. Each one has a very cartoonish personality.

•William is dressed in 18th century riding apparel and wears a gaudy crown in the animated cut scenes of him. He’s very into tradition and is quarreling with Harry over something. He dislikes Meghan and initially dislikes MC then slowly comes around.

•Kate is portrayed as an angel (seriously). Her animated sequence shows her with a halo and a singing choir. The game shows her as being the perfect wife and demure royal. She is the one who saves MC and takes an immediate liking to her.

•Harry is again in his bad boy persona. He seems more relaxed than the rest about protocol and quarrels with William over the treatment of him and Meghan. Fusebox seems to have a personal bone to pick with him and Meghan since his cut scene defines him as the one who “always complains and over explains.”

•Megan is portrayed as a semi-arrogant actress. She poses for photos constantly to the point where MC is confused and asks if she thinks she’s on camera. She also laughs at royal tradition and makes jokes about how she likes to break protocol like moving back to London with her family without telling anyone. The more default expression she has is a half smirk showing amusement.

•Each royal is a cartoonish character. They constantly bicker amongst themselves with shade being thrown about the Oprah interviews and the fight between Harry and William from his book. MC can either choose a side in their feud or try and advocate for them to reconcile for the Queen’s sake.

•Princess Diana is also mentioned frequently as she left behind secret messages around the palace. More than anything, this made me feel icky considering the game is using her as a plot point after she had such a tragic life and horrific death.

•Oh, and I almost forgot! The most surprising thing about this game is-

DID I MENTION EVERY ROYAL IS AN LI???

Yes, all of them! MC can flirt with any of them. She can have a moment with Harry or Meghan to flirt with them and can have her hand stroked by Kate or William. It seems the game is setting them up to be LIs as MC can even tell the royal stylist she has her eye set on a royal, and the stylist encourages her as it would make for a juicy scandal.

Curious as to how players will feel about that given these are real people, political figureheads, and married to each other.

As for the game itself:

The game is expensive. There’s very limited MC customizing options with only 4 skin tones, 4 hair styles, and 4 hair colors. The premium outfits cost between 20 to 70 (!) diamonds or more. You can choose to either dress up like Meghan or Kate depending on who you like most or forge your own style.

The premium scenes are higher than what Fusebox usually charges (17+ for private moments compared to Love Island’s 10).

And it runs on a ticket system which replenishes every so often. Asides from the extraordinarily high cost of premium stuff, it’s a standard Fusebox game in that regard.

So my final verdict:

It’s a hot mess.

Fusebox is a British company that is laying on the parody thick. MC is your typical cringy, influencer adjacent American in a world of British royalty where she can either follow royal protocol or break it and mend the rift between the family or cause more scandal. The royals themselves are cartoonish and love interests. The plot is still to be revealed given only the first 3 episodes are out but it seems to be blissfully short.

Really, it’s exactly the kind of game you’d expect Fusebox to produce.

My final thoughts?

I’m gonna keep playing.

It’s so, so cringe and bad that it’s amusing. If you treat it as one big drunk, fever dream, you can get through it and maybe it’ll keep you entertained for a bit.

Curious to hear y’all’s opinions.