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questionablecuttlefish · 4 months ago

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Okay Fine Let's Talk Timebomb and Season Two.

I do want to talk about this because I have a Lot of thoughts and feelings and it has been building up and building up, not only based on what's happening in other social spaces, but what people keep bringing into mine despite my best efforts to avoid it.

This isn't any kind of hatepost, I don't think I could hate Ekko or the ship if I tried, I just want to explain my very mixed feelings about the whole thing.

My likely-to-be-very unpopular take on Season Two's Timebomb romance is that it left me feeling uneasy and uncomfortable.

Not with what was in the show itself, I feel like that was perfect. Powder and Ekko sold me completely. They made me feel things. I even liked how Ekko and Jinx's story ended. I think it was beautiful, poignant, perfect...

...until.

'The Discourse' since, the way the fan culture has exploded around it, and particularly some of the creators' commentary on it, has made me sour on the whole thing.

It feels like I'm suddenly part of an increasingly small subset of people who saw what they did with S2 Timebomb and applied our media literacy to what was on our screens and got something very different to what the fandom consensus seems to be.

For context, I semi-shipped TB before this. Though I've always been Team Lightcannon, I had a lot of respect for timebomb, I understood it, I had read a few very good fics, I was just in the space of "Jinx has hurt Ekko too much for him to ever fully forgive her for murdering his friends, they might come to an understanding, and there will always be a silent undercurrent of love beneath the hurt, they may fight together on the same side again someday, but whatever bond they had as kids is broken and they can't go back, and both know it."

I respected, and still do, people who shipped them romantically, but I've always seen them as a broken childhood friendship being a much more interesting dynamic, and being hot for each other lessening that to an extent and not really adding anything to it.

All of his interactions with Jinx in season one are violent; she murders five Firelights point-blank in front of him in her intro scene, and Ekko reacts particularly upset to the pink-haired girl, Eve or Eva, whom Jinx shoots in the back. It's clear this isn't even the first time she's fought them. We don't know how many of Ekko's found family she's put on the Memorial Wall or how close he was with any of them.

Ekko is clearly convinced that "Powder" is gone, and the person who replaced her is a cold-blooded killer who can't be reasoned with. Leading to the Bridge confrontation, and this:

This is the first time Ekko catches a glimpse of "Powder", yes, but more importantly, this is the first moment he recognizes Jinx's humanity. He's hurting her, killing her, and he can't do it.

....and she knows he can't do it.

So, to save him the weight, she pulls a grenade, with the intent to kill them both, foreshadowing quite neatly where Ekko/Jinx (but not Ekko/Powder) is going to go in S2.

Fast forwarding from Season One here, Ekko disappears for 2/3rds of the second season, completely offscreen.

When we catch up with him he's woken up in the S2E7 AU; the Powder Timeline.

Here's where I start to get a little confused by the fandom take. Because, you know, I've seen enough Star Trek and Stargate and Supernatural and Batman the Animated Series and Quantum Leap to know exactly what this is.

This is the 'bottle episode', this is the 'Perfect World' trope, where the protagonists find themselves in an alternate universe - or trapped in a dream - or they've died or think they've died and this is their 'heaven' - where they have everything they ever wanted.

This is familiar storytelling and E7 follows a familiar pattern, the protagonist struggles to adapt to the surreal new circumstances, they are seduced by the illusion, particularly falling in love with someone in the Perfect World, but eventually, they start noticing something incongruous - something isn't quite right - (In this case, it's Vi's death, and Powder holding back her genius and hiding her grief to be support girl for others) - that reveals the Perfect World to be not as perfect as it seems.

And the hero has to choose to go home, because he realizes that this isn't real, it doesn't belong to him, he doesn't belong here.

Which is exactly what happens with Ekko in E7.

Which brings is to AU!Powder and Jinx.

And here's where I really start to struggle with the seeming consensus that the romance between Ekko/Powder automatically leads to Ekko/Jinx, like you can just transfer the one to the other.

I'm sorry, fam, I thought my basic media literacy was telling me that this girl:

Is not the same person as this girl:

....and I am not getting into any debate about "Jinx" vs "Powder" as identities within our current Jinx. I'm talking about Powder in the E7 AU.

AU!Powder is literally a different human being.

She may have been the same person up until the explosion in Jayce's laboratory, but from that fork in the timeline, she becomes a FUNDAMENTALLY different person to Jinx, shaped by different experiences, different relationships, different life events.

Powder's physicality with Ekko, as you can see in those GIFs, the casual intimacy, the clear affection, the way she touches him, looks at him, her awareness of him in her space, is so utterly opposite to the way Jinx interacts with him that if anything, it nailed home to me how savagely absent this kind of feeling is from his relationship with Jinx.

Powder loves Ekko. She leans on him, snuggles into him, touches his hands, dances with him, kisses him.

Jinx cares so little about him she barely makes eye contact and would casually kill him without blinking.

And I thought that was the point.

I really thought that was the whole point of E7. Being in the perfect world, getting his perfect love story with his perfect Powder, the girl Jinx could have been, but can never be, drove home for Ekko that his feelings for Jinx, both romantic and resentful, were tangled up in his illusions of "Powder", and it took living those illusions as a physical reality for Ekko to see his mistake.

To be true to himself, and true to her, Ekko had to let that go and go home.

To face his world's Jinx, and be there for her in her darkest moment, even if it meant giving up the love he'd found with Powder, a love that belonged to a different Ekko, for someone who could never love him back.

To me that was Ekko's most heroic moment, an act of selfless sacrifice. But that's what it was - a sacrifice.

Meanwhile, Season Two Jinx is not aware of any of this. The last time she saw Ekko was on the bridge where she nearly killed him, and for all we know she might have thought she succeeded.

She never talks about, thinks about, refers to, or even has scribble-nightmares about Ekko, not even once.

Season Two Jinx is, instead, having a love story of her own.

And Isha was and is a PUZZLE to me. Because she's more plot device than character, she isn't necessary except as a way to give Jinx a villain-to-hero arc and a way to reconnect to her humanity.

But she could have been Ekko.

If they really, really wanted us to have Timebomb Canon, instead of confining the entire arc to a bottle episode in an alternate timeline with a literally, physically different girl, they could easily have given all of Isha's considerable screentime to an Ekko and Jinx romance.

I'm sure Amanda Overton would have been on board with that. But that's not what we got. It's almost like reading two different fix-it-fanfics for the same character, put into the same show and running in parallel.

I'm not crazy, this is what's happening for Ekko in s2;

While this is happening for Jinx at the same time.

But Jinx's love story, too, ends with a tragic sacrifice.

And here's where the two stories finally intersect.

When Jinx is in her darkest moment, her absolute rock bottom, Ekko comes back into her life, a miracle, impossible, a Boy Savior.

But she's still ready to kill him.

Because she didn't dance with Ekko. She didn't invent a time machine with him. She didn't sit and watch the city lights with him and share a tender kiss and a heartfelt gift.

That was Powder.

Jinx and Ekko are resuming right where they left off on the bridge, right back to "I pull this pin and we both blow up".

They've both loved and lost, but their stories are absolutely unknown to each other. Ekko Doesn't Know About Isha. Jinx Doesn't Know About Powder.

It's only when Jinx (a genius, a reminder here) sees monkeys of her own design inside the Z-drive - recognizes her own handiwork, but knows SHE didn't make those - that, I think, sheer curiosity stirs her out of her darkness.

She has to know what that was about. She hesitates, just long enough for Ekko to speak. And, though offscreen, he tells her his story, and maybe she tells him hers.

And it's enough, just enough, to set Jinx back on her Redemption Arc, to become the hero Isha always saw in her.

Maybe even the hero Vi and Ekko saw in her, too. Her new costume is full of references to all of the people in her life who never gave up on her.

(side note, the yellow stars and crowns puzzle me, though - they're quite prominent, but who are THEY for? Isha? Maybe? Yellow isn't a color associated with anyone in Jinx's life, but that crown's identical to the one she scribbled on Demacia in Fortiche's map, is... this a very subtle future Lightcannon tease? Nah. I'm not that crazy.)

I mean her costume is also almost literally both a Fishbones and a Fiddlesticks cosplay, with her hair as Fiddle's tongue, so take from that what you will.

It's clear Jinx and Ekko war painted each other for the battle, but the Firelights are also similarly painted up, and (with Linke even confirming this) there really wasn't time to develop anything else, guys.

And I am, honestly, fundamentally angry at anyone who would suggest that, even if she'd been in any space to want it, our boy Ekko, one of the most genuinely good men in recent fiction let alone in Arcane, would take advantage of a girl he just talked out of suicide.

Moving on. During the battle, Ekko is knocked out and lying not far from Jinx. She doesn't even look at him, she leaps up to defend Vi instead.

And that's their final interaction on the show.

Instead of returning to Ekko, Jinx chooses one final act of sacrifice.

Ekko's final shot of the show is this.

He's sitting, alone, burning a mourning paper, where he sat with AU!Powder - where he and AU!Powder kissed - a place that has no significance to himself and Jinx, whatsoever.

It's little wonder who he's thinking about here, and which name he's burning on that paper. The girl he truly loved and lost.

For all he knows, Jinx is dead. But it's not only her he's mourning.

Or maybe he does know, or suspect, she's alive.

But either way, he's making one final act of sacrifice, too, with that paper burning into the breeze.

He's letting her go.

He's choosing his own story.

He's staying where he belongs.

Jinx may have become a symbol of the revolution, but it's Ekko who is, and always will be, the true hero of Zaun.

And this is Jinx's final shot.

Because let's face it, we all know she's on that airship.

She's "breaking the cycle". She's "walking away". She knows that Jinx has left too many scars on the people she still loves - on Vi, on Ekko, on the cities of Piltover and Zaun - for her to pick up the pieces.

She knows that if she's going to find out what "Jinx" might stand for now, she has to go very far away from everything and everyone. She has to leave it all behind and find something new.

Maybe even someone new?

And ultimately, that's why I feel the Timebomb we got was perfect, they shouldn't touch it, they shouldn't try to force it to be "Endgame", not because it couldn't have worked, but because that's the opposite of the story they told.

For the rest of my analysis, lol, this got a bit long but i have FEELINGS.

Now, I'm not saying I wouldn't buy Jinx and Ekko as a love story if they had actually told that love story. But they didn't. It had no screen time. They have less interactions in S2, maybe even in both seasons added up, than Vi and Loris. Let that sink in a bit.

We know it's Amanda's favorite ship, so she may have intended more, and may even actually give us all more at some point, but please, dear god, let's stop pretending they fucked or kissed or even held hands offscreen.

That's honestly a bit insulting to both of these characters, to insist hell or high water that this very important milestone in their relationship happened, but they just didn't even bother to depict it. That an entire love story (because it would be a whole one, remember, Ekko and Powder had a romance but Jinx did not experience any of that, she and Ekko are back at Square One) would just be cut for time.

They both deserve better than that.

Let's stop pretending there was some grand, horny, Forever Love story with 60 minutes of cut footage, all of it timebomb content, somehow left on the cutting room floor of an animated show where every single frame has to be deliberately hand painted.

Because if in some insane universe they had written, storyboarded, voice acted and animated an entire 60 minute additional timebomb storyline and then cut it from the show, that would itself be a searing indictment of the quality of the storytelling in that imagined arc, but that's not what happened. Anyone who knows how filmmaking works would shoot this one down, and the showrunners already have, so let's leave it behind.

I know Timebomb blew up hard, and I get it, but what we got on the screen is not confirmation that there is any relationship at all between Ekko and Current Timeline Jinx. If anything, Ekko and Powder's beautiful romance only highlighted the tragic 'never to be' of Ekko and Jinx.

And it's absolutely fine to look at the art book, look at the creator comments, and imagine what could have been. Draw the fan art, write the fanfic, imagine the what-ifs and the fix-its, those are all beautiful and valid expressions and deserve their space.

But don't go insisting it's "the canon" and going after the shippers of other ships for these characters as "not canon" or somehow offensive for existing, especially toward one particular ship that, yes, has been around much longer than timebomb, is uncool.

I think this is mostly people who are New From Arcane, it's Baby's First Ship and they don't know how to share space. The timebomb fans I knew pre-season two didn't do this, at least not often enough for me to notice or care.

But I'll just say to them, if a Timebomb follow up happens and they actually tell a good love story for Ekko and Jinx, I will accept it. Grudgingly, because I think Lux/Jinx is an untold, untapped story full of incredible character dynamics that would complete Jinx's story in ways that as much as I love Ekko, he's too tied to her past, he can't.

But I love Ekko, and I love Jinx, and I will accept it.

But I'll also say to them, if the followup doesn't eventuate, if things take a turn they don't expect, if Jinx's airship is heading for Demacia, maybe they'll have to experience just a taste of what it's been like for Lightcannon fans for ten long years.

And maybe that's healthy. Maybe that's okay. Maybe our endgames don't need to be 'canon' to have value and that's a lesson we should learn.

Maybe there's a new Light on her horizon, and that's okay too. Maybe Ekko won't be alone forever. Don't forget - until Arcane - his story had nothing to do with Jinx, and there was a whole lot of it.

More with the Firelights, maybe bring in the original Lost Children of Zaun from his old stories, his inventions, his parents, all could yet be in his future. Who knows? He might find a way back to AU!Powder - or she might rebuild what they worked on together, and come to him, no matter what butterfly effects that could set in motion...

But if Jinx is heading for a Light on her horizon, maybe Ekko might Explore some of his possibilities. Find a new Spark of connection. Just saying. Jinx isn't his only ship, either 😌

And it is okay for people to move on, and let go. Maybe, for two characters whose themes are letting go of the past, living in the moment, redefining their identities, and moving on, that's what their story should be.

#jinx #ekko #timebomb #league of legends #arcane jinx #arcane netflix #arcane #lol jinx #lux #lightcannon #discourse #fan theories #not a hatepost #shipping #ezko #ezreal #zeri

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starrydali · 5 months ago

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hii i got a request for a luke castellan fic🤭

so i thought of it the other day.. what if its during a capture the flag game but reader and luke get carried away with yk.. making out or smth and they get caught !

do what you want with it, i just thought it could be cute😊

Friends With Benefits - Luke Castellan

∘°∘♡∘° Stoppp I love this so much♡

✧˖*°࿐*✧.┊You and Luke have always been close friends, but lately, things have been a little… complicated. You're not quite dating, but you're not just friends either. Stolen kisses here and there, moments where the line between friendship and something more starts to blur. ✧. ┊

The moonlight filtered through the trees, casting dappled patterns on the forest floor. You were supposed to be patrolling—Luke was supposed to be patrolling—but instead, you were backed against the rough bark of a tree, his lips brushing against yours in a way that sent your thoughts spiraling into chaos.

“Luke,” you mumbled between kisses, though you made no effort to stop him. “We’re going to get caught.”

He pulled back slightly, his face so close that his breath warmed your skin. His smirk was maddeningly cocky, the kind that made you simultaneously want to shove him and kiss him again. “Relax,” he said, his voice low and full of amusement. “You worry too much.”

“You don’t worry enough,” you shot back, your hands resting awkwardly on his chest, unsure whether to push him away or pull him closer.

Luke just chuckled, leaning in again, his lips brushing against the corner of your mouth before moving to trail down your jaw. “It’s adorable how you think anyone’s paying attention to us right now.”

You were about to retort when—

“Luke Castellan.”

The sharp voice cut through the quiet of the woods like a blade. Your head snapped toward the source of the sound, and your stomach dropped. Annabeth.

She stood a few feet away, arms crossed and a look of utter disbelief etched on her face. For once, her calculating gaze wasn’t directed at some strategic move in Capture the Flag—it was pinned squarely on the two of you.

“Oh gods,” you muttered under your breath, stepping away from Luke so fast you nearly tripped over a root.

Luke, on the other hand, didn’t seem the least bit fazed. He leaned casually against the tree, his arms crossed over his chest, and gave Annabeth his most infuriating grin. “Hey, Annabeth,” he said, as if she��d just caught him skipping chores and not...well, this.

“‘Hey, Annabeth?’” she repeated, her voice rising slightly. Her eyes flicked between you and Luke, her expression a mix of shock, confusion, and something that looked suspiciously like secondhand embarrassment. “What the hell was that?”

You opened your mouth to explain—or maybe apologize—but no sound came out. Your face was burning so hot you were sure it could rival Apollo’s chariot.

“We were just...uh...” Luke began, his grin widening as he glanced at you.

“Don’t,” Annabeth interrupted, holding up a hand. “Don’t even try to explain.”

Luke shrugged, clearly enjoying himself. “Alright, if you insist.”

“Luke!” you hissed, swatting his arm.

“What?” he said, feigning innocence. “I’m not lying. She told me not to explain.”

Annabeth groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I cannot believe this. You two are supposed to be best friends.”

“We are,” Luke said, the casual tone in his voice almost convincing.

“Best friends don’t...” Annabeth gestured vaguely between the two of you, clearly at a loss for words.

You wanted to sink into the ground and disappear forever. “This isn’t—it’s not—”

“Not what it looked like?” Annabeth supplied, raising an eyebrow.

You nodded furiously, though you weren’t entirely sure what you were agreeing to.

Luke, ever the opportunist, slung an arm around your shoulders, pulling you close enough that you could feel the heat radiating off him. “Come on, Annabeth,” he said, his tone light and teasing. “Can’t two best friends share a kiss now and then without it being a big deal?”

“No!” Annabeth snapped, her face incredulous. “No, they can’t!”

“Well,” Luke said, his smirk practically glowing in the dark, “guess we missed the memo.”

Annabeth threw her hands up in frustration. “You’re both unbelievable.” She turned on her heel and stalked back toward the creek, muttering something about idiocy and never being able to unsee things.

As soon as she was out of earshot, you turned to Luke, your jaw dropping. “What is wrong with you?”

“Nothing,” he said, his expression far too pleased with himself. “That went better than I expected.”

“Better?” you repeated, your voice a mix of disbelief and mortification. “She’s never going to let us live this down.”

“Probably not,” Luke agreed, his grin softening into something almost fond as he looked at you. “But hey, at least now you know what you're dealing with.”

“And what exactly am dealing with?” you asked, narrowing your eyes at him.

Luke’s gaze flicked briefly to your lips before meeting your eyes again. “A best friend who doesn’t play by the rules.”

You rolled your eyes, but the warmth in your chest betrayed you. “You’re insufferable.”

“And yet, here you are,” he teased, leaning in just enough that your noses brushed.

You shoved him lightly, though the smile tugging at your lips was impossible to hide. “Come on,” you said, grabbing his wrist and pulling him in the direction of the creek. “Let’s actually do our job before we get caught again.”

“Whatever you say, best friend,” he said, his laughter echoing through the trees as he followed you.

✧. ┊ ⁭Send requests! :)

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nevertheless-moving · 1 year ago

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adolin half teasing kaladin while out for drinks sometime in Urithiru: you know your feats on the shattered plains aren't quite as impressive now that I've seen more of your magic glowing powers thing.

Kalidan: hm

Adolin: knew there was something weird about you. Ha. I mean i was amazed at the time, but surviving the fall from that bridge sabotage isn't really anything now that I've seen-

Kalidan: actually I didn't have my powers for that part

Adolin: what

Shallan: it's true he didn't

Kalidan: Lost syl right after prison, I got maybe a chip of stormlight while falling , just enough to not die, no powers the rest of the time

Adolin: how

Kalidan: I already explained the whole - with elhokar and moash -

Adolin: no, i mean, the highstorm -

Kaladin: yeah that was shallan

Shallan: shardblade cubby cut out part way up the wall

Adolin: and the chasm fiend? It really was already dead -

Shallan: no very much alive, very much tried to kill us

Adolin: and you-

Shallan: no that was kaladin

Adolin: what

Kaladin: I mean you did distract it, and I wouldn't have been able to do anything without your pattern blade

Adolin: you killed a chasm fiend. Without special powers.

Kaladin: I mean shallan-

Shallan: he jumped right in its mouth!

Adolin: i - you killed a chasm fiend. Without any other fighters. By yourself. Without radiant powers. You're - you're sure? No special abilities?

Kaladin: it was a pretty painful time, yes I'm sure. Did some spear katas. Noticeable difference without the bond with syl.

Adolin: you fought the chasm fiend. handicapped.

Kaladin: I guess? I dont know if it's handicapped considering, you know, most people don't ever breathe stormlight.

Adolin: you killed a chasm fiend singlehandedly. Without shardplate. And without any powers.

Kaladin: you're repeating yourself

Shallan: ...it was pretty impressive

Kaladin: you saw how messed up my leg got!

Adolin:

Adolin: I hate you so much.

#stormlight archive #missing scene #stormlight fanfic #kaladin stormblessed #nevertheless writing #this guy. ridiculous.#he's just like that!#he's just always like that!#words of radiance #rhythm of war spoilers #cosmere #nevertheless cosmere

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phoenixblaze1412 · 2 months ago

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So glad to see a Dottore writer! Can I ask for dottore and the segments with a reader who oversleeps a lot? someone who sleeps like 12-14 hours. sleepiest guy ever.

The first time Dottore realized how much you overslept, he assumed it was a one-time occurrence. A simple exhaustion, nothing more. But as time passed, it became glaringly obvious.

You were, without a doubt, the sleepiest person in all of Snezhnaya.

Twelve to fourteen hours of sleep a day? Completely normal for you.

Nodding off mid-experiment? A weekly event.

Disappearing for "just a quick nap" and waking up the next morning? Routine.

Dottore, of course, found it both fascinating and mildly concerning. As a scientist, he initially considered analyzing your sleep patterns, wondering if some neurological anomaly was at play.

But after repeated tests revealed nothing unusual besides an innate talent for sleeping anywhere, anytime. He resigned himself to the reality that you were simply like this. The segments, however, all had their own ways of dealing with your chronic drowsiness.

Alpha: The Most Responsible (and Slightly Annoyed)

Alpha took it upon himself to try and keep you on schedule. Emphasis on try as Theta would say. He’d knock on your door in the mornings with an exasperated sigh, already expecting no response.

“Wake up. It’s nearly noon.”

Silence.

Alpha knocked again, harder. “I’m not asking.”

Still nothing.

By the third attempt, he simply resorted to dragging your blanket off the bed, knowing it was the only thing that might stir you.

It didn’t.

Sighing, he pinched the bridge of his nose before calling for the others. “We need backup.”

Theta: The Chaos Enabler

Theta found your sleepiness hilarious. Unlike Alpha, he wasn’t interested in fixing your sleep schedule—he was interested in seeing just how deep your slumber truly was.

“How long do you think it’ll take for them to wake up if I draw on their face?” he asked Zeta one morning.

Zeta, ever composed, sighed. “That’s childish.”

Theta grinned. “You’re right. We should stack things on them instead.”

Dottore eventually had to ban “experiments” involving your unconscious body when he walked in to find a precariously balanced tower of books, vials, and a very confused laboratory rat resting on your back while you continued to sleep peacefully.

Zeta: The Quiet Observer

Zeta didn’t interfere much with your sleeping habits, but he did take note of how it affected your well-being. If you had trouble focusing after waking up or if you seemed groggy for too long, he would wordlessly hand you a strong cup of tea and remind you to pace yourself.

“You don’t have to rush,” he’d say whenever you stumbled into the lab, hair still a mess from sleep. “Just be awake enough not to mix volatile chemicals incorrectly.”

That had happened once. Just once. And no one wanted a repeat of it.

Epsilon: The Concerned One

Unlike the others, Epsilon actually worried about your excessive sleeping. “Maybe it’s a deficiency,” he suggested one day. “Or an underlying illness. We should run more tests.”

Dottore hummed in consideration before glancing at you, drooling on your desk in the middle of a meeting. “��Or they could just be lazy.”

Epsilon frowned. “I don’t think laziness explains this level of unconsciousness.”

Dottore chuckled. “No, but watching the others struggle to wake them up is entertaining.”

Dottore: The Only One Who Can Wake You Instantly

Despite all the segments’ attempts, there was only one undeniable fact: when Dottore himself called your name, you woke up immediately.

Whether it was fear, respect, or some kind of Pavlovian response, no one knew.

Theta once tested this theory by mimicking Dottore’s tone and cadence. It failed miserably.

You slept through it.

But the moment the real Dottore leaned over your bed and murmured, “If you don’t wake up in the next ten seconds, I’m increasing your workload,” your eyes snapped open instantly.

Dottore smirked. “Fascinating.”

The others groaned. “That’s not fair.”

#genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #dottore #dottore x reader #zandik x reader #il dottore #il dottore x reader #gender neutral reader

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glowettee · 3 months ago

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hi there! im a fan of your page 💕

can you give me the best studying techniques?

hi angel!! @mythicalmarion tysm for asking about study techniques 🤍 i'm so excited to share my secret methods that helped me maintain perfect grades while still having a dreamy lifestyle + time for self-care!! and thank you for being a fan of my blog, it means everything to me. <3

~ ♡ my non-basic study secrets that actually work ♡ ~

(don't mind the number formatting)

the neural bridging technique this is literally my favorite discovery!! instead of traditional note-taking, i create what i call "neural bridges" between different subjects. for example, when studying both literature + history, i connect historical events with the literature written during that time. i use a special notebook divided into sections where each page has two columns - one for each subject. the connections help you understand both subjects deeper + create stronger memory patterns!!

here's how i do it:

example:

left column: historical event

right column: literary connection

middle: draw connecting lines + add small insights

bottom: write how they influenced each other

the shadow expert method this changed everything for me!! i pretend i'm going to be interviewed as an expert on the topic i'm studying. i create potential interview questions + prepare detailed answers. but here's the twist - i record myself answering these questions in three different ways:

basic explanation (like i'm talking to a friend)

detailed analysis (like i'm teaching a class)

complex discussion (like i'm at a conference)

this forces you to understand the topic from multiple angles + helps you explain concepts in different ways!!

the reverse engineering study system instead of starting with the basics, i begin with the most complex example i can find and work backwards to understand the fundamentals. for example, in calculus, i start with a complicated equation + break it down into smaller parts until i reach the basic concepts.

my process looks like:

find the hardest example in the textbook

list every concept needed to understand it

create a concept map working backwards

study each component separately

rebuild the complex example step by step

the sensory anchoring technique this is seriously game-changing!! i associate different types of information with specific sensory experiences:

theoretical concepts - study while standing

factual information - sitting at my desk

problem-solving - walking slowly

memorization - gentle swaying

review - lying down

your body literally creates muscle memory associated with different types of learning!!

the metacognition mapping strategy i created this method where i track my understanding using what i call "clarity scores":

level 1: can recognize it

level 2: can explain it simply

level 3: can teach it

level 4: can apply it to new situations

level 5: can connect it to other topics

i keep a spreadsheet tracking my clarity levels for each topic + focus my study time on moving everything to level 5!!

the information architecture method instead of linear notes, i create what i call "knowledge buildings":

foundation: basic principles

first floor: key concepts

second floor: applications

top floor: advanced ideas

roof: real-world connections

each "floor" must be solid before moving up + i review from top to bottom weekly!!

the cognitive stamina training this is my absolute secret weapon!! i use a special interval system based on brain wave patterns:

32 minutes of focused study

8 minutes of active recall

16 minutes of teaching the material to my plushies

4 minutes of complete rest

the specific timing helps maintain peak mental performance + prevents study fatigue!!

the synthesis spiral evolution this method literally transformed how i retain information:

create main concept spirals

add branch spirals for subtopics

connect related concepts with colored lines

review by tracing the spiral paths

add new connections each study session

your notes evolve into a beautiful web of knowledge that grows with your understanding!!

these methods might seem different from typical study advice, but they're based on how our brains actually process + store information!! i developed these through lots of research + personal experimentation, and they've helped me maintain perfect grades while still having time for self-care, hobbies + fun!!

sending you the biggest hug + all my good study vibes!! remember that effective studying is about working with your brain, not against it <3

p.s. if you try any of these methods, please let me know how they work for you!! i love hearing about your study journeys!!

xoxo, mindy 🤍

glowettee hotline is still open, drop your dilemmas before the next advice post 💌: https://bit.ly/glowetteehotline

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sommerbueckers · 11 months ago

Text

𝐍𝐨 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞

➪ 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭

______________________________________________________________

PAIGE MOVED QUICKLY to open my door, nearly tripping over her phone feet. I shook my head from behind her, covering my mouth with my hand as I got into the car. She flashed me a goofy smile before shutting my door, hurrying to the driver's side.

The night was warm and the tropical city of Orlando, Florida was buzzing with tourists all over. The car started up and Paige pulled into traffic, even the most frustrating situations seemed beautiful on vacation. I watched with big eyes at all the lights around the city; the fairy lights on the patios of restaurants, the taillights on cars, the bridge lights that illuminated the water below.

Everything was so perfect, including Paige.

She was dressed in a pair of white linen shorts with a pattern crochet button up, her blonde beach waves hanging down over her shoulders. As the night settled in, Paige removed her sunglasses from on top of her head and gently set them in the center console, her eyes briefly meeting mine for a moment before she looked away.

"What?" I raised my eyebrow, looking curiously.

"Nothing," she laughed, "I can't look at you?"

"You can," I shrugged, feeling a blush creeping onto my cheeks. If she asked, I'd blame the heat.

Paige smiled cheekily, biting her lip and looking out her window.

"You wanna get some ice cream?" she asked.

"Not ice cream...something cold though," I replied, thinking about an alternative.

"Frozen margaritas?"

"Yes! Holy shit," I breathed out, my eyes wide, "that sounds amazing right now."

"Calm down lil lady," Paige smirked.

"I can't," I said, "you just managed to make a perfect night even better, I didn't even think that was possible!"

"Tonight was perfect, huh?" she smiled warmly.

"Definitely. If you pulled out a ring right now, it'd be an automatic 'yes.'"

Gasping, Paige asked, "So it wasn't a 'yes' before the frozen margaritas?"

I shrugged, "A solid 'maybe.'"

"I'll remember that then," the blonde nodded.

"Remember what?"

"Your love for frozen margaritas," she said.

"Good."

After a beat of silence, I spoke again.

"But seriously, y'know i'll say 'yes' right?" I asked her.

"To?"

"To marrying you. I can't think of one reason why I wouldn't marry you, unless you've got like some deep dark secret that I don't know about," I explain.

"Hm," Paige nodded.

I frowned, "'Hm'? That's it?"

She laughed, but there was something off about it.

"What do you want me to say?" she smiled with furrowed eyebrows.

"I don't know...I just expected more than a 'hm' y'know?" I shrugged, mocking the way she said it.

She didn't respond at all that time, and when the car came to a stop at a red light, I slightly turned my body toward her. She raised her eyebrows expectantly, her eyes slowly looking me up and down before her tongue darted across her lips. I felt myself grow hot, the urge to relieve some tension building inside of me.

With a deep breath, I was able to clear my thoughts and refocus on the reason I had turned in the first place.

"You don't have anything else to say?" I asked.

"I don't know what you want me to say," she shrugged, "you said you'd marry me if I asked, what -- did you want me to do it now?"

"No," I tried to smile but the frown was obviously there as well, "I just thought you'd have something more to say, that's all."

"Well...I don't, i'm sorry."

"No, don't be sorry, you don't have anything to say, it's okay," I reassured, staring back out the window.

Was I overreacting? How did I expect her to respond to that anyway? I suppose I was half hoping she had a ring on standby, and maybe when I realized she didn't, I got upset? We've only been together for three years, and this was our first vacation alone together, I think I just got too excited, and the many couple drinks I had didn't help.

I heard Paige sigh from beside me as the light turned green, and she reached her hand forward to turn the radio down. Now, it was my turn to stare expectantly.

"I've actually been meaning to talk to you about something," she admitted.

"Okay...what is it?"

"It's about us."

The look on her face was one that made my stomach drop, one that made me want to crawl in a hole and not come out. It was one you'd give your partner during a breakup, a 'it's not you, it's me' look. I blinked silently for a few moments, scanning her face. I wanted to burn every detail of it into my mind; her lips, her eyes, her perfect nose. I loved Paige, and in case this was the last of our time spent together, I wanted to savor her.

I swallowed the lump in my throat before I responded, "Sounds serious," I laughed dryly.

"It is...sort of," she nodded.

"I'm listening..."

"I love you, so much, and I know you know that. It's why I bring you everywhere with me, I show you off on my socials, to my friends, my family," she started, emphasizing the word 'family.'

Immediately I knew where this conversation was headed. It was one Paige and I had had countless times; she wanted to meet my family, and I had yet to introduce her. In the three wonderful years that we had been together, she did indeed bring me along with her to every family gathering that she had. I had gone for Thanksgiving, Christmas, a period of our spring break, she even brought me along when she went to surprise Drew for his birthday. But not once, during all of that, had she even seen my parents' faces.

It was wrong, I knew it was, I just couldn't bring myself to admit it, much less do anything to change it. It was better this way, and Paige just couldn't understand that. I don't think she even tried.

"-but I still haven't met yours."

I chewed on the inside of my cheek, half listening to her talk and half trying to ignore her.

"Why're we talking about this again?" I sighed.

"Because we need to talk about it," she said, "You say you wanna get married and start a family but you're not even working with the one you already have. If we're gonna take our relationship to the next level, I have to meet your family."

"Why though?"

"Because! You know everything about my family and I know nothing about yours. That isn't weird to you?" she asked, not even giving me a chance to respond before she continued. "I wanna know where you grew up, I wanna know who you get your humor from, I wanna meet the niece you mentioned a couple months ago and then never brought her up again."

I shook my head, "I don't wanna talk about this Paige."

"Too fuckin' bad, this is my car and we're talking about it."

"This isn't your car, this is a rental that I paid for," I argued.

"I don't give a damn! You don't get to control what things we talk about and when we talk about them without giving me a say, that's not fair."

"No, what isn't fair is the fact that you're bringing this up for the hundredth time after I've already told you how I feel about it. That's what's not fair!" I shouted.

"Okay. So what -- i'm just supposed to never meet your family? Is your plan for us to get married and just not invite them, or do they have to watch from a separate room that i'm not in?" Paige asked, completely shutting the radio off.

"Oh my God!" I laughed stiffly, "Why does it even matter if you meet them or not?!"

"Because it feels like you're hiding me!"

"I am not hiding you!"

"Then what the fuck is the problem?! You said they know you're gay, you said they don't care, so why can't I meet them?"

"Because I just don't fucking want you to! Why can't you respect that?!" I frowned.

"Why can't you respect the fact that i'm not marrying you until I meet your family?!" she yelled.

I sunk back in my seat, my lips screwed shut as I thought about her words. Keeping Paige separate from my family had been the best decision for me us, and it was one that I chose had to make on my own. I loved my family, but I had grown up with them and I was used to the way they acted, to the comments they'd make and the opinions they had. After coming out to them, despite their reassurance that they didn't care, I had made a promise to myself that whoever I married would never have to deal with them.

But now here I was, sitting next to the only person I had ever considered marrying with that very promise about to ruin everything. She didn't understand, and I wasn't sure she ever would. I wondered if there was someone out there that wouldn't mind not meeting my family, perhaps I could start over with someone else and make up some sob story about how I don't talk to them anymore. As I looked over at my girlfriend, at the only person who had ever made me feel loved even in the times where I didn't love myself, I couldn't even imagine trying to find someone else.

We were silent the whole way back to the airbnb, our desire for frozen margaritas long forgotten in the midst of our anger. Paige pulled into the driveway and I hopped out the car, storming back into the house. There was so much tension between us and I was wasn't sure I'd be able to handle it all night. We changed in the same room, and I hadn't even bothered to sneak a glance at her. We didn't brush our teeth together, we didn't reminisce on the day or share our excitement for tomorrow, we just stormed around in silence.

The familiar pair of curious blue eyes were missing as I did my face routine that night, and I tried and failed miserably to find peace doing it alone. With the door shut and the faucet running, I cried. I cried until I couldn't see the sink in front of me, I cried until I could feel how swollen my eyes had gotten, until my head ached so violently that I had to take a seat on the tub because I couldn't physically stand the pain in my chest. I loved Paige with my entire heart and I couldn't lose her, I wouldn't.

I didn't know how long I had been in there, but when I came out, I found the house to be empty. I poked my head into the living room hoping she'd be watching the NBA finals on tv, but she wasn't there and had seemingly abandoned the game during the fourth quarter. Our bed was empty, still neatly made from this morning when we had left for the day. She wasn't by the pool either and after walking around to the front of the house to check the driveway, I noticed the car was gone. I could feel my anger rising again, how could she just leave without saying anything?

We were mad at each other and we hadn't worked things out yet. What if something happened to her and I never got to tell her I was sorry, that if she truly wanted to meet my family then i'd do my best to make it happen. What if something happened to me? What if someone saw her leave and was now watching me stand there alone and vulnerable. I quickly turned on my heel, jogging to the backyard and reentering the house. I grabbed my phone to see if she had left me a message, she hadn't. It wasn't like her to up and leave like this, and she knew my rule about going to bed upset, so I stayed up.

I sat cross legged on the couch, watching the remainder of the game and making a mental note on who won. A shark movie came on afterward, and I leaned lazily against the back of the couch as the intro played. About fifteen minutes went by before I heard the garage door open and close, Paige emerging from the hall with a drink holder in her hand. She set it down on the counter and then looked at me. Her face softened quickly, and she grabbed one of the cups before pushing off of the counter to make her way over to the couch.

"Where did you go?" I asked quietly.

She sat down beside me and held out the cup, a straw was taped to the side of it.

"To get this," she answered.

"What is that?"

"Try it," she urged me, opening the straw and stabbing the top of the cup, "you''ll like it."

I pulled my knees to my chest and rested one arm against the top of the couch while I grabbed the cup with the other, carefully taking a sip. I bit back the radiant smile that fought its hardest to pull through.

A frozen margarita.

"I'm sorry," she sighed tiredly, "for yelling at you and for telling you that I wouldn't marry you until I met your family." I didn't respond because I knew there was more. "But you have to understand it from my perspective. I feel like i'm missing an entire part of you, your culture, your traditions, all your little habits and stuff, I wanna know where they come from. You never talk about your family, like sometimes I wonder if they even exist. Like maybe you were made in a lab or some shit," she said.

I shook my head with a small smirk.

"I just wanna know why."

I could tell Paige wasn't gonna drop this, and if I was being honest with myself, she did deserve a better reason other than me just not wanting her to meet them. I set the margarita down on the coffee table and scooted closer to her.

"I want you to meet my family, I do...it's just -- I don't want you to know them. They do know i'm gay and they said that it doesn't bother them but, I see otherwise on their faces. Whenever i'd bring it up or introduce my other girlfriends to them there'd be this weird tension in the room and I just knew it was because of me. They don't particularly care but they don't like it either."

Paige nodded, "So...they're homophobic?"

"Sort of. But not like 'kick me out the house' homophobic but..." my voice trailed off as I shrugged.

"More like 'don't acknowledge it and it'll go away' homophobic."

"Exactly," I nodded.

Paige leaned back against the couch and shut her eyes, blowing out a frustrated breath as she took everything in.

"Paige, my favorite thing to do is show you off, and I don't want you to think for a second that i'm hiding you from anybody, because i'm not. I just don't want you to have to sit through a -- a dinner or a family gathering and deal with the shit that I had to deal with growing up, it's not fun."

"I know, I know," she said, "and thank you for trying to protect me like that."

"But?" I raised an eyebrow.

"But, someone's gotta walk you down the aisle, right?" she smirked.

I gently hit her shoulder, "Paige! This is serious, you wanted to talk about this."

"Alright, alright!" she raised her hands in defense, and when our laughter died down she spoke again, "If you don't want me to meet your family then...I won't push you any further."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Okay," I breathed out, "thank you. I promise you will meet them, just not right now."

Paige smiled up at me, and I could see the faint hint of doubt that her eyes still held, but there was nothing I could do about it now. I wasn't ready for her to meet my family yet, and for right now she'd just have to be okay with that.

______________________________________________________________

A/N: here's a little smth cus im on vacation right now. this idea honestly came up because last night my brother said he wouldn't come on vacation anymore if i brought a girl with us and my mom js made a joke about the girl being paige and idk, made me kinda sad.

but thanks to them i conjured this up😏 so you're welcome!

#wlw post #uconn wbb #paige bueckers #paige bueckers x reader #angst with a happy ending #angst #no y/n #vacation #gay as fuck

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too-much-tma-stuff · 11 months ago

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Healing is Slow, but Inevitable (part 7)

Previous | Masterpost

“So, what are you?” Jason asked about a week after the meeting with Batman, a few days after Dick left again after his unscheduled weekend visit, and they hadn’t really talked about it. Danny had been flighty and tense for days afterwards so Jason hadn’t wanted to bring it up. Now that Danny seemed calm again, curled up in bed with him after a decent day and some great sex, it seemed like the best time he was going to get.

Danny sighed and turned his head to hide his face against Jason’s shoulder for a moment, but he stayed relaxed and he wasn’t running, which were good signs. “I was kept prisoner for almost two years by the Ghost Investigation Ward, what do you think I am,” Danny muttered a little bitterly.

“But you’re not a ghost, right? I mean you eat, and sleep and I can feel your heartbeat right now,” Jason said, pressing his hand Danny’s chest, where his heart was indeed beating, slower than most people’s but that was normal for Danny. Then, right under Jason’s hand, Danny’s heart stopped beating.

Jason panicked and pulled back only for Danny to catch his wrist and keep his hand there, Danny pushed himself up a little and stared down at Jason. He seemed fully alive, and fine, even though his heart still wasn’t beating under Jason’s hand. Danny sighed and lay back down, the feeling of a heartbeat returning under Jason’s hand, he let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

“I’m what’s called a Halfa. It’s a stupid name but I’m not going to come up with a new one. It’s not entirely accurate either, since I’m both 100% alive, and 100% dead.” He saw the lost look on Jason’s face and backed up quickly to explain more. “There’s a place called the Ghost Zone, or the Infinite Realms, it’s a world between worlds that links to every living world and contains every afterlife.” He was tracing little patterns on Jason’s chest as he talked. “Portals open to it in other worlds sometimes, natural things that form and collapse again quickly.

“Halfas are made when one of those portals happen to open, directly on top of and into, a living person. It kills them, then because of the power of the realms their soul forms a ghost immediately, resurrects them and slams that fully formed ghost back into the living body, bonding them back together and creating a living-ish, ghost. I’m the only true halfa in existence right now, and I’m… unique, even for my kind. Because the portal that made me was the first man-made one, it was far more stable and more powerful than the natural ones, meaning that I got a double dose of energy.

“Halfas are already a powerful species, the perfect balance between life and death, a bridge between worlds partially immune to the weaknesses of both. But I’m strong even compared to other halfas, at least that’s what I’m told by the Ancients. Like I said, I’m the first one in about five thousand years, and the only one in existence right now, so I’ve never exactly met someone else like me.”

“Holy shiit,” Jason whispered before falling silent. He started to comb his fingers through Danny’s hair so he would know Jason wasn’t upset or mad as he took a while to process all Danny had told him. “You don’t have to talk about it but if you’re that powerful then… how did the GIW manage to capture you?”

“My parents were the ones who captured me,” Danny murmured, hiding his face against Jason’s neck. Jason’t breath caught in his throat. “They were ghost hunters all my life, they built the portal but I didn’t want to hurt them. I was still trying to talk to them, to convince them I really was still their son. Then the GIW found out they had me and demanded my parents hand me over. When my parents refused and tried to defend ‘their discovery’ The GIW just… blew up the house. Because of my powers I survived, no one else did. While I was still in shock they took me.

“It broke my heart, in a literal sense. I want to show you something,” He said and sat up again, legs crossed. Jason sat up as well, mirroring Danny’s position and watching him curiously. “Humans have organs and brains and all those squishy, meaty bits. Ghosts have a core, it contains everything we are, everything else will just reform around it as long as the core is undamaged.” He pressed his hands against his own chest and after a moment, he drew something out.

It was an orb of what looked like blue stone, but it was cracked, pretty extensively, in a similar pattern of cracking to Danny’s lightning scar. “What they did, it cracked my core,” Danny said looking down at it baleful. “Literally broke me. If I was a full ghost it would have destabilized and ended me, my humanity kept me together. Which just meant more for them to experiment on,” He said with a bitter little laugh.

“Danny,” Jason murmured, a heartbroken little sound as he sat forward and reached towards Danny. Danny tensed, and looked fearful for just a moment, but he didn’t pull away. Instead he opened his hands and held his core, his heart, out towards Jason. With permission Jason traced the branching pattern gently with a finger, it felt cool and smooth under his fingers, energy tingling in his fingertips and the cracks rasping slightly against Jason’s calluses. Danny shuddered and gasped as all the tension bled out of him under Jason’s gentle touch, his eyes fell closed, and his expression was peaceful now.

“It’s been getting better,” Danny said, opening his eyes again after a moment and looking up at Jason adoringly. “Since I met you, you gave me purpose again and I can feel the cracks healing, it’s slow, but it was always going to be.”

Jason pulled his hand back and Danny pressed his core back to his chest. “I’m glad you’re healing. You’ve been helping me a lot too, healing is always slow, but we’ll do it together. And you’ll tell me if I ever make it worse, or if there’s anything I can do to help won't you?”

“Ya we will, but I think I’m well enough to face the GIW soon. I’ll start looking for them along with your people. If they’re still around I don’t think it will take me that long to find them,” Danny told Jason softly. “As for helping, just don’t leave me, and don’t die. I don’t want to think about what I could become without you to ground me.”

“I’m not going anywhere, and I’ll be right there with you when we take down the GIW. I won’t let anyone hurt you. I love you,” Jason promised, pulling Danny back against his chest.

“I love you too,” Danny sighed, snuggling against Jason tiredly.

-----------

Danny hadn’t been kidding when he said he would be able to find the GIW quickly when he started to look. It turned out that the GIW were sort of using ghosts in their firewall? It made it next to impossible for regular people to find, or hack it, but made it all the easier for Danny to track down. He found five bases besides the one that he had destroyed during his escape. Which was more than Jason had expected, though none of them seemed to be that big. According to the files two had ‘specimens’, so they were going to hit those two first and free whatever free whatever poor souls were still trapped there.

Jason had yet to leave Crime Alley since his takeover of the turf, but it would have to happen eventually. They would only be gone for one, maybe two days so it was a good first test.

They had a basic plan; break in and rely on stealth till they had located the prisoners, release them, then cause as much damage and havoc as they could on the way out. Danny would be the power house, taking the chance to really let loose in a way he hadn’t in a long time. Jason would follow and plant explosives so once they got out they would leave nothing to salvage.

They had a bit of a discussion about when to go. During the night there would be fewer people there making it safer to break in, but the disadvantage of that was they would take out fewer GIW agents. The fewer of those assholes still walking the earth the less likely it was anyone would come for Danny. There would be no one to continue the cycle of violence if everyone else was dead. In the end they still decided to go at night. If only because they would be less likely to walk in on someone actively being tortured, which would be too much for Danny. They needed to avoid Danny having a panic attack in enemy territory if at all possible.

So Jason wrangled his people into readiness to be left alone and keep things ticking over, and told a few selected people where they were headed in the unlikely case they needed rescue. Jason had started planning a ride too, since unlike the Bats they didn’t have their own private jet. But Danny told him there was no need, just get them out of Gotham and Danny could handle the rest. Jason was curious about what he meant by that, but when he asked Danny gave him the cheeky smile that promised it was a surprise Jason would like. Jason decided to wait and see.

Once they were ready they left Gotham at Sunset, Danny on the back of Jason’s bike with his arms tight around his waist and pressed against his back. Normally when they rode like this Jason could feel Danny’s vibrating purr against his back but today Danny was still and silent, probably too tense to purr. Jason understood, no matter what they found or how well this went it was bound to be triggering as hell. Danny was walking right back into one of the facilities where he had been experimented on and tortured. Jason didn’t think there was anything he could say to make Danny feel better, so he mostly stayed quiet and let Danny think his thoughts.

“Okay, we’re far enough away I think. Pull over please, far enough that we won’t be easily seen from the road. I haven’t done this in… more than a year, I’m not totally sure how it’s going to go,” Danny said suddenly and Jason nodded, looking for a place to pull off the road and into the woods. Finding a good place to hide his bike, and themselves for whatever Danny was planning on doing.

Jason found a place to park his bike and let Danny get off before him, once they were off he laid the bike down where it wouldn’t be easily found, and turned on his personal tracker so he would be able to find it later. “Alright, ready when you are. I’m looking forward to seeing what you’ve been so mysterious about,” Jason encouraged his boyfriend, taking off his motorcycle helmet to switch it for his Red Hood one.

Danny nodded and took a few steps back and took a deep breath, “I really haven’t done this in years. Not since I escaped for the first time. It made it easier for them to track me,” Danny explained before he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

As Jason watched Danny started to change, not all at once, but the appearance Jason knew started to flicker and fade in patches. It looked like he was molting, and like a computer glitching, leaving him looking… different. The shape of the costume was a lot like his Hyena get-up, but it was entirely monochrome, and this Hyena had been dead for a long time. The suit was black with start-white protruding ribs wrapped around his chest like armor, white knee and elbow pads, and a white stripe down the front of his boots added to the skeletal effect. Danny’s mask had turned from a muzzle to a Hyena skull with a tuft of white hair showing above it. When Danny opened his eyes they were pits of toxic green glowing from behind the Hyena’s empty eye sockets.

Jason would have frozen up completely, if he hadn’t noticed Danny was swaying slightly. Jason jumped forward just in time to steady Danny before he could fall. Danny leaned against him, he felt cooler than usual and… insubstantial in an odd way.

“That felt different then it used to,” Danny murmured, putting a hand to his forehead. He felt the mask and blinked before glancing down at himself. “Huh, I knew this form was connected to emotions and shit, but I didn’t expect it to change this much,” He murmured, running his hands over the mask and then back through his hair, pushing his hood back to show his hair was all white now, and moving like it was underwater.

“What… is this?” Jason asked, combing his fingers through Danny’s hair which felt like the softest, unmelting, fresh fallen snow between his fingers.

“My ‘ghost form’. I told you I was as dead as I was alive, this is my dead form,” Danny said gesturing down as himself before fully gaining his footing and standing up on his own. He took off the mask (Jason was far more relieved then he’d admit that Hyena skull was a mask, he hadn’t been sure) and smiled at him. Danny still looked very much like himself, though his mouth was wider, his teeth were sharper and his skin had the very distinct deathly pallor of a frozen corpse.

Jason gave a considering hum and cupped Danny’s face, leaning down to kiss him. His lips felt cool and there was no pulse against Jason’s lips, but they were soft and Danny kissed back with the same sweetness as always. “You look badass as hel,l Moonlight,” Jason told Danny who blushed a soft blue and smiled at him, pulling him back in for another quick kiss.

“Alright, like this I can get us to the base,” Danny said, pulling the mask back on before his feet lifted off the ground and he hovered a few feet up. “Carrying you should be no problem, we’ll be silent, and if needed I can cloak us. We just have to land a ways out because I’m sure they have ghost detectors and shields. I’ll have to change back to get through. Sounds good?”

“Sounds great,” Jason agreed easily. He’d been around the Supers for years as a kid, he was used to being carried like that.

“Great,” Danny cheered, swooping over Jason and grabbing him under the arms and lifting him up with no apparent effort. He held Jason as they took off towards base, Danny flew fast but Jason’s helmet protected his eyes from the wind so it was fine.for Danny to change back into his human form. It looked like reversed timelapse footage of a flower losing its petals. Jason watched in awe as the man he knew and loved reformed around this odd, pale being.

When it was done Danny shook out his limbs and rolled his head on his neck like he was having to resettle himself in his body before he nodded firmly once. “Alright, let’s go,” Danny said, checking his mask one more time.

Jason nodded and made a hand sign to advance, reminding Danny from here on they wouldn’t be using words. Danny nodded and fell in just behind Jason as they approached the facility. They had found a weak point in the plans for ventilation and used that to get in. This place was clearly designed to keep things in more than out, and not with humans in mind, it was almost embarrassingly easy to sneak in. They hid as a couple of agents walked by, assholes in white coats and dark glasses, edgy as hell and obviously overly full of themselves. Jason was looking forward to ripping through them on the way back out.

As they moved through the building Jason planted bombs at strategic locations ready to be detonated once they had cleared the facility of anyone who actually deserved to live. They didn’t want to leave anything standing. The less of the information and weapons that survived to potentially fall into the wrong hands, the better.

In the labs on the lower floors they found a few ‘blob ghosts’ as Danny called them, and a bunch of equipment, a couple of which Danny helped himself to. Jason didn’t bother because he didn’t know what any of this stuff was, they’d probably do more harm than good in his hands.

Deeper in the labs they found a few proper ghosts too, locked in cells Jason managed to hack and get open. Danny darted in and started murmuring softly to a woman he called Ember, and who called him Babypop with shock and grief before he used one of the tools he’d stolen to open some sort of portal and sent her on. He found a thing he called Shadow, but that one didn’t talk, and Jason didn’t see it though he believed Danny that it was there. Danny used the portal gun to send them on too.

They were reaching the end of the facility and Jason was glad they’d only found two sentient beings, he would have much preferred None but it could have been a lot worse. This was the largest facility so if they only had two actual ‘ghosts’ the others would probably have one at most.

They moved through the rest of the labs quickly, staying just long enough to clear them of anyone who might be held there, but not lingering over metal tables, scalpels, lasers, and saws. Jason was trying not to think about Danny strapped down to one of those, cut open and either begging them to stop or dissociating and staring, he wasn’t sure which would be worse.

Finally they reached the deepest room in the facility, Jason was expecting another lab, until he saw the security pad at the door. The previous labs had been in a complex, no codes or cards needed to get into each individual one once you were on the floor. What was special about this lab? The security was decent too, nowhere near as easy to get through as previous doors.

“Keep watch Hyena, this is going to take a minute,” Jason murmured into their mic and Danny nodded, flitting to the end of the hall to keep watch while Jason worked on the security.

It took him about fifteen minutes and thankfully no one came around, they must have hourly patrols or something. Danny glanced over at the sound of the door unlocking and Jason nodded, gesturing for him to come. He stepped inside, getting the full view of a room full of wires, monitoring equipment, and what looked like a cloning tube or stasis pod. Holy shit was the GIW somehow in league with CADMUS?

There was a girl floating in the tube, maybe fourteen or fifteen, small for her age. Her hair was black but he couldn’t see much else. He heard Danny come into the room behind him and let out a soft gasp.

“Oh god,” Danny breathed softly. Jason looked over at Danny expecting to see his own surprise reflected in Danny’s face. No, he was shocked, yes, but he looked heartbroken and horrified. There was absolutely recognition there. “Ellie.”

#danny phantom #dc x dp #jason todd #fanfiction #dead on main #my writing #Hood and Hyena #dani phantom #GIW

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cosmerelists · 12 days ago

Text

If Rosharans Were Obsessed with Mean Girls...

Stormlight characters watching Mean Girls requested by @idontknowwhatnametouse :)

Mean Girls is a movie about a high school girl infiltrating the popular girl squad to take revenge on them. It spawned a lot of memes. What would happen if it not only came to Roshar somehow, but also became something that everyone watched?

1. Dalinar: Tries to be hip with it

Dalinar: On Wednesdays, we wear Kholin blue. Dalinar: ... Dalinar: Also on every other day. Dalinar: Because that is what the codes say.

2. Navani: Tries to be hip with it

Adolin: Are you, uh, wearing a glove? Navani: Yes, I'm wearing a glove instead of the full safehand sleeve. Navani: I'm not like a regular mom. I'm a cool mom. Navani: ... Navani: Cool aunt? Adolin: Maybe we should stop talking now.

3. Stormfather: Likes the bus scene

Stormfather: The movie shows that if you hit someone with a bus, they become nicer. Dalinar: I...do not think that is the intended message. Stormfather: When I tried to blow all of you off of the plateau, maybe I had the right idea. Dalinar: ... Stormfather: Maybe *I* am the bus. Dalinar: Perhaps movie night was a bad idea.

4. Pattern: Takes some of the lessons to heart

Pattern: No mating! Pattern: You WILL get chlamydia and die!

5. The memes

Lift: If Drehy is married, then why is his butt so good? Wyndle: Oh my god, mistress, you can't just ask why someone's butt is good! Wyndle: Wait, what does his being married have to do with it? Lift: D-Did you use a meme? Lift: I'm so stormin' proud.

6. Listen, the memes though

Shallan: If that guy is a herald, then why are his eyes brown? Kaladin: Oh my god, Shallan, you can't just ask someone why their eyes are brown! Shallan: Y-You were surprised too!

7. Moash: Figures anything is worth a try

Moash: And why should Elhokar get to stomp around like a giant while people like us get crushed underneath his big feet? We are just as cute as Elhokar, right? We're just as smart as Elhokar (well, way smarter), and you like me way more than you like Elhokar. When did it become okay for one person to be the boss of everybody? We should totally just STAB ELHOKAR! Kaladin: ... Kaladin: Are you trying to get me to commit regicide by quoting Mean Girls? Moash: Is it working?

8. Bridge 4 would quote it all the time

Skar: Kaladin... How do we begin to explain Kaladin Stormblessed? Rock: Kaladin Stormblessed is flawless. Lopen: I hear his hair is insured for ten emerald broams! Drehy: I hear he appears in fashion magazines... In Kharbranth! Sigzil: One time he met the Herald Taln... Leyten: ...and Taln said he looked strong. Moash: One time he punched me in the face... It was awesome.

9. Adolin could make "fetch" happen

Adolin: That is so fetch! Sadeas (sounding bored): Stop trying to make "fetch" happen, Adolin. It's NOT going to happen. Jakamov [in the distance]: Wow! So fetch! Danlan: I know, right? The fetchiest! Sadeas: NOOOOOO

10. Wit: Thinks the Burn Book could be improved

Wit: See, the issue with the Burn Book was keeping it secret. Wit: I'm just writing down my insults as I say them, in front of everyone. Wit: Then I leave the book on display, and anyone can revisit my best insults at any time! Wit: See? Elhokar: Wit... None of us men can read. Wit: ... Wit: Every day this planet tests my patience.

#cosmere #cosmerelists #stormlight archive #Dalinar #Navani #Pattern #Moash #Wit #Adolin #Stormfather

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grimdarling69 · 5 months ago

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Can I ask for part 9 of deaged dan and ellie please?🥹

Tbh I've been rereading it a lot and I'm excited to read what the batfam and jl reactions while going to where Damian and Dick is. I knowww that it's going to be a crazy ride especially with youngblood(is it really Youngblood? Or not?)

A large toxic blob incased the window on the door. Swirling and jumping individual blob ghosts. They cooed excitedly and pushed against the locked door in vain.

"I'm coming! I'm coming!" He finally reached the door and opened it in a practiced manner of hiding behind and ducking. The swarm of blobs rushed past him into the den.

"Calm yourselves one at a time." Damian spoke to them as he walked hesitantly-not fearfully, Damian-back into the room. They swarmed around his head and chittered in a weirdly familiar language. He couldn't understand the language, but he recognized it? He was gaining ecto if he could recognize ghost dialect. He couldn't let Damian know he'd blame himself if he thought he put him in danger by letting him stay in the Realms. He couldn't leave him alone and was scared while he went through this. Damian needed him just as much as he needed him.

"You must have made a mistake. There's absolutely no way she would betray me. She's-this can't be happening." He muttered the last part and pushed through the blobs around him. He went to the table. Frostbite dropped files yesterday as something to do while the storm passes. He hadn't realized the weather would follow them to death. Apparently, in some 'biomes' in the Realms, it has weather but not the same it's all different. All at different times and patterns. The weather couldn't hurt ghosts, but it could hurt buildings and structures. Their cabin, luckily, was on the side of the island that the storm didn't reach, so they were told to stay put. He had gotten frostbite to give them paperwork so that he could convince Damian to do that instead of attempting to injure himself or the cores. It kind of worked he only had to chase him a few times.

"What's happening, Damian? What did they say?" He questioned, keeping in an eye in the weirdly calm swarm landing on the couch next to him. He captured his sons hands so he couldn't pull his hair out like he tended to do now. Damian face was covered in worry, fear, and maybe some regret.

"A group of heroes, including some of the founders of the Justice League and Constantine, are being transported by Pandora and Youngblood." He winced and glanced outside the window like he could see their ship.

"Bruce?" "And Todd, Drake, Brown, and Thomas."

"Shit. Well, we just have to explain to them what you told me, and they'll back off. Jason will be more than happy to knock Bruce into his senses if he doesn't. "

"I don't want them to know about this, about me-or them..."

"Damian, come on, they'd have had to at least know about the babies eventually. When you came home even-if you came to...live with me." Damian glanced around nervously, never meeting his eyes. Oh my god.

"But you never planned on returning, did you? You were going to let us think you committed suicide without any sign at all. Right? That was your plan to-to make us think we lost you!" He was yelling, and a distant voice told him he needed to calm down, but he really couldn't care less right now.

"I- didn't mean to make you think -" Damian was tearing up. He thinks absently that he's seen damian cry more these past few months than the past four years he's known him.

"I was going to follow you!" Damian seemed like he wanted to say something, but he needed to get his point across. He took a deep breath.

"When I got to the bridge, I was-in hysterics. I couldn't help but imagine you in the-the water. Hurt scared in pain, knocked around in the water-er. I thought you could have cracked your head open or just anything, and I had to-to save you! I just thought if i could follow you over that bridge...i could save you. " it was hard to see through the bluryness, but damian was the only thing he needed to see anyway.

"You would have been killed too..."

"I know."

"So why...?"

"Because you matter more to me than anything. You are my son, and you are Bruce's son, and you are Talias son."

"I-..."

"Let me finish. If Bruce didn't want you, you would have never been in the manor. It is impossible to make Bruce do something he truly doesn't want to do. You are a member of this crazy ass family because we want you. Bruce wants you. I want you. So don't push us away, please. "

"I just-i never doubted you!" It's always been bruce.

"Or any of the others, it's only Bruce, why?" He's afraid of his reaction most of all, like he knows something about him Dick doesn't.

"I told you about Jack Fenton, right? Well, before he sacrificed himself, he was cutting me open. As I screamed and cried and begged him to stop. That i was alive that I was his son didn't matter. What did matter was vlad. Jazz-you maybe called him begged him to save you. He told them-my mom all about ghosts about himself, and that stopped him. He said sorry to vlad instead of sorry to the son lying open and organs strewn across the room on the table. It was you who rushed forward and helped me. You who was always on my side so I can never doubt you but Bruce...I've had my share of father's and they haven't always been the best."

"He tries-"

"Sometimes trying isn't enough. But I trust you so...I'll give him a chance. I want to live with you but maybe we'll visit him."

"That's all I'm asking, baby bat." Maybe everything will be fine. Damian will see that Bruce isn't Jack, and everything will be fine. He goes to put his hand comfortingly on his shoulder but damian bypasses him and grabs him tight around the waist, burying his head into dicks clothes. Gripping him so tightly it hurts but he doesn't complain much too happy just hold his son. He grips him as tightly as he dares and rests his head on Damian.

"Richard."

"What, dami?" He turned his cheek from where he placed it on damians head so he could hear better.

"I think the babies are coming..." he pulls away suddenly to look at him, and sure enough, his stomach is glowing so bright his shirt is see-through. Damians face is pulled into an expression of wonder and fear. Shit shit shit. They'd thought we would have more time.

"I'll get frostbite. Just sit down." He helps him to the couch, and after making sure he knows to control his breathing, he runs out of the cabin to Frostbites. Luckily, he wasn't actually in human labor, but it was still extremely painful because of the fact that damian isn't a full ghost. Typically, it was more like a budding reproduction that plants do. A ghost and a ghostling go intangible and divide from each other. Frostbite believes damian will be strong enough for that to happen if they use ecto-dejecto+. Something he modified from the Fentons. He is extremely worried about this, as you could guess. He trusts Frostbite. He's like a large frosty and very intelligent retriever, but he's worried about the side effects of after rather than the immediate. They have no other idea it's this or nothing. Frostbite had said if the kids couldn't get out on their own, he would have to... cut them out. Ecto-dejecto+ it is!

"Frostbite! Frostbite!" He slammed into the large door and banged on it. It was probably unlocked like always, but this was faster. "Is it time?" He hears the resounding yell at foot from the door, and he flips backward so he doesn't get knocked out again.

"Yes! Obviously!" He turns back around and runs back to the cabin. He ignores frostbites yelling about getting his tools.

By the time he gets back, damian isn't on the couch anymore.

"Damian! Damian, where are you?" He's searching wildly around the room throwing things around. It had only taken him 6 minutes to get here and back. Please don't him have...have...

"In here!" Damian! From his old bedroom? Frostbite and him had been working in changing it into a temporary nursery just in case. Had Damian already...?

"Damian..?" He pushed open the door slowly.

"Shh, look!" Damian was smiling freely for the first time in a while. Completely free of the pain from just a few minutes ago. He was holding a baby, and another rested in a blue banket on the bed pushed against the wall, eyes darting around. Damian held another in a pink blanket in his arms, standing in the center. The baby's face was red, and tears steamed down its cheeks, but it wasn't actively crying.

"She just stopped crying. Here Ellie meet your..." he trailed off handing the baby over to him waiting for him to decide what he wanted to be called. They hadn't talked about it...

He couldn't help but tear up seeing the little baby. It didn't look like a newborn but maybe a month or 2 old. Still very young but bypassing the actual infant stage.

"Aren't they beautiful...What do you want to be called?" Damian picked up Dante and rocked him around the baby stared into space. The baby smiled so definitely more than a month. From the books he read it took about 6 or so weeks to smile actually smile instead of just gas.

"I don't know. Didn't think that far ahead." He took the corner of the blanket and gently wiped away the drying tears on her face.

"Im here! Great one! Princess!" Frostbite took forever seriously. And he was ignoring the title everyone insisted on using for him. They had offered to change it to Prince, but then it just felt too real? When he's called princess, it's funnier, less real, and like a joke, not like he's a literal prince of the literal fabric of the universe.

He pushed open the door and signaled to Frostbite standing in the broken doorway with his finger on his lips a classic be quiet sign he's sure ghosts would understand.

"Oh, well, I suppose we were worrying for nothing." Frostbite said once he finally got over the surprise. He was leaning over his shoulder or entire body technically from how large he was to peer at the baby girl. It was quite comical when he reached out a finger seemingly mesmerized at Ellies tiny little hand barely wrapped around half the finger when she grabbed it.

"Oh, I just love younglings. It has been centuries since I've seen such young neverborns. Though I believe it is just their human half influencing their age." The giant yeti seemed perfectly content to be trapped by the small hand.

"Do you think they'll ever gain their memories back?" Damian was sitting in the hand-carved rocking chair with ice and star designs all over it. He still held Dante in his arms. The baby simply watched its surroundings.

"I don't believe so but their cores personality should be similar and they might have a sense of deja vu sometimes but the amount of damage to their cores...I don't believe they will ever fully gain anything back." The yeti provided his much needed wisdom. "This is a new opportunity for them and you would be wise not to waste it, great one."

"I know, I won't its just i will miss them." Damian stared into his sons eyes not looking up at them.

"I know it is of no reconciliation, but...I will as well." Frostbite gently unraveled his claw from the baby and gathered his supplies. Leaving behind the ecto-dejecos without a word.

"You never answered me earlier about what you want to be called..." Damian said absent mindly in tone but completely focused on him.

"I did not realize it was such a big deal to you." Dick did. If he took up the uncle mantle, it would solidify the fact they were only brothers, but if he took up the grandfather title, Bruce and Alfred would be left out. He knew what he wanted, but bruce...its not he thinks Bruce will be furious or something at him it's more the quiet disappointment or regret he's worried about. Bruce was easy to anger but hard to disappoint, and every time he saw that look on his face...Bruce could also be a very jealous man.

"I thought about it what they'll call you guys. Alfred will be pops or grandpa. Bruce can have gramps. And you...can be papa..?" He can recognize the hopeful phrasing in his voice.

"I..thought Papa was for dads..." it's not a question really more like a dazed statement, but damian treats it like it is anyway.

"Not in the Midwest where I first came from. I used to call my grandparents, gama and Papa, when I was younger in that life. Before they died, we would drive for hours every holiday or on long weekends to see them." It was weird to hear him reminiscence about another life. Ellie gurgled, and he glanced down at the wiggly baby. Her fingers were in her mouths, and her eyes were locked with him. For the first time, he feels himself really look at her like a haze was lifted from his eyes. She had a tuft of dark brown hair almost black, her eyes were a startling unrecognizable hazel, her skin was slightly tan but barely like it was only just beginning to change. She had curious eyes and wild extremities like she wanted to get up and touch everything. She had a tiny brown mole beside her nose on her cheek-right in a crevice-a little above her mouth.

"It must have been nice."

"Yeah, it was." It wasn't an awkward silence but a quiet one just holding the babies he glanced over at Damian and saw Dante was asleep. Ellie was just about to fall asleep. Sh kept closing and opening her eyes at weird times.

He locked eyes with Damian and motioned toward the cribs. They were pushed against the wall between a dresser it was obvious the room wasn't even half finished.

The large bed shoved out the way, the pushed out of the way rocking chair and cribs the only sign of a nursery. The various other pieces of furniture were mismatched and aged.

He rocked Ellie, hoping to get her tired enough. He spied Damian, setting Dante down slowly in his crib. He made his way over to the cribs as well, just as Damian was reswaddling Dante. If his age assessment was correct, they'd stop that soon, but for now. Dante stayed fast asleep. He set Ellie down and attempted to fix her swaddling. He hoped he wouldn't fully wake her by messing with it. Luckily, she seemed to get the memo and fell asleep quickly. They turned back toward eachother he let out a relieved sigh and watched as Damian said goodnight to the babies and left the room looking back every step. He took one final glance at them and closed the door softly.

"What are we going to use for a baby moniter? Could Tucker have something we could use?" How would they even connect it? Tucker had said they had once tried internet in the realms but it would just explode randomly.

"No need. We're bonded, I feel their emotions." Ghost bonds at it again.

"Really? What are they feeling?" He needed to know if they liked him of course.

Damian hummed and answered thoughtfully " Loved, happy, content."

"Good."

"There is a...meeting soon between the leaders. It's an annual diplomatic meeting to discuss mostly trade and news. Tucker will be announcing the children as heirs to the Realms and..." Damian trailed off but it was obvious what he was going to say. Me.

"I thought you would be discussing the future when your older...?"

"We will discuss if i succeed him as he succeeded me once before. Tucker has done great work as king, and he enjoys it more than I do. The ancients will disagree they didn't like the fact I named him and sam as my heirs in the first place. The way to calm them is to act like I will succeed until we find a better plan."

"Right. Sam... Do you think she is also back in our world? Tucker became a ghost, but he told me that both you and Sam disappeared around the same time. What if she was reincarnated as well?" Damian listened intently but didn't speak just thinking. Damian didn't seem to have thought about it before and was now trying to think of he knew her.

"I already thought of that, and I already found her-him him, actually." Tucker walked through the door unburdened by it. He was dressed casually with a faded yellow sweater and a patched beanie on his head. You would never expect him to be a king. He still looked like young, not high school, but college for sure.

"Him? Who? Did you contact them?" Dick scoured his brain trying to think of anyone matching Sams personality.

"You already know him actually. He's on his way now." Tucker continued motioning toward the nursery door.

"Be quiet. They're sleeping, but how did you contact them?" Damian whispered loudly. Tucker peeked into the bedroom.

"So cute! I might just start up my babysitting gig up again. You're first on the list, of course, best friend privileges!" Tucker gleefully spoke, voice lower but excited.

"Absolutely not! Do you remember what happened at your last babysitting gig?" Damian pulled the door shut softly in a joking but final manor. Tucker scoffed and indignantly argued, "That wasn't even my fault! It was my mom's! She's the one who baked them!"

"Your mom baked babies...?" They both turned and looked at him confused before breaking out into hysteric laughter. A laughter so contagious he could barely stand up right.

"She didn't actually bake any kids, right?" He finally asked once he caught his breath, sparking another violent outburst of laughter.

----------

BOOM

"YES! DO IT AGAIN! DO IT AGAIN!" Green Lantern yelled out at Captain Yungblood, who stood at a cannon throwing cannonballs at floating puple rocks. When it hit them, fireworks sparked and went everywhere in a mixture of purple, green, and white. Flash senior looked around nervously, trying to stop then both before the big bat heard and yelled at them.

He kinda felt bad for the guy. Jason so deserves a cigarette for empathy. He scrouges around his jacket and pockets empty handed he searches around the floor, growing increasingly agitated. He knows he just had them, Jason just shared with John just a few minutes ago! He looked around accusingly. One of the brats must have stolen it. Green reared it's head begging him to teach the thief a lesson.

He latches his eyes on Tim just as he throws them into the sky to get blown to bits by the idiots. They don't even notice the extra fuel.

"Asshole!" Green clouded his vision as he stomped over to him and picked him up by his suit straps.

"It was for your own good!" He felt the green roar and rage behind his eyes. He could barely see past it, and weird purple haze around them made things even worse.

"Fuck you! And your do goody pretentious attitude!" He threw him at the ships cabin hitting the wood and shaking the whole ship. He felt eyes on him but he didn't care, Red Robin unleashed the bostaff and knocked his legs out form under him in one motion

"Red Hood! Stand down." Batman called from the top of the cabin shadows dampen the greens as his cape billows around him after he jumped down.

"Don't you dare tell me what to do!" He turned the green on his father, throwing a punch Batman barely managed to dodge.

"Jason -" Bruce grabbed his arms and wrapped himself around him, locking him in. He struggles wildly he's vaguely aware of Steph and Duke picking Tim up from the floor. Tim limps away, glaring at the other heros, they scattered into the corners of the ship, suddenly desperate to not be on the deck. God, what's wrong with him... he'd promised he'd never hurt his family again...this was a mistake he should have stayed behind in Gotham. Jason stopped fighting and let go, forcing his dad to follow him to the floor.

"Rough one, aren't you?" Pandora asks the tall alien looking amazon leers over them both. He wasn't a child, but his face reddens at the blatant condescension and scolding.

"We apologize if we interrupted anything." Bruce answers instead, saving him the embarrassment. "Not at all. It's good you're finally getting help here then."

"I'm afraid I don't follow?" Will any of these stupid fucking spirits just have a straight answer for just one question.

"Your liminalty? I can sense the ectoplasm on you it feels...like unsealed wine..." Pandora wrinkled her face as if she was imagining it. "Liminality?" He couldn't help but question out loud. "Ectoplasm? It's the...green goo, right?" Could the...pits actually just be ectoplasm? Wouldn't Constantine have, like, i don't know, exercised them??

Pandora groaned at his rambling and shook her head as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You should meet the chief. He'll fix you." With that sentence repeated in the same ever grave tone the giant warrior left. He turned to bruce, but he was only met with his stone cold thoughts he left without meeting his eyes, and Jason couldn't help but remember how many times he's heard 'i can fix you.' It made him nauseous. Before he could realise it he was standing on the open deck with only the purple and green smog surrounding him God fucking dammit.

A/n really sorry for how long it took to get this out i know most of the posts on this story are taking forever and I'm sorry about that I'm not discontinuing the story but I've had some major writers block lately and I've been trying to cure it by writing other stories but I've just been hating how all them turned out lately. I've been trying to write some captain marvel golden age i just feel like I'm missing parts of Billy and I just hate it so if anyone has some tips for writing him particularly please share otherwise hope yall enjoyed this part snd happy holidays to everyone!!

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erinwantstowrite · 6 months ago

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idk if this was obvious but is “the realm between our worlds” loki put (who im assuming is) thor in the place peter kept dreaming about? or was peter somehow dreaming of that exact scene we saw (with loki and klarion when thor was arriving) but instead it was a more weird abstract version?

Pretty much this!! Klarion is directly responsible for all the weird dreams and the storms- it just happened to coincide with the glitching and confused Peter and Dick. It'll be explained in chap 18, but Klarion was using himself as a bridge to get Thor out of the rift. He zeroed in on Peter using his magic, giving him the dreams kind of as a side effect/consequence to the magic. They were more abstract because Peter's sleeping mind was processing visions of what Klarion was seeing/what he knows about. By doing this, Klarion was giving Thor the ability to find Peter. Thor is the cause for the weird weather patterns and the fact that it has been following Peter, but Klarion gave him the dreams/visions. here's a picture i drew with my mouse cause i didn't want to get my tablet out just yet:

Klarion had to help Thor get out, as well. Thor wasn't strong enough to get out of the rift on his own (because Thor's powers aren't like Loki's) so Klarion was like "oh have some energy using this spell my friend" (Klarion was not his friend, Thor was a backup if Loki didn't say yes), and that's how Thor was able to get out. He almost succeeded one time on accident- that was when Peter and Jason were nearly struck. Klarion pulled back because Thor was stronger than he expected and he wasn't planning to actually release Thor unless he had a reason

basically, Klarion was sending a charged up lightning missile to Peter's location. at least Thor is friendly :)

#thor odinson #erinwantstowrite #ao3 #ao3 fanfic #leap of faith ao3 #peter parker #peter parker in gotham #klarion the witch boy #thank you for the ask!#chapter 17 #chapter 18

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cece693 · 26 days ago

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Hiiii this may be a bit of a weird idea but I was thinking something with vision x male reader, Reader could be a wielder of another infinity stone (maybe power stone??) and him coming to warn vision of thanos??

Also idk if u do soulmates aus but if you do, could they be soulmates in this as well?

I TRIED, I REALLY TRIED WITH THIS. I don't know why, but writing for Vision is hard because he talks in this sophisticated, calm tone that I cannot replicate. So, this might not be Vision canon, but I tried. Hope you like it!

pairing: vision x male reader tags: you aren't human, you wield the power stone, soulmate trope, pre-relationship, I tried, that's all I have to say, don't really like how it turned out but it's something, right???? 😭

You feel it long before you actually see him—like an electric current surging through the stars, calling you forward in a whisper of cosmic force. The Power Stone, set within a bracer around your forearm, thrums in sync with your every heartbeat. Its energy keeps you strong and feeds you, for you are not entirely human—your lineage spans ancient cosmic bloodlines older than most civilizations. Your crimson eyes reflect the swirling galaxies you have seen, and your skin carries faint patterns of violet veins that pulse with the Stone’s power.

For centuries, you’ve traveled the furthest reaches of space, mastering the destructive and creative energies that the Power Stone offers. Many have fallen attempting to possess it, but you, shaped by the harsh realities of a thousand worlds, learned how to channel its might without burning your soul.

Tonight, it leads you to him—Vision. The synthetic being who wields the Mind Stone. You sense the resonance like a beacon in a vast, inky sky. With each step, the Stone’s purple glow lights your path until you find him standing near a quiet lake, moonlight dancing across the water’s surface. Vision hovers just inches above the ground, his head angled to the side, as though he, too, hears the call echoing in the night. When his gaze locks onto you, the Mind Stone in his forehead blazes bright, casting ripples of gold over the water.

He lowers himself to the ground, curiosity evident in his stance. “Who are you?” he asks, voice gentle yet wary.

You draw closer, carefully unfastening the clasp that conceals the Stone’s main power. A soft whir emanates from your bracer as the violet radiance spills over your arm. “Someone who understands what it means to bear an Infinity Stone,” you reply, your voice resonating with a quiet, ancient timbre. “I’m here to warn you.”

Vision’s gaze flickers from your crimson eyes down to the luminous Power Stone. “Thanos,” he says, almost as though the word itself pains him. “I’ve felt his presence.”

You nod. “He is gathering the Stones. I’ve sensed his influence on entire star systems. Planets burned to ash, millions slaughtered. He’s relentless, and soon, he’ll come for the Mind Stone. And for me.” Your bracer flares again, the hue growing more intense as if the Stone senses the discussion of its own fate.

Vision steps forward, his crystalline features reflecting not only caution but something you can’t quite define. A gentle recognition, perhaps, sparked by the cosmic pull between you. “I’ve…seen possibilities—dreams of destruction,” he says quietly. “Yet I’ve also felt another presence calling out. It must have been you.”

“When the Stones resonate,” you explain, “they create a bridge between their wielders. We share a connection. I felt your consciousness almost like an echo through the cosmic void.”

Slowly, he raises a hand toward you, stopping just short of your chest. “It’s strange,” he admits, voice colored with awe. “I shouldn’t be able to sense another Stone like this, and yet I do. Every thought in my mind resonates with the Mind Stone in my forehead—and your Stone seems to answer it.”

You lower your gaze, swallowing against the sudden swell of emotion. Your breath comes quicker as the connection deepens, as if the universal tapestry is gently tugging you and Vision toward each other. “Our people might call this a ‘soul bond.’ A pull that goes beyond mere chance. Something the Stones themselves or perhaps destiny created.”

He looks surprised for a moment, blinking as though a new understanding settles over him. “But, you don’t appear to be from Earth. Are you human?”

“Partly, but mostly no,” you say, letting your cosmic side shine through. The violet veins beneath your skin glow brighter, a sign of your inherent power. “My ancestry traces back to an ancient race, long gone. The genes I carry allow me to endure the Power Stone’s might without being destroyed by it. I’ve spent eons learning to master it—and still, it threatens to devour me if I lose my focus.”

Vision’s expression softens with empathy, his voice quiet. “I know what it is to be something beyond human. To hold power that feels larger than oneself.”

Wordlessly, you take another step until only a breath remains between you. He watches as you place your hand against his chest, your Power Stone pulsing, faint purple embers dancing around your fingertips. His own Stone blazes in response, a bright golden flare illuminating both your faces.

“All my life,” you say, voice hushed, “I’ve been wandering the galaxies, searching for something more than just survival or dominance. And then I felt your presence, almost like a lullaby carried on cosmic winds. It felt…right. Whole.”

For a long moment, neither of you speaks. The lake ripples behind you, the wind carrying the hush of distant leaves. And then Vision lifts a hand to gently cradle your cheek, his eyes reflecting a rare vulnerability. “I’ve questioned my place in this world,” he admits. “I am…was…created by humanity’s ingenuity, yet the Stone in my head connects me to something infinitely grander. And now, looking at you, it’s like a missing piece of me just fell into place.”

He leans in until your foreheads almost touch, the glow of his Stone and yours merging in a cosmic dance of violet and gold. Heat floods your body; a powerful sense of belonging overtakes you. “Vision,” you whisper. “Let me stand beside you. Thanos is coming, and we must be ready. But more than that, I…I don’t want to lose the bond we share. It’s the first time in centuries I’ve felt like I’m not alone in the universe.”

His response is barely above a whisper, yet it resonates with every fiber of your being: “Then stay by my side. We will face Thanos together. As one.” Gently, you curl your fingers around the back of his neck, letting the thrumming energy in your bracer resonate with the glowing Stone in his forehead. In that intimate moment, you feel the steady rhythm of his synthetic heart, and he, in turn, senses the cosmic pulse in your veins.

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bumbled-bees · 2 months ago

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Lily's Lack of Understanding the Workplace

A moment from Lily’s January 30th, 2025 livestream is a perfect showcase of her complete disconnect from reality—especially when it comes to how jobs actually work. She has spent so long being an independent creator with zero accountability that she genuinely does not comprehend how power structures function in the real world.

The Gay Rep Conversation: How to Out Yourself as Clueless

It all started when a chatter pointed out that sometimes creators can’t put the gay rep they want in their work because of studio pushback. This is an objective reality in the animation and entertainment industry—countless showrunners and writers have spoken about how difficult it is to get queer content past executives, censors, and networks. But Lily, in her infinite ignorance, completely dismissed this reality and responded with:

"Well, fight back against the studio then."

This is where Lily’s lack of real-world experience becomes painfully obvious. She seems to think that creators have unlimited power over what gets made, that they can just dig their heels in and demand their vision stay intact. She doesn’t understand that defying studio execs usually just gets you fired.

When the chatter tried to patiently explain this, pointing out that not everyone has the clout to fight back, Lily doubled down:

"I don’t care, I have no sympathy for creators compromising on their vision, they should’ve fought harder." (Paraphrased, but this was the gist.)

This is cartoonishly stupid for multiple reasons.

You either compromise, or you don’t work. If a new creator refuses to make changes, they’re not seen as a "visionary"—they’re seen as difficult and replaceable. The entertainment industry is brutal, and the vast majority of showrunners had to make compromises to get their work out there.

Lauren Faust can afford to walk away. New creators can’t. Lily idolizes Lauren Faust for supposedly walking away from projects when studios try to change her vision. But Faust is an industry veteran with enough prestige to do that. A new writer or animator? Yeah, if they refuse to compromise, they’re out of a job and blacklisted.

Lily has never had a real job. She has no idea what it’s like to have a boss, deadlines, contracts, or workplace politics. She has always been in a position where she can do whatever she wants, whenever she wants, and the only "consequences" are losing a few Patreon supporters.

Lily’s Pattern of Not Understanding Jobs

This isn’t the first time Lily has completely failed to grasp how employment works. She has a long-running history of making bizarre, out-of-touch comments about jobs, money, and power structures that expose how little she knows.

She believes:

People should just quit their jobs if they don’t like them.

If a workplace is abusive, you should just leave.

If a creator compromises their work, it means they’re a coward.

If you work for a company that does bad things, you’re personally responsible.

These are the beliefs of someone who has never had to depend on a paycheck to survive. Lily has been fully independent for so long that she genuinely thinks everyone can afford to take massive risks, burn bridges, and walk away whenever they want.

Why This Moment Matters

This livestream clip is so important because it demonstrates why Lily’s analysis of media is always so flawed. She doesn’t just have bad takes—she has bad takes based on a fundamental misunderstanding of how the industry works.

Her attitude is insulting to actual working professionals because she assumes that if someone didn’t fight hard enough for something, it means they’re weak or cowardly. In reality, these decisions are never that simple. Creators fight for representation all the time, but sometimes a small compromise is necessary to get anything through at all.

But to Lily, if a creator didn’t fight to the death for 100% of their vision, then they deserve no sympathy. Because in her world, she has never had to compromise for anyone.

The Tim Horton's Story

Lily fundamentally cannot function in a normal workplace. She talks about her Tim Horton's story like it’s some kind of badass moment where she stood her ground against a rude coworker—but all it actually proves is that Lily:

Was handed a job through nepotism (her mom got it for her).

Immediately clashed with a coworker on day one.

Responded to perceived hostility with outright aggression.

Refused to communicate like a normal human being.

Learned absolutely nothing from the experience.

Breaking It Down: Lily’s Workplace Disaster

According to her, on her first day at Tim Hortons, the baker on shift glared at her. Instead of assuming maybe this person was just tired, stressed, or not particularly social, Lily immediately went into attack mode.

Every time the baker, Candice, tried to communicate, Lily cut her off with:

"Candice, shut up and finish your bake."

And she tells this story like she owned the interaction. Like this was some kind of epic moment where she put a rude coworker in their place.

But let’s be real—this is unhinged behavior.

You don’t talk to coworkers like that. Ever. Even if someone is cold or distant, you don’t immediately resort to open hostility.

First impressions matter. Lily started this job already burning bridges.

There was no justification for her reaction. The baker didn’t yell at her, insult her, or sabotage her work. She just gave Lily a look—and Lily escalated the situation for no reason.

The Real Takeaway: Lily Cannot Work With Others

Instead of reflecting on how maybe—just maybe—this wasn’t normal behavior, Lily’s takeaway from the experience was:

"Have people been bullshitting me about my attitude this whole time?"

As if this story proves she wasn’t the problem, when it demonstrates the exact opposite.

Lily literally cannot function in an environment where she isn’t in charge. She has no idea how to navigate basic workplace social dynamics. She assumes everyone is out to get her the second they don’t greet her with a smile and open arms. And when she starts unnecessary fights, she frames it as some kind of empowering moment instead of an obvious red flag about her personality.

This also explains why Lily’s never had a real job since. She can’t handle basic authority. She can’t deal with normal workplace challenges without turning them into petty power struggles. And instead of acknowledging that maybe she’s difficult to work with, she assumes that everyone else is just lying about her attitude.

Why This Story Matters

This Tim Hortons experience is important because it further proves that Lily:

Has no understanding of professional environments.

Doesn’t know how to handle even mild workplace tension.

Sees herself as the main character in every interaction.

Has always had an authority problem.

Rewrites reality to make herself the hero.

Lily tells on herself constantly, but this might be one of the funniest examples. She really thought this made her look good—when all it does is show why she could never hold a real job.

#lily orchard #cd-call #lily orchard analysis #lily orchard critical

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beansprean · 1 year ago

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time for exposition? no, time to look at him in his cute new outfit!

My Familiar’s Ghost Part 66

Masterpost

See new pages on Patreon!

(ID in alt and under cut)

ID: 1a. Wide shot of vampire Guillermo sitting on a couch for a talking head. He is wearing black chinos, a red v-neck knit sweater with gold threading around the cuffs and neck, a gray and white button up with a heart pattern, black bat-shaped collar clips with gold trim and a gold chain, and new round glasses with gold arms and nose bridge. The lower third reads "Guillermo de la Cruz" with 'de la Cruz' crossed out followed by "The Great, New Vampire." Guillermo grins widely at the camera, fangs on full display, and holds his hands out in a ta-da pose. He says, "Sooo... I'm a vampire! For real!! I can fly, I can turn into a bat, and I even got to move into a real bedroom! Guillermo the Great is excited to get started on eternity!" 1b. Repeat, smaller panel. Guillermo sits with a giddy little smile, fists clenched excitedly over his lap, as he listens to the director offscreen who asks "So you don't have any memories of what your body was doing while you were separated?" 1c. Repeat. Guillermo drops his hands to his thighs and looks upward, smile turning a bit self-depreciating. He answers, "Um. No... I assume it was a lot of slaughtering, so. No loss, right?" 1d. Large panel, Guillermo waist-up in the bottom corner as his gaze goes far away, smile still in place but a little bit sad. Slightly embarrassed. He says, "I remember doing the ritual with Nadja and... reaching out... and then I don't know. I think I was dreaming. I woke up in the fancy room and... I was back! And a vampire!" Behind him are faded flashes of previous events: Nadja and Dolly sitting at the table while they explain the ritual; Guillermo and his soul reaching hands out to each other; Guillermo and his soul, who has taken the form of Nandor, pressing their palms together; the traffic light smashing to the ground and turning red; Guillermo pulling Nandor up into a kiss.

2a. Zoom out, Guillermo sitting on the couch. Offscreen, the director asks, "You don't think you're a ghost possessing a vampire?" Guillermo quickly straightens, head popping up and fingers lacing together over his lap. He replies, "I considered that! But possession feels different. When I was possessing objects in the house, it was like putting on a coat. I was me inside something else." 2b. Close up on Guillermo, the background turning into a softer version of his ghostly blue. He presses both hands to his chest and closes his eyes with a contented smile, continuing, "Now, I feel...complete." 2c. Zoom out again, angle slightly further left. Guillermo furrows his brow with a slight frown, one hand dropping to his lap and the other gesturing vaguely in the air as he explains, "I didn't realize how much not having a soul empties you out. But I've reconnected to it now, somehow, and to...um. Well." 2d. Close up on Guillermo as the director offscreen finishes his sentence: "Nandor?" Guillermo glowers darkly in response, shadows taking over his face as the background turns into rolling black clouds with angry strikes of lightning. /end ID

#wwdits #my familiars ghost #nandermo #mlm #vampire guillermo #guillermo de la cruz #what we do in the shadows #what we do in the shadows fx #my art #fanart #fan comic #image described

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wingedblooms · 10 days ago

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Void and Chaos

“My father was the Void, the Being That Existed Before. Chaos was his bride and my dam. It is to them that we shall all one day return, and their mighty powers that run in my blood.” (Apollion, hosab)

When these words spilled from Apollion, my first thought was of the Cauldron and Book of Breathings. Higher beings like Void and Chaos are forces—and might be part of the Forces That Be. Their union is described like a cosmic marriage, reminding me of another romantic scene:

I saw the painting in my mind: the lovely fawn, blooming spring vibrant behind her. Standing before Death, shadows and terrors lurking over his shoulder. Light and dark, the space between their bodies a blend of the two. The only bridge of connection…that knife. (acowar)

@offtorivendell (here), @psychologynerd (here) and I have discussed how Elain and Azriel are opposing forces coming together in this scene (and let’s be honest, every scene they share together; it’s an established pattern). Throughout the Maasverse, when opposing forces meet in the space between, they create balance and harness power as @silverlinedeyes reminds us here. Azriel and Elain (and the three brothers + three sisters) represent cosmic balance when they come together, and are poised to help restore the current cosmic imbalance impacting their world.

Nothing (Void) into something (Chaos)

In acomaf, both halves of the Book of Breathings (and other Made weapons, namely the Mask 👀) repeat the same cycle that involves Void and Chaos, with pointed differences:

Unmade and Made; Made and Unmade—that is the cycle. Like calls to like. (acomaf, the first half—void)

Not as the voice of the second and final piece of the Book filled the room, sang to me.

Life and death and rebirth

Sun and moon and dark

Rot and bloom and bones

Hello, sweet thing. Hello, lady of night, princess of decay. Hello, fanged beast and trembling fawn. Love me, touch me, sing me.

Madness. Where the first half had been cold cunning, this box…this was chaos, and disorder, and lawlessness, joy and despair. (acomaf, the second half—chaos)

They express the same cycle but begin and end differently: Void begins and ends with unmade, and Chaos begins with life and ends with rebirth, which aligns with their roles in creation.

Ultimately, what we learn from these quotes, is that creation, or what Rhysand calls the chaos of Forming (acomaf), involves both nothing (Void) and something (Chaos). The mural in Spring reflects this union in vibrant color:

It began with a cauldron. A mighty black cauldron held by glowing, slender female hands in a starry, endless night. Those hands tipped it over, golden sparkling liquid pouring out over the lip. No—not sparkling, but … effervescent with small symbols, perhaps of some ancient faerie language. Whatever was written there, whatever it was, the contents of the cauldron were dumped into the void below, pooling on the earth to form our world… (acotar)

So does the Night Court insignia.

"The silver thread," Elain asked. "What is that called?"

The weaver paused the loom again, the colorful strings vibrating. She held my sister's gaze. No attempt at a smile this time. "I call it Hope."

My throat became unbearably tight, my eyes stinging enough that I had to turn away, to walk back toward that extraordinary tapestry.

The weave explained to my sister, "I made it after I mastered Void."

I stared and stared at the black fabric that was like peering into a pit of hell. And then stared at the iridescent, living silver thread that cut through it, bright despite the darkness that devoured all other light and color. (acofas)

And so do Azriel and Elain.

Void, icy and devouring darkness

People often made the mistake of assuming Cassian was the wilder one; the one who couldn’t be tamed. But Cassian was all hot temper—temper that could be used to forge and weld. There was an icy rage in Azriel I had never been able to thaw. In the centuries I’d known him, he’d said little about his life, those years in his father’s keep, locked in darkness. Perhaps the shadowsinger gift had come to him then, perhaps he’d taught himself the language of shadow and wind and stone. (acomaf)

Azriel’s black hair seemed to gobble up the blinding sunlight. (acowar)

Azriel silently faded into blackness—until he was my own shadow and nothing more. (acowar)

Azriel tucked in his wings and left without another word, stalking through the house and onto the front lawn to sit in the frigid starlight. To let the frost in his veins match the air around him. Until he felt nothing. Was again nothing at all. (Azriel’s bonus chapter)

The pain that last quote delivers is so brutal every time. But it reinforces Azriel’s connection to Void, and it brings us to Elain. The person who makes him feel awake and alive and hopeful, to ask sacrilegious questions he has never dared to utter before. He is not nothing in her presence—he is more, he is something.

Chaos, blooming light and life

She loves to garden. Always loved growing things. Even when we were destitute, she managed to tend a little garden in the warmer months. And when–when our fortune returned, she took to tending and planting the most beautiful gardens you’ve ever seen. Even in Prythian. It drove the servants mad, because they were supposed to do the work and ladies were only meant to clip a rose here and there, but Elain would put on a hat and gloves and kneel in the dirt, weeding. She acted like a purebred lady in every regard but that.” (acotar)

The gates to her mind…Solid iron, covered in vines of flowers—or it would have been. The blossoms were all sealed, sleeping buds tucked into tangles of leaves and thorns. (acowar)

If Elain was a blooming flower in this army camp, then Nesta…she was a freshly forged sword, waiting to draw blood. (acowar)

The Cauldron seemed to realize what she’d done, too, as his head thumped onto the mossy ground. That Elain…Elain had defended this thief. Elain, who it had gifted with such powers, found her so lovely it had wanted to give her something…It would not harm Elain, even in its hunt to reclaim what had been taken. (acowar)

Her sister’s delicate scent of jasmine and honey lingered in the red-stoned hall like a promise of spring, a sparkling river that she followed to the open doors of the chamber. (acosf)

Soft steps padded from under the stair archway, and there she was. The Faelights gilded Elain’s unbound hair, making her glow like the sun at dawn. (Azriel’s bonus chapter)

It was Elain who was gifted something by the Cauldron in the chaos of her own (re)Forming. And now that their fortune has returned—ie, they’ve been blessed by Fate—Elain may garden on a far grander scale. And she’ll have the help of her love interest and friends (and maybe her entire family).

Which brings us back to the beginning, to the Cauldron and Book of Breathings. In his bonus chapter, Azriel wondered if the Cauldron was wrong and he learns in hofas that it was, in fact, warped. But how was it warped, and for what purpose?

Rhysand said, “I heard a legend that it was written in a tongue of mighty beings who feared the Cauldron’s power and made the Book to combat it. Mighty beings who were here … and then vanished. You are the only one who can uncode it.” (acomaf, Rhysand to Amren)

As @merymoonbeam and I have mentioned before, the Asteri created the Book of Breathings to control the Cauldron. The Cauldron was sacred to the Fae, and it likely gave them power the Asteri could not initially control. It made them a threat. Remember, the Cauldron is Wyrd, and Wyrd governs the forces of creation (Void and Chaos). She is a Mother to all, a Cauldron brimming with life, and a weaver of Fate, according to the Under-King.

Mother, Cauldron, Fate.

She is not an actual goddess, but a force. And certain beings, like the Archeron sisters, are bearers or vessels of her magic and can wield it when needed.

When the Asteri claimed the power of Wyrd through the Book of Breathings, they were able to gain control over life and fate. And they used that control to feed their insatiable appetite for power. They twisted the natural cycle—life and death and rebirth—into one that served them.

In hofas, Azriel and Nesta learn that this control was never wholly uncovered or addressed. The Asteri’s secrets were buried in the land, forgotten. And so it is fitting for us to return to the beginning with Azriel and Elain, to unearth the remaining secrets and unravel the Asteri’s control over life and fate. To truly change fate, though, their union cannot just be one of magic, it must also harness the strongest force:

Through love, all is possible. It was an ancient saying, dating back to some god he couldn’t remember. Cthona, probably—what with all the mother-goddess stuff she presided over. Hunt had long since stopped visiting temples, or paying much attention to the overzealous priestesses who popped up on the morning talk shows every now and then. None of the five gods had ever helped him—or anyone he cared about. Urd, especially, had fucked him over often enough. (hoeab)

Love. It’s possible their union was always meant to alter life and fate through love, as so many (@icedflames, @elriell, @silverlinedeyes, and @offtorivendell) have theorized. Together, they might be able to swear something between their bodies and hearts and souls, binding the threads of gold that control their very fate, and make the impossible, possible. A cosmic love that restores balance and honors the joy and beauty Void and Chaos created when they first came together and formed the world.

Life and death and rebirth.

Thank you for reading my rambling love notes about cosmic forces and Elain and Azriel. Happy Elriel Month, friends! 🌸🦇

@elriel-month

May 1: Death and the Maiden

#happy elrielmonth #elrielmonth2025 #elriel #azriel and elain #elain archeron #azriel shadowsinger #void and chaos #dark and light #death and life #a cosmic marriage and meta

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