#having a blast watching young justice

[corujalesbica]

Watching 13 year old Dick Grayson in Young Justice is everything. That more-or-less-resposible, more-or-less-reasonable big brother nightwing Dick, was a menace as a kid. He's so sarcastic, such a little shit, I love him.

[bucketofpaint]

1 2 3 master post

The baby justice, or whoever they were, were starting to get on Danny's nerves. Well, basically, everything did that currently, but not as much they did.

Don't get him wrong. He understood what it was like to be a teen hero, and he respected them for it. But it didn't stop him from immediately groaning when he ran into bird boy and arrow girl.

It started out a pretty okay day. He got a passing score on a test, and it had been a slow work, which meant he'd could go home early. He had got to his trashy apartment and immediately passed out. although Danny wished that he'd could sleep till next week, a few extra hours were still much appreciated.

But fate had other plans. Danny had woken up late at night in a cold sweat, flashs of green and loud yelling, repeating in his head over and over. Danny got up and made his way to the window. He needed to get some air and to clear his head.

_____________

" I'm tired of just sitting here." Artemis complained, fiddling with one of her arrows absencemimdly.

" we need to be ready for anyone that leaves the building." Robin snapped back, not taking his eyes off of the building below.

Artemis already knew this, of course, but it didn't change the fact that she would rather be in the building, actually fighting instead of just waiting.

Her and Robin were stationed on the adjacent building to the one that was the base for a human trafficking scheme. The reason for them being outside and not inside with the others was because, apparently, the top people of this scheme were known flight risks.

____________

Danny drifted through the night sky, trying not to remember his nightmare. Trying and failing. He couldn't help it. The images just kept popping up in his head. mostly ones of his parents' faces filled with disgust, rage, and just pure hatred,while they tried to blast him to bits.

Danny gets pulled out of his head by the sound of a whisper argument taking place on the rooftop below. Danny looks down and is immediately regretting going outside. The two people arguing were members from Young Justice because, of course, they were. If Danny didn't know any better, these run-ins were starting to seem like no coincidence. He definitely wouldn't put it past CW.

If Danny remembered right, the two people were Robin and Artemis. It looked like the two were on a stake out or something. They kept bickering back and forth, seemingly unaware of the goon that started to creep up behind them. Danny watched and prepared himself in the case he needed to step in.

When the goon was about a foot behind them, Robin swung around and swiftly knocked the guy out. But as soon as he did, multiple men started popping up. Some jumped from the next roof, others climbing up the sides.

Robin and Artemis seemed to have it handled. Things quickly went down after the goons pulled out wepons that shot similar green blasts that left smoldering spots.

It wasn't long before the duo was surrounded, hands up in surrender.

One of the men walked towards them, reaching out to grab them. That's when Danny stepped in, keeping his invisibility and, sucker punching the dude out cold.

All the goons charged at the two, who at the moment were frozen, both looking around in confusion before joining in the fight.

Danny was exhausted by the time the last guy was knocked out. Which was not saying a lot because he had been exhausted for weeks, but now, even more so. Danny looked over to Robin and Artemis, noticing how they were both tense and staring right at him. He looked down...

Opps... Apparently, he had dropped his invisibility during some point in the fight. Well, there's not much to do about it now.

___________

Robin stared at the teen, who stared back with a pair of neon green eyes. The teen looked down for a few seconds, then looked back at them and shrugged.

"Cuffs?" The mysterious meta asked

"Um...what?" Robin asked completely confused.

The meta huffed and gestured to the unconscious people.

"Catch." Artemis said, walking past him and tossing the meta some rope. " Just tie their feet and hands for now." The boy nodded.

After all the men had been tied up, the three stood in silence, looking back and forth at each other.

Robin cleared his throat. "So, who -" the meta cut him off with a scoff.

Robin tried again.

" I'm Robin, and you are." Robin asked, keeping his body language friendly.

"Nun-ya." The boy replied. Hmm, it was a unique name. Maybe he wasn't a meta, but an ailen. "Business." The boy finished before fading away.

Robin stood there in disbelief, looking in the area the boy used to be, as Artemis laughed behind him.

[dcxdpdabbles]

If possible could you do the Batkids summoning the Ghost King on a dare?

It starts with Tim because most insane things do. Kon had sent him a link to a trend, asking him to try it the next time Young Justice got together.

He made the mistake of clicking on the link while sitting near his siblings in the gaming room. The audio is also on full blast because he didn't realize his headphones were out of battery.

Thus while waiting for his turn to play Mario Kart, a loud male moan echoes from his speakers. Tim freezes in his seat, staring at his phone in horrified betrayal, as seven heads snap in his direction.

"Ugh, Timmy? Those are videos you should be watching alone" Dick says with half a teasing smirk. "I know you're growing up and are curious about-"

"It's not like that! It's a summoning circle!" Tim yelps, turning the phone around. On his screen, five male teenagers sit in a circle, each holding hands. Moaning. The caption reads, "Summoning the Ghost King! What's your offer?".

"What the hell?" Jason squints as the teenagers in the video burst into laughter. They jeer and taunt each other good naturally, indicating the random moaning was in jest.

"Oh, I know that trend!" Cullen chirps from the floor. He's been hugging the bowl of chips all night, laying down on his stomach to keep it guarded from the others. "Basically, you try to summon the Ghost King by offering something random. Guess he doesn't respond to human sacrifices or the typical stuff, so people have been getting creative. I once saw a group of girls who burned their training bras and offered the King the ashes. The point is to pick the weirdest thing you can think of."

"That's the stupidest thing I have ever heard. We have to try it." Steph announces, standing up. She pushes the coffee table out of the way. The rest of their siblings, who weren't as into the speeding game, perked up in interest. "What do we need?"

"Um," Tim scrolls through the comments. "We need four never before lite candles, each placed in the positions of the four directions. We have to sit crossed leg in a circle holding hands and call out to the King with a poem, and at the end, we make our offering."

Harper springs up. "I got some candles! Do they matter if it's scented?"

Tim checks online. "It's not recommended, but it's fine if they are."

"This is idiotic! Attempting to make contact with the Ghost King is far too dangerous. I shall take no part in this foolery!" Damian cuts in, face twisted into a- surprisingly- nervous frown. His hands are clasped tightly over each other while his eyes roam the room looking for unseen threats. If Tim didn't know any better, he said the brat was scared.

"Aw Dami, if you don't want to do a summons, we can play the game of life or something. It's okay to be scared of ghosts" Dick says, placing his hand on the kid's shoulder. He was obviously trying to comfort the kid but it has the opposite effect.

"I am not scared of a mere ghost!" Damian hisses. "I am merely stating we should not bother forces well out of our leagues!"

Jason snorts, planting himself on the ground as Harper returns. She had four different color candles, purple, blue, black, and green. After consulting with Cass- a human compass-she placed them facing the east, west, south, and north.

"Why did you make that disgusting noise Todd?" Damian demands narrowing his eyes at the striking man.

"Just admit you're scared of ghosts, brat. No one is going to judge you for it."

"I said I was not scared of a mere ghost. The Ghost King is far more powerful then-"

"Alright, alright. Damian is too much of a scary cat to play, but who else is in?" Steph cuts him off, a knowing glint in her eyes. The youngest flushes angrily before he marches between the green and black candle and sits with his legs crossed. A nasty scowl is playing on his lips, likely not noticing the high-five Jason and Steph share for getting him to join.

Cass gracefully falls right next to Damian, offering the younger boy a small. His scowl lessens just a little. Cullen crawls his way over, pressing the bowl of chips to his hip protectively once he's sitting up. He ended up between the green and the purple candle, offering Cass a smile. Harper lands next to Cullen, cracking her neck as if preparing for a fight.

Dick does an unnecessary flip over the couch to take the place between the purple and blue candles. Next to him, Steph sits, her knee bumping the blue candle slightly. Jason struts over to sit next to Steph right between the blue and black candle. Duke shares the space with him, giving just a slightly nervous chuckle as Tim and Babs push the black and green candle apart a little to squeeze into though Babs remains in her chair.

"Alright, so the person with the candle on their right side has to light it. Do it at the same time. Once that happens, we join hands and do chat about the poem. Says only one person has to say the words, but if you want, I can send the link in the family group chat so we can all say it?" Tim waits to see them consider it, but Cass excited nodding has him copying the link he found on an online forum. A few dings go around the room as everyone checks their phones. "Now we have to decide on a sacrificial offering."

"We should do our most embarrassing secrets," Jason suggests.

"No, no, our fabulous hair!" Dick perks up, flipping said hair in a dramatic flair.

"It has to be something we all share," Tim says, eyeing Duke's short hair.

The other teenager makes an offended noise. "My hair is fabulous!"

"We offer the gay." Cullen cuts in. The rest turn to look at him as he wiggles his fingers. "Ohhhhhh! We're all fruity~! Spooky!"

"Babs isn't," Dick puts in only to see his best friend shake her hand in a so-and-so motion. He gapes at her before throwing his head back and laughing "We really do flock together!"

"So we agree? The gay?" Tim tries to say seriously, but his lips are twitching too much, trying to suppress a smile. There is agreement around the circle. He gives on a single node before passing around the matches Harper had brought. "How are we going to do this, though. Do we just shout, "I'm gay," or are we giving material things?"

"Let's write our gay awakening on a piece of people," Babs suggests grabbing her bag from where it hands on her chair handles. She tucks out a spiral notebook and a few pens. "I read that summoning needs something physical."

Everyone agrees as they pass along the notebook, writing down their awakening. Tim raises a brow at Damian's "Jon Kent" but doesn't call him out for it. After all, Conner Kent goes under his little brother's writing in his own writing.

He does wonder who Danny Fenton is, but knows better than to ask Cass about her life before the manor.

"Okay, let's do this! On the count of three- one-two-three!" Tim calls, watching Damian, Harper, Steph, and Duke simultaneously lite at the candle. They all hold hands, reading off phones that are prompted up by either their legs or kickstands on cases.

"We call upon the Undead King,

The one who bridges the realms,

The one who wields the Ring,

The one who will lead dies and breathes!"

There is a moment of silence where Tim swears he feels a slight shock along his fingertips, but it passes too quickly for him to care. Seeing as he is the ring leader, he calls out to the air. "Oh great King of the Dead, my siblings and I offer you a list of our gay awakening!"

"Stop, stop!" The youngest yells, leaping to his feet. His eyes are wild, scrambling to a far wall like a cornered animal. "No! He's coming!"

"Coming out the closet, like mama, I like boys, I like pecs

Like the arms when they flex!" Stephs suddenly sings, swaying in her seat. Everyone laughs before joining, and Tim wonders if they should have recorded this when suddenly Damian shrieks.

"Damian, who-"

The candles' flames all turn green as a haunting voice echoes through the room. "Your sacrifice has been accepted."

Tim's mouth drops open as the flames rise into the air forming a portal of liquid green. Familiar green. No wonder Daimain had been so scared. That was Lazarus Pit water. This meant this was the real deal, not just a random trend popularized by stupid teenagers.

Leaping Lizards Batman.

"What-what do we do!?" Cullen yelps as a burst of wind rips around the room, throwing everyone back. A laugh that sounds far too much like the Joker is heard through the portal as everyone tries to get into a fighting position with the wind pushing against them.

A head of snow-white hair peaks out and they are greeted by a laughing teenager. "A gay awaking sacrifice list! That's hilarious!"

"Who are you!" Tim hears Jason demand over the howling wings.

Another laugh, but this time, it sounds like clicking ice cubes is a response. "I'm Phantom!"

Tim has a second to see, wide green glowing eyes before the ghost reaches down, snatches their list, and zaps away.

Cass falls to her knees with a look of horror. "They know"

"I told you this was idiotic!" Damian screams, shaking so hard he looks like he will burst into tears in only a few seconds. Dick rushes over to him, pulling the sniffing boy into his arms. "We must never do this again!"

No one knows what to do in the wake of actually succeeding in calling the Ghost King or watching Dmaian cry from fear.

A ringtone plays from Cass's phone, breaking the ill silence. Tim catches a glimpse of "Danny" with two little hearts before his sister grabs the cell and leaps through an open window with what could only be a squeal.

"What the fuck just happened?" Cullen asks, but Tim can only offer him a shrug.

[lxkeee]

IT'S BEEN SO LONG

-PART TWO

pairing: Lucifer Morningstar x Adopted! Fem angel! Reader [platonic!]

fandom: Hazbin Hotel

genre: fluff and cute

notes: will be making a male version of this. Someone please remind me.

PART ONE | PART THREE | NAVIGATION

THIS TAKES PLACE TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE PART ONE TIMELINE

Lucifer smiles as he watches his daughter interact with the new guests of the hotel, after the recent extermination, sinners began to slowly get interested with the hotel and wanted to give redemption a shot. Though, he can't exactly say that business is booming as the hotel only gained three new guests—a sibling of three, an older sister, a middle child brother, and their little sister.

They thought the hotel could help them and decided to join, in which Charlie, his daughter welcomed them with open arms.

Currently, he's sitting by the bar while Husk prepares his drink. Lucifer watches the interaction between the youngest new guest and his daughter. Charlie holding the small girl in her arms as she raised her up in the air, the small child giggling in glee. The scene evoking an almost forgotten memory of Lucifer.

“Charlie, Charlie! Uppies again! Please!” the girl giggles and Charlie nodded and raised the smaller girl up, making the child laugh.

The scene almost made Lucifer cry, as a memory flashed in his mind—a certain angel that he sees as a daughter despite not being related to him. [Y/n], his adopted daughter. The first girl he raised, he remembers an almost exact scene as this—the memory where he was still in heaven with her, gently throwing her up in the air and her little angel wings fluttering behind her as she falls back into his arms. Heck, he even remembers that the girl accidentally hit his face with a blast of snow.

Husk raises an eyebrow as he notices the king of hell had such a somber expression on his face, Lucifer didn't even react when he placed down the drink he made for him and just opted to play with glass as he was in deep thought.

The feline raises an eyebrow, turning around to continue wiping a freshly cleaned glass, “Penny for your thoughts?” he grumbles, breaking Lucifer's trail of thoughts.

“Just thinking about something. No need to worry.” Lucifer says softly and Husk huffs but decided not to press any further.

Lucifer went back to thinking again, wondering how his daughter is. After he got cast out of heaven, he never saw her again. He never prayed for the sake of himself nor his family as dare he says it would be offensive as his wife and daughter are demons but he prays that his angelic daughter is taken care of.

Even though kneeling down and praying to his father shatters his pride a little bit but he begs, he begs that [y/n] is well taken care of.

He missed her so much. He's guilty for not being there for her, for not being able to see her grow. How is she? Did she grow up to be a fine young woman? Did she become powerful? Does she remember him? Does she miss him like he misses her? He'll never know.

His memory of her getting worse and worse each day, bit by bit her features become blurry in his mind. He tried painting her once but dear God, he's not a painter. He's more of a singer and musician. He threw away the painting, his skills can't do his daughter justice. A shame he doesn't have any pictures of her.

A somber expression returns to his face, Charlie turns to look at her father who had such a sullen expression on his face. The girl gently let's down the child she was holding, ushering them to go play with Vaggie as she was worried about what had gotten her father down in the dumps.

She then walks towards the bar, takes a seat next to her dad. Husk immediately prepares her usual drink—a glass of wine.

“Is there something wrong, dad?” she asked softly and Lucifer chuckles, taking a sip of his drink—a white Russian cocktail.

“Did I ever tell you that you have an older sister?” He began and Charlie's jaw dropped, Husk stopped midway in making Charlie's drink.

Lucifer chuckles at their reactions, “Yes, you have an older sister... Well, adopted older sister rather.” he says with a lazy smile, nostalgia present in his eyes. For a brief moment, the background noise of the hotel blurs.

Charlie's eyes sparkled, “Wait, really?!” she asked excitedly and Lucifer smiled and ruffled her hair.

“Yes, back in heaven. Older angels were tasked to watch over the newly created angels and that's where I took an angel named [y/n] under my wings,” he explained, taking a deep breath as Charlie nodded intently, Husk giving her the wine glass filled with her drink. Lucifer looks at Charlie again, a somber smile on his face, “She's like a daughter to me and I was like a father to her, she always calls me dad.” he explains, his hand twirling the half empty glass cup, swirling the alcoholic drink around.

Charlie nodded, opting to listen to him and ask questions later, “We used to play everyday, I always spend time with her... Teaching her how to fly and how to use her powers.” he chuckles, his finger wiping away a stray tear from his eye.

“I think she grew up to be a powerful angel, after all, she manifested her powers at such an early age. I think she's a prodigy,” he smiles, his dull eyes sparkling as he mentions her, is what Charlie noticed and she just smiled at him, taking a small sip of her wine.

Lucifer took a sip of his own drink, tasting the vodka, coffee liqueur, and cream mixed together before gently placing down the cup back to the counter, “She actually shot my face with a blast of snow accidentally while trying to make a snowflake.” he says.

Charlie laughs at the story, imagining it, Lucifer smiles and he became sad again, thinking the what if's, what if heaven didn't curse him so bad and allowed him to see her or allow her to see him? What if [y/n] grew alongside Charlie? Would she have been a good older sister to Charlie?

“She sounds amazing, dad.” Charlie whispered to him with a smile and Lucifer nodded, “She is.” he agrees.

Charlie's eyes softened as she held her father's hand, “When was the last time you saw her? If you don't mind me asking?” she asked and Lucifer sighed, remembering [y/n]'s tear streamed chubby cheeks as she watched him fall from heaven, his twin brother, Michael holding onto the girl.

“When I fell from grace.” he whispered and Charlie's eyes saddened and she gave a reassuring squeeze to Lucifer's hand. She imagined how painful it must be for him and for her older sister. She wishes she'd gotten a chance to meet her.

“I am sure you two will meet again one day.” Charlie says with a small smile and Lucifer nodded, giving her a small smile in return. “I hope so, Charlie. You're going to love her.” he says, confidently.

“I think I already do, dad. She sounds amazing.” Charlie said with a grin and Lucifer chuckled, “You two will get along just fine when that time comes.”

TAGLIST:

@adaizel @xx-all-purpose-nerd-xx @thedarkkitten @selvyyr @froggybich @brithedemonspawn @kottenox @totallymitya @many-fandoms-lover @dou-dou @mezzyb0nb0n @n1chxyaaenthusiast @cherry-4200 @koirb @galaxyj3lly @crystalplays28 @luleck @scootinonyourmom @rory-cakes @mixplara @crescent-z @bitchyzombienacho @kalisha2004 @altervex @nehy019 @napbatata @kouyoumarryme @sxgacxbe @kooidoom @yukichan67 @apple-pop @akiralovespenguins @storydays @kaurochika @amphiroxx @lil-writer-523 @avitute @lbcreations-blog @dreamzaremyrealityy @des-deswain5621 @snoozewritezz @uiquz @randomuser-89 @flowerboy4eva

[romancemedia]

You Kill their Loves, You Face their Wrath

Since watching Rogue's rampage in the latest X-Men 97 episode over the loss of Gambit, it strongly reminded me of Miss Martian's grief when Superboy was believed to have been killed on Young Justice. I can't get enough of how much alike they are!

• Both were determined to seek vengeance against the person they held responsible and went on a VERY angry and grief-stricken rampage. Nothing was gonna stand in their way.

• They each had a moment where they broke down in their siblings arms to grieve for their lost loves.

• However, the one striking difference between the grief of these two women was when they finally confronted the men who were supposedly responsible... Rogue dropped Trask to his death while Miss Martian stopped herself from doing something she'd regret.

Rogue and Miss Martian's Outcomes

Rogue's actions were shocking to the core. She wasn't gonna let anything stop her from seeking revenge for not just Gambit, but everyone who perished on Genosha and went after the very man who created the Sentinels in the first place. Although Trask confessed there were bigger players involved, including Mister Sinister, that didn't matter to Rogue. She was consumed with rage, grief and revenge. She didn't just lose Remy, but Magneto too. She lost 2 of the greatest loves of her life in a single day! And with that, all logic and reason goes out the window. Nothing anybody said or did was gonna stop her and now there's no telling how Rogue will come back from the dark path that now awaits her.

Miss Martian's actions prove just how far she's come in her journey. If this were the same Miss Martian from Season 2, she wouldn't have hesitated for a second to fry M'comm's mind and leave him catatonic, but she didn't. When Miss Martian confirmed that M'comm was NOT responsible for Superboy's death, she backed off and let him go. Miss Martian has been down this road before and if she mind blasted M'comm, it wouldn't her help or ease her grief. It would only be adding another sin to her conscience and repeating her past mistakes. She maybe in the same pain as Rogue, but her actions proved more than anything despite her desire for vengeance, she wanted justice for her beloved, Superboy.

The Support of Family

What's even more saddening about all this was Rogue had the support of all the X-Men who wanted to help get justice for Gambit and in spite of their support, Rogue still chose revenge. With Miss Martian, she was separated from her adoptive family; The Original Team when Superboy was killed and yet despite their absence, she still chose the right path and eagerly awaited to reunite with her loved ones to help her process her grief.

[toulousewayne]

Batfamily Halloween Special🎃

Bruce was throwing his annual Halloween Costume Party, and let every year all the kids always dress up. Most of kids weren’t in the Manor as they would arrive later to join in the spooky festivities.

Alfred was overseeing the staff with last minute decorations. Fake blood, cobwebs, fake skulls, fog machine. Anything you could find at your local Spirt Halloween Alfred had gotten to first. The DJ was finishing his last few technical checks and the catering company was always done with the last few creative dishes.

Meanwhile, upstairs Damian was fidgeting in his sit,”Are we almost Sister?”

“Hold still or you makeup will get messed up.” Y/n was the only person home that could help Damian finish with his costume. After a few moments she pulled back and smiled,”All done.”

Damian flung out of his seat and into his sister’s bathroom to look at his makeup.

“Wow, you managed to make me look the skeleton from that film Grayson made me watch.”

“Jack, you look like Jack Dames.” She took a comb and finished smoothing out his hair. “What’s your costume?” He inquired taking the combing to fix his own hair.

She went into her closet and came out dressed as cowgirl Barbie from the movie with hat and boots.

“Now go put on your costume Dames Dick said he’s five minutes away with the girls.” She fixed her wig and adjusted her scarf. Damian walked to his room around the corner and changed into the costume his brother had gotten for him a few days ago.

When he emerged from his room, Dick and Y/n were laughing at a his phone and noticed Damian.

“Aww Little D, you look so frightening.”

“Tt. And what are you supposed to be Grayson.”

“Aladdin,Kori’s running late but she’s going to be Jasmine.” The three went downstairs which was now in full effect and Alfred greeted the siblings dressed as Count Dracula.

“Nice fang Alife.” Alfred smiled at the three and offered them red punch in black and purple plastic cups. “Why Thank you Master Richard, I must stay though they do take a lot to get used to.”

Barbara arrived with Cassandra, Stephanie and Duke all dressed for the party.

“Aww Dami you look so adorable.” Steph fussed taking pictures of the youngest. He huffed and walked away into the main ballroom where the music was blasting but only a few people from Wayne Enterprise and Queen Construction had arrived.

———

Y/n snapped a few pictures with Duke and Barbara aka Spider-man and Kim Possible.

Jason arrived with Tim and Bernard not far behind him. “May wanna close that vest up Dickhead your getting cold.” He teased Dick who rolled his eyes.

“IT’s October Jason.”

“My nipples aren’t sharing at everyone entering the house.”

“Jason knock it off.” Y/n huffed, Dick self consciously pulled his vested.

The group had moved to the ballroom mintues ago and more people from Wayne Enterprises and some League members had arrived. Jason stretched standing from the table,” Okay this Skywalker needs food.”

Stephanie and Cass followed dress as the Pink and Yellow Power Rangers.

Selina entered the room dressed as Marylin Monroe and waved,”Why do glum kittens,your parents go trick or treat without you?”

Fred or Tim shook his head,” They’re not here yet, it’s just boring right now.”

Bernard played with the green scarf on his Daphne shirt.

She sighed and saw a several costumed adults and looked back the way she came. “Well looks like the Calvary just arrived. Have fun.” She slipped away into the now bigger crowd.

Members or Young Justice, Titans and Birds of Prey arrived in costumes and soon the kids mingled with their friends and went away from the table only living Y/n and Damian.

“You should ask Uncle Clark why he didn’t come.” She spoke up over the Monster Mash song.

“Tt, if he cared he would have came sister.” He spat.

She stood up from the table and turned to him, “He’s your best friend and he’s been through a lot. Maybe Halloween is just a lot for him, if you tell him how much it would mean to you to show up I’m sure he’d fly here in a heartbeat.”

Damian didn’t answer his sister but did glance across the room to Clark and Lois dressed as Frankinstein and the Bride who chatted with Diana,John and Wally dressed as a Fairy, Boxer and a Race Car Driver.

Damian grab his cup and pondered as he made his way to the refreshment table. He grabbed a few pieces of cheese and felt like his wished the night was over.

The music stopped as DJ announced the arrival of the hosts Bruce and Batmom entered the room dressed as Gomez and Mortica Adams. Once they thanked everyone for coming the party once again went into full swing and Damian slipped away into the gardens.

“Damian?” A voice called to him after what felt like a short while. Bruce sat next to him.

“Are you not having fun?”

He sighed,”Yes father the party is very good.”

Bruce was silent for a few moments and then let out his own deep sigh.”Your sister told me you miss Jon. You should call him, Clark told me the only reason he didn’t come was because he figured you wouldn’t want to participate.”

Damian turned to his father,”Really?”

Bruce smiled at his son and gave his shoulder a squeeze. “He’s your best friend, just call him.” After that Bruce returned inside and Damian remained seated.

He signed before looking at the ground.”Kent,I know listening…I think—I want you come to the party. It’s rather…dull.” He spoke barley in a whisper.

For a while it was just the distance sounds of Gotham noises and the booming sounds from the music inside and then a sudden gust of wind blew a few strands of hair.

“Hi Damian.” Damian’s gaze fell ontop the floating teen before him in full costume.

A grin painted his figured,”And what are you supposed to be Kent?”

“Uh Duh, I’m Danny Phantom.”

Damian laughed and Jon rolled his eyes.

“Come on I’m starving I heard Alfred has jalapeño poppers.” Damian joined Jon as they headed inside.

Y/n elbowed her brother and Jason spilled his punched on himself. He followed his sister’s gaze and they watch from a far.

Dick beamed as he got closer to them,”Aww Little D’s not lonely anymore.”

Jason rolled his eyes. “I don’t know how he can be, you Mother Hen him to death every two seconds.”

Dick shoved Jason and the rushed of his punched spilled on his costume. Dick nervously sprinted away with Jason bolting after him.

“Imbeciles.” Y/n sighed eating a eyeball cheese.

[jesncin]

Finally finished Young Justice S2

it was pretty good! Definitely a huge improvement from the first season even if there's a ton of plot holes and problems still, but it's clear that this season really amped the stakes in an interesting way. They took bigger swings, and sometimes that results in bigger misses. Lingering thoughts:

absolutely ludicrous of Nightwing and the other team members who were in on the "Kaldur is being a double agent" plot, to not let M'gann in on that 😭what do you MEAN you're not letting the telepath who has been mind breaking villains casually in on your Kaldur under cover plot? Ridiculous, biggest plot hole ever.

What exactly is the team's stance on M'gann mind breaking bad guys? Obviously Conner hates it, but I remember Bumblebee telling M'gann to "Brain blast him or something" so? Does the team know M'gann does this and are okay with it? Does Conner tell anyone what M'gann did to him? Aayee

lol @ M'gann saying she can only shapeshift into girls/women when she casually turns into men multiple times this season. But even when that concept was introduced they contradicted themselves in that very episode.

There's something,,, uncomfortable about the whole Arsenal plot where he ends up getting kicked out of the team. My memory's a bit foggy since I watched the episodes in chunks but- I thought Nightwing cutting Arsenal off the team was uncalled for? Like sure Arsenal panicked and got everyone captured because of it, but then he essentially single handedly (hah) saved everyone again, leading a rag tag new team to help him save his friends. Sure it was his fault that they got captured in the first place (because he was traumatized from fear of being captured again) but well. If he isn't psychologically fit to be back on the team so soon after being traumatically trapped for so long,,,why is he on the team to begin with? It gets into this uncomfy convo where the Young Justice team just kinda normalizes child soldiers to hop right back into intense crime fighting before they had a chance to recover mentally. Like he more than made up for his mistake in my opinion.

Way too many characters again! Especially by the end of the season. They really should've just focused on the cast surrounding Blue Beetle, Impulse, and Arsenal as new characters because their plots were the center of the conflict really! The Batfam members didn't have a personality and felt superfluous to the cast.

The rag tag team of meta kids were done dirty by the end! Static just joins Young Justice at the ending in a way that felt mandatory instead of natural.

I can't believe they just shipped a bunch of characters at the end again like last season lol I was caught off guard by that completely.

Waaay too much exposition, most of which felt unnatural. I know this season's plot is way more ambitious, but there could've been better ways to give us that information. Many of the episodes were just "plot is progressing" and not giving characters a chance to grow through their arcs.

Overall, I had a good time even when I was frustrated at certain plots. This is definitely not the Young Justice slump era I know is coming eventually, lol.

[supercap2319]

Killer frost male reader x ikaris fighting all over the city and I comes to a stop when ikaris flies over male reader while he is using his powers to make a one pathway and picks him up and drops them both into an ally and ikaris kisses him

Ikaris flew around the city of New York. Now that he was shunned by his own people, Ikaris had to do something to pass the time of his immortal life. He was a photographer under the alias of Ike Harris and lived a pretty normal life. Bleh. But with superheroes like the Avengers. Justice League. The Flash. Supergirl. There was no reason for Ikaris to get involved in mortal affairs. Until tonight.

He flew over a nearby bank, when the sound of an alarm caught his attention. From his vantage point up in the air, Ikaris could see that it was a metahuman stealing money from the bank.

Now, he normally didn't get involved in mortal affairs or problems, but tonight he felt like he should. He flew down for a better look to see it was the infamous Killer Frost. What's doing so far away from Central City? He's usually the Flash's problem, but tonight, he's Ikaris's.

"No honor amongst thieves? That's cold." Ikaris said. "Especially, with the holidays right around the corner."

Killer Frost turned around and gave him a cold smile. Literally. "And just who the hell are you, huh? A good Samaritan? An idiot in a navy jacket?"

"Actually, my friends call me Ikaris. So, let's just skip the theatrics and you just give back the money and turn yourself in. And we'll call it a night." Ikaris said.

"I've got a better idea." Ikaris watched as a mist of cold formed on Killer Frost's hands and raised them towards Ikaris. "How bout you leave, and I won't kill you slowly and painfully."

Ikaris smiled. "I'd love to see you try."

Killer Frost launched a bunch of icicle spears at the Eternal as Ikaris's eyes glowed gold, and he shot each of the attacks down with his optical lasers. Ikaris smiled at him. "I think you should give up now."

"Are you a discount Superman? Gender bender Supergirl? Though, you are much cuter than both of them combined.

"Better. An Eternal. Give up yet? And you think I'm cute?" Ikaris was shocked that the villain admitted that out loud.

"You are. And unfortunately, I don't have time to play with you right now." Ikaris watched as Killer Frost made an ice barrier between them that reached the ceiling. "See ya around, hero." He winked and Ikaris watched as he summoned an ice slide and he slid away.

Ikaris had to admire the young man's spirit. He was cocky and arrogant, but Ikaris liked that for some reason. He smiled and punched through the ice easily as he flew after him.

When Killer Frost realized that Ikaris was following him, he tried to blast him with his cry Oki Erickson powers of ice as ika weaved and dodged the attacks, before firing his lasers at the slide controlled by Frost, until it broke, and he fell towards the ground.

Ikaris quickly flew downward and caught the ice meta until they were in an alleyway. He looks up at Ikaris. "That was cold." He glared at Ikaris.

"It was." Ikaris agreed. "But so is this." He leaned down and captured his lips into a kiss.

[evalulu]

Jean/Scott/Warren!

There was never a dull moment in the lives of the X-Men.  Even though Warren wasn’t part of the active team anymore, he was one of the first five - Xavier’s first students and the first X-Men that existed.  It was hard not to feel like part of the X-Men still, to not consider himself part of the team, especially when he was frequently called on to help, whether that was with the X-Corp business, defending Krakoa, or just generally being a hero overall.  He really wasn’t supposed to be an active fighter, but it was what he was trained to do since being a teenager.  And besides, there was still an almost unbelievable amount of danger in the business world, cutthroat didn’t even do it justice.  He really enjoyed the simpler moments of just doing good and not being questioned at every turn, or having to watch his back for any hint of betrayal.  

He was thankfully a tough guy, though, able to withstand a decent amount of punishment while being lightning fast in the air.  Maneuverability was his practiced strength, and he was sure he was the best at flying with all of his training.  But even with all of his prowess and a healing factor to back him up, he still got hurt.  While things rarely ever let him rest properly, he could push through it.  He had to when Scott had called, and needed the aerial superiority that Warren had.  He had to push aside singed and missing feathers, but at least transitioning his wings to the sleek metal regrew them in an instant.  And now, he could focus on taking care of strange monsters from another dimension, a rift opened as the result of playing with powers far outside of mortal comprehension.  

Traveling through a Krakoan gate and flying fast to the north Californian coast, it didn’t take Warren long to rendezvous, already seeing Scott and Firestar waiting.  The young Mutant was proving to be a skilled X-Man So far.  

“So, what are we looking at?”

Scott, arms crossed, lets out a soft hum.

“One moment.”  

Warren tilts his head, moreso just wondering what they were waiting on until Magik's characteristic stepping disc appeared.

“Now,” Scott starts, “Rictor and Magik will prioritize closing the rift.  Firestar and Angel, you'll keep them engaged and limit their destruction.  Jean has located them traveling north. Don't let them get any farther.  Firestar, are you alright with staying in telepathic contact?”  

Simple enough; And Firestar gives a nod of confirmation at Scott's question.  Warren knew she wasn't the fondest of telepaths, or at least of Emma Frost.  Which was probably a story for another day.  And besides, he was keen to take off and get into the action.  

“As always, be careful.  We don't have much solid information on what these creatures are capable of, but they've so far been largely difficult to spot via visual contact.” 

Another brief response of confirmation was all Scott was looking for, and Warren knew that.  He kept himself alert, trying to spot anything that just didn't seem right.  Firestar, to her credit, was using her powers to fly and as a sort of detection if anything was disrupting the air unseen to the eye.  And if he were anyone else, he would've missed it; the glimmer of light that just didn't look right.  

“Firestar, there!”  Warren directs, and the heated blast hits something full force that lets out a horrible shriek.  Whatever camouflage it had faded, revealing a creature similar to a manta ray albeit without a stinging tail.  It was like its skin reflected the light, and newfound burns disrupted it.  These things definitely couldn't stick around.  There were probably more of them too, but Warren wanted to be careful with his flechettes.  While a few blades hit their mark on the injured creature and quickly work to paralyze it, that’s when he gets a good look at the underside of the creature revealing a large maw of colossal razor sharp teeth and tucked claws shaped like scythes.  And finding out how deadly those were was not on his agenda.  

He caught sight of another creature, and darted for the more open ocean off the coastline.  Keep them distracted; that was the goal.  While their course had turned back towards the rift, probably sensitive to whatever work Rictor and Magik were doing, this was the time to really let loose and not let a single of these monsters do anything more.  He turned to climb skyward, a few flechettes making sure that he drew the monster’s attention.  But as he climbed, he could see the way light reflected off the creature and how quickly it gained on him.  Maybe he couldn’t outspeed it, but he could outmaneuver it.  He moves into a loop, seeing the monster speed past him and try to turn around to dive on him.  But it just takes one powerful beat of wings to send more flechettes towards the now extended claws, while enough hit their mark, the feeling of those sharp claws scratching against his wings were not at all pleasant and forced a grunt of pain from him as they managed to cut him.  

But he’d heal just fine, and now he sped back towards the coastline to get sights on more of them.  

“Scott, how’re things there?”  

“Fine,” He says back, but Warren could tell that something was up.  And it wasn’t that much of a surprise to hear Jean’s voice in his head, with her maintaining the telepathic connection.

“Hurry back, more of those creatures are trying to stop Rictor and Magik.”  

No time to waste now; Warren pushes to his maximum speed to get back as quickly as he can.  Classic Scott, having a plan already that wouldn’t call for backup.  But he was already on the way, and already able to see the familiar blasts hitting some of the monsters.  And he was handling it perfectly, though Warren could see a creature coming in for a dive bomb.  Easy enough to intercept, he figured, as he climbed higher and focused on the beast.  

“Scott, incoming!”  

He collided directly with the monster and turned to open it up to a direct blast from Scott.  It shrieks from the hit, and the claws fully extend to reveal the jagged teeth (for lack of a better term) on the inside of the limb.  It tries to grab hold of Warren’s wing, managing to tear a good chunk of the metal feathers to pieces.  He lets out a shout then, but he’s able to still recover and keep himself from crash landing.  

“Warren, are you okay?”  

Jean’s voice in his head was concerned, and he let out a breath to compose himself.  

“I’m fine, don’t worry.”  

He’d worry about it later, and besides - this was far from the worst he’s ever experienced.  He could still fly fine, and with Firestar reconvening back at the shoreline and helping with the monsters, it was a simple task to hold them off long enough for the rift to be closed.  The creatures went with it, vanishing with little more than a screech to signal their departure.  At least that was that, and Warren for once was glad to land.  

“You look a few pounds lighter, Angel,” Magik spoke up, and he couldn’t help rolling his eyes.  

“Veeery funny, Magik.  I’m fine.”  “You seem so, so I wasn’t asking that.  Time to head back home.”  

She opens a stepping disc once more, bringing them all back home to Krakoa.  Warren’s priority now was to find a spot where he could relax and worry about his wing.  Scott was sure to have to report to the Council how things went, and that would give Warren some free time.  Or at least, he was assuming, until he heard Jean’s voice in his mind again.  

“Warren, you’re hurt.”  

He knew that tone, that obvious worry when Warren’s first solution would be to isolate himself and handle it himself.  And he knew he really shouldn’t if he didn’t want one of the most powerful telepaths he knew to come looking.

“It’s not that bad, Jean, really.  The damage’ll heal when they transform back.”  

And that was true, they would.  It’d hurt like hell, but they’d be pristine white feathers again with hardly any indication that something happened.  He’d be exhausted, sure, but he didn’t have anywhere to be.  

“I know, but still.  You know we’ll worry.”  

He can’t help a soft laugh then.  She wouldn’t force him, he knew, but it was also painfully clear that she would much prefer if he spent his time resting in the Summers house on the blue side of the moon.  And while he adored the breeze he felt on Krakoa often while flying, the moon wasn’t so bad.  

“Alright, alright, I’m on my way.”  

He was definitely a bit amused.  He wasn’t that reckless young guy anymore, charging headlong into danger.  And he was tougher now, with a healing factor that helped him and his much stronger form that he had learned how to control.  But, in the same breath, it’d be nice to be able to relax with the people he had known the longest, and trusted wholeheartedly without hesitation.  It was an easy enough task to fly to the gate that would take him to the house, landing once he was right outside the gate and stepped through.  That was one thing that was always sort of interesting - suddenly being in a brand new place altogether.  But then again, all the times traveling through them at least made them feel more normal.  

The moment he was in the Summers home, he was aware of just how quiet it was.  The kids must be busy with something, Alex out somewhere, and Gabriel off to God knows where.  But he wasn’t going to worry about that at all, especially when he was keen to lay back and relax.  He sat down on the couch and let out a soft hum then, and it didn’t take long for Jean to meet him.  

“Warren, it’s always great to see you.”  

He gives a soft laugh then, waving to Jean as she steps around the couch.  “You too, always.  But I mean it, I’m fine!”  

Jean answers him by running a hand over the still metallic feathers, gentle and careful though it was very clear that she knew how to avoid being cut by the flechettes, and stopped right at the part where the feathers had been ripped off.  He took that memo clearly enough.  

“Okay, it will be fine.  Is this the part where you offer to keep me from feeling the pain of them shifting back?”  

“If you want, I’d like to help.”  

And he knew that Jean meant it wholeheartedly, but wouldn’t push it if that wasn’t something he was comfortable with.  He generally disliked anyone messing with his mind, but there were a select few he trusted.  So he lets out a soft breath, nodding.  “That’s fine, just dull it so it’s more bearable, maybe.”  

She nods at that, only dampening Warren’s ability to feel pain as he willed his wings to change form again.  Like this, it still hurt, and he could still feel the way the feathers rapidly regrew to fill in the empty space, but it wasn’t as bad as it once was; when his wings first became white feathers again.  He had to make sure to keep taking steady breaths, stay focused and composed.  Once they were back to their normal form, he leaned back against the cushions in relief. 

“Are you sure you feel okay, Warren?”

Jean asks, and he can't help a laugh.  

“Yeah, I feel alright, especially thanks to you.  I appreciate you, Jeannie.”  

 “That’s good to hear.”  Scott’s voice makes Warren jump, because hell, wasn’t giving a report on things more time consuming than that? “Sorry Warren,” Scott says as he comes around the back of the couch, standing off to the side.  “I just wanted to come and check on you myself.” Warren can’t help a laugh at that, shaking his head.  “I’m telling you both, I’m fine!  I’m not fragile!”  

But he knows why they worry so much, and it’s not as if it’s unwarranted.  With all the pain they’ve all had to endure over the years, it was natural to worry about each other.  Scott worried about others, sought to make sure they were okay and safe.  It was what the leader did, so his own tone wasn’t upset; it was more playful and lighthearted.  

“I know, but still.”  Was the unsurprising answer from Scott.  Even after all these years, some things didn’t change.  

“Is this going to lead into a question of staying to take some time off?”  He can’t help teasing, and while Scott shakes his head, Jean lets out a hum.  

“Not if you don’t want to,” Scott starts, but Jean picks up.  “But it’d be nice to have some time with you.”  And Warren understands that sentiment.  They would generally have plenty of time to enjoy the peace and quiet, if all things went well, but taking moments now while they fought to keep themselves safe day in and day out was always a warmly welcomed respite.  And if there was anything that Warren appreciated, it was a comfortable night in with his loved ones.  

“Alright, I’ll stick around.  You’re lucky I love you both.”  He jokes, and Jean gives him a warm smile and tousles his hair just a bit as she stands.  “Love you too, Warren.”  And she even goes as far as pressing a kiss to his forehead before she walks off.  That leaves Warren just a bit dumbfounded, because that was new.  And when Warren looked over to Scott, he was sure the stoic leader had an amused smile on his face.  There was definitely a whole conversation that those two had that he missed out on entirely.  

“What did you two say?”

Scott just hums.  “Nothing.  You heard us, didn’t you?”

Warren rolls his eyes dramatically at that.  “Alright, you cheeky weasel.  You know what I meant.”  

Scott laughs then, only moving to follow after Jean with a wave to Warren.  Some sort of movie night or otherwise relaxed time seemed in order, reminding him when things were much simpler and they were just heroes doing all they can.  And truthfully, it was a welcome familiarity -  and Warren was just fine with that.  

[dairy-farmer]

Don't know how you feel about it? Cause this is a good wholesome Tim Puss household, but is it? Tim Puss if TIM isn't driving the boat, as it were? Still sexy Tim body. Tim could be involved. But these ARE the questions.

Because? Body swaps. Random or by Bat owned body swapping devices. Tim is currently in One of his brother's bodies.

What happens when their boyfriend comes to visit? Jon or Roy? You think Itty bitty Super, Jon isn't gonna take the chance Damian's offering? To fuck the Cool and Sexy, Red Robin's body? That perv Roy isn't gonna be ALL OVER that tight little body?

Or more "heroic" uses? Can't suffer through a Pollen fucking if you're not IN there. Dick loves his baby bro, can't stand to see him suffer. Can't absolutely take it. Pop a few sedatives, and hit them both? Timmy takes a nap and he gets to writhe and gasp, fucked by a machine, for the next hour or so, until "Tim's" fever comes down.

And if his hands grope and wander, well... he's Pollen'd up. No one acts modestly.

Same for Bruce and him. They ABSOLUTELY need the support of X or Y corp? Don't have the blackmail folder ready yet and the meetings today? Lives on the line? Well the young CEO wants to get into Tim's pants. Tim absolutely plans to do it.

Not on Bruce's watch.

He's "playboy"d his way though countless nights he damn well didn't feel like it. This is nothing. One Body-Swap blast to Tim's back and whoops! Oh no. He's locked "Bruce" in the batcave's containment block.

Be back after the meeting, sport.

Is Tim's body the one getting railed? Absolutely. Gloriously. Like a porn star. But TIM isn't getting to enjoy it and is salty af about it. Because these overprotective ASSHOLES won't let him have sex! He get the next day limp but never the Fun Orgasms!

Injustice!!!

Eventually he's gonna get even. Find somebody to fuck him in THEIR bodies, if they won't let him get fucked in HIS. But first? He plots a Bro Orgy. Young Justice to the rescue. Of his puss.

Just? The Bat's going "no, he is Baby. No sex for him" and Tim going "Actually, I am HORNY. All sex for me!" While ALSO two of them are stinking hypocrites because they are saying No Sex but totally letting their boyfriends hit that Tim Puss. Just be Shush about it.

Body swap fun!

-🐼🐼🐼

tim's not even allowed to use his own body for fucking 😭

[celaenaeiln]

I should point out though in at least two of his animated adaptations, namely Teen Titans animated and Young Justice animated, there’s about one or two factors in his plans that wind up backfiring and causing rifts between Dick and his Allies which might be why a lot of fandom can’t really fathom if Dick being that cleverly sneaky even with allies since they’re used to the notion that if he were to try that, it’ll be disastrous in the long run

For the two examples in adaptation I refer to; in Teen Titans Animated, in a bid to catch Deathstroke, Robin!Dick created the Red X mantle to fool the other Titans into believing it was a completely new ally to the masked criminal that appeared whenever Robin’s back was turned, even making a hologram projection of himself captured to sell that illusion. It mainly backfired due to Deathstroke knowing about it beforehand

Then in Young Justice Animated, as Nightwing, he had Aqualad aka Kaldur utilize recent events and his connection to Black Manta to become a seeming new agent for the Light, even going as far as organizing for Kaldur to take out Artemis in a fake out death and even blow up Mount Justice to further sell the illusion. While the Team were ultimately successful in infiltrating the Light and breaking apart their plans, they were almost completely unawares of Dick’s plan, especially Miss Martian who took some righteous misplaced vengeance on Kaldur via mind blasting for what happened to Artemis

You thoughts on these? Just some food for thought

continuation of previous ask

oh fair point! For Teen Titans the only mistake he made was he played his role too well.

It's been so long since I watched the show and I don't remember it very well but in this scene the reason the Titans stop Dick is because they actually think he's an enemy. Dick had actually convinced Slade he was on his side regardless of whether Slade knew his identity or not. So he's pretty successful there before the Titans accidentally caught his cape (this is why Nightwing is so done with capes XD).

For Young Justice I think he was successful there too. The point of Kaldur going undercover was to learn about the Light so they could defeat them without arousing suspicions and the only way he could have done that was to fake a traitor into the opponent's midst. Bringing in Artemis as backup was also a smart idea to do because having the daughter of a villain is much each narrative than having two heroes suddenly switch sides. That would've been suspicious.

Miss Martian's attack really shouldn't be considered a failure of Dick's because he had no control over that. Like he can't psychically prevent an attack and by his calculations, M'gann shouldn't have lost control. Even M'gann hadn't expected losing control like that so that wasn't a failure on either of their parts. Just an unexpected surprise. As long as the goal of the mission was completed through the tactics he took then it can be considered a success. Because if he hadn't done that then the Justice League would have returned to an earth overrun by supervillains.

[mapsareforbraindeads]

Light Yagami for Blorbo Bingo (I know exactly what I am getting into)

do you really, owl? do you really know?

surprising absolutely no one, i got a bingo!

i have so many thoughts on light. i am in love with him. i despise him. i want to shove him in a blender. i kin him. I AM HIM (sometimes)

more thoughts under the cut because i have a chance to ramble about light and i am TAKING IT. this will probably be my pinned post for a bit because i don’t want this to drown in my blog lmao

as someone who listened to “where is the justice?” months before watching the anime or reading the manga, i started out as a light sympathizer who didn’t see what he was doing wrong. i literally based my entire personality off of musical!light before i even saw his face. then i watched the anime in september 2021 and recognized him for the absolute BITCH (affectionate) that he is.

a month after watching the anime, i started up kira-ask-force as an exercise to learn how to write him and fell in love with the character. more than i already was. in less than two years i went from rageposting about L blasting nightcore at 3am to doing extensive psychoanalysis about kira. it’s been a wild ride; one that i’m so glad i had the courage to start.

something about light just fascinates me. i don’t know if it’s his ideology, his personality, or what, but it’s something. i can spend hours just listening to light shout, ramble, and monologue about his ideals and it’s captivating. everything down to his vocal inflections is permanently ingrained in my subconscious to the point where if someone asks me about the justice system, i manically laugh and throw myself into an extensive internal monologue while i try to sound remotely normal. i literally bought a (SFW, don’t worry) L body pillow to practice my light yagami (sub, dub, movie, drama, musical…) impression on 😭 i need help

ANYWAYS. light’s journey from a too-perfect high school student bored of his life to a wannabe god trying to make a difference is so incredibly interesting. for seventeen years, light was held above the rest of his peers, praised for every little thing he did. his father was proud that he was following in his footsteps. his mother was proud to have such a studious son. his sister was proud to have such a kind brother she could count on (see: “we all need a hero”) but light was bored of all of it. it was all mundane to him. he didn’t really have any close attachments whatsoever. he was just the perfect golden boy no matter what he did. hell, his cram school teacher catches him zoning out and only calls him out because light is there to “make the school look good”

needless to say, light was fed up with the world. that much is clear. i’d say he was probably severely depressed as well (and with an eating disorder but that’s getting into triggering territory that i will save for another day). i think anyone would get sick of being held up on a pedestal for so long, no matter how enlarged their ego is. it must have been exhausting for him to spend half of his day in perfection hell only to come home to his parents asking for his grades and proclaiming that it’s exactly what was expected of their perfect son. it’s a lot to handle, especially for a teenager.

but then, he found the death note. a weapon that could change the way his life went. he could do more than study in his room and be perfect. he could change the whole system. he had been dubbed the perfect student unwillingly at a young age, but now he could escape that and forge his own path. but how could one ascend past perfection? well, that’s easy. godhood.

of course, this decision didn’t come to him immediately. he entered a state of shock and denial after killing otoharada, and when he killed shibuimaru to verify that the notebook was real, he threw up in a nearby alleyway. until ryuk came along, he was constantly plagued with nightmares and lost ten pounds in five days. despite the mental strain, he still pushed forward. he knew that whoever the notebook belonged to would come for it, and that he might not survive the encounter. so he killed more people. hundreds of people. he targeted as many criminals as he could in those five days out of an attempt to cleanse his sins. but when ryuk tells him that he won’t be killed for his actions, this illusion breaks. at this point, he’s killed so many people that there’s no point to stopping now. he will cleanse the world no matter how long it takes. he will become god.

when L challenges him, light goes in head first. he takes the bait, taunting him. after all, what does light have to lose? he’s perfect. he’s righteous. surely this wannabe detective won’t come close to his power. right?

wrong. many people say that light’s biggest mistake was revealing that he was a student, that he was connected to the police, killing lind l. tailor and so on. in my opinion, light’s biggest weakness throughout the whole series is how easily he underestimates his opponents. he acts like he knows exactly what goes on in everyone’s heads. he’s spent his most of his time prior to receiving the notebook with people who will do whatever he says. he has them wrapped around his finger. but L, near, mello, maybe even matsuda, don’t act like that. they’re unpredictable. and that’s why light lost.

anyways, L awakens something different in light. something that nobody else has before. he’s challenging. he’s intelligent. he’s everything that light is and more. and light hates it. after all, he’s been placed above the rest for his entire life. who is L to kick him down and claim light’s throne for himself? so obviously, light lashes out. he aims to kill. anyone who defies god must die, after all. but that’s not why he wants L gone, necessarily. no, he wants L gone because he could be better than him. he has the power to take him down and light can’t take it. kira is justice, not L. and he’s going to prove it.

when L dies, a part of light does too. after all, he made light feel alive. more than a god, more than a perfect honors student. he made him feel like a person. L gave him a challenge, something to fight against. a reason to keep going. so naturally, when that motivation left, light cracked. everything became too easy. no matter how many slip-ups light made, he still won. it infuriated him. it felt wrong. this was the victory he wanted, but was it earned? in the years before the successors enter the scene, light is once again trapped within his own walls of perfection. no challenges. just another routine to follow. more expectations that he can reach with ease.

light never finds this same passion again. when near enters the scene, light despises him. in his mind, he’s nothing but a copy of L. he doesn’t bring that same challenge. to light, near doesn’t have that infuriatingly sharp tongue or any of L’s interesting traits. he doesn’t see a successor in near, he sees a cheap copy. mello infuriates him as well, though not nearly as much as near. he simply sees mello as an obstacle, an annoying roadblock in his mission. a side quest to beat before he can defeat near. obviously mello (and matt) are far more than this, but light can’t see this. too distracted by L’s figurative ghost looming over him, he underestimates the successors. and this is why he loses.

light dies in the warehouse as a bloodied mess. not with dignity nor with grace. he made one final mistake that cost him his life. he once again underestimated his opponents. he assumed near wouldn’t think ahead, being nothing more than a bootlegged version of L. obviously, he thought wrong.

this fact is further proven by matsuda, the one whose skills he underestimated the most. by framing matsuda as nothing more than the office idiot, he dismisses all of matsuda’s values. he assumes that matsuda will join his side and shoot his friends because he’s too weak to say no. when matsuda fires five shots into light, it’s a complete shock to his system. to have matsuda take him down… that’s a horrible fate that light couldn’t have imagined if he tried.

when ryuk kills him, light looks pitiful. he spent his final moments clinging to ryuk, begging for life from the literal god of death. he knew from day one that this would be how it ended. ryuk told him himself, but he brushed it off. as his final act, light underestimated yet another opponent: death itself.

WELL. that was a lot of writing. i wanted to explore a lot more, but i do not have the time nor energy. anyways, thank you for the ask, owl! enjoy your essay ❤️

[sanddusted-wisteria]

A Builder, a Researcher, and a Rooftop, Ch. 29: Norepinephrine

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"I'm scared."

Also on AO3

------------

Whoops and cheers.

The beeping of the telegram.

“HQ, copy: switching to Plan Zeta. Jam all signals. Occupy Sandrock. Cut the rail links! Signal blackout NOW. Whale express in route!”

Silence.

Grace cursing under her breath.

Justice cursing rapid-fire.

Qi’s grip on the tracking device tightening.

An uncertain glance at Qi.

Qi’s uncertain glance in return.

The mayor’s plea.

A grin spreading across Qi’s face.

A plan.

A hint of unease lingering in Qi’s eyes.

Nervous murmurs in the town square.

Refueling the generator.

Watching the mailbox.

The clang of the forging machine.

Watching the mailbox.

Restless sleep.

A letter.

------------

Attached is the diagram for the air cannon and its ancillary power unit. Please set it up in front of City Hall when it’s finished. In a more peaceful time, I would be ecstatic to see my creation built (especially by your hand), but that is unfortunately not the case. I just can’t shake the dreaded feeling that this will be the last diagram I will ever be able to give you. No matter how many times I calculate our odds of survival, no matter how much I account for you as an anomalous factor, my blasted emotions keep telling me otherwise.

If one or both of us do not survive the events to come, I sincerely hope you know that it has been an honor to work with you. To know you. As your researcher, as your friend, and as your partner. You have my eternal gratitude for all of your time, care, and affection. I can only hope that I have managed to provide you with even a fraction of all that you’ve given me in return.

I love you.

Yours, now and always,

Qi

------------

It had appeared in their mailbox in the morning, significantly later than Qi had promised it. It took a mere minute to read, but it stayed burned into their mind for the whole day. Even as they kicked their machines into overdrive to produce the cannon parts, it burned a hole in their pocket. Even as they screwed and bolted and welded all the parts together, their mind would drift to the letter sitting innocently on their workbench nearby, secured in place with no fewer than three paperweights. Even when they finished setting the cannon up, and Justice told them that Qi had entrusted them as the sole operator, all they could think about was how he was nowhere in sight that day, and the quiet, resigned sorrow behind his words.

The builder circled their thumb absentmindedly around those last three words as they ate their dinner, careful not to brush over them and smudge the pencil. They were written so much neater and clearer than Qi’s usual scrawl that the builder couldn’t possibly miss them. It was as if he had to slowly force his hand to make each line. They imprinted themselves beyond the page and straight into their skull.

That was the first time he’d ever said it to them on his own. Not saying it back when they said it first. Not with a hug or a gentle touch instead of words. Not leaving the all-important L-word out and only implied.

It wasn’t that they were ever bothered by it. Qi had his own ways of expressing himself in everything, including his “I love you”s. His sentiments could always come through in the things he did. But those three words, plain as day, even only in writing, shook them to the core. As they read his letter over and over again, they could almost hear his voice murmuring it into their ear. They heard the idiosyncrasies of his accent, how the usual formality in his tone gave way to something softer, the resolve of the declaration in spite of the uncertainty.

They set their fork down on the now empty plate, feeling an ache building in their chest. They shoved themselves out of the chair and tossed the dishes into the sink. Then they ran to their bedroom, ripped the blanket off their bed, then turned tail and ran out the door.

Even though the night was still young, the town was completely blacked-out. Everyone was trying to salvage as much sleep as they could before tomorrow. Who knew when they’d next get any kind of restful slumber?

Nevertheless, the builder ran towards town, treading a path so familiar they could walk it in their sleep. All the way, Qi’s illusory voice echoed in their head.

If one or both of us do not survive the events to come…

They leapt over the tracks in a single bound.

It has been an honor…

They burst out of the pipe tunnel.

You have my eternal gratitude…

They slowed down and tip-toed across Mi-an’s deck, not wanting to rob her of sleep.

I love you.

They got to the base of the rooftop stairs and sprinted up, two steps at a time.

Yours, now and always…

“Qi.”

There he was, as they expected. He was sitting with his knees tucked to his chest and staring anxiously up into the sky, as if the Duvos airship would appear any moment and strike him down. At the sound of their voice, his gaze snapped back down to them, still just as anxious.

“Why…?”

“You know why.” The builder hiked the last several steps up to his side and sat down right up against him, wrapping the blanket around both of them and snuggling close. “You send me a letter like that and expect me to not try and find you?”

Qi had no answer. He just rested his chin on his knees and looked away.

The builder sighed. “Qi…please. Talk to me.”

He remained silent. The builder didn’t falter, their gaze gently prodding him. Finally, he spoke with a meekness they never thought he could have.

“…By all means, we should survive,” he whispered. “I’ve accumulated every possible variable that I could think of… I’ve run the numbers so many times in the past 12 hours alone… And that’s not even factoring in you and–and everything you are, but…”

He took a shaky breath. “I find myself completely unable to look at the odds of success for what they are. All I see are the inverse odds of failure…and all I can envision are scenarios where something goes horribly, irreversibly wrong and I—“ His breath hitched.

“I’m scared.”

Their heart wrenched. Just like it did when they saw him lying right here after they came back from the supposed dead, cold and alone. Just like it did when he collapsed into their arms. Just like it did when they heard him cry.

They gently laid a hand on top of his, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “I am too,” they breathed. “But I’ll protect you. I promise.”

Qi hugged his knees tighter to his chest. “That’s what I’m scared about.”

Another blow to the builder’s heart. For the briefest moment, they were tempted to leave it all behind. Gather some supplies, take Qi by the hand, and follow the railroad tracks out. Abandon Sandrock, the home they’d made there, and everyone they’d come to know. Head somewhere safe. Where? They didn’t know.

But they couldn’t do that. They knew that. Qi knew that.

He went on. “Even as we were formulating our plans in City Hall, it was already clear to me that you were the only one who could operate the cannon. None of the Civil Corps are competent enough. No other civilian could do it. And I…I do not trust myself. You are the only one with the intelligence and strength required to use it.”

He sighed. “I sent the diagram late because I needed to rerun my calculations and check for errors again. If an oversight on my part caused it to malfunction…I’d never forgive myself.”

“Even if it did, it wouldn’t be your fault, Qi.”

“It would,” he muttered, hands clenching the fabric of his pants. “I am a researcher. It is my job to produce accurate diagrams. My calculations are flawless. They…they have to be. Otherwise…y-you…”

He took a few haggard breaths. Then he swallowed and met the builder’s gaze. “The letter that accompanied the diagram…” he whispered. “N…nothing about that was hyperbolic. Even if the threat of war wasn’t upon us.”

The builder’s heart swelled and twisted and ached all at once. All they could do was give his hand another squeeze, and say the only words that they could conjure.

“I love you too.”

“I’ve never doubted that.” Qi turned back to the stars. “Not even for an instant.”

A quiet breeze rustled through their hair, its chill warded off by the enveloping warmth of Qi and the blanket.

“Can you…” Qi spoke up suddenly. “Can you stay here tonight? I…” He trailed off, looking down.

They didn’t hesitate. “Of course.”

Qi nuzzled closer to them without a word. They let out a long, quiet sigh, letting themselves melt into each other.

The builder stared up at the beautiful, yet indifferent cosmos, as if they could will the sky to stop turning. As if they could beg the stars to let them stay in this one last moment of solace forever. To just hold Qi tight against them until all the fear in both of them dissolved away into the morning light.

But they couldn’t. The stars still turned far above their head. Time still ticked forward.

And when the sun would rise tomorrow morning, so would Duvos.

------------

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[bubbblesss000]

ANTIMONY

Antimony represents the wild and animalistic parts of human nature~

an Edward Elric x reader fanfiction.

~03~

She had barely stepped through the front door when the shrill ring of the phone shattered the peaceful silence. With a furrowed brow, she hurried to answer it, her heart pounding with a mix of curiosity and apprehension. The voice on the other end was unmistakable - her father, Roy Mustang, calling from a payphone. His deep, authoritative tone carried a sense of urgency that sent a shiver down her spine. "Dad, what's wrong?" she asked, her voice laced with concern. There was a brief pause before he spoke, his words laden with a weight she couldn't quite decipher. "You know that guy who has been killing state alchemists?”

“Yeah?”

“He just attacked Fullmetal and his brother”

“What? Where? I'm on my way.”

“You can’t-”

“Why not!?”

“If you’d let me finish, he got away so you can’t leave the house on your own.”

“That's stupid, I’ll be careful.” 

“Don’t argue with me, I’ll come get you in a bit.”

“Fine.” 

“I mean it, stay home.”

“I will!” 

“Love you.”

“Yeah love you too dad.”

With each passing minute, Y/N felt her anxiety intensify. She moved restlessly around the living room, stealing glances out the window every few moments, hoping to catch sight of her dad's car making its way up the driveway. The heavy silence enveloping the house only heightened her unease. At last, the unmistakable roar of her dad's car engine shattered the quiet, flooding her with relief as she dashed outside to greet him. Together, they made their way to the hotel where the boys were staying. When they reached the room, Edward opened the door, looking utterly drained and missing an arm. Edward and Alphonse explained what happened in their fight with Scar.  They recounted how Scar had used his alchemy to create destructive blasts, forcing them to dodge and counter with their own transmutation skills. Despite their best efforts, Scar's relentless attacks had pushed them to their limits. Alphonse described how he had shielded Edward from a particularly powerful blast, sacrificing his own armour in the process.Both brothers remained puzzled about Scar's motives for targeting state alchemists. Roy informs the teenagers that the eastern region of Ishval was the epicentre of a civil war that ignited thirteen years prior, triggered by an Amestrian soldier who accidentally shot an Ishvalan child. After seven years of relentless conflict, the State Alchemists were deployed to Ishval with the grim mission of wiping out the Ishvalan population. Mustang remarks,“There may be some justice in Scar's killing spree”.

Edward rebuts, “Scar is merely disguising his own revenge as righteousness, It’s disgusting.”

Ed then explained how he won’t be able to fix up Al’s armour with one arm, so they are going to have to head home to visit their mechanic, Roy insists they take an escort just in case they bump into Scar again. 

The following morning Y/N stood beside her father, watching Ed and Al get on the train Major Armstrong escorting them, waving as their train pulled out of the station.

—-----------------------------------------------------

Y/N stood at the threshold of the doorway, her young eyes wide with curiosity as she watched her parents, her mother with a suitcase in hand and her father, Roy Mustang, engaged in a heated argument. The air crackled with tension, the weight of unspoken words hanging heavy in the hallway. Y/N's mother, a woman with a determined gaze and a heart full of secrets, pleaded with Roy, her voice tinged with desperation. Roy, a man of authority and power, stood tall and unwavering, his expression a mask of stoicism that barely concealed the turmoil within.

As the argument escalated, Y/N's heart pounded in her chest, the familiar ache of uncertainty settling in the pit of her stomach. She had always known that her family was different, that there were truths hidden beneath the surface, waiting to be unearthed. And now, as she bore witness to this clash of wills between her parents, she realised that the time for secrets was coming to an end. 

In the dimly lit hallway, shadows danced across the walls like spectres from a forgotten past, whispering of untold stories and unfinished business. Y/N's mother, her features etched with determination, turned to face her daughter, her eyes soft yet filled with a silent plea.

With a final, resigned nod, Y/N's mother turned back to Roy, her voice steady as she spoke words that would change their lives forever. And as the echoes of her proclamation faded into the silence of the hallway “I’m leaving.” She walked out the door.

“Daddy?” Y/N spoke a quiver in her voice.

“Yeah?” Roy spoke still facing away from her looking at the door.

“Is Mommy coming back?”

“I don’t know sweetheart.”

A few weeks later, the civil war in Ishval had reached a boiling point. The military, desperate to quell the unrest, began sending State Alchemists to the frontlines. Mustang was in the first wave of soldiers to get their conscription notices. Colonel Roy Mustang found himself torn between duty and love. As the looming threat of war cast a shadow over the nation, Roy's heart ached at the thought of leaving his young daughter, Y/N, behind. The weight of his responsibilities as a State Alchemist and a military officer pressed down on him, threatening to suffocate him in a sea of despair. Y/N, with her innocent eyes and bright smile, was the beacon of light in Roy's darkened world, a reminder of the love and warmth he fought to protect.

As the day of departure drew near, Roy struggled to mask his inner turmoil with a facade of stoicism. Y/N, too young to fully comprehend the gravity of the situation, clung to her father, sensing the unease that lingered in the air. In the quiet moments before dawn, Roy would steal precious minutes with his daughter, memorising every detail of her face, every sound of her laughter, as if trying to imprint them into his very soul. The thought of parting from her, perhaps forever, gnawed at his insides, a relentless ache that no amount of alchemical prowess could heal.

On the morning before he set off to battle, as the world outside descended into chaos, Roy stood before Y/N, his daughter, his heart laid bare. In that fragile moment, amidst the backdrop of impending tragedy, Roy whispered promises of return, of a future where they could be together once more.  Y/N, too young to understand the complexities of war, clung to her father, her small hand reaching out to touch his face, as if trying to anchor him to the present. She only understood that her father was leaving her just as her mother did a few weeks prior. And as Roy turned away, steeling himself for the horrors that awaited him on the battlefield, a single tear glistened in his eye. He stood next to his friend Maes Hughes, thankful that his girlfriend Gracia agreed to look after Y/N while he is away.

Y/N found herself trapped in a cruel reality.For a year, she could only communicate with him through the crackling static of a telephone line, his voice a distant echo of the man she once knew. As the days turned into months, Y/N's memories of her father began to blur, his face fading like a ghost in her mind. The weight of loneliness pressed down on her, even though she had Gracia by her side, Y/N couldn’t be more alone. Each passing day, she clung to the sound of Roy's voice, the only tether to a world where he still existed. But as the days turned into nights and the nights into weeks, the realisation dawned upon her - she was slowly forgetting the face of the man who had raised her. 

In the dimly lit train station, young Y/N stood anxiously beside Gracia, her heart pounding with anticipation. The war had finally ended, and her father, Roy Mustang, and her uncle, Maes Hughes, were due to arrive any moment now. The air was heavy with relief. Y/N clutched Gracia’s hand.

As the train screeched to a halt, a wave of emotions washed over Y/N. She scanned the crowd, her eyes searching desperately for the familiar faces of her loved ones. And then, there they were - her father, his once vibrant eyes now dulled by the horrors of war, and her uncle, his jovial demeanour replaced by a sombre gravity. Y/N rushed forward, her voice catching in her throat as she embraced them tightly. The weight of their absence lifted momentarily, replaced by a bittersweet reunion tainted by the scars of battle.

In the days that followed, Y/n watched helplessly as her father and uncle struggled to adjust to life after the war. The nightmares haunted them, their laughter hollow and forced. She tried to hold onto the memories of happier times, of their shared moments of joy, but the shadows of the past loomed large. As the days turned into weeks, Y/N realised that the war had taken more from them than she could even grasp at such a young age. 

—-----------------------------------------------------

Y/N sat at her desk in her cosy bedroom, surrounded by stacks of books. The soft glow of a lamp illuminated the pages of the book she was currently engrossed in. Lost in thought, Y/N traced her fingers over the diagrams and symbols in the book, each one holding a deeper meaning than what meets the eye. The room was filled with a sense of quiet contemplation, broken only by the occasional rustle of pages as she turned them. Outside, the moon cast a silvery light through the window, adding to the ethereal atmosphere that enveloped her. 

Y/N sighed and set her book down, the phone's insistent ringing echoing through the quiet house. She made her way downstairs, the wooden steps creaking beneath her feet. As she reached the bottom, she picked up the receiver, "Hello?" she answered, her voice uncertain. On the other end of the line, a familiar voice spoke, "Y/N, it's me." the voice said softly. It was Edward. Y/N listened intently as Edward recounted his encounter with Marcoh, the renowned alchemist who had once been a State Alchemist, he described the wisdom and knowledge that Marcoh possessed. And he told her about getting his new arm,fixing up Al and about Major Armstrong's antics. Before they knew it, an hour had passed. “We should check out that library when you guys get back.” Y/N spoke softly as it was late and her father was asleep just a few rooms away.

“Yeah I think we are getting the first train back into central tomorrow,” Ed replied.

“You should probably get some sleep then it's nearly midnight” chuckled looking up at the clock above the phone.

“Eh, I might do.”

“Even if you're not, I am, I’ll see you tomorrow?” She questioned.

“Yeah we’ll see you tomorrow. Goodnight Y/N.”

“Yeah goodnight Edward.” She held the receiver until she heard the click from the other side.

[wild-karrde]

In Command - Part 1

Master List | Next Part

A/N: ALRIGHT, WELL, HERE WE ARE AGAIN! For those of you reading this story for the first time, this was my first fic in about a decade. I've written a lot since then (including three complete sequel fics with more planned), and my writing style has changed quite a bit, so I wanted to circle back and see if I could do this fic more justice. Rex and Senna are my favorites, and it's been a blast to revisit their origins to see if I can improve upon them. This go-around, I'll have the incredible @teletraan-meets-jarvis beta reading for me, which is also going to make this a better story (fun fact: TJ and I first connected over this fic). Anyway, whether this is your first time reading this fic or not, I hope you enjoy this re-write!

Chapter Rating: T (entire work is rated E, but M-rated version can be found on AO3)

Warnings: language

Word Count: 4.2k words

Sunlight filtered in through the thinning curtains, chasing the last traces of sleep from the captain’s mind as he slowly opened his eyes. Lothal’s lone sun twinkled through the weave in the curtains, casting dancing shadows across the small bedroom. He could already hear children outside in the street and the sound of the morning’s first speeders making their way further into town. Rex stretched his arms over his head, rolling his ankles under the blanket as he inhaled deeply, feeling his muscles tense and flex. He sat up in the bed, rubbing sleep from his eyes and rolling his neck, which popped satisfyingly. His fingers raked through his blonde curls, which he’d allowed to grow beyond the buzz cut he’d sported during the war. He was sure that any of his brothers would tease him that his hair was hardly long, but it was longer than Rex was used to, the length being more comparable to the regulation haircut Cody, Fives, and millions of others had sported, although less militaristic in its styling in an attempt to blend in. If nothing else, his blonde curls hid the scar on the right side of his head. It was a reminder he didn’t need to see every time he looked in a mirror.

At least the dreams hadn’t come last night. He hadn’t seen the faces of countless brothers lost, friends betrayed and presumed dead. Rex rubbed his hands over his face before glancing over to where his commlink was resting on the nightstand. There was no blinking light to alert him of a waiting message, and he sighed. He went through this same routine every morning, but the disappointment each time never seemed to abate.

She’ll call when she’s ready. For now, you just have to trust that she’s safe. Ahsoka has always been good at taking care of herself.

Hardly a day went by where he didn’t think of the young Togruta he’d come to view as a younger sister, hoping she was safe. While he had been eager to carry on the fight after the fall of the Republic, Ahsoka had needed time to grieve, unsure if there was any fight left in her, and he had chosen to respect that. She’d fought in a war and watched thousands die before her sixteenth year. She’d felt abandoned by the Jedi, and yet still returned, only to watch her men turn against her and lose everyone close to her yet again. Of course she was tired of it. Of course she needed time. He never doubted her competence or her ability to survive, but that didn’t make him any less worried about her. 

The sound of ceramic tinkling in the kitchen outside of his bedroom drew his attention, alerting him that his companion was already awake, and judging by the sharp smell wafting past the door, in the middle of making another offensively strong batch of caf. He sighed.

She’s at it again, I see. Time to go face whatever chaos she’s created this morning.

Rex clambered out of bed, replacing the sheets, pillow, and comforter with his usual military precision, creased and folded back without a wrinkle in sight. Some habits were impossible to break, even after almost a year. He yanked on the pair of grey trousers he favored, buckling his belt and holster across his hips before pulling a loose-fitting light blue shirt over his shoulders, the worn fabric grazing his skin as the hem fell to his waist. While the civilian garment should have been far more comfortable than his armor kit, it left him feeling constantly exposed, a feeling he didn’t particularly care for.

He picked up the beat-up DL-44 from where he’d placed it the night before on the nightstand, turning it over in his hand for a quick inspection before he tucked it into his holster. The weight of the blaster still felt off in his hand, but with practice, he had grown more accustomed to it. He had never been a poor shot, but the unfamiliarity of the weapon concerned him, and he felt that he couldn’t allow for even the most minor mistakes at this point. Not with what was on the line. The war had been a constant threat to his life, but this was an entirely different sort of danger, with him embedded deep in enemy territory with a complete stranger as his partner.

Rex hoped that the information that they were planning to glean would prove to be worth the risk in the end. It still felt like they were chucking pebbles at a giant, hoping to somehow make a scratch, but he had to believe that in time, things would grow. The rebellion would spread. There had been rumors of uprisings across the galaxy, most of which had been quashed easily by the Empire, but that could change. It had to.

All it takes is one victory. And then another. Until then, we don’t stop fighting. 

He had to believe that winning was a possibility; if not, then what was the point of going on? Rex was a soldier, loyal to a Republic that no longer existed, loyal to friends that were mostly dead, and now, loyal to a rebel faction that was outmatched in almost every way. Carrying on the fight seemed the best way to honor those that he’d lost in the hopes that those that were still alive might know the peace he and the rest of the Grand Army of the Republic had promised to deliver.  

He paused at the door and listened to the silence on the other side. The quiet always made him nervous. Did she go back upstairs? Closing his eyes, he could still smell the caf, and then he heard a sigh and the shuffling of feet, barely perceptible through the door. 

Nope. Still down here. Great. 

Taking a deep breath, he pushed through the door for another day.

She had her back to him, staring out the kitchen window, a steaming mug of caf in her hand. The steam rose over her bare shoulders, and her dark blue sleeveless tunic hung down her back, slightly too large for her, but cinched at her waist with a belt. He could see her blinking data pad tucked into its slot at her thigh. There were new bandages wrapped around a few of her fingers, and he briefly wondered if they were soldering burns, cuts, or from some other mishap. Her dark brown hair was piled on top of her head in a mess that more resembled a loth cat nest than the sleek military buns Rex had become accustomed to from the female officers he’d served alongside the war. She’s a civilian, he reminded himself. You can’t expect her to hold herself to the same standards.

Although some standards wouldn’t hurt. Just a minimum of decorum.  

Rex had never necessarily been a stickler for the rules or regulations, but he had no doubt his counterpart wouldn’t have lasted a day had she served in one of the civilian factions of GAR. He’d never commented on it before, but she was a downright slob, and it nagged at him even if he remained silent. The hairdo, ill-fitting wardrobe, and general clutter that followed her around seemed to perfectly encompass the technical specialist and her way of doing things: a fly-by-the-seat of your pants mess that still somehow got the job done.

He noted the second mug that was already sitting out for him alongside the sugar bowl and carafe of cream that she had undoubtedly used to make her drink more palatable. He never understood why she made it so strong only to add so many different things to it in order to be able to drink it. Even though Rex had always preferred his caf black, he could just barely tolerate the way she brewed it most days.

She turned, her bright blue eyes widening slightly in surprise as she snorted into her mug, slopping some of the liquid down her front. “KARK! Good morning. You startled me, Re – sorry.” She cut herself off before she finished his name, clearly bracing for a scolding.

Unable to stifle his reaction this time, Rex sighed in frustration. “How many times do I need to tell you to not use our real names here? You’re going to slip up and get us both killed,” he grumbled. “You’ve got to get used to saying it, and I have to get used to responding. We need to keep up the ruse here. Otherwise we run the risk of accidentally mixing things up when we’re out there and within earshot of Imperials.”

She dipped her head in apology, a slight mischievous twinkle in her eye. “Understood. But I uhh… thought you hated the name Lon anyway.”

“I do, but I understand what’s necessary for us to stay alive, Valla.” He emphasized her false name, dragging the syllables out, his eyebrows furrowed in a deep scowl.

She rolled her eyes, sipping from her mug again. “Fine, fine, Lon,” she bit back, mocking his emphasis. Reaching over, she slid the empty mug across the counter towards him.

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye as he caught the mug just before it slipped off the edge of the counter, reaching for the caf press and pouring some of the nearly-black liquid into the mug. “You’re careless,” he stated flatly, trying to keep his nose from wrinkling at the incredibly bitter smell.

“And you’re uptight,” she muttered into her cup, tipping the last of the contents into her mouth and wiping her lips with the back of her hand. Somehow, she already had grease on her wrist, and it smudged across her face.

Rex ignored the comment, bracing himself mentally for the first sip. He could hardly complain since she’d woken up before him. In fact, taking a closer look at her, he noticed the bags under her eyes and the droop in her shoulders. Her posture had always been terrible, but it seemed extra slouchy today. Her neck was tipped forward as if her head was almost too heavy to hold up, and her shoulders were hunched at such an extreme angle it made his spine ache just looking at her. 

Perhaps she didn’t even go to sleep last night. Got wrapped up in another one of her science projects again.

She interrupted his observations as she reached across him to pour herself another cup. “So what’s the plan today then? Do we get to leave the compound?”

Her eagerness to step into danger read as naivete to Rex, and it annoyed him. It normally was an indication that the person didn’t fully comprehend or appreciate the situation they were in and didn’t understand how easily it could all fall apart. Frustratingly, it seemed no matter how much Rex preached caution, she ignored every warning, still nagging him to let her be more directly involved. But he didn’t trust her yet, and she’d done nothing to earn it in their short time together. How he’d gotten paired off with her to begin with was beyond him, but he’d been assured that their skill sets were the perfect complement for this particular venture. 

She wouldn’t have been my first choice. Or second. Or tenth. 

Even with all of his concerns and issues with her, he had to admit that while her methods were unconventional, they had been successful, at least so far. He once again wished there had been more in her personnel file to reveal her background and where she’d gotten her technical prowess, but it had been almost empty. It mentioned her engineering coursework she’d completed on Naboo, her estimated birthdate, and a few other facts and tidbits that weren’t particularly relevant to the work they were doing, but other than that, her background was a mystery, and that concerned him further. 

No personal history means no work experience. No military service. Hardly any travel beyond her home planet. It’s like she’s spent the few decades of her life hiding out in her workshop and never setting foot outside.

Abandoning his misgivings for the moment, he turned to her. “You’re not going anywhere. I’ll head out to do some recon work in the area, but you need to stay on the waves here. We have to establish a baseline of what Imperials are stationed here and who’s responsible for what before we can start having any interactions that are worthwhile.”

She dumped another few scoops of sugar into her cup, her face pinching into a borderline pout as she reached for the cream. “I’ve spent the last few weeks doing nothing but that.” Rex’s face remained impassive, and she sighed dramatically, seeing that there would be no budging him. “Fine, but at some point, we should probably go out together at least once. We are supposed to be a newlywed couple after all. Otherwise people are going to think you murdered me and buried me in the backyard.”

“The thought has crossed my mind,” he muttered under his breath.

“I heard that,” she said, shoving past him, sloshing some of the bitter liquid dangerously close to the edge of his mug. “Fine. If you need me, I’ll be in my cave.”

“As if you’d be anywhere else.” 

She muttered something under her breath he didn’t catch in response. He listened to her tromp up the stairs, her boots falling louder than they feasibly should for a person her size. Turning his attention back out the kitchen window, he watched the dust swirl in the early morning winds as he finally took a sip of the caf. The bitterness overwhelmed him, and his eyes watered as he grimaced, exhaling sharply out of his nose before he managed to choke down the mouthful.

Can’t say I’m not awake now. But that’s as much as I can stand of that.

He took a look at the remaining caf in the cup, and with a deep sigh, walked to the back door of the dwelling, punching the unlock button. The door hissed open, and he stepped outside, dumping the remaining contents of his mug on the potted plant closest to him. It had started to wither after just the first week they’d been here, presumably because it was his regular disposal spot for the caf he couldn’t tolerate, and he had to hide his smile every time his partner made a comment about how she couldn’t figure out why it was dying. “Sorry” he whispered to the plant before stepping back inside and shutting the door behind him.

---

Senna stepped into her “cave”, smiling to herself as some of the tension from the conversation with Rex evaporated. If one were to judge by the layout of the dwelling, this room had likely been intended to be an extra bedroom or perhaps an office. However, Senna was using it as a storage space for piles and piles of tech, tools, and junk that also doubled as her command center. Spare parts of hardware that she’d collected were strewn around the room in various states of repair, and she carefully picked her way to the desk tucked into one corner. Pushing some loose wire and her soldering tool aside, she settled her mug of caf within reach and slipped the headphones over her ears, punching on the holo computer’s power. The hum of the system booting up gave her a warm feeling in her stomach, and she grinned. “Good morning, baby. Ready for another fun day of foiling the Empire?” she asked quietly.

The computer beeped cheerily in response.

She tuned into the comm transmission frequencies she had identified as the ones most frequently used by the Empire, opened a notes application, and after masking her location, she logged into the Imperial database using the false credentials she’d been given prior to the mission. Tapping a few keys, the audio crackled into her earphones, and she leaned back in her chair, taking another swig of her caf. She grinned triumphantly as the first voices came in clear. She’d been up the entire night tweaking the modulator to try and increase the audio’s clarity, and it appeared her hours of cursing and the two electric shocks she’d experienced hadn’t been in vain. Idly, she picked at the fresh bandages on her fingers before shaking her head to clear her mind. 

Alright, let’s get started.

Yanking the datapad from its pouch on her hip she began scrolling through the news feeds, searching for anything noteworthy that she could feed back to the captain. Lothal was an Outer Rim world that had largely been untouched by the war, but in the last few months, Imperial activity had skyrocketed. It couldn’t be denied that the planet was drastically in need of help after several large hits to its economy from drought and famine that went unaddressed during the war, but the new activity went above and beyond the standard aid that would normally be expected from the central government. And what’s more, it seemed that central government knew very little about what was actually planned for Lothal. The sudden uptick in activity had drawn the attention of many in the Imperial Senate, and while the inquiries of those attempting to have some insight over the Emperor had stalled, some back channel information had led to Rex and Senna being sent to investigate, although their activities were anything but sanctioned. Senna still wasn’t entirely sure how many in the Senate she still trusted, but from everything she’d seen at the mission briefing, this source was considered to be as reliable as they come, and that would have to be good enough for her.

Halfway through an article about the new job postings at Pryce Mining that were allegedly coming due to the Empire’s increased presence on Lothal and its need for resources, she felt a warm prickling sensation on the back of her neck. She slowly turned to find the captain standing in the doorway. He’d thrown a waist-length cloak around his shoulders and had hidden his blonde hair underneath a wide brimmed hat. He seemed pleased and perhaps slightly smug about the fact that he’d snuck up on her. 

She spluttered again in surprise, choking on her caf and ripping off her earphones. “Would you STOP doing that? Just make some noise or something when you’re moving around, for Maker’s sake.” She dabbed at the caf she’d splattered down her front with a filthy rag from the corner of her desk. She knew it was a lost cause, and that this caf stain would join the other one from earlier along with countless grease marks and other mystery stains. Tossing the rag aside, she glared at Rex, who smirked as he leaned into the room, not daring to try and place a boot among the mess.

“How do you even function in here? I’ve seen cleaner bantha pens.”

She huffed in annoyance. “Did you actually need something, or are you just here to criticize how I do things?”

His smirk faded as he straightened, eyebrows furrowing again into what seemed to be a perpetual frown. “I’m heading out. Do you need me to grab anything?”

“I’m almost out of sugar again,” she replied.

“Can’t imagine why.”

Senna’s annoyance deepened. “If you’re going to give me shit, then why ask?” When he didn’t say anything, she rolled her eyes. “Would you just pick some up on the way home please? And we could use some more noodles.”

“All you eat is noodles.”

“They’re easy.”

“Fine. Noodles and sugar it is.” He turned to leave. “Try to find something useful for us to go on today.”

Her attention already back on her datapad, she waved a hand at him absently. “Yeah, yeah.”

Appearing to suddenly remember something else, he turned back one more time. “It would also be nice if I had a speeder bike that was usable to get around on.”

She looked up at him through her eyebrows. “You have one.”

“It’s in pieces outside.”

“I put it mostly back together. You’re welcome for the improvements I made, by the way. The fluid lines were super worn out and caked with sludge.”

“I walked by it this morning, and the brake compressor cables are still dangling loose on the side. I think it’s safe to assume those are important.”

She sighed. “Yes alright, I’ll get to it today. Any other technical upgrades you require while you’re out?” she asked mockingly, her patience continuing to wear thin. She didn’t like to be bothered when she worked.

“A working comm would be nice,” he replied.

Senna had absolutely noticed the commlink that never seemed to move from Rex’s nightstand, and for a moment, she considered mentioning it. But, the captain had a particular way of operating, and ultimately, she found he really hated having to explain things when she asked questions. If he hasn’t brought it up, then maybe it’s best not to ask. It’ll save me a painful conversation filled with more annoyed glares and disappointed sighs from him anyway. Turning in her chair, she dug under a pile in one corner of the desk, pulling out a scratched up comm and tossing it to him. “That should work.”

He stared at the item in his hand with obvious concern. “Where did you even get this?”

“One of our neighbors threw it out the other day. Couldn’t believe it. All it needed was some wiring replaced. It should work. Go on, power it up.”

Rex clicked on the commlink, and she grabbed her own device, holding it up to her lips and whispering, “Go get me some sugar for my caf, Lon.”

Rex didn’t bother to hide his exasperation as he clicked off the device and tucked it into his belt before turning on his heel to leave. “Stop going outside and picking through people’s trash. It’s strange and could draw attention.”

“I think you mean ‘Thank you, my wonderful fake wife! You’re so resourceful and good at anticipating my needs’!” she called after him. All she got in return was yet another sigh and some muttering that she couldn’t discern. A few moments later, she heard the front door of the dwelling hiss shut and turned her chair to watch out the window as he strode away, losing sight of him as he turned the corner and disappeared behind the outer wall.

Shrugging back into her seat, she pulled one of her feet up onto the chair cushion and rested her head on her knee as she continued scrolling through the comm channels, making notes about which Imperial officer was saying what. Over the last few weeks, she’d been able to identify a good chunk of the command infrastructure that the Empire had put in place on Lothal. She had mapped out the command hierarchy and who was responsible for what tasks, but even with all of that information, she still hadn’t managed to impress the captain or even satisfy him in the slightest. She wasn’t sure exactly what was gnawing at him or why he took such issue with her, but she had decided to not be overly concerned with it.

No one had explicitly told her he was a clone, but it had been apparent to her from the start, and once he’d introduced himself as Rex, she knew exactly who he was, but had never let on. He had made some references to being a soldier during their always-brief interactions, and so she assumed he was fine with her knowing that he was a clone, but she had never pushed the conversation further. The darkness that would reach across his face when the war came up and he became lost in the memories made it abundantly clear to her that it was not a topic he liked to revisit. She’d noted the light scarring on the right side of his head before his hair had grown long enough to cover it. She’d heard the rumors that some clones had removed their inhibitor chips, but again, it was not a topic she wished to broach, for both of their sakes.

The end of the war had come as a shock to everyone, and it wasn’t something she wanted to discuss either. While the outcome of the war had never been certain for anyone, never in her wildest dreams had Senna imagined this would be the result, the Republic gone and replaced by the Empire. She had to imagine Rex hadn’t either; it was apparent that something still haunted him, and while she wasn’t sure she wanted to know, she certainly had her suspicions as to what that was. She had heard him yelling himself awake sometimes at night while she was upstairs tinkering and had always opted to pretend the sound didn’t make it to her. She assumed he’d done the same when she woke up screaming. The war was over, but the nightmares persisted, which was why she often chose caf and her work over unconsciousness. Her bed was too soft compared to what she was used to sleeping on anyway, and when she was stooped over a broken piece of hardware, the sparks of her soldering iron seemed to stave off the fingers of darkness that reached out to drag her back into her nightmares.

At least awake, she had some control.

Tag List: @seriowan @partoftheeternalsoul @rosmariner @misogirl828 @ellichonkasaurusrex @zoeykallus @the-sith-in-the-sky-with-diamond @gjrain20-starwars @dsburnerblog @staycalmandhugaclone @redheadgirl @fordo-kixed-rex @wizardofrozz @ariadnes-red-thread @moonstrider9904 @rain-on-kamino @ladykatakuri @sleepingsun501 @ladykagewaki

[sebeth]

Royal Rumble Marathon: 1992

The Royal Rumble marathon continues into 1992.

Spoilers for past Rumbles…

The undercard:

The Orient Express vs the New Foundation.

We see footage of the Mountie defeating Bret Hart. The commentators noted Bret wrestled with a high fever and is now out with the flu. I’m assuming Bret was sick as it would be an odd choice to change the title on a house show three days before Bret’s advertised match against the Mountie at the Royal Rumble. Roddy comes to Bret’s defense and will take his place against the now-champion Mountie.

The Mountie vs Roddy Piper. Roddy gets a huge reaction. Roddy wins his only WWF/E title when he defeats the Mountie.

The Bushwhackers (with Jamison) vs the Beverly Brothers (with the Genius). This re-watch marathon is bringing back memories of performers I haven’t thought of in decades. Jamison? That’s a blast from the past. If you’re too young to remember Jamison, think of a nerdy Rick Moreno type combined with a dash of the “Eugene” gimmick.

The Legion of Doom vs the Natural Disasters. Last year at the Rumble, Tugboat was helping Hogan fight Earthquake, now he calls himself Typhoon and has formed a tag team with Earthquake. I recommend the “Dark Side of the Ring” episode on Earthquake, it wasn’t “dark” per se but it was an interesting look at the man behind the gimmick. I never liked the Legion of Doom’s presentation in the WWF. The Road Warriors in the AWA/NWA were scary and intimidating. The team went to the WWF and their mystique/aura decreased by 75%.

Sean Mooney interviews a newly-turned Shawn Michaels with footage from the infamous Barbershop attack on Marty Janetty. The Rockers break-up has to be one of the all-time heel turns.

Hype vignettes before the Rumble: Flair, Savage, Sid Justice, Repo Man, Davey Boy, Jake Roberts, Undertaker, Hogan,

Marty Janetty and Nasty Boy Knobbs have lost their spots in the Royal Rumble due to injuries (though I think Janetty’s was in-storyline only as this took place a week after Shawn sent Marty through the barbershop window). Nikolai Volkoff and Haku will take their spots.

For the first time the Rumble has a point as this year the winner will become the WWF World heavyweight champion. If I remember correctly, the title was vacated/held up due to a Hogan/Undertaker storyline.

The entrants in order of appearance:

Davey Boy Smith

Ted DiBase (accompanied by Sherri Martel)

Ric Flair (accompanied by Mister Perfect)

Nasty Boy Sags

Haku

Shawn Michaels

“El Matador” Tito Santana (Such a lame gimmick for Tito)

The Barbarian

Kerry Von Erich

Repo Man (formerly known as Smash of Demolition) It’s a silly gimmick but I love it

Greg “The Hammer” Valentine

Nikolai Volkoff

Big Boss Man

Hercules

“Rowdy” Roddy Piper

Jake “the Snake” Roberts

“Hacksaw” Jim Duggan

IRS (Mike Rotunda)

“Superfly” Jimmy Snuka

The Undertaker

“Macho Man” Randy Savage

The Berzerker (John Nord)

Virgil

Iron Sheik (referred to as Mustafa, accompanied by Adnan)

Rick “the Model” Martel

Hulk Hogan

Skinner (Steve Keirn)

Sgt Slaughter

Sid Justice

The Warlord (accompanied by Slick)

Flair wins the Rumble to become the new world champion. Hogan is the worst babyface ever – he has a hissy when Sid eliminates him from the Rumble, helps Flair eliminate Sid from the Rumble after his own elimination, and then chases Flair from the ring so he can’t celebrate his victory. Hogan continues to have a hissy at Sid. I never liked Hogan as a child and rewatching his storylines as an adult I can understand why all his “frends” eventually turn on him. He sucks!

Only the first two entrants received entrance music. Managers were allowed to accompany their charges to ringside but could not remain in the area (the WWF flip flops on whether managers could remain at ringside during the early years ).

First time Rumblers: Ric Flair, Nasty Boy Sags, IRS, Berzerker, Virgil, Skinner, Sid Justice

Highlights: Heenan having a panic attack the length of the Rumble over the possibility of Flair’s elimination, Flair’s performance, Savage accidentally eliminates himself but Taker throws him back in to continue in the Rumble. Flair sets a new endurance record for the Rumble

March to Wrestlemania: Hogan and Sid have their confrontation to set up their Wrestlemania match.

Wrestlers and others who have passed on: Gorilla Monsoon, Bobby Heenan, Howard Finkel, Mr. Fuji, Owen Hart, Jim Neidhart (we have six deceased individual within 5 minutes of the event starting), Lord Alfred Hayes, Roddy Piper, “The Genius” Lanny Poffo, Bushwhacker Butch, the Legion of Doom, Earthquake, Mean Gene Okerlund, “Mister Perfect” Curt Henning, Paul Bearer, Jack Tunney, Davey Boy Smith, Sherri Martel, Kerry Von Erich, Nikolai Volkoff, Big Boss Man, Hercules, Jimmy Snuka, Joey Marella, Virgil, Iron Sheik, Adnan.

Total number of deceased performers: 28, passing the previous Rumble by seven.

Rating: 8 out of 10