#i love drawing richard while thinking about how funny of a move it was to decide to start using tumblr again and

[blitzkennedyrieg]

Idiot

[jonathantaylorthomas]

Hollywood heritage...

latimes.com/sports/nfl/la-sp-chiefs-andy-reid-20181113-story.html

Andy Reid draws from California roots, and now brings his masterpiece of a Chiefs offense to face the Rams in L.A.

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid grew up in Los Angeles and has frozen Tommy’s burgers flown to Kansas City. They’re “good for your joints — the grease. Keeps you lubed up, man,” he says.

(David Richard / Associated Press)

BY SAM FARMER

STAFF WRITER

NOV. 13, 2018 4:40 PM PT

Reporting from kansas city —  

Every so often, the artist comes out in Andy Reid.

It has nothing to do with coaching, instead those times when he puts pen to paper and allows his mind to wander.

“One time when we were talking on the phone, and he was telling me how much he remembered about when we were growing up,” said his brother, Reg, nine years older than Andy. “While we were talking, he sketched a picture of me, then emailed it. It’s just a sketch of my head, but it’s pretty realistic.”

Fans of the Kansas City Chiefs have a deep appreciation for Reid’s creativity. He draws up the offense for one the NFL’s hottest teams; finds new ways to harness the spectacular talent of quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Even now, in his 20th season as an NFL head coach, Reid remains a pigskin Picasso.

That figures. His dad, Walter, did jaw-dropping work as a scenic artist in Hollywood, creating backgrounds and props for film, television and stage production.

“My dad worked on all the Broadway plays that would come to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion,” said Reid, 60, sitting behind his desk at Chiefs headquarters. “They had these huge backdrops they’d lower from the second floor, whether it was ‘Annie Get Your Gun,’ or ‘The Wiz’ back in the day. My dad went down and worked on ‘Hair.’ It was unbelievable. You’d stand up there and look over the edge, and if you took a wrong step, you’d go down like a mile.”

The Chiefs too have reached toe-tingling heights. They’re 9-1 heading into Monday night’s game against the 9-1 Rams at the Coliseum, moved there by the NFL on Tuesday when field conditions in Mexico City became unsatisfactory. On paper, at least, it would have been the most compelling international game the league has staged. Now it will be the Rams’ first Monday night home game at the Coliseum since Nov. 19, 1979, when 54,097 watched a 20-14 victory over Atlanta.

Reid has been in plenty of huge games throughout the course of his career, including coaching Green Bay’s offensive line when the Packers won the Super Bowl in the 1996 season. Reid coached Philadelphia from 1999-2012, led the Eagles to five NFC title games and a Super Bowl, then took over in Kansas City in 2013.

There’s still a lot of Los Angeles in Reid, who grew up on Holly Knoll Drive, just around the corner from John Marshall High, his alma mater, and Walt Disney’s first California home. Reid still eats Tommy’s burgers, and not just when he’s at his offseason home in Capistrano Beach. He has frozen ones delivered by mail.

“I love those things,” he said. “It’s good for your joints — the grease. Keeps you lubed up, man.”

Comically gruff and unrevealing with the media, Reid is beloved by his players, who refer to him as “Big Red,” his hair color at an earlier age.

“He’s actually more funny than you would think,” running back Spencer Ware said. “Most people think of him as just serious. I can kind of relate to him because I always kind of have a serious look on my face and people think that I might be mean mugging. Maybe I’m joking around. So I can kind of relate to Big Red in that area.”

Reid might show his lighter side to his players, but he also gets to the point. They appreciate that.

“The biggest thing is he treats us well, treats us with respect,” tackle Mitchell Schwartz said. “I know he’s got a hard training camp and practices are long and all that. But we don’t have 20-minute meetings every day with rah-rah speeches. It’s just, ‘These are the goals, these are the expectations. Now, it’s on you to go do them.’ So he doesn’t have to be up there every day trying to get us to work hard.”

Reid, a onetime offensive tackle at Glendale College and Brigham Young University, developed his work ethic at an early age. His mother, Elizabeth, was a radiologist, and his father got him occasional work in the entertainment industry. Once, young Andy got a job serving food in the green room of a popular TV talk show, and his rule-following ways clashed with one of Hollywood’s biggest stars.

“I’m not sure whether it was the Merv Griffin or the Johnny Carson show,” he said. “But they put me in charge of dishing out the sweet-and-sour meatballs — they were unbelievable — and I was told I could only give three of them out to people.

“You name it, all of Hollywood would come through those shows. I knew all the athletes, so if it was Wilt Chamberlain or one of those guys, they’d get as many meatballs as they wanted.”

But when John Wayne asked for more than three, the kid had to break the bad news.

“I found out later he was a great athlete,” Reid lamented. “Maybe I should have given him a few more meatballs.”

Reid was enormous for his age. There’s a hilarious video clip of him in a Punt, Pass and Kick competition in the early 1970s. He’s a 12-year-old man-child in a Rams uniform, with a line of kids behind him no taller than his beltline.

“The kid behind me was 8,” Reid is quick to note. “I was like 12 or 13.”

Whatever. The YouTube video leaves his players doubled over.

“Damn, that boy was huge,” Chiefs receiver Tyreek Hill said. “He’s the size of Justin Houston.”

Well, maybe Reid wasn’t the size of that 6-foot-3, 258-pound Kansas City outside linebacker, but he was big enough that when he was a waterboy at Marshall, some of the varsity players asked him why he didn’t join the team.

“Mike Haynes was between my brother and me,” recalled Reid, referring to the future Hall of Fame defensive back. “He and his buddies were riding me, ‘How come you’re so big and don’t play?’ I said, ‘Listen, I’m in sixth grade.’

“They go, ‘No way!’ It’s like, I’ve been doing this waterboy thing longer than you guys have been around. I’m like the professional waterboy.”

Haynes recalls that, and more.

“I remember that when our kicker would kick the ball through the uprights, our field was so small that the ball would leave the school property and go across the street,” he said. “Andy would go get the ball and bring it back. He’d wear his youth football outfit.”

Nowadays, Reid wears shorts to practice, even when the temperature drops below freezing. He’s spent most of his adult life in cold-weather cities and is hardy like that, an artist whose medium is now Xs and O’s, a Southern Californian in spirit only.

sam.farmer@latimes.com

.

[jazy3]

Thoughts on Grey’s Anatomy: 17X13

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

Oh my gosh! Wow! There’s so much to say about this episode. I'm so glad that Meredith woke up and appears to be on the mend. As much as I loved the beach, I am ready for Meredith to rejoin society and the land of the living and get back to doing what she does best! I'm glad that Meredith got closure and that we as fans got closure too not just with Derek but with George as well. The beach wedding scene was perfect and the dialogue throughout was great.

I laughed out loud multiple times and Meredith and Derek’s scenes were both funny and bittersweet. I particularly liked Meredith and Derek's lines about how Meredith hates weddings, but Ellis hates the Post It Note story and wishes they had a big wedding. That she would give her that big wedding if she could. I felt like she was also saying she would give Derek that big wedding if she could. I also loved their conversation about Amelia. Derek told her what she needed to hear. Sometimes losing someone close to you at a young age makes you stronger and sometimes it turns you into Amelia.

Amelia has grown so much, but she spent most of her life a mentally unstable drug and alcohol addicted mess spiralling out of control in large part because she witnessed the brutal murder of her father at the age of five. And that’s not to say that Derek wasn’t just as screwed up by what happened to their Dad. He like Amelia became a neurosurgeon always chasing the high. He stayed in a loveless marriage he hated and when Addison cheated on him with Mark he moved to Seattle where he pretended to be single and pursued a relationship with Meredith.

Even after he and Meredith got together, he lied and cheated and repeated that pattern over and over again. First with Nurse Rose and then with Renee his research fellow in D.C. Derek could be selfish, cruel, hypocritical, and jealous. While Amelia’s scars and trauma were more obvious and blatant Derek was just as affected as she was it just showed up differently. Derek makes it clear he does not want that for Zola, Bailey, and Ellis and after talking to him Meredith realizes that she doesn’t either.

I loved seeing Meredith talk about how well Amelia is doing and Derek saying, “I know!” From the moment Derek on the beach I had a feeling they were going to talk about Amelia and the kids and all of that and I’m glad they did. One of my favourite moments of the episode was when Meredith told Derek that Ellis hates the Post It Note story and wishes they had a big wedding and Derek said, "She gets that from my mother!" I loved that they showed Ellis’ drawing on the fridge when Maggie is talking to Winston on the phone.

I love that Meredith and Derek got their beach wedding like Derek talked about in Season 5 when he made Meredith a bed in front of the fireplace. She went from never wanting to get married to marrying Derek on a Post It Note, getting legally married at the court house so that they could adopt Zola, and then marrying him on the beach in her COVID dream and giving Derek and Ellis the big wedding he always wanted and the one Ellis dreams of. So beautiful. I’m glad that they got closure and that Meredith decided to go back and that she knows Derek will be waiting for her when she’s ready, when it’s her time. When she’s old and senile and smelly just like they promised.

But now is not that time. She has kids to raise. Patients to treat. Sisters, friends, and family that need her. And a certain Irish doctor who would very much like to take her for a drink once she’s feeling better. I loved that Meredith realized through talking to Derek that even though her body was tired her soul was still fighting and that she needed to go back to her life. I loved her scene with Zola when she woke up and said, "We love you so much," meaning both her and Derek. That Mommy and Daddy love her so much and that’s why Meredith came back. She gave up on an afterlife with Derek to be with her children, friends, and family in the real world. That was so beautiful.

I loved Maggie's talk with Zola. I love that she took what Catherine gave her about screaming out your feelings and used it to help Zola who has been through so much express her emotions in a healthy way. I really felt Zola's heartbreak and how much she missed her Mom and Dad. I'm glad that Maggie decided to take Zola to visit Meredith. It was risky, but it paid off. The set department did a great job with Zola’s room. When she’s sitting on her bed crying you can see the photo of Meredith and Derek holding her at her first birthday party. You can also see a sock monkey that she had at the dream house.

The slop of the roof indicates that her room is in the attic. At last we saw it Lexie was living in there and Mark was visiting her while they were sneaking around, and it was an unfinished space with wood panelling. It appears that since that time as her family expanded Meredith had the attic finished and turned into a proper bedroom for Zola. We don’t know how big the attic is so it’s possible that there are more rooms up there or that there are more rooms upstairs than what we’ve seen.

I'm glad that Derek was there for Meredith in her time of need and helped her find the will to fight even though she was exhausted. I'm interested to see what's next for Meredith. If we'll see her being discharged in the coming weeks or if they will do a time jump. Will we see her at home with the kids first or back at work? Will her and Hayes finally have that drink? If so, how soon? I want to know more! I’m excited to see Maggie tell her about her engagement to Winston and see her meet Winston properly and get to know him. I’m also excited for what I’m sure will be an emotional scene when she thanks Amelia and Link for taking care of her kids while she’s been sick.

I’m also expecting some very emotional scenes with Richard and Bailey. I’m interested to see how they will address DeLuca’s death. I’d also like to see Jackson’s reaction when he returns from his most recent quest and finds out that Meredith has woken up and is doing better. I’d also like to see someone notify Cristina, Alex, Arizona, Callie, and April that Meredith is doing better. I can’t wait to see Hayes’ reaction to finding out that Meredith is on the mend! My heart!

Now let us turn our attention to the other shenanigans that were going on at Grey Sloan Memorial this week while Meredith was busying getting closure with Derek and waking up. We saw Teddy back at work trying her best to move forward. I was glad to see that she found a therapist that works for her even though it has to be virtual due to the pandemic. I'm glad that Owen was there for her. She really needs a friend right now and as Owen said previously, he's well placed to be that person. I like that he backed her up, but also pointed out that she would be destroyed if something went wrong with Meredith. That lead to her paging Winston to scrub in with her which I think was the right call.  

I think Owen did the right thing by rejecting her kiss but choosing to stay with her and let her cry and breakdown. She needs the support right now and while I’m not usually an Owen fan I think he did a good job supporting her this episode. I also really felt for him when he lost a patient he thought they were going to be able to discharge and struggled to tell the family. As he says to Teddy, they did this all the time during the way, but this is different. They are losing patients on a level that they’ve never experienced before, and they can’t even take a moment to catch their breath because they have more patients to treat and pronounce.

My heart breaks for the real life doctors and nurses who are dealing with stuff on a daily basis. It’s so hard. On a lighter note, I really loved Amelia and Link's patient storyline this week. It was funny and interesting, and it was great to see Amelia back in the OR. While it was wrong of Amelia to steal Link’s patient and I think she did overstep I understand why she was so eager to get back into the OR and she was right about what was wrong with the guy.

I understood Link’s anger and frustration, but I also appreciated that he understood Amelia and was there to support her and build her up. I like that he brought in Tom and had him on standby, but also showed complete confidence in Amelia. His line about how Amelia always likes to raise the stakes was hilarious and accurate. Another scene I loved was when Amelia and Link were leaving the hospital and Link thought she was using sexual innuendo and then she clarified that she needed to get home because her boobs felt like they were going to burst, and she needed to either pump or breastfeed. That one cracked me up!

We also saw some amazing acting by Caterina Scorsone when upon arriving home and finding Link’s parents looking after Bailey and Ellis, they rushed to the hospital thinking something was wrong with Meredith. Amelia was riding high from the surgery that day and when she thought Meredith had gotten worse, she panicked only to realize that Meredith’s condition hadn’t changed. Her sobbing and desperation as she said over and over again that she really needed Meredith to live were gut wrenching. Caterina did an amazing job.

I also really liked Bailey and Levi’s patient storyline. The peanut butter brittle woman who took up roller skating was the best! She was funny and helped Bailey see that you need to rest and also follow your joy. The scenes where the woman gave Levi the brittle and then he was smelling it made me laugh! As a result of treating that patient Bailey decided to reverse her earlier decision and let Jo switch specialities. While I’m not on board with that storyline I'm glad that Bailey decided to support Jo in following her joy. Making someone stay in a role they don't like will only make them resent you and make everyone involved unhappy.

That being said, I hate this career switching storyline. It’s so dumb. I've realized with this episode that my opinion on this storyline isn't ever going to change. If they use it as a segue for Jo adopting Luna that could be interesting, but watching Jo leave general surgery behind and re-specialize in OBGYN so she can stand on the sidelines while all the other characters do ground breaking work and cool procedures just seems dumb to me. I am not invested in this storyline at all.

Levi and Jo have great comedic timing which was on full display in this episode. Jackson was MIA this episode because he went roaring off on another one of his quests leaving the person he’s dating in the lurch and telling them about it after the fact. He took a leave of absence from work and then left Maggie a voicemail back in Season 15 telling her he needed some time to think and then went camping in the woods to look at trees which lead to him talking to April and texting a woman he met on this trip behind Maggie’s back. He then left her in the fog on a dark road in an area with bears at the end of Season 15.

Now he’s left Jo to go on an unknown quest that’s 11 hours away. When did Jackson become the guy that just vanishes at random to go do whatever the heck he wants? I was surprised that Nico asked Levi to move in with him at the end of the episode. That was not at all the answer that Levi was expecting so I understand why he ran off and said he promised Jo he'd do a movie night with her. Levi wanted to move in with Nico last season and Nico didn't want that, but instead of just saying that outright he dodged the topic and was a real jerk about it. That resulted in them breaking up and Levi moving in with Jo.

They only got back together because of the pandemic and in the intervening time Levi has grown as a person and no longer wants that kind of a relationship with Nico. When he told him that him leaving his bathroom bag at his place didn't mean he was going to move in with him he was being sincere. He just didn't want to have to keep carting his toothbrush back and forth all the time. In response Nico realized he's always running away from what scares him and pushing people away when they get too close and he wants to fix that, so he asked Levi to move in with him.

Therein lies their problem. They're never on the same page. When Levi wanted to move forward and take that next step Nico didn't want to. Now that Nico wants to move forward and take the next step Levi is no longer interested. What a dilemma. I also noticed that Jo and Levi had very similar outfits at the beginning of this episode. You know you’re becoming good friends with someone when you start unconsciously matching outfits.

Onto the next episode’s promo! We see Jackson driving in the rain, showing up on someone’s doorstep talking to himself about how his appearance might seem impulsive, but he has thought it through. The door opens to reveal April who is holding Harriet in between clips of his and April’s relationship. I have a few theories about this. First off, I think they are faking us out. If there was trouble in paradise and things weren’t going well with April and Matthew, they wouldn’t have had Jackson make a comment in the first half of the season about how Matthew is spending more time with Harriet then he and April are because they are taking more COVID shifts.

April is a deeply religious Christian woman whose faith is really important to her. She was vehemently opposed to getting a divorce even though her relationship with Jackson was clearly over because of her faith. Marriage is not something she takes lightly so I have a hard time seeing her divorce Matthew out of the blue because Jackson shows back up and is in crisis when her and Matthew have been together for the past three seasons and have been married for two.

Also, they are raising two children together and co-parenting one of those kids with Jackson. A lot of court services were shut down in the first few months of the pandemic for safety reasons which made it difficult to get a divorce and this episode takes place in June of 2020. So even if April and Matthew split up they couldn’t legally get a divorce very easily at this time and if April and Jackson got back together they would still have to interact with Matthew on a regular basis because they are co-parenting kids together and there’s no way that April would walk away from Ruby.

The only way I could see April and Jackson getting back together is if Matthew has died or fallen ill somehow. Otherwise I just don’t see it. I think they’re faking us out. I think the clips in the promo are there to entice japril fans and play into that because logistically I don’t see how a storyline in which April and Matthew suddenly divorce and April and Jackson get back together in one episode is possible.

Until next time!

[jadelotusflower]

Robin Hood Rewatch: 1x13 A Clue: No

“Previously on” recaps can be annoying, but there is an art to it and I love a good one. This is a very, very good one, summarising the last episode with ramping tension as the music builds, then cuts to a different take of the last scene as the theme song starts, and we’re into the opening credits.

This is a long one, so it’s going under the cut:

Guy estimates that the “inner circle” of Robin’s gang is “a dozen at the most” and I find it very funny that neither he nor Vaisey have twigged that it’s always the same five people around him. What’s more annoying than funny is that they don’t know how many are in the “outer circle” because that really should have been A Thing in the show (Forrest and Hanton should have come back to guest star! I will never let this go!) After all, we see Little John with more men in the first episode, there are other outlaws in the forest/across the shire that are either working with Robin, or pose a risk to them, and I wish this had been explored.

Djaq manhandling and holding her sword to Pitts’s throat - I love Djaq.

The first arrow Robin shoots is intended for Vaisey, but one of the guards inconveniently walks in front and gets it in the chest. The second arrow is intended for Vaisey as well but he ducks (”my tooth!”) so we can’t fault the writing for a credible attempt at Why Doesn’t Robin Just Kill The Sheriff, because in this scene at least, he tries.

Bye Pitts. You certainly were.

I actually really love this scene (which probably seemed odd given the high body count), but Robin drawing his sword and charging, with Much, Djaq, and John backing him up to avenge Marian’s apparent death/make a final stand, as the music shifts from the jaunty Rescue Theme to Marian’s Theme, just gets me every time.

Although thanks to the cast commentary, I can’t unsee Djaq flipping that guy over her head twice, but hey, it’s a badass move. Clearly they didn’t shoot enough coverage of this fight, because we get the same action from several different angles.

Other than the flashback in episode 8, I think this is the only time we see Robin in Crusader mode, and just how lethal he (and the gang) can be when unleashed and with nothing to lose. Even when the enemy retreats Robin remains kind of wild-eyed with rage unsated, and it takes a beat for him to snap out of it. It’s symbolism time - he sticks his sword in the ground and leaves it there, and we don’t see it again this episode (or much in season 2).

There’s some nice acting going on from everyone in this scene - just utter exhaustion, Allan and Will oblivious to why the rest are so distraught, Much taking it upon himself to tell them but can’t say the words, and Robin with the finality of “she’s dead.” Their faces!

Djaq is still holding two swords as she enters the cave, which is a nice character beat - no doubt the fight also brought back unpleasant memories/triggers for her, and she remains on edge, for the moment unwilling to give up her defences even when the threat is gone.

I really love this scene too (the gang mourning Marian) and I think it’s quite deftly written - Djaq’s immediate reaction being the importance of a quick burial (as per Islamic tradition), Robin trying to keep it together, attempting to ask John/Will to build a coffin but unable to, so deflecting to ask Djaq to prepare Marian’s body, before trying twice again; John soothing him and taking charge. Will’s single tear and speaking of Marian’s goodness. Much responding with “Good? Oh, she was... She was...” looking to Robin because of course his thoughts are for Robin’s grief before his own, and also that his own relationship with Marian was complex. Allan: “She was alright...yeah” that says so much, and of course John’s “Her, we liked.” Again, some fine acting, kudos everyone.

“I loved her and I never told her” is ironic because Robin still won’t tell her until halfway through the next season, and if he had in the aftermath of her apparent death he could have spared himself a lot of the angst of the rest of the episode. But of course he doesn’t tell her, doesn’t learn from this moment, because emotions are hard, and sometimes we make the same mistakes over and over again.

I really love that it’s Allan that notices that Marian is alive, and his little “told ya” flourish.

Score note: while Marian is “dead” her Theme is strings, when she opens her eyes, it’s back to the guitar.

Guy’s guilt in finding out his impending marriage to Marian is based on false pretenses - would he still have forced the marriage if he’d known that from the start?

Djaq still has her two swords as they take Marian back to Knighton.

Guy, if your first instinct when told Marian is not at home is that she’s run away rather than marry you...maybe take a hint? “She cannot run from me” is a big yikes, and this confuses me as to Guy’s motivation in this scene. Did he intend to tell Marian the truth, but then convince himself otherwise (because “the excitement of the wedding” =/= “the wedding excites her”), but then why so angry when he thinks shes run? The difference between getting someone go/being left, I suppose.

Illness is a perfectly plausible explanation for delaying the wedding that no one seems to think of.

Edward is actually pretty bang on in this scene with Robin from a father’s perspective, telling him to let Marian go if he cannot stop it, and do the right thing. On the other hand...

“I am sick of doing the right thing” is why Robin is such a compelling character for me - because it is hard to always be good, to be held to that higher standard, and make the unselfish choice. I enjoy narratives that explore that, and this show is surprisingly unflinching about it, exemplified by:

The next scene, which is one of the most emotionally brutal/hard to watch of the entire show, in which Robin lashes out and does everything to drive Much away, including calling him “a pox”  and a “small man” until Much’s heart visibly breaks.

Now I don’t want to excuse Robin here, because he is objectively awful to someone who doesn’t deserve it, who is trying to give him support but also telling him some much needed hard truths (even if it is slightly self-serving, which is what what seems to set Robin off). But at the end of the day, if he loves Marian he needs to accept that it is her choice to marry Guy, to “do the right thing” to (she thinks) protect her father - and later of he does just that. For now Edward and Much are both right, it is more important for him to try and protect the king from Vaisey, because if he is ousted and Richard back on the throne so many lives would be improved, including the people of Locksley. But Robin has been pushed to breaking point all season, and has now snapped and can’t see reason, but is stuck in his own grief/rage.

But unlike previously, when Robin said regrettable things in the heat of the moment and then immediately took them back, this is a calculated attack designed to hurt Much the most, because he loves Robin so much that it takes A Lot to push him away. It’s a bold move to make your hero so unlikable in such a moment, because Robin really is unforgivably cruel here, and trust the audience to understand why. I mean, I don’t want to bang on about the PTSD, but it’s (partly) the PTSD, based on a triggering, precipitating event causing a self-destructive spiral. Robin needs some Ye Olde Therapy.  

For all the talk about Robin getting his title and lands back, nothing is said about what happens to Gisborne once he does, other than that they can’t prove he was the one who tried to assassinate Richard. Because really, Richard probably would believe Robin even though the tattoo was burned away, and Guy’s certainly committed other crimes that could be testified to just like they’re intending for Vaisey - and let’s be real, it’s not like a king needs evidence to order someone’s death (hello, season 2 finale). Boom - Guy executed, marriage to Marian annulled, problem solved!

So, the scene between Marian and Guy, in which Marian is more concerned with whether or not Guy tried to kill the king than the fact that he stabbed her. But its understandable, because Marian thinks there’s no way out that doesn’t risk her father’s life, and it’s easier to convince herself that maybe Guy didn’t do it to make the best of things. I think she does have some kind of feelings for him, or is at least moved by his feelings for her, and believes if nothing else she can influence him/continue working from the inside; giving up the mantle of the Nightwatchman but doing the same work (in a different way) as Lady Gisborne.

And then it’s Robin/Marian angst, round 3, and it’s a far cry from their interaction in the cave milliseconds away from “I love yous” - in both tone and body language they’re back in defensive positions talking past one another. The tension, it be thick.

Marian is making her best rationalisation with “deprived of love” and Robin not at all buying the Woobification 101. Once she tells him her decision to marry Guy, he accepts it, but it’s Marian’s reaction that’s telling, she’s surprised that he doesn’t argue, deep down she wants him to fight for her, to say that the real reason she shouldn’t marry Guy is because he loves her. It’s quite a contrast from the previous scene where Guy was very open about how he feels about her, while Robin deflects, but while she was conflicted about Guy trying to kiss her, she’s frustrated, disappointed, and angry when Robin leaves.

But really, this is rather unfair of Marian, because Robin did already declare himself in the cave (”we should be together”) without her reciprocation, so expecting him to take the first step again without any encouragement is a bit much.

Would a depressed person sit slumped against a tree all night?

“But by taking Marian in holy wedlock, I will wash away those crimes. Her pure heart will cleanse mine.” Yeah...not going to touch that one. I appreciate that there’s a lot going on with Guy and many, many people find it compelling, but I’m afraid it’s not really a narrative that interests me.

Speaking of pure hearts: Much. Faced with the same choice he was counseling Robin on, but with the additional wrinkle of knowing the king’s an imposter, he still decides to stop the wedding. “Her heart belongs to another” is A Moment and I don’t know exactly why but I find his very soft pleas following this and calling her “my lady” very affecting. 

She’s beauty and she’s grace, she punched Guy in the face.

“A trap. I knew it.” I haaaaate this line. NO YOU DIDN’T KNOW IT ROBIN YOU KNEW NOTHING OF THE KIND IF YOU HAD KNOWN YOU WOULD BE EVEN MORE OF A DICK FOR LEAVING UGGGHHHH.

“We can’t be seen together” Right in front of my salad two guards on front gate duty, who get front row tickets to the kiss. Look at them! They’re right there! This show drives me absolutely bonkers sometimes.

I do love this dress though.

“An audience with the king has been suspended!” Going out on one last pun.

Regardless, I really love this episode. Despite the lack of fallout from the emotional wringer they all went through, I can’t help but smile when the gang does their silly little jump for joy at the end.

[thelittlesttimelord]

The Littlest Timelord: The New Doctor Chapter 8

TITLE: The Littlest Timelord: The New Doctor Chapter 8 PAIRING: No Pairing RATING: T CHAPTER: 8/? SUMMARY: With the Doctor newly regenerated, he and Elise must now navigate their new relationship. The Doctor is an old man and Elise is a headstrong young woman. She is no longer the scared little girl the Doctor saved all those years ago. Will Clara be able to keep them from killing each other?

“Take a punt,” the Doctor told Clara. He was doing some sort of math on one of his chalkboards while Clara sat down near the console.

“Right,” Clara said.

“Your choice. Wherever, whenever, anywhere in time and space.”

“Well, there is something, someone that I've always wanted to meet. But I know what you'll say.”

“Try me.”

“You'll say he's made up, that there is no such thing.”

“Go on.”

“It's…it's Robin Hood.”

“Robin Hood.”

Clara walked up the steps towards the Doctor. “Yeah. I love that story. I've always loved it, ever since I was little.”

“Robin Hood, the heroic outlaw, who robs from the rich and gives to the poor.”

“Yeah.”

“He's made up. There's no such thing.”

“Ah, you see?”

The Doctor pulled a book off his bookcase. “Old-fashioned heroes only exist in old-fashioned story books, Clara.” He thumbed through a few of the pages before setting the book back in its place.

“And what about you?”

“Me?”

“Yeah, you. You stop bad things happening every minute of every day. That sounds pretty heroic to me.”

“Just passing the time. Hey, what about Mars?”

“What?!”

“The Ice Warrior Hives.”

“After what happened on that submarine? I don’t think so,” Elise told him. She wanted to forget that adventure. She still had nightmares.

“You said it was my choice,” Clara argued.

“Or the Tumescent Arrows of the Half-Light. Those girls can hold their drink,” the Doctor rambled.

“Doctor.”

“And fracture fifteen different levels of reality simultaneously. I think I've got a Polaroid somewhere.” The Doctor came down the stairs towards the console with Clara following him.

“Doctor! My choice. Robin Hood. Show me.”

“Very well.” He put in coordinates and set the TARDIS in flight. “Earth. England. Sherwood Forest. 1190AD. Ish. But you'll only be disappointed.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“You can’t wear a black dress! You’re not going to a funeral!” Clara told Elise. Clara wanted to look the part and dragged Elise along with her. Clara looked through the dresses and pulled out a green one.

“It’s perfect! It’ll go great with your hair.” She shoved the dress into Elise’s arms. “Well go on, get dressed.”

Elise changed into the medieval style dress. It felt wrong not to be in her leather jacket and boots, but she had to admit that she looked rather good.

“Might have to cover that though,” Clara said pointing at the roses winding down Elise’s neck. She’d still yet to understand why she had the tattoo in the first place.

Clara managed to cover it up with some heavy concealer.

The two women stepped out of the TARDIS.

“Might be a little bit much, but what do you reckon, Doctor?” Clara asked. She stopped when she saw him. Robin Hood.

“By all the saints. Are there any more in there?” Robin Hood asked.

The Doctor noticed how Robin’s eyes lingered on Elise and he moved slightly in front of her.

Clara patted the Doctor’s chest in disbelief. “Is that…?” Clara asked.

“No,” the Doctor told her.

“Oh, my God. Oh, my God! It is, isn't it? You found him. You actually found Robin Hood.”

“That is not Robin Hood.”

“Well then, who, sir, is about to relieve you of your magic box?” Robin asked, pulling out his long sword.

Elise nearly rushed forward, but the Doctor pushed her back. He stepped onto the bridge, facing Robin. “Nobody, sir. Not in this universe or the next.”

“Well then, draw your sword and prove your words.”

“I have no sword. I don't need a sword.” The Doctor opened his coat and twirled around to show Robin. “Because I am the Doctor.” Instead, he donned a gauntlet and pulled out a spoon. “And this is my spoon. En garde!”

They started sparring and Clara and Elise watched on in excitement.

The Doctor got the upper hand and hit Robin on the back of the neck with his spoon.

“You're amazing,” Clara praised the Doctor.

Even Elise had to admit the Doctor was rather dashing.

“I've had some experience. Richard the Lionheart. Cyrano de Bergerac. Errol Flynn. He had the most enormous…”

Clara cleared her throat, cutting off the inappropriate comment.

“…Ego.”

“Takes one to know one.”

Robin lunged forward and sliced a button off the Doctor’s coat. The Doctor held his arms out and Robin got ready to strike the killing blow. The Doctor dodged this attack and spun around so he and Robin were back to back. He bumped Robin and Robin fell into the river below.

“Doctor!” Clara said, rushing to his side.

The Doctor polished his spoon on his coat. “Like I said. My box.”

“Doctor?”

Robin was nowhere to be seen in the water below. He popped up behind the Doctor and pushed him into the water.

Clara and Robin laughed.

Elise rolled her eyes and waded into the water. She helped the Doctor up and asked, “Are you okay?”

“More of a bruised ego than anything.”

“I’ll fix your coat later.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Robin led them to a small encampment. “Let me introduce you to my men. This is Will Scarlet. He is a cheeky rogue with a good sword arm and a slippery tongue.”

“My ladies…”

Clara giggled and looked at Elise, who had no reaction.

To this day, the only man to ever make Elise blush was the man in the café after they met Clara the second time.

The Doctor pulled out some of his hair as he bowed and scanned it with his sonic screwdriver.

Will cried out and grabbed at his head. “What do you want with my hair?”

“Well, it's realistic, I'll give you that,” the Doctor told him.

“And this is Friar Tuck. Aptly named for the amount of grub he tucks into,” Robin introduced.

“You skinny blaggard.”

The men around them laughed.

Friar Tuck stepped forward and nearly fell.

The Doctor was on the ground behind him.

“What are you doing?” Tuck asked him.

The Doctor stood up, holding one of his sandals. “This isn't a real sandal.”

“Yes, it is.”

The Doctor sniffed the sandal. “Oh. Yes, it is.”

Robin turned to introduce another one of his men. “This, er, is Alan-a-Dale. He's a master of the lute, whose music brightens up these dark days.”

“Stranger you are welcome here, in Sherwood's bonny glade,” Alan sang. He suddenly cried out as the Doctor stuck him with a needle.

“Sorry, sorry, sorry. Blood analysis. Oh. All those diseases. If you were real, you'd be dead in six months,” the Doctor told him.

“I am real,” Alan insisted.

“Bye.”

The last of Robin’s men was huge.

“And this is John Little. Called Little John. He's my loyal companion in many an adventure.”

The large man stepped aside and a smaller man jumped out at them. The men laughed.

“Works every time,” Will said.

“Oh, I cannot believe this. You, you really are Robin Hood and his Merry Men!” Clara giggled.

“Aye! That is an apt description. What say you, lads?” Robin asked.

His men laughed in response. “Stop laughing. Why are you always doing that? Are you all simple or something?”

Elise was beginning to become annoyed as well, while Clara looked to be enjoying herself.

The Doctor picked up a goblet and poured out the liquid before walking up to Robin. “I’m going to need a sample.”

“Of what?” Robin asked.

Clara quickly pulled the Doctor away from them. “What are you doing?”

“Well, they're not holograms, that much is obvious. Could be a theme park from the future. Or we might be inside a miniscope,” the Doctor told her.

“Oh, shut up.”

“A miniscope. Yes, of course. Why not?”

The Doctor ran over to the encampment, leaving Clara and Elise.

Robin walked to them. “Your friend seems not quite of the real world,” Robin observed.

“No. No, he's not really. Not most of the time.” Clara looked at Robin. “Dark days?”

“My lady?”

“You said that these were dark days. What did you mean?”

“King Richard is away on crusade, my lady. His tyrant of a brother rules instead,” Will explained.

“And the Sheriff. Cos there is a sheriff, right?”

“Aye. It is indeed this jackal of the princes who seeks to oppress us forever more,” Alan said.

“Or six months in your case,” the Doctor quipped.

Robin spoke in a soft voice. “It is a shame to dwell on murky thoughts when there is such beauty here,” Robin said.

Elise felt like she was intruding, so she simply squeezed Clara’s hand and joined her father instead. She glanced back at Clara and Robin talking softly with each other and she felt a pang in her hearts.

The Doctor saw the look on Elise’s face and walked over to Robin. “What time is it, Mister Hood?”

“Somewhat after noon.”

“No, no. Time of year? What season?”

“Oh, Dame Autumn has draped her mellow skirts about the forest, Doctor. The time of mists and harvest approaches.”

Elise frowned. That didn’t seem right.

“Yeah, yeah. All very poetic. But it's very green hereabouts, though, isn't it? Like I said, very sunny.”

“So?” Clara asked.

“Have you been to Nottingham?”

“Climate change?”

“It's 1190.”

“You must excuse me. The Sheriff has issued a proclamation and tomorrow there is to be a contest to find the best archer in the land. And the bounty, it's an arrow made of pure gold,” Robin said.

“No! Don't, don't go. It's a trap,” Clara begged him.

“Well, of course it is! But a contest to find the best archer in the land? There is no contest.”

The men laughed.

“Right, that isn't even funny. That was bantering. I am totally against bantering,” the Doctor snapped.

“How can you be so sure he is not the real thing?” Clara asked.

“Because he can't be.”

“When did you stop believing in everything?”

“When did you start believing in impossible heroes?”

“Don't you know? In a way, it's rather sweet.” Clara joined Robin and his men, while Elise stood next to him.

He looked into her green eyes and saw…was it hope? He was going to show her he could be the Doctor again. That he could be the heroic man she knew him to be.

[valeriethepussycats]

Inside Out

Chapter 9

Pairing- Loki x Reader

Warning-cursing

Your thoughts and other characters are in italics.Flashbacks are in bold.

“Oh, my God.” Jane picks up the keys from the floor of the cave.

“Am I interrupting something.” Richard whispered.

“No, no, no, nothing at all.” Realizing how they can return to Earth, Jane turns to Thor. “Come on.”

Thor picks up Y/n bridal style. “Don’t worry Y/n we are going to find out what’s wrong.”

“I'm losing you there, are you in a tunnel?” Richard asked.Thor starts following Jane.

“Where are we going?” Thor asked.

“Hello?” Richard said into the phone.

They start walking further into the cave, Thor notices the discarded shoes that were thrown through from the abandoned factory. “Why are there so many shoes in here?”

As they walks further in suddenly they disappear; back in his office Richard loses Jane on the phone. “I'll just text her.”

Y/n, Jane, and Thor appear back on Earth outside the factory. Jane points to car and Thor places Y/n in the backseat. Jane and Thor get into Ian's abandoned car that was still parked outside the factory and Jane tries to staqrt the cat.

“So, Who’s Richard?”

“Really?”

Jean drives off from the factory.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

At Darcy’s apartment

Jean opens the door and rushes in the Apartment with Thor hot on her heels.

“Jane!” Darcy cried.

“Hey.” Jane said dryly.

Thor rushes over to the couch and places Y/n there.

“I need to see if I’ll going to get any reading.” Jane announced as she looks for the gadget she was using to find Thor days ago.

“Y/n!!! What’s going on?” Darcy wondered. “You can't just leave like that, the whole world is going crazy! “

“If the Aether is inside Y/n this....” Jane said holding up the gadget. “.....Should tell us.

Jane turns on the gadget and waves it over Y/n’s body and nothing happens. No sound is made, the meter doesn’t even move. “Don’t understand....didn’t some of the Aether go inside Y/n?”

Erik walks out the bathroom and sees Thor, Y/n unconscious on the couch, and Jane.

Her and Y/n are wearing Asgardian clothes (Except Jane was blue and Y/n is red.) and disheveled state. “Did you go to a party?” Jane notices Erik for the first time.

Thor hangs his hammer on the coat hanger next to the door. “All the stuff we saw is spreading.”

“Erik?!” Jane said blinking.

“Jane, how wonderful!” Erik said as he goes to Jane and as he embraces her while he isn't wearing any pants. “You've been to Asgard.”

“Where are your pants?” Jane wondered.

“Oh, uh...he uh...he says it helps him think.” Ian answered.

“Okay. Well, I'm gonna need everything you got on this. All the work you've been doing on gravimetric anomalies, everything.” Jane stated.

“Okay.”

“Are you well, Erik?” Thor asked.

Erik chuckles then his smile fades quickly. “Your brother is not coming, is he?l

“Loki is dead.” Thor answered.

“Oh, thank God.” Thor looks at him in confusion. “I....I'm so sorry.”

“Thank you.”

Erik then embraces Thor.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Back on Svartalfheim we see an Einherjar Guard use the ship that brought Y/n, Thor, Loki, and Jane onto the planet to return to Asgard, he goes to see Odin at the palace.

“Forgive me, my liege. I've returned from the Dark World with news.” The Guard said.

“Thor?” Odin asked.

“There's no sign of Thor, or the weapon, but...” he takes a step closer to Odin.

“What?”

“We found a body.”

There's a moment's pause.

“Loki.”

The warrior doesn't reply but just looks at Odin.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Back at Jane's apartment

“Malekith is going to fire the Aether at a spot where all the nine worlds are connected.” Jane explained.

“Amplifying the weapon's impact. With each additional world, the power will increase exponentially. The effect would be universal.” Erik chimed in.

“Yes, well the alignment is only temporary. He must be in exactly at the right place at the right time.” Thor said.

“Well, how do we know where that is?” Darcy chimed in.

“We follow the directions. This has happened before, thousands of years ago, and The Ancients were there to see it.” Erik places a map of the British Isles on the coffee table. “All the great constructions: the Mayas, the Chinese, the Egyptians, they made use of the gravitational effects of the Convergence. And they left us a map.”

Eril starts drawing on the map. “Stonehenge. Snowdon, the Great Orme. These are all coordinates taking us...here.” he points to Greenwich on the map.

“Greenwich?” Ian asked.

“The walls between worlds will be almost non-existent. Physics is gonna go ballistic. Increase and decrease in gravity, spatial extrusions. The very fabric of reality is gonna be torn apart.” Jane said.

Thor summons Mjolnir and it shoots over to Thor's hand from the where it was hanging on the coat hanger.

“What going on?”

All eyes turns to the living room. As they see Y/n standing up holding her head.

“Oh my G-O-S-H......your Red Wing.” Ian said with pure shock on his face.

“We’re on earth?” Y/n asked.

“Yes.” Erik answered.

“Erik....” Y/n said looking around the room and see every one but him. “Where’s Loki?”

Everyone physically tense. Thor moves forward slowly. “Loki....is”

“Back on Asgard.”

“What?” Y/n said in a curious tone.

“We were followed.” Jane answered.

“How we were clean.” Y/n indicated. “Loki wouldn’t give himself up unless.......”

Y/n, I’m sorry

“No,.....Thor you didn’t.” Y/n said with her head tilted downward.

“It was the only way to get Jane off Asgard.” Thor said with the a downward gaze.

“No it wasn’t, there’s always another way.” Y/n proclaimed. “I’m never going to see him again.”

“Y/n, I’m sorry.” Thor said moist eyes

“Me, too.” Y/n said with an sad smile as she walks out the apartment.

“Y/n....” Thor called out but the door was closed and Y/n was gone.

“I better get my pants.” Erik announced.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Y/n walked the streets of London in her Asgardian attire that’s why she was getting funny looks not because she had black veins on her neck. It was the clothes. Y/n walked until she found an abandoned warehouse. She needed to let it out it been building up since she was on Asgard. She just ignored it because her mind was Preoccupied by Loki and being there for him that she bottled her emotions, to the point where she being to shake. This has never happened before. Seconds before Y/n is about to let it out....

“Don’t do that.” A voice announced.

“Don’t do what?” Y/n wondered as she powers reached a boiling point.

“I know what you’re thinking about doing.” The voice like it was getting closer. “I felt it all the way from the other side of the world.”

“What are you a mutant?” Y/n said in a curious tone. Y/n is hugging herself to stop her powers from lashing out.

“Yes.” Voice emerges from the dark and Y/n see a man with neck length,Brown hair with a white streak in the front. He’s about 5'9 and he had electric blue eyes. Y/n could look into then and find calm. Maybe it’s because he’s a mutant and he doesn’t wanted her to be apart of his team. He walked up to Y/n slowly.

“I’m Nathaniel Grey.” He said holding his hand out for Y/n to shake.

Y/n hesitate then shakes his hand and doing so Nathaniel takes her hand and raises it to his lips and kisses Y/n’s hand.

“Your mother is Jean Grey?” Y/n wondered. “That name sounds familiar.”

Nathaniel’s eyes widened in shock. No one. I Repeat no one was able to read his mind. Not even Charles Xavier one of the most powerful minds he ever came across nor Exodus ‘The Hero With No Fear’ couldn’t read his mind. He had defenses in his mind put up to prevent anyone from coming in and yet Y/n did it with ease.

“Yes, she is and your mother is.........” Nathaniel trailed off trying to look inside Y/n’s mind but can’t.

“Ororo Munroe.” Y/n answered.

Mind you now Nathaniel has not let Y/n’s hand go. “You are astonishing.” Nathaniel disclosed. “How did I not feel you before.”

“Feel....are you telepathic?” Y/n wondered with a hopeful look in her eyes.

“I am....may I know your name.” Nathaniel said maintaining eye contact.

Y/n gives Nathaniel a quizzical smile. “Y/n Munroe.”

“May I see you again?”

“Ummm....ya yes....but I am in a relationship.” Y/n told Nathaniel as she slowly takes her hand out of his.

Nathaniel hides his disappointment but Y/n can see right though it. “I would still like to see you as a friend then.”

“Of course.” Y/n answered then realized that her arms had stopped shaking and the black veins had disappeared.

Nathaniel starts to walks away but he didn’t want to leave.

“Thank you.”

“I didn’t do anything.” Nathaniel replied turning to look at her.

“You stopped me from destroying this factory and who knows what else.” Y/n said with a faraway look.

“Us Mutants stick together.” Nathaniel said with a coy smile.

“Mutant and Proud.”

Nathaniel smile. “Can I walk you home?

Y/n narrowed her eyes at him.

“I just think your love ones wouldn’t want you walking around at night.” Nathaniel proclaimed.

Y/n shakes her head but smile. “My home is in New York I’m just.......here.”

“Are you gonna go home?” Nathaniel asked.

“I don’t know yet.”

“Well….. I tried.”

“Ya you did.” Y/n as she placed a hand on his shoulder. “See you around Nathan.”

Y/n said as she flys away.

“What a woman.” Nathaniel whispered.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

The Next Day.

In Greenwich at the location outside a library Darcy and Ian grab Erik's gadget.

“Focus, this is important. We have to hammer them in all around the site and then Jane and Erik will activate them from the tower.” Darcy said.

“They're taped together!” Ian proclaimed.

“Do you even know what these things do?”

“No.”

“Neither do I.” Darcy and Ian start placing Erik's gadgets around the library grounds. “Come on, come on!”

“Fine!”

Suddenly Malekith's giant ship appears on the River Thames near the library grounds.

“Holy shit!”

The ship starts moving forward and crashing through the library grounds causing pandemonium until it finally stops in the middle of the grounds, Malekith and his dark elves step off the ship and the same time Thor flies in and lands in front of Malekith.

“You needn't have come so far, Asgardian! Death would have come to you soon enough.” Malekith proclaimed.

“Not by your hand!” Thor declared.

“Your universe was never meant to be. Your world and your family will be extinguished.” Malekith uses the power of the Aether to attack Thor but Thor manages to narrowly miss getting hit by it.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

It was a slow day at the Airport and Y/n was feeling it. It felt like it time had slowed down as she was sitting in the airport waiting for her flight to New York. Y/n didn’t want to leave but it was the only option. Y/n felt betrayed, Thor was supposed to be her friend.

Why would he do that

Y/n exhaling noisily through pursed lips and gets up and walks over to the lady sitting behind the desk.

“Hi, when is the flight from here to New York departing?” Y/n asked.

“It should be leav-“

Suddenly a woman by a big window screams and Y/n rushes over to her.

“Are you ok?” Y/n questioned.

“What an the bloody hell is that?” The woman said still looks out the window.

Y/n follows the woman’s gaze out the window and see Malekith's giant ship.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Inside the library setting up the gravimetric device

“We're running out of time.” Erik stated.

“Almost there.” Jane replied.

“Are you sure this is going to work? These devices were made to detect anomalies, not cause them.”

“Oh, come on.” Jane looks out and sees Thor and Malekith battling it out. “Come on, Darcy.” Jane rushes off to find Darcy; outside Thor manages to deflect the Aether that Malekith is using to fight him off.

“You know with all that power, I thought you would hit harder.” Thor said with a smirk.

Malekith is using the Aether to shield himself suddenly Thor throws his hammer at him which throws Malekith across the ground and smashes him against the library building, at the same time Jane sees Darcy and Ian placing the last of Erik's device in the ground.

“Done.” Ian said. Darcy gives the OK sign to Jane and Jane rushes back to Erik.

“The Convergence will be in full effect in seven minutes.” Erik told Jane.

“That just means we have to keep Malekith busy for eight.” Jane gets the device ready. “Okay, you might wanna hold on to something.” She turns on the device and suddenly some of the dark elves suddenly disappear.

Darcy and Ian watch this nearby, Darcy talks to Jane on her phone. “That is awesome! How did you do that?”

“Well, gravitational fields interact with the weak spot between worlds creating...” Jane answered.

“Oh, there's a guy with a sword!” Darcy commented.

Jane uses the device again to make the dark elf disappear but instead she accidentally makes Darcy and Ian disappear.

“Oops.” Jean whispered.

“Let's go.” Erik urged.

Darcy and Ian appear in another part of London

“What the hell just happened?” Darcy wondered.

Suddenly the dark elves that had also disappeared appear and fall onto a parked car. “Move!” Darcy grabs hold of Ian's hand and they run off as the dark elves start chasing after them; back at the library Thor and Malekith continue their battle and everyone inside the library rushes to the windows to watch.

[herstarburststories]

Quarantine Boredoom (Dick Grayson x Reader)

✾ A/N: It’s been a certain couple of months since I wrote smut/erotica, but here you go! Although, I think it’s better classified as silly porn aka Nightwing’s type? Anyway! Thanks to my friend for being my beta for this one.

✾ Request: hiya! i saw that your requests are open and then i had a mini asthma attack because i had come back from binge reading your masterlist oops,,,,that got me thinking,,,how funny would it be if reader has asthma and just has to use their puffer during sex? like could you imagine if that were to happen to dick or jason? i’d like to see that happen 👀 also your writing is absolutely amazing!!! keep up the good work!! 💕👌🏻🤠

✾ Disclaimer: fingering.

A purposefully loud huff escaped your lips when your body met Dick's couch. He looked away from the copy of Robin Hood in his hand to raise an eyebrow, but the only response he received was a dramatic sigh.

"(Y/N), are you okay?" Bludhaven's protector ultimately asked, placing his book on the desk to offer his girlfriend unrestricted attention.

"I’ve never been so bored in my life," you grunted, tilting your head in one of your best dramatic performances. "Quarantine isn’t as fun as it looks in the movies."

"I'm sure zombies will appear and we’ll convert to cannibalism soon, (Y/N). Don't worry," Dick replied, humor obvious in his tone. You rolled your eyes, huffing once more. "Also, it’s only been two days. You can't be that bored, right?"

"Easy for you to talk, Nightwing. You still go out on patrol every night. Something you shouldn't do, by the way." You changed the subject of conversation, returning to a topic which you and Dick widely disagreed. Fortunately, the acrobat had an idea of ​​how to entertain you and change the subject to something less likely to end up with him sleeping in the room he currently resided in.

"You know I can’t abandon my role, (Y/N). Especially at a time like this. I take the necessary precautions, like using my sticks instead of punching them in the face, don't worry." His patented wink was followed by the classic playful smile. Before you could rationalize the joke, he continued, "But I might have a hint of ​​how to get you rid of your boredom..."

The suggestive tone in his speech caught your interest instantaneously. "I would love to hear your idea, Dick Grayson."

Grayson's next words evaporated upon his lips, giving space to a malicious smirk as his body leaned over yours on the couch. His mouth easily found its home; your lips, into the slow, lazy beginnings of a kiss.

When you drink for the first time, it is easy to get drunk. Then, you start drinking on more occasions and your limit increases. Two glasses are needed when, a while ago, it would take just one. The organism gets used to it and needs more to achieve the sensation of the first time. With Dick, it always felt like the first time. It didn't matter if he had kissed you two minutes or two months ago; every single touch of him reached a new layer of everything good that someone could transfer to another person, like discovering a new exciting part of yourself.

His hand cupped your cheek, drawing you closer in. The world existed outside that apartment, each minute still had sixty seconds, and Dick Grayson was willing to spend all of them making your body reach a new level of highness for him, without even needing more doses of change to do so. Your heart felt like it was tied to his touch and his only. Dick's hand slowly fell down on the side of your face. His thumb pulled down your lower lip, a farewell present in the intense softness of the gesture.

You giggled, and Richard smiled at you. The playful fingers began their private journey in search of paradise itself on earth. More murmurous kisses were offered as bargain and readily accepted by you. It was a small distraction from the new heights your body was reaching.

Fingers from your chin to jaw, his tongue found yours and caressed it as if he were trained for it. Kissing him was like a dance, it always had been. Grayson's hand stopped on your neck for a moment, but there was no trace of pressure there. Dick just kept dancing, holding on; you wanted to wrap your legs around him, offer some comfort to your wet pussy, even if it was just pressing it against his erection, which was now hard against your leg, to make his self-control more difficult. Yet, you knew better than that. He would have already pulled your legs if that was the plan. His fingerprints on your chest indicated the antics the hero wanted to use.

Dick placed his lips on your neck, lavishing attention upon that spot as much as he wanted. You closed your eyes, unable to decide what you liked most: the bites and gentle suction on your neck or the tender fingers that were already on your stomach. Your hips moved of their own will, seeking the carnal solace you craved as you moaned softly. The former Robin laughed in pleasure at your neediness, moving away from his little branding job to look you in the eyes. He loved to watch you like this, spreading your legs for him while his hand found its way inside your pants.

And now, looking at you and feeling wetness in your panties, Dick decided to keep it a bit slow, as if to see how far you would go. After all, it had been three long weeks without sexual activity. Between his work of detective division vigilante and yours in full-time journalism, 24 hours weren't always enough, but in this moment, all he had to worry about was how needy for him you could get.

Grayson's digits circled your vulva, playing on the edges of its outer lips until he received an impatient sigh from you. He laughed, temporarily satisfied. You looked at him, ready to tell him to do what he knew how to do, but you were silenced by one of his fingers entering your vagina. You pressed your lips together and pushed hips towards him, a nonverbal way of saying that you wanted more. Dick, however, just moved his finger out of your reach. It caused you to open your eyes, stunned.

"Dick!" You were breathless, probably from the rush of sensations he had been — and was supposed to still be — making you experience.

"What?" There was false innocence in his voice that contradicted everything that was happening, especially when he took the finger that was inside you to his mouth and sucked, expression shifting into contentment. "You taste so good, baby. Imagine when you're coming for me."

"Richard John Grayson, if you don’t put— Fuck." The ensuing groan encompassed an ugly word. One of his fingers was still inside you while the other was pressed to your clitoris.

"How am I making you feel, huh?" he asked, despite knowing the answer as well as he knew your sweet spots. Adding another finger, Dick started looking for your G-spot, clitoris being well taken care of by his ring finger. Fuck, he was almost salivating by just thinking about eating you out, your taste, putting his tongue in the warm, wet place his fingers were, but for now, Grayson wanted to watch you enjoy yourself. It was in the way you bit your lip, whimpered for it and moved your hips to get more as if you didn't already have it all when it came to Dick Grayson. "Am I making you feel good?"

"I..." The weight on your chest worsened significantly, almost as if you had put a rock there. You mentally screamed at yourself. Fuck, out of all possible times, you had to be literally running out of breath while your pussy— Come on! The only good thing was that you knew your own body language well enough to quickly understand what was going on. "Dick, I can't breathe."

Dick, on the other hand, was too involved in taking you apart to reach the same conclusion as you.

"I’m making you breathless now?" Indigo eyes meet yours, full of lust. For a millisecond, you wondered if you could handle the random crisis, or if you could be confused about two different things with similar symptoms. That is until the shortness of breath had gotten worse. Fuck.

Well, the opposite of fuck now.

"No, Di— FUCK!" Feeling like the air wasn’t getting into your lungs and the fact that your boyfriend had just found a certain spot inside you while simultaneously rubbing your clitoris didn’t help you remember how to breathe. "I’m literally... My puffer!"

"Wh-- Oh my God, your inhaler!" Mentioning your little miraculous friend that wasn’t between his legs finally brought Detective Grayson's dormant instincts to the surface. He almost jumped away from you, hastily looking for the inhaler. "I'm sorry— I thought... Wait." The scene would be comical if you weren’t coughing in despair, gasping for air and yet simultaneously turned on. He found the puffer on the floor, beside the desk, and handed it to you. Relieved and mildly frustrated, you forced oxygen back into your body for a few moments. You forced yourself to calm down until the inhaler could be discarded next to Dick's book where it originally was.

You faced each other. What could be said? Sorry for forgetting how to breathe while you fingered me? Sorry for confusing your moans of "I can’t breathe’’ for "You’re making me breathless"? Can we agree never to use this expression again? So, I almost died, but am I still up for it? Is my cock still hard after your near-death experience?

For the second time in the evening, words were passed over to make room for another way of communication. The two of you burst out laughing, loud and scandalous. What the fuck just happened? A few good minutes later and you looked at Dick with a smile, your hand full of sin located on his thigh.

"We still got plenty of time. You know, quarantine perks."

Noises of 'you are unbelievable' from him were drowned out by a few more giggles, which soon gave way to corny moans. Perhaps the last two options were the right things to say.

[ohdarlingohsweetheart]

EIGHT.

One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven | Eight | Nine

Second time's the charm~

A casual greeting at a book store turns into so much more.

[WARNING]: This is a YANDERE story! Stalking, murder, the whole nine yards!!! Read with caution!

If you find this story on any website NOT under misfitgirlwrites/misfitgirl3390 please let me know!

Font for book cover credit (x)

Sligggghhhhttt NSFW in the beginning!

   "Leo..."

   The way his name left her lips sent heat through his whole body. He moved down to kiss her again and her fingers tangled in his hair.

   "I love you." He mumbled.

   "I love you too." She let out a small moan, feeling his hand trail down her body. His kisses moved down to her neck and Cherri wrapped her legs around him. "Leo, please. I need you."

   Fuck, she was perfect. Everything about her was perfect.

~~

   Leo's eyes snapped open and he sat up. "Fuck," he mumbled, rubbing his hand down his face. His phone began to ring and he glanced at it before sighing. He picked up the phone and answered it. "Nova. Why are you calling me?"

   "That's no way to talk to your sister!" Nova huffed.

   "Yes it is. Especially if you're calling at 8 in the morning." Leo replied.

   "Well, I need you to be a doll and pick me up from the airport."

   "...What?" Leo arched a brow.

   "Surprise!! I came to visit!" Nova cooed.

   "Nova, if I wanted you to visit, I would've moved closer."

   "Very funny. Come get me!"

   "Fine."

~~

   Nova got in Leo's car and smiled. "Did you miss me?"

   Leo raised his eyebrows, "you want an honest answer?"

   Nova hit his arm as he laughed.

   "Don't be so mean! I miss having you so close all the time. You just had to go and mess things up."

   Leo let out a grunt as he drove off, "let's not talk about it."

   "Fine. Any girls catch your eye?" Nova asked.

   "Maybe."

   "You aren't scaring her, are you?"

   Leo glanced at her. "Drop it. What are you here for?"

   "I need to meet a business partner and you're coming along too." Nova answered.

   "Business partner. You're really gonna get in mom's bullshit?" Leo asked.

   "Yeah! I'm actually pretty good at it!"

   "Nova. A lot of people are good at selling drugs. It's not hard."

   "Not a lot of people are good at selling drugs and not getting caught. It's not like it's just me and her doing this. It's been a--"

   "Family business. Yes, mom told me. She also understands why I'm not interested. I'm not sure you do."

   "Finnneee. You're still coming with me."

   "Alright."

~~

   "Why didn't you get a house like this one? It's so pretty!" Nova cooed as they got out of the car.

   "I don't need all of this space." Leo shook his head.

   "You can't stay in a condo forever." Nova shot back.

   Leo rolled his eyes. Nova was right though. His condo did have two bedrooms but Cherri liked to write and draw; he would like her to have her own space to do that. A basement would be nice too and he could make that a gym. "Hm. I guess you're right."

   "I'm always right~"

   As they walked to the front door, Leo was surprised to see Commissioner Hughes leaving. His eyes narrowed a bit. It was clear that the man was nervous and he seemed to have a bit of regret on whatever he's gotten himself into. Leo didn't really care. He watched the Commissioner go by before looking at the blond before them.

   "Good afternoon." He smiled. "You must be Nova." He looked at the woman.

   "That's me. If my mother told me you were this cute we would've met sooner, Anthony." She winked.

   He laughed and looked over at Leo, "you're the brother then?"

   "Yup. Leo." He shook Anthony's hand. "Nice to meet you."

   "I see you're friends with Commissioner Hughes." Leo raised his eyebrows.

   "Friend. That's such a strong word. Even acquaintance is a stretch." Anthony rolled his eyes. "You know him?"

   "No. I had an interesting run in with his son though."

   "He's pretty full of himself, isn't he?"

   "Definitely."

   "Can you believe he didn't want to join me? You two get along great." Nova chuckled.

   "Well it'll make our talk more interesting for sure. I have everything set up by the pool so come on in."

   Leo didn't say much during his time there but he enjoyed the drinks and listened closely.

   "So, Leo. Nova told us you recently moved here. Live in the area?"

   Leo looked at Michael and shook his head. "I live by the harbor in a condo. I'm thinking of getting a house though."

   "Well if you need something just ask. It's easy for us to pull strings." Anthony offered.

   "Funny you should ask." Leo put his cup down.

   "The last thing I want to hear is you obsessing over some poor girl." Nova side eyed her brother.

   Leo looked at her. "Then wait in the car, Nova."

   His tone made the woman clench her jaw. She huffed and narrowed her eyes.

   "We'll make sure he doesn't get into trouble, dear. You don't have to be worried." Michael assured her.

   "Yeah, look there's a maid inside, her name's Cassidy. She makes the best drinks. Have her fix you a few while we talk, alright?"

   "Sounds much better than waiting in the car." Nova smiled before glaring at her brother. "Asshole." She muttered walking off.

   "Love you too." He replied.

   "Sounds like you've done this before." Michael grinned.

   "Mistakes were made. I wouldn't say I'm obsessed though." Leo shrugged.

   "I see. So who's the lucky girl?" Anthony grabbed his drink.

   "Her name is Cherri."

   "Mary's friend?" Michael asked.

   Leo raised his eyebrows, "you know Mary?"

   "Small world." Anthony replied. "Is that why you're so interested in Joseph and Darius?"

   "Mm. Seems like Darius gets away with a lot of shit. And he enjoys harassing Cherri."

   "Ohhh. I know that tone." Michael leaned forward. "You want to kill him."

   Leo glanced at Michael. "...Maybe."

   "Not maybe. I know you do. There are thousands of Commissioners out there. Some much more compliant than him. They're both extremely expendable."

   "There's too much work afterwards for me to actually enjoy killing him, so I'm not sure."

   "Non-sens, ami. You're not doing it right. It's /very/ enjoyable. I can show you." Michael smiled.

   "Really?"

   "My warehouse has more supplies. We can bring Darius there and I'll show you how much fun it is."

   "Oh great. There are gonna be two Michaels running around." Anthony mumbled. "Kill Darius and we'll have to kill Joseph too."

   "Of course, I'll handle that too. Guilt is probably tearing away at him anyway." Michael chuckled.

   "What did he do? Kill someone for you guys?" Leo asked.

   "Oh this has nothing to do with us. I think this will interest you since it involves Cherri."

   Michael was right. He had Leo's full attention.

   "I'm sure you heard about Michaela; Cherri's mother. Richard killed her."

   "He what?" Leo was stunned, "and Joseph covered it up?"

   "He couldn't lock up his best friend of course." Anthony shrugged.

   So not only was Richard a drunken asshole, he was a goddamn murderer. Leo left Cherri with a murderer. The only reason why she hasn't told anyone is because she thinks no one can help her. He had to get her out of there, or at least convince her that she can leave. It would be better to have her go thinking it was her own idea.

   "I think we should start with Darius. I'd like to save Richard for last." Leo finally spoke after a moment.

   "I like you." Michael grinned.

   "I need to get Cherri away from him first."

   "Alright. Sounds like a plan." Michael nodded.

   A plan indeed.

~~~

Taglist: None yet~

French Translations:

Non-sens, ami: Nonsense, friend

[a-song-of-quill-and-feather]

Harry Potter OC Masterlist

Tag: oc: amoretta tonks

FC: Crystal Reed

Love Interest: Cedric Diggory / Fred Weasley

Story: Twisted Fates

Summary: Life was good.

Amoretta Tonks headed into her 6th year at Hogwarts with that thought to her mind. Life was good. She had finished her OWLs the year before with good marks, and had figured the only thing ahead that she had to worry about this year was what sort of trouble Harry Potter would bring to Hogwarts. Though really even that she worried little over, it hardly ever reached her sphere of Hogwarts with her being older and in an entirely different house. Really she just had to worry whether it’d effect quidditch or not.

Plus she had Cedric. Finally, after years of friendship and crushing and pining, she had him.

So life was good.

But then the Triwizard Tournament is announced, and feeling settles over her that something bad was coming. Dreams wrack her mind at all hours of graveyards and death. And when Cedrics name is pulled from the Goblet she is struck by an all encompassing dread that grows and grows as they pass through each task.

But life was supposed to be good.

Tag: oc: beatrice dursley

FC: Kaylee Bryant

Love Interest: Ron Weasley

Story: State of Possession

Summary: Beatrice Dursley grew up fairly unobtrusively. With her older brother demanding—and getting—most of the attention from their parents, and her cousin drawing— however unintended—the ire from them. She was left to her own devices for the most part, enjoying her own quiet room or the front garden where she could play about the flowers. She knew odd things happened occasionally around her, but she never really noticed them. 

Then letters come for Harry and she learns that there is such thing as magic in the world. She doesn’t pay it much mind, sure it was rather funny to see Dudley get the tail, and the giant man that came to see Harry didn’t seem as bad as her father seemed to rant on about. But it didn’t have anything to do with her, until the start of summer when she turned eleven and a witch showed up at Privet Drive with a letter just like Harry’s for her.

Tag: oc: cadence hearthorn

FC: Bella Heathcote

Love Interest: Sirius Black

Story: And Into the Woods I Go [Ao3] [FFN]

Summary: Cadence Hearthorn doesn’t truly understand her relationship with Sirius Black.

Her relationship with Regulus is quite clear to her, they’ve been the best of friends and each others anchors in the political mine-field that is Slytherin house since their first year. The both of them striving to secure their spots amongst their peers. With Regulus working hard to detract attention from his brothers rebellion against their family, and Cadence struggling to bring her families name back to reputable status as the first magic user in generations.

But Sirius Black has confounded Cadence since the summer before her fourth year when she stayed at Grimmauld Place and met the elder Black brother more surely than she had ever before. He challenges her views and ambitions, and at the very least it seems she sparks his curiosity much the same. Especially after he wakes her from a dream where she saw the truth of one of his best friends deepest secrets.

Tag: oc: cassiopeia malfoy

FC: Jenny Boyd

Love Interest: George Weasley

Story: Mischief & Manners [Ao3] [FFN]

Summary: Cassiopeia knows what’s expected of her as the daughter of a pureblooded house. She knows that after Hogwarts she’ll get married off to a rich pureblooded wizard of good standing with whom she’ll be expected to have proper pureblooded children. She’ll be a good pureblood witch and follow her parents example and she’ll show that despite her more rebellious youth she can do as is expected of her, that it was all just a simple toeing of the line but not any serious deviation.

Cassiopeia knows that if it were entirely her own choice she’d make use of the N.E.W.T.S that she knows she’ll score perfectly on and become a healer. If it were her choice she’d continue on with Fred and George for the rest of her life and help them with their developing line of prank products even after their school years have ended. If it were her own choice she’d tell George her feelings and be with someone she chooses rather than someone chosen for her. If it were her choice she’d make something of her life that was challenging and brilliant and utterly hers.

Cassiopeia knows that for all her wants and rebellions she’ll do what she can for her family in the end, even if it means sacrificing her own choices.

Tag: oc: dahlia potter

FC: Holland Roden

Love Interest: Draco Malfoy

Story: Dream to See [Ao3] [FFN]

Summary: Twin to the Boy who Lived, Dahlia grew up alongside her brother Harry under the care of the Dursley’s. She always did her best to keep herself happy while also protecting Harry when she could. Thus when the twins acceptance to Hogwarts comes she is ready to move forward, away from the apparent hatred from their relatives and into the magic that a part of her had always known she held.

But then Harry goes into Gryffindor, after she had already been put in Slytherin. Leading her to deal with the fact that she’s separated from the brother she’s always strived to protect. She is left to the house that had held the man who killed their parents, to strange dreams that have haunted her for as long as she can remember, and to the blonde haired brat who seems determined to either get her to love him or hate him. 

Despite it all Dahlia Potter perseveres through her years at Hogwarts with a determination to succeed.

Tag: oc: evie tatters

FC: Danielle Rose Russell

Love Interest: Harry Potter

Story: TBD

Summary: Evie Tatters is a witch.

Her parents had always said there was something special about her, but she’d always chalked that up to being a thing all parents told their children to make them feel special. But when a tall woman came to their home on Privet Drive telling her that she was indeed special, in comparison to muggles at least, Evie was determined to prove her entirely right.

It was just an added bonus that her best friend Harry also proved to be special. Though apparently he was special even in the world of magic. Not that she would let that affect her view of him, or if she could help it let it affect his view of himself, no she was simply overjoyed that she wasn’t going to a school where she’d know absolutely no one all on her own.

Of course then she gets put into a house that tells her she’s not special, rather she’s wrong and bad and does not belong.

Of course, that just makes her all the more determined to prove each and every one of them wrong and show them just how special she is.

Tag: oc: jeanie prewett

FC: Sophie Skelton

Love Interest: Marlene McKinnon / Nymphadora Tonks

Story: TBD

Summary: Jeanie Prewett was a witch, in her own opinion, who was exceptionally gifted. 

Thus, it only made sense that she’d join up with the Order of the Phoenix come leaving Hogwarts.

Jeanie Prewett, in her own opinion, was quite skilled at fighting death eaters. And she had a bloody good time doing it as well. Alongside her brothers Gideon and Fabian she did her duty to the Order, and the greater wizarding community, and worked hard to end the reign of terror the Dark Lord was bringing to Britain.

Thus it only made sense that she was with her brothers when they died. But Jeanie Prewett did not die that day. No matter what was presumed when her body was not found. 

Because Jeanie Prewett was an exceptionally gifted witch who enjoyed experimenting with difficult magics and had, a few weeks prior, found an illegal time turner that she kept for private research. Thus, when her brother’s and her were set upon by death eaters, she in a spur of reckless caution turned the piece in hopes of saving the day. 

Of course, it wasn’t a regulation time turner and she had tinkered with it some. And so, in a dizzying sense of magic (that felt very much like falling upwards) she found it had nowhere near the effect that she’d hoped for. 

Jeanie Prewett was a witch who opened her eyes to find herself stood in an entirely unfamiliar time that was heading into a very familiar war.

Tag: oc: lyra black

FC: Phoebe Tonkin

Love Interest: Remus Lupin

Story: TBD

Summary: Lyra Black has been hearing things she’s not supposed to all her life. 

When she was little she heard of Bellatrix’s plans for the muggle family that lived down the way. She heard of Andromeda’s secret friendship with a muggleborn. She heard of Narcissa’s secret hiding spot for her things that she didn’t want her sisters to touch. 

She heard other things too, just thoughts passing through the heads of those around her. 

Her mother and Bellatrix insisted it was a gift. A thing most wizards and witches would have to work years and years to have even the base natural skill Lyra shows. A gift Lyra knows Bellatrix thinks is wasted upon her. 

But it was a gift she didn’t particularly want. And thus since she was little, Lyra Black tried very hard not to hear things she was not supposed to. 

But sometimes her focus slips and things slip through the cracks. Sometimes she sits beside a tired looking boy in Transfiguration and hears his pain and wonders on it just the second needed to see something she was never supposed to hear.

Tag: oc: tristram crouch

FC: Richard Harmon

Love Interest: Hermione Granger

Story: State of Forgetting

Summary: When Tristram Crouch enters his fourth year at Hogwarts he’s acutely aware of one pressing issue. He’s missing something. He’s certain if he got his hands on a remembrall it would smoke up faster than the fireplace in the Hufflepuff common room on chilly days. But he’s also certain it’s not an object that he’s missing.

No. He’s quite certain that whatever’s missing from him is missing from his head. A memory, he thinks, lost from his mind and leaving him rather pissed at its absence. And it’s not something small. No, he thinks it’s actually rather big. Which only pisses him off further.

So, he turns to the most brilliant witch of their age (at least that’s what he’s heard plenty of people call her) and asks for her help in figuring out memory magic in order to get whatever it is back into his mind where it belongs.

[himbowelsh]

You can totally ignore this if you want but I could I request some sad headcanons about the guys. Like how they deal with ptsd or insecurities or traumatic childhood incidents.

Richard Winters

dick isn’t emotionally open in general.  he keeps things in.  that’s how he was raised, how he’s grown up, and the only way he really knows how to cope with things.  talking about his feelings...  is uncomfortable.

that said, he processes them well.  dick doesn’t let negative emotions fester.  he finds releases for them, either through doing things he enjoys or spending time around his loved ones.  he’s not the sort of person to linger on things.

will definitely overwork himself when his mind is in a troubled place.   being productive helps him so much.  focusing on things he can control, things that need to get done...  sure, he’s going to bed at 3am, but it’s not because he’s upset, it’s because he was working.

doesn’t...  like being alone when things are on his mind.  it’s too easy to get sucked in, for those loud thoughts to drown everything else out.  being around other people...  not sharing, but just not being alone...  it helps.

Lewis Nixon

*summon the folger’s theme song*  the best part of waking up...  is an obscene amount of high-shelf liquor in your cup!!

hey, it’s nine o’clock...  in the morning.

literally.  nix is of the opinion that if you can’t drink the bad thoughts away, then they’re not worth thinking at all.  the thing is, his brain summons them anyways, because brains are awful like that.

he’s got a lot of trauma!!  so much trauma!!  his childhood was miserable, his family’s the worst, he feels like a disappointment and has no desire to try to prove himself to parents whose love was questionable from the day he was born...

lots of insecurities too.  can you tell?

he won’t talk about any of it unless he’s really, really drunk, with someone he counts among his closest friends.  then sometimes the negativity just rushes out.  he can’t help it, and it gets ugly.

otherwise, he broods, he holds it all in, and he drinks.  would he benefit from therapy?  yes, absolutely, but alcoholism tastes so much better.

Carwood Lipton

this is a healthy man right here

he copes with things.  lip has interests, outlets he can channel his frustrations into, and the ability to rationalize things internally and get them off his chest.  most things don’t weigh on him for long, because he’s got those sweet coping skills.

this isn’t even angsty.  he doesn’t have a lot of emotional angst.  he works through things, mostly by processing them on his own  ---  but if something’s really weighing on him, lip will turn to his most trusted person  (his mother gives great advice)  for an outlet.

Ron Speirs

heh heh.  ohhhh boy.

he’s...  he’s speirs, okay.  he’s not gonna open up and talk about what’s bothering him, because that’s his business, and no one else needs to know.

ron...  gets impulsive.  reckless.  places less regard on his own life.  he’ll do obscenely risky things because he’s kind of an adrenaline junkie; that burst of danger actually helps him cope with what’s bothering him.  at least, it gives him a good reason to keep going.

he retreats into himself when it comes to anything emotional.   broods a little, but if anyone asks what’s on his mind, he won’t say a word. 

“well, we’re all on a steady march towards death anyways, does anything really matter?  no.  i’m already dead so nothing has any consequences.  yeet.”

jesus christ, get this man some therapy.

Harry Welsh

talks it out.  literally, he’s just... gonna share things.  he’ll literally just do that.

harry sometimes can be an oversharer, but he never really learned to put a filter on his emotions.  it helps that he’s sort of the “water off a duck’s back” type of person; he doesn’t take a lot of things personally, so when he does need to rant about something, it’s usually big.  he turns to his loved ones, because he trusts them, and usually they can help.

but it is kind of weird for guys like nixon and winters, whose life mottos are “i’ll keep all of my emotions right here and then someday i’ll die”, to hear harry be like  “I’M UPSET TODAY AND HERE’S WHY”.  like...  he really doesn’t care who knows what’s going on in his soul, huh?  he’s really able to open up like that.

(harry is the most emotionally healthy man here, good for him)

Buck Compton

it’s called impostor syndrome, and buck has it.

he’s a confident guy, but under the surface, has insecurity in spades  ---  he feels like he has a lot to live up to, and doesn’t believe he’s doing everything well enough.  he’s supposed to be exceptional, and that’s a heavy burden to bear.  there’ll be a part of him that’s always going to feel like he’s not good enough.

like...  he seriously doesn’t know quite where to begin when processing negative emotions, because he feels like he should be able to deal with them himself.  his first instinct isn’t to talk it out, or seek out positive outlets; he keeps it all inside because he feels he can handle it.

don’t get me wrong, buck handles things well  ---  he’s resilient.   but every so often, the emotions just get so overwhelming, and boil up like a toxic spill inside of him; it can get overwhelming.  

Eugene Roe

conceal don’t feel buddy

look, gene...  never acquired coping skills growing up.  it wasn’t anyone’s first priority, and he had too many sisters monopolizing his mother’s time.  as a kid, gene had genuine anger issues, and would get into trouble often, because he just...  didn’t know how to deal with what he was feeling.

his grandmother was the one who stepped in and taught him how to pray.  that’s the closest thing gene has to comfort; he is quietly devout, and turns to god in his darkest moments when desperate for some guidance.  if he can’t talk to anyone else about what he’s feeling  ---  and he usually prefers not to  ---  he can speak freely to god.

but god can’t help him shoulder his burdens.  genuinely, gene just needs to learn to open up and share. keeping everything bottled up...  is not good for him.

George Luz

laugh the pain away, until you no longer can.

people assume george luz processes his emotions in a healthy way.  these people are incorrect.  his “fake it til you make it approach” isn’t the worst, but 9/10 therapists would not recommend.   (the 10th is luz, doing his best impression of a therapist.)

he laughs things off. it’s easier than to do that than to let people in.  george hates burdening others with his feelings.  he’s got a natural talent for keeping peoples’ spirits up, so bringing them down with him is...  a frightening idea.  it feels like failure.

for the most part, george is good at keeping things in and processing them internally.  if something’s really bothering him, people close can tell  ---  he hardly smiles, and his jokes aren’t as funny as they are dark  ---  but he’s usually able to recover without any help.  he’s good at dealing with things on his own.

he tries not to drink too much, because if he gets really really drunk, he loses his grip.  then it can all come spilling out, in a big messy wave of feelings, and he’d prefer to avoid that at all costs.

oh gosh, there’s this amazing fic that actually centers around babe and roe dealing with their problems, but there’s this one scene with luz, and it breaks me

Joe Toye

in a word?  not well.

joe dealing with things...  is not a pretty picture.  he prefers to not deal with things, to be honest, because it’s easier to pretend all the emotional shit doesn’t exist and just push it down until he can’t feel it anymore.  sometimes it even works.

truth is, joe has a lot of insecurities, and really struggles to deal with them.  they plague him]...  and while he can channel some of it into anger  (there’s a reason my modern!toye takes up kickboxing)  a lot of it just gets sent straight to depression central.

it’s not something he talks about easily, either.   he wasn’t raised in an environment that encouraged men talking about their feelings; joe comes from a tough irish family where everyone, especially the men, are supposed to keep a stern face and power through.  he’s only able to opens up to a few trusted people   (malarkey, maybe guarnere, maybe luz).  when the emotions reach a boiling point...  they don’t have anywhere to go.  they feel like they’re going to consume him.

he’s contemplated some dark things before, and it’s not something he’s proud of.

Bill Guarnere

what the hell is this man even made of???

bill takes all his negative emotions and converts them into fuel.    every tear his body forces him to shed adds an extra year to his life.

he’s incredibly resilient, and can power through pretty much anything.  losing his leg didn’t take him out for long; sure, it was a blow, but he bounced back from it as strong as ever.  losing his brother was agonizing  (worse than the leg, honestly)  and it made bill furious  ---  but that fury kept him going, and kept him alive.   he reacts to grief by turning it into anger, and once that anger dulls it’s just raw energy keeping him moving.

bill copes by being around people.  honestly  ---  just put him in a room with his best friends and his problems gradually fade out.   it’s not like he bares his soul to them; he just needs to be around friends, enjoying life. their presence helps him work through things better than any therapist.

(peak extrovert energy omg)

Babe Heffron

just like bill, babe also recovers by being around his favorite people.

he draws energy from them; it’s like he’s low on cash, so he asks his buddies for a few dollars, but in this case it’s emotional stability.  babe just copes better around other people.

left alone with his own thoughts...  things can get messy.

this man doesn’t do well with being alone in general  ---  he feels isolated, almost forgotten, and will seek out the nearest person just to chase those dark feelings away.  when babe’s struggling with something, he also struggles with how to deal with it.   the emotions are like a pot bubbling over inside of him, and he’s fighting to make sense of them all.  he can’t do that alone.

he has to express himself to someone.  ideally someone he trusts, but it might just end up being whoever’s available, or whoever’s nearby.  his dark emotions are very potent, and very painful; it takes a while for him to be free of them completely, but having someone else help make sense of them  (or just offer reassurance)  helps.

he’s a crier.  he’s not proud of it, but when babe’s really at his brink, he cries.  it’s an ugly sight.

Shifty Powers

just freaking...  goes off into the wilderness.

no, literally.  shifty needs some quiet time.  when he’s struggling, he’ll take his gun, take his car, and vanish for a while.   (that sounds...  worse than it is.  shifty’s not the kind of person to consider hurting himself.)    he just disappears into the woods.   

the longest he’s ever been gone was two whole days...  but he always returns with a clear head, willing to talk things out.

Joe Liebgott

he just...  straight up doesn’t, man.  he doesn’t deal with shit.  he pushes it aside, forces it back  ---  it’s not exactly repression, because the Bad Stuff is always there on the outskirts of his mind at all times, lieb just actively chooses not to deal with it.

(he’ll pick any fight except the ones in his own head.)

you’ve got to understand, he’s had his share of trauma.  he didn’t have an easy go of it before the war, and definitely not during.  liebgott collects emotional baggage like baseball cards, and at this point he’s got a full set.

if he can run from the emotions, he will.  this leads him to self-isolate, cutting himself off from the people who might be able to help; he doesn’t want to share all the negative emotions, because he doesn’t know how.  at his worst, he also tends to lash out, and...  other people don’t have to deal with that, okay?

joe will put off dealing with things for as long as possible, and never truly deal with them at all.

David Kenyon Webster

writing is literally his therapy.  putting his emotions down on paper helps.  formulating them into words is like a release, and having them laid out in front of him, where he can analyze it all lets him look at the problem objectively.  webster writes just to get things out...  sometimes because he can’t bear to hold it all inside any longer.

he also loves sailing, partly because of how freeing it is to be out on the open water.  he’s completely in control of his boat, and can go anywhere, anywhere in the world  ---  if he wanted, he could leave everything behind.  the notion is tantalizing.

webster really isn’t open about his negative feelings with others.  when it’s something personal...  it takes a lot for him to open up, and he’d have to trust that person implicitly.  a part of him feels that baring his emotions is just an invitation to be mocked, so he’s hesitant.

at least he processes them.  he’s not tormented by things, because he’s got his releases  ---  writing, and sailing.  if the mind is a prison, they set him free.

Donald Malarkey

catch malarkey right there in that kickboxing class with joe toye

look.  don feels things deeply, and takes things personally.  he can’t help it.  he doesn’t let go of things; if he’s been hurt badly, it’s an open wound on his soul forever, and it never heals.

he’s never a wreck.  like, he’s perfectly able to function, and has a unique ability to power through even in the darkest moments...  but those shadows are always there, and they weigh on him.  they smother him.   he can never really escape.

tends to avoid the topics which hurt him; when they come up, he can get testy  ---  or worse, teary!!  ---   and that’s not something he wants to burden anyone else with.     his greatest hurts are very private things to him, and he doesn’t want the people he cares about affected by them.

Skip Muck

skip channels his bad feelings into energy, and that energy needs to find its way out.

he’ll play guitar and sing along really aggressively.  he’ll deep-clean the entire house.  he’ll run just to feel the burn in his lungs, the ache in his limbs, until he’s too worn out to feel anything but exhaustion.

honestly, he gets a little manic when something’s bothering him.   he needs to chill.

skip is...  more willing than most to talk things out, so long as he has someone he trusts.   it’s not too hard for him to open up, he just needs to be able to open up to the right people.  his sister is a frequent confidant, as are malarkey and penkala.   skip doesn’t like many people seeing the darker side of him, but being able to talk about his feelings helps immensely.

Ralph Spina

genuinely... doesn’t have any baggage.

no childhood trauma.  no agonizing breakup story or betrayals.  no emotional damage whatsoever.  and when something is bothering him, his instinct is to just talk it out, and then it’s done. this man sleeps like a baby.

it’s freaky.

[introvertguide]

Do The Right Thing (1989), AFI #96

Our next film on the list that we reviewed was a more recent drama/comedy called Do The Right Thing (1989), directed by Spike Lee. Well, on a list with movies over 100 years old, a little over 30 is pretty new. It is the story of a single day in 80s Brooklyn and the drama that comes from frayed nerves under the boiling summer heat. The movie received a couple of Oscar nominations and Spike Lee received recognition for his directing and screenwriting. Danny Aiello also was recognized on the awards circuit for best supporting actor. There are some extraordinary aspects to this film that makes it stand out, but I also feel that it is lacking in many ways. The good strongly outweighs the bad, but I will discuss that more after the movie summary:

SPOILER WARNING!!! IT IS LESS SPOILERY THAN NORMAL DUE TO ALL THE CHARACTERS, BUT THE MAJOR POINTS ARE STILL GIVEN AWAY!!! WATCH FIRST AND COME BACK FOR THE ARTICLE TO GET THE BEST EXPERIENCE!!!

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Mookie (Spike Lee) is a 25-year-old pizza delivery man living in Bedford–Stuyvesant, with his sister Jade. He and his girlfriend Tina (Rosie Perez) have a toddler son named Hector. Mookie works at a local pizzeria owned by Sal (Danny Aiello), an Italian-American who has been in the neighborhood for 25 years. Sal's eldest son Pino (Jon Turturro) is racist, and does not get along with Mookie. Because of this, Pino is at odds with both his father, who refuses to leave the majority African-American neighborhood, and his younger brother Vito (Richard Edson), who is friendly with Mookie.

Many distinctive residents are introduced, including Da Mayor (Ossie Davis), a friendly drunk; Mother Sister (Ruby Dee), who watches the neighborhood from her brownstone; Radio Raheem (Bill Nunn), who blasts Public Enemy on his boombox wherever he goes; and Smiley (Roger Smith), a mentally disabled man who meanders around the neighborhood trying to sell hand-colored pictures of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.

While at Sal's, Mookie's friend Buggin' Out (Giancarlo Esposito) questions Sal about his "Wall of Fame", a wall decorated with photos of famous Italian-Americans. Buggin' Out demands that Sal put up pictures of black celebrities since Sal's pizzeria is in a black neighborhood. Sal replies that it is his business, and that he can have whoever he wants on the wall. Buggin' Out attempts to start a boycott over the Wall of Fame.

During the day, local teenagers open a fire hydrant and douse the other neighbors to beat the heat wave before officers intervene. After a phone call, Mookie and Pino begin arguing over race. Mookie confronts Pino about his negative attitudes towards African Americans, although the latter's favorite celebrities are black. Various characters express racial insults: Mookie against Italians, Pino against African Americans, Latino Stevie against Koreans, white officer Gary Long against Puerto Ricans, and Korean owner Sonny against Jews. Pino expresses his contempt for African Americans to Sal, but Sal insists that he will not leave the neighborhood.

That night, Buggin' Out, Radio Raheem, and Smiley march into Sal's and demand that Sal change the Wall of Fame. Raheem's boombox is blaring and Sal demands that he turn it off, but he refuses. Buggin' Out calls Sal and sons "Guinea bastards" and threatens to close down the pizzeria until they change the Wall of Fame. Frustrated and angry, Sal calls Buggin' Out a "n****r" and destroys Raheem's boombox with a bat. Raheem attacks Sal, leading to a fight that spills out into the Street and attracts a crowd. While Raheem is choking Sal, the police arrive. They break up the fight, and apprehend Raheem and Buggin' Out. Despite the pleas of onlookers, one officer refuses to release his chokehold on Raheem, killing him. Realizing that Raheem has been killed in front of witnesses, the officers place his body in the back of a police car and drive off.

The onlookers, devastated and enraged about Radio Raheem's death, blame Sal and his sons. Da Mayor tries to convince the crowd that Sal was not responsible for his death but the crowd remain where they are. Mookie grabs a trash can and throws it through the window of Sal's pizzeria, sparking the crowd to rush into the pizzeria and destroy it. Smiley sets the building on fire, and Da Mayor pulls Sal, Pino, and Vito out of the mob's way. The police return to the sight, along with firemen and riot patrols arrive to put out the fire and disperse the crowd. After they issue a warning, the firefighters turn their hoses on the rioters, leading to more fighting and arrests. Mookie and Jade sit on the curb, watching in disbelief. Smiley wanders back into the smoldering building and hangs one of his pictures on what is left of Sal's Wall of Fame.

The next day, after an argument with Tina, Mookie returns to Sal. He feels that Mookie had betrayed him, but Mookie demands his weekly pay. The two men argue and cautiously reconcile, and Sal finally pays Mookie. 

The film ends with two quotations that express different views about violence, one by Martin Luther King and one by Malcolm X. It fades to a photograph of the two leaders shaking hands. Prior to the credits, Lee dedicates the film to the families of six victims of brutality or racial violence: Eleanor Bumpurs, Michael Griffith, Arthur Miller Jr., Edmund Perry, Yvonne Smallwood, and Michael Stewart.

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I want to break this into the good and the bad (at least in my humble opinion). I want to start with the great cinematography and the director of photography Ernest Dickerson. He really brought the city to life and made the overheated neighborhood into a character. He used reds and oranges and avoided greens and blues. All of the clothes were sweaty and stained. There were also some beautiful walking shots that followed Mookie as he moved through the neighborhood. Some of the best camera work was the close-ups of Radio Raheem because the shot would tilt to a Dutch angle every time he got mad. It gave the feeling like things were going askew. 

Because it was shot on location in Brooklyn, one could use Google maps and see the actual neighborhood. It was mapped out so well, however, that I didn’t need the map and could draw out the locations of the homes and businesses from a single watch. Dickerson did a phenomenal job of setting the stage for Spike Lee’s story and has done great work on many of Lee’s other films including She’s Gotta’ Have It (1986), School Daze (1988), Do The Right Thing (1989), Mo’ Better Blues (1990), Jungle Fever (1991), and Malcolm X (1992). Great team and a great bunch of movies. Dickerson has since moved to directing and well worth following. 

I thought the short comic stories that came together were pretty great. Somebody accidently stepped on Buggin’ Out’s shoes and scuffed them. He threatened the guy who did it and got a whole group of people to help and try to coerce money out of the offender. It eventually turned out that he was all talk. But the shoes kept popping up over and over. The three men sitting and complaining while not actually doing anything was pretty funny. The hatred that Sister/Mother had for Da Mayor was pretty good as well. There were a couple pretty good laughs.

I love the character of Radio Raheem played by Bill Nunn and how he represented the underlying anger of the neighborhood. He just walked around trying to do his thing and listened to his super loud music. The black residents recognized him and knew he had become part of the landscape while other residents tried to get him to be quiet and suppress him. When he was killed, the anger that he represented was released and the group went into a frenzy of destruction. Raheem’s interaction with each of the other characters truly defined how director Spiker Lee wanted the audience to see that person. The movie really shines with any scenes involving Radio Raheem.

As far as the acting is concerned, I really liked the work of Danny Aiello, John Turturro, and Richard Edson. I don’t want to be accused of anything because I liked the work of the three main white actors, however I feel that the three characters trying to fit into a place where many felt they did not belong was the most intriguing. Sal seemed like such a good guy, but he still had some underlying hatred and fear of black community and it became apparent when he was faced with Radio Raheem, the representation of the suppressed black anger of the neighborhood. 

The six people to whom the movie was dedicated were all black Americans in the New York area who had died in suspicious and racially charged violence. I normally don’t recommend this site, but Wikipedia provides links to learn more about all of the people mentioned. It seems that a lot of Spike Lee’s characters were based on the different people mentioned. I had never realized how closely tied this film was to the history of violence in 80s New York, and it does make me like the film a lot more. 

Now for a couple of things that I really did not enjoy. The main character Mookie was not that interesting beyond just being a vehicle that walks through the day. When it got to the point where he couldn’t take any more and he smashed the window (whether it was to protect Sal by directing the anger towards the store instead of Sal and his sons is up to interpretation) seemed so out of character. Like everyone stopped and stared as he did something that his character had no motivation to do. This could just be a personal critique because I found Spike Lee’s acting so unconvincing (the guy can’t emote, he is a director not an actor) and I think giving his boring character control of the turning point at the climax of the movie was a little bit of director ego.

I also didn’t like the random white guys that were with the cops that killed Radio Raheem. Where did they come from and where did they go? The cops show up to break up the fight between Sal and Raheem and suddenly there are some plain clothed white guys that I didn’t remember being in the rest of the movie. It seemed like they came from the surrounding streets and there was one guy in particular who was in a blank tank top that helped subdue Radio Raheem that just disappeared. Wouldn’t the police want to take him into custody as well or at least not leave him on the street with a large angry mob? The sudden appearance of all these extras for the one scene has always thrown me. It feels like they took stock footage from a different movie and plugged it in, or maybe it was shot long before or after the rest of the scenes in the film. 

I did not like Rosie Perez’s character of Tina. Perez had been a professional dancer and this was her big break. I really didn’t think the opening with her dancing was noteworthy in any way, her famous ice cube scene was completely unnecessary, and the ending with her complaining was horrific. Honestly, the ice cube scene shows Spike Lee rubbing a piece of ice on Rosie Perez’s naked body and it felt pervy and inappropriate. I do not correlate all nudity in a movie with automatically meaning it is not for kids (depends on the movie and depends on the kid), but this was just dumb. This was a point of contention with the group that watched with me, some saying she was the best part of the film. I could not disagree more and I rated it 3/5 on Netflix noting that it would be 4/5 if Perez had not been in it. She really rubbed me the wrong way in the film. I liked her in White Men Can’t Jump playing a similar character, but in this movie she was not needed.

In fact, there seemed like there were many extra things that didn’t need to be there. There is about 2 minutes in which five characters make racist rants about other ethnic groups with the camera right in their face. This seems like art for art’s sake and not really needed. The character of Smiley seemed very out of place and it turns out that he was not in the original screenplay but written in so that the actor could have a part. The DJ just said the same things over and over with no real insight. He was played by Samuel L. Jackson, which is cool, but he also didn’t need to be there. I guess my biggest gripe is that Spike Lee had a great film idea with strong characters and then decided he needed to keep layering in more characters and subplots until it was superfluous. But again, just an opinion. 

I saw that Siskel & Ebert both rated the movie as one of the top 10 of the 80s. Both of them had opinions about whether or not Mookie did the right thing, which is not a question that Spike Lee intended to ask (as he stated in many interviews). I think it was (and is) refreshing to have a strong black voice in the director’s chair and this might have affected their rating. Maybe, since I was 9 when this film came out, I am not affected enough by how new and innovative this film must have seemed when it came out. I started to become aware of the world shortly after this movie was released and I was inundated with Spike Lee in films and advertisements. His work didn’t seem so fresh when I also saw him in commercials for Nike and McDonald’s. I shouldn’t allow that to take away from the importance of his voice as part of the history of American cinema. He is the only black director of any movie on the AFI top 100 films and only one of two directors of color (M. Night being the other). 

So does this film belong on the AFI top 100? Yes. It is a good story of American life in an area that was often ignored. The streets of Brooklyn are just as American as the farms in Iowa, the plains of Cheyenne, or the suburbs of California. It is great to have those stories told by a man who grew up there and knew the different life styles and the different problems. It is an important movie and I am glad it was included. Would I recommend it? Yeah, it is pretty good. I would say focus on the interactions between Raheem and the other characters and it makes for a great story. Definitely worth checking out. 

[swanqueeneverafter]

Sins of the Past Pt.26

Wonderland. Lizard's Home. (While the streets are filled with people celebrating the Caterpillar’s arrest, Lizard stands staring out of her window wistfully as Will enters.) Lizard: “Are you enjoying yourself?” Will: (Staggers:) “It might be the best night of my life. They’ve arrested the Caterpillar and his goons. I’m a free man.” Lizard: (Smiles:) “I heard.” Will: (Closing the door:) “Which begs the question what are you doing in here all by yourself? (Lizard says nothing:) Oh, I get it. I think I understand what's going on here. (Walks over to her and speaks in her ear:) You fancy someone. I knew it! All right. Out with it. Name the lucky bloke out there who caught your eye.” Lizard: “I'll never tell.” (Lizard gets up and walks to the other side of the room.) Will: “Hang on, I’m Mr. Fix It. I know a thing or two about helping women in love get what they want.” Lizard: (Scoffs:) “You can't make anyone fall in love with me.” Will: “Well no, but I can help in other ways, make him notice you. I mean really notice you.” Lizard: “Well, you tell me, then. (Pokes him in the chest playfully:) What makes you notice a girl?” Will: “Me? Let me think...confidence. Confidence is a terribly sexy quality in a woman.” Lizard: “All right. What else?” (She circles him.) Will: “Passion. Spontaneity. Willing to take chances, explore new places, and style. She should really know how to wear a dress. And a naughty streak don't hurt. But it all comes down to this; when I see her, it feels like fireworks are going off.” Lizard: “Fireworks?” Will: “Fireworks. Because without that, there's nothing.” Lizard: “All right, then. I want that. I want all of that.” (Lizard reaches into her pocket and pulls out a small red diamond.) Will: “What’s that?” Lizard: (Holding up the diamond:) “This is my wish. The Oracle gave this to me as payment for bringing Ella to her.” Will: “She what?” Lizard: “And now I’m going to use it to make my dreams come true.” Will: “Lizard, wait! (Lizard closes her eyes and squeezes her hand tightly around the wish. Disappearing and then reappearing in a cloud of smoke, Lizard stands before Will wearing a beautiful white dress. Impressed:) All right, then. Let's go out there and show these lads the girl they've been missing.” Lizard: “I'd rather stay in here.” Will: “Oh, come on! What are you so afraid of?” Lizard: (Walks closer to him:) “I'm afraid that the man I like doesn't feel about me the way I feel about him.” Will: “Have you seen yourself? He'd be a complete and utter idiot, and blind to boot. If you don't want to go out there, I'll bring him back here for you.” Lizard: (Will moves to the door:) “No. Wait.” Will: “Tell me who he is, then.” Lizard: “It's you, Will. It's always been you.” 

(Will stares at her then drops his head. Lizard walks over to her bed and takes a seat.) Will: “I guess I was right. The bloke you fancy is a complete and utter idiot. Lizard, I'm sorry.” Lizard: “No. It's all right. I'm fine, really.” Will: “Look, you know I like you. I always have. You're a terrific mate, and we've always had the best times together. It's just -” Lizard: “You don't love me.” Will: “It's not just that- (Will stares at Lizard as she suddenly struggles to breathe:) What's happening?” Lizard: (Gasping for air:) “It’s...it’s the wish!” Will: (Catching her as she falls:) “Take it back!” Lizard: “Will!” Will: “No! No! No! No! No! No! Please, no! Liz! Liz! No!” Lizard: (Lying in his arms:) “I just wanted you to feel something for me.” Will: “I'm sorry. I'm sorry. (Lizard dies:) Liz! No! I'm sorry.” (Will rocks her in his arms while fireworks illuminate the sky outside the window.)

Storybrooke. Rollin' Bayou. Opposite The Dragon’s Lair. (A montage of Tiana cooking inside the food truck. Cracking eggs into a bowl then whisking, adding flour and then kneading the dough. Using a pastry wheel to cut the shapes and then deep frying. Topping with sugar and then placing in paper bags to order, Tiana smiles and wipes her brow.) Ella: “Where is everyone coming from?” Tiana: “Location, Location, Location. Mom always said nothin' attracts a crowd like a crowd.” Ella: “Amazing! You're really doing it.” Tiana: “Mm-hmm.” Ella: “You know we could set up a stand at the Sunday farmers' market.” Tiana: “Oh, meh. Farmers' markets are for Old MacDonald. No. I'm thinking jazz, luring people in to a popcorn-light-lit food truck. We park it at festivals and movie nights.” Ella: “Okay.” Tiana: “And then serve étouffée and boudin.” Ella: (Holds up a bag of beignets:) “Buckets of these guys.” Tiana: “Yes. (Both laugh:) Oh, it finally feels like we are headed in the right direction.” Ella: “You're a dreamer, and I love you for it, and god knows I need a job.” Tiana: “Uh huh and that is exactly the reason why you need to take this risk. We’ll get you a truck of your own that’ll be your responsibility. It's time to change the game and take a big swing for once. You owe it to yourself. You owe it to your Mama, wherever she may be. Come on. Let's make her proud.” Ella: (Falters then after a moment, smiles:) “Okay. I'm with you.” Tiana: “Yeah? All right. (Laughs:) Great. And with a little bit of sugar and spice and everything nice, we are going to show everyone who is boss.” (While Tiana deals with the customers, Ella takes a step back, the words ‘make her proud’ echoing in her ears. With her career path seemingly laid out in front of her, Ella is more determined than ever to confront Regina once and for all.) The Dragon's Lair. (Lily enters the bar. Noting that the tables and chairs have been rearranged and a stage has been erected, Lily makes her way over to the bar and takes a seat.) Zelena: "Lily, we didn't expect to see you tonight." Lily: "And miss Regina on stage? Not likely." Zelena: "I'm surprised Elsa let you out." Lily: (Smiles:) "I’m surprised my Mom agreed to you adding a stage to the bar in addition to the restaurant.” Zelena: (Zelena winks:) “Bet you’re not surprised Regina agreed to be the very first act on the new stage though.” Lily: “Well, as far as Elsa goes, she's not a big drinker and she figured with Emma and Regina around, this is the safest place I could be." Zelena: "She has a point. Although you can obviously take care of yourself." Lily: "That's what I told her. Anyway, I think those two are only gonna have eyes for each other tonight." (Maleficent stands on stage and manages to quieten the rowdy crowd with a glare.) Maleficent: "Ladies and Gentlemen, and I use that term loosely, the Dragon's Lair is proud to present Storybrooke's hottest Mayor, Regina Swan-Mills!" (Maleficent leaves the stage as Regina rises from beneath and the lights dim. With the spotlight shining upon her, Regina begins.) Regina: ♪ Come on, babe, why don't we paint the town. ♪ ♪ And all that jazz?♪ ♪ I'm gonna rouge my knees and roll my stockings down ♪ ♪ And all that jazz ♪ ♪ Start the car, I know a whoopee spot ♪ ♪ Where the gin is cold, but the piano's hot ♪ ♪ It's just a noisy hall where there's a nightly brawl ♪ ♪ And all ♪ ♪ That ♪ ♪ Jazz ♪ (As promised, Emma watches from the crowd front row, center. The Sheriff is unable to take her eyes away from her wife while she sings and gyrates on stage. With a huge smile, Emma makes eye contact with Regina as she continues her song.) ♪ Slick your hair and wear your buckle shoes ♪ ♪ And all that jazz ♪ ♪ I hear that Father Dipis gonna blow the blues ♪ ♪ And all that jazz ♪ ♪ Hold on, hon, we're gonna bunny hug ♪ ♪ I bought some aspirin down at United Drug ♪ ♪ In case you shake apart and want a brand-new start ♪ ♪ To do ♪ ♪ That ♪ ♪ Jazz! ♪

Idirsholas. (Lancelot’s party rides for the fortress and enters the ruins. The knights spread out, their weapons drawn.) Lancelot: "What’s that noise?" Xena: "What noise?" Lancelot: "A sort of trembling sound." Xena: "That’s your knees knocking together." (Xena and Gabrielle move ahead while Lancelot rolls his eyes. They enter the chamber in the fortress where the knights were awoken. Lancelot checks the ashes of the fire.) Lancelot: “It seems part of Joseph’s story was true. Probably just travellers passing through.” (Gabrielle turns her head back toward the entrance.) Gabrielle: “Or maybe not.” (Everyone turns as the Knights of Idirsholas draw their swords. Xena, Gabrielle, Lancelot and the others fight the knights. Xena runs one through, but it doesn’t fall. Fight, stab, repeat. Lancelot loses his sword in an undead knight’s gut.) Sir Leon: “Lancelot!” (Leon throws Lancelot a sword.) Xena: (Slashes at two knights with little effect:) “This isn’t working!” Gabrielle: “We need to go! (Lancelot and his men retreat. Gabrielle follows but stops when she sees Xena standing there:) What are you…?!” (Xena throws her chakram, causing the roof to cave in as it bounces off the walls. Catching the chakram, Gabrielle pulls Xena backwards out of the room while the entrance way crumbles.)

Kingdom of Valencia. Dining Room. (Richard, Roberta, Henry and a very embarrassed Gareth have dinner together.) Gareth: (Clears his throat:) “I’d like to thank you for exposing this attack on our state. Once again, magic was used to strike at the heart of Valencia.” Roberta: (Tad Cooper resting on her arm:) “You mean, your heart.” Richard: “How many nights did you share a bed with a troll?” Gareth: “Obviously I was under its spell. (Richard sniggers:) I did many things that I…regret.” Henry: “Gareth, that’s okay, I’m sure we really don’t want to know the details.” (There is quiet for a moment before everyone laughs, Richard pulling faces to mimic Gareth’s moment of clarity. Eventually, despite himself, Gareth finds the funny side of things and joins in with the laughter.) Wonderland. Town. (Walking through the now deserted streets, Anastasia arrives at Lizard's home and enters through the open door. Seeing the girl's body on the floor, Anastasia rushes over to check her pulse. Feeling nothing, she closes Lizard's eyes and leans back on her haunches.) Will: "It's my fault. (Startled, Anastasia turns to look at Will who sits in the shadows:) She wished that I could love her and when I couldn't, she..." Anastasia: "Will, what are you talking about? People don't just keel over and die from rejection." Will: "It was her dying wish." Anastasia: (Moving over to him:) "Will, snap out of it. You're not making any sense."

Will: (Sighs:) "Lizard used a wish she got from an Oracle." (Will holds up the small diamond between his thumb and forefinger. Taking it, Anastasia inspects it closely.) Anastasia: "Before Lizard used this, did it glow red?" Will: "Yeah." Anastasia: (Nods:) "It was cursed. It didn't matter what wish Lizard made, as soon as she used the diamond, she was done for." Will: "Why would the Oracle do that to her?" Anastasia: "My guess? To cover their tracks. The Oracle must not have wanted Lizard to identify them for some reason." Will: "Aye, and I think I know why. Ella went to see this Oracle and they told her that someone killed her mother." Anastasia: "Who?" Will: (Shakes his head:) "She wouldn't say. We got separated soon afterwards. I think Ella's going to do something stupid and there's no way I can stop her." Anastasia: "All right, well first thing's first. We need to see what Ella saw. (Anastasia walks over to Lizard's body and kneels beside it:) There's a spell I can use that can show us everything Lizard saw during her last few hours. If we get lucky, maybe we can see who this supposed Oracle was." Storybrooke. Forest. (With Mordred still believed to be hiding within Storybrooke's borders, Ruby and Mulan prepare for a long night’s shift sitting by their campfire.) Mulan: "Do you ever wonder what your life would've been like if you had a normal childhood?" Ruby: (Considers:) "There probably would've been a lot less running involved. (At Mulan’s look:) My entire village ran me out of town.” Mulan: “Really?” Ruby: “With torches and pitchforks.” Mulan: “Because you're a wolf?” Ruby: “I didn't always know I was, and I certainly didn't back then. I wasn't in control. And one night, I accidentally...” Mulan: “Killed your boyfriend, I know.” Ruby: “Yeah. I lived on the run after that, and... I eventually learned to control my power, made some friends along the way. I ended up in Storybrooke, but I still felt like there was something missing.” Mulan: (Smiles:) “You’re such a Gabrielle.” Ruby: (Scoffs:) “Well not everyone gets to take our father’s place and fight in the Chinese army as a teenager. (Laughs but notices Mulan doesn’t join in:) Mulan, what's wrong?” Mulan: “I didn’t replace my father. My father left us when I was still a young girl.” Ruby: “I’m sorry, I just assumed from the movie... Why haven’t you told me this before?” Mulan: “It’s ancient history. Everything else from the movie is true though. Except for Mushu, I’m not sure what that was about.” Ruby: “Oh you know how they are, every movie has to have a plucky comedic sidekick.” Mulan: “Perhaps they’ll remake it one day. Replace the dragon with a smart, sexy wolf.” Ruby: (Laughs:) “Can wolves be sexy?” Mulan: “Oh please, like you don’t know.” Ruby: “You’re weird.” Mulan: “Maybe, or just hopelessly in love.” Ruby: “Hm, could be.” Mulan: “Definitely. (They kiss:) I’m so glad we found each other.” Ruby: (Kisses her again:) “Me too.” Mulan: “And I’m so happy you didn’t make the same mistake I did and told me how you felt before it was too late.” Ruby: (Smiles:) “Well thanks to a certain TV show, I know how tortured some warriors can be about their past and how it can stand in the way of their happiness.” Mulan: “Thank god for those plucky sidekicks huh?” Ruby: “We have our moments.” Mulan: “Yes, you certainly do.” Ruby: “Feel like having one of those moments right now?” Mulan: (Chuckles:) “We’re on duty.” Ruby: “Yeah, and we’re going to be all night long. I don’t think that campfire’s going to be able to keep us warm throughout, do you?” Mulan: “So you’re saying we might need to generate some extra heat ourselves huh?” Ruby: “Couldn’t hurt.” (Leans over and kisses Mulan’s neck.) Mulan: “You know you’re a terrible influence.” Ruby: (Removing her cloak:) “Uh huh. Do you need help with your armour?” Mulan: (Already pulling off her boots:) “No, I’ve got it.”

The Dragon's Lair. (David finally enters and makes his way over to the bar while Regina is reaching the crescendo of her performance.) Regina: ♪ Big wheel keep on turning ♪ ♪ Proud Mary keep on burning ♪ ♪ And we're rolling, rolling ♪ ♪ Rolling on the river ♪ ♪ And we're rolling, rolling ♪ ♪ Rolling on the river ♪ (Picking up his drink from the bar, David turns and sees his wife making a fool of herself, arguing drunkenly with three men.) Snow White: "I'll have you know that is my daughter-in-law up there, buddy! (Staggers:) You see she used to be my step-mother and then there was this curse and-" David: (Stepping in:) "All right, Snow, I think everyone knows about your history with Regina. I'm sure these gentlemen don't need to-" Maleficent: "Will you idiots shut the hell up? Regina's just about to go into her big finish!" Snow White: "Don't you tell me to shut up, blondie!" Maleficent: "Excuse me?" Snow White: "That's right, I'm talking to you, (Makes horns with her fingers:) Dragon lady." David: "Oh boy..." Snow White: "Don't think I don't know that you've still got feelings for Regina. (Hiccups:) We all see it." David: "I am so sorry." Snow White: "No! I knew we made the right decision telling Emma and Regina to hold off rescuing you. They're married! Married! You get that? You missed your chance." Maleficent: (To David:) "You told them not to come for us?" David: "That's not exactly-" (At that moment, one of the drunken men Snow was arguing with bumps David's arm, causing him to spill his drink over Maleficent.) Drunk Man: "Hey, cat fight!" (Disgusted, Maleficent pushes David backwards into the man which causes a fight to break out. While just about still able to stand, Snow lunges at Maleficent. Watching this all transpire from her bar stool, Lily turns to Zelena.) Lily: "And this is why we can't have nice things." (Downing her shot, Lily rushes over to break up the melee while Regina reaches the climax of her performance.) Regina: ♪ Big wheel keep on turning ♪ ♪ Proud Mary keep on burning ♪ ♪ And we're rolling and we're rolling ♪ ♪ And we're rolling on the river ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ All right, now ♪ ♪ Yeah, rolling, rolling on the river ♪ ♪ Said they're rolling, oh, rolling, yeah, rolling on the river ♪ ♪ I tell you they're rolling, a-rolling, a-rolling on the river ♪ ♪ Yeah! ♪ (The crowd explodes in cheers and applause, Emma standing on her chair, arms raised high in the air, as proud as can be.)

Wonderland. Lizard's Home. (Will watches on with revulsion as Anastasia holds Lizard's severed eyes in her hand.) Will: "Eugh, if I knew you were going to do that, I would have said forget it." Anastasia: "It's the only way to capture Lizard's parting glances, Will. Do you think I enjoy cutting people's eyes out of their sockets?" Will: "All right, all right. But we're giving her a proper burial after this." Anastasia: "Agreed." Will: "So how does this work?" (Anastasia walks over to the kitchen and retrieves a bowl from the shelf. Placing the eyes inside, she walks back and puts the bowl on the table.) Anastasia: (Waving her hand over the bowl:) "De visu intueri. Visione revelare." (A blue cloud of images forms above the bowl. Quickly scanning them, Anastasia stops at a familiar face within the visions.) Will: "There! That's Ella. But who's she talking with?" Anastasia: "That's... That's my step-mother, Cecelia." Will: "What?" Anastasia: "Will, whatever that vision of Cecelia said to Ella is a lie. There's only one person responsible for Cecelia's death and she's long dead." Will: "What are you talking about?" Anastasia: "Come on, I'll explain on the way. We've got to stop Ella from doing something she'll regret." Will: “Wait, what about Lizard?” (Anastasia grabs him by the arm and pulls Will out of the house. Closing the door, she performs a sealing charm.) Anastasia: “There, she’ll be perfectly preserved in there until we have time to come back and give her a proper burial. Now come on!” (Anastasia grabs Will’s hand and pulls him along the deserted streets.) Storybrooke. Forest. (Bathed in moonlight, Mulan and Ruby explore each other's bodies while the campfire crackles beside them. Unnoticed by the lovers, a lone figure passes by their campsite through the shadows. Stepping momentarily into view, we see that Mordred has finally re-emerged from hiding.) The Dragon's Lair. Hallway. (Knocking on Regina's dressing room door, Emma waits for an answer.) Regina: (From inside:) "Who is it?" Emma: (Smiling:) "Your number one fan." Regina: (Chuckles:) "Come in." Dressing Room. (Opening the door, Emma is about to shower Regina with praise when she takes in the sight before her. Clad in only her underwear and with her bra undone, resting beneath her exposed breasts, Regina lays posed waiting for Emma's arrival.) Regina: (Reclined on the couch:) "Would you mind closing that? (Dumbly, Emma closes the door:) What took you so long?" Emma: "Apparently a fight broke out. Lily and Hook are dealing with it though. (Staring at her wife:) What would you have done if it was someone else at the door?" Regina: (Chuckles:) "Emma, I saw how you were watching me. I think if anyone else had tried to knock on my door, you would have shot them." Emma: "Fair point. (Walking further into the room:) You... you were... unbelievable." Regina: (Smiles:) "You enjoyed it then?" Emma: (Removing her jacket:) "Do you really want me to give you a full review right now while you're laying there naked or would you like me to catch up?" Regina: (Considers:) "How about both?" Emma: (Chuckles, unbuttoning her jeans:) "There are so many words to describe what I just witnessed, but I'll do us both a favour and start at the middle and work my way down." Regina: "Hm, so words starting with ‘M’ then?" Emma: "You were marvellous, mesmerising and magnificent. (Pulling her top over her head and throwing it aside:) But best of all... (Leans over Regina and kisses her deeply, taking the reclined woman's breath away:) You are undeniably, (Moves lower to place a kiss on Regina's right breast:) one hundred percent... (Kisses the other breast, gently removing the bra and tossing it aside:) without a shadow of a doubt... (Lays a trail of kisses over Regina's stomach, dipping her tongue into her belly button. Reaching Regina's underwear, she takes hold of them:) Mine." (Lifting her hips in anticipation, Regina yelps with delight as Emma removes her underwear in one smooth, powerful motion.) Regina: "Now and forever, my love." Emma: (Sinking to her knees, places each of Regina's legs over her shoulders:) "Shh, rest your voice. Because after what you did out there, and what I'm about to do in here, you might not be able to speak for a very long time." (Emma lowers her mouth to Regina's center. With the first touch of Emma's lips to her folds, Regina throws back her head ready to sing once more, although this time the sounds coming from her lips are cries of ecstasy, reserved only for her preferred audience of one.)

[bluerene]

a study of separation anxiety

Discord musings result in a sudden spark of inspiration! @dar-draws knows how to make a bearded Dick Grayson that is simply *chefs kiss* divine.

Warning: baby cuteness, mentions of bearded!Dadwing, and a persuasive Tamaranian momma. 

a study of separation anxiety 

In all his life, Richard John Grayson had found he possessed only four weaknesses. The first was his father and brothers, who were put together because he managed his feelings for them about the same. And Alfred, though truthfully, Dick sometimes felt Alfred was the most important of them all. The second was his team, the people he had grown up with. The third was his wife, whose glimmering eyes never failed to capture his when she walked into a room. And the fourth was his daughter, the light of his life and the greatest source of his joy.

The very same daughter who was unashamedly squirming in his arms and punching him with her tiny fists while he tried to put her to bed.

“Ease up there, starshine,” he muttered, wincing as another blow made contact with his shoulder. He rubbed her back gently, pacing back and forth beside her crib. “Some help would be nice, Kory.”

His pajama-clad wife, who had been standing idly near the bedroom door, stepped into the room and shrugged.

“It is your fault for choosing to go back to work.”

Yeah, she wasn’t going to make it any easier either.

Dick groaned and moved to lay Mar’i down in the crib.

“I would not do that,” Kory warned, a smug smile crossing her face when their daughter began to wail.

“Well, what would you do then?” 

Kory rolled her eyes and stepped closer, adjusting his arms so that he cradled Mar’i close to his chest. Miraculously, the wailing stopped, and he looked down to see her tiny fists curling up against his shirt, her head snuggled into his warmth.

“Wow,” Dick said quietly, a slow smile spreading across his face, “nine months and I still haven’t learned a thing.”

His wife sighed and rested her chin on his shoulder, studying the line of his jaw and the dark stubble he had taken to wearing since Mar’i was born. 

“It will not get any easier when you go,” she said. 

“C’mon, Kory, we talked about this. I took an extended paternity leave. Those don’t come around too often. I need to get back on the force.”

“You did not take a break from being Nightwing,” she shot back, “you have been working this entire time, Richard, you are spreading yourself too thin. It will not be easy for Mar’i. X’hal, it will not be easy for me.” 

“We need to get back into a steady routine. I need to go to work. I need to start shaving so I don’t look homeless -”

“You would not dare,” Kory gasped, sounding horrified.

“ - need to get used to me being away for work because we want her to grow up with a somewhat normal life. I can’t keep taking vacations, and I’m not going to quit my job.”

He felt a hand slide up to his shoulder and along his collarbone, coming to touch the stubble at his neck.

“So,” Kory said softly, “what you are saying is, if you went on the paternity leave once again, you would stay home and be with us?”

“As much as I love the practice, I can’t keep getting you pregnant so I can get out of work, Star,” Dick said in amusement, catching her fingers with his hand and bringing them to his lips. 

She frowned and drew her hand away, “I do not see why not. And I do not see why you must shave your beard.”

“Because it’s unprofessional.”

“But the chief has a beard, as does your head detective.”

“And that’s their style, not mine. I have a beard for two reasons. One is sleeping in my arms, soundly, for the first time in weeks. And the other is to entertain your weird beard fetish.”

“It is not a fetish,” Kory said heatedly, “you are simply incomparably attractive to me when you wear your facial hair.”

Dick grinned. 

“I love you, babe. But the beard is gonna go.”

“Mar’i will not recognize you without it.”

“Yes, she will.”

“Fine. Then I will not recognize you without it.”

“Oh really?” Dick asked, leaning in to kiss her cheek, “wouldn’t you recognize this?”

“I would never allow a stranger to get so close to me,” she replied haughtily, crossing her arms.

He rubbed his jaw teasingly against the side of her face, smirking when he felt her body rumble in response. 

“Even if they can make you purr like I do?”

Kory blushed and shook her head, dropping her gaze to the sleeping child nestled in her husband’s arms.

“You are certain I cannot convince you to stay on the paternity leave?” she asked mournfully, changing the subject before he could tempt her further. The dim glow of the stars they had covered Mar’i’s bedroom with lit up the lines of his face marvelously, drawing her into his warm blue eyes. 

“Not unless you can have a baby in the next few hours.”

“We can make one,” she tried, widening her eyes pleadingly, “have you not enjoyed these last few months with us?”

Dick sighed and stepped away from her to settle Mar’i into her crib, pleased to see his daughter sleeping soundly. 

“Come here, Star,” he said softly, bringing his arms around her waist and holding her in a standing snuggle, “I have loved every minute of being with you two. But we both knew it wasn’t going to last forever. One of us needs to work to keep up with all the shopping you do with Donna and Babs,” he added cheekily.

“But -”

“I won’t be going back full-time for at least a month. Half-days and case breaks only. And when Mar’i is a little older, I’ll ease into a more regular schedule. It’ll be gradual. And we’ll be able to get back into our regular patrols in no time.”

Kory sniffled and buried her face in the curve of his neck, breathing deeply.

“I am sorry,” she said sadly, “I am being unreasonable, and I know that. I just...I will miss you. And I will miss your perfect beard. And I will miss seeing you hold her at all hours of the day. I hate it when we are apart, I am always worried something will happen to you. I never know when to say goodbye.”

Dick sighed and tightened his grasp on her, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. 

“We knew what we were getting into when we signed up to be heroes, Star. That much hasn’t changed. And I know it’s scary to wonder, but we can’t be in this bubble forever. That’s not who we are. And that’s not the kind of example we want to set for Mar’i.” 

Kory pressed her lips against his jaw, cupping his face with both hands.

“I love you so much,” she said fiercely, “and I will do my best to make this easier for you if you would only just -”

“I’m not keeping the beard, Kory.”

She pouted and unwound herself from him.

“Clorbag.”

“I love you too, dearest,” Dick said drily, “it seems your separation anxiety was quick to disappear.”

“The only separation you need to be concerned for is that between you and all of your razors,” she said mischievously, darting into the hallway to beat him to the bathroom, “and every other sharp object I can hide will be hidden.”

“Don’t touch my shurikens!” Dick yelped, groaning when a sudden cry sounded from behind him.

“Fucking hell,” he mumbled, bending over to pick up his daughter and cuddle her into his chest, “Kory and her hormones, you and your...well, you’re a baby, so it’s not really your fault. I mean, of course, you’ll miss me. We spend all day together.”

Mar’i looked up at him with wide, curious eyes, as if encouraging him to go on.

“You let me talk about pretty much anything. Your mom does it too, but sometimes she falls asleep or gets bored and she’s not terrific at hiding it when she’s not interested. You also threw up on your Uncle Jason the first time he held you, which was pretty cool.”

She babbled something in baby and gripped his shirt, pulling herself into an easy float above his arms.

“You seem to like my music more than anyone else’s. And you fall asleep on top of me when we’re watching the game,” he continued, bringing his fingers up to tickle her tummy. 

Mar’i giggled and lost her balance, falling back into his hands.

“Let’s see...you’re definitely the cutest baby the world has ever seen. You behave perfectly with all your uncles and aunts. Even when Damian tried to kill you. You just zapped him with a little starbolt and laughed.”

Dick stared into her perfect green eyes and couldn’t help but feel a wave of sadness come over him. Nine months did feel too soon, in some ways. Mar’i had only just started walking. And her babbling was becoming increasingly more frequent. How long would it be before she said her first words? Would he even be there when she did?

“I’m going to miss being home, just so you know. A lot. But I definitely have to go. So you and your mom can’t try anything funny, okay?”

Shit. Were his eyes wet? Was he crying?

“I won’t be gone for too long tomorrow. Just in the morning. And then we can spend the rest of the day together.”

Mar’i raised a palm and rubbed it against his beard, showing him a gummy smile that was punctuated with two tiny baby teeth. 

He was definitely crying. 

“Anyway, I’m going to put you to bed now and stop your mom from destroying all the sharp things in the house, because I’m going to have to shave in the morning and that’s just a reality she’ll have to face -” 

He pulled Mar’i away from him slowly, lowering her back into the crib, retracting her immediately after the shrieking began.

“It’s bedtime, starshine, please, please go to sleep.”

But Mar’i, with a stubborn sense of persistence rivaling that of her father and mother, continued to scream and cry until Dick was snuggling her close to his chest, her fingers curled up in the cotton of his t-shirt.

Which is exactly how Kory found them thirty minutes later, having thrown out every razor-like thing she could possibly think of. Dick was still standing there in the center of the room, in the glow of the stars they had painted together, staring down at his daughter with tired, watery eyes. 

“Ah,” Kory said smugly, “I believe I am not the only one with a case of separation anxiety.”

Her husband looked over at her, something unreadable in his expression.

“How serious were you about making another one?”

Kory smiled wickedly. 

“I am always ready for you, my love.”

[raleigh-ocean]

| Ally Mayfair-Richards x Danna Bishop Alphabet |

A - AU (My favorite AU for them)

This one is hard damn, they already are living in a Chef AU of some sorts hahaha I think I really love that of them but if I had to put them in one...well, I still dig a lot the idea of Lawyer/The Good Fight AU, the one I said in Mina and Ray’s alphabet, so I totally see them in the same AU. But also, maybe, The Holiday AU. That’s a good film, I love it a lot and I could make it work somehow Danna and Audrey exchanging houses and then Audrey meets Dani and Danna meets Ally, I totally see it.

AND maybe some kind of Fighter AU? Boxing AU? OR BETTER Superhero AU OR OR OR WAIT ME A MINUTE D&D AU. Yeah, God, that would be awesome for fucking sure. Danna is totally a bard and Ally is the queen or something, I totally see it.

B - Baby (Do they want a family?)

They have a family: Ozzy and their dog, Bob. Danna didn’t think about her having kids and Ally doesn’t want another one, so they both are pretty content with Ozzy. So it was kind of a surprise family, at least for Danna. At first she was pretty much worried about not being good influence for Ozzy or Ally not wanting her to be close to him, but after a few pick ups at school and home dates, Ozzy totally fell in love with her mother’s new partner. Like from all the women Ally dated after Cult, Danna is the one that Ozzy liked the best and actively asked for her to Ally, which always got tear-eyed because not many could get a reaction out of him in such way.

When I say everyone was shocked and surprised upon knowing that Danna was dating someone with a kid, I’m totally honest with you. I mean, Dara could have say Billie and her were having a baby - which they both agreed not to - and it would have get less surprising and shocking reactions than the ones Danna got.

C - Cuddle (Cuddler? How would they cuddle?)

Ally is the cuddler and Danna loves cuddling her way too much, so there’s no much fighting about this to be honest. It doesn’t matter where they are, Ally always finds her way into Danna’s arms and they settle after Danna kiss the crown of her head or gave her a tiny peck.

With Ivy, Ally held back a bit on the PDA, but with Danna she’s all over the place and she doesn’t care at all because Danna seems as happy as her. Though sometimes Danna is the cuddler and it’s funny because their height differences are pretty much noticeable and Danna is like a human blanket.

D - Dates (What are dates like?)

Pretty...basic. They are content with simple things, simple dates at most, because they are always busy. So big dates are always for important stuff. This doesn’t mean they don’t feel the need of going out only the two of them once or twice, though, it’s just that too many times they are satisfied with their little dates at home or even when they’re on a break in the restaurant.

E - Everything (You are my ______? Life, world, etc)

Danna to Ally ‘You’re my pandora’s box.’

Ally to Danna ‘You’re my new sunrise.’

F - Feelings (When did they first realize they had feelings for the other?)

Five months after Danna started to work for Ally in the restaurant, around the time they were more comfortable with each other. I like to think that Ally was hesitant at first but she knew that her feeling for Danna were sincere from the beginning. And Danna was scared when she realized she was catching feelings for Ally, like hard feelings, after their fifth date and it wasn’t until it passed two months in their relationship that Danna actually addressed them properly.

G - Gentle (Are they gentle? If so, how?)

They are, both. But we all know Ally can be a bit harsher at times. With each other though, they are the most gentle even when they tease each other and such. I think it’s because they didn’t feel things so strong for someone in a long time and well, I always said Danna and Ally are the soft spot of each other, so what else can I say?

H - Holding Hands (Do they like it? How often?)

Heck to the yeah. But it’s always Ally the one doing it more naturally, Danna tends to overthink somehow. Maybe it’s because everything that Ally makes her feel is a bit new for her, so she feels like she’s walking over egg shells, not knowing if it’s okay to do this or that. Ally helps her get braver and it’s cute watching Danna, this enormous woman, be so nervous about holding her girlfriend’s hand. They do it pretty often, Ally always takes Danna’s hand in hers and leaves her free hand in Danna’s bicep, head resting in her shoulder a bit and all, which makes Danna to lean a bit to kiss her forehead with love.

I - Impression (What was their first impression of one another?)

Ally thought Danna was like a cartoon character, her reactions too big and weird at first and not matching with all the impressive stuff that was in her resume. She was really walking on thin ice because yeah, Danna looked and was a good professional, but as a person she was a bit over the place.

Danna was a bit scared of Ally at first, she made her nervous and that made her act in her silly self to ‘break the ice’. Danna had some sick respect for Ally upon meeting and for the next six months that were their pre-relationship, even when they started dating Danna went as far as blurting all of that out of nervousness to Ally, which found it hilarious. 

J - Jealous (Would they ever get jealous? How would they act if they were jealous?)

They both get jealous more than they want to admit, but they act on it playfully most of the time. Ally tease Danna about it, maybe a new way of approaching it taking in count everything that happened with Ivy, and Danna is always pretty oblivious about many stuff that happens around her that isn’t Ally or the kitchen related so Danna goes to Ally and picks her up like she weights nothing, trying to draw some laughs from her and kissing her, telling her afterwards that she didn’t notice that the new scullion was flirting with her because the most beautiful woman was around the kitchen.

When it’s Danna’s turn to get jealous the feeling is all over her face, it’s so easy to notice it? She tries to hold it back but all her unsaid words are there in the form of Danna getting closer to Ally, wrapping her from behind and being a bit more cuddly than she is on daily basis. Ally always comment lightly about how nice this whoever was once they are alone and it’s then when Danna just let it all go and get all flustered and everything and Ally can’t help but kiss her all over her face before dragging her to bed.

K - Kisses (How do they kiss?)

There are times and times, but they kinda kiss slow most of the time, big ones when they think none’s watching but everyone’s totally is. Danna have this thing of holding Ally’s face between her hands in such delicately way that has Ally all heart-eyes without a single doubt.

But the quick kisses with the ‘D wink trademark’ that everyone in Danna’s family has...those are a good soft spot, though.

L - Love (Who says ‘I love you’ first?)

Danna! And it was by accident but Ally followed her the next second. I want to specifically write this because it’s a wholesome and cute scenario, but let’s say Danna was talking over the phone with Dani and Ally overheard her saying that she loved her a lot and that Ally was making Danna to want to stay and not escape like pretty much of her relationships. It was way too early in their relationship though, like two months or so, they knocked each others socks off pretty hard. 

M - Memory (What’s their favorite memory of the relationship?)

I think their favourite moment, forever and ever, would be the night Ally asked Danna to move in with them. There wasn’t crazy, big, whatever, in the whole memory but the simplicity of it all, the warmth in the moment, was enough to make it their favourite. Ally was cooking dinner while Danna watched over Ozzy, who was doing some homework, and when she turned around to see why they were bickering...well, it got Ally’s heart all soft to watch Danna mess with Ozzy because she was ‘bored’, all in a lighthearted way.

The question came out of Ally’s lips too fast and she looked at Ozzy quickly, because his reaction was the most important one in that moment, but seeing how Ozzy was even more excited with that idea...well, what else could I say? Danna moved in the following week, though, but between us she totally cried a bit that night in Ally’s bathroom out of happiness.

N - Nicknames (What do they call each other?)

I said this before but with Danna is like a russian roulette of nicknames, each day she has a different one, words and combinations that she comes up with in a second and stick for the rest of the day and Ally is always pretty amused of what will she be every day.

Ally sticks with sweetheart, darling and sunshine, but this one is something pretty intimate and holds a lot of 

O - Orange (What color reminds them of each other?)

Orange is the colour that reminds Ally of Danna, mostly because it was the colour of the flowers Danna gave her in their first date. Prussian blue reminds Danna of Ally though, really specific blue, but it was the colour of the shirt she was wearing the night of their first time and Ally put it on in the morning afterwards - said shirt is constantly borrowed by Ally, needless to say.

P - Proposal (Who proposes and how?)

You know those videos of people that propose at the same time? Ally and Danna are those. And Ozzy knew all the fucking time because they took him, separately, to buy the rings and he’s the one in charge sending the video over the group chat with the rest of the medium gang and let me tell you, they both cried like a lot. It was over movie night, pretty casual thing, they’ve been planing it for the week and like they just wanted to have a calm night with Ozzy since it was hectic at work and everything. So basically Ally went to the kitchen to make popcorn, thinking about when would it be the right time to propose, and it was then that Danna took advantage of the situation to be there on her knee when she was back. Ally literally couldn’t respond, she dropped the popcorn and knelled in front of Danna to do the same and Ozzy is like holding Bob so he doesn’t eat their snacks but at the same time holding Danna’s cellphone so he can make the video.

Q - Quiet (Do they like to talk, or are they more of an actions type of person?)

Ally is, little by little, changing some of Danna’s ways of handling stuff into building some sort of ‘safe space’ so she can voice her opinions more easily. If it was for Danna, she would show Ally the world only with her actions but Ally needs to be verbally reassured, like, it’s something that clung to her bones since Ivy in such heavy and nasty manner that she couldn’t help it. For someone that speaks so much, Danna have some serious troubles voicing her feelings tbh.

R - Rich (Do they spoil one another?)

They do, but both are quite the ‘hesitant buyers’ as to speak. Like they always over think if it’s really okay of them to buy something to each other and many times, even when they end up buying it, they have their heads full of thoughts against it. However, upon seeing each other’s faces full of surprise and love those thoughts change and they are more at ease.

S - Sleep (What are their sleep habits?)

They both have, impressively, the habit of not going to sleep late. Ally because she built that but Danna because after ten is falling asleep as they speak. If there isn’t something that hold them back, they both are in bed around eleven or so. It quite the contrast taking in count, per example, how Dani always go to sleep late and one would think Danna, being the upbeat twin, has the most energy of the two.

Sometimes they take a bath together before bed though, it depends of what has transcended during the day, and that may be ending up in sex...more times than they want to admit but hey, a bit of fun here and there in between the calmness of their nights it’s good. 

T - Touch (Their favorite place to touch?)

Ally’s favourite place to touch in Danna will be her hands, it’s something she can’t get enough of it. She also found that Danna, weirdly enough, is ticklish when touched softly over her knuckles, and Ally finds that really endearing for some reason.

In Danna’s case it’s a bit harder, mostly because is hard that she admits having a favourite place to begin with since she loves all of Ally but there’s something that keeps drawing her to just place her hands over Ally’s tummy. Overall when Danna is hugging her from behind, she can’t help it, or when she’s hugging her sideways with one arm. Ally always giggle a bit because she isn’t used to that kind of things.

U - Unencumbered (What do they do to relax?)

When they are together, Danna loves to watch Ally cook, it puts her in a good mood and also she likes being told what to do, taking in count she’s the one giving orders on the daily around the restaurant and all. It also form some kind of silly sweet moments together and Danna is a sucker for those, because she gets to see the softer side of Ally. At times she likes to take care of the garden too, it reminds Danna of home, of afternoons spent with Dani, her siblings and cousins when they were younger.

For Ally it’s whatever chore she has at home to be done, it helps her to ground herself, to remember that even with everything that has happened and it’s happening, she still pretty much is there existing. That and reading, she likes reading too much, so when she’s with a book in hand both Danna and Ozzy know that they have to keep their loudness down and let her enjoy. Sometimes Danna nap with her head in Ally’s belly if she’s reading and Ally loves to brush Danna’s hair with her fingers or resting her hand in her nap, caressing her skin with her thumb, while at it.

V - Virgin (What’s the sex like?)

At the beginning pretty vanilla, being completely honest. They kind of enjoy not rushing it, as if they were and are learning their ways around each other, which is nice and makes Ally feel comfortable since their first time Ally thought Danna was about to go full bananas but ended up being pretty wholesome the whole thing. But, as of now, they are experimenting a bit here and there and Ally likes Danna’s assertiveness because it lets her know clearly her limits and how far she is willing to go.

But overall their sex is fun, lots of giggling and laughing, they have fun and they are happy while at it, which is the most important thing. Is a bit of their little gateway of daily life, because only them exist there.  

W - Wedding (What’s the wedding like? Big, small?)

Small! Well, as small as it can get with Danna’s family. But yeah, pretty much Ally is still worried taking in count is her second marriage and Danna promised her that it would be like a tiny gathering. Ally’s family is a bit intimidated at first with Danna’s family but after a few hours they are like a big family. There are some friends too, but only the closest ones.

Someone will think that Danna was going to have the biggest wedding and party ever, but after so many years she just wanted to make Ally happy and have a good day with everyone important to her.

X - Xylophone (What’s their song?)

Their song, no matter what, is ‘You Make Me Feel Like Dancing’ by Leo Sayer. They love it and Danna has it as her tone for Ally in her cellphone. They also danced to it any time they can, because the happiness that it brings them is unmatched. Ally always jokes that this song is like really old, way older than her, but it makes her feels something in her chest. For Danna, it only makes her lean to kiss her fiancee because all that song is for her is like she’s talking to Ally about how she fell in love with her. 

Also I feel like Danna will show Ally ‘Magic in the Hamptons’ by Social House as a joke and that song ends up being their guilty pleasure song. I said what I said.

Y - Yearn (How do they cope with being away from the other?)

Incredibly well, to be completely honest. Danna has always been travelling and living away from everything she loves and holds dear to her, and it still is really hard but she knows how to handle it through texts, calls, videocalls and such. She can’t take a shirt from Ally or something, ‘cause it doesn’t fit her, but she does take one of her bracelets, or even a ring or one earring. That’s enough for her to not miss her new home that much, taking in count Danna already has a picture of them three as her cellphone’s background.

In exchange...well, Ally does suffer a bit more with this. However she has the advantage that anything she takes from Danna’s side of the closet fits her perfectly big and comfy and she already has a favourite sweater and all. She has even worn some wool jackets for work here and there, and once Danna’s big coat too. Maybe it is because of her own trauma is acting up a bit, but having Danna calling her everyday to check on her helps a lot.

Z - Zoo (What kind of pet would they have, if any?)

They got a dog! As I said, after months and months of Danna and Oz joining forces to convince Ally to get a pet, they finally did it after a whole year of it. They went to get a rescue dog, though, and after much deliberation Danna and Oz decided to get an old chihuhua that had been there for a really long time.

His full name is Roberto and maybe he’s a bit ugly, okay, and trembles a little too much and his left ear is a bit chomped, but when he crossed the main door for the first time and went directly to Ally, who was in the kitchen...it was like love at first sight. 

They three are pretty in love with Bob or Bobito, which is how Danna calls him, and he got used to his new home pretty fast, which was the best thing. And outside of home and talking about the rest of the gang...Billie and Dani still doesn’t get how can he be that ugly and still are kinda worried about the fact that they got him; Dahlia is okay with him, she likes him and sometimes gives him little beacon bits; Shelby is pretty neutral, but she’s likes him enough to agree to ‘babysit’ him if necessary; Dara still cries because she’s allergic to animal fur and wants to pet him every time; and Audrey is mostly awkward around him, but Bob loves her for some reason and he’s always with her if he’s not with Ally.

[fishfingersandjellybabies]

Anguish - recognition au

Characters: Tim Drake, Dick Grayson, Damian Wayne, Jason Todd Summary: It all happened so fast. It was an enemy, a family member, and a chance. It was the collapse of his whole world. A/N: The end! Like three years after the last update I finally finish this crazy thing. I knew how it was going to end after probably the third part, but just couldn’t figure out how to bridge it, so sorry if this seems a little ‘quick’ so to speak. Damian just never got over his older brother, even through the turmoil. I still don’t say if Bruce is dead or not, oops my b. Funny - the first part of this series is only 500 words. This is nearing 3k. Talk about growth haha. (and shameless self plug. Recently started a Ko-Fi - so if you like this or anything I’ve ever created, please consider it! :) 

Other Recognition AU stories

~~

It all happened so fast.

Well, relatively, anyway.

In reality, it was months. Months of Dick dragging them from abandoned building to abandoned building. Hiding in the shadows, from Owls and Bats alike. Keeping Damian under vague threat of harm to have Tim under his command, too.

Dick showed no one mercy, and a trail of bodies were left in their wake. The media eventually picked up on it, but never got further than a few clever nicknames. That seemed to amuse Dick to no end.

And Tim hated him. Tim…wanted to hate him. He was killing. He was hurting innocent people. He was doing everything they were against, everything they fought when they were heroes.

But.

A few times he used the violence to protect them. Like when a drunk man tried to grab Damian in a convenience store one afternoon. Dick had yanked his hand off of Damian’s person, cut off his thumb, then stabbed him in the jugular.

Or when a prostitute appeared out of an alleyway and shoved a gun into Tim’s ribs and demanded all of his valuables. As gracefully as only Dick Grayson could, he pulled Tim to safety and took his place, swiftly slicing his knife across the femoral artery in her thigh and kicking her back into the alley she’d appeared from. Then he’d cheerfully taken Damian and Tim’s hands, and they continued their journey across the street.

And it was just enough. Just protective and caring and in-character enough that it made Tim hope. Made him believe that maybe their Dick Grayson was still in there, somewhere, and they could find him.

But time and again, the hope would be shattered, when Dick would nonchalantly wrap his fingers around Damian’s neck. When he’d grin at Tim after those kills, with a gleam in his eye.

It was exhausting, this rollercoaster of hope and despair. Of worrying about himself, and Damian. Surviving, and trying not to love his oldest brother as much as he always has.

And it was months of this. Almost a year. Being trained by the Talon when possible, and shacking up in any structure with four walls when Dick allowed them to stop. Ignoring the murders and the smell of death outside the windows of their temporary shelters.

They’d catch glimpses of the Court of Owls, chasing after them themselves. Some of Dick’s kills were his fellow Talons, and Tim couldn’t quite say he was sorry for their loss.

“We’ll take them all down.” Dick kept saying, every so often. “Dwindle their numbers here on the streets, then go back and take down the ones that remain.”

They’d see the members of the Bats, too, every so often. And Dick always had a knife at the ready when they appeared. Ready to kill or be killed. Or rather – kill, or ready to throw Damian or Tim into the line of fire.

But then Tim and Damian would beg. Leave them alone. If they don’t see us, there’s no reason to engage. Like the rest of their misery, Dick seemed to find enjoyment in their pleads. Would drop the subject after whatever Bat they’d seen disappeared back into the city.

But suddenly, after months, after almost a goddamn year, it wasn’t a flyby. They didn’t just see their family from far away.

Suddenly, by the harbor, they were standing face to face with the Red Hood.

It was Damian who had noticed first. They’d been walking along the boardwalk, just meandering to kill time, maybe looking for somewhere to eat. Damian, walking between them, had turned to watch a bird fly overhead, then suddenly gasped.

The sound alerted Tim and Dick, and they both looked at him and followed his gaze. Tim’s heart dropped at the sight of Jason walking quickly behind them, having clearly recognized them first.

“No…” Damian whispered as Jason stopped a few feet away, leaving space. Dick shoved him into Tim’s arms, pulling a knife out in the same movement.

“Dick? Is that you, man?” Jason asked slowly, holding his hands up in front of him in peace. He wasn’t wearing a mask, or his helmet, but the rest of his uniform screamed his moniker. “I can’t believe I finally…”

“The Red Hood, yes?” Dick asked slowly. “Ally to the Batman.”

“Sure, if that’s what you want to call it.” Jason murmured, eyes darting over the younger two. Tim could see the fury building behind his eyes at how thin they both were, and the bruises clearly visible. “You two okay?”

“We’re alive.” Tim countered. “So if you count that as okay, then yeah.”

Jason nodded slowly, eyes going back to Dick. “…Give me the kids.”

“No.”

“Dick, please. I know you don’t want to do this to them.” Jason tried. Tim almost laughed at the idea. Appealing to Dick’s emotions – as if he really had any left. “Just…let me take them home. Then I’ll come back to you and we can talk, okay?”

“No.” Dick repeated. “They aren’t yours anymore.”

Jason huffed, and took a step forward. Dick shifted only to grab another knife out of his stash, and hold the blade to Damian’s throat.

“Take another step and I’ll end him.” Dick warned. Jason froze like a deer in headlights, eyes going wide. His gaze darted to Tim, who nodded.

“He’s serious.” Tim returned. “Why do you think we haven’t tried to get away before?”

Damian said nothing. Just scowled, and balled his hands into fists.

“What the fuck.” Jason breathed, reaching for the gun at his side. “What the actual fu-”

Without warning, a spattering of knives fell in a straight line between them. Tim and Damian jumped, and Jason pulled the gun from its holster and pointed up. Dick merely sighed.

“About time you found us, William.” He sneered.

“You’re better at hiding than we thought.” William hummed. “And still with your little pets, I see.”

“They’re none of your concern.” Dick spat.

“No, that’s why I wish to kill them and get it over with.” William sighed. “So they’re finally out of the way, and we can move on to more important things.”

“If anyone is killing them, it will be my decision and by my hand.” Dick reminded harshly. And Tim didn’t know if it was an involuntary movement or not, but the blade still held to Damian’s throat cut into his skin, just slightly, and blood blossomed underneath it.

“Hey, how about,” Jason shouted, drawing the attention back to him. “No one’s killing anyone? Least of all two fucking kids?”

“Would you like to take their place?” William called as he jumped down onto the boardwalk. Tim involuntarily pulled Damian back and for once, Dick allowed it without thought.

“How about you, instead?” Jason asked, shooting immediately. William dodged to the side, and Dick ducked. Damian spun and shoved Tim to the ground, and Tim rolled to practically laid on top of the younger.

“Jason!” Tim shouted over the noise. “Stop!”

But as he glanced back, he instantly saw Jason’s tactic. He wasn’t shooting to kill, he was shooting as a distraction. After every bullet, he took a step forward, forcing both Dick and William to either hide or back up themselves.

Getting them away from Tim and Damian.

“Just stay down!” Jason called back, switching out magazines as the gun emptied. Tim nodded, ducking his head back down onto Damian’s.

“…We’re getting out, kid.” He whispered. “This is our opening. We’re going home.”

In retrospect, the fact that Damian didn’t say anything should have been concerning. Tim should have noted it, should have at least looked at the kid in his silence. But he didn’t, and just took it as Damian not bothering to try under the sound of gunfire.

Because if he looked, he would have seen Damian watching Dick in his retreat.

Jason’s second magazine ran out just as he came up next to them. But this time, there was no surprise in the attack, and in the seconds-long pause, Dick took his chance, rushing forward, knives at the ready.

He threw a few, but missed. So when he was close enough, he began throwing punches instead. Some Jason was able to counter, some not. Their battle moved away from Tim and Damian once more, and when Tim was able to look, he saw Jason on his back, Dick standing over him with knives in each hand.

There was that rollercoaster of hope again.

“No, no, no…” Tim scrambled, trying to get to his feet. But by the time he got on foot settled on the ground, William Cobb was appearing from his hiding spot, and already looming over the Talon and Red Hood.

“Jason!” Tim screamed, already seeing the scenario play out. Dick would stab him first. Then William. Then, if he was still alive after that, they’d just keep stabbing him, until nothing was left. Then they’d slash his throat, just because.

But…no.

Because when William reached out, it was Dick he stabbed, right in where his throat and collarbone met.

Dick shrieked when he did, the sound echoing as William pulled the blade along his shoulder.

“No one betrays the Court.” William hissed, yanking the blade out. Dick looked practically feral as he faced him. “Not even you, Grandson. Your game was fun while it lasted, but now it’s time to end it.”

“No one betrays the Court?” Dick repeated, turning to face the other Talon. Jason silently tried to shimmy away, but Dick only spared him a glance, before swinging a blade into lower thigh, lodging it there. “The Court does not own me.”

“A fact they have become aware of.” William said. “Therefore, Richard Grayson, the Court of Owls has sentenced you to die. And it fills me with glee to be the one to take the contract.”

“Go ahead and try.” Dick hissed, taking one of his own knives and stabbing it into William’s neck. William jerked away before Dick could remove it, but he couldn’t dodge the punch that came after, nor the swift kick.

But he did catch the lunge that Dick tried next, and had his dagger in Dick’s side before anyone could blink.

Tim wasn’t focusing on their fight, though. He was focusing on their chance to get out. On their only chance, the only one they’ve had this whole fucking time.

On their brother who, honestly, he’s missed.

So as soon as Dick and William were a few feet away from Jason, he stood and ran over to him.

“Can you stand?” Tim breathed. Jason shrugged. “Okay, I’ll…I’ll help you.”

He glanced over to the fight between Talons. Both were bleeding now, but neither were giving up. Ripping blades out of themselves to attack the other with, keeping their punches and kicks, no matter how much their injuries may have been affecting them.

“…Should I help him?” Jason asked. “Is he…him?”

“No, to the second question.” Tim murmured. “And…I…I don’t know to the first.”

“…How many times has he threatened Damian?” Jason asked. “Or you?”

“You don’t want to know.” Tim shook his head. “But…he did protect us a few times, too.”

“Good enough for now, I guess.” Jason grunted, shifting to his side, pulling out his second gun. He held up it up, aimed for a moment, then shot, hitting William directly in the center of his throat.

It didn’t kill him, but it made him stagger, and drop his knife. Gave Dick the opening he needed.

He dug his blade into the hole Jason’s bullet created and sliced in a circle.

Sawed and sawed until William’s head detached from his body, and he’d successfully beheaded his grandfather.

“Fuck.” Jason breathed, as Dick turned, staring down at the head in his hands. But when Dick looked up, he wasn’t looking at any of them, but out into the harbor.

And without a word, he threw it into the waters.

But from the short, yet intense, battle, he was exhausted, and injured. And the effort of throwing William Cobb’s head seemed too much, as he collapsed to his knees, falling onto his hands.

This was it.

“Let’s go.” Tim whispered. “Jay…this is our chance.”

“Don’t want to…I don’t know, bring him along? Arrest him or…” Jason offered. And Tim knew Jason still didn’t grasp the severity of this. The severity of how not Dick this Dick Grayson was. How Tim had already realized they’d never have their Dick back, ever again.

“Leave him. We can…worry about him some other day.” Tim pushed. “Now come on, I’ll help you up.”

Jason nodded, and gasped in pain as Tim helped him to his feet, got him staggering the way he’d came. As he began to move a little better, Tim turned.

“Damian, let’s go.”

But Damian, who was still lying on the boardwalk where Tim had left him, didn’t move.

“Damian!” Tim hissed. He moved towards him, just a few steps. “It’s now or never, kid. We gotta move.”

Damian still didn’t move, and wouldn’t look at Tim. Still just staring at Dick.

“Damian. Come on.”

Now, the boy looked over, and to Tim’s surprise, there were tears pouring down his face.

“I can’t.” Damian choked. “I can’t leave him.”

“W-what?”

Damian looked back to Dick. To the Talon. To what Tim was finally accepting as their former brother.

“I can’t leave Grayson.”

“He’s…Damian, he’s…” Tim’s heart was shattering. “He’s not Dick anymore.”

“He…I can…Maybe…” Damian shifted to his knees. Looked back at Tim. “You go. Get Todd home. Rest. You deserve it.”

“I’m not leaving you here, are you crazy?!” Tim asked. He took another step forward, but this time, Dick looked up at him. His strength was already returning, and they were running out of time. “No. No way. Damian, let’s go. Now.”

But Damian was shaking his head as he stood. “I’m sorry.” He wailed. “I’m so sorry.”

“Damian, no!” Tim screamed, lunging for the boy. But Damian was faster, and ducked his hand, running to Dick’s side.

Dick didn’t emote as Damian kneeled next to him, putting a hand over a bleeding wound on his side. Didn’t even smile as Damian wrapped Dick’s arm around his neck, and hoisted him up.

He gave Tim one last look. His eyes were dark, and hollow. “I hope we see each other again one day.” He whispered. “Forgive me.”

Dick’s strength wasn’t back yet. So even as he leaned towards Tim to grab him, Damian steered him away, dragging him back into the shadows.

“Damian, wait!” But as Tim moved after them himself, he felt a hand grab his elbow.

“We won’t give up on him.” Jason promised. “But there’s nothing we can do right now. He gave us a chance, before Dick’s back in his right mind and comes after you. We need to take it.”

Crying, sobbing really, Tim nodded, turned and slowly helped Jason limp to safety.

…It all just happened so fast.

~~

Tim didn’t leave the manor much these days. Too busy drowning in a mixture of depression and PTSD, and spending days at a time in front of computers, looking for any sign of Dick and Damian.

The murders continued, and reports changed to include the murderer’s new tiny shadow. The Bird Boys, some channels called them. Or the Talon Twins. Some wondered if it was the return of the Red Hood and Scarlett from years gone by, or the Anti-Batman, with his Anti-Robin.

Some conspiracy website called them Ghosts, and Tim felt that was most fitting.

The mysterious Talon and his mysterious child never bothered the Bats, though. Never attacked, or colluded to with others. Tim even noticed in his constant research that the murders were now aimed towards the worst criminals of the worst. He was proud of Damian for that. A hero even now, when he really didn’t have to be.

But despite Damian’s final words to him, Tim never saw them either. Only followed their lives in barely-accurate news stories and alerts. But for Damian’s sake, he tried. Rented shady motel rooms and left notes in alleyways about them. Bought bags of groceries and left them in the abandoned buildings they frequented.

One time, he found a note in one, most definitely in Dick’s handwriting, that merely said Thanks. Another time, he found blood in the rented motel room. Later tests said it was Damian’s.

For not the first time in his life, he hated how close Dick and Damian were. Because maybe if they weren’t, maybe if Dick didn’t once love Damian like a son, maybe if Damian didn’t love Dick more than the sun – Damian would be here. Damian would be safe.

(More than once, though, when he found blood where he believed his brothers to be, it was confirmed to be Dick’s. Tim couldn’t help but smile then – Damian was holding his own.)

Regardless, he never saw them again, and he never got over it, what happened. Never returned to Red Robin. Never really returned to Tim Drake.

Maybe he died that day, when Damian stayed with the one who was hurting them so. Or maybe he died day one of this whole ordeal, when Bruce told him to run. Told him to protect Damian and get away.

He had failed so horribly at both of those things.

So maybe, he never really left Dick either, not mentally. Emotionally. Spiritually.

Maybe he was just another ghost too.

Maybe Jason was too. And Cass. And Steph. And Barbara. And Alfred. They all grieved alongside him. Every second of every day.

And maybe, in the end the Court of Owls got exactly what they wanted.

The Wayne family destroyed.

[queensdivas]

That Silly Wig!

I’ve never written a short so fast in my entire life of my God! Not a super long one because I have other stuff to do sadly! 

I was deeply inspired by the recent drawing of @eileen-crys​ with her comic and I literally threw everything aside to write this! I gotta stop doing this kind of crap so much so I can focus on my remaining school work! But anyway. Hope you enjoy! 

That lovely artwork of hers!

masterlist 

taglist

@filmslutt​ @mexifangorl​ @leah-halliwell92​ @i-live-for-queen​ @its-funny-til-its-not​ @brianmydear​ @bonafiderocketqueen​ @jd-johndeacon-or-jackdaniels​ @painkiller80​ @seven-seeds-of-rhye​ @seven-seas-of-fuck-you​ @sevenseasofky​

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Rounding up what Freddie calls the Deaklings was a lot more difficult than you could ever imagine. Have to make sure that Laura has her favorite stuffed animal, making sure Michael wasn’t annoying Robert too badly, then packing the diaper bag for Josh and his favorite toys. And all without a nanny! Super Mom right here! Though Chrissy has made it very appealing to finally get one but Robert and Michael are basically grown children so it’s a little easier now in a sense. 

But today is meant to a very good day for the six of us which includes Deaky. We’re finally spending some family time by taking them out for a picnic in Bushy Park! We’ve been wanting to take the kids there for a while, yet our timing has been non existent. He has to do some filming for a new music video then on lunch he plans on taking a longer one for us to go. 

“Alright kids! We’re moving in t-minus five minutes!” Yelling up the stairs for the thunder of children to start running down the stairs. Robert and Michael were the first ones down as Laura was slowly making her way down with her stuffed Fox Brian gave her when she was born. 

Grabbing Josh's diaper bag from the floor to throw on my shoulder to then pick him up from his play crib. He wrapped himself around me as I picked him up. Kissing the top of his forehead as I walked out of the house, locking the door to see the kids are already in the car ready to go. Man did we raise some very well behaved kids! Until Robert and Michael start fighting over their toys. 

We arrived to the set where they were filming their new music video as the kids beginning to bounce around in the backseat. I pulled into the parking spot to see Brian coming out with his hairs all in plastic curls in his hair and in his regular clothes. 

“Uncle Brian!” Laura screamed as they all rushed out of the car to hug their Uncle. I got out to unbuckle Josh for him to cling himself on me again. Ever since Josh was born he’s always just kept himself attached to me and for a reason he hasn’t really had much interest in John which is very concerning. Maybe it’s just a very long phase. 

“Well hello there Daisy! What brings you to our neck of the woods?” Brian picked up Laura who gave him a huge hug. 

“We’re going on a picnic to Bushy Park!” Richard yelled as we began walking into the set for the hustling and bustling of the crew. 

“Say. Where’s Chrissy anyhow?” Asking Brian as he put down Laura. 

“She’s got work and the kids are off with my parents for the week so Chrissy and I could have some us time.” Nodding as we turned the corner for Roger to come strutting out in a school girl outfit! Trying to not laugh but Robert was already losing it. 

“Uncle Roger is dressed like a girl!” He began strutting himself towards us to make Laura and even Josh giggle a little bit. 

“Can’t believe you managed to round up all Dealings in such a fashion!” Roger commented as Robert finally stopped laughing at Roger’s getup. I’m guessing that this was either his idea or Freddie’s idea. But I’m definitely leaning towards Roger at this point because he’s really enjoying himself. 

“Let me guess Roger. This was all you?” Asking as he took off his sunglasses to wink at me. Oh goodness it was! Well he looks fantastic! Brian took off his robe to appear in a pink nightgown and to slip on his pinky bunny slippers. Oh dear God! Wait. ARE THOSE JOHNS PINK BUNNY SLIPPERS!? I got John those slippers back in college because he always complained about his feet getting cold whenever he would come over for homework! He still kept them? 

“Love the slippers.” Even one of the buttons is missing when Robert pulled them out when he was a baby. I know it seems stupid to be happy about a old pair of bunny slippers but ya know. We’ve been together for so long and with all our children, it's easy to forget the times when we would do silly stuff like that all the time. 

“Mommy where’s Dad?” Laura asked as we could hear John and Freddie laughing down the hallway as Paul came out of the dressing room. He looked at us to roll his eyes and continue on his way to wherever he was going. Paul says that bringing our kids to the studio or the set isn’t a good idea, so John always makes sure we stop by to say hello. 

“Dad is probably getting ready so we shouldn’t disturb him okay.” I told her as she held onto her toy fox a little tighter. She is definitely daddy’s little girl and at this age feels kind of empty without him. Trust me it’s difficult when he’s at the studio for ungodly hours and she wants John to read her a bedtime story. She doesn’t throw temper tantrums or anything, just gets all quiet and holds onto her fox a little tighter. Such as she’s doing now. Brian bought that for her on her first birthday and she loved it ever since. Trust me she will never let go of it even if her life depended on it. But it is pretty cute so who could blame her. 

Roger began walking us to where they were getting ready with Michael riding on his shoulders and Robert walking ahead of us. Not sure why but Michael has always found Roger to be his favorite out of the three of them with Robert being close to Freddie since he spoils the living hell out of them for birthdays and holidays. 

“How’s the music going Rog?” I asked him as we rounded the corner to hear Freddie laughing. 

“It’s going great! Freddie’s got another hit in the works so it should be something pretty good as always.” 

“Awesome! And how's Dom?” 

“She’s doing fantastic! Plan on taking her to Switzerland for the week to celebrate our anniversary.” Oh my god when John and I went to Switzerland before Michael was born was such a wonderful time! 

“That’s awesome! Tell her I said hello obviously.” Smiling to see Freddie coming out of their dressing room in their costume. Oh my god they look terrific! Freddie wearing a beautiful black wig with huge pink earrings and pink lipstick. He wore a pink sleeveless top and a black leather skirt. 

“The Deaklings!” He laughed as Robert ran towards him and gave him a big hug. Like I said Robert was his favorite and Freddie loved Robert. Hell I think Freddie would want to be his godfather. 

“Uncle Freddie! Did Dad tell you we finally got a cat!? She’s super fat, super furry, and the biggest green eyes!” Robert told him which made me smile. 

“Never thought she would let you! What’s its name!?” Robert dug into his coat pocket to pull out his Polaroid of the new cat. 

“Her name is Matilda!” He handed Freddie the pic as he smiled for the fuzzy cat on the picture. Yes we finally got a cat for the family because they’re easy to take care of, and hello! It’s a cat! 

“She absolutely gorgeous. Oh my goodness she’s humongous! Can’t wait to meet her whenever I come over for tea!” Him and Robert began going off as John came out of the dressing room looking like an old lady with puffy grey wig. I couldn't help myself to start laughing for my husband to be looking like my own mother! What on earth is Roger doing to my husband! 

“My dear husband what has Roger done to you?” Walking over to him as he placed his hand on top of Josh's head to kiss him. Josh turned himself to start reaching for John to scoop him up and give him another forehead kiss to leave a lipstick mark on his head. 

“He’s brought me to misery.” He groaned as he leaned in to kiss me. Giving each other peck to see Robert giggling again at John with Michael just smiling. 

“Dad why are you dressed up like grandma!?” Robert laughed with made Freddie laugh. Robert definitely gets Deakys witty comments and his ability to make everyone laugh. 

“I think you look cool Dad!” Michael cheered. 

“Thank you Michael!” John smiled at the children as Freddie grabbed their hands to start walking them to the set for the free food. 

“I’m assuming you’re having loads of fun.” Keeping my eye on Josh for him to latch himself around John as I was hoping in the end. Phew. 

“Darling of course.” He kissed my lips again as Laura was still hiding behind me. She squeezed her stuffed Fox trying to hold back her sniffling. Her eyes began to water as her sniffling continued to grow a little more louder. 

“That’s not my dad, that old lady doesn’t look like dad..where’s dad..” Wait what? We looked down to see her starting to cry. 

“THAT’S NOT MY DAD! WHERE IS PAPA!” Laura exploded in tears as we both looked down at her in confusion. She hid her face behind her stuffed Fox for not knowing her own father before her. 

“Laura that’s papa! He’s just wearing a silly costume.” Trying to make her smile but it was not working whatsoever. She was still sobbing as John kneeled down to me to hand me Josh. He moved her in front of her so he could face her and try to calm her down. 

“Laura, my princess it’s me! It’s just a costume and a little makeup.” He whipped her tears away so she could see John in all his makeup. She still wasn’t convinced so he ripped off his wig for his poofy hair to expand!

“See? A silly wig and makeup!” He smiled to toss the wig on the ground for her to stop crying. She moved the fox away from her face as she jumped into his arms. 

“You scared me Papa!” He got up with her in his arms as her fox dangled behind his neck. 

“I’m sorry Princess! Papa wouldn’t scare you on purpose!” John held her tightly as he was so upset he made Laura cry. Even though he’s busy with his work, he loves our little Deaklings with all his soul and hates it when they’re upset. Especially his princess. 

“Mr. Hamish doesn’t want you to cry now does he.” He grabbed her fox to place in front of her so she could hold it again. 

“No Mr. Hamish doesn’t want me to cry Papa.” She giggled as he put her down on the ground to hold her hand. He even went so far to scoop Josh from me so he could walk with his kids to the set. Grabbing his wig from the floor to watch as he walked away with our children laughing with them. 

How is it even possible to love someone so much? I feel like my love for him could explode as he’s such a wonderful father, a loving husband, and one cheeky devil.