#ivys sapling ask

[its-to-the-death]

Propaganda for "Mother Knows Best": the entire song is such a fucked up display of Gothel manipulating, undermining, and abusing Rapunzel while couching it in a facade of love. I'll break it down:

[MOTHER GOTHEL, spoken] You want to go outside? Why, Rapunzel...

Pretends to consider the request, then slams the window shut, closing off the outside world. Look at you, as fragile as a flower Still a little sapling, just a sprout

Infantilizes her by calling her fragile and tiny. Furthermore, likens her to a flower, tying into how she's important because she's a replacement for the Sundrop. Also note the condescending patting.

(sung) You know why we stay up in this tower

[RAPUNZEL, spoken] I know, but—

[MOTHER GOTHEL] That's right, to keep you safe and sound, dear

Cuts off Rapunzel, because she doesn't get a voice in this. Insists that keeping her isolated is for her safety, but is stroking her hair while singing the last line, reinforcing how she values Rapunzel only for her power.

Guess I always knew this day was coming Knew that soon you'd want to leave the nest

Paints herself as the victim, dramatically posing with the curtains and vocally emphasizing how distraught she is.

Soon, but not yet

[RAPUNZEL, spoken] But—

[MOTHER GOTHEL] Shh! Trust me, pet Mother knows best

Again positions herself as "reasonable"--oh, she'll let Rapunzel leave someday, she's just not ready yet! Again, Rapunzel is shushed and degraded--she's a "pet" who doesn't know better, and she should just shut up and listen to her mother.

Mother knows best, listen to your mother It's a scary world out there Mother knows best, one way or another Something will go wrong, I swear Ruffians, thugs, poison ivy, quicksand Cannibals and snakes The plague

[RAPUNZEL, spoken] No!

[MOTHER GOTHEL] Yes!

[RAPUNZEL, spoken] But—

[MOTHER GOTHEL] Also large bugs Men with pointy teeth, and Stop, no more, you'll just upset me

Intimidates Rapunzel by knocking out the lights, physically manhandling her (especially knocking her down), and filling her head with terrifying images of the outside world. She is preying on Rapunzel's naivete (which is the result of Gothel isolating her) to scare her into submission. She also continues to cut Rapunzel off every time she tries to speak and plays victim--she says "Stop, no more, you'll just upset me," but she's the one who's been listing these awful things and upsetting Rapunzel.

Mother's right here, Mother will protect you Darling, here's what I suggest Skip the drama, stay with mama Mother knows best

As she sings the first two lines, she offers herself up for a hug, then disappears and leaves a mannequin in her place when Rapunzel seeks comfort. Her protection and love are conditional--obey her or else. Also, "skip the drama" gaslights Rapunzel into thinking she's unreasonable for asking to leave the tower (and is quite ironic, since Gothel's dramatically singing this on a staircase lined with candles).

Mother knows best, take it from your mumsy On your own, you won't survive

Insists that Rapunzel is helpless and dependent on her, while undermining her attempts at independence by snuffing out the candles she lights.

Sloppy, underdressed, immature, clumsy Please, they'll eat you up alive Gullible, naïve, positively grubby Ditzy and a bit, well, hmm, vague Plus, I believe, gettin' kinda chubby I'm just saying 'cause I wuv you

Insults the shit out of her in an "affectionate" way to kill her self-confidence. Calls her "clumsy" while yanking her off her feet. Physically manhandles her again by rolling her up, spinning her around, and lifting her by the face. Again, paints Rapunzel as a helpless baby who can't make it in the harsh world and needs to stay isolated and dependent on her mother.

Mother understands, Mother's here to help you All I have is one request

Knocks out all the lights and then appears under a spotlight, portraying herself as the one and only refuge for Rapunzel. Rapunzel, who is extremely stressed by the previous events, rushes to the relief her mother offers--which, of course, is conditional.

(spoken) Rapunzel? [RAPUNZEL, spoken] Yes? [MOTHER GOTHEL, spoken] Don't ever ask to leave this tower again.

The facade slips as Gothel bluntly and sternly demands that Rapunzel never even ask to leave again. She's not just saying "no," she's removing Rapunzel's ability to choose and speak up for herself. Also note the contradiction with her previous claims: she said "Soon, but not yet" earlier, but now affirms that her rule is that Rapunzel never leaves the tower.

[MOTHER GOTHEL, spoken] I love you very much, dear

[RAPUNZEL, spoken] I love you more

[MOTHER GOTHEL, spoken] I love you most

Gothel, of course, has to get the last word in and reinforce herself as Rapunzel's better. Also, when she says "I love you most," she kisses Rapunzel's hair; she doesn't love Rapunzel most, she loves her hair and the restorative magic it holds. Rapunzel only matters to her insofar as she makes Gothel feel better about herself, whether that be by affirming that she's a loving mother or keeping her young and beautiful.

(sung) Don't forget it, you'll regret it Mother knows best

Uses a lighthearted, affectionate tone of voice, but uses it to threaten Rapunzel (imagine that statement said any other way). Also condescendingly pats her on the head again. Finishes by walking away while running Rapunzel's hair through her hands, denying Rapunzel comfort because she values the hair more.

TLDR; Gothel is a fucking atrocious parent and every second of this song is child abuse.

Ah, the gaslighting song.

[umbrellacam]

Oooh, Tim + villains = unhappy Dick for the ask game?? 👀👀👀

hgkldjsfd okay, that one is mostly a collection of notes at this point about Nightwing having an unhappy front-row seat to various villains being Too Friendly with Robin!Tim, or hearing about it secondhand, and getting increasingly annoyed/protective about it.

Specifically inspired by reading Robin (Vol. 1) A Hero Reborn and just. Gawking incredulously at the weird, possessive way Shiva was constantly touching Tim. Like omg lady please, we get it, he’s an interesting toy you want to put your claws into, please let the 13-year-old boy have some PERSONAL SPACE 😭

But also by that instance of Ed Nygma going “NIGHTWING. Hated him since he wore PIXIE BOOTS. And ROBIN. Him I don’t hate. Okay kid, actually.”

And by the Gotham Knights issue where Tim manages to negotiate with Ivy, and she calls him ‘little sapling’ and tells him that in some ways he’s more of an adult than Batman, lol.

This draft snippet is re: Shiva, set sometime during Prodigal, I think.

“She sure is a piece of work,” Dick muttered. He absently rotated the arm she’d twisted damn near out of its socket at their first meeting. For the high trespass of walking toward her like some kind of dope, no less. He’d had good reason for being off his game, but that was no excuse for acting the part of a greenhorn - especially in front of the actual greenhorn Robin. “But hey, Bruce managed to pull the wool over her eyes.” Well enough to fool all three of them...but setting that aside. “And you got away from her unscathed, right?” Tim’s mouth twisted. “Yeah, because she didn’t take me seriously. Half the time she was more interested in petting me like some kind of cat.” Dick's head cocked. That wasn’t something the kid had mentioned before. And his tone… The few times he’d talked about Shiva, the mixed undercurrents of apprehension and anger had never been far beneath the surface of Tim’s voice. Now was no different. Dick swiveled the big chair around fully and made an exaggerated show of running his eyes over Tim, masking the real consideration behind the look. Tim’s brow was furrowed and - he wasn’t even looking at Dick, staring down at his shoes instead. One hand was rubbing his opposite shoulder, as if he was working out a knot. Or…chasing away the memory of another touch? The sting of Dick’s own anger was as hot and abrupt as it was patently useless. He wrestled it down. Locked it in a box. For a future meeting, maybe. “Weeeell, you are pretty small,” he said, aiming for light - and nailing it with the ease of long practice under far more strenuous conditions. “And fluffy. I can see how the mistake could be made. Have you thought about laying off the hair gel?” “Hardy-har-har, you’re hilarious,” Tim said flatly, but when he glanced up - ha - there was a little upward tug at the corner of his mouth.

[belle--ofthebrawl]

Earth Wife (Terra, Pebble, Ivy.) ficlet under the cut! Post-line up change. Terra discusses Ivy's new place in the band with Primo.

(this is developing a plot)

“She’s not going to last.” The First Emeritus had remarked, leaning back in his chair. Terra, adjacent on her own seat, chose to lean forward instead. Propping her elbows on her knees and blowing smoke out of the corner of her mouth as she watches the ghoulette in question.

“Why'd they fuckin’ pick her then.” Is her only response. Her tone is disgusted. She has every right to be. There's something else afoot here, she can smell it, sure as shit on a summer day. “The boy’s ready for his moment. He's better suited.”

“The boy” as she calls him is near double her height and a respectable four hundred years old but to Terra, he’ll always be a fawn-legged new summon, so green and wet behind the ears he might as well be one of new saplings Ivy picked out for the orchard. He's more than good, more than suitable for the job. But the higher ups had taken her suggestion and ignored it. Giving Pebble the unceremonious boot and yanking Ivy out by the roots.

“Someone wants my brother to fail.” Primo continued, cupping his hand to re-light to end of his cigarette. “Now, all due respect to the lady, but she's not exactly…fit for the lifestyle.”

Terra peers over the rim over her sunglasses, taking her eyes over the hunched figure of Ivy in the dirt. It's the happiest Terra's seen her since the news broke; examining the plants with her usual attention to detail, dirt up to her elbows and smeared on her face. The sunlight makes her glow, the fresh air helps her bloom. Terra thinks of long, stuffy bus rides and fluorescent lighting. Cramped, sterile hotel rooms and tap water tinged orange.

“She'll survive.” Is all Terra says. She loves her Papa but right now, the ground’s not steady. Ain't nobody better than sussing out shaky foundations than her. Someone could hear her, someone who shouldn't. Her Papa could say anything and be brushed off like dust on a windowsill. Terra is a servant. She might belong to him but insubordination is insubordination. She's toe-ing the line as it is.

“More to life than surviving.” Primo responds enigmatically. Then, just as bizarrely, “Do you think it's time for a transplant?”

Terra doesn't say anything. Just watches as Ivy stands up, brushes dirt off her legs and turns around to wave.

“There's a couple that might need it.” She responds, jerking her chin up in response to Ivy. She thinks about the work involved, about fragile roots and notoriously fussy blooms. “We’d have to get it done at the right moment though.”

“Can't do it before tour.” Primo continues. “Too much work and they’d pull you away in the middle of it. Have to be afterwards. Right when she comes back.”

“No time to rest?”

“Can rest when the work is done.”

“How very Puritan.”

Primo chuckles, soft and slow as a trickle of smoke snakes its way down his body. It doesn't dissipate, but crawls along the floor until the trail reaches Terra.

“The garden is always worth the work.” Primo says. “Wouldn't you agree?”

Her eyes are on Ivy as she approaches, her smile fading when she catches sight of their faces.

“What?” She asks, alarmed. “What's wrong.”

Terra glances at her Papa, who's settled comfortably into his role of an old man admiring a pretty young lady. He plays it too well for Terra’s comfort, but then she's never been any better herself.

“Just a pity you finished before that rain started.” The First says. “Now you’ll have to shower inside.”

“Oh, boo.” Ivy says, an understanding smile tugging at the corner of her lips. “Sorry I’m denying an old man his peepshow.”

The First Emeritus taps his forefinger to his temple, on the side of his Lucifer eye and Ivy snickers, flicks dirt at him and Terra's heart breaks to see it. It took her so long to open up, to finally be comfortable and someone decided to take all her progress and destroy it. Her Papa is right, Ivy's not suited to the touring side of the Ministry's outreach.

Outreach in general, is not Ivy's strong suit. There's a reason Primo requests privacy in his gardens and it's not all the poisonous plants he keeps. Humans blundering in and bothering Ivy would cause problems no one wanted to deal with. She liked who she had and she liked where she worked. Deviation from her routine brought up fear and distress, the kind chamomile had no hope of calming.

She doesn't know why Ivy’s like that. Frankly she doesn't care. They're all a bit unusual at the end of the day. Terra’s just glad that after decades of careful flirting, Ivy finally clocked on. It's been good to see how being loved helped her blossom. She doesn't think Ivy would have taken as well to Mountain if that foundation hadn't been built first, but there's no use speculating. Terra's built her little family up as best she could, providing a stable frame for them to grow upon. S’what she does best.

Ivy’s still teasing Primo when Terra re-surfaces from her thoughts.

“Look, what did you do to her?” Ivy says, pointing a filthy, gloved hand at Terra. “She's up in space.’

“Nothing she didn't explicitly ask for, multiple times.” Primo says unashamedly and Ivy gasps.

“Oh, you beast.” She says, but her eyes are twinkling in a way Terra doesn't get to see too often these days. “Suppose I can't tell you to leave, no. You're both stuck in those chairs, too useless to move.”

“Stoned to high heaven.” Terra says, though they aren't and Ivy knows it. “Be a dear and check on the boy’s progress with Pebble? Make sure she hasn't tricked him into eating a magic mushroom, at least.”

“I'm sure he's fine.” Ivy says, but she looks to where the kitchen window is with a worried expression. “They were going over pastries today, I think.”

Sure enough, if Terra sniffs the air she can smell something fruity and delicious and Ivy's too sweaty to be the source. That's a different kind of delicious, one Terra wouldn't mind tasting if Ivy felt like sharing her pre-lunch shower.

“Pastries!” Primo booms, startling them both. “Ah, when I was a boy back in Sicily…nineteen twelve, I believe…there was another boy, the baker’s son.”

He gets up from his seat with surprising agility, crushing his cigarette in the nearby ashtray before offering an elbow to Ivy. She takes it, after removing her thick gardening gloves. Glances at her Papa with the fond smile of someone who's heard a similar story many, many times and looks to Terra, her hand outstretched. Terra leaves her own seat to accept it, sticking her cigarette in the corner of her mouth. She supposes they aren't the strangest threesome the Abbey's ever seen as they make their way to the kitchens but they probably come close. Already she can hear Pebble shouting, probably from a stool as she bullies the poor kitchen staff to her every whim.

“After you, my dear.” Primo says grandly, opening the door for them and ushering Ivy in. She murmurs her thanks and walks ahead as Terra waits for her Papa.

“We will talk more later, ah?” He says, patting her shoulder. “About the transplanting. I have an idea of where these plants of mine should take root, but I would like to hear your opinion on it.”

“Yes, Papa.” Terra says obediently. “I’ll do my best.”

“I know you will.” Primo says with a faint chuckle. “My most rocksteady ghoul, ha! That is what you are, yes.”

“Terrible old man.” Terra tells him with a smile. She spies Pebble with the boy, tugging him around by his apron strings as she directs who gets what plate as the Abbey trickles in for lunch. The little earth ghoul shoots Terra a questioning look, one she waves off with a mouthed later.

Ivy? Pebble mouths back, eyes darting around to catch their ever elusive blossom. Already gone through a secret passage, she’ll take lunch in her room. Not alone, if Terra and Pebble have anything to say about it.

Don't worry. She locks eyes with Pebble, giving her a quiet nod. She'll be ‘right. Pebble raises an eyebrow and Terra only jerks her head to their Papa, even now sliding easily into the role of harmless old man once more. To the average observer, retirement and age had softened him. Made him and the work he did easy to overlook. Terra knows just how far his roots stretch though. What hidden places in the Abbey they touch. And even she can't guess at the depth they reach.

Pebble hands her an extra plate, tells Mountain to get the dishes started after he's had food of his own. She'll meet him for practice afterwards. The boy nods, trying not to look morose at the prospect of dishwasher duty, but they all have to start somewhere. That new little water ghoul is in the kitchen too and Terra thinks they'll get along just fine.

“What's the word?” Pebble asks as they slip into a concealed passageway, accessed by pulling a sconce. Terra waits for the section of wall to slid back into place before she speaks.

“Nothing new.” She says, as the rats scatter away at their footsteps. “Talk of a big transplant, is all.”

[liviavanrouge]

Brother knows Best

Ace: Hey Huey!

Huey: *Flinches and looks over* Y-Yes?

Livia: Wanna go to the port with us?

Huey: *Stares his eyes lighting up* I-I have to ask my brother...

Deuece: We'll wait for you here then!

Huey: *Nods and runs off*

---

Joana(Twst Gothel): *Blinks in surprise at Huey's request* You want to go outside? Why, Huey look at you, as fragile as a flower

Huey(Twst hurt Incantation: Rapunzel): *Rubs his arm*

Joana: Still a little sapling, just a sprout, you know why I keep you by my side now

Huey: ...I know..

Joana: *Hugs Huey tight* That's right, to keep you safe and sound, dear

Huey: *Sighs*

Joana: *Moves away* Guess, I always knew this day was coming! Knew that soon you'd want to leave the nest!

Joana: Soon, but not yet!

Huey: But....

Joana: Shh! Trust me, pet

Joana: *Leans against the wall of Pomefiore* Brother knows best!

Huey: *Flinches as a sudden darkness surrounded him, his eyes widening*

Joana: Brother knows best, listen to your brother

Huey: *Flinches as Joana popped out the shadows at him and vanished*

Joana: It's a scary world out there! brother knows best, one way or another! Something will go wrong, I swear!!

Huey: *Looks around, moving his hair out of his face*

Joana: Ruffians and thugs! Poison ivy, quicksand! Cannibals and snakes

Huey: *Backs away*

Joana: The plague!

Huey: No!

Joana: Yes!

Huey: But-! *Stiffens as Joana vanished*

Joana: Also large bugs! Men with pointy teeth, and Stop, no more, you'll just upset me! Brothers right here

Huey: *Grips his hair, trembling*

Joana: Brother will protect you! Darling, here's what I suggest

Huey: *Turns as balls of light appeared*

Joana: *Smiles* Skip the drama! Stay with Brother! Brother knows best

Huey: *Flinches as the lights vanished*

Joana: Brother knows best, take it from your brozie! On your own, you won't survive

Huey: *Looks around, then flinches finding a mirror floating there*

Joana: Sloppy, under-dressed, Immature, clumsy

Huey: *Yelps falling over*

Joana: Huey, They'll eat you up alive~~!

Huey: *Blinks as Joana stood him up and spun him using a gust of wind*

Joana: Gullible, naive! Positively grubby! Ditzy and a bit, well, hmm...vague

Huey: *Shakes himself off*

Joana: *Chuckles and pats his brothers stomach* Plus, I believe, Huey you gettin' kinda chubby

Huey: *Pats his stomach confused*

Joana: *Hugs Huey smiling* But I'm just saying cause I wuv you!

Joana: *Releases Huey before he could hug him and vanishes* Brother understands! Brother's here to help you!

Huey: *Feels around, feeling a panic attack start* J-Joana..!

Joana: *Removes the shadows, putting them back in Pomefiore's hallway* All I have is one request!

Huey: *Runs over and hugs him*

Joana: Huey...

Huey: Yeah big brother...

Joana: You will never hang out with those ruffians that call themselves your friends...understood?

Joana: They. Are. Trouble.

Huey: Understood...

Joana: Huey...you're the only family I have left...I'm sorry

Huey: I know...I'm sorry

Joana: *Smiles softly* Don't forget it, you'll regret it

Huey: *Looks up at him*

Joana: Big Brother knows best!

---

Vil: *Stands around the corner frowning*

Rook: Poor Roi Du Shyness!

Vil: That's another level of gaslighting right there

Golden: Should I step in?

Vil: Not yet...

Ekeko: ...Vil...

Vil: As much I would love to step in, Huey is gonna be on his guard around everyone but his elder brother...

Rozzie: So we let his fellow first years break through to him?

Vil: Exactly, Only they can do it...

@anxious-twisted-vampire @yukii0nna @writing-heiress @marrondrawsalot @abyssthing198 @zexal-club @teddymochi

[oldfangirl81]

Untitled DC/Top Gun Drabble

"I haven't even got drunk yet so y'all see that right? The hyena chilling in the convertible?" asked Bob.

"Yeah, I see it too. Did they use something other than oxygen in the tanks?" quesioned Javy.

"Brucie won't hurt you if you don't touch the car. I guess my aunts heard about the mission." Bradley reached his hand over to scratch Brucie's ear.

"Bradshaw, what the hell are you doing!?! That is a wild animal, not a pet," yelped Nat.

"Calm down, he would never hurt our little Sapling."

"Baby Chick, which one is the punk who broke your heart and smacked talk Mavy? I hear he likes toothpicks. I can be creative with them too." Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy appeared from behind the building.

"Auntie HQ! Auntie PI! Don't scare him. I still need him. He did save Maverick's and my life. And I still haven't asked him out, yet. I refuse to let Jason win the bet."

Jake was trying to discretely remove the toothpick from his mouth. The two women focused on Jake Hangman Seresin, who saw his life flashing before his eyes.

[adventurepunks]

Pavane in Green

@thedemonconstantine​ + poison Ivy

“My children are sick”

So much for some respite and she needed it too. Dotty was safe but the demon’s Hellfire really took it out of her. Weeds survived, Life endured, Life prevailed and she too would endure the pain, sleeping in the Green until Tim would return again.

Cocooned in purple, pink and crimson the Mother slumbered in the songs of the Green and she’d emerge with hair more brown red than crimson, skin green yet paler. Winter lost it’s grasp and spring would come..soon.

“I might not see through all doors of was and come to be but I hear my children, their choir distorted by a composer keeping her Crescendo for too long” The Spring Waltz, the Waltz of Life, whatever one ought to call it Life had cycles, the dance needed to end and Nature needed to be allowed to sleep.

“I’m glad you came-” The Green summoned all it needed to summon, maybe it chose the Opener, maybe it chose her guardian she had yet to figure out how the Green operated. It was to see the notes on the sheet given to conduct but to not know the soloists until just before the curtain call.

“Nature is not a machine, seasons need to come and go” she watched the one decaying flower in the Green. She plucked it, ripped it and it’s roots rotten stretched for feet. She ate it, she consumed the link the Green held to wherever they would be thrown out, she had a hint in that a Sentinel to the Green was to blame, only so many existed.

“Put Yoyo in your hoodie, both of you eat this. I have traveled your world of witchcraft and sorcery, this time, we will travel my way. Eat as many as you can stomach but a even number. Hold Yoyo very close, I will keep you safe I promise. I promise, this might hurt a little but you don’t scare easily do you” Seeds that would grow in stomachs and sprout until a stem would bloom out of a mouth and orange petals grew and grew until they engulfed and wrapped around the boy. It would be hard to breathe with an obstructed throat but to survive the sickness of the Green the other side she had to make him part of her.

Yes, she grew those seeds out of herself and thus through the Branches of Life Tim and Yoyo would sprout in an explosion of orange petals cascading around them the moment Tim was released and awakened if the Green could even put him to sleep. If not then the boy best have remained very very still in his cocoon.

That spouted stem would retract back into Tim’s stomach.

“Oh- yeah that tracks. It’s me- we have to stop me.” The gianormous Venus Fly trap that stood taller than Gotham’s clocktower hit a little too close to home yet even Frank lacked...Frankness.

“Sorry-” Blowing a handful of pollen right into Tim’s face and then Yoyo’s.

“I don’t know what kind of me we will face. Best not to risk you being a mindless thrall under her sway. My sway. Whatever, this gets confusing”

Gotham was almost completely covered in plants but they were not well, they were not singing in harmony.

“What happened to you my children” she stumbled dizzy, something was sick here.

“If Frankie is there- that is where we have to head” To the Clocktower then.

“Did you rest while you were away?All this rush I didn’t ask, how many days was I sleeping? Weeks? Months? No you haven’t aged years yet- still a sapling” Hm, some hint of maturation but not a lot. 

[hibiscera]

I hope you feel better soon mir 🫶 what do you think it was like for Kitten growing up raised by Drury, Pam, and Jonathan?

Thank you so much!! 😭💖

Honestly Kitten winds up being shockingly well adjusted (relatively speaking) despite being raised by a gaggle of B movie monsters.

They all have their different methods towards caring for her. Drury’s very concerned about being a good parent, and stresses out over it easily, but he loves spoiling her and buys her everything. Of course, since he’s her dad, he’s the main one raising her!! That’s a whole essay of its own, but he does love his little girl dearly, even if sometimes he’s really unsure about what he’s doing or if he’s doing it right.

Also of course he instills in her that insects are the most important creatures in the world and we have to respect them. She gets a lot of science know-how from watching her dad work in his lab and asking lots of questions. She LOVES asking questions.

Pamela she calls her auntie (Pammy loves it), and honestly I think Pamela absolutely eats up her attention LOL. It’s so euphoric for her having this little girl looking up to her AND she can show her the beauty of nature early and teach her to respect plant life! Kitten adores her auntie, she likes to draw new outfits for her since Poison Ivy is always trying a different look. They get along great, and it’s awful for everyone when she gets older so she can be EXTRA scheming with her auntie.

Pamela was the one who was in her life earliest too! When Kitten was not even a year old, that’s when Drury started The Mothening, and Pamela was the only one he had told about those plans and she encouraged it. So she helped with taking care of her while Drury was like. Dealing with becoming a moth monster.

Jonathan is less straightforward in how he shows affection. Drury calls her every endearing name in the book, Pam calls her things like her little sapling, and Jonathan… wretched little beast. Horrid little monster. She loves the names too, she giggles when he calls her those. He’s her favorite to get bedtime stories from too, she always loves the fun scary ones he tells!! Or sometimes he’ll just start giving some of his psychology lectures for her to fall asleep to.

He does love and care about her, though at first he’s unsure of how to interact with a child. But once he gets used to being around her he’s like. Tosses her onto the couch while she laughs.

Oswald is also involved in her growing up!! He’s her uncle who spoils her with lots of gifts and treats her like a little princess and takes her for days out to pamper her!!

In the end, Kitten does end up loving all of them even if when she hits her teens, she starts bullying Jonathan because she realized her dad was in love with him and now he has to test him to see if he’s good enough for her daddy.

[r0siep0sey]

Family Always Finds Each Other//Amphibia Au

Since amphibia is over I really felt like making an Au because the ending was just so sad and I wanted to make an Au that takes place after the ending where Anne, Sasha, and Marcy find a way to return to amphibia

Part 1: Spranne Against The World

"Thanks for having my back Sprig" "Spranne against the world!" those words echoed in Anne's mind it had been 10 years since she said her goodbyes to the frogs who had took her in and cared for her as they would their own so much had happened since then but she never forgot them Anne felt a wave of sadness wash over her as she started to remember amphibia sure she had only known everyone there for less than a year but it felt like she had known them all her life and deep down she longed to go back to amphibia "Hey Anne? You doing alright?" Sasha's words snapped Anne out of her thoughts and she looked up from the table the three girls were seated at and realized Sasha and Marcy were both looking at her a bit concerned Anne quickly wiped away a few tears "Y-Yeah I was just thinking of...of amphibia....I really miss everyone there it's been so long since we left and I wonder how they're doing" She replied "I've been thinking of amphibia a lot too especially since it's the anniversary of the day we arrived there" Marcy said "It sucks we can't go back..." Sasha added Anne started to zone out again wishing the gems had lasted and wondering if there could've been another way to stop the core without sacrificing the only way to go back and forth from earth but then Anne got an idea she heard that Dr. Jan and Terri had been attempting to create some portals to different worlds and apparently the tests were surprisingly successful Anne immediately stood up "Guys! I know how we can get back to amphibia!"

"Wait you want us to help you get back to amphibia!?" Dr. Jan exclaimed in an excited but surprised tone "Yep! I think we're more than overdue for a visit is there any chance you could help us?" Anne asked "Hmm well since all of the tests we've done so far have worked out I don't see why we can't try to help you three visit your old friends" Terri replied

1 week later

"Welcome back Sprig! How was your journey?" Polly asked "It was amazing! There were so many cool creatures I've never seen before!" Sprig replied enthusiastically he and Ivy had gone on an adventure to explore an island that had never been explored by anyone until now suddenly a memory drifted into his mind it was of the first time he and Anne had met then he started to remember all of the adventures they had gone on "Spranne against the world!" Those four words started to echo in his mind "You thinking of Anne again?" Polly's question made him look up "Yeah...it feels like just yesterday she left amphibia for good...I can't believe how long it's been..." Sprig replied his head hanging low he held Anne's phone in his hands and started to flip through the photos on it his hands started to shake a bit and tears started to roll down his cheeks "it's not fair...she should be here...it doesn't feel right without her..." Sprig mumbled "I miss her too...we all do..." Polly replied hugging Sprig

"Ok there's no guarantee this will work but let's keep our fingers crossed" Terri said before flipping the lever on a machine a blue orb appeared in the middle of it and started to rapidly spin and expand Anne, Sasha, and Marcy watched in awe as the orb thined into a ring and showed a big green field a few large dragonflies flew by and out of sight "That's amphibia alright!" Anne said confidently and enthusiastically the three girls grabbed their backpacks that were filled with the supplies they'd need and stood shoulder to shoulder Anne took a deep breath before stepping through the portal Sasha and Marcy looked at each other for a moment before looking back at the portal and following Anne

Andrias was busy planting a few tree saplings and Grime had come to assist him for a bit since he didn't have much to do that day everything went as usual just another day "Anne slow down! Wait for us!" Grime suddenly looked up and looked across the field but he saw nothing "What's the matter?" Andrias asked "Nothing I just- thought I heard something" Grime replied then suddenly he heard the voice again but couldn't make out what was being said this time "I hear it too" Andrias said confused but curious just then a familiar figure appeared at the top of a hill a human with brown curly hair Grime almost thought he was seeing things but Andrias saw her too just then two other humans appeared next to her one with long black hair and the other with short blonde hair Grime and Andrias just stared in disbelief not knowing what to even say the three girls spotted them and soon after started running towards them Grime ran to meet them but Andrias was too shocked to move he barely could process what he was seeing "Grimesy!" Sasha shouted as she ran to Grime "Sasha!" Grime yelled while running towards the hill "Grimesyyy!" Sasha yelled back "Sashaaaa!" Grime shouted Sasha started running ahead of Anne and Marcy but before She was even halfway down the hill Marcy tripped and fell knocking Anne down and Anne knocked Sasha down and all three of them started tumbling down the hill until they landed on the ground one at a time a couple feet from Grime who stopped running when they started falling down the hill Marcy sat up almost immediately "I'm ok!" She said Grime helped Anne and Sasha up before meeting up with Andrias and they all shared a big group hug and caught up a little then soon started heading to wartwood

Sprig was sitting in the basement with Polly who was watching Sprig coloring in a drawing of Anne Sprig had hoped it would help him to feel better but all it really did was make him miss Anne even more "Sprig if this isn't helping we could always-" Polly stopped talking when she heard what sounded like cheering coming from outside curious she ran out of the basement to see what was going on Sprig stopped drawing and followed Polly but not nearly as quickly once he got outside he saw everyone in wartwood gathered around in a big circle he spotted Polly running to the center and followed her but once he actually made it to the middle of the crowd he stopped and stared in disbelief as Polly ran up to three humans who though looked very different were easily recognizable Sasha was busy talking to Grime Marcy was talking to Olivia, Yunan, and Andrias and Anne was greeting everyone from wartwood Sprig almost thought he was dreaming for a moment until he saw Polly run right up to Anne and hug her followed by Hop Pop Sprig felt like he was frozen he didn't know what to do or what to even say this was really happening Anne was finally here

Anne was busy greeting everyone while trying her best not to start crying uncontrollably Polly was so grown now she changed so much once Polly and Hop Pop had finally calmed down they sat next to Anne and started to tell her about everything that had happened but they stopped when they noticed Sprig in fact everyone did Anne looked up and her eyes immediately locked with Sprig's Anne felt frozen but only for a moment she stood up and slowly walked up to Sprig before kneeling down so she was closer to his height "Hey dude..." Anne said tears starting to roll down her face Sprig didn't move and his eyes stayed locked with Anne's but there was no missing the tears starting to streak down his face "Y-You're...you're h-here..." Sprig was barely able to speak "Yep I'm here bud...I'm-" Anne tried to reply but Sprig suddenly hugged her tighter than anyone had ever hugged her before Anne hugged Sprig she could barely see because of the amount of tears that were in her eyes after all this time they were finally back together after all this time she had finally found her way back they both sat there embracing each other "I-I can't b-believe you're really here..." Sprig choked out Anne hugged him tighter before speaking again "We're family Sprig and family always finds each other no matter what..."

End of Part 1

I hope you guys enjoyed this story I'm not sure how many parts I'll make I guess it depends on if people like it or not I don't really want to put effort into anything if no one reads it

[bujorulgalben]

💘+ What are your plans for Dragobete?

tell it to my heart | accepting!        

...Huh. Do you know what I realise, but only just now? I shall not a basil branch under my pillow for this year Dragobete... Lord, how long have I felt a need to do this. Or maybe it was the fairies, playing cruel tricks, in keeping dreams of my partner deliberately cloudy when in actuality... He was there. He was there the entire time.

Do not get me wrong! Tangents aside, I will still partake in tradition! Obviously!

Perhaps I will ask him for to join me for a walk in the forest - nothing glamorous, nothing too material! Bless you, Slava, for him to endure my ideas for Valentine's and his birthday will be a feat in itself! We will need a break from indulgences- oh, oh yes, I plan to celebrate it all! He was, indeed, there the entire time, and I will make up for all of the lost time... every overdue kiss. So yes, for Dragobete, we can go looking for the first clues of a coming spring. I will need to find some snowdrops to pin to his lapel!

I speak of spring, but it will still be chilly. There will be coffee and sweet things to warm us up... maybe găluște cu prune? Ah! I will ask for help with preparing the garden for spring! Yes! That could be a fun activity for us to do; I would like to plant some lilies of the valley where my own snowdrops and wildflowers are. The ivy my silly Romeo joked about climbing will need pruning… and, of course, our little sapling will need a new home now the threat of frost is gone, yes?

We end the day with homemade dinner and that same fireplace that thawed out our hearts...that saw we finally melted into one another. There, I will work again on those overdue kisses. It is good work. The best work.

I believe that these are my plans, as they stand. Did you take notes? Hm? For inspiration?

[scribblelark]

Vignette 3

As this is 3k words long, I’m putting it under a cut.

From a distance, the cottage in the woods appeared to be empty. Probably because there was thick ivy growing up the walls and what looked like a sapling growing from the roof. The garden, if the area in front of the cottage could be described as one, looked entirely overgrown. 

Nevertheless, this was where I’d been directed to come by the old man in the market of the last town. He was adamant that Mother McCracken was the only person who could help me and that I would find her “in the cottage in the woods outside of town”, so I had come because she was just about my last hope of getting help. 

I made my way down the path that led into the clearing where the cottage stood and as soon as I entered the clearing a flare of bright blue light leapt up from the woodland floor a metre in front of me. 

“Who goes there?” asked a slow, deep voice. I couldn’t help thinking it sounded like a bear would, if bears could speak and for all I knew, they could. 

“Raymond,” I said, standing stock still, unsure of whether or not I was welcome. 

“Mmm.” The slow, deep voice sounded like it was pondering something – perhaps whether or not I spoke the truth. 

I remained where I was, not fidgeting or otherwise letting on how anxious I was about the outcome of this exchange. 

“Come forth.” 

I blew out my breath in a soft sigh of relief, feeling some of the tension dropping away from my muscles, then I made my way to the front door. As I reached it, it opened, and a woman stood in the doorway. She was tall, slim, and blonde, with deep, dark eyes that seemed to peer right into my soul, but there was a friendly half smile curling the corners of her mouth. 

“Come in,” she said. Her voice was different from the one I’d heard outside, low, soft, and actually warm. 

I stepped across the threshold without hesitation, glad to be indoors and out of the bitterly cold temperatures and the strong, biting wind. 

“Leave your boots and coat by the door, will you?” Mother McCracken asked, gesturing at the coat hooks already filled with a variety of coats and cloaks, and the scatter of shoes and boots beneath the hooks. 

“Thank you,” I said, belatedly remembering that I hadn’t yet thanked her for inviting me in. 

I slipped off my coat and hung it on an empty peg, then bent down and wrestled my laces undone with numb fingers. 

“Come on,” Mother McCracken said. “Let’s go into the kitchen where it’s nice and warm. I daresay you wouldn’t say no to a nice bowl of hot stew and some fresh, crusty bread?” She looked at me, her head tilted to one side. 

“I don’t want to put you to any unnecessary trouble,” I told her, already aware that I would be putting her to some trouble on my behalf anyway.

“You won’t, child,” she said, her tone and the expression in her dark eyes full of warmth. “I was about to eat anyway and there’s plenty in the cooking pot.” 

“Then yes, please,” I said quickly. I hadn’t eaten since daybreak, it was nearing dusk now and I’d walked about twenty miles in the interim. 

I followed her down the stone flagged passage in sock clad feet and was surprised by the warmth I could feel emanating from the flagstones. I frowned, glancing down at them, and managed to bump into my hostess in the kitchen doorway. I stumbled backwards and she grabbed hold of my forearms, keeping me on my feet. I gasped, both in surprise at bumping into her and at the speed of her reflexes. I was also surprised at the strength of her grip on me. 

“Steady now,” she said softly. “You were trying to work out how the flagstones are warm?” 

I nodded. “Yes. I mean –” I licked my lips a little nervously. “I assume it’s magic.” 

She laughed at that, not in an unfriendly way – I could tell she wasn’t mocking me – but she obviously found my assumption funny, although I couldn’t think why. 

“No, child, it’s not magic. It’s science. Engineering, if you want to be really specific.” She turned, one hand still clasping my left forearm, and led me into the kitchen. “Sit down and rest your feet, and I’ll sort out our meal, then we’ll talk.” 

I complied, only too glad to sit down in the warm. The kitchen was spacious, but well equipped and it felt cosy and comfortable, though I’m no sort of cook. I watched as Mother McCracken took a loaf of bread from the oven and set it on a trivet at the end of the table, then she fetched two spoons, two knives, and a bread knife from a drawer. The bread knife was set beside the loaf, then the spoons and knives were set either side of the wooden placemats, one in front of my spot and the other diagonally across from me. Next she took out two deep bowls and two tea plates and set them onto the placemats. 

“What would you like to drink?” she asked. “Something hot or something cold?” 

“Something cold with the meal, please,” I said. 

She nodded, gave me another half smile, then went to fetch a pitcher of something golden from a cupboard at the end of the room, although it was a cupboard like no other I had seen as a curl of white air spilled from it when she opened the door. She set the pitcher and two glasses down on a separate placemat, then poured the golden liquid, which gave off the scent of apricots and honey, into the two glasses. She held one out to me. 

“Try it,” she said. “I call it apricot wine and it’s very popular with visitors and my neighbours.” 

“Thank you,” I said and reached for the glass. I was surprised to discover that the glass felt quite cold to the touch and when I took an initial sip of the apricot wine, it was also cold.

“You have a cold cupboard?” I asked in surprise. 

She chuckled. “I do. Saves having to drag everything into the kitchen from the ice house.” 

I nodded. “Good point.” 

“How’s the wine?” 

“Delicious,” I assured her. It tasted like what I imagined the nectar of the gods would taste like: utterly exquisite. 

“Good.” 

She smiled her half smile, then took our bowls over to the cooking pot that was hanging above the fire and began ladling the promised stew into them. Both bowls were set back on the placemats, then she cut some thick slices of the bread and put it onto a platter, before fetching a rectangular pot of creamy butter from the cold cupboard.

“Let’s eat,” she said, taking the seat across from me.

“Thank you,” I said gratefully. 

She nodded at the stew. “Don’t let it go cold.” 

“I won’t,” I assured her, and I grabbed a slice of bread from the platter, spread it with butter, then picked up my spoon and dug in. The stew was delicious. I had no idea what the meat in it was, but I could taste potatoes, carrots, and turnips in it, too, and several different herbs: rosemary, thyme, parsley, and sage. It was, without doubt, the best stew I’d ever eaten. 

We ate in silence, both too busy enjoying the food to make conversation, but it was a companionable silence such as I had never experienced before with someone who was essentially a stranger to me. 

Finally replete, I mopped the last of the stew from my bowl with an unbuttered slice of bread, then sat back in my chair. “Thank you, Mother McCracken,” I said. “That was an absolute feast.” 

She smiled at me. “Call me Bernie,” she said. “It’s less of a mouthful.” 

I frowned. “Bernie,” I repeated, wondering if that meant that she was like me. 

“It’s the shortened version of my full name,” she said. “I prefer it because it, too, is less of a mouthful.” 

“Oh.” 

“Tea?” 

I nodded, then started to get up to help her clear the table, but she waved me back into my chair, a slight scowl on her face. I obediently stayed where I was, though it went against the grain not to assist. 

After a few minutes she brought two mugs of tea over to the table, then said, “Let’s go and sit in the other room. The chairs are more comfortable.” 

“Alright.” I accepted one of the mugs and the scent of Chamomile, Spearmint, and something else I couldn’t identify, wafted from the mug. 

The sitting room was as large as the kitchen, but equally as cosy and comfortable as the kitchen. There was a fire burning at one end of the room and two chairs and a two seater sofa were grouped around it. At the other end of the room was a large bay window, with thick, heavy curtains on either side of it. 

“Take a pew,” Bernie said, setting down her mug on the arm of one of the chairs before crossing the room to close the curtains. 

I sat on the end of the sofa nearest to the chair where Bernie had set her mug and gratefully sank into the comfortable cushions. I took a sip of the tea and after a moment I identified the other ingredient as Lemongrass. 

“Alright?” Bernie asked, squeezing my shoulder as she passed between the armchair and the sofa. 

“Yes, thank you.” 

“Good.” She settled down herself, stretching out her long legs towards the fire and wiggling her socked toes in front of it. Then she picked up her mug and swallowed a mouthful. “Now that you’re fed and watered and out of the weather, why don’t you tell me your troubles?” 

I heaved a sigh, nodded, then began the tale that had led me halfway across the country to this cottage in the woods and ‘Old’ Mother McCracken, who I had heard was the most powerful witch in the entire Southern Kingdom and therefore the person most likely to be able to assist me in my troubles. 

She listened attentively with no sign of judgement or condemnation in her eyes, and I felt as if my spirit was uncoiling from its usual defensive state in her presence. Odd to think that a woman whom I knew only by reputation, and that a most fearsome reputation, should make me feel so utterly safe. 

“I can teach you some tricks to help you,” she said when I had finished my recitation of my woes. “I cannot magically change your body, though. That kind of transformative magic doesn’t exist.”

I felt my heart sink and my mouth opened to argue with her, then closed again. After all, she knew better than I did what it was or wasn’t possible to do as a powerful witch.

“Ask me,” she said. 

I gave her a confused look. “You were about to ask me something,” she said, her tone mild, her half smile encouraging. 

I swallowed. “Well, I’ve heard the tales of powerful sorcerers who can change into animals or birds, so –” I waved a hand, leaving the rest unsaid. 

She nodded. “True, but those changes are temporary and the magic to achieve it is taught from a very young age. I, for instance, can transform into a white wolf. But my mentor began teaching me that magic when I was six years old. It took me until I was sixteen before I managed my first transformation because it’s incredibly complex magic. And the longest that I’ve ever managed to hold a wolf’s shape for is six hours. The kind of transformation that you’re looking for is permanent, is it not?” I nodded and she nodded, too. “Such magic does not exist. Besides, I’ve never heard of anyone transforming their human body into a different kind of human body. Those of us who Shift do so into animal or bird forms.” 

I nodded again, feeling a lump of misery in my throat and a ball of anger and despair in the pit of my stomach. 

Bernie reached out and patted my arm. “Let’s go and get some sleep,” she suggested, her tone kindly. “Then, in the morning, I’ll teach you those tricks.” 

I nodded a third time, unable to speak without bursting into tears. She seemed to understand this because she didn’t press me to talk, she simply helped me up from my seat, then tucked my hand into the crook of her elbow and led me upstairs. 

She showed me into a guest bedroom and provided me with some clothes to sleep in, then pointed out the bathing room opposite. “If you want to have a good hot soak, feel free.” 

I’d never heard of a bathing room, and I frowned. “Won’t that require bringing up buckets of hot water?” 

She outright grinned at me. “No, thanks to a similar kind of engineering to the underfloor heating downstairs, I have hot water in the bathing room and an indoor latrine.” 

I felt my eyebrows shoot up. “That’s amazing,” I said, genuinely impressed. 

Bernie smiled at me. “So, if you want to have that bath, go ahead. I’m going to quickly use the bathing room first, then it’s all yours.” 

“Thank you.” 

She gave my arm a squeeze, then left me to look around the room I was in. It contained a large sized wooden bed frame with a large, plump feather mattress, several pillows at the head of the bed, a surprisingly comfortable sheet, and a pile of blankets as well as a brightly woven coverlet. I didn’t think I had ever seen a more comfortable looking bed and I was strongly tempted to climb straight into it, but I was also aware that I was grubby from my travelling, although I’d done my best to wash as often as I could find an inn to stay in. 

There was a tap at my door, and I opened it to find Bernie, who had shed her earlier layers of clothing and was now clad in soft looking trews and an equally soft looking shirt. 

“I thought it might be a good idea to show you how to use the bathing system,” she said with her trademark half smile. “Wouldn’t want you to cause a flood as happened to me the first time I used it!” 

“Thanks,” I said. I grabbed the trews and shirt that she’d given to me to change into, then stepped across the landing into the bathing room where she showed me the taps as she called them, which controlled the flow of hot and cold water into the bath, which was by far the fanciest one I’d ever seen. It appeared to be made out of marble and looked big enough to comfortably hold someone even taller than Bernie. 

“Enjoy the bath,” she said, giving my arm a quick squeeze before leaving me to it. 

“Thank you, I’m sure I will.” 

When I finally put myself to bed I felt cleaner than I could ever remember feeling and I was also feeling very sleepy. I was certain the luxurious warmth of the bath, in addition to the day’s walking, were likely to send me to sleep fairly quickly. 

                                                    --- * ---

 The next day, as promised, Bernie showed me several tricks to make me appear less feminine, from changing the way I walked, to binding my chest to make it appear flatter, and wearing a false phallus, which she explained would change the way I walked or rode a horse. 

I stayed with her for a week as she helped me to adjust, and I was gratified that whenever we went into the nearby hamlet to trade for supplies the locals all treated me as if I were a man. 

One day Bernie even borrowed a couple of horses and we went for a ride so that I could discover for myself how it felt to ride astride. 

By the end of the week I felt quite liberated and less weighed down than when I’d arrived at her door. She seemed very pleased by how pleased I was, and I felt a strange sort of pang in my chest at the thought of leaving because she was the first person who’d ever treated me exactly as I wanted to be treated. She saw me as Raymond and no one else, and that was as great a help to me as the various tricks she had shown me. 

I gave her the gold pieces I’d saved from the carpentry jobs I’d done for people while crossing the country, but she immediately gave most of them back to me. 

“Why won’t you take the full payment?” I asked, confused. 

“Because having your company this past week was payment enough. Besides, you did several carpentry jobs for me around the cottage, as well as helping me to put the garden into better shape. Oh, and chopped me enough firewood to last through the winter.” 

She gave me a quick hug, then kissed me full on the mouth. “Any time you’re in the neighbourhood please come and visit me,” she said. 

I swallowed, aware that my cheeks were flushed with heat. “I will,” I said firmly. “Thank you for everything.” 

“You’re welcome, Raymond. Go well and be at peace.” 

“Be at peace,” I replied, then set off up the path, through the clearing and into the woods. I strode back towards the town, feeling empowered. 

I was determined to set up my own workshop, then I hoped to go back to Mother McCracken’s cottage and to eventually woo her for my wife. I’d been constantly aware of the spark between us while I was staying with her, and I wanted to make good on that parting kiss.

Prompt

[jiabeewrites]

A flash from the past

(Flashback)

~TWENTY MINUTES BEFORE~

"Ya sure ya wanna do this, sweetie?"

Twenty-year-old Jessica Quinzel-Isley, better known as the Jester, turned around to meet the eyes of her mothers. Dr. Harleen Quinzel, better known as Harley Quinn, and Dr. Pamela Isley, better known as Poison Ivy, brought their daughter into a hug.

"We just don't want you to get hurt, sapling," Ivy said. "We know what the Joker made you do. Jason would forgive you; you know. It's not your fault." Jess pulled away.

"I want to do this. He hurt you, momma," she said, looking at Harley, "He has to pay for what he did." Harley frowned.

"You're not doin' this for me, puddin'. You're doin' it for him." Jess began to protest but Harley cut her off. "Don't think I don't know. I want you to be honest to yourself, Jessi. I know you want him to hurt for what he did to you, to me, but you wanna do it mostly for Bird-boy." At this, Jess fell silent.

"I... I guess you're right." Ivy smiled.

"We're one phone call away, Jessica. Call if you need anything, and we'll be there." Jess smiled. She began to walk away, but then turned around and hugged her moms.

"I'll be back soon," she said. "I promise."

➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶

Jess got to the warehouse that her contact said the Joker would be. She pushed the doors open, expecting her pitiful excuse of a father. Instead, she saw a man in a red helmet, standing in the middle of the room.

"You're not the Joker," she said. The man turned around to meet her eyes.

"No, I'm not. The Joker left. Said that you'd be coming here," he responded. His voice was filtered through his helmet, making it unrecognizable to anyone.

"And why are you here?" she asked.

"I'm here to kill you." And with that, he took out his guns.

She bolted towards the doors only to find them locked. He ran towards her, and she knocked the guns out of his hands. They clattered to the floor.

"Why the frick fracking heck do you want to kill me?" she asked, getting into a defensive position.

"You killed Robin. So now I'm gonna kill you."

He surged towards her, throwing punches left and right. She dodged most of them but the man threw a sucker punch to her gut. Jess was thrown across the floor. She may have been a good fighter, but this guy was stronger and taller than she was.

He walked up to her, grabbing a gun from the floor as he passed.

"Why did you kill him?"

"He made me."

"You're lying. You have to be," he said, breath shuddering.

"I'm not-"

"You had control over yourself, and the Joker wasn't even with you when you triggered the bombs!" he roared.

"Look I-"

He pointed the gun to her head.

"I'll tell Jason that he fell in love with a liar."

Jessica Quinzel-Isley died in a warehouse at the hands of the Red Hood.

Looks like she couldn't keep her promise, after all. 

➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶

A/N: 

That was super fun to write, despite all of the depression that went into this chapter!

Sorry about the fight scene, I suck at those.

This is a flashback to when Jess died, and Jason killed her. Welp. She killed him, he kills her, full circle, amirite?

Okay, but in all seriousness, we're just getting started.  Ur hair looks so freaking ✨soft✨ today!

-Jia

[eli-ashen]

The sky is empty

I walked through the gate of twined branches and ivy. I bowed to the birds guarding the gate in greeting, a jay and a sparrow, they let me pass without issue. Sprigs and bushels lined the path of loose pebbles, saplings tipped with ethereal blue light guiding my way. The hedges that surrounded the gardens were thick as solid walls, sealing away the world beyond. Dark greens and blues with spots of light here and there made for a wonderful sight. Whenever I passed an inhabitant, a jackdaw here, a great tit there, I would always bow and wish them a good day.

When I finally came upon the plaza, I stopped, hope lighting in my heart. The far end of the plaza opened to a cliffside, with nothing but the wide sky visible. Before the cliffside stood an elegant white wood gazebo, little white lights dangled from its supporting pillars. The plaza was full of birds, but my attention was on the few around the gazebo; a magpie, two siskins, a great woodpecker, a swallow, a northern lapwing, and a hooded crow. I approached, not forgetting to greet the birds on the way, and bowed low, hand on my heart, to greet the group. They looked at me with open curiosity, the siskins whispered to each other excitedly.

The hooded crow was the one to step forward, "Welcome, what has brought you here, little one?"

I looked out at the expanse over the cliff's edge, "I wished to greet my feathered friends. And there is something I wanted to ask."

It looked like some of the birds wanted to speak up, but left the talking to the crow, who seemed to be the elder here. "Then ask, words and wishes may fly freely here," the crow said, while appraising me with glinting black eyes.

I steadied myself, "I wish to fly, to have the freedom to soar the skies as you do."

The birds looked to each other, eyes unreadable. The crow closed its eyes and shook its head, a look of pity crossing its face, "You do not want that."

I felt small, but I couldn't give up like that, "But I do. It's what I've wanted most for all my life."

A few of the birds shuffled on their feet.

The crow sighed and went to the edge of the cliff, I followed behind. It looked out at the endless blue, "The sky is empty, its freedom hollow."

I was taken aback by the words.

"To lose everything that makes you, that is no wish, it is a surrender. Knowing this, do you still want to fly?" The crow looked at me without judgement.

"I… I don't know," I stumbled. I couldn't lie to myself, "No, I don't think so."

The crow straightened up, eyes bright, "Good, there is so much more for you to see here, with your feet on the ground and your heart open to being broken."

I clutched at my heart, suddenly unsure.

The crow laughed, a light cackling sound that was swallowed by the empty expanse before us. "Oh don't worry, it's all so much easier than you think."

[returntosaturn271995]

Best Little Wierds Quotes by Jenny Slate

“It will be a wild ride, but the fresh air and interesting company are worth all of the frightful bouncing, I believe”

“I was born with the talent for fucking off so majorly. I was born bucking the idea that I should have to be anywhere that I don’t like or talk to people who make me feel dead or trapped.”

“ Information about art and nature feels like the best stuff to have, and if you have it, it is powerful and excellent to pass it on. That is an act of power, showing what you know, giving it to another person, realizing that as you spread it, you get to keep it but watch it grow, and by watching others have it, you learn new things about the original thing”

“I am heartbroken over no one, over having nobody to wish for, nobody to hope for. I am heartbroken, usually, over someone. Now I am heartbroken over no one”

“All I can do is believe in the tides, the big drawing in and drawing out that is a type of planet clock. All I can do is let the waves of this whole damn thing flood in and out.”

“I have wondered on many occasions if any confidence I have is just a weird side effect of foolishness and I live under the weight of so much embarrassment”

“ I felt so ripe and sweet—what was off? The truth is, I was forcing myself into people’s mouths. I jumped out of their hands and into their mouths and I yelled EAT ME way before they even had a chance to get hungry and notice me and lift me up.”

“ I saw dark circles not just around my eyes but all around my life”

“I am tired of sinking down to a lower place to be with men. I am tired of throwing a tarp over some of my personality so that the shape of my identity suits some gross man a little better,”

“. God dammit, this is a gift from your fucking soul! Self-generate, don’t you see? Break the trap break the trap break the trap leave the trench! Activate the bomb in yourself and bust out, trick yourself out of that trench in any way you can!”

“Instead of asking the old questions that sounded like “What is wrong with me?” I would start asking important questions”

“ As the image of myself becomes sharper in my brain and more precious, I feel less afraid that someone else will erase me by denying me love.”

“In the very grooves of my being is the desire to bust open, and the certainty that it is right to begin to live again even after long periods of cold and darkness”

“Turn your head to the side and give yourself a little kiss on the shoulder. Wash your face and hands. Put on an outfit of all one color. Only do a little gossip and make sure it doesn’t make any dents in anyone”

“Proximity to death never meant that I compromised my dedication to being chic and elegant”

“I had died from being eager to use my heart and get my body touched”

“You could prove, if you tried to or wanted to, that the bottom of the pit is of course the start of getting up to the top. But it is the planting of the pit that is the hard part. The part where you have to go down there and cover a small hard thing with dark matter. The part where you are supposed to believe in a process and the part when you must admit to your desire for the thing to work, and that is hard too.”

“You stand in my house and see a green overgrowth of ivy and saplings and flowers and eucalyptuses that, when they are wet or moved, sigh out with a minty blue fragrance.”

“I imagined a ghost of an actress from the thirties, a young woman filled with life and bitterness”

“What if, when I felt a little off, I could flip up the top of my head and sprinkle just a few flowers around my brain and then flip the top of my head back down?”

“Actually, more than anything, I would like my dog to have small blue flowers stuck to his small face as often as possible, and now that you mention it, I want this more than most things that I want, but most of the things that I want are like this thing, and it is a certain type of person who feels this way that I feel, and I’m proud to be one, and now I see that I must really not forget that the style of what I find beautiful is incredible to me, that it is incredible to feel lucky to want to want what one wants, to be able to see the rings of yourself this way, and honestly, Kathleen, I am dead serious on this one.”

“I never really want to argue with anyone ever again, nor am I under any sort of obligation to do so.”

“It occurs to me that if anyone is ever here again by my side I will do my best, and if that doesn’t work out, I will leave. I will not do my half-best and stay for a ridiculous amount of time.”

“And then it occurs to me that it is never too late to write yourself a good little personal creed, and that finding a creed for yourself is about gathering a set of rules that supports your self-respect and your community.”

“I’m going toward a land that I have defended but not even lived in yet”

“The narrator is a British woman who seems borderline horny to tell me what she is about to tell me, and her documentary series is called The Ascent of Woman, which actually makes me “emotionally horny” as well”

“And to be fair (although why must I, after all of this, be fair?!)”

“Blast away the deep ridges inside that create a feeling of unnameable dirtiness and shame.”

“There was a start and so there can be an end.”

“how light and air are separate but make holy beauty out of nature that is already so sacred”

“ I take it as a sign that it is all right to be alive as I am, just as I am, and to keep trying”

“because they feel the sun glancing over its shoulder to leave”

“ everything is always remaking itself and so are you. Everything is art and nature and so are you.”

“I got in trouble for being wild. I got in trouble for my feelings at school and camp and then always.”

“I am a wild thing but I wanted a home.”

“My gods are inside of me first and foremost, and the mother of all of them is the wild one”

“But I am allowed to rehabilitate and move forward, so I give myself reasonable counsel: “This is nothing but spooky stuff from a freaked-out root. This is what happens in an exorcism, babe. The bad thing wears the faces and forms of your failures and family and it says you are hurting me.”

“salty, lemony, glistening leaves”

“You only force intimacy because you have a hungry heart and you have been displaced. It’s a condition of the heart, based on your situation. You are looking for a place in another.” I’m tired of looking for a place in another”

“I’m here to remind you that there is much more than this one moment of being uncomfortable.”

“It’s fine. Listen now: You will be cleaned by your own focus, by not being seduced into self-indulgence. You will become a peaceful authority who says no to that voice that wants to undermine and splash you with the gloop of self-doubt in an effort to stall your emergence. “You will tell yourself that good, gentle civility and loving self-discipline are essential. “You will not be exhausted anymore by the fight with the misogynist in your psyche. ”

“You protect yourself and all the little weirds that make up who you are.” We sat there and had the coffee and eggs in the in-between world, the often scary but necessary space between old patterns and new behaviors. I didn’t know it then, but I’d made it to the holy land.”

“It was not necessarily a choice at the outset, but now it is certainly a point of pride that I functionally dwell in realms that I was once afraid of.”

“I am that mysterious stranger that I hoped to meet. I met her at a dark dance. We came here to live together until I could stay by myself. The place is here. The time is now. This is all my lifetime.”

[24-hours]

Hello friends! I’m an Oli fictive from Empires SMP season 2 and was wondering if I could have some neo pronoun suggestions? I’d prefer a theme of music because I’m a bard, and maybe plants because plants are nice. We already have a request from this system but it was Mod Beth (I really hope I remembered that right-) only so I wanted to give Mod Boo a turn (also because they’re funny also what pripboubs do you use sir-). Thank you!

Hello Oli! Hi! Hey! Hello! That was too many hellos but whatever who cares. Okay okay so uhm you'll notice your list is under a cut, well uh that's cause I may or may not have done more than I usually do… What can I say I like music neos (Also empires lives rent free in my head so of course I jump at any chance I have to make empires stuff) [Plus I had nothing else to do so like getting 30 pronouns instead of 15 seemed like a good way to use my time lol]

Oh and uh I use all pronouns btw! Can’t list all of the ones I personally like because that’d be long and annoying but the main ones are Xe/Rem/Star (and of course he/they/she can be used in lieu of those)! I really don't care what pronouns are used for me! Thanks for asking :D! -MODern BOOn

Bard/Bards/Bardself (feels like cheating to include these since yknow you ARE a bard but I think they’re neat)

song/songs/songself

chord/chords/chordself

chime/chimes/chimeself

hum/hums/humself

hymn/hymns/hymnself

jam/jams/jamself

key/keys/keyself

note/notes/noteself

tune/tunes/tuneself

symphony/symphonys/symphonyself

harmony/harmonys/harmonyself

melody/melodys/melodyself

guitar/guitars/guitarself

lute/lutes/luteself

reed/reeds/reedself

bud/buds/budself

fern/ferns/fernself

bloom/blooms/bloomself

sprout/sprouts/sproutself

leaf/leafs/leafself

clover/clovers/cloverself

maple/maples/mapleself

ivy/ivys/ivyself

vine/vines/vineself

sap/saps/sapself or sap/sapling/saplingself [Grouped them because eh they both start with sap idk just felt right]

thorn/thorns/thornself

moss/mosses/mossself or mo/moss/mossself

fleur/fleurs/fleurself or flower/flowers/flowerself

mushroom/mushrooms/mushroomself

[dreamcatcher-ranger]

🍊,🍉 and 🍎 for the ask game if ur still doing it :]

Of course I'm still doing it, I ain’t quitting you!

🍊: song I tied to you

I think that everytime I listen to Cavetown I think about you, a bit because *cough* your fault *cough* and mostly because it just... fits, you know? You have to listen to those songs while you're sprawled on a rooftop, preferably a cottage in the woods' rooftop, and are stargazing or finding shapes between the clouds. It's perfect.

But the song I think really suits you is Brave Enough by Lindsey Stirling. Not because of the lyrics, but because every time I listen to it I am transfixed to an abandoned, once luxurious, mansion now taken over by the ivy and the saplings, and I would explore that vines-covered mansion with you.

🍉: first meeting!

Ohohoho, this is easy to guess and I think you already got it: ghost hunting! Seriously, it would be the best thing I wish we could do together. If we had to do it here, I would opt for an abandoned big house that is rumored to have secret tunnels undetneath... A lot of things about that house are rumored to be weird.

🍎: character description

*cracks knuckles*

The little minivan was covered by colorful stickers and graffiti, contrasting with the moss and the mud that caked the wheels and the lower spots. This bright pink and lime green scribble said *boo! we're haunted!* next to a yellow ghost, that blue bumper sticker showed Mothman with his red eyes, a little orange doodle of Bigfoot was cheerfully greeting you. The air smelled of gasoline and forest and rain and paint and... cookies? You took a deep breath, trying to keep for yourself all of this... curiosity. The van radiated curiosity, and kindness, and mystery. You could hear the faint music of a guitar.

You knocked on the door on the back.

"Com- No, no no, wait a second! Stay down you!"

Sounds of things, hopefully not very precious things, clanking on the floor. Another crash.

"Coming!"

Finally the door opened, bringing the smell of warm butter and sugar to your nose. A dog bolted out. Careful to not to be run over, you stepped back before looking to the other person.

They were holding a tray of freshly baked cookies, and had a little smear of flour over their nose. Between their feet there was a little black box. It must have been turned on when it fell, because it was crackling and sputtering static. They smiled apologetically and put down the cookies before squatting and picking up the hellish thing.

While their attention was still on the crackling abomination, with their head tilted down, you could see moss, leaves and little glowing mushrooms growing between their hair.

"Dang it-" they muttered, fidgeting with the box, trying to turn it off. The fluorescent green worm-on-a-string they were using as a earring dangled on their eyes, and they tried to blow it away, without success. "Oh yes, finally." The static stopped.

They looked up to face you. With a finger they tucked behind their ear a strand of hair that, in the light, you recognized as dark green. The light hit their eyes, changing their color. Now they were of a luminous, vibrant green, like grass in a wood... mesmerizing...

They stared at you quizzically. You cleared you throat.

"So you must be..."

"Moss. Yep. That's me."

"Good... and, it's not like you specialize in, uhm... unconventional hunts?"

They grinned, and for a moment... no, wait, you must have seen something else, because it was not like this person was growing ferns from the inside... right?

"Unconventional hunts are my specialty. Please tell me more."

[goggles-mcgee]

Hello! I really loved Ivy's sampling au. Could you write about the whole Lila situation and Mari's return to Githam? Thank you and I really like your posts

Absolutely! I absolutely adore manners too so kudos to you! God I sound like an old woman...anyways onward!

Lila and her whole thing goes like how she threatened basically, she did turn Marinette's friends against her and is just in general making her life hell. The only one's on Marinette's side are Chloe, Sabrina, Marc, Kagami, Aurore, Mireille, and Luka. Chloe and Sabrina are their own entity or that's how LIla views them, she doesn't think they are Marinette's allies so she leaves them alone.

But Lila starts to try and get Marinette in trouble again, not just with Bustier like she's been doing, and Adrien is doing nothing to help her. He even lectured her on her behavior practically every day.. Marinette had tried to resign as class president but Lila wouldn't let her, her classmates yelled at her each time about how she was just lazy and was doing it to be mean to them and bullying them and trying to make Lila feel pressured. Mlle Bustier was quick to scold her and give her a lecture about the Marinette's of the world, despite Chloe saying she was more than happy to take over the position. Then Lila went to Tom and Sabine with the class and told them she was bullying her and the others and not taking her position as class president seriously, and that they were really worried about her.

Tom and Sabine started to treat Marinette differently, they never really treated her as a daughter to begin with, more like a niece, but now they acted like they were housing a juvenile delinquent on probation or something. They started watching her more and making sure she wasn't in the house alone as much as she had been and it was making being Ladybug very difficult, as well as being the Guardian.

It was all becoming too much for Marinette, and she knew things were better for her mother, she was working for Wayne Enterprises again, specifically at his greenhouses there in Gotham and she was also the lead Botanist and was being allowed to continue her research as a biochemist. She was dating Harley Quinn who was more a vigilante now and who ran her own podcast since her doctor license was revoked, so she gave "unofficial" psychological advice while also talking about anything and everything that came to mind.

So when her mom called her, Marinette couldn't hold it back anymore and she cried and told her mother everything, and by everything I mean everything, including being Ladybug. She wanted to come home, to wanted to go back and live in Gotham. It really didn't take much convincing and it was ridiculously fast for Marinette to pack and get her school to give her her transcripts. She didn't know it was because Ivy demanded Batman contact Bruce Wayne and help her daughter get out of that ridiculous school, and then destroy it. Bruce agreed, not to destroy, but he did launch an investigation on the school that they were sure not to get away from without some damage, after getting Marinette's papers.

Ivy takes one of the private jets to personally pick up Marigold, because as soon as she gets her daughter they decide to burn her fake identity since it's caused her nothing but pain. Ivy has some choice words for Tom and Sabine, and then they go back to Gotham and Marinette can finally breath.

They decide she should do homeschooling since she's still Ladybug and the Guardian and it would be easier for her to slip away if she needed to for an Akuma. Ivy doesn't like that her daughter is in danger a lot and is basically Paris's sole protector besides Viperion and Donryu (formerly Ryuko) since the cat one doesn't show much and when he does he's not much help.

Ivy wants to help so badly and Marigold told her she'd think about it but if she let her mom help she would have to do exactly as she said. Harley wants to help too of course, and that was fun getting to see the two take to each other. It made her so happy that they liked each other and Marigold was even calling Harley Ma', which was super adorable.

Overall Marigold's move to Gotham was a great thing. But Ivy really wanted to make those little meatsacks her daughter used to call friends, pay for hurting her little sapling, as did Harley, and surprisingly Batman. He said they couldn't actually physically hurt them but he suggested outing the liar and yeah okay maybe that was a pretty good idea. Ivy is careful to leave put the bit about the magical terrorist since she's not exactly sure if her Marigold wants Batman to know.

Everything is great, perfect really. Then that rock star Jagged Stone announces he's leaving Paris because it's not "Rock n Roll enough now that his honorary niece is no longer living there." And that she "took the rocking-est notes with her when she left" so he was going to move back home which was coincidentally where his honorary niece loved...in Gotham...Marigold failed to mention that to her mother.

And then Marigold meets Damian Wayne one day when she's out buying fabric and the two seem to form a connection and Pamela really has to ask if this is all karma for when she was a villain.