#syl issue

[soloavengers]

Thorne ramble ahead!

Thorne wasn’t treated like a pawn in the world he was first summoned to, it was believed by his Arisen, a king, that he willed into him his recently dead younger brother’s soul. It wasn’t true of course, but he did will into him the personality and appearance perfectly, which made people treat him like they treated the late prince. Not to say he’s got a princely personality because the human Thorne was a warrior soldier more than anything, it did give him a bit of an ego and got him used to privilege, mainly this made him a capable leader (too capable for a pawn). He would often advise the Sovran-to-be Arisen on how to act like royalty, even though he wasn’t quite good at it himself, he’d insist he still had more experience. His delusion status isn’t nearly as bad as his former Arisen’s, who actually feared Thorne would betray him and take his crown more than once.

After abandoning Thorne in the Rift, saying he believed him gone for good after ravaging a kingdom, not even by his command but by transforming from the Dragonsplague, his Dragon finally showed. You’d think a morally corrupt conquerer would take the deal with the Dragon, right? He didn’t, he believed he can take the land the Dragon was offering after slaying it. Alone, he failed without the pawn who was very much his sword. Thorne wouldn’t cry about it if he knew, the things he did for his former king were far from something he’s proud of. However his death Bestowed the pawn a little, too little to be of note.

Thorne worried the Sovran-to-be would be much the same, he regarded Sparrow with wariness for many reasons. Magic was of legends in the world he was “born in,” he mistrusted it as much as Sparrow feared using it, but cautiously did. Eventually he warmed up to this new life, he warmed to Sparrow, and warmed up to magic. When Sparrow took the step to become a Sorcerer, Thorne voiced that he would like to do the same.

In many other ways did he change and grow. Still he’s more like if the human Thorne was free from his brother’s tyranny than a pawn becoming themself away from a personality projected onto them by their Arisen. Not a bad thing, not something he’d begrudge, but he didn’t know the man. However he gets regarded strangely by some pawns for being bossy, in past dire situations he had treated a few as expendable for the sake of his Arisen, he’d soon understand and stop behaving so.

Thanks to his Arisen, he developed a moral compass, a sense of honor. A feeling of pride when the Arisen avoided fighting humans, when the Arisen insisted on helping someone no matter the risk. When the Arisen isn’t power hungry, if they answer his question by saying something similar to wanting to become Sovran for the people’s sake. Or the like.

Thorne is neat, he likes to keep his Arisen’s house and belongings organized and efficient. He often advises the Arisen to sell off what they don’t need, or to buy it from them himself and later resell it. You will hear him offering to clean the blood and dirt off the Arisen and fellow pawn’s armor and weapons, he enjoys doing so. He gets irritated when any place is messy, when the Arisen doesn’t make their bed soon as they get out of it. He gets fussy when he doesn’t have the chance to bathe every day.

He’s the most gentle when someone is vulnerable, he’d be as close as he’s allowed to be, reassuring them as best as he could. He would gladly stay up all night keeping watch if someone felt too paranoid to sleep. He’d stay perfectly still and close if someone needed a shoulder to lean or sleep on. He likes feeling needed, he would provide as long as it doesn’t involve hurting someone he’d rather not. He’s a good listener, however bad at seeking comfort himself.

Thorne likes to be in control, he hates forgetting things, he hates Drakes, he despises the Godsway. After interrogating a pawn who had recovered from the Dragonsplague before, he realized it was more than a rumor, and it was the reason he didn’t remember his last days with his king. The reason he was abandoned. He sulked about the revelation for a long time, for many reasons, feeling many conflicting emotions. For a time Sparrow asked him to stop traveling beyond the Rift because it was making him paranoid. However he loved traveling and resumed soon after. After gathering more facts, his worries would lessen substantially when his Arisen promised not to let it get so bad should it happen (and never to leave him.)

Fear of abandonment turns to fear of losing his Arisen, in battle and such. He worries very easily, he frets but tries his very best not to show his great concern, often to instead focus the energy on making the Arisen feel better. His protectiveness makes him a beast against any foe, but it doesn’t make him a very good caretaker as he tends to be overbearing and extremely nervous, a little bothersome. It’s best if the Arisen knows how to take care of themself, still he would try his best.

Despite everything, Thorne doesn’t hold his past against his former king. He believes it was the man’s nature, just as his own is to obey. He finds it easier to take responsibility for his past actions, for it would make the possibly redeeming actions his very own as well. Focusing on his charge, his Arisen is the only thing that keeps haunting the haunting memories and guilt at bay. Should the Arisen achieve his goal, Thorne did quite well to help him through it.

[lesbianmarrow]

like i recently read this romance novel “sizzle reel” about a bi woman who ends up falling for her nonbinary lesbian bestie and the main character would like ruminate on her attraction to “non-men” and like wonder how kissing & dating a “non-man” might be different from doing so with a man and there was 0 interrogation of what “non-man” as a category meant and i found it kind of irritating. book was cute tho :) but yeah if you’re like “i’m saying ‘non-man’ to be inclusive of nonbinary lesbians who don’t identify as women” well bigender lesbians exist. so what now

[relicsongmel]

Alright I figured since I ramble about them so much it's time I made a post talking all about my two darling girls!!! As some of you already know, these are my two (pseudo) self-insert characters; their primary canon is based around the events of Pokemon Black and White and their sequels.

images made using Picrew and Love Nikki (with the latter having the closest I could get to their canon outfits)

Sylvia Goldwood

Gender: female (she/her)

Orientation: pan(demi)romantic demisexual

Birthday: March 10th

Height: 5'8

Hair color: light blonde

Eye color: aqua

Color scheme: light blues, whites, and silvers/grays with occasional darker blues, yellows, greens, and purples

Ethnicity: Unovan (Martha her mother is from Icirrus City, Roger her father is from Driftveil City)

Interests: music (singing, piano, flute, composition), theater, gardening/botany, baking, poetry, dancing, swimming, boating, foreign languages

Fashion is romantic and feminine with frequent floral elements

Born in Nuvema Town and lived her whole life there

Her father was a musician and aspiring composer who died a little over a year after she was born. Her mother is a florist

Inherited Roger's love of music despite never knowing him. Dedicates herself wholly to the musical arts and shows an exceptional level of skill for her age, but develops burnout as a result of her perfectionist nature and harsh self-criticism born from the pressure she felt to succeed. Leaves on a Pokemon journey for a change of pace and to search for the mythical Pokemon Meloetta in hopes of rekindling her inspiration.

Personality: ambiverted, imaginative, deceptively slow to trust, selfless to a fault

Notable Pokemon: Samurott, Cinccino, shiny Gardevoir

Denise Hitoki

Gender: female (she/her)

Orientation: biromantic demisexual

Birthday: September 10th

Height: 5'4

Hair color: blonde

Eye color: dark gray

Color scheme: greens, browns, and other neutral tones with occasional blues and yellows

Ethnicity: half Unovan, half Johtonian (Jennifer her mother is from Icirrus City, Ryuji her father is from Goldenrod City)

Interests: reading, video games/anime, drawing, writing, playing guitar/songwriting, tree climbing, mythology, history

Fashion is minimalist and practical, avoiding unnecessary flourishes

Born in Ecruteak City and lived there with both parents; moved to Aspertia City with her mother at about 13 years old

Both parents are top-class Pokemon breeders who spent their teens and early twenties competing in competitions worldwide; after their marriage her mother starts a business selling various Pokemon care products. Her father assists her but tends to work from home so he can focus on taking care of Denise

Her parents' marriage grows unstable and her father abandons the family when Denise is 10. She and her mother have wildly different responses to this, which becomes a source of conflict as Dena becomes frustrated with her mother's state of denial and Jen is incredibly ill-equipped to deal with her daughter's grief on top of her own while now facing the challenges of being a single mother. Denise has a long depressive period before she leaves on a Pokemon journey to escape her home life and possibly find her father.

Personality: introverted, blunt, logical, fiercely loyal to her loved ones

Notable Pokemon: Ninetales, Glaceon, Zoroark

Other facts about the girls:

Martha and Jen are sisters, making Sylvia and Denise cousins. They are two years apart in age (with Sylvia as the older of the two) and each leaves on her respective journey at 18 years old.

Sylvia started as a Bleach OC and used to be named Lilybell, while Denise was created for an unfinished lineup of characters representing musical keys (she was D minor, hence her name). Both are drastically different characters now than how I envisioned them at the time of their conception.

Sylvia's tag [#little songbird] is a nickname Roger used for her when he was still alive.

Denise's tag [#forest for the tree] is in reference to her last name, which means "solitary tree." It symbolizes her tendency to isolate herself due to recurring abandonment issues as a result of her father's disappearance, even though trees usually thrive in community by nourishing each other through interconnected root systems. However, after letting go of her fears and allowing others into her life (finding her "forest" so to speak), she becomes a source of shelter, strength, and comfort for those around her.

Sylvia can be shortened to Syl and Denise to Dena (pronounced "DEE-nuh"); they have a few other nicknames but those are the most common ones.

The descriptions in this post pertain to the main timeline; that is, Sylvia and Denise's adventures across Unova and a few other regions they travel to with the background details exactly as described above. Several other AUs exist, most notably two PLA AUs (one for each of them), Denise's Paldea AU in which she and her mother move there instead of Unova, and a few different Sylvia AUs in which her confrontation with Team Plasma plays out slightly differently. In addition to these, I occasionally put my girls in the universes of other franchises (Bleach, Stardew Valley and Ace Attorney to name a few), but many details there are far less consistent considering the characters weren't created with those universes in mind. As such I generally don't like to discuss them as much, but they are very fun nonetheless and often help me recontextualize how I view their canon storyline.

And that's the overview! Thank you to anyone who's read this far—my lovely ladies mean the absolute world to me and I hope you found their backgrounds interesting <3

[onceuponanaromantic]

ok so after spending half a semester talking about social issues and like the construction of race and social categories and the impacts of digital spaces on social issues, I’m honestly thinking a lot abt world building and how ppl construct fairness and morality within diff settings?

like yesterday I made a whole argument in class that focusing specifically on racial diversity as the sole marker of diversity actually does a disservice to addressing historical issues and fairness in society because race as a category is super duper fluid and how people are identified versus how they identify is super based on their social surroundings and if you’re looking at background as a marker of why places with any focus on knowledge creation or development, you need to expand your understanding of diversity?? Like in a north-american centric setting right given the problems with historic racism and colonialism, there are also going to be issues within the Anglo world surrounding global equality. And we’re seeing this today with patterns of global migration because people in the global south are migrating away precisely because of climate disasters in their countries. And there’s more issues regarding indigenous versus colonial forms of knowledge production which, yknow, complicates the issue even further abt what diversity even means.

I suppose this all comes back to the issue of like what does it mean to be fair within a given setting. Like especially if you’re trying to form a depiction of a futuristic or a fantastical setting like, that’s a key qn that I’m really interested and concerned abt.

[best24news]

SYL नहर के मसले पर फिर भिड़े तीन राज्यों के मुख्यमंत्री, जानिए किसने क्या कहा

SYL नहर के मसले पर फिर भिड़े तीन राज्यों के मुख्यमंत्री, जानिए किसने क्या कहा

हरियाणा: एसवाईएल का मुद्दा काफी पुराना है। एक बार फिर SYL नहर निर्माण के मुद्दे को लेकर हरियाणा, पंजाब और दिल्ली की सरकार फिर से आमने- सामने खड़ी हो गई है। इस मसले पर सीएम मनोहर लाल का पंजाब के मुख्यमंत्री भगवंत मान और दिल्ली के मुख्यमंत्री अरविंद केजरीवाल से टकराव बढ़ गया है। Haryana : क्रिप्टो करंसी के नाम 1. 27 करोड की ठगी बता दें कि पंजाब और दिल्ली दोनों राज्यों में आम आदमी पार्टी की सरकार…

[gffa]

Okay, so it was a month since my last BATFAMILY fic recs set, but in my defense a) huge life changes and b) I did a quick count up of how many recs I had built up and it was literally well over a million words. A million words! In one recs set! And this is like the seventh one of these that I've done! And I still have at least a thousand fics on my reader that I haven't started! Because this fandom has seriously not just consumed my brain, but given me absolutely amazing stuff to read that scratches all the itches I desperately have--well, okay, scratches the itch I have for my Dick Grayson Problem, but same thing.

I've really needed some escapism lately and being able to laugh or cry or just sink into a nice, long novella or even novel-length fic has really been a godsend has done a lot to soothe me and help me process feelings that sometimes otherwise can feel too overwhelming to deal with. All while also giving me the exploration of issues or decompression time with the characters' issues that the canon itself doesn't have the space for. So, I hope this list can give others something to read in the way it has given me so much that I've loved and brought me joy or emotional catharsis, because fandom has been really incredible about Bringing The Good Stuff and I want to repay the favor!

BATFAM FIC RECS - BABY DICK IS THE CUTEST FERAL ROBIN I'M NOT HEARING ANY ARGUMENTS: ✦ The Halfway Point by Sugarcookie222, dick & bruce & alfred & clark, 5k     After a miscommunication with Bruce, a 13-year-old Dick runs away. He makes it as far as a diner in a nearby state. Bruce had left to finalize the adoption papers but clearly needs to work on his communication skills. He calls Superman in a panic to help him find Dick.

✦ be safe, they said (be good) by deargalileo, bruce & dick & alfred, 4k     there's a tree in the wayne's backyard. a very specific tree, one that seems to attract daring children like bees to honey. unfortunately for the children, it is not a tree that is suited for climbing. fortunately for the children, they have fathers who are there to stitch them up.

✦ a haunted ballroom by lothIoriens, bruce & dick & alfred, 11.9k wip     When Dick stumbles across the ghosts of Wayne Manor dancing the night away in an abandoned wing of the house, he thinks that, finally, something might be normal again. But the ghosts are nervous, and he doesn't know why. Something is brewing underneath the surface of Wayne Manor, and it's up to Dick to find out what it is—and it's up to Bruce to make sure nothing happens to his charge in the meantime.

✦ Straight On Til Morning by audreycritter, bruce & dick, 1.2k     Bruce wakes Dick up on a school night to show him the sky. It dredges up memories for Dick, and it would be a disaster, except it’s Bruce. And Bruce understands.

✦ (More) Pressing Matters by Syl, bruce & dick, 39.2k     Dick Grayson arrives at Wayne Manor, a cold empty place, shortly after his parents' murder: A re-telling of the Boy Wonder's well-known origin story.

✦ First Action Hero by Goldmonger, bruce & dick & clark & cast, 3.5k     “Jerkwads,” Dick said darkly, taking Clark’s hand. He looked up at him then, dressed smartly in a black suit and tie, and wearing converses with Sonic the Hedgehog on them. “You okay, Uncle Clark?”

✦ Lil Birdy Wants to Fly by lil_taair, bruce & dick, 3.8k     Bruce would have usually appreciated the cheeky smile that was directed at him if his son wasn’t 25 fucking feet off the ground

✦ World's Finest: Fortress of Friendship by WingFeathers, bruce & dick & clark & diana, 6.9k     Finally, Dick talks Bruce into letting him see the Fortress of Solitude – provided that Dick stay safe and out of the way while the Trinity discusses some Secret Important Business about a certain young Amazon. Clark promises that the Fortress will be safe, but is that a promise he can make?

✦ Stolen Son by springfox (dallystrings), bruce & dick & jim, 8.6k     Dick is excited to visit an American mall for the first time, and Bruce struggles to understand the difference between 'guardian' and 'dad'.

✦ Comfort Food by motleyfam, bruce & dick, ~1k     Dick struggles to find his appetite in the aftermath of his parents’ deaths.

✦ The meaning of justice by Fleur_de_Violette, bruce & dick & babs & cast, 4.6k     As Bruce drives toward Gotham Academy, he tries to imagine all the possible reasons for the principal to call him. He has a lot of imagination. Especially when it comes to bad things happening to Dick. Still, his ward being a suspect for attempted murder hadn’t been on his list.

✦ The Question Game by Santana2, dick & bruce, 1.3k     Basketball can be a very enlightening game if you play it right. Little expansion on Robin's part in Downtime

✦ Cat's Eat Birds by Nightwing_DC_2112, dick & bruce & selina & cast, 12k     After a run in with the Scarecrow Robin is separated from Batman fighting off the effects of Crane's Fear Toxin when an unlikely ally steps in to prevent him getting into further trouble.

✦ World's Finest Mini Issue: Happy Birthday by WingFeathers, bruce & dick (& minor clark/bruce & alfred), 1.8k     Bruce hoped for an emergency to get him out of his birthday party. He just didn’t want Dick to be the one in need of help. BATFAM FIC RECS - ADULT BATSON AND BATDAD ARE MY KRYPTONITE, I FOLD LIKE WET CARDBOARD FOR THEM: ✦ Truth Serum is the Worst by JackHawksmoor, dick & bruce, 3.1k     Batman gets dosed with a truth serum and unexpectedly spends most of the time talking about how desperately he loves his children, how awesome they are, and how he wishes he was better at being a father.

✦ Holy Time Travel Fuckery, Batmen by That_One_Curly_Haired_Fangirl, dick & bruce, 4.4k     Batman is dead, and Dick has reluctantly taken up the mantle. So then why are there four Batmen, all clearly Bruce, standing in front of him on this rooftop?

✦ The Waking World by Fairy527, dick & bruce, 2.2k     This isn’t the first time Dick has gone to Bruce after a nightmare. However, this is the first time his nightmare has involved Bruce's murder at his own hands, and it doesn't settle well.

✦ More Alike Than You'll Ever Admit coffeeandchocolate, dick & bruce, 1.2k     Dick Grayson has always been there alongside Batman. So if no one else is going to acknowledge that his first year wearing the cowl was harder, well, he's just going to have to do it himself. After Bruce returns from being lost in time, he and his eldest argue.

✦ Almost, Nearly by CKBookish, dick & bruce & jason & cast, 8.1k     Dick was just supposed to go with him to lunch. He wasn't supposed to get shot. He wasn't supposed to be bleeding out in the pouring rain on the steps of Wayne Enterprises. But then Bruce hadn't expected that sniper and he had seen it far to late. BATFAM FIC RECS - EVERYBODY LOVES DICK: ✦ Behind Granite and Lime by JeanjacketCarf, dick & bruce & jason & tim & barbara & cass, 14.5k wip     Cassandra had noticed. Of course, she noticed. That was the problem, she couldn’t turn it off. She always had to see, always had to know. So she knew when Dick came back from his mission that something was wrong. Or something is off with Dick. Hopefully, it doesn't have anything to do with those murders.

✦ Soup's On by HoodEx, dick & donna, 2k     Taking care of Dick never feels like a burden, it feels like an instinct. And Donna's really good at following her instincts.

✦ to dream away a sleepless night by waffle-wonder (cosmic_croissant), dick & bruce & jason & tim & damian & cass & stephanie & duke, 2.7k     Dick was fine. He was fine. Sure, he was having a little trouble focusing on unlocking his apartment door, but that didn’t mean anything. Or- Dick is exhausted. His family catches him when he falls.

✦ Temporary by daringyounggrayson, bruce & dick & alfred & cast, 14.8k     The double homicide at Haly’s Circus is not Bruce’s first case involving a child, and while there's no overt indication that Bruce should react differently to this case, he supposes that his previous cases did not involve the witness known as Dick Grayson. On the surface, the Grayson case seems like any other gang case, but the more time Bruce spends with the boy, the more he begins to doubt his own instincts.

✦ To the Moving and the Strange by SilverSkiesAtMidnight, dick & bruce & alfred & tim & cast, 6k     Thankfully, Alfred tips his head in acknowledgement. “I do,” he agrees. “I remember a great many things. But I have forgotten things too, and I expect as time goes on, more of them will slip away from me, and it’s entirely possible that I won’t even notice they’re gone. My memories of them will simply be… less.” Dick looks at him, studying the lines of his weathered face. “Does that ever make you feel like... like if you loved them more, you’d remember them?”

✦ better luck nest time by ScarlettSwordMoon, dick & bruce & jason & tim & damian & cass & steph & duke & cast, 47k wip     Feeling as if Dick’s family does not appreciate him enough, an alternate Earth version of Babs turns Dick into a bird. Now each member of the Batfamily must confess something to him if they ever want to see Dick as a human again. AKA The tale of a family and their birb.

✦ deep roots (are not reached by the frost) by fanfictiongreenirises, bruce & dick & jason & tim & damian & cass & cast, de-aged!dick, 85.2k wip     Dick gets reverted to a younger self after being kidnapped on during a case. But this is far from a routine de-aging.

✦ Bludhaven Police Department by Lady_of_Lorule, bruce & dick & jason & tim & barbara & amy & donna & wally & cast, 31.1k     Sgt. Amy Rohrbach learns that her partner, rookie cop Dick Grayson, is not what he seems. Or how Amy finds out that Dick Grayson is the heir to the entire Wayne fortune, the vigilante Nightwing, the leader of the Titans, and meets some of the Batfam and the Titans along the way. BATFAM FIC RECS - DICK AND DAMIAN WERE THE BEST BATMAN & ROBIN, I'M NOT HEARING ARGUMENTS ABOUT THAT EITHER: ✦ Too Many Walls and Not Enough Bridges by CamsthiSky, dick & damian, 3.7k     There's something bothering Damian. Dick's determined to help Damian feel comfortable enough to share it.

✦ All The Small Things by Geeves, dick & damian & bruce & cast, 20.1k     After Bruce's return to the Bat, Dick and Damian have to deal with just being brothers, but things are just a bit too messy to be that easy BATFAM FIC RECS - BATKIDS ALL HAVE MANY SIBLINGS AND THEY'RE ALL PETTY ASSHOLES AND/OR WONDERFUL BABIES AND I LOVE THEM WITH MY WHOLE BEING: ✦ Do-over by mx_chrx99, dick & jason & todd & damian & steph, 6.2k     Jason never really got to do the "family vacation" thing. Neither did Tim, Steph, or Damian. Dick did, but that was ages ago. Now's their chance to make up for lost time.

✦ pick up off the floor by deargalileo, dick & jason & bruce, 3k     there was a lump on Bruce's office floor. a Dickwing shaped lump.

✦ the trials and tribulations of fatherhood by InkpotSprite, bruce & dick & jason & tim, 2k     Dick, Jason and Tim compete to see who was the worst child. The answer surprises them all. On an unrelated note, Bruce is wondering if adoptions are a lifetime deal, or if they can be undone.

✦ A Time To Reflect by Experimental_Muse, bruce & dick & jason & tim & damian & cass & duke & alfred, time travel, 14.5k     Bruce finds himself stuck in the past, and while waiting for the league to pick him up, struggles to get along with his past self. Plus being in a practically empty manor is a bigger adjustment than he'd like to admit. BATFAM FIC RECS - SOMETIMES YOU JUST THINK BRUCE AND DIANA SHOULD KISS IT OUT: ✦ One equal temper of heroic hearts by victoria_p (musesfool), bruce/diana, nsfw, 1.5k     Bruce and Diana reconcile at Nanda Parbat.

✦ Thanksgiving at the Kents by starknjarvis, bruce/diana & cast, 8.9k     Clark convinces Diana to come to the farm for Thanksgiving, and Diana finally gets the chance to meet Bruce's kids. There are far more of them than she had expected.

✦ Escape Artistry by David Hines (hradzka), bruce/diana & cast, 24.2k     Wonder Woman is eager to learn new things. Batman, less so. Primarily JL animated continuity; some comic elements from as far back as the Golden Age. Complete. BATFAM FIC RECS - I WILL DIE ON THE HILL THAT TIM DRAKE'S TRUE LOVE INTEREST IS CONNER KENT AND NOBODY CAN STOP ME, NOT EVEN GOD: ✦ Will you die for (marry) me? by Ididloveyou_once, tim/kon & cassie & bart & cast, 7.8k     Tim sacrifices himself on a mission and lives. Conner hates that. They struggle through the aftermath.

✦ A Saturday Evening by malcyon, tim/kon & clark/lois & jonathan kent/martha kent & kara, 13.8k     Kon invites Tim over for dinner. Tim's not sure if he should have accepted that invitation.

✦ Sending all my love to you by Paintedqueen, tim/kon, 10.9k wip     Conner and Tim get blasted into New Earth where they meet an old friend.

✦ Composed of Us by starlikeknight, tim/kon & bruce & dick & cast, 37.1k wip     Or, a spiralling Tim clones a baby without thinking about the consequences. And there are many, many consequences. BATFAM FIC RECS - I SAY THIS IS A BATFAM REC LIST BUT SOMETIMES YOU JUST GOTTA SHOVE THOSE ASSHOLES OUT OF THE WAY AND READ SOME SUPERFIC: ✦ All these things (that I'll never know) by Paintedqueen, conner & clark & kara & jonathan & implied tim/kon & cast, 12.7k     Kon-El's journey on what it means to be Kryptonian.

✦ birthday bash by yeeyee123, conner & clark & jon & tim/kon, 11.8k     Kon’s pumped that Clark has brought him in to help put together Jon’s 8th birthday party. No really, he is! Just don’t ask him directly about it, or he may need to go leave the room and take a breather. Inhaling helium gas from all those balloons isn’t good for you, you know?

✦ Catching Icarus by Fantasyfire, conner & clark & justice league, 24.8k wip     A bad encounter with magic banishes Superboy into another world. Stranded, the Kryptonian clone must deal with a whole new league and a much different Superman.

✦ Nobody's Child by Kizmet, clark & conner & lois & ma kent & pa kent & cast, 18k     Superboy is deaged. While Young Justice looks for a cure Batman sticks Clark Kent with babysitting duties. BATFAM FIC RECS - TAKE THE ANGST DIAL, TURN IT UP TO ELEVEN, AND BREAK THE KNOB OFF, THAT'S WHAT I'M HERE FOR: ✦ Adeamus by miss_aphelion, bruce & dick & stephanie & damian & jason & tim & clark & cast, 32k     I'll always be there to catch you, Bruce had promised him once. Dick would like to believe it hadn’t been meant as a threat at the time. (or; Bruce takes over Gotham to keep his sons safe, but he’s already trained Dick too well to always protect others first)

✦ Gorgon’s eyes by Fleur_de_Violette, bruce & dick & jason & tim & damian & barbara & cast, 9k     Dick will give time to his family. He’s just came back as Nightwing after being undercover in Spyral; he understands that they won’t forgive him immediately. Except, when an encounter with neurotoxin leaves him completely paralyzed, he has no choice but to rely on them.

✦ bad signal by prismatical, bruce & dick & jason & tim & damian & cass & cast, 38.4k     The rescue mission went well. Nightwing is safe. Everything should be alright. Right?

✦ And The Crown Will Sing by ScarlettSwordMoon, bruce & dick & jason & tim & damian & barbara & cast, read the tags, 84.7k wip     After an encounter with alien technology, Bruce re-evaluates some previously held ideals. Gotham doesn’t need a Knight, she needs a King. Bruce will do whatever it takes to secure his rightful place as ruler of Gotham. He will do whatever it takes to keep his sons by his side. Even if it means breaking them in first. [Dark Bruce Wayne, eventual Dark Batfam]

✦ borderline by TheResurrectionist, bruce & dick & jason & tim & damian & cass & steph, 22.7k wip     A mysterious force connects the Batfamily's minds together.

✦ Parting is all we Know of Heaven by Sword_Kallya, dick & bruce & jason & tim & damian & amy, suicidal ideation, 11.9k     Three months after Batman returns from the timestream, Dick Grayson has disappeared.

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[lottesreads]

Why Me? - Part 7

Pairing: Bob Floyd x Mitchell! Female Reader (Callsign Mantis)

Warnings: Mentions of past abuse, bruises, mentions of getting punched, details of panic attacks, swearing, mentions of being kicked out and homelessness, pining, smaller Rooster warning, mommy issues, mentions of death, insecurities, mentions of cheating

Word Count: 6900

Summary: The aftermath of your and Rooster's fight weighs heavily on your emotions and you turn to Bob once more. Plus, dinner with your dad, Penny, and Amelia can't possibly go wrong, right?

A/N: I apologize for lying to literally all of you three weeks ago... But it's finally here and I am so sorry!! Work got crazy around the holidays and ya girl got a little burnt out

Masterlist

Once your breathing had evened out, Bob continued to rub your back until you were ready to let him go. You wouldn’t say you were exactly ready, but if you didn’t pull back you knew you wouldn’t be able to eventually. He was so warm, and his arms provided a comfort you haven’t felt in a very long time. You felt safe, and seen, and it wasn’t just a hug for a hug's sake. It was something to show you that he cared, that he saw you, and he didn’t want you to feel this way anymore. You squeeze your arms around him once more before sliding them off his shoulders.

You spend the next few minutes diverting your attention back to Sylvia who has since been getting closer to you. It’s almost as if she can sense your sadness, and much like Bob, wants to make you feel better. Bob hasn’t moved back to his original seat, and your thighs touch as you move your good hand to gently caress Sylvia’s head and ears. Bob huffs out a small laugh as he watches the two of you, unable to hold back a smile.

“What?”, you ask softly, looking back at him as Sylvia does the same.

“Nothing”, he shakes his head, “it’s just I’ve never seen her open up to someone so quickly.”

“Oh yeah? Who else have you introduced her to?”

“Just Phoenix and Fanboy. Nat’s only come over a couple times and she hasn’t approached her yet, but when Mickey comes over she won’t leave my side.” You look back down at the wide-eyed border collie and share a look with her.

“We just have a special bond then, don’t we Syl?” She moves her head further up your leg at your remark, causing your smile to widen. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

Unbeknownst to you, the two of you did share some similarities. There is a reason she’s hesitant to approach new people, afraid that they’ll do to her what her last owners did. Bob can’t help but think that Sylvia can feel a certain energy radiating off of you. The two of you unknowingly bring a sense of belonging and comfort to each other.

Noticing her dad staring at her, she moves over to rest her head atop both of your thighs as you readjust the ice pack Bob brought you earlier. You wince as you attempt to stretch your fingers out, immediately demanding Bob’s attention. Removing his hands from Sylvia he reaches over and touches the wrap around your own hand, “May I?” You nod as he takes the ice pack off, gingerly taking your injured hand in both of his. Even through the pain, you can’t help but admire the prominent veins tracking through his large hands. The rough pads of his fingers assess the damage, as you follow their path across your knuckles. It’s funny really, you didn’t think anyone, a man especially, could be so gentle. So thoughtful. That was Bob you supposed.

He turns your hand from side to side, checking for any real injuries other than tenderness or bruising while you stare at his face. His eyes are concentrated at the task at hand as he hums. “Just as I thought.”

“What?”

“I’m afraid we’re going to lose the hand” You scoff and lightly push his arm as a sly smirk crosses his face. “No, it’ll be fine, just sore and bruised for the next few days.”

“Is that your professional opinion Dr. Floyd?” Bob clears his throat at the remark, glancing back down to where he holds your hand, his thumb tenderly rubbing your fingers.

“That it is, Lieutenant Mitchell”, you look back at his head, bowing down as he continues to caress your hand. There’s a freckle that sits right beneath his hairline that you first noticed when he drove you home from the bar. You were so drunk you must have forgotten about it until now. The urge to brush the hair away from his forehead and kiss it is very hard to resist. But you resist nonetheless as your eyes are drawn to his as he looks up.

Your eyes are still a bit red and puffy from crying, but it doesn’t deter you from giving him a slight smile. There’s an underlying hint of sadness coming from it, but Bob doesn’t mention anything as a tear falls down your face, his thumb immediately moving to wipe it away. Your eyes flutter shut at his soft touch. He doesn’t tell you to stop crying, he doesn’t pester you to open up, he’s simply there for you.

You don’t even know why you started crying again. Maybe it’s the fact that you’ve never outright told anyone what your mom had done, or it’s been a long while since you were able to talk about Carole, but deep down you know it’s the fact that you feel safe telling Bob all of this. You feel comfortable. Something you have been without for too long.

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

The drive back to your house is quiet. Bob doesn’t bother turning on the radio in case you want to talk. You stare out the window the entire time, looking a lot more tired than you were when the day began, but the radio remains off anyway.

When his truck pulls up to the curb you don’t make any motion to move. You remain still, staring out the window at you and your father’s shared home. The tears have since dried up, but the close of Bob’s door jolts you out of your daze. He opens your door, helping you out while his other hand carries your bag. He follows you inside and notices the lack of lights and other life.

“Is your dad home?”, he says as he cranes his neck attempting to look to the kitchen.

“Uh”, you look around the house, “No, he’s probably with Penny or-”, the name gets caught in your throat, but you force it out anyway, “Rooster.” His eyes land back on you as you get quiet again.

“Hey”, you look up to meet his eyes, “are you gonna be ok by yourself?”

“Oh yeah”, you wave him off, “I think I need to be alone for a little bit. Thanks for- well thanks for everything you did today. I’m sorry to trauma dump on you.” You attempt to laugh the last half of the day off, but Bob’s not letting you let it go that easy.

“I don’t mind one bit. I gave you the penny, remember?”

“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget that now”, you give him a small smile, resting your hand at your side and fiddling with the penny in your flight suit pocket. It’s hard to feel it under the material, but you know it’s there.

“If you ever need anything or want to talk, if you call I’ll pick up.” Your heart melts a bit at the sentiment.

“Thanks Bob, and I’d do the same for you. I hope you know that.” The want to hug you again is clawing at every fiber of his being, but before he’s able to make a move to soothe you, your phone is ringing in your pocket. You give Bob an apologetic smile and clear your throat to collect yourself before answering. “Hi dad”, your attempt to sound normal comes off as forced, at least Bob thinks so. “No, it’s ok I got a ride home. How was your meeting?” 

He nods and gives you a small smile before heading out the door. And there you are once again. Alone in your own home, this time with bruised knuckles and a penny in your pocket.

After Bob left you were too tired to do anything other than take a shower and lie in bed. Your phone occasionally dings with notifications from Phoenix checking in, and you just tell her you’re ok as she threatens Rooster’s life. It makes you crack a slight smile as you type out a response.

Not right now, but thank you. Stay on standby just in case I change my mind, though

With that you turn your phone to silent and close the blinds, succumbing to the darkness of your room. The day had been too damn long and you were ready for it to be over.

You didn’t even hear the light tap your dad left on your door as you were fast asleep. He peaked in just to see your chest lightly rising and falling, and he decided to let you get your rest.

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

The next day you awake to the sounds of pans clattering in the kitchen downstairs and the smell of fresh.. smoke? Just as you rise to your feet, the shrill sound of the smoke detector being set off  has you booking your way down the stairs. There you find your dad juggling a pan of burnt bacon as he attempts to open a window.

“What the hell is going on?” Walking up to him, you take the pan of bacon leaving him to open the windows while you set it in the sink.

“Well”, he responds, “I was trying to make breakfast.” He motions to the disarray of bowls with lumpy pancake batter, and multiple pans still sitting on the stovetop. You both take a second to look around and back to each other with matching exasperated looks as the alarm finally stops screaming at you. “How do you feel about cereal?”

“Cereal’s good”, you smile.

He grabs your favorite out of the pantry and pours the both of you bowls. You give him a small thank you before shoveling a spoonful into your mouth.

“I invited Penny and Amelia over for dinner tonight ”  You raise your brows and try to hide your smirk.

“You gonna make them your specialty cheerios?”

“Very funny. And no, I will be grilling.”

“Ah, I see. There’s no smoke detectors outside.” He laughs and shakes his head while you continue to eat.

“So, how did everything go yesterday at work?” He asks, leaning against the countertop behind him. You stop mid-chew and catch his eye.

“It was fine”. In the 10 minutes you’ve been awake you honestly forgot about yesterday. It was just you and your dad again. Like it was all those summers after Bradley left. Except for the ones where he was deployed of course and you were stuck with your mom for all four seasons. 

“Yeah?” You nod in response. “Good, I was worried about putting Hangman and Bradley in a group together, but I figured you’d work as a good buffer. Plus it doesn’t hurt that I think Bradley could give you a few good pointers.” Relief is immediately followed by a feeling that leaves your jaw clenching. Just at the mention of Bradley’s name you become angry then tired. Tired of everything to do with him and how your father places him on a pedestal. Tired that your dad is so blind to your feelings and how lonely you’ve been. 

You can’t blame Rooster entirely for your dad’s shortcomings. He’s splitting his time between him and Penny, and yeah you’re an adult, but it still hurts not being picked first. In fact, the only time you’ve felt really seen was when you received the Top Gun trophy for first place. That was something your dad couldn’t even say he accomplished. And you just wanted to make him proud, to make him see you. To not compare you to the kid he wished he had, the son he so desperately wanted. Your heart and head start to ache at the thought.

“Kiddo?” His voice breaks you out of your thoughts, realizing you’ve lost your appetite you push your bowl away.

“Yeah?” He places his own bowl in the sink and turns to you, leaning back against the countertop.

“Are you feeling ok?” Your stomach sinks as you hope he’s not going to bring up anything else about yesterday. If he didn’t know yet you weren’t going to be the one to tell him. You could deal with the repercussions on Monday at work, but right now you just wanted to forget about the entire day.

“Not really actually, I think I’m gonna go back to sleep”, you tell him as you wash your bowl out. He takes you by the shoulders, placing the back of his hand on your forehead.

“You coming down with something?”

“No”, you push his hand away, “I’ve just got a headache.” He lets you go, albeit very skeptically.

“Are you going to be ok for dinner later?”

“Yeah I’m- I’m fine”, you breathe out. He steps forward, kissing the top of your head before you head to your room and fall back into your bed. It doesn’t take long for you to fall back asleep, and when the buzzing from your phone awakes you it’s already noon.

Reaching out for your phone, you blindly tap the answer button and groggily ask, “Hello?”

“Mantis?” Rooster’s voice has you sitting up immediately. Taking the phone away from your face you squint at the unsaved number. “Mantis, I am so sorry-” Not granting him a response, you hang up and toss the phone on the pillow next to you. You stare at it for a couple more seconds before the same number appears on the screen. Out of pure anger you answer and speak before he can even get a word in.

“Rooster, I am going to say this once and it better stick. Do NOT call me or text me. I don’t want to talk to you.” You hang up without hearing any response, hoping for once he’ll listen. You stare at the blank screen for a minute, waiting to see if he’ll follow direction, and to your surprise he does.

How dare he try to call you now? The audacity of this man to call you up, no more than 24 hours after completely humiliating you. God, you need to get out of this house. Get some fresh air. Looking down at your pajamas, you come to the conclusion that you’re done moping. And on a whim you text the only person who you know can make you feel better.

Any chance you’re up to do something?

Bob: What did you have in mind?

Before you know it, you’re knocking on Bob’s door. The skitter of paws on the hardwood makes you laugh as the pounding of feet gets closer. Bob swings the door open as he ushers you inside.

“Sorry, give me two minutes and I’ll be good to go”, he says, trying to hide the fact that he’s out of breath, presumably from running to answer the door.

“No worries”, you wave him off. You take a peak around the house trying to find a blob of black and white fur, but to no avail you come up empty. Bob’s sat at the couch tying his shoes as you whisper, “Where is she?” He laughs and looks up at you, still bent over.

“Is that the only reason you wanted to see me today?”

“How dare you accuse me of such outlandish-” He cuts you off with a whistle that echoes throughout the house and in less than a second you hear paws bounding down the stairs while Sylvia runs to her dad. Of course you’re standing in between them, but you’re on your knees instantly. She comes to you first this time as your thumbs soothe over her ears. “Not so shy now are we?” You ask her.

Bob smiles as he looks at the two of you. Sylvia’s still way more energetic when Bob greets her, but she didn’t run and hide this time, in fact she leans into your ministrations. “What were you saying about outlandish accusations?” You just turn slightly to smirk at him while Sylvia vies for your attention.

The three of you start your trek to the beach, Bob’s house only sitting a little over a mile from the nearest pet friendly one. You pass small businesses and bungalows that get smaller and more colorful as you get closer. An ice cream shop catches your eye as you walk by, their unique flavors intriguing you.

He doesn't treat you like you're fragile whatsoever, like if he asks how you are you'll burst into tears or fall apart. Which you appreciate immensely. It's like Bob can sense you're looking for something to do, a distraction, and he will gladly be that for you.

“How often do you two go to the beach?”

“Not often. I’ll usually just take her on a walk around the block, but I figured since you’re here she’d be more comfortable venturing out a little bit more.” You smile, bending slightly to pet her black fur as you walk. “You wouldn’t guess by how she acts, but she is a ball of energy.”

“Is that something else you two have in common? Are you secretly a gym junkie or something?” He gives you a small laugh before staring ahead, the smile slightly slipping from his face.

“Nah”, he lets out, the beach now just ahead of you. “What ya see is what ya get with me.”

“That is not true”, you say, shaking your head. “When I first met you I would have never guessed you have a great sense of humor”, it’s his turn to shake his head, trying to hide the small laugh that leaves his nose, “Or that you know the greatest cure for hangovers, or-” the two of you finally stop at the short wall that separates you from the sand. You stop to turn, taking in Bob’s features as he gazes out at the ocean, “Or that you are one of the most kind and generous people I have ever met.” He meets your eyes and notices the genuine look in your face, but all too soon tears them away.

“That is very kind of you to say.”

“Well it’s true.” He looks back for longer this time, and the smiles grow on both of your faces before Sylvia barks, disrupting the moment.

“Oh I’m so sorry”, he says to her, rolling his eyes. The two of you take off your shoes, placing them nearby on the sand while Bob reaches into his pocket to grab the ball he brought for Sylvia. “Is this what you wanted then?” Reaching his arm back, he extends and throws the ball far down the beach. Your eyes widen as you watch the ball fly through the air, all while Sylvia runs after it.

“What?” Bob asks, examining your features. You scoff at his cavalier question and motion to where Sylvia was retrieving the tennis ball.

“You just threw that like a mile down the beach!” He gives you a genuine laugh at your exaggeration and shrugs his shoulders.

“I played baseball in High School.”

“For who, the Orioles?” You gawk. He shakes his head and laughs while Sylvia runs back and drops the ball at his feet. He throws the ball once more, just as far.

“I played outfield in little league ‘cause I was terrified of the ball, but turns out I was good at throwing.” He shrugs once again while you shake your head and smile.

“Oh Bob”, you laugh, “You are just full of secrets.” He turns the ball over in his hand before throwing it and can’t help but think of how true that is. It may not be multiple but he has one big secret. The one that threatens to tear open his chest every time he’s with you. The one that causes his heart to beat faster every time you smile at him. The one that threatens to give way every time he dares to take a glance at you.

He continues throwing the ball to Sylvia while she chases it until she visibly slows down. He offers to let you throw, but you use your injured hand as an excuse not to embarrass yourself. Traveling further up the beach, shoes in hand, you find a taco truck and decide to stop while finding Sylvia some water.

You have an excuse to pay this time after ordering, all thanks to Bob’s hands literally being full. Smirking as you hand the cashier your card, he tries his best to look annoyed all while his lips betray him and twitch upward.

The two of you find a picnic bench to sit on while Sylvia laps up the water in the complimentary bowl. You can’t help but stare at Bob’s veiny forearms as he takes a bite of his food. Throwing the ball today had strained his muscles, and you weren’t mad at the view as he sits opposite you. You so desperately want to reach over and trace the veins from his arm to his hand, tracking each and every one… Shaking your head slightly, you remember where you are.

“So what position did you play in high school?” He takes a large gulp of water, clearing his throat before answering.

“I switched between left and centerfield, but was mostly left.”

“With a cannon like that, it makes sense.” He laughs and raises a brow, not disagreeing with you.

“Well, it’s what got me my first girlfriend.” He casually tells you while taking another bite.

“Oooh, you had a high school sweetheart?” He grimaces, wiping his hands on a napkin before responding.

“I wouldn’t call it that. We dated for three months senior year. She dumped me right before prom for our pitcher.”

“Like right before prom?” He nods, resting his elbows on the table.

“I went to her house to pick her up, her folks told me she had already left. I wore my brother's old tux and got a corsage and everything. I held out hope, but when I got to the school, I caught her with my teammate… in his truck.” Your mouth falls open.

“Oh Bobby, I am so sorry.”

“It’s fine”, he waves you off, “It was a long time ago.”

“Did you stay for the dance?”

“No”, he laughs, smiling at the memory, “I went home, but when my sister came back later she told me she caught them sneaking back into the gym and her and her friends slashed his tires.” You laugh with him, but that doesn’t stop your brain from imagining sweet baby-faced Bob driving all the way home from prom, wiping tears from behind his glasses. You give him a sad smile, and as if he can sense where your mind has gone, he coughs and changes the subject.

“How was your prom?” You scoff and give him a single laugh.

“Wouldn’t know, I didn’t go.” He raises his brows at your confession. He would have imagined people would have been begging you to go with them.

“Why not?”

“Well”, you swallow, “my mom was very strict-”, you give him a look, as if telling him he already knows what you’re implying, “and I didn’t have a lot of friends. Let alone people asking me to dances. And that definitely meant no sweethearts.” Glancing behind Bob at the orange tint of the sun, you think about the other reason. What was actually happening during your last months as a senior.

“I would have asked you.” He quietly responds, bringing your eyes back to his. They’re swimming with honesty, and it makes you wish you could have gone to high school with Bob Floyd.

“And I would have said yes, and we would have had the most fun on the dance floor.” You smile. “Although, I haven’t seen you dance before.”

“I don’t really dance”, he laughs out, “but with you I would.” Taking a deep breath in, your smile overtakes your face as Bob’s crooked one does his.

“I would have made you forget all about what’s-her-name.”

“Mandy”, he grimaces.

“Eugh, Mandy”, you remark in disdain. The two of you slip into laughter, the orange glow from the sunset creating a halo around Bob’s head. It’s fitting, you think. Bob is such an angel. Even if you prayed for whatever power above to send you a guardian one, you don’t think they’d do nearly as much.

With your food finished, and Sylvia all tired out after running down the beach some more, the three of you walk back to Bob’s small home. You pass the same bustling ice cream shop on the way back, and you tell Bob you’d like to try it next time. “Next time”, his heart beats a little faster at the thought.

Stepping through Bob’s front door, you follow him into the kitchen as he grabs Sylvia’s bowl.

“You want your dinner?”, he asks in that same baby voice he reserves just for her. She jumps up and down at his words while he fills her bowl. Oh shit, dinner.

“Shit, what time is it?”, you reach forward and grab Bob’s arm, turning it to check his watch. “Damn it!” You start putting your shoes back on as fast as you can, checking your phone and noticing the most recent missed texts from your dad.

“What’s going on?” Bob asks from behind you.

“I forgot that I’m supposed to be having dinner with my dad tonight.” You finish lacing up your shoe, and in a rush you kiss Bob’s cheek before running out the door. “Thank you so much for today, I’ll text you!” Bob is left reeling in his kitchen as his hand slowly makes its way up to his cheek where your lips had been seconds ago. He can feel the heat in his face as he puffs out a breath, staring down at Sylvia while she looks up at him. He gives the door you just left through one last glance.

“Daddy’s in trouble.”

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

The entire drive home you can't stop smiling. Maybe it was a bit bold for your situation and your body was running faster than your brain, but you could still feel Bob’s warm cheek against your lips.

You finally pull up to your house, throw the car in park and quite literally burst through the front door. Turning the corner you find Penny, Amelia, and your dad all sitting at the table looking at you with wide eyes.

“Hi”, you attempt to say, a little out of breath.

“So glad you could join us”, your dad offers, his tone dripping in sarcasm. “We were just about to start eating.”

“Oh good, I’m just in time then”, you say, taking the empty seat next to your dad. You look up and greet Penny and Amelia, the latter of which is very confused by your smiley and flushed face. “This looks great dad, a big step up from cheerios”, you joke. The table is full of steak, kebabs, potatoes, and surprisingly for your dad; a salad.

“Well thanks, proud to say I did it all by myself since my sous-chef was nowhere to be found when I got home from the store”, he chides. The four of you start filling up your plates as a knock comes from the door, your dad excuses himself to answer it. Reaching for a roll, you stop at the sound of Penny’s voice.

“What did you do to your hand?”, concern lacing her voice as she reaches out to hold it. Very slowly you pull it back and wiggle your fingers.

“Oh it’s nothing, I just accidentally slammed it in the car door.” The lie slips easily off of your tongue, just a little something to keep people from worrying or thinking about it too much. “You know how it is.” She gives you a look, one that says “I don’t believe you, but for your sake I’m going to pretend I do.” And you can’t thank her more in that moment.

“So how’s school going Amelia? You’re what, a sophomore now?” She gives you a nod, swallowing her bite of food before responding.

“Yeah, I’m a sophomore. And it’s good”, she shrugs, “school is school.”

“She just got asked to her homecoming”, Penny interjects with a coy smile on her face.

“Mom-”, Amelia groans, her face heating up.

“Oooh, who is it? Are they any cute?” She groans once more, covering her face in both of her hands.

“His name is Connor.. And yes”, she mutters. You share a look with Penny as the two of you stifle your giggles.

The sound of the door shutting has you turning your head in the direction of two pairs of feet making their way to the kitchen. Your dad enters the kitchen, followed by- of course, Rooster. You straighten up and clench your jaw at the sight of him. He’s wearing his aviators, but you can still see a shade of purple peeking out from beneath them.

“Look who I found on the front porch”, your dad jokes. You turn your back on the both of them as Rooster greets everyone else. Why would he show up unannounced? Or even if your dad invited him over, he knows you don’t want to see him, so why would he agree in the first place? Maverick ushers him to take the only empty seat… next to you, as you try your best to focus on the plate full of food in front of you that you’re not sure you’ll be able to stomach now.

He starts filling his own plate, noticeably only taking things from right in front of him. Your dad coughs in his direction, discreetly tapping the side of his face, asking him to take his sunglasses off. Hearing him sigh next to you, he reaches to take them off, pocketing them in the neck of his white undershirt. You cringe at the sound of your dad’s voice.

“Whoa, Bradley, what happened?” All eyes except for yours turn to take in his face. You’re honestly surprised he hadn’t run and told your dad you punched him immediately after it happened. But then again if he did, he’d have to tell him why you did it in the first place.

“It’s nothing, really-” Your heart rate is speeding up, anticipating the ultimate truth to come forward, “I tripped up the steps to my apartment and smacked my face on the stairs.”

Penny glances between your hand holding a spoon of mashed potatoes and back to Bradley’s cheek. She’s not buying this for one second.

“That looks pretty bad”, Mav assesses while tilting his head in Bradley’s direction.

“So Mantis, what were you up to today?”, Penny asks, changing the subject.

“Oh, I was just out with a friend. Spent some time at the beach.”

“Do I know them?” Your dad asks. Shuffling in your seat, you decide to respond truthfully. It’s not like you were doing anything wrong. Bob is your friend after all. And that’s all he is.

“Actually you do, it was uh- it was Bob.” Rooster chokes on his water next to you while your dad raises his brow in surprise.

“I know you wanted to get to know him better, but since when are you friends?”

“Probably since she got drunk and he had to drive her home”, Amelia comments from behind her fork.

“Amelia”, Penny chastises her.

“When did you get drunk?” You roll your eyes at your dads questioning, since when did he care?

“That was last weekend when you and Rooster were off doing god knows what at your hangar.” Your dad looks more confused than ever. “Thanks for the invite by the way.” It’s not like you even care anymore about not being invited, but Rooster showing up has you a little on edge. You start absentmindedly tapping your foot under the table at the building tension.

“I’m sure you and Bob had more fun than we did”, Rooster pipes up from beside you. “We were just cleaning stuff out.”

“Oh shut up, you knew what you were doing. And why the hell are you even here right now?”, you turn to face him this time. It’s the first time you’re seeing the damage you inflicted on him, and just before the large purple bruise fills you with regret, you stare at the rest of Rooster’s face and it makes you want to hit him again.

“Mav invited me in, I didn’t come here to crash your dinner. I came over to talk to you, actually.” He shifts uncomfortably in his seat, as he glances across the table.

“And I told you that I didn’t want to talk. So if you came here to rid yourself of guilt, go ahead and apologize. But after what you did I am way past accepting it at this point.” You grit out in his direction.

“Ok, wait a second. Time out”, Maverick interrupts. “What the hell is going on?”

“Mav, yesterday after you left-” Rooster starts.

“Rooster, don’t”, you grit out.

“Things got a little heated and I said something-”

“Stop it”

“Why are you protecting me?”

“I’m not protecting you, I am protecting myself!”, you emphasize pointing a finger to your chest. “Because nobody else did! And what you said was humiliating and I’m not gonna stick around and hear you repeat it, just to embarrass me all over again!” The seat slides out from underneath you as you retreat from the table. Pushing the back screen door open you let it slam behind you as you begin to take in deep breaths. Deep, calming breaths like Bob showed you yesterday. You place your own hand against your chest to feel your heart beating. You’re still here. You’re ok.

The sound of the screen door opening distracts you for a moment, but you already know who it is without having to look. They stay silent, waiting for you to either invite them to talk or curse them out.

“Why did you say it?”, you ask, trying to keep your voice even. “Out of everything you could have brought up.”

“I’m sorry”, Rooster speaks to the ground. Head hung in shame. “It’s no excuse, but I was angry.” A cricket chirps in the distance. “And I knew it would hurt”, he confesses.

“When Hangman brought up your dad, I was up immediately after you. Either to hold you back or help you I’m not quite sure. You haven’t seen it, but I have always been on your team, Bradley.” Turning to face him, he brings his head up. “Why haven’t you been on mine?”

“I got your voicemail.” Your heart feels as if it’s been dropped off a cliff.

The last voicemail you sent to Bradley consisted of you begging him to call you back. You needed him more than anything in that moment, and you thought he might understand where you were coming from. You sobbed through your words and pleaded with him to pick up the phone.

“I called you back, but by then you must have blocked me or something because it didn’t go through. Then I called your landline and your- your mom picked up. I asked how you were, and she told me you were on top of the world, and your dad must have been so proud of you, because you were just accepted into the Naval Academy.” He breathes a shaky breath through his nose, trying not to get too upset by the memory.

“Is that why you’re mad at me? You thought I was begging you to call me back so I could brag to you?” He furrows his brow, confused as he nods a couple times. Scoffing, you shake your head. Your heart aches at how much pain your mother caused and continues to cause in every person’s life she touches. There are tears starting to form in your eyes, ones that you’re sure you can’t control no matter how hard you try.

“Bradley,” you gasp, “She kicked me out. I wasn’t calling to brag, I was calling to ask for help.” His brow twitches as he looks at you.

“What?” he breathes out.

“She found my acceptance letter and we had a fight. I was scared if I told my dad he would do to me what he did to you, so I never told him. I was living out of my car when I graduated high school, up until it was time to move into my dorm.” Hot tears start to fall down your cheeks, but you’re quick to wipe them away this time. They’re more out of frustration than sadness. “She canceled my phone plan, that’s why I never answered. Thank god the car was in my name. I would have been homeless.”

“Oh my god”, Bradley rasps as he runs his hand through his hair.

“This entire time, you really thought I would have rubbed it in your face?”

“I don’t know. It had been six years since I last saw you, I thought maybe you were angry enough.” He shrugs.

“I didn’t have enough energy to be angry then. I’m angry now.” It’s quiet again. The two of you absorbing the explanations that were long overdue.

“You’re right you know”, Bradley breaks the silence.

“What?”

“My mom would be disappointed in me.”

“She’s not the only one”, you mutter.

“She explained to me pretty early on what your situation was. Cause she wanted me to watch out for you.” He swallows and takes in a large breath, attempting not to get choked up. For a moment you feel for him. Talking about Carole gets you the same way. But you are not about to comfort a man that has done nothing but bring you down. “Before she died- she told me the same thing. She said, ‘Watch out for Bug, and she’ll do the same for you. The two of you need each other.’”. You flinch at his use of Carole’s nickname for you. “I’m so sorry-”

“Just shut up for one goddamn second and let me think about this.” His mouth closes as you start pacing around the backyard, head in your hands. “So instead of using that information to keep me from getting hurt, you turn around and stab me in the back with it? And not to even mention my dad, but you seemed to have made up with him so easily after what he did. I didn’t even do anything to you Bradley! I was a literal child and had no clue what he did until YEARS later.” You pause, letting the weight of your words do their job. “So from where I’m standing you had no right to be mad at me in the first place, and you had absolutely no right hurting me the way you did when you know for a fact you were told that piece of information in confidence.”

He doesn’t respond for a brief moment, and you know he knows you’re right.

“How can I fix this, make it right?” Scoffing, you throw out your arms in disbelief.

“You can’t. It was broken a long time ago, and you’ve pulverized any chance of me believing you could be the person I thought you were.” He whispers your name as you wipe away the tears that have started falling again.

“Rooster”, the two of you look up to find your dad standing at the back door with his arms crossed against his chest. He takes in your tears and his face softens as you look away, embarrassed. Looking back to Bradley he hardens his gaze again, “I think it’s time for you to go.”

“Mav, I-” Realizing he has no real explanation he stops before he even starts. Bradley rings his hands out as he follows the door your dad has propped open with his body. But right before entering the house, he turns to you one last time. “For what it’s worth, if I could go back, I wouldn’t have done it.” Whether it being yesterday, or leaving you behind all those years ago, you’re not sure. “I’m sorry.”

You wipe your face of the straggling tears that continue to fall as your dad walks Rooster through the house, and before too soon he’s back as he softly says your name from across the yard.

“I’m fine”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Which part?”, you bite. He crosses the yard to reach you, but as he lays a gentle hand on your arm you shrug him off. “When would I have had the time to tell you? I swear you’re always off doing something with Rooster, or preoccupied with your newest project at your hangar or- or on a date or whatever with Penny.”

“I’m gonna rip that kid a new one, I swear-” “It doesn’t even matter. Cause he’s still a kid to you, your kid. He left us and after how many years you forgave him like it was nothing. So sorry dad, but forgive me for not telling you how he left me to fend for myself again. Because after a little bit of sweet talking I’m sure he’ll be right back at the top of your list.” He’s calling out your name as you storm back into the house and into your room. Penny and Amelia are long gone as you pass the kitchen on your way to the stairs and you couldn’t be more grateful. You just hope they didn’t stick around to hear too much.

Today was a good day. Up until you had to come back down to reality.

It’s almost like a dream every time you’re with Bob, and then you come home. Back to where the prodigal son gets praised at every turn while you work and work to be the kid your dad always wanted. But he already exists, and he’s made your life a living hell.

You went so many years trying to forget about how everyone left you behind, and you tried to make a name for yourself. You were successful for a bit, but even at the top Rooster’s already there, and he’s got your dad wrapped around his finger.

Taglist:

@lemmons1998

@itsmytimetoodream

@theamuz

@harrysgothicbitch

[pluralcultureis]

Plural culture is checking r/fakedisordercringe and r/systemscringe everyday to see if ive been posted. I am literally so scared about it 💀

We used to do that a lot, it would send us into denial phase when we did end up on there. We were really early into being open about our system too, and had only become aware of our system as DID, and that mix caused us so many issues

We've learned to just stay away from reddit in general and it's helped a lot

Try not to let what fakeclaimers think get to you. It's hard, and takes time, but learning how to literally just not care about them has helped us so much

Fakeclaimers are not worth your time

- Syl + Queenie

[ceasarslegion]

wait, now im really interested in the silica gel drama. how did hlrp sex ed lead to eating a gel packet?

This is going to require a novel's length of context.

To begin, I want to underline that this is not meant to be a callout post, and I will not be providing any identifying traits that could be used to single this person out. The most you will get out of that are she/her pronouns, and her age at the time this happened, which was years ago, and I will not specify what year. I genuinely do hope she got the help she needed after this, because LORD knows she needs it and didn't find it at home. This is also not meant to be a character assassination, nor should anybody who reads this post consider it to be a takedown of any sort, and if you try to find this person through me or any of our mutual friends, you will not be met with kind words. The only thing this is meant to be is a wild-ass story of some of the most off the wall experiences I personally had with this person from my specific side of the story, with a few no-username screenshots attached to prove I am not bullshitting you.

With that in mind, let's get started. This is going to be very long, so I'm throwing in a read more

Back when I was in uni, I joined a growing group of Half Life roleplay blogs. The whole idea of our group was that we each chose a character, canon or OC, and we would blog as if the pre-Black Mesa incident moment in the timeline was a workplace comedy a la The Office or Superstore. I played Barney, because I was already working night shift security at this point and thought it would be funny. Plus, it gave me something to do that wasn't staring at CCTV feeds all night tossing a ball against the wall. We played off of each other very well, yes-anding our way through funny little situations and plotlines we put together. At one point we had roleplayed enough that one of the scientist rpers created a discord server for us to talk as the actual people we are instead of through characters.

Great idea at the time. None of us saw the "Pandora's box" label on the tin before we opened it. Would I still join it if I knew what was about to transpire? Yes, because I met my boyfriend and many genuinely lovely friends through it. Would I hesitate for a second first, though, as the events that are about to transpire flashed before my eyes? Oh, abso-fucking-lutely.

We started off as many fandom servers do: chill for the most part, very loud minority of a few assholes who ruined it for the rest of us, but unlike most fandom servers, we actually won and it ended in them getting banned and the server itself surviving to this day. But the other two lunatics are not who you came here for. You want the christian lunatic.

Let's give her a nickname to make this easier. I have the Sylveon build a bear on my PC desk. Let's call her Syl.

Syl was not there for Half Life, she was there for Portal. She LOVED Portal, Half Life was just part of the same universe for her. Portal wasn't just a game for her, it was her entire personality. Which I didn't see much of an issue with at the time, because she said she was 15. Whatever, I thought; she'll learn to control her emotional attachment to things as she gets older. Syl also said that she was christian. I am a flaming atheist who doesn't even believe in the concept of a soul in comparison and I am NOT the biggest fan of christianity as an institution to put it mildly, but I'm not gonna like, be a dick to you for your personal religion if you are not a dick about my beliefs, so I didn't think much of it at the time.

It quickly became apparent that Syl looked up to me more than any of the other adults in the group the more I would talk about my life growing up as a third culture kid and moving out on my own at 19, working 2 jobs and going to a good university. She would ask me a lot about growing up and uni and moving out and yes, sex ed, and it became even more apparent that she didn't get any actual guidance from her parents or pastors or ANYBODY beyond bible studies and homeschooling, so I kinda stumbled into a mentorship role in her life. I wasn't cold, but I was aware of the age and maturity difference between us and established the appropriate boundaries with her and made it very clear that I am an internet friend, not an irl friend or an educator, but if no one else was going to give her information that wasn't actively harmful then fuck, I guess SOMEONE had to do it. I could not in good conscience watch some kid go through life with harmful inaccuracies about the world and basic human biology when I could have done something about it, y'know?

And the more things I taught her about the real world and how things actually work rather than how her republican bible-thumping rural town said they did, the more I realized she was born into a full-blown cult under the guise of a christian congregation. Oh goody, I had my work cut out for me. I will not get into the details of how messed up this group was because it will be a dead giveaway of where she lives and potentially who she is, but let's just say that one time I said that I appreciated the gesture of praying for me during a stressful week I was having but it didn't really do anything for my mental health because I was an atheist, and she sent me a bunch of bible verses begging me to start believing and said "I just don't want you to go to hell because you're so nice :((" EXCUSE ME??? Another time she said that death was only sad for non-christians because their loved ones were in hell and that proper christians deaths were a good thing because they were in heaven now. Hi, that's the most insensitive death cult shit I've ever heard in my goddamn life.

Okay, set up is done. All of these details will tie in like the world's worst reboot of Pulp Fiction, I prommy.

After a good long while learning about the world from me (which like... a uni kid working night shift security is not exactly an academic source but we take what we can get) and exposure to viewpoints outside of her in-group, Syl began that very painful journey of realizing that what the cult taught you was a lie. Except that she just wasn't grasping that unlearning things was an active process. She started to flip to the opposite side very quickly, but kept all the fundamental brainwashing of the cult that raised her. The concepts were all the same, just slapped a different label on them. This created a noticeable pull between two sides of the same personality: the cult personality, and the person beyond the cult who wanted to break free. Mix that with how fucking 15 years old every 15 year old is, and you have a LETHAL concoction just waiting to blow up at the first sign of a spark.

Remember how I said that Portal was her whole personality? Syl decided that she wanted to be a scientist, and go into an ivy league program like I was in (I was in a SOCIAL science, but sure). Problem was, she didn't have the grades or the ambition, really. I had told her that I still got into an ivy league when I failed math in high school, and she seemed to completely miss the part where I said that I also joined every extra-curricular, then worked for 2 gap years for recognized institutions, and wrote an essay about why my math grade is not relevant to my program. I did it with one bad grade, so she was justified in basically just slacking off and then excusing it with "but its haaarrrdd" when we'd tell her she needs to put the fucking work in NOW if that's what she wants to do.

It quickly derailed from here. Not only was she going to be a scientist, she was going to be like Cave Johnson. And she was going to... replace her body with robot parts so she could be like glados. I don't... think she actually knew what science is, because she would just publically fantasize about running unethical experiments on people in the name of "science," and talk about how one day she wants to basically establish aperture labs for real. All of us who were there kind of agree that we don't think she was joking based on what we knew about her and the cadence of her tone. Here's something she said at the time to give you an idea of what direction she was nosediving in:

This was after a session with her therapist where said therapist said that she definitely has some kind of personality disorder, after which she was weirdly proud of having one and treated it like a badge of honour.

Syl then made a separate group chat for all the best friends she made on the server. There was her, me, @false-pyre, and @imtheaura. She titled it "My Family," despite the fact that we were all adults and she was 15 and she only knew us over a discord half life server where one person in it stepped up to somewhat equip her for real life outside of a cult. Regardless though that GC was more the vibe of a group of friends sharing memes and chatting about the day than the wider server was at the time. The others began to also take on a sort of mentorship role towards her as well, because that's kind of inevitable when you get someone talking about teenager problems in a room full of adults who all made the same mistakes before in their own lives. Well, minus the cult.

And remember how I said that she didn't unlearn any of the cult shit? Well, there was a lot of proselytizing. She decided she wasn't christian for a spell, but still wanted us and everyone to know that jesus was the lord and savior and we had to accept him or we'd burn in hell. Usually said after we'd make some joke about satan being daddy or declaring ourselves god instead, because that is just the type of humor the others and i have with each other. She took it so personally whenever one of us would go "oh my god" "you called?" it was fucking annoying. I lost count of the amount of lectures she gave us, all of which I'd shut down and tell her to get a grip about because I have a big stupid mouth.

The others and I also like to talk about evolution, and speculate about where we're going from here. My fucking god, did she not like that. She bit our heads off about how evolution isn't real and god made everyone as we are and there's no scientific evidence or whatever the hell. Like yeah good luck getting into STEM with that mindset. Whenever we pointed out that she was objectively wrong about that, she'd have a big stupid meltdown about how much we're slandering god and how jesus died for us and we're spitting in his face or whatever. He should spit in MY face inste-*GUNSHOT*

Eventually, we were making some actual progress with her. She was still one fry short of a happy meal and going off about how much she wanted to put living subjects in test tubes in between knocking on our doors and reciting Hello from the Book of Mormon musical, but we were getting somewhere. And then she went back to in person school, and her favourite teacher got fired.

The schoolboard did not say why she got fired, but we all had our suspicions that it was because she openly supported queer rights in a cult town. She was coincidentally retired shortly after making a declaration that queer people are still welcome in god's kingdom. This teacher was the first in person adult Syl had for guidance, so that incident shook her to her core, and she fell right back into the extremism. Hook, line, and sinker, even more extreme than before.

She was WEIRD that week, man. Suddenly everything was about how great god was, how amazing jesus was. Suddenly she understood why her cult member parents "just wanted to protect her" from gay characters on disney+ originals. Suddenly no one could say "jesus christ lol" around her or she'd have a fit. I said "I hate cycle counts lmao i wanna kms" because my then-job (I had graduated at this point) made me do inventory management spontaneously and wouldn't let me go home until I had counted every product in the store, and she bit my head off accusing me of turning suicide into a joke.

It was that incident that made us tell her to knock it off already, that we understood it was a hard week for her and she was in a period of grief, but that is no excuse for how she had been acting towards everyone around her that wasnt christian, and that she was actively relapsing. I'll let the exchange speak for itself:

So uh. After years of helping Syl through this she goes and pulls this bullshit. And then has the fucking AUDACITY to act like nothing ever happened in the wider server. I am genuinely gobsmacked by the balls on her to act like it was all sunshine and rainbows in the wider server after sending this and immediately leaving the same GC SHE made and titled "My Family" just because we told her to stop acting like a goddamn Jonestown citizen after all the work we'd put in to get her out of that mentality at this point.

So I dragged her up in front of everyone and essentially said "no, nuh uh, you don't get to say that shit to the people who have lost sleep and asked for nothing in return trying to help you escape a cult over the last 2 years and then act like we're all buddy buddy to everybody else. You don't get to be that arrogant and self-righteous without any consequences. I don't give a fuck how young you are, you DON'T treat the people who have helped you this much like that, you selfish little shit. How dare you treat us like this after all we've done for you over the years."

Unfortunately, no one involved had surviving screenshots of this, but they can back me up on it if they so choose. And oh boy, DID she face the consequences of her own actions. The whole server basically turned their heads and went "what the FUCK is wrong with you, Syl??" and asked her to at least like, apologize. She proceeded to double down with the added audacity of "you guys taught me how to establish healthy boundaries, that's all I'm doing right now :(( oh woe is me :(((" like WOW, okay. Someone's really going for the persecution complex.

Here's her last goodbye to us all before the mass block fest occured:

Oh, boohoo. You're so hard done by. You spat in the faces of everyone who stayed up all night multiple times helping you through crises and spent the last 2 years teaching you about how the world really worked and then they asked you to apologize after you tried to escape accountability. You truly are god's strongest soldier, the most persecuted minority in the world. Let me play you an ode to how righteous and holy you are and how this was the most important hill to sacrifice all your outsider friendships on on the world's smallest violin.

Syl then went on to post on her roleplay blog that she "was banned because I spoke up for what was right, and they didn't like that" before deleting it. Truly no one has suffered as much as you.

Anyway, the day after that went down, I called in from work, bought this book, and read the whole thing purely out of spite:

It was greatly therapeutic. After that incident, I vowed to never sanitize my own atheistic beliefs for the benefit of others again. If they don't like them, they don't have to talk to me. But I am not changing them for other people or keeping them quiet just to spare your feelings anymore, I have as much a right to my beliefs as anyone else does, including the world's most persecuted minority here.

And well, the silica gel incident?

There was one incident, during the height of Syl's "I am the irl cave johnson and only want to get into STEM to conduct unethical experiments on people. follow jesus" era, the rest of us were joking about how silica gel packets are the ultimate forbidden snack, and said "haha would eating it make you see shrimp colours" knowing full well it can kill you.

Syl proceeded to actually eat a silica gel packet and then send in "it has a sandy texture and tastes bad" prompting the rest of us to go "WE WERE FUCKING JOKING FIND YOUR POISON CONTROL HOTLINE RIGHT NOW"

And because i didnt get this done until now, I'll tag everyone who said they wanted to read this or expressed interest: @captainjonnitkessler @formydarlingtoread @cra-zwizard @chasingnightrainbows

[cosmereplay]

😠 kaladin / syl

😠 What annoys me about this ship

There are so many interesting things to consider about this ship, and what annoys me is that a lot of people in the fandom equate "this ship makes me feel icky" with "everyone who ships this is morally repugnant" and the conversation can't go anywhere from there. Moralizing based on gut reaction doesn't make anyone smarter.

So yes, Syl is a thousand years old and also four years old post-transition to the physical realm. Kaladin describes her as childlike, especially at first when she was perky and had memory loss and other cognitive problems. A lot of people reading the books, including me, kind of put her in a little sister category, and the revelation of her continued cognitive development and physical presence by the fourth book made a lot of people, including me, uncomfortable in anticipation of something that might not even happen.

Now I'm not a literary person, I'm just a people person, so I can't speak to how those kinds of tropes play out, but I recognize and respect the people who are annoyed by this ship on a literary level. Go listen to them too, they're very smart.

But the way I've come to see Syl is more like she was a full spren adult in the cognitive realm, and after her transition to the physical realm she became disabled for a couple years, as if she'd had a brain injury and needed to relearn how to do everything. We all know she's not actually a child, and a part of me wonders if there's some ableism in applying that label to her and assuming she's incapable of being in a romantic relationship. Especially by rhythm of war when we meet other honorspren and we can see clearly that they made a choice to cross into the physical realm or not. But again for me it's more about her ability to consent than it is about whether or not she's perceived as childlike because she's fanciful and curious.

There's also a lot that could be said about the monsterfucking potential of a human/spren ship. But the thing I enjoy talking about the most with Kal/Syl is the power dynamics between them. So for example:

- Kaladin has the power to make Syl a deadeyes

- Syl has the power to remove his abilities at any moment based on how she's feeling about what he's doing. Related to that, Kal depends on Syl to show up when summoned

- Syl depends on Kaladin for her cognitive capacity and connection to the physical realm. She needs him to say more oaths to have a clearer mind and remember things

- Syl can read Kaladin's mind and emotions

- Kal can only get a vague sense of her emotions and can't read her mind

- Kal has more experience with the physical realm and other humans

- Syl understands the nature of bonds, spren, and the cognitive realm better

Basically the nature of the bond means that they're already in a bit of a codependent relationship. Personally I don't ship them earnestly, I like their deepening friendship in canon, and all of these interesting power issues already exist within the bounds of that friendship. I could imagine Syl wanting to experiment because she wants to be more human, but I don't think canon Kal would go for that.

Now other spren/human relationships I could see getting pretty freaky, but personally, I don't see this one going in that direction. Have I written sexy fanfic that includes Kal/Syl anyway? If course I have, for I am a freak.

Ask game

[lesbianmarrow]

constantine & sara: fucked once and never again 

constantine & ava: would never ever ever ever ever fuck 

constantine & gary: they did something together, i don’t know what and i don’t want to know

constantine & ray: if constantine ever tried to get in ray’s pants ray would be totally unaware of it and assume he was just being nice, and constantine knows this, which is why he doesn’t try to get with ray 

constantine & nora: would not fuck but they would compare notes on using magic for sexual purposes

constantine & leo snart: WOULD have a 3some with leo’s husband except constantine is too lazy to visit earth-x

constantine & charlie: have little interest in fucking each other but are very interested in double-teaming zari 2.0

constantine & zari 2.0: have lots of sex yeah whatever 

constantine & nate: constantine would be into having sex with nate but only in steel form and nate would be very put off by this because he would find it fetishizing 

[relicsongmel]

The irony of both Reshiram AND Meloetta being catchable in this game and the fact that Denise will be the one catching them even though they both end up as SYLVIA'S Pokemon in my canon is not at all lost on me

[cantsayidont]

April 1950. Years before Betty Kane or Barbara Gordon, the Robin solo strip in STAR SPANGLED COMICS briefly floated the idea of giving Robin a female counterpart: Roberta the Girl Wonder. The story begins at Dick Grayson's high school, where the girls are discussing their hopeless crush on Robin. One of them, redheaded Mary Wills, then has a brainstorm:

Mary is adorable in this story, although the assertion that Dick Grayson's peers are enamored with Robin (something that was repeated on and off into his college days in the 1970s) doesn't withstand close analysis. Even by the standards of the late '40s and early '50s, Robin is only a little less of a nerd than the young Clark Kent in the Superboy strip (who quickly established himself as the epitome of squaredom), and Dick Grayson at least as bad. However, Mary is determined:

A crime-compact! Obviously, Mary has already grasped the merchandising potential of being a Bat-adjacent crimefighter, but where did this teenage girl get smoke, gas, and explosive capsules? (Is that what we're supposed to assume she was making in panel 2 above?) Troubling …

As "Roberta the Girl Wonder," Mary quickly manages to introduce herself to Robin, even sneaking into the Batcave by hiding in the trunk of the Batmobile. However, to her dismay, Robin responds to her with irritation and disdain.

She asks a pretty reasonable question, honestly. Upon meeting her, Robin's immediate reaction is that "this is too dangerous a game for a girl" (but totally fine for a boy who doesn't even have any pants, apparently), and he subsequently becomes very critical of her ability to cover her tracks to protect her secret identity (much of which criticism seems unmerited or at least overblown), but even if you consider those reasonable arguments, his almost total disinterest in her (the above splash page not withstanding) does end up coming across as kind of gay. The comics were a little vague about how old Robin was supposed to be, but the beginning of this story indicates that he and Mary go to the same high school, so he's probably 15 or 16. That he reacts to a pretty girl his own age expressing obvious interest in him as if she were trying to sell him aluminum siding is thus a little odd unless, as Mary suggests, he just doesn't like girls.

To underscore the point, Robin deliberately sabotages her, arranging to douse her with chemicals (with which he's surreptitiously dosed the perfume shown below) to make her mask fall off in public:

Poor Mary.

Mary Wills is more than a little reminiscent of another STAR SPANGLED COMICS character: Merry, the Girl of a Thousand Gimmicks. First seen in STAR SPANGLED COMICS #81 in June 1948 (although she didn't adopt her costumed identity until the following issue), she was Merry Pemberton, adoptive sister of Sylvester Pemberton, the Star-Spangled Kid. Syl tried to discourage her from getting involved in crimefighting, but not only did she not listen to him, she soon took over his strip.

The above panels are from a story in STAR SPANGLED COMICS #86, which is still identified with the Star-Spangled Kid logo on the splash page even though Syl himself is nowhere in sight. With the following issue, the strip officially became Merry's in name as well as fact. However, with reader interest in superheroes fading rapidly, the strip lasted only through #90, in March 1949.

Roberta the GIrl Wonder may have originated an attempt to create a similar heroine for the Robin strip, but given how hard the ending of her story shuts down the possibility of her reappearing, one assumes editor Whitney Ellsworth decided that particular ship had sailed. National-DC was not very likely to replace Robin with a girl the way Merry had replaced her brother and Black Canary had superseded Johnny Thunder, and in any event, it had already become clear that it wasn't going to arrest the sales decline. Even Robin would soon lose the STAR SPANGLED cover slot to Tomahawk, and in 1952, the book became STAR-SPANGLED WAR STORIES.

[brsb4hls]

Sylki analysis eps 1 to 5:

Not trusting the the show they will pull up a satisfying solution in 50 minutes (with a ton of other plot) does not mean I'm not rooting for Loki/Sylvie.

I think the path Loki is on can be pretty awesome for me as a Loki fan, so it might be a great ending either way, but I still want a solution to Sylvie's arc.

That Eric Martin interview going around obvi caused some disconnect (with Sylvie hate on the rise again, not a surprise), so it might be worth looking at what we got so far.

Ep. 1

Loki is still shaken up from the evebts at the citadel. He is afraid of the Kang threat, but also hung up on his fight with Sylvie and tries to make sense of it. He didn't want to fight her, he wanted more time.

Their reunion is teased when we see Sylvie in the elvator, and Loki clearly emotionally affected by it.

The ep ends literally with: 'We gotta find Sylvie!'

Ep 2.

Loki goes after X-5 to get info about Sylvie, to find her. The narrative flow still makes srnse here. Sylvie is still one of his top priorities and Loki is even willing to torture to find her. (Preventing the Kang threat is still tied to finding Sylvie of course, but that does not erase Loki's emotional investment.).

When he does find her, that's where the whole thing shifts.

If you look at Sylvie the moment she sees him, you can see that she's shocked, afraid and immediatly pulls her walls up.

She is still very much affected by him, but doesn't let it show ('soft gets you killed' she can't be soft).

Sylvie works with Loki regardless, they combine their magic (after he basically jumped to her side).

After the initial threat that brought them together for this is gone, the drama starts (cause you got to have drama, right?)

Loki wants Sylvie to stay. She doesn't.

And Loki is clearly hurt by that.

Ep. 3

The drama culminates. Loki and Sylvie both want different things. Sylvie still advocates for free will and fighting a threat when it arrives (Victor as a Kang variant), Loki is for control and preventing the threat beforehand.

Sylvie still cares about Loki and challenges him, by asking him: "Do you care about anything but the TVA?"

He could say: "You" and resolve the conflict. But he doesn't, because Loki does not realize that's what she wants to hear, so he steps back and gives her space, thinking it's the right thing.

At that point, they could dance around each other forever.

Ep. 4

The conflict gets adressed. In the pie room scene they both make their opposing view points clear. Loki voices his frustration. He is clearly pissed when he assumes Sylvie takes the "easy" way. That's not what he hoped for.

He wanted her to work out the "hard" way with him together.

"We are Gods". Both of them. Sylvie also has a responsibility.

Sylvie does not argue that point. Or run.

She ponders and follows Loki out of the room a bit later.

Ep. 5

Further adressing of the conflict. Sylvie still argues in favor of free will. She does care about the variants and wants them to thrive on their time lines, she is not as emotionally attached to them and can be more neutral.

Loki has formed emotional attachement.

So he does care in a more selfish way.

They still don't resolve the issue, because Loki only admits his desire to be with his friends and doesn't include Sylvie. And it hurts her.

She tries to be neutral, to encourage Loki to write his own destiny, but the way face falls is truely hard to watch. In the end she can't keep her wall up anymore.

She reflects at the record store. If she didn't care about Loki she would not have needed to soothe herself with music.

The song, similar to "kozmic blues" at the end of 2x2, is about losing everything and being free (but possibly able to get back on one's feet again). But it's a blues. It is a sad way of living.

Sylvie does not want to get attached to avoid hurt. But she is not happy with that.

When she realizes the tva's failsafe kicking in, she goes straight to Loki to help again. That's a constant in the whole second season. Sylvie does not want to control, but she also does not want people to die.

She always helps, but in a neutral way, opposed to Loki's approach.

There is a weight to Loki's and Sylvie's interactions in 2x5.

She is the last one he seeks out, because she is a) important to him and b) he dreads the emotional fall out.

Sylvie is also the last one to dissolve and the first Loki slips back to.

The last soundbit he hears is her question: " What makes a Loki a Loki?"

Both of them are Lokis and will have to figure that out.

He manages to control his slipping because if her and then realizes he is able to focus on all of the people he cares about, hence the 360° turn he takes, that lands back on Sylvie.

So logically, 2x6 should finally resolve the conflict, adress their emotions and have Sylvie learn to trust Loki.

They would work together and balance each other out as different aspects of the same personality.

So it does make sense.

The disconnect imo stems from the fact, that some straight men of a certain age don't know how to fucking communicate properly, so their characters don't know either.

It could still end in drama, but Sylki endgame would still make sense narrativly. The narrative is just pretty damn bumpy.

[vegan-commie]

There's almost something tragic and comical about activists failing to realize the blatant missing piece to the activist puzzle: that your own oppression is anchored to your citizenship as a "subhuman" or "animal" in contemporary society. This is what makes racism, sexism, and all other "isms” possible. These "isms" are expressions of being labeled less-than-human. Therefore, this issue isn't just race-based or gender-based; it's simultaneously one of species as well. If we’re not organizing around this human-animal divide, then we aren't properly getting to the root of our oppression.

Within a Eurocentric analysis, activists have to spend all of their time "connecting" issues because everything is always and already singular and separate at the root. This should be our first sign that the theory were using is designed around the experiences of the white elites, not our own.

- Aphro-ism by Aph and Syl Ko

[sylveonmoonart]

Hello and this is my account

Hello, my name is Sylveon Moon, or Syl/Sylv for short. I’m a freelance artist who’s been working on a lot of art for several years now, I used to be mostly on a certain social media with a bird and a lot of people with several issues which I can believe most of them are personal. But enough of that, I’ve been working on spread my work all over the place, here being one of them. I don’t have much to say, but take this as a idea of what my content will be, hopefully I’ll catch up on uploading my art portfolio and that you can stick for the ride. Thank you and have a goodnight everyone!

If you want to follow my other social medias, here’s my card *hand you my carrd and makes finger guns as she Mario64 teleports away*

https://sylvmoon.carrd.co/