#this happens to Wally the most because he is the shortest

[thed0ct0risc0ming]

Okay it didn't take that long but here are some uncolored sketches of Cerbie and Wally

[salfur]

Wayward Guide Theory/Episode 3 Analysis

If you aren’t in the TCB Patreon Discord then you probably haven’t seen this yet, but I’ve been typing up what are basically analytical theory essays after each episode gets released (starting from ep 3).

I figured I may as well cross-post my theories on Tumblr since I’m pretty proud of them. I’ll probably be posting a theory about every 30 mins or so for the next few hours as to not completely spam up the Wayward Guide tag, but there’s only so much I can do with how many long-ass theory essays I’ve written on this show.

So, without further ado this is the analysis/theory based on episode 3, which is probably the shortest analysis I made so there’s no tl;dr for it.

CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR: Wayward Guide Ep 1 & 3, WG Podcast Ep 2

So out of the whole cast we know for certain that the Schue-Horyns and Ryan Reynolds cannot be the werewolf(s). At the end of ep 3, Paul is about to get attacked by the werewolf (assuming it's real) while getting his reading, this means we can also cross off Prism as a suspect as well (though she may become the next victim). Additionally, Sybilus and Silas were in a meeting when Paul was getting his reading and the Irons were presumably still working the desk. 

Desmond and Henry also likely couldn't be the werewolf(s) as they were with the Schue-Horyns during the attack that happened in ep 1 that killed Ryan. Quinn was last seen in the kitchen during that same attack, but it's possible he could have slipped out and attacked Ryan off screen. The townsfolk who saw Ryan's body were: Madison, Wallis, Crispin, and Corey Lubowich's cameo character (which I won't actually count as a possible werewolf as he's not listed as part of the cast). These 5 characters aren't necessarily off the hook but they're low on my suspect list. 

My current High-Tier suspect list: Mary Jo & Ellis Walker, Aubrey, 

my Mid-Tier suspects: Sybilus, Donny, Helen, Wallis, the Irons, Olivia, Vern, Jeremiah, Riley, GPS, Rita, Barney, Odie 

My Low-Tier suspects: Desmond, Henry, Quinn, Madison, Crispin, Wallis, Silas, Prism, Lesly, Agnes, Rebecca 

*Note: suspects are not listen in any particular order within the tiers

Characters we've yet to officially meet or see (and therefore not on my suspect list yet): Truman, the Mayor

Additional explanation: There are some characters in the Mid-Tier that I would list as being more on the edge towards the low (those being Odie, Olivia, and Vern) just because they seem like the obvious werewolf choices and I don't feel like it'd be that easy to guess. and as for Silas, I feel like if he were associated w/ the werewolves he wouldn't be one himself but he'd have one as a lapdog, the most plausible being Sybilus

Post Analysis Addendum: Actually, there's something I forgot to take into account when making my suspect list: where people lie on the political scale. People who are anti-mining would have more of a motivation to have a murder take place as it would make the town seem less desirable for expansion (assuming they were smart enough to come to that conclusion). On the flip-side, killing Ryan specifically would be good for silencing the anti-miners as he was more outspoken about his beliefs and actively running for Town Council.

We know that Rita, Helen, and Aubrey are anti-mining (from the podcast ep 2), and I don't remember if it was ever explicitly stated but I wouldn't be surprised if Barney was pro-mining (good for business and all that).

[backtothestart02]

The Heart of the Matter - 9/? | westallen fanfiction

A/N: More narrative than anything in this one, but I hope you still enjoy. Iris comes back into focus in the next chap for sure.

*tagging @jade4813, as always

...

Chapter 8 -

A year passed, and Barry spent every waking moment either putting his father’s business affairs in order or trying to track down his mother’s real killer. He was a walking machine, focusing whole-heartedly on both goals and paying little attention to much else. So much so that when the time came for a final board meeting at Allen Brothers’ Building and Loan, he nearly stayed silent the entire time, his head someplace else. Always someplace else.

He nodded as other board members thanked him for staying on and helping get everything in order. But he couldn’t, absolutely couldn’t stay quiet when Mr. Devoe started blaspheming his father and the business and its need to be eliminated.

“Now wait just a minute.”

Everyone turned to look at Barry.

“The trial aside, I know my father wasn’t much of a businessman. He was more concerned with helping people than making a profit. But what’s wrong with that? The amount of deception and underhanded profiting Mr. Devoe here makes through his own business ventures is deplorable.

“And whether you believe my father is innocent or not, you can’t deny all the good he did while he was running this business. No one who he ever helped would say anything different. So, don’t turn this business aside. Don’t run it into the ground or let Devoe take a hold of it and change it into…” He trailed off and shook his head. “Don’t do it.”

Aggravated by what was happening and how so many years of good work by an innocent, honest, hard-working man were being thrown away by the most corrupt man in town, after a few more spirited remarks, Barry left the small room in which the meeting was taking place.

He was set to visit his mother’s crime scene again, and he was not going to miss his mark this time. He was going to find a clue.

But before he could leave, his uncle rushed out to stop him.

“What is it?” He turned around roughly, unable to get out of his own mood at first. “What is it?” he asked, softer this time.

“They’ve put it to a vote, Barry. Allen Brothers’ Building and Loan stays.”

“Well, that’s great,” he said, feeling a little better but still in a hurry.

“On the condition that you stay and run it.”

Barry froze.

“Otherwise it goes to Devoe…”

Who will destroy it without a second thought, Barry thought to himself, and knew exactly what he had to do.

He had to stay.

He had to run the business.

If he didn’t, there wouldn’t be a single safe place in town people could go to where they wouldn’t be screwed over by Devoe in the process.

And how could he let the entire town down just because he had dreams he wanted to fulfill? Surely they weren’t more important than saving all the people he’d known and grown up around his entire life.

With a heavy sigh, he nodded.

“Okay,” he said, then headed out the door.

…

Three years later, and he hadn’t gotten any closer to catching his mother’s killer. The frustration with that ran high, but taking up the helm at his father’s business occupied much of his time, so it was no surprise that he hadn’t made much progress.

One thing was happening today though that he was excited for.

Jesse had graduated and was coming home from college.

They’d made a pact of sorts three years ago when he’d called her and told her what was happening with the business. He insisted she stay at college, get her degree, but in response she assured him that when she’d graduated, she’d come home and hold up the business while he fulfilled some of his dreams, mainly going to college and traveling for a while. It was too much to hope for, but Barry hoped for it anyway.

Not only was he going to see his sister again in who knows how long – he and his uncle had set up a big party for her return – but there would finally be a turn in the tide for him. Everything he wanted and hoped for would not be washed away by the cruel twist of fate that kept being thrown at him day after day.

He arrived at the train station just as the train arrived and greeted his sister as she stepped off the train. What he didn’t expect was to see Wally hop off the train right behind her or to see the wedding rings on their fingers when he glanced down for the shortest of seconds.

“You’re married!” Barry’s eyes went wide.

Jesse giggled. “Mhmm!”

“To each other?!”

Wally laughed. “Yeah, man.” He paused. “Sorry for not asking for…you know, permission and what not…it was kind of a spur of the moment type thing. Maybe we could celebrate tonight at Jesse’s welcome home party?”

Barry was still in shock, but now that he thought about it, he couldn’t imagine someone better than Wally for his sister. The way he’d cared for her in the months after their mother’s death had shown his true colors. He was a gentleman, and he cared for his sister, maybe more than Barry had realized at the time. How could he possibly be anything but ecstatic that the two of them had found each other and their acquaintanceship had turned into something more?

“Yeah, yeah, of course!” He pulled them both into a hug. “I’m so happy for both of you. And you know, Wallace, I’ve always thought of you as the younger brother I never had. The other guys are going to be so jealous that we’ve made it official.”

Wally laughed it off, and Jesse smiled adoringly at both the men in her life. She was so enthralled in the moment that she completely missed when Wally announced that his family had found an amazing job for Jesse in her field that she would love…and Barry’s face immediately fell.

“It’s a good job, huh?” he asked, gulping down the emotions rising in him.

“The best,” Wally said, oblivious.

“Barry…” Jesse tried, tuning in. “I’m not going to-”

“Well then, you have to take it!” Barry declared, meeting her eyes seriously a moment later. “You have to.”

At least one of them would make their dreams would come true.

[runnfromtheak]

fanfic author’s tagging game (yay!)

Thank ya darling for tagging me!!!! @boyblunder-thedarkheir!!!!!

AO3 Name(s): LostandLonelyBirds aka RUNNFROMTHEAK

Fandom(s): Primarily Batfamily (so, Dick Grayson) and Young Justice (along with DCU obviously, but I also dabble into Miralculous Ladybug, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Harry Potter, and MCU (none of which I will ever seriously write for? Idk man).

Number of fics: 22 I will admit to (how do you have so many, my dear @boyblunder-thedarkheir​? What is your secret?)

1. Fic you spent the most time on: Are we talking writing or thinking about writing, cause those are two very different answers. I spent the most time writing this bitch of a fic I’m working on right now, and the most time thinking about the two latest installments of my main series, Death is But An Illusion (aka How Could He and How Could It Be). I agonize over every goddamn detail with Dick’s anger, Jason’s Jason-ness, and every person’s every move and word. I am a mess, and I’m going to be murdered if I don’t update them soon. I am not sorry about that XD

2. Fic you spent the least time on:  You Came Behind Me Secretly and Shattered Every Piece of Me (There's Blood On My Hands) aka my pick-your-own-canon clusterfuck of Dark!Dick Grayson and Dick Grayson being traumatized and tortured with no comfort (Some of them are so fucked up I question my own mind). I take less than an hour to write 80% of them, cause they’re short, and they very rarely take any time to plan. Fun and easy!

3. Longest Fic: At present, he had a chest full of heart and a body full of scars (pain became the only way that he could ever learn)  is my longest, but the fic I’ve been hinting at on my other tumblr, @lostandlonelybirds​ is easily double the length (why do I do this to myself? Why am I like this?) the long boi (named one, not the one I won’t shut up about) is easily my best fic at the moment, and I’m so excited to write a sequel whenever I get the chance.

4. Shortest Fic: With Bated Breath and Pain You See (We're Nothing More Than Memories) technically, I have one shorter than that, but it’s a collab that wasn’t my original idea so I’m not counting it :)

5. Most Hits: You Came Behind Me Secretly and Shattered Every Piece of Me (There's Blood On My Hands) why do you people like this trash-fire so much? I don’t understand

6. Most Kudos:  How Could He which does not surprise me.

7. Most Comment Threads: Technically, How Could He followed by the trash-fire AU title thing I’m too lazy to type again, but I’m gonna love on this one: Just Close Your Eyes (No One Can Hurt You Now) because it’s my baby, and it deserves it okay?

8. Fave Fic You Wrote: Ooo we are doing a top five.

             5. How Could It Be (Jason is precious and sad and Dick is oblivious, and I love one-sided pining wayyyy too much)

             4.  How Could He (I put my life force into this stupid fic, so ofc it’s here)

             3. I'm Scared to Live But I'm Scared to Die (I'm Numb Inside) (the suicidal boy, major trigger warning)

             2. I See Things That Nobody Else Sees (And It's Slowly Killing Me)  (the only fic I’ve ever written from Cass’s perspective, and definitely one of the creepiest and most fucked up. Bruce does not look good here)

             1. he had a chest full of heart and a body full of scars (pain became the only way that he could ever learn) (so ummm Bruce doesn’t look good here either? RHATO #25 if DC wasn’t cowardly and let Dick react how he actually would, aka fuck Batman is the new motto)

9. Rewrites?: Fuck. All my older ones? Everything? Who knows.

10. Share a bit of your WIP or share a story idea that you’re planning:

Let’s do two. I’m nice.

First comes from How Could It Be:

“You loved him,” Donna says, ignoring his barb. “You loved him, and no one’s seen you or heard from you and I’m concerned, damnit.”

 She punches his shoulder roughly, and he’s reminded of her strength, no matter how small she seems in her dead best friend’s sweater.

 “I’m fine. Peachy-keen. Couldn’t be fuckin’ better. Honestly, you should be more concerned with Replacement, don’t think he’s slept in—”

 “Jason.” Her voice is firm, even as her eyes swim with tears and she holds her arms tight to herself, breathing in the well-loved item’s scent. Jason wonders when Dick wore it last, if Donna had taken it from his abandoned Gotham Penthouse or his Chicago Apartment. He wonders if he’d left it draped over the couch, like the natural disaster he was, or if it had been folded neatly in a drawer.

For someone who prides himself on not being sentimental, Jason suddenly wishes he had something of Dick’s too.

 “I’m here because I care, and because if Dick was here, he’d be doing the same thing I am.”

 “But he ain’t here,” Jason snaps, “Is he?”

 Donna’s head falls, and he feels like a giant jerk. He just… reacts poorly to that name, hasn’t heard it spoken since the transmission and subsequent funeral, since the guy he’d had the hots for since wearing the scaly panties had his mask ripped away and his life taken in front of Bruce’s eyes (who, to absolutely no one’s surprise, failed to save his son).

In the aftermath, no one said Dick Grayson’s name, always Nightwing, or some inane nickname the superhero community had for him. Last time he said it was to Damian, a failed attempt at comfort. But even Jason’s form of mutual grieving had been better than any of Bruce’s shit ideas. Bastard immortalized the ripped costume from his own son’s corpse (not that it had been the first time) and hadn’t even had the decency to give it a plaque (No ‘Good Soldier’ or ‘Good Son’, just a bare glass case with a bloody suit). Which… was weird. Jason was far from B’s best friend, but even he noticed something seemed strange, off, just not quite right. Like the funeral he didn’t speak at, like the breakdown none of them had witnessed beyond a one-off rage fit

“B, what the fuck happened down here?”

The Batcave was a disaster, dents glaringly obvious in several vehicles and a large spiderweb crack across the Batcomputer. Bruce closes the screen down, but Jason manages to catch a spiraling eye.

“Nothing, just…”

Bruce looks at the spare Nightwing costume none of them had taken down yet, still clean and ready for use (too bad its owner died and would never wear it again).

“Dick?” Jason questions, and the way Bruce’s eyes snap to his face is almost suspicious, almost enough to arouse concern.

“Yes. I—”

Jason sits next to Bruce on the desk, crossing his arms over his chest.

“I miss him too, Old Man. Don’t mean you need to be an ass about it.”

 A memorial next to Jason’s own, but Dickhead’s is empty and broken from Damian’s fists and grief, and Jason’s is just gone. No one told him why, it was just gone.

Kind of like Dick.

He wonders if Bruce would have told him if the video hadn’t been broadcast, if he would’ve told anyone. B did love his fuckin’ secrets.

 “No,” she whispers, and he can hear the tears in her voice, can feel her grief as keenly as his own. It’s palpable, tangible, “He’s dead, and I’m alive, and I don’t know how to handle it.”

 And then, to Jason’s mounting horror, she starts crying openly.

…..

Second comes from my one I’m working on rn with Stray!Dick called I See Sunset In Your Eyes (I Hate This Part Right Here)

“Come on,” Wally says with a pout, dragging an overly amused Jason and Dick with him through the karaoke bar doors. “Donna and Roy are waiting for us, and Dick had to take forever to primp.”

 Dick shrugs with a grin.

 “Beauty takes time, time I can tell you did not take.”

 Jason snorts, and Wally glares at him.

 “At least I don’t take five hours to finish getting ready.”

 “At least I can last longer than five minutes.”

 “Ouch!” Roy butts in, throwing an arm around Jason and Dick’s shoulders. “Claws are out tonight!”

 “Speaking from experience?” Jason asks, eyebrow raised.

 Dick smirks without comment, sauntering past the group towards the table Donna’s lounging at.

 “Hey gorgeous twin of mine,” He greets with a kiss to her eyes. She smirks, rolling her eyes at him.

 “You’re just stroking your own ego with the twin tacked on, Wonder Boy.”

 Dick bumps his shoulder against hers.

 “Can’t I stroke both our egos?”

 “You can stroke mine,” Wally mutters, turning red when Stray winks at his phrasing. Jason and Roy both facepalm, groaning. “Not what I meant guys!”

 “Why Kid Idiot,” Dick replies, hand on his heart, “I had no idea you could be so forward~!”

 Wally glares, waving over the waitress.

 “Round of shots, on this dick,” he jerks his thumb at Stray, offering up his fake ID. She doesn’t bother checking it, probably because this is Gotham, and they were all in uniform. “Whisky, please.”

 “Trying to get me drunk?” Jason jokes. It is, after all, his first big outing with the Titans for non-mission reasons. Stray had practically dragged him out of the Manor with a wink at Alfred and a middle finger for Bruce, saying that Jason needed to have fun outside of books.

Jason knows better than arguing with Dick Grayson-Kyle when he wants something, Stray trained him well.

 “Of course, Batboy,” Roy replies, “It’s not a Titans outing if Stray is fully dressed and everyone’s sober.”

 Dick shrugs.

 “You’ll have to get some real liquor in me if you want me to do anything like last time.”

 “Last time?” Jason asks, looking to Donna for an answer. Dick snorts. You get near naked one time…

 “Boy Blunder ended up in just his boxers in a dancing cage drunk of his ass. Everyone thought he was one of the strippers, and he made, what, three-hundred dollars in bills?”

 “Five-hundred,” Dick replies proudly, offering the waitress a twenty as she came back with their drinks. “Keep the change, darlin’!” He adds with a wink.

 She flushes, making Jason frown.

 Stray, of course, notices this and elbows Jason.

 “Don’t get jealous, Blue Jay, it’s not becoming.”

 Jason does not blush. He doesn’t, and that’s the hill he will die on.

 “I’m not. On an unrelated note, pass me a shot.”

Jason is the master of changing the subject, Stray thinks sarcastically, passing him a shot and downing one of his own.

 “Five bucks says alley cat blacks out,” Roy says smugly as Dick makes a face, the way he always did with heavier liquors. He glares at the redhead, who shrugs unapologetically.

 Donna eyes them both speculatively, taking a sip of her own drink.

 “Twenty says he gives a lap dance before he blacks out.”

 Roy snorts.

 “I’ll take it,” and to Dick, “Don’t do it, for me.”

 Dick bats his eyes innocently.

 “Lil’ old me? I would never do something so…” He trails a finger down Roy’s chest, making him swallow roughly. “Scandalous.”

 Donna grins victoriously as Roy groans, trying and failing to hide his excitement.

 “I hate you. I hate you both.”

 Tagging whoever sees this, I suppose? 

[letgraysonsheart]

Those prompts..., could you do 18 with Dick and Artemis cause they’re super underrated and my crops are dying ? Please??

Thank you so much for your request! I love Artemis and Dick! sadly I‘m not that good at romance if that’s what you wanted, but here’s an add-on/filler for the YJ episode 1x12, with a little more hurt/comfort & angst

-

“What of Robin?” Kaldur asks as Artemis runs the few meters up to Robin’s still and unmoving form. He’s completely drenched from head to toe, a puddle of water has already formed beneath him. His Robin uniform looks like an even darker shade of red because of the water clinging to it.

She sinks to the floor by his side as images of Robin being swept away by the huge wave fills her mind. He could have hit himself on the metal of the very thing that saved them in the end. He could have gotten thrown into the, at some places, too sharp cave walls.  She thinks about all the injuries he could have sustained. His fragile ribs, head trauma, the list goes on and on and she wishes she didn’t have the knowledge to think about them. Nature is powerful, even when controlled by evil robots.

And then there is all the time he spent submerged, trapped, in the water, without being able to breathe. He’s just human, like her, humans aren’t supposed to spend that much time underwater.

She can hear the others talking around her. They are all confirming that they will be alright but she can’t force her eyes off of Robin. She knew he was small, he’s the shortest of the group, but now he looks even more so than before. There is no tension in his body, and his wet clothes are clinging to his small frame. The white of his domino mask has turned into thin slits, and she knows it means he’s unconscious. That he might be.. no. She.. she has to know, has to check - she has to do something.  

She reaches her hands out, one goes to smooth black hair from Robin’s forehead and the other hovers over his chest. Fears threaten to overtake her again, not for the first time today. She lowers her hand onto his chest, forces herself to move the other towards Robin’s neck, to find his pulse point.

She bites her lip and holds her breath and - coughing fills her ears. God, coughing has never sounded so amazing. Even as Dick coughs up icky water, which some of hits her, she can’t help but smile. Tears, now of joy instead of fear and grief and anger, fills her eyes.

“Artemis! What’s going on?” Wally yells from the floor below. There is fear in his voice, matching the feelings she seconds ago was harboring herself.

“H-he’s breathing too!” she stutters out, to him, to the rest of their team. Sighs of relief echos in the cave. They had feared the worst too. The team has under such a short time become so close, become like a family. For all the good it has given, it has also made moments like these, moments when they realized they might lose someone, even harder.

Robin gasps for a second, before turning to look at her.

“Way to get traught,” he rasps. She can’t help but laugh as she lets her body relax and fall back from her tense position hovering over Robin. There are still concerns they have to think about, tell Batman about. Robin had almost drowned, and there are scary after-effects of that.

Robin too is falling back, looking worn out and tired.

Then he is sitting up again, propping himself up on his elbows even though he looks as pale as a sheet and should be laying down. He should be focusing on breathing, not moving around. She opens his mouth to tell him to just freaking relax, they won! but he is quicker than her.

“You’re bleeding,” he says, voice still scratchy, it’s barely over a whisper, but he still sounds worried.

“Huh?” she says and follows his gaze, she has learned to read the domino now more than before, to her arm. And there is, in fact, a wound gushing blood on her arm.

“Well, would you look at that; I am,” once she has seen it, she can start to feel it too. The adrenaline from the fight, from the whole ordeal, is wearing off. She can feel every bit of hurt those pesky robots inflicted on her.

She doesn’t know when she got it, maybe when she fell through the vents, maybe from fighting the robots - it’s hard to say. It doesn’t look deep, so she isn’t too worried.

“‘S just a scratch Rob, focus on breathing you,” she says, in an effort to calm the younger teen in front of her. He snorts at her and shakes his head, but he lays down nonetheless. It’s a true testament to how tired he is, and how much toll the almost-drowning has taken on him. Usually, he’s always quick with his comebacks, he’s always got something snarky to say.  

“You’ll need to have it looked at, bandages,” he tells her while staring up at the roof of the cave. She laughs, “I guess I’ll join you in the infirmary then. No way you are getting away without having those lungs of yours checked out,” she answers.

Somehow, Robin manages to find a bandage, a very wet one at that, but still a bandage, out of his belt. Still laying on the floor he hands it to her, with a slightly apologetic smile as it drips over her legs when she takes it. She still manages to wrap it around her arm though, and it helps with stopping the bleeding. She hopes the water isn’t too dirty.

“We should check on M’gann,” Robin says, still sounding like it hurts to talk. She wants to tell him to be quiet, to let his poor throat heal, but this is Robin. He’s never been quite in his life, he won’t start now just because she asks him to.

She pushes herself up again, even if her arm hurts in protest when she uses it. Robin is still on the floor, looking like he is trying to find the courage to move. She lends him her unwounded arm and drags him up. He sways a little on his feet, and she shuffles closer so he can lean on her.

“We should get on cutting loose Kid and SB. I doubt any of them are too happy being stuck like that,” Robin says. He’s probably already thinking of ways they can cut their friends out of their stone-prison.

Kaldur already has M’gaan on her feet, but she looks to be leaning most of her weight on him. Artemis had always thought the temperature was high on Mars. When she first had learned of Miss Martians weakness she had found it odd and confusing. Her green skin looks many shades paler than usual, and both her and Kaldur looks drenched in sweat.

Together the four of them make their way down the stairs down to their trapped friends. They move slow, Kaldur supporting M’gaan and struggling to keep them both upright. Artemis is trying to support Robin who is still hasn’t completely sprung back, while also minding her own wounded arm. Neither of the trapped boys comments on anything as they watch them stumble towards them, and there is no complaining. They, like Artemis, are probably just happy everyone is alive.

“Rob, are you alright? What happened? We couldn’t see anything from down here!” Kid Flash asks once they finally manage to get down to them. He looks like he wants nothing more than to break free of the prison and check over Robin himself. Robin is pushing himself off of Artemis, trying to prove that he is fine, that no harm has come to him. She doesn’t miss the way he sways unsteadily on his feet, and one look at Wally tells her that neither does he. There are lines of worry on the yellow speedsters face. 

“Figured my only shot was to surrender, pretend to drown before I actually did. Blacked out, though.”

Robin says it like it was nothing. Like the fact that he was deprived of oxygen to the point of blacking out was nothing to take notice off. A small hiccup in the grand scheme of things. He is so wrong and yet she can’t make herself comment on it. She is too happy. Everyone will be alright. With a little rest, they will all be fine.

She’ll use a torch to free both Superboy and Kid Flash. Then they’ll all go and contact the League, and they will take care of the rest.

It’s going to be fine.

At least she thinks so until Red Tornado turns on them and steals the breath from her lungs. The last thing she sees before the dark takes over is Robin falling over, unconscious, for the second time today.  

-

I hope you liked it! I haven’t really written Artemis (or YJ) before so I hope it was okay! 

[butcanijustnot]

Taste Of The Light - A Young Justice FanFic Chapter Two – Disagreements without goals

Author: Crystalline / @butcanIjustnot

Fandom: Young Justice x OCs

Part number:  Chapter Two of Seventeen

Tagging: @idontgiveaflyinggrayson69  It’s here! It’s finally here! I phoned this in to within an inch of its life but it’s here!

Summary: Young Justice debate tournament with questionable characterization. Shout out to Nat (tagged above) for helping me out with this!! Thank you so much!!

Also, this fic takes place between season 1 and season 2 of the show, as shown by the timestamps in the chapters.

Word Count: 1.6, shorter than the others and by my estimate the shortest chapter I’ll write in this series.

Warnings: None. Not even swearing this time. Yay me!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mount Justice

1pm. 9th October 2011

The Young Justice team had had this mission, dubbed the Villainous Descendants mission, for a week. It was thrown rather haphazardly onto them by the Justice League, and with that came the decision of what to do one they found these villains’ children. The best way to deal with the simple existence of these kids, much less find a way to keep them safe. That meant that for the last week, a fierce debate had been raging between various members of the team on what the hell it is that they should do?

“Wait, no, when we find these people, we’re sending them to juvie, right? I thought that that was what we decided yesterday!” Wally said, looking around the room at everyone. His words seemed authoritative but his face just looked confused. Understandable really, at one point or another these arguments just kind of blend together and blur into one huge chaotic mess.

“Wally, no, that’s not humane! We can’t just lock them up! THEY haven’t committed any crimes! My god, Wally, are you ever listening?!?” Artemis was vocal on this topic. The things that she’d experienced made her believe strongly that just because somebody is the child of a villain doesn’t mean that they themselves are inherently evil.

Wally glared at her from across the boardroom table. In light of the constant arguing and difference of opinions, Kaldur called a meeting in the hopes that they could reach a decision. That was two hours ago, they were no closer to an answer, and the team was about ready to tear each other to shreds. “So we are just supposed to wait around until they do!?! Its simple statistics, Artemis, children with parents in jail tend to be more likely to commit crimes in the future.”

“Okay, wow… Yes, there is a chance that they will commit crimes, but there’s also a chance that the WON’T, but I can guarantee that if these kids aren’t bitter towards us and the Justice League now, they will be after they’re unfairly incarcerated and scrutinized. Much as it might make sense now, we have to consider the potential that we’re doing more harm than good in the future.” Artemis half-yelled back, this constant arguing taking a serious toll on her emotional health.

“Team…,” Kaldur said, but his voice was drowned out by the surrounding arguments. He needed their attention quickly, what he had to say was no doubt important, but these disagreements were causing control on his team to slip and fall to the wolves.

“I suppose that if you feel so strongly about this, you think I’m evil too!!” Connor yelled from his spot on the opposite side of the room, engaged in a fierce debate with M’Gann, clenching his fists and shaking his head. “The first time that I met the team, I attacked them without even thinking about it!! That’s evil, right?!?”

“That’s different, Connor, you were being mind-controlled!!!” M’Gann screeched back. “If these kids do something terrible, it’s completely on them!!” She yelled as loud as her voice could go without cracking. She turned and gestured to Roy and Karen, who was sitting down at the conference table watching the arguments around them unfold. “Come on guys, back me up!”

Karen and Roy had, for the most part, been completely quiet in the middle of all of this chaos. Roy shook his head, really not wanting to get in on this argument. To be honest, he didn’t really care, but that gave him an advantage over the rest. He was the only truly impartial source on the squad. “Both sides make good points, but I can’t help but see a bigger problem. If we choose not to lock them up, we have to find something else to do with them. If we can’t incarcerate them and we don’t feel comfortable just releasing them back into society, then we would have to find another place to send them where we would still be able to keep an eye on them. The way I’m seeing it, there is no middle ground, no way to keep them safe that doesn’t compromise their freedom in some way.” He explained.

“Everyone, we need-” Kaldur tried to intersect again, but was talked right over once again.

“There is no reason that we shouldn’t be at least a little suspicious. The fact is that their family makes them dangerous.” Wally attempted to explain himself.

“Hey!” Dick grimaced, shaking his head at his friend. “Just because you share blood with someone doesn’t necessarily make you a family.” He attempted to defend. “I agree with Artemis. Don’t judge them on their parent's mistakes.”

“Of course you would say that! Your mentor is BATMAN! That's like the Champagne of parent-figures! Maybe you’ve had a great role model in your life, but they definitely haven’t!” Wally fired back.

“EVERYBODY STOP!” Kaldur finally yelled, having had more than enough of these arguments and needing everyone’s full attention immediately. The room went stunningly quiet as the team members slowly returned to their seats at the conference table.

“I should have done that an hour ago…” He mumbled, pulling up the screen sharing software of TechTalks computer. The Justice League had gifted it to them in a half-hearted effort to help them with this mission, but as much as Dick and Kaldur had been taking turns watching it, nothing of interest had been happening. Just an inordinate amount of time spent on questionable…. adult websites. Nothing, at least, until the last couple of hours.

“There’s been a development in the case. I need everyone’s attention. NOW.” He said, directing the team's attention to the screen. Text messages flashed up on the screen between TechTalk and ‘W’.

Planning ambushes on targets at 10 O’Clock tonight. One at Fitcherson St, Gotham, and another on the old LexCorp Warehouse at Gotham Docks. Are you willing to send me back up? I’ll reimburse you when I’m successful. ~W

I’m dubious, but alright. I’ll send six beta-class drones. ~TechTalk

Harsh, TT, I’m hurt. How about ten? ~W

Seven, and if you send them back in pieces again, I’m footing you the bill. ~TechTalk

Good talk… ~W

The team read through the messages in stunned silence. Slowly, murmurs began to arise around the room.

“Well, there we go! That’s the lead we’ve all been hoping for! Finally!” Wally said, far too excited about the idea of some children getting attacked. “Now we know where he’s going to strike!” He exclaimed, darting to the door. “We just need to get there first and stop him!”

“Not so fast!” Artemis said, gesturing for Wally to ‘calm down’. “We still haven’t decided what we are going to do once we get there.” She continued, looking around at everyone’s mixed expressions, dismayed.

“And we have no idea what to expect when we get there. We don’t know who ‘W’ is or how these kids are going to react to us confronting them. If they’re anxious, they could lash out at us” Dick added. Everyone turned, looking anxiously at Kaldur and waiting for his decision.

Kaldur thought for a second, before shaking his head and rising to his feet. “We can’t afford to do nothing. This is the first lead we’ve had in weeks, and if we pass this up, we might not get another chance. There are two separate attack points so we will have to split into two separate teams and take on two threats at once.”

Short murmurs spread across the boardroom. “So, what’s the plan?” Connor finally asked.

“Connor, M’Gann, you two head to Fitcherson St. Lay low in stealth mode until the attackers are sighted, then engage and neutralize. If possible, find the victims and bring them back to Mount Justice. If necessary, detain them temporarily.” He finished, working off of the mixed expressions of his teammates. His eyes darted between Connor and M’Gann. “I trust that you won’t let this argument get in the way of doing your jobs.”

“Of course we won’t,” M’Gann said, smiling at Kaldur, but the unsurety she was feeling bled into her voice.

“Good,” Kaldur said. M’Gann turned and flew out the door and down the hallway, to get ready for the mission. Connor followed behind, mumbling something incoherent under his breath. Kaldur watched them both leave and nodded at Artemis. “You go too. Keep an eye on them.”

“Oh come on! I don’t want to be the awkward third wheel, especially not in the middle of an argument!” She complained, but none-the-less getting up and walking after her teammates, hitting Wally with a glare on her way out.

“Dick, Wally and I will head to the second location, the Lex-Corp Warehouse.” Kaldur went on to explain. Dick and Wally bumped fists quietly, careful not to let there conflicting opinions get in the way of there friendship. They were appropriate like that. In fact, this was about the only way that they were.

Dick piped up. “I think that I’ve been there before. Batman took me on a mission once to bust a nuclear smuggling ring. Turns out Lex was dumping large amounts of nuclear waste containers into Gotham Docks as to not arouse suspicion. I thought it had been abandoned since then, why would ‘W’ choose to go there of all places?”

Kaldur shrugged. “We don’t know, but I have a feeling we will find out. Everyone else will stay here and be ready to act as the backup should we need it. We will regroup after the mission and discuss our options. Understood?” He said. The room looked around and nodded slowly. “Dismissed.” He finished, his team standing and filing out of the room to get ready for whatever the hell lay ahead for them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I’m sorry about this guys, but I had to remove the links because tumblr is throwing a little bit of a tantrum in regards to links and NSFW content at the moment. As a result, me and many other creators are walking on eggshells until tumblr takes a fucking chill pill. As such there aren’t any links on this fic, but if you liked this and you want to see the rest of it, DM me and I’ll send you all the links to all the chapters I’ve written. Thanks guys and sorry again!

[you-want-fuckign-cicadas]

Into The Abyss, part 8

henroy

Felix belongs to @smoresthehalloweenqueen, as does Ink.

More below the cut

It is dark, cold, and wet. Felix would much rather be doing anything but wading around in an ink puddle, trying to find his glasses. But of course that's what he's doing, because why wouldn't this be the perfect time to lose his glasses in a hecking puddle of ink that perfectly matches the color of his glasses?

He sighs and rummages around in the ink. At least I seem to be mostly ink-proof like this. It's still annoying, though.

Lines of ink spread across the walls, first forming intricate patterns and then just becoming small rivers of ink. Felix frowns and steps back a little before continuing to rummage around for his glasses. Stupid glasses getting lost in a stupid puddle of ink. In fact, just stupid ink. Though I do wonder how it's doing that.

Finally finding his glasses, he holds them up triumphantly and inspects them for damage. They seem to be fine, so he wipes the ink off on his shirt (it's probably fine, right?) and puts them back on his face. “That's better. At least now I can see farther than ten feet away.”

There's a thumping noise as something very large realizes that he's there. His eyes widen as the creature comes around the corner and looks right at him.

“Bendy?”

The Bendy tilts his head at Felix, who simply tilts his head back at him in response. They stand like this for a while, a distorted monster and a strange cartoon, until the Bendy makes a rumbling noise and startles Felix, who, in a flash of 'brilliance', dives into a deeper pool of ink in a valiant attempt at hiding.

Just a note, Felix can't swim. At all.

Flailing around, he attempts to not drown in a puddle of ink, and fails, miserably. Instead he just kind of...flops around, slowly drowning and internally screaming at himself for doing something this stupid. That is, until he's abruptly hauled out of the ink and onto land.

He looks up and sees that his savior is the Bendy, who has apparently decided that he's going to keep Felix and is now making a weird purring-like sound. Felix never agreed to this, but as long as he's not being murdered, he's generally fine with it. Though I do wonder what exactly he plans on doing, considering I'm about two times shorter than him and a good deal weaker...wait.

And now he's started worrying. Great. Just wonderful. I really need to stop thinking too much.

As Henry walks the halls of the studio, he notices things. Mostly the fact that it looks like half the studio was swept up in a tsunami of ink. And all the plushies around. He makes a move to grab one, but decides against it and leaves it alone.

His board didn't hold together for too long, breaking apart after he hit a few Searchers with it. So he's weaponless as he wanders around, solving various 'puzzles' and occasionally needing to hit things with chairs. Chairs are surprisingly good weapons, when thrown hard enough. However, they also tend to break when thrown that hard, so maybe it wasn't so good of an idea after all.

Not that Henry cares. At least it gets his anger out and gets the things out of his way. He's not quite ready to die. Nor will he ever be, especially not in this haunted hellhole full of abominations. In fact, it would be great if I just didn't die, period. That'd be fine. Or, well, at least not for a while.

He doesn't notice that he's wandered into a room full of stuffed toys until he crashes into a large Boris plushie. Upon crashing into it, he realizes that he's stumbled into what looks like a plushie death trap, completely with, well, plushie death traps.

The room is covered with shelves upon shelves of plushies, each of various characters. Boris, Alice, Bendy, the Butcher Gang, even a few from that ill-fated merger. Small plushies of various side characters are hung up on the ceiling, surprisingly in okay condition. There's even a few plushies of old studio workers holding something related to their work, probably the ones that were the most memorable, and all of those are in good condition. Henry walks over to the plushies and inspects them. Looks like Shawn's handiwork to me.

The plushies of Grant Cohen and Thomas Conner probably had the most work put into them, with details that Henry himself hadn't noticed about the men when he'd worked with them. (Then again, he hadn't interacted with them much, only seeing Grant when he picked up his paychecks and really not interacting with Thomas at all.) After that, the next most detailed was Norman's, if only because of the projector. Half of the plushie itself is obscured by it. Though half the time Norman was carrying around a projector, so it's not...wrong...

His plushie is holding a pen, and while he admires the fact that Shawn put as much effort as possible into these, he's slightly grumpy that his is shorter. Even if I was one of the shortest workers in the studio, it's still insulting and it's bad enough “Alice” wouldn't stop pointing it out.

Wally's is, of course, holding his ever-iconic broom. However, it is also holding a real set of keys, which Henry manages to wrangle out of its hands without breaking it. He looks at it. “See, this one I just don't understand. Wally almost never held his keys. Half the time they were in a trashcan.”

Predictably, no one answers him, and he moves on to the next plushies, which are of Susie and Allison. They used to be pretty close, until Joey gave the Alice role to Allison. Don't know why, and don't care to know why. Both plushies are holding tiny little Alice plushies and VA mics.

Beside of those two plushies is a Sammy. Even in plushie form, Sammy manages to look grumpy, holding a banjo and frowning as always. The plushie looks like it's one misplaced set of keys away from flying into a rage, which was Sammy's default mode. The man probably had a few screws loose, but he was good at what he did. Too bad he's an ink creature now.

The last one is ripped apart, but it looks like it was of Joey Drew. Most likely, Shawn used (uses?) this one as a way to feel like he's getting back at Joey without doing illegal things.

There's a shuffling noise from one of the other shelves. Henry whirls around, keys raised like he's going to hit someone. (The keys are hilariously dull and won't cut anything even if Henry wants them to, so it's an empty threat.) There's nothing behind him except the shelves of toys, but...I could have sworn that that Boris plushie wasn't there ten minutes ago...and where did that rabbit plush come from?

He walks over to the plushies and pokes them cautiously, half expecting them to attack him. They do not. They don't move. See, they're not alive, he reassures himself. Just your mind playing tricks on you, Henry.

When he turns his back, though, the plushies rearrange themselves again, this time with a muted giggle from the rabbit. Henry turns around again, this time with a chair. “Okay, now I know someone's messing with me. Come out before I hit everything in the room with this chair!”

Nothing.

Not a single thing in the room moves. There's no breathing, no shuffling, and not even a twitch. Henry frowns. “Well?”

Still nothing moves. The silence is stifling, even if there is the noises from the studio now. Henry lowers the chair a little. “I promise not to hit you with the chair, okay? Just come out, please.” Or I think I might go insane, he adds internally.

The shuffling noise comes from behind one of the shelves as a tiny duo of a plush Bendy and Alice peek out. The toy rabbit hops off of the bigger Boris, who stays still but looks directly at Henry. Several other plushies move, though none of them are the studio workers. When all is said and done, there are about fourteen plushies standing in front of him, all staring. (Well, except for the Boris. And the fox plushie, who is the largest of the bunch, is half behind a shelf. But it counts.)

Henry puts the chair down, leans on it, and sighs. “Okay, Joey has a lot to explain, and I'm not keen on asking him after what happened earlier. Mind explaining?”

Meanwhile, the now much-larger army of ink creatures is swarming around the Angel's hideout. Their leader is throwing himself on the door, which is solid steel, and as such not going to be broken by a skinny-ass 'toon throwing himself on the door.

The Angel, of course, is not pleased by this development. “Why are all you rejects banging on my door? Can't you see that a lady needs her beauty sleep?”

“Sleep be damned! Did you kill Felix?” Ink yells, slamming himself on the door again.

“The human is dead?” The Angel asks. Ink simply slams himself on the door again. “How unfortunate. I didn't even get his soul. Have you seen it?”

“No, you bitch, because he's dead! Someone killed him!” Ink says, sitting in front of the door. He's bruised himself from slamming into various objects on purpose, and apparently the steel door has convinced him that it's not going to break. “And I'm asking if it was you!”

“I wish,” the Angel answers. “But no. Most likely it was Joey.”

“Which one?”

“What do you mean, which one?!”

And so begins the most ridiculous argument in the history of the studio.

Meanwhile, Felix is on top of a pipe, trying desperately to reach something above than him. Below him is the Ink Demon, a Swollen Searcher, and two stragglers from the army of Lost Ones, who had been separated from the Mind when they'd been stuck behind some doors.

Needless to say, it was a very strange group.

TL;DR: Felix makes a very tall, dangerous friends, Ink gets angry, and Henry finds living plushies. Also no one dies or gets hurt in this chapter, but don’t get used to it, because next one the army gets very very close...to the wrong person

[rocinantescoffeestop]

21, 15, 8 (these are so fun)

Whooo! More asks! <3 Thank you thank you, skipps!

21 - most memorable comment

I just love the ones where it's all caps, tbh. XD I do think about your one on my Wally/Artemis fic from time to time, and what a mood-lifter toooooo. :D

15 - something i learned this year

Did a LOT of self-discovery into my process this last semester specifically 'cause of my very hands-off film-writing professor. One of the key takeaways from that one for me was, you don't have to write in order. I always get excited to write random snippets of a story that happen way later than where I'm technically at and feel like I have to hold off on getting there, but writing later things before earlier plot things actually works for me better; keeps up moral as well as structures the story/script for me in my head. It also makes it easier for me to know where I'm going and how I'm going to get there #developmentthings.

8 - shortest completed fic written (this year)

"He scores seashells by the seashore" at only 888 words! I definitely focused more on longer story-telling this year, specifically because I wanted to do more plot than slice-of-life things that I typically did. Not saying I didn't also do slice of life, because I looove those little moments too! But it was nice to branch out. This fic was a nice blend between having plot-elements without being too heavy of a narrative, so best of both worlds!!

-

Send me a word, and if it’s in my wip document I’ll answer your ask with the sentence that it appears in

[fezwearingjellybananas]

Inspired by this post by disregardcanon, here is a summary of fic I have published this year. It’s not all the questions because I simply cannot answer things like “favourite fic”, but there also seemed to be a chance for statistics and I might as well use that A-Level for something, I’m already using the chemistry one for fic writing, and I do like maths

Total stories written: 23 [/84; 38%]

Total words written: 230,209 [/566,847; 40.6%]

Average words per story [mean; rounded to nearest full digit]: 10,009 [6,748; 148%]

Shortest story: Labmates (474 words)

Longest story: Once More Unto (80,564 words)

Highest kudos: Once More Unto (29 kudos)

Most common:

Fandom: The Flash (TV 2014) [all 23 inculding crossovers] [overall also The Flash, 49 total]

Pairing: Barry Allen/Iris West [4 tagged plus 3 tagged minor Westallen in additional tags] [overall tagged as a romantic relationship Barry Allen/Cisco Ramon (10 fics), tagged as a romantic relationship plus additional tags Barry Allen/Iris West (9 fics plus 6 additional)]

From the past year, what was:

Most challenging to write: Probably Repercussions, way back when I first had the idea for the AU it was a role reversal with Barry and Lisa, still FlashVibe, but then things started shifting and wiggling (at one point pretty early on Mick was still Mick, he just sort of adopted Malcolm and Barry when they were fairly young, then Wally was in the Heatwave role, and eventually it became Eddie), so when Writer’s Month came up with 31 different prompts it seemed like the perfect time to actually put this now rather large AU in my head into words, but equally there were only 31 prompts to do that in, and the prompts didn’t necersarily fit a chronological order (though it has now been reordered), but also there were actually a couple of arcs for some characters (FlashVibe, and also Laurel and Kara mostly) and having them too out of order would probably have not been great so there were a few jumps around but I tried to have a few things in order (which is why the end of the FlashVibe arc is actually the last two chapters, they just happened to also be the perfect prompts). Also there were quite a few characters and ships I hadn’t written before, and I’m not always fantastic with deadlines, but I did manage this one so I was also quite proud when it was all done

Most under-appreciated: Probably Lightning Flashes, it was quite different from what I’ve written before and it certainly wasn’t a happy fic (the end notes do note that there would eventually be a happy ending, at least for a while, but the fic itself doesn’t have one), but I did quite enjoy writing it

Most fun to write: A Very Busy Evening is predominantly nonsense, and I always enjoy writing that

Biggest disappointment: If I’d had more time We’re All Trying To Find Our Way would have been longer and had a slightly different ending, but it was for a prompt for Barry Allen Week and I only had the idea around a week before, and then I got stuck on it, so I really wasn’t sure on that one, and the ending was rather rushed. It’s not a complete disappointment as such, a few people left nice comments which was lovely, but if I wrote it again it would turn out differently

Favourite opening lines: “Wally was running through the city, lightning trailing after him.” [Paper Cups], it’s the seventh fic in the Milk and Sugar ‘verse, so it’s not starting the whole thing with a dream, but equally, I am determinded to break every single writing rule I learnt in Year 6 for reasons of spite, and it is starting with a dream which is intentionally confusing

Favourite closing lines: “This was going to be fun.” [Lavender Lightning], it’s the one that came into my head first, but also although the fic is a one-shot I just like the mental image of Eobard seeing Barry and Iris end up role reversalled because he screwed with time and starting off thinking he can have some fun but ending up getting progressively more and more fustrated that every single thing in his life is going wrong, that seemed like a fun idea

Other favourite lines: “But I think I picked the best Lily in the shop.” [Lilium bulbiferum], it’s a really bad pun

Goals for next year:

I’d like to finish the Milk and Sugar ‘verse, which was never supposed to be this long, but Beans (the s4 AU) I am about halfway, and the last bit is an epilogue which has actually been written since around the time I finished Coffee, To Go, but naturally has had a few adjustments since then and is likley to again when Beans is done

Writer’s Month this year was fun, so I’d like to try that again if there’s another one, as well as FlashVibe Week next week which I do have most fics written for already, I just need two more days. I doubt this ridiculous Urban Fantasy AU is going to be done in time for that (I have a short backup plan for that), but hopefully I can finish it at some point.

After that there are a few other WIPs I should probably do something with, and some non-fanfic writing too

I may also try and learn to spell epilogue because if Firefox has a spell checker I haven’t learnt how to turn it on and that doesn’t look right

[lostinyourears]

Puroresu-Rewind #2 :  Giant Baba (c) [PWF] vs. Verne Gagne (c) [AWA] 2/3 falls Champion vs Champion (AJPW 1/18/81)

Playlist of the 3 videos which were all uploaded by account Pronkb000

(Card with Guide)

Who’s Who?

Verne Gagne is famously the co-founder of American Wrestling Association with promoter Wally Karbo. Initially called NWA Minneapolis(Boxing & Wrestling Club) before they broke away from NWA in the late 50′s and in 1960 became AWA. AWA was a major promotion into the late 80′s before basically being pushed down a tier by the big 2 : NWA and WWF.

AWA would close its doors in 1991, but not before employing talents that would later go on to be stars for those other 2 major companies like :  "Mean Gene" Okerlund, manager Bobby Heenan,  Scott Hall, The Midnight Rockers (Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty), "Bull Power" Leon White (later known as Big Van Vader), The Nasty Boys, Madusa Miceli and Curt Hennig who famously held their main title a little over a year from May of ‘87 to May of ‘88.

Verne Gagne’s wrestling career started in 1949 when he would have been 23 and continued to wrestle into the 1980′s with ‘81 listed as his retirement on wikipedia, though he did have some more wrestling appearances until ‘86 in AWA when he would have been 60. He held the AWA Heavyweight title 10 times in his career and was a big star there along with Nick Bockwinkel,  Mad Dog Vachon and The Crusher. 

Perhaps more notable than his wrestling career, is his career as a trainer. Having trained over 100 wrestlers in his time as co-founder of AWA. Along with those noted above, he also trained : Ricky Steamboat, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Scott Norton and Bob Backlund.

Giant Baba was similarly famous for being the founder of AJPW. He and Antonio Inoki both wrestled for the first wrestling promotion of Japan : Japanese Wrestling Association or JWA. It’s founder(Rikidozan) was murdered in 1963, which really hurt it’s management. Both Inoki(NJPW) and Baba(AJPW) would found companies in 1972 with JWA biting the dust in 1973 with both the new promotions eating its lunch and taking its audience. 

In the early years of both AJPW and NJPW their main stars were their founders. Giant Baba having the first reign with AJPW’s PWF belt a staggering 1,920 day reign, the next longest reign being Baba with 1,354 days and the 3rd longest reign also being Baba at 364 days before finally 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th reigns were all Stan Hansen before Baba shows up again with the 8th longest.  

Outside of his own promotion, in JWA during the 60′s before AJPW became a thing he also had 3 long reigns with the NWA International Heavyweight title each being over 600 days and the shortest only ending because he left JWA to go form AJPW. Baba much like Gagne retired at the age of 60 in 1998. Sadly, unlike Gagne he didn’t live for another 30 years instead passing away in 1999 at the age of 61. 

Baba’s last notable bouts were probably in 1995 when he was in the World Tag League. With most years after that just having Baba in dozens of 3 on 3 AJPW tag matches. After Baba passed away Mitsuharu Misawa would inherit the duty of president for a short stint before he much like Baba before him left the established company to create his own promotion : NOAH. AJPW still operates today, unlike AWA which as noted closed in the early 90′s. 

How’s the match?

Ehhhhhhh.... It’s a match from 1981? While a match I covered recently(Tatsumi Fujinami © vs Chavo Guerrero) was from 1980 and did hold up pretty well, I think that’s in great part to the Junior Division of NJPW being ahead of their time. That being said even Inoki’s World League matches from around this time are head and shoulders above this bout. I think Inoki is generally considered a better worker than Baba, but I can’t confidently say that as my opinion. Because I haven’t watched enough of Baba, or Inoki for that matter. This is... this is a rocky start for my exposure to Baba. 

I mean a big sign of how this match is, can be summed up by starting the match. Baba and Gagne do maybe 1 thing of note... then a wipe happens and 10 minutes have passed. This seems like an edit by AJPW... which is pretty sad. Even they were like... yea ten minutes pass and nothing of note really happened. It was very, very, very bizarre to me. 

Also, because of that wipe I feel like I cannot really give this a proper rating. Maybe... in that ten minutes Gagne pulled out a canadian destroyer and Baba did a corkscrew plancha or some crazy exchange. While I’m joking, it is hard to judge a 24 minute match when 10 minutes of it is skipped. 

Some matches like Chavo/Tatsumi almost feel timeless and even in 2040 will probably still be a spectacle if you are in the right mindset. This isn’t one of those matches, it’s very much of the time and like lots of Hogan’s WWF output from the 80′s just feels limited, not enough happening out of each man’s signature spots.  

Where it does shine is showcasing two talents who really were mega stars in the 60′s and 70′s this is the tail end for both and especially Verne Gagne who on paper properly retired this year. It’s also a once in a lifetime match. They never fought before and never fought after. 

What really ends up killing it for me is the inconclusive finish. A cliche/stereotype/common complaint with AJPW especially in the 80′s and early 90′s is the dreaded draw. Which this match has. Verne wins the first, Baba the second and the third ends via countout. 

AAHHHHH the dreaded AJPW countout. It’s led to great matches feeling lackluster and in this match that feels dated it takes it from an ‘Okay, but dated match’ to a just ‘who cares?’. An interesting time piece, but I’m certain both men have dozens if not hundreds of better matches under their respective promotion founding belts. 

This is really the first match I’ve covered on this tumblr/blog that I wouldn’t suggest watching. It’s interesting and two icons of mid-century wrestling, but the ending kinda kills it for me. It’s free though and really will only cost you time.

Highlights : 

[rhnuzlocke]

Episode 19

Scene 4:

[Ren Wally and Steven are all napping on the couches in the Pokemon Center, exhausted. Kai and Josh sit in armchairs, keeping an eye on them awkwardly not talking. Steven’s nav buzzes and he wakes up and answers it. He gets Ren up and Kai gets Wally up and they all head outside. The sunlight is still incredibly intense, but the sky has settled to a harsh, clear blue. Compounding the brightness is the fact that most of Sootopolis’s buildings are white, reflecting the sun back at them from every direction. Everyone puts on goggles or sunglasses to see and the Eon Guardians fly over them to to provide some shade. They hike through city as briskly as possible in the grueling heat and wait beneath the huge tree in front of the entrance to the Cave of Origin. The League starts arriving shortly after and soon most of them are there beneath the tree looking embattled and exhausted. Zinnia is there too with her whismur and there are two others, a woman and a man, who Ren does not recognize. Based on their tattoos and garb, it seems safe to assume they are Lorekeepers as well. Ren runs up to her father and they hug again. Kai and Wally stay close to Ren, a little awed by being in the presence of the entire league, while Josh sinks back against the trunk of the tree, trying his best to be invisible. Even beneath the tree it is still terribly hot and dry. Wally begins to cough and Kai sends out his castform. She shifts into sunny form immediately and Kai orders her to use rain dance. It takes more than the usual effort, but she is able to create a raincloud over the tree and cool everyone off a little as the last few arrive.]

Glacia: [withdrawing her lapras] Oh thank Arceus! Who has the castform?

[Lugia and Dizzy emerge from the water of Sootopolis’s bay and Dizzy dismounts before Lugia sinks back down out of sight. Kaspa flies in on Ho-Oh and hops down off the enormous bird pokemon. One always expects a person of such legendary stature to be tall somehow, but it soon becomes clear that Kaspa is one of the shortest people in the gathered crowd. Everyone steps aside as she strides up to Ren and Steven.]

Kaspa: [in Kantonese] We managed to weaken Groudon, but not defeat them. They are under the island seeking some source of power according to this city’s gym leader. The longer we leave them be, the more time they will have to recover and the greater the chance they will undergo primal reversion. We have to get down there and finish it. Are you ready to face them?

Ren: Yes.

Kaspa: [smiling] That’s my girl. Look how tall you’ve grown.

[Ren smiles back, biting her lower lip.]

Kaspa: So how do we get down into the cavern? Does anyone here know?

Senri: [in Kantonese] That would be Wallace. [in Anglic] Wallace, how do we get into the Cave of Origin?

Wallace: [stepping forward] I can undo the seal, but we can’t all go down there. It will fill with lava just like Groudon’s tomb did. And even without that, in a contained space the heat of them would burn us all to a crisp. We wouldn’t be able to get near them.

Steven: There has to be something—

Wallace: There is, but you aren’t going to like it.

Steven: Alright, what is it?

Wallace: We can’t face Groudon now, but Ren can. She has the Blue Orb. Kyogre protected her. She’s the only one that may be able to survive down there.

[Steven and Senri bristle at Ren’s sides and a murmur runs through the assembled.]

Zinnia: So you are proposing we send the least experienced trainer here to face Groudon alone?

Latios: I will go with her.

Latias: As will I. We may be able to resist Groudon’s power for a time.

Latios: Certainly longer than a human.

Latias: And if we die so be it. It is our duty.

Zinnia: Would she be able to use her pokemon, or only you two?

[Ren reaches into her bag and holds the orb as everyone talks.]

Steven: Ren was able to shield all four of us from Groudon. Why can’t we both go in?

Wallace: Just after they woke up, sure, but what if they undergo primal reversion? There’s no way to know if she’ll be able to protect you again or if you being there will even help her chances. You may be a liability if she has to protect you and fight at the same time.

Senri: I’m not sending my daughter in there alone!

Flannery: She’s too young!

Wallace: You are twenty, Flannery! Sod off!

Wattson: I have to agree though. Can’t someone else take the orb?

Wallace: No!

Steven: It’s bound to her. No one else can use it.

Asuna: Age doesn’t matter. Most of you have said I’m too old for this fight, but I’m still here.

Drake: You are too old.

Asuna: Don’t start with me, Drake!

[Drake opens his mouth to object, but Glacia puts a hand on his shoulder.]

Glacia: Not now.

[Drake grumbles but stays quiet and Asuna glares daggers at him.]

Asuna: My point is, is she strong? Most of you have faced her right?

Tate & Lisa: She fought us this morning.

Tate: She is very strong.

Lisa: And she has a deep connection with her pokemon.

Winona: I have one of her former pokemon on my team. I can say with certainty that she is exceptional.

Sydney: That’s great and all, but she doesn’t even have her final badge yet. And her powerhouse is a grass-type. That thing is part fire, isn’t it? Not for or against here, just saying.

Phoebe: Strategy is more important anyway. I beat you with a type disadvantage.

Sydney: True. And I guess we are kinda beat for options at this point.

Zinnia: There are always options!

Wallace: Enlighten us then!

Brawly: Like what are we still even arguing this for? It’s her call. I totally get that no one is digging this situation, but it’s really that simple. Ren, what are you gonna do?

Ren: I’m going to fight Groudon.

Senri: And I’m coming! I don’t care what—

Ren: No way am I watching you be burned up for no—!

Kaspa: ENOUGH! [Everyone falls silent.] I did not understand all of what was said, but arguing helps nothing. Every moment we delay, Groudon grows stronger. Whatever can be done to stop it, we must do. All depend on it.

[Everyone looks around at each other, still not quite ready to accept what is happening, except for Ren, who nods.]

Steven: But, how do we even know this will work?

Ren: [pulling her hand out of her bag and stepping forward] It will work. Kyogre wouldn’t have protected us if they weren’t ready to fight. As long as I’m touching the orb, they can channel some of their power through me. I can share that with my pokemon and Latios because we’re bonded. And Latios should be able to share with Latias, but I don’t know if she can share with you.

Steven: We’re bonded, just like you and Latios. If he can share with you then—

Ren: Even if Latias can share with you, will it be enough? Will you be able to share with your pokemon? That’s a lot of degrees of separation. Wallace is right: you might wind up being more of a hindrance down there than help. An what if I don’t make it? Everyone will need you. You’re the champion.

Steven: Kaspa can—

Ren: Please just stay here. You can watch me with the sight sharing and help that way. And then everyone can know what’s happening down there.

Zinnia: There has to be something we can do.

Ren: You all did a lot already. You weakened Groudon. I just have to finish them off. Should be easy.

[Ren can feel everyone’s eyes on her and she looks down. The silence buzzes with static tension and the patter of raindrops falling through the leaves. Steven takes a deep breath and puts his hand on Ren’s shoulder.]

Steven: You can do it. I know you can.

[Ren smiles up at him but before she can say anything, Tabitha tromps up to the crowd carrying some kind of red suit and helmet.]

Tabitha: [to Ren] Are you going after Groudon? You have the Blue Orb, right?

Ren: Yes.

Tabitha: Maxie wanted me to give this to you. It’s a magma suit. We designed it so that Maxie could travel with Groudon without being burned. An we modified the breastplate when he got the Red Orb, so the Blue Orb should fit inside as well. That way it can be in contact with you but still have your hands free. There’s a setting in the glove for a keystone as well. It will be a little big for you, but it should still work.

Ren: Thank you Tabitha.

Tabitha: It’s the least we could do. Let me help you put it on.

[There are murmurs in the crowd as she puts the magma suit on. Senri looks desperately unhappy and Kaspa is speaking quietly to him in Kantonese. Tabitha explains how to use the communicator and other features of the suit as she helps Ren get it on. It has it’s own internal environment and compact tanks on the back in case the air gets bad. The Blue Orb shines through its holder on her chest. It feels cool as it rests against the skin of her collarbone. Once the whole suit is on and fitted, Ren moves her pokeballs to her belt and Steven hands her Latias’s ball just in case.]

Steven: [in Ren’s head] I’ll be with you too, okay?

[Ren nods and smiles a little.]

Zinnia: Good luck in there, spitfire.

Ren: Thanks.

Senri: [hugging Ren] Be careful down there. Your mother and I will be rooting for you.

Ren: I’ll kick their ass. Don’t worry.

[Senri tears up but lets go of her. Behind them, Wallace is standing in front of the entrance to the Cave of Origin and murmuring to himself. Kaspa steps towards Ren and bows.]

Kaspa: [in Kantonese] Thank you for agreeing to do this. All of our hearts go with you. [putting her hands on Ren’s shoulders] And the blessing of Ho-Oh is upon you.

[Kaspa’s hands burst into multicolored flames. They spread across Rens shoulders and down her arms and blaze out brightly from her hands for a moment. The next they are gone and leave no mark behind. There is a rumble and the great stone double doors sealing the entrance to the Cave of Origin swing open. Kaspa steps aside and so do the others, leaving the path to the doors clear. Ren takes a deep breath and strides towards it.]

Kai: Wait!

[Ren stops and turns and Kai practically tackles her with a hug. She hugs him back, fingers digging in and face pressed into his neck. He holds her tightly, even with the suit in the way.]

Kai: I’m not gonna stop you, just promise me you’ll come back, okay? You’re my best friend. I don’t know what I’d do without you.

Ren: I’ll come back, I promise. And we’re level seven friends now, so I have to keep it.

[Kai squeezes her harder before letting go and she laughs a little. Wally is hovering by Kai’s shoulder and Ren pulls him in for a quick hug too.]

Ren: Take care of him for me.

Wally: Yes, ma’am.

[Ren waves to everyone and meets Josh’s eyes across the crowd. He looks scared and horribly worried and she gives him the thumbs up. She meets Steven’s eyes one last time before she turns back to the entrance. Tabitha hands her the helmet and and she puts it on. It snaps into place with a whoosh and a click. Ren walks into the cave with the Eon Guardians following at her shoulders and disappears from view.]