#this was a funny idea to me until i remembered jay

[overwhelmedandlonely]

It’s hilarious to me that the Drake’s live next door to Bruce. I haven’t read all of Tim’s backstory so maybe they moved him and his dad into a house next to the Wayne manor after his mom died but if not, can you imagine little Tim who knows Batman and Robin’s secret identities sitting in his room with a camera taking pictures into the Wayne manor.

Just.

There’s Bruce Wayne eating breakfast. Dick is currently throwing his homework in the trash out of frustration. Jason opening the door after a nightmare and asking Bruce to stay with him until he falls asleep again. Dick coming to visit and teasing his little brother over dinner. The everyday mundane things alongside the super.

And then after Jason dies, he watches constantly for life but there’s just… nothing. He occasionally spots Alfred meandering the halls, but otherwise the manor is dark where it was once so full of life.

And he realizes he can help not only Batman, but Bruce Wayne.

[gay-dorito-dust]

Could I request Jason Todd with an s/o who enjoys making art of him? Sketches, paintings, etc.

Jason never saw himself as ever being a muse for someone else’s art, their reason to immeditly rush to their sketch pads or canvas and let the ideas flow out and take form however that maybe.

It was a reality he had came to accept until you came along and happily challenged this view he had on himself, and without fail you’ve proven him wrong again and again on multiple occasions.

Finally he had became a muse to somebody and he couldn’t help but be touched and feel extremely loved and appreciated whenever you shown him a simple sketch of him doing something mundane, whether that be making dinner for you both or reading a book, you just had a way of showing him how you see him through your art.

‘It’s a simple sketch I made this morning, nothing fancy.’ You’d shrug as Jason looked over your drawings of him and smiled.

‘If this is what you call a simple sketch then I’m all out of luck in ever attempting to take up drawing, this is amazing sweetheart!’ He’d say as he peppered your face with sweet, thankful kisses before moving away to look at the drawing once more, taking note on how much attention to detail there was in what you claimed was a simple sketch.

You drew him with such love for everything that made him in his entirety. You took extra care in drawing his every scar that littered his body, big and small. From the largest scar running from his collarbones and down his entire upper body, to the various scars scattered on his neck, forearms, hands and back.

You didn’t try to hide his impurities and instead actively chose to emphasise them in a way that he never thought existed. You didn’t try to make him look palatable nor tried to draw/paint him in anyway that wasn’t true to his character and he loved it. He loved the fact that you saw him for who he was and found him worth spending hours upon hours of drawing for.

‘I’m sure you’ll pick it up jay bird, besides I like drawling you.’ You admit.

‘Why?’ He asks softly.

‘What?’

‘Why do you like drawing me? What is it about me that worth immortalising on a canvas or in the pages of a sketchbook?’ Jason says as he looks at other sketches/paintings you’ve done of him in your spare time and felt his heart grow bigger with each and every one he came across.

You even sketched him in that stupid bunny onesie that Dick got him after loosing a bet, much to his dismay and the rest of his family’s amusement. Once upon a time he would’ve been ashamed at that his most embarrassing moment had been sketched out onto paper, but now he just shrugs and laughs it off, finally finding it funny as everyone else did at the time.

‘Because everything about you is worth immortalising, whether it be as a sketch or as a painting, you -Jason Todd- are worth remembering well into the future.’ You tell him as you took the sketchbook out of his grasp and settled it aside to hold his face in your hands, smiling upon seeing him melt deeper into your touch. ‘I didn’t feel like portraying you in any way that wasn’t true to who you are, at least in my eyes.’ You add.

‘And what do I look like in your eyes?’ Jason speaks barely above a whisper as he looks at you with storm grey eyes, a stark difference to the bright cobalt blue of his youth.

‘Perfectly imperfect.’ You kiss his forehead. ‘A Human with a heart of pure gold despite everything you’ve been through.’ You press another kiss to his nose. ‘A true protector of Gotham who bares the scars to prove it every night.’ You finished praising him by place a soft kiss to his plush, slightly chapped lips and pressing your forehead against his. ‘You’re Jason Todd. My muse.’

[stararch4ngelqueen]

Hi!!! Huge fan and I hope you had a good day in your part of the world💗💗💗

I was just reading ur period comfort fic with jay and was absolutely inspired with this idea for an (unequivocally self-indulgent) new fic:

what if reader has intense pain on their period (like can’t stand, can barely move, everything hurts/aches etc.) and goes nonverbal when the pain gets too much BUTT reader and jay had an argument before he went on patrol and so reader feels like they can’t call him because he’s still mad at them so reader just sticks it out miserably by themselves. only until jay asks oracle to check on your vitals (because he’s a cute little worry wart and still cares a lot🥰) and sees that you’re heart rate and breath rates are wildly irregular and he rushes home (fuck batman he can finish the job himself HIS BABY IS #1) and sees you bundled up in the covers curled in a ball crying. comfort, apologies, and making up and caretaking ensues!!!

i’m so sorry if this makes no sense or it isn’t something you’re comfortable with (your comfort is #1 bestie)!!!! Also, feel free to modify in any way!!!

SENDING KISSES AND LOVE💅🏾❤️

It makes good sense!! I have no problem writing this ✨

I hope yours is going good as well! It’s a very under weather day for me, so I apologize if this isn’t what you were expecting! ❤️

—

Time written - 1:27 a.m

Tags: Period. Slightly broody Jason. Special guest star menstruation crustacean.

Part 1 in reference

—

Being miserable chased you around like a damn disease today, doing lots of more harm than good.

The kind of pain that left you breathless. An agony so severe you find yourself apologizing to any God that listened, mentally screaming at your body to give you a damn break. It was a miracle how you managed to make it from the kitchen towards your bed, forgetting to get your charging phone from the couch.

Sure, you had your watch. Yes, you had a device nestled in your end table drawer used for emergency calls. Wayne-Tech, Batman related stuff.

You didn’t use it. Either you didn’t have the strength, or too hot-headed, you didn’t reach for a button.

You believed it wasn’t going to be as bad. The cramps you’d get about a week prior before you start weren’t as painful this time. This morning had such high hopes, such high promises for a good day.

It was too early to think too highly about it.

Your body believed it would be funny to fool you, forcing you into this pathetic, crippling state shortly around ten. Rarely would you start at night.

You would’ve thought the blame belonged to someone else, anyone else other than what you experienced now. It felt like your insides were being torn apart by devilish hands, nearly making you ponder the urge to scratch against your own abdomen.

The room was normally cool, but your body was terribly hot. A peculiar shiver brushing down your spine, your susceptible body curled up in a pitiful ball along the mattress.

The house was quiet and empty, save for your choked gasps as you son through this horrible pain. You craved comfort, more comfort than any warm blanket could provide.

The biggest comfort you quietly desired more than ever wasn’t here. It was a miracle that the front door still clung to it’s screwed up hinges after being recklessly slammed shut.

You two argued over cereal, over which take out to get from what restaurant, over celebrity crushes. His side eyes were as dangerous as his criminal bloodlust, but they were always done out of amusing intent.

This time was different. You couldn’t remember when it started, recalling when it ended was now a painfully dulled blur in the back of your head. The argument was nearly verbally severe, with enough yelling to rouse the worry of your neighbors. If they even cared.

No one really does in Gotham these days.

You lay in your pitiful slump in bed for what felt like hours. In your distress, you weren’t aware of your charging phone going off in the living room. Your screen bombarded with texts and still ringing phone calls.

One of Jason’s few reliefs he had was through a distasteful crook on patrols, as violence was a great distraction. On such a slow start, Red Hood was left stalking with his own thoughts, dealing with his temper all alone in the night’s silence.

Just because he was stubborn now, doesn’t mean that he didn’t have his moments of clarity once he caught a break. He sent you a reluctant, one worded sent text at first before rushing on. He couldn’t help but shake off this suspenseful feeling though, like a tense dissatisfaction on his tongue. Was it guilt? Was it shame?

Did he feel sorry for what he basically caused? Did he at least wanna attempt to own up to it?

After ten minutes, he sent another text. Again, he sends another after seven minutes, then another around three. You weren’t answering them at all, which was a little surprising. You believed you held a distasteful quirk about answering texts too fast, which was what Jason adored about you, responding to him in under five minutes. Or ten at most if you were busy.

It always let him know you were never bored of him.

This only made that suspenseful ball in his gut grow a little heavier, so he started to call.

After about three calls, still you didn’t answer. Now that hall grew hotter and hotter.

It makes the most obvious sense that you were still angry at him, but the least you could’ve done was pick up the phone and cussed him out before abruptly hanging up. Or at the very least send his calls to voicemail after a ring or two, but that wasn’t the case,

The longer he stared at his rumbling phone screen, the worse his anxiety began to grow. Soon enough, he couldn’t take it anymore.

The Bats had an auspicious way of knowing if him or anyone else didn’t keep up their patrol routine. Jason put off this thought many times, giving less of a fuck now as he rushed home.

“Where the hell is your phone??” Came his booming question once he enters the bedroom, noticeably breathing a bit heavy from his rushed pace.

Upon your failure to answer in your trembling state, cowering under your blankets, you hear his heavy boots quickly approach the side of the bed. Opening your teary eyes, you see two milky mask sockets staring you down, still clutching his own phone in hand.

Jason would’ve questioned you over how many times he’s had to call, over how many texts he sent. He could’ve, but he didn’t.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” His voice changed from roughly arrogant to gentle softness while pulling off his mask, relieving you of that annoying heavy breathing behind the barrier.

Because everything fucking hurts, asshole.

If you were still angry at him, it would’ve been a shouting match all over again. No, all that’s left now is physical and mental pain.

Without another word, he rummages through both your drawers looking for something. Cursing when he couldn’t find it, he turns towards the closet, reaching up ahead on the top shelves until he found what he was looking for.

He leaves the room, making your sensitive mind wonder if he had the gall to up and leave again. Especially knowing the debilitating state you were in.

Beep. Beep. Beep. The faint chime of the microwave echoed from the kitchen.

You wondered wrong.

Jason returns, pulling the blanket back just enough to expose your torso. Pulling up your shirt just enough, he proceeds to apply a warm, heavenly weighted plush stuffy along your tummy.

A chorus of euphoria washes of your tense body, your unknowingly clenched jaw finally relaxing. You whimper out in temporary relief at this beautiful sensation, the application of warmth promising a slow, eventual comfort that would easy your agonizing pain.

“When did you start?” He asks, but you don’t answer. More like you can’t, really.

“Can’t talk, huh?” His forehead slowly settles along your temple, exhaling through his nose. Pure blooded guilt mixed with cold hard sympathy in his system, making his heart beat heavily as he fully considers your pain.

“God, don’t pull an idiot move babe,” he murmurs against your cheek, his forehead settling along your head.

“That’s my job. You were right about that.”

You were stubborn, but not that hurtful towards the man you love. Unless he did something where it was really necessary.

Jason remained by your side until you were comfortable enough to sit up, never minding having to warm up the heating pad one more time. He doesn’t say much after his last words as he brings you a calorie rich snack and some pain medication, sitting idly by while opening a water bottle for you.

He gets you to a hot shower after the painkillers slowly prove they’re kicking in.

Fresh clothes were piled on the bathroom counter for you after the seething hot shower, consisting of one of his shirts and a pair of your old shorts you didn’t care much for.

Dinner, or an incredibly early breakfast, was one of your favorite cup noodles. Quick, hot and easy, so you could take a strong sleep medication and rest this horrible night away.

Jason by now was unbearably silent, too silent. Occasionally, he asked if you were okay or if the cup was too hot to hold while you slurped your noodles. Red Hood became a quiet, doting dog, keeping behind you as you shuffle to bed, still dressed in his gear.

It was only after you were settled back into bed in your much better state did Jason decide to finally relax, comfortable enough to take off his gear.

You were left watching as he turned around, pulling off his taunt, black shirt he wore under all that armor nearly every night. A faint hiss pushes through his nose as the fabric tugs on his freshly bandaged gash, just shy from his right shoulder blade.

“I didn’t mean it,” you exhale, tears dribbling over the bridge of your nose. “You’re not stupid, Jason. I didn’t mean it.”

He still keeps quiet, his head slightly turning as he acknowledges the pain you were still in. He doesn’t blame you for your anger, it just makes him feel more stupid for being mad at you.

He kept getting hurt, and you always took care of him. Sometimes, he kept getting hurt too much. You couldn’t help getting more and more worried for his safety while he chooses to shrug off the pain.

Now here he stood, with a wounded shoulder, wounded pride and a trembling girl needing his support now more than ever.

“Wouldn’t blame you if you did, sweetheart.” Jason sighs after crawling into bed beside you, making sure you remained ownership of all thick blankets.

“I’m sorry,” Jason whispers, peering down at you with sympathetic eyes. “I’ll try to be more careful.”

Your heart nearly melts then and there, a lingering stress vanishing from your mind for now. That’s all you asked for out of the entire argument from earlier. You knew his job was dangerous, but all you asked out of him was to be more cautious about his surroundings, to not be as reckless.

You could only help bandage and kiss his wounds so much. You never minded, but him coming home with at least three harsh gashes from possibly infectious blades put a toll on your hormonal stability.

“That’s all I wanted,” you gently say in return, accompanied with a soft sniffle.

Jason smiles before scooting just a little closer, proceeding to hold you with his good arm. A content cloud of warmth invaded your area, keeping you feeling calm and satisfied as your tired eyes mindlessly trail along his silvery autopsy scar.

“You can forgive me later,” He muffles against your cheek, lacing your skin with various gentle kisses. “Get some sleep, Hood’s gotcha now.”

You close your eyes, hiding the dramatic roll that proceeded shortly after.

“Also,” he piques in his murmur, a hint of cheekiness invading his tone of voice. “Kinda know of other ways to help with the pain.”

“Jason.” You groan with a light grimace.

He smirks a bit, only growing from the faint crinkle in your eyes and refrained smile. Just the reaction he wanted.

—

Had to throw this in 🦀

[a-reader-and-a-writer-for-all]

That's What Family is For (Part 2)

Fandom: DC, Batman, Batfam, Damian Wayne, Batsis!reader, f!reader Summary: After being kidnapped and offering to take Damian's place to be tortured, you miraculously find yourself waking up back home. Damian has a new outlook on your relationship, but will a secret from your past ruin everything? Word Count: 5231 TW: Hospital, Aftermath of Torture, Mentions of Past Torture, Mentions of Death, Forced to Watch, Crying, Coma, Past Trauma Note: Today is the 2 year anniversary of posting Part 1 of this fic. Thank you so incredibly much for your patience and support as I worked on this and I hope it lives up to Part 1 💖 Part of @ailesswhumptober

Part 1

You have no idea how long you were asleep for, but when you finally managed to drag yourself into consciousness, you couldn’t remember why every inch of your body was in a strange state of concurrent numbness and agony, or why you couldn’t seem to see out of your left eye. It was only when you caught sight of the two casts stretching from the soles of your feet up to the top of your thighs that it all came flooding back to you. 

You and Damian had been kidnapped in an attempt to get a ransom from Bruce. To prove they meant business, the kidnappers were going to torture Damian but you had offered to take his place. What happened next was just a blur of blood and pain: The glint of a large knife. The blunt impact of a bat. But mercifully, you couldn’t remember much else. Just that it had been bad. Really bad. 

You tried to take a mental inventory of what hurt and what sort of injuries you had sustained, but there was too much damage. All the individual pain bled into each other until it just felt like one massive wound. Every breath you took made your chest, ribs, and throat ache, your head was pounding, and you couldn’t move either leg or your left arm. All you could manage was a slight turn of your head as you looked towards the door but even that small motion sent new waves of pain through you, causing a low moan to slip from your lips.

Almost instantly, Jason came rushing into the room, panic etched onto his face. Yet the second he saw you looking at him, his face split into a massive grin. The kind you couldn’t remember seeing on him since he returned from the dead. And despite everything, that sight warmed your heart.

Licking your cracked lips, you tried to speak but nothing happened. Swallowing a few times, you finally managed a barely audible, “Hey, Jaybird.” 

The words sounded funny, thick and slightly lispy but Jay’s smile only widened. He hurried to your bedside and dropped into the chair that had been left there. “Damn, sis. You look terrible.”

You knew he was trying to keep the mood light, but you could hear the tears hiding just behind his words. Giving your best attempt at a smile, you croaked, “Even like this, I bet I still look better than you.”

“Yeah, probably,” he chuckled. “That voice though…. They said it would probably be hard to speak for a few days because of the tube and–” He cut himself off, but you knew what he was going to say. Because all your screams of pain had damaged it. 

Swallowing again, you tried to make your voice sound as normal as possible. “Yeah, well, you better be careful. You keep smoking all those cigarettes, this is what you’ll sound like in a few years.”

“Even now you gotta hassle me about those?”

“If you would just quit, I wouldn’t have to get on you about the–” 

Your words were cut off as your body fell prey to a fit of coughing. It tore at your throat like daggers and your chest felt like it was shattering into pieces. It only lasted for a few seconds but when it passed, you were left panting and moaning in pain. 

When you finally managed to pull yourself together once more and looked back at Jason, his smile had completely vanished, replaced with a thin-lipped grimace. His eyes drifted over your broken body before returning to your face. “So… Honestly. How do you feel?”

“How do you think?” you wheezed. “Like someone ran over me with.. with a… wit– oh forget it. I’m in too much pain to think of something clever. I feel shitty.”

“What hurts?”

“The easier question is ‘what doesn’t hurt?’. And why can’t I open my left eye?”

“Alfred taped it closed for now. It looked pretty messed up.”

You nod slightly. “Permanent?”

“Not sure,” he muttered, staring down at the floor. “They had to wait until you woke up to fully assess the damage.”

You nodded again, the dread growing in the pit of your stomach. But you have to know the answer to your next question, no matter how terrifying the answer might be. In a small voice, you ask, “How bad overall?”

Jason hesitated. “Maybe you should wait for Bruce or Alfred to–”

“How bad, Jay?”

Still avoiding your eye, he shifted in his chair before answering. “Bad. The worst of the damage is on your left side. Your arm was dislocated, your cheekbone was destroyed, you’re missing several teeth, and your eye is… well, I already mentioned that. Also, most of your ribs were pretty much shattered and the ones that weren’t are cracked. The pieces punctured your lungs in multiple places. Your legs…The knives thankfully missed all the major arteries, but Alfred said there still might be some nerve damage.”

“Is that all?” You had meant for the question to be sarcastic, but the quiver in your voice made it sound more like a desperate plea.

Jason took a long, deep breath. “It also took eight surgeries, four blood transfusions, and three resuscitations to get you stable.”

“Yeah, that feels about right.” You clenched your jaw tightly as you struggled to hold back your tears, but that just sent a fresh jolt of pain through your mouth. Using your tongue, you gently prod the three new gaps where teeth used to be. No wonder your words sounded funny. 

In a soft whisper, you asked, “I’m done, aren’t I? There’s no coming back from this, not really. Even if I can get back to a halfway normal state, I’m never going to be able to put the costume back on. No going on patrol, no more protecting the city, no more being a hero.” 

A small sob bubbled in your throat. When Bruce had taken you in all those years ago, you were a mess. Every night, you woke up screaming from nightmares—memories—of watching your parents tortured to death in front of you while you were helpless to do anything. You had felt so powerless. But then Bruce told you about his secret life. That he was the man in the mask who had rescued you from that horrible place. And he taught you how to be strong, how to be for others what he had been for you. He had given your life a purpose but now….it had been taken from you just like your parents had been. 

As the tears began to slip down your face, Jason carefully took your hand, rubbing the back with his thumb as he leaned in to stare you directly in your good eye. “Hey, don’t think that way. Bruce was able to come back from a broken back, I came back from the dead, and you… you can come back from this. It’s not gonna be easy and it’ll take a lot of hard work, but if anyone can do it, you can.”

The tears began to flow faster as you finally let the sob you had been holding back free. Squeezing Jason’s hand as tightly as you were able, you cried, “Thank you, Jay. Thank you for everything. I can’t even imagine making it through what comes next without my brothers by my side.”

Jason snatched his hand back from your grasp and pushed back in his chair, his expression growing dark as he spat, “Don’t. Don’t thank me. While you were sacrificing everything for Damian, while you were lying there dying, I was here. Too weak to help you when you needed me most.”

“Jay–”

“I wanted to be there, I did, I just…” His sharp tone crumbled into a near sob as he buried his face in his hands. “I was fine until he picked up the bat. Then it all came rushing back. All I could see was the Joker standing over me with that crowbar and…and I….” His hands muffled his cries, but you could still see the way his shoulders shook as he sobbed.

You had forgotten that they had sent a live feed of your torture to all of Wayne Industries which was probably how Bruce had located you and Damian. Jason never talked about what had happened to him all those years ago in that warehouse, but you had been waiting in the Batcave when Bruce had brought Jason’s body home. You still remembered the bruises and blunt force trauma that couldn’t have been made from the explosion. And you also recalled how the sight of your brother’s broken form sent you into a hysterical fit, not only over the loss of the boy you loved like family but also because it brought back all of the scars from your parents’ deaths. You had felt incredibly guilty later once Bruce and Alfred calmed you down that you had made Jason’s death all about you and your past traumas. But Bruce reminded you that your pain and grief was valid, whenever it hit you, and despite the circumstances, you needed to take care of yourself first or you weren’t going to be able to help anyone else.

Just like Jason needed to take care of whatever horrors he had relived before coming to help you.

It took a lot of determination and concentration, but you slowly moved your hand towards Jason. Luckily, he was sitting on your right side since that was the only arm you could move at the moment, but it still took an achingly long time to close the short distance between you.

As you lay your hand on his shoulder, his head jerked up. When he saw what you had done, his eyes—the blue magnified by the tears about to fall—grew wide. Smiling, you brushed your fingertips lightly across his cheek and said, “Jay, I understand why you didn’t come. There was nothing you could have done and you needed a chance to deal with your own pain. And I’m sorry that I was the reason you had to relive that experience.” 

Jason shook his head furiously and clutched at your hand. “No! This was not your fault! All you did was protect Damian. The only person to blame is that psychopath Moore.” His face darkened. “Bruce better be glad they threw that son of a bitch in Blackgate because if he had gotten away, nothing and no one would have stopped me from hunting him down and putting a bullet between his eyes.”

“See? You are such a loving, protective brother who would do anything for me.” His expression softened slightly. “Besides, you even just admitted. Moore is the only one to blame here. Not me, and not you. So, please, don’t beat yourself up over this. I’m still here and I need you now more than ever.” You squeezed his hand as tightly as you were able and after a moment, he returned both the squeeze and the smile. You nodded softly then changed the subject. “How is Damian handling all of this?”

“Why don’t you see for yourself?” Jason nodded towards the other side of the room.

It took you a moment and quite a bit of pain to turn your head enough so your right eye could see where he was gesturing, but when you managed it, your smile grew wider.

Curled into a tight ball, Damian was fast asleep on the couch on the far side of the room. He looked so small and it reminded you that despite his upbringing, he was still just a kid, which made you feel better about your condition. If one of you had to be lying in this bed, you would have offered yourself up every time.

Jason chuckled softly to himself as he saw your face. “He’s barely left the room since they brought the two of you home. Bruce tried getting him to go back to school the last two days, but he flat-out refused. Said he wasn’t going anywhere until you woke up.”

“Really? That doesn’t sound like Damian.”

“Well, I think his actual words were ‘Tt. Father, I cannot be bothered with those trivial lessons while my sister’s fate is still uncertain. I am needed here. Yes, I have a geography test next week, but I have traveled to more countries than my so-called teacher could even possibly name. This is more important.’”

Despite the mocking—though fairly accurate—impression Jason had made, your eyes welled up with tears once more. Damian had called you ‘sister’. It was the first time you could ever remember him doing so. No. That wasn’t true. He had said it when Bruce and Dick had shown up to save them. In fact, the echoing word was the last thing you remembered before the world had gone dark. 

Swallowing hard to clear your throat, you asked, “Um, do you think…Would he be upset if I asked you to wake him up?”

“Yo! Demon Spawn! Wake up!” Before you could stop him, Jason hurled a pillow across the room so it slammed into Damian’s sleeping form. 

The kid instantly leaped to his feet in a crouched position, ready to take on any and all attackers. But he straightened up when he saw Jason’s smug grin and your weak smile staring back at him instead. Rushing to your side, he said, “Sister! You are awake!”

You tilted your head slightly to look at him better. “So are you. Sorry for the rude wake-up. That was all Jay.”

“Hey!” Jason huffed indignantly. “You asked me to wake him up and I did! You just never said how.”

Damian glared at him out of the corner of his eyes. “Yes, Todd has been exceedingly insufferable this last week while you have been injured—”

“W-week? I’ve been out of it for a week?” You felt your blood run cold. You knew things were bad, but for some reason the thought of you laying in this bed unconscious for the past 7 days made your condition seem so much worse.

Jason and Damian exchanged a worried look. Then Jason cleared his throat and said, “Yeah…. It's been eight days since you and Damian were kidnapped. They had to keep you in a medically induced coma for the first five days while they operated. Then when they brought you out, they had to dope you up with so many pain meds that you were out of it even when you were awake. They tried to lower your dose but they had to up them again when they removed the breathing tube and you wouldn’t stop moaning…So, yeah. It’s been a week.”

You let your head fall back against the pillow as tears began to sting your eyes. Obviously, it would have taken you time to recover from that level of injury, but a week? No, actually, eight days. And that was just the start of your recovery. The amount of time, therapy, and hard work it would take you just to be able to stand again, let alone walk or fight, was dizzying to think about. Despite the fact Jason had reassured you differently, you didn’t see how you weren’t done after this. How were you supposed to bounce back?

As the tears finally became too much and began slipping down your face, you whispered, “You all should have just let me go.”

“No!” The ferocity in Damian’s voice startled you and you looked over to see his small hands curled into tight fists as his face bore a determined scowl that could rival Bruce’s. “No. You do not get to give up. Not now. Not now that the worst of it is behind you. You never once gave up while we were captured. Despite everything that sadistic fiend did to you, you fought to protect me. We would not have been in that situation if it was not for me and I will repay my debt to you by remaining by your side to ensure you get through this.”

You stared at Damian for a long time, a mix of pride, adoration, and guilt stirring in your chest. Seeing how he wanted to stand by you and help you through what came next meant the world to you. The Damian who climbed into your car eight days ago wouldn’t have done so. However, you couldn’t let him make such a vow without knowing all the facts.

Shifting your eye to look at Jason, you muttered, “Can you give us a minute alone?”

He hesitated, his eyes flickering back and forth between you and his younger brother, but finally, he nodded. “Yeah, sure. I’ll go let everyone else know you’re not only awake but coherent this time. They’ll want to see you.”  

“Thanks, Jay. I’ll have Damian let you know when we’re done.”

He nodded, shot Damian one last look, and left the room. 

Now that you were alone, you carefully motioned for Damian to take the chair Jason had been sitting in earlier and he silently did as you wished…for once. He looked so small compared to the memory of Jason’s hulking form sitting there just moments before and tears once more stung your eyes as it hit you all over again how young he was to have experienced what the two of you just went through. You hadn’t planned on having this conversation until you were a little better, but he deserved to know the truth and not continue blaming himself for what happened. 

Taking a deep breath, you said, “It’s not your fault, Dami. He was never after you. You were only there because of me.”

“Tt,” Damian scoffed, folding his arms across his chest. “You have no proof of that. As you said in that warehouse, I am Father’s blood heir. If anyone was the target, it would have been me.”

You shook your head. “It was my car, Damian. The car I insisted you get in even though you didn’t want to. If I would’ve just let you walk home like you wanted–”

“They could have been monitoring me and adjusted their plans when I joined you in your vehicle. You still cannot be confident–”

“I know Moore.”

Damian blinked in surprise. “Yo–you what?”

You nodded sadly. “I know him. I didn’t realize it at first because it was so long ago and I’ve tried so hard to forget that day, but it was him. After I had passed out from Moore’s torture, they unhooked me from the chains and just let me drop to the floor. The pain of the landing woke me up for just a minute and I tried to beg them to put me back up because I knew otherwise they’d be coming for you, but I was in so much pain I could barely form a sentence. Moore saw I was awake and came to stand over me with that nauseatingly cocky look on his face.” 

You shuttered at the memory of it and knew it was an image that would haunt your nightmares for years to come. But you pressed on. “Then he said, ‘For what it’s worth, you should be proud. You died a lot more honorably than your parents did.’ And that’s when I remembered.”

Tears slipped from your eyes as you allowed all the walls and safeguards you had built up over the years to finally come down and you recalled the night your life changed forever. “It’s been so long and he was just a kid, no older than Tim. But then again, I was even younger.” Taking a deep breath, you looked up at Damian. “How much do you know about my life before Bruce took me in?”

Damian shrugged one shoulder. “Just what I said in the car. Your parents were tortured to death by a gang who left you tied up with their bodies until the police found you. Then when he heard what happened and that you had no one left, Father took you in.”

You nodded and wiped a tear from your eye. “My parents owned a little shop near Crime Alley at the time. It was a hole-in-the-wall thrift store that barely made enough to put food on the table but my parents loved that place. It was their pride and joy so when the local gang came by to demand protection money, they refused. They didn’t want their place associated with gangsters. Which of course the gang didn’t like. We lived in a small apartment above it and one night, the gang broke in while we were sleeping. I was only six at the time and I didn’t understand what was happening. I just knew some bad people dragged us out of bed and into the basement where they tied us all up to chairs. I was sitting between my parents as they begged and pleaded for our lives, but even then I still didn’t understand. Not until one of the men pulled out a knife.”

A humorless chuckle fell softly from your lips. “I guess in hindsight, I should have remembered Moore sooner. The way he tortured and hurt me was very similar to what the gang did to my parents. Just small cuts that got deeper and deeper. Small weapons that got more and more damaging until….” 

A small hiccupy sob slipped from your lips as everything came flooding back to you. Your father screaming in pain as the gang broke bone after bone and cut off his fingers one by one. Your mother hysterically sobbing as she begged them to let you all go. The way those pleas eventually shifted to just begging them to let you go. And then the eerie silence that fell across the room after your mother had taken her last breath. 

Damian took your hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “It is alright, sister. You do not have to continue.”

You shot him an appreciative smile but shook your head. “No. It’s okay.” Taking several deep breaths to compose yourself, you continued. “There was one gang member who stayed huddled in the corner, refusing to watch as the rest of the gang had their fun.”

“Moore.”

You nodded. “I didn’t know it at the time, but yeah. He had started by anxiously pacing around at the back of the room but once things turned really violent….he couldn’t take it. He tried to run back upstairs but the gang forced him to stay and watch. Said he needed to learn how things were done. And after the other day, I’d say he learned his lesson pretty well.”

“And you are certain it was him?”

“Absolutely. I stared at him through most of it, partly because I couldn’t stand to watch what they were doing to my parents, but also partly because I could tell he was just as horrified as I was and yet he did nothing to stop it. I wanted to scream at him to help us, to do something, but I also was too afraid to speak up. And when they were done and the gang members left, he was the last one out of the room. He looked at me as if he wanted to apologize or set me free or…I don’t know. But instead, he just turned and ran up the stairs. The next time I saw him was when he walked into that room we were both chained up in.” You scoffed as you felt a lump growing in your throat. “I guess we picked up right where we left off, huh?”

The physical damage that had been done to you was hard enough to bear, but now realizing the connection your tormentor had to your past made you want to vomit. Moore may not have laid a finger on you back then, but he had been there to witness the worst day of your life. His friends had been the ones who did the same thing to your parents—only your parents hadn’t been lucky enough to survive. You wondered how long Moore had been planning this, how long he had wanted to finish the job that had been started all those years ago. Perhaps it was some sort of decades-long revenge plot since your parents’ deaths had eventually led to the arrest of most of the other gang members and the collapse of his gang. Or it was possible he just wanted to blackmail Bruce as he said and he thought using you to do it was just a bonus. Jason said Moore had been taken to Blackgate so once you were better, you could go try to get some answers. But at the moment, you weren’t sure if you even wanted them.

You had been so deep in thought that you only just realized that Damian had been silently staring down at your interlocked hands for the past few minutes. His expression was nigh-on unreadable and you were once again reminded of Bruce. Given enough time, support, and guidance, you could see him growing into a man worthy to carry on his father’s legacy. You just hoped he would want you to be around to see it. 

You wouldn’t blame Damian if his attitude towards you reverted back to how it was before all of this happened. After all, he was put through hell because of you. He had warmed up to you solely because you had offered yourself up to be tortured instead of him—yet he never should have been there in the first place. Maybe this would actually make your relationship worse. Maybe Damian would cut you off completely. Maybe—

“Sister, I cannot imagine how hard this realization must have been for you and I…I am sorry.”

His voice cut through your internal spiraling and you blinked in surprise. “Wh-what?” With all the scenarios you had swirling around in your head, hearing Damian apologize had never even crossed your mind. “But Dami you’re not…mad?” 

Now it was his turn to look surprised. “Why would I be mad?”

“I’m the reason you were there. I thought once you knew the whole story and realized that, you would hate me for getting you dragged into everything. Or at least–” you dropped your gaze down to the bed “–at least I thought you’d go back to not really liking me.”

“Oh…” The small boy shifted in his chair. “I can understand why you may have come to that conclusion but knowing your history with Moore does not change how I feel about what you did for me. You saved me long before you remembered who he was or your connection to him. And even that still does not prove you were the one he was after, not me. I am the youngest and, as such, am perceived to be the most vulnerable and incapable of protecting myself—Tt, though in reality, it is Drake who fits that description.” 

You smiled as you shook your head. Tim would disagree with that statement, but Damian’s point was still valid. To those who did not know of his past upbringing or training, it would be easy to dismiss him as a young, spoiled, entitled brat who never had to lift a finger his entire life. But they couldn’t be farther from the truth. Despite being a kid, Damian had already experienced more than 90% of people would in their lifetime. Hell, when he was the same age you were when you watched your parents die, he had already been training for years with the League of Assassins. Moore had just gotten lucky when he grabbed the two of you: if Damian hadn’t woken up hurt and already chained up, he probably could have incapacitated every one of your kidnappers. 

Damian continued. “Regardless of who the target was, it does not change the fact you volunteered yourself in my place when they wanted to take me. And despite the pain you were in, you tried to hold on as long as possible so I would not be forced to take your place. How could any other detail matter except my sister loves me enough to die for me?”

The lump in your throat got bigger until you felt like you couldn’t breathe. You managed to nod your head quickly and repeatedly as you choked out, “I would. Because I do. I do love you, Damian.” He stared down at the floor, shifting once more in his chair as his fist tightened around yours. He opened his mouth but nothing came out. You knew how hard it was for him but you could see he wanted to say it and that was enough. So, squeezing his hand back, you whispered, “It’s okay. You don’t have to say it back.”

His shoulders dropped with visible relief and he gave you a small, grateful smile. Then, in a tiny voice, he muttered, “But I do though.”

It was the final straw. Tears began flowing down your cheeks as a small cry burst from behind your lips. There was a sharp pain in your chest as you disturbed your injuries, but it seemed unimportant at the moment. You tried to control yourself as much as possible, knowing emotions and displays of affection bothered Damian, but it was all too overwhelming. For so long you had tried to get him to at least tolerate you, but this? This was more than you ever dared to hope for. 

Damian sat quietly as you took a moment to compose yourself. Despite the added pain you incurred from your crying, you couldn’t remember feeling this happy in a while…..or this worn out. Now that you had cleared the air with Damian and everything was better than expected, you realized how much you had been struggling to stay awake. 

Another wave of exhaustion hit you and it took almost everything you had to murmur, “I know Jay said everyone was waiting to see me but I think….I think I need to rest for a bit. Could you ask them to wait until I take a small nap?”

He nodded. “Of course, sister. Whatever you need.”

“Thanks, Dami.”

You expected him to leave but instead, he squeezed your hand hard and looked you dead in the eye. “I mean it. Whatever you need. You will heal and things will return to normal. And I will be by your side for all of it.”

You smiled up at him, fighting to keep your eyes open. “Thank you, Dami.” 

He laid your hand gently back on the bed before standing from his chair and walking to the door. He glanced over his shoulder at you one last time, nodded, and then disappeared.

With no reason left to hold on, you let yourself collapse back into the bed as you gave into the darkness that was dancing on the edge of your vision. 

And as you felt yourself being pulled under to unconsciousness once more, you couldn’t help but smile. Despite everything that had happened and the long road to recovery that lay before you, you had a father and four brothers who loved you and would be by your side through all of it. Because at the end of the day, that’s what family is for. And you were so thankful to have found this family. 

Taglist: @zebralover, @itzagothamcitysiren, @roses-and-ricex, @blackpearl2324, @po55um, @missborntodiex, @hypnobanditprofessorhorse-blog, @an-ever-angry-bi, @rukia-uchiha-98, @shipsforlif3, @dumb-fawkin-bitch, @hyding-out-here, @555hikaii, @nik2blog, @thefictionalcharacterssimp, @venomsvl, @sugarysweetsandpainfulteeth, @your-friendly-neighborhood-al, @hellfire-fan-club

[altheasmeadow]

Meeting The Exes

Word count: 1.1 K

Summary: In which maybe having her boyfriends as emergency contacts was a bad idea. especially when she forgets to change them after the breakup.

warnings: Mentions of passing out, hospitals, Abandonment, exes ofc.

Pairing: Sunghoon x reader

“Stop the beeping!” She groaned as she grabbed her pillow to try and cover her face.

“Seriously? You almost die and you’re worried at the beeping?” Ni-Ki asked from next to her, with his brows furrowed. 

“Just be happy it’s still beeping dummy.” Jungwon grinned, nudging her leg with his knuckles. 

“Why am I in the hospital?” She asked, trying to remember what happened. 

“You passed out.”The nurse piped up from looking at the monitor in the corner, the girl in the bed simply sending a sheepish expression towards her friends. “We called your emergency contacts, your boyfriend is here.” The nurse informed, making her head snap up in a panic. 

“Hey honey!” Jake chimed as he popped up into the room with a wide grin, the nurse dismissing herself while the other two in the room looked like they were gonna combust in laughter.

“Jake, you came all the way from Australia?”

“Oh no I was in town for some filming, guess it was the right place, right time.”

“Oh gosh I’m so sorry I never changed my emergency contacts.”

“Why was he your emergency contact anyway?” Jungwon wondered, still trying to stifle his laughter as his older friend was grinning awkwardly at the girl in the bed.

“I use boyfriends to avoid lectures from my parents, I don't want to wake up in a prison with them telling me what a mistake I am.”

“I’m just glad I could be here.” Jake shrugged, grabbing her hand gently, until the door burst open and a frantic Jay came rushing in.

“I came as soon as I heard, are you okay?” Jay asked, grabbing her face to examine her for injuries as the nurse peaked into the door looking confused. 

“Uh you guys should know I’m seeing someone.” She said, looking at Jay weirdly, not understanding his affection. But at the statement the two men shared a look before cheering.

“Oh we are too, but that doesn’t mean we don’t care about you. You’re still oour girl, just platonically now.” The two exes grinned, swooping in to place teasing pecks on her cheeks. Another man walked in with a bunch of flowers in his hand and a wide grin.

“Hey darling.” The man cooed, reaching to hug her as the two exes looked at her curiously.

“No not him, he’s another ex.” She sighed, grabbing the flowers gently as Heeseung laughed a bit at the comment.

“This is funny, so who was first?” Heeseung asked, looking at the two behind him.

“Uh Jay was first then me and then you.” Jake explained with an amused face.

“Uh you should know I’m seeing someone, I didn’t want to tell you, in case you know, you were dying, but seeing as you look fine. You should probably remove me as your emergency contact.” Heeseung smiled guiltily as she rolled her eyes in response with a fond smile.

“Don’t worry, that’s the first thing on my to- do list.” 

“So who’s the lucky guy?” Jay asked with a grin, making the girl tense.

“Well it’s a bit complicated.”

“How so?” 

“Uh Ms. This man also says he’s your boyfriend.” The nurse sighed, leading in Sunghoon, walking away with a quiet, “what am I doing wrong in life.”

“Hey are you okay? I was so worried when you left.” He cooed, placing his hand on her head before turning and looking at the three behind him, “Uh who are they?”

“I’m the guy before you, and he’s the guy before me and he’s the guy before him.” Heeseung grinned amused.

“Uh anyway,” He said with narrowed eyes before turning to face his girl, “We have to talk about this.”

“What’s there to talk about? You don’t agree with my life choices.”

“That’s not what I said and you know it!”

“You said I shouldn’t continue figure skating because it’ll cause me health issues.”

“And it did!” he yelled, shocking everyone in the room at his outburst, “Why do you think you’re here? You passed out from exhaustion and from your diet, you think I haven’t noticed that you haven’t been eating? I have. You think I don’t notice you practicing so long? I do. I love you, okay? You could succeed in figure skating under proper management, but your manager is praying for your downfall, okay?She has you practicing ridiculous hours, on unhealthy rations. And It’s not okay.”

The girl simply looked down shyly at the outburst while Sunghoon’s chest heaved from the yelling he had done.

“Uh Hey how long have you been together?” Jake wondered, making Sunghoon look at him oddly.

“8 months.”

“Ah it’s that phase.” Jay said with a nod now understanding what’s happening.

“What phase?” Sunghoon wondered, looking around confused while everyone else looked sympathetically at him.

“It’s the time in the relationship where she pushes you away because her feelings are getting more intense and it scares her.” Heeseung explained, pointing his finger casually at the man, “We’ve all been through it.”

“What?’

“She has abandonment issues, her birth parents weren’t the best. So when she feels intense emotions her first instinct is to run so it doesn’t get taken from her.” A voice spoke up from the door, everyone turning to see Sunoo, who was leaning on the door casually.

“Okay who’s he?” Sunghoon asked, exasperated now.

“His family took me in, he’s my brother.” She spoke meakly, making Sunghoon snap his attention to her with soft eyes.

“Tell him how you feel, you’ll feel better.” Jake cooed, trying to coax her into addressing the feelings she felt for the tall boy man.

“Sunoo is right,” She sighed earning a scoff from her brother figure as if to say he’s always right, “ I was trying to push you away, you were too good to be true and the first out I saw I took, I didn’t want to fall and then you get taken away.” 

“I’m not going anyway Babe, ever. Trust me I’ve seen you ugly sob in the shower with snot dripping down your nose, you couldn’t drive me away with the hardest forces you have.”

“Actually the hardest force she has is Ni-Ki and believe me if he wanted to he’d send you away.” Jungwon spoke up with a grin as he pointed to the younger boy who smiled menacingly at the four men who all shivered at the sight.

“Say it.” Sunoo changed the subject, ignoring his sister figure’s pouting.

“I love you Park Sunghoon.”

“I love you too, and I’m sorry I don’t express it as well as I cou-” He was silenced as his lover pulled him down by his collar and pressing their lips together ignoring the “Ews” resonating around the room.

[ratmanzhq]

I just found your steam siblings Au and I am in love with it ! Please forgive me for the many questions I have…

1. Would they sometimes use their other element unintentionally? For example, when Kai gets mad (if Jay flirts with his sister) the water pipes break

2. In Season 4 during the tournament of elements, would Chen only require one of the twins to steal both elements ?

I can imagine that the Ninja would try to keep that a secret but Skylor would figure it out while copying Kai‘s powers

3. Will the twins one day be able to use both powers at the same time ?

4. Season 5, will Nya create this big wave like she did in the final episode of that season or will Kai save everyone (or perhaps they do it together) ?

5.When Kai loses his fire, will that also lead to him losing his and Nyas water power ? And how will that arc with Aspheera affect them both

6. Will Kai be afraid of the ocean until he becomes one with the sea ? It feels like a better conclusion of his story with his fear of the sea ? Imagine he was always afraid of it because it has always called for him. He didn’t know what he was hearing or feeling but it scared him, until he under his destiny 👀 ( Am I thinking to mich about it ?!)

If you have read through them all, thanks for that ! I love your art and the au is great. Have a nice day ✌️

Oh man oh man oh man

I'm late, buuut

I like the idea, but in the show, they have to concentrate on using their powers and don't really have accidents like that(not that I remember). But in this AU, it would be funny as hell. Like neither can cook because the water evaporites, pans too hot and burn everything and so on. Only after they master their elements can they cook.

Maybe? That or he has like half of each power and needs both of them to have full fire and water, yknow. Chen would go mad scientist on them.

Well, they would be OP if they had both powers, so maybe not. The drama and steaks would be lowered, but in certain settings, they might. Or they only can use both powers at the same time together?

That whole plot in the season would be sooo different. But I like the idea they do it together as a ☆*Family Bonging*☆ moment.

Depending on if they both have the power or they have one power that zip zap between them like tennis. But I feel like they both have the powers, they can't just use it? So Nay would have fire when Aspirah takes Kais fire and the switch their roles (Kai is water ninja/Nya is fire ninja).

I loooove the idea Kai fears the ocean and then becomes the ocean. Like, it validates his fear?? Kinda?? He loses everything when he's the ocean, even if he did it to protect his Family. But he also accepts his destiny and isn't afraid of the ocean anymore? The drama. The angst. Love it. But hearing the ocean his whole life. Now that's an idea. Like fire powers are from Spijitsu mater Uno and water is from the big ass snake. And maybe that affects them! Fire and water in them in constant conflict Ugh. Love it

Thanx my fellow rat for the qustion

[a-reader-and-a-writer]

That's What Family is For (Part 2)

AI-Less Whumptober 2023: 16. Hospital, 21. Shock Fandom: DC, Batman, Batfam, Damian Wayne, Batsis!reader, f!reader Summary: After being kidnapped and offering to take Damian's place to be tortured, you miraculously find yourself waking up back home. Damian has a new outlook on your relationship, but will a secret from your past ruin everything? Word Count: 5231 TW: Hospital, Aftermath of Torture, Mentions of Past Torture, Mentions of Death, Forced to Watch, Crying, Coma, Past Trauma Note: Today is the 2 year anniversary of posting Part 1 of this fic. Thank you so incredibly much for your patience and support as I worked on this and I hope it lives up to Part 1 💖 Part of @ailesswhumptober

Part 1

You have no idea how long you were asleep for, but when you finally managed to drag yourself into consciousness, you couldn’t remember why every inch of your body was in a strange state of concurrent numbness and agony, or why you couldn’t seem to see out of your left eye. It was only when you caught sight of the two casts stretching from the soles of your feet up to the top of your thighs that it all came flooding back to you. 

You and Damian had been kidnapped in an attempt to get a ransom from Bruce. To prove they meant business, the kidnappers were going to torture Damian but you had offered to take his place. What happened next was just a blur of blood and pain: The glint of a large knife. The blunt impact of a bat. But mercifully, you couldn’t remember much else. Just that it had been bad. Really bad. 

You tried to take a mental inventory of what hurt and what sort of injuries you had sustained, but there was too much damage. All the individual pain bled into each other until it just felt like one massive wound. Every breath you took made your chest, ribs, and throat ache, your head was pounding, and you couldn’t move either leg or your left arm. All you could manage was a slight turn of your head as you looked towards the door but even that small motion sent new waves of pain through you, causing a low moan to slip from your lips.

Almost instantly, Jason came rushing into the room, panic etched onto his face. Yet the second he saw you looking at him, his face split into a massive grin. The kind you couldn’t remember seeing on him since he returned from the dead. And despite everything, that sight warmed your heart.

Licking your cracked lips, you tried to speak but nothing happened. Swallowing a few times, you finally managed a barely audible, “Hey, Jaybird.” 

The words sounded funny, thick and slightly lispy but Jay’s smile only widened. He hurried to your bedside and dropped into the chair that had been left there. “Damn, sis. You look terrible.”

You knew he was trying to keep the mood light, but you could hear the tears hiding just behind his words. Giving your best attempt at a smile, you croaked, “Even like this, I bet I still look better than you.”

“Yeah, probably,” he chuckled. “That voice though…. They said it would probably be hard to speak for a few days because of the tube and–” He cut himself off, but you knew what he was going to say. Because all your screams of pain had damaged it. 

Swallowing again, you tried to make your voice sound as normal as possible. “Yeah, well, you better be careful. You keep smoking all those cigarettes, this is what you’ll sound like in a few years.”

“Even now you gotta hassle me about those?”

“If you would just quit, I wouldn’t have to get on you about the–” 

Your words were cut off as your body fell prey to a fit of coughing. It tore at your throat like daggers and your chest felt like it was shattering into pieces. It only lasted for a few seconds but when it passed, you were left panting and moaning in pain. 

When you finally managed to pull yourself together once more and looked back at Jason, his smile had completely vanished, replaced with a thin-lipped grimace. His eyes drifted over your broken body before returning to your face. “So… Honestly. How do you feel?”

“How do you think?” you wheezed. “Like someone ran over me with.. with a… wit– oh forget it. I’m in too much pain to think of something clever. I feel shitty.”

“What hurts?”

“The easier question is ‘what doesn’t hurt?’. And why can’t I open my left eye?”

“Alfred taped it closed for now. It looked pretty messed up.”

You nod slightly. “Permanent?”

“Not sure,” he muttered, staring down at the floor. “They had to wait until you woke up to fully assess the damage.”

You nodded again, the dread growing in the pit of your stomach. But you have to know the answer to your next question, no matter how terrifying the answer might be. In a small voice, you ask, “How bad overall?”

Jason hesitated. “Maybe you should wait for Bruce or Alfred to–”

“How bad, Jay?”

Still avoiding your eye, he shifted in his chair before answering. “Bad. The worst of the damage is on your left side. Your arm was dislocated, your cheekbone was destroyed, you’re missing several teeth, and your eye is… well, I already mentioned that. Also, most of your ribs were pretty much shattered and the ones that weren’t are cracked. The pieces punctured your lungs in multiple places. Your legs…The knives thankfully missed all the major arteries, but Alfred said there still might be some nerve damage.”

“Is that all?” You had meant for the question to be sarcastic, but the quiver in your voice made it sound more like a desperate plea.

Jason took a long, deep breath. “It also took eight surgeries, four blood transfusions, and three resuscitations to get you stable.”

“Yeah, that feels about right.” You clenched your jaw tightly as you struggled to hold back your tears, but that just sent a fresh jolt of pain through your mouth. Using your tongue, you gently prod the three new gaps where teeth used to be. No wonder your words sounded funny. 

In a soft whisper, you asked, “I’m done, aren’t I? There’s no coming back from this, not really. Even if I can get back to a halfway normal state, I’m never going to be able to put the costume back on. No going on patrol, no more protecting the city, no more being a hero.” 

A small sob bubbled in your throat. When Bruce had taken you in all those years ago, you were a mess. Every night, you woke up screaming from nightmares—memories—of watching your parents tortured to death in front of you while you were helpless to do anything. You had felt so powerless. But then Bruce told you about his secret life. That he was the man in the mask who had rescued you from that horrible place. And he taught you how to be strong, how to be for others what he had been for you. He had given your life a purpose but now….it had been taken from you just like your parents had been. 

As the tears began to slip down your face, Jason carefully took your hand, rubbing the back with his thumb as he leaned in to stare you directly in your good eye. “Hey, don’t think that way. Bruce was able to come back from a broken back, I came back from the dead, and you… you can come back from this. It’s not gonna be easy and it’ll take a lot of hard work, but if anyone can do it, you can.”

The tears began to flow faster as you finally let the sob you had been holding back free. Squeezing Jason’s hand as tightly as you were able, you cried, “Thank you, Jay. Thank you for everything. I can’t even imagine making it through what comes next without my brothers by my side.”

Jason snatched his hand back from your grasp and pushed back in his chair, his expression growing dark as he spat, “Don’t. Don’t thank me. While you were sacrificing everything for Damian, while you were lying there dying, I was here. Too weak to help you when you needed me most.”

“Jay–”

“I wanted to be there, I did, I just…” His sharp tone crumbled into a near sob as he buried his face in his hands. “I was fine until he picked up the bat. Then it all came rushing back. All I could see was the Joker standing over me with that crowbar and…and I….” His hands muffled his cries, but you could still see the way his shoulders shook as he sobbed.

You had forgotten that they had sent a live feed of your torture to all of Wayne Industries which was probably how Bruce had located you and Damian. Jason never talked about what had happened to him all those years ago in that warehouse, but you had been waiting in the Batcave when Bruce had brought Jason’s body home. You still remembered the bruises and blunt force trauma that couldn’t have been made from the explosion. And you also recalled how the sight of your brother’s broken form sent you into a hysterical fit, not only over the loss of the boy you loved like family but also because it brought back all of the scars from your parents’ deaths. You had felt incredibly guilty later once Bruce and Alfred calmed you down that you had made Jason’s death all about you and your past traumas. But Bruce reminded you that your pain and grief was valid, whenever it hit you, and despite the circumstances, you needed to take care of yourself first or you weren’t going to be able to help anyone else.

Just like Jason needed to take care of whatever horrors he had relived before coming to help you.

It took a lot of determination and concentration, but you slowly moved your hand towards Jason. Luckily, he was sitting on your right side since that was the only arm you could move at the moment, but it still took an achingly long time to close the short distance between you.

As you lay your hand on his shoulder, his head jerked up. When he saw what you had done, his eyes—the blue magnified by the tears about to fall—grew wide. Smiling, you brushed your fingertips lightly across his cheek and said, “Jay, I understand why you didn’t come. There was nothing you could have done and you needed a chance to deal with your own pain. And I’m sorry that I was the reason you had to relive that experience.” 

Jason shook his head furiously and clutched at your hand. “No! This was not your fault! All you did was protect Damian. The only person to blame is that psychopath Moore.” His face darkened. “Bruce better be glad they threw that son of a bitch in Blackgate because if he had gotten away, nothing and no one would have stopped me from hunting him down and putting a bullet between his eyes.”

“See? You are such a loving, protective brother who would do anything for me.” His expression softened slightly. “Besides, you even just admitted. Moore is the only one to blame here. Not me, and not you. So, please, don’t beat yourself up over this. I’m still here and I need you now more than ever.” You squeezed his hand as tightly as you were able and after a moment, he returned both the squeeze and the smile. You nodded softly then changed the subject. “How is Damian handling all of this?”

“Why don’t you see for yourself?” Jason nodded towards the other side of the room.

It took you a moment and quite a bit of pain to turn your head enough so your right eye could see where he was gesturing, but when you managed it, your smile grew wider.

Curled into a tight ball, Damian was fast asleep on the couch on the far side of the room. He looked so small and it reminded you that despite his upbringing, he was still just a kid, which made you feel better about your condition. If one of you had to be lying in this bed, you would have offered yourself up every time.

Jason chuckled softly to himself as he saw your face. “He’s barely left the room since they brought the two of you home. Bruce tried getting him to go back to school the last two days, but he flat-out refused. Said he wasn’t going anywhere until you woke up.”

“Really? That doesn’t sound like Damian.”

“Well, I think his actual words were ‘Tt. Father, I cannot be bothered with those trivial lessons while my sister’s fate is still uncertain. I am needed here. Yes, I have a geography test next week, but I have traveled to more countries than my so-called teacher could even possibly name. This is more important.’”

Despite the mocking—though fairly accurate—impression Jason had made, your eyes welled up with tears once more. Damian had called you ‘sister’. It was the first time you could ever remember him doing so. No. That wasn’t true. He had said it when Bruce and Dick had shown up to save them. In fact, the echoing word was the last thing you remembered before the world had gone dark. 

Swallowing hard to clear your throat, you asked, “Um, do you think…Would he be upset if I asked you to wake him up?”

“Yo! Demon Spawn! Wake up!” Before you could stop him, Jason hurled a pillow across the room so it slammed into Damian’s sleeping form. 

The kid instantly leaped to his feet in a crouched position, ready to take on any and all attackers. But he straightened up when he saw Jason’s smug grin and your weak smile staring back at him instead. Rushing to your side, he said, “Sister! You are awake!”

You tilted your head slightly to look at him better. “So are you. Sorry for the rude wake-up. That was all Jay.”

“Hey!” Jason huffed indignantly. “You asked me to wake him up and I did! You just never said how.”

Damian glared at him out of the corner of his eyes. “Yes, Todd has been exceedingly insufferable this last week while you have been injured—”

“W-week? I’ve been out of it for a week?” You felt your blood run cold. You knew things were bad, but for some reason the thought of you laying in this bed unconscious for the past 7 days made your condition seem so much worse.

Jason and Damian exchanged a worried look. Then Jason cleared his throat and said, “Yeah…. It's been eight days since you and Damian were kidnapped. They had to keep you in a medically induced coma for the first five days while they operated. Then when they brought you out, they had to dope you up with so many pain meds that you were out of it even when you were awake. They tried to lower your dose but they had to up them again when they removed the breathing tube and you wouldn’t stop moaning…So, yeah. It’s been a week.”

You let your head fall back against the pillow as tears began to sting your eyes. Obviously, it would have taken you time to recover from that level of injury, but a week? No, actually, eight days. And that was just the start of your recovery. The amount of time, therapy, and hard work it would take you just to be able to stand again, let alone walk or fight, was dizzying to think about. Despite the fact Jason had reassured you differently, you didn’t see how you weren’t done after this. How were you supposed to bounce back?

As the tears finally became too much and began slipping down your face, you whispered, “You all should have just let me go.”

“No!” The ferocity in Damian’s voice startled you and you looked over to see his small hands curled into tight fists as his face bore a determined scowl that could rival Bruce’s. “No. You do not get to give up. Not now. Not now that the worst of it is behind you. You never once gave up while we were captured. Despite everything that sadistic fiend did to you, you fought to protect me. We would not have been in that situation if it was not for me and I will repay my debt to you by remaining by your side to ensure you get through this.”

You stared at Damian for a long time, a mix of pride, adoration, and guilt stirring in your chest. Seeing how he wanted to stand by you and help you through what came next meant the world to you. The Damian who climbed into your car eight days ago wouldn’t have done so. However, you couldn’t let him make such a vow without knowing all the facts.

Shifting your eye to look at Jason, you muttered, “Can you give us a minute alone?”

He hesitated, his eyes flickering back and forth between you and his younger brother, but finally, he nodded. “Yeah, sure. I’ll go let everyone else know you’re not only awake but coherent this time. They’ll want to see you.”  

“Thanks, Jay. I’ll have Damian let you know when we’re done.”

He nodded, shot Damian one last look, and left the room. 

Now that you were alone, you carefully motioned for Damian to take the chair Jason had been sitting in earlier and he silently did as you wished…for once. He looked so small compared to the memory of Jason’s hulking form sitting there just moments before and tears once more stung your eyes as it hit you all over again how young he was to have experienced what the two of you just went through. You hadn’t planned on having this conversation until you were a little better, but he deserved to know the truth and not continue blaming himself for what happened. 

Taking a deep breath, you said, “It’s not your fault, Dami. He was never after you. You were only there because of me.”

“Tt,” Damian scoffed, folding his arms across his chest. “You have no proof of that. As you said in that warehouse, I am Father’s blood heir. If anyone was the target, it would have been me.”

You shook your head. “It was my car, Damian. The car I insisted you get in even though you didn’t want to. If I would’ve just let you walk home like you wanted–”

“They could have been monitoring me and adjusted their plans when I joined you in your vehicle. You still cannot be confident–”

“I know Moore.”

Damian blinked in surprise. “Yo–you what?”

You nodded sadly. “I know him. I didn’t realize it at first because it was so long ago and I’ve tried so hard to forget that day, but it was him. After I had passed out from Moore’s torture, they unhooked me from the chains and just let me drop to the floor. The pain of the landing woke me up for just a minute and I tried to beg them to put me back up because I knew otherwise they’d be coming for you, but I was in so much pain I could barely form a sentence. Moore saw I was awake and came to stand over me with that nauseatingly cocky look on his face.” 

You shuttered at the memory of it and knew it was an image that would haunt your nightmares for years to come. But you pressed on. “Then he said, ‘For what it’s worth, you should be proud. You died a lot more honorably than your parents did.’ And that’s when I remembered.”

Tears slipped from your eyes as you allowed all the walls and safeguards you had built up over the years to finally come down and you recalled the night your life changed forever. “It’s been so long and he was just a kid, no older than Tim. But then again, I was even younger.” Taking a deep breath, you looked up at Damian. “How much do you know about my life before Bruce took me in?”

Damian shrugged one shoulder. “Just what I said in the car. Your parents were tortured to death by a gang who left you tied up with their bodies until the police found you. Then when he heard what happened and that you had no one left, Father took you in.”

You nodded and wiped a tear from your eye. “My parents owned a little shop near Crime Alley at the time. It was a hole-in-the-wall thrift store that barely made enough to put food on the table but my parents loved that place. It was their pride and joy so when the local gang came by to demand protection money, they refused. They didn’t want their place associated with gangsters. Which of course the gang didn’t like. We lived in a small apartment above it and one night, the gang broke in while we were sleeping. I was only six at the time and I didn’t understand what was happening. I just knew some bad people dragged us out of bed and into the basement where they tied us all up to chairs. I was sitting between my parents as they begged and pleaded for our lives, but even then I still didn’t understand. Not until one of the men pulled out a knife.”

A humorless chuckle fell softly from your lips. “I guess in hindsight, I should have remembered Moore sooner. The way he tortured and hurt me was very similar to what the gang did to my parents. Just small cuts that got deeper and deeper. Small weapons that got more and more damaging until….” 

A small hiccupy sob slipped from your lips as everything came flooding back to you. Your father screaming in pain as the gang broke bone after bone and cut off his fingers one by one. Your mother hysterically sobbing as she begged them to let you all go. The way those pleas eventually shifted to just begging them to let you go. And then the eerie silence that fell across the room after your mother had taken her last breath. 

Damian took your hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “It is alright, sister. You do not have to continue.”

You shot him an appreciative smile but shook your head. “No. It’s okay.” Taking several deep breaths to compose yourself, you continued. “There was one gang member who stayed huddled in the corner, refusing to watch as the rest of the gang had their fun.”

“Moore.”

You nodded. “I didn’t know it at the time, but yeah. He had started by anxiously pacing around at the back of the room but once things turned really violent….he couldn’t take it. He tried to run back upstairs but the gang forced him to stay and watch. Said he needed to learn how things were done. And after the other day, I’d say he learned his lesson pretty well.”

“And you are certain it was him?”

“Absolutely. I stared at him through most of it, partly because I couldn’t stand to watch what they were doing to my parents, but also partly because I could tell he was just as horrified as I was and yet he did nothing to stop it. I wanted to scream at him to help us, to do something, but I also was too afraid to speak up. And when they were done and the gang members left, he was the last one out of the room. He looked at me as if he wanted to apologize or set me free or…I don’t know. But instead, he just turned and ran up the stairs. The next time I saw him was when he walked into that room we were both chained up in.” You scoffed as you felt a lump growing in your throat. “I guess we picked up right where we left off, huh?”

The physical damage that had been done to you was hard enough to bear, but now realizing the connection your tormentor had to your past made you want to vomit. Moore may not have laid a finger on you back then, but he had been there to witness the worst day of your life. His friends had been the ones who did the same thing to your parents—only your parents hadn’t been lucky enough to survive. You wondered how long Moore had been planning this, how long he had wanted to finish the job that had been started all those years ago. Perhaps it was some sort of decades-long revenge plot since your parents’ deaths had eventually led to the arrest of most of the other gang members and the collapse of his gang. Or it was possible he just wanted to blackmail Bruce as he said and he thought using you to do it was just a bonus. Jason said Moore had been taken to Blackgate so once you were better, you could go try to get some answers. But at the moment, you weren’t sure if you even wanted them.

You had been so deep in thought that you only just realized that Damian had been silently staring down at your interlocked hands for the past few minutes. His expression was nigh-on unreadable and you were once again reminded of Bruce. Given enough time, support, and guidance, you could see him growing into a man worthy to carry on his father’s legacy. You just hoped he would want you to be around to see it. 

You wouldn’t blame Damian if his attitude towards you reverted back to how it was before all of this happened. After all, he was put through hell because of you. He had warmed up to you solely because you had offered yourself up to be tortured instead of him—yet he never should have been there in the first place. Maybe this would actually make your relationship worse. Maybe Damian would cut you off completely. Maybe—

“Sister, I cannot imagine how hard this realization must have been for you and I…I am sorry.”

His voice cut through your internal spiraling and you blinked in surprise. “Wh-what?” With all the scenarios you had swirling around in your head, hearing Damian apologize had never even crossed your mind. “But Dami you’re not…mad?” 

Now it was his turn to look surprised. “Why would I be mad?”

“I’m the reason you were there. I thought once you knew the whole story and realized that, you would hate me for getting you dragged into everything. Or at least–” you dropped your gaze down to the bed “–at least I thought you’d go back to not really liking me.”

“Oh…” The small boy shifted in his chair. “I can understand why you may have come to that conclusion but knowing your history with Moore does not change how I feel about what you did for me. You saved me long before you remembered who he was or your connection to him. And even that still does not prove you were the one he was after, not me. I am the youngest and, as such, am perceived to be the most vulnerable and incapable of protecting myself—Tt, though in reality, it is Drake who fits that description.” 

You smiled as you shook your head. Tim would disagree with that statement, but Damian’s point was still valid. To those who did not know of his past upbringing or training, it would be easy to dismiss him as a young, spoiled, entitled brat who never had to lift a finger his entire life. But they couldn’t be farther from the truth. Despite being a kid, Damian had already experienced more than 90% of people would in their lifetime. Hell, when he was the same age you were when you watched your parents die, he had already been training for years with the League of Assassins. Moore had just gotten lucky when he grabbed the two of you: if Damian hadn’t woken up hurt and already chained up, he probably could have incapacitated every one of your kidnappers. 

Damian continued. “Regardless of who the target was, it does not change the fact you volunteered yourself in my place when they wanted to take me. And despite the pain you were in, you tried to hold on as long as possible so I would not be forced to take your place. How could any other detail matter except my sister loves me enough to die for me?”

The lump in your throat got bigger until you felt like you couldn’t breathe. You managed to nod your head quickly and repeatedly as you choked out, “I would. Because I do. I do love you, Damian.” He stared down at the floor, shifting once more in his chair as his fist tightened around yours. He opened his mouth but nothing came out. You knew how hard it was for him but you could see he wanted to say it and that was enough. So, squeezing his hand back, you whispered, “It’s okay. You don’t have to say it back.”

His shoulders dropped with visible relief and he gave you a small, grateful smile. Then, in a tiny voice, he muttered, “But I do though.”

It was the final straw. Tears began flowing down your cheeks as a small cry burst from behind your lips. There was a sharp pain in your chest as you disturbed your injuries, but it seemed unimportant at the moment. You tried to control yourself as much as possible, knowing emotions and displays of affection bothered Damian, but it was all too overwhelming. For so long you had tried to get him to at least tolerate you, but this? This was more than you ever dared to hope for. 

Damian sat quietly as you took a moment to compose yourself. Despite the added pain you incurred from your crying, you couldn’t remember feeling this happy in a while…..or this worn out. Now that you had cleared the air with Damian and everything was better than expected, you realized how much you had been struggling to stay awake. 

Another wave of exhaustion hit you and it took almost everything you had to murmur, “I know Jay said everyone was waiting to see me but I think….I think I need to rest for a bit. Could you ask them to wait until I take a small nap?”

He nodded. “Of course, sister. Whatever you need.”

“Thanks, Dami.”

You expected him to leave but instead, he squeezed your hand hard and looked you dead in the eye. “I mean it. Whatever you need. You will heal and things will return to normal. And I will be by your side for all of it.”

You smiled up at him, fighting to keep your eyes open. “Thank you, Dami.” 

He laid your hand gently back on the bed before standing from his chair and walking to the door. He glanced over his shoulder at you one last time, nodded, and then disappeared.

With no reason left to hold on, you let yourself collapse back into the bed as you gave into the darkness that was dancing on the edge of your vision. 

And as you felt yourself being pulled under to unconsciousness once more, you couldn’t help but smile. Despite everything that had happened and the long road to recovery that lay before you, you had a father and four brothers who loved you and would be by your side through all of it. Because at the end of the day, that’s what family is for. And you were so thankful to have found this family. 

Tag list: @loverhymeswith, @tavners, @merlehs, @mayhem24-7forever, @sunshineflowerchild789, @schaarfyx, @dawnwriterimagines, @uniquelyabnormallyoriginal, @hjgdhghoe, @void-j3ster, @miadiedhere, @remuslupinselbowpatch, @jadynchronicle, @blue-aconite, @astraeasworld, @aakifah5, @freyathehuntress, @theautisticduck, @agent-nobody-knows, @nani-nani-nani, @hrtzsoob, @edgycatx, @nellako, @deppresseddyslexic

[earthtoharlow]

Teach Me Concept: Jayla's Prom! 🥹💕

AN: loved this idea and I could not stop writing so it’s kinda long 🥹🫶

Series Masterlist

“Thank you for doing my makeup, ma” Jayla said as Ariel was finishing up her makeup. Tonight was her senior prom, and it was sure to be a night to remember.

“Anything for my first born.” Ariel said while touching up her lip gloss. Jayla couldn’t help but smile loving how Ariel considered her, her first child despite having the twins.

Jayla’s mind eventually started drifting off, while she was excited for Prom she was nervous. She was going to Prom with the most popular guy in school, Cameron Summers. The two never ran into the same circles at school, but it wasn’t until they were partnered up for their chemistry project that they started talking and became friends.

Their conversation quickly went from chemistry to innocent flirting. At first, Jayla didn’t think much of it until he nervously asked her out to prom, saying he was really starting to like her. Suddenly everything mattered to her and was important. Makeup, outfit, hair etc had to be on point.

She started biting her lip nervously, what if asking her out was some sick joke or bet, like how it plays out in books and movies? What if he really gets to know her, and Cameron decides that he doesn’t find her funny and interesting anymore? What if…

Jayla’s what ifs were cut off by Ariel’s voice. “Okay, what’s going on in that head of yours?”

Jayla raised an eyebrow wondering how she knew she was overthinking.

“Don’t look so shocked, I’ve been part of your life for far too long to not know that you always play with your KY necklace when you’re nervous.”

She immediately dropped the necklace from her hands and placed them in her lap and signed.

“I’m just thinking about Cameron…and this whole night in general.” Jayla said. She just wanted this night to go perfect. “What if Cameron realizes he doesn’t really like me?” Jayla continued.

Putting the makeup down she was holding in her hands on the vanity, Ariel pulled Jayla from her stool and drags her to the mirror in her bedroom.

“First, I just want to say that you look beautiful. Second, I’ve met Cameron when he would come over to work on that project and he had this silly love sick look on his face every time you spoke.”

“Really?” Jayla questioned not sure if she believed her or not

“Yeah, I thought I was going to have to give him a bib just in case he started drooling!” Ariel and Jayla laughed at the thought of that.

“But, seriously you don’t have anything to worry about. You have a pure and kind heart. Cameron would be an idiot to not like you. This is going to be a night to remember, don’t forget to have fun!”

Jayla’s shoulders dropped as she relaxed. Talking to her mom always made her feel better. Turning around she gave Ariel a loving hug, pulling away when she heard the doorbell.

“Ma, please hurry and get the door, you know how dad and Uncle Urb is!” Jayla said wide eyed.

“I got you, I’ll make sure they don’t scare him away!” She said as she quickly left the room.

***

Jack and Urban opened the door and looked at the nervous young teen up and down. Both could definitely tell he was a jock in the school.

“Hello, Mr. Harlow.” The young man squeaked out Jack couldn’t help but smile to himself, happy to know that he intimated the teen.

Cameron stood up straighter and held out his hand for Jack to shake. Jack stood there with his arms crossed, just to make him sweat a bit. Urban did the same, giving the teen a hard stare.

The teen awkwardly put his arm back to his side, and bounced on his toes.

Jack loudly cleared his throat, “What do you like about my daughter?”

“And you better answer correctly.” Urban added

Cameron rubbed the back of his neck nervously as he spoke.”Well, we’ve only been talking for a couple months but Jay…”

He was cut off by Urban, “Her name is Jayla.”

Cameron quickly nodded his head before continuing “Sorry, sir. Jayla is very smart, driven, and passionate. She’s the girl I look forward to talking and hanging out with during lunch and free periods…—“

Jack and Urban looked at each other as Cameron continued to ramble with a spark in his eye. They came with a silent agreement that Cameron was a good kid.

“Hey hey! You can stop with your ramblings. I get it.” Jack said with a playful eye roll and a sigh.”

He reached out his hand for Cameron to shake. He tightened his grip on the teen's hand when he tried to pull away. Cameron winced at the tight grip.

“Just don’t hurt her okay?” Jack said with a big almost evil smile

Just as Cameron was about to reply, Ariel came squeezing past Jack and Urban. “Move it!”

They both stepped back.

“Nice to see you again, Cameron”

“Wait, you’ve met him before?!” Jack said from behind her

“Shut up, Jackman.” Ariel said with a smile, not even bothering to turn around.

She guided Cameron through the house, ignoring the looks from Jack and Urban. “Don’t let them scare you, they’re all bark no bite.”

“HEY!”

“Jayla will be down in just a minute.” Just as she spoke, she saw that sparkle come back to Cameron’s eyes, his mouth wide open this time, she knew Jayla was at the top of the steps.

She looked gorgeous with her curls pinned up, she wore a beautiful teal evening gown that had butterflies all over it. It reminded Jack so much of her butterfly themed birthday party from when she was younger.

Cameron reached his hand out for Jayla to grasp on to as she made it to the bottom of the staircase. “Wow, I don’t know what to say, you look amazing.”

Jayla’s face warmed as he took a step back to take her in. “Thank you, Cam. You look very handsome.” Cameron slid on a matching butterfly corsage on her wrist while Jayla pinned the butterfly boutonnière to his jacket.

They turned back towards the parents when they heard sniffling from behind them. Jack, Ariel and Urban were all cuddled up in a hug watching the teens interact with tears in all their eyes.

Jayla immediately rolled her eyes. “Guys, stop that please.” Before giving Cameron an apologetic smile.

“Sorry, you know I have allergies” Urban spoke first

“Yeah, uh you know I’m always getting something in my bad eye.” Jack added.

Ariel fanned her face to try to get rid of the tears. “C’mon, pose nice for us so we can get some photos.”

Jayla and Cameron smiled as Urban began taking pictures of them together. The photos ended up taking longer because Ariel wanted to take some using her phone. 20 minutes later Jayla was begging them to let her leave.

“Ok, ok I’m done I promise. You two go have fun! Call me if you need anything!” Ariel said as she walked the teens out.

“Cameron, I want her home by 10:30, no later!”

“DAD!”

Ariel hit her husband on the chest. “Ignore him, sweetie! Be home by 1AM!” She said with a wave

“1AM are you crazy?!”

“Shut up, and get in the house Jackman!”

[wannaeatramyeon]

Ur thoughts on lookism ships/rarepairs? We already know that you like goo x gun, but what's your thoughts on other ships & rarepairs like Eli x crystal, Gun/Goo x Samuel, Samuel x Jake, Sally x Warren, Vasco x Jake, Daniel harem? You can add more if ya want :3

Funny you ask because I first came to the fandom to look for fanfic on canon characters and shipping. I had zero idea x reader was a thing. What shipping you ask? Whatever, gimme.

Ramblings on Lookism (Rare)pairs

Listen, I will ship almost ANYTHING if you can convince me.

Gun x Goo? Because I want to mention them again. YES. Hello? This just makes sense. I hate you, I love you, I'll kill you. If you're going to die then it will be by MY HANDS. Does it get any more romantic than this?

Gun x Daniel? The AO3 warning tags has got me swerving this pairing to be honest. However, I love the idea of these two as a cracky couple. Lots of opportunities for comedy and for Gun to pop up behind a trashcan and be like, "Hi, I was thinking about you."

Gun x Samuel? Lol. Sammy would NOT be able to keep up or hold Gun's attention. Maybe something casual until Sammy spirals and Gun nopes tf out.

Goo x Samuel? I actually think this has more legs than the Samuel x Gun pairing. Goo will be impressed with Samuel's moneymaking initiatives, and they will have a lot of unstable fun together. Secret friends with their secret kisses and activities?? Until Goo realises that Sammy is unhinged in a mentally traumatised way and not in a chaotin gremlin way like he is, then will also nope out.

Samuel x Jake? There's just so much sexual tension there. Please just kiss already (see pic above). Nothing like this pairing to bring out the worst in each other, and that's really saying something for Jakey. Could be end game if Samuel goes to therapy. Actually, Sammy in therapy would just be unstoppable. Period.

Sinu x Jake? Yep. These two green flags would be bringing out the best in each other. Insufferable martyrs though for Big Deal. God, can you just imagine how happy the Big Deal gang would be seeing these two get together?

Vasco x Jake? Huh. Never thought about it but 2 himbos? The funniest shenanigans. I do think the dynamic can get a little boring after a while without one half to anchor the other. Their flirting scenarios, however... Imagine Vasco getting all red faced and flustered with Jake's winks and one liners!

Vasco x Jace? The cutest, most supportive couple. You just know that Jace is going to be affectionately looking on at Vasco doing all his Himbo shit.

Eli x Crystal? Ehh. I need convincing. With Eli's latest character development and what I remember of Crystal, they would clash and not in a fun sexy way. Both seem too headstrong and bullheaded to get on well.

Crystal x Zoe? Like Vasco and Jace, these two would be really adorable together. Would both help each other out with their Lookist tendencies. Zoe's kindess would also help to soften Crystal up.

Zack x Johan? YES. Johan the tsundere with Zack the simp. Have you not seen what Zack has put himself through in the latest arc? Everything he's doing to bring his boy home? If we take Mira out the equation, this might as well be canon.

Vin x Zack? I could not see this at all until the latest arc and actually, these two have the funniest interactions. Vin brings out Zack's bastard side from the first few arcs. I bet they would have the most pissed off sex. Can't imagine it lasting for anything more than a casual fling though.

Vin x Mary? No. Absolutely not. Love their platonic friendship and how they are bffs more than anything. I'll be honest, if it was another writer I probably would not mind. But PTJ has trouble writing a female character with depth so. Nope. Can't be doing that to our queen.

Sally x Warren? Is this even a rarepair. Either way, meh. It's fine. If Sally was shown to have a personality, sure. These 2 can share the 1 braincell.

Daniel x Jay? They are a very cute pair, and I do like how Jay's feelings are canon. This feels very k-drama with the Chaebol falling for you.

Daniel Harem? No. I generally dislike most harem tropes, sorry.

And just throwing in Hobin Harem? Definitely not. As above. Especially because this makes me roll my eyes that it's PTJ living out his fantasies.

Lastly, clarifying that I'm not fetishising male x male pairings. When hardly any of the female characters are developed, it's hard for me to care about most het couples or fem x fem pairings.

In summary

Write anything good, and I'm IN.

[wutheringmights]

Remember when I read "Daughter of the Moon Goddess" and I complained that the prose was all tell, no show? I had the same problem with a different book I read earlier this year ("Ariadne" by Jennifer Saint), which got me thinking. Both of those books are the only first person novels I've read this year. Is first person perspective more prone to telling too much? Do I just not like first person perspective?

Well, the weather is changing. Whenever autumn starts, there's always something I want to revisit for nostalgia's sake. So I decided to give into impulse and reread one of my most favorite books, ever: "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson.

I first read this book a long time ago: when I was thirteen. I rented it from my school library and devoured it in a single night. It had an immediate impact on me. When Borders went out of business, I bought my own copy for 50% off (it's technically a misprint-- the typeset is slightly off). Hell, I even bought the graphic novel adaptation.

I love this book, but for years I have been too scared to go back to it. I was scared to learn that this book wasn't as good I remembered it, and I couldn't ruin this for myself.

But... I don't know. The shadows are longer. I'm feeling nostalgic. I wanted to experience a good example of first person perspective. So finally, I took it off the bookshelf.

And, man. What was I worried about? Not only is it good, it's better than I remember.

First off, the prose. I love the way this book is written. Yes, it's from the first person perspective, but Melinda's character is shown to us, even as she asserts her own traits. It's a wonderful example of why first person perspective works. The world is filtered through her eyes. You can feel the way she shoves three-dimension people into one-dimension molds. Her thoughts are mean and at times cruel, yet you can tell how she's always coming from a place of hurt. She's a good person. She's just in pain. And sometimes, she's mean because she's just a teen.

And I love the lyricism in its brevity. None of the imagery is drawn out, yet there's layers on layers of motifs and symbols. Anderson has a way of letting imagery sneak up on you that I think I have been trying to replicate my entire life. And she does all of this without losing the voice of a teenager.

Melinda is funny, too. Even when she's being mean, she does it with a dry wit that startles laughs out of you. But the tone and atmosphere of this novel is so strong, you don't even realize how funny it is until you look for it.

And this novel remains as one of-- if not the best--depiction of depression I have ever read. It's so vivid that it can be tough to read. But 13 year old me saw so much of herself in the ways in which Melinda was just trying to cope.

This book is written with such subtly and grace, something similar books in its genre and age range don't achieve. When I first read this book, I set out on a mission to find anything that matched up to it. I read through my entire school library's offerings. Authors like John Green and Jay Asher were too heavy handed and never managed to capture an ounce of realism. Even Andersons's other books like "Winter Girls" and "Catalyst" never managed to show me a similar kind of (for lack of better words) truth.

This book is really good. It's impossibly good. It's short, but impactful. I love it. I think this is the book that got me to care about character and inner journeys in a way nothing else had before it. This is the book that took me by the cheeks and told me that there's meaning in the mundane, that at the root of every story isn't a cool idea but a character we want to see become better. If I were to make a list of the most influential books I have ever read, this book would be in the top three.

I love "Speak." Thank you Laurie Halse Anderson for writing this book.

[chevvy-yates]

WIP Wednesday

Been tagged by @morganlefaye79 thx! <3

I tag: @imaginarycyberpunk2023, @itzsassha, @medtech-mara, @therealnightcity, @humberg, @pinkyjulien, @hydrasshole @kharonion and @elvenbeard as always: no pressure!

— VP

No plans atm other than preparing and thinking about sth for Arki as his birthday follows up next. Also promised I'll take some pics of Enzo and Jay as i couldn't make it in time for Enzo's bday. So I don't have much to add other than what I sneak-peaked last week that will be posted when I feel ready to push the button in my drafts (some pics are already months old again …). All other VP ideas are on hold as I still would liketo play the game a bit longer and only do random pics in between — but I need to solve first my problem I have with Thyjs' save data that is crashing when wanting to watch the deathshead BD in Judy's van. I want to look into it on the weekend because before I hop back into my bigger VP ideas I plan to get every oc into Phantom Liberty start and have them skilled a bit because that also motivates me to actually play the game from time to time and helps me to describe their fight style in the rp story. If I can't solve it I'll try Vijay next and see if he crashes too at the same point or not as I remember he's not far away from the Scav mission either. Then last I can try is Jay but he needs to get through the entire prologue first which will take me a weekend as well.

FIC/STORY/RP

Once I get Vijay's npv, @nervouswizardcycle and I can finally start taking story pics as well, though I believe she might just wait until she gets her new pc for that. I have overworked "The Golden Demon of Kabuki" text some months ago so it is a better readable fic now. I will place it into layout as soon as the needed pics are done. Then I'll see what happens next. Probably try and get ch2 ready.

I've said enough now, let's give you another snip-bit:

CORPO PARTY RP SNIPPET (my part only):

He noticed that Vijay says something Ry can’t concentrate on since he’s busy staring the redhead down and trying to see through him, but sees V starts walking and so he follows. They walked a bit further away leaving the red-haired man alone, Vijay pleased to stay and wait until they would come back to him. Once they were far away enough, Ryder turns around and raises his voice with a certain gnarl in his undertone “I leave you alone for almost an hour and you take the next best chance to shove your tongue down the throat of one of those Corporats?!” “Ry—” Vijay starts but Ryder is not done and so he hisses dangerously. “ON A JOB!? — Seriously V!” Scharfenberg shifts his weight to one leg, breathes audibly through his nostrils, crosses his arms and waits for V’s explanation.

Somehow Steyr finds it funny because he knows Ryder exaggerates it as always. Nonetheless Vijay feels a bit embarrassed as well because he knows Ry is also right. He should behave in a certain manner here but he is bad at being a Corpo. “Calm down man — Part of the job now,” V answers and gives him a stupid smirk. “You weren’t in reach. Had to escape from that escort chick otherwise I’d have blown cover. Unlike you I dunno how to friggin’ corpo. Dunno how to even pronounce my fuckin’ fake name either. Stainback von Kra– Krawnee–” “Steinbach von Kranichstein!” Ryder repeats fast in exasperation. 

They’ve practiced it a few times before and V still wasn’t able to pronounce it right. “Yeah whatever!” Vijay gestures with his hands. “But uh— Arki happened to—” “Oh, it’s ‘Arki’ already?!” “—chill a few feet away from me, so I took the chance to escape and, yeah — he’s my fiancé in disguise now as long as we are on the job here. He’s the dude from the Afterlife weeks ago, ‘member? Could help us out on this.” Ryder raises both eyebrows, his mouth opens a bit and he feels how Beast wants him to yell at V yet he -tries- to stay the calmest he can be. “Afterlife red haired rando? Supposed demon — your fiancé?! Alter Vadder! Tell me this is a joke!?” Ryder throws both hands in the air and makes a few steps as if he wants to walk away now and curses further in German “Ich glaub, ich bin im falschen FIlm!” He wasn’t in the wrong movie, though. “Chill, bro. I’ve got it under control. All good,” Steyr tries to calm his friend. “V, you know he’s a—” Scharfenberg starts but stops abruptly as he realizes something now that doesn’t make much sense to him. Wait. Afterlife merc rando— a true Corporate? How’s that fitting in? “He’s what?” V raises an eyebrow at that. “Forget it!“ “M‘Kay, if y’say so.” V crosses his arms, not satisfied about Ry’s answer.

“Just don’t like to get into a fucking mess,V!” Scharfenberg spits his sentence out rather inappropriately. Judging by V’s face however Ry notices it is meant seriously, so he facepalms with an angry growl as Beast already tells him to just flip the switch, turn around and kill some of those poor dancing souls behind him. “I’m not riding us into a mess. I bet he can help us to klep the info we here for.” Ryder gets immensely fidgety, looking into every direction trying to ignore the voice as best as he can. He fiddles out a menthol cigarette, lights it up and takes a few long puffs inhaling it deeply into his lungs as he walks up and down glad that Vijay waits until he’s done. The least V could use was having Ryder in a critical state on this job, so V gives his best mate time to clear his mind.

“Fine— But we’re not done talking about this!” Ryder states as he throws the smoked up stub on the bottom to rather aggressively put it out with his double varnished fine shoe. He doesn’t look amused about the fact that his best friend obviously seemed to know this dude named Arki already better than he thought. Steyr must have kept this info from him for whatever reason and he doesn’t like it at all. But since it is not part of the job right now, he accepts this now changed situation. So he takes another deep breath and says under gritted teeth “Let's get back to your new flame then, see if he can be of help as you predict and brief him.” Vijay gives him a thankful gaze. He knows it’s not easy for Ry to control but he managed well enough not to raise any suspicion and V does feel guilty too for not telling Ry he knows Arki already better than he might think. They would discuss it later. But now back to business. So they walked back to the redhead who was awaiting them back where they left him, enjoying a cigarette.

[ninjagofam]

Cole couldn't quite remember when his heart had first started to beat for the brunet teammate of his. He just knew that it did. And loudly.

For weeks after that choking feeling had appeared, Cole had been ignoring it. He didn't know what it was at first. After all, he started experiencing all this after Jay and him had made up in the tournament of elements. He had assumed it was just his body reacting to having his best friend back. But as more and more days went by, he figured that wasn't the case.

Although he didn't remember the exact day that wild road trip began, he could recall the way he cleared up what it was about. He remembered that they were all training and teasing Jay about losing his balance. Jay didn't really mind. It had been a very funny fall, after all. Cole, however, stopped in anyway, telling them to cut it out.

"Sheesh, it's as if you are in love with him or something." Kai had commented.

And although the fire ninja's words were purely a joke, the effect they had on Cole was far from being one.

So that's what it was. Love.

And so came the phase of denial.

The times Cole had mumbled to himself were countless. In his head, out loud, it didn't matter. "Come on, Cole. You can't have feelings for... For Jay, out of all people! It's... It just isn't right! You don't even know if he is into guys... I didn't even know I was into guys up until now! God, that's just so wrong..." He would burry his face in his hands and helplessly try to silence the sound of his heartbeat. He couldn't let it beat so fast. Not for Jay. Anyone but Jay.

From the day of realisation and forward, it was a pain to face Jay without getting lost in his shiny brown eyes and his genuine wide smile. His soothing voice, his jokes, his silly nervous laughter, all these made Cole feel like he were floating. His breathing became heavier, his stomach tickled and his heartbeat increased rapidly. He wanted nothing more but the ninja of lightning to return those feelings.

He managed not to let that spark inside of his stomach take control over him, somehow, but only because he had to. He knew that Jay's heart belonged to another. And he knew that wasn't going to change. Jay was happy with Nya. The two of them were made for each other and they were happy. That was all Cole wanted: Jay to be happy. And if being with Nya fulfilled that wish, he was happy too. That's what he kept telling himself.

'You know that's not what you want.' a voice at the back of his head repeated for the millionth time. 'For how long will you keep lying to yourself?'

"Forever." Cole talked back. He would have those conversations with that voice often. He knew he was technically speaking to himself, but that was all he had. "He can't know. I will make sure that he never finds out about any of this. Ever."

Besides the fact that Jay had come down with the flu, it was a day just like any other. It started out like one, at least. The ninja woke up bright and early to do their training, then headed to take a shower, play some video games and later on have lunch, except from Jay, of course. It was after all that that made that particular day a special one.

After having a long conversation about whether or not Cole's cooking ideas were good with the others, Cole decided to head to his room and call it a day. They had stayed up till pretty late, after all, which made the others headed to their rooms as well.

"'Pineapple doesn't belong on pizza'," Cole mimicked Kai's voice as he made his way down the, dark now, stairs. "I'll show you how great pineapple can really be, if you let me."

His out loud thoughts were interrupted by a quiet whimper. He stopped moving and fell into silence to locate where the sobbing was coming from. He quickly found out that the source of the whimpering was no other than Jay's room.

For a single moment, Cole froze. He wondered what had caused Jay to feel that way. What had caused his beautiful smile to disappear. The thought made Cole's heart break into pieces.

Clearing his mind, he gently knocked on Jay's door. Almost immediately, he heard him gasp in response. "Wh-Who is it?" Jay nervously asked. Cole could hear his voice break and that only made him more concerned.

"It's Cole." he responded. "Listen, Jay, I was coming downstairs and I heard something and it turns out you were crying so I decided to check on-"

"Not so loud!" Jay cut him off and opened the door. He pulled Cole inside his room, without forgetting to close the door again. Jay's hand had not really made contact with Cole's skin, as he was wearing a long-sleeved shirt, but it still made Cole's heart skip a beat.

It didn't take long for Cole to snap back into reality and notice how much of a mess Jay was. He had already been in a poor condition because of the flu, but it wasn't just that. Yes, his hair was a mess and he looked as tired as he could, but there was something more to it. His eyes were red from crying, watery still, with bags under them. His bottoms lip was slightly shaky as well, putting emphasis on the fact that he looked hurt altogether. It almost seemed as if he were about to break into tears once more.

"Okay, I am not speaking loudly this time," Cole began, ignoring the pain in his heart. "What happened to you?"

"Nothing out of the usual," Jay managed to keep his cool. "I am just very tired, I guess, heh."

"I am not talking about you being sick, Jay." Cole insisted. "Don't be afraid to talk to me, okay? I am the last person to judge you, you know that."

Jay nodded. "You're right..." he said, sitting down on his bed. "It's just... It's really dumb, okay?" his voice had started to shake again.

Cole made himself comfortable next to the lightning ninja. Seeing how Jay was about to break, thus breaking Cole too, he reached for Jay's favourite plushie, Mr Cuddly Wamp, and hand handed it to him. Cole thought it was cute that something like a plushie could hold such an emotional value to Jay. The moment he got the stuffed animal in his hands, he pulled it close to his chest.

Cole couldn't believe he was jealous of a blue stuffed bunny.

'Now isn't the time, Cole.' he thought to himself. "So... What happened?"

"I-I had another." Jay simply mumbled.

"Anoth-?"

"An anxiety attack, I mean..." he interrupted Cole.

"Oh."

Cole had known of Jay's anxiety disorder for a long amount of time, long before the tournament. Although Cole couldn't really understand how it was to suffer from anxiety, he knew it was very unpleasant and painful. At least that was what Jay had told him.

Jay had first started to experience anxiety attacks before he became a ninja. His new adventures didn't necessarily help him decrease the amount of attacks he got at first, but eventually, they did help with balancing his life style. However, as expected, his disorder was not gone just like that.

It was what caused him to panic in missions and overthink situations. It was what held him back from making steps in his life on his own. At times, it held him back from standing up for himself. From speaking his mind and fall asleep at night. Cole had seen the symptoms numerous of times but he had never been present at a full-on anxiety attack.

"Well, it was a mini-attack." Jay was quick to add. Cole noticed that his grip on Mr Cuddly Wamp was getting tighter. "A-And I'm fine. There is no need to worry."

Cole knew he had to choose his next words carefully. "What... Um. What caused you to...?"

"Well, I am already kind of sensitive right now, considering I have the flu and," Jay chuckled sadly. "I... had a nightmare." his voice broke at the word. "I..." the man closed his eyes, trying his best to hold his tears back. "I-It was pitch black and y-you were all gone. And I was alone, I didn't know wh-where I was going a-and what to do and... And..." Jay did his best to hold himself together. "And then I jumped, I-I don't know from where, but I kept falling and falling and falling and..." He wasn't even holding on his plush anymore. He had cuddled himself into a ball, resting his chin on his knees. "And I was gone, you were gone, I-I was gone and you were... Y-You were gone, you were gone and away and gone f-forever and just gone and g-gone..."

Cole had never seen such a hurtful sight before. Every sob was one piece falling from his heart. Every whimper, a punch. Every crack in Jay's voice only pushed Cole into producing tears of his own. Was that how Jay looked like when he was having an anxiety attack?

At first, he couldn't move. He was stuck in this endless loop, with Jay crying and repeating the same words again and again and again. But Cole didn't want that.

And this was why he acted.

Cole moved closer to Jay, patting his shoulder. "Jay, hey... I'm here, it was just a dream." he spoke softly, in a quiet tone. "I-It wasn't real, whatever you saw, okay? All of us are okay, we're all okay."

There was something reassuring coming from Cole's words. The sound of his soft-spoken voice jingled caringly in Jay's ears. Without thinking much of it, he launched himself on Cole, clumsily wrapping his arms around him. He continued to sob on his chest, not showing a sign of stopping any time soon.

Cole was in shock. He had never seen Jay so... Vulnerable. Jay apologised countless of times while he sobbed and even tightened his grip. It pained Cole to see him like that. The master of lightning was letting everything out and Cole couldn't help but wonder if he had ever been that open to Nya. 'Of course he has.' he reminded himself.

But at that moment, he was so close to him. He had Jay right there. In his chest. And his whole body was because of that.

Slowly, he reached for Jay's back, returning the hug. And as Jay snuggled closer, the gap between their bodies was slowly decreasing and it was driving him crazy. He knew it was wrong to even think of his undying crush on Jay at that moment but his heart was beating faster than what Jay's tears were streaming.

Once again, regardless of the feeling, Cole went against his distorded desires. He comforted Jay, letting him rest in his tight embrace, and whispered next to his ear. "It's going to be okay, Jay." he kept telling him.

The sobbing died out, eventually, and so did Cole's words of comfort. In fact, Jay was so silent Cole had to wonder if he had fallen asleep. But of course, the other male shifted on Cole's chest, signaling him the exact opposite.

Jay pulled away to wipe off his tears. "I'm sorry." He sniffed. "T-That was unnecessary."

"Hey, it's okay, you needed it out of your chest." Cole told him.

"Thanks..." To his surprise, Jay snuggled in his chest again. "You're warm."

Cole felt his jaw drop. Not only did Jay willingly lean in for another hug but he also called Cole warm. Did that mean he was comfortable? He did lean in again, after all. Or was he just simply warm? Cole's heartbeat increased once more. He had Jay close to him again.

He didn't allow himself to freeze this time. He pulled Jay closer, making sure not to put pressure on him. He felt the smaller man snuggle in acceptance. Cole always knew he was small but it was only at that moment he realised just how petit Jay was. Compared to him, Jay was tiny.

"Cole?"

"Hm?"

Cole liked it when Jay said his name. It sounded really special that way, somehow. "C-can you... Not tell the others about this?"

How could he? He couldn't even put to words what he saw. "Consider it done."

Cole could swear that he felt Jay trying to make himself comfortable on him for the fourth time that night. He wondered if it was the flu getting the best of Jay.

He was certain his heart was going to explode.

"Thanks, Cole." A quiet yawn came out of Jay's mouth while he said his name. "You're the bestest friend I could ever ask for."

Friend.

He was reminded of what Cole was to him: A friend. He knew setting his hopes up was a bad idea from the start but now it was too late. Not that he was expecting Jay to suddenly develop feelings for him or anything.

He knew he couldn't cry - but he did anyway. Everything he had been through the past year had piled up and there was no space for anything else. He was trying his hardest not to show it. And thankfully, he managed to do it.

"Jay," Cole was the one to break the silence first. "It's late. I think you should go to bed."

A grown escaped Jay's lips. "But mom, it's only five!" he joked.

"Ha, ha." Cole laughed ironically. "Nice try, young man. But seriously, it's been a rough day, you deserve to rest."

"Okay."

It may have been what Cole asked him to do but it wasn't what he wanted. He wished that he didn't have to let him go. This was the closest he had ever been to Jay and it felt incredibly right. The moment Jay pulled away, Cole was certain he had never been so cold in his life. The absence of his body on his, his arms wrapped around his waist and his heartbeat against his chest hurt him. But he knew that he was doing the right thing by letting him go.

"Cole, are you, uh, crying?" Jay noticed, rubbing his eye with the back of his hand.

"What?" Cole shook his head. "No, I am not! I'm just, very tired!" he faked a yawn. "See? Hehehe."

"That sounded an awfully lot like me, you know?" Jay chuckled. "The flu must have rubbed on you."

"You think?" Cole smirked, earning a nod from Jay. "Come on, tug under your bedsheets."

As Jay was welcomed to the warmth of his bed, Cole switched off the lights. Once again, he handed Jay his favorite plushie which Jay gladly accepted.

"Have a good night's sleep, alright?" Cole yawned. "Goodnight, motor mouth-"

"W-Wait, Cole!" Jay stopped him from leaving. "Gosh, this is embarrassing..."

"What... is it?" Cole questioned.

"Could you stay here until I fall asleep? Please?" Jay begged. "After all of this, I don't feel so... Safe right now and it's hard to fall asleep."

Cole shook his head and sat at the side of Jay's bed. "You dork."

"Love you too." Jay smiled, cuddling under his warm bed covers and closing his eyes.

It was obvious he was joking. Cole's heart didn't care. That tickling feeling was running along his body, from head to toe. His heart beat fast, in a way only he could make it do so. And as if that wasn't enough, Cole's whole face was red. He was lucky Jay couldn't see him.

They didn't exchange any words after that. Cole was left to look at Jay as sleep took him over. He got the chance to study Jay's face from a close point of view, without worrying about being spotted. His freckles rested on his cheeks and Cole would not mind in the slightest if he had to count all of them. His lips were slightly parted, allowing him to breathe at ease. He did have the flu, after all.

Without even realising, Cole found himself stroking Jay's hair. Fortunately for him, Jay had fallen asleep faster than expected and didn't notice a thing. It was about time Cole did the same.

'Would it hurt if...?' Cole leaned in closer to Jay, gulping at what he was about to do. 'It should be okay.' Although hesitant at first, Cole touched his lips on Jay's forehead, giving him a quick kiss goodnight.

He didn't want to, but he pulled away. His face was flaming hot and he was certain that his cheeks were brighter than Kai's gi.

The master of earth forced himself to stand up. He made his way to the door and stepped outside the room. He took one final look at Jay. He knew he wouldn't get to see him sleeping so peacefully anytime soon, so he took his time. His concerned look turned into a soft, small smile.

Once he decided that he had had enough - though if he were honest, he could stay to look at him all night, - he slowly pulled the door to close it.

"I love you too, Jay." he whispered, before closing the gap between the door and the wall.

[alanshee-keeper-of-realms]

Hey, OP! It's been five years since you've made the post, but is the offer to learning Ninjago Fandom Lore still open? You were there when the ancient scripture was written, you are a relic and lorekeeper of the past, and I am sitting criss-cross apple sauce and willing to hear ye olden tales. That is to say, I watched the show before s3 was even a concept, up until s5 started where I dropped it due to a combination of reasons, but I never forgot how I did want to watch it. And now over a decade later I learn this silly lego show of my childhood had a FANDOM, and I have missed all the moments with the community. Which seems very entwined with fan-show creator interactions to the point they throw OCS into their works and have fans send voice requests to sing the theme song and put it into the show finale. It's like the fandom is that child whose birthday you missed through being totally absentee. A shame :') this is my Pokemon, it's to us what Pokemon is to 90s kids. A show you could've been there since the Pilots and most of everyone is in your age range.

Of course I will always be up to speaking on the lore of the Ninjago Fandom!

Now for the newer anti groups this is your warning. We were the Wild West Kids so we did a lot of stuff that the Modern fandom would be ick about.

I guess that can be the first lore, the OG fandom had crackshipping everywhere, but some of these actually became a thing. One of the original now controversial ships that road a popularity wave alongside Jaya and, yes, Colya, was Greenflame.

Garsako was lovingly taken care of LadyMarissaGarmadon like they absolutely were crazy for it.

I was hiding in the corner with Zaya or Snow Phoenix as I called it

Bruisehipping was huge there was an artist called Blakkycat who was in the Tumblr side known for their Bruishipping Art I actually adopted their OC Chua, more lore

Serpentine Babies EVERYWHERE like everyone had a Serpentine Oc istg it was awesome Blakkys Bab Chua was one of these but he was popular due to his Shenanigans here's some Art for ya

That's Chua! So yeah I'm his caretaker now since Blakky left years ago. Blakky and I actually came up with a very Popular AU let's see if some of the Olders Remember this

Overlord Nya, and yes she's pulling a Katara and using the water in Blood to control it Blakky and I would talk for hours over this AU and the Fandom loved it just as much for a bit, Blakky created the Art I supplied Ideas.

This was I would say 2013/2014,

Season 3 oh man that was a trip, we actually Mourned Zane like held a funeral its funny now thinking it especially with how many times he's died and come back. We all really thought you know logically he was 100% gone

The Love Triangle thing was rough suddenly the Colya and Jaya fans were at each other's throats....people actually got hurt and friendships badly shattered a bunch of us were horrified like outsiders called us the most toxic fandom at least until Voltron stole that crown and we had Season 6 confirm Jaya. But this is why some wince at these ships

Nindroid Jay oh goodness Prpledragon created him and the Fandom was head over ass with AUs with this version I'm pretty sure you can still find the Comic Prple made partially for the AU

Then season 4 ohhhhhh man

I remember fondly the Tournament of Elements held here on Tumblr, like the whole fandom dozens of artists forming their own Art Tournament in honor of it

Then Zane was brought back and it was like we'd won the game celebrations everywhere lmfao

And the uproar that was Garmadons death

Ahaha I can continue but this is getting long so just let me know if you wish for more. I do indeed hold the texts and I'm more then happy to share

I have been Agent Alanshee, The Guardian Alanshee, The Winged Guardian Alanshee

And then Alanshee Keeper of Realms

For anyone who might recognized me

[arctic-oceans]

7 snippers, 7 people

Thanks for the tag @jay-avian, her post can be found here!

Sadly I didn't really understand what the rules are, so maybe I'll post seven snippets on seven characters that have been found in wgw.

This was a funny moment for me since I am not very far into my wip yet and I had to think... Have I introduced seven characters? No, no I haven't.

Juno Braudshaw

The seconds before the lightning stroke, there was silence. As blinding light tore the sky in two, the water subdued for a moment and the static in Juno’s mind quieted down. Juno couldn’t remember when was the last time they bowed their head down and cried, but the ugly sobs rose up their throat as they sucked in desperate breaths– they’d rather let their lungs burst open full of oxygen, not by the lack of it. Hot tears chased each other down their face in streams, dripping into the Ocean and ragged tremors shook their frame violently. There was no part of their body that didn’t hurt, but something about the way their throat throbbed made them wonder; it was as if someone had dug their nails deep in the sensitive skin of their neck and scratched it raw. 

Ioh Park

Juno had been broken long ago, and there was no hiding it from Ioh. On nights when it seemed like the dawn would never break, Juno and Ioh spread their beddings in front of the oven, and perched by the ashes. Only then would Ioh speak of the Second Level, in a voice softer than the feeble fire flickering in the half burnt coals. He spoke about the Ocean, and how when the sun set, the waves would turn to the colour of ripe wine and sometimes, the words stuck to his throat and he would choke on them as he reminisced the ship’s prow and the Ocean air.

Aston Metcalf

Indeed, the Stairs were visible from the train window- it hadn’t taken long before they had protruded from the summit of the Poppy Hill, although they were still blurry in the distance. Aston wasn’t sure he could have missed them even if he wanted to; he had been looking for them ever since they had boarded the vehicle- his eyes transfixed to the filthy looking glass and desperate to catch ahold of them. His heart slammed against his rib– pounding, each pulse the beat of a drum as they got closer and closer to their destination. Maybe he wouldn’t be so consumed by the idea of it had it been any other ride; but it wouldn’t leave his mind, like a feral animal trapped in a cage, ceaselessly circling the corners.

Sadly, these are the only three who have been mostly mentioned so far that are worth showing some snippets of. But here are some more:

It was even more crucial that their mathematician was worth the price they had paid for. Aston got five delhias for a day’s worth of work in the fields– sometimes, during the Summer months he might have even gotten one menha had that year’s crops been fruitful. The scholar got six hundred menhas for the calculations. A wage of a hundred days for Aston. If the estimations were incorrect even by a fraction, he might as well have killed them all before they attempted the ascent.

What once was restlessness turned into a drinking problem. Aston would snatch old bottles of aged wine from the cellar and run away at night. He’d race through the wheat fields for hours until he was panting for air, and his limbs heavy with exhaustion, and once he decided he was lost enough he’d drink himself to oblivion. He’d do anything to help him forget. He preferred the little world in his head anyway.

It wasn’t possible to climb anymore– the Stairs were too slippery. Juno’s arms were trembling with exhaustion as they desperately hung on, but they refused to loosen the death grip they had on the ladder’s metal pole; despite their bloodied palms which were scraped raw by the sea salt and the agonising pain that had almost overcome their consciousness, they couldn’t let go. As long as they were alive, they had to keep trying; they owed him at least that much.

When Seihen left, he took Ioh with him. He returned the boy to the Reformatory two days later, with a missing shirt and his back covered in inflamed cuts oozing pus made from a whip with a nasty anger. Ioh didn’t make the same mistake twice after that. Akin to the way the wind once shattered windows and doors in its passage, while now it only whistled softly through the empty rooms of a house, Ioh stilled. When there is no one in the building  to mourn what has been destructed, no matter how hard the wind blows, its spite will never be nothing more than an airy breeze passing by.

Soft tagging @imaginativemind29new @withlovelunette @obviousknife @wolfsong02 @albatris @tabswrites @cream-and-tea @cherrybombfangirlwrites @captain-kraken @faelanvance @bardic-tales @ladyazulina

[lunarifie]

Rewatching Ninjago

(with no context other than the episode)

Sons of Garmadon episodes 1-2

Omg omg omg im so excited u have no idea, their new designs were like the beginning of a new age to me

I remember Harumi and MOST of the plot so im pumped to see all of this again

this is when the animation got GOOD, ik it only gets better but i think this was the turning point

LLOYD

Lloyd hit puberty 😶

i think everyone can agree this is when Lloyd truly became their favorite

It was so clever to make it look like the oni mask ninjas were the ACTUAL ninjas only to have Lloyd swoop in.

AAAA THE ANIMATION HIS GREEN MAGIC AJFISNFJD EVERYTHINGS SO COOL

AAAAND HE SAVED ONE OF THE ONI MASK GUYS THATS OUR BOY

Why does pixal sound so different 🤨

“MASTER LLOYD”

I forgot wu was gone :(

Lloyd (after getting his car): I could kiss you pix!

Pixal: I don’t think Zane would approve

Shes so funny

AND “PIX” THATS SUCH A CUTE PETNAME

wait omg i forgot Nya never learned who Samurai X 2.0 was omg thats still gonna be a plot point

This chase scenes so good

THEY HAVE EYE COLORS NOW, WELL AT LEAST LLOYD DOES

Why are the villains always in the sewers

Wait. Ik this scene. her highness, the queen, the girlboss.

I remember screaming at this scene when i was younger

GOD this scene was so fucking good

Nya: Thirsty..?

AAAAAAAA

My favorite part out of all of this was probably how the slave henchmen were like “Its nya! The master of water!” So fearfully instead of “its the girl ninja.” You can tell she really earned a title for herself and finally got some goddamn respect.

AGAIN. THE FUCKING ANIMATION.

COLE AND JAY COLE AND JAY COLE AND JAY COLE AND JAY

I love these idiots

Jay: Cole you’re my best friend but your also my worst enemy

Jay speaking facts fr

Cole: If someone went into the past who knows how our present would be altered! We could look completely different and not even know it!

Jay: But we dont! (Promptly takes off his mask, looking completely different)

With all due respect this is probably the funniest line in the episode

I missed these idiots sm

Cole: Wherever Wu is… Its been a year.

ITS BEEN A YEAR?!?!?!

Cole: Hello! Im Cole, master of earth, this is Jay, master of blabber.

Nvm this is the funniest

Why is Jay like, so abliest sometimes 💀

Jay (screaming): CAN YOU POINT US TO HIM???

Like dude just because they cant speak doesnt mean theyre deaf 😭

Jay: Wait! If Wu lost his memory, dont remind him of that stupid TV show i hosted, okay?

THEY REMEMBERED DJFNSKFNFJNSBTNS I LOVE THIS SM

Cole (after seeing it wasnt Wu): Im tired of losing people in my life

God damn hitting us hard huh.

Im gonna start making a Everytime-Cole-Shows-Signs-of-Abandonment-Issues bingo card

Jay: Wus wise, he’d find a way to alert us.

Wus a baby. A literal child.

Jay and Cole were so annoying that they had a MONK break his VOW OF SILENCE

Jay and Cole not only had Monks break their vow of silence, they had the monks ATTACK THEM.

ZANES EYES AAA ALL THEIR DESIGNS ARE SO AMAZING

AND KAIS!!!! KAI IS SO COOL.

Oh yeah. And the mechanic from that one prison. Still super pissed he tried to take apart Zane.

Zane (trying to impress Kai): Who likes ice cream? I DO! how was that for a one liner Kai?

Oppositeshipping growing on me

Kai (frozen like a popsicle): needs a little work….

THE GANGS ALL HERE 🥰

Nyas giggles are so cute

Jay: Soooo? Are we gonna talk about it?

Lloyd: What?

Cole: Your voice! Its-

Zane (deep autotune voice): Lower.

THATS WHAT IM SAYING

Its so much nicer to listen to too, no hate to the last voice actor

I just pictured Lloyds old voice in my head bc its so distinct and omfg its so different

Wait so Lloyds mom is GONE? She left him to search for Wu, just like that?

I can get why some ppl hate her now.

Love how Nya grew to be patient with Jay and his idiotcy

The oni masks are rlly cool

The royal family of ninjago never confused me until now. Are they just royal descendants? I dont think they rule ninjago

I love Zanes switch from robot him to human him

Im gonna ignore the whole romantic plot with Lloyd and Harumi since like, Garmadon Practically adopts her later 🫠

Love the ninjas banter, especially Nya and her hate for high chair figureheads and government officials.

Zanes also speaking facts tho, traditions just as important

Its so hard to imagine that Lloyds younger than the other ninja with how mature he acts, until you realize its more of him acting like an angsty begrudged teen while the Ninja are all in their weird 19 early-20s

I love Nyas armor

Her attitudes the best 😭

Miss “theyre just figureheads 🙄” Miss “TOO much gold if im being honest, not THAT impressive 😒”

JFNDJFNDJNE LLOYD HITTING NYA SO SHE BOWS

The way Harumi/Jade Princess insults the ninja but also compliments them is so funny to me

With how personal she understands them I should have known she was the Quiet One from the start

Jade Princess: I understand you Lloyd, my parents also died when i was little

Jay, who is adopted, struggling with the the concept of adoption: wait what? But your parents are right there? 🤨

Jay: Ever since master Wu went missing Coles been a real party pooper!

DAMN💀

Jay thats so mean everyone grieves in their own way

Zane: Party? Pooper?

Jay: ill explain later

Jay (autistic) teaching learned social cues to Zane (autistic) is probably my favorite HC

Kai: Secret passage way you say… is it, HERE! (Grabs a random book from a shelf)

Kai is such a little guy, so blorbolike, my little hometown boy

I love him.

Kai, stop grabbing and throwing books 😭

The way the counsel guy just stares at Kai as he trashes the book shelf 💀

The ninjas are just so bad at first impressions i love them

Jays lil ‘hiding behind anyone near him when hes slightly unnerved/scared’ is my favorite jay quirk, as well as the raptor hands he keeps in front of him

The fancy romance music for Harumi is so funny to me

Why did Lloyd think it was just OKAY to look in her room while shes preparing her makeup

Nya and Kai: (super serious keeping watch and suspecting the counsel)

Jay and Cole: (attacking the buffet)

Rlly shows their dynamics 😭

Omg princess harumi was kidnapped 😱

Lmaooo jk i remember this

Does Harumi become redeemable after??? Bc why does she help the poor? Is that like, an actual good trait or did she do it just this once to trick lloyd?

Okay but this Lloyd and harumi chase scene is so cool I remember truly believing she was kidnapped

UGHHH why did harumi have to be evil and ALSO his sorta-step-sibling they seemed to have sm potential at first

I still find her whole character so fascinating but I kinda miss what she could have been

Harumi: Patient little ones 🥰

The way she talks is so funny im so excited for her to be an absolute menace

Omfg she stopped Lloyd from fighting the sons of garmadon because she knew she’d have to interfere and they would potentially reveal her…

Just the knowledge that shes faking everything is crazy

SAMURAI X!!!!!!!! PIXAL!!!! ❤️

RUMI! AWWWWW thats such a cute cutename

Its hilarious how the ninja thought counsel man was a villain just bc he was a dick

I hate ninjago ACTUALLY making the whole ‘Lloyd crushing on harumi’ thing real only to show that Harumi practically becomes his adopted sister later on

Truly believe that Cole saying ‘you gotta break things to impress a woman’ perfectly shows he has no experience flirting with the opposite gender

Jay: You gotta make her laugh! Ask nya, she couldn’t resist my sense of humor!

Nya: (knocks jay on his ass) its an… acquired taste…

Harumi was really like, ‘okay, guess everyone thinks Lloyd and I have a thing going on, guess ill roll with it.’ And fully JUMPED HEADFIRST into the princess with a crush role. Like She doesnt even know Lloyds around and shes faking for her PARENTS

Oooooo Ultra Violet!!!!

I remember not really liking Kai as first but hes grown on me, kinda like Lloyd

COLE FLASHBACK COLE FLASHBACK

that transition was so clean tho

I love how they use Coles old design to animate the past

OMG THIS IS WHEN WE GET INFO ON COLES DEAD MOM

Coles rlly in it if hes traumadumping to a random old man on a mountain 💀

Cole: My dads always out singing and dancing… He leaves all the responsibilites and chores for me!

Damn. thats actually so sad. he had to grow up so quick. No wonder he was the leader before Lloyd.

I love Coles subtle character development and how the fandom interprets him. At first he was an uptight serious leader who needed to be the solid rock in the formation. Now he’s more relaxed, obviously due to the friends he surrounds himself with. The fandom sees that and exaggerates him as a relaxed big bear kinda guy and i love that for him.

Im literally so mad i cant screenshot netflix, Cole in the sunset was so pretty i wouldve loved to draw him

Ooooo Counsel Hutchins has a secret passageway…. To where?

I love how ninjago will hint at serious themes like gun violence by the sound of gunshots and calling bombs ‘blastzaps’ 💀

Omfg did the palace EXPLODE?!?!?!?

Ultra Violet: (choking Kai with her thighs)

Kai (suffocating): I- I didnt even get your name—

NFJDNNFKDNSBFNSNF

HOW DID I NOT NOTICE THIS ADULT JOKE LAST TIME 😭😭😭😭😭

(Counsel getting interrogated and held down by Lloyd and a sphere comes for BOTH of them)

Lloyd: You saved me…

Lloyd can be such a dumb blonde sometimes

I CANT BELIEVE HARUMI WAS FAKING COUGHING IN THE FIRE TOO LIKE WHAT YOUUUU BLEW THE PALACE UP

Holy shit Zanes spinjitzu is so cool

Wait wait wait

Why would Harumi even MENTION the mask if she wanted to retrieve it??? Did the writers wanna throw the scent off of her THAT bad

Holy shit the mask is cool as fuck

Jay: Really? Four arms? Like thats new.

HBFKSNGJD

I love imagining the voice actors going ‘WACHA’ and other ninja noises

I feel like I haven’t stressed enough about how much I love their elemental powers now

Counsel hitchins: That mask of deception was a fake…

Harumi: A FAKE- i mean, a fake 🥺

Counsel: Im sorry, i couldnt trust the ninja just yet.

the irony is incredible

Counsel hitchins is actually such a great guy, bless him

Wait do the royal family die. Istg if they die im gonna be so sad

LLOYD LIFTED A MOTORCYCLE LIKE IT WAS NOTHING

Lloyds so cool

You KNOW the sons of garmadon are laughing at Lloyd saving Harumi

I love Violets screeches

STOP. THAT WAS SO SMART OF LLOYD

The definition of think smarter not harder

God Lloyds been through it fr

And for what??? What has he done??? Literally valueing Harumis life over the mask only to have her betray him

Give my boy a break

WAIT WAIT WAIT

ITS THE DESTINYS BOUNTY!!!!!!

Its looks so rusty and old tho? How long has it been since they used it?

Istfg the rest of these seasons the villains have to leave the bounty alone, its like the ninjas only consistent home, please just let it be 😭😭😭

Harumi: What about the emperor and empress? Hutchins? Are they…

Nya: Im sorry princess, they didnt make it…

So. The royal families just DEAD? They really reeled us in with the whole ‘theyre the only ones left of their bloodline’ AND THEN JUST KILLED THEM. HARUMIS ADOPTED. SHES NOT EVEN ROYAL BLOOD. THEYRE JUST DEAD.

Theres like a twisted sorta feeling watching this and KNOWING everything went as harumi wanted. This was her plan to the T.

[theamityelf]

How Each Descendants Character Would Be As the Mastermind (Danganronpa AU)

Mal- If she were the mastermind, she would be less of a gremlin than I establish her to be in my previous Danganronpa AU post. She would have to be Descendants 1 Mal, coyly pulling everyone's strings but never seeming obviously antagonistic towards anyone. Like, she would use manipulation and passive aggression, but no clear bullying or accusations. Also, the whole thing was probably her mom's idea, and she's doing it to earn her mom's approval. That is to say, bringing down the other Ultimates was her mom's idea; the killing game itself was really hers, and she was happy to tell Maleficent of her plan until she realized she was actually going to have to do it. Her actions are being closely monitored by Maleficent at this point, so even when she feels quietly guilty about what she's doing to her classmates, she doesn't feel at liberty to do anything about it; she already made the mistake of giving her mother access to her class, and now she's just stuck in this plot. She does enjoy some of the deaths, violence, and conflict. If someone dies in a way she finds funny, she will fully have to leave the room so she can laugh without drawing attention.

When she gets found out as the mastermind in the final trial, she puts on an evil smile and gloats and mocks everyone, but she really is not happy to lose her friends. Maybe Jay remembers something she said early on that was actually a subtle warning or hint, but she still was helping Maleficent with the killing game at every step, and it's still her fault it happened. Maybe she gets a laugh-cry in, for old time's sake. Basically, she's tormenting herself almost as much as she's tormenting them, and Maleficent is behind a lot of it.

Evie- She would make a pretty sad mastermind, I think. She's not doing this because she likes it. She has some ideology that she's trying to promote or some end that she's working toward. She loves all of her classmates and hates to see them hurt and turning on each other. I feel like, in an actual Danganronpa game, this would be a case of "something something despair" being the full explanation. Just, she fell to despair at some point and felt called to share her despair with her friends and the world, out of some warped version of charity. She's very good at convincing others to join her cause; she definitely has a whole movement behind her.

When the class finds out that she's the mastermind, she lets them yell and protest. She just stands there with a sad look while they demand why she would do this. When they let her explain herself, she is quiet and miserable but unyielding. She fully believes that this had to happen; otherwise, she wouldn't have done it.

Don't get me wrong, I can imagine a version of mastermind Evie who is enjoying herself, but this is the version I most readily picture.

Carlos- He is a mastermind who is either having a ton of fun or feels nothing. He has the tech skills to pull off pretty much all of this himself. I think I best see him as a more stoic, Izuru-like co-mastermind with someone who's having more fun, so this could be a Mastermind Jaylos situation, or Carlos and Mal. Mastermind Carlos and Evie would be a situation where neither of them is having fun, but Evie believes in what they're doing and Carlos believes in Evie.

If it is a scenario where he enjoys being the mastermind, though, I see it having vibes of "genius who was never challenged enough finally doing something he finds engaging". Operating Monokuma, controlling all the contraptions in the school, running the broadcast, and all while being a participant in the game and interacting with everyone. His shyness isn't an act; he does get flustered being around them all, and he has to be careful not to accidentally say something he isn't supposed to know, and he is fully aware that they could kill him at any time. But he finds that kind of thrilling; with his intellect, he has never had to deal with the possibility of failure like this. When he's discovered as the mastermind, he rolls up in dalmation clothes and black and red sunglasses, laughing that they actually figured it out.

Jay- He would be a pretty laidback mastermind. He's the type of mastermind who would go, "Jeez, you guys are boring me. Can we skip this part already?" But he'd say it with a smile on his face. I feel like he is similar to Carlos, in that he thought up the killing game just to have some enrichment in his enclosure, so to speak. He's a smarter guy than he gets (or seeks) credit for, and he has a lot of unprocessed issues. With his looks and people skills, he can easily trick people into helping him set this up.

On the surface level, I think when he is revealed as the mastermind, he presents himself as enjoying the violence for its own sake (similar to Mal), but really, I think his reasons for doing it could be related to his plotline in Descendants 1: overcoming his "me vs. us" thing, practicing teamwork, and more broadly coming to terms with the idea that the world doesn't have to be an inherently combative place that is out to get him. If Jay in the Danganronpa universe has the backstory that I gave him in that other post, he could easily have come to the same survival mindset where selfishness is the only way to survive, and after spending some time at Hope's Peak and having this worldview challenged by these incredibly brilliant people who he's now built relationships with, he needs to see, once and for all, if cooperation can win out over conflict. If the world isn't dog-eat-dog, then they shouldn't kill each other, right?

He was curious what they'd do. They didn't fully disappoint him. The survivors who didn't kill anyone, plot against anyone, or get killed all interest him. But in the long run, they didn't prove that they wouldn't kill each other, and he didn't prove that they all would. It's a lukewarm result. What's he supposed to do with that? Well, all that's left is to give them the choice of whether or not to kill him. They've won the game, their friends are dead because of him. But they're free to go. All they would get out of killing Jay is vengeance. Will they do it? (If they vote to kill him, he won't actually let them; he'll just mysteriously disappear with his adversarial worldview reaffirmed. If they vote not to kill him, then he has some things to reevaluate. Maybe these people really are his friends! He doesn't even mind that they think he's kind of a monster.)

Uma- This could be a case of her mind just breaking from having gotten through so many horrible situations unscathed, causing her to almost compulsively start to engineer worse situations for herself out of survivor's guilt or some other self-destructive urge. Or it could be spite; maybe she's tired of the weird social darwinism with which the Danganronpa universe treats talent and wants to show the "normal" people of the world that Ultimates really aren't so special. So, Option A- she's gone through so much that she feels invincible, but in a bad way, and has become so inured to catastrophe that she has to find some limit to her talent, and she's using this elaborate killing game to do it; Option B- she hates how the Ultimates are placed on a pedestal over everyone else and feels like she's giving something to the broader world by exposing their flaws.

Harry could either be in on the plot from the beginning (like Mukuro), be told about it during the killing game and join her, or find out when everyone else does but joins her anyway because she's the one he's closest to. Or he died during the game, worsening Uma's survivor's guilt or making her cling more tightly to her conviction that she's making a noble sacrifice. (If he or Gil dies in the killing game, she is absolutely wrecked emotionally.)

Harry- Okay, there's a yandere option and an angsty option. Yandere option: He's the mastermind because he knows that Uma is the Ultimate Survivor and he wants to see her triumph over all the other Ultimates. Maybe he didn't think they respected Uma's talent enough when they were in class together, so he thought of a "fun" way for Uma's talent to shine over theirs. (As the Ultimate Assassin, he can get very creative, as far as ways to kill people. They didn't just give him that title because of his weapon proficiency; he has great planning skills.) He has full faith that she will survive the killings, and his ultimate plan is for some fire or explosion to destroy the building after the final trial, which he is also certain that Uma will survive. ("What about the rest of us?!" one of the other students demands. "Best of luck!" Harry answers, with a grin.)

Uma would be shocked when all of this gets found out in the final trial, and after he gives a very yandere speech to her, she pretends to go along with him but then puts an end to his plan and keeps him pretty much on a leash. He's cool with it; he's proven his point, and really he didn't expect her to be willing to kill them all.

That's one all option. The other option is that actually he's only the "mastermind" in the scheme of their class; really, he was hired by some third party before school started, to assassinate them all. He still was the one to come up with the killing game, because he's still ridiculously creative about his kills. He joined the class with the intention of doing this but struggled with this decision when he made friends with Uma and Gil. He went through with the plan but does everything in his power to protect them and feels really bad about the whole thing.

Gil- Himbo mastermind. Just conceptually, I already love it. This could be because of a worldview inherited from his father (and this is about to be wildly stupid, so buckle in). Like, his strongest human connections always came with an element of sport or competition, and he was never allowed to express emotion or fondness outside of those contexts, so when he finds himself really loving his classmates, his only way to fully express the emotion of it is by making them fight.

Okay, so there was that idea. He could also be co-mastermind with someone else, which I think makes sense; he fits well into "cheerful henchman" territory, and while he is capable of hurting people, I don't think the killing game is something he would come up with or set up on his own, in most scenarios.

Although, invoking the Obfuscating Stupidity trope and making him someone who can inspire enough loyalty to get others to help him set up the killing game by acting as a himbo does seem pretty cool. Like, a version of Gil who is genuinely chill and cheerful and fun to talk to, but he also easily comes up with the killing game and has no problem setting it up, so he can watch his good friends fight all around him.

I think any version of mastermind Gil comes with some cognitive dissonance as to his own culpability. Either it's a matter of him not being the one to personally kill the others, so it's not his fault, or it wasn't his idea to do the killing game, so it's not his fault, or it's really just the circle of life and animals kill each other in nature all the time so there's no reason to get too bummed about it. Yeah, he'll miss his murdered and executed friends, but it happens. "Why the long faces, guys? At least the rest of us are still alive."

Ben- I feel like this would also probably be a case of mind break. He's the Ultimate Moral Compass for a reason; if he's behind the killing game, something has happened to drastically warp his mental state to the point where he thinks he's doing the right thing, similar to Evie and Uma. He would be a very earnest mastermind; whatever logic led him to think that this is what he needed to do, he believes in it fully, and when he is revealed as the mastermind, he is serious about trying to make the others understand why this was right and good. He really does care about his friends! He hates that they think he enjoyed doing this.

Audrey- I immediately think of a Queen of Mean situation. I feel like that would be her vibe as the mastermind. Very "Bow, peasants!" But it took magical brainwashing to get Audrey into that mode in Descendants 3, so what would get her there in the Danganronpa universe? It could be a situation where Evie fell to despair but didn't go out of her way to spread it; she just despaired quietly and channeled it into her work as Ultimate Fashionista. But Audrey, as the biggest fan of her fashion line and a princess who was already kind of on the edge emotionally, feels Evie's despair through her work and is also thrown into despair, and she's way more...proactive...about it. And she has the resources of her whole kingdom at her disposal to share that despair with her Hope's Peak besties.

Or maybe it's not related to Evie at all. But I do think she'd have to be brainwashed to go Queen of Mean.

Otherwise, as a brainwash-free mastermind, she would be very prim and a lot like Sonia in SDR2; she's bubbly and sheltered and into dark topics. Human consequences barely register to her, because she was raised as royalty, and lives are just pawns.

Chad- I feel like if he were the mastermind, he wouldn't participate in the game as an actual player; he would watch arrogantly from the sidelines and enjoy the show. The participants wouldn't meet him until the end. From the perspective of the audience, he would be very visible, in that he would be the host and have Kuzko-style interstitials where he talks about the participants over a freeze frame and makes fun of them. The killing game is his way of proving his superiority and earning the world's attention. He isn't smart enough to get all of it done on his own, but he's rich; he can afford to hire smart people to make his vision happen.

He would basically be Junko's queen persona. I don't even know if he would bother to make it a secret from the participants that he's the mastermind; he might have portraits of himself hanging all over the school.

Lonnie- She would be having a blast. She doesn't even mind being found out. She still considers all the participants her friends, and she is super companionable with them. "Wasn't that fun? Come on, I kept it fun for you guys, didn't I?" She definitely had some reason for doing all of this, and I feel like it would be a situation where some worse thing was going to happen otherwise. Like, maybe she was tasked with killing all of them (again, by some third party) but decided to do this instead; maybe someone hired her to kill them, not fully grasping that a skilled swordsperson is not the same thing as an assassin, and she pretty much just went "lol sure" but did the killing game instead. Internally calculating that if she doesn't agree to kill the Ultimates, her employer will just find someone else to do it, so she may as well set up a fun competition where their lives are enough on the line to satisfy her employers while they still have a fighting chance and she gets to enjoy the sport of it all. Or something like that. Basically, it's a combination of a guaranteed worse outcome and her thinking a killing game could be cool.

Jane- I feel like this would be an inferiority complex type of mastermind. Kind of like her outburst at the end of Descendants 1; she feels less special than everyone else, so she seizes power over them. She has the organizational skills to pull it off. I think she'd be a Laughing Mad mastermind. Like Chad, she has no larger reason for doing this. Unlike Chad, I think she would remain a participant even as the mastermind. As soon as she is revealed, she might launch into some rant about how all the Ultimates think they're so great but don't have the basic overall competence that normal people have.

Doug- I almost want to say that he would also be an inferiority complex type, but thinking about his character, I think I see him being more like, "I surprised you, right? You didn't expect that?" Idk, despite the way I tend to think of the character, his actual in-canon vibes are more "Well, that just happened 🙃" than anything, I think. Like, he would calmly admit to everything once they accuse him, like, "Yeah it was me. And the results were fascinating!" He isn't really a chummy mastermind or a sad mastermind or a broken mastermind. This was pretty much a science experiment to him.