#you cannot stop them from croc

[pluralquotebook]

crocs moment

.

[spinnysocks]

inspired by this post :)

Regularly says fuck: Kenge, Janja, Kiburi, Tamka, Neema, Nne, Tano, the Skinks

Has sworn off saying fuck, but has said it at some point: Reirei, Mzingo

Has not said fuck before, but can if so desired: Ushari, Sumu, Chungu, Cheezi

Has not said fuck before, and refuses to say it: Jasiri, Madoa, Goigoi, Mwoga

Legally cannot say fuck: Wema, Tunu, Dogo, Kijana, Nduli

[demon-at-peace]

DC + DP

Danny was supposed to be on the run from the GIW. Which he was, don't he didn't get him wrong, but he'd only had a few run ins with them, in Chicago, and NYC mainly. The foster care system was another issue. Somehow social workers were more competent than the GIW.

The first time he'd run in with them had been in Missuiri, accurate to the name it was miserable. He knew he had a baby face, he hadn't aged since he'd died after all. But was eighteen really such a stretch? he was sixteen after all!

Apparently it was, because they found the abandoned warehouse he was staying in and put him in foster care. He wasn't too happy about that. But he stayed, the Mathews were nice if a bit odd, but the GIW came to town and he ran.

They found him. So he ran again. Eventually he stopped staying stopped waiting for the ball to drop and just ran first chance he got. They started putting him in places for bad kids, places that had top notch security, still he ran. The foster system, infamously known as being terrible, kept finding him. They didn't put him in good homes, but they found him. He kept running.

Danny was done with it. Until he found Gotham, because their foster kid was practically nonexistent. It didn't really have other perks, but Danny didn't really have other options. So Gotham it was. The city was basically hell. Kinda, in reality it was just full of organized crime, violence, and death. A whole lot of death.

The dead roamed the streets, except they weren't ghosts. They were shades. Contrary to popular opinion they aren't the same.

Ghosts are their own being, an aspect of their past but not the full thing. Ghosts had moved on from their deaths. They were beings of the infinity realms. But shades are beings of the living realm. Because while they are dead, they linger, because they haven't accepted their deaths.

Danny knows he would have been a shade had he not been a halfa, he would have been watching waiting, for years. So he talks with them, to those who don't accept it, and they move on. Slowly losing the doubts from their life.

He talks and they help him in return. Shades after all understand humans, ghosts don't. They understand doubts and worries and pain. So they help him, they show him the cheapest stores. the crime free places. The best places to get free food, where to find shelter. The parts of the sewers where Grundy or Killer Croc don't roam.

So he learns, quick and fast, he knows Gotham in a way no one else does. The dead guide him. But the dead are not the only otherworldly inhabitants of Gotham. The city herself is ancient, a city spirit with so much power it's otherworldly. yet she smiles upon him.

He doesn't quite know why, he is young, weak in comparison, and yet when he asks she answers "You protect things, my city needs more defenders." He takes the duty with pride. He cannot be Phantom, but he's Danny. He's reckless perhaps, but he defends. He doesn't fail.

Ever.

Despite never failing, he gains attention. The protectors of Gotham notice him. The first time he meets them it's after a knife wound. He knows taking on the guy was dumb, but he wasn't about to let that girl get hurt. Or even worse r@ped,

He's taller, a red helmet and leather jacket. Just jazz's type. Danny meets his eyes evenly, he's dead. Partially, really it's been ages since he met someone who's contaminated. But he ignores it because they look at him with anger.

"What the fuck kid?" His tone is gruff, harsh grating, he clearly had a voice changer Danny notes. "Don't do that again, ever," the warning is ominous, Danny has no intention to listen.

so he vanishes, fleeing from Gotham's beloved knight and hiding. He feels guilty, that he's not listening. But he can't, because the shades are there. Begging him to help their home. So he does, he listens.

But he's not doing enough, he knows that. But he can't be phantom. he'll die. He doesn't want to die again. Not at the GIW's hands.

But Gotham needs him. So he fights harder. Night after night, he takes bullets, shuts down drug rings. He shuts down a trafficking ring and shows the meta kids how he can float. They giggle and laugh. It reminds him why it's worth it.

The second time he meets one of them it's a kid, Robin they call him, he's outnumbered, yet he's holding his own. Danny helps anyway. "Go away!" the kid demands, worry in his voice.

Danny doesn't care, he fights, and he takes them out. it's easy really, fighting. He's used to it, they don't even have guns tonight. The kid fights too, with worry in his eyes as he looks at Danny. Danny knows Robin doesn't want him in his city, but Danny can't leave. He won't.

Red Robin is next, blue eyes,and he moves like grace, Danny's hurt he knows, the shades muttering, scolding. He knows getting hurt makes stuff harder, he's such an idiot. And Red Robin reaches for him.

"Are you hurt?" he calls. He's judging him, Danny knows, telling him that he's weak. And he's right, so he runs. The shades guide him and he vanishes.

He meets Nightwing later that week, in the middle a taking down a drug ring, Danny fights, and he does too.

"Hey!" he calls. Danny runs, he's mad, Danny knows it's his fault for interfering, he didn't mean too. He did, he won't stop. He;s sorry.

Two days latter he is confronted by the bat, "Why are you here? Don't you have somewhere else?" he asks. Get out is what he's sayying, Danny can't there's no where else that's safe. Nowhere where he'll be okay.

So he runs.

---------

In case you didn't notice Danny's unreliable in this. So ha ha yeah the bats are trying to help and he's freaking out. So the bats perspective is coming up soon!

so kinda freaking out, so yesterday I felt bad, like puked and then just fainted, my roommate dragged me to bed, she thought I just fell asleep on the floor cause I've done that before. Am fine but thought I'd share?

also love ya'll! and I'm working on my Danny/Dick thing fingers crossed I'll be finished with part 4 soon!

Bye!

p2

[emoisthenewemu]

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TOGE INUMAKI X F! READER SMAU

A/N THERE IS LOTS OF VERY IMPORTANT TEXT AT THE BOTTOM PLS READ

pt1, pt2, pt3, pt4, pt5, pt6, pt7, pt8, pt9, pt10, pt11, pt12, pt12.5, pt14

Pt.13 “Mustard Leaf"

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Your first week back at school Inumaki avoids you like the plague. You don't think he ever looked at you once. Not when you came back into the classroom to say hi to everyone, not during conditioning (where he just so happened to be on the other side of the room at all times), not when you were being dismissed for the day and walking back to your dorms. You stand there for a while with Maki, it feels strange because you have grown so accustomed to having Inumaki walk you back to your room. But things have changed whether you like it or not. So you ignore the dull ache in your heart, looking back at the boy who definitely noticed the way you seem to be searching for him.

Turning back around you walk off, looping arms with Maki who has been uncharacteristically happy since your arrival back. Before this Maki wouldn't even hug you. He watches the back of your head, your ponytail bouncing with every step you take, your cute pink converse that you drew little stars and hearts on when the two of you were chilling in his dorm room one day. He wrote his name on them, he wonders if it's still there.

You turn around again as the boys round the corner towards their dorms, looking at person you miss most in life. The hardest part of it all-is that he is right in front of you. You had no idea it was possible to miss someone you see every day.

Maki focuses your attention back to the path in front of you, pulling you away from the trash can you almost walked into. The two of you laugh, she calls you a fucking dumbass.

Toge looks back to find the two of you giggling, it's nice to see you laugh. You've looked so sad ever since your return. His heart is warmed at the sight of you. But he catches you turning your head to get one last glimpse of him, so he looks away, acting as if he had not been stealing glances allll week.

Later that night you decide you cannot take it anymore. Siege says he's online, it's almost twelve in the morning so he has to be in his dorm. You put on a hoodie and march out there, making your way all the way across campus to the boys' dorms. They put them far apart for a reason, but you don't care. Maybe you should have out some pants on, some socks as the holes in your crocs seem to invite the cold air to go seeping through. Your body is covered in goosebumps.

You're almost there but you pause-a moment of clarity hits you.

Are you being crazy? Is this too much?

Your question is answered when you spot him standing outside. You are unaware but he is in a much similar place you are in-he would be lying if he said he wasn't walking out of his dorm with every intention to see you. That was until he actually spotted you of course, he suddenly freezes up as your figure begins to move closer.

"Toge!"

Oh fuck no.

He books it back to the entrance, but it seems he forgot-yes you are kind of fucking crazy because you chase him. Making it just in time to catch the door before he tries to open it. When did you get so fast?

"Toge no!" You plead as he tries to move your arm out of the way. And then the two of you begin to almost wrestle for the door handle, pushing your bodies against each other, using both of your strengths to your advantage. "You can't...fuck!" You stop as the boy begins to overpower you, prying your cold hands off the door. "You can't ignore me forever!"

And then you almost fall, so of course he catches you. He would never want to hurt you, but quickly releases his hold on you, slapping your hand lightly with furrowed brows. God, you annoy him sometimes. He hates the way you are fucking pouting at him; he hates the way the both of you are panting after the struggle that was trying to keep him from going back inside-he hates the fact that you are wearing shorts and no socks-shivering right before his very eyes. It's cold out here, you're going to get sick.

And then he laughs at the ridiculous situation the two of you have found yourselves in. You are definitely determined; he'll give you credit where it's due.

You giggle but are afraid to laugh too much. There's nothing funny about this actually, you need your favorite person back. He drags you inside, pulling you by the wrist and scoffing when he feels how cold your skin is. The first thing he does is grab you a blanket, wrapping it around you. And he looks down only to realize that the two of you have the same pair of crocs on. His eye twitches, yes, you annoy him.

"Sorry! I ordered them for the both of us.... thought it would be cute. That was before.... well, you know"

He rolls his eyes and sits down on his gaming chair. You sit on his bed in the same spot you always used to. It feels different now.

"Okay, so I have a lot to say, like a lot and I know for like more than half of it you're gonna be like 'well what the fuck does that have to do with me?' and you're right but I just need you to understand where I'm coming from. Why I am the way I am" You begin, looking up at the ceiling as you nervously rock your leg up and down.

He nods, purple eyes taking in every inch of you. You look so afraid.

You take the biggest sigh of your life, it feels like you can finally breathe. "Okay! So basically, when I was young my parents were in a fucking cult-the star religious group, time vessel association, whatever the fuck. And like it was really weird and scary; they were super obsessed with me and my brother. Wanted to use our power for who knows what so they would do these like experiments on us and make us do really weird shit. Honestly, I can't even remember most of it. Pretty sure I blocked that all out but just know it was fucked up. So then when I'm a bit older this guy takes over and everything gets like a million times weirder, and he starts telling us that all non-curse users need to be wiped out-that they're not pure. So understandably my parents got really scared and they wanted to leave but my brother didn't! He got really close to the dude actually and started becoming a part of whatever they were doing so he refused to go"

You breathe again and he waits, you are sure he's sick and tired of listening to you speak. You wish you could hear him speak. "And long story short, they killed him. I don't know how, my parents won't tell me, but he was like their golden child so obviously they took it really hard and that's when they started hating curse users. They ended up joining another religion-another cult that is arguably just as bad.... they did actual fucking exorcisms on me to try and drain me of my power! But it never worked"

And you begin to choke up, bottom lip wobbling at how crazy this must sound. It's exactly why you never spoke about it to anyone-you're ashamed. "And I think the only reason they let me fucking come to this school is because my brother wanted to go.... but they always fucking told me if I did one thing wrong-anything they didn't like they would bring me back home. You have no idea how many times I would meet random guys, sometimes even grown ass men that they would tell me I might marry one day....c-cause' they don't want me to end up with another curse users" A tear falls from your eye, you wipe it away with your sweater.

"They just hate me and everything I am! It hurts so much all I ever wanted was to impress them! And I'm not trying to make you feel bad for me I just need you to understand that what I did was never because of you. That you weren't enough because Toge I have never met anyone like you before! You are so so amazing and I wish I would have told you that sooner I was just afraid....and I was always in fear of what direction my life would go. Always so uncertain of what my future was gonna be.... dating anyone was the last thing on my mind. If anything, it made me hate all guys and want nothing to do with them!"

You are basically full-on sobbing by this point, ugly crying-God you feel so embarrassed. "I just wanted them to be proud of me! It's the only reason I said yes when he asked. I thought if I did something that makes them happy while also being a sorcerer they would change their minds and let me stay....because Inumaki the only thing worse than living my life wanting you would be living it without you"

"And fuck! I am just so so sorry I hurt you! I can't believe I did that to you! You deserve so much better and I-"

"Stop!" He finally speaks; the blue light of his computer makes his marking more visible than ever. You think they look so beautiful on him.

You are frozen not because you wish to be but because you have no other choice. It is like you have no free will; it almost scares you.

But he stands up and hugs you. You feel so comforted and complete, it is a feeling that nobody, certainly not even your parents have made you feel. You feel safe. You keep crying but he doesn't mind, he pets your hair and just allows you to let it all out. You aren't sure how long the two of you stay like that, but he pulls away when you finally stop. And he wordlessly drags you to the bathroom, giving you tissues and letting you wash your face before grabbing you some water.

"T-thank you Toge" You hiccup as the two of you find your ways back to sitting on his bed.

He feels bad. He had no idea all of that would be at play. He was just so caught up in you that he forgot about everything else, that life happens and not everything will go the way it's supposed to. Or maybe it does because you sit here in his arms, and it feels like the biggest weight has finally been lifted off of your chest.

He is holding you, one arm wrapped across your back and the other rests on your hip. Your head is resting on his chest, listening to his abnormally fast heartbeat but you won't question it-yours is beating fast too.

"Mustard leaf" I forgive you.

You would cry if you did not weep all your tears already. Finally, things are okay. "You're very special to me Toge. I wish I could...indulge on how I feel about you but i just can't. Not right now"

"Shhh" He comforts you, he understands. Maybe you should find a place to live in between school seasons before you worry about him. He kisses the top of your head and the two of you stay that way for a while.

The two of you stay up until morning comes, playing scary Minecraft mods and genuinely laughing together for the first time in weeks.

It feels right.

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TAGLIST: @toge1numak1 @love-me-satoru @strxwberrycandi @slutlight2ndver @walllflowerrrsss @restrictionsapply @lloversss @biborian21 @geektastic84 @tenthmilo @entr4p3 @reblogwhoreowo @idexmids @uracutieraka @linaaeatsfamilies

LMK IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TAGGED!

[ozzgin]

Can’t stop thinking about how you drew the crocs bro at least put them in sports mode their heels are hanging out 😭😭😭😭😭😭 how can you live this way with exposed heels.. what if someone steps on the back and you come into contact with horrible shoe disease on your heel 😨😨😨😨 rip but I cannot condone this have a beautiful day but I hope you never come into contact with crocs ever again 👍😔☹️

I'll let you know that crocs are the ultimate business shoe.

Sport mode? Biggest red flag. If I was interviewing someone, and they showed up with their crocs secured, I would immediately ask myself: what is this person running from? Potential work challenges? Responsibilities? Taking accountability? Are they ready to jump ship when things become difficult?

Au contraire! If the crocs are relaxed, it tells me I'm standing before a confident, secure individual. They don't need to rush anywhere. They trust their footing. Additionally, it shows they trust our company's hygiene, so much that they're allowing their naked heel to come into contact with our space. It is a symbol of mutual faith.

I'm afraid you cannot condone what is cold, factual truth. You may only accept it.

Signed, a platform croc owner

[softly-sirius]

Will you watch the Barbie Movie with me? (fem!reader)

Currently on shift: Carmen, Richie, Sydney

I know, I'm so late, I'm sorry :(

Richie:

Richie Jerimovich is not going to the Barbie movie

No way

Absolutely no way

He cannot be seen standing in line for that movie, it would ruin his reputation

Until you look at him with that look

Until you tell him you were really, really, really looking forward to it

He folds very quickly

You and Eva watch the Barbie movies you grew up with in preparation

Richie really starts to regret his choice to come with you about two movies in 

Like what the fuck is a bibble and why is it so annoying

Starts to backtrack, but it's too late, he has already agreed. 

He gets in line, dreading the next two hours of his life

Comes out of the cinema wiping the tears from his eyes, because holy shit. 

Eva is holding one of his hands and you’re holding the other. 

You end up driving the car home and he sits in the back with Eva

When he’s tucking her up for bed that night he gives her a big smooch and promises to protect her from everything. 

He’s ready to fight sexism with his bare hands for his little girl

Holds you all night and tells you how much he loves you and that he’s an alan right? Right!?

You and Eva get matching bibble Croc charms and Richie gets a complex

You do buy Richie an ‘I am Kenenough hoodie for his birthday’ 

He goes on a tirade and says he hates it, but he wears it all the time at home

It's comfy god damn it

Carmen:

INSISTS, you buy your pink outfit with his card

Releates, because you are everything and he is just ken

Thinks, Holy shit, is this really that hard for you to be a woman

Fucks you so good and praises you so much when you get home

Maybe when you’re having a talk and he’s trying to explain how he feels, is embarrassed because he finds it the best way to explain it

He doesn’t understand how you can love him so much sometimes, because he feels like you’re so amazing and he’s just ken.

When you buy him a chef ken for christmas he fucking looses it

Also, if you collect vintage barbies or are just all into barbie history he will listen to you talk about it for hours and would adore it if you showed him your collection. 

Sydney:

At first, she didn’t care at all that this movie was coming out until she found out how much you were looking forward to it

Then with Twitter and all the excitement I think she would really get into it

She would have some really cool thrifted pink outfits

I kind of feel like you would sneak in some pink cupcakes to eat at the cinema

Matching painted nails 

Probs becomes her comfort movie 

You and Sydney are always calling Carmen and Richie Ken, whether that's in front of them or when she's venting 

‘God Richie stop being such a Ken’

She is everything, you often think, watching her deal with all their bullshit. 

Still Hungry? Here is our Menu:

Wiping off their kisses

Would you love me if I was a worm?

Would you peel my orange?

[boxxing-flavored]

Okay. so, what if Abby was a popular gym influencer and her girlfriend is basically tow mater as a human… yeah, I don’t know. Just hear me out with this. Trust me

Abby’s PR manager: “Please, just one event. One. Without her chugging Monster and talking about ‘getting road head in a tractor.’”

Abby: sighs “You don’t know her. She thrives on doing this shit in front of cameras.”

- Big gym brand meet-up, Abby’s a guest speaker.

Abby’s in sleek black leggings, a matching crop top, her arms looking extra pumped. She’s calm, poised, giving a little speech about consistency and discipline. Right as she starts answering a question from a fan about supplements

You shouting from the crowd: “BABE! TELL ‘EM HOW YOU GET ALL THAT PROTEIN FROM MY COOKIN’- AIN’T THAT RIGHT?”

Abby blinks. “…I- uh… yeah, she, um, cooks a lot”

You: “DAMN RIGHT. Smoked elk jerky and them bear burgers I grilled last weekend? Shit had you growlin’ all night.”

Abby, face in hands: “Jesus Christ…”

The whole crowd laughs. Half the influencers are confused. The other half are pulling out their phones to record her. Abby’s trying to power through, but you’re already already cracking a Monster, leaning on a squat rack like she owns the place.

- product shoot for an energy drink collab:

Photographer: “We’re going for sleek, intense, hardcore. got it?”

You show up in a cutoff flannel and crocs, holding a fish she just caught that morning.

“Thought y’all might wanna do a ‘natural gains’ vibe. This here’s Carl. Caught him with my bare hands.”

Photographer: “…Who the fuck is Carl?”

Abby, sighing: “The fish.”

- Brand Deal Interview:

Abby’s trying to sound polished on a podcast. You walk past in the background shirtless with a chainsaw and yells:

“ABBY WHERE’D YA PUT MY DEER HEAD- I NEED IT FOR THE SHED.”

- The Beach Shoot:

Abby’s doing a serene promo video on the beach, running in slow motion.

You photobomb with an American flag cape, shotgun slung across your back (unloaded, but still), and two Coors in one in hand one attached to your belt. “THIS BODY AIN’T BUILT IN A LAB, IT’S BUILT IN A GARAGE, BABY.”

- Abby’s Birthday Post:

Abby posts a heartfelt gym selfie collage for your birthday.

You comments: “Can’t wait to eat cake off them thighs tonight.”

Abby deletes the comment. You posts it again. twice.

Incorrect quotes

Abby: “Don’t say anything dumb. Please.”

You: “I only say dumb things. It’s my love language.”

Abby: “I’m in hell.”

-

Abby: “You cannot wear that to my sponsorship dinner.”

You in camo overalls and no shirt underneath: “You’re just mad ‘cause I’m the hottest one there.”

-

You: “I brought protein bars like you asked.”

Abby: “Thank you- wait, this is just a Slim Jim and a granola bar fucking rubber-banded together.”

You: “…High-protein fusion cuisine.” Chefs kiss

-

Abby: “You embarrassed me in front of the CEO.”

You: “Well maybe the CEO shouldn’t have looked at my girl like that.”

Abby: “HE IS GAY.”

You: “I ain’t takin’ no chances.”

-

Interviewer: “So what’s it like dating someone in the public eye?”

You: “It’s great! I get free samples, and sometimes she lets me spot her when she does those leg things that make her ass look real-”

Abby: “WE ARE OUT OF TIME THANK YOU SO MUCH.”

-

You: “I told ‘em you’d do the push-up contest, baby.”

Abby: “You what?”

You: “Yeah, and I might’ve bet the truck on you.”

-

Abby: “Stop telling people I’m your ‘beefcake muscle mommy.’”

You: “I will not. You’re my beefcake muscle mommy and I love you.”

That’s all folks

[quillsandcravats]

Middle of the Night | Benedict Bridgerton x fem!Reader | Ch. 1: My House of Stone

Summary: The year is 2025. When you move into Bridgerton House as its new curator, you don’t expect to fall in love with Benedict—a charming, enigmatic artist who seems to belong to another time. But as your connection deepens, the house begins to whisper its secrets, and you uncover a devastating truth: Benedict died over two centuries ago. Bound to the estate by betrayal and an unfinished life, he is forever thirty, a love you can touch but never truly hold. And when the past finally catches up with him, you must face an impossible choice. Pairing(s): Benedict Bridgerton x fem!Reader Rating: M Warnings: modern!AU, paranormal!AU, ghosts, hauntings, major character death, paranormal romance, angst, whump, descriptions of violence, death/dying, grief, trauma Crosspost: AO3, do not repost my fics anywhere! A/N: Here is Chapter 1 of a fic I cannot stop thinking about. I haven't felt this passionate about writing a multi-chapter fic in years. I hope you enjoy! Thank you to my beta @monaskydancer <3 SERIES MASTERLIST

“This is Bridgerton House.”

The taxi driver's loud voice snapped you out of your half-asleep daze in the backseat. You jolted upright, your mind still groggy and fuzzy, and ran a hand through your messy hair, attempting to tame it back into place.

"Thanks," you mumbled, rifling through your purse for a tip. You handed it over through the center console and quickly pushed open the door.

When you stepped outside, your gaze immediately fixated on the imposing and elegant structure towering before you. The red brick walls were lovingly adorned with wisteria vines, exactly as they appeared in the photographs. It was clear that the Bridgerton Foundation had poured their heart into nurturing those vines, letting them thrive and blossom year after year. Nearby, a plaque adorned with a delicate bee and an ornate, swirling 'B' was affixed to a metal stand beside the green door, its weathered paint peeling and chipping away.

As you lifted your eyes to the towering structure, a flicker at the edge of your sight snagged your attention. It seemed as though a pair of eyes were fixed upon you from one of the distant windows. But, as you inhaled sharply and tried to focus, they disappeared.

‘Seriously? Calm down, y/n. It was a trick of the light, or maybe a curtain that caught a breeze. Think rationally - you cannot walk into this house paranoid,’ Your inner monologue rambled on.

The cab driver placed your bags beside you, drawing you back to reality, and carefully lowered the cat carrier next to them. The bulk of your belongings had already been shipped from your old apartment —a modest collection, since your new place came furnished. The idea of settling in seemed doable; as long as you had your smartphone, your espresso machine, and Mr. Darcy, you figured everything would be just fine.

Just then Claire Watts, the CEO of the Bridgerton Foundation stepped out of the front door. As a proud descendant of Viscount Anthony Bridgerton, her gait seemed to echo the legacy of her esteemed lineage. She wore a tailored camel coat that highlighted her slim figure, with a fitted turtleneck underneath and a chic black pencil skirt. A sparkling, jewel-encrusted bee-shaped brooch added a touch of flair to her outfit. Every detail of her look was perfect, with nothing out of place.

You suddenly cringed at your clothing choices, wishing you could magically switch out of your sweatshirt, leggings, and Crocs like Cinderella prepping for the ball. Luckily, you had remembered to refresh your deodorant after touching down at Heathrow.

She sauntered down the sidewalk towards you. "Y/n! Welcome! It's so great to meet you face-to-face finally," she said, reaching out for a handshake.

You grinned, "It's good to meet you, too. I'm super excited to check out the house in person, and to be here, of course.”

Claire smiled softly, her eyes drifting to the pile of your luggage at her feet. "There's no elevator in Bridgerton House, I'm afraid," she said, a hint of apology in her voice.

"Oh no, that's okay!" You chuckled, adjusting the strap of your shoulder bag. You reached down and picked up Mr. Darcy's carrier and hoisted one of your suitcases. "I'll just have to make a few trips, I guess."

Claire shook her head, her expression turning determined. "Oh, no, that's okay. I'll help you."

"And here are your quarters," Claire announced, her hand firmly pressing against the door, which creaked in complaint as it swung open. The wooden door unveiled a medium-sized room, bathed in the glow of the afternoon sun filtering through large windows. A queen-sized bed stood proudly in the center, its quilt neatly folded at the foot. Against one wall there was a polished dark oak desk paired with a matching dresser.

"You'll have full access to the bathroom down the hall," Clare continued, motioning towards the hallway. "It's fitted with a claw-foot tub, but be warned—the plumbing has a mind of its own and is overdue for another update." She hesitated before adding, "And you have a kitchen available, though it's situated on the opposite side of this wing."

"That’s all perfect. Thank you again for the tour.”

As you spoke, your nose suddenly tingled with an unexpected scent. It wasn’t necessarily unpleasant, but it was reminiscent of aged leather, smoky and musty, like the inside of an old library. Confusion washed over you as the aroma shifted, morphing into the rich, earthy scent of tobacco, then transforming once more into the sharp, pungent tang of turpentine. You coughed lightly, your eyes watering as they tried to adjust to the sudden assault. It dawned on you that the paint on the walls might be quite aged, which could explain the turpentine.

"Oh, the smells," Claire offered you a knowing smile. "People complain of these smells that come and go. They’re harmless; the team and I think it is because of the ventilation system we’ve been trying to get set up," she explained.

You nodded, attempting to buy her words. "Right, right," you chuckled, stepping into your room.

‘Weird smells and messed-up electricity. It’s giving ‘Amityville Horror’, you thought as you chewed your bottom lip nervously.

"Well, it’s getting quite late," Claire mentioned, glancing at her Apple Watch. She sighed as a text message illuminated the small screen. "And I’ve got to take my daughter to her ballet class, and I have pilates during that, so…" Her voice trailed off.

"Of course, of course, go right ahead," you encouraged. "I’ll try to get the WiFi set up."

Claire nodded a hint of relief in her eyes. "Good luck. The electricity can be a bit unpredictable in here. Every time we try to set up the Internet, it goes haywire. We can’t figure it out. Maybe you can help us with that?" Her words lingered in the air as she typed out a message on her phone before dropping it into her large designer bag.

"Yeah! Totally," you replied with a bright smile, watching as Claire waved and turned to walk down the hallway. Her heels clicked against the floor, creating an echo that lingered even after she disappeared from view. Mr. Darcy meowed softly at your feet, weaving himself in graceful figure-eights around your legs. "Okay. Okay, I know, you need to eat," you said with a sigh.

Later that night, you laid curled up in bed with your dog-eared copy of Little Women nestled in your hands. The cover was faded and the spine was cracked, evidence of how many times you had read it. You had propped up your pillows just right, forming a cozy nest, and were snuggled under a pile of mismatched blankets. You never tired of following the March sisters' lives. You could probably recite entire passages from memory by now. With all the change swirling around you, having something so familiar and comforting felt needed.

Mr. Darcy was on your lap, his rhythmic purring vibrating through the fabric of your pajamas. Suddenly, a loud crash shattered the tranquility, as if someone had dropped a stack of plates in the kitchen. You jolted, sending your cat scrambling off your legs with a yowl. His fur bristled, but you had no energy to acknowledge him as your heart raced.

"Hello?" you called out. You got to your feet, hesitantly inching toward the door. You debated whether or not to grab your bedside lamp as a weapon. You chose your phone instead, flicking on the flashlight feature as you headed into the hallway.

Mr. Darcy darted under the bed. It was unlike him to be easily spooked, but you figured he was still adjusting to the new environment. You walked slowly down the hall, bypassing multiple sets of doors. In some ways, the house felt like a labyrinth.

You heard the floors creaking around you, the noise echoing ominously from the last room on the right. "Screw this," you muttered under your breath, shuffling forward hesitantly toward the door. Gathering some courage, you pushed it open, your hand frantically flipping on the light switch next to the wall, ready to confront an intruder. Instead, the room was empty, except for a window slightly ajar, letting in the soft night breeze.

"Of course, it was just the wind," you said out loud, relief evident in your voice as you switched off your phone flashlight.

As your eyes got used to the room's lighting, a feeling of awe hit you. The walls were adorned with incredible portraits. Faces from history gazed back at you, their tales woven through time, stretching over generations. You moved in for a closer look, feeling the coolness of the hardwood under your bare feet. You glanced up, absorbing the intricate details of each portrait. First, you focused on the portrait of a young brunette couple. You observed they were surrounded by seven children, not eight.

As the memory of the Bridgerton family history unfurled in your mind, you quickly connected the dots: the distinguished gentleman with the poised demeanor must be Viscount Edmund Bridgerton, and by his side, the graceful presence of Viscountess Violet Bridgerton. Edmund had passed away before their youngest, Hyacinth, was born, indicating this portrait was likely painted about two years prior. The cherubic infant in the painting was unmistakably Gregory, the family's second youngest.

Strolling through the gallery, your eyes danced over the various portraits lining the walls until one captured your attention. It depicted a young man exuding an air of refinement, his posture upright and his expression serene yet commanding. He was dressed impeccably in a high-collared white shirt, adorned with a finely tied baby blue cravat, and a tailored navy blue waistcoat. The painting was so expertly rendered that it seemed to breathe with life.

You leaned in closer to the painting, your gaze tracing the intricate interplay of light and shadow across his face. The artist had masterfully captured the sharp angles of his jawline and cheekbones, which stood in striking contrast to the gentle curve of his lips and the soft arch of his brows. His eyes, painted in a deep, almost mesmerizing shade of blue, seemed to lock onto yours with an intensity that made your heart race. The fullness of his lips was accentuated by a subtle hint of rosy pigment, suggesting a warmth that softened his otherwise cool demeanor. You couldn't help but let your eyes rest on those lips, lingering a moment longer than you had intended. Your gaze then drifted upwards, taking in his hair, deep brown strands that tumbled in a thick, slightly wild mane, as though his fingers had just tousled it.

As your fingertips brushed against the intricate patterns of the ornate frame, a tingle traveled down your spine, making the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. The temperature in the room seemed to plummet. You shivered slightly, reminding yourself that Bridgerton House’s heating and cooling system was still a work in progress, and attributed the sudden cold to the draftiness of the old mansion.

Leaning closer, you squinted at the small brass plaque affixed below the portrait.

"Benedict Charles Bridgerton, Born 1786, Died 1816," you read aloud. "You were only thirty," you murmured with a furrowed brow, half-expecting the painted eyes to blink in response.

The scent returned, a heady mix of tobacco, turpentine, and aged leather lingering in the air. You sniffed again, turning on your heel to pinpoint its source, your footsteps echoing in the silence. Just then, a faint creak resonated from the distant shadows of the hall. The sound sent your heart racing, and you stifled a scream when, without warning, the lights flickered out, plunging you into the suffocating blackness of the portrait hall.

series taglist: @monaskydancer @dorianellle @benophiepie @folkwh0relover13 @whatcjdidnext (message me to be added to the tag list!)

[hexalene]

I had one of THE cutest interactions today. I was at a St Patty’s Day Parade, and because my family is AMAZING we had literal front row seats.

However, some of the people we came with never claimed their chairs.

So standing behind us is this young black family, man and woman and their son, who could NOT have been more than six years old (their race is relevant…so’s mine, I’m white, you’ll see why this matters just trust me).

He’s enthusiastic, but CLEARLY exhausted. You’ve gotta walk a long ass way to get here, no parking, it’s early in the morning, and it’s absolutely freezing out and he’s just shivering and just doesn’t seem to be having a good time (like, there was no way he could even see anything), so we tell them he can have the extra seat next to me, and I share my blankets with him.

He IMMEDIATELY perks up. Now he’s sitting, he’s warm, AND he can see the parade?? Amazing. He literally cannot stop giggling with excitement it’s so cute. He keeps shyly tapping my arm and pointing to the different acts walking by us and telling me what he likes about them or asking me questions about them. His excitement is so infectious. He’s a little scared of the sudden loud noises, but he’s doing his best to stick it out! (The loud drums would make him hide under the blanket, omg it was so cute)

He’s also full of St. Patrick’s Day Facts. He HAD to make sure I had plenty of green on. Very important. He also gave me some stickers and a temporary tattoo of a leprechaun. ALSO VERY IMPORTANT.

Did I know that leprechaun’s had gold hidden at the end of a rainbow? No, this was absolutely incredible news to me, he had to tell me everything.

He knew what the kilts were. They were NOT skirts even though they looked like them, and they were from a country far away where St. Patrick came from. And the people in kilts all played bagpipes. ALL OF THEM.

He had a lot of St. Patrick’s Day clothes on today, and he picked them all out himself. He had a new shirt, a new pair of pants, new socks, AND his favorite green hulk crocs. He also had a new green hoodie and sunglasses. Don’t worry, I did let him know he looked very very cool.

He was probably the MOST excited to show me his haircut. He said “also, LOOK AT THIS” and pulled his hoodie down, revealing a brand low haircut with really clean edges. He was VERY proud. I told him that I should have gotten my hair done for St Patrick’s Day too.

This kid looked so confused lmao, he said “but girls with really really long hair don’t wanna cut all their hair off!” And I said, that’s true, I would have to get something different.

He then points to his mom and says, “YOU SHOULD GET BRAIDS LIKE MY MOMMY! SEE! SHE GOT GREEN BRAIDS, YOU COULD DO THAT!!”

I died, it was sooooo cute and so innocent (；▽；) I of course told him I’d look at getting some green braids to decorate my hair and then he got distracted by a marching band throwing beads but omfg he was such a sweetheart. The poor baby wanted to stay for the whole parade but he got tired and fell asleep about halfway through even with all the noise, and his daddy took him home.

The parents were super sweet as well. I didn’t get a chance to talk to them too much, but I hope they all got home safe and sound! They did leave early, so they wouldn’t have too much trouble with the post-parade traffic nonsense.

Tbh, I had a great day. I kinda had a lot more typed out about everything else I did, but I think it went on too long and really I just had to share about this cutie patootie. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!

[trtlebuns]

Who would’ve thought?

Random things about T141 + Alejandro & Köing

Tags: Fluff and cursing (maybe?)

Alejandro Vargas

my man my man my man!!!!

Alejandro HATES!!! Spicy foods, even though he is Mexican and grew up in a Mexican household he CANNOT handle anything spicy

Wakes up at 6:45 everyday

His comfort clothing includes: a tank top or T-shirt with grey joggers and black/socks

He would often cook the meals (very house husband of him)

Hates alcoholic beverages, like he’ll drink them but won’t enjoy them

Favorite color is: Rosewood Pink

Favorite ice cream flavor is strawberry

He doesn’t wear cologne

He takes his skin care VERY serious

When he’s angry or excited he would talk in his native tongue

Will call out of work if his hair isn’t “hairing”

Likes to kiss you on the forehead near your edges

Likes to watch you get dressed

Wants to have a big family

If he could be any cartoon character he would be Milo from fish hooks

Has a tattoo of your initial behind his ear

Köing

Listens to lofi and jazz

A light sleeper

Hates pickles

Wears his mask in public but at home he wears a big sweater with a large hood to hide most of his face (specifically a deep purple sweater)

Likes all of the avengers movies and if one is coming out he would buy tickets in advance (like 3-6 months in advance)

Likes strawberry milk but is severely lactose intolerant

Hates raisins but likes grapes

His comfort outfit would be: at home, a onesie to match yours or if in public ( like he goes out there willingly) would be a hoodie and joggers with crocs

Enjoys putting on his eye makeup while you do your makeup

Still doesn’t know what “beat this face to the gods” mean, even though you only say it when you do your makeup

Is happy with being with you and having a cat or two (or any small animal of your choice)

Prefers to eat ketchup with anything

Likes sardines

Likes to hug you from the back

Favorite color is: Mulberry Purple

He wears your initial as a chain

Has a dad sneeze

GHOST (Simon Riley)

Hates anything super sweet or sweeting in general

Prefers coffee (black) over tea, but would drink it if it’s the only thing around

He likes pumpkin spice lattes (yes he’s a basic bi- brit 🫣)

Secretly adds weapons to you car every time he gets in it

Like why do you have a knife in your cup holder?? How did that get there, you wonder

Orders steak every time you guys eat out anywhere “fancy”

Wears a face mask when he’s out

Your nickname for him is “beady eyed brit”

Only kisses you on the cheek and the temple

He rolls his eyes at everything

“Omg mon, you didn’t have to get me this??” You said happily as you hugged Simon. “I wouldn’t have gotten it, if you didn’t stop pestering me about it” He sighed and rolled his eyes knowing that he would buy you the world if you only mentioned it once

He loves peppermints

He likes to watch you…just do you

You’re in the kitchen? Boom, he’s leaning on the fridge watching you. You’re in the bathroom fixing your hair, Boom, he’s sitting on the toilet seat just staring. You’re walking around talking on the phone? Boom, he’s right there in arms distance listening and watching you. Just watching

He listens to classical music

Comfort fit: anything that’s lying on the floor closest to him or anything that seems comfy to him, could be shorts and a shirt or joggers and topless as long as he’s comfy he don’t care

Prefers to be just with you but wouldn’t mind stretching the family

He likes to skip rocks

He knows how to skateboard

Weirdly obsessed with peanut butter because of the “protein”

Favorite color is: Juniper Green

He goes makeup shopping with you because you need to know what type of eye makeup he wears that lasts through literal war

SOAP (Johnny Mactavish)

Hates coconut flavored anything! It could artificial or down to the real deal he HATES IT

Likes to yell at the tv

Must take a bite of your food, it doesn’t matter if you both have the same thing or not. He needs a bite and his reasoning is “I’m testing for poison”

Get you a man who CARES!

Would rate your burps out of 10

Let’s you paint his nails

He spills the tea and so do you

Johnny bursts through the door, and started you “BIIIIIIITCH!!!” Johnny says as he shakes his head walks towards you, you already know the tea is piping HOT! “Let me tell you what price done said over the phone just now” he says as he props down on the bed and you get into a sitting position “I’m all ears babe” you get ready for the most juiciest information of you life

Likes to pee/shit while you’re in the bathroom (it’s his favorite activity)

He rock climbs for a hobby

Favorite color is: Coin Silver

Always calls and never text in advance that he needs to talk

Comfort outfit: pajama bottoms, bunny slippers, and topless or a tanktop

Likes to sleep in cold temperatures

Tackles you with hugs and kisses whenever he sees you

You’re on the phone trying to pay a bill? Boom, he’s right next to you kissing your head and hugging you from the back. You’re trying to get ready for work? Boom, you’re making out and now you gotta call off work…AGAIN!

Listens to a lot of Megan thee stallion because he heard you playing thot shit

Hates the texture of cottage cheese

He’s a horrible cook and so are you, but you both try your best and end up ordering out

Likes to throw things at you and act as if he had no idea what you’re talking about when you ask if he threw something at you

“Ow, what the fu-“ you say as you scratch your head and look at the ground and see an orange crayon on the floor. You look up and see Johnny at the table with a coloring book and crayons “J did you just throw this at me” you question as you raise the crayon. He looks and you and you look at him… “I have no idea what you’re talking about” he says calmly as he goes back to coloring. You sigh, “then how did this get over here?” You roll your eyes and put your hand on your hip. “It must’ve been already over there” he shrugs while continuing his activity with a small smirk pulling at his lips

Likes to eat haggis ( Scottish bastard )

Knows how to play the flute

He would like to have 3 kids and 2 dogs (specifically a Rottweiler and Doberman)

[thefourthwifeoftengenuzui]

I saw that your requests were open so I was wondering if you could do Asahi x reader? Maybe relationship headcannons? You can have creative liberty with everything else though.

Thank you ^^

ofc Anon, happy to help ya out! This is my first time writing for Asahi, but honestly it should be pretty easy, because I’m an asahi Kinnie. Love y’all sm, if you liked this, make sure to like, follow, and if you curios, just ask

warnings: Swearing, crack, fluff? Mentions of vagina? Has one section implying a AFAB reader, but is only one paragraph. If you aren’t a pussy owner, pretend it’s a papercut it literally the same results. I tried to make it as gender neutral as possible.

status: edited, but at like 3am so read at your own risk

💜Asahi Azumane💜

💜Boyfriend Headcannons💜

First things first, Man is so freaking shy. Like goodness, he wouldn’t be able to talk to you when he has a crush on you. So, if you want results, you have to A) Be confident, and B) be in a place he’s comfortable interacting in. Like at volleyball practice (Gia- Joden shut your ass up, your AsaNoya is showing.) So, for this let’s just imagine you’re a second year, helping Kiyoko manage the team. Yeah that sounds a lil familiar but shhhhhhhhh, let me have this.

Once we get over the hurdle of him actually asking you out (AKA Tanaka bullying him into doing with some, if you don’t do it, I will,) Be gotta be the biggest sweetie ever. Like I’m used to writing for assholes, but I physically cannot with this man, this pure sweet chipotle bowl of a man. The most shit I can say is that he’s a pussy.

Please. For the love of God (Gia- You called?) Play with his hair. He will literally melt like butter into a blushy slushy mess it’s so freaking adorable.

The literal epitome of pit bull energy. Like so freaking terrifying on the outside but inside? Literally the softest thing since Japanese pancakes. And because of this, mfs be terrified to talk to you. Like even if he’s so polite, things don’t change. What he says- “Hi, I’m sure you didn’t know, but that’s my partner , and it looks like you’re making them very uncomfortable, could you please leave them alone.? Thank you! 🌸☺️🌸” What people hear- “Aye yo, what ya doing with my girl buddy? You tryna start something, I’ll fucking kick your ass *insert Tanaka face*”. Yeah, it’s a common occurrence for people to tell you to blink twice if you need help.

Even though he’s canonically not planning on going to college, he’s still above average in school work. Not really in terms of analysis and problem solving, so his best subjects are stuff he can just memorize like science or History. If you happen to be weak in either of those, he would be more than happy to help after practice or during weekends. He’s super patient with you and often suggests snack breaks and other things whenever it gets to much. (Because of that he’s also really good at helping you through panic attacks, more on that if I do a part 2.)

In terms of cringe, the cringiest thing y’all do would be like seriously basic couples costumes. And I ain’t talking joker and Harley Quinn type bs (that fr can be cute sometimes,) I’m talking moth and lamp type shit. I know it’s probably adorable to some of yall but it gives me the serious ick.

Speaking of the Ick, man uses the most horrendous nicknames unironocally. He doesn’t do it all the time (especially after Tanaka nearly pissed himself after hearing him trying to be tender.) like I can just hear him saying, “Hey muffin, can you grab my bag from the club room? I have to help clean up.” (Gia- joden ewwwwww stop it that’s literally so gross.)

reads you the Bible

Yall know that one comic where it’s like killer croc and his girlfriend walking around and she tells him how much she loves him and how safe he makes her feel? Yeah that’s literally yall and it’s so precious. Like just imagine walking anywhere and everywhere holding pinkies (my gay lol heart is melting) while he’s just being a blushy mess.

Noya is the main wingman, but still doesn’t know on how how you got together. His idea of friendly advice is, “QUICK BEING W PUSS AND ASK THEM OUT LIKE A MAN ASAHI😤.”

Regardless of if you are a titty owner or not, please don’t take your shirt off around him, he will literally malfunction.He will literally have an aneurysm. Like mans nosebleeds will rock him like a rocket. Like man will be in the morgue from blood loss. And we still need this man for cuddles, so no. Kill the spike not your boyfriend, can i get an amen 🙏?

He is the most precious fluffy boyfriend possible. Like he’s the sweetest of all beans. Like you could ask him to murder someone and he’lll just be like, “Yes Sweetie anything you say dear 🌸🥰🌸.” Kinda like Gojo in that one jjk scene (the I’ll murder you one)

he loves restaurant dates, but like don’t take him anywhere who only has spicy food. I love this man with all my might, but he is a serious pussy. Like my goodness has the gracious. And he won’t even say anything about it. My poor baby will just suffer in silence. So please don’t, he’s a poor baby.

This one’s for all my long hair honeys. One word. Hairties. Hairties Galore. He never has enough. And he always has them at the ready. But on the unlikely chance he doesn’t, he has no problem using your scrunchies during a game, and it’s seriously the softest marshmallow man move ever. I can not emphasize it enough.

ok this man if the favorite of all of his younger cousins. Like the little dudes love just climbing on them. He physically cannot say no to them. So, what’s something they force him to do? Watch Disney princess movies with them. He knows all their names trust. His top three definitely Jasmine, Belle and Cinderella, trust me on this.(Gia- fuck sukuna, Asahi x Cinderella for life lol) He gives the most insane Disney adult energy it’s insane. (Gia- joden, chill with the slander mate).

He is a living random fact generator. No I will not elaborate. He watches that kind of YouTube shorts. He’s so boring I swear to fuck.

(I had to Make Gia write this lol) This one is for all my pussy people. He gotta be the most worried individual on this side of the nuthouse whenever you’re bleeding. Like the second he hears your on the cycle it’s, “OMG ARE YOU OK, ARE YOU DYING? OMG MY GIRLFRIENDS DYING, HELP WE NEED TO GET YOU TO THE DOCTORS! PLEASE DONT DIE ON ME BABY! DO YOU NEED PADS, HEATING PADS, IBUPROFEN, CHOCOLATE!?ILL GET YOU THAT, THE VERY BEST BEST QUALITY-” please shut him tf up. He’s gonna have a panic attack, please calm him down,

for us non pussy personas, just imagine you got a paper-cut. He literally acts the same way.

For my final big thing, ima just give ya’ll little addicts exactly what yall came here for: Crack. (Also yes a changed some lyrics, I ain’t about to whitewash no characters)

Tanaka- EVERYBODY SAY SAUSAGE KEEP IT GOING, EGGS BACON GRITS

all- Sausage!

Noya- IMA SKINNY BITCH BUT I STILL TAKE

all- Sausage!

Bokuto- GOT A FAT ASS BUT I STILL TAKE

all- Sausage!

Oikawa- GOT A FLAT ASS BUT I STILL TAKE

all- Sausage!

Y/N- WAKE UP IN THE MORNING GOTTA EAT THAT-

all- Sausage!

Hinata- IMA RED HEAD BUT I STILL TAKE

all- Sausage!

*Literally everyone is gay in this show so I’m not including this verse*

Yachi- CUTE GIRL SWAG BUT ILL TAKE YOUR MANS

all- Sausage!

Asahi- hagsaggecgedhurdgiitg

all- Sausage!

Saiko- Big tits, and I’m thick so you know I take

all- Sausage!

Kuroo- Yeah I read but but they’re all about

All- Sausage! Sa-Sa-Sa-Sausage, Sausage

kiyoko- I like girls, can I still take sausage?

All- AYEEEEEEE

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

bro I ain’t gon lie, I had so much fun writing this, but I’m sorry I took so long Anon, I love all of yall so much, but I also am smack in the middle of exam season, and your boy needs his degree. If y’all love this, then feel free to ask for more, it’s free, and like and follow me. Love y’all lil freaks,

Joden (edited by Gia)

[riddle-me-fear]

Hi Riddler! Big fan, love the riddles and the murders etc. I was wondering if you have any friends besides Crane, or does your big brain, ego, and obsessive compulsive swagger make friendship unnecessary? Or maybe just not viable ? Maybe you should ask Joker out for coffee, he seems like a reasonable guy.

Jonathan Crane | The Scarecrow

Eheh, oh this oughta be intrestin'.

Edward Nygma | The Riddler

Quiet, you! This question is for ME! Anyway, contrary to popular opinion, I do have what I'd consider friends. But you are right about one thing, in the past I've indeed found it extremely redundant, and, as you've mentioned, unnecessary to have anything but employees, acquaintances at best. That was until...

Jonathan Crane | The Scarecrow

Penguin.

Edward Nygma | The Riddler

Yes... Until Oswald... But! That's in the past now, no reason to dwell on it. Nevertheless I've learned the value of friendship, as cheesy as it may sound. Friends are more useful than mere acquaintances, more reliable, and also far less likely to betray me. You know, dear anon, I find your first instinct to name the Joker as a potential friend quite amusing, and I don't know if you're stupid, ignorant, or downright trying to insult me. No, friendship with the Joker is more Selina's thing, even if I still cannot understand how or why she does it. Well, that aside, let's get back to the far more important subject - me, obviously.

Jonathan Crane | The Scarecrow

Pff, obviously.

Edward Nygma | The Riddler

I will choose to ignore that taunting comment this one time, Jonathan. For now. A pressing question must certainly be on your mind, dearest anon - Who are The Riddler's friends? Luckily for you, I am in a good mood to provide you with an answer. Firstly, Jonathan and I have a mutual friend very dear to us, Waylon Jones, otherwise known as Killer Croc. Comes as a surprise, doesn't it? Moving on, there would be fellow intellectuals I quite enjoy the company of, such as Calendar Man, Clock King and King Tut. Harley is also a friend of both myself and Jonathan, despite me continously making efforts to wipe her clown boyfriend off the face of the earth. I have Jon and Pamela to thank for that. Speaking of Poison Ivy, we're sort of on good terms with her, but I wouldn't consider her a friend.

Jonathan Crane | The Scarecrow

Ya forgat someone.

Edward Nygma | The Riddler

Hm? Mmmh no, I'm fairly certain that's all of them.

Jonathan Crane | The Scarecrow

Tetch.

Edward Nygma | The Riddler

The Mad Hatter- Oh please! He may consider me his friend, for whatever ungodly reason, but the feeling certainly isn't mutual!

Jonathan Crane | The Scarecrow

Aw come on, Eddie, he ain't that bad. He likes you.

Edward Nygma | The Riddler

He is an irritating, disgusting little lunatic, I truly do not understand how you can tolerate him. His "tea parties" which he forces you to participate in, if you want to keep your head, is the dullest, most understimulating waste of time- I swear I've lost a couple of my precious brain cells because of him. Ah, and also, did you listen to anything I've said before? The whole "less likely to betray me"-bit? We're both running out of hands to count the many times Jervis has bailed, ditched us, and sold us out.

Jonathan Crane | The Scarecrow

Hm. Fair point.

Edward Nygma | The Riddler

I'm glad we're seeing eye to eye on that matter. Haaaah, in any case, thank you for the questions, dear anon. I think I've quite excelled at answering them, if I say so myself. Now one last thing before I stop talking, as I can see Jon's patience waning from the corner of my eye. Since you're a fan of my riddles, why don't we end it on one, hmm? I'll even go easy on you.

Riddle me this!

I am alive, but do not breathe. I always move, but never truly leave. And if I die, you will die with me.

What am I?

[nonsensicalramblings79]

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and parallels in OFMD

2.7k word meta

If you haven’t read my other post about why I’m talking about albatrosses in the first place, read the first part of this and come back! All of this will make the most sense if you read all of the parts I’ve written – I’ve split them up for ease of reading, because holy shit this is long.

TWs: animal death, blood, eating animals, starvation, emotional abuse, physical abuse, gunshot injuries, suicidal ideation, canon-typical mental health problems

MAJOR OFMD SPOILERS THROUGH S2E03

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

Let me start out by saying that yes, this is anachronistic – this poem wasn’t written until 1798. I also don’t care: Oluwande is wearing crocs, Stede’s “corpse” is crushed by a piano whose maker won’t exist until 1863, Blackbeard’s got his whole leather-daddy getup, Zheng Yi Sao won’t be born until 1775 – OFMD plays fast and loose with historical accuracy, and I am never going to dismiss an OFMD theory because the timeline doesn’t match up :P

Now that that’s out of the way, a little bit of background information. Long summary incoming.

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is a poem written by English poet Samuel Coleridge. The story is told through the words of the mariner, who has recently survived some horrifying ordeals, soon to be told to a poor unsuspecting stranger who just wants to attend a wedding. As the story goes, the mariner set out with his crew of 200-some-odd men, and everything’s going just peachy until some storms pick up and drive them toward the South Pole. Stranded and lost, the crew fear for their lives, until an albatross appears. At the same time that the albatross appears, the storms clear, the helmsman is able to make their way through the ice of the South Pole, and a southern wind picks up, pushing them back north. The albatross follows the ship, but the mariner believes that it is somehow responsible for the mists and fog that now surround the ship, so he shoots the bird with his crossbow. At that point, the fog and mists actually do clear up (by coincidence or otherwise) – and the crew praise the captain for taking down the bird.

But it’s a fickle crowd – soon the wind stops blowing, and the ship is becalmed; the crew blame the Mariner for killing the bird that had been their good luck. They sit in the middle of the ocean for days or weeks, dying of thirst. They cannot even speak, they’re so thirsty – but they make sure that the Mariner knows that he is to blame for this by tying the albatross’s body around his neck and forcing him to wear it like a grotesque necklace. Eventually, everyone on the ship except the Mariner dies (there’s a bit here about Death and Life-in-Death rolling dice to see who lives and who dies – the important part is that none of the crew survives).

Finally, the Mariner is left alone on his ship of corpses, which strangely do not smell or rot. He wishes he could die, but he doesn’t. During this time, he begins to appreciate what there is left to appreciate – the life around him in the ocean, in the air, “all things both great and small” – and the curse is lifted from him. The albatross detaches from around his neck and sinks into the ocean.

From this point on, the story goes about as you’d expect – the curse being lifted, the wind picks up again, setting the Mariner speeding back home (though, perhaps unexpectedly, his crew gets to come back as zombies for a short while to man the ship until it reaches land again, at which point they die again. RIP). As the ship is coming upon the Mariner’s homeland, it sinks like a rock to the bottom of the ocean – a hermit happens to see the Mariner floating out there and comes to pick him up, thinking he’s dead. When the Mariner opens his eyes, the hermit believes him to be the Devil himself (I mention this only because I think the wording of “Demon? I’m the fuckin’ Devil” lines up perfectly with this).

As penance for shooting the albatross (as if all of this so far wasn’t enough), the Mariner spends the rest of his days wandering the earth, telling his story and making random wedding-goers sad.

HOO BOY, that was a lot. (A whopper, one might say.) Thanks for sticking with me so far.

Now, some of the parallels between this poem and the events of OFMD are more neat and tidy than others are. The biggest parallel, obviously, is the link between the albatross and the “impossible birds” that Ed references in S2E01 – the entire reason I started reading this poem to begin with. The links between the show and the poem are not ones that I think the characters in the show (Ed) are consciously making. I think these allusions more reflect the themes and symbols that the writers and directors want us as the audience to pick up on. Therefore, the “impossible birds” conversation in canon is not talking about albatrosses in the sense that they are commonly referenced in literature, as the proverbial weight around one’s neck that represents guilt – but we can still talk about that symbolism outside of canon.

And talk about it I will.

For those of us who have watched the show, it probably goes without saying that Ed’s got a fair amount of guilt, shame, psychological trauma, etc. that he carries around with him. So if we’re going to invoke the albatross metaphor following S2E3, what specifically can we say is Ed’s “albatross?” There are a few candidates that immediately come to mind. It could be his guilt surrounding a) his father’s murder; b) Lucius’s attempted murder; c) the abusive, toxic relationship that he carried on with Izzy; or maybe even d) himself.

That last one is a little esoteric, so let me explain. Ed hates himself – aside from all the self-destructive tendencies as evidence, he admits it out loud in his dream with Hornigold in S2E03. I wonder if the albatross that is hanging around Blackbeard’s neck is Edward – the real Edward, the one that is more than just his fame, his terrifying persona, his violence-as-a-form-of-love tendencies – the Edward that Stede fell in love with. I wonder whether Ed’s guilt surrounds more than just how he’s hurt others, but how he feels he has killed a truer, better version of himself, and that he can never regain it. In line with The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, killing this “albatross” of a better Edward didn’t just kill him – it killed everyone around him as well. And now, after he has borne the blame of others for having gotten them into this situation, he is forced to wear…himself. The guilt that weighs him down is the knowledge that there is a version of him that was loved, that Stede loved, and in his eyes, he has killed that version of himself.

I want to take a moment to acknowledge a post (or several posts) that I saw several months back in relation to season 1. In these posts [Link1, Link2], smarter people than me drew a connection between a metaphorical albatross and the black cravat that Stede gives to Ed – and that Ed continues to wear until he and Stede change into their privateering academy garb. Something both of those posts touch on is how the cravat represents Stede, and I think that is completely true; however, I posit that the cravat represents the fact that Ed is lovable.

Something that’s been pointed out in the past 48 hours since these episodes dropped is that Ed is not wearing the cravat during the first parts of season 2. Only when he essentially decides to kill himself via storm do we see him once again wearing the cravat (the cravat is also noticeably absent from the purgatory dream sequence).

What exactly this means is still shaky to me – in my mind, Ed does canonically see the cravat as a reminder of his “real” self, and he puts it away and tries to hide it while he’s still…well, functioning is far too strong of a word, but at least not actively suicidal like we see at the end of episode 2. I think hearing Izzy supposedly shoot himself is what pushes Ed over the edge into being actively suicidal; perhaps at this point, some part of Ed is still hoping against hope that he can convince himself not to do it, to wait for Stede. Alternatively, it may be that if he dies here, he wants to take the idea of a “better him” with him.

In the sense of the cravat representing the albatross (meaning the cravat presence is not a choice of the characters, but of costume design), the cravat being missing during the batshit-insane-high-on-rhino-horn Kraken era may represent him not actually feeling the guilt of losing himself during this time. He may have actually convinced himself that a lovable version of himself never existed, and he’s living guilt-free. The guilt comes back when he hears Izzy shoot himself – he’s reminded that he caused this by killing a version of himself that Izzy trusted and even loved, in his own fucked-up way. From then on, the cravat is back on – the guilt is back, and it’s strong enough to induce the kamikaze-type rage we see in the storm.

(Important to note here that while I stand by this interpretation, I’m not sure how it fits with the fact that Ed is wearing the cravat just after the Krakening – the moment when he’s looking back on the island that he just abandoned the Revenge crew on in S1E10.)

I’m leaving this one for myself to come back to later on the off-chance I have some sort of epiphany.

Oh wow, you’re still here?? Probably time for a water break. Go on, the rest will be here when you get back. And there’s unfortunately quite a lot more that still needs to move from my brain to this Word doc.

Ready? Ok.

So that’s one possible interpretation of what Ed’s “albatross” is – I won’t spend time on other possibilities because what I’ve laid out here is the interpretation that I most strongly subscribe to. But all that is only really addressing one part of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Granted, it’s the most important part, symbolically, but there are some other parallels that I want to address that together convince me that the writers of OFMD are actually, specifically referencing this poem.

Obviously, there’s a parallel in that both the happenings of the poem and OFMD occur on actual, physical ships, captained by the man who ends up “shooting the albatross” and being rightfully blamed for it. Both of these ships suffer because of the dead albatross – physically, both ships are taken through devastating storms, and both ships are falling apart. The ship in the poem stops moving indefinitely because of a becalming (all wind and ocean currents stopped); the Revenge stops moving indefinitely because Ed removes the wheel. Both ships suffer casualties – in the poem, everyone dies, and on the Revenge, those crew members may be physically alive, but they are haunted by it. The poem makes note of the fact that the crew died of thirst – while this doesn’t seem to be a main concern on the Revenge, the show does show us, rather graphically, that they were beginning to starve, having to catch and eat raw seagulls to survive (note that dead birds are also a recurring theme in OFMD, leading me to believe even more that albatross references are intentional).

There’s an interesting pattern in the poem concerning dead people – specifically, how they don’t seem to be entirely dead at first. Firstly, the crew that die of thirst drop dead, one by one, on the deck of the Mariner’s ship. However, the poet notes that the bodies did not decompose or smell. Later, these bodies are resurrected by whatever sea spirit chooses to spare the Mariner’s life, using the bodies to man the ship and sail it back to shore. When they are done with this, they drop dead once more, staying on the ship as it sinks to the bottom of the ocean. When the hermit finds the Mariner floating in the ocean, he thinks him dead, before the Mariner’s eyes shoot open (similar to a certain someone at the end of S2E03).

In season 1, I can’t think of any instances wherein someone was presumed to be dead, but actually wasn’t, aside from Stede’s fuckery. However, this theme has come up at least 3 times in season 2 so far: Lucius being the obvious one, then Izzy, and finally Ed himself (and if I’m understanding correctly, Ed was actually, literally, cold-in-the-ground physically dead, not just “presumed dead.” This might be clarified in a future episode). That seems…intentional.

Side note: how long was Ed supposed to have been dead? Days? Didn’t anyone notice that he wasn’t, like, rotting? Especially when “the smell of rot” has been something that very consistently shows up in the show when it’s relevant (see: Lucius’s finger infection, Ed being able to smell Izzy through the walls of the ship).

One more thing: the last thing that the Mariner sees when leaving the shore, and the first thing he sees when he gets back? A lighthouse. Now, could that just be a coincidence, with lighthouses being a very common image in sea-based stories? Sure. But I’m choosing to believe that this poem was chosen (and yes, I say chosen – as in the writers took inspiration from this poem) specifically because it has so much imagery in common with OFMD.

These are admittedly tenuous links between the poem and the show, but they are links, so I’m including them.

The last thing I want to mention about this poem is how its “moral,” if it can be said to have one, is to treat living things with respect – you as a person do not live in a vacuum, and your actions have consequences for others, not just yourself. And I think this sentiment lines up incredibly well with a line that Jim has in S2E02:

…

There was a time when life meant something on this ship. When we lived for each other.

…

According to Jim (and according to literally everything the show has been telling us), the ship was a safe place when the people onboard cared about each other. Fang mentions that Blackbeard didn’t even react when Ivan died; Blackbeard callously shoots his first mate, with the intent of having him killed; he doesn’t even care about his own life and whether he lives or dies. Just like in the poem, this is the issue that needs to be resolved in order for the curse to be lifted – the Mariner (Ed) needs to rekindle an appreciation for life. In the poem, this is a simple “every living thing is special” kind of epiphany – I get the feeling it’s going to be a much more complicated journey in OFMD, especially since the show as a whole is somewhat irreverent concerning the deaths of non-recurring characters. For Ed, I imagine it’s going to be more of an appreciation for his own life – not the value of life on the whole, but the value that his life holds.

So. That’s a lot of words that I just typed – I’m hoping at least some of them made sense. Huge thank you to anyone who made it this far! This is all I’ve got on this particular poem, but I’ve still got more things I want to say about another poem called L’albatros (Charles Baudelaire) and how it relates to Ed and his perception of himself. It’s a huge stretch to say that this poem exists in-universe and Ed has read it, but it makes sense to me and I want to get my thoughts down on (virtual) paper – I’ll link to it in the original introductory post (link to that at the top of this post!).

Let me know what you think!! This silly, stupid pirate show will be consuming my thoughts for at least the next several months, and I’m dying for some reciprocal opinion/info-dumping. Inbox is open!

[stars-n-spice]

TBB S3 TRAILER

Holy FUCK I was not prepared for this.

As soon as I saw the trailer posted on Instagram, I grabbed my laptop and casted the trailer on the TV and stood in front of the TV like an old asian man; hands behind the back, spine bent, feet planted shoulder width apart.

Cannot believe it's finally here and I've got a lot of thoughts that I'm going to put under the cut because holy shit, this trailer hit me like a brick.

Idk if they will be comprehensive honestly but I'm writing them down as I rewatch the trailer.

In summary though? This season is going to absolutely wreck me and I will never recover from it emotionally and probably financially too if we get a new wave of merch and shit with it too.

Anyways, thoughts and reactions under the cut-

What the fuck are they doing with that transport? They stealing something? Retrieving something? Is it a tank? Hello, where is Echo??? IS THAT FUCKING CROSSHAIR?! IN S1 ARMOR???

PHEE GENOA!! so fucking great to see her again, I'm going to be absolutely devastated if they show us her reaction to Tech's supposed death.

CAPTAIN REX MY LOVE YOU'VE COME HOME!! "I thought the end of the war would mean the end to losing more of our brothers" <- that better be about Tech and not about Cody, so help me god-

OMEGA'S NEW HAIRCUT :( she looks so much older now :((

STOP CROSSHAIR LOOKS SO FUCKING SAD. I feel terrible actually... this is like,, this is a shell of a man,, like,, this is a man who's got like,, nothing. He looks awful and I swear if he doesn't get some peace of mind I'm going to lose my mind.

"Omega's been waiting for us a long time." NO NO NO DON'T FUCKING DO THIS TO ME. I SWEAR TO FUCKING GOD IF YOU DO A TIMESKIP, ANY MEASURE OF TIME THAT OMEGA HAD TO BE WITHOUT HER BROTHERS AND WONDERING WHEN THEY WERE GOING TO COME AND GET HER IT'S GOING TO BREAK ME. I fucking hate timeskips so much, I swear if she's been by herself for more than a year, or even just a year, I'm going to be PISSED. If she doesn't get the chance to be a kid like she deserves I'm going to fucking lose it.

PALPATINE?! "There is nothing of greater importance to secure the purpose of this Empire" <- y'all talking about cloning? About cloning Palpatine because you have to explain why "somehow Palpatine returned"???

HEY WHO THE FUCK IS THIS?!

Holy shit the animation is really good. Like that whole fighting montage?? The fucking scene on the bridge looks like,, fucking live action to me. Idk how to describe it but the animation is fuckng beautiful and I wish Star Wars did more animation because this is gorgeous.

FENNEC SHAND MY LOVE!! MY WIFE RETURNS!!! PLEASE BE IN MORE THAN ONE EPISODE MY QUEEN I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!! and Cad Bane is there too ig-

"They are coming, for all of you." <- who is this. do not come for me but I cannot for the life of me figure out who this is. It's not Cody, I don't see the scar. Someone help me out here-

WOLFFE IS BACK BABY!!! FUCK I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE HIM IN TBB ART STYLE

HUNTER ON PABU! Thinking they probably went back after everything and I want to see how they've adjusted and settled in, please, I am begging.

My baby, my angel, myivida, the light of my life. Fuck it's so good to see and hear you again. If anything happens to you I swear to god-

LMAOO DID HUNTER JUST GET YOINKED BY A SPACE CROC?!?! WAIT THEY'RE ON THE BOAT WITH FENNEC!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAA

There are two clips that allude to the fact that they get Crosshair out of there before they get Omega and I'm going feral over it. If this means we get them reuniting with Crosshair sooner than later I'm fucking ecstatic. Like because,, that's Crosshair's rifle and they clearly cropped the screen for the sake of the trailer, right? Right??

Hey where is the zillo beast?

ASAJJ VENTRESS??!?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?! You're telling me,, I get a season,, with Wrecker, Wolffe, Fennec, AND Asajj? Oh be still my beating heart. Anyone hear something meowing?

Also I know in the trailer it seems like she's facing off with TBB but the backgrounds don't really seem to line up so I'm hoping they don't actually face off with each other.

Tech literally only being indirectly mentioned and showing his death scene again but recolored and shit makes me feel all kinds of things.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

3 EPISODE PREMIERE?!?!?!?!?!?! fuck me.

Echo wasn't in this trailer enough and where the FUCK was Cody?!?!?!?!

Fuck.

[ringleaderscarletshadow]

AU where Waylon Jones/Killer Croc is Nino and Chris' father? Cause Nino and his brothers doesn't have official parents yet so I thought it was funny if Killer Croc is their dad.

I had too much fun with this one...

Adrien Does Not Listen

Ship: Nino Lahiffe & Waylon Jones, Nino Lahiffe & Adrien Agreste

Rating: General Warning: None Category: Gen Media Type: Fic Word Count: 1,000 Additional Tags: Ladybug Wielder Nino, Turtle Wielder Nino, Waylon Jones is Nino's Father, Mirabat Bio-Parent, Adrien's selective hearing, Arkham Jailbreak, more tags to be added

Summary: Nino and Adrien move to Gotham. Adrien finds a portrait of Nino's family that he has never seen before that reveals why they chose this city of all the ones in America. Alix, Marc, and Nathaniel tag along for the adventure.

Note: This took longer than expected. I'm so sorry because I love this idea so much and would love to try again. I'm thinking maybe a combined fic of a few characters realizing their parents are all rogues, so they have to come to terms with that.

Bio-Parent Month Prompt: Day 5 ~ Portraits Bio-Parent Month Bingo Board: Free Space

Ao3 Link: To Be Added (It will get posted in June)

Adrien picks up a dusty photo from the bottom of Nino’s packing box. He coughs after blowing it clean. 

“Are you good over there, Adrien?” Nino calls from the kitchen. 

“Just clearing the air and this picture. I don’t think I have ever seen this one before.” Adrien squints at it.

Nino stops his unpacking to join Adrien in the living room. A smile comes across his face, instantly recognizing it. 

“That’s an old picture of my Dad and I. You know he lives in Gotham, right?”

“What…” Adrien’s jaw drops.

“Dude, why do you think we are in this city otherwise?” Nino shakes his head.

“Because rent is cheap and no one would think the son of a deceased billionaire would come live here in a regular apartment?” 

Nino places his hand on his hip. Adrien lifts one hand in defense. 

“You aren’t wrong but we also could have gone anywhere else and rented an apartment.”

“I actually bought the entire apartment building…” 

“Adrien, what part of that does not give off red flags?”

“So that father of yours, where can we find him? Let’s go visit him.”

Adrien skips his way to the other room, leaving Nino to properly sigh at his best friend. He was used to Adrien getting out of things this way. It is part of what makes Adrien himself.

Nino gives an eye down the hallway, making sure Adrien is not heading back. He picks up the portrait. 

This was the last picture Nino had before everything in Paris went down. His father is all he has left. It truly was why Nino swayed Adrien into picking Gotham.

Nino hears Adrien coming down the hallway. He wipes the tears away. He is fine.

“Okay, so Nooroo insisted that I bring them alongside Duusu but Pollen and Trixx want to come too.” Adrien avoids eye contact.

“I claim them.” Alix announces herself.

Nino was wondering when they would show. Alix, Marc and Nathaniel decided to join Adrien and Nino in moving to Gotham. 

“Pollen and Trixx have gotten so much time away from the box. Why not bring Roarr, Diazzi and Xuppu?” Nath poses the question.

Adrien leaves the room again before Nino can give his thoughts. He turns to the trio.

“He has no idea where your father is, does he?” Marc frowns.

“Not at all. I am not sure we will need all the kwami but having a little fun in a new city cannot hurt. Screw with the local heroes while doing some dual wielding exercise.” Nino smirks.

Nino had been the only miraculous wielder to have two miraculous until they defeated the Butterfly. His father had given him a turtle shell bracelet as a way for Nino to have a piece of him while he was away.

It turned out to be the miraculous of protection. The mystery figure who passed out miraculous left the earrings of the Ladybug to Nino without knowing of him having one already. This would end up being the winning factor for the crew. 

Alongside Nino, Alix received the Black Cat miraculous. The two would be able to stand on their own until Butterfly figured out how to get around the eyes of the duo. That’s how Marc and Nath came into the equation.

“Okay, I have got the goods. Who wants who?” Adrien holds the miraculous out like they are playing cards. 

Alix gladly accepts Xuppu’s circlet and Nath claims the anklet. Marc reaches to Adrien’s collar, taking Nooroo’s brooch. Adrien gives a playful pout as he places the panjas bracelet on.

“I’m ready to go have a fun night of patrol. Where’s our first stop?” Adrien shines a big smile.

“Oh, you’ll see.” Alix teases.

Adrien gains a narrowed glance to Alix before the group heads off. They each pick the form most appealing to them for the new city as their base transformation.

Alix the Black Cat, Marc the Butterfly, Nath the Rooster, Adrien the Tiger, and Nino sticks with the Turtle. 

The As exchange way too many cat themed puns on the way to Arkham. Nino almost considers having the two go off on their own while the others go to get his father out but Alix really wanted to meet him.

They finally make it to the establishment. Adrien is stuck with all eyes on him. He blinks. 

“Your father is in Arkham?? He’s not just an officer, is he…”

“Adrien seriously doesn’t know your Pop is a rogue?” Kon says nonchalantly, closing the portal he opened to join them.

Moving away from America to find a way to be a hero of his own brought Kon to Paris. The sunglasses he happens to find on the table of his apartment turn out to be a miraculous. 

“Hey, you don’t have to be more of an ass than you already are Kon.” Alix smacks him in the back of the head.

Nino ignores the crew. He focuses on the task at hand. Kon and Adrien stop their bickering. 

Marc takes his position as the communicator while the others plan to make their way into the building.

One elaborate escape plan later…

“So these are the friends you made in Paris? The blonde is a bit scrappy.” 

“Hey! I prefer bird brained.” Adrien pouts, crossing his arms just like Duusu always does.

“I never thought that I would see you with any other miraculous than the turtle. How did you get the Ladybug? I had no idea that miraculous was in use or any of these for that matter.” Nino’s dad asks.

“That’s a long story sir. Your son was at the front of it all. He is a natural with both miraculous. You have a miraculous too, right? Killer Croc must be one.” Alix asks the question lingering in the group.

Waylon smirks. A little croc reveals itself from his false gold cap. 

“Nino, when were you going to tell me that both of our parents held miraculous?”

“I already did.”

~

End Notes: Adrien's a little slow but we still love him. Also, I have no idea why this is one request that I took directly as writing a piece for. I guess I've been gone long enough that my brain skipped the fic plotting stage...

Also, my inbox flooded with so many Bio-Parent requests. Someone remind me to go back and do the Marc as Dent's kid idea because I plan to do the Rose one.

Thank you for the request Anon!

[charlesandmartine]

Sunday 3rd November 2024

Anticipating the early alarm clock disturbance, I rose even earlier. We had to get across town to get to the Nitmiluk Gorge boat jetty for the first tour of the day. It used to be called Katherine Gorge, but these days, the correct term is in the language of the original owners of the land, the Jawoyn people. When John Stuart first came across Katherine, he named it after the wife of his sponsor, James Chambers. Well, that was fine for 150 years or so, but in 1978, the Jawoyn peoples declared they wanted their land back, please. In 1989 it was returned to them, but the Gorge was leased back to the government.

The Gorge is, in effect, a collection of 13 pools, connected and partially navigable in the wet season. Navigable by salty crocodiles, that is, mainly from what I gather coming from the Timor Sea. Were it not for a series of rockfalls, water levels would not build up sufficiently for boat travel. The most westerly pool is some 230m higher than sea level at the river end. Our tour today took us along two adjacent pools and necessitated changing boats from one pool to the next stopping to admire some very high up cave paintings. The waterways cut deep into the sandstone rock, which from the air would look like a crack. The steep craggy sides cut with caves inhabited by Fairy Martins stood vertical, impressive; now dry before levels once again rise some 30 feet during the wet. As we weaved around bends in the pools, we could not fail to be in awe of the stunning architecture of these rocks, the reds and browns of strata. Little by way of birdlife visible as most had moved north to where we had come from in Yellow Water. We did see the Fairy Martins, a white heron and osprey. There would be freshy crocodiles in the water, but with temperatures as they were, the crocs would stay out of sight. Freshy crocs are OK, being smaller and not tending to eat anything bigger than them. Nasty nip though I guess if you upset them. The saltwater crocs go back to sea when levels fall. Any stragglers get moved on.

Great trip, lasting 2 hours. A path to one side of the jetty took us on a climb to a lookout point high above the Gorge. From there, once again, we seemed to be able to see forever! It really cannot be emphasised enough, this is a big country with space for a landscape that stretches for miles. There is no pylon, or building or aerial or anything in the distance. Just more of what is in front of you.

Having had our fill of views we started to make our way down the succession of stairways. Now we didn't really take delivery of our allocated fly, probably till we left Darwin. So it was that halfway down these very nice open stairways that finding in the heat my fly particularly irritating on the side of my face, I gave it a flick. Unfortunately, as I did so, the degree of force applied did not take into account the installation of my sunglasses sharing a similar position on my face. The outcome being that my Ray Bans flew off at a trajectory more usually associated with a cruise missile. Were I to have been in less precarious circumstances, this might have been more manageable with an outcome less severe. As it was, before the glasses had reached the end of their short but extreme flight and onto scree some few feet below the staircase, I had already finalised a costing for their replacement! However, cost of replacement is the mother of invention, so methods of retrieval needed to be considered. Sending Martine down on a stick was possible but undesirable, so a succession of sticks poking at arms length eventually retrieved the said miscreants. I think I should have won a goldfish!

Temperatures now in the forties, we headed back home. On route, though, we couldn't resist a stop at a cemetery to have a look at previous fellow travellers in life. It turned out to be a relatively modern cemetery with no graves much older than 1935 but more commonly 30 or so years old. I was particularly struck and concerned with one plot where there was sound coming from it! Not so much muffled screams of Help! more a kind of hum. It's amazing what technology can do, it just begs the question, why?

A brief stop at the BottleO for replenishment of SB and we made for home at last. To buy the wine, we had to show ID to a very large imposing tattooed policeman at the entrance to the drive-through offie and also at the counter. So now we are on our decking, sipping SB and gazing out across the meadows, watching the cattle settle themselves for the night and the sun now low in the evening sky. The farm dogs are in their pens, and I am planning the evening meal. Because it is a cool 37 degrees at 18.30, I am cooking a vindaloo with the remaining rubbery chicken. That should warm us up, I feel.