theskeptileptic

[theskeptileptic]

❤️

A boy and his cow🌾

[theskeptileptic]

All this *and* y’all! It’s FREE writing! Isn’t that cool? Is that wondrous?? People do it because they enjoy creating!!!!

What a beautiful thing to witness in a really stressful world. Let’s not make it more stressful because something’s not to our taste.

as someone who loves comics, hell as someone who got into this fandom because of comics, the comics-reading fandom commentary i keep running into that seems set on villainizing non-comics reading and fanon-enjoying members of fandom by complaining about the fic that gets published is seriously exhausting at best and deeply frustrating at its worst.

and let me preface this by saying, if you actually want to try and analyze perceived trends in good faith, by all means, do your fandom meta, so long as you are not treating other people like problems that require solutions. the solution starts with you. focus on changing your mindset from that of entitlement to appreciation. you are not owed quality fic- whatever that looks like to you. a fic not being to your preference doesn’t make it any less a labor of love, a creation that someone spent their free time putting together and sharing.

also i do scroll/block. i am not being “forced” to engage with this rhetoric. still, the prevalence disheartens me because this attitude runs in direct contradiction to what my understanding of fandom/ao3 is.

is fandom not the space to have fun with our blorbos? to share headcanons and art and analysis and connect with those who share our love and vision? do you forget that the A in AO3 stands for Archive? that the T in OTW stands for Transformative? why is it so offensive for someone to write and post a fic, to an archive, that is OOC to you that you have to complain about it in a public tumblr post? why does seeing someone enjoy and/or create something you dislike warrant you going to the town square and bitching? what gives you the authority to tell someone whether or not they deserve to exist in the fandom? are we not all guests?

just because we’re all in one fandom doesn’t mean you are the target audience for every creation. especially in big fandoms, where the breadth of interpretations is vast. like. you do know that even if every person who posted a batman fic read the comics, you still wouldn’t like every fic? something not being canon to you, while perfectly valid, doesn’t change the fact that it is or was canon and therefore may very well be canon to someone else. and vice versa! not to mention that someone can read the exact same comics and reach an entirely different conclusion. they can love the same character and see them totally differently.

y’all stroll up to a sprawling potluck, see some dishes you dislike, and start crashing out like. pause for a second. damn. you don’t have to eat any of that!! i don’t really care if you have a hard time finding fic you like, because, what? you think that makes you special? do you want a medal or consolation prize for doing what literally everyone who uses ao3 has to do to find fic they like if they’re picky? should i marvel at your commitment to only consuming that which has the finest of characterization, the most artful prose, the deepest, most esoteric insights? give me a break. what a first world problem.

“but they’re not even really fans of-” shut up. just shut up. keep that stuff in dms or the appropriate discord servers. private places where someone can’t accidentally stumble across them and get hurt. people come to fandom for so many reasons, why risk ruining something that is bringing someone comfort and community just because you dislike seeing blorbo written that way?

yes, it is up to individuals to curate the experience they have in fandom. it is their prerogative to block/scroll/not click on that fic that is clearly tagged with something they dislike. but it is not up to you to try and curate the Fandom itself. do you see the difference? you can make your own discord server and decide the rules, you can make your own archive and decide the TOS, you can and should make your space a space you enjoy being in. but the Fandom as a whole? that’s not yours.

like tagging is a very important part of good etiquette on ao3 imo, but the discourse over what fic can/should be has gotten so out of hand that my friend, who loves superboy and reads his comics, worries about what fandom tag to use for their fics that aren't canon compliant. hell, i tag all my fics that do not directly deal with a comics canon incident as "Batman - All Media Types" and not "[Character] Comics", even though i've read tons of comics and they are solely what i base my characterization off of because i'm paranoid about someone coming into my comments and giving me grief about it not being canon accurate enough, or being the inspiration of a vaguepost. what a sad environment that has been built. why should there be any stress over whether a transformative work belongs under the applicable fandom tags? what a bastardization of fandom etiquette to push for people to only tag with X fandom if they've "earned" it, if the fic is something that a Real fan would want to read. dgmw, i'm grateful that the Batman - AMT tag still exists, i think it's an extremely useful catchall, but the way that people weaponize the fandom tags is just so disappointing. and also? honestly? a little chronically online. because it presumes that ao3 authors will also be present on other fandom spaces to know the "rules", which is absurd. someone should not need to be involved on tumblr, or any other site, to know how to tag on ao3. following the rules as outlined on ao3 itself should be sufficient.

“well i enjoy venting-” yes, okay, i’m sorry that you lack the empathy to understand why your actions are discourteous. and like, to be crystal clear, i am strictly opposing vent posts/vagueblogging that calls out/complains about fic specificially. stuff like “i’m so sick of seeing people write X fic” or “saw this fic, why would anyone write a fic like this?” it’s not a legitimate question. it’s not a legitimate question, because the answer is simple even if you dislike it. they wrote it because they wanted to. that’s the only reason anyone needs to write a fic. and guess what, the great thing is that there’s an equally simple answer for why someone may not want to read a fic- because they don’t want to!

not that it matters, but i’m not saying this because i just love every single part of fanon and every fic is right up my alley- no. not only am i incredibly picky, but my tastes have shifted over time. past me adored some fics that i would scroll right past now- and those fics aren’t bad, i can re-read the ones i remembered to bookmark and see why i liked them. and i read fics now that past me would/did scroll past. i just don’t think my personal enjoyment of a fic should have any bearing on whether or not that fic should be allowed to exist- unless ofc, it’s my own fic. and even then, i, personally, orphan stuff, i don’t delete akdhfkdhf.

we are all guests. we are all playing with IP we don’t own. we do a disservice to ourselves and others when we forget that.

[theskeptileptic]

i always “choose not to warn” because i write as i go and have zero clue what i’m going to include until i include it. usually my tags cover it though. had no clue this was a faux pas.

“graphic depictions of violence”—maybe. it depends on how tired i am. my characters are either getting cake or crowbars. i dont know until they tell me.

hot late night take: people are pissed about authors on ao3 who use the “chose not to warn” tag/warning on fics because they feel entitled to all fics and are frustrated when those fics are not explicitly written, tagged, and catered toward them specifically.

telling them “just filter those fics out” doesn’t work because deep down these bean soup fanatics think that they are entitled to every fic.

[theskeptileptic]

How The Bat met Jason: Part 1

Act 1: Part 1, Part 2

[theskeptileptic]

Bruce: Na na na na na na na na, Bat-on…

[theskeptileptic]

Batman: I’m taking you off the mission, Superboy.

Superboy: What? No! You can’t do that-

Batman: I’m the strategic leader of the Justice League, and if I say you’re out, you’re out. It’s too dangerous. Go back to Metropolis.

Superboy: I’m staying!

Batman: Do not make me repeat myself.

Superboy: You can’t make me go home! You’re not my dad!

Batman: [glares at him, then walks out of the room]

Superboy: Ugh, I knew he’s gonna get Superman involved.

Batman: [walks back into the room alone]

Superboy:

Batman: I’ve obtained clearance. Now go home, Superboy.

Superboy: Clearance? Did Dad…

Batman: [raises his hand, revealing a wedding band] I married Superman. I am your dad now. Go home.

Superboy: Nooooo!!!

[theskeptileptic]

He’s still very much a fanboy

[theskeptileptic]

I know the TikTok ban is a big deal, but there’s only one site I’d burn this country down for.

[theskeptileptic]

https://archiveofourown.org/works/54341917/chapters/158829499

Chapter 33 (the FINAL ONE) contains:

brothers brothering

conclusions

the future

FLUFF YOU GREMLINS (I told you it was coming)

Thank you for going on this journey with me. I really enjoyed writing this one and I'm proud that it's finally finished!

[theskeptileptic]

Sometimes, I think about Bruce right after his parents’ murder and the limited availability of quality child trauma therapy to a wealthy, isolated, neurospicy kid who was newly thrust upon a secretive, reserved former MI5 agent serving as his current valet, and just want to scream.

And if you could convince either one to participate, could you imagine what those sessions would be like?

[theskeptileptic]

I just read a piece of fanfiction that was absolutely beautiful and I feel the need to share.

This line especially stopped me in my tracks:

“Dick resolved to cup this lively flame of anger in his hands and keep it close, and if a moment that echoed with the reverberations of that long ago betrayal ever came to pass –– a quip too barbed, jokes and actions and sighing that was too inconsiderate, that slid a half-step away from cruel –– then Dick would bring his cupped hands before his face and lowly blow, scattering heat and flaring tongues across the expanse.”

https://archiveofourown.org/works/61715095/chapters/157766704

[theskeptileptic]

Tim's love language is just putting his body weight,resting his head on their shoulder,just laying on someone to show platonic love (he's just like me)

[theskeptileptic]

Between Two Urns

Breaking from my last chapter of "Northern Attitude" to bring you a short story about Christmas, grief, and maybe found family.

[theskeptileptic]

Thank you! I feel so special. 🥰🥰 I’m also writing slowly. Bittersweet about it because it’s the last chapter. (So, I took the challenge to mean the most recent line I’ve written for my WIP (?) which may be breaking the rules, but I’m too old to care about that, or so they tell me.)

“P.S. You talk shit about my artichoke pizza again and I will wreck you.”

My tags are: @skylathescholarly and @spagbol99

Last Line Challenge

I was tagged by the lovely @scienceoftheidiot to post the last line of my WIP!

To no one's surprise, it's from the SG-1/FMA crossover I've been writing for the last month :D

“Yes, the boys stumbled upon what we call a Stargate."

Thank you so much for tagging me <3 I'll be tagging @dottie-wan-kenobi @motleyfam @a-canceled-stamp and @selkienight60 <3 <3 <3

[theskeptileptic]

Gotham has always been weird, so when the groundskeeper at the cemetery noticed the Wayne kid’s plot was disturbed, he just chalked it up to more of the same ol’. Alright, so ‘disturbed’ may be a tad too light of a word, but what’s an empty grave in the grand scheme of Gotham? God knows in a city like this one, they could use all the burial room they could get. He figured he’d just jot it down on the website and hope nobody noticed for a while.

Too bad he didn’t account for the 13 year old boy in Bristol who periodically checks the cemetery’s website when he’s feeling particularly lonely.

Plot Removed.

Tim Drake stared at the two words under the heading for Jason Todd’s plot number. Removed? What do they mean ‘removed’? They can’t just remove a plot? That’s a person down there! That’s Robin down there! You can’t Remove Robin!

Calm down. Deep breaths. Assess the situation.

Robin has been dead for 5 months and 14 days. There is no reason for a grave to be removed that early, especially one of a member of such an affluential family. Chances are likely it’s a simple clerical issue. He can call first thing in the morning and make them aware of the mistake. He can have it all fixed in 5 hours.

Just a phone call.

In 5 hours.

…

Tim hates talking on the phone almost as much as he hates waiting.

Well it won’t be the first time he’s snuck out to head to Gotham proper at 1am. It can’t even really be considered sneaking out if there’s no one home to catch you.

Buses stop running at 2, so he layers a couple sweaters under his coat and grabs his best running sneakers so he can comfortably make the trek back.

Just a quick trip to settle his nerves. Maybe get a few shots in if he spots Batman, but really he just wants to see with his own two eyes that things are okay and Jason can rest.

It’s 1:37 by the time he gets to the headstone reading ‘Here Lies Jason Todd’ and the gaping, muddy pit in front of it.

This- This doesn’t make any sense. This is not removal. This is destruction. Desecration. Somebody did this. Somebody-

Assess the situation.

A hole in the ground, approximately 1.5 feet in diameter.

Mud and grass flung outward but with little force.

Large chunks of earth turned over and shoved away.

No signs of tool marks or clean lines of entry into the dirt.

Dragging claw marks.

Staggering, shuffled pairs of foot prints in the mud.

A trail of dirt.

Something… Something large clawed its way out of the ground here. Something large and bipedal and- and humanoid.

Tim refuses to jump to any conclusions he can see all the facts laid in front of him. He’s going to cautiously follow the trail and simply hope to any god listening that he isn’t the world’s first line of defense against the zombie apocalypse.

He’s been walking for 23 minutes and there’s good news and undecided news. Good news: he’s closing in on the target and the trail isn’t taking him out of the way so his trip home won’t be prolonged. Undecided news: The potential Zombie Robin is heading directly for Wayne Manor.

As zombie apocalypse news, this is very bad. From Tim’s collected observational evidence, his not-so-professional opinion is that Batman, faced with a horror movie level zombie of his dead son, would not respond well, and would likely not fight back.

In Batman and Robin news? Tim’s unsure. If Jason is simply back? What could that mean for them? Batman can have his Robin. He wouldn’t have to continue nearly killing others and himself every night in his grief. Jason could-

No. Stop. Do not jump to conclusions.

Hope only brings heartbreak.

What would Batman do? Get close and see if the target is a threat.

Target is male. Mid-teens. Dark hair. Pale skin. Leaning against surfaces as he walks. Appears injured and disoriented.

Minimal risk assessed. Approaching and attempting contact.

Target identity confirmed: Jason Todd.

“J-Jason?” It comes out as a croaked whisper. Jason shows no sign of acknowledgment.

Tim clears his throat, steps right in front of his path, and tries again.

“Jason. Jason, stop I want to help you.” Still nothing.

“Please, Jason. I can help, I promise I can help!”

Why isn’t this working?! Why can’t he just do something right for once?! He wants this to work, he wants to help Bruce, he wants to fix Batman, he wants to not be alone, he wants-

“Robin!”

Robin jerks to a stop.

Tim reached out his hand.

“Robin. Robin please, I’m sorry you’re going through this, it’s really scary, I’m really scared. But I just want to help you. Help you find Batman. Help you get home.”

Jason just stares at him. Of course he does. Of course it’s not going to work. Why did he even bother hoping he could help?

Hope only brings heartbreak.

His sight blurs as his eyes fill with tears and he starts to lower his outstretched hand.

His arm is slowed as a cold hand weakly grasps his own.

“Don’t… scared… Bat… help… Dad… help.”

A relieved sob tears out from Tim’s chest and he gathers himself together. He yanks his extra sweater off and gently pulls it over Jason’s cold shoulders. Jason lets Tim drag his arm over his shoulders to try and carry some of his weight.

“Okay, Robin. Yeah. Your dad will help us.”

Batman will solve everything once Tim gets Robin home.

[theskeptileptic]

Chapter 32 includes:

- Out of this world field trips

- Trolling

- Wicked awesome views

- Heart-to-hearts

- parallels

- Zestis

- Surprise cameos

[theskeptileptic]

Has anyone done a fic where Tim Drake is Jimmy Olsen? Like, let’s say he runs away as a kid (for reasons), goes to Metropolis, meets Lois investigating the same dirty politician. She invites him to intern at the Planet as a photographer. He meets Clark, and knowing his secret identity, tries not to get close. But Lois keeps inviting him over and Clark keeps trying to bond with the mysterious, risk-taking kid that reminds him a lot of his other mysterious, risk-taking colleague.

In the meantime, Batman is trying to figure out where the Drake heir disappeared to. The Drakes’ lawyers can’t settle the estate if they can’t find the primary beneficiary. And a letter saying “Just give it all to Mr. Wayne, please, he’ll know what to do with it” doesn’t count since the “Tim Drake” signature isn’t. notarized.

Bruce is kicking himself that he was so rude to Tim last time they talked. Dick thinks he probably shouldn’t have turned the kid away when he showed up in Bludhaven.

Metropolis is very different from Gotham. But Tim’s got a lot more to worry about than rogues, with the being homeless, dying his hair red, and avoiding two investigative reporters trying to rope him into game nights and free dinner because “my God, Clark, he’s too tiny.”