Aroff

I started a new job a couple of weeks ago and have been bopped around different sections because it was apparently decided that I’m highly adaptable to whatever station I’m put on (that I’ve tried so far). This week I was put in a new area that I’ll be in until the end of May.

I came into this new job and the people training me were stressed to high heaven, frustrated, and all in all hating the job where we’re serving as store and delivery for the entire mill/factory. It was obvious day 1 that things were chaotic and disorganized. Partly because there was not a manager or supervisor that stayed on site for the area. Day 2, I asked for us to have one and by 2pm we had one staying in the area permanently. No one had asked for one, just complained apparently. Day 2 I told this supervisor my observations as a new worker in the area (he was happy to have fresh eyes on the situation).

He listened when I told him there needed to be organization because we were searching for unlabeled customer ordered items for hours (there were hundreds of them in piles and on shelves) and that was serving as the main frustration. He listened when I told him that I could make an organization system for it. He listened and put me in charge of it.

Yesterday was my fourth day and I fixed a 4+ year issue in a single sitting. I was amazed by the level of trust given to me. No one came and checked on me, no one hovered or questioned me. They trusted me to get it done and I did. It’s amazing how quickly the mood of the entire department shifted.

Today, I was approached by the supervisor and asked to organize an entire warehouse. I’m on my first break from it now, but I’m still reeling from the trust and respect I’m being given. I want to continue to do well.

As of today, I’ve had acknowledgement from other supervisors in other departments because yesterday deliveries went so much faster and they weren’t waiting hours for a part that was needed because now people could find what they were looking for.

I've got an apartment too! And a partner! It's been really nice. My cats are still bastards, but I love them.

It's been taking up a lot of my time, but it's been fulfilling and nice. I've been writing a lot more for me and I haven't drawn in honestly a good while. Drawing used to be a necessity as the only 'me' thing I could do growing up without a lot of money. I'd made drawing my job over my hobby in desperation. Since having a stable job, I think my mind has been wanting a break from it for a while and I just... haven't drawn. I don't know when I'll be back to things on here, but I may eventually. I will probably post fanfictions and chapters over art for a bit though.

Writer: Air shot between the toes, it’ll look like a heart attack.

Serial killer: anywhere from 2 to 30 minutes

Now fast forward a bit and the author has managed to get their first book published, with loving support from the serial killer who helped them fine tune all the murder scenes, and it’s a big hit. Enough so that a detective with the local police department has noticed some disturbing similarities to several active cases, including details that were never released to the press. Obviously he brings this up to his superior and convinces him that there’s something to the theory, but it’s all circumstantial right now. He stakes out the author’s home and is super convinced that the author is the murderer, but they don’t seem to do anything??? Like they literally are at the house all day, that’s it. Most they do is leave for groceries.

“You need to stop seeing them. I think they are a serial killer.”

There’s an animal in the cave. At least, that’s the closest approximation. It cannot be caught on the cameras and any noises made only translate into static. Dicks says it’s green. Tim says it’s black. Stephanie insists it’s white. But Damian knows it’s all three.

The others can’t see it as well as Damian can, for the moment. It’s not a cat, but cat-like. It’s not a snake, it’s snake-like. There’s big, shining green eyes with their color not dissimilar from the Lazarus Pits. Tufts of flowing white hair white a body black body that trails off into a tail and pointed ears that flatten and raise. It looks alien. It looks like an animal. It feels familiar. Damian keeps it.

When it first appears, it’s only noticed at first because a few things are moved around in its haste to find shelter. That, and the little spots of green that trail after its first entrance inside. The green spooks them all, at first, thinking it’s Lazarus water. There are similarities, but it’s not quite the same. After a time, the green fades to red. There’s no recognizable DNA from any creature in it. They settle on it being an “alien.”

It’s always watching, always peeking. Snacks left for it are eaten quickly and sometimes vanish into thin air right in front of them. The longer they go without attacking it or trying to root it out, the more it seems to become comfortable with them. (Not for Damian’s lack of trying anyways.)

Dick tells him to “pspspsps” at it like a cat once, softly patting at the ground. When no one is around, he tries it while crouched between the cave wall and a piece of machinery he saw a movement between. The little thing “pspspsps” right back. He even sees a tiny paw with tiny claws mimicking his motions from under the machine. Damian decides right then and there that this thing will be protected.

Eventually, it starts getting comfortable enough to start showing itself more and soon they’re having to scoot it off of the keyboards in the Batcave. It’ll drag itself about, climb, and sling itself around their shoulders and gnaw with little teeth and claws on their gloves. (They go through gloves much quicker once this starts.) even Batman melts when it starts purring.

Originally, they were worried it was injured but after the time it was there, hidden, it seems to have healed from whatever it was. (Or they get to fawn over the little injuries and fix them up best as they can.)

It will only take food from Damian’s hands though and he lords this over the others with immense pleasure. Often, it can be seen wrapped around one of his hands and forearms like a snake, wiggling away and batting at its own tail-tip. Its growls sound like little blips of static and gargled nails.

Damian names him Phavadi (Marathi meaning that could mean a pickle or a mess, let me know if this is incorrect, it’s not my language.)

They aren’t able to find out what Phavadi is, at first. The Green Lanterns don’t recognize it. Martian Manhunter has never seen it and states that he is unable to read its mind. Like there is nothing there to grasp. (This starts a round of the birds cooing at Phav, calling him brainless, no braincells between them big ‘ol eyes, no thoughts head empty.) Starfire doesn’t know what he is, but is absolutely enamored.

It starts floating. That’s surprising, but also not. They knew Phav has some powers, it could go invisible after all. Gravity has no hold and now it happily makes its nests on top of their heads. When Phav somehow floats his way into the manor, this starts a frantic chase through the mansion to catch it and Phav thinks it’s a game. Winking in and out of existence, waving its tail from a chandelier. When Dick makes it up there to grab it, Phav just plops to the ground scaring the shit out of everyone. Uninjured, thankfully. Phav scoots off into the kitchen and is caught by a heavily scolding Alfred.

Sufficiently cowed, Phav is returned to Damian and the little thing starts sleeping in his room.

They don’t know that this entire time Phav has been following them on their patrols. Staying out of sight but watching with glowing eyes to make sure they’re all safe. An in-grained confusing feeling.

It’s when there’s a big-bad that things come to a head. The entire Justice League is called in and eventually Justice League Dark. The Robins insist on helping as well, they need all hands on deck.

Mid battle, Damian is about to take a hit he can’t dodge.

This can go one of multiple ways—

Angsty: little baby man Phav takes the hit and gets pretty injured. Left limp and unmoving to the distress of everyone. Constantine, seeing this thing is like “Oh. Oh shit. That’s a baby eldritch. That is an INJURED baby eldritch we are so FUCKED.” Because he knows that with this happening, its momma is about to come soon. Phav’s form starts to destabilize, little body starting to goop into a puddle of green. Damian is distraught. All he’s left with is a light blue, cold, glowing orb the size of a marble.

Ghost King: Suddenly, tiny Phav isn’t so tiny anymore. He’s grown to the size of a two story house, hunched and hissing. Eyes wildly glowing, claws out and very large, teeth dripping green, tail long and curled around his bats and robins. Constantine, upon seeing this, shouts “YOU DIDN’T TELL ME YOU HAD A BLOODY FUCKING ELDRITCH??!”

For the longest time, Jason was absolutely terrified of Danny, to the endless amusement of his siblings. Because that tiny little creature? TERRIFIES the pits. They hiss and screech in the back of his mind whenever he encounters Danny, a sharp, unfamiliar and deeply unsettling sense of fear that Jason knows is coming from the pits themselves. Whatever this thing is, it's dangerous.

But then, the pits go quiet.

Jason feels an emptiness that is as relieving as it is distressing. That all-consuming rage that has plagued his life for years is just...gone. Because of a tiny cat-snake-thing.

Huh.

Nowadays, all he feels when he sees Danny is a slight apprehension followed by a calm that feeds something inside him, something that whispers 'King'.

On the other hand, Duke is very very confused at how everyone is acting at first, because he doesn't see any cat/snake/whatever they're describing. Like, there's a miniature sun that nearly blinds him whenever he goes down into the cave (he's learned to come down already wearing sunglasses) that might be it, but he doesn't quite get it.

(Duke doesn't understand that Danny is a ghost yet because he's never seen one with such a strong glow before.)

I started a new job a couple of weeks ago and have been bopped around different sections because it was apparently decided that I’m highly adaptable to whatever station I’m put on (that I’ve tried so far). This week I was put in a new area that I’ll be in until the end of May.

I came into this new job and the people training me were stressed to high heaven, frustrated, and all in all hating the job where we’re serving as store and delivery for the entire mill/factory. It was obvious day 1 that things were chaotic and disorganized. Partly because there was not a manager or supervisor that stayed on site for the area. Day 2, I asked for us to have one and by 2pm we had one staying in the area permanently. No one had asked for one, just complained apparently. Day 2 I told this supervisor my observations as a new worker in the area (he was happy to have fresh eyes on the situation).

He listened when I told him there needed to be organization because we were searching for unlabeled customer ordered items for hours (there were hundreds of them in piles and on shelves) and that was serving as the main frustration. He listened when I told him that I could make an organization system for it. He listened and put me in charge of it.

Yesterday was my fourth day and I fixed a 4+ year issue in a single sitting. I was amazed by the level of trust given to me. No one came and checked on me, no one hovered or questioned me. They trusted me to get it done and I did. It’s amazing how quickly the mood of the entire department shifted.

Today, I was approached by the supervisor and asked to organize an entire warehouse. I’m on my first break from it now, but I’m still reeling from the trust and respect I’m being given. I want to continue to do well.

As of today, I’ve had acknowledgement from other supervisors in other departments because yesterday deliveries went so much faster and they weren’t waiting hours for a part that was needed because now people could find what they were looking for.

There’s an animal in the cave. At least, that’s the closest approximation. It cannot be caught on the cameras and any noises made only translate into static. Dicks says it’s green. Tim says it’s black. Stephanie insists it’s white. But Damian knows it’s all three.

The others can’t see it as well as Damian can, for the moment. It’s not a cat, but cat-like. It’s not a snake, it’s snake-like. There’s big, shining green eyes with their color not dissimilar from the Lazarus Pits. Tufts of flowing white hair white a body black body that trails off into a tail and pointed ears that flatten and raise. It looks alien. It looks like an animal. It feels familiar. Damian keeps it.

When it first appears, it’s only noticed at first because a few things are moved around in its haste to find shelter. That, and the little spots of green that trail after its first entrance inside. The green spooks them all, at first, thinking it’s Lazarus water. There are similarities, but it’s not quite the same. After a time, the green fades to red. There’s no recognizable DNA from any creature in it. They settle on it being an “alien.”

It’s always watching, always peeking. Snacks left for it are eaten quickly and sometimes vanish into thin air right in front of them. The longer they go without attacking it or trying to root it out, the more it seems to become comfortable with them. (Not for Damian’s lack of trying anyways.)

Dick tells him to “pspspsps” at it like a cat once, softly patting at the ground. When no one is around, he tries it while crouched between the cave wall and a piece of machinery he saw a movement between. The little thing “pspspsps” right back. He even sees a tiny paw with tiny claws mimicking his motions from under the machine. Damian decides right then and there that this thing will be protected.

Eventually, it starts getting comfortable enough to start showing itself more and soon they’re having to scoot it off of the keyboards in the Batcave. It’ll drag itself about, climb, and sling itself around their shoulders and gnaw with little teeth and claws on their gloves. (They go through gloves much quicker once this starts.) even Batman melts when it starts purring.

Originally, they were worried it was injured but after the time it was there, hidden, it seems to have healed from whatever it was. (Or they get to fawn over the little injuries and fix them up best as they can.)

It will only take food from Damian’s hands though and he lords this over the others with immense pleasure. Often, it can be seen wrapped around one of his hands and forearms like a snake, wiggling away and batting at its own tail-tip. Its growls sound like little blips of static and gargled nails.

Damian names him Phavadi (Marathi meaning that could mean a pickle or a mess, let me know if this is incorrect, it’s not my language.)

They aren’t able to find out what Phavadi is, at first. The Green Lanterns don’t recognize it. Martian Manhunter has never seen it and states that he is unable to read its mind. Like there is nothing there to grasp. (This starts a round of the birds cooing at Phav, calling him brainless, no braincells between them big ‘ol eyes, no thoughts head empty.) Starfire doesn’t know what he is, but is absolutely enamored.

It starts floating. That’s surprising, but also not. They knew Phav has some powers, it could go invisible after all. Gravity has no hold and now it happily makes its nests on top of their heads. When Phav somehow floats his way into the manor, this starts a frantic chase through the mansion to catch it and Phav thinks it’s a game. Winking in and out of existence, waving its tail from a chandelier. When Dick makes it up there to grab it, Phav just plops to the ground scaring the shit out of everyone. Uninjured, thankfully. Phav scoots off into the kitchen and is caught by a heavily scolding Alfred.

Sufficiently cowed, Phav is returned to Damian and the little thing starts sleeping in his room.

They don’t know that this entire time Phav has been following them on their patrols. Staying out of sight but watching with glowing eyes to make sure they’re all safe. An in-grained confusing feeling.

It’s when there’s a big-bad that things come to a head. The entire Justice League is called in and eventually Justice League Dark. The Robins insist on helping as well, they need all hands on deck.

Mid battle, Damian is about to take a hit he can’t dodge.

This can go one of multiple ways—

Angsty: little baby man Phav takes the hit and gets pretty injured. Left limp and unmoving to the distress of everyone. Constantine, seeing this thing is like “Oh. Oh shit. That’s a baby eldritch. That is an INJURED baby eldritch we are so FUCKED.” Because he knows that with this happening, its momma is about to come soon. Phav’s form starts to destabilize, little body starting to goop into a puddle of green. Damian is distraught. All he’s left with is a light blue, cold, glowing orb the size of a marble.

Ghost King: Suddenly, tiny Phav isn’t so tiny anymore. He’s grown to the size of a two story house, hunched and hissing. Eyes wildly glowing, claws out and very large, teeth dripping green, tail long and curled around his bats and robins. Constantine, upon seeing this, shouts “YOU DIDN’T TELL ME YOU HAD A BLOODY FUCKING ELDRITCH??!”