truth.

handsome brow knots in lightning thought , the fleeting pass of a shadow across smooth skin.   ❝   these symbols , they look FAMILIAR.   ❞   he peers carefully over her shoulder at the object vibrating chaotically in her palm to the rhythm of tremors under their feet.   ❝  it looks like an electromagnetic energy node. but the last time i saw one of those — hey , wait a second —  ❞

It’s impossible for him not to at least chuckle when it comes to the sudden change in topic.     “   You sure know how to  deflect,  but I guess that’s another thing a long life is good for    —–  PRACTICE.   “     His feet gently dangle just above the water, sensing every single creature moving below. It used to be a nightmare, too much to handle, now it’s a constant buzz in the back of his skull. You can get used to anything.

“   My secret is that I’m  still  dealing with it. I’m glad I look like I’m at peace, because I often  SCREAM ON THE INSIDE  when I’m told a millionth time how everything I try to set in motion is against the  thousands of years of traditions and values  Atlantis clings to so stubbornly. Maybe in Themyscira it works, I can’t even guess how life is there, but I think sometimes you need to be shaken up and accept that  THERE’S A NEW WORLD AROUND YOU  and you must join. What I’m doing, I’m doing for their own survival. Maybe one day they’ll realise. I’m lucky though, with friends like you on my side, everything is easier to handle.   “

YOU  BECOME  A  MIRROR  IN  ORDER  TO  SURVIVE.  send  back  emotion,  match  the  energy  of  the  person  beside  you  and  NEVER  let  your  guard  down  until  you’re  certain  you  can  trust.  a  guilty  smile  rests  on  guilty  lips,  and  the  apples  of  her  cheeks  are  in  pain.  

she  doesn’t  think  that  there’s  a  way  to  describe  Themyscira  in  the  same  terms  as  Atlantis.  neither  of  them  has  ever  been  to  the  others  home  with  the  intent  to  play  tourist.  but  something  about  his  story  hits  her  in  the  heart.  arthur  is  STRONG.  a  kind,  gentle  soul  that  had  been  thrust  into  intense  responsibility.                and  she  knew  how  FIERCE  and  COMPASSIONATE  he  could  be.

the threads that I AM keeping are with the following writers:

@irnqueen /  @atlantisking  /  @earnedstripes  /  @outlawiism  / @americanasitgets  /  @firefated  /  @codebrokn  /  @atomiism !

“I – Well, sort of,” she admits, laughing softly. “I met him through Tony, but I wouldn’t say I know him very well.” She nods gently. “So you help protect the Earth too? Are you from another planet? I ask because Thor often says the same, and he’s from – well, I’m sure you know. He’s from Asgard.”

i’ve  got  a  few  drafts  to  work  on  and  then  queue  now  that  my  new  icons  are  done.  but  until  then,  here’s  a  blog  list.

@warmantled   -  secondary  - semi-active  *reading justice league*

“I also don’t want to hurt myself,” she replied with a laugh. “But alright, if you think I can…” She stepped forward, reaching for the handle of the aspis, the hesitation evident in her outstretched hand. Uneasy eyes shifted from the warrior to the shield, a small smile on her lips before she grasped the handle, taking it from the tall woman.

Her smile grew once she realized she could, in fact, support the shield. “And you think you can teach me how to wield one of these things?”

❝ YOU’RE  ALREADY  WIELDING  IT.  the  only  difference  is  that  you  don’t  have  things  being  hurled  at  you  right  now. ❞   diana  encourages,  patting  pepper’s  shoulders  with  both  hands.  

she  released  her  and  stood  back  a  ways,  arms  crossed  over  her  chest.  

❝ — it’s not your fault,  ❞   he tells her as she begins to rely apologies for something she could have never prevented.  it was a thought steve had whole - heatedly believed many years ago  —-  that one person could change the course of war.  and while he doesn’t doubt her influence,  nor anyone else’s who would lay their life on the line — he knows now,  things are much more complicated than he ever could have imagined. ❝ — i didn’t really know him.  i never met him.  he was just a story to me,  ❞    he tells her,  hoping it’ll soften the blow but as the words leave him he knows it just causes more pain. 

so he lifts his chin at the mention of his mother and allows himself to smile. ❝ — she was.  she taught me everything i know.  ❞      he didn’t come to appreciate how strong his mother was until he was without her.  an illiterate immigrant,  a single,  widowed mother with a very sickly child  —  she had all the odds stacked against her and some how still managed to make it work. 

BUT  IT  FEELS  LIKE  IT  IS.  and  not  just  her  own,  but  the  fault  of  all  those  who  would  turn  a  blind  eye  to  pointless  killing.  the  amazons  were  tasked  with  the  duty  of  protecting  humankind  from  the  suggestions  of  ares,  and  she  had  been  planted  as  a  safeguard  to  finally  put  the  god  of  war  down  when  his  fangs  were  sunk  too  deeply  to  push  away.  but  she’d  been  blinded,  kept  in  the  dark.  

and  he  grew  up  to  be  a  kind  and  generous  man  without  once  knowing  his  father.  he  was  a  MYTH  as  great  as  the  stories  of  zeus.  and  it  was  a  common  theme  she  was  in  many  young  boy’s  lives.  she   H A T E D   it.  

but  for  all  her  heartache,  she  had  to  imagine  that  steve  felt  this  too.  perhaps  ten  times  as  much.  one  never  knew  what  went  through  a  person’s  head  until  first  having  walked  in  their  shoes.  and  even  THEN...  she  put  on  a  smile,  reaching  across  the  table  to  rest  her  fingers  across  his  wrist.   she  would  always  remember..,  HE   WAS   WARM.

❛      i don’t think   it’s a matter of human ‘n’ alien.   ‘s more about good ‘n’ evil type of thing.      ❜      Peter accepts what he’s offered.   he’d rather not ask for booze when the topic of discussion is this heavy.   he’s fascinated.      ❛      recently,   i found a compromise by saying  i’m   ALL-HERO.   i wasn’t always this way,   ‘course not.   most my life i was indifferent to the shit that happened ‘round me.   sometimes i find that worse than   EVIL.   ‘n’ you   ?   what about your sides   ?      ❜

HE  CLAIMS  THAT  INDIFFERENCE  IS  WORSE.  it  is  a  sentiment  that  hits  close  to  home.  sitting  idle  while  people  suffered  around  her  was  impossible.  not  when  she  could  provide  even  a  slight  moment  of  respite. 

❝  all-hero?  ❞    she  repeats  inquisitively,  lips  drawn  into  a  smile.    ❝  i  don’t  have  a  predetermined  side.  my  ‘side’  is  with  the  whoever  has  the  strongest  heart,  and  purest  intentions. ❞     the  man  is  called  STAR-LORD.  peter  quill.  a  man  who  has  saved  countless  people  across  countless  worlds.  and  he  is  worthy,  she  thinks,  of  her  silent  awe.   he’s  certainly  well-grounded  in  what  he  believes,  isn’t  he?  

           THE MUSCLES IN HIS JAW TICKED AS HE CLENCHED HIS TEETH REPEATEDLY. All of this was a long shot, a Hail Mary, a plan that had only a prayer’s chance of working. But it’s what they had to work with and for as much as he didn’t know about Diana —– Steve found himself thankful that it was her here with him. 

           ❛    It’s going to work. We’re going to make it work. Because if not us —– who will?    ❜

❝  STEPPENWOLF  DIDN’T  COME  HERE  LOOKING  FOR  MAGIC  STONES.   he  came  here  with  an  army  of  slaves  looking  to  create  more.  looking  to  make  destruction  and  to  tear  apart  EVERYTHING  we  love.  ❞       the  muscles  in  diana’s  throat  are  taut,  her  breath  tight  between  her  rib  and  breast.  the  grip  on  the  glowing  lasso  wanes,  strong  legs  pacing  themselves  toward  the  gallant  captain  america.      

❝     i’m not    VERY GOOD   with fighting   ,    which is why i’m    TRAINING    with robin right now   .    but sometimes mr. wayne    —     er   ,    i mean    ,    BATMAN    ,    sorry    ,     came down and taught me too   .     but usually he can’t    STAY FOR TOO LONG    ,    because he either has to sleep or go out and    SAVE GOTHAM   .    but that’s okay   ,   because robin can be   —-      ❞    and then suddenly   ,    jon turns    SHEEPISH    :     his ten-year-old cheek    BLOOMS     with the colour that can almost match his    RED CAPE    ,   and he nervously chuckles   ,    hand scratching the back of his neck   ,     ❝     sorry  .   i talked    TOO MUCH    ,    don’t i  ?    robin said it’s the    FOURTH MOST ANNOYING    thing about me.     i tried to tone it down lately    ,    but i guess it still needs more work   ,   huh   ?    ❞

for  @warmantled  who  ♡’d  !

❝ NO  ONE  STARTS  OFF  AS  THE  BEST.  i  trained  for  years  beside  my  teacher  and  learned  many  painful  lessons  to  be  where  i  am  today.  and  even  still,  i  am  learning  every  day. ❞   she  thought  to  add  in  that  even  bruce  wayne  had  been  a  child  once.  but  she  feels  it  better  to  allow  young  jon  to  keep  his  thoughts  of  idolization  toward  THE   BAT.   aside  her  mother,  diana  had  looked  up  to  phillipus  and  antiope,  along  with  her  other  sisters,  like  artemis.  everyone  needed  that  one  person  to  look  up  to.  kryptonians  were  no  exception.

There’s a sharp exhale as he considers Diana’s words, a little hesitation on his part. Even in the presence of a literal goddess, Arthur has a hard time to put his faith in the divine, believing in forging your own fortune, being a master of your own destiny.     “   I guess…    I have to believe in   SOMETHING…   at times. But I think fate has little to do with it. Life will go on whether you reveal your secrets or not, life, the world around you is the   true force   not superstitions… they hardly have any power over the grand scheme of things, you know? At least that’s what I think.   “     With a soft chuckle he takes a small sip of his champaign.

Slowly he turns the flute back and forth, watching the pale gold liquid move within, lips thin into a humourless smile at the thought of such an endless life. New year’s somehow always brings sadness with it. You’re reminded that time is passing, that you left another year behind and you’re running towards the unknown. Or was it just him who felt that way?      “   Out of all of us, you have the best chance of seeing it all then. Although… I mostly keep the secrets of the oceans. But if you’d ever like a tour, you really just have to ask.   “

A  GRIN  TOYS  AT  THE  DEMI-GOD’S  LIPS,  RUBY  RED  AND  HOPEFUL.  arthur  hasn’t  always  been  a  readable  book  to  her.  he  still  wasn’t  completely  open.    but  the  pages  she’d  been  shown  and  the  stories  that  she  read  were  comparable  to  an  ODYSSEY  under  the  sea!   she  turns  around  to  face  him,  eyes  thinned  with  fake  skepticism.    

❛      i don’t think   it’s a matter of human ‘n’ alien.   ‘s more about good ‘n’ evil type of thing.      ❜      Peter accepts what he’s offered.   he’d rather not ask for booze when the topic of discussion is this heavy.   he’s fascinated.      ❛      recently,   i found a compromise by saying  i’m   ALL-HERO.   i wasn’t always this way,   ‘course not.   most my life i was indifferent to the shit that happened ‘round me.   sometimes i find that worse than   EVIL.   ‘n’ you   ?   what about your sides   ?      ❜

THE   PROSPECT   OF   SIDES   IS   STRANGE   TO   DIANA.  at  one  point  in  her  life,  she   thought   everyone   was   comprised  of   either   good   or   evil.    but    the    gray    areas    in    between.  those  were  the  spaces  that  she  found  most  difficult  to  comprehend.    

                          ❝   i   don’t  have  a  side.   ❞   she   replies   easily   enough,  taking  a   sip   of   her   own   drink.  ❝   i  fight   for   life.  no  matter  what  kind  that  may  be.  if   i   have   to   have   a   side,   then   it   would   be   on   the   side   of   LOVE.   i   find   more   often   than   not   that   the   hearts   without   love   are   the   ones   most   difficult   to   defeat.   ❞

                                                diana  hums  and  runs  her  fingers  into  her  hair.