Yes. Yes I Do Need That Today.

Yes. Yes I do need that today.

Perhaps the power went out for a little while at the Manor…

Perhaps it’s snowing real bad and they got stuck there for a while…

Perhaps Alfred’s making hot coco…

Who’s to say…

Deep Sea Camouflage for ghosts?

So we all know that animals use differing kinds of camouflage to hide from predators - sometimes they even use parts of this camouflage for communication or courting behaviour.

Interestingly enough: deep sea creatures have mainly three such camouflaging patterns - transparency, silvering (which has the same effect as transparency) as well as counter illumination. All of that in an effort to better hide in the dark waters, when there´s still some kind of light to be seen coming from above. And then there´s the bioluminescense. Which is sometimes used for camouflage, but most often than not for communication or hunting purposes. And do you know what some of these remind me of? You got it - ghosts.

Now the big question is: do the infinite realms have predators? Do ghosts predate each other, do neverborn predate on ghosts? How does it all work? And if there are predators. What kind of additional camouflaging or hunting adaptions do ghosts have?

Does the eldritch form we often headcanon for them have any such purpose or is it just there as a sort of ... secondary form? Do they communicate differently when they look like this? Are there different base instincts? Like - junveniles of any species often times have different instincts or reactions to certain instincts than the adult members and just. I have sooo many questions.

And if we go by this comparison. What does that mean for a halfa like Danny? Because let´s face it. All ghosts are at least kind of bioluminescent. But in the IR? That bioluminescense is hardly seen, as such it seems more like counter illumination. And even though the realms ghosts have seldomly been transparent (except when they want to - i.e. invisibility), it still an ability they possess. Now I don´t have an example for silvering, but since it basically does the same as the invisibility it´s not really important. So.

Why.

I mean there´s many, MANY more abilities all of them possess, though they are very often abilities that are individual. ARE there any predators in the realms? And what does it mean for the ghosts? Because, yes, dangerous animals and also other more humanoid as well as the ancients exist. But I´d hardly call them actual predators. So. Am I just overthinking this?

Okay, so I´ve had a bit more time to think about this. The deep sea is full of strange creatures. And also full of HUGE creatures. Deep sea gigantism is a full on phenomenon and it´s quite interesting on how it came to be. For this prupose the reasons are unimportant though. Well. Except for one. That is: Food scarcity as well as cold lead to gigantic sea creatures (the poles have a few interesting specimen).

What is important to understand is how deep sea creatures often have relatives in the shallower waters. As in: Crabs? HUGE down there. Sea spiders? a few millimetres on the surface, on the bottom of the ocean? Try a metre or two. Isopods? Cute, many-leggend smol friends? Well, try football size.

So. You see a pattern? Now. Blob ghosts. Tiny little, harmless blob ghosts. I headcanon that they feed on excess ectoplasm and maybe also the few ghosts that are Ended. Like Isopods - they are the ground feeders. But what if the Realms had pockets of differing ectoplasm levels?

If the part of the realms that Danny knows are the 'shallow' water equivalent with many resources available, then how the 'deep' water or ectoplasm zones look? Would they be harder to move in? Harder to breathe? Would the blob ghosts there go after prey like a ghost that has wandered in? Do the ancients maybe 'rule' some of these zones? Is that the reason they´re so huge?

Or do the more eldritch creatures dwell int hose parts. Because they need less ectoplasm? But if so would they try to prey on the weaker, smaller ghosts if they hadn´t had enough ectoplasm for a while or are they able to overcome their need for ectoplasm after they reach a certain size / age? Would THEY try to prey on the ancients? And what does that do to the different ghost species? Because, sure, there are 'human' ghosts. But not all human ghosts are the same and I think there´s probably a classification apart from strenghth. i mean, would a halfa be a species or would be like .... a trait that can be found between species? Like albinism or melanism?

And the neverborn? Are they just like the dolphins or the realms? As in: they share the same living space as ghosts (fish in this metaphor), but are of an entirely different genus (mammalia)?

Deep Sea Camouflage for ghosts?

So we all know that animals use differing kinds of camouflage to hide from predators - sometimes they even use parts of this camouflage for communication or courting behaviour.

Interestingly enough: deep sea creatures have mainly three such camouflaging patterns - transparency, silvering (which has the same effect as transparency) as well as counter illumination. All of that in an effort to better hide in the dark waters, when there´s still some kind of light to be seen coming from above. And then there´s the bioluminescense. Which is sometimes used for camouflage, but most often than not for communication or hunting purposes. And do you know what some of these remind me of? You got it - ghosts.

Now the big question is: do the infinite realms have predators? Do ghosts predate each other, do neverborn predate on ghosts? How does it all work? And if there are predators. What kind of additional camouflaging or hunting adaptions do ghosts have?

Does the eldritch form we often headcanon for them have any such purpose or is it just there as a sort of ... secondary form? Do they communicate differently when they look like this? Are there different base instincts? Like - junveniles of any species often times have different instincts or reactions to certain instincts than the adult members and just. I have sooo many questions.

And if we go by this comparison. What does that mean for a halfa like Danny? Because let´s face it. All ghosts are at least kind of bioluminescent. But in the IR? That bioluminescense is hardly seen, as such it seems more like counter illumination. And even though the realms ghosts have seldomly been transparent (except when they want to - i.e. invisibility), it still an ability they possess. Now I don´t have an example for silvering, but since it basically does the same as the invisibility it´s not really important. So.

Why.

I mean there´s many, MANY more abilities all of them possess, though they are very often abilities that are individual. ARE there any predators in the realms? And what does it mean for the ghosts? Because, yes, dangerous animals and also other more humanoid as well as the ancients exist. But I´d hardly call them actual predators. So. Am I just overthinking this?

Tim Drake is usually called the smart Robin which I like don't get me wrong but all of the bats are smart and I do love my Tim but my Tim is just a bit different.

I want Tim drake half out of his mind fucking with Lex Luthor while he chugs 6 monsters. I want baby stalker who was heavy breathing putting together a red string murder board at 3:00 am with very sketchy stalker pictures of the Wayne's.

I want titans tower where Tim knew it was Jason and is about to home alone that shit. While also internally fanboying and giving Jason tips on how to murder the joker.

Tim Drake who doesn't get disturbed by Ra on Tuesday cause he knows Tim has plans with young Justice and Tim will destroy all of his bases again if he is bothered.

Tim who thought Damian was adorable and everytime he makes an attempt on his life gets a new paint set because that is the Drake way and no little brother of his isn't gonna understand premeditated murder.

TIM Drake who owns up to the clones and the boy who Kon knows is a little murdery gremlin and loves that about his boyfriend.

My Tim drake need to be balls to the wall fucking insane or I don't want that shit.

Good news people! I finally figured out how to hyperlink! I also figured out that I´m literally blind because I just did NOT see the hyperlink option in the right click menu lmao Now back to figuring out how tf I center something in posts

Fanfiction commentary and recommendations: Lex Luthor´s ascend from supervillainy to fatherhood Part IV (chapters 16 to 20)

The Original story can be found here.

The previous parts of the commentaries can be found here:

Part I

Part II

Part III

Part V

Part VI

Part VII

So, the classic silly rambling before the actual commentary part is surprisingly part that´s the hardest to do. Go figure.

Well. At least aside from formatting. I may have found out how to make links into hyperlinks, but I still have a problem with getting the HTML code to do what I want and just center the line break. And I´d also love to do blocktext, so that there are the most even edges of text possible on both sides, but I know the second one just WON´T work because different devices and different formattings so it would just look awful. I could still center. But my brain hates HTML code rn. Why is HTML so much easier on AO3?

But to build anticipation: I know that the next few chapters will be kind of wild. Or. not really 'kind of' but actually a bit wild. As in: The Joker´s involved. I mean, with all of the foreshadowing in the past few chapters I was really not surprised, but damn, do I hate the man.

With the knowledge of not being with that knowledge: back to the regularly scheduled program.

○○○••○○•••○○••○○○

So? Which topic do you think chapter 16 starts with? Ding ding ding! You´re right! Lazarus Pits! Or rather: the price some people have to pay for the boon. In Jason´s case? His sanity.

And also the helpless feeling of just. Not knowing. Not knowing why or how he was the only one that suffered such harsh side effects when the rest of the family got away more or less scot-free.

I … can´t imagine how hard it must be to know all the darkness that dwells in oneself can just … erupt like some kind of volcano. Even worse if you wake up after such an eruption and just. Don´t remember. It´s frightening. And that Jason has endured that for years now? Oooof. He needs more hugs from his friends and family ASAP. Especially because he seems to feel like such a burden …

But how did we get to such deep introspection from him? Because he finally feels as if he´s getting back from the pits. You remember what I said about Jason feeling a lurch in his chest?

Yeah. It´s still happening, again and again and it´s kind of crawling up his throat.

And as I can´t imagine that feeling all too pleasant - he just kind of. Slowly falls onto the floor. Or. He would have, if Dick hadn´t caught him, good older brother that he is.

It doesn´t help that Danny collapses as well.

And then he throws up something green and goopy and it starts to move towards Danny and ugh. It sounds so digusting and horrifying I kinda had to take a moment to get a drink because god damn, that was not a comfortable experience to read about and any time I reread this for corrections I feel this imagine return to my mind.

Thank god for Alfred saving the day, because as the only one with his faculties intact he just puts a bowl over this … thing. And it helps! Whoooooo!

But now we have an exhausted Jason, a collapsed Danny and a very worried family. And not just any worried family, but a worried batfamily. Good god that can´t end well, can it?

Because of course, after the discussion about his health problems the family gets even more worried when his heartbeat slows further. And since he´s not awake, he can´t even veto going to a hospital. Thank god for Duke though, because he got them to go to Dr Thom(p?)kins instead.

And of course they´re suspicious now. Probably more of Lex than Danny, but still.

Tim, bless his soul, wants to tell Lex what just happened because any parent should know what happened to their child. Especially since there could be allergies or traumata involved.

But no, bruce just wants to get him to a clinic. It will come back to bite him in the ass - that I can promise.

And where does it come back to bite him in the ass? Right at the clinic. Jason may be fine, but Danny? In the eyes of the doc? Fuck no, he´s not. I mean, he never is, but they don´t know that, do they?

And because of all the radioactivity and the health problems and because he´s a sus mf - what does Bruce do? He wants a blood sample.

Now. We know how Danny is about his blood. It´s a dangerous thing. Thank god for Leslie and her ethics though. Because I don´t think neither Danny nor Lex would forgive him for that breach of trust and bodily autonomy.

Bruce and Damian are both deeply suspicious because the matter seems quite close to Lazarus pits and fear that Lex may be experimenting on him … and also Damian kinda lowkey hates Danny because he has hurt his family twice already, however unintentional and who says he won´t hurt even more of them?

And after that whole ordeal? Danny just decided to take his legs into his hands and get the hell out of dodge.

Can´t blame him tbh. Really, really can´t blame him.

So where does the baby boi end up? At a random roof in Gotham where Harley finds him. Predictably she thinks he maybe wants to jump though our Boy quickly reassures her that that´s not the case.

Doesn´t change the fact that he´s still spooked though. Mainly because he thinks he did something wrong and now the Waynes won´t want him as a friend anymore, because why would they? He hurt them and then they even had to get him to a clinic and Harley, please do something about this, it´s just sad to read :')

And now Danny doesn´t even wanna call Lex, because of the situation because he fear he´ll never be allowed to go anywhere again because he was 'right' and just. Danny I understand your fear, but comunication please.

Of course he deflects by asking if the Joker was around, which somehow leads to Harley taking him to her and Ivy´s place? Don´t ask me how it happened, the only I way I can condense it is if I say: they ranted.

This leads to this part of the conversation:

“Really? Then why did… you know,” he said, looking her up and down. “I know it couldn’t have been just the Joker that made you this way. He’s your… origin story, not your love interest.”

And I think that just endeared danny to her forever.

So while Danny cuddles with Bud and Lou on the Couch, the bats are freaking out because they lost Danny. And what do the bats do best when they panic? Suit up and spread out. 

Lex is finally being called. Suffice to say the conversation does not go well. At all. And Lex is now on the way. Because of course he is. Especially after Bruce basically insulted him by insinuating he´s a bad parent. Way to put your foot in your mouth, Bruce.

And what else does happen on this lovely day? The Joker gets out, because of course he does. Why not make bad things even worse? That´s what this man does best after all.

Meanwhile Ivy is exasperated at Harley´s antics, seeing as she wants to steal Danny from Lex and yeah. Just a typical start to girl´s night i guess? Catwoman will have fun with this situation, i can already tell xD

Now if only I knew what Damian would want those bolt cutters for?

Selina arrives! And instantly thinks Danny was kidnapped as well.

That topic quickly shifts though. And what does it shift into? Bruce´s batdoption problems. It´s just such a good meme and I´m not even mad about it.

It also seems a put a few things into perspective for Danny since she tells him that some people don´t think Lex to be a good parent. For very good reasons to be honest, but I guess it still stings a bit ...

In the end girl night starts with them just trash talking Bruce and his furry tendencies. As well as his hypocrisy when we consider his dating history. How a man with such a moral compass can deal with dating people such as Talia or Catwoman I will never understand. I know, I know. Sexual Tension. But Sexual Tension does not cause you to conceive a child together (that´s just trash as well. I gotta be solidary xD)

So in the typical girl night fashion, they talk about feelings and who may have a crush on whom and how oblivious some people (*cough* Danny *cough*) are and there´s many an adive to be had. They´re just gal pals having fun :D

Meanwhile Lex is annoyed at the Gotham airspace seeing as he can´t get into the city without changing vehilces because a certain clown blew up some buildings.

Meanwhile girl night changed into poker night and well. I don´t think any of them play fair xD

The conversation that follow are easily put under the "What happens on girls’ night, stays on girls' night" category as Ivy suitably calls it.

The bats and birds still haven´t stopped searching. Joker´s still a crazy piece of work and Danny? Danny is just losing at Uno and living his best live.