#fww2025

[upagainstthesunset]

Fourth World Week

Day 4 - Masks

When it comes to masks, I can't not think of Orion. My wish for him is to transcend the mask and in his heart accept his duality. He isn't merely one hidden behind the other. Instead, he is both. They equally make him who he is, and there is value in that.

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@fourthworldweek

[radioactive-earthshine]

What should I do with him, father?

Summary: Orion seeks High-Father's council on how to love Lightray.

Rating: General Audiences Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply Category: M/M Fandoms: New Gods (Comics) DC Comics Relationships: Lightray/Orion (DCU) Orion & High Father Characters: Orion (DCU)High Father (DCU) Additional Tags: Love Confessions, Pining, Self Loathing, Canon - Comics, Dialogue-Only Collections: Fourth World Week 2025 Words: 749

Excerpt

“What should I do with him, father? His presence, it soothes me, as well as shames me. His light banishes darkness, but I fear it will not touch the shadowed chambers within me. ‘Gentle darkness’ is what he calls me, like the fall of shadows at twilight! Gentle! Me! He calls me gentle and it makes me believe that perhaps my hands may hold more than a weapon - that they may be used for mirth, and might hold his hand and touch his skin with as much assurance and comfort as they do a spear. But then the drums of battle pound with the beat of my heart and his gentle touch burns me and I recoil. I fear that if he and I met on the battlefield as enemies I would never turn from his touch, but would greet it with vision unclouded - even though he would wound me, even if I may fall at his strike. To die under his searing light would be a death I would accept and welcome with grace, and maybe it would finally cast away the shadows that infect me. But in this life he is my friend, he is the shining light of New Genesis who found comfort in me - a beast from Apokolips. There is no fight in which I would flee from, no weapon intimidating, no opponent which I would balk at meeting, but Lightray’s love, his touch - it frightens me, father. We stain each other, but in ways that taint only one. What should I do with him?”

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[upagainstthesunset]

Fourth World Week

Day 5 - Love

Based on this interaction from New Gods (1971) #1, this one really could've been for the Masks prompt or even the Friends & Family prompt. But at its heart, its very much a love song. It's written from Orion's perspective, something he could not say or put into words to Lightray, just as the darker parts of his heart cannot yet be shown. But he longs to! He wants deeply to let in this person - the one who lights those dark chambers.

I originally wrote the lyrics some time ago, but only put it to music in the last several days especially for FWW! Please give it a listen, it's not very long.

Ohh Ohh Oh There are places you can't go The darkness is red Inside my heart I prefer your light instead But I fear the start Will spell the end Don't tell me, don't tell me What do you think of me The brutish strength I wield Deep in my soul Is that what's really real And could you know Exactly how I feel The self control, the face I show The mask you see But oh if you stay with me You might find the man that I try to be And oh if you could only know You light the places that you can't go

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[upagainstthesunset]

Fourth World Week - Day 1 "Freedom"

Gotta go with Scott for this prompt! I love the idea of him and his freedom symbolized by a butterfly. He himself went through such a transformative stage, and from it emerged to be who he really is! Plus, this is also inspired by his appearance in the newest New Gods where there is a line alluding to him.

"I will look for a miracle in the flapping of gentle wings."

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[upagainstthesunset]

Metron’s Origin

There’s no doubt Metron is a minor character. A C-lister at best. And as with so many minor characters, his origin and backstory is all but

Fourth World Week

Day 6 - Lore

For today I present a look at where Metron is from! It's kind of a long one, but I explore the scarce few times he's talked about his origins (allegedly), and at the end I offer up a few of my own theories. Ive actually shared those theories here in the past over the course of the last two and a half years, but synthesizing all of this together into one big article feels right.

The short of it for those who dont want to go offsite, is that I believe Metron's words to Heggra in The Pact are only about allegiance. As far as canon he may or may not be from one of the two planets, it's not indicated. I also look at his Swamp Thing appearance where he says a brief line about his father, but we probably can't put much merit in that even if it's a fun idea.

I actually had this written up and ready to post last weekend. Ive been trying to stick to a weekly schedule for that blog, but hoo boy it's actually pretty hard even when I've already done a draft here on tumblr. Anyway, I looked at the FWW schedule and realized this would fit perfectly for Lore, so I bumped it to today, and rewrote my Impel Card exploration for last weekend instead. Thats also on my blog, along with a few others if youre interested!

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