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queer-n-here · 1 month

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Ango x Muscular Reader Headcannons

This for my bro 🦅 anon. I'm sorry, I accidentally deleted your original req, thank God I still remember what you asked for!

Also, *removes glasses and grimly rubs forehead* I felt kinda guilty since I wasn't able to do your recent Fyodor ask justice, so this is a compensation for that. Hope you like it.

Contents: Muscular Reader x Ango Akaguchi. Both SFW and NSFW Headcannons.

Warnings: Smut, Top male reader, Nipple play, virgin Ango, virginity loss.

SFW

I can see Ango getting slightly flustered when he first sees you.

You, a rookie ability user in the Special Division for Unusual Powers unit, greeting him formally, and the first thing Ango registers is your sheer size.

To begin with, you're 6'2", considerably taller than Ango himself at 5'8". (Yes, I looked up his height.)

Moreover, that's not all to your build. One glance at you and anyone would be able to tell you work out. Your arms are as thick as an average man's quads, to say the least. And your uniform is visibly straining against your chest; that thing is not going to last long.

But in the beginning Ango is only slightly impressed, glad to have someone who's physically strong on the team, just in case an incident like that of Tatsuhiko Shibusawa happens again. Draconia was frightening, and Ango is more than happy to have someone who would have a chance fighting against their own ability.

And then you two get partnered up for your first mission.

The only reason Ango gets put on it is because of his ability 'Decadence of Discourse'. The government needs him to unravel the location of an ability user mass bomber, who's recently escaped from prison.

It's not an easy one, and Ango feels obligated to guide you through it, but as you two unravel mystery after mystery, he slowly learns that you're not ignorant enough to be a total rookie.

So, after the mission is completed, he treats you to dinner. It's a simple gesture, but you notice the intention behind it all the same. And yet, you go.

He tries to get you drunk, but your alcohol tolerance is too much, and at the end of the day, you pretend to be wasted just to see what he'd do.

When Ango uses his ability on you, you let him, having nothing to hide. And he finds out more than enough to satisfy his curiosity.

You were in the Port Mafia before.

Despite knowing, he doesn't bring it up. You find it amusing, how he went so far to find out, and then withdrew silently.

Time passes, and Ango and you grow closer. He tries not to trust you, his job does not permit him to, yet you somehow wiggle your way into his heart, all big and strong.

Now, when you lean over him, or get too close in an elevator, he feels his face heat up, and tries his best to look away. He can't afford to have feelings, he tells himself.

And yet they're out of his control.

You notice, just how you notice everything else. Slightly amused, you tease him a little, standing a little too close when you talk to him, or leaning across him to reach things you could have grabbed either way, just feel his breath hitch.

But I mean, could you deny that you felt the same way, though? Not when Ango adjusts his glasses the way he does every time he gets flustered, a habit you notice that he wasn't aware of himself. How cute, you think.

So when you two do get into a relationship (after an adorable drunk confession from Ango and a whole morning of coaxing him to admit what he said last night) you feel quite decently accomplished in getting THE Ango Sakaguchi all red and stuttering just with a forehead kiss.

NSFW

The first time you two have sex, Ango is more than nervous, even though it's him who asked you if you wanted to do it.

So prep him gently, placing kisses along his jawline and down along his collarbone as he moans and clutches the sheets underneath him.

And when you finally put your fat cock in him, do give him time to adjust. Being a member of a confidential governmental department, dating opportunities don't come by everyday, so you'll excuse him for being a virgin, right?

Start gentle, your cock pumping in and out of Ango as he gets used to the feeling of your tip against his walls, moans spilling non-stop from his pretty mouth.

Kiss him quiet, your neighbours won't be happy at the amount of noise he's making. Or fuck him faster, each of his sounds driving you to please him more, more.

Slam into his sweet spot, and he'll arch his back off the bed, blunt nails digging into your back and drawing blood as a cry rips itself from his throat, eyes wide and tearing up.

Fuck him nice and good, till he forgets his own name, till the only thing his brain can process is your cock against his tight walls, abusing and bullying his sweet spot with such precision it makes him see stars.

Wipe away his tears before you continue to pound into him, and plant soft kisses on his face and chest. Suck on his nipples, kiss and bite them, and he'll come undone right then, hips bucking as cum shoots out of his untouched dick, hole clenching pathetically around you.

Let him come down from his high before you continue; it's only his first time, you can overstimulate him some other day, right?

When you start over, he will bury his face into the crook of your neck, muffling his moans and cries against your skin and just sobbing into your shoulder.

Fuck him till you come, bringing him to his second orgasm just with the feeling of your seed hitting his walls.

Pull out of him and kiss him softly, tell him he did good, and he'll smile dazedly, burying his face into your thick chest.

#dom male reader #top male reader #dom reader #bungou stray dogs #sub bsd #sub bsd x you #bsd x you #sub bungou stray dog x you #sub bungou stray dogs #sub character #sub character x you #sub ango #sub ango x you #muscular reader

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holylulusworld · 1 month

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Indecent Proposal (14)

Summary: Your boyfriend wants to be part of their empire. You are the pawn he’s willing to sacrifice.

Pairing: Mobster!Stucky x fem!Reader

Warnings: sexy mobsters, fluff, established Stucky, angst, implied smut, caring mobsters, pregnant reader, lactation kink?

Indecent Proposal (13)

Indecent Proposal masterlist

“Stevie, you need to help me,” Bucky pants heavily. He barely had the time to catch his breath before you were all over him again. “She has her cravings again. And she doesn’t want to eat food but dick!”

You snicker. It’s the first time Bucky refuses to have sex. He’s usually as horny as you are but today, he’s too exhausted to even lift a finger.

“Y/N,” Steve sighs deeply. “I told you to get a rest. It was an exhausting day for a pregnant lady.”

“Pregnant lady,” you snort. “Stevie, not two hours ago you called me your whore and threatened to put another baby in my womb.” You roll onto your back and spread your legs to show Steve your cunt. “Why don’t you come over here and get a taste of Bucky and me?”

“No.” Steve crosses his arms over his chest. His shirt strains against his chest and thick arms, making it harder for you to focus on anything but the greedy bitch your pussy turned into. “You will have a shower. Both. No sex. We had plans for today.”

“Plans,” you huff and roll to your side to snuggle into Bucky’s side. “Tell him that we are too tired for plans, Bucky.”

“Doll, Steve is right. We agreed on taking it slow for the next few days,” Bucky gently runs his hand over your arm. “Please listen to him.”

“Guys, it was nothing,” you groan loudly. “Having light cramps in early pregnancy is normal for a woman. It’s caused by the change in my hormones and my womb starts growing.”

“The doctor said,” Steve tries to convince you to take things slow and not even leave the bed.

“The doctor said the same, Stevie,” you slowly sit up and wrap the blanket around your body. “They checked on me and ran all the tests. I’m fine, and the baby too. If you worry all the time you’ll miss out on so many things during this pregnancy.”

“The doctor said it’s nothing serious. But you must tell us if anything doesn’t feel normal, or if you are in pain. We should be careful, Y/N.”

You pat Bucky’s head. “I cross my heart and swear it. The baby is important to me too, and I’ll do anything to keep it safe.”

“We know that doll,” Steve softly says. “We are worried, is all. You are important to us, and the baby too. The last thing we want to happen is that you get hurt or lose the baby.”

You gave in and allowed Steve to tug you in. It wasn’t necessary to spend the day in bed, but you didn’t mind cuddling with Bucky while his husband tried to read another book about pregnancy.

For a few hours, you forget about how your relationship with them started and that they killed Scott.

You still weren’t sure if it was a good idea to become pregnant so soon. It wasn’t in your plans to give birth to the child of two mafia bosses, nor did you imagine ending up between them, stuffed with their glorious cocks.

You giggle and press your legs together at the memory of the naughty position you, Steve, and Bucky tried not two hours ago.

“We should start buying things for the baby,” Bucky suddenly says. “Right, Y/N, Stevie? We are officially pregnant. I want to go on a shopping spree with our beautiful baby momma.”

“He’s going to spoil the baby before the little bean is even born,” Steve says, making you chuckle. Steve acts as if he didn’t buy every book about pregnancy, and the female needs during pregnancy. “We need to keep an eye on him.”

“He’s excited, is all,” you lean closer to Steve to whisper in his ear. “Let him be giddy and all. I prefer Bucky over an absent father any time of the day. We only need to keep him away from the toys.”

“Good plan,” Steve wraps his arm around your shoulders and pecks your cheek. “He’s busy buying stuff on his phone again, I just know it.”

“What?” Bucky looks up from his phone. He was busy searching for a pre-natal course. “Did you say something? Do you need Bucky to take care of you?” He smirks at his husband. “Aw, come here baby. I’ll eat you alive if you let me put my hands on you.”

“Buck, keep it in your pants,” the blonde tuts. “We agreed on having a sleepover and watching movies with Y/N. No sex.”

“Fine,” Bucky harrumphs and turns his attention back toward his phone. “Just you know if you wake with my mouth around your dick it’s your fault. I haven’t seen it for a long time.”

Steve shakes his head and sighs. “It’s been two hours, Bucky baby. You’re insatiable since Y/N is pregnant.”

“Hey, that’s not my fault. Your husband has been a horny dog since I met him,” you point out and glare at Steve. “Do not blame my womb for his horniness.”

“I’m not a horny dog,” Bucky dips his head to look at you sitting in the middle of the bed. “I only try to stay healthy by burning calories.”

“You’re a bad liar, Mr. Barnes,” you point out. “But don’t worry, we like you. A lot.” You pat his thigh. “Now, what did you buy?”

“I didn’t do a thing,” Bucky grumbles under his breath. “I was looking for a pre-natal course, and recipes for pregnant women.”

Steve and you stare at Bucky. “What?” He shrugs. “I can do more than make you two orgasm, doll. I’m a responsible and thoughtful partner and try to find out what you’ll need during your pregnancy.”

“You okay over there?” Steve furrows his brows.

“And maybe…I tried to find out how to get her pregnant again,” Bucky snickers when you throw him an angry look. “Do not give me that look, young lady. You agreed to have my babies. All of them. I’ll keep you barefoot and pregnant for the rest of your life.”

“Horny bastard,” you conclude and decide to get some sleep before Bucky gets his hands on you again. “I’ll get some sleep. Tomorrow, we should have a look at a baby store and buy a few things.”

“Crap!” Bucky jumps off the bed and starts pacing the room. “Steve! We’ll need a nursery and playroom. We need to hire the right people to renovate two rooms for us.”

“A playroom,” you snap your eyes open and stare at Bucky. “Uh-huh. That sounds dirty!”

“For the kid, you horny milf!” Bucky tuts, but his eyes drift toward your chest. He already imagines you all swollen. “I’m gonna suckle on those tits when they are filled with milk.”

Steve inhales sharply while you, well you lick your lips. Bucky is as kinky as you are. He’s all too eager to help you explore every kink. “Buck, if anyone tastes her milk it’s me!”

Part 15

Tags in reblog.

#steve rogers #bucky barnes #mafia au #stucky x reader #stucky x female reader #female reader #stucky x you #stucky x y/n #Indecent Proposal (14)

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theoisdaydreaming · 27 days

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hi!! i loved your overlord angel dust/husk art and i commented about potentially turning it into a fic and adding your art, which you consented to. i was wondering if you had any additional ideas to make it more than a oneshot, maybe they open a casino together with mafia roots, collect souls together, etc…once again, your art was amazing!!

Thank you so much, I would love a fic about my AU (⁠人⁠*⁠´⁠∀⁠｀⁠)⁠｡⁠*ﾟ⁠+

Here are other ideas about the story:

In this AU Angel didn't worked with Valentino, he and Arackniss reconciled before Angel could sign a contract with him

That is not to say Angel wasn't doing sex work, he would take all kinds of offers, from stripping to singing gigs, just for the money

Regarding the backstory of the spider brothers I haven't really fleshed it out but here are some points of it:

They had kind of a strained relationship even though they cared for each other, because Arackniss (or Andrew as I like to think) used to put down Anthony's dreams of becoming a performer like the drag queens he liked to see (in secret) in the gay bars the Mafia used to own back in the 30s (real history btw)

He did this in hopes he would give up, leave it all behind and live a 'normal' life, out of fear their dad would disown him, or worse, kill him

It wouldn't matter anyway because both of them would die together while doing a shady work for the mob (who started the shots? They couldn't really remember)

At the beginning of their afterlife Arackniss avoided Angel with the guilt that (according to him) it was his fault his little brother got shot in the eye. (He was too far, too late, he couldn't protect his brother and now he's dead because of him)

Cause of this angel thinks his brother hates him, but they eventually encounter during a turf war that went wrong

Arackniss sees Angel surrounded and not wanting to repeat his brothers death again, he saves him this time.

They sort things out, and become closer than ever

When Arackniss figures out what angel has been doing for money they decide to start doing mob work again, they're good and people start giving their loyalty and doing contracts with them because the brothers actually care about the souls they own, deciding to learn from their father's mistakes, they respect all of their workers

furthermore, Angel gains more influence because he gave the people he met while being a sex worker, safe and living conditions; every stripper, actor, performer wanted to work with him, and with all the contracts he made, became an overlord

On the other hand, arackniss does all the shady work, sticking to the shadows, not wanting any attention. He is very prod of angel, and becomes his right hand man

Other ideas and dynamics:

Angel calls arackniss An, Andy or niss

Arackniss calls angel Angie, Anni, or Anth. (He never really liked tony, that's what his father called him)

They love each other very much but they're still siblings, they bicker and fight all the time (all their goons are used to it at this point, unimpressed by the brothers shenanigans)

Valentino develops some sort of obsession with Angel after meeting him (this brings problems)

Angel fell first, husk fell harder

They kind of had an enemies to lovers (but not really, more like a rivalry bc angel likes to annoy the cat overlord for fun)

Molly is still in heaven in this AU, arackniss was able to shield her from the family business (he couldn't with angel though, That's part of his guilt)

She died of heart disease before the brothers death

Angel is the spoilt younger sibling

I haven't really thought about how him and husk get together but they will definitely become a power couple

I like the idea Angel performs at the casino

He sings, does drag, etc. (Maybe some pornos too, just for fun)

What caught husk's attention is that Angel cared a lot for the souls he owned, he treated them like the humans they are

That's all I have for now, I will make more art about this AU later, you can use it if you like, whether as reference or inspiration for the fic (⁠*⁠˘⁠︶⁠˘⁠*⁠)⁠.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡

Ik this is more about Angel and Arackniss but I really like to focus on their story. So regarding the huskerdust you can have fun with that as I don't have a lot of ideas

#overlord angel dust #hazbin hotel #huskerdust #angel dust hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel husk #arackniss hazbin hotel #angel dust x husk #hazbin hotel angel dust #angel dust #husker hazbin hotel #husk hazbin hotel #overlord husk au #overlord Huskerdust #overlord! casinohearts #casinohearts

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ohnoitstbskyen · 1 year

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What are thoughts of the recent resurgence in popularity of 1973 mafia movie Goncharov?

It's always exciting to discover new lost media, but if I have to give a hot take I'll say it's overrated due to the hype right now, and people will reappraise it a bit more calmly once the furor's died down.

It's clearly the work of a filmmaker still finding his feet, trying to figure out his sensibilities and straining against financial limitations put on him by the production budget.

Like, yeah, the scene with the church windows is cool, and you can interpret them as thematic if you want to, but honestly, to me it's clear that the pyrotechnics just weren't calibrated correctly and it went off way too big. And after the damage it did to the masonry there's no way to reset the shot (afaik the priest refused reshoots?), so they just had to go with bad footage. Yes, they edited around it okay, but it's the kind of sloppy workaround that Scorsese's better movies simply do not struggle with.

Also, De Niro is obviously giving a strong performance, but while it may have been interesting in the 70s, through a modern lens I just don't vibe as much with these tortured explorations of unmoored masculinity struggling to come to terms with a changing world, and I think people are too willing to interpret the relationship with Andrey through a romantic lens. It reads to me more like a criticism of the presumed emotional deadness of the Other behind the Iron Curtain in a way that honestly feels a bit dehumanizing.

Anyway, I don't wanna yuk anyone's yum, it's a great movie, it just didn't connect with me the way it has with others.

#goncharov #tb answers #martin scorsese #robert de niro #film #cw unreality

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caliumcyanide · 1 year

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"Why is it that everyone who has a supernatural ability has a twisted heart to go with it?.."

A haphazardly put together and incomplete Analysis of Dazai and Mori's differences and similarities in relation to their peculiar obsessions.

So, I recently stumbled across Taxidermia, (a 2006 Hungarian surrealist horror movie) and since everything else occupying the RAM in my brain is BSD right now, I subconsciously and later, consciously related the two together.

At this point we're all aware of the themes such as "cycle of abuse" and "the chain of salvation" that are present throughout the whole of BSD. The story isn't a horror, and is not meant so much as a warning, but a conversation with the reader/viewer. Then how can this film possibly relate to any of this? Well...

“By the way, who’s the person you said I reminded you of?” he asked.

Mori smiled faintly. Then with a hint of melancholy in his expression, he gave his answer:

...

So, in this movie, the story is told by means of three generations of Hungarian men; 3 characters with one specific trait, quirk, obsession, if you will. In simple terms: one is a pervert, the other is a speed-eater, and the third one is a dedicated to his craft taxidermist. I guess, by now, you see where this is going, right?

Now, I'd argue the situation relayed in BSD is quite ambiguous. What is a skill? What does it truly represent? (I wanted to look into the play with Tokio Murakami in the UO to figure this out, but maybe later) There's seems to be no definitive answer to this, but as always, there is an ongoing subtextual debate on the nature of human beings (not just the skill users, because even if they are their own category they still belong to the human race, don't they?) the formation and evolution of their identity throughout the years, what influences them to act a certain way, all to ask a bunch of simple questions: "Is there a correct, right way to live your life?", "If nothing I do can change the past, then should I be defined by said past?", "Why is it that everyone who has a supernatural ability has a twisted heart to go with it?", ad infinitum. That last one, eh? It's introducing a sort of deterministic element to the nature of the ability users. Which is curious, to say the least.

Now, back to Dazai and Mori's exchange. Right out of the gate it could be argued that Mori, in spite of his claim, is admitting to both Dazai and us, the audience, that he doesn't, in fact truly grasp what this teenager's dysthymia was born from.

“Dazai,” Mori began while still pondering that question. “I may not be able to comprehend your answer, but I nonetheless want to know: Why do you want to die?”

Especially when we trace their relationship to the Dark Era, where he might've used his general understanding of the human nature to force Dazai out of the Mafia, because he knew of his connection to Odasaku, but the way he argued with Dazai, the way the latter had a hard time articulating his irrational feelings and justifying them as beneficial to the Mafia (we all know how concerned Mori is with being rational.) made me question whether Mori ever understood Dazai even just a little bit.

“It’s a win-win situation. So why are you so angry?"

Dazai didn’t say a word. That was just about the first time he’d ever been unable to articulate his feelings.

“I…”

—“There is nothing worth pursuing at the cost of prolonging a life of suffering.”

—“Awaken me from this oxidizing world of a dream.”

“I just…” His voice came out strained. “I just don’t get it.”

Don't worry, Dazai, I don't think Mori gets it either.

“I have just one thing I’d like to ask: What’s wrong with that?” “……”

“My answer is the same, Dazai. I will do anything for the benefit of the organization. Besides, we are the Port Mafia. We have always brought darkness, violence and cruelty to this city. “Why is that a problem now?”

Dazai knew. He knew Ougai’s calculations, his mentality, and the rationale behind the plan. That was just the kind of organization the Port Mafia was. Logically speaking, Ougai was right, and Dazai was wrong. “But…” He turned on his heel, then began walking toward the door.”

Did Mori's plan succeed? Yes.

Did he correctly predict Dazai's actions? That's right.

Did he come to understand Dazai after having him as a subordinate for all these years? No. Not one bit. Because, there is this fascinating thing about humans, where they fear what they can't comprehend. Why again did Mori want Dazai out of the Mafia so badly?

"You were afraid of me, weren't you? Afraid that I would aspire to take your position, that one day, I'd run a knife across your throat. Just like you did to your predecessor."

Then, once again, why the comparison?

Well, there's always a possibility of him just lying to Dazai plain and simple, though I can explain why it can be easily discarded as "not worth the effort". Mori doesn't need to lie to get Dazai to do things for him, he doesn't even need to be particularly discreet about it, like this example from Storm bringer:

“My reasoning is extremely simple.” Mori smiled. “If that monster kills you, nobody will be able to save Chuuya, and he will die as well. In other words, you will finally get the death you have always yearned for but with Chuuya by your side.”

A full ten seconds of silence went by until Dazai broke it.

“Hwaaah.”

“Was that a yawn I just heard?”

“Look, I know what you’re trying to do, and it’s not gonna work. You can’t manipulate me. Good-bye.”

The radio then cut off. Mori held his radio with a faint smirk.”

Hehe, the infamous double suicide argument.

Mori seems to have a general grasp at how Dazai works, but that doesn't seem to be enough. Because there's this:

"No single word or phrase could accurately describe their relationship. The closest approximation would be bound by a common destiny."

And this:

"And yet no one trusted him. Because the darkness lurking within his eyes was deeper than the ink black nights that hung over the dumping ground he inhabited."

And this:

"Miscalculation.

"You misjudged the situation." He told himself. You failed to pick the optimal solution. You shouldn't have chosen this child to help you. Dazai is unpredictable. He can be sharp, but in a dark, twisted way. He's observant. He's cold and calculating with no equivalent even in the Mafia, where the most evil reside."

Honestly, the mention of "darkness" in various descriptions of Dazai by different characters deserves its own fully-fledged analysis. Even if all my examples would consist of excerpts from Oda's internal monologue, it'd still be a treasure trove of information and food for thought.

Back to Mori. I believe this "I'm just like you" moment serves a bunch of purposes all at once. "If you are like me, and I am the head of the Port Mafia, then, by extension, this is the only place that can give you purpose too, because this is where individuals like us thrive." It makes so much more sense to follow somebody else's example, if they really are as similar to you as they claim, and if they truly did find what Dazai is desperately searching for.

The other purpose it might serve can look a bit more sinister: "There is darkness in you, there is something very wrong with you and what I can help you do is put it to good use. I know, because I was the same. I can help you use it for the greater good."

What's funny about BSD is that it's not just that there is the lack of transparently defined right and wrong, (which I believe should be a standard in any media, because otherwise art is reduced to nothing but a slightly subtler version of propaganda) but the lack of a clear winner in these types of existential mental confrontations. Dazai did fail to pick up on Mori's real motives behind the Mimic incident in time, yet his observation of Ougai's lingering fear and paranoia towards him is pretty spot on. Mori did succeed in many aspects of using Dazai as a tool and even going so far as to conduct a plan to dispose of him properly, yet he remains as apprehensive of Dazai as he was from the beginning. To this day, he is still able to predict Dazai's actions, but because of what Mori defines as: "common destiny", "flashes of brilliance" and the "bizarre, meaningless fascination with suicide", he most of the time fails to see him an an autonomous individual, capable of having a purpose different from Mori's own.

Ultimately, does any of it even matter? I'm sure Mori would have been fascinated to know why is Dazai the way he is, just like he would inquire Oda about his guns in the future, but not then, because what he wanted from Dazai when he was in the Mafia is to be a polished diamond scalpel he can use for combating anything threatening the organization. And scalpels aren't known to possess any free will. It didn't matter at all what Dazai went through to reach this point, but what was important from Mori's point of view is that they do, in fact, have similar "steel trap" minds as well as certain obsessions.

"bizarre, meaningless fascination with suicide"

"Are you still lusting after little girls?"

...has a twisted heart to go with it...

I'd argue what Mori expresses here can be described as a very flawed form of cognitive empathy. It isn't full comprehension, by all means, which is why other people in their analyses usually point out the harm it can bring to project onto someone to such a degree, without acknowledging the possibility of even a single difference between the two of you, to force them to be a carbon copy of you for the sake of nothing but blind self-indulgence.

What, in my opinion is a first clear symptom of Mori's pathological misconception... is using the word "meaningless" to describe Dazai's supposed obsession with suicide. For someone of such caliber to be fooled by Dazai's facade so easily is a crazy feat to accomplish. Congratulations on your incomprehensibility once again, Dazai!

Like I mentioned before, BSD takes a more ambiguous approach to all of its themes, characters, et cetera, so it's definitely curious that Odasaku's quiet emotional empathy (as opposed to cognitive, which Oda also expresses, but much later, as a means of deepening his understanding) is, in fact, what reaches him, and in contrast to the narration or Mori's words, Oda doesn't describe him as the "darkness itself", but akin to a person, suffering from a chronic illness.

"I could see a thorn the size of a harpoon wedged deeply into his life."

A child who is surrounded by the darkness and hurt by it, even seemingly bleeds it, yet remains at his core a lonely, abandoned, sobbing child.

“He was too smart for his own good. That was why he was always alone. The reason why Ango and I were able to be by his side was that we understood the solitude that surrounded him, and we never stepped inside it no matter how close we stood.”

Speaking of contradictions and complexity:

“Ougai stared at the scattered reports on his desk. The organization had received an item of great value, something that more than made up for the total pecuniary damage and loss of talented subordinates. That included Dazai’s disappearance as well. Logically speaking, the results couldn’t have been better. Everything was going according to plan.

Ougai folded the document into a misshapen paper airplane. Then, with his chin still resting on his hand, he threw it. The deformed plane almost immediately crashed into the floor.

“Things sure are going to get boring around here…”

First and foremost, was that plane some sort of Guild-related foreshadowing? (that scene with Dazai's brainstorming session with Ranpo came to mind.) I shouldn't be too surprised though. I guess he didn't think Dazai would get involved, because with the only kind of leverage Mori had - gone, the former mafia executive just disappeared into thin air overnight. Little did he know...

What was that, Mori? You've won, you've driven him out of the Mafia for good, then why are you still unsatisfied?

Oh, GOD How I love the Dark era.

How I love Beast AU.

Ok, fine, I admit it. I love everything that comes out of Asagiri's head. I want to pick his brain, dissect it, put it back together and eat it with some soy sau-

...

To be entirely honest, I haven't even watched "Taxidermia" to the end. So, I don't think any of these tidbits of comparison should qualify as a correct interpretation of the themes or the overall message of the movie. What I've seen just sort of inspired me to feed some of the ideas I had to a vast collection of BSD analyses stashed in my notes.

Someday, I really should find patience to organize and post those.

...

Oh, now I remember! Why I wanted to write something related to both Dazai and the embalmer character from the movie.

It's that... (spoilers)

I was just wondering what would Dazai think of this character's method of suicide? There's anesthesia involved, so it's certainly painless, though arguably not "clean" and "beautiful" the way he would have wanted.

What a weird note to end an essay on, huh. Oh, well. I guess the one who had the twisted heart was me all along, eh?

#bungo stray dogs #bsd analysis #osamu dasai #mori ougai #taxidermia #bsd #bsd fifteen #bsd stormbringer #oda sakunosuke #and chaos ensues #i am not a writer #bsd beast #bsd beast spoilers

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insomooniac · 1 year

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my understanding of kinn anakinn theerapanyakul

it's no surprise a lot of people don't like kinn. he's what we would describe as a rich asshole. and while i personally think that the execution of how kinn is supposed to be portrayed could've been more, i sort of get what they were trying to show us.

anakinn is bad at being the mafia. why? simple. because he hates it. the only reason why he even does it is because of the manipulating hold his father has on him. he has nowhere else to go and nothing else to do. he can't go to tankhun because he doesn't know how to deal with his older brother's eclectic-ness and, i believe, was traumatized seeing tankhun become what he is now no matter how fabulous he is. he can't go to kimhan because of their strained relationship; his younger brother rarely even visiting the compound as he deals with his own traumas. he can't go to vegas because of the rivalry their fathers have raised them to have, and while he does have friends in tae and time, their backgrounds are too similar, rather than giving him an escape from the mafia life, they give him companionship and comfort instead.

this is when porsche comes in. he gets to experience and get time off from being the heir of his father's crime-dom. even with porsche unwillingly getting involved with the business, they get stranded in the forest which is the only time in a long time that he's been away, they sneak out on dates, they celebrate porsche's birthday, he got to meet new acquaintances through porsche; kinn finally found something else to do rather than look over files and worry when someone else plans to put a bullet in his head.

porsche is a huge reason why kinn is unliked by a lot, most of it due to episode four. i have rewatched that scene over and over again and listened to gaywatch's love scene breakdown on it, which i do recommend you go watch it, and i sort of see where kinn is coming from.

quick disclaimer: before you send me death threats, i am not condoning rape or any dubious consent. i understand what consensual non-consent is and this isn't it.

i do believe kinn did not mean any harm to porsche. that is the main take away here. he never means porsche any harm. even looking at his body language, the way his eyes look, his fist clenching, the constant breathing in to calm himself down, his main goal was just to get porsche clean, dressed, and off to bed because he doesn't know that porsche even remembers their kiss on the pier until porsche says so. the moment porsche absentmindedly admits he remembers the kiss after teasing kinn, kinn sees it as porsche also admitting to liking him.

should he still have done it? no. while porsche did start to like him and did want to sleep with him, i do agree that kinn shouldn't have made any moves onto porsche being out of his mind and having been drugged, but then again, being raised in the environment he is in, i can't be surprised that he did what he did.

another reason to why kinn is heavily disliked is his lack of communication with porsche, which is the part that i feel is so overlooked by so many viewers. when tawan returns, kinn doesn't even attempt to tell porsche his plans before or after imprisoning him. that part is what is overlooked. again, kinn means well, he doesn't mean porsche any harm, but he doesn't execute well. why? because that's what his dad does, that is what he was taught to do. make decisions without consulting anyone and without anyone questioning why you've made that decision.

that leads me to contrast and compare him and vegas. in psychology, we are taught of the stereotypes of the different forms of abuse, and it is prominent in how his and vegas's abuse are portrayed in the series.

while kinn and vegas are both victims of their fathers' abuse, their forms are different. with vegas, khan is verbally and physically violent. vegas gets slapped, punched, gets told he's worthless, and isn't deserving of being khan's son. with kinn, korn doesn't beat him up, instead is verbally and emotionally manipulative. in episode 5, kinn is called to join his father in a game of chess in which korn reminds kinn of what happens when he starts to trust people easily and lose sight of what is important, casually saying, "like what happened before" which is a reference to tawan's betrayal. he disregards kinn's ideas and opinions, though kinn was right when he said that these things are happening to porche because he got involved with their family.

since kinn wants to be a good son, what does he do? he punishes porsche to show his father that he is still in control and that he does not show any favoritism from his bodyguards even though korn never explicitly said to punish porsche, also showing how much of a hold he has over kinn and if questioned, he can deny ever planting that idea onto kinn because he never actually said it.

so, again, while i do believe they could've done more in different parts in the series, whether it was intentional or not, shining more light on vegas's pain from his father in contrast to kinn's turned out to be perfect because that is how it usually is with physical abuse versus emotional abuse.

vegas' trauma is obvious because it's corporeal, kinn's gets overlooked because he gets manipulated by words. unlike kinn and his brothers, vegas and macau are close because of the corporeal abuse from their father, and this is probably what has made them closer as vegas does khan's bidding to protect macau, whereas kinn and his brothers only drift apart because of their father's words.

while khun is the oldest, he is mostly childlike since he was so young when he was kidnapped, and while also wisest of the three, attached to their father as he was the first victim of korn's manipulation before he was unfit to be the heir. kinn is the middle child and carries all of what was supposed to be his older brother's responsibility, becoming the main target of manipulation, and isolated from most kinds of relationships by his father. kim is the youngest and probably the one who has seen what has become of his older brothers and resents their father for what he has turned them into, which made him decide to leave.

khun isolates himself with his bodyguards to watch dramas, kinn isolates himself from everyone and everything to make their father proud, and kim isolates himself from their home because he believes that to truly know what their father has done, he has to see the bigger picture from the outside looking in.

in comparison, vegas and kinn are similar in a way. khan is violent towards vegas therefore vegas's go-to approach is violence. korn is manipulative towards kinn therefore kinn is more accustomed to manipulating others.

my understanding of kinn is that he is a person with a lot of trauma & pain (from his mother passing away, tawan's betrayal, and his little brother leaving, not being able to pursue his passion) but he has yet to discover the present trauma that he is experiencing, which is his father. i do believe that once kinn eventually realizes and accepts that what korn does is not out of love but out of greed, it's going to be a completely different anakinn that deserves his character arc to be shown, and it's just a shame that we will never get to see it because the possibilities are endless. imagine him and vegas working together, that is my biggest wish (them heading the theerapanyakul empire? omg), him and his brothers finally being brothers again, him learning to be a little brother to khun and an older brother to kim, and most importantly, him using his father's tactics against him. i believe the cruelest way to defeat korn is for his heir to use his own chess moves against him while working together with the son of his rival.

in conclusion, kinn is the product of his father's emotional manipulation--he is the perfect puppet. you can hate kinn all you want, i understand why you do. i just hope people understand where he is coming from rather than automatically blaming him for everything wrong that happened.

-------------(✿◕‿◕✿)

notes:

i wrote this in the comments but i find it too funny. kinn makes me want to grab him by his hair & smash his head, repeatedly, against concrete, but also wrap him in bubble wrap & kiss his forehead goodnight :((

@kinyeee made an excellent point (thank u for ur input btw) that vegas's verbal abuse from khan wasn't just how "he was not worthy of being his son" but also emotional manipulation. that is how vegas learned & used it to manipulate tawan, porsche, and all (if i'm not mistaken) of kinn's previous lovers (i think that's in the novel? idk. i refuse to read the novels). that also adds to my point of the contrast and similarities that both of them have. it makes me wonder how powerful they could truly be if korn & khan just worked together. they really fumbled.

some of kinn's wrongdoings are his own. episode 4? naur. i want to say this again. i can see his point of view but i am not condoning it. other shit he's done, i can "forgive" to some extent. episode 4? hell no. while the apology in episode 6 with him & porsche in the ravine reflects how morally grey he is & how morally grey porsche was becoming. when that episode was released, i needed more than that...which we will never get to see now that kinnporsche is over. and, again, disliking kinn is up to you. i understand & support that. how i feel about kinn is how i feel about vegas. that's the main reason why i wrote this highlighting some of their contrasts and comparison.

another great point is that the viewers weren't meant to forgive kinn, that's something only porsche was to do, and i think it adds to the morally grey aspect of it all, and that kinn (vegas, kim, pete, etc.) isn't someone we should expect to even have "perfect" morals. even if kinn & vegas were to settle their differences, it doesn't change the fact that they are still mafias.

#kinnporsche #kinnporche the series #kinn anakinn #kinn anakinn theerapanyakul #character study #thai bl #be gay do crimes #demoonieo

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awkwardgtace · 2 months

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What are the differences between Guardian Au and original au for Melody and Kyrie? How did they meet, their dynamic, and are the guardians supposed to fight against a bigger threat?

got this ask at the perfect time since i just finished the game i was playing tonight :D

I wrote out a thing then decide to go down the list and do major differences at the end.

So how did they meet:

Melody made a comment about Kyrie's eyes being blue when she was near him on a school campus one day (probably college). He heard her and asked if that was a good thing. Started horrible embarrassment for Melody and a lot of attempts from Kyrie to convince her to give him a chance. (lots of self doubt when it comes to people with Melody.)

Siren's song AU Has their first meeting as a story, but something to bring up with it is that Melody at that point was extremely isolated. Her voice had put her and her family in danger. She couldn't risk being seen by anyone because her creepy manager could possibly find her. It took a while for her to accept that she didn't put everyone she cared about in danger just be letting them close, but that fear puts a lot of strain on how she and Kyrie interact at first. (and after he grows considering the aftermath of when she was controlled by the stones.)

Their Dynamic:

Guardian AU has a pretty fluffy dynamic compared to most others. Both Melody and Kyrie have a history of being around guardians and are suuuper used to it. Melody kind of has a blind faith in Kyrie. She genuinely doesn't believe he'd be capable of hurting her. The thing is hoping that faith never gets proved wrong. Kyrie has the same kind of trust, but he usually shows that in the mer au too. He trusts her because she trusts him. He just sees a lot less focus on her own safety he never noticed when they were the same size. It was easy to see her as brave and confident when he wasn't aware how small she looked to any and every guardian. Their relationship is more open too. Easier for them to admit their struggles most of the time. I'd say guardian AU has a much healthier relationship the mer AU

Mer AU has a much more struggle heavy dynamic. Breaking through a lot of pain and issues each has faced. A lot of mutual healing for traumas they faced. Kyrie has the biggest complex about his size in mer au. A lot more obvious hate in this one for him and his size. Melody slowly shows him that isn't true. Melody is convinced she's bad luck. That it's her fault Caprice had to stop doing sports, that if she'd listened she wouldn't be isolated how she is. Even blames herself for Kyrie and what he'll be later. Kyrie does a lot to teach her that she isn't and that she's allowed to be happy with the people around her. Their happy moments show a lot of the trust they build together. Kind of glimpses to what the guardian au relationship already has.

Guardian AU Why guardians exist?

I have had a document in the works for a lore drop like mafia au and I'm stuck on the dumbest part of it (spoilers it's the name for smallest guardian class. something, titan, colossus. I'll figure it out eventually though ideas are welcome. Genuinely considering giant rn lol)

Anyway, yes they exist to defend against bigger threats. Evolutionary protection for humans on a planet that had threats. Basically humans are small, but the planet isn't. There's environments that match each public class of guardians. Originally guardians would be pure defense against predators, which is the origin of the name lol. Then when there was enough they would go get necessities from the larger environments. Evolutionary need has kept the guardians popping up, but it's still kind of just a common ancestor trait so the government haven't found a way to tell if someone will be one. Just locked it to a general age range it can happen.

Kyrie is literally just in an extremely populated city where guardians do pop up frequently. The goal being to stop any from causing trouble while growing or if the 'wrong' person grows. Especially with the changes to memory that could encourage some people to see the average human as something lesser. Generally the days of pure protection have passed, but that still holds the main focus of most of their jobs.

Now the differences in the relationships for siren's song and guardian au melody and kyrie:

Biggest is Melody's blind faith. She doesn't have that in the siren's song universe, but she could after enough time which might be relevant to something I'm working on

Kyrie's comfort in his relationship with Melody is a difference too. He's a lot more confident as Melody's partner in siren's song since he has that promise of 'destined' backing him. There's no one better for her, but guardian au has a lot more insecurities about staying once he grew. Especially since most of the time relationships between a guardian and the average human only works when the guardian can take the medicine without pain.

Time of their relationships is different too. Melody and Kyrie for guardian au had already been to a point of living together before she went away for work. Basically the size difference was viewed as an added roadbump to an established relationship rather than a uphill battle to starting one.

Melody and Kyrie are different in the two universes too. Guardian!Melody is a lot more well adjusted. She has her traumas and struggles, but not to such an extreme. This Melody has friends and people to rely on outside her brother and Kyrie. People who support her and her choices that lets her feel confident enough to have the blind faith in Kyrie. Siren'sSong!Melody is extremely isolated. She has online friends, but keeps them at arms length. A strict distance is kept so they don't know enough to find her past. She could open up, but she doesn't know how. By the time she does, most of her life focuses on merfolk and she can't tell humans. Guardian!Kyrie had a much more normal life too. He wasn't abandoned or treated badly, his parents were pretty decent. Until he became a guardian, but that's another story. For the most part he's formed his own push to isolate himself out of fear of people seeing him as a monster. That's something he'll work on now that Melody is with him again. He can be talked out of spirals about his own actions and what he might have done by accident or on purpose. Siren'sSong!Kyrie is terrified of hurting anyone. Even by accident. He'd run and never return if he thought he hurt Melody. It's harder to convince him that he's worthy of the trust others have for him. In a way he's much more cowardly than the other versions of him. It's all because he's been told so much how he's a danger. He's fiercer at the same time. Much more willing to be the monster than his guardian au counterpart.

Mostly the difference is just in them and their comfort with each other. I def rambled again lol. But it's a lot of just established relationship and relatively healthy lives versus new relationship and heaps of trauma. I think I covered all I could, but if there's anything you wanted to know I missed just send another ask <3

#awkwardanswers #oc lore #oc: melody #oc: kyrie #long post #lore dump #lots of stuff on these two #def helps i currently have one piece prepped to post and another wip about them right now #in said aus too lol #ty for the ask as always <3 <3 <3 <3

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cherrysft · 11 months

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Fast and Furious OC - Soffi Zhen

Name: Soffi Zhen

Age: 20

Personality - Soffi is an amazing person with a heart of gold. She is incredibly sweet, kind, and always goes out of her way to help others. Even when she's feeling down, Soffi never fails to put a smile on someone's face. Her cheerful personality is infectious, and you can't help but feel happy when you're around her.

Despite her love for adventure, Soffi can be a bit timid when it comes to taking risks. She always seeks a little push from others to proceed with things. Nevertheless, she is always on the lookout for new and exciting experiences that will give her that rush of adrenaline. One of her favorite activities is racing. She loves the thrill of speed and the feeling of the wind rushing past her as she speeds down the track.

Soffi is a family-oriented person who loves spending time with her loved ones. She has a soft spot for her grandma, whom she adores to bits. She tries her best to love everyone and spread positivity wherever she goes. However, she prefers the company of confident people who can help her feel more adventurous and bold.

In summary, Soffi is a wonderful person who is always willing to lend a helping hand. Despite her shyness, she is always on the lookout for new and exciting experiences. She is family-oriented and tries her best to spread positivity wherever she goes.

Sexuality: Bisexual

Height: 5.4

Appearance: She has a beautiful head of soft and shiny hazelnut hair that is cut in a short and stylish manner towards the back of her neck, which accentuates her graceful neckline. Her deep and enigmatic dark chocolate eyes are captivating and alluring, making her look even more mysterious and irresistible. She has a very natural and effortless look, and although she doesn't wear makeup often, she still manages to look stunningly gorgeous. She reserves her makeup for special occasions, where she likes to add a touch of glamor to her already mesmerizing appearance. Her body type is apple-shaped, which means she has a fuller upper body and a slimmer lower body, making her look even more elegant and feminine.

Best friends: Brian O'Connor, Neela.

Crush: Han Lue - Soffi has liked him since she first met him at her first race.

Family:

Mother (Kiera Zhen) - Kierea, a woman with a strong and fierce personality, never backs down from any challenge. She confronts all her problems head-on, without any fear or hesitation. Kierea learned this approach to life from her mother, who raised her with a strict parenting style. As a result, Kierea can be a bit tough as a mother herself, always making sure her children learn the value of hard work and perseverance.

Despite her tough exterior, Kierea has a kind heart and is always willing to lend a helping hand to those in need. She is known for her ability to take on anyone, even guys, with ease, but it's best not to get on her bad side. If you do, it's unlikely that you'll come out unscathed.

On the other hand, Soffi has a strained relationship with her mother. She finds it difficult to connect with Kierea due to her strict and demanding nature. Soffi often feels like she's not living up to her mother's expectations, and this creates a lot of tension between them. Despite this, Soffi still loves her mother and hopes that one day they can have a better relationship.

Father (Yiko Zhen) - Yiko Soffi's father is a member of the mafia and is known to be involved in some shady business deals. Despite his involvement in criminal activities, he is not strict with his daughter, Soffi. However, he is always worried about her safety and well-being, as he cares deeply about her and doesn't want to lose his little girl.

Although he can become angry when his loved ones are in danger, he is actually a kind-hearted man with a good soul. Despite his reputation as a monster, he's a softie at heart and often goes out of his way to help others.

Soffi and her father have a good relationship, but she doesn't feel comfortable enough to share her passion for racing with him. She worries that he may disapprove of her hobby or become too worried about her safety. Despite this, she knows that her father loves her and would do anything to protect her.

Sister (Xing Zhen) - Soffi and Xing share a special bond as sisters. They have an amazing relationship and confide in each other about everything. Soffi trusts Xing completely and relies on her for support whenever she needs it. Xing, on the other hand, is always there to lend an ear and offer her advice.

One of the things that Soffi is very passionate about is racing. She has a natural talent for it, and Xing has always been impressed by her sister's skills on the track. Xing has even seen her sister race several times and is always blown away by her talent. She knows that Soffi is brilliant and has the potential to go far in the sport.

Xing also knows that Soffi's relationship with their parents can be challenging at times. While Xing gets on well with their parents, she understands that it's not always easy for Soffi. That's why she makes sure to be there for her sister whenever she needs someone to talk to or a shoulder to cry on.

As for Xing, she has a great passion for makeup and fashion. She loves experimenting with different styles and creating unique looks that make her stand out. Xing's talent with makeup is so impressive that she can get into any event she wants just by showing off her skills. She even runs her own makeup company and is proud of the success she has achieved so far.

Overall, Soffi and Xing are two sisters who have each other's backs no matter what. They share a bond that is unbreakable, and their love and support for each other are truly inspiring.

"I'm excited to hear your thoughts on Soffi! She's a fascinating character with a fast and furious backstory that I can't wait to share with everyone. In fact, I'm currently in the process of writing a story about her and hope to have it ready for release soon. I'm putting a lot of effort into making it as engaging and enjoyable as possible, so stay tuned!"

@jackiequick @gcthvile @blueboirick @msrochelleromanofffelton

#oc tag #my oc tag #oc rp #ocs #fast and furious #han lue #FastandFurious #writing #SoffiZhen #YikoZhen #KieraZhen #XingZhen #creative writing

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glitchy-anime-fan · 6 months

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Miraculous and (maybe) BSD BEAST Spoilers

Idk what to actually name this, it’s just me ranting while comparing BSD Beast to Shadybug and Claw Noir 😅

So the other day I saw a video on tiktok where someone was complaining about the fact that the new miraculous world special is supposed to have a “reverse world” situation with are main characters and yet Chloe is still a bully in both. For a little context; in the special we learn that Shadybug/Other world Marinette became depressed due to Chloe’s constant bullying of Marinette and Mari didn’t have a close friend group to support her through it.

Now I can see where this person is coming from when you think of this other world strictly as a reverse world; Gabriel is good in this world while Mari and Adrien are bad. But when you think about the few characters we are introduced to/learn about in this world, I feel like it’s closer to the concept of the Bungo Stray Dogs BEAST light novel/manga spinoff.

For those who don’t know about BSD or this spinoff/AU; BEAST is a light novel turned manga series where a select few characters from BSD have switched places. Our protagonist Atsushi is a member of the port mafia and is an antagonist for most of the novel. Dazai is still in the mafia and becomes their boss rather than leaving and joining the Armed Detective Agency. Akutagawa, Atsushi’s mafia rival in the main series, is instead a member of the ADA alongside Odasaku.

Other then these characters, most of the minor characters stay relatively the same as their main universe counterparts with a few exceptions. Kyouka is still with the mafia and works alongside Atsushi (her job is mostly the same just with a slightly different backstory and design). Gin, Akutagawa’s sister, is still with the mafia but works as a secretary and has a strained relationship with her brother (again she also has an altered design). But other than that, Chuuya’s position is the same (Mafia executive, loyal to Dazai, etc), and most of the ADA members are the same other than tweaked designs or minor personality changes.

Now my character comparisons are far from 1:1 BUT for the sake of the argument this is how I’m separating the characters:

Akutagawa is Gabriel/Hawkmoth/Hesperia

Atsushi is Shadybug/Ladybug

Chuuya is Chloe

The ADA members are Alya and Nino

Note: I didn’t add Chat Noir/Claw Noir because I’m talking specifically about Chloe’s role in comparison to Chuuya’s role in their respective worlds. Claw/Chat is not affected by Chloe in EXACTLY the same way as Shady/Lady (claw noir as a completely different “villain origin story”, chat/Adrien is not as heavily bullied by Chloe)

In this argument think of the characters above as being in the same place:

In the main stories/universe

Akutagawa/Gabriel are seen as “villains” or antagonists to our main characters for the most part.

Atsushi/LB are considered our “hero’s” or protagonist for the majority of the series.

The ADA/Nino and Alya are secondary characters who aid/help/support our protagonist in some way.

Chuuya and Chloe are secondary characters that typically cause some sort of conflict in one way or another to the protagonist and their allies.

In the alternate universe (BEAST/SB&CN)

Akutagawa/Gabriel have switched and taken on the “hero” or protagonist role

Atsushi/Shadybug have switched and taken over the “villain” or antagonist role

The ADA/Alya and Nino, while having changes in character designs, are still seen aiding our protagonist as allies (the ADA to Aku, Alya & Nino to Gabriel)

Chuuya/Chloe retain their roles as secondary antagonists is some aspect; Chuuya is still an executive of the port mafia and is loyal to Dazai (the leader of the mafia who also controls Atsushi). Chloe is still her bully self (as far as we know) who has pushed Shadybug/Marinette to become a villain

Pretty much what I’m getting at is that, when put in comparison to a series like BEAST, the SB & CN universe IS NOT a direct reverse world when you really look at it. It’s more of an “our main characters are reversed while the secondary characters are the same give or take”. I can see why people are confused or maybe frustrated given that it seems the alternate world in the special was framed as a reverse world, but when you look at what we’re given it really isn’t.

Like I said, Shadybug’s universe seems to align more closely to the BEAST universe where only certain characters are reversed. Of course we don’t have much to go one, but this is how I think about it from the tidbits we are given in the special. I mean at the end of both series, Shadybug and BEAST!Atsushi are no longer seen as villains. BEAST!Astushi is freed from the port mafia and Dazai’s control, instead taking up residence with BEAST!Mori at the orphanage. Shadybug is given a new sense of hope by Ladybug leading to the start of Shady’s redemption. So it truly isn’t a total reverse world AU in my opinion.

This is getting kind of long and Idk how else to frame my thoughts so imma leave it here. Sorry if it’s kinda ranty and I hope it makes sense. I can try to clarify stuff if anyone has questions, but it’s been a hot minute since I’ve read the BEAST light novel so hopefully I’m not too off.

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onyourhyuck · 2 years

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𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐊ᵃ𝐫𝐦𝐚. | Season 2

synopsis; park areum is a journalist who happens to get her life involved with the mafia leader war and havoc, lee jeno. areum’s brother was kidnapped by the japanese mafia na yuta and areum was able to successfully get jisung back— however with a price that she betrays lee jeno by selling out important information of his base whereabouts. it’s been a year ever since that day and areum happens to get involved in the mafia world again.

warning: mafia au/theme, thriller, action, romance, smut!!, lots of fighting here and mentions of blood, park areum is a bad bitch ykyk, dreamies are here for plot, love triangle!!!!, angst.. massive angst, death mentions of characters, alcohol mention, guns mention, switch!areum, switch Jeno!, rough kissing, gripping, degrading, praising, love scenes, unprotected seggs [wrap your willys sons pls, use it 😃], slowburn romance, prepare for a long ass ride.JEALOUSY, Exhibitionist scenes (almost caught etc) semi public scenes with sexual tension. PLOT TWISTS AND CLIFFHANGERS <3 THIS IS SEASON 2, CHECK SEASON 1 OUT BEFORE READING THIS SEASON PLSSSS.

PART 15 / 25. PART 16 LINK.

╭──────────────────────╮

Bang. Bang. Bang.

jisung sighs out with rough pants thrown in the air as the safe provocation glasses slid off the eyes and now rest on top of his brunette locks. the boy puts the gun down, eyeing the dummy in the distance from afar.

he shot none! at this point he thinks it’s his bad eyesight that’s causing a strain on aiming correctly a bullet in the dummy.

haechan wobbles from behind with eyebrow raise, he’s been watching and training jisung for a few weeks now; and somehow the younger boy managed to persuade him by using the japanese gangsters to his advantage.

“look let me help you.” haechan told rutting behind jisung with enough minor space between them as his hands were dominating jisung’s, fixing the entire posture to be stern and still like a statue.

jisung nervously allows haechan take over, as the point tip gun aimed, one eye closes aiming finally. haechan was confident, he is one of the best snipers in his team— you think he would lose a shot?

the tan boy whispers. “now jisung, shoot.”

loud bang heard as jisung was pushed slightly back towards haechan’s body by the impactful gun, this time a sight of the dummy headshot by a bullet was in view of the boy. his mouth shaped open widely, eyes widen as he turns to the cocky smug expression on the tan boy’s face.

Haechan whistles nudging jisung. “and that’s how you shoot your shot.” he told, wiggling eyebrows forward. the boy scrunches the nose up at the lame motto slogan he just heard.

“seriously, is that your slogan? ‘And that’s how you shoot your shot?’, come on hyung you could do so much better.” jisung lightly laughs and haechan turns away clicking his tongue at the boy. “jisung-ah that line got me so many girls, I think you’re wrong.”

jisung gapes back putting the gun and glasses away into the equipment holders. the base ground was quiet, a while ago renjun and Yangyang were around training their hand to hand combat but then they were called to patrol Seoul city streets. jaemin’s not around the base as much as he is always outside fighting and leading his people like a mother hen protecting them from any danger. he was doing his best to limit casualties as they had major obstacles in the past. they’re really lacking in everything.

the younger boy scoffs. “yet, who’s the one in a long term relationship and who isn’t? me. so i think you should Y’know…think of something less nojam.” haechan looks up at jisung. “what’s nojam?” he replies confused, maybe he is slightly old now.

jisung hums. “it means slang for no fun. you’re a no fun person.”

Haechan gasps dramatically widening those brown drama queen eyes. “no! take that back, park Jisung.”

“oh gosh haechan, we must really be getting older because i didn’t know what nojam is either.” kun’s voice suddenly joins the conversation as he shifts into the view as the two boys turn to look at him.

the doctor in white coat revealing a basket with a few multiple items. Haechan sighs out loud, he’s only twenty five, come on- old? jisung waves at kun with a smile. “hi kun hyung, what’s the basket for?”

Haechan hums. “yeah what’s it for?” the doctor points it towards haechan who took it without a word, his curiosity got the better of him as he looks through the basket when he opens it. kun continues speaking, “haechan you’re going to take this to the cabin for areum, i’m worried she’s ran out of supplies such as food and medicine or something.”

the younger boy would ‘ooooo’ but haechan was rather the opposite. he slightly boo’s past his lips. “why does it have to be me? i don’t want to drive that far.” haechan complaints weren’t noticed by kun who shrugged casually. “sounds like a you problem.”

with those words shared the doctor left haechan stranded, jisung grinning ear to ear at the misfortune for haechan. the tan boy glared at jisung’s extremely happy face, growling. “what are you smiling at huh?” haechan shot.

jisung laughs. “oh nothing, have fun driving this early.” he points out, clearly rubbing it in haechan’s face. the soldier glared at jisung again before standing up grabbing the heavy basket, walking to the entrance exit of the base training underground that will allow him to leave this place. “yeah yeah, whatever asshole. wait till I’m back!” haechan shot back at jisung.

areum wasn’t sure what was wrong with her today but at the same time she knew what was wrong with her.

the sexual urge to do something with jeno really had her in a twisted mood. areum sighs into her palms when the sight of jeno’s shirtless wet beautiful body came out of the bathroom, not only that, the man had the audacity to come out with a white towel wrapped around his slim waist.

collarbones out, v shape back in view— Areum was really trying not to pay attention but it was hard. Her unholy thoughts and body that was sexually frustrated left her fighting for her life.

jeno, really had her fighting for her life.

the man turns around to areum who was looking away awkwardly trying to make herself seem ‘busy’ , staring at the open space that isn’t jeno himself. he smirks away as he shifts into grey sweatpants, leaving the shirt out.

“what are you looking at that’s so interesting?” jeno entices forward a conversation as the silence was very interesting. areum’s lips part slowly, “I was zoning out sorry.” she told as she sees jeno crawl on his side of the bed, wrapping an arm around areum.

his face goes to pay attention to the large bump. Areum has entered her 20 weeks in the pregnancy, five months ahead in. The two had to admit that pregnancy goes by quick when you’re enjoying it with your loved one— although it’s crazy to think that four more months to go. jeno whispers to the belly as if he were talking to the baby. “hey peanut, how are you doing hmm?”

areum smiles when jeno lightly and gently kisses the bump where the harden surface the body is, those loving excited eyes that just tell the story that he is patiently waiting to meet the bundle of joy. areum grins, “peanut here is giving me a hard time with the kicks.”

jeno pouts whispering to the bump again, “maybe lessen the kicks peanut okay? your mommy is having a hard time.” areum let’s out a soft laugh. “yahhhh, you’re so endearing do you know that?” she pulls jeno upwards with her palms, seeing his face squish in her hands.

the miniature eye contact the two held slowly led their eyes to fall on each other’s lips. the comforting silence of the cabin, nothing disturbing them, it’s just them in their own world. areum was the first to pull in, kissing jeno’s lips as if she’s never kissed them before.

the kiss became heated fast and it was all due to areum’s reactions, jeno simply follows and kissing back with all he could, hands slowly wrap themselves around the pregnant woman’s waist, keeping the bump safe.

areum’s hands became busy with jeno’s neck where they wrap themselves like a lock chain. the young woman had the dominant role this time, upper leading advantage to bite the bottom lip, jeno’s soft moans coming out as he was taken all by surprise.

his eyes softly open when areum’s hands travel down to the sweatpants about to pull them down. jeno pulling away softly as his hips shift away, the man lightly breathing out. “areum— you’re pregnant. let’s not do anything.”

it came out as a half worry half demand. jeno truly didn’t want to do anything necessarily related to sex, mainly because he was scared of doing anything like that to areum when she is pregnant. It would certainly be his first that’s for sure.

areum sighs out loud. “But- why not. do you not find me attractive anymore?”

alright maybe she shouldn’t of said that, areum wasn’t feeling the greatest in her skin though. the bloating and large heavy weight was taking a toll on aruem’s self esteem. jeno’s eyes shift slightly wide off guard by her words, an incoming silence between the two.

“take that back areum, of course I find you attractive still.” Jeno said sternly. He sees his lover slowly stand up with a huff, “then why won’t we do anything?”

jeno sitting on the bed edge, shifting on the kitty house slippers as areum was grabbing the dog slippers and putting it on her feet. areum holding the cardigan wrapping it around her belly. jeno sighs out, “just because areum, let’s not do anything-”

areum would have to say it’s more of her sexually frustrated side speaking, though she wouldn’t usually act this way. but seriously, her body has needs!

“just admit that you don’t find me attractive god.” areum replies bummed out by this whole situation. The words coming out of his loved that stood in middle of their shared bedroom looking down, disappointed and all, something in jeno changed heavily.

Eyes darken and go smaller as they watch areum, his voice came out slightly more offended now. “areum, you have no idea how much I’m holding back all these months..” jeno said, trailing.

areum’s ears perk up at the demure change from jeno who sat on the bed. what does he mean he’s holding back all this time?

he knows that areum is probably sexually frustrated but so is he. he’s been holding back himself from doing anything sex related all because he’s scared of hurting areum in the process— it’s not like he’s got Kun to tell him that it’s perfectly safe to have sex or it’s not. jeno really doesn’t know what’s right or wrong.

but yes, he’s avoided asking areum for anything and he’s avoiding areum’s request now. the woman sighs frustrated now, jeno standing up with his hands in natural habit he gained: to hold areum’s waist, pulling her closer. “areum, You have no idea how hard it is for me to control myself around you, so please don’t make this harder for me.”

the urge to continually push jeno’s buttons was there and areum wasn’t sure what to do but to whine and complain.

“please jeno, I’m so sexually frustrated.” areum’s head fall on his shoulder, resting there as she spoke. jeno gently rubs the back of areum’s head, feeling the silky smooth black hair. those whines coming out of areum’s lips were so rare and tempting, she never really asks or whines for anything.

Usually, Areum beats around the bush if she wanted to fuck. jeno was the first one to initiate it always. But now it’s areum. it was a refreshing sight, but at the wrong time where jeno is battling himself to not do anything to areum.

“areum…” Jeno murmurs, he was about to speak again but then the two were interrupted by large knocks and a voice echoing from downstairs through the door entrance.

areum shifts in panic pushing jeno away. “yah hide!” jeno turns around back and forth as well, panicking like hell. “where? where do I go!” jeno whisper shouts.

“fuck Uhm-” Areum paused before eyeing the large wardrobe, pointing to the black wooden wardrobe full of his clothes next to the other wardrobe full of other clothes. “there! hide there.”

jeno turns around without a complaint, he goes inside the wardrobe. areum closes it tightly shut as she rushes down the stairs very gently however.

the continue door knocks we’re getting more annoying and louder by the time areum was downstairs.

“yeah yeah I’m coming stop knocking already!” areum scolds as the door swings open wide, haechan immediately coming inside the cabin as if he was living here.

he’s never been to the cabin before, at least not inside. areum eyes haechan in surprise. “hyuck!” she leans in hugging her best friend before closing the door. the basket coming into view, the tan boy sighing. “I only came to give this to you because your annoying ass doctor worries about you.”

“wowwww, so you didn’t come and visit me out of your own will?” areum pouts now sulking as she takes the basket, putting it in the kitchen, haechan following the slightly shorter figure from behind. “come on don’t be like that, of course i came out of my own will too!” hyuck drags himself as he looks around in awe.

everything seemed really cozy and expensive at the same time. jeno really had a particular taste for cabins. areum hums not believing haechan although it was all jokes.

she was running on eggshells and anxiety however as she was hiding a man who everyone thinks is dead in her damn wardrobe.

“so, how you holding up…?” haechan awkwardly asked, he wasn’t sure if he could ask that considering jeno’s death is really sensitive to everyone these days. jaemin never mentions it or wants to hear it when he’s around people, jisung cries so much whenever jeno’s name is mentioned or heard— and areum, she had to move to a cabin where jeno lived on his free time.

areum sighs. “I’m okay haechan, how about you? how’s everyone else?”

hyuck sighs in relief to see areum and hear that she’s doing alright; other than that he could see her looking hella pregnant- last time he saw her she was barely fifteen weeks. it’s been months now. “well— everyone’s trying to move on, you know how that works. jaemin is hardly around, he’s trying his best to find yuta and kill him. jisung, he’s safe and he misses you so come back soon!”

areum hums happy to hear that everyone seems to be doing okay or well they’re trying their best to be okay. “and how about you? you didn’t answer that.”

Haechan knew he couldn’t dodge the spotlight on himself, he bites the bottom lip lightly before jokingly throwing in comedy to move past the tense conversation because honestly; he doesn’t know how to deal with jeno’s death!

“haha you know me, making everyone’s lives brighter i suppose?” hyuck replies and areum cringed slightly with a laugh. “Ahuh? well then good for you.”

he hums as his eyes linger around the cabin, turns to areum before he wonders if he should ask. “So— question, is it possibly for me to look around and explore becauseeeee— jeno has never shown me around inside the cabin.”

areum lightly grins. “yeah look around just don’t you know, break anything and stuff.” haechan hums nodding.

the tan boy exploring the bottom floor with areum before they go upstairs, where the anxiety only rose and rose more and more; haechan looking at the shared bedroom with a slight gasp. “whoa you have a huge ass bedroom, areum.”

the woman rolls her eyes at haechan’s expressions as the boy looks in the bathroom, then the walk in shoe closet.

he can’t believe jeno never invited him in this damn cabin! they would’ve had lit parties if he was still alive. Haechan hums before sneakily going to the first wooden wardrobe opening it, checking the clothes and all.

areum swore she would’ve let out a gasp but thankfully she stopped herself. haechan would ‘wow’ at the shirts and jeans he sees that belong to jeno, pouting. “tch and he said he doesn’t have any clothes to share.” haechan murmurs.

she slightly smiles. “you must really miss jeno huh?” haechan paused as he unconsciously seemingly get attached to those clothes that belongs to jeno without realising it. He closes the door shaking his head. “ehhh, sooo- change of subjec-”

a large sneeze came out of haechan, areum raising eyebrows at the incoming sneezing fits from the tan boy. what could be making him have this amount of sneezing?

the small meows and purrs came into the room as haechan’s eyes water and widen at the sight. cats. he’s allergic to cat!

“I- Jeno has cats?” haechan rubs the reddish nose, areum nodding as she lifts one of them up. “yeah he has three, actually but you get to see two of them. this is seol and bongshik.”

haechan makes eye contact with the cats nodding slowly before slowly sneezing again. “fuck, I’m allergic to them. i think I’m going to leave now.” areum puts down the cats gently as they walk away out of the room, the boy going down the stairs with the pregnant woman.

“sorry areum I would stay longer but—” haechan sniffs with slight blow to his lips. “gosh I’m itchy now.” he complained. “anyways, just call me when you’re ready to come back to the base!” areum nods to his words as they said goodbye.

she had to admit, thank god for the cats.

closing the door, areum walks upstairs to see jeno out of the wardrobe as he sighs in relief watching from the windows very carefully.

areum at the doorway standing with arms crossed. “thank god for the cats, he wouldn’t leave sooner without them.” she told, jeno shifts to glance at areum with a soft nod.

“very close one.” Jeno lightly laughs and areum approaches him forward wrapping arms around the man she deeply loves. The two would be caught in a kiss again, this time jeno took charge as he lifts areum slowly to go on the bed in a comfortable position. he hovers over as areum whines out, frustrated completely.

the kiss broke apart as jeno lightly kissed on the jawline and then the neck, leaving areum to melt underneath him due to all those actions she hasn’t received in such a long time. she bucks her hips forward lightly on the side where she laid on the hips, jeno murmuring. “areum. i’ll do anything but fuck you.”

he was stubborn but he was worried mainly. areum took it however, she knows how hard it is to persuade jeno, she might as well offer something else that will relief her from the built of sexual frustration.

“I want you to eat me out please, jeno.” areum softly let’s out as her eyes shut close. jeno was more than happy to oblige with that demand, he felt comfortable enough to perform that. areum sighs once jeno strips the lower clothing she wore, teasingly replying. “how can i say no when you asked so nicely baby, Hm?” jeno would tell meeting eyes with the throbbing clit, it was clear she was already as aroused much.

wasting no time the tongue began to lapping the clit like no tomorrow, the sensation hit areum as if it was her first time; it’s truly been so long that she forgot the longing sensation. he would feel the way it throbs against the tongue and on the lips where he sometimes smooches to tease areum whenever he stops intentionally to edge her, and since she was on such a comfortable position between the pillows on her back underneath keeping the bump safe and levitating, jeno could go down on areum in places he’s never hit before with his tongue.

areum let’s out soft moans. “fuck, please make me come.” areum told with hands lightly tugging onto the man’s hair, jeno groans gripping the thighs that were spread, lighting digging his fingers in the more he goes in.

epiphany was a word to describe what areum was feeling. a new world, as if she was releasing bad energies out of her body. she wasn’t sure if it was because she was pregnant, but it was much more enjoyable now that she’s pregnant than it was before where she wasn’t.

jeno couldn’t lie the sight of areum moaning as he could see the bump was a beautiful sight. even when pregnant he found her unbelievably charming and insufferably hot. the tongue flicks back and forth causing areum to rut slightly, jeno murmuring against the entrance with his hot breathe casting down.

“fuck I’m coming..” areum announces deeply lost in the overwhelming pleasure that was threatening to snap. “let it go baby, let me taste you.” jeno encourages awaiting for the moment. areum exclaiming high pitch whines when chasing her climax.

jeno closing eyes as he savours the taste before lifting the head up to look at areum who was heavy panting and warm looking, colour gazing on the pale-ish face. jeno licking the bottom lips with a half smirk, “you taste even better now.”

she rolls her eyes slightly as her leg would shove jeno because of the embarrassing comment he just said. jeno smiles holding the leg she tried to kick him with putting it down gently.

areum sighs. “thank you for helping me out.” she murmurs shyly, jeno moving to rest next to areum where they glance at each other. “anything to help out, baby.” jeno tells, stroking back hair strands away from her face. she smiles, “I love you.”

jeno felt a small blush appear on his cheeks, wasn’t expecting a beautiful smile to cast onto him with a love confession; no matter how many times areum tells him she loves him, he will forever blush as if he were a teenage boy.

“I love you too.” jeno said back as he kisses areum’s lips softly, areum returning it without hesitation.

────────────────────────

MASTERLINK FOR HIS KARMA CHAPTERS.

MASTERLINK FOR SECOND MAFIA FIC SERIES: LEE HAECHAN.

@onyourhyuck please refer from copyrighting and translating my work!

Sorry it took a while 😭😭😭 lowwww motivation is different BUT!! I MANAGED TO PUBLISH THISSSS.

Anyways we have a smut after a long long time LMAO, horny areum incoming.

#nct fanfiction #nct smut #nct x reader #his karma #jeno smut #nct series #nct u scenarios #nct masterlist #jeno hard hours #nct hard hours

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ciaossu-imagines · 1 year

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I just wanted to say how thankful I I that there are still people loving KHR and writing about it!!!! Wish you good luck for more than 10 years hehe. I love your depictions of the characters but I couldn't find much written works about Tsuna on Tumblr and just wanted to ask what you think are the pros and cons of dating him?

Oh my god! You are just the best, dear! That is incredibly sweet of you to say, and I really appreciate it! As for the luck on more than 10 years….I hate admitting I’ve been a KHR fan and creator for a bit longer than that as is, and it’s never really faded in terms of something I enjoy! I just hope there continues to be a small but fantastic fandom who feel the same as I do about the characters and the show! And you are right – I’ve never gotten a lot of requests for Tsuna ever and I don’t find a lot of attention gets focused on him so I am more than happy to give him some love and I hope you’ll enjoy!

Tsuna will be such an incredibly trustworthy romantic partner. He’d never so much as flirt with another person while in a relationship and he’ll be transparent in his dealings with anyone. His partner will have access to his phone, his emails, anything they need to feel secure and comfortable but honestly, the thought of Tsuna cheating on his partner isn’t one that would naturally come up because all of his actions will prove otherwise.

While I also list it as a con down below, Tsuna’s family is also a huge pro to dating him. It’s a new built-in group of friends, a new surrogate family, who will genuinely want to like this person because they are important to Tsuna. His family, should his partner prove to be on the level and okay and good to Tsuna, will always have his partner’s back, will protect them, and will support them right alongside Tsuna.

While he can be a bit of an idiot at times, Tsuna is surprisingly observant towards his partner. He’ll often be able to read their moods well and will offer support if anything is up or will offer to do something with them to distract them. He’ll remember every special occasion because those things will be equally important to him. His partner changed their hair? Got a new outfit? Did anything slightly different? Tsuna notices and is always quick to compliment it, albeit while being shy and clumsy about it.

I think I point this out for every Mafioso in the fandom, but especially so for bosses like Tsuna. While there is bonuses to his family, it’s very rare for Tsuna and his partner to ever get just alone time for the two of them or any true privacy. His family means so much to him; they’re all his precious friends and while he does deeply love his partner, his family will always be around and will always be demanding his attention. Tsuna will try harder than some of the other Mafia bosses to really make time for his partner but at the end of the day, he does have responsibilities to his family that may take up more of his time than his partner would prefer.

Okay, but no matter how long the relationship goes on or how comfortable things will get between Tsuna and his partner, he’s always going to be that flustered, awkward teenage boy in some ways. He’s actually very much a romantic at heart, but his feelings are very hard for him to outright say or show for him. He tries but it can be clumsy and awkward and he’ll get easily flustered when his partner does cute things or shows a lot of affection to him, which can be cute sometimes but can seriously put a strain on a partner who needs a lot of verbal cues of love or a lot of physical affection to feel loved because, while Tsuna will try, those things are hard for him and might not be present right away.

Any serious partner of Tsuna’s will be thoroughly checked out, especially by Reborn, who will always remain slightly protective of Tsuna. They can have no secrets, no real privacy, no life outside of Tsuna that won’t be known about completely. For any more private, reserved people, this can be an incredibly hard pill to swallow and honestly, could be very dangerous for anyone hiding anything major or who just doesn’t live up to the expectations Reborn has.

#katekyo hitman reborn #khr #khr headcanons #headcanons #tsunayoshi sawada #tsuna

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inkwell-and-dagger · 9 months

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[This House Doesn't Feel Like Home]

A/N: inspired by @paranoia-exe 's "But You Never Really Tried To Stop Me, Did You?". do note that, in this au where our ocs and their lore are linked, Vantè is no longer with Rayan, since the latter is currently fiance's with Vesker Faithern in the lore.

CW: mentioned past torture, kind of toxic romantic relationships??, slight gore and blood, implied torture

—> —> —> —> —> —> —>

Vantè could feel Rayan everywhere he went in the house. His clothes, his furniture, hell, even his smell. That one perfume Sage had given him that he'd sworn to preserve as much as possible, a hand-made painting of a hyacinth that Madison had made when she was hyperfixated on painting. It all reminded him of that bastard.

He loved Rayan; really, he did. But Rayan's forms of affection were.. unorthodox, perhaps? Disturbing, to say the least. Which is why Vantè hated being here, no matter how close he held that Irish prick in his heart.

Even then, as Rayan's head buried in Vantè's shoulder, the deep rise and fall of the former's chest indicating he'd drifted into a — for once — peaceful slumber, Vantè wanted nothing but to get out. The scars still hurt him, if he tried hard enough to imagine it. The scars Rayan had put onto his body. An immortal ripping into another immortal's skin with a knife, without a beat of hesitation. Vantè didn't like how Rayan's show of affection was. He doubted it really was affection in the first place.

————

Word spread about how, much later after Vantè had the guts to get away from Rayan — which ended.. badly, to say the very least — that the Irish bitch himself was dating mafia boss Mason Transvolski. Before that, Vantè had gotten comfortable with a group called The Survivors. A collection of Rayan's surviving victims, all intent on giving the immortal a taste of his own medicine. Foster was the one who recruited him.

He had to admit, all of them were nice. Foster's charisma and clear interest toward a silver-tongued demon such as himself was intriguing. The way Esrana's mood could switch in a blink of an eye, unfortunately so similar to Rayan, yet that never stopped her from caring for her brother. Her brother himself, Zayn. He was only nineteen years old, and enduring the mental strain of keeping a captive in good conditions never stopped him from smiling. Ezra, with his own little shelf to store every alcohol bottle he found aesthetic, and with clear intent to avenge his brother, Rome, whenever Rayan was brought up in idle conversation. And Madir, he.. well, the two of them didn't talk much. Madir seldom talks in the first place. But he's heard that the russet skinned man is nice.

Vantè didn't see Rayan much, even out and about. Sure, the group would capture Rayan every so often, but Vantè still wasn't comfortable with torturing his ex just yet. Foster assured him the time would come eventually, and none of them would push him to do anything he didn't want to. Vantè was grateful for that.

————

Time passed and, what do you know, Rayan was with another man. Apparently, Rayan had done something similar to what he did to Vantè, only to Mason, which is what caused them to split. Vantè mused whether Rayan was like this with Sage, but didn't want to press the matter.

Especially now Rayan was being captured more than ever.

They could all tell Rayan and Vesker were close. Hell, they even decided to kidnap Vesker, too, just because. Though, it was a bad thing that Vesker worked as an assassin in the very same mafia Mason is a part of...

Rayan was a lot more different than his Vantè remembered him. His once soft and neat light brown hair, now much darker and askew, cascading over one of his eyes where a healed scar could barely be seen. His emerald eyes, still as enchanting, but wide with fear every time Rayan saw even one of the survivors. The more Vantè entered the basement, the more wounds Rayan had gotten. At one point, after Madir had exited the basement with a rare grin on his sharp features, Vantè had peeked inside and saw Rayan's hand nearly fully severed by the wrist and his legs broken and bloodied. A hand saw and a hammer lay on the floor, coated in fresh blood. Rayan's blood.

Vantè still didn't really feel at home. But seeing Rayan so weak after all the shit he put Vantè through brought him some solace. Some.

—> —> —> —> —> —> —>

#whump #oc writing #oc whump #writing #whump writing #immortal whumpee #others ocs #rayan hyacinth #vesker faithern #vanté ramirez #mason transvolski

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space-mermaid-writing · 2 years

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Faded Black Ink [IronStrange] - Chapter 12

Relationship: Doctor!Stephen Strange x Mafia!Tony Stark

Tags: Mafia AU, Angst, Romance, Idiots in love

Ko-fi | Series Masterlist | Read it on AO3 | Previous | Next

Chapter's note: Hope you're all doing well!

Chapter 12: Facing death

Stephen entered the penthouse the Odinsons were currently living in. After their call, he had made a short detour home to get his doctor bag and to appear somewhat professional. He had been called because Odin had died. Stephen would be the doctor to confirm the death.

The mood was understandably somber. Loki didn't even acknowledge him when Stephen entered, his eyes remaining fixed on the table where he sat. His older brother's sadness was also evident, but as soon as he caught sight of the doctor, he put on a neutral mask and stood to greet him.

"Thank you for coming, doctor." His voice was strained, his former happy-go-lucky demeanor gone.

"My condolences to you and your brother." Stephen didn't linger on too many words. There was nothing he could offer the man. He could not take away his pain; it was part of death. Besides, he was an outsider. He had not known the dead man, had never spoken to him, and knew nothing of him except part of his medical history. Stephen was doing what he was here to do: his job.

Odin was still in the same room as when Stephen had last seen him. The machines had been turned off and silent. Someone had opened the window, as far as it was possible this high up here, and lit a candle on the small table beside the bed. Stephen recognized it as a ritual for the soul to find its way out well. Stephen did not wonder at this superstition – it seemed to fit in with this family.

Thor waited at the door while Stephen did his work, efficiently but respectful. His moves were practiced – in the hospital he often had to deal with death. As far as modern medicine had come, there wasn't a cure for everything.

Filling out the death certificate, he asked Thor a few questions about his father's condition of the last days. They were mere formalities, there was nothing to indicate that his death had a non-natural cause.

The father was to be cremated - that was the decision he had made when he had been conscious, and that was apparently the tradition of that family. The sons would return home with the urn, to take care of the future of the company that now fell into their hands.

Normally a cremation could take quite a while; in a city as large as New York, many people died every day. But Stephen had a contact at the crematorium, whom he called and arranged for Odin to be picked up that same evening. Money would not matter, as Thor had assured him.

"If you need anything else, call me," Stephen said before he left. He didn't know why he was doing this. As he had said before, he didn't really make house calls. These men were practically strangers, they didn't advance his career, and Stephen refused to get paid by them. He gained nothing from this.

All because of a stupid comment by the younger Odinson and Stephen's pride.

But somehow the doctor didn't mind. Maybe because he had learned to look behind the facade of powerful men. He saw two brothers, overseas and far from their home, grieving. He just felt that this was important. That it was the right thing to do.

Thor nodded and handed Stephen a business card. "I know you said you don't want money. But if you find yourself ever in need of something, we will be happy to help. A favor for a favor."

It was a simple card with only a name and personal phone number on it. Stephen tucked it in his doctor's bag before saying goodbye with a few words and leaving.

While Stephen waited for the valet to pull his car up, he glanced at his watch. It was early afternoon. This was not like he thought his day would go. He thought he would stay over at Stark's place. It wasn't too late, he could call Tony and see if he was still available.

But Stephen wasn't in the mood. Death tends to dampen it, even with no attachment to the patient. In medical school, doctors were taught how to deal with death. But that was all theory. Unfortunately, the reality was different.

He called Christine as he got into his car. Both hands on the wheel, he put her on speaker. "Hey, are you free later? I still owe you dinner."

There was a pause before she answered. "Isn't it your free day? You said you had plans."

"Well, they changed." Stephen kept his tone neutral, not revealing what the reason for the change was. He knew she would understand - Christine probably faced death much more often since she worked a lot in the ER. But Stephen didn’t want to talk about his day. He wanted to be distracted.

"I love being your second choice." There was no bite to her words. "See you at seven."

Stephen grinned. Christine was a good friend and he was glad to have her.

When he later met her outside the restaurant – a cute Greek place someone had recommended to him – and greeted her with a hug, he didn't notice that he was being watched. He hadn't noticed that someone had followed him from his apartment, because it wasn't the usual FBI's car. It was someone entirely different.

Stephen and Christine got a window seat and were so engrossed in their conversation, they hardly glanced outside. So they didn't notice the camera in the car window across the street, which was quietly sounding click click...

"I was talking to Doctor Cho."

Stephen raised his eyes questioningly. "Oh?"

"Yeah." Christine picked at her vegetables and glanced up at him. "Found her contact in the records and consulted her for a difficult case of BID."

Private contact information of current and former hospital employees was sensitive data and not officially available to colleagues – unless one had a really good reason. Stephen doubted there wouldn’t have been anyone in New York she could consult about this case.

"And?" he asked, curious but also anxious about what she had found out.

"It was a video call. She lives in Florida now. Married, has a dog." The alive hung unspoken in the air and Stephen let out a breath he didn't notice he had been holding.

He reached for his wine glass and took a sip. "Thank you, Christine."

Tony met Obidiah in the kitchen. The chef had made chicken and potato salad and even though Tony didn't stick to the general meal times, he always got a portion set aside. He also paid the chef a lot of money.

"Ah, Tony," Obidiah greeted him. "I wanted to talk to you. You know the children of Wenwu, the Ten Rings, right?"

Tony chewed on his chicken. "I met the daughter a while ago." He hadn't had any contact with her since, but he now owned a new mansion in Northern California. Maybe he'd take Stephen there for a little get away. That would be nice.

"Well, her brother Shang-Chi wants to meet up. A courtesy call to formally introduce himself. We can probably expect a business proposal or something similar soon."

Thoughtfully, Tony tilts his head. The Wenwu's were a difficult family, not easy to categorize in their goals.

"I made a reservation at Claire's," Obidiah continued. "For this afternoon. I'm looking forward to hearing what he has to say."

Obidiah held - after Tony - the most power. He was his closest confidant - along with Pepper and Rhodey, but their workspace was outside the tower. Claire's was a bar that was frequently used for more or less illegal meetups between two parties. To most of the people it was some kind of neutral ground and with a reservation no other patrons would be there.

"I'll go," Tony decided, following a sudden streak of intuition.

"Are you sure?" Obidiah asked.

"You're doing enough already. Happy will drive me."

"Alright then. Thank you." His godfather patted him on the back while Tony texted his bodyguard.

Claire's was a bar like any other, probably a little more nondescript. Located in a side street, with a green facade and a wooden interior. The windows were tinted, so you couldn't really tell who was inside. The sign in the door said CLOSED, but Tony opened the door anyway. A soft ringing sounded.

A quick glance told him Shang-Chi wasn't in yet. He stepped to the counter and ordered a scotch. The bartender was the only other person in the room. He would lock up when the second party arrived, then disappear into a back room for the duration of the meeting for privacy.

Tony took his drink and set it down on his preferred table in the middle of the bar. But he didn't sit down, instead stepping up to a jukebox against the wall. While he waited, he might as well pass the time. So he skipped through the selection of songs.

Happy, meanwhile, waited in the car, watching the entrance to the bar. He'd rather be right by Tony's side at the meeting, to keep an eye on everything.

His cell phone rang and Happy frowned, pulling it out of the inside pocket of his jacket. A glance at the display showed him an anonymous ID. Unusual. Not many had his number and usually he was only called in an emergency.

He answered it and heard a click as the caller hung up. Weird.

His eyes wandered back to the street. A person opened the door of the bar. Happy's eyes widened, because it wasn't the Asian guy they were waiting for.

He jumped out of the car, his hand moving to his concealed weapon. Behind him he noticed a movement and just managed to dodge it, so that only his shoulder and not his back was stabbed with a knife. Happy winced, took a swing with his elbow and hit someone behind him. It was not enough to free himself. He was pinned against the car and yelled out in pain as his already injured arm was twisted.

All resistance was futile as he was tasered.

Most of the songs in the jukebox were old classics. Tony spotted one by ZZ Top and reached for his wallet to find a quarter. He heard the soft ringing of the front door. That had to be Shang-Chi. Tony held a ten dollar bill between two of his fingers. "Can you change that? I don't have any coins on me."

Instead of getting an answer, two shots rang out in quick succession and Tony froze for a moment. Then he whirled around, saw a strange man with no family resemblance to Xialing – he wasn't even Asian. He held a gun in his hand, which he pointed at Tony. His eyes rolled back into his head and he dropped dead to the floor. Behind him stood Natasha, a gun raised herself. Her gaze was fixed on the bar and the blood there on the wall told Tony that the second shot had been aimed at the bartender.

His gaze darkened and he put his money back in his pocket. "What the actual fuck is going on?" he demanded to know, not sure where he stood with Natasha.

She put her gun back in its holster - it calmed Tony only slightly. He straightened his shoulders, not saying another word until he got an answer. Natasha was calm, her movements purposeful. With a soft click, she locked the door.

"They are Hydra." She stepped to the man with the gun and pulled aside his shirt collar, revealing the tattoo of a skull with six tentacle legs.

Frowning, Tony stepped closer and looked at the man. He was unknown to him and he was wondering when this scum of an organization got into his city.

"This meeting was a trap," he realized. The question was whether Hydra and the Ten Rings were working together, or whether Hydra had used the meeting as an excuse to meet him alone. No, to meet Obidiah alone, Tony corrected himself. Tony had just happened to be standing in for him. But getting rid of his godfather would also have been a major setback.

"That's correct," confirmed a new voice that was also familiar to Tony. One he didn't think he would hear again.

When he turned around, he saw Nick Fury step out of the shadows in the back. Tony was very close to laughing out loud. "Son of a bitch, you're alive? I need another drink!" Suddenly he remembered something and turned back to Nat. "Wait, what about Happy?"

"He got tasered, but he will be fine. Maria Hill is with him."

So the whole old gang that his father had started was reunited. Tony could only shake his head at this. He stepped behind the bar and reached for a bottle of scotch and a fresh glass. He wouldn't drink anything this bartender had touched.

"You guys want a drink too?" he asked the other two over his shoulder, but got only silence in response. He got two more glasses anyway. Ignoring the two bodies on the floor, he sat down at a table and filled all three glasses two fingers' width with alcohol.

"So...," he looked at Fury, "you're not dead. That's good, I guess."

Fury sat down across from him, Nat taking a seat at Tony's left side. "I had to keep a low profile for a while to clean up. There were traitors in my ranks and there are too in yours," Nick explained.

Tony swirled the amber liquid in his glass, watching it spin. "Obi was set for this meeting. They wanted his head."

"They want everyone close to you. To weaken your defense, before they destroy you."

That's what it always came down to. It was an aspect of Tony's position that he despised. His men knew the risks of working for him, of standing by his side. That they still didn’t leave him, he credited them. For him, his closest circle was family. And he resented an attack against his family more than an attack directed against his own person.

Tony glanced briefly at Nat and realized something. "During that gig in Boston, you worked for Fury, didn’t you?" He wasn't sure if that made it better or worse, but it explained why she hadn't told him.

"I didn't lie, when I told you, he had information about me and my past," she said truthfully. "But Zimin also had files about some other people."

Fury pulled a tablet from his jacket pocket and gave it to Tony. He read the names of various folders. Names that were familiar to him. There was one for Pepper, one for Rhodey, Natasha, Steve... and one in particular that caught his eye. With a touch of his finger he opened it and stared at various photos and files. On any single one of them he read the name of Doctor Stephen Strange.

It took him a few seconds before he found his voice. "What am I looking at?"

It was Fury who answered him. "The collected data of people close to you and therefore of interest for them. They will most likely try to deduce the weakest link."

Tony pinched the back of his nose. This was definitely a disturbing turn of events. He would think about what he could do about it. But one thing was definitely certain: "We need to get ahead of them."

#IronStrange #StrangeIron #stephen strange x tony stark #doctor strange x iron man #Stephen Strange #Doctor Strange #Tony Stark #Mafia AU #Mob Au #Italian mafia #Angst #Drama #Romance #Idiots in love #Faded black ink #ironstrange family

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fightingthetides · 11 months

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What are Ravein's feelings towards Maribelle? Did he forgive her? Was she the member of the same family that Ravein is now taking her revenge on? What is happening with her at the moment (of our thread)?

[Unprompted Ask]

A lil long, so readmore it is.

To answer the last question first: Yes, she was a lower ranking member of the mafia that Ravein got some revenge on by killing their Don.

So, the thing with Maribelle is that she's the only one he'd told about where he'd been living in secrecy along with his parents. He did give a bit of a description about them and that was enough to tip off some of the core members of her famiglia about his family, in particular his mother.

Maribelle didn't know about the fact that her famiglia's Don and Ravein's family had... strained relations to put it very mildly. So she spoke about it as most young people do when talking about their new friends. She took to him as a dear friend, and it was mutual at the time. Of course, after the incident and Ravein was forced to work for the mafia as an assassin, the relationship between Ravein and Maribelle was very strained to say the very least.

He was quite upset with her, but ultimately none of this would have happened if he never said anything about his family. Never gave her information about the life he lived. It was enough information to allow the mafia to find him and his family. Above all else, he blames himself for what had happened. If he listened to his parents, they'd probably still be alive.

Being the sentimental kinda guy he is, he remembers how fond of her he was in his younger years. It would be a lie to say that he doesn't feel anger and resentment for how things turned out, but that's primarily in regards to the situation. There are some other things, but I feel some things are best left to be discovered in the future. Spoilers, yanno? There is also gratitude with the way that she let him know the truth about his parents and she'd gone and found some of his extended family for him to reconnect with. It was her way of atoning for what she did.

Being in the mafia and being their executioner if you will, he's not daft to what she'd done for him. If the mafia were to find out what she'd done, there's no way they'd let her live. He's grateful for her telling him the truth.

As much as Maribelle was his first friend, Ravein was also the first friend who truly cared for her and showed her kindness. She'd worked herself up the ranks and that's how she came to find out about what really happened to his parents.

What became of her in the end? If you picked up on it from what I was saying just a bit ago-- she's dead. You don't aid someone in escaping the mafia and get away with it. Admittedly, part of the reason he was able to escape was because she drew some attention away from him. It's her way of wanting to atone and simply her desire to help him, her first friend.

In relation to our thread? She's been deceased not long. Eventually, Ravein will come to know of it as a man who knows his way around the intel network.

There's a lot that could be said, but I won't go into that. It feels more like a thing that should be written out elsewhere like in thread or somewhere else.

If anything, on the bright side, she died feeling light at heart. She resolved a big pressure that weighed heavy on her chest. In her way of seeing things, she's atoned for the ill she caused. Just as Ravein mostly blames himself for what happened, she blames herself. As the mafia, she should've known than to blab about people's lives- especially if she knew he was living in secrecy. There had to be a reason for it.

Though Ravein does not feel a strong desire to live, he only lives on for the sake of those who died before him. He likes to think that if he lives a longer life, he can tell the deceased interesting stories when they meet again. That's the only reason for him to continue walking forward.

#Lured-into-wonderland #Answered ask #Thanks for the ask!#Neo speaks

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daydreamerdrew · 8 months

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Comics read this past week:

Marvel Comics:

Black Widow: The Coldest War (1990)

This 62-page graphic novel was published in April 1990, according to the Marvel Wiki, and was written by Gerry Conway, penciled by George Freeman, and inked by Mark Farmer, George Freeman, Mark Harris, Val Mayerik, Joe Rubinstein, and Ernie Colón.

The majority of this story took place in 1987, during the Cold War, with the epilogue taking place in 1990 when one of the villains of the main story, who has since become a politician, contacts Natasha with an offer for her to perform in Russia as a ballerina. She tells Nick Fury, “He says they want me to come home, Nick.” He reminds her that the Cold War is over and she’s free to do what she wants and she say, “I know, Nick. We’re all free now… And it’s glorious.”

Fury/Black Widow: Death Duty (1995) #1

This 64-page one-shot was published in February 1995, according to the Marvel Wiki, and was written by Cefn Ridout and drawn by Charlie Adlard.

This story actually had Natasha going back to Russia after the end of the Cold War in her capacity as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. She’s supposed to be working with the police there, but the relationship is strained. Apparently the U.S. government threatened to withhold I.M.F. loans if they didn’t accept her help with the case. Meanwhile, Natasha suspects that the police has been paid off by the mafia and investigates behind their backs, which the main person she’s supposed to be working with, Colonel Yuri, accuses her of. In the end it was another person that was working with Yuri that had been paid off and Yuri dies shielding Natasha from gunfire, proving his virtuousness.

At the end of the story Natasha tells Nick Fury, “The new Russia’s not what I expected. I left because the system was destroying the country. Now, the system’s gone, I’m not sure it’s for the best- I’m still a stranger, here.” He tells her, “Give it time, ‘Tash. At least you’ve got a choice.”

Captain America (2005) #26-27

With these Captain America issues I went from May 2007 to June 2007, according to the Marvel Wiki. They were written by Ed Brubaker, penciled by Steve Epting, and inked by Mike Perkins. Both were 22 pages.

I’m really enjoying where this book is going. When Sharon had previously talking about her job in issue #22 (as she was being mentally warped by Dr. Faustus), she stressed how important it was to her and specifically that it ordinarily wouldn’t be more important to her than Steve. In issue #26 she explains her reason for quitting as, “What’s the point, anyway… without Steve?” In issue #27 she tries to kill herself, thinking, “You don’t deserve to live now, and you know it,” referring to how Dr. Faustus made her kill Steve. But Dr. Faustus has made it impossible for her to kill herself or to tell anyone what she did. By the end of the issue she’s started working with Sam under Nick Fury’s direction and I’m really curious as to where that’s going to go, if that’s something that Dr. Faustus is pushing her to do and so she’s going to secretly working against them or if she’s going to try to communicate with them that she killed Steve indirectly and be able to foil whatever Dr. Faustus and the Red Skull’s plans with her are.

I’m also liking what’s happening with Bucky. In issue #26 Nick Fury calls Sam to intervene with Bucky and he gets there just as Bucky is finishing up a bar fight, which he instigated because someone there insulted Steve. I like that Nick Fury was apparently keeping an eye on Bucky. But at the end of the issue Bucky decides that he going to kill Tony Stark, which puts him on the opposing side of Nick. I really love this, even though I don’t have any animosity towards Tony myself, because I’m enjoying how intense Bucky is getting as he commits to this plan.

And issue #27 is when it was first established that Bucky and Natasha Romanoff have a history. Natasha was tasked with protecting Steve’s shield which Bucky wanted to steal to make sure no one else can use it because he doesn’t think anyone else is worthy. As they fight Bucky thinks, “By the time I see my move, I’m actually wishing this was one of Karpov’s missions… And that those damned machines would be waiting when I finished… to wipe my memories away again.” It’s revealed that Bucky actually helped train Natasha. Flashbacks depict the two of them secretly meeting up together, getting caught, and then Natasha breaking into where Bucky was held afterwards and horrifyingly finding him frozen. I’m expecting that we are getting to get more information about these revealing but contextless moments in the upcoming issues.

Black Widow (2004) #1-6

These issues were published across October 2004 to February 2005, according to the Marvel Wiki. They were written by Richard K. Morgan and drawn by Bill Sienkiewicz, with Goran Parlov drawing the layouts for all but issue #1. Issues #1-2 and #6 were 22 pages and issues #3-5 were 23 pages.

This was the book that first established that Natasha was raised in the Red Room and wasn’t just trained there as an adult, retconning her previous backstory, including being trained as a ballerina at the Bolshoi, as part of their mental conditioning. Things fall apart pretty quickly once she gets to Russia in issue #5. She goes to the Bolshoi to see her old teacher, only to be told that no one with that name has ever worked there. She’s able to figure out where she was actually trained by recognizing a sign she had seen out a window in her youth and when inside finds the remains of the room where she was brainwashed, which triggers flashbacks, as well as someone who had played a part in that process and is able to explain most everything to her. It’s explained that part of the conditioning is that Natasha becomes sick if she tries to think logically about her memories. Even so, I disliked how simple it was to point out the falsity, with just the question, “Well, if you were a Bolshoi ballerina, for one thing, your feet would be horribly maimed from all the dancing on blocks. They’re not though, are they?” It’s hard to me to accept that no one ever noticed that before, or that there wasn’t any record of Natasha training at the Bolshoi, or that Natasha apparently didn’t train as a ballerina at all and so wouldn’t know how to dance at a professional level as an adult. It’s also not at all addressed what this means for the non-Bolshoi parts of Natasha’s backstory, like Ivan Petrovitch, who was previously portrayed as someone who saved Natasha’s life when she was a baby and then become a father figure to her and was featured prominently as a loyal ally of Natasha’s in both of the 90s Black Widow stories I read this week, and her husband Alexei Shostokoff, who’s “death” motivated her to become a spy in the first place as an adult and then who’s real death cemented her defection to the United States.

When Natasha brings up Yelena Belova she’s told, “Oh- her. Oh my goodness, no. Belova was a, an aberration. Nothing to do with the real Black Widow program. I believe she models fetish lingerie these days.” I was shocked and upset by this flippant dismissal of Yelena’s entire character. The Red Room was first mentioned when Natasha and Yelena first met in Black Widow (1999) #1 and Yelena says, “I am a student from the Red Room in Moscow. You remember it, then? Yes, I thought you would. And yes, it is still active.” And then, “It is you who will call me Black Widow. That’s right. I am the first student in the history of the Red Room to surpass your marks.” When we last left Yelena off in Black Widow: Pale Little Spider (2002) she was being manipulated by her superiors to get over her concern that she wasn’t on Natasha’s level and so wasn’t the true Black Widow, which she’d been intensely arguing she was in Black Widow (1999) and Black Widow (2001). The closing line of Pale Little Spider in issue #3, in response to that statement that if Yelena ever found out about their manipulations that she would betray them, was that they could always make another Black Widow. That she’s supposed to just be a fetish lingerie model now was particularly inappropriate to me considering that Yelena has been established to be really uncomfortable with sex, but even regardless of that I would think that this is a sexist way to write off a character that had previously only been portrayed as, while inexperienced, a dedicated and competent agent and had a really interesting dynamic with Natasha.

This book actually tried very hard to say something poignant about sexism. There’s a scene in issue #1 where Natasha talks to Phil Dexter about how most women face a lack of options between being a “pole dancer or a hard-faced harridan,” which, she says, “Is Madonna or whore. It’s just the Madonna got promoted- on condition she’s twice as tough and twice as smart as any man she’s dealing with.” When Phil asks if she’s that woman, Natasha says, “Let’s hope so.” I think that this would read a lot stronger if it was connected to specific events, even if they were just invented for the sake of this story, that are specific to Natasha’s character. I’m referring to facing sexist limitations that genuinely impeded her when she was younger in Russia or within the superhero field or at S.H.I.E.L.D. Because Natasha is meant to be this legendary supremely competent super-spy, though in this book she is repeatedly dismissed as just a woman. As it is, I don’t understand Natasha’s lack of certainty in herself at this point. I don’t understand how she would think other people’s expectations of women would limit her or why she would be concerned that she’s not tough or smart enough. If anything, I would think, while annoying, being underestimated would be helpful.

While that conversation was happening, Natasha and Phil ignore a young woman trying to hitchhike on the highway. Later Natasha saves that young woman from being raped from the truckers who did pick her up, killing one of the men and paralyzing the other in the process. The young woman, Sally Anne, ends up tagging along for the rest of the book and we learn that she was running away from home because her stepfather became “overly friendly” and her mother stood by and did nothing to stop him. In issue #3 Sally Anne says that she thinks all men are scum and Natasha agrees with her because in that specific moment she’s frustrated with Phil and because she just got done interrogating a man with truth serum, during which, besides the information that she needed, she also prompted him into confessing to having an affair with a 17-year-old in front of his wife. When that man later comes falling out a window it’s unknown if he chose to jump, but Natasha says, “Personally, I’d like to think he was pushed.” I was actually surprised that there wasn’t more resistance to the expressed man-hating sentiments, like, say, Natasha later taking back her agreement that all men are scum. Phil and Sally Anne form a positive relationship over time, but that’s inherently complicated. Regarding them intervening when Sally Anne was going to be raped, Phil says, which is contrasted against how Sally Anne’s own mother didn’t help her, “Ah, well, ahem, I wasn’t going to just stand by and just watch, was I?” But we, the audience, know that he was going to just stand by, that he tried to convince Natasha not to do anything, and that he was upset with her for it afterwards.

In issue #3, when Natasha and Sally Anne both recognize the name of a cosmetics company and Phil hasn’t heard of them, Sally Anne says, “Of course you haven’t- you’re a guy.” This prompts Natasha to go on a monologue about how men aren’t pressured to care about their looks, that she’s not interested in cosmetics, that she spends her money on things like books and rock climbing gear, but the last present she was given was perfume because, “I’m a woman, and that’s what women are supposed to value above all else. Cosmetic appearance.” This was weird to me. She’s clearly drawn wearing bright red lipstick throughout the entire book, which is not to mention the matching pair of lingerie-like black lacy panties and bra she apparently casually wears under her clothes all the time. Natasha not convincingly portrayed as as someone who does not spend time (and money) on her cosmetic appearance. I'm not sure if she was meant to just care about women being defined by their physical appearances for herself or for it to be a broader political opinion. Natasha cares about Sally Anne throughout the book, in issue #4 it's implied she's worried about Sally Anne becoming a prostitute, but also in issue #1 Natasha opens a phone call with Phil with, “You’re answering your own phone. What happened to the latest blonde? Silicon leak?”

In issue #2 there’s a scene where Natasha and Phil talk and Phil stays fully clothed but Natasha gets undressed to change outfits. This gives us two pages where the main adult characters have a serious conversation but one of them, the woman, is just wearing lacy underwear. In issue #3 Natasha does actually wear very little with a purpose, in order to seduce a man to get information she needs from him. In her description of him she says that he has “impeccable alpha male credentials” and that his weakness is the usual one. She complains internally, “Heels you can barely walk in, let alone run. Skin exposed all over, regardless of weather. A look that says ‘take me I’m yours.’ Dressed to be killed, more like.” She ties the man up in his bed, seemingly as preparation for them to have sex, but then she doses him with a truth serum and a hallucinogen that makes cry out for his mommy. When she’s gotten what she needs she leaves him tied up there, assuming that it, “Won’t do his reputation any harm when they find him like this. Never does if you’re a guy.” This feels like it’s trying to have it both ways, featuring the character in a sexy framing while also criticizing the difference between standards of men and women’s appearances and sexual activity at the same time, which is a bit discordant and doesn’t come across as properly specific to this character. I do think that there's something interesting that could be done with the tactics Natasha is pushed toward, either by other people or just by the effectiveness of them, as a female spy and how she feels about that, but this wasn't it. And I’m actually confused by how personal that frustration is about women being judged for having sex while men aren’t because I don't know what personal experiences Natasha has had with that in her life. Like the uncertainty that Natasha would be able to overcome sexist stereotypes in issue #1 and the monologue about cosmetics in issue #3, this was a generic sentiment about sexism that didn't convincingly fit with the character. Women aren't a monolith, different women have difference experiences and think about sexism differently so any negative sentiment about sexism from a female character isn't inherently believable just because they're a woman, it needs some kind of support.

I was bothered by a scene in issue #6 where Natasha does what she did to the man she seduced in issue #3 again to two women. The one woman that’s in one of the groups hunting Natasha is hinted to be a lesbian and to be interested in a specific waitress throughout the book and in issue #6 she returns to her motel room to find that waitress in her underwear, bound, and gagged with Natasha pointing a gun at her. With the civilian waitress as leverage Natasha is able to get information from the woman that was working against her, and then offscreen Natasha also takes off her clothes and ties her up in her underwear. This is known because a lesbian bondage scandal where the two women were found and photographed and those photographs are published in a tabloid magazine is mentioned later. Natasha complaining about the different standards levied against men and women and then taking advantage of that as part of a revenge plot, and including in it a woman who hadn’t done anything to her, was a really strange choice.

The part of this new vision of Natasha Romanoff that I thought was handled worst was the invention of a pheromone control of the Black Widow agents in issue #6. The reason for its creation was that conservative men within the Soviet Union were upset by the idea of a “genuinely powerful young woman as an active independent agent.” And so, “Black Widow operatives would be incapable of committing violence, or even extensive disobedience, against anyone wearing the scent. To try would be like attempting to harm someone you cared deeply about, like murdering a loved one.” What makes this so terrible is that it’s revealed that Nick Fury stole that scent and used it to make Natasha defect to the United States in the first place and is still using it to manipulate her after all this time. This ruins their previous relationship and takes away Natasha’s agency not just in the stories involving both of them, but really in all of her stories since she became a hero in the 60s because it’s saying that she hasn’t actually been motivated by her own beliefs like we previously thought. The final fight of the book is Natasha against a man wearing that scent and during that Natasha’s internal narration describes, “It’s all I can do to shield myself against his blows. I feel slow, stupid. I start to understand how it must feel to be a battered wife. I taste blood… Anger and will, pride and self, the reflex of aggression- all wither away inside me. I just want him to stop.” It stands out that pheromone control is described as like an emotional control, where fighting back or being disobedient are emotionally unbearable, rather than the more traditional total mind control where it’s more of someone else simply inserting their will, and then that the experience of it being used against Natasha is explicitly compared to women in abusive relationships. It’s a very feminized version of being a mind-controlled spy.

Fawcett Comics:

the Captain Marvel stories in Whiz Comics (1940) #77-78 and Captain Marvel Adventures (1941) #64-65 and The Marvel Family (1945) #4

In this batch of 12 Captain Marvel stories I went from August 1946 to September 1946. These stories ranged from 7 to 11 pages.

The story “Captain Marvel and the Little Man Who Wasn’t There” (written by Bill Woolfolk; drawn by C.C. Beck) in Captain Marvel Adventures #64 was based around an imp named Lester. At the beginning of the story Captain Marvel saves a man who was attempting suicide and that man explains that Lester is an invisible being that can only be seen by whoever last drank from a bottle of enchanted water. Captain Marvel takes a drink from the bottle to prove to the man that Lester isn’t real while the man tries stop him, saying, “There’s only one or two swallows left! You’ll be doomed to stay with Lester all your life if you drink that!” But then he quickly has a change of heart, cheerfully running away and shouting out, “Hurray! Lester is gone! I’m a free man!” Captain Marvel comments, “It’s wonderful what a little suggestion can do,” but then he does actually see Lester himself. Throughout the story Lester creates problems for Captain Marvel and for Billy Batson, which culminates in Captain Marvel getting arrested. Then Sterling Morris pays for Captain Marvel’s bail and takes him to see a psychiatrist. Captain Marvel explains the situation and shows the psychiatrist the bottle, saying, “One swallow, and you’d see Lester too! But you can’t swallow because there isn’t any left!” But the psychiatrist says, “Wrong! There’s a drop or two in the bottle!” And before Captain Marvel can stop him he’s taken the final swallow. Lester disappears from Captain Marvel’s sight right at the moment, but he realizes, “But you must see him now! Poor man! This is all my fault!” The psychiatrist corrects him, saying, “I don’t see anyone at all! Neither do you, now! Just a simple trick of mental suggestion cured you!” Captain Marvel runs off gleefully, just as the man at the beginning of the story did, but once he’s gone it’s revealed that the psychiatrist can, in fact, see Lester. He says, “I’ll have to pretend I don’t see him! Or my patients will think I’m crazy!” And the story ends with Billy’s radio show conclusion where he thinks that it’s all been wrapped up, not knowing that that psychiatrist has been doomed to be pranked by an imp only he can see for the rest of his life.

#comics read this past week #my posts

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