#i have fanart that disappeared like decades ago

[zarla-s]

#i have tons of fanart saved from all kinds of fandoms in tons of folders on my computer #am i alone in this? i'm curious #i've been doing it for as long as i can remember #i have fanart that disappeared like decades ago #buried in people's personal fansites that got swept away by the tides of time #i don't save fic so much though but i'm trying to change that #things disappear! save your own copies!

[galazykatz]

Kira Is Near's Watari AU

"Light Yagami is 17 years old when he stumbles on a cursed notebook and begins committing his first unwilling murders.

Nate River is 6 years old when he discovers a bounty of 30 million dollars on the supposedly normal and respectable son of the Chief of the NPA.

These two facts somehow end up in Light Yagami shot in half a dozen places in a dirty warehouse a week later, Near dragging his body out of there, and both simultaneously disappearing into thin air.

Well, at least until six years later, when criminals begin dying in the masses from heart attacks. With a new Death Note user on the loose, Detective Near and his capable butler and caretaker, Kira, are on the case.

With tensions high between them and the NPA, Near and Light will be forced to confront just what happened that week, half a decade ago.

OR, my Kira is Near's Watari AU"

(Taken from a draft summary of a 5 part WIP fic)

-

So, I've read Noel Verse (TzviaAriella) and Pale Moon (KaedeRavensdale) on Ao3, watched some Black Butler, among some other fanfic, pinterest fanart, and more media with Butlery themes... and now I've got some serious brain rot.

I mean, like, the aesthetic is amazing. And it's doubly hilarious if L and Watari ever meet Near and Kira in this universe because they're total and complete opposites. Visually wise, at least, with Near's white motif and Light's signature beige suits with a splash of red with his tie, their workspace always very modern and minimal. Then Watari's cloaked in all black with L being... L, surrounded by more of an old money setting. Opposite spectrums of ridiculous. Especially if the task force meets these two detective teams and they'd just be... so incredulous. And the angst of Light and Soichiro reuniting.

Also, just the idea of genius, perfect, most promising student of Japan, Light Yagami, showing back up as a butler/caretaker/spy/hitman working for the mysterious yet infamous Detective Near. Only for that detective to turn out to be a 12 year old kid playing with his toys, who Light seriously treats as his boss without an ounce of irony. Everyone just gets more dumbfounded once said kid starts pulling genius deductions out of thin air and controlling black ops. While Light is sent either on said black ops, or to get a certain toy set for Near. No in between.

I imagine Light would still very much have blood on his hands, willing and unwilling, and would be loyal to Near and unwilling to part with him. Partly out of his own self interests and partly out of a genuine sense of repaying the debt for saving his life. Meanwhile, Near is content to have someone reliable on his side who doesn't underestimate him or treat him any differently for his age, nor intends to use him for another agenda. Whatever Near asks, Light does.

And maybe, just maybe, there would be hints of some other influence. Something ingrained in them, not quite dreams nor memories, that draw the two together. But surely this is the first time they've done all this?

-

Alright, is that enough ranting about a fic I probably don't have time to write? Yeah, I think so. XD

Oh well, at least I got to make these doodles today. :)

#fanart #fanfic #death note #light yagami #kira #nate river #near #death note fanart #death note fanfiction #kira is near's watari au

[justdrawingcatsandotherstuff]

Unfinished cat oc art

Story time:

Once in 2017 I had a warriors roleplay. Not mine, but I was invited. Any characters were allowed there, even magic ones or those who have purple fur like my first ever public oc + first sona named Darksnap. Aaand there was a person with the character called Riddle who was a catified Bill Cipher with different lore. We all liked this guy, me too, so I created more ocs based on him. Unfortunately his host disappear from social media and never saw my ocs or fanarts.

At first I created an oc that was supposed to join our rp and be connected to Riddle. But since Riddle's host disappeared I just created a separate headcanon story. Then developed it and now it has these characters pictured on the art. These are Goldenslash (yellow guy on the right), Mysterio and I forgot his mate's name. Yellow guy is jealous.

Btw first oc's that was connected to Riddle name was Goldenclaw. And those two, Goldenslash and Mysterio, are their ancestors that existed 10 cat generations ago.

I'm now rethinking Mysterio's design as a grey cat, but in at first these two were almost exact copies of Riddle and Goldenclaw. But with little differences, especially in character. But they followed a similar story.

__________________________________________

Other world facts:

Also about the names - they can have any names, warriors' or just words like "riddle". They also have types of magic. "Light" and "opposite" are the strongest and therefore those cats are likely to be leaders.

And these cats also had some creatures they fought with many decades ago. Those look similar to bold dragon cats who like gems and don't like living in their stone world. They prefer the magic cats' world and that was the reason of war. Creatures lost.

Also magic cats sometimes have offspring that doesn't have magic. And magic cats usually create themselves accessories for difference, most popular are hats and bowties (fashion, lol)

Another thing to say - medicine cats have unique magic type and communicate with the ghost world a lot for guidance. Personally, I don't even remember whether they have a moonstone. Also they can have kits, they gotta pass out the genes of the medicine magic type after all👌.

Also magic cats have rules to not break the world's balance despite having magic. And magic ones still learn to do things without magic, their mana can be driven out of them in some fighting situations. And if the cats are too much or mostly when they get bored of their world they go to the portal world to travel the universes and find a place they'd belong better. They still can visit their home world if they want.

And one more thing - if some cat is evil they exile them to the void world. This world is difficult to orientate at. Also is such a place where a lot of curious creatures of any kind go, and then they end up locked on here forever, as the undead black inky creatures I called "shadow creatures".

It probably works for the souls too and they don't have Dark Forest. But have their own Star Clan.

Also magic of the opposite is the strongest, hardest and rarest type of magic. Those who own it either blessed or cursed for life, mostly the second one I think.

More info about that, shadow creatures and the void will be when I'll be doing content about Goldenclaw someday 👌

(Final thing — they live far away from the normal cats, it's a balance feature)

#my art #my artwrok #digital art #artists on tumblr #drawing #artwork #art #oc artist #oc artwork #furry cat #oc #cats #warriors oc #original story #original writing #original worlds #Also in the first scenario Slash and Mysterio were past lives of Riddle and Golden #cat oc #cat oc art

[aurorasilverthorne]

Vampires Don't Fall In Love: Chapter #1

Disclaimer: I own nothing! The Bailey School Kids book series and all its characters belong to the authors Debbie Dadey and Marcia Jones.

Note: Mr. Lobo is my OC and belongs to me. If you want to use him in fanart or fanfiction, you are welcome to do so, but please remember to credit me as his creator. Thank you!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Summary: Ben has known Kilmer's grandmother, Madame Hauntly, since he was nine. This story chronicles their friendship and the ways in which it changes throughout the decades while also telling Mrs. Jeepers' love story. All the children still believe Madame Hauntly, Mrs. Jeepers and Boris Hauntly are vampires and that Mrs. Jeepers' ex-boyfriend is a really werewolf. Turns out they're right! Now what?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter One:

~◇~

Ben had never met anyone like Kilmer Hauntly’s grandmother. Madame Catalina Hauntly was a willowy, pale woman with a Romanian accent, green eyes and raven black hair that fell to her hips. She wore a black dress so long it hid her feet and had lengthy, bright green fingernails that seemed to glow in the dark.

Most adults said she was weird. Children in the neighborhood thought she was a vampire. Ben didn’t care. He adored her.

Madame Hauntly was different from other grandmothers. She only came out at night, told the most amazing stories and loved to climb trees. Ben always spent time with her when she visited the Hauntlys.

Well…not always.

Ben sighed.

He’d broken an arm a week ago doing stunts on his skateboard. The cast itched!

He tried to use a fork to scratch the skin beneath the fiberglass, but that ended the moment his mom saw. She confiscated the fork and sent him to his room.

Ben plopped down in front of his bedroom window to watch all his neighbors go about their day. Mr. Davis, the principle at Bailey Elementary, watered his garden and shooed Kilmer’s cat Sparky off his lawn. Ben waved to Mr. Lobo, the music teacher, who had been spending his free time at Mrs. Jeepers’ repairing and renovating the old Clancy Estate.

Annie and Jane ran by on their way to the local playground to play soccer with Carey, Eddie and the other kids.

“We’re going to Doodleburger afterward. Want us to pick you up a milkshake?” Annie asked.

Ben shook his head. “It would melt by the time you brought it back. Thanks anyway though.”

Jane shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

Ben watched them hurry down Dedman Street and disappear around the corner. He wished he could go, but all the jostling would mess up his arm worse than it already was.

What bummed Ben out most was knowing he’d have to miss out on Madame Hauntly’s visit. She was due to arrive early that evening.

He wouldn’t get to hear about her childhood home at the feet of the Transylvania Alps, learn more about the Hauntly family history or take her to a movie at the cinema that had just opened over on Main Street. Ben knew how much she liked dark, cool places.

He and Kilmer had planned on treating her to dinner at Jewel’s Pizza Castle. Madame Hauntly had promised they’d all climb the old oak tree together.

“This stinks!” Ben glared at his cast. “I can’t climb trees or play ball with this stupid thing stuck on my arm.”

He tried playing video games, but it was practically impossible to reach the next level when he only had one good arm. He eventually gave up and turned off the television figuring he’d skip supper and go to bed early.

Ben was beginning to doze off when he heard a tapping at his window. He turned over to see what it was then remembered he’d closed the drapes. He slid off the bed and pulled them open.

Nothing.

Ben frowned. “Huh? I could’ve sworn I heard-“

A face appeared in the window. Ben cried out and jumped back before realizing it was Madame Hauntly perched gracefully on the ledge outside his window.

“I didn’t mean to frighten you,” she said. “Kilmer told me about your arm. I hope it isn’t causing you pain.”

“I’m okay. It’s just…I can’t have any fun with my arm stuck in a cast. The doctor says I’ll have to keep it on until the bone heals. How am I gonna play sports or climb stuff with this thing?”

Madame Hauntly hummed in thought. “Well, climbing trees and playing sports might be out of the question until your arm is healed, but there are other ways to have fun.”

“Like what?”

Madame Hauntly smiled giving him a glimpse of her sharp eye teeth. “A movie? Or pizza and ice cream, perhaps? I spoke to your parents. You and I will be eating pizza and going to see a movie. Wash up and meet me out in the yard. Kilmer and the others are waiting for us.”

Ben perked up. “Really?”

Madame Hauntly smiled. “Of course, silly boy. Did you think I would exclude you from being part of my visit because of your injury?”

“I didn’t hink you’d want me around slowing you down,” he admitted.

“Oh, darling…” She patted his shoulder. “I am your friend as much as you are Kilmer’s. I will always make time for you.”

Ben smiled genuinely for the first time since he’d fallen from his skateboard. “Kilmer’s right. You’re the best.”

Madame Hauntly laughed. “I am not the best, but I certainly appreciate the compliment. I will wait for you outside.”

Ben threw on clean clothes and ran his hand through his hair. A quick glance in the mirror and he was on his way out the door.

Maybe having a broken arm isn’t so bad after all,” he mused, keeping in step with Madame Hauntly as they headed toward the pizza castle.

Madame Hauntly noticed him staring at her and offered him a reassuring smile. She didn’t act like other adults. Ben believed wholeheartedly that she was the coolest person in Bailey City.

After they were done eating and the movie had ended, Madame Hauntly took all the kids back to Hauntly Manor Inn. Ben sat on one of the dirt mounds in the conservatory while she told stories about Romania and the Transylvania Alps.

“It is late,” she said, “I will walk you all home.”

She made sure everyone made it safely back to their houses. It was past midnight, but Ben just couldn’t sleep, so he snuck out the back door and struggled up the ladder of his tree house.

He was less than half way there when a hand gripped his ankle. He gasped and looked down to see Madame Hauntly standing at the base of the tree.

“You should be in bed resting,” the Hauntly matriarch stated as she helped him back down. "It is not good to climb about with a broken arm. I do not wish to see you harmed”

“I can’t sleep,” he explained.

“Is it your arm? Does it hurt?” she asked. “I can speak to your mother. She ought to be able to give you something to quell the pain.”

Ben shook his head. “It’s not that. I just had so much fun that it’s hard to turn my brain off.”

Madame Hauntly nodded in understanding. “You must have a lot on your mind. Would you like to share your thoughts with me? I am a good listener.”

Ben sat on the grass and leaned his back against the tree while Madame Hauntly made herself comfortable on one of the low lying branches above.

True to her word, she listened as he told her about school and stuff going on in his family. He talked to her about his favorite games and how he and his dad were training so he could try out for the football team next year.

After another hour or two, Ben grew tired and ended up falling asleep. Madame Hauntly lifted the exhausted fourth grader and carried him up to his room.

How she ever managed to do so without waking either him or his parents, Ben didn’t know. He woke the following morning in his bed with a blanket draped over his body and a leaf stuck in his hair. If Madame Hauntly was a vampire, she was the good kind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

#adventure #horror #mystery #bailey school kids #vampire #werewolf #friendship #romance #multi character #multi chapter #fanfic #fanfiction #book series #mrs. jeepers #madame hauntly #ben #eddie #melody #liza #howie #boris hauntly #kilmer hauntly #jane #annie #carey #original character

[leia505]

The Sunrise and Your Sins | Tetsurou Kuroo x Reader (street racing AU)

This fic takes place in the same universe as “deciphered” by @hoeneymilktea​! Here is the link to the car visuals and spotify playlist, as well as AO3 where the fic is also posted if you prefer to read on there. 

Huge shoutout to @aikk00​ for creating the fan art that inspired both this story and “deciphered”. 

And another shoutout to @hoeneymilktea​ for pushing me to write this fic, if you’re here from deciphered I hope you enjoy this addition to the deciphered universe! 

Pairing: Tetsurou Kuroo x Reader

Rating: Explicit, NSFW(later chapters)  

Word Count: 10k

Tags: Street Racing, Alternate Universe - Car Racing, Inspired by Fanart, References to Drugs, Aged-Up Character(s), Original Character(s), Inspired by The Fast and the Furious, Inspired by Tokyo Drift, Alternate Universe - Yakuza, Mystery, Drama & Romance, Other Additional Tags to Be Added

Summary: Being a mob boss’s daughter had always been a dangerous life, but Tetsurou Kuroo—street racer and mob henchman—made it all seem easy. Although the mutual attraction between you two was undeniable, the darkness that encompassed your family took precedence over your love. Surrounded by lies and deception, you and Kuroo must work together to uncover the truth of your brother’s death and your father’s shady business.

“Hey there kitten.”

“Is that really how you want to talk to a yakuza boss’ daughter?”

“It’s not like your old man’s here to listen.” Kuroo says, pulling up a chair to sit close to you. You turned your head to stare him in the eyes as he smirked at you.

“You think a man like my father doesn’t have his own office wired?” You ask, raising an eyebrow at him.

Kuroo chuckles nervously, looking around your dad’s office. Just some harmless flirting boss. Nothing to worry about here.” He says loudly, turning to you with a wink. You can’t help but smile, you’ve always enjoyed the times Kuroo came to see your father. You weren’t going to try to deny the fact you found him attractive, but there’s no way your father would allow it. A mafia princess and a drug smuggler? What a cliché.

Your father’s sudden entrance startles you both, and Kuroo instinctively stands up to bow. You remain seated, knowing that the power he held over this city applied to everyone but you.

“Hello father.” You greet your dad as he sits in his office chair at the front of the room. He definitely has a demanding presence, which is to be expected from the man who has the Tokyo underground in his pocket. Kuroo had power, and definitely had some authority, but he was a guppy compared to your father.

“Sit, Tetsurou.” Your father says, motioning for Kuroo to take a seat. He quickly sits down in his chair, attentively looking at the mafia boss for further instructions.

“So, as you could probably guess, I have another job for you.” He says, pulling a file out from the locked cabinet of his desk. He laid the file open in front of him and turned to Kuroo. “There will be a shipping container coming in this Friday from Cuba. I’m going to need a team of your best racers to get it from point A, the ports, to point B, headquarters.” He explains, motioning for Kuroo to stand next to him to look over the details.

“Seems easy enough, standard job.” Kuroo says, studying the papers in front of him. At this moment, you can’t help but wonder to yourself why exactly you’re there.

“Exactly. Nothing new, just the same old.” Your dad agrees. “However, this is a bigger job. And we do have some eyes watching us nowadays. So what I need from you is to take the lead and choose your team. Approved by me, of course.” He says, motioning for Kuroo to take his seat again.

“How many people are we talking?” Kuroo asks.

“You, maybe two others. And your colleague, Snake Eyes, taking the lead on logistics.” Your father explains, leaning back in his chair. “Snake Eyes will be essential to this one, we need eyes and ears on the route. The less run-ins with the authorities, the better.”

‘Snake Eyes.’ You thought to yourself. ‘Isn’t that Kenma? The nerdy looking mechanic?’

“I’ll let Kozume know.” Kuroo says, nodding. “I think Oikawa and Shinsuke would be a good fit for this one. Fast, experienced, trustworthy.”

“Oikawa…he’s the one that calls himself Cypher correct?” You father questions.

“Yes sir, head of Seijoh Brawlers. Shinsuke goes by Sly Fox, head of Inarizaki Bois.”

Your dad let out a hearty chuckle, startling both of you. “You kids and your code names. You would think you’re playing spy.” Kuroo nervously chuckled in agreement.

“No playing here sir, we’re all in.” Kuroo says, giving him a confident grin.

“That’s what I like to hear, Tetsurou. With that attitude, you’ll fit right in at the grown-up table.” Your father says, getting up from his chair. You roll your eyes, bored of the conversation between the two criminals. 

“Why am I here?” You ask, causing both of them to turn to you as if they just realized you were there. You rarely sat in on your father’s meetings, so you were confused from the start as to what your purpose was.

“Oh sweetheart! I almost forgot, Kuroo has a present for you.” Your father says brightly, waving his arms at you, motioning for you to follow Kuroo out the door.

You peered your eyes at Kuroo suspiciously as he smirked at you. You continued to follow him out the door of your family’s Tokyo home, with your father following behind you.

As the three of you exit the house, your eyes fall on a bright pink car, with a giant white ribbon tied around the hood.

“Is that-“You begin saying, quickening your pace to get closer to this absolute beauty.

“A Honda S2000? Yes, yes, it is.” Kuroo says, leaning against his car, a cherry red Nissan Veilside 350Z. He holds up a pair of car keys, which he tosses to you.

“It’s mine?!” You exclaim. You turn to your dad, who smiles warmly at you.

“A gift, from the Nekoma crew to our family. Me and your mother have enough cars, so I figured you could claim this one.” He explains, chuckling.

“Thank you!” You wrap your arms around him, embracing your father in a hug. He tightly hugs you back, the same way he always has. You turn towards Kuroo. “And thank you, you and the whole Nekoma crew. How’d you know I wanted pink?”

Kuroo shrugs. “I just guessed. Seemed like your color.” He says, winking at you. He slyly opens his car door, climbing in. “Thursday night, I’ll bring the team?” He asks, turning towards your dad.

“Yes, and make sure they bring their cars as well. I need to see for myself what type of speed we’re working with.” Your dad says, switching into business mode seamlessly.

Kuroo lets out a laugh, closing his car door and rolling his window down. “I can promise you sir, the one thing we will surely not be lacking is speed.” He says, revving his engine, speeding out of the driveway and down the dark street. The roar of his engine could be heard long after he disappeared from our sight, breaking the silence of the upper-class neighborhood he sped through.

“Sweetheart, Tetsurou and his boys are here if you’d like to sit in on the meeting.” Your father says, peeking his head into your room. 

“I’ll be right down dad.” You reply, getting up from your bed. You heard their cars coming from miles away, so you were already prepared to meet them downstairs. You were curious as to why your father suddenly invited you to sit in on his business meetings, he never really allowed you to take part in your family’s activities. Nevertheless, you were glad you finally had something to keep you entertained while locked away in your home. 

As you walked down the stairs, you heard Kuroo’s voice speaking to his friends, and you were caught off guard by how mature he sounded. He must have known you and your father were coming down the stairs, so he put his big boy voice on to impress your father. 

“Hi.” you say shortly, causing all of them to turn their heads to you. You finally got a good look at all of them, and they were all exactly what you’d expect street racers to look like. Piercings, tattoos, just a bunch of tough looking guys with skeptical faces as they looked up at you. 

“Is this the one you keep bringing up?” a guy with shoulder length bleached blonde hair asks, turning to Kuroo. His voice was soft, almost a whisper. It was a drastic change from Kuroo’s deep, commanding voice. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Kuroo says, awkwardly clearing his throat, tugging at his collar as he avoided your gaze.

“Hola mami.” The brunette one says to you, shooting you a devilish smirk as you descend further down the stairs. 

“The fuck is wrong with this one?” You ask Kuroo, opting to stand next to him. You tilt your head towards the brunette guy, who was still staring at you like a luxury car. 

“He lived in Argentina for a few years and now he’s just...like that.” Kuroo says. “You kind of get used to it. He also doesn’t care that no one but him knows Spanish.” 

“Tetsurou! Glad you all made it here in one piece. Shall we move this to my office?” Your father says, waving his arm down the hall to the large double doors that lead to his office, the space where all meetings, illegal or otherwise, were held. 

The five of you made room for your father to lead and followed him down the hall. You were keenly aware of the fact Kuroo stood almost directly behind you, mainly because the smell of his cologne was too strong to ignore. Kuroo was just like that, a presence you couldn’t seem to get out of your head. 

Upon entering the office, you choose to take your usual spot on the comfortable sofa chair you put in your dad’s office over a decade ago. When you were younger, more naive to the truth to your father’s business and your family’s wealth, you frequently accompanied your father in his office on long work nights, falling asleep in the chair that was kept out of the way to keep others from taking your special spot. That’s always how your dad was, making sure to accommodate you. Anything for the princess. 

“So!” Your father announces, clapping his hands together, causing you and the blonde one to jump slightly. “Don’t be shy, introduce yourselves.” You roll your eyes at him, thinking that he sounded more like a grade school teacher than a yakuza boss with hundreds of skeletons in the closet. 

The 4 men stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, not knowing how to start. Everyone except the silver haired guy wore a bomber jacket, with names printed on the back. The brunette wearing a white bomber jacket spoke first. You noticed the teal lettering on his jacket that read ‘CYPHER’. 

“Tooru Oikawa, sir. Cypher.” He says, bowing at your dad. 

“Uh, Kenma Kozume. People call me Snake Eyes sometimes.” the bleach blonde spoke next, his voice quiet and skeptical. 

“Kita Shinsuke, aka Sly Fox.” The silver haired guy in the plain black hoodie says, giving your father a slight head nod. 

“And obviously you know me.” Kuroo says. He turns to face you, flashing his signature grin. “Your turn.” 

“(y/n).” you introduce yourself, giving them a small wave. “If you haven’t figured out who I am then you’re pretty slow.” 

“My daughter, everyone. Excuse the attitude.” your father remarks, shaking his head at you. “So, I assume you filled them in on the details?” 

“Yes sir, they’ve all been filled in on the job. Kenma running point on logistics, the control tower of the team. The three of us running the cargo from the ports to the warehouse. Basic rules, don’t be dumb, and don’t get caught.” Kuroo says. The other men looked at him, nodding slightly in agreement. 

“Excellent, I knew I could count on you to take the lead here. Keep this up and you may find some more jobs like this in your future.” Your father gets up from his chair, pulling more files from his cabinet. He hands each of the men their own file, which they all take and begin looking over. “You’ll find all the smaller details in there, as well as numbers to contact in case you run into trouble. You’ll also find a receipt, with your pay for this job highlighted. I hope you find it accommodating to your work.” He says, studying each of them as they flip through the files. 

“Definitely accommodating.” Kita comments, nodding his head as he peers down at the file. You begin to wonder when you’ll be able to see the fine tuned details, to truly see everything your father does in a day. So much of who he is still remained a mystery to you, and perhaps you found some comfort in your own ignorance. 

“Thank you sir, our teams greatly appreciate your contributions.” Kuroo says, bowing once again to your father. 

“It’s really no problem, after all, who doesn’t like a good street race.” Your father says with a smile. “And, in a way, I feel as though keeping your teams afloat helps me remember my son.” 

“You have a son?” Oikawa asks, looking up. 

“Had a son, yes.” Your father replied sadly. You winced, not expecting to have to relive these memories. “He passed in a racing accident. It was a few years ago. I think it was before your kids’ time.” 

“If you don’t mind me asking, what was his name? Or, what team was he on?” Kenma asks. 

“Keishin. He used the last name Ukai when he raced, to get away from our family name. I believe he raced for Karasuno?” Your dad says, bringing up more and more painful memories. 

“Karasuno Killers? They’re getting back on the scene nowadays. I remember someone talking about how they stopped coming to races a while back, but they just recently started racing again because they have a whole new team.” Kuroo says. 

“Really? Well, I might just have to come watch a race one of these days. For old times sake.” 

‘Old times sake my ass.’ you thought to yourself, knowing the truth about your father and your deceased brother’s relationship. Your father hated racing, and resented your brother for choosing Karasuno over the Sakanoshita name. At the time of your brother’s death, you couldn’t help but wonder if your father was truly upset, or if he was putting on another facade, the same way he was now. 

“Well, speaking of races, you wanted to see our cars, right?” Oikawa says, clearly trying to redirect this depressing conversation. 

“Oh yes, of course! I want to see for myself what you’re all going to be working with tomorrow.” Your father says, walking out of his office towards the front of the home. 

Outside, there were 3 cars parked in the driveway. You recognized the models, and you could guess which cars were Oikawa and Kita’s just from the colorways, white and black, just like their outfits. 

“Mi amor.” Oikawa says, looking at his car. “Mazda RX-7 Veilside Fortune. ‘97.” 

“He would marry his car if he could.” Kuroo comments, tilting his head towards you. You laugh, looking up at him. 

“Nissan Silvia. 2002.” Kita says, walking up to his car and opening the door. The smell of smoke was strong, and he grabbed a pack of cigarettes from the middle console. “Mind if I smoke?” Your father nods, and Kita proceeds to light one and take a puff. 

“Kenma, no car?” Your father asks, turning towards him. Kenma seems caught off guard by the sound of his own name. 

“Uh, no sir, not tonight. I have cars, but I don’t drive all that often. I don’t see the point in risking my investments.” He says, shrugging his shoulders. 

“Yeah, he’d rather be in the passenger seat with me driving and risking my car.” Kuroo says, playfully shoving Kenma’s shoulder. 

“That reminds me, I have a proposal for you Kuroo.” Your father says, getting everyone's attention. “Would you be willing to let (y/n) ride with you on this job?”

“Excuse me?” You say, interrupting the conversation. “Why am I going? You never let me go anywhere, but suddenly I’m running drugs for you?” You raise an eyebrow at him and cross your arms across your chest. 

“Well, sweetheart, I figured it was time.” Your father says, taking a step closer to stand in front of you. “I was around your age when your grandfather started allowing me to learn the ropes of our family’s business. You are the only one who can continue the Sakanoshita name. I think this is a good first job for you.” 

“For the record, it's no problem. She can ride with me. I promise she’ll be safe.” Kuroo says, inserting himself into the conversation between you and your father. 

“So, does this mean I finally have something to do? I can start leaving the house again?” You ask, hopeful that this decision from your father will mean more freedom. Things haven’t been the same since Keishin died, and your father kept you under a microscope, claiming it was for your safety. 

“We can talk about new safety rules after this job. Deal?” He asks, holding his hand out for you to shake. 

“Deal.” You say, taking his hand and shaking it firmly. 

“Looks like the princess is growing up.” Kuroo comments, smirking at you. 

“Hope we don’t scare her too much.” Kita says jokingly. 

You scoffed at him, excitement growing inside of you as you realized this will be the start of you growing into a leadership position in the Sakanoshita family, becoming the face of this giant organization that ruled the Tokyo underground. “Nothing scares me.” 

You stared at yourself in the mirror, trying to get your head together before the job. ‘What does a person bring to a drug smuggling? What does someone wear? Fucking jeans?’

‘No.’ you thought to yourself, grabbing a pair of leggings. What if you needed to run? Well then you need sneakers too. And a warm jacket, just in case. Do you bring a phone charger? Would it be weird to ask Kuroo to plug your phone in while you’re smuggling drugs together? 

“What the fuck am I doing.” You say out loud to yourself, beginning to question your own sanity. You let out a deep sigh, trying to clear your head. 

You eventually decide on leggings, sneakers, and a cross body fanny pack to hold your phone and smaller things. Before exiting your room, you hesitate. 

You make your way to your bedside table, opening the drawer and reaching to the back, pulling out a small handgun. You take it out, along with a note that was tucked underneath it. 

‘Stay safe. -Keishin’

This was a gift from your brother, before he passed. You kept it close by, both as protection and a heavy reminder. Your family name carried a lot of weight, which the both of you felt smothered by. You both understood the dark side of the luxury you lived with, saw the blood that stained your family’s money. But now, with him gone, it all fell on you. Everything depended on you. 

You make the decision to take it along with you, holstering it to your thigh. ‘Better safe than sorry’, you thought to yourself. A regular night could turn deadly in an instant, something that you were very familiar with given the way your brother passed. 

You exit your room and descend down the stairs, walking out the front door to where everyone was waiting with their cars. Oikawa was busy on his phone, and Kita was further away smoking a cigarette. Your father stood with Kuroo, most likely discussing the job. 

“Where’s Kenma?” You question, walking up to stand with Kuroo and your dad. 

“He’s back at the garage. Don’t worry, he has eyes and ears at us at all times.” Kuroo says, pointing at the earpiece he wore. “Here, one for you as well.” He hands you an ear piece, which you put in, immediately hearing the sounds of a video game, most likely from Kenma. 

“Are you ready?” Your father asks, turning towards you. You nod in response, and he looks over you, stopping and furrowing his eyebrows when he sees your gun. “Is a gun really necessary?”

“Keishin would have wanted me to bring it. Better safe than sorry, like he used to say.” You say, knowing that bringing up your brother was the easiest way to get your father to comply with whatever it was that you were doing. 

He nods, giving you a sad smile.  “You’re right. He was always the cautious one.” 

“The smart one too.” You say, smiling nostalgically. “Are we all ready to go?” You ask, turning to Kuroo. 

“Yup, all set.” He replies, swinging the passenger car door open for you. “I’ll have Snake Eyes let you know when we reach the ports, and again at the warehouse.” He says, turning to your father. 

“Perfect.” Your father says. He turns to look at you once more, then back at Kuroo. “Bring her back in one piece.” He says, holding out his hand. 

“You can count on me, sir.” He says, giving your father a firm handshake. You couldn’t help but roll your eyes, the business your family was involved in was always so masculine, so formal. It was something you would have to adjust to when you begin taking part in it. 

Kuroo closed your car door and nodded to the other two racers, who immediately got into their cars, turning their engines one. He climbs into the driver’s seat of his car, turning the key in the ignition, the loud roar of the engine startling you. He chuckles, realizing he made you jump. 

“Mic check. Roll call.” You hear Kenma say in your ear. 

“Tap once to speak, twice to mute.” Kuroo says, pointing to the earpiece. He taps once, and speaks. “DK here, with Princess in the passenger seat.” He says, grinning at you. 

“Ew, keep it PG-13 dude.” Kenma says, making you laugh. 

“Cypher, ready to roll.” You hear Oikawa say. 

“Sly fox.” Kita says shortly. 

“And Snake Eyes. Ready when you guys are. All clear on the short route to the ports, I’ll let you know if that changes. Stay safe everyone.” Kenma says, muting himself. 

“Alright, we all know the route, I’ll take the lead, Sly Fox you take rear. You already know the rules, don’t be stupid, and don’t get caught. I’ll check back in when we’re 5 away from the ports.” Kuroo says, taking the parking brake off and switching gears, the car beginning to move. 

Everyone mutes themselves and begins driving off, away from your wealthy neighborhood and towards the city’s industrial district. The Tokyo skyline was in your rear view mirror, and your heart beat faster and faster as you went further away from your home, the place that you’ve been stuck in for years now. 

“You don’t get out much do you?” Kuroo asks, breaking the silence. 

“Not really, no. My father doesn’t allow me to go many places now, ever since my brother died. He says it’s too risky, which I think is bullshit.” You say, shrugging your shoulders. 

Kuroo laughs. “I knew you weren’t just some obedient princess. Look at you, all rebellious.” 

“I’d be more rebellious if I were able to do anything. This...is my first time out of the house in 6 months. The last time was just for the dentist.” You say, awkwardly laughing at yourself. 

“Well, then we better make the most of it, right?” Kuroo says, switching gears, now going 105 km/h on the expressway. 

“Kuroo what if we get pulled over?” You ask nervously, knowing the risks he was taking just to show off. 

“Relax, (y/n), I know what I’m doing.” Kuroo says, flashing his signature grin at you. Everything about him drew you in, made you want to keep looking, to reach out and know him as more than just your father’s employee. 

“Kuroo, stop showing off. Just because there’s a pretty girl in the car doesn’t mean that you get to be cocky.” Kenma says in your ear, catching you both off guard. 

“Alright alright, take it easy Snake Eyes.” Kuroo says, tapping his ear piece once, then double tapping again to mute. He begins slowing the car down to 80 km/h. 

You let out a small giggle, looking over at him. “You think I’m pretty?” You say in a mocking tone, leaning in closer to him. 

“I think you’re beautiful.” He says in a serious tone, catching you completely off guard. You begin to slowly back away from him, retreating back into your seat. 

“What?” You ask, not sure if you heard him right. 

“You’re beautiful. I’ve always thought so. As a matter of fact, if it wasn’t for my extremely deep fear of your father, I’d want to take you out on a date.” He says, laughing. 

You laugh as well, suddenly a little sad about what he said. “Yeah, that’s too bad. I would’ve said yes.” You say, turning your face to give him a sad smile. 

He smirks at you, but his eyes drooped, giving them a sad, tired look. “Would’ve been a great first date.” 

After that exchange, you both remained quiet, lost in thought of what could have been. Thinking of the undeniable chemistry that drew the two of you together, but also the forces at play that kept you from colliding. What could have been, if circumstances were different, if the two of you were different. Normal. 

“Can I ask you something?” You ask him, breaking the silence that had fallen between the two of you. 

“Of course.” 

“What would you be, if you weren’t racing and working for my dad? Who would you be?” You were genuinely curious, because all you ever knew about Kuroo was that he was dealing before getting pulled into the Sakanoshita business, and that he raced with Nekoma. 

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” He says, a smile growing on his face. 

“Try me.” 

“Well, I would be a student. Right before I got recruited by your family, I was in college. Chemistry major.” He says, peering over at you. 

“Chemistry?!” You ask, surprised by his answer. “You’re a science nerd?” 

“I mean, I wouldn’t say a nerd.” He says, laughing at your reaction. “In my senior year, I ran out of money. So, I started dealing. It wasn’t anything serious, but I guess I was pretty good at it. I ended up on your dad’s radar, and he took me in as a transporter and dealer. And so, here I am. No degree, but hey, I have a nice car.” 

“I’m sorry.” You say, almost out of instinct. It felt like the only right thing to say, even if it wasn’t something that was expected. 

“Sorry for what? Your dad giving me a job?” 

“You never got to graduate.” After saying this, it seems as though Kuroo realizes it as well, that he never got to finish school. “You were so close, but you got stuck with my family. I’m sorry you didn’t get to finish your schooling.” You say, meaning every word. You were sorry, and you couldn’t help the guilt you felt. After all, it was your family that pulled him into this world.

Kuroo stays silent for a few more moments, thinking over what you just said. He appears to snap out of it, switching back to his usual easy going, casual self. “Nothing to be sorry for, princess. Without your dad recruiting me, I would just be a broke bum with a lame car and no money to my name. Besides, I can go back and finish things up someday. But for right now, I’m exactly where I want to be.” He looks over at you and winks, making you laugh. “What about you? Where would the yakuza princess be if she wasn’t a mob boss in training?” 

You paused, not knowing how to answer. “I actually don’t know. I’ve never really thought about it, because there really isn’t a future for me outside of the family business.” You say, unable to hide the disappointment in your voice. 

Kuroo frowned, thinking of a response. “Well, hypothetically, what would you be doing? Let’s say, in an alternate universe, where we’re just normal people, living normal, legal lives. What would (y/n) be?” 

“A teacher.” You say proudly, without hesitation. “Or a professor. Definitely education.” 

“A teacher?!” Kuroo asks, laughing. “How do you go from yakuza boss to teacher?” 

You laugh, realizing just how ridiculous it sounds. “What, you said normal! If I had a choice to be normal, I’d want to be a teacher, in a small town. I think I’d be a good teacher!” You say, defending your choice. 

“Okay, okay. I guess I can see you as a teacher.” Kuroo says, still grinning from ear to ear. “But, the hot teacher. With a gang tattoo.” He says, referencing the giant koi fish tattoo you have on your shoulder. 

“No!” you exclaimed, laughing loudly with him. “I want to be the generic teacher, with cardigans and sensible shoes and house cats to come home to. I’d grade papers and mentor kids, and just be free to be as boring as I want to be.” 

“Y’know, maybe I can see it.” Kuroo says, smiling at you. You couldn’t ignore the butterflies in your stomach every time he gave you that smile, the kind of smile that made your day so much better by simply existing. “Maybe someday we can be boring together.” 

The profound silence that followed that sentence spoke volumes to the both of you, almost as a silent prayer to the universe, begging for a chance to be boring together. However, that silence was broken by Kenma in your ear, bringing you both back to the reality you both began to dread.

“5 minutes out, turn your headlights off.” 

“Going dark. Thanks Snake Eyes.” You hear Kita say. Kuroo flicks his lights off, leaving only the street lamps to light the way. 

“What container should we be looking for?” Oikawa asks. 

Kuroo replies, reading out a series of letters and numbers. “The boss gave me an idea of where to go, I think we’ll have to get out to look around though. Snake Eyes, you got eyes on the port? Any trouble?” 

“Nope, all clear. Limited street lamps though, you may need a car for some light.” 

“Got it. I’ll let you know when we find the container. Let us know if anything suspicious catches your eye.” Kuroo says, muting himself once again. As you enter the industrial port, Kuroo begins taking a series of turns, leading you deep into the maze of containers. The further you got, the number of street lamps began rapidly decreasing, and you became very familiar with the reason why it’s called shady business. 

Kuroo flicked his lights on, and you kept an eye out for the shipping container, or at least one that was close to the number you were looking for. 

“I think I got something.” You hear Kita say, flashing his lights behind you, to signal for everyone to stop. Kuroo turns around, putting his car in park and leaving the lights on, pointing at a shipping container with the exact identification numbers you were looking for. 

“Nice work Sly Fox.” Kuroo says, patting him on the back. You stood close by the car as the three men approached the container, Kuroo pulling a key out of his pocket and unlocking the giant lock that secured the container. 

As he swung open the door to the container, the scent was strong, but familiar. It smelled like… 

“Tobacco?” You ask, walking closer to the container. 

“Cuban cigars.” Kita says, laughing as he walked further into the container. 

“Hey Snake Eyes, let the boss know we’re in the container. 30 bricks right?” Kuroo asks into his ear piece. 

 “I’ll let him know. And yes, 30 exactly. He left a note in the file that said you may have to look around a bit for the cargo. Also, Sly Fox, don’t take any cigars.” Kenma says, right as Kita was stuffing a handful of cigars into his pocket. Kita reluctantly returns them to the pile they were taken from. 

“Got it, 30 pieces of cargo. We’ll make contact again once they’ve been located.” Kuroo says, tapping his ear piece twice. “Okay, 30 bricks. Let’s start from the back and make our way out, whenever you find one, take it straight out to my car. Princess, you’re the look out.” 

“Why do I have to be the look out?” You protest. 

“You can’t reach the top of the containers, chica.” Oikawa points out, putting his hand on one of the shipping boxes that towered over you. Kuroo snickered, walking up to you. 

“Just stay outside, kitten. Let us know if there’s any big bad guys coming?” Kuroo says, putting his arm around you and walking you outside. 

You rolled your eyes and shrugged his arm off. “Whatever, just hurry up, it’s freezing out here.” 

You stand outside, staring out to the distant city lights, listening to the quiet waves that lapped against the side of the port. Kuroo came and went, bringing cigar boxes filled with cocaine out to his car. 

After the 12th box, he noticed you were crouched down with your arms tucked into your jacket, the arms of your jacket swinging in the breeze. He laughs, walking up to you. 

“Cold?” He asks, looking down at you. 

“Maybe.” You answered through chattering teeth. You stand up, looking up at him. He towered over you, meaning you had to crane your neck in order to meet his gaze. 

“Here.” He says, taking the red bomber jacket off his body and wrapping it around you, using it as an opportunity to pull you closer to him. “Your dad might slice my head off if you catch a cold.” He whispers into your ear, making you laugh. 

“How’re we doing guys?” Kenma asks through the ear piece.

“A little under halfway done. Anything we should be worried about?” Kuroo says. 

“Nope, still all clear. Just let me know when you’re done and heading out.” Kenma says, muting himself. 

“Back to work.” Kuroo says, pulling you in tighter for a moment before letting you go. You stood there, warm under his jacket, wrapped up in the lingering scent of his cologne that remained. You wanted to freeze time, to live in this moment of calm, feeling protected just by the residual presence of Kuroo. 

They continued on, carrying cigar boxes out of the container and into Kuroo’s trunk. Every once in a while you’d hear hushed conversations from inside the container, too quiet for you to hear. 

“This is the last of it.” Oikawa says, walking out of the container with Kuroo. They each had 4 boxes in their hands, which they placed in the back of Kuroo’s car. 

“Ready to go?” Kita says, popping up next to you out of nowhere, causing you to jump. 

“Jesus, where did you even come from?” You ask, startled by his sudden appearance. 

Kita smirks, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “They don’t call me sly fox for nothing.” He says, walking back to his car. Kuroo was busy closing up the container, securing it and making it appear as if we were never there. Oikawa was leaning over the trunk of Kuroo’s car, arranging the boxes of drugs underneath a spare blanket. 

“Snake Eyes, you there?” Kuroo asks, walking back to the car. 

“Yup, all ready to go?” Kenma responds. 

“Ready when you are.” Kuroo says, walking over to your car door and holding it open for you. You climb in, ready to get out of the cold. Kuroo closes the door, and continues to talk to Kenma through his ear piece. You figured out that Kenma had made it so their communications wouldn’t be heard through your ear piece. You couldn’t make out exactly what they’re saying, but you assumed it’s some info about the drive to the warehouse. 

You watch as Kuroo leans in to tell Oikawa something, which he nods in agreeance to before walking back to his car and getting in. Kuroo then walks around to his side of the car, turning it on and beginning to pull out of the dark alleyway of the port. 

“Ready to roll, princess?” He asks, turning to flash you a grin. 

“The faster the better.” You say jokingly. He laughs, revving his engine loudly. 

“Careful what you wish for.” He says, speeding up as the three cars leave the port and enter the expressway. 

“DK, stop showing off.” You hear Oikawa say through the ear piece. 

Kuroo rolls his eyes, taking his foot off the gas to slow down. “Buzzkill.” He mutters under his breath. 

You rode in silence together, heading towards the warehouse your father owns. The warehouse was a front, being used as storage for the goods your father exported in his legal business. For the illegal business, it was used as a storage and distribution center for the underground dealings. 

“DK, we have a problem.” Kenma says. 

“Talk to me Snake Eyes.” 

“We’ve got some cops heading your way. The boss texted saying someone may have tipped them off to tonight’s job. Apparently the king of Tokyo has some enemies.” 

“That’s one way to put it.” You mutter to yourself. Your father had more enemies than allies, meaning that there was a constant target on the backs of every member of the family. It’s no surprise that something went wrong tonight. 

“Which way are they coming from?” Kuroo asks. 

“West. I think they’re gonna intercept you soon. At least 2 cars, and I’m pretty sure they’re looking for you.” 

“Shit.” Kuroo whispers to himself. “Cypher, Sly Fox, you there?” 

“Heard it all, DK. What’s the next move?” Cypher asks. 

“Sly Fox, take the lead. Take the back route, go straight to the warehouse, fast as you can. Cypher, take the rear behind Sly Fox, if you run into any trouble you’re the diversion. Got it?” Kuroo says, his voice taking on a new tone of authority. 

“Roger that. When should we check in with you?” Sly Fox asks. 

“I’ll make contact when we’re free. Just get in touch with Snake Eyes when the delivery is made.” 

“And (y/n)?” Kita asks. Kuroo turned toward you with an expression of deep thought on his face. 

“She’ll stay with me. We’ll be fine.” Kuroo says firmly, turning his eyes back to the road. You weren’t sure why, but you trusted him. Given the circumstances, you probably shouldn’t, but some part of you just impulsively put all your faith in him, trusting that being in his car was the best place for you to be.

You hear Oikawa chuckle. “Have fun princesa. I hope DK doesn’t scare you away.” 

“Shut your mouth, amigo.” Kuroo says mockingly. “I’ll see you both later. Be safe.” He says, muting himself. 

You look behind you to see Kita’s car already in front of Oikawa’s, and you see them both exit off of the expressway, their engines revving as they sped off, out of sight. 

“Maybe I’m pointing out the obvious, but aren’t you the one with the delivery to make?” You say, growing worried by Kuroo’s plan. 

“Don’t worry about it princess. Just trust me.” Kuroo says, revving his engine loudly, rapidly increasing speed. 

“You have 20 bricks of cocaine in your trunk and you’re telling me not to worry?!” You exclaim, turning your body to face him. 

“Or do I?” He asks, glancing over and smirking at you. This question caught you off guard, making you wonder if this guy was crazy or stupid, or both. 

“On your left!” You hear Kenma say, moments before two police cars appeared behind you two, struggling to keep up with Kuroo’s speed. 

You slumped back in your seat, trying to find it in yourself to trust Kuroo. The police sirens grew louder and the red and blue flashing lights started to draw closer, but somehow, Kuroo remained calm, not even bothering to increase speed. 

Your heart raced as the police cars began getting closer and closer, nearly pulling up right beside you. 

“Hey princess, ever wondered what DK stood for?” Kuroo asks calmly.

“Fucking Donkey Kong?!” You yell at him, having no patience for his games. 

He laughed at your stressed demeanor, throwing his head back and shaking his head. “Nope. Not even close.” He switches gears, causing the car to slow down quickly and making the cops draw far ahead of you. He veers off to the side, seemingly to take the ramp that curved to exit the freeway. Suddenly, he speeds up yet again, turning his wheel suddenly as the car begins drifting on it’s side. 

“Drift King.” He says with a smirk. The car drifted down the ramp, screeching as Kuroo pulled the emergency brake up and maneuvered the steering wheel to keep it steady. You were familiar with drifting, due to the fact your brother was involved in street racing before his death. You knew that it was something that only experienced drivers could do, and it took a certain level of skill and a lot of practice to perfect. You realized that this meant Kuroo was a skilled driver, far more skilled than you realized. No wonder they called him Drift King. 

By the time the two of you reached the end of the ramp and began racing down the industrial district street, the cops just began heading down the ramp, trying their hardest to keep up. 

The chase continued on for several blocks, Kuroo barely breaking a sweat. It seemed as though this wasn’t his first chase. After some time, Kenma’s voice comes through on the ear piece. 

“Hey DK, you may want to end this chase. They’re calling for backup soon.” 

“Got it, I’ll pull over now. Thanks Snake Eyes.” Kuroo replies, beginning to slow down. 

“Pull over?!” You ask him. 

“Just trust me! You think I’d put you in danger?” He asks you, grinning. The car comes to a stop, and the two police cars quickly pull over as well. 

“Give me your ear piece.” Kuroo says quickly, the two police officers quickly approaching the car. You quickly hand it to him, which he shoves in the inside pocket of his jacket. 

“Sir, please exit the car. You as well, ma’am.” The officer says, shining his light in Kuroo’s car. The two of you exit the car, standing in front of the headlights. 

“Now, what in god’s name were you doing?” He asks, as the other officer begins searching the car. 

“He was just being a show off.” You say, lying on the spot. Kuroo looks surprised by your sudden statement, but plays it off, acting natural. 

“Yeah, sorry about that. Just trying to impress a pretty girl.” He says, putting his arm around you and kissing the side of your forehead. Although it was just an act, your stomach still did somersaults just with that one simple action. 

“I see.” The officer says, shining the light at your gun. “You have a license to carry that ma’am?” 

“Yes sir. Just a personal protection piece.” You say, pulling your driver’s license as well as gun registration out. You hand it to the officer, who looks it over. 

“Sakanoshita?” He asks with fake surprise, looking up at you. 

“Yes, my father. I’m sure you know him.” You say, knowing that the name Sakanoshita held a lot of clout in the city. 

“We're familiar with him.” He says shortly, handing the papers back to you. “Anything?” He asks, turning towards the other officer who was peering into the car. 

“Nothing. Mind popping the trunk?” He asks Kuroo. Your heart begins to race, knowing what they would find. Kuroo however, remained cool as a cucumber, sauntering over to the car to open the trunk. He walks back to you with a grin, standing behind you and draping his arms over your shoulders, pulling you closer to his body. You grab his hands, bracing yourself for the big reveal. 

“Now what do we have here?” The officer says, ripping the blanket off of the boxes. You close your eyes, preparing yourself for the worst. The officers pause, opening one of the boxes. 

“Cigars?” They ask. You open your eyes, looking up at Kuroo as he continues to grin at you. 

“Yes sir, we were on our way back to her place, to deliver them to her dad. You know, the infamous Mr. Sakanoshita.” Kuroo lies with ease. 

“They’re gifts, for some associates of his.” You say, joining in on the lie. “He’s hosting a little get together tomorrow. I believe your boss, the police chief, will be there. It’d be a shame if he heard you pulled over a Sakanoshita.” You knew exactly what you were doing, using your name for your own benefit. 

“I see.” He says, closing the box of cigars and putting it back down. “Just some Cuban cigars I suppose.” He closes the trunk, walking to where you and Kuroo stood. 

“And I suppose the speeding was because the old man is waiting on these cigars, huh?” The other officer says, standing next to his partner. 

“Exactly.” Kuroo says. “Not exactly the best idea to get on the bad side of your girlfriend’s father, right?” He jokes, trying to lighten the mood. 

Surprisingly, the cops laugh. “You got your work cut out for you kid. Sakanoshita is not an easy man to win over.” 

“Yeah, his daughter isn’t any easier.” Kuroo says, pulling you closer. You laugh along, wishing for this interaction to end already. 

“I’ll tell you what.” The officer says, taking a few steps closer to the two of you. The headlights from the car streaked behind him, casting a dark shadow over you and Kuroo. “You two can go ahead home, just make sure not to mention this to your dad. Or our boss. Sound good?” 

“Perfect. Have a good night you two.” You say, hurriedly pulling Kuroo back to the car. 

“Sorry for the trouble!” Kuroo calls out as the two men walk back to their patrol cars. 

Once the two of you are back in the car, you breathe deeply, staring into space. 

“You alright princess?” Kuroo asks, turning towards you. 

You snap out of it, punching him in the arm. He jumps back in pain, looking shocked at your outburst. 

“Cigars?!” You question him, unable to form a full sentence. He laughs, throwing his head back. 

“Yes, cigars. I told you I didn’t have any drugs back there, didn’t I?” he says, grinning slyly at you. 

“Then who the hell has the coke?” You ask sternly, adrenaline still pumping from that run in with the cops. 

“Think about it.” Kuroo says, turning his whole body to face you. “Where do you think the drugs are?” 

You thought about it, the entire night, all the interactions that occurred. Only one person stood out to you, which was- 

“Sly Fox.” You say, realizing the stunt that they had just pulled off. “Kita. I never would have seen him take anything to his car, he’s too sneaky. I had my back turned to his car because it was up against a container, no one could have come from over there. That’s why you had him go straight to the warehouse. It’s all in Kita’s car.”

“Well look who figured it out. Good job princess.” Kuroo says, leaning back in his seat. 

“But why take the cigars? And why not tell me the plan?” You question him, not satisfied with the answer you had come up with. 

“In case of a situation exactly like this. Insurance, in case everything went wrong. An alibi.” He says peering over at you. “And, well, I wanted to test you. See if you could take the heat.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“I wanted to see how you’d handle yourself, with your back to the wall. I wanted to see if you trust me.” He says, with a small smile on his face. 

“Didn’t really give me much of a choice but whatever.” You grumble quietly. 

Kuroo laughs, looking over at you. “You did great, princess. You’ll be a mob boss in no time. I hope you’ll let me keep my job, though.” 

You let out a tired scoff, exhausted by the adrenaline rush that had come and gone. “Just- please keep me in the loop about things like this. If you can do that then maybe you can keep working for me.” 

“DK, everything good?” You hear Kenma say through the ear pieces that were still in Kuroo’s pocket. He dug them out, handing you one which you placed in your ear. 

“Yup, crisis averted. Have you heard from Sly Fox and Cypher?” Kuroo asks. 

“We’re right here boss. Delivery has been made, just waiting on your order.” You hear Kita say. 

“Meet us back at the boss’s house, me and the princess have one last loose end to tie up and then we’ll head over.” Kuroo says, starting the car. 

Kuroo heads back in the direction of the ports, and you assume it’s so that the 20 cigars could be returned to the container. Once again, the two of you ride in comfortable silence, your mind wandering as you gazed at the distant city lights. 

“What’s on your mind, princess?” Kuroo asks, bringing you back to reality.

“My brother.” You answer without hesitation. “If things were different, it’d probably be him doing this job with you. Maybe not in the passenger seat, but still. The family legacy would be his.” You felt a pit grow in your stomach, your eyes suddenly tearing up. You always had these lingering feelings of doubt, but you never realized it was because of Keishin, having to be in his shadow. No one ever bet on you, or thought you were going to be the one inheriting the empire. Regardless, you were there, because your brother wasn’t. 

“Well, no offense to the great Black Lung but I for one am glad you’re here. No one else I’d rather have in my passenger seat.” He says, giving you a sincere smile, one that you haven’t seen before. It was different from his flirtatious smirk, or his arrogant grin. It was just a simple, kind smile. 

Black Lung?” You questioned. 

“Your brother’s racing name. Y’know, like DK, Cypher, Sly Fox. He used to smoke like 6 packs a day, even more than Kita. He was kind of a big deal in the racing scene. After he passed, Karasuno didn’t race for a long time because there was no one that could replace him. They’re slowly getting back on the road, but your brother is definitely still a driver people remember.” Kuroo explains, pulling into the port once again. 

“He smoked?” You asked, trying to remember a time you saw him with a cigarette. You assumed it was because he only smoked when he was away from the house, because it was something that your father would have never approved of. You were pretty sure Keishin would’ve been disowned if he smoked or drank in front of  your father.

“Yeah, all the time. That was his whole thing. Did he not smoke around you?” Kuroo asks, eyebrows furrowed. 

“No, I guess he never smoked around our family. I don’t think my dad knew either if he only smoked when he raced.” You pause for a moment. “Do you know anything about it? The accident?” You ask, growing more and more curious about what Kuroo knew. Your brother’s death was always explained to you by members of your family, and you wondered if there was something that they didn’t know that the racers did. 

Kuroo paused, an expression of deep thought in his face. He looked as though he was trying to figure out the exact sentences he would say next. “All I’ve heard is that…there was an explosion. I think his girlfriend was near it at the time, and she got injured. That’s all I know though, no one really talks about it much because of how bad it hurt everyone. A lot of people cared about him.” 

“He had a girlfriend?” You ask, turning towards Kuroo as he puts the car in park. 

He looks at you, eyebrows furrowed. “Yeah, some chick named Saeko. I think she has a younger brother that races nowadays. I’m pretty sure she’s still a mechanic for the team.” Kuroo pauses, looking out towards the port. “Look, I don’t know too much about the accident. And I assume your dad doesn’t want you looking into it too hard. But if you do want to know more, just let me know. I’ll talk to some guys from Karasuno. Sounds good?” He asks you.

You nod in agreeance, knowing that there had to be a reason why Keishin was so secretive, and why your father is still keeping secrets about his death to this day. “Okay. If you end up talking to Saeko, could I come along? I just...I feel like I’m getting to know my brother all over again. I want to know the side of him that he hid from our family.” 

“Of course. Now c’mon, let's get these cigars back where they came from.” Kuroo says, getting out of the car and popping the trunk. You follow him, getting out and standing next to him. 

The two of you silently put the cigars back, working quickly to get the job completely finished. By the time Kuroo was closing the container door, Oikawa came through in the ear piece. 

“Hey love birds, are you heading back to the house soon?” he asks. Kuroo rolls his eyes and unmutes himself. 

“We’re heading back now from the port. Snake Eyes, you told the boss the delivery was made already, right?”

“Yup, I let him know. He’s waiting for you guys at the house.” Kenma replies. 

“Sounds good, we’ll be there soon. Cypher, Sly Fox, go ahead and start heading over now.” 

“Will do. See you soon DK.” Sly Fox says. 

“C’mon princess, let’s go home.” Kuroo says, throwing his arm over you as the two of you walk back to the car. You take the hand he had on your shoulder into your own, squeezing tightly. It was strange how natural it felt, being with Kuroo. It was almost as if it was where you belonged, with him, wrapped up in his arms. 

You climb back into the car, watching Kuroo as he starts the car and begins driving off once again. Your head was spinning trying to make sense of everything that had occurred that night, as well as processing all the new information Kuroo had told you about your brother. You knew this day had to come, when you would have to jump in head first into the world your family operated within, when you would have to fully take on the Sakanoshita name and all the responsibilities that come with it. 

As Kuroo rolls up to the driveway of your home, you see Oikawa and Kita standing outside with your father, smoke billowing from where the three of them were conversing. 

“Tetsurou! (y/n)! I was beginning to wonder when you’d be back!” Your father says, cutting another cigar and handing it to Kuroo, motioning for him to join the group. 

“Cubans? What’s the occasion?” You ask your father, standing next to Kuroo. 

“Your first job, sweetheart. And with no casualties, no arrests, a clean job deserves a little reward.” Your father says, grinning at you, holding out a cigar for you to take. 

“Dad, I don’t smoke.” You say, laughing. 

“Oh c��mon, the most powerful man in Tokyo offers you a cigar, you take the cigar.” Oikawa says, smirking and letting out another cloud of smoke. 

You roll your eyes, taking the cigar and allowing your father to light it. You thought more about the cigar as you drew the smoke in, about what it meant for you to be invited to smoke with your father. It meant that you were finally owning your family name, you were finally a true Sakanoshita. 

You stood there silently, listening as Kuroo explained to your father the decision he made to use Kita as the real transport and to make himself the emergency decoy. Your father listened as well, nodding along with an expression of deep thought on his face. 

“Great thinking Tetsurou. That is exactly why I keep you on my payroll.” Your father laughs, smacking his hand against Kuroo’s back. Kuroo laughs as well, putting on his usual submissive attitude that he uses with your father to gain his good graces. 

“Let’s just hope your daughter keeps me on when she takes over.” Kuroo jokes, nudging you with his elbow. 

“Well, I’m sure you’ve earned your place with the whole family.” Your father says, smiling at you. “Say, isn’t that Tetsurou’s jacket?” 

“Oh, yeah.” You say, realizing you still had it on. “It got cold at the ports.” 

“It’s funny. You’re starting to look more and more like him.” Your father says, eyes squinting as he smiles sadly. 

“Like who? DK?” Kita asks with a cigar hanging out of his mouth. 

“Keishin. The racing jacket, the gun. Even the smoking.” The hairs on the back of your neck stood up, remembering the conversation you had with Kuroo about your brother. Your suspicions about your father kept growing, and it became harder and harder to believe his mourning father act, the smoke and mirrors he used to deceive everyone. 

“Well, you know how much I adored him.” You say, taking another puff from your cigar. You and your father both pause, staring one another down. There was noticeable tension, but with no clear reason. Nothing more than a gut feeling. 

The staredown was cut off by Kuroo clearing his throat, getting both yours and your father’s attention. “It’s getting pretty late, we don’t want to keep the two of you from a good night’s rest.” He says, finding a way for the three racers to leave. 

“Yes, it is getting rather late. Oh! Better not forget these. Tetsurou, I put your friend’s pay for tonight with yours.” Your father says, moving away from the staircase leading up to the front door to reveal three paper bags with names on them, which you assume was full of money. 

“Thank you sir. I’ll make sure to get it to Snake Eyes.” Kuroo says, bowing to your father. Kita and Oikawa follow suit, bowing before grabbing their bags. 

“Pleasure doing business with you.” Kita says, walking back to his car. 

“See you next time boss. You too, princesa.” Oikawa says, waving to the both of you before getting into his car. 

“So, you’ll let me know when there’s another job?” Kuroo asks as Oikawa and Kita begin pulling out of the driveway. 

“Absolutely.” He nods, turning to face both of you. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I better get inside before your mother comes out here and drags me back in. Have a good night, Tetsurou.” He says, going back inside. It was once again just you and Kuroo. 

“Oh! I almost forgot.” You say, beginning to take off Kuroo’s red bomber jacket. 

“Keep it.” He says, taking a step closer to you. He places the jacket back onto your shoulders. “I’ll be back for it eventually.” 

The two of you pause, staring into each other’s eyes. It felt like a moment that you could live in forever, relishing the comfort that Kuroo gave you. 

“Thanks for having my back tonight. You sure know how to think on your feet.” Kuroo says. 

“Not like I had much of a choice.” You say, remembering the moment earlier in the night. A part of you wished it wasn’t a lie, that you and Kuroo were just two lovers out for a drive. Nothing illegal, nothing scary, just a guy with a car and the girl in the passenger seat. 

“Come here, princess.” Kuroo says, pulling you into a tight hug. Your heart skips a beat, startled by the sudden act of affection. You wrap your arms around him, feeling perfectly at home in his arms, being squeezed tightly against his body. 

“Please be careful. I don’t trust your father.” Kuroo whispers into your ear. You realize the real reason why he hugged you, so that he could tell you this message in secret. “I’ll talk to some people from Karasuno Killers and see if you can meet Keishin’s girl. He’s hiding something, (y/n).” 

“How do you know? What are you talking about?” You ask, holding him tighter. 

“(y/n), how would your father know that Keishin smoked? If he lied about that, then we don’t know what else he’s hiding.” Kuroo responds. Your breath catches in your throat, remembering what your father had said, about your sudden resemblance to Keishin. 

Racing jacket, gun, smoke. 

#haikyuu #kuroo #kuroo testuro #kuroo tetsuro x reader #deciphered #hq #fanfic #kuroo tetsurou #kuroo x reader #haikyuu fanfic #haikyuu fanfiction

[abanomath]

Retconning Sexuality vs New Characters

One of the usual comments whenever a comic character comes out is “But why don’t they just make new LGBT characters instead of changing old ones” and figured I’d kind of explain why, at least, I support changing old characters. 

(For this discussion I’m going to use Marvel examples because I spent hours doing the pictures for Marvel and don’t want to spend time doing DC too).

The overarching reasons essentially come down to this: Comic characters ride on their old popularity more than people seem to think. And it needs to be acknowledged the role nostalgia plays in comic sales. If it didn’t Marvel wouldn’t go to great lengths to keep bringing back dead characters from the silver age to the 90s, create a timescale specifically to avoid aging their characters, or continually hearken back to old events regularly. DC wouldn’t force Batman into every book under the sun because he has the name recognition. 

For every new character that succeeds, such as Kamala or Miles, dozens disappear into the annals of small Marvel wikia pages. And even those, most really build upon legacies of those mainline heroes. 

With that acknowledgement also comes the problem - most of these characters are white, heterosexual, Christian (and occasionally Jewish). And have been for decades upon decades. Over the past twenty years, there has been a lot of work done to try and rectify this and have even a semblance of representation for the various groups that read comics. 

Someone on Reddit put it best “Marvel/DC are fundamentally about fanfics of fanfics of fanfics”. And like fanfic writers, they are constantly making changes to keep up with the audience. A lot of comic stories are very outdated, and writers update them. 

We see this in all aspects of characters, not just their sexual orientation and race. If Reed Richard’s was written like Stan Lee wrote him, accusations of sexism would be commonplace. Deadpool was basically Slade Wilson, but Marvel, until a new writer came along and changed his personality. The X-men are going through a dramatic shift, a rejuvenation, as they are reinvented after years of being shit on. Cates has recently retconned tons of Symbiote lore and his run is great.

Comic characters are constantly being reinvented to keep stories fresh and interesting to the audience. The difference for what is a central aspect of a character and “forcing change” is time. Northstar wasn’t always gay. He wasn’t allowed to be gay, no character was at Marvel for a long time. He was retconned. Rictor was retconned. Shatterstar was retconned. 

These are some of the oldest, most high profile gay characters at Marvel. And they were retcons. But since it has been some time since the retcons (Northstar now 30 years), they are just parts of the characters. 

I want to use a visual. This is art by the wonder Luciano Vecchio. It's fanart, but it’ll serve the purpose of an example. It's not a complete drawing of every LGBT character in marvel, but it has enough to illustrate the point.

Now I’m going to grey out all the character’s that weren’t originally gay. This means, the characters that either weren’t allowed to be gay (because of Marvel editorials), or were reinvented as LGBT by later writers. You’ll notice immediately how so many of the big recognizable LGBT characters are greyed out. Deadpool, Valkyrie, MAC, Loki, Rictor & Shatterstar, Northstar, Moondragon, etc. Even poor little Tong was retconned in by Fraction. Nor was Karma established as a lesbian for many years after her debut. Mystique and Destiny, despite having subtext, were only confirmed to be lovers in 2019. 

Now I’m going to take out the alternate universe versions and “implied characters” (aka, characters that were implied to be LGBT but not confirmed till much later). Herc is gone (despite being historically bisexual, Marvel insists he is straight in 616), Jessica Drew is gone, Colossus (who is hard to see), is also gone. Daken is really the big “implied” character. Despite kissing a man in his initial run as part of a ploy (and then killing him), Daken’s sexuality wasn’t more explicit for several years until Dark Wolverine, and wasn’t confirmed until 2011. 

Next I’m going to illustrate the “new character” problem. I’m going to grey out all the characters that have less than 40 main appearances. Why 40? It is arbitrary, but the idea is that its enough appearances that means the character has probably been used by multiple writers (though not always the case, such as Vivsector who was basically used almost exclusively by Peter Milligan).

And you see that almost all the characters are now grey. Even this list of 15 characters (Billy, Teddy, Karolina, Bling, Morph, Phylla Vell, POD, Toni Ho, Angela, Anole, Victoria Hand, Graymalkin, Vivsector, Striker and Doop) come with their own caveats. 

Striker, despite meeting the threshold, hasn’t made an actual comic appearance in 5 years, and almost all his appearances were in Avengers Academy (with cameos in other series like Young Avengers). Doop is a complete joke character. Victoria Hand was a Dark Reign character that died 8 years ago and will likely never return. Angela, if you count her real-world circumstances with spawn, is technically a retcon. Even Anole, who has the most appearances of any LGBT character that started LGBTA, has basically been a cameo in recent years. 

And this is the inherent problem with the “well just make new characters”. They have. Several times. What happens to the majority of them is that the second the writer is done with them, they are tossed aside. Why?

Because they don’t have the history to propel them forward. The history that Marvel and DC have based their entire business model around. 

#lgbt #lgbt comics #marvel comics #dc comics #lgbt characters #representation in media #representation #rant #kinda #Billy Kaplan #Teddy altman #Anole #Northstar #Shatterstar #Rictor #Ricstar #young avengers #marvel #dc

[theoniprince]

If you had to pick one name/alias/moniker to go by, fandom-wide, what would it be?

Where, besides Tumblr, can people find you doing fannish things? (Obviously only mention sites and usernames you actually want to be found at. Don’t expose your secret identities on my account.)

What other names have you gone by on these platforms, including Tumblr, if any?

When did you join the IT fandom? And what got you into fandom, to begin with?

What are your favorite ships, or characters, if any, and why? What do they mean to you?

In what ways do you participate in fandom? (ex. Posting memes, reblogging/commenting on content, writing fanfic, making fanart, creating fanmixes, etc.)

Do you have any in-fandom inspirations? Other members of the community that drive you? (And if you have the time/energy, in what ways do they inspire you?)

Name and link some of your favorite works, please!

Do you have any works of your own that you feel particularly proud of, or wish more people would’ve consumed? Please provide links if possible.

Have you ever participated in a fannish event (ie. IT Week, a fic Big Bang) or applied to be a part of a fanzine? If so, which ones, and can you please link them?

Without any form of bashing or lashing out, what is something you feel this fandom is missing?

First of all thank you so much for asking me!!! 8D It was a pleasure to answer all these questions. During this I got quite emotional (haha Stanpat, Eddie). It showed me again how much I love this 8DDD

( I apologize in advance for all misspellings and my sloppy English =_=)

If you had to pick one name/alias/moniker to go by, fandom-wide, what would it be?

Oh, what a start XD I'm not that into nicknames. Generally people using my first name to address me or my username which is mostly onyprince (in reference to a character from Hakuouki) ID Sometimes they say Oni or J(ay) (Nickname for my first name). Do as you wish (though I like ‘J’ the th most) 😉

Where, besides Tumblr, can people find you doing fannish things? (Obviously only mention sites and usernames you actually want to be found at. Don’t expose your secret identities on my account.)

Twitter. But everything I post there is also here. Feel free to follow my account, but you don’t have to. https://twitter.com/oniprince_

What other names have you gone by on these platforms, including Tumblr, if any?

Oniprince_ (Twitter) yeah… you see, I am pretty boring XDDD

When did you join the IT fandom? And what got you into fandom, to begin with?

Actually 23 years ago (haha I am old XD) When I was eleven I saw the miniseries with my cousins for the first time. The horror factor wasn't that important to me or maybe I didn't see it that way. It was more like an adventure story with an unfunny and nasty clown. A group of friends who had to endure an adventure. In any case, it entertained me well, even if I was not aware of some elements like that it’s a story about growing up, friendship, love and all these issues around becoming an adult XDD Then with 13 I read the book. It was a  new experience, and I loved every single word. Over the years I talked with friends and Kingsianer (XD) about it and read it for a second and a third time. At this point I could start a list with things I don’t like about the movies, but I’d rather mention on thing I really appreciate about them: they are a good opportunity for a new generation to explore this universe. Every adaption like the book itself is a reflection of a specific decade and what is more yeah… immortal, universal and diverse than a story about growing up. It was a discussion with a dear friend about book to movie adaptions some weeks ago that probably brought me back to this fandom

Nevertheless there are things from the book I would have loved to see in the movies. Let’s be honest at this point if you want to adapt such a brick of a book you simply have to cut some elements. You can’t please everyone

What are your favorite ships, or characters, if any, and why? What do they mean to you?

Ships:

Stanpat - orz q__q they are such a sweet couple and it is so heartbreaking, they never ever had a real chance to become parents. They would have been excellent parents. Imagine them on a beautiful summer day. They have a picnic with their children and Stan would watch birds with them. He would tell them all about the birds and keeps a journal about their observations with his kids

Reddie - Despite the constant teasing their realtionship seems like a natural, casual und easy thing from the start. And Eddie likes the nicknames. These secret names are like another identity. He can be someone else. They take care of each other. Their relationship is a deeper friendship that runs mostly on an emotional level and is sometimes expressed through small, physical gestures. The chemistry between them is indescribable. It is cute when 90s Eddie immediately starts to giggle as soon as Richie makes a dumb joke at their reunion. And thing about the little moments when Richie pokes Eddie and calls him cute. I am won’t quoting this one passage in the book that leaves much room for speculations, but there is no doubt their special bond is official. In any case, the decision to make Richie gay in the movies gave the ship another push. I don’t complain. I love it. Though I still think Eddie would have been a better option. There are already some scenes in the book which are like an invitation to speculate about his sexualityTheir chemistry is very obvious and believe me, there is nothing I would more appreciate than a happy end for them Q__Q

Benverly  „Your hair is winter fire

                   January embers

                  My heart burns there, too

This is one of sweetest things I have ever read in a book and that is all I need to explain why I love this ship.

Fav, Characters:  Hmm when I read „IT“ for the first time I had a crush on Bill. He ist the born leader and in my childish, pre-teen way found his stuttering cute. There is something about him that cast a spell on you. It is perfectly understandable that he was a role model and an inspiration for his friends – especially for Eddie. In my personal opinion book!Bill ist the best Bill.

Richie - I love this chaotic megane dude. He is this silly type who use jokes, pranks to protect himself. His voices are like safe heaven (the same goes for Bill, whose stuttering almost disappears, when he pretends tob e someone else). He hides himself and his insecurities behind them. It is a shame that he doesn’t know what an impact he had on his friends. Richie seems to never ever shut up and sometimes his trashmouth is still talking, when he better should be quite. And I am famous to fall for funny characters. He can lights up the mood immediately ( and OMG…. I love Harry Anderson in the miniseries. A real entertainer, BUT BILL HADER…. Bill Hader…just to make it clear BILL HADER  did such an amazing job. He rocked the movie and I still think, not just because I love this dude since over a decade, without him… the movie wouldn’t  have been so entertaining)

Eddie - He is in these abusive relationships. First with his mother, who keeps him small and makes him believe that he is weak. At the end her own fears of beeing left behind prevented her son from becoming a self-confident adult. Eddie always thought he is weak and fragile. Although he knows that he doesn’t need all this medication, his childhood experience were the reason for his coping-behavior as an adult – he still uses his inhaler. He married a woman who is like his mother. Mike's call was something of a turning point. Until this call Eddie could not overcome his fears and had to face them again as an adult. I can remember. While reading the book there were several moments of silence and I stopped reading and thought: poor Eddie.

Ultimately, his story is about a hero who surpasses himself, overcomes his fears and by sacrifice himself he protects what is most important to him - his friends. It just touched me. Eddie gave his life for his friends and I think you can say he's my favorite character. His death may be a tragedy, but it was necessary for his character arc. My theory is that Eddie represents someone who has lost track in his life and prefer to stick on old but unhealthy patterns.It is almost like Eddie stands for missed opportunities, but at the same time it is never to late to change something. He is a hero. There are so many things I would like to talk about, therefore I should start an own thread XDDD

Oh and Bev - I could always identify with her (not bc of abuse or domestic violence. My childhood was amazing). She is the only girl around the losers and I was the only girl in my  favourite clique too. We spent most of our time outside  - it was great. Of course I had other friends (female) as well, but with my boys… it was always special).. As you know as an adult she falls back in old patterns. Her husband is tyrannical man like her father. Again Mike’s call is a turning point.  Maybe the Benverly arc is the most satisfying. I was… I am very happy that Bev got her happy end.

Last but no least - I like Ben, Mike and Stan too. They have all there unique character treats and you sympathize with all of them. The Loser’s club is bunch of adorable idiots who just doing their best to become adults. I think it is normal that their friendship feels more intimate in the book – I highly recommand the book.

In what ways do you participate in fandom? (ex. Posting memes, reblogging/commenting on content, writing fanfic, making fanart, creating fanmixes, etc.)

Mostly fanarts, but recently I thought about posting my own theories and sharing my hcs and random stuff about the characters and the different relations.  

Do you have any in-fandom inspirations? Other members of the community that drive you? (And if you have the time/energy, in what ways do they inspire you?)

The fandom is full of amazing artists and writersand actually it would be a, but i want to name those who inspired me the most (mainly artists – hopefully I copied the links correcty):

https://tonyofthetrees.tumblr.com

https://meowsteryyy.tumblr.com

https://slashpalooza.tumblr.com/ ( you have to check out ‚Loose Ends‘)

https://coldcigarettes.tumblr.com

https://vvanini.tumblr.com/

https://eggocrumbs.tumblr.com

https://twitter.com/10_sgan

https://twitter.com/kasphacked

https://twitter.com/tac_nor

(oh.. the list got longer than expected IDDD)

Do you know this?

https://ragnarozzys.tumblr.com/post/189890790551/those-early-hours-after-a-sleepover-when-you-wake

Have you ever seen something as cozy and cute before I///D? – me neither XD

Trust me they are all worth a visit and I am sure most of us already know them 8D

Do you have any works of your own that you feel particularly proud of, or wish more people would’ve consumed? Please provide links if possible.

My art I provide on tumblr can be found here:

https://theoniprince.tumblr.com/tagged/myart

Honestly I like these the most:

https://theoniprince.tumblr.com/post/649446311120273408/my-first-reddie-sketch-now-scanned-the-quality

https://theoniprince.tumblr.com/post/649548606679007232/close-to-you-now-scanned-with-coloured

https://theoniprince.tumblr.com/post/650697175346593792/hammock-iconic-richie-is-reading-a-monthly

Have you ever participated in a fannish event (ie. IT Week, a fic Big Bang) or applied to be a part of a fanzine? If so, which ones, and can you please link them?

Oh… unfortunately I am not feelin‘ very confident about my own artworks. Sometims I have the feeling I am not creative enough and that my ideas are more or less boring. Nothing special ID Totally dumb – I know. As I mentioned before I came back lately to the fandom… I guess I missed many amazing IT weeks. I participated in some weeks/mainly shipweeks in other fandoms (Yakuza/Ryu ga Gotoku, FFXV) If I find an interesting annoucement I can imagine to participate in the future ; )

Without any form of bashing or lashing out, what is something you feel this fandom is missing?

In general… the fandom is really friendly – I hope so. Lately I have seen some salty comments on different stuff, topics… and well.. I have just an advice: life can be exhausting enough and time is always running. Don’t spend time on things you don’t like. Discussions can esclate quickly and worde can hurt too. So, just thing about before you jump in.

Thanks again! <3

(Special lil sketchy piece of art I did for this ask)

#ask me stuff #personal #it book #stephen kings it #be nice to me #this is my opinion and I like to talk about this stuff

[doidaredisturb]

Feeeeeeeeelings

Hi friends:

(long text post is long, so feel free to scroll past lol)

I just want to tell you how much I really appreciate all of you. Destiel has been a part of my soul for over a decade, and it’s such a gift to be able to share all those feelings with all of you here. 

I shipped Dean and Cass together before I came to terms with my own sexuality. Discovering fandoms and fanfics and fanart and fanvids and other people who saw what I saw was life-changing. Having people somewhere out there feeling and seeing and loving how I did mattered to me in a way I had forgotten. And meeting other people trying to figure out their own way and their own sexuality was the most amazing gift - because it meant I wasn’t alone. 

And when I finally came out and realized my truth, I still wasn’t alone. 

It’s hard to untangle this relationship from my own relationship with relationships and discovery and growing up and figuring out that love is beautiful and painful and one of the best things in the world. 

I got older and had to figure out how to live life while balancing work and home and growing up, and I got tired of watching these two dance around each other and never close that gap. I did. It exhausted me - that part of me that needed closure. So I stopped watching the show for a bit and dove into the fandom where these characters could be what I needed: where they were free to be who I saw they were. Where we could explore Dean’s insecurity and trauma and issues; where Sam gets his white picket fence and dog; where Cass explores being an Angel who can’t be an Angel and a human who isn’t human. Where they all realize they are and deserve to be loved.

Then came a pandemic and unemployment and quarantine and my dream job disappearing and my sexuality being an issue again (because of my work) and a looming election and fighting to try and make the world a better place and a bone-deep exhaustion.

Then came 15x18. 

And it should have been just a small blip on my radar because we live in a real world with real crap going on, but...

But then I suddenly wasn’t 31 anymore. I wasn’t the adult trying to figure out how to straddle the lines of two worlds that didn’t want me as I was for various reasons. I wasn’t in charge of trying to keep my grandparents (who I live with) safe and healthy. I wasn’t exhausted from job searching and coming up empty. I wasn’t fed up with trying to live my calling and getting shut down again and again and again. 

I was young and giddy and in love again. 

I saw a post on here a little bit ago about the signs of lovesickness and how all the symptoms we have point to it. I resemble that post: I am head-over-heels in love with this ship that never died in my heart - this ship that is so entwined with my growing up that separation seems like insanity. This ship that I never EVER thought would give me anything more than the scraps I was already feeding on. 

This love led me to you: to all of you. All of you who have hoped and loved and created. All of you who wrote fanfics and drew fanart and made fanvids and traded theories and kept this love alive. All of you who gather now and call yourselves clowns and document the insanity and are living on the edge of hope and despair all wrapped up in potential vindication or heartbreak. 

I love all of you. I love your creations and your passion and your theories and even your insanity. I love that we are obsessing over a lamp and blue and green flannel and trying to read between the lines of everything. I love our passion and intensity and the way that tumblr came back alive at the weirdest time in the weirdest year. 

I love you. I love us. I love our hope. I love our caution. I love our optimism and our pessimism. I love our mood swings. I love our questions and our obsessions. I love us. 

So I guess what I’m trying to say is: no matter what happens, never let go of this love. It has been one of the best things to happen to me. And if 15x18 gave me nothing else, it reminded me of what it feels like to be in love again - the beauty and the heartbreak that comes with that, and reminded me that love is always worth it. 

I am happy to go down with this ship with all of you. And I am honored to be in this time and place with all of you. 

Keep love alive, friends.  

#destiel #supernatural #spn #spn family #15x18 #spn final season #spn final episodes

[crestfallercanyon]

Copyright, Fanfiction, and Fanart

(For the original discussion I posted in Reddit, click here. Also, there's a lot of debate in the comments about different perspectives on this that's really interesting! I recommend giving it a read if you're interested in other perspectives).

This post is about copyright. A little bit about what it is, what it means to the fanfiction writer, and also, why sometimes fanart gets special treatment in being able to monetize their art as compared to fanfiction.

There's been a lot going around lately about fanfic writers wanting to profit off of their fanfics, and this is a bit of a "fyi" on why you really really shouldn't try.

Just to get the ball rolling: you should not make money off of fanfiction. At least not off of anything you've written that is not currently public domain. It is illegal.

[This is not a statement of whether it will eventually be right or wrong to make money off of fanfiction, or whether in theory it should or shouldn't be allowed. It is, however, stating that as of right now, do not try to make money out of fanfiction, both for your safety, and the safety of the fanfiction community as a whole].

There are reasons for this, and I think it's worth explaining for those who don't know (or at least providing one articulated reason). For those who do, well, maybe you have differing opinions. Some of this isn't based on opinion, though, just for reference. Some of this is the fact of how things work (particularly in United States law).

Fanfiction, in its plainest description, is writing in someone else's idea. Someone else's idea that is copyrighted the moment it is written in a fixed (tangible) medium. That means the moment something is written on a napkin, it can be put under copyright. The moment it is recorded in a voice memo, it's under copyright. It just has to be out of your head in some way.

Now, of course, napkins and little voice memos may be disputed. For the most part though, if the medium has fanfiction about it, the medium is large enough that the source of the idea can be pinpointed without dispute.

Copyright protects the originator of the idea's idea from being stolen by other people. It ensures that the owner of the idea is the one who reaps the benefits of their creation. It is akin to a patent for ideas. That is why there is also a point where copyright disappears and the idea becomes public domain. That's another deal for another time.

[for clarity: parodies, critiques, and educational purposes are not treated as a breach of copyright for a variety of reasons. That is why the New York Times can make money on book reviews, for example, or why you can see things like Vampires Suck or SNL mocking Twilight].

Also for clarity, unlike trademark, there is no "use it or lose it" requirement. There is, however, a "protect it or lose it" requirement. Some creators are more dedicated in this protecting of copyright than others.

Fanfiction used to be far more contested than it was now. Decades ago, archiveofourown wasn't possible. The fact of the matter is, fanfiction is a privilege that was hard won. Which means that every time there is someone who attempts to make money off of fanfiction, that privilege is put at risk of being taken away. Don't believe me? There are authors who have made a hard stipulation against fanfiction, and -- you may correct me if I'm mistaken -- Fanfiction.net doesn't allow you to post those fanfiction using those author's books.

Which also, this isn't me bashing on those authors. They have every right to protect their idea.

The concerns authors have with fanfiction is, for the most part, twofold.

One: they will have profits lost due to other people in the world of their original works, even though it was their idea in the first place. There isn't just market competition in their genre that they have to fight against, it's competition in their own idea.

To explain, it's similar to the fact that you can have a new pizza restaurant to add to the market, but you can't call it Dominoes and steal their recipe and claim it as your own because it has little additions and flourishes. At that point, you are not only benefitting from the fact that Dominoes is an established name people may confuse your pizza with, but you are stealing profits that would be going to Dominoes pizza. Copyright protects not only the owner of the idea, but also the consumers who are trying to find the originator of the idea.

Two: if enough people begin to make money off of their own idea, their claim over their own idea starts to diminish. This not only lowers the amount of profit they can make on this idea, but also diminishes their control over their own idea.

The concept that I think of that's comparable to this is adverse possession of property (squatter's rights, for example). If enough people sit on another's property for extended periods of time and do nothing about it, eventually that property isn't theirs anymore. They lost control over it, they can't make money off of it, the value of their own property goes down because that space is gone.

So that's copyright. That's why fanfic writers cannot make money off of fanfiction. It's literally stealing, and is unfair to the original creator.

Now, many people ask, why don't fan artists get the same flak? Why can they make money off of making art based on an idea that wasn't their own?

And the answer may not be satisfying, but it's the truth: fan art is never going to be as policed as fanfiction because it works much more like free promotion for people's original ideas.

(There's an argument that fanfiction is also free promotion, but it's not nearly as effective as fan art -- same logic that goes into why advertisements for products are more visual than wordy.)

Think about it. Original creators love fan art. Video game creators post it on their websites, streamers make it stickers for their twitch services, authors pin it to boards and put it on tumblr and twitter and instagram.

Art takes seconds to process. A picture being worth a thousand words is debatable, but the processing time of a picture over a thousand words makes a picture that much more effective if you want quick access. People see it and go "ooh, what is that?" and then try to find what the artist is referencing. Then they stumble upon original creator's idea and are like "oh, now I'm interested!". They go to the original creator's idea and consume the original creator's works.

Yes, fanfic readers do read fandom blind sometimes, and sometimes fanfiction can spur people to go to the original creator's work, but it's less likely. At least for me, personally, I read a fanfic of someone and I'm inclined to go to that fanfic author's page -- not the original creator's things (now, the original creator's idea is why I'm in that fandom often in the first place, but, you get my drift).

(side note, someone made a very good comment on the reddit post -- they love fan art until they don't. Look to all the artists who initially made baby yoda merch on etsy only to have Disney go after them -- again because the individual artists at that point are taking profits away from the company).

Furthermore, unlike fanfiction, fan art doesn't (usually) give the impression that there's an attempted improvement upon the original creator's idea. (Not to say that every piece of fanfiction is stating that there's a flaw with the original work, but) a lot of fanfiction does stem from corrections, wish fulfillment, etc. Fanfiction is often the act of taking what people wish they could see in an original creation's idea and bringing it to life.

Fan art doesn't necessarily do that. They may just be painting a scene that occurred in the original work. They may just be drawing up their idea of what a character looks like. They're creating alternative visuals to the original work, but they're (generally) not adding plot bunnies or changing the story into something that people may end up enjoying more.

Now, there are artists who make aus and things like that, but again, it's the fact that people look at a picture and then move on. People don't stare at a picture as long as it takes for them to read a fanfic. The time taken away from the original creator's idea is not nearly as long from art alone. And time is money.

In short, fan art is free advertising that often doesn't divert consumer interest away from the original idea. Fanfiction doesn't operate as free advertising and often does divert consumer interest away from the original idea. That's why fan art is not going to get the stink eye from original creators, where fanficiton often does.

And again, original creators have the right to protect their idea as they see fit within the bounds of copyright.

Remember, the original creators of the works that we all love to write fanfiction about put a lot of heart and soul into making their ideas. Many creators who have fanfiction followings are not the big conglomerates with oodles of money to spare. They are just diehard lovers of creating, just like everyone here. Which is why the protection of their ideas is important and absolutely valid. I love writing fanfiction, but fanfiction needs to be honoring the original material, not screwing it over.

Thus, the main lesson from this? Fanfiction and fan art are not the same, and do not operate similarly. Thus, though fan art can make money off of their creations without getting policed, fanfiction writers I implore you: Do not attempt to make money off of fanfiction. You put the entire community of fanfiction writers at risk of having their past time taken away from them every time you do.

(I am saying this including kofi and patreon. Do not try to make money on fanfic through kofi and patreon. There may be a legal loophole there, but you don't want to find out by getting a cease and desist letter that your legal loophole via patreon and kofi didn't work --- furthermore, you put kofi, patreon, and potentially archiveofourown/ff.net at risk, then, too).

For now, fanfiction is a labor of love that can only receive a profit of love. Please do not try to get paid for your fanfiction. Protect the fanfiction community.

Thanks for reading!

#fanfiction writer of tumblr #fanfiction faqs #fanfiction discussion #copyright #questions #potential answers #protect the fanfic writing community #it's okay to be butthurt about not being able to make money #but please don't try to make money #at least not until the legally gray area of fanfiction gets resolved #hopefully in fanfics favor #fan art compared to fanfiction

[houseki-no-suffering]

here’s my @housekinoexchange​ gift for @elluka​.This was partially inspired by this fanart by @kace ty to @pancakethepikachu​ for editing it <3

title: “Until we get it right” summary: It is rare for a gem to be born, is it rare to be a lustrous. But if I could make one wish, I'd wish to be born again with you as many times as it takes. Until we get it right. characters: goshenite, morganite 

hope you like this short fic. it was my first time writing these characters but i had fun <3 happy holidays

A/N: this story assumes that goshe and morga have reincarnated as lustrous at least three times:

- the first: a little after red diamond was taken (hence me creating two ocs and referencing fluorite), when patrol had just been invented. none of the gems in the current timeline remember this time, it was too long ago - the second: the 'old' morga and goshe from canon. i hc them as a little younger than peri and sphene, so you still get some cameos of dead gems, like bluezo and chryso - the third: 'new' goshe and morga, that is the goshe that goes with phos and the morga that stays on earth

since 'old' and 'new' morga and goshe have different personalities in canon, i thought that it must be the case for a previous reincarnation as well, thats why 'ancient' goshe and morga are a little different

-----------

“It is rare for a gem to be born. It is rare to be a lustrous.”

Sensei’s words resonate inside Goshenite’s mind as they pace around the dome, feigning calm. Their hands are clenching and unclenching around the hilt of their sword. Every ten steps, Goshenite can’t resist taking it out of its scabbard with a long ‘swoosh,’ practicing and practicing until they think it looks close enough to how the seniors do it. There is one sibling in particular they want to impress.

Goshe doesn’t know what to expect from their first day of work. When Fluorite patted their head earlier that morning, they wouldn’t stop reminding Goshenite to be careful. Probably they still can't forget about how Red Diamond was abducted, a few decades before Goshenite was born. Goshe doesn’t really know, they never met them. Never met anyone that was abducted. The school is safe; it’s all they have ever known. The island is safe; Sensei is here. To them, patrol is just a routine, in case Sensei can't make it in time when the moon people attack. It is something to do and it makes Goshenite feel old and responsible. They can’t wait to start.

“We must protect your kind because your lives are precious,” Sensei said, “It is rare for a gem to be born. It is rare to be a lustrous.”

It is even rarer for two gems to be born on the same year, but that’s what Goshenite is. One of a kind, because they were born with a sibling, a best friend, someone unique with whom they can share everything, from days and days of lectures to the first morning of patrol.

Morganite is waiting for them in front of the school. Sensei and the other gems are here already, discussing battle plans. Goshenite’s cheeks turn a soft red as they scooch closer, trying not to be seen. They wonder how much time they have lost practicing swordsmanship by themselves.

“We’re assigned to the Hollow cape, with Turquoise and Green Topaz,” Morga says, waving their hand at them.

Fluorite turns their head in that exact moment and gestures for the two young gems to be silent.

“Took you long enough,” Morga whispers when the elder turns their attention back to Sensei.

“I was practicing,” Goshe replies, quite proud of their accomplishments, “I’ll show you.”

“Uh, uh.”

The sky above Goshenite’s head as they trot to their patrol spot is fresh and bright, a clear early-spring sky that makes their eyes hurt with white. It’s pristine and Goshe can paint it any color now that their real life has begun, now that they have a place to be.

It’s so beautiful, they think, closing their eyes when the white becomes too pure to bear. They would never believe how little it takes it all to crumble .  

The first arrow hits them in the arm they used to practice.

Goshe’s first thought goes to Morganite, to the fact they won’t be able to show them the swift, elegant swoosh the scabbard made when Goshe extracted their sword. Their second thought goes to Fluorite and Sensei and how they’ll lecture Goshe for hours after this.

Not even for a second does Goshe think that they will be abducted on their first day of patrol. No one Goshenite knows has ever been abducted; this island is safe.

The second arrow breaks Goshenite’s face in half. One of their eyes falls to the ground, they instinctively turn the remaining one towards Morga. Their sibling is paralyzed by fear just a couple of steps behind them, a hand around their sword, still. They don’t say a word.

Goshenite’s last thought is for them again. They should protect them. Morga shouldn’t have to see this, their partner shattering in a thousand shiny pieces in front of them, glittering white and silver in the white, pristine morning.

They raise their remaining arm toward Morga, “It’s okay,” they want to say, but a cascade of arrows cuts them off before the sound can escape their lips.

Goshenite crashes to the ground just when Morganite finally lets out a scream. It’s the last thing they hear.

----

It is rare for a gem to be born. It is rare to be a lustrous.

As Goshenite looks at the sky, drinking in blue and gold, they think that, as rare as it might be, it is all they have ever known and the same must be for their siblings. That must make it common, at least to some extent, maybe even normal. But they trust Sensei’s words.

There is one thing they cannot shake off from their mind, however, and it is a feeling of familiarity. As if the sky above their head and the world below their feet were old, known, no matter their young age. They come back to Goshe in flashes and sparks of memories, the refraction of light at a particular angle, when it bounces off Morganite’s hair.

It is rare for a lustrous to be born, but it is even rarer for two lustrous to be born in the same year. And Sensei smiled enigmatically at Goshe when he said it, holding a newborn pink gem in his arms and showing a few months old Goshenite their new sibling. Goshe was too young to understand at the time, but they can swear that the younger gem’s head jerked up when Sensei pronounced Goshe’s name. In the second their eyes met, something ancient, mysteriously sad, passed between the two gems.

It must be Goshenite’s imagination. They are still young and imaginative, as Chrysoberyl uses to say, but on days like these they can't shake off the image of Sensei’s smile from their mind. What would he say if Goshe talked to him about it? It makes Goshe feel too exposed, so they talk with Morganite, at night, when the other gems are playing cards and cursing Euclase’s luck.

Morganite brushes it off the first time, perhaps with too much energy. They scoff and recline their head backwards, with the same carelessness of Padparadscha but with none of their gentleness.

“That’s stupid,” they say, vulnerable and stubborn.

Goshenite hugs their knees to hide a smile. Morganite’s reaction is louder than every word Goshe could have hoped to get from them. They know their sibling well, but they won’t say it until Morga is ready to hear it.

It takes for Blue Zoisite and Topaz to be abducted, for Heliodor to be born, for Yellow to quietly start curling up into a ball of silence, but eventually Morga is.

One day, during a particularly late attack, arrows are flying over Goshenite’s head and they turn to look for Morganite. It is almost evening and the two gems are tired, autumn is rapidly fading into winter. Goshe’s reflexes fail them. They make a mistake. They trip. They see Morganite launching themselves at them before they see the arrow that was meant for Goshe. It shatters the pink gem’s torso in half. Morga falls onto them.

The impact shatters Goshenite as well and the two gems collapse on the ground in a cascade of shining fragments, then everything is black.

When Goshe opens their eyes again, they are at the infirmary. Rutile is polishing their scalpels next to the window. They have gotten better, Goshenite realizes, raising a hand toward their eyes. They can barely see the cracks.

“Morga is still unconscious,” Rutile mumbles without looking at them, “it’s a miracle you were saved. Please be more careful next time.”

“We’re sorry,” Goshenite replies.

Rutile smiles at them and then leaves the room, picking up on Goshenite’s unspoken request. It’s a matter of seconds before the echo of the doctor’s feet disappears down the hallway. Morganite chooses that precise moment to squint their eyes open.

“Did they leave?” they ask.

“Yes.”

“Oh, thank god. This place makes me sick.”

Goshenite chuckles, sitting on their bed.

“You shouldn’t have done that, it was dangerous.”

“Yeah,” Morga shrugs, looking anywhere but into Goshenite’s eyes.

“Why did you do it?” Goshe insists.

Morganite huffs, throwing their legs off the side of the bed and stretching their limbs, uncaring of the fresh glue between their junctures. For a long second they don’t say anything, and Goshe thinks they’ll drop the subject. Then Morga turns towards them, their face white in the subtle, familiar beam of the moonlight.

“You know why,” they say.

---

“We never got it right,” Goshenite sighs, crashing to the ground when the umpteenth arrow finally cuts their arm off, “I’m sorry.”

Morganite has been lying on the grass for a while already, their limbs scattered all over the green in glittering chunks that the lunarians are picking up greedily. It makes for such an ironic goodbye. Instead of a moment of grieving peace, the two gems are left with long, overcrowded minutes, with dozens of hungry lunarians pushing their presence between them. It makes Goshe feel like nothing more than a shiny object. Maybe this is all they ever were, after all.

“I’m sorry,” they apologize again, but Morganite grunts, flinching next to them.

“Stupid, what are you sorry for?”

“I-”

“We got it right this time,” they whisper, relief lining their voice, “I didn’t lose you.”

Goshe wonders if it is true. Is dying together all there is for the two of them? For every gem? Just as they mull over this, a group of lunarians comes forward. They pick up Goshe’s shattered legs with a smile on their face and put them in a basket already overflowing with pink and silver.

”We both lost,” Goshenite realizes, “They’re taking us away. It’s over.”

“Yeah,” Morga agrees, as if they were only now noticing, “Are you scared?”

“Yes.”

“Me too.”

“It’s okay, I’m here.”

“I’m here too.”

----

“Come on, get up.”

Phos’ voice sounds so cheerful compared to Cairngorm’s groans.

“Fine, fine,” they concede, sighing so loud that Goshenite doesn’t even have to strain themselves to hear, “but I’ve gotta change first, get out you creep.”

Eavesdropping on other people is not exactly polite, but little Goshe doesn’t care much about these things. It wasn’t their fault the two elders were being so loud at night, and talking about such interesting things, too.

Since Phos has come back, their trip is all little Goshe has been able to think about. Tagging along isn’t even a choice at this point and it only takes a few seconds for Goshenite to make it.

Going to the moon sounds like the adventure of a lifetime. Who knows what will be waiting for them over there? So far away from home, in a land that thousands of gems have seen but that only Phos has come back from. Huge lunarians, weird buildings, slimy creatures… Goshenite sprints to their own room to get changed with a bright grin on their face.

As they rush down the corridor to reach the hollow cape in time, however, their eyes fall by accident on the sleeping form of Morganite through the entrance of their own room. Goshe’s closest sibling.

Roughly the same age, raised with the knowledge of being a reborn pair of the same gems, Goshenite and Morganite have lived most of their short lives in the shadow of a past self they never met. Maybe this is why they grew so close. Morga’s insecurities, the way they can’t find themselves, Goshe’s attempts to lift their spirits, masking their own desire to find their own luck.

In that moment, with half of their mind already on the moon, Goshenite’s body is shook by a soft pang of guilt. The blame they feel is too deep and too pure to be rooted just in this moment and Goshenite has to stop and stay still for a second.

There is a voice in their head telling them that they can’t hurt Morga again, can’t leave until they get it right, and when Goshe closes their eyes to shake it off, white pristine skies is all they can see. Hisses, the sharp whistle of arrows, chunks of gems glittering in the sun.

It is rare for a gem to be born, is it rare to be a lustrous , it echoes, it’s even rarer for two gems to be born again.

Goshenite clenches their fist and shakes it off. They resume their run as if nothing has happened.

“What about Morga?” Phos asks them, later that evening, the lunarian ship taking shape behind their back.

“They should be fine,” Goshe shrugs, their eyes focused on the ship, on Cicada, on adventures to come.

If being born a lustrous is so rare, if being reborn is so rare, Goshenite’s life is much more precious than they can imagine. But Goshe doesn’t know what to do with this thought.

They are not wise, they only know how to have fun. Bottomless grief seems to be all there is awaiting for gems the older they grow, and Goshe is glad to be this young, glad they can still choose. They just want to have fun, shake wisdom and responsibility off their shoulders and be free.

Maybe this is what Morga wants too, Goshe thinks as the ship lifts off and the island disappears in the immense, dark blue that surrounds the earth. To be free, to be safe, to choose. This is why Goshe is leaving and this is why Morga is staying. If they are apart, they can be free, without an enemy, without pressure to be someone they never knew.

It is a weird sensation, this nostalgia, it tastes like spring.

Goshenite has never been good at emotions, they much prefer doing over thinking. However, that voice inside their mind is calming down, as if it were falling asleep. Safe, at ease. It is a weird sensation, but Goshenite feels like one piece of an enormous puzzle has finally found its place.

#housekinoexchange #houseki no kuni #land of the lustrous #hnk #fic tag #goshenite #morganite

[poppyknitt]

MARK FISCHBACH: MAFIA BOSS

(A Darkness and Desperation Character sheet)

(Feel free to draw fanart!)

Alignment;

Neutral Evil

Height;

6’1

Age;

29

Status;

Alive

Lore;

Mark Edward Fischbach is the cousin of the Doom family children, but don’t be fooled by his rugged good looks, his big puppy eyes, and his soft gaze. He is the leader of the criminal underworld, the top dog. If he wishes for it, he could make you disappear off the face of the earth before you could finish saying “Oh, shit”. It would be as though you never existed at all. And that’s exactly what he did with himself, as well as his close friend and partner-in-crime, Marvin (the Maniacal) Peter Mcloughlin. All records that remain of either of them are the memories their friends, family, and subordinates have of them.

Appearance;

Mark is a tall man, never seen without a grey or black suit on. His bangs (or, rather, floof) are always long enough to hide part of his face, but whether he actually uses them for that depends on the situation. No one would blame you if you fell for his smile or his laugh, he’s just too good-looking for this world. Hell, some people even say that his loyal partner-in-crime might’ve even fallen for him, though, no one really knows for sure. It’s most likely another one of those bullshit rumors spread by liars and fools, honestly.

Personality;

Mark is a stoic, strong and silent type, who acts polite and uses good manners in public, and tends to seem impervious to anger (until it’s too late to save yourself, that is). He is very calm, and tends to be very confident in everything he does. It is not recommended that you get on his bad side, though. As said above, he can kill you and get rid of any evidence that you even existed at all with just a snap of his fingers.

Relations;

Seán- An acquaintance. Such a shame he had to go.

Jack(ieboy)- An acquaintance.

Marvin- My closest friend.

Henrik- Who?

Anthony- A minor nuisance. Not worth my time. Marvin can have him, for all I care.

Chase- An idiot who refuses to see his life went off the rails two decades ago. (mark, you’re supposed to be telling the reader how well you know them, not what you think about them-)

Jameson- I haven’t yet had the pleasure of meeting him, I’m afraid.

Derek- Please, don’t talk to me about him. He’s a letdown.

William- ... [censored]...

Damien and Celine- They need to finish developing before I decide how I view them. (mark i swear to god-)

Ethan- He has... potential. I see a lot of suppressed power and strength in him. Perhaps I can get him to toughen up. (m a r k)

#WritersofMark #markiplier #jse writing community #Darkness and Desperation #character alignment swap au #DaD!Mark #character sheets #i probably shouldn’t have expected the guy to actually state his relationships with people

[flames-bring-a-ton-of-ash]

Hey Ash! Can you please recommend me a few good slow burn fics that's like 100k? It doesn't matter which fandom :) thanks!

Okay, so I went through my bookmarks and such all over my laptop, because it actually was reminding me of older slow burns I loved and now I want to re read some of them. A lot of these are well over 100k. When I go for slow burns, I don’t play around lol. I also tend to prefer reading ships with 2 canon characters for slow burns, rather than OC characters, but that’s just a personal preference, so that’s why these are mainly ships. Enjoy!

Forward to a Time Past by Unbridled Brunette (~270k words, Buffy/Spike) This is a time travel slow burn, if you’re into that pairing. It’s AMAZING! Buffy goes back in time to Victorian London, when Spike is the still human, very shy, very virginal William. It’s brilliant. And it was the first fic that had me all in with the idea of an inexperienced man who is “taught” by the woman. It has that Pride & Prejudice vibe, where it’s scandalous to even touch bare hands, let alone make love to someone when unmarried, and I’m such a sucker for that. I remember being upset when I finished this story, because I knew I wouldn’t find a Spike/Buffy slow burn that I loved this much ever again…and I haven’t. 

You Know Better by @xteenwolfwritingsx (~77k words, Peter Hale/OC, Teen Wolf) This is hands down the best long Peter fic I have ever read! As I said, I don’t typically go for OC/you characters for longer fics, but this OC was so relatable and well-written, and I remember reading the first chapter of this and having to put my phone down, because I was just like, “Holy shit, I’m gonna become so obsessed with this story”. And I am. I read it twice in two weeks. I haven’t read the newest couple of chapters, purely because I know the author said that it’s going to be finished soon, so I’m waiting until it’s completed so I can go back and read it a third time from the beginning and take it all in, start to finish. The premise is that the OC/you asks Peter to teach her how to fight, so she’s not just the helpless human of the group. And oh boy…Peter as a fighting instructor…god…yea…it’s hot. I was about to scream waiting for them to finally rip each other’s clothes off, and god it was so worth the wait when they did! If you’re at all into Peter, read this! 

Your Hands Can Heal, Your Hands Can Bruise by blackestnight10 (~430k words, Daryl Dixon/OC) Sadly, this is not a completed story. And honestly, I don’t remember a lot of details about it, but it was the first long Walking Dead fic I ever read. It’s Daryl with an OC character, and the two things I do remember is that the OC kicked ass and yet was also likeable and intriguing, and that it was a torturous slow burn. I mean, it’s realistic to Daryl, because I don’t see him as someone who jumps in bed with anyone, so the author stayed really in canon with his character. And I stayed up late many a night devouring it. 

Spiced Molasses by MonDieu666 (~140k words, Daryl/Beth) - This one is a fantastic AU slow burn. Beth’s parents are assassinated, and she and her two siblings have to be put into protective custody in separate locations. Rick calls in Daryl, the irritable lone ranger agent, to watch Beth. Cue one of my favorite tropes: them stuck unwillingly in a tiny apartment together, at first not liking each other, where they dance around each other until finally giving in to their desires. It’s a fabulous story!

18 Miles Out by MonDieu666 (~190k words, Daryl/Beth) - I’ll admit that I don’t remember a whole lot of details on this one…but I DO remember that I wrote down which chapters the smut is in and kept it handy, because I went back countless times to re read those chapters, since they were so sexy. This author is fabulous for her longer Bethyl fics (she wrote the previous one and this next one, as well). 

Damaged Heroes by MonDieu666  (~135k words, Daryl/Beth) - I’m also struggling to remember the details of this one. I think I get this story and 18 Miles Out mixed up a lot, and it’s been years since I read them, but they were both fabulous and worth a read.

I’ll Be Yours for a Song by dynamicsymmetry (~380k words, Daryl/Beth) This is a breathtakingly beautiful AU fic. In the first chapter, Daryl drives down a country road and finds Beth walking, soaking wet, in the rain. He debates on if he should stop and offer her a ride, and when he does, it kick starts a romance that is just…ugh, so good. I will admit that I didn’t get the entire way through it (it’s a pretty long fic) because I kept getting side tracked by other fics, but it’s one that I still, even over a year later, keep open on a Safari tab on my phone, and I want to go back and re read it from the beginning at some point…maybe that’ll be my goal for the beginning of 2018. This author writes Daryl and Beth exactly how I picture they would be together. The hesitation, the fear of falling in love, the hurdles of their age difference (Beth is still in high school at the beginning of it, altho I believe she’s 18). It’s just magical. 

Howl by dynamicsymmetry (~383k words and still being written, Daryl/Beth) This is another story that I need to catch up on, because I’ve gotten way behind on it. It’s another AU, this time with Rick and the gang being werewolf shapeshifters, and Beth being…well…I don’t want to spoil the surprise, because that’s part of the mystery, is her discovering who she is and how she stumbles upon werewolf Daryl in the beginning. This fic hit some kinks I didn’t even realize I had…and I’m not ashamed to admit that I still have some fanart saved on my phone based off this fic, of Daryl in werewolf form banging human Beth XD

Eden by obsessmuch (~265k words, Hermione Granger/Lucius Malfoy) Sooo this story is FUCKED UP! I mean seriously, it is not for the faint of heart. I don’t think I’ve ever read a more angst-ridden fic in my entire life…but holy shit, I loved it. This is not a fluffy romantic type of slow burn, ohhh no. This is Lucius at his most vicious. He tortures the fuck outta Hermione in the beginning, and you hate him with a fiery passion, the same way Hermione does. And yet, this Stockholm-Syndrome type obsession starts between them, and forms into a fucked up version of love. Also, the ending…oh my god, I still sometimes sit and think about the ending. If you’re at all intrigued by the idea of a dark as hell fic that’ll chew you up and spit you back out with all the feels, give this one a chance. But don’t say that I didn’t warn you ;)

Chasing the Sun by Loten (490k words, Hermione/Snape) This was my first fandom ship, over a decade ago, and I just started diving back into it a few months ago, so I have a ton of long fics to catch up on. However, Loten currently is, and I think quite likely will always be, my favorite Snamione author. Both this fic and the next one on the list by her are my immediate recommendations for someone wanting to try out this pairing. She dives into the psychology of Snape in a way that is just…perfect. I don’t know how anyone can question them being together as a couple after reading both her long fics. The slow burn in this is slow…reallll slow, but holy fuck is the smut worth the wait. But it makes sense, because it starts out when Hermione is 15 or 16, I think (there’s zero romance or even physical awareness of each other until she’s 17, though, since that’s the Wizarding age of consent). It’s more a journey of their interactions together, and it’s honestly a beautiful story. It sticks to canon in the beginning, then goes off the rails, but in a way that I really enjoyed. It was Snape getting the part in the war and taking down Voldemort that he deserved, in my opinion. Loten also includes Crookshanks in her stories, and I really wish more Snamione authors would do this. The scenes with Crookshanks and Snape added so much humor and fluff to the story, both this one and the next fic. 

Post Tenebras, Lux by Loten (~310k words, Hermione/Snape) So, where the last fic was how Hermione and Snape would come together while she was still at school and during the war, this fic takes a look at how they would get together 10 years after the war is over. Snape has disappeared, most people think he died in the Shrieking Shack, even tho a body was never found…until Hermione literally runs into him one day, 10 years later, and it kicks start their interactions. Since the war is over in this fic, it is 100% character driven, and focuses solely on the development of the relationship of these two. If you need swash buckling action and a grand, dramatic plot like taking down Voldemort in a fic, this isn’t for you. But I LOVED it. It’s not as slow a burn as Loten’s other fic, but it delves into the post-war traumas and psychology of both Snape and Hermione in a way that had me hooked from the very beginning. It spans years of their relationship, and how they would develop not just from meeting to falling in love (like where most fics then stop) but beyond and throughout their entire lives. And, like Loten’s other fic, it gave Snape the true love and happy ending that I believe he deserves, and it had me grinning like a fool the rest of the day after I finished it. 

Pet Project by Caeria (~340k words, Hermione/Snape) This is quite the epic slow burn…I mean, when I say it’s slow, it’s SLOW (literally 95% of it is the slow burn). It had me so captivated, and I loved Hermione’s personal “mission” to try and show Snape that he had someone on his side..without him realizing someone was actually trying to be on his side. They were both so in character, especially while they were at Hogwarts. This is another one where she starts out as a student, but it’s once again not romantic or sexual until she’s at least 17. The part where she makes him magical sheets is a scene that will always stick out in my memory. As is the scene where they sit together on the staircase of Grimmauld Place. 

Okay, I’m gonna stop now. Those are the main ones I found when scouring my google sheets, laptop bookmarks, and bookmarks on sites like ao3 and FF. 

If anyone reads any of these and wants to discuss them, PLEASE feel free to message me! I LOVE discussing fics, especially slow burn fics that give me all the feels, so that I can squeal with someone else over the feels. 

#the walking dead #daryl dixon #bethyl #snamione #severus snape #hermione granger #lucius malfoy #harry potter #peter hale #teen wolf #spike #buffy #spuffy #slow burn #fic recs #ash reads #Anonymous

[takaraphoenix]

My Relationship with Teen Wolf

“It’s complicated” doesn’t even begin to cover it.

I discovered the show when it was roughly a three months wait until season 3 would start.

I binge-watched all there was - the first two seasons. And then I, right away, watched it again because it was that good. And then I literally watched it for a third time in a row.

I just completely fell in love with it. Sterek fast became my OTP, I loved the fandom because it was a warm, beautiful place filled with the most amazing headcanons.

I even liked the canon straight couples. Jackson and Lydia were just so beautifully perfect. And Scott and Allison were probably the best example of “soulmates” - because literally nothing else would ever justify the shit they went through for each other.

Even the smaller roles like Danny and the Sheriff and the Coach were just so cool.

I loved it. I loved everything about it. And I was so ready for season 3.

I mean, Derek had Boyd, Erica and Isaac now. Jackson was now finally a wolf and could join the pack. The pack was growning.

Everything went downhill starting with season 3. Now, season 3 in itself wasn’t bad, but it was definitely the start of “bad”.

Writing Jackson, Erica and Boyd out just like that was displeasing at first - it became a bigger issue the more the show went on.

What is the key-element of why season 3 started to be bad however is the True Alpha crap they came up with.

Part of what I enjoyed about the show was the fact that Scott was just this average teen wolf, a little bumbling and awkward but with a good heart. He didn’t have to be the leader. I expect an Alpha to be a leader, a fatherly figure, someone older. Not an awkward newbie wolf who literally learned how to control his wolfiness from a human boy.

That they had to force not just “Scott is main character. Scott needs to be Alpha”, but also “Oh shit, we made it so you gotta kill to become Alpha but Scott is main character, so Scott can’t kill. Hurry up, writers, invent a creative way for him to still become Alpha”.

It’s a load of horse-crap is what it is.

The show would have worked so much better if they had cut that crap. Kept Derek around - as the Alpha - and allowed Scott to slowly learn what it even means to be a werewolf and to then, through character development, become Derek’s second-in-command.

Now. They wrote all those characters out of the show, but they started establishing the twins as potential new pack-mates. And okay. They slowly started to become... interesting characters, the more we learned about them.

And then they were written out of the show too. And that was when it became a real problem with this show.

They want a pack. But they keep writing any character who has the potential of becoming pack out ASAP.

The whole... Isaac/Allison romance, I am still wondering where they pulled that from. Like? She literally tried to kill you an literally all your friends before and she’s basically the big love of your new Alpha? What is wrong with you, Isaac? Do you need therapy? Oh, right, you do. Yeah.

Setting it up that Danny knew all along what was going on just to write him out too.

Killing off Allison. Writing Isaac out of the show.

Basically. We had the “Alpha”, his human best friend, a banshee, a kitsune and a coyote. In a fucking show called Teen Wolf. I mean. Yeah, they kept true to the name and stuck with only ONE Teen Wolf. Because who wants to see an actual pack in a show about werewolves? Oh. Right. Everyone.

Season 4 was just bad. It was lame, it was weird and it had zero pay-off when Peter was suddenly the bad guy again. I had been a hundred percent sure that Gerard was behind this and that this was the reason they kept him alive.

Gerard, other reason for why it became bad. How did no one make sure to kill him? And then, when it’s revealed that he’s alive and basically dying slowly which is cruel, no one finishes him off either. You can not argue the “The good guys don’t kill” thing because keeping him alive while he is slowly dying from the black goo is so much worse than just a mercy-kill. And if you’re setting your good guys up to be cruel assholes who torture their enemies like that... you don’t get to play the “He has True Alpha potential because he’s such a goodie-two-shoes” card. And I am terrified to see what he does in season 6.

Kira was a cool addition, mainly. She... didn’t really get much personality development beyond the point of Scott’s New Love-Interest, but the mere concept of her was cool.

I dislike Malia and will always hate how they shoehorned her in. “Hey, look! Another living Hale! And it’s Peter’s daughter! Wow!”. That she spent basically a decade in the forest as a wild animal but they just pretend that it’s possible to re-introduce her not just into society but high school - whereas she is completely lacking all middle school and half of elementary school education, honestly, can she even read and write? Because she shouldn’t be able to. Even if she learned that ten years ago, she’d have forgotten simply by growing up as a wild animal in the forest. Granted, her behavior is at the very least well-written and animalistic, but that just makes me question the weirdness of Stiles going “Oh, she’s basically a wild animal. Let’s start dating”. Right. Away. If they had taken the time to, you know, re-introduce her to society properly and learn things and her and Stiles falling for each other along the way, okay sure. But this “We just met. Let’s have sex in the basement of the asylum” thing was so weird and so forced.

Season 5 might just be one of the - if not THE - worst thing I’ve ever witnessed on television. If something has that crappy level of quality, I normally turn it off and stop watching.

But the masochistic part of me kept whispering how much I loved season 1 and 2 and that 3 wasn’t so bad and, sure, since season 3 it’s been declining, but they did so well in the first two seasons, maybe they’ll turn it around again.

They did not turn it around.

Season 5 was just... really, really, really awful.

The over-loaded plotlines that kept getting entangled.

The fucking awful new characters. Like. Liam was always and will always be only Scott 2.0, a very, very cheap rip-off of their own main character - and who even does that? But in season 5, he was just awful. That he threw his temper-tantrums and turned his back on Scott and was just generally a pain in the ass.

Allison 2.0 was even worse though. I legit do not bother remembering the name of Liam’s girlfriend, because she is so flat and... unlikeable. Her only reason for being in this was to create the tension between Scott and Liam.

And Liam’s best friend made them feel like “Oh boy, we cut out the jock and his lovable gay best friend. Let’s replace Jackson and Danny with those two!”. Honestly, they really gave up trying to come up with individual, interesting characters.

And casting showed that too. At least Liam’s best friend is black. But literally everyone else they cast after season 3 was two things - white and brunette. This show started out with such an individual, diverse cast - black male Boyd, blonde female Erica, blonde male Isaac, redheaded female Lydia, polynesian male Danny. And now they basically just cast dark-haired whites and the guys even all look the same. This Theo-guy and that... other... wolf... guy... thing... I honestly don’t remember but the guy who had something with Liam’s best friend, they basically looked the same to me.

The decline in character development and design, as well as the decline in story-telling was only topped off by the dreadfulness.

This show used to be bright. And funny.

As in: It took place during the day too. There used to be colors. In season 5, in many episodes, I could barely tell what was going on because it mainly took place during the night and in total darkness.

And I didn’t laugh once in season 5. Absolutely nothing was funny. It didn’t help that comic relief guy Stiles got kicked in the balls by the writers when they decided they also needed tension between Scott and Stiles.

No, fuck you, you don’t.

The friendship between Scott and Stiles has been the backbone of this show since the very first scene of the first episode. And now you decide that Scott should be stupid, shallow and trustful enough to trust Theo instead of Stiles? Really? That... That’s so OoC. Those are your characters, don’t write them OoC.

The fact that Derek and Peter too became characters who just... disappeared for long periods of time was just ridiculous too. It’s like this show is deliberately trying to sabotage itself and to remove good characters.

Lydia, Stiles and Scott are essentially the only characters left from the... bigger ones. Derek, Peter, Isaac, Boyd, Erica, Jackson, Allison, Aiden, Ethan, Kira, Danny.

Instead we get to keep Malia around who, sure, ist still the best of those new additions. Liam. Liam’s girlfriend. Liam’s best friend. Fucking Theo gets to stay?

And Parrish, who... honestly just gives me the creeps because the dude is old enough to have been to war and to now work at a police station as a deputy, which I really hope for the sake of the safety of the people does require some years of training before you get handed a gun and a badge too, but thinks it’s in any way or shape appropriate to date a high school student? Like, sure, it may be legal but that doesn’t mean you have to do that. Especially not if you’re a police deputy. And I don’t care if that sounds like a hypocrite thing to say because I ship Sterek and that might be the same age-difference. I ship Sterek in fanfiction and fanarts. If fans go ahead and ship Lydia and Parrish sure, cool. Everything goes in the fandom. Not everything should go in canon, because there should be some kind of... moral... behind decisions made. Do not romantize adults dating teens.

So. Yeah.

If they hadn’t announced that season 6 is the final season, I would have turned my back after how bad season 5 was. But... cue in the voice in my head that’s still whispering how much I loved season 1 and 2. And this is the grand finale. It’ll be over after this. Just 20 more episodes, I can watch that. And then it’ll be finally over and they can’t ruin it any more.

The grand finale airs in four days. So I’ll be rewatching the first five seasons now and then I will start watching the final season. I’m terrified of it.

And am I the only one who felt like many decisions made were just made to snuff out Sterek? I mean. Stiles who didn’t have any romantic plotline before, all of a sudden having sex with basically a random stranger in a basement and Derek literally fucking the enemy while he’s half-bleeding to death, but let’s just hurry up and make sure they have female love interests...?

#Teen Wolf #Time to rewatch #Please be good #I beg you #Sterek #I really miss my Sterek #TV Rants #Fandom Rants #Phoe Rewatching Teen Wolf #part 1

[alightinthelantern]

Because the decade is ending I’ve been revisiting old interests and past fandoms from when I was a teen, and boy is it a trip down Memory Lane.

Listening to old Vocaloid songs from when I was in high school back in 2010, when I was 15 and new to internet culture, and it was one of the first Japanese culture I ever discovered. Apparently Vocaloids are still a thing? I knew Miku was still popular bc I’d seen stuff in the past year featuring her, but apparently the other Vocaloid characters are too, and there’ve been a whole bunch of new ones introduced in the past decade? I remember when the whole Daughter of Evil saga was being created. I remember all the alt characters people created by taking the main vocaloids and pitch-altering their voice banks. The Vocaloid community was fresh and thriving back then. That was back when Gender-Bending was a staple of fandom culture, and making male “versions” of female characters and vice versa was hugely popular. This was when “Caramelldansen” and “Ievan Polkka” weren’t Classic Memes, this was when they were new, and all the rage.

I remember the Gamecube days, back in the 2000s, and watching my stepbrothers battle my sisters interchangeably on it or the old Nintento 64 they had, in Mario Kart, or Mortal Kombat, or the original Smash Brothers (I, who had terrible hand-eye coordination, wasn’t fit for playing, but was more content to passively enjoy anyway). I remember when the Wii was first introduced (my mother didn’t believe in video games for a long time, and only bought a console for the family about four years later). I remember the GameBoy, I remember the release of the first XBox. I remember the online dress-up doll games. I remember when the Lego Star Wars video game was first released, and being an avid fanatic of those famous bricks as a kid enjoyed watching my siblings play that probably more than than anything else.

I remember how huge the cosplay scene was in the early 2010s, for all kinds of shows. I remember reading Emma: A Victorian Romance by Kaoru Mori with glee as a teen, siting in a bean bag chair in the Teen Area of my local library, because they had a dedicated manga section and had the entire print run. That was back before Borders was bought out by Barnes & Noble and ceased to be, and I’d often sit in the second-floor manga section of my local Borders and read the volumes that caught my eye for a half-hour or more, and the store clerks didn’t care because it was a different world then, a different culture, and I was always a polite, well-behaved kid anyway who always physically respected the books. Apparently the anime adaptation of Mori’s Emma from years ago finally got an English dub in the past year? I’m going to have to track it down and give it a watch.

I remember loving the Romeo x Juliet anime as a teen, that crazy and brilliantly original high-fantasy reimagining of the classic play. I loved that the English dub script was mostly in Elizabethan-era English. I remember Ouran Host Club and Baccano! too, and the first of those being one of the funniest things I’d ever seen in my life at the time. Same with The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. I remember liking Fruits Basket back in 1010, and only realizing years later how fucked up it actually was. I remember Baccano! and Nabari No Ou. I also remember some other shows whose names don’t bear repeating. I remember downloading their OSTs off dedicated websites that no longer exist. I still have these soundtracks in my iTunes library. I remember when burning playlists onto CDs was popular; they finally became obsolete and passé sometime in my high school years, after the rise of mp3 players and programs like iTunes crystallized the superiority of the .mp3, and then people would laugh when I mentioned my own burned CD collection.

I remember when Over the Garden Wall first came out, in 2014, and how groundbreaking it was at the time in terms of what an animated show could be, visually and plot-wise. That show still has a small bud dedicated fandom it seems. I remember the character ask-blogs that were so popular from 2014--16 on tumblr, both ones with drawn replies and ones with live cosplay photos or gifs. God, the ask-blog community was so huge at the time. That might have been the height of tumblr’s popularity, the mid-2010s. I remember DeviantART and the thriving fanart community it had before tumblr took over in the early 2010s. I remember all OCs people were making, and the ask-accounts before ask-blogs were a thing. I remember the roleplay groups. I remember all the fucked-up things people were into back then because the Scene Phase had come but not yet entirely gone, and because teens were emo little shits in general. I remember when anime pairings were written as “[name] x [name]” in full before people started mashing names together around 2014, I remember when words like y*oi and y*ri were the norm. Oh how times have changed. (And thank god they’ve changed)

I remember when the Twilight movies were being made and my high school health teacher put the first movie on in class one day and had the class point out different ways in with the romance was toxic and unhealthy. It’s mind-boggling that in 2019, after The Discourse had come, burned, raged, and gone, that people are still stupid enough to like those films. Even back then I was smart enough to see them for the creepy, badly-written dreck that they were. I remember when The Hunger Games was published (I never read it). I remember the first Hunger Games Movie coming out and the controversy surrounding Jennifer Lawrence being cast as the lead. I remember coming into school one day to find two of my teachers casually debating it (I never saw the movies, and didn’t particularly care about that conversation).

I remember watching an independent showing of Studio Ghibli’s From Up on Poppy Hill in 2015 at a local indie theater, and the audience roaring with laughter when one of the boys at the old club house asked “How can we make archaeology cool again?!” and another replying “We can’t!”, and then a woman in the audience said out loud “Archaeology is cool!”

I remember the birth, life and death of Vine, and despite The Discourse raging on tumblr at the time, the humor on that app was still largely Mainstream and often racist.

I remember Teen Wolf, and Glee, Sherlock and Supernatural and Doctor Who. I remember the emergence of “Superwholock” and the sheer insufferableness of the fandom before they eventually, blessedly died out. I remember the disappearance of shows like J*njou R*omantica and the rise of shows like Free! and Yuri on Ice!!!, Modern “woke” animes that still featured vapid, cliché-driven writing, with Modern “woke” audiences that were puerile-minded and cliché-hungry as ever, the same y*oi fangirls as those that had existed in the early 2010s, only now the shows had done away with the nasty R*pe-As-Romance and replaced it with cringey, ham-fisted pretenses of Realistic Psychology or Social Conscience. And I realized that anime fans my age weren’t worth their salt, and by that time I was too old for anime anyway so I finally dropped it. New animes have come and gone, new live action shows have come and gone, and all the same terrible fandom drama that has burned year after year regardless of show still burns. Same shit, different sewer.

I remember how different online culture was for teens a decade ago. I remember how different real life was for teens a decade ago. Everything has changed so much in the past decade. Teens were children when I was teen. Now, ten years later, teens are like miniature adults, thinking and speaking maturely, socially and politically conscious, wise beyond their years. Racism is acknowledged for the evil it is, and bigoted trolls are no longer socially accepted. When I was a teen, been an edgelord was in, and kids like me who were unusually conscientious were labeled Babies and Oversensitive whenever something didn’t sit right and we voiced objections. Anons telling people to kill themselves was routine. People were violent and ruthless online, and the culture was truly reminiscent of The Lord of The Flies, a cutthroat free-for-all among girls and boys of all ages.

But not anymore: as people keep saying these days, being an Asshole is Out, being Kind is In. Shit like H*zbin H*tel, that would’ve been immensely popular ten years ago, is acknowledged for the violent, vile crap it is. And the language around sexuality and gender has changed so drastically, and has opened up so much. There was no trans content a decade ago in fandom, and Gender-bending, when done to explore the social ramifications of a character as the “opposite gender” (because nothing outside the gender binary existed as far as fandom was then concerned), and not just for titillation, was always cisgendered and done by way of Alternate Universes.

I had a miserable experience as a teen, and I wish that I could have experienced this kind of environment in my formative years rather than the one I did. But although I never did, I am so happy for the teens of today, that they are able to experience this kind of social openness, that they can experience this kind of unity and conscientiousness that exists in a way it never did before. That, even with as bleak and awful as the world is, they are fighting to make it better for themselves. Because it really was them that changed it.

Because, as much as Millennials like to pretend otherwise, we didn’t make the internet culture what it is today, We were edgy shitlord brats who loved laughably bad media, whether it was edgy and featured protagonists who murdered for fun, or maudlin and featured Mary Sue protagonists. We had flame wars over who was “uke or seme” for characters that weren’t even gay. We were nasty piss-stains, and even the teens like me who were better than the rest still had our awful moments. I’ve done and said things as a teen that I’m ashamed of, and no amount of nostalgia can change the fact that fandom and the media it consumed was objectively awful a decade ago. And though “Fandom Moms” and other nasty, disgusting, overgrown-children may be a proud bastion and defenders of the Old Ways, reminiscing about their LiveJournal Days and telling themselves their age is somehow indicative of wisdom rather than how creepy and pathetic they really are, their days are numbered, and I can’t wait to see their +30yo asses slowly die out in the face of progress.

#personal #''Old Radio'' is a good song tho. Kaito was def my favorite as a teen.

[zarinthelwrites]

Blooming from the Mud Pt. 6 (Bleach/ DGM)

“I’m pretty sure that this is not okay, Kanda-sama--”

“Call me that again and you won’t be okay, pipsqueak,” Kanda snaps. “You know how to read, correct?”

“Yes! But--”

“Then read these.” Kanda shoves three quarters of the stack over to Hanatarou.

“You have to be at least Lieutenant level! To even touch these!”

Kanda jammed Hanataro’s hand down onto the paper.

“There. You touched them. Now read them.”

Hanatarou screamed a little then started scanning through the pages.

Kanda went back to his own part of the pile, which consisted of Missions sent to the 11th Division that no one had taken, for some reason. A lot of them appeared to be joint missions with the 6th Division.

“What’s with the 6th division?” Kanda asked Hanatarou, scowling as he scanned through another ignored mission dated.....”And what year is it?”

The pipsqueak buries his face in his hands.

“1403 F.G.,” he mutters. “Approximately. Depending on who you ask.”

Kanda stares at the mission report, which had been assigned approximately a decade ago.

“Right,” he says, and makes a separate pile.

“The 6th Division...” Hanatarou trails off awkwardly. “They don’t associate with the 4th much. They’re very proud to serve under the Kuchiki Clan.”

“Stuck up suck ups,” summarizes Kanda. Not that bad, then. He’ll sign himself up for one of the backlog missions and then see what happens. He reaches over and scratches Fishbone’s ears.

He finds another one, dated for 13 years ago. If the Black Order operated on this level of efficiency the world would likely have ended before Kana made it to 13. This one’s addressed to....Captain Kenpachi Kiganjo? Whoever the fuck that is. He waves it in Hanatarou’s face.

“This one is somebody else’s problem,” he says. Finally.

“Actually--”

“Somebody else’s problem,” Kanda repeats. Lizard bumps his cold nose against Kanda’s unbandaged leg.

“He’s dead,” The pipsqueak blurts out.

Kanda looks at spirit across from him straight in the eyes.

“Dead, dead. Really dead. Moved on into the cycle of reincarnation. Bled all over himself. Gored by a raggedy sword edge. Never coming back,” Hanatarou rambles. “Good riddance,” he mumbles under his breath.

“You kill a captain to take their spot?” says Kanda, now mildly interested.

“No,” says Hanatarou, waving his hands around wildly in horror. “No, no, that’s just the 11th Division! Only the 11th Division does that.”

Kanda shrugs dismissively. He was just checking.

“So when can I get out of this bed,” he asks. He’s not yet willing to risk Captain Unohana’s wrath by leaving, but give him one more day cooped up in here with this squeaky toy shinigami and that might change. Yumichika poked his head in once yesterday, saw the paperwork, and fled. Coward.

“Tomorrow,” says Hanatarou promptly, looking just as relieved as Kanda feels. “Captain Unohana will do the final check over and then you’ll be free to go.”

“Quit that, Fishbone,” Kanda growls at the dog. “This isn’t food. It’s worthless.”

“I’ll just...come back later,” says Hanatarou, trying to edge towards the door. “I really have other things to do today! Toilets to scrub! Sewers to clean!”

Lizard lifts his head from where he was napping directly in front of the sole exit.

“Paperwork to do,” says Kanda.

He doesn’t smile. Not even a little.

Though Kanda had been waiting impatiently for Captain Unohana’s arrival, he might have just plain escaped if he’d realized how thorough she was going to be.

“You’re reiatsu is still fluctuating,” she concludes. “You’ve never had enough to eat that you could sustain the full weight of your own soul.”

So reiatsu is soul energy, and what makes the food taste weird. Good to know.

“You may have noticed Kenpachi’s reiatsu blankets the whole of the 11th Division and all of the Southeastern shop districts,” she continues, smiling. Yes. He had noticed that, actually. “Most captains chose to exercise control over their auras so as to not do that, but that is their prerogative.” She clasps her hands together. “Kanda,” she says. “You’re aura is still stabilizing, with stabilizing meaning that none of my unranked Division members are willing to enter this wing of the hospital because they think you’re going to eat them. As you are not a Captain, I am going to exercise my right to tell you to get that under control before you are next injured, or the consequences will be severe. Any questions?”

The smile when one couldn’t see her eyes were somehow scarier than any that had come before it.

“How old are you?” Asks Kanda. Next to him, Hanatarou faints

“You should never ask a lady her age, Kanda,” says Captain Unohana. The air in the room gains crushing weight, and Kanda gasps for breath.

“I’m looking for someone,” He says. “Not from Japan. Do you know where I could find them?”

The pressure disappears as if it were never there.

“Would you do anything to find them?” she asks him. Her eyes are open, now, but they are flat and cold, as uncaring as fate’s terrible wheel.

“Yes,” says Kanda. This cold, strange world is no replacement for Allen.

“Would they do the same?” She asks, and Kanda hesitates.

“It doesn’t matter,” he says, finally. “It’s not good for him to be alone.” And he would be alone, even in a world full of souls. Especially then.

She watches him, and there is no smile traced across her face.

“Kanda,” she says. “Have you ever looked inside the shadows?”

Kanda shakes his head.

“This is Soul Society,” Captain Unohana tells him. “The world where souls come after their mortal lives come to an end. There is only one Soul Society, but not all of the dead souls are here. Not even a quarter of them. Not even a tenth of them. Not even a thousandth of them. Look inside the shadows, Kanda. What do you see?”

Everything has a shadow. Kanda lets his gaze drop, keeps going until he is looking at the shadow of his own bed. First, all he can see is the tatami matted floor. But he keeps looking, deeper and deeper and deeper until he could see worn stone, and an endless sea, and wooden planks, and compact dirt, and--”

“That’s enough,” says Captain Unohana, stepping forward to block his view as he blinks at her, dazed. “There is only one Soul Society. But there are thousands of Soul Societies. Your someone could be in any of them.”

“So how do I get to him?” Kanda cut in impatiently, heartbeat racing.

“You can’t.”

The world dimmed around him.

“Not without an anchor, at least.”

“An anchor,” Kanda repeats, trying not to black out from the sudden adrenaline rollercoaster.

Unohana nods, the braids twined under her chin following the motion.

“The shadows...are not a pleasant place to be,” she says. “You’ll need someone with a strong connection with your soul on this side of the transition to make sure the shadows don’t rip you apart.”

This time, her smile flashes teeth.

“You need to make friends, Kanda,” she says. Then she leaves with a flourish, haori flapping behind her.

Kanda ends up putting on his brand new shinigami uniform by himself, and thus decides that being barefoot is infinitely better than figuring out how to walk in socks and clogs. Now fully equipped with clothes and his sword, Kanda leaves. If Hanatarou wants him to have the paperwork that badly, he should bring it over himself.

Kanda stops a random shinigami that was hurrying down the street. “Where’s the 6th Division?” He asks. Is he be avoiding any further duties or responsibilities by taking it upon himself to go Hollow hunting? Of course not. He’ll kill anyone who says so.

“Are you talking to me?” The shinigami responds, flipping his shoulder length black hair. The strands fall right back across his eye the minute he stops.

“Yes,” says Kanda shortly.

“I’m the sixth ranked officer of the 3rd Division!” The man huffs.

“So you don’t know.” Kanda sighs. Useless. He walks forward--

“Of course I know,” says the shinigami. “But why would I tell a lowly peasant like yourself?”

Kanda looks back at him, bored. Fishbone and Lizard both growl, low and rumbling.

“I don’t know,” he says. And he doesn’t care. He’ll just keep stopping people until someone tells him.

The shinigami grits his teeth.

“The 6th Division headquarters is in the North,” he sneers. “Ambitions of rising above your station, street rat? The Kuchiki clan doesn’t accept just anyone.”

“Did they reject you?” Kanda asks.

The shinigami splutters, raising his chin above the white collared shirt he wears under his uniform.

“Of course not!” He snaps.

“Okay.” Kanda turns to head north.

“That’s the wrong way. By the Hallowed Halls, I’ll take you there myself!” The shinigami barks, before taking a deliberate, deep breath and calming himself. “This way,” He says, now doing his best to ignore the dogs that are weaving in between his legs.

“You still won’t be able to join the 6th Division,” the shinigami says, once they’ve traveled a few streets in silence.

Kanda rolls his eyes.

“I’m already in the 11th Division,” he says, dryly.

The shinigami trips on air.

“The 11th Division hates the 6th Division,” he murmurs, dazed.

“Yes, I am aware,” says Kanda. “That’s why there’s a seventeen year backlog of Hollow killing joint explorations with them.” He’s brought three of them with him, all for the same District. Fun and efficient, his favorite.

a/n: it has come to my attention that a lot of the people reading this have only the vaguest knowledge of bleach. if you don’t understand something, bring it up and ill have kanda learn more about it. 

also, if you don’t recognize a character: im using lots of characters that are basically one off mention canon characters that are for most intents and purposes basically my ocs. 

last: ive recieved a lot of wonderful comments, and 2 pieces of fanart! i’m overjoyed with the reception this fic is having!!!!! thank you so much, everyone

#bleach #dgm #comments are lovely and always appreciated! i read all of them! #ill reply once i have enough accumulated to do a response post

[negasonic-adult-warhead]

Saga of the Four Mages: Our King

It wasn’t always so quiet on the Northern Lands. Many years ago, a long battle had raged across the beaches that lay at the feet of the mighty mountains. Thousands of fauns and centaurs were forced out of their homelands and retreated back to the wasteland that was once referred to as the Plains of Azabar, where the desert had risen up over thousands of years, covering the caverns that now hid beneath their surface. Once the land was free to be owned, conquering humans settled in along the coast, with some pushing back to the forest that lay before the hidden wastes.

The outlying villages then became small farming towns, with the mountains being home to the lovely Palace of the North, a shining jewel on the coastline, visible to all the traders and merchants that gathered at the docks beneath it’s mount. The hill that it had been built upon was the tallest of the Four Sisters, each one’s steep descend married to the coastline, where the docks had been built. To reach the palace from those docks would be a steep hike that could take up to a day, but the palace had been built for centuries now, and it’s bright alabaster glint had been the icon of the Northern Realm for generations and generations of humanity.

The stories of the mythical beasts that once owned that land had faded away in time, as none of the sort had been seen for centuries. Stories of such beasts and heathens came only from the merchants and traders who sailed there from the Southern and Eastern Realm, which lay many months across the dangerous and moody ocean. For now, those who were born in the North often stayed there, content to live the lives of farmers, gold miners, and laymen who earned their living off of the forest. Orchards from the forest realm were harvested and served at the King’s table, where he would in turn invest in the livelihood of his own people.

There was no such thing as war, now that the King Julias had grown elderly and gray. He had married to the fine lady of the East, Lady Vernon, who had born him four sons. Each of his children had been born with a special magical power, except the youngest, who had one, everyone assumed, just had not been shown what it was yet. The eldest, Darian, was a pyromancer who could bend flames at his will and conjure them out of the air. He was the most complicated child to raise, as he had been known to burn down each nursery he was laid in, but was immune to the flames himself. The second eldest, Marius, was quite tall and lean. He had been born with the gift of shadow, same as his father, as it had traveled down the royal bloodline. When he was fourteen, he learned that he could go invisible at will, and if wanted, travel to any place of the Northern land that he wished. The third oldest, Hellion, had renounced his title as a prince and taken to the Great Sea, where he had lived since his twelfth birthday as a merchant’s apprentice. He was of a stocky and hardy build, with the power to bend the wind and waves to his own liking. His power was rumored to peak on the night of each full moon, with the new moon being the night on which he was shown to be the weakest at his magic.

As time wore on, and each of the four princes passed their eighteenth birthday, each fell away to their own worlds and needs, with Darian becoming a traveling mage, Marius disappearing and never returning, and Hellion rarely returning from his ocean adventures. This left the king alone, rarely giving him reason to rise from his bed, where his wife attended to his each and every need. This is where our story begins, and where the first of many things that triggered a chain reaction in the Northern Realm’s history began.

“Prince Mathius.” A silver guard strut into the darkly lit room, where a young man sat in the far back corner, his face buried in a thick book as he studied it’s contents with all of his heart.

“What is it, Byron.” He removed his glasses and peeked over them, his thick, black hair dangling over his eyes and shoulders. His piercing green eyes studied the guard as he clicked his heels to attention.

“It’s your father,” he began, gulping slowly as he fidgeted with his cape. “Lady Vernon says that he might not last the month. She wishes you to send word to your brothers, to meet with her here as soon as possible.”

“Mother wishes them all to at least say goodbye once before the inheritance is divided, I see...” He hummed and sighed, standing up and walking towards Byron. “It doesn’t make that much sense to me, however. Darian will get the throne, and everyone will go back to their own little worlds...”

Byron sighed. “I suppose. Although, given that he has been away for about a decade now, wouldn’t he be approaching his 31st birthday?”

“What does that have to do with it?” Malthius frowned.

“I suppose not too much. It’s just that he hasn’t been seen around here in a while, and even if he had, what knowledge will he have of running the kingdom?”

“None,” Malthius yawned and grabbed some of the paper from the top shelf of his office, spreading the yellowed parchment out across the desk that was before him. “And he will probably run away as soon as he gets the chance. Even Hellion would, with the state this kingdom is in. No one will be left to run this, excepting the East Magistrate if we let them.”

“No one, sir? What are your plans for when the king passes on?”

“I have a few, but those are for when he passes, and not before. It’s a shame that the disease should take him before he is even sixty, but such is the nature of such diseases. Mother is always right about that sort of stuff.” He began to scribble on the sheets with a feathered pen. “Send each of these to their respective marks, if possible. This one to The Beechwood, this to the outlying realm at that cottage with the milkmaid, and this one, just burn it and tell her it’s sent. As you and I both know, Marius has been dead for years.”

“Ah, the cottage we discussed a few months ago? About your brother’s family?”

“They’ve wed by now, I’m sure of it. Either way, mail in the sea is more reliable. Even if it doesn’t reach Hellion, he’s due to the docks in about a week...” He handed them to the soldier, sighing as he watched him walk away.

“Pity he won’t last much longer. When that disease first appeared I was sure he would recover.”

“Y-yes, my prince.” Byron stammered and headed on his way.

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More to come. If you’re interested, repost this first chapter and I’ll of course keep going. The more reposts I get, the more fanart I’ll do... and everyone loves fanart.