#red dragonflies gang

[cheesus-doodles]

thoughts on Izana with an S/O whos adopted?

Would he have any resentment or jealousy since s/o was adopted and had a good childhood?

i lied i haven’t started on anything else because my head is still too full of izzy ahhh my boy my bb boy

Masterlist

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I highly doubt that Izzy would be resentful or jealous of you, not in the slightest. You are the sun to his earth. If anything, this boy would see the fact that both of you were adopted to be a sign from the universe that the clearly, the two of you were meant to be together. Either way, once Izzy has latched on, he doesn't have any plans to let go.

But what this boy despises with all his being would be your adopted family.

Interestingly enough, Izzy doesn't actually have a problem with you growing up in comfort and love, because you wouldn't be as perfect as you are today. Simply can't bear to imagine you having to live a life of hardship, violence and backstabbing like he had. Yet at the same time, this white-haired boy absolutely resents the same fact that your adopted family had 'sheltered' you as much as they had, and had provided a loving and comfortable childhood for you to grow up in, unlike what he had to suffer through.

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Izzy resents that your adoptive parents had a close relationship with you, and you with them, hates that you have an attachment to them despite knowing that you were merely adopted. That they had provided you with the support you need to always have an out from him, a way to escape his grasps, someone waiting for you on the outside. You shouldn't have any relationship outside of him - he was all you needed, all you would ever need.

In his mind, it will always be none other than your adoptive family's fault that you would never truly understand him and the hellish childhood he had: being abandoned in an institution, finding out his own mother hates him, having to lose Shinichiro to Mikey. No, they were only treating you so well and so nicely because they were out to get him, to take you away from him, like how Shinichiro was stolen from him. If only those shitheads hadn't had such a soft heart, Izzy wouldn't be stuck in this position for having to break your heart for you so that you learn to rely solely on him.

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This baby boy would do anything to make you return his love and cling on to him as much as he does to you, because Izzy isn't sure how he can keep going if you ever left him - there was no life or future without you, no reason to keep breathing. No doubt that one of the ways he would use would be to hold your comparatively privileged childhood over you to emotionally manipulative you.

Constantly reminding you of how much better you had it compared to him whenever he felt that you were trying to stray away, how privileged and comfortable your childhood was, and that you must be looking down on him for having to live it rough. And that yes because you had this and that that your kind adoptive parents generously gifted to you, therefore you would never understand. You didn't know how much he suffered, and you must hate him, but if you really loved him you would do this for him.

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You would never understand the sort of hurt he had to go through, but that was alright: this white-haired baby boy isn't prepared to let you live through that sort of pain. The two of you will never be lonely ever. But before he could give you the world for the two of you to live out his dream life together, Izzy had to first punish your adoptive parents for what they had done to him. Has them killed in a manner that would seemed like it was an accident as early as he can pull it off, because even though he would like to see them tortured, he would rather not have you find out and run from him.

And then of course he will be there at your side to lend you a shoulder to cry on once the dust had settled. You would be his and entirely his - isolated, alone, and with nowhere else to go. Don't you understand? Izzy will love you more than your so-called family ever will: he was your one and only true family after all.

#tokyo revengers #tokyo revengers x reader #yandere tokyo revengers x reader #yandere tokyo revengers #tokyorev #tokyorev x reader #tenjiku x reader #yandere izana x reader #izana x reader #tokyo revengers izana #kurokawa izana #izana kurokawa #izana fluff #izana scenarios #tokyorev imagines #tokyo rev #tokyorev hcs #cheesus answers #former gang leader darling #red dragonflies gang

[koisuko]

can i get headcanons of petnames the earthrealm gang and others would give their S/O?

Note: these are all predictions based on my observations of their behaviors, some also inspired by others, let me know if you feel they are inaccurate!

tw: none, fluff, fem leaning pet names, this is a long one *sweats*

ft. Liu Kang, Bi-han, Kuai Liang, Raiden, Tomas, Kenshi, Johnny, Kung Lao

Bi-Han

Dove, wife, love, my heart, my snowflake, little warrior, my queen, little mouse, hun, gem, beloved, blossom

this man is not one for open acts of affection Infront of others, these would be in private most likely. But when he's around you, behind closed doors, he's a real softy. He also gives me possessive vibes, so this inspired some. (Due to his closed off demeanor, this was by far the hardest to decipher.)

Kuai Liang

my heart, my love, little flame, baby, beauty, my queen, little dragon, my one, darling, firefly/dragonfly

Like his brother, he would keep open acts of affection to a minimum. Not because he's uncomfortable showing it, he would just rather keep those special moments between the two of you. Although, he is more than willing to show how much he loves you Infront of others.

Tomas Vrbada

my love, baby, koloušek (little deer), sweetheart, angel, my queen, honey, beautiful

Tomas would most likely be more open than his brothers, showing affection whenever he's in your presence. He definitely gives me the vibe that he would be very soft, gentle, and shy when using these with you however.

Johnny Cage

dream girl, honey, hot stuff, doll face, kitty/kitten, sexy, beautiful, smoke show, my girl, baby/baby girl/babe, the mrs. , sweetheart, princess, wonder woman, good lookin', my superstar, eye candy

Johnny is by far the most open, PDA isn't even in his dictionary. If you're their, he's calling you all of the above with no shame. He hopes people are looking when he kisses you in public and calls you princess. He wants everyone around to know you're his and his only. (Johnny is an open book so he was the easiest to come up with)

Liu Kang

my treasure, my queen, my love, my heart, jewel, goddess, my everything, my one, my light, beloved, lovely, gem

Liu Kang is a busy man, working as earthrealm's protector and god of fire and all. When he gets the chance to, however, he's holding you close and whispering sweet nothings into your ear. He is a very humble man, and sees his s/o as someone to worship, someone he holds dearly to his heart and would show this any chance he gets. Pet names, holding hands, and gentle hugs in public are the farthest he goes, he is respectful and would rather keep his private life well..private.

Raiden

my love, beautiful, darling, my queen, my spark, sunshine, angel, precious, lovely, little butterfly, my one

Raiden would be much like Liu Kang and Tomas, showing only soft affection with a shy smile in public and keeping his full love for you hidden from prying eyes. Like Liu Kang, he is very respectful and would also worship his lover. If his love wanted his to show more affection in public? Consider it done, although expect a deep red to engulf his face in a rush of embarrassment if anyone (cough cough johnny) teases him on the matter.

Kenshi Takahashi

baby, love, honey, sweetheart, angel, princess, beautiful/gorgeous, wife, cutie, my rose, pretty, my girl

Kenshi is possessive, within limits, not overly so but you are his and his only. He will show his affection in public through hand holding, forehead kisses, long hugs, and lots of small sweet kisses on your lips and face. He will most likely point out all of his favorite features about you, one kiss at a time. He would still prefer to keep it private, but if someone oversteps, he's pulling you close and calling you his.

Kung Lao

love, baby, honey, sweetheart, doll, beautiful, honey/hun, candy, blossom, baby cakes, hot stuff, dumpling, cutie, cupcake

Kung Lao is a foodie, expect a lot of nicknames related to food. His cocky behavior shows in the nicknames he gives, giving you sarcastic and joking nicknames in public, causing a bit of banter between you two. In private he's letting you know you're his, in the softest way possible. He's very respectful of women in particular, he would never call you names to hurt your feelings, especially you being his special someone.

#fanfic #fanfiction #mk1 #mk1 x reader #mortal kombat #mortal kombat1 #request #requests open #bi han x reader #mk1 2023 #mk bihan #mk1 bi han #mk1 liu kang #mk1 smoke #mk bi han #johnny cage #liu kang #kenshi takahashi #raiden #mk1 johnny cage #mortal kombat 1 #mk1 raiden #mk1 headcanons #headcanon #mk scorpion #mk smoke #mk sub zero #mk kenshi #mk1 kenshi #mortal kombat 1 2023

[door430]

Finally, after hours of designing and drawing and coloring, here is a full lineup of my humanoid designs of the AVA/AVM stick figures! Below the cut is just me rambling about each design.

victim: For victim, I wanted their design to be very business-esque to reflect both their position at Rocket Corp and their apparent preference for manipulation over violence. I gave them two gold necklaces and a gold belt to highlight their current high status in Rocket Corp. I chose yellow accents because of their intelligence and lack of fighting skill, which is similar in some ways to Yellow.

Chosen: I wanted to go for something a little more casual for Chosen, as I feel like they would want to settle down into a more normal life after the fiasco with Dark. The baby blue of their sweater also emphasizes their calm attitude. I put them in leggings to make their legs appear thinner, because Chosen is just an awkward baby deer with skinny little legs that can barely hold up their body to me.

Dark: The design of Dark's outfit is very much the stereotypical punk look. I also like the idea that Dark is shorter than everyone else but wears platform boots to appear taller. Their hair is a bit unkempt to give them a bit of a 'mad scientist' look, and the two curls on top look like devil horns as a reference to their evil nature.

Second: Since Second is the youngest of the sticks, I wanted to give them a somewhat childish look with the curly hair, striped shirt, shorts, and sneakers. They still have a collar though, as they seem to be the most sensible of the Color Gang. The green of the shoes is a reference to their powers in AVA 5 being green.

Red: Since Red loves animals and is the most childish, I wanted their outfit to be something plain and comfy that they could afford to get mud or fur on. Their hair is unkempt as a reference to their childish and impulsive nature.

Yellow: Yellow's design is pretty simple, as I just went for a nerdy/scholarly look. I debated over giving them glasses or goggles, but in the end I thought the glasses fit better with the rest of the design.

Green: I'm going to be entirely honest, Green's whole design is based on the 'Faces' short where they get an anime-style face. I thought a karate outfit would suit them, as karate is a very mobile martial art, and Green has a very mobile fighting style.

Blue: I designed Blue's outfit after a hippie fashion style because of their love for plants and friendship. If you look on their wrists and ankles, you'll see they have one friendship bracelet for each member of the Color Gang.

Purple: Purple's outfit is a mix of comfortable and easy to fight in. Their elytra are based on dragonfly wings because I thought it looked cool. I made their outfit similar to Mango's , as I feel like Mango's influence on them might also extend to their fashion.

Mango: I gave Mango a very royal look to match their crown and kingly manner. Their outfit is very flowy and probably not good for fighting in because of their tendency to make Purple do the hard work for them. Their cloak is blue to show their similarities to Purple's parent, and the lining is gold as a reference to their child, Gold. They have very little of their actual orange color in their design to show them slowly losing themself. The Galactic along the lining is a reference to their knowledge about Minecraft's more obscure mechanics and their use of 'magic' with the staff. Fun fact: it translates to 'no cost too great', because I like the way the phrase's meaning turns more sinister as Mango's plan goes on and they do worse and worse things in the name of avenging Gold.

#ava #avm #ava victim #ava the chosen one #ava the dark lord #ava the second coming #avm the second coming #avm orange #ava orange #ava red #avm red #ava yellow #avm yellow #ava green #avm green #ava blue #avm blue #avm purple #avm king orange #avm king mango #avm mango #digital art #ava fanart #avm fanart #alan becker #lineup #character lineup #animator vs animation #animation vs minecraft

[raycatzdraws]

Love your Wind as a humming bird comic. Any ideas for what the others would change into?? (I think Time as a kitten or something adorable would be funny)

Thank you! Wind as a hummingbird is such a wonderful idea and I have to thank and give credit to @/winkwonkblog for the prompt! I didn't really do Wind as a hummingbird justice when it came to like, drawing him well, but I had fun playing with the idea of it.

As for dark world forms! The fandom's done a great job exploring this and I really like a lot of (at least what I think are?) the more common takes! My preferences have been influenced by all the pieces of fanart, fic, and discussion I've seen - so many pieces that are tried, true, and tested! - so I don't have much to add! I like what the fandom's come up with and enjoy seeing new interpretations. It's a great big collaboration with a bunch of coexisting ideas and I love that.

These are going to be familiar lol (and I'll include some recs too, as one does!)

Time - I agree that Time being a cat or something cute and fuzzy would be funny because it would clash so much with how he's presented in the comic! Let him be something soft and unassuming so he can use it to his advantage for shenanigans! Like Legend though, I think he'd dislike being so fragile. He needs claws or something. To be honest, the hero of time being a golden wolf has never really felt right to me. I see general oot/mm Link as more of an an owl or fox. However, his characterization in LU makes it fit and I appreciate that. It's gotten me to come around to it some.

Twi - Wolfie, yeah

Wild - coyote or deer

Sky - Remlit, goose, or dove (Failure and Fortitude by sister_dear and this art by luwyv, and Untitled Goose Fic by theScrap_Witch)

Warriors - Wars as a weasel or ferret! Something with very nice and pretty fur and very sharp teeth. The thought of Legend holding him up and slinkying him around is amusing. (it's much-too-late'o'clock for me so I get to make up words)

Legend - Rabbit (read this if you haven't !!!-> Not half Pawd by SongMina, as well as Tiny Adventures by Lightning of Farosh)

Four - Hummingbird, mouse, or cat (All of @/chrispy-chimkin's LU Wing AU! Just look at Four!!! Look at him!!! &lt;3 &lt;;3 <3 See also Feline Fatale by Seeking7 and Usagisama68)

Wind - Seagull! (Again, Chris' wing au, but also @/layraket's creatures gang, and A Pear and a Portal by glowingjellyfishtreelights)

Hyrule - I'm not really sure! My joke answer is an okapi. Maybe a badger! idk! he's a dragonfly-winged fairy idk about an animal form for him. A coyote or gray fox, a brown-colored medium sized bird, something like that. Sorry I don't have the most inspired answers haha. I imagine Hyrule's Hyrule (in Zelda 1) as california chaparral so I think he'd be some kind of creature that lives there. I can tell you what kind of tree he'd be!!! Hyrule would be a ribbonwood tree (aka redshanks)! Ribbonwood bounces back quickly after wildfires, with the leaves sprouting again even after being all burned off. The bark that falls away from the tree comes off in strips or "ribbons" that are soft but scratchy and brittle when dried out. that give the tree a kind of whipsy appearance. It's wild and wiggly (I'm all out of adjectives at the moment) and very much a part of the landscape, a piece that ties it all together. The smooth bark underneath is a deep red and cool to the touch. The earthy red and vivid yellowing-green color is suiting. If you cup the leaves in your hands and breathe on them they release a soft rain-like smell. I'm just really passionate about Hyrule and this tree and ecosystem ahsfdhas do you see the low shrubs and parched dirt and the scrambling rocks and the mountains!!! the dry and hot and high altitude and dense shrubbery impassable to find hidden paths through! so much green no stranger to fire!!!!

#in which Ray loses it over trees #I love ribbonwoods and madrones and manzanita and redwoods AAAAAAAAA #I need to sleep asjhgfsdf #thank you for the ask! #linked universe #ray responds

[sketchyallstar]

A doodle dump of my Red Son/OC ship because I have brain rot and yeah it’s terminal. I imagined if my OC Flitter were incorporated into an episode of the show, she’d don a human disguise to explore the city for the first time, meet the Monkey Kid squad at the noodle shop, and become friends with them, then she’d get wrangled into whatever misadventures the gang gets into stopping Red Son’s scheme of the day, and he’d assume she was some random human based on her disguise. Later on, she’d be chilling at her pond in the woods when Red Son would come upon her, looking for some kind of mystical herb his mother needed for their latest plot to take over the world or something. He’d find out she’s actually a dragonfly demon, and he’d again underestimate her. But in her domain, she’s at the peak of her power, and she’d absolutely trounce him in a fight, so he goes home empty handed and drenched in pond water.

#my art #art #oc #my oc #lego monkie kid #Lego Monkie kid OC #lmk #lmk oc #lmk red son #red son #red son x oc #doodles

[spacefinch]

So, the MSB gang are hanging out in the wetland from “Gets Swamped”. What do they do there?

Phoebe and Carlos are there to do some bird-watching, and there are tons of birds. Red-winged blackbirds, harriers, killdeer, marsh wrens, swamp sparrows, wood ducks, and great blue herons, to name a few.

The fallen tree from the "Gets Swamped" episode is now a home for quite a few other swamp critters, which Tim takes photos of.

D.A. brings her Muskrat's Guide to the Swamp and takes every opportunity to share a fun wetland fact with the gang.

Wanda and Ralphie try catching frogs. They do manage to catch one, but not without getting mud all over their clothes.

There is a boardwalk in the swamp, which Arnold stays on. No muddy shoes for him, thank you very much.

Keesha looks for bugs (mostly dragonflies and beetles) among the swamp vegetation.

#magic school bus #asked and answered #headcanons

[hettiesworld]

Name of fic: The Distance Pairing: John Doe x OFC (Violet) Plot summary: After joining Sweet Tooth’s gang, she stumbles across John Doe and Quiet, as they were on their way towards New Chicago. She couldn’t help but feel attracted towards the milkman with a funny sense of humour… Warnings: Strong language, violence. Author's note: This is in a 3rd person POV, but it does have their thoughts in this fic.

Chapter 1

John was helplessly pulled along by Sweet Tooth, as he offered the dark-haired woman a forced smile. He was nervous, more or less because he wasn’t sure just how long this would take. He would have to stay and watch the clown’s show, and then he could be free, right? That’s what he was hoping, as he was lead into a large dining room, with a big stage, a rack of clothes, and a makeshift bed made for the clown. John looked around, before looking towards Sweet Tooth.

“What, was the suite already booked?” He joked. It got a laugh out of Sweet Tooth, as he explained himself a bit, before he pointed out what used to be an old fish tank, long dried out, that went from the floor to the ceiling. Inside was none other than quiet, who pounded on the glass with her fists.

Making sure Sweet Tooth was busy, John ran up to the glass.

“Serves you right. Why should I help you anyways?” he stated, as the woman reached into her jacket pocket, and pulled out his keys. “Shit…” He cursed, before he looked towards the other woman who’d been stuck here with them. “We’ve got to convince him to let her out. Without those keys, I’m stuck here. We’re stuck here.” He told her softly, before a scream just down the hall was heard loudly ringing out. Shit, more people? It seemed Sweet Tooth was already alerted by the noise, but John sort of stopped him before he could move on.

“Hey, wait up man, can’t we let her go?” He asked, pointing to Quiet. “Wait! Hear me out, but wouldn’t you want more people to see your show? Well, why not have three…or more people clapping for you when the shows all over?” He reasoned, forcing a smile to the clown.

Violet just ignored the milkman, but little did John know is that she was actually listening to his words. She watched the intruders' conversation, as she acted as one of Sweet Tooth's guards. All that Violet could hear from Sweet Tooth, when John suggested to let Quiet go, was deep laughter from the clown.

"Stay with them, Dragonfly. Don't let them get into any trouble." The clown asked Violet, ignoring John’s suggestion completely, as she stood there in her leather jacket and boots, her Nirvana t-shirt was on show as her bow was strapped around her body. She nodded as it gave John the idea that she was working for the clown.

When she looked away for a moment, she started to blush, noticing how handsome John was. She then cleared her throat as she looked back at Quiet and John, taking a gulp of water from her metallic gold water bottle to hide the fact that her face was bright red.

As the clown came back, with blood on his mask, he thought for a moment before shaking his head. This made Violet realise this might be her chance of escaping his casino, so she cleared her throat making the others look at her. She then muttered to Sweet Tooth, "He is correct. You might want both of their feedback for your show." She tried to convince the clown.

“What?” Sweet Tooth and John said in unison. Both were surprised by Violet speaking up. John was more surprised because he didn’t even know she could talk up until that point. He blinked a few times, before nodding in agreement.

“Yeah, what she said. We’ll stay for your show.” He insisted, as he gave Quiet a look, as if saying she better play along. “Well…you do make a good point…and it’s not like we get a lot of women around to give feedback for that demographic…alright! Dragonfly, let her out!”

Sweet Tooth agreed, after a moment of thinking it over. John sighed with relief and looked towards Dragonfly. He’d owe her one for sure. For now though, he’d focus on the situation they were in.

“So, what about the other guys?” John questioned, catching the clown’s attention. “What other guys?” Sweet Tooth asked, sounding intrigued. “The ones that are back in the casino. Didn’t you hear their car pull in?” John questioned, before suddenly the clown grabbed his large machete, and faced Violet.

“Dragonfly. Keep an eye on these two. I’m going to get more people for the show.” He insisted, as he moved out of the room, promptly leaving the three together as John moved to help get Quiet out of the large fish tank.

“You know, you have one hell of a boss.” He commented towards Dragonfly as he shook his head, although he was entirely glad she was on their side. A pretty woman like that? Of course he would be glad to have her on their side.

As Violet nodded to the clown's instruction, she chuckled under her breath as she heard John's accusation, shaking her head. "He's not my boss. God, he's too crazy." She rolled her eyes as she watched John help Quiet out of the empty fish tank. "After he heard that I was a part of the Army, he forced me to join his gang." Violet explained softly to the two of them so that Sweet Tooth couldn't hear her.

“Part of the army- no way! A pretty woman like you?” John asked in surprise, as Quiet finally climbed out of the tank, equally as surprised as John, but said nothing. Not yet. She couldn’t just trust anyone just yet.

"WAS a part of the Army." Violet said to them, shaking her head.

She then adjusted the bow and quiver on her back and then put some gold-coloured lipstick on her lips, looking into her pocket mirror, realising that it was smudging slightly. She cursed softly, "Sh*t-" She muttered to herself as she put her mirror back inside of her jacket pocket.

The man smiled as he watched Dragonfly for a moment, before he cleared his throat. “So, you ready to get out of this place, I take it? I mean, you said it yourself, the guy’s too crazy.” He questioned, to which Violet just shrugged her shoulders. He figured she must be interested in taking him up on his offer, which was fine enough for him. Still, they’d have to wait for Sweet Tooth’s show, something that did bug him. He had a schedule he was on.

He had to pick up that package, and fast. He only had ten days, after all. He couldn’t afford to waste one of those whole days here in Vegas. The man was pretty intrigued by the killer clown wanting to do a show though.

John wondered what the hell kind of show Sweet Tooth would even do? “If you were with an army at some point…did you used to live in one of the cities?” He asked curiously as he looked towards Violet, before realising he was getting ahead of himself. He hadn’t introduced himself at all yet.

"I was a Staff Sergeant. And yes I'm going to escape this fucking place, but you can't tell Sweet Tooth." She replied to John's question, before explaining to him that she had no idea what Sweet Tooth's show was going to be.

When Violet said he couldn’t tell Sweet Tooth, the man gave a nod in agreement, and gave a signal that his lips were sealed. “No worries, I gotcha.” he told her in a hushed tone, just in case the clown came snooping around during the conversation.

She knew that she was going to be apart of this 'show' and entertaining Sweet Tooth with her singing. "Yes. I used to live in Boston, but then I moved to Austin, Texas." She answered John.

“Boston? You’re from up North?” He suddenly asked, rather surprised. He’d never been up north, everyone knew it was bad up there. Too many vultures, butchers, and Holy Men. In fact, there was probably far worse up that way than he liked to admit. Even though North was exactly where he was supposed to be heading. Yeah, he really still wasn’t too thrilled about that, but at least the job was definitely worth it.

“Shit, that’s right, you don’t know who I am! I’m John. Her? I have no idea who she is. She’s a mute, I’m pretty sure.” John introduced himself, before he pointed towards Quiet who promptly flipped him off and rolled her eyes, shaking her head.

“See? This is what I had to deal with out there…” He muttered, shaking his own head, clearly not thrilled with Quiet at all. The man eyed Dragonfly though, very interested in her. She was far too pretty to be stuck in a place like this, and she seemed interesting enough. He wanted to get to know her more.

"Nice to meet you John. I'm Violet. People just call me Dragonfly because of my necklace." Vi then showed him her dragonfly necklace around her neck before looking over at Quiet, nodding at her. She wanted to tell Quiet that she was just like her, quiet but badass.

Just then, she heard loud footsteps, knowing it was Sweet Tooth and she knew he wanted them to go to the stage. Violet sighed. "I think he wants us to get to the stage. Follow me." She said so sternly, wanting John and Quiet to follow her.

John was still intrigued with Violet though, and wanted to get to know her more. They didn’t have the time though, as she mentioned getting to the show room. “Oh, right! You think he got those other guys snooping around? The guy seems pretty thorough.” John questioned, as he followed Violet along, Quiet not far behind as they entered the show room only to find a blonde woman sitting there.

“Wow, okay…that accent is very Boston…you two wouldn’t happen to know each other, would you?” The man joked, as he looked towards the blonde, then towards Violet. He chuckled awkwardly afterwards, and took a seat at a table, looking around the room. Something really did smell good, and he hadn’t noticed it until just then. Was…Sweet Tooth actually giving them a show, and food?

Violet only rolled her eyes at John, mentally apologising for his behaviour at Juliet. "No." Is all that Violet said to John's question before nodding at the blonde and going backstage to get ready for Sweet Tooth's show. She wore a black dress and matching heels, her hair was up in a bun. She then heard the clown walk into the same room where they were.

“I take it the two of you got roped into this…any clue what the shows about, exactly?” The blonde woman – who was in the same room as John, Quiet and Violet was – asked the milkman.

John watched Violet as she walked off. Seriously, how could he not? His eyes lingered right up until Quiet nudged him harshly in the side, forcing his gaze back on her. “What?” he responded, before the blonde spoke up. “No clue, blondie. Hey, why exactly are you here yourself?” He questioned curiously. She had to be a milkman. Given how casually she was treating this, it was something a lot of them shared amongst each other. He supposed he was just so used to other milkmen at this point, he could just pick up on that sort of thing.

Before the ‘blondie’ could reply, the crazed clown came back into the room.

"Are you ready Dragonfly for the show?" The clown called out to Violet, to which she replied with, "Yeah I'm ready."

She then walked onto the stage as the intro to 'Supermassive Black Hole' by Muse started to play. She held the retro-looking microphone in her hands as she began to sing with such a sultry voice.

John didn’t have a long time to think about it really, let alone think about much else as the music started playing, and Violet got up on stage.

If John had been head over heels with the woman before, he was certainly head over heels in love with her now. Okay, maybe not ‘in love’, but was she drop dead gorgeous? Yes. Was her voice absolutely breath taking? Absolutely.

His eyes were glued to her as she sang, and his eyes never left her figure. Quiet, who was equally as impressed as the other two rose her eyebrows in awe, and gave a slight nod of approval. Really, the woman was amazing, and the three had the fortunate chance to see it. All three of them were beginning to think that this show wouldn’t be as bad as they were thinking it would be to begin with.

Violet went off stage and that was it for the first act. The other two was up to Sweet Tooth for the other acts, having no idea what his plan was going to be. She got dressed back to her original outfit, as she was intending to escape with that outfit and not with a dress on.

John watched Violet return and gave her a wide grin. “Wow, an army woman and a great singer? You’re really something else.” he complimented.

Vi tried so hard not to blush in front of him as he complimented her. Just then, she felt Sweet Tooth pull her by her arm, to which she did not like and the others could tell she didn't.

John wanted to say more, but before he could, Sweet Tooth went pulling her along, and John didn’t like that one bit. In fact, it made him shift in his seat, as if stopping himself from getting up immediately and starting a fight with the guy. He already knew from experience that would be a bad idea though, so instead, sat still. He wasn’t sure just how honest Sweet Tooth had been about letting the two of them go after the show. Especially now that more people had miraculously shown up.

"Dragonfly, my little girl… I would like for you to entertain our guests again with a little show, if you know what I mean." She cringed, knowing exactly what the clown was on about.

But she saw the confusion on the others' faces as she sighed, going backstage yet again to get ready for the second act.

Then again, the crazed clown had actually been kind of nice to him after their little fight, so who knows. John looked over towards Quiet, who casted a glance towards him. “I know, I know…we’ll get out of this as soon as we can…” He promised the girl. She just glared at him, and turned her gaze towards the stage.

John wasn’t leaving Violet though. He couldn’t now. There was no way in hell he would let her stay back here and suffer in this place. He could tell she wanted to leave, and so, he’d help her. He was determined now more than ever to do so.

After 2 more acts of Violet wearing outfits that were too revealing, and singing 'Sexyback' by Justin Timberlake and 'Old Town Road' by Lil Nas X, she was exhausted as hell from the 3 performances. John couldn’t keep his eyes off of Violet, as she came out and sang in the revealing outfits.

His eyes lingered over her body, and whenever it was a bit too long, Quiet would nudge him. Quiet on the other hand had realised that the blonde was busy freeing herself when the clown wasn’t looking. It seemed everyone was focused on escaping. Well, everyone except for John who was more focused on Violet on stage. It seemed like he’d long forgotten about what they been discussing before this show.

She looked at Sweet Tooth, who was cheering and applauding it.

"Sooo… what did you guys think?" The clown asked John, Juliet and Quiet, tilting his head with curiosity as he leaned his baseball bat against his beefy-looking shoulder. Violet wasn't sure how he was going to react with either a compliment or a criticism about her show, so she just stood there nervously.

Once the show was over, it took John a moment to remember where he actually was. What they were doing here.

Oh shit. That’s right. “Y-yeah! It was great!” John agreed with the blonde, although was surprised at the clown’s violent reaction. That wasn’t what he’d wanted to hear? The man looked towards Violet and wasn’t sure what to say. “I’m serious! She was amazing!!” He quickly said.

The clown got annoyed at John's compliment, the grip on his baseball bat got tighter. He didn't want them to compliment the performance at all. He wanted to them to be brutally honest about the whole thing, and he would keep his promise of letting them go.

Quiet then spoke up. “It was fine. She has a great voice and all, but you’ve got to change up a show when you’re entertaining people.” She said, suddenly making everyone go silent. “What?” John asked, surprised the woman could even talk. “Well, not everyone likes music right? Maybe you could’ve…done some skits between the music.” Quiet added, causing the clown to stop and think, seemingly debating the woman’s idea.

When he heard Quiet's criticism, the smirk on his face grew at the fact that the woman could actually speak. He laughed out loud before saying to them, "Okay, okay! I'll let you go now. Go on." He then went to uncuff Juliet from her chair, not noticing that she tried to get out of it.

John was relieved when Sweet Tooth seemingly just accepted Quiet’s criticism and stood up, ready to leave. But as she saw John trying to get Violet to go with them, he stopped them in their tracks. "Not her. She stays."

Violet looked down to see Sweet Tooth's hand gripping her arm, not letting her go with them. She was speechless as she looked over at John with a pleading look in her eyes. She couldn't take down the clown on her own, even with her judo and karate training but she was getting angry with him touching her arms.

"What? But you said-" She tried to explain to Sweet Tooth of their deal, but he interrupted her yet again by laughing in her face. "NO! That was not part of our deal, Dragonfly. You still stay, remember?" He suddenly shouted at her, as she felt his grip getting tighter.

John froze in place as the clown stopped Violet from leaving. He turned to look at the clown, and shook his head. “Come on, man. Just let the lady go, she doesn’t want to stay here anymore.” He said, knowing fully well it wouldn’t convince the clown. He gave Quiet a look, and the woman seemed reluctant, but ready to help. They’d need to team up, he supposed, especially if they wanted to get out of here in one piece, altogether.

“Well, if she ain’t leaving, then we’ll just have to bust her out.” John said, as he threw a well placed punch at the clown, but it hardly made the man budge. The man’s eyes widened in horror. Shit. He forgot the guy was a damn good fighter. Quiet shoved John out of the way, just in time to avoid the machete to the face. Instead, the machete got lodged in the floor. “Shit!” He shouted, as he looked around the room. The blonde was gone, and it seemed like it was only he, Quiet, and Violet for now.

As Sweet Tooth let her go after going after John tried to punch him, she managed to avoid the situation as she grabbed her bow and quiver. She notched a cool trick arrow onto the bow and aimed it at the clown, whilst climbed on a table. She then shouted at him, "Hey dumbass!" She said in Spanish, which made the clown turn around towards her. "This is for making me stay here!"

She then let go of the arrow and as soon as it hit Sweet Tooth's mask, it let out some kind of gas that would knock out a person, including some crazed clown.

John watched as Violet’s trick arrow hit Sweet Tooth, and knocked him out. Relief washed over him instantly, and ran after her as soon as she shouted for them to do so. “You are the most bad-ass woman I know!!” John shouted with a chuckle as he and Quiet made it to Evelin, his own car.

Quiet tossed him the keys, and John started up the car, glancing towards Violet. He wasn’t about to lose her, not when he was just getting to know her. Besides, without her, Quiet and himself would’ve been stuck there themselves. They might even have been dead already without her.

She got down from the table and rushed over towards John and Quiet. "Let's go! What are you guys waiting for?" She said to them as she managed to get out of the casino and to her motorbike Archangel.

“Hey, Violet!” John shouted. “Stay close, we don’t need to lose you when we just got you out of here!” He added, before he heard Violet call back at him.

"Already ahead of you, John!" Violet rode Archangel, her motorbike towards John and Quiet in his car, Evelin and stopped it to look at the two of them. She had to admit though that John did look handsome whilst he was driving his car. But she was nervous that Quiet was going to steal John away from her. But he wasn't hers. He will never be hers, right?

They all quickly pulled out of the casino, and started driving in the direction John had been driving in beforehand, eyes glancing over to the mirror to make sure that she wasn’t far behind. With that, he sped off out of Vegas, glad to leave the city behind. He never wanted to see a clown ever again. At least, not for awhile.

"We should get a motel. It is getting late." Violet suggested to the two of them, knowing that there was a motel between Vegas and the checkpoint. As she followed John and Quiet out of Vegas, she realised that there was a checkpoint a few miles ahead of their journey. She didn't know where they were going to, but after that whole time with Sweet Tooth, she was willing to follow them.

John felt pretty damn good after that. Mostly because now he had a pretty woman to look forward to talking with. Chances were, she’d be a lot of help on his journey to ‘New Chicago’. He just needed to get that package, and bring it back to Raven. It definitely sounded easier than it was. Who knew what would await them up North. If it were anything like that deranged clown, he really wasn’t sure how they’d manage. They would though. They’d have to.

Hearing Violet’s voice, John looked over towards her, and gave a nod. “Yeah! I know a place, just follow me!” He called back, as he sped ahead, but not too fast. With it getting darker out, they ran the risk of running into vultures, butchers, and even Holy Men, if they were even more unlucky. It wasn’t much longer of a drive, and John stopped at an abandoned hotel. It gave them ample opportunity to relax and at least figure out where to go from here. Especially since Quiet was an… unwanted guest in his vehicle he was only reluctantly allowing to tag along.

#masterlist #hettiesworld #twisted metal #twisted metal series #john doe x oc #anthony mackie #john doe

[cursedwithwords]

Next Gen Headcanon Speedrun for the rest of the gang:

Victoire Gabrielle Delacour-Weasley | Gryffindor

Wand: rosewood and veela hair

Patronus: dragonfly

Profession: curse breaker

Bonus: inherited her mother's wand and is a huge mama's girl. The only sibling who doesn't have freckles. Initially, she did NOT want siblings as she was terrified of her parents forgetting about her, and she absolutely hated Dominique for the first few years. She warmed up to the idea of being a big sister when Louis was born though. Wicked smart, and she loves her work as a curse breaker. She also loves it because it's a great way for her to bond with Bill. She dated casually for a few years, her longest relationship being with Teddy, but found herself more invested in her work and decided to focus on that. Their breakup was cordial and mutual, and they're still close friends. She isn't extremely close to either of her siblings but does love them immensely.

————

Frederick Percy Weasley | Gryffindor

Wand: dogwood and billywig stinger

Patronus: basset hound

Professions: nightclub owner

Bonus: transmasc, named himself "Frederick Percy" after his godfather and late uncle. Used to fight with his father a lot as a teen and argued with Roxanne constantly, though his relationship with his younger sister improved greatly after graduating. Rox is the one who tattooed him after his top surgery scars healed. They're extremely close as adults. Dominique and Teddy were the ones who supported him the most through his transition. As a teenager he'd get into screaming matches with George and end them by leaving the house and going to Percy's until he'd calmed down. Percy was more than happy to accommodate him and be a safe space. Percy is the one who told him stories about Fred. Took a ton of odd jobs after school and saved up so he could buy his own property and open a club that catered to wizards and could be a safe space for socializing. It quickly becomes extremely popular.

————

Rose Minerva Granger-Weasley | Gryffindor

Wand: red oak and dragon heartstring

Patronus: field mouse

Profession: Ministry Worker - expert on human/animal spirits and non-human spiritous apparitions

Bonus: a daddy's girl, better wizards chess player than Ron. Doesn't approve of alternate magics like divination mostly because her mother doesn't like it. Once when Ron was drunk he told her how her mother had been tortured at Malfoy manor and how Draco once called her a mudblood, which is what began her seething resentment towards the Malfoys and Scorpius in particular. Does not approve of his friendship with Hugo or his relationship with Albus. Very stubborn and headstrong with excellent grades, though she isn't actually the biggest fan of studying. She desperately works for the best grades possible to make her parents proud. Has a somewhat strained relationship with her mother due to the fact she's always busy and working, and her father drinks liberally so it's difficult to talk to him. Unintentionally adopts her parents' traumas because she knows too much about them since drunk Ron talks a lot. It takes her a long time to shake out of it and come into her own person.

————

Hugo Arthur Granger-Weasley | Gryffindor

Wand: pear and dragon heartstring

Patronus: brown bear

Profession: herbologist

Bonus: gender fluid he/they, his grandfather Arthur's favorite grandson. Fred is his favorite cousin. Thinks Rose really needs to calm down. As an herbologist he often assists James and Scorpius in their individual work as both have careers that are heavily influenced by herbology. Straight up refuses to drink alcohol and will get angry if people try to peer pressure him into it. Consistently steals his sisters clothes, she puts up with it cuz that's her baby sibling, but she also tried to take him shopping for his own stuff. "I can just buy you a nice dress" "No I wanna wear yours :(" "so do i???".

————

Molly Audrey "MJ" Weasley | Gryffindor

Wand: aspen and dragon heartstring

Patronus: lioness

Profession: quidditch keeper in the league

Bonus: the most Gryffindor-like out of all the next gen. Confident, reliable and outrageously courageous to the point of insanity. She's the one who brings home strays asking if they can keep them. Strays can range from kittens, to snakes, to boar piglets, to random homeless folks (she's the reason for all Percy's gray hairs). Played as a keeper on the house team but was also a reserve beater for emergencies. Admires the hell out of her older cousin Lily. Loves to go practice flying with her step-father (oliver wood, because I believe in a perciver future where percy and audrey divorce soon after lucy is born and he gets full custody).

————

Lucy Olivia Weasley | Gryffindor

Wand: hazel and unicorn hair

Patronus: hummingbird

Profession: healer

Bonus: got her middle name from oliver. a hat stall because the sorting hat couldn't decide whether to put her in gryffindor or hufflepuff. Put her in gryffindor because "well you are a weasley and ive always known where to put you". Teddy gave her one of his old scarves to wear after she asked because she insists she can be both! She'd help MJ nurse all the strays back to full health. If one of her fathers or sister got sick, she'd be the first to make tea and sit by their bedside until they were better. Wakes up before dawn without needing to set an alarm. Makes friendship bracelets for everyone in her family. Oliver never takes his off.

#victoire weasley #fred weasley ii #rose weasley #hugo weasley #molly weasley ii #lucy weasley #harry potter next gen #next gen headcanons #harry potter #harry potter headcanon

[dansnaturepictures]

09/06/2023-Lakeside and home 

Pictures taken today in this set are of: 1. Some of the many dog roses and other roses enjoyed again today, a wealth of colour. 2, 4, 6, 8 and 9. Views on a sunny and scorching day, the weather really showed in the landscape I thought with brown grass and bright green vegetation. 3. Dazzling grass vetchling. 5. Some of a fair bit of bramble flower I enjoyed today. 7. Meadow crane’s-bill shining in the sunlight. 10. A Large Skipper I was thrilled to see again this evening. 

Two of my favourite birds the Buzzard at lunch time and Jay this evening were Lakeside bird highlights today, alongside seeing and hearing Song Thrush, Blackbird, Swift, Moorhen, Great Tit including hearing the pleasing trills and possibly seeing young and hearing Ring-necked Parakeet. It was a delight to follow a great number of Meadow Browns on the walks today, summer gems of the grass and harbingers of the season. Common Blue butterfly seen well, Emperor dragonfly, I believe a Black-tailed Skimmer dragonfly nearly flying into the adult Great Crested Grebes I saw with chicks as a post I did about this specifically today just now mentions and of course in a strong few weeks I’ve had for seeing them Swollen-thighed beetle were other insect highlights. Deliciously coloured alsike clover, a strong summer flower beautiful purple knapweed, yellow rattle, bird’s-foot trefoil, bird vetch, oxeye daisies, viper’s-bugloss, ragwort growing in a dry area by the steam railway station another heatwave image of the day, red valerian, hogweed, nightshade, dock, plantain and bird vetch were plant highlights. A gang of Woodpigeons on the roof out the back at one point, Collared Dove and Magpie together at one point with Magpie seen on the green out the front tonight too and Goldfinches were highlights at home today. 

My post about the Great Crested Grebes today: https://dansnaturepictures.tumblr.com/post/719674601461956608/09062023-great-crested-grebe-chicks-at-lakeside 

#great crested grebe #common blue #meadow brown #emperor #england #world #nature #uk #happy #swollen-thighed beetle #buzzard #jay #large skipper #meadow crane's-bill #bird vetch #oxeye daisy #oxeye daisies #birdwatching #birds #sunny #hot #walk #walking #nightshade #lakeside #lakeside country park #red valerian #insects #grebe #dragonflies

[froggymarsh]

fairy au talent list. hermitcraft edition! woo! under the cut is all the hermits and what i think their talents/specialties would be. all of this is subject to change, and i am open to suggestions :D

Bdubs - Garden - specializes in moss and lichen. naps a LOT, it’s not uncommon to find him fast asleep in a pile of moss somewhere. like. random piles of moss. piles of moss that, logically, he should not have been able to get to. his wings are a little smaller than average and he flaps them a little faster than most - lives in early spring

Cub - Tinker - he works well with Animal fairies and is learning about Dust Keeping - i dont know what cub actually makes but he sure does Make Stuff - he’s got pretty average wings though the points on them are a bit sharp - his house is in summer but that doesn’t mean he’s there all the time

Doc - Tinker - a little off the rails, in all honesty. idk what he does but it sure isn’t normal tinker stuff- wings are a bit longer than average, he lives in summer

Etho - Tinker - he combined tinkering and music, and dabbles in fast flying for fun - he finds Bdubs sleeping in the weirdest places and just kinda casually. picks him up. throws him over one shoulder and carries on as normal sjdklfjsd - wings are a touch bigger than usual but not as big as a fast flying talent - he lives somewhere in spring but u can find him all over

False - Fast Flying(?) maybe Animal - i will come back to her maybe - average wings, lives in spring or summer

Gem - Animal - she’s friends with a lot of light fairies and is learning how to fly fast - she teaches birds how to fly and certain ground animals how to burrow, and is also very good with bees and paints butterfly wings on the mainland in summer - average wings, lives in spring or summer

Grian - Garden - specializes in. vines. idk. he spends a lot of time around tinkers, mostly making houses with iskall. he’s learned how to get trees to grow around the framework of the house so that it won’t fall out easily - a lot of folks thinks he’s a fast flier because he flies as fast as one - pretty good with cingy stuff like ivy and vines - average wings. his sweater is made of pink rose petals that fade into red - he lives somewhere in summer or early fall

Hypno - i know nothing about this man

impulse - Tinker - works with light and animal fairies (pearl and gem sjdfklsj). if you need muscle on a project, he’s your guy! also has projects all over it seems - average wings, lives in summer

iskall - Tinker - builds houses and will help install trinkets or gadgets or things into your house. works well with Grian and Mumbo :D - average wings, lives in late spring/early summer

Jevin - uhh. Waaater? - average wings, lives in spring or summer

Joe Hills - Art - idk the wiki said that was a talent. does weaving and painting - average wings, lives in fall

Keralis - Tinker - builds houses with iskall and the gang, fond of. whatever it is tango does, is happy to lend a hand wherever he’s needed no matter the talent or the skills required - slightly larger than average wings, lives in summer

Mumbo - Tinker (human in my au) - third member of the Architechs. has these big silly goggles he wears - he’s pretty lanky and has wings to match, lives in summer between Iskall and Grian. the three of them crash on each other’s couches so often it’s like they have joint custody over three different houses jsdlfkjsldf

Pearl - Light - (i’m also debating on making her the. uh. idk, authority over Autumn? Lady Autumn/Lady Fall? she’d be in charge of all of the fall fairies. something something empires - idk for sure though so while im still on the fence. uh.) Light fairy! she specializes in constellations and moon phases and the like, she’s working with water fairies to learn how the moon effects the tides - her wings are longer and thinner than average wings, almost like a dragonfly but with pointed ends - she lives in fall

Ren - Theater/Performance (previously a Fast Flier) - I think. messenger vibes. eventually got roped into acting and never looked back - big fast-flier wings, lives in late summer/early fall

Scar - Animal (human in my au) - he’s really good with animals. rides around on a cat (Jellie! she is very well trained). idk if he has a broken wing or something else. maybe the tinkers fashioned him a wheelchair? idk. - wings are slightly bigger than average, lives in. somewhere. maybe spring? jumps around houses with the architechs tbh

Stress - Garden - occasionally works with iskall - her plants last longer than most, she made them stronger than most - average wings, lives in spring or summer

Tango - Tinker - a lot of people think he’s an animal fairy because of how good he is with animals! (he may not understand their words too well but he can sure understand body language. claws out means run /silly) - a lot of his projects have to do with animals, things like carts and harnesses and running wheels, that sort of thing. he likes making interactive puzzle-type stuff, invented the fairy version of a rubiks cube - his wings are average sized but weirdly pointy like cubs are. lives in summer, visits winter somewhat frequently

TinfoilChef - he’s in charge of the Lost Things Retrieval Expeditions, meaning he takes a team and they go searching for lost things, but nobody knows for sure if he’s actually a tinker sjdfklsjf - average wings, nobody knows where he lives cause he’s almost always out looking for lost things

Beef - Tinker with a huuuge emphasis on Art - also Cooking talent methinks. likes Tango’s puzzle games and is making one of his own right now - really really good at painting - average wings, lives in summer or fall

Wels - maybe fast flying? i could also see him as a dust keeper - lives in fall

xB - is this the guardian guy. water talent - wings are a bit big, lives in spring or summer

Xisuma - he’s in charge of one of the fairy camps on the mainland, Camp Hermit Crab, named after the one human in the field over there who never leaves his house - might live on the mainland all year round? it’s his job to make sure the camp doesn’t get discovered and/or destroyed - average wings

Zed - Dust Keeper - he’s an alchemist. not the first guy to experiment on pixie dust but he was the first to get actual results - wings are slightly small, he lives in summer

Cleo - Tinker - (also debating making them Lady Autumn. she’s got the vibes for it) - does more subtle crafty stuff, like crochet or embroidery. when a house is done and built she’s the one decorating it - average wings with a point to them, lives in fall

#fairy au stuff #please send me asks #i love themb #soooo many hermits are tinkers apparently sjdfkljsf

[acehigh-oddsnends]

Welcome to Ace High Odds n' Ends, whatever you want is here my friend!

Aesthetic/character development/writing resource blog for a project I call Ace's High. Mainly focused around Ace, others in the main cast also tagged.

list of tagged characters so far;

Ace (they/them) // Proprietor of the Ace's High, the thing in the profile picture

Derwyn/Darlin (he/she) // Bigender EMT, suffered a spinal injury and has pre-existing conditions that cause extreme chronic pain

Gale (he/they) // A folk hero, touched by the light and given fantastic powers due to it. Religious imagery related to angels, fire-themed.

Breeze (she/xe) // A folk hero, touched by the light and given fantastic powers due to it. Imagery related to dragonflies and butterflies, lightning-themed.

Delilah Noir (she/her) // A private eye, your classic noir detective, butch fatale.

Prism (it/its) // A robot, powered by diesel, whose creator was murdered in cold blood. It's hot on the trail of the perpetrator.

Hylte (they/them) // A robot, powered by biofuel, made to be a weapon, but choosing to be a medic instead.

Charlotte (she/they) // Cowgirl, highway robber, very tired.

Oisin (they/he) // Farmboy accidentally kidnapped by Charlotte, now on the run with her.

Leland (he/him) // A ghost, specifically a Lady In Red. Runs the gang Charlotte is a part of.

Penn (they/them) // Half human, half alien, then quarter robot on top of that. A mercenary for hire, with a passion for bloodshed.

Ethel (she/her) // CEO of a powerful company, nicknamed the Last Ethical Businesswoman despite...everything she does, because she's at least one percent better than the rest of them.

Jessica (she/her) // A college student, currently head of the cheerleading team, used to be star Quarterback before an injury, in college on a sport scholarship studying calculus.

Swashplate (he/him) // A robot, made to grease the gears of an old war, who defected and is now the leader of a mafia family in a large city.

FL1NCH (he/him) // A self-described hacktivist, when really all he does is steal from the rich for himself and only himself.

Dalton (he/him) // Derwyn's big brother, just a humble butcher.

Thurkear (they/he) // Lizan, former adventurer, now settled down as a mechanic.

Kane (he/him) // A folk hero, touched by the light and given fantastic powers due to it. Actually a manipulative abusive piece of shit, but he controls the stories. Imagery related to dragons and thorned plants.

Crescendo (it/its) // A mech pilot. Nothing more. (theres so much wrong with it holy shit)

#pinned

[cheesus-doodles]

Chapter 7: Swallow the Sun

Former Gang Leader Darling AU (Red Dragonflies)

Red Dragonflies Masterlist | Masterlist | Ao3 Link for the Sane

‎

The silence that filled the room was palpable, in every sense of the word. It weighed heavy on your shoulders, the air thick and heavy with every breath becoming harder and harder to take, the tension that clogged your lungs almost as if it was an invisible viscous liquid dripping from the ceiling and slowly filling the room. You never liked the feeling that crept like an eerie fog up your legs despite having gotten well acquainted with it by now; just the life of a negotiator you supposed, more so when the parties involved tend to be hot-headed and overly-excitable delinquent gang leaders faced with difficult decisions. 

Time felt like it had come to a crawl as the world held its breath. It was an unusually quiet afternoon for the city of Shinagawa, the usual hum of traffic buzzing down the nearby downtown area noticeably missing from the background hum. Even the wind that rattled the clear windows lining one wall just prior to the Black Dragons’ arrival had faded away into a cloudless sky, leaving just the uncaring sun watching on mercilessly. But you didn’t rush, didn’t try to hurry the other party who seemed to have frozen in place, Taiju simply wordlessly staring you down with those beastly yellow eyes, the lack of emotions on his face a heart-racing sight for a lesser delinquent, while Inupi and Koko flanking him were outright gaping at you with their shock worn on their sleeves.

The calm before the storm. You understood what you were asking - no, demanding - from them. Well aware of the implication and the loaded threat that your words carried, it wasn't an if but a when and how the Black Dragons were going to be merged into your own gang, whether they wanted it to happen or not. Yet, despite the seemingly sudden nature of this meeting with Taiju, you knew that this had been really a long time coming. All these years you had watched silently from the sidelines as Shinichiro’s gang was ran into the ground by unworthy leaders, its name and reputation tainted and soiled; this was simply the final straw, and no longer were you going to let his good name be sullied any more: at least you could hold your head high and say that you upheld your oath. Quashing down the surging memories of the equally horrid direction that Izana had led the gang down during his time at the head of the Black Dragons, you turned your attention back to the painful, painful waiting: not that you didn’t want to think of the underground smuggling ring or the crime-for-hire that your former lover ran, but it wasn’t an issue to solve at this point.

The oppressive stillness seemed to stretch on, each passing second amplifying the sense of anticipation, as if the room itself were counting down to the inevitable release and the coming explosion. And oh how you hated to wait - the unpredictability of what was to come was like daggers in your skin. There was truly nothing worse than being caught off guard; you had learnt that lesson the hard way multiple times before. At least even in these turbulent minutes you mused, you could count on the rhythmic sound of Furusawa’s heavy breathing from behind you to keep you grounded as you waited, a reassurance that your best friend was there to back you up regardless of how this nasty business turned out.

In an instance, the momentary tranquility shattered, and reality came crashing back down. “What the fuck did you just say?!” His words came out almost like a hiss as Taiju leaned forward, open palm slamming down onto the abused coffee table that separated you and him, the vein on his forehead seemingly throbbing more than usual as the blue-haired boy gritted his teeth. 

Pulling yourself out from your thoughts, you leveled your gaze at the gang leader who sat from across you, turning your full attention back to the present. This wasn’t the right time to be nostalgic about the past or ponder the future. “Should I repeat myself?” You raised one questioning eyebrow. No, it was time to play.

“You’re taking me as a fool? Huh?!” He sneered, teeth bared. “Merge my gang under yours? This a fucking game to you, little girl?”

The taunt failed to rile you up enough, even if the strong emphasis on the Black Dragons being his did send a flash of irritation through your chest. No, the gang had never been his. It was Shinichiro’s and Takeomi’s, Wakasa’s and Benkei’s. Taiju was simply another steward for their legendary legacy, just like Izzy had been. Not his. A quick glance at Inupi and you saw the same turmoil in those blue eyes, but you swallowed the rising annoyance. You had worse thrown your way before. “Surely you can’t be suggesting something so vile, Taiju-san,” Bending over slightly to lightly pick your full cup off of the coffee table, you continued, your voice as even as the color of a cloudless midday sky. “I have never messed around in meetings, and never will. This is serious business.”

His tiger eyes seemed to glimmer and glint from the sunlight that filtered through the large window panes, as if simply waiting for a chance to tear into you. To eat you alive. “Then what the fuck are you trying to say?”

You sighed, unimpressed with the lack of tact on show. You didn’t fear the newest of the Black Dragon Presidents, not in the slightest, but you could at least empathize with his poor victims; this man left little room for negotiation for those who lived in his shadow. Fortunately, you did not. “I’m sure you understood me perfectly fine, Taiju-san.” Leaning back onto your chair and taking a sip of your tea, you continued to meet his infuriated stare from the brim of your cup with barely a blink. Deciding that this little dance was going nowhere, you forged ahead. “You must have heard of the brewing storm coming your way.”

Taiju didn’t seem the least bit phased. “You mean that 8th Generation Black Dragon leader? Izana?” Scoffing, the blue-haired boy flicked his hand nonchalantly, as if waving off the fly he thought Izana would be. “Won’t be the slightest issue, dealing with that rat.”

You hummed, a low, single-toned haunting note. “I wouldn’t be too sure. Izana’s a lot stronger than he looks.” A fact that you knew firsthand and all too well - even you wouldn’t be able to take him down alone, with or without the handicaps he would give you.

Silence fell over the room once again, those shaking, balled-up fists told you everything you needed to know. Consumed by anger and preferring to speak with his fists, you noted to yourself, and you wondered if you would have gotten further along if you had just let Furu at him from the start. Maybe you should now in fact - this particular meeting of leaders is coming along much rougher than you had hoped, and your precious free time was slowly but surely ticking down the drain. Yes, it was indeed time to instigate, even if you did risk another human-sized hole in your walls. Pulling yourself back up, placing your cup gingerly back down at the coffee table with a clink as porcelain met porcelain. “What I have been trying to say is,” you leaned forward, head cocked slightly to the side as a small taunting smile began to pull at your lips. “The Black Dragons are far too important to me to let you lose.”

And that was all it took.

‎

‎

Inupi had been looking forward to meeting you again for a very long time. He hadn’t been sure if he would ever be given the opportunity to do so, after everything that had gone down two years ago and you had evaporated into thin air after abruptly retiring, but now here you were. You looked so similar from when he had last seen you standing side by side with Izana, sans the physical growth, you had barely changed - but the weariness in your eyes. The sheer exhaustion that tainted your once lively eyes, it seemed to have only increased and intensified as the years went by; there was no doubt even with all he had witnessed in his life, those eyes had already experienced so much more. An old soul trapped in a young body was what you were, though it wasn’t hard for the Black Dragon member to remember the times that you had away from such heavy gang duties or the times you had spent with your now ex-boyfriend; the times when your eyes would light up as if fireworks against the dark winter sky, and your youth would come rushing back into that gaze like an water out of an opened dam.

Even this infamous meeting room brought back memories; its plush carpet always kept in tiptop condition, the eternal dance of the cranes across the walls, and the homely, worn wooden coffee table that was the centerpiece of the room. After all, the former Black Dragon Vice Captain had once spent hours within these four walls, locked at attention while watching over meetings where you and Izana poured over gang matters and strategies. Not too different from what was happening now, Inupi supposed, crystal blue eyes sliding to glance at the head of alternating blue and white hair that now occupied the sofa opposite of you. 

But you always had this presence about you; not those heavy types like Taiju’s, one that commanded fear and attention. No, you had a different type of draw; you brought a sense of closure. An unyielding, constant pressure that meetings in your presence, be it in a room or on the battlefield, will one way or another be brought to a close, with the type of ending they get being left up to your unfortunate victims to decide. 

The stoic mask the blond-haired delinquent wore threatened to break when your gaze landed on him, and your lips twitched upwards ever so slightly as you greeted him, but through sheer self-control, he had managed to simply acknowledge your attention. Now standing in your presence once more, Inupi could only wish it was you that he had approached for help with reviving the Black Dragons - the gang would have greatly benefited from a calm and experienced hand at the helm if you hadn’t upped and vanished immediately after you resigned from your beloved Reds.

And it only grew clearer and clearer that mistakes had been made as the meeting dragged on. Hearing you all but order Taiju into giving up the Black Dragons to you was the straw that broke the camel’s back, a gut punch that Inupi struggled to keep his face straight through; the reason they were here was because of his failure. There was no doubt that a lifelong delinquent like Izana’s former right-hand man had not heard the rumors swirling around about his old boss, and you being here to rescue his beloved gang from the depths of the pit he had dug them into only served to highlight one fact. Too important to let them - to let him - lose the gang: you were here because of his failure that started all the way back with the end of the Eighth Generation of Black Dragons. 

Failure to protest harder against Shion being Izana’s successor, failure to pick a better boss to follow, failure to do better: there was no other way to put it. He had failed Izana, failed Shinichiro, failed the once-pristine legacy of the Black Dragons again and again. Scars and sins that he carried, that he once hoped he could lay bare before you, for the infamous Negotiator to wash it all away; but not like this.

‎

Koko must have noticed the turmoil brewing right under those usually impassive eyes, the financier glancing over in his direction with furrowed eyebrows.

Right as his black-haired friend was about to ask, the entire mood changed, and those almond eyes snapped right back towards the silent, tense standoff that dominated the room. In that moment, the universe felt as if it had collapsed in on Inupi’s gut, the flare of desperate screams to move, to fight, to duck from the back of his head overwhelming each and every one of his senses. But there was no time to react. The sunflower-blond boy wasn't sure what had happened, or who was faster. It was as if both Taiju and Furusawa had moved within the span of a sole heartbeat; a single blink, too fast for him to even catch; and the next thing he knew, his entire view of you was filled by the jarring red of Furusawa’s jacket and the black of his shirt, the draft he generated whipping his jacket backwards. An ominous creak of wood, and Inupi chanced a quick glance upwards - and there, held above your Vice Captain’s head with a sole hand was the other half of your beloved camelback sofa set that Taiju had been sitting on just seconds earlier, its shadow eclipsing the ceiling light around where you sat.

Silence consumed everyone present, as if the room was suddenly emptied of air. Inupi barely dared to breathe should break the temporary peace, blue shaky eyes darting between the brown and pink-haired man and Taiju belied the neutral, unmoved expression Inupi wore. What happened?

Chocolate eyes met yellow ones easily, with neither party willing to back down. The sight of the sofa failing to reach its intended target, however, didn’t seem to be enough of a deterrent to any further rash actions, as Inupi watched the Tenth Generation Black Dragon President reach for the walnut coffee table with the definite intent to hurl that as well, the telltale veins on his forehead throbbing with every heartbeat. 

This time though, Furusawa was faster. A loud thud shattered the silence as a steel-toed boot came crashing down, the worn wood beneath letting out a groan at the sudden impact as it was pinned back down firmly to the carpet, a force too strong even for Taiju’s usually imposing strength to overcome. “Wanna take this outside, punk?” The Beast of the Underworld grinned as he leaned forward, that usual friendly, oblivious smile Inupi remembered having turned rather sinister, his sharp canines glinting even under the warm ceiling lights. “I can take you out right now. Makes Boss’ job a lot easier too.” 

It was a threat as clear as the sun rising at midnight, and no doubt Furusawa could back it up and come out the other end without missing a breath off; not only was it well know within delinquent circles how monstrous your Vice Captain was, but also how much the man was always itching for a fight. The mere memory of the last fight Inupi had witnessed years ago where this fighting behemoth decided he was bored and decimated an entire gang himself - he would rather avoid that happening to him at all costs. The logo of the white dragonfly neatly embroidered on the breast of Furusawa’s red jacket was as much a threat as it was a reminder for everyone else to thread carefully: this was still the heart of the Red Dragonflies’ territory, and no matter the supposed strength of the latest generation of Black Dragons, you had historically always came out on top. Results speak for themselves.

And for all the ongoings around you, your small figure remained unmoved. Fingers tapping rhythmically on one knee of your neatly crossed legs as your gaze flittered between the four boys with not a single hair out of place; your continued composure in the face of imminent danger was just one of the things that Inupi had always admired about you. That, and the full trust you always had in your right-hand man and Vice Captain Mamoru Furusawa for your safety and security - it wasn’t lost on the seasoned delinquent that you hadn’t flinched the slightest bit at the sofa flying your way, making no moves to avoid the threat, let alone dodge. Even Izana would have reacted back in the day, Inupi mused. 

You seemed content in letting this little game play out for a while more, a small smile pulling at the corner of your lips. Perhaps to sate Taiju’s bloodlust, but he was well past done letting Taiju embarrass the Black Dragons and Shinichiro’s good name any further. This was getting way too out of hand.

‎

Taking a step forward was all that was needed to draw the room’s attention to him, but the Black Dragon second-in-command had his focus squarely on his leader, meeting that tiger gaze unhesitantly. “Stop it Taiju, don’t disrespect her.”

The blue-haired boy seemed to have been slightly taken aback by Inupi’s sudden boldness, his jaw dropping slightly at the open contempt on display from his own subordinate. In front of a rival gang leader, no less. It was provoking the sleeping dragon, that was for sure, but there was little else Inupi could think to do in the moment. Or maybe he should have sat back and let Taiju be utterly annihilated by Furusawa? A chanced look at you revealed that unlike Taiju, you weren’t caught off guard, somehow having expected that it would have been Inupi who stepped up, though seemingly disappointed at the same time for reasons beyond him. Had you been hoping for a different outcome? Something more out of him?

But unfortunately, the sunflower-blond delinquent didn’t have much time to consider this line of thinking any further as Taiju’s stunned state didn’t last long, and the historically violent and short-tempered Shiba emerged predictably into a state of utter rage. And as said gang leader turned bodily to face his rebellious subject, Inupi found himself dwarfed once more by the other’s large stature, and the memories of when he had first challenged Taiju in his search for a new Black Dragon leader came flooding back, though he didn’t take a single step back. 

Taiju’s words came out as a hiss. “What’s the meaning of this, Inui?” Fist tightening to the point that his knuckles turned white, there was little chance that the boss was anything but furious.

Inupi refused to back down. “You’re not going to win this. Don’t embarrass the gang any further.”

“How dare you?”

This was it, Inupi supposed, mulling over what he had said. With you on the other side of the table this time round, he didn’t suppose he could rely on your intervention, and he wouldn’t count on surviving Taiju’s wrath. Yet much to his surprise, instead of the thrashing he expected, another voice that had stayed silent now interjected before the blue-haired gang leader could make a move. “Lay a hand on him and I’m out,” Koko threatened, his tone pointed as the infamous financier took a step forward, putting himself between the two. A valid threat. After all, there was no way Taiju could afford to run a gang like the Black Dragons without Koko’s legendary finance skills bringing in extra income and jobs.

For all the threats and posturing, the oldest of the Shibas still seemed unmoved, a disparaging curling his lips as he looked between the two. “And then what will you do, Inupi? Run the Black Dragons yourself?” He laughed humorlessly, the mockery clear. The empty smile dropped as he leaned forward, his shadow casting over the two defiant delinquents. “I’ll burn this whole worthless gang down with me.”

Time slowed to an immediate crawl as those fateful words were left floating in the still air, and as if a heavy, wet coat had been suddenly draped over the room, every breath became a challenge to take as the atmosphere itself seemed to press down on them. Unrestrained bloodlust that tainted his senses with the hint of iron led the Black Dragons back to one single, possible source. Furusawa wasn’t the slightest bit affected by the change in mood, his signature beastly grin plastered across his face, but Inupi knew that look of yours, partially hidden behind your right-hand man’s towering figure. Utter, unbridled rage pouring through your cracked facade that had even Koko stagger a step back. “Worthless?” Hatred, pure and plain, oozing from every pore, burning and consuming those tired, kind eyes. It was the first time Inupi had witnessed it with his own eyes after hearing about it from Izana all those years ago; the legendary other half that had tamed even the Eighth Generation Black Dragon leader

Your sheer contempt for the living. “Worthless?” You repeated, the word seemingly inconceivable to you. Your abhorrence of their continued existence.

“So that’s what you were hiding,” Taiju muttered to himself, his yellow eyes sparking with interest.

As soon as it appeared, the immense pressure evaporated back into thin air like it had never been there, the world seemed to sigh as the whirl of the air-condition once more returned to the background. Taking a breath, your face was once more schooled into that familiar calm expression as you relaxed back against the sofa, the tension in your shoulders gone. Picking up your teacup once more for what should be by now a stone-cold cup of tea, you allowed a small smile to lift the corners of your lips, your gaze landed back on a shaken Inupi. “Time is getting on. Furu, return their sofa to them, would you?”

A tch, but the brown and pink-haired man complied, walking round the coffee table to lightly place the sofa back in its place with nay a thud - a surprise, given he had looked ready to fling the object straight back in Taiju’s face. You waved your hand, drawing the three Black Dragon gazes back on you, though it seemed that both gang leaders present were well past the pleasantries. “I’m sure you have other places to be, Shiba-san, so let’s put it this way. One week to join willingly.”

Taiju scoffed, his vibrant red jacket flaring out behind him as he turned to leave without another word, storming past Inupi and Koko and leaving the meeting room door open as he disappeared round the corner. You simply sighed, your gaze landing on a stoic Inupi and an ashen Koko. “Sorry about that, boys,” you smiled, waving Furusawa forward, though your Vice Captain simply handed a letter to Inupi before backing off. “You should probably be on your way too. Stay safe, okay?”

‎

‎

The hefty wooden door shut softly behind the two Black Dragons, though the click still reverberated through the room, ringing in your ears as you sat in the sudden silence, reflecting on all that had occurred in the past hour. Yet in the moment, all your mind could process was: you shouldn’t have lost control like that. You knew descending in such a state of anger was terrible for your mental health, and your nii-san would be so extremely disappointed if you did something unforgivable again.

You could really use a smoke right now.

You abruptly stood, forcing those useless, churning thoughts down and away from your consciousness, startling your long-time best friend out from his own daydreaming process. “How did you think that went, Furu?” Your voice nor expression gave no hint of the uncertainty brewing just below the surface, though you knew there was no hiding your clenched fingers from those eagle eyes, no matter how you positioned them at your side. 

But your right-hand man seemed more occupied with thinking of the could-bes, having clearly been intrigued by Taiju’s raw strength, and the lack of a fight breaking out was no doubt the root cost of the dejectedness on his face. “Went pretty well, I guess,” he mumbled, kicking his feet. “No holes in the walls, nothing broken."

“You don’t sound too happy about that.”

Furu sighed. “That blue-haired dude looked kinda strong. Could have made a great fight.”

You lightly smacked him in the arm. “Not in my meeting room,” you reminded him, attempting to sound cross but utterly failing to do so. “I’m sure you’ll get your chance though,” you added thoughtfully.

That was enough to perk the Vice Captain up, chocolate eyes glinting with eagerness and hope, as if you had just promised the life of another human being to him as a Christmas present. “Really? You think so?”

But those questions only dredged back up the doubts you had suppressed since the start of the meeting; about the effectiveness of what you did, about what you should have done, about your past and the future of the Black Dragons. Sighing, you slumped backwards into the sofa, the soft backing cushion denting and giving way as you did so. “Most likely, given how that went,” you exhaled, turning your eyes up towards the ceiling once more as you ran one hand through your hair. “If Izzy doesn’t get to them first, that is. One week is a long time.”

A pause, your words lingering in the cool air for a moment. And then you continued. “I don’t know, Furu, I still think I should have just ran with my idea of proposing marriage. Would have saved us a lot of trouble.” Your mind wandered back to your precious Toman friends. Another problem you had no clue where to start, let alone solve. Every passing day spent trying to put out the fires of your past was another day letting your treasured relationship with your boys, with Mikey in particular, deteriorate. What else could you do other than try and make it up to them later?

Your Vice Captain was on you in a second, plucking you off your sofa and out of your thoughts by the back of your jacket before you realized what had happened, and earning a decidedly undelinquent-like eep from you. “Furu! Put me down!” You tried to insist, a 180 degree change from the refined gang leader facade you had donned just minutes earlier, but the much larger man was nonplussed.

"I'll kill him," Furusawa swore, the obliviousness that usually glazed his eyes having given way to a rare serious expression, and the lack of his usual playful lilt was enough to convey the gravity of your words. “I'll kill and eat that motherfucker if you ever say that again.” 

You think that you’ve only seen the man so stern once before. Those chocolate eyes seemed intent on boring a hole straight into your soul, you mused, sighing as you threw both hands up in surrender. “Alright, alright. I won’t mention it again.”

“And you won’t go behind our backs either?”

Touche. “I swear I won’t,” you crossed your heart. “Happy?”

Somewhat pacified, the brown and pink-haired man lowered you carefully back onto your two feet, though his grumpiness hadn’t disappeared completely. "Sometimes I don't think you have anything in there, Boss."

You playfully smacked him. You had, after all, told them what happened with Izzy when you met him against their advice four days earlier, and much to no one’s surprise, the meeting hadn’t gone as planned in the slightest without your usual chaperones present. Even hearing that Izana wanted to wed you immediately and went straight to violence after you refused failed to raise an eyebrow, Hase opting to simply let out a despairing groan while Koji threw up his hands in exasperation. What they said was completely true: you were way too personally involved to make sound decisions when it came to anything related to Izzy, and you shouldn’t have. Yet the lingering doubt refused to let go. "But what if-"

"We will handle it. Like we always do," Furusawa interjected. “You’re not alone.”

The grin you shone at your oldest friend was genuine as you leaned into his side. "Thanks Furu." As usual, your wiser friends were right.

“Anytime, Boss.” A grumble of his stomach broke the peace, and you laughed. Time for lunch with the others.

‎

‎

Across town and just as you first waved the Tenth Generation Black Dragon leader through the ornately carved doors of your famed meeting room, a certain blond-haired time leaper was knee-deep living his most miserable past yet.

“Get up.” 

Takemichi barely registered the nudge to his side, too busy ensuring that his chest kept heaving along through the throbbing pain as he struggled to catch his breath. Sprawled spread-eagle across the blood-splattered canvas floor of the fighting ring, it was only the rank, foul odor of sweat, blood and god-only knows what else - soaked up from a filthy past of countless fights and fermented in the summer heat - radiating up that kept him still clinging on to consciousness. Only the dead could sleep through a stink like that. Yet no smell could help with rebooting his shaken brain still rattling around his head from all the throwing around he had just endured. 

Unfortunately, Hase didn’t seem as inclined to indulge his self-pity party nor give a second chance, and the next ‘nudge’ was instead a firm kick to his side, enough to roll Takemichi over several times and face first straight into the metal cage that separated this ring of hell from the outside world. “I’m not repeating myself,” came his drawl, followed by the familiar click of a lighter and the stinging smell of cigarette smoke that pierced his nose.

A snort off from the side. “Think you might have killed him,” Jun complained, his tone clearly bored as he lightly smacked his baseball bat against his calf. A pause. “That might be a boon though. Changing the future and all.”

Scratch that, his death wasn’t even an inconvenience. He could cry right now. He really could. Even Mikey didn’t waste his time finding nobodies to beat up for the hell of it. How was it that your brutal, heartless captains were so vastly different from kind, caring you? How is it you hadn’t yet been eaten alive by these monsters in human skin? Were you perhaps as much a monster as them? The mere idea of you staring down at Takemichi like Mikey did, with cold, empty eyes, sent a shiver down his spine, and he pushed the thought to the back of his head. No, there was no way you could hide something so sinister, not how genuine that gaze of yours had been or how sincere you were about your care towards your friends. 

Then again, Mikey hasn’t had to shake the truth out from him just yet, and you weren’t particularly interested in digging those secrets out yourself either. Takemichi sighed, resigning himself to his fate. It wasn’t as if he could get his answers at the moment, and so albeit the reluctance and the protests of his body, the blond-haired boy pulled himself up from the well worn tarp, biting back the tears as he somehow managed to twist his bruised self into a sitting position, resting against the crisscrossing bars. Risking what Hase would do to him if he didn’t obey was just one more thing that Takemichi did not want to test - he might actually die if he gets tossed across the ring again.

“I’m up, I’m up,” the time traveler hastily reassured through swollen, bleeding lips, though it was more to convince himself than the other two seasoned gangsters as he carefully shuffled black and blue limbs around in an attempt to make things more comfortable. Dressed in just his sports shorts, he already made for quite the pathetic sight, with clear purple-and-black bruises decorated his upper chest, arms and legs, and this was barely helped by just how scrawny Takemichi looked next to the much taller and well-built Hase. 

Hase, himself clothed in a simple shirt and shorts and with bandages wrapped around bare hands and feet, only rolled his eyes at the carefulness in which Takemichi picked himself off the floor, those dull gray eyes glaring down at him with disdain as he brought his cigarette up to his lips for another drag. “Nothing’s broken, stand.”

“But everything hurts,” Takemichi mumbled, the sharp flashes of agony that had rippled through his body from being beaten and thrown around having finally died down to a throb that radiated from his chest with every breath. How was it that he constantly finds himself in these sorts of situations? All he ever wanted to do was to save Hina from her unfortunate, undeserving destiny, was that too much to ask? Well, save Hina, Naoto, Mikey, and the rest of his newfound Toman friends, but still. 

It had been a mere four days since you first waltzed into his life and class with a letter from the school principal, looking for him, and two since Jun had crashed his class and dragged him off in front of his teacher and all his classmates by the scruff of his neck, having figured through some unknown means that Takemichi was, in fact, a time leaper. And now, four days on from that fateful day, he hadn't even recovered enough from the beating he got from Hase two days prior before being today’s fresh punching bag. A time traveler of twelve years he was, but even now, Takemichi wished he had the ability to reach back just a single day to warn himself of what was to come.

‎

He had almost forgoed school this morning. A bad gut feel, one that was strong enough to cramp up his stomach, making it near impossible for him to roll out of bed; Takemichi couldn’t recall the last time when his body had protested this much against doing something. He knew he should have listened, stayed at home to rest out the pain. It might have been the air being denser than normal, might have been just a bad snack the previous day, or the fact that he was still recovering from the  stomp he received courtesy of your Red Dragonflies’ First Division Captain. Whatever it was, Takemichi should have heeded the warning.

But Hina had promised to go out for tea with him after school if he showed up, and the blond-haired boy just wasn’t strong enough to resist. And so against his better judgment, he went anyway. 

The ominous rumbling of his stomach a second foreboding time was hard to ignore as Takemichi slipped through the front door of his homeroom class, cutting it close to being late again just as the bell rang through the empty corridors outside. His homeroom teacher shot him a stink eye as he sat down, but with nothing to hold against him, she let him go. At least for those few precious seconds, the time-traveling delinquent recalled, there was peace in his world. Normality had returned, and maybe he could rest for a bit.

A tug at his sleeve. “Hey, Hanagaki-kun.” Followed by the rustle of a piece of paper being slid between tables. “For you.”

Alas, it was the third and final saving grace that fate had attempted to extend his way; the chance to simply ignore the Red Dragonflies’ gang member of a deskmate he had for the remaining five minutes that this period would last before he could make his getaway, but it was too little too late. Blue eyes slipped to meet Suzuki Hisao’s before Takemichi could stop himself, and the boy mentally kicked himself. “Uh- sure. Thanks Suzuki-kun,” he mumbled back, reaching out to quickly grab the offered note, attempting to slip the piece of paper into his pocket without looking. Perhap he could still get himself out of this mess…

“Aren’t you going to read that? It’s from Hase-san, you know.”

Dammit. Why did his usually sleepy classmate have to be so sharp when it came to this? “I was just going to,” came Takemichi’s weak reply, tinted with obvious despair. There was no avoiding or denying what was written in a surprisingly neat print on the inside of the folded scrap paper: an order to meet back at the “same place” at 11am. The same place? As in that dingy underground fight club where he got beat to an inch of his life? Not only had he been there just a single time and had no recollection how to make his own way back to that hellhole, but 11 in the morning was still class time. How was he supposed to up and leave?

The unvocalized frustration painted on his face must have been misinterpreted by Suzuki, because the unusually enthusiastic boy leaned forward, his voice dropping to a whisper, envy clear in his tone. “So how did you do it?”

Takemichi startled at the sudden interjection to his thoughts, though fortunately, the drone of his homeroom teacher about one topic or another (he wasn’t paying the slightest bit of attention) was enough to drown out any sound that escaped his lips. “Sorry?”

“First, Boss comes to seek you out personally, now you’re getting training from Hase-san? Two of the greatest honors. How did you do it?”

Greatest honors? Two? The blond-haired delinquent gave a nervous laugh, eyes shifting away to stare at the ground. Shit. “I-I think there’s been some confusion, a-ahaha…” There was no possible way to break it nicely to the starry-eyed Suzuki that all your Reds wanted with him was to wrangle as much information about the future as they could before discarding his lifeless body. “There’s no training-”

“Hase-san doesn’t train anyone outside of the Wings and his own two Vice Captains,” the Reds’ gang member interjected. “And you’re not even a Red. How’s the training? Are you learning quickly?”

Deciding that he no longer wanted to discuss his upcoming death, Takemichi instead racked his brain for a discussion change. “Uh- Suzuki-kun, don’t you report to Koji-san?”

The awe on his deskmate’s face melted away as the implication of the question set in, giving way to pursed lips and solemn eyes. “Yes, but everyone obeys Hase-san.” A moment’s pause, and then Suzuki hastily corrected himself. “Besides Boss and Furusawa-san, of course.”

Takemichi’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Everyone obeys Hase? But isn’t he the First Division Captain?” That would be like expecting Hakkai or Peh to differ to Baji despite them being in different divisions.

“Hase-san’s the First Wing, yes, but he’s also the gang’s de facto commander,” Suzuki explained, keeping his voice down to a quiet mumble that easily blended in with the normal chatter as the homeroom teacher trailed off. “Runs the day-to-day operations for the boss. So if Hase-san gives you an order, you obey. And he personally - personally - asked me to pass you this note and bring you down to the club.” 

With that, the excitement came roaring back onto the other’s face, and Takemichi groaned. So much for topic diversion. 

As if on cue, the lesson bell rang, its shrill, ear-piercing scream marking the end of both homeroom and this conversation. Suzuki stood, swinging his bag casually over his shoulder. “Right, we’re leaving at 10.15 so make sure your bag is packed then. Hase-san despises tardiness.”

‎

Fuck, he was going to miss his tea with Hina. Lost in his recollections of the recent past, wondering whether Toman or the Red Dragonflies were the worse gang to be a part of, it was the new shadow falling over him that finally tore Takemichi from his memories and musings, though it was too late to avoid the hand that wrapped itself around the scruff of his neck, bodily lifting him from where he had been slumped against the fighting ring’s cage. "No speed, no technique, no strength,” Hase noted blandly, the smoldering cigarette held between chapped lips uncomfortably close to Takemichi’s skin as the older man gave him a once over before dropping him back on his two aching feet. “Can’t last a minute in a fight."

“Ouch,” Takemichi winced, sharply inhaling through his nose, the pain both physical, from landing on his sore and abraded feet, and emotional, from having the quiet part said out loud. Damn, do your guys really need to poke at his weakness like that?

The protest wasn’t lost on Jun, who snorted, lifting his wooden bat to point directly at him from where the Second Wing was lazily sprawled across several spectator seats. “You can barely throw a fucking punch and you’re still fucking complaining during training?”

“I tried! That wasn’t training, that was a curb stom-“

A loud bang cut Takemichi off before he could finish, and the Toman delinquent whirled around right as Hase lowered his leg from where the thick metal bars of the fighting cage were now clearly indented in the shape of his foot. Said man didn’t even bother sparing a second look, moving to yank a well worn chair to the middle of the ring, but the message was clear. If this had been anything but training, the blond-haired boy would have been dead many times over. “Start off from where you stopped,” the blue-haired First Wing ordered, his weary words as steely as the seat he slumped into, the metal beneath letting out a groan of protest at the sudden weight put on its tired joints.

“Fucking showoff,” the baseball player mumbled, though this was promptly ignored by Hase.

No seat for him? Takemichi sighed, opting to lean back against the cage for a bit of support to take the pressure off his feet. Even if neither of the two were clad in the usual red, he still very much felt the exclusion. “Well, we covered the first future-”

Jun interjected. “Where there was only Mikey and Kisaki are at the top of Toman and no Red Dragonflies, yes. And then the second future, all those clingy Toman motherfuckers are dead, and you got all fucking emotional where you had to kill that fucking Sano, get the fuck on with it.”

“Shut the fuck up, Jun,” Hase snapped irritably, before waving his free hand at Takemichi as he lifted the other to pull the finished cigarette from his mouth. “Start from there, after your return from Manila.”

The Toman member shivered as those dull gray eyes came to rest once more on him: it was the same thousand-yard gaze from the timeline he was about to recall, the same look Hase leveled straight at you as he pulled the trigger. Somehow, those eyes hadn’t changed despite the events of the future being twelve years away; Takemichi could only wonder what the tired man had already seen. Wondered what you had seen - if anything, your eyes looked too awfully similar to Hase’s, for someone so young. Instead, shaking himself back into reality, the time leaper cleared his throat. “Well, after returning to Tokyo, I found out through Naoto that it was someone called Kurokawa Izana who was the boss of Toman alongside Kisaki. I'd never heard of Izana till then, so Naoto had mentioned that he was going to go back to the station to do more digging, but then we were jumped.” 

The tap of wood against concrete ceased, and with a shriek of cheap plastic from his protesting chair, the Red Dragonflies’ Second Wing leaned forward, bat now propped up between his legs, black almond eyes fixed unblinkingly on Takemichi. Even Hase seemed intrigued, his posture stiffening - the word ‘jumped’ having caught both their attention.

“We were jumped from behind by you, Hase-san.” 

As soon as those words left Takemichi, the loud ‘ha!, followed by the screeching of a chair being forced back nearly gave the Toman member a heart attack, Jun leaping out of his chair and swinging his bat at the First Wing. “I called it! I fucking called it!” He bellowed triumphantly, his screech as piercing as a murder of crows, ringing out over the hum of the large exhaust fans overhead and echoing across the empty betting hall.

But along with that celebration also came a loud groan followed by a thwack as Hase threw his head backwards, bashing it against the metal chair backing, one hand immediately slipping into his pants pocket to pull out that trusty pack of cigarettes. “Fuck me. It had to be me, huh?” The blue-haired man muttered to himself, pulling and pushing a stick into his mouth with a single fluent move. 

“I told you I’ll never work for that fucking rat, not even once,” crowed Jun proudly. “Pay up, fucker.”

The other Red executive sighed, and from the other pocket pulled out a wallet. “At least come up to the cage.” Takemichi didn’t catch how much had changed hands, but there was no mistaking the size and color of those 10-thousand yen notes being passed between bars. They were betting on the future? Scratch that, the two of them had guessed enough of what happened to make a bet?

Hase grumbled something about blood money going to idiots, but did not return to his seat, instead opting to lean against the bars of the fight ring, gray eyes now fixed on the blood and sweat splattered canvas floor even as he spoke to Takemichi. “Continue.”

“Um- yes so both of us were knocked out, but you said that it was Kisaki that told you that I would be found easily near Naoto. Next thing I knew, I woke up as I was being dragged by my foot alongside Naoto through the corridors of some penthouse, and then Hase-san pulled us into a bedroom.”

All of the celebratory mood was instantly lost, evaporating into the hot summer afternoon and leaving behind a heavy, tense atmosphere; Jun’s face turned solemn once more, and Hase only seemed to age further under the harsh white lights that flooded down from the ceiling. The time leaper swallowed hard - no doubt they could already sense where this was going. He hurried on. “And Izana was there, on the bed, with- with-” But for all his attempts to just keep going, to tell your Red Dragonflies what they needed to know, it was the image of you that came flooding back into the front of his mind. His words failed him. Those dead glass eyes of yours were still staring straight at him from beyond time, haunting him from his memory. 

“With Boss,” Hase finished off Takemichi’s sentence with a mumble, the words slipping from his lips like a prayer.

Takemichi shakily nodded. It was all he had left in him to do, and the boy collapsed back to the ground, his jelly legs finally having given up the last of their strength. Naoto had been right, he bitterly thought as he tried and failed to bite back the tears brimming at the corners of his eyes - this timeline they were headed down was truly the worst future. But what more could he do? The underground ring felt more like a desecrated church in the moment, the enormous concrete bunker forever hidden from the light of the sun falling eerily calm as the sound of the exhaust fans blended into the background, the whistle of wind being forced through narrow gaps under heavy steel doors as if haunted by the ghosts; though from his past lives or of fights past, the time leaper couldn’t tell.

“Keep going. What happened next?”

The rest of the tale spilled out of the weary time leaper as a whisper, but it was enough for the other two present to hear every horrid word and detail relayed: about your scars and bruises and Izana’s obsession over you, about your dead mind still trapped in a living body, about the white-haired man shooting a future Naoto before trying to get you to turn the gun on Takemichi. About how it was Hase that finally put you to rest, about Furusawa’s death by ambush, and then Jun’s and of countless others at said First Wing’s hands, and finally how he had a chance to escape to the past before his own untimely end. 

The two older delinquents simply listened on in calm, eerie silence, content with taking in and absorbing the words for now. A tale that was way too specific to be made up yet still lacking a frustrating amount of detail, though neither seemed too bothered by the future Hase’s actions. A moment of silence as Takemichi’s words trailed off, and the three processed everything that had happened so far. The next time Jun spoke up, his tone was completely flat and volume close to conversational, his usual loudness nowhere to be found. “And you say this… Kisaki. He is the one pulling the strings?”

It took Takemichi by surprise, the fact that the loud and crass baseball player could sound so normal, but he still nodded. “Yes, that is what me and Naoto think. Izana mentioned that I was to be Kisaki’s target. And in every future, Kisaki is present as one of the heads of Toman.”

“But so is Mikey,” Hase pointed out. “How do you know it's Kisaki and not Mikey calling the shots?”

The Toman member’s jaw slackened. “But- but-” Takemichi stammered. “Mikey would never do something like that!” The face of the Toman President, framed by blond strands, cuddled into your side and protesting about something inaudible came to the front of his mind, the same boy that would fight through hell and high water for his friends; that Mikey?

An annoyed tap of wood against concrete. “You don’t know that,” the Red Dragonfly’s battle strategist pointed out, his long blond hair flung backwards over a shoulder in an attempt to get the sweat-covered strands out of his face. “That Sano shithead is another persistent factor, plus he’s already a current pest to Boss.”

“It can’t be.” He knew what they were saying was the truth, but still, it wasn’t something that Takemichi could accept - yes, Mikey from the future had been the one committing cold-blooded murder of people he knew and loved, but that wasn’t the real Mikey. That couldn’t be truly the Mikey he knew. “It can’t be Mikey. It has to be Kisaki that made Mikey do it. Or Izana.”

Jun hmmpfed, but fell silent. It was clear that they didn’t trust Toman much either.

Within the cage of the ring, Hase took a drag, exhaling another column of smoke as he pulled the stick from his mouth. “You’re back here to save someone, aren’t you, Hanagaki?”

“H-huh?”

The blue-haired delinquent turned his eyes up towards the giant overhead exhaust fans, the single constant sound that made up the background hum. “That’s why you keep coming back. Someone you lost that you just didn’t have enough time with.” Tired gray eyes turned on Takemichi, that gaze that seemed to see through him and his entire life. A statement, not a question. It was as if he already knew.

Takemichi couldn’t help himself even as he rubbed ever so gently at his tearing eyes. “Hina.”

“A girlfriend.” 

“Oh!” A forgotten detail from twelve years later that had eluded Takemichi quickly returned, and the blond-haired boy looked up. “Hase-san, in the future, you had a boyf-“

The smoldering cigarette butt that came hurling straight at him cut any remaining words off, and would have hit him square in the face if Takemichi hadn’t dodged with an eep.

“That’s enough outta you,” Hase muttered, annoyed, even as Jun looked on suspiciously, though the room quickly returned to the topic at hand. “So the kid we’re looking for is a Kisaki Tetta.”

Jun spat, finally standing from the creaky plastic chair with a curse and pulling a flipphone from his back pocket. “I’ll get that name to Masashi, pull everything we got.”

Both sets of eyes once more slid onto Takemichi, and the blond-haired boy recoiled slightly as Hase took a few steps towards the boy, only for the man to stop right before him to crush the finished stick into the canvas. “You keep him away from Toman, Hanagaki,” Hase drawled, turning on his heel and making for the cage door right as the clock that hung on a far wall struck twelve noon. “We’ll take care of the rest once we find that fucker.”

A soft chime, combined with the screeching creek of worn hinges being forced open brought a sense of relief flooding through Takemichi; he hadn’t even realized he had been holding his breath all this time. His hell was over, at least for today. No doubt it’ll still be a tough slog ahead to save everyone that he cared for, but at least for now, of all the people in the world, the time traveling delinquent had come to realize that these two were perhaps exactly who needed to hear what happened. Instead of facing down the future alone, the events today were enough to tell him that they were who he needed on his side to counter Kisaki - maybe they really had a fighting chance. Maybe they could change the future.

“Suzuki Hisao will inform you when the next training is.” And then that eternally unamused voice that only ever carried the promise of more pain floated over from the doorway, and Takemichi immediately groaned. Great, now he regretted thinking all those good things about those two demons you called friends.

Jun didn’t miss the opportunity to rub it in as Hase strolled off, his bat letting out a muffled yet equally threatening thud as the baseball player swung it to rest once more over his shoulder. “Can’t have you fucking die on us again.”

Fuck him sideways.

‎

‎

Looking over Shibuya from the rooftop was a vastly different feeling compared to wandering through the city streets below, Kisaki determined, gray eyes peering out from golden-rimmed glasses gazing down upon the unsuspecting passersby below. A skyscraper roof was one of the last places Kisaki thought of coming, and though he appreciated the silence and the privacy away from the hum and drum of traffic, he still couldn’t quite comprehend what Izana meant by light air pressure. Perhaps it was just a thing about the wind that the other enjoyed.

Yet it was the thought of the white-haired Tenjiku leader that led his mind straight back to you, and that mental image of you huddled tight against Izana’s side four days ago was proving impossible to push from the forefront of his mind. Kisaki hadn’t meant to stalk the two of you all the way to your meeting area - and it wasn’t the smartest decision, given how much trouble he had finding his way back out of the industrial area - but he couldn’t help his curiosity. The insistence with which he held you to his side, Izana's obsession with where you were and who you were with at all times, the gentleness with which he bundled you into his arms, completely contrasted with the dark bruises your former lover left you with the moment you stepped out of line.

Of course, he had already heard of the lingering hushed whispers about you and your formidable well before he ever made the acquaintance of Izana, while he was still chasing the invincible Mikey. Who wouldn’t have, even after the briefest dip of their toe into the delinquent world, even if you had already been away for two years? Hell, the constant rumors swirling on when, not if, you were returning were hard to ignore. But Kisaki could never quite find any trace of you despite having paid a handsome sum for an old photo of you, and neither were the Red Dragonflies accepting new members. So with Toman being the new up and coming gang and its undefeated boss Mikey at its helm, they were who the glasses-touting delinquent decided to go with.

But then out of nowhere you returned and were now back in the game. With what he knew, Kisaki was certain that Mikey and control of Toman were no longer the ultimate prize. No, if he were to stand at the top of the delinquent world, it had to be by your side. Not only were you back at the head of a gang that stated and enforced the rules of the delinquent scene in the Greater Kanto region, but you were now living rent-free in both Izana’s and Mikey’s heads: your presence and absence had a direct effect on the ebb and flow of their lives, and he had witnessed it with his own two eyes. After all, why else would the king of Tenjiku play his hand and risk it all just to get you back to his side? Why did Mikey only give him the time of day in exchange for information about you? 

“Plot and play all you like, Kisaki Tetta,” those words echoed in his mind from a not-so-distant past, empty violet eyes staring him down when Kisaki first offered his services to Izana. “Touch her, and I’ll kill you myself.”

Yet despite you seemingly equally enthralled by the two rival gang leaders clad in black and red, making it easy to gain access to you if he stuck with Izana, you were also easily the biggest headache that the blond-haired tanned boy had ever tried to deal with. The Four Wings you surround yourself with, that monster of a right-hand man Mamoru Furusawa, and then for the cherry on top, your extensive network of contacts that spanned every level of society; you yourself were one dangerous foe, and crossing you would not be a fun experience. 

Kisaki couldn’t ask for a better target. This win would be exhilarating.

Taking in a deep breath of fresh air, the mastermind exhaled, allowing himself to clear his thoughts of you and instead turn to take stock of and evaluate the day’s events. As per usual, with the news and information he had brought on you, Mikey had indeed deemed it worthy to grant him an audience, and Kisaki thought he had done a pretty good job riling the other boy up - that crease of eyebrows and flash of anger behind usually empty eyes, the lack of hesitation at accepting his offering of a vial of sleeping drugs. All in all, the blond-haired boy thought as he finally stepped back from the edge, turning to return to the building interior, a good day’s work that is enough to consider giving himself a pat on the back.

Needless to say, he would be elated to finally have the chance to meet you face to face soon.

‎

‎

The celebratory mood didn’t transcend well back in Yokohama, where the rest of the notorious S-62 generation had gathered atop a similar skyscraper, the brutal heat of the afternoon sun somewhat dissipated by the constant wind and some shade provided by the towering antenna behind.

“Can’t believe we have to listen to that blonde fuckhead,” Shion complained, letting out a grunt as he slumped onto the concrete slab, free hand swatting at the beads of perspiration rolling down the tattooed side of his head. “Thinking he knows better than me.”

Ran, more comfortably positioned leaning up against a wall, raised one eyebrow at the statement. “Didn’t think that was hard to achieve,” the elder of the Haitanis commented lightly. “Rather low bar, in fact.” Rindo nodded, stoic facade firmly in place despite the clear amusement shining through spectacle-framed violet eyes. 

Unluckily for the two, the insult simply bounced off of the former Ninth Generation Black Dragon leader, who shot them an annoyed look. “Don’t ya think it's all junk too? How come he gets to be the boss of us?” A snot, before the boy answered himself. “Fucking no, I say.”

Mochi, who had up till now been sitting cross-legged on the floor, suddenly stood, turning to face Shion with furrowed eyebrows. “Are you questioning Izana’s decision, Shion?” Fighting words that were enough to get the other to backtrack a little, and the conversation on Kisaki quickly died after that. After all, if Izana said so, that it was as such, no matter whether they agreed or disagreed.

The loud, jarring sound of a horn echoed up from congested roads below, cutting through the momentary silence and the peace that the open air brought - it was rare for delinquents like them to have downtime like this, given the conquering mood that their king had been in. To no one’s surprise, it was Shion who once more broke the silence. “I wonder what Izana wants with the Red Dragonflies.”

Rindo let out an unimpressed grunt. “His girl’s the boss,” the younger Haitani stated simply, earning himself an profanity filled exclamation of non-belief from said former Black Dragon President. “I don’t care if you believe it or not, it's true.”

“No fucking way, she left, didn’t she? Quit being a delinquent and all.”

“Not anymore, she returned after the latest president got the boot,” Ran weighed in, backing his younger brother up. “Kicked his ass herself too. We were there.”

“You think we’ll ever meet her?”

Kakucho kept silent, content with simply listening to his fellow executives' increasingly heated discussions about you. He knew better, of course, having been there when Shinichiro first brought you to the detention center to meet Izana, and had been keeping his ear to the ground for news on your movements since then. You hadn’t been worth a glance to the white-haired boy all those years ago, but the same couldn’t be said now, and with how important you were to his hero, his king, as a mere servant, there was no excuse for Kakucho not to know where you were at all times. Yet, above all, the black-haired boy with the scarred eye knew he had an obligation to Izana, to keep his best friend safe, be it from the world or from himself. And whatever Izana thought he was doing with Kisaki in a bid to have you back by his side wasn’t safe - Kisaki wasn’t to be trusted in the slightest, Kakucho knew. He could only hope that his friend would forgive him after the dust has settled for going to you with this information.

‎

Yet unknown to the Tenjiku executives making the most of their downtime away from the troubles of the streets, it was one of many Tenjiku grunts who had the misfortune of tripping over an awkwardly held white cane as a man in sunglasses breezed by, the loud thud of the boy landing on his ass causing the other to come to a stop. “Sorry, did I trip you?”

“Stupid fuck!” The apology was far from well-received, though upon several red-clad delinquents crowding around the offender, it was clear that he was simply blind. “Watch your fucking cane!”

“My sincere apologies,” Koji offered, dressed simply in a black shirt and jeans and a baseball cap, tapping his cane around in a show. “I didn’t mean to.”

At least it seemed the boys were unwilling to let loose on the disabled, and with a few more profanities, they were on their way, none the wiser to the miniature microphone that had been slipped into one unsuspecting jacket pocket. Bingo, the Third Wing amusedly thought as he turned, resuming his stroll down the busy streets of Yokohama City, before turning the corner and disappearing into a side alley.  Masashi should have a much easier time with his task now.

‎

‎

“I swear guys, cross my heart, I broke up with Izana two years ago,” you found yourself repeating for the umpteenth time reassuringly, as you bundled a sniffling Kazutora further into your arms, your other arm thrown tightly over Baji’s shoulders. “We aren’t together anymore. I don’t lie, never to you boys.”

“Bbu-but what about those red bastards?” A pathetic tug at your sleeve, as Kazutora sobbed into your chest, your shirt clutched firmly between his fists, a far cry from the rampaging, bone-breaking, unforgiving delinquent he had been just an hour earlier. “You’re going to leave us again,” the boy with the duo-color hair accused, before bursting into tears once more, only for you to smile and run your free hand through his hair.

“I won’t. I really won’t.”

Mitsuya didn’t seem impressed in the slightest, neither by the theatrics nor your answers. “But you were with them earlier this morning,” the Toman Second Division Captain blandly noted. “And you’re still going to meet them tonight. Without us.”

“You also still agreed to meet Izana, where he gave you a wedding ring,” Draken added, the tallest of the boys easily stepping over sprawling legs to pick you up by the back of your shirt, dislodging your clingers and setting you gently back on your own two feet much to the protest of Baji and Kazutora, though the raised eyebrow had you nervously looking away. “That doesn’t sound like breaking up to me.”

You sighed, throwing your hands up in the air. “I have an informant meeting tonight, I already told you boys this. And no, I don’t plan on meeting Izana alone again, let alone marry him. Ever.”

Despite it being a negative, the word ‘marry’ instantly triggered another loud bawl from Kazutora, who flung himself at your legs.

Outside, the sky was turning a dusty blue as the sun slowly sank beneath the horizon, the hustle and bustle of traffic from the city center fading away along with the dying light. 

Yet for all the shenanigans going down, there was one notable exemption from the usual party, a blond-haired figure sitting a distance apart from where you and everyone else had gathered. You had returned exactly on time as you had promised, Mikey dully noted from where he was leaning up against the far wall of your room, empty abyss eyes staring blankly down at the taiyaki clutched in one hand. It had been five days since the Toman President had learned about your scars from Kisaki, and four since he had seen them with his very own eyes, the vileness that tainted your being, that you had hid from them all these years. You, their precious Toman princess, who Mikey had revered as his friend, as someone he would do anything for. You did not belong only to him.

The darkness settling over the land masked the same blackness that now tinted his eyes as Mikey looked up. You had caught his gaze and returned a gentle smile, but did nothing more than that where you would have usually beckoned him into a hug and forehead kisses; no doubt your relationship with Mikey was rocky at the moment, to say the least. And despite your efforts to patch things up, whatever you did was never enough, not with all that was at stake. Kisaki was right - to be able to keep you by his side forever, he - they - needed to get rid of the competition. All the competition.

The cold glass of the vial and the rustle of a needle pack tickled his skin as Mikey’s hand brushed past, though the blond-haired delinquent ignored the sensations only to pull out his phone. Soon. To start with that white-haired bastard, or with those Red scum? It didn’t matter, of course, not to Mikey. Because if you wouldn’t come quietly to him, then he would have to take everything else away.

#tokyo revengers #tokyo revengers x reader #yandere tokyo revengers #yandere tokyo revengers x reader #kurokawa izana #izana x reader #mikey x reader #baji x reader #kazutora x reader #draken x reader #mitsuya x reader #tokyorev x reader #taiju x reader #inupi x reader #kokonoi hajime #kisaki x reader #akashi takeomi #wakasa #kakucho #benkei #cheesus drabbles #former gang leader darling #yandere platonic toman #red dragonflies gang #tokyo revengers ocs

[poetrywithbrian]

POETRY LIST FROM BRIAN P: This list is made up of English language “lyric” poems by poets from what would become or is now the United States of America. They are in a random arrangement, not alphabetical or chronological. Allow them to play off each other in a variety of ways. Each poet is represented by only one poem.

May Swenson, The Centaur

Archibald MacLeish, Ars Poetica

Oliver Wendell Holmes, The Chambered Nautilus

Lucille Clifton, The Lost Baby Poem

Hart Crane, Voyages

H.D. Elegy and Choros

Wallace Stevens, Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird

Amy Lowell, The Garden by Moonlight

N. Scott Momaday, The Delight Song of Tsoai-talee

Francis Scott Key, Defense of Fort M’Henry

Langston Hughes, The Negro Speaks of Rivers

Adrienne Rich, Diving into the Wreck

Robert Hayden, Letter from Phyllis Wheatley

Bob Dylan, The Times They Are A-Changin’

James Dickey, Cherrylog Road

Chen Chen, I Invite My Parents to a Dinner Party

Joy Harjo, She Had Some Horses

Bonnie Larson Staiger, Grassland

Robert Frost, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

e.e. cummings, “anyone lived in a pretty how town”

Carl Sandburg, Chicago

James Russell Lowell, The Present Crisis

Ralph Waldo Emerson, The Snowstorm

Robert Lowell, For the Union Dead

Tommy Pico, I See the Fire that Burns Inside You

Emily Dickinson, “I started early – took my dog””

T.S. Eliot, The Hollow Men

Louise Gluck, The Wild Iris

Anonymous, Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

Gary Snyder, The Bath

Gwendolyn Brooks, We Real Cool

James Whitcomb Riley, L’il Orphant Annie

James Merrill, The Victor Dog

James Welch, Harlem, Montana: Just Off the Reservation

Frank O’Hara, Why I Am Not a Painter

John Ashbery, Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror

William Carlos Williams, XXII, from Spring and All, The Red Wheelbarrow

Tupac Shakur, Changes

George Oppen, Five Poems about Poetry

Robert Bly, Driving to Town Late to Mail a Letter

Edwin Arlington Robinson, Mr. Flood’s Party

Richard Wright, Between the World and Me

John Greenleaf Whittier, Snowbound: A Winter’s Idyl

Phyllis Wheatley, His Excellency General Washington

Walt Whitman, When lilacs last by the dooryard bloom’d

Patricia Smith, The Stuff of Astounding: A Poem for Juneteenth

Edgar Allen Poe, The Raven

R.W. Wilson, Poemable

Marianne Moore, The Mind Is an Enchanting Thing

Julia Ward Howe, Battle Hymn of the Republic

Sylvia Plath, Tulips

Patricia Smith, The Stuff of Astounding: A Poem for Juneteenth

Thomas McGrath, A Coal Fire in Winter

Growing Concern Poetry Collective, Come to Me Open

Denise Lajimodiere, Dragonfly Dance

Edward Taylor, Housewifery

Jay Wright, Benjamin Banneker Sends His “Almanac” to Thomas Jefferson

Allen Ginsberg, Howl

David Solheim, In Moonlight

William Stafford, At the Bomb Testing Site

Ronald Johnson, Letters to Walt Whitman

Marge Piercy, To Be of Use

Mary Oliver, The Wild Geese

Wendell Berry, The Peace of Wild Things

W.H. Auden, Epitaph on a Tyrant

Richard Blanco, On Today

Timothy Murphy, Mortal Stakes

Lauryn Hill, Lost One

Don J. Lee/Haki Madhubuti, A Poem to Complement Other Poems

Louise Erdrich, The Strange People

Jericho Brown, Psalm 150

John Berryman, 11 Addresses to the Lord

Thomas Merton, Love Winter When the Plant Says Nothing

Anne Bradstreet, Before the Birth of One of Her Children

Frances E. W. Harper, Learning to Read

Randall Jarrell, Mail Call, and the children’s book “The Bat Poet”

Herman Melville, The Maldive Shark

Gertrude Stein, How She Bowed to Her Brother

Anne Sexton, In Celebration of My Uterus

Theodore Roethke, In a Dark Time

Edna St. Vincent Millay, “What lips my lips have kissed, and where and why”

Stephen Crane, A Man Saw a Ball of Gold

Robert Penn Warren, The Moonlight’s Dream

Paul Laurence Dunbar, The Colored Band

Henry David Thoreau, “The moon now rises to her absolute rule”

Emma Lazarus. The New Colossus

Sugar Hill Gang, Rapper’s Delight

Allen Tate, Ode to the Confederate Dead

Muriel Rukeyser, Ballad of Orange and Grape

Elizabeth Bishop, Sestina, “September rain falls on the house”

Judy Grahn, The Common Woman Poems (complete)

Lawrence Ferlinghetti, I Am Waiting

May Sarton, The Gift of Thyme

George Moses Horton, On Liberty and Slavery

Ezra Pound, The River-Merchant’s Wife: A Letter

Robinson Jeffers, Hurt Hawks

James Weldon Johnson, The Creation

Sherman Alexie, Sonnet, with Pride

Kenneth Koch, In Love With You

Jupiter Hammon, An Address to Miss Phillis Wheatley

A.R. Ammons, The Brook Has Worked Out the Prominence of a Bend

Anonymous, Go Down, Moses

Yusef Komunyakaa. Facing It

W.S. Merwin, After the Alphabets

Richard Wilbur, A Baroque Wall-Fountain in the Villa Sciarra

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Day Is Done

Natalie Diaz, My Brother at 3 AM

Maya Angelou, On the Pulse of Morning

Raymond Roseliep, The Morning Glory

Rita Dove, Dawn Revisted

#class 3

[pinksparklelps]

since i hit 100 lines on my iceclan notes i decided to share with you all

enjoy 

IceClan Cats

LEADER Shadestar - long furred white and dark ginger smoke tom; green eyes

DEPUTY Jetback - medium furred dark brown bengal point she-cat; green eyes

MEDICINE CAT Bogjump - medium furred black tom; amber eyes Turtledust - short furred ginger tom; hazel eyes (DEAD) Cobraholly - medium furred ginger tom; hazel eyes

WARRIORS Skipfur - long furred golden rosetted she-cat; hazel eyes Moonflood - medium furred white bengal tom; yellow eyes Mumbleshell - medium furred silver tabby tom; green eyes (DEAD) Dawnflood - medium furred dark gray tabico she-cat; yellow eyes Gannetpatch - long furred light brown and white tom; pale green eyes Kestrelshine - short furred white and light brown tabico she-cat; amber eyes Partridgebright - short furred ginger tom; yellow eyes Bitterncloud - short furred ginger tom; blue eyes Peakspeckle - medium furred white she-cat; pale green eyes Dragonfly - long furred pale ginger marbled tabby tom; amber eyes Amberhawk - medium furred light brown bengal she-cat; amber eyes Poppysong - long furred silver bengal and white she-cat; blue eyes (DEAD) Swallowfoot - long furred silver speckled point she-cat; green eyes; red feathers on tail Kinkclaw - medium furred dark brown bengal tom; pale green eyes; jay feathers on tail Skyjay - medium furred dark brown torbie she-cat; amber eyes Seedrapid - short furred black she-cat; hazel eyes (PRESUMED DEAD) Smallclaw - long furred white and brown bengal she-cat; pale green eyes Featherspark - short furred pale gray she-cat; hazel eyes; blue feathers on tail

APPRENTICES Birchpaw - long furred light brown smoke she-cat; blue eyes (DEAD) Shadepaw - medium furred black ticked tabby tom; pale green eyes (DEAD) Maggotpaw - medium furred black tom; amber eyes; maple leaf behind ear (DEAD) Timberpaw - medium furred silver tabby she-cat; dark blue eyes Narrowpaw - short furred pale ginger tom; amber eyes; blue feathers on tail

QUEENS/CAREGIVERS Fallow - short furred white and dark gray speckled tom; amber eyes (DEAD) Fleetshade - medium furred silver tabby point she-cat; dark blue eyes Chivebounce - short furred dark brown torbie she-cat; green eyes Maggotpad - medium furred pale ginger tabby and white tom; blue eyes

ELDERS Shadehollow - long furred white she-cat; blue eyes Fireflood - medium furred brown tabby tom; amber eyes Gir - long furred ginger she-cat; blue eyes

KITS Mantiskit - short furred white tabby tom; green eyes Warmkit - short furred black tom; yellow eyes Sagekit - short furred white marbled tabby she-cat; green eyes Partridgekit - short furred golden tabby she-cat; dark blue eyes Honeykit - short furred black tabico she-cat; amber eyes Batkit - short furred silver ticked tabby tom; amber eyes; wearing blueberries Brownkit - short furred dark brown tortie she-cat; dark blue eyes; wearing catmint

RELATIONSHIPS Kestrelshine & Cobraholly are mates and their kits are Skyjay, Maggotpaw, Seedrapid, and Turtledust Dawnflood & Jetback are mates Shadestar & Gannetpatch are mates Fleetshade is the mother of Partridgebright and Bitterncloud Fallow is the father of Birchpaw, Chivebounce, Peakspeckle, and Kinkclaw Fleetshade and Dragonfly are mates and their kits are Timberpaw and Narrowpaw Chivebounce and Moonflood are mates and their kits are Mantiskit, Warmkit, and Sagekit Maggotpad is the father of Partridgekit, Honeykit, and Batkit Swallowfoot and Skyjay are mates

EVENTS Shadepaw, Birchpaw, and Mumbleshell are slaughtered by rogues while on patrol A wounded cat on the border was found by Chivebounce and joins the clan after being healed (Dragonfly) Kinkclaw found some feathers and started wearing them A wounded cat on the border was found by Dragonfly and joins the clan after being healed (Amberhawk) A patrol finds a gang of rogues who kill Fallow and leave the territory Maggotpaw found a maple leaf and decided to wear it Dragonfly is crushing on Fleetshade A wounded cat on the border was found and joins the clan after being healed (Poppysong) A kittypet was found in the borders; they have joined the clan (Shadehollow) A kittypet was found in the borders; the patrol attempted to chase off but eventually let them join (Fireflood) A loner was found in the border; the patrol attempted to chase off but eventually let them join (Smallclaw) Poppysong and Maggotpaw die from poisoned prey A loner was found in the border; they joined the clan (Featherspark) Narrowkit was playing with feathers and started wearing them Fleetshade invites a kittypet to join the clan, they end up joining (Gir) note: AspenClan has shown up twice now - make them a clan later Chivebounce thinks Shadestar should declare war on AspenClan A loner and their kits were taken into the clan (Maggotpad, Partridgekit, Honeykit, and Batkit) A tree fell and killed Turtledust Cobraholly, seeing Bogjump so distraught, becomes a medicine cat to support his friend with healing the clan Chivebounce found an abandoned kit and brought them back to camp (Brownkit) Swallowfoot found and started wearing feathers Brownkit has attempted to sneak out of camp, where was she going? Seedrapid was caught and taken away by twolegs, never to be seen again Brownkit snuck some catmint from the medicine den and started wearing it

#clan generator #IceClan

[comorbidfascination]

The Girl Who Laughs

slasher masterlist here

Michael Myers is indisputably the most frightening patient at Smith's Grove, but one girl his age would rather take her chances with him than the ones who harass her.

(this one is completely sfw)

You had been hiding in your room all day, but a white-coat hauled you into the cafeteria for dinner. Whimpering and giggling under your breath, you scanned the room; just as sterile as any other. Most tables were filled on the side furthest from Tony and his little gang, but one had a single patient in a mask. Everyone knew not to approach the Shape, but you had never seen him do more than jerk away from white-coats like you did (though you suspected it was out of irritation rather than fear on his part).

Carefully, you took a seat at the opposite corner of the table, crossing your legs underneath and waiting to be called to get your food. The Shape made no indication toward your presence, but he knew you were there. Being in the same room meant he had observed you. He had become a specter of the juvenile ward, not allowed into group therapy and being locked up more often than not. You found it strange, as Michael seemed like a zombie most of the time; shambling from room to room the way you darted to hidden corners.

You could feel his eyes on you, despite them being covered by the homemade mask. A quiet, nervous giggle escaped your lips, but it was quickly hushed. From your pocket, you drew a piece of paper, needing something comforting and familiar to do with your hands. Crease. Flip. Fold. Flip. The sheet torn from a legal pad transformed within your fingers, becoming more and more a crane as you manipulated the medium. Michael turned his head, but you ducked yours further toward the paper. Your table number was called and you both stood, the crane disappearing back into your pocket.

Voices stirred in the background, just part of the mumbling, tumbling static. Arts and crafts was your happy place; Tony didn't care for it, so he stayed away, and you got to fold and fold and fold all you wanted. The construction paper was a little thick, but you made do. Green for a praying mantis, brown for a boat, yellow for a handful of stars. You wondered if Michael would like to have any of them, since you never really knew what to do with your creations. You sometimes saw him in the craft room, looming in another corner, making a new mask. You startled yourself with a pleased laugh, coughing to cover it up. The white-coats didn't like hearing you laugh.

His eyes were on you again, and you ignored him as well as you could. You felt you shouldn't approach him again so soon; you knew the feeling of being a cornered, wounded animal. He could join you if he liked. Crease. Flip. Fold. Flip. A dragonfly came to life under your fingertips, soon joining the crane in your pocket. At one point you'd folded a box for your creations, but the pile was getting precarious. You felt the hair stand up on the back of your neck, breathing becoming louder behind your left shoulder. Setting the crane on the table on that side, you went back to ripping strips for stars.

Your focus remained constant for a while, and when you finally looked to your left again, the origami crane was gone. The moment when Michael's presence left you was unknown, but you were glad he liked his gift. You had briefly considered the mantis for its violent rituals, but the bird was a lovely crimson you had seen on one of his masks. You had always enjoyed sneaking glances at his hands while he worked; people said he was a killing machine, and maybe that was true, but he was also careful and creative. Perhaps his crimes were executed in a similar way. Red blood dripping down a human canvas, painted with precise strokes of a kitchen knife.

Michael Myers, the Shape, the mysteriously dangerous boy you had chosen to interact with against all warning, was the only patient whose reason for being at the sanitarium was common knowledge. No one had any idea what you did, not for lack of trying. Various therapists of various specialties had attempted to convince or teach you to speak, to no success. Language was not something you had ever been too familiar with, and it seemed Michael was much the same. But while he stayed silent, you tittered and giggled against even your own wishes.

Tony had found you again. Being cornered was nothing like choosing to be there, and your body trembled along with your scratchy voice. You covered your ears and closed your eyes tight to block him out. It was difficult to understand him, especially when he shouted in your face. The therapists had gotten a little further with comprehension than speaking, but Tony made no effort to enunciate or hold a steady pace. He pushed you into the wall, foreign words hitting harder; physical pain was much easier to unpack.

The noise stopped. You opened your eyes, seeing an empty hall where your aggressor had been seconds before. Looking around, you saw Michael being guided in your direction by a white-coat. Tony had always been terrified of him. As he passed, you waved weakly, letting your body slump to the tiled floor. He turned his head, but that was all.

You began leaving origami in places for Michael to find in exchange for straying closer. He continued ignoring you, but didn't show any signs of ill will. Patients and white-coats alike spread rumors and warnings, but you thought he seemed subdued more than anything else. It was likely a side effect of medication, as all patients were required to take one or another. Your group therapist liked to say that mental illness should be treated like any other sickness. As before, you'd proceed with caution. The tantalizing idea of friendship wasn't worth facing the wrath of a sororicidal maniac.

Every creation you left for Michael was taken, but you never stuck around to see who picked them up. Knowing how observant he was, you were optimistic, but couldn't be sure until he sought you out in the cafeteria one day. You had eaten by yourself as usual, interrupted when a paper mask was dropped in front of your tray. A smiling face, reminiscent of a jester, stared just as blankly as Michael, who stood stiffly on the other side of the table. You giggled, picking it up and putting it on, adjusting so your mouth was free to eat. He sat down with his own tray and you both spent lunch in a more comfortable silence.

Michael started sitting with you at meal times, never saying a word, but occasionally trading a mask for a few origami creatures. You didn't bother leaving them around anymore when you could save them up for when you saw him face to face. You laughed sweetly when your fingers met as you both pushed your gifts toward the other, a moment you enjoyed more every time it repeated. He noticed the colors you used most and incorporated them, as you did for him. He didn't mind what sounds you did or didn't make. You didn't flinch at the sight of him. You weren't entirely sure, but you thought you might have made a friend.

The white-coats took an interest in your relationship, which you guessed from how often they said his name in your direction. You hummed or scribbled messy, broken sentences, but they never seemed satisfied. It was unclear whether or not they wanted you to be friends with Michael, but you didn't plan on stopping. He was nice in his own way, and he kept Tony away.

He was there next time the bully cornered you as well. Michael stared, hands clenched by his sides, as Tony screamed profanities while white-coats ignored the situation. Michael always got the most attention, to his and your chagrin. But this time, he intervened, appearing suddenly as he was wont to do. Looming, impending, hovering over Tony's shoulder. You looked up, pinpoint pupils dilating as you noticed your friend clamp a hand on the back of his neck. A shiver of excitement ran through you, seeing Michael showcase his strength as he threw Tony to the ground. The white-coats ran over, pulling him away, but you grinned, laughing gleefully as you sprinted to your room and locked the door.

Three days later, Tony O'Malley was found with a crayon lodged in his brain.

#michael myers x reader #michael myers #slasher x reader #d3's post #🍐

[legally-criminals]

"Aaalright! I think that's good!" The tall, hooded figure stepped away from the camera

"Thats hella Pog, boss-bro! Can't wait to meet some new peeps!" A brightly colored person with bird like wings waved at the camera

"New friends..?" The smallest of the people glanced cautiously at the camera, their red-brown hair covering their eyes

"Oooo! I hope so!!" Fucking CATBOY- THAT WAS AN ACTUAL CATBOY OH MY HE WAS SO SMALL-

"My one request is that they don't talk to me." A person wearing a completely black and white outfit glared at the others, as well as the camera.

"WHAT'S UP, FUCKERS?!" a figure with dog ears skated into veiw, they were grinning but the mask hid it.

"Ayo wassup gamers?!" Jeebus crispies their outfit- it was neon green and black, they wore a glowing visor.

"H-hello!" Someone who appeared to be a witch waved slightly at the camera

"Hello everyone." they nodded in greeting, their outfit was mostly brown and gold

"Hiiiiii!" They waved excitedly, bouncing slightly

"ah fuck low battery- WAITWAITWAITWAIT-" the camera shut off.

_____________________

Muse info

Name: Blitz (real name is Asher)

Age: 18

Height: 7'1

Gender: transmasc enby

Pronouns: he/they

Sexuality: pan man

Personality: loud and outgoing, tends to be a bit snarky, would kill and die for their gang.

Talks like "this"

Appearance:

Name: Rave or Retro (real name unknown)

Age: 16

Height: 6'

Gender: transgender man

Pronouns: he/him

Sexuality: bi, male lean

Personality: he's pretty chill and speaks in nothing but slang and memes.

Talks like: "this"

Appearance:

Name: Amethyst (real name is Mimi)

age: 11

height: 4'9

gender: questioning

pronouns: she/they/it

sexuality: questioning

Personality: quiet and shy but rather cheerful

talks like: "this"

appearance:

Name: Rose Gold (Real name is Ronnie)

Age: 14

Height: 5'2

Gender: genderfluid

Pronouns: she/he/they/its

Sexuality: bicurious

Personality: very cute and sweet. Will end you if you hurt his friends.

Talks like: "this"

Appearance:

Name: Monochrome (Real name is Mollie)

age: 19

height: 6'2

gender: questioning

pronouns: he/she/they

sexuality: biromantic ace

Personality: introverted and quiet. Very agressive if someone gets too close.

talks like: "this"

appearance:

Name: Athena (this both their real name and their nickname)

age: 17

height: 5'11

gender: agender

pronouns: any (they/it is preferred)

sexuality: pan mf

Personality: it's normally loud, snarky, and chaotic.

talks like: "this"

appearance:

Name: Toxin (real name is unknown)

age: 17

height: 5'10

gender: nonbinary

pronouns: they/it

sexuality: pancurious

Personality: they're chill for the most part but they love to pull pranks on others. It will fucking end you if you hurt its friends, especially Athena.

talks like: "this"

appearance:

Name: Starlight (Real name is Luna)

age: 13

height: 5'4

gender: demigirl

pronouns: she/they

sexuality: questioning (currently thinks she may be bi)

Personality: quiet and shy but she's always looking to make new friends.

talks like: "this"

appearance:

Name: Sol (Real name is Audrey) age: 18

height: 6'3

gender: trans woman

pronouns: she/her

sexuality: aroace

Personality: booksmart and collected. She doesn't tend to get mad easily but when she does you better watch out because in her words "I HAVE THE POWER OF THE SUN AND ANIME ON MY SIDE!!! AAAAAA-"

talks like: "this"

appearance:

Name: Dragonfly (Real name is Ray)

age: 15

height: 5'10

gender: questioning

pronouns: any

sexuality: panromantic ace

Personality: she's very chill about literally everything. Unless there's immediate danger he doesn't tend to worry about much.

talks like: "this"

appearance:

_____________________

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