#civilians should never be involved in this mess

[ozzgin]

Yandere! Yakuza x Reader (V)

In a rather unlucky turn of events, you find yourself kidnapped for being in the wrong place during a gang war. Worry not, your yakuza boyfriend is at your service. Yet another bloody reason not to mess with him.

Content: female reader, organized crime, violence, gore, obsessive behavior

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] [Part 5]

"Damn it!"

The scarred man throws another tile into the pile, clicking his tongue.

"I gotta say, you're pretty good for a foreigner." A second man with an eyepatch remarks, carefully inspecting his set before retrieving a tile of his own. "Pung."

You take another greedy sip of the cheap sake and slam the little cup back on the table.

"Kind of inevitable to learn mahjong when your only friends in this country are yakuza." You look up towards your captor with a frown. "You guys ever heard of board games or something?"

"Try to explain new rules to this dumbass!" A third man angrily pours himself another glass, pointing towards the first. "Fuck, I could iron clothes on that smooth brain of yours!"

"Fuck off, you're not any better." The scarred man continues his turn with furrowed brows. 

"If I were you I'd keep quiet about being pals with the yakuza. They'll question you, too, after the office guy. Don't make it worse." The man wearing an eyepatch mentions in a lowered voice. The table suddenly goes quiet.

"When is he coming out?" You ask hesitantly, bile pooling in your mouth. You already suspect the answer.

"He's not. Bodies are discarded through the back entrance." He pats the ash off and takes another drag off his cigarette. 

You swallow. 

Being involved with the Triad was not part of your new year resolutions, yet here you are about to be interrogated by the local Chinese syndicate. At least the lackeys have taken pity on you, a poor civilian caught in the middle of their rivalry. Hence the fake sense of normalcy as you chitchat at the mahjong table with a cup of sake to ease your wrecked nerves. 

"I'm guessing they won't be as friendly back there." You nod towards the door, where they took your work superior several hours ago. 

"No." 

That's all you get and you can only smile bitterly. Huh. You wonder if this is how Daitou's victims feel, helplessly waiting for whatever is brought upon them. Having to watch him unwrap his tool belt, stuffed with rusty old tools littered in blotches of dried up blood. Pondering his questions while he eyes the row delectably, hovering his hand over the potential ways to loosen up your tongue.

Would they torture you, too? Hopefully not. It should be rather obvious you're just a mere civilian. Then again, if your work superior mentioned anything about you being Daitou's girlfriend...He's never told you anything downright incriminating, but it'll be hard to convince these fellows that you truly are clueless.

Maybe they'll let you go if you offer your finger as a token of peace. Your forehead wrinkles at the thought. Isn't it more of a Japanese custom anyways? And if they say yes, then what? Do they provide you with the required utensils or are you expected to improvise on the spot?

You remember one of Daitou's seniors describing the process in great detail during the Christmas party. You had asked him about it, purely out of curiosity, and he certainly delivered almost more than your stomach was able to handle (Daitou scolded him later for telling you too much). You take the tatami mat and preferably wrap it in cloth, to soak up the blood. Any sharp blade will do, but traditionally you'd be offered a proper tantō that can easily slice through the bone. Obviously you want to cut as little as possible, so you still have some functionality remaining. Right above the joint. You must put all of your body weight into the thrust, otherwise the cut won't be clean and it turns into a mess. 

Hell. You wipe the cold beads of sweat that have formed on your face. You can barely chop an onion. Maybe one of the gangsters has enough experience and goodwill to offer to do it for you. Then you only have to clench your teeth and prepare for the blow. It can't be that bad. Surely the shock will be too great, and your brain won't even register it. Before you know it, they'll dip your hand in ice and rush you to someone fit to perform the aftercare. Yeah. That should to the trick. 

"Hey, foreigner. It's your turn."

"Leave her be, can't you see she's pale?"

You glance up and notice the men looking at you expectantly. They've already showed you plenty of kindness from the moment they shoved you in that black van with the rest of the office workers. Perhaps you can rely on them one final time. You suddenly bow, head pressing against the table. They're somewhat startled by your gesture. 

"I'm deeply sorry to ask, but might any of you be knowledgeable in blades?"

"H-huh? What for?"

You ceremoniously slam your hand onto the table, rattling the mahjong tiles. You struggle to let the words out, but try to maintain a straight face, picturing Shozo Hirono's cool attitude when he performed the deed himself in Battles without Honor and Humanity. 

"Would your Boss be satisfied with a yubitsume? I cannot offer anything else of use."

You feel a harsh hand smack against the back of your neck and you cough, taken out of your focus.

"Dumbass! What the hell are you talking about? Why would our Boss need the finger of a civilian, and a woman on top of that? 笨人!" The man with an eyepatch is red and flustered as he scolds you. The other two are holding back their snickers, amused by the scene.

"Let her! I have a knife on me right now." The scarred man comments with a grin. "Whaddaya say, kid? Or have you changed your mind already?"

"A man never goes back on his word." You bark and straighten your back, crossing your arms imposingly. 

The eyepatch man smacks you again and the other two begin clapping, terribly entertained by your tomfoolery. 

The spectacle doesn't last long. Within seconds, you jump out of your seat at the sound of rapid gunshots and scattered, erratic shouts.

Daitou bows before his Seniors and mumbles a polite, monotonous greeting. It's highly unusual to have the Lieutenants gathered at the office like this. Kazuya is fidgeting in his seat, Boss is away on a trip. What else could require everyone's immediate attendance? He makes his way to the blonde man and drops himself on the sofa, awaiting the details. 

"Wakasugi has been taken."

A chaotic murmur ensues. 

"He's been making offers for a building in a neutral area. That's where the Chinese sell their drugs and they claim it to be their turf. I hear some of our newbies got caught dealing that shit as well. Boss has been at their throats for some time now and this is their way to say fuck you."

Ah. More gang rivalry drama. Daitou presses his lips together, trying his best to hold back a yawn threatening to escape his mouth. Hopefully they'll leave him out of it, he has a date planned with you and he'd rather not show up reeking of rotten flesh. 

If you get kidnapped, think of yourself as already dead. The Yakuza doesn't negotiate. They just get their revenge tenfold. Unless it's someone important, like the Boss himself, the honorable way is to die without betraying your Family. 

"Just put a few bullets in them. Should teach them a lesson." He says while stretching. 

"Yeah, we're sending Oota and his men to deal with it. Just be on the lookout." One of the Seniors responds. 

"Still, the fucking guts on them. To show up at the office, right before our eyes-" Another man cries out, frustration in his voice.

"What did you say?" 

Kazuya flinches. He knows where this is going and he glares at the outraged yakuza, trying to silence him. Sadly he doesn't take the hint.

"Right? They just waltzed in, shot some of our guys and took Wakasugi and whoever was nearby. Heh, what are they gonna do with a bunch of office assistants? Extra weight to carry to the dump."

"Enough!" Kazuya's exasperated yell causes everyone to quiet down.

There are several confused looks being exchanged before everyone's eyes eventually rest on Daitou, now staring ahead motionless. Didn't his girlfriend work at that office? The Senior giving out the initial order has realized the mistake. He quickly clears his throat and is about to speak, but Daitou abruptly stands up and heads for the door.

"Oi! I said we're leaving it to Oota. This isn't your job." 

He tries to repeat his words with confidence, but his voice falters towards the end when faced with Daitou's massive frame. Particularly the barrel that's now pressing into his forehead.

"Mind your fucking business or I'll kill you right here." Daitou threatens.

"D-don't think Boss will help you out of this one, brat. If you go, you're disobeying your Senior."

The tall yakuza smirks mockingly. 

"See if you can run for Boss with your skull split open, bitch."

Kazuya slaps the gun aside and steps between the men.

"Just let him go. I'll take responsibility." He pleads, his friend already slamming the door behind him. 

Once the aggressor has left, everyone exhales discreetly in relief.

"He'll get us in trouble with the cops." The Senior retorts to the blonde in a berating tone.

"What else do you suggest? You know there's no way around it if he's pissed."

No one replies to what seems to be an universally agreed upon truth.

He blows out the smoke and crushes the cigarette under his foot. Fuck. He needs to calm down. They most likely haven't killed you, but if they laid a single hand on you...He's blacking out again. Whatever blinding rage possessed him back in his youth, when his Boss got wounded, would now pale in comparison. His ears are ringing and his vision is foggy. He can't even recall how he made it to their building. Or how he got past the guards. Although that one's easy to figure out, judging from their twisted throats. 

He checks his rounds one final time and kicks the heavy metal door open. Only about a dozen of them, but no sign of you yet. Should take a minute. It is time for him to pay his respects. 

"What the fuck was that?" the scarred man swiftly takes out his weapon and knocks the stool over with his foot.

If it is who you think it is...Your face twists in fear.

"Listen, you've been nice to me so I don't want to see you dead. Could you...could you leave, please? It might be someone I know and I promise you there's no point in fighting back."

The noticeable quiver in your speech might lead one to believe you're awaiting your executioner, not your savior and boyfriend. But you've seen Daitou angry and the ordeal flooded the very marrow of your bones with terror. Naturally he could never be upset at his darling for any reason, ever. Whoever poses a threat to you, however, can't say the same thing. You remember trying to pull him back from a random drunk that had groped you during an outing, and he tightly gripped your jaw with a bloodied hand and nearly ordered you in a ragged growl: "Hey. I said I'll be done in a moment. Be a good girl and close your eyes." 

Thus, from experience, you know he'd never listen to your pleas. Maybe if he was lucid enough, but not in this manic state. The man wearing an eyepatch scans your expression attentively. Your worry is genuine and the other room is gradually becoming quieter, but not in a way that'd inspire him confidence. He certainly doesn't feel like dying today and there's nothing honorable about throwing yourself into a senseless battle. He nods at the other two men and he asks you one last time if you'll be fine by yourself, to which you shake your head vehemently. Please go away already. 

The final obstacle crumbles under Daitou's weight and you fiddle with your glass, alone, at the mahjong table. He seems to be taken aback and once he confirms you're not in any pain or discomfort, his demeanor switches within an instant. 

"Where's everyone?"

"They ran away."

"Just like that? And left you here?" He stares at you, baffled.

"Maybe there's some still in the back. These ones left because I asked them to."

He approaches you, still bewildered and confused. He looks like a lost dog.

"What? They were nice to me and I didn't want you to kill them. You never listen when I tell you to stop." You huff, pouting and folding your arms.

"Sorry. I got a little bit anxious." He kneels before you and extends a hand apologetically. "Friends again?"

"Wash your hands at least, I don't want to know what organ remains you have stuck through your fingers."

He chuckles and wipes the palm against his shirt. You follow his movements and notice the bullet wounds near the ribcage. This madman. You speedily bend to his level and remove his jacket to inspect the injuries.

"Christ. Take off your shirt and let's at least stop the bleeding before we leave. How the hell can you still stand with all these holes in you?"

Daitou unbuttons his shirt obediently and you try to wrap it around his abdomen. You notice the thick, wide scar crossing his stomach, presently smeared with blood. Either his or someone else's. 

"Now that I think about it, how did you get this scar? From a gang fight as well?"

"Oh no, I got this in prison. I was supposed to serve many more years, but one of the Seniors rang and said Boss needs me for something. They were in talks with the police chief to maybe bribe my way out. 

But I felt terrible knowing that Boss would be wasting money on my mistakes. At the time the place was overcrowded, so I figured they'd let me out for medical emergencies. So I cut my stomach open and they counted it as a suicide attempt." He responds with a proud grin. 

You grimace a little at the mental image. 

The cloth has been tightly, albeit clumsily secured around his gashes and you both get up. It occurs to you that throughout this mess you haven't feared for your life once. It feels like Daitou is always there to get you out of trouble. Despite his unorthodox methods.

You gaze up at him and notice the prosthetic eye has rolled inwards, so you adjust it slightly with your finger. He follows your romantic gesture with a quick peck on the lips. 

"You'll get yourself killed one day." You whine, tired.

"And leave you alone? Never. You're stuck with me for life."

He flashes you a wide smile and pats your head.

"Can we still go on that date?" The yakuza suddenly remembers, guiding you as you zigzag your way among fresh corpses.

So he hasn't forgotten. A faint blush dusts your cheeks.

"Sure, but I'd like to have a bath first."

"Then let's have one together." He suggests cheerfully, completely unbothered by whatever just happened.  

Tags: @yandere-city2 @lokiofasgard12 @zeniiis @lucienbarkbark @channelinglament @your-next-daydream @bath1lda @murder-hobo @zanzie

(hopefully I didn't forget anyone)

[aho-dapa]

I ramble about R27 and the ending

because people are just not seeing it as the inevitable R27 mess that it is, platonic or otherwise 😭😭

Okay but! R27 tinfoil hat with conspiracy glasses on: Reborn telling Tsuna he would leave his mafia boss in training if he went civilian is so!!!

Because for a gag manga, this doesn't make much sense. Because Tsuna's path of least resistance (with the most shenanigans) is the expectation of becoming a boss.

But Aha, I say, here is why khr is actually a gag manga disguised as more a character driven manga

Reborn saying this makes sense!! In fact, he should not involve Tsuna in mafia life if he rejects it (despite the idea that once Tsuna stepped in, he likely never could have gotten out AND that Tsuna has probably been shot by Reborn on the daily with magic bullets)

But it's also kinda shitty? Even almost manipulative perhaps???? Because now, the very heart of the manga along side Tsuna is saying he's going to go off and not interact with Tsuna anymore?? His idiot student, his dumb protégé, his pseudo son mafia boss in the making.

The whole manga is about friends and family AND if Tsuna chooses not to become a mafia boss, it's going to rip away one the most foundational relationships Tsuna has made since the very beginning??

These idiots can't live without each other. future arc and curse of the rainbow arc literally prove that on paper. Last arcs of the manga is actual R27 propaganda that also tells us what kind of mafia boss Tsuna is going to be. He's not going to be one, he's going to be himself because now he can't separate himself from the people in his life. How can he go back? How could he cut off that many people?

Tsuna has always rejected mafia for its danger and cruelty, but the manga also tells us what he would do if it ever came to that. If he was forced into it, if he couldn't escape it: He would take down Vongola itself. As an entity, but also himself.

Meaning if Tsuna were in charge of Vongola, it would cease to exist as it is. Meaning Tsuna is a mafia boss that's not a mafia boss. And THAT'S WHY THE MANGA ENDS THERE BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY BEEN SHOWN WHO HE WILL BECOME.

ALL THE PIECES ARE IN PLACE NOW IT WAS TIME FOR CHECKMATE. (I was soooo tempted to make a Checkerface joke here 😭)

But alas, I ask, Who was the victor? Who played what? AND THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT. They're both changed and influenced by one another to such a degree that living without one another in the peripheral is actually so unnatural, so inconceivable, THAT THE LAST JOKE OF THE MANGA IS ACTUALLY TSUNA SAYING HE WON'T BE A MAFIA BOSS.

It's both inevitable and an inside joke, because?? He's not?? There's no way. It goes against the very fabric of their world.

[fallenwhumpee]

Promise

• Part 1 • Part 2 • Masterlist •

Warnings: Medieval settings, blood, battlefield, dissociation.

"We are not taking that mission!" Healer shouted to Leader, their head stretched back to stare at Leader. "We don't take missions in villages. And this won't be an exception."

"Like it or not," Leader towered over them, putting a hand to their chest to stop them from getting closer. "We don't have any choice in that. We can't abandon our lands to the enemy. We will fight."

Leader watched as the anger got more intense in Healer's eyes.

"You will send us to slaughter! You know we don't do well in the missions involving civilians. The team..."

"No one will visit you after this." Leader cut sharply. "I promise. I won't let my team pull their usual stunts."

"You can't just stop them from taking a blow for some random stranger."

"Have more faith in me. When did I get us into something we can't handle?" Leader tried again. They needed Healer to see their point.

Healer looked at them for one more moment before sighing and averting their eyes. "But I'm not patching anyone after this."

"That's the spirit. Now pack up. We're leaving with the lunch."

Healer nodded, leaving Leader alone. Leader made their way to their room in the guild's barracks. They closed the door behind them slowly, letting their shoulders drop.

"I don't know what should I do," they admitted to the haunting heaviness hovering over them. A moment later, the familiar bone deep feeling of loneliness washed over them, and they had to lean on their desk to stay standing as their strength drained from their body for a moment.

"I can't  keep going on like this." They muttered to themselves  after it. This was getting beyond their control.

Stopping their thoughts to save their sanity, straightening their stance slowly. They walked over their wardrobe and pulled out a large shield, their sword and armour. They couldn't help but stare at them for a moment before starting to get dressed. The armour over their skin was the only thing that made them feel secure in those days. The only thing they felt like they belonged to.

Not their team.

Despite loving them dearly - and being loved back - Leader was not a part of the team. They were the sword and the shield between them and the enemy, but not a part of it. It was just according to the regulations. Leader couldn't afford to be among the people they were sworn to protect. It never ended well.

Slowly pulling the straps and locking the metal pieces into each other, Leader abandoned thinking altogether. A moment of peace was needed, and they found it relaxing just to do something and not think. They only left their helmet out, putting their long sword to its sheath on their back, placing the very large shield over it. Making sure it's secure, they packed two set of clothes and some water. They were ready to depart.

But their eyes lingered in the big room, checking it for a last time. Their bed was tidy, so the other... They averted their eyes. They forgot nothing. There was no need to torment themselves more.

Stepping out of the suffocating room, Leader felt heaviness linger over them for one more second, but they smiled when they saw their team and ignored the feeling.

"We are ready to depart." Right Hand walked a step forward. "Briefed about the mission. The place looks good for defence. I don't understand why they need reinforcements there."

"They need replacements. And I've heard it's nearing the end. The enemy is giving up. Just need some more pushing."

Leader walked past the team after glancing at everyone, the smile on their face not faltering despite the emptiness pulling their mouth down. They got into their house with one move, the shield messing with their balance a little. It was vast, even for Leader. They had never understood how...

No. Leader wasn't hoping to think about them. Leader had to keep their head there and then. They simply turned to the horizon and rode the horse.

"The battle will be already going on when we arrive," Leader said after they covered a significant distance. "I want you to stay close and work as one unit. You will just hold the defence until another order, either from the general leading the battle or from me. I need you to fight as long as you can, in the other words, do not try something idiotic because none of you will be useful if you're dead."

That gained some chuckles but also nods. Good. Leader needed them to stay alive and well. They made a promise, after all.

The rest of the ride was silent on Leader's part, listening to their comrades and keeping an eye on everything. They only slowed down once they reached the narrow gate, the last lights of sun already departed, leaving them in dark. The battle sounds began to give Leader goosebumps. They felt their heartbeat match with the distant clatter of metal and shouts, their hand instinctively reaching their sword.

The team hid the horses, getting ready to dive into the battle. Without a word, Leader drew their sword, the weight of it familiar in their grip. They blew out a breath and scanned the scene before them. Their focus shifted to their team.

"Stay close," they felt the need to warn.

Without further orders, the team advanced. The disgusting smell of blood-soaked soil once again filled their lungs, the ground beneath them shook. There was nothing, nothing that could distract them from doing what was right. They would not attack, never attack, but they also wouldn't hold back their sword raised to protect.

When Leader's blade met the enemy's for the first time, their focus was absolute, every movement precise and calculated. The clash of metal, the cries of the soldiers, and the roar of battle filled the air, a chaotic symphony that set their heart racing. They moved with a single-minded purpose, their sword an extension of their will, their body.

When their body caught up with their mind, they shifted their focus. Their limbs moved with the will to survive, while they could finally take off their mind from... all of that.

Their eyes found their team, which was holding themselves very well without any help. But Leader could see the telltale signs. Very few civilians were left on battlefield, but their team was already making a safe circle for them, but not as careful as Leader would like.

Still, Leader trusted their team. They trusted and went on, avenging their sword with swift motions. Their one eye was still on their team, and they could see the enemy finding more and more openings.

It was the last straw when they saw Teammate nearly dropped their sword under pressure.

"I hate doing your job," they muttered to the air, taking out their shield. They gripped the shield tightly, their focus shifting entirely to the task at hand. With practised precision, they positioned themselves between their team and the enemy, using the shield to deflect blows and create openings for counterattacks.

Blow after blow made Leader falter, their arms getting heavier from carrying the large shield with one and their heavy sword with the other. Still, they kept their footing as the shield absorbed blow after blow.

When the shield was slammed to their chest by another shield, Leader's breath were knocked out of their lungs, a crack sound lost in the loud clash of two sturdy metal. Leader gasped and relieved the pressure by stepping aside, the motion causing them to lose balance but gain some space. They swung their sword, managing to get under the armour of the enemy general— but also being the victim of the same move.

Their shoulder was stinging, the pain sharp and fresh and distracting, but Leader knew they couldn't afford that. They lunged forward, ignoring the strain they put to their shoulder as the pain only became another chaos in the background.

If it was in more friendlier terms, Leader could enjoy the fight with someone even to their strength, but on the battlefield, it only meant danger. A threat to get rid of. As Leader's sword clashed against their opponent's, their focus narrowed. They couldn't afford to be distracted against such opponent. With swift and calculated movements, they parried and struck, each blow getting harder to maintain.

Despite the burning pain in their shoulder, Leader pressed on, their movements fueled by adrenaline and the instinct to survive. With a final, decisive strike, they brought down their opponent, the clash of metal not banging in their ears for the first time as their sword cut the flesh.

With a weary sigh, Leader glanced around at the scene of the battlefield. The enemy forces were retreating, and the villagers were slowly emerging from their hiding places, cautiously reclaiming their homes. Their team, though battered and worn, stood strong beside Leader, thankfully without any injuries. Years of practised efficiency guiding them, they set up a small camp for their remaining, prioritizing the healing tents and such before finally setting up one for themselves.

Leader slid in without being noticed, a small basin of hot water on their hands. They didn't want to join the celebration outside when they felt so dirty after the battle, and they didn't have the strength to do so. Placing the basin next to their makeshift bed, they took of their armour, pain throbbing with their every move. They ripped the thicker set clothes they brought with them, soaking them with hot water and slowly but tightly wrapping their shoulder. They then wore the other set, hiding the handmade bandages. They didn't look terrible, at least.

Taking the remaining fabric, Leader begun cleaning their armour, the simple and repetitive motion calming their breaths and relaxing their muscles. While tending to their armor for what felt like an eternity, Leader's thoughts were empty, as if the cloth and water could wash away all of their problems. They set aside the cloth foe a moment before they took the shield, the metal gleaming faintly in the dim light of the small gas lamp, the blood over it turning to a dark coloir. They sighed heavily, feeling the weight of exhaustion settling.

They could wash their armour, their sword sloppily, but they could never think of doing that to the shield. Not their shield, the shield, that once belonged to Leader's dear friend, Caretaker. Leader smiled at the imaginary of Caretaker freaking over the possibility of their shield getting Rusty, but Leader's smile soon turned bitter. Caretaker would be freaking out, only if they had been alive...

Just as they were about to pick the cloth again, a voice broke through the silence of the tent.

"Leader?"

Leader glanced up to see Healer standing at the entrance, their expression a mix of concern and hesitation.

"Yes?" Leader replied, their voice as flat as ever.

Healer stepped inside, their eyes scanning Leader's weary form. "I... I wanted to apologize. I shouldn't have questioned your judgment earlier. I understand now that you were doing what you thought was best for everyone, and I should've teusted you not to pick up a mission that may compromise the team. You were right on your promise. No one from our team visited me tonight."

Leader stated Healer for a moment, progressing the words. "It's alright," they assured. "I'm just glad that this ended well."

Healer nodded, smiling with relief. "I also wanted to invite you to join the celebrations outside. The villagers are grateful for our help, and they want to thank us."

Leader shook their head slowly. "I appreciate the invitation, but I think I'll pass.."

Healer's expression fell slightly, but they nodded understandingly. "I... Okay... Just know that you're always welcome if you change your mind."

"Thank you," Leader smiled softly. I'll keep that in mind."

With a final nod, Healer left the tent, leaving Leader alone with their thoughts once again. With not much left to do, Leader cleaned the shield while listening yo the celebrations and ignoring their thought before curling up into their bed, the lively chatter outside serving as the lullaby to defend Leader's mind feom nightmarish memories.

[heidi891]

Rewatching ML Season 1

Stormy Weather: I’ve totally forgotten that Chat Noir can see in the dark.

The Bubbler: We can see a bit of Gabriel’s abuse. Adrien mentions that his father gave him a pen for his birthday three times in a row, and we know Emilie died several months ago, so Gabriel didn’t become a neglectful parent after Emilie’s death. I think that Emilie was ill for a long time and Gabriel’s A+ parenting started long before her death. Adrien probably pretended to his ill mother that everything was fine.

Timebreaker: Chat Noir sacrifices himself for Ladybug.

The Pharaoh: It basically tells us Gabriel’s plan: to make a magical human sacrifice to bring back his dead wife. (And Ladybug stops him from doing that every time.)

Mr Pigeon: It’s funny that Marinette doesn’t find it suspiscious that both Chat Noir and Adrien are allergic to feathers.

Lady WiFi: Adrien doesn’t seem thrilled with Alya’s idea that Chloé is Ladybug.

The Evilustrator: There’s a bit of Marichat! And a little sign of Adrienette as Adrien tries to impress Marinette and is interested in her reaction to Chat Noir, unlike Chloé’s.

Rogercop: The Burguois’ are terrible.

Horrificator: Adrien is annoyed with Chloé and pulls away from her when she tries to kiss him, but he has nothing against kissing Marinette. Why does Juleka keep fixing his make-up?!

Dark Cupid: Adrien writing a love poem is funny. And he sacrifices himself again for Ladybug.

The Origins - Part 1: Cool episode, no particular thoughts.

The Origins - Part 2: I think it was Nathalie who convinced Gabriel to let Adrien go to school.

Copy Cat: —

The Mime: There’s a short Ladrien moment.

Princess Fragrance: —

Darkblade: Adrien is so happy that Marinette decided to run for class president, so I think that later he’s messing with her when he says that he’ll vote for her if she gives a good speech.

Animan: Adrien helping Nino date Marinette is sweet. Could Nino have a crush on Marinette because Adrien’s been talking how awesome she is? Chat Noir looks at Marinette’s family photo with fascination. Apparently he has very good hearing.

Simon Says: Many Ladrien moments and another bit of Gabriel’s abuse. Gabriel realises his son could be Chat Noir, flies like a butterfly (that’s not related) and hugs Adrien.

Pixelator: Adrien is stuck with Chloé and is clearly uncomfortable with her constantly grabbing his arm.

Guitar Villain: Adrien putting Chloé in the lift is hilarious.

The Gamer: Marinette and Adrien are finally spending some time together and Marinette gives him her lucky bracelet. Poor Adrien just wants to eat something, but Marinette doesn’t let him. He says Marinette has nice parents (unlike him, as we know). Chat Noir shows off a bit before Marinette. Just after she claims that he’s selfish, he helps some civilians.

Reflekta: I’ve heard opinions that Adrien is enabling Chloé and he is not, he has no power over her. She doesn’t listen to him and just wants him as her trophy boyfriend. Whatever Adrien has been doing during his photo sessions, it hasn’t involved wearing high-heeled shoes.

Puppeteer: Gabriel is Akumatising children now. Chat Noir is yet again possessed by the villain.

Antibug: Chloé’s had one helpful moment and now Adrien is happy that Marinette isn’t as hostile towards her as she used to be. I think it shows Adrien’s way of thinking in general. Gabriel hugged him once, so he couldn’t be a bad father, could he?

Kung Food: Marinette and Adrien are again spending time together. Adrien suspects that Chloé could have spoilt the soup and later mocks her. Good for him.

Volpina: I didn’t remember that Lila appeared in season 1. I think that she’s never cared about Adrien and he’s just a means to an end. I like how Adrien starts talking to Ladybug like he was Chat Noir and then realises that he shouldn’t be talking like that as Adrien. Marinette should now be convinced that whenever Adrien is stressed out, he takes a shower. Instead of a beret, she should later give him a towel. Adrien says that his father’s anger is worse than fighting Hawk Moth.

Next: Rewatching ML Season 2

[redstringraven]

a light himbo-squad 'lore dump' of sorts as promised. once again for context, this is post-triceraton rebellion; a small squad of rebellion soldiers who traximus had nyxram hand-pick shortly after the rebellion succeeded. plus short tidbits on those two. because i can.

traximus

serving as a commanding officer again, as well as one of the head members of the new council

not 'officially' part of the squad, but since he works closely with nyxram he's often in proximity to them

what started as a hesitant and uncertain partnership with nyxram during the rebellion has grown into a close friendship*; they find they can understand each other in ways their peers cannot

often uses council work and other new-republic work to distract himself from unprocessed, gladiator-related trauma; currently pushing to have the arena destroyed

nyxram

has self-assigned herself as traximus's on/off bodyguard, given he was the head of the rebellion and the current political climate is tense and vulnerable; additionally training him on the down-low, so he's better able to defend himself should he need to and she's not present

also serving as a temporary head of the new council; she hates every second of it

does not officially have a commanding title in the triceraton army, but is no longer serving the prime leader/throne as an assassin; her squad still refers to her as 'commander', however

after learning what happened to don during the invasion of earth, she and traximus personally saw that mozar was removed as a commanding officer and was apprehended to face the new council for his participation in the matter

grax

civilian pre-rebellion; was one of the first triceratons recruited by traximus after he returned from the battle nexus

now an ensign officer; leads the squad in nyxram's absence

was the slowest of the four to warm up to nyxram and often tried to 'drive her off', but as soon as he came around he is undoubtedly the most loyal to her

sharp-shooter archetype; a fire-arms expert who enjoys improving his arsenal as much as he enjoys improving his aim

in a very healthy/committed relationship with his spouse: xi; she's deaf, and they can both fluently speak a triceraton version of sign language

the team's hot-head, albeit you can tell a chunk of it is also just his sense of humor

i said there was one (1) functioning adult among them, and it's grax

ceron

a civilian who joined the rebellion; involved in the 'mining' or 'molding' of various pieces of homeworld, as well as maintaining the structural upkeep of the floating chunks of planet

barbarian-class archetype; relies more on melee and brute-strength in battle than guns or other tools and is the biggest on the squad in terms of mass; powerful, thick lad

tends to be monosyllabic like nyxram, but comes off friendlier; his stature is intimidating but you'll quickly learn he's a big softie

he and grax often have a stupid shooter/brawler competitiveness going on where they consistently 'disapprove of' each other's methods

in similar fashion to raph, he's usually the most vigilant on the battlefield as far as watching everyone's backs and making sure those less suited for a fight (zuron and ranzar) are safe

two of his three horns and a half of a hand have been damaged or lost in various mining/molding accidents, but he wears prosthetics; zuron has enhanced them slightly

ranzar

squad pilot; a civilian who joined the rebellion, previously a 'driver' for small-time crooks messing with the triceraton elites

missing a large chunk of his frill and has some facial/upper-body scarring due to a crash he was in during his teenage years; the accident never discouraged him from driving/piloting, and he can be a bit of an adrenaline junkie

easy-going and highly charismatic personality; enjoys picking non-fights with grax and arguing with him for the sake of arguing; tries to do this with ceron, but ceron just stares at him

despite that he was the fastest to warm up to nyxram, it's clear that he's sometimes still pretty scared of her due to her past, reputation, and skill-set

has developed a big-brother/little-brother relationship with zuron since they spend a lot of time together both on the ship and working around it; zuron laments that he should be used to ranzar's driving by now but he's just not

zuron

squad engineer and part-time medic; was likely serving his first 'year' as an engineer when he got word of the rebellion and joined; worked undercover best he could in the docking bays and helped ia set the explosives during the turtles' escape in-series

youngest member of the squad with minimal experience handling weapons or being in a fight; spends most of his time either on the main ship or in whatever shuttle ranzar is piloting; will stick to ceron like glue when he feels like he's in danger

highly friendly, very curious and eager to learn about pretty much anything you put in front of him; similar to don in this capacity but is much more extroverted and out-going than he is

is probably the least aware of nyxram's past line of work, since most of his rebellion time was spent undercover in the docking bay, but is also the least afraid to ask her about it should the need or desire arise

has a big-brother/little-brother relationship with ranzar but, unknown to ranzar, zuron did have an older sibling at one point who he lost to an illness; zuron enjoys being taught engineering tricks he didn't know (ranzar has "unofficial" workarounds to several problems) and finds a sense of familiarity in ranzar's easy-going vibe in comparison to the rest of the squad's more professional or serious energies

---*---

*traximus and nyxram are not a romantic nor intimate ship; i write trax as gay, and nyx's relationship with... relationships is complicated

[fictionadventurer]

For Powers & Prejudice, 20 and 24.

20. Share THREE headcanons! But about different characters.

I'm applying this to the entire Austen superhero universe, rather than just to the Pride and Prejudice characters

Anne Elliot refused Wentworth's marriage proposal not (as he thinks) because his background was too lower-class or his powers were too weak for the elite Northanger Elliots, but because Anne knew he wanted a superhero career, that her powers weren't great for superhero combat, and the last thing he needed was a wife to serve as a convenient hostage for every villain out there.

The entire Tilney family has strong gravity-manipulation powers. General Tilney and his eldest son mostly use their powers to increase the effects of gravity--to enhance their own strength and to keep others down. Because Henry's suffered the effects of that, he almost never uses that aspect of his powers, and is much better at decreasing the effects of gravity, and especially at changing the orientation of his personal gravity.

If, for some reason, in true superhero comic fashion, Lizzie Bennet had to fight Henry Tilney, she'd have a tough time of it. Her superpower involves analyzing the situation and making use of physics to achieve her ends, and Henry's entire superpower is messing with the laws of physics. She'd be able to adapt quickly, but Henry's been doing this all his life, so he has the advantage in knowing how to handle these shifts. He also takes this much less seriously--he has much less personal pride getting in the way. He'd be having fun with this, while Lizzie would be seething.

24. Ramble about something you haven't gotten to talk about yet.

The most important thing in this universe that I haven't talked about yet is the Militia. After Lizzie and Jane come back home from their misadventure in superhero-Bingley's secret hideout, they learn that Lydia and Kitty have become involved in a new type of superhero group that encourages everyday superpowered civilians to make use of their powers in a sort of neighborhood watch structure. It pitches itself as a harmless neighborhood activity (which means it probably calls itself something other than the Militia), but there are those who fear it's fomenting unrest among superpowered youth and could lead to violence. Wickham has recently become involved in this group, and is one of the people pushing the philosophy that superpowered people are superior and should be able to use their powers more freely--and his growing influence is frightening to some of the higher-ranking, peaceful-minded members within this organization.

[sweetcloverheart]

Clover Rants Miraculously: Train(crash) on the Brain

Hi, I’m gonna complain about “Style Queen” (and “Queen Wasp”) Again! (Warning for S5 spoilers)

For all I see the traincrash complained about, I never see anyone actually talk about how messed up it and Chloe’s motive are in context with how it’s handled - because you have the show present to us/the audience that Chloe is obsessed with getting her mother’s love and approval. So much so that she copies her every mannerism and got upset that she was more interested in her daughter’s bully victim than the daughter herself as well as mocking her on live TV, and was willing to endanger an entire train full of civilians over it on the premise that she believed doing something “heroic” would make her mother reconsider her being “unexceptional”.

It, at both it’s base and deeper levels, is messed up and awful. That Chloe both decided on this course of action and that the effect her mother’s absence has had on her influenced this are equally horrible things. And instead of addressing that, instead on tackling that obsession, instead of talking about how messed up it is Chloe felt she needed to do this to get her mom’s attention (or that Audrey, for whom she did it for with said attention in mind, responded so dismissively at the whole fiasco), instead of talking about how this was the wrong way of handling whatever trauma Audrey’s abandonment had on her and she might need to reconsider how valuable that love is if it’s driving her to try and crash trains and having her needing to ask her mother why she doesn’t love her - the show just has Marinette encourage them to bond through their shared evil and treats it like the problem begins and ends with Audrey staying in France instead of everything else it just presented within these two episodes.

And I’d be more forgiving of it if MLB was one of those black-comedy parody superhero shows, but even they manage to handle those types of topics with a bit of tact. If the entire point of Audrey’s treatment of Chloe was meant for comedy, they would (and should) have just kept things limited to the whole “Audrey’s so detached from her family and such a raging narcissist she can’t even remember her own daughter’s name” instead of dedicating the entire following episode and later ones and several mini-moments in this and the prior season to how this treatment has had a negative impact on Chloe and is one of the main reasons she’s so awful to everyone before having it drive her to almost cause a citywide tragedy and give her a magical artifact because of it. The show runners spent so much time showing how Audrey’s been such a toxic influence on Chloe even in her absence and gave such an extreme case example via the attempted train crash of why it’s bad she doesn’t seem to recognize what a terrible person her mother is/her effect is on her, so having them act like Chloe just needed mommy dearest (and how Marinette needs to give up her dream to help achieve this when there are a million different canon ones for why she can’t go to New York and why another character could and should be involved in this arc instead) to spend time with her is just baffling? Especially when they then proceed to turn around and go “LOL JK! Chloe never had any depth actually, KA-PRANK!” at everyone in the season 3 finale for having dared to get invested in the storyline they introduced in the first place! And even then, it didn’t actually solve anything because Audrey’s still a neglectful POS afterwards and Chloe goes from schoolyard bully to cartoonish psychopath before the show then decides to use her mother as a “punishment” for her Also don’t even dare talk to me about Zoe - no she is not “proof” that Audrey isn’t an excuse for Chloe being a bad person because “she still turned out good despite Audrey doing the same to her” because 1)we have zero info on how Zoe was raised in New York. All we know about her backstory is that Audrey left too and that she got bullied for lying. We aren’t told what the Lee household is like or how they treated her or what sort of life she had lived before the liar reveal forced her to moved. For all I know, Mr.Lee donates yearly to the orphaned penguin fund and his wife (if he has one) reads to blind streetlamps. We can’t say she had the exact same backstory but turned out different when we don’t know what her backstory actually is. And 2)Audrey barely effects her backstory. Audrey isn’t the reason she moved. Audrey isn’t why she got bullied by her classmates. Audrey isn’t why she was mean to Marinette after meeting her again (Chloe was). Audrey has no involvement or connection to Zoe or her character outside of birthing her and validating Chloe’s claims that a Bourgeois must be “perfect”. I could literally make Zoe’s mom any other character in the series, and not only would “Solecrusher” still play out the same way as canon - it’d still run into the same issue as mentioned. Zoe isn’t good “in spite” of Audrey’s neglect, but because that just happened to be her default setting. I can at least say Audrey is, more or less, partially responsible for how Chloe turned out as a person and involved in her character arc because the show actually bothered to show this in series. Can’t say the same about Zoe though, because the writers didn’t try to give the two a connection outside of Audrey being her ovary-donor because they cared more about making sure everyone knew Zoe was anti-Chloe and better for it instead of proving the point the fandom claims she represents.

Like, if the show had Marinette (or maybe one of the other characters they had shoving her towards getting involved) say “Chloe, your mom’s a huge b-word and you absolutely should not be hanging around her anymore than you already are. It’s the entire reason I dropped the apprenticeship offer with her. Also, you should maybe think of investing in a therapist if she has you so twisted up that you decided crashing a train was the optimal solution to her disinterest in you.” and then have that advice rejected, it’d be fine - but instead they had Marinette say they should be bonding over how nasty both are and made it out to be like Chloe being exactly like Audrey was good and necessary, before then chiding anyone and everyone for still being attached to her afterwards because how dare! Don’t you know Chloe’s evil? So much so that she’s even more evilier than Hawkmoth! She’s just rotten to the core - always has been. What do you mean we had an entire arc showing she potentially could be a good person and it’s because her mother’s a bad influence? You’re imagining things. Chloe’s just evil because evil, nothing more nothing less!

(and it’s so frustrating they only had Marinette say this so they could justify keeping Chloe as an civilian antag when they could have just had Adrien, who would be justified in saying this seeing as how he has such an unhealthy view of family relationships thanks to Gabe, take her place and have the same result - or better yet, focus on Lila, whom they brought back in “Chameleon”, and have her take Chloe’s place as the civilian antag so we could better have the set up for her eventually becoming the new Butterfly holder!)

“It’s just a kid’s show. It doesn’t have to take the subject seriously. They just didn’t want to make Chloe a hero.” Alright then. Fair. If MLB just wants to be a silly kids show, it can be that - just don’t include the topic of Chloe and her mom then. If you want to be a dumb heeheehoho show about two kids with magical super powers who want to date, then don’t include heavy subjects like child neglect. Don’t make the child neglect part of the character backstory. Don’t make it be revealed the reason she bullies people. Don’t make it lead to a 2-season long arc about the character potentially joining the good guys, and then suddenly go “LMAO nope” after stringing along the audience the whole time! Don’t give depth and character focus to character you have no plans on actually utilizing it for, and then I can happily say to myself “it’s just a dumb kids show” and leave it at that!

[battiegutz]

I talk on here a lot hopefully I’m not weirding you out.

I’ve also rewrote parts of 2012 Tmnt. And I have questions!

So hold up lemme get my list.

First of!

Leo? Trans fem? If so, during what arc would she come out? I have my own ideas but I wanna know yours!

Ships?? (Bats eye lashes)

Ok ok next

Any new designs? Cause I have some for the krang and the big krang robot

Mmm what else… OOo!

Redesigns?

Any other plot points and stuff your adding on too?

I really really like hearing ideas about rewriting parts of 2012 .

Anyway hopefully I’m not weird or annoying! Please tell me if I should calm down on the asking (trust me I would not be offended)

-🪲

FUCK !! YESSSS I LOVE BEIN ASKED QUESTIONS DW IT HELPS ME ACTUALLY BRAINSTORM<3<3

yesss transfem leo :3 idk when she comes out but she doesnt rlly get time to think abt her gender until th farmhouse arc but that gets interrupted when they go back to reverse th invasion (i most recently watched th ep where bebop nd rocksteady got mutated so i only have like. a vague idea of what happens next lol) but i think maybe? it would be before the space arc?? god i need 2 keep watchin💀 YES. SHIPS. GOD OK SO. im a multishipper if its not obvious but fr this particular au/rewrite, im eventually gonna have lesbian aprilnardo bc idk they have a rlly good dynamic i think. side not raph nd april are absolutely besties they love talkin shit. there will also be timatello bc im giving tim an actual arc whattttt🤯🤯🤯🤯 anyway yea LOL timatello<3 altho itll just be pining nd they never get 2gether sadly :( srry th angst won nd someone maybe got a little bit shot😔 ill try to throw some jonatello crumbs in aswell maybe, idk torn between them nd rasey fr why does casey have so much game🤨 oh my god yes i want to ideally redesign all the characters tho idk if ill get around 2 EVERYONE but man im a fruit ofc im changin up these designs. i gave april braces nd freckles bc i think it suits her :3 i also wanna make th kraang in general more like. horrifying? probably not the early series kraang, but w aprils kraang dna in particulat i wanna delve deeper into horror teehee. also wanna make karai more well. shes a teenager bruh i think she shuld be allowed to have her emo era lol. im tryna wait until i get thru like majority of th show to mess w th plot points but some ideas i have involve showing more of the farmhouse arc, and considering a certain. lost limb😶(srry leo lol) itll take a bit longer fr them to get back 2 nyc. also jus gonna try nd fix th weird way 2012 did romance subplots?? why does leo hav a crush on her sister🤢 yea no instead she meets karai in civilian clothes nd they bond nd karai becomes like an older sister to her but then she has to betray leo fr shredder :( not super developed obvs but i think i jus wanted karai to wear trap pants and smoke weed lol. april also shuts down donnie rlly early bc shes a lesbian so shes like. bruh. also my recent art post idk what actually happens in mutant apocalypse but i was thinkin abt how interestin it wuld be if leo was captured by the kraang and used as an experiment bc of her unique mutations :3

[abysscronica]

Could you possibly do some HCS on reader/birdie if she found out that kid possibly had a child with one of the harlots from johns dockyard/with someone else?

Uuuuh, this possibility is... difficult to handle. Birdie's reaction to this will depend on how Kid decides to go about the situation. Given that he was probably an orphan himself and grew up in misery, my guess is that he would not want the same for his child, as much as it was a total accident. Because yeah, Kid would not be happy about it. At the same time, I don't see him renouncing his dream and race for the One Piece because of it, so I think the best option would be giving the child for adoption to a good family, some wealthy civilians as first choice, and never open the chapter again. Killer would have to be the one suggesting this, because both Kid and birdie would be too upset to think clearly, at least at the beginning. However, if the biological mother of the child refuses to let them go, the idea would be making sure that the she has the means to sustain herself and the baby, possibly somewhere better than John's Dockyard. Kid would set part of his looting aside and send it to them so they can build a decent life for themselves. As for the rest, they can think about it after the One Piece is found, if the Kid Pirates are still alive.

Now for birdie's reaction. Just as Kid, she would be severely upset at the beginning. It'd probably lead to a huge fight between the two, such as "That's exactly why you should use condoms" and "What are you going to do about it, now that you put another child into this messed-up world?". Once they calm down enough though, they'll have to come to terms with it. In case the child is given for adoption, I think the matter will be closed. They made sure the baby has a better life that they could ever give them. If the child stays with the biological mother until the One Piece is found, it really depends on what the status of the Kid Pirates will be at that point. If both Kid and birdie survive, they would probably want to visit them, then it'd all depend on the level of involvement Kid would want to have in his child's life. Birdie will find a way to live with it, as she's not gonna leave Kid over this.

[grumpy-triceratops]

If you want, here’s a free infodump card for the hero/villain thing you were talking about earlier.

I'm going to take a swing and assume this is about my oc stuff, if not, whoopsie. Either way, thank you so much for this ask I really appreciate it!! This may get long so I'll keep it under a read more.

So I never mentioned in my last post that the name of this story is Starfall Isle because that's the name of the location where the story takes place (side note: I did have to change it because this ask made me realize I should look it up and initially I was going to call it Starfall Isles but that's the name of a location in Flight Rising so I dropped the s). However while I have been thinking about this idea more since the last ask I still don't have a lot of stuff I feel concretely about. I would like it to have some kind of end goal but overall it would be more similar to superhero cartoons where it can be kind of episodic but a bigger plot can start to build up along the way.

The main character's name is currently Kailani Sparks and her hero name is Knight Star. As the name implies she has star related powers such as making stars she can walk and fly on (all Kirby-esque), as well as star-shaped blasts, transforming changes some aspects of her physical appearance as well such as her hair color and the way it glows (though to what degree/duration I have not decided). Her powers will also develop in various ways as the story goes on. Kailani can be a bit bumbling and ditzy but she has a really good heart and fast reflexes and she will fight you if she has to!

The character I talked about previously is now named Sapphira Reylin (though I am still wavering a bit on her last name) and her hero name is still Cross Rozen. I've started to define her powers a little bit more, she has her demonic form she can transform into, she also has fire and plant related powers (I'm not sure if I want her to be able to element bend them or if its just something she can generate and wield) and with her fire powers comes a bit of a fire resistance, she can also create swords/daggers.

One of the main villains is named Inevitable, she appears in amorphous forms to conceal her identity. Her powers involve her being able to change states of matter, I may have it also that she can change a target's weight and/or how gravity affects it but I don't know since I don't want her to be too overpowered. Personality wise she's very impish and loves toying with others especially Knight Star. Inevitable is also very influential often plotting and playing a hand in the villainous underground. I have some ideas on her civilian life but not many and they'd be secrets anyways since I don't want to give away everything on the chance I hopefully make this a comic or something one day!

Another prominent though less imposing villain is Marsupialia. Her powers allow her to take on the traits from any marsupial she can think of, she doesn't fully transform into the animals but it does influence the way her suit appears as well as give her the ears, tail and claws of the corresponding animal and possibly other traits unique to certain species. I almost forgot to mention that regardless of form her powers include: heightened smell and hearing, as well as her pouch ability. This power allows her to turn any bag into a pocket dimension however she can't put in anything that wouldn't otherwise fit into the bag's opening, so like she couldn't take a car but if it fits it shifts (into her pocket dimension). Marsupialia like Inevitable can be a bit cheeky and likes to mess around with Knight Star, but unlike Inevitable who has a cat and mouse dynamic with Knight Star, Marsupiala has more of a cat annoying another cat type relationship, speaking of: she also is more of a cat burglar type villain. I know a bit more about her civilian self but again, secret.

Then I just have variously fleshed out ideas for other heroes and villains mostly just ideas for powers I think would be interesting such as origami, scissors and plush related abilities. So yeah its a lot of just shifting vibes for these characters and this story but the more I think about it the more I'd like to try and solidify these ideas, so again I appreciate having an excuse to think about it!!

[hopeswriting]

I want your opinion do you think Tsuna friends are selfish? I sometimes do have this sort of frustration sometimes when the cast of khr kind of ignore Tsuna squeamish about him not wanting to be a mafia boss.

hi nonny, thank you for the ask!

no i don't, not at all!!! and i totally get why one would think that, and it’s not actually the first time i come across this take, but--okay, how do i even say this?

i feel like whenever we talk about this we always forget the guardians are also being forced into this whole mafia thing, in their own ways. like, they’re kids too having their hands forced by people so much stronger than them. take gokudera for example, when reborn of all people asks him to show up to namimori. well, what the hell else was he supposed to do but show up independently of how he felt about it??

and okay, just get this please, but reborn picks them and throws them in tsuna’s life as possible fitting guardians first and foremost to begin with. like, it’s never about them becoming his friends, and in fact it’s tsuna who then earns their friendship all by himself and actually makes them stay by his side. and what i’m saying is that his guardians are used as both the carrot and the stick for tsuna to do something about all the mafia shit they keep throwing at him and get himself involved more and more in it even if it’s the last thing he wants, but tsuna is used as their carrot and stick too so they'll help him do all of that, instead of backing down from the whole thing the way they could much easier than tsuna at the very least.

and because when it comes to them the focus isn’t on people so much more powerful than them/power so inescapable forcing their hands like reborn/vongola with tsuna, it’s easy to think they’re actually perfectly okay with all of it, but it’s like. well, they are willing to be a part of all of it, but for tsuna. because they know tsuna has no way out of it. so of course they’re willing and happy to be there for him through it all at the very least, and help him survive the whole thing, because they’re his friends. and they’re good friends too. so it has much less to do with them wanting to become and being okay with being mafia (tho for sure, some of them are more or less okay with that), and much more (and first and foremost) with them wanting to be there for tsuna and being okay with the fact that in this case, it means becoming mafia as much as tsuna himself is being forced to become mafia too at the very least.

because they’re good friends to him nonny, do you hear me!!! but they’re also all middle schoolers, and they’re all making friends for the first time too in their own ways, so of course they’re clumsy with it at times, especially seeing the circumstances in which they’re making friends. and they’re also hurtful and careless with each other at times too, and as an example i’m thinking of gokudera keeping calling tsuna tenth even if tsuna explicitly says he doesn’t want him to, because i know it’s often held against him, and as much as i’m not saying it shouldn’t be held against him, i am saying the intention is never to hurt each other or force their wants on each other. they’re always well-meaning even in their mistakes and in learning to become better friends for each other.

i also think it’s quite unfair to call them selfish for deciding to have tsuna back even if they have an easier way out of the whole thing than him should they want it to, because, like. they make sacrifices of their own too to be able to have his back. ryohei with inevitably ending up involving kyoko in this whole mess, yams with losing his dad in the future arc even if they managed to undo it in the end, lambo giving up on his chance of having a normal childhood, chrome giving up on her civilian life even if it’s much more for mukuro than for tsuna, and mukuro “giving up” on his revenge on the mafia to an extent. (and i can’t come up with anything for hibari and gokudera off the top of my head right now, but still, still!!!)

i just? again i want to say this is a very valid interpretation of their attitudes, but i just want to make you consider this other interpretation i feel is just as valid, and yet never considered somehow lol?

but yes, no i don’t think they’re selfish for dealing with suddenly getting dragged into the mafia as best as they can (for those who weren’t already mafia before anyway); yes i do get it’s frustrating it’s easier on them to make peace with that when for them the question is "do i want to stand by tsuna through this?" and less "am i okay with the mafia turning my life upside-down and putting at risk everything i care about?" like it is for tsuna, and so they come as tactless/hurtful towards him because they don’t realize it is (and unfortunately they weren’t made to grow out of it); but yes i firmly believe their friendship is very much an equal one and equally supportive on both sides despite it.

[novabl]

mechanical translation

I was always surprised by people who wrote that: how come Doumeki had a chance to return to his family and become a civilian and he didn’t take it?

And I always wondered what family? His father is a dirty rapist, whom he almost killed (I wonder what happened to him... I hope nothing good), his mother ignored him since childhood, was not interested in him and did not show any care. We already know and understand everything about his relationship with Aoi. I think it’s physically difficult for Doumeki to be around her. I don’t think he had a place where to return to. I'm sure he took care of his mother and sister, but they never had that real family to return to.

I also have questions about civilian life. He's a former cop with a criminal record, he has scars and a severed finger. What kind of job could they hire him for? most likely it will still be an part-illegal job with a salary that would only be enough for food. Of course, he could choose civilian life and try to build a new himself there, but this would not be the fairy tale that, it seems to me, is meant by people who write: how is it possible, he should have stayed in civilian life. it would be super difficult, but doable if you had the motivation and goal. Doumeki wasn't having it all. He was just broken

I think Doumeki has nothing to lose. All his behavior after that conversation on the roof shows this. He clearly does not value his life and does not believe that anyone will value his life more than theirs. And this is a super unpopular opinion, but I don’t see him in civilian life now. I may also see him working at Yashiro’s casino, that will be cool. But I think he is very comfortable working for Tsunakawa now. He needs order and control (he has needed this since childhood). He gets this from Tsunakawa. He has a sense, he is respected and appreciated (which he lacked so much in childhood). He knows his role and functions perfectly. Therefore, at the moment it is difficult for me to imagine what will happen if he leaves.

It used to make me confused how no one would really talk about how little of a chance Doumeki had to become a civilian. Not only does he have a physical marker showing that he was once involved with organized crime but he was in prison for years. I also imagine that he would have extreme trouble trying to find work in Japan. Maybe there are companies or places that would have hired him but there is a reason why once convicted of a crime, you become more likely to commit a crime again. I am not sure how it works in the saezuru world though. Maybe it is less of a stigma there and he did have a real shot but in my opinion, it was kind of messed up of Yashiro to kick Doumeki out of the yakuza life, even though he had good intentions, to make him try to rebuild a life completely from scratch. Though Yashiro did provide a large severance package lol. It reminds me of what Yashiro did to the yakuza who fell for him. He got him kicked out of the yakuza once Yashiro started to realize his feelings. On that topic, has anyone else noticed that guy looks very similar to Doumeki now with the cheek scar and back tattoo. Was that intentional? As far as Doumeki’s family, Doumeki has said that his parents didn’t provide well for his emotional needs and Aoi seemed to be in university so she can be living her own life right now. Doumeki definitely feels like he has nothing to lose. I don’t think we should underestimate the place Tsunakawa has in Doumeki’s life. Also Kamiya and Muraji both have proven to look out for Doumeki as well. So far Nanahara and Yashiro have proven to be a bit hostile to Doumeki so while he would always save them he probably wouldn’t leave sakura for them right now. In the end, I can see Doumeki being kind of a link between the sakura family and Yashiro since sakura is involved in gambling and Yashiro has his casinos.

[mamamittens]

This is going to be my pending list of possible devil fruits or talents for the reader insert darling this currently (4/14/23) being voted on here!

Some of these will only be available with certain backgrounds because they don't make too much sense with all of them in mind, though currently it appears as though the trembling, nervous marine is going to win. Although I could be convinced otherwise for the talents and devil fruits, ngl, I didn't really think too hard for this list.

Marine - 🛟

Pirate - 🏴‍☠️

Civilian - 🙋

Noble - 👑

Devil fruits

Cupid - Basically limited flight with a bow and arrows that can inflict certain emotional statuses on people that are hit. Such as intense love, obsession, and hate. Cannot create real love between people that truly hate or vice versa and the effects are temporary if the target has sufficient willpower and awareness. Extra laughs to be had with the planned glasses/always losing them trope. 🛟🏴‍☠️

Lucky rabbit- Rabbit attributes such as ears and tail with high jumping, speed, and the ability to give small boosts in luck. Can transform into full rabbit for bigger luck boosts. 👑🏴‍☠️🛟

Fast as fuck boi - speed. Just. All the damn speed. Maybe not quite the speed of light but at some point there's no real difference is there? 🙋🏴‍☠️👑

Lights - creates sparkles, pops of light, or even explosions at bigger scales but is incapable of long, sustained light. Strong heat is possible but usually remains in the firefly/fairy light range. 👑🙋🏴‍☠️🛟

Monkey see monkey do- can cause people to inexplicably mimic their actions as long as the target sees them. 👑🙋

Empathy- can feel the emotions of others and has a limited ability to reflect their own emotions on others 👑🛟🙋

Healing- can take on the injuries/illnesses of others into themselves and, depending on their current health, instantly heal from said injuries. If already in poor health, they will gain a lesser version of the injury based on how well they're feeling. Can be fatal if too much is taken on or too many in a short time period. 🛟🙋👑

Power Dial- can cause other devil fruits to grow stronger in their presence or through direct contact. Mostly passive, with concentration this can be turned off or even reversed. 🛟🙋🏴‍☠️👑

Talents

Baking- specifically with desserts in mind. Someone that can make those joke cakes where it looks like a real object or it's made entirely out of chocolate. 🛟🙋🏴‍☠️

Animal friend- big or small, every animal they run into loves them instinctively. Yes. Even the ones that supposedly hate everyone. 🏴‍☠️🙋🛟👑

Musical savant - not an Uta-level popstar but someone that inexplicably can play anything they put their hands on. Even if they've never played before, give them a free afternoon to experiment and they'll quickly learn all the ropes like they've been tutored for years. 👑🙋

Grace/charm- mostly a joke sort of thing, but basically everything they do just looks... Inexplicably perfect. They look photogenic at all times, even when they should be a mess. If you've seen "Haven't you heard, I'm Sakamoto" it's pretty much that. Also, side note, highly recommend but there is some slightly creepy/sleazy factor involving an in appropriate crush on a (ambiguously aged) minor from a housewife mostly in one episode but it's low-key a gag a few other times.🙋👑🛟🏴‍☠️

Tailor- expert in the craft of making clothes for all shapes and sizes as well as repair. 🙋🛟🏴‍☠️

Photography- they love taking pictures of things and honestly, they always come out wonderfully. 🙋👑🛟

Exploration/finding- if there's a secret, they'll find it. Hand in hand with making maps and general navigation, their curiosity and luck will see them finding anything. 🏴‍☠️🛟👑

Refined pallette- they can identify ingredients, materials, and other such things by the vapor of nuance. Secret recipes are not secret, fakes will be identified, and poisons discovered. 👑🏴‍☠️

[misspickman]

curious about all of them but ESPECIALLY theory: existence is a mirror 👀

oh ive been wrestling with this one for a while and probably will continue to, its a tim's mental issues fic bc ive seen a lot of stuff about him being depressed/passively or actively suicidal but none of it really sat right with me so im trying to figure out how i think this would manifest with the character, but its tim and hes difficult. much to think about. so unfortunately this wip is a mess and im not working on it actively bc its so hard to get the vibes right and its frustrating. anyway heres a bit

“Don't you have anything better to do,” Leslie asks—complains—as she digs out a bullet out of his shoulder on a beautiful Friday night, “than run around clobbering people all night?” 

“Crime doesn't sleep.” 

“No, but you should. And you are not the only one for this job, are you?” she points out. Rightfully. Tim still feels unnecessarily defensive and just barely stops himself from trying to prove to her how needed he is out there, actually. “You're too young for this to be the only thing you do.”

That takes him aback. This is the sort of conversation that Leslie usually unleashes on Bruce. It feels… painfully unearned to be getting it in his place. 

He doesn't want to be a part of this discussion. He'll leave that to Bruce, Leslie and Alfred to ponder over, and he can go back to his work as soon as Leslie's done wrapping up his shoulder. The only reason he's here and not doing it in front of his bathroom mirror anyway is because Helena decided to play protective and basically dumped him in front of Leslie's door, and would not let him leave even if he tried. 

It's really not that serious. It's just a shoulder. 

“With all due respect, Leslie—” 

“Tim,” she cuts him off, taking none of it, “with all due respect, you are twenty one and sitting in my clinic with a bullet wound on a Friday night. And I know you're out there every night. Do you even socialize?” 

Tim bristles. It's embarrassing, and makes him feel just as young as she's treating him. “That's none of your business.” 

It doesn't feel good, being rude to Leslie, but it's an instinctive reaction. Tim is well sick and tired of people trying to tell him how to live his life. 

He thinks back on his last attempt to talk to a person his age who isn't involved in any of his vigilante life. He even likes Buzz, he wouldn't mind reconnecting with him, which is what he assumes the sudden invitation was about, but there's nothing like a miserable social interaction where you can't think of a single non-incriminating thing to say to drive home just how unadjusted you are to having a civilian life. 

It had been easier before, back when he had dad and Dana to keep happy with lies, and was basically forced to keep a normal life. Scratch that, it wasn't easier; he agonized over keeping secrets every waking second, he kept two messy lives and never seemed to make enough time for either of them, but it did mean he had some semblance of a normal life. He hadn't thought of it that way back then, but he can see it now. There's none of that left. 

Now, he has more than enough time to dedicate himself to being Red Robin instead of Tim Drake. He thinks he's been doing a pretty good job of it—except, nobody else seems to share his opinion. 

“You'll run yourself ragged until there's nothing left but the cowl,” she says, and Tim has an inkling that this is far from the first time she's said those words.

(title from this poem bc u know. vibes)

[cartoonfuel]

Mind Games: Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Mind Games

Rating: Teen

TW: Graphic depictions of violence/gore, some sexual situations (included for comedy and/or plot progression), MC is a bit unstable, mental health, occasional uses of the f-word, quirk addiction

Chapter 1: She’s Awake

~~~~~

“We’ve been over this, Osamu,” you groaned, sitting across from the restrained villain inside one of Tartarus’ many interrogation rooms. “The League of Villains used you to get to All Might, there’s nothing more to it. So shut up about it already.” Your metal hand moved to scratch the opposite elbow. “Ugh, this uniform is so freakin’ itchy. Now, tell me about your progress. Feeling better than last week?”

You noticed Doppelgänger’s hands both twitch inside his straight jacket, the man’s face parallel to the bright lights on the ceiling above him. “I just feel… tired…”

“I’m sorry your only option was going cold turkey, which may make you feel fatigued,” you snapped. “But you do absolutely nothing all day, so how do you expect me to believe that is the only emotion you’re feeling?”

I miss it.

I hate them.

I hate everyone.

Why would they throw me away like that?

Heroes ignore me.

Villains don’t respect me.

Civilians don’t need me.

We shouldn’t need to deal with a divide between quirkless and gifted.

Yet even with a cool quirk, why does nobody want me?

After staring upward for most of today’s exchange, Doppelgänger swung his head down and looked directly at you through the glass.

Aya, why did people hate me when I was quirkless?

They didn’t even know me.

Tomura said I had potential.

You rolled your eyes. “I agree with him. You do have potential, Osamu.”

Thank you for coming to see me again.

It’s so much easier thinking than actually saying stuff out loud.

No one does this better than you do.

I enjoy our visits.

But since you’ll never give me what I want, I’ll always hate you.

“Using your quirk is one thing, but your quirk requires getting other people involved. I know it was hard going through life without a quirk, but you should’ve thought about that. The only possible way you’d get to use Doppelgänger again is if you were to use it against wrongdoers to help heroes or police subdue them, but with as long as a sentence as you have, I don’t think you’ll get that chance.”

“I know, I know!” he cried out in response to you, flailing in his chair. “Don’t remind me! I messed up, I know!”

Your theory about Ito Osamu’s quirk addiction turned out to be true. He was a young man who received his power roughly fifteen years late compared to everyone else, the new ability quickly taking over his mind and controlling him.

“Just one more time, just let me do it one more time! I can do it to you, even! All you gotta do is take the cuffs off! I’ll let you recover your quirk right away, I just want to feel and see it again! Is that so bad?”

“Yes, it is bad,” you sighed, writing notes down on your clipboard.

“No, it’s not! It’s perfectly normal! I could separate you from your quirk and you could kill it over and over, it’s painless! I could even tell it to kill itself, you wouldn’t have to do anything but stand there! Or sit, lie down, I don’t give a shit! It’d be like a mutualistic relationship!”

“I wouldn’t want that. That would be a parasitic relationship if anything.”

Parasitic?

Is that how you see me?

Just some parasite?

“The League did the same to you, didn’t they, Osamu? Do you really want to make someone else feel the way you do right now?”

Why should I care?

“I guess not,” Doppelgänger snapped in contrast to his thoughts.

“You liar, you should care. Lying is useless when you’re with me, remember?”

“Whatever.”

Although…

“Do you know anything about the League of Villains? Why they tossed me to the side?” Doppelgänger asked, a tear rolling down his cheek. “Why would they abandon me after one failed mission? I thought I’d be useful to them, but they didn’t manage to reach All Might. They didn’t get what they wanted…”

You nervously furrowed your brow.

…Unless they did.

Did they?

Do you know if they were after anything else, Aya?

You gulped. “I’m not sure. You’d know more than me.”

I saw the way Tomura looked at you, right after he tried to decay my arm.

“Maybe they had what they wanted long before you showed up. They pick their members wisely, you know.”

Doppelgänger’s crying continued, more and more tears streaming down his smiling face.

You’re connected to him, aren’t you?

“I can tell because that’s how True Vision works!” Doppelgänger raised his voice, going back and forth between thoughts and speech.

But how?

Were you his girlfriend?

Sister?

Mother?

Your clipboard fell to the floor as you stood up, anger festering within you as you slammed your fists on the window between you and him. “You think I look old enough to be his mother, bastard?! He’s older than me, dammit!”

“I’m just spitballing here!” Doppelgänger giggled endlessly, wiping his wet face on his shoulders. “You’re so angry, Aya-kun! Not to mention predictable! You must be his past lover or his sister then, and we wouldn’t want people to mix those up, so might as well spill the beans! Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone!”

It can be our little secret.

He stared at you, a different look in his eye now that you were standing so much closer to him.

You know, I wasn’t sure if I’d ever get to see you again, Aya.

You were seething.

You and that pretty little face of yours.

Abruptly, some Tartarus guards opened the door behind you, rushing in to calm you down. It didn’t take them long to snap you out of it, encouraging you to move on to your next assignment. On your way out, your pride kept you from holding your tongue.

“Half,” you growled at Doppelgänger as you left the room.

“Until next time, Aya! I do hope you’ll allow me to use Doppelgänger again someday.”

It felt so lovely the last time.

Working at Tartarus as a guard specializing in interrogation wasn’t easy, but you had grown to love challenges over the past few months. The facility itself had three different tier levels of security, with you being part of the lowest. You were the youngest person ever hired, but your higher-ups didn’t want to miss out on the opportunity of offering someone like you a job. You weren’t thinking this would be your forever career, but it was at least a solid start.

Given your recent success at the institution, your boss, along with the Japanese government, eventually decided to task you with interrogating All For One. You were a mere three weeks out from your scheduled meeting with him, trying not to think about it as much as humanly possible.

“They want me to interrogate All For One,” you told Midoriya over the phone. “And I’m really anxious about it.” Not only because you’d be face to face with All Might’s rival, but because of your familial connection to All For One’s little puppet, Shigaraki. Midoriya wasn’t aware of this, of course, jumping the gun and trying to determine ways he’d be able to benefit from you interrogating the manipulative overlord.

“No way, that’s insane,” Midoriya told you. “All I know is that he’s locked up tight, so you should be safe. That’s still daunting though. Are you thinking you’ll need any additional moral support? I can always give All Might a call.”

“No, I don’t think that will be necessary, but thanks.”

“I hope you don’t mind me asking, but do you think you could find out as much as you can about his connection to Tomura Shigaraki and the League of Villains?”

“I’ll try,” you responded, collapsing onto your bed. “How’s working with Endeavor?”

“It’s definitely interesting.”

You chuckled at his answer, causally undoing one of the buttons on your pajama top. “Care to expand on that, Deku?”

“It’s complicated and a bit hectic at times, but things are good overall. Kacchan, Todoroki and I are sure learning a lot!”

“That’s great.” Coddling your phone, you rolled onto your side.

“How’s Eri?”

“She’s doing so well! I visit her fairly often. She’s going to grow into an amazing person.”

“I bet! She’ll make a great hero, especially with a quirk like hers.”

“Hey, I should probably get some rest. We can talk about all this more tomorrow.”

“Sure, I’m pretty tired myself.” Midoriya’s voice was soothing as always. “Goodnight, Aya!”

“Goodnight.” You hung up, shifting onto your back and initiating another staring contest with the ceiling.

Before you knew it, you’d passed out.

Not long after, a terrifying voice reverberated all around you, your eyes shooting open in an instant.

“So you’re the one distracting Tomura.”

You wanted to sit up and look in the direction of the mysterious voice, but there was a problem.

“Interesting. Not a bad quirk, either.”

You couldn’t move a muscle. It felt as though a heavy blanket had been draped over you, paralyzing you.

“I wonder what kind of pawn you’ll become.”

The dark figure stalked towards you, now standing at the side of your bed.

“I hear you’re coming to see me in a few weeks. Won’t that be exciting?”

The man towered over you, his hands presumably hidden behind his back.

“I don’t get many visitors.”

You wanted nothing more than to get up and run away from this monster. To make matters worse, you couldn’t read his mind.

“It bothers me that a little cockroach like you snuck around undetected for as long as you did. Oh, I’m sorry. Did I not properly introduce myself?”

Trembling, you tried to focus your eyes on the person’s silhouetted face, though he didn’t appear to have much of a face at all. Was this…?

“I am Tomura’s Master, Shigaraki.”

Gently, you shut your eyes.

All For One.

You finally shot forward and sat up in bed, breathing heavily. Thinking All For One was still nearby, you adjusted your mechanical hand and took aim at him.

But there was no one there.

What made life in your little studio apartment a whole lot tougher was the sleep paralysis that came with working at such a place as Tartarus. You weren’t sure why—maybe it was due to regularly interacting with nightmarish villains like Moonfish and Stain—but night terrors became more and more common leading up to your little date with All For One.

“Shishikura Sir, I don’t think I’m ready to interrogate All For One,” you explained to your boss, seated across from him inside his monochrome office. “Is there really no one out there with a mind reading quirk like mine? No one that you can send instead?”

“We wish not to drag anyone else into this mess if possible,” Shishikura replied, lightly tapping his fingers on his desk. “Because of your involvement with UA High and the League, sending you makes the most logical sense. Why are you doubting yourself now?”

Telling him it was because of nightmares would be foolish, but he didn’t seem to be giving you many options. “I just have a bad feeling, sir,” you said as you adjusted your uniform’s hat.

“Bullshit, we didn’t hire you to waste my time with excuses like that.”

“This is All For One we’re talking about! You mean to tell me you have no qualms about sending an eighteen year old girl to chat with All For One? Listen to yourself!”

“Listen to yourself if you want to keep your job.”

Ugh, this world was so cruel.

That night, you paced inside your apartment. It was a tough pill to swallow, but interacting with All For One was going to happen whether you felt ready for it or not. After finding a few different ways to relax, you snuggled up into bed and drifted away.

Chilled by an unexpected breeze in the middle of the night, your eyes fluttered open, you grimacing at the source. Your sliding back door was wide open, allowing the icy winter air to waft into the apartment.

“Dammit, not again,” you muttered out loud. “Wait,” you whispered with wide eyes, realizing you were able to move your mouth. You slowly sat up, beginning to wonder if you weren’t alone in the room. Unable to hear any nearby thoughts, you assumed you were relatively safe and climbed out of bed to inspect the door. Stepping out on the deck, you surveyed the area for anything suspicious. Being three floors up, you were rather bewildered, every hair of yours standing on its end. Transforming your hand into its gun form, you tiptoed just inside the apartment, eyes scanning the moonlit room. You reached for the lamp nearby, switching it on—or so you thought. Unfortunately, the light never came.

“Sorry to barge in on you like this, but the front door was locked,” a deep voice interjected the silence, fear mixed with confusion coursing through your veins.

“So was the back door,” you countered, squinting your eyes to try and make out the figure now sitting comfortably on your bed. His thoughts matched his words and actions.

“Oops! I guess I must’ve broken it then.” You stole a glance at the door, surprised to see the handle was missing entirely.

Hand on the trigger, you lowered your gun. “Who are you?”

“Ouch.” The character stood up, stalking towards you with a slight limp. “That hurts, Aya. I know it’s been a few months, but there’s no need to embarrass me like that. Am I truly that forgettable?”

Tomura Shigaraki stepped into the moonlight a few feet away, successfully backing you into the corner of your apartment. The glass of the back door was cold against your shoulder, reminding you of the rather vulnerable sleepwear you had on. Feeling humiliated in your tank top and sweatpants, you took aim at the villain again, glaring venomous daggers at him. “You look different.”

“I feel different,” Shigaraki replied, looking down at the palm of his injured hand. His hair glowed white, thick bandages wrapped around his arm and leg.

He seemed more muscular than you remembered, too. “You been working out?"

“I guess you could say that.”

“Dyed your hair, I see.”

“Shut up,” he paused. “I’m here to deliver a message.”

Your brow furrowed. “You?”

“Would you have rather me sent Twice to do my personal shit for me? Compress?” Shigaraki’s tall frame was suddenly much closer than it was a moment ago. “Listen,” he moved again. “This may very well be the last time we speak to one another.”

“One step further, and you’re dead,” you hissed, rudely ignoring his sentiment.

He smirked, taking another step anyway. “Why haven’t you shot me then, hm?” Your face fell, feeling as if he were a whole foot taller than you now. “You can’t, can you?”

Knew it.

“Same reason you aren’t killing me, probably,” you snapped, biting the inside of your cheek to help calm you.

"I see UA kicked you to the curb."

"Not necessarily.”

“And for what? Differing opinions, was it? Different insight?”

“They had good intentions.”

“Did they really?” Shigaraki laughed, making you wish this were only a nightmare. "You sound so unsure of yourself, still going to bat for them! When are you going to switch teams, Aya? I can see it in your eyes. You're still looking for somewhere to belong.”

"You're despicable.”

“I almost feel bad for telling Dabi to tattle on you for your little fumble,” he snickered, frustrating you further. “I figured those scumbags would have you thrown out, and for such a minuscule reason, too. I would never do that to you.”

“You did it to Doppelgänger. Now go away already, I like my life right now."

“What, pretending to care about all those loose canons locked up in Tartarus?” Shigaraki sneered, unexpectedly changing the subject a second later. "Tell me more about your mother."

You obliged, nervously clearing your throat. "She was a very kind woman who had many secrets. Growing up, she would act as if she had always been quirkless, kinda like my dad. Truth was, she had lost her quirk in a battle. After that, she wanted nothing to do with quirks or heroes. Married a quirkless guy, even."

"Typical of a hero,” he scoffed. “Do you know what her quirk was?"

"No, I never found out, didn’t bother to. Why do you ask?"

“First things first, I’m trying to get you to understand heroes. They only care about themselves, your mother included. She lied to her husband for years, hiding her entire life and your true identity from him.“

You simply shied away.

"Secondly, there are only so many ways an individual can permanently lose their quirk, you know. I was curious.”

Registering a freakish thought of his, you began to panic. "Are you here to take my quirk?" you blurted, pressing the barrel of your gun to his forehead.

"I wouldn't dare do that to you," he replied with glowing red eyes, handing you a small slip of paper. "If you change your mind and wish to join the Paranormal Liberation Front, give this number a call. You’re running out of time though, so better act quick." As soon as Shigaraki noticed your fingers leave the trigger, he swiped your mechanical hand away from his face and pinned it to the wall next to you. "This is some cool tech you've got here," he hummed as you struggled against him, anger boiling within you. "But even with this little upgrade of yours, you're still just a little girl." You swung your other fist, him overpowering it in an instant and pinning that one as well, this time above you against the glass door. "With the strength of one, too."

You finally burst, violently kicking the villain in the bad leg and rolling away. You climbed on top of your futon and stood tall, twirling around to face him. “You’re crazy! You show up in the middle of the night trying to play the brother card? I won’t have it!”

“The only card I’m playing is the truth one,” Shigaraki replied, dramatically rolling his vermilion eyes. “Our father hated heroes, too. In some ways, I turned out to be like him.”

“You and your daddy issues. I don’t care!”

“Don’t you wish to know about your father?”

“No, I don’t! You can’t just show up in my life and try to mold it into what you want, Tomura!”

“I don’t care either, so congratulations.” Shigaraki reached behind him and pulled out a hand—your hand. “Which reminds me, I don’t need this anymore.” He gently set it on the coffee table in front of you.

“Ew, I don’t want that,” you growled, hopping down from the couch.

“Sure you do.” Shigaraki wandered towards the back door again, facing away from you. “Enough of these mind games. I prefer shogi, anyway. But I’m warning you, things are about to get—“

The sound of you firing interrupted him, cutting him off and sending him to his knees.

You’d done it.

You’d shot him in the back.

“I’m impressed,” Shigaraki chuckled darkly. “You are something else. Unlike me, you have no problem killing family. Not suited for heroics, not suited for villainy, yet you want to be a part of something. But who cares about all that, anyway?” You blinked nervously, watching in horror as Shigaraki turned to look at you with brown eyes instead of red. “Both are just tools for violence and you know it.”

“I don’t…disagree,” you commented quietly.

Evidently, all Shigaraki had left to offer you was a sinister smile as he melted away, leaving a filthy pile of mud situated just inside your apartment. You sighed deeply, still trying to process what that was. Exhausted, you shut the sliding door and grabbed a mop out of the closet.

You eventually crawled back into bed, catching a glimpse of the detached hand still on your coffee table. You yawned deeply and, just before falling asleep, made note of the small piece of paper resting neatly in its palm.

=

=

=

Name: Aya Shimura

Alias: TBD

Age: 18

Quirk: Mindscape

She can hear the thoughts of anyone within 10-20 meters of her, whether they consent to it or not. It’s actually quite creepy! Over time she has learned to control her quirk and focus it on individual targets. In other words, there’s no keeping secrets from this chick!

~~~~~

A/N: Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed Mind Games. 🫣 Just so ya know, a potential "Mind Games Part II: Vigilante Arc" could be a future work of mine! Don’t forget to tune in Spring of 2023 to see if I’ve posted! Thanks again for reading + commenting and I’ll catch ya later!

RETURN TO MASTERLIST?

[dreamsbeyondsleep]

I think I misread the joke and OP probs doesn’t want to touch the idea of Amy being even more fucked up than canon, but the way I read that post was like this:

Amy shard causes her to love using her powers. She goes on a healing spree, and when she runs out of supply she starts messing with people she’s healing is “small” “unnoticeable” ways. She might even memory wipe some of these patients afterwards, telling hospital staff that it’s better that they don’t remember getting their arm crushed in a construction accident or getting mauled by super powered criminals. If this change in her powers results in her being more charismatic, maybe she persuades hospital staff to keep some incidents off the records, because you never know how that might affect the patient, you wouldn’t want someone to miraculously survive such a horrible incident only to get shafted by the ambulance bills, does insurance even cover parahuman healing? Maybe it’s for the best we put this all behind us :). Even if they don’t agree to such a gross violation of ethics, an understanding pat on the shoulder or a handshake might change some minds...

Who would her first victim be? Well..

It’s 2008, Annette Hebert is in a devastating car crash. Amy Dallon (wiki says she triggers 2009/2010, but we might as well move the timeline around if this is an AU and put it in 2008) and Glory Girl are on their way back home after Amy patches up some armed robbers Glory Girl assaulted. They arrive just in time see the crash; they are the only witnesses. Annette is hurt bad but Amy knows she can heal her easily. Only thing is...after they save this woman and report the car crash, they’ll be no one left to heal, no one to give her the thrill she gets when using her powers. Without that, all she has to look forward to is being passive aggressively hated by her mother, neglected by her father and compared to her sister. She gets an idea, to change just a couple things after healing this woman, something subtle, and wipes her mind of the last few hours. When Annette wakes up, she’s greeted by a blonde teenager in a superhero costume (Glory Girl right? From the news?) who immediately apologized for wrecking her car. She had been chasing down some villains making a getaway, and they had used their powers to fling her into the street and into the way of the car, she should have been more careful not to get civilians involved (”Just make something up, I don’t care what. Or else I’ll stop covering for you and your little ‘incidents’”). The teenager begs her not to tell anyone and Annette agrees, only because she strongly suspects she had been on her phone and had practically ran straight through the girl without seeing her.

Annette takes  a bus back home and meets Danny at the door. “Had a close call on the road home today! Thank God I was paying attention. Yeah some villain gangs were speeding down the road home today.  They went straight through a red light and t-boned me, If I hadn’t gotten out of the car in time I would have been gone. Ah the car’s a wreck though, sorry honey”. She goes to lay down but then she starts coughing heavily, finding it a little hard to breath. It’s probably from the crash, she thinks. Might have to go to the hospital...