#man this kid got so many surnames

[elleniemae]

Still drowning in the artiest of blocks but hey, at least I can doodle.

MAN I hate Belos but THIS right here is FREAKING PEAK character design, I’ve always really really loved possessed!Hunter’s look. Drawing him is always SO FREAKING FUN

[ashipiko]

—NIKO CIMARRON

All information on Niko Cimarron ATM! Will most likely be updated ☆

—MORE UNDER CUT

BASIC INFORMATION:

Class: 2-A

Birthday: October 24

Height: 176cm

Dominant Hand: Right

From: Land of Pyroxene / Shaftlands

Club: Film Studies (visits on occasion, inactive member)

Favorite Subject: Magic Analysis

Best Subject: Animal Languages

Likes: Making a profit

Dislikes: Getting outsmarted

Favorite Food: Berries / Berry flavored things

Least Favorite Food: Anything too hot

Specialty: Balancing on the line of lie and truth

GALLERY:

VOICE CLAIM:

YUU’S INTERVIEW:

— Scarabia Dorms - Niko’s Room —

for easier reading, all yuu dialogue will be in italics and all niko dialogue will be in a normal black font instead of green.

There you are. Surprised you came to visit me, Carrots.

> You know what I’m here for, Niko.

> Why are you surprised?

No need to act like that. Interview, right? Or should I say an interrogation? If you wanted to hang out with me, you didn’t need to hide around the bush, you know…

It’s cute seeing you all dodgy, but still. ♡

> I think it matches your vibe.

> You’re one to talk.

Yeah, yeah. How many questions do we have planned for today? Don’t take too long, now. I’ve gotta start pumping out those treats for my profit.

…Oh. No need to worry about a pen and paper, I’ve got one for you.

> I didn’t expect for you to be so prepared.

> (…They’re cuter than expected.)

Something something about matching the vibes… They’re modeled after an old movie about cops and so, interrogating. Figured you’d like them. A carrot for Carrots. It’s cute.

It’s about time to start though, huh?

> Yeah.

> No more wasting time.

INTERVIEW: START!

1. Can we get some basic info about you from… you?

A second year Scarabia student who’s a fox beastman. I guess I’m what you’d call a charmer, thief of the heart, man of your dreams… I’ve heard it all. But the real name’s Niko. Niko Cimarron. My surname means “Wild”, so you could call me Mr. Wild if you like that too. Heh, actually, it’s a business thing, so I guess you’d only call me that if you bought my products… Say, Carrots, you feeling like you need a snack? I have some lefties if you’d like.

> No thanks.

> Why not?

They’re tasty, I prommie~.

2. Speaking of which, what are your “pawpsicles” made from? How do you make them?

Those little things? Why, I’ll let you know I put my blood, sweat, and tears in those treats. Makes me happy to see other people happy, like the faces on a thaumark. To make ‘em, it’s just some tasty berries from the school grounds that get mushed up to get juice, where they go into a mold and freeze up. It’s hard work! I’ve gotta walk so many steps around the school and all across campus… You’re lucky you never saw me in my first year. Took me a while to get used to the schedule… Though, I’m a well-organized man now, I’ll have you know. It’s good for the public image.

3. You’re from the Shaftlands, aren’t you? Do you have any connections to Vil, Cater, or Jack?

Connections? I have them with everyone, really… though I don’t think those three are really aware I came from the same place as them. To be fair, the Shaftlands is a pretty big area. People even go as far to call it a utopia.

If anything, I’ve talked to Diamond more at NRC than anywhere in the Shaftlands. Is that because I never even saw him once? Maybe. So I can’t say about back then, but I can enjoy a good conversation with him now. He’s a good customer and a good influencer. Back then, he got me a good chunk of costumers off of a Magicam post, so I’ve got to give it to him. Who knew people could just follow trendy things at the drop of a hat? Crazy, right?

Vil is a major celebrity, and Jack, I didn’t even know existed ‘till this year. I’ve got nothing to say about Mr. Hardhead, but I’ve had my fair share of talks with Vil. When we were kids, I got a wave from him once… It was great bragging rights. Heh, he kinda freaks me out now though. The reason why I don’t actually participate in club activities. He’s probably too high of a standard for a lowlife like me, so it’s not something that bothers me anyway.

4. You don’t seem to have a Unique Magic. Any reason why?

Ah. Magic? A little bit of a sour topic for me, Carrots, ow… I’m just a late bloomer, is all. I’ve got magic in me, but I never played around with it when I was younger, so I’m way more rusty than all of the other guys here. It doesn’t mean I don’t know the brain stuff, though. Just inexperienced.

If I’m being dead honest, it’s kind of a miracle how I got into NRC. I guess they wanted the fox vote, huh? Heh.

5. Not sure if I’ve seen you around a lot with one particular person. Is there a secret someone?

Secret someone? Getting jealous, are you? Haha, I would’ve never taken you to be the type!

> Not the focus of the question.

> That’s not…!

It’s your fault for wording it like that. You’ve got to watch your words, Carrots. Well, the business life is a cold one, isn’t it? Being around a bunch of highschool guys isn’t really the “ideal” grounds for making business partners either, so it is what it is. At least this way, I get all the profits, so I don’t mind. If you want, I can save a spot for you by my side. ♡

> Again, no thanks.

> Maybe after I get a break from all the things this school brings.

Keep me in mind~.

6. Our last question. You say a lot of random stuff. People get annoyed with it pretty often. How do you feel about that?

…? Oh, you picked up on it, huh? Heh, I mean… I guess I could come clean. I think it’s interesting you haven’t walked away from me yet, y’know. Usually people aren’t into this stuff.

> You are annoying, but…

> (Would it be mean to say something?)

I appreciate you, Carrots. A little too much than I’d like.

Usually people don’t really like the stereotypical foxiness I bring to the table. They run away because I’m either something they don’t wanna get mixed up with, or just something they don’t like. I think you’re a weirdo who’s looking for entertainment when you come into my room and talk to me like this.

…But I guess that just means that you like the way I talk to you, right? You can’t get enough? Is that what’s happening here? ♡

> For a second, I thought you were going to need some comfort, but I guess not.

> Really, it’s fine, Niko…

Don’t pretend like your cheeks aren’t a little red. I like the reactions I get out of you. ♡

Is that all you wanted? Yeah? Alright, we’re done here, then. Hand me the pen, would ya?

> It was nice being able to talk to you like this.

> (That was a quick turnaround.)

…Yeah. Hurry on up, shouldn’t you be studying up on actual things worth studying? Live up to that Smarty McSmart Pants title. Bye-bye now~.

INTERVIEW: END!

> (I feel like Niko’s more than meets the eye.)

> (I feel like Niko’s… hiding something.)

.

.

.

TRIVIA:

Niko is twisted off of Nick Wilde from Zootopia!

Niko is actually magicless. Not entirely, as he does have some running in his blood, so he didn’t lie, but it’s not enough where he can successfully conjure spells. Because of this, at NRC, he often has to get by with con-artist type excuses and acts. It works most of the time, as he has Crowley’s support. For now, he’s getting by with the excuse of being a late bloomer, but I’m sure suspicions are beginning to rise… Perhaps, if it were to be found out that he’s unable to conjure spells, he would be kicked out of NRC.

He made it to NRC after being dared to attempt to con his way in by his magicless best friend. His name is not noted, but he’s a very angry and violent French fennec fox. Niko is often bullied by him.

He can be considered a fan of Vil.

Niko enjoys the pop genre a lot, but is embarrassed to admit it.

Despite being a playboy, Niko is easily flustered at the thought of someone seriously making moves on him.

Niko can also count as a bit of a heartbreaker. For the romantics around the school, everyone knows Niko as that kid who’ll charm you for a week and leave you heartbroken when he inevitability rejects you. It’s not anything against anybody, really, but more so the fact that Niko can’t ever imagine dating someone before he tells them his secret. It feels unfair to him. But people take offense to it nonetheless, the heartbroken people usually cutting Niko off as soon as they figure out that there won’t be anything working between them.

Because of the way some people leave him as soon as they sense no romance, Niko finds the concept of love to be sort of flaky. It takes a while for him to develop a crush, despite his flighty, flirty attitude.

Due to being a class 2-A student, Niko often ends up selling his treats most often there. Kalim and Silver are his number one customers, as Kalim buys bundles of them to give to Scarabia members, and Silver buys them for Lilia to enjoy.

Niko attends the Playful Land event and ends up staying in contact with Fellow Honest afterwards. This relationship ends up contributing a lot to Niko’s development.

Even though he doesn’t want to, he feels obligated to play into the deceitful foxiness of himself, because that’s what people naturally expect of him. It stops them from getting curious about him, as it seems like they’ve already got him figured out.

He says things that are considered shallow, like flirting or bargaining because he wants to get a reaction out of people. Niko does small things like this for small reactions — enough of these small reactions will fulfill the same satisfaction of seeing someone he loves flustered or happy, he thinks. In truth, he knows it won’t amount to much. Niko tries to satisfy himself enough so that he won’t need the real thing.

Niko feels very guilty for deceiving everyone at NRC, especially the prefect. Even still, he doesn’t have the heart to tell them that he truly doesn’t belong here, taking up a spot possibly for somebody who deserves it much more.

Niko’s way of thinking suggests that if he acts distasteful enough, it will cause people to stray far away from him. He believes that he really is just a lowlife fox, but the truth of his actions is something he think people would hate him for most; living in a lie. Because of this, he acts like a playboy and an annoyance in attempts to get people to stay away, preventing them from finding out the even uglier truth of him.

Additionally, he’s afraid to have the truth leak out because he doesn’t want to leave NRC. Though he doesn’t have much, he doesn’t want to lose the little bit he does have, and the little bits he keeps on gaining.

Even still, Niko craves for someone who will take time to understand him. Which is why he’s so attached to the prefect.

More to be added!

^ the pawpsicle icons in this relationship chart represent whether if the character is an avid pawpsicle enjoyer (has the icon), has experienced it once but never had it again (once!), and if they have never had it.

[shin-thalia]

FNAF MOVIE SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT..

I have MANY THOUGHTS about Mike's family and here they are

Okay so I've been thinking and there is NO WAY Mike Schmidt isn't related to Afton.

When we see the actual William Afton reveal, the picture Vanessa shows of her as a kid features the little orange plane.

This SAME PLANE is the one Garett has in all of Mike's flashbacks, on the day he got taken. When Afton himself shows up, he says "first I killed your brother, now I kill you." Which confirms that yes, he was the one who took Garett on that fateful day.

How would Afton have known to be there? He likely didn't take Garett on instinct because it happened so fast, plus Garett didn't seem scared in the car so he must have known Will to some extent. Plus, it's in a NATIONAL PARK. Was he just waiting there??? Or was it revenge?

I think that Mike's mother remarried from the Aftons, and ended up with Mr Schmidt, who she must have married semi-recently if Garett didn't seem scared about Afton's presence. She possibly could have had an affair that Mike was simply unaware of, or he just never knew his real father, that being William Afton.

Going back to the plane- Vanessa had it, as did Garett. Sure, I'm not saying that there's only one of those planes in existence, but this is FNAF we're talking about.

Either Afton took the plane from Garett after killing him and gave it to Vanessa, or Garett and Mike's side of the family got to keep it when Mrs Schmidt separated from Afton.

This also ties to when 'Steve Raglan' was shocked into silence and leaned in to examine Mike's face after reading the name Schmidt. Either he recognized the surname of one kid he killed over a decade ago, or he recognized the family name of the man his ex-wife married. William Afton recognized his son, and his son simply doesn't remember him.

"They say everything you learn in life, down to the last detail, is stored inside your brain. All you have to do is remember."

This EXACT QUOTE from Mike seems a little too on-the-nose when taken into this context.

Now, when we look at it all, we have Mike Schmidt and Vanessa... who are really Michael Afton and Vanessa Afton.

Vanessa is conveniently in a coma at the end of the movie too, so she can't immediately clear up this information until the sequel. The SAVETHEM-style letters read out in the credits also say "COMEFINDME", which directly references the "now.. I'm going to come find you." Line from Michael Afton at the end of Sister Location, in reference to Springtrap. His father. William Afton.

[rayshippouuchiha]

Thank you! So here I am to infodump, full of gratitude, and you can post this if you want no problem it's just a bunch of scattered ideas so yeah. Feel free to chuck suggestions at me too! I really don't know what to do with these... building blocks just yet.

Akatani Mikumo is Midoriya Hisashi.

Toshinori gets sandwiches by the Midoriya couple and it turns into an OT3 but that's much later down the line.

Hisashi is a journalist, keeps getting into everybody's business and Knows™ more than he frankly should.

Hisashi is a Cryptid™. But of a different energy from his son who is all lightning-in-a-bottle jittery On The Verge Of Throwing Hands feral sort of cryptid, Hisashi is mostly of this... supernaturally unflappable blank-faced chill entity.

Who keeps spooking people bc No Footstep sounds.

And might possibly be partially mute or just ridiculously soft-spoken bc when he tries to speak at normal volumehis fire-breathing quirk goes ballistic.

Might or might not have bloodline relations to AFO. Origins ambiguous, Inko just literally plucked the (then) teen off a back alley like he was a stray cat.

Also might or might not have more than one quirk, see the probable AFO connection.

Izuku got his mumbling thing from Hisashi.

A cryptid man who seems normal enough except a little off-kilter, like two inches to the left of what's a “normal” man? Weirdo but nobody can pinpoint how or why. That's the sort of vibe I want with this Hisashi.

And some Wack™ backstory lore I came up w for Hisashi, I dunno what I'll do w it but:

Cw: mention of infant murder, bc I'm Me™ and I was thinking about Yotsumegami (it's my favorite game) and how my version of Hisashi would tie in with it.

Yanno how in Yotsumegami “unwanted children” (children with disabilities, the younger of a twin pair or every sibling except the eldest in triplets or higher, etc) would be killed (it's a real historical practice in Japan, mabiki, they called it) or something like that? Would be kinda fun if an offshoot of that variety existed in the BnHA world, even if it's not outright child murder kids would be abandoned, especially in the chaos of the Dawn of Quirks. People who were scared of quirked people would abandon their quirked child, quirkist folk abandoned their quirkless children, it's chaos.

It would be more prominent during the initial chaos, though I guess laws and stuff would've been passed later on to prevent it or at least cut down the numbers— and the practice fizzled out but there's still a few remote rural villages who accept “unwanted” children.

One such secret community could be like, giving the surname “Akatani” (red valley, for the red of spider lilies used in mabiki in times past) to the children that were discarded at their metaphorical door. Do they still practice mabiki? Debatable. But it's like a giant secret orphanage with questionable, cult-like mentalities.

Akatani Hisashi was one of those until he miraculously escaped and tried to survive in the outside world.

Or maybe he didn't have the Akatani surname at first bc nobody in the remote village had any surname but once he got out he might've created the surname as a way to hm, not quite honor but carry his origins into his new life.

(maybe Yoichi was almost mabiki'd too, like I said I'm still not entirely sure where I'm going with this)

So Izuku gets to grow up w two parents who care a great deal for him. Maybe they move away, resulting in Izuku not having to deal w Bakugou in his childhood. Maybe Izuku makes friends with some other future 1-A classmate.

The Commission keeps trying to track down this one rogue “vigilante reporter” whose name is unknown. And they keep failing because Hisashi (along with his son and excessive gaggle of... comrades? followers? does the Midoriya family accidentally create an organization of rabid info gatherers?) is a certified cryptid.

Izuku has his hands in so many pots. He's a lot more nosey than in canon probably?

Endeavor had better be prepared bc his entire way of life is about to go up in smoke

I don't know why but I just have this very strong feeling that Stain doesn't like Hisashi for one reason or another.

I... wouldn't be entirely opposed to the AU just chucking Bakugou out the window so that he's not in 1-A (or in UA at all, fuck that pomeranian) and instead is replaced by another loud blond...

Fucking Monoma, LMAO.

A lot of the AU is just ?????? for now and most of it is Hisashi backstory but hnnnnng I want to do something with these jigsaw pieces I just don't know what

Also I'll be sending in Hisashi's design in a non-anon ask but could you append it to this ask's answer instead? Thanks!

I adore everything about this!?!?!

Also I didn't get another ask, anon or not, so Tumblr might have eaten it

[a-killer-obsession]

Wavelengths [Killer x Reader, Heat x Reader]

🔞 Minors DNI 🔞

A search for a rumored Vegapunk weapon leads the Kid Pirates to an unexpected new crewmate, with a bloodlust that rivals their own and an incredible power.

CW: Please check AO3 for all current warnings, but general warning for smut, slow burn, serious gore, and really dark themes. AFAB reader, she/her pronouns.

Masterlist || AO3 || Chapter 1

Chapter 7 - Trust

You help Mohawk give the crew their annual medical checkups.

WC: ~4k

Taglist: @h0n3y-l3m0n05 @tremendoushorsepatrolgoth

Apparently the Kid Pirates took their health more seriously than Yin would have guessed, because during dinner it was decided that tomorrow Yin would start her new job in the infirmary by assisting with annual medical checkups. Apparently Mohawk was adamant that the crew have regular health assessments, though to be honest only the top dogs ever usually made it through more than one annual checkup. Henchmen and cabin boys didn't often survive that long. Regardless, he kept well organized records of everyone currently on the ship, with manila folders containing sheets of information, from medical history to blood types to work he'd done himself. They were all kept in careful alphabetical order in filing cabinets that sat in the infirmary, organized by first name since many of the ship's occupants didn't have a surname.

With the addition of Yin's skills he was determined to add a new sheet of paper to each file, documenting old bone breaks, as well as any current internal issues that he might not have been able to catch without scanning equipment. The crew wasn't due for their annuals for another month or so, but he was excited to test out her abilities, so he'd convinced Kid to bring it forward.

She followed him to the infirmary after breakfast, where he gave her a quick tour of the room before performing her own checkup. He usually liked to do an initial interview when a new crewmate came on board but there hadn't really been the opportunity to do it till now. Anytime she'd been free, he'd been busy.

She gave him the short version of her life, he wasn't shocked to hear how the marines had treated her. They discussed contraceptives for a short while, but in truth he didn't really know much about them, since he was used to working for a crew of only men. She told him she had some sort of implant the commodore had forced on to her, so he made a note to look in to it, but left it be at that. The entire female reproductive system was something he was going to need to study now. He at least didn't need to inquire about her last cycle, or how irregular her period was, since he'd heard from Heat what happened during her initiation. He'd been unsurprised to discover the slave mark burned in to her skin in the middle of her back, it was long healed since it had been probably twenty years since she was branded.

“Any old injuries to note?” He asked, pulling out the new page he'd whipped up yesterday and photocopied a million times. It had a simple outline of a human, duplicated and labeled ‘front’ and ‘back’, with space around the edges so he could make notes and draw arrows to mark notable injuries.

“I broke my left ankle when I was learning to moon step, when I was about fourteen,” she said, tapping her lip with her index finger while she tried to recall past injuries, “oh and I dislocated my right hip when I was eight”

“How'd you do that?” He asked, making quick notes on the page.

“Got raped by a man too big for me,” she said plainly. He paused and put down his pen, letting out a heavy sigh. She seemed indifferent, like she'd just told him she'd fallen from a tree or something. You know, something normal for an eight year old to have done. He didn't pry further, she'd already given him her life story, he didn't need more information.

“I just need to check your eyes and ears and we can start calling the crew in for their checks,” he said, wheeling his stool over to sit in front of her. She was sitting over the side of the examination table. The infirmary wasn't large, but it was big enough for a decent size desk, an examination table, and a couple of more comfortable beds for those who needed a quiet place to recover, or required observation. The walls were lined with cabinets, many of them under lock and key, bookcases containing medical journals, and several tall filing cabinets. The room didn't have any windows, since it was smack in the middle of the building that sat above deck towards the back of the ship, and it smelt heavily of medical grade disinfectant.

“Can you remove your mask for me?” He asked politely, otoscope in hand.

“I can but you have to be quick, did Killer explain how my mask works to you?” She asked.

“He did, you won't be able to hear or see me properly, correct?” He said, “I'll be quick, just look straight ahead and stay still, I'll put your mask back on as soon as I'm done”

“Okay then, I think I trust you,” she slid her mask off and placed it on the bed beside her, sitting as still as she could, “okay, go ahead,” she couldn't make out her own voice, but she hoped she was speaking.

He gasped as he looked at her eyes and saw the grey-pink, no whites or iris or discernable pupil visible on them. He pushed it aside for now, he had to check her ears first. He moved quickly, knowing that every second he took was another second for her to become overwhelmed. Killer had warned that in the past she'd been known to become feral when she was without her mask, and he didn't feel like getting bitten today.

Her ears looked healthy, so he swapped his otoscope for his ophthalmoscope, rolling his stool to be directly in front of her and gently pulling her eyelids away to see more of her eyeballs. It was useless, he couldn't make out anything remotely human on her eyes other than the shape - whatever was going on with them was outside of his skillset. He sighed and gave up, putting the tool down and picking her mask up to slide carefully over her head. She felt it starting to touch her, so she quickly took over and shimmied it into its usual comfortable position.

“All done?” She asked.

“All done, thanks for not biting me,” he half laughed as he scribbled notes in her chart.

“I only do that to men who ask nicely,” he assumed she winked after that but he couldn't tell past the visor.

“Right,” he tried to brush it off, he wasn't one who was comfortable or who knew how to react to open flirting, “so, with the others. I'll do all my usual examinations, and when I'm done I'll have you scan them. I want to hear about any current or old injuries, and any abnormalities you see. I've never had access to scanning equipment so it'll be mostly new information for me.”

“Okay, can do doc!” She replied, moving from the exam table to the desk, sitting on the edge and kicking her feet.

“One last thing,” Mohawk said as he stood to go find his first patient. Most of the crew thought medical checks were for pussies and would no doubt be unwilling victims, “everything in this room comes under doctor-patient confidentiality okay? You're my nurse now, everything you hear is to be kept private. And keep it professional, you may be surprised how many of these men have STIs. If I hear a single laugh while I'm looking at someone's dick I'll have Killer drown you, got it?”

“Genitals don't phase me, most of the showers in the marines were mixed gender,” she shrugged, “you may be surprised to hear how many dicks I've come face first with to check for UTIs”

“Okay, good, we should have no issues then,” he said, “get off the desk, it's not professional. Sit in my chair till I need your assistance. I'll be mostly on the stool anyway”

“Roger that, doc,” she gave a mock salute and slid off the desk as he left.

Yin really was surprised at how many henchmen had STIs, and by the time they were done she was sure she could recite Mohawk's safe sex spiel of the top of her head, word for word. A few henchmen had been suffering in silence with bad constipation, and one had a badly broken toe. The cabin boys were all relatively healthy, but Mohawk gave them all the safe sex talk anyway, since it wouldn't be long before they started getting curious about the women, and he desperately hoped he could keep them from turning in to disease-ridden henchmen. Some of them were already partaking, but had been lucky enough to not catch anything.

It was well in to the afternoon when they got to the officers and commanders. The officers were all healthy, being that they'd been on the ship long enough to have regular checkups and knew well to follow Mohawk's advice. Yin had to stand on the examination table to check Wire's head, since he was just so damn tall.

She was surprised to find during Heat's examination that he actually had several hidden piercings that she could see through his clothes while she scanned him. She didn't ask why his dick was pierced, it didn't seem like an appropriate medical question. Kid wasn't happy about being examined, and complained the whole time that he was too busy for this shit. Mohawk gave him a long, stern talking to about drinking less beer and more water, if he didn't want a repeat of yesterday. She hadn't realised that the metal arm didn't have a real arm inside, she'd just assumed it was some sort of cover. She bit back a gasp when he removed it so Mohawk could check the stump of what used to be an arm. The base had metal embedded in to it, assumedly to help the prosthetic stick. She did her best to not gawk.

Last up was Killer, who they had to wait quite long for since he had been busy with some new recipe he had wanted to try that required being cooked slowly for many hours. He smelled of freshly cut herbs and bread when he entered, mixed with his usual scent of musk and spices. He locked the door as he entered, and Yin came to the jarring realisation that he was probably going to need to remove his mask. Mohawk went through his usual line of questioning before standing in front of Killer, he was too tall to examine from the stool. He did the same flexibility and grip strength tests he'd done for everyone else, and tapped his knees with a little hammer to check reaction times, before picking up his otoscope and turning to Yin expectantly.

“Right, sorry,” she said, turning and facing the wall. She heard something click and hair rustling as Killer removed his mask. “Hey um.. should I examine his head while the mask is off? I can't see his face if I'm scanning him, I promise”

“My head is fine,” Killer said flatly.

“I'm making notes of old injuries as well though, its important for my records,” Mohawk explained, “she's fast, it'll only take her a moment to check your head if nothing is wrong”

“Fine,” he sighed, “as long as she can't see”

“If my visor is dark green or red, I can't see you, just your insides,” she said, “to be honest I can only make out faces when its purple or like a neon green”

“Neon green is what you had when you killed the seaking right?” Killer asked, “is that some sort of night vision?”

“Yeah,” she explained, still awkwardly facing the wall, “and I can see pretty deep in the water as well, thats how I saw the seaking. I'm gonna turn around now, okay? I'll only be able to see your bones”

“Okay,” he replied. Mohawk finished checking Killer's eyes and stepped aside for her. She couldn't see well, but she'd spent all day in the room so she knew there was no furniture between them, and she could see their skeletons, the metal base of the examination bed, and Killer's mask sitting on the bed bedside him. She used what she could see as a guide to carefully make her way over, but she couldn't see the floor so her steps were awkward and she tripped.

“Woah, careful,” Mohawk said as he caught her, “what's wrong with you?”

“Can't see the floor,” she laughed, “I can only really see your bones and the metal things in the room, like Killer's mask and the base of the bed. Hard to walk without a floor”

She righted herself and stood carefully in front of Killer, who was definitely too tall. “You're too big, I'm gonna need to get on the table,” she climbed up on the side of him that didn't hold his mask, thankful that the base was metal and the mattress was thin so she could even see what she was doing. In her mind she was adding thickness to all the things she could see to account for what she couldn't.

“Ah- my hair-” Killer growled and pulled away, she'd unknowingly knelt on his long blond locks that had been resting against the bed.

“Fuck, sorry Kil,” she said, kneeling behind him, “I couldn't see it”

“It's fine, just get it over with,” he muttered, pulling his hair over his shoulder to the front so she couldn't catch it again.

“Is it okay if I touch you?” She asked as professionally as she could, “I need to turn your head”

“That's fine,” he replied.

She put her hands gently on either side of his head, carefully turning it and moving her hands around as she examined. It felt like he had thick bangs over his forehead, which definitely surprised her.

“Fuck you have a lot of old fractures for someone who wears a helmet,” she noted, “I can see… seven, Mohawk, if you want to note that down”

“Got it,” he replied, scribbling in his notes.

She turned Killer's face to look at her, her thumbs tracing his cheeks as she inspected them. She didn't even realise how intimate she was being, it was a natural process for her. His jawline seemed strong and his cheekbones looked prominent, if she had to guess she'd say he must have a sharp, attractive face. It looked symmetrical at the bone level, but who knows what kind of scars or deformities he might have on top that caused him to wear a mask.

“Old fracture on the left cheek as well,” she said, “I'd bet good money Kid did that”

“It'd be a winning bet,” he replied, suppressing a smile. Mohawk was busy with his notes, and she couldn't actually see his face, but he felt exposed anyway, and he didn't want anyone to see his ugly smile - the real reason he wore a mask.

“I'm gonna switch to red now okay?” She said, removing one of her hands from his face to fiddle with her mask. The visor turned red and her hand returned to his face, “Nothing of note on the front, eyes look healthy, frontal lobe looks fine,” she turned his head and made her way around, checking the side, then the back, then the other side. She paused, holding his head firmly in place. “Mohawk?”

“Mmm?” He looked up from his notes.

“There's something here, on the outside, towards the base of the neck,” she said, running her hand through Killer's hair and pulling it gently aside to clear the area she wanted Mohawk to check, “right here,” she pointed as she saw the bag of organs and veins that formed Mohawk stand beside the bed.

“It looks like a small cyst,” he said, prodding it with a gloved hand, “Killer I thought I told you to let me know if your mask did shit like this, it looks like it's about where the edge would rub”

“It's nothing,” he pulled Yin's hand out of his hair, entirely ignoring how nice her delicate hands felt woven through his locks, “I was just gonna deal with it myself”

Mohawk sighed and returned to his desk, “you're staying when she's done checking you over, so I can deal with that. It needs draining”

“I have shit to do,” Killer grumbled.

“Will you stop being a baby and let him do his job?” Yin scowled as she slid off the bed carefully, “now stand up so I can finish the scan, you can put your mask back on but I still have to check the rest of you”

He sighed and put his mask back in place before unwillingly standing, she tugged his arm to pull him further from the bed so she could walk all the way around him and quickly went about her scan, checking his bones first, then switching back to the red mode. She lifted his left arm as she checked his side.

“Your heart is beating a little fast Kil, you okay?” She noted.

“His heart rate was fine before,” Mohawk mused, quirking an eyebrow at Killer, who scowled under his mask at the clear insinuation.

“I'm just pissed off, now hurry the fuck up and quit touching me,” he growled.

“Anddd mister grumpymask is back,” she smiled, “relax, I'm done. He's all clear, doc, fit as a fiddle”

“Good, thats everyone then,” Mohawk said as he made a few last notes and stood to start collecting the supplies he needed for Killer's cyst, “you can go, Yin, thank you for your help. It won't always be this much work, I promise”

“Its fine,” she replied, unlocking the door to leave, “this was fun, I was happy to help. See you two at dinner,” she sung as she left. Mohawk gave her a weak goodbye, and Killer remained quiet.

Dinner wasn't far off, in fact by the time Mohawk was done with Killer it was time to head to the dining hall. Everyone else was already there, and Killer quickly finished off the special recipe of slow cooked beef and beer stew that he'd been working on earlier, with several fresh loaves of sourdough he'd made earlier to go with it.

“Anything of importance to report from the annuals?” Kid asked Mohawk as he dipped his bread in the hearty stew.

“Just that your henchmen need to keep it in their pants if they can't learn to use a rubber,” Mohawk sighed.

“The usual then,” Kid laughed, “dirty cunts”

“Oi, Yin,” Wire interjected, “I've got a question for you”

“Hit me,” she replied with a smile, inhaling another mouthful of the delicious stew - Killer's cooking really was the best she'd ever had.

“How did you know anything about us or our reputation if you've been locked away for the last five years?” He asked in a serious tone. It felt like an integration, like he was about to crack open that everything she'd told them was a lie, “you knew who Heat and I were, you knew the Captain and Killer, you said you knew you'd fit in here. But you've been in a cell for the last five years, and we only got our first bounties a few years ago”

Eveyone else turned and stared at her, and Kid stopped eating entirely, mulling it over in his head and coming to the same realisation Wire had, that the dots didn't connect. “How did you know about us?” Kid was almost growling, it felt like a threat.

She sighed and put down her spoon, looking across the table at Killer's expressionless mask, like he could offer some sort of support. “You really want to know? You're not gonna like the answer”

“Answer the fucking question,” Kid said sternly, grinding his teeth.

“Okay, fuck, don't bite my fucking head off. I'd been with the commodore you found me with for most of my imprisonment, and I guess you could say he was a fan of yours,” she explained, careful to speak to Kid directly, so as not to incur any further wrath from him, “when you came on to the grandline he started getting a bit obsessed. Every time he came to… visit me… he would tell me about your crew, and the big promotion he was gonna get when he took you down. Which is ironic, in hindsight. Anyway at some point he started bringing in your bounty posters, the four of you, mostly Kid's, and he'd use them against me if I wasn't obediently letting him have his way with me. He'd say shit like ‘you're so lucky you have me here to protect you and make you feel so good’ and then he'd wave Kid's poster in my face and say ‘this cunt would rip your legs off just so he could fuck the bloody holes left behind, he'd rape you to death and then he'd keep going. His whole crew would rape your dead body till you were nothing but a pile of rotting bones’. Sometimes he'd leave the posters in the cell with me, to remind me of my place, so I got familiar with your faces. Of course I never believed that shit, it wasn't hard for me to see that the marines are the bad people in this world, I've seen pirates as the good guys for a long time now. The second Kid let me go the day you found me, I knew I was right and the commodore was full of shit. Not that I think there aren't pirates that rape, I just knew for sure that you guys didn't. Anyway, yeah. That's how.”

Kid was visibly angry, not at her but at the commodore, as he tore a huge chunk of bread from an untouched loaf and dipped it with a little too much force in to his stew, making liquid spill out around the edges of the bowl, “Fucker…” he said through a full mouth.

“I did say you wouldn't like it,” she grumbled, looking mournfully at her stew. She no longer had any appetite but forced herself to keep eating anyway. She didn't want to offend Killer by not finishing the food he'd made them.

“Sorry,” Wire said solemnly, “I shouldn't have pried”

“It's okay Wire,” she forced a smile for him, “I get it. I'm a stranger, you don't trust me, and things didn't add up. You were just protecting the crew. I hope you'll come to trust me, in time, like I'm trying my best to learn to trust all of you”

“Trust is hard earned,” Killer added plainly.

“You think I don't know that?” She almost yelled in clear annoyance. Heat spooked a little as she slammed a closed fist on the table, “You think its easy for me to be sitting here on a ship full of men when every man who has every touched me has raped me? You think I don't know how hard it is to learn to trust someone? Cut me some fucking slack, Killer”

“Sorry,” he mumbled.

“I'm not very hungry anymore,” she said, frustrated and angry. She felt like she was being treated like the enemy, and she'd done nothing to deserve it. She'd been working hard every day to earn their trust, and she felt brushed off. “Sorry, the food was delicious Killer, I'm just… not hungry anymore”

“Leave the bowl, I'll finish it,” Kid told her. He grabbed her hand before she left, “you'll have our trust, Killer's is just a little harder to earn. You're doing good work here, just give it time. I hope I can earn your trust as well, as your Captain”

“Thanks, Kid,” she sighed as he let her hand go. She didn't say anything more, and they watched as she quickly disappeared out of the galley and the doors swung shut behind her.

[NEXT CHAPTER]

[tulipe-rose]

Tiny theory that has so many plot holes and possibly makes no sense cuz I'm bored:

We all know the theory of Elise getting her personality from Yosano, and her hair type from Dazai, right? No? Well now you do, so I wanted to add a little part of my own onto it.

Elise is designed to look like a western looking girl, right? Well, I have a feeling that it has something to do with Higuchi, or maybe Higuchi's mother.

My theory is: Mōri knew Higuchi's mother–who could've been potentially a foreigner–on a personal level, might have even loved her, but she was forced into marriage with the some rich man. There was no helping it, so he let her go with grace.

Higuchi's mom dies during child birth (she was giving birth to Higuchi's sister, not Higuchi herself), and her Dad gets assassinated way later, like by the time Higuchi is 12 or even a bit older. That should be concurrent with Mōri's rise to the boss position, when his position is slightly more stable. The guy was a neglectful alcoholic, and was only going to lead the family to ruin. The kids that looked so painfully similar to their mother were suffering, so Mōri wasn't above, or more accurately couldn't help but leave him to rot. He becomes Higuchi's, and her sister's benefactor, gives them a new surname to keep the assassins off their back, and visits sometimes with gifts and makes sure they have all the basic necessities that a kid should have, he even lets them go to school.

He keeps both of them away from the underworld for as long as he could in tribute to their late mother. He was heavily against having Higuchi recruited into the Mafia, but she was so heavily insisting on joining for a reason he cannot stop after she found out he was the boss (read: Akutagawa).

He decided to make her hate the Mafia, to convince her to leave, even if it meant being hard on her. He was possibly trying to convince her, and those around her, that as long as she was a Mafioso, she'd be a target for assassination in an indirect, kind of “I never said that, they just jumped to that conclusion.” way. He was being the bad guy to make sure she was out of the Mafia. He was kind of indirectly convincing her into believing she wasn't suitable, or even useful for and to the Mafia.

I'm pretty sure Asagiri was still figuring out Mōri's character, but something that stuck with me is that Mōri might have a personal grudge against Akutagawa; he might've figured out that he was the reason Higuchi stayed in the Mafia, so he assumed that if Akutagawa was out of the picture in a way Higuchi could never save him, she'll have nothing left in the Mafia, and would decide to leave soon. This could be a secondary explanation, aside from the one we got in the manga, as to why he gave Akutagawa up so easily despite his worth to the Mafia, even going as far as to call him a 'liability'. However, Mōri didn't put Higuchi's determination into account, and Akutagawa ended up surviving.

The 'Mōri dislikes Akutagawa' theory could be debunked if someone brings up the drama CD, but like, pookie. Higuchi was going to take him to take care of his health somewhere either way, so I bet Mōri sent Chūya along with them to make sure that Higuchi doesn't have to be the one to bathe Akutagawa (inner protective father instincts are seeing the light of day, oh crap.). Also I guess Mōri eventually decided to leave Akutagawa to live out the rest of his days for Higuchi's sake, he was going to die anyway, and his reckless streak could serve to quicken that.

I feel like Mōri's treatment towards Higuchi in the manga definitely mellowed out later as Asagiri started to figure Mōri out better, and you can even see Higuchi being one of the first to come to his aid in the cannibalism arc. He would only call someone he trusted enough to see him in such a vulnerable position.

Along with that, just look at how freaking worried she is for him, if my insensible theory has any credibility, she knew this guy as the first decent father figure in her life, she definitely has feelings of attachment towards Mōri.

In wan, their shenanigans are so family coded. In her Mayoi beach card, Mori and Elise were standing behind her (they look like when your extended family turns up for events instead of your actual parents) while she was playing beach volleyball; with the way he looked all he had left was to wear "I'm not a stepdad, I'm the DAD THAT STEPPED UP" shirt istg. Chūya is there to make sure everyone retains their skin's health (except him). He looks happy though so it's alright, a tan would look good on him. Come to think of it, I feel like Chūya is always around whenever Higuchi is there, especially in wan... Could it be that Mōri instructed him to keep a closer eye on Higuchi...? To ensure her safety like some sort of bodyguard (when ironically she is the one who is supposed to be Akutagawa's bodyguard)...? Yk what I should probably stop before I come up with more conspiracy theories. At this rate I will be arrested for brain rotting too hard.

Bonus: Elise drew this, and Higuchi looks the prettiest out of them all, and the only one actually smiling, which could reflect just how much Mōri cares about her deep down. If this theory has any flicker of credibility, then beast would be a wormwhole to try and explore DJDJJDJ.

[canonsinthehead]

Naruto Modern AU/Hollywood pt.6 - More Basketball Info & The IBL Finale

KONOHA'S BASKETBALL TEAM:

Name: The Red Leaves of Konoha

Asuma Sarutobi took over 3 years ago when the previous coach Genma resigned without warning. At first, he was a controversial choice because his father Hiruzen got arrested and demoted from his high-ranking position as a Minister of Finances of the country of Fire for fraud, mishandling of funds, and abuse of power. Asuma was met with a lot of resistance but overturned the public opinion in his favor as he “built the team back up” leading it to a new path of constant victories.

The team has been secured with being #2 behind Kumo. They’ve accepted being their natural enemy because Kumo is undefeatable, and it is what it is. Their position maintained itself for years until Kiri’s team's emergence. Konoha’s team then dropped to third position in the world rankings. There is no need to worry because they are still above average and are promised to maintain their position for years, but Konoha started putting their bet on other sports anyway.

Regardless, with Asuma’s efforts and the Hyuuga clan's generous donations, they formed a strong and determined basketball team made of diverse players:

Konohamaru Sarutobi:

the star of the team

highest stats

Fastest

Basketball has been a passion for him since high school

As suggested by his surname, he is not a nobody

 Comes from a family/background involved in politics. Asuma broke away from it by marrying a woman from a different clan, Kurenai, and ending the generational curse of corruption who ran in the Sarutobi’s bloodline for decades.

Kawaki:

Most recent recruit

Youngest member

He has an amateur basketball background

He was recruited after getting in a fight with Kiba during a friendly match in an urban area

Most red cards/accidents are linked to him

He is a fan favorite, especially with the girlies for his looks and edgy personality

Kiba Inuzuka:

All bark, No bite. Loves to run his mouth while being the least skilled

His specialty is the element of surprise

Friendly extroverted butterfly

Loves to drink and always found himself with insta model grade “groupies” along with Torune

It is often awkward for him and his sense of humor because of the wide age range of the team

Torune Aburame:

Oldest, tallest and most muscular (Do your thing Wonho!)

Bestie with Kiba for their unhinged antics

He must be the one who spent the most time at Konoha’s basketball academy. Before getting drafted, either he never gave up or was killing time in a sport/hobby since he is a trust fund kid of the Aburame clan.

His specialty is long-distance shots and he rarely misses

Unfortunately, he often acts like he is the only player on the court.

Iwabe Yuino

Shortest

Same age as Kawaki

One of the few people who will proudly defend the position of “defense”. He takes it seriously.

Was drafted the month he joined the basketball academy. Something about him spoke to Asuma without formally introducing himself

His playing style melts into Konohamaru’s hence why they get along so well.

Star Players: Knohamaru, Kawaki, and Torune. Konohamaru and Kawaki receive the most brand deals. The young Sarutobi benefits from the image of being “Mr. National Hero/Konoha’s Pride” which opened doors for him in all areas of life; documentaries, variety shows, and TV series cameos. Meanwhile, Kawaki is a teen magazine favorite. Torune is receiving as many opportunities but is busy participating in every athletic competition or sport -based tv show known to man. The Aburame has a secured spot in men’s magazines for his strong and defined physique.  

KUMO’S BASKETBALL TEAM:

Team’s name: The Lightnings of Kumo

The greatest & undefeatable. It has been the case forever and ever since the team has been under the management and coaching of Mabui.  She is a businesswoman by profession but took over as a coach after Killer Bee’s relentless begging (he is an investor).

The team is made of 5 players going along like ingredients of a cake recipe;

Omoi:

“Either you’re gonna crank that Soulja Boy or that Soulja Boy is going to crank you”

The star of the team

His devious game tactics became the trademark of Kumo’s team

Him, Atsui, and Darui are the same age and were drafted at the same time

He is a professional prankster and is heavily present on social media

In his free time, he likes to play video games (he plays 2k lol)

His studies in advanced mathematics allowed him to tweak the team’s tactics on the court, hence why Kumo has a million techniques and ways revolving around strategically passing the ball (THIS IS SCIENCE YALL!). Their training is way more calculated than it seems. It is so hard to intercept the ball after they put their hands on it

Like street fashion and has a PhD in dunking.

Atsui:

Dynamic duo with Omoi. They do everything together

He seamlessly integrated the team even if he stands out like a sore thumb. It doesn’t bother him since he easily adapts to different situations and environments.

He never thought he would play professionally and sent his application to Kumo’s basketball academy after losing a bet.

He mastered the art of crossovers

Darui:

Becoming a basketball player was not the direction he expected his life to take

Omoi got him drafted by referral saying “Hey, I know this dude and he’s not bad”

Darui is the introverted quiet type of guy living the extroverted life

Being so composed and quiet allows him to sneak on his opponents without warning

Thanks to his immunity to stress, he often chimes in and organizes his coach’s commands on the court ending in endless arguments with Omoi

Kakui:

He is not that old, please stop calling him Unc.

Marui:

Youngest member.

Designated photographer

Star players: Darui, Atsui & Omoi. The Raikage himself supports all team members financially. Atsui receives the most brand deals while Darui is backed by few major companies and is content with it (because they don’t go against his personal values). Omoi found a new avenue that fits his personality which is MC-ing. He became a permanent member of Killer Bee’s Showtime variety show cast and makes a good living out of it.

CHEERLEADERS AND THE TRADITION OF THE FINALE:

Cheerleaders and mascots are important parts of each team, especially during the finale of the IBL (International Basketball League). It has gained a reputation for putting on a show along with the hottest artists of each nation making the finale such an event every year. Each nation has a different way of operating (including the important celebrities/public figures attending the match.

KONOHA Their mascot is named Kurama and is a nine-tail Firefox. Its theme song is “Fire Burning”.

For the finale, it will perform along with the largest cheerleader team in the world of basketball and a marching band. They carry the performance and hype the crowd until introducing the team’s members into the arena.

In recent years only and imitating other nations, they invited top artists to perform. Unfortunately, last year Konoha did not participate to the finals since it was Kumo vs Kiri but the new pop singer Mirai performed her most popular single as an opening act since the finale took place in Konoha.

She is Asuma Sarutobi’s daughter and Mizuki blamed nepotism as a reason for her being included in the event which doesn’t matter since her song is an international success and had undeniable popularity with the public.

KUMO

It’s a show! Some think their pre-game introduction is a mess while others can’t wait to see it. Kumo never sleeps on the gas when it comes to their basketball team. Knowing they have been dominating the sport for the longest and haven’t yet met a “worthy opponent” in decades, the finale is just a big ole party for them. As follows their tradition, Killer Bee introduces the performance with one of his songs along with the team’s mascot Gyuki also known as The Anpanman. On last year's finale, he performed his most popular hit and the mascot’s theme song.

Due to the circumstance of going against a brand-new team instead of Konoha. They went all out with large street dance/breakdancing crews and as expected the basketball players joined them on the dancefloor to introduce themselves. It’s a tradition with them to always participate with the dancers. To add oil to the fire, the most popular singer Samui and the most awarded rapper Karui offered a special performance together.

KIRI: Being a new team and recently entered the world scene, it was THE opportunity to formally introduce themselves not only as a team, but as a nation. Saying “Kiri, we are here. Modernized and our dark past is behind us.” Hence why they decided to introduce the team along with a large group of musicians performing traditional percussion-based music belonging to each players' respective ethnicities.

Having a smaller cheerleader team and no mascot, they were represented by the country of water’s current gem, the singer Sera. Her background as a professional dancer allowed her to put on a show by herself as much as whole cheerleading teams from other nations.

Her production team came up with a catchy song for the basketball finale that she performed along with her most popular single. Zabuza performed another song with her meanwhile the rest of the team performed along Utakata, the new pop singer making waves in Kiri these days.

NEXT PART

PREVIOUS PART

BACK TO PART.1   

[zeroducks-2]

I love your new ask chart you made—How does 30, X, and Sladick sound??

Hi guys ♥♥ thank you so much! I hope you don’t mind that you got lumped together!

30. Tortured together + C. “Let me have this one” + X. “It’s so cold” - Dick Grayson/Slade Wilson

(TW: blood, non-graphic torture, needles, long post)

Dick dangles from his chains like a dead body would, not an ounce of strength in his arms and not the faintest attempt of balancing on the balls of his feet; he just hangs heavily and Slade feels like a part of himself is seeping out of him at the same rate as the kid’s heart pumps blood out of his wounds. 

Slade hadn’t initially been worried about his own capture. Not the first time it happens, likely not the last. He has a lot of enemies with a lot of resources, he’s been held captive by superheroes and supervillains alike and he knows he’ll get out. But then they brought in Nightwing, bloody and battered to the point of being hard to tell it was actually him, but Slade would recognize him even if he was zipped up in a body bag. They hung him by the wrists to that cross-like structure, not unlike the one Slade is strapped to, and a registered voice announced that watching the boy die was going to function as retribution for the blood Slade had spilled. They provided names and surnames of who the blood actually belonged to, but it’s not like it mattered anyway.  

It’s against Slade’s protocol to show that he cares about a hostage, but it doesn’t look like he needs to show anything here; he and Dick have been kept close, so close in fact that Slade has been able to pick up the way the kid’s breathing and heartbeat change, the subtle glances Dick has been sending him from time to time, and even the smallest twitches and jerks his body made as he kept taking beatings and pain. 

It’s been… a while. Slade is not sure how long. They douse both of them with icy cold water every once in a while, but there doesn’t seem to be a pattern. They never unbind their arms and a needle taped to Slade’s arm constantly pumps him full of a foul dark thing which inhibits his metagene, takes away his strength and keeps his head foggy enough he can’t think of a plan… but. But his healing factor hasn’t been inhibited entirely, and his skin has been slowly but consistently pushing the needle out while regenerating. It is out now, still hidden by the tape, and Slade is sobering up and his strength is returning, soon he will manage to break free of those chains. But he doesn’t know when “soon” is exactly going to be, and right now Dick is dying. 

Someone walks in and it’s like they know exactly what is happening because they are uncapping a syringe, dangerously looking at Dick while they’re at it.

«I suppose you would want to say something to him.» The young man announces, regarding Slade with an emotionless expression like whatever was alive and vibrant inside of him just withered off at some point. «You robbed me of saying goodbye to my father and sister. But I’m not like you, and I will grant you the chance to say goodbye.»

Slade remembers that contract. He won’t focus on the details now but it was a nasty business… the sister in question was a chemist selling her produce to the highest bidder, which then distributed it to various drug lords of three major cities of the east coast. The father was… a collateral victim. It doesn’t really matter now, he’s killed very many people for very many reasons anyway.

«So, any last words you want him to hear?» The boy insists, eyeing an unconscious Dick for a brief moment. «He might not actually hear them, but he’s going to be dead soon. You might as well try.»

Oh, they’re just trying to humiliate him, Slade knows. This is not compassion. «I don’t have anything to say to him. I have something to say to you.» He comments in the flattest tone he can manage. «Let me have this one. He’s been tortured enough while I have barely been touched. I won’t die with that injection, you and I both know this… it is going to hurt me though, a lot. Give it to me.»

«You don’t understand, Wilson. I want you to watch him die. You’ll-»

«You’re a chemist too. Just like your sister.» Slade insists, sharpening his eye. «You know this will not kill me if you inject me. It’ll just make the torture longer and more painful, which is exactly what you want.»

The young man seems to consider, or anyway uses some more precious seconds to think about it. «And why would you want to prolong the torture. You know both you and him are not going to get out of this alive.» He turns to Dick again, then back to Slade. «If I were you I’d just allow him to stop suffering now.»

«Because,» Slade licks his lips, they’re chapped but his mouth is as dry as it can be, so the gesture doesn’t yield much. «As long as he breathes I can hope that you will change your mind and let him go. And I’d prefer to hope for one more day.»  

Something shifts in the boy’s expression, and the dull emptiness of his eyes grows anguished for a moment. «This might actually kill you.» He says and tilts the syringe. «It probably will. I am indeed a chemist but my sister was the genius, and this toxin she crafted could flat-line any meta.» He takes one small step towards Slade. «Do you still want it?»

«Yes.» Slade replies, not even startled by how he didn’t really need to think about it for a fraction of a second. 

«Are you sure? He’s most likely going to die anyway. And I’m not letting him go even after you’re dead, Wilson.»

«Just give me the goddamn injection, boy.» Slade hisses between gritted teeth, muscles flexing in the restraints that don’t break, he doesn’t have his strength yet. «Come on.»

There’s a beat of silence, then another. Then the young man nods, very vaguely but he still does, and lifts the syringe more while taking another step towards Slade. The idea of watching him die a very painful death has to be too enticing, exactly as Slade was hoping. And then Dick is raising his head, his only visible eye open wide, something wild in the bloodshot and blue. In the quickest, most fluid moment Slade has ever seen he pulls his lower body up like he had no weight, and locks both legs around their captor’s neck, yanking him back and away from Slade. 

«No!» The mercenary yells as the struggling man chokes, digging nails into Dick’s thigh with one hand, and trying to stab him with the syringe with the other. But before he can manage there’s the telltale dull crack of bones snapping, then his arms grow limp and fall down, and then both him and Dick drop. The latter is still dangling from his bindings while the former hits the ground with a thud, his neck bending unnaturally. 

It takes five more minutes for Slade’s strength to return, enough so he can break free of his own restraints. He’s still way weaker than he should, his muscles are numb from lack of use. He forces them to work anyway.

«Talk to me, Grayson.» He grunts as he holds the kid to the chest after breaking his restraints as well, forcing himself to give a quick check to his wounds and patch up the most severe ones, or Dick isn’t going to survive their escape. There’s a muted mumble in response but Slade hears it anyway, and he thinks Dick just said they should be on a first name basis at this point. He snorts despite himself but it sounds choked like he was about to cry. «We have been for a while now, haven’t we…» He replies, stripping pieces of the dead man’s shirt for makeshift bandages, making sure Dick’s wounds stop bleeding. «You need to stay with me now, kid. Can you do that?»

Dick nods. His face is swollen, cut and bruised, he’s barely recognizable, and Slade prevents himself from holding him too tight because his kid is in so much pain already. He should really stop feeling like crying, though. «Talk to me.» He repeats, carefully pulling a black lock from Dick’s forehead. 

«’s so cold.» The other murmurs through split and chapped lips, and Slade doesn’t manage to stop himself any longer and hugs him to his chest, his body is indeed so cold. He’s lost so much blood. 

«I know, little bird.» He says to the side of Dick’s head, breathing in and out and pulling himself together. «Let’s get the hell out of here.»

Here's the ask game! Feel free to prompt me again or reblog it yourself.

[aller-geez]

Get to know: Onyx Mintz

(Owned by @thekinkyleopard )

18 (109; dead for 91 years) // GenderFluid // He/They/She // Asexual // Half Elf Ghost

Full name: Onyx Mintz

Nickname: Ony, Yix

Date Of Birth: unknown

Big Three: Cancer 🌞 Cancer 🌙 Cancer ↗️

Physical Appearance —

Age: 109 years old. (Died at 18)

Eye Color: fully white

Hair Color: Pale purple and green

Weight: weightless

Height: 5’4

Race: Half Elf Spirit

Distinguishing Marks or Characteristics: usually wears two peach colored clips in their hair, large scar over their left eye, as well as their throat, snake bite piercings, and a nose piercing on the left side.

Personality —

Greatest Strength: Their empathetic nature to understand everyone and everything

Greatest Weakness: Their inability to be kind or understand themselves

Soft Spot: Amara, animals, Zeroh, their mother

Mannerisms/Traits: shy, emotional, twitchy, bases all their choices and decisions upon Zeroh and Amara’s approvals

Miscellaneous Trivia —

Onyx really loves chess, it was their favorite game to play, their mom taught them and they used to play together when they were a kid

Onyx’s pronouns typically change between whatever gender they’re representing that day. As they’re not tied to a mortal flesh they can easily transform their body to the gender representation of their choosing

Onyx loves birds, one reason they become so attached to Amara is because they’ve always had a strong connection to them, they used to often feed the local park pigeons and crows on Sunday afternoons before their death

Onyx’s death was violent, and traumatic, their spirit stayed behind because before the elf passed they had no idea who they were or what they even desired in life, feeling incomplete, unfinished and unsatisfied. So long as Onyx never finds the answers to these questions, they’re stuck on the mortal plane for the rest of eternity.

Normally, Onyx can’t really be bothered for sex, or sexual attractions since they’re dead and have no real blood flow, but upon connecting with Zeroh, and being exposed to his sneezes, they find themselves feeling sexual attraction again.

Sneeze Content —

ALLERGIES/TRIGGERS

Dust

Being walked through

Mold

How severe are they?

Severe when exposed to triggers but it’s a quick one, two maybe three, and then they’re done

Do they get sick often?

No, they’re dead, they don’t really have an immune system. That doesn’t mean anything next to a Remi cold though.

How bad is it usually?

Pretty bad, puts them out of commission, they don’t really understand what alien virus that wolf carries, but it can knock them right off their feet

Do they stifle?

No, they’re incapable of knowing when a sneeze is coming it just sort of blasts out of them quickly

How loud are their sneezes?

Loud to Zeroh and Amara and Syphus, but no one else because they only reveal themselves naturally to those 3. Any other instance of them sneezing they’d do hidden in the veil. (Alistar and Kanai can see them through the veil)

What do they sneeze into?

The open air like a sicko 😏

How often do they sneeze?

Whenever presented by a trigger

How many times do they sneeze in a fit?

2 times at most 3

Do they have build-ups or are they sudden?

Sudden

Do they sneeze in public?

Nope, they’ve got a natural cover; The Veil

Some examples of their sneezes?

hIH’IKTSHhh’uuh!

hh'kTShuhhH!

hh'ItChUhhH!

hh’kTShuhHh!

Backstory —

Onyx was born to a teen mom, Lorna Mintz Fitzgerald (Mintz was her maiden name and the surname she gave Onyx) in 1913. One of several women in her decade to be “sold” off, to her own father’s best friend. She was 16 and the man was 37. Forced to wed and carry his spawn before he was shipped off to the war, a slight bright side to Lorna’s new, forced life. They lived a rather comfortable existence, everything paid for through her husband’s services in the military. She and Onyx were close, and despite her young age, she was an attentive and loving mother. Supportive. They were best friends even into his young adulthood, where things started to get muddy. Onyx loved gender expression, they would often dress up in their mother’s clothes and use her makeup and go out on the town with their friends in such attire. Lorna never wavered. With all the love she had in the world, it went to Onyx, and home was always a safe place. Only a mere two weeks after Onyx’s 18th birthday, he was on his way home after having been out drinking with friends, dressed rather flamboyantly that night. Inhibitions out the window, the sense of self preservation burnt to a crisp, didn’t even register for a moment they’d been followed home. *TRIGGER WARNING* what proceeded that night was a series of horrific events after another. After the group of men broke in after Onyx, they tied them up and made him witness horrific things being done to his mother, only to switch her places and be forced to watch as they did the same to Onyx but instead in a string of slurs and violent assaults, murdered the young elf in cold blood to punish her for allowing Onyx to experiment with gender and sexuality. For trying to give them the space to discover who they were. She tried, and after they left, after Onyx’s death, she locked herself away in that house. She made attempt after attempt to communicate with the lost soul of her child that she knew wandered the walls of their domicile. She pleaded with the gods, tried to beg the devils, but Onyx was always there to make sure his mother /lived/. Ignoring her pleas, her calls, her cries. If she knew he was there, if she knew she could be with him, so he wasn’t alone, she would. So he stayed there with a metaphorical brick wall between him and his best friend, until one night, when she turned 93, a very tall, interesting looking man entered their home. Shyly, Onyx had watched from the shadows though immediately seen by the raven he arrived with. It was when the tall man reached to place a hand upon her that Onyx cried out to him. Pleading with him to stop but Zeroh explained, it was simply her time. Understanding immediately the weight of the situation, Zeroh thought it may help Onyx pass over if they came with Lorna and him, to the light. So, they all went together. And Lorna held her child for the last time, apologized for not protecting him, and was able to pass peacefully through the veil, but still Onyx stayed behind. “Please, don’t make me go back there alone…” the ghost begged of the reaper, who eventually sighed and nodded. Accepting their new journey together.

[piastrinorris]

busy streets and busy lives • ralph penbury x reader

A strange day at work gets even stranger when you meet a man who claims he's from 1926. With no certainty as to when he can get back, you decide to take him in until that time arrives.

masterlist | prev. | next

Tags: Timewasters (series), modern!au, slow burn, mutual pining, idiots in love™, fluff, some angst, swearing and mentions of adult themes throughout, eventual adult content, alcohol content, penbury is a fanon surname

Word count: 4.2k

A/N: Aaaaaand THIS is where the real good stuff starts! Sorry for all the other posts, just had to start getting the ball rolling. I am aware that since this is taking place in modern London, there may well be slang used that people don't necessarily recognise. If you'd like me to make a glossary of some kind, hit me up!! I hope you enjoy Ralph In The Future as much as I do <3

"Bet it feels strange being behind here again, doesn't it?" the customer asks you. It's an older woman, you don't particularly recognise her, but she certainly seems to know you well enough to know you've been promoted since you first started working here.

You force a smile, "Not really! Sometimes the floor just needs an extra pair of hands, and it helps me know what's working and what isn't for my staff and my customers, so," you shrug.

"Yeah, I don't envy you, still working at a time when nobody wants to work," she shakes her head.

You press your lips together tightly. There are so many arguments you could make right now, but already trying to juggle two roles is taxing enough. Instead you simply tell the woman her total and ring her through. Once again adorning your best customer service smile, you thank her for her custom and send her on her way.

"D'you think she's ever worked a customer service job in her life?" Your shop floor assistant asks as they re-fold their display shirts.

You shake your head, "I think… Cushty little secretary job at her dad's business, at first. Never had to pay rent, got married to the first guy at that job to pay her attention, got a council house nice and early and spawned a couple of kids just to stop him from walking."

They let out a wide-eyed, long-drawn breath, "Daaamn, someone woke up on the salty side of the bed this morning!"

You chuckle humourlessly, "That doesn't even make sense. And yeah, sorry, it just… Really sucks that I've got major shit to do this week, but I can't just let you do all the work out here on your own, not with Karens like that around."

"Can't you get your friend to come down and cover? Or to do your manager shit on their next shift?" 

"Nah, it's gotta be me. And they can't come in today because of their other job, so I'm gonna do it as overtime," you explain dejectedly.

"You're doing great, champ!" they sidle up to you to gently punch you in the shoulder encouragingly.

"Hey now, kiddo, I'm the manager here, I need to be motivating you!"

"Nah, you're sales right now. You're just as good as the rest of us common muck," they tease, and you stick your tongue out at them.

The day drags, and the quality of customers certainly doesn’t improve. A man who thinks he can return an item without a receipt. A woman who insists on ordering an item that’s no longer available because she saw a friend wearing it just last week. Children. 

And sure, maybe now, at 5:40pm, the customer of your dreams could walk in through the front door. But you and your coworker are exhausted, and this is the kind of shit you always wanted to become a manager to do. Taking one last look up and down the almost empty high street, save for the ones who are heading to the Wetherspoons on the corner, you decide to start the closing process early.

You manage to finish a little after 6pm, and you consider just getting all of your admin stuff done while you’re here, but also, you really can’t stand the sight of these four walls much longer. You figure you’ll just go to the coffee shop nearby, get yourself an iced latte for the walk home and think about what kind of takeaway you’ll be craving once you get back to your flat. No cooking. Not tonight.

You’re well into a mental debate about whether you’d rather have a chow mein or a biryani when something else piques your interest. There’s a man in front of you in some kind of costume. It’s either really old-school military, or… Safari explorer. Maybe he’s one of those live re-enactors. Maybe he works at the zoo. Maybe he’s just one of those quirked-up little guys. You get your phone out to text your friends, ready to ask them if they’ve seen anyone dressed similarly before, but as you continue walking you collide with something.

Someone. Your flimsy plastic cup gets crushed immediately upon the impact, pouring ice cold coffee down the strangely-dressed man’s back. Your first instinct is to shout, “Watch it!”

The man jumps out of his skin, either at your words or the ice cubes soaking his back. He spins around to look at you like a deer in headlights. Eyes like giant chocolate buttons stare you down. If he’s supposed to be dressed as an Army boy, he does not have the face to convince me, you think. Unless the message they’re sending is that literally anyone could get drafted.

“You alright?” you ask, eyes narrowing and head cocking as you study him.

“Ah - um - oh, I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! This was absolutely my fault, I’m just - I’m so lost, and I was trying to find a man and now he’s gone and - oh, blast, stupid Ralph, you’ve really gone and done it now!” the man flusters, looking in every direction except at you.

You whistle and click your fingers at his eye level. “Hey, Bambi! Focus. It’s okay.”

He moves his head back to scrunch his face at you in confusion. “Bambi?”

You smirk, “Yeah, you’re like a baby deer right now. You said you’re lost? Where’re you trying to get to?”

“Uh, well, I suppose I should try and find my home, um… Penbury House?” he asks tentatively.

You kiss your teeth a few times as you think of where you’ve heard that name before. “Oh!” You look at him, puzzled. “You sure that’s your house?”

“Well, my name is Ralph Penbury, so…” he wiggles his shoulders from side to side before shrugging. You appreciate the extra flair.

“Right, but Penbury House is the name of the place they turned into a Waterstone’s,” you explain. He looks lost again, so you explain, “Waterstone’s is a bookstore.”

Ralph scoffs, “Oh, pish-posh, my home has not become a bookstore! That would be quite preposterous!”

So far your entire interaction with this strange man has been a tennis match of bewilderment, just exchanging expressions back and forth. “Are you, like… On something, mate? Do you need me to get you somewhere safe?”

“I want to go home, please! And not a… Bookstore, my real, actual home!” He’s starting to sound quite overwhelmed now, so you take a step back.

“Okay, okay. It’s okay. We can calm down. You mentioned looking for a man? Do you know this man?”

“Well, not personally, but I travelled here with him. About yea tall,” he holds his hand just in line with his eyebrows, “very old. Silent man. Hair just past his ears. Looks, um. Unwashed.”

Your eyebrows raise in realisation. “Ah, Homeless Pete!” Makes sense that Pete and his crew would be involved somehow. “Shall we go and find him?”

“Do you know where he is?!” Ralph asks, his expression lighting up. He may be dressed like an absolute twat, but you can’t deny his adorable little puppy-dog face.

“I know where he hangs out, we can go see if he’s there?” you ask, and Ralph nods. “C’mon,” you jerk your head in the direction towards where you know Homeless Pete tends to hang out when he’s not walking the streets. You wonder what ol’ H.P. (as your friends call him) could have given his poor boy to make him trip like this. “So, uh, quick question. Sorry, I completely forgot. What’s the full date today?”

“Well, the last I checked, it was September the 7th, 1926,” he replies simply. You stop in your tracks, and he looks back at you with a frown. “What’s the matter?”

“N-nothing, nothing,” you shake your head and carry on walking. This poor boy must be on something pretty damn strong. “Let’s get you to H.P, yeah?” Just to find out what he’s taken. Then it’s straight to the hospital.

Ralph inhales so loudly that a guttural sound forms in his throat. “Oh my goodness! Do you think - am I in - the future?” He grips your arm tightly. “Was the lift a time machine, perhaps?”

“Maybe,” you tap his hand lightly with your own as you keep walking with him, "considering that it's September the 7th, 2022." Normally, you would be throwing any stranger that hugged your arm like Ralph now is to the ground, but there’s just something about him. Either he plays the innocent human puppy role far better than any indie boy that’s ever tried to hit on you on a night out, or he really is just going through it.

You eventually reach the underpass where a large part of the local homeless population gather, and sure enough, there is Pete himself, sat between two shopping trolleys. He spots the two of you and immediately bursts into laughter. “What the fuck, H.P?!” you yell. “You’re usually chill, what have you done to this poor boy?!”

“‘M not a boy, I’m a grown man, thank you,” Ralph mutters into your shoulder.

“‘Course you are, babe,” you murmur sarcastically as you nod at him, before once again turning to Pete. “Well?! You’ve got him talking about - about time machines, and the 1920s, I mean, just look at how the poor sod’s dressed!” Pete’s eyes widen as he waggles his finger at you, as though you’re both in a game of charades and you’re on the right track. You turn to one of the people Pete lives amongst, “What’s he been on today?”

The other person shakes their head. “Nothing, swear down! Besides, he’s a proper tight-arse, he wouldn’t go ‘round drugging any fucker going. ‘Specially not a toff like that,” they snort with laughter as they point to Ralph.

You look back to Homeless Pete. “So, you’re telling me. Time travel is fucking real.” Pete nods. “And you were in 1926, and you dragged this sad sack of shit out here with you, with no context.”

“You know I can hear you,” Ralph points out indignantly, but still quietly and still from the safety of behind your shoulder. His arms are still wrapped around yours, too.

“Yeah, but look at you, mate. You’re not exactly getting us answers as to how to get you back to… Wherever we get you back to,” you explain before once again turning to Pete. “Where is this… Time machine? Ralph said something about a lift.” Pete snarls as he gestures over to a block of flats you vaguely recognise. “So we go there, get him back in the lift, and then what? Is there a button, or a combination, or -?” Pete moves his hand from side to side. “And what does that mean, is it a random button each time?” Again, it feels like you’re in a game of charades as he silently tells you you’re on the right track. “Is the random part right?” Nod. “So, it’s not about the button, but… The floor you get on?” A shake of the head. “Is it just at random times?” Nod. “So, how do you know when to go back to it?” He shrugs, then points to his temple. “What, you get some kind of vibe, some Spidey sense?” He nods with an upside down smile. You sigh. “So we don’t know when Ralph here can get back.” A shake of the head.

“Do I have to stay here with him, then?” Ralph asks you sadly.

You sigh again. “No, c’mon. I guess you won’t want Chinese or Indian, we’ll just get a chippy dinner on the way home.” You start walking in the other direction, and Ralph quickly paces to catch up with you.

“A chippy dinner?” he asks, baffled.

“Yeah! Like fish and chips? They had that in the 20s, surely?” you reply.

“Well, yes, I suppose, but we only ever had it at the seaside,” he cocks his head as though reminiscing fondly. It only accentuates the cuteness of his whole face.

“Think you can be a big boy again now, or do you still wanna hold on?” you ask, outstretching your arm. He doesn’t appear to blush in the conventional sense, but his ears do flush a bright pink. Even more adorable. Fuck. Remember, he’s technically like a hundred years older than you. He slinks one arm around yours and you pull him in tightly by pressing your own arms towards your torso. “There we go. Now I can make sure I’m guiding you so that hopefully you don’t get bumped into anymore.”

“I think I’ve certainly learned my lesson in not standing still in front of people!” Ralph jokes, making you genuinely laugh for the first time all day. It feels strange, you can feel every muscle in your face move with it. But you also feel the weight on your chest lifting, too. You’d been at boiling point all day at work, and discovering a time-traveller wasn’t exactly helping you to simmer down. But you can make this work. He’s just an… Eccentric, extremely sheltered family friend who’s staying with you for a short while. That’s what you’ll tell anyone who asks.

“Yeah, you’ve learned that if you do, some dickhead’ll throw their iced coffee all over your back!” you laugh.

Ralph frowns, “You’re not a - a one of those, at all! You’re very nice to take me in like this. Most people seemed to think I belonged in a jungle.”

“Yeah, the old school military uniform kinda looks more… Safari explorer, these days,” you explain.

Ralph’s eyes light up. “Someone finally recognises the Army uniform for what it is!”

“Yeah, I thought I recognised it from when we went to the War Museum for school once. That was the kind of get-up they used to wear in the First World War.” You trip over your own feet a little as Ralph once again halts to anchor you to him, despite what he’s just said. He looks… Distraught. “Alright, mate?”

“Why did you say… First World War?" He asks with fear in his voice. "We won the Great War to restore the - the balance of power, how long did that last?!” He looks at you, dumbfounded.

You hiss air through your teeth. “Oh, boy. Yeah, there’s a lot that’s happened in the last century. I don’t know if it’s such a good idea telling you all of it, since once you get back, it’ll be your future, so…” You contemplate. “We’ll just keep all the questions you have to stuff you’ll need to get by in the here and now, alright? Anything you learn about history, just try and let it go over your head,” you pull him forwards gently and he falls back into step with you.

“One question I have about the here and now,” Ralph starts, and you look over at him. He makes eye contact with you to ask, “What exactly is your name?”

Laughing again, you tell him. “Sorry, I really should have led with that, shouldn’t I! It’s been a long day."

“I’ll say. About a hundred-odd years long!” A giggle bubbles out from Ralph’s lips and it makes you snicker, too.

“You’re a funny one, Penbury. For an old sod, at least,” you push your shoulder into his before leading him into the chip shop. “So, are you a fish guy, sausage, fishcake, pie?”

Ralph looks at all the options in the serving counter with an upturned nose. “What’s that one?” he asks, pressing his finger against the glass.

You look over and answer, “Battered sausage. Sausage, but in the batter they cook the fish in. Bloody lovely,” you smile wistfully. 

“I might just stick to the classic cod and chips, thank you,” Ralph mutters under his breath as he stares around the small room in fascination. You order on behalf of the pair of you and take the bag from the server with a grateful smile. Ralph notices and plasters one on as well, though his definitely comes off as more fake. He basically attaches himself to your arm again the second you’re out of the door, as though you’re bound together magnetically, and you guide him to the tower block that contains your pokey little flat.

After spending several minutes convincing Ralph that the lift isn’t going to suck him into another time period, and that he’s more than welcome to traipse up all the stairs that lead to the ninth floor, he relents and stands in the lift with you, though he stands so close that you’d think his goal was for you to wear him. Brushing against his chest feels nice, though. Shut up, you’re just touch-starved. This is not your ticket out of your dry spell. This is a fever dream.

Once you’re in your flat, you quickly dig out whatever men's clothes you have laying around - some sweatpants and a white T-shirt, and you throw them at him. "Just to get out of your dirty clothes while I plate up, eat before this gets cold, then you can go shower. I'm sure there's some boxers in my pyjama drawer you could use, too, I'll find those for you in a bit." You point to your bathroom and he quietly complies.

You could've just eaten the meals straight from their wrapper, the way you always do. But you figured Ralph has had enough culture shocks as it is, you'll give him the decency of eating from a plate. Besides, spending your night with a man dressed in 1920s army gear who's eating fish and chips out of some paper on his lap might just be enough of a sight to tell you to get yourself checked into the psych ward at the earliest convenience. At least you can try and create some kind of normalcy in this moment.

A quick Google search tells you television wasn't around in 1926, so you don't want to expose him to that tonight, too. Give it a day, maybe. You could play some old-time-y music on your Echo but you're not sure what he'd want to listen to. Instead, once you're both sat on the sofa together, you make conversation with him about his past as you eat. He tells you about how the Penburys were known socialites, how he and his sister had pretty much the same group of friends, how they had recently found friends in a rather special group of people, one of which he'd fallen head over heels for, just for her to reject him, and his heartbreak caused him to join the Army, which he hated.

"It's rather funny, you know," Ralph adds. "People here talk very similarly to Lauren and the others. I wonder if they exist in this time, too."

You start piecing things together. "Lauren… Plays jazz… She the drummer in this little quartet?" Ralph nods, his eyes wide. "Kinda short, has a brother called Nick?"

"Nicholas, yes! He's tall and he wears thick glasses! You know them?!" Ralph asks excitedly.

"Yeah, Nick was in my class all through high school! Always used to fancy him," you reminisce happily before stifling a laugh. "Wait, wait. So you mean to tell me that this Lauren you're besotted with is - is Little Lauren? Oh, you poor, sweet boy."

He looks offended. "Why would you think that that’s such a bad thing?!"

"Mate, I've known you five minutes and even I know Lauren would chew you up and spit you out," you look at him sympathetically. "And you're not gonna be able to change her on that. Unless you're into all that kinda stuff," your nose turns up a little as you joke, just to get a reaction from him.

Sure enough, there go the illusive colour-changing ears. He sputters, "W- I - I don’- I’m no- That is no appropriate discussion topic over dinner!” and you collapse into a fit of giggles, falling into him a little.

“Oh, lighten up, Ralph. Things are far less proper round here, that was nothing,” you explain, to his horror.

Once you’re both finished eating, you grab a clean pair of boxers from your pyjama drawer and toss them into the bathroom, gesturing to Ralph with your head that that’s where he ought to go. “Sorry you’re gonna have to use your finger as a toothbrush tonight, I’ve not got any extras of those, but -”

“Oh, all of this is already above and beyond! Even taking me in, I - I hope you understand how truly grateful I am, and with your patience acclimating me to… All this,” Ralph gestures around with his hands.

You nod with a soft smile. “Uh, give the shower a few minutes to run, though. Goes from freezing to scalding and then you’ve just sort of gotta… Keep fiddling with it. You’ll figure it out, I’m sure.”

The various screeches you hear from behind the closed door suggest that he is not as successful in figuring out the shower as you’d hoped. While he showers, you do a little more digging. Thankful that your mum’s weird obsession with your family tree may finally come in handy, you ask for the login to her online ancestry account. Tapping through to the census search, you type the name ralph penbury and set the dates between around 1890 and 1930 to look for any documentations of birth - or death. Sure enough, an entry pops up: 

Ralph Penbury - Date of birth: 01/02/1901 - Parents: William and Delilah Penbury - Occupation: Private in the Armed Forces - Death: Announced 19/09/1926 - MIA, presumed dead

You frown at the result. Was Ralph always doomed to go missing in action, you wonder? Is he only presumed as such because he’s travelled through time? His existence hasn’t been completely erased by the trip, obviously, but how much of this was affected by it? It hurts your head to try and think about. But at least you know when his birthday is. It’s still a few months away by all accounts, you may not even get to celebrate it with him. You still make a note of it in your phone.

Ralph soon emerges from the bathroom, and the sight causes your breath to catch in the back of your throat. He already had a certain cuteness about him, but as he rubs his hair dry with the towel, his damp natural curls stick out in all directions. Some facial hair and a neck chain or two, and he’d be exactly the kind of guy you’d let break your heart in a smoking area. He studies your face carefully as you’re staring at him. “Is there something wrong?”

“No!” you snap yourself out of your trance quickly. “No, not at all. Um, you can - you can take the bed. If you want. Get a good night’s sleep.”

Ralph gasps in horror, “I could never! I am simply a guest, I must insis-”

“And I must insist that you’ve literally travelled almost a hundred years to be here. Who knows when you’re gonna be here until, so… I don’t mind. I can sleep on the sofa for now, I promise,” you smile. “Just let me get in there real quick to get changed myself too, yeah?” Despite still standing in the bathroom doorway, and therefore not in the way of your bedroom, Ralph still steps aside and gestures towards it for you.

You change into a tank top and trousers combo, grab a blanket and some cushions out from your wardrobe, and head back into the living area. “Are you decent?” Ralph asks, his eyes squeezed.

You laugh, “Down, boy, I wasn’t exactly going to come out in my birthday suit, was I?! Yes, I am, you can look.”

He opens his eyes, takes one look at you, and yelps before covering his face with his hands. “You said you were decent!”

You look down at yourself, confused. Sure, the top is well-fitting, but you don’t think it’s indecent at all. You walk over to him and pull his wrists down. His eyes are once again shut tightly. “Ralph. It’s okay. I promise. Again, this is absolutely fine and modest in these times. Unless you want to stick out like a sore thumb, you’ll have to get used to it,” you shrug, letting go of him. He opens his eyes slowly and his breath shudders as he quickly jolts away.

“Okay, very well. I’ll try my hardest,” he nods, though he seems to be making the effort to keep his jaw up to maintain a high eyeline. “Are you sure you’ll be okay sleeping out here?”

You sigh, repeating once again, “Yes, Ralph, I’ll be fine. Go get some rest. You’ve had a big day.”

“Yes, very well. Erm,” he ducks his head down and to the side for a split second, as though to kiss your cheek, before stopping himself and once again raising his head high, his eyes wide and his ears pink. He clears his throat. “Thank you, again. Good night.”

“G’night, mate. Sleep well,” you pat his arm and start setting up the sofa for the night as he enters your bedroom and closes the door behind him.

You stick the TV on, not really caring what’s playing as it only really serves as background noise, and turn your lights off. The glows of the television screen and your phone screen illuminate the room as you search for any other evidence of time travel. Nothing that matched Ralph’s story comes up. You’re somewhere deep into a conspiracy theory about someone with a mobile phone being spotted at a Charlie Chaplin premiere when you finally drift off to sleep.

next chapter

[serpentinespider]

kit 14, 43, D!

guy 13, 4, 35, 3!

been thinking about these fellas a lot recently!! thank you questionnaire this is the perfect time!!

WOO WOO YEAH I took awhile to answer these because they got my brain going so hard I had to think about them for hours before I could articulate any responses AAH /pos You always pick the best questions for each character!!

this got so long I’m putting it under a readmore actually heheh

Kit!

art by StudioScheppen!!

14. What animal do they fear most? DOGS, forever and always. Kit’s been super anxious since he was a little kid; he’s never been fond of any animals really, but dogs specifically were one of the first things that would consistently set him off. Mouth full of sharp teeth, unpredictable loud barks, usually big enough to bowl him over without much effort… he can tolerate them more these days, but he still can’t really go over to his buddy Larry’s house for fear of his family’s golden retrievers. Being attacked by one messed him up REAL bad mentally, even setting aside all the turning-into-a-beast stuff lol

43. If someone asked them to explain their sexuality, how would they do so? Depends pretty much entirely who is asking and when. It took him quite awhile to come to terms with liking men, but once he did he pretty much leaned into it 100%. Towards strangers, he has a pretty flippant “I’m a homo, go fuck yourself if you have a problem with that,” attitude… but towards his friends and family he fumbles with the subject. “Welll uhh I don’t know… I guess I’m not straight maybe… I don’t think about labels too much…” (he does, he’s just scared of being shunned.)

D. Have they always had the same physical appearance, or have you had to edit how they look? First of all, I like the phrasing of this question, usually I think of design tweaks as a ‘want,’ but ‘having’ to do so actually more accurate describes Kit’s evolution I think! I’m going to go slightly off the topic of the question for this one because it requires some elaboration (and because I can do what I want! /silly)

Most of my characters gradually change over time as my style changes and I just become interested in different design traits, but Kit has def had the most frequent and rapid design changes over the two-ish years I’ve called him my OC. I genuinely can’t remember where or how frequently I was posting about it at the time (outside of my old defunct tumblr blog), but I was deeply hyperfixated on Captain Underpants in 2022, specifically book 11 which is my favorite :] That book takes place in the past, and the antagonist is Kipper Krupp, Mr Krupp’s 12 year old nephew. He’s very goofy and his writing is standout enough that most of my fixation was focused on him. Like, it was so shockingly intense I cannot describe it. I’m not ashamed of liking CU but the extent to which I blorboified this one-off character is really something. Anyways, after a couple months of this I began to become embarrassed about how many headcanons and ideas I had for him, so I just took him and his friends, changed their names a little bit, aged them up and made them my OCs! As I’ve become more Normal about Kipper himself I’ve distanced Kit from him more and more— making him a werewolf was my main big effort to separate him from Captain Underpants tropes-wise if that makes sense! I mean I still love Kipper dearly, but not as much as I love Kit :3c

Canonically he’s still the same guy I guess, just in a super derivative AU lol. His dad is still named Jasper and his uncle is still Benny, buuut since I changed his surname to Parker I’m guessing most people are going to think that’s a Spider-Man reference haha

my gooby 🐺

I like how the antagonists wiki classifies wedgies as ‘torture’ lmao

moving on to Guy!!

13. What color do they think they look best in? Do they actually look best in that color? She gravitates towards dark gray a lot, and I think it can flatter her, but it def is more of a dysphoria thing than a fashion thing. As for what looks best, I’m certainly no fashion expert (all her ratty gray outfits are based on what I wear HAHA) but I have a soft spot for him in white <3

4. How easy is it to earn their trust? Very easy. Maybe too easy? He doesn’t make an effort to connect with people, but if you do show any interest in him he’ll pretty much be willing to put his life in your hands. He might be shy, but he loves making friends!! This does mean he’s pretty likely to volunteer personal information to acquaintances too soon, either putting them off or giving them ammo to potentially harm him in the future :< [picks up Adam like a naughty kitten and stares at him really hard]

35. How do they treat the things their friends come to them excited about? Are they supportive? Guy doesn’t really react to things appropriately in real-time— tell him you’re getting married to the love of your life, he’ll monotonously go “oh, okay,” go silent, then a week later he’ll run up to you crying happy tears congratulating you!! He is very supportive, just has a hard time with the emotion part.

3. How do they put themselves to bed at night (reading, singing, thinking?) — cw marijuana mention! — Pre-Daniel: Thinking… or more accurately overthinking. Nighttime anxiety is a big problem for her— she’s tried a variety of things to distract herself and alleviate it to varying degrees of success: journaling, reading, herbal teas… it’s hard to stick with anything, though. Weed is been the most consistently helpful for her, but her family has a history of addiction that makes her scared to commit to it. Post-Daniel: Snuggles!! It’s hard to worry about much when you’ve got a warm snakey creature wrapped around you so so happily, Dan’s purrs make her mind go wonderfully quiet. It’s like having a weighted blanket that’s in love with you

[epickiya722]

As antagonist who do you think is better between Sukuna, Kenjaku, or Toji? Why? How will you rank them?

Now, out of the three, Sukuna is my favorite. But to say who is the better antagonist? Yeah, I don't have a definite answer really.

Each of them severed/serves their role well as an antagonist to the other characters.

I'll start with Toji. He was more of an... "arc villain". He's not there for the whole plot, but he's still important to it and played a part to someone's arc and development. In this case, it was for Satoru, Suguru and Megumi.

All three of these characters were affected some way because of Toji.

Satoru and Suguru's relationship changed because Toji played a part. Had not Toji been assigned to assassinate Riko and succeeded, they would have went down a different path.

Megumi would probably have been a different kid if Toji had been present in his life.

Also, how he carries himself during his time in the story is amazing. I know, many people say the same thing, but Toji was some boring villain. This man's introduction was him in slides, sweatpants and a sweatshirt while smiling all devious. Dude is a deadbeat, yet got reasons. Not an excuse! He lost the woman he loved and that resorted him back to his old self. He sold Megumi to the Zenin clan because he believed if Megumi inherited the technique, which he did, he would have a better life than he did with the Zenin clan. Was it right? No, but it was to Toji at the time. He cares about Megumi to some extent because even with coming back to life and fighting his son, he had been acting on pure instinct. Yet, looking Megumi dead in his face is what snapped him out and once he learned Megumi chose to use "Fushiguro" as his surname, Toji with out a smile for his son.

During his time on screen, there hadn't been a moment that Toji wasn't entertaining. (Can't believe that's DIO BRANDO that voices Toji.)

Next, Kenjaku, they're like... the villain behind the villains. They're responsible for a lot of what happened to the others. Hell, their intellect is part of what kicked off the plot. If Kenjaku did not know how to make curse objects, Yuji would not have eaten Sukuna's finger. Kenjaku is a cunning, evil individual. Playful, manipulative, aloof. Yet, Kenjaku ain't no coward. Someone challenges them and Kenjaku is about it now.

How do they move in those robes the way that they do in fights? I don't know. (Yeah, that's a question I have for Suguru, too. Like, are those robes heavy or... nevermind.)

Like, Toji and Sukuna who I'll talk about later, Kenjaku doesn't bore me. While Toji is more of that bloodthirsty active kind of villain, Kenjaku reminds me of a villain that will sit in a big chair with a cat on the lap and monolgue. Then it's like when they get up, they show you why you should have your guard up and not take them lightly.

But the thing with Kenjaku is, they don't try to make others fear them or even follow their plans to be worshipped. They just do whatever they want. They're unhinged but not in a feral, loud way. It's more sly and unexpected because when you think Kenjaku has done something wild, here comes something even more wild.

There's also the fact that the mangaka took the classic tropes of the MC having an absentee father (parents in Yuji's case) and evil dad and played with them here a bit.

Oh, Kenjaku is someone's evil dad, alright. But they ain't Yuji's. Yuji's dad, we know Yuji has some recollection of him that he doesn't really remember much of, but the mom? Not so much. I wonder, Kenjaku, as to why that is. I know you know the answer!

Now, for Sukuna!

As I said, he's my favorite out of the three.

He is downright evil. I doubt there is a single drop of good in that demon's heart.

A while ago, I saw a video of a guy reacting to a post about which out of the selection of characters is the best inner demon and he said Sukuna (if I remember correctly). His reasoning is why I so. Kurama was a choice, too, that I remember. And with Kurama, he got better and got along with Naruto. That's good and all (I don't hate it), but when I see the word "demon", I think of "vile, evil, embodiment of pain and anguish".

That's what Sukuna is. He is a "good demon" for the simple fact that he just is evil. He doesn't care to get along with Yuji and vice versa. It's what I love about their dynamic. They stand on far sides of a field, opposing the other without the need or want to find some common ground.

Mahito was great as someone who made Yuji question his morals and his part in the battle curses and humans. But Sukuna? Yeah, he's the source of Yuji's suffering since the start.

Sukuna is sadistic, immoral, selfish. Dude immediately wanted to paint the streets red and not with paint when he was reincarnated.

Folks call him "Fraudkuna", but no. He's not a fraud. Sukuna ain't stupid. He has intellect that he does use. He grasps onto things quickly. He witness, he learns and applies. He's not faking anything. A fraud is someone who fakes. Sukuna doesn't do that.

Yeah, Gojo put in work, of course he did. He wasn't titled "the strongest" for nothing. Sukuna even acknowledges that.

That's also another thing with Sukuna that interest me. He's evil, but at least he'll give you your props if you impressed him. Which honestly, I rather not be praised because it seems if you're someone if he acknowledges as strong, you either die by his hand or possessed. Except for Yuji, who he hates with every fiber in his body and does not respect.

But that's fine, because Yuji ain't looking for it. (Yeah, those two are my favorite two. Funny, isn't it?)

Also, bonus points, but I also love Sukuna's nails (when he has them painted and long) and pink hair (which he apparently had in his OG form). And the tattoos are nice.

I just...

Toji, Kenjaku, and Sukuna all have so much we know about them, yet still don't know much about them.

How did Sukuna become the King of Curses exactly? What is Kenjaku's true form? Toji's history with Megumi's and Tsumiki's moms? So many other questions.

They're all human, but not too human.

Overall, yeah, all three of them play/played well as antagonists for me.

[kaijuree]

THE LONG AWAITED SUBSPACE LORE POST.... yes im insane i have all this lore to explain subspace's surname. i am batshit

anyways @luckyfailuregirl COME GET YO JUICE.... lore under the cut prepare yourselves

what if i told you guys that subspace was originally part of a 'family'? a cult? imagine a huge 'family' full of a bunch of demons with tripmine gears, & they all had the surname 't. mine'

so who's behind this cult? who leads it? allow me to introduce you to-

DUAL (short for dual subspace tripmine). yes the same dual that's the elder god of reality & destruction, the same dual that's glaive/iron lotus & mystic tide's biological parent. the same dual.

dual, upon their defeat by iron lotus, was imprisoned deep within the inpherno, in the deepest & most secure cell banland had. they were imprisoned for several thousand years, before they broke out, blasting through the ground & being the very reason there are layers to the inpherno

dual, enraged & upset from being imprisoned & defeated, essentially forgotten by the inphinity, & still pissy as hell from being defeated by their own child- came up with an absolutely terrible idea. if their children didnt love them, they'd start a new family. they'd create an army to reclaim their former glory

so they literally ripped a hole in reality, creating their 'own layer', their own little pocket dimension. this place is known as the place of no stars

the place of no stars is a gallery, a empty place where pieces & fragments of civilizations, worlds, & peoples that they've destroyed all float throughout the atmosphere like artifacts on display at a museum. trophies. a thick fog surrounds the endless tall grassy fields, barely concealing the horrors of this twisted world.

after miles & miles of endless plains, floating crumbled pieces of worlds, thick fog & cold winds, there is a manor that is home to this so called 'family'

there are many 't. mines', each one of them having a specific purpose that was picked carefully by dual themselves. their goal is to fulfill that purpose, to live up to expectations & nothing more. be nothing more then a mindless soldier

each t. mine is marked with a symbol, a magical & enchanted symbol on them-

this is the mark of the iron lotus. you might be confused on why dual didnt use their own special mark or make a new one, & the answer is because they dont care. they believe whatever glory their children have, is also their glory. they did it out of spite

so, as we know- subspace is not like that. so how did he become who he was?

subspace was a warped child, curious & adventurous. his goal was to assist his 'siblings', stay to the side & never be on the frontline. he wanted more though.

curiosity got the best of him one day as he slipped out one day, walking for miles & miles in the middle of the night, somehow escaping through the hole of this 'world', seeing the inpherno for the first time since spawn. he was amazed, curious, adventurous. he saw those great mountains in the distance & made it his goal to learn more about them

so he walked, & walked. for days, coming very close to death. upon his arrival- he was nearly killed, but he lived from the pity & mercy of one guard at the border. he was 'adopted' & welcomed into blackrock

being brainwashed & clueless, not knowing any better, he idolized...questionable people. he was never properly raised, never taught how to really be a person, & always left unsupervised- so he was ruined. he became a horrible person

he continued to idolize those terrible government officials, & continued to indulge in horrible acts, making him the man he is today. that seems to have worked out well for him though, seeing as how he's literally been adopted by the leader of blackrock herself

pulse actually took such interest into him because of his strange & unknown upbringing & backstory, that alongside his 'bright mind'. shes always wanted kids ok lol

ANYWAYSSSSS.....yeah. thats it. PLEASEEEEEEEEE send me asks... /nf

[urisk-factor]

FUCK IT JOHNNY TOPSIDE/SUBJECT DELTA HEADCANONS!

He's the middle child of three. He has an older brother and a younger sister.

He's half Greek half Scottish.

His mother is this tiny little Greek lady who would change the world for her family. She always wore trousers and these big fuck you boots and whenever Delta got in trouble at school she would come storming through. The school staff feared her.

His father was a six foot five Scottish guy from Glasgow. He worked very hard to make sure his family had a roof over their heads and food to eat. When he was home, he forced himself into a sort of house husband role.

Delta was such a mummy's boy. His sister was a daddy's girl and his brother was split equally between them.

That doesn't mean Delta didn't love his dad, who's name was Jonathan. Jonathan taught him how to just flick a bottle cap off a bottle in one go with his fingers. Delta later taught that to Eleanor.

Pre-Delta, he was really tall and lanky, getting his height from his Dad's side. His sister was built almost the same, but his brother is really short, a manlet if you will, and Delta and their sister never let him forget.

His brother and sister had more traditionally Scottish names, and he had a more Greek name. He can't remember it, other than it might start with an S.

They have a Mc surname, but again Delta can't remember what it is past that.

His Mum had the worst potty mouth. His Dad desperately tried to get her to not swear around the kids, but Delta very quickly picked up her language and was unable to drop it. The only reason Eleanor isn't as bad is because after he becomes Delta, while he kinda can speak, it's deep and rumbly and freaky and it kinda strains him so he just doesn't talk, and thus doesn't swear.

The only exception was when some splicers were shoving Eleanor around and talking about hurting her after she ran ahead and he broke through the wall like the cool aid man and bellowed "DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH MY DAMN DAUGHTER YOU FUCKING PIECES OF SHIT"

Eleanor went home that day and asked Lamb what "damn" "fucking" and "shit" means. Lamb was not happy.

He can take most of the suit off, but his legs are genuinely fused to it. He can pull it down to his waist before it won't go farther, and roll the trouser legs up to just below his knees. He can take his boots, gloves, sleeves, top half, and helmet off (though provided he removes the tanks, which he can't do on his own)

Unbeknownst to his Mum, he and his siblings have been having sips of alcohol since they were little. Between that, being a really big guy anyways, and everything he went through to become a big daddy, he can outdrink anyone and everyone. It would take like a week straight of almost nonstop drinking to get him drunk.

He decidedly has not given Eleanor any sips of his drinks on the very rare occasion he has any. He was explicitly told by many people that she's not allowed any, after someone figured out that Johnny Topside had a big of a scottish accent slip on occasionally.

He's so autistic. He loves the sea, everything about the sea, especially the creatures. When he first arrived in Rapture he once spent like five hours staring out a window and talking about the sea animals he could see.

He used to surf, and taught his sister to surf. She later taught Eleanor to surf, using the same board that Delta used to use.

He doesn't actually need to eat/drink or sleep. He still likes to drink, it feels nice on his throat. He only eats if it'll bring nostalgia, and he only sleeps when he feels safe to do so, which is almost never.

He likes to try keep his hair a little longer, because when he was a kid he didn't like anyone other that his Mum touching his hair. She didn't have the heart to keep it too short, but to make up for like school rules she would tie it back or braid it so it wasn't actually touching his shoulders.

He once took off his helmet around Eleanor for a rest, and she started braiding his hair, like how he would sometimes do for her. If he still could cry, he would've been openly sobbing.

He's a hugger :)

Delta was technically a nickname he's always had, mostly because a lot of teachers he had refused to use his actual name because it's "foreign" (he and his siblings were raised in America), and refusing to just give up his heritage, he just chose a random letter and said hey use this or don't address me at all. Unfortunately he was a bit of a prankster so they couldn't just not adress him, so Delta stuck until well into adulthood

He met his sister's future husband in college, and accidentally introduced them. He lived to regret it.

By the time his sister married her husband, their father had passed away. Their brother walked her down the aisle, and Delta had to give a speech in place for the father of the bride speech

He was also a maid of honour. He and his brother both wore kilts

His sister is forever grateful that he managed to keep his silliness under control for most of the day.

The only time it was let out that night was because his sister's PILs were being obnoxious and her husband only invited them to save face. They went up to him and said "please, get them out of here by any legal means possible"

Delta then woke up in the fountain outside the venue the next morning.

In the events of a very good ending au where delta fully survives the trip to the surface, he manages to reconnect with his mother and siblings. His siblings have children and he's delighted to be an Uncle. He's sorta like Grunkle Stan to them.

Eleanor is their cool older cousin, she dares them to commit minor crimes.

Delta's mother fully fucking knows that Eleanor is her granddaughter the moment she lays eyes on her. Delta doesn't even have to say anything and she's immediately cooing over Eleanor all like "are you eating enough dear?"

Eleanor is lowkey Delta's mother's favourite grandchild.

Delta has a step dad at this time and he just does not trust that guy at all.

Delta had the delta symbol tattooed on his hands long before arriving in Rapture, it was just a coincidence that he became Subject Delta.

A lot of the alpha series big daddies were meant to live for a really long time, but they keep getting killed before they can get to that point.

The little sisters that grow up and survive being big sisters and whatnot are also meant to live really long, including Eleanor, but she actually does get to live her time.

He and his siblings can speak greek and scots too, but are basically devastated they can't speak Gàidhlig

He has a joking hatred for ginger people (his brother (and technically father but the joke only starts after he passes))

[damallarky]

Ok. So I got my Rook’s backstory planned out guys.

His name is Renan. He’s a Mage and a traveling musician who busks in and around Minrathous. Rook is his stage name.

He is the brother of my canon Inquisitor, Aisling Lavellan. There are five siblings in total. Ren is the oldest, and Aisling is the middle child.

His surname isn’t Lavellan, though. Gotta see what the names are in DA:V.

More under the cut!

His father was a former circle mage and his mother was a Dalish hunter.

Morag, Ren’s father, was part of a team of four mages given special permission from their circle to study ancient elven ruins to “further enhance Chantry understanding of Thedas and its history.” Jokes on them because the four Templars that were assigned to babysit the group were all mage sympathizers (one was in a relationship with one of the mages in the group, one had a mage sister who he cared about deeply, the youngest Templar was a good friend of Morag's and the last one just didn't care lol) so they basically let him get married and have kids while he was still technically doing what he set out to do.

The family traveled a lot from ruin to ruin. At some point, the group is called back to return to the Circle, but everyone decides to lie and say Morag "died" so he can stay with his family.

The good times don't last, though. Eventually, word gets out that there is an apostate running around, and Templars are sent to bring Morag back. During the process, their parents are killed, and the kids get separated, with Ren being caught by slavers and sold to Tevinter and the rest of his siblings being adopted into Clan Lavellan.

(Consequently, the reason Aisling begged to go to the conclave was because she was hoping she’d find Ren there, not realizing he never made it to a circle.)

Ren spends four years as a slave. His master's wife notices that he has a lovely singing voice and a talent for music, so she teaches him how to play the lute, harp, harpsichord, flute, and anything else she wants him to. He enjoys it because he loves music, but he knows that he is basically being kept as a pet to show off when the mood strikes.

(This is also when he meets the spirit Hope, who ends up taking the form of a Rook. She is also the inspiration behind Ren's stage name.)

At seventeen, he had a clandestine affair with his master's daughter, who was the same age as him. I think they were friends, and they cared about each other, but their relationship was more about teenage lust and Ren's cockiness than anything else. There was also maybe a little bit of a power imbalance that Ren doesn't really consider until much, much later in life. When his master's wife finds out, she is furious and orders Ren whipped within an inch of his life. He probably would have died had the daughter not begged her father to intervene. Ren is sent off to work with the rest of the household slaves. The other slaves were delighted to learn that the golden boy wasn't so golden after all, and they made his life hell.

Nine months later, Ren is summoned by his master. He learns that he has gotten his master's daughter pregnant. On her request, Ren is given his freedom on the condition that he takes the child (a boy) and never speaks a word of it to anyone.

He accepts and leaves a free man. He names his son Morag, Mor for short, after his father.

Except now he's a kid with a kid, with no money and nowhere to go in a country that actively treats his people like chattel. He's scared, and as a result, he does many things he is not proud of, things that he ends up regretting later in life, like drinking heavily and not being as good of a father to Mor as he should have been.

To support himself and his son, Ren becomes a musician and plays at bars and brothels, wherever he can get work. While busking, he meets an elven woman named Leena. Their relationship is difficult at first, but eventually, Ren decides to get his shit together, and the two eventually fall in love.

They get married, and after a while, they have their daughter, Esana. At some point, they both join the Shadow Dragons. During a mission, Leena is badly wounded and later dies of an infection. This almost causes Ren to fall off the bandwagon and back into his addiction. He, through great effort, manages to stop himself for the sake of his children who need him. The withdrawals were horrible, and it was one of the hardest things he ever had to do, but he did it because he loves his kids so much, and he wants to be a good father to them.

This is why he only drinks water, juice, or wine occasionally.

He still works for the Shadow Dragons, and now his son is beginning to work for them, too, despite the fact that Ren would rather he not put himself in danger.

More Facts

Ren is either 36 or 38, depending on how long it's been since Inquisition.

That would make Mor either 19 or 21.

Whatever the case, Esana is 13.

Mor is a mage like both of his parents. He fights more like a rogue, however. Veil ranger perhaps?

Esana's magic hasn't awakened (yet) but recently she has been having nightmares of monsters wanting her to "let them in".

Ren is a Dreamer like his father! He finds the Fade slightly annoying.

Mor was originally going to be revealed later in my Rook's story, which is why he didn't show up in my Rook's prologue fic.

Ren uses humor so he doesn't have to think about his emotions. It drives Hope nuts.

Hope is the GOAT of the bunch. Mor probably wouldn't have survived to young adulthood had it not been for Hope.

Hope is still relatively new to the whole "not being an actual spirit" thing. Like Cole, she still feels fairly compelled to provide hope to those who need it. Except now, she also eats mice and steals shiny things.

Esana unfortunately inherited her father's lack of self-preservation.

Esana and Mor are close despite their age difference. Mor is the best big brother.

Ren and Solas are going to drive each other insane. Especially once it's revealed just who the Inquisitor is. Ren and Solas will eventually find they have a lot in common and will both help each other heal in the end.

Idk where it will go in the actual game, but for now, I'm deciding that Ren and Solas will become very dear to one another. Bestie-in-Laws.

The family sitcom is called My Brother-in-Law the Dread Wolf.

Ren is very jealous of Solas's Dread Wolf form. Solas delights in this fact.

I also do not know who Ren is going to romance. I have never struggled so hard to make that choice.

[distort-opia]

The joker has many names in many stories, but how did you (in your opinion or point of view) reveal the "true" origin of the villain and I loved it and I want you to do the same with the "true" name of the joker, please 🙏

Thank you, glad you had fun with my previous Joker-related meta! Oof, Joker's "true" name... That's a very thorny issue.

First of all, there's a canon name for Prime Earth Joker right now, and a canon origin. You guessed it, it's The Killing Joke one. This wasn't really surprising to me when it came out, the TKJ origin has been referenced as canon multiple times at this point; it's only the last name that remained a mystery. But then they revealed his name to be "Jack Oswald White":

Flashpoint Beyond #5

I'm pretty sure we all agree that the only good part of that is "Jack". Don't know why the hell they went for "Oswald" (let Penguin have the monopoly on that goddammit!), but "White" is not that much of a surprise, it's just... a bit boring. Basically, Joker's had "White" attributed to him before in the Arkham games, he used it as an alias.

The fan-favorite (and my own, actually) name for Joker is actually "Jack Napier". It's got a long history... First used in Tim Burton's Batman (1989), it then got adopted by Batman: The Animated Series, The Batman (2004) and multiple other adaptations, like the Black Label Batman: White Knight comic-- which is just the most famous recently, but Joker's been named "Jack Napier" in so many other Elseworld and alternate universe DC comics. However, the name has popped up in comics closer to main continuity too. Joker himself used it as an alias in the New 52, in Red Hood and the Outsiders; but more importantly...

Arkham Asylum: Madness

Tough to say how canon this comic is, but it's heavily implied Joker's surname is "Napier". And since it's been canonized Joker's kid would've been a boy, "Milton" was probably his name (if you follow Falls the Shadow, my Joker-centric fic, you're probably familiar). But most recently, and having the most weight, they showed that the Joker equivalent of one of the Dark Multiverses was named "Jack Napier":

Tales of the Dark Multiverse -- Batman: Hush

So... it's a bit of a mess. It's been made official that his name was "Jack Oswald White" (maybe they want to do something with the initials JOW??), but the name people have been using for him for years is "Jack Napier". More generally though, you'll find that even comics that never give him a last name use "Jack" (like Batman: Gotham Knights #54, or Batman: Three Jokers, or the name of Jokester, the good Joker of Earth-3).

...And alright, I can't help myself. I'll go ahead and rant about a pet theory of mine, since I think Zdarsky intentionally tried to fit this all into an explanation. He tried to do something about Joker being people with different names and even different genders (like Martha Wayne) across worlds. But everything from here on is a spoiler for the main Batman run, so I'll put it all under the cut.

In case you're not familiar with the plot of The Bat-Man of Gotham, basically Bruce got thrown into another Universe in which Batman didn't exist. Here he found a guy called Darwin Halliday or Red Mask, who never became Joker, but wanted to. He'd glimpsed into the Multiverse with a chemical, and as a result created a machine that allowed one to travel the numerous Universes. In their final confrontation, Bruce and Red Mask both get hurled across the Multiverse by the machine, and here's an interesting panel from a world (clearly Burton's Batman movie world) Bruce encounters:

Batman (2016) #135

They have Bruce see his name, and the name "Jack Napier" on panel. Meanwhile, the "sane" Joker Bruce is chasing is named "Darwin Halliday". Then there's freaking "Jack Oswald White" for Prime Earth, an existing alternate called "Jack Napier" in a Dark Multiverse, and don't even get me started on freaking "Alby", another potential Joker name from Detective Comics (2016) #1000.

Bruce however, in Zdarsky's story and not only, only has himself. All the Universes he hops through have "Bruce Wayne" as the connection, even when Bruce isn't Batman (like in Batman Beyond). Is Bruce the only one to be Batman? Of course not, different others have carried the mantle (like Dick Grayson, Jean-Paul Valley, Tim Drake, Damian Wayne, James Gordon etc.). But I'm not trying to refer to worlds in which Bruce Wayne was Batman and then something happened to him and he was succeeded/replaced; I'm trying to refer to worlds in which someone else became Batman from the start. Those are quite rare, but they almost always have a Wayne: Thomas Wayne, or Helena Wayne. Even Owlman, the "evil" counterpart, is Bruce's brother.

Of course, the connection linking the Bruce Waynes is meant to be there so that the "infection" of Zur-en-Arrh can take place across the Multiverse. But then how exactly is Red Mask finding each Universe to jump into, right? How is he connecting mentally to all the Jokers, if the Jokers are different people and not the same as for Bruce? Why is it that whenever a Wayne becomes a Batman, someone becomes a Joker? Well...

Batman (2016) #135

So. Red Mask was following Batman, the one who's existence directly lead to Jack going insane and becoming Joker. Wherever there was a Batman, Red Mask precipitated the creation of a Joker... who wasn't always the same person. Just the person who needed a "push" into becoming it, hence explaining why Joker is different individuals. "Joker" is pretty much the cosmic curse following Batman, his inevitable shadow. (Not only that, depending on the moment Red Mask arrived, he also brought back the existing Jokers from the dead or made them worse.)

Now. Do I like this explanation? Not really, I think it sucks to unravel Joker's character so much and take away all his mystery, all the cool alternate interpretations. Not only that, but this explanation essentially takes away agency from Joker's character and attributes it to freaking... Multiverse shenanigans. However, I did appreciate Zdarsky's effort to give the whole thing some meaning. You don't see that frequently in comics. And in a way, it's so insanely soulmates-as-a-curse for Batman and Joker. They're so tied together it's impossible to unravel them.