#oh to be in a relationship with one of the mob students and to be railed so roughly by the twins in secret...

[merakiui]

I hope I’m not the only one who thinks this but most of the npc’s in twst can get it. They all lowkey kinda fine

OCTAVINELLE STUDENT A........ I am looking at him so much. truthfully and shamelessly, all of the twst mobs could rail me. <3 you are so right, anon. They are very fine!!!! >0<

OMG OR ROLLO'S VICE PRESIDENT AND STUDENT AIDE.......... I need to be on my knees for them right at this moment. orz thinking so many unholy thoughts about them. You could be dating one of the student council mobs and gross, filthy, perverted President Rollo is acting so weird with you in secret. AAAAAAA OTL he follows you and your mob boyfriend into town and watches you buy lingerie and his breeding kink goes 📈📈📈 oh, to wear cute, frilly lingerie and be bred by Rollo in the student council meeting room. orz orz too many filthy thoughts about the Noble Bell trio are in my mind...

[proship-cafe]

periodical (and deeply funny) reminder that, technically, all hmstck ships are incest

[twistedyanposts]

Hi I'm back with more bullshit. This one will have implications of dub/non con at the end, as well as victim blaming, so I'll put that stuff under a read more.

Anyways.

Instead of your yandere drugging YOU with a love potion, they're your oh-so-loving boyfriend that stumbles across the aftermath of another student doing so.

It's a bit of a miracle you were alone long enough for that to happen but it has to for plot-

Mob-kun doesn't even have time to register how fucked he is before he's ripped off of you, head slamming into the hard concrete while you cry out in concern for your "lover."

Whether it's trying to coerce you into sleeping with him, kissing you, or even just a hug that you looked too happy about, Yan is PISSED. As he should be! He's worked SO hard to get and keep you away from other people! And this is why!

Some of them might take you to get cured right away, and deal with the guy later. Some might be content to let you weep, scream, or freeze while they beat this homewrecking piece of shit into the pavement. The potion will wear off eventually, then you'll understand that he was just protecting you!

And then some would take you both back to his dorm, letting the beaten student sit in his room until you come to your senses.

If he's a little insistent on having you both prove how serious your relationship is while this wannabe is forced to watch?

He was just soooo upset seeing you with someone else. Even if it wasn't entirely your fault, you technically cheated! Make it up to him, won't you?

[sumiink]

Sumi's Fic Recs

I've been saving a list of fan fiction I like for years now and thought I should share it!

Fandoms include Danny Phantom, DPxDC, Batman, DCMK, BNHA, and Miraculous Ladybug, Legend of Zelda (Linked Universe), Mob Psycho 100, and Genshin Impact. Links, summaries, and comments under the cut.

Danny Phantom

Phantom of Truth by Haiju

NOTE: An edited/updated version of the sequel (Shadow of a Doubt) is also on AO3, but not finished. The finished, unedited version can be found on FF.net here.

Summary: Locked away in a secret government lab with Phantom as her sole object of study, nothing stands between Maddie and the truth... except, perhaps, herself.

Review: You can’t talk about Danny Phantom fanfic without bringing up Phantom of Truth. This one defines the vivisection genre. It’s written in Maddie’s perspective and you can see her character in every little detail of the writing.

Treading Water by TheFullCatastrophe

Summary: "This is the story of why we had to start calling Danny Fenton, Danny FINton. Get it, Danny? 'Cause you have FINS? Oh, I kill me." - a summary by Tucker Foley.

Review: Mermaid AU! Another classic fandom fic, this one with great worldbuilding and some dark, realistic vibes that make the ghosts (well, mermaids) really feel dangerous.

Modern Day Ghost Girl by MemoryWriter

Summary: Wendy Manson, 14-year old freshman in Casper High. Recently she's been able to sense ghosts, and on the day Wendy's paranormal curiosity gets the best of her, her project partner and ex-best friend Shane happens to follow her. When she meets a mysterious ghost in the abandoned apartment, what of her identity will she be discovering?

Review: One of the first fics I ever read, so it holds a special place in my heart.

Outside Looking In by Ellen_Brand

Summary: Casper High's new psychiatrist has some interesting interviews ahead of him.

Review: A great outside perspective into Danny. Also I just like Cade!

Phantom’s Sketchbook by AkoyaMizuno

Summary: Mr. Lancer finds himself in an unparalleled situation, he has access to something which can give him incredible insight into the personal workings of Amity Park's local ghost teen hero, Danny Phantom.

Review: Another fandom classic! A must read for the student/teacher relationship between Mr. Lancer and Danny.

You Should Be Dead by SapphireDragon11

Summary: Dash and Kwan are horrified to discover they've accidentally killed their classmate, but perhaps even more so when he shows up at school the next day. With his secret on the line, Danny soon discovers Dash and Kwan are the least of his worries.

Review: An epic story of Danny going up against incredible odds! One of my absolute favorites!

DPxDC

But I Want to Be Let In, Not Out by TheWritingOwl

NOTE: Actually a series of one-shots!

Summary: Growing up with the Fentons, Danny resigned himself to the fact that he would never see Damian again. However, when he gets summoned to Gotham after becoming the Ghost King, he finds himself reuniting with his long lost twin.

Review: Some nice demon twins au with batfam elements- all the stuff I like in a DPxDC fic.

close enough to be whole again by hailsatanacab

Summary: “If you ever find yourself in danger, go to Bruce Wayne. He will help you.”     His mother had loved him, in her own way. If she hadn’t, she wouldn’t have helped him escape. If she hadn’t, she would have dragged him back to the League of Assassins, to Grandfather. If she hadn’t, he’d be dead.     She loved him, but she loved the League more.     Jack and Maddie Fenton loved him too, they did, but they loved their work more.     They loved their work more.     --     After his parents react poorly to his reveal, Danny escapes to the only person he thinks can help him - Bruce Wayne. He doesn't know what to expect when he gets there, but it has to be better than where he is, surely? He certainly doesn't expect to be reunited with his long lost twin brother Damian. It's funny how things work out that way.     Danny is 16 years old, not Phantom Planet compliant

Review: More angsty demon twins AU with secret identity shenanigans, what’s no to love?

Recognized by AgentIanLegend

Summary: When they heard the fateful words "Recognized: Robin - B01," nothing could have prepared them for the web of secrets which would unravel as Daniel Fenton and Richard Grayson search for answers.

Review: An epic story will all kinds of twists and turns. Very will written with great pacing and tight storytelling!

Batman

hand in unloveable hand (a chokehold) by britishparty

Summary: Tim Drake is eleven years old when he’s grabbed off the streets of Bristol while he’s on his way home. It will be okay, he tells himself: they’ll call his parents, and they’ll pay the ransom, and he’ll get to go home.

There are pictures of Batman and Robin on the camera he was carrying. A lot of pictures.

They don’t call his parents. They call Black Mask.

- or: the one where Black Mask kidnaps Tim and tries to groom him into a ruthless heir, and Tim tries to figure out how to destroy him from the inside out.

Review: Tim is great in this. This one is full of scheming and mind games and all that good stuff.

From When He Sprang by WereDog15

Summary: January 2012. For the last four years, Jason Todd has been living on the streets of Gotham, doing whatever he can in order to survive on his own. But one night, as he emerges from his dwelling in Gotham’s underground tunnels, he encounters the legendary dynamic duo of Batman and Robin.A little bit of help can go a long way, but Jason's world is ripped apart as he is unintentionally put in the path of one of the deadliest secret societies that the world has ever known.Discover the story of the event that changed their lives forever, and put Jason on the path to becoming the second Robin.

Review: THIS FIC. It’s creative, it’s dark, it’s gory - this one makes me feel like I’m back in middle school reading The Hunger Games for the first time. This fic does not pull any punches.

Liminal Spaces by Calamityjim

NOTE: A multi-part series with some extra one-shots too

Summary: Bruce's habit of collecting strays is not limited by dimension. Or When Young Justice Batman comes across an angsty, seemingly abandoned by his Batman Tim Drake, he decides to step up to the plate and parent the crap out of him.

Review: Oh this one is a long, epic story with all kinds of twists and turns. And lots and lots of emotional batfam moments.

A Gentlekid Thief by Blazonix

Summary: Tim didn't mean to become the notorious thief Red X; it just sort of happened. Just like how he somehow wound up being Batman’s greatest nemesis - his therapist. He would like to remind whatever higher forces are out there that he is still only 12.

Review: Funny and clever!

From the Shadows by Wolfsbanesparks

NOTE: Shazam crossover

Summary: All Billy Batson wanted was to survive a particularly rough week living on the streets of Fawcett City. The last thing he was looking for was a new family. All Bruce Wayne wanted was to learn a bit more about his upbeat teammate under the guise of official Wayne Enterprises business. But he could never turn his back on a child in need. Especially one as surrounded by mystery as Billy. OR   Billy gets adopted by the Batfamily while trying to deal with a strong magical enemy.

Review: I’m always a fan of gen fic that also has an overarching story and great villain!

Shutterbye by katiesparks

Summary: The more I research it, the more I know it has to be true. Dick Grayson is Robin. And that means Bruce Wayne is Batman. All the pieces fit. I move my Dick and Bruce Wayne things into the Batman and Robin box and buy an extra lock for it.

Review: One-shot written from a young Tim’s perspective. The writing style really brings his character to life.

Surveillance by smilebackwards

NOTE: A multi part series

Summary: Tim knows antagonizing Lex Luthor wasn’t exactly his safest move but the point is really driven home by the bullet to the shoulder. Or: The AU where Jason never died and Tim is a civilian who contributes to crime fighting by taking surveillance photos and leaving them on the desktop of the Batcomputer.

Review: Gotta love some ‘stalker Tim gets involved in hero stuff without actually wearing a cape’ stuff.

Detective Conan & Magic Kaito

(Don’t) Believe What You Know by discordiansamba

NOTE: This fic is actually a rewrite, buuuuuut I saved the older, longer version if you want to read that one instead. Available here (I just copy and pasted it, so formatting may be a little weird)

Summary: For as long as he's known him, Hattori Heiji has always seemed to gotten mixed up in cases with a sort of... supernatural touch. Honestly, Conan's never thought much of it- it's not as if the things that go bump in the night are actually real, and they've got countless cases behind them to prove just that.But after getting mixed up in a strange case in Osaka and learning a disturbing secret from Heiji's past, its left Conan wondering if there's more his friend isn't telling him. So he does what any good detective would- investigate.He's just... not sure he was ready for the answers.

Review: I am a huge of discordiansamba’s writing! It very descriptive and the stories tend to have a lot of interesting moving parts. This fic in particular is great for its worldbuilding and the magical, dangerous adventures Heiji gets involved in. And Heiji trying to hide stuff from Conan always makes for some good tension.

Blood and Snow by discordiansamba

Summary: Heiji Hattori has never believed in the supernatural. Things like vampires have always been a bunch of nonsense to him. But the supernatural is about to prove itself very real.

Review: If you like the last one, you’ll like this one too – another supernatural adventure focusing on Heiji!

Unprofessional Opinion by Ellen_Brand

Summary: A series of psychologicalpersonality profiles of our boys... with guest shrink Cade Maboroshi!

Review: I just like Cade! And an outsider’s perspective is always fun, especially in this writing style.

The Case of the Magic Bullet Murder by MirrorandImage

NOTE: Technically a sequel, but I didn’t read the first one and wasn’t lost. There’s also a third fic that’s good too!

Summary: As always Conan stumbles across another body; and this time the prime suspect is this high school kid named Kuroba Kaito. Sequel to The Case of the Hidden Epidemic.

Review: We get to see Conan interact with Kaito, and that always makes for fun secret identity shenanigans. And we even get to see Kaito get involved in solving a case!

Insanity, Apparently by Taliya

NOTE: A series of one shots

Summary: Takagi Wataru would like to register a complaint to whichever deity thought it would be hilarious to toss him into odd situations with Kaitou KID. Repeatedly. Because this was far beyond his pay grade.

Review: A fun story with a mix of characters you don’t see very often.

Be a Better Me by Lisa_Telramor

Summary: Kaito thought that the Robot Incident ended with the destruction of his copycat robot. He couldn't have guessed how wrong that assumption was when he is injured months later.

Review: Wonderfully angsty and doesn’t shy away from the horror of Kaito’s new reality.

Guide you home by Tobina

NOTE: Uses Guide & Sentinel tropes, which I’d never heard of before but I guess it used to be popular in fanfic in the 90’s? Basically Sentinels have superpowers and Guides help them control it. The two tend to be lifelong partners, but it can be romantic or familial or platonic.

Summary: As a Level 5s Sentinel and skillful detective, Kudou Shinichi helps the Tokyo Police Department whenever they get stuck with a case, his Guide Ran at his side to ground him when needed. After a KID heist, it becomes clear that Guides are dissapearing and Shinichi and his western counterpart Hattori Heiji are knee-deep into the case, especially because this one hits far too close to home for comfort. When then even phantom thief Kaitou KID gets involved, things are bound to get... interesting.

Review: A GREAT story that does a good job with worldbuilding and characters’ relationships. While it focuses on Conan, my favorite part of this fic is the arc the Kaito goes through and the way this story takes a look at his motivations and moral compass.

It's Raining Men, Hallelujah by Asuka Kureru

Summary: Conan already has some kind of corpse magnet power, but when Heiji is in his orbit the corpses actively come to them. From above. Witness.

Review: A fandom classic! Short and hilarious.

Inconceivable by joisbishmyoga

Summary: In the face of a DNA analysis Kaito can't deny, he begins uncovering the rest of his family's secrets. Too bad he's not the only one looking.

Review: An epic story that has a takedown of the Black Org AND twin AU, what’s not to love?

Secrets in Indigo by Sinnatious

Summary: A throwaway comment about Kaitou KID’s eye colour sets Kaito on an uncomfortable path of discovery.

Review: I can’t give too many spoilers! An overall great story with great writing as Kaito discovers secrets and also tries to keep them hidden.

The Young Royals of Deduction by joisbishmyoga

NOTE: One shot

Summary: The Exclusive Interview with Four Children Taking the Investigative World by Storm

Review: Short but fun!

My Hero Academia

The Thin Gray Line by A_ToastToTheOutcasts

Summary: The beauty of the era of quirks wasn't the amazing abilities; it was that nobody sane would even entertain the thought that Kuroko, the most wanted vigilante in all of Japan, was Quirkless.

Review: A vigilante AU with a badass Deku (or, in this case, Kuroko) who puts the whole Hero Commisison to shame. The rivalry between Deku and Bakugou is so intense in this fic, I love it.

Yesterday Upon the Stair by PitViperOfDoom

Notes: When you’re done with this, there’s also a fun related one-shot by another author called U.A. Unsolved by kabukichou (ameliafromafairytale)

Summary: Midoriya Izuku has always been written off as weird. As if it's not bad enough to be the quirkless weakling, he has to be the weird quirkless weakling on top of it. But truthfully, the "weird" part is the only part that's accurate. He's determined not to be a weakling, and in spite of what it says on paper, he's not actually quirkless. Even before meeting All-Might and taking on the power of One For All, Izuku isn't quirkless. Not that anyone would believe it if he told them.

Review: An epic story full of secrets and ghosts!

Hero Class Civil Warfare by RogueDruid (Icarius51)

Summary: Heroes lead by Bakugo. Villains lead by Midoriya. Seven days prep time. Three days for Izuku Midoriya to show why they should be glad he's not a real villain.

Review: Badass Deku going all out and scaring his classmates. This one uses nearly every character from class 1-A and 1-B and manages to make everyone have an impact on the story!

Tales of the Jade Mantis by Chess_Blackfyre

NOTE: A multi-part series

Summary: The adventures of Inko Midoriya, Number One Vigilante in all of Japan, and her complicated relationship with the Number One Hero, All Might. However, it's not all about kicking butt and taking names, watch as the telekinetic in the leather jacket struggles with things like brutal mentors, working in customer service, and trying to be a good single parent.

Review: The only fic I’ve found with Inko as a vigilante! Quite the journey, this one goes over her career as a vigilante and what comes after when Izuku suddenly has a quirk. I love the weird adventures Inko gets up to and the interesting people she meets. One of my all time favorites!

Monochrome Skies by QuantumPoint

Summary: Midoriya Izuku died four years ago. Midoriya Izuku dead in a housefire when his mother didn’t notice him come home early. Midoriya Izuku dead because heroes failed to hear the screams of a scared child. Midoriya Izuku dead alone and scared.His mother mourned him but went on with her life. The heroes swore to be better, but still made the same mistakes. And for four years, everyone believed he was until Aizawa caught sight of a well-known vigilante and decided to investigate. Everyone believed it until Yagi bumped into a kind child on the street and tried to give him hope.

Review: I can’t say much because spoilers, but if you’re an artist, read this.

brilliant lights will cease to burn (by my hands i’ll reignite them) by novalotypo

NOTE: It’s a Card Captor Sakura crossover, but honestly I’ve never seen that and as far as I can tell this doesn’t have much to so with that show. It’s BNHA characters and world with some Card Captor magic elements.

Summary: Midoriya Izuku is quirkless. This, he knows very well.This is also what he knows:Weekends and vacations are reserved for walking neighborhood dogs. The elderly are the most powerful people on Earth. Local gods are picky eaters. Trust is a feeble, feeble thing. Magic cards are incredibly difficult to seal, especially when the world thinks you're a vigilante. Heroes are not magicians, but magicians can be heroes.Becoming a cardcaptor wasn't on Izuku's bucket list, but he'll be damned if he doesn't make the best out of it.

Review: Deku doesn’t have a quirk, so he gets sucked up into some magical card captor responsibilities and goes all out, as he does. This one has an analytical Deku, otherworldly magic, creepy villains, and some tension between a vigilante Deku and hero society as a whole. One of my absolute favorites!

Quirk: Knife! by brightredwings

Summary: Izuku Midoriya is unlucky, to say the least and life hasn't exactly been kind. Things weren't so bad in the beginning, but once he was diagnosed quirkless, well, it all went to shit. Everyone grew to hate him, even his best friend and own father.Was it really that impossible to become a hero without a quirk? It doesn't really matter because to Izuku, the term hero is flexible. He'll be his own hero because he's learnt from his own experience, people are selfish and the only one he can rely on is himself.Left alone to fend for himself in the world, Izuku goes out to change things on his own terms, despite his methods being slightly illegal. Keyword, slightly. It's only illegal if he gets caught, right?

Review: A long story with great arcs for a lot of League of Villains character, and a beautiful ending. Some pretty intense angst with happy endings for everyone.

Roses are red and they taste like shit by Unbreakable_Red_Riot

Summary: Katsuki was really fucking sick of the smell of flowers.

Review: Ah, yes, KiriBaku with hanhaki disease. Mostly from Bakugou’s point of view, so you get to see all his frustration and a ton of drama. Also looks into some other characters like Midoriya and Todoroki, which is a nice touch.

The Beauty of a Beast by starofgems

Summary: Once upon a time a lonely beast lived in a manor deep in the forest. He dreamed of the day his true love appeared to break his curse... When a beauty finally appears in his life, it is not quite as he imagined. For who could have thought a beauty would be more of a beast. Or The beauty and the beast AU nobody asked for but here it is.

Review: A very sweet love story. (KiriBaku)

The Deaf Hero: Deku by BeyondTheClouds777

Summary: His whole life, Izuku was told that he couldn’t do it. That he should give up while he still had the chance. That someone like him—Deaf, Quirkless—could never become a hero.But Izuku wasn’t going to give up. Not now and not ever. (OR, the one where nearly everything's the same, but Izuku is Deaf.)

Review: Right what it says on the tin. Deku’s added deafness creates more tension between Deku and Bakugou, his classmates, and even other heroes. Things get angsty but Deku always stays determined, which I love.

Miraculous Ladybug

Where Have All The Heroes Gone and Where Are All The Gods? by Anthemyst

NOTE: This is actually part 5 of a series, but I just started with this one and didn’t feel lost. Just know that in this story, Gabirel isn’t Hawkmoth. Most of this was written before Season 1 ended, I think.

Summary: On their fourteenth birthday, the Agreste triplets' world is turned upside down. Their government has been overthrown, their city taken, and superheroes all over Europe have suddenly and mysteriously vanished-including, to their shock, their parents. They'll need to work together, and become the heroes Paris needs, if they're going to save both their parents and their country.

Review: A next-gen fic that got me into ML fanfic in general! It’s got a fun dystopian vibe and the Agreste kids are all fleshed out very nicely. One of my absolute favorites!

Not A Bit by CaptainOzone

Summary: "Sometimes, being a brother is even better than being a superhero," says author Marc Brown. Félix Agreste has been both, and he can't have said it better himself. (AKA The Brothers AU I wanted to read but had to write myself when I realized this AU has a depressing lack of fic to its name)

Review: I’m always a fan of fic that has Marinette and Adrien AND Felix and Bridgette.

Legend of Zelda (Linked Universe)

Looking for Group by Tashilover

Summary: People want to be a Hero so badly, they're willing to bribe, lie, cheat, and beg. Twilight knows there's a Hero amongst the people in this college town. It's just a matter of finding them.

Review: The modern setting keeps things fresh, yet this story is still full of legends, danger, and a fight of good vs evil!

Mob Psycho 100

tomorrow isn’t always another day by suitablyskippy

NOTE: One shot

Summary: It’s like Reigen’s been waiting for the question. He stops dead on the pavement, grips Mob by the shoulders, and stares down into his eyes with an expression as haunted as though every ghost the pair of them has ever exorcised has taken up residence behind it. “Mob,” he says. “Mob,” he says again. “Tell me, Mob. Look at me and tell me. Tell me truthfully. Do I look cursed to you?”Mob looks at him, and tells him truthfully. “No.”“Well, you didn’t look very long,” says Reigen. “Let’s just stand here for a moment, like so, and you can have another look, a nice long look, and really think about it...” (There's nothing strange about being called back to exorcise the same haunted photocopier six days in a row. It must just be a very haunted photocopier.)

Review: THIS WHOLE CONEPT IS HILARIOUS

Genshin Impact

Traveler’s search for Scaramouche by Scuriel

NOTE: A choose your own adventure story!

Summary: Ei wants Traveler to search for Scaramouche and get back her gnosis. They have many decisions to make along the way.

Review: Don’t see something like this very often! There are actually a lot of different outcomes.

[hongherbac]

[Serizawa centric] The Humanity of S&S - Chapter 3

Read it on AO3

Chapter: 3/6

Fandom: モブサイコ100 | Mob Psycho 100 Rating: General Audiences

Non-Romantic Relationships: Seirizawa Katsuya & Reigen Arataka & Dimple

Summary: Serizawa got a frustrating phone call, and his power didn't like that.

CW: emotional blackmail

Chapter 3

"Hey, Serizawa, don't you think that's a little bit too much?"

Reigen's voice brought him back to reality. The evil spirits had long since been destroyed to ashes under his power, leaving only the original possessed wardrobe, which was gradually burning black from the center, and even began to smoke due to the psychic powers.

Serizawa quickly withdrew his hand, "Right, right, sorry! I was distracted!"

The client came back from outside, "Why are you apologizing? How's the exorcism going? Is everything okay?"

"Oh, no problem at all! The evil spirits have been completely eliminated." Reigen greeted the client with a big smile, "It's just that, after all, the evil spirits are the embodiments of the dead with lingering grudges. Even though they need to be purified and eliminated for the sake of the living, we still have to pay them some respect. You see, this scorch mark is evidence of the spirit's ascension."

"I see. Thank you very much."

Reigen and Serizawa were on their way back to the city. As usual, Reigen had asked the client for travel expenses, but in the end, they either walked or took the bus. They had a lot of time anyway, but their income was inversely proportional to it. In addition, Reigen had always complained that his physical fitness couldn't keep up with Mob. He said that he should exercise more during the day, while going straight to the ramen store after work. As a result, only these little bits of stingy transportation time could dig this  lazy, pre-middle-aged guy out of his chair.

"Serizawa, what's troubling you?" Reigen said casually with his hands in his pockets.

Serizawa was startled. But it's Reigen-san after all. Of course Reigen can see right through him. Serizawa had barely slept last night and had nightmares after he finally fell asleep. Now, there were still dark circles under his eyes.

"Reigen-san… what should I do when I start to doubt myself?"

"Why are you suddenly thinking of such a heavy question?"

"Um, for example," Serizawa struggled, "when answering multiple choice questions, there are always two options left, right? Say, I've already chosen the answer B, but when I go back and check, I start to feel uncertain, and I can't help thinking that I should have chosen the other one."

"Huh?"

Reigen was expecting some kind of bigger problem, not something as trivial as a pop quiz. Being so concerned about exams and grades, surely Serizawa was still just a junior high school student inside. It might seem trivial from an adult's perspective, but it was indeed the main focus of student life, and also an important source of confidence.

"Ah… I understand. That happens sometimes. And if I later realize that I made the wrong choice, I would feel so regretful and think that I should have chosen the other one."

"Yes! Besides, if I keep hesitating, time will just keep passing. I've already wasted a lot of time. It's scary to think that I might spend it on the wrong options again."

"Uh-huh. Time constraints can be very stressful."

"What would you do if it were you, Reigen-san?"

"Well, I've never really cared much about such things." Reigen scratched his head, "It doesn't really matter. It's just a small part of life. Even if you get it wrong this time, you'll learn from it next time, right? Your diligence, and the effort you've put in, won't be shaken by this. In any case, I won't look down on you for that."

"That's very wise, Reigen-san."

"No big deal." Reigen tried to play it cool, "Let's stop by a convenience store before we get back to the office. I'll buy you a snack. No more than 200 yen."

They passed by one. Reigen told Serizawa to go in first, as he needed to withdraw some money across the street because ATMs in convenience stores charged a service fee.

A cool breeze came from the refrigerated shelves. Serizawa relaxed. Every time he talked to Reigen-san, even if it was just for a few words, he felt relieved and his thoughts became much clearer. He felt a little guilty for his doubts and thoughts of quitting his job, as if the wavering had not only affected him, but also offended Reigen.

He browsed the shelves, each product beautifully packaged, all designed to attract customers. To others, they looked ordinary, but Serizawa liked them. It was amazing how many colors there were in the world.

Bzzz… Bzzz…

The cell phone in his pocket vibrated, and he took it out. It's Mom.

"Hi, Mom?"

"Katsuya, I heard you turned down the job offered by President Ito?"

Serizawa was so shocked that he almost dropped the phone. He felt as if his stomach had suddenly been hollowed out. He quickly asked, "How did you know about this?"

"Ito-san just called the house. His voice sounds so young, but he acts very mature. I wish you'd learn more from him."

"How did he get our house number?… No, forget it. What did he say?"

"You should be grateful. He said a lot of nice things about you, and he wanted to invite you to his company. But you didn't accept it! What were you thinking? It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet such an outstanding person who appreciates you so much."

"But, Mom, I'm really happy with my current job…"

"Katsuya, you are still such a stubborn child, just like always." A heavy sigh came from the other end of the line, "Mommy had never understood what you're doing… You say exorcism? How am I going to tell people about this? I can't even hold my head up outside. You should grow up. Stop thinking only of your own feelings. You have to look at the bigger picture."

"No, it's not just about the feeling! I'm not losing control of my abilities now. I can use my power to help others, and I'm doing something meaningful. My boss and co-workers were very kind, and they care about me."

"… You mean, that scary ability?"

Serizawa felt dizzy.

"Since you can control it, it's better to hide that dangerous thing."

"Mom, stop."

Clatter. Clatter.

"What do you mean, 'stop'? I'm saying it for your own good. Do you know how hard it is for Mommy? After your father left, and you became like that, I've had to handle everything at home alone. I've even thought of taking you with me."

"…"

"Then we met Suzuki-san. What a wonderful man, who took you out of your room, and taught you how to return to society. But just a few years later, you said, ‘I've made a mistake, I'm quitting,’ and started doing those strange things instead. It's all because your father was away, and I was too busy making money to teach you well. How else could I have raised such an ungrateful child?"

"It's not like that! You got it all wrong… Please leave me alone."

Clatter. Clatter.

"Why are you so mean to me?" The woman's voice sobbed slightly, "How could I possibly leave you alone? You're my son. Of course I want you to be happy. But you're always like this. Other people's children are taking responsibility for their parents. I don't want you to be like a normal person, but at least don't let me worry about you all the time, okay?

Serizawa was about to retort, but he swallowed his words when he heard his mother sobbing.

"Just go work for President Ito, alright? Mommy won't hurt you." Bzzz. "Let's quit your job today. It's work time. Your boss should be around. Give him your cell phone, and let Mommy talk for you-" Bzzz. “Katsuya, are you interfering with the signal? Mommy I…home…can you hear me…ahh…emd…“

Snapped. Serizawa closed the phone, his heart pounding wildly as he felt the blood rushing to his head.

-Bang!

The muffled sound of something falling made him look up, only to realize that all the items in the store were shrouded in a faint purple light, trembling uneasily and violently on the shelves, almost being shaken off the ground. It was the overflowing emotions that unconsciously activated his psychic power.

Serizawa hastily reached out his hand, trying to retrieve the energy. However, his hand was shaking. The energy is turbulent.

Don't shake. Control it, before you get everyone into trouble. He gripped the wrist with his right hand. Clatter, clatter, clatter. Things shook even more violently. Packages of potato chips fell to the ground, then floated back up. Other items also floated up slowly, and the rebar groaned as it was dented by a powerful force. Please, stop. Widening his eyes, almost panicked, he tried even harder to contain the whirlwind of energy, but it felt as if the power had a mind of its own, slipping through his fingers like a flood, hissing to be released. He knew what would happen next. A familiar sight that had long been absent. It was going to be bad. People would get hurt. They would scream, cry out in fear. So,he can't let that happen. He MUST control it.

He couldn't. Serizawa was almost exhausted, but  it seemed as if he had forgotten how to use his powers, like he was falling into a deep, black hole. On the contrary, the purple energy kept pouring out, on the verge of exploding. He was desperate, screaming helplessly inside. Please, stop.

Please, somebody stop me.

Whoosh-bang. With the sound of the umbrella opening, he felt a shadow rise above him, blocking out the blinding pale daylight and most of his vision. The world suddenly became a small place. The umbrella wrapped around him. It felt small, dark, bare, but simple.

Suddenly he could see nothing but the smooth, grayish-white fabric of the umbrella, and the expressionless face of Reigen.

Things fell back to the floor. Shelves creaked with relief, and lights wobbled. In the distance, there were some rapid footsteps and frightened gasps from the clerk. But under the protection of the umbrella, those sounds felt very far away.

"Are you all right, Serizawa?"

Reigen held an umbrella for both of them which he had taken from a bucket a few seconds before. His voice showed no emotion.

"Reigen-san, I…"

"I know. No need to explain now. Did you get hurt?"

"No."

"Good. Everyone is fine. It's just a few things falling off. Don't worry."

"Okay. I'm really, really sorry…"

"As I said, no need to explain now." Reigen gestured for them to head outside. As they passed the counter, Reigen put some bills and coins on the table, covering the cost of the umbrella.

They stepped out of the convenience store. The sun was shining, but it was cool under the umbrella. Cars were rumbling, and the crowds were milling. Muffled conversations blended into an indistinguishable white noise. Nothing was affected by the commotion in the store. Serizawa had always concentrated with a furrowed brow, giving his all. He must be facing some very difficult problems that even his psychic powers couldn't handle… No, at times like this, his strong power might be a burden instead.

Reigen had never seen him look so miserable. Even when he encountered the most powerful evil spirits, even when he was confronted with the uncontrollable and simply unbeatable Mob, Serizawa had always concentrated with furrowed brows, and gave his all. He must be encountering some very difficult trouble that even couldn't be handled with psychic powers… No, at times like these, his strong power might be a burden instead.

People couldn't hear when they were overwhelmed by emotions. Reigen patted Serizawa on the shoulder, told him to leave work early and get some rest. Serizawa replied in a low voice, took the umbrella from Reigen and walked away in a daze.

"We should have a chat tomorrow." Reigen muttered to himself.

Serizawa returned to his humble apartment. He inserted the gray umbrella into the bucket, right next to the old transparent umbrella he had been using for years.

He didn't turn on the light, and the curtains had been drawn for years. Though it was not yet night, the room was dim. Instead, he turned on the game console and picked up the well-worn controller. The screen lit up, with rough pixelated graphics flashing intermittently.

Game after game. Virtual characters never grew tired, but the person playing in reality did. Barely sleeping last night, Serizawa hunched over in front of the TV, feeling his body getting heavier and heavier, his eyes sore, his concentration breaking sporadically, and the mistakes becoming more and more frequent. The clock seemed to be moving very slowly, but when he looked back, it suddenly jumped a long way forward. He unwrapped a carton of drinks he had bought earlier, absentmindedly realized that he had forgotten to buy the snack. He also forgot to buy dinner. Even forgot to go to night school.

Serizawa rubbed his eyes, trying to refocus. It was not that he cared so much about the score of the game, but it filled his mind with those sound and light effects.

The night was getting late. The already unlit room did not seem to get any darker. The clock showed two-thirty. He really should go to bed - especially if he wanted to be able to go to work tomorrow. But a resistance overcame his reasoning. He started the next game again. And then the next. And then the next. It seemed that if he stopped to sleep, tomorrow would come right away.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow he would have to get out of his room, head to the office, and explain to Reigen-san about his loss of control and the early departure. He would have to call his mother and apologize for hanging up so rudely in the heat of the moment. He would also run into Ito-san at the night school, who would surely ask him about his considered decision.

Took a deep breath. He could do it. He had been helped by so many people, and he had come so far. He couldn't go back anymore.

He should leave his umbrella in his room, and walk out the door with just his briefcase. He could no longer rely on others, but had to face the world on his own, maturely and independently. A world that is so wide, so sprawling, without any boundaries.

He could do it.

He HAD to do it.

… Just one more game.

[dragonmarquise]

Since devil theory is into anime, what types of genres do they usually watch????

Oh boy, this is gonna be a fun one to talk about :D

Well, for the most part. Also a bit long!

But first, something that’s probably not needed, but just in case: A disclaimer that some of the series mentioned here might not have aged well in terms of like… depictions of minorities or handling certain serious topics in questionable ways. I know a lot of the stuff I loved as a kid had problems like that.

*gestures towards Cardcaptor Sakura which has at least 3 different child/student x adult/teacher relationships, including the protagonist’s own parents for fuck’s sake!!*

Long story short, some of the mentioned series here are ones I have watched myself at some point in my life! I still love some of these for the good parts, but I’m not gonna make excuses for the bad parts (if what I just said about Cardcaptor Sakura doesn’t already make that clear). Again, this kind of thing is probably obvious for most people? But it’s also probably a good idea to state the obvious anyways.

So yeah, now that the disclaimer is established, onto anime talk!! Also a bit of manga talk here and there, since there’s overlap with different series. :u

Reiterating from my big Devil Theory post, all four of them had a little anime-manga club going during their school days (Nunchaku was an honorary member since she still lived in the US during this time). Adding more to this headcanon/idea, they kinda-sorta still have the club going, but it’s really just the four of them hanging out and watching/reading/talking about anime-manga stuff together like friends anyways. Also debates on stuff like power levels, which characters would win in a crossover battle (a la Death Battle), arguments over why a certain manga series does or did not deserve to have an anime adaptation, etc. :P

Also each of them have been bullied for this particular interest to some extent and at some point in their lives. Even with anime and manga being more “acceptable” these days, their first instinct is to still keep quiet about it, and hide any merch they have from anyone who notices. It takes each of them a while to actually open up about the topic to their own partners, let alone any friends outside of their own little circle. They get there eventually!

Moving on to the specific topic of favorite genres, in general they’ll at least check out the popular stuff together. Astro Boy, Cowboy Bebop, Trigun, YuYu Hakusho, One Piece, Bleach, Naruto, Hunter x Hunter, Full Metal Alchemist, Mob Psycho 100, My Hero Academia, Delicious in Dungeon, Odd Taxi, also various anime movies like the Studio Ghibli films, so on and so forth. You probably get the point! Dragon Ball and its sequels is probably the big one they all remember starting off with. Each of them also have preferences for other stuff they’ll watch/read on their own!

Just as a reminder of who’s who, I’ll put in parentheses which OC corresponds to which DT palette, and a little blurb about them.

For specific favorites for Sai (spring palette, guy with anger problems who gets it sorted out eventually), his favorites are pretty straightforward: as long as it has awesome fights, he’ll watch it! He’ll suffer through a show with a crappy plot if it at least has excellent animation for the fight scenes. Like basically “we saved the budget for the fight scenes and cheaped out on everything else” levels of blegh. Same with manga, it better at minimum have cool art and fight scenes or it ain’t worth it in his opinion. Also he was absolutely inspired to get into art because of those fight scenes, and thus he now works as a freelance artist!

For Nunchaku (summer palette, butch lesbian with high gremlin energy), she really likes sports manga. Admittedly I don’t know a whole lot about this genre of anime/manga myself, but from snippets I’ve seen, I know it can get wild sometimes! Because of the period of her life where her parents forced her to do as many sports as possible, she knows a decent amount about a lot of different sports. She likes to see how the series she reads/watches compare to the real thing, and enjoys when things get really ridiculous.

Also a big fan of the early seasons of Pokemon, Digimon, and Yugioh. Those were her big intros to anime besides Dragon Ball. The later seasons of those three, eh, not so much. She doesn’t hate them but doesn’t love them either, y’know?

In addition to that, she also keeps an eye out for good wlw/yuri series. Nunchaku mostly checks out series made by (or at least written by) actual lesbians, bi women etc. But even then she has a very small pool of stuff she particularly loves, and is also frustrated with how little butch x butch stuff there is.

For Bō (winter palette, blond hair and weightlifting tech guy), he will check out anything involving mecha or cool technology, though he doesn’t always like them (Neon Genesis Evangelion is probably a big one that he regrets watching at all). At the least, if he likes the designs of the mecha/robots featured in the series, he’ll still buy figures or kits of them.

With series he’ll check out on his own that he actually likes, it’s mostly gay manga (i.e. stuff that tends to get labeled as "bara" in Western anime fandoms, even though the term itself is not generally seen as a positive in Japan. At least from what I’ve researched, it probably varies). Of course he enjoys them because Gay, but also because they tend to feature characters with similar body types as him who aren’t meant to be jokes in some way. Which, probably says a lot, doesn’t it? :(

So then besides those two genres and the big popular series he’ll check out with his friends, he’s more into gaming. Like, they all play video games and have their favorites, but Bō is the only one who would call himself a gamer. He has suffered through a lot of horrible video game adaptations of various series, lol…

And finally Daishō (autumn palette, leader of Devil Theory and sometimes basically roleplays as an anime villain while in costume lol), with his love of horror movies, he is also of course a big fan of horror anime and manga! Though whether he genuinely loves what he reads or not kinda depends, due to… sorta complicated feelings.

Okay so, the idea is, for a long while (including even into adulthood), he would check out particularly gruesome and gorey series, even if it got to a point of making him feel genuinely ill. Like, I’m talking about stuff with no deep story or themes to them, no cathartic or at least bittersweet endings. They were mostly if not completely just for the shock value of truly horrific things happening to the characters, who never survived in these series.

And a lot of the time, he read them just to laugh at the characters for being stupid, thinking they deserve the suffering. This also applies to non-anime/non-manga series too. He’d check out the stuff even big slasher fans would want to avoid, if that gives a better idea of what he was seeking.

After sorting out some personal issues (a lot of issues actually, including his big guilt about almost getting his friends and himself killed due to the deal with Faux), he comes to realize he only bothered with that particular subset of horror as a form of self-harm. Again, the big guilt about the Faux deal going wrong, though also guilt about feeling like he’s not doing enough for his friends, that his problems aren’t as bad as other people’s, and so on. Made himself suffer through horror content he can’t stand himself as a sort of subconscious punishment.

Once he works through those feelings, he stops reading/watching stuff like that. He even throws out and burns a lot of the books/DVDs/etc that he collected from that horror subset. After that, he still enjoys horror stuff of course! But he actually respects his own limits and doesn’t force himself to watch/read stuff he knows will just make him feel terrible or ill. He’s a big fan of Junji Ito stuff, plus other stuff in the same vein.

And, I think that about covers it! I was expecting to namedrop a few more series than this, but eh. :P

[tgirltango]

For the MCYT summer of yuri event.

Tags: Bagi/Tina (QSMP), AU - normal life, mechanic Tinakitten, teacher OiBagi, mentioned/brief appearance of side character Cellbit, Bagi and Cellbit are siblings, mechanic cellbit, first date, meetcutes

Bagi gets ready to have lunch with Tina...

She’s not sure if it’s a date officially, but she really likes this woman.

She first met the mechanic at the auto shop her brother worked at by chance only. It just so happened she kept meeting her over the course of a few weeks of repeated random car trouble. Could Bagi have asked her brother to fix it at home, instead of going out of her way to the shop so much?

... well, yes, but somehow it always seemed more convenient to bring it directly to Tina, it just so happening to be while the auto shop was busy enough that Cellbit would be in the back. When he found out where Tina's stellar reviews had come from recently, Bagi's brother chewed her out about being so irresponsible over a crush.

“You think I raised you to hurt your poor car? It’s your responsibility to look after it, just tell me when something is broken and I've always always fixed it - for free! Everyone is fine, your wallet is fine, your car is healthy. And now what do I do? I go to work and everyone says, oh, there goes Cellbit, with the car-murdering sister, hope he doesn’t treat my cars so roughly. Bagi, you’re setting a bad example!” Bagi “yeah, yeah”ed and agreed that she should probably stop racking up so much in mechanic bills. She needs to face her subconscious motivations and ask Tina if she might like to meet outside of work.

Well, the day came, and Bagi was glad of it. She would have been happy anyway because it was the weekend, after a long week of corralling children who should really be old enough to know better but are instead only old enough to know they can cause chaos. But she spent the morning hours of light wondering what she was going to say to Tina. She didn’t often go on dates, and she really liked Tina. The mechanic was always so fun to talk to, and seemed totally engaged with her even when sticking her head shoulders-deep into the guts of her poor mistreated car. She was drawn to Tina’s personality, and felt all kinds of romantic stuff for her that she hoped could one day bloom into a relationship.

First, though, she needs to make a good impression.

Bagi wears her favorite baseball hat, because she’s going out, not going to school, so she doesn’t have to follow dress code and lead her kids by example (not that it works - the students are always wearing hats and goofing off. It's one of their endearing quirks that no matter how many hats are confiscated in class, they will always show up with another.). She picks out a “casual weekend get-together” outfit that looks nice and waits for Tina to pick her up at the scheduled time.

Tina, being holed up at the auto shop all day and tired of her greasy canvas uniform, had dressed up with style that belied the way she usually appeared to Bagi - when she has car trouble and needs it fixed in the middle of the day, Bagi comes to Tina’s work where she’s synonymous with sturdy and khaki work gloves, taupe coveralls and boots that wouldnt be harmed stepping on a lost screw. By contrast now, when she hears a beep outside her house she sees that Tina is sporting a cute, elegant dress and a makeup look that she learns during the car ride is called “mob wife makeup”, which Tina saw online as it had risen as a current trend to try. Somehow, she doesn’t feel underdressed in comparison to the high glamour influences, though she regrets her shorts a little when the summer heat leaves her peeling her legs slowly off the passenger seat upon arrival. Tina helps her out of the car and they turn to the restaurant’s menu to decide if what they discussed being hungry for in the car was really what they wanted to order.

As they take their seats, Bagi adjusts her collared shirt and finds herself looking at Tina instead of the names of the food items.

She was honestly stunning, slaying the house down, and Bagi hardly tasted the first few bites of her pasta when their food arrived until…

“Here,” says Tina, “try mine.” She put a few different pieces on her fork and held it out to Bagi.

Bagi felt like she was in a painting as she leaned forward and accepted the bite of food from Tina’s fork. Either that or on a prank channel. Something was playing in slow motion, and all she could do was hope she didn't look stupid.

The food was delicious. Bagi chewed and watched Tina take some from her plate to try.

“It’s good shrimp, right?” Tina says before taking a bite of pasta. “Hey, that’s pretty good too!”

Bagi smiles. “Yeah, tastes great.” She privately debates whether she’s brave enough to say “You look great, too," without it sounding stupid and cliche.

The decision is left unmade as Tina responds in the pause. Bagi likes hearing Tina talk. Her voice is nice, even when it’s not explaining her car to her for the third time in a week. She might be a little nervous about this possibly-date still, but at least they’re in it together. Their sides arrive, and they clear a bit of space on the table.

“I want you.”

“Huh?” she says stupidly.

Tina clears her throat and looks up at the menu on the wall again. “I said do you want anything for dessert?”

Bagi might be losing her hearing, then. “I usually go for a chocolate cheesecake for a dessert, but that’s usually for a dinner, so it’s a little early in the day.” She looks to the menu too. “Maybe a fruit soda float?”

“Yeah? Awesome. I wasn’t trying to have a date hinging on dinner right now either,” Tina says, and Bagi’s heart skips. So it is a date! Has been, even. “- because I heard from my cousin that he got food poisoning at the last dinner he ate out for. Man, that sucks cuz he’s a yapper too so he was real in-depth about it. This lunch is great though. I guess there wasn’t really a risk of it relating, cuz he was at a Chili’s in a different state, which really doesn’t say anything about the possible, like, quality of the food here. I dunno, it was on my mind though. Whatever.” Tina’s face is so pretty, but the makeup doesn’t hide her ears going pink.

“I think food should never poison you.” Bagi facepalmed mentally, and kept going to make it make sense. “I mean, it’s - food. We’ve had it for all of history, or we wouldn’t be alive, no? We should have figured out a way to make it not poison you. Food poisoning should never exist. Just take out the poison!”

Tina cackles, agreeing. “You’re so smart, Bagi. They need to make you President!”

The date goes well. Lunch at the restaurant turned out to be less expensive than two mechanic jobs, but not by that much, so they resolve to try a different restaurant next time to try to save their wallets from this becoming just as regular an expense. Tina drives with a steady hand, humming along to the song on the radio, and Bagi notices that the tiny stuffed animal hanging from the windshield is not just decoration, but also scented. It smells like sweet tea and candy fruits. Tina tells her she started buying scented plushies for the car after the time she rescued a stray kitten on the street and it immediately peed inside, laughing. Bagi might be in love.

Tina stops in front of her door and walks her up to the house, chivalrous. Bagi unlocks the door with the key around her neck and then pauses in the doorway, unsure but not wanting to see Tina leave yet.

“Do you wanna come in?” Bagi asks, scuffing her sneakers on the welcome mat. The afternoon sun brings out the teal highlight contrasts in Tina’s shining dress. She looks good standing in front of Bagi's house. She thinks she'd like to see her in this place every day, wherever her home is.

Tina takes the invitation and Bagi brings her in to sit on the couch and keep talking. She tells her about the board games in the living room closet and Tina tells her which ones she knows how to play and which ones she never got the hang of, or just haven't tried yet. “Maybe we could have a game night one of these days.”

That makes Bagi smile. “I always hear about themed times, like some kid’s family will have a dedicated Thursday night is Spaghetti Night or something. It seems cute, and I don't do enough activities. We should do that someday.”

She doesn’t feel brave enough for a first-date cuddle or kiss, but when the hour gets late she microwaves a bowl of Cellbit’s boyfriend’s soup that he brought over in a big container the other day, and they clink spoons and make airplane noises and look at the neighbor’s dog playing in their yard with fallen leaves and golden hour daylight.

“I hope that just because we have another date to plan doesn't stop you from coming to my shop after school in the meantime,” Tina tells Bagi at the door. “You’re allowed to come and talk to me, keep me company. You don't need to break your car every time, or it’ll be too long in between. I’ll miss youuuu.”

“No, don’t come,” Cellbit says, having come home from work while they were having dinner. "Let my mechanics focus on their work!”

“-youuuuur food, I’ll miss her coffee and bringing snacks, Cellbit, jeez.” Tina spins the words. “Aren't we allowed food breaks?”

“No, starve!” Cellbit says, laughing from the kitchen. “Fine, keep distracting Tina.”

Bagi laughs and laughs. In a flurry of bravery, she holds Tina's arm and kisses her face under the early moonlight. All blush now, she stands back and waves as Tina winks at her before driving off. She stands by the door for a few minutes, daydreaming about their next date, before Cell yells at her to come inside and stop staring at the road like a crazy person.

And maybe she is crazy. A little bit crazy in love.

[zahri-melitor]

I missed writing up my Helenapoll thoughts so here we go:-

Joey Cavalieri – I think Cavalieri does some interesting complex things with Helena’s background and in grounding the fundamental trauma that made her Huntress, from the ‘danger of being raised female’ to ‘danger of being a Bertinelli heir’ to ‘danger of mob connections’ to ‘danger of being a vigilante’. It has a level of realism that you don’t generally get in the regular DC comics universe in regards to some of these topics.

Chuck Dixon – Dixon’s the one who cemented Helena into Gotham and put the work in to establish her rocky relationships with everyone else. He gave us Robin III: Cry of the Huntress which set up Tim and Helena’s relationship, which I adore. He gave Helena a clear role in Gotham as the outsider, which is not always fair on her, but provided plenty of conflict for plot momentum and let her yell at Bruce more often. I think Gotham would be lesser without Helena having that position in the group.

Grant Morrison – so DC One Million is unexpectedly good Helena content, to my surprise. It’s one of the few places outside that uses her experience as a teacher really naturally in terms of how it frames her views and actions as a vigilante (apart from all of those regular Helena solo stories where she goes off hunting down the abusers of her students, of course. Which is apparently the ONLY plot anyone can come up with any time Helena gets pitched for a short story/single issue)

Devin Grayson – ooh let me get spicy for a moment. I think Nightwing/Huntress is bad Dick Grayson. I’m less convinced it’s truly bad Helena. Now the fallout from this by creating the ‘you stole my man’ narrative that ends up being the overarching topic of the Helena and Barbara dispute (even though they have multiple other fascinating points of contention) is irritating, but it’s interesting in terms of Helena testing if this helps in any way with how she relates to the rest of the Bats. (It fails) In terms of her other stories, I don’t actually mind Fear of Faith or Spiritual Currency, but they’re very one trick only (She’s! Catholic!) with Helena. They are helpful in building the reasoning for why Helena joins with Pettit.

Greg Rucka – it’s the man himself! Cry For Blood is easily my favourite Helena story, and his hand is obvious in all the best parts of Helena in No Man’s Land. If you don’t like Rucka’s Helena, you don’t like Helena.

Gail Simone – I maintain that Simone took a very complex situation, with Barbara and Helena’s layered antagonism over Dick, the Bat(girl) costume and the two betrayals surrounding it, their differing moral stances on when killing is acceptable and why, their mutual lack of trust from previous failures and personality clashes, and found a way to work through it so they weren’t at eternal loggerheads. They were both justified in their dislike for each other, but finding a way for them to become friends (with screw ups along the way on either side) and move them away from that eternal ‘two women cannot be friends if they’ve ever been attracted to the same guy’ canard was just a really important moment for their mutual stories. Plus it was the first time anyone had really given Helena time to be in a title with more than one other woman (Zinda and Helena and Dinah getting drunk and kicking heads together is something that can be so special).

Tony Bedard – oh the other Birds of Prey writer we tend to ignore. The interesting thing with Bedard’s run is that he gives Helena the space to work as the BoP field leader, given Dinah’s absence, which is a role nobody would have considered for her until Dinah resigned. It’s a growth period for her.

Ivory Madison – I like Huntress: Year One. I really enjoyed it as a story. I think Madison had a lot of fun drawing out the parallels and future echoes in it, and I really just enjoy the background competence given to Helena even at this early stage as she learns to be a vigilante.

[lyrical-fanfics]

Let's trade (Azul AshengrottoxReader)

What do you all think of the pink? I noticed Venus uses purple, so might as well use a color too right? (Love you venu!!)

This is part of a series of one-shots that will later tie into a longer series on my AO3. They're meant to be read like the vignettes in Twisted Wonderland, so if you want a sequel please let me know. Also, let me know if you think you know what the dorm the reader is based on!

The reader is not Yuu. The reader is a student at the OC sister school Fantasia College for girls

3rd person POV

Genre: Fluff

Fem!Reader

    Making deals was his bread and butter. Making relationships with people of high social capital was important in supplying his end of deals. Those with higher levels of power also had more to offer. Any sort of connection was necessary and welcome. When he heard of The Great Antler Shedding of the Housewarden of Crowndain, he became obsessed with coming up with a way to get those sheds. Supposedly those of the Arawn line grew great antlers, used for a number of medicines, remedies, and sold like rare ivory on the market. It only made sense to get in good with the Housewarden of Crowndain now that the campuses were merged. 

    The only problem was that the Housewarden of Crowndain didn’t leave her dorm very often. She sent her favorite two dorm members to run her errands and do her bidding. A pair of siblings. The younger of the two despised anyone that approached her, so she wasn’t an option as an in. the elder, however, was rather welcoming and willing to talk. 

    Azul had been cultivating this relationship for a few weeks now. He did his best to measure out time to come visit (Name) of the Crowndain dorm. He looked for any opening in her defense, find something to blackmail her with, or even find something he could provide her that would leave her in his debt, but ever since he started looking, he found nothing. 

    Morning had inched across campus, and breakfast was the first thing on many students’ minds. Depending on the selections, students would visit one campus or the other to acquire whatever tickled their fancy in the morning. Azul found himself not wanting anything from Fantasia’s cafeteria but wanting to incite a meeting between him and (Name). 

    “Azul, hello. How are you today?” (Name) easily walked up to him as if he wasn’t an underwater mob boss. There she was, as fearful as ever. Her smile was mischievous, and every day it made him more anxious. 

    “I’m rather well. It’s good to see you in high spirits this morning.” Azul smiled at her, gesturing her to a seat in the dining hall. “What are you in the mood for this morning? I’ll go and fetch it for my darling friend--” 

    “That’s alright, Azul, we can chat while we’re in line together.” Smoothly averted. Not even letting him get a favor in edgewise. Either she was hyper-independent, or she knew Azul’s angle. 

    “Right, we can do that too…” Azul pouted slightly before accepting (Name)’s company in line for breakfast. She happily chatted about anything with him, from his time in the Board game club to her own time in the science club. It wasn’t that her company wasn’t enjoyable, it was just frustrating that he couldn’t get the upper hand. 

    “Oh look, it’s my favorite today,” (Name) quickly snatched up her favorite breakfast item. Azul didn’t even get a chance to comment anything on the food before (Name) retrieved it for herself. He let out a sigh before moving on with his food. 

Each day was often like the last. He would do anything for her, but each gift or action was rebuffed. It wasn’t malicious, but just independent. Everything was even except for his time. She provided him with hers, however, and she did well to keep it even. 

    Was she on to him? 

    “You aren’t eating much, Azul, you should take care to fuel yourself for today.” (Name) smiled as she watched Azul think. He jumped slightly before shifting his gaze to her. There it was, that mischievous gaze. It made him think that she must be aware of his goals, but the only people that truly know are himself, Jade, and maybe Floyd if he listened. What was she thinking about? 

    “I’m quite alright, I’m just going over today’s schedule in my head.” Azul lied like the air he breathed. “Many people come to me for issues they have, I am of course kind enough to listen to every word, but it takes up so much of my time.” He pivoted easily as he poked around at the food on his plate. 

    “Oh? Sounds like your kindness has filled your schedule then,” (Name) tilted her head before taking a bite of her breakfast. She did well to listen to Azul without revealing too much of her hand. 

    Some have tried to expose Azul to (Name) many times, telling her of his abuse of power, his opportunistic tendencies, and his past history with blackmail. They tell personal anecdotes where he inconvenienced another’s life because they made a bad deal. She wasn’t stupid. If anything she was all too aware of his idiosyncrasies. 

She fell in love with them, after all. 

    She wasn’t a fool when he first came to her. The land of Prytaran had many magical items, strange legends, and mystical resources that were sought after by many. To protect itself, it developed a system of lords and ladies to rule over it. Being an attendant of the great Lady of Arawn, (Name) had a duty to scope out potential problems. Much like the legendary white sow, her job was to look into the future. 

    Her only problem was that she got attached to the persistent Azul. As she found out more and more about him, she became somewhat infatuated. So long as she kept the balance of favors equal, she had an easy way to keep him coming back for more. 

    After breakfast, Azul and (Name) part and head toward their individual classes. Azul tried to hide a sour look from her as he left, but (Name) caught it. It pained her to be the reason behind his mood, but she knew he would come back to her. 

    She entered her classroom with a wide smile, catching the attention of her fellow classmates. 

    “Ugh. disgusting. What is that on your face?” Mayra Luz, Housewarden of Sapainca and Science club lead, was often stuck next to (Name).

    “That’s obvs a smile, May. You just hate joy, huh?” Lulu replied, a member of Jungbahee. She wasn’t in any position of power, but she loved to stick her nose into anything juicy. 

    “I hate her joy. She’s thinking of something awful, knowing her.” Mayra propped her head up with her hand before Lulu slid in next to her. The grumpy Mayra was stuck between both (Name) and Lulu. 

    “That’s sad that you hate my joy considering how much time we spend around one another,” (Name) giggled slightly, but Mayra scoffed. 

    “You just happened to be in the same class and extracurricular as me. Don’t get it twisted.” Mayra frowned as Lulu leaned on her, but made no attempt to push her off. “So what’s got you smiling like that?” 

    “Azul.” (Name) said it without a care in the world. She didn’t care if they knew he made her happy, but the two girls soon looked at (Name) with maw agape. (Name) couldn’t help but laugh as she saw how Azul’s mask successfully fooled the both of them into thinking he was dangerous. 

    “Of all the--” Mayra pinched the bridge of her nose before taking in a deep breath. “You were talking to that guy again!? He probably wants something from you, you know!” Mayra finally had enough of Lulu hanging off of her and quickly shrugged the clingy girl off. Lulu slid off her like a heavy backpack and hit the desk with a heavy ‘thunk.’ 

    “I know. You really don’t think much of me if you think I can’t see that.” (Name) placed a hand to her chin. Lulu only snorted. 

    “Then why spend the time with him if you know that? Do you know what he wants?” The girl was getting more interested in the conversation. 

    “I haven’t the slightest idea yet. There’s plenty that he could want.” (Name) admitted, and Mayra scoffed twice. This caught (Name)’s attention, as Mayra was one to scoff twice when she thought the answer was obvious. “Care to give some input?” 

    The professor walked in and began preparing for class, so Mayra knew she didn’t have much time. If she told her now, (Name) wouldn’t bother her after class. (Name)’s gaze was intense, and both Lulu and Mayra scooted away slightly. 

    “Alright, sheesh. I overheard something a few weeks ago. Something about how the sheds from the Arawn family are useful.” 

    (Name) blinked a few times in shock. The sheds of her lady? That was it? A measly trifle in comparison to everything that was available to Crowndain. (Name) couldn’t help but laugh at how simple it was, causing confused and irritated looks to sprout from Lulu and Mayra respectfully. 

    After class, (Name) sought Azul out after stopping at her dorm. She found him in Monstro lounge, stashed away in his office. She was immediately ushered in by Jade, whose pleased face beamed a beacon of hope at Azul. Whatever (Name) was there for, it was worth impeding upon Azul’s work. 

    The door closed behind (Name) with a secure click, ensuring peace of mind and privacy in their discussion. 

    “Oh, (Name), what praytell are you doing here at this time? Is there something you need?” Azul looked with hopeful eyes at (Name) before being surprised by a bag being dropped on his desk. (Name) looked on with a devious smile. 

    “I heard from someone that you have been looking for a rare ingredient, so I’m doing you a favor.” (Name) crossed her arms before placing a hand on her cheek in devious innocence. Azul looked on in stunned silence. He was terrified, yet excited. What was she up to? This was way out of line for (Name), as she wouldn’t do anything for him unless he had done something for her. Most of it was instantaneous too. 

    “A favor?” Azul leaned forward with intrigue. He didn’t do favors, so he needed to find something to satisfy (Name) now and take control of the situation. 

    (Name) only nodded as she opened the bag that was on Azul’s desk, pulling out the prize he had been vying for months. 

    “Are- Are those sheds from Housewarden Arawn?!” His glasses slid off his nose as he looked on with shock. (Name) nodded as she leaned forward, happy that Mayra’s information was correct. 

    “Those are indeed. Although, if you are uncomfortable with a favor, I am willing to make a deal with you, Azul.” 

    Azul felt his heart race. He was encapsulated by the confidence (Name) had at that moment, how effortless she was. He had to admit, she was attractive. 

    “A deal? Such as a contract?” Azul fixed his glasses to help hide his excitement. His hand covered his mouth, but his eyes said everything to (Name). 

    “If you’d like, but I don’t think something as small as this needs one.” Small?! Did she just call it small?! These sheds were highly valuable, if not priceless. 

    “Really it’s a small thing. Unless you want some more in the future, then maybe we can negotiate something, but you have everything I want in exchange right now.” (Name) traced the grain of Azul’s desk with her finger, subtly following it to the edge. Azul was interested in a simple trade, as writing out a full contract takes time. (Name) came in rather unexpectedly, meaning he had no time to prepare. If needed, he can make a contract for further deals later. This deal needed to happen now, as he didn’t know the conditions that caused this. He needed to seize the moment. 

    “Very well, I accept the trade, what is it that you want--” 

    (Name) swiftly grabs Azul’s lapels, pulling him up with mischievous eyes before pressing her lips to his. He froze instantly, his mind blank from shock. Just as he was finally realizing what was happening, (Name) pulled away and backed up. 

    “That was a little too selfish of me,” (Name) smiled as she loosened her grip on Azul’s lapels. “I hope you can forgive me.” 

    Azul was in shock and couldn’t say a word, letting (Name) giggle a bit before slipping out of Azul’s office. She begins to worry a bit about how Azul had acted, but she believed the deal was done. Even if he never wanted to see her again, she could be satisfied. 

    Azul sat in his office, staring up at the ceiling with wonder and disbelief. His face was red, and his heart was pounding. That was the exchange. She made it seem like she got what she wanted. 

    It seemed so unfair though. He clearly benefited far more than she did, at least he thought so. He could feel his face burning so brightly that he thought of the idea of getting fresh air, but that would require passing both Jade and Floyd on the way out. 

    Wait, what did she mean by talking about future negotiations?! What was she going to ask for next!? 

    “Azul, how did the deal go-” Jade stops dead when he sees Azul crumpled in his chair and a red face. Azul looks up with pressed lips and wide eyes, causing Jade to spread a wicked grin. “That well huh?” 

    “Shut up!” 

Thank you for reading! If you're interested in following updates as soon as they're done, consider following my AO3

[eshithepetty]

Ahh so, lately, I've been slowly (emphasis on slowly) working through another animatic.... so while I'm doing that I thought it'd be fun to share some thought processes i had while making Juliet (which you can watch above)!! I'm obviously not gonna analyze all of it, as a lot of the lyric matches and like, color meanings, for example, you can understand just fine on your own, but some stuff maybe might not be as obvious? So yeah, this is just gonna be me inanely rambling, in case anyone is in the market for thinking too deep into symbolism and character analysis hdgdhd

0:07

Starting off with the intro, the big flowers here are hydrangeas :) I intentionally tried to pick a color between blue, pink and purple, as the meanings for all three apply here. Blue hydrangeas symbolize understanding and gratefulness, and remorse and apology, sort of as 'I understand where I went wrong, and I'm sorry for not treating you fairly". I think this would fit well with Shigeo's feelings towards Ritsu,, pink, however, symbolizes heartfelt emotion, romance, and true feelings, which I thought was great for the Tsubomi side of things, especially in regards to the last arc. And purple symbolizes understanding, and gratefulness, without as much of the negative connotations. Sort of like a positive inverse of the blue ones' symbolism - a 'thank you for sticking with me'. Which is relevant for all the platonic relationships in his life, all the friendships, and, well... as I see it, also his relationship with himself - between Mob and ???% :')

Also I think the other flowers were lilacs, but. Tbh, i don't remember anymore.. their symbolism wasn't as relevant in my mind i think hdhfg (though i'm sure you could still extrapolate something from them if you really wanted to (which, in my country, they're often associated with students and graduation, so like, learning and new begginings/endings.... also i carry many memories of trying to find 3 leaved buds in them, for good luck, so take from that what you will ig! ^^;))

***

0:15

Here, I intended to use a dark red outline as to not make it immediately clear that Shigeo was dripping blood. As when you hear the lyrics "I need to cry," one would immediately picture tears, right? I'm not sure if I succeeded (especially with the blood tw right before), but that was the idea. Along with how then, of course, the lyrics continue with "but I can't get anything out of my eyes," and the gruesome scene reveal, making it clear it's not tears at all... yeah. Also, I just want to mention the lyrics "did I die?" because they make me emo. In a way, a part of Shigeo, the old Shigeo, did die that day....

***

0:46

not as much to say here, though I definitely drew this with the feeling of stagnation in my mind... like. Mob is growing physically, yes. But emotionally? He's festering, and only growing more, and more, stuck.... notice how the color dims. Blue is a sad color. But at least it is a color at all.

***

1:14

Oh boy, lots.... of things to say here. Or, well  maybe not say. Idk how to explain the symbolism in this one? It was more subconscious... Something about Mob trying to reach out and understand himself, only to get distracted by Tsubomi, and set his eyes on her instead. And ???%, in the mirror, turning to him judgementally... I think it's reflective of how Tsubomi also was part of the reason for the split, and how, in his yearning for Tsubomi, what he was seeking after the most was acceptance, even if he couldn't see it.... something along those lines <3

(Also, god it bothers me that i messed up the lighting in his reflection's hair hghdgd,, might fix that someday)

***

1:56

"With two corks in his eyes", the two corks in this case being a dumbbell, and a book on social cues (which, btw, he canonically has).... I wanted to portray the things that he finds lacking in himself, and thus makes into roadblocks towards his path of self acceptance. Thinking of that line said by ???% about how, in his effort to join and train with the body improvement club, he was really just 'trying to make a new self', and wasn't really 'seeing' ???%. Trying to escape himself, the part of him with powers... and then s1 ep3, and how in it, Mob implied that he and his autism (dunno how else to put everything about that djghfh, it was just.. autism) are destructive... Yeah.

***

2:00

"and a bully in his head"

Just want to note... obviously, the lyrics imply that ???% is the bully here. But, if you pay attention, ???% here actually looks rather.. anguished. And Mob looks almost angry... just thought I'd make it clear the situation is a little more gray than that! :)

***

2:19

While drawing for this part, I couldn't stop thinking about this one analysis in youtube comments I had seen about how s2 ep1 was crucial in Mob taking that first, real step towards opening up emotionally, and how in the process, he's exposed to a much wider world morally as well. That's why I put the ghost family scene directly after the scene with Emi - he's beggining to consider his emotions, all the 'colors' he hasn't allowed himself to see, and that leads to him realizing his own autonomy, which leads to him considering his decisions more, which leads to the ghost family scene, where he's starting to consider the autonomy of spirits as well, instead of blindly following Reigen on these matters (who, as we know, doesn't know shit about that side of the world, and I would say... kinda allowed Mob to separate himself from his psychic side even more, with him mindlessly using his powers as a tool for work and nothing else). "I wanna be so much more."

I... actually have a lot of feelings, on Mob and his relationship with spirits and how that intertwines with his powers, but that's something to write it's own post about, not ramble about here, so I'll leave it at that i think jfgfh

***

2:33

The relevancy of the lyrics very much stretch on into the instrumental for this one.. "I hope that she looks at me and thinks, "shit, he's so pretty." Something I can't believe," And then him flashing to blood on his hands, and a sequence of moments he's probably felt not so proud of,,, just wanted to note that in case it wasn't obvious. Also, I have feelings about hand symbolism in this show, too, especially when it comes to moments where Shigeo has looked at his open palm, but that's also a post for another day just as in the previous point jdgdhh (in short: all of those moments can be traced back to how he views the power he posseses)

***

3:46

The two corks, in this case, are the spirit world, and the human world ^^ also notice how one of the figures among the spirits wears Mob's uniform... is that lord psycho helmet, or ???%...?? idk!!! You decide :)

Also the "bully in his head", this time, becomes not ???%, but the trauma of the incident... just wanted to bring that back to front and focus before the final chorus. Cause,, that really was the even that kickstarted it all, huh?

***

4:00

Not an analysis, just wanted to say, I greatly enjoy the juxtaposition of "but i'm really just a kid," laid over top Shigeo bleeding on the ground. Mmmhmmm,,,, pain.

***

4:11

I knowww I said I wasn't gonna be talking about the color meanings, but I just had to for this one. Obviously, I portrayed ???% menacing here, as they are menacing in this arc, but... notice how their aura is rather pink? I had finished this before the finale aired, so I didn't know it would be red in canon, but even knowing that, I would have returned to this. Because, with the pink... well, red does fit them better overall I would say, but in this case, I wanted to take the obvious choice, the color that is so commonly associated with danger, and... shift it to left a bit, make it a little softer. To emphasize the affection ???% holds for Tsubomi, the protectiveness they hold over Mob, the gentle side they show to Ritsu. And to bring us into their point of view even more, the red is instead relegated to the edges of the frame... a creeping vignete, that represents how they view the world around them is the dangerous part in all this. ..I hope all of that makes sense ;^^

***

4:07 and 4:22

Anddd the two corks become the seperation between Mob and ???%, and Ritsu and Tsubomi... those really were the focal points in this animatic, the building blocks for who Shigeo is, as I see it.. and how reconciling with both Ritsu and Tsubomi, leads to him being able to reconcile with himself, too. Of course, there is Reigen as well... but I just wanted to focus on these 3 for this one. Also, I just wanna say that the panel of Ritsu, Shigeo and Tsubomi holding hands in the air is one of my fave panels ever and I loved being able to depict it.. it just makes me feel things. The yearning for childhood, and connections, and the feeling of being whole again of it all,,,, augh

***

And. To end this sleep deprived ramble....

Notice how the animatic became more colorful over time? :)

Of course, part of that is just that I improved my style along the way, but... it was also very much intentional. A sort of reflection of Shigeo's journey, and how he rediscovered those colors along the way. Also was very much intentional from me for the final 2 frames to be the only ones where Shigeo's colors are actually accurate instead of just being symbolic - and that was to symbolize that,,, he was finally grounding himself in reality, and seeing himself for the whole, real person he truly is :')

The flower imagery wasn't as planned however, I decided on it as to make it match the intro that I made later and thus for it to come full circle, and I think it ended up adding to it!! Think of it meaning something along the lines of,,, just as in happiness, so in sadness, the flowers bloom. Or something like that.. idk jhgjdhgh

So yeah!!! Dunno who even read this far, but if anyone did, thank you for listening to my brainrot, I hope it was relatively interesting!! aanndd with that im also going to sleep, buh byeee u_u have good days/nights everyones <3

[2baddiesfanfics]

Practice Makes Perfect (Final Chapter)

Pairing: Shenhe x Yelan

Tags: Training, Fights, Oral Sex, Vaginal Fingering, Teacher-Student Relationship, Mentors, Improper Use of Visions (Genshin Impact), Improper Use of Cryo (Genshin Impact), Battle, Masturbation, Friends to Lovers, Liyue Lantern Rite (Genshin Impact)

Summary:

A mock battle leads to real results. Fireworks signal a new future.

Read on Ao3

Final Chapter: Reunited

Months had passed since the two had even given Cloud Retainer a second thought. In the back of their minds, they knew they hadn’t seen the last of her - there would come a time when they’d need to provide concrete proof of Shenhe’s progress.

And what better way than to invite the adeptus to Liyue for the Lantern Rite?

With her shrewd mind, Ningguang had prepared an event in which Yelan and Shenhe would face off against one another. With their consent, she sent an invitation to Cloud Retainer and readied what they would need.

The match would take place in the courtyard of Yiyan Temple. The incense burner that would normally take part in the summoning of Rex Lapis had been removed to provide plenty of space for a makeshift arena. Ningguang enlisted Beidou’s help in placing fliers around the city to hype up the match. The people of Liyue buzzed with excitement. It wasn’t every day they’d get to see these two powerful women show off their skills.

Shenhe stood on the temple steps and watched the crowd begin to gather. She played with her hands as anxiety threatened to take over. Thoughts flooded her mind.

What if I fail? What good was all that training if I end up hurting Yelan? What if master still isn’t convinced? What if I completely lose control? Her breathing was becoming more ragged as she felt her body break out into a cold sweat.

Noticing a change in her behavior, Yelan made her way to her. Grabbing her hands, Shenhe snapped back to attention.

“Hey. You’re okay, little crane. You’ve got this. We’ve got this.” Yelan reassured in a hushed voice as she squeezed. “I trust you.”

Shenhe looked back into Yelan’s eyes. Letting out the breath she was holding, a gentle smile graced her face. “You’re right. I know I have better control over my abilities and strength than ever before…and it’s all thanks to you, Yelan.”

“I did very little, love. It was all-”

She was interrupted by Beidou’s booming voice calling for the mob’s attention as she stood front and center in the arena.

Ningguang approached the women from behind. “Are you two ready? Cloud Retainer has arrived. She’s perched herself on the roof of the temple, so let’s give her a show, hmmm?”

“It’s now or never,” Yelan responded as she clasped Shenhe’s hand once again before dropping it to walk away.

“Let’s get this over with,” Shenhe said with a sharp exhale.

Beidou looked up and, with the signaling nod from Ningguang, called a start to the event.

“People of Liyueeeeeeee! Are you readyyyyyy?” she shouted to the swarm of people who cheered in response.

“Our first fighter is someone most of us have seen but a shadow of. She’s mysterious…she’s scary…she knows how to get answers out of you that you didn’t even know you had. Put your hands together for wielder of the hydro vision, Yelannnnn!” Beidou yelled as Yelan approached her with a glare. The audience erupted in applause.

“Was that intro really necessary?” She whispered harshly.

“Oh, come on! You gotta let me have a little fun here. Relax! It’s not like anything I said was a lie...” Yelan gave her a side-eye as they waited for the group to calm down.

“Now, for her opponent! Give a loud, warm welcome to the lovely…the contemplative…the serpent killer hero of Liyue…cryo vision holder, Shenhe!”

She slowly approached Beidou with a puzzled look. “Hero of Liyue?”

“Well…you did help us take out Beisht,” Beidou responded over the roar.

The two competitors faced each other, bowed, and took their fighting stances.

“Let’s make it a nice, clean match! FIGHT!” Beidou instructed.

Yelan immediately threw a punch at Shenhe, who swiftly dodged it with ease. Shenhe launched a kick in retaliation, but the nimble archer jumped back out of her reach. The polearm user ran quickly behind and elbowed her in the back just hard enough for it to look convincing from an outsider’s perspective.

Shenhe couldn’t help but giggle. They had agreed to not put full force behind their attacks, but rather aim to entertain. Naturally, this would still demonstrate her ability to control her power without risking the crowd’s safety.

Whipping her bow off her back, Yelan rapidly fired three arrows Shenhe’s way. Using her spear, she snapped them in half mid-air. Twirling the polearm at a rapid speed, she swung it around to snag her opponent’s side. Yelan kicked the spear away from her but miscalculated how fast Shenhe would be able to reposition herself.

The tip of her weapon scratched Yelan’s shoulder before she could move out of its path. Shenhe looked at her wide-eyed realizing what had happened. A patch of crimson bloomed against her skin, but judging by the look in Yelan’s eyes, she knew it was alright to proceed.

Yelan shot two arrows down towards Shenhe’s feet. With her rival distracted by the need to dodge the hydro darts headed her way, she took the opportunity to dash towards her and kicked the polearm out of her hands and far from reach. Using cryo, Shenhe carefully froze Yelan’s hands to her bow. As Yelan tried to think fast about her next move, Shenhe came up behind her and ran her fingers above the cut.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, her voice quivering.

“I’m fine…let’s finish this.” She reassured her as she threw her frozen hands around Shenhe’s neck. In what was more of a hug than a headlock, Shenhe squirmed in her arms. Feigning to look as if she was struggling before quickly pecking her cheek, she maneuvered out of her grasp. After freeing herself, she swiped Yelan’s ankles with her foot, knocking her to the ground.

“One! Two! Three!” the onlookers chanted as Yelan lay on the concrete floor. With a final flourish, Shenhe took her polearm and drove it into the stone next to her opponent’s head. Beidou hurried over to the two of them, grabbed Shenhe’s hand, and thrust it into the air.

“The winner is Shenhe, hero of Liyue, disciple of Cloud Retainer, and student of Yelan!”

The audience let out a deafening roar as Shenhe felt any remaining worry melt away. There was no longer any doubt she belonged here.

As the attendees started to file out of Yinyan Temple, Shenhe dropped to her knees to help Yelan up and used her control over cryo to unfreeze her hands.

“That was a good move, stopping me from being able to use my weapon and hands altogether,” Yelan complimented Shenhe.

“Well, I did learn from the best,” Shenhe responded with a blush. “I apologize about your shoulder. I didn’t expect you to move that way.”

“It’s just a scratch. No big deal,” Yelan reassured her. Shenhe worked her teacher’s hands with her fingers, gently massaging her nerves back to life. Yelan had frequently wondered how, despite having a cryo vision, Shenhe’s palms were always so warm.

“One has to say one is impressed,” Cloud Retainer’s regal voice interrupted the moment.

Shenhe quickly stood at attention and bowed deeply. “Thank you, master. I’m honored you would come all this way to observe.”

“Although it pains one to admit it, it seems one was wrong about you, Yelan.”

“You don’t say,” Yelan smarmily replied.

Ignoring her sarcastic tone, Cloud Retainer continued. “It seems an apology is in order.”

“No need. I know how it must have looked to someone outside looking in. It was never my intent,” Yelan answered.

“Master…may I?”

The crane nodded her head.

“I want to thank you. If you hadn’t agreed to the training arrangement in the first place, I wouldn’t have met Yelan. While I will never forget all you have taught me, I now know I have much more to learn in terms of what it means to be human. You provided me with a mother’s love…but Yelan has given me something I’ll never be able to find in the mountains.”

Cloud Retainer stood looking at both of them before speaking, her eyes shining with the wisdom of many years. “One has watched over you from the time you were but a wee child, Shenhe. It is apparent to one you have come a long way. One must say Ningguang was right about you, Yelan. You both have my blessing.” The two women gripped each other’s hands with excitement. “That being said…Yelan, if I sense any wavering in your soul, one will not hesitate to destroy you.” Yelan was tough, but the malice in Cloud Retainer’s voice made even her hair stand on end.

“Now, one must be going. The sky grows darker by the minute and one must not be caught flying when the lanterns are released.” And with that, she took her leave.

“Bravo, you two! Seems you were able to prove Shenhe has everything under control,” Ningguang applauded. “With that resolved, let’s head up to the Jade Chamber together and watch the last of the Lantern Rite.”

The two couples ascended to the palace in the sky and found the best place to watch the festivities. As they surveyed the glowing light of the townsfolk’s dreams floating past them, Ningguang’s assistant brought some to release for themselves. They watched quietly as their lanterns floated out of sight, taking their wishes with them.

Beidou and Ningguang stood hand in hand as they watched the iridescent night glow with promise for the future. Yelan wrapped her arms around Shenhe’s waist as fireworks emitted a muffled burst in the distance. Pulling her in close, their lips met under a sky that reflected their journey together - what once held only darkness now shone brightly with hope.

[midnightswithdearkatytspb]

MidnightsWithDearKatyTSPB’s Recommendations '23: January

Welcome back to monthly to semi weekly fanfiction and more list recommendations. It used to be VelvetCardiganBucky’s list, but I changed my name. New Year, going through residential treatment soon, new me, new name. A lot of new here at this blog. I follow my username in hashtag form, so tag me in your fics, challenges, to be added in future list. Do not be afraid to message me I will answer back as soon as I possibly can! — Katy K.

This blog and its content is attended for mature audiences, so unless you are over the age of 18, it’s best you turn back now. I’m not in charge of your media consumption there, for you cannot come for me when you don’t like something you read. Thank you.

<< April '21

February '23 >>

My Masterlist

One-Shots:

Start A War by @angrythingstarlight >> Mob!Bucky Barnes x Reader x Mob!Steve Rogers - Summary/Request: Another take on what could have been if the reader had decided to stay with Steve, not Bucky, in Pretty Little Liars story. | I always love reading anything written by angrythingstarlight, whether it's on here or it's on AO3. I have yet to read Pretty Little Liars, but this snippet has made me add it to my to-read list.

Looks Better On You by @navybrat817 >> Lumberjack! Stever Rogers x Reader - Steve can't stop thinking about how good you look in his shirts. | You got yourself the perfect amount of alluded smut, and you got yourself the lovey-dovey stuff. It's perfect, just perfect.

Could've Just Asked, Baby by @wndalovebot >> CEO Alpha!Bucky Barnes x Omega!Reader - Summary: All you wanted was, was some time with your CEO mate Bucky, but he seemed to busy for you lately. Well maybe calling attention to yourself was the best thing you ever did. | Did the room suddenly get 10 degrees hotter?

Still into You by @loverwebs >> Peter Parker x Scarlet Witch!Reader - Summary: You and Peter didn’t end things on the best terms and wind up seeing each other again at an Avengers party. | This is what I can picture as a realistic relationship with a fight between a super couple. The ending is *chefs kiss.*

Series:

The Happy Couple: Chapter 6 by @darkficsyouneveraskedfor >> Mob!Bucky Barnes x Reader - Summary: Your father makes a deal to marry you to his top capo. (mob au) | The story just really picked up, but you can't really ever go wrong with reading one of Roo's stories. They are just so good.

AO3:

In The Mood by SkylarJames22//@skylarjameswrites >> Mob!Bucky Barnes x Shelby!Reader - Mob Boss doesn't take too kindly to the beautiful Skylar trying to take over his territory in America. He comes to her to make a deal and get her to back off, but a Peaky Blinder never backs down from a fight. | HOT! HOT! HOT!

And They Were Roommates by staygold483 >> Tattoo Artist!Bucky Barnes x OFC - Summary: Luka has just finished her college degree and moved back to her hometown to live with her boyfriend. She runs into some of her old high school classmates, who support her when she really needs them. One of those people, is her high school crush, Bucky Barnes. | I read this story after it was completed and loved it, the ending is okay, but the story it's self is what holds it for me.

One-Shots:

Sweet Nothings by @secretswiftymarvelfan >> Chris Evans x Reader - Summary: When the world is out there pushing and shoving, all you’ve ever wanted was sweet nothings. | I'm pretty sure I have to go make a dentist appointment with Robert Evans, that's how sweet this is, and I love it.

Jealousy's My Best Friend by @cockslutpadalecki >> Professor!Andy Barber x Student!Reader - Summary: You can’t help but be a little jealous when Andy pays another student some attention. | Oh, don't act like you wouldn't be jealous if someone gave Andy extra attention. I know I would be.

Trust by @worksby-d >> Chris Evans x fem!Reader - Summary: Your second first time together. | (Read Warining, then proceed if interested.) I found this one-shot to be adorable, as well as sweet in how caring Chris was. I would definitely come back to read again on my sad days.

Housewife Duties by @lilacevans >> Ari Levinson x (non-descriptive) Female!Reader - After Ari's been gone on a long grueling work trip, you want to do whatever you can to make him feel comfortable. | I need to start my Thursday mornings, or any morning in general, honestly, reading stuff like this. It would put me in a better mood.

One-Shots:

Closer to Me by @kiki0005 >> Tommy Shelby x Reader - Summary: After you get pregnant with Tommy's child, he is adamant that you move in with him. | If I'm honest, I would let Tommy Shelby tell me what to do any day. So this one-shot of him was up my alley because he's asking and telling. Definitely worth the read.

*I'm Yours by @sunsetbeachesandwriting >> Tommy Shelby x Reader ft. John Shelby - Summary: Your body is for Tommy and Tommy alone. | I'm a fan of possessive Tommy Shelby, and I didn't know it till I read this, or I just forgot. So good.

Dada Tommy by @quinnsbower >> Tommy Shelby x Reader - Summary: Tommy is left to watch over his 6-month-old while his wife eats with his sister. What could possibly happen? | This was so adorable, funny, and just plain loving. I love Dad!Tommy, especially to baby girls. Makes my heart go pitter-patter.

The Clap by SunsetBeachesandWriting >> Tommy Shelby x Reader - Summary: Jealousy never looked so good on someone like Tommy Shelby, especially when all he wants is you back. | If a man ever did this to me, I would slap them. If Tommy Shelby ever did this to me, I would swoon.

Promotion by @sunsetbeachesandwriting >> Tommy Shelby x Reader - Summary: Y/N is Harry's daughter and works in the Garrison until Tommy decides to "fire" her. | This is both a mix of hot and sweet. I could picture season one or two of Tommy doing this with a massive smile on my face.

Love Is Sweeter Than Vengeance by @pherelesytsia >> Tommy Shelby x Reader - Summary: Burglars break into the mansion in search of the safe and stumble upon the lady of the house. | This was so suspenseful as well as hot. Just how I like my Tommy Shelby.

You're Everywhere, Love by @sunsetbeachesandwriting >> Tommy Shelby x Reader - Summary: Everyone has Tommy feeling overwhelmed. He walks out in the middle of a family meeting and goes to the one place he knows he'll find some peace. | I'm definitely not crying, and I'm definitely not going to suggest you have a box of tissues on standby when you read this.

Series:

The Boy in the Window by @notyour-valentine>> Tommy Shelby x Reader - Summary: (Y/N) thinks the boy her daughter sees in the window of the neighbouring house is nothing but a childish fantasy; after all, no one has lived there for years, but when she brings that boy to lunch, she realizes that he is in fact very real and above all- the son of none other than the infamous Tommy Shelby. | While I'm only five chapters into this story, it's quickly becoming one of my favorites that I've read. We get to see more of Charlie and more of Tommy's sensitive and protective side.

AO3:

*Tommy's Red Right Hand by HisRedRightHand >> Tommy Shelby x OFC - Summary: As if being left in charge of the two youngest Shelby siblings wasn't enough, Tommy decides to ask a redhead as ornery as he is and her six-year-old sister to take up residence at 6 Watery Lane. | At 115 chapters so far, I took my time to cherish this story because that is how much I thoroughly enjoy reading this. I highly recommend that you head the warnings that come in the tags in the summary that come with this before you dive in. The author does a fantastic job warning you about each chapter as well.

One-Shots:

A Flower Petal by @jelsasnowflakes1 >> Geralt x Fem!Reader - Summary: When being teased for still being a virgin at Kaer Morhen, geralt comes in and "comforts you" when he sees you crying. | It's fluffy and smutty, but it's the ending for me in the end.

Sleepless by @sgt-seabass >> MobBoss! PrimeAlpha!Nick Fowler x Omega!Reader- Summary: Nick wants all of you. And he will do whatever it takes to claim your soul. | Nick knows what he wants. This is sweet because he knows he will have to make an effort to change how he acts around her.

Series:

Happatance Pt. 6 by @teds-mustache-wrangler >> Henry Cavill x OFC - Summary: Henry is about to go to bed one night when he suddenly gets a text from a random number he doesn't know. What happens when you accidentally text the star actor of The Witcher? Memes apparently. Lots and lots of memes. | I was privileged to beta-read this chapter for Wren and am honored. This is a spicy one y'all so sit back and enjoy some Henry and Lizzy!

AO3:

*A Twist In Time by Comet96 >> Tommy Shelby x Lupin!OFC - Summary: Romy Lupin was a walking cliche. She has her father's metamorphmagus abilities and also seems to be a seer. During her last year at Hogwarts, Tom Riddle is brought from his teenage years at Hogwarts into the year 2047, and soon after, Romy finds herself being sent back into time. Back to 1926, when Merope Gaunt was still pregnant. It's Romy's job to protect Tom Riddle Jr. from being taken into the wrong hands. It was all going to plan until Merope knocked the time turner, and they ended up in 1916, in the middle of the first world war and with no way to get back to 1926. There she meets the Shelbys and somehow manages to find her feet in dingy Small Heath with the help of Harry Fenton, Squib, and a distant family member. | At 43 chapters and hasn't been updated since the middle of September, this story is Harry Potter, pre-Fantastic Beast meets Peaky Blinders, and I'm living for it. It has everything magical-wise you could ask for and Shelby-wise as well. I just wish it would be updated, but dreamers can dream.

Legacy by cl410 or @i-like-plan-m >> Darcy Lewis x Bucky Barnes - Summary: Darcy Lewis meets the Hales from Teen Wolf. (My poor summary.) | I love Stiles from Teen Wolf, and I love this What If twist that the author has done with Darcy. The whole series is good, and I recommend everyone give it a read if you are a fan of Darcy Lewis or MCU and Teen Wolf.

Blue by galaxiejoon >> Louis Tomlinson & OFC >> Summary: Elle is a seven-year-old girl who meets Louis and asks him to describe the color blue to her. | This is adorable and made me tear up the first time I read it in years. I still tear up every time I read it.

@peakyscillian - Looking for a masterlist to binge or just a variety of Tommy and Cillian? I would check out Laura's page and her writing.

@teds-mustache-wrangler - Are your Henry Cavill needs not getting met? Do you feel like perhaps you need to read about Henry Cavill, but haven't yet? Well go on down to Wren's blog, she has all your Henry Cavill needs met.

@gypsy-girl-08 - If you are a fan of Cillian Murphy or Peaky Blinders, then I would check this writer out. They have many Thomas Shelby series to choose from as well as Cillian Murphy

[joseispiral]

CRUISIN’ 4 A BRUISIN’ (Gokusen)

by Kozueko Morimoto | 156 chapters | 1999-2007

9/10

Gokusen is your typical relatable Josei manga: The protagonist, a mousy-looking girl, embarks on a quest to find love while trying to balance work life and home life. Except in this case work life is being a grade school teacher at an all-boys school, and home life is being a Yakuza heiress. This manga balances drama, comedy, and action, and oh my god, it’s so good. I started this review several months ago and I’m just finishing it now, but is it crazy for me to say I want to go back and re-read it already?

There is an unstoppable joy in Morimoto’s characterization of the protagonist, Yankumi. It’s honestly pretty cathartic to watch Yankumi bring her Yakuza know-how to public school, because lord knows the power structure of the educational institution could use a good ass-kicking. Yankumi’s teaching style can only be described as tough love, and none of the romance drama interferes with her ability to persevere and show a great deal of love to her students, family, and friends. It is so delightfully refreshing to read a manga where the protagonist is a compassionate, loyal, unfuckwithable, cop-hating teacher practicing non-hierarchical pedagogy! Emphasis on the cop-hating. I take issue with people who complain about “weak and annoying” female characters (that just sounds like a personal diss to me, ouch), but if you really just want to watch a girl utterly and completely fuck people up, Gokusen is the way to go.

What makes Gokusen so strong is how well it sticks to our Yakuza princess’s moral integrity: Nobody is irredeemable, not even mob bosses and snot-nosed teenage boys. Despite violence being her preferred solution for any problem, Yankumi isn’t hungry for power, nor does she slap people up because she wants to eradicate them. She acknowledges that her power, be it as a Yakuza heiress or a schoolteacher, can be used to improve the world, which very much appeals to me as a believer in transformative justice. I always recall my roommate telling me, after I relayed my firm stance on nonviolence, that some people really just need a punch to the face to really make them stop acting a fool. Gokusen effectively pulls off this ethos by using its buoyant and crisp tone. This manga is about beating people to a pulp and then helping them get back up again.

The second half of the series had moments that made me explode with laughter which I think is pretty hard for a comic to do! If you like Daria or even Beavis and Butthead I think this definitely scratches that itch. Just a note that there are some jokes made about pedophilia in the story, so that’s something to beware of if you’re sensitive to it. Beyond just jokes though, the main love interest is one of the high schoolers, but I actually found that plotline pretty sweet and interesting - Yankumi shows little to no romantic interest in him and most of their relationship is about him trying to prove himself to her as an adult, which hits home for me. Does that make me messed up? Did other people fantasize about a teacher or two when they were in grade school? I found that Morimoto handled that emotional landscape with serious honesty when it could have quickly become rocky territory.

Why do I see so many people complaining about Gokusen’s artwork online? Even in the first volume, when the proportions are a little funny and the lines aren’t as confident, I found the expressions and character designs irresistibly endearing. It’s got a simpler slapstick artstyle common in these older mangas that reminds me of a mix of Stop!! Hibari-Kun! and Urusei Yatsura but with a Josei twist. Ultimately the art style works in service to the writing style, which has serious moments treating characters’ intentions with levity; but also is riddled with hilarious scenarios. The sparse backgrounds allow for the focus to facial expressions and character gestures. 

Just go read this manga, it’s so kickass and sweet and there is so much cop hatred. It’s for the kids who have bottomless amounts of both love and violence burning a hole in our hearts.

[mel-it]

Reigen and Ritsu Analysis

I thought about it for awhile and decided I really wanted to compare how Reigen and Ritsu are similar to each other. So these are my thoughts.  Lots of speculation this just for fun.  

Oh and just in case, SPOILERS FOR THE SERIES. 

As fans of MP100 are aware, Ritsu is not Reigen’s biggest fan. There are several reasons for this but I’m here to say one reason or possibly the biggest reason he doesn’t like Reigen is that he sees himself in him.

First I’ll provide a general summary of traits Ritsu has. He is the youngest in his family and he has an older sibling. He’s charismatic, has decent athletic ability, and has had good grades in school. Here’s the kicker, I could replace Ritsu’s name with Reigen’s name and all the same traits will apply.

However, unlike Ritsu Reigen’s relationship with his family doesn't seem as well off let's say. We don’t get much regarding Reigen’s private life; his mother sent him an email on his birthday and also sent emails when he was exposed as a fake. We hear mention of his father is worried about him according to his mother. We don’t hear anything about his big sister. So if we were to infer about his family situation, a fallout with them is very likely. 

His mom is the only one attempting to contact him and his father speaks through her it seems. And he and his sister are presumably not on speaking terms. This is important because when we take a look at Ritsu’s character and his arc/story we can see the seeds that could sprout into the same result as Reigen’s. The difference lies in the fact that Ritsu couldn’t drive Mob away no matter how much he tried, the same didn’t seem to apply to Reigen.

Another side to their similarities are/was their desire for psychic powers. Reigen doesn’t believe he’s anything special, as he says himself ‘no one is special’ even if he’s aware of this and considers it as true. That doesn’t contrast with his insecurities in how he views himself. A nothing person with no one in his life. That’s why his greatest desire was to be somebody and he believed psychic powers or pretending to be a psychic would help him achieve that. He didn't realize that just by being him he was already somebody with connections in his life.

Ritsu as we all know also desired psychic powers, his big brother had them. He believed psychic powers to be the norm of the world since he was little. That is not the reality obviously. Ritsu wanted powers so he didn’t have to fear Mob’s powers growing out of control, so he could have a sense of normalcy with his brother. So he could understand him. And in my own opinion because he didn’t recognize his abilities as worth something. He would be praised over Mob for his grades but in his eyes grades meant nothing. Mob had everything he wanted, the thing he could never have no matter how hard he worked. That is until he gained them. 

From my interpretation, the reason Ritsu’s powers manifested was because of the guilt that ate away at him for what he did to the other students at school. A darker side to him that he didn’t like but embraced more and more as time went on because he wanted psychic powers. So, the lies kept flowing. He deceived and harmed a lot of people and his biggest lie was to Mob, luckily for him, Mob was able to see through it. But, this sounds familiar, doesn’t it? A liar that tells lies to have power and despises that side of themselves but couldn’t stop themselves either. And to be completely honest (ha) Ritsu was a liar even before all of this, he lied all the time to everyone around him. Just like Reigen.

I know I’ve been talking about hypotheticals and speculation a lot. So I will make a direct story comparison between story arcs. I covered Ritsu’s (close to) falling out with Mob but I haven’t talked about Reigen’s own (temporary) falling out with Mob. Already a parallel with them both having that problem. Continuing this may sound strange but looking at the anime adaptation and episode numbers there’s an interesting similarity when the falling outs really start.

For the brothers falling out, it’s in season 1 episode 6 when Ritsu helps frame Tenga and the anger and resentment are building in him to where his powers awaken and he sees Dimple for the first time.

For the teacher and student, it’s in season 2 episode 6 when Reigen berates Mob in his usual way of speaking to convince others he’s speaking the truth. He didn’t want Mob to have so many attachments outside of him cause frankly, Mob is the only connection he has (While work is also a factor a big underlying problem is Reigen relying on Mob too much not just for work but also as his only source of connection with another person).

So the beginning of the falling outs occurs on the 6th episode of their respective season. It’s interesting and if it was intentional or not I have no clue. It’s just another connection between these characters.

I won’t be going into the falling out of Reigen and Mob (that may be an analysis for another day). But, the point I want to bring here is how similar these falling-outs are. They happen for different reasons with background influences of the desire to be something weighing in the background and both Ritsu and Reigen instigate and take out their own issues on Mob. Another similarity is that in both Mob reached out once he could see the truth in both of them. He saw through Ritsu’s lies and he saw through Reigen’s sincerity. 

Now in regards to Mob being able to see the truth I present a ‘what if’. What if Mob couldn't see the truth or what if the lies Ritsu told were the truth? Where would they be in the future? Where would his relationship with Mob be? Where would it be with his parents? Other people? If he grew and stayed in that mindset would all his connections be lost like Reigen’s? 

I’d say yes.

Reigen is essentially Ritsu’s bad end. No connections with family, no psychic powers, and did well in school but never became something. 

In my view, this is why (or at least one or a big reason) Ritsu doesn’t like Reigen. Because he sees too much of himself in him.

[destinygoldenstar]

Hibiki Hino ; The Ultimate Arsonist (Danganronpa The Privileged Traitor)

Helga Raskolnikov (Hell-gah Ra-scowl-neh-kif) ; 19 Years Old ; From Moscow, Russia ; The Ultimate Arsonist

Hibiki Hino is a student of Hopes Peak College Class B-3 in Danganronpa The Privileged Traitor. While his birth place is Russia, he moved to Hokkaido Japan. Hibiki identifies as a transgender male, who uses he/him pronouns.

Hibiki was born as a daughter of a mob family of all women, as a young girl named Helga. The mafia itself is a mob operation that targets people with their femininity as their main weapon.

Although for as long as he could remember, Hibiki couldn’t live up to that family expectation to be cold and ruthless. Not only did he not identify with the morals, but he didn’t identify with the methods they use to kill their targets.

He would come clean about this, but he’s from a very unsupportive family, and an unsupportive place in the world of people like him. So he’s seen himself as expendable as a result of the insecurity and inability to fit in.

Instead of killing, he’s found comfort in fire. Just fire alone. There’s something about flames that give him the comfort and confidence he needs, from simple lighters to stoves gone wrong. He has a collection of lighters that he keeps as prize possessions. Even when there’s no fire around, he’d have at least a lighter on him to stare at a flame whenever he needs that security.

On top of that, Hibiki has experience with fire as a result. He knows how to move it around without getting burnt, how to make explosives even out of dust, and how to control the flames to his liking. If he wanted to hurt or kill with this fiery talent, he would, but very often he doesn’t, so he controls the flames to not cause harm.

Flames have been his only support for his entire life in an unsupportive environment of his identity, and one that kills people regularly. He has no good relationship with his family.

Until one unfortunate day in his early teen years, he got outed for being trans. His mother found out, and her first instinct was to ostracize him from everyone. This went on with bullying and humiliation until the family snapped and inflicted a murder plot on him. He avoided it by setting their home on fire.

Ever since that nightmare of a past, Hibiki had retreated to Japan as a runaway trying to make the most out of living. He changed his entire identity upon this move into one that he can only be surrounded by what he is comfortable with. He got a surgical gender swap to identify as a male, he changed his name to Hibiki Hino, and he based his entire personality on FIRE.

Just, FIRE.

That’s the one thing he wants to be seen as. A pyro OBSESSED WITH FIRE.

He carries lighters around everywhere, he’s very excitable and energetic whenever fire gets shown of told to him, he likes to burn useless trash rather than throw it out to stimulate, he likes watching any TV show or movie that has fire in it, he loves the spiciest of spicy food, he loves harsh punk music, just… FIRE. If you can describe anything as fire, Hibiki loves it.

Despite his main thing being, well, FIRE, he can’t be described as a hot headed type of guy. He’s just very passionate and excitable about what he does, and he DOES have the self control to not harm others or other objects with that fire. He’s also a rebellious ‘do things my own way’ type of guy.

But because it’s fire alone, people who don’t know him very well mistake him for someone dangerous and insane. But that is not the case. He’s actually someone who anticipates that reaction out of insecurity that he himself is purposefully living his life all wrong. That’s not the case, but due to his upbringing he doesn’t see that.

It’s the hope of finding someone accepting, even if it sounds impossible, that motivates Hibiki to go to Hopes Peak. But oh no, it’s a killing game.

Hibiki tries to use his entire facade on the other students that he’s a crazy pyro-loving guy, but his next door dorm neighbor, Akira Takahashi (The Ultimate Environmentalist), doesn’t guy the act at all.

Victim? Killer? Survivor?

See my other profiles; The Protagonist ; The Mastermind; The Ultimate Musical Sensation ; The Ultimate Good Cop ; The Ultimate Bad Cop ; The Ultimate Scientist ; The Ultimate Archer ; The Ultimate Environmentalist ; The Ultimate Vigilante ; The Ultimate Violinist ; The Ultimate Renaissance Student ; The Ultimate Dance Streamer ; The Ultimate Video Game Modifier ; The Ultimate Poetry Writer

[emulation-0]

@cursedvibes ty for tagging me ik it was a while ago 😭

20 Questions for Fic Writers

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

on my profile 32, i think? (but actually 35)

2. Whats your total word count?

59,890 tho i do have like 56000 more words in orphaned works

3. What fandoms do you write for?

primarily Jujutsu Kaisen, i had some ideas for other fandoms but those remain as wips... honestly after this tsumiki one im not sure i will be writing for a while siebjfneofneod

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

there's a fire in my brain and im burning up (itadori)

this tired old machine is a-rumbling (higuruma)

the devil's after both of us (itafushi)

oh, lay my curses out to rest (tokyo students + shoko)

oh, ashes ashes dust to dust (nobamaki)

(this makes me upset im not gonna lie cuz looking back and reading these im struck by how mid they are but sjdbdkneodks its whatever)

5. do you respond to comments? why or why not?

i do for the most part !! i love receiving comments and i want people to know how much i appreciate it :) i also love when ppl reply to comments i leave on their fics so i want to do the same

6. what's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

ummm my Curses series was more one-shots without actual plot.. and as many of those were shibuya or post shibuya they were all pretty angsty beifbekdjeodk. i wouldnt say any have this kind of ending because then there would have to be a story. but i would say the saddest one ive written is 'keep running for the sink but the well is dry'

7. what's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

'light of a new morning' for sure. this one actually had some kind of development i would say. also i have bias because this is one of the only three ive written that dont totally suck. though the tsumiki wip im working on for sure will have an even happier ending

8. do you get hate on fic?

im not popular enough for that lol

9. do you write smut?

no

10. do you write crossovers?

i had one in mind a while ago but it escaped me... i never have before but that doesnt mean i never will, even if it is unlikely

11. have you ever had a fic stolen?

i dont think so

12. have you ever had a fic translated?

no but id be honored if so. especially if it was one im proud of

13. have you ever co-written a fic before?

no, but im open to the idea

14. whats your all-time favorite ship?

i go through phases so i cant really answer this lol. my interest waxes and wanes. rn though im really obsessed with uroyuki and in a satosugu phase

15. whats a wip you want to finish but probably won't?

there is a shokohime wip i started two or so years ago about shoko's backstory and the developing of their relationship up until the present but at some point there was a research aspect to it and i thought 'ill do it later'. and then i never did 💀 id like to continue it but i still lowk think it will sit there.. i dont have enough motivation to do research ekdbfkenfkdk

there is also a trigun one i started, it was kind of plotless, just vibes, but i wasnt able to get their dialogue right and idk. maybe when i get into a trigun phase again ill find inspiration and continue

16. what are your writing strengths?

i think im good at describing a scene and emotions. im good at making this kind of poetry

17. what are your writing weaknesses?

im soooo shit at dialogue and even when im not shit at it i keep overthinking it and ruin it anyway lol

18. thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

i mean ive done it (but i orphaned those... lol) and im doing it now for the tsumiki wip so its fine i guess. but id only do it for languages that i know and if not, after profuse grammar checking. also ofc it has to make sense within the context of the story

19. first fandom you wrote for?

septimus heap eiebdkwbdkebd it was so bad

20. favorite fic you've written?

ill do you one better and say three... and these are the not-mid ones

light of a new morning (tsumiki and itadori)

after hours (mob and reigen)

before-the-storm bloom (uroyuki)

my writing style changed a lot and i think these ones emulate the way it is now the best

idk 20 writers but tagging @that-was-anticlimactic @zukkaoru @blackhallow and anyone else who wants !!