#outsiders ramblings

[everyandanything]

Darrel Curtis whose body is worn down. Darrel Curtis whose back aches and whose hands are calloused. Darrel Curtis who should yell a lot less and sleep a lot more. Darrel Curtis who didn’t cry at their parents' funeral. Darrel Curtis who locked himself in his parents' room later that night just so his brothers didn’t see him sob. Darrel Curtis who wants to burn his college acceptance letter. Darrel Curtis who can’t quite seem to let it go, so he buries it in the back of his closet instead. Darrel Curtis whose hands are sound and sure when he’s carrying roofing up and down a ladder. Darrel Curtis who can’t keep those same hands steady when his baby brother gets jumped and is bleeding out onto the pavement. Darrel Curtis who could eat his family out of house and home with ease. Darrel Curtis who goes to bed hungry most nights so his brothers don’t have to. Darrel Curtis who is still just a boy. Darrel Curtis who hates the man he's been forced to become. Darrel Curtis who loves ice cream, and swimming, and laughing with his friends. Darrel Curtis who’s too worn down to love anything anymore.  Darrel Curtis.

[frownyalfred]

imagine you’re a young woman in Gotham set on revenge against your cheating ex boyfriend so you track down his expensive, souped up car to some club downtown and start beating the shit out of it with a baseball bat in the back alley. mid-process some guy comes up behind you and is like “nah don’t hit the windows, bodywork is way more expensive to repair” and starts giving you tips on how to destroy this man’s car in a way that will defy even the best insurance adjuster and luxury parts repair shop and when it’s all said and done and the stupid, expensive car is a broken piece of shit (just like the ex) you turn around. the man who’s been giving you advice is standing there, smoking, eyebrows slightly raised, very impressed. he’s kinda handsome, dressed up like he was in the club actually. you ask him if he works there. he snorts and says “something like that,” and heads back inside with a snarky two-fingered salute to you.

it turns out that man was Jason Todd, AKA Red Hood, current owner of the Iceberg Lounge.

[girltakovic]

that smoking in public poll got me thinking. you don't get to waffle about being neutral with these options you gotta choose

i personally like the smell of weed but dislike the smell of cigarette/tobacco smoke, but combing through the notes on that poll indicates that this opinion may be unpopular! idk!

[bluerosefox]

LOA and Ghost Cultures

Wanna know what.

Another Dead Serious prompt idea spawned.

Damian was League of Assassins raised we all know that so what if he takes ques on how to woo you're potential partner from those teachings.

And we get mainly outsiders POVs and think Damian is trying to kill or threatening one Daniel 'Danny' Fenton after the boy accidentally knocked Damian onto the ground via punch to the face (Danny was stressing hard that day, new school and had just gotten out of a fight with Vlad that night so he was running on little sleep)

Eventually the family (everyone but Bruce) get together to try to get Damian to stop his 'threats' and one of two things can happen.

Either they eventually bring it up to Bruce who at first is worried like the rest of them but then realizes what Damian is actually doing because he has the same experience from Talia's courting.

OR Babs warns them that Damian was spotted entering the Fenton home and seemed geared for a fight, they go running to stop Damian from maybe carrying out his plan, and stumble onto the two making out after a brawl.

[thebrainrotsreal]

Eve, Kate, Mark and Rex! Nailing some ideas down on how I wanna draw them in the future, and enjoying messing with their designs like usual! Not a fix-it whatsoever just fun + ref for the future! I cannot do realistic styles so translating them into something I can do while still being recognizable is peak. I will mess with Rex's suit more. Trust. I Kate so much now. Look at her <333333

[ventique18]

We should be grateful that Lilia was Malleus' parental figure and was raised better than he would've otherwise.

Premise: Malleus wants to marry Yuu, a commoner. But the public does not approve of their prince uniting with a peasant.

Lilia: "Oh, that's a pickle indeed. But it's alright! You should follow what makes you happy; it's your life and not anyone else's. As for what to do... You should just be earnest and show how much you love your Yuu. The public will warm up to them eventually. After all, everybody loves a good, fantastical love story!"

If Maleanor and Raverne were alive...

Maleanor: "Oh don't you worry your cute little head about it. Mama will kill them for you. Then we'll mount their heads on a pike to set an example."

Raverne: "What did you say? Your mother suggested to execute naysayers out in the open?! Terrible, much too barbaric!"

Raverne: "You must do it discreetly. You still want to enjoy your life together, no? So you must make sure a murder never traces back to you."

Raverne: "I recommend indirectly deploying them to a place where they could contract a disease. Then administer medicine that when mixed together, causes adverse effects that eventually lead to death. That way it would be extremely difficult to trace back to you, and you can enjoy the rest of your life in quietude!"

[dootznbootz]

Sorry, not sorry but I see this too often and it bothers me :)

Before people get mad: Notice how I put “Me and Penelope fans” there? I know there's others. this ain't about you <3

edit: This is about how people in the fandom prioritize Odysseus and Telemachus (and even Diomedes, who is not in the Odyssey) despite the Odyssey also being HER story as well. I've seen many fics about Odysseus and Telemachus in their youth, and never really seen that for Penelope.

[dangan-toaster]

the protagonists of V3

[takeonmesumino]

I think a lot of their problems would be solved if they explored each others bodies....by fighting, just straight up scrapping...like two racoons in a dumpster fighting over the same mouldy sandwich.

[chaotic-starlight24]

Darry can tell who walked into the house depending on the sound of the door. Every member of the gang has an entrance that can be very easily missed.

Dally slams the door open and doesn't bother to close it behind him.

Steve opens the door and then slams it behind him, then goes to bother whoever is closest.

Johnny is almost always following someone so if the door stays open a bit longer and is quietly shut then Johnny has followed them in.

Two-Bit is similar to Steve except he dusts off his shoes. His mama always gets onto him tracking dirt so it's a habit.

Ponyboy quietly opens the door and shuts it behind him and usually calls out a I'm home. Or he's completely quiet except for the fact he stomps without realizing it.

Sodapop is almost always excited when he gets home so he accidentally slams the door into the wall and apologizes. He also usually announces he's home.

Darry just wishes they would stop slamming the door, it hurts the door and he's not exactly itching to fix the hinges.

[everyandanything]

Darry is a kid. A youngin’. Only twenty. His hair isn’t going gray. He doesn’t need glasses to read the morning paper. He’s twenty years old. In another life he’s quick to a smile and loves to go out on a Friday night. In another life he’s worried about passing college algebra, cramming for his final in the school library all night, living off of Spaghetti-Os and Lemonheads. In another life he misses half of football practice because he was out late the night before and forgot to set his alarm. But it’s no harm, his coach likes him, he’ll just have to do extra sprints to make up for it.

But it’s not another life. It’s this life. And in this life Darry is a kid. A youngin’. Only twenty. And yet, his body is old. His back aches and keeps him up at night. His hands are calloused over, nails bitten to the quick. His skin is worn and leathered from hours beneath the never relenting sun, face creased like a man twice his age.

Darry is a kid. A youngin’. Only twenty. But his mind is plagued with the fears of a father. And not just a father. A father of two teenage boys so full of life they seem to consume the earth around them. So Darry worries like a father. Over the bills. Over dinner. Worries when Pony comes home late. Worries he made a mistake by letting Soda drop out. Worries he won’t be able to afford Pony’s college. Worries he lets Soda take on too much, worries he’s letting his brother lose parts of himself so he can play middle man between himself and Pony.

Darry is a kid. A youngin’. Only twenty. And yet, he feels so old. He’s forgotten what it’s like to be young. He looks at boys his age, because that’s what they are, boys while he’s become a man, and he sees their easy laughter and bright smiles. He sees the world stretching out before them, how their eyes still hold that spark that had been snuffed out of Darry a long time ago. He sees them stand before their futures, choices ready to be picked like fruit from a tree, and his heart aches. Because he’s lost that, he’ll never have that. All Darry will have is a mortgage to pay off and a body worn down too young.

Darry is a kid. A youngin’. Only twenty. But if you ask him? He thinks that kid died right along with his parents. Because whatever he is now couldn’t possibly be a kid.

[frownyalfred]

I know it's implied that Alfred cleans all the sheets/makes the beds in the Manor (or shares that task with the Batfamily) but imagine being the Manor maid/housekeeper who's legally bound by some insane NDA to never reveal how batshit (heh) crazy the laundry service is in Bruce Wayne's house. there is dried blood and mud and random shit everywhere. there are stains she cannot get out even with industrial strength bleach and nonstop scrubbing. she thought taking a job with a billionaire with kids meant she'd be cleaning kids' beds and maybe the occasional post-fling gross bedsheets in Mr. Wayne's room, but nope. she's down in the basement with his butler staring at a mystery acid stain trying to decide how to cut it out to save Mrs. Wayne's old embroidered sheets from certain death. they have ten minutes, maybe twelve. the acid hole is getting larger. it's bright green. Pennyworth doesn't even look surprised. he just tells her to get the shears out and save what she can.

[lazylittledragon]

met this guy and he's actually really cool about a lot of stuff

(iykyk for everyone at the london show)

[everyandanything]

An opportunity to talk about one of my favorite things? a win!!

All of these fics and writers have my heart, and I'm sure there's a million more I'm forgetting. This fandom has some of the most crazy talented writers, so I'm truly just scratching the surface.

(Must preface this by saying that I'm a Darry girl at heart so most of these will center around him.)

WIPS:

the grief that does not speak by sodapopper (@sodapopper)

When Darry closes his eyes, he still sees the glistening wet on Sodas cheeks, the way his voice went quiet, the tears caught in his eyelashes. This beautiful little brother who was kinder than Darry could ever hope to be, and the sickening realization: I hurt him on purpose. - Five times Darry makes Soda cry, and one time Soda makes Darry cry. ~~ Could wax poetic about my love for Sare's prose forever. Beautiful writing, beautiful characterization, and much like Soda, you will be crying by the end.

A Crowded Table (and literally every single thing written by) romeoandjulietyouwish (@romeoandjulietyouwish)

Darry only has one little brother, Ponyboy Curtis. In order to have the best chance of passing the final custody hearing, he agrees to temporarily foster a sixteen year old named Sodapop. ~~ Ellie's mind is filled with so many incredible ideas I don't know how she holds them all. Everything she writes is beautiful and has me on the edge of my seat.

left at the graveyard (i'm driving past ghosts) by amethystwriter (@amethyst-writer)

Darry was going to be sick. The grief kept climbing up his throat, curling deep inside his gut- salt in the wound. It had been half a year, and he still hadn’t cried. He couldn’t, anyway. He didn’t have the time. or,,, Darry has not thought about himself in ages. People are starting to notice. ~~ This fic makes my heart ache in the best possible way. I've reread it at least a half dozen times. So painfully good.

How the Body Falls Apart by Whovian101

After the death of Johnny and Dally, Darry is breaking down in both mind and body. He begins working harder than ever and all the stress takes a physical toll. ~~ Darry, has in fact, never had a worse time than he does in this fic. Everyone's worried about it, except, well, Darry. 11/10 angst

didn't know who i was supposed to be by trekkiehood (@trekkiehood)

“You know you can talk to me if you need to, right?” “Ain’t nothin’ to talk about.” Darry shrugged. “I’m fine. Just a bad night, that’s all.” It was amazing to him that the anger he felt when thinking about his mother softened at Paul’s accusations. He was allowed to be angry at his home situation. But no Soc, not even Paul, had that right. --- Darry is fifteen and for the first time, he doesn't know which side of the tracks he wants to be on. It doesn't help that his mom has lost it. It really doesn't help that Paul saw it all go down. ~~ So so good. A great exploration of Darry with his parents as well as his relationship with Paul. I'm constantly checking for updates.

Against the Grain by attabitchfinch

Any decent roofer knows you're supposed to cut with the grain. Cutting against the grain will split the wood unevenly and cause tearout, which is when the wood fibers are lifted and ripped haphazardly instead of cleanly cut. Nobody understands this better than Darrel Curtis. ~~ Ughhh the writing in this fic is so good. Darry's life is so bittersweet here and I love the direction the author's going with it.

Finished:

overdue for a revival (spent so long just gettin' by) by Nearly (@ponykidcurtis)

The latch on the mailbox squeaks, always has, and the hinge is rusty, but it opens just the same. Pony grabs the stack of papers inside and leafs through. Bills, junk, more bills, more junk. And underneath, in an envelope so pristinely white it nearly glows; Mr. Curtis 731 North St. Louis Ave Tulsa, Oklahoma 74106 Ponyboy damn near chokes on his own heart. Mr. Curtis has never been anyone but his father, and sometimes Darry when the state comes knockin’. But there's no mistaking who it's for; the crisp seal, a bright red circle next the return address, is a dead giveaway. The University of Oklahoma. or; Ponyboy has his first panic attack. ~~ Beck's writing is the stuff dreams are made and understands Ponyboy in a way that's not even fair. Every single word of this is beautifully done and so emotionally grounded. I could read this forever and it still wouldn't be enough. 100/10

and if we hit on troubled water by bluesweatshirt

Five times someone saw how much Darry cares about Ponyboy, and one time Pony finally saw it too. ~~ One of the first things I ever read in the fandom and I've gone back to it so many times. I love this exploration of Darry and Pony, especially from the gang's pov.

Is Your Love Strong Enough? plus the two sequels by shakes

Darry's strength is tested once more as life throws another tragedy to the gang. ~~ I could write an entire essay on this series alone. It's so heartbreaking. It's so good. It's truly the standard.

The Outsiders by crow2222 (@crow2222)

Darry finds Ponyboy's theme, and starts to read it. ~~ Another great exploration of Darry and Pony's relationship. Darry finding Pony's theme is soul crushing, and the emotional journey he takes through this is so raw and real.

ain't no one to bail me out by dashandlilly (@qprpbj)

“I’ve just been thinkin’, since tomorrow’s Johnny’s birthday, first o’ March,” Ponyboy says from his seat. “And I know you ain’t baked since…” his youngest brother trails off, but eventually finds it in himself to continue, “but I was thinkin’ maybe you could bake a chocolate cake for him tonight so he could swing by tomorrow and we could all celebrate, ‘cause you always made the best ones? His folks won’t give a damn it’s his birthday, y’know.” Darry freezes with a plate in his hand, and his blood seems to run cold. — or, it’s two months after their parents' death and for the first time since it happened, darry's asked to bake the very same thing his parents died over: some chocolate cake ~~ Reagh's writing is so insanely good. I read this right after I got into the fandom and I've gone back to it so so many times. The concept ?? The emotional turmoil ??? They dynamic between the brothers ???? Absolutely everything to me.

In The Eye Of The Storm by FabuMazX

What if, in the time Ponyboy and Johnny were gone, the State called Darrel's guardianship into question, resulting in Soda getting taken away? - “No, no, no, Ms. Miller,” Darry splutters, gripping the doorframe for dear life, “Y-You can’t, you can’t take him-” “Until this situation has been resolved,” She ploughs over his pleading, “Sodapop will be placed in a boys’ home; It’s not too far, you can still see-” “Please, you can’t do this-” “This is for his own good, Darrel.”  ~~ Hey!! This Crushed Me!! Left me devastated!! My heart shattered on the floor!!! I fear I may never recover!!! 1000/10

In honor of A03 being down, can everyone give me their most heart wrenching, soul crushing, angsty, hurt comfortish Outsiders fic recommendations? I have been rereading old ones but I’d like to read something new, so can everyone just give me their best outsiders fan fic recommendations? Thanks!

[shoechoe]

We need to make it more acceptable to say you hate a piece of media because you're a fan of the genre as a whole and it's so popular it eclipses everything else in the discussion sphere. It's like fine to do that

[dirk-menace]

Your yurifully yuri feeds me im like wofjeofjwpajshcbefbe veeyr time i see your art i post it to a server im in and force everybody to look

However, if you wanna draw someone else for a change, maybe Dan?

LOOK OUTSIDE REQS 2

gonna do yuri first due to the popular demand!!! im jus too goood ig

yum