#✧}}.verses; villain.[IF YOUR FRIENDS JUMPED OFF A BRIDGE WOULD YOU?]

[rockinriot]

@joltastic

He stares. He doesn’t mean to stare, not really. It’s just-- this is the first time in a long time where he’s seen someone his own age around. Someone else who doesn’t immediately seem to fit in with the scene around them. It’s-- he doesn’t know what to make of it.

What should he do? Should he talk to him? What if he’s misjudged the other guy? In his indecision, he doesn’t move. He does manage to tear his eyes away from him, but only to glance back at him every now and again. But he shouldn’t-- it’s just desperation making him think he could-- right?

[rkin413]

All 77 of my current AUs

I’m probably going to instantly regret making this post but it’s four in the morning and also I desperately want to talk to people about these things.

This is just. Copypasted from my AU list page. Some stuff might be outdated in a week. Who knows. Not me.

Star Vs The Forces of Evil:

Monster Carvers (link) - Main Star Vs AU. Stomco endgame + Tom stays with Marco + Star raised by Monsters (specifically Buff Frog). The titular antagonists were originally going to disappear after the prologue what the heck happened???

Pretty Cure vs the Forces of Evil (link) - Exactly What It Says On the Tin, Pretty Cure x Star Vs.

unnamed Pirate AU - Star Butterfly has a perfectly nice, unbearably boring life as a high-class lady, with little to do other than wait to be married to her arranged fiancé that she’s never even met. A week before her wedding she sneaks on board a shipping vessel in the hopes of having an adventure. She gets a little more adventure than she bargained for when the ship is attacked by pirates.

“"Cannon”“ - A cannon-adjacent AU that started as a crossover with Monster Carvers

unnamed Infinity Train AU feat. human!Star and human!Tom.

unnamed Post-Cleaved AU featuring forced humanizations, amnesia, and one small time hiccup. Also Dave and Wrathmelior are missing, so that sucks for Tom.

unnamed AU where Marco goes to live with Tom for a while instead of Star during Lint Catcher

How to Train Your Dragon:

Outsiders (link) - Main HTTYD AU. Instead of watching the entire Berk fleet sail off to their dooms with Toothless, Hiccup and Astrid free the arena dragons and take Toothless while he’s being brought to the ship and then they all get the heck out of dodge. Dagur accidentally set himself adrift with Heather back when they were both small. Snotlout learns the hard way that being the Heir/responsibility kind of really sucks actually??? Stoick has to deal with his son going rouge. And Gobber and the Berk Teenagers have to deal with Stoick and Snotlout respectively.

Modern Riders/Time Travel AU - Modern!Hiccup is dragged by his cousin into an unwanted camping trip with the other riders and one electrical storm later, they find their cell phones aren’t working any more. Also are those flipping dragons?! On Berk, Stoick and the other vikings are shocked to find a group of teenagers in the woods who bear a shocking resemblance to some of the members of a dead generation of children.

Unsevered Bonds - Modern Riders (minus Hiccup) meet a time displaced Hiccup who recognize them as his reincarnated friends, even if they don’t remember their former lives.

How To Train Your Lusus - Everyone are trolls on Alternia. Hiccup is a brownblood who’s probably the only troll in existence to get a second Lusus (Toothless) after his first one (Stoick) is killed. Astrid is an oliveblood that Hiccup is flushed for, Fishlegs is a yellowblood, Snotlout is a blueblood, the Twins, Dagur, and Heather are all purplebloods. Dagur killed both his and Heather’s lusus so now he’s trying to take care of her even though she absolutely hates him (and not in a black way), and he had an unrequited pitch thing for Hiccup at one point before they flipped pale (and are actually Moirails now). That’s pretty much all I have for this one.

unnamed Harry Potter AU - Does not actually take place at Hogwarts. Everyone attends Dumstrang (possibly) and the topic everyone avoids is Care of Magical Creatures, because the local Dark Lord is Drago Bludvist. Main trio is Hiccup, Snotlout (Pureblood cousins), and Fishlegs (Muggleborn)… somehow.

Dragon Gang (link) - Mob/Mafia AU set in the vaguely 1920s in a Fake Country so no one can call me out on inaccurate geography.

Rebuilding Bridges - Set in a Multiverse where RTTE and The Hidden World are mutuality exclusive. (Pt.1): After dealing with Drago but before dealing with Grimmborn, Hiccup and Toothless once fought a witch intent on ‘harvesting’ dragons. Now ten years after the dragons have left her apprentice seeks revenge and kidnaps Zephyr and Nuffink, and a panicked Hiccup and Astrid are contacted by the Very Retired and Very Much Done With This Kid witch. Meanwhile in the RTTE-verse, The Dragon Riders only just got back from informing Berk about Johann’s treachery, when some crazy lady spontaneously appears in the middle of the Edge with two terrified children she intends to feed to dragons. Yeah, that’s not happening.        (Pt.2, spoilers for this AU I guess???): Zephyr and Nuffink and their parents have safely returned to New Berk, but their world has been shaken by what was and could have been. Zephyr and Nuffink, after bonding with Dagur in the other timeline, decide they want to try and help him in theirs. This was perhaps not their best idea. Meanwhile, the Nightlights escape the watchful eye of their parents to go exploring outside the Hidden World, and quickly meet the hatchlings of their dad’s brother! (so… their cousins, then?)

Something Wild (name subject to change) - Several years after Berk (along with most of the Archipelago) is attacked and taken captive by a far more advanced foe, Stoick is able to free most of his people but what he finds when they get manage to regroup back to their island is less than a relief- Berk ravaged and their elderly and children, left behind by their captors, missing. To make matters worse, the dragons are still out there, now with some kind of devils riding and aiding them. Now Stoick, Gobber, and the rest of the people of Berk must find safety and a way to fight back against they’re new foe, find what happened to those who are missing, and figure out who these dragon riders are and whether they’re friend of foe (gee i wonder where the Berkians went and who the dragon riders are golly what a mystery). (aka the feral/semi-feral!dragon riders au i keep trying to create)

Lost (name subject to change) - Alternate attempt at the feral/semi-feral!dragon riders au. Several years before the events of the movie could happen, a raid on Berk not by dragons, but by other people, leads to the destruction of an entire generation when the raiders manage to capture the Teenagers of Berk and ship them away. While in captivity, they meet and ultimately befriend the dragons that in another life would be their partners and together they all escape. Unfortunately, they’re Thor-knows-where, and with no one they can trust (or understand) except each other, getting back to Berk might take a while…

The Lego Movie:

Hero with Two Faces of Yellow - Another ‘Emmet and Rex share a body like Good Cop Bad Cop’ AU

Peacemaker AU - Main Lego AU. About a year after the Duplo aliens attack, Emmet is attacked and presumed dead, but he’s actually been taken by General Mayhem to meet Queen Watevra Wana'bi, who remembered and missed her ‘father’. Later, Rex ends up jumping into an entirely different timeline by accident (this one) and decides to try and play the long game by befriending Emmet, who’s now living in the Systar System. That probably won’t work out for him the way he wanted.

Miraculous Ladybug

MiracuClass Knows AU - Prior to Volpina, each member of the MiracuClass finds out the identities of Ladybug and Chat Noir, and just sort of collectively become their secret keepers. Inspired by Epiphanies by PFTones3582 on Fanfiction.net.

Miraculous Sburb AU - The MiracuClass play Sburb and end up dragging a good chunk of Paris in with them when they enter the Medium. Marinette is a Light player, Adrien is a Doom player, and that’s all I got. Gabriel probably definitely dies.

One Is Silver and the Other Gold - aka the Marikimno Brot3 AU. I headcannon that Marinette, Kim, and Nino were close friends as little kids that drifted apart a few years prior to the start of the show. In this AU, that never happened. Also, Alya becomes Adrien’s best friend instead of Nino, and Nathanel becomes their friend too somehow? (someone help Alya, she’s an extrovert and both her friends have social skill levels in the single digits.)

The Ladybug and the Monkey - Main Miraculous Ladybug AU. My take on the ‘Fu chooses Kim to be the second Miraculous wielder instead of Adrien’ AU that I’ve somehow seen multiple times.

Sleeper Miraculous -  AU where instead of the Miraculous being handed out, they’re transported magically to their wielders after they’ve proved themselves somehow. The Miraculous still need to be ‘activated’ by the Guardian to be used on either a permanent or temporary basis, so Ladybug still has to go to Master Fu at first before she becomes the new Guardian, but she knows literally none of the other members of Team Miraculous’s identities. They have a chat group, too, where Ladybug updates team members on whose Miraculous she’s going to activate, and both Chloe and Kagami never blow their identities. Contains both mild Classmates + (even milder)Adrien salt and sugar. (define irony: wanting to punch someone in the face for being an a-hole only to realize that said a-hole is you).

Miraculous! Pretty Cure! - Another Pretty Cure AU. Yep.

Mesapia AU - Butterfly!Marinette AU with a few twists - 1) instead of just facing the villainous user of the Ladybug Miraculous, all of the Miraculous have been lost to villains (save for the rabbit). Marinette frequently empowers her classmates (+Adrien, who’s still under house-arrest in this AU, Luka, and Kagami) to fight the Miraculous Villains, who are also all fighting each other; and 2) This isn’t so much a Kwami Swap as a Kwami Scramble, no one uses their canon Miraculous here (except for Fu briefly, and Emilie had the peacock before what happened to her)!

Boys vs Girls AU (name subject to change) - Marinette vs Lila with the Boys (+Kagami) on Marinette’s side and the Girls on Lila’s.

Labyrinth - Almost the entirety of the MiracuClass go missing (+Lila, Luka, & Kagami, -Chloe) and on a related note, eight very young children wake up in an ever-shifting, monster-filled underground labyrinth and grow up together. And two of them have some special, appearance-shifting jewelry…

Mad Gabriel - Miraculous Ladybug x Mad Father, starring Adrien as Aya, Marinette as Dio, Gabriel as Alfred Drevis, Nathalie as Maria, and everyone else as the doctor’s victims (Lila is Ines).

Miraculous Royal AU - A fantasy AU starring the MiracuClass (shocker) spread out across three fantasy kingdoms.

Quartz Butterfly AU - AU in which Jagged Stone takes the role of (a significantly nicer but still villainous) Hawkmoth as Quartz Butterfly, with Penny taking on Mayura’s role as Songbird. (yes i know peacocks aren’t songbirds SHHHH).

MiracuTrio AU - AU based on fanofanimation’s submission to terrible-miraculous-ladybug-aus, where Kim becomes a permanent member of the team after Party Crasher.

Mitterlicht - horror-ish AU inspired partially by various horror games, Lucidstuck, and Underbright (no, really).  After receiving their Miraculous for the first time, the temporary heroes start having less-than-restful nights. Things quickly go from bad to worse when fragmented, panic-inducing dreams turn into nightly (and solitary) trips into a dark world full of monsters that want to take something referred to just as their ‘light’- a bright light that acts as both a beacon to the hostile creatures and the only way to return to consciousness every night -which just so happen to be in the exact spot (and in many cases, are also vaguely the same shape) of their Miraculouses.

Mirakatsu - Aikatsu AU

Ladybug: Don’t Deal With Hawkmoth - (aka the result of listening to the Cuphead Rap Battle 50 million times) Cuphead AU where Ladybug and Chat Noir have to go around beating up akumas and collecting their butterflies to avoid getting akumatized by Hawkmoth.

Miracle Thieves - a phantom/gentleman thief au where Marinette and Adrien (who have been thieves for years) unwittingly steal a pair of magical artifacts and decide to team up afterwards. Includes Fox!Nino, Journalist-determined-to-expose-their-identities!Alya, and possibly Tiger!Markov.

Homestuck:

unnamed AU inspired by To Live a Normal Life

unnamed Harry Potter AU

Merged Sessions AU - An AU where our favorite trolls and the Beta Kids are all part of the same session

Same Side of the Scratch AU - AU where the Beforus Trolls replace the Alternian ones, and when both sessions get scratched the Alternian Trolls end up in communication with the Alpha Kids

Same Side, Same Session AU - Combines both of the two immediately above AUs, The Beta Kids and Beforus Trolls have a session together that fails and gets Scratched, then the Alternians and Alphas play the game together while the pre-scratch players (all alive) travel to their session and have Meteorstuck Shenanigans.

Relief Was Just a Dream (name subject to change) - aka the mandatory Troll Rebellion AU, inspired by a fic I don’t remember the name of on A03. Sweeps after Karkat and Feferi are (seemingly) culled, Ace Legislacerator Terezi Pyrope -one of the best despite knowing she’s one wrong move away from being culled for her disability- is called in to investigate a series of traitorous attacks on more and more ships. Weirdly, the trolls seen most in the attacks don’t even seem to exist, all seem to bleed a painfully familiar cherry red, and have powers that even Her Imperial Condescension doesn’t seem to have. (not a no-game au)

Freetime AU (name subject to change) - AU where Bro leaves Dave on Dad Egbert’s doorstep, and Dave and John grow up as brothers.

Megaman:

Pokemon Network - Hub lives Pokemon AU with at least two protagonist teams. Team A: Lan, Hub, Mayl, Dex & Yai in Kanto. Team B: Roll, Glyde, Gutsman (Gus) in Kalos. What are Chaud and Protoman/Blues up to? ~Secrets~

Sailor Moon:

Inverse Corruption - When Beryl scours the Earth looking for her reincarnated generals she fails to find them, but she does manage to find the senshi instead. Sailor Moon has to unknowingly face the very girls who were supposed to protect her, fighting side-by-side with the Shitennou instead. (the boys are highschoolers to the girls middleschoolers)

Hazbin Hotel:

Infernal Relations - Why did Lucifer and Lilith wait so long to have a child? Simple; they didn’t. Unbeknownst to Charlie, her parents both had and lost a child thousands of years before she was born, a fact that will have far more of an effect on her hotel than she could possibly realize (even if she had known).

Apprentice Charlie AU - AU where Charlie gets into a fight with Lucifer and leaves before she ever thinks to create her hotel and Alastor ends up finding amusement by taking on an apprentice. (inspired by Helluva Teacher by Sol_Victoria on A03)

Phineas and Ferb:

Cursed Cats AU - AU based on the song Black Cats of Halloween. Phineas, Ferb, and their friends are cursed by a demon who turns them into black cats, save for on Halloween night. They’re then thrown into a world of magic and have to find each other, their way back home, and a way to break their curse, preferably in that order.

Danganronpa:

Online Gamer AU - no one dies/non-despair AU where no one is a super/ultra highschool level anything, no one has met each other in person, and they all play Among Us together. Junko always dies first and she’s low-key going to hurt someone over it.

unnamed AU where the murders of the killing game happen differently (aka the mandatory dr au)

unnamed AU inspired by ask-the-dr-reset-kids - After an incident that forces Hope’s Peak to temporarily close it’s doors, Class 78 all transfer to a different school. Junko is in jail, Mukuro is coping, Izuru is looming somewhere, the Ultimate Despair are waiting like sleeper agents to cause the The Most Despair Inducing Event in History, and Makoto is straight up not having a good time (and has very good reasons not to tell anyone).

unnamed AU where both Class 77 and Class 78, including both Junko and Mukuro but without Chiaki end up playing the Killing Game together.

Double Mastermind AU - similar to the above, both Class 77 and Class 78 wake up one day with no memories of their school lives. They’ll have to work together, somehow, to find out where they are, how to get back to civilization, and how to get back their memories. Meanwhile in the control room, Makoto and a sort-of-but-not-really-reformed Junko are working together as the Masterminds behind the mystery. Well, Makoto’s working, anyway. Junko just kind of wants to give Makoto daily migraines. Contains Junko/Makoto hateshipping.

unnamed Taka Lives AU where instead of switching roles with Hiro during the third trial he just manages to survive the murder attempt. He does not, however, get out unscathed…

another unnamed Taka Lives AU where Makoto, at Kyoko’s urging, decides to stay with Kiyondo the night he would have died, throwing a huge wrench into the would-be-blackeneds’ plans.

Asassain!Makoto AU: The Killing School Life - an au where Makoto is secretly the Ultimate Assassin.

Assasain!Makoto AU: The Killing Mystery - au that’s basically the one directly above but takes place in a non-despair (or maybe averted despair would be more accurate) timeline. After receiving and turning down a job to assassinate a certain up-and-coming politician, The Black Mask (Makoto) alerts his would-be victim, an old former friend, that someone is out for his life.

Remnants of Hope AU - AU that takes place after the end of School Mode, with the class not being picked up by the future foundation right away. (does this. does this actually qualify as an au i’m not sure.)

unnamed Class Swap AU

unnamed AU where Makoto and Kiyotaka are brainwashed into Ultimate Despair in addition to Class 77. Contains both sweet and very effed up Naeishi, as well as Despair!Makoto+Izuru friendship (or as close as Izuru can get, anyway). Technically another 2 (or 3, sort of) masterminds au.

Soulmates AU - In a world where most people are colorblind until meeting their soulmate, Makoto Naegi walks into Hope’s Peak Academy colorblind, blacks out, and wakes up to color. As it turns out, the same thing happened to everyone else!

Scrapbook AU - After entering into Hope’s Peak Academy, Makoto started a scrapbook/photo album of himself, his classmates, and eventually even the class above his own during their time on and off school. It soon became a class diary of sorts after being discovered, shared among everyone… then a chronicle of the events leading up to Class 77 going missing, The Tragedy starting, and Class 78 sealing themselves inside the school bunker, before returning to it’s original purpose as Class 78 lived inside their homemade bunker. In canon, Junko found and burned it. In this timeline, it’s an amnesiac Makoto and his classmates who find it, hidden under the floor in Makoto’s room.

Amnesia AU - A boy wakes up in a school(?) with no memories of where he is, how he got here, or even who he is. As it turns out, there are fourteen other people here… and all of them have the same memory loss he does! (may or may not be an IF Bad End AU)

Polychain AU - Another different Victims and Blackends au, that extends well beyond the original Killing Game. The Tragedy occurs very differently in this one… initially. Also features Junko escaping after the Killing Game, and Hajime and Shuichi being half-brothers and kids of the survivors.

Unnamed AU where Leon and Taka also attended Makoto and Sayaka’s middle school.

Ghost AU - After being killed, the victims and blackened are forced to stick around and watch the Killing Game happen, believing they'll be allowed to move on after they leave. Turns out, they're very much wrong- but at least after it's over their classmates can see them! Too bad they're the only ones.

Teachers Assistant AU - inspired by a fic I don’t remember the name of on fanfiction.net. After Nagito blows up a building and gets suspended, Chisa is forced to take a Teacher’s Assistant or be fired. Somehow, a very reluctant Makoto gets the job, despite being in the class below her own. Cross-class shenanigans ensue.

Unnamed Timetravel AU inspired by a fic I don’t remember the name of on fanfiction.net where Makoto and Alter Ego, the only survivors of the Killing Game, are sent back in time to Makoto’s first day attending Hope’s Peak - Makoto mentally and Alter Ego physically. Not as dark as the premise sounds, at least theoretically.

Crossover

Dagla!Adrien AU - Adrien isn’t the son of Gabriel and Emilie Agreste, but instead his parents are a Modern Dagur and Mala. He still works for Gabriel as a model, but otherwise has had a very different upbringing (most notably the inclusion of a lot of people who have cared about him for his entire life, such as his best friend Zephyr Haddock) and acts more like Chat Noir both with and without the mask. He still befriends his canon friends, becomes Chat Noir, and falls in love with Ladybug. (HTTYD x Miraculous Ladybug)

unnamed Adventure Time x Star Vs AU

Miracutale - Lila pushes Marinette down a hole, Adrien tries to catch her but fails. Undertale ensues. (Miraculous Ladybug x Undertale)

Sailor Bella (name subject to change) - AU inspired by some art from Turning-the-Tides, Princess Serenity reincarnates not into Usagi Tsukino, but Isabella Garcia-Shapiro, and her Senshi are reincarnated into the boys. I have no idea who Endymion became if he exists at all in this AU. (Sailor Moon x Phineas and Ferb)

unnamed three-way crossover between Harry Potter, Miraculous Ladybug, and How to Train Your Dragon.

unnamed Steven Universe x Undertale AU - After returning from the Jungle Moon, Steven and Connie end up stranded in an alternate timeline where they meet what appears to be another half-gem going by the name of False Topaz (Frisk). Things get a little more tricky when it turns out that gems and humans coexist somewhat… on one side of a giant, seemingly uncross-able mountain range live humans, on the other gems, and after a war between the two a few centuries ago, both cultures have a kill on sight policy. To make things more complicated, gems seem to be very different in this timeline. (note: Frisk is not actually a gem, just disguised as one)

unnamed Undertale x Star Vs AU - There’s a new face at the Silver Bell Ball - Frisk, heir and ambassador for the Kingdom of… Monsters?! Star and Frisk are quick to befriend each other, but despite that, Star can’t help but feel that Frisk doesn’t like her… And Frisk may have more than one secret to share… or maybe to keep.

unnamed Miraculous Ladybug x Danganronpa AU - The Worst Most Despair Inducing Event In History was localized to Japan (but the effects are spreading), and the six survivors of Hope’s Peek, aided by Kagami’s father, whom Byakuya naturally has connections to, immigrate to France to pick up the pieces of their lives. Meanwhile in France, Ms. Bustier’s class gain five new transfer students after the events of Miracle Queen.

Games -  (everything)

Wild Things - (everything)

[wrennix062]

House of Memories --- Villain! Deku

PromiseBHere is my AU and take on Villain!Deku as told by the song “House of Memories” by Panic! At The Disco.

In my AU, Izuku Midoriya (AKA Deku) attempted suicide at the age of 14 (end of junior high) by jumping off the roof of the building, just as Bakugou told him to. He was saved by Kurogiri and taken to the League’s base to recover. After finishing recovery from several sever injuries such as a concussion, broken arm, dislocated shoulder, and shattered knee, he was taken to meet All For One in person.  AFO offered Deku a quirk, in fact, more than one. At first, Deku said no, because at this point in the timeline, Deku still idolized All Might and wished to be a hero. However, after telling his story to Kurogiri, Shigaraki, and AFO, the three of them questioned him as to why he still desired to be a hero after everything that had been done to him. 

He was bullied for not being born with a quirk. He was bullied for trying to become a hero without a quirk. His own mother implied that it would be impossible to achieve his dream. And his own idol, All Might, blatantly told him to give up his dream.  After that, Deku reconsidered, and joined the League.

If you’re a lover, you should know The lonely moments just get lonelier The longer you’re in love Than if you were alone Memories turn into daydreams, become a taboo These lyrics are told by Katsuki Bakugou, remembering how he used to love Deku as a friend before he got his quirk and his ego was fed by his friends, family, teachers, and even Deku himself. He remembered how lost he was when he found out that Deku killed himself (at least as far as he knows) because he knows for certain that it was his fault.  His happy memories of Deku became mere daydreams, where Deku was still alive and would return home and become a hero with him, and they would be the Wonder Duo just like they’d planned to be before Bakugou manifested his quirk. I don’t want to be afraid The deeper that I go It takes my breath away Soft hearts electric souls Heart to heart and eyes to eyes Is this taboo? These lyrics are said by Deku himself, talking about the hero system and how he wants to take an eye for an eye with Bakugou. He’s saying that the deeper he digs into the hero system, the more corrupt it is revealed to be, and to a former All Might idol and present Stain idealist, he’s shocked to see that All Might is no exception. He speaks about how Bakugou nearly destroyed him, and in return, he wants to do the same thing and succeed.  Baby we built this house On memories Take my picture now, Shake it til you see it And when your fantasies Become your legacy  Promise me a place In your house of memories The chorus is sung by Deku explaining to Bakugou to remember the times when they were happy as best friends, because those memories very well may be the last good ones he has of Deku. He explains how when Bakugou’s dream of becoming the #1 hero comes true, Deku will be watching and waiting, and the second that dream is achieved, Deku will crush it under his foot like a bug. I think of you from time to time More than I thought I would You were just too kind And I was too young to know That’s all that really matters I was a fool This verse is sung by Bakugou pleading to Deku for forgiveness in their first battle at the USJ, when Bakugou and Kirishima were sent to the ruins zone. Deku was among the villains there, and Bakugou and Deku fought one on one. Bakugou was explaining how he knew he screwed up when they were kids, and how he remembers exactly who Deku is and was - a determined boy with a heart of gold and a brain of steel. He admits defeat of the battle when Kirishima is injured, opting to help take care of his friend instead of defeating Deku. Baby we built this house On memories Take my picture now, Shake it til you see it And when your fantasies Become your legacy Promise me a place In your house of memories The chorus is once again sung by Deku, though this time there’s the slightest bit of doubt when he tells Bakugou to remember him the way he used to be. Those thoughts of past lovers They’ll always haunt me This part of the bridge is sung by Deku trying to repress the admission that Bakugou has or is at the very least trying to change for the better, though he’s still angry and passionate with revenge.  I wish I could believe  You’d never wrong me The next part is Bakugou saying that he wishes things would go back to the way they were, and that he wants to think that the real Deku is still in there, though he’s given up on that idea a long time ago. At that point in the storyline, Bakugou is already a pro and moving up quickly in the ranks, while Deku is and has been the #1 villain for a very long time.  Then will you remember Me in the same way As I remember you This part is sung by both Deku and Bakugou, though with different meanings and intentions behind the lyrics. Deku is asking Bakugou if he will come to hate Deku as much as Deku hates him, while Bakugou is asking Deku if he’ll ever come to terms with the fact that Bakugou has changed and he’s never going to hurt anyone the same way ever again.  Baby we built this house On memories Take my picture now, Shake it til you see it And when your fantasies Become your legacy Promise me a place In your house of memories The chorus is once again sung by Deku. The doubt has since slipped away, because he’s taunting Bakugou with the fact that he could hurt him with the knowledge of what he did when they were kids.  In your house of memories Promise me a place The last two lines are sung by Bakugou.  It’s the final showdown between the villain Deku and pro hero Ground Zero, and everyone’s watching, whether it be in person surrounding the sworn enemies, or on the TV program shot by a local small time news station (that suddenly blew up with the live coverage). Deku has Bakugou in a choke hold on the ground and Bakugou knows he’s lost. He asks Deku to remember him the way he used to be, remember the work that he’d gone through to get where he was that day, and how good of friends they used to be. 

Bakugou is bleeding out, and Deku isn’t letting anyone near him, so the paramedics are too late. Only when Bakugou stops breathing does Deku release the choke hold and disappear.  That would be a day that Deku forever remembered and regretted.  Two weeks later, after hours spent kicking himself for every decision that led him to this point, Deku turned himself in to the police. He was put on death row and spent three years waiting for that time to come.  And when it did, he thanked All Might and Bakugou for everything they put him through.  (I might turn this into a fic and put it on Ao3... idk we’ll have to see, but I hope you actually read all the way through and I hope you enjoyed!) 

[delimeful]

my virtues uncounted (3)

warnings: blood, injury, arguing, panic, remus mentions

continuation of the “Light Sides are tiny in the Subconscious” verse! Part one here, and part two here! Ao3 Link

-

Patton wandered over to the edge of the desk, away from where Roman and Logan were discussing approximately where they were in the Mindscape and how they could escape Anxiety’s room.

Anxiety himself had retreated to sit on the corner of his bed, leaving them on the desk. He looked awfully casual, but Patton could see the way he glanced over out of the corner of his eye every couple seconds. 

He sat on the edge of the desk, remembering how the other Side had fretted over Roman’s imaginary injury. He squinted at Anxiety. Had he treated the cut on his hand yet? Patton hadn’t seen him do anything of the sort, and his left hand was conspicuously tucked away into his pocket.

Well, if they were going to be staying there a while, it would be best to get to know their host better, wouldn’t it? 

Mind made up, Patton popped back up to his feet, and jogged over to the edge of a shelf. Carefully, he began to sidle along it, carefully not looking down as he got closer and closer to the bed. 

Just when he was almost over it- 

“Patton! What are you doing?” Roman yelled, and Patton jumped slightly, tilting forwards a bit. 

“Uhhhh,” Patton replied as he pinwheeled his arms, trying and failing to keep his balance.  “Woah!”

Only a blink after he toppled over, however, there was a dark presence at his side, a hand providing a soft landing point only inches below the shelf. 

“Oof,” he grunted, and then a gust of warm air rustled his hair from above. He craned his head back to look at Anxiety, who was sighing lowly in relief. 

“Unhand him, villain!” Roman cried from out of sight, and Patton felt the hand underneath him twitch slightly with tension before going lax again. He frowned, getting to his feet to stand and look over at his friend.

“Roman, don’t be rude!” he chided, struggling to stay upright on the surprisingly soft hand. He ended up sitting back down heavily, and craned his neck to look at the Dark Side. “Thank you, Anxiety.” 

He was treated to the sight of Anxiety’s eyes growing wide in a rare moment of unguarded surprise, and smiled happily. If he’d known that the Side wasn’t really that scary, he would have come to visit ages ago!

Maybe not while so small, though. It seemed to be stressing Anxiety out.

“Wha- Patton! It’s not rude when he’s holding you captive!” Roman said, anger obvious in his voice. “Let him go!” 

“Anxiety seems to have caught Patton to keep him from falling,” Logan chimed in, stepping a bit closer as though trying to peer up at where he was being held. “I don’t think Patton has been in his hand long enough to qualify as being ‘captive’, Roman.”

“Yeah, listen to Logic for once, Roman.” Anxiety’s voice rumbled through Patton, the larger Side rolling his eyes and placing his hand down on the desk. Patton grinned and waved at the other two, not moving from his spot settled firmly in the dip of Anxiety’s palm. 

“Logan, c’mere! Check this out, it’s so cool!” 

Logan took a moment to look unblinkingly at Anxiety, analyzing him in a way that surely would have made him bristle defensively if he wasn’t already busy staring at Patton with befuddlement. Roman’s head was whipping back and forth between all three of them, as though waiting for someone to return to their senses.

“Very well.” Logan began to walk up to where Anxiety’s hand was resting, and Roman followed along with a slack-jawed expression, less intentionally and more because of some half-formed sputtering about not wanting to leave both the other Light Sides closer to Anxiety than him. 

Anxiety’s hand twitched slightly under him as Logan got closer, and Patton crossed his legs to better balance. He wondered how it felt to have a whole person in one hand. Probably a little scary, going by the slight tremors Anxiety was trying to stifle.

“Interesting,” Logan said from where he’d reached out to touch Anxiety’s wrist. With his other hand, he held two fingers to his neck. “Your heart rate appears to be much higher than mine despite you not having recently endured significant exercise. Is this normal for you?” 

“Duh. I’m the embodiment of fear,” Anxiety grumped, tilting his hand surprisingly gently so that Patton slid off onto the desk. He clicked his tongue, shaking his hand a bit to dislodge Logan’s grip. “Now stop that. I’m not a science experiment.” 

“Awww,” Patton pouted at the loss of his seat as Logan looked up at Anxiety with a confused tilt to his eyebrows. 

“Of course not. I was simply making an observation out of a desire to learn more about you.” 

Anxiety’s face pinched inwards as though he’d bitten into a lemon of suspicion. “Well, checking my pulse isn’t going to help you figure out my weaknesses, so how about you keep your hands to yourself.” 

This got a bark of not-laughter from Roman. “That’s rich coming from you, Grab-ston!” 

“Grabston?” Patton frowned in consternation as he attempted to figure out the wordplay on that one, and Anxiety’s scowl deepened. 

“Oh, you’d prefer I just watch you fall to your death next time? ‘Cuz rest assured, from that height, you’re guaranteed to splatter,” Anxiety grit out as he loomed over them, hand fisted at his sides.

“Is that a threat?!”

“Weaknesses? Learning more about others is my role,” Logan said, though seeing as the other two had escalated to near-shouting, it was spoken more to himself.

“Oh!” Patton clapped his hands together once. “Like Gaston! I get it.” 

“No, it’s not a threat, are you an idiot-!” Anxiety turned away sharply in dismissal, making Roman’s hands twitch for a sword that wasn’t there, and Patton’s eyes caught on a drop of something dark falling from one clenched hand.

“Anxiety! You’re bleeding,” he called out, his voice cutting through the lingering tension.

Anxiety looked down at his injured hand like he’d never seen it before. “... Yes?” 

“Aren’t you going to heal it?” Logan asked, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “There doesn’t seem to be much sense in keeping an injury around.” 

Patton nodded in agreement, but Anxiety seemed to be further confused by his words. “Heal it? What, like a superpower? It’s just a cut, not much to do for it but slap a bandage on.” 

The three Light Sides exchanged questioning glances, and Roman ran a hand through his hair with a groan. “Most Dark Sides can’t heal injuries instantly like us. They don’t have the power to alter the mindscape like that. Except my... brother.” 

Anxiety recoiled slightly. “You mean you guys go around pulling your ears off and shit for fun, too?”

Patton paled slightly at the thought, and Roman growled low in his throat. “No! We’re just more connected to Thomas, so it’s obvious that we’d be more powerful. We don’t go using it all willy nilly like him.” 

“Huh.” Anxiety shoved his hands back in his pockets, much to Patton’s dismay. “Perks of being a core Side, I guess.” 

“Hey!” Patton cried, making Anxiety’s eyes snap to him eerily quick. “Come back over here! You shouldn’t ignore injuries like that, mister! I’ll heal it for you.” 

“Patton, he’s literally imprisoning us here,” Roman groused halfheartedly. He knew Patton well enough to know that the father figure would not be deterred. 

Anxiety, on the other hand, was a bit more reluctant to concede. Patton had to coax him over like a startled deer, and only Roman’s snort finally propelled him to set his hand on the desk again, grimacing. 

Patton set a gentle hand on Anxiety’s thumb and focused on fixing the cut so that it would match the soft palm he had been sitting on earlier. 

Nothing happened. 

Patton frowned and focused harder, but the tug of change that he normally felt in his chest seemed somehow… muted. “Something’s wrong…” 

Logan, who had been watching closely, made an attempt of his own, likely more out of curiosity than actual concern for Anxiety’s injury. He swiped a hand over the cut, a gesture that would normally seal the injury easily, but all he got for his trouble was a hand soaked in blood and a pained twitch from Anxiety. 

“Very helpful,” The Dark Side commented dryly. Logan shook his hand with mild disgust on his face, like a cat that had stepped in snow.

Patton frowned harder, reaching for that connection inside of him, seeing if maybe something Thomas was doing was hindering them. 

“Uh, guys?” This result was considerably more alarming. “Can you feel Thomas?”

Roman and Logan broke off from muttered bickering about whether or not Roman should try healing Anxiety to stare at him, and he could see the change that came over them when they tried for themselves. Anxiety picked up on the changed mood immediately.

“What’s going on?” he asked, looking between them with a crumpled brow. 

“Why don’t you tell us?” Roman’s anger came with a distinctly panicked edge. “Why can’t we influence Thomas? Whatever you did, undo it!” 

Looking at Anxiety’s startled expression, however, Patton got the feeling that the situation wouldn’t be resolved so easily.

[aion-rsa]

Best Meryl Streep Musical Performances (Including The Prom!)

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Who would have thought 30 years ago Meryl Streep would become the musical diva of our age? Maybe those who watched her bashfully (and beautifully) sing “You Don’t Know Me” in 1990’s Postcards from the Edge. But largely she was associated with the serious dramas of the ‘70s and ‘80s that won her two Oscars (and saw her nominated for three more) by the time she was 35: Kramer vs. Kramer, The Deer Hunter, Sophie’s Choice. Sober-eyed tearjerkers all.

But an amazing thing happened in the 21st century, didn’t it? Streep, the First Lady of the Academy Awards stage, reinvented herself as the prima donna of the musical-comedy. Sometimes that includes performances so rich that they sing even without any lyrics, such as the imperious Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada. But often they come with music and verse too, be it ham-fisted kitsch like Mamma Mia! or something as ambitious as playing the Witch in an adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods.

And today she’s back on the musical big screen—or at least the one in your living room—via Ryan Murphy and Netflix’s The Prom. It’s an all-out musical extravaganza where Streep transcends into her best self: a reigning diva of Broadway. So join us as we use the occasion to count down her greatest cinematic solos.

10. “Changing Lives” in The Prom

For whatever faults The Prom might contain, the Netflix film’s vicious satire of celebrity vanity and performative social action is not one of them. And rarely is that better felt than in Meryl and James Corden’s first big number “Changing Lives.” As a pair of tone-deaf Narcissuses, Streep’s Dee Dee Allen and Corden’s Barry Glickman put on a hell of a show, singing from the lights of 44th St. to the glitzy interiors of Sardis about how being a Broadway star is basically the same thing as Eleanor and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Is it a great song? Not necessarily. Is it great to hear Streep exclaim she only wants to hear a review if it’s a rave or mixed-to-positive while downing champagne? Absolutely.

9. “Super Trouper” in Mamma Mia!

We know everyone has thoughts about Mammia Mia! and where its qualities (or sometimes lack thereof) lie. But Meryl Streep’s performance as Donna is inarguably one of its great strengths. Her matriarch of an idyllic little Greek island seems a far cry from the apparent free spirit and hellraiser she once was. Yet in “Super Trouper,” her young daughter (Amanda Seyfried) gets a glimpse of the dynamo Donna once was (and secretly still is) as she takes the disco stage alongside Julie Walters and Christine Baranski.

The trio still make the ‘70s excess of their outfits work, crooning about last nights in Glasgow and reawakening that magic for the next generation. Even Donna’s tuneless exes in the back get swept back in time. It’s sweet, and one of several Mamma Mia numbers to appear here.

8. “Goodbye to My Mama” in A Prairie Home Companion

One of the best films mentioned on this list, A Prairie Home Companion was director Robert Altman’s final film—and the movie appears aware of this. Nowhere is that more tangible in this heart-wringing ballad written in the tradition of early 20th century Country and Western music by Garrison Keillor. An ode to a childhood long gone, and both an aspiration and understated fear about seeing a lost mother again on the other side, the song is an elegy realized in soulful duet by Streep and Lily Tomlin. It harkens the Angel of Death backstage, but in isolation it’s still plenty heartbreaking.

7. “The Winner Takes It All” in Mamma Mia!

We said there’d be more ABBA. And here it is with “The Winner Takes It All,” Streep’s single actual solo. In this moment director Phyllida Lloyd knows exactly where to put the camera, capturing the postcard beauty of a Greek isle at sunset as Meryl sings her heart out, and smashes Pierce Brosnan’s for good measure. Appealingly melodramatic, and with perfect high notes for Streep’s range, the scene puts this Oscar winner in the movie equivalent of a romance novel cover. And who doesn’t want to open that?!

6. “It’s Not About Me” in The Prom

Again rarely does The Prom’s satire land better than in its opening number… but Streep’s big solo “It’s Not About Me” is that rare exception. Strutting into an Indiana PTA meeting in a red mink and extravagant mood, Streep’s Dee Dee introduces herself by belting that she’s here after reading three quarters of an article to ask, “You bigoted monsters, just who do you think you are?” And it’s all downhill from there for her argument, and uphill for our entertainment.

Hijacking a vulnerable teenager’s platform to whine about a New York Post notice and to demand soft lighting and a rainbow coalition of colorful streamers for her Insta-ready moment, Streep is given permission by The Prom to make everything about her. More, please.

5. “Stay with Me” in Into the Woods

Attempting to sing Sondheim is a challenge few take up lightly. With his typically complex lyrics, myriad key changes, and sharp musical bridges, Sondheim has thwarted many a movie star who’s tried. Streep is not one of them. As the villainous and somewhat misunderstood Witch of Into the Woods, Streep dominates the film as an antagonistic force who sees all the other fairy tale archetypes for the schmucks they are.

But that does not include her adopted daughter Rapunzel (Mackenzie Mauzy). As the daughter the Witch never had, Rapunzel is kept secluded away in the woods, but it’s for her own protection. Written years before Tangled, a mother’s fanged psychological warfare and pleas to “stay with me” from the danger in the world is as haunting as it is toxic. And it’s Streep’s best moment in Disney and Rob Marshall’s ambitious, yet bloated, movie adaptation.

4. “Dancing Queen” in Mamma Mia!

Yes, it’s that song and that scene: ABBA’s most overplayed earworm brought to treacly life with maximum cheese, including slow-motion shots of Meryl Streep jumping on a bed and skipping along a Greek coastline. Look over there! Why is that old fisherman playing a piano in the water?! And over here! Where did the hundreds of locals on this tiny, largely uninhabited island come from?!

Read more

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It doesn’t matter! You know from the first time you heard Streep and company belt this that you sang along. You probably still do, joining in at the parade of empowered women, from ages two to 92, who’ve been liberated by the joy of their youth, now or remembered. As they dance badly across the world’s grooviest pier, it plays as loud; as camp; and as a goddamn delight.

3. “My Minnesota Home” in A Prairie Home Companion

Meryl Streep and Lily Tomlin’s other major duet in A Prairie Home Companion, “My Minnesota Home” reworks Stephen Foster’s “My Old Kentucky Home” to give it a Lake Wobegon tenor. It is also the sweetest showcase for Streep and Tomlin’s chemistry, both as singers and human beings. The give and take between the pair, and then Streep’s rousing vibrato during the final chorus, has the air of genuine inspiration and real pleasure. Here are two performers finding harmony together on the stage and before our eyes. It’s big hearted and irresistible.

2. “I’m Checking Out” in Postcards from the Edge

Meryl’s first major musical moment came during the grand finale of director Mike Nichols and screenwriter Carrie Fisher’s wonderful little dramedy. Loosely and nakedly based on Fisher’s own relationship with her movie star mother Debbie Reynolds, Postcards from the Edge is a revealing and sometimes blunt exercise in getting things off a writer’s chest. And one thing Fisher really wanted to clear the air about was her mother’s desire to push her toward musical performance. While Fisher resisted in her own life, she allows the fictional Suzanne Vale (Streep) to give in to mother Doris Mann (Shirley MacLaine).

Read more

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In doing so, she also gives into herself and sings this full-hearted rendition of “I’m Checking Out.” A country hymn to the bitterness of living in the heartbreak hotel, the song allows Suzanne (and hopefully Carrie) to bury some pain, and for Streep to reveal her formidable stage and screen presence in front of a microphone. It is probably the rawest and most intelligent performance on this list.

1. “Mamma Mia” in Mamma Mia!

Among Meryl Streep’s many songs in Mamma Mia!—including a few we did not put on this list, believe it or not—it’s her rendition of the movie’s title song that works best. Imbuing the tune with an infectious playfulness, and leaning into the impatience that pours from ABBA’s lyrics, Streep pounces around the screen like a cat who’s just spotted a bird… or at least three turkeys in the shapes of her exes (Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, and Stellan Skarsgård).

Read more

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As she creeps and creaks around their goathouse (don’t ask), debating whether to sneak another peak, the film finally makes sharp use of a movie’s ability to edit together imagery: We cut between Streep, the exiled suitors, Donna’s daughter and friends, and even an honest to Zeus Greek chorus of extras sticking their heads into the frame to chastise Streep. Not that she can resist her curiosity, nor do we resist watching it. In fact, we want to egg it on as Streep rolls around in overalls and crosses herself before embracing the next crescendo.

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[written-in-light-blog1]

“LET US SPEAK OF THE TERRIBLE BEAUTY OF BECOMING OURSELVES”

Illustrating Destiny’s Books of Sorrow with community artist Francine Bridge

One of the most impressive Destiny fan-projects we’ve seen to date has been Francine Bridge’s incredible illustrated rendering of Destiny’s Books of Sorrow. Francine, otherwise known as Witnesstheabsurd, agreed to take some time to answer a few of our questions about her work, its impetus, and what the project means to her.

Written by Seth Dickinson, the Books of Sorrow tell the story of the Hive - and by extension Oryx and his siblings - and give deep, rich background to one of the game’s largest and most important conflicts. Lyric and evocative, the books offer insight into both the Hive themselves and the universe they inhabit, and remain Destiny’s most impressive and most in-depth piece of lore-building. For those who may have joined the community in Destiny 2, or never had the chance to read the original books, they can be read in their entirety here. Francine’s project shows the same impressive attention to detail, and most importantly, the same level of empathy as the works that inspired it. We’re ecstatic to be able to share this conversation with the Destiny community, and we hope you’ll take the time to admire the full project.

You can find Francine on Artstation, as well as on Twitter and Tumblr.

Written in Light: To get things started, tell us a bit about yourself. What you're studying, what field you work in, what you like to do for fun - give us a brief summary of who you are and what's important to you!

Francine Bridge: HI! I'm Francine, although I'm better known online as Witnesstheabsurd. I work as a freelance illustrator and concept artist in the UK - you might have seen some of my work in the game Hiveswap or at labels like Killstar. I do album covers, shirt designs, character/monster etc design work for games, comics, private clients. I'm currently in my 4th and final (I took an extra sandwich year to do a supplemental diploma in professional studies) year of my Illustration and Visual Media BA degree in London, after which I'm probably going to look for more permanent studio/contract work rather than the one-off freelance stuff I've been pursuing while I've been in school.

A couple of years ago, prior to starting the degree, I came out as a trans woman, which is probably an important detail, and it's informed a lot of my  work. However, my driving impulse has always been monsters - my preoccupation with Destiny started entirely because a friend of mine showed me screencaps of Oryx after the The Taken King release and I was smitten. Pretty much all of the media I consume, the games I play, the art I create is in pursuit of ever greater or more unique creature and monster design, and they're very dear to my heart.

As far as what I do for fun  - my day is 90% working at the tablet, but I find time to play some games and build "gunpla" model kits as well as paw through my artbook collection. Almost everything I do is informed by my profession, so I use my hobbies as a means to access and process more referential or inspirational visual material or  techniques. I only recently started sincerely learning how to actually "paint," rather than just do some basic rendering under lineart, so that's been a major part of my work lately.

WiL: Was there anything in particular about Oryx that really drew you to him? Did Oryx come across as particularly great and/or unique to you, or is there something else that struck you with his character or design?

FB: Well, as I said, I'm transgender. In the ‘pitch’ my friend made to me about Oryx as a character,  the most interesting aspect to me was that he's a transgender man (although I'm a trans woman, the experience has some shared parallels obviously).

In media, it's incredibly difficult to find trans characters not wholly defined by that aspect of their identity, or who aren't constantly wallowing in the Misery and Tragedy of being trans. I want trans characters who occupy all roles - villain, hero, supporting and main - and it's rare to find anyone who's more than a token or like, tragedy porn. Oryx super resonated with me because he was this figure who acquired power and immediately transitioned, asserting his identity in a way that couldn't be defied - Oryx's story is very much one about self-definition and the value of existence under your own terms, which are very important concepts to me.

When I decided to start work on illustrating the Books I actually reached out to Seth Dickinson, the author Bungie contracted to write them (and the Cabal Booklet/odd flavour text, by the way) to get some specific questions answered and he was kind enough to respond and was very cooperative and supportive. Among the things I asked about I wanted to know  if Oryx was consciously written as transgender character or if it was just a coincidental "weird alien race" flourish. I was very happy to learn Seth had purposefully written Oryx that way, and that he was happy people took strength from it.

It's very novel to have, like, a "trans power fantasy"... a character who acquires absolute power over the self and instantly rewrites the contract between themselves and their body that so many of us spend our entire lives making adjustments to and renegotiating for some measure of peace. It was satisfying, refreshing.

Oryx is super cool to me on multiple visual levels obviously as well, being a mineral-encrusted deep space insect mummy warlord, but that element specifically sets him apart for me, and always will. It's cool to know that a trans character in Destiny can also be a hideous monster from beyond the stars.

WiL: Nice! I've wondered if Oryx was intentionally written to reflect a transgender person. I'm glad to hear a positive answer to that question, and I'm glad you found strength in it!

My next question is, why did you decide to take on this project? I mean, it's very clear that you love Oryx, so that factor is a given, but you mentioned in your original post that this was something you did for your degree. Care to elaborate on that?

FB: So, the structure of my illustration degree is such that while we’re given specific "briefs," such as topics or techniques, the final year gives us significantly more free rein. We're obligated to  complete three "projects" and author a thesis over the course of the final year, but the subject matter, material, everything about those projects is our call. The outcomes are judged based solely on technical and professional development rather than adherence to a specific brief.

This left the field wide open for me to kill two birds with one stone and bring in a project I had intended to do anyhow, but hadn't had the time or space for; something that I was sincerely passionate about rather than an edict handed down by a tutor. Illustrating the Books of Sorrow was something i'd wanted to do ever since I first read them back in The Taken King, and I jumped at  the chance. In addition, while i've produced and formatted artbooks before (My first published work, The Occult Supergiant Primer, can be found here ), I've been able to recoup the time invested away from client work in sales and funding. The Books are obviously material belonging to Bungie and I can't justify selling copies, digital or otherwise, of my illustrated version, so I had to find some other reason to make this investment of time and unpaid work worthwhile as well as enjoyable.

Being able to use the work produced to further my degree was the perfect "excuse.” That said, I've received so much attention from the Destiny community at large, including commissioned work from several new clients, that it would have easily been worth it regardless.

WiL: Your work definitely deserves the attention, you clearly have a strong sense of design! Would you be willing to tell us a little bit about the process you went through to make the Books of Sorrow? Do you have any early versions or storyboards that you'd like to share? Or did any of the illustrations go through any major changes from start to finish, and would you be willing/able to show us that process and talk a bit about why you made the changes you made?

FB: The greater part of the Books came together incredibly smoothly and naturally, with very little iteration required on specific pieces. The images had been stewing in my mind ever since I read the original verses a few years ago and they were more than ready to be rendered. What did require a lot of research, development and false starts were the designs for the sisters, Savathûn and Xivu Arath. Both of them have yet to appear ingame in any major capacity (although it's looking likely Savathûn is going to be a Year 2 DLC), so it was up to me to create designs for them that:

Satisfied the descriptions appended to them in the verses, as light as they were, and also matched the info Seth gave me

Satisfied my own personal expectations and interpretation

Conformed to the lore and the existing known morphology of the Hive in a way that would make them recognizable to a player with no prior familiarity with the Books

Balancing these principles lead to a lot of internal back and forth - Savathûn was easier because we had already seen her brood in D2 on Titan, so I knew to emphasize ornate crests, bonelike texture and a slightly less mineral, more biological look by comparison to Oryx's brood, the hive we exclusively encountered in D1. She was tough at first but ultimately fell into line with something satisfying for me, which actually drew a lot from the Xenomorph Queen in Aliens.

Xivu Arath was a little trickier because she had to be distinct from Oryx, who kind of already occupies the "big mineral/bone-encrusted bruiser" archetype visually, so I had to take her even further. I spent a lot of time wondering whether she would have any ornamentation like some of  the bigger Knights (Alak-Hul comes to mind), given that she represents the "ultimate" Knight morph, but I eventually eschewed all decoration in favour of something reflecting her nature in the narrative: blunt, implacable, spartan. She dispenses with the ritual and hierarchical trappings the other siblings indulge in - notably she decides that all battlefields are her Court, rather than entertaining a court herself, and she tends to default to just brutally bludgeoning whatever stands in her way rather than making an appeal to the Deep or engaging in trickery. I was very satisfied with how she turned out, and the piece featuring her is easily one of my favourites.

WiL: I was going to ask which piece is your favorite! Do you have a Top 3 that you're most proud of?

Is there anything about the Books that you wish were different, or is there something you wish you had the opportunity to draw for this project but couldn't justify including it?

FB: I have a strong tendency to favour whichever the last piece I completed was, because by default I'm always proudest of my most recent work and very rapidly lose favour with pieces even like, a week old. That said, I think overall the strongest piece for me personally would be Oryx slaying Akka, alongside the final Wormfood painting and the Savathun piece, although honorable mentions go to Xivu Arath and Quria, Blade Transform.

I can't say there's anything about the Books specifically I wish was different. The part of me that's purely consuming it as a narrative wishes that they had found Taox, that there had been some confrontation there. I feel like there's a very strong "childhood vengeance" element to the Taox subplot, like when you're put down by an adult for drawing in class and you fantasize about coming back to the school years later as a wildly successful artist and making them admit they were wrong to have stopped you. A key part of that fantasy is recognizing it as a remnant of childhood, this impulse born out of a narrower perspective and inflated self-worth, and realizing you can move past that shit (Although if/when I do become a wildly successful artist there might be a few teachers I'll look up).

Ultimately, I think the arc of the books and what the story is trying to say about distortion of intent and self makes Taox disappearing a much more emotionally resonant and interesting turn. It would be neat if Taox turned up somewhere in-game, and became the focal point of a new Hive offensive.  An entire species/culture with such a specific individual grudge is a fascinating concept.

With about a month and a half of time allotted for the project and 50 verses, there was a lot of stuff I had to cut despite how much it hurt - in a complete version I would have wanted a painting for every verse, but specifically I would have liked to draw Akka in full, the Dakaua War Angels, the Harmony/Gift Mast,  the Qugu; basically I would have given form to the many species and cultures Seth conjures up with a few phrases and a loose description but still manages to make incredibly evocative.

WiL: Do you think you'll ever return to the project and draw those images, either as standalone pieces or as an update to the PDF you've already made?

FB: An update to the .pdf itself is unlikely. I tend to consider projects released to be complete, and usually by the time I revisit a subject I'm not obligated to work on it will have been a few years at the very least. I tend to have developed my technique and approach enough that new pieces inserted retroactively would look somewhat disjointed in terms of quality and style. The chance of releasing standalone paintings - especially of points of specific interest for me like say, Akka in his entirety, the Dakaua war angels, the Qugu, etc. -  is significantly higher. Whether that happens sooner or later depends entirely on what my current workload looks like, and aside from the incredibly generous and supportive response to the project from the larger community the Books are very much a passion project and have to be weighed against, say, contract or school work going forwards.

WiL: That makes sense. What other projects do you have going on right now, if any?

FB: Just this morning I decided on the subject of my final degree project, which I'm also planning to run as my second artbook with an accompanying Kickstarter and print run - something I can actually sell as well as being material that excites me! It's entirely too early to disclose any specific details about it though.

Other than that, I continue to produce odd pieces of fanart in between a regular flow of client work both from private individuals and studios. I guess I can safely say I'll be doing more work on the second Homestuck game after contributing to the first, as well as doing some designs for a music video I was contracted for, and also finishing my thesis for the aforementioned degree.

The key thing, I think, is to keep moving - I get very anxious when I'm spinning my wheels between projects, and the temptation to linger on the threshold a while longer is incredibly strong, especially when there's always the fear your new work will fail to surpass what's come before. Reaching a personal peak like some of the paintings I did for the Books of Sorrow is a double-edged sword, and it can signify both a great accomplishment and a raising of the bar that can be daunting to follow. I'm confident that whatever you see from me next will manage it, though!

WiL: Believe me, after talking with you for a while, I'm confident your next project will meet your expectations. You are a very talented and very ambitious artist, and we can’t wait to see where your career takes you! It’s been a pleasure to talk to you, and we’re looking forward to your next Destiny passion project.

//

This interview has been edited for length and clarity

All images courtesy Francine Bridge

[oqpromptparty]

Hi everyone! If you’d like to take part in this year’s Prompt Party Week, just select any of the prompts from the list below and write a fic, make a video or create some art based on it. Please note that more than one person may choose the same prompt.

You may submit new stories or include the prompts in any of your existing verses (though all your entries must be posted for the first time during Prompt Party Week). 

Artists & Video makers may use any of the prompts, but there are some Art/Video specific ones at the bottom of the post.

I have condensed some of the prompts that were a little too long… and feel free to take some liberties with some of the more specific prompts!

If you have any questions, please tweet @OQPromptParty

OQ Prompt Party week will run from 19th - 25th March. Please don’t post anything until then.

Prizes:

Everyone who posts a prompt for all seven days of the OQ Prompt Party week will be sent a limited edition, one of a kind Outlaw Queen button/badge. These will never be available again, so don’t miss out!

Each day there will also be the opportunity to win another prize. You will be entered into a prize draw and the more prompts you write, the more times your name will be entered into the draw. I will announce which prizes will be available on each day soon.

There will also be a separate prize for most prompts included in a single one-shot/chapter (crack!fic encouraged).

And now! Without further ado, here are your prompts:

Regina and Robin are friends who accidentally sleep with one another, except not so accidentally

Roland is grown up and thinks he’s finally discovered how to bring back Robin Hood - but he needs Regina’s help

Regina eventually moved on, but then Robin comes back into her life.

Dark!OQ first kiss.

During the French Revolution, Robin is a  prosecutor who acts like a spy at court for Robespierre.

Robin owes the Queen a debt so she has made him her servant til it is repaid.  

Robin makes three wishes.

Co-Stars falling in love.

Robin and Regina used to date/were married. They’re no longer together but still love one another.

First Curse AU: Robin is in Storybrooke during the first curse and dated Mayor Mills while still cursed.  Then the curse breaks.

Robin catches Regina watching "Bridezilla" & "Say Yes to the Dress" and starts planning a secret wedding based on her commentary.

Regina meeting DarkOQ's baby (with them alive)

Robin or Regina get turned into an animal unbekownst to the other who ends up caring for them for a bit before the curse is broken and then it's all like awkward....you liked me as a fox.

OQ/Belle friendship.

Roland and Robyn meet for the first time.

No one dies and everything ends happy

Robin is there when Regina finds out she’s going to be a  grandmother.

Robin or Regina have a bad habit the other tries to help them break.

Regina is pregnant and she and Robin watch a birthing video together.

Learning how to snapchat.

Robin’s soul didn’t get obliterated when Hades stabbed him and his soul got trapped in Regina’s mirror

Page 23 showing up out of nowhere.

Regina feels burdened by the guilt of all the people she has murdered.  Robin supports her with this.

Cora tries to separate Robin and Regina.

Based on this story https://www.thevintagenews.com/2018/02/20/king-pedro/

Regina and Robin meet at a hospital as they both have to sit in a waiting room waiting for hours on news about some members of their family.

Dark OQ meet Maleficent.

Regina self harming and Robin noticing

During the missing year, Regina sees herself in her mirror with Robin's tattoo tattooed on her.

Regina finds out that she’s actually Zeus or Hera’s daughter and demands that Robin be brought back.

Robin's backstory for any story or as a stand alone for the one we were promised.

Underworld. Regina telling Robin about her father’s death? Some of Robin’s demons.

In season 2, Regina went to the EF through Jefferson’s hat, and meets people who escaped the first curse; her mother, and her soulmate.

Bladerunner AU. As a bladerunner, Robin is sent on a mission to retire a rogue replicant, Regina.

Facilier's magic enables Regina to speak to Robin one last time. (Feel free to include him being semi or fully corporeal if you wish.)

Robin or Regina have to pick up a drunk Henry or Roland.

Henry comes out as ace/bi/etc to Regina and Robin.

Robin gets jealous when Regina and Mal work together a lot on something in secret. (DOQ or OQ)

Vampire AU.

Regina and Robin have a big fight. Robin goes to Mal for help in understanding Regina's reactions and ways to make it up to her. (DOQ or OQ)

Regina has mad PMS (just cause I think Robin figuring this out would be hilarious).

Robin and Regina discover their respective significant others are cheating with each other. They support each other through the fallout and their sons decide to make them realize they should be together.

OQ Body switch.

Robin is thrown through the time portal and meets young teenage Regina.

Robin and Regina in an orgy.

They are rival vigilantes both trying to fight the villain of the town.

Magic spell gone wrong, Robin accidentally turns himself into a fox while fiddling around with one of the vials in Regina's vault.

After Regina experiences sexual harassment, Robin reaches out to comfort her.

Robin refuses to go to the doctor.

Screenwriter/Director falling in love.

Person A keeps having strange dreams that turn out to be OQ in a past/alternate lives and they’re determined to find person B again (for extra angst; person B is already dead in this life).

American Horror Story Murder House AU

Season 3 AU where Robin/Roland/Both find themselves in Neverland and join an unlikely group brought together by their need to find a young boy.

Dark!OQ finding & taking in an abandoned baby.

An AU where there is a terror attack.

One is a killer/Criminal the other one is trying to catch him/her.

OQ friendship as one of the original married couples from Grace and Frankie.

Regina has another adoptive child when Henry brings Emma to Storybrooke.

Why did Robins tattoo match the lion emblems in Camelot? Former knight? Rightful king?

Missing Year and it's Roland's birthday.

The Good Place AU

“I went to the museum to get some inspiration for my art and then I saw you staring at one of the paintings in awe but now you just noticed me drawing you and this is awkward AU”

Regina hires Robin as her stylist. Because of a misunderstanding she thinks he’s gay.

Drunk Regina accidentally admits something really embarrassing.

Robin and Regina in a witness protection programme.

Frozen AU

Regina dies and Robin can see her ghost, together and try to find a solution to bring her back.

Prince Robin has to choose a bride via competition for his heart and Regina is one of the girls competing (or vice versa).

Robin finds Regina after searching for her.

Regina being with young Robyn.

Soldier/Nurse AU.

Their first time together after Robin has been brought back to life.

Robin or Regina are royalty and the other one works for them.

Regina goes to visit Robin’s grave for the first time.

Rival detectives trying to solve a case.

"We have to be quick"

“Would you like to share the blanket?”

Strip Poker

Alzheimer’s - one of them gets it and the other takes care of them.

Regina realises that Wish!Robin was her Robin after all and wants him back. The Evil Queen isn’t happy at all with that notion.

Robin comes back without any memories, Regina has to make him fall in love with her again.

Regina doesn’t get to go to heaven so Robin decides to stay wherever she is.

OQ meet over the death of their children.

Robin proposes to Regina on a bridge.

Regina teaching (or attempting to teach) Robin how to bake something.

Robin is secretly shrunk and kept in Roni’s jeans pocket. She doesn’t tell anyone to protect him.

Robin accidentally ingests viagra

They are both criminals trying to escape.

You’re getting chased by the police and you just jumped in my car and yelled drive, wtf man

OQ go on a double date with D!OQ

Robin comes to bring lunch to Regina but he finds her very sexually frustrated having been interrupted by the children the night before.

Regina thinks Robin is cheating on her but he is actually planning to propose.

OQ Doctor Who AU with Regina as the last of the time lords, The Queen, and Robin as the professor/archaeologist/criminal/time-traveling husband she never meets in the right order.

"This can never happen again"

Robin and Regina realise that Robin’s daughter has magic, they try to teach her how to use it.

After last call at a bar, Robin and Regina find they don’t want to say goodbye

I Dream of Jeannie AU.

You’re the bastard who keeps parking in front of my house and you just caught me drawing a dick on your window… ugh, oops.

Rivals doctors trying to win a famous prize

“Your dog likes me a thousand times better than they like your partner and sorry not sorry I love this dog”

OQ at a strip club

Bedsharing

OQ in a Star Trek or Stargate setting

“Maybe we were the mistake"

10th Kingdom AU with Regina as Virginia and Robin as Wolf (but Fox!). Bonus points for bringing Henry and Roland along for the adventure.

Regina covers Robin in tiramisu.

Fantastic 4 AU.

"I'm really angry at you but also really horny so can we press pause on this fight and fuck first?"

Before she leaves for New York, Regina knows that Roland is going to leave so she decides to take him to his father’s grave to say goodbye to both of them.

Robin or Regina almost freeze to death and the other one finds them.

Regina takes Robin Hood on an airplane for the first time.

Regina visits Marian's grave to thank her.

The first time they sleep together after Zelena.

Partners, working on a firm together and lovers/couple off-work.

Robin likes to kiss the exposed parts of skin the EQ reveals (cleavage, back etc)

Robin and Regina's daughter breaking their first curse. Regina doesn't believe her and it tears her down a bit.

“We are trapped in a bank during a robbery, please don’t get yourself killed I’m actually starting to like you” AU.

OQ steal a baby (intentionally, unintentionally, whatever.)

D!OQ/OQ's wedding day.

You’re a sex line operator and I called you because I was curious and wow you have an incredible voice AU.

Regina dealing with menopause (could be brought on early due to magic).

Regina & Robin chaperone Henry's senior prom.

They have the house to themselves but they bet they can keep quiet. They end up losing.

Robin helps Regina see light in the darkness

One of them is caught masturbating.

Regina is overwhelmed and is drowning in her demons. Robin helps her.

OQ at Henry and Cinderella’s wedding.

Canon Robin and Regina talking about Regina and Graham’s past and Robin being jealous.

OQ in Disneyland.

Robin and Henry bond.

I’m a single parent and you’re my son’s coach and holy shit I want to take you out on a date and exercise in an adult way.

Regina planning a full weekend of roughing it in the woods with Robin and the barest of essentials.

Date night.

You seem to have slept with everyone on my block except me, care to explain yourself? (When’s it my turn because I find you very attractive).

Regina gets sun poisoning and Robin has to take care of her.

Barefoot in the rain - all of their “firsts” are in the rain.

Henry worries about his mother and confides in Robin.

Hook thinks something is amiss but accidentally walks in on Regina and Robin having sex he breaks his leg fleeing the scene.

Hades’ dagger splits Robin into 2. His dark and light sides.

Regina and Robin meet speed-dating.

Regina trying to cope with pregnancy hormones.

Regina goes to NYC and sees Robin with Marian(not Zelena) and she's jealous.

Summer camp either as counsellors or as attendees.

Teacher student preferably with Robin as the student

Roland falls ill.

Can't buy me love AU.

Chocolate

“I said i loved you one more time in case it would change your mind"

Two foreign strangers meet under the cherry blossoms in Japan (bonus points if Regina is dressed in a kimono)

Regina finding out she's pregnant and she gets scared of Robin's reaction. But he's very sweet about it and gets super happy.

Jealous Regina and/or Robin.

Roland and/or Henry getting into trouble for fighting and defending Peanut's honor when some kids start badmouthing her.

Regina as a russian spy, Robin the CIA agent who’s trying to capture her.

OQ in a dystopian AU (can be based on Black Mirror episodes).

Regina finds out through her jealousy that she actually likes Robin more than just a friend.

Roland and Regina go shopping.

Regina is a goddess of love. She is responsible to bring people together and help everyone find their true love. However, her fate is to be alone forever. Then she meets Robin and while he’s destined to be with Marian he goes against powers older than life on earth itself in order to be with her.

OQ as IT geeks who work in the same company and they’re so awkward when they flirt with each other.

Peanut's first period & Robin's the only one home.

Bandit!Regina injures Robin, then nurses him back to health

An English man’s heart is stolen by a Flamenco dancer on a visit to Spain.

One of them surprises the other in the shower, it's a really good surprise

Robin finds Regina's sex-toys, and he doesn't know what they are.

Regina attends Dark OQ’s wedding.

Secrets & Lies

Robin tries to put on a sexy costume but Regina laughs at him.

Movie night with the kids.

The queen orders Robin Hood to steal something from Rumple’s castle and gives him a reward.

Regina is the dark one and Robin has the dagger.

Emma ruins everything.

Fireworks

“And for the first time in a long time, I could imagine a future where I was happy"

Regina and Robin see a musical on Broadway together.

Drinking Game with 20 Questions

Robin and Regina have a big fight.

Regina turns home to a very drunk Roland. Turns out Robin thought the ‘Strawberry Woo-Woo’ cans in the refrigerator were a children’s drink. “What kind of alcoholic drink has a picture of _____ on it?!”

Zorro AU

Regina cares for a sick Robin during the missing year.

Regina/Roni has been in a relationship with Facilier when Robin comes back.

Childhood Robin and Regina meeting in the Enchanted Forest.

They almost get caught in any type of sexual situation by any character.

Regina is an artist, Robin is life model who poses nude for each of her life drawing classes.

The Love Punch AU

Season 5 AU: Robin doesn't die and now has two parts of Regina to deal with: Queenie and Regina.

“You can’t just take my child!” “I’m taking what’s rightfully mine.”

Robin gives Regina a ring.

Regina or Robin have physical therapy twice a week but instead of working on the injury they do much more fulfilling exercises.

Regina is an AI Robot owned by a lonely widower Robin.

OQ have sex in a library

Roland climbs up a tree, Regina helps him to get down.

OQ + rimming

Roni and Robin find one another in Hyperion Heights in their cursed identities.  Then one day, the curse is broken and they wake up

Queeny and Locksley bring Robin back for Regina

A visit to the museum.

Roman Holiday AU.

Regina and Robin "just friends" play a drinking game

Robin and Regina skype while he is on an out of town business trip

USA around civil war time. Regina, wife of a confederate slave owner, is on her way further down into the South when the train gets stopped by Yankees (Robin).

Robin tells Regina that she deserves better than her current boyfriend

Robin and Regina get caught getting handsy in public

Regina tells Robin that she saw his girlfriend cheating on him

Regina and Robin attend a ball.

WWI or WWII AU: Regina falls for British solider Robin.

Non-Magical AU - Regina and Robin are on a date when they bump into Regina’s ex: Emma Swan

Regina being selfish in bed.

Roland follows an injured puppy and gets lost, Robin/Regina find them huddled together for warmth.

“You are my future.” “But I’m not sure you’re mine.”

Anastasia AU

“How did my parents meet? Well, my dad was in jail, and called the wrong number accidentally, who happened to be my mom, and he didn’t wanna waste his call so he told her not to hang up. Boom. They’re 24 years married.”

Regina is an assassin hired to kill Robin, but when she realizes he is a good man and has a son, she decides to protect him instead.

A Showmaster falls in love with his new trapeze artist who joined the show with her young son in order to provide a living.

Robin leaves Roland with Regina while out of town and she has to call John when something goes wrong.

Friends with benefits

Regina and Robin get set up on a blind date by their friends but neither of them showed up. Years later they get together and find out about their missed opportunity.

Robin accidentally clones himself whilst playing around with a few things in Regina’s vault. Regina has to try and put things back to normal, though not without having a little fun first.

The Notebook AU

Mulan AU: because her father is too old and weak, she joins the army as her father’s son, trying to save her country from the looming threat of (e.g. ogres)

Castle AU: She’s a detective and he’s a writer.

They meet at a gala, she’s an actress with a wonderful red dress and he’s a musician. They start talking and they fall in love looking at each other’s eyes.

Robin is the royal heir to a fortune but is disillusioned with the customs and pomp of regality so he gets into thievery ... and Cora is out on the look for a new husband for Regina after the first fell through ..... (perhaps bandit Regina and Robin)

Regina makes Robin her famous lasagne.

Roland goes to college.

Roland gets lost in a supermarket and Regina finds him and helps him find his Papa.

Marrying your best-friend eliminates the risk of divorce by 75%

Medical AU.

High School AU - Robin is a new student of one year. Marian schemes to get Robin for herself by dissuading both Regina and Robin who clearly have feelings for each other.

Robin and Regina are not dating. Then Robin accidentally walks in on Regina when she's with a woman.

Regina wearing Robin’s sweater bc she’s cold and that’s all she can find.

Regina being a headmistress and Robin being a billionaire whose son, Roland, goes to the school where Regina is the boss. Usually the nanny drops Roland off at school but one day when Regina is in charge of the arriving children so happens that Robin takes him to school.

Robin and Regina make a pact that if both of them aren’t married by 40 they marry each other. They fall out of contact for a few years but Regina gets a phone call on her 40th birthday from a familiar voice...

A reincarnation AU where one of them is forced to remember the past lives with the other person but the other person doesn’t remember their last life.

Teen OQ's first time in the backseat of a car.

Robin and Regina are both celebrities (doesn't matter in what form)  and they've been secretly dating for a while when they are asked to perform in an episode of Lip Sync Battle and Robin proposes with Bruno Mars' Marry You.

“I only date for the Netflix passwords.”

Robin and Regina bond over their puppies Roland and Henry.

Regina sneaking birth control to her teenage daughter and Robin catching her.

Robin being Regina's personal trainer, because Regina wants to work out before her wedding but we all know that wedding won't happen now that they met.

Upper east side widow: While en route to her husband’s funeral (whom she murdered) Regina gets arrested by Detective Locksley.

In the EF Regina’s hair gets too heavy for liking and she wants to cut it with scissors but Robin has a different idea (cutting it with an axe)

Jealous Regina (when they aren't even together) and she gets all possessive, angry then takes matters into her own hands so they have a get together sex.

Regina takes up archery as a new hobby and Robin is her instructor.

Roland saves a litter of kittens. Regina wants to get rid of them bc she doesn’t want pets. They win her heart over in no time and while outside she acts all indifferent, Robin catches her being all sweet with the kitties when she thinks everyone is sleeping.

Art Prompts

Regina and Robin as Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. Famous ice dancers in love.

Anything silhouetted

Drawing/painting of all of their kisses

The Vault

Regina & Robin's twentieth wedding anniversary.

Regina's box of mementos from Robin (Can be before or after his death)

Dawn's first light on the sleeping lovers

A midnight swim beneath a waterfall

WW2 manip (Robin using the pics of Sean from Timeless)

Nightswimming

Arguing in public

OQ at the beach

masquerade ball

Royal Wedding

OQ in Game of Thrones

Art a favourite fic

Song Prompts 

(for music videos but can also be used for fic & art)

Faded - Alan Walker

Rewrite the stars - The Greatest Showman

The night we met - Lord Huron

Sorry - Halsey

So cold - Ben Cocks

Every time we touch - Cascada

Sad song - We the Kings

Because of you - Kelly Clarkson

All I ask - Adele

Hello - Adele

Little do you know - Alex & Sierra

In my veins - Andrew Belle

Just a little bit of your heart - Ariana Grande (Alesia Cara cover)

You are the reason - Calum Scott

The scientist - Coldplay

I will survive - Aretha Franklin (Leopold or Daniel as “you”, Regina as “I”, and Robin as “someone who’s lovin’ me”)

Dangerously - Charlie Puth

I need you love - Calvin Harris (Madlyn Bailey cover)

Paradise - George Ezra

Say you won't let go - James Arthur

Naked - James Arthur

The one that got away - Katy Perry

My life would suck without you - Kelly Clarkson

Angel down - Lady Gaga

Secret love song - Little Mix

You always make me smile - Kyle Andrews

Like i'm gonna lose you - Meghan Trainor

Close your eyes - Michael Buble

Dynasty - MIIA

Classic - MKTO

Latch - Sam Smith (Natalie Taylor cover)

Rich love - One Republic

Just give me a reason - P!nk

What about us - P!nk

Better place - Rachel Platten

War of hearts - Ruelle

The heart wants what it wants - Selena Gomez

To be human - Sia

Dusk till dawn - Zayn

Just a dream - Nelly

Don’t Treat Me Bad - Firehouse

Demons - Imagine Dragons

Outlaws - Alessia Cara

Somebody else - The 1975

Hurts like hell - Ruelle

Too good at goodbyes - Sam Smith

Video games by Lana Del Rey

Goodbye kiss - Kasabian

Stay with me - Sam Smith

Tetris - Madlyn Bailey

Tell me you love me - Demi Lovato

Nobody - Selena Gomez

I want crazy - Hunter Hayes

In the name of love - Martin Garriz & Bebe Rexha

Gives you Hell - The All-American Rejects

Hopeless Romantic - Billy Vera & The Beaters

My Valentine - Paul McCartney

Are You Ready - Mike & The Mechanics

Dark Horse - Katy Perry

I Won’t Give Up - Glee version

Perfect - Ed Sheeran

Into You - Ariana Grande

Gorgeous - Taylor Swift

Theme prompts for Videos:

Fanfic Trailers.

Movie trailers.

AU videos.

S7 AU Trailer.

Missing Year

OQ Family

[rockinriot]

@redrioted replying to this

“--Thank you.” His voice is quiet. He hates asking this of Eijirou. Hates putting him in this position, but he prefers surviving a little bit more. He hates himself for that, but he climbs in anyway, looking around the room. It’s very him and it sets a heavy ache in his chest.

“I’ll-- I’ll be gone by morning. Okay? I won’t get you in trouble.” And maybe he wanted to see Eijirou again, before things got worse, before he began to really hate him

[ayalaatreides]

Outlaw Star Fanfic!!!!

The thing is, Gene's never been in love before. And he's never fought for anything bigger than himself, not really. Who could blame him for getting a little mixed up?

This show is, like, what, almost 20 years old??? And I just got into it earlier this year. First thing I’ve done in this fandom and it’s.... uh, dismantling the canon pairing. Sorry. Anyway, I wasn’t entirely happy with the endgame ship of Gene/Melfina and this is my take on what happens in the immediate aftermath of the Leyline battle. No ship-bashing, just my thoughts in fic-format.

Rating: T (for brief suggestive content) Characters: Gene Starwind, Melfina, Twilight Suzuka (with mentions of Jim and Aisha)

Gene Starwind was confused. Troubled, even. Which really didn't make sense, given the circumstances. He was fresh off of his greatest success, after all— which was really quite an achievement, if he did say so himself. He considered himself to have had a great many successes in his young life. Well, a fair number of successes. A few, at least, surely; he'd snagged the greatest Grappler ship in the universe, hadn't he? And the Leyline, at any rate, was an unquestionable win for the legendary duo of Starwind and Hawking (and friends). And yet, he was still unsettled.

He sat in his chair, the captain's chair on the Outlaw Star's bridge. The rest of the crew had gone to sleep already. Melfina was in her pod behind him, ready to work at a moment's notice in case there were any more Kei pirates hanging around in the sector and wanting revenge. But the canister's shutters were closed; she was asleep, too, snug and safe and finally at peace in her little digital world. He was the only one still awake— and he felt appropriately foolish for it, since he was usually the first to happily embrace a good night's rest.

Gene stared out through the bridge's wide windows, taking in the vast emptiness that he had once feared, and he considered his conundrum. He knew he should be riding high on the thrill of saving the day. And he had celebrated, once the dust had settled and they'd made their getaway. All in all, it had been a rousing victory. The mystery of the Leyline had been solved, the villains were defeated, and all his friends had lived to fight another day. The dashing hero had even won the fair maiden's heart!

Although, that was part of the problem, truthfully. In the heat of the moment, in the face of glorious victory, he'd told Melfina that he wanted her to stay with him. She'd confessed that she wanted the same… and he'd kissed her. And she'd responded! Kind of, anyway. It was really hard to tell these things with her. The important thing was that she wanted to stay with him, and she'd accepted his kiss.

But that had been the end of it. Nothing more had happened since that moment; nothing had changed between them. She seemed happier, to be sure— freer of spirit and more lighthearted. But she wasn't any closer to him, no more affectionate than usual. They were already a week and a half into their journey back to Sentinel III, and it was like the kiss had never happened. His attempts at flirting with her had gone right over her head. And the one time when he'd been a bit more forward, when he'd made a suggestive comment and cupped her chin, brushing her lips with his thumb, pulling her close… she'd suddenly tensed up and looked distinctly uncomfortable, and then he'd felt uncomfortable too, and also strangely guilty.

The whole thing was mystifying to Gene. He liked to think that he was quite well versed in the more physical side of romance, but the emotional side… that was the tricky stuff. Melfina did love him, didn't she? And he sure as hell loved her, right? So what, then, was the problem? Gene growled in aggravation, pinching the bridge of his nose. This was getting way too complicated for his tastes. He didn't like complicated stuff.

He was so distracted, turning this thorny problem over and over in his thoughts, that he didn't realize he wasn't alone in the room until he felt a light, gentle hand on his shoulder. Gene jumped slightly, then spotted Melfina from the corner of his eye. He coughed and shifted in his seat, putting his feet up on the back of the copilot's chair and folding his hands behind his head like he hadn't been startled at all.

"Hey, Mel!" he greeted her, beaming as warmly as he could.

"Good evening, Gene," she replied with that sweet little smile of hers. "Is everything all right? I woke up and sensed your presence here. Why are you not asleep?"

"Well, my bunk gets awfully cold, all by myself," Gene shot back with his extra-charming, extra-mischievous Starwind Smirk, the one that usually made girls giggle and blush. He even threw in a wink. He figured he'd give innuendo one more shot— but Melfina just frowned slightly, head tilting in concern.

"Your bunk is too cold? Maybe Gilliam needs to adjust the environmental controls," she said worriedly.

"My handling of the environmental controls is superb, beyond reproach," Gilliam interjected, sounding amazingly offended for a computer. "Gene is simply being his usual perverted—"

"Hey, hey, hey! Can you knock off the sass and give us some privacy?" Gene protested.

"This is the bridge. This is where my central terminal is located," Gilliam shot back. "In a manner of speaking, this is my bunk. You ought to give me some privacy."

"The whole damn ship is your bunk! You are the ship!" Gene retorted.

"Fine, then, I will leave you alone. I shall monitor our voyage from another terminal— I, the sole guardian, toiling tirelessly and thanklessly as the rest of the crew sleeps. It seems that there is no logic to be had with my unreasonable and high-strung Captain," Gilliam sulked, and Gene marveled once again at the fact that someone had managed to program such a passive aggressive computer. The lights on the central terminal flickered off and Gene heaved a long-suffering sigh.

"Gilliam is so funny, isn't he?" Melfina said fondly.

"Yeah, funny. I guess that's one word for it," Gene remarked wryly. Then he fell silent, studying Melfina's profile from his peripheral vision as she gazed out into the stars. Noticing his attention, she turned back to him with that doe-eyed stare.

"Gene? Are you sure it's only the temperature in your bunk that's keeping you awake?" she asked tentatively.

Gene let out a slow exhale, raking his fingers through his hair. He'd never been very good at talking about his feelings. It was always awkward. But there was no way out of it this time. He figured he might as well get it over with.

"Mel," he began slowly, "Back at the Leyline… how did you, uh, feel?"

"How did I feel?" she echoed, head tilting to the side again. It was cute— an almost doll-like gesture.

Gene shifted awkwardly. "Uh, when… you know, that time when, uh… I said I wanted you to stay with me, and you— you said the same thing, and I, uh… I kissed you, remember?" he sputtered. She was just standing there and piercing him with that innocent gaze and it was really putting him off his game. He suddenly felt guilty for bringing it up.

Melfina glanced away, hands clasping together. "Yes, I remember," she said quietly.

"How did you, uh, feel? When that happened?" Gene prompted.

"I felt happy, of course," she said serenely, her smile returning. "You're dear to me, I was glad that you wanted me to stay with you."

"And, the kiss— how did you— I mean, when I kissed you, did you… feel anything?" he pressed, and the look of innocent confusion on her face actually made him feel a little dirty for having asked, and not the fun kind of dirty.

"I… I felt happy," she said again, but her smile dimmed somewhat. "Is there another feeling you're referring to?"

Gene bit back a swear; he'd known this would probably be awkward, but it was shaping up to be even worse than he'd imagined.

"Uh, w-well, you know… look, when I kissed you, did you feel like you wanted to… do anything else besides that?" he asked. He was floundering badly and he damn well knew it.

"Do anything else?" Melfina echoed. "Gene, you're not making sense." Oh yes, he was most certainly going down in flames.

He gestured inarticulately. "Look, most people, when they kiss someone like that, they have desires— there's urges that they—" he tried, but she still just stared at him in confusion and mild worry. He heaved another sigh and ran his hands through his hair again.

Honestly, he'd never really stopped to consider whether Melfina experienced the same kinds of desires that he and most humans did. She clearly had the capacity for emotions, or at least a really good replication of them. But did she have physical desires? Was she even physically capable of…? She was a bio-android, and an unparalleled one at that, but exactly how many biological traits had they given her? That time when he'd been poisoned, she'd healed him by cradling him against her naked body— but then, they hadn't really been naked, had they? It had been a simulation of sorts. And the night before his duel with that assassin, he'd grabbed her, held her against his body— and she'd pulled away. He'd assumed that he had simply been too rough, too forward, that he'd scared her… but what if it was more than that?

She loved him, though. She'd said that her wish was to stay with him. Wasn't that a declaration of love? She'd readily accepted that kiss. And he loved her, too, of course. And yet…

Maybe he was going about this the wrong way. He took his hands from his hair and turned back to Melfina, studying her intently.

"Hey... if Jim kissed you like I did, would you feel happy?" he asked carefully.

"Jim?" Melfina echoed, blinking in surprise. "Why would he?"

"That's not important, let's just say he did," Gene insisted. "Would you be happy? Would you be mad at him, or upset?"

"Why would I be mad or upset? Jim is my friend, he cares about me," she said.

"What about Aisha? Suzuka?" Gene asked, trying to ignore the sudden sinking feeling in his chest. She blinked again but quickly regained her peaceful smile.

"I don't know why they would wish to kiss me, but I see no reason why I should be upset with them if they did. They're dear to me, too- they're my friends," Melfina said tranquilly. Then she frowned and added, "Is that what friends do? They kiss on the mouth like that? Do friends have those urges you mentioned?"

Gene sat back in his seat, stunned. Did she not understand the concept of a kiss on the lips as a declaration of romantic intent? There was only one way to know for certain.

"One more question?" he asked quietly.

"Of course, Gene," she said.

He took his feet down from the back of the copilot's chair, leaning in closer; her eyes went wide and she visibly tensed.

"What do you feel now, huh? When I'm close to you like this?" he whispered huskily to her.

"I— I don't—" Melfina stuttered, shrinking back.

"Do you want me to touch you?" he asked bluntly, lifting his hand to her cheek— but stopping just short of caressing her skin.

Melfina gasped slightly, and then her shoulders drooped and she turned her face away, eyes downcast. Gene had seen plenty of coyness in his day, and this wasn't it. She was uncomfortable, plain and simple. He withdrew from her, sitting back in the pilot's seat, leaning his head against the back of the chair. She softly bid him a good night and retreated to her pod.

Gene sat in silence, staring out through the windows once more. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, crossing and uncrossing his legs; he'd pushed her outside her comfort zone once again. He wondered if she'd be mad at him. Still, now he knew the truth once and for all: Melfina didn't understand his feelings, and whatever she felt towards him, it probably wasn't the same as what he felt for her. He sighed heavily, dropping his head back again. So much for the hero getting the girl.

—-------------

The next night found Gene sleepless as well. This time, though, he went to the galley; he couldn't quite stomach the prospect of another awkward moment with Melfina if she sensed him on the bridge and woke up again.

Of course, as luck would have it, there wasn't any solitude to be found in the galley either. He shuffled in, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand, and stopped dead in his tracks at the familiar sight of very long black hair. Suzuka sat there at the table, calmly sipping her customary cup of tea. She glanced up at him, but if she was surprised to see him, it didn't show on her stoic face.

"Good evening, Captain," she said, setting her teacup down. "Are you having difficulty sleeping?"

Gene rolled his eyes and tossed his hands up exasperatedly. "Everybody's prying all of a sudden," he grunted. Granted, "everyone" was two people spread out over two subsequent nights, but that was still two more people than he would have liked.

"I apologize. I was unaware that I was prying," Suzuka said, and she sounded faintly amused. Gene just grumbled in response and dug through the cupboards for a snack. He'd bring it back to his bunk and he'd just deal with Jim's whining about crumbs in the linens when laundry day came around; he wasn't in a chatty mood.

"Don't mind me," Gene remarked sourly, "I'll be out of your hair in just a—"

"Gene, what is happening between yourself and Melfina?" Suzuka asked. Gene fumbled a box of rice crackers, dropping it into the sink and swearing under his breath. Well, damn, he hadn't expected that she might already know!

"Huh?! What— that's—" Gene spluttered, spinning around to face her, but she held up a hand.

"Please, Captain, I've already noticed the signs. There is no need to pretend," she said, and her slightly stern tone made him feel far more sheepish than he reckoned any ship captain ought to feel when questioned by an underling.

Gene gaped at her for a second, then snatched the box of rice crackers from the sink and slunk over to the table, sinking down across from her. He was sulking just a little bit— he'd thought he was being stealthy, keeping things under wraps till he was sure that their "budding love" was for real.

"Everyone else… do they know?" Gene asked, coughing to cover the fact that he was a little worried. He'd been trying to keep it secret for Melfina's privacy- and to avoid Aisha's teasing and Jim's scolding, if he was being honest.

"Jim and Aisha are aware that something is different in your behavior and hers, but no. To the best of my knowledge, they haven't reached the same conclusions as I have," Suzuka said. "I have held my silence on the subject for decency's sake."

Gene heaved a sigh of relief. "Thanks. I appreciate—"

"More for Melfina's sake than your own," Suzuka added pointedly. "Of course, I am merely asking for your side of it, as I've already asked Melfina herself and she told me what happened in the Leyline's core— and about your encounter with her on the bridge last night."

Gene glared at her, fully prepared to stand up and storm out with his rice crackers. Then again, if he had to have someone prying into this, Suzuka was probably his best bet. Out of everyone on his haphazardly assembled crew, the stoic assassin was probably the least likely to blab about it. And she was a woman, with all kinds of potential insights about other people who were also women. Maybe she could shed some light on the problem. He popped the box open and shoved a handful of crackers into his mouth, chewing to buy time to put his thoughts together.

"Was she upset? About… what happened last night?" he asked gruffly, around the mouthful of crackers. She took a delicate drink from her cup. He swallowed heavily as he waited for her to finish sipping her damn tea and answer the damn question.

"Have you given her a reason to be upset?" Suzuka asked cooly as she set the cup down.

"Wha— no way! Like I'd ever want to hurt her!" Gene retorted. "It's just that… you know, I kissed her before and I thought she was happy about it, and—" He fumbled under Suzuka's level stare and quickly crammed more crackers into his mouth for a distraction. Chomping self-consciously on them, he grumbled, "I just had to know if she felt the same way or not."

"I see," Suzuka remarked. "And now you are heartbroken that she's rejected you."

Gene smirked and waggled a finger at her. "Gene Starwind does not get heartbroken," he told her. It came out far more bitterly than he'd planned and he fought the urge to grimace. And it definitely didn't sound as cool as it should have, with the crumbs from his late-night shame snack sticking to the corners of his mouth.

"Certainly," Suzuka agreed, sounding not at all convinced. "And yet, you did get rejected. Does it bother you?"

He started to reply, but the words died on his tongue under her probing stare. He sat back, wiped his mouth, and stared down at the rice cracker box, taking a second to think about how he actually felt. When it came right down to it, was he actually heartbroken? Grouchy and confused, sure, but was he heartbroken? Given that this was supposed to have been the start of a grand, epic, sweeping romance… he was surprisingly un-devastated. Hell, he'd been more cut up after his first girlfriend had dumped him; he'd cried all day and drank all night, and that hadn't even been a serious relationship. Gene was many things, but even he had to admit that he wasn't a subtle man. Even if he didn't like talking about them, he'd never been one to restrain his emotions— so where were they now?

Gene gaped at Suzuka; her eyebrows raised slightly, as if she'd proven a point, and she took another sip from her teacup. She studied him over the teacup's rim. He fidgeted under her unreadable gaze until finally she spoke again.

"You care for Melfina very much," she remarked.

"Of course I do!" Gene exclaimed. "I'd do anything to make her happy!"

Suzuka almost smiled. "Quite so. You truly care for Melfina, to protect her and make yourself her champion. What you did for her, crossing the galaxy to find the answers she sought, fighting one foe after another, was quite generous."

"Oh. Uh… thanks," Gene said, surprised at the sudden praise. He considered it, then added suspiciously, "You're not thinking I did it just to—"

"In fact, I was not." Suzuka said. After a moment, she added, "Jim told me about Hilda, once. I had heard rumors about Hilda's fate before I met you, and I asked him to tell me the story of her involvement— however, the details took me rather by surprise."

"Yeah… you n' me both," Gene muttered. It still stung a little to talk about Hilda and her sudden, violent end.

"It's a rare honor to be entrusted with such a task," Suzuka remarked. "To have the fate of as innocent a soul as Melfina placed in one's hands… one might think of it as a call to selflessness. It's not a chance that comes to everyone. And not all would have handled it as courageously as you did."

"Selflessness? Courageously?" Gene echoed. That was, without a doubt, the kindest thing she'd ever said to him.

"Of course. Flawed though you may be, I would not have followed you had you proven yourself to be without virtue," Suzuka told him. Gene smiled and sat up a little more, squaring his shoulders; he couldn't even bring himself to retort with anything clever, he was so pleased at hearing such a heartfelt compliment. Never mind the nicest thing Suzuka had ever said, it might've been the nicest thing anyone had said of him, ever.

Then his smile dimmed a little as he contemplated what she'd said; so much for his 'virtue', if he was making Melfina uncomfortable. Suzuka might not have been thinking it, but was Melfina worried now that he'd helped her just to get into her skirt? Or would something like that not even occur to her, innocent as she was? The thought somehow made him feel worse.

"Why did you take up Hilda's quest after her demise?" Suzuka asked.

Gene opened his mouth to tell her, then stopped, then tried again- but nothing came forth. Granted, that was a question he'd asked himself more than once, and usually when someone was shooting at them. But, come to think of it, he'd never really reached an answer.

"Because, uh... Obviously, I fell for Melfina!" Gene proclaimed. "What kinda guy wouldn't cross the universe for the girl he loves?" That made sense, right?

"I see. So you did it all for love, then," Suzuka said.

"Damn right, I did!" Gene proclaimed, winking.

"Romantic love?" she asked.

"Wha- look, just because I like to get some doesn't mean I can't fall in love!" Gene protested. He felt his face flushing red and he hated it.

"That wasn't what I meant, Captain," Suzuka replied cooly. "Let me ask you something else, then: would you not have gone so far for Jim's sake?"

"Huh? What're you talking about? Of course I would! If I had to fight a shitload of pirates and cross the universe for Jim, obviously I'd do it. He's my soul brother! He might be a rude little nerd, but he's my rude little nerd!" Gene insisted.

"Yet you do not love him romantically," Suzuka observed. Gene glared at her; he wasn't even going to dignify that with a response.

"Melfina's different- it's different because I'm in love with her," Gene said pointedly.

"Love takes many forms, Gene Starwind. The love between brothers, the love of friends, the love of parents for their child, these are no less beautiful than that which graces lovers. The entwining of souls is no less meaningful than the entwining of bodies," Suzuka said.

Gene grimaced. "That just sounds wrong coming from you," he muttered.

Suzuka sat back and delicately finished her tea, setting the empty teacup down. Gene scowled at her and stood up, grabbing the box of crackers and stomping to the door.

"Good night, Captain," Suzuka said. He grumbled in response as the door opened and then hissed shut behind him. When he crawled into his bunk and collapsed onto his mattress, crumpled cracker box still in hand, he was no less confused than he'd been before his visit to the galley.

—------------------

Romantic love?

Suzuka's stupid question was still bouncing around in Gene's head the next morning, which found him cranky and still confused. Of course it was romantic love- it had to be, right? Obviously he was in romantic love with Melfina. He'd crossed the entire known universe to help her find peace. So what if he would've done the same for Jim? The kid was his brother and best friend- more to the point, Jim wasn't a cute, sweet girl.

Gene scowled and sat up in his bunk, resting his head in his hands. Why had he taken up Hilda's quest? He hadn't had an answer for Suzuka, but he was starting to suspect he needed to find one.

He thought back to that fateful day on Blue Heaven, when he'd made that promise to Melfina. Up till that moment, he hadn't really been planning to take on Hilda's quest. Helping Melfina had been Hilda's idea, and he'd resented Melfina for being the cause of Hilda's demise; that was how he'd seen it, anyway. If Hilda hadn't gotten mixed up with the XGP and Melfina, if she hadn't crossed the Kei pirates... To see such an amazing woman die over a ship and an android...

But then he'd seen Melfina studying those flowers, questioning her own existence, and it had stirred something in his heart. He'd realized at that moment what a miraculous being she was, and he'd wanted nothing more than to protect her and help her. Once he'd understood how special she was, putting everything on the line had been such an easy choice. If that wasn't love, then what was?

Of course, Suzuka just had to go and say all that stuff about different kinds of love. Obviously there was more than one kind of love! And he knew which kind of love this was. But if that was true, then why did he feel so conflicted? He'd crossed the universe for Melfina, he'd taken on the Kei pirates, he'd set out to find the Galactic Leyline, because... because...

Because someone had to. Melfina had needed someone, and, well... hey, he'd been right there, hadn't he? He'd had the ship, he'd had the girl who guided it, so why not? Who else was going to do it?

Suzuka had said something about a "call to selflessness". Gene had never really considered whether or not he was a selfless person. He'd spent most of his life clawing and scraping for every wong, always scheming to "make it big" and claim fame- or infamy. Sure, he'd had Jim to take care of, but the kid was pretty self-sufficient. And he'd never admit it out loud, but Jim took care of him probably more often than he took care of Jim. He'd never had any kind of noble cause to fight for, nor had he wanted to, not till Hilda had dropped one into his hands. Then again, Hilda had been an outlaw with a vicious reputation; she'd probably never had a noble cause before Melfina, either.

But then Hilda went and died and left Melfina in his care. Hilda had placed her faith in him in that last moment of her life. She'd left him with someone to fight for- a call to selflessness. Gene sat up so sharply that he smacked his forehead on the ceiling of his narrow bunk. Cursing, he flopped backwards and grasped his head, groaning.

It wasn't just his stinging forehead, either; he was starting to realize what an idiot he was. Had he really misinterpreted his own feelings that badly? He cared about Melfina, he'd wanted to protect her ever since that day on Blue Heaven, but was this not actually romantic love? As much as he didn't want to admit it, he already knew the answer to that.

---------------------

Gene spent the next cycle like it was business as usual; Melfina didn't quite meet his eyes during her times out of the canister, but everything was normal aside from that- and aside from Suzuka's pointed stares drilling into his head at mealtime. Once everyone had gone to sleep again, Gene made his way to the bridge and gently rapped on the top of Melfina's canister. She emerged, still not quite meeting his eyes.

"Is your bunk too cold again, Gene?" she asked tremorously.

"No, no, that's not it," Gene said. "I, uh, I owe you an apology."

"And me as well, Gene," Gilliam interjected. "For implying that my handling of the environmental controls is anything less than-"

"Hey, hey, hey! Privacy, please!" Gene complained.

"I see. This again. Very well, Captain," Gilliam huffed. His console went dark.

"What's this about an apology?" Melfina asked, raising her eyes for the first time.

"For making you uncomfortable last night," Gene muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Oh, I see." Melfina's gaze lowered again, to her clasped hands. "I'm- I'm sorry, too. I didn't know what to do."

"You don't have to apologize, you didn't do anything wrong," he reassured her. "Hey, listen... I got kinda confused for a while, and... look, you're- what was it you said? You're 'dear to me'. But I realized, it's a different kind of feeling than I thought it was. I thought it was one kinda feeling, but it's more like how I feel about Jim." He was fumbling again, and cursing himself for it.

"I don't understand. Are you saying you also kissed Jim?" Melfina asked, eyebrows furrowing.

"What?! Eugh, no! First of all, that kid's like my brother- and also he's like, what, twelve?" Gene protested. He shook his head, then sighed and forged onward. "Uh, Mel, would you be sad if we... didn't kiss like that again?"

Her eyes widened. "I hadn't thought of it, actually," she admitted. "It was a nice feeling, but we don't have to do that again if you don't want to."

"Oh... good!" Gene said, then winced. "Not that I didn't like the kiss- I mean-"

"Gene..." Melfina said worriedly.

"Never mind," Gene grumbled. He hesitated, then added, "Hey, Mel… even after what happened… we're still friends, right?"

Melfina smiled gently. "Of course we are," she said. "Jim told me about best friends, once. He said that a best friend is someone special, someone for whom you would do anything. You, and Jim, and Suzuka, and Aisha… you're my best friends!"

Gene nodded and grinned at her. "Yeah. That's us!" he agreed, ruffling her hair. Melfina giggled and ducked away from his hand.

"I'm glad," she said gently.

"Yeah… me too," he said, beaming.

Sure, it would've been nice to do the whole "grand, epic romance" thing… but having another friend was also pretty damn good. Gene heaved a sigh of relief and laced his fingers behind his head, looking out into the stars and smiling contentedly. He was done feeling troubled; now he was ready to go home and revel in his victory.

Too bad he'd forgotten about the property damage charges and overdue parking fees that were waiting for him on good old Sentinel III.

[rockinriot]

@mightyfrail

They’d done it. They’d actually managed to capture All Might, and Kirishima can’t being himself to feel any joy over it. No, he can’t shake the dread that’s settled in his chest. He didn’t imagine, didn’t realize, that it would it was possible, that the League could accomplish something like this.

But the proof is right here, right in front of him, contained in a cell he’s meant to be watching. Which is funny, considering he can’t even look at its occupant in the eye. He’s afraid of what he might see, in the number one hero’s expression. 

And god, what does that mean for the future, for heroes, if All Might were to fall like this? What kind of city would it be, if the League ran supreme? He’s got no place to be thinking about things like this considering the kind of person he is (and imagine what would happen to him if Shigaraki got even a hint that he’d been thinking of shit like this), and yet, and yet--

It’s not nobility, or any kind of bravery, that brings him forward, fingers curling around one of the cell bars. Nah, he’s just plain scared. This is a way out.

“--I can get you out of here. But. Only if you agree to take me with you.” Somehow, his voice doesn’t shake, despite how quickly his heart is beating against his ribs.

[rockinriot]

@ereiza​

It takes a lot of something Kirishima thought he didn’t have, to stand here in front of Aizawa Shouta’s office so late at night. He’d made up his mind days ago, but that didn’t make it any easier to be here, nor to admit what he was about to admit.

U.A., his classmates, they’d made him want to be a hero. They’d made him wanna be someone good. ‘Course, neither of them are available to him anymore, especially the former, not after tonight. But.

This was something he had to do.

His breath catching in his throat, he reaches up to knock on the door. Loud enough that he would definitely be heard. “--Aizawa-sensei?”

[rockinriot]

❝ are sure you're cut out for this kinda stuff? you sure are....whiny. ❞

“–Of course I am! Just who do you take me for?” He bristles, defensive, but only because it cuts too close to home. As much as he tries to deny it, he hates it. He hates being a villain. But it’s not like he can do anything else, anymore. He scoffs, instead of voicing this out loud. He can hardly admit it to himself, much less to someone like her. “I’m just expressing concern! That’s it!”