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kaythegay2022 · 2 years ago

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Stick It to the Man (Ch. 2)

The Cult of Dionysus

(by The Orion Experience)

This is the second barp of my fic for the Thomas Sanders Big Bang 2022 ( @sandersidesbigbang )!

Part 1

Read on AO3

Chapter Warnings: mentions of drinking and smoking

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“Remus, you need to focus.”

Remus groaned, opening his eyes and glaring at Janus. He didn’t want to focus. The past two weeks had been rough, and he had no will to try and figure out what to do without Virgil. In fact, Remus was more concerned with just finding Virgil. His boyfriend wouldn’t answer his calls or his texts. He wouldn’t answer any of the band's calls or texts. It was like the emo had just… disappeared.

“Babes, leave him alone. We still have a while. I’ll just lead or whatever,” Remy cut in, leaning back in his bean bag chair. They were in their studio, though Remus would rather be anywhere else right about now.

“What about new music? Virgil wrote all of our songs.”

“We’ll just perform those-”

“Fuck this.” Remus wasn’t putting up with this any longer. He wanted to go out and forget how to be sad. “I’m going to Wisteria. Remy, you coming with?”

“Remus, I do not think this is a healthy way to cope-”

“Hells yeah, babes! Let me grab my coat!” Remy rushed out of the room as Remus stood up, trying to stretch out his back. He glanced over at Janus and immediately regretted it. The other was giving him one of those ‘mom looks’ Remus so despised.

“Jan, please. I need this. Don’t come with us if you’re going to keep looking at me like I’m about to get a breakup tattoo or some shit.” Remus didn’t want to deal with anything tonight. Not Janus’s pitying looks, and definitely not the aching loneliness he felt without Virgil. He wanted to get drunk and party as fast as he possibly could. He wasn’t even going home to change into something with a bit more… chaotic energy. His skinny jeans and muscle top would work just fine.

“Fine. I will go be the designated driver for you two’s shenanigans,” Janus lamented, before giving Remus a grin. The bassist thought that was much better than that judgy bitch look he had been giving him before.

“Alright ladies, let’s get it going!” Remy cheered, finally coming back. Remus forced a grin, trying to at least fake his normal energy. His mother had always taught him to fake it until he made it, and that had seemed to work so far. It wouldn’t fail him now.

—

Wisteria was exactly what Remus needed. It was loud, full of people, and painted with colorful lights. No one knew or cared about him, and he didn’t know or care either. Remy had gone off somewhere earlier, probably to smoke weed out back. Janus was back at the bar still, only drinking a simple tap water. Remus had taken to the dance floor, letting himself lose it all in the bodies around him. The song was fast, his heart was flying, and it was the first time he had felt calm in a while. That only lasted a few minutes.

“Hi everyone! We are Hit The Light. We’re a bit new, but we hope you like our set!” Wisteria was known for its live music, but Remus had never heard of this band. Being in the music world means you hear most of the local names, even if they’re newbies. But he knew that voice… It sounded like-

“Yesterday I heard you say,

Your lust for life has gone away.

It got me thinking, I think I feel a similar way

And that’s sad, that’s sad.”

No way. No fucking way. Remus refused to believe what his brain was saying. But he knew- he knew that voice. He shoved his way to the side of the dance floor for a clearer shot of the stage, but that really didn’t help any. It just meant he got a full view of Virgil up on that stage, with another band… with Roman. Remus had to admit his twin looked different since he had last seen him. He seemed happier too. Remus wondered how he’d been, what had happened… That only lasted for a second. Now all Remus could think about, all he could see, was his twin brother and his... His ex-boyfriend? Ex-lover? He wasn’t sure, but right now he didn’t care.

“So let's make a decision, start a new religion

Yeah, we're gonna build a temple to our love

Orgiastic dances, nymphs in trances

Yeah, we'll be the envy of the gods above!”

The worst part was probably how happy Virgil looked up there. He looked exactly how Remus remembered from their last performance, when the emo had disappeared. He had a small smile, but so fucking real. His shoulders were relaxed for once, not stiff and expectant. And his eyes… Remus had fallen for those eyes first. He could read every emotion in them. The excitement, the joy. And those eyes were looking right at Roman.

“I'm feeling devious.”

“You're looking glamorous!”

And of course Roman was doing back-up vocals. Remus could almost roll his eyes.

“Let's get mischievous.”

“And polyamorous!”

“Wine and women and wonderful vices-

Welcome to the cult of Dionysus!”

Remus needed to find Janus. He needed to… He needed to leave now. Before his thoughts got too loud. They were already building. ‘Why did he leave me? Why won’t he answer back? What happened? What did I do?’ Remus needed to go, right now. He stumbled over to the bar, not even aware that he was crying at this point. He could barely feel anything over the vibrations from the pounding music.

“Remus! Re, come on, we’re leaving.” Janus had been looking for him too, apparently. Remus knew now wasn’t the time to confront Virgil. Well, logically he knew. That didn’t stop him from tugging out of Janus’s grip and turning back to the stage to take one last look.

“Run, run, run away-

Just take my hand and we'll abandon this world.

We'll wash those tears away!

You're young and beautiful, and I'll love you always.

We got no time for pain!

When it's just you and me in ecstasy!”

Remus got what he wanted. Somehow Virgil had spotted him. Remus wasn’t sure what his face looked like. Shocked? Hurt? Broken? He felt all those things. Maybe he looked angry. He didn’t feel angry yet. He was sure that would come later though. Right now he could only feel panic and sadness. From the look in Virgil’s eyes, the other could see that too.

Then Janus was tugging him away and out of the club.

“Remus, come on. Now is not the time. I’m going to get you to bed and we will talk-”

“He really left. He abandoned us.” It wasn’t a question. It was a simple statement. A fact, for all Remus knew. They were out of the club, the cold air stinging when the anger finally hit. Not even the chill could cool him down. “He fucking left!”

“Remus, contain. Not here.” Janus grabbed his hand, tugging him to the car. Remy had noticed them leave and had come to join them, not that Remus cared. No, all he could see was the look he knew Virgil was giving Roman.

“Babes, what happened? Why do you look like you got hit by a train?”

“I’ll tell you in the car. We’re leaving.”

The rest was a blur for Remus. He knew Janus was telling Remy what had happened, but all he could stand to do was look at the stores the car was passing by. Remus felt like every emotion was attacking him at once. He was angry, sad, confused, abandoned… His stomach was turning in the worst of ways, and not from the alcohol. His head was starting to hurt too, pouding in time with his too fast heartbeat. And all he could hear was Virgil and Roman singing together, voices melting into each other just fucking perfectly.

I'm feeling devious.

You're looking glamorous!

Let's get mischievous.

And polyamorous!

Wine and women and wonderful vices-

Welcome to the cult of Dionysus!

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argumentl · 3 years ago

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The Freedom of Expression - Ep 50 Propheciser with psychic powers, Baba Vanga's predictions.

K: Hi, this is Dir en grey's Kaoru, with this week's episode of The Freedom of Expression. Joe san, Tasai san, welcome....Uh, its nothing special, but..

J: Nothing special?

K:...We havn't really spoken about this mask...(*gestures to his mask*)

J: Oh, of course.

K: We made it as part of our merchandise.

J: Oh, by the way..hang on a sec (*Turns around to show his jacket*)

T: Ohh, the Dir en grey one from before, right?

K: Tasai wore that once before too.

T: Yeah, on the live broadcast.

K: So today..

J: ...I'm wearing it.

K: Thank you.

J: This is really warm...

K: Really?

J: Um, the normal types of these, what are they called? Coach jackets? This material is a bit different from them.

K: Really?

J: It has a nice crispiness to it.

T: Yeah, I wear it quite a lot. This mask, what does it say on it?

K: I don't know, what is written on it? haha.

J: Is it on sale now?

K: I think so, yeh.

J: Everyone, please have a look!

T: Can I also just show my T shirt?....Its a Tokyo Sports one.

K: Ahh! Seriously?? That looks great!

J: That is cool!

T: Its from the store Hardcore Chocolate in Higashinakano.

K, J: Ohh!

K: Like that other one I sometimes wear? With Fujikawa Kyuji?

T: Yes, yes, yes. We've done a collaboration with them.

K: How good is that?!

J: Ehhh?

T: Its been on sale since Jan 11th. I brought you one each.

K, J: Eh?!

K: Thank you!

T: Thats what I wanted to say today.

J: Thats it? Isn't that great?

K: Ok, well..

J: Shall we start?

K: Yes.

J: This is the news that I chose. So, 2021 has already begun, but what type of year will it turn into? 'Blind propheciser with psychic powers...Baba Vanga'...

K: Its a bit difficult to say, isn't it? Bava Vanga.

J: Yes, Baba Vanga, she has made some predictions. She predicted the simultaneous terror attacks on America, and that the UK would leave the EU. The blind propheciser from Bulgaria, Baba Vanga. She actually died in 1996 aged 85, but she had already made predictions about what would happen in 2021, and she has been correct with 85% of her predictions so far. First, a cure for cancer will be found! Humanity will probably be able to eradicate cancer at the start of the 21st century. Next, President Donald Trump will be struck down with a serious ailment. The 45th president will catch a disease of unknown origin, go deaf, and suffer brain injury. Next, Europe. The European economy will collapse, a domestic asassination attempt will be made on President Vladimir Putin, Islamic extremists will attack Europe with chemical weapons. Next, worldwide. The world will undergo climate change and suffer great damage. Peoples' awareness will change, an era of distress will dawn, people will be divided. We will witness shocking events which will change the fate of humanity. Thats not all, it goes on....Oil production will stop, trains will fly using solar energy. If oil production stops, the world can rest. In 2021, a strong dragon will seize the earth. Further, three giants will unite, some people will get red money. She also saw the numbers 100 and 5 with lots of zeros. As for the meaning of the dragon, if it were a nation, it is easy to see it as China, the three giants would be Russia, India, and China, and as for the 100 and 5, this could refer to 100yuans and 5000 rubles, as both use red notes. And finally, the last prediction is alien life in space will be discovered, the origin of life on eath will be revealed, and people will be able to make contact will their supernatural siblings from another world. Those are Baba Vanga's predictions. What do you think?

T: She died in '96, and she was already able to predict what would happen in 2021?

J: 25 years later, yes, she predicted what would happen in this year 2021. Well, I mean, she didn't say the name Donald Trump, she just said the 45th president would suffer. But the scary ones are peoples' awareness changing, and shocking events that will change the face of humanity. Thats been going on constantly since last year.

K: By the way, what were her predictions for the year 2020?

J: I wonder what they were.

K: I mean, I like this kind of thing, but don't psychics always put out tonnes of predictions.

J: They do.

K: So something is likely to fit.

J: Yeah, in the widest sense, something like this might happen.

T: Yeah.

K: Something out of these is bound to happen, so we can sit here and say, 'Oh yes, this is right', but if you really tried you could make any of them fit. Psychics do this a lot.

J: Well, yeah, I mean, she was quite specific with the 45th president getting an unknown ailment.

T: And with the assassination attempt on Putin, that was very specific.

J: Yeh, that was. Well..???*1 I'm interested in these bits. But look, it also says alien life will be discovered. This is good for Tokyo Sports.

T: Yeah, for Tokyo Sports, this is great.

J: Humanity connecting with separate worlds..

T: Supernatural siblings.

J: What does Tokyo Sports think of all this? Will it come true?

T: We might be in trouble if it does.

K: Right?! The dragon..

T: Hahaha

K: That would be bad.

J: Certainly though, when you look at something like this, you do end up trying to make it fit.

K: Yeah, when there is a lot.

Kami: Uh...

J: Ah, Kami! Surely you are an expert on this kind of thing, Kami?

Kami: Uh, the name Baba Vanga is incredible, right?

J, T: Yeah.

Kami: As a god of the Sai baba generation, Im attracted to this name.

J: Ahh, Sai baba. Do you know a lot about him?

Kami: No, nothing. Only his name.

J: Haha.

K: Only his name?

Kamu: No, the names of psychics have impact.

J: Ah, of course.

T: Its true, psychics have these kind of plosive sounds in their names.

J: What does 'Baba' actually mean? Like in Sai Baba, or Baba Vanga?

T: Ah, maybe something like 'god'.

Kami: No, its more like babababa~mba~m!

T, J: Haha

J: Kami, what do you think of these predictions?

Kami: Oh, it happens a lot, some peole getting red money. But, it doesn't matter what colour, red, yellow...I want it.

K: You want it, right?

Kami: 100 and 5 with lots of zeros, I want as many zeros as possible added

T: Hmm, yeah.

Kami: I want them to give it out like bababa~m! Babababa!

K: He just wanted to say that, haha

J: Kami, are you drinking?

K, T: Haha

Kami: No, I'm not drinking.

J: You're not?

Kami: No. Joe, you're just paranoid.

J: Haha.

K: But actually, there was some news about the cure for cancer wasn't there?

T: Was there?

K: Yeah, recently.

T: Ehh? Well, maybe these predictions are on point. 85% of her predictions turn out correct...

J: Hm, yeah, if the nice ones are correct, that would be nice. Curing cancer and stuff. I don't want that one about climate change and great suffering to be correct.

K: Well, these things are definitely happening at least somewhere in the world.

T: Right, yeh. Oh, (*reading card*) in the year 4509, conversing with gods will become possible. She predicted that too apparently.

Kami: That has already come true, right? We're talking now.

J: Well, of course, we are doing that.

T: 2000 years early.

K: Yeh..2...2016 years early?

Kami: Sorry its with such a lousy god though.

J: Thats right.

K: Yeah, we are conversing, right?

J: We are so early!

T: Hahaha

Kami: This is one of the 85% correct predictions.

K: Its not, its wrong, we are conversing with gods 2016 years before she predicted it.

J: Yeah, Baba Vanga said it would be in the year 4059. Unless this god talking to us is a fake god?

K: Oh, theres that theory too?

Kami: Can you say that? A fake god?

J: Eh?

Kami? Can you say a god is fake?

J: I mean, if its a half-baked god..

Kami: Im obviously a god..

J: I can't see you though..

Kami: Well, yeah, you can't, haha.

T: Haha, its obvious?

K: We have no idea?

J: We can't see you.

T: But we do have the knowledge that Kami has quite a babyface.

Kami: Ahh, pachinko, yeh.

J: I think Kami should make some predictions about what will happen in 2021, to prove to us that he's a real god.

T: Yes, thats it.

K: Yeah.

J: Right? Kami's predictions!

T: One or two..or three.

Kami: I can't, I havn't thought about it!

J: Haha, no no, if you can descend...

T: Its Kami's predictions.

Kami: Most likely...I'll change jobs.

T: You will...?

K: ...Change jobs?

T: Eh?!

Kami: Yes.

K: Your night shift?

J: His part-time job will change?

T: haha

Kami: Yes, thats it.

J: You can't call that a prediction, haha. Whether or not you will change jobs has nothing to do with humanity!

Kami: Its a prediction.

K: Its not!

Kami: The big gods can say things like an earthquake will come and stuff, but Im a small god.

J: Ah, I see.

K: Even then, he could still do it, its only a statement.

J: If anything it sounds just like a regular action plan.

Kami: Hehehe

J, T, K: Hahahaha

K: You're laughing, Kami? This god is getting more interesting.

Kami: Yes.

T: Kami, can you tell us what will happen to Joe this year?

J: Ah, yes, tell me my fortune. He could tell us all our fortunes.

Kami: Oh Joe? Joe will get drunk and mess up.

J:Hm?

Kami: You'll get drunk and mess up.

J: Well, yeah, haha

T: Thats a fact.

J: Thats just an extension of whats happened up to now.

T: How about something like, 'Joe will get married suddenly' or something?

J: Ah, yes yes yes.

Kami: Ahh, no, you won't.

K: I agree with that *2

J: No?

K: He's not lying, haha.

J: Its because there's no sign of it coming from me currently.

T: But thats the thing! It would be really sudden if you got married in June or something.

J: He said no.

T: Like, the one for you might appear!

J: Yeah, how about that?

Kami: I can see woman trouble for you.

T: Woman trouble?

J: Ahh, it won't work. What about Tasai?

T: Yeah, how about me, Kami?

Kami: ...I can see woman trouble.

J, T: Haha

K: He's just going with the flow.

T: Im getting dragged in by Joe.

J: He has no idea what to say again. Ok, how about Kaoru?

Kami: I can see woman trouble

J: Haha.

T: Is this ???*3

J: Yeah

K: ???*4

Y: Yeah

K: Ok, I think we'll finish this week on that note. Please subscribe. Thank you very much.

* 2 Not sure im right.

* 1, 3, 4 Couldn't make out.

#dir en grey #the freedom of expression #tfoe #kaoru #薫

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hottestthingalive · 4 years ago

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Ok, fake tic tittle, cause I love your writing, do with it what you please: “The five times (side) faked their death on purpose, and the one time it wasn't their fault”

Ah, y e s!

(Cinder from the future here: Sorry this one took so long, anon, I’ve been using these as a sort of reward system for completing school work and I was procrastinating... Hope you enjoy anyways!)

-It’s Roman. It is 110% Roman.

-DLAMP because he deserves so many boyfriends and so much love, with bonus platonic creativitwins.

-My ideas for Roman fake-dying are as follows, not necessarily in this order:

-During a performance he’s putting on with the other sides (a musical, maybe?) Roman’s character dies. They all cry. He’s an excellent actor and they’d gotten very attached to both his character and also, yknow, their boyfriend. Patton gives him roses after and tells him how brilliant he was and Roman cries too then.

-Pretending to die dramatically on the couch when bantering with Jan. “Your words have greviously wounded me, agh, bleh” the whole thing. Janus thinks its adorable, even though he’s simultaneously having this whole conversation with the other sides about “just kicking the body under couch, its fine, we’re imaginary” and roman “resurrects” all offended.

-Splattering blood all over himself on April Fools and lying down in front of Remus’ room like he was dead (after warning the others so they wouldn’t freak out.) He did it to Remus because he thought his brother wouldn’t care: then Remus is crying over his ‘dead’ body and Roman sits up like “wtf” and then they talk about their feelings and hug it out.

-Playing dead when sword fighting someone (maybe Virgil? I feel like he’d be great at fighting and stuff, what with fight or flight, and his natural talent would probably be a good match for Roman’s training and skill), falls over and goes very still, Virgil’s like “Roman? Roman?” and leans over to check on him and that’s when Roman ATTACKS and Virgil’s all like “you scared me bad” and Roman’s just gloating that he won.

-one time for logan’s birthday he sets up this whole murder mystery plot and he’s the mr. body and it’s just very very very silly sherlock holmes-clue shenanigans. The body disappears halfway through and Logan’s having loads of fun figuring it out and Roman appears at the end in the kitchen like “Haha! I faked my death! What do you think of that, Detective?” and then they kiss and have birthday cake and there’s still a picture of them in their little detective/victim outfits over the mantle.

-and then the + 1.

-angst angst angst~

-So Roman goes off to fight the Dragon Witch in the Imagination. Not an unusual thing. He leaves that morning, sword on his hip, blows kisses to his partners in goodbye, promises to be back by dinner, if not lunch. Remus tells him not to get his butt kicked by the dragon witch, cackling from the couch. Roman flips him off, and then he is gone.

-He’s not back by lunch, but they think he’s just gotten sidetracked, again.

-It is only when Roman is still gone by dinner that they get worried. Virgil insists they go looking for him, but if he hadn’t, one of the others would have. They are all worried.

-(“What if he’s dead?” Remus whispers to Janus, biting his nails frantically. “What if he’s dead, and my last words to him were making fun of him? What if he’s lying alone somewhere, bleeding out in a ditch, being torn apart-”

“I’m sure he’s fine,” Janus says firmly. He has always been a liar.)

-It is not the Dragon Witch they find him fighting when they arrive. Rather, it is an army of shadows, faint ideas of villains that must have broken through the barriers between the twins’ Imaginations and encountered the prince instead of the duke, become strong in the passing. The Dragon Witch fights beside Roman, however, and between them, they are just managing to hold their own.

-They look exhausted.

-“Roman!” Logan shouts despite himself, so, so relieved to see him alive. Roman turns, distracted for just a moment, but it is enough.

-And so the prince falls, and the dragon roars, and she is downed not long after.

-Remus screams, and lunges forwards with his morningstar in hand. Later, he would joke he’d seen red, although privately he knows he hadn’t, and that was the problem -- his rose-red brother, his twin, his family, disappeared beneath the creatures which had been nothing more than living shadows in Remus’ realm, empowered by Roman’s fantasies into full-fledged villains before he’d known to stop himself from picturing them as such.

-Patton has never been so angry before, not that any of them have seen, and his anger makes him strong, his righteous fury fueling him, fighting to avenge his prince. His need to avenge in this place of creation makes him nearly superpowered, his belief in his own ability for vengeance making it possible.

-Then there is Logan, who has always been able to find the cracks in dreams, who uses the logic of the Imagination against the beings within it. He manipulates the rules so whichever creatures he focuses on are once again shadows, or harmless shapes that float away in the end, or black beetles he crushes underfoot with vicious glee.

-As for Janus, well, he has long defended Thomas against the horrors of the world with sweet lies, with his own creations that are not quite imaginary but close enough. He too can manipulate the Imagination, but does not find it necessary, instead whirling among his opponents, shifting between forms so quickly it is impossible to pin him down, his shepherd’s crook the only unchanging element of him.

-And Virgil, Virgil who had vowed to protect all of them with his life a long, long time ago, Virgil who is fast as wind and strikes like lightning, who rages with all the fury of a storm, who knows shadowy villains well, especially the imagined kind, and has always founds them easier to defeat with his family by his side... Well, the army of shadows finds itself battling a hurricane, and they fall at his hand.

-And when they least expect it (when they are on the verge of defeat, despite all their power, when Remus has lost his morningstar, and Patton has fallen, and Logan is surrounded and cannot unreason them all, Janus halfway between snake and side and entirely exhausted, and the darkness that has long clung to the underside of Virgil’s eyes spread to stain all of his skin and forming a pool around his feet) a sword slashes through the being standing above Patton.

-“Sorry, hon,” Roman says. He is an absolute mess, bloody and bruised and sporting a black eye, and their prince smiles tiredly, and Patton thinks he has never been more beautiful, for he is alive. It is all over quickly after that.

“You’re not allowed to do that ever again,” Virgil tells him when they reunite, pulling Roman in a hug and refusing to let him go, and Roman agrees easily.

-After that, there is no more faking of deaths, purposeful or accidental, in the Mindscape. The walls are eventually brought down between the halves of the Imagination, the Thomassphere permanently changed, and though there are other battles, other wars, Roman always has his family to fight beside him.

-He wins them all, of course, for he is their prince, their hero, their Roman, and the hero must always live to see the end of their story, and the end of his story is still far, far away.

Ohhhh, that was fun!!! Thank you, anon!

Send me a fake fic title and I’ll tell you what I’d write for it!

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kenbunshokus · 5 years ago

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this is a (super late) update to this fic rec post! i was planning to just keep editing and updating that post, but it’s been so old it no longer appears on tumblr search system and all, so here we are. be ready for some old school zosans in the mix

all complete

absolute favorites will be noted with a ♡

list will be updated as i find more

story count: 30 fics

last update: jan 5th 2020

CANON-VERSE

Goings On by clarify ♡

Zoro and Sanji understand each other, and sometimes have a very similar sense of humor. Even though they're worlds ahead of most, sometimes they can't help but to act their age.

easily one of my favorites. zoro and sanji are completely in character, being themselves and comfortable in each other’s spaces. for anyone who thinks zoro and sanji can’t get along in canon, this fic can easily prove them wrong.

Part Timer by 8ball ♡♡

Sanji really, really doesn't want to give Zoro a job at his restaurant. Zoro doesn't really even want to work there in the first place, but, well, there’s this thing with Sanji, and this thing with feelings and the whole thing is pretty damn stupid all together.

Zeff just wants grandkids. He’s too old for this bullshit anyways.

a wonderful, heart-wrenching, roller coaster ride of a post-series fic. this fic is not just a mere fic — it’s a zosan magnum opus with guest appearances by so many other characters, lots of crew hijinks and a must-read for everyone who craves for a happy ending for these good boys.

Say It Again by 8ball

Zoro tells Sanji how he feels. And then again. And again.

since we’re talking about 8ball i just want you to know i’d rec everything they’ve ever written, but special mention to say it again — a classic miscommunication trope fic done well where the miscommunication stems from fundamental misunderstanding of each other’s principles and views instead of just some plot-convenient coincidences. and soft zoro. god, he is soft.

The Wedding Night by cuethe-pulse (lj)

Zoro had never expected any of this.

major character death warning. don’t let the first few scenes fool you. note the warning; the last few lines were like a punch in the gut for me, except, you know, the good kind of punch. also, a quick rec of a drabble by the same author to soothe the pain after this one.

Roronoa Zoro: World’s Greatest Bug Killer by insaneidiot ♡

Sometimes, Zoro's life really sucks. He should've known better than to make fun of Sanji's bug phobia, though...

zoro’s internal monologue is hilarious — until today, this author is still my go-to expert on zoro’s voice, especially his more sarcastic side.

Quitting’s Easy by insaneidiot

Sanji decides to quit smoking. This is not quite so easy as he thinks it will be. Also, his crewmates (excluding Robin and Nami, of course!) are assholes.

fun, fun strawhat hijinks and oblivious sanji. the crew dynamics and especially sanji’s voice are pitch perfect. there’s a hint of luffy/nami that you can easily scroll past if it’s not your thing.

I can’t stop thinking that i can’t stop thinking by hieiandshino ♡

In which Brook changes tactics and Zoro is not amused. Everyone else is, though.

holy shit is this fic hilarious. i love comedy fics that manage to slip in thoughtful observations and character study in between the hijinks, and this fic pulls that off with flying colors.

The Walls See All by threesipsmore

Reiju hides a snail cam in her brother's room.

fun short fic from reiju’s pov. there’s never enough zosan set in whole cake island arc and this fic delivers.

Stormbird by Judin ♡

The Straw Hats' first landing in the New World is on Arashi Island, where it looks like they'll be spending a fun week attending the local festival and making new friends. Until they spot a strange pirate ship in the harbour, and Sanji starts behaving oddly. The Straw Hats become entangled with the mysterious Gently Pirates, a crew that harbour many secrets, and whose captain is a man out of Sanji's past who has the power to tear the Straw Hat crew apart.

it cannot be overstated how wonderful this fic is, and how it could’ve fit into the canon just nicely, like a better-written one piece movie, except with zosan. not only are sanji and zoro in character, every strawhat gets a spotlight and has pitch-perfect voices. brook is especially lovely in this fic.

Unintended Consequence by itsmylifekay

A group of marines charge, Zoro slices through them, and in that instant Sanji feels his own eyes grow wide. Because there, on the arm now outstretched towards him, steel glinting in hand, is the stupid bracelet he’d given Zoro. The bastard is actually wearing it.

there’s a reason this is the most kudo-ed zosan fic on ao3 right now — it’s so soft without being ooc, and there’s a quiet undercurrent of affection laid throughout the fic that will warm you up from the insides.

Somewhere Between Sorrow and Bliss by srididdledeedee

Sanji has never cared for winter.

He can see himself, is the thing. There are bits and pieces that poke through, but it’s not all him. It’s like staring in a fractured mirror. He knows, intellectually, that the person staring back at him is himself, but his face is splintered and his shape is distorted and his body is wrong.

a fantastic character study on trans!sanji and how he comes to terms with his identity with the help of his crewmates. supportive strawhats are always a lovely addition to a zosan fic

Give In To Love by libbylune

Zoro knows better than to think about it too much, but between the rowdy festivals and ancient unexplained temples on this island, it's hard to forget about wanting Sanji.

i love how this fic puts as much focus on the boys after the confession as it does before the confession. a good case fic with its own unique island adventure and i’m always a sucker for soft!zoro

Laundry by libbylune

Dealing with Sanji makes Zoro develop a lot of opinions about clothes.

there’s absolutely nothing hotter than bi!sanji who’s completely comfortable with his gender identity and sexuality. also gay disaster zoro fumbling his words whenever sanji is around is 1) accurate 2) hilarious.

Language of Swords by HaveMyWeedCookies ♡

It took them for a while but finally, Zoro asked if Sanji wanted to hold his sword.

i love fics that explore zoro’s relationship with his craft and his swords, and adding zosan into the mix is something i didn’t know i needed. an interesting outsiders pov zosan in the pov of zoro’s swords.

Ghost of a Chance by sabershadowkat

“I know, for sure, that I didn’t expect to miss everyone so much, including you.” Sanji cut a glance at Zoro and rephrased correctly, “Especially you.”

this fic handles tropes that are usually associated with character death fics, but manages to end it with a happy ending. zoro’s devotion here is heart-wrenching.

Idiot Romance by sabershadowkat

"This has to be a joke," Sanji muttered, poking at the colored petals. Zoro couldn't have just given him flowers.

a classic — this is literally the first zosan fic i’ve ever read — and a lovely one at that. sanji is oblivious and zoro attempts romance, not that zoro ever needed to.

festival night by thisislegit

“ANOTHER FEAT BY THE WORLD’S STRONGEST MAN, JORIRI.” The woman turned to Mr. Mohawk and with faux sympathy said, “Oh! Sorry, sir. Maybe next time. We can’t always beat the best, but we can do our best and that’s what matters. Do we have any other takers? ANY OTHER TAKERS READY FOR THE STRONG MAN CHALLENGE? HOW ABOUT YOU SIR? MADAM? YOU OVER THERE? ARE YOU INTERESTED?”

“What kind of shit name is Joriri,” said Zoro and Sanji in unison.

i’m an absolute sucker for fics that have zoro and sanji simply hanging out and enjoying each other’s company, comfortable in a way they couldn’t with their other crewmates, and this fic exemplifies that. just them being little shits and having fun with one another.

No Victory in Hesitation & the Past Has Its Lessons by EudaimonErisornae & vageege

Zoro has a lot of things he wants to say to Sanji, but he just needs one more day. || Zoro tries to fix a mistake he made in the past.

major character death warning. i died a little bit inside after reading this tbh. there are some devil fruits-explained time travel hijinks, but mostly it’s this looming, grim inevitability of death that’s written so pervasively throughout the fic that really got me.

Imperatives by dollcewrites

Zoro is confident in saying that Sanji is a man who doesn’t do what he’s told. Which is why, when a command accidentally slips from Zoro’s lips during foreplay, he is expecting to hear the cook’s scoff as he continues to do what he pleases.

i don’t tend to do pwp, but this isn’t just one — it’s a completely in-character piece about their relationship and dynamics.

when you say by bluewalk ♡

It's a long time in coming. Usopp can promise, but.

this fic is as much sanuso as it is zosan, and usopp here is — still very much usopp, but also a very beautiful take on his character as someone who spent a lot of time behind sanji’s back, and realizes that when he watches sanji’s back, he gets to see zoro’s, too.

a complete guide to falling in love by ThousandSunny

Sanji was trained in the Bridal Arts; this does not go unnoticed by the rest of his crew.

while the main ship is still zosan, the fic also focuses a lot on zoro and sanji’s relationship with the rest of the crew, and it’s one of those fics that really makes you realize how much of a family the strawhats is. a lovely read all around.

destructivity is a poison that run through our veins by wasteofmind

Zoro thinks that, someday, they are going to kill each other.

a dysfunctional take of their relationship. it’s fascinating in the same way a car crash is fascinating — there’s an undercurrent of something violent, something visceral. this is one of the fics that inspired me to write migratory animals.

ALTERNATE UNIVERSE

Ocean’s Child by 8ball ♡

Here's the truth: Zoro couldn't swim. He fell in the water and sank like a stone because there had never been anyone to teach him how to move his arms. He forgot that if he screamed for help the water would get in his mouth, and he even opening his eyes hurt.

Here’s the other truth, the one that stays a secret: a mermaid saved him.

a fascinating retelling of the one piece canon with mermaid!sanji. it feels a lot like a love letter to the seas, and it’s mesmerizing how sanji’s mermaid backstory is seamlessly weaved into the one piece canon.

with you by Cirro

How to find your life partner in three easy steps: 1. Punch them in the face 2. Insult their cognitive abilities 3. Embarrass them so much they agree to marry you

a wholesome two-part modern au series. my personal favorite is the second part, where sanji brings zoro home to meet zeff — complete with the two of them teasing sanji in their own ways.

The Proper Reaction (or What To Do When Your Son Brings His Boyfriend Home by three_days_late

Holidays at the Baratie were always hectic, but it's nothing Zeff can't handle. Sanji's new boyfriend, on the other hand...

on the topic of meet-the-family: the only thing more fun than zoro meeting zeff is zoro meeting zeff and the entirety of baratie staff. also includes one of my favorite line about bi!sanji: “sanji loves nice girls and bad boys”.

Exclusive by cuethe-pulse

Zoro loves Sanji, Sanji loves Zoro. Zoro wants to be exclusive, so Sanji should, too. Right?

this is a circus/bakery au. yes, you read that right, and yes, it works. i went into this fic with a lot of doubts and came out very satisfied with how fleshed out everyone in this au is, and i’m forever in awe with how the author can set up an entirely separate, vivid universe with so few words.

Delivery by styx_in_the_mud

Sanji is stuck delivering pizzas when Patty is out of commission for a while. Zoro likes to order pizza after training. Both of them are sort of idiots, but Zoro can be smooth as fuck if he puts his mind to it.

a fun, in-character au with good ol’ banter and cute get-together.

The End of It All by xpiester333xx

Humans have been forced underground due to the effects of a chemical weapon that has made surface life impossible. Sanji lives in one of these underground colonies and though he dreams of bigger things his life has been mundane; spent following strict rules and obeying higher commands. Or it was, until a stranger shows up and changes everything.

the author labelled it as sci-fi au, but I personally think it’s more dystopian-like? either way, while this fic is on the long side, it manages to keep everyone in character until the very end, which is something that can’t be said for a lot of fics.

well, there we go! feel free to drop me an ask if you want to rec me fics or ask for a more specific/themed rec list; i’ll also update this post regularly !!

i also have an ao3 donutsandcoffee if you want to see my take on these dorks o/

#opgraphics #zosan #roronoa zoro #sanji #opfanfic #one piece #fic rec #mine*#mine: fic rec #//#zoro #op

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xllxxrbxg · 3 years ago

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so ayon nga hehe

so ayon nga mga marecakes hehe narrate ko na lang nangyari today.

so i was like chilling today right im all set for school because i did my homeworks naman days before it was needed so i was like, "aight lets get this shit today". tapos karlo message me he wanted cuddles eh i was like hMMM... we just made out the other day eh and its like tuesday palang today !! i told him nalang na make it happen, not rlly thinking he would make it happen. but this mf took it as a challenge and actually made it happen.

before all that tho i was badtrip because ha made a very uncalled for rape joke and it fucked me up in the head, plus the fact na im being taken to someplace unfamiliar. i was very tensed the whole ride there. anw he didnt get the hint na it was THAT awful to me, but its aight we resolvedt it already. i'll keep a tab on this tho. for me that was a red flag.

anyways we made out in this tambayan place their family owns. basically it has a large parking lot and across that space was this little studio type housie house. the place had a large ass gate, wasnt really paying attention to what he was saying about the place because i was still tensed with the bad joke he made. anyways we went in and it was a very nice place. outside the house, it wasnt that obvious, but when you go in, it legit looked like one of those sala sets in malls with the note "thank you for not sitting" typa shit. so yeah it was nice it had same vibes with vista mall maybe because of the ceiling yellow scattered lights and of the fresh ass furniture and the whole place itself. it was a pretty decent size, not too big not too small for at least two people to share in the long run. it also had this aircon i always wanted the expensive ones u see in 5 stars. anyways it was quickly cold. there was also the bathroom that had a shower, then theres this chair where you pull a button and a foot rest will pop up lmfao. there were also two other sofa charis by the window. the window was the type then you push back up, not much windows tbh. but thats aight and reasonable since it has an aircon. i was tensed at first when the room was opened. it was obviously recently used idk maybe by his relative. WAS TENSED BRO same feeling when you enter an empty room newly unlocked by your teacher. THAT. that typa anxiety. anyways eventually joined him to sit by the small bed. was pretty much good for one big ass person to comfortably lie on, but fitted both of us nicely. didn't really bottom at that sesh so i don't really remember if the bed was uratex when weight is applied on me but it probably is AHSHDHASHDHSAHDSAHAH ok mej funny yun goiz liek- HAHA ok serious na nga hmpz. we cuddled first before doing nasty stuff. it was nice. i'd exchange all those laplapan just to wholesomely cuddle in peace and probably have a great nap together. i like the feeling the warm feeling. it was nice. yes. anyways,, yeah it was nice. cant stop talking about how nice it was because it was nice. heck... it was so nice. it was so heart heart. idc about my coochie getting rubbed, CUDDLE ME BITCH. anyways we started kissing and the rest is historyYYYYYY. jk. basically the make out routine starts with cuddling then kissing then he touches me until it reacher the forbidden softie softie, main bec he likes hearing my sexy ass moan. even before in tinder when i vm my boytoys for the first time the first thing they say my voice is smexy. cant blame them i agree. even when im alone and i randomly fake moan gat dam bro i get turned on too LMFAO. so yeah i moaned bec it was music to his ears and turned him on big time. was ngl kinda steamy when we breathe in each others mouth thats one of my favorite parts of it and also when i suck on his tongue. or also when i moan into his mouth. yep. also when he cusses it means im doing a great job. hehe. nice stuff ryt there. we pause sometimes to rest, then go aead again. i got many rounds that day. we did same stuff on the bed several times. then he pulled me so i'd be on top. im such a great top bro he aint know hoe to topppp. then was cuddling on top of him and then accidentally (wink wink) grinded on his rock solid stuff. he was turned on sabi nya shit anuyon sabi ka ah ayaw mo ok BUT THEN he was like gusto ko. tnagina pabebe yarn. anw i started kissing then grinding and he was cussing bec im so good at it. later my pants were off and later his shorts too. so we were underwear-away from grinding on directly. was nice got me tiredt. THEN HAHAH i saw this 5 peso coin by the bed and i was like eto yung token sa rides AHSDHASHDASHDHA WOF YAN TEH? tangina tawang tawa sya gago ang funny ko tlg san ka makakakuha ng kallapan na funny. tas nilagay ko sa gilid nya singko started grinding again. bet u he was grinding too. AND IT WAS SO HARD IT LOWKEY HURT TO GRIND ON. GEEZAS. so basically the whole bed was shaking. and i did my deed as a good girl to keep the music on (aka moaning) because there was no music. felt like

asmr. boring af. unlike when we make out sa car, theres always music. i like making out on the white chev instead of the fortuner BECAUSE THE FORTUNERS WINDOWS AIN TINTED what in the world was i thinking making out inside an untinted car INSIDE A PARK WHERE THERE ARE LOTSA PPL PASSING BY. anyways back to the bed, we paused, cuddled. then i was badtrip again for some reason so i got up to get dressed but we eventually made out again on the sofa hehe. legs spread again bec he liked touching there so i let him. then eventually was begging me to allow him to eat me out but i was like BROOOO NOOOO you gon taste it and it be not groomed yet in anyway but he was alr there begging looool he looked so adorbs but NOOO. i asked wala ka man benefit jan, sabi nya ikaw meron. tas sabi ko why do u wanna do it, he said he wasnted to satify me liek HNGGGGGG ok i would let you but it really not be groomed oakay NEXT TIME for sure. AND HECK the lights were on. it was daylight and the lights were on like hasdhahsdhashdas it feels liek im being eaten out at the home decor station at vista mall U GUYZ. anyways ayon. after non i think he tried carrying me for some reason. and i knew he found me heavy lols. but yeah i was a cute little moment he carried me around the room pretending its a mall and he's touring me and shit, "to your left, is the sala set, to your right is the flat screen tv..." things like that HAHAHA funny cute moment. anw later on we found ourselves sitting on the little bed again i was on top of him. he didnt want to lay down bec he alrady made the bed lol so we started grinding again sitting, me on top doing my best !! giving my all !! bec he also had a finger down there as i grinded on his stuff so it basically felt like a direct grind lols. anyways was nice. then later on we made out standing up. was kinda hard because he was 7 inches taller. OH AKALA NYO TITE SIZE YUNG 7 INCHES NOH. hinde. so ayon we were making out and he was shy to ask for a deep throat HAHSDHAHDHAS HECK NAW BITCH U TOLD ME A RAPE JOKE. so this is the part where i get revenge. he was standing there, and i was teasing him. was acting clueless, but he hinted he wanted his belt off so i took it off. was honestly confused with the belt. lol. anw i got to remove it and said, so ano next? playfully hhehhehehe. anyways ayon nga eventually me teased him everrr soooo slowly his dick went from solid-jelly-solid-jelly. LMFAO omfg will i cause him illness? omg. anwwww ayon. later on i removed his shorts as he asked. then i stepped aaway from him across the room because he was doing the shy type hands while hsis shorts was by his foot. and i LOL'd at him for a good few minutes just clapping my hands out of entertainment HAHSDHAHSDAS. then he asked me to put my hands inside, did it slowly and i told him to smile ka nga muna. AND HA THE MF WAS SHAKING. LOL. my fucking powerrrrrrr. anyways later on i was teasing out the underwear, then later i got my hands in again and then touchedt the dick *YAY* finally we got there!! anw it was only for a few secs and i told him its over HAHAHA. then i put his shorts back up again, but subtly teasing that i would suck. bec the shorts were by his ankles so i had to kneel. did i suck? no. did i make sure he thought i was? YES BITCH. and then he lay down fretting because i didnt suck his dick and then while was laying down i opened his shorts again to pretend that his dick was a computer mouse and told him "lets play solitaire, o kaya counterstrike or maybe purble place. gawa ng cake hehe" lmfao mfer be cry laughing because he dont know what to do bec he was teased. so ayon we ended that way and i thought he was bad trip bec of what i did. but he assured me na di naman like dapat lang duh. anyways ayon hehe.

uwi na kami after nakauwi ako 1. andon kami 10. hehe. hinatid nya man me pauwi. tho yung byahe pauwi di pa kami nakakalayo sa place he pulled over so i was confused bec there were no big vehicles incoming but to my surpris he started kissimg me again lol bro deins ka ba nasasawa. anw yon. was nice naman. making out with a guy from a rich fam is nice bec yall dont need to pay to rent in motels lol but still has pressure, bec if we end on a bad note, i swear most of the blgs here are engineered by his relatives. thats how prominent they are. the place we went to is owned by his uncle, who works at legazpi rn thats why the place was vacant. theyre making a mall i think idk. so thats why his uncle is making another like that na place dun. so he has somewhere to stay. like what in the wealth... its crazy how people have money. and for sure even if the place we stayed in was small, it costs millions fr. anyways ayun yung promised detailed chika ko. hehe ciao. mej pokpok nga me pero look at me suffering the consequences, may sipon na ako aside sa ubo because he had mild sipon. now my sipon is malala compared to his, and he alr is recoveredt tangina unfair. but yesterday he insisted to see me to drop off some meds and he hugeed me and cried. because i asked for a time out the night before. bec i was having a hard time. he allowed it but over thinkedt it so yeah he cried while hugging me tight in the car. and kept on saying sorry mainly bec of the sipon thing. but it was, i felt, directed to the other stuff he had disappointed me with. anyways before that sabi nya ok lang ba sayo mag punta munang emall may bibilhin lang, sabi ko naur im sick. it was bec he wanted to buy me gummy worms lol. cute. u shoulda bought them before going to me, mofo. jk. loveee u penggg.

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golbrocklovely · 4 years ago

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My curiosity is getting the best of me so i wonder, just based on interviews and videos Colby has done where he talks about this ex. Do you think his ex girlfriend whom he was in love with and claimed to be clingy with was the same one he cheated on because it seems like different people to me. In one video he said he felt the relationship ended because he was clingy and couldn't see himself not being around her without his day getting ruined. And he said he was so miserable when it ended he wouldnt leave his room. Basically this relationship consumed him. But the girl he spoke of in Sams vid he said he cheated because you could feel the relationship had run its course and they hadnt really been talking...In this last vid he said he's been heart broken twice so could be different people.

Just a thought and a whole lot of curiosity.

oh my god, sorry this is so long but i have a lot to say (and a little bit of proof maybe????)

it's so weird you bring this up, anon, bc i was literally gonna make a post of tweets colby has made over the years that are about love and whatnot, so i've been in the mood to talk about his love life for a while.

at first, i was more incline to think that the girl he cheated on and the girl he broke up with in 2016 were not the same, bc how can you say you're heartbroken from a relationship that you cheated on, you know?? but now, i do think it's the same girl.

let me explain.

looking at his tweets from 2016, you can tell he is in love bc a lot of them are really sweet and lovey-dovey. the tweets start around feb. and even a little bit before in jan., one of them reading “I like your face, that's why I stare” on feb 22. i think somewhere between feb-apr, he meets this girl and they start dating. he starts tweeting things like “I'll be here for you as long as you're always here for me” on march 22, and “All I see is you”, so you can tell he's already headed straight towards Love-ville, you know lol

what i think happened is that he and this girl were in love with each other, but he loved her a lot more than she loved him. he even claimed that he fell really fast in his previous relationship (which i think is this one). so i think what happened is, he fell for her really quickly, and even though she loved him, it wasn't the same or as much as he loved her. and as he had stated in the 'truth or drink' vid he did with sam, things were going downhill for about two/three months before they broke up. in june he's tweeting things like “I need you, don't let me down” on the 6th, and even “Flaky people ..” on june 27, which could be referring to his gf at the time. that same day even he tweeted “Oh my love, can't you see that you're always on my mind ?”, so i think to some extent it was this back and forth of 'i love you, but you keep pulling away from me and i'm tired/hurt from it'.

i think to some degree, he fell too fast and she was uncomfortable with it. so this is when she was starting to take a step back, maybe asking for space a bit, which is what he meant by when their plans would get cancelled, he would be upset. in july he's tweeting 'You don't understand how much you really mean to me' on the 14th and 'I won't let go' on the 30th. i think he could tell they were drifting apart, but he wasn't ready for it to happen.

by august, and no offense to colby if he ever see this, but he sounded kinda desperate but also really upset. i mean i would too if the person i was in love with was pulling away and i wasn't ready for them to leave (bc who the fuck is ever really ready, you know?). he tweeted “It's all because I care too much” on aug. 3, and “Your forever is all that I need” on aug. 13. he was also talking about needing a mental vacation a bunch, and even saying “Get rid of the people in your life who don't treat you right” by aug. 21. what i think is before he went to new york, his gf and him had a bit of a fall out of some sort, where maybe they said they should go on a break, step away from each other bc things weren't working out.

then, by aug 28, he tweets “Well hey NYC, you're looking beautiful tonight”. the next day he tweeted “"I'm no palm reader, but I doubt that's the sign I was looking for"” so i think somewhere within the those days, he might have cheated. also, no joke, on aug. 31, he tweeted “Protect your heart”, so by then, i think he had made his mind up about the relationship. he also had said in the 'truth or drink' vid, that even tho they were already kinda separated since they weren't really talking or seeing each other anymore, it was still cheating bc they were still technically 'dating' and hadn't broken up.

sept. 1, he tweeted "There's no turning back now". sept. 2, he then said "You know where your heart belongs as soon as you step back and just think. Have time to yourself" and "This trip has taught me so much.", so by this point i think they broke up. a couple days later on the 5th he tweeted "I need a girlfriend who's willing to be my best friend. Someone who cares for me just as much as I care for them. Someone who would go on insane adventures with me, and would wanna see the world. Both committed to each other. 100%. Someone who shows that they TRULY care", and then on the 8th "I can be hard to deal with sometimes. I get into bad moods that seem to change me as a person. I'm working on it. Only getting better", and then finally on the 9th "Someone come keep me company".

so to sum it up quickly, they got together early 2016, he fell really fast while she wasn’t falling as fast, she started pulling away and he got hurt by it, they had a fall out/pause in the relationship, he cheated on a trip, came back, and then they broke up.

hopefully this all makes sense. also, looking at his other tweets after this, you can tell the lovey-dovey feelings he once had weren't really there anymore, and he was a lot more closed off then normal. it took until 2018 for him to start opening a bit up again, but even then nothing fully stuck. personally, i think the other heartache is from before LA, like back when he was in hs, but it could have been something a bit more recent. maybe not someone he technically would have called a gf, but maybe someone he was hoping to be with but things fell thru? not sure entirely.

i also think he got his heartbroken first not by a girlfriend, but by a friend of his before he met sam. there a video where it is briefly mentioned and i honestly think that's why he has some trust issues, or at least that's where it started from. but if you want me to talk about that, just ask since this is already way too long lol

#ask #personal #colby brock #colby if you see this #please don't think i'm crazy lol #and also sorry

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yv-sketches · 5 years ago

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I've the how to your dragon series and the wizards of once books. Any recommendations for books to read that are similar?

Thank you so much for this question!! 😊

I’ll do my best to answer, however, English is not my native language, so I am not super familiar with the Great Middle Grade series that undoubtably exist. I also read too many non fiction books when I was younger

Here are a few books/book series I found enjoyable in a similar way. (The list is not super long and none of them feature dragons, sorry.)

Most of these are more like twoo, because they’re really good but can’t touch Cressida’s masterpiece. I cannot think of ANY book series that can compare to httyd’s philosophical three way war and grand finale.

(Click read more for a list of half baked book recommendations by me XD)

1 ~ The Care and Feeding of a Pet Black Hole - Michelle Cuevas

This is a stand alone that could easily be “How to take care for a pet black hole” written by Hiccup. It’s a short book, but it has the exact same dry and clever humour and becomes truly meaningful further into the story. The ending is bittersweet too.

This is probably the book I think has the most similar atmosphere to httyd. If you could collapse the emotions from httyd into 200 pages, this would be the closest matching result.

2 ~ Percy Jackson - Or literally anything by Rick Riordan

Rick Riordan is iconic and the only one who could win a ‘chapter title battle�� from Cressida. Examples: “My sword has a better social life than I do” or “A God buys us cheeseburgers” I am very ashamed to admit I have only read the first Percy Jackson book (I really should read the rest, you may sue me for not reading this iconic series) but I really liked it and from what I heard about the rest of the series it only gets better.

At least one crazy adventure each book, plenty of swordfights and a snappy protagonist to comment on everything. I’m not sure how to describe it accurately, but these books are written with the same hilarious tone as Cressida’s. You can read them out loud and they’d be funny I guess?

Also: Main characters with ADHD and dyslexia (looking at you Wish and Xar), characters from different countries, cultures and LGBT characters who have storylines outside of that characteristic. If you liked vikings, Magnus Chase is his triology about demigod children of Norse gods (though long series probably won’t bother you as httyd book fan).

3 ~ Cogheart - Peter Bunzl

These books are fun steampunk adventures. The setting is vaguely historical, but with victorians instead of vikings, pesky adults who don’t listen to children very well and an unusual pet companion. There’s also a secondary storyline about how beings with human intelligence are treated as lesser, and it’s treated important enough without overshadowing the main plot.

I’ve read the first two and so far it’s a series where you can read each book separate (though the first few httyd books could also be read as separates). There are two more and perhaps the secondary citizen issue will end up being the overarching plot?

4 ~ How to Become King - Jan Terlouw

The clue is in the title. The main character wants to become king, but has to complete 7 impossible tasks first. It does not get more straightforward than that.

The book does not have Cressida’s ridiculous humour, but the main character is Pure Good like Hiccup and each impossible quest actually has a lot of depth to it. A big part of the story emphasizes how humility and kindness are the things that make a good king. It’s a pretty old book and probably the most unknown one on this list.

5 ~ The Slightly Alarming Tale of the Whispering Wars - Jaclyn Moriarty

(I own a signed copy of this and the author was so nice) It is the second book set in this world, but with new characters. She said it can be read on its own, but perhaps it could be a bit confusing if you haven’t read the first. I hadn’t read the first and I was confused.

The absolute highlight of this book was the narration. There are two narrators who take turn narrating, and while doing so they comment on each other. They argue with each other and quip about how they do a better job narrating. It makes you feel like you’re part of the story too, similarly how Hiccup addresses the reader and comments on his younger self.

6 ~ Artemis Fowl - Eoin Colfer

Did anybody say fiendishly clever plan? When it comes to cheating death and trickery, Artemis Fowl is Hiccup and Xar’s long lost sibling. Except.... he is not as nice. To quote Camicazi: “You see, [I] have no morals at all. It's very useful...”

Where Hiccup was a Pure Cinnamon Roll and Xar an emotional hotheaded disaster, Artemis is a straight up bastard who cares for only four (4) people in total.

It’s very reminiscent of the earlier httyd books. Silly schemes, potty humour and characters that walk a fine line between likeable and annoying. I have not read the entire series yet, but the characters slowly mature with each book.

7 ~ Ella Enchanted - Gail Carson Levine

This is more of a twisted fairytale like twoo and not a fantasy epic like httyd. It’s the story of a girl on an impossible quest in a fantasy world. There are a lot of fairytale tropes, but I really liked how the extremely complex kingdom fit into one book.

It’s the only book on this list where different languages are a major plot point, and there is an inequality problem with some creatures, similar to the wild dragons in httyd. The ending can’t compare to the satisfying yet bittersweet solution of book 12. It’s a fairytale happily ever after and certainly easier on the heart than httyd.

? ~ Anything by Roald Dahl

Everyone knows Roald Dahl, which is why this is probably an useless recommendation. His books are funny, crazy and sometimes a bit grim, but always great. What else can I say?

? ~ The gentleman’s guide to vice and virtue - Mackenzi Lee

Ok, this one is by no means a middle grade book. More like 15+. (There is violence and romance is a major plotline. Both the violence and romance are 15+, and while I did not find it too bad, it might not be for everyone)

However, it has almost all of the ingredients of a Cressida book. I really felt like I should include it because it belongs somewhere high on this list! On the surface it’s a whacky adventure with a sassy protagonist in a somewhat historical fantasy setting. Below that surface, it deals with major issues in an absolutely beautiful way.

The quotes are artistic, and this is the ONLY ya book I’ve ever read with messages that hit as hard and are written as subtly as the ones in the httyd books. (I have read books more beautiful, and books with greater messages than this one, but the serious parts were woven into the story in such a refined way.... I’ve only read that in Cressida’s books.)

Mind you, the protagonist is more of a Disaster Boy ™ than Xar and I wanted to slap him sometimes. Like Xar, he learns and gets better.

A few other books I should mention

Coraline by Neil Gaiman. The story is not similar to httyd and twoo at. all. which is why it’s not on the list. However, this is the ultimate book about not-so-great parents. Hiccup and the entire twoo gang can relate. Just a heads up: this is a somewhat scary story. Cressida doesn’t shy away from suspense and terrifying details, but in Coraline, the suspense is one of the main aspects.

A series of unfortunate events from Lemony Snicket. I haven’t read this, but I still want to. From what I’ve heard it’s a sarcastic adventure series that’s a lot more serious than it looks.

I have never read this series either, I do not even know what it’s about, but I’ve heard people from the httyd books fandom talk about it: Keeper of the lost cities by Shannon Messenger.

I hope this list was the kind of answer you were hoping for!

If you are looking for better recommendations, there are a lot of httyd book fans who can give you some, like @books-are-like-dragons @thefellowshipofthedragonmark @httydbooks-doodler .

#ask #books #tggtvav

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shakasa · 5 years ago

Text

sakura haruno fanfic rec list.

I tend to lean towards longer Sakura-centric fics. I'm not really one for oneshots, so if long rides are your type of thing, you're in the right place.

Maybe if this gets a lot of attention, I'll make a part 2 but as of now, this is all I'm posting since its 3am. It's still pretty decently sized though.

I'm also on mobile so sorry if my formatting looks wonky.

Anachronistic Drift

Summary: Her plan was flawless. Save Shisui. Save the world. Time-travel, Sakura-centric AU

Pairing: N/A

Word count: 93k

Status: Incomplete. Last updated Dec 29, 2019.

https://fanfiction.net/s/11675447/1/Anachronistic-Drift

Survival of the Fittest

Summary: Sakura is thirteen, still a Genin, lost in the middle of Earth Country, lugging an unconscious Chuunin around, and so far beyond scared that she’s moved right on to pissed off.

Pairing: N/A. Shikasaku if you squint really hard.

Word count: 24k

Status: Complete.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/3127889

Sunrise

Summary: They say hello more times than goodbye, and Sakura thinks it might be for the best. Especially when it's time to go. / (AU) War-torn Japan, 1600s. Married life.

Pairing: Sasusaku

Word count: 141k

Status: Incomplete. Last updated Dec 25, 2019.

https://fanfiction.net/s/12769548/1/Sunrise

Kill Your Heroes

Summary: It's time to stop waiting for other people to save you. A story about fear, resilience, and Sakura.

Pairing: N/A but hints of Itasaku later on but it's really ignorable.

Word count: 268k

Status: Incomplete. Last updated Dec 25, 2019.

https://fanfiction.net/s/11418526/1/Kill-Your-Heroes

Retrograde Motion

Summary: From sixteen to eleven didn't feel like a big jump until she realized that she was now the best ninja in their class. And that tiny Sasuke hates her for it.

Pairing: N/A.

Word count: 75k

Status: Incomplete. Last updated Feb 6, 2019.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12566900/chapters/28622888

Believe Me When I Say I Carry All My Sins

Summary: Sakura knew the best way to tear a man's spine out of his nose without breaking a sweat. She didn't know how to live in a village with Minato as Hokage and the Uchiha clan as the beloved police force. She didn't know how to live as a disgraced genin in a bloody apartment with dead men knocking at her door. She didn't know how to forgive herself for failing Konoha. Now she had a chance to save it.

Pairing: N/A

Word count: 30k

Status: Incomplete. Last updated Apr 26, 2019.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/15103049/chapters/35020064

Hokage by Necessity

Summary: Hokage-it was Naruto's dream, just as Sasuke was his promise. And for a short, glorious time, he had them both. But when tragedy strikes, it is Sakura who must continue to bear the reality of the dream: endless paperwork, bickering Kage, and political factions.

Pairing: N/A

Word count: 65k

Status: Incomplete. Last updated Jan 16, 2015.

https://fanfiction.net/s/9576833/1/Hokage-By-Necessity

Daughter of Fire

Summary: Sakura got up and didn’t bother brushing the dirt from her dress. She had a feeling she was about to get even dirtier. She looked at the memorial stone one last time, memorizing the characters without even realizing she was doing it. It would serve from that moment on as a reminder of her determination. She wouldn’t let Naruto and Sasuke join the names carved on that stone. That was her nindo.

Pairing: Kakasaku but it's endgame.

Word count: 53k

Status: Incomplete. Last updated January 15, 2020.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/17306768/chapters/40708583

Expedient

Summary: Konoha and Iwa sign a truce and agree to an Exchange Program between recently promoted genin to "bolster village relations." Fortunately, if anything were to go wrong, Haruno Sakura was just average enough to risk losing.

Pairing: N/A

Word count: 277k

Status: Complete

https://fanfiction.net/s/6004135/1/Expedient

Shikkotsu no Sakura

Summary: Sakura made a promise to the slugs of Shikkotsu Forest. She will not fail them, not for anything. (I HIGHLY recommend reading the previous fics in the "the ballad of the slug sage" series. This particular fic is part 7 and may not make sense if you don't read the previous parts.)

Pairing: N/A

Word count: 119k

Status: Incomplete. Last updated November 28, 2019.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/13439829/chapters/30802980

The First Flower of Spring

Summary: Because every ninja comes from somewhere. Lacking a presence in any ninja village, the Haruno are a clan just the same. Beholden to the traditions of her family, Sakura is changed, as are Team Seven's dynamics. What will become of them? (Super duper OOC Sakura with a kekkei genkai but I still found it entertaining.)

Pairing: N/A

Word count: 90k

Status: Incomplete. Last updated Jan 10, 2015.

https://fanfiction.net/s/7476705/1/The-First-Flower-of-Spring

Hollow Point

Summary: Arms dealing is her trade, but young and in a man's world, it takes a criminal mastermind to play with the big dogs without getting bit. TobiSaku/ItaSaku. Crime!AU. Rated M for mentions of adult themes.

Pairing: Tobisaku. Itasaku.

Word count: 137k

Status: Incomplete. Last updated Nov 22, 2019.

https://fanfiction.net/s/12960050/1/Hollow-Point

The Vessel

Summary: I started out as a girl without memories in a foreign land, and life took a turn for the worse after that. Sakura-centric. (This is a crossover between AOT and Naruto.)

Pairing: Levi x Sakura

Word count: 282k

Status: Incomplete. Last updated May 27, 2019.

https://fanfiction.net/s/10032202/1/The-Vessel

The Man in Black

Summary: A man in black haunts her hospital. But what does he want and why is it that Sakura is the only one that can see him? ItaSaku. Modern Myth AU. Death AU

Pairing: Itasaku

Word count: 9k

Status: Complete. Oneshot.

https://fanfiction.net/s/13160495/1/The-Man-in-Black

Close to Home

Summary: Something in his eyes told her, it was always you. [SasuSaku. Blank period. Bonus chapters to come.]

Pairing: Sasusaku

Word count: 38k

Status: Complete.

https://fanfiction.net/s/12884838/1/Close-to-home

Dirt and Ashes, or the One-and-a-Half Body Problem

Summary: The invasion of Konoha during the chuunin exam didn't fail. Team seven is broken, people are dead, and Sakura is hurt and frightened and a very long way from home. Alternative summary: In which Sakura carries half of Hidan across two countries, leaving a trail of blood, bodies, and other people's legs.

Pairing: N/A

Word count: 90k

Status: Complete

https://archiveofourown.org/works/4012402/chapters/9015190

Nightmare in Red

Summary: Haruno Sakura used to think the eyes were the windows to the soul, but after witnessing the horrors of the Sharingan firsthand, she's convinced they are the doors. Itasaku. Nonmass.

Pairing: Itasaku

Word count: 109k

Status: Complete.

https://fanfiction.net/s/12024623/1/Nightmare-in-Red

I Found You Missing

Summary: 'They're asking us because these soldiers have absolutely no one left to write home to,' Sakura thought with a frown. So she signs up for the Shinobi Letter Exchange, not realizing how large the consequences would be. - AUish one-shot [KakaSaku]

Pairing: Kakasaku

Word count: 18k

Status: Complete. Oneshot.

https://fanfiction.net/s/10752939/1/I-Found-You-Missing

Five Kingdoms for the Dead

Summary: After the Forest of Death, Sakura comes to realize that being weak is no longer an option. However, she finds that change is sometimes painful and that truth doesn't always come easy. Luckily, she'll have some help along the way.

Pairing: N/A

Word count: 220k

Status: Complete.

https://fanfiction.net/s/4545558/1/Five-Kingdoms-for-the-Dead

Catch 22

Summary: Sakura isn't weak because she lacks strength. She is weak because they protect her. Sakura-centric

Pairing: N/A

Word count: 106k

Status: Incomplete. Last updated Apr 22, 2013. (Yeah it's probably never going to be finished but still a good read)

https://fanfiction.net/s/5405135/1/Catch-22

Freedom in the Eyes of Another

Summary: The Wave Mission was a failure. They got caught, captured, taken-it didn't end well. Now Sakura has a half-heard order, uncut fingernails, and more desperation than bravery. One way or another, she's getting Team Seven out today. Complete.

Pairing: N/A

Word count: 20k

Status: Complete.

https://fanfiction.net/s/7281191/1/Freedom-in-the-Eyes-of-Another

Stripped Bare

Summary: When Sakura wanted a change of pace, she hadn't expected THIS! Now she's on a mission with Kakashi, masquerading as a dancer at a club far away from home and she finds herself forced to explore her own powers of sexuality and seduction. KakaSaku (Rated M)

Pairing: Kakasaku

Word count: 295k

Status: Complete.

https://fanfiction.net/s/3998157/1/Stripped-Bare

The Way of the Wind

Summary: ANBU Captain Uchiha Itachi had things well planned out, until a medic-nin with ridiculous hair went and made herself interesting. Sakura insisted she was just doing her job, but Itachi didn't quite see it that way. Non-massacre. Sakura/Itachi.

Pairing: Itasaku

Word count: 158k

Status: Complete.

https://fanfiction.net/s/4136594/1/The-Way-of-the-Wind

Take It or Leave It

Summary: Akatsuki & Sakura. After a moment of shock, Sakura realized that two fully grown, fully naked men were sitting squished uncomfortably together in her bathtub. (This one has a huge plot twist. Don't let the summary turn you off from this story)

Pairing: N/A

Word count: 79k

https://fanfiction.net/s/3608990/1/Take-It-or-Leave-It

Found

Summary: Deidara & Sakura. He was peculiar and a little too observant for her tastes, but he was also alone, just like her, at the fault of this supercilious war. So she would dance with him, just until they could both forget how much they had lost.

Pairing: Deisaku

Word count: 105k

Status: Complete.

https://fanfiction.net/s/3478457/1/Found

Vertigo

Summary: Sakura accepts the most critical and dangerous mission of her life, but the price of success may very well be her soul. When your entire world turns upside down, how do you keep from going under? DeiSaku.

Pairing: Deisaku

Word count: 201k

Status: Complete

https://fanfiction.net/s/4146785/1/Vertigo

Somewhere I Have Never Travelled, Gladly Beyond

Summary: Naruto had been bragging all day that his new jutsu was his best yet. Sakura and her new situation beg to differ. Post timeskip. DeiSaku.

Pairing: Deisaku

Word count: 82k

Status: Complete

https://fanfiction.net/s/3281376/1/Somewhere-I-Have-Never-Travelled-Gladly-Beyond

Seven Days

Summary: A mission gone awry lands two squeakyclean ninja in the Konoha Prison for a week. One cell. Seven Days. What could possibly happen? [Aside from the obvious throttling, of course. This is Kakashi and Sakura we're talking about].

Pairing: Kakasaku

Word count: 68k

Status: Incomplete. Last updated Mar 25, 2008. (It's been over a decade so it's a lost cause.)

https://fanfiction.net/s/3063206/1/Seven-Days

The Window

Summary: Sakura always wanted to see Kakashi unmasked. This was a bit much though...

Pairing: Kakaskau

Word count: 165k

Status: Complete

https://fanfiction.net/s/3161976/1/The-Window

Fated

Summary: Sakura runs from her past as Kakashi wants to run from life. Naruto and Genma witness the painful trials their friends must go through.

Pairing: Sasusaku. Kakasaku

Word count: 124k

Status: Complete

https://fanfiction.net/s/2144296/1/Fated

Loyalty

Summary: Blind loyalty is simple. The problem only begins when the world makes you open your eyes. Sakura-centric, AU, pre-timeskip.

Pairing: N/A

Word count: 243k

Status: Incomplete. Last updated Dec 3, 2019.

https://fanfiction.net/s/5316196/1/Loyalty

#sakura haruno #bamf sakura #sakura fic recs #naruto fic recs #sakura fanfic #ffnet #ao3 #pro-sakura #sakura centric #sakura haruno fic #fanfic #fanfiction #sasusaku #itasaku #deisaku #kakasaku #shikasaku

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argumentl · 4 years ago

Text

The Freedom of Expression Ep 1 - Haruna Fuuka files lawsuit against internet slanderers

*with Kaoru (K), Joe (J), Tasai (T) , who is a journalist writing for the newspaper Tokyo Sports, and Kami/god.*

Kaoru: Hi, this is Dir en grey's Kaoru. Have you heard of 'The Freedom of Expression' somewhere before?

Joe, Tasai : *noding*

K: I've a feeling we've done this before...

J: Thats right, yes...Its not a feeling, we actually did.

K: We are reviving the show we did on the radio station InterFM from 2015-16, on youtube this time.

J: Awesome

*applause*

J: I was really happy when I was first told about the revival.

K: I was also surprised *laughs*

J: Its not that you were made to revive the show though, right Kaoru?

K: The suggestion just came at me.

J: Oh really, like 'How about it?'

K: Like, 'Wanna tryy?' 1*

J: Ah, in a Kansai accent?

K:Yes yes

J: Like, 'Lets tryyy'..kind of thing...it started like that *laughs*

K: Yep

J: We did quite a lot (on InterFM). We even did a special edition

K, T : Yes, we did

J: We even made stickers

K: Brazil!

J:Yes

T: Ah, the live broadcast..at the Olympics

J: It was Dobashi san...Bishbash Dobashi san.

T: It would be good if we could do another live broadcast at this year's Tokyo Olympics.

J: On this You tube channel?

T: Yes *laughs*

J: A live broadcast might be a bit difficult legally, as for the Olymipcs *T laughs*

K: Um, thats *shhh*

J: Oh, its a secret!' *K laughing* Maybe if were are asked by Tokyo Sports..?

K: Yes yes...So, as to the freedom of expression...

Kami/god: Wait, wait, wait..I've come down too.

J: Oh, Kami?

K: He's saying it from himself *laughs*..I thought he would come if we beckoned him though.

J: Thats what usually happened. He was the kind of god that would come down after we called him, but now a god that comes down on his own accord.

K: Wasn't he like that before too? Should we keep him in reseve a bit more?

J: He'll want to appear, we can't help it?

Kami: You were forgetting about me!

K: We are not forgetting you!

Kami: You musn't forget your god!

*laughing*

T: We are not forgetting you!

Kami: Its not good!

J: You are always in our hearts.

T: Yes, he is.

Kami: Yes, thats it..you have to think like that.

J: But, you are not in the studio today, kami?

Kami: Oh..um, im just getting off a night shift..

J: A night shift?!

K: Ah, but it was like that before..

Kami: Right.

J: You are doing night shift work again? *Tasai laughs*

Kami: yes, thats right.

K: That was a while ago wasn't it, how many years ago?

J: Oh, is this the night shift season?

Kami: No, its..

T: You worked for ￥1000 per hour right?

Kami: Yes, yes...my hourly rate has risen a bit though. They were telling me 'Take a rest, take a rest', so my income dropped.

J: Ahh, its what they called a 'reformed working style', right?

Kami: Right

J: Its tough for you too, Kami.

Kami: *laughs* Yes it is.

K: He's the same as ever... so lets get started.

J, T: Please

K: Ah, by the way, Tasai san, as well as Bishbashi Dohashi san, wasn't there another person before (at InterFM)?

T: Yes..a beastly guy *K laughs* An old aquaintance of the listeners', a guy called Monster Hiranabe.

J: Its a strange story, but once when a certain celebrity died, Hiranabe-san called me up, and asked me if I had known the deceased guy...as soon as I said that I hadn't known him very well, he hung up on me straight away!

T: Thats awful!

J: He is awful

T: This very guy, Hiranabe, even got a promotion from the manager.

J: Eh? Promoted to what?!

T: To Director

J:Eh?! Really?

K: Is that okay??

J: No, it'll be terrible!

K: Right, lets move onto the main news...I'd like to get deeper into the concept of 'The Freedom of Expression'.

J: Right, so Haruna Fuuka has filed a lawsuit againts those who engage in 'internet slander'.

A tweet stated 'Both her parents created a failure'.

On Jan 14th, 18 year old Haruna and her mother filed a lawsuit at Yokohama district court demanding ￥2,654,000 in damages from a person engaged in spreading falsehoods which have damaged her dignity.

On the acknowledgement that these tweets went beyond what was deemed acceptable by society at large, on Nov 1st the internet provider was ordered to make public the persons name and address etc.

Haruna has been tweeting since the age of 9, giving her opinion at random about society's problems, and creating a stir. She now has over 200,000 followers and is fighting 10 years of slander. Kaoru, what do you think about this?

K: Well..I mean, naturally, you'd feel like that..

J: Hmm, but I don't know the details but..the name of the defendant has been withheld...well, its a common problem that as a person speaking in the public eye, you are going to get criticism along with praise...like a 'fame tax'. That said, how far do you go before honour is damaged? On SNS, you are of course free to express yourself, you can write what you want, but the issue is what constitutes damage to honour. This might be a very difficult area in which to draw a legal line, but on the other hand, if you don't draw a legal line, things may escalate out of control...Kaoru, what do you think?

K: Well for example, if banter between friends is written down...controlling that...Its best not to look at whats written in the first place.

J: Ah, the person in question right? By the way Kaoru, its a strange question, but do you search for yourself online?

K: No, not really. I hear things, the office staff will tell me.

J: Oh, if anything is being said?

T: In the world of fame its quite true, that even if 98 or 99 opinions out of 100 are good, the one negative thing will stand out.

K: Well, yes, its the bad things that..

J: On the other hand, from the writers' perspective at Tokyo Sports, how far are you willing to slander someone? You could write an article in a good or bad way..

T: Of course balance is important, but of course, if the courts want to complain to us, they can call us, and start an exchange, but in the case of slanders on the internet, its like, who do you complain to? So, if you ask celebrities, they will say Tokyo Sports slander is better than anonymous online slander because at least they can complain to our face.

J: Mm, absolutely. Just how far do we protect these tweets, these freedoms of expression? Its difficult.

K: Are these really 'expressions'?

J: Well, esentially, yes. When you say 'tweets' you think of nonsense, but really its media expressing things, or artists expressing things..

K: Yes, yes, you can get a sense of individual expression.

J: And this especially has the power to influence...

K: Yes, and people get swept up in it.

J: I think this is universal, but at the moment I think Japan is bit like a geyser, people will rush towards any incident and some will start complaining, I mean, I think its important to say what you feel, but its complaining without trying to solve anything, only satisfying yourself.

K: Thats it

J: Its sounds strange to say, but it ends like masturbation. If it turns into something towards a soloution its ok, but just creating thoughtless slander to satisfy yourself is questionable.

K: So its often said, if you continue the conversation only looking at the bad things, it can't be helped. There are also good people out there..you know, put more importance on those people. How to put it...its like we said before, if you focus too much on that one out of a hundred, its kind of rude to the other 99.

J: I see. Still this person has over 200,000 followers and its said she has been fighting slander for ten years.

T: She's always been a bit of a talking point online. I'll just search for her.

J: I also have Instagram, I do stuff to do with societal problems on The Dave Fromm show's youtube channel, and whenever I upload about it (on IG), my followers decrease! *everyone laughs* Outrageously decrease! Im serious, despite getting so far, that channel updates every week, and with every update my followers decrease. Maybe people hate reading about societal problems..*to Tasai* What did you find?

T: So for example there was that thing recently about regulating gamers to 60mins per session, she had quite a few things to say about that, playing vs learning etc.

J: I see..Young people do complain, well you can't really tell here, but on the other hand, young people these days, i know they would hate us old guys talking about this, but young people apparently have three main taboos. The first is talking about sex, they dont follow this, the second is politics, they don't follow this either, and the other one is, they don't like being made to talk about the kind of things that they really need to be talking about...there seems to be this kind of trend. So i think in this way...theres a chance Haruna is getting right to the point of this. But certainly, applying the law in a way that recognises infringement/damage to honour by way of personal utterances has the potential to lead to restrictions on the freedom of expression. Its a difficult play off, isnt it?

T: Yes, it really is

J: Obviously, when it comes to race, or racial discrimination, there has come to be rules concerning hate speech and so on, but how far can you regulate one-to-one slandering, or..how far can you protect the person being attacked? Should the country or the judiciary decide this? Its difficult.

K: Kami, what do you think? Are you there?

Kami: Well, I hear slanders towards me all the time *everyone laughs* Like, god tells lies, god is useless, or even that there is no such thing as god!

J: Ahh, i see. They deny you!

Kami: Yes, thats it. If I care about those things, I lose!

J: Do you search for yourself online?

Kami: I do. *everyone laughs* ..and whenever I do its only ever those things that come up.

J: Ah of course...Kami, you have an exceptionally good handle on social media dont you?

T: He's great

Kami: Ive got a good handle on it.

J: Do you use an iphone?

Kami: I have two.

J: God has two iphones! Thats brilliant.

Kami: Yep, I have two...im not allowed to use them while im working.

T: Does he have a contract? With his address and such?

J: I can't tell whether he's great, or whether he's not so great...

Kami: If i care, I lose...I prefer them to hate me, rather than to be indifferent to me.

K: Kami, what do you think about playing computer games for one hour?

Kami: If the kid is good at it, they should keep doing it.

T: I see, i see.

J: Ohh not sure about that. That seems a bit out.

Kami: No, i really think so. Skilled kids can carry on playing.

K: Should unskilled ones give up?

Kami: Yes, they shouldn't do it...When they play all day, and they just can't clear the level..that kind of kid.

K: Its a waste of time right?

Kami: Exactly, its a waste.

J: They should do something else?

Kami: Yes

K: You should quit if you have no talent for it?

Kami: Yes, yes, its talent.

J: Well, just getting off a nightshift must be tiring.

K: For us too, you know, we should try not to say 'stop it' too quickly...we have to keep it interesting.

Kami: It was interesting though, I was listening.

T: Oh thank you.

Kami: But don't tell lies about me.

T: If you thought it was interesting, you should write about it on your social media.

Kami: Yeh, everyone pretends on social media anyway, they won't know its me.

K: Well, that was the first episode of 'The Freedom of Expression' but, should I ask how it was..? *laughs*

J: But, being together again after a while was refreshing..

K,T: Yes, thats right

T: Im happy.

J: So am I.

K: Well, so we started in this vein....Tune in next time to see how it goes. So this time, only this camera, theres nothing here *gestures behind*, but if lots of people watch, we could go different places, increase our cameras. I still don't know about your fee, Joe.

J: Eh?! What do you mean? It says here my fee will stay the same!

K: I might have to lower it *laughs*

J: *coughs* You're only lowering mine?...But everyone please subscribe.

K: Yes please. Please look forward to next time. Thank you very much.

1* They are saying 'How about this?' in a Kansai accent, how to translate that??

#dir en grey #the freedom of expression #kaoru #薫 #tfoe #tfoe01

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sacrilegetm · 4 years ago

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nick wilde i would die for u . now that you’ve read that ur a furry apologist sorry that’s jus law . hello i am unfortunately rosie ( she/her ) though i will respond to hole for sebastian stan , most profanities , n the general sound of clown honks . am twenty2 n yes i think about the passage of time every day bcos of it<3 i luv unhinged women ( see : women with blood smeared faces looks literally so natural ) , n believe cinema peaked at s2 e8 of westworld titled kiksuya no i will not shut up about this . don’t have a fancy graphic for these bcos she took my photoshop creativity in the divorce . if u would like to plot or feel sorry for me then my discord is 𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑎 ℎ𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝑠𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡#7585 bcos i live n die by furry rights ! anyways the runts are under here x

case file : clarke , isaac my god , whose performance am i watching

associations : blood staining a once white bandage into something ugly and polluted where it wraps around an injured hand , unspeakable tribulations endured . an ache that makes a home somewhere in your bones for something more ( just out of reach and taunting , teasing ) yet the refusal to heal beyond flesh wounds . a stubborn refusal to die — facing the hellmouth with a smile and clever remarks coated in an arrogance learned from birth and fine tuned throughout the years .

1974 , canada what is this space between myself and myself

synopsis : arrogant boy , born to lift the weight of the world . boyhood like clay : to be made and molded by hands that would care little of cracks and dry air . what is known of identity if perfected by another ? king of an empire that was condemned to fall , citadels in smoke and a broken crown at his feet . when the end comes , made to watch as survivor’s guilt digs its claws into marred flesh . salvation found after months of trials faced with no one to convict but himself . all that charisma , all that ego — where is fate’s reward in a world that cares little for either ? if he spins the chamber enough times , maybe he’ll catch a bullet in the end .

full name : isaac vernon clarke

nicknames : n/a

birthdate : jan 1

hometown : canmore , canada

current location : atlanta , usa

languages spoken : english , will claim he knows basic french from elementary school but can really only count to a hundred and ask if he may use the bathroom

distinguishing features : scars along his left hand from getting it caught in a bear trap

positive : affable , audacious

negative : temerarious , vexatious

fears : not being able to protect those he loves

aspirations : isn't too sure , just wishes to stay alive long enough to see the next day

case file : rambler , virginia this skin is far too soft for me

associations : a body scrubbed raw in the bath , dead eyed stare at the cold and broken porcelain until the water runs red with blood . a throat made raw from screaming — empty nothingness all that greets with a familiarity . black anger burning inside like a wildfire made to devour anything and untamed in its path .

1991 , usa maybe i'm just meant to bleed

synopsis : born clinging to life , heart too small and breathless cries — resilient , even when they didn’t know it . striking fists , vicious tongues , teeth bared , veins of ruined ash . the atlas they were , shoulders carrying demons from lives long lived . one way ticket and by fourteen , just another teen runaway and painted in malice and anger for a world that long turned its back on her . when calamity rears its ugly head , they become acquainted with loneliness , making a lover out of it to indulge and caress . genesis begins in this new world of chaos and massacre . wicked girl not made to survive the forest , but become it .

full name : virginia adelaide rambler

nicknames : rams

birthdate : december 15

hometown : san carlos apache reservation , usa

current location : atlanta , usa

languages spoken : western apache , english

distinguishing features : heavy bags under the eyes

positive : reticent , idiosyncratic

negative : fickle , perfidious

fears : becoming comfortable in the loneliness that they have built

aspirations : finding some semblance of a home

case file : javadi , roma evil is unspectacular and always human

associations : memories like ghosts that haunt you wherever you go ( a taunting , like a rite , to be revered yet feared all the same ) . wildflowers grown where blood once spilled deep into the earth / the creation of beauty — of something divine and grand — after tragedy that punctured so many . the tar-thick feeling of the air as a thunderstorm approaches and everywhere you look is dark like an omen .

1975 , usa it shares our bed and eats at our own table

synopsis : earliest memories are ones of cruelty and vitriol . taking the worst of it : nobody would ever touch her sister , cherubic cheeks to be left uncoloured by bruise or laceration . when they ask of tribulations , a smile with niceties and explanations . one splintering crack in the facade and its enough ( years of maintaining , of grit teeth and fists clenched , unmade at the chorus of bells ) . awaiting trial / javadi parents found dead , eldest daughter suspect . when hell descends on earth , steel bars act as protection for the brunt of it . still , somewhere her other half is alone in the world — buried maybe , or the empty shell of a woman roaming and rotting .

full name : roma lourdes javadi

nicknames : n/a

birthdate : november 9

hometown : new york , usa

current location : ober gatlinburg , usa

languages spoken : english

distinguishing features : round doe eyes that suggest something sinister beneath an innocent guise

positive : reticent , seraphic

negative : irascible , mendacious

fears : succumbing to an evil that she has swallowed down her whole life

aspirations : find her sister , no matter the cost

#if u recognize this intro mind ur business x #finishq:intro #abuse tw #murder tw

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christopherwitt1966 · 4 years ago

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Living with shyness.

There is a line from Lee Marvin,1970 no1 hit,Wandrin star. From the film Paint your Wagon. “Do I know where hell is,hell is in Hello” For me that has been very true. Especially with strangers and people I do not know well. Just recently I rang the garage up,to book my car in for its annual MOT and service,something I do ever-year.

Yet the act of picking up the phone,terrified me,as thou I was expecting the Spanish Inquisition.

I have suffer from shyness,lack of self confidence,low self esteem&belief most of my life. And have found inter person interactions&small talk difficult.

It has impacted of the quality of my life. Where today,I feel alone at times. Not having a real close friend or social life. Sometimes,I wish I had lead a normal life,with friends,a social life,wife and family. It has even impacted my relationship. Being a contributing factor(thou not only one) in the break up of my relationship.

A lot of it seems from my childhood. My parents especially my mum use to tell me that the world is a dangerous place,full of evil people etc. I remember walking along the road,when I was about 5 or 6,and innocent said friendly hello to somebody.

My mum was furious me,telling me for talking to strangers. It was thou I had insulted him,instead of a friendly hello.

At School I found it difficult to fit in and make friends. There were several reason.

One,being that I struggled with my reading and writing. I was behind with them. Also I use to lose day dream and lose consecration. Something I still struggle with today.

I had special English classes,and when I enter secondary school. I attended the special English group,which was unfortunately refer to by other kids,as the divi English group.

Secondly,I struggle with my speech development. I had my tonsils and adenoids removed in 1974,when I was 7yrs old to help my speech development and in 1976,I to speech therapy,to try and improve my speech. Also had test to see if had a hearing difficulties. My hearing was normal,just sometimes when people talked to me,I was unresponsive. And that still occurs to this day. Sometimes someone would speak,yet I am somewhere else,even thou I do hear them,I just doesn’t register. It may the combination of these,which may have made me seem slow and stupid. That’s is why never fit in at school. It is no wonder,I started to withdraw and started to live in my own fantasy world.I still today,feel like an outsider trying to fit in,feeling like I am an alien,stuck on an alien planet. Also struggled to fit in to the so call ‘mans world and lads culture’Having been brought up with a younger sister,and the cousin I spent the most with,where both my mums younger Sister and my dads younger sisters children. Who were all girls. I do have male cousins,thou I did not see them as often and were a lot older. That’s why I always felt more comfortable around woman then Men.I developed deep shyness as I moved into my teenage years, preferring to spent time watching TV in my bedroom, or watching trains and latter got into train spotting. I have always love railways and aviation. My parents never drove,so travel a lot on day trips to the coast and holidays by train,so fell love with railways. And I do still today,even thou no longer train spotting. Missed out on what teenagers did when I was a teenager. I remember my sisters 17th birthday party out our house,in 1985,I was 18 at the time. My sister is the total opposite,she can talk for England. She could meet someone and within a few minutes,be chatting away,as thou they know each other for years. Anyway,I got ready had a shower and dressed,and then never left my bedroom! Because I was to terrified to go down stairs.As started in employment,a certain amount of inter action were necessary, and I did try socialise a bit more. Thou as I mentioned earlier,never felt at home with the ‘lads culture’ I prefer small groups,the larger the group,the more invisible I feel. More irrelevant and not having anything interesting to say. Also of course,I started dating. In the Early 90s,I started to read self help books. And in 1999, I attended my first of person growth/self improvement workshop in Oxford. Also in London as well. I meet some wonderful people during this time and made some friends. While our backgrounds,life style and issues varies widely,we were kindred spirits for being there. Also during this time I stared to seeing a therapist about my confidence issues,between 1999 & 2001. For me the turn of the millennium,in my early 30s,was the most happiest and when I felt the most growth and self confidence.

One of the people I meet on that first day,in Worcester College Oxford was my late friend Rachel. We became friends and confidents. We regularly talk of the phone and regularly wrote letters. Express my feeling and thoughts. It was good to have friends who did not know your life,family,work place or ex-girlfriends. Where you could share your deepest feelings. Also about life in general and the nature of happiness.

For also during this time,I began to see that my shyness,while been a blight on my life was also a gift. Not being part of the ‘herd or crowd’ I saw thing differently,especially what makes people happy. That it dose comes within, it also allowed me to appreciate the simply things in life,like nature,my walk around Virginia Water lake,Richmond park,trips to the coast etc. This lead me to the love of taking pictures especially with arrival of the digital era. I not a photographer,just a happy snapper.

Not just Rachel,but some other wonderful people. One the best days of my life came in November 1999,when meet up with a group of them in a cottage,in hills outside Stroud in Gloucestershire. We talked about anything and everything. I felt for once,belonging. In Jan 2002,I made my first trip to New York. Just 4months after 9/11. To attend a workshop,ran by someone who workshop I attended in London in the summer of 2001. This gave me an insight about confidence being relative. I been on my own to NY, 3times now. I love NY. Yet I know confident talkers,would not do that,some who are scared of flying.

Slowly the friends and growth and happiness started to slip away,from around 2004/5. I started to lose contact with my friends and even with Rachel,became increasingly infrequent,to point where I found out,that she lost her battle with cancer in 2006, from an article on the internet. Which made feel sad,knowing that I did not know her in the last months of her life. She was only 50.

Generally I like to think of myself,as a cheerful happy person,which I am most of the time. Thou I do suffer from deep downs,when I feel like reverting in my own little bubble and push the world out.

When I move into my own flat in 2007, I began to revert inwards,slowly losing the joy,happiness,connections and confidence, I gained at the turn of the millennium.

My flat became my own personal sanctuary from the outside world. Living opposite a McDonald’s and close to supermarkets, junk food became a convenient. And started to put on the lbs,and a shroud around me to keep my confidence in,and people out. By the time I was diagnosed with diabetes in 2017,I was over 17stone. That is well over 4 1/2stone heavy,that in the year 2000.

By the end of 2019,I got down to 16st. When I November 2019,I had a mini breakdown thinking about my life,feeling that I have wasted it and some of the thing I have done to sabotage my life.

I planned to get back on track for 2020. By losing weight,my goal was to get below 13st,by the end of the year. And to go to San Francisco. Well 2020,has not turned out the way I planned,with COVID-19. And the uncertainty it has brought,where I still not certain I will a job in 2021. Thou as of Nov2019. I have got down to 14 1/2stone.

My goal for 2021,is to get down to below 13st. No matter what happens at my job. Hopefully I will still have my health. Losing weight may help control my diabetes,and lose the shroud surrounding me and I can find self confidence,and friendship and hopefully in the spring of 2022,go to San Francisco. Yes the future in uncertainty,yet I shall face it with a smile,well most of the time anyway. I know I will still have my set backs,and indeed still fall into the pit of depression from time to time. The most important thing,is to have belief in my self and accept,that shyness for better or worst,will continue be a part of my life,it is who I am.

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sineala · 5 years ago

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Chronology of Tony’s secret identity

One of the things that often comes up in discussions of 616 Tony Stark is his secret identity. Unlike the MCU, where Tony's secret identity lasts only until the end of the first Iron Man movie, or the Ultimate universe, where it's never secret at all, one of the key traits of 616 Tony for a number of years is the fact that he maintained a secret identity: Tony Stark the CEO and Avengers benefactor and his bodyguard the Avenger Iron Man, were presented to the world as two different people.

Now, if you're a fan of Tony in the comics, none of the above is new to you. But what isn't always obvious, especially if your primary point of familiarity with Tony is other universes, is that coming out as a superhero isn't a one-and-done thing. He doesn't start out by making a big public announcement: some people figure it out over the years, some people find out, some people are told. But until he tells the world, it's still a secret. There are Avengers teams even within the past 25 years where some people know who he is and some people don't.

So I thought that it would be useful to compile a list of who learns Tony is Iron Man, and when they learn it. The list isn't complete -- and I certainly welcome additions and corrections -- and is currently limited to Tony's friends, romantic interests, and selected teammates (rather than supervillains). Basically, I just wanted to limit it to characters we might care about for fannish purposes, because I often find myself wondering if Character X knows at Time Y that Tony is Iron Man. A lot of these aren't traditional reveals in the sense you're probably picturing, in which Tony takes off his helmet; several of them are just people saying that they've figured it out. But I think they still count.

This is the raw data, ordered by year of reveal; I will then go through it with explanations as appropriate:

RETCONS:

Joanna Nivena (Iron Man v1 #224 (1989); retconned into origin story)

ORIGINAL CONTINUITY:

1965

Happy Hogan (Tales of Suspense v1 #70)

1973

Thor (Avengers v1 #113) Pepper Potts (Iron Man v1 #65)

1977

Whitney Frost (Iron Man v1 #104)

1980

Bethany Cabe (Iron Man v1 #139)

1982

Steve Rogers (Avengers v1 #216) Tigra (Avengers v1 #216) Silver Surfer (Avengers v1 #216) Janet Van Dyne (Avengers v1 #224)

1983

James "Rhodey" Rhodes (Iron Man v1 #169)

1985

Clint Barton (Iron Man v1 #193) Bobbi Morse (Iron Man v1 #193)

1998

Carol Danvers (Iron Man v3 #7)

1999

Selected friends & Avengers, again (Captain America & Iron Man 1998 Annual)

2002

Rumiko Fujikawa, and also the entire world (Iron Man v3 #55)

2006

The entire world, again (Civil War: Front Line #1)

The first identity reveal by internal chronology is actually from 1989; IM v1 #224 introduces, in flashback, a woman named Joanna Nivena whom Tony was engaged to, and who actually encouraged him to be Iron Man, and then promptly left him when she figured out that was his true calling. She is a retcon, and as far as I know she's a retcon that canon hasn't done much of anything with -- I think this is her only appearance -- but technically she's the first.

Discounting the retcons, as you can probably guess, Happy Hogan is the first person to find out that Tony is Iron Man. It happens in a relatively early ToS issue, ToS #70 (1965), in the middle of the Titanium Man fight. And if you're looking for it, it is so completely subtle that you will probably miss it. I missed it twice. Happy thinks to himself, "I'm gettin' a hunch why Stark is never around when Iron Man's on the scene! It's nutty... but it must be the answer!" Seriously, that's as much as it gets spelled out, but Happy knows. Of course, then he gets amnesia for a bit, but the amnesia goes away in ToS #83 (1966) and he remembers again.

At this point you might think to yourself that probably this means Pepper will find out soon. Ha. Ha. No. Pepper does not find out soon. In fact, Thor technically finds out before Pepper does, though it happens in the same year, 1973. There's this whole Happy/Pepper/Tony dynamic where Pepper has a thing for Tony and Tony keeps trying to push Pepper toward Happy because Tony believes in his own imminent death. And to help this along, he behaves coldly to her as Iron Man, meaning that Pepper thinks Iron Man is terrible and Tony is so great. The identity reveal, in IM v1 #65, actually happens when Pepper and Happy are fighting and Pepper says something about how Iron Man is so awful and Happy tells her that Tony and Iron Man are the same person and then shows her the armor in its case.

And then there's Thor! The Thor thing seems like it should be easy, but it isn't. In Avengers v1 #113 (1973), Vision is injured, and they need an engineer (Tony) and a doctor (Don Blake) to help him, and so Tony and Thor kind of mutually tip their hand to each other about their identity; it's a really sweet reveal. It's also completely retconned, in the same year, in the same title, in a story by the exact same writer -- in Avengers #118, the Avengers/Defenders War ends with Doctor Strange explicitly mindwiping Tony and Thor's knowledge of each other's identities out of each others' minds. The really weird thing is that this retcon doesn't seem to have stuck; Tony refers to Thor already knowing his identity in IM #108 (1978), and Thor already knows in the Molecule Man incident. Comics, man, I don't even know.

A bunch of Tony's romantic interests find out in the remainder of the 1970s and early 1980s. I don't have an issue number, but I know Marianne Rodgers figures it out pretty early on in their relationship, on account of being a telepath. Whitney Frost finds out in 1977, Iron Man v1 #104, when she becomes seriously romantically involved with Tony. (They first kissed way back in Iron Man v1 #19 (1969)... but she didn't know he was Iron Man, then.) Bethany Cabe finds out -- or rather, reveals to Whitney Frost that she'd already figured it out -- in 1980, in Iron Man v1 #139. She doesn't tell Tony she knows until Iron Man v1 #152, in 1981 -- they're captured and she urges him to change into Iron Man. (So, yeah, this means that while Demon in a Bottle is happening and Bethany is helping Tony get sober, she most likely doesn't know he's Iron Man.)

And then there's Avengers v1 #216, which I am sure we all already know about. The Molecule Man strips Tony out of his armor, meaning that his identity is revealed to Thor (who already knew), the Silver Surfer (who doesn't really seem to care), Tigra (who is leaving the team, but this will be relevant in a bit anyway)... and of course, Steve Rogers. Hi, Steve.

This is where it becomes important that Tony's secret identity is still a secret. No one he's told tells anyone else. Even now that some of the Avengers know, he doesn't, say, rush out and tell the rest of the Avengers that he's really Iron Man. Instead, in Avengers v1 #224, he starts dating Jan, and he doesn't tell her he's Iron Man. Steve and Thor both encourage him to tell her, and he does, at which point she breaks up with him because she doesn't want to date another teammate so soon after leaving Hank.

Then the second drinking arc happens, which is when we get a couple more identity reveals -- Rhodey and Clint, specifically. Rhodey finds out when Tony has started drinking again. Tony reveals his identity to Rhodey in IM v1 #179 (1983), and then he passes out in the armor and Rhodey puts it on and becomes Iron Man and goes off to fight the villain of the issue. After Tony eventually sobers up, he and Rhodey and the Erwins make their way to the West Coast. When Rhodey joins the brand-new WCA, Tigra is confused because she knew Tony was Iron Man and this guy isn't Tony, but it's all sorted out eventually. (Similarly, some of Tony's villains are confused when they run into Rhodey as Iron Man -- the Mandarin says he'd suspected Iron Man was Tony but now obviously he must have been wrong.) Anyway, Tony outs himself to Clint and Bobbi in Iron Man v1 #193 (1985); he suits up in his old armor to go talk to Clint, and when Clint doesn't trust him, unmasks himself as Tony Stark. And when Tony becomes Iron Man again, he eventually joins the WCA and stays in California.

After this... well, okay, after this is where my reading gets patchy, honestly. Armor Wars happens, and Tony comes up with a fake identity for Iron Man and then fakes Iron Man's death at the end of it -- I think this was to fool SHIELD, but I know that Steve et al. still know who Tony is. I don't think there are a whole lot of big reveals, but I get the sense that Tony's identity eventually becomes basically an open secret in the superhero community. There's a panel somewhere from the 80s or early 90s where Natasha is thinking that they all know already and Tony should just tell them. Note that the general public still doesn't know; this is only among Tony's fellow heroes.

The latest individual reveal I know of is after volume 3 starts, when Tony reveals his identity to Carol in Iron Man v3 #7 (1998). It's the middle of the Live Kree Or Die arc, in which Carol has been kicked off the Avengers for her drinking problem. Tony shows up at her door as Iron Man and then decides that he can relate to her better in this case as Tony Stark, alcoholic. It's clearly new information to her.

And then there's the Captain America & Iron Man 1998 Annual, which actually came out in 1999, apparently. Tony cybernetically fights a villain named Mentallo. In the course of the fight, Mentallo learns Tony's secret identity, but when Tony wins he gets the chance to erase it from his mind, which he does. He then realizes he can erase it from everyone's minds. He's thinking of all the villains who have found out over the years -- he names Spymaster, The Controller, Molecule Man, and Machinesmith, and even I can add a few more to that list. (There's Kraken, at least, and the Mandarin definitely suspected.) So Tony wipes everyone's minds, including his friends'. But via the magic of Comic Science, if he retells them right away it will be like they never forgot. So he calls a meeting of a bunch of Avengers (Vision, Thor, Jan, Steve, Hank, Wanda, Simon -- and later Happy and Pepper) and tells them his identity again, and everyone takes it really well, except for Steve, who gets mad about having his mind wiped, which is the plot of the book. He says he's going to tell a few more people who "deserve the same courtesy" and mentions wanting to find Clint. I assume he retells most of the superhero community (or at least his friends), but this isn't explicitly stated.

And in 2002, in Iron Man v3 #55, Tony unmasks to save a puppy, and the entire world finds out he's Iron Man. (This includes Rumiko, who he's dating at the time.) He continues to have a public identity for the remainder of v3, but during everything that happens during Disassembled, he manages to successfully hide his identity once again and get the world as a whole believing that Tony and Iron Man are two different people.

Even during Disassembled, it's clear that the superhero community still knows who he is -- in Avengers Finale (2005), he assembles a bunch of familiar Avengers in the ruins of the mansion (he's in armor but unmasked -- which, y'know, that's a dead giveaway there) and tells them, "I was able to put the genie back in the bottle as far as my secret identity is concerned. Most people believe that Tony Stark and Iron Man are now two completely different people. I would never ask any of you to outright lie for me, but if it comes up -- if you could at least not say anything to contradict me. I would appreciate it."

So New Avengers kicks off and the team moves into the tower and so on and so forth and Tony keeps his superhero identity secret from the public until... 2006. Nope, it doesn't take long at all. Civil War kicks off and Tony unmasks at a press conference in Civil War: Front Line #1 so that he can, essentially, show he's not a hypocrite for supporting Registration. He pulls his helmet off and says, "Hello, my name is Tony Stark, and I am an alcoholic. And now it's time to come clean."

And that's the one that stuck. So after 2006, everyone knows Tony Stark is Iron Man. (Fun fact: after the brain deletion, Tony's not going to remember that he did this, so he ought to wake up still thinking he has a secret identity. I don't think canon has ever explored this fact.)

So there you have it: my best attempt at putting together a chronology of Tony's identity issues.

#posts i actually wrote

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phroyd · 5 years ago

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President Trump’s inaccurate assertion that he has “total” authority to reopen a nation shuttered by the coronavirus is igniting a fresh challenge from governors scrambling to manage their states and highlighting a Republican Party reluctant to defy a president who has relished pushing the boundaries of executive power.

The president’s claim, first conveyed in a tweet Monday morning and underscored at a White House news conference and subsequent social media posts, caught his aides off guard and prompted them to study whether Trump would have such authority in a time of emergency like the ongoing pandemic.

Republicans were largely tepid in their criticism of Trump’s expansive views on his power, which he has wielded throughout his presidency as he circumvented the legislative branch on matters of spending and subpoenas, while enjoying decisions in which he maintained universal authority such as issuing pardons. Trump has also issued a multitude of executive orders while relying heavily on myriad acting administration officials rather than subjecting them to the Senate confirmation process.

At a White House briefing late Tuesday, Trump offered conflicting statements about which entity had the authority to reopen, seeming to backtrack from his claim Monday but at the same time insisting the federal government would have the final say.

“The governors are responsible. They have to take charge,” said Trump, who added that some states want to reopen now and probably can before May 1, while others aren’t there yet. He said that if a state with many cases tries to reopen early, the federal government might step in.

“If we disagree with it, we’re not going to let it open,” he said, before adding, “We’re there to help. But we’re also there to be critics.”

Earlier in the day, Trump’s comments on reopening the nation were challenged by his presumptive Democratic rival this fall, former vice president Joe Biden, and also by prominent governors overseeing the public health crisis in their states such as New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who in his daily news conference Tuesday skewered at length Trump’s position as wildly off-base from the Constitution.

Cuomo said the president’s claim of total authority is “not an accurate statement,” because the basic principle of federalism is enshrined in the Constitution, in which powers not given to the federal government remain with the states.

“The statement that he has total authority over the states and the nation cannot go uncorrected,” Cuomo said. “There are many things that you can debate in the Constitution because they’re ambiguous. This is not ambiguous.”

Later Tuesday in his own remarks, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) was less pointed toward Trump but nonetheless unequivocal, tweeting: “When it comes to reopening, SCIENCE — not politics — must be California’s guide.” Newsom outlined six factors he will consider in doing so, including protecting communities from the spread of the virus and ensuring that hospitals could handle any surge in cases.

The fresh power struggle between the federal government and state officials came as the toll of the pandemic continued to grow, with more than 25,000 people dead from the virus in the United States and more than 600,000 confirmed to be infected.

The International Monetary Fund said Tuesday that the pandemic is causing the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s. It is also inflicting acute pain in the medical sector, which continues to struggle with supplies and personnel becoming sick, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention saying Tuesday that 9,000 health care workers have tested positive.

In another assertion of authority, Trump said he would halt funding to World Health Organization while a review was conducted. He has criticized the organization for its slow response in the early days of the outbreak, but by Jan. 30, the organization declared a global health emergency, after which the president continued to play down the outbreak and compared it with seasonal flu.

Governors also began outlining their strategy for reopening their states in the coming weeks and months, while a consortium of seven East Coast states continued a plan to explore how and when to lift restrictions in their geographically aligned states.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) was among the state leaders who made clear Tuesday that the facts on the ground must dictate when the current restrictions can begin to ease.

“This monster is still going to be with us at least until we get a vaccine,” DeWine, who has said his state has had a good working relationship with federal officials so far, said at a Tuesday news conference. “It’s not going away, and that’s the sad news. . . . We are 12-18 months away from this going away. We’re going to have to live with it..”

Two White House officials said there was no broader planning for Trump’s comments that he had “total” authority and that they were both surprised by his tweets to that effect Monday. There was no legal underpinning for the remarks in advance, said the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to talk frankly, and “it is widely viewed with skepticism in the building that we should be doing this.

The White House Counsel’s Office is studying what authority the president actually does have during a national emergency, according to the officials. But the operating plan in the White House is not to try to force any state to reopen, although one senior White House official said they had been in contact with some states — such as Texas, Mississippi and Tennessee — about reopening sooner rather than later.

“I am almost positive James Madison fell off a cloud somewhere today when Trump said that,” said Dan Eberhart, a Republican donor. “The founders of the republic stitched together a complicated game of chess to ensure our president was a very weak king who could be simultaneously slowed down by the legislature, judiciary and federalism. His authority is far from total.”

Another prominent GOP donor, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations, said there was an effort “to talk him into a better place.”

One official said Trump is frustrated that the governors are getting so much credit and no blame while he gets all the blame and none of the credit. He particularly complains about Cuomo, this official said.

“Cuomo’s been calling daily, even hourly, begging for everything, most of which should have been the state’s responsibility, such as new hospitals, beds, ventilators, etc.,” Trump tweeted earlier Tuesday. “I got it all done for him, and everyone else, and now he seems to want Independence! That won’t happen!”

Trump has said repeatedly that the federal government is merely a backup to the states and that the onus is on the governors to deal with the pandemic.

Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) said in a recent interview that “at the end of the day, it will be the governors that make these decisions.”

Combative in public, Trump administration and congressional leaders negotiate behind the scenes on coronavirus relief

One Republican ally close to the president said Trump did not initially want to be associated with decisions to close down the government because “closing is bad news, and opening is good news.” And he spoke with governors such as Florida’s Ron DeSantis (R) who were skeptical, said this person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private conversations.

Trump was happy to accept the argument from some advisers that he should invoke federalism, and the president repeatedly emphasized states’ rights when questioned by reporters in recent weeks why he was not instituting a national stay-at-home order. But he sees a political triumph in reopening the economy and wants credit for it, this person said.

In a tweet Monday, Biden said that he is “not running for office to be King of America.”

“I respect the Constitution,” Biden said. “I’ve read the Constitution. I’ve sworn an oath to it many times. I respect the great job so many of this country’s governors — Democratic and Republican — are doing under these horrific circumstances.”

Within the GOP, Trump’s biggest challenge to his exertion of executive power came last year, when a dozen GOP senators voted to reject an emergency declaration the president issued to take taxpayer dollars from the military and other accounts for a border wall that Congress had denied.

Of that dozen, two — Sens. Rand Paul (Ky.) and Marco Rubio (Fla.) — issued comments Tuesday, both stressing that states should retain the power to regulate their own activities. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said in a statement: “I respect the authorities of the office of the presidency. I also recognize that it will take all of us — elected leaders and citizens — to effectively stop the spread of this virus.”

A spokeswoman for Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) pointed to his remarks from a Fox Business interview earlier Tuesday in which he said the matter was not just up to elected officials “deciding when it’s time and coming up with some arbitrary deadline,” but the science and whether people feel safe leaving their homes.

Aides to two others — Utah Sens. Mitt Romney and Mike Lee — said the senators would have no response. None of the other six responded to requests for comment. They were Sens. Lamar Alexander (Tenn.), Roy Blunt (Mo.), Susan Collins (Maine), Jerry Moran (Kan.), Patrick J. Toomey (Pa.) and Roger Wicker (Miss.).

At least two other prominent elected GOP lawmakers, past and present — Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), the third-ranking leader among House Republicans, and Republican-turned independent Rep. Justin Amash (Mich.) — challenged Trump’s notion.

Cheney, whose father, Richard B. Cheney, had pushed for broad executive authority as vice president in George W. Bush’s administration, cited the text of the 10th Amendment in a tweet: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

But other GOP lawmakers questioned about Trump’s bold claim, an assertion refuted by constitutional experts, were reluctant to challenge the president.

Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), the No. 2 House Republican, argued in a Fox News interview Tuesday that states had largely taken their cue from Trump and the federal government over the past two months, particularly when it comes to social distancing guidelines.

“When the president said that, you saw almost every governor in the country take that cue and say, ‘Okay, we’re going to institute a new set of policies,’ ” Scalise said. “And so, while the president hasn’t said every state has to do this, he’s been setting the guidance using the experts from CDC and other agencies, and then you see states following suit.”

A spokesman for Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) on Tuesday declined to comment beyond the governor’s remarks to CNN on Monday in which he said governors were best positioned to make the ultimate decision on when their states can safely resume everyday activities.

“It’s not my understanding of the Constitution,” Hogan said in the CNN interview of Trump’s interpretation of his own powers.

Devlin Barrett, Ovetta Wiggins, Felicia Sonmez, Mike DeBonis, Samantha Pell and Brittany Shammas contributed to this report.

Phroyd

#trump #corona #moron

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kevkesblog · 5 years ago

Text

Translation: Kai Havertz portait in ZEIT newspaper (January 2019)

NOTE: Hey guys! This time I tried something new. I translated an exclusive portrait the german weekly newspaper DIE ZEIT did with Kai in January. They interviewed him as well as Kai’s family. Its very candid and has alot of details. I hope you guys like it, since DIE ZEITs writing is usually very difficult - even for germans. And I apologize for spelling errors as usual.

The original text in German

Kai Havertz: the peace itself

(January 23, 2019)

People praise Leverkusens national player Kai Havertz, 19, for his serenity with the ball which put him on the radar of many European top clubs. His parents start to realize that he is likely becoming world famous.

By Jörg Kramer

The most promising german football talent these days picked a table very far behind in an restaurant somewhere in Cologne to order himself some spagetti gnocchi – inconspicuous.

There is no star posturing with Kai Havertz. The 19 year old could even go through as a normal university student; with his bright hoodie and somewhat cheap and not even special occurence.

And with his voice, which has this typical regional dialect, without the typical empty phrases that young football player use to often in order to cover up their meaningless sentences. But people know his face by now. So thats why he doesnt sit right next to the entrance.

He belongs to the celebrities of the football scene. European top clubs are scouting the young men in stadiums, team mates from Bayer Leverkusen praising him and forecasting him to have the potential to become a world star.

He already scored nine goals this season, decided some games by his own and played his first games for the national team. Havertz became the centre of his clubs game by playing at the centre midfield. His role only changed slightly and the importance of his role not at all, since Peter Bosz took over as head coach. He views this very relaxed and talks in an restaurant somewhere in the Belgian Quarter of Cologne about Leverkusen being the „perfect place“ in order to develop as a young player. And thats where he wants to give his all for the last half year ahead. Ooops!

His last half year? That was a slip of the tongue of course, he meant to say the next half year. Because his contract with Bayer is still running until 2022 without an exit clause. But things now are developing in a rapid way which runs parallel to his explosive performance currently. Its just a matter of the perfect timing that someone like him will end up going to Barcelona, Manchester or at least Munich – a choice between summer 2019 or summer 2020 maybe.

Havertz walks over his misspelled sentence like nothing happend. Once in Nuremberg in the middle of a turmoil of an rainy game, it seemed as if he stopped – as if he was reconsidering the situation with him having the ball. Like if somebody pressed a ‚Stop‘-button. And he chiped to ball in an cool and unemoitional and scored.

Coaches and team mates are citizing his body language, he says. So he works on looking more aggresive. He even participates on useless discussions between his teammates and referees after controversial decisions on the pitch, in order to get a penalty for the other team or some revenge. But it doesnt really look good him when he does it, he admits – even after a though tackle or when going after the ball. „I’m a player that shines with his tranquility.“ A nice sentence that gives away his elegante style of play.

Havertz remained an artist on the pitch. Every foul is a sign of weakness. Everytime he gets the ball, which is his job as an offensive player, he never runs into his opponents – he anticipates. „I try to imagine, which options my opponent has, what he would do if I were him.“ He then runs with a planned pass way and he gets the ball.

Havertz learned in the past almost two and a half years all systems and tatics of modern football. Starting with a radical system, almost a raid-strategy under coach Roger Schmidt, by which the goal keeper kicked the ball high and it flew wide over the pitch – almost always directly aimed at Havertz‘ head – because he is 1,88 meters tall.

Then the mixed system under Heiko Herrlich. He always had to look for his team mates before he passed. Now with Bosz, a planfull offensive style with flat passing. He runs through all the chapters. The first began on October 15, 2016.

It was a Saturday. A day where the Havertz family from Mariadorf near Aachen still couldnt realize that their youngest son, will probably end up living off football and perhaps even become famous. They cant really believe it up until today, says Anne Havertz, his mother.

On that day – October 15 – Kai was a youth player, in a big house next to the woods in Mariadorf having breakfast – when suddently coach Schmidt called. Lars Bender, professional Bayer-player who was supposed to play against Werder Bremen that evening, got injured and had to quit. Kai had to come to Bremen, immidiately! His mother drove him to Leverkusen. A special shuttle took him to Bremen. His whole family was sitting in front of the TV that night.

Kai was sitting on the bench as expected. Then, during the 83th minute, the commentator saw already more than the viewes and said: now we are experiencing a debut. Kai Havertz was ready to get subbed. In the real Bundesliga. Anne Havertz said: „Oh my god!“.

(Credit: Instagram: kaihavertz29)

Kai’s mother, who worked as a lawyer until she got pregnant with her eldest son, came to the restaurant in Cologne one day after Kai to talk about life as a family of an future world star. She brought her husband – Kai’s father, and her daughter Lea, Kai’s sister. The sister is studying marketing and digital media in the city.

People can reach his father in an emergency by dailing 1-1-0. He is a police officer working at the police station 3 in Cologne-West. He says he is really impressed, about how cool and routinely his football playing son manages post-game interviews and how we stays cool when people recognize him in public and everybody is watching,

The Havertz family is still perplexed about a football world where colleagues of their son, order their own cooks to cook for them at home. And whenever he puts his legs into an special bag in order to regenerate. Almost the whole family – except his oldest brother and the dog – are having apple pie and salate and looking back at the stages of his career, which started at Alemannia Mariadorf. Kai skiped two age-groups. He then played with older players than actually intended. Then he transfered to Bayer Leverkusen. All because the scout was tough but not intrusive like the other scouts. By the age of ten, Bayer drove Kai to training sessions three times a week.

4 year old Kai Havertz (Credit: kicker tv)

He was still among the smallest players in the team by the age of 14. Then suddently - a growth spurt which resultet in issues with his knees and his back. They were responsible for Kai loosing his fixed spot on the team. This was also the hard time because he left home and moved to Leverkusen. The club doesnt have an academy so he stayed at a guest family – the family of the stadium announcer from Bayer, together with two other players. A year later he moved into an apartement with his older brother, until Jan had to move to Nuremberg – he has a marketing job at adidas now.

A lasting memory: endless discussions within the Havertz family about the overarching question: does the boy need a german high school diploma (Abitur)? Will he pass the tests when he is travelling around with his professional teammates?

Kai Havertz attended the Landrat-Lucas-Gymnasium. An elite school of sports where he could skip classes in the morning for training. But he always had to catch up school stuff from the day. Once he played with Leverkusen at the DFB-Cup at Sportfreunde Lotte. He was subbed late, it went into penalities and after the team was eliminated from the cup he arrived home late – at 3am. At 8am he had an English exam.

The family became a team. His mother and sister helped him with biology exams. One day the young football player said to his family, he has no power left anymore. „But he never said: I want to quit!“ his mother insists. This was a breaking point by which his parents thought about quitting and stop pursuing the Abitur. But suddently coach Roger Schmidt intervened and said Kai should pull through. The whole Bayer team will support him.

The Abitur became a factor of will power, a test of life. The school supervisor of Bayer, a former athlete herself, said something memorable: it will shape his whole life if Kai quits school now. Whenever something becomes difficult, if something goes beyond your pain barrier, he will always have this option to quit in his head, that you can just give up.

Kai Havertz choose the pain, the Abitur. Now he will always choose the hard way if the theory of his supervisor holds.

On this January afternoon in Cologne, he is being asked what other job he would have picked if it wasnt for football. He likes the job as a barber, for men’s hairstyle. He smiles. Some curls are hanging on his forehead from left to right. A Barber. He wouldnt have needed an Abitur for that.

He is a genius at football. He won the German junior championship with Bayer and scored 19 goals in 29 games. He got awarded as a Under-19-player as the best of his age with the Fritz-Walter-medal from the DFB. Kai made it onto second place on his position after Marco Reus from Dortmund in a list of the football magazine „kicker“ which they publish every half year – but seven spaces in front of Munich’s Thomas Müller.

Coach Heiko Herrlich says Havertz reminds him of Toni Kroos. Football critic Reiner Calmund compared him to Franz Beckenbauer. His head goals remind him of Michael Ballack. Mesut Özil was always Kai Havertz idol, because of his tranquility with the ball and his ability to read a game. Sometimes Kai misses the final conciseness in front of the goal, which was visible after the recent 0-1 loss against Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Having the ability to remain calm, even when you get tackled is the result of a deep confidence in your own strenghts: screen your surrondings – in short time if necessary – and then make the right decision. Joachim Löw praises Havertz „good orientation“, something he said about Özil years ago. What he means is a certain sense of space on the pitch – an inner compass. Something that has to do with attention and memory. Havertz, who is a master of navigation, doesn’t even need practice. Some creatures have special senses and are able to find orientation on earth through a magnetic field – like migratory birds for example.

Kai Havertz likes watching Champions League games. And while watching them, there is always a wish inside him to participate as well whenever the big games of the quarter- and semifinals are on. „I think you can only reach that level by going to a top club at some point“ he says.

Mother, father and sister Havertz say, they don’t expect things from him. Something they never did in his career. But if someone asks them, who will follow Kai in a foreign country to get used to everything – they start to think about it. They would alternate. One week his mother would visit, next week his sister and then his grandmother maybe.

Kai Havertz still has a room back home in Mariadorf. Back in the day he used to have posters from FC Barcelona. So it could happen maybe one day, that youngsters in Barcelona will have posters with Kai Havertz on them.

++END++

#kaihavertz #kai havertz #bayerleverkusen #bayer leverkusen #German NT #diemannschaft #DFB Team #dfb #bravertz #julianbrandt

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