#Shooting stars and three heroes

[cohapon]

みなさま〜良いお年を〜！

来年は、もっと推しとうちの子を描いて描いて描きまくろうと思います！！

[earnono]

Byleth/ベレト

(Please vote for him in CYL7)

[long-live-astronerd-ghost-king]

DPXDC prompt: Valentine's day spirit. Superbat edition.

When Phantom sets foot on the Justice League base many years later, he expects anything but not Flash pointing finger at him and screaming about "legendary child who made Superbat canon".

~~~~

Being in Metropolis because of a ghost hunt right in the middle of a battle between Lex Luthor and Superman was not the best outcome, especially considering that Jack had his three-year-old son with him. But without such a combination of circumstances, they would never have found out that "Ghost!" "Daddy, no!" Ectoblast that Jack shot at the target of their hunt touches Superman and..really hurts him.

There were two sides to Danny-the ghostbuster's son and the astronerd. It is clear which half of him did not have a chance to win.

Danny threw his space rocket toy aside and grabbed father's arm. In the next second, boy had already sunk his teeth into Jack's fingers, forcing him to drop weapon. Youngling quickly jumped off and picked up ectoblast and then ran towards Superman. "Fly away! I'll hold him!" Danny stood up to try to cover up ghost (or alien?) in case Dad took not one but a whole bunch of shooting things with him again.

Jack: Get away from my son, ghost. Superman: Sir, I'm sure this is some kind of misunderstanding, I'm not a ghost. Jack: Danny, come to me, he's trying to hide his identity and manipulate us. Danny: No. If the heroes are being attacked, then someone must protect them too. Jack: But he's a ghost.. Danny: Alien or ghost is not so important, Daddy. He's in pain, and he's protecting this city, not haunting it. It's wrong to try to catch him for experiments. I forbid you to do that. Jack: Danny, champ, you're wrong.

Lex: Hah, what an interesting substance. Despite the other aggregate state, or rather its absence, it is so similar to kryptonite. Superman: Lex, is this a portable lab? Now is not the time, in case you haven't noticed. Lex: There is always time for science. I think my colleague will agree, right? "Similar to kryptonite?" Jack muttered to himself.

Jack: So Superman wasn't my target. And we are not colleagues. There is only one insanely rich man with questionable moral values with whom I am ready to do work, and your surname is clearly not Masters. Lex: It's a pity, but still, if you want to carry out the delivery of your wonderful weapons or exchange experiences, then call this number. Luther quickly shoves a business card into Fenton's hand. Jack*throws it away*: Come on, son, let's go back to the hotel, you've skinned your knees.

~~~The Evening. The Roof of the mentioned hotel~~~

"My friend Sam is also very frightening. And she also likes dark.“ The boy paused for a minute of thinking. “You want to kiss your goth friend?" "W-What makes you think that, kid. We’re colleagues, I respect him very much and.." "So you want to. It’s okay, I’d like to kiss Sam too but I’m afraid she’s gonna hit me. You have the same problem?" "It’s a little more complicated for adults." Kal begins to explain but stumbles upon Danny’s completely unimpressed look. Yeah, this boy apparently has heard 'kids would understand when they grow up' lectures at least thousand times. "But you’re basically right."

~~~~

When Batman himself comes to their hotel the next day as a representative of the Justice League to make sure that Mr. Fenton has no desire to harm Superman in the future and to tell that Superman is not going to press charges because of the ectoblast that injured him, Danny refuses to leave the room.

Jack: Oh, Danny, I thought you dropped your space rocket yesterday, it's a good that Alicia's Christmas present isn't lost. Danny: Well, dad, I left it on the roof of a bad bad man, yeah, but Uncle Kal returned it last night and we talked for a while. Jack: About what? Space, my little star? *Father immediately assumes that Danny would like to ask about everything real alien*. Boy*blushes and shakes his head negatively*: No, not about it.

Jack: Then what it was about? Danny: Secret superhero things. I can't tell you. I agreed to withhold that information as part of a pinky swear. Batman: And what about me, young man? You can tell me, right? Batman couldn't resist talking with such a cute kid. The boy thinks only for a second before hurriedly trying to push his father out of the room. Danny: Dad, come out for a minute and don't eavesdrop. I'll tell you when you can come in. The big man laughingly obeys. Lil child checks the reliability of the closed door and runs up to Batman. Danny: And so, Mr. Batman, first promise not to laugh or hit Uncle Kal. Batman: I promise? Danny: Good. This is very important information. Batman: I'm listening.

Danny: He thinks you're terrifying and wants to kiss you. And since he is afraid that you will hit him for this, I recommended him to appease you with a pie cooked according to his mother's recipe. Well, you know, since you love sweets and his parents' farm has the most wonderful apples in all states. He rarely cooks himself, but he will try for you, so even if he doesn't succeed, pretend that you liked it, please. Batman:...

Batman: Would you like to work in intelligence for the Justice League when you grow up? Danny: Actually, I want to be an astronaut. Batman: Our base is located in space. Danny:

Danny: Hmm, then I'll think about your offer.

Batman: Great. It's a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Fenton. You can count on a job recommendation from me. Do you want anything as compensation for your consultation? Danny: Actually, yes. Mr. Batman, tell me honestly, are you a bat on a frugivorous diet like Giant golden-crowned flying fox or you are a Vampire Bat? Sam says that such a big bat can only be a vegetarian and uncle Kal said your son was more than happy to steal strawberries from his garden with Superboy but..

~~~

Batman tries to behave naturally for a week. However, the sweet tooth inside him still makes him clamp Superman in the corner and question him. "Where the hell are the pies you promised to cook for me, Clark?"

[shanieveh]

dangerously yours !

— genshin men as the villain, you're the hero and throw some love in the mix

sacrifices the world to save you— ALHAITHAM, scaramouche, diluc, THOMA, childe, chongyun

He knew you planned to sacrifice yourself. He saw it coming. And he was ready to prevent every bit of it. He loved you. Once from afar, once from a different identity, a falsehood, a lie. He did all of that to see you, to know you and he fell. Hard.

You were a saint, the embodiment of good morality. A hope for the future. The opposite of him. And as you brace yourself for the moment your soul leaves for a new world, all for his arms to be wrapped in your body. You open your eyes and found a new world, the sound of bombs from where you once were. But that didn't matter. Not when his eyes sparkle more than crystals.

let's you defeat them— kaveh, VENTI, arataki itto, AYATO, albedo, xingqiu, cyno, aether, zhongli, tartaglia, heizou

As your blade came so close to slashing his neck you were finally hailed as a hero. A champion, a winner. But that void in your heart, a trophy can't fill that piece of your heart. He told you it was okay, as both of you staged a fight. Now he was tortured, punished for his crimes. He made you defeat him so you'll be once again called a hero.

You visit him almost everyday, always with an anonymous identity. He still smiled even with his tortured frame, one from lashes, some from his couple inmates. How can he sacrifice all his of career for you? It was easy really. No amount of punishment could exceed your cries, and that beautiful pained face he can't bear to see.

you join the darkside— kaeya, AYATO, albedo, pantalone, scaramouche, pierro, dainsleif, tartaglia

He lured you right to his trap. It all started when you met him, it was like Eve drawing closer to the sneaky snake. But just like it, your first meeting was destiny. Your family always wanted you to be a kind loving child. And you grew up as one. But as you learned more about the other side, you realized how wrong the "morally right" actually is.

It started off with a petty theft, to some injuries and then violence. With him at your side, it felt like pure adrenaline rushed to your veins. He taught you reality, away from the fairy tale built by the stupid legends of heroes. He made you feel that pain and hatred all came from love. You made him feel that loving was never enough to show just how much he adores you. Bang.

he becomes good— scaramouche, THOMA kazuha, VENTI, kaveh, tighnari, zhongli, bennett, xiao

He was never really evil. He was hurt. And when you feel him, and touch and be with him you learn how he actually is. How he was supposed to be. He used his power to see you often, maybe battle with you, but with the many chances to defeat you he chose not to. The many chances to destroy your plans, he left.

On quiet nights, away from the prying eyes and evil plans. There lies both of you, one asleep, one awake. He looks at the person lying on the grass and stares at the peaceful sky and saw no difference. You were the shooting star. His wish. He can't be evil, and he never was. And just for you, he never will. He can't stand to lose you, and he would give everything he built for that.

BONUS: he sacrifices himself— thoma, KAZUHA, alhaitham, childe, albedo, diluc, KAEYA

No... it can't be. He cant die like that. Not for you. It wasn't how it was supposed to be. Pleas of you wanting to wake him up. He was supposed to be a foe. But how he loved you so. He made you feel like you had a purpose, that you were more than just a weapon of justice. He made you feel alive and in doing so it killed him.

The war was over. But was it worth it? It wasn't. Killing him, destroyed you, tore you to pieces. He planned all of this. He knew he was... and in the palm of his hand lie the letter. A plan? A story? No.. it only stated three words you were so scared told him. A feeling you now regret.

"I love you."

[caffeinewitchcraft]

Dandelion (A Villain Story)

You stub your toe and the mind control breaks.

Your power snaps from the shock and the hundred or so clones you’d been controlling disappear with a pop! You hold your breath as the steel they’d been carrying clangs loudly in the cavernous room. You’re the only one in this sector but that was loud. If by some miracle nobody heard that, surely your abductor will notice you’re free any moment now—

Devil Eyes doesn’t notice.

You cover your mouth with both hands, pressing so hard that your teeth creak. There’s a hysterical giggle struggling to claw its way up your throat. You’ve been shot, stabbed, and beaten, but this is what it takes to break Devil Eyes’ control? Your pinky toe throbbing after kicking a stray steel beam?

Fuck, that’s funny.

You breathe in through your nose slowly. Only when your lungs hurt worse than your toe from how much air you’re holding in them do you release your mouth. You breathe out in six quick bursts. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six.

You’re free.

Holy shit, you’re free! How long has it been? Six months? Eight? You know it’s not summer anymore, but Devil Eyes has had you working in the depths of his lair for weeks now and you’ve lost track of time. That’s fine though, you’re pretty sure you’re still in Arizona and there’s sunshine even in winter. Your breath hitches in your chest. The sun! Oh, the sun, you want to see the sun so bad and now you can because you’re free--

Don’t cry. Don’t make a sound. Assess. Act.

Escape.

You’re in the delivery sector. There are piles of steel everywhere you look, tossed this way and that so that it looks like a giant failed game of Jenga. Your clones were carrying the beams from the truck in the docking bay to the appropriate facilities deeper into the mountain when they disappeared. Ha! Fat chance Devil Eyes finishes construction without you around. You’re the only reason this mountain lair is even possible. It would serve him right to spend so long stealing materials only to have nobody around to do the hard work for him.

That’s why I need to escape.

Spite is what keeps you moving. The truck driver is gone. He’s a real minion of Devil Eyes, not a brainwashed one like you. That means he’s probably in the living sector enjoying the benefits of willing servitude. Benefits like soda. And beds. And those little pillow mints they give you at hotels.

Your mouth waters.

Don’t you dare go back for a pillow mint, you scold yourself. It doesn’t matter how bad you’ve been craving one, forced to set them out and never allowed to eat one. You have the chance to escape and you’re going to take it.

You climb into the cab of the truck. The driver took his keys with him, but you’re a villain. You have the engine turning over in less than five minutes, the bed of the truck detached within three, the seat and mirrors adjusted in less than one.

Ten minutes after stubbing your toe, you’re driving out of the mountain and into the deepest of Arizona nights. Nobody sounds any alarms. Nobody starts shooting at you. How could they? You were the one manning the graveyard shift in the security room. You were the one at the turrets. You were the one doing it all while Devils Eyes and his crew slept.

The stars stretch above you. You crack the windows of the truck and suck in the fresh air greedily. Your eyes burn.

Not yet, you think. Your eyes smart and you bite your lip until the lump in your throat goes away. Not yet. As a villain, you’ve always made it a point not to let your guard down until the job is done.

This job isn’t anywhere near done.

----------,

Getting into one of Hero Force’s headquarters is either the best thing to happen to a villain or the worst.

Breaking into one is a badge of honor, especially if you’re able to get away with a trophy. Information, a hostage, even a paperclip. Anything that proves you were there and they couldn’t stop you from doing whatever you wanted.

Getting taken into Headquarters is a nightmare. It means you’ve been caught and caught good. Getting taken into Headquarters means the end of a masked villain’s career. Hero Force knows who you are from that point on and, even if you escape, they’re not going to lose track of you any time soon.

You’re not sure what walking into one is. A disgrace? An act of stupidity?

You park your truck illegally and push both doors open at the same time just a little after sunrise.

“Hello,” you say to the receptionist. He’s wearing the characteristic black mask of Hero Force personnel and you wait until his brown eyes shift from his computer to you before continuing. "I’ve been held captive by the villain Devil Eyes for the last six or eight months and I’d like to talk to somebody about it.”

“Pardon?” the receptionist asks. His fingers are frozen over his keyboard. “You—pardon?”

“I don’t know what month it is,” you say. Abruptly you realize you’re not wearing a mask. A chill shudders down your spine. Devil Eyes knows what you look like and now Hero Force does too. You are so fucked, you’re going to need to flee the country-- Think about it later. “So I don’t know how long I was brainwashed for.”

“Brainwashed?”

“By Devil Eyes,” you say. When the receptionist continues to stare at you, you shift your weight from side to side. “I-I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be rude, but is there someone higher up I could speak to?”

It turns out there is. The receptionist is only too happy to call them for you and things move very quickly after that.

They take you to the fifth floor of headquarters and into a very nice conference room. The receptionist brings you coffee, water, and a fresh change of clothes. He doesn’t bring you pillow mints when you ask but makes up for it by fishing out a crushed granola bar from the inner pocket of his blazer.

“This is the best thing I’ve ever eaten,” you say. Crumbs tumble from your lips and onto the oak table. “Fuck.” You lick your fingers and pick them up as best you can, scooping them into your mouth as you go.

“We’ll have something delivered,” he says, eyes skittering away from you. “It’ll probably arrive before Arctic—”

“No, it won’t.”

You twist in your seat, granola bar stuffed in your cheeks. Arctic is standing in the doorway in full costume, sans cape. Her slate grey eyes study you a moment before she steps into the room. Rag Doll, her second in command, follows silently behind. Unlike his boss, he’s half in his civvies– jeans and long-sleeved Henley that shows off the extra joints in his arms and legs. His patchwork mask does little to hide the bags under his eyes.

“Ma’am,” the receptionist says. He’s flustered in the presence of the A-rank heroes, you can see it. He sketches out a bow and then seems to think better of it, jerking ramrod straight and shuffling towards the door. “I’ll leave you to it.”

Arctic watches him go with one pale brow raised.

As soon as the door shuts, Rag Doll sighs. “It’s his first day.”

“He didn’t get their name, did not relay a proper history, and called me ma’am,” Arctic says in her heavy drawl. She frowns and smooths her white hair away from her face. “That’s three strikes.”

“Wait until he watches all the HR videos before you start handing out strikes.”

“He should have finished those before he was stationed at the front door.” Arctic strides around the table and takes the seat at the head without looking at you. She pulls out a notebook from her utility belt, flipping to a blank page, and then finally looks at you. “Do you need another granola bar?”

Oh. She was stalling until you could finish eating. A smile comes to your face unbidden. “I missed your southern charm, Arctic.”

Arctic drops her pen.

Rag Doll, halfway into his seat, freezes. He stares at you with wide eyes. “Virus?”

Oh yeah. You used to compliment Arctic’s Southern manners a lot before Devil Eyes got you. “Long time no see.”

“Long time—it’s been a year,” Rag Doll says incredulously.

“You look awful,” Arctic says without a bit of manners to be found.

“A year?” The room swims. Since the wallpaper kind of reminds you of bile anyway it’s no surprise what happens next. “Fuck.”

You throw up.

------------------.

“I was going on the straight and narrow,” you’re saying an hour later. You’re in a different conference room, this one on the third floor. The walls are a nice, soothing blue and there’s a vanilla air freshener plugged into the wall. “I really was.”

“You’ve been with Devil Eyes this whole time?” Rag Doll asks. He’s seated across from you, leaning forward onto his elbows. He’d stopped Arctic from putting the power suppressors on you. She agreed when he pointed out they might kill you in your fragile state. “There’s never been any indication he can hold someone that long.”

“Well, he can,” you say. You wordlessly accept the tea Arctic slides across the table. The heat of it shocks you in the best way. You drink greedily, relishing in the warmth as it slides down your throat. “And not just one person. He could hold me and five of my clones at first. Then ten. Then twenty.”

“But your clones are you,” Arctic says. She refuses to sit, standing behind Rag Doll. She crosses her arms. “It’s impressive he was able to hold you that long, but it was just you.”

“Impressive?” You laugh without humor. “I’m not exactly impressed.”

“She didn’t mean anything by it,” Rag Doll says. He looks over his shoulder at Arctic and, when she nods, he continues. “It’s just that, from what we know about your powers, holding you and your clones would be the same as holding one person.”

“It’s not,” you say. You’re giving away too much information about your powers, but you don’t care. Devil Eyes needs to be stopped. “Every one of my clones is an exact replica of me. An exact autonomous replica of me. Otherwise, I’d have to be some sort of supercomputer to control them all.”

“You’re not?” Rag Doll asks. His voice is light, like it used to be during your fights. Teasing banter.

You’re not in the mood for banter.

“No,” you say shortly. “If I was, I wouldn’t have been caught.”

Rag Doll sobers. “How did that happen?”

“I was getting out of the game,” you say. You wipe the back of your mouth. The tea is sitting better than the granola bar, but you’re still feeling unsteady. You clear your throat. “I should have just disappeared, but I didn’t. I let a few of the locals know I was going to be leaving. Stupid of me. Stupider when I agreed to come to the goodbye party they were throwing.”

“Locals?” Arctic asks. Her voice is smooth and cold. “Which locals?”

You shrug. “Dreadwatt. The Ice Twins were in town back then, they said they’d stop by.” Your lip curls. “Devil Eyes.”

“That doesn’t sound like a very fun party,” Rag Doll says.

“No.” You didn’t think so either. But how do you explain that they were the only people who thought your low-level villainy meant something? Heroes and civilians just found your antics annoying. Villains found your schemes clever. “It was a way to mark the end of an era.”

“What were you going to do after?” Rag Doll asks.

Were. You can’t get mad at the past tense. You’re sitting in Hero Headquarters without a mask. Arctic has probably memorized every single one of your freckles. Even if she hasn’t, Devil Eyes knows your face. There’s no way you get to retire to an honest life now. “I was going to be a librarian.”

Rag Doll perks up. “You like to read? What genre?”

“Mostly science fiction.”

“Me too! Have you read—”

“Devil Eyes got you at the party?” Arctic interrupts. She shoots Rag Doll a chiding look and claims the seat next to him. She fixes you with her chilling gaze. “That right?”

“Yeah.” You don’t remember the moment it happened. That’s the scariest part. It took you weeks to be able to feel Devil Eyes’ control. Until then, everything still felt like your choice. “He had me start construction on his lair about a month after that. He was sure his control would hold by then.”

That makes Arctic lean forward. “His new lair? You’ve been there?”

You grin bitterly. “I’m the one who dug it out.”

“Dug it out? It’s underground?”

“Some of it.”

“Where?” Arctic flips open her notepad. “We know it’s east of the city and, judging by the truck you arrived in, it’s in the deep desert. Can you give us coordinates?”

“I’m pretty good with stars,” you say. Even now you can remember the exact position of them the moment you left the mountain. “I know exactly where it is.”

Arctic can’t hide the impatience in her voice. “Where?”

“Not so fast,” you say. You lean back, crossing your arms. Your heart pounds against your ribs. “I want a deal.”

Arctic snarls. “You don’t understand what’s at stake—”

Rag Doll puts a hand on her arm, quieting her. He smiles at you. “Now, Virus, you know—”

“Don’t call me that.”

Rag Doll blinks. “Excuse me?”

“Don’t call me Virus,” you say. Your skin itches and you dig your nails into your arms to keep from scratching. Devil Eyes called you Virus. “I retired. I’m not Virus.”

“Then what would you like us to call you?”

Your mind scatters. “I don’t know. Not that.”

“Alright,” Rag Doll says gently. He waits a moment and, when you don’t offer up anything else, says, "You know we can't offer immunity agreements. Foresight would have to be here for that and we don’t have time for him to fly down from New York. What I can do—”

“I don’t want immunity,” you interrupt.

“You don’t?”

“You don’t?” Arctic echoes. She frowns, seemingly shaking off her impatience. “You’ll still be charged with your previous crimes, Viru—sorry. You’ll still be charged with your previous crimes.”

“That’s fine.” It’s not. You rub your arms, fingertips worrying at the half moon indents your nails bit into your skin. It’s the price you’re willing to pay to take down Devil Eyes. “That’s fine. I’ll pay for those. But I want to be there when you raid his lair. I want to be there when you catch him.”

“That’s too dangerous,” Rag Doll says immediately. He shakes his head. “Arctic and I both have mental defenses, but you don’t. We know your power and now, knowing the extent of it, we can’t risk having him turn you again. It’d be like facing an army—”

“You’ll need an army against him,” you interrupt again. You press a hand against your chest. “I know how many minions he has. I know the layout. I know the location. You need me.”

“But if he gains control of you again—”

“He can only control twenty of me,” you say. You’re feverish and jittery so you stand. You pound your hand against your chest. “Only twenty, so I’ll be a hundred of me. I’ll be so many that those he manages to ensnare won’t stand a chance against the rest. I can do it. I can be more than he can handle. He got the jump on me but he won’t again.”

Arctic furrows her brow. “A hundred? You can make that many clones?”

You laugh darkly. You weren’t a good villain. Your goals were always too small. Robbing a grocery store, taking over the local theater, stealing the water from the water tower. They don’t know what you can do. “I can do more than you know. I can do more than Devil Eyes knows.”

Silence fills the room as the heroes think. The air freshener sprays a new puff of vanilla.

Rag Doll clears his throat. “If we let you come—”

“Rag Doll!”

“—if ,” Rag Doll emphasizes to Arctic. To you he says, “You won’t kill anyone?”

Of course I’m going to— “No,” you say. You cross your fingers under the table. “It’s just….” You look down at the wood grain. You say in a small voice, “I had to escape alone.”

Whatever protest Arctic was about to voice dies on her lips. “There were others there?” Her gaze sharpens, a bloodhound on a scent. “Who? Where?”

Aha. You guessed right. Arctic is patient. Arctic is polite. She’s been neither of those things during this conversation. What she has been is impatient and demanding. Devil Eyes has someone Arctic cares about. Devil Eyes might even have a hero from Arctic’s team.

“I didn’t see them,” you whisper. You glance up from under your lashes to find the heroes hanging onto your every word. “But I know where he keeps them.” You bite your lip. “I—I shouldn’t have left them there. I know what it’s like being under his control. I know what he does.” You sit upright, meeting their eyes unflinchingly. “I want to save them. I’ll pay for my crimes after, I swear. I won’t run. But Devil Eyes needs to be stopped.” You let your voice crack. “Please. I need to help stop him.”

Arctic softens. “Virus—sorry. Please, is there anything else I can call you?”

Your lip trembles. “My mother called me Dandelion.”

“Dandelion,” Arctic says. “That’s lovely. Dandelion, I understand how you feel. I don’t think—”

Rag Doll stops her with a hand on her arm. “Arctic? Can we talk in the hall?”

“Of course.”

You watch the heroes leave the room. As soon as the door closes, your lip stops trembling. Your shoulders straighten. Your eyes stop glistening.

Rag Doll and Arctic will argue for ten minutes. You’re a former villain and, despite your lack of real villainy in your history, you can’t be trusted. You know Devil Eyes’ hideout, but you’re also fresh out from his control. You’re powerful, but that power can be turned against them.

But those arguments will only last ten minutes. The reality is that they don’t have a choice. You're not going to give them the location without being allowed to tag along. They don’t have time to wait for Foresight or even the Mind Squad who specialize in dealing with mental powers like Devil Eyes’. They’re heroes and the villain has one of their own. They have to act.

You settle back in your chair. They’ll agree to your terms. Your stomach twists. It’s nauseating to think about going back there. A year. Devil Eyes stole a year from you.

You hide your grin as the door opens.

“Alright. Let’s get you kitted out. You’re coming with us, Dandelion.”

You’ll be stealing a lot more from him.

Then instead of crying, maybe you’ll be laughing.

Only one way to find out.

--------

Thanks for reading! I love mind powers in the Superhero universe but they sure are a pain to write!

If you’d like to read stories like this or like others on my blog a week before I post them here, please consider supporting me on Patreon (X)

Next week’s story is already up! Summary:

Sometimes, when things go very wrong, the Chosen One gets a wish. That’s where Danielle comes in. TW blood, death, violence, child death

Thanks again for reading!

[kirikiss]

Nightmare on Sesame Street!

prohero! bakugo It was no shock when Bakugo became one of the top heroes after high school. He was a powerhouse, and anyone could see he had a real shot at becoming #1. But being the best hero isn’t just about strength—popularity plays a big role too. So, it wasn’t surprising when his agency brought you on as his PR manager. Your job? To make sure people saw not just the fierce hero side of him, but also someone they could admire and root for. After all, with his temper, smoothing out those rough edges was going to be a challenge. not proofread...

tw: none!,

As you trudged down the hall, you could already hear the sound of Bakugo’s gauntlet tapping against his desk, the noise echoing from his office. Even though you were his PR manager, he had a knack for shooting down every opportunity you brought him. First, you pitched the idea of him having his own cereal. “Kids shouldn’t eat that crap,” he snapped. Then you suggested a hairspray ad. “Hell no. You couldn’t recreate this even if you had a blueprint,” he scoffed, gesturing at his hair. Every idea, every proposal, was an immediate no.

It was clear Bakugo had zero patience for PR stunts—he thought they were stupid, plain and simple. So, as you prepared to pitch him on a new opportunity to guest star on the Sesame Street Halloween Special, you could already see the scowl forming on his face. The tapping of his gauntlet stopped.

"Are you dumb?" he growled. "A hero isn’t an entertainer. We’re here to save people. Stop asking me to do dumb shit like this."

The office was silent as you began to walk out, only hearing the click of your shoes as you headed for the door. This was bad. If you couldn’t get him on board with these opportunities, his agency would fire you for sure. 

While Sesame Street was a kids' show, it would help soften Bakugo’s image and make him more family-friendly—something crucial for climbing the popularity polls. But since he seemed allergic to saying yes to anything, you started to devise a plan.

✧･���: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

It was a chilly, spooky, day, with leaves drifting in and out of the streets, carried by the wind. It was October 31st, and the town was soon to be filled with children in costume. You were on your way to the film studio, minus the explosive hero, who was stuck at the office buried in paperwork. As you fought against the wind, you quickly checked your phone. I really hope this works, you thought, having stayed up all night brainstorming any possible way to get him to say yes. The harsh reality was that he probably wouldn’t.

But there was one last idea you had in mind. As you reached the studio, you took a deep breath, thinking, I really hope he doesn’t kill me. You opened the door, and the director greeted you with a smile. “Hi, Y/N! Nice to finally put a face to the name! The live taping will be starting shortly. Where’s Dynamight?” he asked, glancing around.

“He should be here soon, but if you could just excuse me for a second,” you said with a nervous laugh. Stepping outside, you dialed his number, clearing your throat as you prepared for the act of your life.

“Yeah, what is—” Bakugo started.

“BAKUGO, HELP ME! A VILLAIN IS ATTACKING! I’LL SEND YOU THE ADDRESS!” you shouted in a fake worried tone, then quickly hung up praying it would work. You sent the address as you stepped back inside and crossed your fingers.

The director approached you, looking a bit anxious. “He has three minutes until the show starts. There’s a one-minute Oscar the Grouch act before his interview with Elmo. Do you think he could make it?” he asked, scratching the back of his head.

“I’m sure of it,” you lied through your teeth, hoping your gamble would pay off

Elmo walked onto the screen, and as if on cue, you heard a loud crash. The door flew open, and Bakugo stormed in. “WHERE IS THIS FOOL?” he barked, taking in his surroundings before locking eyes with Elmo. “Wow, our guest for today has an explosive entrance,” Elmo chimed cheerfully. Bakugo shot a glance at you, then back at Elmo. He realized he’d been tricked, and there was no backing out now.

“Elmo is very excited to welcome Bakugo!” Elmo continued, his voice unwavering. Bakugo slowly walked toward him, clearly unimpressed.

“Welcome to Elmo's live talk show! Elmo is just gonna ask you a few questions!” Elmo announced.

“Alright,” Bakugo scoffed, already annoyed at the oversized teddy bear in front of him.

“If you had to pick a favorite color, would it be red like Elmo, or would you choose something like… ‘explosive orange’?” Elmo asked, chuckling at his own joke.

Bakugo's face shifted to his default scowl. “Yeah, I guess,” he muttered, realizing this was live. He was making an effort to be somewhat kid-friendly.

“Okay! Elmo has another question! Today is Halloween. Elmo loves trick-or-treating! What are you planning to be for Halloween this year?”

“Well, Elmo,” Bakugo replied in a mocking tone, “I’m going to be patrolling later, so there’s no dress-up this year.” You sighed in relief, relieved to see he was trying to keep it together.

“Okay! Elmo has a few more questions. Elmo heard that some heroes take their costumes off at the end of the day! Do you ever take your grumpy face off, or is that just for show?” Elmo asked, clearly testing his patience, and it was wearing thin

You could see Bakugo’s irritation brewing. His fist clenched, suppressing the urge to turn Elmo into a pile of red fur. “Yeah, Elmo, I take it off when I’m not around annoying stuffed animals.” he retorted

He’s really pushing his limits now. 

Bakugo managed to keep his cool through most of the questions, but the last one pushed him over the edge. “Hey, Bakugo! Elmo was wondering... Do you think maybe you’d be a better hero if you smiled more? Elmo thinks smiles make everything better!”

Bakugo’s eye twitched, and you could see this was the breaking point.

“THAT’S IT!” he shouted, jumping out of his seat. “BAKUGO WILL SMILE WHEN HE BLOWS UP THIS SET! HOW ABOUT THAT, ELMO?” he yelled, mocking Elmo’s voice. Fiery sparks began crackling in his palm.

“DON’T TELL ME WHAT TO DO YOU DAMN PUPPET!” Bakugo growled as he aimed one of his grenades at Elmo. In a fit of rage, he let loose, and Elmo was suddenly engulfed in an explosion of red fur and smoke. Most of the staff stood there shocked while the others handled turning off the live footage. The cameras immediately panned to the ground as Bakugo turned around to take his leave. 

After apologizing profusely to the staff—and mourning what was left of the Elmo puppet—you headed outside to try and catch him. But he was already gone, leaving you no choice but to send a slightly irritated text.

Y/N: Are you serious right now? Why on earth would you do that? This is going to be a nightmare to clean up. You’d better get back to the agency ASAP so we can work out some kind of apology.

Read 4:18 PM

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Bakugo decided to start his patrol early, hoping to get some peace and quiet before the evening rush. But as soon as he hit the streets, he noticed they were already flooding with kids decked out in costumes. Some wore miniature hero getups—his own included—while others sported characters from whatever kids' shows were trending these days. Though he’d never admit it, Bakugo couldn’t help but smile at the sight of them laughing and running around.

His momentary calmness shattered, however, when something out in the distance made his blood run cold. A tuft of red fur peeked out from behind a lamppost, and slowly, menacingly, a kid in an Elmo costume emerged. Bakugo’s eyes went wide as the bright red, wide-grinning creature came closer, waving in slow motion, its vacant stare drilling into his soul. He took a step back, heart pounding.

“Not…again,” he muttered, half to himself.

Of all the villains he’d faced, of all the foes he’d defeated, somehow, this puppet was the one that struck true fear.

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taglist: @sofiascripts

a/n: Sorry for not posting, im in school and its midterm season :/. Thought I should put this out, I promised myself I would put out a funny bakugou fic before Halloween , so please enjoy!!!!

[aaizawashouta]

Here Comes Trouble

pairing: kirishima eijiro x fem!reader

word count: 2.3k

summary: all you wanted was a little attention

warnings: smut (minors, dni) oral (f receiving)

a/n: it’s me, hi, i’m the problem, it’s me.

Nobody hates Katsuki Bakugou more than you do. And while that is stretching the truth because you love him, he’s your best friend, it’s not stopping you from wanting to strangle him right now. He knows you just as well as Kirishima does and you want to throttle him. He’s doing it on purpose. Pulling him back every time you try to get his attention. It’s fucking annoying.

All you want is your goddamn boyfriend’s attention.

It was your idea to invite everyone over. To set out finger food, soda and beer. Even the liquor cabinet is unlocked. Maybe that’s what’s gotten into you. You’ve downed three cranberry vodkas already and the night is still young. Denki and Mina are setting up the karaoke machine in the living room. With this much liquid courage running through your veins, there is no doubt that you’ll be the star of the show. You sway to the music in the kitchen, no one notices your absence. You were the resident lightweight, one of Kirishima’s favorite things about you. It makes you fun, you’re always so serious, mama. Sometimes you need to let loose. Your gaze drifts over to the said man occupying your mind. He’s sitting at the dining room table with the others playing a game of poker. From what you can tell, Todoroki is wiping the table. It isn’t your game–terrible poker face, but you could always call someone else’s bluff.

Tilting your head, you stare at him. Eijiro Kirishima. The only person you allow to call you uptight. Because, well, maybe you are. Maybe he needs to fuck it out of you. You don’t know how long you’ve been staring, but it’s long enough for him to feel it. His eyes snap up to yours, an easy going smile taking up his face. You do your best to smile back, lifting your glass to your lips and downing the rest of it. Kirishima’s eyebrows raise at the action, a knowing look passing his eyes. Shit. Shit. You’ve been found out. If you’re good at calling people’s bluffs, Kirishima is good at calling yours. He doesn’t have to look so cocky about it, though. You huff, biting your lip as your boyfriend pushes back his chair and makes his way to you. The guys shout in protest, Bakugou's hand shooting out to land on Kiri’s shoulder. The redhead stops and glances down. Your gaze narrows when the blonde glances at you before saying something to your boyfriend. They both laugh.

You watch as he rounds the counter, arms snaking around you, caging you in. Melting into his embrace you rest your head in his chest. A soft whine escapes you when he kisses the top of your head, his cinnamon flavored breath fanning over you. Tilting your head back up, you don’t make it to his amused gaze. Sighing, your hands run up his arms, rubbing at his shoulders, scratching up the back of his neck. One hand trails back down, index finger catching the chain hidden under his shirt. You thumb at the pendant, the grove of your first initial smooth against your skin. It’s the silver band that has your attention. It used to bother you that he never wore it for others to see. But you understand now; feeling Eijiro’s heartbeat under your hand as you fiddle with the necklace.

"What's gotten into you?" he grins, taking you by the chin. Taking in your flushed cheeks and pouty lip, his grin only grows. "Fuck. Baby, don't you go looking at me like that. It'll do things to a man."

You crinkle your nose, jutting out your lip even more. You don't even have to say anything, he knows exactly what your look means. The effect it's having on him is obvious. Kirishima groans softly in his throat, readjusting himself in jeans. His gaze lingers on you before moving to the rest of the table. "Mama, please. Can't you wait just a little longer?"

With the eyes of the other heroes still on you, you decide it best not to make a scene. Lord knows they’d never let you live it down. Begrudgingly, you sigh and allow Kirishima to free up a second chair. Falling into the seat given to you, a polite smile flashed at Bakugou and Todoroki. Everyone here is family, a family built on trust and mutual respect. You aren't a hero, and have no desire to live in the clouds. But everyone loves you all the same, and because you’re Kirishima’s, they care for you just the same. They learned to read you and your moods just as they had with Kirishima . Bakugou grins at you, but doesn’t say a word. The other three watch you, but they keep most of their conversations directed towards Kirishima.

Their chatter drags on for close to an hour, occasionally rising to an ungodly loud volume when they roar with laughter. You don’t know what’s funny enough to have Midoriya about falling out of his chair, as long as he’s having a good time, you suppose. Chin resting against your palm, you listen with mild disinterest. Another ten minutes passes by until you decide that you have been patient long enough. Discreetly under the table, you nudge Kirishima’s calf with your foot, trying to get his attention. When he moves it away, unaware of your intentions, you huff in annoyance. He’s too caught up in his conversation with Sero to notice when you kick your sandal off. While keeping a bored face, you slide your toes up the inside of one of his spread thighs, stopping when you reach his crotch. That gets his attention.

Grunting at the contact, Kirishima plays it off the best he can. His hand grabs your foot under the table, squeezing it in warning. You’ve never really been good with subtle clues. Pursing your lips, you tug your foot back and he releases it. You wait for their conversation to go on a while longer before trying again. This time you will succeed.

Kirishima doesn't release your foot. His grip is firm, but not hurting you. Thumb rubbing up the arch of your foot and digging into the sole. It makes you jump hard enough your knee whacks the table. It makes you want to moan. Fuck, it doesn’t matter where he’s touching you, he’s always good with his hands. When a shaky sigh leaves you, he scoots out his chair and turns to you.

“Is there something you need from me?” he murmurs low in your ear.

Eyeing him up and down, you slowly pull your foot away from him and stand to your feet. His hands are grasping your hips, keeping you from escaping. Shaking your head, your teeth bite at the inside of your cheek as your thighs rub together.

“Don’t need anything that you’re not willing to give, Eijiro.”

His eyes darken, the color you love so much being drowned out. He scoots back, allowing you to pass. He’s on you within seconds. In your bedroom, the door shut, he’s flush against you. Nose bumping against yours, he's holding you to him, and you whine, because god, this is all you’ve wanted. It’s all you’ve thought about all day. You tried to be good, really, you did. But Kirishima is a goddamn drug and so, so good to you.

He takes your face between his hands and slides his tongue into your mouth. Sighing, you count one, two, three steps before he has you pinned against the wall of your bedroom. Shaky hands slip underneath his cotton shirt, sliding your palms against the expanse of his abdomen. You grin when his muscles clench at the light touch. You trace the line of hair that disappears into his jeans, and when you reach for the button of his pants, he bites down on your lip.

A gasp at the silent reprimand, and before you can run your tongue to sooth the bite, he’s already on his knees, tugging your shorts and panties down and tossing them over his shoulder. Bradley kisses your thigh when he hoists a leg over his shoulder. He gives you no time to process in your slightly drunken state what’s happening before he uses his thumb and forefinger to part you and drags his tongue up to your clit.

Gasping, your knees buckle and you reach for a handful of his hair to steady yourself.

“Eijiro,” You moan, hips already moving to match the pace of his tongue. “I—” Your eyes roll back and your head drops against the wall, the muscles in your thighs already beginning to shake in anticipation of the orgasm coiling tightly in your stomach.

The creak of the hall bathroom door sounds, echoing through the silence of your bedroom. Your eyes open, tilting your chin to stare down at Kirishima. His eyes are hard, wild, dangerous. Everything you’re wanting and there is no stopping, there is no slowing down. No one can see you in here, they’d have to walk in. You lick your lips, eyes flying to the door right across from you. Kirishima, well aware of the situation, only adds more pressure to the quick flicks of his tongue on your clit, you squeak in warning as a set of footsteps pass right by the door. You inhale a shaking breath, doing nothing for you as the voices of Mina and Denki ring out over the music. Fuck, you forgot about karaoke.

“Come on, mama,” he murmurs against you, and you catch a flash of his smile as he looks up at you. “Count. Let's see how long it takes.”

“Are you insane?” you hiss, eyes darting to the door once again.

A sharp pain shoots up your leg and you glance down to see a red mark in the shape of his teeth on your inner thigh. “Did you just fucking bite me?”

“Don’t act like you don’t like it. Now count.” There’s no denying the threat in his voice. The threat of him keeping you away from your release until you do what he says.

His lips find your clit again, and while there's a part of you that knows that this isn’t a good idea, you cannot bring yourself to care. He wanted you to be fun, he wanted you loose. So here you are bearing it all. If his friends just so happen to be witnesses to it, well, that’s on you. He told you to wait, but you wanted to be a needy brat instead. No, this isn’t a bad idea. How can it be when his mouth feels that good? It’s definitely not a bad idea as you lace your fingers through his hair and start to count.

“One, two, three…five, seven, um…” You swallow back a moan and clench your eyes shut trying to focus. “ I lost count, do I have to start over?” His teeth graze your clit and you jump at the rush of pleasure that shoots through you. “I’m not starting over— fifteen, sixteen…oh god, Eijiro.” You grind yourself against him, digging your fingers into his shoulders. “Oh, my god. Nineteen, twenty, twenty-two, twenty-three, twenty-four, twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty…twenty-seven.”

Your eyes close, letting your body lose itself to the rhythm of his tongue. To the feel of him slipping a thick finger inside you, to the heightened sensation of goosebumps racing up your chest.

“Thirty-three, thirty-two, thirty, thirty— oh —” you give up on counting when your stomach tenses. Your legs nearly give out, and you tug on his hair so hard you're surprised it's not ripping out of his head.

You moan his name. Loud.

Right before you have the sense to be embarrassed, your orgasm floods you, setting your body on fire and lighting up every nerve in its wake. Kirishima jumps to his feet, your shorts already in his hands, he’s holding you up while dressing you. Your legs shake against him. Your knees buckle a bit when he finally pulls back. Your head rolls against the wall until your cheek presses against the cool surface and you moan softly with each after shock pulsing through you, quaking through your trembling body.

Kirishima smooths out your shirt, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. He takes your chin and presses a gentle kiss to your lips. You sigh, tasting his cinnamon gum and you mingled together. It was a heady mix. He wraps his arms around you and opens the door, leading you down the hallway. It’s the flood of music and the mental haze of your orgasm leaving that reminds you that you just came. You came loudly with your house full of people. You freeze, bare feet sliding against the hardwood floor as Kirishima keeps you forward.

“Do you, do you think they heard?” You whisper, tilting your head up.

“Oh, they one hundred percent heard. Deku might be nice and pretend that he didn’t.” There is no mistaking the air of satisfaction radiating from him.

“Oh my god.”

You bury your head in your hands as you round into the kitchen. The poker game has been abandoned. Everyone is in the living room, picking out their choice song for the singing competition about to take place. Kirishima clears his throat, making everyone turn and stare. You’re sure you could fry eggs from how hot your cheeks are. They know. All of them. Poor Midoriya can’t meet your eyes. You sigh, flopping down on the couch.

You didn’t feel like singing anymore. Not that it matters, everyone knows you’re the real winner tonight anyway. A sharp jab to your side catches your attention. You meet Bakugou’s shit eating grin with a deadpan stare.

“Thanks for the win, you bratty ass nerd.”

“What are you talking about?”

He tilts his head. “Made a bet. Told Ei if he helped me out I’d split with him.”

You hide your face behind your hands. Yeah, no one hated Katsuki Bakugou more than you.

[gliphyartfan]

@stars-for-thought @eternadreeblissa @yanderelinkeduniverse @imprisioned-in-the-hole @screaming-until-god-hears-me @crestfallenmermaidan @ice-cream-writes-stuff @linked-heroes

Second rewrite suggestion by dear anon here

Original: Here

Enjoy~!

———

——

—

There were…countless things Wild loved about (y/n).

It was almost ridiculous how often he found himself cataloging all the little things about her that made his heart flutter. He could talk about her forever, listing every trait in alphabetical order, by importance, or even by the time of the memory.

And as much as he tried to convince himself that he loved all of her equally, there were some things that climbed up his list a little faster than others.

And some things shot up the list as though they had wings.

Right now was one of those moments.

“Don’t look!”

Wild, who had been trailing a step behind her, couldn’t hide the grin spreading across his face as she covered her ears. “But it’s so cute!” he teased, his voice light and playful. “I can’t believe it took me this long to notice!”

“It is not!” she retorted, cheeks flushing as she pressed her hands even more tightly over her ears.

Wild had to admit, her shyness was something he never got tired of. It was charming, the way she seemed so genuinely flustered by his compliments even though he showered her with them whenever he got the chance.

And, like clockwork, he knew just what to say to bring out that reaction he loved so much.

“Aw, come on,” he teased, tilting his head as he watched her with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Just admit it. You’re adorable when you get all flustered.”

She shot him a half hearted glare, but the way her cheeks turned an even deeper shade of pink completely ruined the effect. Wild’s grin only widened as he leaned a little closer. “It’s turning into one of my favorite things about you, you know,” he murmured.

“Oh, please stop…” she whined, covering her ears even harder, but her blush betrayed the shy smile tugging at her lips.

Wild chuckled, thoroughly enjoying every second of her reaction.. Her ears gave an involuntary twitch, something he noticed happened whenever she was especially embarrassed (or was it when she was happy? Than again, she tended to be flustered when she was given affection…so maybe both? He wouldn’t be surprised if the answer was all three), and he could feel his heart skip a beat.

He’d barely known it was possible for ears to wiggle, but she had proven him wrong.

“That’s not gonna last forever, you know,” he teased, leaning in just a bit more. “Sooner or later, you’re going to get used to it.”

She peeked at him from between her fingers, and he could see the flicker of defiance in her gaze. “I… I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it,” she mumbled, voice barely above a whisper.

“Good,” he replied with a grin. “Because I think it’s adorable.”

Her blush deepened, and her ears twitched again. Wild bit back a laugh, trying to maintain a semblance of composure. “See? You’re doing it again. The ears.”

“Stop pointing it out!” she squeaked, covering her face entirely.

“All right, all right, I’ll stop,” he said, raising his hands in mock surrender. He took a deep breath, calming himself, and put on a more serious expression. “See? I’m not laughing. Totally serious.”

She lowered her hands just enough to shoot him a doubtful look. Wild nodded, still holding that ‘serious’ expression, until finally, she let her guard down and removed her hands from her ears.

He held the silence for a beat, keeping his face as composed as he could. And then…

“You look so cute when you blush~” he whispered.

“WILD!” Her hands flew back to her ears, her cheeks a furious red as she turned away from him in frustration.

Wild laughed, unable to contain it anymore, his shoulders shaking with mirth. “I can’t help it! I mean, look at you! Your ears are practically begging to be told how adorable you are.”

She shot him a helpless look, trying her best to glare, though it came across as more of a pout. “You’re impossible,” she muttered, her voice almost too soft to hear.

“Oh, I know,” he replied breezily, gathering his share of the firewood they’d collected. He gave her a cheeky grin. “But don’t worry. I won’t tell the others. Your secret’s safe with me.”

She eyed him suspiciously. “Promise?”

He raised his hand solemnly, as if taking an oath. “Promise.”

Her gaze lingered on him for a moment longer before she finally relaxed, letting out a quiet sigh. Satisfied, Wild turned and started back toward camp, his smirk hidden as he heard her footsteps behind him.

—-

——-

—-

By the time they arrived back at camp, (y/n) had fully dropped her guard, convinced that Wild’s teasing was over. She settled down against a tree, watching as he began preparing the evening meal with an air of complete innocence. She had nearly forgotten about the earlier embarrassment, content as she watched him cook, the quiet warmth of the campfire settling over them.

It was only when he finally sat down beside her that he struck.

“So….(y/n)’s ears flapped when I told her she was cute~”

Her eyes widened, and her face immediately turned red again. “WILD!”

His grin was absolutely shameless as he ignored her embarrassed sputtering.

“I knew I wasn’t seeing things!” Wind piped up, looking absolutely delighted, much to (y/n)’s exasperation.

(y/n) covered her face with her hands again, her voice muffled as she groaned, “You promised…”

Wild shrugged, giving her an innocent look. “Technically, I never said how long the promise would last.”

“That’s just cheap!!”

“Oh I know~”

“Oh, come on, tell us more!” Wind’s voice was practically bouncing with excitement, and the others looked up with interest, clearly intrigued.

“No, do NOT tell them more!” She protested.

“Wait, wait—” Legend cut in, crossing his arms and arching an eyebrow. “I don’t believe you, Cook. Sounds like you’re making things up just to mess with her.”

Wild put a hand on his chest in mock offense. “Me? Lie? How insulting! Why would I lie about something as adorable as (y/n)?”

Legend snorted, shaking his head. “Sure you would. All talk, no proof.”

Wild grinned, glancing over at (y/n), who was still hiding her face in her hands. He leaned forward, his voice lowering to a soft, sincere tone. “You really should have been there, Legend. She looked like an angel, all blushes and soft smiles. It’s rare to see someone so naturally beautiful.”

Her face turned an even deeper shade of red, and she slowly peeked out from behind her hands, completely disarmed by the gentle sincerity in his compliment. Her ears gave a soft twitch, and she quickly buried her face again, this time in her lap, her shoulders curling inward as though she were trying to make herself as small as possible.

Wind’s eyes sparkled with glee as he leaned forward. “Really? I wish I’d seen it!”

“Guys, please…” she mumbled, her voice barely audible.

Legend raised an eyebrow, finally smirking. “I suppose you’re telling the truth then, Cook. But really, next time, bring us proof.”

Wild’s grin widened. “Oh, I’ll keep that in mind.” He leaned a little closer to (y/n), his tone turning teasing again. “Hey, don’t hide. We all just think you’re adorable.”

Her hands clenched a little tighter around her knees. “This is so embarrassing…”

“Why?” Warriors chimed in, chuckling. “You’re surrounded by people who think you’re the cutest thing in the world. How is that embarrassing?”

She shook her head, groaning softly. “It’s just… too much…”

Legend rolled his eyes but smirked. “Guess Cook was right. You really do get flustered easily.”

“Oh, you have no idea,” Wild said with a chuckle, thoroughly enjoying himself.

“All right, that’s enough,” Time interjected, though the amusement in his eyes was unmistakable. “Let her breathe.”

(y/n) looked up at him, relief flooding her expression as she offered him a small, grateful smile. “Thank you, Time—”

“…But for what it’s worth, you really do look beautiful when you blush,.”

Her eyes widened, and the camp fell silent for a heartbeat before everyone burst into laughter again.

“TIME!”

The group’s laughter echoed around the campsite as she finally gave up, setting her bowl aside and burying her face in her arms. Her ears were flapping uncontrollably, her mouth twisting into a mix of a frown and a smile.

Wild chuckled, pulling his cloak around her shoulders and wrapping his arms around her, holding her close in a silent apology. “Sorry,” he murmured softly, his voice warm and affectionate. “I didn’t mean to make you feel bad.”

She sighed, nuzzling into his chest, her fingers clutching his cloak in forgiveness. “You’re lucky I don’t stay mad for long,” she mumbled, her voice muffled but affectionate. “You’re a jerk.”

“I know.” He said smiling.

Wind pouted from his spot across the campfire. “No fair! I want to cuddle with her too!”

Wild just grinned, holding (y/n) a little tighter as the group settled down.

Dinner ended in laughter, lighthearted teasing, and half hearted whining.

And a blushing girl.

[celabi]

Fem!reader.

To say 𝐁𝐚𝐤𝐮𝐠𝐨𝐮 was mad was an understatement, because he was fucking fuming. His rough and scarred hands clawing at anything they could grab on to, with the unfortunate victim being the arm rest of the couch he was sitting on, well— half sitting on, considering the fact that his body, trembling in rage, was hunched so far forward that it looked like he would slip off at any second.

Kaminari— who was seated beside him (albeit further away then usual) decided he wouldn’t make a snide comment on this one, like he normally would, because he knew the moment he’d open up his big mouth, his head would no longer be attached to the neck. So he fought against his urges to tease the hot head and just mind his own business, though occasionally throwing him glances to make sure that he would not become Bakugou’s next victim when the armrest gets boring to scratch at.

‘I’ll kill that bastard, I’ll really kill him this time!’ The ash blond screams in his head, his fierce, red eyes locked onto one thing and one thing only— you. You looked so pretty in your casual clothes, better then the ugly fucking gym clothes you’d choose to wear when training, because the design of them does you no justice. But these clothes do. It’s cold today, so he’s at least glad you decided to be smart for once and wear a long sleeved shirt to stay relatively warm.

Though it’s not your choice of clothing Bakugou should be focused on right now, but the damn stupid extra, cluelessly standing right in front of you, and although you don’t seem to mind the closeness of their presence, It’s way too close for Bakugou’s liking, because in his opinion, you should communicate with anyone at least three feet away. But alas, he doesn’t own you and you have free will to say and do whatever you please. Though sometimes he wished you wouldn’t, not when the person you’re talking with is him.

Stupid, fucking, Deku.

Stupid fucking Deku who smiles at you so sweetly— a hand on your shoulder while you both converse about hero society and whatnot. Boring stuff that Bakugou couldn’t give a shit about, which is exactly why he shooed you off with a ‘leave me alone’ and left to take a seat when you tried to get him immersed into the conversation. Though now— if he knew how your attention would be solely onto the damn nerd, smiling and looking at him like he hung the stars and more— he would have put up with it and kept guard.

Is he jealous? No, Bakugou doesn’t get jealous. He gets angry. And when he gets angry, he takes it out on anything and anyone. So— with the already little patience he had, had finally dried up, he wastes not time in shooting up from the couch and stalking over towards the both of you, ignoring Kaminari’s exaggerated, loud exhale of relief when he leaves.

He successfully makes his presence known— either from his heavy booted footsteps thumping across the hardwood floor in your direction, or how he’s already shouting loud profanities at the top of his lungs, directed to the poor green head nerd he’s been violently eying for the past minute. “Damn Deku! Get your grubby hands offa’ her!” There’s not a hint remorse laced in his tone, a sign that he’s not messing around.

Izuku quickly does as he’s told, throwing his hands up in front of his face defensively, praying to god that he didn’t anger the boy even more than he already is, when he unconsciously lets out a small, pathetic ‘eek—!’ in surprise. “K-kaachan! What’s wrong?! What did I do?!” He stutters out, mentally passing out when his arms are swatted away and his shirt collar is roughly being pulled upwards, his tips of his feet just barely kissing the ground.

“What do you think you did, ya damn loser!” He carelessly shakes the poor, smaller boy around in air— excavating multiple scared squeaks from him in to process. And when you start to see vibrant, red sparks emit from the blond haired boys hand, you decide to finally step in and break them up.

“Katsuki, quit it. Leave Izuku alone, he didn’t do whatever you’re mad about.” He turns his head towards you, his previously narrowed eyes slightly softening when they land on your face. And although you’re staring at him in annoyance— he still thinks you look as beautiful as you did the day he met you, all while unconsciously letting his hand loosen and dropping Midoriya from his grip, letting him fall ass first on the floor.

“You’re on first name basis with this guy? When did you get so close with him?” He asks, mentally cursing himself by how much softer his voice sounds when it’s directed towards you. You blink once, then twice, making his eyes twitch when you blink a third time. “God, don’t look at me like that!” He tries to ignore the way his face starts to feel hotter, but he’s sure his ears are bright red.

“Why… do you care, who I’m friends with, or who I’m close to?” You slowly question— sending Midoriya an apologetic, tilted smile when he cautiously waves you off and quietly crawls away from the now awkward situation he found himself in. “It’s not like we’re dating or anything, I can bond with whoever I want to. But since you asked, Izuku and I grew close when I helped him confess to his feelings Ochako.”

Now it’s his turn to blink in confusion, staring at you like you grew a second head. “You mean, those two idiots are… dating?” You nod, a teasing smile slowly etching across your face at his baffled expression. “And you don’t have feelings for him… do you?” You once again, nod, making Bakugou let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

“Why do you wanna know? You jealous or something? Ohh, I see. You like me, don’t you.” Except your teasing words don’t receive the reaction you were expecting. Usually when teased about his feelings, Bakugou would blow up and threaten your life, but this time, his voice his just above a whisper as he embarrassedly looks off to the side.

“Yeah… maybe i do. So what?”

[cohapon]

May 2 was the birthday of my oc, Panny! This is a drawing I did then to celebrate and a little comic.

[teojira]

[ᴍᴏɴꜱᴛᴇʀ ᴡʜᴏ ᴀᴛᴇ ᴀ ꜱᴛᴀʀ]

ᴛᴇᴏᴊɪʀᴀ (ᴇꜱᴛ 2ᴋ24)

《Introduction》 +

《! Please read me !》

¤ Hi! My name is Teddy and this blog as it says on the tin, is a multifandom blog! I'm into a wide range of characters and interests, so I'm sure I have something that'll strike your fancy!

¤ This is an 18+ blog. This is to keep me and you safe should you be a minor. Please stay away! I can't police you, but use common sense.

¤ I will not deal with discourse here, don't like what I write or who I write for? Block me and move on, I don't care.

¤ I am a woman person of color, no hatred towards ANY group is tolerated here. It will end in an IP address block.

¤ My interests fluctuates alot, I have severe adhd and some characters will get special treatment depending on which mood I am in!

¤ I'm always down to chat and make conversation but please remember I'm human and I have a job outside of tumblr, this is just a hobby for me! Please be kind and understanding.

《RULES/GUIDELINES》

¤ Every character I will write romantic ideas for must be of age. Any minor will ONLY be platonic. (Exception being the tmnt brothers, they are aged up accordingly.)

¤I write comfort, fluff, angst, pretty much anything tbh.

¤ My own rule of thumb is that if a furry character is sentient, can consent and is of age, and speaks/thinks/acts like a human, it is akin to monster loving. (Harkness scale pretty much). I don't care for your take on it, block me if you disagree!

¤ I will not write nsfw if you are on anon, your age must be somewhere on your blog. I will delete it from my askbox.

¤ A please and a thank you go a long way!

¤ I usually write with she/her pronouns or gender neutral pronouns.

¤ I am not looking for critique, this is all for fun. This is a heavy boundary, I will block if you do this.

¤ NSFW will be tagged accordingly so you can black list, if I forget to tag something, kindly let me know. I am not responsible for your experience beyond that, act accordingly if I write something you don't like.

¤ Please include some details with your requests, such as character and a general idea on what you'd like me to write! Please don't write an essay in my ask box.

¤ Things I will not write: Pregnancy, Underage, harder kinks (Scat/Noncon/vore/piss), Character harming reader physically, Parenthood, character x character.

Not sure if I write something? Just shoot me a text!

¤ Do NOT share my writing anywhere else (Quotev, Ao3, wattpad, Tiktok). A Simple reblog is appreciated here and only on tumblr.

¤ Comments and reblogs are greatly appreciated! It's nice to know something I wrote was loved!

And finally what we've all been waiting for, put your hands together for the :

《 Fandoms I write for》

Genshin impact

Honkai Star rail

Transformers

Tmnt

Monsterverse (platonic only for the Kaijus)

Planet of the apes (remake) (NO nsfw)

My hero academia (Dabi and Tomura only)

Demon slayer

Overwatch

Twisted wonderland

Devil may cry

Apex legends (Revenant only)

Fire emblem three houses

Puss in boots: the last wish (Death only)

Stranger things (Eddie Munson only)

Red dead redemption 2

The Wolf among us (Bigby only)

Five nights at freddys: Security Breach

Sonic (platonic for everyone except Shadow)

DC comics/ DCEU

Horror icons/slashers

Countless other video game characters probably lmao.

Though I write for many fandoms, I'm more comfortable with specific characters so I'll let you know if I'm comfortable enough to write for them!

Don't see a character you're sweet on? No worries, shoot me a text and I'll see if I know anything about them to whip something up for ya!

ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ᴠᴇʀʏ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ꜰᴏʀ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ʜᴏᴘᴇ ᴛᴏ ʜᴇᴀʀ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ʏᴏᴜ ꜱᴏᴏɴ!

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

[weirdmarioenemies]

Hey you know Snood? I've been thinking about Snood lately. It is fascinating, in a "weird old game series that I have never thought about very much" sort of way. It's not the first Matching Icons Puzzle Shooting game, since that was Puzzle Bobble, but it was ONE of the first, and replaces bubbles with some little freaks, so it is neat enough to me!

I started this post with the intention of reviewing every single Snood individually, but then I realized, I don't really care about the Snoods themselves at all! Sorry Snoods! I appreciate you being weird little guys, you're just not my kind of weird little guys.

But who's that weird little guy in the bottom right...?

Name: The Robot

Debut: Snood

Oh hell yeah! A The Robot? Now that's my kind of weird little guy! The Robot is NOT a Snood, but I think it is the most important character. The game is ABOUT the Snoods, but The Robot is the HERO. The Snoods are all trapped, and must be freed by matching three or more together! And who is loading up the cannon with snoods, allowing for this to happen at all? That's right! The Robot!

The Robot's design is very simple and very 90s shareware game. This thing has gradients like nobody's business, and they sure do make it look metallic and cylindrical, so that's good! Its "head" is a glass-looking dome, and most notable is probably its single arm, that it uses to transfer Snoods. However, it's kind of easy to view the claw as a pair of lips on the end of a stalk.

Like Sy Snootles, the best Star Wars character! Wait... Sy SNOODles? The implications are staggering! (I will not elaborate about what the implications could possibly be)

In Snood Plus, The Robot receives a bit of a redesign, which I don't like all that much. That's not colorful... where's the love, in the soul of this robot? I know it's in there somewhere. This one floats, which is cool and maybe more efficient, but it's just much more bland and generic, especially its claw arm, which no longer looks like ANY part of Sy Snootles. Next!

YES! YES! AWESOME! This is how The Robot appears in Snood Slide, a Match 3-style spinoff, and it is the best! I love this cartoony style, keeping the bright and eye-catching color of the original, while making it look more like a thing that exists, rather than just some shapes! There's a light bulb in its head, it wears SHOES, and it has TWO arms now! Is that canon? Has it always had two arms, and we only ever saw it from the side? Is Snood Slide canon to the greater Snood series? Well akshually, Snood HD, the version of Snood released in 2009, completely redesigned all the Snoods, and said that the original style was just a simulation. I bet the Snood loreheads were furious about that!

I'm sure you aren't wondering how The Robot factors into Snood Slide, considering there is not a Snood-O-Matic Cannon to be loaded. That's something only Snoodheads would worry about. But the answer is that The Robot will appear and move a line of Snoods if you use the hint feature! So kind of it.

Hey... The Robot is not in Snood HD, and that game decanonized the original Snood! Is The Robot even real? Is it a fictional character in the Snood universe too, and therefore fictional TWICE over? I don't know. Snood is a mess.

They released a game in 2022 where the icon looks like this. That's so quaint to me. Never change, Snood.

[vonabel]

“Marry me,” Katsuki says it more like a demand rather than a question, and you don't really process it at first. He's watching you expectantly from across his breakfast bar, strong and thick arms crossed over a strong and thick chest. His lack of a shirt draws your attention for a millisecond before the question is finally registering in your mind.

The coffee in your hand spills when you jolt and whip your head up to stare at him. He sucks his teeth at you, eyeing where the coffee has soaked into your (his) shirt. You wince, setting the coffee down and turning towards the sink to dab at the stain with a wet cloth.

“What the fuck, man?” you hiss, resorting to pulling the shirt over your head to stick it under the faucet and scrub. “What kinda fuckin’– is this some PR shit?”

“What the hell are you talking about?” he rumbles, chest pressing to your back so he can watch you over your shoulder.

“Is saying you're engaged gonna look better for your image or some shit? Why don't you do it with another hero instead of some no name loser?”

“What the fuck– I'm asking you,” he says, taking your waist in hot hands to spin you. You sigh, leaning back against the sink when he speaks again, “I'm asking you.”

“What, like, for real?” you laugh incredulously.

“Yes, for fucking real. What the fuck is happening right now?”

"Wait you– are you serious?"

"Oh, my fucking God," he hisses, pinching at the bridge of his nose, "You're an idiot. I'm in love with an idiot."

"You're in love with me?" you shriek, slapping your hands against his chest. He's firm beneath your palms, warm. You twist a hand up to pinch his nipple, satisfied when he grunts, "Are you insane?"

"Me?!" he growls and catches your wrists in one hand, "I ask you to marry me and you laugh. Could've just said no–"

"Katsuki, we aren't even dating,"

"Are you actually dumb?" he seethes. The glare he shoots down his nose is sharp, not angry, but he's upset. There's an embarrassed flush warming his throat, his shoulders. "What do you think we've been doing the last three years?"

And, yeah. Maybe you are dumb. Because he's right. He buys you pretty things, keeps you fed with delicious home cooked meals. You've met all his friends, his family. And you practically live with him at this point. The right side of the bed is your spot, the left side of the shower has your things. You have clothes here, you helped him decide which cat to adopt. And he's said mushy shit before, when he's so exhausted he's frog blinking or when he's all doped up on medication after a particularly bad fight.

Things like; don't leave, I love you, gonna marry you one day.

It had been painfully obvious this was more than a hook up, but he's a hero and you are just a bookstore clerk. Insecurities are tugging at you, dark and ugly in the back of your head.

"Out of all your choices, you're picking me?" you huff, suspicious. He hums, bringing a large hand up to cup your face and run a thumb over the apple of your cheek, just beneath your eye. And the way he's looking at you, like you hung the stars, the moon, and the sun in the sky, has your mouth going dry.

"Obviously," he grins, shows off his teeth, feral and proud, "And I always make the best choices."

"Then yes," you laugh. "Yes, Katsuki. I'll marry you."

"And?"

"And, I'm in love with you, too,"

"Damn right,"

[vanishingstarrs]

masterlist

katsuki bakugo

playing house

after getting you sick, you boyfriend makes it his personal mission to take care of you, and you can’t help picture what living together would be like due to the domesticity of it all

this is me trying

your day at work was less than ideal, your confidence took a significant blow by the end of your meeting, and yet somehow your boyfriend always has all the right words to cheer you up

try again

just because you asked for permission to use his given name didn’t mean you were quite ready to actually use it, nor were you ready to accept the implications that came with it either

midnight haze | midnight dreams | midnight rain | one more night

fear and anxiety bring on a new bout of insomnia, and you weren’t the only one, it just so happens that three nights later… baking, binging, and bakugo were the only things soothing enough to get you back into bed after midnight

twenty something

you were never too big on birthdays, it was just another day, or at least it was up until your new boyfriend entered your life, he made it his goal to show you everything you were missing, spoiling you and reminding you just how much you deserved

pancakes for dinner

coming home from a tiresome day at the hospital required an immediate nap, you weren’t expecting to wake up to get lavished in the best way by your pro hero boyfriend

sweet treat thief ( smau )

the cookie jar was empty and you were going to get to the bottom of why your boyfriend hadn’t made a replacement, those were the rules, after all, whoever had the last desert baked the next batch for the tin, you happened to be blind

taste | please please please | good graces | dumb & poetic | juno | short n’ sweet | ( idk how many chaps actually lmao )

inspiration strikes once your relationship comes to the light and your fans are upset with your taste in men, you might just have to take to music to explain why you owe no explanation

loml

eijiro kirishima

box hair dye

self doubt clouds his decision making, but your boyfriend thinks it’s time for a change of hair, and you decide dyeing yours along with him might make the transition a bit easier

decode

a secret admirer? in retrospect, romantic, but after a while it becomes frustrating when they won’t reveal their true self, so you gather your friends to plot a way to unravel the mystery

anything for you

your boyfriend was one of the most emotionally intuitive people you knew, he somehow always managed to lift your spirits and put a smile on your face when you were down

always been you

how much more obvious could you be? when your crush takes it upon himself to assume you like his best friend, you’re left with no choice but to spell it out how much you liked him

izuku midoriya

coming soon

shoto todoroki

coming soon

denki kaminari

electric touch

the boy you liked wasn’t the smartest, not for lack of trying, but he was definitely a little more gullible than the average person, luckily his lack of smarts landed you a confession

hanta sero

strange you never knew

when your date cancels on you last minute, your best friend takes it upon himself to not only be your stand in to the pumpkin patch, but to also make this your best date yet…

shota aizawa

you’re my weakness ( smau )

the legal side of things are finally taken care of, and eri is free to finally settle into your home, the adjustment period is easier than you thought it’d be because your husband can’t say no

cat distribution system ( smau )

keigo takami

wish on an eyelash | 11:11, make a wish

he’s a hopeless romantic and loves finding beauty in all of the little things, wishes made with coins tossed into fountains, on shooting stars across an inky sky, blowing the dandelions into the wind, lucky time, and eyelashes over your shoulder, their rules were sacred and so was the love granted by your wish

touya todoroki

coming soon

[duhragonball]

Daima 1: Conspiracy

So I don't really want to liveblog this show while it's still ongoing, but I'm not sure how else to describe what I'm doing. What I want to do is delve into the show's characters and plot, and kind of get into what makes it tick. I just saw Episode 4 earlier today, and I just keep finding myself impressed with the way Daima keeps getting story beats so *right*. So maybe if I write about it enough, some of that talent will rub off on me.

To start us off, Episode 1, "Conspiracy", is 32 minutes long, and as far as I can tell, this is done to accommodate a ten minute segment that introduces the audience to the Dragon Ball concept. It's a lot like the opening sequence of Super Hero, but longer and more detailed.

If I hadn't seen it myself, I would be tempted to call this a mistake, because a ten-minute lore dump is pretty tiresome for an audience to sit through, but it turns out to be highly effective here. eight minutes of this is two of the main villains, Gomah and Degesu, watching a highlight reel of the Buu Saga and reacting to all the crazy stuff that happens. This works for the following reasons.

First and foremost, Dragon Ball Z kicks ass. Most movies and TV shows would benefit from having their characters just vegging out and watching about 65 episodes of DBZ in a row. And it's a visual feast, because Gomah has some magic dome with dozen of screens floating all around them, so they can see everything going on, and all of the footage is gorgeously re-animated for this episode. They could have gotten away with using clips from Dragon Ball Kai, but they went the extra mile and made it special.

Second, this is a great way to introduce the villains and demonstrate their relationships with the other characters. As they watch, it becomes clear that Gomah and Degesu know the bad guys. Dabura is their king, Babidi is their enemy who enslaved their king, and Majin Buu is a monster capable of conquering all of creation. They also know the Supreme Kai, because Degesu is his brother, and they don't seem to like him very much. They also recognize Piccolo and Dende as Namekians, as well as the Dragon Balls. Apparently they have that stuff in their own Demon Realm too, but they didn't know the Namekians had left the Demon Realm to settle in the outer universe.

On the other hand, Gomah and Degesu have no knowledge of the Saiyans who fought against Majin Buu. They don't know how Goku and Vegeta transform or shoot light from their hands, and they have no idea how they can be powerful enough to keep challenging Buu and holding their own. Degesu suggests that they might be Majins themselves, except they don't have pointed ears. Apparently Demon Realm races all have pointy ears. The exact distinction between Majins and Demons is still unclear to me, but we'll get into that later, I'm sure.

The point is that it makes sense for Gomah and Degesu to watch all this footage. They knew Dabura had left Demon Realm for a rare trip to the outer universe, but they didn't know why or what happened to him. Then they find out Babidi mind-controlled him into helping with this Majin Buu plan, which is a huge threat to their kingdom. Then Buu kills Dabura and Babidi, and then gets defeated himself by a band of warriors they know nothing about. Oh, and there's Dragon Balls on this one planet and they're easy to use and grant three wishes. Any one of those developments would be huge news in Demon Realm, but Gomah learns about all all four all at once.

That's the key, I think. If you opened "Empire Strikes Back" with eight minutes of the Emperor watching clips from "A New Hope", it would suck, because all he really needs to know is that Luke Skywalker used the Force to destroy the Death Star, and it doesn't take that long to get that information across. Also, his reaction would be pretty muted. At most he'd kind of look irritated or intrigued. Gomah pulls this off because he has a conniption every time something important happens. When Dabura dies he's horrified, then Degesu reminds him he's next in line for Dabura's throne, so he's overjoyed to be the new king, but then he starts panicking again because he knows Babidi will send Buu after him next. It's fun watching him squirm over this eight-minute scene, because he has so much invested in each new development.

To use an example from Dragon Ball, there's an episode of Z where Master Roshi explains the history of the Red Ribbon Army to Maron. It happens some time during the Goku vs. 19 fight, so we're already knee-deep into the Androids Saga. The flashback was probably worth doing just to bring newer viewers up to speed on why Dr. Gero hates Goku so much, but most of the characters in the show already know the story, so there's not really anyone else to tell it to except Maron, a filler character who doesn't care and vanishes from the show soon afterwards. That scene only happened because the anime needed to pad out another episode so the manga could "catch up" to their production schedule. I think fans at the time at least tolerated it as a clip show kind of thing, but it served no purpose aside from keeping the TV show from skipping a week. If they had done that kind of thing for multiple episodes in a row, I think they would have risked losing viewers.

Anyway, the next six minutes of "Conspiracy" show Gomah discussing this new post-Dabura world with Degesu and Degesu's sister, Dr. Arinsu. This sets up the plot. At first, Gomah is bewildered by the events of the Buu Saga, but Degesu assures him that with Buu's defeat, his reign as king is now secure. With Babidi, Buu, and Dabura out of the way, there's no one left to oppose him. But Dr. Arinsu reminds him of the warriors who defeated Buu, and what might happen if they decided to come after Gomah next.

So it looks like these three characters--King Gomah, Degesu, and Dr. Arinsu-- are the main villains of the series. The important lesson here is that they work because they have very different motives and goals. If they didn't, then there would be no need for three villains at all. It could just be one bad guy.

This was something that GT and Super both struggled with back in the day. Lots of fans point to Baby as a highlight of GT, but Baby constantly surrounds himself with Machine Mutants and Tuffellized slaves who basically agree with everything he says. The Super 17 saga featured Dr. Gero and Dr. Mu teaming up to control two versions of Android 17, and all four of them had a single motive to share between them: Kill Goku. The two 17's merged together, and Mu turned on Gero, but it hardly mattered because their agenda was so thin.

Meanwhile in *Super*, Goku Black and Zamasu were literally the same person. This was probably intended to be creepy and weird, and I suppose it did help illustrate Zamasu's narcissistic worldview, but it also limited the possibilities for the story. There was never going to be any dissension between the villains, so every time they talked to each other it was to congratulate themselves on how well they agreed. Then they merged together and it didn't matter, because they were so alike from the start.

The Super movies corrected this problem well. Frieza and Paragus had very different plans for Broly, and Magenta and Dr. Hedo had very different plans for Hedo's creations. There were also characters like Berryblue and Carmine who basically backed up their leaders, but they still had their own personalities. Berryblue liked to press Frieza's buttons a little, and Carmine was a lot less diplomatic than his boss.

In Daima, it goes like this: King Gomah wants to secure his new position as ruler of the Demon Realm. He's weak and he knows it, which is why he seems to receptive to the counsel of Degesu and Arinsu. Meanwhile, Dr. Arinsu depends on the research funding she was getting from King Dabura. Gomah isn't too keen on continuing that funding, so she suggests that he might be in danger from the Z-Fighters. And that convinces Gomah to go to Earth to defeat them first.

This is where the Dragon Balls really shine as a story engine. It sounds so simple that it feels weird to explain it, but you collect all seven balls and you get a wish, so there has to be a discussion about what the characters wish for. Gomah wants to use one wish to neutralize the Z-Fighters, but he'd get two more, which leads him to consider another desire: The Evil Third Eye. We don't find out much about this, except that it's really powerful, and the previous Demon Kings used to have it before it was lost. So it makes a lot of sense for Gomah to want it, since he's all about consolidating his power.

What about Degesu? Well, for the most part he sure seems like he's content to play the faithful advisor. Somehow he wound up working for Gomah, and now that Gomah is king, it seems like his career is really paying off. But while Gomah is considering his third wish, Degesu asks if *he* could get a wish for himself. Gomah says he'll think about it, and we never find out his answer, but it's enough that Degesu asked at all. He must want *something*, and that something must not fit into Gomah's plans, or else Degesu would simply talk Gomah into wishing for it himself.

And that's what makes this trio so interesting. Gomah's pretty much an open book. We know exactly what he wants and why. Degesu wants something, but he's playing a long game, and it might be a while before we find out what it is. And Dr. Arinsu... Well, she wants funding for her research, but I think it's also clear that she wants Gomah to go to Earth and set this story into motion. How does that get her funding approved? And why didn't she just go to Earth and try to use the Dragon Balls to make her own wishes? Very mysterious.

The funny thing is that these three could easily be described like they were some fan OC's. "Hey, here's my cool villain team. Their leader is Dabura's son maybe, and the other two are the Supreme Kai's brother and sister, so they're like Kai's, but they're *Dark Demon Kais* and they're evil." It just goes to show that every character is somebody's OC. What sets the good ones apart is the personality and motives you give them. Stop worrying about power scaling and what color their auras are, and start thinking about what they want and how their goals conflict with other characters' goals.

Once Gomah is ready for his trip, he brings along Neva, an ancient Namekian who is apparently the only one who didn't leave the Demon Realm to settle in the outside universe. Neva created the Demon Realm's set of Dragon Balls, but he also set up powerful guardians called Tamigami to protect them. So no one in the Demon Realm can actually use the Dragon Balls to get a wish. This vexes Gomah to no end, but he figures he can still make use of Neva's abilities to exploit the Earth's Dragon Balls.

As it turns out, Neva has the power to immediately locate Dragon Balls, even when they're stones. He can also summon them together instantly, and on top of that, he can force them to reactivate for an immediate wish. So he's a pretty impressive guy. Dende can't even stop them, because his only leverage here is that he knows the Dragon's name is Shenron, except Degesu took notes during their viewing of Buu Saga, so he already knows how to summon the Dragon.

And that sets up the big wish to make Goku and the others into children. Gomah reasons that the Earth's Dragon would never be able to grant a wish for murder, so he figures the next best thing is to make Goku and his friends small children instead. This way they'll be weaker and easier to deal with. And that's the part everyone knew going into this show. The first episode closes with that de-aging scene, which is pretty impressive to me. We all knew it would happen, so it seems like a weak cliffhanger, but it works because the beginning and middle of the episode sets it up so well. We now know how and why the gang got turned into children, and we also know that there's more to this than just making another wish to undo it.

The stakes aren't entirely clear yet. Gomah seems like he'd be content to reign over the Demon World unchallenged, but if he could defeat the guys who beat Majin Buu, if he could obtain the Evil Third Eye, then maybe he might consider picking up where Babidi left off. With no one to oppose him why can't he conquer the outside universe for himself? And there's still the question of what Dr. Arinsu is planning behind the scenes. Oh, and maybe Neva is more than the senile Namek that he appears to be. So there's a lot to unpack. Oh, and also some blue guy was spying on Gomah when he cooked up this whole plot, so we'll have to find out what his whole deal is.

There's other stuff to talk about in this episode, like the timeline placement, Kibitoshin getting unfused early, and that shot of mpreg Goku with his polycule, but like I said, I don't want to do a whole thing on this show while it's still airing. For now, I'm just basking in the glow of this unfolding plot.

[jadelotusflower]

Rewatch: Return to Oz (1985)

I've been on a bit of an Oz kick recently, revisiting the original Baum books and of course anticipating Wicked coming out later this year (which I'm managing expectations for to avoid disappointment).

Return to Oz was a staple (and nightmare fuel) for many a millennial childhood, at the tail end of the "dark fantasy" era popularised by The Neverending Story and The Dark Crystal, the antithesis of the Technicolour, musical world of MGM's The Wizard of Oz - a dystopian future that reflects the fracturing of Dorothy's mind and her inability to reconcile the trauma of her previous Kansas-Oz journey.

Return lives in a sort of mirror world to the 1939 film, taking elements such as the ruby slippers (for which Disney had to pay MGM a hefty fee), but returning to the original illustrations for the character designs, and drawing inspiration from Baum's novels but not explicitly adapting them. It also returns Dorothy to a child rather than Garland's quasi-teenager, which is important as I feel Baum (an advocate of women's suffrage) had a keen interest in the empowerment of girls as the heroes of their own stories.

To evoke that other turn of the century fantasy classic, Dorothy is to early modern American folklore as Alice is to English, and if The Wizard of Oz is Wonderland, Return to Oz is Through the Looking Glass. In fact Return relies heavily on the mirror motif, not only literally, in the mirror that entraps Ozma, but Ozma herself as a mirror to Dorothy. Return also takes the Kansas/Oz dichotomy from the film in reflecting people Dorothy knows in Kansas to characters of Oz (a concept not found in the books), but while in Wizard it’s Dorothy’s trio of friends that are personified in the Scarecrow, Tinman, and Cowardly Lion, in Return it is her trio of antagonists from Kansas who appear in Oz - the Dr Worley/The Nome King, Nurse Wilson/Mombi, and the Orderly/Wheeler.

Her Oz friends in Return are instead pulled from inanimate objects - Ozma gives her a pumpkin that personifies in Jack Pumpkinhead, Tik-Tok resembles the "Electrical Therapy" machine with the face, and the gump...well, I guess they forgot about that one.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Fairuza Balk was just 11 but has a compelling screen presence - her Dorothy is troubled and serious, befitting the overall darker tone of the film. While she would go on to embody "witchy" energy in later roles, here there's a world-weariness yet innate strength to her Dorothy.

Aunt Em helpfully tells us it's been six months since the tornado and Dorothy can't sleep. Her body may be back in Kansas, but her mind remains in Oz.

The film doesn't really pick a lane between the "it was all a dream" of the 1939 film and the "Oz is an actual place" of the books, leaving it for the viewer to decide. We are told the old house was "lost" but that can suit either interpretation, same with the OZ key being either delivered by shooting star or the key to the old house (as Em posits). Dorothy's inability to sleep is either unresolved trauma from the tornado, or longing to return to her friends in Oz and/or sensing that there is trouble in Oz.

I'm much more sympathetic to Em as an adult - she has a husband unable or unwilling to finish building the new house, Dorothy won't stop rabbiting on about nonsense rather than helping with chores, and she has to borrow money from her sister to pay for medical treatment to try and cure Dorothy's insomnia.

Justice for Aunt Em! Played with grace by three-time Oscar nominee Piper Laurie (for The Hustler, Carrie, and Children of a Lesser God respectively).

Poor Toto doesn't get to come on this adventure, but hey, he's still around, guess Mrs Gulch didn't make good on her threat to have him destroyed (or she died in the tornado, which is probably likely given the Witch's fate).

Just a guy patronizing a child that the machine intended to surge electricity through her brain is perfectly safe because it has a face.

But there is a face in the machine - Ozma, stuck in the glass.

Nicol Williamson is our villain, with a fantastic voice. Mostly known for theatre and Shakespeare, you may remember him as Merlin from that other dark fantasy classic Excalibur, or as Little John from Robin and Marian.

Jean Marsh is our witch, complete with black gown and pointed sleeves - to continue our fantasy bingo she was Queen Bavmorda in Willow (which I've actually never seen) and Rose in the original Upstairs Downstairs (which I've never seen either). She'll always be creepy Mombi to me.

We see Ozma in the glass again before she appears in Dorothy's room, ethereal barefoot child gifting her a carved pumpkin because "it's Halloween soon". Okay, whatever you have to do to get there.

On that note, the screenplay was written by Gill Dennis (who would go on to co-write Walk the Line) and Walter Murch, who also directed. Murch was film school friends with George Lucas, and they wrote THX-1138 together - Lucas has a "special thanks" credit on this film. Murch worked steadily in sound design and editing (nominated for 10 Oscars with 4 wins), but after Return was a box office failure he never directed another film, which is a real shame.

Dorothy "combs" the pumpkins hair, which I find very charming.

The growing tension of Dorothy's isolation, being strapped to the gurney, the squeaking wheels, the far-off screaming: this is a horror film for children.

My sister and I used to re-create Ozma and Dorothy's escape on our grandmother's porch all the time.

Because we’re in a mirror, the streaming river of Kansas becomes the deadly desert of Oz - water, of course, also being a mirror and common pathway/doorway between worlds.

Billina the hen also appears, because Dorothy needs an animal companion, who can now talk because she is in Oz. The question is whether Toto could also talk, as all animals can in Oz, and simply chose not to (iirc in the books he didn't because he could "make himself understood" without words or something). The chicken puppetry is really quite good, I'll always prefer puppets/animatronics over cgi.

The voice of Billina is provided by Denise Bryer, who was the "junk lady" in Labyrinth (have we got that bingo yet?).

Another reflection - the packed lunch that was taken from Dorothy at the sanitarium in Kansas is returned to her in the form of a lunch pail tree in Oz, which leans towards the reading that Oz is a projection of Dorothy's mind as a way to cope and resolve/repair the traumas of her Kansas life.

Dorothy comes across her old house that is seemingly not in Munchkinland, the broken remains of the yellow brick road nearby. How much time has passed in Oz? Since everyone was turned to stone it could be hundreds of years and we're in a Narnia situation - at least long enough for a forest to grow where there once was a munchkin town square.

Glinda is conspicuous by her absence - probably because the plot couldn't happen if she was around.

Also absent are any stone munchkins which has very dark implications - the Emerald City still has ruins and stone inhabitants, but Munchkinland has been completely obliterated.

lol, Dorothy runs to the Emerald City in literally minutes, a journey that previously took half a film.

Sleep well, kids!

If we go with the interpretation that Oz is a manifestation of Dorothy's mind (maladaptive daydreaming?), it is interesting how she projects people and objects from her real life into her fantasy life - obviously her threats in the sanitarium become the villains, but the Electric Shock machine becomes Tik-Tok, her erstwhile protector. In this, she transforms a threat into an ally, and yet much is made that he isn't, and cannot be, "alive."

Many of the elements of this film - Billina, the Wheelers, Tik-Tok, the Nome King, and the princess with a hundred heads - came from Ozma of Oz, while Ozma herself, Jack Pumpkinhead, and the witch Mombi (combined in this film with Princess Langwidere) originate in the earlier The Marvellous Land of Oz, with a different backstory.

Oh to be a wicked witch, playing a mandolin, in a gilded, mirrored palace.

I enjoy this costume! Reflective of the high structured sleeves of nurse but sharp to emphasise the danger Mombi poses, and with the same mechanical accents/coloiur scheme as the Wheelers

Those cabinets full of heads are still so creepy. The way they watch Dorothy - are they alive and aware the whole time? Horrifying.

Jack Pumpkinhead was voiced by a young Brian Henson (who also acted as puppeteer).

I always used to fast-forward the scene where Dorothy steals the key and gets chased by headless Mombi as a kid, it was just too tense.

I mean maybe this isn't scary to kids today, but it sure freaked the fuck out of me. Especially with all of those heads screaming in their cabinets.

But how exactly was zombie Mombi snoring without a head?

Interesting that the cabinet with Mombi's original head is the only one without transparent glass, but instead has a mirror. Her original head is also kept in cabinet 31, which was Dorothy's room in the sanitarium. As a kid I was always dead set that Oz was real and Dorothy really went there, but now I'm leaning more towards Oz as a manifestation, or at least a world directly influenced and constantly adapting based on Dorothy's experiences. Was she unable to sleep in Kansas because she knew Oz was in trouble, or was Oz in trouble because of her mental discord?

"If his brain's run down, how can he talk?" "It happens to people all the time Jack!" is a nice callback to "Some people without brains do an awful lot of talking don't they?"

In which we strain the metaphor.

But all these mirrors also serve a story purpose as well as a metaphorical one - the mirror world is where Mombi has trapped Ozma, so she can look on every surface and see her victory. The mirror is also a connection with the real world, and how Ozma can reach Dorothy and draw her back to Oz. Mirrors are reflections, but they are also doorways, as we see in this very scene as Ozma directs Dorothy to the right passage to get back up to the tower.

We also get another Dorothy/Ozma parallel, in which she becomes a surrogate mother to Jack in place of Ozma, his creator.

There's almost some social commentary in the Nome King's grievances: "All the previous stones in the world are made here in my underground dominions...so imagine how I feel when someone from the world above digs down and steals my treasures? All those emeralds in the Emerald City really belong to me. I was just taking back what was mine to begin with." But of course he didn't just take back the emeralds, he turned the populace to stone or into inanimate objects so that does undercut his point a bit.

Her descent visually recalls (deliberate or not) Alice's fall down the rabbit hole in Wonderland. The VFX are pretty rough though.

Dorothy points out that he has so much, implying perhaps he could share, and the Nome King retorts "that's not the point." It is the point in later books, where under Ozma's leadership the Emerald City is essentially a utopian communal living society.

She also points out that the Scarecrow didn't take the emeralds rather they were there when he was made king, but the film is uninterested in exploring the culpability around generational wealth and repatriation of cultural property.

But it's interesting how much the Oz story revolves around powerful objects and theft and/or appropriation of them. Glinda steals the Witch of the East's ruby slippers and gives them to Dorothy, who then steals the Witch of the West's broom to give to the Wizard, Mombi steals Ozma, someone stole the emeralds from the Nome King, who steals them back, Mombi steals heads, Dorothy steals the Powder of Life, etc etc

At this point the Nome King is merely a face in the stone, but when he comforts Dorothy he starts to takes a more humanoid rock form, with a hand to reach out to her.

Is his sympathy genuine or feigned? I'm going with the latter, since he manipulates her into playing the "guessing game" to try and get the Scarecrow back.

Worst production of Starlight Express ever.

When I was a kid I always wanted to try the limestone pie and hot silver drink, but now it looks super gross.

The Gump chose…poorly.

The Nome King making points again - Dorothy and co didn't ask what would happen if they got it wrong, even Tik-Tok only brings it up after the Gump has already gone in. But they press on in order of most expendable, Jack (with Billina hiding in his head) and then Tik-Tok.

As each get turned into ornaments, we see the Nome King become more and more humanised in his rock form - a nice subtle indication that his motives aren't purely spite and he gains power from turning living (or living-adjacent) things into inanimate objects, the opposite (mirror) of Dorothy's power in turning inanimate objects into living things in the journey from Kansas to Oz. If Dorothy had chosen wrong too, he says he would have become completely human - would he have been able to access the path to the human world? Was his goal to eliminate Oz, the fantasy world, in favour of the human world, much like Worley was obsessed with harnessing electricity and the "modern" world?

It's revealed that Chekhov's ruby slippers that Dorothy earlier told Dr Worley had fallen off on her way back to Kansas the first time were found by the Nome King, and their power enabled him to conquer the Emerald City.

It's unclear whether the rubies were first mined from the Nome King's caverns, but Dorothy really can't complain given the shoes were magicked off the feet of a dead woman and onto her own.

I'm actually surprised that they kept the ruby slippers in given the license fee they had to pay, since nothing really turns on their inclusion, other than the Nome King's offer to send her home with them, allowing Dorothy the choice between her own safety and the lives of her friends, of course the parallel to Worley offering the ECT to wipe her mind of Oz. I do like the callback, but it didn't need to be the ruby slippers rather than some other power the Nome King had.

Hee, the Nome King's little stone feet kicking out of his stone robe with the ruby slippers is so camp.

It is interesting through to think about the chain of events - Dorothy, eager to get back home, lets go of the ruby slippers, they fall into the Nome King's hands, he uses them to conquer Oz and install Mombi, who has imprisoned Ozma in the mirror (at some point long in the past). The fracturing of Oz influences Dorothy's mental state which drives her to Worley, where Ozma is able to contact her through the mirror world and bring her back to Oz, depose the Nome King/Mombi, and restore Ozma to her throne. It's quite neat writing.

There's an interesting green/red dichotomy - red seems to represent the witch's power, the ruby slippers that originally belonged to the Witch of the East, Mombi's ruby key, fire/red smoke being used by the Witch of the West, and even pink was the colour associated with Glinda in the 1939 film, while green represents Oz in the ornaments they turn into, the Emerald City, the Gump is green, etc. Both rubies and emeralds are present in the Nome King's costuming, perhaps indicating that the raw items did come from his dominions.

When Dorothy chooses correctly, the Nome King reverts to his claymation rock form, and the room turns red. I don't think it's explicitly green=good and red=bad (the Witch of the West had green screen after all), but both are associated with power.

I always used to fast forward this sequence as well. The Nomes coming out of the walls? *shudder*

The Nome King, felled by a classic egg poisoning.

Dorothy liberates the ruby slippers from another dead body, lol.

At the celebration in Oz, the costuming does lean heavily into either red or green - so maybe that was just standard complementary colour palette and I'm reading too much into things.

We get a nice long pan over the mirrored ceiling of the parade, just to really hit the point home.

Oh hey, the Wheelers are here too! All is forgiven I guess? Except Mombi, she gets to be paraded about in her cage by the woman whose heads she stole. Hey, at least she's able to smirk about her villainy.

Dorothy turns down queenship of Oz but wishes she "could be in both places at the same time" - the ruby slippers grant her wish and Ozma is released from the mirror.

Ozma's backstory: "Her father was king of Oz before the Wizard came. Ozma grew up as Mombi's slave, but when the Nome King promised Mombi thirty beautiful heads if she kept Ozma a secret, she enchanted her into the mirror." The first part is the much the same in the book, although there we get some interesting gender-bending stuff where Mombi transforms her into a boy name Tip and she doesn't discover her true nature until much later.

Dorothy gives Ozma the ruby slippers, combining the power of green and red (I'm just going with it now), therefore healing the kingdom of Oz from the discord first created when the Wizard arrived (in the book he was the one who gave baby Ozma to Mombi), and drawing Ozma's real world counterpart Dorothy to fix it by deposing the Wicked Witches and then the Nome King. But with Ozma returned, there is no need for Dorothy to remain in Oz, the two sides of herself are split and no longer warring inside her.

Billina however remains, to be Ozma's animal counterpart to Dorothy's Toto.

As a kid I coveted this gown, and I still kind of dig the headdress. Well, the OZ circlet anyway.

I also acted out the pulling Ozma from the mirror scene many times.

Although kind of a bitch move on Ozma's part to send Dorothy back before she could give her proper goodbyes. It's like, off you pop, thanks for freeing me but this is my kingdom now.

Dorothy wakes up beside the river (with a close up of a reflective pool of water/Dorothy's eye), and again, this could either be her actually returned by Ozma, or her simply waking from her delirium.

But the real world counterparts have met the same fate as their Oz reflections - Worley died in the fire and Wilson is carried off in a police cart.

Henry, after the shock of almost losing Dorothy, is motivated to finish building the house, and Dorothy is able to look back fondly at Oz through her reflection, but has learned to keep it a secret and not let it consume her life.

Her trauma is resolved, Oz is at peace; Dorothy and Ozma can live contentedly in parallel, with a connection between both worlds.

This is also a nice callback to the books, where Ozma would check in on Dorothy once a day through her magic mirror to see if she needed her assistance.

Maybe it's just my nostalgia goggles, but this film really holds up for me! Yes the effects are a little dated and it's on the darker side for kid's fare, but overall the story and acting is strong, there's meaty subtext around the importance - but necessary limits - of fantasy as escapism, it unequivocally centers girls/women as the heart of the story with their own agency and harnessing their own power. It's well worth the rewatch.

What do you think? Am I blinded by nostalgia? Reading way too much into a kids movie? Am I just rambling into the void here?