#anyways. fandom is fun in the sense that it's the same as studying people in a lab

[indi-glo-archive]

and if you're gonna call him emotionally intelligent, you better put "not" in front of it! whack ass hoe

[adhd-merlin]

Hey I heard you wanna yap so I'm here to talk Arthuriana books ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ I've got a whole spreadsheet but I've only recently started reading 21st century ones, including Bliss & Blunder which is currently my highest ranked out of the bunch but I know it's gonna be usurped by the one I'm currently reading - The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman. If you can handle long books (almost 700 pages) then you have to read it, it's so well written and goes into the more neglected knights like Bedivere and Palomides (and as with all modern stuff some of the knights get to be gay as a treat). I'm still only 1/4 of the way through but if it stays as good as it's been so far then oh boy. Anyways let me know what your favourite 21st Arthuriana is!

Yaaay yapping time <3

Ooh I can’t believe you’ve got a spreadsheet, haha. I’m fascinated by you spreadsheet people! (I’m not a spreadsheet kind of person, I’m a “I’ll write a random note on my phone that I’ll soon forget about… unless I remember” kind of person).

thank you for the rec!! Imma be honest I don’t think I can handle long books right now, because I’m struggling with concentration, but it sounds interesting! I’ll add it to my wish list in case I feel inspired to read it in future (I use the app Bookshelf to keep track of books read/to read, though there’s not much to keep track of these days lol. I like it because it’s super basic; I don’t even think you need to create an account? Can’t remember. But I can’t be bothered with Goodreads anymore.)

Anyways let me know what your favourite 21st Arthuriana is!

Bliss & Blunder is the only modern one I’ve read actually! I haven’t read many Arthuriana books? I’ve read about Arthuriana texts/adaptations more than I’ve read any actual texts lol. I like hearing about all the lore! But I love thinking/reading about adaptations in general, I think the process itself is so interesting? Like, what elements of a story one chooses to focus on or to discard; what makes a character… well, themselves. If you put Lancelot in the 21st century, what would he be like? How much can you change a story and still recognise it as the same? I find it fascinating to think about!* And obviously Arthurian texts have been inspiring so many people over the centuries across different media, so there’s a lot to explore in that sense.

I would like to read some of the “source” texts at some point, though they are a bit daunting. I gave Le Morte d'Arthur a try and abandoned it quite soon, but I’d like to dip my toes in it again, read some select chapters perhaps. I’d also like to read The Knight of the Cart because Lancelot is such an interesting character.

In terms of modern adaptations (as in, written in modern times), I would like to check out The Once and Future King (the Ill Made Knight in particular, don’t think I could read all the books)—I’ve read contrasting opinions on T.H. White’s work but it’s had a great influence on subsequent adaptations (I think?) that I want to see what all the fuss is about. And I love the whole love triangle drama. An affair so messy we’re still talking about it centuries later? I’m so here for it.

I’ve read a couple of random quotes from Steinbeck’s The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights that made me go “oh I should check this out!”, so that it also on my radar. (Have you read it? If so, what did you think of it?)

*I was in the Sherlock fandom for a while and that’s one of the things I enjoyed about it—all the different adaptations that existed about the same source material. And I don’t even care about Conan Doyle’s stories that much (lol sorry Arthur) so it really was mainly about the adaptations for me. I was studying Russian at uni at the time, so I checked out the “classic” Soviet Sherlock Holmes series, and also the Russian TV adaptation that came out in 2013. I greatly enjoyed the latter because of the way it played with and subverted elements of the original canon—it was great fun! Maybe my favourite Sherlock Holmes adaptation. But Vitaly Solomin's Watson ("Soviet" Watson) has a special place in my heart, he was so cute. Did you know there's a genderbent Holmes & Watson Russian adaptation? And they get to crossdress to get into a gentleman's club. Fascinating. I also think Jonny Lee Miller was great in Elementary, though I’m not a big fan of the procedural format. I did abandon that show after series… three, I think? but I still think he made an interesting Sherlock Holmes. His acting was probably wasted on that series to be honest!)

[edge-oftheworld]

hiii my friend just told me that if I sent you the 5sos member i think I'm most like, and permission to look at my blog you would psychoanalyze me? i thought that might be fun.

I'm not a huge 5sos fan, but I think I'm most like Calum. I think Michael is my favorite.

omg! i saw your dilithium post too and I hope that's going well, senior (?) chemistry can be brutal. and yeah absolutely!

you're naturally curious and easygoing, and you love novelty and diversity and learning about different ways to do things, different ways to exist, until you find something that comfortably fits you and then the peace you feel about that is so much better than trying to conform with what people say you should be. you get bored and start to feel uncomfortable when things are all the same all the time or when the same handful of people are telling everyone else what to do. part of that comes from being in a minority group, but part of it is just who you naturally are and even if you were white, cis and straight you think you'd still be drawn to people who break the mold.

you're drawn to anyone who's unashamedly themselves, and that's not because you're not yourself but sometimes you're quiet and people overlook you, or you're overlooked because you're well behaved according to their standards, but their standards are made up anyway, so who gave them the authority to judge you using things that don't even exist? it's a common aspec experience--people find reasons to judge who people are with, but when you're not with anyone they scramble for reasons to accuse you of wrongdoing, only to find none and infantilise you instead, focusing instead on the things you're good at, calling you 'career oriented' for not having a partner, not realising that binary is just as false as everything else.

there are things you're good at that you don't really care for, and things you love that you could be good at, and probably will be because you love them, so you're automatically going to spend more time on them. it's common sense, you don't understand why people don't get it.

you're observant and you notice a lot of trends as well as the ways that the world COULD be if people didn't just go through the same motions that this colonial society recommends. you're a dreamer and an idealist. you love philosophy, but only to a point, when it stops having practical applications it starts to go over your head sometimes because when it does that, it stops opening the doors to building community and family and instead starts to feel exclusionary, like that age-old trolley argument that totally disregards ANY sort of creativity and creates a false binary, something you hate.

your curiosity and love for complexity is one reason you're studying chemistry, and you're in so many fandoms! don't let people take that away from you: these things can be wonderous and joyful and you can look at ionic and covalent bonds and think to yourself: I'm most drawn to people who some say are opposite to me (loud, sometimes 'rude' but who makes these social rules anyway) but in other ways are exactly the same. lithium and oxygen are opposites, or are they? how about sodium and chlorine? aren't they more alike than you think? you don't appear like an outcast on the surface but you're committed to authenticity and you're going to go wherever that is, and it sure isn't with the mainstream people trying to hide their whole selves to be cool. they'll learn eventually. you already have.

[kandisheek]

FIC REC WEEK 1 – STONY FAVORITES

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Annie D (scaramouche)

Annie D is a fandom treasure, honestly. Not only is their writing style amazing, but the stories they come up with make me want to just roll around in their brain and soak up the creativity. In a completely chill way, of course.

Here's some of their work that I think you should check out:

The Love Spell

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: G Words: 16,054 Tags: Getting Together, Light-Hearted, Humor

Summary: Tony wakes up in love with Steve. This is an alarming turn of events, because he wasn’t in love with Steve when he fell asleep the night before. That said, it’s sort of nice? To be in love? He’s enjoying it, anyway.

Reasons why I love it: Tony just tears at my heart-strings in this one. Not because the fic is especially angsty or sad, but because he's so goddamn relatable. I love the way Steve is portrayed in this too, how supportive and caring he is. This fic encompasses a lot of the reasons why I love Stony so much. Definitely give this one a read!

Not a Breakup

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: E Words: 33,531 Tags: Friends With Benefits, Feelings Realization, Miscommunication

Summary: Tony knew it was a bad idea to start sleeping with Steve. It could mess up team dynamics, make things even more awkward between them in the future, or just plain get in the way of their trying to save the world. Tony foresaw all of the above but not the advent of feelings, and at the most inopportune moment.

Reasons why I love it: I really, really love how Annie D manages to make the smut in this incredibly hot, hilarious and sweet, all at the same time. Sleep-deprived Tony is so much fun, and his exhaustion being the catalyst for this whole thing with Steve? Love it. Miscommunication is one of my favorite tropes, and the way it's done in this fic feels very natural. All in all an amazing fic that you don't want to miss!

A Late-Night Snack, and Other Good Ideas

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: E Words: 12,117 Tags: A/B/O, Heat Cycles, Alpha Steve / Omega Tony

Summary: Steve's heightened senses means that he always knows when Tony's in heat. One night, he finally does something about it.

Reasons why I love it: Their banter in this is just fucking amazing. And I could cut the sexual tension with a knife, which makes it all the more satisfying when it finally implodes. Plus, I'm always a fan of Steve Rogers Is Not A Virgin, so yeah, this ticks a lot of boxes. Definitely give this one a read if you like A/B/O.

Overhaul

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: E Words: 18,783 Tags: Getting Together, Unrequited to Requited, Character Study

Summary: Steve knows that Tony has feelings for him and, since he doesn’t return those feelings, has been mildly dreading the day that Tony decides to do something about it. When that day finally arrives, Steve discovers that Tony’s wooing strategy isn’t anything at all like he’d expected.

Reasons why I love it: This story gave me so many Tony feels, and then hit me out of nowhere with an equal amount of Steve feels. It's such a fantastic take on their characters, with truly amazing dialogue. If I could take a pen and underline all my favorite parts, every second sentence would be underlined. It's that good. Definitely a must-read!

There's an App for That

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: T Words: 17,439 Tags: No Powers, Romantic Comedy, Mild Angst with a Happy Ending

Summary: Thanks to the modern gig economy, Steve is the successful owner of a break-up service, i.e. people pay him to break up with their partners for them. One day, he gets the first break-up request for Tony Stark.

Reasons why I love it: The concept for this is honestly so cool. I've never read another fic quite like it, and I don't think anyone could do it better than Annie D does it here. It's fun and light-hearted for the most part, but when it hits deep, it hits hard. I love all of it, the happy getting-to-know-each-other parts as well as the angsty-punch-in-the-gut parts. The way they end up together feels so natural, it's all really well written. Definitely check this one out!

Stuck in a...

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: E Words: 13,005 Tags: A/B/O, Mating Cycles, Alpha Steve / Omega Tony

Summary: Steve gets into a serum-enhanced rut. Tony figures that there’d be a long list of people who’d volunteer to help Steve out, but there’s only one person Steve wants.

Reasons why I love it: Steve almost losing his mind because he wants Tony so much but holding himself back to protect him? Um, yes, please. This fic executes the hormone-riddled alpha trope flawlessly, and the conclusion is hot as hell. Plus, omega Tony is a complete delight. I'd recommend this fic to anyone who likes A/B/O.

[museofthepyre]

at this point it'd be better if people sent questions straight to you rather than asking some headcannon blogs or something since you answer them all anyway (in a put together and honestly just well thought out manner)

[just realised it may sound accusatory - IT'S NOT! i'm just in awe of your explanations and thought process. your answers just make sense and idk it seems like you actually take time to engage with source material, and analyse the characters. as with the question of Sydney eating only buttered bread or explaining how both jedediah and elijah are two sides of the same coin, really, and it seems to me now i'm rambling so i just wanted to say. good job. i appreciate what you're doing in this fandom :D ]

AW SHDHSGD THANK YOU 😭😭 I’m armed with autism, a propensity for rambling, a LOVE of media analysis, and encyclopedic knowledge of CHNT specifically 😅 this is what a special interest does to a man

I’ve listened through CHNT over a dozen times, probably over two dozen times, maybe even more… I study the transcripts & wikis like biblical scripture, and mayyyyybe think about things just a little bit too much. Maybe. My word isn’t gospel, most of my takes are just interpretations with evidence, but… I am always so beyond down to give my input on any questions. Ask away! I do adore the CHNT hcs blog tho, it’s very fun and whimsical over there. I think what makes this media fun is just how much of it *is* left up to personal interpretation. We can all connect to it in our own special way! Yay!

[kerizaret]

1, 7 12 and 15 for tsukasa? :>

1. Why do you like or dislike this character?

Why I like Tsukasa is a question that would require a whole ESSAY. He was the first character I got introduced to snd really got to know - i started the game with wxs main story and right before his torpe event started so it was the first event i really played - and I have a tendency to get attached easily. As in, the first character I get attached to is most likely going to stay my fav throughout everything. Not always but often

There's also just something about him being this. Really well done mix of funny, stupid, impulsive and mature, caring, with a heavy sense of responsibility. You can laugh at him or with him but you can also empathise with him or feel his love and care for others, almost like he's comforting you too. It's the onii-chan vibe. I'm not gonna start dissecting his entire character right now, but I also really appreciate his growth - even within the main story itself but throughout all the events mainly. The way he's growing more open with his feelings - both his own and those for his close ones - and becoming more confident, while also acknowledging his mistakes and LETTING himself make them and grow with them, correcting them and moving on. He's both a fascinating character from story and development point of view but also just has the kind of development I like

And don't get me started on his dynamics with other charscters - that are both fun and fascinating and just. So full of love and passion and care and also silliness. What can I say. You just can't be bored with him

There's also the fact he and I also share some similarities or traits, so it's easy to identify with, and consequently grow closer to him often. He's not my biggest kin or anything, and there's plenty that makes us different, but some key values we agree on. If that makes sense. And there's also some things I just admire in his character that i wish I had, could do. And so. I just. Admire him isn't the right word but I can't find a better one rn? Something of the kind

Anyway yeah just. He's awesome. Stupid loser. I hate him

7. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you like?

I REALLY like the idea of kasaverse. It's so fun! There's so many different like, versions of Tsukasa from various of his plays/events/sets and all and they all have certain characteristics attached to them and can somehow feel like a separate and the same character simultaneously

I like that there's certain traits of tsukasa that those various "versions" of him represent, some widely accepted by the fandom or some just unique to each fan. It just feels like they're pieces of his personality separated from him and shaped into a smaller piece of himself that you can study in this form, and if you piece all those various tsukasas and their personalities together, that's when you get the full tsukass tenma. It makes him feel so.. developed? Idk how to say it. Its just awesome

I do like to imagine that each different tsukasa from the kasaverse is representative of some trait/part/dream/etc of his in a more exaggerated(?) way. Like you probably noticed I love making hinakasa have the Big Bro Tsukasa vibes ×100. I do feel like hina is just this. Representative of Tsukasa's older sibling caring side more than the others, especially seeing what event he came from. In a similar way Torpe highlights his calmer yet dedicated side - I also like to imagine torpe as the part that gets embarrassed by too many compliments (like that scene with shizuku in pandemonium). Knight can be loyalty, can be determination. Fighting tooth and nail for that happy ending. King is that charisma, ability to bringing people together, the leadership. And others. It's just fun to imagine

Also it just fits the method actor vibe SOO well

12. What's a headcanon you have for this character?

You know, its stupid. You know that moment when you're asked something and. Immediately forget everything you know on the topic? Yeah.... I know i have many I just never have them on hand when needed... Ironic

He's a mama's boy. He's also very close to her right after Saki and loves to spend time together and buy her gifts and help her out at home. Also his canon bedroom is a lie because he obviously has shining in the dark stars on his ceiling like saki and drawings/sketches and many many photos over his desk and plushies on his bed. Colopale is just a coward

Has freckles and thick fluffy hair but you can see that from my drawings. Always has some kind of bruise from practice on him that he never remembers how he got. He's an early bird that also falls asleep very easily and usually early too, on a schedule. Often dreams but quickly forgets, so he always writes those down as quick as he can in the morning for future reference or exchanges their dreams with Saki over breakfast

Always has to do something with his hands, especially when frustrated or nervous. Especially enjoys playing with others' hair. Had a tendency to bite his nails, so saki taught him to paint his nails to prevent that. Currently has wxs colours painted nails as ordered by emu just as the rest of the troupe. Also knows how to braid hair and do makeup thanks to Saki. Enjoys baking a lot and sometimes stress bakes things. He can't swim very well

Also a silly thing but we know hes bad at games overall but he's actually a master at playing word games. Especially Scrabble, with that dumb vast and complicated vocabulary of his. You cannot tell me Tsukasa "I am valiantly trying to confront this unscrupulous spider preventing me from enjoying my luncheon" Tenma would not win at Scrabble (I have an old comic on that)

Idk ahshfjshs 😭

15. What's your favorite ship for this character? (Doesn't matter if it's canon or not.)

I'm gonna be honest recently it's been harder to choose between all polysho tsks dynamics, but I'm gonna say ruikasa because it's the first ship I got introduced and attached to, by the friends who introduced me to the game. And just. the TRUST man. The TRUST

They've got both a funny and deep dynamic and big influence on each other ever since the beginning that can't be denied. I won't really talk much about then right now but I just simply appreciate the way they push each other to be better, to keep trying, to give their all and not hold back, while making sure the other doesn't stop taking care of himself and is aware he's believed in and trusted. Also they are just two insane weirdos who do stupid shit together and it's funny

Yeah :3 I kind of went overboard and gave quite the long answers so I hope they make sense AHDAHA

Thankie for the ask lynnie!! I hope you're doing great <3

[shewasverynice]

Fandom: 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia (Anime & Manga) WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS

Major Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied Childhood Sexual Abuse, Non-Consensual Drug Use

Full tags/warnings on Chapter links post

Major Characters: Original Characters, Takami Keigo | Hawks, Hero Public Safety Commission, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead

꒰ Elementia - Part 5 ꒱

Hawks was at the scene of yet another crime, surveying the damage. The street was coated in thick layers of ice, slick and treacherous, with several fire quirk heroes working tirelessly to melt it away. Even with their efforts, it was clear just how powerful the ice had been, leaving deep fractures in the concrete and frost creeping up the sides of nearby buildings. He crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing as he tried to make sense of it all.

It was eerie—this was Halcyon's handiwork, or at least, it could've been. The ice breath was one of Dragon's signature moves, but she hadn't been here. How had this person mimicked it so perfectly? Hawks’ wings fluttered instinctively, his feathers ruffling in agitation, just as he felt a familiar presence land beside him.

Heron touched down lightly, and the two bumped fists in a silent greeting. Their expressions remained serious, though, both of them feeling the weight of the situation. Heron glanced around at the scene, the destruction still fresh.

“Same as last week?” Heron asked, his yellow eyes focused and sharp.

Hawks nodded, eyes flicking over the frozen wreckage. “Exactly the same. The precision, the scale… It's like an exact copy of what Halcyon can do.”

Heron sighed, crossing his arms as well, mirroring Hawks’ stance. “These cases are getting more frequent. Feels like they're building up to something.”

“Yeah.” Hawks clenched his jaw, his mind racing. He was already fed up with this situation, but the stakes were higher now. Whoever this was, they were pushing boundaries, and it wasn’t just coincidence anymore. “You think she has any weird fans or something?”

Heron turned to him with a teasing smirk, his eyes gleaming playfully. “Why? Jealous?”

Hawks rolled his eyes and nudged Heron in the ribs with his elbow. “Not like that, idiot. I’m serious.”

Heron let out a low chuckle before sobering up again. “I'm only half kidding. We should try to get into her fan groups or something, see if anyone’s been acting strange. You know, dig around in a Discord or a fan page.”

Hawks grimaced at the thought. “Ugh, that's a whole new level of weird. But you’re probably right. Maybe I'll get Perplex to snoop around, see what she can dig up.”

Before Heron could respond, Kiwi arrived on the scene, dusting off her hands as if she’d just finished her own round of damage control. Her usual boisterous energy was muted, her expression serious as she approached. “You guys talking about fan groups?” she asked casually, glancing between them, "Need me to snoop?"

Hawks and Heron both turned to her in surprise. “Wait, you’re in them?” Hawks asked, blinking.

Kiwi shrugged nonchalantly. “Yeah, I’m in a bunch of Hal’s fan groups. It’s fun sometimes. You’d be surprised how much stuff they dig up on her.”

Heron’s mouth fell open slightly. “You’re… what?”

She raised an eyebrow at him, clearly amused by his reaction. “I’m in all your fan groups too, actually. Morpho’s, Hummingbird’s, you name it.”

Hawks ran a hand through his hair, trying to wrap his head around it. “So you’re a fan?”

“Nah, not like that. I just like to see what people say. Keeps me in the loop,” Kiwi said with a grin, clearly unbothered by their surprise.

Hawks blinked, then shook his head with a smirk. “You never cease to amaze, Kiwi.” He sighed, getting back on track, “Anyway, I need to know about Halcyon’s fans because whoever’s behind this? They’re copying her too closely. This isn’t just random. They’ve studied her moves, her techniques. Could be a fan, or it could be someone who's been watching her for a long time.”

Kiwi’s playful expression faded, her brows knitting together as she took that in. “You’re thinking it’s personal, then.”

“Feels like it,” Hawks said quietly, glancing around the frozen scene again. “And if it’s personal, that means we’re running out of time to figure out who it is before they go too far.”

Heron nodded in agreement, his yellow eyes serious. “We’ll need to tighten patrols. Keep eyes on anyone suspicious.”

Kiwi looked between the two of them. “I’ll go through the groups tonight, see if anyone’s been acting strange or posting anything out of the ordinary. I'll get you some invites too.”

Hawks felt a wave of gratitude for his team. “Thanks, Kiwi. Let’s just hope we catch this psycho before they try something even bigger.”

Hawks was mid-conversation with Heron when a crackle came through his earpiece, interrupting him. He pressed a finger to his ear, listening closely as one of the dispatchers relayed a situation nearby. He sighed, apologizing to Heron before lifting off, heading to the location at full speed.

When he arrived, he saw Halcyon already on the scene, standing defensively in front of a group of people who seemed to be confronting her. Her face was a mix of confusion and anger, her eyes sharp as she argued with the crowd.

"I didn’t do a damn thing to your building!" she snapped, her voice barely controlled. "If I had, you’d know about it."

The group was loud, shouting over each other, each accusing her of an attack that had apparently happened earlier that day. Their accusations flew fast and furious, and Hawks could see the tension building in Halcyon. Despite her fury, she hadn’t lost control yet, but she was dangerously close.

Hawks landed a few feet away, surveying the situation with quick precision. Halcyon was holding herself back, clearly on the edge, but the crowd wasn’t making it easy. He was honestly impressed she hadn’t snapped already, knowing how explosive she could be when provoked.

“Alright, alright, break it up,” Hawks called out, stepping in before things escalated further. He positioned himself between Halcyon and the crowd, raising his hands in a gesture of peace. “What’s going on here?”

Halcyon’s eyes flicked to him, the anger in them barely contained. “That’s what I’d like to know. These idiots are accusing me of something I didn’t do.”

Before Hawks could respond, the crowd immediately shifted their focus to him. The man at the front, who seemed to be their leader, jabbed a finger in Hawks’ direction.

“You shouldn’t have let a vigilante try to become a hero!” the man shouted, his voice filled with venom. “She’s always been a step away from being a villain, and this proves it!”

Hawks blinked, taken aback by the sudden turn against him. He opened his mouth to speak, but Halcyon’s voice cut through the noise like a whip. “Take that shit back! You don’t know anything about me.”

Hawks winced at her tone. “Halcyon, just—”

“Don’t tell me to shut up!” she snapped, turning her fiery gaze on him. “Go fuck yourself, Birdy!”

He suppressed a groan, trying to diffuse the situation. The man confronting them seemed to relish the chaos, his lips curling into a cruel smirk. With a flick of his wrist, sharp thorns began to sprout from his hands, growing into dangerous-looking spikes.

Halcyon’s form shifted almost instantly. She transformed into Tiger, his muscles bulging as his size increased. His claws extended, his body rippling with power, his eyes glowing with the fierce purple flash. “You wanna try me, thorn boy?” he growled, his voice dangerously low.

Hawks stepped between them, his wings flaring out as he placed himself in front of Tiger, blocking his path to the man. “Hey, hey, calm down, Tiger. We’re not doing this right now," he said, holding eye contact.

Tiger’s glowing eyes locked onto Hawks, his breathing heavy and wild. For a moment, he thought he was going to push past him, but to his surprise, he hesitated. His tail flicked behind him, betraying his agitation, but he didn’t make a move.

Hawks was genuinely shocked—Halcyon never backed down when she was in this form, especially not when provoked. But instead of charging forward, she simply glared at the man with a dangerous intensity, her muscles coiled and ready but held in check.

He didn’t dare call attention to it, not wanting to push his luck. Instead, he kept his focus on the situation. “Everyone needs to calm down before this gets out of hand,” he said firmly, his voice carrying a warning.

The man with the thorns sneered at them both before slowly retracting the spikes from his hands. He glanced at Tiger one last time, clearly unnerved by his silent but deadly stare. “This isn’t over,” he muttered before turning on his heel and walking away, the rest of his group following him.

Tiger gritted his teeth, his eyes still glowing with barely restrained fury. His tail thrashed behind him, his claws flexing as he stared at the retreating figures. Hawks could feel the tension radiating off him in waves, but he didn’t move from his spot, keeping himself between him and any potential danger.

“You good?” he asked quietly, glancing over his shoulder at him.

For a moment, he didn’t respond, his body still tense with the need to fight. But after a few long seconds, he let out a frustrated breath, his body shrinking back down as she shifted out of her Tiger form. Her eyes returned to their normal color, though the anger in them hadn’t entirely faded.

“I didn’t do anything,” she muttered, crossing her arms tightly over her chest.

“I know,” Hawks said softly, "We’ll figure this out. But for now, let’s just get out of here before someone else decides to start something.”

She nodded, still clearly fuming, but she didn’t argue. As they left the scene together, Hawks couldn’t shake the feeling that this was just the beginning. Whoever was behind this was pushing all the right buttons, and Halcyon was close to snapping.

And if she did, he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to stop her next time.

Hawks and Halcyon walked in a comfortable silence for a while, the tension from the earlier confrontation slowly fading. The city streets were unusually quiet, with only the soft sounds of their footsteps filling the air. Hawks glanced down at Halcyon's bare feet as she walked beside him, her hands laced together behind her head, her casual posture belying the weight of their earlier encounter.

“Where are your flip-flops?” Hawks asked after a few moments, raising an eyebrow at the sight of her dirty soles.

Halcyon didn’t answer, her gaze fixed ahead, a small frown creasing her brow.

“Did you lose them again?” he teased, his voice light despite the seriousness of the day. A soft chuckle escaped him and he said softly, “It’s okay if you did. I can get you another pair.”

She didn't react at first, slowing a little. She finally glanced back at him over her shoulder, her sharp eyes locking onto his. “Why are you lying to me?” she asked.

Hawks faltered, his smile fading as guilt gnawed at his chest. “I’m not lying," he answered, keeping his voice even.

She huffed in disbelief, her lips curling into a frown, “Not telling me something is as good as lying.”

Her words hit a nerve, and Hawks felt a flash of irritation. He stopped walking for a moment, the tension between them suddenly thickening. “That’s rich coming from you,” he snapped, his voice sharper than he intended.

Halcyon’s eyes narrowed, and for a moment, it looked like she might snap back, but instead, she just huffed again and looked away. Hawks sighed, the heat of his earlier annoyance melting into regret.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered as they continued walking, his gaze softening, “I didn’t mean to snap like that. I’m just… frustrated. Being cooped up is making me feel like I’m losing my mind.”

Halcyon let out a soft snicker. “You’ve always been crazy.”

Hawks couldn’t help but laugh, shaking his head. “Maybe.”

For a few more moments, they walked in silence. The tension between them eased, but there was still something hanging in the air—something neither of them had quite addressed.

“I’m worried about you,” Hawks admitted quietly, his voice low but sincere, “Getting you involved in whatever’s happening… it could put you in a bad light. And I don’t want that.”

Halcyon gave him a sidelong glance, her expression softening. “I’m already in a bad light," she said with a snort, "That ship sailed a long time ago.”

“You’re not actually,” Hawks insisted, his voice firm, “But you could be. Especially if you let this case get to you.”

She didn’t respond right away, and as the light from the setting sun caught her hair, Hawks found himself admiring the way the red hues glinted in her brown locks. She had a thoughtful expression, her face gentle despite everything that had happened. It made his heart skip a beat, something he still wasn’t used to freely feeling around her. He sped up a little, catching up to her side while he dug in his pockets for a moment.

“Here,” he said, holding out a small, round, shiny button he’d found earlier.

Halcyon blinked, looking down at it in his palm before taking it and holding it up to the light. “What’s this for?” she asked, tilting it in the sun.

Hawks shrugged, trying to play it cool. “I just… wanted you to have it," he said, feeling oddly shy.

A sly smirk spread across her face. “You’ve been bringing me a lot of little shiny things lately," she said, a playful lilt in her voice, "What are you, a crow or something?”

Hawks felt his cheeks flush, the realization hitting him like getting Isekai'd by a truck. He had been collecting the random pretty trinkets for her, little things he’d find during patrols or on investigations. It was almost instinctual at this point, completely thought free and automated. He was flustered, hiding his face behind his hand as he looked away, trying to compose himself.

"It's a Nesting thing," Owl's voice echoed in his mind, and he internally screamed for it to shut up.

Halcyon’s smirk widened, and she reached out, running her hand through his wings. He shivered at the sensation, her touch sending a ripple of warmth down his spine.

“Stop,” he muttered, though the smile tugging at his lips betrayed the fact that he didn’t really mean it.

Halcyon chuckled softly, her hand lingering in his feathers for a moment before pulling away. “You’re such a dork," she said coyly.

“Yeah, well,” Hawks mumbled, his voice still a little shaky, “You’re stuck with me.”

She shot him a playful grin, holding the button in her hand as they continued walking side by side. Despite everything, the weight on his shoulders felt a little lighter with her there.

· · ────── ·𖥸· ────── · ·

The world was a blur as Hawks sped through the city, the wind tearing at his hair and the rush of air deafening in his ears. His focus was razor-sharp, locked onto the figure ahead of him. The suspect was fast, darting between buildings, but Hawks was faster. Below him, Halcyon—now in her Dragon form—was sprinting, her powerful limbs pounding the ground as she struggled to keep up with him.

Hawks surged ahead, banking sharply to cut the suspect off. He could see her glancing up at him, her hood obscuring her face. Halcyon was just below, preparing to attack. He knew what was coming next as he shot upward, narrowly dodging the blast of ice she exhaled in a sweeping arc. It spread across the ground, frost crawling up the buildings and forming a frozen trap around the fleeing figure.

The suspect faltered, the ice gripping her legs and slowing her down, just as Hawks swooped in. He reached for her, his feathers flying like sharp darts to block her escape. Halcyon leapt forward, her massive claws outstretched to grab hold of the figure.

But before either of them could fully pin her down, a shimmering light enveloped the suspect, and Hawks felt her slipping away beneath his grasp. His fingers caught at the edge of her hood, yanking it off just as the light consumed her and she vanished.

Hawks froze. His breath caught in his throat as he stared at the face beneath the hood.

It was her.

The Ice Princess.

The girl he’d met that night before Halcyon’s court date. The one who had stirred something in him during that brief, confusing encounter. He had thought about her since, fleeting moments of curiosity, but he never expected to see her again, let alone here, involved in something like this.

Halcyon, still in her Dragon form, growled furiously. Her wings scraped the walls of the alley, and her tail thrashed against the ground with a heavy slam that rattled the ice still forming on the pavement. She slammed a fist down in frustration, her claws leaving deep gouges in the stone.

Hawks landed beside her, still stunned, his mind struggling to process what he had just seen. He felt a strange tightness in his chest, an uneasy mix of confusion and guilt.

Without a word, Halcyon shifted forms, her massive Dragon body shrinking and dissolving into the smaller, more vibrant Phoenix form. The heat radiated from her as she melted the ice on his feet and legs, her flames licking harmlessly at him as they freed him from the frozen trap.

Phoenix looked up at him, her expression far more chipper than it had been a moment ago, her usual playful demeanor returning. “Hmm, what’s up Pretty Birdy? Something botherin’ you? Hmm? ⁠♪⁠♪”

Hawks opened his mouth to answer, but no words came out at first. He stared down at the spot where the Ice Princess had disappeared, the memory of her face still fresh in his mind. He didn’t know how to explain it—didn’t even know where to begin. How could he tell Halcyon that the girl they’d just chased down was someone he had… connected with, if only for a fleeting night? A night he hadn’t thought much of since, but now seemed far too significant.

“It’s… it’s nothing,” he finally said, though the words tasted like a lie.

Phoenix cocked her head, her fiery wings flickering in the dim light of the alley. “Nothing, hmm? You don’t look like it’s nothing, Birdy!” She wasn’t buying it, but she wasn’t pushing him either. Not yet.

Hawks forced a smile, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Just… surprised, I guess. Didn’t expect her to disappear like that," he said, unable to look at her directly.

Phoenix studied him for a moment, her fiery eyes searching his face. For once, she wasn’t teasing or goading him. She was quiet, almost thoughtful, before giving a small nod. “Alright. If you say so.”

But as they stood there, the ice still cracking and melting around them, Hawks couldn’t shake the image of the Ice Princess from his mind. He wasn’t sure how to tell Halcyon the truth—that the girl they were chasing was more than just a random suspect to him. She was a reminder of something he regretted. Something that, for the first time in a long while, left him feeling genuinely uncertain.

Back at Nest, Hawks kicked off his boots and collapsed onto his couch, still half in his hero costume. His mind was racing after everything that had happened. He tossed his visor onto the table and grabbed the tablet Kiwi had given him earlier. He’d been avoiding this—logging into the fan groups. But after seeing the Ice Princess again, he had to check if something was lurking in the shadows of these fan pages, something suspicious that could help them track her down.

He hesitated for a moment before typing in the credentials Kiwi had provided. It felt… odd, diving into the world of fan obsessions. But if there was any connection between Halcyon’s mysterious mimic and her followers, this was where he’d find it.

The loading screen spun for what felt like forever until the Halcyon fan server popped up in front of him. And, as expected, it was cringy as hell.

His eyes scanned through the posts, and within seconds he found the usual mix of admiration and downright bizarre comments. "God, I’d let Tiger crush me with his thighs." Ugh. Of course, people liked her Tiger form the most. There were plenty of memes and more fan art than he wanted to see, some of it impressively accurate and others just… strange.

For a while, it was more or less harmless—people fawning over Halcyon, speculating on her powers, or just talking about her latest hero escapades. But after scrolling through countless posts, there was nothing that stood out as suspicious. Just a bunch of fans doing what fans do. He leaned back, rubbing his eyes. Nothing.

He sighed, then switched over to his own server.

It was immediately cringy, too. Flattering in a way, sure, but seeing people talk about him in such an intense, obsessive way was unsettling. There were weirdly detailed breakdowns of his hero fights, theories on how his feathers worked, and more than a few thirsty comments about his wings.

Still, nothing suspicious. Just more overzealous fans.

But there was one last server to check.

Hawks hesitated, knowing what was coming next. The one he dreaded the most: Birdy and the Beasts. The Halcyon/Hawks shipping group.

He grimaced as the page loaded. Immediately cringy. Painfully cringy. The art they made of him and Halcyon was almost disturbingly detailed—so accurate it made him blush against his will. He couldn’t believe how much time these people had spent analyzing his anatomy, even down to how his wings might look in a more, uhh, intimate setting.

He scrolled quickly, trying not to linger too long on the suggestive pieces, but it was impossible to avoid. There were thousands of comments. "They belong together. The ultimate power couple." "I swear they’ve been teasing us for years, it’s only a matter of time."

He winced at that one. It wasn’t like the idea of being with Halcyon wasn't what he wanted, but seeing so many strangers obsess over it? Yeah, that was weird. Almost violating, in a way. And the sheer amount of people who were rooting for them? It was overwhelming.

Sure, he definitely had feelings for Halcyon—complicated ones. But seeing it through the eyes of these fans made it feel like he was being watched under a microscope. Like they were all holding their breath, just waiting for them to admit what they all thought was inevitable.

Hawks set the tablet down and leaned back on the couch, staring at the ceiling. “This is so embarrassing,” he muttered to himself.

He didn’t know how he felt about Halcyon being thrust into the spotlight like this either, especially given her past. It was like these people wanted them together so badly they didn’t even care about the consequences or the reality of it all. And the truth was… neither did he. He didn’t know how to act on his own feelings, let alone how to handle the situation they were in now.

He let out a frustrated sigh and ran a hand through his hair, catching a glimpse of his wings reflected in the window. For the first time in a while, he felt… out of control. His feelings for Halcyon were all tangled up with everything else—this investigation, the pressure from the public, and the past they shared.

Shaking his head, he picked up the tablet again and scrolled through more of the "Birdy and the Beasts" posts. He couldn't help but chuckle, despite the weirdness. They really did want him to end up with her. He laughed even harder when he saw the fan-made scenarios of them arguing, which hit way too close to home.

But then, there it was.

A single post stood out, almost buried under the waves of shipping comments.

"I heard Halcyon is a suspect in the recent attacks. She’s always been shady like that. Bet she does it to get his attention."

Hawks frowned. That… didn’t sit right with him. It wasn’t like the others. It was more specific, malicious in tone. And it wasn’t the first time he’d seen something like that from that user.

He made a mental note to flag the post for Perplex.

Hawks groaned softly, dropping the tablet onto the couch beside him as he ran a hand through his hair. His wings fluttered restlessly behind him, the instinctual need to fly gnawing at his insides. Being grounded for another week and a half was like torture for someone like him, used to the freedom of the sky. But that wasn’t even the half of it.

He was pent up in ways he hadn’t been in a long time. His usual outlets—flying, flirting, spending time with a partner—had all been cut off since the grounding. He wasn’t the type to go without for this long, not anymore. And to make matters worse, all he could think about was Halcyon.

That night with her… the heat, the intensity—it was still vivid in his mind. He hadn’t been able to get her out of his head since then, and now he found himself craving her in a way that felt maddening. Like he was stuck in a spring rut, desperate and unable to do anything about it. He chuckled at the thought. Maybe this was what normal attraction felt like, but with Halcyon, it felt like something more.

His phone buzzed, snapping him out of his thoughts. It was Perplex. He glanced at the screen and blinked, his jaw dropping as he opened the message. A video. Grainy and poor quality, but unmistakable. It was him and Halcyon in that bathroom. The memory of their heated and desperate encounter flashed vividly in his mind, and his face flushed as he fumbled to turn the video off.

“What the hell, Perplex…” he muttered, dragging a hand down his face in embarrassment.

He glanced at the message again. Another one had come through right after. Perplex had managed to scrub the video off the internet as best as she could, but she’d figured he’d want a copy for himself. Of course, she had added a winky emoji at the end. He scowled, though part of him appreciated the lengths she’d gone to for his sake.

Still, the fact that it had even made its way online in the first place… He clenched his jaw, a knot of frustration tightening in his chest. Whoever had taken that video was crossing a line, and the idea of people seeing something so personal, so intimate, made his blood boil.

But then there was the other side of it. The selfish, greedy part of him that was actually kinda glad to have it. He cursed under his breath, knowing full well he was playing with fire. Keeping that video, even watching it again—it wasn’t exactly a smart move. But, damn, if part of him didn’t want to.

"God, I’m pathetic," he muttered to himself, throwing his head back and closing his eyes.

The tension in his body wasn’t going away. It was like every reminder of Halcyon, every fleeting thought of her, only made it worse. And now, with that video sitting on his phone like a burning secret, the temptation gnawed at him.

He wanted her. Badly.

Hawks sat there for what felt like forever, trying to ignore the pulse of heat running through him, but it was impossible. His wings felt heavy, dragging him down even as they twitched restlessly. His body was wound tight, every muscle tense with need. He stood up awkwardly, letting out a frustrated sigh as he flew up to his bedroom in the loft, landing with a soft thud on the floor.

His hands fumbled through the drawer by his bed, searching for his earbuds. The tension was unbearable, his body practically buzzing with anticipation. He didn’t want to give in, but every nerve in his body was screaming for it. Finally, he found the earbuds and shoved them into his ears.

Sitting at the edge of his bed, Hawks pulled out his phone again. His thumb hovered over the video, hesitating. His teeth sank into his lower lip as he played it for just a moment, the grainy image flickering on the screen. Immediately, the heat hit him like a freight train. He paused the video with a soft groan, slumping forward with his hand over his eyes.

This was so embarrassing. So wrong. And yet… it was so hot.

He couldn’t believe this was happening. That he’d been caught on camera like this. But at the same time, he couldn’t deny the thrill that ran through him. That night had been something else, and now, with the video in his possession, it was like a dangerous secret he couldn’t let go of.

His mind raced, heart pounding as he sat there, torn between the need to push the video away and the burning desire to watch it again. The thought of anyone else seeing it made him furious, but having it all to himself felt… intoxicating.

Hawks let out a long breath, shaking his head.

“What the hell am I doing…?” he whispered, but even as he said it, he knew he wasn’t deleting the video. He couldn’t.

It was his now.

[platonically-loving-alastor]

Screenshot Overanalysis Time!

I've actually spent so much time thinking about this image because no one else talks about it, and it's led to headcanons that range in realism from 'this is possible ig' to 'this definitely isn't true but it's still fun to think about'. So being sure to keep that in mind, I'm gonna describe said headcanons.

So, based on google searches for archangels, there are multiple ideas for how many there are, and one of those ideas is 7 (disregarding Lucifer ofc). Those 7 are Michael, Raphael, Gabriel, Uriel, Camael (also spelled Chamuel), Jophiel, and Zadkiel. This is the idea that I'm going to run with to say that the 6 figures in the screenshot are the other archangels. "Oh but how would they be the 7 archangels if there's only 6 of them-?" Well that's what I thought at first, but I'm also persistent. So I started thinking that maybe one of the archangels didn't exist until after Lucifer fell, possibly replacing him (I'll be using Zadkiel to fill this role throughout the post). Of course I don't know much about the system in this universe's Heaven, along with if they'd even feel the need to replace him to begin with, so it was originally just a random fun idea to me more than a genuine possibility.

However, something has since been brought to my attention that makes my idea make more sense. The 7 Heavenly Virtues. Though lesser acknowledged, there is one for each of the Deadly Sins, who we already know exist in the Hazbin Universe, including Lucifer representing Pride; Which is exactly what interested me about it. If the Virtues do exist in Hazbin Hotel's Heaven, that could mean that Lucifer used to be the Virtue of Humility, before unintentionally creating and becoming Hell's parallel to that, the Sin of Pride. With this idea in mind, I think this would make it much more likely for Heaven to actively need a replacement after he fell, they would've needed a new Virtue of Humility. So when Lucifer fell, there would have only been 6 archangels left, the same number we see in this scene, before they had the chance to create Zadkiel.

Also, just to cover my bases and mention the possible argument of Lucifer being a seraphim, I don't think that's technically been confirmed (or if it has, hey it's not like I thought this idea would turn out fully canon anyway lol). Yes, he has 3 sets of wings, which traditionally indicates a Seraphim (from what I've heard in this fandom at least, I have not studied the Bible myself). But we also know that Vivienne doesn't necessarily adhere to biblical accuracy, so this may just be how she's chosen to depict archangels. The main reason I would believe that were the case is the fact that all 6 figures behind him also have 3 sets of wings. These technically could also be Seraphim, but I feel like story-wise it would make more sense to me for them to have been archangels than more seraphim. this is partially because none of the halos look like the one we see on Sera, and I think it would be safe to assume if they were Seraphim in that moment, Sera would have been there with them.

Before I post this, I'm just gonna reiterate in case people wanna take this too seriously; This is mostly a fun and interesting idea that I know won't be true. Just let me do a bit of theorizing without the pressure of realism in this show that isn't exactly the perfect model of realism itself.

In conclusion, I wanna see archangels in the show so bad you don't understand- I've made picrew designs for them at this point, maybe I should post them, for the fun of it 👀

[irambletoomuch]

MUST READS

These are fanfiction that I feel like are must reads. Separated by Fandom. Enjoy!

MCU

🐐Death Before Inaction is literally one of the best Peter Parker fics I've ever read, if you want skewed dynamics, no slash, an OP Peter, and really good story telling this is for you.

The Anomaly is an amazing Into the Spiderverse fic that really goes into Miles character and how giving up; doing everything in your power to prevent something and then it happens anyways, can destroy you and change your perspective. And on the other side how choices can make you regret them.

Bound by a Promise to the Moon is an Avengers work that is focused on characters and relationships between people who have drifted apart. It is IronStrange but nothing in your face for the most part 💀 you can skip those parts if you don't like it😁. It really is worth the read though.

Crossovers

Gaming Spider is a MCU fic that is Peter-centric but be warned because they dropped 8 chapters on the same day in 2022 and haven't updated since. It's so entertaining because Peter just has the Gamer Power (basically Litrpg elements) and grows increasingly stronger after every encounter, and the plot makes sense and isn't only based on the system.

All of the heroes and all of the men, couldn’t save Tommy from getting kidnapped again is such a bias rec on my part, I like crossovers that are done correctly and I was a mcyt and dsmp follower (not really watcher, I can't commit to anything) and this is a story changed by the characters, where the original plot is nothing but a memory to help character development. God I love character development.

BNHA

🐐Parallax is a BNHA fic that is SI and I KNOW BUT HERE ME OUT is basically like if Todoroki was haunted by a physics loving astronomer that made him feel more like someone else, but still kept a lot of what makes him, him. It's so good, like touched me so deeply that I have a hard time explaining it.

A Study In Deceit is a BNHA fic (I know) that is SO FUNNY, basically Bakugou is BBC's Sherlock, but has hid it for all his life, he does cases on the side and turns them in anonymously to the police. It's really good if you're looking for Todoroki and Bakugou friendship.

Foresight now this, this is crack. Want a BNHA fic that speeds through the story in ways that are so funny? Want someone doing something without a clue why? READ THIS. If you know the plot of BNHA it's sometimes easy to guess why he's doing what he's doing but the reactions of other characters is sooo good.

RONIN, ronin, ronin, ronin. This thing is the best ever, BNHA, op Midoriya but now you might be scrolling past, but... It's SO GOOD, BOHB_STEVENS IS A GENIUS this fic was made to practice fighting and ohhhhh did they get plently of practice. If you like fighting scenes that are descriptive, easy to understand, and EXHILARATING read this.

Magneto is an amazingly different BNHA SI fic, where really the story stays the same but I'm a simple person and slice of life interactions can be just as fun as fighting and complicated story telling (the storytelling is good btw) . I think I you want a little angst mixed with mostly good times and crack you should read this.

Pinwheel Eyes is a BNHA if Midoriya had a quirk. But once again the story is original they aren't afraid to make unpopular decisions to keep realism, and he has to win to keep people alive, not just have plot armor. I think if you want amazing fights and to be surprised over and over with how good this is you should read it

Crossovers

🐐A Massacre of One is a BNHA/Worm crossover that is something out of a dream for me. Super long, well written, fight scenes, character development, and well done implementation of other stories elements. With quirks it makes it easy, but still the reactions of others when they figured out what happened is AHHH and the way they make them go through the story is amazing too. Big props to the writer.

Si Vis Pacem is a BNHA/John Wick fic where John Wick (would it be SI?) is reincarnated into Midoriya, and it's pretty good, ngl it updates like 3 times a year so it's been a minute since I've read it, but I remember really liking it.

Be Careful What You Ask Your God is a BNHA and Chainsaw Man crossover where once again (I know I said it wasn't the norm) the characters are the story, here they took a different approach and didn't even focus on the main characters of BNHA and just how the mc's of chainsaw man would live in that world, but the LORE (matpat😭) is interesting.

Misc.

Harry Potter

Porcupine Quills & Potion Spills A Harry Potter (Snape-centric) work. This fic is pretty good, but it's not TOP top tier. The reason it's here is because I've been looking for another fic that has this same idea but none have done it this certain way and I really like the idea. Now it is on Hiatus but its only been a few months, so they'll probably be back (man I hope so).

Crossovers

A Wand for Skitter is a Harry Potter and Worm crossover (if you haven't read worm and appreciate modern sci-fi/eldritch original works you should read it) but the characters are amazing, nothing seems cheap and the ending, THE ENDING it was so good.

Stranger Things

I really didn't mean to hurt anyone is a Stranger Things story that had Steve as Seven. The choices with the way the story is going makes sense and again the characters are so well written. His powers are original and make the story even better and even gets him into some unsavory situations.

Worm

Crossovers

🐐A Massacre of One is a BNHA/Worm crossover that is something out of a dream for me. Super long, well written, fight scenes, character development, and well done implementation of other stories elements. With quirks it makes it easy, but still the reactions of others when they figured out what happened is AHHH and the way they make them go through the story is amazing too. Big props to the writer.

A Wand for Skitter is a Harry Potter and Worm crossover (if you haven't read worm and appreciate modern sci-fi/eldritch original works you should read it) but the characters are amazing, nothing seems cheap and the ending, THE ENDING it was so good.

Kuroko's Basketball

Ball Is Life, But You Still Need To Pay Rent before anything, this work is on hiatus (it hasn't updated since 2022) it's a Kuroko's Basketball fic that is a SI but omg this si is not a John Doe he is so out of pocket I'm not gonna spoil it a lot but if you like the anime you should read this you'll have fun.

The Saga of Tanya the Evil

The Chronicles of Tanya the Fuehrer is another Tanya fic where it's after the war ends, the beginning is amazing, she does get a bit ooc in some parts but other than that the story itself is so entertaining and how they describe things and paint a picture is so beautiful.

Crossovers

A Young Girl's Guerrilla War is a Code Geass and The Saga of Tanya the Evil crossover. It's if Tanya died and was reincarnated again into code geass (another war so on brand) it's something special because it feels like an AU, which so many crossovers can't accomplish, they just follow the plot of the story with new characters without changing the world based on their characters actions. This story is Amazing and something that should become a norm within the trope.

Code Geass

Crossovers

A Young Girl's Guerrilla War is a Code Geass and The Saga of Tanya the Evil crossover. It's if Tanya died and was reincarnated again into code geass (another war so on brand) it's something special because it feels like an AU, which so many crossovers can't accomplish, they just follow the plot of the story with new characters without changing the world based on their characters actions. This story is Amazing and something that should become a norm within the trope.

MCYT/DSMP

Weapon Reforged is something everyone should experience even if they don't know the fandom (I'm not even gonna say it but don't be pushed off once you see it because the story is original and uses characters simple traits to build new ones off of) it's an amazing work of art that is near and dear to me in a big way, it hasnt updated since 2021 but you have to, HAVE TO read this.

Crossovers

All of the heroes and all of the men, couldn’t save Tommy from getting kidnapped again is such a bias rec on my part, I like crossovers that are done correctly and I was a mcyt and dsmp follower (not really watcher, I can't commit to anything) and this is a story changed by the characters, where the original plot is nothing but a memory to help character development. God I love character development.

Blue Lock

A Child's Dream is a Blue Lock fic that is the only reasonabley lengthed fic that isn't slash that I have found. Theres a lot of simping for Isagi but that's normal enough. The development is interesting and keeps you engaged and the interactions are funny and so out of left pocket most of the time.

Déjà Vu is a Blue Lock fic that is probably abandoned, but the idea and execution make up for it, it's also short so don't worry about slogging through 100,000 words then figuring out it's abandoned. It's kind of crack-like but more serious than you would expect.

Miraculous Ladybug

(pockets full of) Stones is a Miraculous Ladybug one shot that is somewhat tear inducing and very realistic. Want a AroAce Adrien Agreste? READ THIS

[duckiemimi]

Your latest post... god tell me about it lol

I knew a fanfic writer that started out small couple of months ago and ever since they've been getting thousands of notes on their work they've become so.... arrogant? Like in a sense that they've started being cocky and mighty about their work and then proceeded to make daily yaps and rants about how other writers are not writing the said character right and dictating and being bitchy how that character wouldn't do A or B? The audacity some people have is just insane to me. imagine constantly diminishing and shitting on other writers because they have a different interpretation of a character that ALSO happens to be a blank slate lol

oh, boy, so this is a universal experience for all fandoms, huh 😭 (or at least i’m assuming this is a different fandom…)

it’s always on the topic of characterization in fanfics! and it’s especially exacerbated when shipping’s involved! don’t get me wrong, i’m someone who tends to enjoy works that lean towards canon characterization (or at least my interpretation of it), but writers aren’t tethered to canon in fanworks. it’s called fanfiction for a reason! it’s a love letter for the source material, not a page from it!

it sucks when writers put other writers down because of dissenting opinions as if we’re not all here as fans to begin with, as if we’re not all here to have fun in the first place. we like the same things! why are we making nonissues issues? as long as you’re considerate towards other people in the fandom (because we all share space!), then it’s fine! writers tag appropriately, and readers have discretion!

i also wanted to add, just in case, that fanfic is different from actual analyses. where you build off of canon in fanfic, you work with what you’re given in analyses. (it’s why i love character studies! a neat, poetic hybrid!) anyway, headcanon is different from canon, so why harass people over it? especially if the character is a blank slate, like you said!

[kharmii]

Maybe Marchy wants you to delete their post because they don't want to be affiliated with you, specifically. You're sort of a trash human being who can't get past werewolves being fictional creatures who have been a part of human mythology for thousands of years. Oh, and you're also transphobic and borderline homophobic. No one seems to like you, Kharm. Take a hint and keep your opinions to yourself for a change.

I haven't seen werewolf pron in a long time because all the people into it blocked me before I had a chance to block them. Srsly tho, there is no fandom as thirsty for dog-ass as submas. Beautiful men = Out of Style. Grotesque hairy stank-factories = In Style.

I don't like a lot of you either. I'd have been over this fandom ages ago if I wasn't into making dubious translations of Asian art. It's not like I'd want to go diving head first into My Hero Academia either, as it's mostly a bunch of kids. I suppose Erasurehead x Present Mike is appealing in the 'opposites attract' sort of way, but I'm not into Endeavor x Hawks because the former is too much of an alpha male. A main plot point was how Endeavor got into an arranged marriage with a once influential family that was struggling. They sold their daughter to Endeavor so he could selectively breed perfect superhero babies.

Endeavor: *taps watch* My recovery time is twenty minutes. That's how often you are getting bred until that baby sticks. After that, we could go once an hour for fun. (My goddamn #1 hero)

Anyway, nobody has yet to answer my question about why it's acceptable in fandom to be a shitting dick nipple fkn furry into a million stupid fetishes, yet a lot of those people still have the gall to have a 'Proshippers DNI' on their pages. Why is it okay to cherry pick the two things? (Pedophilia/Incest) but it's okay to belong to a group of people (furries) who are overrepresented in irl cases of sexual abuse? Why is one sort of weirdo more socially acceptable than another?

Side note: A lot of furries I've encountered are into belly kink. You know how they are always saying yaoi is offensive to irl gay men because woman pidgeonhole gay men into heteronormative female fantasies? Well, first of all, fuck gay men and men in general. It's part of male privilege that all biological males -whether straight gay or trans- have this attitude like their feelings are of utmost importance, and that they should be allowed to regulate what we do. If gay men don't like my gay men fantasies, then fight me.

Where was I....so belly kink is a very heteronormative feminine fantasy. It's a very female fantasy to want to see a feminine looking person being comforted by their masculine partner when they are suffering with a huge swollen pregnant looking belly. I can see the appeal of it if the person with the fat belly is pretty looking, like the Dabiten ship. Unfortunately, I too often saw depictions of this featuring gross ass furries that one could just imagine the stank lines wafting out of.

Another side note: Is there the same sort of crap in other fandoms one sees in submas? -Like does every other fandom get flooded with two-dick dragon morbidly obese omegaverse bullshit? I'll say it again because I have the right to my opinion....I'll bet a lot of monster fkn bullshit is trans coded, like they want to normalize fat hairy men with vaginas and/or dubious genitals (like multiple dicks, yo..) looking pregnant. It's yet another side effect of our fossil fuel driven glut where too many people have amygdales not functioning correctly which causes dysfunction with dopamine regulation. A person with a healthy sense of their own mortality would be repulsed by pregnant trans male figures because of the potential of getting a really messed up baby.

Seriously, doctors are supposed to experiment on animals before moving to humans. How many female animals were pumped with male hormones then made pregnant? Have there been a lot of studies done on what unnatural male hormones might do to a developing baby in the womb? -Or are we in the midst of ongoing legal experimentation on humans?

[whetstonefires]

Hi! I hope it's if ask three questions together: 21, 5 and 8 for that delightful fandom ask 💕

in that order!

21. a fandom you're not active in anymore but that you still really like

Oh, tricky! What does it mean to really like a fandom. I have so much affection for most of the ones I've been active in, but at the same time it's often the fandom rather than the source material I used up my enthusiasm for and departed.

Yu Yu Hakusho, maybe? I posted a lot of like, character study bits on ffdotnet for it back in high school and I often think if the fandom was more active I might circle back to it with my more developed writing chops.

I have a lot of beef with some of the fandom's conventions around shipping though so I may not be able to fairly say I love it.

Maybe Trigun. I couldn't get through episode one of the new anime though because they took my Millie, so I failed to join the renaissance.

5. something you see in fics a lot and love

Also hard! Just for the broad scope of the kinds of things that are in fics. But haha, I'm not responsible for figuring out the the intended thrust of the vague question! There are no penalties if I guess wrong!

I really like the bit in a fic when the writer ties their story down to the canon mid-stream. It's such a distinctive feeling, there's a practically kinetic gestural motion to it, that you can often sense it in fics you've never read the canon for. It works basically the same in contexts where you're tying your narrative to an existing non-copyrighted mythos, or doing your diligence as the writer of a licensed sequel. It's the narrative equivalent of showing your sources and flaunting your tailfeathers. The most basic level is just making a point of including Emotionally Significant Plot Object without feeling the need to re-explain its significance in detail because we all know, but it can get so elaborate.

The other day I was reading this fairly high-concept fantasy novel that's quite well done but I can't decide if I like it or not, and it started becoming clear around the halfway mark that one of the major characters had been Merlin this whole damn time and I hooted in satisfaction and outrage every time a new piece of confirmation dropped. Same kind of deal.

Anyway fic creates so much space to do elaborate things with the relationship-to-source-material and I love seeing people have fun with it.

8. you hope more people will come to appreciate _ (a ship, a trope, an episode, etc)

Hm. How beautifully fucked up Jiang Cheng is? This man is suffering so much and he's reasonably self-aware about it and this does not help in the least.

I think the self-awareness makes it worse, actually, because it means he's constantly on the brink of confronting the things he can't let himself think about straight on or he will have a massive fucking breakdown that he cannot afford.

Not enough recognition for how 90 percent of the time when Jiang Cheng is being awful he very clearly knows he's being awful and he kind of hates that and hates himself and is aware that his mom and dad issues are major drivers of this behavior. And none of that means he's able to stop.

It's such a unique hell. Appreciate.

I don't know why that was the first thing I thought of and I'm pretty sure it wasn't the kind of wish that was intended, but here we are.

[relamune]

Kael'thas for the ask meme thingy please i need

favorite thing about them Okay I'll try not to write a novel here but there's so little I don't adore about Kael'thas & it's hard to choose just one thing for this lmao. Like you can tell he cared/cares about his people a LOT, he just made some very poor decisions. I love that despite everything he tries to put the blood elves first, he definitely shouldered way more responsibility than he really needed to even for their leader imo, he had other people he could have relied on to share that burden! but he didnt!

Even before the scourge or the outlands, kael had SUCH an interesting personality? Like hes sometimes this bratty childish prince that can be stubborn as hell if he doesnt get his way but he's also easily one of the most powerful mages at the time, even getting on the council of six seemingly relatively easily because of it. So he may be a bit spoiled but he definitely clearly knows how to reign himself in & be serious when he needs to be & that makes him such a fun character with depth beyond just leaning into one trait or another.

Blizzard really shafted themselves when they tossed him away, I would have LOVED to see him progress through the expansions beyond being forgotten about until Shadowlands. least favorite thing about them how blizz threw him away :) I will never recover from the knowledge that they used him PURELY to fill a raid boss slot. He had SO MUCH POTENTIAL. I guess on the other hand we probably wouldn't have nearly as much content with the triumvirate as we do but I'm still not happy about nerfing Kael like that. favorite line "This is your brain, say hello brain. (brain says 'Hello!') And this is your brain on fel magic: (fel magic burns)(brain cries in pain) Any questions?"

(Honestly any of the HoTS quotes are gold this one just made me laugh the hardest) brOTP Hot take perhaps? Sylvanas pre-scourge. I like to imagine he kept trying to play matchmaker with her & lorthemar at that time & both of them hated the concept (but unfortunately kael is a stubborn bitch) but otherwise their friendship was equal parts business and jovial (as much as Sylv could be anyways) OTP honestly a BIG tie between Kael x Rommath & Kaellidan nOTP Controversial take in the Kael fandom probably but Jaina. I like them as friends or friendly rivals but don't really understand why there would be romance between them. random headcanon okay idk if this is gonna make sense & this is more of like a character study headcanon rather than a legit "this is how I think he goes about life" sort of thing but i have a big hc the triumvirate are just...sections of Kael. His laidback/care free traits being Hal, His leadership & determination & drive to protect the blood elves being Lorthemar, & his passion for magic & everything scholarly being Rommath. Idk maybe I'm looking to far into it but the fact Lor has reminded Rom of Kael on more than one occasion & vice versa really has me thinking on this.

If you want like a legit headcanon tho I definitely think Rommath got his humor and love of puns from Kael back from when they were younger. Kael said one (1) pun once, Rom laughed his ass off (& still refuses to admit it), & has come to appreciate the crafty wordplay of puns ever since.

Also another for you as an excuse to put it somewhere :: his title "the sun king" was actually from Illidan, back during one of their first meetings. Illidan meant it more in a derogatory way towards kael but kael thought it was brilliant & adopted it unpopular opinion i,,, actually dont like his VA in TBC. Nothing against the guy personally, imo it just doesnt fit Kael? I liked the one they used in Heroes of the Storm & SL (which i...THINK is the same person? idk im bad with remembering names but they sound similar so im sticking with that assumption) song i associate with them I have way too many actually that are just ship songs but I do associate this one specifically with Kael

Glass Animals - The Other Side of Paradise favorite picture of them his hearthstone battleground illustration does very gay things to me

[clotpolesonly]

hi! TRC & TW crossover??? yes please! tell me more? ❤

any time there's a shared surname between fandoms, OBVIOUSLY there must be a crossover, and thus! (also i think the timelines align perfectly, they should canonically be the same grades and ages.) when Adam presses charges against his dad, he can't go home. because he's still underage, CPS wants to put him in foster care, and he really really doesn't want to do that so he offers up an alternative: he can go spend the summer with his cousin, Jordan, who is working as a deputy in california.

he hasn't seen Jordan in a while, but under the circumstances, Jordan doesn't hesitate to throw the door wide open for him. Adam's not expecting Beacon Hills to be anything more than another gossipy medium-ish town for him to work in until he turns 18 and can go back to Henrietta for senior year, and he's definitely not expecting to feel anything weird this far away from cabeswater and his newly-made deal, but.......yeah there's definitely cabeswater-esque energy here too. pretty strong.

he tells Gansey this. and, unfortunately, Gansey has access to a helicopter. SO, by the end of the week, Gansey is in Beacon Hills with half his equipment and detectors and shit. and where Gansey goes, Ronan goes, obviously. and Blue is not about to be left behind when she's finally found a group to belong to. and hell, this town seems to be on the same ley line as Henrietta, so maybe Noah can even make an appearance, he just pops up out of nowhere and scares tf out of everyone XD

idk what would happen first: Stiles being nosy as fuck about his dad's new deputy's cousin suddenly hanging around the station, Deaton connecting with Adam over mystical stuff, Lydia sensing Noah and being like ???!?!!!?!? without being able to put her finger on why, or Derek hearing/smelling a bunch of new people trampling around in the preserve. but all of these things definitely do happen at some point.

other things that happen include: Derek and Ronan bonding over their murdered parents love of driving way too fast; Adam and Isaac forming a quick bond but never actually using words to acknowledge why, they just gravitate together; Allison teaching Blue a bunch of fancy tricks with her switchblade; Lydia struggling to decide if Blue is an absolute eyesore or an avant garde fashion genius; Scott and Stiles nerding the fuck OUT over Gansey's journal; Gansey trying to find a way to tactfully ask Derek if he can study him like a bug, for science, because omg wEREWOLVES ARE REAL; Adam, Blue, Scott, Isaac, and Stiles all being super fucking over having even more obnoxiously rich people in their lives throwing money around like confetti; Blue's presence focusing and boosting Lydia's powers, for better or for worse; Ronan dreaming some kind of monster and the whole pack crashing in to fight it for him because these guys have become pack somehow and that's what pack does for each other.

SO ANYWAY, I JUST THINK IT COULD BE FUN

[yourstrulynameless]

Okay, strap in for the Nameless SCiP Crash Course! I’ll break it off here because this is gonna be a long one my friend.

Note: I’m not an original fan, but I’ll tell you how to survive the modern SCP Fandom

THE BASICS

The SCP Fandom at its core is the SCPs themselves and story telling. Everything goes back to the concept of anomalies. Everything about SCP is all canon and uncanon at the same time. Confusing, right? But the simplest way to think about it is there isn’t “canon” but rather “official”.

Anything on the Wiki (THIS ONE, NOT THIS ONE) is official and everyone has their own personal canons with there being some “official canons” on the wiki with their own hubs that consists of tales and SCPs. This is because with the way the wiki works, it’s impossible to have everything click with each other and make 100% sense.

Why you may ask? Well the wiki is built from literally thousands of writers who contribute with SCPs and Tales. No one is gonna read everything before writing and submitting their own thing, that’d take everyone ages to do.

Oh and in case you were curious, SCPs are Secure Containment Procedures on different anomalies while Tales are stories about characters in universe. SCiP refers to the phonetic way of saying SCP and what would be spoken in conversation as a sort of slang. It can also be written/spoken as “Skip/s”.

THE ORGANISATIONS

From here, you have the actual Foundation (full name being The Special Containment Procedures Foundation). This is the main organisation story-wise but not the only one.

There’s the GOC (Global Occult Coalition ran by the UN), the Serpant’s Hand, The Chaos Insurgency and many more! All of these are called GOIs, Groups Of Interest. Sometimes they aren’t even groups and are singular people (in the case of “Nobody” in specific canons). Personally, I’m a big fan of AWCY? (“Are We Cool Yet?”) because they make anomalies as a form of art.

The way to learn more about any GOI is to look at their hubpage on the wiki, look through their tag on the wiki, or if you don’t like reading you can listen to readings of the articles on youtube.

Side note, The Volgun is a pretty big name for scp audio adaptions, go check em out!

The two main organisations in my opinion is The Foundation and the GOC which are foils to each other. The Foundation contains and studies while the GOC locates and destroys. However, they’re not exactly enemies to each other 100% of the time. They’ve even worked with each other in the past!

Again, don’t memorise and study all of these GOIs, just pick and choose what interests you!

THE PERSONNEL

Oh boy, here we go.

The SCP Universe consists of many characters, I’ll be mainly focusing on those part of The Foundation.

We have Doctors, Researchers, Guards, MTFs and D-Class as our usual roles people tend to fill with the O5 Council, Ethics Committee and Administrator controlling all of it.

I’ll say this first before delving any deeper, many of the doctors are beloved characters and tend to be avatars of the real life authors behind SCPs. Note that Dr.Bright specifically is shrouded in a lot of controversy. The short of it is his Author liked kids a little too much and projected a lot of negative traits onto Dr.Bright. He even used the character’s popularity to take advantage of other Wiki users. Thankfully he’s been banned. There are three ways people have dealt with this. Ignoring the character, rewriting the character (Dr.Elias Shaw being the “Official Rewrite”), or continuing to use Dr.Bright anyway. The most respectful thing to do is to ignore the character but a lot of people, myself included, are too attached. Do not shame Bright users or rewrites, we all just wanna have fun.

Moving on! The most popular of the personnel are the doctors, he’s a list of the most talked about going from most to less:

Dr.Elias Shaw

Dr.Alto Clef

Dr.Benjamin Kondraki

Dr.Glass

Dr.Gears

Dr.Talloran

Dr.Cimmerian

Dr.Iceberg

Dr.Sophia Light

Dr.Agatha Rights

Dr.Lament

Dr.Gerald

Dr.King

Dr.Scranton

Dr.Mann

Note: This is not a comprehensive list and there are endless amounts of these guys, I’m just picking the most well known. If I forgot your favourite doctor, sucks to suck ig

Like GOIs, You do not need to memorise all of them!!! Pick your favourites!

There’s also non-doctors who are pretty popular too like Agent Strelnikov and Agent Diogenes. There’s even some online series that make up their own characters that gain their own niche fame like Corey and several D-classes.

The MTFs like you asked all specialise in different fields, some are web crawlers that look through the internet in case of online based anomalies, some blend in with people on populated areas and look like your average joe, and some are the direct assistants to the Big Three (O5, Ethics, Admin). You can find their hub HERE.

MTFs get their spotlight in random SCP articles or Tales, you’ll probably find them even when you aren’t trying to. Tags on the Wiki are going to be your best friend though.

FANDOM

The way I see it? The fandom is split into 2 divisions with their own subsections. On-Site with SCP and Tale writers and Off-Site with Doctor-Orientated, SCP-Orientated and MTF-Orientated people.

On-Site - Official Writers and Readers themselves! There’s even a few artists who actually post on here. Active posters are all ages 18+ as that’s the minimum age to be allowed to post on the Wiki, but readers can be any age, however I highly discourage youngins from being on the Wiki for many reasons.

Off-Site - These tend to be the chronically online ones, including myself! You’ve got a range from normal adults to kids who watch content farms on youtube. My niche here are the lovely fan artists! We also tend to stay away from the Wiki because of certain stigmas. Some people even find the Wiki intimidating!

Doctor-Orientated - This is where I belong! DOs love everything about the human part of the Foundation. Learning about Doctors, their relationships with others and themselves, how working at the Foundation impacts their mental health, all of it!

SCP-Orientated - These people love the SCPs themselves and can either be un-official writers, artists or simps. I know what you are. I’ve seen what you’ve done to the plague doctor. (keep it up! do whatever makes you happy! :])

MTF-Orientated - The MTFs have their niche of Cosplayers and Roleplayers alike! People like to collect tactical gear and dress up as MTFs for conventions or for whatever reason. I’ll hazard a guess and say these guys are mostly male.

CONCLUSION

You don’t need to study everything and know every little thing about the universe, you just need to know what you want to know. If you wanna go all in on MTFs and memorise them like periodic table elements, go ahead! If you wanna make fanfics about the doctors, more power to ya! If you just wanna quietly read SCP articles and tales, that’s lovely!

It can be quite overwhelming joining the fandom for the first time, believe me, I have countless tabs bookmarked because of it, but that’s okay. Take your time, consume at your own pace. There’s so much content out there and it’s impossible to enjoy all of it even in the span of a year!

Tread carefully, my friend, and remember!

We die in the dark so you may live in the light. Secure, Contain, Protect.

Stay groovy.

-Yours Truly, Nameless

Can someone please explain the scp fandom to me? Like. I get the scps, but who are the scientists?

What sources do I need to read/watch to get content about the MTFs.

How does this work? 😭

[theoreticalconstruct]

WIP Wednesday, somehow on Wednesday

(New fandom, who dis)

Yakuza: Like a dragon. Technically two WIPs, one set slightly before the other. Both pre-OT4 (Kasuga/Adachi/Saeko/Nanba) and slightly angsty. Set during Chapters 8-9. Both need some heavy editing, as I want to make sure I'm not Americanizing them.

- Early chapter 9, in Survive, listening to the Barkeep's recording of Kiryu singing Baka Mitai.

When Nanba had sang the song… shit, they had all been cheering and clapping along, hadn't they? Hadn't even paid attention to what it was about. Ichiban knew it was an old song that had been popular in Kamurocho once, but he hadn't really known much about it. And he'd been way too drunk to realize just how sad the song was.

Now that he thought back to it… Nanba had turned away when it was done, had rebuffed his offer to buy him a drink for putting himself out there like that (and for having a hell of a voice, he remembered thinking that too.) He'd kept turning away, like he hadn't wanted anyone to see his face. Like he didn't want to ruin their fun by letting them know he'd been crying. Damn it… how hadn't he seen that he was hurting before?

"I knew the man who sang this."

"Huh?" Ichiban looked up, saw the Barkeep holding the CD case and quietly examining it. How'd he keep moving around so quietly anyway? "So is this the guy who first performed it, or wrote it, or what?"

He shook his head. "No - excuse me. I was unclear. I never knew the idol who first sang this song. But the singer on this CD… yes, I knew him well, once. He always had a fine voice, though his sense of rhythm was shaky for a long time."

"Really? Sounds to me like he's got it down."

"That was after a great deal of practice. A friend of his convinced him to record it, on something of a lark. It's obviously a very rare recording, one that I took great pains to lay my hands upon." The old man was smiling, some weird mix of sadness and happiness. This wasn't just a casual acquaintance, Ichiban knew that much. "But that was years ago."

"Mm." Adachi bowed his head. "I had a feeling he wasn't a pro."

"Not a professional singer, no. Perhaps that would've been a better life for him. But… this recording would not have been so soulful had he lived a peaceful life. Only men and women who've known suffering can sing this song the way he did."

Ichiban glanced back at the others, at Adachi staring down at the table and Saeko studying the Barkeep's face, and said what he knew they were both thinking. "Nanba… he sang it like that too."

---

2. - Sometime before the visit in Chapter 8. I made Nanba a Musician early on, and I had the idea of a bunch of Omi Alliance soldiers asking him to play them a song because they're bored.

Nanba had expected the others to mock him for clinging to that battered acoustic guitar. He didn't know much about the Yakuza outside of terrible old movies and the few tidbits that he'd gathered from Ichiban, but he hadn't thought that buskers and street musicians were exactly their favorite people.

He'd been surprised when a few of them had asked him to play. "C'mon," one of the more vocal of them had said, "just give us a couple songs, won't you? I'm goin' nuts in this boring old office!"

"I'm not very good," he'd said at first, looking away. "I only know a few songs." This was true. He'd had a few lessons in his childhood that he'd thought he'd forgotten, and he'd only just started picking it up again. He'd taken a part-time gig to entertain a bunch of drunk businessmen, so he hadn't exactly had to be great at it. It had been while they were all scrambling to get their feet under them, after their last boss's murder.

A murder ordered by these people, he reminded himself, remembering what Mabuchi had been all too eager to tell him once they were on the same side. But he had to let that be, right? For his brother's sake. Someone had to fight for him, and the only other people he'd met just… weren't strong enough, he told himself. They didn't have enough power at their back, and Nanba wasn't the sort of guy who could stand against the world alone.

"Hey, you can't be worse than those guys who play by the restaurants!" someone else said, accompanied by a few laughs here and there.

"Don't be so fuckin' pushy, assholes!" one of the big ones said, the one with the scar. "Man's a guest of Bleach Japan, just like th' rest of us. Our sponsor ain't gonna be too happy if we run 'm off, yeah?"

Nanba blinked in surprise, hoping the scary man didn't see. "I can… try playing a couple songs," he said, somehow emboldened by someone else in the room telling him that this wasn't an order or a demand he had to fill. "Learned them mostly by ear, but I think I do okay."

"That's th' spirit!" one of the roughs who'd spoken earlier shouted, and a few of them actually cheered. Yeah, this definitely wasn't what he'd expected.

He took a deep breath and picked up the guitar, strumming briefly, fiddling with the keys. Damn thing got out of tune so easily. He needed to warm up.

He strummed a few notes, then a couple of chords, picking out a familiar song… the one he always found himself thinking about, that he'd heard so many times in his life. Finding out the Barkeep had a recording of it and a karaoke track for it had been a shock; he hadn't heard it for a long time, not since that one bar in Osaka he'd visited with his brother years ago. He hadn't been able to resist singing it again, even if it had made him cry. Just like he'd thought it would….

His mother had loved the song. She'd nearly worn out their tape player, their father had joked, she'd played it so much. He didn't remember the name of the woman singing it anymore, just his mother's rendition as she did her work. She'd kept singing it after their father had left, shortly after his brother was born, but it had always sounded rougher, sadder… more real. He'd hated his father for doing that to her - no, to all of them, especially his little brother. It would be years before he wondered why his father had just left and not tried to contact them, but by then the damage had been done.

He remembered his brother singing it at that bar, the night after his wife had left him. She'd said she was tired of being lonely even when they were in the same room, that she couldn't be second to his work anymore. He knew his brother had understood, and yet… damn, he'd sounded tired that night. Not tired enough to give it all up for her, though - that was the thing about the men in their family, his mother had said, they could be so stubborn. It was the first time that Nanba had realized that maybe his father hadn't been a complete asshole for leaving his mother, that he might've had his own side to the story… and he remembered how much he hated thinking that.

Then his brother had vanished, and going to bars to sing had been the last thing on his mind. He wouldn't even have considered it, if Ichiban hadn't kept at him. C'mon, he'd said, you've heard the rest of us sing. What's th' harm in giving it a try? I mean, you heard how bad I am at it, you can't be any worse! And Nanba, who'd always been weak to peer pressure, who'd chosen an entire damn career because he'd thought he'd be admired for it and hadn't taken the time to realize just how hard it was going to be… he'd caved in, of course, and they'd all cheered him on, and he'd turned away before they could see that he was -

Someone cleared their throat, and Nanba remembered with a start that he wasn't exactly in a safe place. He looked up, hoping that there weren't any tears visible behind his glasses, and forced a laugh. "Ok - that's enough warming up. I'm guessing you guys want something more upbeat, so… let's try this one!"

That got him a few more shouts of agreement, although he did notice that a couple of them were giving him really odd looks - or maybe they just looked odd on faces like theirs. Especially that Omi officer… he hadn't expected to see anything close to sympathy from a guy who looked like he could beat him to death with his bare fists. Or maybe it was pity - yeah, that made more sense.

He cleared his throat and started strumming again, more energetically - a song he'd learned from the Barkeep's CD collection, the one about fairy-tale princesses. He could see from a few of the older men's faces that they recognized it immediately. It didn't take long before the entire room was clapping along.