#but i have more ideas for the gang's adventures

[ozoraslegend]

About "light" and "darkness" in Digimon

If you are a member of Digimon fandom long enough, you will know a fact: there're lots of fic crossover between 02 and Frontier.

This is not weird or surprising. First, 02 and Frontier are both in the Seki quartet, the first four seasons of Digimon franchise. And going against common negative opinions of a part of fandom about these two seasons, 02 and Frontier do get quite a good love from many fans. They also do have many uncovered, contradicting, or just curious-inspired parts, so fanfics are just being numerous!

And interestingly: 02 and Frontier both get quite same treating from fandom because they are somewhat similar outsidely. The characters are "flat" and " bad stereotype". the plot is "messed up", and the two seasons "don't have deep messages". Of course, these are false ideas, but 02 and Frontier have a specific between-line writing that is difficult to understand and sympathize. I really don't blame the fans to misread!

02 and Frontier has characters both known for particularly tight group dynamics compared to others, and both groups are known to be somewhat "chaotic" (and, affectionately, “very stupid”). With 02, that is from lack of planning or being too airheaded. The Frontier gangs, on the other hand, can and will cause trouble and will be very proud of it. And somehow escape it perfectly, of course.

So? Basically, "Takeru would hate Kouichi because of him being the Warrior of Darkness. 02 group would be wary about Kouichi (and Frontier gangs because of that as well (especially Hikari too)." is a (in)famous trope in crossover between 02 and Frontier. Let's debunk it.

First, this is out of character of Takeru. People tends to forget that Takeru is a polite, respectful and carefree person. If someone tells him "Hey, there's a Warrior of Darkness!", well... He won't react so boldful. He is actually very infamous for keeping his emotions inside, so unless he saw something really pissed him off, I don't think he will act too angrious. Takeru never blew up at anyone without some kind of good reason; it’s just that the level of his intensity was unnerving.

Takeru will pretend he has it together and has everything under control. He won't show any of his negative feeling, instead, he would investigate and find out the truth himself... while dodging questions and his own emotions. He simply handles everything with a “yeah, okay, sure! :)” attitude. Except when really needed, Takeru... rarely do things that are easily to do to solve problem, but passively deal with them when they run to his face. So if he completely snapped at Kouichi for no reason besides him being darkness-associated, that’d be really out of character.

And beside, Takeru is a quite social and generally nice individual, who treat other kindly! I don't really get how others can misread his personality in another way. Let's move to the next point.

Second, Takeru doesn't hate darkness, or have a black-and-white-morality. The thing is that Takeru himself says that he's not going to inherently hate anything darkness-related on sight (in 02 episode 34):

Takeru is pretty clear about what exactly he hates earlier in that episode:

Trying to change the world with that power...Trying to conquer the world...It's unforgivable!

Basically, he hates people who try to toy with darkness to play God, “create sad lives” like BlackWarGreymon with it, and do things that resemble Devimon in Adventure (like “dabbling” in the powers of darkness much like the Kaiser would later).

But in regards to darkness itself, you can find a proof three episodes later that Takeru is pretty understanding of the topic (02 episode 37):

...so he’d probably treat the twins with a lot of respect.

So while Takeru would probably hate Duskmon if he didn’t know more about what was going on behind him, that's obvious, if he actually learns about Kouichi’s situation and background, not only would he be very likely to sympathize with Kouichi and advocate on his behalf, he’d also probably fly into a murderous rage at Cherubimon for exploiting the powers of darkness to make Kouichi suffer! And because that kind of topic really pisses him off, he might even get more pissed off than Kouichi himself is about it.

Actually, these kinds of tropes just throw all character development of Takeru and turn him into a flat character. Takeru also would become a writer, and you can't think that he just skipped all nice characters with darkness-themes.

And mentioned that, Ken and Kouichi are usually being simplified to be just as the same as each other. Although they have many similar features, like "thoughtful, perceptive, very in touch with feelings, VERY assertive, resilient, strong in heart, and kind out of choice even when doesn’t have to be", but they are different individuals. In a language level, Kouichi uses the "ore" assertive pronoun while Ken uses the "boku" more gentle one.

In conclusion! Takeru would be the one to clarify with the Frontier gangs to make sure that Kouichi isn't dabbling in the powers of darkness for the others' sake. And then he'd become the most vicious protector of the twins. And the rest of the Adventurers would just follow his lead since Takeru and Hikari with their sensitivity to the balance of the world.

[oddinarydellequent]

(Ch. 3) Of Thieves and Plunder (pt. 2)

Black Clover OCs x Canon/AU FanFic

"Attention!"

Three people scramble out of their beds and attempt a salute. Captain Charlotte Roselei walks in and nods at the three standing, but glares at the one still sitting on her bed.

"When the Captain stands, nobody sits, Heidi."

Geniva sluggishly stands up. The captain lets the lack of a salute pass for now.

"Good to see you all recovered quickly. You have some catching up to do.

Members of the Sion family has requested the Blue Rose to deal with a new dungeon that emerged yesterday.

Though our sources from the Magic Investigation Department have noted that there have not been a surge in mana in the location recently, the family insists as it has blocked one of their main trade routes.

You'll be guided by one of our Intermediate Magic Knights, Serene Urania."

A lithe young woman in her early 20s comes up by the captain's side, dark blue hair cropped short in a bob framing an angular face and steely brown eyes.

With a deep voice, she says, "I want you dressed and ready in 30 minutes. Meet me at the courtyard and I will brief you on the mission on the way to the location."

"Move. Now."

They thankfully managed a salute before the girls dashed outside the infirmary.

Ethelrid can barely remember where her room was supposed to be after having only spent one night in there.

With a bit of luck, she finds it and pulls off her clothes and just as quickly puts her uniform on, taking great care to adjust her robe, making sure to pin the rose button in place.

She faces her back to the mirror to see the Blue Rose insignia.

It could be a trick of the light, but the symbol shimmers under the sun rays from the open curtains, and Ethelrid can't help but beam with pride.

Either because of excitement or anxiety, Ethelrid's heart races nevertheless.

Running down the halls has her stomach jostling the newly eaten breakfast the kind nurse gave them, but Ethelrid was not about to be late to her first mission.

Ethelrid spots her senior and throws a proper salute.

"Ah, no need for that. With me, at least. Reserve that for the captain," she says with a warm smile.

Ethelrid could barely reply with her mind buffering. Her senior's temperament at the moment was a far cry from when they were in the infirmary.

"Aw dammit! You beat me to it Ethy!" Amore whines as she jogs with a bag of hashbrowns. Nina jogs along with her.

Amore wordlessly offers Ethelrid some of her hashbrowns and Ethelrid took three, much to Amore's annoyance.

"Where's your other friend?" Serene asks.

"Oh I think she'll take a while. Been moody since she woke up." Amore says between munches of her crispy hashbrowns.

"I'll go get her," Ethelrid wastes no time briskly walking to Geniva's room.

Ethelrid knocks and is met with a "Go away!"

"C'mon Geniva, we're already running late!"

"Didn't you hear me? I said go away!"

Ethelrid would have gone with some gentle parenting - if she knew how.

Instead, she casts her Stygian Form and she disintegrates into dark sand, weaving her way under the door and goes back to her original form to a screaming Geniva.

"Ew! Get out! What if I was changing?"

Ethelrid flushes. She clearly didn't think about that, but after a quick look Geniva was thankfully decent. In fact, she hasn't changed at all.

"You're coming with, whether you like it or not."

"I'm not."

"Then why the hell did you become a Magic Knight for?"

"None of your damn business. I'm not going."

Ethelrid's vein on her forehead is becoming more prominent. What is she going to do with this petulant child?

"You know, Geniva," Ethelrid starts. "That's exactly what a bitch would say."

Ethelrid could barely turn into her stygian form before she was attacked with a strong gust of wind that hit her body against the door, busting it open.

"I should have expected that…" Ethelrid sighs as she lays on the ground. She sits up to see Geniva preparing a spear of wind primed for throwing.

"What? Are you just going to sit there and take it?" Geniva laughs. "Who's the bitch now?"

"I don't want to fight you."

"I do."

"Please just join us in the courtyard. You're making a scene." Ethelrid looks to the onlookers loitering to see the drama, but a glare from Ethelrid seems to shoo the others away.

"Sounds like what a bitch would say."

"That actually doesn't work on me as it does on you."

Geniva ignores formulating a clever reply in lieu of jamming her spear up Ethelrid's a-

Geniva and Ethelrid's vision contorts and they suddenly hold their breath as they are enveloped in a prison of water. Geniva still swims to go choke the air out of Ethelrid and bubbles do leave Ethelrid's mouth in protest.

"Are you two about done being children?" Serene disappointingly looks to the two currently wrestling in the water.

Ethelrid frantically nods, but Geniva could not give a damn.

The water prison splits the two in separate spheres and Serene releases Ethelrid immediately. Ethelrid flops to the ground, coughs out water and gasps for air.

Ironically, Geniva is struggling for oxygen from moving too much. She stubbornly fights against the water confines until she casts a desperate look at Serene.

Serene releases her immediately, leaving Geniva sopping and coughing.

"I know you're still children, but much is expected of you now that you're Magic Knights.

After all that combat in the examination and you think fighting is all there is to being a Magic Knight?

We are responsible for the well-being of the Clover Kingdom's citizens, not only through protecting them from threats but also through lending our services for upholding their quality of life.

You think you'd do any good berating and choking your teammate? Do you have no shame in front of your fellow squad members and seniors?

And you both came so highly recommended. I'm disappointed."

Serene's grimoire leaves her holster and its pages turn and glows as she casts:

Water Magic: Verdict of Libra

A sigil circle of a scale appears on Geniva's and Ethelrid's form and suddenly pain and heaviness blooms in their chest along with shortness of breath.

"Use any magic, and it will only get worse. Fluid will build up in your heart if you do. You don't want that, do you?"

There is a calm darkness around Serene, holding such unsuspecting power that dares one to underestimate her. Ethelrid dares not try to even tap a single mana in her body. She knows that Serene is not exaggerating.

"You will obey my every command. I will only lift the spell when necessary. Until then, I expect exemplary behavior. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," the two replies. Ethelrid looks to Geniva to see fear in her eyes. Ethelrid imagines her own eyes are sporting the same emotion.

They both wordlessly follow Serene to the others. Amore teasingly says, "Ooooh" before Nina slaps her on the back.

They all ride on their brooms, Amore even raising a leg to plant one of her feet on the handle casually.

Thankfully, it seems that using mana to ride on their brooms doesn't worsen the heaviness on Ethelrid's and Geniva's chest.

Ethelrid looks down at the growing distance between her and the ground and she swallows audibly but with difficulty as her chest aches.

A glyph surfaces in front of Serene and water collects around the symbol as she casts:

Compass of Sagittarius

A compass of water emerges and Serene directs the team West.

"The mission is fairly straightforward. The Sion family is requesting to investigate a newly immerged dungeon that has blocked their vital trade route to the Heart Kingdom.

Often a concentration of mana forms the dungeon and said concentration of mana often come in the form of a magical artifact.

So we go in, take the artifact and the dungeon will no longer obstruct the trade route."

"I beg your pardon, Miss Urania, but don't new dungeons often spike in mana?" Nina pipes up.

"Captain Charlotte said that there were no spikes of mana detected according to the Magic Investigation Department. Are we really dealing with a dungeon here?"

"We shall see for ourselves," Serene replies.

Nina's troubled expression does not leave her face and Serene noticed.

"Is there something wrong, Nina?"

"I just… don't feel comfortable taking a magical artifact from a dungeon. It feels like stealing! I believe artifacts must be kept untouched.

Imagine the discoveries that would be made after careful study that wouldn't be possible if the artifact was just sold for a heavy price."

"Don't worry," Serene reassures. "All artifacts are collected and stored by the Magical Studies Department. All artifacts end up in their good hands."

"There's a Magical Studies Department?" Nina's expression seems to brighten.

"Oh yes. They even have exhibits, if you like to visit sometime."

Nina eyes widen and turn to the others.

"Of course we'll go with you, Nina." Ethelrid says.

"Who could say no to that face?" Amore goes to squish Nina's cheeks.

"Boring." Geniva rolls her eyes.

"I'd say with your enthusiasm you would certainly be welcomed by the Magical Studies Department, Nina," Serene says.

"Oh… oh I don't think I'll be accepted, but thank you," Nina says, dejected.

"I'll vouch for you. If you truly want to go in," Serene encourages.

Amore has been pouting the whole time before she pipes up, "You're not leaving m- us for the MSD, are you?"

"Oh no, no dear! I think I'm happy being where I am right now. I barely even started becoming a Magic Knight. It'd be a waste to back out now," Nina reassures, "Plus-" she pauses.

"Who else would be stealing hashbrowns for you for breakfast?"

"Damn right!"

"Alright, settle down, we're here," Serene goes to descend to what seems like an opening of a cave, and from a distance flashes of purple stand out among the greenery.

"The Purple Orcas?" Three of them, Ethelrid observed. Not anyone she knows, though she barely even knows the rest of the Blue Rose.

They seem to be too distracted talking among themselves to notice the team descending until Serene called out, "Hello!"

They startle, surprised at their presence.

"Ah, the Blue Rose," a woman of tall and lanky stature replies. Her purple robe feels almost too small for her size.

"We were not expecting… company."

"Neither did we. Perhaps this can work to our advantage. Strength in numbers and all that," Serene replies.

"Oh, there's no need," a short and stout man replies this time. "We've done a preliminary survey, it doesn't seem all that dangerous.

Still, we would not like to risk civilians entering the dungeon attempting to take the treasure themselves."

"This looks like a dungeon to you?" Geniva says mockingly. "I bet I can go in and out of there alone."

"I would advise against it, young one," the man replies. "Perhaps leave the dirty work to us experienced Knights."

"What would you have us do then?" Ethelrid impatiently asks.

Seriously? Can't even enter a dungeon on our first day?

"You can help us wrangle the troublemaking locals from impeding our work. Yes, that'll do."

"I insist we go with you. Like Miss Urania said, there is strength in numbers," Ethelrid firmly states.

"Oh, dear," The woman steps into Ethelrid's personal space to look down on her with a wide, eery smile. "You would not last even a single minute down there."

"Now be a good girl and stay here," She goes to pat Ethelrid on the head. Ethelrid can only glare.

"Off we go, then," The man chimes in, "With any luck, this dungeon will be gone by tonight."

They enter the cave and disappear into the darkness, their third companion silently following behind them, but not without a long, cold look at the team through his scarred face.

Geniva goes to pat Ethelrid on the head, "Good girl." She says, exaggerating with a high-pitched voice.

Ethelrid slaps Geniva's hand away.

"Well this sucks," Amore moans. "I was really looking forward to dungeon crawling."

"I'm sorry to disappoint, kids. But we are obligated to protect the locals from entering the dungeon. Like I said, fighting is not all we do as Magic Knights."

She summons her compass again, and this time the needle turns incessantly, Serene closing her eyes until the needle stops and points southeast.

"This way," she leads the team through the wilderness.

"Excuse me, Miss Urania," Ethelrid starts.

"Yes, Ethelrid?"

"Captain Charlotte told us that we were supposed to investigate the dungeon. Even with the Purple Orcas around I believe we are still meant to join them in their survey."

Serene sighs. "I get it. You're antsy. You were anticipating to experience what going through a dungeon is like.

Don't get me wrong, I think you all are incredible fighters. But I believe a Magic Knight's first priority must always be the people. And that's what your first mission is going to be - protecting the people."

Geniva huffs, "Didn't think I would be a servant when I went to join the Magic Knights."

"Get used to it, Geniva," Serene says. "You'll be doing that a lot from now on."

Sounds of civilization reaches the team's ears, a vendor yelling out his produce here, groans of working animals there. But among the ruckus, a fight between two men just by the trees stand out to them.

"I don't give a damn! I'm going in, they have no right-"

"And you'll be fighting against all three of them!"

"I can take them."

"No, you absolutely cannot."

"Are you just going to let that slide? Let them take what they think is theirs?"

"We can ask help from other Magic Knights-"

"What makes you think the rest of them are any different?"

The older man then notices the forms of blue behind them, and their conversation dies down.

"Is there something wrong, gentleman?" Serene asks.

"Nothing that concerns you, miss," The old man replies.

"Any Magic Knights business is our business, sir."

The younger man spats, "How about minding your own damn bus-"

"Nothing that you should worry about, miss." Though his tone was not unkindly, his expression remains firm, suspicious even.

"If you're thinking of going in the dungeon, then I suggest you don't. It's dangerous, so leave it to us."

"Of course, miss."

"Let us know if you need anything else." Serene tries for a smile, but neither of them smile back.

She sighs and leads the team to the town square, market stalls lining the streets, a cacophony of bartering and music by the bards performing by the crown jewel of the square, an ornate fountain with three tiers of statues of maidens pouring glistening water on the basin.

Amore sees people taking a sip from the fountain itself and curious, goes to scoop up water with her hands bring it to her mouth to drink.

The sweetness hits and it startles her, and she laughs as she takes another scoop but a small hand smacks her hands away.

"Hey! Magic Knights not allowed!" A kid points an accusing finger.

"Why not?" Amore replies, indignant.

"You suck!" The kid sticks her tongue out and runs off.

Eyes begin to turn at the direction of the pops of blue, eyeing the team's robes and its insignia with suspicion and by some, even resentment.

"I don't think we're welcome here." Ethelrid states.

"You think?" Geniva throws a glare back at some of them.

"Hey." A young woman approaches them, apron dusted in flour and runny raw eggs.

"If you got any business here, I suggest you take it up with the mayor. Otherwise, leave."

"We're not here to cause trouble. We just wanted to protect you all from going into the dungeon," Serene tries for a calm aura, but this only infuriates the young woman.

"We have every damn right to go to what you call 'dungeon' because its ours!" She storms off without saying another word.

"Tch," The breeze picks up as Geniva reaches for her grimoire but Ethelrid grabs her arm and pushes her grimoire back to its holster.

Ethelrid pauses on that statement. Normally, locals would not lay claim to a dungeon, not that they do especially of one that supposedly just popped out of existence between yesterday and today.

She would go approach the young woman who stormed off, but the countless glares discourage her.

"Miss Urania," Ethelrid turns to her senior. "I think it's time we leave for the mayor's office."

"Agreed."

Off to the mayor's office they go, but Serene spots a head of blue hair out of the crowd, and goes to approach them.

"Lord Sion!" Serene calls out.

The man startles and genuine surprise was his expression especially when his eyes found their blue robes.

"O-oh! The Blue Rose! What a surprise!" He stutters.

"Surprised? You asked us to come here."

"Did I? Oh, my apologies, must've slipped my mind."

His eyes shift uneasily, seeming to gather his words before he says, "Well, off to your duties now! I have a business meeting to attend to!"

He briskly walks away.

The girls turn to their senior in their confusion and Serene looks back just as confused.

"Let's head to the mayor's office for now. He'll know what we have to do."

The mayor's office is not far from the town square and as they enter the cool breeze from outside still greets them through the large open windows of the office.

Sitting in the middle of the office is the mayor himself, Oscar Sinow, as written on the plaque by his desk.

He does not seem pleased to see them but he stands out of politeness to greet them.

"Welcome to Ampora village. We have not been graced by the presence of the Blue Rose Knights before."

"We hope you will find your first time with the Blue Rose helpful, sir." Serene tries for a smile.

"I doubt that." Suddenly the mood became tense.

"What is it this time, oh Magic Knights? A survey? A perimeter? More punishments for trespassing on our own grounds?"

"Pardon?"

"Oh, going for the innocent strategy this time, are you?"

"I'm sorry, sir," Nina interjects. "But we don't know what you're talking about."

Oscar pauses and seems to be studying each one of the team.

"You're all quite young. Still so idealistic.

Hmph. You truly don't know what's going on, do you?"

"No, we don't, sir," Ethelrid replies.

He sighs heavily, and motions them to sit on the seats by the table.

"For years, the outsiders, the Sion family, took control of this village along with many others.

With their monopoly on selling goods with prices so low other merchants can't possibly keep up, they are forced to sell what little land and property they have left to the family themselves.

And the family turns those properties into mansions and most importantly - trading routes.

But of course, it wasn't enough for them, to the point that they began to covet our cultural heritage - a shrine dedicated to the first spring of this land. The spring that blessed us with clean, sweet water.

With only the treasure in our shrine in mind, they desecrate our sacred halls as if it's a simple market.

We could never sell those treasures even if we were starving, and here comes the Sion family taking them all as they please."

Nina's face was contorted in disgust and no small amount of rage. Ethelrid goes to place a hand on her shoulder.

"We of course protested against the Sion family, until they started hiring those purple bedecked excuses of a Magic Knight.

They hinder us from entering in our own shrine, saying its under the Magic Knights jurisdiction along with the artifact in it, and I said, 'Sir! There is no artifact, we all know too well, because it is our shrine! You have no jurisdiction here!'

And yet they still won't let us in. They even had the nerve to say they will be forced to use violence if we persist.

Persisted we did. And met with violence we were.

Even our strongest magic users were no match to the Magic Knights. So here we are, twiddling our thumbs helplessly as the fate of our own shrine is in the hands of outsiders."

Ethelrid suddenly stands up, recalling what the man said before they disappeared into the cave.

With any luck, this dungeon will be gone by tonight.

"We need to go before they destroy the shrine," Ethelrid urges.

-end of pt. 2-

pt. 1 / pt. 3

Ch. 1 / Ch. 2

[wizardnuke]

there's a ffic in my head. oouuuag. its Cookin

[goldensunset]

rika jumpscare

[bluejulius]

Howdy Train Your Dragon??

HEAVILY INSPIRED from @tragisbawls western AU and also I believe that one “Howdy Train Your Dragon” post by @wardenofdragons

please let me know if I’ve made any mistakes in crediting but these guy’s posts were my main inspiration fr

enjoy some WIPs, currently I’m making them for reference so I can draw the gang doing some scenes

might have gone a bit insane over the festive season and fallen head first into this western AU. basically everything is the same but instead of Vikings it’s cowboys! I’m gonna colour these all and want to do more art/drawings of this too bc it has been occupying my thoughts lol

more info 👇

- set in a fictional Old West, similar to how the canon treats Viking lore and accuracy, assume this is the same 😂

- in this AU, Hiccup loses his leg before he meets Toothless in some sort of stampede/horse-related accident, which makes Stoic, the cheif of the town, more protective of him/not want him to go near them

- Hiccup finds Toothless as a wild mustang, trapped in a gorge. Hijinx ensue, Hiccup saves him, and they bond.

-Hiccup and Fishlegs live in the same town. Astrid, Lout, Ruff and Tuff are part of a group of travelling cowboys from out of town or somethin lol. Something happens and Legs and Hic have to travel with them for a bit. Haven’t worked everything out yet but if people have ideas feel free to let me know!

- Ruff and Tuff are in charge of the supplies wagon and they often confuse Barf & Belch with their arguing. The poor horses go in different directions or one of them might stop while the other keeps going 😭

- Meatlug is usually seen pulling a little wagon with extra supplies/Fishlegs rides in the wagon sometimes when they go on adventures so she ends up being the slowest in the group, similar to how she is the slowest of the gang’s dragons

- Hookfang is an Arabian horse and he has a really firey temper and has a similar relationship to Snotlout as in the canon. Snotlout made Hookfang rear up on his hind legs once, but Snotlout fell off and Hookfang left him in the dust 💀

- Astrid is the leader of the cowboys. Stormfly has little braids in her mane as that’s Astrid’s way of showing affection.

(alsomyaskboxisopenifanyonewantstodiscusthisauI AM HAPPY TO YAP-)

[grzybobranie-zaniechanie]

Batman crack fic idea Janet Drake used to date Lady Shiva when she was in college, they break up when Janet marries Jack for social and money reasons.

Tim is born. When he's old enough the Drakes fuck off to do archeology and Janet hires a bunch of increasingly bizarre people who "owed her a favour ". There's a disgraced Russian ballerino, a mad chemist, the worlds best loclpicker, John Constantine, a black and white noire detective, some Welsh guy she found in the woods. Tim learns from all of them. Janet doesn't believe in public schools, so all of this is "homeschooling".

Flash forward, Tim is 11 Jack Drake dies on a dig in Australia, because a bird dropped a coconut on his head. Suddenly Tim has a new stepmum. Lady Shiva's nice, weirdly intense, but nothing he hasn't seen before. Janet takes over complete control of Drake industries, expands her business empire and destroyes her enemies with extreme prejudice. She teaches Tim all she knows about business. Shiva teaches him how to fight. Tim is happy he now has two mums who love and pay attention to him.

Stuff happens (I haven't figured out what yet) they find Cass and Tim gets a sister. Now, because this is DC and the children canonically yern for the streets (im thinking they're like 13 & 16 at this point), Cass and Tim become a new vigilante duo (I'm thinking Crows, one of tims nannies was an animal handler and he befriended all the crows in Gotham, they follow him around) and have perfected non verbal communication and creep out everybody with horror movie twin behaviour.

While sneaking around Gotham, they meet Steph, and she takes one look at them and decides that she likes Cass and that Tim needs to be bullied relentlessly. She is, of course, correct.

Meanwhile, Bruce is not having a good time, Jason is dead, and WE has competition for the first time in his life. He'd like to spiral into a pit of despair and find out who the new vigilantes are (and why are there so many birds?), but if he does that, Lucius will kill him or, worse, quit his job. So, instead, he and Dick are sent to therapy.

Jason comes back fully expecting to have to do a whole production out of this situation, takes one look at Bruce being forced to sit in a meeting with Janet and decides that he's fine actually, and why the fuck is Lady Shiva just hanging out at this gala with two kids hanging onto her?

By the time Damian is dropped off, everyone except for Bruce knows who the Crows are, Cass and Tim come over to hang out all the time. Damian is confused as to why The One Wo Sees All is in his father's house and how her brother manages to somehow be scarier than her. Damian does not like to be confused, so he still tries to kill Tim. This devolves into a roadrunner situation where Tim pulls out increasingly niche skills to get out of Damians traps. Later, this becomes enrichment for both of them.

When Tim is 15 and Cass 18, their mums decide they're old enough to be fine living with Bruce while they go off on their own adventures. Dick brings the Crows over to meet the Titans. He's told them about his cute baby siblings (Bruce is not the only one with an adoption problem). These children are not cute. They invoke fight or flight responses. Kon has one conversation with Tim, gets info dumped on, and falls in love immediately. He's finally found someone with an equal, if not greater, amount of weird, eclectic knowledge. Young Justice adventures are somehow even more bizarre than yj98. They are having the times of their lives.

Since Tim was never robin, Duke never started the We are Robin gang. But the Crows do have a cult, and he might be in it. His parents still get jokerised, and he starts living in Wayne manor proceeds to fit right in with the insanity (Bruce has given up on trying to control any of it).

The Justice League dreads whenever they have to meet with any of the younger Gotham vigilantes. Somehow, Jason ended up as the most almost well-adjusted one. He doesn't know how that happened either.

[gorgeys]

uptown girl ★ jackie taylor x 90sbaddie!fem!reader

the uptown girl has her eye on you, the backstreet boy girl

word count: 3200 warnings: smoking, jackie and reader being cute asf a/n: here's the shitty mood board i made for the 90sbaddie!fem!reader to give you an idea of what i was picturing. i love this pairing sm so expect more blurbs/fics! also lmk if you have any thoughts about them bc i'm foaming at the mouth (to the anon that sent one in my inbox: i love you sm i'm gonna write a lil blurb abt that soon!)

jackie taylor, jeff sadecki, and their cult of friends were characters stolen from a cheesy high school movie.  the clean cut jocks gelled their hair back and drove shiny red cars, while the girls dawned designer outfits and flashed million dollar smiles.  as the children of wiskayok's elite, the luxuries of life were handed to them on a silver platter.  one of those luxuries was the pre-signed checks they used to buy all the liquor and beer kegs imaginable for a bonfire party like this one.

while they gathered on one side of the wooded space, their rich laughter rising in the warm air, their antithesis huddled together on the other side.

that was you and your friends of course.  sitting on the hood of your friend's ford mustang—the car he said he found and totally didn't hotwire—anyone could see why.  with beat-up leather jackets instead of lettermans and breath that constantly smelled of smoke, you and your friends were the furthest from wiskayok's polished royalty.

your group's reputation for ditching school and stealing from liquor stores made you the "wrong crowd" that parents warned their children about.  some even went as far to call you guys a "gang," but that was mostly the classism talking.

it was obvious that none of you were drowning in the same cash that the taylors and sadeckis of the world were.  in fact, those families would have preferred it if you and your friends didn't live in such close proximity to them and their perfect children.

not that any of it mattered to you.  you only lived for a good time.

you sat beside two of your girl friends on the trunk of the car, legs dangling as you passed a cigarette between the three of you.  more of your friends stood around, sipping on beers and telling loud jokes while ignoring the sideways glances and upturned faces of those around you.

your best friend nudges your shoulder and brings the cigarette between her fingers to your lips.

"don't look now, but jackie taylor keeps looking over here," she says eyes flitting behind your head to where you had spotted jackie earlier, tangled in jeff's arms.  "what did you do this time?"

you never would have mingled with jackie taylor if it wasn't for soccer.  the two of you had been on the team since you were freshmen, and you'd somewhat become friends despite your differences as jackie taylor was never one to care for stereotypes. though, as the team captain, she wasn't afraid of getting on your case when you showed up to practice with cigarette between your teeth or when she heard of your latest adventures through the grapevine.

"y/n, you have to stay focused on nationals," she'd scold you in the locker room, only evoking an eye roll out of you.  it was hard to take that stern look on her face seriously when it was so darn cute.

"yeah, yeah, whatever," you'd say, her eyes lingering on you as you brushed past her and walked away.

you shared those stories with your friends, so your best friend could only assume you'd done something new to upset her.  what you hadn't told them was that you and jackie had started spending time together outside of soccer.

it was unusual when she approached you after practice, asking if you wanted to see a new movie with her, since your friendship had been strictly limited to soccer and school.  but you had already been looking forward to seeing that movie, why not with jackie?

it turned out that you enjoyed hanging out with jackie more than you thought you would.  her light was infectious and your cheeks hurt from smiling by the end of the night.  you were surprisingly glad that you had blown off your friends for her.

since then, you'd hung out with her once at her house and another time at the retro diner you frequented.  you guys weren't best friends by any means, but you slowly found yourself growing more comfortable around jackie.

"i didn't do anything this time," you say, pulling the cigarette from your lips.  almost everyone gives you a suspicious look.  "i swear, guys!"

"then what's her deal?  she's been looking over at you all night," your friend says, stealing the cigarette back.

"for real?" you ask. you're aware of everyone's eyes on you, wondering what the hell jackie taylor wants with you.

your friend nods her head, cueing you to finally look over your left shoulder toward jackie.  you find her already looking back at you from a distance.

she's leaning against jeff's car, facing you with her arms crossed over her chest and a cup of something in her hand.  jeff and her other friends are in the middle of a conversation, but she seems removed from it.

when she catches your gaze, she picks her hand up and gives you a wave.  her effortless smile reaches her eyes, and you almost can't believe how happy she looks to see you.

you raise your hand in a casual wave and a weak smile, ignoring the strange feeling in your chest.  you quickly turn back toward your friends.

you're not sure if it's jackie's disarming smile or knowing she's been staring at you that makes your chest tighten.  or if it's the feeling of your friends' eyes watching you share a moment with her, little miss perfect, that makes you uncomfortable.

either way, it's something you don't want to think about.  it's not like you and jackie would ever be more than what you were right now.  you tried not to worry yourself with what could be, rather you chose to focus on what was.

but the looks your friends throw your way are hard to ignore.  one of the guys breaks the silence with a cat call whistle.

"so, jackie taylor, huh?" he asks, an irritating smirk tugging at his lips.  you look back at him with a deadpan expression.

"what about her?"

he just looks at you for a moment, wondering if you're being serious or not, before he decides that you are.

"are you kidding?  did you see her?" he asks, stunned by your blindness.

"what?" you ask with furrowed brows, still not catching on.

he doesn't answer, but shows you instead.  he puts on a stupid, exaggerated smile and waves enthusiastically in an overdramatic impersonation of jackie.  the excitement in his eyes mimics jackie's, and laughter echoes around you.

"come on, she did not look like that," you say, crossing your arms over your chest.

"oh yes she did," he says before taking a puff of his cigarette.  "she practically had heart eyes when you looked at her."

"no, jackie's just like that with everyone," you insist, though you're not sure how much you believe your own words.  you can't help but second-guess yourself: was she really that happy to see you?

"no, she is definitely not," one of the other guys says.

"see, i told you!

"yeah, girls only look at you like that when they want to hit."

you smack your friend's shoulder and shoot him a look, though he's more amused than hurt.  you're not too surprised by his instigating.

"honestly, i second that," your best friend says from beside you.  you nearly get whiplash from how fast you turn towards her, in disbelief that she would join in on this stupid joke.  "what?  she was kinda giving you a look."

"what look?" you ask too eagerly.

"like...the look," she says, a smile forming after she notices the awe on your face.  "what?  is it that crazy?"

"there's no way," you say, shaking your head.  you look around and suddenly realize the only person you can convince is yourself.  "oh my god, is everyone seeing this?"

the chorus of nods and agreement hits you like a ton of bricks.

"jesus," you say, running a hand through your hair.  "is that why she wanted to hang out?" you mumble, more so to yourself.

"hang out?" one of the girls suddenly exclaims, outraged by this revelation.  "you didn't tell us you guys were hanging out!"

"yeah, cause it wasn't that-"

"well, it's confirmed then," one of the guys says.  "jackie taylor wants you," he says in a teasing, sing-songy voice.

in a matter of seconds, it seems that everyone joins in to tease you into oblivion.

"don't know why she'd go for a backstreet fucker like you, though," your best friend says with a laugh, smacking the back of your head.

you try to laugh along, but you're still not convinced that jackie taylor wants you.  you're trying to put the pieces together in your head, but they're not fitting.

"yeah, she's your uptown girl!" one of the louder guys shouts.

not even a second later he's jumping to the middle of the group and breaking out into song.

"uptown girl!  she's been livin' in her uptown world!" he sings horribly.  he pulls up the collar of his leather jacket while dancing flamboyantly.  without missing a beat, another guy joins in, matching his energy.  "i bet she's never had a backstreet guy!  i bet her momma never told her why!"

you and your friends are left in stitches watching the scene.  you clutch your stomach in a belly laugh as nearly all of the group joins in singing, not caring if anyone else notices.

"i'm gonna try for an uptown girl!"

everyone in a fifty foot radius catches sight of your friends causing an unnecessary scene, most of them scoffing and shaking their heads at you.  but not jackie taylor, who finds you keeled over in laughter and smiles in her starry-eyed way.

you're so free, she thinks.  so happy and lively and unapologetic.  you're so you.  and you're so unbothered by others' opinions and detached from their expectations, a breath of fresh air from the world she lives in.  it's what drew her to you in the first place and what pushed her to this new level of adoration.

she wants what you have.  she wants you.

watching you laugh and joke so unashamedly with your friends, she imagines herself beside you.  she imagines being tucked into your side and leaning her head on your shoulder.  she imagines hearing your infectious laughter right in her ear.

instead she's stuck listening to jeff and his friends talk about the game for the tenth fucking time.  she forces a smile every once in a while, but you're consuming her thoughts.  especially when you look so damn good from across the bonfire.  she couldn't stop staring if she tried.

it gets to the point where she can't settle for watching anymore.  she feels too far away from you.  she needs you up close.  she needs to feel your eyes on her.  she needs to see that smile reserved only for her.

after your laughter has died down, jackie catches your eyes straying back over to her, and she strikes.

you notice her mouth something from across the bonfire.  you think you know what she's saying, but you need confirmation.

'what?' you mouth back, eyebrows knitting together.

jackie pushes herself off of jeff's car and takes a few confident steps toward you.

'come here,' she mouths again.  this time her two fingers making a clear come hither motion.

without another thought, you slide off the trunk of the car.  you don't even care what she wants from you; if she's telling you to come over there, you're going over there, no questions asked.  you snatch the cigarette from your friend's hand before you leave.

"hey!  i was-"  her eyes follow yours.  "oh."

everyone catches on and suddenly you're hearing cat calls and "oohs" from every direction. 

"go get 'em, tiger!" your best friend says, punctuating her words with a smack on your ass.

you bite your lip to hide your smile as you walk away from your obnoxious friends and towards jackie.

she fluffs up her bouncy curls with her hand as she walks toward you, a confident, vibrant smile fixed on her lips.  you think she looks the closest to perfect a human being could achieve, especially in that black dress with the pink floral print.  you remember seeing it in her closet when you were at her house last week.

"that dress is goregous, jackie.  you'd look so good in it," you said, leaning back on your elbows on her bed.  she turned away from you so you wouldn't see the blood rushing to her cheeks.

it seems like she took your words to heart.

"hey," she says when she meets you halfway, her smile growing impossibly larger.  it's contagious.

"hey," you say, leaning back and placing your free hand in your back pocket.  as you do, the hem of your skin-tight crop top rises.  jackie's eyes are instinctively attracted the growing sliver of skin between your top and the low waistband of your baggy jeans.

she swallows before her eyes rise back to your face.

"you look really pretty," she says.  "you always do."

"stop it, jackie," you say, trying to hide your growing smile by bringing the cigarette to your lips.  she doesn't miss it.

"stop what?" she asks, grinning and leaning closer to you.  there's nothing she loves more than playfighting with you.

"flattering me," you say, following her lead and stepping closer.  you take a drag of the cigarette then turn your head to exhale the smoke.  jackie's eyes are trained on your lips as they from a perfect 'o'.

"i'm not," she says, fingers catching on the chain of one of the necklaces layered over your chest.  "because i mean it."

she sounds so genuine that your heart aches beneath her fingers.  she tugs on the pendant of one of your necklaces, bringing you even closer.

"well, that means something coming from you.  you look perfect, as usual" you say.

she can't hide her reddening cheeks this time, nor her stupid smile.  she hums sweetly.

"good answer," she says, sharing a chuckle with you.  "can i get a drag?" she asks, nodding toward your hand.

you wordlessly lift the cigarette up, offering it to her.  instead of taking it from your ring-clad hand, she grabs your wrist.  with your hand still holding the cigarette, she pushes it between her lips and inhales, keeping her eyes locked on yours the entire time.

you've known jackie taylor to be touchy and warm with all of her friends, but this felt different.  maybe it was your friends getting in your head, but whatever jackie was doing felt reserved only for you.  as much as you wanted to deny it, you liked it that way.

"wow, jackie taylor smokes?" you tease before she drops your hand.  "don't you know it's bad for you, your highness?"

she intentionally blows the smoke in your face, causing you to wince and frantically wave it away with your free hand.

"oops, didn't see you there," she says with a self-satisfied grin.

"hmm, right."

with smoke still clouding your vision, jackie takes the opportunity to glance back down at the bare skin of your stomach.  she feels the urge to hook her fingers in the loops of your belt and pull you impossibly closer.  she holds back for now.

"so what were you and your friends singing about?"

"oh, um..."

we were singing about you jackie!

"just, y'know, being stupid as usual," you shrug.  you couldn't scare her with the truth.

"well, it looked like fun," she says, almost longingly.

you were aware of how jackie resented her own friends sometimes and you truly felt for her.  you remember her twirling her straw around in her milkshake while she confessed that everything felt so fake and forced with them, and especially jeff.

that's why she was so attracted to the raw, unfiltered essence of you and your group.  maybe it was just her privileged curiosity talking, but you could tell she was fascinated with how different your life was from hers.

"y'know, you could...hang with us sometime?  i mean, i could introduce you to everyone, if you want," you say casually.

"really?" she asks, eyes instantly lighting up. 

she wants to be immersed in your world.  she wants to be immersed in you. 

"i mean, it wouldn't be weird?"

"no, everyone's pretty cool.  it doesn't have to be a big deal or anything...or we could just hang out if you'd like that," you say, trying to play it cool but feeling unusually excited.

"yeah," she says, grinning beautifully.  "we should totally hang out first.  like, whenever you're free, you should come over." 

she pauses for a second, biting her lip.  her eyes scan your face for a sign of disinterest, but she can't find any.  so, she steps closer to you, her fingers creeping toward your belt.

"or, if you wanna go right n-"

the sound of screaming scares both of you and jackie jumps back, her hand nervously falling to her thigh.  you look over jackie's shoulder and she turns, only to find your teammates all shouting over each other while trying to separate shauna and taissa.  it seems they've attracted everyone's attention as randy only adds to the chaos by shouting "cat fight."

jackie audibly groans, partly because she hates to see her team fighting, but mostly because they've infringed on her time with you.  she stomps toward them and, though you don't want to get involved in whatever is going on, you feel the need to follow her.

"enough!" she yells in her captain voice, so different from the way she had been speaking to you.  she immediately silences everyone.

she sighs and looks back at you for a second, almost as an apology for their behavior and how they've derailed your night.

"yellowjackets, with me, now!" she shouts, stomping away from the bonfire and toward the darker part of the woods.

while the others follow her reluctantly, you don't move, hoping you might be able to sneak away from this trainwreck while you still can.  but, as if she could feel the absence of your presence, jackie turns and finds you standing too far away from her.

she walks back over to you and grabs the same wrist she had held just moments ago.

"sorry," she murmurs, eyes softening for you.  "but you too," she says, before dragging you along with her as if she had separation anxiety.

you look over your shoulder back at your friends, who are all too amused by you and jackie.  most of them are making lewd gestures like scissoring their fingers together or thrusting their hips just to tease the two of you.  you can only send them a strong middle finger before jackie whisks you away entirely, though you can hear the remnants of their obnoxious laughter.

you look down at your wrist and the tight grip jackie has on it.  she doesn't need to be guiding you like this anymore, but you don't mind.  if you're being honest, you like it.

you slide your wrist out of her grip for only a second before you place your hand fully in hers.  she looks back at you, anger dissipating from her face, and you give her hand a gentle squeeze.  a smile creeps onto her lips, and she momentarily forgets the situation at hand.

if anyone was proof that opposites attract, it was definitely you two.

[zorosangell]

I love your stories!! Maybe a Zoro x princess!reader would be interesting? She ran away and became a pirate of the crew, but she is still very formal and polite while Zoro is... Zoro 😂😂

⛥ﾟ・。 knight

synopsis: as a princess, you constantly have a bounty on your head, which means you are almost always under attack whenever the crew docks on an island. so, after zoro saves you from being kidnapped again, you both have a heart to heart... which ends in a little confession.

cw: fluffy fluff, comfort, reader talks very proper, reader's a little dense, zoro's a little emotionally constipated

"Get the princess!" the leader of the thugs shouted, swords drawn as the huge gang chased after you.

Hastily, Zoro attempted to cut a nearby corner, teetering to the side a little bit before he stabilized and continued to sprint down the street.

"What the hell were you thinking, huh?!" he panted, brows furrowed at he glanced at you, who was thrown over his shoulder. "I leave you alone for two seconds! And somehow you find a way to grab the attention of every damn criminal in town!"

"I was thirsty!" you exclaimed, defensively. "I thought I was going into a bar!"

"It was obviously a bounty hunter's nest!" he fired back.

"How was I supposed to know that?!"

"It was called the Killshot! And had a sign hanging outside with a picture of a gun!"

"I thought it was just a colorful theme!"

Zoro groaned, eyes nearly rolling to the back of his head as he cursed whatever god that allowed this to happen yet again.

One of these days, he was gonna pretend he didn't see anything.

You were a princess, plain and simple, heir to the throne of some far off kingdom in the New World.

Ever since you were a little girl, you'd longed for adventure, not wanting your world to be confined to the walls of your castle, or the borders of your kingdom.

So, you promised yourself that the moment you turned eighteen, you'd run away.

And that's exactly what you did.

Though, in hindsight, it was probably not the best decision, as you had absolutely no idea how the outside world worked.

Still, somehow by fate or by fortune, your clueless self had managed to make it all the way to Loguetown, where the crew saved you from a few assassins.

Thus, you became the Strawhat's resident princess and diplomat.

And Zoro's resident pain in the ass.

Whenever the crew docked on a new island, you always insisted on exploring it yourself, excited to see the new sights and sounds.

And, like clockwork, you always found some way to call unwanted attention to yourself, the swordsman always finding himself in close proximity.

He had half the mind to think you did it on purpose.

Brows furrowed, his feet picked up speed, muttering intelligible things to himself.

'Princess be damned... no woman's worth this much trouble...'

Out the corner of his eye, Zoro peeped an alley not too far away, quickly running to duck inside it.

Dropping you to your feet, his strong hands grabbed your shoulders, yanking you into the shadows and covering your mouth as you let out a tiny yelp, eyes widening.

'Brute!'

You'd never been handled with such lack of care...

Back home, you were referred to as the Crowned Jewel of the Kingdom, known far and wide for your beauty and kindness.

Many often sang your praises, sending you buckets upon buckets of fan mail and writing songs about the prosperity your family had brought to the kingdom.

And the few that actually got to touch you did so with the utmost care, often reverently.

Meanwhile... this man talked to you as if you were an incompetent child, and tossed you around as if you were some sort of rag-doll.

Safe to say, it was quite the culture shock.

As the large group of men passed, Zoro tightened his grip on you, watching closely they examined the shops and stalls outside—some of them having split up to search quicker.

"Coulda sworn they were right here..." one of them grumbled under his breath, brows furrowed.

The dark-haired man paused, giving the space one more once over before turning to the others, sheathing his sword with an annoyed sigh.

"Looks like we lost 'em. Let's circle back to where we found 'em and see if that redhead knows anything."

Your eyes widened, knowing exactly who he was talking about.

"Nami!" you whimpered, forcing Zoro's calloused hand to press harder into your face to muffle the noise.

"Quiet," his deep, rough voice ordered, tone leaving no room for argument.

Suspicious, the man glanced in your direction, narrowing his eyes at the darkness as he looked directly at you—though he didn't know it.

Your heart stopped, your entire body freezing up as both you and Zoro stayed as still as statues, pressing firmer against the wall of the alley to avoid being revealed as he left.

And once he was completely one, you both let out a sigh of relief, your shoulders dropping as the tension finally oozed out your back.

"Are you stupid or something?" Zoro spat, curtly, brows furrowed. "You could've gotten us both caught!"

"I already expressed my apologies! It was not on purpose!" you countered, throwing your hands up in the air. "I simply wanted something to drink, but then those thugs just grabbed me! And did so without asking!"

Zoro let out another sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose as he hung his head.

You couldn't be serious...

"They're bounty hunters, (y/n)... they're not gonna ask permission to kidnap you."

"I'm afraid I just learned that firsthand," you huffed, a small pout gracing your lips and you leaned against the wall, crossing your arms over your chest. "And after I was so generous... I even offered to negotiate the terms over lunch."

With a raised brow, Zoro leaned against the wall with you, confused.

"Terms?"

"A closed contract between me and all affiliates of the Killshot gang that would have guaranteed my continued residency with the Strawhat crew in exchange for a sum total of five-hundred million berries, paid monthly or in advance, depending on their preference."

The swordsman nearly choked on the air he was taking in, floored by the number you said so casually.

"Five-hundred million?!"

You nodded, plainly, confused by his surprise.

"Money is no object for my family. Especially pertaining to my safety," you shrugged. "I extend that offer to my friends, as well. Back at the auction house on Sabaody, I would have happily bought Camie to save her... but Sir Raleigh had already beat me to the punch."

Slowly, a small smile crept onto the swordsman's face, the rigidness in his stance slowly morphing into one more relaxed.

'Well, I'll be damned...'

It was moments like these that he enjoyed, as he was actually offered a glimpse at your true self.

The woman that an entire kingdom absolutely adored.

Princess (y/n).

Sure, you were hard-headed at times, and completely clueless when it came to social interactions outside of high society.

But you had heart, and generosity that quite literally knew no bounds.

Just... maybe some self defense lessons were needed.

"I gotta teach you some hand to hand if you're gonna keep goin' on these little expeditions," he sighed, clearing his throat as he glanced down at the ground.

"Combat?" you scrunched your nose. "What is the point of that when I have you?"

The gears in his head came to a screeching halt, his head snapping over to you so fast, you'd think he'd have whiplash.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"You are a swordsman, are you not?" you raised a brow.

"Yes..."

"And you follow me around, yes?"

"I don't follow you around!"

The man flushed, face burning at your plainness.

"You are always there when I am in trouble."

"Yeah... well... that's 'cause I have shit luck..."

"But you care about me, right?"

Zoro froze, throat clamming up.

He had never been presented with questions like these before, and they were forcing him to think.

To read into why exactly he was always there whenever you called for help.

You were always within arms reach of him, the two of you seeming to just naturally float around each other, even as you did your daily routines.

And although you were far from his responsibility, Zoro couldn't understand why he felt the need to worry so much.

He knew million times over that the crew was capable of protecting you, and that if anything were to happen, Luffy or Sanji could more than adequately swoop in to your rescue.

But for some reason, reminding himself of that fact didn't subdue the concern that spiked in his chest when you left his line of sight, or the faint pang of panic in his breath.

'Dammit...'

Too many questions.

"I... yes," he answered, awkwardly.

Instantly, a warm smile broke out on your face, melting the swordsman's heart into a puddle on the floor.

"Then, that makes you my sworn sword!" you beamed, cheekily.

"Your sworn... what?"

"My sworn sword. My knight. My champion," you elaborated. "You stand by my side throughout my travels and keep me under your protection."

"I do WHAT?!"

"Is your hearing all right? You seem to be having a hard time processing what I am saying..."

"No, no... it's... it's not that..."

An uncomfortable silence suddenly settled over you both, the swordsman practically praying that the gang would come back so he could run you both back to the ship and escape the atmosphere.

You, on the other hand, had been feeling quite the opposite, wanting things to be settled right here and now.

Zoro had been your "crush"—lovingly dubbed by Nami—for over two years, and was the only person in the world that was consistently there for you, always rushing to your rescue without fail.

Despite his prickly exterior, and his sharp words, you could tell he was a kind, loyal, and compassionate man.

He just needed a little push.

Just then, the sound of running footsteps began to draw nearer to the mouth of the alley, your eyes shooting wide at the sound.

"Someone is coming!" you whispered, quickly turning to him .

Eyes doe wide, and breath quickened, you settled on something you'd read in a book once, hoping it would conceal your faces.

What possessed you to do it, you had no idea.

Pulling the man in by his robe, you smashed your lips into his, his eye shooting as wide as a saucer.

Everything had gone from zero to a hundred so fast.

Left was up.

Down was right.

But, in that moment, everything felt oddly right.

So, for the first time in his life, he caved, allowing his eye to flutter shut and his body to ease into the kiss.

Sliding your hands up, one of them cupped his face, while the other threw your arm around his neck, keeping him in place as he snaked his arms tightly around your waist, pulling you closer.

The kiss was electric, and, while very uncoordinated and eager, felt like liquid fire was coursing through your veins, pushing you forward.

Smoothly, the two of you shifted, Zoro pushing you up against the wall and tilting his head in order to get a better angle, deepening the kiss even further.

His hands gripped you even tighter, suddenly fearful he would float away if you didn't keep him grounded.

With your touch burning his skin and your scent flooding his nostrils, he felt like he was higher than the clouds, like this was heaven on earth.

Your lips were so damn soft...

Hell, you were so damn soft...

You washed over him like a wave of calm, the rhythm of the kiss lulling his worry-filled mind until the only thing he could think about was why the hell he didn't do this sooner.

"Aw, jeez! This is what you guys were doing all this time?!" Luffy exclaimed from the mouth of the alley, completely ruining the moment.

'Thats why...'

The two of you quickly threw yourselves off each other, faces burning with embarrassment as you looked in opposite directions.

"At least do that inside. You're gonna catch somethin' out here..." he shrugged, turning to walk away.

Your eyes shot wide, and you snapped your head over to the boy.

"Wait, Luffy, what did you think we were—?" "Don't wanna talk about it!"

"You idiot, we weren't—!" "M'not listening!"

You turned to the swordsman, brow raised in confusion.

"What is he talking about?"

Zoro's eye widened, and it finally donned on him that you hadn't been taught about... the birds and the bees.

'Christ...'

"I'll tell you another time," he sighed, talking your hand and leading you toward the exit of the alley. "Let's go back to the ship."

"Yes, of course!" you playfully bellowed. "Lead the way, knight!"

"I'm not your knight!"

"Whatever you say... knight..."

[justauthoring]

SIGNS OF AFFECTION - TOKYO REVENGERS

includes: maniro "mikey" sano, chifuyu matsuno, mitsuya takashi & ken “draken” ryuguji

a/n: bet none of yall were expecting some tokyo rev headcanons tonight (i miss tokyo revengers :()

MIKEY:

physical touch:

Likes to hold your hand; thread his fingers through yours and feel your palm pressed against him. It reassures Mikey that you're still there, with him and by his side. If the two of you are out walking, he'll reach for your hand. If he wants to pull you somewhere to show you something, he'll grab your hand. It helps ground Mikey too, so if you see he's upset or angry, you'll grab his hand and it'll be enough to calm him down.

Always has an arm wrapped around your waist; he thinks his arm fits perfectly slotted against your waist. Likes the way doing so pulls you flush against his side, where he can feel your warmth seep into him. Mikey especially enjoys the way you always lean into the touch, head falling on his shoulder and your own arm occasionally coming to wrap around his waist too. Does it a lot when at school (if he shows up) or at gang meetings to show everyone there you're his.

Constantly asking for hugs; he'll do it in that whiny way he does with Draken or Emma, a certain vulnerability he only shows to certain people. Mikey will open his arms up, the invitation clear and if you don't respond to it right away, he'll pout at you until you do. Usually, that's not a problem though because you love his hugs; like the way he holds you tightly and presses a comforting hand to the back of your head while you thread your fingers through his hair.

CHIFUYU:

quality time:

Plans date nights; he'll always take in consideration on what you want to do, but most of the time, Chifuyu likes to be the one to plan date nights. You have no qualms about it, especially since Chifuyu is a die-hard romantic and is great at planning date nights. He'll make them simple and relaxing or exciting and adventurous depending on either of your moods, and dedicate the entire evening to you and your guys' relationship.

Always asks to study together; even if the two of you aren't in the same class or aren't working on the same subject, Chifuyu will still ask if you guys study together. It can be in the library or in one of your rooms, doesn't matter to im just as long as the two of you are doing it together. It works out too because if you're stuck on something, Chifuyu will push aside what he's doing to help you and you'll do the same for him; studying together is quite effective for the both of you as it eases any stress and gives the comfort of still being able to spend time together.

Likes to cook together; if the opportunity presents itself, which Chifuyu often tries to make sure it does, he'll present the idea to cook together. You'll oblidge, of course, and the two of you work seamlessly together. It's like routine by now that the both of you cook so well together, that it becomes natural to do so.

MITSUYA:

giving gifts:

Makes clothes for you; it's something Mitsuya has done since the start of your relationship, but continuously does and more frequently when he realizes just how much you like it and how much he enjoys the smile on your face when he gives you it. The pride he'll feel is undeniable when you smile at him, tell him how well the clothing fits and how beautiful his work is and the reward of seeing you in his clothing afterwards is more than worth it.

Finds random, small things when shopping and gives it to you; you'll just randomly wake up to a small gift wrapped on your night table with no word from Mitsuya or even a card. It's always random, usually small, like a little figurine or a book and it'll be completely unexpected. When you ask him about it when you see him later that day, Mitsuya will just shrug, say he say you looking at it and decided to get it for you and will blush when smile up at him and thank him with a sweet kiss to the lips.

Gives the best anniversay gifts; no matter how hard you try, Mitsuya's gifts always tops yours. He'll find the most beautiful piece of jewelry or make the most gorgeous, detailed piece of clothing that will literally make your jaw fall to the floor. Mitsuya will do it with a smile and a flush and when you give him your own, the smile widens as if somehow yours is better (it isn't).

DRAKEN:

attention:

Remembers the smallest details; doesn't matter if you said something in passing one day or convinced something heavy and heartfelt, Draken will remember both. He's conscious of the things that bother or upset you, and pays attention to the things that make you happy. He'll offer to watch a movie you randomly said you wanted to watch three weeks ago when you both finally have the time, or buy you a coffee from the out-of-the-away cafe you'd complained about once because he knows you like it so much.

Always makes eye contact; if you're speaking to him, Draken is careful to make sure you know he's listening. The second your lips part and he realizes you're talking to him, he'll shift his entire body if he has to to be able to meet your gaze. It's almost intimidating but endearing at the same time, meeting your eyes when the two of you are naked in bed, in the throes of each other, never wavering and making you feel seen and important.

Drops everything for you; if you're talking, nothing else matters. Draken will quite literally drop everything; a wrench that he's using to work on a car, or a book he's reading, or anything. The second he hears your voice, he's paying full attention to everything that leaves your lips. It warms your heart in an undeniable way, makes you all giddy and flushed when he just smiles at you and encourages you to continue.

[ese1anime]

(Sigh)here we go,my first Au of TADC heheh yaaayyy hope yall like what I got so far of it

If you like BATIM(Bendy And The Ink Machine) then you’ll like what I’m creating for this Au…

Behold!!

Meet the Gang:

Emotion of the others:

🩶:the person

💖:crush

💚:friend/bestie

🧡:normal around

❤️:hate

(For this is the best thing I can come up with on their heights I did my best to keep the height and putting them in a row)

>Lore of the story<><>

For some of us we know that game of bendy and the ink machine has become popular for gamers that have played it or those that seen it along with knowing how virtual reality can bring a whole new side of what’s real but isn’t with headsets.Well what if they both were combined together into a whole new adventure for others to see and experience what it’s like to actually play in a horror game between BATIM and TADC all together called ✨The Amazing

Digital Ink Machine✨

The Digital Studio in a computer that is filmed to bring others that Virtual Reality life that is part of a bendy and the ink machine vibes,where lots of ink flows from the top to bottom and covered in history that is yet to behold of the ink machine.But like most people that get stuck in a virtual world,it takes your soul to another place and into a different body,making it your mission to complete it or be stuck for all eternity (just like jumanji but different 😁).For your soul can contain lots of digital hallucinations when your stuck in a studio for who knows how long and with the ink flowing,places that can be unlocked,and not knowing who you are by then for it makes a person forget their own existence or the life they thought they knew before or what they will become then………

<><><><><><><><><><><>

{}{}The Storyline{}{}{}{

Pomni was put into the system to discover what has happened to those that went missing in the real world and it’s up to her to find the pieces to this adventure she will be taking by Caine 🖤💛🖤

With each path she takes ,she must find each and one of the pieces to fix this mess that has caused a lot of damage to the system and the people that got stuck in the world as well while facing the one that has caused so many to be stuck in this digital world Ink Demon that trapped other players into this place (those that have gone missing and never returned to the real world or to their real bodies)

for Caine[AI] a companion member,comes along to give pomni some company or to help her as he was programmed to do 🖤💛🖤along with the friends that pomni will get to meet as well

Stuff that will be included in this Au:

Studio underground:

For it will bring out circus vibes to it but also make it look like a old cartoon vibe (like bendy and his friends look like)

NPC:

For they are part of the ink and tend to make it a game when facing them or come across their path throughout the quest

ink-Abstractiors:

They are like the abstraction but as giant ink monsters that leave trails of ink when they are found roaming around the area

(For this is what I got so far of the what will be added on here only because I’m working on other stuff more more often,this will be my side project of The Amazing Digital Ink Machine 💛🖤)

<><><><><><><><><><><>

{Boundaries/QnA}

•”Is this a crossover of TADC and BATIM”

Yes it’s kinda like a crossover between the horror game(BATIM) and the show(TADC)

•”Can I draw these characters?”

Sure thing! Love seeing other peoples amazing art As long as you tag me about it cause I don’t tolerate others trying to steal art idea from anyone

•”Can I make an Oc\Fanart of this Au?”

Yes,I would love to see what other bendy vibes for Tadc you come up with for this Au heh

•”Can I write a fic about this Au”

If you got any other ideas of this Au,I would love to see what others like to create of it hehe that would be great ✨

•”Is NSFW allowed?”

Yeeeeaaaahhhhhh Nnnnooooooo thanks but noooo sorrry 😅

•”Is shipping allowed?”

Of course!but most of the ships will be showtime and Bunnydoll more often

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

(If you have any questions let me know just pls be nice cause I don’t tolerate rude behavior on here and I want to make sure others know that as well)

[brittle-doughie]

I can see your askbox will be flooded with Burning Spice stuff now, so let me give you a little standout with a cookie you seem to like.

I've had this idea for a few weeks now since the Mystic Flour update is coming to an end. Basically, Y/N Cookie is an adventurer who married Caramel Arrow Cookie many years ago, but they haven't seen eachother since the Dark Cacao Kingdom fell into darkness. Them, when Gingerbrave and the gang are saved by Caramel Arrow Cookie, she immediately recognizes Y/N Cookie and is a little glad that she's out here. Still mad at Affogatto, but also happy her partner is okay.

She’s immediately rushing to you after she saw you again, practically glomping you with a strong hug. You follow it up with a kiss which caused her cheeks to darken, but she reciprocated right after.

She does part from you when she realized the others were looking, making her feel embarrassed. She stutters as she tried to ask how you’re here after all this time.

She thought for sure that you would never return…not after the disagreement that you and her had before you left. You wanted to leave the kingdom after seeing it become a shell of its former glory, but Caramel Arrow Cookie wanted to have faith in King Dark Cacao Cookie.

It led to a big argument that she grew to regret having with you all those years ago. She’s…sorry for not sticking by you or at least respecting your decision all those years.

You didn’t let her take all the blame, you blame it on yourself too. Dark Cacao Cookie looked like he was back to being the king the kingdom needed, you should’ve had more faith in him…but Caramel Arrow Cookie told you not to do that to yourself! It was Affogato Cookie! That dishonorable worm poisoned Dark Cacao’s mind with sweet words, the reason you two were driven apart!

It was okay, he wasn’t here anymore and the king was back to his glory! She promised that she won’t let another disagreement tear the two of you apart again. She promises to stick by your side as your wife, just like how you promise to stick by her too as her spouse!

So she asks…please come home with her….

Caramel Arrow Cookie is best wife and I’ll die on this hill.

[jester089]

I feel I need to balance this angst out, do this AFTER you’ve done the others and given yourself time to chill…I’ve got my eyes on you…

Anyhow, how’s about the TADC gang all seperate with an s/o who’s just the definition of ‘chill’. They are the best comfort partner (just behind Kinger ofc), they comfort, share and engage in hobbies, show small signs of affection like soft side hugs and gentle butterfly kisses to the cheeks or neck, an ear to listen and a shoulder to cry on. Will also 100% piggyback/bridal carry their significant other if asked or for fun. Just a pure wholesome fuzzy mess.

Lazy days

This is just going to be what I think their hobbies and all are. As it's a fluffy request I'm going to do softer not cannon versions of everyone. TADC crew x Chill/Relaxed Reader

Caine

Caine can be an incredibly busy man/AI so try and make him take breaks. He gets to caught up in work because he's so worried that if he doesn't have fun things to do then people will start abstracting. So when you walk into his office gently pick him up and sit down in his chair with him now sitting on your lap it helps him snap out of it. He isn't going to stop still. But he really appreciates you being there. You being there and every now and again giving him an idea you had makes the work take longer, but makes it much more enjoyable. You'll honestly probably end up falling asleep on him, arms wrapped around him head on his shoulder. Sadly he doesn't have a neck, or any real exposed skin. So kisses will be a little rough but that isn't gonna stop you. It is a little weird kissing a giant set of teeth though. And second he finished up, or at least reaches a point where he can stop you pick him up and take him to your bed. Sometimes he'll tunnel vision to much on something and you'll have to do that anyways. It's like holding an angry cat when that happens, minus the claws.

Gangle

Gangle loves affection but isn't amazing at giving nor receiving it. Any time you do anything she can and will blush. And if you protect her from Jax. Putty Gangle has arrived. How relaxed you are despite everything happening helps her out a lot. I headcannon that she loves working with clay, like making pottery and all. But sadly with her ribbon hands she can't do it anymore. Or rather couldn't, cause you help her out. You two will sit in front of a potters wheel. You have her place her hands on the outside of yours and you just let her lead. (I have made plenty of pottery in my time and I can safely say it is incredibly hard to do.) Sadly unless your helping her with something she doesn't let you in her pottery station anymore. You tried to make a mug for her without her and it didn't go well. You didn't know the first thing about pottery when she wasn't guiding you so it ended up blowing up in the kiln. You felt really bad. Cuddles with Gangle are a little strange. She doesn't have any real body weight so it really does feel like your cuddling a piece of ribbon (for good reason). So you two came up with something. You got a body pillow that's around her height and when you two are cuddling she'll wrap around it so she has more mass. When she needs some comfort you'll know. Whenever she's in a really bad mood and wants you touch but doesn't really want to say it she'll exist really close to you and start gently wrapping one of her arms around yours. Overall 10/10, she's a giant sweetheart and your lucky you got her. So treat her well yeah?

Zooble

I recommend bringing some kind of hoodie or blanket with you. Her edges can be a little harsh on the body. Out of everyone Zooble is the highest chance of most cuddles. She never gets involved in adventures and avoids the others when she can. Which basically just means more alone time with her. Zooble has a lot of insecurities concerning her new body and the circus. You're the only one she trust enough with that kind of thing so don't downplay her thoughts and emotions. The main way she shows affection is just spending time with you, she isn't big on touch and she doesn't exactly have the resources for gifts. And that worries her, she knows that she can be rude and unpleasant to be around but she doesn't have anything else to offer you. She's not great at communication so you really just need to keep patient and keep loving her. She has a jagged and rough exterior, but it like everything can be broken. It'll just take time.

Kinger

You two make a great bunch. The others never would have thought but if someone is having an especially bad day they go to you two. Kinger is amazing at calming and encouraging words, and your amazing at calming acts and setting up an atmosphere. You've saved a lot from abstraction because of that. Hugs are amazing from him. That royal medieval robe he's wearing is really nice to the touch. Sadly he doesn't have a mouth but he'll try and make up for that with head bonks (Head bonk: To gently place your head against someone you care about to show affection. Usually used when that person isn't comfortable with kisses.) One time you two built an actual castle out of pillows. It took you like a day but it had a working drawbridge and everything! Sadly it was broken during an adventure but it was really fun to build with Kinger. He can get a little... Unstable... When that happens a tight hug and a kiss can usually snap him out of it. But if that doesn't work bring him back to your room. The atmosphere you have set up and the fact that it smells like you will help him out a lot.

Ragatha

Once again you two make a good combo. She holds people off from breaking down. But if she can't stop it then she sends em to you. So once again you two help with abstraction a lot. But poor baby is stressed and you help provide some needed relief. I see her as the type of if she was expecting a kiss or a hug she'll hug/kiss back and thank you. If she wasn't she turns into a blushing mess with a big ol dopey smile on her face. Something she appreciates a lot is more childish things. Like if you start up a pillow fight with her she will be ecstatic. But be warned her pillows hit like a truck. Not cause their different just because she's really good at pillow fights. Her fav cuddle type is the honeymoon hug (look it up). She gets to be close to you and give you smooches if she wants. And she gets to feel like she's protecting you. She is the mom friend and you annoy her by saying over the top things like. "Ok MOM" when she asks you to stop doing something. First few times she hated it but now she goes along with it sayng things like "Hey! Don't talk back to me. Give me your phone you're grounded." She never means it though.

Jax

I think Jax is the most stable person in the circus. I'm saying he's mentally ok I'm just saying that he is by far at the least risk for abstraction. Whenever Jax plays a joke on someone and you go to help calm them down he gets a little jealous. He knows you love him but he doesn't really like you talking to others. So don't be surprised if you're in the middle of comforting someone and he just picks you up and walks away. He can be a little mean so for your own sake try and not take his words to heart. He just by second nature starts pointing things out that he dislikes, and often he starts pointing out things on/to do with you before he realizes. He also won't apologize so just try and ignore it. He sorta makes up for it with affection though. Cause he's pretty affectionate. Most of it is teasing yes, like he's come out of no where kiss your cheek and use a pet name that flusters you then just leave like he didn't do anything. But he's surprisingly gentle when it comes to that kind of thing. I see him being the type where you two fall asleep in the same bed and you wake up with him having his arms and legs around you probably drooling on your forehead. Or he's one of those that take up the whole bed so you often wake up on the floor. Many say that opposites attract. And you two are very different. But that isn't a bad thing.

Pomni

You two are opposites in a lot of ways. She is anxious and constantly in a state of panic/worry. And you never are. So you help her a lot. I see her being kind of like a cat towards you. Constantly around you and or begging for attention. I have an idea that I came up with a few years ago. It's a hoodie with a giant pocket inside. Like one of those baby carriers but minus the straps and inside the hoodie so who/whatever you keep in there share warmth. And she loves it. You two can be relaxing in your room and she'll realize something and spring off the bed you two were on. She and will turn the entire place upside down looking for it (https://www.tiktok.com/@louiencoco/video/7214862848042831110) so if you don't wanna have to clean up later just show her where it is. On a more serious note though you two were a match made in heaven and with enough time you could make a genuine improvement in her mental health. The main reason she's so fragile mentally is cause she never gets/got a break. So her favorite activity with you is probably just relaxing in one of your rooms away from the others.

(Tumblr deleted this like 3 times while I was writing it. And it turned out kind of bad because of that. Sorry but don't blame me. Blame tumblr.)

xoxo, Jester

[dreamtheatre]

how do you think your favorite doctor(s) would act when they're sick or injured and their companion is caring for them? does that make any sense lol

a/n ooo I have ideas for this one!

Pairing: 10/11/12 Doctors x GN!Reader Fandom: Doctor Who Genre: headcannons Word Count: 815 Warnings: slight mentions of injuries

10th Doctor

"what!?"

he would deny needing help, but with enough pleading and puppy-dog-eyes you would eventually get him to settle down enough to let you stop him from going on an adventure

"i'm fine!"

"you got stabbed by a half-platypus-half-jaguar-half-whatever-the-hell-that-thing-was alien on a jungle planet, doctor. you're not fine."

you would try to get him to stay in bed, but whenever you left his room for more than a minute you'd return to find him either jumping up and down on the bed or running around the TARDIS halls.

"i can't just sit around doing nothing all day!" although when you were around in his room he found it fine to sit around.

eventually, you and the TARDIS ganged up on him and the TARDIS locked the door to his room, only opening it when you wanted to leave.

the TARDIS also moved your things to his bedroom so that you could make sure he didn't do anything silly while his injury was being healed, and when his wound had finally healed, both you and the time lord came to a silent mutual agreement that your things wouldn't be moving back.

11th Doctor

like his previous regeneration, he would be in denial that he had any sort of injury whatsoever, even after seeing the results from the TARDIS scan.

you and the TARDIS had to force him away from the console room into his bedroom.

when you lounged around the TARDIS for the next couple of hours, you heard him banging at his door (which the TARDIS had locked) and he only stopped when you finally opened the door for him.

"...yes?"

there would be silence before he spoke meekly. "if you're going to force me in here... at least keep me company?" you weren't exactly complaining.

for the next couple of days, you would help the timelord change his bandages with the assistance of the TARDIS and bring food to him (three whole days of endless requests of jammie dodgers and fish fingers and custard... the only reason you coped was because it was the doctor asking).

he would 100% seek any form of physical contact with you, if you were okay with that. he would lay his head on your shoulder while you watched your favourite TV show. not his, since he stated he didn't have one (he did, but he wanted to watch whatever you wanted to watch). he would fall asleep with his head in your lap as you read whatever book the TARDIS gave you aloud to him.

after he recovered, he would remember all the things you let slip during your conversations with him. your favourite place that you had travelled to with him so far (he would take you back), your favourite foods and drinks, and any place you wanted to go. whatever you asked, the doctor would gladly give to you.

12th Doctor

this doctor would try endlessly to convince you that he's just fine

he's a time lord, after all, a simple, common human cold would not affect him! (that's what he kept telling himself, choosing to ignore the constant coughs and sniffles that escaped from him)

when you ask him if he's alright when you witness him fall asleep for the first time (the doctor... sleeping! you never thought you'd see this day), he waves you off and takes you on an adventure

little did he know that that adventure would end in you dragging him back to the TARDIS after he offended some kind of turtle-human alien hybrid race and was too sick to defend the two of you

after that, the doctor continues to grumble and complain when you insist on not going on any adventures for a while (he secretly is grateful, but he'd never tell you that)

you'd find him asleep in the most random places - on the floor of the console room, in the library... etc

noticing how he's intentionally ignoring your asks to help him, you and the TARDIS work together to find little ways to make him feel better.

you prepare tea in the kitchen and get the TARDIS to send it to his room for him with a small note along the lines of "get better soon!" from you. you make him the comfort meal the two of you found together when you travelled. you send him new books to read and sheet music to play on his guitar

in his absence (he refuses to let you in his room to see him in such a weak state), you find a new guitar appear in your room and you start to teach yourself how to play. you learn a few basic chords and begin to build up your skills until one day, you notice someone standing behind you.

"doctor?"

"yes?"

"are you okay now?"

"yes."

there would be a silent pause before the doctor offered tentatively to teach you how to play the guitar properly, and only a short pause before you agreed.

the doctor would never admit that it was him who gifted you the guitar, though

end xx dreamtheatre requests are open! .

[thejollywriter]

IT'S TIME TO LAUNCH THE BOOK

WELCOME FRIENDS, TO THE BEGINNING OF AN ADVENTURE! Allow me to introduce to you, DELILAH JONES; free-lance Robin Hood and bad-ass extraordinaire.

In the cyberpunk future of The Redwood Files, Delilah Jones is half film-noire private detective, and half western-gunslinger, who rides into a lawless town and fights the bullies and the bastards that hurt innocent folks.

This anthology contains SIX, count 'em SIX short stories and novellas detailing Delilah's Adventures.

Through a Dream, Lethally; When tech CEO Michael Lense decides to hijack the soft-RAM in his employees heads in order to make people do his bidding, things can get awful, FAST. Being forced, without your consent, to be an assassin or a thief or a sex worker, and more. But Lense also has the city under-thumb. Only Delilah's got the brute force to break Lense's control, and free the city from his cruel influence.

Happy Endings, Guaranteed; Delilah has a partner, and after a long day of nonsense, is looking forward to visiting them at work to unwind. Only to get to the club where her partner works, and discover that they've been KIDNAPPED! Delilah races around the city, squaring up with every underworld hard-ass she comes across following every lead to find her partner. Except nothing is what it seems, and a simple (but tragic) kidnapping turns out to be way more nefarious than Delilah expected. . .

Delilah's Heart; recovering from the last adventure weeks later, Delilah meets a handsome butch at a dive bar. Things between the two show promise, but the butch gets called back to work by an abusive bastard who violates and exploits his employees. The butch asks Delilah for help, and as she digs into it, discovers a deeply connected mafia bookmaker who uses that underground protection to kill and exploit people without fear of consequences. Delilah's the only one who can bring justice down on this bastard, but it threatens a gang war if she does. . .

Gutter Medicine; a gang of outta-town skinheads robs an impoverished clinic in a rough neighborhood. Delilah digs into the theft, and promises to recover the medicine, only to discover that the outta-towners are stirring up trouble to pave the way for an invasion from the South. A Kingpin from Los Angeles is hungry for expansion, and Redwood is fertile ground. Unless Delilah can stop the gang, and convince the Kingpin it'd be too expensive to expand beyond the safe borders of LA.

Restitution; Delilah's robbing a rich billionaire's museum-like mansion one night when she's caught by an unlikely sentry, a very old man who'd had plans of trying to embarrass the billionaire for reneging on a deal, and leaving the old man destitute. Delilah invites him to tell his story, and she volunteers to see justice done, according to Delilah's exacting standards.

In a Name?; every trans person's name comes from a personal place and an intimate choice. This story is about a young thief, with big dreams and a hard head, how she picked her name, and the day she was reborn into Delilah-fucking-Jones.

These stories have literally been years in the making. Some of them are personal, all of them are personal favorites, and this anthology is a collection I've worked very hard on.

Genre fiction is deeply important to me, and I love bringing queer characters to this space. Every story published in this book appeared first, both as ideas and in rough-and-final drafts on my patreon.

HERE'S HOW TO BUY AND SUPPORT THE QUEER NOVELIST IN QUESTION!

my ko-fi store: this is the most direct way to support me (a disabled queer novelist) and I get the biggest cut if you buy the e-book from this source

AMAZON! you want a paperback, YOU GOT A PAPERBACK

and lastly, if you want to see my writing in advance, get your name in the credits, or get special copies in advance, my patreon

thank you for your support, and happy reading <3

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Kickstarting “The Bezzle” audiobook, sequel to Red Team Blues

I'm heading to Berlin! On January 29, I'll be delivering Transmediale's Marshall McLuhan Lecture, and on January 30, I'll be at Otherland Books (tickets are limited! They'll have exclusive early access to the English edition of The Bezzle and the German edition of Red Team Blues!).

I'm kickstarting the audiobook for The Bezzle, the sequel to last year's Red Team Blues, featuring Marty Hench, a hard-charging, two-fisted forensic accountant who spent 40 years in Silicon Valley, busting every finance scam hatched by tech bros' feverish imaginations:

http://thebezzle.org

Marty Hench is a great character to write. His career in high-tech scambusting starts in the early 1980s with the first PCs and stretches all the way to the cryptocurrency era, the most target-rich environment for scamhunting tech has ever seen. Hench is the Zelig of tech scams, and I'm having so much fun using him to probe the seamy underbelly of the tech economy.

Enter The Bezzle, which will be published by Tor Books and Head of Zeus on Feb 20: this adventure finds Marty in the company of Scott Warms, one of the many bright technologists whose great startup was bought and destroyed by Yahoo! (yes, they really used that asinine exclamation mark). Scott is shackled to the Punctuation Factory by golden handcuffs, and he's determined to get fired without cause, so he can collect his shares and move onto the next thing.

That's how Scott and Marty find themselves on Catalina island, the redoubt of the Wrigley family, where bison roam the hills, yachts bob in the habor and fast food is banned. Scott invites Marty on a series of luxury vacations on Catalina, which end abruptly when they discover – and implode – a hamburger-related Ponzi scheme run by a real-estate millionaire who is destroying the personal finances of the Island's working-class townies out of sheer sadism.

Scott's victory is bittersweet: sure, he blew up the Ponzi scheme, but he's also made powerful enemies – the kinds of enemies who can pull strings with the notoriously corrupt LA County Sheriff's Deputies who are the only law on Catalina, and after taking a pair of felony plea deals, Scott gets the message and never visits Catalina Island again.

That could have been the end of it, but California's three-strikes law – since rescinded – means that when Scott picks up one more felony conviction for some drugs discovered during a traffic stop, he's facing life in prison.

That's where The Bezzle really gets into gear.

At its core, The Bezzle is a novel about the "shitty technology adoption curve": the idea that our worst technological schemes are sanded smooth on the bodies of prisoners, mental patients, kids and refugees before they work their way up the privilege gradient and are inflicted on all of us:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/12/algorithmic-wage-discrimination/#fishers-of-men

America's prisons are vicious, brutal places, and technology has only made them worse. When Scott's prison swaps out in-person visits, the prison library, and phone calls for a "free" tablet that offers all these services as janky apps that cost ten times more than they would on the outside, the cruelty finds a business model.

Working inside and outside the prison Marty Hench and Scott Warms figure out the full nature of the scam that the captive audience of prisoners are involuntary beta-testers for, and they discover a sprawling web of real-estate fraud, tech scams, and offshore finance that is extracting fortunes from the hides of America's prisoners and their families. The criminals who run that kind of enterprise aren't shy about fighting for what they've got, and they're more than happy to cut some of LA County's notorious deputy gangs in for a cut in exchange for providing some kinetic support for the project.

The Bezzle is exactly the kind of book I was hoping I'd get to write when I kicked off the Hench series – one that decodes the scam economy, from music royalties to prison videoconferencing, real estate investment trusts to Big Four accounting firm bogus audits. It's both a fast-moving, two-fisted crime novel and a masterclass on how the rich and powerful get away with both literal and figurative murder.

It's getting a big push from both my publishers and I'll be touring western Canada and the US with it. The early reviews are spectacular. But despite all of this, I had to make my own audiobook for it, which I'm pre-selling on Kickstarter:

http://thebezzle.org

Why? Because Audible – Amazon's monopoly gatekeeper to the audiobook world, with more than 90% of the market – refuses to carry my work.

Audible uses Digital Rights Management to lock every audiobook they sell to their platform. Legally, only an Audible-authorized app can decrypt and play the audiobooks they sell you. Distributing a tool that removes Audible DRM is a felony under Section 1201 of the 1998 DMCA.

That means that if you break up with Audible – delete your Audible apps – you will lose your entire audiobook library. And the fact that you're Audible's hostage makes the writers you love into their hostages, too. Writers understand that if they leave the Audible platform, their audience will have to choose between following them, or losing all their audiobooks.

That's how Audible gets away with abusing its performers and writers, up to and including the $100m Audiblegate wage-theft scandal:

https://www.audiblegate.com/

Audible can steal $100m from its writers…and the writers still continue to sell on the platform, because leaving will cost them their audience.

This is canonical enshittification: lock in users, then screw suppliers. Lots of companies abuse DRM to do this, but none can hold a candle to Amazon, who understand that the DMCA is a copyright law that protects corporations at the expense of creators.

Under DMCA 1201 commercial distribution of a "circumvention device" carries a five-year prison sentence and a $500,000 fine. That means that if I write a book, pay to have it recorded, and then sell it to you through Audible, I am criminally prohibited from giving you the tool to take it from Audible to another platform. Even though I hold the copyright to that work, I would face a harsher sentence than you would if you simply pirated the audiobook from some darknet site. Not only that: if you shoplifted the audiobook in CD form, you'd get a lighter sentence than I, the copyright holder, would receive for giving you a tool to unlock it from Amazon's platform! Hell, if you hijacked the truck that delivered the CD, you'd get off lighter than I would. This is a scam straight out of a Marty Hench novel.

This is batshit. I won't allow it. My books are licensed on the condition that they must not be sold with DRM. Which means that Audible won't sell my books, which means that my publishers are thoroughly disinterested in paying thousands of dollars to produce audiobooks of my titles. A book that isn't sold in the one store than accounts for 90% of all sales is unlikely to do well.

That's where you come in. Since 2020, I've used Kickstarter to pre-sell five of my audiobooks (I wrote nine books during lockdown!). All told, I've raised over $750,000 (gross! but still!) on these crowdfunders. More than 20,000 backers have pitched in! The last two of these books – The Internet Con and The Lost Cause – were national bestsellers.

This isn't just a way for me to pay off a lot of bills and put away something for retirement – it's proof that readers care about supporting writers and don't want to be locked in by a giant monopolist that depends on its drivers pissing in bottles to make quota.

It's a powerful message about the desire for something better than Amazon. It's part of the current that is driving the FTC to haul Amazon into court for being a monopolist, and also part of the inspiration for other authors to try treating Amazon as damage and routing around it, with spectacular results:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dragonsteel/surprise-four-secret-novels-by-brandon-sanderson

And I'm doing it again. Last December, I went into Skyboat Media's studios where Gabrielle De Cuir directed @wilwheaton, who reprised his role as Marty Hench for the audiobook of The Bezzle. It came out amazing:

https://archive.org/details/bezzle-sample

Now I'm pre-selling this audiobook, as well as the ebook and hardcover for The Bezzle. I'm also offering bundles with the ebook and audiobook for Red Team Blues (naturally these are all DRM-free). You can get your books signed and personalized and shipped anywhere in the world, courtesy of Book Soup, and I've partnered with Libro.fm to deliver DRM-free audiobooks with an app for people who don't want to mess around with sideloading.

I've also got some spendy options for high rollers. There's three chances to name a character in the next Hench novel (Picks and Shovels, Feb 2025). There's also five chances to commission a Hench short story about your favorite tech scam, and get credited when the story is published.

The Kickstarter runs for the next three weeks, which should give me time to get the hardcopy books signed and shipped to arrive around the on-sale date. What's more, I've finally worked out all the post-Brexit kinks with shipping my UK publisher's books to EU backers. I'm working with Otherland Books to fulfill those EU orders, and it looks like I'm going to be able to sign a giant stack of those when I'm in Berlin later this month to give the annual Marshall McLuhan lecture at the Canadian embassy:

https://transmediale.de/en/2024/event/mcluhan-2024

Red Team Blues and its sequels are some of the most fun – and informative – work I've done in my quarter-century career. I love how they blend technical explanations of the scam economy with high-intensity technothrillers. That's the the same mix as my bestselling YA series Little Brother series – but these are firmly adult novels.

The Bezzle came out great. I hope you'll give it a try – and that you'll come out to see me in late February when I hit the road with the book! Here's that Kickstarter link again:

http://thebezzle.org

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/10/the-bezzle/#marty-hench

[thenightwolf51]

So i originally had this idea when i reblogged this post by @saphushia but i wanna just seperate it out as its own little prompt.

A quick context is that Danny seems to be roaming around Gotham like some homeless cryptid, kinda Bus to Nowhere style but with more vigilante interaction and casual offerings of first aid. And the batkids are keeping their adoption bait First Aid Cryptid(tm) secret from Batman.

One set of tags in the reblogs from @little-pondhead caught my attention

I came up with both funny answers and an angsty answer for that "#why?" but here's the angsty one (though i promice i actually envision it to be more hurt/comfort with a lot of family fluff)

Actual Prompt⬇️⬇️

Something happens, maybe a reveal gone wrong, maybe he got capture by the GIW, maybe he lost Jazz and his parents somehow.

Whatever it is, it leaves Danny with a need to escaped to a new dimension which just so happens to end up being the DCU. He winds up in Gotham and is just trying to start over, easier said than done but at there's plenty of heros around so he doesn't need to go ghost and he can still patch up the local vigilantes to feed his obsession. He's just not up to being Phantom yet and he's still recovering from whatever happened in Amity, whether it be mentally or physically.

Plus these vigilantes are kinda fun to mess with. Danny can practically see the gears turning as they try to put together and make sense of his little "lore drops", that Red Robin almost reminds him of Wes in a way.

Its not like he really needs to hide anyways. There's no GIW here, no Anti-Ecto Acts, if it really comes down to it he could probably pass as meta and fall under those protection laws. Judging by Signal, Danny's pretty sure Batman's bluffing on the whole "hating metas" thing anyways.

It takes awhile before Danny actually does meet the big bat himself and the reaction he gets is nothing anyone was expecting.

You see theres one little detail danny couldn't have been warned about, and its that there just so happens to be a version of Jazz here.

Except this Jazz lost her Danny when they were in high school, as in full on dead and gone Danny, no halfas here, the portal simply did not work and it was just regular ole lethal electrocution that hit her little brother.

What if she grew up with a young Bruce somehow, whether it be because CPS took her from the Fentons after her Danny's death or Amity Park simply doesn't exist in the DCU making Gotham the city with the thinnest veil and thus where the Fenton's chose to settle down.

This Jazz is an adult in her 40s but was once a kid smart enough to go to Gotham Academy on scholarship (or maybe the Fenton's had enough money from patents?). A kid who took one look at young Bruce's grumpy little face and decided he needed a honest friend, one that wasn't after status or money.

This Jazz grew up being a secondary voice of reason for Bruce, ganging up with Alfred in their own crusade to enforce healthy habits on him in between their weekly tea sessions.

This Jazz lost her brother and could not only understand Bruce's resoning on a minor level but encouraged his planned "journey of self discovery and healing". (Though the bat costume he made when he came back was unexpected and she gave him a look to rival Alfred for it)

This Jazz grew up to be a social worker because if anyone had cared enough to take her away from the Fenton's sooner then her brother might've still been alive

This Jazz being the one Bruce calls when he first gets Dick because holy shit he has no idea what hes doing and "Jazz, i just became a father, help!"

This Jazz being a sort of aunt to all the Batkids and is a major influence that has led to their dynamics being similar to Wayne Family Adventures

Bruce goes pale and later calls Jazz after he finally gets a glimps/meets the so called "First Aid Cryptid" his kids have been obsessed with. Because this kid that he's looking at with the barely visible lichtenberg scars... that's a face he hasn't seen in little over 20 years, that's his old friend's long dead baby brother.

Bruce sees danny and his mind rapidly jumps to all sorts of possibilities. Is this a clone? Is this a trap? Are the Lazarus pits involved somehow? Time travel? He does consider a ghost but this kid is too solid and they're nowhere near the old dilapidated Fenton Works building

Eventually, down the line when they get the full story of Danny being from an alternate dimension, Jazz might try to adopt him. Which has potential to be unhealthy but i fully believe Jazz would be aware enough not to project her decades old grief on this Danny, who is so similar but so different to her brother.

(Because I think a Gotham raised Danny would've been similar to a young Jason in street smarts so this Amity raised Danny is noticeably different)

Danny on the other hand... not sure if i could say the same, especially if he just lost his Jazz before winding up in the DCU. But again, this is an adult Jazz in her late 40s with professional experience dealing with traumatized kids, and she'll do her best to help him through it

Im imagining Jazz and Bruce to have a more platonic friendship, maybe even see each other as family, but you could go with Parent Syndrome if you want

(And because i love to see other peoples ideas and opinions, @omnicrafts @ailithnight @atiyasnake @hdgnj @nelkcats @nerdpoe @im-totally-not-an-alien-2 @dcxdpdabbles. Sorry i tag you guys so much but i like your writing, im eager to offer ideas, and your posts have been major sources of joy while ive been hyperfixating on DPxDC)