#his leaving was turned into a rebellious snarky teenage kind of thing

[to-the-batcomputer]

as much as it makes me sad and i reject it as the true end of btas bruce's life, there's something sexy about his stubborn devotion to the mission of batman. sitting old and alone in his cave, unshakably bitter because he still believes in that mission, and he's still angry and everyone else who abandoned it

[pridebooks]

It’s Trans Day of Visibility, so have some books!!

Full list of books (with synopses) under the cut.

First picture: Books by trans authors (most also have trans characters)

Memoirs of a Man’s Maiden Years by N. O. Body - "I was born a boy, raised as a girl. . . . One may raise a healthy boy in as womanish a manner as one wishes, and a female creature in as mannish; never will this cause their senses to remain forever reversed." So writes the pseudonymous N. O. Body, born in 1884 with ambiguous genitalia and assigned a female identity in early infancy. Brought up as a girl, "she" nevertheless asserted stereotypical male behavior from early on. In the end, it was a passionate love affair with a married woman that brought matters to a head. Desperately confused, suicidally depressed, and in consultation with Magnus Hirschfeld, one of the most eminent and controversial sexologists of the day, "she" decided to become "he." N. O. Body was identified as Karl M. Baer (he/him).

Spy Stuff by Matthew J. Metzger - Anton never thought anyone would ever want to date him. Everyone knows nobody wants a transgender boyfriend, right? So he's as shocked as anyone when seemingly-straight Jude Kalinowski asks him out, and doesn't appear to be joking.The only problem is ... well, Jude doesn't actually know.Anton can see how this will play out: Jude is a nice guy, and nice guys finish last. And Anton is transgender, and transgender people don't get happy endings. If he tells Jude, it might destroy everything.And if Jude tells anyone else ... it will. Matthew J. Metzger (he/him) is a queer trans man.

I Wish You All The Best by Mason Deaver - When Ben De Backer comes out to their parents as nonbinary, they're thrown out of their house and forced to move in with their estranged older sister, Hannah, and her husband, Thomas, whom Ben has never even met. Struggling with an anxiety disorder compounded by their parents' rejection, they come out only to Hannah, Thomas, and their therapist and try to keep a low profile in a new school.But Ben's attempts to survive the last half of senior year unnoticed are thwarted when Nathan Allan, a funny and charismatic student, decides to take Ben under his wing. As Ben and Nathan's friendship grows, their feelings for each other begin to change, and what started as a disastrous turn of events looks like it might just be a chance to start a happier new life.At turns heartbreaking and joyous, I Wish You All the Best is both a celebration of life, friendship, and love, and a shining example of hope in the face of adversity Mason Deaver (they/them) is nonbinary.

George by Alex Gino -When people look at George, they think they see a boy. But she knows she's not a boy. She knows she's a girl.George thinks she'll have to keep this a secret forever. Then her teacher announces that their class play is going to be Charlotte's Web. George really, really, REALLY wants to play Charlotte. But the teacher says she can't even try out for the part . . . because she's a boy.With the help of her best friend, Kelly, George comes up with a plan. Not just so she can be Charlotte -- but so everyone can know who she is, once and for all. Alex Gino (they/them) is genderqueer.

Starglass by Phoebe North -  Terra has never known anything but life aboard the Asherah, a city-within-a-spaceship that left Earth five hundred years ago in search of refuge. At sixteen, working a job that doesn't interest her, and living with a grieving father who only notices her when he's yelling, Terra is sure that there has to be more to life than what she's got. But when she inadvertently witnesses the captain's guard murdering an innocent man, Terra is suddenly thrust into the dark world beneath her ship's idyllic surface. As she's drawn into a secret rebellion determined to restore power to the people, Terra discovers that her choices may determine life or death for the people she cares most about. With mere months to go before landing on the long-promised planet, Terra has to make the decision of a lifetime--one that will determine the fate of her people. Phoebe North (they/them) is genderqueer.

Power Surge by Sara Codair - Erin has just realized that for the entirety of their life, their family has lied to them. Their Sight has been masked for years, so Erin thought the Pixies and Mermaids were hallucinations. Not only are the supernatural creatures they see daily real, but their grandmother is an Elf, meaning Erin isn’t fully human. On top of that, the dreams Erin thought were nightmares are actually prophecies.While dealing with the anger they have over all of the lies, they are getting used to their new boyfriend, their boyfriend's bullying ex, and the fact that they come from a family of Demon Hunters. As Erin struggles through everything weighing on them, they uncover a Demon plot to take over the world.Erin just wants some time to work through it all on their own terms, but that's going to have to wait until after they help save the world. Sara Codair (they/she) is nonbinary.

Out of Salem by Hal Schrieve - When genderqueer fourteen-year-old Z Chilworth wakes from death after a car crash that killed their parents and sisters, they have to adjust quickly to their new status as a zombie. Always a talented witch, Z can now barely perform magic and is rapidly decaying. Faced with rejection from their remaining family members and old friends, Z moves in with Mrs. Dunnigan, an elderly witch, and befriends Aysel, a loud would-be-goth classmate who is, like Z, a loner. As Z struggles to find a way to repair the broken magical seal holding their body together, Aysel fears that her classmates will discover her status as an unregistered werewolf. When a local psychiatrist is murdered in an apparent werewolf attack, the town of Salem, Oregon, becomes even more hostile to monsters, and Z and Aysel are driven together in an attempt to survive a place where most people wish that neither of them existed. Hal Schrieve (xie/hir) is a genderfluid trans man.

This is Kind of an Epic Love Story by Kacen Callender - Nathan Bird doesn’t believe in happy endings. Although he’s the ultimate film buff and an aspiring screenwriter, Nate’s seen the demise of too many relationships to believe that happy endings exist in real life.Playing it safe to avoid a broken heart has been his MO ever since his father died and left his mom to unravel—but this strategy is not without fault. His best-friend-turned-girlfriend-turned-best-friend-again, Florence, is set on making sure Nate finds someone else. And in a twist that is rom-com-worthy, someone does come along: Oliver James Hernández, his childhood best friend.After a painful mix-up when they were little, Nate finally has the chance to tell Ollie the truth about his feelings. But can Nate find the courage to pursue his own happily ever after?  Kacen Callender (they/them) is a demiboy.

Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee - Captain Kel Cheris of the hexarchate is disgraced for using unconventional methods in a battle against heretics. Kel Command gives her the opportunity to redeem herself by retaking the Fortress of Scattered Needles, a star fortress that has recently been captured by heretics. Cheris’s career isn’t the only thing at stake. If the fortress falls, the hexarchate itself might be next.Cheris’s best hope is to ally with the undead tactician Shuos Jedao. The good news is that Jedao has never lost a battle, and he may be the only one who can figure out how to successfully besiege the fortress.The bad news is that Jedao went mad in his first life and massacred two armies, one of them his own. As the siege wears on, Cheris must decide how far she can trust Jedao–because she might be his next victim. Yoon Ha Lee (he/him) is a trans man.

Second pic: Books with trans characters

Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonsky -  Alone at home, twelve-year-old Grayson Sender glows, immersed in beautiful thoughts and dreams. But at school, Grayson grasps at shadows, determined to fly under the radar. Because Grayson has been holding onto a secret for what seems like forever: “he” is a girl on the inside, stuck in the wrong gender’s body.The weight of this secret is crushing, but leaving it behind would mean facing ridicule, scorn, and rejection. Despite these dangers, Grayson’s true self itches to break free. Strengthened by an unexpected friendship and a caring teacher who gives her a chance to step into the spotlight, Grayson might finally have the tools to let her inner light shine.

Beautiful Music for Ugly Children by Kirstin Cronn-Mills - "This is Beautiful Music for Ugly Children, on community radio 90.3, KZUK. I'm Gabe. Welcome to my show."My birth name is Elizabeth, but I'm a guy. Gabe. My parents think I've gone crazy and the rest of the world is happy to agree with them, but I know I'm right. I've been a boy my whole life.When you think about it, I'm like a record. Elizabeth is my A side, the song everybody knows, and Gabe is my B side--not heard as often, but just as good.It's time to let my B side play.

Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin - The first thing you’re going to want to know about me is: Am I a boy, or am I a girl?Riley Cavanaugh is many things: Punk rock. Snarky. Rebellious. And gender fluid. Some days Riley identifies as a boy, and others as a girl. The thing is…Riley isn’t exactly out yet. And between starting a new school and having a congressman father running for reelection in uber-conservative Orange County, the pressure—media and otherwise—is building up in Riley’s so-called “normal” life.On the advice of a therapist, Riley starts an anonymous blog to vent those pent-up feelings and tell the truth of what it’s REALLY like to be a gender fluid teenager. But just as Riley’s starting to settle in at school—even developing feelings for a mysterious outcast—the blog goes viral, and an unnamed commenter discovers Riley’s real identity, threatening exposure. Riley must make a choice: walk away from what the blog has created—a lifeline, new friends, a cause to believe in—or stand up, come out, and risk everything.

The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson - David Piper has always been an outsider. His parents think he's gay. The school bully thinks he’s a freak. Only his two best friends know the real truth: David wants to be a girl.On the first day at his new school Leo Denton has one goal: to be invisible. Attracting the attention of the most beautiful girl in his class is definitely not part of that plan. When Leo stands up for David in a fight, an unlikely friendship forms. But things are about to get messy. Because at Eden Park School secrets have a funny habit of not staying secret for long…

Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller - Sallot Leon is a thief, and a good one at that. But gender fluid Sal wants nothing more than to escape the drudgery of life as a highway robber and get closer to the upper-class—and the nobles who destroyed their home.When Sal steals a flyer for an audition to become a member of The Left Hand—the Queen’s personal assassins, named after the rings she wears—Sal jumps at the chance to infiltrate the court and get revenge.But the audition is a fight to the death filled with clever circus acrobats, lethal apothecaries, and vicious ex-soldiers. A childhood as a common criminal hardly prepared Sal for the trials. And as Sal succeeds in the competition, and wins the heart of Elise, an intriguing scribe at court, they start to dream of a new life and a different future, but one that Sal can have only if they survive.

The Past and Other Things That Should Stay Buried by Shaun David Hutchinson - A good friend will bury your body, a best friend will dig you back up.Dino doesn’t mind spending time with the dead. His parents own a funeral home, and death is literally the family business. He’s just not used to them talking back. Until Dino’s ex-best friend July dies suddenly—and then comes back to life. Except not exactly. Somehow July is not quite alive, and not quite dead.As Dino and July attempt to figure out what’s happening, they must also confront why and how their friendship ended so badly, and what they have left to understand about themselves, each other, and all those grand mysteries of life.

I Was Born For This by Alice Oseman -  For Angel Rahimi, life is only about one thing: The Ark – a pop-rock trio of teenage boys who are currently taking the world by storm. Being part of The Ark’s fandom has given her everything – her friendships, her dreams, her place in the world. Jimmy Kaga-Ricci owes everything to The Ark too. He’s their frontman – and playing in a band is all he’s ever dreamed of doing. It’s just a shame that recently everything in his life seems to have turned into a bit of a nightmare. Because that’s the problem with dreaming – eventually, inevitably, real life arrives with a wake-up call. And when Angel and Jimmy are unexpectedly thrust together, they will discover just how strange and surprising facing up to reality can be.

The Pants Project by Cat Clarke - Whoever wrote the uniform policy decided (whyyy?) that girls had to wear skirts, while boys were allowed to wear pants. Sexist. Dumb. Unfair. “Girls must wear a black, pleated, knee-length skirt.” I bet I read those words a hundred times during summer vacation. The problem wasn’t the last word in that sentence. Skirt wasn’t really the issue, not for me. The issue was the first word. Girls. Here’s the thing: I may seem like a girl, but on the inside, I’m a boy.

[simply-slu-slu]

Glaciality Chapter 4: "Partners"

Cassidy agressively dragged Slush down the vast hallway by the arm with a soft growl. The woman couldn't stand children, her boss knew this, and yet here she was stuck working with them anyways!

"Come on move it already!" She exclaimed as she yanked at the small canine's arm, causing Slush to yelp.

"Would you quit with the tugging already? I'm going as fast as my legs can carry me!" Slush snarled in response, lightly glaring up at the head nurse with disgust.

"Do you want to get shocked again, brat?"

Slush clenched her jaw, deciding to not even dignify the woman with a response. The husky averted her gaze to the shiny white tiles below her feet, now seeing the ice that remained coated over parts of her body.

'That's never happened before...'

She thought to herself with a soft sigh.

'Guess I got more stressed out than I thought.'

Her train of thought was broken by another tug from Cassidy.

"Go in here. Hurry up." The woman shoved Slush into a small closet like room, that was dimly lit by a single light bulb. Slush folded an ear before looking toward the woman with a confused look. "Put on those clothes there, quickly."

"It's...a little big don'tcha think?" Slush asked as her eyes settled on the orange and white t-shirt along with matching orange pants that was neatly hung up on the wall.

"Just put it on and quit asking questions!"

Slush scoffed as she glanced back at the suit once more. She shook her head lightly as she began to remove her hospital gown.

'Really, orange? What am I, a prisoner? I mean at least it's not yellow...but still couldn't they have picked purple or something?'

She reached out for the shirt, only to come into contact with a rather thin and scratchy material causing her fur to rise as she pulled her hand away in disgust.

'Ick...that feels ugly.'

"256 would you hurry it up already?"

"I'm going I'm going." She remarked as she reached for the shirt once more, taking it off it's hanger before putting it on.

Once she got it on straight, the shirt hung down to just above her knees. She then reached for the pants and attempted to put them on as well, but the pant legs practically covered her feet entirely, and they felt as if they were threatning to slide off at any moment.

"I'm sorry ma'am but these are way to big." Slush opened the door of the closet before looking up at Cassidy who clearly didn't care.

"Too bad. You'll just have to work with it." She reached over and grabbed Slush by the arm once more before dragging her off yet again.

"Seriously?" Slush stumbled and tripped over the pant legs, causing them to nearly fall off of her but she caught them by the waist using her free hand. "You knew I was leaving, so why didn't you have anything prepared?"

"We don't have anything in your size runt, you're only about 2'0", and most mobian huskies are at least 3'2" by your age. I honestly thought you were 6 by your height alone." Cassidy said in a snarky tone before laughing.

Slush's ears pinned back as she let out a small snort in response.

'When I grow some more, we'll see who the real runt will be.'

Slush remained silent as Cassidy continued to drag her along, only letting out a small gasp upon seeing a large group of children up ahead, around 100 or so that were beginning to line up against the wall.

"What's going on?" Slush asked.

"This is where you will line up, and then you'll fill into the assembly hall." Cassidy responded. "255, 257 raise your hands."

A parrot and a lamb who were standing by one another reluctantly raised their hands.

"What for?"

"You're going to be paired up." Cassidy began to push Slush toward the two creatures. "Now go stand between those two."

"Uh...alright?" Slush folded an ear before reluctantly making her way to the other two children with their hands up. The lamb and parrot made a bit of space for her to stand between in response as they put their hands down. "What does she mean by paired up?" Slush asked in a quiet whisper.

"From what I understand, these people have designated us some kind of work partner. Not so sure what happens next." The female parrot whispered softly.

'Work...partner? Why would we need that?'

Slush thought to herself as the line began to move into the assembly hall.

"Alright kids, you are to sit in order starting from the front row to the back once you enter the dome of the assembly hall." One of the facility staff called out over an intercom. "Do not get out of order, and do not disobey instructions. There will be consequences for disobedience. All questions will be answered by the speaker before the pairing session begins."

Slush glanced around as they slowly filled into the assembly hall, the ceiling was a large glass dome and snow could be seen falling and sliding off the outside of it. The wind from the storm outside could be heard ever so slightly as it whipped its way around the building. She then turned her attention to the red velvet theater-chairs that were lined up in various rows. The bottom half of the hall could hold up to 350 people, and the upper floor of the hall seemed like it could easily hold another group of 300 people.

Once all the children settled into their seats, the lights of the hall dimmed slightly as what seemed to be G.U.N. soldiers shut the doors of the hall. Two soldiers stood at every exit door, and about 10 more stood at the foot of the stage as the stage lights came on.

Pure silence fell across the room as a male cougar made his way to the oak podium that sat in the center of the stage, holding a few notecards in his hands as well as a tablet of sorts. He laid the tablet on the podium before straightening his cards, looking up at the crowd of young children with his vibrant Amethyst eyes.

"Good evening children," the cougar began. "Welcome to the Whispervale Sanctuary for Gifted Children of Wildelynn, or The W.S.G.C.W. for short. You shall all refer to me as Headmaster Kanjiro." The cougar glanced down at his cards, flipping one of them over before looking up at the children again.

"I am certian you all are disoriented and confused as to why you are here, so I will be answering a few questions before we pair you with your statistically chosen partners. Please place your hands on the of your identification plates found on your collars if you have a question. If I call your number, keep your hand on your identification plate until a microphone is passed to you. Do not speak unless you are selected please, and I'd suggest you be respectful if you know what is good for you."

A majority of the children lifted their hands to the metal plates found on their necks as Kanjiro glanced down at his tablet. The tablet appeared to have a map of the theater, and the children who had their hands to their plates could be seen as small red dots on the map.

"161. Your question please." A microphone was passed to a male eagle owl.

"Why are we here?"

"As we do annually, we select 650 children that are age 10, that have promising abilities to be taken into this facility. Due to Wildelynn's rising crime rates, we plan to make better officers for the city. Each and every one of you show promising abilities that could prove to be useful in lowering the crimerate of the city." He glanced down at his tablet once more. "427."

"Why do you only pick 10 year olds? Why not teenagers or adults?"

"You are at the perfect age, any younger than 10 children tend to be immature and difficult to manage. Any older, such as a pre-teen or teenager tends to be rebellious, and you are at such an age where we can easily put a stop to that rebellious stage before it starts. As for adults, although they can still learn, it often takes longer for them to grasp information and their bodies aren't as agile." He glanced down at his tablet before setting his gaze upon Slush. "256."

"But aren't many adults already going through police and military training? And aren't their laws against kids working?" Slush asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, but as stated before they learn slower and their bodies aren't as agile. We can train your body to do things in your youthful state, which will grant you exceptional flexibility and durability as you get older. And yes, you are correct. But the first 5 years you will spend here will involve vigorous training. Once you turn 16, you will begin regular patrolling. Given that you survive the first 5 years." The cougars face darkened slightly, his tone becoming rather grim.

'Survive? What exactly is he trying to say here?'

Slush thought to herself.

"421."

"Will we ever get to see our families again?"

"No. You belong to the government now, your parents have no custody over you, nor any say in what we do to you starting from the moment you set foot in this place. You will never see them again, unless they are the victims or perpetrators of a crime."

Many of the children became restless at this statement. Many, including Slush were already missing their families as it was, but to be told that they would never see their families again was just soul crushing to say the least.

'So...Dr. Emerson wasn't lying about that. I'm never going to see Dad, or Merci ever again. I can't even visit mom in White Acropolis either...and she'll never know why.'

Slush's eyes became covered in blue and white spirals as she cried lightly, as did many other children.

"332."

"Why are we reffered to as numbers instead of our names?"

"Names are useless here. You are not citizens, but subjects, data. Nothing more. 36 your question please."

"Why were we specifically selected?"

"As stated previously, you show the most promise out of all of Wildelynn's children. A good handful of you, I'm certian will be promoted to Trainee's for G.U.N." he looked down at his tablet once more. "29."

"When you mentioned if we survived...what did you mean sir?"

"The training regimen is not easy. It will be difficult and is adjusted to each of your needs. Some will breeze through it, others may die trying. And if the second outcome occurs, then and only then would you be reunited with your families."

"That's not fair!"

"You didn't even give any of us a choice to be here!"

"I want to go home!"

"I hate this place!"

Many children began to scream in disbelief, some beginning to activate their powers out of anguish.

"I'd suggest you sit back down and remain silent." Kanjiro said with a flat tone as he glared at those who were beginning to rise from their seats. Slush was not one of them, but she stared down Kanjiro as her blue spirals swirled rather violently over her eyes.

The children seemingly ignored the command, until their collars let off a harsh shock, causing them all to fall back into their seats with an outcry as burn marks formed on their necks, around the collars.

"I warned you. Do not make me do it again. Let that be a lesson to all of you." The Headmaster growled, "We have no time for such behavior." He straightened his cards once more before looking back at his cards. "That will be all the questions I will be taking. When I call your initals and plate number, you are to come up on stage, greet one another, and then follow an associate to your temporary rooms. You will have 3 days of team building exercises to get acquainted with one another before your G.U.N. fosters arrive. They will instruct you further."

The children moved slightly in their seats, whispering amongst themselves as they begrudgingly waited for their ID's to be called.

"R.T.S. 150, you are paired with P.E.Y. 500. X.E.Z. 10, paired with U.I.R. 12..."

***

Slush had her eyes focused on the snow fall that could be seen up above. The headmaster seemed to be taking ages to list off the names and frankly she was getting quite bored. It felt like she had been waiting over an hour, maybe even two and yet he hadn't seemed to even be halfway through all the kids just yet.

"V.A.V. 587, you are paired with S.L.I. 256."

Slush's ears twitched before she looked toward the stage with wide eyes.

"You'd better go..." the children around Slush whispered softly. "Hope you get someone nice."

"Uh...thanks?" Slush rose from her seat, lightly tapping her fingers together as she made her way to the stage. The canine could have sworn that she felt everyone's eyes on her at that moment...and honestly it was quite scary least to say.

'Oh gosh...'

She thought as her eyes focused on a navy blue Belgian Sheepdog that was making her way to the stage. Her fuchsia eyes darting around in fear as her ears were folded flat against her head.

The Sheepdog made her way onto the stage, walked up to Slush and simply gave a small wave before glancing back toward the crowd. Slush glanced back at the crowd as well before gently taking her new partner's hand, causing the other pup to jump lightly in suprise. The canine gazed at Slush with a confused look, she was clearly afraid.

"Come on, we gotta go to the staff..." Slush whispered softly.

"O-okay..." The other pup responded before being guided by Slush to the staff member. From there the two were guided to a room labeled with their ID's.

"In here kids. You'll be notified for dinner, but you are not allowed out of this room until then." A staff member said before closing the door once they were both inside.

Their room was quite bland, only consisting of white and black colors, almost as plain as the ward. The walls were painted white, and the carpet seemed to be pitch black. There were two beds which laid against the walls of the room, they had black comforters, white sheets and white pillows and looked rather stiff. There was nothing else within the room.

The girls silently chose a bed, Slush heading for the one on the right, the other pup for the left. They sat in silence for a moment before Slush finally decided to break the silence.

"So...what's your name?"

"Uh..." The sheepdog looked up at Slush, her ears pinning back. "Vitality...Vitality Valoore..." she glanced away. "And you?"

"Slush Icydra." Slush smiled softly.

The two sat in silence once more for a few minutes.

"I-I'm scared." Vitality managed to choke out, tears forming in her eyes.

"Me too..." Slush's ears pinned back as she looked down at her hands.

"R-really?"

"Yeah...I don't know what to expect."

"I just don't understand why they are doing something like this."

"Me either honestly...it makes no sense to me."

"D-do you...do you think we will make it Slush?"

"Make it?"

"Survive I mean..."

Slush remained silent for a moment, lightly rubbing her hands together.

"Maybe. I don't know."

Vitality covered her eyes with a small whine in response.

"But, that doesn't mean we shouldn't try." The husky said as she glanced up at her companion. Vitality's ear flicked as she removed her hands from her face. "If we try hard enough, if we learn enough...maybe just maybe we can get out of this situation."

"You really think so..?"

"Again...I don't know. But it's worth a shot. Maybe when we get older, they won't be as strict with us. But I really don't know at the moment."

"That would be nice..."

"Yeah."

"Slush?"

"Hm?"

"I know that we just met, but...is there any chance I can get a hug from you? I...I just really need one."

"Yeah, of course." Slush rose up from her bed and began to walk toward Vitality, who met her halfway to the center of the room. Slush wrapped her arms around Vitality into a small hug. "It'll be okay. We just have to work together..."

"Right..."

[luckystarchild]

Random headcannon! What kind of fathers do you think the boys would be like? :)

Now THIS is the kind of head-canon Ask I can sink my teeth into! Love getting these. WARNING: LONG POST AHEAD.

KURAMA:

I actually wonder if Kurama would want children. Part of me thinks he’d be perfectly happy to be childfree by choice. He’s a precise person I imagine as a clean-freak, and I think he’d find kids tiresome.

BUT, if he had them, he’d raise them to be polite, responsible, and calm–almost little Kurama clones, because wild children would get on his nerves. He’d never, EVER raise his voice to his kids and he’d find spanking repugnant (because intimidating a child into obeying means he failed to reason with said child, which means Kurama’s big brain failed him, and his pride can’t have that)

 He’s the kind of father who would have an office in his home that no one is allowed into except for him;  “Don’t disturb your father while he’s working, children.”

I also think he might accidentally wind up being a bit distant from his kids. Not for lack of love, but he’s so dang polite and reserved that his kids might not find him accessible or approachable. PLUS I don’t think he had much of a family as a demon, and since he spent a lot of his childhood ignoring Shiori, he likely has no clue how to be a good parent (though he mimics Shiori as best he can). He’s not the type to play Legos with his kids, is what I’m saying.

He’d have no trouble telling his kids “no.” 

I think his kids would inevitably have a rebellious phase, mostly to get their father’s attention, and otherwise be hungry for his approval.

Mess with Kurama’s kids, btw, and you die. You die slowly and horribly in the basement, tortured long and slow (and Kurama’s kids, seeing him protect them, realize that while their father might be cold sometimes, he truly loves them very much).

The voice of reason on the local PTA (which he low-key runs by psychologically manipulating the other parents).

Bonus: Kurama’s kids would have a GREAT relationship with Shiori and spend a ton of time with their grandmother, whom Kurama would go to for parenting advice at least twice week when no one’s looking.

HIEI:

Firstly, I don’t think Mister Deathwish plans ahead enough to truly imagine a family life, and secondly, I think he’d avoid having kids after such a fucked-up childhood. “How can I raise a family when I’ve never had one of my own, never experienced what that feels like?” I hear him asking. He won’t even tell his sister they’re family, which makes me think he thinks he doesn’t DESERVE a family of his own…so any kids he has would likely be an accident, unless you write him with a lot of character development in which he moves past his intrinsic self-loathing.

So I see him being one of two types of fathers: the dad who resents having a kid accidentally (but the kid eventually opens him up and makes him a happier person), or the kind of dad who tries to be a good parent and just has no idea how and winds up making his kids cry a lot (“Daddy is scary!”). Or maybe he starts as the first and grows into the second; IDK.

Point is, he’d be gruff and no-nonsense, and when teaching his kids to fight (because you know he would!) he wouldn’t pull punches. In fact, I imagine him almost as an Aggressive Little League Dad™, taking a small child’s fighting lessons far too seriously for their own good:

“Pick up your sword, child!” he says to a kid literally in pull-ups.

“But Daddy, it’s too heavy!” says the kid as they try to life a sword that is literally twice their height.

“I SAID PICK IT UP, BRAT, AND STOP DAWDLING. AN ENEMY WOULD HAVE KILLED YOU BY NOW.”

 “Waaaah, Mommy, help!”

I think Hiei’s partner would have to step in and say, “Hiei, honey, they’re KIDS. Let them be kids. They don’t need to fight yet because we’ll keep them safe.” But since Hiei was LITERALLY TOSSED OFF A ROCK AS A BABY BY HIS OWN DANG MOM, he has no concept of what a peaceful childhood looks like and insists the kids fight while in diapers. It’s only when his partner points out that they do not, in fact, intend to toss their children off a floating island that Hiei chills out.

“Tell me, Hiei. Do you intend to abandon our child? Do you ever intend not to protect them? No? THEN LET THE KID GET A DANG TEDDY BEAR FOR HIS BIRTHDAY AND PUT AWAY THOSE NUNCHUCKS; GODDAMN.”

Has no idea what a PTA is and doesn’t care to learn, and will sulk if dragged to one. Maybe light a curtain on fire to cut the meeting short. It’s Hiei.

Bonus: Yukina would be a very involved auntie, because if Hiei is open enough to have kids of his own, he’d be open enough to confess he’s her brother.

YUSUKE:

Yusuke loves kids (at least in my personal head-canon he does), and while I totally see him having kids accidentally (because he ain’t the responsible sort), I do think he’d want them (or not hate the idea of then and just not think too hard about the possibility of kids until, whoops, one is on the way, too late now).

And you know what? I think he’d be a great dad.

He’d be warm with his kids, play with them on their level, and totally support them when they do something he never could (do well in school, for instance). Lots of affectionate teasing and wrestling, I picture. Yusuke’s father was canonically abusive, so Yusuke would try to right the wrongs of his childhood and be the best dad ever.

HOWEVER…I think he’d inevitably turn his partner into the Bad Cop to his Good Cop. Yusuke would be his kid’s buddy and leave the discipline to his partner. “Daddy, can I get a puppy?” “Um…go ask your mother/father!” He’d be the “fun” parent, and sometimes that would lead to strife with his partner and a lack of discipline with his kids. I mean, he’d probably give out the odd spanking or three (he spanks a kid in the manga, after all) but taking away a cell phone or grounding the kid would fall to Keiko, or whomever he has kids with.

In fact, if he tried to ground his teenage kids, they’d probably just laugh at him and assume he’s kidding, because he definitely let the kids skip school a few times, talks about their teachers with disdain, and isn’t built for being a stern parent.

Goes to PTA meetings, like, twice a year and makes snarky comments the whole time while eating all the snacks.

Bonus: Atsuko sobers up because Yusuke makes it clear she can’t be drunk when babysitting (and she desperately wants to be a better caretaker to them than she was to Yusuke, even if she laments she’s too young to be a grandmother). He also visits Mister Takenaka (who never married) with the kids sometimes and gets parenting advice from his former teacher, because Takenaka is the closest thing to a dad Yusuke had growing up. Takenaka becomes like a grandfather to Yusuke’s children and it’s lovely.

KUWABARA:

He wants kids, full stop. As a kid himself he wasn’t so sure, but as an adult his paternal instincts go a bit nuts. Turns out his obsession with kittens extends to human babies, as well. He’s a joyful parent, but he would very responsibly wait to have kids until he’s making good money and has finished school. No accidents like Yusuke, that’s for sure.

He preps the nursery as much as his partner does and is the best dad a mother could want during infancy. You ever see someone change a diaper at 4 AM with a grin on his face? You will if you visit Kuwabara when the baby comes home.

As the kids grow up, he gets totally wrapped around their fingers, a total “Yes Man” who brings home presents  (sometimes living ones like kittens) far too often for his partner’s tastes. Spoils his kids rotten, this guy, but his kids trust him completely and can go to him with any problems they have, knowing he won’t judge and will just listen.

He’s nurturing to a fault. Every night he helps with their homework, and if he doesn’t understand it, he’ll read chapters ahead in their textbooks and learn all of the material just so he can help them (through this he realizes just how much stuff he missed in school, back before he buckled down and went to college).

If he has a girl, he’ll be the kind of dad who gives a “Shotgun & Shovel” talk to her boyfriends (though knowing Shizuru, his daughters will be feminists and demand their dad back off and trust them to make their own choices). 

Kuwabara’s biggest fault as a dad is that he hovers and smothers; his kids will be driven NUTS and need space, much as they love their father.

Is the one bringing all the best snacks to the PTA meetings.

Bonus: Shizuru gives all his kids the sex talk because Kuwabara is too embarrassed to do it himself. She’s the coolest aunt ever, and his kids go to her house to escape their dad when he gets too smothery.

IN SUMMARY:

Hiei is an Aggressive Little League Dad™, but with fighting lessons. Doesn’t know what a PTA is and doesn’t care. WILL set something on fire if dragged there against his will.

Kurama is an aloof authority figure who psychologically manipulates the other PTA parents to get his way. Fuck you, Brenda, and screw the funding; these kids are getting a greenhouse.

Yusuke is the Cool Dad™ who eats all the snacks at PTA meetings (of which he only attends, like, two) and makes snarky comments about the moms' boobjobs to himself the whole time.

And Kuwabara is a loving helicopter parent who brings all the best snacks to the PTA meetings, during which he takes the meeting’s minutes (earnestly, but with illegible penmanship).

[dothewrite]

okay idk if i alreayd asked this or not so if i did completely ignore this!! but i was thinkig of a bit of an unusual one where this girl is really good friends with the whole volleyball team (mainly 3rd years) like extremely close and shes sassy and v smol and v cute and shes basically like the little sister to all of them and one day during volleyball practice they see her outside getting bullied by some guys at the school? like even physically? but shes v stubborn so she refuses to admit it?

Ten years later I offer you your completed request. Sigh. Thank you for waiting so long, and although I know your original request wanted me to write for all the Karasuno members, it was a little much for me so I put most of my focus into making the third years’ a little longer. I hope you like it, and if you want more, feel free to send in another request for the other members and I’ll get to them later.

Suga catches you mid-shove, mid-argument. It takes a few moments for him to process the entirety of the situation, staring at you crumpled in the crook of his arms, but he sees red quickly enough that it shows on his kind features.

“Fuck off,” his voice takes on the edge of tempered steel and the guys, those group of miserable teenage boys that never seem to give you any rest until you’re as miserable as they are, don’t even take a second to look back at you as they scramble away, tripping over their heels in a rush to get away from the furious man.

It’s your first time hearing Suga, your always smiling, always loving senior, speak with enough rage to set a river on fire. The most you’ve heard him say is anything in jest, or frustration, or usually something snarky at Daichi, but this- this sets you on edge. He holds your arms up as you fumble your way back upright, your heel slipping a few times on the cool concrete ground. You don’t look up, choosing to turn away once your arms are freed.

“Hey,” Suga stops you before you can take your first step. His voice has lost most of the anger from earlier, probably out of fear of scaring you away, but in the stifled silence between the two of you, it doesn’t take much effort to hear the simmering frustration.

You turn, awkwardly. You meet his eyes, and they sting you with a keen sense of shame. “It was nothing,” you offer weakly.

Suga narrows his eyes and takes a step closer to you. He knows you, far too well, to let you go. To let you even think about running away from the obvious.

“Being shoved over doesn’t seem like nothing.”

“They just wanted me to buy them some drinks, that’s all,” you insist.

Those pair of perfectly sculpted eyebrows raise to match the equally disbelieving purse of his lips, and you start to feel your fingers tighten into rebellious fists. “So they asked nicely, did they?” Suga relentlessly drills.

Your sharp inhalation of air hurts with the suddenness of it, and the cold stings your throat. Well, it could be the cold, but it could also be the angry, humiliated tears that threaten to spill out the corner of your eyes. The view of Suga’s face is blurring, and you take a few moments to will the tears back behind your eyes.

It doesn’t work, and one slips.

You brush it away furiously, and your lower lip starts to tremble. Suga flinches a little at the hurt on your face, and belatedly, reaches out a steadying hand on your left cheek. His fingers feel cool against your blotchy skin, you can’t help but notice.

“Sorry. I just-” he cuts himself off, his tongue and mind fighting each other for the words to say, and you feel his fingers curl in a little against your cheek. He looks terribly frustrated, and his protectiveness stretches out behind him for miles on end in those hazel eyes. “I just can’t believe that they did something like this on school grounds.” He stares at you. “I can’t believe you want to hide it, too.”

Your words come out faster than you can think them, and your voice starts to crack underneath the weight of your stress. “I- I didn’t want you to know. I wasn’t trying to protect them, unless I’ve actually gone completely masochistic-”

“It’s okay,” Suga interrupts, hand pressing closer now, “you’re blabbering.”

“Right,” you sigh. “I just… didn’t want to make trouble, that’s all. I know you’d be, y’know,” you wave a hand vaguely at his expression, “this.”

The exasperated huff from Suga could probably satisfy a whole day’s worth of angry sighs. You’re forcefully pulled into him, your cheek bumping his sweaty volleyball shirt, and Suga wraps his arms around your head like he hasn’t decided whether or not it’s a hug or a headlock. You wisely choose to stay as you are.

“Now you’re just being stupid. What do you think friends are for? Honestly.”

That brings a small huff of laughter to your now salt-tinged lips, and you feel Suga respond in kind against the crown of your head. Quietly, you relax into his hold and allow yourself, just for one moment, to clutch onto him for help.

“Yeah,” you mumble into his shirt, “I know. Stupid, remember?”

You can feel it when they stare. It tickles the back of your neck each time, like the ghost of the day creeping its fingers down your nape, chilling you from the flesh down. It wasn’t so bad at first, and you weren’t unused to stares because of how often you hung around Asahi, and the stares naturally came with. So did the hushed whispers behind sly hands.

They chose a day you were without him. Asahi had dropped you off somewhere between the volleyball and tennis courts, offering a cheery wave of the hand and you watched with a pleased grin as he and Noya painted a comical picture next to each other.

You didn’t have much of a reprieve between the sudden tickling feeling and a harsh shove against your shoulder. A wince escapes your clenched teeth when you hit the concrete pillar behind you, and your bag drags the strap harshly across your shoulder blade. They’re watching your every move, and you feel more rage at the fact that you can’t do anything against four guys by yourself than anything else.

One of them grinds their heel on the bridge of your foot, and another laughs from behind.

“Don’t have your bodyguard with you today?” The laughing one grins behind a devilishly attractive face.

You don’t hesitate. “No,” you snarl, “he’s got other things to do- kinda like your balls.”

For a single, satisfying moment, you watch them recoil with surprise. It doesn’t last long enough however, and another shoves you flat onto the ground. He towers over you, hovering between your legs and you push yourself backwards as far as you can.

He bends down, and sneers at you. “Oh, we’ve got ‘em. Did you want to feel them too?”

“Fuck you.”

“That’s the idea,” he laughs, “fucking slut. That’s what you do all the time with your giant, right?”

“We just study, mostly.” You almost tear up with relief and shame at the same time when that familiar, gravelly voice booms from behind you. It’s a lot louder than you’ve ever heard Asahi, but he’s not shaking, he’s not trembling, and he’s as solid as the pillar behind you.

Quickly, you push yourself to your feet, keeping your back stuck to the wall and give the four boys a filthy stare. They pause, their smug grins wavering a little on their frozen faces, and finally the laughing one throws an arm out. The other three nod, reluctantly, and they each back off like lions having lost their prey.

The relief fades away quickly to make way for a flood of embarrassment. You can feel that your friend is looking at you, probably with that intense, accusing stare he’s always so good at but you simply can’t meet his eyes. You hoist your bag up your shoulder, and slowly back away with your head held low.

“Does this happen often?”

You don’t look up. “Not really.”

“They said something about me, didn’t they? About my size.” He places a hand on your forearm, and you note that it barely takes him any effort to bridge that gap you had so determinedly widened between the two of you. Your shoes shift, and you point your toes stubbornly away.

“It’s nothing. They weren’t after you, anyway.”

“But they were after you, because of me,” he says. It’s with such earnestness, a soft broken-hearted declaration that tugs at you and refuses to let you leave. You can feel the angry blush that heats up your cheeks and you furiously meet his eyes, finally. They’re as conflicted as he sounds and you struggle to not look away. “I’m right, aren’t I?”

“They’re just a bunch of kids,” you tell him, desperately, “this stuff happens in high school all the time, you shouldn’t take it so seriously. It’s really nothing-”

“-you were pushed over,” Asahi interrupts, and you glance down at large fingers tightening around your arm. “It’s not nothing, it happened when I left you alone. Why won’t you say it? Why are you running away?”

You’re shaking, thrown completely off balance by the sudden honesty and directness that you haven’t been expecting from Asahi- that you can’t give back in return. His eyes are bright now, his lips pursed, and he looks exactly like he’s in a match, and he’s at his peak. You open your mouth and shut your eyes at the same time. They’re squeezed tight, and you pretend that you can’t hear what you’re saying.

“Because I don’t want your protection,” you blurt, “you’re just my friend, you’re not supposed to hang around me because I’m not safe in my own school. Like, what is this even? I can’t even get away from four boys without you showing up.”

“So you weren’t even going to tell me if I hadn’t seen?” Asahi sounds so betrayed, and it kills you a little more inside.

“…Probably not,” you mumble.

There’s a moment of silence, and for some incomprehensible reason, he smiles. It’s not entirely cheerful, but it’s sad and accepting and it’s an offering of peace. You’re not quite sure why he’s the one giving you an out when it’s all your fault in the first place. You don’t say anything, however.

“I see,” he murmurs, half to you, and half to himself. He pulls at your arm gently, and you follow without protest. The rest of the third years are already in the gym, shooting curious glances at the two of you, but Asahi doesn’t acknowledge them. You’re quietly sat down to one side, and he stands up straight and pats your head twice. He’s still smiling at you, and you still feel so utterly ashamed.

“I’ll walk you home afterwards,” he tells you.

You nod, and bury your face into the gap between your knees as he walks away to get ready for practice.

Daichi doesn’t actually catch you. You think a great deal about it- standing by the vending machine next to the gym where they’re about to finish practice and you’re pretty sure you look a right mess right now. Your knees are messed up- scraped up and the little streams of blood trickling down from dirty scratches on your arm just make it worse. You don’t exactly have a black eye, but your right cheek is swollen, and your eye feels like it’s throbbing along with your head. The only thing that the bullies haven’t touched is the grim purse of your lips.

You have precious minutes to decide. You can hear them shout from inside, ‘last toss!’, and the organized thudding of sports shoes against the polished ground. You wipe the residual blood off the cut on your face with a swipe of your sleeve; another thing you’re going to have to find a way to explain.

Although… it’s a half-assed plan, and you’re pretty sure it’s going to fail, but damn if you’re going to just sit there and accept pity. It’s a quick and relatively painless sacrifice of your sweater (it’s a little chilly in the autumn but you don’t pay it mind) and you scrunch it up into a soft ball and you dab at your wounds viciously with it. It does the job, shabbily, but you can see the brightening of raw pink, and as you sit back to admire your absolutely pathetic handiwork, you think you can pass it off as having a tumble down some stairs.

You pretend your face doesn’t look like you’ve just got your wisdom teeth removed, and push the doors to the gym open enough for you to slip inside.

‘Slip’ being relative. The three third years spot you immediately, and even Coach Ukai gives you a small wave with how frequently you’re in here. You catch Asahi’s eye first- they widen, but he doesn’t say anything. It’s Suga’s next, and he’s about to open his mouth to say something, but he gives Daichi a quick glance and closes it, deciding to fix you with a stare that’s more incriminating than anything spoken.

You most definitely avoid Daichi’s gaze. It’s burning you with the subtlety of a brick, but you force a grin onto your face and hop over to the first years and offer to help them mop up. Hinata doesn’t say anything, only pausing for a second, and Kageyama only gives you a strange stare before shrugging. You pick up the proffered broom with desperation.

Halfway into your third push, you notice that you’re alone, and everyone’s migrated to the other side of the gym. You can predict the hand before you actually feel it. It’s full of accusation and it pours shame through you like a funnel.

“Your face,” Daichi remarks from behind your shoulder, his voice low and clear, “there better be a good story behind it.”

You shrug, pulling your shoulder from out of his grip. “Tripped. Those stairs really fucked me over on my way here.”

There’s a small lull long enough for a careful exhale, but the hand returns, and you stiffen underneath it. Daichi pulls and spins you around. His face is straight, poker, and the only thing that gives away his anger is the deep furrow of his brows and the tenseness underneath his eyes. It’s not something you would have even noticed if you hadn’t been friends with him for as long as you have.

“You’re so small,” he says.

You raise an eyebrow and rest your free hand on your hip.

“And you’re so tall. Your point?”

“My point,” he intones, “is that there are kids in this school shitty enough to beat up someone so small.”

You flinch, and pull away completely from him. He holds his hand out where it was, and watches it and you with an almost amused glance before meeting your eyes with the same frustration as earlier. You know, that he knows that you’re angry about something entirely different, and it makes you even more tense.

“I can take care of myself,” you declare. You sound as confident as you feel, which is not very, but you’re not about to back down underneath Daichi’s firm glare. He drops his hand, and the two of you watch each other in stressful tension. Somehow, even though you have a large broom in your hand, Daichi still manages to feel the more intimidating of the two of you. It only takes a few minutes for him to wither first, however.

“Alright,” he sighs, almost resignedly. It loosens no muscles in your back, but when he takes a few steps forward to cup your swelling jaw with almost familial affection, you huff into the palm of his hand.

Not for a second do either of you believe that this is going to be the end of the subject. He’s going to be keeping an eye on you from now on, and you’re going to be on the watch for any Daichi-shaped shadows lurking about, but you figure there are worse things to watch out for.

“It looks like it really hurts,” he murmurs softly. “Do you want first aid?”

You shake your head and pull his hand down with your own. They fall into a light hand-hold between the two of you, and you squeeze his fingers in a reluctant thanks- thanks that he cares, thanks that he isn’t pressing the issue.

“Don’t worry about it. Here, let’s start cleaning up.”

He smiles at you, a little exasperatedly, but it brings back a small smirk to your face.

“On it, captain.”