#i missed you guys so much. i really missed my family

[brawberryz]

the present does not exist, time is an illusion, buy gold!

Batfam × neglected Bill Cipher! Reader

《Platonic!》

Note: English is not my first language, sorry if there is any translation error

Imagine that you were neglected throughout your life, it was really something that you cared very little about

The people who knew you told you that you were a genius, that with your intelligence you could change the world, everyone noticed your talents except your family

While you believed you began to be interested in creatures that for some were not real or just myths, you faced many creatures that almost killed you, but no one noticed when you mysteriously disappeared to go to the Gotham forest to see those fantastic creatures

Over time you wrote a diary where you noted all the anomalies of Gotham, some more dangerous than others

Everything was going well until you discovered HIM, Bill Cipher the God of Chaos

You met him while visiting an abandoned library, I found that strange book where he recounted his powers, while you were reading you saw that on the last pages it was written in blood letters

"DO NOT SUMMON"

For many that would have been a great warning but for It was a sign for you, you started to get more interested in this guy called Bill

You started to investigate and look for something that would tell you more about this strange but interesting being

After months of research and failed invocations you were finally able to meet him as a person

"Well, well, well, uhh it's been a while since I was summoned"

Bill said without realizing that you were about to faint, it worked...IT WORKED!

After hard months you were able to summon him, it felt like you had won some important prize

"Ahem, uh...hello, Bill?"

You hesitated a little as you spoke, you read that this entity was very dangerous and could easily end entire universes if it so desired

"Oh, hello strange human! Then with whom do I have the honor?"

Bill said as he floated around you

"I'm (name)...(name) Wayne"

You couldn't believe it was really happening, those days without sleep and researching without stopping were worth it

You had so many questions to ask this Bill, it wasn't every day you could summon an all-powerful god

"Nice name, strange human"

Bill spoke with a mocking tone as he looked at you with his one eye, from the first time he saw you he knew you had something special, your intelligence was unmatched by anyone, you reminded him of Stanford, although he could say that you are much smarter than Stan

This was going to be fun, maybe you're the piece he was missing to be able to free his dimension again

And luckily for him, no one was going to stop it this time

From that moment on, your strange friendship with Bill began

You let him use your body and control you, in exchange he showed you the secrets of the universe and gave you information that no one had ever heard before

But not everything was perfect, every time Bill used your body he ended up doing stupid things, like jumping off the damn stairs and hitting a policeman

Among other crimes that for some strange reason no one in your family found out about

He also did other stupid things like getting a tattoo on your ribs that you will regret for the rest of your life

After a while your bond began to grow stronger, or so you thought

How stupid you were to trust someone like him

"We were supposed to be friends, you lied to me!"

Your soul floated around Bill, you thought that when Bill asked to borrow your body it was going to be like every time but this time he refused to change bodies

"Friends? I don't have friends, you were just one of my pawns for my plan, and now that I have everything right where I want it I don't need you anymore"

Bill said mocking how innocent and foolish you were to believe that they were friends, something that he was going to thank you for was having a good body, you had resistance and good mobility that was going to be very helpful

"Well I have to go, dinner is getting cold"

He said indifferently as he approached the door, before you could stop him or do anything the door slammed shut in front of your face

For the first time in your life you were afraid, afraid of what Bill could do now that his plan was almost complete, you felt like a fool for believing him

_

Bruce noticed how you were weirder than usual, since you entered the kitchen and you sat down you knew something was wrong and it wasn't good

"(Name)...is something wrong?"

Bruce said as he stopped eating and looked at his daughter seriously

"Of course I am dad! Why would something be wrong?"

The girl said as she tilted her head and gave him that strange smile, something was wrong...

(Name) would never answer like that or smile at him like that, her usual response would have been to shrug and continue eating but now there was something strange about her, as if she wasn't her

"Well... you look weirder than usual, I just want you to feel okay"

The other family members suddenly looked at you and Bruce, they looked at each other, it seemed that everyone agreed that you were acting weird

"Nothing's wrong with me, I'm just happy... very happy"

(Name) said before abruptly getting up from the table with her empty plate in hand

"Dinner was good, see you later family!"

The girl said as she walked out of the kitchen waving her hand happily

In the minds of everyone sitting at the table there was only one mutual thought

Something was very wrong with you, and whatever it was they were going to find out

No matter what it took

Poor idiots, if they knew that soon everything was considered important like their universe is about to disappear forever

Everything was happening the way Bill wanted, now no one was going to stop him because there was no Stanford or the Pines family to stop him again

It seems Bill Cipher got his way again

I love writing about my hyperfixations and combining them and making a weird AU

I'll just leave this shit undone and go to sleep, byee

[cinnamontoastcrunch-15]

HI I'M BACK here's a oneshot that I got the idea for in the middle of uni.

Also apologies that I haven't posted at all in January I'll be back properly I promise.

"It's not too late to back out, if you want," Remus offers, turning to Sirius.

"As if. We're here now, Moons. Besides, I think freaking out your entire extended family is a perfect use of my time." He holds out his hand, offering it to Remus. Remus rolls his eyes, but Sirius doesn't miss the smile that comes as he reaches out to grab his hand.

Honestly? Part of Sirius does want to run away. A big part of him regrets to agreeing in the first place.

Still, he's doing this for Remus.

"Me? Why in Merlin's name would you say my name?" Sirius asked, a little dumbfounded.

"I panicked!" Remus said back. "She was so excited about the possibility of me bringing a guy to the wedding, and I only really know three guys!"

Well, he wasn't exactly wrong.

"You don't have to come," he said quickly. "I just figured it wouldn't hurt to ask? Four hours, free food, freak out my relatives who don't know I'm gay?"

"When you put it like that..."

Four hours in a liminal space where he can call Remus Lupin his boyfriend. Embarrassingly enough, Sirius has had dreams about this. Maybe not as a sudden stand in to make Hope happy, but he'll take whatever he can get, really.

It's going to suck when the night is over, though. His one scrap of self preservation was the only thing keeping him from agreeing. There's still a small part of him urging him to run away, protect himself by living with the careful boundaries he's drawn in his head to keep him from breaking his own heart. He knows Remus will never feel the same, and he also knows that he should be a lot more careful to keep himself sane, but he's here now. Surely he should just... embrace it?

The two of them walk through the muggle car park and down to the reception hall.

"Remus!" A girl's voice rings out, and Sirius feels Remus' grip tighten on his hand.

"Hi, Aunt Anna." Remus smiles graciously. Sirius watches the woman grind to a halt in front of Remus. It's as if there's some kind of magnetic field around him that keeps her from getting any closer.

"How is everything? How's the... special school?" She lowers her voice to say this, and Remus' smile strains a little. Sirius looks between them, a little confused. Is there something wrong with whatever stand in Remus is using for Hogwarts?

"Aunt Anna, I graduated in July. And it was a specialised school," he corrects politely. "More focused studies?" He says it like he's had to make this correction over and over. She smiles patronisingly, making Sirius' hair stand on end.

"Of course it was!" Her voice is fake, dismissive, frustrating Sirius to no end. Her eyes finally flick to Sirius, curiosity overtaking any sense of falseness on her face. "Who's this? Brought a friend along?"

"Oh, actually, he's not my friend, he's, er..." He glances a little helplessly at Sirius. Little does he know, the decision to go all in has solidified itself in his head. These stupid, patronising family members are going to respect Remus by the end of the night if it kills him.

"I'm his boyfriend. Sirius Black." He extends his hand with a smile that makes Anna blink, a little taken aback.

"Boyfriend? You're... oh!" She looks around, as if searching for someone else to have heard it. "Well, I guess it makes sense that you're... yeah. Um..." She smooths her skirt down, suddenly uncomfortable. "How did you two, er... meet?"

"We went to school together." Her eyes widen, and he nods. "Yeah, focused studies."

"Oh. Huh. I wouldn't have thought... What- what have you been up to then, Remus?"

"Not much, really."

"God, you're so modest!" Sirius says, quickly wrapping an arm around Remus' waist and pulling himself a little closer. He hears Anna clear her throat, fixing her expression as soon as he turns to face her. "He's gotten so many offers."

"Offers for what?"

"He hasn't told you?" Sirius asks innocently. She shakes her head, and he smiles at her. "He's going to be a doctor. Hospitals are fighting over him."

"A... doctor?" For a second, Sirius thinks he's accidentally fucked up the word, until Remus nods a little awkwardly.

"Yeah, there are a few places offering me spots. It's hardly fighting, though-"

"Haven't you gotten baskets from all five locations? I mean, you're getting offers from America!"

"Yeah, guess so." He shrugs, but Sirius is already happy enough with what he's done. Anna looks between them, a little surprised, before nodding once.

"Nice to see you, Remus." She turns to leave.

"It was lovely to meet you!" Sirius calls after her with a sweet smile.

"Sirius!" Remus turns to him, stunned.

"What?" He asks innocently. "I'm just showing you off a little!"

"She's going to be pissed." Remus bites his lower lip, worried. For a second, Sirius' mind malfunctions, having to tear his eyes away from Remus' lips and back to his eyes when he turns to face him. "She had to write Sam's personal statement for Cardiff Uni."

"Oh, then she can't say a bloody word! Special school, she can fucking bite me." It draws a chuckle out of Remus, much to Sirius' delight. "Right, should we find your mum?"

"Yeah. Yeah, let's go."

Much to Remus' dismay, they run into a fair few of his extended family on the way. Sirius does nothing but fawn over Remus, making sure to push his multitude of achievements. It's not exactly hard to do. If Remus was slightly less lovely all the time, he'd be able to do this. He shouldn't be his family's punching bag, and Sirius isn't about to let that continue. He's not even lying, he's just pointing out the things he notices every day. It's scarily easy. He manages to get two judgemental uncles to back off, as well as the boy who can't even write his own essay, clearly pushed over by his aunt and forced to flaunt a few flimsy achievements. Sirius feels a little bad for him, so he's not as obvious about pushing Remus' life to the forefront. It works all the same, getting Sam away before he could even start talking about the fact that Minnie wanted Remus to consider training to teach at Hogwarts.

By the time they reach Hope, Remus has turned bright red. It's a magnificent sight. Sirius wishes he could do this every day.

"Remus! Oh, and Sirius! Hi!" Hope is clearly a little tipsy, cheeks flushed as she beams at the two of them, pulling Remus into a hug, promptly followed by Sirius. "I'm so glad you could make it, Sirius."

"Wouldn't miss it," he answers back with a grin.

"Yeah, that's what I'm starting to get," Remus mumbles under his breath. Sirius hasn't missed the fact that he's standing a little taller than he was when he walked in, though. He's just too nice to push back at his family. "Mum, don't be surprised if Aunt Anna says I've grown into a rude young man as soon as she's got a drink down her."

"Why? What happened? Oh, she's always been a bit of a-"

"No, it's nothing. I just want you to be prepared." Remus waves her off, but Sirius has other plans.

"She was being shitty," Sirius answers with a shrug. Hope turns to him, and he elaborates. "She kept talking to Remus like he's a child! The moment I pointed out that he's actually pretty smart, in a pretty tame way, actually, she turned and left. I didn't think it was that bad."

Hope looks between the two of them, before bursting out laughing. Remus and Sirius exchange a slightly confused glance, as Hope tries to pull herself together.

"Oh, I'm so glad you-! I've tried my best, but she just- I don't think she cares what I say. I can't believe you managed... thank you, Sirius, that's absolutely brilliant!" Sirius beams at a stunned Remus, pleased. At least it wasn't just him who thinks that Remus' extended family are a bunch of self-centered wankers. "Honestly, Remus has talked non-stop about you, I'm so glad he finally found the courage to ask you!"

What?

Sirius' heart does a strange thing where it skips several beats all at once, making him feel a little dizzy.

"Non-stop?" He asks, trying to keep his voice casual.

"Yes, absolutely non-stop!"

"Mum," Remus says quickly, shooting her a glance. She seems completely undeterred, though.

"I told him it was worth taking the risk a long time ago. I mean, you're a lovely boy, and it's clear how much you care about him. It's just nice to know that it all paid off! I had a good feeling about you two-"

"Mum, I'm going to get a drink," Remus interjects suddenly. "I'll be back in a second." She looks like she's about to protest, but Remus is still going, voice slightly unsteady. "I'll tell you what Sirius said to everybody after. Come on, Sirius."

He grabs Sirius gently by the arm, pulling him in the direction of the bar before Sirius has a chance to say anything. Before they reach the bar, he veers off and shoves a door open. They turn a corner and get into a cramped room absolutely full of fold-able chairs. Remus shuts the door and lets go of Sirius' arm, scrubbing a hand over his face and leaning against the door. His hands are shaking, and he looks a little like he wants the ground to swallow him whole.

"...I'd have quite liked to hear more," Sirius says eventually, breaking the weird silence. Remus finally looks up at Sirius, a mix of confusion, frustration and panic evident.

"I feel like that was embarrassing enough," Remus answers simply, eyes flicking back to the floor.

"Is that why you asked me?" Sirius asks suddenly. He knows he should really say more, but he has countless questions, and he needs at least one of them answered. Remus nods once, playing with his fingers.

"Mum made the guess. She wouldn't have believed me if I'd said no."

"Because you've been talking about me 'non-stop,'" Sirius supplies, careful to use Hope's exact words. Remus nods quickly, face turning much redder than it had been before.

"Sorry," he says before Sirius can say anything else. Sirius frowns.

"For what?"

"Lying to you. I mean, I basically tricked you into this whole thing because I didn't want to disappoint my mum."

"You gave me an out multiple times," Sirius tries, but Remus isn't done.

"And for, er... what my mum said. I didn't realise that she'd... you can leave, if you want. I wouldn't be pissed. I mean, fuck, I wouldn't be pissed if you didn't want to speak to me for a while." Okay, now Sirius is much more confused. "I... I really hope this doesn't ruin our friendship, though. I know it's probably going to feel weird now, and I get that, but I- Merlin, I really don't want to lose you, Sirius."

"Remus," Sirius starts gently.

"I mean, we could just forget that she ever said that. I've been perfectly fine living like this until now, I'll be okay."

"Moony."

"Sorry. God, if I'd known that was going to happen I wouldn't have... I could have just... I don't know, fuck, I'm so sorry-"

"Remus!" Sirius finally manages to snap him out of his strange, apologetic tangent. "I just want to make sure that I haven't hideously misunderstood what your mum said. You like me?" Remus nods, and Sirius takes a step closer. "Romantically?" He nods again. "And you have for a while now?"

Remus barely gets a chance to nod before Sirius closes the gap between them, connecting their lips. He hears Remus gasp as he pulls away, locking eyes with him and watching him carefully. For a second, he watches as Remus' brain speeds up, eyes scanning over Sirius' face as he tries to process everything.

Eventually, he seems to throw out every thought in his brain, cupping Sirius' face in both of his hands and kissing him back. Time stops as Sirius is caught up in the feeling of Remus' lips on his, one hand moving from his face and into his hair, his own arms moving impulsively to wrap around Remus' waist. It's everything Sirius could have imagined and more. Part of him still thinks he's imagining things, that there's no way Remus is actually here kissing him. It's overwhelmingly perfect, making Sirius feel a little giddy with the joy rising in his chest-

"Oh my Lord!" A shrill voice that Sirius recognises as Anna interrupts them, forcing them apart. "I- I'm just- right, um... I- okay." She turns and leaves, absolutely dumbfounded, eyes wide and a little horrified. For a second they both look at the closed door, before turning to exchange a glance. The moment their eyes lock, Sirius starts laughing. It doesn't take much for Remus to join in, as Sirius drops his head on Remus' shoulder and Remus laughs along with him.

Fuck Remus' strange extended family.

Nothing can ruin this for them.

[daffydilled]

On using the Robins

Alright, I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but DC? We gotta talk about the Robins and how they're used. For a company and comic universe with a truly spectacular willingness to explore every possible avenue of a character, if you want to really get to the point of Batman, we're going to need Robins used consistently across media and we're going to need the right ones used.

Why? TL;DR: the Robin you use tells us a hell of a lot about the Batman you're using. If you're going to keep using Batman in everything, we're going to need Robins. And they need to be the right ones. Using the wrong Robin is destroying live action DC adaptations.

Believe it or not, this whole rant started with me playing Gotham Knights on my PS5. Normally, anything that distinguishes between Robins and puts them interacting with others is pretty damn good to go in my book. It's not exactly common, after all. But I got about 15 hours into it and realized what was bugging me so much: it uses the wrong Robins.

Let me clarify. Nightwing and Red Hood are nearly perfect. They're exactly where they need to be. But if that game let Tim Drake detect in the role filled by Batgirl, let Batgirl be Oracle, and put Damian Wayne into the 'young Robin finding his wings' role that Tim plays, the story would have been far more cohesive. Why? Because I would have bought the final word Bruce tells them far more and I would have bought Talia's involvement as well.

This particular Bruce Wayne is an older Batman, one comfortable removing himself from the cause and passing it on to the rest of his family. The balance of Robins (and the misuse of Batgirl) upsets this. This isn't a team that is ready for that step yet, and Bruce in-game would know that. One can argue that's part of the tragedy of it, but the weight of the dynamic is still lopsided. The game feels unbalanced. If a story is going to rest on proteges and inheritors, I need to buy their ability to take over for Batman, and I don't. (And don't get me started on the misuse of Babs in this game. That woman has her own team, her own struggle!

Batman v Superman pokes me too. It's the lack of a Robin in these, though, that really grind my gears. That is a violent, brutal Batman that has fallen so far into 'The Mission's' ass, I kept expecting to see a suited memorial to a dead kid in his batcave and an extremely stubborn thirteen-year old stopping him from breaking a Kryptonian's face open before the dread "Save Martha" can be said.

That is a Batman that screams I just lost my son. He is so angry and bitter and walks around with an armory for a suit. That's a perfectly acceptable Batman to explore, when paired with the context of Jason Todd. Otherwise, it just reads like they made the movie gritty for the sake of being gritty and missed out on piles of nuance for both the heroes.

Frankly, a Batman grieving Jason Todd and a Superman processing the arrival of a cloned version of him mixed with Luthor's DNA would go miles to explaining the mental states of both these guys, but nobody bothered to do that, so I'm just bitter.

One of the oddest mix-ups of Robins I've ever seen has absolutely nothing to do with Batman. It's from Birds of Prey or The Fabulous Emancipation of Harley Quinn, where somehow Stephanie Brown and Jason Todd pre-pit get fused into one character and named Cassandra Cain. That is. Odd. I don't even really know how to address it, but I'm going to try.

Fact one: Steph would have been a perfect kid for Harley to meet in that movie. She's whip-smart, tough as nails, survived having a supervillain for a dad, and could, in the right light, even look a bit like Harley. There's this great potential there for her to remind Harley of a younger version of herself before the Joker got to her and wouldn't have messed with the vibes Birds of Prey was going for at all.

Fact two: Jason Todd also wouldn't have been too odd of a fit, especially if this was happening in a world where he did manage to jack the tires. He's immediately recognizable to the fans, though, which I do think would have pulled focus from the Birds in that movie.

Fact three: That was not Cassandra Cain and it was frankly a bit of an insult to her character to name that character Cassandra Cain. That's a rant for another time though.

Why mention it now? It's indicative of the greater issue DC has with adapting its characters to screen. Namely the issue to actually adapt the characters at all and not turn them into some weird Frankenstein'd versions of themselves. There's no Batman in Birds of Prey, but the world he'd inhabit is. And that world, based on our poor scrambled egg mess of Robins, is a disaster.

I think it's important for DC to remember they are adapting comics here, and those comics do not shy away from using Robins in them. Even in the most bat-shit (pun not intended) alternate universes where there's Cthulhu Batman or Edwardian Batman or White Knight Batman, the Robins are there.

How they're living and dying in those universes is one of the reliable ways to judge things like tone, narrative priorities, and themes. There's nothing wrong with trying a few different version of Batman, but Batman without Robin doesn't work long-term. It hasn't before and it will continue to fail if DC, in their adaptations, don't get a handle on their universes' scale. After all, the heroes only work if they have people to pass the work onto.

[hotasfahrenheit]

i've had some thoughts rattling around my brain about Keen since episode 9 showed us flashbacks of the boys as kids when they were adopted and then a little older when they started their training for real, and this week's episode just added more fuel to the fire.

i think one of the saddest things that the last couple episodes have really exposed that a lot of people might miss because of the other bombshells that have been dropped is the fact that Keen was set up possibly even worse than Fadel and Bison were in this life. they were adopted together, told they were going to be a family, and then Lily manipulated them all into becoming who they are as adults. she lucked out that Bison and Fadel liked each other so much and bonded so strongly to each other, and she used that bond to isolate and control Keen in a completely different way.

Keen's desperate to be in the field like the other two and to be sent on missions; he doesn't have the same set of skills that they do and wasn't able to develop his talents in the same way, and it's clear that Lilly took the natural aptitude of Fadel and Bison and turned that into what they are now, but she chose to push Keen into the behind the scenes aspect of the business. she's also made it clear from the start which set of talents she values more as is clear from the way she glares at Keen when he can't shoot his bottle in the flashback.

Keen isn't given any kind of reassurance or support for missing his shot, or told to try again; Lily answers Bison's questions about why they need to learn to shoot by telling them that they have to learn to protect themselves, then she gives Keen a few more judgey looks, implying it's something she doesn't expect him to be able to do. the next scene in the flashback is her giving Bison and Fadel their first assignment, and by this point Keen has already been relegated to being the paper guy and having an office job.

these kids all lost their parents and are gathered up by Lily at the same time and told they're going to be a family; they look like they're all roughly the same age. we all know how seriously Fadel and Bison take to the brother relationship, but Keen is pushed to the outside of this by Lily and her priorities. i had figured before episode 10 that they had been trained together for a longer period of time and maybe Keen had just not gotten along with them because he was jealous of their talents, but Fadel telling Style that he doesn't really know anything about Keen besides that they were adopted at the same time says to me that Lilly purposefully kept them apart instead of it being their choice.

Fadel saying they don't care about Keen makes me so sad for him. the fact that he only really knows that Keen was adopted at the same time and does other work for Lilly that's not in the field means they don't care because they don't know him at all. they haven't had the chance to bond with him the way that they did with each other. they weren't pushed together with him; they were pushed to each other, and Keen was pushed off on his own to watch them be the favoured children and struggle by himself.

imagine your parents are murdered in front of you, you're scooped up by this woman who says she's going to take care of you and build a family with you and two other boys your age who have been through the same experience, but then you're not as good as the other two boys at the tasks she sets you, plus the two of them deeply connect to each other and fall into a sibling bond and leave you outside of it. that you're kept so separate from them that despite being a "family" for years, they know basically nothing about you, while your shared mother keeps dangling the things you want right outside of your grasp.

she's driven a wedge between the boys so deep that Keen resents Fadel and Bison enough to WANT try to kill them himself, while they don't have any idea that he would even be willing or able to. he's been kept so far out of their notice while their successes and talents have been constantly waved in front of him as well as being consistently put down by Lilly for his mistakes and inadequacies. she's pushed Keen into a corner and made him think that it's Fadel and Bison's fault for putting him there instead of it being a way for her to control him and keep him under her thumb.

Fadel and Bison have given the impression from the first episode that it's the two of them against the world; brothers bonded so tightly together that nothing can shake that. they have a Mother, but really they only have each other. it's the two of them and it always will be. but there were three of them. there were three boys when this started. and they don't care about Keen. he's alone.

i'm really hoping that the current situation snaps Keen the rest of the way out of Lilly's control. he should have already figured out what his future looks like if he really wants out of the family business like he's promised Thanon, because if he's known the entire time that Fadel's last boyfriend got murdered instead of just leaving, he should be fully aware that they face the same fate if he tries to leave Lilly. with that knowledge plus finding out that Lilly killed his parents along with Fadel's and Bison's, hopefully he turns on her and helps the others take her down. her lack of hesitation to send him or other hired hitmen after the two favoured sons should be a pretty clear signal to him about her willingness to off him as well at the drop of a hat.

fingers crossed that Keen and Thanon get to have a happy life far away from Lilly and that he finally gets to have an actual family that doesn't involve manipulation, abuse, and murder.

[giggly-squiggily]

hiii, i saw that your demon slayer requests were limited and hope i sent in an ask on time before they piled up! may i pls request tanjiro and genya tickling muichiro after he randomly blurts out that he misses whenever his parents or yuichiro tickled him?

thanks and hope you have a great day/night! your writing is amazing!!

God my Demon Slayer heart has been BLAZING lately! This is such a bittersweet thought and I love it so very much! Anon, I've gotcha covered! :D

CW: Light Hurt/comfort, spoilers for Muichiro's past

Cloud 9 (Taglist Peeps):

@myreygn @thatbigbisexual29 @duckymcdoorknob @wolfyeatstacos @gladdygirl18 @baby-tickles2022 @cupcake-spice13 @t-wordiiish @sarahmaystock5578 @rachi-roo @mystwrites @chibisstuff @imjusthere07 @giggly-toybox

“Get ohohoff me! Yoohohu ass!”

“Stop swearing- this is good for you!”

I miss that. That was the first thing that came to Muichiro’s mind as he watched the pair playing. Before, he didn’t know what the dull ache in his chest meant whenever they wrestled across the wooden floor, laughing and arguing about.

With his memories returned, he now knew exactly what it was- and he didn’t know if the proper response was to laugh in nostalgia or sob in longing.

Tanjiro and Genya were looking at him now- eyes wide with concern and surprise. When did they stop play-fighting?

…Oh. He said it outloud, didn’t he?

“Sorry.” Muichiro smiled, feeling his stomach churn with instant regret. “Just thinking out loud, that’s all. I didn’t mean to kill the mood.”

“The mood is still alive- just temporarily on hold.” Genya leaned forward, narrowing his eyes at the younger boy. “What do you mean, ‘I miss that’?”

“It’s nothing, really-”

“Nothing my ass! You look like you’re on the verge of tears!” Genya pointed an accusatory finger at him. “Talk or I’ll make you!”

“Gentle.” Tanjiro lowered Genya’s arm, turning to look at Muichiro next. “Though he’s not wrong, Lord Tokito. I smelled such a strong sadness from you just now. I can’t let that go- especially now that we’re friends.”

“Friends. Ah- I suppose that’s what we are now.” The Mist Hashira nodded, considering their words. After a few minutes, he decided to confide in them. “You two just now. You guys were having a tickle fight. It just reminded me of my family.

“Yu-” His voice caught the name, shaking for just a moment. “My brother. He would always tickle me. Whenever I was feeling down or anxious or just moody. He said I made funny noises.” The ache spread from the base of his ribs to the tops of his lungs. His throat suddenly felt very tight, but he forced himself to keep smiling through it. “He always found the oddest things funny. I guess seeing you guys fight like that- it made me think of him.”

Genya’s glare was long gone, replaced with wide, wet eyes. Tanjiro’s smile was sad, understanding in his comforting gaze as he reached out, taking Muichiro’s hand. “My family was like that too. I used to get into tickle fights with my siblings all the time. Their laughter was my favorite sound.”

“Same. Brother was like that too.” Genya nodded, running a hand over his mouth to hide his quivering lip. “He always said we were so noisy first thing in the morning. ‘Who needs  a rooster when I have you guys?’”

Tanjiro giggled. Muichiro smiled, but his chest remained in pain. Now he knew he killed the mood. As good as it felt to share, he clearly brought up memories for these two that were painful. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have-” “GAH!” Genya roared and charged him, tackling Muichiro into the nearest futon. “Shut up and die!”

“What-EEK! Ahehahahaha! W-Wahahhait, wahhahahait, hhoohohohold ohohohon!” Muichiro cried out in sudden giggles, arching hard as Genya squeezed his sides. “Whhahahaht dohohohoho yohohohu mehehahahahn?”

“What do you mean, what do I mean? You’re about to be stupid!” Genya cried in return, switching from squeezes to gentle pokes and prods. “If you thought for a second I was going to sit here and let you feel bad for sharing your history with us, you’re a bigger jughead than I thought!”

“Juhuhuhuug heahhahahahd?”

“Jughead!”

“Buhuhuhut my heahhahad’s nhoohohormal-”

“Shut up and get tickled!” Genya pinched along his lower ribs, making him squeal.

“Hold on, Genya- wait a moment. You know how Lord Tokito is.” Tanjiro came into view now, hands coming out and tapping Genya’s until he paused. Able to catch his breath now, Muichiro thanked him internally. “I’ve gotten good at translating Shinazugawas.”

“Oi!” Genya fussed, blushing. Tanjiro stuck his tongue out playfully.

“I have, though! What he’s saying is- you shouldn’t feel bad for sharing memories about your family. Even if we tear up, we’re not upset. We just relate to your pain.” Despite the words, Tanjiro smiled down at him, watching clarity pass over Muichiro’s face. “So don’t feel bad, okay Lord Tokito. Talking about those who’ve passed on; it’s a part of honoring their memory.”

Muichiro nodded, letting the words settle in. Such simple truths, but hearing them from Tanjiro felt more solid. Still.. “Muichiro.”

“Hm?” The brunette blinked, tilting his head.

“Drop the Lord Tokito thing. At least when it’s just us. We’re friends. You can call me Muichiro.” He nodded at Genya too, making him flush in surprise. “Both of you.”

“Aww..Lor-Muichiro!” Tanjiro laughed, delighted. Genya looked thrilled as well. Just like that, his friends were smiling once more.

“Good. Glad we got that sorted. Can you let me up?”

“No.” Tanjiro was still smiling. “Resume tickling, Genya!”

“Don’t tell me what to do!” The other barked, doing as he was told. Muichiro didn’t stand a chance.

“Ah! Ahahahahhaha, cohoohohhome ohohohohn! Thihihihis isn’t fahhahahir!” The younger boy squealed as he was tickled once more, his position even worse now with Tanjiro grabbing his wrists and pulling them high. “Twhohohohohho on ohohohohone is agahhahahainst the ruhuhuhules!”

“Not when it comes to fighting Hashira!” Genya pointed out, softening his touch as he walked his hands up and down Muichiro’s torso. “You even said so yourself the other day during training! How you could take down at least ten of us in your sleep?”

“Thaahhaht’s a lihihihiihe! I nehehehehver sahahhaid thahahhat!”

“He’s right, Genya. He didn’t say ten.” Tanjiro pointed out. “He said twenty.”

“My point exactly!”

“Tahhahahnjirohohohu I truhuhuusted yoohohohohu!” The Mist Hashira whined through his giggles, wiggling this way and that as his ribs were picked at. He knew he could easily break free from these two- Tanjiro’s grip was barely considered firm- but what fun would that be? “Yoohohohohu betrahhahahyed meheheheehhehe!”

“Forgive me. It’s for the greater good.” Tanjiro snickered, daring a cheeky wink. The nerve! The gal!

“Hey- where’s these supposed funny noises you make, Muichiro?” Genya asked, giving the Mist Hashira a breather. “Don’t get me wrong- you do sound rather cute now with all that squealing, but I want to hear the real funny stuff, you know?”

“Shahhame…” He groaned around giggles, face heating up at being called cute. Tanjiro hummed in thought.

“Should we flip him over?” He asked.

“NO!” Muichiro’s squeak clashed with Genya’s “YEAH!” They looked at him with amused grins, watching him grow fifty shades redder beneath their stares. “I mean-  yo-you don’t really hahahlf too, yeah?”

“Do you want us to flip you over?” Tanjiro asked with a knowing grin. Muichiro looked anywhere but them, voice suddenly lost. All he could do was nod.

“So damn cute.” Genya’s murmur was nearly lost to him as he was flipped like a pancake. He didn’t so much get a chance to even blush over it before he was shrieking with laughter once more. “Aha! There’s the funny noises!”

“Hehe, yeah! Muichiro, you sound like Inosuke!”

“Aheahhahahahahh! EehheehEHEHEHEK! Gehahahahhaha-AH!” Mess wouldn’t be the right word to describe him. With his face buried in Tanjiro’s thigh, Muichiro let out a series of pig snorts, squeals and whistle notes that would put the best Kashu to shame- all while the pair gently traced his spine and shoulderblades.If Tanjiro and Genya were commenting on it, he could barely make them out over the ticklish feeling. “OHohohoohkay! Ohoohohohokay, yohohoohhou gohohohot yhohohoohur nohohohoises, now stahhahahahahap!”

“Pfft-” Genya sputtered before falling into him, laughing helplessly against the middle of Muichiro’s back. Tanjiro was just as giggly, changing from gentle tickles to soothing touches against his hair. “Oohoho my gohohod, thahaht was amazing!”

“Ihihit was! It was!” Tanjiro agreed, brushing Muichiro’s hair from his face to really look at him. “Are you okay? We didn’t overdo it, did we?”

His whole body felt ablaze. His head kinda hurt, and his chest was now aching for an entirely new reason. Despite all this, he never felt lighter- like the breathing style he mastered. “You’re fine. If ahahanything, I had fun. That was really nice..”

“Nice, huh? We should get you more often then!” Genya poked his sides for emphasis, laughing when his hands got snatched. “Okay okay- no more I promise.” After Muichiro released him, Genya smoothed out the tangles in his hair. “Do now what? Do we go for Tanjiro next?”

“I think- huh?” The brunette yelped, wide eyed at the suggestion. Muichiro smiled, suddenly very motivated.

“Yeah. Let’s get Tanjiro.”

“Now hohohold on! Waahit, wahahhahahahahhait!” He was quickly ambushed by the duo, giggling all the way down even before they touched him.

 Later, when Muichiro would be home alone reflecting on his day, he would think about Yuichiro and how tickle fights with him ended similarly.

His memory still brought tears, but his smile felt more genuine. His chest not nearly as tight. “Heh, I guess they found me funny too, Yuichiro.”

Thanks for reading!

[ww2yaoi]

could you please elaborate on exactly what you see sledge’s murmuring heart representing on a symbolic level? 🙏🙏🙏

i have my own personal interpretation but it feels like one of those symbols that everyone sees differently

hmmm ok hopefully this is articulate lmao but I think in the beginning most people in eugene’s life see him as too sensitive and kind for war. eugene was sickly as a boy (he got the murmur from rheumatic fever and missed two years of school because of it) so I think his family is especially protective of him. not necessarily because they think he’s weak but because they don’t know if he’ll be able to withstand the horrors of war and come out the other side with his gentleness and generosity intact. because he’s a sweet boy! and they don’t want that sweetness to be snuffed out

his father obviously doesn’t want him to go. his mother doesn’t want him to go. his brother seems a bit worried about the whole thing just judging by that one look he gives eugene. sid says he wishes they were going together but irl after sid experienced the horrors of guadalcanal he also told eugene not to get involved. eugene’s father has that monologue about not wanting the love and life and light he sees in eugene to be ripped away from him by war. to me eugene’s murmuring heart represents his kind and genuine soul. I mean, this is the guy who gives his best friend a poetry book as a goodbye gift, who loves his dog and loves horses and biology and rides his bike to the creek and drums in his school band and is a good christian boy and who weeps after he finds out he can’t join the marines. there’s this conflict within eugene where he’s fighting with his own softness and trying to prove himself to others. but again I don’t think his friends and family see his gentleness as a character flaw. they love him and want to protect him because they love that he’s kind

I think eventually with sid there’s some resentment of eugene’s innocence. because sid has lost his. like the way sid greets eugene on pavuvu by tackling him is very cute obviously and y’know boys will be boys but it is rough and violent and sid even says teasingly "something is very wrong if you made it through boot camp" which highlights his opinion of eugene’s fitness for war. and then later sid seems very annoyed by eugene’s "tenderhearted"-ness when eugene gets mad at him for almost killing that crab. I think the wording is very deliberate and of course harkens back to eugene’s murmur. so I guess the murmur is eugene’s humanity which he loses briefly during the war (the murmur does apparently disappear before he enlists) but I think he is deep down just so kind that he’s able to pull himself back from that edge. and I think that is ultimately his strength because after the war you see how sensitive and thoughtful he still is and also how broken he is in some ways. but it’s not a flaw. in my opinion he is much better equipped and much smarter than sid for not stuffing this shit down. it is brave to confront it is brave not to forget it it is brave to cry and say things aren’t the same and I’m different but I am going to be kind and I’m going to exist in the world. so the murmur is in theory a "flaw" and a "problem" with the strength of eugene’s heart but really I don’t think it is I think it’s representitive of his integrity

sorry if this makes no sense but that’s what it represents to me LOL :P

[katarrinskey]

Well, she is a character in an ongoing dnd campaign, first and foremost, so anything that happens during or after the war of the ring is a bit up in the air, you see. I keep expanding on her tragic backstory tho: there is a lot of things to consider for the first age, to the point where part of me is considering actually writing something for the first time in a decade, haha

I did made a refsheet where I plan on organizing her backstory properly for myself, my dm, and anyone interested in her. Eventually. It's mostly empty for now except for arts, both those I already posted and some that I haven't

I will say that she keeps starting stupid (mostly human) legends, myths and superstitions throughout the second age, without quite noticing that she's doing it. Some notable ones:

-almost got caught by some numenorean guys - lone horse of some ancient elven breed just roaming in the middle of nowhere? Seems someone suspicious. Either she is lost and could be returned to the owners for some reward, or just straight up sold. Is really not a fan of being treated that way, so she may or may not have drowned at least one of them in a river before escaping her captors. Those who survive the encounter name her an evil spirit and ward their folk of the lone horses

- she's been known to help travelers occasionally. Every now and then a lone ranger unable to escape a band of orcs on foot will be miraculously carried away by a horse until they are safe out of enemy's clutches. The help, however, oftentimes means that you will wake up alone and with some of your belongings missing. If so, that is a fair price for a life saved

- she gets bored and follows traveling caravans sometimes. Those tend to gossip among themselves, and she is not true isolationist at heart - any news of the world around is a welcome thing. Moreover, when the travellers are asleep, no one would stop her from borrowing their books. Those she returns, always. They do not give her much of what she's looking for (namely, any word of her family - she is largely unaware of anything that happened after she left them), cause she is unlikely to join if there are elven travelers in the midst, but it means she sometimes knows seemingly random things. She probably gets caught every now and then - girl does kinda glow in the dark - but startling her means she is turning back into a horse and running off immediately. There are some people that consider her a particularly shy spirit of knowledge

- early in the second age, there were rumors of a lady in a torn cloak, that would sell intricate jewelry for far less than its worth in remote human villages. She came just before dawn while it was still dark out, and her eyes shined with a strange light and she would sell golden beads and bracelets with intricate etchings and combs made of bone and many other small things for some silvers and simple things one is willing to spare, like apples or last summer's preserves. She would then disappear as suddenly as she would appear. It is not at all surprising that some villagers start believing her a benevolent ghost.

There are probably more of those, about mistreated children being protected by spirits of old and lost ones finding their way, about things stolen under strange circumstances and payment left in their stead, or else borrowed and later found. She doesn't pay them much mind herself, never connects them to her own exploits or sees the impact left by her actions. But someone else might. Someone listening for rumors of someone else entirely, yet always stumbling into these. Someone looking for a songbird but always finding a bloody horse instead

@bblues-ocs

Omg, hiiiiii

You are giving me an excuse to talk about my girl and that is very kind of you and you bet I will take it-

First of all, new art I've been meaning to post anyways

And the rest got pretty long, so I am putting it under the cut

So, the biggest thing about Menelastë Andaraimë is that she is, well, kind of a coward. But that doesn't really become relevant until a bit later

She was born into a family of pretty prominent feanorian supporters, but she was never really big on politics herself. What she was good at, is horses. Breeding them, taking care if them, riding, ofc. Which, not necessarily what one would consider glamorous enough for a kid with her background, but that's where her heart always laid, and for the whole "family legacy" schtick, she has two older (and two younger, if need be) siblings (I got thoughts on each of them, but if I am going there, this is gonna take a while, so here is just a lil bunch of lil sketches of them-)

(Which, honestly, kinda funny that she end's up as Noldor's most famous musician's wife somehow, truly, but that is also it's own story, I think)

So, she doesn't consider herself smart enough for politics, prefers her horses' company most days, and just kinda chills. And then the darkening happens. And well, nearly everyone she cares about is going and bet they gonna need someone who knows horses on the other shore and staying is about as scary as going anyways, now that they know that Valinor isn't completely safe, so she goes too.

And then the first kinslaying happens. And she had been teaching herself sword, they all were, but this is terrifying and she is not the type for heavy armor so she just. Finds an alley and prays to Varda no one finds her. And so they don't. Not until it's all over.

(Her older brother, Failareth, is the type for heavy armor. That's why he drown in the harbor when some poor Teler pushes him of the pierce)

Once they reach Beleriand, she does as she always did. When the ships burn, she makes sure none of the animals panic when they see fire. When they get into skirmishes, she tries to get out of the fray instead of charging ahead. When the major battle approaches, she hides away in the chaos if it, turning into a horse herself - trick she learned back in Valinor. It is way easier to stay alive when you are just a horse.

She stands by her husband, of course. She is the oldest woman of the First House if the Noldor now, so she does what is needed of her. For a while, in Mithrim, she is Queen, and she tries to be convincing and generous and cultivates the appropriate dignity. It's hard - she isn't charming by nature and she prefers the stables still, but she tries. In the end, she is much better at observing than she is at talking. She is much relieved when the scrutiny shifts away from her again.

She is happy in the marches, tho. Maglors gap is mostly held by cavalry, her contribution is important. She helps with things like supplies. She trains the horses. She scouts, occasionally, or delivers correspondence. She fits there, for a while.

She's still a coward. She gets used to small scale fights, finds rhythm in those, but never masters any sort of exceptional skill in it. It is not a bad thing, she thinks. Less blood on her hands makes her a better healer.

She leads the first wave of evacuations during Bragolath. That's the most useful thing she can do anyways.

In the eve of the fifth battle, she does little else, but hope and prays for bravery. She still flees first chance she gets.

She sheds tears for all they lost after - they all do. She births a child - a daughter - a few years later. To give herself a future to fight for, maybe. To keep her hope and her faith from burning out completely. Or, perhaps, just cause there is just no point in waiting for better times anymore.

(Daughter in question)

She trusts her husband and brothers-in-law when they claim the attack on Menegroth to be inevitable, even when she doesn't quite recognise them anymore, even when they start scaring her. Her older sister is full of righteous fury - Sindar never had the right to keep the stone anyways. Menelastë agrees - she knows her people's laws, she knows they tried negotiations first, she knows the Oath will leave them with no other choice.

Her daughter is still a child. She is one of maybe a dozen they still have around. There is no place for them in a fight such as this, and, chances are, once they take step on this road, there will be no place they would be able to evacuate those kids to. The darkness keeps spreading and she can't count on still having allies after they take up swords against the Sindar.

So, once the course is set, she steals the children, her own included. She takes them to Cirdan - they won't be the first Noldor kids left in his people's care. By then, the second kinslaying happens already and news spread. She herself doesn't enter the city.

She doesn't go back to her own people either. Not after going behind everyone's backs on this. Not after running away from the battle again, in a way that cannot be denied now. She is not ashamed of doing what she had to, but she can't fave the consequences of her cowardice.

She turns into a horse. Noone will recognise her this way.

And then she stays a horse for a long time. If she ever rejoins civilization in her true form, she sticks to places noone would know her face - Eru bless men for their short memories. She rarely stays for long anyways. If she needs supplies, she stumbles into traveler's paths as a horse, then takes what she needs while everyone sleeps. She gets her news by listening to their conversations. She sells her noldorin jewelry to dwarves and men. She puts in low value coins into people's bags sometimes. It's less when what she takes is worth, more often than not, but it's better than nothing and it makes her feel a little better about herself.

And that's how she lives for a very long time. Till, one day all the way in the Third Age she stumbles upon an adventuring party and things start to change their course...

[maxbytes]

THE BITCH IS BACK, BABES !!

[moeblob]

OC !

[lyxchen]

Sorry going a bit feral over here because I just realized, when Jun-ho started looking for In-ho he had only been missing for a few days, the days he was on the island already preparing for the games. So this means that he and Jun-ho and their mom were in regular contact. Even if it's just texts but they were hearing from each other regularly. But then after season 1 he obviously had to cut contact because otherwise he would either put him and the games or Jun-ho and his mother in danger and just. He still had his family. Even after his wife died and he won the games he still had some family, his mom and his brother and then he had to take that from himself too, to protect them. How lonely must that be. Do you think he was checking on them, sending people to the hospital to see if Jun-ho woke up from his coma? Do you think that he made that boat guy give him regular updates on how Jun-ho was doing emotionally?

Do you think that the first time In-ho was able to have at least something close to genuine human connection again after four years of isolation was when he entered the games as 001? It was probably the first time in YEARS that he was able to joke around and be part of a group and connect with people and in the end he still had to get rid of it again. The knowledge that this isn't forever and actually it's really only for a few days and then it's also all a lie on his side and he will have to watch all these people die. And that's probably why he got so into it and genuienly cheered and maybe even forgot that he is in fact the evil mastermind behind it all. Can You Imagine How Lonely He Is???

[probayern]

i miss germany, i miss the euros, i miss june

[aromanticasterisms]

this whole epilogue is just a little treat for me oh my god. "familiar faces arrive in simulanka" does not even begin to cover it

[orcelito]

Ok I'm thinking about kabuto backstory again and thinking about how unfair and fucked up it all is like

> be Danzo

> threaten local orphanage mother into returning to being a spy (by threatening the kids there)

> force them to send One Kid too because he "lost a man" while obtaining the intel he's threatening her to spy over (the kid is Kabuto, who volunteered bc he overheard them threatening the mother over this) (Danzo knows he overheard)

> train kabuto to be a spy while orphanage mother is off on her long spy job as well

> bait spy mom with the promise of keeping kabuto safe to keep her agreeing to work with you

> decide they both are too good at their jobs (????) Of being spies (that work for you?????)(they've been loyal this whole time????) So they're too dangerous and both need to die

> keep mom and kid away from each other as kid grows up

> literally DOCTOR FAKE PHOTOS of the kid growing up to make it seem like he looks totally different now???? So she won't recognize him?????

> give her the assassination assignment of killing the Real Kabuto (who she won't recognize) so they'll kill each other

> whoops, Kabuto survived and killed her instead, oh well at least Orochimaru's watching him now

I'm just like. How fucked up is it to threaten these people into working as spies for you "for the good of Konoha", and then decide that these people (who have given NO INDICATION of intending to betray Konoha) are too good at being spies and thus Too Dangerous and should be killed for it. But no he can't just kill them in a normal way. He had to manufacture an entire scenario so that they'd kill EACH OTHER while making the mom not recognize him (with the express purpose of breaking the kid's spirit) like BROOOOOO I know you ordered the whole Uchiha clan to be massacred (conducting genocide for the sake of 'peace') actually now that I think about it he ordered this of itachi. Ordered him to kill his own family. Of course Danzo would get off on making a mother and son kill each other "for the good of Konoha" he's almost fucking cartoon villain level of horrible past the point of logic EXCEPT there really are people this awful that have existed. Plenty of them. And they have also justified it as being "for the good of [nation]" like that's the Thing, he's a war hungry nationalist that has decided He Knows Best so he's going to fuck up SO many people's lives, up to and including his own damn citizens!!!! And this bitch thinks he deserves to be kage?!?!?! Fucking Hiruzen letting him run wild like this. He knew Danzo was stealing children and indoctrinating them into a murder cult (where, keep in mind, he purposefully raises kids in pairs so they view each other as family AND THEN ORDERS THEM TO KILL EACH OTHER)(AGAIN!!!! with the family killing, what is his PROBLEM) but Hiruzen just let it fucking happen. Spineless fucking piece of shit. He fucked Naruto up he fucked Orochimaru up he fucked up Royally with Danzo like come ONNNNNNNNNN

Rattling the bars of my cage rn at how awful Danzo is and how he was able to just. DO THIS???? I know the bitch is dead but he's not dead enough. Give me the glock.

[milo-is-rambling]

Car sick but not in a in a car w nausea way but in a homesick I miss my car kind of way even tho my car is outside rn like. I’m just in my room

[glubandeepspace]

nothing fuels creative endeavors like seeing a take that is very juicy very delicious if not for lack of awareness it is an overwhelmingly common dramatic misconception fueled by hearsay and assumptions about things underdescribed and/or ambiguous so far

[thats-my-passion-right-there]

I finally saw the mean girls musical (the movie one) I have so many fucking thoughts oh my god