#it was a real ASSassination attempt XD

[cherie-doll]

Cherie Cherie Cherie 🥺🥺 may I please request a Keegan x Assassin reader, enemies to lovers trope? It’s a huge brainrot rn and I don’t have a good way with words like you do 🥹

I was imagining like the reader receiving a request to assassinate Keegan because he is a brilliant sniper and she/he/they try to shimmy into his civilian life and once she gains his trust (or she believes that he trusted her enough) she orchestrates some ‘accidents’ but none of them worked. In the end she had to try and kill him during one of his mission and it can end in angst or wholesome whichever you please!! She definitely will grow a soft spot towards him during the process of getting to know him like (who doesn’t like Keegan the man’s so caring)😭😭

You can even like switch out some parts if you feel like they don’t make sense hehe. Thanks so much for writing and posting argh what would I do without you 😭😭💖💖

chant my name three times and i'll appear (jk XD) and thank YOU for these ideas, seriously. i rewrote this so many times omg

Keegan x Assassin!Reader (angst)

The flash of lobelia blue eyes was evident against the contrast of austere grey wall. You had found your target. "Keegan P. Russ" You recalled the name written at the top of the folder given to you. The information had been vague and rendered useless before shoving it into the paper shredder.

You're young, stupid and willing to do anything for money. That's how you ended up here and how you were treated. An expendable kid who would do anything for money. But you had reached dire circumstances. It's such a secret you keep.

Having already found out where he lived, sort-of figured out his routine while off-duty and the people he associated with, which weren't many to begin with, all you had to do was devise a plan. His information was not easy to collect as this was the first time he'd taken an interval in a long time. How you were ever supposed to take out a skilled soldier, a sniper at that too, you had no clue. This was certainly a first, your previous tasks involved less skilled targets; gang members, drug dealers and the occasional unfortunate passerby who happened to be there at the wrong moment and time.

Keegan with his savings bought a house, an attempt at a normal civilian life. You sought out a weakness, an entry, a quiet way to take him out. But every time you searched for him, you always found his eyes first. Your breath caught in your chest when you thought they'd found yours. Shady blue pools. Observing wouldn't do anything. The only way to find a weakness in him was to get closer.

Keegan who had no idea what to do with himself. Rest was all he wanted, but it didn't take long before he was restless. He found it within himself a growing emptiness; an uncomfortable silence. A stillness he always said was a luxury on base. Shouldn't he be thankful to be getting rest now? After all, to sulk all your primary physical needs like sleep and eating must be met before you can worry about anything else.

For a solid month you played it safe until one night you grew frustrated and through the torrential rain you walked up his steps. Keegan had been downing another bottle when he heard your knock. He blinked seeing you drenched, hair matted and sticking to the sides of your face, clothes heavy with rainwater and looking out of breath. Holding the door open, he must've stood there blinking for a moment deciphering whether you were real or he'd been imagining. Finally, snapping out of his daze he cleared his throat when you started speaking, your voice low, feigning timidity.

"I'm, sorry I've come to you in this...this, well my car broke down and, I... I haven't a place to stay."

He squinted, balancing himself by placing a hand on the door and leaning upon it. Drinking whilst mindlessly staring into the rain hadn't been a good idea.

"Right..." He said in a low voice, rather to himself more than to you. He stood straight again, focusing onto your face. "Want to come in?" He offered.

"Oh, I wouldn't want to intrude..."

"You look cold." He pointed out, leaning into your face.

When he leaned in you caught a whiff of alcohol in his breath. You considered apologizing and backing out, it'd look weird but there was a chance he wouldn't remember all the details or even question your actions. But you had already come and you were shivering.

"Well, if you insist." And he moved to let you enter. Upon entering the first thing you felt was that the air didn't change. Did he not have his heater on? Second thing you noticed when you walked further in were the amount of beer bottles on the living room floor by the couch.

"Shit, let me clean this mess up." He moved to collect the bottles from the floor but stopped shortly when you had reached down and picked up an unopened bottle. Popping open the bottle you brought it to your lips and took a long drink. He stood motionless watching you down it halfway before your lips parted from it. You hadn't had a drink in a while and you certainly missed the burn-like sensation the first sip brought.

"You get the good beer." You said, smiling a little to him. He snickered and motioned for you to sit on the couch. "I'll go turn on the heater. Make yourself comfortable."

You sat, contemplating getting the job done now. Keegan's defenses were low but he wasn't drunk either, he just looked tipsy.

Too soon, you thought.

You assumed he wouldn't remember most of that night but, on the contrary, what was most memorable for him was how refreshing it was to bask in your company. However simple and mundane was the evening it was the most at peace and content he'd ever been in a long time.

You drank together once a week on evenings, sometimes going out to eat, visiting bars or walking aimlessly through the streets. Keegan wouldn't particularly say you were friends, less lovers. The line was blurry but it was something best not labeled nor defined. You were thankful for this, it made your job easier. Detachment was something you ought to do soon, and this thought became pertinent in your mind. During those moments when you'd pause, observing his relaxed form, making your hand hesitate, twirling the knife in your palm and testing the pointy tip with your finger. How much would you even get paid to do this?

"I'm going away." He said one day.

"What do you mean?" Panic surged through your veins.

"I'm in the military. Got called to go back." A pause and a stretch of uncomfortable silence. "But I'll come back."

"When?"

His shoulders slouch. The only answer is silence. “I don’t know.” He stared up at you through his lashes as you stood up. He was dangerous when he looked at you like that.

You left without a word, before you could crack in front of him. His words had pierced through you reminding you of a life you don't have access to. How easy it was to forget your priorities, a simple thing you had with him. How he made you feel on top of the world; free of problems, of the need to survive. But you're not free to make those decisions, and until he's gone you can never find peace.

And Keegan had never felt the frightening thrill of a push and pull game that very much felt like Russian roulette. Never had he been afraid to plunge headfirst into reality, but this... this was the deadliest of games.

A hole in your heart still harbored a question; just what answer he'd give you might break it. And you came to this cruel, shattered reality as you observed Keegan focus on his sniper scope. His spotter unaware of you as you pulled the trigger.

"Maybe if the circumstances had been different." You whispered.

[salvagesmha]

The Curious Case of the Jailbreakers

In MHA, the concept of villain organizations having sub-groups or elite squads is nothing new in concept (albeit it rarely is it committed to for too long). For the League of Villains, they had their Vanguard Action Squad. The Shie Hassaikai, they had the Eight Bullets. For the Paranormal Liberation Front/Meta Liberation Army, they had their Base Commanders turned PLF Advisors. Lastly for All For One's army of Villains, he has his Assassins better known as just the Jailbreakers...

Who I think probably has earned the title of the most nothing group during the story's time span. Which is pretty impressive in hindsight.

(Hey, you see this group of clearly seven people - one's in the back of the dialogue box - right? Keep this group shot in mind)

So who are the Jailbreakers?

The Jailbreakers are a group of...eight(?)ish Tartartus Villains that AFO recruited for the purpose of defeating Deku to bring to him (hence them also being called his hired guns or assassins...even if the latter isn't really correct).

On paper, this is a set-up for an interesting premise as the Dark Deku arc, on paper, is also supposed to show Deku trying to reach out to better understand why people become Villains and to at least try to see if they can be reasoned with. The story also established Tartarus to be a place which has numerous human rights violations. So already you can see the potential brewing for a potential sympathetic angle for some of them. If not that, then at least it should be easy to get invested in knowing former convicts are loose and, given their location, are likely immensely strong and provide some backstory to Hero Society as well.......right?

Well........kind of? Of the two, the former was kinda the most realized...sorta? Not really.

Of the Jailbreakers, Lady Nagant easily holds the title of being the most developed of the eight(?) and most thought out of. She's the one that shows the dark side of the HSPC, its corrupt measures to keep society ignorant of issues that could threaten its image. She's the Villain that Deku manages to reach out to sway back to good. She gets her redemption in the Final War. Sounds good...on paper (again XD).

But, in practice, as much as I like Nagant and what she offers, it's still plagued by rushing her introduction and reform stint in a few chapters, and then leaving her comatose up until the final battle. She's in and out of the story just like that. What should have been foreshadowed long ago, and taken its time to really let simmer, is just suffering under a story going too fast to really want to let her stick around.

Yet, that's still way better than what her comrades got - because, wow, did the Jailbreakers run into trouble before Nagant was finised.

Starting with this damning line right here from Hawks:

From the start we're told by Hawks the Analyst that because Deku has One For All, the other escaped cons besides Nagant should be no trouble.

This right here is the start of the Nothingness of the Jailbreakers. Before we even get to see anyone else besides Nagant, a flashback says that we shouldn't be concerned if one of them runs into Deku. That sentence along along is the most damning thing one should never say in regards to a group that hasn't properly debuted.

It is a writing sin, one that makes any attempt at hyping up future villains go to waste! Because, from the very start, you got it into the audience's head that these guys are no real theat. No big deal, because Hawks the Powerscaler said so. Trading out 7ish potential for one who, admittedly, is still not given the best of their treatment is very much a bad call.

This is actually pretty strange for MHA, since Horikoshi actually got it right concerning the other three squads...for the most part XD The Vanguard he made note that these guys were 'elite' compared to the jobbers of USJ, Eight Bullets were noted to be threatening since they had nothing to lose, the Advisors (as much as the story dropped the ball with them) at least had Hawks the Tier King to say they're stronger than average. All three had the story giving an effort to build intrigue and expectation for these guys...things squandered for the Jailbreakers in favor of just one of their number. It's a strange choice, but its pretty much the start of a losing battle for the rest.

And it really doesn't get better for them since after Nagant, do you know what happens to the other two?

Yeah, no, for both the anime and manga, they just get one appearance. That's it. No real showcasing of their powers, no names, any reason as to why they worked for AFO, no real personality either. They're just...footnotes. It doesn't help both get done dirty in different ways. Gangster Fang guy gets caught no problem off-screen to really hammer in the protagonist can't be touched (which...is just a decision I never agree with - decimates the stakes for the story).

King Sharkman isn't even shown defeated. From manga to anime, he just that one still frame (Bones for S5-6 REALLY did not care consistency/extra effort with the Villains, especially the minor ones and it shows). You probably wouldn't even knew they were Jailbreakers were it not for Hawks giving the almighty report that they were enemies sent by AFO.

It's one thing for have dialogue to say these Villains won't be much, it is a very different thing to reinforce that idea. So with these showings, it's now officially solidified in the audience's mind that these guys are nothing special. Which, again, is a bad thing to be doing for your series, especially when you're in the final act and need credible villains to face (which wouldn't be an issue if over half of the credible villains from the First War wasn't shelved, but...that's a topic for another day).

Dictator, the 4th hitman, isn't much better. Sure he has an actual personality, and a cool power, with the bonus of actually using his moves intelligently (with the whole meat shield trick) and providing a boost for Crust post-mortem. But, like with the other two he suffers a lesser case of being disposed of too quickly. He's OHKO'd by Bakugo and only brought up in passing afterword. Arrived too late and gone too quick.

After that, there's a lull since Deku is saved by Class A. By now, you might think, if you haven't completely written off the Jailbreakers by this point, you would have noticed that, after Nagant, there were three of the seven(?) that went down, right? So four to go right?

...

Yeah, now here's the fun part.

???? Who the Hell are two of them?! There are clearly two extras off to the side, so what gives? Weeeelll...just forget about them.

Unfortunately, they're two things that just...don't get resolved by the end of the story. There's six of them here, Hori likely had some original plan that involved six Jailbreakers all getting stomped out during the War...but I guess he just couldn't find room to add in the two......

Okay, scratch that.

He couldn't find the room to add in four, because aside from the namedropped Kunieda and Gashly, no other Jailbreakers either appears or gets focused on, in the manga that is at the time of this writing. Despite clearly showing at least two others on the level of Gashly...they just are not shown off. This especially goes for the Dreadlock Jailbreaker that you would clearly see as being constantly in shot and is likely this guy below.

He was sent to Gunga, we see him at the start...and doesn't appear again. It's utterly bizarre and that's not even getting into the person next to him whose so vague we can't make out any real details.

But, hey, this is just the manga. Perhaps the anime makes things clearer, right?

Nope.

Instead of six Jailbreakers...they just reduced it five, even though we can blatantly see six in the original panels. On the flipside, without the text we get a better view of Kunieda, Gashly, 'Spike' (for lack of better name - also we now know his Quirk) and two of the other enemies. One is apparently bald and next to Spike, so I assume they are on the Gunga battlefield (they're the ones next to Spike in the first manga panel so the anime thought to add them back in)? As for the cloak one...yeah got nothing. I hope the anime does something with them, but if they don't won't be surprised.

But why get hung up on this?

Well, because the story now wants them to be considered important. As the 'wild card' factor that could make their attempts to stop the Villains be in danger. Or rather, it wants Kunieda and Gashly to be important (since Hori made 3/4 others that just...don't get to be shown off - still better than the Advisors situation mind you).

The problem is that the damage was both already done on top of other factors.

Like I said before, up until the 2nd War, after Nagant, the Jailbreakers were treated like a breeze to get through by Deku or Class A. Meaning their threat level is nonexistent in spite of Johnny Average saying otherwise.

Another downside to the Jailbreakers is that, unlike the other Squads in MHA, Hori was really dead set on not showing off their designs until their focus chapter. Meaning, unlike the Advisors or Eight Bullets who we can at least speculate or gain intrigue from based on their looks, speculation or potential hype for the Breakers is dead in the water since 'vague shadows' is not enough to work off of.

Even when they do show up, its not really to the story's real benefit since the focus is hardly ever on them, even as the War is under way. No one is really expecting much from them, and the story is still going along with making sure that notion isn't really defied.

And it's just sad because, when the story does focus on them, it shows a great layer of promise for what could have been.

Kunieda is the 2nd best Jailbreakers because he, at his least, does fulfill properly the roles of prior minion villains in the past. Kuneida is Aoyama's Villain - an obstacle narrative to challenge his weakness, in this case being his role as a Traitor to UA, and whether is was worth betraying AFO, with Kunieda having fierce loyalty to the Demon Lord. It also helps that he's allowd to actually, you know, FIGHT - he's not steamrolled like the other Breakers before him, he's allowed to beat others. Granted, it was off-screen but its still something that earns him his second place medal.

As for Gashly............

Yeah, I won't lie. Gashly got a raw deal. If Kunieda barely got anything, Gashly just got the scraps. Crumbs of what could have been. He's shown way, way, way too late for him to ever matter (why wait until legit the final fight to show him off). His Quirk, while just as destructive as Kunieda, suffers from taking up too much similarities from Twice and Skeptic (also people who summon clones). And, to top it off, he's worse off since not only does he not get to speak, he's not tied to any of Class A or important cast to triumph against. Tokage and Kamikiri are the ones to take him down. Not Sero, Ryukyu, Thirteen. They just do not effect his defeat and he's a little more than a foot note before the grand finale, even though he outlasted pretty much every other Villain besides Shigaraki.

And that's kind of the problem with the Jailbreakers in a nutshell:

The story treats them like nothing, even when it also wants them to be something, yet takes every avenue it can to prevent them from ever rising above 'oh, right, they're here too'.

It's a rather pitiful decision that drags down the story a bit since the final act was in serious need of threatening villains to wrap things up...and the Jailbreakers just could not deliver. Which is a shame since they had real potential behind their concept. Villains locked away for being that wicked or perhaps spouting truths the government didn't want to see the light of day. There's a lot you can do with escaped convict villains, but sadly in MHA's rush for the end, the Jailbreaker's threat level are another casualty.

[diesvitae]

once you're finished the game could you share your elgarook Thoughts? as i fellow villain fucker i also want him but i cant think of a plot that makes sense for rook and him to get together in any way shape or form akdbsj

OH HI!!! In truth now that I'm done with the game I still have to rework some points in my Elgarook timeline. But in case of Nadir and Elgar'nan... (POSSIBLE SPOILERS BELOW THE CUT)

1) Their first (solo) meeting is an attempted assassination from my lil Rook, who was probably also kinda drunk, since he attacks with a normal dagger which is... kinda useless against a god. Elgar'nan in game seems pretty chill, offering "mercy" more than once so I doubt he would be pissed at Nadir for trying. 2) Words are exchanged, Nadir is trapped and probably panicking a bit once he understands the situation he got into, he's able to flee, but there is some sort of curiosity between the two: Elgar'nan can easily sense Nadir is a mage (and a powerful one) but my lil Rook never uses magic, especially the offensive one. That's a mystery he's curious about considering it makes no sense to him (one who's obsessed with power) Nadir refuses to use his natural gifts. And this fear to use magic makes him a perfect pawn to be manipulated and guided to become someone like him. Plus it would be a nice little revenge against Solas, to steal Rook away. Nadir, while looking like this cute smug creature, is pretty insecure, he hates using magic due to hurting people by mistake each time he tried to control it. He hates acting like a hero because he can't see himself as a good person, just a cursed one. But around Elgar'nan he doesn't have to pretend to be perfect, to be controlled. Elgar'nan is the enemy, who cares about his opinion after all? And somehow that lack of care becomes a sense of freedom. So for a while they seek each other out, to learn, to test boundaries, it's a little game neither give much importance. Elgar'nan needs a hobby beyond conquering the world and Nadir needs time away from responsibilities.

That being said, despite starting a literal affair with the enemy, my Rook is beyond loyal to the team, and makes it clear he won't divulge anything which could hurt his friends or help the evanuris. Another part of their dynamic is what they gain from each other. Nadir is quite the atheist, he recognizes Elgar'nan can be considered a god, but he doesn't feel the need to worship anything or anyone. Which makes him see Elgar as a person. He's close to him not to gain godly favor, power or whatever. He simply enjoys his company and the parts of Elgar'nan which can be considered... human (wrong word XD) A person who's built empires using only his power would end up with nothing if that power were to disappear. But Nadir? He would stay. So Elgar'nan gains what it feels to get real unconditional love. On the other hand Nadir gets to be free from his fears. He doesn't have to be scared about using magic around the evanuris because he literally can't hurt them, and even if he were to... it's enemies! Technically he would be doing good by hurting them XD Plus Elly is training him! He doesn't have to act like a hero amonst his enemies. He doesn't have to act like a leader since that's a role Elgar'nan won't leave to anyone. There is also the affection which builds over time which is always nice XD (and the fucks are real good too.) In the end I want them to be like two jigsaw puzzle pieces which lock with each other perfectly despite being completely different. (And yes, Nadir is still going to kill him at the end, in a tragic and painful scene.) As for you, it depends what kind of dynamic you want! You can have your rook act as a spy, joining his side to gather his secrets only to fall for him. Or you can have Rook kidnapped only to have Elgar'nan treating them courteously. Honestly it depends on your tastes!

[teecupangel]

Hey, I’m back again with another idea. I know we already have Desmond in Alamut during the third crusades, but what if he went further back in time to the events of Mirage and trained with Basim and Roshan?

Desmond has no other plans whatsoever.

He has no idea why he had been thrown in this specific time period, so far from any of the people he knew.

Centuries apart from any of them.

It seemed like a cruel joke.

Or perhaps an attempt to save him gone horribly wrong.

Regardless, he had no other plans.

He had nothing.

He has nothing.

Coming to Alamut had simply been… a sorta ‘pit stop’.

His final destination had been Masyaf.

Even if he knew that the Brotherhood wasn’t there, wouldn’t exist for centuries…

He figured it would be better to stay somewhere he was familiar with.

Alamut had simply been on the way.

He needed a place to rest for the night and he was sorta-kinda familiar with Alamut thanks to what remains of his Bleed of Altaïr.

And then he saw the Assassin insignia.

No.

They call themselves Hidden Ones.

No one told him about the full history of the Assassins.

As much as Shaun enjoyed to talk, he never bothered to talk about the predecessors of the Assassins.

Even back in the Farm, history lessons were sparse.

His lessons had always been focused on the present and any information he might need to survive.

So he was caught off guard by the Hidden Ones’ presence in Alamut.

To learn that they were in charge of creating what would later be known as Alamut Castle?

Desmond was invited to join as a recruit since he showed promise and he did admit to having no real goal in life.

Desmond was sure their mentor was also trying to keep an eye on him.

The ‘promise’ he showed did involve Desmond being able to pin one of the Hidden Ones and pressing a dagger on his throat when he tried to sneak behind Desmond.

But Desmond humored them.

It was as he said…

He had no real goals.

So why not just…

Find out what else he didn’t know about the predecessors of the Brotherhood?

.

.

A year since he had been recruited…

Roshan returned to Alamut with a young man.

He introduces himself as Basim Ibn Ishaq.

Basim looked like he had seen hell at first and Desmond…

Well…

Desmond felt like the man could use a hand getting used to training and all that so he befriended him.

He ignored Nur telling him that both Basim and him needed a friend too with that big smile on his face.

Before long, he and Basim were… Desmond supposed they could be called close friends.

Basim was easy to get along with, after all.

And he was also a quick learner.

Soon enough, he and Basim were inducted to the Brotherhood and gifted eagles of their own.

Desmond knew, sooner or later, he would be ordered to go on a mission away from Alamut.

It was a bit annoying how he still couldn’t find a way to the temple underneath Alamut to leave a memory seal for Altaïr to find but there was time.

He didn’t expect Rayhan to order him to accompany Basim, Roshan and Fuladh to Baghdad though but he has no reason to say no.

So Desmond joins the three to find out what was happening in Baghdad.

(sidebar: Desmond’s eagle will be just as spoiled as Aquila is in EoA, that’s just a given XD)

[izartn]

Not giving spoilers for the manga, still reading anime canon light novels.

Maomao giving spark from girl genius vibes in ep 20. I love her so much XD that mad laugh at the idea of... A rival? A source of inspiration? Another woman who is into medicine and the sciences and who got away free from the palace? (as far as we now as of now. who knows I bet this is all politics all the way down) that admiration! I get it Maomao. Intelectual equals in your area of interest are hard to find.

Btw I can see her already dismissing the fact she woke up in Jinshi bed, attended by Suiren. But the way she irrumped into his office was soooo good. Like. She's enthused about the mistery, and probably wants to avoid it happening again (like. that was an assassination attempt!) but she very much asks directly for Jinshi to let her go see the corpse. Small steps! She knows he cares someway even if she doesn't want to think about his real identity. (she doesn't know he got her out himself in bridal carry in front of all the officials. that'd be too much info about the truth I think)

She's so brilliant solving how Suirei got out, and so happy of going back to being Gyokuyo poison tester. I'm happy for her too. Lol Lakan you'll need to wait more if you want to see your daughter!

Awww, Jinshi being 19 is kinda sad and sweet. Him going, "marriage? isn't your son my age?" at Gaoshun was great. His agreement to see what can be done to free Gaoshun and himself from that job/bet... Mmm. I wonder what's exactly going on there. Why's the brother of the Emperor going incognito as a eunuch?

Also managing the rear palace since he was 14? Ouch. You just know he had to learn fast how to respond to the propositions and manouver all the politics. He has it down perfect right now but thinking of 14 year old Jinshi... Kinda a parallel for Maomao trying her best to avoid at all cost any attention on the red light district. Gender and class privilege exists! Everything sucks anyways.

Also Jinshi youth foreshadowed by those moments Maomao was like "he looks so young". He's just like a year or two older than you Maomao! That's why he's so silly around you. All that power and repsonsability in the hands of a 19 year old. Right now heir to the throne; no wonder he wants the emperor to have a heir quickly! (sadly you're still the firstborn oof)

Anyways I'm very happy with the anime. I love the animation, the colors, the music, the charas, the way it adapts the plot (from what I know until now!)

[thatbigbisexual29]

Play with us, Papa Rei! (Buddy Daddies)

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY FROM ALL OF US TO YOU! WE WISH IT WAS OUR BIRTHDAY TO WE CAN PARTY TOO HEY! Ayooooo happy birthday to my dearest and bestest friend on this site, @giggly-squiggily !!!!!!!! Gonna be honest, I had this one saved and unfinished in my drafts and thought "She would love this!" so HERE WE ARE!!!!! Like I said in a message before, I'm super glad to have you as a friend! I truly appreciate you and your friendship, you've even inspired me to post some of my own fics! (Which was not as scary as I thought it would be XD Sorry this is a bit late, but I hope you enjoy it! This one is for you :3 And again, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!

The days when Miri was home from school were probably the most eventful days Rei’s ever experienced in his life. She was such a wild bundle of energy that he could barely keep up sometimes. Thank god Kazuki was there to help out. Even though he barely acknowledged it or said anything, he genuinely loved and appreciated the help the older man gave. And now was no different. She asked, no, demanded that the two build her a massive pillow fort to her liking. And since they couldn’t say no to her cute face, they got to work. Soon enough, all the couch cushions, pillows, and blankets in the house had been used to make a, quite honestly, impressive pillow fort in their living room. And Miri was so overjoyed.

“Thank you Papa Rei! Thank you Papa Kazuki!” she squealed, diving into the opening. Kazuki momentarily panicked as she jumped in with no caution for the structure of the fort! But, he soon relaxed as he saw their girl laughing happily.

“Papas! You need to come in here!” she claimed, grabbing Kazuki by the wrist and pulling him in, giggling loudly at his grunt of surprise. He chuckled and cuddled close to her, making her laugh even more.

“Thank you for your hospitality, Lady Miri! I was afraid I would go cold and hungry this night, but you have saved me! How can I ever repay you??” The blonde man played up, relishing in his daughter’s squeals. Rei lifted up the blanket entrance and watched them, the slightest smile on his lips. He was proud of this. It wasn’t a shabby job, at least not to him, and Rei knew he was going to be invited in by both Miri and Kazuki. As comfy as the inside looked, it would probably heat up real quick. Not to mention he was wearing a long sleeved shirt. So he dropped the blanket curtain and attempted to make his leave.

“Papa Rei, wait!” Miri cried, poking her head from the fort. Rei sighed. Busted. “You need to play with Papa Kazuki and me in the fort! Pleeeeeeeeease???”

“Yeah, pleeeeeeeeease Papa Rei?~” Kazuki also poked his head from the blanket, smirking and egging the former assassin on. With a quiet groan, Rei obeyed their orders and crawled into the space with cheers from the two invitees.

“So! What are we gonna do now, Miri?” Kazuki asked, a big grin on his face. With a starry-eyed look, she ran out the fort yelling behind her, “Let me get my things!” Rei glared at Kazuki, mentally cursing him out for the fate the younger man just exposed them to. The little girl rushed back with an armful of bright hair clips that immediately made the men cringe.

“Let me do your hair Papas!” she asked loudly. And it was less of an ask and phrased more like ‘I’m going to do your hair whether you like it or not.’ Kazuki, of course, didn’t mind. Rei was against this idea entirely. But, like always, he couldn’t say no. Kazuki was first and mixed in with sitting still for Miri to finish his hair, he also had to keep Rei from escaping constantly. After Miri was done making Kazuki a “pretty lady” (Rei chuckled at that), it was Rei’s turn to have all the attention on him. Miri held up a bunch of sparkly bows that she could put in Rei’s hair. The man sat still for several moments as he took in the sight of the bows… then he raced for the exit.

“Wh- REI GET BACK HERE!!!” Kazuki exclaimed, grabbing the former assassin around the waist and falling to the floor with him. “If I have to put silly bows in my hair, then you do too!”

“Never!” Rei shouted as he reached for the door, so close to the outside! Then, Rei felt a poke to his armpit that made him shoot his arm down with a squeak. He turned to look at Miri, who poured angrily yet adorably at the man.

“Papa Rei!” she fussed. “You promised you would play with us! Good daddies don’t make bad promises!”

Kazuki grinned immediately while Rei furrowed his brows with guilt. She was right. He had promised. But then again, that was when he had gotten home from a long day and was half asleep. It technically didn’t count! But he couldn’t let her down… it’s decided then. He will play with his family! … That doesn’t mean he won’t be hard to get though!

“If you tell Papa Kazuki to let me go…” he looked at Miri with a mischievous half-grin. “I’ll tell you where he hides his chocolate pudding!”

Miri gasped excitedly while Kazuki made sounds of betrayal.

“Rei!!! You can’t just do that to me! And Miri! Don’t even think of switching sides! We’re putting bows in his hair whether he likes it or not!” Kazuki declared as he now wrapped his arms around Rei’s chest to keep him in place.

“But Papa Kazukiiiii! I want chocolate pudding!” Miri whined. Rei struggled in Kazuki’s grip, he was stronger than he remembered, as he kept his grin. The pair knew she would start helping Rei as soon as she could. To get her back on track, Kazuki reached out one hand and quickly scribbled his fingers against her belly. Miri squealed with laughter and backed away, holding her tummy as she giggled.

“This is no time for chocolate pudding, Miri! We have to-” Kazuki paused. An idea formed in his head. Rei acted as if he’d read Kazuki’s mind because they made eye contact and the former assassin shook his head feverishly.

“Kazuki, no!” Rei said in a hushed panic. Kazuki only grinned evilly.

“Kazuki yes!! Miri, help tickle Papa Rei!” Kazuki quickly sat on Rei’s thighs as he forced his arms above his head. Huh, he was faster than Rei remembered too.

“Will I get-?” Miri began before Kazuki shouted, “YES you’ll get chocolate pudding!”

“Weeeeee!” Miri squealed as she ran over. Kazuki already started on scratching over Rei’s ribs, giggling at how Rei immediately squeaked at the touch. The former assassin pursed his lips together and puffed out his cheeks in an effort to keep the laughter in. Miri, who began repeatedly poking his side, laughed at his funny face.

“Hahaha! Papa Rei’s making a pooping face!” Miri exclaimed. Kazuki immediately started laughing at her declaration, as he found it hysterically accurate. And with the combination of Miri’s joke, their combined laughter, and the hands tickling over his ribs and sides, tipped the scales a lot quicker than anyone anticipated. Rei started giggling and quietly laughing with his family.

“Aha!” Kazuki barked as he caught these adorable sounds. “Hear that, Miri? He’s laughing! We’re one step closer to getting him to surrender!”

Miri squealed happily and began to use both her hands to poke Rei’s sides, all the while she chanted the words ‘chocolate pudding’ over and over again. Rei shook his head back and forth with glee, smiling wide and freely as Kazuki turned his hand into a claw and vibrated them in between his ribs.

“Khehehehehehe! Ahahahahahahahaaaa! Sttthhahahahahahahap! Get off mehehehehehehe! M-Mirihihihihihi, quihihihihihihit it! Kahahazukihihi, knock it ohohohohoff!” Rei wheezed with laughter as he addressed the man above him and the girl beside him. He rocked his torso back and forth as the two continued to tickle the former assassin silly.

“Papa Kazuki! Let’s get his tummy!” Miri said. Kazuki gasped with delight as Rei groaned in despair.

“That’s a great idea Miri!” Kazuki said as he shoved Rei’s shirt up to his neck. Rei continued to shake his head no, but his smile didn’t leave his face at all. “Alright, Miri! Should we do raspberries or nibbles?”

Rei’s eyes shot wide open at the question and he tried to sit up and pull his hands away. Miri placed her finger to her chin and pondered, humming in thought. Rei tried hard to yank his wrists from Kazuki’s hand, but that bastard just kept him still using his other hand! Rei growled at him and Kazuki stuck out his tongue.

“Raspberries!” was Miri’s decision.

“Raspberries it is then! You ready, Rei?~” Kazuki cooed at his partner, wiggling his eyebrows at the younger man. Rei attempted to scowl at the blonde, but his wavering smile would not leave his features. Then he jerked and barked out a laugh as Miri blew a raspberry on the former assassin’s side. Miri giggled hysterically at his reaction.

“That’s not funny Miri!” Rei fussed, blushing like no one’s business. Kazuki and Miri began laughing again.

“Of course it is, Rei!” Kazuki exclaimed. He was next to dip his head down to Rei’s smooth belly and blow a torturous raspberry.

“GAHAHAHAHAHA! Ohohokay- ohokay. Thahat’s enough. That’s enoHOHAHAHAHAHAF! NOHOHOHOHOHOHOOO! Ehehehehehehehehehe! C-C’mohohon! Youhu guys!” Rei tried to argue, but he was interrupted by the two taking turns and blowing raspberries until his wheezy laughter turned silent.

After one final raspberry from Kazuki, the blonde man let go of the former assassin and scooped Miri in his lap so they could give him a break. The younger man immediately curled up after being let go and panted, still giggly after the whole ordeal. Miri covered her mouth and giggled with him while Kazuki took in the sights and sounds fondly.

“So,” he started, “you gonna actually play with us now?”

Rei peeked his eye open and looked at the two, noticing how big Miri’s eyes were, hopeful that he’d say yes. Rei just chuckled and pat her head.

“Yeah, I’ll play.”

“YAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!” Miri squealed at the top of her lungs. She wiggled out of Kazuki’s grip and jumped onto Rei’s arm, flopping over him and laughing while he grunted. The older man growled in a playful manner and caught the little girl in his arms.

“I’m gonna eat you!” he exclaimed as he nuzzled his face into her ear, lightly nibbling it and making the girl squeal and laugh like no tomorrow. Kazuki  leaned his head on his knee and watched on lovingly, thinking that his life couldn’t get better than this. In truth, it could, especially when he saw their reactions to pulling out three cups of chocolate pudding.

Happy Birthday, Rei, he thought.

[macawritesupdates]

Hey you wrote my prompt for the court of vipers sequel! Thank you!!! I loved it so much it was beautifully written ❤️ 💖 💕. You did a wonderful job bringing the idea to life. Oh my goodness, it became so much more than i ever could have hoped. I feel like just seeing how you take prompts and expand them into full chapters and interweave lore into the narrative in a way that feels natural and not like boring exposition is soo cool I almost feel like a better writer by proxy just by reading your work. I had given up on being a writer myself for a while but idk something about seeing how you do it makes me want to try again. OK gushing about the way you do things done now on to the actual chapter, loved seeing Sukuna's morning routine she's great and I loved toji adding himself to the narrative 😀 I think that's why he kept appearing in cannon jjk so often that man wants to be written lol. I loved Yuuji being a good boy and solving people's problems while completely unaware of all the assassination attempts. Oh my boy, thank goodness you have Sukuna, your scary wife has your back. Man putting the failed assassins in the garden of the people who sent them is hard core Sukuna does not fuck around or rather Sukuna fucks around so much that it loops back around to being serious and all her enemies get to find out. It was great to see Sukuna casually stopping the attempts but damn i did feel a little bad for that poor servant. Those nobles must have been so terrified sitting through that meal knowing that she knows they tried to kill her husband. Aww the end scene was both funny and hot like damn. Awww wait Sukuna wants him to stay in bed with her a little later thats so cute. I do love seeing Sukuna in an environment where she gets to use her extreme murderous intelligence for good it's like enrichment for her. She's like a wild tiger she needs to hunt and protecting Yuuji gives her the opportunity to do that without any guilt or self hate over being just a monster because she's doing a good thing by keeping him safe. She's got terrible claws and teeth, but she's putting them to good use she may not be a traditional hero but without her the real sunshine hero would definitely get murdered. Who would have thought the best way to get Sukuna to stop being a calamity on the land would be to give her a cute little husband and let her loose on his enemies. She's focused, she's happy, and she's getting laid all the time. She doesn't have time to mess up some random village she's already juggling so many scemes and making good on all these covert threats while trying to get her and her husbands throne back. Man Sukuna benefits from this marriage as much as Yuuji those two really are perfect for each other. They balance each other out so well her greatest strengths are his greatest weaknesses, but the reverse is also true. So long as they have each other for support they can thrive and be happy in a way that they just could not manage on their own. He has too much compassion and good will but she'll protect him and prevent him from giving too much so he doesn't burn out. Meanwhile she gets to bask in that good will more than anyone else which let's her have all the love she was denied growing up, love given freely to her just because of who she is. She is not unlovable but it takes someone uniquely kind and strong and stubborn like Yuuji to really give her what she needs. Basically both of them are super super lucky. Anyway great work as always!!

I always say keep on writing! It is a good way to relax and it took me many years to let go of tying my worth as a writer to comments/kudos/subs/ect. It is a hard habit to break, but doing so, I feel your art just gets more your own voice! Also glad you enjoyed the chapter! Sukuna seems to behave if he is given the enrichment to be awful in contained situations XD He just wants to be a violent bastard, let him have room to cook! Sukuna will get Yuuji his throne back, one way or another, then gleefully protect it for sure XD

[walkingstackofbooks]

DS9 3x20 Improbable Cause and 3x21 The Die Is Cast thoughts (I'm re-watching, so beware spoilers for future episodes!)

(25/05/2023)

Garak!

Shakespeare! The first mention of this Garashir-fic staple XD

Garak is so obviously flirting XD this is the exact same way Gilora was talking to Miles!

G: "I'd be more than happy to bring some by the Infirmary later this afternoon." B: "Why thank you, I'd like that." His smile!

Kira's "Garak. :/". She's just so annoyed by his existence and it shows XD 

Oh, this is where he fakes his assassination attempt!

"But who would want to kill me? A simple tailor?" Always with the tailor identity.

G: "And of course, there's always Major Kira." B: "This is serious, Garak." G: "I'm being serious. I don't think she likes me." O: "She doesn't. But if she wanted you dead, you would be." Everything about this is 👌👌

Julian is so fed up with Garak's lies, isn't he

And the moral of the boy who cried wolf is... "You should never tell the same lie twice." Of course, Garak. Sigh

"I have bad news for you. Major Kira has an airtight alibi." Garak's tight amusement at this

"What makes you think I haven't already looked thtough [your security files]?... I'm joking, of course." Needing to mollify Odo.

"Odo I -" Miles is so stunned to see Garak there XD

"They're known to be favoured by Flaxian assassins, and it just so happens a Flaxian came aboard the station just this morning." Oh, Garak is gooood

This guy, the Flaxian, is not acting innocent, he's being super slippery and suspicious - but if Garak blew up his own shop, it can't have been him? Unless he was hired by Garak, I guess...

Odo's surprise to see Garak in the shuttle XD

Okay so Garak is genuinely stunned by the other ship exploding? I'm so confused!

"Because if he did know, he'd already be spinning out an elaborate web of lies to cover up the truth." Odo knows Garak's MO too well.

"Considering those uniforms of theirs, you'd think they'd appreciate a decent tailor." XD Odo has an opinion on this?

The unusual Romulans activity, as though they're getting ready for an invasion - this is them getting ready for the Dominion attack with Train?

Another five Cardassians were assassinated? But I'm almost certain Garak faked his! 

"I am not Doctor Bashir and we are not sparring amiably over lunch." Love this outside perspective on Garak and Bashir's lunch dates.

"You blew up your own shop, Garak!" The shock on Garak's face! And Odo's pleased, "Welllll, heh heh."

Ohhh, so there was a real plot to kill Garak

"He retired some years ago. He was, I might add, the only head of the agency ever to live long enough to do so." The fact that Garak is still showing pride at Tain's accomplishment

The emotion on Garak's face seeing Mila :3

"Is there anything you need me to do while you're gone?" Oh, sweetheart!

"Eat it? You're joking." "Yes I am." Julian's fond smile coming out there <3

CHOCOLATES

THEY'RE IN LOVE

"Is it so hard to believe that there's one person in this galaxy who could regard me with a certain affection?" "I could believe there's one (BASHIR cough cough) but I wouldn't expect it to be someone who worked for Enabran Tain."

"Tell me, is there one person in this universe you do care for? One person who's more than just an interesting puzzle to be solved." Interesting that it would just be the one. Why do they care so much about Odo only caring about Kira, because that's what's being implied, isn't it?

Aaaand I've only just realised that this isn't just setting up for The Die Is Cast, TDIC is the next episode! I'd thought it was the end of the season for some reason ..

"Ah, Garak. It's good of you to come. It spares me the trouble of having to send someone else to kill you." ... Whoops

"Like I used to say. Always burn your bridges behind you. You never know who might be trying to follow." I always find it fascinating when aliens have a twist on an English proverb. 

"You blew up your own shop? You, my friend, are a true original."

"I never betrayed you! At least, not in my heart." The emotion!

"You'll pardon me if I appear a little startled." This episode has sure been a tough ride for Garak's emotional control...!

321 The Die Is Cast

Julian's babbling on over lunch :3

Miles trying to pretend he was listening and failing miserably XD

His soft smiles leading into a sad face at remembering Garak

"That's not entirely bad news." *hopeful eye contact*

The slow realisation it's not just one ship out there...

Garak's so happy! 

"I was good wasn't I?" Garak still needing that validation

"I've missed you too, Enabran." Very deliberate pause there

"Next thing you know we'll be crying over our lost youth." Oh that was very pointed, and you can see Garak knows it.

Dr Parmak mention - "When we get back, you should look him up." This is where all those fanfics start?

"Mila may not be around much longer." Garak's quick head turn. He's so easy to read?

"Is this a request I hear?" "Not at all! Just an observation :)" oh Garak. I guess protecting Mila is another reason you want to stay on Tain's good side.

G: "And believe me, if it were my decision, things would be-" O: "I don't believe you, Garak..." Yeah, legit

"You are imaginative, Constable, I'll grant you that. But I would suggest that you put those creative powers to better use. We would like you to share your unique insights on the Founders." Garak's trying to tell Odo to make it up, tell him anything.

"It sounds like you're hoping Tain will succeed." I mean, I can see why - the Dominion bring home would be beneficial, probably.

Eddington >:(

"I'd like permission to take the Defiant into the Gamma Quadrant and try to determine if he's still alive." No of course not. But you tried, Sisko <3

"I am not going to just abandon one of my officers." YES, Sisko, I should have known you'd not take no for an answer

"I consider this a volunteer mission, but don't volunteer yet. There's a good chance you won't be coming back." But it's still worth it to him to try to get Odo :3

Eddington is Not Enjoying This. I guess he wants to fly under Starfleet's radar and not get court martialled? I wonder why he volunteered... It would make more sense to me for him to remain on the station and get more entrenched there

Ah, so that's why Eddington came, to sabotage the mission. He IS sucking up to Starfleet

"You've turned us into sitting ducks for the Jem'Hadar!" Miles trying to attack and Sisko restraining him.

"Because I give you my word." "I make it a policy to never question the word of anyone who wears that uniform. Don't make me change that policy." Oh Sisko.... This hit harder knowing what Eddington will do

"Ohh, no, you're going to torture me, aren't you?" The sarcasm, Odo's so confident Garak can't do anything to him

"Tell me, what will happen if you can't revert to a liquid?" "I don't know." The fear in Odo's face.

"I can wait. The question is, can you?" Chills

"Major, leave the chief alone." XD

"Odo! Talk to me!" The emotionn. "Lie if you have to, but say it now!" He's saying the quiet bit out loud?!

Garak is so transparent! He cannot hide his need to keep Odo alive!

There's definitely something about Garak quoting the Shakespeare he disdained just a few days ago to Tain.

"Why are you doing this?" "Because no changeling has ever harmed another." You kind of let Odo be significantly hurt though... Like, that is a thing that just happened.

"To the Bridge, to get Tain." Odo's bewilderment, yeah we're all with you there!

"Odo, I hope you will accept my sincere apologies for all this." Always with the quest for forgiveness.

Odo's breathless, astonished "What?" as the Defiant appears! 

What a pilot! Jadzia dodging all those phases like they're nothing!

"It's good to see you again, Constable." "Likewise, Major." They are both looking at each other with heart eyes I swear.

This is very similarly shot to Odo's conversation with his Cardassian informant last episode, I like that choice. 

"Do you know what the sad part is, Odo? I'm a very good tailor." Oh, Garak.

[laufire]

The Saga comics for the fandom ask

M/F OTP: as I told you I wanted to catch up with the comics (and Monstress for the other ask) before I answered this (65 issues so far... #66 initially came out next week but it's been pushed back to September)... but I strongly suspected what my answer was going to be lmfao.

The only romance I'm here for it's Alana/Marko. It's foundational to the story, it's impactful. I love the star-crossed shit, I love the real messiness in their marriage, and I love the PAIN and ANGST they cause me *cries in issue 54*.

And... they made Hazel. I love that girl to pieces. And not only did they make her but also they raised her like this:

[Redacted]: Last Night, [my son] and I had a disagreement. In the heat of the moment, I may have inadvertently… laid hands upon him. Alana: You hurt your own child?! Hazel (narrating): Despite all the violence I’d seen by then, this was the first time I had ever considered that parents could do anything but love and protect their kids.

Saga #52

Hazel (narrating): Dad’s folks used to hit him when he was a kid. The usual caveats: not a lot, only when he “really deserved it”, never too hard, they were just trying to raise a good boy, products of another time... you get the idea. Still, my father always felt it had done a number on him. So before Mom and Dad had me, they promised each other they’d never resort to spankings or whatever, no matter how much I might misbehave. And they never did. Even though I was plenty bad. Somehow, I managed to turn out all right.” Saga #54

Hazel's life is next-level chaos. One look at her -at the horns in her head and the wings on her back- betrays her mixed heritage between two warring empires and puts a target on her back. But these two, whatever their flaws might be, tried their hardest to give her safety and joy during her childhood against all odds and in conscious direct opposition to their own upbringings*, and I love them for that.

(excuse me I have something in my eye *sniffs*)

*we don't know as much about Alana's youth (yet) but we know her father ends up marrying a girl she went to summer camp with and that she joined the army "to escape" so err... yeah.

M/M OTP: well, if whatever ends up killing The Will has a male pronoun in my language, I'm all for that xDD

This is not even about him [spoilers]. I could balance that out with him saving Sophie. It's about how this motherfucker keeps surviving every single righteous and not-so-righteous assassination attempt on him and all the collateral damage it takes to make that happen ¬¬

But I guess Doff and Upsher were cute too LOL.

F/F OTP: none yet and I'd like the story to go there with some character tbh. Hazel, or Klara; a f/f love story could work for either of them.

OT3: when Petrichor said she'd be down for a threesome with Alana and Marko... get it gurl xD

Favorite Canon: Alana/Marko is the only thing I see.

Favorite Crack: Alana/Marko/Petrichor. Alas...

Guilty Pleasure: n/a.

Pairing I Hate: hate is a strong word but every time I see anything with Petrichor/King Robot or Gwendolyn/The Will... you women could do so much better smh xDD

[korinthiakos]

👑 Royalty AU and 💪 Bodyguard AU uwu -endlessxdream

𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐄𝐒 & 𝐏𝐋𝐎𝐓𝐒 | accepting !!

Technically— If we combined the two, I could pretty much throw in my Assassin!Corinthian verse. Because he's technically a bodyguard. Plus murder and bloodshed. So that's one option 'cos Corinthian aka Connor who is loyal. ( Could potentially rebel against Morpheus, who knows. )

But also following the assassin plot line. Here's another option: Attempt to assassinate Morpheus, ends up having mixed feelings about him. Someone like Burgess ( or Desire ) wants Morpheus dead. ( Not surprised there ) so they send out a certain professional assassin to do their deeds. But trouble lurks in the horizon as Connor is having some trouble due to certain stupid emotions.

Another option for the Royalty AU that could include an Arranged Marriage. ( Yes, I'm throwing in another AU. You can't stop me ) is... Prince Connor and Prince Morpheus.

And for Bodyguard AU. This is inspired by one of the fanfics I read? I think it was the only one with a Bodyguard AU but— Lucienne essentially gets a bodyguard to look out for Morpheus and Morpheus isn't too thrilled about it. The bodyguard is nicknamed The Corinthian. He may prefer to use his title than his real name for private reasons. And Morpheus might be famous for something.

And I think that's all I can come up with-- xD

[straight-into-the-animus]

GOOD AFTERNOON, GOOD AFTERNOON, DARLING ANI!

I just saw your ask in my own, and I HAVE TO RECIPROCATE THE FAVOUR.

there is a serious lack of your own oc content on your dash, we need to remedy this <3

BRING IT ON.

2-3-8-9-10-19-28-30

I am ready

--Nemo

Nemo!!! Welcome welcome welcome!

Ik there is a lack dont rub it in jkjkjkjk

So for your questions!

2: Who is your newest OC? Why did you make them?

If I'm correct, my newest OC is my Syndicate OC, Ryan, and his cousin Maureen. I made them because I already had my Unity and Modern Day OCs, and I wanted to explore different dynamics away from the ideas of Pieces of Eden and more of the ethical and moral dilemmas that I think a lot of the post-Black Flag games had. Also because there was certain dialogue in Syndicate that I kind of just gravitated to and obsessed over a lot.

3: Biggest self-insert OC?

There’s a lot of facets to “self insert”, imo, so I guess if we’re going by which one has the most of my personality in it, then my Unity OC Alexandre. Maybe a close second would be Elijah, my Fallout OC (I love him so much, he’s my son).

8: Do you have any OC family trees?

I do! I have one for my Supernatural OCs simply for my sake, but it’s split into two since there are two families pretty much. And family trees for my Assassin's Creed OCs and my DnD chars.

9:Favourite OC?

This is like asking what your favorite child is. Ouch. Thing is they're all so unique and have such different struggles, and parts of their personality that make them well… them. Maybe my favorite has to be my Skyrim OC, Scarlett (Rogue). She’s my OG, been with me for almost a decade now. I just love characters that go on journeys and redeem themselves, or at least attempt to. A lot of my inspiration for her and her personality came from Xena, and to see her mature and her eventual growth is so wonderful to see. Second one very very close by is Henri, one of my Unity OCs, considering his personality and story.

10:OC you most struggled to make?

Idk, a lot of my OCs came to me very easily. They all had a part of me in them or something I really wanted to explore. Maybe in terms of constant revision, I'd have to say the toughest would have to be one of my Unity OCs, Theodore. He’s such a different character than most of the ones I make, and making him a foil to Alexandre was fun, but figuring out how to balance the two of them was weird and took a while.

19: What are some things that inspired your stories? Real events? Maybe a dream?

In terms of fanfic stories, there’s not much that I’ve been inspired by that happened to me. I’ve had daydreams or things that arose out of listening and imagining to a song (like the 80s French Fryes AU just because I was listening to I Wanna Know What Love Is). But original fiction I have are very much based off my neighborhood and how and where I grew up; a very lower working class, Rust Belt city family and neighborhood. But, I love my city and I would want to share that beauty with people outside of it.

28:  Favourite songs at the moment?

I have been in SUCH a Billy Joel mood lately (he’s king, okay) but the song I have been repeating most has been As Long as You Love Me by Backstreet Boys, so I guess by default THAT is my favorite song XD

30: How are you doing? <3

Freaking out abt the future thank you <3 leaving italy and then graduating in america and then being certified to teach and then having to move out of my parent’s house and apply for grad school and :’)

[independent-variables]

LOL, my tags have been peer reviewed XD

but no for real i do understand why so many people dislike satine, because in many ways she does exist to be obi-wan's lost love, but she exists to be obi-wan's lost love in parallel to whatever the fuck is happening between anakin and padme.

she and obi-wan had a fling when they were young, it was intense, it could have become their entire lives, but they both stepped back to dedicate their time and attention to their people. satine stepped back because she is a good leader. obi-wan stepped back because because he is a good jedi. obi-wan and anakin are parallels in this-- both of them experience romantic love very intensely, in a way that can become all-consuming, but anakin is letting it consume him and obi-wan did not.

and i think if you dig you can find a lot of those same parallels with padme and satine. they're friends! they're buddies! they chat over dinner together! they were both extremely young leaders of their divided peoples during extremely chaotic and dangerous political eras, they both lived through several assassination attempts and worked with jedi to establish stability in their sectors. they are both opposed to the war, because they have lived through war. they know first hand the way war destroys planets and they are both doing what they feel they have to in order to prevent war, to end war. whether we the audience agree with what they're doing isn't so much the point, because they're characters created to fulfill roles in the narrative.

The thing about Duchess Satine is that, if she was really as bad a leader as people make her out to be, her political opponents wouldn't have had to keep making up things that she was doing wrong.

Like, they wouldn't have had to rely on a doctored recording to make her seem incompetent. Death Watch wouldn't have had to go through that whole performance with the Shadow Collective to make her seem weak. Almec wouldn't have had to pin Pre Vizsla's death on her.

If she was actually a terrible leader, they wouldn't have had to rely on lies and manipulation to turn the population against her and remove her from power.

[silverryu25]

I gues from your ass Drabble sans has a lot of ‘assets’ that’s red seems to enjoy ;) <3

Pfffffffffffffft!! Hahahaha! XD

Omg noonie! I’m assuming you know me and how I love puns cause that one was freaking assome X’D

It’s asstounding how right you are! I don’t wanna make Sans the butt of a joke, but he’s got some massive assets rocking for him. And yep! Red is asstaundingly fond of them >;D

[katyspersonal]

How about 4,6,7, and 8 for Brador Church Assassin for the headcanon thing?

(Asks from this ( x ) meme)

Thank you very much for the ask, I in fact did not even realise I had so many ideas about Brador before I got to talk about him like this! Going to put it under cut as 4 asks are Enough! This is my second attempt to reply to this because first one outright evaporated because of a random glitch.

4) Physical headcanons (sleeping habits, favourite food, all that)

It is a no-brainer, but Brador’s upper body is full of bruises from frequent Bloodletter usage. It is so purple it must hurt to even just look at. He at this rate, however, hardly notices the pain and could stab himself in the same spot for many times in the row. Because of the nature of Bloodletter, common ‘healing’ blood shots do not heal wounds from it specifically very much, if at all.

Brador used to keep himself and his belongings extremely neat and clean, to not stain Laurence’s eminence with his dirty presence. His costume, under the beast cloak? That is indeed his clothes ever since he arrived in Yharnam, and just until the terrible day he had to kill Laurence he never got it bloodied beyond the point of cleaning, or torn beyond the point of patching up. Back then he rarely bothered to wear something else if for the safety alone during the hunts, not even when he had to deal with beasts and not his usual... “work”. He was confident in being quick and precise enough to not ruin the outfit too much! XD Sometimes he’d even lift his shirt and vest to avoid the Bloodletter stab sprinkling it with blood.

He has a very thick hair! Broke several hairbrushes during his life. It is one thing he could never get quite slick and neat, but all in all his hair being a bit disorderly only added to the appearance.

Upon his self-isolation, Brador undergone the ritual that practically immortalised an image, a ‘version’ of him as he was in the day he killed Laurence. I am yet to decide on the specifics of the ritual, but I figure it is similar to what was done with Byrgenwerth’s Gatekeeper (who still has his spirit guard the door even long after his death, as we know). It chipped away many of his physical needs though, so he lived Enough in seemingly inhuman conditions in his cell. To effectively transcend the ‘real’ world and travel between its cracks and even into Nightmare if he will, Brador needed to be asleep or in deep trance, so he used to sleep almost all the time back in his cell. This requirement disappeared when his physical body died and both versions of him became part of the Nightmare, naturally.

Brador was already no stranger to needing long fat naps and being fatigued though, as he had long ago developed iron deficiency anemia. Yes, because of his weapon! It sucks out the blood from his body to crystallise it, like what happens with blood gems or Frenzy spears, and no amount of extra sips Healing Church would allow him despite ‘one vessel until you run out’ rule could fix this. He’s been known for his sickly skin color and cold hands for as long as anyone remembers. I swear, his great movements coordination and readiness to fight at any time of any day were supported by the sheer power of his loyalty!

Without his weapon, Brador would have never developed it on his own, as his favorite foods just happen to be all the ones rich in iron! Spinach, nuts, dark chocolate, sea food, apples... Weird coincidence, but whatever food is known for being rich in iron he just happens to enjoy it the most! Also remember bowls full of squids in Fishing Hamlet? These are just his normal breakfasts xD Well, used to be. After he locked himself underground and obtained phantoms, his only meal became Blood Echoes he obtained from slain enemies of the Healing Church in his ‘travels’. He could still eat normal food at least for the flavour, but he permanently lost appetite past that point.

He also used to enjoy red wine quite often when it was still A Product, but in small amounts as he is somewhat of a lightweight and would feel embarrassed if anyone saw a servant of Laurence being a drunk mug!

In the prime of his powers, Brador was able to hear any sort of ‘strange’ bells in his trance through time and space, even those of Bellringing Women and Hunters’ summoning spirits for the help. Sounds insanity-inducing, but he was an expert in navigating towards the right call, really! There is a very good reason why so far nobody but Simon and the player discovered the Healing Church’s secret; because once Brador’d set eyes on his goal, that person only needed to as much as run past a Bellringing Woman somewhere in the dungeons - and he’d respond to her call to appear and slaughter them! He misses the weird trips into realms of sounds that transcend dimensions, though - it became impossible after he physically died. Now it is just his own bell and some godly babies crying, ffs.

I said he used to be a neat person, but his fingernails received a special treatment - he never trimmed them with the tools. Instead, he used to just bite them into right shape xD They were always so neat though! But if anyone found out about this habit, Brador would feel very embarrassed.

6) Psychological headcanons (tastes, fears, talents, regrets, how they deal with anger, just anything that comes to mind on the topic)

Brador believes that fools do not become smart if they are given enough knowledge - instead, they become dangerous fools. I am pretty sure a variation of this phrase should be his favorite quote at some point. So everyone should know their place and there is no need for people to know more than what they need to know to fulfill their roles in this world. This sort of elitism is similar to what Willem ended up developing in the end, hiding Arcane horrors from the ‘unprepared’, ‘undeserving’ world with Rom, but Brador already had this attitude since much earlier.

Since Brador believes everyone has their place, he sure knows his, and that is below Laurence. It is quite hard to earn Brador’s respect but he knows a superior he could trust when he meets one. As result, his loyalty is undying, the amount of things he is willing to do as tool in hands of Laurence is endless, the benefits of the doubts he is willing to give are incredible. It is not quite blind love as he can clearly see vices and imperfections, but he is still willing to stay by the side of someone whose job is to decide his fate and others’. Basically if you prove yourself as much as equal to him, he will make an incredibly loyal friend (good luck with that though!)

No, honestly, it is scary how much Brador would be able to take if someone he holds in high regard was to mistreat him. Guess only his hard-to-pass filter protects him.

As if to foreshadow his fate that is tied with the sound, Brador always experienced a very acute need in hearing something. Anything. If no one was to talk, he’d make sure water is tapping, door is creaking, caged birds are singing, wind is howling, engine is working. He’d hum to himself or laugh for no reason, after all. He’d take falling asleep listening to literal gunshots than in complete silence, absence of distinct noises is very unnerving and uncomfortable for him. In the silence his thoughts become too loud, too ‘alien’, and he starts to question if the monologues in his head are his own or someone else’s, even.

The state of his phantom alter is in sort of arrested development as Brador (and the Healing Church in general) *needed* that loyal, fanatical version of his in its prime to protect the secrets. If his ‘real’ self was to commit massive shift in his beliefs and loyalty, he’d have a HELLISH time trying to come to terms with that, former-but-living version of his. Lucky that he never changed much nor wants to, huh? :P

He had an eating quirk in which he could not eat food simple and raw. It had to be cooked, even minimally so. Just at least some basic manipulation with the products, like frying them or chopping them into a salad! If the first food he seen in days was like, a single potato bulb, he would either cut away a piece of his coat to ignite it and cook it with fire or die from starvation. Not that it matters anymore.

His special talent is not cooking, though! He is decent at best. Instead, his talent is being extremely practical with what he is given. Without thinking or knowing much, he can throw together something good. His survival skills? None and absolute at the same time. He also invented Bloodletter himself from seemingly ridiculous things - some rugs, some sticks, a brain of one of the Bloodletting beasts they killed in the dungeons. Like, you ever heard a comical exaggeration along the lines of ‘they can assemble a supercomputer using only sticks, rocks and dirt’? This fits him. Brador is a rare person that can compete with Gehrman in being able to assemble like, some random stuff they find in garbage into a groundbreaking weapon or transport.

Brador had good touch in Fashion TM, too! He is the mind behind many if not all clothes of the Healing Church, however this one is a joint effort with Ludwig’s demands and Laurence’s sense of style. But if they did not have Brador, ‘aesthetic’ is where their clothes would start and end and screw the hunters over! Like you know, same energy as the guys behind critically impractical fantasy armour? Brador’s constructive criticism was needed.

As for looking for loooooove interests, or rather affairs (past the point Brador married his job), he gravitates towards people that could make him laugh consistently. Be it funny jokes, laugher of being amused with their audacity, their unintentional silliness, sadistic laugher or, God forbid, laugher of true happiness. It is like a passing test - after person has proven that he can laugh with them, he can consider how attractive the rest of them is. He is a rather jaded, sad person, and laugher feels like the closest thing to healing.

Brador cannot get scared or startled, for him fear is replaced with things like ‘concern’ or ‘tension’. Even if you literally explode something next to him, the most he will do is to flinch a bit - and be ready to fight next instance! He explains it with “not caring whether he lives or dies” which is clearly not truth seeing how proactive and collected he gets even in critical situations. If he does happen to have a phobia of something (spiders, heights, you name it) - he makes sure to keep exposing himself to it until he is able to stomach it. Gotta remain stoic (dead inside)!

8) Made-up connections with other characters that weren't in the canon (friends, enemies, whatever)

Not skipping 7th ask, just answering 8th first because I mixed the order upon making that ask meme! Answers to 8 just might naturally lead to 7.

Caryll - The one Brador used to interact with often back then when he got to become a staff in Byrgenwerth! They were interested in the idea of putting Runes into more practical use, like carrying them on objects like bells or clocks, as Brador was inventive with the objects and Caryll was... well, Caryll. They used to be just working partners, however she did make him blush more than once with her motherly attitude. “Today's weather is harsh, wear a hat since no one will care about your ‘handsome’ hairstyle when you’re sneezing and coughing!” “You stay away from the ladder, you seem like you could faint any time!” They got to remain coworkers upon moving closer to Healing Church faction under care of Laurence and Ludwig, but their relationship became very strained by then as he had to watch Caryll to not spill their secrets too much. Being truly close friends was no longer an option as Brador prefers to keep the knowledge to those that deserve it, but Caryll was nearly ready to teach every peasant of Yharnam the runes language!

Simon - Addressed this one in this ( x ) post sorta, but yes, I think they used to know each other prior, and already were suspicious of one another. Did not help that Caryll is Simon’s aunt so any moment family bonds could have played their role. Brador kept dropping Simon hints to not question his job and to not go around trusting “wrong people” as “the Church has many enemies”. Yet whenever he tried to have an actual, substantial talk with him, Simon would suddenly see his friend from far away and rush towards them, or remember an important thing he needed to do, or ‘accidentally’ break a vase and hurry to find a broom. You get the drill. It was very amusing but whereas for Simon Brador became this permanent object of paranoia that appeared in his nightmares, for Brador Simon was just one of the troublesome people. However he had Simon know about his anger with himself for having underestimated the annoying brat that he was before killing him for the first time.

Maria - Again, technically it was in the canon, just too vague and open-ended. They were barely interacting in Byrgenwerth, but became closer upon foundation of Research Hall. They both were Clocktower Hunters (a currently gone covenant), tasked with hunting not only beasts but ‘troublemakers’, too, although they’d sometimes butt heads since Brador was looking for victims and Maria hoped most of them would lose curiosity on their own before she has to murder them. Their frienship was not without casual ranting to their other friends about each other, behind their backs. However, Brador always respected her skills, manners and instincts. He was the one to get the word from her to Laurence and Willem when she could not have shaken the suspicion that the doctors met the deadend with the ‘ocean’, and that Micolash knew and did not have humanity’s best interests in mind.

Adeline - Brador thinks she is a lost case, willing to become a part of whatever horrors of the sea driven other patients up the wall is a textbook insanity. He also has personal bitterness towards her for leaving Laurence’s side as Blood Saint in her pursuit for ‘suicide quest’ and would find himself barely restricting himself from telling Maria to give up already. And now he is restricting himself from telling Maria it was “not her fault Adeline was crazy” whenever Maria starts blaming herself for Adeline’s fate. Brador knows Maria did enough, cared enough, said enough, there is just only so much you can do when another person doesn’t accept it. Basically, his opinion on Adeline is bitter and unflattering.

Yamamura - Brador liked the guy since day one, he was happy the foreign man who made a fuss with murdering a beast that devastated his lands decided to join the Healing Church hunters! (Besides he was well aware who the beast originally was.) He felt like a young, starry-eyed man again seeing Yamamura, getting excited for the possibility of becoming good friends... until the time he realised Yamamura conversed with Simon all too often, and that he was originally sent by the ‘League’ as an agent. Something just died in Brador. He just shifted to ‘Ah, you are a motherfucker?’ and emotionally distanced, knowing they’ll be enemies sooner or later. However, unlike with Simon, when Brador was trying to throw a threatening shade on Yamamura - he had a bit too much vitriol and passive aggression, more than Yamamura ‘deserved’, he was not sure why so.

7) Ship(s) with them that I like or at least consider

Brador & Laurence, my beloved! I turn full on monkey brain mode whenever I see this ship in any way. Me and @val-of-the-north came up with this upon our loredigging and it is one of our favorites. It is a little imbalanced of course as Brador is a bit too passionate, a bit too ears deep and will abandon everything for Laurence if he has to. Brador would do things for Laurence that he would not do even for his friends, and Laurence would ask him for things he’d hesitate to ask from anyone else. They shared all secrets together. Though me and Val love to joke that this ship never came to fruition because Laurence has been painfully oblivious! Apparently Brador placing flowers in his hair and gazing lovingly, bringing him tea in his bed, giving him hello and goodbye kisses on the cheek, always complimenting him in a genuine manner, making him small gifts on every little occasion etc were just ‘bestie things xD’ for Laurence :’) They could have been having a literal date and Laurence would be just “Oh, yes, hanging out with my FRIEND is so nice!”

Mercy-killing him as a beast was also the means to prove how much he respects what Laurence believed in, that Laurence would never want to continue living as a beast - but would want his aspirations to live on and evolve. However, sometimes Brador visits him as a phantom and talks to him - pretending beast Laurence can understand him, just remains silent.

Brador & Simon. This ship largely depends on what you make out if it, huh? I love the ideas for this ship centring around the concept of them having been lovers before but bitterly breaking apart because of ideologies conflict. Brador loves his job and Simon loves his moral principles more than they love each other, but doesn’t mean they were never ‘happy’! I already said that Simon could not find a solid love interest even beyond his 30s as he is very inert, reactive, unenthusiastic and shy? But Brador would have the persistence it takes to make Simon come out of his shell, he knows some people need time to warm up. Simon has had a built up paranoia towards Brador for a long time even before their current situation and Brador would’ve been very flattered to find out he has been so ‘special’ for Simon all these years, whereas for him Simon was just one of the many curious little idiots roaming around.

They would be able to have very long, deep, interesting talks with each other as Simon loves ruminating the same problem for 99th time instead of coming to the conclusion and dumping it, and Brador is used to giving good advices nobody will listen to anyway but he likes to suggest. They also both love to ‘invent’ things and come up with wildest ideas - just two of them would’ve been enough to organise their own hunters workshop. Besides Simon loves talking about himself (when he is comfortable!) and Brador likes keeping his reservations, so they’d balance each other. The hard part though, would be to sleep in the same room; Brador can’t handle the silence, but Simon flinches in fear at the slightest noise at night! Other underwater rocks is that Brador killed Simon and had hand in imprisoning Yamamura and Gratia, type of ship that would never work out had the setting been a bit less crazy. At this rate just so many weird things happened in this world that people are much more likely to unite under strange circumstances, despite clashing pasts.

Brador & Maria. I just like the idea tbh! I did say Brador felt bitter because of Maria blaming her for things that were either beyond her control or too late to regret, right? That whole ‘she deserved better’ could have easily evolved in admiration and seeing virtues of Maria that she herself fails to see (just like Adeline tbh), but Brador is a bit more determined on being taken seriously. He’d however have a slight struggle accepting that whenever he wanted to defend Maria, to the moment he’s ready she’d already smash the threat into a wall with her fist alone, or that she is the one to gift him a flower as romantic gesture before he even thinks of doing the same. He’d just feel a bit useless as a partner for her! That is, until emotionally vulnerable moments. He has many similarities with Gehrman (I am sure they even share an MBTI), that includes being a bit of a dumbass with feelings of guilt and regret he personally considers irrational. But whereas with Gehrman this attitude once turned as failure to understand and support Maria enough before too late, Brador has a better grip on understanding when he’s being a cold uncaring brick and actually listening. Brador would just know when Maria’s pain gets the best of her, and when to shut up with ‘logic and reason’ and just give her a hug - he has been restricting himself despite his bitter opinion on Adeline seeing Maria’s reasoning, after all! Maria, in turn, would let him feel safe and dare I say, ‘babysitted’, in a way Brador never knew he needed haha

[teecupangel]

what if Desmond becomes some sort of bodyguard for Claudia and her girls? Like, they work in a 'whore house' so it'd be pretty obvious that some men would act aggressively against them, so Desmond would take out his inner bouncer (I head cannon that he worked as a part time bartender part time bouncer at his old bar) and haul the men outside and threaten them and stuff, sometimes going to beat them up. And Claudia would keep him around because 1) he's a great investment and 2) he looks so much like Ezio she becomes suspicious that they may be father and son. Which leads to Ezio having a little freak out when Claudia finally manages to get the two to interact. And Ezio is silently panicking because 'fuck, he looks like me. I think he's my son' and Desmond would be freaking out because it's *Ezio*. Who keeps staring like Desmond had grown two heads. And Claudia is just looking at the two idiots off to the side wondering if she should worry about one of them trying to jump out the window.

Desmond has a better chance of jumping out of the window in this scenario since Ezio would be too busy processing the possibility that he has a son that he didn’t even know about.

Considering this would be set during Brotherhood, Ezio would be in his forties and Desmond would look like he’s in his twenties in Ezio’s eyes so he would probably think that he’s a child of one of his nightly activities in Firenze during his youth.

Also, Desmond is pretty enough that some customers would check him out and ask if he’s available. Which will be funny because, according to AC Wiki:

the Rosa in Fiore played host to many patrons visiting it each day, including important Roman cardinals, senators and Papal Guards, proving as a invaluable information asset to the Assassin Order

This meant that some of the people interested in Desmond are actually members of the Vatican, lollol.

And, because Rosa in Fiore has a ‘colorful’ clientele, it would probably make more sense if Desmond’s job as a bouncer is less about keeping rowdy clients out and more about making sure their clients are safe while they’re in the brothel.

And Claudia gave Desmond the job to see how he does. Desmond doesn’t realize that Claudia is checking his strength and skill. She does think he looks too much like Ezio to be a coincidence and his penchant for not wanting to talk about his parents or making up ludicrous lies that change each time another person asks him only makes Claudia believe that Desmond was adopted by ‘bad people’ and he has no idea who his real father is.

He’s pretty much just annoyed with all these pathetic assassination attempts and… maybe, just maybe, he hints at a better time for these sellswords to try their luck for the clients that no one in Rosa in Fiore would miss.

Desmond does sometimes get to rough up some of the clients but only the ones getting too handsy and the girls make sure to only call Desmond once the troublemakers are in very compromising positions so they would be too afraid to retaliate when Desmond does give them the ‘talk’.

Even if they talked about Desmond threatening them, other clients would just scoff at that because most of them know Desmond as the gardener. XD

[illumiru]

hi cami!! based on literally everything because you have good taste I was wondering if u had any fic recs?? I am in like a good fic desert and if u have any good reads would love to read them! thank u!!

Thanks!! I have to be honest that I don't read a lot of dc fics lately bc a lot of what's posted on AO3 doesn't appeal to me tbh. But I do have some favorites that live rent-free in my head. I hope you enjoy!

baby, it's a sign of the times by danishsweethearts

Dick Grayson has a pretty bad day, but hey, he's coping.

let your love grow tall by danishsweethearts

In a move endearingly predictable and highly amusing, Dick Grayson buys a bunch of plants and proceeds to pack bond with all of them.

cold was the night and hard was the ground by danishsweethearts

Laundromats are save points.

i've been longing for silence by danishsweethearts

The Titans are Dick's family. Damian is also Dick's family. Cue the collision.

un haeng il chi by danishsweethearts

un haeng il chi (언행일치) | yán xíng yī zhì (言行一致) idiom 1. word and actions coincide; to live up to one's word 2. to match words with deeds 3. practice what you preach

The Cassandra Wayne guide to truth-telling, manifestation and prosperity.

big d stands for big (demon)or by danishsweethearts

The one where Titans Tower is haunted, and Dick Grayson, Boy Wonder, original Robin, one and only Nightwing, esteemed leader, part-time exorcist, un-haunts it.

young volcanoes by dottie_wan_kenobi

You should join the Justice League, Dick says when he’s ten years old and hopeful. No, Bruce says. You should join the Justice League, Dick says when he’s fourteen and realistic. No, Bruce says. I’m going to join the Justice League, Dick says when he’s seventeen and furious. No, Bruce says. No, you are not.

Dick is nineteen now. And he’s not joining the Justice League—he’s joining the Titans.

the last of the real ones by dottie_wan_kenobi

Gar is like a blessing. He doesn’t seem to notice the shiny parts of Vic, not until it really counts—when there’s wires sticking out, something shoved through Vic like it was nothing, when he’s in danger. And even then, he treats them like any other part of the body, like a wound is a wound and it doesn’t matter that it’s not flesh, but technology.

When he asks, Gar tells him about Cliff Steele, and shrugs like it’s nothing. “I’m just used to robot guys, I guess,” he says, flippant like he’s not the first person Vic has met who didn’t recoil at the sight of him.

Vic manages a laugh, his eye—his real eye, his human eye—stinging.

if you just call me by BeatriceEagle

“Dick.” She squeezed his shoulder. “Dick, look at me.”

Slowly, as if he were pushing against a terrible force, he lifted his head.

“I have known you since I was thirteen years old, and I have known you in a dozen other lifetimes, so I need you to believe me when I say that there is nothing you could do that would make me stop loving you.”

Dick held her gaze. He looked like he was searching for something in her eyes, so Donna held still and hoped he found it.

“Did you really know me in other lives?” he asked.

_____

Dick and Donna, after the action, through the years.

once upon a time... by Mayarene Rose (DickRoy)

The announcement is the talk of the kingdom. Men on horses, coming from the capital itself, shout it to every corner of the land to make sure everyone hears.

There will be a three-day festival held in honor of the crown prince’s name day!

So of course, no one can shut up about it and everyone’s making plans to make their way to the capital, one way or another.

Gotham, after all, isn’t known for its decadence. Celebrations from the capital are few and far in between. But, it’s also well known that the king absolutely dotes on his children. The has the makings of being the biggest feast anyone has seen in their lifetime.

“Huh,” Roy says. He’s in a farming village when he hears, about five days ride from the capital if he had a horse, which he does not.

Or the one where Roy is a knight errant, Dick is the crown prince, and there is a three-day celebration.

Dr. Wilson, Will I Ever Play the Violin Again? by HoodEx (DickJoey)

1 Missed Call 1:12 PM TUES 9 MAY Frank Hardy

A fond smile spreads over his face. He remembers Dick writing that as his own contact name in Joey's communicator the first time he and Joey exchanged numbers. Joey knows it's an action influenced by paranoia rather than something meant as an inside joke between friends, but he likes to think of it as a mixture of both.

"Who are you mooning over?"

Lissa crosses her arms over her chest and cuts across the room to get closer to him. Joey tries not to instinctually jerk his communicator closer to his chest as she peers down at it with a curious glint in her eye.

"Frank Hardy," Joey spells out with his fingers. "He's a friend of mine."

Her brow furrows. "Frank? Have I met him?"

Joey shakes his head.

"What do you think he was calling for?"

Hopefully not to tell me that the world is on its way to ending, Joey thinks, worrying at his lip.

"Not sure," Joey signs. His thumb hovers over the call-back button. "I guess I'm about to find out."

Red Letter Day by silverwhittlingknife

Dick Grayson, stressed pseudo-parent to a preteen assassin, tries to solve the case of Damian’s Mysterious Wednesday.

He never expected it to help him fix his relationship with Tim, too.

(... Though only after everything fell apart first.)

Eventual fix-it for Dick & Tim’s Red Robin fight, but other rocky relationships - Dick & Jason, Tim & Damian, Damian & Bruce, Dick & Bruce - wow, this family is dysfunctional - might improve too. Eventually. They just have to, y’know, work through All of Their Issues first. XD

Two of Six by silverwhittlingknife

There’s nothing special about this kid, no reason to remember him. But Dick remembers. Because of the photo.

Dick and Tim’s pre-nu52 relationship, from the beginning all the way to the end.

or: how Dick acquired a stalker, attempted to make him go away, and failed so badly that he acquired a brother instead.

(So far: missing scenes from childhood, Lonely Place of Dying, Knightfall, and Knightsend. Current arc: Prodigal.)

In the Palm of Your Hand by lapsedpacifist

Dick was forced into becoming a host for an entity of unknown strength, unknown motive, and unknown reach. The only thing he did know? It needed him alive.

Neurodegenerative series by lapsedpacifist

The general premise: Bruce has completely forgotten about Dick, and Dick only. Now tension is high between them and the rest of the family as they attempt to resolve the memory problem -- while drawing battlelines and realising that Dick had always been much more than a brother to them all.

the primacy of personal conscience by birdsofthesoul

"WHAT MAKES IAGO EVIL? some people ask. I never ask."

— Joan Didion, Play It as It Lays

Or: Dick, his family, and the moral morass of a wishing well.

This is all I could think of at the moment! I'll add more once I read the ones I encountered while I made this list. Enjoy!!