#thank you again khr for helping me through it

[what-the-fuck-khr]

Colour of the Year 2023

Viva Magenta 18-1750

[hopeswriting]

Top KHR fanfics

hi nonny, thank you for the ask!

okay so i obviously haven't read all the khr fics out there, so this will be by no means an exhaustive list. but from the ones i've read? *crack knuckles* let's go through my bookmarks in no particular order!

also adding this after i finished answering the ask, but this just ended up being a list of arco fics and/or tsuna fics (+ the 10th gen and/or reborn). but like. are we surprised zfsdfdsf.

on ao3:

flip a coin [head for villain, tail for hero] by petroltogo

Superhero/Supervillain AU: All Sawada Tsunayoshi wants to do is help people. Considering his occupation as a Vongola Inc. superhero, you'd think that wouldn't be much of a problem. You'd be wrong. [Of course 'people' isn't supposed to include wanted supervillains. But it's hardly Tsuna's fault that the training manual doesn't specify that, is it.] Along the way, he learns to help himself.

this series is just so, so good! all the works in it are simply *chef's kiss*. the worldbuilding is amazing, the characters so in character and complex and with so many layers and depth to them. also it's obviously planned down to the last detail, so it's incredibly fun to follow along and try to piece the puzzle along with the various characters' pov.

The Boy in the Ice by eloquentelegance

A mysterious pillar of ice drops out of the sky and fuses with the grounds of Yuuei. It's not the strangest thing to happen, especially for this school. But the boy, frozen within, is strange - yes, very strange indeed.

haven't read chapter 2 yet, but i have no doubt it won't disappoint whenever i'll be able to get to it. as for chapter 1? a fucking masterpiece. it's a khr x bnha crossover, and i don't usually read crossover, but boy, am i glad this is one of the few i gave a chance to haha.

Yugen by Little_Miss_Bunny

In one world, Tsuna sacrificed his life to save the Arcobaleno. As soon as he drew his last breath, he opened his eyes again to see beaten students cowering in front of him and a bloody hammer in his hand.

it's been a while since i've reread this one, but i still have the reaction of "oh, this one was so, so good!!" whenever i come across it lol, so yeah. what i do remember is i absolutely love the depiction of hibari in this one as well as his dynamic with tsuna. also little miss bunny is one of my favorite khr writers, they're so good at crafting the different aus they come up with and making them feel real while still keeping the characters in character, i love it.

Target Acquired: Wicked Jester by poorasdirt

Colonnello has always been a military man. He understood what led to him being cursed. He understood why the others had been cursed. Or, well, why most of the others had been cursed. Skull's motivations had always been a mystery to him. Now that the curse had been lifted, Colonnello could finally sit back and try to puzzle it out. If only it were that easy. Or Colonnello's instincts were telling him something wasn't right and curiosity only kills cats.

i know for a fact i've already recc this one before, and i'm doing it again because it's just that good. <3 it's another one heavy on worldbuilding, which is funny because usually worldbuilding isn't exactly my thing, but how can i say no to them when they're all so well written like this. anyway it's a skull-centric fic through nello's pov, so of course i was all for it zfsegfdsds.

Starstruck by Little_Miss_Bunny

All Tsuna wanted was his siblings to be happy. So, he didn't see a problem attending a fan signing for one of the hottest bands to date, even if he had no clue who they were. He did start seeing a problem when more idols started appearing in his life. It got even worse when they just wouldn't leave him alone.

i love this one so, soo much! this is my favorite work of theirs. it's currently at 153k words tho, so not too sure how to summarize it lol, but just trust me on this one! it's more on the lighthearted one compared to their other works, tho still touch on serious stuff and do it well, but i'd still consider it a comfort (and funny) fic.

Scorching Ember by Little_Miss_Bunny

When the revered Sky Priestess suddenly passes away, everyone mourns. However, the world is soon engulfed by darkness, giving rise to creatures that seemed to only exist in folktales. With the gods mysteriously absent, there is no one to keep everything from descending into ruins—until a hunter finds a curious object in a barren creek.

another one from little miss bunny that i love so much!! maybe or maybe not because nello is the first arco to appear, so there's certainly no shortage of nello & tsuna interactions. more seriously tho zrfsdfds, this is another one where the worldbuilding has obviously been given a lot of care, and the characters are written so well, tsuna first of all, and it's just super fun to read.

Forever Family, Forever Vongola by AnimationNut

They're a group of insane, energetic, destructive and hyper people. But they also love each other, whether some are willing to admit it or not. Family sticks together, through thick, thin, and crazy.

the ultimate platonic/familial khr fic! with how many chapters it already has (57 for 195k words), you're bound to find more than one you'll love. some are connected, most are not. some are lighthearted fluff, some more on the heavy, serious side of things. but all chapters are written so well, and at their cores it's all about how much these guys love each other.

The Hottest of Flames can Melt the Strongest of Chains by Luki (KelpieCodyne)

I'm not a liar, but I close my eyes a lot by Seito

another incredible series that is just so, soo good! it's about tsuna not wanting to become vongola decimo and doing what he can so it won't happen. no happy endings yet, but the series isn't marked complete yet either, so we'll see.

It started with bang. A bullet casing falling to the ground; the clatter echoing off the walls. It started with Tsuna putting a bullet through the head of his enemy, unflinchingly. Blood spattered, flying, rolling down Tsuna's cheek. Brown eyes burn with orange fire, yet so, so, so cold. In another world, Reborn would have smiled. In this world, Reborn flinched.

i haven't reread this one in a long while, so i honestly... don't quite remember how it goes zqdsfds, but i still remember it was an amazing read all the same!! i mean, the summary alone is so good? also this writer is one of the best in the fandom imo, so yeah.

ozymandias was a punkass bitch (but he had the right idea) by Seito

“You want Vongola? You can have it,” Tsuna says serenely.

loved this one too! badass tsuna is always a treat, and i always love to see it.

last to fade by Trilies

Mammon's last breath is of rain and gunpowder. Before they make their choice, they consider lives lost and the options they have. There's not a lot. Set during the Millefiore timeline.

a look at what mammon's last moment could have been like. super well-written.

Striking Once by istilllikekhr

A peek into the universe where Nana Sawada was given the Lightning Mare Ring.

this one has an unsual pairing (byakuran & nana), but you'll be missing out if you don't give it a chance because of it. i also didn't have a clue what to expect when i first clicked on it, but when i tell you it did not disappoint. and the ending? oughhh. please give this a chance!

Sunny Skies Ahead by Ourliazo

Reborn is not yet the world's greatest hitman, not quite a proper Sky, and definitely doesn't want these ridiculous Guardians that he keeps running into.

sky arco reborn who does not want to be the sky arco? it's just as chaotic and funny as you might think zqefdddsf. the interactions in this are absolute gold, and it's just such a fun ride to see all the bonding happen despite reborn's best efforts lmao. also ourliazo is another one of my favorite khr writers. the way they write the arco and tsuna (and every other khr characters tbh)? absolute peak. and then you add their humor, and i will simply never be tired of their writing.

Sincerely, Scattered Shards by You_Light_The_Sky

Tsuna’s the foolish type to give a bit of his heart to anyone he meets. No one ever wanted his ugly heart shards until he met his Guardians. No one ever treasured his heart shards until them either. Hints of All27 and R27.

heartbreaking and heartwarming all at once. i actually had forgotten i had this one in my bookmarks, as well as the fic as a whole tbh 😅, but it all instantly came back to me like a punch in the gut. there's so much love in this one guys. the kind that hurts and the kind that heals and the kind that makes it all worth it in the end.

Forgotten Memories of a Broken Soldier by Maintenant

The Arcobaleno arrive at their collective house after their yearly meeting turned mission. Skull had been left there to cook them a warm meal for their return, seeing as he is useless in a mission, but it is not Skull they find when they return. Rather, it is, but it is not. For this Skull has cold eyes and harsher threats, and he doesn't know the rest of the Arcobaleno. Perhaps more importantly, the Arcobaleno find, is that they don't know Skull.

i love this one for the ending and the build up to it. it's a wip, but the first chapter can be read as a one shot (imo) so it works well. it's a skull is harry potter fic, and like i already said i don't usually read crossover fics, but this is another one i'm glad i gave a chance to.

Never Will Forget by Squoxie

Tell the ones, the ones I loved I never will forget

a song fic about skull surviving the rest of the arco. the summary alone always pulls at my heartstrings whenever i read it.

Beginnings And Middles But No Ends In Sight by Ourliazo

A compilation of the various chaotic missions that the Arcobaleno take on pre-curse - as well as the many dumb things they throw themselves into even without being paid for it. [Fon tries to trap a cockroach with a tissue, but it runs up his sleeve. Reborn watches as Fon flips his shit, rips off his sleeve, and punches the cockroach to death. Reborn is still laughing by the time Fon comes back from disposing of the corpse and washing his hands. "Thank you," Fon says pointedly, rather upset by the entire experience. Reborn is crying.]

this is the daily life arc - arco version fic as i like to call it. an absolute fucking ride as you can imagine. love it to fucking bits.

don't look at the child underneath the floorboards by Kosaji

Happiness is based on a just discrimination of what is necessary, what is neither necessary nor destructive, and what is destructive. - The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas Ursula K. Le Guin In which truths are realized and a choice is made.

the one where tsuna is freed from vongola thanks to his guardians. love it a lot.

Those Last Few Memories by Ourliazo

In one future, the Arcobaleno band together and try to fight off the Anti Tri-ni-set radiation.

the way my heart squeezes whenever i think of this fic. so heartbreaking and so well written. and the ending? oughhh. you just have to read this one!

on ff.net:

Rage Vs Hope By: ariathal2410

The order was to kill anything that moved, the city was too far gone to hope for survivors. But if there was one thing Colonnello didn't sign up for, it was killing kids. (28 Weeks Later AU, eventually merges into a semi-au) eventual all27?

zombies au that is both nello and tsuna centric! alternate between both their povs too. there's other canonical characters as well as ocs, but they're written well and enjoyable to read about too.

How to Survive the Fae By: MikeLamp

As the trees around them collapse, Tsuna's eyes don't stray from the human trembling before him, "So tell me," he hisses, eyes glowing, "where is your King now?" She whimpers instead of answering. In a world where the fae haunt the overgrown forests and angels control the cities with an iron fist, Tsuna doesn't want to just survive anymore.

another fantasy au that still manages to keep the characters true to themselves and is super well written. it's arco27 (seems to be anyway), with skull and who is likely fon in the last chapter being the only arco who appeared so far. and the skull & tsuna interactions in this? *chef's kiss* i love them.

Just Another Tuesday By: ariathal2410

Tsuna doesn't know why all this supernatural shit started happening in his life, but he'd really like it to stop now please. Mild Arco27

this is one of my favorite khr comfort fics. funny and fluffy with just the right amount of protectiveness and possessiveness from the arco (as well as flirtiness tbh lol).

come get me By: MakeItVoid

Reborn waits a little impatiently for someone to come get him. He doesn't know what to do now. The fire is creeping closer. (Reborn doesn't want to die like this.)

this is imo one of the best written reborn i've ever read about. maybe even the best one? either way i just love so, so much the way he's written in this fic, i couldn't not have added it to this list.

Gokudera Hayato By: rynoa29

It hurts more than you think it would, but your face can't help but to beam with pride.

a look at gokudera and his dynamic with the key people around him throughout his life. a lovely and well written exploration of his character.

and that was the last fic of the list! by which i mean there's actually more haha, but these are the cream of the crop among my favorite khr fics.

[ciaossu-imagines]

I am so so glad you're back! I missed you and i miss KHR requests a lot ahah! I just saw about everything that happened to you lately and i am sad for you! I don t have any advices i haven t been through break up yet (12 years so far with the same bf 😅) but it s true that besides this i ve always had a thing for Yamamoto Takeshi... like he s kind of my dream perfect guy... and i used to imagine myself with him when i was a teenager... i still sometimes dream about him and just create a world where he is there and all this mafia thing exists 😅 i ve always kept it a secret and my bf doesn t even know KHR... but everything in my life kinda revolves around Takeshi (passwords names etc) I think i m too obssessed but i can t help it 🫠

Aww, you're so incredibly sweet. Thank you so much. I'm still very glad to be back, honestly. Thank you for the kind words and the support and I'm honestly really glad to hear you've never experienced a break-up. That's a wonderfully long time to be with someone and I wish the two of you continued happiness for many more years.

And thank you so much for telling me about your fictional other/comfort character! Yamamoto really is so, so fantastic and is a wonderful comfort character so I can see why you became attached to him. And I loved hearing you still sometimes dream or daydream about him and the whole Mafia world existing. I do that sometimes too when it comes to KHR, just because it really is such a fun, wacky world that seems like it would be so, so much fun to live in. And I can completely get making your password related to such a major interest. Almost all my passwords are related to various dorky things, Latin terms, or swear words, so I cannot speak as to that not being completely normal, haha! Again, thanks so much for sharing, this message was so fun.

[shiro-neko96]

Hi.

So I just realized that I have been in various fandom for such a long time (i mean, not really, but it feels LONG). So with this post, I would like to deliver my gratitude towards all fanfic writers whose stories help sustain me throughout the years.

I am not an overly active person. In reading sites (ff net and ao3) you’ll rarely see me comment on stories (i know its not good, i try to leave at least a ❤️ when i can no longer give kudos, like, or bookmark,, don’t hate me pls). Writers often say (write?) to interact with them on various platforms, but i am an over-thinker with an overly suspicious personality; i want to interact but i will overthink all my interactions and will probably leave you on read for months and be overly guilty about it but still not gonna do anything about it.

Today i scroll through my ffnet acc, and was reminded of the thrill i felt when i first read interesting fics on that site (which later on introduced me to ao3) and I could think help but feel very nostalgic. Sadly some of the fanfic i mention is no longer available.

My first venture into the fanfiction zone is through the naruto fanfics. My highschool friend introduced me to fanfiction (and also bl in general), and i was hooked. And my first ever fanfic was ‘Hate’ by RenAfri (it’s in Indonesian, so if you can read it, go ahead). And then i was enchanted by ‘The guardian of the Moon’ by nateulm. (God i got so emotional just thinking of that story), next one is Shizuka na sonata by Paradoxical Pardigm ( i have to search google for this one because I cannot find it anymore and i did not remember the name, only the story) and shizuka na sonata was the story that introduced me to the pain of reading an incomplete story (i still love it very much and i thank you paradoxical paradigm for creating the beautiful story). After those, i browse the site for anything to devour,, and by chance stumbled upon many great stories by legends such as EmptySurface (i really love most(? I think I haven’t read all) their naruto and harry potter fics, thicker than blood is by far my favorite), and Cywsaphyre (the lives worth saving is *mmm chef’s kiss*; also wandererr). I found out i kinda like hp crossover with any fandom and fell into that rabbit hole for a while. Ridell Lee introduced me into Merlin by ‘Only A Boy’, Cosette-aimee’s a necessary gift is an absolute delight to read, brainthief’s 0800-rent-a-hero was a mind changing experience for me back then who worshipped the ground albus dumbledore walk on, seito’s basically all khr and yoi fics are like water after a long draught (a real life cinnamon roll series, we weren’t born to follow, to the beat of my own drum, if there’s a song in your heart-and consequently to the song as well), heir to the sky’s the rightful sky is what introduced me into khr, (i read the fic bfore i knew khr), fruitpastilles’ to live and breathe and live again and the summoning pact is something i didnt know i needed, metamorcy’s various fics of various fandom, ( contract, basically all khr fics because that’s what i was there for), SkyGem’s stories are wondrous (YOI retirement aus, every little thing, they call me freedom), blackkat’s rarepairs which are addicting (their stories are what made me so into madatobi, criminals do it better series, the last immortal is dead and gold series, as is the sea marvellous, backslide, basically all naruto fic actually) raendown’s soulmate story collection is especially sublime (not that their other fics are not!), what you knead by agentmarkele is a heartwarming entity that lives free in my brain, and MadMothMadame’s tobirama centric fics that brought me to tears. In the chinese danmei fandom I breathe in Sami’s and the same moon shines universe (including ridiculous future bullshit and other related verses; *adored* the juniors and jin chan’s dinamic there), trippednfell’s wangxian amazing, heartwarming, and relatable fics (i keep where’s your emergency open in my browser so i can bounce back and have my fill of goodness every once in a while), and many other lovely stories and authors i cannot possibly mention.

This post was meant to be some sort of thank you to all these writers, who have brought so much joy (and not so little tears) into my bleak life. I don’t think i would be the person i am today if i do not read your stories. And maybe this post will not reach you, and i am so sorry for that.

[villainsandvictimsalliance]

People who hate on people for being kind and nice are those with eyes, yet they can't see, especially goodness. They forget that kindness and compassion are strong and very much valid traits instead of weakness, They use the person finally lashing out and showing anger as justification for their actions, because they're too dense and jealous to see that they're at fault, apparently. Just remember that you're a gentle and kind person and that is your biggest strength :3

I have read so many posts hating on characters like Deku or simply talking to them like they were pathetic? Or childish? Or like if they didn't know better? That's insane.

I see them ranting about "talk-no-jutsu" and mocking it and I feel sick. When did communicating a problem to search for a solution that makes everyone feel and be better turn into something bad?

Most shounens are creations for young people and they have a message, a message of hope most of the time. They defend the idea that we need to be kind to each other, that we need to care, that we need to communicate, that people can get better and change, that violence and wars generate victims everywhere and those victims become part of the machine of violence and war again.

There's a reason why these stories talk so much about families and friends, about good teachers and going through hard experiences without having to become cruel. They talk about how some "bad people" actually deserve help because they are human. They can change, it's not unrealistic or impossible. It happens in real life too.

I know that using angst to go through some trauma can be therapeutic. That's some basic catharsis from Greek tragedies, I know, we all know. But these stories can't focus on only the message that "things are bad". Things are bad BUT there's a way of working things out. There's a way of working it out together. There's hope, there's kindness, there's a possibility where love and goodness wins and lives to face another day.

I'm really really sorry to rant on your asks, anon. It's just that I'm very frustrated with how the system has brainwashed us so much that happy endings are "unrealistic" everywhere now

Lol, this whole rant to say that I'd die for Midoriya Izuku and defend the right of the League of Villains to be redeemed. But I guess that's it, I'm just a little mad that people sometimes talk about mangas like khr or mha like it's some squid game story. And oh Lord, the squid game thing is rant for another day.

Thank you so much for your support, anon. 🥺

Thank you for reading me and taking the time to send me some kind words. I was rsally needing them. Please remember to hydrate yourself, eat something if you haven't in a few hours, take your meds of you need to, go to sleep if it's late and you can afford it (or take a nap), and please remember you're a good person, a nice person, and you deserve all the good in the world. 💕✨

[indigosprite]

In another ask, you shared your thoughts on why you didn’t like 6996 etc. do you think 2795 share the same problem? I think while Tsuna and Kyoko doesn’t seem as weird as 6996 on the surface upon further speculation and reading works where Kyoko becomes this bamf vongola tenth wife who does anything for Tsuna, it sort of treads the same vibe as Chrome and Mukuro in some way. Idk I just want to hear your thoughts on maybe 2795 and maybe 2786 as well.

Hi hi

Had to search these because I literally did not have any ships for this show until I rewatched it and just merged my favorite characters into one pair that happened to be a ship. I  forget the others exist...With that being said, take this with a grain of salt because I honestly don’t even think about these ships a lot, forget they even exist. How KHR was written will always make the the very idea of Tsuna with any of the female characters feel weird or odd unless you’ve managed to read or create enough Fanon that changes your characterization of the original dynamic. I don’t think they share the same problem but maybe a similar one ? Tsuna and any female character compared to Mukuro and Chrome is very different in my opinion. (funnily enough it’s also because Mukuro isn’t a misogynist shsjsjsj) 6996 could work, they actually have a relationship that’s very personal to both parties and unlike 2795 they’re both aware of it and have a distinct unique connection with each other that consists of shared interests trust and mutual respect. it’s just odd to think about because chrome looks up to Mukuro and the power imbalance feels weird, he’s literally keeping her alive. (Which I know is disgustingly sweet I find it very heartwarming. )

2795 is this one sided crush with zero redeeming qualities. There was nothing remotely romantic or intriguing happening between Tsuna and Kyoko the entire series. If we took out Tsuna’s inner thoughts we honestly would’ve thought she was just this nice girl he knows from school. If we took out Tsuna’s thoughts in general and left it up to the fandom pulling this ship out of their butts it would honestly be 1000% cuter. All their interactions read like

“this girl is so lovely I really like her and she’s talking to me that’s amazing”

“Thanks for the pencil. Do your best on the test okay?”

I’m not swooning over the most lackluster interactions on the planet because he is over romanticizing it. Even the reason why he likes her is not that interesting or convincing. Which I mean I get it he’s only 14 he’s not thinking about all the small stuff like emotional support or validation or like not wanting to be alone etc. It’s still just you’re pretty let’s be happy all the time while you hold my hand forever. He deserves that he’s literally a kid. but even when i was younger i didn’t see it between them ever. On top of their interactions being boring they never give us things that make you go “oh wait she might actually like him hmmm” . they could have tried a little harder to make it a little more romantic? sometimes they show us Kyoko in a pink background hands clasped surrounded by hearts and I forget she’s supposed to be viewed in that light. I forget we’re supposed to actually consider her liking him too but what are we supposed to think Kyoko is looking for in a guy that makes Tsuna a possibility when she doesn't exist past eating cake and worrying about her brother and Tsuna. I think it’s also fair to note that they never imply that Tsuna actually thinks about her beyond his image of her but we see how caring he is with his friends to the point where he can point out their flaws and work through them anyways and accept them. Tsuna realizing Yamamoto was not himself during the Guardians trial is a perfect example of this, it establishes the relationship they built with one another. another example is Tsuna acknowledging that Gokudera is overwhelming and short tempered but he wouldn’t trade the guy for anyone because he is loyal and a good friend.  he cares for Kyoko as a person in general but he never reaches that depth when it comes to her. he doesn’t have to either because it’s just a crush, how you manage to take that through the next ten years of his life I honestly don’t know. 

TL;DR : My ONLY problem with 2795 is the fact that there is nothing to work off of but the implication that Tsuna likes this girl and that’s why they are endgame. she matters very little, just a figurehead of his normalcy. she’s written just as badly in fics, can I blame you? no you were probably like 14 writing them. do a lot of people still do this ? yeah so i’m just not interested until the fanon has changed her character for everyone. 

I know I sound super hypocritical because “Sprite what the fuck does 6918 have that’s soooo intriguing they actually canonically hate each other how is that any better.” the answer: Mukuro and Hibari have a more established relationship with mutual feelings than those two, even better they’re actually really strong feelings (of pure hatred). Bonus, despite being aloof both characters also have fully developed personalities and Opinions/Behaviors that we can mold however we please. they actually have a relationship to play around with that's what makes it fun and lets you have those “actually they’re pretty similar in this aspect” because you know shit about both of them individually. 

Now for 2786,,, as i sit here and think about it Haru and Tsuna make so much more sense for all the reasons him and kyoko don’t . 

Kyoko and Haru were already made solely to be Tsuna’s love interests (specifically Kyoko) , but then it went on to be something they didn’t even bother hiding when they reduced their characters and their interests to looking after kids and repeatedly worrying over Tsuna. The reason I don’t find it appealing is because there really wasn’t any dynamic there at all. This boy liked this girl and that’s literally all it was. She has no depth , and despite being written for him nothing about Kyoko screams you’re perfect for this kid. Nothing says, You’re compatible, You have common interests, you two can rely on each other. She was pretty and nice and polite and that’s all they shared along with half the cast. With Haru they went the completely opposite direction, this girl likes him and is upfront about it. she's not a better candidate just because she's not the typical pretty girl whos quiet and polite and caring,(She’s not the better written female character either, this is reborn. they all lose here.) she’s the better candidate because we actually have a personality to compare to Tuna's. she was purposely given this big personality because he was never going to be in love with her because she’s like all the other intruding figures of his life. Again we have this one sided crush, know he doesn’t like her at all but you can actually see where they do go right and wrong. she’s a complete person. 

Haru can handle a little wild in her life, she was the first one to know he would be a mafia boss and it didn’t phase her at all. Tsuna might need that later in life.

In the future when Tsuna finds her crying she tells him not to think her feelings have anything to do with him, completely different dynamic from kyoko whos emotions are always directly related to male characters and what they are doing. 

Haru and her cosplays are so perfectly absurd and she does not care how weird he finds them, she has this big embarrassing trait to her that Tsuna comically responds to but just grows to overlook and accept.  

she actually talks to Tsuna quite a lot and helps him out whenever she can, because he doesn't like her she's allowed to actually exist in his world and he sees her fully because of it. It makes sense to see his significant other who will be involved in the mafia as an asset who he wants to protect and not just...something he needs to protect bc they honestly don't want this.

she interviews the entire cast of the show because haru just fits there, in a yamamoto like way, she can just handle it. 

Tsuna and Haru could have been perfect friends or a couple. they had the grounds for it. it’s just not what he wanted but I can totally see them working out for each other later in life. they make so much sense! i’ll have to think about them more sometime soon. 

Hope I answered you questions, this got long.

[searchingforenadi]

bleeding on the floor is a safety hazard

can i interest you in a secondPOV!OC, KHR fic in these trying times?

i woke up in the middle of the night and vomited this out - i have never been so terrified of my own lack of brain cells. 

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6

a brief summary: Your customers won’t stop bleeding in your shop. You realize this might be a problem. (second person!OC, TYL).

i. 

You try your best not to stare at the knife in the man’s side.

“Um,” you say, passing over the packaged box of cake. “Here you go.”

He smiles brightly and hands you several bills. There is a sword strapped to his back and you are terrified to even allow the thought that he might be foreign. “Thanks! Keep the change.”

You nod minutely. Then, the actual number of those bills catches up to you like a freight train off the rails. “Wait - ”

But it’s too late - the man, the cake, and his accompanying knife are gone. You look down to find that he’s left behind a puddle of blood.

You breathe in deeply, count to ten, count backwards from ten, and march back to the kitchens to grab some towels and soap. 

The cake had been paid twice over - you’ll take a little bit of blood for that any day. 

ii. 

It’s hard to imagine that something as exciting as a bleeding man would eventually fade into your memories, but that’s exactly what happens. 

A week goes by and you’re hauling over a new delivery of flour. It’s tough work but you’ve done this for years - eventually, the shop’s ready for another day.

You reach the front entrance. And stop.

The same man from last week, Knife Man, waves through the glass door. He has a new companion - not a knife - who scowls under a crown of silver hair.

You consider taking the day off. 

But no, your bills won’t pay themselves, and if they pay as well as last time, you might even be able to buy a new electric mixer.

Decision made, you flip over the sign and open the door.

“Hi again,” Knife Man says, a smile still on his face. “Sorry about last time.”

“That’s okay,” you say politely, because returning customers are golden. Your regulars are your saving grace. “Nice to see you again.”

“Same to you,” he says, tugging his friend over to the counter. His fingers trail eagerly over the sweets on display as he turns to the man. “Come on, pick one!”

You move behind the register and wait patiently. 

“I don’t like sweets!” Knife Man’s friend snaps. “I can’t believe I’m stuck with you today.”

Ever the business owner, you pipe in, “We also have drinks, if that’s more to your taste.”

That gets the man’s attention. 

“I’ll just have a coffee then,” he grumbles, fishing out his wallet. 

Knife Man joins his friend and grins. “Then I’ll have a slice of tiramisu.” 

“This early in the morning?” Knife Man’s friend hisses. 

Pointedly avoiding any conversational traps, you say, “Coffee and tiramisu. Together?”

The friend huffs. “Sure, fine. Here, keep the change. For the idiot’s blood.”

You blink at the money shoved into your face. If you had been any other person, you might protest at the clear extortion - it’s just blood. 

But you had been raised pragmatically and so, with a smile, you accept the bills. 

“Please wait a moment,” you tell them, and get started on the coffee. 

In a few minutes, you pack the cake neatly into a little box and hand it over with a cup of espresso.

“Thanks,” Knife Man’s friend grumbles, taking a sip of his drink before glancing back down at the cup. “Huh.”

You don’t challenge any strange noises made over your products, you remind yourself, and smile pleasantly instead. 

They leave quickly after, with Knife Man waving once again, and you release a sigh.

“Electric mixer, electric mixer,” you hum, sweeping the floor with a broom. “So very soon, electric mixer - ”

iii. 

A few days later, the front door opens and, lo and behold, it’s Knife Man’s friend, silver hair tied behind his head. 

You smile in greeting and ponder the possibility that you just might be cursed. 

“Two coffees,” he says, with nary a greeting. 

You’ve met worse, so you take the money handed to you and make quick work of the order.

It’s clear he’s not interested in making any small talk and, if you’re honest, you’re not really eager to start any yourself.

Soon enough, you hand over two steaming cups over the counter. 

“Thanks,” the man says, proving that he’s not yet a lost cause. Under his breath, he mutters, “That damn machine better be fixed by now.”

Technological difficulties - you can sympathize. You wave off the man and get started on your next order.

iv.

You don’t encounter any issues involving blood until a month later, after several more visits from your strangest regulars. 

“The usual,” Knife Man says brightly, seemingly oblivious to the cut above his eye and the blood trickling down his face. 

Knife Man’s friend casually tucks his clearly burned fingers into his sleeves. “The same for me.”

There is a moment of silence. 

How, you wonder, is he going to carry his coffee with burned fingers? You know how that feels. Intimately, in fact - you’re a baker. 

But that’s none of your business and so, very politely, you accept the money - stained with suspicious black dots - before getting started on the order. 

You hand over the food and coffee and say, “Here you are.”

“Thank you,” Knife Man says, gingerly accepting both the cake and coffee. He stops for a moment before studying you curiously. He smiles broadly. “I’m Yamamoto, by the way. And this is Gokudera!”

Japanese names, you note, even as the newly named Gokudera barks at the man.

“ - the hell are you thinking, you idiot?”

Yamamoto shrugs, somehow unhindered by the food, coffee, sword and blood on his face. “I think we’ve been here often enough.”

You very clearly ignore the incredibly suspicious conversation continuing on before you. 

“Good to know,” you say instead, because as nice as it is, having bleeding customers is not the best reputation for any business. “I’ll see you next time, Yamamoto, Gokudera.”

“Same here,” Yamamoto says - his Italian is impeccable, you notice.

Gokudera grunts, eyes boring into you suspiciously. 

“You say our names very naturally,” he says slowly, eyes narrowing.

You can’t tell if that’s a compliment or a threat.

“I’m half?” you offer, not sure why it should matter. “I’m not fluent though.”

Yamamoto looks incredibly pleased. “Wow! That makes a lot of sense.”

You… still can’t tell if that’s a compliment or a threat.

“Thanks,” you say, because what else can you say? Your mom’s genes are strong in your veins, so it’s not really surprising. 

They leave not long after, Yamamoto calling out goodbye and Gokudera squinting right at you. 

You lean over the counter and check the floor, just in case. It’s nearly safe, until you notice several specks of blood all over the counter itself.

“... damn.”

v.

One morning, Yamamato enters the shop with a new companion. 

“Hey!” he greets, the early hour not bothering him in the slightest.

It’s suspicious because at this point, you are very aware that Yamamoto does not drink any sort of caffeine. 

Very suspicious, you think, staring almost enviously at his non-existent dark circles. 

His friend, however, seems appropriately more miserable. 

“One cappuccino, please,” the man says, chestnut hair all over the place. His hazel eyes droop slightly. 

You smile in sympathy. “Got it.”

“Oh, also,” Yamamoto pipes in, leaning onto the counter. “We’ll be staying here for a while - that okay?”

You blink at the change.

“Sure,” you say, gesturing to the few seating arrangements you have. “Make yourselves comfortable.”

You cut up a larger slice of tiramisu and set it on a plate. As the milk boils, you wonder what’s so different now - Yamamoto always orders to-go. 

Pouring the foam over a cup of espresso, you decide it’s none of your business. You didn’t build up your customer base by being nosy.

“Here,” you say, sliding over the cake first. Yamamoto grins in thanks. “And the cappuccino…?”

You watch as Yamamoto’s friend stares blankly into the distance.

“Um,” You say. You look back at Yamamoto. “Is he okay?”

Yamamoto lets out a long laugh. 

“He’s fine,” he says, waving a hand. “We just had a long night. Hey, Tsuna. Tsuna!”

The aforementioned Tsuna startles, dark eyes blinking rapidly. “Wha - ?”

You wait patiently as he looks blearily up at you. Raising the drink in your hands, you try again. “Your cappuccino?”

Face flushing slightly, Tsuna moves to grab the drink. “Right! Sorry about that.”

“That’s okay,” you start to say, about to let the cup go, but something slips along Tsuna’s grip. 

You catch the cup right as it's about to tilt.

“Careful there,” you say wryly, deciding to skip the dangerous part and setting down the cup on the table. Patiently, you tell him, “It’s hot.”

For some reason, Tsuna’s face darkens even further. “O-Okay, sorry.”

“Not a problem,” you say, shrugging because a missed accident is as good as no accident. “Enjoy your stay.”

They stay for another half hour before departing, and you wave back when Yamamoto says goodbye. Appearing more awake than before, Tsuna gives a half-hearted wave as well. 

All in a day’s work, you think, cleaning down their table and moving on to help another customer.

vi.

Two weeks later, Yamamoto’s friend, Tsuna, walks in with the look of someone ready to jump the bridge at any moment’s notice.

Yikes, you think, and put on your best customer smile. “Can I help you?”

The frazzled look in his eyes does not go away.

“I need a drink?” he asks, which is not the strangest way someone has ordered from your shop, but it’s still pretty up there. Rubbing his eyes, he tries again. “Sorry - usually Hayato’s the one to grab them. He never told me the name.”

“Hayato?” you ask, already filing through the people Tsuna might know (it’s a short list, you only have two regulars that dress in suits like those). 

Tsuna groans into his hands. “Right. His last name is Gokudera?”

“Ah,” you say, already getting started on the coffee. You try to offer some help. “It’s usually just coffee. Nothing special.”

And just like that, Tsuna’s face transforms from someone wanting to die into someone wanting to die. 

It’s not polite to laugh at your customers, you remind yourself, turning back to the coffee. You swallow the bark of laughter in your throat.

By the time you face him again, your face is at its most polite. 

“Just one, right?” you ask, ever the professional. Remembering last time, you very carefully pass over the drink.

Tsuna nods silently and slides over some cash.

“Thanks,” he says, before practically flying out the shop. 

The moment the door closes shut, you crouch down and let out a loud ha! 

Then, you stand up, features settled back to normal, and pocket the cash into the register.

-o-o-o-o-o-

the terrifying part is that there is more to this and it’s not stopping. i imagine MC can be any gender you see them as for now, with a nice amount of respect for local authorities and common sense, and perhaps a dash of great customer service. 

this began as an attempt to write some sort of romantic Tsuna/OC fic - which is as big of a joke as I am, because it’s clear MC is too pragmatic for anything like that. at this point, anything is up for grabs.

[makeste]

BnHA Chapter 261: Wakey Wakey

Previously on BnHA: The heroes decided that the only way to beat the villains was with an insane winner-takes-all gambit involving two simultaneous attacks, one on the Pliff base in Gunga Mountain, and the other on a quaint little hospital in Jakku that just so happens to be where Ujiko is keeping his Noumuraki in cold storage along with all his other evil science junk. We still don’t know what the fuck is going on in Gunga, but over in Jakku things are shockingly not really going according to plan! First Ujiko was stabbed by a Noumu space slug and melted away into nothing because HE’S A FAAAAAAAKE. Then a bunch of other Noumu came running out of the morgue to distract everyone while the real Ujiko scuttled about his lab in a panic in his lab and literally called the heroes “THOSE MEDDLESOME HEROES” because he is literally a cartoon villain, only with the evilness cranked up to 11. Thankfully before he could warp away and escape, Miruko, a.k.a. the queen of this entire arc, busted down the door and crushed John-chan like a bug (RIP JOHN-CHAN) and took hold of my heart and was all “THIS IS MINE NOW” and I was like “okay” and now she’s gonna kick Ujiko’s ass????! Or so we can hope anyway?

Today on BnHA: Well Miruko almost kicks Ujiko’s ass, and he almost doesn’t manage to punch in the activation code for his High End Noumus, and we almost manage to be spared the chaotic scene where they all come to life and wreak havoc. But unfortunately “almost” is as close as we get, mainly because every single other character decides to hang back in the hospital entrance fighting a bunch of nobodies rather than bothering to help Miruko out. Everyone that is, except Crust, who provides some assistance by (a) not mentioning to anyone how there’s a whole other tunnel that leads out of the lab and goes DIRECTLY OUTSIDE TO WHERE MY CHILDREN PRESUMABLY ARE, and (b) arriving at the lab and then not really doing anything else at all except shouting a bit. So apparently this is what we’re working with. Thankfully Miruko is somehow still alive, because it looks like she’s about to have to fight these guys pretty much on her own. Unfortunately Ujiko takes advantage of all the chaos to abscond the fuck out of there. And so the chapter leaves off with one of those “record scratch, freeze frame, yep that’s me you’re probably wondering how I ended up in this situation” moments. Fun times.

so Ujiko got a new name last week; he is now Garaki Kyuudai. you can read all about the meaning of the name on Caleb’s twitter if you feel so inclined. so we are now moving on, and we’ll see how many times I forget this new name and have to go back and look it up (ETA: at least twice so far)

so hopefully today will be the day when we finally discover just how and why everything is going to go terribly wrong, because it’s getting stressful bracing myself for that shoe to drop every damn week. if you’re going to put my kids in terrible danger than GO AHEAD AND PUT THEM IN DANGER ALREADY THEN. please. I can’t go on like this

holy shit you guys

see, now this is the kind of fanservice I can get behind. too bad I can’t really focus on that at all right now because

well then. it’s only the thing I’ve been simultaneously anticipating and dreading ever since the start of the My Villain Academia arc! don’t mind me guys. I’m just gonna. sit here nearly frozen but also kind of vibrating/pulsing ever so slightly

OH NO MIRUKO WHAT DID YOU DO

holy shit you guys. I RECOGNIZE THAT BIG BLACK DOOR FROM BACK IN MY KHR DAYS. ONLY BACK THEN IT WASN’T A DOOR AT ALL, BUT A WALL. A GLORIOUS AND TERRIBLE WALL WHICH SINGLEHANDEDLY BROUGHT ONE OF THE STRONGEST CHARACTERS TO HIS KNEES DURING A DO-OR-DIE “HEROES INVADE THE VILLAINS’ LAIR” ARC VERY MUCH LIKE THIS. oh my god. and now he has returned, after all these years, to once again fuck up the heroes’ plans at a critical and devastating moment. curse you wall

also did we really need to see this

Horikoshi: “you know what I haven’t drawn yet that I’d really like to draw. brains. just some brains splattered around all messily. children love that almost as much as they love dead dogs”

ffsdsdlfkjl YOU KNOW WHAT WE ALSO DIDN’T NEED TO SEE, HOLY CHRIST

A FLASHBACK TO UJIKO “COMFORTING” A BLOODIED JOHN-CHAN AFTER A SUCCESSFUL TEST RUN OF HIS NOUMU CAPABILITIES, OR WHATEVER THE HELL THIS IS. DID YOU GUYS ASK FOR THIS? I SURE AS HELL DIDN’T. I HAVE NO REAL WAY OF KNOWING THIS FOR SURE, BUT I’M GONNA GO OUT ON A LIMB AND SAY THAT ABSOLUTELY NO ONE WANTED TO SEE THIS. LIKE, I CAN’T SAY THAT WITH CERTAINTY, BUT ACTUALLY I CAN THOUGH

ugh. anyway. “just Noumu Arc things,” Horikoshi says with a shrug. listen you son of a --

meanwhile if Ujiko gets all angry and tearfully sics all of the High Ends on Miruko in his rage, I will... actually I’ll sit here not being even remotely surprised at all, but still freaking out though. damn it, this is why I need that freaking shoe to drop already like I said. that thing is just sitting there like a loose snack in a malfunctioning vending machine and I’m standing here cursing and thumping on the glass and asking if anybody has a quarter

GODDAMMIT I DON’T NEED TO HEAR HIS FUCKING EULOGY FOR HIS PET MONSTER WHICH USED TO BE AN INNOCENT LITTLE CHILD UNTIL HE MAIMED AND TORTURED THE HUMANITY OUT OF IT

is that freaking All for One in the top right panel. YOU’RE ON MY SHITLIST TOO MISTER

looooooooool :’)

lol I think we finally got that shoe loose folks. sob. go ahead and activate them you crusty old fuck

also are these things in the little tubes... quirks??? like what the hell

so now Ujiko’s screaming (I guess if he’s upset we can take that as a good sign?), and meanwhile Miruko is all

still smiling even now. god how I love her. “I’LL FIND OUT IF I KICK HIM” GOD MIRUKO WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE. IS THERE SUCH A THING AS A FEMALE HIMBO. LIKE WITH LESS PEJORATIVE CONNOTATIONS THAN THE ORIGINAL “BIMBO” AND WITH MORE OF A “SOMEONE WHO’S REALLY HOT AND COULD CRUSH YOU WITH HER PINKY AND IS ALSO A FEW ICE BRICKS SHORT OF AN IGLOO” KIND OF VIBE TO IT. HERBO??? OR WHAT ABOUT... SHIMBO

anyway Endeavor is all “catch him” which is some great fucking advice coming from someone that hasn’t even made it inside the morgue entrance yet. what fucking good are you. at least he fried the space slug

but unfortunately that hasn’t quite solved all their problems yet

honestly though, he should still go after her. like, screw all the rest of this. get your priorities in order!! she just said there were a ton of REALLY STRONG-LOOKING!! Noumus over there too, and meanwhile she’s the only one there because none of these other dinguses seem to realize that if you want to stop the fucking Noumus you need to stop the guy in charge. otherwise they’ll just keep on coming!!

you know what, forget what I implied a couple paragraphs ago about Miruko being a few twists short of a slinky. she may have a straightforward “hit first and ask questions later” approach to things, but it’s increasingly clear that she’s still in possession of this team’s one shared brain cell right now

(ETA: the more that I think about this the madder I get. I count at least seven heroes in this shot. you’re telling me you couldn’t spare a single one??)

ooh we’re cutting to Mandalay!

she says the last of the civilians have just been evacuated from the hospital! I don’t know why she’s yelling this to them out loud and not thinking it at them like in the forest arc but whatever. the evacuation part got me thinking about the kids and now I desperately want to see how they’re doing but first we have to wait for this High End situation to finish spiraling out of control I guess

-- holy shit holy shit holy shit

okay so this guy, who was the closest behind Miruko -- I forget who he is but I remember he was one of the top ten... goddammit let me look it up... okay yeah, he’s Crust, the number six hero, whose quirk I don’t think we know yet -- anyway so he’s running down the corridor and, well...

first of all he says hmmm way too much. but more importantly he just confirmed that at least one of these corridors leads directly outside. without passing through the hospital at all. implying that the Noumus can bypass the squad of heroes entirely and escape to rampage out on the mountainside

so the one job that the heroes had today, which was to make sure that none of the villains escaped, has already proven a failure. there are Noumus outside. and who else is outside in the mountains of Jakku right now, you guys? EXACTLY

meanwhile this fucking boomer hasn’t even bothered to say this part out loud so that the other heroes can hear and realize that there are potentially escaped Noumus on the lam! like it would be nice to maybe mention that so that they know their plan has sprung a leak and also so that Endeavor can WARN HIS FUCKING INTERNS JESUS CHRIST

anyway so Crust has stumbled upon a group of Noumus and is attacking them and still not revealing a thing to his pals, thanks so much!!!

and now Miruko is leaping at Ujiko so that means ladies and gentlemen it’s finally TIME FOR SOMETHING BAD TO HAPPEN!

WHY IS THIS TAKING A WHOLE FUCKING PAGE

no fucking duh?? holy shit. he may be an evil genius but he’s really not that great at thinking on his feet

-- oh shit?!

A WILD RAY OF HOPE APPEARS?? looooool are you serious? that must mean that they’re so fucking powerful the heroes wouldn’t stand a chance if they were activated. so despite all appearances, Horikoshi is actually not throwing them to the wolves just yet and there is still a thin layer of plot armor surrounding them!

--but what the hell IS HE TURNING THEM ON ANYWAY?!

sob, he is. holy shit he’s gonna sic a High End on my wife and it’ll be the strongest fucking thing we’ve ever seen and meanwhile Ujiko will be watching all “hur hur it’s not even using 10% of its power” fucking fuck me

WHAT THE FUCK

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME THERE’S ANOTHER WARPING NOUMU JESUS

so he just left?? but turned the Noumus on first?? so now they have ten fucking hours before these things get strong enough to level the whole fucking planet are you shitting meeeee. and did he just leave Tomura there too or did he also warp him out?

wait a sec no he’s still there. lol what the fuck. so did Mocha-chan create a duplicate of him then and that’s what Miruko kicked?

I’m so confused lmao

(ETA: still confused tbh. but we have bigger fish to fry!)

but anyway. this is what we came for though

wakey wakey. hey can someone go slap Endeavor and all those other heroes for me for deciding it was more important to battle the “small fries” out in front rather than give Miruko some fucking backup so it wouldn’t be all on her to stop this shitclown from remote activating his unstoppable army of death? fucking Mic could have ended this whole show with one shouted “YODELAYHEEHOO~” down this echo-y corridor for fuck’s sake!! Aizawa could have stopped Mocha from using her quirk! god damn! I hope you’re all happy!!

LMAO HOLY FUCKING SHIT

THAT’S THE SCARIEST THING I’VE EVER SEEN?! HAHAHA MY HEART IS GENUINELY RACING, I’M DEFAULTING TO MY “HAUNTED HOUSE LAUGHTER” INSTINCT IN WHICH I KEEP LAUGHING BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS TOO FUCKING TENSE AND I DON’T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO

LIKE, THE ONE NEARLY BIT HER FUCKING FACE OFF BEFORE SHE KICKED ITS BITEY HAND IN HALF, BUT MEANWHILE THE OTHER ONE IS TRYING TO GRAB HER ENTIRE HEAD WITH ITS MASSIVE FUCKING HAND ATTACHED TO AN ARM THAT’S LITERALLY AS LONG AS MIRUKO IS TALL, AND THAT HAND IS BIG ENOUGH THAT IF IT CLOSED ITS FIST HER HEAD WOULD LITERALLY POP LIKE A GRAPE HOLY SHIT?!?!

NO THANK YOU I DON’T KNOW WHAT’S HAPPENING BUT THAT’S ALL RIGHT I DON’T WANT IT TAKE IT BACK PLEASE

oh thank fuck I think Miruko escaped?? or they just threw her into that wall, at least. well still better then getting your head crushed

and now these two are trying to talk because fuck me I forgot high ends can fucking talk

“h...hero...” took me a second to figure out what they were saying there but damned if that didn’t send a chill down my spine!

also Miruko really did kick its hand right the fuck off, god I love her. even if it is instantly growing back

you guys I literally can’t stop laughing lol

HAHAHA WE’RE SO FUCKED!?!

ALSO IS THAT ONE GUY CRIMSON RIOT?!!

hmm lol maybe not. idk though he just gave me that vibe

LOOK HOW HAPPY THEY ALL ARE LOL

THEY JUST WANT TO KILL THEM ALL THAT’S SO GREAT. THIS IS ALL SO WONDERFUL THEY KO’D MIRUKO IN 0.4 SECONDS AND NOW THEY WANT TO “GO BERSERK” WHAT A GRAND TIME WE’RE IN FOR

LMAO ARE YOU SERIOUS

FUCKING CRUST OUT HERE LIKE TROY WITH THE PIZZA BOXES. DO YOU WANT TO JUST TURN THE FUCK AROUND RIGHT NOW BOY. NGL IF THEY RIP YOUR HEAD OFF I’M NOT EVEN GONNA DO ANYTHING EXCEPT ROLL MY EYES. WATCH HIM NOT SHOUT A WARNING TO THE OTHERS EVEN NOW

(ETA: I s2g though. hello?! is your headset broken???)

and he’s being greeted by this big guy with a gear head and a weird lumpy spine

somehow at first I thought that first lump on his back was an “R” symbol because I’m bad at interpreting images, so now I want to call him Rusty because I’m also bad at coming up with nicknames on the spot. I’m sorry Rusty

anyway so Rusty and Crust are immediately getting into an argument and meanwhile Ujiko is just SITTING THERE BECAUSE HE CAN, NOW

because Endeavor, Aizawa, Mic, and the others all decided it was more important to abandon their most important target in favor of trying to contain the comparatively harmless redshirt Noumus in the lobby. which is also pointless, because they’re not actually containing shit, because there are other exits besides for just the hospital! which they would fucking know if Crust was capable of relaying vital information instead of strategically saving his breath for more important things like sarcastically calling this Rusty guy “clever”

in conclusion the heroes have all picked the absolute worst time to collectively shit the bed and I’ve had it with them and they all need to retire, except for Miruko. and the kids. who are now soon to be directly in the line of fire thanks to this shitshow

LMAO HORIKOSHI YOU PIECE OF SHIT SOMEHOW I FUCKING KNEW YOU WERE GOING TO PICK THIS WEEK TO ANNOUNCE A BREAK YOU GLEEFUL LITTLE TROLL

and two weeks from now is when I’ll finally be watching the new movie though, so I don’t even know how that’s gonna work lol. guess that’s why they put the extra day in February this year. ah well

anyway! so Miruko is still alive and more reminiscent of Katsuki now than ever, which is fucking great because Crust so far has been exactly as useful as you would expect some stupid old guy with the name “crust” to be, sigh. anyway I’m glad to see my girl’s spirits haven’t been dampened

meanwhile Ujiko straight up did leave Tomura there, which is interesting lol. and so now it looks to be Miruko and Crust (with the latter’s contribution extremely in doubt) versus Rusty, Jester, Max Rebo, Girl!Noumu, and Noumu!Riot. I’m strangely not worried for Miruko because I have decided that she’s invincible, and because Horikoshi has graciously nerfed these guys a bit (please accept my dripping-with-sarcasm “gee thanks”, Horikoshi)

but I am however worried about my three sons over on the edge of town who are about to be waylaid by god knows what. not to mention all my other kids 80km away! how will their day be ruined? we shall see!

[sunflowereviews]

WARNING: KATEKYO HITMAN REBORN! (Things to know before getting into KHR!) (A pinned post)

I’ve suddenly remembered why I made this blog in the first place (◣∀◢)ψ

(TL;DR at the end) 

TO WARN YOU ALL ABOUT KATEKYO HITMAN REBORN. 

If you’re looking to get into it, I want to tell you a few things. 

It was originally meant to be a gag manga, but its popularity was in decline so they turned it into a shounen manga.

I’m saying this because if you’ve searched up the main character, Tsunayoshi Sawada, you’ve seen this

But when you actually got into the series, you saw this: 

That’s the beginning, the original gag part of the manga where Tsuna is incredibly annoying and made everyone want to throw bricks at him. 

I believe that in the anime, the gag goes on for about twenty episodes. In the manga, it goes on for sixty-two chapters. 

I’m saying this because the original gag part is really annoying, boring, and slow. It’s not funny and it was a pain for me to go through when I started reading it. Now that you know when the serious shounen stuff starts, you can skip the original gag and get straight to the good stuff. 

The only issue you’ll have with skipping it is you won’t know anything about the characters and their abilities. I don’t know anyone who skipped it so I can’t say if you’ll be able to figure it out quickly or if it’ll take some time.

IF you do skip it, DO NOT, under ANY circumstances, look at ANYTHING on the Katekyo Hitman Reborn wiki pages. You WILL get spoiled. Instead, I’ll give you a summary of each character from the wiki pages. 

TSUNAYOSHI SAWADA - The main character

Tsuna is called “No Good Tsuna” by his classmates because of his poor grades, bad luck, wimpy attitude, and lack of athleticism. He easily admits these things about himself, lacking self-confidence and always doubting himself and quitting easily. 

Tsuna is also the tenth successor to the Vongola, a powerful and influential family in the mafia. His ability is Dying Will Mode and can only be activated by the Dying Will Bullet. He is trained to become the tenth boss by the best hitman in the Vongola family, Reborn.

Dying Will Mode: His body’s limiters are removed and he becomes stronger. This happens because when he is shot by the Dying Will Bullet, he is put in a life-or-death situation and he must fulfill his dying will. 

Tsunayoshi Sawada attends Namimori Middle School.

REBORN - Main

Reborn is the best hitman in the mafia. He helps Tsuna train to become the tenth boss of the Vongola. He is confident and unpredictable. He enjoys teasing his students and pulling pranks on them. Readers will find that he also enjoys cosplaying as he is often seen with different outfits.

HAYATO GOKUDERA - Main

Hayato is the right-hand man of Tsuna and he takes his role very seriously. He portrays himself as a delinquent but contrary to his image, he actually does very well in school. He has a short temper and is very irritable towards everyone except Reborn and Tsuna.

He uses dynamites and traps as his weapons and fights in enclosed spaces and at mid-range. He is also a very intelligent fighter.

Hayato Gokudera attends Namimori Middle School.

TAKESHI YAMAMOTO - Main

Usually called “Yamamoto,” he is friendly and naive, thinking that being part of the Vongola is simply a game that they are playing for fun. He is willing to make sacrifices for things that are important to him. He loves baseball and is just about as dumb as Tsuna. 

Reborn gives him a bat that is actually a sword as a weapon.

Takeshi Yamamoto attends Namimori Middle School.

LAMBO - Main

Lambo is a five-year-old hitman who came to Japan to kill Reborn. He is a whiny and spoiled brat who has to be babysat by Tsuna’s friends and family. He is confident in himself and his abilities but cries over little things. 

Whenever he is in trouble, he will use the 10-Year Bazooka, which is a bazooka that brings the version of himself from ten years in the future to the present and the five year old Lambo will disappear for five minutes. After five minutes, the future Lambo will return to the future and the five year old Lambo will return to the present. 

KYOUYA HIBARI - Main 

Kyouya Hibari is the leader of the Namimori Middle Disciplinary Committee, which is actually a group of delinquents. Kyouya enforces discipline in the school with his own methods, using his authority to assault people who get on his nerves.

Kyouya is cold and scary, having no care for the well-being of others. He will do whatever it takes to get what he wants. He hates crowds and prefers to be alone, often hanging out alone at the school roof.

He has an extreme loyalty to his school, punishing anyone who breaks the rules, even if they don’t attend Namimori. He has the school’s anthem set as his ringtone. 

He wields tonfas as his weapons. He has full confidence in his fighting ability and dives straight into fights without thinking.  He is the strongest at Namimori. 

Kyouya Hibari attends Namimori Middle School.

RYOUHEI SASAGAWA - Main

Ryouhei loves boxing and lives life to the extreme. He is the captain of the boxing club and has a great passion for it. Ryouhei has a tendency to rush into fights without doing a fully analysis due to his enthusiasm. He has a short memory so he often forgets important details. He is always looking to fight new opponents and learn to improve himself. 

He is loyal to his friends, as he will protect his friends without thinking twice about the danger he is putting himself in. He has a soft spot for women and children.

Ryouhei utilizes boxing to fight.

Ryouhei Sasagawa attends Namimori Middle School.

FUUTA DE LA STELLA - Supporting 

Fuuta has the ability to determine rankings of people in any kind of category. He has a wide range of knowledge which makes him invaluable to the mafia. He becomes friends with Tsuna.

DINO CAVALLONE - Supporting 

Dino is the leader of the Cavallone family which are allied with the Vongola. He has great leadership and combat skills.

Reborn trained him so he could become the boss of the Cavallone. Dino is devoted to his family (mafia family) but it backfires as he can no longer fight without the members of the family watching him. 

He uses a bullwhip and his pet turtle, Enzio as his weapons. 

DOCTOR SHAMAL - Supporting 

Doctor Shamal is a skilled doctor. He is a womanizer and hits on every woman he sees. Due to his obsession with women, he refuses to treat men with injuries and will only treat women. Occasionally, he treats men out of sympathy. He has 666 disease but none of them have killed him because the diseases negate each other. 

He is called “Trident Shamal” because he is an incredibly skilled assassin. He uses Trident Mosquitoes as his weapon. He can inflict illnesses or cancel illnesses with the mosquitoes. 

BIANCHI - Supporting 

Bianchi is a freelance assassin from Italy and the older half-sister of Hayato Gokudera. She is passionate when it comes to love, to the point where she can become violent. Aside from that, she is generally a kind person. 

Her ability is Poison Cooking. Anything that she cooks or touches will be poisoned and uses this to incapacitate her opponents. When she snaps her fingers, the poisoned food will explode. Tsuna tried to avoid eating her food because he is the only one who knows it is poisoned. 

Bianchi developed this ability when she was a teen. She would cook food for Hayato but the food was so bad that it would give him horrible stomach pains or make him vomit. Eventually, it became Poison Cooking. Hayato can no longer look at Bianchi without having severe stomach pain, vomiting, or passing out because when he looks at her, he remembers to horrible food that she forced him to eat. 

KYOKO SASAGAWA - Supporting 

Kyoko is the younger sister of Ryouhei Sasagawa and the love interest of Tsuna. She is care free and doesn’t question the odd things that occur around her as she is also somewhat of an air-head. She is a kind and caring girl and rarely gets angry. 

Like Yamamoto, she thinks that being part of the Vongola is a game that they are playing. 

Kyoko attends Namimori Middle School.

HARU MIURA - Supporting 

Haru is an upbeat, enthusiastic, and care free girl. Although she has a crush of Tsuna, she is not the love interest. Unlike Kyoko and Yamamoto, she knows that the Vongola are real and aims to become the wife of the future boss, Tsuna. 

I-PIN - Supporting

I-Pin is an assassin from Hong Kong who came to Japan to assassinate someone. She is energetic and friendly with everyone but will often get into fights with Lambo. She is also infatuated with Kyoya Hibari because he resembles her master. 

Gyoza-Kempo and Pinzu-Timed Super Explosion are her abilties. Gyoza-Kempo is an attack that combines her martial arts with the strong scent of garlic from gyoza dymplings. This attack contains the essence of five-million gyoza which is enough to kill a human. 

Pinzu-Timed Super Explosion is an ability where, when activated, she becomes a human bomb. A count down begins and the process of the count down can be seen on her forehead. 

Credit to MyAnimeList.net and the KHR fandom wiki for the pictures and information.

TLDR: If you’re watching the anime, skip the first twenty episodes if you don’t like bad gag comedy. If you’re reading the manga, skip the first sixty-two chapters. If you want to educate yourself about the characters, you can read the character summaries I’ve made above. 

You guys have no idea how much time I spent on this. At one point, I accidentally deleted everything and had to start again D:

Thanks for reading!!!

-Taiwan

[kr210]

Love at First Sight

This is Chapter 4 of my KHR fic. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did writing it.

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Sakura’s Character Sheet

Summary : Our little Yakuza Princess finally meets Hibari and boy does it throw her for a loop. 

The first day of any new school is supposed to be nerve racking but that’s not how Yakumo Sakura felt. In fact the 11 year old was very excited to show off her new level of confidence. Over the summer she had been more involved in her family business. Kai and Bai made sure to take time to teach her not only how to defend herself but also how to properly fight. They also show her the business aspect of the family business including the properties her family had owned for generations. Then there were the four ports they also owned on the north side of town where their imports of goods came in.

One would think that these ports would be sneaking in illegal goods but you’d be wrong. In fact like most Japanese Yakuza’s the Yakumo Yakuza is all about helping out those in need. The goods that were being brought in were all items that were possibly illegal in Japan but legal in other countries. Either way they were all items that people needed and the Yakuza provided.

The other half of the business was real estate. The Yakuza owned a couple of properties in Namimori that includes, one apartment building, two outdoor shopping malls and the Yakumo compound which was a large traditional Japanese home that took up a large city block where all the business happened.

Learning all this totally gave the 14 year old Yakuza Princess more confidence than any normal 14 year old would have. The contrast was clear as day when other first years of Namimori Middle School walked through the front gate. Sakura carried herself tall and confident while her best friend Hinamori Yuna looked beyond scared and nervous. “I don’t know how you do it, Sakura,” Yuna said, holding on to the arm of her friend. Sakura glanced at her as they entered the school and walked over the announcement boards that shared which classroom each student was assigned. “It’s all about how you want others to see you. I want people to notice me and I want them to be aware of my pretense.” Sakura commented. Yuna looked at her. “Because of your family business?” Sakura nodded.

The girls walked over to the board where Yuna let go of Sakura and started on one side of the boards. Sakura went to the other and they both looked for their names. Sakura noticed both their names on the second board. They were in the same class which was a relief for both of them. The princess went over to her friend and pulled her out of the crowd. “We are in the same class. Class 1B” Yuna lit up and hugged her friend. “Oh thank goodness” They shared an excited giggle.

Just then a rogue gust of wind blew through the crowd of students. Sakura turned her head to avoid her soft light brown hair flying into her face. Her eyes then met another. A young man dressed in the proper male student uniform with a red band on his right arm. It was like time had slowed down as her breath hitched staring at this young man. His eyes met hers but only for a brief second before he turned his attention back to the other students. It was then she noticed the other male student standing next to the one that was making her heart race. It was the outdated hairstyle that this man was wearing that she noticed about this second one. But the air around the other one that made her face flare up. She couldn’t take her eyes off him as she openly stared.

“Sakura come on we’ll be late” Yuna pulled her back to reality. “Who is that?” Sakura asked instantly, looking at her friend. Yuna looked over to where her best friend was staring. “That’s Hibari Kyoya. He’s a second year in charge of the Disciplinary Committee here at Namichu. And the guy standing next to him with the weird haircut is his right hand man, Kusakabe Tetsuya” Yuna explained. Sakura looked back at the young man named Hibari once more. “Hibari Kyoya huh” she muttered with a slight smirk on her face.

The girls made their way into the main building to switch out their shoes. Their classroom was on the second floor as most club rooms were on the first. They made their way up the stairs to find their classroom. They were almost swept away by the crowd of students trying to find their own classrooms when Sakura grabbed Yuna’s arm and pulled her into their classroom. A sign above the door said, 1-B, on it. Yuna was thankful that her best friend pulled into the classroom as she continued to watch the first years rush to their classrooms.

“Why is everyone in such a hurry?” she asked no one in particular. A male student in the classroom turned to look at the new girls. “Don’t you know Hibari-senpai?” he asked them. Yuna and Sakura looked confused. “Hibari-senpai will beat up anyone at the school who doesn’t follow the rules.” another male student said. “I heard a rumor that the teachers let him do whatever he wants because his family has power and money” another student spoke up. “Either way” a female student intervened. “You don’t want to get on his bad side” she commented, taking a seat. Yuna and Sakura had more questions but the bell for class rang and the rest of the students quickly took their seats. Yuna and Sakura assumed it was in fear of Hibari.

At lunch time students were allowed to eat in the classroom or go eat in the cafeteria. Yuna and Sakura opted to go to the cafeteria to grab food but eat in the classroom. The walk to the cafeteria was uneventful but inside the cafeteria, that was bustling with students, Yuna struggled to decide what to eat.

“Should I get Curry bread or Yakisoba bread?” Yuna asked Sakura. Sakura glanced at the bread available for purchase. “Why not both?” she asked, shrugging. Yuna looked at her and frowned. Sakura sighed and rolled her eyes as they got to the front of the line. “Two Curry breads and two Yakisoba bread” she ordered. The man reached into the cased and handed the girl the bread. Sakura handed the bread to Yuna then pulled out her wallet. “9,600” He told her. She easily pulled out a 10,000 yen bill and handed it to the man. He handed her four one hundred yen coins back and the girls moved out of the line. “Thank you Sakura,” Yuna said both grateful and ashamed. Sakura thought nothing of it.

The girls were walking back to the classroom when Sakura noticed something outside the second floor window. Yuna noticed her friend distracted and looked out the window as well. “Eh?! Isn’t that Hibari-senpai that our classmates told us about?” she asked, seeing one man beating another student right there in the courtyard and everyone ignoring it. Sakura was staring at him. “I think so yeah” she commented smiling as she watched him. Yuna looked over at her. “Sakura?” But Sakura didn’t hear her. She was focused on this young man and the way he was fighting. She was watching and studying his moves.

“Sakura?” Yuna called for her again but Sakura was still distracted by this unruly hair prefect. Her eyes full of admiration. Her body itching to fight with him as well and experience his strength. “Sakura-chan?!” Yuna raised her voice forcing her best friend to look at her. There was a smug look on Yuna’s face. “You like him,” she said, smirking. “What?” Sakura asked, still coming out of her admiration trance. “You. Like. Hibari-senpai.” Yuna said it slowly and deliberately. The Yakuza Princess felt her ears burning. “I do not,” she retorted. Yuna started giggling as she headed back to the classroom. Sakura followed behind her trying to calm her fast beating heart.

After school Yuna was switching out her shoes while Sakura stood next to her locker. “Does Kai-san mind giving me a ride home today?” she asked her friend. “Do you need a ride home or do you want to sleep over?” Sakura asked. Yuna shook her head. “Just a ride home. Mom is working today but she’ll be home for dinner” Sakura nodded. “Yeah we can give you a ride no problem” she assured her friend as they made their way towards Sakura’s locker so she could switch her shoes as well.

Together they left the school and headed towards Kai who had the car around the corner. “Good afternoon Sakura-sama, Yuna-san” he greeted them both. “Thanks for the ride Kai-san.” Yuna said, smiling as she got in the car. Sakura got in after her. Kai got in the driver’s seat. “Sakura-sama and I never mind giving you rides anywhere, Yuna-san. Please continue to relax.” he told her as he started the car. They took off towards Yuna’s house.

The drive started quiet before Kai noticed his princess distracted. “How was school?” He asked them trying to see what had the princess distracted. “Sakura has a crush” Yuna right away teased her best friend. Sakura’s eyes widened and her face flushed. “Yuna!” she yelled in a very high pitched girly voice. Yuna started laughing. Kai noticed the blush on her face. “It sounds like you two had a good first day” he concluded out loud as the girls jokingly fought in the back seat.

They dropped off Yuna who told Sakura she would see her in the morning at school. Kai asked if she would need a ride in the morning but Yuna said her mom would drop her off which pleased Kai. “Please remind your parents if they need anything to ask” he told her. She nodded and waved before she entered the front gate of her yard that would lead to the front door.

From there Kai began to drive the Yakuza Princess home. “So a crush Sakura-hime?” he asked her. Sakura felt her ears burning. “It’s nothing” she quickly said trying to calm the burning sensation of her cheeks. Kai smiled to see her acting like a normal 14 year old instead of young Yakuza leader. “What’s his name hime?” A small fond smile appeared on her face. “His name is Hibari Kyoya. He’s a second year and the leader of the Disciplinary Committee. I saw him fighting today Kai and...He looked so cool. And strong. I want to fight him” she said smiling as she looked up at the rear view mirror. Kai smiled. “I will find out all the information I can about him,” he told her. She nodded her head. “Thank you.” Kai glanced back at her. “If he’s part of the Disciplinary Committee then he must be very strict with the rules of the school” he commented to her. “Yeah… I think I want to challenge him so he’ll notice me. But I’ll need you to back me up in case I get in trouble” she told him. “Leave everything to me Hime” he told her. She nodded her head as a small smirk tugged her lips. “Middle school is going to be fun”

“You’re out of your mind!” Yuna said, staring at her friend. Sakura and Yuna were about a block away from the main gates of Namichu. “He’s going to kill you dressed like that. It’s only the second day of school and you’re really going to upset the Disciplinary Committee leader?” Yuna questioned, staring at her best friend. Sakura had her hair tied up in a high ponytail so the ends of her hair were brushing her shoulders. Her uniform shirt had the first two buttons undone showing a bit of cleavage and the bottom three buttons showing off her bellybutton. The uniform skirt was rolled up so high that it barely covered her ass. She had no socks on and was rocking a pair of pink three inch high heels.

“He’s going to kill you the moment he sees you.” Yuna said, shaking her head. Sakura was smirking, “That’s the goal” she commented as they started walking towards the main gate. “So you’re dressed like this to purposely get him to notice you?” Yuna asked. Sakura nodded her head. “Don’t worry Yuna. You won’t get in trouble; this will be for my own amusement.” she said smiling.

One could say it was almost instant. As if Hibari himself felt something off in the universe that surrounded his school. He could sense the troublemaker entering the campus ground like a rabid bear looking for its next meal. And when he noticed all the male eyes staring at this first year girl disrespecting the Namimori Middle School Uniform, he nearly imploded. His tonfa’s were drawn as he stalked over to this disrespecting herbivore. But this first year was a trained fighter and she could sense his hostile spirit instantly. “Yuna leave.” Sakura used a tone of voice that Yuna hadn’t heard since the day her and Sakura became friends. Yuna quickly stepped away from her friend but didn’t want to leave her alone completely.

Hibari was so much quicker than Sakura expected. She nearly didn’t dodge that first strike. Her eyes were wide as she landed her first flip, but Hibari was faster and went to strike again. The princess was aware of his speed and was ever so gracefully able to dodge his second attack by throwing her weight over him and landing on the opposite side of him. Hibari felt her hands use him as a launching pad to land her flip. He turned to look at her; his piercing gray eyes glaring at her. “1st year, Class 1-B Yakumo Sakura” he stated her name. Sakura could not help the smile that appeared on her face. “So you know of me Hibari-senpai,” she said smiling. “I know every student at Namichu” Well… that made the smile on the girl’s face disappear. “How Disappointing.” She commented, pouting a little.

“Your uniform does not meet the dress code. Fix. It.” he spat at her. “No.” Sakura calmly challenged him. His piercing gray eyes met her soft brown eyes. Hibari’s eyebrow twitched as he took a stance to fight the girl again when the main bell for class to begin rang. “Welp this was fun Hibari but I don’t want to be late” she told him smiling before she could at top speed rushed to switch her shoes out. “Wait…” he yelled at her but she was long gone. He would normally chase after her but he didn’t want to damage his precious school. He wasn’t sure this herbivore would feel the same way either.

“I can’t believe you.” Yuna muttered to Sakura as they entered the classroom. Sakura had not changed her uniform at all. “It was worth it.” she said smiling. Yuna shook her head. “He’s going to kill you the moment you leave school grounds.” she pointed out. “That’s what I’m hoping for.” The cherry blossom said with a huge smile on her face. Yuna leaned closer to her friend. “Sakura do you really like Hibari-senpai?” she asked her in a hushed voice. Sakura looked away, her ears burning, and face flushed. “Yes. I guess you could say it is love at first sight.” she commented, smiling a little to herself.

[somniumoflight]

Crossover Idea #7 – Hollow Knight and Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

Tsuna is pseudo-adopted by the Grimm Troupe

Okay so like, hear me out here. Tsuna and the Grimmchild. Tell me them being buddies and getting into shenanigans wouldn’t be cute, I dare you.

In all seriousness, though, there’s more to the idea than that.

So, what I’m thinking in terms of backstory here for this world is as follows – a long time ago, the world was more or less as we see in Hollow Knight, with great big wastelands between kingdoms that stripped travelers of their memories (and also of their minds, as per one of my headcanons) and gods maintaining the kingdoms that served as bastions from the Wastes.  Despite being basically an apocalyptic wasteland with the occasional oasis for people to live in, the world wasn’t actually dying.  Kingdoms, yes, but not the world itself, and it could have lasted for a long time so long as there were gods around.  However, this is where Kawahira’s people came in – their people were dying due to having no gods to maintain their kingdoms properly, and in an effort to save themselves they created the Tri-Ni-Sette as a replacement.  Thing is, it worked a little too well, and its effects actually covered the entire world.  While this meant that mortal life could flourish, the actual gods began to slip into obscurity – they’re still around, but far less important and powerful, and no longer necessary for maintaining life.

Now, fast-forward about 30,000 years.  Humanity has flourished and taken over most of the known world, though there’s still a small continent unexplored due to several bug gods banding together and creating treacherous storms in order to protect their kingdoms from being colonized.  The Tri-Ni-Sette is deteriorating, threatening the reappearance of the Wastelands, thus the need for the Arcobaleno.  However, most humans aren’t aware of this, save for the Arcobaleno themselves, and so they live in peaceful bliss.  However, the remaining bugs are all too aware of the Tri-Nii-Sette’s deterioration eventually bringing back the Wastelands, and their remaining gods have banded together to prepare.  Amongst one of these gods is Grimm, the Nightmare King and Master of the Grimm Troupe, who is one of the only gods (save for the Radiance and the Vessels, yes they exist too) who risks traveling through dreams to human continents.  He and his troupe travel from place to place, hidden as an eccentric and spooky human circus instead of the bugs they really are, drifting from town to town to gather Essence in preparation for the return of the Wastelands.

It’s during one of these trips overseas that they end up in Namimori, maybe two years after Tsuna’s Flames are sealed by Nonno and Idiotsu (Iemitsu).  The little Sky accidentally stumbles across their tents while trying to escape from his bullies, and though he is at first frightened by them (to be fair the Troupe IS pretty spooky and they throw fire around) they’re also a hell of a lot nicer to him than humans are and he’s quick to warm up to him.  The reverse is also true, and so while the troupe eventually leaves town, as they must do, they promise to visit again and the latest Grimmchild is left in Tsuna’s care both as a friend and to continue gathering Essence from Namimori.

Combining the Grimmchild, who is literally a fireball-spitting baby, with the sheer number of shenanigans that go on in KHR canon quickly sends canon tumbling off-track at break-neck speeds, while creating new shenanigans for Tsuna to deal with at a much younger age.

Details for this fic include:

The Grimm Troupe isn’t just made up of Grimm, the Grimmkin, Brumm and Divine – there are several Vessels in the Troupe as well who decided to come along with him and be part of the troupe (because even in a world where all bug gods are united under one goal, the Pale King is still a terrible father.) Amongst them is Ghost and “Pure,” aka baby Hollow Knight that was never actually used to seal the Radiance and is thus more or less fine, because the Vessels deserve good lives damn it.

The Vessels Do Not Understand People for the most part – emotions are hard for them.  They all like Tsuna though, and basically adopt him as another Sibling along with  Grimmsmol.

The Grimm Troupe knows about Tsuna’s Seal immediately upon meeting him thanks to nightmare-god-voodoo tricks, basically.  However, the lack of Flames doesn’t bother them, because unlike humans, who all have at least dormant Flames, Bugs don’t naturally have Dying Will Flames.  

This whole “all humans have Flames” thing is the source of Tsuna’s abuse by Namimori post-Sealing, though – he feels “empty” to them and instinctively they all hate that.  So Grimm, being a literal god albeit a weakened one, uses his own nightmare flames to start burning the Seal away a little bit at a time.  They’re just similar enough to Sky Flames that he can sort of get away with it without causing permanent damage so long as he’s careful, but due to the nature of his own fire Tsuna’s get a little… eldritch when he’s finally able to use them again.

Eldritch as in his Flames can now burn Essence and are made stronger every time they do so, and they feel really weird to normal Flame-Actives.  And may or may not cause nightmares in people they’re not compatible with.  It doesn’t help with human people in Naminori not liking him anymore, but hey, at least now the bullies leave him alone!

Tsuna, being an impressionable kid, starts emulating the Troupe after they’ve helped him.  He may or may not wear all red and black, and try to take dancing lessons after school.  He also may or may not be given a Grimm Troupe mask at some point and it sort of becomes his security blanket even when he’s not wearing it.

The Grimmchild is a grade A Accidental Troublemaker.  They’re old enough to be able to spit fire, but not old enough to know how to control it properly, so they catch a lot of things on fire when excited, or mad, or just in general, and usually by accident.  It happens so often that spontaneous combustion around town barely makes anyone bat an eye after a few years.

They start doing it on purpose as they get older though, mostly because some of Tsuna’s bullies can’t take a hint and need to be scared off sometimes until they smarten up finally and leave him alone.

Grimmsmol may or may not accidentally smack into babby Hibari while flying one night and catch the carnivore’s attention as a “baby carnivore.”  Hibari ends up actually helping gather Essence with Tsuna and Spooky Junior early on, which leads to him both going Active due to a particularly nasty restless ghost (which is where they get Essence from in the first place) and him ending up with a little bit of nightmare in his Flames as well… not that he needs them much, haha.

Something similar may or may not end up happening with Chrome (and later Mukuro, who escapes the Vindice earlier than canon to go to Namimori at Chrome’s suggestion), Takeshi, and also Ryohei (he thinks the little hellbat baby is EXTREME, enough said.)  Basically all Tsuna’s Elements end up with the nightmare flames thing going on to a degree.

The first time Tsuna’s new friends meet Grimm, they all basically decide we want to be like you. Yes, even Hibari, though he’s more focused on the whole super-powerful fireball-throwing “carnivore” thing than the oh my god you’re so cool/extreme sentiments the rest of them have.

Grimm ends up teaching them all how to “dance,” aka they all end up acrobatic fire-throwing fighter, though they each end up developing their own “dancing” style at his insistence.

The little differences all start stacking up until by the time Reborn arrives in Namimori, Tsuna’s Seal is already broken, he has four out of six element bonds, their flames are all slightly infused with nightmares due to proximity to Grimm Jr. and the Troupe, all five of them are already budding badasses due to Grimm’s lessons and them practicing when he’s not in town, and all of them are slightly creepy to everyone not in their circle.

Funnily enough, this Tsuna isn’t so reluctant about being a Mafia Boss, and Reborn is a lot more reluctant to teach the kid.  Tsuna figures that being a Mafia Boss would let him help the Troupe gather Essence more easily, since he’d have a lot more power and would know more about where all the gruesome deaths that create the Ghosts that create Essence in the first place would be.  Reborn, on the other hand, is unnerved by Tsuna and Co’s weird Flames and their eagerness to become Mafioso, and their calmness when confronted with death, which isn’t normal for civilians.  Hibari he can understand, he’s Fon’s nephew and technically already part of the underworld, but the rest of them? He’s actually pretty sure he’s accidentally discovered actual demons in disguise, which is pretty funny actually since he’s technically still more dangerous than all of them.

Reborn does end up in the Tsuna and Co. bandwagon eventually though, because once he knows the full reasons why they wanna be in the Mafia, and he sees the sheer chaos potential of the group (Grimmchild included), he’s all for training these little demons.  (And all for meeting Grimm because hey, actual god that can burn away Flame Seals without having Flames – maybe he has some insight into how to break the Arcobaleno curse?)

Bonus: Hayato is thrilled when he ends up being called in, not just because he has a chance to fulfill his dream but also because his future Boss is literally friends with a baby UMA and the baby UMA’s parents and family.  That and the Grimmchild really doesn’t like Bianca and is perfectly willing to try to catch her on fire when she’s nearby.

Good god that’s a lot of text.  Uh, whoops?

[hopeswriting]

hi. not to demand a bunch of labour from u that i'm not entitled to but i wasn't sure who else i knew to turn to on this. so i made a drawing for the khr fandom, and i wanted to make an ID to make it more easy accessible. the problem is that i do not have the experience to make one, or to make any of i do future art. therefore i though about you, who makes a lot of IDs and though that i could ask if you had any tips for how to make a good ID that will actually be beneficial to people who need it, that i can put to use to make my own content better.

again, if u lack time or inclination to sit down with this ask I wouldn't fault you, but however you end up doing i really admire your effort to the community and im thankful you took the time reading it.

hi, nonny! don't worry, i don't mind your question, and i'm happy to help you start on IDs as best as i can. quick disclaimer though: i still consider myself a beginner at those, so if i get anything wrong, anyone is welcome to correct me, and is even more welcome to advice nonny here better than i could!

okay so, here's the post that just so happened to be on my dash one day, and introduced me to IDs and the idea of making the internet a more accessible place in general. It has links to a lot of different resources I warmly recommend you to click through and read.

here are two comprehensive posts, this one and that one that walk you through starting making IDs as a beginner, and how to make them in a way that'll actually make whichever content it is for more accessible. they really gave me solid bases in IDs, and helped me feel confident enough I won't mess up too badly to take those first scary steps in starting to make IDs myself, so I hope they'll do the same for you.

this blog @ keplercryptids is known partly for their accessibility content. the faqs link in their bio as well as their pinned post have really good resources and posts about IDs, which I also warmly recommend you read through. they’re also welcome to questions about IDs if there's ever something you don't feel too confident about, and they're always super nice about it. they even have a discord server for people doing IDs, and to help other people doing IDs, and even to make IDs for other people if discord is your thing!

oh, and also, plain text! < this is a super helpful and comprehensive post about it, but if it's too much for now, just remember that IDs are the most accessible in plain text!

and that's pretty much how I started, nonny. after you learn about IDs and how to do them properly, it's all about practice, and learning from others doing IDs too by reading theirs, and picking up what you're lacking and what you can improve yourself on from them. and i know it can be scary because you don't want to mess up, but any ID is better than none even if it might not feel like it, and you'll get better at them by doing them, so please, just go for it! you can always edit them as you get better at them anyway, or other people will add what they think is missing from your IDs, and what I'm saying is that it won't be set in stone forever after you published them, so don't pressure yourself too much about needing to get them perfectly right away.

if it can help though, you're welcome to run your ID through me after writing it! and if you're comfortable coming off anon (i'd answer you privately then if you want), or comfortable showing me the drawing in question before anyone else, I can even help you write that ID.

and thank you for the acknowledgment! 🥺 like, i'm of course happy to do them because i want to do my part making the internet more accessible, but it's time and energy, and this past month especially i did quite a lot of IDs, so sometimes i just really need to hear it's appreciated. 💞

and likewise, nonny, i'm super happy and grateful you want to start doing IDs too! especially for the khr fandom which is, you know... lacking in this department to say the least lol. just let yourself start small, and you won't even realize when they'll start coming to you naturally.

hope this helped!

[ciaossu-imagines]

Hi, this message is late but I haven’t been able to get to my computer for a few days but hope this still helps and that you’re doing much better than when you initially posted. I’ll tell you about my holidays later in the DMs but I’ll try to respond to your question of ‘what brought you here initially, what keeps you reading if you're a long-time reader’. I don’t exactly know what brought me here but I feel like it was probably a K Project post since I know I found you through a K Project blog that I follow. Then I saw that Monopoly post and sent in that request and I just love the way that you write all of my faves and even the characters I know (even if like you said, our interpretations are sometimes kind of different). I continue to love it and your writing always makes me so happy, it gives me inspiration for my own story ideas or just lets me think about certain things for a bit. Not only that but you’re an amazing and such a kind admin and I love that you love interacting with your readers in all kinds of ways (including responding to the absolutely countless messages I sent to you on the blog) and that you have no problems being honest with us. I also love your passion when it comes down to writing and that’s probably why I have no problems readings almost anything you post, since you make that I understand the character even though I have no idea who the character is and you also show that you know them so well. These are just the things I could come up with now but I hope it’s enough.

Hope the rest of the year is better and that you have an amazing 2024.

Much love

C

P.S. I have no idea how but under the ‘More like this’ on your blog there was a link to a post of an amazing moment of one of my favourite Haikyuu!! boys so that was random but nice surprise.

Don't worry at all about the message being late because I haven't had much chance to be on tumblr and active since my last post. I'm still exhausted but have a nice stretch of days off to look forward to with New Year's holidays. I'm doing my best…to be honest, I'm still not really motivated or inspired much for writing, though I'm trying my best, adding little things here and there to all my post drafts as they come, but no full answers are ready quite yet. And that's okay. I did really well putting out a bunch over the Christmas holiday so I'm not beating myself up too much for not having the ideas or motivation right now. I know I'll get it back and will be able to post again and that writing is supposed to be fun for me and you guys all so I'm allowing myself the relaxation time.

Thanks so very much for sending in this sweet message, and I'll look forward to hearing about your holidays when I get around to having the motivation and energy to properly answer my dm's! I loved hearing about what brought you to my blog and what you enjoy about it. It really made me smile and made my heart all happy. I'm so glad that you enjoy the way I write the characters, even when we have slightly different interpretations of them. That's really saying a lot and means a lot because I know how upset people can get about different interpretations of characters. And it's such an honour to hear that you get inspired by my writing or get to think of characters differently! And thank you so much for the personal compliments! I always do my best to be kind, and it's easy to do when I have such amazing, lovely, and supportive readers! I know some of my followers who have been reading since I was back on the original polycanons blog, over six years ago because this current blog is that old!! And, if I guess correctly, given that someone I used to interact regularly with on ff. net way back when I was writing for KHR (when it was still ongoing) and a tumblr that follows this blog share the exact same internet handle, I have readers going back 10+ years, which just blows my mind! Like, how can I not be so incredibly grateful for that gift? When I first started sharing my writing online, I worried everyone would hate it, and I've gotten my fair share of fandom hate over the years, but have been so incredibly lucky to always find an audience for my writing and I cannot say how lucky and fortunate I am for that.

I hope you have an amazing 2024 as well, my dear!!

[queenharumiura]

･ω･｀) undergrounclmafia

Send me |･ω･｀) + a URL and I’ll talk about this blog! ||Accepting||@undergrounclmafia

So a lot of older KHR blogs started coming back recently, many of which left prior to me joining the KHR RPC. So when a lot of people started coming back who already knew each other, you had me like ????????????????????????????? who are all these people. What is going on? Is there a reunion that I didn’t know about--

Still, it was nice to see people coming back and I was happy for them. Memory serving, I saw people talking about Rena and Sunhee on the dash at the same time. I will openly admit (my stupidity) in which I honestly thought they were both the same person at first. 

I’m dumb. Sue me. 

So, I was just very confused to say the least. It didn’t take long for me to realize-- oh they’re two different people. Gotchaaaaaaaa. I honestly can’t remember... but I wanna say I was followed on Hibari’s blog first and then Haru’s? Or it’s the opposite. Idk. 

Either way I was shocked in both cases, so kek. 

Hibari= I know that a lot of people are very uncomfortable when it comes to dupes so I was like-- welp... probably won’t expect a follow from this blog. I was wrong. 

Haru= MMmmmnnnn Byakuran, Hibari, Belphegor, and Tsuna. Mmmmm don’t think i’ll see a follow lol--- again, I was wrong. I told you about it before via discord that I just am very wary of KHR folks due to the way Haru was treated/rejected back then. Shipping reasons. So uh--- I-- uh... um... I may come across as a Tsuna hater with the way I write sometimes, but I honestly don’t hate him? I just--- understand that Haru would’ve been hurt by the way he pined for Kyoko and would sometimes push her aside so to speak. I’ve been there, so I know the feel. So that’s why I go into that in threads often, to explain how it impacted Haru. I can come across as a Tsuna hater (from what i’ve been told) so I was like ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; welp. Probably won’t see a follow. whoops. I refuse to refrain from explaining my character development. //slams hands. I’m no Tsuna hater, I swear. //slams hands more. 

^^^^ I guess you can say that’s like initial reactions/thoughts? 

So, after the shock of seeing the follows, and having to ensure that I was not hallucinating, I followed back. I was going through a lot at work around this time, so a few details are honestly a blur to me. 

Still, I do recall we did start threading: 

Tsuna --> HaruBelphegor --> Hibariand eventually Emi --> Hibari 

I feel like I specifically mentioned: //cough btw I don’t hate Tsuna;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; or maybe I’m dreaming that. idk. 

ANYWAYS, I do recall that we did talk about Tsuna and Haru a lil bit. Discussed how Haru has grown out of her puppy love phase and what not. From what I saw, it didn’t look like there was any rejection on that notion, so I felt free to go with that premise in the thread we have. kek. I see my chance and i’ll take it. Always. 

I remember being initially confused by Emi when I first read through the information bc I was like ‘wait-- how old does that make my muses-- wait--- does that mean I need to find new Face claims?’ I groaned inwardly. The whole world could hear it. 

Luckily for me, I could play TYL Hibari. KEK. No new FC? Score. Kek. Anyways, I do work full time and i’m just chaotic when it comes to my schedule. I get distracted easily too. So I do miss a lot, but I do like to read things when I see something on my dash. So I can admire people’s writing and characterization. heh. 

Pretty sure I did a number of that prior to you following me and me being ?????????????? How is this possible. I am bean. Putting it simply, I just can’t imagine people following me lol. It’s a shock to me, always. 

I lost my train of thought. Moving onto another topic bc i’m typing my thoughts real-time. As a mun, we’ve talked quite a bit either through im or via discord. As such, I feel very comfortable towards you as a person? You have such a gentle and kind personality and it’s very comforting. 

A very happy jelly bean, you are. I love your oc (please note singularity), and threading with her is a lot of fun. The fact that you love my OCs in return is like ????????????????????? why love this child. He’s not that special. He’s dumb bean. I appreciate the love. 

Just knowing that you’re so willing and up to rp various things with me is very comforting to me. Later being told that I helped you come to like Haru more is such a big compliment to me and it just makes me happy. Mainly because, it shows that you trusted me enough to be honest with me about it? I truly appreciate that-- the ability to be honest with each other. 

Now that I think about it. I was very confused to see a follow on ‘fightingthetides’. That blog doesn’t get a lot of traffic at all and so it’s like-- how. How found? Why? What magics? Honestly, that is what spurred the idea ‘I should give Ravein a KHR au bc kek’

So you have my thanks for that. It’s just nice to talk to someone about my OCs. Does my old heart good. I think it was the general enthusiasm you have that was the reason why I looked at Aro’s (my dA friend) sketch adopts she was selling and went: I SHOULD MAKE ANOTHER OC. To be honest, I made him because I thought-- maybe I could interact with Emi with him-- hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. #tru story

I love Emi and will fite for her. (I hope you felt that, Ame) 

Bottom line, I just hope that we interact for a while, and I truly appreciate you as a person. Very happy and generally very supportive of other people. Good bean. A++++ Anyone who loves Ravein deserves head pats. 

[boundforhiveswaphell]

The Campfire Song Except Without the Song Part; A Tender Pseudoreligious Story

Artemis, my lovely dnd pc, regales her party with the Tabaxi creation myth, which also happens to be Homestuck fanfiction. 

In other words, a short story written about an evening around the campfire involving my group's DnD party. All characters mentioned are original excluding the four beta kids, obviously! So, no. This isn't the beta kids playing DnD, sorry to get your hopes up. Many thanks to my lovely, lovely beta reader, Nym_P_Pseudo on Ao3! And so, I humbly present.... a Work. 

This can also be found here on Ao3 - if you wanna check out my other, non-homestuck stories!

Smoke danced before them, ember and ash swirling in the summer air. Rancorous laughter merged with the crash of distant waves, the crackle of fire and the shifting of feet providing the backdrop. The evening was alight with fireflies, and the sweet smell of the afternoon’s hunt whirled through the sky in long, lazy arcs.

Khr, the party’s resident Gnoll, was doubled over in laughter. His sickle was embedded in the earth beside him, forgotten in the evening’s relative peace. His laugh was unmistakable - a high-pitched keening giggle that rebounded off the trees. His dark claws were sunk into his knee-fur, and his mouth was agape as he struggled to breathe. Bella, a diminutive figure chuckled beside him. Her elfin features beamed with pride behind the curtain of dark hair, a clear indication that she was the source of his laughter.

“And what would you two be up to?” inquired Vega, her tone joking and light. Her robes glimmered with magic, fine craftsmanship showing even in the dim lighting. A quarterstaff rested beside her, also pulsing with power. Her face was unwrinkled and child-like - but when she smiled, her eyes showed depth beyond their years.

“Nothing!” barked Khr and Bella, near in perfect synchronization. They looked at each other and burst into yet more giggles, even louder than before. Artemis snorted as she tended the fire, feeding another log into its base. She turned to the pair to find them both practically rolling in the dirt, Khr’s tail thumping the ground.

“Sisters help me,” muttered Artemis, lips curled in a grin made menacing by her fangs. Her catlike eyes blinked slowly as she surveyed the group. They were a rag-tag bunch, for sure, but they were certainly capable enough when it came to the adventuring business. She was proud of each of them in turn and loved them as she would her own blood.

“Artemis, I thought you only had brothers?” It was Foofy, the puppet’s, high, comical voice that broke her reverie.

Artemis’s creme-colored face looked up from the fire in confusion. Did pupp… not know who the sisters were? “Y’know,” she began, speaking slowly and deliberately as if to a child. “The Jade and Violet Sisters?” 

“The fucking what?” Merlin, a brooding young prince, had joined in on the conversation - ever the eavesdropper.

“I - the Sisters! Life and death, the giver and ender? Y’know, the important ones?”

“Let me restate since you didn’t understand the first time - The fucking what?”

The party had gone eerily silent, Khr and Bella stopping their childish antics to watch the imminent conflict. Judging by their perplexed expressions, it seemed that no one else knew what she was talking about, either. Her mother would be having a conniption in the face of so many pagans.

Artemis was still not entirely sure if her companions were playing a joke on her, but she prepared to educate the gaggle of heathens regardless. She quietly called upon a lifetime of her mother’s adages and stories, harkening back to her days as a helpless whelp being told tales of the strings that shaped the very world. A silent prayer formed on her lips to the Violet Sister, to spare the heretics before her.

She let out the breath she was holding and opened her eyes.

“Would you like me to tell you?”

“Maybe,” came Khr’s grating voice, still breathless from his earlier hysterics. “Is this one of your father’s weird Dragonborn things?” 

“No!” huffed Artemis. “It’s Catfolk history. I learned both as a cub.”

“What are you, anyway?” Foofy’s pitchy tone again. Artemis chuckled softly.

“We’ve been over this, Foof. My mother’s Tabaxi, and my dad’s Dragonborn.” Foofy sat in thought for a moment before nodding sagely, as if in understanding. Artemis shook her head in fondness. 

“So,” she continued. “Do you lot want to hear the story?”

Seven bright pairs of eyes captured in varying degrees of interest stared back. Foofy was the first to answer with an enthusiastic nod and a cry of “yes!”. 

Gracefully pulling herself off of the pine-soaked earth, Artemis rose to her full height. It was for dramatism, of course - she would have towered over her companions even while sitting. 

“This world,” she began, “was once a wide and white nothingness. Bright, inescapable, and unfathomable.” Artemis’ voice mimicked her mother’s famous story-telling cadence, though she withheld a majority of the dramatic flair. It was a low, sweet tone, like honey trickling from a spoon. 

“The desire to create - that which we all feel - and to leave one’s mark on the world. The hunger to know and to understand the world in which we live. The void, empty as it was, still felt this need, this innate desire. It is from this grandest, ceaseless emotion that Heat and Clockwork willed himself into existence.” Fire blazed behind her eyes, and the scarlet of her scales seemed to glow brighter in the dying ember’s light. 

“It was a fiery blaze of desire, passion, and want. The universe willed itself to create, and Brother Crimson was to be its first creation.

“Born of invention itself, his destiny would be as such. He was the antithesis of the blank void around him, dark and fire-fueled, his burning red eyes like hot coals. His life’s work would be to build from the space before him, a task whose monotony was comforting.

“Lord Time created this, the first world, in a symphony of molten rock and flame. It was here, at the center of this feverish landscape that the Forge was created - the workshop of the gods.” 

“Yes, yes, that’s all well and good,” drawled Steve, the party’s quip-hurling bard, “But I was under the assumption we were learning about a few familial goddesses, not some red cherry-scented loser!” If his words weren’t enough to set Artemis off, his languid, careless posture certainly was. He was sprawled across a wide log next to Vega, lying with his stomach to the skies. His back was a half-circle against the ground, curled in what must have been the most uncomfortable position possible.

Artemis ignored the barb, instead choosing to reprimand her friend using a most motherly tone. “Sit your sorry excuse for an ass up before you ruin your back, Stephen. You’ll be sore in the morning if you fall asleep like that!” 

Maybe not a motherly tone, but it got the point across.

“The Forge,” she continued, eyeing Steve with an unveiled challenge, “would become Heat and Clockwork’s playground, an endless molten landscape with which to smelt his creations, and to flaunt his prowess as a skilled smith of rhyme.” Her expression shifted back to the flickering eyes and bright smile of a well-meaning zealot. 

“Hold on, hold on!” Maxwell’s lilting voice interrupted. “You lost me at Brother Crimson. Who is he? I thought it was Heat and Clockwork?”

Artemis’ whiskers twitched in poorly concealed amusement. “They are the same, Max. Lord Time, Knight of the Forge, Ascendant’s Anger, et cetera. It’s all the same, dear.” Though her expression seemed annoyed, her tone was light and full of affection. “Any other questions?” The cleric murmured a soft “no” in response.

“The Knight’s hands carefully crafted the First Being, his finest creation. All was perfection, from the soft feline face to the fur that rippled down her back. Satisfied with his work, Brother Crimson stood back and proudly surveyed it. The fires around him grew dim, no longer needed to smelt and shape.

“With a smile as bright as the heavens-jewel, the Knight of the Forge breathed into his creation, giving life from himself to the beast before him. Though he blew and blew, the statue did not - could not - move. Its empty eyes seemed to mock his disheartened visage.

“Tears of sputtering, flaming rock rolled down his stony cheeks. He tried again and again, forming new husks as quickly as he destroyed them. The Pyre found that no creation of his would breathe. Thus, his passion rendered into bitterness, and the fires of his purpose grew cold. He was alone in this vast world, without a means to escape.”

The group was still and silent. Artemis’ voice swept over them like an enrapturing spell. 

“His despair was so great, and so vast, that from it formed the first Sister. The Jade Sister, Frost and Frogs, stood before him in all her radiant glory. Her hair was long, dark, and tangled, an ever-moving sea of creatures and landscapes. It was full of beastly things and lilypads alike, a cacophony of creation. She had three eyes that glowed green as grass, bloody and beautiful in all that they saw. Her teeth were sharp as needles, stained with the raven-wine of those who would come after. She was splendid. She was beautiful.” 

“She was life itself.” 

“Okay, gayass.” Khr, ever the instigator, called to her across the circle. Artemis rolled her eyes and suppressed a chuckle.

“The Jade Sister,” she continued, “reached out to her Brother. Shaking, unsure, he took her hands in his - and the world went green. A verdant, endless green. Viridian and emerald as far as one could dream.

“And lying, hidden, at the center of this green expanse lay a secret. That which Brother Crimson had so desired to produce - life.” The forest around them seemed to sing a hymn of agreement as she spoke. The branches of the looming pines shifted and creaked, whispering the name of their creator. 

“Heat and Clockwork dried his tears and filled his lungs with feral joy - he knew in his heart that his creations would no longer be lifeless. Though the world was devoid except for them, the Crimson Brother would scream and cry for all the void to hear that he was no longer alone. Touched by his display, the Fern Mother held his hands in her own, gripping so tightly that her claws coaxed the wound-sea from his veins.

“Locked in an embrace, the Siblings danced upon the newly lush ground. With each step they took, a forest was brought to seed. With each note they sang, a field was grown to fruition. Before his Sister’s birth, the Blind Son thought he had known happiness - but as he leapt and twirled with the Witch he came to understand that it was nothing in the face of her smile.”

Khr hurled another jest, louder this time, but much the same.

“I have a girlfriend at home, Khr,” Artemis admonished. “I’ve no reason to go chasing after goddesses.” Bella let loose a mocking “Oooh!” in response, and he elbowed her with an embarrassed chuckle. 

“And so,” she continued, “The two waltzed their way to the heart of the earth, where the Forge lay empty.

“Frost and Frogs, all gleaming teeth, placed her hands onto the First Being. At her touch, it awoke - its ears and tail began to twitch, filled with the life that surrounded the Jade Sister. It bounced and leaped and jumped. The Siblings danced with their creation, their happiness burning brighter than the Forge could ever hope to be.

“It was from this immense jubilation that the Cobalt Brother was born. His siblings’ bliss was so powerful, so potent that it spat forth the god of Wind and Shade. Born of laughter, harlequin god, bringing joy to those who would gamble and hope.” As she spoke, the wind around them stirred, ruffling Artemis’ fur and scattering the lingering smoke from the now cooling embers.

“His visage is porcelain and pale; his eyes drip with black blood, thick with stars like the night sky. Like his sister, he is always smiling, though his teeth are far less terrifying than the Fern Mother’s maw. His arms are uncountable and many - each unseen and unknowable. In his left-most arm, he carries a hammer with which to shape the world. In his right-most, a mask, its face obscured. It is said that with it, he can assume the shape of any creature he should so choose.” 

“What the fuck…” muttered Merlin.

“The fuck indeed!” Artemis laughed. “The Trickster is the god of curses and profanity, in addition to his other domains.”

“A god for cursing, hm? I need one of those…” 

Artemis let a brief silence hang and then continued. “As they walked, the Motley Jester’s thoughts turned to mischief - born of laughter, he was predisposed. A dark grin festered behind his eyes - and with one swing of his hammer, the Son of the Tempest brought forth a mighty gale to set the world spinning.”

“The Heir’s joke completed, his siblings fell to the earth below as it began to spin beneath them. Slowly, but it did - they watched as the sun above them moved slowly to their West. Their creation was spinning, much to their chagrin - but they loved each other, and could not stay mad at their youngest Brother. They continued their walk to the Forge, excited to show the Motley Jester their playground.”

“Upon their arrival, he turned his attention to the First Being - now a stumbling, walking beast. Its claws were sharp as daggers, its fur dense as earth. A single entity, born of metal and fire, of life and verdance. The Trickster produced his signature leer, and wrest a mask from the void into one of his many arms. It was a perfect mockery of the creature's face, fine as silver and smooth as bone. Ensuring his Siblings were preoccupied with other parts of the Forge, Brother Cobalt fitted the mask upon the First Being’s face.

“It was from this perfect mask of porcelain that the First Being felt - was given the ability to form bonds, to experience emotions, just as its creators had done.” Artemis’ claws gleamed in the moonlight as she spoke, a deadly reflection of the First Being she described.

“The Siblings hollered with delight at their creation’s fate, a sweet song with which it joined in harmony. It was a joyous night, and the lush earth, spinning, living, and beautifully cratered, seemed to pulse with excitement. From the rich earth below, the Witch pulled woven cords to the surface. Her brothers wrapped them around rocks and trees, pulling them taut. It was then, the three Siblings acting in harmony, that the first Song was played.” Had any of her audience not been so enraptured with her words, they would have heard the dulcet tones of a soft-spoken tune in the distance.

“The Trickster played strings with his hammer by his side, striking deep notes in a flurry of exhilaration. His sister’s tones were more muted, though just as excitable. She plucked the strings with her long, clawed hands - careful not to tear them. The eldest brother, though slow to join his family, plucked and sang a melody. It was brash and loud, a flurry of notes that was perfect to the ear.

“From each string plucked, from each note coaxed, a new being was born unto the world. It is said that the songs made that day were the purest expressions of music, unmatched by any performer.” Vega gave Steve a warning look, to deter him from making an expected pompous comment regarding his playing skill.

“The Forge was alight with sparks and laughter, and the Siblings’ bonds grew stronger as they worked beside one another.” Her expression grew dark. “But - they worked too quickly. The world they had created was only so big, after all. And as they built a thousand creatures, they began to fill and fill the space that was left. They crowded the land, clawing at each other. Their claws and teeth, built for singing and creating, had become tools of violence.

“It was the screaming that alerted the Siblings to their creation’s plight. Screaming, endless screaming as they fought for space. The Siblings looked upon their earth in horror, in fear, of what they had done. Their world was suffering for their foolishness.

“Heat and Clockwork, the eldest of the three, knew what must be done. The other two, in the hearts, knew as well - though neither the Witch nor the Heir could bring themselves to do it.

“Foolish children that they were, their creations had not been designed to die - they could not kill each other. Their gods had cursed them to an endless cycle of suffering.” She paused, looking into her companion’s eyes. 

“Brother Cobalt would eventually decide their course of action. He looked into Heat and Clockwork’s scarlet-red eyes as he summoned a gust of air to smother the flames of his Brother’s Forge. The rich earth around them grew cold and empty, the blissful heat that emanated from the planet’s core now gone. The creatures stilled, the air devoid of the warmth that kept them moving.” Like the creatures she described, Artemis’ movements slowed and halted as she spoke, coming to a standstill. 

“The Siblings made a pact, there in the cold and silent Forge. They would not meet again, under any circumstance. Their love for each other was too strong - they would be unable to resist creating more things to fill the earth. Though the Jade Sister, giver of life, had tried to revoke it from her creations, she quickly discovered she was only able to give life, not take it away. Resolute in their decision, the Siblings, weary and heart-broken, pulled themselves away to the farthest corners of the earth.

“Time passed. The Siblings grew restless. Lonely, locked away by themselves for their selfishness. A deep sadness ran through them, and as a result, into the remains of their creations. For the first time in eons, the Forge sat empty, it’s bellows long since cold and forgotten. Lord Time tinkered by himself in his endless stone castles, building things that could not fulfill him. Space’s Beldam performed a joyless dance for the depleted world around her, it’s once vibrant colors dulled. Her footsteps no longer brought forth life - they left trails of a withering blight in their path. Breath’s Scion, the gleeful god, was the saddest of the three. He could not truly understand why they had separated, just that he was now alone.” Her eyes were cold. She was glad for the silence of the night around them.

“Frost and Frogs, born from an abundance of loneliness, collapsed onto the earth she had so loved. Her voice warbled from her vicious mouth, a sad, keening sound. It was high and sweet, carrying easily to the other Siblings. Hearing her mournful call, both Brothers joined her in the sound. It was a feral instinct, deep and instilled. And though they were leagues apart, their song was harmonious, clear as day.” The woods around her seemed to stop. Each member of her party stood in slack-jawed enchantment at her words.

“It is from this hopeless, despair-driven sound that the Violet Sister was born. Called from the same white void as her siblings, she was thrown forth from the emptiness. From her head sprout a pair of long, needle-thin horns. Her lavender skin is marked and scratched, places where her ebony-black blood drips in slow, rhythmic steps. Black twines of a shadow substance beyond mortal comprehension twist from her skin, enveloping her in an unknowable darkness of tentacles. She is the blind goddess, the Empty one, ruler of the creatures that lurk below, the end of life and the bringer of death.” Artemis took a breath. “She is the goddess of Light and Rain.”

“Piss!” cursed Steve, eyes wide with poorly masked fear. “You named this - this monster Light and Rain? What kind of a name is that?”

No longer content to let him disrespect her deities, Artemis squared her shoulders, bringing her up to her full height. The tallest of the party, Artemis was a fearsome sight. Her eyes and scales gleamed a menacing red in the firelight. When she pulled her lips back to reveal honed, gleaming teeth, it was enough to make anyone not used to her promptly shit their breeches. 

“Light and Rain is the goddess of the unseen, the otherworldly, and the unknown,” Artemis’ steel-sure voice was the only sound that could be heard over Steve’s ragged breathing. “I will make the place I dump your sorry excuse for a corpse very unknown if you call her a monster again.”

 Vega snickered from her comfortable place on the log. Anyone who had met Artemis for half a second knew she’d never actually act on that threat, especially not to Steve - the dorky kid she treated like one of her younger brothers. Despite the clear emptiness of her threat, it was enough to make Steve back down with a few mumbled apologies. Mollified, Artemis turned her gaze back to the rest of the party. She was close enough to the story’s end now that she was unconcerned with Steve’s ill-mannered words.

“Light and Rain, newly born into the dying world, cast her soothing gaze across the fractured land before her. Though she was young, her knowledge was vast. The Grim Seer gathered her elder siblings into her arms, pulling them together once more.

“Though Heat and Clockwork’s furnace-bound eyes burned through her, she continued. Though the needle-fine teeth of Frost and Frogs sunk into her skin, she persisted. Though Wind and Shade’s star-strewn tears burned like acid, she pursued. They held each other in an expression of the purest love, reunited and whole.

“The four held each other, crying. They sensed that with this newest addition, they were complete. Their struggle was over. No words needed to be spoken as they parted, smiles bittersweet and tears drying away. They looked at one another, then to Light and Rain. They knew what must be done.

“The Violet Sister’s horns crackled with dark, purple energy - and then with a flash of light as bright as their void, the world was clean. Her claws had flashed across the earth, quick as lightning. The First Beings were free of their chains of ill-begotten immortality. Light’s Mistress had granted their creations a most peculiar, but needed gift - the gift of death.” A light smile played on her lips. She was thoroughly enjoying the shocked faces of her party.

“It was known as the Scratch - it was the beginnings of our universe. Now mortal, the creations found peace in themselves - and the Siblings found peace in each other. And so, our world was born. The Catfolk, the First Beings, were the first to speak to their creators, spreading this truth to the other races.”

Artemis’s words were interrupted by an enormous yawn from none other than Khr - his arms stretched to the sky, claws curling inwards. “Sorry…” he murmured, eyes threatening to close.

“Well then,” chuckled Artemis. “I believe we’ll call it a night here.”

“What, no! We have to know more!” whined Merlin, now suddenly interested in the mythos. 

“Later, dear. Save it for the next campfire.” Her smile was genuine, and her eyes kind to reflect it. “You need to go to bed. We've got work to do tomorrow!” With that, the magic dissipated. It was clear the evening’s entertainment was over. She tutted and shushed her companions as she ushered them to their tents, wishing them a restful sleep. As she snuffed out the last of the fire with a kick of dirt, she chuckled to herself. Maybe her mother would be proud - stop calling her a heathen for not wanting to listen to the same tired stories. 

As she padded back to her tent, Artemis was treated with the passing conversation from another party member’s shelter. Though the voice was muffled, it’s high cadence could belong to none other than Bella.

“Catfolk are badass!”

[kumeko]

legacies

Character/Pairing: Primo, Tsuna, Vongola fam, Byakuran, Arcbaleno

A/N: Written for the KHR zine. It was really nostalgic skimming through the series to come up with ideas.

Summary: In a different lifetime, Tsuna never became a boss. In a different lifetime, Mukuro destroyed the Vongola family. In a different lifetime, a new set of Arcbaleno were born.

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This is your power, Primo wrote in a different lifetime, with ink as black as the secrets he had to carry. The power to save lives, to change destinies, to alter history.

Midway through the letter, he paused. The sound of children laughing filtered in through the window like sunlight, bathing his study in warmth. No matter how often he heard the sound, it still took him by surprise every time.

This was not the town of his childhood.

Leaning back on his chair, he closed his eyes and listened. He had never expected to get here when he started. All those years ago, he had only hoped to save one person, to help just a single child. Now he had done all that and more. What used to be a village of desperation had turned into a place of hope.

“What are you doing?”

Opening his eyes, Primo spotted G standing at the doorway. As always, he shifted uncomfortably at the entrance. There was something about the carefully lined up books, the trappings of formality, that made his right hand man antsy. “Nothing.”

G glanced at the desk, at the quill still in Primo’s hands, and didn’t comment on the obvious lie. “We have a meeting.”

“I had forgotten.” Primo carefully folded his letters and placed them in an envelope before affixing a seal on red wax. Turning it over, he held his quill over the front of the envelope. A goblet of ink dropped, and then another—who was he sending this to? His children? The Simone family? His guardians?

“Primo?”

“Let’s go.” He set down the quill and stood up. There was no point in considering the address any further. Stopping by the fireplace, he dropped the letters in and watched them shrink into nothing.

He was never going to send them anyways. At least, not in this lifetime.

-x-

“This is your power,” a baby with a gun said, his face hidden in shadow. “The power to topple governments, crush your enemies, and conquer countries.”

Tsuna stared blankly. “Huh?” A baby was talking to him. Was he still sleeping in class? Pinching his cheek hard, he felt a sharp sting of pain.

Nope, he was definitely still awake.

“I am not repeating myself.” The baby gave him deadpan stare, almost a glare. Actually, it was a glare and Tsuna took a step back. Babies shouldn’t be able to shoot or talk but this one looked like he could kill.

If this wasn’t a dream, this had to be reality. Even if that made no sense. Even if there was absolutely no way that it would make sense. Tsuna might be an idiot and he might be failing every single class he was in, but even he knew that there was no reconciling what he was witnessing with common sense.

“I’m here to tutor you,” the baby continued, gesturing for him to enter his house. “To prepare you for the mafia.”

“The…mafia…” It sounded like something out of a manga or a movie. Tsuna rubbed his eyes but the baby was still there. “The guns-and-murder mafia?”

“You will be the next Decimo.” The baby kept talking as though Tsuna wasn’t interrupting him every other sentence. Why were there babies in the mafia? “You will inherit it all in a few years.”

Tsuna took a step back. “No.”

For the first time, the baby responded. “What?”

“No,” Tsuna mumbled, shaking his head furiously.

“What?” The baby cocked his head and Tsuna sensed danger.  Absolutely no good would come from dealing with this not-baby. Even the gun didn’t seem like the scariest thing about him. “Would you repeat that?”

In one reality, Tsuna would have reluctantly accepted his duty, out of love for his friends in family. He would make a great Decimo, changing just what it meant to be in the mafia.

 But that was not in this reality. In this reality, Tsuna was just a scared teenager staring down the barrel of a gun.

 “No!” With that vehement refusal, he turned tail and ran from his destiny.

-x-

“This is your power,” Tsuna offered, holding out his hand. “Our power, the power to protect, to help.”

His hand was slapped away and Tsuna was left with a total of three guardians. A total of maybe three guardians because Yamamoto and Ryohei didn’t seem to really get what he was saying and Gokudera always seemed to be one realization away from leaving him.

“…you need more tutoring,” was all Reborn had to say in response. It wasn’t even in his usual sharp manner. There was a little resignation, a little disappointment.

If you had told him a few weeks ago he would crave the approval of a child, Tsuna would have laughed. As it was, even though he still didn’t want anything to do with the mafia, he didn’t like failing at this too. But he was Tsuna. Tsuna who flopped at everything he tried. Tsuna who couldn’t even talk to the girl he liked or get good marks. A no-good failure of a person. What more could they expect?

“I’ll try again,” he mumbled, the best he could promise.

As the days passed, the remaining three rings sat on his dresser, mocking him.

-x-

“This is your power,” Mukuro laughed, holding up the Ninth’s bloodied and limped body. “The power of the mafia, the power that I will destroy with my own hands.”

He let go, letting the Vongola head fall to the ground with a sickening crack. Lying on the ground, Tsuna could barely lift his head and witness the fall of an empire. Around him, his friends lay unconscious, bone peeking out of flesh from where Mukuro had hit them.

“Why?” he gasped and Mukuro’s attention snapped back to him.

“Still awake, are you?” Grinning like a chesire cat, he walked toward the prone boy. “I warned you what would happen.”

“I know…” Tsuna coughed, blood dribbling down his lips. Shit, it was internal, too. “But I thought…”

“What?” Mukuro raised an eyebrow before smoothly crouching. Leaning on his staff, he lowered his head to Tsuna’s eye level. “You thought we were friends?” When Tsuna didn’t reply, he chuckled. “I told you before what I wanted. You chose not to believe me.”

“I thought...” Tsuna’s hands gripped the broken concrete. “All those times…”

“Decimo.” The words came out like a hiss, a mocking respect. “Despite what you may think, I never once altered my course. This is what I wanted. This is what I always wanted.”

He got up now and flicked the blood off his trident. It splattered on Tsuna’s face. Looking down at his handiwork, Mukuro tilted his head. “I think I’ll leave you alive, to witness your folly.”

-x-

“This is my power,” Xanxus offered the Vongola, his smirk sharp as a razor. “The power to take, to crush, to conquer.”

There was nothing to say to that, no challenge to offer. Nono was on his deathbed and very little remained of Tsuna and his guardians. Even if that weren’t the case, the battle was lost. By the rules, Xanxus had won.

By the rules, the Vongola had a new Decimo.

“We recognize and accept your status,” a Cervello finally said.

Xanxus’s smirk grew bigger. “Like I fucking needed your approval.”

-x-

“This is power,” Byakuran sang happily as he stripped the ring from the Decimo’s bloodied hand. “The power to rule every time line, every universe, everything.”

Scattered around him were the Vongola family, their bodies lying in craters and hanging off trees. It was surprising how easy it was to defeat them all. Life was a game and in this one, he had no rivals. Turning around, he spotted Shoichi running toward him with a briefcase.

“Here!” Panting lightly, Shoichi stopped next to him. “I brought them.”

“Thanks! You didn’t have to run, you could have just walked.” With an easy grin, Byakuran opened up the case. Seven pacifiers, six Vongola rings, and around him were the seven Mare rings. This was it then. This was everything he had worked for. Carefully, he slotted in the Vongola sky ring into its place.

With bated breath, he waited for something to happen. For anything to happen. Some internal or external change, something that indicated he now had command over everything.

“Why?” He had the rings and the pacifiers. There was nothing left. “Nothing is happening.”

“Nothing?” Shoichi peered down into the case. “Maybe we need to wait a little longer?”

“No.” Tapping the sky pacifier, he frowned. It was almost like the pacifiers were dead. He was missing something. With a sigh, he announced, “We failed.”

“Failed?” Shoichi rubbed his ears, as though to confirm what he heard. “How?”

“That’ll be up to another me to find out.” His smile dropped as he passed the info to his other existences. This world was a dead end now. A different Byakuran would have to succeed. He picked up the sky pacifier with a grimace.

He had been so close.

-x-

“This is your power,” a broken man from a broken family said derisively. “The power to destroy families, to cover up truths, to hurt innocents.”

“It—it isn’t, you’re wrong!” Tsuna croaked out, futilely grabbing Enma’s hand as it choked him.  Power, he needed more power. Enma’s eyes were dark and full of fury, offering no quarter, no mercy.

“We have been hunted and destroyed because of the Vongola,” Enma hissed, his voice low and full of contempt. “We have lost everything because of you.”

“There…a mistake…there has to be…” Tsuna gasped. It was hard to breathe and his fingers clawed on Enma’s arm. “We can…change…fix…”

“There is no fix.” Enma snorted. “Everyone is in the Vindice now; I’m all that’s left.”

There was no response this time, no false promises or hopes. Enma released his former friend’s limp body. Even death was too good for him.

“With his death, you are the winner,” the Vindice announced as they appeared.

Winner. Enma laughed. The word never sounded so hollow.

-x-

“This is your power,” a joker with a wide grin announced. “The power of the Arcobaleno, the power that will save the world.”

Before Tsuna could react, the pacifier was around his neck. A collar, it choked him and he crumpled to the ground. “What—Reborn!”

His tutor didn’t respond. Lying face down on the ground, he didn’t so much as twitch. Checker Face bent down and prodded the baby. “I think he’s dead.”

“No!” Tsuna clawed at the pacifier but it burned, his whole body burned. He was losing something, losing pieces of himself, and fire ran through his veins. “Get…it…off…”

“No, no, that’s not how it works!” With a grin, Checker Face walked up to the prone boy and gently tapped the pacifier. “It’s yours now—you can’t give it back.”

“Re…born…” Tsuna reached out to his tutor, fingers trembling. However, he couldn’t reach and the effort was too much. Darkness tinged the edges of his sight and his adversary’s face loomed over his.

“Don’t worry, it’ll only hurt at first. Then you’ll be a proper Arcobaleno.” He tapped his chin, considering it. “Though, maybe I should erase your memories of this—it’d be hard to pick another set if you knew what would happen.”

“No…don’t…” The last thing Tsuna saw was a wide grin and then all was dark.

-x-

“Did you use your power again?” A voice stirred Byakuran out of his revere. Looking up, he saw Yuni sit on the ground next to him.  

“Yes!” He grinned as she leaned against the tree, her face barely peeking out from under the brim of her white hat. Though maybe calling it a hat was charitable.

“See anything interesting?”

He considered it for a moment. “You die a lot. But not in this timeline.”

“That’s good.” Yuni looked across the park at Reborn. With the curse removed, he was no longer pint sized. Noticing their stare, he tipped his hat. Yuni waved back cheerfully. “Uncle was really happy. I…I’m glad I don’t have to die this time.”

“No, you don’t.” Byakuran went back to watching everyone at the party. Humming, he added, “I couldn’t find a single universe where I ruled everything.”

Yuni gripped his hand lightly, beaming up at him. “That’s good, too.”

Her touch grounded him. Under a tree, Chrome was chatting with Mukuro. There was a world where he rotted in prison, a world where he died escaping, a world where Chrome didn’t make it past the car accident. Near them, Yamamoto was playing baseball and Ryohei was eating with his sister and Haru. Byakuran had seen worlds where Yamamoto was a star baseball player, where Ryohei got badly injured in a boxing match. There were times where the entire Vongola was wiped out and others where they wiped out everything.

There were many realities to choose from, many to live through. Yuni’s hand was warm and firm, still not releasing him. If she died, he wasn’t sure what he’d do. He wasn’t sure if he even wanted to find out.

“It is, it is,” he sang back instead. He was in this world. There was no need to consider the other possibilities.

Nearby, Enma and Tsuna sat under a tree, quietly drinking a cup of sake. In the Decimo’s hand, there was a letter and he cleared his throat. “I found these the other day, locked in the old study.”

“What is it?” Enma took a small sip as everyone’s attention returned to the Vongola head.

“Letters written by Primo.” Clearing his throat, Tsuna started to read them aloud and Byakuran closed his eyes with a small smile. So the letters had survived in this timeline.

This is your power. The power to save lives, to change destinies, to alter history.

Perhaps those words were for him. However, he was done changing history and altering destiny.

Byakuran had found his timeline.