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miss-ingno · 7 years ago

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Criminal Tango

Fandom: ragehappy/fahc Ship: Turnfree Words: 4.4k Tags: fahc, organized crime, assassination, ballroom dancing, networking, intrigue, background OC death

Summary: A new player arrives on the scene. Gavin is utterly fascinated. Good thing it takes two to tango.

Read here on Ao3. In collaboration with the amazing @skydiver-tomyo! Check out their art for the fic!

There was a long pause after he answered the video call that had Gavin looking up, suspecting connection issues. After all, their internet had been spotty lately, even with the crew paying off people at the top for access. Gavin suspected the Corpirate was buying off people elsewhere to interfere with their business. But Geoff was staring at him through the screen, eyes going squinty, and Gavin waved a hand in front of the camera. Geoff kept staring at him with a frown.

“What the fuck are you wearing?” he finally exclaimed, causing Gavin to sputter. “That’s not the tux I gave you!”

“No, it’s the white Italian suit from Dio’s,” Gavin replied and rolled his eyes as Geoff pressed a hand to his chest. “Besides, it suits the location,” he added, tugging on the cuffs before pausing, looking Geoff straight in the eyes. “Pun very much not intended. Please don’t tell Jeremy.”

Geoff waved him off impatiently. “Why aren’t you wearing the tux? It’s a classic!”

“And this is sleek and modern,” Gavin retorted, fussing with his hair. “Besides, Favreau wouldn’t know class if it mugged him in a back alley.”

Geoff shot him an unimpressed look. “Your tie is crooked.”

“I’m just saying, Geoffrey.” Gavin straightened his golden tie, then smoothed down the brocade vest. “It’s a bit on the nose, innit? Hosting a party for thieves and conmen and all other sorts of quality folks right across from the Louvre? Tacky.”

“Your face is tacky,” Geoff grumbled, leaning back in his chair until his face was partially obscured by the shadows. Gavin arched a brow at his laptop, unfazed. “Don’t spill any wine. Do you know how high the cleaning bill is for a fucking snow-white suit?”

Gavin scoffed. “I can just buy another one, Geoff, quit bitching, Geoff.”

“It’s designer! Express tailored to your lanky ass! If you won’t wear the tux I got you, at least show some respect!” Geoff squawked, leaning forward to glare at him through the screen. Gavin shrugged, rummaging through his makeup bag. He’d already applied the foundation and highlighter and all that jazz. All that was missing was a little… pizazz.

“I’m just saying, Favreau is out of his damn mind. Dunno if we should agree to anything longterm when he’s spiralling out like that - he’s either gonna get in trouble thinking he’s invulnerable, or he’s already in deep shit and this is his last big hurrah.”

He bent down to bring his face right in front of the webcam as he brushed a fair amount of golden, glittery eyeshadow onto his lids.

“No, you’re right, that’s a bad sign. Try to put him off till the private meeting for negotiations, keep it vague- Hey!” Geoff shouted indignantly, face pulling into a grimace. “Use a fucking mirror, dickhead, I don’t need to count your fucking lashes!”

“Aww, Geoff, but Geoff-” Gavin pulled back a bit and bat said lashes at him. “Am I not your pretty boy?”

“Pretty stupid, if you ask me,” Geoff grumbled, rubbing a hand over his face. Gavin pouted. “Christ, yes, you’re pretty. Anyone who can see past that big nose of yours will swoon. There, happy?”

“Geoff, that’s not a compliment, Geoff.”

“Well, dickhead, I don’t fucking care, dickhead,” Geoff shot back, sticking out his tongue. Gavin giggled. “Okay, but seriously, be careful. Rumour is the Corpirate’s gonna be there personally.”

“It’s not like he can do anything in public,” Gavin snorted, leaning back in to add liquid gold eyeliner. “It’s not his style either.”

“He’s had it out for us for years,” Geoff disagreed, crossing his arms. “And he’s been gunning for our territory these last two months. I wouldn’t put it past him.” He paused, and Gavin took the time to blend his makeup properly. Geoff piped up just as he finished. “You missed a spot.”

“Piss off, Geoffrey,” Gavin grumbled, but duly checked his eyes over. Everything was in place, and he sent Geoff’s smug face an annoyed look. “And stop worrying, you mother hen. Next thing we know, you’ll move to a chicken farm and start clucking.”

As Gavin started making bird noises at him, Geoff threw up his hands in defeat.

“Fine! Do whatever you want, see if I care!” He crossed his arms and leaned back to sulk. Gavin blew him a kiss. “You better call the moment you’re back at the hotel. And no bloodstains!”

“Of course not,” Gavin said with an affronted look. “Who do you take me for, Ryan?”

Then he smirked, giving the webcam one last wink before hanging up on Geoff, just as the man opened his mouth to retort. God only knew how long he could blather on when he was worrying, but Gavin needed to be fashionably late, not show up past midnight.

The ballroom was brightly lit, decorated in reds and golds and silvers. A string quartet was playing ambient music, and a number of guests were already mingling. Gavin grabbed a flute of champagne from a passing waiter, eyes wandering over the crowd. He recognized a lot of faces amongst them. Famous thieves and Dons, almost all the big players from Europe, and then some from across the pond. Even more people who were having their fifteen minutes of fame for this and that con they’d pulled off within the last couple months.

Gavin sipped on his drink and made his way over to Favreau, who was most definitely losing his mind.

“Bonsoir, Pierre,” Gavin said as he joined a small group gathered around the host. He gave the others a brief look and a nod.

“Ah, Gavin! I was wondering if you would make it.” Favreau smiled brightly, opening up his arms. His hair was going grey, or maybe he’d stopped dyeing it black. Stress was written into his face, except for where the botox kept the skin stiff. Gavin stepped up and kissed the air on either side of Favreau’s cheek. “‘Ow was your trip? I ‘ear you’ve been spending more and more time in ze Americas!”

“Boring as most flights,” Gavin replied and forced himself to grin. “Nothing compared to the work.”

“Ah, yes, I suppose zat gets boring for one flying as often as you,” Favreau teased, and Gavin had to suppress the urge to roll his eyes. “Now, we ‘ave all night to catch up. Why don’t you go say ‘ello to your American sweetheart, hm?”

He followed Favreau’s finger to where Barbara was making small talk with one of the Dons. This time, he didn’t hold back an annoyed sigh.

“Not my girlfriend, Pierre,” Gavin drawled with the tone of the long-suffering, then shot him a quick grin. “I would be so lucky.”

Favreau laughed, just as fake as his teeth, and waved him off.

He knew Barbara was coming on Burnie’s behalf, of course. They’d kept in contact. Used to work together before Geoff set his eyes on Los Santos and Gavin decided to follow him. Now they exchanged information, bragged about heists and pranks in equal measure, and kept each other on their toes. It was easy enough to sidle up next to her, greeting the Don with a nod but not interrupting.

Once she’d politely extricated herself from the conversation and the Don moved on, Barbara turned around and hugged Gavin with a warm smile.

“Careful,” Gavin laughed, keeping his glass of champagne well away from Barbara’s body. “You don’t want me to spill this all over your lovely dress.”

“Oh, shut up,” Barbara scoffed, slapping his shoulder gently. “I haven’t seen you in ages, asshole.”

“Kept busy,” Gavin shot back, grabbing a flute from a passing waitress and offering it to Barbara. “You know how it is.”

“Sadly, yes,” Barbara sighed, shaking her head with a crooked smile. She took a long drink, and Gavin watched her sharply. She seemed tired.

“Quite the party, innit?” he ventured, pitching his voice just loud enough to carry to curious ears. The more they thought they caught, the less they would wonder what else was said. “And in Paris, as well. Have you been to France before?”

“Once,” Barbara admitted carelessly, but her eyes were hooded. “Can’t say it’s quite my place.” Then she lowered her voice. “There’s almost been a shoot-out already, between the guy from Belgium and the lady from Amsterdam.”

Gavin hummed in agreement. “Favreau’s invited all the big names, without thought to tensions and politics.”

“It’s not gonna end well,” Barbara prophesied under her breath, before taking another drink from her champagne. Gavin nodded in acknowledgement.

“Better not get drunk, then,” he said in a normal voice, eyes gleaming mischievously as he plugged her half-empty glass out of her hands. He set it on the tray of a passing waiter. “You owe me a dance, Ms Dunkelman.”

“Fuck you, Free,” Barbara replied loudly and grabbed a full glass from the same tray. Several people turned to glance at them, and Barbara bared her teeth in an amiable smile. “I don’t dance, and you know it. Go find someone else to humiliate, you show-off.”

They chattered on for a while, exchanging pleasantries and observations, friendly ribbing and secrets hidden in the subtext.

“Oooh, boy,” Barbara said suddenly, nodding towards the entrance. Gavin followed Barbara’s look. A man in his forties just walked in, brown hair slicked back and what looked like a young debutante on his arm. “I wonder if Brown and Miller had a falling out. She’s younger, too. Ouch.”

“I haven’t heard anything,” Gavin murmured, taking a sip from his champagne to hide his frown. Jacky Brown and Baby Miller had been partners for decades now and controlled the New York crime scene with a steel vice. If anything happened to their partnership, he should have known.

The young brunette on Brown’s arm walked with a self-assured grace, head held high and a coy smile on her lips. She didn’t quite ignore the curious looks, but didn’t meet them head on either. The high slit of her dress revealed the fact she wasn’t carrying any guns, lending to the general air of inexperience she emitted. She certainly made an effort to affect a demure demeanour. But something about the way she surveyed the room felt off.

“She’s pretty, eh?” Barbara drawled, nudging his side with her bony elbow. Gavin gave her a nonplussed look. “You’re staring, Gav.”

“I don’t think she’s here as arm candy, Barb,” Gavin shot back, cheeks feeling hot. She did have nice legs, even with the lack of a thigh holster. He glanced around and saw the other guests dismissing her, though, focussing on Brown. Favreau didn’t even spare her a look as he greeted the crime boss. “Maybe you should leave early. Something’s gonna go down tonight.”

“You think?” Barbara snarked, gesturing to where two feuding Dons were talking, their bodyguards tense and ready to draw their guns. Then she gave the brunette another thoughtful once-over. “Don’t think I’ll leave you alone with this ticking time bomb. Besides, Burnie would never let me hear the end of it.”

“You’re just hoping for blackmail, aren’t you?” Gavin gave her a dry look. Then he sighed. “Well. Better start schmoozing.”

Barbara clapped his shoulder. “Go get her, tiger.”

Shooting his smirking friend a glare, Gavin huffed and downed the rest of his drink, handing the glass to a passing waitress. He never liked mingling much at these kinda parties, but he was there to network after all. Making his rounds across the room, stopping to greet old acquaintances and make small talk with new ones, all the while keeping an eye on Brown and his companion. Miller didn’t show up.

It took him a good hour to get through the crowd at a natural pace that left him standing with a small group Brown was approaching purely by chance, looking not at all planned. Brown didn’t seem to notice as he joined the conversation, but his companion gave Gavin a knowing look and a secretive smile. He smiled back guilelessly, suppressing the triumphant feeling swelling in his chest. He knew she was more than she seemed.

“-your partner? I can’t help but notice Mrs Miller’s absence.”

“Sadly she has prior obligations that keep her away,” Brown said with a small, secretive smile that rang all the alarm bells in Gavin’s head. “Ms Turney was kind enough to agree to accompany me in her stead.”

Turney lifted a hand to hide her mouth and giggled. “Please, call me Megan. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Mumbled greetings made the rounds, and Gavin couldn’t help but notice how Turney’s sharp eyes seemed to miss nothing. Not the disapproval sent her way nor the easy dismissal, leaving the corners of her mouth quirked up, as if bemused. And Gavin, well. He couldn’t help but wonder.

“How are you enjoying France, then?” he asked her, raising a brow. “Have you been here before?”

“Not in Paris,” she answered evasively, taking a sip from her drink. She tilted her head and grinned. “I’m afraid my French is a bit rusty. Bonjour, bonsoir, pardon, excusez-moi…”

Gavin grinned back. “Ca va?”

“Ca va.” Turney gave him an amused look and raised her glass in a toast. “You speak French?” she asked, sounding genuinely curious.

“Un peau,” Gavin replied cheekily, clinking their glasses together. “Just a little. I’m rusty, too. Not enough to talk business, definitely.”

“Sounds like there’s a story behind that,” she returned, batting her lashes. Gavin’s grin turned wry. Of course he wasn’t the only one digging for information.

“Let’s just say Pierre doesn’t appreciate anyone butchering ‘his’ beautiful language,” Gavin said, glancing around. Brown had the other guests in their little circle thoroughly distracted. No one seemed to pay the two of them any attention. Time for a little test. He leaned down, murmuring into Turney’s ear, “I’m afraid he’s a bit of a pillock.”

Turney snorted loudly, hastily turning it into a delicate cough.

“That’s one way to put it,” she mumbled under her breath. She cut him a sly sideways look. “He, uh, had a rather condescending air to him when we went to say hello.”

Gavin hummed. “Rather useful if you want to be underestimated, though.” He watched the small smile stretch over her lips as he sipped from his champagne. It was rather stale after an hour of being used as a prop.

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean,” she demurred, rising her own glass to hide her amusement. As she surveyed the room, her head tilted in his direction. “But I’m sure you would know, hm?”

“Well,” Gavin sighed, brushing his arm against hers purely on coincidence. “Used to work for me. Not as much since my crew went and made a name for itself, but before that… Well. Things change.”

Turney grimaced sympathetically. “That would rather draw more attention than would be ideal,” she agreed in a commiserating tone. “But there must be more than enough idiots out there to still fall for it.”

“Oh, they do,” Gavin admitted freely, shooting her a bemused smile. “Not as many, granted, but with a bit of a show, even experienced people tend to fall for a pretty face. Case in point.” He tipped his glass at her and arched a brow. Satisfaction flashed in her eyes for a second. Then she blinked, and her expression turned back into the naive mask she’d worn all evening.

“Tell me, Mr. Free. I’ve heard you are quite fond of hypothetical scenarios.” She shot him a dazzling smile with too many teeth. Gavin straightened. “If you wanted to kill a man - just hypothetically, of course - at this party without getting caught… How would you do it?”

“Hypothetically,” he returned dryly, giving her a long look. Turney just blinked guilelessly. “I would probably bring back-up for one. Mogar or the Vagabond, maybe.”

“That’d be very noticeable, though,” Turney pointed out. “If you didn’t want anyone to make the connection…”

“I’d hire a third party,” Gavin murmured, eyes sliding over to Brown. He emptied his glass and put it on one of the side tables. “Why, Ms Turney… are you implying I should be on the lookout?”

But Turney just grinned up at him playfully, putting her mostly full glass down next to his.

“Why yes, Mr. Free. I’d love to dance.” She cocked her head as the slow fox faded out and the violin picked up a new rhythm. Her lips twitched. “If you know how to tango, that is…?”

“Why, that sounds like a challenge to me,” Gavin returned, offering her an arm with a grin. “Shall we?”

Only two other couples occupied the dancefloor, leaving them more than enough room for some fancy figures. Gavin led Turney to one corner and took position, left arm stretched out and hand holding hers, the other one on her back. She tossed her hair over her shoulder and shot him a grin, before leaning back and waiting for her cue.

A step. Forward, rocking back, forth, back-

Turney followed his lead gracefully, soft under his hands. He caught himself staring at the perfect arch of her neck, a single curl of hair grazing her shoulder. Gavin opened into a promenade, and Turney’s head snapped around, sharp and perfectly on beat. They crossed the length of the dancefloor, before he led her into a open reverse turn with her on the outside, ending in three quick swivels. Her dress flared as she turned sharply, only settling when Gavin pulled hard, their bodies colliding.

He caught her eyes.

“A third party, you said.”

Turney smirked, turning her head away as they moved on.

“Not a warning,” she murmured, and Gavin relaxed a little. He led her into a four step, waiting for the couple next to them to move on. “Call it… a hint. A clue, if you prefer.”

There was a spark in her eyes that fascinated him. It was a shame that tango required the lady to look to the side because he could stare into her eyes for hours. Instead, he had a perfect view of her arched neck and the jewelry adorning her ear. Gavin closed the promenade.

“You’re plotting something,” he pointed out.

“Why, whatever makes you think that?” She batted her eyes at him, grinning.

“Call it intuition,” he replied dryly.

Her lipstick was very red. It kept catching him off-guard, drawing his eyes. Or maybe he just really wanted to kiss her, considering how unfairly attractive she was. Quick-witted, beautiful and a good dancer. Her dark hair framed her pale face in gentle curls, her deep brown eyes gleaming in the bright light. She turned smoothly at the smallest nudge, didn’t miss a beat as he lead her into another promenade. The golden neckholder of her dress glinted as she turned her head, the purple folds swishing around her legs.

A beat. He pulled her in, took a step back. Valentino. Their eyes met. A pause, then several quick steps. A flare of her skirts, and they stood facing each other again.

“How would you go about offing someone in the middle of a party, then?” Gavin couldn’t help but ask, against his better judgement. Turney hummed. He flipped her to his other side, both of them facing the crowd as they rocked, before guiding her in a slow circle and back into position.

“I suppose I’d need an alibi first,” she whispered under her breath. Her knee pressed against his. “Like, say. Find a respected gentleman to dance with.”

“Not many options in a place like this. I don’t count, certainly,” Gavin drawled as they circled around the dancefloor to a violin solo. “But let’s assume you found one. What next?”

He twirled her from his right to his left, and then back again. From the corner of his eyes, he saw her shake out her left arm as if it had gone numb, before she lifted it back up to his shoulder. Except this time, instead of holding it like a knife-hand with the palm downward, she laid her flat palm over his shoulder blade. Something hard pressed against his skin beneath Turney’s hand.

“You need a partner, and a cue.” She leaned in, lips brushing over his cheek. “By the end of the solo, dip me.”

Gavin didn’t have much time to protest. He whirled them around, cut the corner-

Turney’s leg hooked around his thigh. Holding on to her tightly, he dipped her. A beat, and the rest of the string quartet joined the violin.

Suddenly, everything went dark.

A shout. Gavin tensed, but didn’t drop Turney. He felt her move in his arms, her weight shifting. Then her hand was back on his shoulder, just as the emergency lights flickered on. Gavin stared down into her face, a calm mask settling over her features.

“Keep dancing,” she hissed.

So he pulled her back up and guided her into another four step. The music continued for another moment, before the musicians started to falter and then came to a stop. Whispers broke out among the crowd, and then yelling. They’d made it all the way to the next corner of the dancefloor when Gavin finally let go of Turney. He watched her carefully, before turning his head to glance over his shoulder.

Bodyguards started pulling guns. Several were already pointing wildly at the crowd. And there in the middle between them, lay a crumpled figure on the floor. Gavin pushed Turney behind him and grabbed his golden pistol, eyeing the commotion warily.

“Whoops,” Turney giggled quietly behind him.

From the corner of his eyes he saw Favreau bustle his way through the crowd. The bodyguards only parted reluctantly for the host of the party, closing ranks behind him. Turney tapped his shoulder lightly.

“A gentleman would escort the lady back to her date,” she offered dryly. Gavin snorted.

“By all means.” He held out his arms. “Wouldn’t want to ruin your first impression of me.”

Brown was standing with a group of people far away from where the shouting started escalating. Gavin was very aware of Turney’s hand on his arm as he led her over.

“Ah, there you are, Megan,” Brown greeted them. He nodded at Gavin. “Mr. Free. Sadly, we’ll have to cut this lovely evening short. If you’ll excuse us-”

“One last question,” Gavin interrupted Brown, turning to Turney. He lifted her hand and bowed over it in a courtier's kiss. “How did you do it?” he murmured in a low voice.

“Why, Mr. Free.” Turney’s eyes glinted mischievously. She flipped over her hand, pressing something into his palm. Gavin pulled his hand away, pocketing the slim object. Hard paper, square and small. “A magician never reveals her tricks. It would shatter the illusion.”

She winked and blew him a kiss, before linking her arm with Brown’s. Gavin watched them leave, staring at the sway of her hips, the swish of her dress, and wondered where she’d hit the weapon. What did she use? It was too dark to see. He let himself be drawn closer to the shouting, the curious crowd leaving a sizeable gap between them and the panicked bodyguards.

Gavin caught a glimpse of the emblem on their suits and his brow rose in surprise. The Corpirate’s people. A quick glance around, but he couldn’t see the man himself anywhere. Which either meant he’d left during the commotion or-

“What’s happening,” Gavin whispered as Barbara sidled up to his side, visibly armed. He wondered where she’d hid the shotgun - or how she got that through customs in the first place.

“Someone killed the Corpirate,” she replied under her breath. “Knife to the throat or through the eye, people are already disagreeing on that. Went down during the blackout so no one knows who did it.”

“Bet they’re already accusing each other.” Gavin’s lips twitched up. Barbara sent him a sharp look.

“You know who did it,” she stated quietly. Gavin grinned and tilted his head. A flash of purple at the doors. Turney hustled Brown out of the ballroom.

“Looks like Brown left early. Guess Miller never showed.”

“You are so besotted with that girl,” Barbara teased, but her sharp eyes surveyed the crowd. She laid her hand into the crook of his elbow. “They have the right of it, though. If this mess doesn’t explode in the next five minutes, I’ll eat a moose.”

“Too bad they’ll never find out who did it,” Gavin drawled. Barbara rolled her eyes and elbowed him in the side.

“Let’s get the hell out of here,” she muttered, steering him towards the exit. Gavin chuckled.

The streets were quiet compared to the hushed alarm at the party. They strolled down the sidewalk, taking in the city by night. It was a warm evening.

“Why do you think Brown had the Corpirate assassinated?” Gavin asked, breaking the silence. Barbara turned her head, watching him from the corners of her eyes.

“An assassin?” she inquired mildly. Gavin hummed agreeably. “Alright. If I had to guess? The Corpirate’s been expanding his operations regardless of territory lines. And the heads couldn’t do much, because he was hiding behind that corporate farce.”

“Geoff was ready to kill him,” Gavin agreed.

“Burnie was ready to call a truce with the Lost,” Barbara stated quietly. Gavin inhaled sharply. The Lost were their major rivals in all of San Andreas. Such a decision wasn’t made lightly. “So yeah. Pretty bad.”

“We should track down the Corpirate’s connections to New York,” Gavin mused. Barbara nodded.

“I’ll give Mariel a call, see what she knows.” They walked a block in silence, before Barbara spoke up again, “So what’s up with your girl, eh?”

“Barbs,” Gavin groaned, rubbing a palm over his face. Barbara laughed. “I told you, she’s a hired assassin.”

“You sure?” Barbara asked teasingly, grinning up at him. Gavin nodded firmly. Barbara snorted. “Figures. You always liked them dangerous.”

Gavin groaned again, long and plaintive.

“What? It’s true!” Barbara’s eyes were gleaming. “Should have figured what she was when you went head over heels for her at first sight.”

“Please don’t tell Michael?” Gavin whined. Barbara cackled. “Please? I’ll owe you a favour.”

“You already owe me two, Gav,” Barbara waved him off. “No, this is too juicy to keep to myself. Besides, Burnie’s gonna tell Geoff anyway.”

“Barb.” Gavin pouted. “Don’t be mean, Barb.”

“Hmmm… I’ll think about it.”

“Barbara.”

Well. If she was gonna be like that. He’d just forget to tell her that he totally got the assassin’s contact info.

Knowing Barb, she’d just tease him mercilessly anyway.

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#turnfree #ragehappy #fake ah crew #fahc #ingno writes #criminal tango #gavin free #meg turney #so excited to finally post this!#bless sky and their infinite patience with my scheduling #we've been planning this since New Year '17 xD #geoff ramsey #barbara dunkelman #skydiver tomyo #check out sky's other art while you're at it!#they do gorgeous stuff

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tomyo · 3 years ago

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They aren't my oldest OC but I made these two as a kind of magical girl angel with a sexy blonde transformation. I split then apart and turned them into a couple a few years back.

13 yo drawing of her and 16 year old drawing of her with her male love interest.

Some sketches I did the other night.

I have a burning need to see y’all’s really old OCs so pls pls pls share your old OCs here

I’ve shared my oldest character ever before but I’ll share Niah as she was like my “brand” when I first got on the internet back in like………… 2007

She was baby’s first anime character LOL

here’s my most recent drawing of her

#tomyo's art #my art

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cicadangel · 3 years ago

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psychological manga recs!

DISCLAIMER !! i'll try to list all of the content warnings, but a lot of these deal with a lot of mature and triggering themes such as: sa/rape, suicide, self harm, abuse, etc. read these with caution.

ones marked with a star have unhappy/unclear endings if you want to avoid (or go straight towards) depressing media. 💫

goodnight punun, inio asano: the first psychological manga i've read. follows a punpun, who is drawn as bird, as he navigates childhood and adulthood in an incredibly unfair world, desperately in love with the same girl since elementary school. like dazai's no longer human in manga format, very well written with incredible art. CWs: sa, rape, abuse (main element in the story), suicide, domestic violence, substance abuse, sexual content, moderate gore, cults, and there may be self harm! (i forget-- but this manga has many many many triggering aspects.) 💫

a lollipop or a bullet, sakuraba kazuki/sugimoto iqura: hidden gem that i cannot recommend enough! nagisa is a lonely studious girl living in a small town. when mokuzu, the daughter of a washed-up singer, transfers to nagisa's school, an unforgettable summer ensues. mokuzu tells outlandish tales, such that she is a mermaid, and bugs nagisa to be her friend. as nagisa reluctantly spends time with her, she discovers there may be some startling truths behind mokuzu's lies. CWs: abuse (main concept), animal abuse, animal death, bruises/physical signs of abuse, some gore. 💫

the flowers of evil, shuzo oshimi: middle schooler kasuga is an incredibly average boy living in a small town in the mountains. he has no interest besides literature, especially baudelaire's the flowers of evil. but when kasuga takes home his crush's gym clothes on an impulse and is witnessed by the enigmatic nakamura, his life turns upside down. nakamura forces him into a contract: she won't tell anyone that he stole the gym clothes, and kasuga must humor her strange wishes. one of my favorite manga of all time, i cried for days after finishing it. will always have a place in my heart. CWs: suicide, sa/rape.

homunculus, yamamoto hideo: scarce on money, nakoshi agrees to get a hole drilled into his head by a strange young doctor. once the hole is drilled, nakoshi has the ability to see homunculi: manifestations of peoples' worst qualities, guilts, fears, traumas, and 'true selves.' addicting!! it's 166 chapters but i finished it in less than a week. while none of the characters are particularly good people, it's an amazing story. CWs: rape (!! rape scene), self harm, gore, body horror, body dysmorphia, transphobia/misgendering & f slur and t slur used against a characer 💫

bokurano, kitou mohiro: 15 kids on summer break take part in a video game piloting a giant robot against a swarm of alien invaders. but they soon realize that there may be a dark truth to their mission. SO GOOD!! i highly recommend, the story is absolutely amazing, very quick paced, will make you cry. CWs: rape, abuse, many forms of (sometimes brutal) deaths, terminal disease in minor character, suicide (i think but i forget), self harm. 💫

blood on the tracks, shuzo oshimi: seiichi and his mother are very close. oddly so. there is definitely something wrong with his mother. (that is the whole plot.) beautifully drawn, excruciating, and fills you with psychological dread! CWs: HEAVY psychological abuse/manipulation, mental breakdowns are depicted, self harm. (i am not completely caught up with this, it's very good but not for the light of heart. i could be missing some content warnings.)

goodbye eri, tatsuki fujimoto: a one shot about a boy named yuta who makes a movie using footage he shot when his mother was dying, and shows it a school fair. after bad reception, he attempts to kill himself but is interrupted by a strange girl who claims she loved his movie. beautiful art, amazing story, stunning and wonderful!!! CWs: suicide, terminal illness.

my broken mariko, hirako waka: after her best friend mariko's suicide, tomyo steals her ashes and sets off on one final journey. CWs: suicide, self harm, child abuse.

pietà, haruno naenae: sohoko is the one bright spot in her girlfriend rio's life. tied together by a tragic past, can the two of them find the will to live in one another? heartbreaking, hopeful, and a really nice beautiful story. CWs: suicide, self harm, neglect.

nijigahara holograph, inio asano: told in achronological order between many points of views, in both the present and the past, is the story of a girl pushed into a well by her classmates and abandoned by her teacher. very hard to understand, this manga will take at least one reread and a video essay. but once you understand it, it's great!! so beautifully written and drawn. CWs: rape/sa, suicide, bullying 💫

helter skelter fashion unfriendly, okazaki kyouko: an examination of east asia's extremely high beauty standards, and the expiration date placed on women told through the desperate supermodel liliko. CWs: body dysmorphia, eating disorder (don't remember if it's explicitly stated but lots of themes/implications) 💫

suicide circle, furuya usamaru: kyoko watches in fear as her best friend saya joins a 'suicide club' that's planning on doing a group suicide after watching another 'club.' kyoko starts on an investigation concerning the tragic history of these suicide clubs. CWs: suicide, self harm, sa, HEAVY gore. 💫 (<- ish)

a school frozen in time, arawaka naoshi: 8 students find themselves trapped inside a school where time has seemed to stop. they are then forced to relive the day their classmate committed suicide by jumping off the school's roof... but the problem is they can't seem to remember who it was, or if it was one of them. depicts the incredible amount of stress placed on the students and the guilt that comes from being helpless. CWs: suicide, self harm.

let me know if you need links to read any of these!

#wow this is long #i'll probably update this regularly!#also ill make a one for horror recs <3 #manga recommendations #manga recs

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shadeofazmeinya · 8 years ago

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I associate cuteness, uniqueness and happiness with you tbh

oh gosh you’re so sweet!!! i like the uniqueness haha its what i strive to be. i associate u with much of the same tbh

#ask box thingy #also i can't thank u enough for the lovely birthday art #i know i thanked u before #but ima do it again #skydiver-tomyo

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tomyo · 3 months ago

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My Chrona plush is up for preorder!!

Some things to know: the preorder says shorter than the actual time currently needed so it will take a bit longer than 10 weeks. There will be slight design changes; the spats are also getting buttons and there will be proper shoes for them to wear. A secret goal I'm not mentioning in the listing is that if I get enough sales, I will be able to add an additional detachable pair of bunny ears with every order (but I need like 75 orders). If I make enough orders, Maka will go into prototyping!!

#soul eater #crona #chrona #crona gorgon #my art #plush #tomyo's art

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pearlgirl710 · 7 years ago

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I’ve been into Yona of the Dawn for the past three years, but its only this year that I’ve decided to cosplay from one of my most favorite series!! I started out with Lili and Yona’s fancy cover art illustrations, and then I decided to crunch three more Yona costumes in a week for an upcoming con. I swear I’m usually better about pacing myself but I got pretty swamped with my friend’s wedding earlier in the month and I was left with a week to finish three Yona cosplays for Colossalcon this year.

Literally the only reason these got finished was thanks to the endless support of @automb @nana-cai and @tomyo!! They helped with ironing and pinning and the simple sewing so I could focus on draping my patterns, crafting, and keeping my wits together.

I know my cosplay compilation posts tend to get really chatty and long so I’ll put the rest under a read more!!

Originally I was only supposed to be Lili for Cait’s big Yona group, but I had a friend who, in the past, I had talked about doing Yona and King Il with. @toyaniisama was also going to Colossalcon and so I dragged him into the group for fun, and he commissioned me to make his robes and accessories. However!!!! I ended up finding the PERFECT fabric to make Yona’s birthday kimono and basically bit off almost more than I could chew. I bought the fabric and made plans with our Hak and Soowon cosplayers ( @thecaitsmeowww and himinty on instagram) to do a little photoshoot together before the large group shoot.

Now, when I had made the underdresses for fancy Lili and Yona, I had made them to fit both me and Nana so we could switch characters when we wanted to. They required a little bit of extra rigging in order to make them work for two different outfits, but in the end I saved a lot of time and money just reusing the underdresses from the cover art designs! Lili’s new top is made from white peachskin and is sewn to the waist of the underdress, leaving the original top hanging on the inside, but still attached. Yona’s dress just needed sleeves, and those were done easily enough.

Lili’s overskirt is a circle skirt that is finished off with a “waistband” and a snap placket for stability, and then fastened just over the bust. The lavender bias tape hides the seam and the hook and bar closures, to make it look like its only being held in place by a flimsy little ribbon.

King Il’s robes and hat were simple to sew since I had done all the time consuming parts a month prior, aka all the cutting and fitting and patterning. I knew exactly how to craft the hat and therefore was able to guide @automb to do the actual handsewing while I focused on the more complicated parts of the cosplays.

The hat base is formed from a spiral braided cloche I bought for cheap. After ripping the brim off, I was left with a simple dome. The bottom was lengthened with some buckram and a back piece, also made of buckram, was attached to create the nested dome look that King Il’s hat had. The whole thing was covered in several layers of black and red mesh, and then bound off in bias tape. The tassels were then strung on chain and attached to two wooden chopsticks, slipped into the hat, and then cemented into place with a piece of thermoplastic.

King Il’s necklace was made with a gold hoop that had tassels already attached, which I covered with more thermoplastic (the kind I use is called Terraflex, which I like since I can pick it up instore at the Tandy’s Leather near where I live) and then primed, painted and sealed, then hooking the beads and chains on.

The robes are made up of an inner kimono held in place with a obi sash, and an outer robe made of this really nice, matte suiting. I was told later by Stephen that the robes were really comfortable to wear and fit perfectly, so I’m really happy with how they came out!!!

Birthday Yona was its own special nightmare in comparison to Lili and King Il. I used up most of the week I had to finish up Lili and King Il, plus a couple of other cosplays I had planned to wear at the con, and ended up with one day to sew the whole damn thing, underdress excluded.

Luckily by the time I had started sewing Yona’s outer robe and her inner kimono, I had already finished making her birthday tiara and the hairpin Soowon had gifted her in episode 1. I used Terraflex for everything except the beads, and cursed Soowon from the day he was born for having such garbage taste in jewelry.

You can see in my WIP photos that I made the flower from individually cut and placed flower petals (37 petals to be exact) on another chopstick base. The leaves and butterfly I formed and attached once the main flower was done, and the entire hairpin measures to just under 7 inches in length. I think the trickiest part of making this stupid hairpin was that each petal was so small (about 1cm wide per petal) and the flower itself was about 2 inches wide when completed, so trying to control the heat from the heatgun and keep the flower from melting into mush while making sure the plastics had bonded was just. It was like the opposite of fun. It made me wonder why I was putting so much effort into a dinky little prop but my need for hairpin pictures overcame my hatred for evil little petaled flowers.

The tiara had a similar problem as the hairpin did with the melting and the flower shape when I added in new petals and leaves, but it went a lot easier than the hairpin did. The hairpin took like 15 something hours to complete, but the tiara only took like 5 or 6. Both pieces were primed with spray gesso and then painted in acrylics, gilded with gold paint, and then sealed. My hatred for Soowon was once again reignited when I realized I had to gild a tiny line on the edge of every leaf, petal, and butterfly wing on the evil hairpin. I was so happy with how it turned out in the end though, that all the sweat and blood that went into Yona’s accessories was totally worth it!

Now, for Yona’s inner kimono!! The tricky bit for her inner kimono was in the way it had been structured. The top half is your classic left over right look on a kimono, but below the obi sash the robe splits into two solid panels at the front and back, with a break in the seams at the side. I dealt with this by having the top half essentially act as a wrap top, and having one side “lengthened” with the front panel and when it was all attached and covered with the obi, I had the illusion of what looked to be Yona’s magic anime inner kimono.

The worst part of Yona’s outer robe was of how little I had of the fabric to work with. I had four yards with a beautiful, complicated design that was similar to a border print, except it wasn’t weighted to the edge, it was weighted to the center of the yardage. Figuring out how to lay my pattern pieces to have all the designs match up at the seams, while making sure the designs were placed at the correct levels of the robe (clustered around the hems and sleeves) and trying to squeeze out enough for a full length robe was like a walking fever dream. Not to mention that the fabric had color gradients mingled in behind the design for extra fun times.

The material was also a weird satin stretch that made it difficult to lay out perfectly. In the end, I made the robe interfaced and lined throughout to help give it a bit of weight, so it could drape nice and smooth on my body. I really couldn’t have finished this particular piece without my friends helping me pin this evil fabric together and ironing each piece for me as I cut it out. I’ll always be eternally grateful to you three for helping me out in my time of need!!!!!!!

I think that’s most of what I wanted to cover in this post! I’m kicking myself because although I made earrings for Yona, I forgot to put them on in the rush of getting ready 😞 My wigs are both from Arda, a styled Nina for Lili and a trimmed Luthien for Yona!! I wish you can see more of Lili’s hair accessory on the back of her head, but you can see pictures of that on my cosplay blog.

If there’s anything else you want me to elaborate on with or any questions you have on anything I’ve done here that I might have missed, please feel free to send an ask!!! 🌸

Yona // Lili // King Il // Photos by princesspotatobug on insta

#akatsuki no yona #yona of the dawn #akayona #akatsuki no yona cosplay #yona of the dawn cosplay #cosplay #my work #yona #king il #an lili #yona cosplay #lili cosplay #king il cosplay #wips #cosplay wips #my face #posts by moi #long post #suPER DUPER LONG POST SORRY

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