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thegayhimbo · 1 year ago

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Stranger Things Darkness on the Edge of Town Review (Part 3 of 3)

Warning: The following review contains MAJOR SPOILERS from both the book and from Season 4 of Stranger Things!

If you haven’t yet, be sure to check out my other Stranger Things Reviews. Like, Reblog, and let me know what your thoughts are regarding the show or the upcoming season! :)

Stranger Things Comics/Graphic Novels:

Stranger Things Six

Stranger Things Halloween Special

Stranger Things The Other Side

Stranger Things Zombie Boys

Stranger Things The Bully

Stranger Things Winter Special

Stranger Things Tomb of Ybwen

Stranger Things Into The Fire

Stranger Things Science Camp

Stranger Things “The Game Master” and “Erica’s Quest”

Stranger Things and Dungeons and Dragons

Stranger Things Kamchatka

Stranger Things Erica The Great

Stranger Things “Creature Feature” and “Summer Special”

Stranger Things Tie-In Books:

Stranger Things Suspicious Minds

Stranger Things Runaway Max (Part 1 of 3)

Stranger Things Runaway Max (Part 2 of 3)

Stranger Things Runaway Max (Part 3 of 3)

Part 6: Inspirations for the Book

In the past, I've noticed certain Stranger Things comics and tie-ins have similar elements to other books/movies. Tomb of Ybwen paid homage to The Goonies while containing multiple references to Lord of the Rings. Hawkins Horror had several stories taking inspiration from either Stephen King or common urban legends. Rebel Robin, a book centered around Robin discovering her identity as a lesbian, contains plot aspects from 80s movies like Sixteen Candles. Even the upcoming comic The Voyage (set to be released on November 1st) looks like it'll borrow heavily from Alien (1979) except instead of in space with the Xenomorph, it'll be on a cargo ship with the Demogorgon.

While I can't say whether or not this is a coincidence, I noticed that Darkness on the Edge of Town had many similarities to two different properties: A movie called Escape from New York, and a Batman comic called Batman: The Cult.

Escape from New York is a 1981 movie directed by John Carpenter and starring Kurt Russell. It takes place in an alternate timeline where the Cold War is still ongoing, and Long Island has been converted into a massive prison for all the criminals (similar to what Hugo Strange does to Gotham's criminal population in Batman Arkham City). During a flight over the island, Air Force One gets hijacked, and the President ends up crashing inside the prison. He gets taken hostage by a gang led by its leader, The Duke, who threatens to kill the President unless he and the other prisoners are granted amnesty and allowed to walk free. In exchange for getting pardoned from a life sentence, the government makes a deal with a man named Snake Plisskin (Kurt Russell's character) to infiltrate New York City and rescue the President within 24 hours.

Like Snake, Hopper is a former war veteran who received honors for his services. Unlike Hopper, who became a cop and moved to NYC, Snake became a criminal after becoming disillusioned with what the United States had become. Both men are forced to undertake a dangerous mission: Snake takes up the task because he was being slated for execution before the situation with the President occured, and Hopper is forced to go undercover in Saint John's cult after Agent Gallup threatens to destroy Hopper's life if he doesn't comply with his demands:

Both men get put in dangerous situations in New York City at night where they're forced to fight for their lives alongside different companions. There's even a scene from the movie where Snake and his group are attacked by crazies in their car, which is eerily similar to what happens to Martha and Hopper in their car when the blackout happens and the rioters on the street go after them:

youtube

Both the movie and the book feature a charismatic leader of a gang as the main antagonist: Saint John and The Duke. The difference is their motives: Saint John is looking to fulfill his prophesied apocalypse whereas The Duke is hoping to use the President as leverage to help him (and presumably his gang) escape the hellhole New York City has become. In many ways, the Duke is more sympathetic than Saint John because, while he is framed by the movie as a bad guy, his reasons for wanting to get out are easy to understand. It doesn't help that both the President and the government are shown to be self-serving and callous towards the loss of human life, which is something that disgusts Snake. Unlike this book, Escape from New York ends on a bitter note with Snake non-verbally acknowledging that, despite the events that took place, things in the country were not going to change. Snake is also treated as an anti-hero by the narration compared to Hopper who (along with Delgado) are framed in a heroic light.

Likewise, Batman The Cult contains similar elements to Darkness on the Edge of Town in regards to their villains and certain plot points. Like Saint John, Deacon Blackfire is a cult leader who lures in the homeless and the desperate to create an army which he can use to take over Gotham City. He masquerades as a benevolent priest running a homeless shelter much in the same way Saint John and his followers attended support groups as a means of recruiting potential followers.

Both Saint John and Deacon Blackfire have an understanding of the deeper problems plaguing society. While they claim they want to fix those issues, it's really about them exploiting the current state of things to drive their agendas forward:

Both of them want the hero (i.e. Batman and Hopper) to join them on their crusade and even use drugs and brainwashing as a means of putting the hero under their control.

The difference is Deacon Blackfire succeeds in breaking Batman via holding him prisoner for a week, torturing him, starving him, drugging him, and chipping away at his will. By contrast, Saint John was acting with limited time in trying to brainwash Hopper in the climax, and Hopper manages to fight this long enough to overpower Saint John.

Both Deacon Blackfire and Saint John create an army for the purpose of attacking a city. Both attacks are coordinated, planned out, and cause untold damage and chaos:

Both of them preach an ideology and build lore around themselves. Deacon Blackfire claims he's doing God's work while Saint John claims he's acting on behalf of Satan:

Both of them are also scarily effective in whipping their followers into a frenzy:

Where the villains differentiate is how they're defeated. While Saint John is overpowered by Hopper and fatally stabbed (dying with the belief he did the right thing) Deacon Blackfire gets humiliated by Batman in front of his followers. This has the effect of causing said followers to immediately turn on Blackfire for daring to show weakness, as well as realizing they've been duped by Blackfire the entire time:

Unfortunately, Saint John's followers don't ever see him humiliated the same way Blackfire was, so it's questionable if (after the FBI and NYPD got back control of the city) Saint John still has disciples out there following his defeat who will continue to carry out his work. Not all of them were arrested by Agent Gallup's task force unfortunately. However, it's a moot point since it's likely there won't be a follow up sequel to this book.

Again, I can't confirm if Adam Christopher took inspiration from either Batman The Cult or Escape from New York, but there are so many aspects of those stories similar to the ones found in this book that I wouldn't be surprised if he did. Regardless, I like the parallels between these three stories and how they complement each other in regards to themes and plot.

Final Thoughts:

This is a must-read book! It serves as a nice prequel to the show, and gives more backstory on Hopper while also expanding on his character and his relationship with El. It also fits well with the continuity of the show, and (as far as I can tell) doesn't contain any errors related to canon. It's a thrilling, fast-paced novel with plenty of suspense and insight. If (or when) you get the chance, check it out! :)

#stranger things #jim hopper #el hoppper #rosario delgado #martha washington #leroy washington #escape from new york #batman the cult #tgh opinions #tgh reviews #stranger things darkness on the edge of town #stranger things meta #stranger things reviews #Youtube #adam christopher

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littlefankingdom · 5 months ago

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People loves to use the "A Good Soldier" plate as a proof for "Batman sees Robin as a soldier", so, reminder that it's Alfred, the ex-military man from England, who made the memorial case. Bruce hated it.

~ Justice League (2011)

Bruce loved Jason so much that he thought the only way he could go on was if he erased his memories of the boy, and so, took down anything reminding of him. The memorial is Alfred's way to grieve (the memorial is like a war memorial, which is a honorable way to remember the fallen AND the price of war) AND to force Bruce out of an unhealthy copying mechanism. Bruce learns to like the memorial, which is a reminder to him of his son he loved. It's a reminder to him to go on and be stronger for Jason.

But even without this, the "A Good Soldier" plate doesn't mean Bruce sees Jason as a soldier, or any of the Robins. It's more so about Bruce himself. Jason was good, he fought until the end (he tried to save and protect Sheila from the explosion). Was he reckless? Yes, you cannot be a teenager fighting criminals if you aren't reckless. But it was not Jason's fault what happened, it was Bruce. Jason was "A Good Soldier", it's Bruce who failed him. (a lot of y'all twist what Bruce says. Himself saying "Jason was reckless and he died" is just him stating facts because that's how his nd ass speaks, like, all the time. Him telling his kids to be cautious and speaking about Jason isn't him "insulting" Jason. He speaks about Jason with grief. He begs his kids to be cautious because he already lost one. He doesn't blame Jason for his death when he says this, he is telling his kids that, they're children who think they are indestructibles, but they aren't, look at his sweet Jason. He couldn’t save Jason, please, let him save them.)

Also, for older comics, I need y'all to realize it was another time with different morals. My parents grew up in the 70s-80s, and it was normal to have your parents hit you, or even your teachers at time. (even today, there are so many people who think hitting children is okay in the western world) The concept of toxic masculinity wasn't really a thing back them, and masculinity isn't portrayed as men having compassion and emotional intelligence. Batman is a character, he is not a real human being, he is written by people influenced by their life and their environment. Sometimes, when he does something, it is more about his writers than him.

i genuinely don’t understand people who are like “Bruce didn’t care about any of the Robins” or like “they were just soldiers to him” or whatever because like.

the whole point of Batman is that he cares. a lot. about everything.

you’re telling me that when a boy barely older than he was when his parents died came to him in tears and demanded vengeance, he just said “okay sure” and set him loose on the world?

you’re telling me that little boy never skinned his knee on patrol and walked up to Batman, sniffling and fighting tears, and Batman never slipped his hands under the boy’s arms and lifted him up? and he never plastered a bandaid over it saying see? it’s alright. it’s all better.

you think that when that boy almost died, Batman didn’t ‘fire’ him in a panicked attempt to keep him safe? that Batman didn’t completely spiral when the next boy did die? that he didn’t make the third boy work that much harder, all so Batman could make sure he was safe? and so on, and so on.

the whole point is that they were never just soldiers to him, no matter what some people (or DC writers) try to tell you.

#bruce wayne #batman #robin #dick grayson #jason todd #tim drake #damian wayne #stephanie brown #dc comics #my ramblings

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pepperf · 2 years ago

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For the fic asks: 1, 4 for your Community/Stargate crossover and/or your t100/Stargate crossover, 5 for your Lila/Rincón fic, and (even though I think I know the answer to this one) 28 in honor of your awesome post about beta readers. 😁

1: What fic of yours would you recommend to someone who had never read any of your work? (In other words, what do you think is the best introduction to your fics?)

Oh god…well, okay: for Stargate, I would say the original storage closet fic, Out Go The Lights, in which I managed some Sam/Jack angst, a lot of romance, some bickering with Daniel for good measure. And the sequel, Actions Speak Louder, because that's Jack POV and he was always my favourite to write, and I still think it's hilarious.

For Community, I might send people to When A Resistible Force Meets A Movable Object, which is a) one of my favourite fic titles that I've come up with (at least partly bc it's all my own work and NOT a song lyric for once), and b) a pretty good summation of what I wrote for Community, namely lots and lots of scenes of Jeff and Annie kissing and being neurotic, along with some messing with the order so it's not a linear story, because Community was great for doing some more out-there stuff.

And for Umbrella Academy, I'd say the Walmart Batman series (Wicked Games / My Girl Is A Heartbreak / Aren't We A Pair?). Because that's like, your basic AU, right? Canon divergence, Diego and Lila bouncing around Dallas in 1963, being knockoff Batman and Catwoman and enjoying their exciting little rivalry…and then I did some sexy whump of Diego, and some hurt/comfort, some more mild relationship turmoil and budget superheroing, and then, as has become fairly typical of my writing of these two, vaguely kinky sexytimes. All that, and a cuddly toy. XD

4: What detail in Tentacle Creatures From Another Dimension are you really proud of?

I picked the Community/Stargate crossover, because I love that one! I was particularly please with the order that they start seeing the alien bugs – Pierce from the day before, he's just seeing bugs and has come to school anyhow because he doesn't give a flying fuck; then Britta, because she's a flake and has canonically turned up to college high on peyote at least once, so no one believes her; then Jeff, who categorically refuses to admit that he's seeing anything until he absolutely has to; then Abed, at which point it becomes a credible threat bc he's the most factual; then Shirley and Annie bc Abed decided to use them as his test subjects, without their knowledge; and lastly Troy bc he didn't want to miss out!

5: What do you wish someone would ask you about Shelter from the Storm? Answer it now!

Oh crivens…okay, I'd love to talk more about some of the details of Rincón's background, because I did SO MUCH research, you guyz. So like – that was the name they gave him in the movie, and generally it's a surname rather than a first name, so I went with that idea – and the gang he's in (the real-life Mara Salvatrucha or MS-13) is Salvadoran, so I decided his family were from there. And I read up about the history of the gang, and how it actually evolved in LA in the 80s (stellar work, Regan), initially to protect Salvadoran immigrants from other gangs before becoming a more regular criminal enterprise. Then in the 90s, when gang members were being deported to El Salvador, they took the opportunity given by the country's shaky state (just coming to the end of a 12-year civil war) to infiltrate and establish themselves.

And I thought how easy it must have been—between government death squads taking out guerrillas and anyone suspected of supporting them, and then the gangs moving in and starting up industrial-strength criminal activity—for ordinary families to just fall between the wheels of one or the other. And just…the fucking tragedy of it, and the inescapability, when it's your home—how many people must have been affected so terribly in one way or another, not because they've chosen it but simply because the fight is happening all around them. And this is how you end up with young people joining gangs, because these situations offer them no good choices, and at least that's the one with familiar faces, right?

I also found a sweet little town, in the back end of beyond, and had a virtual walk through the streets thanks to Google Earth, and came across a little gallery called El Rincón del Arte (The Art Corner), and thought, you know, if my family name was Rincón, I might use that as a pun if I was setting up a business. :)

28: Does anyone read your fics before you post them? If so, who?

XD Well if you don't know this, I don't know who would! Yes, for the last, oh gosh…since whenever you started beta-reading my Community fic, which was pretty early on? I've almost always had someone read them first – you for the Community and Stargate fics, and then Lochrann as well, for the Umbrella Academy ones. And it is the BEST. Not just for the feedback and corrections – which are always appreciated, of course! – but because it's so great to have those detailed conversations about a story, I love the collaborative feel of it, it gives so much more depth to a story when it's not just coming from me, but from someone else feeding ideas into it, or pushing me to think more about some aspect or other, or just being as enthusiastic as I am about a ship, and helping me to keep that energy going to get it done. It's no coincidence that my most productive fandoms (Stargate, Community, Umbrella Academy) are all once where I've had the joy of doing that.

Thank you!!!

questions here

#mememe #writing

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tayegi · 5 years ago

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A note on Asian privilege

As some of you know, I live in a small, predominantly white suburban town. Last week, I went to the grocery store and stood in line waiting to check out behind this old white couple. I noticed the nice conversation the cashier was having with the couple, and figured that we might have a similar exchange. So I went up to the cashier when it was my turn with a friendly greeting, but the moment she laid eyes on me, her expression completely changed. She immediately dove for her hand sanitizer and smeared it all over before she would even touch my groceries, and didn’t respond to my greeting. And even as she bagged my groceries, she refused to make eye contact, and kept a healthy distance between us, even with the glass divider already in place. And that’s when I realized that she wasn’t just being rude-- she was terrified of me. That even though I was born and raised in the US and have not stepped foot in Wuhan China, she was scared that I might carry a deadly virus and get her sick.

I have experienced many condescending and outright racist insults in my life, both subtle (e.g., “But where are you really from?”) and overt (e.g., “Go back to your country” and other racist slurs), but never have I ever experienced anyone reacting to me with fear before. And when I told this story to my family, they were equally as shocked. “Why would she be scared?” “But you’re so small and harmless!” I remember feeling strangely embarrassed by the encounter-- like I was the one to blame for the cashier’s fear of me. That I should apologize for the deadly coronavirus just on account of me being Asian.

And that’s when I realized that this is exactly what Black Americans have experienced everyday for hundreds of years.

That feeling of being seen as dangerous. Of others being afraid of you. It is gut-wrenching. And it is mind-blowing that no one in my family has experienced this until 2020 with COVID-19. This fear of Asians will pass, as COVID-19 either passes or becomes integrated into our daily lives. But the association of Blacks as dangerous criminals still continues, and will continue unless we do something about it.

I am so beyond privileged that I can walk into a store without fear of being followed by a cashier or accused of robbery. That I can call police for help without fear of being shot or arrested instead.

Asian Americans are called the “model minority” and some even wear this title as a badge of honor. It is not a compliment and should not be viewed as such. It’s a manipulative way to turn minority groups against each other. “Look at how much Asians have achieved. Why can’t black/Latino people be more like them?” Why? Because Asians already come from a place of immense privilege.

We love to pat ourselves on the back and think of ourselves as hard-working underdogs who overcame the barriers of language and racism to succeed. I won’t deny that there are hardships that immigrants and other Asians face. No one is saying that you didn’t suffer!! But your sufferings are in no way comparable to what Black Americans face on a daily basis. And that’s because most Asians come from highly educated or wealthy backgrounds. Think of all the international students you know-- what’s the stereotype about them? That they’re filthy rich, huh? And why’s that? Because it’s true. Asians currently have the highest SES and are the most educated of all ethnic groups in the United States. The only Asians who are allowed to immigrate to the U.S. are usually the richest or most educated. And there aren’t negative stereotypes about dangerousness or criminal behavior around us.

My dad was a poor grad student, and I grew up in relative poverty as a kid. I remember watching him struggle to make ends meet. But even then, we were highly privileged. Both my parents already had their bachelor’s degrees before immigrating. Do you know how rare that is? Both of them had decades of education and support that set them up for success in the United States. Sure, there was the language barrier, but they were offered free ESL classes from the university. And if all else failed, they could easily just go back to their homeland and find work there. And once my dad graduated with his graduate degree, he was instantly able to find high paying jobs that instantly launched us up to the middle class. Yes, I was poor growing up. Yes, my parents struggled. But they were highly educated, coming from privileged families, and could teach me and pass down those skills.

The number one predictor of your future SES and income is your parents’ income.

Let that sink in.

It’s not hard work. It’s not intelligence. It’s what privilege you were born with that determines your success. Now imagine if you had to start all the way back with slavery. Where you were just an object and had no rights or money. The “American Dream” is just a lie rich people tell to keep poor people in their place. “If you work hard, you can achieve success.” And then they try to use Bill Gates or Zuckerberg as examples of this “American Dream.” Bullshit. Sure, Gates & Zuckerberg dropped out of Harvard to pursue their dreams, but they were privileged enough to get into Harvard in the first place. And I can guarantee you that I would have never gotten into my PhD program-- wouldn’t have even dreamt of applying, if not for my family of academics.

Asian Americans need to shake off the title of “model minority” and stand with Black Americans. We might be seen as particularly well-behaved dogs, but we’re still dogs in the system. We’ve seen how fast the American public has turned on us during the COVID pandemic. I doubt there’d be even a fraction of this xenophobia and violent hatred if the virus came from Europe. Don’t forget that Japanese Americans were imprisoned in internment camps during WWII. Not even Germans, who started the war, but the foreign-looking ones. And don’t forget that the Chinese weren’t even considered human and weren’t allowed to be U.S. citizens until less than 80 years ago. The system is no friend of ours. No matter how they try to flatter us with all this “model minority” bullshit. We are not special and we will never be seen as equals by Whites.

Standing in solidarity with Black Lives Matter is standing for equality. It means that we will not put up with white supremacy and systemic injustices anymore. The system is broken, and I am sick and tired of seeing other Asian Americans do everything in their power to try to be perfect, unoffending citizens and appease white people in power. We have to fight for justice and equality. Not just because the tides can turn at any time and put us at harm, but simply because it is the right thing to do. And we, as a community, are in a unique position of privilege in order to make change.

Black Lives Matter. And check your goddamn privilege.

#black lives matter #blm #to be deleted #personal #i just have to get this off my chest #im so fucking furious at those in my community #who keep saying dumb ass shit like #what did blacks do for us? what about asians?#shut the fuck up!!!!!#no one is saying you dont matter!!! no one is saying u didnt have hardships #but we r so insanely privileged!!!#and we need to stop acting as lapdogs for our white overlords #wake the fuck up #its not asians vs blacks #its all of us vs white supremacy and systemic inequality!!!!

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erin-hart · 4 years ago

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From someone who teaches AP US History:

If you are confused as to why so many Americans are defending the confederate flag, monuments, and statues right now, I put together a quick Q&A, with questions from a hypothetical person with misconceptions and answers from my perspective as an AP US History Teacher:

Q: What did the Confederacy stand for?

A: Rather than interpreting, let's go directly to the words of the Confederacy's Vice President, Alexander Stephens. In his "Cornerstone Speech" on March 21, 1861, he stated, "The Constitution... rested upon the equality of races. This was an error. Our new government is founded upon exactly the opposite idea; its foundations are laid, its corner-stone rests, upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery subordination to the superior race is his natural and normal condition. This, our new government, is the first, in the history of the world, based upon this great physical, philosophical, and moral truth."

Q: But people keep saying heritage, not hate! They think the purpose of the flags and monuments are to honor confederate soldiers, right?

A: The vast majority of confederate flags flying over government buildings in the south were first put up in the 1960s during the Civil Rights Movement. So, for the first hundred years after the Civil War ended, while relatives of those who fought in it were still alive, the confederate flag wasn't much of a symbol at all. But when Martin Luther King, Jr. and John Lewis were marching on Washington to get the Civil Rights Act (1964) and Voting Rights Act (1965) passed, leaders in the south felt compelled to fly confederate flags and put up monuments to honor people who had no living family members and had fought in a war that ended a century ago. Their purpose in doing this was to exhibit their displeasure with black people fighting for basic human rights that were guaranteed to them in the 14th and 15th Amendments but being withheld by racist policies and practices.

Q: But if we take down confederate statues and monuments, how will we teach about and remember the past?

A: Monuments and statues pose little educational relevance, whereas museums, the rightful place for Confederate paraphernalia, can provide more educational opportunities for citizens to learn about our country's history. The Civil War is important to learn about and will always loom large in social studies curriculum. Removing monuments from public places and putting them in museums also allows us to avoid celebrating and honoring people who believed that tens of millions of black Americans should be legal property.

Q: But what if the Confederate flag symbol means something different to me?

A: Individuals aren't able to change the meaning of symbols that have been defined by history. When I hang a Bucs flag outside my house, to me, the Bucs might represent the best team in the NFL, but to the outside world, they represent an awful NFL team, since they haven't won a playoff game in 18 years. I can't change that meaning for everyone who drives by my house because it has been established for the whole world to see. If a Confederate flag stands for generic rebellion or southern pride to you, your personal interpretation forfeits any meaning once you display it publicly, as its meaning takes on the meaning it earned when a failed regime killed hundreds of thousands of Americans in an attempt to destroy America and keep black people enslaved forever.

Q: But my uncle posted a meme that said the Civil War/Confederacy was about states' rights and not slavery.

A: "A state's right to what?" – John Green

Q: Everyone is offended about everything these days. Should we take everything down that offends anyone?

A: The Confederacy literally existed to go against the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the idea that black people are human beings that deserve to live freely. If that doesn't upset or offend you, you are un-American.

Q: Taking these down goes against the First Amendment and freedom of speech, right?

A: No. Anyone can do whatever they want on their private property, on their social media, etc. Taking these down in public or having private corporations like NASCAR ban them on their properties, has literally nothing to do with the Bill of Rights.

Q: How can people claim to be patriotic while supporting a flag that stood for a group of insurgent failures who tried to permanently destroy America and killed 300,000 Americans in the process?

A: No clue.

Q: So, if I made a confederate flag my profile picture, or put a confederate bumper sticker on my car, what am I declaring to my friends, family, and the world?

A: That you support the Confederacy. To recap, the Confederacy stands for: slavery, white supremacy, treason, failure, and a desire to permanently employ selective history as it supports white supremacy.

It’s no accident that:

You learned about Helen Keller instead of W.E.B. DuBois.

You learned about the Watts and LA Riots, but not Tulsa or Wilmington.

You learned that George Washington’s dentures were made from wood, rather than the teeth of slaves.

You learned about black ghettos, but not about Black Wall Street.

You learned about the New Deal, but not “red lining.”

You learned about Tommie Smith’s fist in the air at the 1968 Olympics, but not that he was sent home the next day and stripped of his medals.

You learned about “black crime,” but white criminals were never lumped together and discussed in terms of their race.

You learned about “states' rights” as the cause of the Civil War, but not that slavery was mentioned 80 times in the articles of secession.

Privilege is having history rewritten so that you don’t have to acknowledge uncomfortable facts.

Racism is perpetuated by people who refuse to learn or acknowledge this reality.

You have a choice. – Jim Golden

#us history #confederate flags #confederate monuments #confederacy #slavery #heritage #race #black lives matter #blm #states rights #civil war #learn something new #important #educate yourself

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posterboy4duality · 3 years ago

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A message to Trump supporters from someone who teaches AP US History:

“If you are confused as to why so many Americans are defending the confederate flag, monuments, and statues right now, I put together a quick Q&A, with questions from a hypothetical person with misconceptions and answers from my perspective as an AP U.S. History Teacher:

Q: What did the Confederacy stand for?

A: Rather than interpreting, let's go directly to the words of the Confederacy's Vice President, Alexander Stephens. In his "Cornerstone Speech" on March 21, 1861, he stated "The Constitution... rested upon the equality of races. This was an error. Our new government is founded upon exactly the opposite idea; its foundations are laid, its corner-stone rests, upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery subordination to the superior race is his natural and normal condition. This, our new government, is the first, in the history of the world, based upon this great physical, philosophical, and moral truth."

Q: But people keep saying heritage, not hate! They think the purpose of the flags and monuments are to honor confederate soldiers, right?

A: The vast majority of confederate flags flying over government buildings in the south were first put up in the 1960's during the Civil Rights Movement. So for the first hundred years after the Civil War ended, while relatives of those who fought in it were still alive, the confederate flag wasn't much of a symbol at all. But when Martin Luther King, Jr. and John Lewis were marching on Washington to get the Civil Rights Act (1964) and Voting Rights Act (1965) passed, leaders in the south felt compelled to fly confederate flags and put up monuments to honor people who had no living family members and had fought in a war that ended a century ago. Their purpose in doing this was to exhibit their displeasure with black people fighting for basic human rights that were guaranteed to them in the 14th and 15th Amendments but being withheld by racist policies and practices.

Q: But if we take down confederate statues and monuments, how will we teach about and remember the past?

A: Monuments and statues pose little educational relevance, whereas museums, the rightful place for Confederate paraphernalia, can provide more educational opportunities for citizens to learn about our country's history. The Civil War is important to learn about, and will always loom large in social studies curriculum. Removing monuments from public places and putting them in museums also allows us to avoid celebrating and honoring people who believed that tens of millions of black Americans should be legal property.

Q: But what if the Confederate flag symbol means something different to me?

Q: But my uncle posted a meme that said the Civil War/Confederacy was about state's rights and not slavery?

A: "A state's right to what?" - John Green

Q: Everyone is offended about everything these days. Should we take everything down that offends anyone?

Q: Taking these down goes against the First Amendment and freedom of speech, right?

A: No. Anyone can do whatever they want on their private property, on their social media, etc. Taking these down in public, or having private corporations like NASCAR ban them on their properties, has literally nothing to do with the Bill of Rights.

Q: How can people claim to be patriotic while supporting a flag that stood for a group of insurgent failures who tried to permanently destroy America and killed 300,000 Americans in the process?

A: No clue.

Q: So if I made a confederate flag my profile picture, or put a confederate bumper sticker on my car, what am I declaring to my friends, family, and the world?

A: That you support the Confederacy. To recap, the Confederacy stands for: slavery, white supremacy, treason, failure, and a desire to permanently destroy Selective history as it supports white supremacy.

It’s no accident that:

You learned about Helen Keller instead of W.E.B, DuBois

You learned about the Watts and L.A. Riots, but not Tulsa or Wilmington.

You learned that George Washington’s dentures were made from wood, rather than the teeth from slaves.

You learned about black ghettos, but not about Black Wall Street.

You learned about the New Deal, but not “red lining.”

You learned about Tommie Smith’s fist in the air at the 1968 Olympics, but not that he was sent home the next day and stripped of his medals.

You learned about “black crime,” but white criminals were never lumped together and discussed in terms of their race.

You learned about “states rights” as the cause of the Civil War, but not that slavery was mentioned 80 times in the articles of secession.

Privilege is having history rewritten so that you don’t have to acknowledge uncomfortable facts.

Racism is perpetuated by people who refuse to learn or acknowledge this reality.

You have a choice.”

- Jim Golden”

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someemochick · 3 years ago

Text

From someone who teaches AP US History:

Q: What did the Confederacy stand for?

Q: But people keep saying heritage, not hate! They think the purpose of the flags and monuments are to honor confederate soldiers, right?

Q: But if we take down confederate statues and monuments, how will we teach about and remember the past?

A: Monuments and statues pose little educational relevance, whereas museums, the rightful place for Confederate paraphernalia, can provide more educational opportunities for citizens to learn about our country's history. The Civil War is important to learn about, and will always loom large in social studies curriculum. Removing monuments from public places and putting them in museums also allows us to avoid celebrating and honoring people who believed that tens of millions of black Americans should be legal property.

Q: But what if the Confederate flag symbol means something different to me?

Q: But my uncle posted a meme that said the Civil War/Confederacy was about state's rights and not slavery?

A: "A state's right to what?" - John Green

Q: Everyone is offended about everything these days. Should we take everything down that offends anyone?

Q: Taking these down goes against the First Amendment and freedom of speech, right?

Q: How can people claim to be patriotic while supporting a flag that stood for a group of insurgent failures who tried to permanently destroy America and killed 300,000 Americans in the process?

A: No clue.

Q: So if I made a confederate flag my profile picture, or put a confederate bumper sticker on my car, what am I declaring to my friends, family, and the world?

It’s no accident that:

You learned about Helen Keller instead of W.E.B, DuBois

You learned about the Watts and L.A. Riots, but not Tulsa or Wilmington.

You learned that George Washington’s dentures were made from wood, rather than the teeth from slaves.

You learned about black ghettos, but not about Black Wall Street.

You learned about the New Deal, but not “red lining.”

You learned about Tommie Smith’s fist in the air at the 1968 Olympics, but not that he was sent home the next day and stripped of his medals.

You learned about “black crime,” but white criminals were never lumped together and discussed in terms of their race.

You learned about “states rights” as the cause of the Civil War, but not that slavery was mentioned 80 times in the articles of secession.

Privilege is having history rewritten so that you don’t have to acknowledge uncomfortable facts.

Racism is perpetuated by people who refuse to learn or acknowledge this reality.

You have a choice. - Jim Golden

#racism #fuck racism #slavery #Confederate flag

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hws-prussia · 4 years ago

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On the Iron Cross

I’ve noticed there’s been a decent amount of discourse in the Hetalia fandom about the German Iron Cross and it’s usages/contemporary associations as a (neo-)Nazi dog-whistle. I do not speak on behalf of all Jews, nor on the behalf of all Germans, but I would like to take the opportunity to voice my opinion on the issue, from the perspective of a German Jew. I’m also not trying to speak on behalf of all German Jews either. I don’t speak on behalf of all Jews, I’m not trying to speak on behalf of all Jews, and this is just my opinion on the matter. Feel free to disagree, because it’s also completely understandable to bar the usage of Iron Crosses period, to a certain extent.

This is a very, very long post, so more under the cut.

Also: Trigger warning, for the discussion of Nazism and some depictions of common Nazi symbolism. If such images will upset you or cause you any stress, please take precautions accordingly.

THE HISTORY OF THE IRON CROSS

The Iron Cross (in German, we call it the Schwarzes Kreuz, among other things) is the emblem used by the Prussian Army and the German Armed Forces from 1871 to the present day. Designed during the German campaign of 1813, and commissioned by Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia on his late wife’s birthday (to honour her for her bravery in standing up to Napoleon) as the first military decoration open to all personnel of any rank, including enlisted man, it quickly became a popular symbol for Prussians (and later Germans) as a whole, regardless of rank and and social class. It was put alongside the Black Eagle on the Prussian war flag. Derived from the Black Cross of the Teutonic Order, it’s been important to Prussian symbolism for centuries, and continued to be significant for centuries afterward.

(Iron Cross 1st Class of the Original Napoleonic Wars)

After the fall of Napoleon, the Iron Cross became a symbol of both peace and victory. It was inserted into the Peace’s laurel wreath, making her the Goddess of Victory in the early 19th century. In 1821 it was a major design element of the National Monument for the Liberation Wars on Kreuzberg, which still stands a hundred years later.

The Black Cross was used in the naval and combat flags of the German Empire, until 1915, when the simpler Balkenkreuz replaced it. The Reichswehr of the Weimar Republic, the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany and the Bundeswehr also inherited the use of the emblem in various forms. It’s still used, post-unification, to designate German military vehicles and aircraft, though a new blue and silver version of the cross is used for other official contexts.

The first person to receive the Iron Cross was Karl August Ferdinand von Borcke on 21 April 1813. He was an officer of lower rank, with very few distinguishments before then. This marked a new era in German military history, and by 1817, a told of 670 chevaliers had received the Iron Cross 1st Class.

(Different varieties of the Iron Cross throughout history.)

King Wilhelm I of Prussia authorized further awards on 19 July 1870, during the Franco-Prussian War. Recipients of the 1870 Iron Cross were still in service in 1895 were authorized to purchase and wear above the cross a Jubilaeumsspange, celebrating twenty-five years since German Unification.

In WWI, Emperor Wilhelm II reauthorized the production of the Iron Cross on 5 August 1914. It was seen as a generic German decoration, and all classes of the Cross appeared the same, and were worn differently to distinguish them from each other. The Iron Cross 1st Class was pinned onto the left side of the owner’s uniform. The 2nd Class, and the larger Grand Cross, would be displayed using different ribbons; the Grand Cross around the neck, and the 2nd Class on the chest, through the a button hole on the tunic.

(The Grand Cross of WWI. This is also the version of the Iron Cross that Gilbert and Ludwig are commonly depicted in.)

The Grand Cross was only awarded to the most senior officers of the German military. The Star of the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross, was awarded only twice, to Generalfeldmarschall Gebhard Leberecht von Bluecher in 1813, and then Generalfeldmarschall Paul von Hindenburg in 1918. A third was planned for the most successful officer during WWII, but was scrapped after Germany’s defeat.

In WWII, Adolf Hitler would again reauthorize the production of the Iron Cross (though he would call it “restoring the German tradition” of the Cross) through the Enactment for the re-introduction of the Iron Cross of 1 September 1939. The WWII variety was divided into three main series of decorations, the Iron Cross being the lowest and the Knight’s Cross (an usurpation of the traditionally Prussian Pour le Merite, created by Frederick the Great).

(The Nazi version of the Iron Cross.)

ALLIED PROPAGANDA VERSIONS

In 1914, the Allies sold very crude anti-German versions of the Iron Cross in order to raise money for the War effort and provide relief for Belgian refugees. One was inscribed FOR KULTUR in raised letters, another with FOR BRUTALITY. Another listed the names of French and Belgian towns attacked or destroyed during the retreat from Mons on the ends of the upper arms of the Cross.

POST-WWII

As modern German law prohibits the production of items containing Nazi insignia, the West German government authorized replacement Iron Crosses in 1957, with an Oak Leaf Cluster in place of the swastika, similar to the Iron Crosses of 1813, 1870, and 1914. This Cross would be gifted to WWII recipients of the Iron Cross as a replacement for their old ones.

(The Balkenkreuz, used by the modern German Armed Forces.)

A modern campaign for the German Armed Forces to reinstate the Iron Cross would begin after Germany began taking part in active wars, first in Kosovo, and then in Afghanistan. In 2007, a petition to the German parliament to revive the Iron Cross decoration was initiated, a received over 5,000 signatures. 0n 13 December, the Ministry of Defence was allowed to decide on the matter by Parliament. On 6 March 2008, President Horst Koehler approved a proposal by Minister of Defense Franz Josef Jung to institute a new award for bravery. Thus the Ehrenzeichen der Bundeswehr series was instituted on 10 October 2008. However, it has very little in common with the traditional Iron Cross, and more closely resembles the Prussian Military Merit Cross.

(The de-Nazified version of the Iron Cross of WWII, which is the one I’d actually recommend you use. Don’t worry; it’s German government approved.)

In the United States, the Iron Cross was also adopted by outlaw bikers more o signify rebellion and to shock than to signify any nationalist ideology. For reference, the way the swastika had been used during the punk scene in the ‘70s-’80s. Anyways, by the early 2000s, the Iron Cross had spread from bikers, to skateboarders and many extreme sports enthusiasts. It quickly was adopted into the logo of several different clothing companies.

THE IRON CROSS AS A HATE SYMBOL

According to the German Criminal Code Section 86a, any “use of symbols of unconstitutional organisations” outside the contexts of “art or science, research or teaching” is strictly prohibited. Though it specifies no specific criminal organization, it’s commonly used to outlaw symbols associated with the Nazi Party, the Communist Party and Islamic extremism. There is no specific symbols associated with these laws, and because of this, outlawed groups will often use modified versions of these symbols, or other, more historical symbols. Because the Hakenkreuz swastika is illegal, this has lead many far-right groups in Germany to co-opt the Iron Cross as a part of their symbology.

(Another photo of the WWII version of the Iron Cross.)

According to German law, the symbols will be taken up in a case by case basis. A far-right protest using the Iron Cross on a poster displaying voelkish ideology will be taken to court. Someone who collects war memorabilia that happens to display swastikas will not be taken to court.

The Anti-Defamation League in the United States classifies the Iron Cross as a potential nationalist dog-whistle. And while I don’t mean to discredit the ADL at all, because they do a lot of good work in combating anti-semitism and racism, they also classify pit bulls, bowl cuts, Mjoelnir and the acronym ACAB as potential Nazi dog-whistles, so I’d take everything they say with a grain of salt.

Or do as the Germans do, and look at the context of the situation at hand, before forming your final judgement on the situation (whatever it might end up being).

The Iron Cross is, however, undoubtedly used by neo-Nazis and skinheads. Due to its complicated history, it’s understandable to be wary of it’s usages, especially when by people you don’t know very well.

USING THE IRON CROSS IN MY HETALIA STUFF

Onto the reason I made this post, which is the discourse surrounding using the Iron Cross in Hetalia fan-art and cosplay. Is it disrespectful, is it racist, is it a Nazi dog-whistle, and should it be avoided?

And, in my opinion, the answer is: it depends.

It depends on the context of where you are using it, and why. But, I’m going to be honest with you guys: whatever you’re doing, it’s probably fine. Avoid using the varieties with the swastika in them, and there’s really no problem with it. If you’re really worried about potentially upsetting anyone with it, I’d recommend tagging your work with such, so anyone who would be upset by seeing it can filter it out, or skip past it.

(Obviously, if you’re doing other things to glorify fascism in your works, aside from putting your character in an Iron Cross, there’s a problem, but the simple act of using an Iron Cross is in no way racist.)

Honestly, as a someone who’s family hails from Prussia, my only real complaint about using an Iron Cross would be wearing it in cosplay, and it’s only that it just seems a bit weird to me. It would be like buying a Medal of Honor and wearing it for an America cosplay. There’s nothing technically wrong with it, but it feels strange to wear something you didn’t earn.

But also, it’s a costume and I don’t really care that much. Like I said: context matters.

Honestly, that’s the whole take away here. Context matters.

But, for anyone who doesn’t want to use the Iron Cross at all, but still keep the general character design, here are two option I’d recommend:

The Pour le Merite, which was reserved for the highest officers of the Prussian Army, commissioned by Frederick the Great, would be fitting for Gilbert. There’s other variants of the Pour le Merite (the Blue Max) that continue to be used throughout German history. All are acceptable, but I’d still recommend the Old Fritz one.

The modern Badge of Honour for the German Armed Forces would work for Ludwig. That, ot the Oak Leaves variant commissioned in 1956 (image has already been previously used) if you want it to be less historically anachronistic. I wouldn’t recommend using the Pour le Merite for Ludwig though; there’s no historical way he would’ve earned it, and Prussia was a meritocracy. It would’ve looked very disrespectful for him to wear it, even if Gilbert gives it to him. (He can display one though, if you would like). He can wear the other variants of it though, if you want.

(He could also earn it as a civilian award, which I actually think would be really cool. However, the use of the Pour le Merite for civilians is post-WWII.)

In that case, I’d recommend the Order of the Red Eagle.

Thanks for reading, and if you’re opinion differs from mine, I’d love to hear it. Like, genuinely. Just be respectful and courteous to each other (and to myself). Respect each other’s opinions (unless they’re truly a bigot, in which case, ignore them).

Anyways, you may go back to your regularly scheduled browsing.

#tw nazism #tw nazis #tw hetalia #hetalia #aph prussia #aph germany #historical hetalia #bringbackhetalia2020 #hws prussia #hws germany #hetalia world stars #hetalia world twinkle #hetalia world series #hws hetalia #no this is not an excuse to clown #you still will be held accountable for the glamourization of nazism #i'm just tired of seeing parts of my history being demonized all the time

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inevitably-johnlocked · 4 years ago

Note

hello! i hope you have a happy holidays!! just a question: do you know any good crossover fics? :0 thanks so much! 🥰

Hi Nonny!!

Thank you! My holiday season was great <3 Sorry for the delay on the reply, but your ask was a great one because I’ve wanted to do an update list to my “movies and books” list, so I’m updating it to just “crossovers” because I have more to add and that makes me happy!!

This list ended up getting split across two asks, so for this one, this list is all my bookmarked fics. A part 1.5 with my MFL’s is coming shortly with another ask, and I ask y’all hold off to add your own suggestions to that list instead, please :) Thank you!

CROSSOVERS and FUSIONS (Feb 2021) Pt. 1

See Also:

Fairy Tales and Fantasy

TV, Movies, and Books AU (Fantasy Pt. 2)

Wonderful Life AU

Sherlock / Hannibal Crossovers?

Science Fiction / Fantasy

Faes / Faeries

Disney-esque Fics

Moulin Rouge AU

Crossovers & Fusions Pt.1.5 [MFLs]

It's After That Hurts by jonnyluvssherlock (T, 2,791 w., 1 Ch. || City of Angels AU || Fantasy, Fallen Angel Sherlock, Soldier John, Pining Sherlock, Friends to Lovers, Permanently Incomplete Fic) – Sherlock's an angel stuck as a guardian to danger addict John Watson. Everything is fine until he gets too involved. Now he has to make the choice, eternity alone or one life time with a man who may or may not love him.

Caffeine and Adaptive Programming by DemonicSymphony (E, 5,540 w., 1 Ch. || Androids AU / Bond Fusion || Android Sherlock, Coffee Shop AU, Pining John Hinted Bond / Q, Toplock) – Sherlock is a coffee shop android slowly falling for a regular customer. But he's not supposed to be able to feel emotions.

Captain John Watson, Genetics, and Other Crazy Things by cyerus (M, 5,581 w., 1 Ch. || Torchwood Crossover || Humour / Crack, Jealous Sherlock, Sexual Magnet John, Captain John, UST / RST, Three Continents Watson) – The explanation for John "Three Continents" Watson? Jack Harkness is his father. Sherlock doesn't know whether he's going to die from jealousy or sexual frustration first.

The Frost Child by twistedthicket1 (M, 9,994 w., 2 Ch. || Frozen-ish AU || Magical Realism, Christmas, Angst, Fluff, Powerful John) – In a world where people are born with a Gift of varying levels, simple John Watson is the last person one might look at when thinking of any strong Magick capabilities. Hiding comfortably in the shadow of Sherlock's brilliant deducing abilities, John is content to keep it that way...

London Gods by a_different_equation (E, 11,092 w., 5 Ch. || American Gods Fusion || Magical Realism, Sex Magic, True Love, PTSD John, First Kiss/Time, Marathon Sex, Sensuality, Genie Sherlock, Human John, Internalized Homophobia, Star-Crossed Lovers, Soul Mates) – Sherlock Holmes is a jinn who does not grant wishes. However, when Dr. John H. Watson, recently returned from the war in Afghanistan, gets into his cab by "accident", it might not even need magic to grant both men their deepest wish: love.

Equilibrium by augustbird (M, 12,351 w., 1 Ch. || Flowers for Algernon Fusion || Jealous then Worried Sherlock, Sick John) – At Baskerville, John is infected by a virus that turns him into a genius. But when the infection progresses into neurodegeneration, it's a race against time to save himself.

The Nutcracker by Odamaki (T, 13,758 w., 7 Ch. || Nutcracker AU || Christmas, Dark Magic, Dolls) – Sherlock is unimpressed with Uncle Rudy's present. A doll? What does he want with a doll?

Wonderful, Etcetera. by VictoryCandescence (T, 16,955 w., 3 Ch. || Wonderful Life AU || Alternate Timelines, Brotherhood, Homophobia, Suicidal Ideations, Mentions of Drug Use, Friendship, Different TRF, Sherlock’s Past, Victor Trevor is Past Boyfriend, Depression, Hallucination, Love Confessions, Christmas, First Kiss) – Sherlock thinks everyone would be better off if he had never existed, including and especially himself. When he finds himself in a world in which his wish has been granted, he begins to think perhaps even he could be wrong – but it takes an unlikely chaperone to make him not only observe, but understand.

Uncharted Territory by J_Baillier (T, 19,603 w., 4 Ch. || Dystopian Future / Black Mirror AU || Alternate First Meeting, Angst, Drama, Homophobia, Bisexuality, Technology, Humour, Romance, Near Future, Happy Ending) – The System puts people through a series of assigned relationships in order to determine who their Perfect Match is. John believes that it works; Sherlock really, really doesn't. One of them is probably going to be wrong.

Once Upon a Beast Becoming by antietamfalls (T, 24,042 w., 6 Ch. || Beauty and the Beast AU || Magical Realism, Folklore, Celtic Mythology) – An act of pride, a druid’s curse, an enchanted leaf; Sherlock’s torment has lasted an age. Hope arrives in the form of one John Watson, a man uniquely suited to break the spell. But with a single night to win his affections, Sherlock finds his carefully laid plans disrupted by a monstrous killer whose sights are set on the only thing he has left to lose: John.

Classified(s) by blueink3 (E, 36,153 w., 4 Ch. || Wedding Date AU || Fake Relationship, Jealous, PIning, H/C, Idiots in Love, Happy Ending, Mary is not Nice, Escort Service) – Clara's American father is the ambassador to some such territory that Great Britain probably used to own, but she (and Harry’s undying love for her) is the reason John is getting on a flight at 12:30pm, flying across the second largest ocean in the world, and pretending to be in a perfectly happy, healthy relationship with an undoubtedly perfectly coiffed stranger. See, Clara is not only American (and wealthy to boot), she's also best friends with John’s ex-fiancée. Whom she's placed in the wedding party. As Maid of Honor. And John just happens to be Best Man. Bloody brilliant.

The Boy Who Drank Stars by kinklock (E, 36,157 w., 4 Ch. || Howl’s Moving Castle AU || Witches and Wizards, Slow Burn, Magic, Jealous John, Happy Ending, Bed Sharing) – “I’m looking for a castle,” John informed the scarecrow. “A moving one.”Except that, as it turned out, it was not a moving one at all.

we have never seen a greater day than this by Lediona (T, 36,420 w., 7 Ch. || A Royal Night Out AU || WWII / VE Day, Prince Sherlock, Soldier John, Alternating POV, First Kiss, Bittersweet Ending, Homophobia, Dancing) – Peace. At long last. It’s VE Day and Prince William desires to join the celebrations. It is a night of excitement, danger and the first flutters of romance.

Malediction by MapleleafCameo (M, 36,680 w., 11 Ch. || Ladyhawke AU || Magical Realism, Romance, Curses, Eventual Happy Ending) – Cursed to a half-life, John and Sherlock must fight the forces of evil to be reunited once again.

Only To Be With You by SinceWhenDoYouCallMe_John (M, 40,768 w., 4 Ch. || Black Mirror / Future AU || Character Death, Future Technology, Sickness/Cancer/Illness, Heavy Angst with Happy Ending, First Person POV John, Pining John, Heart-Wrenching Angst) – I tell myself that next time I’ll come near this same place again. Wait around for the mysterious stranger in his coat to dash past me, hot on the heels of a new criminal in black. I think this all the way back to my Exit, planning where I’ll wait and what I’ll say when I see him. Scheming on how to get his name. It’s only once I reach the Exit Point door that I realize two hours and forty-five minutes have passed, and I realize that this won’t be the last time I Visit. It won’t be the last time at all.

The Curious Adventure of the Drs. Watson by ShinySherlock (M, 40,883 w., 14 Ch. || BBC & ACD Fusion || Victorianlock, Time Travel / Magical Realism, Friends to Lovers, Love and Kissing, Romance, Body Swap) – What if ACD Watson and BBC Watson switched places... “Imposter!” Hands clenching the lapels of John’s coat, Holmes shoved him anew. “Yes!” John agreed, nodding, and then grimacing. “Sort of!”

The Soul Remembers by i_ship_an_armada (E, 43,636 w., 10 Ch. || Oblivion AU || Post-Apocalypse, Movie Fusion, Science Fiction, Action/Adventure, Angst, Dreams, Bittersweet Ending) – John Watson is the lone security repairman stationed on a desolate, nearly-ruined future Earth. His dreams are plagued by a tall, dark-haired man, and when his dreams meet reality, he will be forced to question everything he believes is the truth about his life.

Anchor Point by trickybonmot (E, 49,856 w., 80 Ch. || Truman Show AU || Psychological Drama, Suspense, Slow Burn, Dark Characters / Fic, Alternating First/Third Person, Protective John, Anxious/Worried Sherlock, Tender Moments, Love Confessions, Hand/Blow Jobs, Cuddling, Jealous John, First Kiss/Time) – The world tunes in nightly for Sherlock, the ultimate in reality TV: Sherlock Holmes, a real person with a legendary name, unknowingly lives out his life in a staged setting contrived by his brother. Things get complicated when a retired army doctor joins the show to play the part of Sherlock's closest friend. This fic borrows its concept from the 1998 film, the Truman Show. However, you don't need to have any knowledge of the movie to enjoy this story.

Coventry by standbygo (E, 52,020 w., 26 Ch. || Dollhouse AU || Case Fic, Slow Burn, Sci-Fi / Fantasy, First Kiss / Time, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, BAMF John, Falling in Love) – “Let me get this straight,” John said, wondering when his life had become a science fiction film. “Some guy orders up a personality, a person, to his specifications, and they program this into a real live person, who has consented to do this, and she goes to this person and acts as his wife, or lawyer, or Royal Marine, or Navy Seal or what have you, and she has all the skills, all the knowledge, everything? Then you say the magic words, and she follows you back to The House, and they erase it all until her next appointment?”

floating through a dark blue sky by Lediona (M, 58,966 w., 15 Ch. || Notting Hill AU || POV John, Celebrity Sherlock, First Date / Time / Kiss, Past Drug Addiction, Angst with a Happy Ending) – Of course, I’d seen his films and always thought he was, well, brilliant -- but, you know, a million miles from the world I live in. Or, when John is the owner of a travel book shop and the famous Sherlock Holmes stops in one day.

Perdition's Flames by i_ship_an_armada (E, 63,435 w., 21 Ch. || Treklock AU, Est. Rel, Genetic Engineering, Angst & Fluff, BAMF!John) – Sherlock would do anything to save him. Risk anything. Give anything. His money, his life. His soul. What he does, though, is change both of their destinies forever. Genetic re-engineering is the only option left. It turns out researchers underestimated the life expectancy and potential abilities of genetically re-engineered subjects. The British government and what would eventually become the United Federation of Planets, however, had not. Part 1 of PF Universe

This Thing All Things Devours by cypress_tree (E, 63,844 w., 15 Ch. || In Time AU || Science Fiction, Dystopian Universe, First Meetings, Action / Adventure, Romance) – In 2169, time is money—literally. Humans are genetically engineered to stop aging at 25, when the numbers on their arm start counting down from one year. When that time is up, they die. The only way to get more time is to earn it, borrow it, or steal it.John Watson lives day-to-day in the crowded slums of Zone 13. He never imagined living any differently—until he meets the practically-immortal Sherlock, and helps him on a case to track a local time-thief...

Being John Watson-ish by elwinglyre (E, 69,902 w., 17 Ch. || Bodysnatcher AU || Author John, Cranky Sherlock, Angst, Sexual Tension, First Kiss / Time, Falling in Love, BAMF John, Past Soldier John, Feelings, Inside Someone’s Brain, Shy Sherlock, Sherlock Loves John, POV Sherlock, Switchlock, Slow Burn, Internal Dialogue, Mental Turmoil) – When consulting detective Sherlock Holmes steps on one toe too many at a crime scene, he's consigned to a desk job in an archaic office on the seventh-and-a-half floor of the New Scotland Yard. It’s in this bleak office that Sherlock discovers a portal into the mind of renowned author John Watson. Grander than his mind palace, this new wonderland affords Sherlock new vistas of experimentation. To learn more about the mystery behind the portal, Sherlock seeks out and befriends Watson. But then it all goes wrong when others find the secret portal door—including the man whose brain he visits.

The Baker Street Nativity by SwissMiss (E, 99,662 w., 23 Ch. || Nativity! AU || Teacher Sherlock / TA John, Pining, Sherlock POV, UST, Angst, Christmas, Music/Song Fic, Anal / BJ’s, First Kiss / Time) – Fusion between Sherlock (BBC) and Nativity! (2009 movie starring Martin Freeman). Sherlock is a primary school teacher and John is assigned to be his classroom assistant. Together, they are charged with putting on the school's Nativity play. What could possibly go wrong? Part 1 of The Baker Street Nativity Verse

The Cost of a Wish by slashscribe (E, 102,493 w., 12 Ch. || xxxHolic Fusion || Spirits / Ghosts and Magic, Love Confessions, Slow Burn, Soul Mates / Fated Lovers, Adventure, Immortal Sherlock, Powerful John, POV John, Frottage, Wish Granting, Angst with Happy Ending, Nightmares) – John has been plagued by a secret his entire life that has made him feel hopeless until he meets a mysterious, seemingly omniscient man named Sherlock Holmes who owns a wish-granting shop. Their meeting sets off a series of inevitable events that will change the course of both of their lives forever.

The Swan Triad Series by Pennin_Ink (T, 121,660 w. across 3 works || Swan Lake AU || Magical / Fairy Tale AU, Romance, Falling in Love, Pining, Psychological Torture, Transformation) – Sherlock and John grow up spending every summer together. Their mothers' attempts to play matchmaker only fuel their mutual resentment and scorn. But then, one summer.

Colors by Quesarasara (E, 140,537 w., 17 Ch. || Pleasantville-Inspired AU || Soulmates, Colour Bonds, Alternating POV, Angst, Fluff, Pining, Case Fic, Medical Procedures) – Everyone on earth is born with eyes that see in black, white, and an endless series of greys. When you meet your soulmate, you finally see the world in color. We're all searching for the person who brings color to our lives. John and Sherlock are no exception. Part 1 of The Colors 'Verse

Mise en Place by azriona (M, 161,004 w., 28 Ch. || Restaurant (Kitchen Nightmares) AU || Sherlock is Gordon Ramsay / Celebrity Sherlock, Restauranteur John, Harry Plays Prominent Role, Alternating POV, Mutual Pining, Cranky Sherlock, Bed Sharing, Slow Burn) – John Watson had no intentions of taking over the family business, but when he returns from Afghanistan, battered and bruised, and discovers that his sister Harry has run their restaurant into the ground, he doesn't have much choice. There's only one thing that can save the Empire from closing for good – the celebrity star of the BBC series Restaurant Reconstructed, Chef Sherlock Holmes. Part 1 of Mise en Place

Proving A Point by elldotsee & J_Baillier (E, 186,270 w., 28 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Me Before You Fusion || Medical Realism, Insecure John, Depression, Romance, Angst, POV John, Sherlock Whump, Serious Illness, Doctor John, Injury Recovery, Assisted Suicide, Sherlock’s Violin, Awkward Sexual Situations, Alcoholism, Drugs, Idiots in Love, Slow Burn, Body Image, Friends to Lovers, Hurt / Comfort, Pain, Big Brother Mycroft, Intimacy, Anxiety, PTSD, Family Issues, Psychological Trauma, John Whump, Case Fics, Loneliness, Pain) – Invalided home from Afghanistan, running out of funds and convinced that his surgical career is over, John Watson accepts a mysterious job offer to provide care and companionship for a disabled person. Little does he know how much hangs in the balance of his performance as he settles into his new life at Musgrave Court. Part 1 of the Care And Companionship series

#steph replies #johnlock fic recs #my fic recs #crossover fics #sherlock au #fusion fics #Anonymous #long post #e-rated fics

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mrsdallway · 3 years ago

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aftg as faroeste caboclo

this one is very special to me and i put a lot of thought into it. hugs and kisses to all brazilian aftg stans. fora bolsonaro.

non-brazilians: this is your daily reminder that usa is not the only country in the world! fuck europe! fuck usa! latin cultures have SO MUCH to add to our silly little fanfics

(BASED IN THIS SONG)

maria lúcia and joão being nathan's parents, poc from the northeast's hinterlands that migrate to the capital in search of a better life for themselves but when joão meets criminal organizations there he starts creating his reputation. in the 60s/70s, brazil's capital (brasília) is inaugurated and a lot of people are migrating like joão but also people like the moriyamas who had been in são paulo fighting against the military dictatorship and are now trying to extend their power to a new center. consider that maria lúcia's son (nathan) is actually joão's and not jeremias' so, before all of them dying, jeremias had already figured it out… yes, jeremias, deeper in crime than joão, gave nathan to the moriyamas. so nathan gained a new surname (wesninski) like foster kids yk (andrew being andrew doe). let's say this happened at the end of the 60s. the moriyamas raise nathan surrounded by blood and nathan wants to honor his father, joão, so eventually he goes to são paulo's favelas (slum?) to fight the military. but when he is finally 17 (like middle-80s if my awful math is right), japan grows stronger aaaand an USA ally in the cold war so the moriyamas receive the opportunity to allocate in the USA and nathan thinks WELL WHY NOT LETS FUCKING GOOO. nathan still has roots in the moriyama family and they make him a deal: they will help him to consolidate in the other country AND with his own people/gang if nathan keeps doing their dirty job. some months after this, they make another deal offering mary hatford, a rich wife for nathan and a british alliance for the yakuza! in 1988, neil happens. but nathan sees himself in the boy so it just increases his fury and he gives neil what the world gave to him in his childhood and entire life. he remembers the corruption he saw in brazil and takes revenge using the same poison. he thinks of maria lúcia protecting him when mary runs. he thinks of joão's father dying with a soldier's shot when he is arrested. he thinks of jeremias and thinks that a gun is a coward's weapon, so he chooses blades that are capable of cutting anyone and are always straightforward. and at each cut he smiles. and then he is the butcher. moriyamas' empire grows and nathan is always by their side. and he regrets nothing.

bonus: tetsuji and kayleigh created exy in japan but the idea came from brazil's peripheral communities and shantytowns games! bonus2: stuart hatford is miliciano (i really dont know how to explain this but br people will probably get it)

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russianredassassin · 3 years ago

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I posted 2,189 times in 2021

7 posts created (0%)

2182 posts reblogged (100%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 311.7 posts.

I added 3,594 tags in 2021

#reblog - 2147 posts

#black widow spoilers - 284 posts

#yelena belova - 219 posts

#not my fic - 209 posts

#natasha romanoff - 198 posts

#star wars - 158 posts

#black widow - 117 posts

#star wars the clone wars - 105 posts

#natasha romanoff x reader - 80 posts

#yelena belova x reader - 77 posts

Longest Tag: 140 characters

#someone get me some nightmarishly bright graphic pants and crimp my hair bc i’m boutta leave this hellscape to go live in a mental breakdown

My Top Posts in 2021

hi friend!! it’s been a while!! I was wondering if maybe you could write Diana Prince but motherly with gender neutral reader? just like how she is with r around the house and between missions? thank you!’

hi friend, here it is I really hope you enjoy it sorry it took so long lol :)

2 notes • Posted 2021-07-03 22:08:10 GMT

😱 wow thank you I’m... honored?! :D

(Sorry I am late in answering, plus im an awkward little clown 🤡 but again thank you ☺️

3 notes • Posted 2021-01-23 16:42:13 GMT

Helena Bertinelli x Reader - I Love Your Stuffed Animals:

(Not my gif)

Thank you for the request :) really hope this is somewhat what you wanted and you’ll enjoy it also sorry it took a while.

Word Count: 1,171

A/N: Fun fact Fred is the name of my favourite teddy bears :)

George, Bonzo, Mandy, Floppy, Gerry, Huggsy, Fluffy, Fred, Patchy, Smiley, Buttons, Sunshine. Those were just a few of your stuffed animals you have in possession at the moment in your bedroom with every single one on your bed, with you lying on the bed with all of them next to you. Gerry, Mandy, Sunshine at the back as the tallest and getting smaller ending with the smallest Floppy, Fluffy, Bonzo sat up at the front. You were currently watching King Kong on the telly when out of nowhere, the news popped up.

‘We stop your regular scheduled programming with an important news flash. Gotham Mob Boss Salvatore Maroni is dead.’ The female news presenter said ‘He was found just a few hours ago in his state home in Upper East Side Gorham still in bed with what seemed to be a crossbow bolt lodged through his neck and was presumed to have happened in the early hours of the morning by the mysterious crossbow killer of the Birds of Prey...’

You turned your attention away from the news and glanced around to Helena now switched from her huntress gear to her purple and black pyjamas. Looking so adorably proud, with that sleepy little grin on her face.

“Been busy?” you said sharing your own grin

“Yes,” Helena said before moving over to you on the bed “Very”

“And you didn't think to let me know that you were off to kill one of the biggest mob bosses in Gotham?” you said trying to make room for Helena on your bed without disturbing the teddies.

“No offence Y/N but if I told you about every criminal I go after I wouldn't have time to do anything,” Helena said with a chuckle. The both of you were in your fairly sized purple and silver styled bedroom lying on the smooth silk bedding now watching the film. Helena was sitting with her back slightly against the headboard and you now laying your head on her stomach while Helena has an arm around yours. Occasionally stroking and gently rubbing your stomach and glancing down and just staring at you with her eyes as if to say `may I?’ before she leans down to place kisses on your head. The movie, now gearing towards its end with Kong quickly losing his grip before falling to the ground. When out of nowhere you heard a thud. Instantly Helena shot up and quickly analysed the surroundings to find the source of the sound. You meanwhile thought it was just Kong, but you crawled to the side of the bed to see that one of the teddies had fallen off the bed.

“FRED!” you shouted and realised it wasn't just Kong who had fell. So you swiftly bent down to pick him back up. Meanwhile, Helena just turned around confused.

“Fred?” Helena said, leaning over to see you reaching for Fred “Who’s Fred?”

“Fred,” You said, smiling as you got back up on the bed and showed Helena “He’s one of my many teddies” Helena observed Fred before glancing over to the rest.

“One of your teddies...” Helena said staring at the teddies “Right erm, I don’t mean to insult or anything I really don’t but w...why?” Helena questioned, gesturing to your group of stuffed animals

“Oh well there all the animals and teddies I’ve had since I was a kid,” You said putting Fred back into his spot all comfy like “although 1 or 2 I may have bought as an adult because of how cute they were” turning back to Helena you smiled at her as she just frowned in confusion

“Right,” she said getting back up onto the bed “Sorry it’s just being a mafia daughter and training to be a vigilante doesn't leave room for ‘teddy bears’ so...” You simply nodded and turned your attention to the telly, but out of the corner of your eye you saw Helena side-eyeing Fred

“What is it?” you said looking at Fred then at Helena who looked at you before opening her mouth

“Why do you like them?” She said slowly while again gesturing to the group of teddies

“Oh well they're fluffy for one, they're also warm, soft, and on a cold day there is nothing better than cuddling with one with the fire crackling and my favourite movie playing and wrapped up in my fuzzy blanket making me feel like the most comfortable person in the world and....” As you were talking, listing all the reasons you loved them, Helena realised something. When cuddling with you, right now for instance she is warm, soft with your fluffy hair and right now. She has never felt more comfortable in her life.

“Helena?” you said, bringing her back the present.

“Hmm yeah sorry,” Helena said flashing back to reality “What?”

“Are you ok?” you asked Helena, readjusting yourself in front of her “what’s on your mind?”

“Eh, nothing I was just...I was just thinking, about those things you said” Helena said takes a breath before continuing “you know about how soft and comfortable the teddies make you feel well...” she huffed and bowed her head the struggle of what to say written on her face. but you didn't say anything. Wanting her to clearly get out what she had on her mind. Instead of speaking Helena lay back on the bed and patted her side for you to which you instantly agreed, you went to put Fred back down, but Helena stopped you and motioned for you to lie down and have Fred join. So Helena was laying on the bed, you laying on her stomach, and Fred laying on your stomach.

“Fred makes you feel warm and soft and comfortable, that's what you said” Helena softly spoke “Well when I am with you, I’m warm and soft and since my family, you are the only one who makes me feel comfortable” Helena looked down at Fred the teddy then up at you “The same reason you love all these teddys are the same reason why I love cuddling and hugging with you and also why I love you Y/N” Helena smiled at you with an expression one could only describe as pure adoration. Unbeknownst to you small tears started to build in your eyes. It isn’t that Helena didn't ever tell you I love you, far from it. But she never said anything like this, Open, poetic, beautiful.

“Oh, well... Thank you Hel,” you said as your cheeks blushed bright pink

“Was that... that ok or? Helena said shifting upwards “Shouldn't I have said....”

“No, no, no it’s ok,” you said smiling leaning up and raising your hands to cup her cheek “Thank you, thank you very much, That means...the world to me” You then lay back down and placed your head on Helena’s stomach and cuddled Fred, Just as Helena cuddled you. You may have had more than your fair share of teddies, but Helena only had one soft, cuddly teddy. You. And she loved it.

58 notes • Posted 2021-03-17 21:56:37 GMT

Wonder Woman x Gender Neutral Reader - In Between Missions:

Word Count: 1,016

Warnings: None

This was requested by @mari-victoria-13 I hope you like it, cause I really enjoyed writing it

Being in love is wonderful, isn't it? I mean the whole journey of spending your life with that special person you love and adore. Well, my special person in question is the beautiful Diana Prince, known to the world as Wonder Woman. Only as usual she isn't here, normally she wakes up at the crack of dawn either to work out or perform hero duty. From saving hostages or slaying monsters.

Breaking out of your thoughts was the soft sound of pitter-patter footsteps tiptoeing down the hall to our bedroom. Strange since Diana wouldn't be back yet. Would she? Then the door slowly opened with the first sight being... a barefoot?

"Hello?" you said hesitantly eyeing the door and the mysterious foot

"It's me beloved, good morning" The voice of... Diana called out from behind the door, brushing the bedcover off to help Diana before a voice quickly froze you in your place "No, no you stay in bed now Y/N" the door swung open thanks to Diana's leg revealing Diana in nothing but her white cotton nightgown carrying a black metal tray with various breakfast items.

"What's all this?" you said sitting back onto the bed

"Your breakfast," Diana said coming into the room with a big smile on her face "We had pancakes yesterday so I decided to make you some toast with either Jam, Jelly, Marmalade or if you would preferer a choice of cereal and a muffin if you'd like" Diana walked over to the side of the bedside table and laid the tray down

"Oh, you didn't have to do this Diana I..."I spoke just as Diana shook her head

"No I did, if anyone deserve to have some breakfast in bed it is you Y/N" Diana sat down on the edge of the bed "Now what would you like love?"

"Well if you insist I'll have the toast with Marmalade please Diana," You said smiling at Diana before she proceeded to get a piece of toast and butter it and then put the Marmalade on, but as I was about to thank her and take it off her hand. She brushed me down and shuck her head

"No please allow me," she said lifting the toast up to my mouth and encouraged me to take a bite. Taking a bite into the toast and letting the crunch of the toast and the tang of the Marmalade settle in my mouth. Humming due to the taste of the beautiful breakfast present to you

“This is gorgeous Diana thank you,” you said smiling up at her to which she simply smiles back and kisses the top of your head

“Anything for you dear” Diana then stood up and walked round to the other side of the bed and got in and grabbed a piece of the toast and took a bite all the while smiling at you so lovingly. Finishing breakfast you slowly got up but Diana got up quicker using her super speed whooshed over to grab the tray "I am taking that Y/N, you go and get yourself ready for our day ahead" a little taken aback by the gust of wind by Diana

"Hmm, what do you have planned?" You said to Diana walking out the bedroom

"Just wait and see," Diana said stopping to reply and giving you a sly grin before disappearing out the room. You went into the walk-in bathroom and started the shower and stripped down and got in. Finishing in the shower you turned it off, stepped out, wrapped a towel around your body and another in around your hair and then proceeded to walk into the bedroom and dried yourself off. You were about to look for some clothes but a brand new pair of PJs lay on the bed. Confused but assuming it was Diana's doing you changed into them and headed into the living room, Diana knelt down scanning the bookshelf in the far corner.

"Diana?" you questioned

"Hello Y/N" Diana replied without averting her gaze from the shelf "Ill be with you in a second my dear" Leaning over to the couch you were about to reach for the remote on the arm when another gust of wind washed over you nearly knocked you onto the floor and but were caught by a now sat down Diana with a book in her hand

"Found it," Diana said as she gently pushed you back up and bringing the book into your view

"Found what?" you said now sat back up eyeing the old and worn book

"Well I thought we needed a new book and this is one of the very few remaining copies of the lost and lonely tales of the Greek world," Diana said as she manoeuvred herself on the couch "My mother Hippolyta used to tell stories from books just like this and I thought you might like it, its stories of heroes and villains, gods and monsters throughout the Greece"

"Hmm well if it is good enough for the queen of the Amazons then no arguments from me," you said smiling making Diana match it and then her cupping your cheek and stroking it with her thumb

"Indeed," Diana said removing her hand and opened her legs and patted the space between them "Now get comfy" You stood up and stepped over to Diana and sat on the space between her and brought your knees up and laid your head on her chest.

"How about the myth of Odysseus, especially his treacherous journey home?" Diana said looking down at your eyebrows raised

"Sure yeah I think I vaguely know the story," You said

"All comfy?" Diana asked and you nodded in affirmation "Good" She opened the cover and turned to the first page.

"After a long and horrid struggle lasting 10 years, the Trojan War finally came to the end with the Greek army standing tall over the Trojan bodies lying below them. A bout even Ares himself would've been proud of but. But their journey home was something even the oracle herself could not have foreseen"

70 notes • Posted 2021-07-03 22:05:53 GMT

Yelena Belova x Reader - Getting Your First Dog:

"So, Yelena, you gonna e name the dog Fanny?" you said to her, who was holding the puppy in her arms. She looked up to me, ads of humour, which in this case actually worked and fit into the scenes they were in unlike previous MCU films were the humour seemed forced or not needed. Stand out character was of course Yelena, sorry Nat. From her humour to Florence Pugh's emotive acting that was heart-wrenching to watch in the best way. If I had to say 1 thing wrong about the movie is the fight/action scenes. It's not that they are bad but when compared to other MCU action (Captain America The Winter Solider) it just doesn't hold up. But Yelena was my favourite which is why I wrote this fic to express my love for her. Hope you enjoy :)

Translation - Собачки = doggies

Yelena practally had her face pressed up against the window of the pet store, matched with a wide grin plastered on her face. You knew Yelena had wanted a dog for a while now. She even had a name already picked and everything.

"Come on Y/N" Yelena said rushing inside the store with a ring of the bell. Quickly following after her, she ran past all the other animals ignoring them and leaning over to meet and greet all the dogs and pups in the window "Hello Cобачки how are you all hmm?" You politely smiled to acknowledge, and apologise to the shop owner who just casually nodded at you and continued reading their magazine. You then stood there to admire just how cute Yelena was, showering the dogs in adoration. Kneeling down you suddenly burst out laughing when a pup licks her face and she scrunches up her face.

"So have you decided what one you want hmm?" you said to Yelena who gently put the dog back down

"Oh, I don't know, I want all of them" Yelena said before slowly turning to you eyes and mouth quickly growing

"...No, no, no, no" you swiftly said catching onto Yelena's growing expression "I know that look"

"What...?" she said raising her eye brows "I didn't make any look"

"You're making one now"

"No I'm not"

"Yes you are"

"I'm no...I'm.." Yelena said furring her brows "I'm not, you are"

"Anyway" you said rolling your eyes "Which one will it be?

"I don't know they are all perfect" Yelena said with a small pout " I want them all"

"I know but you did promise to s..."

"Start with one, yes I know but I didn't expect this" Yelena said. There was a moment of silence that fell on the both of you as she tried to pick 1. Until she came across a tiny blonde coloured puppy with brown patches in the corner that fallen asleep up against the wall

"That one!" Yelena shouted, startling the puppy awake and turn to Yelena before giving a big yawn and stepping towards her and up nuzzling into her arms before yawning once again and falling asleep making Yelena gasp.

"This one" she said before bringing it to her face to cuddle it "I want this one"

"Yeah?" you said to which Yelena simply nodded and smiled so you waved over to owner to discuss everything.

Leaving the shop with your newest member of your family you decided to ask a nagging question.

"So, Yelena, you gonna tell me why you named the dog Fanny?" you said to her with a grin, who was holding the puppy in her arms.

"I named it after my sister" Yelena quietly spoke, a tear in her eye.

77 notes • Posted 2021-08-03 20:55:05 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

#my 2021 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

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velvethammer012369 · 4 years ago

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As a former southerner, Okie, white gay, that grew up separated from his father's family because "those people" were Portuguese, Cherokee, and black I feel it necessary to post this. If you feel attacked I cordially invite you to block me and go fuck yourself.

From someone who teaches AP US History:

Q: What did the Confederacy stand for?

Q: But people keep saying heritage, not hate! They think the purpose of the flags and monuments are to honor confederate soldiers, right?

Q: But if we take down confederate statues and monuments, how will we teach about and remember the past?

A: Monuments and statues pose little educational relevance, whereas museums, the rightful place for Confederate paraphernalia, can provide more educational opportunities for citizens to learn about our country's history. The Civil War is important to learn about, and will always loom large in social studies curriculum. Removing monuments from public places and putting them in museums also allows us to avoid celebrating and honoring people who believed that tens of millions of black Americans should be legal property.

Q: But what if the Confederate flag symbol means something different to me?

Q: But my uncle posted a meme that said the Civil War/Confederacy was about state's rights and not slavery?

A: "A state's right to what?" - John Green

Q: Everyone is offended about everything these days. Should we take everything down that offends anyone?

Q: Taking these down goes against the First Amendment and freedom of speech, right?

Q: How can people claim to be patriotic while supporting a flag that stood for a group of insurgent failures who tried to permanently destroy America and killed 300,000 Americans in the process?

A: No clue.

Q: So if I made a confederate flag my profile picture, or put a confederate bumper sticker on my car, what am I declaring to my friends, family, and the world?

It’s no accident that:

You learned about Helen Keller instead of W.E.B, DuBois

You learned about the Watts and L.A. Riots, but not Tulsa or Wilmington.

You learned that George Washington’s dentures were made from wood, rather than the teeth from slaves.

You learned about black ghettos, but not about Black Wall Street.

You learned about the New Deal, but not “red lining.”

You learned about Tommie Smith’s fist in the air at the 1968 Olympics, but not that he was sent home the next day and stripped of his medals.

You learned about “black crime,” but white criminals were never lumped together and discussed in terms of their race.

You learned about “states rights” as the cause of the Civil War, but not that slavery was mentioned 80 times in the articles of secession.

Privilege is having history rewritten so that you don’t have to acknowledge uncomfortable facts.

Racism is perpetuated by people who refuse to learn or acknowledge this reality.

You have a choice. - Jim Golden

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seizethecringeofproduction · 3 years ago

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New Years - Saints Row Fanfic

Featuring: @kiyumiakuji @shuyaakuji @hirokiakuji & @tomoyukiakuji

Is a Ronin Centric Fic; Contains a bit of trolling at the start

2008/1/1 | 8:30 AM

The cool winter breeze flowed gently through the streets of Tokyo throughout New Years’ Day 2008, the first day of January as well as the new year. Even though the sun was just now rising over the western horizon, the city had never been asleep for a second - traffic was still bumper to bumper while the streets themselves were littered with crowds of people walking here and there, be it to their place of work or just to some hangout spots. True that some spots were not as busy as others, but no matter where one went it was still Tokyo. Flashing signs and billboards littered the streets and the sides of the various tall buildings - from high rises to skyscrapers, delivering advertisements to viewers which ranged from the mundane to the far more known wacky if not eccentric type; especially popular were those for that new game show, the one with that pink cat professor that was taking the country by storm.

However, it wasn’t fun, games and heavy traffic for everyone in Tokyo that morning. Case in point being the rather dull boardroom of Tatsubishi - a conglomerate based in the metropolis that is best known internationally for their automobile manufacturing and distribution; ranging from SUVs, Trucks, Cars, Motorcycles and extending even to the likes of helicopters, airplanes and more, it was a name that plenty of people throughout the world would have least heard one time in their lives. What may not be as widely known about it however was the fact that the entire corporation had a rather insidious darker side - seeing as how it was the front for the dreaded Yakuza Oyabun known as Kazuo Akuji. The man was known and feared throughout all of Japan as not only one of the most ruthless businessmen, but also one of the most brutal Yakuza leaders. The crimes which are alleged to be traced back to him are among the most horrifying in Japan��s history, many bodies mysteriously found in rivers throughout Honshu are said to be of those who wronged him. That is, if there’s even a body at all. With a decade spanning career in both the business and criminal worlds, Kazuo is as respected as he is feared. His name instills both honor and dread into those who hear it, as one most certainly does not want to hear it outside of a positive context.

Though it was no secret that the man was not getting any younger. Many debated just how old he was, but regardless of the specific age he was old. Most knew only that he was at least late 70’s or early 80’s. While most of his body, hidden beneath his blazer suit, was littered with innumerous tattoos befitting an oyabun of his caliber, the parts of him that were visible to the naked eye were still very much wrinkled. He seemed to look both perpetually irritable as well as tired - and to be fair, much of the time that would be considered an accurate description of his mood. His hair, long ago a rich shade of black was long since greyed. He still had a full head of it, but it had receded some since the bloom of his youth. While most of his body had seemingly taken a withered and somewhat frail appearance, he was still nevertheless considered to be a mighty swordsman - more than capable of defeating even a much younger man in battle even in spite of the fact his joints would very likely give him hell not long afterwards.

Point was though, he was in the evening of his life. Soon, would be the eternal night. The only surprise left for a man his age. Sitting at the head of the board room with all of his underbosses sprawled about before him, all he saw were men who a few decades ago were introduced to him as the young sons of those who sat before them. Granted, these men themselves were not spring chickens either - most of them were at least in their 30’s or 40’s and at most in their 60’s, but all of them had in common the fact their one and only oyabun during their lives was none other than Kazuo - the man sitting before them on that very day.

Thinking over this fact with a contemplative sigh, he realized one thing that had been on his mind for the past 18 years. That the day he had long since been waiting for had finally arrived. It was time for his own next in line.

As he stood up, he didn’t need to make any sound at all. The entire room of underbosses and bodyguards fell entirely silent - all eyes instinctively turning to Kazuo himself as he moved, his eyes scanning the entire room to ensure their attention before he even began speaking. Not even a cough was made, nor a sip of tea. Any such disrespect would have been grounds for very swift ‘discipline’. Cupping his hands behind his back once the silence of the room was truly deafening, only then did the old man finally speak what was on his mind:

“Gentleman, this has been a very pleasant meeting. I am very proud of the work you have all done over the previous year - the clan has grown ever more honored as it is feared throughout Japan. I have been the oyabun of this organization for longer than most others of my rank have been alive; let alone operating free of imprisonment. I have seen as many of you and your fathers go as I have the winter change into spring, and spring into fall. I have fought in wars, I have married, I have had three children and three grandchildren. I have turned my clan into one of the most powerful and influential not only in our corporate world - but in our criminal world as well.” he then had a particular pause as he finally arrived to the true point of his speech, “However…” he said, “I have come to the decision that there will be more changes this year than simply the succession of my subordinates; I myself will be stepping down as your oyabun.”

His words elicited many wide eyes from all of his underbosses, as well as chills echoing down their spines. Even the famed - and bald - swordsman Jyunichi, standing right behind the old man, was surprised to hear the words. While none of them said anything, they looked at each other in bewilderment, their discussions being as silent as the room itself when Kazuo wasn’t talking. Only when he began speaking again did their attention sharply turn back to him.

“I know that this change is most unprecedented, but after many months - years even, of rumination over it, I have come to the conclusion that it is for the best. My retirement shall be effective as of the first of this April, giving you the next four months to become adjusted to my chosen successor; my son.”

With one of Kazuo’s hands now gesturing towards the double doors used to enter the room, all eyes were promptly on said doors as they - as if on cue, flung open for just a few seconds as another figure entered the room. It was, of course, a young man. A very much younger man than Kazuo, though. In fact, the man was no older than 18 - just barely an adult.

Actually, he was technically 17, though only until April. That was not a coincidence.

His face was completely devoid of wrinkles, and his hair was entirely jet black and slicked back in a ‘respectful’ style. His body was slender - toned well by regular exercise. Even as he stood there dressed in a black blazer suit complete with black power tie that featured a golden dragon etched onto it’s ‘tongue’, while he vaguely looked like his father one would not have guessed their actual relation in a million years. Yet this baby faced, smooth skinned boy was in fact the oyabun’s son. All of the underbosses stood from the seats and promptly gave this late teenager his due respect by bowing in his presence as he walked to be right beside Kazuo - the son exchanging a respectful bow of his own to Kazuo, his father saying to him;

“My son, you have little idea of how long I have waited for this day to come. Counting only the years since you have been born, it has been only eighteen. But counting the years before, it has been since I first became oyabun.”

Looking to his father with the utmost respect, the son returned his sentiments:

“It is an honor to be your successor, father” he bowed again, “I will continue leading the clan to greatness, just as you have before me.”

“I know you will,” the old man replied, “I am the one who trained you. Now..” he then gestured towards one of the open chairs directly to the side of his own, “Let us sit and endure the rest of this meeting, my son.”

2008/1/1 | 1:55 PM

“So how’d it go?”

“Well, I’m going to be the oyabun as of April. Aside from that, most of it was uneventful; talking about finances and operations.”

“Hold on, you’re going to be the oyabun? That’s your birthday gift this year? All he ever gets me is money, literally just money!”

“Don’t worry, Shogo, you know you’re basically going to be my right hand man once I’m in that seat.”

“I know, Hiro, but still! You’re going to be the boss of the entire Akuji Clan!”

“I know, it’s a big responsibility, and an honor. That’s why he’s waiting until April to step down, he wants me to see how he handles things up close before making the switch completely. After that, I won’t have any training wheels.”

The two young men speaking along the side of a kinokuniya international shopping center, and in fact leaning against the walls of said store, were identical twin brothers Hiroki and Shogo Akuji - the sons of Kazuo. Hiroki being the one introduced as his successor mere hours before, though no longer dressed as prim and proper as he was before. He now had a pair of black jeans on rather than silk slacks, with his pants held up by a black leather belt with a dragon styled buckle. Over his smooth body was a yellow polo with a popped collar and white undershirt - and his hair was no longer slicked back but now worn down in a more spiked and ruffled style. His shoes were even exchanged for a pair of black tennis shoes, and around his neck was a golden ‘lucky’ 5 yen coin; all of these clothes and features were copied fully by his brother Shogo save for one - resting on Hiroki’s forehead was a pair of yellow designer sunglasses with black lenses, while on Shogo’s rested a pair of the same brand colored white.

The two brothers stood in that parking lot in the early afternoon, leaning with their backs and one foot each on the wall of the store, the other feet on the concrete ground beneath them as they enjoyed this most casual conversation - the day around them being quite beautiful. The breeze was still very much a cooled winter wind, and the sky was cleared of clouds; it’s blue color joined with the light of the sun to illuminate the entire city of Tokyo in a vibrant and joyous form of brightness.

“Honestly, Hiro” Shogo spoke plainly to Hiroki, “I don’t think you even need those training wheels.”

Smirking, Hiroki gave Shogo a certain cocky look as he retorted:

“I see you’re already brown nosing.”

“No, I’m being serious,” Shogo answered back in a quick yet blunt tone, “You’re totally ready to handle the family business on your own. I mean, it’s basically what he prepared you for the entirety of your life..” and for a moment, Shogo bowed his head in a moment of sudden melancholy that his brother quickly noticed even as the younger twin muttered beneath his breath “Unlike me…”

Placing a hand onto Shogo’s shoulders, Hiroki spoke to his brother in a serious tone of his own:

“Shogo, you’re going to be my-”

“No, I’m not” Shogo interrupted Hiroki, walking away from the store wall, hands in his pockets before he took a deep breath and faced his twin again, “I’m leaving Japan after our birthday this year.”

“What?”

“I’m heading to America” the younger Akuji elaborated, “There’s this place that’s going through total anarchy right now after one of their previous gangs died off, I heard about it from eavesdropping this morning on one of father’s calls. It’s that place those people he wanted to buy parts from come from, I did some research and it’s prime real estate for gangs right now.”

“And you’re thinking of setting up your own gang there?”

“Pretty much, yeah.”

“Wow” Hiroki bounced his brows a bit, remarking “And you did this all without consulting me? What happened to us doing everything together, brother?”

“Well, I hatched this plan during you and father’s meeting today and was gonna bring you into it like always, but…”

“It’ll be difficult while I am the oyabun.”

“Yeah….it would....”

The two brothers then shared deep breaths, sighs. The realization that things were changing between them wasn’t an easy pill to swallow, often Hiroki was all Shogo had through his youth - seeing as how Kazuo would often leave Shogo alone while he spent time with Hiroki, and their sister being a teen girl at the time was not interested in giving her younger brothers much company. After their mother died, Shogo came to cherish the times when Hiroki was with him, allowing him to escape from the fact that Kazuo all but neglected his existence save for when it was time to be mad at him or berate his lifestyle choices. Yet now the brothers were growing up, and while Shogo would love to rule the family organization at his brother’s side - he also wanted to spread his own wings and make a name for himself,rather than only live in Hiroki’s shadow. Perhaps in time, their father would be proud of both of his sons rather than only his first.

Yet still, they were brothers. Though it hurt both of them to an extent, they both understood each other’s needs and desires - though it was hard for him to fully understand, Hiroki understood without being told what Shogo desired more than anything else. Approaching him and placing a hand to his shoulder, the older twin said:

“Well, brother, I look forward to working with you and your gang, even from a few thousand miles away.”

Smiling at his brother giving his approval and nodding as he patted Hiroki on the shoulder as well:

“Thanks, Hiro.”

“Of course, Sho” Hiroki replied, “Besides, lord knows we both need to move out of that crazy house.”

“Speak yourself” Shogo answered before replying with a rejuvenated cocky tone, “If I were, I’d tell Kiyumi to buy her own place and kick her ass out as soon as I get the chance. That place is pretty bitching.”

Smirking and even nodding as he genuinely imagined the scenario which his brother planted into his head, Hiroki’s only response was an agreeing:

“That is also an idea.”

The two brothers then shared a laugh with each other at that moment as they both looked out to the streets surrounding them, as well as all of the people walking and driving about who paid them no mind at all. Shogo couldn’t help but remark:

“To think” he quipped, “You can become the oyabun, but you take an hour on Pumpkin Hill.”

“Oh shut up, ‘How was I supposed to know about the air necklace’.”

“Well, at least we both kinda suck at Yakuza, I guess,” Shogo laughinly confessed, “Though I’m pretty sure I beat the first game before you did.”

“Only because we shared a save file and it happened to be your turn at the time, Sho!”

“Fair enough, but you know one thing I know for a fact you can’t beat me at?”

“What?”

“Getting back on my bike first!” Having been looking right towards him and his brother’s parked kanedas right by the sidewalk on the other side of the avenue road facing them - right in front of a building they liked to refer to as ‘MaxMara’ due to the sign on the front of it. Shogo then darted right towards his - the one that was silver colored with etched in dragon decals and accents of glowing yellow lights throughout it’s form. Hiroki’s was of course, golden colored.

Accepting his brother’s offer for a race, Hiroki soon darted right after him:

“Alright, but you know that getting on is only the first leg of the race!”

“You’re on!”

Managing to quickly break into a sprint as he crossed the street, Hiroki was able to catch up to Shogo in a surprising amount of time as they ran through the parking lot with youthful vigor, Hiroki’s last words before he would have overtaken Shogo being:

“I’m catching up to you, Shogo!”

“Not anymore, Hiro-”

BAM

All it took was a single moment

The loud echoing sound of a gunshot from a tall building located just across the street from the store could be heard from some feet away, though the form of the gunman could only be seen fleeing the rooftop for but a fraction of a second. By the time he had actually heard the shot itself, Shogo had just planted his body down onto his kaneda - and excitedly proclaimed victory:

“Ha!” he laughed, “I won leg 1! Get ready to….Hiro?” the first thing Shogo noticed was that his brother was neither on his bike, nor standing behind him. Instead, much to the younger brother’s horror, he was laying on the ground - a pool of blood forming on the concrete just beneath his head. The left side of Hiroki’s head was marred by what looked like a line of flesh and hair torn right open, with the tip of his left ear being blasted clean off. Blood was absolutely covering the entire left side of his head, though also along the ground were chunks of what was no doubt his skull bone. Despite the occasional twitch, it was clear that Hiroki was not conscious by any stretch of the word - and just looking at the scene, Shogo feared the absolute worst.

“Hiroki!” Without any hesitation at all, Shogo ran towards his brother and almost tripped onto the ground once he knelt down close to him at the speed he had been going. With one hand he scooped up his brother’s head while the other tried to shake Hiroki’s head, desperately trying to just get his brother’s eyes to open; “Hiroki! Wake up! Wake the fuck up, Hiroki!” he couldn’t help but then lash out at the crowd forming around him, “What are you looking at?! Why are you just standing there?! Someone call the fucking ambulence!”

Looking at Hiroki’s face at this moment, in broad daylight, Shogo could see not only the coat of blood dripping from the side of his own brother’s head, but also the heartbreaking fact that his brother was not making any response at all. Whatever he was, he was not asleep. Tears formed from Shogo’s eyes as he realization was striking him oh so hard:

“Don’t die on me, Hiroki” he said while trying and failing to hold his tears back, “Don’t you fucking die on me, Hiro!”

Shogo was able to overcome his tears for long enough to call medical professionals himself, though he shook as he dialed the number - cursing every time he accidentally dialed them incorrectly. He wasted very little time in yelling the moment he had the operator on the line:

“Get the fuck over here! My brother was fucking shot in the head by some, by some fucking assassin or hitman or something! Get over here now, he’s bleeding to fucking death!”

“Okay, okay, sir, I need you to tell me where-”

“I’m, we’re, by the curb on Aoyama-dori Avenue!” Shogo tried to speak more calmly, though he still was in an incredibly frantic tone, “Right in front of that building with the MaxMara sign on it, you know, the Mar’s building! Just, get here fucking quick before he dies!”

“Okay, sir, we have ambulances heading for your location right now, but I need you to please try to remain calm-”

“Remain calm?! My brother is dying in my arms right now!”

“I understand sir, but it will be best for both of you in this situation. I suggest please finding some kind of tourniquet to slow or stop the bleeding-”

Before the lady on the other end even finished, Shogo quickly gasped as he realized he had completely forgotten that. Without even thinking he removed his polo shirt, leaving his body dressed only in the white sleeveless shirt he had underneath. He didn’t care about any of that though, how he looked for once was last on his priorities list - instead he just tied his polo tightly as he could around his brother’s head, desperately trying to do anything he could to slow down the bleeding. He could see the deep stains forming across the fabric even while still tying and tightening it - and it was a hard sight for him to look at. He was no stranger nor fearful of blood, but he was also not ready to watch his brother die. Just beginning to hear the sirens approaching, he looked in their direction with a renewed sense of relief as he said to Hiroki:

“It’s alright, Hiro, I’m not gonna let you die. They’re gonna have you up and walking in no time, I know they will. They have to...you’re gonna wake up...you hear me? You’re gonna wake up…”

Please wake up….

F-Father!

Shogo? Why are you calling me. How much do you need me to pay to get you out of your problem now?

This isn’t anything to do with me, father!

Then what is it Shogo?

It’s Hiroki...he’s in...he was...he’s in the hospital right now!

….

Which hospital?

2008/1/1 11:30 PM

There was a most uncomfortable silence in the hospital room on the night of January 1st, the day of the fateful gunshot. Hiroki now had proper bandages across his head, a respiratory mask across his mouth and IV’s in his veins to keep him alive - though his eyes remained closed in what only looked like the purest and most silent of sleeps. Kazuo himself sat in a chair right beside his bed, gazing at Hiroki’s motionless form with a look that had innumerous emotions running through it at once. The chief among them being shock, grief and utter rage. From the moment he had finally gotten it out of Shogo what happened, there wasn’t a doubt in his mind what had happened - he knew exactly who did this. Who would target his heir in broad daylight like this, killing him in one of the most dishonorable ways imaginable; on a holiday no less.

He repeated the name many times in his head…

Wong.

Wong was the only person Kazuo could think of who not only had a motive, but also the willingness to strike that which Kazuo prized the most. As much as the oyabun understood very well why Hiroki was targeted, he had neither sympathy nor tolerance for it. Watching solemnly as Hiroki fought with all he could to stay alive, it was a sight that no father wished to see in their lives. It was a sight that made Kazuo’s blood boil knowing in his heart and mind who was responsible, wanting nothing more now than to see Wong be put into the ground for this transgression.

With every beeping of Hiroki’s heart monitor, Kazuo’s rage grew beyond his own expectations. Put bluntly, it would be within Wong’s best interests - if one were to ask Kazuo, if Hiroki made a full recovery.

So far however, none of the doctors or nurses were confident in the chances of that happening.

Seated across from Kazuo in the room, the scene was not much different. Shogo waited, covered across his arms and torso in the now dried blood of Hiroki from earlier. His eyes were wide in fear, and body shaking. He could hear the beeping of the heart monitor on account of the door being opened, and was deathly afraid that any moment soon he would hear it flatline. Only by a miracle did that not happen yet. Sitting next to him was the rest of the immediate family - that is to say his older sister and her children. Jyunichi was standing guard by the open door.

As for the sister sitting next to Shogo, Kiyumi was a 25 - going on 26 in February, year old woman. She has been described before as the spitting image of her late mother, though very unlike her in personality. Her hair was long and straightened, and her slender, figured and beautiful young body was dressed in a golden dress - with matching heels and a black designer leather jacket to cover herself in the winter cold. She only looked so fashionable and had makeup one because she was out shopping at the time of Kazuo furiously calling her. Sleeping on either side of her lap were her youngest children, Tomoyuki and Mitsuko. A boy and girl respectively, twins of four years old, to be five in June. On the far side of the bench, next to his younger sister, was Kiyumi's first born - her 9 year old son Shuya, though he will be 10 come November. While not asleep like his siblings, he still sat there surprisingly quietly; largely on account of being bored and increasingly tired.

Speaking of which, that was a reason why eventually Kiyumi quietly stood up - waking up her younger kids and prompting them to softly whine and rub their eyes as she walked towards Kazuo, softly whispering to her father:

“I mean no disrespect father, but my children should be returning home now; it’s getting late and school starts up again as soon as next monday.”

Kazuo first responded with a sigh, looking to Hiroki one last time before looking to his daughter;

“Go. I am not forcing you or them to stay. Just leave me in peace.”

Giving her father a respectful bow, she then turned back to her kids as she began walking towards the door - gesturing for them to follow her. Shuya got up first, followed by the younger two. However, it wasn’t long before Tomoyuki with another whine said to his mother:

“Mother, I have to pee, can I go before we leave?”

Followed not very long afterwards by his sister in a very similar manner:

“I have to pee too, mother!” she whined. Shuya rolled his eyes in annoyance, while Kazuo was too fixated on Hiroki. As such, Kiyumi centered her gaze onto Shogo as she spoke up just enough to grab his attention:

“Shogo” she said, he was at first startled because of his own mindful gaze being locked on Hiroki, though calmed once he realized it was his sister speaking to him as she continued with “Can you take Tomo to the bathroom while I handle Mitsu?”

At first, Shogo tried to deflect the order;

“Why don’t you just ask Jyunichi like you did a few hours ago?”

“Because Jyunichi is in the bathroom of his room right now” Kiyumi said, gesturing to the small room offered within the patient room itself. The door was currently closed. “He’s napping in it, since he needs to have as much energy as possible - father having assigned him to guard Hiroki 24/7, remember?”

“Oh...right…”

“Mother!” Tomoyuki whined again, this time a bit louder, “I really have to go!”

“Okay, okay” Shogo responded, standing up and taking the five year old’s hand, “I’ll take him.”

Leaving the room wasn’t easy for Shogo though, even with the preschooler basically leading him out. He still gave his brother one last look before he was back out in the hall, leading his nephew towards where he remembers the bathroom was. It must have been very weird for those few others in the hall at this hour to see a teenager with so much blood on him walking down the hall with a four year old in hand, let alone the mother so casually holding her daughter not far behind them, the eldest child trailing behind. Nevertheless, nobody said a thing about the sight.

Upon reaching the bathrooms, Kiyumi led Mitsuko right inside of the ‘ladies’ bathroom - and Shogo did much the same in regards to the ‘men’s. There wasn’t really much to it, being a public restroom and all. The room was tiled from the floor to the walls, and while it attempted to match with the white and sterile look the rest of the building had - albeit with a bit more blue, it being a bathroom used by men it had its share of grime and dinginess. On one side of the room was a line of stalls followed immediately by urinals - opposite to the row of sinks on the other side, as well as mirrors.

“Alright, so, you do know how to use a urinal, right Tomo?”

“Mmhm!” Tomo nodded, not even having to be told to walk on over to any urinal and begin fidgeting with his pants. Shogo decided to let him handle his business on his own, and turned away towards the sinks. It was then that he was staring right back at himself in the mirror. At his brown eyes, still looking as though they were in shock - and sporting dark circles beneath themselves from how tired they were. The fact he only had his white tank top on, with it being covered in blood - just as his hands and arms were. Normally, he would take pride in that - but knowing this was the blood of his own brother, he couldn’t help but freeze at the sight. Memories of just a few hours ago flashed again in his mind - cradling Hiroki’s head in his hand, wrapping his polo around Hiroki’s head to stop his bleeding, even the ride to the hospital in the back of the ambulance; staying at Hiroki’s side right up to this very moment. He could picture it all as if it was happening in that moment right before his eyes.

Taking a breath, Shogo approached one of the sinks and decided to at least wash the blood off of his arms and hands to the best of his ability. It wasn’t hard to do, but it was hard to look at. Seeing the blood flow off of his limbs with the knowledge of who it all belonged to, it made him stare not at the mirror but instead at his hands as if in a trance. Shogo was not normally like this, if this was anyone else he wouldn’t even be here - but this was his brother. Not some ordinary person, and not some clan member who happened to get bumped off in front of him. This was someone he actually cared about, and one of the only people in his entire family who he felt truly was there for him these past 17-18 years. Not only did he feel lost, but he also couldn’t help but to feel even colder than he actually was as he looked after his now cleaned hands, tuning out even the sound of the sink’s running water as he just silently gazed down onto his palms - in this moment unsure of what to do anymore.

THUD

That sound, followed by the whine and cry of a small child, quickly diverted his attention. What he saw was something to no surprise, but too much irritation. Tomoyuki was on the ground, having been shoved into the wall of one of the stalls by none other than Shuya. Letting out a very irritated sigh, Shogo walked in between of the brothers - at which point Tomoyuki did manage to get up and hid behind Shogo’s legs for protection.

“Stop” Shogo said as firmly as he could, not having the patience for this right now, “Just, stop.”

Shuya was completely unmoved by Shogo’s tone of voice, and the words he said only egged his uncle on even more:

“He brought it on himself, he was taking too long to finish!”

“Kid, you can’t control how long you have to go” Shogo said, looking down at the petulant brat, “I get you’re tired and wanna go home, but have some fucking patience.”

“You mean like you did, waiting until this moment to become the next in line?” Shuya callously remarked with a smirk across his face as he watched Shogo’s reaction turn from annoyance into full anger, “I guess once we leave you’ll be sucking up to grandfather to seal the deal in?”

Shogo didn’t say anything. In fact, he didn’t even think. He only acted. His face now red with anger, his hands curled into a fist before he punched Shuya in the face. Shogo himself wasn’t the strongest person by any means, but Shuya being so smaller and even less of a fighter than him meant that the young boy was sent back - letting out a high pitched squeal as he fell to the floor, holding his eye in shock. Tomoyuki flinched at seeing the contact, having peered from behind Shogo’s leg. His mouth was actually agape as the reality of what Shogo did came over him; he froze, not knowing what to do in this situation. Shogo just looked down on Shuya with a face of silent rage, not feeling any regret at all for what he did - in fact, if anything he felt satisfaction over it.

Shuya, starting to immediately tear up as he held a hand over his now sore eye, sobbingly whined:

“I’m...I’m telling mother!” and with that, Shuya immediately ran out of the room - the door slamming behind him in his hurry. Only after it closed did Shogo realize what would likely happen now after what he just did, and let out a sigh. He then turned to Tomoyuki though, who had still been behind him up to this point - the boy flinched a little, but then Shogo in a softer tone asked him;

“You okay? No serious damage or anything?”

Shaking his head, the four year old replied “Nu-uh...I’m okay....”

“Okay” Shogo nodded, “Good.”

After a brief pause, and a bit of twiddling his fingers, Tomoyuki asked in a soft though concerned tone:

“Is….is Uncle Hiroki going to be okay?”

That was not a question Shogo was at all prepared to answer. He looked down at those big, innocent young eyes of his nephew for what felt like a while, desperately wanting to tell him ‘yes, duh’ yet knowing that he had no idea at all whether that was going to be the truth or not. Gulping and kneeling down to be level with Tomoyuki’s eyes, Shogo said the most truthful answer that he could:

“I hope so, Tomo. I really hope so.”

Tomoyuki without saying anything more than gave Shogo a hug, something which Shogo was not expecting - but he couldn’t help but feel a bit better. As ‘badass’ he wanted to pretend to be, he couldn’t deny that this sweet little moment made him feel at least the smallest bit better. Smiling for just a bit, he even patted the young boy on the back. It was a shame that this moment didn’t last longer than it did, because it was just as that face of his broke into that smile when it came crashing down.

Shouting from outside in the hall was the booming voice of his father:

“Shogo!” he yelled, “Attacking your own nephew?! Are you demented?! Must you shame me everywhere we go?! Get out here immediately!”

Shogo could only sigh.

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