Tag: cross post

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Cross Post: Unintended Consequences (Prologue)

original here. dated 2013-11-23.

A/N: I got a pretty cool new mic and so I just wanted to do a test run of it as well as get to know Audacity a little more. I blanked on what exactly to do, so here’s an audio cross post.

“Unintended Consequences” is to “Externality” as “Trailblazers, Bright and Bold” is to “Trailblazers.” That is, Unintended Consequences was the first draft version of Externality many moons ago and not all of it would go into the final cut; unsurprising since Externality has changed quite a bit since then.

Anyway, enjoy!

~

Unintended Consequences are outcomes that are not the ones intended by a purposeful action, there are three types:

  1. A positive, unexpected benefit (usually referred to as luck, serendipity or a windfall).
  2. A negative, unexpected detriment occurring in addition to the desired effect of the action.
  3. A perverse effect contrary to what was originally intended (when an intended solution makes a problem worse)

​These are also called Externalities.

—

Her decision to join the academy is purely economical and entirely practical. She is six years old and an orphan. Having already completed the free two years of education provided to all citizens of Konoha, she has two options. Both of them have a high probability of her dying before she turns twenty.

The first is to join the ninja academy which is nominally free in exchange for a lifetime of military servitude. The second is to strike out on her own, probably be pulled into a life of crime or prostitution or, as the whispers around the orphanage go, be kidnapped and brainwashed into being a ninja anyway. For most other six year olds, their second choice is much nicer. For other six year olds with families and parents and incomes not provided by the government, their second choice is to continue at the civilian school for a set tuition and go on to a safe civilian lifestyle.

Though, that doesn’t mean six year olds who go to the ninja academy don’t end up as civilians. There have been cases where, despite personal desires and determination, a student simply isn’t cut out to be a shinobi. Even before they reach their final year, students with no potential are highly encouraged to withdraw or even straight out failed.

And sometimes, even academy students may go on to live a safe lifestyle as ninja. Students who have graduated from the academy, but fail to pass the jounin-led team tests, are shuffled into the Genin Corps who then go on to be administrative workers, outpost guards, teachers, long term infiltrators, nurses, and other low risk occupations. In peace time, of course. In war time, they’re called cannon fodder.

No one tells her any of this. Outrightly, at least. There are some benefits to being a lone child wandering around the village without supervision. Alternatively, the head of the orphanage has useful drunken ramblings and he keeps a not so secret stash in his office. The head of the orphanage is not a terrible person–overworked and cynical and borderline alcoholic, yes–but he knows where funding comes from.

Although there have been less orphans due to peacetime, the Kyuubi attack still left all of the orphanages over full. And for all that there is no war, missions still have their hazards–death doesn’t care if a shinobi has a family. In any case, it’s very easy to convince orphans to join the academy when so many of their games revolve around the sugarcoated glory and excitement of ninja. There is no “cops and robbers,” there is no “hide and seek,” there is no “catch”; there is “hunters and nukenin,” and “ambush,” and “target practice.” Of course, for her, there was none of that anyway.

The orphanage workers called her a wallflower, shy, didn’t like playing with the other children. Helpful, though, when she could be. Out of the way when she couldn’t. Curious but quiet. All in all, a somewhat well-mannered and intelligent but otherwise normal orphan girl. Which is obviously not the case. To be fair, not even a close observer–one not distracted by dozens of other orphans–would be able to say why.

The past six years of her life was similar to many other orphans: occasionally underfed, frequent nightmares, independent and mistrustful. Even her reasoning to enroll in the academy, well-thought out rather than the usual glory-seeking, was not too different from the other orphaned children forced to mature at a young age.

It wasn’t until after another indistinguishable six years of education, a risk taken, a friendship made, a graduation passed, and a team formed that even she realized she was very different from the other children. That her decision, purely economical and entirely practical much like most of her decisions, had the unexpected consequence of altering a universe.

Cross Post: Trailblazers, Bright and Bold, “Epilogue Arc” drabble (2016-01-20)

jacksgreysonLeave a comment

original here. dated 2013-12-10

[[A/N: As previously stated in this post, this is one in a series of Trailblazers cross posts to make up for my abysmal showing for the past few days.

Trailblazers, Bright and Bold, with it’s slightly different title, is in a way the prototype for the Trailblazers I’ve been writing on this tumblr. So not everything in these cross posts would make the final cut of the hypothetical complete Trailblazers fic.

This one is set approximately… eight-nine years in the future? (as in, the actual future, in which everyone is now late teens/early twenties. Hence “Epilogue Arc”). The reason why I’m unsure is because this is supposed to be the one of the last few scenes of Trailblazers since Tetsuki’s literal deadline is approaching soon.

Like the first of these Trailblazers cross posts, this one is about my bewilderingly strong feels for the TetsukixKusakabe ship. Actually… my very first drabble on this tumblr was Tetsuki trying to buy a wedding ring for him. It’s like I’ve come full circle…]]

~

Their wedding is a beautiful one.

Not perfect, no, not at all, but beautiful nonetheless. It’s the first wedding amongst the tenth Vongola generation so it’s somewhat more political than they’d prefer, being obligated to invite allied Family members, but it helps that most of them are friends anyway.

The number of guests, though, means that the Foundation members not out on missions have to function as security–though Tetsuya has been calling them all ushers, even the ones with sniper rifles positioned on the rooftops of adjacent buildings–but they seem happy with it, glad to be there in person rather than wait for the video to be put together. She still can hardly believe how fond of her they are, calling her Ane-san even though she’s younger than most of them.

It’s a western-style wedding, but it’s held in Namimori. For all that they both work for the Italian mafia, they wouldn’t even consider marrying anywhere else. Kyouya-san wouldn’t let them, even if it does mean many of their guests have to travel halfway around the world. Kyouya-san is paying for the wedding after all.

Well, sort of. The caterer and florist are both Namimori-born; when Kyouya-san was mentioned, they offered their services for free. For different reasons: the caterers know who really runs Namimori and would never dare insult him while, apparently, the florists are huge fans of the Hibari manor gardens.

Her dress was made by Haru, of course, and even though she rejected Spanner’s attempts to mechanize it, Tetsuki’s pretty sure there’s still a layer of Flame reactive armor sewn in. Haru’s gotten better at subtlety, though, or perhaps Kyoko intervened because it’s not overly flashy or frilly or have anything overtly odd like wings. She even made a little bow-tie for Yuzuru, which is most likely also made out of Flame reactive metal.

Lambo’s the ring-bearer, even though he claimed he’s too old–but he was easy enough to trick when Kyoko told him how important the ring was in a wedding. How the ring-bearer is more like a ring-guardian. He’s almost electrocuted three guests already, but even in her flower girl dress, I-pin is just as quick as ever to stop him while Kyoko soothes things over with the almost victims.

With all that she’s been doing behind the scenes, Kyoko probably should have been her maid of honor, but she just smiled and said she liked the first choice better. She’s still a bridesmaid, of course, along with Haru and Chrome, but her best friend has always been Ryohei. He’s her man of honor–it’s not traditional, no, but neither of them really care–and he’s walking her down the aisle.

He cried when she asked him to, and she just huffed at him and asked who else did he think she’d consider; honestly Ryohei, even though he’s the Boss, Tsuna’s still so nervous about the strangest things.

If Kyouya-san hated crowds even a little bit less, he would have been Tetsuya’s best man. She knows he’s watching from somewhere, but she hasn’t actually seen him, just Tsuna’s increasingly twitchy eye that means he is around and possibly challenging guests and allies to fights or he and Mukuro are causing possible structural damage to the church.

As it is, Romario-san is the best man, which is fortunate because he’ll be near the center of attention and that means Chiavarone tripping and breaking something won’t be. Although, they’ve been suspiciously scanning the grounds for what she suspects is a missing Enzio. If that turtle ends up interrupting the wedding she won’t be the only one, or even the first one, in line to strangle Chiavarone.

That dubious honor goes to Fuuta and Bianchi. Who are looking over everything in a meticulous and exceedingly crazed manner–they’re the wedding planners, an odd, somewhat worrying, but surprisingly effective partnership which has made even Kyouya-san concede in a few wedding decisions (she and Tetsuya hadn’t even tried).

They’re both wearing tastefully simple silver domino masks, which means Fuuta’s doing so out of solidarity or they have really been hanging around each other for too long and have fused into some sort of hive-mind. It’s not exactly the weirdest thing to happen in their lives.

It’s all beautiful. Ridiculous and mad, of course, and nothing like perfect, but it’s beautiful.

She can’t do this.

~

[[A/N: Obviously, this drabble is incomplete, seeing as how she does end up married to Kusakabe. But whether that means they both ignore the ceremony and elope, or Tetsuki shakes off the last second doubts and follows through… I kind of forget what I had planned. I do remember Gokudera was supposed to talk to her (after Ryohei, the Guardian she is closest to is meant to be Gokudera… though that’s probably because Hibari is resistant to being close to anyone not under his control. It’s ranked as such: Ryohei, Gokudera, Hibari, Chrome, Yamamoto, Mukuro.

It’s a relationship built out of having similar childhoods (despite him being part of the mafia world) and the resulting mix of caustic distrustfulness and low self-esteem. Also, expository dialogue which Tetsuki would ask for in order to better understand the mafia world.

Also, after me, Hibari is the biggest TetsukixKusakabe shipper. As are the entire Disciplinary Committee, even from the beginning 😀 ]]

Cross Post: Trailblazers, Bright and Bold, “Epilogue Arc” drabble (2016-01-19)

jacksgreysonLeave a comment

original here. dated 2013-12-10

[[A/N: As previously stated in this post, this is one in a series of Trailblazers cross posts to make up for my abysmal showing for the past few days.

Trailblazers, Bright and Bold, with it’s slightly different title, is in a way the prototype for the Trailblazers I’ve been writing on this tumblr. So not everything in these cross posts would make the final cut of the hypothetical complete Trailblazers fic.

This one is also set approximately five (maybe six) years in the future like this previous cross post. As in, the actual future, in which everyone is now late teens/early twenties. Hence “Epilogue Arc”

This particular drabble is partner to yesterday’s–but instead of focusing on the Guardians, it goes into the other family members’ roles and the daily life around the Vongola mansion. This is more immediately related to The Green Knight series (a TrailblazersxKingsman crossover) , and these strictly Trailblazers drabbles (here and here) since it also kind of hints at the decline of Vongola as a crime family and the resurrection of it as a a peacekeeping/vigilante group.]]

~

She wouldn’t say she’s surprised, but she is still sometimes confused on how well she fits into the Vongola Family. Considering her own background… well. While she was lucky to have the Sasagawas, in truth it was mostly her clinging onto Ryohei and Kyoko as best as she could. She was content and never really reached for more because she never really wanted more. But Vongola is different. Family is different.

For all that she loves (and is loved by) Tetsuya, mutually fond of members of the Disciplinary Committee (now the Foundation), and tolerated by Kyouya-san, she knows that her presence there is something of a distraction if not a disruption. Even on the occasions when she gives a few weeks’ heads up or when it’s for an official Vongola mission.

They are distinctly Kyouya-san’s followers–her fellow Guardian has never liked crowding or sharing. They are to her what friendly in-laws are to normal people, pleasant but not Family.

She’s not on missions very often, the nature of them becoming less and less frequent the more Tsuna changes both his Family and the mafia world entirely, but she’s still not an integral part of the daily routine. That’s what Tsuna and Hayato are for.

It’s weird, though, for her to be in the mansion and not try to help out in some way. She kept her childhood house immaculate, and mostly fended for herself, but in the Vongola mansion there are servants. Servants who are probably better trained than many countries’ military, but servants nonetheless. And with her being so high in the Vongola hierarchy (a Guardian is second only to the Boss) they refuse to let her do some of the mundane things like do her own laundry or cook her own food or fix her own bed…

Actually, they looked somewhat insulted when she first attempted to do so. It was baffling until Hayato explained that she was implying she didn’t trust them–it was as if she suspected they were traitors and would poison her things.

Since then she lets the servants do their jobs, but makes sure to be as cordial as possible. She’s never been particularly sociable but she’s pretty sure they like her better than Mukuro–who almost could not be creepy and patronizing if he were paid to do so–or even Ryohei who, while well-meaning, is practically a living wrecking ball. She knows the construction workers like her simply due to the number of commiserating looks they’ve all shared (she buys them fruit baskets every time she knows Ryohei has broken some piece of furniture or some part of the house).

Even including that, most of her interaction with Vongola Family’s non-Guardians is still with Kyoko and Haru. But they’re both fairly high up in the hierarchy of Vongola as well, and far busier than she is–Kyoko is second in command of the Vongola medics. More like the one truly in charge, because Shamal, while brilliant, always was more of a lone wolf than a leader. Of course, under Kyoko’s eye the Vongola Medical Corps have become a highly-lauded entity in its own right due to sheer competency.

Haru, similarly, has grown into her talents to the benefit of herself and Vongola. Technically she is the Family’s CFO–something which causes her and Hayato to quarrel with each other so regularly that other members of the Family know when it’s the first Thursday of the month by the yelling and explosions and high pitched laughing and, strangely, singing and piano playing.

But she gets bored easily, as many of her accountant underlings can attest to, and anyway her true passion has always lain elsewhere. The engineers, while nominally under the purview of Shouichi and Spanner, have also been conditioned to obey Haru’s whims.

~

[[A/N: This one is sort of incomplete–I had been meaning to mention some of the other non-Guardian characters, such as Hana and Bianchi, and the children–but…]]

Cross Post: Trailblazers, Bright and Bold, “Epilogue Arc” drabble (2016-01-18) [4]

jacksgreysonLeave a comment

original here. dated 2013-12-10

[[A/N: As previously stated in this post, this is one in a series of Trailblazers cross posts to make up for my abysmal showing for the past few days.

Trailblazers, Bright and Bold, with it’s slightly different title, is in a way the prototype for the Trailblazers I’ve been writing on this tumblr. So not everything in these cross posts would make the final cut of the hypothetical complete Trailblazers fic.

This one is set approximately five years in the future. As in, the actual future, in which everyone is now late teens/early twenties. Hence it being “Epilogue Arc” because while the manga ended with everyone still being a teenager, Trailblazers as Tetsuki’s story doesn’t end until she dies (arguably, it continues even beyond that into Externality, but that is an entirely different beast that needs slaying so…)

This particular drabble I used as a sort of launching point for my various Trailblazers drabbles on this tumblr–in particular, the entire series of The Green Knight (a TrailblazersxKingsman crossover), and these strictly Trailblazers drabbles (here and here) which I wrote during the same period of time. As a sort of, now that all of the shounen manga adventures are done, how do these young adults actually go about running the biggest mafia family in the world.]]

~

Even though predictability kills, in the case of Boss delegating certain duties and missions to his guardians, it makes things more efficient.

Hayato, right hand man that he is, almost never gets sent on anything that will last more than a week unless Tsuna himself is going as well. He oversees everyone else, the finances, the engineering departments.

Takeshi, as the not-really-a-title left hand man, similarly stays close to Tsuna as well, though he’ll occasionally be sent on month-long missions alongside some of the non-guardian Vongola members. It’s funny seeing grown men defer to a teenager–he likes to think of himself as their coach.

Kyouya-san, based in Namimori and head of his entirely autonomous Foundation, rarely takes orders from Tsuna anyway, but he sends in reports on activities and locations like clockwork. If occasionally, there is something that Tsuna needs doing where he is then so be it, it will be done efficiently and completely.

Ryohei, in contrast, is usually the muscle to Kyoko and Haru and Hana’s more diplomatic missions–usually it’s safe, but there’s always a chance that things will turn for the worse, and for all that he’s a total goofball his muscles and scars make him the most physically intimidating guardian they have.

Chrome, and by extension Mukuro, are always assigned the long-term infiltration and undercover missions and, occasionally, the more subtle assassinations; all things that require patience, attention to detail, and the ability to change appearances.

The less subtle assassinations go to the Varia whenever possible: they want them, Tsuna doesn’t want his guardians to do them, everyone’s as happy as can be expected when an enemy group becomes a subordinate one. But sometimes, that’s not an option.

Less subtle assassinations in the sense that, it’s clear it was on behalf of Vongola, not that the death is highly publicized for all the world to know. Tetsuki sneaks in close, gets near, just as quietly as the Mist guardians do, it’s the aftermath that makes things obvious.

People don’t expect a young Japanese woman to be an Italian mafia’s hitwoman: her body is short and thin, they pass off her ring and her delicate wire gauntlets as accessories, her bow as an archaic hobby, the box small and harmless like herself. Her hair isn’t even a passing thought, obviously long because of aesthetics, not because lightning flames can harden and sharpen it into a makeshift blade.

But when she’s done, and the body is discovered hours or days or, one time, even weeks after she’s already left, they’ll see the electric burns, the bruises, the puncture wounds, the cuts. That’s Vongola, they’ll know.

She gets other missions, too. Teams up with Ryohei often enough for these, or gets sent to where Kyouya-san and the Foundation are.

On the outset, they don’t seem all that different from Kyoko and Haru and Hana’s missions: negotiations with obvious muscle (or in Kyouya-san’s case, lethality) in the background. But there’s just that little bit more added tension, a lack of flexibility that marks these as distinctly meant for her and not the other girls.

Her negotiations never require the skill or intelligence their’s do for one simple fact: if the terms she’s been sent with aren’t met, she’s to kill them.

If the other families bothered to differentiate between Vongola’s Japanese girls, they’d know to give in whenever Tetsuki is sent. As it is, their inability to research properly or see past whatever sexist, racist, ageist bigotry is blinding them means they never see it coming when their refusal leads to their deaths.

Missions relegated to her are not so common, the Vongola rarely has to show it’s strength in such ways even if the Decimo is young and Japanese and new. She knows Tsuna hates giving these to her, just as she knows that if it’s not her then it would be Takeshi and she knows who Tsuna would choose between the two of them.

For all that he’s a natural born killer according to Reborn (fuck Reborn, killers are made not born and he dragged all of them into it) he’s still just a teenager. He’s killed before, yes, but that’s always been in self-defense or in defense of someone else, on the rare chances when his missions get snafued. He can’t even drink alcohol legally in his home country (she can’t either, but that’s hardly the point).

It’s strange that so much of her life is the way it is because she keeps taking the place of younger boys who shouldn’t have to go through what she is.

This makes her look like a martyr, so selfless. It’s actually quite the opposite.

She is so selfish, she’s still so scared the people she loves will leave her, by choice or by death. She doesn’t want to mourn them, she’d rather they mourned her.

She’s not broken, but she certainly isn’t whole and healthy despite the Sasagawa influence in her life. She’s a flower, twisted and vibrant and all the more poisonous from lack of proper care. If it didn’t rankle so much to talk to him, she’d know that Reborn considers her an excellent Vongola resource: an adept killer not born to it but collecting and polishing skills throughout her life.

She’d probably agree, if the thought of doing so didn’t annoy her even more.

~

[[A/N: Lalala, Tetsuki hates Reborn so much and nothing will ever change that…]]

Cross Post: Trailblazers, Bright and Bold, Ten Years Later Arc drabble (2016-01-18) [3]

jacksgreysonLeave a comment

original here. dated 2013-12-10

[[A/N: As previously stated in this post, this is one in a series of Trailblazers cross posts to make up for my abysmal showing for the past few days.

Trailblazers, Bright and Bold, with it’s slightly different title, is in a way the prototype for the Trailblazers I’ve been writing on this tumblr. So not everything in these cross posts would make the final cut of the hypothetical complete Trailblazers fic.

This one is set during the Ten Years Later arc. As I’ve said before in this other Trailblazers drabble from last week, I’m not sure whether or not I want the future to which they go to be one that Tetsuki was the Lightning Guardian or not. It’ll definitely affect Tetsuki’s interactions with the Foundation (specifically with Kusakabe; which, duh).

I think at the time I wrote this, I did want Tetsuki to have been Lightning Guardian (and have just recently died) but I’m still waffling on the decision for the “final cut.” Not that the decision will overly change this particular drabble–beyond a line tweak or two–but in a general sense for the TYL arc.]]

~

It’s late in the night, possibly very early morning; she hasn’t been able to tell for days now since they’ve been cooped up in the base. Not that it matters, really, only the children have kept a regular sleeping schedule. There’s too much training and planning and worrying to do.

She finds Ryohei easily enough, he hasn’t left the gym except for meals. Even then, Kyoko has to drag him out.

No one else is there, but seeing as how all of the guardians–their future selves, this is so messed up–seemingly have their own designated areas, that wasn’t unexpected. What is surprising is that he’s not doing anything but sitting against the wall, listing sideways, almost about to fall.

Or perhaps not so surprisingly. Even Ryohei needs to rest every so often.

He’s not asleep, she knows, but his eyes are closed and he’s quiet. So she doesn’t say anything, just sits down next to him, tucking herself into his side so that they can lean against each other.

Immediately she can feel the line of warmth where they connect; the base isn’t cold, but in the circumstances this is comforting and familiar. Just the two of them, Ryohei and Tetsuki, just like always.

“Hey, Tetsuki?”

“Mmhm?”

“I’m extremely tired.”

And she knows what he means. He’s not talking about being out of energy, or needing sleep. He’s tired. He wants to give up but he knows he can’t because Kyoko’s here and Tsuna’s here and all the other kids and he can’t give up because they’re still fighting and even if they give up he still has to keep fighting because that’s guardians do. That’s what older siblings do.

She knows this because she knows him and she feels the exact same way. It makes her want to cry, because if Ryohei’s tired–inexhaustible, sunny, spirited, Ryohei–then she’s left adrift.

“Hey, Ryohei?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m absolutely terrified.”

It’s true. She walked into this expecting something terrible and got so much worse. They’re at a disadvantage and she doesn’t even know what game they’re being forced to play, much less the rules. She doesn’t know if they can do this.

He doesn’t call her out on it, though, doesn’t try to convince her not to be scared. She wonders if that confession means the same to him as his did to her.

They stay silent for the longest time, the two of them simply sitting there. She closes her eyes, too, for just a moment, leans further into Ryohei and feels him do the same back.

They must have fallen asleep because she wakes up in a bed with Ryohei’s elbow digging into her kidneys and Kyoko curled around her right arm, cutting off the circulation.

There is a reason why they haven’t slept together since she and Ryohei were eight and that is because she always ends up the bruised and achey filling in a Sasagawa sandwich. It was cute and tolerable when they were little but now they, even Kyoko, have been doing some serious training and Tetsuki’s body does not appreciate this.

She’s smiling anyways.

~

[A/N: The prototype for Trailblazers had the added “Bright and Bold” subtitle because it was meant to be a fic not only about the OC Lightning Guardian, but also a rewrite for Ryohei. After Lambo–which, why would they have a five year old be a Guardian–Ryohei it seems had gotten the short end of the stick character development-wise and story wise. Literally, it makes no sense for him to become involved except that he just happened to be there and the correct Flame type. And he (and Lambo) almost always end up being comedy relief in situations which is just… 😡

(If anything, it should have been Kyoko who became the Sun Guardian–as a story device, the girl who Tsuna had a crush on/who was the purpose behind his first Dying Will bullet, who is described as having a bright and sunny personality, would be the best choice for a guardian whose flame type’s special ability is “activation.” But given shounen manga’s ridiculous misogyny, unsurprising.)]

Cross Post: Trailblazers, Bright and Bold, Varia Arc drabble (2016-01-18) [2]

jacksgreysonLeave a comment

original here. dated 2013-12-10

[[A/N: As previously stated in this post, this is one in a series of Trailblazers cross posts to make up for my abysmal showing for the past few days.

Trailblazers, Bright and Bold, with it’s slightly different title, is in a way the prototype for the Trailblazers I’ve been writing on this tumblr. So not everything in these cross posts would make the final cut of the hypothetical complete Trailblazers fic.

This drabble in particular is set during the Varia arc, specifically before the actual ring battles, but after Tetsuki has had some training from actual mafioso/mafiosa. Unlike the others, she did not have a specific teacher for herself and, more over, they tried to make her learn a new weapon (kusari-fundo) given that her aikido and archery aren’t exactly conducive to a one on one battle against an assassin.

Needless to say, she is rather displeased with all the mafia nonsense intruding on her life.]]

~

When she enters the Sawada household for the first time, she is not happy: not with what she sees and not with herself.

In the middle of the living room floor is Sawada Iemitsu, passed out drunk in only his boxers. Sawada Nana looks resigned, but ignores his body with a determination that would be admirable applied to anything else; the only give away is the slight wrinkle in her forehead as she smiles.

Sawada-kun, though… Tetsuki’s angry at herself, but this isn’t about her. This is about the kid who she clearly doesn’t know enough about, but will be risking her life to fight beside.

“Kaiza-senpai, w-what are you doing here?” He’s pained to see her, only because he’s starkly aware of the spectacle in his living room. The corners of his eyes are tense, for all that they’re wide with surprise. Rather than his usual twitchiness, his hands clench and unclench into fists. He’s not embarrassed, not like his mother. He’s angry.

To judge you, she doesn’t say, to figure out if you are worth my life and Ryohei’s life and Lambo’s life and your friends’ lives.

“To take you and the kids out for a little bit of fun. Ryohei extremely forgot to ask you and your friends if you wanted to join us, and he and Kyoko are still getting ready,” Or at least, that’s what Ryohei better say after he receives the text message she’ll send as soon as Sawada-kun turns his back, “Are Yamamoto-kun and Gokudera-kun free today? I know they’ve been training pretty hard, too. Where are Fuuta, I-pin, and Lambo?”

“Aah, I don’t know. I’ll call and ask them. And the kids are upstairs,” as far away from his drunken father as possible, he doesn’t need to add.

“Please excuse me, Sawada-kun,” she murmurs to him as she goes upstairs without permission. Meanwhile, she shoots off a quick text to Kyoko, because Ryohei never checks his phone and the best way to get a message to him is to send it to Kyoko.

The set up of the second floor is simple enough to guess where the kids are, but the high voices ringing out from behind one door helps.

She knocks, and the voices immediately hush, so she calls out, “Hello? It’s Tetsuki, the rest of us are going to…” have to think of something “… the park and for a fun day out,” The door opens to show three eager faces, “and I wanted to know if you’d like to join us.”

“What kind of fun day?” Lambo demands, yelling over I-pin’s quiet but cheerful greeting, while Fuuta apologizes. “Sorry, we thought you were Sawada-san… um, Iemitsu-san.”

“That’s okay, Fuuta-kun” Smart kid, “Well, I’m not sure yet, Lambo-kun, but we can all decide together at the park.”

“Shouldn’t you be training? The Ring Battles are important,” Damn Reborn. She can feel her shoulders tense from just his voice and it doesn’t go away even when she spots him in his hammock.

“Taking a break can be beneficial, we need time to rest. Otherwise we’ll be too tired when we fight for our lives,” She tries not to glare at him, because that would just be asking for trouble, but something must show on her face because he just smirks, the smug little jerk, and flips his fedora down.

“Gokudera and Yamamoto said they’ll meet us at the park in thirty minutes,” Tsuna edges his way into the room as well, Fuuta’s smile growing.

“Is everyone ready to go?” Because she’d prefer not to stay here for much longer.

~then I guess they [the sasagawas, the kids, her, yamamoto, gokudera, and tsuna, maaaaybe dino and bianchi and haru] go to the park and have a day out? go to takesushi afterwards? and before it’s time for everyone to go home, she sort of manipulates the yamamoto’s into letting the already-asleep lambo and i-pin to stay there and possibly tsuna but tsuna says that no, i should go home, my mom will be worried. then tetsuki walks him home where they talk, he says thanks and sorry she says thanks and sorry, she shares her own terrible-parent sob-story, she assures him for the first time that he’ll be great.~

~

[[A/N: As you can see from the ending, I did have a little more planned for this particular drabble in order to make it a whole scene. It’s meant to be the turning point of Tetsuki choosing to become a Guardian rather than being dragged into it by dint of being Ryohei’s best friend. Before this scene, Tetsuki is angry at Tsuna for endangering the Sasagawas (and Kusakabe) and Namimori as a whole by bringing the dangerous mafia world to them; but here she sees that he really is just another victim of the whole situation.

She still hates Reborn’s guts, though.]]

Cross Post: Trailblazers, Bright and Bold, Daily Life / Before Kokuyo Arc drabbles (2016-01-18) [1]

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original here. dated 2013-12-10

[[A/N: As previously stated in this post, this is one in a series of Trailblazers cross posts to make up for my abysmal showing for the past few days.

Trailblazers, Bright and Bold, with it’s slightly different title, is sort of the prototype for the Trailblazers I’ve been writing on this tumblr. So not everything in these cross posts would make the final cut of the hypothetical complete Trailblazers fic.

Anyway, enjoy!]]

~

When she goes to the convenience store that Wednesday evening, like she does every other Wednesday evening, Kusakabe-senpai is already there waiting patiently.

It’s not like he has to wait for her to patrol, she doesn’t help much. For all that he says Wednesday nights are the Committee’s busiest except for weekends, usually these evenings are just the two of them strolling around Namimori sharing snacks.

They talk, sometimes, he makes her smile and she likes to think she does the same for him. Not that they’re dates! Of course not, they’re just friends–barely acquaintances, really.

Considering his best friend is Hibari-senpai, and she can’t imagine Hibari-senpai idly chatting as he hunts for troublesome herbivores in his territory, he probably just enjoys the change of pace. He’s just being kind, that’s all.

“Are your parents fighting again?”

He’s just letting her tag along because he think she has nowhere else to go. Or he thinks it’s better to keep a potential miscreant in his line of sight to prevent troublemaking. She’s pretty sure Ryohei’s on a list for known disturbers of the peace and her as well for being his aider and abetter.

“No… I think they’re both in Europe now, actually.”

“You think?”

“Well, I mean. I know my mother’s still in Berlin for a conference, but my father might be in either London or New York. He doesn’t like to stay in one place for too long.”

“Ah…”

She’s flushed. How embarrassing, just throwing out unnecessary information like that.

“Taiyaki?”

Those are her favorite, Kusakabe-senpai is so nice.

“Yes, please.”

The taiyaki shop along their route is supposed to close soon, but they’ve come so often that the owner tends to stay open just a little bit longer when he sees them coming by.

—

“Hibari-senpai knows? Oh my god, that means Kusakabe-senpai definitely knows!”

“Oi! You don’t know that!”

“Are you kidding me? Hibari-san has the social awareness of a hedgehog. No offense to hedgehogs.”

“That is extremely true!”

“How embarrassing, Kusakabe-senpai has probably just been pitying me this entire time.”

“You are overreacting to the extreme! Maybe he extremely likes you back!”

“Don’t shout it to the world, Ryohei!”

~

[[A/N: These two are separate drabbles–one of them is just ambiguous Daily Life and the other is specifically meant to be right before the Kokuyo arc. But seeing as how the second one was very short and just dialogue, and both were similar in their content I decided to cross post them together.

For some reason, as I was developing Trailblazers, I was struck with the unshakeable idea that Tetsuki would be in love with Kusakabe, and though it would be revealed to have been mutual neither of them would have ever made a move until it was too late (given Tetsuki’s penchant for dying before 25). As it is, given all the weird mafia bullshit that is happening to her, she ends up making the first move when the group comes back from the crazy TYL!arc.]]

Missed Post (2016-01-17)

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Okay, given that this is the third missed post in a row, I am definitely going to do a cross post blast now.

Thankfully this is in line with my current train of thought/fandom, because they are cross posts for Trailblazers.

Most of the brainstorming/early concept writing for Trailblazers was done when I was still mainly using livejournal (back then, it even had a slightly different name–the full title was “Trailblazers, Bright and Bold”). While I wouldn’t say they’re necessary to understand the Trailblazers drabbles on here (or if they would even remain part of my Trailblazers “canon”–there are some which I would discard were I to properly write the fic) they do have a large part in the idea behind Trailblazers, Tetsuki Kaiza, and my own understanding/perspective of the Katekyo Hitman Reborn universe.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy. 😀

Cross-Post: Richie Todd Wayne Goes To Paris, Brainstorm (2015-10-06)

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A/N1: I guess I bit off more than I could chew for this story, it’s collapsed under it’s own weight. Rather, there’s too much set up for not enough plot in return. So below is the brainstorming/outlining/ranting of my thoughts regarding this fic. I dunno. Maybe I’ll come back to it, but probably not? I was a little overeager yesterday.

Again, Richie Todd Wayne is from @mgnemesi‘s babyfic verse.

Technically, this is a cross-post, only because when I thought I was going to write it I transcribed all of my thoughts onto an lj post for safekeeping.

So, original here. Dated 2015-10-06.

—

Because babyfic verse didn’t explicitly go the route of JayTim (though mgnemesi wanted to) and there was some consideration for JayKon, at least temporarily, my brain extrapolated and went–what if that’s because Tim leaves?

So it starts with the dysfunctional first impressions take two with baby– the fact that Jason trusts the baby with Damian of all people. And sure it’s actually because Jason and Damian have history, but to Tim it seems like “I would rather hand this baby over to a literal assassin than trust him with you.” And maybe Tim takes it as a remark on himself–I wasn’t really going to nerve strike him, but am I so suspicious/untrustworthy that you think I would do that to a baby?

And of course Alfred wants Richie to be raised in Wayne Manor, but Jason obviously has issues with the family. But this is even before Bruce has been brought back, so it’s only Dick and Damian in the Manor (because Tim has moved out–he’s not going to live with Damian)… so maybe it’s like. Jason is more comfortable in the Manor when Tim isn’t there–so Tim interprets it in a way that says, he is not trusted with the baby.

Since it is during the Red Robin arc, Tim is out of Gotham for the most part, anyway so it’s not a deliberate avoidance. During which, Jason and Richie are already pretty settled in the manor. Until he brings back Bruce.

Obviously it’s tense at first, but then it becomes clear that Jason’s not killing people because he’s got a baby! And, really, that’s all that Bruce wanted so it’s fine. So Bruce welcomes him back (never mind that it’s Bruce returning). Jason is also tense, but being a father has given him perspective–he’s not so angry or out of control–so they reconcile.

Meanwhile, Tim is like… they’re a happy family now. Without me. So he just jets. Since Bruce is back he doesn’t need to be Wayne Enterprise’s CEO/poster-boy. But he thrives when he’s necessary, so he tries to come up with more jobs he can fulfill.

So he starts with expansion of WE and Batman Inc into Canada, sees how everyone gets along without him. How quickly they are to take over/distribute his territory/patrols. How utterly unnecessary he is in Gotham.

Likewise he’s not needed with the Titans because they’re a Robin thing and he’s not Robin anymore. Sure they didn’t like him at first, but everyone collectively mellows out and begin to get along. Especially since they are JLA light. And while Tim never wants to be Batman, the others are still in line of succession and it just makes sense for Batman in training to be on a team with the other JLA in training.

So there’s really no need for him to go back (which he interprets as, he can’t go back).

While Tim interprets the family as not needing him, so he does other things elsewhere, the family interprets his actions as him being so swamped/busy. So they try to lessen his load. Like, Bruce took back the CEO position for WE because he thought Tim was being overworked–instead Tim saw it as, of course, I’m just a placeholder. Now I don’t have WE or Robin, I have to make a place for me. It’s a spiral. Everyone thinks he’s moved on from them, when in fact it’s Tim thinking I should leave before you kick me out.

And a lot of that mentality spills over. Once he establishes a team in Canada (as both Batman Inc. and JLA International, because he knows there are some metahumans and he does not discriminate, also, double the financing), he sees that they’re functioning well, that they can run without him. He’s unnecessary again [there’s definitely some influence from saccarines’ fic Correspondence].

He goes back to Gotham after establishing the Canadian team, sees how well they function without him, decides to go where he’s needed–i.e. establishing teams in Europe.

Europe does weird things to Tim–he broke a lot of laws there, it’s an older place, and the ways of world are different. Magic, not metahumans [Ladybug and Chat Noir?!]. The teams he assemble aren’t as wide-eyed innocent and stalwart as the North American teams. They’re darker, somehow–not that Gotham, world capital of the criminally insane isn’t dark as well, but the vigilante culture is so controlled by Bruce’s lofty standards that, in comparison, Tim’s European Batman Inc teams are more shades of gray and subtlety.

He’s pretty established as the voice/face of Batman Inc in Europe. London, Paris, Berlin, Athens (WE stimulates economy, Batman Inc protects the people). He’s not really the boss, but he has the most experience and he is the one who established them. He made them to function independently of him… mostly he floats between them, acting as an intermediary between HQs or them and mafia. He can’t get a foothold in Italy because the mafia are so established, but maybe he makes deals with them occasionally (more of that sketchy gray area). He probably does have some dealings with Ra’s al Ghul, but that’s really minimal to the story.

He very rarely goes back to Gotham–less and less frequently as time goes by–and definitely never the Manor when Jason and Richie are there. Because he doesn’t want Jason to feel like his home is unsafe, not realizing that the Manor should also be Tim’s home. He makes himself busy, makes himself necessary elsewhere. Avoids the entire family.

ANYWAY

Richie goes to Paris when he’s thirteen because he’s frustrated. When is he going to be Robin? Damian has officially become Batman and Richie was always going to be his Robin. He’s already had a lot of training because he literally was raised by all of the Batmen, Robins, Batgirls (Aunt Cass visits AT LEAST once a year, which is more than Tim does, because she’s not a neurotic mess of self esteem issues).

It’s been over a decade since Tim has come home/interacted with the family not in a professional capacity–either WE or BI [although, he did have Cass come over and help train his Europe teams].

Richie’s a little nervous around Tim because, with everyone else, his other “teachers” are just his family. He’s grown up with them–Aunt Stephanie was the one to buy him waffles before teaching him how to stitch a wound closed. His Dad taught him how to wire a bomb but still makes sure he doesn’t watch R-rated movies. But with Tim, it’s this stranger. And the thing is, they don’t really talk about him in the Manor. You don’t really talk about people unless they’re present in some way… maybe Richie grew up on stories of Red Robin/the third Robin (what, with Jay and Kon having had a thing a few years ago) but it’s not prevalent in his life. He’s a lingering ghost in the Manor, and even in the Titans Tower.

So Richie’s nervous, but Tim of course interprets that as “Oh, he hates me.” Because why wouldn’t he? As far as Tim knows, this is Richie, the son of Jason who hates his Replacement. The boy who’s in love with/going to be Robin of Damian, who hates his predecessor and literally tried to kill him.
But of course Jason doesn’t hate Tim, he’s just really fucking awkward around him. And… well, I don’t necessarily want it to also be DamiTim, but that is a possibility (and I’m always a sucker for DamiTim, or at least theoretically DamiTim–Tim is building Batman Inc, and Batman is now Damian. He’s building Damian’s empire).

But Richie has a crush on Damian… I want Richie to have a happy ending, but having your first love requited, especially when it’s for a man who will be your mentor/vigilante partner isn’t exactly going to lead to a happy ending for Richie… definitely one-sided Richie x Damian.

Richie is a good boy. He’s all of the hope of Robin within him. He is loved by his family and is all of their good traits. So when Tim is feeling low, saying that he can learn better from someone else, Richie replies with “They’re not you.”
Tim doesn’t think he’s part of the family, while Richie is the baby of the family. So there’s this gulf between them–the one who (thinks he) is unloved and the child who is most loved.

Richie is a lovable boy–and Tim doesn’t have any problem with training this boy. He’s going to be a Robin that Damian Wayne needs. That Damian Wayne wants. And Tim will do anything in his power to help make someone needed/wanted. Dick was also very lovable–loving and being loved, as was Jason whose love burned and was passionate and invited reciprocation, Stephanie loved easily, strongly, and it was easy to love her in turn, Damian of course would be loved. Tim thinks he wasn’t loveable–he loved but wasn’t loved in turn.

Training starts with undercover stuff, because it is the one thing that Tim is the best at amongst the family. It’s something that the European branches take pride in because they are more subtle, and it gives them a way to seem more than they are (each team is really three or four people, but each person has multiple identities so they seem larger), it’s their specialty. So at first Tim teaches Richie that, because he doesn’t know what else to do.
And after a week, Tim expects Richie to be bored and want to go home. Except, no Richie wants to stay, “I still have so much to learn from you.” And Tim’s just like… “Really? Like what? But… okay?” And he’s scrambling around trying to find what else to teach Richie–he doesn’t want to teach him the wrong thing, doesn’t want to ruin this Robin to be.

But he’s good at this. He basically raised Kon and Bart, he’s been training teams since he was a teenager himself, his self made job is to create and train teams to independence. He’s good at it. So long as Tim doesn’t get distracted by holding himself up to the ideal of Robin, he’s a really good teacher. He get’s more comfortable with Richie and vice versa, and then a month passes.

And Tim really doesn’t have anything else to teach him. But then they stumble upon this conflict. Because Tim thought he’d be gone after a week, and the family thought maybe a month but definitely after he’s done with training. Whereas Richie is like–I’m going to stay here forever, or at least until they let me be Robin.

At which point Tim is like… are you holding yourself hostage? And they discuss the philosophies of Robin. It’s something that Tim has been different about in regards to the role. With Dick it was “I want to help fight crime.” With Jason it was “I now have the power to do good.” With Stephanie, she was going to fight crime regardless, as Spoiler, but as Robin she’s Bat-sanctioned, Bat-trained, “I am getting the authority.” With Damian, Robin was a step to Batman–a Batman in training role.

But with Tim, he stepped up to be Robin because someone needed to step up to be Robin. Robin needs to exist as a complementary role to Batman–regardless of who fills the suit or what comes after.

It helps Richie understand Tim. Because it’s about being whatever Batman needs. And that’s why Tim is so messed up, because when he had Robin taken away from him he took that as a sign that he was not needed. Whereas Richie is raised with all these people, constantly reassuring him that he’s loved and that he doesn’t have to join the family business. And if he doesn’t he knows he will still be loved. His place is solid in the family, and that’s something that Tim doesn’t realize about family.

Tim tells him to go home. Don’t be so eager to be Robin right now. Or rather, be the Robin that they need. Right now Damian doesn’t need someone to fight beside him. He doesn’t need a Robin on the streets, he needs someone who will be there for him. It’s his first year as Batman and he needs to establish himself as a hero in his own right before he becomes a mentor, he needs time. So maybe what he needs from Richie is to give him that time… and Richie accepts that. He’s not as desperate to be Robin, he’s patient.

But Richie personally still needs to learn. Which Tim acknowledges as true. After all, Tim did a training trip with Shiva and so maybe Richie needs something similar. So Time is like… how much time do you have until school? Another month? Well for this month, you’ll be operating in Europe. It’ll be a taste of what it’s like to be an operative. Then the adventures of Richie Todd Wayne as Egg. And afterwards, Richie goes home, settled and stronger. Ready for Robin, but willing to wait.

… Except he bonded with Tim, and he knows how lonely Tim is, how unsure of his place in the family is. So he wants to bring him home (which is, basically what Alfred was trying to do from the start by sending Richie to Tim)… so Richie pulls a Parent Trap for Jason and Tim… or something like that.

—

A/N2: Uh… so yeah. I actually did all of brainstorming verbally in an hour long voice recording while I was stuck in traffic. There was a lot of cussing… and me yelling out OBLIGATORY TIM FEELS like… six times. Basically… I had a lot of feelings yesterday.