Another Obsession

[nikoshinigami]

It's that time of year again where a reader not understanding AO3's archive warnings inexplicably becomes my fault. AO3 is a fantastic website that lets a person tailor their reading experience. You'd think this would happen less but alas~

[bertyswordbox]

I'm curious about your thoughts

I think it's sad Amano gave only little tiny bits of Hibaris story and motivations.. but what are your headcannons?

I'm not talking about canon but I'm curious about your thoughts! Why does he like the school so much? Is he part of some Namimori specific Yakuza?? Does he actually want to have friends deep down??? And so on...

I would love to discuss your ideas and imagination! 💕

He could be so cool but his coolness is only based on vibes and that's sad :((

[nikoshinigami]

I think people have a hard time understanding Hibari because he does not have a 'want'. He is a character at the end of his story--he knew what he wanted, he got what he wanted, and he was living his happily every after when we met him. All other characters have their wants which are articulated and played upon in the narrative. Hibari's archetype would be the mentor but that's not where he is in life when he meet him--we meet mentor Hibari in the Future Arc and he becomes him for the first time chronologically in the Simon/Inheritance Arc. So Hibari being so out of synch with where everyone else is in their life while still being considered in their peer group makes him seem underdeveloped, but it's just a matter of his association to them being wrong. Hibari falls in with Dino, the Arcobaleno, etc. in his part in the story but not yet in maturity.

I think the canon does a pretty good job of characterizing him, honestly. I still have headcanons, though.

I think Hibari understands natural order better than he does people. Herbivores don't exist to be preyed upon by other animals, but those who are prey are herbivores and they will always exist/should be allowed to exist. He maintains order in Namimori not to prey on those weaker than himself but to ensure those weaker than himself are not unjustly preyed upon. He sets very firm but fair expectations throughout not just the school but the whole town and if a line is crossed, there are consequences. He does not fight people's battles for them, though, to become a crutch to his society. He is aware Tsuna and likely others are bullied in his school but if he were to step in to stop it, he would be denying them the opportunity to grow as people. He loves his school and his town because they belong to him; he feels ownership and pride in them. How did it come to be this way? Force of will. Hibari decided those things belonged to him and there was no clear opposition.

[side tangent: I am always so disheartened to see people interpret Hibari as someone controlling who must be obeyed. It's the rules which must be obeyed and he is their enforcer--even when he must enforce those rules against himself such as in chapter 43. But I think him being the villain when the story was unserious has lead to some inconsistencies that allow for him to be interpreted as a tyrannical control freak much to my dismay--he's so much more deliciously complex once Amano took her story seriously]

It might be in the canon or it might be a headcanon--I cant recall if I read it in an art book or novel or supposed it--there might have been some Yakuza presence in Namimori for a time and it was Hibari that cleared it out and replaced it with his own order. Adults have respected that ever since and allow him to enforce social order in place of the organized crime they were previously dealing with. He's fair and unbiased in his judgement and it makes life easier on everyone to just let the kid and his committee do their thing. Some of the DC might be prior Yakuza or the children of Yakuza who now are respected members of society because they are now under Hibari.

I headcanon most of his family live in Hong Kong or are there for work considering that is Fon's homeland. They trust Hibari can be left on his own and likely has servants taking care of the large property and his needs. I headcanon him as autistic, and given how traditional his home appears and potentially his background, that there might be some disappointment/denial regarding that from his close family which is easier to cope with at a distance. Hibari has never wanted for anything, though, and is a very happy and fulfilled person in part because those closest were so hands off and allowed him to flourish in the ways that were natural to him.

I don't think Hibari wants anything that he does not articulate or act upon. However, I do think he does at times have a hard time articulating what it is he really wants when he says he wants something--both to himself and others. Following Dino around his school in chapter 365 to fight him is probably, yes, a desire to fight Dino, but also just a want to hang out to some degree since they're good friends and Dino isn't often in town. Same with his relationship in general with Kusakabe being a subordinate in application but not necessary in function when it comes to interpersonal needs. I don't think Hibari knows how to differentiate a desire to spend time with someone because he enjoys their presence and them fulfilling their role to him or playing their part in his life as he's accustomed to; so long as they are there, they're fulfilling that need/desire.

I think Hibari is happy just the way he is. If more came into his life, that'd be fine, but he's content and satisfied with the life he's already built and the people who are in it.

[nikoshinigami]

Hibari hates Mukuro but Mukuro does not hate Hibari. Mukuro loves that he lives rent free in Hibari's head as a monstrous villain, untainted by any pity or care for nuance. The only thing about Hibari that gets under Mukuro's skin is the fact the guy is so single-minded that he will take a bad situation and knowingly make it worse for everyone just because the opportunity for revenge has appeared. It makes it difficult for Mukuro to make a grand entrance and be awesome when a wild Hibari can derail everything.

And of course Mukuro knows the only way to relieve himself of this eternal strife is to let Hibari have his revenge, but Mukuro is a survivor and fuuuuck that. Not just because it's Hibari but because he knows what he did and what Hibari is still furious with him over. The senseless torture that resulted in nearly all Hibari's bones breaking, the inhumane treatment that ended with his prey imprisoned for no reason other than to abandon him to a slow and painful death in captivity, and the mocking way in which he enacted it all. Let Hibari get even with him over that? Not a chance--Hibari can die mad or grow the fuck up and be the bigger man. Mukuro is pretty sure it will be the former.

[nikoshinigami]

Hibari's stand doesn't fit him but I am still so happy to see my boys together ♡

[nikoshinigami]

Yesssssss!!!!! o9

[nikoshinigami]

So devistated~ We finally got coins enough to get a few and the machine wouldn't dispense anything!! POS gacha indeed.

Any suggestions on where to go to get nice Reborn stuff in Tokyo? We leave December 2nd, 2025.

[nikoshinigami]

I love AUs where Shouichi, Mukuro and Hibari are all friends. The three only have off-screen collaboration in the future arc, but thinking about how they would work as buddies is quite fun.

Unlike with Tsuna, Gokudera and Yamamoto where they all bring out the best in each other and give off good vibes, Shouichi, Mukuro and Hibari are almost always in a two against one war within themselves with the two and one in continual revolution.

Both Mukuro and Hibari agree Shouichi is the stupidest smart person they know. They use their combined black/white viewpoints to challenge Shouichi's more grey interpretation of things and force concrete positions and decisions that aren't bogged down in the nuances Shouichi takes comfort in. Mukuro is the devil on one shoulder telling him to flip the table when things have gone to shit, and Hibari is pretty much just another devil nodding in agreement but requiring that it be done in a manner than is not disruptive to the general peace.

Both Mukuro and Shouichi agree Hibari is a stuborn, inflexible jerk. Between Mukuro's irreverence and Shouichi's logical insistence, they may not be able to make Hibari do anything he hasn't already decided to do, but they can commiserate and bitch about him with each other. Neither is above lying to try and get things done for the greater good and are comfortable with manipulation when the cause requires it, but Hibari is really not worth the effort most of the time.

Both Shouichi and Hibari agree Mukuro is a dramatic bitch. They are both equally annoyed and confused as to why Mukuro lies about things he doesn't need to, pretends to take nothing seriously, and intentionally tries to keep them at arms length. They both love to demonstrate that they can see right through the bullshit, though, and call him out on things rather than let him control their perception of him. The fact neither will permit Mukuro to treat them as subordinates keeps them from being relegated to the same position as he holds his Kokuyo kids.

Sometimes they all agree on something, but there is a constant, unspoken tug-o-war going on in which each is trying to draw one of the other two to their side that keeps them in each other's highest respect.

But, yeah, heavily AU coded because Mukuro having tortured and mocked Hibari, continuing to poke at him with malicious glee because he loves the menace and infamy in which he still exists within Hibari's mind is incompatible with friendship. But removing that from the equation, good buddies with a Shouichi to to make sure their dumbasses don't implode due to their dogmatic rigor.

[nikoshinigami]

Channeling Rokudo Mukuro in my Halloween Scarecrow. Gatta love the subtle impact of some circle lenses on a standard costume.

[nikoshinigami]

I wonder if my asexuality has anything to do with the fact I have never been attracted to Vampire media. I am going to assume yes.

[nikoshinigami]

Fic: Affairs of the Past

Wrote that D18 omegaverse after all. A plethora of TW are applicable, so read at your own discretion. Explicit rating.

Might be a one-shot. Might expand on it. We'll see. Might be more fun just to answer Asks about this story with scenes you'd like to see.

It had long ago been a surprise to open Vongola's file on Hibari Kyouya and see that most fields of information on Dino's prospective mentee were unapologetically left unanswered. Age? Unknown. Family? Unknown. Many things that would generally be very easy to answer with Vongoa's vast resources were left blank, an enigma in and of itself almost on par with the person of whom Dino was learning very little. Dino knew enough in knowing that Reborn saw in the boy potential worthy of petitioning a Don to put aside the needs of his own affairs and travel across the globe not on behalf of his alliance with Vongola but simply as a favor to his own mentor who would not waste his time unnecessarily. Hibari Kyouya was put forward to him as a curiosity, something to be encountered in order to be understood.

It was love at first bite.

Not love per se but certainly an attraction. Kyouya's pride and presumed hubris made Dino want to put the haughty youth in his place, but the vicious ferocity of his attacks were a testament to the strength the boy rightfully relied on. He seemed like a posturing, overconfident brat hiding his weakness in indifference until he knocked three of Dino's teeth loose and filled the Don's mouth with his own blood--a Don trained by the greatest hitman of all time, a twenty-two-year-old man with years of combat training and victories in real-world conflicts bolstering his reputation in the broader mafia community. Dino felt that pain in his jaw, the taste of metal on his tongue, and felt a familiar hunger in him that was carnal and base and rarely piqued let alone satisfied. This was going to test Dino's mettle as much as it begged him to find the limitations of his charge's. He'd been handed a worthy opponent whose strength and skill could challenge him physically, whose stubbornness and willpower were being put to Dino as obstacles to overcome, and the only caveat seemed to be not to break him in like a wild Mustang but simply find a way to harness that power in a way that benefited Vongola. Even if Reborn hadn't asked it of him, Dino would have wanted to pursue those ends--only "for Vongola" being omitted. He'd found something that felt like both rival and prey in Hibari Kyouya and the hunt of him was more enticing than any fantasy that might care to imagine such a hunt at its conclusion.

Age unknown. Family unknown. Limitations unknown. Despite an acceptance that some things were to simply be allowed to remain unknown no matter how strangely omitted, Dino had always assumed his student to be an alpha like himself. He never asked, expecting to get the same sort of nonanswer as many other topics received, but as he wasn't looking to take him to bed with him, it hardly mattered. Even if he didn't know his age, he knew Kyouya was young enough to not be involved with, and regardless of who the Hibari were, Dino knew Kyouya to be Vongola and that too was enough. He was limitless and also off limits and not once did Dino care or think to test the one as much as he enjoyed testing the other. Just two alpha's beating the ever-loving shit out of each other for fun, a tale of testosterone and negligible stupidity in regards to self-preservation. He loved Kyouya being a part of his life, the bond they shared, the pride he felt in his every accomplishment. He watched him take down the Mosca and the challenges of the final Sky battle against the Varia and knew he wanted to be known as the man that incredible creature called his mentor. Life was perfect and fulfilling in ways Dino had not dreamed possible.

Until Reborn learned Hibari Kyouya was an omega and saw in him a means to breed that limitless strength into future generations of Vongola.

Vongola owned Kyouya and whether they threw his body at enemies or into the bed of its heir made no difference to them so long as they got what they desired in the end. Dino had heard told that Kyouya tried to give back the ring and leave the famiglia--not the for the first time either--but they would not allow it. He tried to distance himself from Vongola but Reborn pursued him relentlessly. Reborn knew when his next heat would be, never gave him any peace in fear someone else would sully him as Vongola's mate could not be some whore who would satisfy himself outside an intentional bond. Kyouya never asked to become Vongola, had gotten involved because the mafia's actions threatened his territory but never sought mafia help or inclusion, wanting only to be left alone but conscripted out of awe. He participated to protect his students and end an enemy occupation of his home. He pursued Dino's temptation of conflict not out of a desire to meet Reborn's expectations, but out of a desire to meet a worthy opponent and respectfully destroy each other like phoenixes set ablaze. Kyouya never consented to being Vongola, but Vongola had staked their claim in him regardless.

There was a sort of "natural order" to things that Reborn understood and expected to be followed. Vongola was the best and therefore the best should have no greater desire than to be Vongola. Dissent was a flaw to be beaten into submission, not an opposition to woo and win. Alpha's led, beta's followed, and omegas were a prize to keep in one's bedchamber and gloat over between glasses of grappa and cigars with other Dons. Giotto's bloodline was in danger of ending, too few heirs and Xanxus's slaughter leaving a legacy in jeopardy. Tsuna was a worthy successor but carried in him an innate weakness that could harm their reputation and cause further discord through the mafia ranks. Between Rokudo Mukuro and the Varia conflict, they'd nearly lost the last of Giotto's line twice in less than a handful of months. To Reborn's eye, there was no reason to wait when time was as much an enemy as any other.

Kyouya never cared to talk about what had happened. Tsuna preferred to avoid the subject but trusted Dino, his big brother who had experienced Reborn himself as a child, and would describe in simple, broken sentences the horror of finding Kyouya bound to his bed, the intensely alluring smell that emanated from his naked body, and the shock of a bullet penetrating Tsuna's own head as rational thought and human decency were blown aside in the wake of unbridled instinct and compelled desire.

The bullet was a kindness of sorts. At least Tsuna could rationalize what he had done as being someone else's fault. A young alpha first introduced to an omega in heat might have been unable to control himself even without the assistance, but Tsuna would never have to question his composure as Reborn had removed the goodness in him that would hesitate or recoil in disgust from being present at that time. Dino could only imagine the kind of bullet he'd used, one that activated and heightened those alpha instincts to fuck and claim and sow his seed. It was coercive, it was rape, and Tsuna was a victim as much as he was also a tool to inflict that same horror on another. They parted as a bonded pair--one last insult to linger long after the pains of that first betrayal.

Reborn likely expected, cowed and broken, that Vongola would have its coveted omega accept his lot in life and be grateful for being fulfilled in his "true purpose". That was not Kyouya--could never be Kyouya. Reborn believed biology could be stronger than ones will, but chose a young man who would carry on with broken bones, walking, fighting, supporting the weight of another, each step and movement agony as pain screamed through his nerves, undaunted and undeterred until in his pursuit of revenge he was satisfied enough to rest. Hibari Kyouya would never accept defeat when other options remained--wherein lay Dino's greatest, most earnest regret.

Kyouya never asked for his help, never spoke words that would implore Dino to fix what was spiraling outside his influence, but Dino understood even the language of his body when his silence carried his meaning. Dino knew when his student was metaphorically begging him on his knees. I'm pregnant, he'd said, and then sat in silence. He may as well have screamed at the top of his lungs in desperation to be granted an abortion and safe harbor from the actions that caused his nightmares to linger and intensify with each step he seemed to take. Were it any other person, any other situation, Dino would have been the knight to slay his dragons. But Kyouya was the bonded mate of Vongola Decimo, pregnant with the heir of Dino's allied family, and any action he took would be an act of aggression against a force his Famiglia would never survive. Kyouya was, in his own way, asking, begging, pleading for someone in power to intervene where his attempts had come to nothing, and Dino had been struck dumb, the silence between them lingering in an endless loop of unspoken gambles as hope died on sealed lips.

Even knowing he'd made the right choice in not becoming more involved than his bonds of brotherhood already demanded, Dino wished there had been more he could have done. He cared for Kyouya, admired him, thought the world of him in all the ways that made him so unique and inspiring. He mourned the version of him he met not long ago, the one who was still there in spirit but whose body had been coopted by another's legacy. Horrified and devastated, Dino was also immensely proud when Tetsuya recounted how Kyouya had taken his own life, his final act as he disemboweled himself having been ripping from his gut the womb that had seen an end to his autonomy so he could die at peace alone in his own flesh.

Vongola gained nothing and lost more than they had bargained for. Hibari Kyouya, omega or not, did not know the meaning of submission and would not be made to obey.

Ten years passed by quicker than one might expect. Dino held his memories of Kyouya as fond things that rarely presented themselves. He was not haunted by him but he did long for that same connection he'd felt back then to be sparked by someone else. A rival, a worthy opponent, someone to test his strength and skill against--especially in a world now reliant on weaponized rings and boxes. It never occurred to him that the bearer of the Vongola Cloud ring of ten years in the past wouldn't be the younger version of the woman who currently held that rank. It never crossed Dino's mind that he would one day get to stare back into those narrow, deep blue eyes again, hear that judgemental baritone, and witness the force of nature that had all at once recaptured his attention.

He'd forgotten what it was like to be near him. To speak to him. The way he never held back on a punch and expected equal brutality to be offered back in respect. He was so simple and honest and while ten years had softened him in some of Dino's memories, the reality of him was so many times better. He was unlike anyone else, and Dino knew in all certainty that there would never be anyone else who could hope to come close. His limitless student, a young man capable of anything and everything except accepting directives he didn't like. Knowing how it all ended fueled a forgotten rage in Dino's soul. The young man deserved so much better, and the world deserved to have Kyouya in it still. Byakuran might have intended only to claim the Vongola Cloud ring from the past when he brought him to them, but he had gifted Dino something he'd long accepted as impossible: a chance to save Hibari Kyouya.

Dino knew something no one else knew. Most of the people of Dino's time who were still around to aid in the fight were unfamiliar with the former Cloud guardian, and those who did know he'd end his life before the year was out had far greater trials ahead, a multiverse in peril, and many more lives at stake. Only Dino knew Kyouya's first heat would be soon. Telling Reborn, explaining what happened, attempting to talk him out of casting Kyouya as Vongola's bitch to breed would only ensure more time to consider and plan for Vongola's future. The lesson learned would be to deny Kyouya of even more freedom if death could stop their machinations. Once Reborn knew, once Vongola's intentions were known, there was nothing anyone could do about it. But in the limited time before that happened, there was opportunity.

Dino watched for the signs and planned ahead. He kept Kyouya busy as a favor to anyone who asked all while anticipating a change in scent, a flush of pink in his face, a shift in vibes that would signal a change in his chemistry. Dino urged it on subtly, ensuring his presence as an alpha never went unnoticed either by sight, smell or touch as he hovered close. Kyouya was annoyed by him all up until he wasn't. The change in the air had Dino's own senses roiling as the presence of an omega became a reality every part of him seemed aware of, no longer just a fact in his mind. Dino had wondered if there would be fear in the young man's eyes when he realized what was happening to him, but managed to bite back a chuckle as Kyouya's expression simply soured in perhaps a mix of disappointment and frustration.

Dino let out a long breath, the break in anticipation offering some minor relief. "You were smart to hide it," he remarked before placing a hand on his back and motioning towards the door leading out of the training room and into the snaking hallways of the Vongola compound. "It's okay. I knew. I prepared a place for you to manage this safely. There's water, food, everything you'll need without having to leave the room until it passes."

Kyouya didn't seem impressed or even surprised. He nodded and followed where Dino led him, accustomed to being waited on by those with good intentions. The room was exactly what Dino had promised him, exceeding standards he would have otherwise found in any care center that catered to omega heats. In their somewhat dire circumstances in the fight against the Millefiore, of course going to such a place was out of the question. Of course someone of this time would know and ensure Kyouya's good health regardless. Of course that someone would be Dino. It warmed Dino's heart to see how much his student trusted him, even as he locked the door behind them both and watched suspicion settle into its place.

The want of him was ever-increasing.

Dino leaned against the door, giving Kyouya a few moments to process things, aware of the strange and new feelings the other was going through and how such things might dull the sharpness of his wits. He wanted him to feel fear, to feel threatened, to process the dangers facing him and how much more difficult circumstances could become.

"I'm going to explain things to you, and because I know you won't listen to me the first time, I'm going to explain it all again once this is over."

"Get out," Kyouya ordered.

Dino smiled sadly and shook his head. "I can't think of any other way to save you if I do," he said, tension growing in every muscle as he forced himself to stand still and wait. "Even if I warn you of everything that could happen, it won't change anything. You will never be careful enough or clever enough to avoid the power of Vongola. You will never have enough influence to grow your own allegiances against them, enough money to bribe betrayal, or enough support to defend yourself against them. The mafia doesn't play fair and the same reliance on underhanded tactics that Rokudo Mukuro used to imprison and torture you can and will be used to ensure your strong will and strength are not deterrents to their aims."

Kyouya glared at him, chest swelling with deep breaths, eyes cold though his pupils were blown wide rather than pinpricks of disgust.

"You are dead in this world because of Vongola's admiration of you. Eventually, they find out you're omega, and they mean to have you bound and bred by Tsuna by whatever means necessary. I can't make them see you as more precious than their dreams for a stronger future. I can't make you less powerful or dampen your strength without offending the very heart of you. But I can ruin you for them in ways I know don't matter to you. Not in ways that will change you. And it's okay to hate me when it's all over. You hating me isn't enough to make me regret this. I know what happens if I don't follow through, and no one can undo those things once they're done," he said, hoping for understanding but accepting that that might forever be more than the young man could manage when so much of his life had grown up around the reality of his ability to achieve his every desire on his own.

Kyouya looked him over, breathing heavy, eyes narrow and thin. "You talk a lot of bullshit for an alpha."

Dino could not help but smirk, not in the least bit surprised to find his altruism mocked and good intentions ignored when really only one thing mattered in that very pressing moment. "I am going to enjoy the way you're going to enjoy the fuck out of me slamming my cock into you," he told him, his erection very evident and straining against his cargo pants.

Whatever he'd grasped of the conversation before, that Kyouya certainly heard. His growl was deep and throaty, his hands twitching to grapple or be thrown in fists. It would start as a fight--that had always been known. Not a fight to force submission but one of respect, like a violent mating dance to prove Dino's worth. They were rivals, equals--even if Dino was now twice the young man's age. He had no qualms against punching him in the face, yanking back on his hair, or throwing him into a wall to knock the wind from him if it meant Kyouya knew he took him seriously, acknowledged him in every way that mattered to him, and needed him as carnally as Kyouya's own new and strange desires needed Dino. Fucking wasn't Kyouya's punishment for losing the fight, it was Dino's reward for not treating him as a child.

They were both bruised, bleeding, and possibly concussed when Dino finally sunk his heavy cock into the swollen and soaked virgin hole near the base of Kyouya's vestigial dick. The wet, slurping sound of Dino's aching erection plunging between soft walls of warm flesh, breaking through to regions unexplored, were nearly as sensual as the stink of them trapped in every aching breath as a few bruised ribs were discovered as well. It should always have been like this, Dino understood. Or perhaps it was the hormones.

Dino stroked him as he fucked him from behind, grateful that his student remained quiet as he relished in the disgusting squelch of them that echoed every other sensation that registered how tight and wet his partner was. He imagined he could actually feel Kyouya's slick frothing as he increased his pace, his growing knot stealing depth from his thrusts while his balls swung heavy and tight. He'd told himself he wouldn't knot him on their first round, but no promise had been made and thus none broken when he took Kyouya firmly by the hips and forced him to stillness as he stressed the warm folds that hugged firm to his cock and demanded they part ever so much wider with a groan of protest below him and a surge of inches when force won. Dino couldn't move if he wanted to, but the want was nowhere present as the tightness in his loins erupted from him in tides of ecstasy and waves of semen. His knot dilated further, trapping every drop inside his mate while delivering exquisite pressure to the internal ring of nerves intended only to guarantee an omega's pleasure. Kyouya trembled, muscles tight, every part of him seeming to contract and pulse either in the throws of his own orgasm or in fear and anticipation of it. Only his breath, uneven and panicked, caught on his lips as he shuddered and gently convulsed. That was when Dino bit him, teeth cutting deep into the back of his neck. The hormones, the brain chemicals, the raw and debased physicality combined in a violent gnashing of teeth on a delicate node finally ripped from Kyouya a cry of primal satisfaction as their locked bodies rocked in mindless afterglow.

Eventually their senses would return. Clear thinking, the ability to feel shame, to reason out repercussions and ignore the hunger for sex would cut through the fog of heat in time to punish them before the relapse back into their pleasure-seeking frenzy. Dino was glad he was no longer of an age when his knot would last into those more cognizant moments. There was something innately worse, however, in watching Kyouya reach down between his legs and scoop out a sticky coating of slick and cum that clung to his fingers and slid in streaks like webbing from his trembling hand.

"Bonds take best when followed by pregnancy hormones," Dino explained. The slow turn of Kyouya's face to his direction, the wide and wild eyes and tight jaw said more than any outburst could convey. Dino took Kyouya's wrist and brought his hand closer, licking the side of his palm of the mess before his mate ripped his hand away. "I've got medication to take care of it afterward," he added, anticipating a row as Kyouya rose from the bed, putting distance between them, gravity sending a slide of more combined materials down his thighs and an expression of deep disgust across Kyouya's face.

Dino sat up, watching him. Maybe now he was willing to listen. It would have to be over the sound of running water, though, as Kyouya took to the shower in the doorless en suite, switching it to the handheld setting to wash away the filth both inside and out.

"There's not much point in that," Dino told him. "You're just as likely to get yourself all heated again faster touching yourself like that. And then it's just going to be round two."

"You're never touching me again," Kyouya spat, leveling him with a look that promised he would rip his throat out if he tried.

Dino nodded, leaning back, watching. "No one is saying you have to keep it. I have the medication for you. I just need you to wait a month or so. However long you feel it's going to take for the bond to be as strong as possible."

Kyouya shook his head, looking down as opaque splatters of mixed materials continued to circle the drain. "I don't want a bond with you," he insisted.

"You'd rather be raped by Vongola and sit in Tsuna's bed watching his cum leak out of you instead?" Dino asked, pointedly. "You want to be a prisoner for the rest of your life, bred like prized livestock? I can't keep you; when you return to your time, that's it. You will never see me again and can do as you like. Yes, you'll be marked as belonging to an alpha, but that will deter most threats to your autonomy. No one is going to sterilize you at your age, and anyone who promises they can is probably in Vongola's pocket and is just waiting to put you under to violate your trust. You are in danger, Kyouya. You preferred death at your own hands to the things they did and promised to continue to do to you. I cannot talk them out of an objectively good decision--you are without a doubt the best mate they could select for Tsuna if what they desire is strength, power, intelligence, and will in the coming generation. The me of your time can do nothing once Vongola makes their choice. No one can do anything. The mafia hates bastards, though. You're no good to them if you're bound to someone else. Your children would be illegitimate and maybe they decide to find some loopholes someday, but this will still have bought you time to figure out your response to that threat when it comes," he explained, hoping this time, perhaps, more of it permeated Kyouya's thick skull and helped explain the desperate measures taken in a light more favorable.

The young man shut off the water at last, dropping the shower head to swing back and crack against the tile. His eyes were still narrow with rage as he approached Dino, not caring to tip up on his toes for height as he'd never relied on any to intimidate. "This is your idea of protection?" he asked, grabbing the back of his own neck with taut fingers and scraping nails over the bite there till they pulled away in blood. "I don't need it. I don't need anything from a perverted old man like you," he assured him, shouldering Dino out of his way as he stepped back into the bedroom.

It wasn't surprising. It wasn't even disappointing. Above all, it wasn't a deterrent.

Round two was against the wall. Round three was in the shower. Dino's back stung in welts and rivers of blood where Kyouya's claws had repaid pleasure with pain while bite marks blossomed along his shoulders where Kyouya had returned the favor tenfold. Most of the fighting had stopped as there wasn't much point in it, though their union remained rough and carnal. Dino didn't care take him gently least he offend him even more. He was already calling into question Kyouya's ability to defend himself against other alphas, insinuating he was powerless in some ways because he was an omega. He fucked Kyouya like he fought him: full force and without holding back. If he got it wrong, at least it wouldn't be the young man's pride he'd wound.

Rounds four and five were back in the bed, both of them tired but spurned on by hormones that conned them out of rest. Heats were a marathon of physical exertion for both parties. They were disgusting heaps of sticky, smelling flesh by the time sleep gave them reprieve from further fucking. The next day promised little difference.

When they emerged from the room two days later, there was nothing left to say. Dino had exhausted all forms of language that might convey to Kyouya the seriousness of the warning he tried to impart, and Kyouya's pride--hopefully his pride and not actual disregard--kept the young man from relaying any genuine acceptance of his intentions. Reborn and the rest were mildly annoyed that the two had disappeared to "train" on their own but accepted the excuse without question or concern. No one noticed the mark on Kyouya's neck hidden under his hair and the tall collar of his button-down shirt nor any of the other marks they'd left each other where items of clothing could continue to contain their lingering marks. Estrus had passed and the fight against the Millefiore could continue without distraction. There was no knowing what would happen once everyone returned to their time, but at least Dino could rest assured things could not happen in the same manner as they had.

They fought the Millefiore. Tsuna turned Byakuran to ash. Victory was secured. The children would be returned to the past.

Goodbye was quick and without pretense. Dino made sure to press a satchel of pills into Kyouya's palm, and the young man pocketed them without a glance to the contents, at least showing some hint of trust still in his mentor that did not require he verify what was offered in confidence. It was a good sign. It was enough to inspire some hope that things would be meaningfully different in the timeline the children would return to. He'd never know for certain with their paths far removed now as separate threads in a multiversal tapestry, but at least this Kyouya would know someone cared enough to try even if nothing else came from Dino's attempt.

It should have ended there. Dino had promised Kyouya that he would not be able to keep him, that the things they did would be a secret only the two of them would keep, that the identity of Kyouya's bound mate could be a secret he left untold his entire life, never having to worry that another might speak his secrets as it would be an impossibility once their timelines broke apart. It should have been that simple. It should have been a promise no one needed to worry about being kept.

But when the Dino of ten years in the past woke up, achingly hard with dreams of satiating himself through Kyouya's heat filtered down into his own memories from a future he'd never live, a very much unaccounted for complication awakened in Italy instead.

[nikoshinigami]

Tempted to write an omegaverse D18 khr fic. The political implications within the world building alone would be a treasure trove, but the social bias around gender and their limitations on autonomy with those two in particular? A bevy of deliciously complicated topics to play among indeed.

[nikoshinigami]

I love getting comments on my work, but there is one title that I almost dread getting comments on because it is mostly done by people who don't know what "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings" means and want to complain about things not being tagged--something that that content warning specifically warns readers about. The fact that at no point did they feel inclined to tell me they were enjoying my work, but suddenly had the spoons to engage when they were outraged over the content they opted into when they ignored the content warning is beyond irritating.

In some instances, tags will completely alter the reading experience. In this particular fic, one part of the end-game pairing is married off in a political marriage to an OC who is physically larger, brutish, and very affectionate with his new, surly husband. If this fic were to have a rape tag, because of tropes, readers would not give that OC the same chance to be a character that they would without the tag--deciding his guilt based on the tag and not the narrative. Said character is actually a fantastic, caring, and gentle husband who dies before the tag offense is carried out by a different antagonist who enters the story at his exit. The husband does not live to be redeemed for a crime he never commits in the reader's mind, but would likely be judged for in his time in the story, keeping the reader from engaging with the character in the same way the actual narrative does--slowly revealing him to be more than he appears to be and earning the grief in his loss.

Writing involves more than the story being told; it's an experience curated by the author. Some stories are unaffected by giving away certain elements, some experiences are heightened when you know what's coming before the characters do, and sometimes knowing more than the character fundamentally hampers the ability to make an emotional connection with the narrative. I've always appreciated that Ao3 understands this and provided "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings" as an option to let people know a work is not guaranteed to be free of sensitive content without claiming its inclusion one way or the other. It's a genius content warning that allows for ambiguity while still operating as a deterrent to those who have a hard stance regarding the content they consume--or at least it would if readers paid attention and stopped confusing it as being synonymous with not having any applicable content warnings. By context alone, clicking anything with that orange box should tell readers that graphic depictions of violence, major character death, rape/non-con, and underage sex are all possibilities in the story as those are what make up the archive content warnings.

Anyway, just tired of the excitement of getting a comment turning to annoyance when yet another person fails to take personal responsibility for their own mistakes in ignoring the "Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings" warning.

[nikoshinigami]

Reborn: Special Fan Disc Dub Review

I still have no idea why they chose the episodes they did. The first episode of Kokuyo is the only one that makes sense and even then, I'd have picked one from later in the arc when Mukuro is showing off. This is a Fan Disc so the audience is made clear in the title alone; this is not intended as an introduction to the series and so why they avoided spoilers and chose such milk toast eps is beyond me.

Also, why is it pronounced Von-go-lay instead of Von-go-lah?!?!

VAs I thought were okay: Lambo, Reborn, Ryohei(ish), most side or minor characters, Mukuro (though why no attempt at the laugh?!), and Yamamoto(ish). I would prefer more gravel in Ryohei's voice and I didn't hear Yamamoto's enough to make any real determination.

Tsuna's VA left a lot to be desired. She was good at his screaming and freaking out but the general husky whisper performance was not good meaning his normal speech and especially his dying will voice were very flat.

I literally laughed out loud when Hibari spoke. I get they wanted to match him with a deeper voice per the original but... no. Wow, no. The cadence is off, the emotion--the VA is good but not for this character. At times he was fine but "I will devour you" instead of "I will bite you to death" also made me laugh. Baby boy walking up to Mukuro lounging on his gross couch with a line like that is like.... read some yaoi before you make a change like that, translators. Hibari is not there to offer Mukuro a good time, and yet that line...

Gokudera I was always going to be very picky about and I was definitely disappointed. Oddly enough, the performance in ep 77 was not bad--much more gravely and what I would expect. His ep 20 performance is nasally and just not what I want from our pack-a-day basketcase. This idiot is all about putting forth a tough exterior from his dress aesthetic to his words and sound of his voice (when interacting with an enemy especially). It was just a miss, though ep 77 did make me think the VA could be a passable Gokudera if he had a better understanding of the character. Also? Juudaime was translated to Decimo and that made me so incredibly happy. I did not want it to be Tenth if they had to change it at all.

Overall, not terrible but what a missed opportunity! The episodes they chose are just not great. Gonna be honest: I did not even watch episode 1 because I don't want to watch it; I don't need to when all the good stuff comes later. I'm a manga girly; I have seen some of the anime, not even close to all, but certainly enough to know there are far better ones to have chosen for a disc specifically released for fans of the series. I love the songs from the series and Rebocons so I'm very familiar with the original voice cast, but also being a fan of the stage plays, I would say I have realistic expectations for how others have embodied the characters in their vocal performances. In a few very notable cases, this is a miss.

If Tsuna's performance had been good, this could have been a low A grade dub, but when your main sounds like the VA is not speaking in a comfortable range and is losing their ability to properly emote because of it while surrounded by people who are giving lively performances in the same scene, it's a C. Do not want more of this. Will pop in for a laugh now and then but otherwise simply a collectors item.

[nikoshinigami]

I really should finish the Reborn manga, but every time I try, my brain explodes. What do you mean the Kokuyo gang, a group of children who were brutally and heartlessly experimented on by mafia scientists, is teaming up with Verde?!?!

If we're just going to forget character motivations and nothing matters except what would look cool, then why bother with it? I get better characterization in doujinshi than that.

[nikoshinigami]

Hibari Kyouya is as much a masochist as he is a sadist by which I mean he is neither. All's fair in combat, and he accepts that getting the absolute shit kicked out of himself is part and partial to fighting with folks and getting to kick their asses. He doesn't want to fight Reborn because he thinks it'll be easy, he knows damn well he'd get fucked up. But the fight would be a lot of fun, he wouldn't have to hold back, and would get to see how he compares to someone he admires.

Hibari's not a sadist; he just has poor conflict-resolution skills and enjoys his idea of righteous retribution.

[nikoshinigami]

More KHR thoughts - Hibari Kyouya

I love how Hibari is both super straightforward and yet also easily misunderstood. He's not abusive, but he is vicious. He's not antagonistic, but he is the hammer who sees all problems as nails. He's not a brooding stoic who struggles with anger issues, he's a chill guy who likes simple pleasures and smiles often.

Hibari is a character who is happy with his life and his place in the world from the very beginning. He knows exactly who he is, what he wants, how to get it, and that he is capable of getting it on his own merits. He is fair, not bending the rules when it suits him but following them even if it means he himself loses out. He only begins to be someone who is defined by the strength of his rage when the mafia comes in and messes up his idyllic home, demanding he play by their rules even though it is they who impose themselves on him. He is dealing with an invasive species that is wreaking havoc on the peaceful world he has constructed around him, and his only recourse is to beat them back as he would any other threat.

Temperance is his virtue which he proves in his self-restraint, but his silent struggle as a character becomes one of preservation. He is trying to preserve the peace and order within Namimori and the version of himself he knew and was content with. Rather than a big fish in a small pond, he's the monster in the loch that might flourish in deeper waters but feels at home where he is. Hibari has no delusions of grandeur; he does not desire more territory, more power, or means of conquest. He becomes, despite his best efforts, Vongola's sideshow attraction: watch and see how livid he can become, marvel at the damage his small body can take and still keep going, be astounded by the carnage he can unleash. Hibari will always choose to protect and never walk away from conflict, and though he genuinely does relish in a good fight, all he wants is to wrap things up and go home to lay in a nice patch of sunlight knowing all is well and all are safe.

[nikoford]

Being chosen as a member of the Scion Society was supposed to change David's life forever. It was said to be a golden ticket for a future of prosperity, a rare and miraculous opportunity to secure his prospects evermore. Such an elite society, whose members were hand picked by the president of Woodbridge University himself, guaranteed life long success. David would have been crazy to have turned it down, would have regretted it for the rest of this life. At least up until he found out what it really was--but that was not the path David took.

Now caught up in service to a god who has decided David's life for him, is there any point in free will or will he find a way to protect the world, humanity, his friends, his love, and himself from beings too awful to comprehend?

Read it on A03

Here are the first three chapters of my original story. If you like modern stories with hidden worlds of fantasy, queer characters navigating the pressures of strange circumstances, Eldritch Beings threatening the world, arranged marriages, pining, drama, sex, world ending consequences, and the underdog's tale, then give it read. If nothing else, it's an entertaining setting and concept for RP ideas.

I wanted to make sure I started with the first three available as there is a lot of information to get across and by the end of chapter three, you should have a better sense of what the characters will be dealing with and what you might expect going forward.

I've been working on this for about a year, so I do hope you enjoy reading someone original from me. I'll continue to post updates on AO3. I'd like to have a set schedule going forward but we'll see how that goes. The single mom life can be hard to structure around.