Dark Brown Is Getting Its First Spine Glued. The Next Up, Bottom In The White Boards, Has Had Its Spine

Nov 18 Utah Grizzlies vs Colorado Eagles

Ive been writting almost nonstop for almost a month now. Today i went out and bought a sketch book and started to draw. This year ive been sewing again too. I picked cross-stitching back up. I started to finish those books that have been on my workstation since 2020.

I have no idea what happen but... i feel creative again? Like... i stopped writing in 2020. I stopped drawing... like a decade ago. Like its all shit and all. But... i dunno.

Its weird. That feeling of wanting to create again. I missed this. I hadn't realised.

16. HighSchool

Kidd - 14 | Killer - 18

Tags specifically for this chapter:

Puberty found Kidd

meaning inconvenient erections

and some possible pining but he's not ready to explore that

additionally, note the ages,

and that they are still sharing a bed

Killer's working for one of the island's bigger bosses

Kidd is really smart

even if he's essentially illiterate

Killer's using his mob connection to get Kidd textbooks

... and to better their lives in other ways

Read at A03 linked above or here below cut

Drabbles from Pocket Jack's KiKi-tober Prompt list

It's impossible to ignore that things are changing between the two of them. Life is change, but Kidd didn't remember a time not living in Killer's pockets and now he's got more him time then he knows what to do with. Where Killer used to be, Kidd is either alone or bullying the other Heaps punks that think he's easy pickings since he's solo. They don't make that mistake twice, and Kidd has to admit, the occasional throw down is exhilarating. He might start pulling his punches and hoping someone will come back for a round two.

Admittingly, Killer used to ditch him often enough to go hook up with Victoria, sneaking back in at the eleventh hour and Kidd would roll his eyes and pretend he hadn't been sitting up waiting for him to come crawling into bed. When she'd kicked the both of them to the curb last year, Kidd thought that would the end of that. Except Killer still was disappearing on him during the day now.

Killer'd been an early riser their whole lives, so Kidd was used to waking up alone. The older boy - man now, Kidd supposed - wasn't a deep sleeper to start with and had always had trouble sleeping past sunrise. But he rarely went far before Kidd was also up for the day. Lately, the moment Kidd picked his head off the pillow, Killer was heading out.

He'd maybe see him for lunch, but unless Kidd asked him in advance to stick around, Killer was a ghost until evening.

Which was whatever. Kidd didn't care. Hell - it was maybe a little nice in the morning, ever since Kidd had come to the mortifying revelation that the only time he didn't wake up rock hard these days was because he'd creamed his pants at some point in his sleep. Which could have been awkward as hell considering that most places they squatted were too small or too drafty to sleep in any configuration other then curled up together, including the dingy shack they were holed up in now.

Still lazying in their little shared 'bed' now - a broken singles' mattress filled with paper trash - Kidd had to think very hard about not imagining what it was like to sleep next to Killer every night, to imagine Killer still in bed with him in the morning. With a whine, he drug his fingers down his face, pulling his head out of those thoughts, and forced himself up and to his feet. He either needed to deal with this or clear his head, and then get on with his morning.

Killer had left him a filled canteen of clean water, a couple hard boiled eggs, fresh baked bread and a new book.

Another part of their new normal; breakfast and a gift. Killer had fell in good favour with one of the bosses back when they still ran with Victoria, and without her taking up his free time, Killer had been taking on more errands for the gangs. Kidd wasn't real sure how he felt about all that yet. He was vaguely aware Killer had been involved with the gangs before they'd become a duo, but an island wide coup d'etat left him on the loosing side. He'd been pretty paranoid about the bosses since then, but Victoria had to go and change his mind about them all not being vicious warmongers. Boss Athair didn't ask for Killer's loyalty and paid more coin for a single errand then the both of them usually scrapped together in a fortnight.

Enough for three fresh meals a day. Enough to pay someone to actually wash their clothes instead of rinsing them in seawater and beating them on the rocks until they were 'clean' or fell apart. Every one of Killer's safe-caches had a full coin purse, and now even Kidd's did too. 

If it kept up, they might even be able to rent a real room next winter, in a real building.

With blankets or even a fireplace.

An actual bed, without bugs and weird smelling mold spots.

A bookshelf for the text books Killer kept finding somewhere.

School books belonging to some Cailean MacCeannard according to the front end page. Killer had several of the guys books by this point, a few clearly ancient primers, but then some more advanced stuff that was way more interesting, like one on that claimed to be the 7th edition of Heat and Thermodynamics, or the Fundamentals of the Theory of Electricity. Granted, Kidd only probably understood a quarter of what the books were talking about, Killer reading out large passages to him some nights since Kidd's reading skills were pretty lacking. Killer didn't understand most of what he said, but Kidd urged him on regardless, Killer's steady voice bringing the author's ideas to life for Kidd.

Today's book was Nonlinear Magnetohydrodynamics and Kidd had not the foggiest what that was suppose to mean, but he flipped through it, studying the diagrams with little context, but still fascinated as he munched on one of the eggs. This one lacked Cailean's name, but did have a some Marine Base Library Stamp on it and it filled him with glee to read the "Library Copy. Do not Remove from Premises" embossed on the title page.

"Mine now," he cackled to himself.

19. Pirate King

Kidd - 4 | Killer - 8

Tags specifically for this chapter:

songfic again - same song as before

our babies have a good night for once

the adult men are not being creepy

which is rare for me, i know...

when i'm talking about the dock workers from here on out > they see Killer as a little brother or a son

Read at A03 linked above or here below cut

Drabbles from Pocket Jack's KiKi-tober Prompt list

One thing that could be counted on was the crowds of men every two weeks that his the port side taverns in mass. And without fail, every 14 nights, Killer would wait until the sun was firmly down before crawling in the back windows of Eustass' Tavern & Inn and sneak his way into the front of the house.

Eustass himself would have long thrown him out had he tried the front door, but Mòr Mhàthair was a soft touch, and as long as he waited until the dock workers were in their cups, she let him roam from table to table, polishing off plates of forgotten diners. Sometimes other street kids would show up but most of them didn't know the tricks to staying and would get kicked out the next week or never make it in the doorway to start with. But there were lots of other pickings on these nights, and Killer never once felt bad watching one of them get tossed out as he hid in the shadow of a chatty drunk and ate him out of his hard earned coin.

Away to the cheating world go you,

He had to listen to their terrible ditties, week after week, so he thought the meal was really only fair. By the time Killer usually arrived, the singing had already started and he just hoped they were fun ones instead of the sadder ones about loosing loves and such.

They were already well into it this night, the change up only being the other boy that seemed to be around more often theses days, a chubby little red head that Killer suspected might be Mòr Mhàthair's boy or nephew or something, or otherwise maybe the cook's son.

He was in the thick of it tonight, tiny little form standing on the table in the middle of the room with a crowd of drunkards, all bellowing the words out together. He had to be 4 or 5 at the most, probably looking forward to starting school like all the other good kids that belongs to people, Killer mused.

A bright shock of short red hair, unruly and ruffled from the hands of many a dock worker, thinking him some kind of good luck charm. By the end of the night it be sticking out at every angle, like the rays of the sun on a children's drawing. Killer would watch him ever few weeks as he soaked in the attention of those not fortunate enough to have families of their own. He was magnet for the downtrodden it seemed, a little mascot the laborers rallied behind every paycheck night.

Where pirates all are well to do,

Some weeks, the kid would even turn to him as the hours drew late, when sleep started to override the joy of being somewhere warm and well fed. Killer was always careful to leave before last call, never giving the matron a reason to turn him away next time. The kid never had this restriction, and would watch him quietly as he snuck out of whatever booth he'd camped in for the night, slipping out of the back.

The one time Killer had looked back, the boy had waved at him, a sad little bye. Killer didn't return the gesture. Not that night.

But after a few months, the kid would see him and grin, and he'd find himself smiling shyly back across the noisy tavern.

And as the spring turned to summer, Killer finally waved goodbye back.

But I'll be true to the song I sing,

Sometimes, the kid would try to include him in the group's singing, especially the nights when they sang his favorite song: the pirate king anthem. Killer was mortified to be the center of the room's attention, and had hid under the table until one of the dock workers took pity on him and picked him back up to sit on the bench next to him, hidden from the room in general with an arm thrown over his shoulder and just tucked in close.

Most city people didn't want Killer anywhere near them - said he smelled funny and suspected he'd try to pickpocket them. Which was true for both cases more often that not. But the dock workers didn't particularly smell great either, and the dock master often gave him little jobs to do so he'd quickly become a familiar face to many of the men. And this one was pushing his half finished dinner in front of Killer so Killer really didn't have much motivation to steal from him. And week by week, he'd find himself shyly hiding from the boy at Eustass' behind one laborer or another, and it seemed to be a great source of entertainment for the blue-collar workers.

And live and die the Pirate King!

For a little pocket of time, every fourteen days, Killer felt like this must be what a family felt like. Sitting next to some man too rough and tumble to be a father to any real child; warm and dry, belly full of delicious properly cooked food. He'd listen to them spin fantastical yarns, then the sunshine boy himself would come sit next to him and demand songs from the men, and every time, someone would break out into one, and a cacophony of out of tune drunks would rattle the windows and Sunshine Boy would turn and beam at him like it was the neatest trick he'd ever learn to do. And maybe it was.

Killer would smile back, listening to the men warble on about Pirate Kings and Bink's Brew and in the days to follow would day dream about letting those silly ballads take him away from Kutsukku for good. Maybe he'd take Eustass' Sunshine Boy with him.

May 1st 1990!

I first read the book about 10 yrs ago after my friend, who owns a used bookstore that actually does sell books; recommended it to my roommate ( @sentra04 ) and myself. I had been pretty deep in his catalog of “anything by Neil Gaiman” at the time and readily accepted the book. It was an absolute delight and a rather insightful as well as hilarious look at humanity, destiny, and free will.

 We had liked it enough to talk about the book with another friend who lived nearby that I had met in an anime fandom, who instantly lit up and talked about how she had read it as a child and upon looking back, little her had “totally shipped Aziraphale and Crowley” and how she had “wanted them to spend their time in the bookshop drinking and talking together forever!” I definitely agreed with that sentiment. 

In all honesty, my only complaint about the book was there was just not enough Aziraphale and Crowley in it. 

Enter the Good Omens TV series. It came around at a time in my life when I really needed it, and was the loving adaptation this beloved book deserved. PLUS more of Aziraphale and Crowley to love and relate to. These characters helped me find a passion for my art again and were a bright spot in a world I hadn’t realized turned gray. Love of this book and show has helped rekindle and  strengthen old friendships as well as build new ones. 

So Thank You to @neil-gaiman and Sir Terry Pratchett for your wonderful book, and congratulations! And thank you to the fandom! You’ve brought me so much joy and made this blog a success. I had made it at the end of June last year for unrelated reasons (spite, anger and spite) and you’ve all helped to grow it into an active place to share a truly bright and positive experience. It has just clicked over to 900 followers this week and I’m so grateful!

To Good Omens and it’s legacy!

forgot to turn the flash back off

"he's gonna pay for making killer so happy!"

"yeah!! now we all gotta be happy so he feels at home!!!"

do the kid pirates know that's absolutely adorable. did anyone tell them thats cute as hell

reblogged here since i no longer use that account

A self portrait. I haven’t drawn in so long; today it was like a dam bursting! Hikaru inked and coloured it for me - ‘cause she’s AMAZING!!!

13. Diner

Kidd - 13 | Killer - 17 | Victoria - 18

Tags specifically for this chapter:

Child (Kidd) in danger

Victoria beats up Kidd & Killer

Victoria mocks both their laughs

Victoria and Killer have been having sex together

It's been going on for a little while

She mocks him about poor sexual performance

Read at A03 linked above or here below cut

Drabbles from Pocket Jack's KiKi-tober Prompt list

"Hyunk it up, you sound like a fucking hyena choking on his own dick!" which only set Kidd off harder, falling back off his stool laughing as he looked up at Victoria's curry soaked dress. It had been her nicest yellow one, one of Killer's favourites, and now it was streaked like someone had shit down her chest.

The visual and her description of Kidd's laugh finally broke the dam on Killer's own chuckles, and he buried his forehead in in his crossed arms at the counter, laughing.

"Like you have any room to laugh," Victoria clearly found none of this amusing, "you fucking bray like donkey, you two pump chump!"

Killer reddened, swallowing uneasy, "Come on, Victoria. Don't be like that." He tried to take her hand and she jerked away, shoving him back into the counter. Kidd was wiping away tears of mirth from his spot on the floor, and a few patrons were starting to edge away uneasy. The owner was approaching, looked angry at the whole ordeal.

"Get out.." he growled.

Victoria sneered at the two boys before storming away. Killer glanced once down at Kidd before chasing after her. Kidd, still tangled in his fallen chair on the ground, smiled sweetly up at the owner. He did not smile back. "OUT!"

Kidd grumbled, following his two friends out to where they were arguing in the side alley, Killer /apologizing/ for laughing, much to Kidd's annoyance. "Come on Doruyanaika," he jeered, her turning away from Killer to glare at him, "You match your name! it's like... destiny!"

Killer cachinnated so hard he was shaking, and Victoria whirled back on him, her fist smashing into the side of his face and Killer went down, blindsided by the hit.

Something about seeing Victoria turn on Killer, that apparently all it had taken was some split curry, was endlessly funny to Kidd and he laughed at Killer's misfortune. Unfortunately, Victoria didn't care he wasn't laughing at her anymore, and she was hitting him next, a fury of fists and Kidd curled into a ball to try and avoid real damage. Killer came to his senses at some point, and tried to calm Victoria down just for her to turn on him again.

The two boys lay battered at her feet, Killer finally biting the bullet and called for mercy for her to stop. Victoria still looked at them in rage, and Kidd had never seen her so mad before. Her face so red he'd of thought she was crying if she hadn't just handed both of them their own asses.

Killer was still talking, trying to smooth things over only for Victoria to shove him away and he stumbled back against the wall, "I hope you drop dead. Don't you ever talk to me again." Before storming off and leaving them to lick their wounds.

Kidd's nose had been broken it turned out, and Killer had a concussion so bad he'd end up puking twice on the way home. Once they'd crawled back to the little shack that passed for home in those days, Kidd watched over his friend, forcing him to say awake at least until the world stopped spinning on him. "Why'd she call you two pump chump?"

"Its.... It's a sex thing; when a guy cums too quick. She was being mean."

"Oh..." Kidd was quiet, before laughing, "it sounds like you were trying to fuck her!"

Killer chuckled back, but it was forced and strained. Kidd turned to study him. "So, did you? Fuck her?"

"Never even kissed her."

<><><>

Years later, Kidd glanced at Killer in the mirror as he diligently wrung bath water out of his loose braid, pleated back for bed. Kidd pulled the toothbrush form his mouth, looking contemplative.

"...what?"

"Just was thinking about when we were kids."

"Oh?"

"When Vicky called you 2 Pump."

Killer scowled, "Figures you remember that."

"First time I caught you lying to me, blame it on that." he shrugged, returning to brushing his teeth.

Killer looked annoyed. "I have never lied to you."

"I do believe I asked if the two of you were screwing around, and you turned so red you looked like a pimple about to pop."

"That's fucking gross."

Kidd just shrugged. "With that fucking mullet you used to have, all red faced and embarrassed...."

"Can't believed you just called me a fucking pimple...."

"Lots worse I could of called you," he spit out toothpaste and rinsed his brush off, "You lied to my face."

"Nope." Killer popping on the 'P' as he rubbed lotion over his nose and across his cheek bones, before looking back at Kidd in the mirror, waiting for his rebuttal.

"Bullshit - I caught you two fucking in the bathroom of the curry joint multiple times. You were not as sneaky as you thought you were."

Killer froze, looking small for a moment, "You did?"

"Saw your white ass way more times than I wanted because you were terrible about locking the door. Had to stand there and keep anyone else from walking in on you two morons several times."

Kidd gargled some mouth wash, spitting it into the sink as Killer looked thoughtful.

"Ready to admit you lied?"

"No..." Killer said finally, very soft. "I didn't said we never fucked, I said we never kissed."

Wip sneak peek

https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stitchfiddle.com%2Fen%2Fc%2Fsi98t4-5xvnke%2Fquickview&t=OTBlOGUwYzE0MWE5ZjIyYjI4MTJiMDk2MzRhN2I0MmFmM2RjZmFhNSw5ODdhMzJiODZjYTMzZGYxZDIwZTI3NmI1N2YxNDFkYWQ0MGFjOGJk

Google Docs

Copy_of_AZ_LG_on_22_-_Stitch_Fiddle.pdf

Illustration by @wargoddess9

The swirlies on azi's jacket are meant to be French knots. I dunno how to illustrate that in a pattern, sorry

Cross stitch pattern available as a pdf through Google drive or using the stitchfiddle site if you want to set your own print settings or can't print it at all

Untested pattern.