#Ad Spy Techniques

[bestwayadvertisement]

Are you looking for infiltrating profit or spy on native ads? In this infographic, you will get to know ad spy techniques for affiliate marketers. 

[midnightquips]

Dangerously Close

Bucky Barnes x Reader

Summary: Bucky & Y/N are undeniably attracted to each other. Seemingly the only way these two are getting together is with some extreme meddling.

Themes: mutual pining, teasing teammates, possessive Bucky, Thunderbolts chaos, friends-to-lovers-but-stupid about it, pining (a lot)

🔴 MINORS DNI 🔴 Warnings: 18+ content, eventual smut, dirty talk, praise kink, jealousy, soft aftercare, pwp, piv sex, unprotected sex

💫 Dangerously Close Masterlist 📌 Sign Up for TAGLIST

Chapter 1: Sparks & Sandwiches

Part I

Breathing is a regular bodily function. Supposedly easy. An unconscious action. But for some reason, Bucky Barnes makes you overly aware of yours. He doesn’t do it on purpose, but when he’s lounging in the training room, built like a Greek statue, it just seems to… happen. Adding to the fact that he randomly calls you sweetheart with that stupid crooked grin, your stomach just can’t help but flutter when he’s around. 

You’re currently busy pretending to not look at him while you stretch on the mat. Whether you’re succeeding is questionable. 

Bucky is across the gym, holding a punch bag steady while John Walker lays into it like he’s got something to prove–which, frankly, he always does.

His gaze flicks towards you, just for a second. You should have looked away in embarrassment but don’t want to make it seem that you were stealing glances, so you give him a small smile instead. He reciprocates warmly.

You’re snapped out of the little moment when Yelena murmurs mid-lunge beside you, “You’re not subtle.”

“What?” you reply innocently, through cheeks burning

Yelena makes a face, “Don’t think this thing–” motioning her head between you and Bucky, “–is very unnoticeable.”

You roll your eyes, “You’re a super spy. Everything is noticeable to you. Your mind is almost making things up.”

“Yet you’re a super spy and you still can’t figure out he’s into you.” It’s Yelena’s turn to roll her eyes

“He flirts with everyone. You’ve seen him. I’m not reading into it.” 

Yelena snorts. “Sure. That’s why he lets you throw him across the mat without complaint. Totally something he does with everyone.”

Your eyes narrow. “I’m strong.”

“Yes, you are, but that’s not the point.” She pauses, lips curling into a teasing smirk. “He clearly enjoys the straddling way more than he should.”

You nearly lose your balance.

Across the room, Bucky definitely notices.

Bucky is convinced his willpower is being tested.

He’s resting against the far wall of the gym, towel slung around his neck. He watches you carefully as you move through your warm-up with Yelena. Your current position–on your knees, pushing your body forward, chest facing up–makes Bucky swallow hard. It pulls at something primal inside him.

Bucky has seen hundreds of women in gym clothes. But for some reason, you in tight black leggings and a loose tank top knotted at your waist has him on edge. Maybe it’s because he’s imagined your body too many times and every time you wear this, it confirms even more how stunning you were. He adores every inch of you, but your thighs haunt him most nights. Thick, strong and always on display in your training gear. 

He wants–no, prays to feel them wrapped around his waist. His shoulders. His face.

“Jesus,” he mutters under his breath, adjusting the towel to cover his reaction.

“You good?” Bob Reynolds appears beside him like a blond, nosy ghost.

“Fine.”

“Mmm.” Bob’s smile is too knowing. “You keep staring like you’re writing poetry in your head.”

“Shut up.”

“Are you writing poetry in your head?”

“No.” Bucky watches you laugh at something Yelena says, a dimple flashing in your cheek. His stomach tightens.

“Because I could help you rhyme something with thighs.”

“Bob, I swear to God.”

Training always brings out the best and worst in you. You enjoy sparring. You like the burn in your muscles and learning new techniques you’ve never considered. You specifically loved the way your body can do things now that it couldn’t months ago. The real cherry on top was sparring with Bucky. 

Which is also a real dilemma. Because he’s stupid hot but also stupid skilled.

And, worst of all, he lets you win. A flattery and an insult rolled into one.

“You’re pulling your punches again,” you say, landing on your back after a takedown you know he could’ve blocked.

Bucky stands over you, offering his hand. “Maybe you’re just too good, sweetheart.”

You narrow your eyes but take his hand. His grip is firm, warm, and way too steady. “You know, most people don’t flirt while getting their ass handed to them.”

He helps you up slowly, like it’s an excuse to let his hand linger. “Only with you.”

Your brain short-circuits. You laugh it off, rolling your eyes. “You’re ridiculous.”

Behind you, Yelena raises both eyebrows and mouths, Oh my god.

The compound smells like heaven that evening. 

You’re occupied in the kitchen, hair up, apron on while music is softly playing in the background. Steaks searing in the iron pan & vegetables roasting in the oven, while you quickly check on the saffron rice on the stove. 

You taste a small spoon of the rice and nod your head in approval, knowing the team would love it. Cooking grounds you. Moving through the kitchen with ease makes this place feel like home.

A hand brushes your lower back. You only know one person stealthy enough to sneak up behind you. 

“Smells good, doll.”

Bucky stands behind you, chest lightly pressed on your back as he peeks over your shoulder. He leans close enough that you feel the heat of his voice on your cheeks. Tempting you to almost lean back. 

You try not to look at him. Breezy, cool on the front. Melting inside. “Hope you’re hungry.”

He pulls back and leans on the counter beside so he has a full view of you. The short cotton dress you’re wearing makes you look more homey, inviting thoughts of domestic life into Bucky’s brain. He crosses his arms and looks at you with a small smile, “I’m always hungry for your food.” 

You try to ignore the way your heart flips. “I’m not serving you food unless you’ve showered.” 

“It was quick. Didn’t want to miss you.” He says warmly

He says it only with a hint of teasing that it almost makes you pause. Almost. “Perhaps some distance will do us some good.”

“I would say more dangerous than good.” 

Your eyebrows scrunch in confusion, “What does that mean?”

“Can’t be any more fonder of you than I already am.” 

It doesn’t mean anything. A simple reminder to yourself, before you turn back to the shelf beside the stove, trying to grab a spice from the top. 

Bucky doesn’t even ask, just simply takes his place behind you once more, hand bracing your waist as he easily grabs the jar from above your head. He keeps his hand on your waist while pushing the spice into your hand. 

“Here,” he says softly, voice a little lower

You take it almost reluctantly. Not realizing you’d been holding your breath. This man was definitely determined to kill you. 

You’re snapped into returning to the cooking when he finally releases you. He decides to give you space by sitting at the kitchen island, but contrary to what you claimed earlier, you’re not quite sure the distance was really doing any good in this situation.

Dinner is chaos in the best way. 

Alexei continuously praises your steak, declaring it “better than any American restaurant” while John asks for seconds before finishing his first plate. Yelena is busy asking why you never opened your own place, which she does every time. Bob makes a dad-joke about the saffron being “worth its weight in gold,” and Ava offers to do dishes as she requests you make paella again next week.

Bucky doesn’t say much, only looks at you the whole time. 

He finally speaks when dinner has wrapped up. He asks if you want help in the kitchen. You don’t see it but Yelena has signaled the team to leave when she overhears this. John smirks at the meddling. 

You stand side by side at the sink. Bucky washing the dishes and you drying it. 

“Thanks for cooking. I would say it’s delicious, but I think having no leftover already signals that” he says.

You smile. “It’s nothing. I like feeding you guys.”

“You don’t have to do it all the time.”

“I want to. Feeding people is... comforting.” You pause, then tease, “Unless you’re offering to cook next time.”

“Only if you want me to burn pasta and set off the fire alarm.”

You laugh, shaking your head. “Hard pass.”

He likes the way your eyes light up when you laugh. He’s so gone.

There’s a bit of pause when you decide to ask, “Bucky, you date a lot?”

Bucky blinks in surprise, “What?”

You shrug, focusing on piling the plates back in the cabinet. “Just curious. You seem like... the type who does well. You know.”

He’s quiet for a beat. “Why do you think that?”

“You flirt with everyone. You’ve got the arms. The eyes. The mysterious brooding past.”

His tone shifts, softer. “Y/N.”

You look over, taken aback by the seriousness painted on his face.

He simply says, “I don’t flirt with everyone.”

Your breath catches, unsure of what to make of his response. He’s still watching you and there’s palpable tension.

Yelena’s voice breaks the moment as she calls from the hall: “When are you two gonna fuck already?”

You drop the plate.

Bucky turns red.

[hellcifrogs]

Student's Students AU Part 13

Prev / Start

Ino's big time to shine and Sai's moment of truth!

Ino is finally considered a powerful enough Yamanaka to be sent to retrieve information from the Akatsuki spy. The spy's identity is, of course, a secret, but they know he must be dangerous. Not only that, but this is the first time in many years he has offered any contact.

Ino is ready for the job, however she is not ready to the realization that she in fact knows the identity of the special agent.

Ino finds the information Itachi had, about the Akatsuki's plans and future moves, what Obito/Madara knows of Konoha's interferences and how they have added a target to Jiraiya's back for suspecting his involvement in it. And takes it back to Ibiki and the Hokage.

After that she would like nothing more than to go straight to Sasuke to tell him about his brother's current position, but 1. She can't because that's supposed to be confidential and 2. She realizes she doesn't have all the facts. So she makes another stop to confront someone about this new development.

For a while, Sai had been consistently approaching Ino and hinting about the secrets he cannot fully disclose - such as, the real reason he'd been put in team 7, who ordered he be placed there, what branch he really works for, what his boss' true intentions were, the connections he has and sacrifices he's willing to make and most important, the sacrifices he has already made.

She had not taken him seriously for most of those times, until he finally suggested she take a look for herself, by using her clan's techniques, which surprised Ino - he shouldn't know that, so she does her own investigation. She had been hitting only dead ends up until she'd been sent to meet up with Itachi.

And so she takes him up on that offer. She finds out about the Root, learns about Danzo's connection to the Uchiha massacre, and confirms Sai's suspicions about Itachi's innocence. She also realizes that Sasuke and Naruto (and through him, Nagato and his movement) could all be in danger if Danzo decided to turn his attention to them.

More of the AU

[sunshineandspencer]

Jogging

A/N: I’ve discovered that I, actually, despise angst. I hate reading it and I hate writing it, unless specifically asked for, my brain thinks only happy thoughts. On an unrelated note, I’m also a very emotional person and perhaps angst sets off my severe second-hand embarrassment and I’ve never finished an angst fic. So, from that unrelated note, have a finished fluffy fic :) 

Pairing: Aaron Hotchner x Fem!Reader.

Summary: Aaron is incredibly attractive at the best of times, but put him in sports gear and it’s like flies to honey. Which is an excellent cultivator of jealousy for his jogging partner, until she overhears him talking to another woman.

Word Count: 1k

Warnings: fluff, kind of established relationship (you’ll see)

I have redone the form for the taglist now that I’m apparently expanding from Criminal Minds

Going for a morning run with her more-than-a-friend-but-not-quite-labelled man, was fun. Aaron taught her some proper techniques, and she got a kiss whenever they completed a lap.

There is an issue, unfortunately, and it’s one she’s desperately trying not to blow out of proportion.

Aaron is attractive, devastatingly so, and because he occasionally runs ahead to finish a lap and wait for her to arrive so that he can greet her with a kiss, people don’t always know that they’re out together. Added with him in those damn workout clothes - that she would burn if she weren’t mentally stable - it’s no surprise to her anymore to see women jogging up to him.

They’re almost always gone by the time she makes it over to Aaron, who kisses her and immediately moves on to their next lap. She tries hard not to let the clawing jealousy show.

Due to JAck, and both of them agreeing not to move too quickly so that they don’t confuse him, they’d just decided on not labelling anything yet. So she isn’t really anything official to him, and can’t do all the things her jealous mind screams at her to do.

Like today, for example, Aaron had pressed a kiss to her cheek and sped up to get to the end of their lap. 

The minute he’s not beside another woman, someone else runs up to him.

She hears the fading introduction of “hi, I’m Beth, I see you around here pretty often” and her stomach clenches.

Once again, her pretty, not-boyfriend is getting hit on by a woman who can actually keep his pace. She hates it, and hates the burning hole in her chest even more.

Deciding, this time, she would actually speed up and join the conversation. Which will ultimately be worth the burst lungs and exertion-flushed face. Until she turns the corner and sees them still talking, any semblance of confidence withers.

When she hears her name on his lips, however, she dives behind the nearest tree. Realising he just gestured to where she should be coming from, and hoping neither of them had seen her practically rush for cover to avoid being seen. Pressing her back to the bark of the tree and listening closely to the conversation.

“-out with my girlfriend, actually, we run together.”

If she weren’t hiding behind a tree, from a random woman and the man that just called her his girlfriend, she’d be doing a happy dance by now. Choosing to press her hands to her chest as the burning hole closed up, victoriously grinning as ‘Beth’ jogged on feeling pretty dejected.

Once sure that Beth was gone, she turned to place her hands on the tree, bracing herself to look around it to try and spot Aaron, that daft smile still on her face. But he wasn’t there, and that observation came with a pair of hands landing on her hips and making her jump and spin around. Meeting Aaron’s smug grin as he gently pinned her to the tree by her hips.

“Are you spying on me now?”

Refusing to meet his gaze, she started looking all around them - as if searching for someone, and that only made his stupid grin wider.

“Should be careful Hotchner, wouldn’t want that girlfriend you mentioned to catch you pinning a girl to a tree.”

“Oh?” Knowing she’d heard, he now has no plans to try and keep up the facade that he hasn’t wanted her, officially, for weeks now. “And do you think she’d be upset if I kissed the woman I pinned to a tree?”

Giving a dramatic gasp, she used it to breathe in fully to answer, realising that her lungs aren’t really cooperating with her right now. And he used that as his chance to lean down to kiss her, loving the sparky feeling he gets from her every time. Siling against her lips as she melted against him.

Pulling back with a soft nip to her lips that had her chasing after him. Before realising what she was doing and resting back against the tree, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of getting what he wanted.

“I think she’d definitely hate the thought of you doing that to anyone else.”

“Ah, so she gets jealous?”

As if she were caught out, her eyes darted away from his as she pouted - from a profiling perspective, she really does have cute tells when she’s been caught - tugging at the hem of his shirt.

“She pleads the fifth.”

Thankfully, as she knows he actually loves any jokes that relate to his time as a lawyer, he laughs, leaning down to kiss her again, hand trailing away from her hip to lace their fingers together. Pulling back with a soft hum and another soft peck.

Swiping his thumb across her knuckles as he waited for her to open her eyes again, loving the little flush speckled across her features that obscured her freckles.

“Will she forgive me if I take her to get ice cream?”

“Definitely.”

Tugging her away from the tree, he brushes the flakes of bark from her hair and clothes, spending a little too much time ‘brushing off’ whatever was on her ass, until she smacks his hand away with a laugh. Leading the two of them back towards the car, deliberating what kind of ice cream ‘his girlfriend’ would like the most.

But as they get in, he gives her another smile and laces their hands over the centre console.

“You do know I’m calling you my girlfriend, right?”

Shaking her head, she leant in to kiss him again, pulling away to pat his cheek lightly. 

“Didn’t need to be a profiler for that one, love.”

“Oh, so you’re a profiler now?”

“Best watch it, I’m coming for your job next.

Laughing, he lets go of her hand to start up the car, already knowing exactly which ice cream place they were going to - and exactly what she would order. Not that she’s predictable in the slightest, but she always orders the exact same thing.

“First my heart, now my job? At this rate you’ll have my house by the end of the week.”

“That’s the plan!”

He’s going to marry this goddamn woman.

Want more?! Good!

taglist ( ˘ ³˘)♥ @peliides ║ @peachsodameg ║ @angelinajolie0213 ║ @jiggly-puff-12 ║ @khxna ║ @kennedy2156 ║ @trulycayla ║ @none-of-your-bullshit ║ @alexxavicry ║ @meg-black ║ @princess76179 ║ @chicken-fifi ║ @averyhotchner ║ @punkyghoulz ║ @anotherpassiongirl ║ @princessjax ║ @gghostwriter ║ @pear-1206 ║ @justyourusualash (if your tag is here and not working check out this reblog to see if any of it could hopefully help!!)

[snowyh2o]

Just a random thought about how Alastor and Vox must’ve been really good friends before everything fell apart. Because Alastor knows how to make a video ad, he knows how to set things up for a movie/video shoot, things that had nothing to do with his medium, that he probably learned how to do because of Vox, because he was willing to try and learn from or for Vox. And Vox literally welcomes Alastor back home when he finds out he’s returned, has literally counted the years Alastor’s been missing when no one else seemed to know, and fashioned his clothing style to match Alastor’s (assuming it’s not just a case of everyone gets a pinstripe suit!), uses the same techniques Alastor taught Charlie about how smiling can be a tool to keep you ahead of the game.

And how it all fell apart and it wasn’t just Vox that was hurt in the process. Because you can’t tell me the man who hates TVs and modern tech due to its association with Vox doesn’t feel anything for what friendship they had and lost. Who snarls at the mere sight of him on a screen (admittedly while also dissing Alastor), who went straight back to his radio tower to diss Vox right back (and absolutely crush him lol), before threatening him against taking action, privately, twice. Alastor’s just better at hiding how much it’s affected him, and doesn’t let the bitterness of what used to be consume his every waking thought.

And maybe that’s the difference between how they view their old relationship and how the fandom seems to view it. Alastor’s upset about it, sure. He’s bitter now about Vox and everything Vox represents because he’s a past friendship that failed, but he’s also moved on with his life. Vox hasn’t. Vox still obsesses over Alastor, in the way he dresses, the way he talks, how he presents himself. It’s all reminiscent of Alastor. And when he finds out Alastor’s returned, the first thing he does is draw attention to how Alastor’s back! Talk in a roundabout way about how much he’s missed him! Has wondered where he’s been? Sends a spy into the hotel to, well, spy on Alastor! And when that doesn’t work, Vox continues to stalk Alastor through his drones instead. (And then gets off on seeing Alastor get beat up.)

Vox very much has not moved on from whatever friendship they’d had before. He hasn’t moved on from Alastor. (Or from his heavily implied obsessive crush).

We don’t know what happened between them, aside that it’s complicated and sad, that they were friends, and now they’re very much not, and that maybe part of the reason why is because Alastor rejected Vox’s request to join his team (upend his entire life to partner with Vox, assuming Alastor always worked solo and what the Vees currently have is what Vox had wanted with Alastor with his request). We can assume maybe part of why they fell apart was because Vox wanted something more from his relationship with Alastor, something Alastor could not and did not want to give him. Or maybe they just grew apart, grew distant. Vox constantly upgrading and changing and keeping up with the newest trends, chasing whatever new Thing that’ll keep him relevant, while Alastor remained set in his ways because he’s not looking for the approval of the masses.

Anyways, all this to say: when I, and I assume most other OneWayBroadcast fans talk about one-sided radiostatic, it is specifically about how Vox has a one-sided romantic/sexual attraction/crush on Alastor, that Alastor does not return, that has now turned into a one-sided obsession over Alastor. Not that their entire friendship was completely one-sided. I think saying that Vox was the only one who was ever invested in their relationship is a rather bad faith interpretation of Alastor’s character, but also does not do their relationship justice at all. It minimizes Vox’s responsibility in the fallout of their friendship, and puts the blame only on Alastor. It takes away all the juicy complexities of Vox’s character, how he’s bad person who’s done and is doing bad things, and paints him as an innocent victim to “Alastor’s manipulation”.

That’s not to say Alastor was completely innocent in the fallout either. But I hear a lot more about how the fandom woobifies Vox in their relationship than I do Alastor.

[topochicoslut]

everybody wants to rule the world: prologue

fic synopsis: A young woman is sent on what is sure to be a suicide mission to spy on Ryomen Sukuna by a rival curse user who has heard rumors that the infamous King of Curses might have found the secret to true immortality

pairing: ryomen sukuna x fem!reader rating: 18+ ONLY!!!!!! MDNI!!!! IF I CATCH YOU, I'LL BLOCK YOU!!! word count: 1.1k

warnings: none for this chapter! but overall fic warnings include but are not limited to the following- slow burn, enemies to lovers, eventual smut/p0rn with plot, descriptions of violence and gore, language, horror elements, morally grey characters, me having an aneurysm while trying to properly describe cursed techniques, true form sukuna (eventually), etc etc. each chapter will have the appropriate content warnings added to them based on subject matter : )

a/n: hiiiii! so this idea has been bumping around in my head for the past few weeks, and I finally decided to do something about it. idk the world has just been kinda crazy lately, so I figured why not write something super self indulgent about sukuna to help take my mind off of things. this is just the prologue, the next few chapters should be dropping soon-ish after this. I just need to tidy some things up (aka edit the fuck out of everything i’ve written so far🫠🥲). just a couple of quick things- this is a Heian era AU fic, and while I did do a lil research before I started writing this, there will probably still be a couple of historical inaccuracies here and there. so for that I just wanna apologize in advance and say my bad. I have the entire story outlined, including the current number of chapters it will probably take to wrap everything up, but considering this whole thing has sort of taken a life of its own at this point idk what to expect anymore lol. I'll do my best to update it when I can based on life and work and everything else. !!!please note!!!: the first few chapters focus more so on reader's back story and world building, so sukuna won't make his first full appearance right away, but he IS mentioned periodically leading up to that. so please bear with me until he arrives in all his glory lol. anyway, thanks for everyone who has shown interest in this story since I first posted about it the other day! I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it 🖤 divider by sweetmelodygraphics

Southern Japan, 888 AD

Your head was pounding when you woke up. Just as it had been ever since you’d arrived at the temple. 

Well, arrived was too kind a way to describe what had really happened. Being forcibly kidnapped and imprisoned was a much more accurate description of how you had landed in your current situation. But the specifics didn’t really seem to matter all that much anymore. 

Nothing did really. 

You were still laid out in the middle of the floor of the small shrine you’d been confined to for the past two- or maybe it was four?- days now. You eyed the carafe of water to your right, and if you weren’t feeling so groggy and sick you would’ve crawled over to it and gulped it down. Hoping that the refreshing chill of it would help clear your head finally. 

But moving felt impossible, and you were so, so tired. 

A few days ago sleep would’ve been a welcome escape for you, but now it was just another prison you were stuck in thanks to the numerous talismans that were hanging on the walls around you. They had been smart to not leave any light sources in the room with you, or else you would have grabbed the nearest torch and burned them all to ash so you could try and make a run for it. But the only source of light you had came from the moonbeams that were shining in through the tiny window above you. 

The air was thick with smoke from the incense that had been burning ever since you’d been sealed in this room. Its sickly sweet aroma had made you retch when you first arrived, but now all it did was keep your mind fuzzy and your body heavy and sluggish. That paired with the ofuda that hung from floor to ceiling was just another tool used to keep you subdued and prevent any hope you had of escape. You couldn’t cross the threshold of the shrine even if you could get your body to cooperate. 

The faint chittering sound coming from the shadows let you know you were not alone. But you couldn’t bring yourself to look in the direction they were coming from. You didn’t want to see the empty black eyes of the creatures that had been assigned to watch your every move day and night. Not when you now knew the sickening truth behind how Hisato had created them. Binding dead flesh and bone together with-

You couldn’t even think of it. 

Your former master had never been one to shy away from showing the world exactly what kind of man he was. You knew that he was cold and cruel when you had willingly joined his side all those years ago. But somehow even you hadn’t thought he would be capable of such grotesque acts of depravity in his quest for immortality. 

Or perhaps deep down you’d known all along what sort of monster he truly was, choosing instead to ignore it by willfully turning a blind eye to his unhinged cruelty because of the protection and comfort that had been provided to you by dutifully serving under him for so long. 

You had been a fool. 

If Sukuna were here, he would wholeheartedly agree with you. 

He was somehow the one thing you could still see perfectly clear in your mind’s eye. You pictured him standing in this small room with you, towering over your limp body, his tattooed arms crossed over his broad chest as he glowered down at you with those fiery eyes of his. Challenging you to get up off your ass and do something. To fight like your life depended on it, because it did. 

‘Foolish, pitiful, girl,’ He’d say.  ‘This is pathetic. You’re being pathetic.’ 

You’d honestly give anything to hear him say those words to you right now, and the thought had you suddenly giggling to yourself. You didn’t care that your laughter was bordering on hysterical, but it was just so bitterly ironic that you found yourself wishing that the King of Curses was here to mock and scold you, considering that just a few months ago you had slapped him as hard as you could right across his face for insulting you and calling you names. It was funny how things had changed between the two of you in such a short amount of time. 

The knowledge that you might never get to be near him again weighed on you. To hear him tut under his breath at you for bothering him with your ‘useless blabbering’ even though he was the one who so often sought you out. To feel his blazing red eyes follow you from across a room. To be overcome with the heat of  his large body moving in tandem over yours. If you closed your eyes you could almost taste the sweat of his skin, and smell the rich, musky, scent of cedar and smoke from the incense that filled his chambers. In your mind it was so sharp it could almost mask the disgusting smell of the incense in your prison. 

Almost. 

You wished you could warn him about Hisato. You wished you could go to him and let him know that you were alive. You wished you could tell him where he could find you. You wished you could tell him to stay far, far, away. Because even if Sukuna did somehow manage to find you, even if he did somehow arrive here and challenge Hisato, there was only a limited window before the ritual would begin, and if Hisato was successful, not even Sukuna would be able to grant him a true death like he deserved.

In the distance you heard the sudden ringing of the large bronze bell that lived in the heart of the temple. It rang loud and clear- once, twice, and then a third and final time. Despite your distance from it, you felt your bones rattle with every swing of its giant body.

The chattering from Hisato’s creatures resumed, and this time it was feverish and loud. Their little shrieks and screams filled the room, and you could hear their talons scraping against the wooden floor as they moved their decaying bodies in excitement. 

The moonlight that shone into your room was brighter than it had been only moments before. It pierced through the thick wisps of smoke that filled the air like a sword cutting through a blade of grass. You turned your head and stared out the window as you watched as the edges of the full moon that hung so heavily in the night sky began to twinge with red. Red like blood. Red like Sukuna's eyes. 

It was time.

tag list: @after-laughter-come-tears @officialholyagua @clp-84

[seraphaggot]

Qi Rong headcanon time!! Except I basically just entirely rewrite him as a character because his canon writing lwk sucks imo sorry 😭😭

The way I view, or I suppose write? Qi Rong is very canon divergent, but I try to make him more logical yet still damaged/insane. First of all, I do not agree with him being a bad dad to Guzi. Due to his past, I write him more as a kind of awkward, yet very caring, almost overprotective father. He was abused by his own father, so naturally, he'd take it a little over the top with trying to protect his own son as to not make the same mistakes. Guzi hides in his oversized, luxurious robes, and Qi Rong would rip your hand off if you tried to take him out, hehe.

Secondly, I try to relate him more to his title. As "The Night-Touring Green Lantern", I try to lean more into that idea when I write him! It's kind of complicated, but basically I headcanon that he's actually a ghost fire, and he puts that ghost fire form into a lantern, thus making him a *green lantern*, ya feel? The way he switches bodies inspired this, I believe that as long as the lantern is held by a body, whether it be fake or real, he can possess it and use it as his own until it dies, then he switch forms. He can leave the lantern as a ghost fire, but he wouldn't be able to possess anything. It's a good spying technique though 👀

Third, you know his ghost servants? I believe they're other ghost fires, or lost souls that he guides with his lanterns. He knows what it's like to be a lost, resentful spirit, so he tries to guide the other spirits. Sometimes he can help bring them peace, but if he can't, he makes them into lanterns and they work for him as a sort of "thank you" for helping them. They also go out and guide other spirits.

Fourth (can you tell I love this guy?), this might not be exactly a headcanon, but I don't exactly see him as the villain in his dynamic with Xie Lian. When the war happened, he was canonically left behind, no shit he's pissed at Xie Lian. I don't exactly think Xie Lian is bad here either though; the responsibility of raising Qi Rong was put on him since an early age, he was tired of it 😭 Qi Rong was also obviously losing his mind, so taking him wouldn't have been ideal. Leaving him to die in the ruins of Fiance was incredibly cruel though. I just added this here because I think Qi Rong is a bit too demonized in their dynamic.

Fifth, more on that part, I believe in his time after Xie Lian and the rest left, that was when he gained his cannibalistic tendencies. He was hiding from Yong'an soldiers, who were stated to be murdering all nobles of Xianle, and likely didn't have much access to food. He ate the bodies of those who had already died in the war to live. But it didn't last long, and he ended up being executed by the Yong'an soldiers, leaving him as a lost spirit.

Like I said, very canon divergent! But I just really wanted to expand upon his character, because I felt there wasn't much depth to him in the novels if ykwim. It's been a while since I actually read the novels, so if I got anything wrong, I apologize!

Overall, I just write him to be more empathetic and depressed lol he's my pathetic baby boy <33

[cyverrieee]

[2] COSPLAYER!YUU WHO ARRIVED IN TWISTED WONDERLAND... WHILE IN COSPLAY

GIF BY @/SUGARFROTH

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01 ➳ FINALLY GOT PART TWO...

I can rest easy now..

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ᴏɴᴇ ᴜɴғᴀɪᴛʜғᴜʟ ᴅᴀʏ, ᴀ ᴅᴀʏ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ᴡᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ɢᴏ ᴛᴏ ᴀɴɪᴍᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴠᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴ ɪs ᴡʜᴇɴ ʏᴏᴜ sᴜᴅᴅᴇɴʟʏ ɢᴇᴛ ᴛʀᴀɴsᴘᴏʀᴛᴇᴅ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴛᴡɪsᴛᴇᴅ ᴡᴏɴᴅᴇʀʟᴀɴᴅ! ᴡʜᴀᴛ's ᴡᴏʀsᴛ ɪs ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴇʀᴇ sᴛɪʟʟ ɪɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴄᴏsᴘʟᴀʏ. ɴᴏᴡ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀᴡᴋᴡᴀʀᴅʟʏ sᴛᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀs ᴄᴏɴғᴜsᴇᴅ ᴇʏᴇs ɢᴀᴢᴇ ᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ...

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ᴋᴀʟɪᴍ ᴀʟ-ᴀsɪᴍ

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Oh? You're stuck in Twisted Wonderland wearing Kalim's cosplay? The sunshine of the whole game? Haha good luck! (Just kidding)

Kalim definitely had like ALOT of questions... "Where did you get my wig?" "Oh did you make my outfit by yourself?" "Oh my god! You made my jewelry!" And that sorta stuff. Kalim might wear that outfit your wearing to compare and squeal because you two are matching.

Speaking of Kalim, Since Kalim got a boost at serotonin at your arrival. It basically gave Jamil more of a headache, everyday he has to pray to the seven to make him through the day with a bombarding pain in the head. But rest assure, he does find your Kalim cosplay nice (You might not have the same level lf energy as Kalim, but its better. And he secretly likes the outfit shh-)

Kalim will basically cling around you at break, basically trying to get you know better! Jamil wont mind as long as you keep him under control (give him a break please. Its been like that since 17 years)

Will give you the finest fabric materies, wigs, accessories, makeup—you name it, he'll buy it! He just wants to see you cosplaying. He might even ask you if he can cosplay with you! Its seems really fun :D

Jamil can finally get a break! *Trumpet noises and confetti*

When Kalim saw you WITHOUT your cosplay, he finds it amazing how you do your makeup and hid some of your features. Will ask you if you could use him as a makeup mannequin

Professional catfisher goes by again...

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ᴠɪʟ sᴄʜᴏᴇɴʜᴇɪᴛ

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HOW MAGNIFIQUE! I swear you will hear Rook start praising your cosplay. Vil will find it amazing, leaving small compliments every now and then.

You and Vil teach other more makeup techniques when you do each other's makeup. Rook also spying in because he wants to see this beautiful moment.

Vil also gives you some accessories that the cosplayer missed or something. Some additionals if hes interested in adding, Cue Rook complimenting you even more!

Rook calls you Roi de S'habiller, because of your ability to cosplay. He'll ask you to cosplay him (if you agree on it).

Epel thinks your Vil cosplay is nice as long as you don't act like him. Your impressions of him are impressive he wont lie. Maybe its too good that he almost gaslighted himself into thinking its the Real Vil... (Might give you some of his makeup that he doesnt really use... If Vil doesnt notice...)

Vil sees you without your cosplay, he'll definitely compliment your looks. Also might try to put some makeup on you again, he keeps putting random serums and moisturizers on your face while he tells you about it. He's having a field day with it (Now you know Epel's suffering)

Go Roi de S'habiller!!!!

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ɪᴅɪᴀ sʜʀᴏᴜᴅ

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He's fragile on the spot. His legs started to get weak, he vomits out of pure shock (/j)

Hes having a meltdown just seeing you cosplay him! Ortho has to try to calm down his excited ALOT. If you have someone (cosplah buddy) that cosplays Ortho, Idia will also expload in happiness while Ortho will be happy in a way.

If you somehow designed your Ipad case to look like his own, you have dedication i swear! Even Idia himself doesnt have the motivation like that. He praises and respects you! He basically admires you! He literally is so shock that you just walk around in anime conventions looking like him!

He'll definitely ask you if you could cosplay with him, better say yes!

Hes having so many emotions cascading through his veins that he stopped working... Will ask you to do his makeup, he feels like you're better at it than him. Maybe if he got a small boost of confidence— he might take a photo with you both in cosplay.

Of course, Idia knows that youre a cosplayer and you dont actually look like that. He wont lie, you are pretty without your cosplays on (Ortho agrees too!). Hes having a lot of fun with you because hes not the only otaku around anymore! (Ortho's glad his brother has a friend now)

Professional catfisher goes vrrrooom!!

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ᴍᴀʟʟᴇᴜs ᴅʀᴀᴄᴏɴɪᴀ

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Oh? You're cosplaying Malleus? Hah! Prepare for Sebek's obnoxious loud speeches how it's so disrespectful to dress up (i doubt Sebek knows the word "cosplay" and just refers to it as "dress up") as his liege. Lilia will just laugh at the scene while Silver questions or sleeps through it, but really— Malleus appreciates the efforts you put into that cosplay. More time goes by, Sebek MIGHT warm up to your cosplay and admire it too! But he will never say that.

Lilia will also ask you how you manage to make Malleus' features, while you rant about the process you made to make his features (like his horns). Sebek might listen in, i mean— its Malleus we're talking here of course he'll be here.

Malleus does compliment your labour on the outfit, he knows that his clothes are complicated (even if its just his normal casual attire). Will spice your outfit more by putting some magical features here and there! Oh is your cape suddenly floating,, i wonder who put that there hm?

Lilia enjoys your cosplays, he asks if he could cosplay with you or make him a cosplay. Now you got two gremlins together doing dress up in a different font.

Silver likes your cosplay, hes sleepy so he doesnt get much out of it soo he's just there.

Malleus seeing you without your cosplay, hes impressed with your makeup skills at hiding your features. makeup is just a tool use for people to shapeshift at this point. Praises your beauty, definitely deserved that :)

Professional catfisher goes at it, SLAY

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➥ ᴅɪᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴍʏ ᴡᴏʀᴋ? ғᴇᴇʟ ғʀᴇᴇ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇʙʟᴏɢ ᴏʀ ʜᴇᴄᴋ ᴇᴠᴇɴ ғᴏʟʟᴏᴡ ᴍᴇ ʜᴇʜᴇ!

! ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ғᴏʀɢᴇᴛ ᴛᴏ sᴛᴀʏ ʜᴇᴀʟᴛʜʏ! ᴅʀɪɴᴋ ᴡᴀᴛᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴇᴀᴛ ғᴏᴏᴅ ᴀᴄᴄᴏʀᴅɪɴɢʟʏ !

ʙᴇʟᴏᴡ ʏᴏᴜ'ʟʟ sᴇᴇ ᴍʏ ᴍᴀsᴛᴇʀʟɪsᴛ!

ᴍᴀsᴛᴇʀʟɪsᴛ!

[cheriecelestial]

Need part 3 of ur pjo x jjk story for my mental health plss

Ocean Eyes Pt.III

disclaimer *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ canon typical violence. blood. mild angst. injuries. not proofread!

pairing *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ Percy Jackson x Gojo fem!OC

a/n *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ You ask, I deliver. Also I had so much fun writing this lol. Comment, Like and Reblog ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧

Comment to get added into the taglist.

Pt.I Pt.II Pt.IV

The sun hung high in the sky, blazing with such intensity it felt like Apollo himself was watching over his children. Beads of sweat glistened on the faces of the campers gathered for Capture the Flag, the sweltering heat doing little to dampen their spirits. Despite the oppressive warmth, the air buzzed with excitement as teams began to form—red versus blue. Alice had somehow managed to get both of us on the blue team, which she proudly declared was the “underdog but secretly awesome” side.

“Alright, listen up!” one of the older campers shouted, climbing onto a rock to address the group. “Rules are simple: get the other team’s flag and bring it back to your territory. No maiming, no killing, and no setting the forest on fire. Again.”

The terms seemed fair, and the activity sounded thrilling. Ever since I was young, Nii-san had encouraged me to fight, pushing me to be more ruthless until I almost started to enjoy it—almost. I’d always thought of it as more of a coping mechanism, a way to channel everything I was feeling into something productive. But no one could deny the rush of adrenaline, the high that came with testing your limits.

A few campers chuckled at the rules, but I was only half-listening. My focus was elsewhere, my eyes scanning the crowd for my target. Percy Jackson. It didn’t take long to spot him—about two hundred and twelve meters away. Dark hair, sea-green eyes, his hand gripping something tightly. A pen? He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, swallowing almost nervously. I felt a dull ache behind my eyes as I used my cursed energy technique to observe him. It was a useful tool for spying, but with my current level of expertise, focusing on distant objects for too long caused strain. I stopped soon enough so as to not exhaust myself further. If he was as good as Alice claimed, I wanted to see him in action—or better yet, test myself against him.

Alice nudged me with her elbow, snapping me out of my thoughts. “You’ve got that look again,” she said, grinning. “Planning something dangerous?”

“What look?” I asked, tilting my head curiously. While watching Percy, I could also sense the Ares kids nearby. They were definitely planning something. I wanted to reactivate my Six Eyes to get a better read, but I’d just dismantled it, and it needed time to recharge.

“The one you had when you wrecked those Ares spawns,” she replied, her grin widening deviously. “Maybe,” I replied, adjusting the grip on my borrowed sword. Chiron had asked me not to use Kaizen since Kaizen could cause injuries to campers far worse than they were capable of healing. It wasn’t as balanced as I would’ve liked, but it would do. “So this Percy person, where would I find him?”

“Of course you’re already looking for him,” she said, rolling her eyes but still smiling. “He’s usually near the creek. Water’s his thing, remember? But fair warning—if you go after him, you’re on your own. I’m not stupid enough to pick a fight with Poseidon’s kid.”

“Noted,” I said, already mapping out a path to the creek in my head.

 The horn sounded, signaling the start of the game, and the campers surged forward, splitting off into smaller groups. I broke away from the main pack, slipping into the shadows of the forest. I was on the same team as him which made it easier for me to find him without much obstruction. As much as I would've loved playing capture the flag, I had other more exciting things to focus on. 

Navigation would've been easier with my six eyes but for once I decided to do it normally, so as to not lose my touch. It didn’t take long to find the creek. The sound of rushing water guided me, and soon I spotted a group of blue-team campers setting up a defensive position near the bank. And there he was, standing away from everyone else—Percy Jackson.

“Greetings, son of Poseidon,” I said, stepping out of the woods and dragging the heavy sword behind me. The weight of the weapon felt awkward in my hands—I wasn’t used to something so cumbersome. Percy looked exactly as I’d seen earlier: tall, with messy black hair and a confident stance. On the surface, nothing about him screamed “legendary demigod,” but my Six Eyes saw beyond the superficial. There was something more to him, something I couldn’t quite place yet.

He turned, his sea-green eyes narrowing slightly as they landed on me. “It’s you, isn’t it?”

“Whatever do you mean?” I asked, my tone so innocent it bordered on sarcastic.

“I don’t know how, but—” He paused, fidgeting with the pen in his hands. “I could feel something. Someone watching me.”

I froze. Sorcerers above a certain level could detect when the Six Eyes were focused on them, but even then, it only happened if the user allowed it. They were highly trained, experienced individuals. So how could he have sensed it? There had to be more to him than I’d initially thought.

“Very well, son of Poseidon,” I said, shrugging casually, though my tone carried an edge. “You caught me. But I wasn’t watching you without reason.” My words were deliberate, measured, each syllable sharp enough to cut through the tension in the air.

“What reason?” he asked, his sea-green eyes locking onto mine, steady and unflinching.

“I, Kanao Gojo, challenge you to a duel,” I declared, my voice ringing out with a confidence that left no room for misunderstanding.

“No.” His response was immediate, plain, and simple. No hesitation, no grand explanation, just a single word that hung in the air like a stone dropped into still water.

I blinked, caught off guard. “No?” I repeated, my voice rising slightly, a mix of shock and confusion coloring my tone. “What do you mean, ‘no’? When someone challenges you to a duel, you don’t just say no to it. That’s not how this works!”

Percy crossed his arms, his expression calm and unbothered, as if my challenge was nothing more than a minor inconvenience. “Like I said, no. As far as I know, duels only happen when both parties are willing. And I don’t want to fight you.”

His casual dismissal stung more than I cared to admit. “Why? Are you afraid?” I scoffed, my pride bristling at his refusal.

He shook his head, his tone annoyingly patient. “No, I’m not afraid. I just have no reason to fight you.”

“But you have to!” I exclaimed, my voice cracking slightly with frustration and bordering desperation. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go. In all the scenarios I’d imagined, this was never one of them. Did he think I wasn’t strong enough? Was I not worth his time? The thought burned like a brand.

Percy raised an eyebrow, his calm demeanor only fueling my irritation. “I don’t have to do anything. Look, I don’t know what you’re trying to prove, but picking fights for no reason isn’t really my thing. If you want to spar or train, sure, I’m down. But a duel? Nah. Not interested.”

I stared at him, my mind racing. This wasn’t just about proving myself anymore—it was about understanding why he was so quick to dismiss me. “You don’t think I’m strong enough, do you?” I accused, my voice low but sharp.

Percy sighed, running a hand through his messy black hair. “It’s not about strength. I don’t fight people just because they ask me to. I’ve got enough monsters and gods trying to kill me without adding random duels to the list.”

His words hit me like a splash of cold water. There was no arrogance in his tone, no condescension—just honesty. And yet, it didn’t make me feel any better.

“So what, you only fight when it’s life or death?” I pressed, taking a step closer. “You don’t ever test yourself against someone just to see how far you can go?”

He met my gaze, his expression softening just a bit. “I’ve been tested plenty, trust me. And I’ve got the scars to prove it. But fighting for the sake of fighting? That’s not who I am. If you want to prove something to yourself, fine. But don’t drag me into it unless you’ve got a good reason.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but the words caught in my throat. His logic was infuriatingly sound, and it left me with no ground to stand on. Still, I couldn’t let it go. “You’re really just going to walk away?” I asked, my voice tight with frustration.

“Yep,” he said, already turning to leave. But then he paused, glancing back over his shoulder with a small, almost teasing smile. “But hey, if you ever want to team up for Capture the Flag or something, let me know. You seem like you’d be fun to have on my side.” 

I wanted to say something further, to push him into acknowledging the challenge I’d thrown his way, but the words caught in my throat as a sudden, prickling sensation crawled up my spine. My instincts screamed at me, and I froze, my senses sharpening as I focused on the woods behind us. There was movement—subtle, deliberate, and far too coordinated to be accidental. Multiple presences, closing in.

Without hesitation, I strode over to Percy, who was still walking away towards the woods, and grabbed his wrist.

“Look, lady, I—” he started, irritation flashing across his face as he tried to pull his arm free.

“Shut it,” I hissed, my voice low and urgent. My grip tightened, and I yanked him closer, my eyes darting toward the tree line. “There are children of Ares in the woods behind us, preparing for an ambush. And they don’t intend to merely harm.”

Percy froze, his expression shifting instantly. The casual, carefree demeanor he’d worn moments ago vanished, replaced by something darker, sharper. His sea-green eyes flicked toward the woods, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of something in his gaze—anger, maybe, or resignation.

“Not your first time, I’m guessing,” I said, my tone dry but not unkind.

He nodded, his jaw tightening. “I’m not sure if they intend to kill, though.”

“They do,” I replied without hesitation. “My senses never lie.”

Percy’s eyes met mine, and for a moment, we just stood there, the weight of the situation settling between us. I could see the gears turning in his head, the way his body tensed, ready to spring into action. He uncapped the pen in his hand, and a stunning sword sprang to life in a flash of bronze, its celestial glow casting a faint light on his face.

A son of Ares emerged from the woods, his presence commanding and his demeanor deceptively calm. He had the kind of look in his eyes that made you think of a volcano simmering beneath the surface—quiet for now, but capable of erupting at any moment. His gaze flicked between Percy and me, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth as he stepped forward, his boots crunching against the dry leaves underfoot.

“Look, Jackson,” he said, his voice low and dripping with mockery. “Our beef isn’t with you. It’s with that bitch right there.” He jerked his chin toward me, his eyes narrowing. “You’ve got a chance to walk away. Take it while you still can.”

My grip tightened around the borrowed sword, the weight of it suddenly feeling more familiar, more comforting. I glanced at Percy, waiting for him to do exactly what the Ares kid had suggested—to leave. After all, this wasn’t his fight. I’d been the one to challenge him, to push him into this mess. It was only fair that I face the consequences alone.

But Percy didn’t move. Instead, he crossed his arms, his expression hardening as he stared down the son of Ares. “No,” he said, his tone as calm and unwavering as it had been when he’d rejected my duel proposal earlier.

The Ares kid blinked, clearly caught off guard. “What?”

“I said no,” Percy repeated. “Where’s Clarisse? I can’t imagine her agreeing to this.”

The mention of this “Clarisse” seemed to strike a nerve. The son of Ares scowled, his grip tightening on the hilt of his sword. “She doesn’t know, and why would she? She had the audacity to call us idiots for making a show at the pavilion.”

Percy raised an eyebrow, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “So, let me get this straight. You and your bullheaded lot are trying to ‘restore’ your honor by ambushing her one to fifteen? Real brave of you. You guys are pathetic.”

The insult hit its mark. The son of Ares bristled, his face flushing with anger. “Watch your mouth, Jackson,” he snarled, taking a step forward. “You’re not as untouchable as you think you are.”

Percy didn’t flinch. “And you’re not as scary as you think you are.”

The tension in the air was palpable, the kind that made your skin prickle and your instincts scream to either fight or flee. The other Ares kids shifted uneasily, their eyes darting between their leader and Percy, waiting for the signal to attack.

The son of Ares glared at Percy, his jaw clenched so tightly I could see the muscles twitching. “Well, you made your choice, Jackson. You’ll die with this slut too.”

“Stop”

The command came out sharper than I’d intended, and to my surprise, everyone froze. Even the son of Ares hesitated, his sword hovering mid-air as he stared at me, confusion flickering across his face.

“If this is about honor,” I said, my voice cold and steady, “then let’s do it the right way. Leave him out of this. Your fight is with me.”

The Ares kid blinked, his smirk returning as he lowered his sword slightly. “Oh, so the bitch has a spine after all. Fine. We’ll deal with you first, and then we’ll take care of Jackson.”

Percy stepped forward, his expression darkening. “What are you—”

I raised my palm, cutting him off without looking away from the son of Ares. “You’re not dying before I get you to duel me. I do not need you to fight my battles hero.”

Percy stared at me, his sea-green eyes narrowing as if he were trying to figure me out. For a moment, I thought he might argue, but then he let out a frustrated sigh and took a step back, though he didn’t lower his sword. 

“But before we begin,” I said, my voice frigid, “allow me to prepare the battlefield.” I didn’t wait for a response, nor did I expect one. This wasn’t a negotiation—it was a statement. I crossed my index and middle fingers, holding them in front of me as I began to chant.

“Yami yori idete, yami yori kuroku, sono kegare o misogiharae.”

For a moment, nothing happened. The air seemed to hold its breath, the world pausing as if waiting for something to break. Then, slowly, the sky began to darken. It wasn’t the natural fading of daylight but something far more deliberate, as if the sun itself had been swallowed by an unseen force. A thick, inky substance began to drip from the sky, pooling and spreading until it formed a massive, half-sphere barrier around us. The darkness was almost liquid, shimmering faintly as it solidified into a wall that sealed us off from the outside world.

The brilliance of the sun was gone, replaced by an artificial night that felt heavy and oppressive. The only light came from the faint glow of the barrier itself, casting eerie shadows across the faces of the Ares kids.

“What the hell are you doing?” the son of Ares screamed, his voice trembling with a mix of fear and anger. His earlier bravado was gone, replaced by wide-eyed panic as he stared at the barrier.

I lowered my hand, my expression calm as I turned to face him. “From where I belong, we call this a Tobari—a curtain. It has multiple uses, most of which involve trapping whatever is inside until a predetermined condition is fulfilled. It also prevents external interference. No one can enter, and no one can leave unless I allow it.”

The Ares kids shifted uneasily, their weapons lowering slightly as they glanced at each other, uncertainty flickering in their eyes.

“Those who wish to leave should do so now,” I continued, my tone firm but not unkind. “This is your last chance. If you stay, you will fight me.”

A couple of the Ares kids exchanged nervous glances, their earlier confidence wavering. One of them, a younger boy with a spear, took a hesitant step back, his face pale. But the others, including the son of Ares, stood their ground, their pride clearly outweighing their fear.

I turned to Percy, my expression softening slightly. “You should go.”

He blinked, clearly caught off guard by the suggestion. “Look, I dunno what kind of jojo-mojo you’ve got up those huge ass bell sleeves of yours, but my mama raised me better.”

I furrowed my brows, studying him for a moment. His stance was firm, his grip on Riptide steady, and his sea-green eyes were filled with a stubborn determination that I couldn’t quite understand. Why would he stay? Why would anyone choose to stand by someone they barely knew, especially when the odds were so clearly stacked against them?

People here are so odd, I thought to myself. Alice, who had accepted me so readily, and now Percy, who refused to leave despite the logical choice being to walk away. It was baffling, but also... strangely comforting.

I didn’t respond to Percy, my focus returning to the son of Ares and his group. They were circling me now, their weapons gleaming in the faint light of the barrier, their eyes filled with a mix of anger, fear, and anticipation. I adjusted my grip on the borrowed sword, feeling the weight of it in my hands. It wasn’t Kaizen, but it would do.

The son of Ares stepped forward, his sword raised, though his hand trembled slightly. “You think you can scare us with your little magic trick? We’re children of Ares. We don’t back down from a fight.”

I tilted my head, a small, dangerous smile playing on my lips. “Then let’s see if you can live up to that reputation.”

The fight began in earnest, the Ares kids charging at me with a ferocity that was almost admirable. Their movements were aggressive, their strikes heavy and wild, fueled by a mix of anger and fear. But they were predictable, their lack of strategy making them easy to read. I sidestepped the first swing of a sword, parried the thrust of a spear, and ducked under the arc of an axe. The borrowed sword in my hand felt strange, its weight and balance all wrong for my fighting style. After the first swing, I realized I wasn’t built for it—just as it wasn’t built for me.

So, without a second thought, I tossed the sword aside. It clattered to the ground, the sound sharp and final.

“Are you actually nuts?” Percy yelled, his voice cutting through the chaos as he struggled to fend off two Ares kids who had turned their attention to him. He deflected a blow with his sword, his movements fluid but strained under the pressure.

I didn’t reply. Instead, I reached into the sleeve and pulled out a talisman, holding it delicately between my middle and index fingers. Since I couldn’t use my Six Eyes to their full potential here, I’d been taught other methods to draw out and channel my cursed energy. Talismans were one of them—semi-grade two weapons consisting of runes written on parchment, designed to perform a wide array of functions. They could protect, heal, or harm, depending on the intent behind their creation. A certain amount of cursed energy was required to activate them, and they were often carried on one’s person for quick use. Some were even installed permanently in architecture, but these were portable, versatile, and perfect for situations like this.

“Tengen Talisman Arts,” I murmured, my voice low but carrying an edge of authority.

I tossed the talisman into the air, letting it hover for a moment in front of the charging Ares kids. The runes on the parchment began to glow, a faint, eerie light that pulsed like a heartbeat. The kids hesitated, their eyes widening as they realized something was about to happen—but it was too late.

The talisman exploded in a burst of light and energy, the shockwave knocking back the Ares kids. It wasn't too potent, but it did what it was designed to do. They hit the ground hard, their weapons clattering out of their hands as they groaned in pain. The air smelled faintly of ozone, and the ground where the talisman had detonated was scorched black.

“What the fuck?” Percy exclaimed, his voice a mix of awe and disbelief. He’d managed to disarm the two kids he was fighting, but his attention was now fully on me. “Who the hell are you?”

I didn’t answer immediately, my focus still on the remaining Ares kids. They were regrouping, their earlier confidence shaken but not entirely broken. The son of Ares was back on his feet, his face twisted with rage as he barked orders at the others. They were hesitant now, their movements slower, more cautious, but they weren’t ready to give up just yet.

I reached into my sleeve again, pulling out another talisman. This one was different—larger, with intricate runes that glowed a soft, golden yellow. The light it emitted was warm, almost inviting, but there was a sharp edge to it, like the calm before a storm.

“You go low, I go high,” I said to Percy, my tone calm but firm.

He blinked, clearly confused. “What do you—”

Before he could finish, I tossed the talisman into the air. This time, it didn’t explode or release a shockwave. Instead, it hovered in place, suspended midair as if defying gravity. The runes pulsed with light, and a second talisman joined it, creating a small, glowing platform.

Percy stared at the talismans, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to process what he was seeing. “Okay, what the actual—”

But I didn't intend to wait for him to finish. Pushing off the ground with my feet, I sprinted toward the talismans, my movements quick and precise. The Ares kids hesitated, unsure of what I was doing, but the son of Ares recovered quickly, swinging his sword at me as I approached.

The blade came down in a wide arc, but I was faster. I leapt into the air, using the talismans as a foothold to propel myself higher. The runes flared as I landed on them, the surface firm and stable despite their ethereal appearance. From my elevated position, I had a clear view of the battlefield—and the Ares kids’ confusion was almost comical.

“What the—?!” one of them shouted, his voice cracking as he stared up at me.

It was clear they weren’t used to defending against attacks from above. Their training, their instincts, were all geared toward ground-level combat. I intended to use that to my advantage.

Percy, to his credit, didn’t waste any time. He darted forward, Riptide flashing as he engaged the Ares kids on the ground. His movements were fluid and precise, his sword a blur as he disarmed one attacker after another.

Meanwhile, I focused on the talismans, channeling a small amount of cursed energy to keep them active. With a flick of my wrist, I sent one of them flying toward a group of Ares kids who were trying to flank Percy. The talisman exploded in a burst of golden light, the force of the blast knocking them off their feet.

“Hey, watch it!” Percy called out. “I’m trying to fight down here, you know!”

“Then keep up,” I shot back, a small smirk tugging at the corner of my mouth.

I leapt from one talisman to the next, using them as stepping stones to stay above the fray. The Ares kids were scrambling now, their earlier bravado completely shattered. They tried to swing their weapons at me, but their strikes were clumsy and poorly timed, their frustration only making them more predictable.

The son of Ares, however, wasn’t ready to give up. Even as his comrades lay scattered and defeated around him, his pride refused to let him back down. With a snarl of rage, he grabbed a spear from one of his fallen allies and hurled it with all his strength. But his target wasn’t me—it was Percy.

My eyes widened as I realized what was happening. There was no time to shout a warning, no time to think. Instinct took over. I redirected the talisman I’d been holding, activating it with a surge of cursed energy, and leapt onto it as it floated in the air. The talisman shot forward like a platform, carrying me toward Percy in the blink of an eye.

The second I was close enough, I grabbed the back of his collar and yanked him upward, lifting him into the air just as the spear whistled past, missing him by inches.

“And you can fly too?!” Percy exclaimed, his voice a mix of shock and disbelief as he stared at me with eyes as wide as saucers.

I glanced down and realized there was no visible platform beneath us—just the faint shimmer of cursed energy holding us aloft. “More like I can’t fall,” I muttered under my breath, focusing on maintaining my cursed energy as I slowly descended to the ground. Percy was still floating awkwardly, my hand gripping the back of his collar like a kitten being carried by its scruff.

By the time we landed, only six of the original fifteen Ares kids were still standing, their faces a mix of fear and determination. T

“Okay, Kanao,” I muttered to myself, taking a deep breath. “You’ve practiced this. You can do this.”

Both sides lunged at me at once, their weapons and fists aimed at my body. But the blows never landed. Their swords, spears, and punches stopped, frozen in mid-air exactly three centimeters from me.

“What is this?” the son of Ares demanded, his voice trembling with a mix of frustration and fear. He pressed harder against the invisible barrier, but it was no use.

“Infinity,” I said, a small, mocking smile playing on my lips as I lowered my glasses slightly to meet his gaze. “It’s like Achilles and the tortoise. No matter how close you think you are, you’ll never reach me.”

While they were still struggling against the barrier, I took the opportunity to strike. My movements were swift and precise, each punch landing with enough force to knock the wind out of my attackers. One by one, they crumpled to the ground, groaning in pain.

Once they were down, I set Percy back on the ground with a soft thud, though I kept him floating just slightly above the surface since my hand was still gripping his collar. He stared at me in wonder, his expression a mix of awe and confusion.

“What… just happened?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Consequences of stepping out of line,” I extended my hand toward the center of the remaining Ares kids and curled my fingers into a fist. The air around them seemed to warp, an invisible force pulling them together like magnets. They struggled against it, but it was no use. With a loud crash, they collided with each other, collapsing into a heap on the ground.

I finally released Percy, letting him stand on his own two feet as the talismans behind me dissipated into nothingness. The son of Ares, however, wasn’t done. He staggered to his feet, his face twisted with rage, and charged at me with a roar, his sword raised high.

I didn’t flinch. Instead, I reached into my sleeve and pulled out one last talisman—this one smaller, with runes that glowed a deep, ominous red.

“You should’ve walked away when you had the chance,” I said, my voice cold and steady.

He hesitated, his eyes flicking to the talisman in my hand, but it was too late. I activated it, the runes flaring to life as a wave of energy erupted from the parchment. The force of the blast sent him flying backward, his sword slipping from his grasp as he hit the ground hard.

The battlefield fell silent, the only sound the faint rustling of leaves in the wind. I turned to Percy, who was still staring at me with a mix of curiosity and disbelief.

“Okay,” Percy said, his voice cutting through the heavy silence that had settled over the battlefield. He stepped closer, his sea-green eyes wide with a mix of awe and confusion. “You’ve got to explain this to me. What was that? And don’t say ‘a magic paper thingy,’ because one, I don’t know what they are, and two, I’m pretty sure that’s not a normal demigod thing.”

I glanced at him, my expression calm but guarded. “Later,” I said simply, not in the mood to dive into an explanation about talismans, cursed energy, or the intricacies of my abilities. There would be time for that—maybe. 

As the barrier began to dissipate, the artificial night around us gave way to the warm glow of sunlight. The inky darkness receded like a tide, revealing the world beyond. But as the barrier dropped completely, the surrounding area came into view, and my heart sank.

Everyone was there.

Alice stood at the front, her hands clenched into fists, her face pale with worry. Behind her was Chiron, his expression a mix of concern and stern disapproval. Alice's friend Julia, the blonde girl who had been with Percy earlier, was there too, her arms crossed, and her eyes narrowed. The dark-haired girl stood beside her, her gaze sharp and calculating. The rest of the campers from both the red and blue teams had gathered as well, their faces a mix of shock, curiosity, and fear. They had all been watching.

For a moment, I felt exposed, like a specimen under a microscope. My chest tightened, and I fought the urge to retreat, to disappear into the shadows where I wouldn’t have to face their stares. But before I could move, Alice broke away from the crowd and ran toward me.

“Thank the gods,” she said, her voice trembling as she threw her arms around me in a tight hug. “You’re okay.”

The hug felt strange, unfamiliar. I had been hugged before, but only by family—Nii-san, mostly, and even those were rare. Alice’s embrace was different, warmer and more earnest. I could feel her shaking, and when I pulled back slightly, I saw tears glistening in the corners of her eyes.

Why did she care so much? We had only met a day ago. It didn’t make sense to me. People didn’t just care about others like that, not without reason.

“How did you find me?” I asked awkwardly, patting her back in what I hoped was a comforting gesture.

Alice sniffled, pulling away slightly but keeping her hands on my shoulders. “Kaizen,” she said, her voice still shaky. “You left him in the room. He came to me and basically dragged me here. When I saw you fighting with the Ares kids, I tried to help—” Her voice broke, and she took a deep breath before continuing. “I tried to, but there was this invisible wall that wouldn’t let me through. So I called Chiron.”

I glanced over her shoulder, where Chiron stood watching us, his expression unreadable. The rest of the campers were murmuring among themselves, their voices a low hum of curiosity and speculation.

“You shouldn’t have worried,” I said quietly, though the words felt hollow. “I had it under control.”

Alice gave me a look, her tear-streaked face a mix of relief and exasperation. “Under control? You were outnumbered, and they were out for blood! Of course I was worried!”

I didn’t know how to respond to that. Her concern was genuine, and it left me feeling off-balance, like I was standing on uneven ground.

Percy stepped forward, breaking the tension with his usual casual demeanor. “Yeah, about that ‘under control’ thing—what exactly was that barrier? And the exploding paper? And, you know, the matrix ass move?”

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “It’s complicated.”

“We’ve got time,” The blonde-haired girl said, her tone sharp as she stepped forward. Her gray eyes were piercing, and I could tell she wasn’t going to let this go. “You just took on a group of Ares kids single-handedly and used abilities none of us have ever seen before. You don’t get to just say ‘it’s complicated’ and walk away.”

I met her gaze, my own expression hardening. “I don’t owe you an explanation.”

“Maybe not,” Chiron interjected, his voice calm but firm. “But you are a camper and your actions have consequences. What happened here today could have escalated into something far more dangerous.”

I clenched my jaw, the weight of their stares pressing down on me like a physical force. They wanted answers—demanded them, even—but I wasn’t ready to give them. Not yet. The words caught in my throat, tangled with the unease of being exposed, of having my secrets laid bare for everyone to see. Just as the tension threatened to suffocate me, a soft, radiant light enveloped Alice and me, spilling down from above.

I looked up, my breath catching in my chest. There, hovering in the air, was a shimmering pink dove, its wings glowing with an otherworldly brilliance. It was ethereal, beautiful, and unmistakably divine.

“Mother,” I murmured, a humorless laugh escaping my lips. “And here I thought you’d forgotten about me.”

I had always known who she was. Nii-san had begun to suspect when I was younger, and as I grew older, those suspicions had solidified into certainty. My skin began to glow with a soft pink aura, and a faint red haze swirled around my feet, rising like mist until it enveloped me completely. I could feel it working, a gentle but insistent force mending my wounds, soothing my aches, and even altering the way my hair was styled. My clothes felt heavier, richer, as if they had been transformed into something far grander than what I had been wearing moments before.

When the haze finally dissipated, I looked down at myself and froze. I was wearing a stunning white kimono, its fabric so delicate it seemed to shimmer in the sunlight. Embroidered across it were intricate blue and silver dragonflies, their wings so finely detailed they looked as though they might take flight at any moment. My hair, which had been loose and messy from the fight, was now elegantly pinned up, adorned with hairpins that sparkled like stars. I plucked one out to examine it more closely, my fingers trembling slightly. It was the most exquisite piece of jewelry I had ever seen, delicate yet bold, with tiny gemstones that caught the light in a way that made them seem alive.

This wasn’t random. Every detail, every stitch, every carefully placed hairpin spoke of thoughtfulness, of care. It was as if she had been waiting for this moment, preparing for it, knowing exactly what I would need to feel... seen.

“You’re a daughter of Aphrodite,” Percy breathed, his voice filled with awe and confusion. “But then how—”

He didn’t finish the sentence, his words trailing off as he struggled to reconcile what he had just witnessed with the image of the girl who had just taken on a group of Ares kids with talismans and what seemed like magic.

Alice, sensing the tension, stepped between me and the others. “Look, she just fought off a bunch of Ares kids. Can we at least give her a minute to breathe before we start interrogating her?”

Her words broke the spell that had fallen over the crowd. The campers began to murmur among themselves, their voices a mix of curiosity and disbelief. Chiron stepped forward, his expression thoughtful but still tinged with concern.

“Alice is right,” he said, his deep voice carrying across the clearing. “This is a moment of revelation, not interrogation. Let us give her the space she needs to process what has just happened. But this conversation isn’t over. Kanao report to the Big House this instant.”

As the crowd began to disperse, Alice turned to me, her eyes still filled with worry. “Are you really okay?”

I hesitated, then nodded. “I’m fine,” I said, though the words felt hollow even as they left my lips. Beneath the surface, a cold, creeping fear was beginning to take hold. I knew I didn’t have much time before I’d have to dismantle my technique, and I knew what would follow. I had pushed myself too far, overused my capabilities, and now the consequences were catching up to me.

An icy sensation coiled around my throat, its tendrils sinking deep into my chest, spreading a chill that made my breath hitch. The discomfort was dulled slightly by Aphrodite’s blessing—her divine energy still lingering in the air around me—but even her power couldn’t shield me from the full extent of what was coming.

“I should go,” I said, my voice strained and weaker than I had intended. It was a struggle to keep my tone steady, to mask the growing unease that was clawing its way up my spine.

Alice didn’t look convinced, her eyes narrowing as she studied me. But she didn’t push, perhaps sensing that I wasn’t in the mood—or the state—to argue. Instead, she looped her arm through mine, her grip firm but gentle, and began leading me away from the clearing. Percy followed close behind, his usual casual demeanor replaced by a quiet concern. Trailing after him were the dark-haired girl and the blonde girl, her sharp gray eyes watching me with a mix of curiosity and suspicion.

Each step felt heavier than the last, my body growing weaker as we moved further from the battlefield. The journey to the Big House, which normally would have been a short walk, now felt like an endless trek. My legs trembled with every step, and my vision began to blur at the edges, the world around me tilting slightly as if I were standing on uneven ground.

By the time we reached the Big House, I was barely holding myself together. Chiron was waiting for us on the porch, his expression stern but calm. However, the moment his eyes landed on me, his demeanor shifted. His brow furrowed, and he stepped forward quickly, his hooves clicking against the wooden planks as he moved to steady me. 

“Sensei, please,” I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper. “I-I don’t want them to see.”

Chiron’s hands were firm but gentle as he took me from Alice, his gaze softening as he looked down at me. “You can trust them, Y/N,” he said, his tone almost apologetic. “I had intended to introduce you to them properly, but I did not get the chance.”

I wanted to respond, to tell him that it wasn’t about trust but about pride, about the years of conditioning that had taught me to never show weakness. But before I could form the words, the world around me began to spin. My breath caught in my throat, and my knees buckled, sending me crashing to the ground. I barely managed to catch myself on my hands, my body trembling as a fit of coughing wracked my chest.

Alice and Percy were at my side in an instant, crouching down next to me, their faces a mix of horror and worry. “Y/N!” Alice exclaimed, her voice trembling.

“Leave, please,” I rasped, my voice barely audible. I didn’t want them to see me like this—weak, vulnerable, a far cry from the girl who had just taken on a group of Ares kids with nothing but talismans and sheer willpower.

But Alice shook her head, her eyes wide with fear. “Kanao, look,” she said, her voice breaking as she pointed to my sleeve.

I followed her gaze, my stomach sinking as I saw the blood blossoming on the rich fabric of my kimono. The crimson stain spread quickly, stark against the pristine white, and I felt a wave of nausea wash over me.

Chiron’s eyes widened, his usual composure slipping for a moment as he realized the severity of my condition. “Annabeth, fetch ambrosia this instant!” he barked, his voice sharp with urgency.

I had been raised to never show weakness. The Gojo name was synonymous with strength, with power, with perfection. To reveal vulnerabilities like this was unthinkable—a death sentence in the jujutsu world. But as another wave of pain wracked my body, I knew I couldn’t maintain the facade any longer.

The world around me blurred, the voices of the others fading into a distant hum. I could feel myself slipping, the icy tendrils of my own cursed energy tightening their grip. This wasn’t just exhaustion—it was a reckoning, a consequence of pushing myself too far, too fast.

And I knew, deep down, that this was only the beginning. It would get worse from here.

The pain in my chest was unbearable now, a searing, relentless agony that made every breath feel like a battle. Each gasp for air was shallow and ragged, as if my lungs were filling with something thick and heavy. The metallic tang of blood coated my tongue, and I could feel it trickling from the corner of my mouth, warm and sticky against my skin. My vision swam, the world around me dissolving into a blur of colors and shapes, the edges darkening as if the shadows themselves were closing in. But the worst of it were my eyes, they hurt as if they had been stabbed with the same shards I seemed to have swallowed.

“Annabeth, hurry!” Percy’s voice cut through the haze, sharp and urgent. I could hear the sound of footsteps—quick, frantic—as Annabeth sprinted around the Big House.

Chiron knelt beside me, his hands moving to my wrist to check my pulse. His expression was grim, his usual calm demeanor replaced by something far more serious. “Her energy is unstable,” he murmured, more to himself than to the others. “She’s pushed herself beyond her limits.”

I wanted to tell him I was fine, that I could handle it, but the words wouldn’t come. Instead, another fit of coughing seized me, violent and uncontrollable. This time, the blood wasn’t just on my sleeve. It spilled from my lips, staining the pristine fabric of my kimono and pooling on the ground beneath me. The sight of it sent a wave of nausea through me, but I was too weak to even turn away.

“Kanao!” Alice’s voice was frantic now, her hands trembling as she tried to wipe the blood from my face. “What’s happening to her?!”

“Her cursed energy is backfiring,” Chiron said, his tone heavy with concern. “She’s been using techniques far beyond her current capacity, and her body is paying the price.”

Percy crouched down beside me, his sea-green eyes wide with fear. He reached out, his hand hovering over mine as if unsure whether to touch me. “Is there anything we can do?”

“The ambrosia will help,” Chiron said, though his voice lacked its usual confidence. “But it may not be enough. Her condition is... complicated. Her energy is unlike anything I’ve seen before. It’s as much a part of her as it is a force working against her.”

“Stay with us, Y/N,” Percy said, his voice soft but urgent. “You’re stronger than this. You can fight it.”

I wanted to believe him, to cling to his words like a lifeline, but the pain was too much. It felt like my body was being torn apart from the inside, every nerve on fire, every muscle screaming in agony.

Annabeth returned moments later, a small square of ambrosia in her hand. She knelt beside me, her gray eyes filled with worry as she pressed the square to my lips. “Eat this,” she said, her voice firm but gentle. “It’ll help.”

I tried to obey, but my body refused to cooperate. My jaw clenched, my teeth grinding together as another wave of pain wracked my body. The ambrosia slipped from my lips, falling to the ground as I coughed again, more blood spilling from my mouth.

“She’s not strong enough to eat it,” Chiron said, his voice tight with frustration. He looked at me, his expression a mix of concern and helplessness. “We’ll have to find another way.”

“What about nectar?” Percy suggested, his voice rising with desperation. “Can we give her that instead?”

Chiron shook his head. “Nectar is too potent. In her current state, it could kill her. Her body is too fragile to handle it.”

The others fell silent, their fear and helplessness palpable. I could feel their eyes on me, their worry pressing down on me like a weight. But there was nothing they could do. This was my burden to bear, my consequence to face. I had pushed myself too far, and now I was paying the price.

Then it struck me—a flicker of clarity amidst the chaos. I couldn’t stop the pain, but maybe, just maybe, I could minimize the damage. My voice was weak, barely more than a rasp, but I managed to choke out the word: “P-paper.”

The dark-haired girl was the first to react. She scrambled to Chiron’s desk, her movements quick and precise, and returned moments later with a sheet of paper. She placed it in front of me, her gray eyes wide with a mix of curiosity and concern.

With trembling hands, I dipped my finger into the blood still dripping from my mouth and began to trace a rune onto the paper. My movements were shaky, the lines uneven, but I poured every ounce of focus I had left into it. When the rune was complete, I slammed my hand onto the paper, forcing my cursed energy to flow through it.

The rune glowed faintly, a pale imitation of the ones Shoko onee-san used to create for me with her technique. It wasn’t nearly as potent, but it was enough. A wave of relief washed over me, dulling the sharp edges of the pain and giving me a moment to breathe. I collapsed backward onto the floor, my chest heaving as I let out a shaky sigh.

For a moment, everything was quiet. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder, gentle but firm. I turned my head slightly and saw the blonde girl—Annabeth—holding a small square of ambrosia. Her expression was unreadable, but there was a flicker of something in her eyes—relief, maybe, i couldn't tell.

Once the blood stopped flowing, I reached for the ambrosia and popped it into my mouth. I had heard stories about what it tasted like—your happiest memory, they said. The texture was strange, almost like a mix of honey and bread, but the flavor... it was unmistakable.

It tasted like Nii-san’s Kikufuku mochi.

The memory hit me like a wave, vivid and warm. I could see him standing in the kitchen, his sleeves rolled up as he kneaded the dough with that ridiculous grin on his face. He’d gotten the recipe after shamelessly flirting with the owner’s 70-year-old wife, and he’d been so proud of himself. “It’s all about charm, Y/N,” he’d said, winking at me as he handed me a piece.

I closed my eyes, a faint smile tugging at my lips as the memory washed over me. For a moment, the pain was gone, replaced by a warmth that spread through my chest.

When I opened my eyes again, I was met with a circle of worried faces looming over me. Chiron’s expression was grave, his eyes filled with the kind of sorrow that comes from seeing too much suffering. Alice’s eyes were red and puffy, her cheeks streaked with tears. Percy looked like he was on the verge of crying himself, his usual bravado nowhere to be found. And Annabeth—her face was a mask of concern, but there was something else there too, something I couldn’t quite place.

I sat up slowly, wiping the rest of the blood from my mouth with the back of my hand. My body still ached, but the worst of the pain had subsided, thanks to the rune and the ambrosia. The room felt heavy with tension, the air thick with unspoken questions and lingering fear.

“When your uncle said you had stamina problems, I didn’t think it’d be like this,” a voice drawled from behind the group.

I looked up and saw Dionysus standing there, his usual bored expression slightly less bored than usual. Behind him was the dark-haired girl, panting slightly, as if she’d just run a marathon. Her sharp eyes were fixed on me, her expression unreadable but intense.

I smiled weakly, shrugging as I met Dionysus’s gaze. “That’s what you get for being a forbidden child,” I said, my voice still hoarse but laced with a hint of my usual dry humor.

“But Aphrodite isn’t a part of the pact. That’s just for the Big Three.”

The room fell silent, the weight of his words hanging in the air. All eyes turned to me, curiosity and confusion etched on their faces. I could feel the questions bubbling up, the unspoken demand for answers.

“Who ever said anything about the Greek side?”

╰ ┈➤ Masterlist

╰ ┈➤ Tags: @hana-no-seiiki @cxcilla @imsoslay2386 @meilvn @ilovebattinson @mymelody58 @joekitsu

© cheriecelestial - arabelle | 2025

[katy-133]

How to Kitbash (or Head Hack) Models to Different Rigs

Kitbashing (aka "Head Hacking" in Source communities) is the technique of combining models together to create something new. This can be useful for allowing a character to have a different outfit or body. In this guide, we will be combining Sniper's head with Spy's body, as an example.

Kitbash Guide:

Create a scene with the two models you want to combine. Position them to be in the same spot. Hide the visibility of the armature of the model you want to keep the head of. In this example, the rigs are IK/FK Rigify armatures, but FK rigs should work too with this method.

Hide (viewport and render) visibility of the old head (Spy's) of the model you want to keep the body of (via the Outliner window). This is to make it eaiser to see what you're doing, and to prevent seeing the head when you're animating and rendering the armature.

Also hide the visibility of any meshes you don't plan on using for the final kitbash. (see: image)

Reparent the Head Mesh: Select the head mesh of the head you want to add on (Sniper's) and go to the Object Properties tab. Under Relations > Parent, change the value from Sniper's rig to Spy's. The head is now parented to Spy's body.

Edit Modifiers of the Head Mesh: In the Modifiers Property tab, Change the Armature modifier's Object value to Spy's rig. The head should now follow Spy's head controls.

The Eye Controls: Select the left eye Empty sphere of Sniper's rig (Sniper left eyeHIIK). Snap the Viewport Cursor to the Empty's location (Object > Snap > Cursor to Selected). Set the Viewport Cursor to be in the same location of the left eye Empty sphere. Go to the Constaints property tab. Edit the Track To modifier's Object value to Spy's armature. Do the same for the Copy Scale modifier. The eye Empty will have moved position, which we don't want. Snap the eye Empty to the Viewport Cursor (Object > Snap > Selection to Cursor). Repeat these steps for the right eye.

Reposition the Head: (If you also want to include additional meshes from the old/Sniper's model, like his hat/sunglasses, see the "But what about Sniper's hat?" section below before doing this next step.) Select the head mesh, any additional meshes you want to add to the new rig, and the eye empties of the head you're adding. Move head mesh (and the additional things you've selected) in place, using the old head's placement as reference (toggle its viewport visibility on/off).

The head and eyes should now move with the new body rig. In this example, Sniper is wearing Spy's suit.

But what about Sniper's hat? And his sunglasses? Or other item the old rig has a control for that the new rig doesn't?

You can add an additional bone to the new rig by selecting the armature, switching to Edit Mode, and selecting Add > Single Bone. Move the bone where you want it (you can snap the viewport cursor to the old rig's hat control and then snap the new single bone's head to the viewport cursor), set the bone's parent (via the Bone Properties > Relations > Parent value), and rename the bone to the same name that bone on the old rig has. Using the same name is important, because that tells Blender what assigned weight paints (on the mesh) the bone should control.

To find the name of a particular bone, select it from the old rig and check its name in the Bone Properties tab (if you have trouble finding/selecting it in Edit Mode, switch to Pose Mode and select the control, then switch back to Edit mode. It will now be the bone selected). Also make note of the bone's Relations values in the same tab.

Then reparent and edit the modifiers of the hat mesh the same way you did for the head mesh.

Selecting the bone in Pose Mode should now move the hat.

This same methodology can be used for anything else you want to add to the kitbash that contains weight paints.

Tip: I recommend doing these steps for any additional meshes you plan on using just before the "Reposition the Head" step from earlier. That way, when you reposition the head mess and eye Empties, you can also select the hat and sunglasses and reposition them together to make sure they line up correctly.

But now Sniper's hands look too small! How can I make them more Sniper-sized?

You can select controls for different body parts in Pose Mode and scale them to change the size of the corrosponding body part. Child controls should scale accordingly.

In this example, Spy's hand control has been scaled up by 1.5 and becomes a similar size to Sniper's.

I hope you have found this kitbashing guide useful, and I am looking forward to all the mixmatched models you make in the future!

[thorns-and-starlight]

Day 92 - Dignity

Thranduil x OC

・❥・. “Well. That would be a terrible waste of commentary.”

The morning had started peacefully.

Birdsong laced the trees. Dew shimmered across the forest floor. Elenariel had taken advantage of the rare lull to wash her clothes by the stream near the edge of the woodland village, wrapping herself in a spare tunic and loose belt while the rest dried on a sun-warmed stone.

Everything had gone to plan.

Until the villagers’ hound – massive, mud-soaked, and jubilantly disobedient – barreled straight into her.

A yelp, a splash, and a spectacular skid through wet earth later, Elenariel found herself sitting in the middle of a ruined puddle, her spare tunic utterly soaked and clinging in unfortunate places. The belt had snapped loose in the chaos. Her dignity?

Likely floating somewhere downstream.

She cursed softly under her breath, pushing hair out of her face as she stood and tried to shake the mud from her hem with little success. Just as she reached for her drying garments, a familiar voice rang out behind her.

“I do hope this isn’t your new diplomatic ensemble.”

She froze.

No. No, no, no.

Thranduil stood at the edge of the clearing, his arms folded, one brow lifted like he had just walked into the finest comedy performance of his reign. He was, of course, immaculate. Silver-threaded robes catching the light like moonlight incarnate. Not a speck of dust dared touch him.

Elenariel didn’t turn.

“You saw nothing,” she called evenly, gathering the clean tunic and attempting to shake it out with what grace she could muster.

“I saw everything,” he replied, “and I must say, your technique for repelling overzealous hounds is... creative.”

She tugged the clean tunic over her head, cheeks warm. “You’re enjoying this.”

“Deeply.”

She turned then, glaring as she tried to pull the fabric straight with what remained of her composure. “You could offer a cloak. Or a compliment. Or silence.”

He stepped forward slowly, hands clasped behind his back. “A cloak would deprive me of the view. A compliment would ruin the fun. And silence…” He paused, gaze drifting pointedly to the torn belt hanging around her hips. “Well. That would be a terrible waste of commentary.”

Elenariel narrowed her eyes. “You are impossible.”

Thranduil gave a sweeping bow, utterly unrepentant. “And yet here you stand, half-dressed and unwilling to flee.”

She huffed, brushing her hands off with as much dignity as she could manage. “It’s only because I have mud on my legs and no boots. Don't flatter yourself.”

He circled her once, languid and amused, stopping just behind her. “Next time,” he murmured, low and velvety, “you might consider dressing for battle if you plan to bathe in a war zone.”

She turned her head over her shoulder. “And you might consider not spying on maidens bathing.”

He met her gaze, all smugness and silver flame. “I only spy when the view is worth it.”

She opened her mouth, then closed it.

No clever retort. No quick save. Just heat crawling up her neck and his unmistakably victorious smile.

“Oh,” he added over his shoulder as he walked away, “do let me know if the hound returns. I would hate to miss the encore.”

[dumbgoondog]

Cursed AU (Part 3)

Cw/Tw—Blood, death, malnourishment, bones, very exaggerated bodies

Ft. Choso and the Curse Womb Death Paintings

Yuh yuh yuh

Thanks to Sukuna and Yuji, all death paintings incarnated. Giving them each enough cursed energy to survive so they’d no longer be weak all 9 brothers are alive and are each acting members of the Web’s royal court. I also have a little head canon that the more humanoid a curse the more powerful+sentient they are. This means all the other 8 brothers are similarly human to Choso!

(I will NOT be adding all the death paintings unless enough people want em.)

The 9 death paintings are basically spies, the secret police, and intel gatherers. They spy on sorcerers, keep tabs on what’s going on between clans and tension, check out locations they might want to snag. They also act as guards, patrolling the edges of the Web’s veil. They also keep tabs on the citizens of the web and report that as well, though that job is mainly done by Yuji. The death paintings specifically serve Yuji, seeing him as family, knowing he’s the secret prince, and out of respect.

Choso Kamo

Looks relatively the same but there are some differences! For starters lengthen his ears to almost be elven like. He’s supposed to represent the first stage of death, which… he just looks kinda emo. So we’re amping it. Flower growths. We’re talking flowers growing from his skin on his body, white chrysanthemum and when he uses blood manipulation they turn into red spider lilies(Tokyo Ghoul reference). This is for the flowers left for the dead and in Japan these are the two common flowers left. Next, give him that little triangle bandana thang. Increase the deathly look around his eyes, like that one art Gege Akutami did. Now we’re done.

Technique doesn’t change. No changes to his dick.

Eso Kamo

He’s tan and not orange… give his nose a matching mark to Choso. Give him a full head of hair! Also give him the triangle thang too. He can stay cunty with his outfit.

Kechizu Kamo

Actually humanoid this time! Has a hunched walk and keeps his hands in his pockets. Full black eyes, black mark over nose, mouth and mark are always leaking blood. He has a tooth gap.

Noranso Kamo

Sickly hue, yellowish green skin like he’s about to puke constantly. Mark over nose and more marks along his shoulders like claw rakes. Triangle hat thing. Very thin body type, malnourished in appearance. Like theres nothing in him.

Sho-so Kamo

Limbs ombre into red thread like skin to mimic muscles. Mark over nose, shoulders, and forearms. Black clawed nails. No eyes, empty sockets, he can see tho. Triangle hat.

Tanso Kamo

He looks like a mummy, dresses in torn draped cloth, no guts just his spine but there is skin over his ribs. Really tall and long limbs, the tallest brother at 6’11”. Empty sockets, no eyes, can see tho. Triangle hat.

Sanso Kamo

Bird claw like arms and legs. Oni tusks, very sunken features that almost make his face look like a skull. Long, long hair that he ties in a wolf tail. Triangle hat.

Kotsuso Kamo

Omg hi Sans the skeleton. Kotsuso is just a skeleton. The bones do have marks tho! No hair, wears a very loose and messily done black yukata like some whore. Triangle hat.

Shoso Kamo

Shortest brother at 5’5”, the longest hair at 5ft in length. It’s just blowing all around and the edges smoke and flicker like incense. Face is hidden in shadows like it doesn’t exist like Yuji and Sukuna. Is blind. Skeletal bird clawed hands, muscular bod like Choso tho. Also is growing flowers but his are just red spider lilies and don’t do anything special.

[whatdoseitmeantobehuman]

Echos of home part 9 growing pains

"If one more person touches my stomach without asking," the reader grumbled, watching Phoenix and Raze argue over who got to feel the baby kick, "I'm going to let Sova shoot them." At five months along, their bump had become the compound's favorite new attraction. Even Chamber, usually so composed, had been caught talking to it in French when he thought no one was looking.

Sova's protective instincts had reached new levels. Just yesterday, he'd nearly put an arrow through Breach for startling them with an unexpected belly pat. "Personal space," he'd growled, while the reader tried not to laugh at his bristling. "I should be godparent," Phoenix declared during breakfast.

"I'm clearly the most fun." "You set things on fire," Killjoy countered. "I'm building them educational toys. And a state-of-the-art monitoring system. And-" "Please stop turning our child into a surveillance project," the reader sighed, one hand on their bump while the other reached for toast. Sova immediately moved to get it for them, but Thrash was faster, carefully bringing the plate over. "See? Even Gekko's creatures are better candidates," Jett teased. "Wingman has been practicing his babysitting skills," Gekko added proudly, as the little creature demonstrated his perfected swaddling technique on Mosh.

"They're kicking again," the reader whispered one night, guiding Sova's hand to the spot. His face lit up with wonder, as it did every time. He pressed a kiss to their stomach, murmuring something in Russian. "What are you telling them?" "How lucky they are," he smiled. "To have so many people who already love them."

The cravings drove everyone crazy. "Who wants pierogies with chocolate sauce at 3 AM?" Phoenix complained, but he still helped make them. "Better than last week's pickles and ice cream phase," Harbor chuckled. "I still say the curry-dipped watermelon was worse," Fade added. "You try growing a tiny human," the reader shot back, happily dipping their chocolate-covered pierogi in hot sauce.

The betting pool for godparent was getting out of hand. "I've known them longest," Killjoy argued. "I'm teaching the baby parkour," Jett declared. "Absolutely not," Sova and the reader said in unison. "I'm the most responsible," Cypher stated. "You literally spy on people for fun," Raze pointed out. "I'm writing them a tactical training program," Brimstone offered. "They're not even born yet!" Sage exclaimed, exasperated.

The nursery became a group project, much to Chamber's horror. "The aesthetic is all wrong," he complained, watching Raze paint cartoon bunnies on the wall. "Babies don't care about aesthetic," Phoenix argued, hanging up the mobile Killjoy had engineered to play lullabies and display constellations. Sova just smiled, watching their family transform the room with pieces of themselves. Breach's carefully crafted wooden crib. Harbor's hand-painted ocean mural. Fade's dreamcatcher. Cypher's (heavily monitored) baby monitors. "Does it bother you?" they asked Sova one evening, watching him glare at yet another unauthorized belly touch. "All the attention?" He softened immediately.

"No, myshka. Well... maybe a little. But seeing how much they already love our child..." He placed his hand protectively over their bump. "It makes me happy. Even if they are all terrible at personal space." "Speaking of space," they grinned, "your child is currently doing acrobatics on my bladder. Again." "Now they're my child?" he laughed, helping them up. "When they're making me pee every five minutes? Absolutely."

The arguments over names were endless. "Something traditional," Sova suggested. "Something unique," Phoenix countered. "Something that strikes fear into the hearts of enemies," Reyna offered. "It's a baby, not a weapon," Sage sighed. But the sweetest moments were the quiet ones. Sova singing Russian lullabies when he thought everyone was asleep. Wingman curled protectively around the bump during naps. The way the whole team would drop everything if the reader so much as winced.

The sight of hardened agents cooing at ultrasound pictures. "Our child is going to be so spoiled," they mused one night, watching Sova arrange the stuffed animals everyone kept bringing. "Our child is going to be so loved," he corrected softly. Because that's what they had built here - not just a nursery, but a home. Not just a team, but a family. A family that might not understand personal space, or normal boundaries, or appropriate baby gifts (Chamber had already ordered a tiny bespoke suit), but who loved fiercely, protected absolutely, and would move heaven and earth for the tiny life growing in their midst. Even if they wouldn't stop touching the bump without permission.

[medievalandfantasymelee]

To answer an ask I received earlier and make a general housekeeping announcement:

No, we will not be accepting counter-propaganda.

And we'd also like to issue a general reminder that we are voting and focusing on the qualities of the characters, not the actors. The actors may impact or even be a primary reason you love the character, naturally, but comments on the lives of the actors outside of anecdotes relating to the portrayal of the character are not admissible Propaganda.*

Like, yes Actor McMan had an amazing life. He was a spy in WWII, gave to charity, had four dogs and a pet possum, was devoted to his wife and never divorced her etc etc. That Has nothing to do with his portrayal of Sir Blorbo de Scrimble (unless he met his wife on set while she was playing opposite him as Lady de Scrimble/his real life pet dogs had cameos in the movie).

However if you'd like to share how you think Actor McMan's deep love of the source material helped him bring Sir Blorbo to life on screen, or acting techniques/choices chosen by Actor McMan to add depth to the character, or the chemistry between Actor McMan and his co-stars, that IS admissible and encouraged.

* The Master of Revels retains the right to edit propaganda at her discretion. Nothing will be added but sentences may be removed to better suit Tournament Standards and/or to avoid spoilers. Any Propaganda containing spoilers and some of the spicier comments will be put under the cut.

[epefanio]

'·.,¸,••,¸,.·''·.,¸,••,¸,.·'Menpo'·.,¸,••,¸,.·''·.,¸,••,¸,.·'

Some information on Menpo because I love him and am going to be talking about him a lot so I want one post to link back to

✧ ⁂ ✧ ⁂ ✧ ⁂ ✧ Basics ✧ ⁂ ✧ ⁂ ✧ ⁂ ✧

✧Menpo Jirolu✧

⁂ His name “Menpo” is the name of a samurai’s mask and follows the naming convention of his team; Kabuto (helmet) Yakushi, Yoroi (armour) Akadō, and Misumi Tsurugi (sword) ⁂ The surname “Jirolu” is a shortened version of the solmization scales “Siji-Loro-Telu” as a small tie to the Sound despite not being a sound ninja himself ⁂ His old teammate Sabishii Patma’s surname follows the same solmization rule ⁂

✧He/Him✧

✧25 years old as of the chunin exams arc✧

⁂ he was 21 at the time of getting his genin team ⁂

✧ ⁂ ✧ ⁂ ✧ ⁂ ✧ Jutsu ✧ ⁂ ✧ ⁂ ✧ ⁂ ✧

✧Creator of the Temple of Nirvana technique✧

⁂Menpo specializes in large scale Genjutsu techniques most of them being sleep based ⁂ Due to his specific set of skills he’s ranked as a Tokubetsu Jōnin ⁂ He normally works with Aoba Yamashiro or the interrogation force ⁂ He was switched over to a Team Leading Jōnin due to Misumi’s proficiency ⁂

✧Medical Knowledge✧

⁂Menpo started off as a medical ninja in his youth but switched over to a genjutsu path due to finding he was better in that position ⁂ Due to having knowledge of medical jutsu he was asked to lead Team Kabuto due to Misumi showing promise in medical jutsu (Kabuto was kinda just added because he’s the adopted son of the leader of the medical corps but due to being labeled as a failure of a ninja by most he was also put on Yoroi’s team due to him having better grades) ⁂

✧Menpo is known as The Anesthesiologist✧

⁂The was given to him due to him knowing both medical ninjutsu and specializing in sleep based genjutsu ⁂ The name is mostly a joke amongst the Tokubetsu Jōnin since they like to hype him up and make him sound super intimidating and then he comes in and he’s super sweet ⁂ he’s the embodiment of (*´꒳`*) ⁂

✧ ⁂ ✧ ⁂ ✧ ⁂ ✧ Genin teams ✧ ⁂ ✧ ⁂ ✧ ⁂ ✧

✧Team Orochimaru✧

⁂As a genin he was on Orochimaru’s team with Anko and Sabishii ⁂ After becoming chunin Menpo and Sabishii both went onto individual training; Menpo in medical jutsu and Sabishii in Bukijutsu ⁂ Sabishii would later join the Sound while Menpo stayed loyal to the Leaf ⁂

✧Team Kabuto✧

⁂Menpo would grow closest to Kabuto over the years ⁂ Kabuto kept up the failure act so Menpo would spend the most time with him training while Yoroi and Misumi trained with eachother ⁂ He picked up on Kabuto having more skill than he lets on pretty quickly so he taught him his original technique The Temple of Nirvana ⁂ Due to being a spy Kabuto would study Menpo’s mannerisms so a majority of his personality when working with Team 7 in the chunin exams came from mimicking Menpo ⁂ Menpo had the hardest time with Misumi due to being told he was proficient in medical jutsu but it became clear his technique where he can disconnect his joints isn’t a medical ninjutsu so they had to work back from there ⁂ He had no involvement in Orochimaru’s plans but had some suspicions ⁂ He could never prove fully his team wasn’t loyal to the Leaf so be chalked it up to him being paranoid ⁂

[innome0]

trying not to cringe out of my skin as i share these but here's my brainvomit i got so far for my transformers oc

Trail blazer/ swift streak dosnt really know what he wants to do or what he's good at or where he belongs among the autobots  and the war started almost right after he came online so he ended up being a assistant hopping from being one bot's assistant to another around the base helping whoever asks for his help simply to have him doing something around instead of sitting twiddling his thumbs, that ends with him interacting with alot of the bots (mainly jazz,blurr,ratchet, sometimes bee atm) and he ends up as a sort of "jack of all trades but a master of none"

Him n ratchet have a grouchy uncle that's sorta the parent n likes the kid but hides it + kid that likes to help said grouch while also annoying  him here and there dynamic

having observed so many autobots doing their jobs while assisting them he learned a thing or 2 and that ended up helping him greatly while surviving in another dimension while being haunted by shockwave after he and shockwave ended up trapped in another dimension when swift streak knocked him through a portal before he could attack anyone, jazz's spy techniques came in handy when he was hidding and how to hide his tracks aswell but the skills that came to fruition the most where what he observed from ratchet while helping him in the medbay, without those skills he would've been done for a long time ago

For how he ended up in another dimension,it starts with a battle between the autobots and decepticons, he's not a great fighter but he was still on the field to assist and drag away those who have falled when he saw the ground bridge they were trying to secure open behind the autobots while they were distracted, shockwave was about to attack so he raced towards him pushing him into the portal but also falling into it aswell, the bridge takes a hit and fails but instead of ending up on the decepticons ship or somewhere at least slightly familiar he finds himself in another dimension, so he end up having to survive being hunted by the decepticon while finding a way home

He tries his best to survive the other dimension while his only "companion" is trying to kill him to use his body for spare parts and also completely believing the autobots will come for him but in the end millions of years pass and  no one does and he comes back on his own so he's very not happy with that, for the autobots they genuinely believed there is no way this simple assistant would be able to survive against someone like shockwave and they also have no idea where they ended up He's very sour cuz in his perspective he was abandoned and left to fend for himself

He ends up being mad about the fact that when he asks them If it was someone like prowl or bee or even ratchet that got stuck in the other place would they have risked going after them, while they don't answer him their faces says enough

He's kinda even more mad that we agrees with them in a way, he is a assistant while they were very important in the autobot ranks

adding more sourness to that is the fact that he believed for so long at least the ones he was close to would come for him but in the end none of them did

For prowl he only meets him after coming back from the other dimension and the relationship is quite sour but trail blazer dose respect prowl even if it's sour

I Wana learn more about blurr cuz I think they can have a very funny dynamic with blurr being this celebrity with a ego and streak is just "idk you and idgf" (streak never got to learn about the races before the war started so he dosnt know that blurr is this big everyone knows me celebrity) so blurr takes it upon himself to teach trail about the races and ofc his achievements by following streak around and blowing his ear off while streak contemplates which place would be perfect for hiding a body(also blurr be like this guy is ignoring me how dare) That goes on for a while and without them noticing their conversations drift off from the races and they start talking more about random stuff and a weird unexpected friendship blossoms with everyone wondering how tf streak deals with blurr's ego

Blurr and swift streak meet at the start of the war when blurr got hurt and swift streak notices quickly that this guy has a tendency for both injuries and talking about himself, thankfully at somepoint he starts getting less injuries tho that dosnt deter him from finding swift streak to annoy him, at first streak is annoyed to no end by the guy but "you can't finish the job for the enemies" ratchet says so he just sighs and accepts his fate but over time he gets so used to blurr's talking that he begins to notice the silence when he isn't there to fill it and as time goes on he starts enjoying the egotistical bot's company

Rn I think the most logical way he'd get back is by working together with shockwave tho that would come after it finally settled in that no one was coming for him, I'm also contemplating making it so time passes differently in the other dimension so more time would've passed In there than in home dimension

his design is still in progress

its currently fighting me like a 4yo who dosnt want to leave the toys store

Also Still working on his trail blazer look