#I'm sorry for the delay

[sapphireshineonao3]

Chapters: 6/? Fandom: 原神 | Genshin Impact (Video Game) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Furina & Neuvillette (Genshin Impact), Arlecchino/Furina (Genshin Impact), Furina/Sandrone (Genshin Impact), Arlecchino/Furina/Sandrone (Genshin Impact) Characters: Furina (Genshin Impact), Neuvillette (Genshin Impact), Arlecchino (Genshin Impact), Sandrone (Genshin Impact), Clorinde (Genshin Impact), Tartaglia | Childe (Genshin Impact) Additional Tags: Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Manipulation, Angst, Furina-centric (Genshin Impact), Furina Needs a Hug (Genshin Impact), Insecure Furina (Genshin Impact), Furina has a cryo vision, Fatui!Furina, Manipulation, Pet Names, Toxic Relationships, Toxic dynamic, Unhealthy Relationships Summary:

After the events of the prophecy, Furina vanishes from Fontaine. No matter who looked, or how long they looked, the former, fake, hydro archon couldn't be found anywhere.

Neuvillette finally discovers her fate a few months afterwards during a diplomatic meeting with the Harbinger Sandrone.

[liya4kar]

Chapters: 1/1

Fandom: プロジェクトセカイ カラフルステージ！| Project SEKAI COLORFUL STAGE! (Video Game)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Shinonome Akito & Shinonome Ena, Kagamine Len & Kagamine Rin & Shinonome Akito & Shinonome Ena Characters: Shinonome Akito, Shinonome Ena, Kagamine Len, Kagamine Rin, Aoyagi Touya, Shiraishi An, Hatsune Miku, Mentioned Asahina Mafuyu - Character, Mentionned Azusawa Kohane Additional Tags: Time Loop, of sort, Mystery, Shinonome Akito-centric, Explaining the plot holes created by seasonal events in game, And making it Ena and Akito's issue for 12K words, Not Beta Read we die like Nagi, Possibly light angst?, But also fluff and some emotionnal moments, A bit of swearing because it's the Shinonomes, Spoilers for pretty much all events until Let Your Song Resound Throughout the SEKAI!, And major spoilers for VBS and N25 events, She/Her Pronouns for Akiyama Mizuki, Because Akito and Ena doesn't know about their secret and assume she/her, And the fic is mainly in those two point of view Summary:

When Ena came at him, at 5 am, telling him that they were stuck in a time loop, Akito didn't want to believe her.

But the proofs were all here, right in front of his eyes. He could not deny it anymore.

So how were they getting out of it?

Hi @wiley-riley ! I’m your secret Santa for the @winter-sekai-gift-exchange ! I’m really sorry for the delay, but I hope you enjoy this fic, from one Shinonome siblings fan to another!

[donttouchmeillkillyou]

DAMN SHRIG, GO AT IT ‼️‼️‼️‼️

[hopepaigeturner]

An Offer From An Avid Reader: Swing Scene

I thought it was about time I returned to this series after a mess of my studies. Currently writing Eloise's storyline or Sophie's so for now, another little scene. A little adaptation that would take place in episode 5 before Grandma Alexandra's death. I present:

✨The Swing Scene ✨

(a rewrite of the 'garden scene' from AOFAG)

*~*~*~*~*

The opening shot focuses on Sophie reading a French book on a swing.

“Your book is upside down.” Benedict whispers, leaning over her shoulder.

Sophie jerks up and double checks, upon seeing it is a tease she glares at him half-heartedly.

“Do you live here?”

“No,” he sits down on the swing next to hers. “Although my mother constantly informs me that I should continue to make myself at home no matter how old I become, or whether she is conveniently out at a picnic with the rest of my family.”

“Hence why I thought I would get a blessed few hours of reading, but alas with you sitting there that will be impossible.”

“My presence is that compelling?”

“I would say disturbing would be a more apt descriptor,” Sophie quips back, giving him another glare that lacks all malice.

“What I find disturbing is that my mother is gone from the house on the precise afternoon that the servants have off, yet here you are reading. So, for the third week, you have neglected your freedom and insisted on staying here.”

Sophie turns back to her book, her eyes mechanically moving without comprehension.

“I think you mean to be flattering with such statements, but I feel more unnerved by the closeness of your inspection.”

“Why do you not go out Sophie? Why do you not join the other maids, or go shopping, or even visit Genevieve?”

“I like reading—and I do go out,” she points out, thinking of her afternoons running after a very spirited Bridgerton.

“Hmm, yes, Eloise’s little escapades,” Benedict says with a little grimace.

“I thought you support her endeavours to open her mind and prospects?”

“Not when it comes at the cost of her safety and, more importantly, yours.”

Sophei waves him off and returns to her book.

“I can handle myself perfectly fine, I have a lifetime of experience.”

“I know.” His soft tone distracts her and she turns to find a soft type of anguish on his face. “I see it. I see that shadow, that sorrow in your eye, so rarely gone.” Sophie tries to turn away, but Benedict gently turns her face back to his. “I cannot bear it when you look sad.” His fingers ghost her cheek, playing with a stray hair, “I wish you would share your secrets with me.”

“I have no—”

“Your secrets are eating you alive.” He looks into her eyes with a gaze that cuts Sophie to the core. “I would do anything to bear that burden for you.” He lifts her hand and kisses it. Sophie shifts away.

“Benedict we cannot—”

“We could—"

“No.”

Benedict sighs, a little pained but trying to cover it up. He shoots her a rueful smile.

“Have you always been this stubborn?”

“Only when I need to be…and perhaps for certain individuals.”

Their easy manner of before slips back in like the tide lapping up the shore.

“I shall take that as a compliment.”

“That was not a compliment.”

“Ah, but I chose to take it as one.”

“Ofcourse you would,” Sophie chuckles and so puts her hand over her mouth to smother it—as she has done all season. But just before she does, Benedict captures her hand and so, the sound breaks free.

“Excellent,” He says staring at her with a brilliant smile.

“What?”

“I am going to leave, and I implore for you to do only one thing.”

“Oh? Only one?”

He ignores her flippancy, but instead pulls her with him as he stands , until she is close enough to see the exact hues of his eyes.

“You shall stay here and stay smiling. It breaks my heart to see any other expression on your face.”

“You will not be able to see me.” Less of a quip due to the slight quiver in her voice.

“I will know.”

Their breaths catch. The world shrinks. The pair lean close, noses brushing—

“Sophie!” they jerk apart at the sound of Eloise’s call. Sophies eyes are wide and she whirls to try and find an escape.

“We should—”

Benedict leans in, pecks her cheek then steals away. A couple moments later, Eloise appears and slumps in the swing recounting a vexing encounter at the picnic. Sophie joins her, ina  slight daze, hand on her cheek—still smiling.

*~*~*~*

As you can see, I’ve juggled around some bits of dialogue to still hold the romanticism of the scene but without Benedict hounding Sophie, and focusing it on the pair realising just how much they get each other on a deeper level.

A little snippet of more to come :)

I’d love to hear your ideas/corrections/opinions and always open to chat or requests.

Or check out the list here, for more of my ideas.

Or check out the general arcs of my prospective S4 here.

[backroomoftheday]

THE BACKROOM OF THE DAY IS!!!!!

Level 55 - "Land of Ice"

CLASS 2

Unsafe

Unsecure

Low entity count

Description:

Level 55 is a supermarket of unknown size filled entirely and exclusively with freezer aisles. Each aisle is exactly fifty five feet long. The aisles seem to mimic the design and styling of a number of supermarkets within the Frontrooms. These markets include but are not limited to: 7-Eleven, Aldi, Costco, Farmfoods, Iceland, K-Mart, Kroger, Morrisons, Target, Tesco, Walmart and Woolworths.

The aisles in Level 55 all match a specific decade of a supermarket's operations, with the decade in question changing every five aisles. The decade always changes chronologically, and will never skip a decade, meaning that a group of aisles representing the 1960s will always lead into a group of aisles representing the 1950s or 1970s. Although there is no Wi-Fi in the majority of the level if you reach a 2000s, 2010s or 2020s era zone you can get a signal on the network FiftyFiver'sFifthFamiliarFreezer which requires the password "55555".

Moving through the aisles of Level 55 can be a rather arduous task due to its extreme non-euclidean geometry, which gives you only one path back to where you came from: the one you took to get where you are. This is amplified by Level 55's lack of any kind of locational or directional indicator, as all markers that have been placed seemingly vanished. Occasionally, you will stumble across what seems to be a wall. It will have a double doors reading "Employees only" which leads to Level 55.1.

Level 55 has an odd effect on all goods stored within its freezers in that they never decay or degrade in any way, remaining pristine no matter how long they are left untouched. This also means that there is no freezer burn in Level 55. The Major Exploration Group recommends against eating food found within Level 55 without having read Research Report 5502 due to its unique effects on the body and mind of those who eat it

Entities:

Although common entities are extremely rare Level 55, you can occasionally find

Ihjryvvtz Men, Death Rats and Facelings roaming the level.

Level 55 Has four unique entities not known to be found anywhere else. They are as follows:

The Red Freezer is a freezer that is entirely red. Its outer shell is coloured red, the light inside is red and all the food inside is in red boxes. This entity is harmless so long as you do not open it, touch it or make a sharp noise near it. Doing so will cause it to lash out using a series of power cords to try and drag whoever disturbed it into itself, transporting them to Level 666. While it does this, it will launch small balls of a red liquid which dissolves organic compounds at approximately 45mph around itself in all directions. These freezers are known to move on their own seemingly at random, although they cannot move when they are in your line of sight. The existence of this entity makes it extremely dangerous to discharge a firearm within Level 55.

The Gold Freezer is a freezer that is entirely gold. Unlike The Red Freezer, The Gold Freezer is entirely made of solid gold, rather than just coloured. Instances of The Gold Freezer are known to glow slightly and emit a calming aura. This calming aura effects survivors, Facelings and Ihjryvvtz Men but not Reddites. The true nature of the relationship between Reddites and The Gold Freezer is unknown, as varying accounts have shown that upon entering its aura Reddites can either retreat, become more agitated, die outright, run straight past you or begin tearing up nearby freezers. Opening The Gold Freezer will reveal one of five possible things all of which are listed in detail in Research Report 5501.

Reddites are a class of entity found commonly throughout Level 55. Reddites are composed of an unknown liquid which has frozen into place as a part of their body. Reddites use their resilience and brute strength to drag any facelings or survivors they find to and then into an instance of The Red Freezer.

Guide Dogs are a class of entity found exclusively in instances of The Gold Freezer within Level 55 and Level 55.1. If you do not give them anything they will simply act as a guard to their instance of The Gold Freezer. If you give them a bottle of almond water (or regular water) they will lead you to the nearest door between Level 55 and Level 55.1 so long as it is within three miles of your current location. If you give them something of personal value to yourself, such as a photo of your spouse from the Frontrooms, to consume they will lead you to the exit from Level 55 to Level 11. However, there is a very small (less than 1 in 20) chance they will instead lead you into an ambush. It is unknown what causes this. The ambush itself has been reported to be composed of Reddites..

Bases, Outposts and Communities

M.E.G. Storage Outpost Arctic Anchor

A small outpost near the entrance operated by the Major Exploration Group serving to store any supplies that require cold storage or which are prone to expiry. The team at this base consists of three members: Jesse Callaghan, Craig Edwards and Ruby Louis. This base can be easily found by looking to your left when entering Level 55 from Level 11. This community is open to trade of its limited supplies and inventory at all times and has been told to aid survivors in any way possible, leading them to Base Beta if necessary.

Research Report 5501 "Golden Freezer Contents":

Open Report 5501

Research Report 5502 "55 Food Research":

Open Report 5502

A note found frozen to a Reddite by M.E.G. operatives.

Show Note

Transcript of Lily Vaughn's final message.

Show Transcript

Entrances And Exits:

Entrances:

Entering a supermarket with a sign reading: "Frivolous Frank's Fabulous Frozen Food" in Level 11.

Climbing into a white chest freezer containing a blue light in Level 5 or Level 20.

Exits

Leave through the main door back to Level 11

Climb inside an instance of The Red Freezer to enter Level 666.

Climb inside an instance of The Gold Freezer to reach The Hub.

Author:

vert343

"Giant Food, Burtonsville, Maryland" by SchuminWeb, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

[izloveshorses]

greta gerwig really said. when this girl gets a little sad and confused by the weird and complicated and uncomfortable parts of being human and growing up, she meets god and sits at her kitchen table, drinks her tea, holds her hands. and she asks god if she’s allowed to be happy. and god tells her she doesn’t need her permission. she tells her she’s going to be okay.

[royalarchivist]

Pac: What is this, man?!

The relationship of Sims Hideduo is too strong for even Pac to sabotage, despite his best efforts 😅

[starflungwaddledee]

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

The Agency's Older Brother: or, Ranpo's Character Development

I want to talk about Ranpo and the development he goes through in the series, because for as much as Ranpo is an important member of the Agency, his story is focused on in small chunks that may not always, at first read, seem to be overly significant. In fact, Ranpo’s arc is very consistent and I’m fascinated to know where it’s building to, because he’s done a lot of growing in the series. A lot of the themes of his story are to do with responsibility and faith in others.

The Ranpo we meet at the beginning of the story is not the Ranpo we see now. The biggest change is that he’s a lot more personally involved with the struggles of the Agency members, taking it on himself to be proactive and protective, while previously he had to be pushed and bribed into helping much of the time. When did this change?

Well...

[ID: Two screenshots from a scene in Poe's introductory episode of the Bungou Stray Dogs anime. In the first screenshot, Yosano lies on the carpeted ground, an axe embedded in her chest, blood pooling around her. Ranpo is crouched beside her, supporting her shoulders with one hand and clasping her hand with the other. The second screenshot is a close up of Ranpo's distressed face. End ID.]

The thing is, it's almost easy to overlook the effect this scene had on Ranpo, because Poe’s introductory chapter/episode is such a brief one. Moreover, afterwards, Poe becomes an ally and is a bit of a silly character, so it’s easy to forget sometimes that he was a legitimate threat here - and Yosano nearly died for it. This scene was incredibly significant to Ranpo for a few notable reasons.

It’s the first time someone in the Agency was in serious trouble/died without a backup plan.

It is, unfortunately, kind of on him. (Let me be real clear here: I am not blaming Ranpo. But he probably was blaming himself and that's something to keep in mind.)

To recap: Poe pulls Ranpo into his novel out of revenge, also trapping Yosano, who went with him. Ranpo realizes that they are in a world with no abilities, and importantly, he doesn't have the glasses Fukuzawa gave him.

We know those glasses mean a lot to him. When Ranpo was at his lowest, when he was convinced the world hated him, Fukuzawa gave him those glasses and told him he had a special ability. That he had a gift that no one else did that allowed him to see the truth that no one else could. Untold Origins makes it very clear that if Fukuzawa hadn't reached out to Ranpo when he did, Ranpo may have forever been outcasted. He was a kid kept in a bubble then suddenly and rudely shoved into a world he was unprepared to cope with, where he continued to get rejected and thrown out over and over - and all this on top of the grief he felt from his parents' passing. Ranpo was bitter and terrified of people, and thought everyone was pretending to be oblivious just to hurt him. Fukuzawa saved him the only way he could, in the only way Ranpo would hear him. It's not an exaggeration to say Fukuzawa saved Ranpo's life. And, while cute, it's also telling how quickly those glasses became an intrinsic part of his identity. Only maybe twenty minutes after he first received them, he was already making little doodles of himself wearing them.

Suddenly, the glasses are gone, and Ranpo goes into a funk because he "can't activate his ability without them". Obviously, we know that isn't true, and so does Yosano. Ranpo probably, deep down, knows this too, but to admit that would be to admit the president lied to him, and to uproot the very thing that gave him the means to perceive the world in a brighter light. The reason Fukuzawa had to lie in the first place was because the truth would be to tell Ranpo that his parents lied to him, something he angrily denies could ever be the case. And now, Fukuzawa is very plainly stated to be Ranpo's adoptive father. Ranpo's parents do not lie to him. He does not want to see it - and so he doesn't. This is a recurring thing with Ranpo. For as much as he sees the truth clearly, he also chooses not to see it at times when it would be uncomfortable/go against the intuition of someone he deeply trusts and respects.

And I think it's very easy to just leave it there, and say, "Oh, Ranpo realized at the end of this chapter/episode that he didn't need the glasses, that he doesn't have an ability, and that's a key turning point" but I don't feel that's the full picture or even the focus here, especially since Ranpo still hasn't reached the point where he can properly admit it aloud, even to Yosano.

The thing is, those glasses aren't just of use to Ranpo - they have sentimental value. A heck of a lot of it, for a character who is not very sentimental. The real turning point here is that Ranpo put on Yosano's glasses in order to save her.

[ID: A screenshot of a panel from the Bungou Stray Dogs manga. Ranpo puts on a pair of glasses. His hair is blown out of his face and he wears an intense expression. End ID.]

Shortly before this, we are informed by Yosano that not only was the Agency specifically formed for Ranpo to make use of his talents, but also that it was Ranpo who invited her to join - which we later learn was a pivotal moment for her to start over after she was completely broken by her experiences in the war. And now, he is watching her bleed out because she had to take over. Because he couldn't solve it. And that, to Ranpo, is unacceptable.

But again, there's more to it. Ranpo is fundamentally a self-centered character - this is not a judgement; I actually love that about him. He's the center of the Agency, the (ostensibly) good guys of the series; a narcissistic guy with little in the way of sensitivity who wants to use his skills to help others. Not for some higher ideal, or because it's "right" necessarily, but because he's good at it, and because he's supposed to protect all the "babies" who can't solve things for themselves. I love it because it highlights a major theme of BSD, which is good as something you do rather than something you are, and also because it explains something about Ranpo himself.

See, if everyone in the world is a "baby" who needs Ranpo's assistance, then the people in the Agency are a little different. They're people hand-picked by Fukuzawa to support him, both through praise and through backup. Remember that Ranpo trusts Fukuzawa's judgement more than anything - this means that he expects the Agency members can handle themselves. So, in chapter 10, when Ranpo doesn't really care that Atsushi has been taken, citing that it's a "personal problem" and he should handle it, I really think this was some odd form of "Atsushi will be fine" and "why should I worry or do anything when I know he'll be fine". And in the past, this has been true - the Agency members always pull through. None of them, up until that point, have been in a situation that they couldn't eventually fix. Ranpo has a bubble of safety in the Agency, that basically amounts to a "villain of the week" type beat from his perspective, where troubles gets fixed up pretty quickly. All in a day's work.

But then Yosano dies in Poe's book, someone he actually had some level of responsibility for when he invited her to join his safe little circle in a world that had no place for people like them. And it's a direct result of Ranpo's refusal/inability to act.

In order to fix this, Ranpo uses Yosano's glasses. The lens he's seeing through has changed. The people in the Agency were initially "his" in that they were meant to support Ranpo, the special one "chosen" by Fukuzawa's glasses, the reason for the Agency's existence in the first place. But now the people in the Agency are "his" in that they are his to protect. He's their big brother they all look up to in a way, and as the big brother, he's got to take responsibility for their safety.

Why did this not stand out in the moment? Well, we learn something about Ranpo from Untold Origins: he's very good at pretending he's doing okay and things aren't bothering him as much as they are. He's able to hold it together up until it all comes spilling out of him during the play. Also, I do think Ranpo cares about people a good deal more than he'd have you believe. A common fanon thing about Ranpo (from what I've seen) is that he tends to forget people, which, I can see how one would come to that conclusion, but I actually think it's completely wrong. I don't think Ranpo's forgotten a single person he's accused. I don't think he's forgotten a single person he's helped.

He lied about not remembering Poe, in fact, he remembered him pretty fondly as a real challenge. He remembers the information on a person from the Special Division he was asked to look into and gave the info to Mushitarou to allow him an in. He recognizes an officer he'd helped, and it's implied he recognizes every single officer who had been present while he was working on cases in the past. Does this mean he cares about all of them? ...eh. Probably not. But it does mean that Ranpo keeps a lot of his cards close to his chest. He's disarming with his intentional childishness. And so it can be difficult for the characters and readers both to notice that events like Yosano's almost-death... actually bothered him a lot more than he let on.

Because it was his fault. Because she was his responsibility. Because he's supposed to be invincible.

And unfortunately, the story from here on out does not get any kinder to Ranpo as his safe bubble that is the Agency is repeatedly targeted in ways that are increasingly hard to repair.

Fukuzawa falls ill and nearly dies in Cannibalism arc.

A girl gets blown up and Kunikida ends up in jail because Fyodor managed to manipulate Ranpo's intel.

Mushitarou is believed to have been shot and killed trying to warn Ranpo about the Decay of Angels plan.

Taneda bleeds out from a stab wound and falls into a coma. Ranpo can do nothing but listen and cannot get him help.

The amount of times Ranpo has seen people nearly die in front of him... bro it's almost as bad as Kunikida.

Much like Kunikida having extreme faith in his lofty ideals which make him fall just that much harder when he fails to uphold them, Ranpo has practically zero self-doubt and complete and utter confidence in his abilities... so when problems arise, Ranpo is very harsh on himself. He takes the blame because he's supposed to be better than that. Because he is the one with the powerful "ability" that should never fail.

In this sense, Ranpo's position in the Agency reminds me a lot of a certain person in the Port Mafia, someone who also has a powerful skill he puts towards protecting his own, someone who also received life changing words from the boss which earned him his loyalty, and someone who would do anything to defend the only place in the world he feels secure.

I think there's definitely a reason Cannibalism arc had Ranpo and Chuuya face off, I'm just saying. Both of them ostracized and thrown out as young teens by people who should've been looking out for them. Both the instigators of that arc, proactive and desperate to protect the person they are most loyal to who changed their perspectives. They've even got the same power stance, look. :P

[ID: Two panels from the Bungou Stray Dogs manga. The first is a panel of Ranpo with the silhouette of Fyodor behind him. He is standing with his hands in his pockets, facing front with his head tilted back and to the left a little, a fierce expression on his face and his cloak billowing outwards. The second is a panel of Chuuya standing in a similar manner, arms crossed, facing front with a fierce expression as his coat billows out around him. End ID.]

Of course, there's more interesting comparisons and contrasts to be drawn between them, but I'm focusing on Ranpo in this analysis, so I think I've made my point. Chuuya is the Port Mafia's best martial artist. Ranpo is the Agency's strongest man. And that places a burden of responsibility on them that they both believe they must uphold. They're both ready and willing to do whatever it takes.

The thing is though, is that Ranpo doesn't actually have an ability. When up against someone like Chuuya, he is at a distinct disadvantage, and he knows it. "Regular people can't defeat ability users". But he's still going to come up with a way to do it anyways, and why?

[ID: A screencap from the Bungou Stray Dogs anime. The members of the Agency all stand around Ranpo, who is seated at his desk with a smile, one hand holding his cap, the other held up in a casual gesture. The image is filtered in a soft light. End ID.]

Because his friends think he's invincible.

If Ranpo wants to maintain his safe place in a world of fear, then he has to step up to defend it, and he has to get creative about it. And that's exactly what he does. Ranpo becomes steadily more active throughout the story, which is a huge change from the start, where he had to be practically bribed to help at all. I see a lot of people point out his channeling of Fyodor's tactics to secure Kunikida's release, which is definitely a dark turn for his character, but it's not the only change.

Ranpo is now choosing to place his faith in others, the first obvious instance of this being his use of Poe's novels - which was how he defeated Chuuya. Ranpo knows that he is not going to succeed against people who drastically overpower him all alone, even if he does still take things on as personal burdens. He's also far more obvious about his protectiveness, going on the rescue himself to save the Agency members, driving a car (whereas before he needed someone to take transit with him - another indication of his increased proactivity since he's now literally driving instead of being driven), and bodily shoving Atsushi out of harm's way.

It all culminates in one of my favourite Ranpo scenes where he speaks at the conference to the police, who've worked with him before, where he asks if they will think for themselves - and tells everyone gathered there that anyone can be a detective if they think for themselves and look with their own eyes (!!!). He manages to get half the police force on his side, just through his words and his logic alone! Minoura assumes he somehow knew it would all work out, because, well, it's Ranpo. Ranpo knows everything.

But...

[ID: An image from the Bungou Stray Dogs manga. Ranpo sits in the passenger seat of a car with an honest, helpless smile. End ID.]

He reveals he didn't know if his ploy would work at all. He had to trust that it would with no solid proof. He had to trust these people would use their heads and look beyond the obvious. He respects these people enough that he thinks at least some of them will make the right call.

Fourteen year old Ranpo, bitter and estranged from other people, would never. For him to have come such a long way is testament to the security that the Agency provided him with. In a way, Fukuzawa forming the Agency allowed Ranpo to "complete" his childhood in relative safety, so that when the world became hostile once again and his family destabilized, Ranpo had matured enough to meet it and defend himself and those he has a responsibility towards head on. The Agency is his family, and Ranpo cares for them enough that he puts his faith, not just in them, but in the people they put their faith in too.

[ID: A panel from the Bungou Stray Dogs manga. Ranpo is kneeling in front of Fukuchi, who is sitting backwards on his chair to face him. End ID.]

...aaaaand then Fukuchi went and ruined it. Thanks, Fukuchi.

Ranpo again chooses to put his trust in someone without proof because Fukuzawa trusts him, only for that to have gotten thrown back into his face in the worst way possible. And it's in this regard, the trust aspect, that I think we'll see Ranpo develop as the story goes on.

Will he continue to show this tentative faith in people? Or will he begin to hyper-analyze, unwilling to trust again without proof?

If this arc gets resolved decently well, I think Ranpo will have no issue brushing this off as a one-time thing. However, if what I fear might happen does and Fukuzawa doesn't make it out of this arc... Ranpo will be destabilized.

I don't know that Ranpo would go "bad" per se. He likes the other Agency members. He cares about them - that's genuine. But if Fukuzawa dies, then Ranpo may begin to take darker actions in order to keep them safe, almost overprotective and harshly logical, with little room for blind trust or risks in the name of justice or honour. It may put him at odds with Kunikida, in that Ranpo may start to develop a strong "do what's necessary" mentality, even if that may be immoral. He may regress a little into his old trust issues.

However, I really don't think Ranpo will go too far down the path of darkness, even if the worst should happen. He's a lot tougher than he seems, and he has a good support system in the Agency. I guess it remains to be seen where Ranpo's story takes him next.

Until then...

[ID: A screencap from the Bungo Stray Dogs anime. Ranpo sits in his chair in a cuter art style, having taken a bite from the pastry he has in his left hand. End ID.]

I love one good boy. :)

[sheyhem]

Just got a letter informing me that my good friend Jonathan is going on a business trip to Transylvania in a bit under two weeks! I'm sure he will have a wonderful time on his travels! Can't wait to hear all about it through his letters!

[captainkirkk]

✩ WEEKLY FIC ROUND-UP ✩

All the fics I’ve read and really enjoyed in the past week-ish. Reminder: This list features any and all ratings and themes. Please look at tags and warnings on ao3 before reading.

BNHA

something else to pretend by beeclaws

Bakugou apologies. Somehow, this makes things worse.

Retrograde by redrobin1989

Retrograde /ˈretrəˌɡrād/ adjective: directed or moving backwards noun: a degenerate person. verb: go back in position or time.

Seasoned pro heroes Midoriya Izuku and Bakugou Katsuki are mentally transported back to their younger bodies due to a quirk. All they have to do is wait for the quirk to wear off for everything to return to normal. But sometimes the journey is worse than the destination.

DC

dick move by konan_konan

Part 1 of batfam twitter shenanigans

dim trake ☑ @timdrakeceo・52min guys what if dick grayson IS batman. that’s why he thought he was getting cancelled. it all makes sense. 784K Views | 142 Retweets | 52 Quote Tweets | 63.9K Likes

tason jodd ☑ @jsntdd・49min ↳ replying to @timdrakeceo asshole last week you said i was batman 461K Views | 88 Retweets | 16 Quote Tweets | 18.3K Likes

or: a civilian overhears a conversation between batman and nightwing. twitter does what it always does: makes things worse

the rules of playing make believe by hoebiwan

“We can’t squat in some dead guy’s mansion, Damian,” Tim says. Damian, in the midst of packing all their meager belongings into grocery sacks, ignores him.

“Why not?” Jason demands. “It’s not like he’s using it. Finders keepers, losers weepers.”

Or: Homeless!Reverse Robins squat in Wayne Manor.

Nine Worlds

with a winged heart by celebros

"Cliopher. Cliopher. Cliopher." I blink. It's Conju, standing with his hands on my shoulders, and I go to answer him and realize that I am already speaking, babbling, and Franzel is behind him, wringing his hands and looking near tears. I try to focus on what I'm saying, but it's like a stream, light and splashing past me, too quick to hold, not enough to catch, somehow, somehow – A few weeks before the start of the viceroyship ceremonies, Kip finds himself the unwitting recipient of a truth serum.

Original Work

That Frightful Nest Inside the Throat by whereveryouroam

Part 1 of That Dreadful Clockwork Beats Below

Living horses were in vogue among the high and mighty of the great families, but Peter’s new owners had sent proud motorhorses, clicking over in a blur of cogs and wheels, to draw the carriage. It was a very nice carriage - plush and cushioned. He couldn’t help but think this was sinister. Masters didn’t transport slaves in finery. At least, not slaves like him.

Peter’s spent years under the cruelty of masters who want the Monster inside him to become their weapon. He is quite sure that Lord and Lady Arken will be no different.

Percy Jackson

Through rose-colored glasses (the past is perfect) by Mo13

Part 1 of Rose-colored glasses verse

Luke/Percy were in a non-consensual 'relationship' when Percy was twelve. Percy deals with the aftermath, while constantly convincing himself that his relationship with Luke was fine (IT WAS NOT). Mostly cooperates with canon up to the end of Heroes of Olympus.

The Goblin Emperor

A Complete Education by bomberqueen17

Preparing for the Emperor's wedding, everyone has some things they need to learn about.

Emperor's Best Friend by imaginary_golux

Ino and Mireän decide their cousin Maia needs a special present for his twentieth birthday.

a burning coal of kindness by egelantier for Morgan (duckwhatduck)

When Maia is kidnapped by a faction hoping to halt the construction of Wisdom Bridge, Beshelar, gravely injured, is by his side. It might just be their undoing.

The Stairs Beneath the Heart by hermitknut

Part 1 of Keystone

The reign of Varenechibal IV is over; the reign of Edrehasivar VII has begun. The transition, however, is anything but smooth, as the Alcethmeret household navigates grief and worry as well as adapting to the new emperor.

A series of missing scenes and unseen moments centering around the Alcethmeret household over the course of the first few months of Maia's reign.

[greenflowerceo]

pros of a rooftop date: cute and sappy moment with boyfriend

con: slipper at risk of falling off

[swordinhand]

dunmeshi idea of the day:

laios as a toddler/kid being slow to talk but early to walk (and run, and wander off) while baby falin is delayed with walking but very verbal from a young age. laios carrying falin around while she does the talking for both of them. together they can do anything in their little world of the village.

and then once laios got his words and falin got her legs under her no one knew a moment of peace, lol.

[hundredthousandtimes]

Han Xiangjian's outfits in Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace  如懿传

asked by: anonymous

[hopepaigeturner]

!LIGHT IN THESE SHADOWS UPATE!

Chapter 37: Bluffing and Bouquets

Benedict returns to the fold...but what is waiting for him?

Read here

[xulips]

aktyweek, day 6; feelings

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