#also sorry for the delay!

[delucadarlingwriting]

19 for Lucas and Adam? For the kiss writing meme!

Ask for a Kiss!

Thank you nonny!!! I love any excuse to write about these boys.

***

“Get back! Luke!”

Those words in Adam’s voice echo through his mind as he crashes beneath the surface of the icy lake. Cold steals his senses entirely, leaving him paralyzed and unseeing as he sinks. Still, he hears Adam’s voice. 

Luke. 

A rare treat, to have Adam use the name only his closest friends call him by. As rare as seeing the dimples that Lucas has found himself addicted to drawing out of the usually stoic man. His heart thumps, drawing up a memory of the last time he’d seen them. He’d been trying to run a training session with Lucas, teaching him to fight properly. A pretty fruitless endeavor, but when Lucas had managed to trip Adam up with an outstretched leg, his reward had been a barking laugh and Adam’s cheek dimpling adorably. He hopes he gets to see that again. Can’t do that if he dies here.

Jerking, Lucas tries to right himself in the water. Fuck, it’s cold. Really cold. It’s not his first time going under ice, and he’s a better swimmer now than he was then. The main problem is that it's so dark and his vision so blurry he can’t figure out where he fell in. The last thing he wants is to swim up only to bash his head against ice. 

He might not have a choice. As he looks up more and more frantically to try and find an air hole, his vision blurs and panic starts to take hold.

At just that moment, something moves above him, a figure approaching. Even if he can’t see it well, Lucas just knows who it is and kicks towards him. Adam comes into view, snatching Lucas by the lapels and dragging him in. Their faces bash together painfully before Adam grips Lucas by the jaw, locks their mouths together, and then blows hard. Lucas’ lungs fill with air, immediately untangling the fear digging into his spine. 

He doesn’t get a second to recover, he’s immediately grabbed and hauled up. Lucas tries to loosen Adam’s grip on him, knowing he can swim just fine on his own now, but Adam is unrelenting. Shocker. Admittedly, Adam is swimming at a far faster pace than Lucas can manage at the moment, so he doesn’t fight it much. He even kicks along with him, for all the good it will do. 

They break the surface just in time for Lucas’ lungful of borrowed air to expire, and the first thing he does upon sucking in an icy breath is to yelp, “Jesus fuck.”

“No kidding!” Farah says from just a foot or so away. She’s on her belly, amber eyes shining with worry. “Now come here. I’m going to tow you back.”

“So fucking cold,” Lucas grumbles, allowing himself to be shoved and tugged until he’s on the surface of the lake’s icy crust. He works with Farah to wiggle across, until they’re close enough to shore that Nat and Mason can snag them and haul them over. Naturally, Adam just busts the ice apart with his fists as he swims, then drags himself out. 

“Didja get the—” Lucas starts to ask. Mason stops him by holding up the artifact they were after before Lucas fell in. “Sick. Better be worth it.”

“Well, you’re not dead yet, so probably worth it,” Mason says. Nat throws him a look that he immediately pretends not to notice. Lucas laughs, even if it hurts. 

“Yet is correct,” Adam says, though his teeth are chattering so badly it’s hard to hear. Nat hurries to throw his coat on over his shoulders, but Adam shakes it off and moves to tug it around Lucas instead. “We need to dry you off and warm you up, now.”

“Sure,” Lucas says with a shrug. Farah peers all the way up at him, brows furrowed.

“What’s with your nose?” Farah asks. She reaches up to tap the bridge of Lucas’ nose, making him hiss and recoil at the sudden flash of pain.

“Shit.” He gingerly tries to feel if it’s crooked. “Adam, if your little stunt broke my nose—”

“You’re welcome,” Adam replies dryly, then in a tone that brooks no argument, he adds, “Get in the car.”

Lucas stomps wetly over to the SUV, Nat and Mason helping him to weave less than he would without them on either side of him. He complains loudly about his face being ruined, doing his best to not ruminate on whether that’s the only kind of kiss he’ll get out of Adam from now on.

[hetaween-event]

Hi there! I’m sorry to ask again if it’s already been asked, but are two+ part fics allowed in the event if each chapter meets a different prompt, or do the entries have to be separate? Thanks so much!

hi anon! you're all good, this is a new query to us to be honest!

our thought is: yes, you can absolutely write a multi-chapter fic in this manner, with each chapter being for a different day/prompt. equally if you want to keep all your works in one single work, where each chapter is unrelated to the last but they are all still for hetaween, this is fine too!

as long as the work in its entirety is new, so the work is in effect purely for hetaween, then we're happy to welcome this to the event 👻

[biggest-gaudiest-patronuses]

main take aways from Halloween (1978) rewatch:

michael myers is canonically 21??? this bitch should be at the club

*sees tiddies* ***MURDEROUS RAMPAGE NOISES***

that's it that's the movie

outside of the fact that everyone who has sex is murdered by the narrative, this is a surprisingly chill portrayal of female sexuality? these teen girls are horny and actively enjoying Getting It On with their boytoys. no pushy boyfriends sneaking in through their bedroom windows--these ladies are taking the initiative to sneak out and GET SOME. one of them gets laid and then immediately orders her boyfriend to get her a beer. (yes she gets Slashered soon afterward, but so does the boyfriend so honestly, gender equality.) yes the Final Girl is the only one not having sex, but she's not bullied for that, nor are her friends slut shamed except possibly by being murdered by the narrative

actually the only character who is shown being morally condemned on-screen is michael myers. specifically FOR his violent overreaction to other people's sex lives. (people he is spying on). metaphorically, the villain is American Puritanism sticking its judgy nose into other people's business.

aka Michael Myers Is A Republican

but actually the real villain is the doctor. guy's a judgemental, shaming, pathologizing asshole. and he's been in charge of michael's care since he was SIX YEARS OLD? kid never had a chance. i'd go on a killing spree too

also the parents. where are the parents? it's halloween night and all the teenage girls are home babysitting their younger siblings? come to think of it, michael's first victim was his own older sister, whom he killed while she was babysitting him. teen girls are really shouldering a labour burden here. maybe parentification is the true villain

side note: mike commits his first murder wearing a clown costume...which is never referenced again? his 'iconic' costume is a generic mask and wig and jumpsuit, when we coulda had a Killer Clown Michael Myers??? travesty

i like how the Final Girl and her friend casually smoke weed in her car. yeah she's an honor student and her friend is the sheriff's daughter. yeah they smoke weed. so what it's 1978

(to reiterate, mike is 21 and should be at the club. im not saying he shouldn't be rampaging, im saying it's sad that he broke out, tasted freedom for the first time in his life, and immediately snuck back into his childhood home to go rampaging. let's have a remake where he goes to a nightclub and has a few beers. maybe some slutty dancing. then rampage)

oh no he's hot

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Kiss Kiss Fallen Tree!

[First] Prev <–-> Next

[volatilemask]

P RANK QUOTA REACHED

[luffyadolover]

@acid-ixx here it is :))

(excluding first three drawings)

first drawing:

dick's excuse would always be "sorry, baby bird! but i promised to spar with damian today. ah, but you can watch from the sidelines!" or he would be too busy saving bludhaven to even acknowledge your presence.

second drawing:

you can't deny the bitterness and the clenching of your teeth whenever you stumble upon a room and see your father and your younger brother watching a movie together.

third drawing:

it was your teachers who would be the one having to walk you up the stage whenever you achieved an award. alfred would be too busy sometimes to attend your school ceremonies because he had to assist bruce with missions.

fourth drawing:

it's ironic, really, for a child to prep and plan for their own celebration just to hope that a single member of their family to even walk by the kitchen and join them in on their already lonesome celebration.

too bad everybody only goes to the kitchen when alfred cooks for them. who would want to taste sadness in a sloppily made birthday cake, right? nobody, not even you would have the appetite to eat your cake with the knowledge that it was you who had to put all the effort to bake it because you didn't want alfred to feel obligated to.

fifth drawing:

your family celebrates holidays together as a whole, but you never once attended after that one time where everybody had forgotten to get you a gift for christmas, save for alfred who gave you a bracelet (one that you cherished deeply).

sixth drawing:

the older sibling who he used to threaten with his sword, who he called vile names — a bastard child, he told you one day.

seventh drawing:

you weren't one of his friends, like kon who he would spend weekly video game challenges with; and you probably don't exist as his sibling in his own little world filled with coffee and computers.

eighth drawing:

casual talks are unavoidable, though, when at the dead of the night he would be caught sneaking in to eat some leftovers and you were conveniently awake at the same time as him. he'll recommend you some classic literature he read or 'cafes/restaurants that criminals visit the least' lists, but before it would turn into a full conversation, jason would already be wearing his signature mask again, and with a pat on your head and a "talk to you soon, can't guarantee it'll be tomorrow again though, only here for alfred's meals of course," and he'll be gone. you shouldn't have let your hopes high, you wished you didn't because, duh! he wasn't there to talk to you, specifically. you were just there to bide his time! wiping tears away from your eyes

[fexjam]

for the requests: can you draw pyro and medic bonding? i was thinking smth like pyro giving medic a heart and medic appreciating it for surgery but idk!!

Thanks for the request!

I love Medic and Pyro interactions, they're my favorite characters♡

[alchemaxed]

"Am I supposed to know his name? I thought trying to figure out secret identities was a big no-no of nemesis etiquette. He's got this new suit, it's black with red stripes down the sides? It's kind of working for him, but he needs a tailor, so if you see him just tell him to fix the back. He didn't listen to me last time."

"Who--? Have you been paying attention at all? Spider-Man! He did this to me! He blew up an entire collider room with me inside!" Science had done its job beautifully, as had Johnathon. The collider had worked. It had even been safe, despite constant pressure from Mr. Fisk to work harder, faster. Riskier. This isn't some tale of hubris; everything that's happened to Ohnn is all Spider-Man's fault.

But Spot's going to get his revenge sooner or later. He just has this little pit-stop to make, first.

"Wow!" he says, matching her invisible smile with faceless excitement of his own. His own portals are nothing like this; the trade-off of faster travel is, apparently, not getting to see the sights on the way over.

"This is so cool! This-- hey! Not okay! You can't just handcuff people who haven't done anything wrong, that's not very heroic of you at all, Silk."

'So you don't get lost.' Right, like he'd fall for that one. ...although, maybe this will help show people that he's not a threat. Better to be temporarily chained to his guide than for people to get the wrong idea, right? From the sound of things, they'll be running into quite a few Spider-People.

..."quite a few" being the biggest understatement of the century, apparently.

Spot is stunned speechless when they arrive, the hole on his face widening in comical surprise.

"No, no, no, this is not what I signed up for!" This place makes "spider-infestation" sound tame. The place is crawling with them-- literally!

He clings to Silk, opening up a spot right below them to bring them back to her dimension, but whatever she's cuffed him with is doing a number on his abilities; instead of bouncing over to another reality, they simply blip a few feet down the hall.

...oh, no.

He's made a terrible mistake.

"Mhm. SURE. I probably won't find out what your real name is," Cindy mused, a little passively. Really, it's not like it wouldn't POP up when they got to HQ anyway. Her eyes flicker towards him at his next comment, actually ROLLING her eyes.

(Was I GUSHING? Ah shit, this has got to stop. I'm a very SERIOUS spider.)

Cindy stopped and arched a brow. "Who is your SPIDER-MAN by the way? What's his suit look like? Maybe we've met," she quizzed. There was no way of knowing what universe he came from until they got to where she was taking them--and the Spot's universe wasn't something Miguel had given her. And he clearly wasn't from hers and Peter's.

Hm.

"No, it couldn't be SCIENCE's fault. No, the issue would have to be man-made, right? Who screwed that up for you?" The more information out of this bozo the better. She had no idea the capability that his HOLES had, but the key to understanding him and STOPPING him may lie in his past.

Cindy watches him examine the portal, tapping her foot a little impatiently. Now she was CRAVING some coffee and this was taking way too much time. As his hand wrapped around her wrist, she grimaced. (Look, I was literally INSIDE him earlier, there should really be no boundaries but ugh.)

Soaring through the portal, she feels a familiar ELATION, smiling behind her mask. Her free hand slips into her pocket and reaches in for the cuff, linking it to the hand on her wrist. "So you don't get LOST! Wouldn't want you running into the wrong people, right?!"

[royalarchivist]

Pac: What is this, man?!

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

[uc1wa]

making out with jason in the backseat of his car mhmmmmmm

tags: fem reader, slight dumbification

it was exhausting, the bickering that hadn’t seemed to stop after leaving the gala you and jason had attended. you weren’t sure where it started, but it was painfully obvious that jason’s vigilante work was stressing him out, on top of bruce forcing him to go to gala’s every weekend.

gala season was exhausting in itself, but when working a job during the day, attending galas every weekend, and being a vigilante at night, jason was frustrated.

fifteen minutes from the gala and twenty minutes from yours and jason’s home, he had pulled his car into a commuter parking lot that was empty. flickering yellow lights partially illuminating the space, but the dark tinted windows didn’t allow much of it to make its way inside of the vehicle.

you’re turned in your seat, arched eyebrow while jason’s hands are holding the steering wheel with a grip that had the potential to snap it in half.

jason wasn’t saying anything as he took his hands off the steer, opening his car door and closing it with a harsh sound, making his way to the back end doors and taking a seat in his backseat, eyes looking at you knowingly.

"please don’t make me wait," his words come out like a warning, like if he has to ask again, he’s not going to touch your body for the next week.

your eyes watch his figure, the way he’s sat in the middle of the three seats that line the section of the car. his legs that are spread in a way that’s inviting you to take your seat where you belong. one arm is crossed over his chest while the other is resting on it, hand holding up his tilted head that has a bored expression on it, lips in a straight line and eyebrows holding no emotion.

you know better, so you do as he says, slipping into the back seat and sitting on his lap comfortably, the top of your head touching the car roof, but the slight discomfort is wavering as you're stared at with dark eyes.

"you know i’m tired baby. don’t you?" he asks, crossing his hands over his chest, careful to not touch the hips that he would usually claim as his. your head nods, eyes widened at the fact that your boyfriend isn’t all over you yet.

his eyebrow arches half a centimeter, moving back down to where it was not a second later. "then why do you keep testing me? can’t ever listen to me when i say be quiet, can you? just wanna keep running your mouth, and at a gala too? no fucking manners."

he's right, you know you need to stop blabbering on when jason tells you to be quiet. you know how to act at galas. hell, you've been to hundreds, it felt like. but... can you blame yourself for wanting attention? after all, you're getting it just like you'd planned.

you're quiet, looking at every line on your boyfriend's face, like studying the face you've grown to love will give you an answer on what to say next. but, jason knows what you're about to say; he knows the way you're about to apologize one-too-many times, all pathetic.

so, uncrossing his arms from his chest, a hand grabs your chin and pulls you forward, smooshing your lips together with his in nothing but harsh intent. a kiss that's short of sensual and filled with teeth and uncomfort—until it isn't. until jason's tongue is licking the inner of your cheeks and the roof of your mouth. until your lipgloss is smeared over his lips and it's hard to catch your breath and you can't help but to grind yourself down on his growing erection. as always, you'll get the attention you deserve, that jason swears he'll never give you, 'till he does.

note: am wishing everyone a good and great finals season. scheduling this 4 saturday so my blog isn’t dry asf hahaha. wooohoooo two more weeks!

[filurig]

final artfight dump of revenges ive yet to post, cuz i think im all out of steam now sadly x_x but it was really fun, even if i didnt get to do as many attacks that i wanted to! i at least exceeded last years amount...

characters in order:

@nootellaa , @arachnits , @rayebiez , @ PANG0LIN , @ EdgyPotatt_ , @hellhunde , @reallynotwelcomed

[sioraiocht]

Jamie sees everything. Years of training have instilled in him the importance of observation. And there's a whole lot to see when you're working security at a bar. It's like the Wild West - Drunk people filled with 2-for-1 cocktails are just a whole different ball game. You have to be on the lookout for everything. That perception extends to the quieter patrons too. At the end of the day, the Pink Pony Club is supposed to be a place for everyone to enjoy themselves, not just the loud, energetic ones.

He's been watching the guy for a little while, keeping an eye on him. Not because he's doing anything outrageous - More so because he looks vaguely familiar. "No, no problem - I just thought I recognised you." Eyes study him for a moment. "You're a cop, right? I think we were on a case together - Must've been eight years ago now. Bank robbery downtown - I was on the tactical team they brought in. We crossed paths briefly but I remember your face." Smile turns faintly apologetic. "Didn't mean to barge over here and land that on you, it was just bugging me trying to figure out where I knew you from." He rests a hand on the table. "Are you having a good evening?"

CLOSED STARTER.ㅤㅤ@sioraiocht.ㅤㅤJAMES TAYLOR.

THE PINK PONY CLUB ISN'T NOT BRADLEY'S STYLE, but it, well, isn't somewhere Bradley's been before. It's all sweaty, seedy bars that Bradley's been to, shoulder to shoulder with loud, drunk guys, sloshing beer and gawking at the women who walk through the door. The Pink Pony Club's different. Much nicer than a performatively masculine hole in the wall bar. Less sweaty, too, and sweet liquor and almost lavender scented. But he's long-since become accustomed to those sweaty, seedy, performatively masculine bars, where he'd sit with his head down to drown himself in scotch whiskey, to hide the pretty boy face he's been called out on one too many times. He has to seem suspicious, then, sitting by himself, far from other patrons, and hiding his face. That has to be why he's approached by someone who appears to the a security guard. (He sure as hell must seem awkward, if not suspicious.) He glances at the security guard and offers a smile. The security guard's good looking. Former police, too. He'd recognize that severity anywhere. He knows how to weasel his way out of this, then, if he needs to. "Hi," he says, sipping whiskey. "Is there a problem or something?"

[opal-owl-flight]

Olive Tree

3 wakes up while 4s away in the rough seas of faraway salmonid territory and finds out shes been missing for the last few weeks. Distraught, theyve been unresponsive to most folks, their guilt-ridden silence impenetrable. 8 successfully manages to get them to speak again by asking them to tell her more about their friendship with 4.

They tell her about the tree they meet under after solo patrols, so they can cool down from the day’s missions and plan what to do for the rest of the day, if there was any time left. 4 likes to sing her little invitation almost every time, over the comms, to let 3 know that shes heading there. Olive branches represent peace, right? That tree has become a safe space for the both of them.

mid-story, 3 realizes that theyre in love with her.

And the second they hear about her return, they want to sing that song she always sang to them. Maybe confess? …no, they cant. Not when theyre not completely sure of what 4 feels about them.

bonus 8 bc I thought that her connecting the dots would be so fuckin funny wjdjked

[starflungwaddledee]

[all54321]

Wildlife Session 7 Superpowers!

This one sounds like a manageable one to collect, unless they change- like with the Secret Life tasks these will go in the Minecraft tab list order. If I’m missing any intricacies of someone’s power, please reply/ask about it! I like keeping this lists as thorough as possible.

Bdubs: Can sleep at night and set the time to day and can slow time down.

Etho: Gets a mace and wind charges launch him much higher into the air then normal, he also takes no fall damage.

Gem: Can astral project, which sends her into spectator mode and leaves a clone of her body behind. If that body is hit she’ll return early.

Scar: Can launch people back 30 blocks and can ride on other players/mob. While activated he also has thorns.

Grian: Can copy other people’s super powers, it lasts for 5 minutes in which he loses it.

Martyn: Can hear from any point that he can see, the audio has a radio-like filter over it.

Lizzie: Can inflict blindness on everyone nearby, she also turns invisible for a few seconds.

Pearl: Can launch herself into the air and has an invisible elytra to glide down with

Ren: Can disguise himself as any player

Scott: Can turn into any mob that he looks at. If he’s not looking at any mob he will change into either a cow, pig, sheep, or chicken.

Joel: Can triple jump and takes no fall damage.

Jimmy: Can turn fully invisible (including items) however long he wants

Tango: Gets super speed and frost walker, however it also gives him hunger.

Cleo: Can raise the dead (Mumbo and Skizz) and order them what to do, but they only have 4 hearts.

BigB: Can spawn three creakings that are friendly to him. The creakings won’t disappear and can still move even if he’s looking at them.

Impulse: Can teleport and takes no damage from using ender pearls. If staring at someone and activates the power he can swap places with them, however it gives the player swapped resistance for a few seconds.

[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. :)