#he is a BRILLIANT strategist and very dangerous

[deathfavor]

Seiroku is, ultimately, someone who is swayed by his emotions. Unlike a lot of my other muses, his emotional state will often override the logical side. He's brilliant when he's emotionally distant, and he's most dangerous then. His pride often ends up being his downfall like all those who fall to hubris. But! In general, his mindset can be drastically changed by his emotional state.

For example, I take the scene when Seiroku made a bloody rampage through his ideal town. He was ready to end everything then and there as he saw no future for him. If the plan was done, he had no motivation to keep going DESPITE it not actually having reached it's conclusion yet.

Intense emotions can make Seiroku waver and change it. Look at the Date for example. Seiroku HATES Bushi with a burning passion. He hated them too for the beginning of his time with them and managed to choke it down and hide it for the sake of his plan. But for all his intense hatred of Bushi, he's come to adore and care about them. Enough so that even hundreds of years of intense hatred could be dismissed and altered. He hates all Bushi EXCEPT for the Date now. Because he cares enough that despite logically knowing better, despite knowing making an exception is a betrayal of his own hatred, he's willing to do it. Because his emotions ultimately are what drive him no matter what.

[sorcerersandskillusers]

I want to talk about one of the most terrifying and interesting bsd characters who almost no fan remembers.

This character nearly tore down the ADA without ever getting involved herself, yet the entire fandom has ignored her because of her terrible anime adaptation.

Who am I talking about?

Nobuko Sasaki

If you haven't read Dazai Osamu's Entrance Exam, then you probably don't even know who this character is, in the anime she is watered down to the lovesick girlfriend of an actual villain, and you probably dismissed her immediately. But in the light novel, we get to see how dangerous and cunning she really is, to the point she nearly gets the better of Dazai and almost causes the ADA to be shut down. (Fukuzawa says he would have closed the agency if they hadn't caught her)

In terms of intelligence I'd put her on the same level as Mori, just slightly below the super human genius characters i.e. Dazai, Fyodor and Ranpo

The Azure Apostle

For those who don't remember, Sasaki was the Azure Apostle, a mysterious figure who challenged the agency with several horrifying cases, which would all lead to mass casualties if the agency failed to stop them. These were; uncovering an underground organ smuggling operation (which the agency failed to stop and which massively hurt their reputation) stopping a bombing of Yokohama port which could have killed hundreds of people, and preventing a commercial aeroplane from crashing into the city (this was not included in the anime)

Each of the people, who committed these crimes, had no Idea they were being manipulated and thought it was their own idea the whole time. There was no evidence that anyone else had been involved at all, and the agency had no way to connect her to any of the crimes. And she even makes the genius move of framing Dazai, the mysterious new member with suspicious knowledge of the underworld and a hidden past, as the true culprit.

In fact, she only made one mistake, challenging Dazai. If Dazai had been basically anyone else, they would have been cornered and arrested, but since Dazai's mind works on a level even master strategists can't imagine, he was able to turn the tables on her.

But even after Dazai sees through her plans, the ADA still has to act exactly the way she wants them too and stop the plane crash. Even when they know they're being manipulated, they still have to do exactly what she wanted.

Finally, after Dazai and Kunikida confront her and get her to admit to being behind all those crimes, even then they are powerless to stop her.

Even after being involved with so many massive crimes, Sasaki herself hadn't done anything illegal, so within the law the ADA is completely powerless to stop her.

They can't arrest her, and if they try then the agency will be put in even more danger as will many innocent lives. She has completely trapped the ADA, and even Dazai in a choice to follow the law and let her go or take justice into their own hands and prove they will stoop as low as she did.

In the end, there she has them in a perfect deadlock, let her continue her mission, or kill her themselves. Both are bad outcomes for the ADA.

In the end, Dazai has her killed by using a third party (Rokuzo) to shoot her, so the agency can't be blamed for her murder, though this ends her plans it deeply scars Kunikida and shakes his resolve in his ideals.

The trauma from this event still haunts Kunikida to this day, we see that when he is affected by Q's curse, Sasaki is who he sees.

So thats the Azure Apostle, a terrifying master mind who nearly brought down the Armed Detective Agency, but now lets look at the other side of this character.

Nobuko Sasaki Herself

We know several things about Sasaki as a character and her history from the light novel. That she was a brilliant criminal psychologist and was internationally recognised despite being so young

,that she was the ex-lover of the Azure King and the real mastermind behind his plans, and that she had very little motivation of her own.

That's not meant to be an insult to the character, she says herself that she never really had much direction in life, even with her incredible intelligence she never really had anything she wanted to achieve.

But the Azure King was the opposite, he had powerful drive and strong ideals, he wanted to punish criminals who couldn't be touched by the law and when he failed to change the law as a bureaucrat, she offered him an alternative.

A very important thing here is that neither of them were manipulating or forcing the other into this path, as far as we see they genuinely loved each other, each providing something the other couldn't, Sasaki her mind and the Azure King his drive.

When the Azure king died, Sasaki had no path of her own to follow, so she simply kept following his, even though she doesn't seem to have really cared about his cause.

All of this creates a very unique character, you can't say she was driven by revenge, because she wasn't really driven at all. It's more like she was running on momentum, she had chosen a path to follow and could not stop even though there was nothing pushing her down it any more.

She's a perfect antithesis of Kunikida and was the best possible villain a light novel about him could have had.

A man who brings his ideals into reality with his own hands against a woman who uses others to enforce ideals that were never hers to begin with.

Anyway, I made this because Sasaki is criminally underrated in this fandom, If you haven't read "Dazai Osamu's Entrance Exam" I highly recommend it, I've only put a tiny fraction of the amazing story here.

[hollowed-theory-hall]

what’s your opinion on draco x hermione as a couple? sorry if you’ve answered this before but i haven’t been able to find an answer 🤔

Hi, and no I don't believe I have spoken about Dramione before.

As with all shipping things, ship whatever you want these are just my opinion.

With that out of the way, I honestly, I have a little soft spot for Dramione. Now, do I think it makes sense in canon, not really, but I don't mind them as a side pairing. Like, you won't find me reading/writing fics specifically for Dramione, but I'm fine when they are there.

You see, Dramione hits a very particular spot for me. That spot is that I like both characters about the same amount (which is I think they're written alright for what they are, but I find them kinda annoying in the books). That places them as equals inside my head and makes shipping them with each other easier than shipping them with characters I like more than them. This is just how shipping works for me sometimes.

As for the character personalities themselves, I think Draco and Hermione have a surprising lot in common with each other.

Draco is implied to be a top student (he's in Potions NEWT class, for example), like Hermione, meaning he's also very academically inclined. But neither of them is some brilliant strategist and while they can come up with creative solutions, they don't think very far ahead with these solutions. They don't necessarily complete each other intellectually, but I think they're about equal to each other, I think. Both are brave when the situation calls for it. Hermione hangs out with Harry and Ron, who never really had money growing up, but her family goes on ski trips. She's the only daughter of two dentists. You just know she lives well and is used to comforts at home.

Both, while having very loving parents, feel isolated from their peers growing up. You can tell Hermione was likely bullied in her muggle primary school and while Draco hangs out with Crabbe and Goyle, he isn't actually close to any of them. Both of them also share the experience of loving their parents, and yet having a great divide between them and their parents. Hermione's parents love her, but they could never connect to the wizarding world fully. Lucius and Narcissa love Draco, but once Voldemort returns, I think Draco feels more and more distant from his parents because he isn't actually a blood purist. We see that when he's truly alone and seeking comfort and a friend in year 6 he talks to Moaning Myrtle, who is a muggleborn.

I think, like Myrtle, Hermione could appreciate that Draco is sensitive. This is something I feel might get on Harry's nerves on occasion considering how he hates Cho being all weepy, but I think Hermione would find it sweet.

I do like that Hermione is the more ruthless one between the two. Like, she is the more willing of the two of them to come up with some crazy idea that is most difficult illegal (like trapping Rita in a jar or setting Snape's robes on fire). Like Draco would be horrified at the thought of breaking into the ministry, Hermione would consider it a challenge. This dynamic could be really fun.

It's a dynamic that doesn't exist with Drarry or Dron in the same way since Harry and Ron, while both are more ruthless than Draco and also break into the ministry do so out of necessity and usually would try to avoid danger. Hermione, on the other hand, is more willing to go in headfirst into crazy dangerous shit like the Gryffindor she is. I think Hermione is less hinged than Ron, and Harry is what I'm saying, and it's one of my favorite aspects of her character. And while Hermione can be ruthless, and even violent, she's also weird about violence. She has a certain line she is terrified of crossing; that line is around killing and Unforgivable curses. I think terrified is the right word because I think she knows she could cross it and it scares her. We see Harry cast Unforgivables, and while I think Hermione could cast them if she was pushed to it, it wouldn't be something she tried on her own accord. I also think she'd be more horrified with herself for succeeding than Harry is. Draco is similar in that he can cast Unforgivables when pushed to, but he's disgusted with himself over it and feels sick. What I'm saying is that Hermione is softer in that respect (but also wackier in her plans), which I think would be very interesting when paired with Draco.

Both of them could be incredibly stubborn, which I think they'd both enjoy. Both Hermione and Draco are very verbal characters, they love talking and blabbering on and that would help them connect to each other because they would just start talking about something, and just, never really stop talking because both of them are like that. I think Draco would also enjoy bantering and arguing as a playful pastime the way Hermione and Ron do, which is also a point in Dramione's favor.

Hermione is less forgiving than Harry is, though, but she is capable of forgiving Draco, I don't think it's beyond her. Yes, slurs and all, I think it's in character for her to forgive him under the right circumstances.

So, like, while they're not a pairing I read all that much, they do compel me a bit. My main problem with Dramione is that often when they're paired up, both of them are too out of character for my liking.

[valentine-cafe]

˖⁺. ﹙ the mastermind investigator grim reaper. ﹚: rishen herrera 9819.𖹭

. . . catch me if you can !! 🍒 : “ my - what is with that face? flustered? oh darling, whose fault might that be? ”

꒰ verse ꒱ 9819

꒰ species ꒱ grim reaper

꒰ ethnicity ꒱ mexican-indian

꒰ age ꒱ 34

꒰ gender ꒱ genderfluid, amab

꒰ mbti ꒱ estj

꒰ alias ꒱ scarlet stare, scarlet regard ( ?? alessio ), detective herrera, professor herrera, the scarlet reaper, reaper fraud ( mocking ), basic riddle ( muchen ), mother's boy ( muchen )

꒰ story ꒱ everyone knows him by that grin. that effortless charm and cocky attitude that sends most criminals into a spiral.

world renowned investigator and exceptional strategist. professor herrera - or as many know him by: the scarlet stare. a man of many talents and great intellect. one of the sharpest mind’s that the city has ever seen. what with his sharp eye and the frightening accuracy in each case he is put on. responsible for catching some of the most wanted.

yet despite this cunning, strategic mind. a bite for danger is most prevalent. looking. searching for a time in which he may be wrong. challenging himself and those around him to try and go against him. get him to make a mistake. quite the tie to his recklessness and need to solve a case by any means necessary. whether that be not playing by the law or tittering the lines of criminals.

although a human is what he would prefer to call himself - a grim reaper is what he actually is. something he’d rather hide away — despite being exceptional in that as well.

he would much rather spend his time solving cases than reaping souls in any case. it’s what he was born for.

꒰ appearance ꒱

rishen has a pair of maroon eyes, with pupils that constrict into slits during moments of intense emotions, along with this, he has slitted irises, that give him an even more ethereal look than he already had.

has medium-length, fluffy and curly dark brown hair that extend halfway down his neck and tickles at his face with small almost heart-shaped curls at times.

gorgeous bronze skin, littered with beauty spots on the left side of his face and along his forearms, sometimes, when you look long enough, the spots look like their own constellations

a very androgynous face that leans more towards feminine features, one genuienly cannot tell whether he is male or woman or something in between.

has rows of sharp, pearly white teeth that often do not get shown because he prefers to smile and not grin.

stands at a height of 5'8” with a a lean body type

long white talons that many reapers stare at in envy because he has an easier time actually painting them with brighter colours.

across his body, small ruby spots freckle his skin, specificaly his arms & around his pelvic area. while on his back, he has a small rose-quartz at the base of his spine, that shines beautifully when in sunlight.

right in the centre of his forehead, he sometimes dorns a small, tear-drop shaped ruby.

Sticking out his tongue, you can see the gold midline tongue piecing

he has a gold labret piercing ( it’s rather thin )

has standard lobe piercings in both ears, sharing space with some lovely gold helix piercings

often wears gold bangles, ones that shine beautifully and are vibrant in red and pink hues

rocks the red old money aesthetic

carries around pocket watches that he uses as his tracking devices. by an entire turn of one of the clock arms, he can turn the clock frame into a tracking device to see where his enemies are

 

꒰ personality ꒱

confident. quite confident. this can very quickly bleed into cockiness. he is very self-assured and well aware of his skillset. he also plays the cocky part because it gets the right people annoyed.

beyond charismatic. another skill that utilizes. this also ties in well with his charming antics. he knows when to use them and might sometimes be a bit of a flirt - he does so in a serene fashion.

incredibly intelligent. this ties in very well with his strategic mind.

brilliant. he is incredibly mentally keen and alert. you should be careful about what you say or do around him - he might be able to utilize it if may be.

a bit reckless. if there is something that needs to be done to solve a case - best believe he’ll look into it. even it means getting himself a bit hurt in the process.

loves entertaining the idea of him being potentially wrong. tittering the lines of danger and life-threatening. risking it all if it means putting his mind to the test and challenging himself. gets a rush for danger. ties in quite well with the point above

very provocative. perhaps a bit too much at times. a part of him enjoys ticking people off because he gets to see their true selves in the mix. which could aid some of his cases.

can be quite stubborn. if he sets his mind to something he is going to do it - which can be quite the fault

not one to get angry but does appreciate the audacity of those that try to do so. as stated, he absolutely loves a challenge.

ignores his grim reaper heritage for the most part. one of the only ways to actually anger him is bringing it up.

can be a bit impulsive. as calculated as he is - if he is in the heart of a situation and his mind tells him to do something. he’ll do it.

can be a bit deceitful too. secretive. it is something that he is working on.

very high perfectionism. this ties in with being very methodical and organised.

at the heart of everything. he is someone that is compassionate and wants to do good. he has a sense of justice that he wishes to fulfill.

 

꒰ with a lover ꒱

rishen can be quite playful and adores teasing you — however the bastard is so calm and serene about it! you couldn’t even fault him for doing it because he would convince you he isn’t teasing you at all! all to see you pout and flustered

very physically and verbally affectionate, they are two of his main love languages and he loves it just as much when it is reciprocated. through one or the other.

like most reapers, rishen shows his love through biting you. whether it be small nips of leaving marks, sometimes he draws a bit of blood too. . . he’s forgets how hard he sometimes can bite.

oh he knows he sometimes ends up being really busy. . . and he will always gets nervous that you might not understand. so if there has been a long time of no contact - he’ll always bring you flowers or treats, even if all is alright

a thing that comforts him a lot is to put his head on your chest or lap, listening to your heartbeat or simply resting on the plush of your thighs brings him at ease and makes him feel safe.

likes letting you sit in his lap or sitting himself in your lap whilst he’s doing work. it’s a way he can be near you while he’s busy

his scythe is constantly trying to talk to you. . . unfortunately he doesn’t pay it too much mind and often ignores the fact that it exists in the first place.

has given you one of his weiqi ( go ) pieces to summon him by. Sentimental pieces belonging to reapers given to the ones they love by them, can summon them if one should need ( only if you are in danger. )

really loves matching jewellery with you, wearing matching earrings and necklaces along with bracelets and rings

has a thing for putting his hands on your waist or between your thighs, both to feel the warmth ( or cold ) and to watch you squirm when he does.

rishen is very protective of you even if he doesn’t show it in the traditional sense - he knows many people are out for his head. and so this might also transcend into him being clingy to keep you safe.

he has a love for playing board games or card games with you, and sometimes, if you give him eyes enough, will let you have a bit of a lead. though expect him to win nontheless. bastard and his charming grin

has your name engraved into one of his pens and uses it when he is out writing on cases, interviewing people or investigating.

takes you out for cafe dates and art gallery dates and loves watching the way your eyes fill with life and happiness.

 

꒰ strengths ꒱

sharp intelligence: he is exceptionally intelligent and strategic. he is considered to be one of his city’s greatest minds.

deception: he is great at masking and keeping secrets. he is able to put on different personas to suit certain situations.

soul-reaping: rishen has the ability to reap more than 200 souls and carry them on his scythe until he can send them away to the afterlife. unfortunately he doesn’t really use the scythe much.

vapour teleportation: can shift his physical form into a dark vapour and can move at high speeds towards a different location.

dark vapor production: produces a dark vapour from his back and shoulders that can blind and disorientate enemies greatly.

hallucinative vapor production: similar to his dark vapour, however causes those that breathe it in to hallucinate; often multiple versions of him.

can see souls/ghosts: as a reaper rishen has the ability to see ghosts, spirits, wraiths, etc. along with the souls of both living and dead.

 

꒰ weaknesses ꒱

heart condition: he has a rare heart condition which results in him experiencing heart attacks when overwhelmed or panicked.

dislike of lineage: he does not like being a reaper. this can often be used against him

daylight: as a nocturnal reaper, daylight and other bright sources of light can weaken his senses of sight as he is used to the darkness of the night.

d’akar: an anti-magic material that can greatly weaken him if he comes into contact with it.

extreme emotional attachment: while reapers may remind one of humans, they are not. they are beings with very empathetic instincts and have souls bigger than the average mortal being — a thing that has been with them since their creation. they become extremely attached to things they love and it may cause them to become erratic if enough they love is taken away from them.

fading: occurs when a reaper goes through immense hurt and pain. their physical form quite literally begins to disappear, making them appear transparent. it can be a very painful process, both emotionally and physically. until their physical form eventually fades away and their soul moves on to the afterlife

꒰ relationships ꒱

zhào jìngyí: boyfriend, best friend, childhood friend

zhào mèng yáo: guardian figure, teacher, good terms

zhào mùchén: guardian figure, teacher, bad terms

rishima singhania: the woman that birthed him. nothing more to say.

zhào hàoyu: brother-in-law

zhào haitao: brother-in-law

zhào yìzé: brother-in-law

zhào yu xi: sibling-in-law

alessio agresta arias: prime suspect

kyung seong-jin: co-worker

indra rosales: co-worker

shi jùn lái: mutual

shi tài: mutual

shi xuan jie: mutual

denara agyros: friend, nurse

danae agyros: motherly figure, good terms

orpheus agyros: fatherly figure, good terms

 

꒰ extra ꒱

he is both an investigator and profiler with experience in combative field

he is very good at strategy board games such as chess and weiqi ( go ), he often has individual games

he is allergic to cinnamon

he speaks hindi, spanish ( latin american ), chinese ( mandarin ) and knows asl

his scythe is named the scarlet strike ( or cherry, to jìngyí ), rishen however does not talk to it as much as it talks to him

he is a big appreciator of art and often likes analyzing art pieces. you can sometimes find him in art galleries during his days off

at times he wakes up early in the morning to bake. Often out of frustration at lack of sleep or because he finds himself stressed and restless due to upcoming or ongoing cases.

breaks into random theatre performances together with jìngyí sometimes after long days.

they have a cat named beatrice, who often come with them to missions and helps them sniff out stuff. she wears a cat sized detective hat.

he really enjoys a nice cup of hot chocolate after work, while sketching and drawing.

[helshades]

Seriously, though. Joséphine de Beauharnais was not, like Vanessa Kirby to Joaquin Phoenix, fifteen years younger than Napoléon B(u)onaparte, she was six years older in reality—she was 33 years old when they got married, in 1796, and his sole sexual experience was with a mere prostitute, whereas Joséphine was the very ambitious widow of the freshly-beheaded marquis Alexandre de Beauharnais who was at the time considered the probable inspiration for Laclos' Dangerous Liaisons. In the beginning of her second marriage, she was joyously unfaithful to the Emperor and only came to care for him as his own initial passion dwindled, like most passions do, and because Napoléon came to realise Joséphine would not be able to give her an heir. She wasn't exactly happy about the divorce, for reasons not all sentimental.

Napoleon I wasn't the best politician but he was a ruthless, cunning, brilliant military strategist, and although a charismatic and passionate man by all accounts, he wasn't consumed by conjugal love to the point of forgetting all ambition or, indeed, common sense. To reduce one of the more complex periods in French (and European) history to a vague consequence of Napoléon's raging libido is not only pathetically Freudian, it also happens to be a fucking insult to intelligence.

[flying-nightwing]

Tango à Deux

Hi 👉👈 I hope you enjoy this one <3 I had fun writing it :)

Also, Nightshade!batsis is always somewhere between 25-30 years old (unless specified otherwise).

Requested: Yes

Pairing: Slade Wilson x batsis!reader (Nightshadeverse)

Word count: 4561

Warnings: 16+ content, swear words (a lot of 'em), heated making out

Summary: Hey, thoughts on a Batsis! (Or Supersis!) reader caught making out with Deathstroke of all people?

----------------

“I think he saw me” 

“You think he did?”

“Yep, saw me. Made eye contact and lifted his glass”

“Well that’s just superb”

“I mean, we knew he would spot us eventually but I didn’t think it would be this quick”

“Dick, it was announced everywhere we'd be here, and we're currently very visible on the balcony like this. So yeah. Slade would have found us instantly. And he knows we’re observing him now, so we can’t lose sight of him for a fraction of a second”

“What is he even doing here?”

“I'm gonna take a wild guess and say he's on a contract”

“Wow, really helpful, thanks”

“Hey, you asked–”

“Don't even start with that”

Your eyes went back and forth between Tim and Dick as they spiraled down, sipping your champagne. You refrained from pointing out to Tim that Slade had moved across the room to sit at the bar while he argued with Dick. 

Tim rolled his eyes and Dick shook his head. 

“Anyway. Moving on. Since he already knows we’re here, should we move to confront now?”

You sighed loudly, reminding your brothers you were still, in fact, right beside them. “It's funny how two of the most brilliant strategists I know turn into headless chickens as soon as Slade Wilson makes an appearance. What's so special about him that it makes you lose your mind like this anyway?”

They both looked at you like you had grown another head. Of course you knew who Slade Wilson was, and most importantly, what he was capable of. You had never gone toe to toe with the man yourself, but you knew he was a formidable foe whose prowess could easily rival your family's, and you knew that he could probably break your spine in half without really trying. Still, from up on the balcony, he didn't seem so threatening. 

“You're joking right?” Dick asked, disbelief written all over his face.

You shrugged. “Doesn't seem like much to me”

“That's because you never fought him” Tim shook his head. “We'll come up with a plan, okay? We'll ambush him and drive him away–”

You rolled your eyes and let out an even louder sigh than before, effectively interrupting Tim. “There's really no need to cause a scene, boys” 

“And what is your amazing plan then?” He raised an eyebrow. “Because he will make a scene if it’s not air tight”

“He’s right,” Dick nodded. “Going in like this is reckless and dangerous”

“Not if I go alone, it won’t be” You replied. “Trust me, okay?”

“Tiny wing,” He warned. “I know Slade, he’s not going to make this easy, not for one of us”

“Well, you know what they say” You knocked back your remaining champagne and shoved your glass into Dick's hands, then pivoted on the ball of your feet and made your way to the grand stairway. You paused after a few steps away, sending them a smug smirk over your shoulder. “Never send a man to do a woman's job”

You left them behind, stunned and confused by your choice of words. Then, just as you were about to be out of earshot, you heard Dick yell after you in half panic, half realization. “Wait, what do you mean by a woman’s job?”

You snickered under your breath at the sheer alarm in his voice, then sobered up your expression and masked all traces of anything but a polite façade. You easily slipped back into your Wayne heir role, greeting people as you passed them and smiling politely as was expected of you. 

You finally made your way to the bar, spotting the silver hair and broad shoulders of your target. You made a show of sliding in the free seat next to him and flagged a waiter. His head turned slightly to the side, his one good eyes burning into you as you ordered your drink. He knew you knew he was watching you, but you kept your eyes forward, feigning to ignore him completely. Only once you received your drink did he speak.

“They resorted to sending the B team?” He asked, then gave a little unimpressed scoff. “Whatever you are up to, little bird, it won’t work”

You smiled for a second, electing to let his comment about being the B team slide as not to play his game. Still not looking at him, you folded the napkin in from of you into a neat triangle “You know, it is very rude not to ask the host of this soirée to a dance”

From the corner of your eye, you saw him pause to register your words. He took his sweet time to answer. “You're not hosting this”

You shrugged. “I financed it. Same difference”

“Daddy's money” He corrected. “Daddy's money financed it”

You finally turned your head in his direction and raised a challenging eyebrow. “Under my request”

He held eye contact for a good half of a minute, then scoffed and took a sip of his drink. He placed the glass back on the coaster and shook his head. “I would have believed your dancing card would be full by now” He said after a moment. “So many… tasteful men must have already asked you to accompany them”

“Ah yes, I suppose enough did to keep me busy all evening” Amusement danced in your eyes. “But perhaps I find them too tasteful for my liking, I wouldn't want busy to become boring”

He gave you a long look, as if appraising you for the first time. He adjusted his position in his seat. “You know, you’re coming off as pretty annoying. Coming right up to me and making demands like that”

The corners of your lips curved up in a subtle grin. “I prefer the term relentless”

“Oh, and she’s got vocabulary too” His tone turned condescending. Yet, he kept engaging with you instead of just leaving, as he should have done in the first place. “Where’d you learn that, prep school for rich brats?”

“Yeah, you should go someday, maybe they could do something with you too” You took another sip as his good eye narrowed, a careful annoyance brewing behind his brooding stare. “Y’know, find yourself better insults than ‘rich brat’. Frankly, it’s been overdone”

Oh yeah, if he didn’t want to throttle you to the sun before, he definitely did now. 

“You’ve got a pretty mouth on you, kid” He took a deep breath and finished the rest of his drink. “But somebody’s gonna shut it for you permanently if you don’t learn to be more careful who you use it against”

“Many have tried, just as many have failed” You sighed. “If only there was something you could do about it. Something I made very obvious in the very first words I spoke to you”

His jaw clenched and you didn’t even try to conceal the glee it brought to you to rile him up this way. Yeah, he could kill you before anyone could stop him, but even he wasn’t as stupid to openly kill the princess of Gotham, especially not in front of your two brothers who anxiously watched his every move. Dealing with the whole batch of bats sounded like a headache and an effective way to never be left alone for the rest of his life. So he bit his cheek and decided to indulge in this game of yours a little bit longer.

“You’re not gonna leave until you get a fucking dance, are you?”

You laughed in a short, melodic tone that took him by surprise. “No, I don’t think I am”

He grumbled and got out of his seat, offering you his arm. Gotcha. “Be careful what you wish for, Miss Wayne”

With satisfaction written all over your face, you slid out of your seat and linked your arm with his. As he led you to the dancefloor, the pair of you attracted stares from all over the room. Slade was a handsome man, and the suit that previously allowed him to blend in with the crowd now made him stand out as a wealthy and classy older bachelor. If only they could see him in his other suit, you thought. Then perhaps they would stare for a completely different reason. 

The live band took notice of your arrival in the middle of the dancefloor and began to play a rather high tempo valse carrying a melody in minor notes that made you feel like you were in one of those dramatic movies. With a stiff hand on your waist and the other in a cold grasp around yours, you began to spin around with the other couples that had joined in, gliding around them like they weren't even there. From truly up close like you were right now, Slade was much more impressive. His strong frame only added to his already intimidating height; you could almost see the seams of his jacket straining around his shoulders. You had never really paid attention to how attractive he was before tonight, but having him right here in front of you, you couldn't help but gratuitously check him out. 

“Something interesting about my neck, miss Wayne?” He didn't even look at you when he spoke, choosing instead to do a visual swipe of the room. 

“Hm, simply admiring the view, that's all” You replied easily before a wicked grin took over your expression. “Why, are you afraid I might bite it off?”

He finally gave you a deadpan look. “You're not ready for this fight, kid”

“Easy tiger, I was joking” You rolled your eyes. “... Unless that's something you're into”

You could feel his muscles go rigid for a second by the way his hands tightened around yours like a reflex, before he masked his reaction. When he met your eyes again, the annoyance was back ten folds. 

“Resorting to flirting to extract knowledge from your target?” He asked, unimpressed, then scoffed. “How juvenile and predictable”

You tilted your head to the side. “And what would I want to know?”

He opened his mouth to reply, then closed it almost instantly. You smirked. 

“I know you're here for a target” You filled his silence. He kept his expression neutral. “I could ask who they are, but I hardly care, to be honest. Most of these are rich assholes, and they suck”

“Yet you are one one them” He tsked.

“Astute observation” You made a mocking face, then faked a gasp. “Am I your target?”

He spun you in a circle, making your dress flow beautifully around you, and brought you flush against his chest. He leaned forward until his mouth hovered above your ear. “You'd already be dead if I was here for you”

He then took a step back to regain a respectful distance and kept going. You let yourself be guided for a few seconds afterwards, lightheaded from the quick sequence of action that had just happened. Somehow, the way he said those words activated the primal part of your brain, and for some reason, you found it incredibly hot. Ignoring the fact that you were now threading in dangerous territory, you forced yourself out of your daze and focused on the task at hand. 

“My my, Mr. Wilson, you do know how to talk to a lady” You teased, but there was a breathlessness in your voice that undoubtedly didn't go unnoticed by him. For the first time of the night, smugness and satisfaction shone quietly in his good eye. “Be still my heart”

“So you weren't just being poetic when you said tasteful men bored you” He remarked. “I wasn't quite expecting that of the famous princess of Gotham, although I should have. You're most acquainted with violence, after all”

“If only you knew half of it…” You trailed off as the song came to an end. 

Yet, he didn't release you nor did he walk away. The next song began and you easily fell into the rhythm as if you had practiced the steps together a thousand times. 

“Color me intrigued”

“Now, now, Mr. Wilson” You clicked your tongue at him. “This hardly seems fair, that I'm the only one to reveal information like this, don't you think?”

His chuckle was devoid of actual humour as he realized where you had been leading him all along. You had carefully roped him in his own curiosity and he had willingly jumped into the net. “Devious little minx”

You grinned. “I propose a simple exchange. A secret for a name”

You didn't have to specify which name, it was already a given. How much money was worth his target anyway? Nothing that was significant in the grand scheme of things; nothing he would notice in his already overflowing bank account. However, it seemed the little bat he had yet to meet before tonight was an interesting character, to say the least. He first thought you to be this annoyingly chirpy bird like Grayson, always righteous and perfectly golden… Until you weren't. He didn't have you quite figured out yet, but you were the kind of trouble that if left unchecked, could become a real problem. 

He wasn't sure whether or not he wanted to see it all unfold.

“A secret for a name” He repeated with a hum, then gave you a stern look. “You better make it good, because that's half a mil you now owe me”

“I'll personally hand deliver you a check for that amount if you deem I wasted your time” 

“I'll hold you to that, Miss Wayne” He said before directing his attention to the balcony, where your brothers still watched you. Once they made eye contact, Slade mouthed the name Andreas Barletti, and your brothers were off in a second. “Hope they’ve got him out by the time we’re done here, or I’m going after him anyway”

“I’m certain we won’t get to that point, Mr. Wilson” You replied. “My brothers are quite efficient when a life is at stakes, I’m sure you know it as well as I do”

“Unfortunately I do” He said as he pulled you into another spin, slipping calculatedly between two elderly couples. You barely grazed them as you passed them, gracefully gliding across the floor. “Now you better make good on your promise”

“Of course” You smiled. “I’ll even be so nice as to let you choose which kind of secret you want to know. Would you be interested in some prime blackmail material on any of these gentlemen in the room tonight? Perhaps dirty laundry on their wives? Buried fiscal scandals that could crumble an empire or two? Or maybe I could be extra nice for your willing cooperation and offer to reveal a secret somewhat of a… personal nature?”

“Personal?” He raised an eyebrow. “This doesn’t seem very smart from a strategic standpoint. But if you’re offering…” He paused as he dipped you low and brought you back flush to him. “Then I’d rather learn something I could use against you one day”

“A man of vision, I like it” Your lips curved upward as you did your best to ignore how your heartbeat accelerated at his actions for the second time in as many songs. You were sure he could feel it beating against his chest from how tightly he held you up against him. Oh yeah, he could definitely crush your spine one handed like this, and you were certain he wasn’t even near applying a percentage of strength in the double digits. The fact that your brain didn’t bother to sound any alarm to get the hell out of there was concerning, to say the least. “Alright then. Look around, tell me what you see”

He gave you a skeptical eye, but nonetheless directed his gaze around the crowd of people dancing the dancefloor. After a moment, it returned to you. “Lots of people looking, but most of them not because they enjoy watching ballroom dance”

“And?”

He kept his eye on you. “Women irked because you’re stealing all the attention, I’m gonna guess it’s a common occurrence by how so many of them are rolling their eyes to the back of their skull” He smirked. “Men watching with envy, impatient for us to finish to be the next in line. Did you tell any of them you wouldn’t dance at all tonight, by any chance?”

“I did” You admitted shamelessly. You had no plan of dancing with anyone who came up to you and asked for a dance, throwing any subtlety whatsoever out of the window that they were trying to match you with them. With every year that went by, Gotham’s high society put more and more pressure on you to marry, seeing you as nothing more really than the highest prize to be won for all the bachelors in town. You leaned closer to Slade’s ear. “And I love that it pisses them off. All of them. Because it reminds them that they’ll never be on my level, that they’ll never be able to have me, knowing damn well they can’t even do a thing about it lest they make an enemy out of me. Which they definitely cannot afford”

The song finished as you slowly pulled back to a blank face and a dark eye analysing your words. You smiled and patted his arm as you let his grip fall. 

“Do what you may with this information, Mr. Wilson” You said as you took one, then two steps back. “It’s yours now. And please, let me know if I gotta take my checkbook out”

You turned your back to him, and before you could count to three, you felt his hand fall on your lower back and drag you along with him. His whole body was strained as he marched through the crowd with purpose towards the back of the room, his jaw clenched the whole way. You didn’t dream to resist, unsure you even successfully could, had you wanted to. He pushed the door open and all but shoved you through it, making sure it shut behind you. 

“Now Miss Wayne, did you think you could say something like that and just walk away?” He stalked towards you like a wolf, slowly cornering you against the nearest wall.

“I certainly tried” You felt your eyes light up in anticipation. Did you plan on having him drag you to a fire exit with the promise of a good time? No. You didn’t even plan for him to be into it at all, to be honest. But were you mad about it? Absolutely not. The fact alone that you managed to get him to this point–big strong scary and most importantly unapproachable Deathstroke–was impressive enough on its own, you wouldn’t end it now. Besides, he was hot and you also were into it. “Does that mean a no on the check–”

The full force of his body crashing against you sent your mind into overdrive, as did the feeling of his rough lips against yours. It sent electric shocks down your spine, either from the fact that you were hiding and making out like desperate teenagers, or from the power trip that came from having the Slade Wilson desperate to get a taste. At this point, you didn’t even care to differentiate the two feelings. All you could focus on was his hands holding onto your hips and probably leaving bruises for days to come, as well as his powerful thigh keeping you in place at his mercy. The vintage blend of whiskey he was sipping earlier was still on his breath and his tongue, invading your senses on yet another front. Slade Wilson was a good kisser, you decided. 

“Fuck” You pulled back to catch your breath as his mouth targeted your neck. You threaded your fingers into his hair and pulled, extracting a low growl from him that made your core tighten. “Keep it up and I might not even make it out of that dress”

“Oh I’m sure we’ll find a way” His voice was rough and breathless. Your eyes almost rolled back into your head at the simple sound of it. “Unless you purposely want me to ruin it, since you apparently enjoy to make everyone jealous”

“Only if I get to ruin your suit right back” 

“Deal” He gave you a predatory smirk, then his lips were on yours again. 

He was halfway done with the back zipper of your dress when the door was violently shoved open. You only reacted when your name was rather loudly shouted, making your eyes fly open and freeze in place. 

“We saw you being dragged away, are you oka–OH MY GOD” 

You were suddenly mortified as you watched Dick dramatically turn around and shield his eyes. Tim beside him was just gaping at this sight, horror etching onto his every feature. You redirected your gaze straight ahead over Slade’s shoulder, unable to look at either of them. Any other guest at the party finding you like this, you wouldn’t have minded. But there was something extremely weird about your brothers witnessing you sucking face with one of their greatest enemies, especially for Dick. 

Slade slowly straightened up, not a trace of embarrassment on his face. In a smooth move, he zipped back up your dress, somehow adding to the awkwardness of the room. The little smug grin on his lips told you he did it on purpose.

“Bleach” Tim finally said as he willed his eyes to finally shut. “I need bleach for my eyes”

“Grayson. Drake.” Slade greeted casually as he took a step back from you and glanced briefly at them. Then, his eye was back on you. “Miss Wayne, it was a pleasure doing business with you. Let’s do this again soon, yeah?”

You only gave him a tight smile, watching him button back his jacket and retreat in the main room. The atmosphere he left behind was tense and neither of you could look at each other. 

You fixed your hair and the neckline of your dress, then took a deep breath. “I’m gonna kill the both of you”

“Kill us?” Dick shrieked. “Why on earth would you even make ou– EURGH I can’t even say it!”

“You literally barged in without even knocking!” You yelled back. “I’m not the one at fault here”

“We saw you getting dragged away to a fire exit by fucking Deathstroke!” Tim said as he pressed his palms to his eyes. “We thought you were in danger!”

“WHEN did I give any signal I was in danger? I swear to god–” 

“You wanted us to take a chance when–”

“GUYS!” You cut him off. “You didn’t stop and think for a second that I wouldn’t have let myself be dragged away just like that if I truly needed help? I’m not a fucking damsel in distress”

“But whyyyyyy” Dick whined. “Why did it have to be him?”

You gave him a blank stare. “He was the one we needed to stop”

“Yeah but he gave you the name!” He argued back. “He gave it to you way before… Wait did you– did you trade the name of his target for se–”

“NO” You yelled before he could finish the word. “No I did not, jesus fucking christ”

“So whatever happened here was unrelated to your task?” Tim drew his eyebrows together in contempt. “That’s so much worse what the fuck, why would you even do that?”

“Cause he’s hot” 

That was enough to make your brothers yell unintelligibly again. You had to admit, you could have said something different if you hadn’t let impulse answer the question for you. But they were the one who possibly ruined your chance to hook up with Slade, so they kinda deserved it. You only scoffed at their reaction.

“Oh come, stop being dramatic for a second, especially you, Dick” You snipped. “You know damn well what I’m talking about, and you’re only reacting this way because you were too much of a coward to make out with him first”

He gasped. Loudly. 

Even Tim’s jaw hung a bit open. You only raised a challenging eyebrow at your older brother, doubling down on your accusation. Dick’s lack of defense only served to prove your point.

“Snake much?” It was all he could say.

“Hiss hiss bitch, you snooze you lose”

Then another offended gasps. Tim looked between you two like a fascinating tennis match. 

“You know what” Dick spoke up again after he collected himself. “Enjoy the lecture from Bruce. You can try and justify your crimes to him”

Your back went rigid and your eyes narrowed. “You wouldn’t dare”

The half a second long smirk he gave you back was pure evil, until he covered it with his usual angel, innocent expression. “I will have to give him a report. I’m just sayin’ I’ll tell the truth of what I saw with my own eyes”

“Oh that’s real low” You grumbled as you glared daggers at him. The second Bruce knew of it, you knew you’d be in the cave for hours listening to him berate you for not only going in a room alone with a known enemy, but also making out with said enemy. You had violated so many protocols by your little stint alone, and you wouldn’t have really minded that lecture if it had been just that. But it would be uncomfortable for both you and Bruce to levels that had never been reached before. 

“Not so smug anymore now, are you?”

“I will choke you in your sleep”

“And I wish I had tripped and taken a plunge down the grand staircase” Tim interjected. “So I wouldn’t have had to witness the last five minutes of whatever the fuck happened here. Now I don’t think I can ever erase from my memory the things I’ve seen or the things I’ve heard. Thanks a lot for the nightmares. I’ll send you my therapy bill”

You huffed and crossed your arms against your chest. “Well, let that be a lesson for the both of you. If I’m dragged somewhere and I don’t give any indication that I am nervous about it, don’t follow me”

“Yeah, I’m never making that mistake again” He grimaced. “I’ve had enough of that for a lifetime. Last time I walked in on Jay and Roy, they thought I wasn’t there but I was”

“Oh Tim” You frowned with pity. “You oughta be careful. Especially with them, they always have the weirdest role plays”

“God I know” He cried. “It’s the kind of horror that sticks with you”

“Yeah, no, I concur” Dick finally sighed. “I also made that mistake. Once, then I said never again”

You paused, your frown deepening. “Have we all… Walked in on them?”

Dick nodded slowly. “They’ll say they don’t do it on purpose, but I know Harper too much to believe that”

Silence fell over once again.

“So…” You began after a few minutes. “You’re not gonna tell Bruce, right?”

Dick stared at you, calm and relaxed. Somehow, it did not make you feel like it was a good thing for you, and his next words only confirmed what you already knew. 

“Oh yeah, I definitely will”

You swore loud enough for the bartender to flinch.

[fanmoose12]

Please tell me the fic you just posted (the erurihan love triangle) HAS A SECOND PART!!! Please pleasee you can’t just leave us like that, can youuu? 🥺🥺🥺

Once upon a time, when he was still naive and inexeperienced, Levi believed that expeditions beyond the Walls are the worst thing that can happen to a Scout. Dangerous, always accompanied by blood and gore, oftentimes ending in a tragedy, they are indeed quite unpleasant occasions.

But they don't even come close to a hell that's also commonly known as military balls.

Everything about them irritates Levi - the polished floors, the abundance of candles and portraits hanging on practically every available surface - a testament of unimaginable amounts of wealth spent in total vain, the guests - so full of themselves, so arrogant and condescending, and the way they laugh too loudly and too frequently after jokes that really aren't that funny, even his own suit that hugs him just a bit too tight, seizing the freedom of movements that uniforms provide, and his hair that is slicked back for the occasion, and, Levi's sure, makes him look like a complete idiot, or worse - like one of these too rich for their own good assholes. Even the wine here is awful, too dry and sour, not a match to ale that is served in his favorite tavern.

And Erwin, Erwin irritates him too. Not just because he has dragged Levi out here in the first place, but also, also because he has Hange, hanging off his arm for the whole damned evening.

They look good together, Levi notes bitterly. Both beautiful and charming and insanely smart, they look– like they belong together.

And sometimes– sometimes Levi wishes he could hate them both for that.

He wishes he could hate Hange - for being so oblivious, for stubbornly continuing to remain so even after his half-confession. She doesn't love him, she never will, not in a way Levi wants her to, and isn't that– isn't that a sufficient enough reason to despise her?

But Levi can't, knows too well that he could never. Those feelings, that infatuation he naively believed to be just that, no more a minor misjudgement from his youth, do not disappear, do not fade with time, do not even lessen.

Quite on the contrary.

As he grows older, these feelings continue to grow too, becoming stronger, starting to run that much deeper.

But just as his feelings do not change, so don't Hange's. She may - and always will - have his heart, but Erwin is the one who will always have hers.

And although Levi can't hate Erwin no more than he can't hate Hange, Erwin's seemingly complete disregard for her feelings not only perplexes Levi, but annoys him too.

How can Erwin be so careless? How can he be so cruel? How can he resist the temptation, how can he deny the love Levi knows he has for her?

Why is he a stronger man than humanity's strongest soldier?

For Levi knows, holds no illusions, that had he been as blessed as Erwin, had Hange decided to give all of her heart to him, he wouldn't have hesitated to take it. He would have never let her go, he'd fight and bleed and hurt - just for a chance of a future with her.

But, maybe... maybe, that's precisely why Erwin doesn't dare to act on his feelings. Maybe, that's why he keeps his heart as it is - cold and closed-off.

Maybe, that's why, in the end, he's the wisest of them all.

He knows the price of falling in love, and deems it to be too high to pay.

And, maybe, that's why Hange loves him so. Because Erwin is a better man– he chooses all of humanity and not a single person.

Levi wishes he could be that selfless. Or, at least, that wise.

But he's not like Erwin and Hange, he's not a brilliant strategist or a genius scientist, he's just a man, who's very good at fighting.

He's nothing special, no matter what title was bestowed upon him, and no matter what common folk and nobles alike think of him.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Levi notices a girl, one of his acquired admirers, no doubt, who starts to approach him, so, naturally, he takes the only sensible decision available and darts in another direction, desperately searching for someone he can pretend to be in an important conversation with.

Such a person is found surprisingly easily, and what's even more surprising - out of all people, it is Erwin. Sometime during the evening he has lost their Hange, and now stands alone, watching the festivities unravel from the corner of the ballroom.

As Levi walks closer to him, Erwin turns towards him with a smile that’s just a bit too soft, just a bit too gentle. Levi hasn't seen him put on that smile ever since Erwin took upon himself the role of a Commander.

"Levi? Decided to hide behind your Commander's back?"

Levi huffs and leans against the wall next to him. "Yours is wide enough."

At that, Erwin chuckles and hands him a glass of wine. Levi accepts it in hopes that with a friend, the awful wine would taste a little better.

He takes a sip of it, his mouth twisting - it definitely does not taste better, and looks around the room.

From this new vantage point, he can finally see Hange - she's in the middle of a dance floor, twirling around with some nobleman's second or third son. No one more important would dare to approach her, after all. Her reputation is just as widespread as Levi's.

The guy she's dancing with is young, Levi realizes belatedly, looks just fresh out of adolescence. But he's not that hard on the eyes, not at all, especially with that full of wonder smile that he stares at Hange with. And his dancing skills are above average, definitely good enough for someone whose only purposes in life are dancing and talking about some nonsense with an arrogant enough expression on his handsome face. But– as good as the guy undoubtedly is, he's not a match to Hange. Hange, who carries herself so confidently, whose smile is so charming and whose every step is controlled and precise. She moves around the dance floor effortlessly, so gracefully like she's been doing exactly that her whole life too.

Watching her, Levi realizes, not for the first time that she's–

"Beautiful, isn't she?" Erwin murmurs, taking note of who Levi stares at so instantly.

Levi takes his eyes off Hange instantly, looking up to meet Erwin's amused, but still disturbingly soft gaze.

"Four-eyes?" he draws out, forcing his voice to sound nonchalant. "Beautiful? Not like that."

The Hange that Levi sees now is so different from the one he used to, the one he knows and loves, that she's practically unrecognizable. The Hange that Levi knows oftentimes looks exhausted, is nearly always dressed in dirty clothes, with cheeks too pale and thin, but with a wide, genuine smile on her lips and her eyes burning. The Hange that he knows is not suave or polite, she's loud, often rude, but always sincere, always real.

And Hange that he sees now clearly isn't.

"Never thought that out of us three, you'd be the most romantic one, Levi," Erwin muses, and, before Levi can protest, adds, "Did you know that Hange suffers from nightmares?"

Levi's eyes widen, his brows furrow at such an unexpected twist in a conversation, but he gives Erwin a nod nevertheless.

Does he know about Hange's nightmares? Of course, he does, how can he not, when he's the one who usually calms her down? After all, it's precisely why they fall asleep in each other's beds more often than not - when Hange isn't tormented by horrors from their everyday life, usually he is.

It is a perfect remedy, at least, for Levi. He found out fairly quickly that all fear vanishes, when he has Hange wrapped around him.

"I didn't," Erwin confesses, his eyes darting to Hange, as if he can't resist it. "I wouldn't have known, if Nanaba didn't mention it to me."

"And?" Levi prompts, perhaps a bit more rudely than he intended. The damn ball is to blame, he supposes. The wine is shitty, the people here are even more so, and Erwin's riddles just force him even closer to the edge.

"Hange didn't tell me about it. She did, however, tell you."

"She probably didn't want to bother you. Or, she–"

"-doesn't trust me," Erwin finishes for him. "Not nearly as much as she trusts you."

Levi swallows down a curse, then gulps a mouthful of the shitty wine. "If that's your attempt at making me feel better, Erwin, then you–"

"Hush," Erwin cuts him off with another gentle smile. He puts a hand on Levi's shoulder and leans, whispering in his ear. "Let's have a little experiment of our own. Hange is not the only one who can do that, right?"

Levi rolls his eyes, but accepts his fate and doesn't push Erwin away. "And?" he asks boredly. "What is the point of that experiment?"

"Experiments are meant to prove something, no? And, recently, I read somewhere that you can deduce when someone has feelings for another person. It's fairly easy, but, I admit, I've never thought about it. The gist of it is this - when someone is in love, their eyes instinctively search for that person first."

Levi hates himself just a little bit at that moment. Not just for not pushing Erwin away and refusing to stroke his ego one more time, but also– for that slimmer of hope that makes its way inside him, and stubbornly refuses to be banished.

What's he hoping for anyway? Doesn't he know how this will go? Doesn't he know who Hange loves already? Doesn't he know that it's not - and will never be - him?

But, perhaps, he's more of a masochist than he ever thought himself to be, because he doesn't push Erwin away, he doesn't escape the room altogether, he stands and waits for the outcome that he has guessed already.

Hange finishes her dance, bows and smiles, then she turns around, finds them in a crowd, but– it’s not Erwin that her eyes dart to immediately. 

It's Levi, who she looks at first. It's Levi's name that slips out of her lips.

It's Levi that she hurries to get closer to.

It's stupid, he thinks in that moment, Erwin's stupid and his theory and experiment are even more so, but– his heart still starts to beat that much faster, the warmth still spreads throughout his chest, the damned butterflies still begin to flutter their wings in his stomach, and-

And when Hange reaches out and wraps her hands around his, dragging him to the dance floor with a giddy smile, he still allows her to do so. He still smiles as he follows after her.

Erwin and his experiment are still unbelievably stupid, but– for just one night, one night that started horrible and ended so spectacularly - Levi allows himself to pretend otherwise.

[boxturtle4eva]

A (salty) Defense of Rise!Leo’s Leadership Skills

Disclaimer: English isn’t my first language - this is my opinion - I love the turtles and their family dynamic, and think the movie is rad aka I’m not here to hate

Lately, I’ve noticed the majority of the fan base dunking on Leo’s leadership skills, and even the writers of the movie portray him as someone who is severely lacking in this regard. But is this really justified?

Is Leo a bad leader?

Short answer: No. Long answer: Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

As early as season 1 Leo is shown to be - despite his flamboyant demeanor - a much more cautious turtle than his brothers when it comes to the safety of his family.

While Donnie suggests taking down the ‘Spine Breaking Bandit’ or the ‘Long Island Mangler’ for their first mission in ‘Origami Tsunami’ it's Leo who vetoes the idea and redirects his brother’s attention to something much more suited to their current level of expertise aka ‘Paper Thieves’. In ‘Bug Busters’ he almost immediately realizes that Big Mama is a threat. And in ‘Mutant Menace’ he voices his concerns about them leaving the lair during the anti-mutant panic.

Note that Leo only interferes in his brother's fun when he thinks that they are in real danger and gets annoyed when they won't listen to him directly - which I imagine is the reason he rather likes to manipulate or use figures with more authority to push his plans instead of direct communication. It seems more effective (he is great at it anyway), and less damaging to his ego when he gets shut down.

I believe he has been backseat-driving those bozos for years.

Furthermore, Leo is smart, adaptable, perceptive, and a brilliant strategist (and he knows it!).

He also has a very good idea of what his brothers are capable of and is unafraid to use their skills to his advantage. This is evident when he advocates for Mikey to go on his first solo mission to receive Hot Soup - The Game. But most noticeable in ‘Many Unhappy Returns’. There, he predicts not only the villain's (Big Mama, Shredder) actions but also his family's and their ability to handle the situation, while putting together a great scheme to stop feral!Shredder. Leo has the ability to look at the angles and easily sees the bigger picture.

When Leo said ‘You guys got this!’ he meant it 100%. He is shown to trust his family and is not afraid to rely on them. This might be due to his identity issues hinted at in 'Portal Jacked!'. He may feel insecure about his own self, but he knows his brothers in and out and how awesome each one of them is. Yet not in a starry-eyed unrealistic way. Leo is well aware of their weaknesses and limitations.

In ‘Many Unhappy Returns’ Raph questions if Leo is serious, and guess what, he was, cause they won thanks to Leo's plan. Here we also see glimpses of Leo as the Mad Dogz official leader with Raph affirming that he trusts him.

In the movie, Raph also asks Leo: ‘What’s it gonna take for you to be serious, Leo?’ And the answer is obvious - his family being in danger. Nothing more, nothing less. Leo gets serious as soon as Casey explains what happened in his timeline and why they need to retrieve the key and stop the end of the world (around minute 20).

I always found it particularly mean-spirited for Raph to assume Leo isn't serious given the knowledge that this is how Leo copes with high-stress situations (see 'Mystic Mayhem') and his otherwise competitive nature (see 'Air Turtle'). Leo would never lose on purpose. Raph copes by snapping and Leo by joking and that is a recipe for disaster. And while it's understandable in the Shredder situation I feel it isn't really justified in the movie.

Unlike Donnie or Raph who are over-preparers, Leo has also no issues to go with the flow, which leads to a seemingly more laid-back attitude and clashes with Raph's tendency to be a mother hen. But he kinda does not need that much time in the first place...

In the end, I think Leo has all it takes to be a great leader from the get-go. Of course, he is far from perfect. There is something deeply wrong with our poor boy's communication skills, and between his general laziness, his unfortunate coping mechanism, cocky cool-guy persona, competitiveness, and general deceptiveness it is hard for the team to tell what's going on and get a good read on him or his intentions. But hey, Leo is like what, 16 years old? And the good thing is, he has his bros who've known him for his entire life and know how to take him. They all got his back. (Or not?)

So what changed? What’s up with Leo’s leadership skills in the movie? Nothing! Leo’s character is exactly the same. He is as sharp as ever. It is Raph who changed.

Cause here comes the kicker, the thing the authors of the movie so eloquently sweep under the rug, the question nobody seems to ask:

Is Raph a good second-in-command?

Stay tuned for part 2!

Short answer: No. Long answer: Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

But seriously just think about it. In my mind, Leo never truly stood a chance.

[countlessrealities]

Send a ❤ and my muse will confess one thing they find attractive about yours || Accepting !

@mcltiples sent: ❤ { To your Evil Morty from my Evil Morty~ }

It takes Morty a bit of an effort not to frown at the question. Here they go again, busybodies sticking their noses where they don't belong. What he thinks and likes of his counterpart concerns just the two of them, and no one else.

He could refuse to answer the question, but that would only encourage the rumours and the intrusive inquiries. So, he opts for a diplomatic reply. Enough to feed the curiosity of the masses, but still vague enough to protect his and his other self's privacy.

"My counterpart is an extraordinary individual. And I'm not saying this because we are the same person. I don't think as highly of myself as I do of him."

That earns him a chuckle from some of the reporters, just as planned.

"He's one of the most brilliant people I've ever met...and I'm a Morty living in a city where half of the population is made of the smartest man of the universe." That's something he strongly disagrees with, but that's for him and only him to know. "I admire his skills. He's well versed in many subjects. He's an excellent strategist and is very capable of reading people. He's a great politician and president."

His other self is also a dangerous mastermind and can easily handled Rick-made technology. He can easily build it. Of course, he is no different, but he finds those qualities more admirable when it's his counterpart to display them.

"I find our conversations and shared projects very satisfying, intellectually speaking. He comes up with ingenious solutions and ideas. I've been left in awe a couple of times, and that's not an exaggeration."

He lets out an amused huff, before adding: "And yes, I find all this very attractive."

[billconrad]

“I Don’t Believe What I Write”

    For those unfamiliar with Jeremy Clarkson, he is an outspoken, brash, offensive, and controversial man with so many health problems that he should have been dead ten years before he was born. He is also responsible for Top Gear, one of the world’s highest-rated television shows. Plus, a newspaper columnist, author of several books, and now hosts the Amazon Prime show Clarkson’s Farm.

    Over the years, Jeremy got into trouble by striking a producer and commenting negatively about the royal family. This resulted in his termination from the show Top Gear and The Grand Tour. Yet, his brash mind has also provided many words of wisdom:

    Ambition is a very dangerous thing because either you achieve it and your life ends prematurely, or you don’t, in which case your life is a constant source of disappointment. You must never have ambition.

    I don’t think I am particularly funny. In fact, I know I’m not.

    Speed has never killed anyone. Suddenly becoming stationary, that’s what gets you.

    I’ve said it before and I’m going to say it here again, now. Nothing brilliant has ever resulted from a meeting.

    Flirting is the oil that lubricates the engine of ingenuity and wit.

    We waste an enormous amount of time making decisions based entirely on this fanciful notion that we like alternatives.

    The rules of war, then, have always changed as a reaction to the conflict that’s just been fought.

   A book needs more than beautiful sentence construction, a left-wing take and wry observation. It needs, more than anything else, a story.

    The problem is that social media, which is seen as the pulse of the nation, is actually nothing of the sort. It’s the pulse of the young and the idealistic.

    The faster you go, the more time slows down. This is a scientific fact. I spend my life driving quickly, which is why I have a 1970s haircut.

    I wanted to discuss this quote: “I don’t believe what I write, any more than you believe what you say (about the Iraq war).” It is from a discussion with Alastair Campbell, a British writer, campaigner, and strategist. He served as the Prime Minister’s official spokesperson from 1997 to 2000.

    It is important to remember that Jeremy earns an income by making pompous statements intended to be offensive so that the viewers/readers find them entertaining. To do so, the quote confirms that he does not necessarily believe his own words.

    Our society thrives on shock because it creates discussion, change, and problem awareness. For example, the group PETA uses pictures and protests with scantily clad celebrities to promote their cause. Their goal is that the people seeing these erotic scenes are shocked into thinking, “Wow, I should not eat meat.”

    Jeremy’s quote points out the flaw in shock value. Taking the prior PETA example, do these famous people walk around in their revealing outfits all day long to promote the PETA cause? No? Yet, they still (occasionally) pose for the pictures, just as Jeremy makes occasional bold statements.

    My writing is at the other end of the spectrum. I am morally obligated to write what I believe in, which means not having shock value. Yet, there is a significant inconsistency with my factious stories. For example, I have an immortal female character. Living forever breaks medical principles, making this character impossible. So, how do I believe my fictitious words? I must take a leap of faith.

    At the beginning of every book, I clearly state that my book is fictional. From that point forward, I am free to passionately write a story that does not follow a truthful narrative. Yet, this is not precisely the point Jeremy was making. Take this article. I researched the topic and worked hard to convey my thoughts accurately. Still, it is an opinion.

    What if I did add some shock, just like Jeremy? Readers would probably enjoy a little spice. The answer is that Jeremy’s personality is far different from my own. I welcome readers to enjoy my words and would feel bad if I offended them. This leaves lots of room for shock creators like Jeremy to occupy that space.

    I conclude that Jeremy’s simple statement embodies what it means to be a shock creator. For them, lying is not a big deal. However, to maintain sanity, such people must not believe in the lie. It’s called entertainment for a reason.

    You’re the best -Bill

    October 23, 2024

    Hey, book lovers, I published four. Please check them out:

   Interviewing Immortality. A dramatic first-person psychological thriller that weaves a tale of intrigue, suspense, and self-confrontation.

    Pushed to the Edge of Survival. A drama, romance, and science fiction story about two unlikely people surviving a shipwreck and living with the consequences.

    Cable Ties. A slow-burn political thriller that reflects the realities of modern intelligence, law enforcement, department cooperation, and international politics.

    Saving Immortality. Continuing in the first-person psychological thriller genre, James Kimble searches for his former captor to answer his life’s questions.

    These books are available in softcover on Amazon and in eBook format everywhere.

[the12thnightproject]

Chapter 49: Buttons - Katsu, Shingen, & Sasuke continue to piece together the multiverse; Katsu and Shingen make up for lost time.

Shingen x OC; Kenshin x MC (Mai)

Previous Chapter: Here

Logline - Disguised as a boy, Katsuko finds herself working for Shingen, but her dangerous masquerade becomes difficult to sustain when she falls for the man with a fatal secret.

Warnings - this is very much a Minors DNI chapter.

“Shingen, do you remember the name of the boy who fell into the river?” I had helped myself to the hotel stationery and was writing down everything I could remember about my trip into the alternate timeline. Not to poke around in it as I imagined Sasuke was doing (he’d been typing like a madman on his tablet all afternoon), but because I still had a Sengoku era puzzle to solve. I thought I remembered the boy’s name, but Shingen had spent more time talking to the boy’s father than I had.

He looked up from his drawing pad (he claimed to be trying to figure out how to rig a flushable toilet in his castle). “Are you asking me if I remember, over a year later, a name I only heard once, after two sleepless nights, during a day that contained multiple events, one of which was witnessing your near-drowning?”

Well, I wouldn’t have put it like that, but... “Yes. Do you?” I had a theory and didn’t want to skew the results by putting it out there too soon.

“I do not.” He tugged on my hair. “Though I am flattered you credit me with that sort of memory.”

Hm. “And the other Sasuke… he told you that I was trying to save the boy who will be named later?”

Sasuke looked up at the sound of his name, alert to the potential of an interesting conversation. “Did he… I mean, did I…. er, my alternate tell you that Katsuko had fallen in?”

“No – that hadn’t happened yet. I had the luck to witness that for myself. You said that a child had fallen into the river, and then when I asked where, you told me that Katsuko had gone after him.” Shingen paused for a moment, then looked back at me. “Hiro. The boy’s name may have been Hiro.”

Close enough. “Or. Hiko?” I tapped my pen on the page.

“Yes. Or that.” He closed his eyes. “Yes. Later his father called him ‘Hikosane’.”

“He told me he was pushed.” I looked down at the paper where I had written the phrases, I handed her the note, but it’s possible Mitsunari recognized me followed by hopefully, they will take the message seriously and protect Hikosane. “In another timeline, there are some people, one of whom is named Mitsunari, who were given a message by, um… I think, to use Sasuke’s term, “alternate” me … to protect someone named Hikosane.”

“Ishida Mitsunari?” Shingen alerted at the name and glanced over my shoulder to read my notes.

“No idea. Do you know him?” I had encountered a Mitsunari when I was ‘observing’ Azuchi, but he had not struck me as capable of protecting anyone else, unless the someone else was carrying an armload of books. No. Not even then. He’d rescue the books first.

“Not well. He works for Nobunaga, and therefore my limited experience with him has been across the battlefield. He’s a brilliant strategist. If I could have found a way to arrange it, I would have lured him to Kasugayama.” As always, when talking about Nobunaga, Shingen’s posture grew tense and his voice harsh. “Mitsunari is not at all ambitious or acquisitive, but unfortunately for me, what he is, is loyal to the Oda.”

“Eidetic memory.” That non-sequitur came from Sasuke, who looked up for a moment before resuming his note taking.

I puzzled over his comment for a moment before realizing that Sasuke was describing Mitsunari. “I suppose it doesn’t matter which Mitsunari she was talking… but apparently Hikosane is so important, that alternate Sasuke risked interfering with our timeline to make sure he didn’t drown, and alternate Katsuko risked the same in a different timeline to make sure he was protected. When we get back to our time, we should try to find-”

“It’s far more difficult to locate a peasant than it is to spy on a warlord,” Shingen said, as he pulled me closer to him. “But I will see what my spies can do.”

Sasuke stood up and stretched. “I believe I’ll go back to the observatory tonight, simply to confirm when the next wormholes will open.”

“You’re not going to work on how to do the lateral jumps are you?” Even though he had said he wouldn’t, I figured the multiverse would prove to be an undeniable temptation for him.

He picked up his phone and tapped in a quick text to someone. I heard Shingen’s phone chime a moment afterward. “No. I am simply seizing upon a logical excuse to leave the hotel room for the night so that the two of you can have some privacy.”

He blinked at us a couple times, then grabbed his jacket. “Ker-vanish,” he said before slipping out of the suite.

I turned to Shingen, who was looking at his phone. “He sent you another eggplant, didn’t he?”

“The modern invention I missed more than anything else was the shower,” I told Shingen a little while later, as I emerged from the bathroom happily clean and dry. I figured I’d better stock up on showering while I could, even though Sasuke had said it would be three or four months before the wormhole reopened.

“I have very fond memories of a lake that contained a certain moon Goddess.” Shingen was sitting on the bed reading a book on – I eyed the cover – civil engineering. The combination of that academic looking text against his strong work-roughened hands was incredibly sexy. Brains and bod. “I believe I could construct an outdoor shower, of sorts, for use in the summer – the sun would warm up the water, which would, ahm, need to be stored in a large wineskin.” He flipped the book upside down on his chest. “I suppose I ought to ask. You do want to go back, right? Now that you’ve returned to the modern conveniences you grew up with, does the future tempt you at all?”

“I want to go back.” I crawled under the crisp sheets. “I felt like I had a purpose there – I never felt that here. Not to mention, I have a nephew who really needs to be shown how to climb a tree.” If I left that task to Toshiie, Nao would never learn. I turned the question back to him. “Now that you’ve seen the future, does anything make you want to stay here?”

He gestured to his book before setting it on the nightstand. “All of these books, medicines, electricity, technology, transportation, and buttons are wonderful.”

Buttons?

“But this is not my time, and there are things I need to do for the people of Kai.” He reached over and turned out the lamp, although the city lights outside kept the room bright enough to see his face. “I’m looking forward to finally meeting your brother.”

I flipped over on my side and rested my head on my arm. “Don’t be offended if he goes all big brother protective.”

His voice took on the authority he used when he was giving Katsu a lecture.I had missed his lectures. “As he should.”

Ok, maybe I hadn’t missed them that much. He might currently look like a modern man, in one of those Henley shirts he seemed to favor, lounging against the headboard of the bed, but his mind still held some old-fashioned values. Still, it wasn’t like anything he and Toshiie said to each other would impact any of my plans, so might as well let them think they were taking care of things. “If you say so.”

“I don’t trust your tone of voice at all.” That amused look in his eyes indicated he didn’t mind, though. “Come closer. We have a year to make up for.” Without waiting for me to move, he pulled me to him and nipped at the hollow of my throat, that spot that always drove every rational thought out of my mind. “The only good thing I can say about a year of separation, is that I get to rediscover all the things I can do that make you squeal.”

Squeal? Seriously? I would never.

“Squeal? I’m not that girlie. When we were ten Toshiie put a mouse in my boot, and I calmly carried it outside and set it free.” Squeal. Honestly. “And when a spider went down my kimono…” I trailed off. There was a picture in my mind of a room full of books, and a spider disappearing under the folds of a pale pink kimono. But I didn’t own a pink kimono. Must have been a dream, I mentally concluded as Shingen’s actions in the present distracted me.

“That sounds like a challenge to me.” He continued his attentions on my throat, pressing slow sensuous kisses across the skin until I was squirming with anticipation.

“It wasn’t meant to be. I just want you to –ah!” I bit my lip to make sure that didn’t come out as a squeal when he sucked at the side of my neck, his tongue making tiny circles on the increasingly sensitive flesh.

“To what?” He gazed  into my eyes.

This time I had no trouble at all telling him the truth. “Love me. The way I love you.”

“I plan to. Thoroughly.” He kissed my forehead. “And I do. I love every version of you, Katsuko – the messenger, the boy, the liar, the Goddess, the Devil. I even love the you that falls out of trees.”

“I didn’t fall.” Are we going to be debating this for the rest of our lives? Ok… wow… we could be having this debate for the rest of our lives.

Shingen’s thoughts, apparently had taken the same direction as my own. “We’ll be having this discussion until we’re old and grey.” Shingen smiled at me. “I will also tell you how much I love you every day too.”

Hm. I could possibly deal with the tree thing if it was followed up by a daily dose of ILY. (#priorities). I brushed back that lock of hair that always dipped over his eye. As usual, it immediately sprang into place. “So will I.” Might as well start right now. “I love you.” Then, because it was still making me curious, I asked. “Buttons?”

“What?” Shingen murmured directly into my ear, and even that question was asked in come-hither tones, right before he fastened his teeth around my earlobe.

“Mmmm. You said… um … that you would miss buttons.” It was getting hard to concentrate on my thoughts while my body was telling my brain, just go rest, I’ll take care of this. “Why buttons and not electricity?”

He hooked one finger around the top button of the sleep shirt I wore. Then, so slowly that it felt like time stopped - then flowed backward, he undid the button, letting his finger glide across the skin revealed below. “Does that answer your question?”

“I’m… still not sure. Maybe further demonstration would be in order.” I couldn’t pull off a saucy wink, so I gazed at him from under my eyelashes.

He laughed, then pulled me on top of him, so I was straddling his waist. The sudden change in position pulled me off balance and I quickly braced my hands on his shoulders. “Something about undoing these one… at… a… time… adds to the anticipation. I can feel your heartbeat under my touch.” He pressed his index finger to the base of my throat, and in response, my pulse raced through my veins.

I took a deep breath, when once again, he leisurely unfastened another button – the one securing the shirt across my breasts. I didn’t realize I was holding that breath until the soft snick of the button’s release was echoed in my quick intake of air. His fingers brushed across my skin, following the curve of my breasts, but never venturing past the territory still covered by the shirt.

“Your purchase of this shirt was inspired.” I closed my eyes for a moment to enjoy the play of his warm hands and the cool air against my newly bared skin. He paused on the next button, hovering, unmoving… tantilizing.

“You looked rather worried before you opened that bag.” Snap. Another button was freed. Shingen inched my shirt down and kissed my shoulder, his lips and tongue lingering on my collarbone.

It took me a moment to remember. “Oh. Well, I imagine you noticed some of the other outfits in that store.” Presuming Sasuke’s escapades hadn’t completely distracted him. “I was afraid it would be something that would be an uncomfortable mess of lace and straps. Something only worn about five minutes before it’s ripped away – which always seemed to me like a waste.”

There was only one button left holding my shirt together – Shingen trailed his finger along the v of the shirt, down one side, then the other, but did not seem to be in any hurry to undo it. “Not only a waste of fabric, but I wouldn’t treat you that roughly.”

No, he hadn’t, even in the aftermath of our fight in the training room the night Iekane had forced my unmasking. Even now, those hands that had looked so sensuous holding a book were reverently cupping my breasts, thumbs brushing across the nipples, lightly teasing their hardened peaks. “I know that. Though if you wanted to be a little less gentle… I would be ok with that.”

For him it had been a year, and yet here he was, patiently taking the time to worship me. But I didn’t need him to hold back. I didn’t want him to hold back.

He froze underneath me. “Devil, exactly what are you saying? I can't imagine you want to be restrained.”

I leaned forward to hug him close. “No, not bondage.”

“No, you wouldn’t enjoy that,” he said just as I continued, “I don’t think I would like that.”

No, I would not want to be tied up and abandoned, unable to leave. Ugh, issues. I moved on quickly. “Although, a blindfold I might be fun… someday. When you blindfolded me the day of the archery exhibition, I nearly lost my concentration completely.”

Ah. There was his wicked grin. “That was not my intent, and you recovered quickly. But as to the topic at hand-” he caressed my breasts again, “if you have a fantasy, I want to know it. I will do my best to make it come true.”

Which… was so not my point. “You’re always taking care of me first and while I love that you are so generous… sometimes I want you to take care of yourself first. However fast or hard that may be.”

I wanted to be able to look at his face when he let go and be able to think, I did that.

Shingen was quiet a long moment, but those eyes darkened and smoldered with something hot and wicked. “You are a treasure.”

That final button was ripped off with his teeth-

I found myself flipped onto my back –

--his hands pinning mine over my head –

--his body hard against mine-

--my heart roaring in my ears-

He stared into my eyes, intent, fierce. “You will let me know if I’m too demanding.”

“I promise.” He knew me well enough to know that although I’m a liar, I never made a promise I did not intend to keep.

“The thing is, Devil,” he said. “It makes me incredibly, stupidly happy when I am able to satisfy you. Therefore, what I’m going to demand is that you enjoy this, because I intend to thoroughly pleasure every inch of your body.” Then his teeth raked across my shoulder, deeper and more urgently than ever before.

“I’m… good with that,” I managed to say, before his sweet and sharp attentions clouded my mind with desire, his lips and teeth igniting a trail of fire across my throat. I wanted him to touch me everywhere.

His tongue plunged into my mouth, and he released my hands to pull me closer, his body sliding across mine. Somehow, clothes were discarded, blanket and sheet kicked to the foot of the bed as we devoured each other.

Yes. This. I wanted this tumult, this passion, this--

My hips rose to meet his, only to be stopped by his hands firmly pressing me into the bed. “Hold on, Devil, I want to be sure you’re ready for-”

I’m going to kill him. I punched his shoulder. “I’m ready. I’m beyond ready. Even if I weren’t. I. Don’t. Care.” This was for him.

He touched the valley between my legs, fingers dipping inside me, drawing out my wetness like a spoon from a jar of honey. “Ah, so you are.”

Just for that, I licked his chest, then fastened my mouth on his nipple, batting at it with my tongue. Would that do to him what it did to me?

He groaned.

Empowered, I ground my hips against his, pulling him closer. He grew harder in response.

“Now. I need you right now. Gentle can wait until later.” I had thought I was pushing for this for him… but it was for me too. I wanted… I wanted…

“You win, Devil.” Without any further fanfare he rocked into me, filling me fully, completing the intense connection. I wrapped my legs around his back, driving him deeper, hanging on to his shoulders mindlessly as he pulled back, then pushed into me again, his pace increasing.

I eagerly met every demand his body made, raking my fingers through his hair then down his back, while at each thrust, I gasped at the delicious sensations that friction sent through my being.

We both win.

Urging each other onward, the pace increased, faster, harder—

-- though I had been determined that he would take his pleasure before mine, I lost track of that goal in our frenzy. And so, it was my cry of satisfaction that echoed through the room first.

As if that was the signal he had been waiting for, his answering moan filled my ears, then he stiffened and relaxed. “Treasure,” he whispered again, as his hands found mine. He brought my hand to his mouth, kissed my fingers, then his eyes eased shut.

Our hands were still linked as he drifted into a light doze with a smile still tugging at the corner of his mouth.

I swept my fingers through his hair, and I thought to myself, “I did that.”

@bestbryn

[asknarashikari]

Now we leave Chikyu and return back to Earth with the Revice cast. All of the assigned Cybertronians are mostly based on their personal Vistamp.

The Revice Cast assigned Cybertronians:

Ikki and Vice: Formerly BW Megatron, now Gigatron due to Megatron's attack is the skillful and tactical T-rex leader of the Predacons in the future, but due to becoming good, he is willing to risk his own life to save his own friends. He's also good with kids and has a rubber ducky named Quackles that he considers his best friend and can transform.

Daiji and Kagerou: Nightscream the troubled but good bat.

Sakura: Colada the arrogant and loner cobra.

Lovekov: The destructive and mindless Abominus, comprised of Hun-Gurrr the brilliant yet gluttonous quadrupedal two-headed dragon, Rippersnapper the superiority obsessed bipedal shark creature, Blot the appallingly disgusting and friendly but dumb hunchbacked monster-thing with an inferiority complex, Sinnertwin the predatory robotic two-headed dragon-ish thing, Cutthroat the overly-violent hawk monster thing, and Cindersaur the not-very-smart bipedal horn-nosed lizard monster thing, who all treat Lovekov like a queen.

Hiromi: Blackarachnia the smart, sly, and dangerous black widow spider and girlfriend to Fuzor Silverbolt.

George: Tarantulas the scheming mad scientist Lycosa tarantula.

Hana: BW Scavenger the master blackmailer and strategist ant who uses fear.

The others (Go, Genta/Papa Igarashi and Orteca): BW Insecticon the creepy and spying stag beetle, Hardshell the hyperactive and extremely chatty rhinoceros beetle who helps Papa and Mama Igarashi with work, and Ikard the much kinder cousin and only friend of Scuba.

Ikki, Vice and Gigatron are taking care of the youngest Igarashi, Koushirou, while the others are away doing something. Ikki and Vice have left to cook lunch and left Gigatron to take care Koushirou.

Gigatron: What's your name little fella?

Koushirou: Koushiwou.

Gigatron: Koushirou is it? I'd like you to meet my best friend, Quackles. Say hi Quackles.

Quackles: *Quack* Hello.

Gigatron and Koushirou have some bonding time like Gigatron carrying Koushirou and playing hide and seek and Koushirou sees Gigatron as a cool uncle.

Gigatron: Koushiro, can you say Gigatron?

Koushirou: Giga-Gigatwon.

Gigatron: Yesss Koushiro, that's right.

Unbeknownst to both of them, Ikki, with tears of joy and a smile, had been filming the bonding between his youngest brother and his big T-Rex friend, and sends to the Riders and the others.

What are the Riders and Revice Cast to seeing the video Ikki sent of Koushirou and Gigatron bonding?

No one can resist the power of Baby Koushirou

[ninjago-elementsofdestiny]

Elements of Destiny : The 5 Ninja

These 5 young adults are training under the guidance of Sensei Wu, Son of the First Spinjitzu Master, and former leader of the now-disbanded Alliance of Elemental Masters.

They must discover and hone their elemental powers to protect Ninjago from danger. Starting with Ninjago City and the secret criminal empire hiding below its surface.

Lloyd Montgomery Smith : Apprentice of Air

Age 16. Codename: "Breeze."

Much like his mother Misako "Koko" Smith, who Sensei Wu considers his own sister, (despite the lack of apparent connection,) Lloyd is as inquisitive as he is tenacious. The newest member of the Ninja Crew, Lloyd dreams of making a difference in Ninjago, before discovering the existence of his Uncle's initiative to replace the Alliance of Elemental Masters. He vows to do everything in his power to help protect Ninjago. Determined to become a Ninja and discover his own elemental power, Secrets about his family slowly begin to unravel the more he gets involved.

Nya Smith : Ninja of Fire

Age 19. Codename: "Ember."

Lloyd's adopted elder sister, Nya is the Firey leader of the Ninja, and the one who Lloyd first discovered was a Ninja. Hotheaded but rarely hot-tempered, Nya's grit, willpower, and willingness to listen to her teammates make her an effective leader for the rag-tag group. She tries her hardest to protect Lloyd as well as the others. Although she acts confident, she has a self-conscious streak and tends to overwork herself.

Jay Walker : Ninja of Lightning

Age 18. Codename: "Spark"

Energetic, loud, and snarky, Jay is easy to not take seriously. But when things get serious, he can get the job done. He tends to overreact to things ("Spazz out" as the others call it,) and get distracted whenever something (Or someone) cool gets brought up. Brilliant inventor and an even more brilliant fighter; backing this bird into a corner would be a horrible mistake.

Cole Morrow : Ninja of Earth

Age 19. Codename: "Mountain"

Tough, blunt, and dependable, Cole is the solid rock of the team, literally and emotionally. Sometimes it seems like he's the only one on the team with any common sense, but he's also good at alleviating tense moments with a clever joke. He's also a music geek and the guy who suggested the 4 pretend to be a band as cover for their Ninja gigs in the first place.

Zane Julian : Ninja of Ice

Age 18. Codename: "Crystal"

Calm and perceptive, Zane prides himself in being efficient. Despite the fact that he is a robot, he wears his heart on his sleeve and is very emotionally conscious. (Although dense when it comes to social cues.) With a special awareness and the ability to evaluate every fine detail, he is a master strategist essential to any major plan. He also has a tendency to not seem like he's paying attention, but to actually be paying perfect attention. The heart of the Ninja team, It's not uncommon for the Ninja to joke about him being "The therapist" of the group. Also a diehard fan of old movies. And sometimes makes references that no one else gets. (Somehow, not even Wu.)

This is the first post for Elements of Destiny's official own Tumblr blog! In case you didn't recognize it, this is the Rewrite AU @star-light-shadows has been cooking up for a while.

Check out The MasterList for more on the AU. And if you're interested, be sure to follow so you can be here for every part of this story's development.

[star-light-shadows]

My Ninjago AU - The 4 Ninja

This is Outdated

Go to this post for the updated version and more about the AU

As I said in my original Ninjago AU post, The 4 Ninja are young adults months away from graduating high school. In secret, these 4 train under Master Wu, son the first Spinjitzu Master, to protect Ninjago from danger and evil after the end of the fabled council of elemental masters.

As part of their training, they have acted as protectors of Ninjago City from hoodlums and criminals. They must train and fight threats of escalating magnitude, all while keeping their identities hidden from their school and their families, which led to them taking up the semi-fake part-time job of playing music as a band.

Nya Smith - Ninja of Fire

Age - 18 Codename - Ember

Lloyd's adopted elder sister.

Hotheaded but rarely hot-tempered, Nya's grit, willpower, and willingness to listen to her teammates make her an effective leader. She also has a protective instinct, which usually is used on her brother, but occasionally comes out on her team.

Wu met her as a young teenager when she vandalized his sister Misako's shop. Orphaned at a young age by the mysterious disappearance of her father, the bitter young firestarter was formed into a rude delinquent by her questionable childhood environment. Wu, however, saw that she could be a good person if she was only given the kindness and love of a family, so he convinced Misako to adopt the young girl. With the flames of bitterness inside her heart being molded into a protective passion. She eventually became the founding member of the Ninja after she protected Wu from an attacker by unleashing her elemental power of fire.

Jay Walker - Ninja of Lightning

Age - 18 Codename - Spark

Quick-witted and quickly-scared, Jay may seem like a comic-relief, but when its up to him to help his friends, the lengths he'll go know no bounds. Brilliant inventor and brilliant fighter, backing this bird into the corner may be the last mistake you ever make.

Wu met Jay as a young girl whose custom-built toy malfunctioned and bumped into Wu before crashing and ceasing to work. Disillusioned, she was close to giving up her dream of becoming an inventor. Before Wu sat down and encouraged her to never doubt that she can do great things just because of a simple mistake. Nearly a decade later, Wu would find Jay testing a pair of mechanical wings, and succeeding in flight. Seeing the sense of inspiration in the young man led Wu to see the spark of elemental power inside.

Cole Morrow - Ninja of Earth

Age - 19 Codename - Mountain

Strongly charismatic, competitive, and easily distracted, Cole comes off as the typical handsome jock, or burly brute, but he's dependable no matter the situation. The emotional rock of the team, he also often has to reign in their chaos.

Wu met Cole while meditating at the top of a mountain that Cole and his friends were climbing for sport. Surprised to find an old man at the top of such a steep rock, Cole's competitive spirit led to him climbing an even more dangerous mountain weeks later, a mountain he may've been ready for, but his partner was not. Wu would visit the funeral of Cole's boyfriend to console Cole, telling him that competitiveness can be a wonderful quality when you don't let it cloud your judgment, encouraging one to better themselves, a desire most honorable. Cole took the advice in stride and vowed to make up for his partner's death by becoming better and learning from his mistakes. The determination Wu saw made him inspired him to recruit Cole, for his will was strong as stone.

Zane Julien - Ninja of Ice

Age - 19 Codename - Crystal

Quiet and perceptive, Zane is often described as cold and calculating. While he may not show very much emotion, he is very considerate. With a special awareness and the ability to evaluate every fine detail, he is a master strategist essential to any major plan.

Wu met Zane wandering in the forgotten woods. Lost not in a literal sense, but feeling lost in the metaphorical. Having recently discovered that he was not human, as his inventor father had led him to believe, Zane ran away. Wu assured him that just because he is made of Metal and wire does not mean that he is any less than flesh and blood. After reuniting the android with his creator, Wu would meet Zane again several years later. Having made close friends with a a pupil of his father's, Wu saw Zane finding his clan despite his differences. While he hasn't yet told them of his nature due to the pain it's caused him in the past, Wu saw a cool head, a heart of steel, and most importantly, a compassion and affinity with his band that lead Wu to discover the power of ice hidden inside.

[eviltothecore13]

Is it just me or has fandom overall...changed a lot in how it talks about its favourite characters over the past few years?

It used to be people who really liked a character would be like “this character’s the best at everything, they can do no wrong, they’d win every fight, they have a plan for everything, they’re the coolest cleverest most attractive person in the whole story!!!”, and like...that could go too far, it could be annoying or just really really inaccurate compared to canon (I used to know a Jill fan who insisted that Jill could easily beat every single character in the series in a fight--and look, Jill is very cool, but Chris was canonically the best in hand-to-hand combat at STARS and was also training HER in marksmanship, Jill is of course extremely capable but...she really does not have to be the best at everything to prove why she’s your favourite...for that matter, Wesker fans who were like “Wesker in RE5 has to be a clone/a fake/whatever because the REAL Wesker would never LOSE because Wesker can’t make mistakes!”...always made me go *stop, please, it’s embarrassing*), but it did...make sense why someone who really loved a character would say these things about them?

But now it seems like the kind of comments people make about their favourite characters, and the way they portray them in fics, are...pretty much the opposite of that? People will be like “my blorbo is SO STUPID! they’re so useless they can’t do ANYTHING! they’re a pathetic weak little wet paper bag!”

Like, a few years ago if I’d seen a post saying things like that about a character I’d assume it was written by someone who hated them?

And obviously...sometimes a character you love is kind of a dork, or makes some silly mistakes sometimes. Other times a character you love is a terrible evil person. I’m not saying everyone should equate liking a character with thinking they’re perfect. But...most popular characters AREN’T actually completely stupid and incompetent at absolutely everything, and I can never quite get my head around it when people seem to hold this view of a character and it’s clearly not true, like...if you really think they’re pathetic, stupid, and can’t do anything right...do you really like them that much?

I’ve seen fandom call characters stupid/idiots when they are either science geniuses, or they’re brilliant inventors who build sci-fi gadgets, or they’re scheming chessmaster strategist types who manipulate all the other characters for years and come very close to taking over the world, or maybe they just canonically speak several languages and are well-read, or even if canon doesn’t focus much on their intelligence you’ve got characters like Chris who was a USAF fighter pilot--which means he has a degree, judging by the timeline probably an Air Force Academy one, which means he was likely in the top 3% of his high school classes and DEFINITELY didn’t “barely scrape through” as I often see headcanoned (not just by people who want to bash him but people who are like “I love him! He’s such a big dumb himbo! He’s so stupid!!” like. what.)

Similarly I see characters who are canonically very confident and self-assured, never really doubting themselves for a second, and who canonically react to things going wrong by calmly adapting their plans and moving forwards without ever getting discouraged, get tagged on posts about “pathetic wet paper bag men who’ve never had a good day in their life and an insult from a child would make them cry”.

Or characters who are shown in canon as dangerous, powerful and near-fearless fighters get written in fics, by people who say they’re their favourites, as spending all their time crying and flinching and not even trying to defend themself from whoever’s attacking/trying to hurt them (and not because they went through some major trauma previously in the fic that left them in this state, either--often the fic is set during canon and the character is just...like that rather than something having happened to change them from who they were at that point in their life in canon)... personally, while I enjoy whump, whumping a character who’s ALREADY weak and helpless and spends all their time curled up in a corner crying BEFORE whatever you do to them in the fic can easily just feel like kicking them while they’re down and is honestly boring because it doesn’t show anything NEW about the character, so it’s particularly odd to see fics written that way when the character in canon is exactly the confident powerful type that I do think is fun to whump.

(For a specific example, RE canon is that Wesker and Sergei had a rivalry and Wesker seems to view Sergei mostly with disdain and see him as an annoying obstacle. Wesker never gives any sign of being scared of or intimidated by Sergei, and certainly doesn’t seem to start panicking the instant Sergei enters a room. And even before he had his powers, he had extensive combat training by the time he met Sergei, and Sergei being taller and heavier doesn’t inherently mean that Wesker would be defenceless and go down in one punch in a fight, or even that Wesker would LOSE a fight against him. Canon doesn’t depict Wesker as a helpless victim for Sergei to beat up...hurt him by all means but it’s OOC if Wesker doesn’t give as good as he gets.)

Oh, and characters who are canonically master manipulators who are experts at getting people on their side and gaining their trust being portrayed as so socially awkward and clueless that they’re incapable of holding a conversation without coming across offputtingly weird...

Maybe I’m the odd one out here but I can’t really get why you’d want to present your favourite character as LESS capable, LESS intelligent, LESS brave or confident or powerful or whatever other impressive traits they might have in canon? Like I wouldn’t go so far as to say I ADMIRE all my favourite characters, because some of them are murderous evil monsters, but...I generally do see them as either having some kind of admirable personality trait (courage, integrity, confidence, determination... or maybe just a lot of charisma and a good sense of humour, though I feel like charisma tends to overlap with confidence a fair bit...), or at least as being very good at what they do. I can kind of get the appeal of the “sweet and kind and caring but not that bright ‘golden retriever man’ type”, even though they’re not usually MY type, because I know some people primarily like characters who they think it would be good to be friends with (and most of those types of characters aren’t USELESS, at the very least they tend to be good at listening and being supportive), but when someone’s favourite character is a bad person AND they seem to think they’re stupid, useless, incompetent and pathetic on top of being evil it’s like...so what do you even like about them?

[cksmart-world]

SMART BOMB

The Completely Unnecessary News Analysis

By Christopher Smart

August 20, 2024

POWER TO THE PEOPLE — FORGET ABOUT IT

Giving too much power to the people is a dangerous thing. Republican lawmakers here in Zion know that. That's why when the great unwashed passed a ballot initiative for an independent boundary commission to draw voting districts, the brethren undid it. Can you imagine what an independent boundary commission might do? Well, they might deep six a very important tradition here in Utah: gerrymandering. See, gerrymandering is essential to keeping conservative god-fearing Republican brethren in a super majority. That, in turn, stops progressive Democrats from teaching our children about Jim Crow and continuing discrimination, allowing women to get abortions and spending a lot of money on DEI programs so women and minorities can get a even break. We could go on and on, but you get the point. That's why GOP lawmakers jumped into action recently when the Utah Supreme Court ruled the fight for an independent boundary commission can go forward: “The people’s constitutional right to alter or reform their government is protected from government infringement,” the justices ruled. Well that's just ridiculous. So GOP lawmakers voted to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot this fall so voters can strip themselves of their right to petition the government. Simply brilliant.

MOAB: BROWN STUFF HITS BLADES

Hey Wilson. The Moab office of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) spent $116,000 on 25,000 rolls of toilet paper last year for some 3 million visitors. Holy shit. That gives Ed Abbey's tag “industrial tourism” a whole new meaning. The metrics are staggering: the Moab BLM spent $130,000 on dumpster operations and $175,000 on toilet pumping, according to the Deseret News. “The BLM strives to ensure your visit is enjoyable...” the agency posted on X. Abbey penned the acclaimed “Desert Solitaire” about his year as a park ranger in Arches National Park. Well, forget the “solitaire” part — these days it's more like Desert Megalopolis as the State of Utah's unending promotion of redrock-country parks “has basically broke them,” in the words of one Moab official. Good grief. Utah spends millions annually to attract more and more tourists. In excess of 10.6 million people visited Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef and Zion national parks in 2023. Sustainability? Right. These treasures are marketed as nothing more than commodities to be packaged and sold. Turning these natural wonders into capitalistic cash cows without regard to the environment is... well, Wilson, it stinks.

GIULIANI: STEVE BANNON 'TORTURED' IN PRISON

Oh holy heck. This is just unbelievable. Trump's one-time strategist and moral compass, Steve Bannon, is essentially being tortured in jail — that is, he's not allowed to watch TV, said Rudy Giuliani. Can you believe it, Wilson, no TV. “Steve Bannon is being, let’s say, tortured... this election is about a fascist regime and Steve Bannon is prime number one victim.” The one-time New York City mayor and Time magazine's “Man of the Year in 2001” made the comments on a radio show with Trump loyalist and underwriter MyPillow Guy Mike Lindell. Bannon is serving a four-month sentence at a Federal Correctional Facility for defying a congressional subpoena. Giuliani has been indicted on felony charges in Georgia as a co-conspirator in a plot to subvert the election of Joe Biden. Giuliani called the indictment “an affront to American democracy.” He also has been ordered to pay two Georgia election workers, whom he accused of fraud, $148 million in damages. Last month in New York, Giuliani was disbarred for making repeated false statements about Trump's 2020 election loss. No Wilson, let's not even mention Trump's 34 felony fraud convictions. What a big legal mess. It just couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of guys.

Post script — That's gonna do it for another hysterical week here at Smart Bomb where we keep track of election campaigns so you don't have to. The next two months will test our sanity. Trump is winning. Kamala is winning. If Trump wins the world will end. If Kamala wins the world will end. We spend billions on presidential elections. Recently, The Washington Post detailed how 50 mega-donors pumped $1.5 billion into this presidential campaign. Kamala Harris has raised $540 million in the short time since she entered the race. Presidential race spending could top $10 billion this year. In the United Kingdom, by contrast, campaigns last five weeks and political TV ads are banned. Their election spending is a tiny fraction of ours. But now the question is, how are we going to stay sane until Nov. 5? We checked with Smart Bomb's sanity expert Iona Fallwell for tips on how to keep from losing it: Take up a new sport, such as pickle ball; bet lots of dough on NFL football games; read Moby Dick; start a moss garden; sign up for a class in insect taxidermy; or take up fork bending. But whatever you do, don't watch cable TV — it could kill you.

Well Wilson, those Utah GOP lawmakers are always going on about freedom. But it seems like every chance they get they take it for themselves. Maybe they just don't get it — freedom is for everybody, including Democrats, atheists, muslims and even environmentalists. So wakeup the band and give those fat cats a reminder:

Far between sundown's finish an' midnight's broken toll We ducked inside the doorway, thunder crashing As majestic bells of bolts struck shadows in the sounds Seeming to be the chimes of freedom flashing Flashing for the warriors whose strength is not to fight Flashing for the refugees on the unarmed road of flight An' for each an' ev'ry underdog soldier in the night An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing. In the city's melted furnace, unexpectedly we watched With faces hidden as the walls were tightening As the echo of the wedding bells before the blowin' rain Dissolved into the bells of the lightning Tolling for the rebel, tolling for the rake Tolling for the luckless, the abandoned an' forsaked Tolling for the outcast, burnin' constantly at stake An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashin Even though a cloud's white curtain in a far-off corner flashed An' the hypnotic splattered mist was slowly lifting Electric light still struck like arrows, fired but for the ones Condemned to drift or else be kept from drifting Tolling for the searching ones, on their speechless, seeking trail For the lonesome-hearted lovers with too personal a tale An' for each unharmfull, gentle soul misplaced inside a jail An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing. Starry-eyed an' laughing as I recall when we were caught Trapped by no track of hours for they hanged suspended As we listened one last time an' we watched with one last look Spellbound an' swallowed 'til the tolling ended Tolling for the aching whose wounds cannot be nursed For the countless confused, accused, misused, strung-out ones an' worse An' for every hung-up person in the whole wide universe An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.

(Chimes of Freedom — Bob Dylan)