#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.

[vigilskeep]

hey harker! very much enjoying the lucanis/illario/general crow posting, and im gonna encourage more: now that you’ve had some time to sit with the game i was really curious to hear more about your opinion on lucanis becoming first talon. i can’t help but feel like it’s completely glossed over that lucanis is definitely going to get chewed up by this job in most save states. i have mixed feelings about it personally - but setting those aside because i’m asking about yours.

i TRULY cannot express this enough: that villa is a tomb and if we do not get him out of there we are burying him in it

lucanis does not want this job. he has straight up canonically always avoided thinking about this by assuming he would die before it becomes something he has to deal with. he reacts with paralysed disbelief to being given it and seems to have barely registered it for the rest of the game. and even if he did want it, lucanis is not capable of this job. none of his skillsets are managing people, or making ruthless calls, or watching out for himself. the only driving force behind him being pushed into this is caterina, who will not be around to do the admin and protect him from external threats forever. and she only wants him to do it in the first place because she had a good heir—his mother—and has needed to project that dead daughter onto lucanis for his whole life, to believe she hasn’t already gambled and irrevocably lost her family’s future decades ago. but lucanis’ incapacity to ever say no to her, which is what lets him stay that eternal teacher’s pet, is one of the most obvious shining examples why he would be so bad for the job!

it would be an uphill battle for anyone to recover control of an assassin house that until last week was being run by your cousin who tried to kill you. it would be an uphill battle for anyone to lead the crows in the aftermath of the antaam occupation. it would be an uphill battle for anyone to cope with the fact that relying on viago and teia—which lucanis with his resources and skills has no choice but to do here, even if he didn’t simply like them and make choices based on liking people because he is not a strategist—presents them as an alliance that any other ambitious talon must cut down to get anywhere. three out of eight of the talons is such a ludicrously dangerous number. it does not take an overwhelmingly brilliant mind to notice that there’s more of us than there are of them

the best man for the job would still be fighting for their life, and lucanis is far from the best man. caterina was! and she still lost five children and six grandchildren holding it! that’s so many! have you guys ever seen that one post about people who kept getting a new outdoor cat every time the last one got eaten by cougars and it was pointed out they were basically just feeding cats to the cougars. that’s what caterina dellamorte was doing having kids

the points in lucanis’ favour off the top of my head are the weight of the dellamorte name and reputation, that his victory over illario was decisive and public, and simply the fear factor that he is a god slayer and, lest we forget, a fucking abomination. is that enough to keep him alive? for how long? under what level of constant anxiety and moral degradation for his very soft over-caffeinated heart? all for the questionable gain of several large and empty villas and the privilege of dragging out the slow and lingering death of a family that, you guessed it, you love it, it’s the thedas favourite: has no! next! generation! heirs! at all!!!

(unless illario has a bunch of kids somewhere. i think that would be objectively pretty funny, a sentence i managed to type most of before feeling ill. oh god we need to get them out.)

i apologise that my tone here is somewhat hysterical but i have been living in the mind of my rook, a character very aware of the realities of crow politics who loves lucanis very much. it does not surprise me that lucanis was once again incapable of even conceptualising saying no to his grandmother and accepted the title, or that the idea of abandoning her legacy and his family would seem insurmountable to him when he has been raised to believe it’s all he’s for and he is the last one shouldering the weight. but i am saying this with total and absolute confidence: this is another prison and he is going to die in there if nobody gets him out.

[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.

[riddlesrizzler]

𝙝𝙞𝙜𝙝 𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧! 𝙨𝙡𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣 𝙗𝙤𝙮𝙨

headcanons of high power! slytherin boys.

warnings: i think there is one mention of sex, but none other than that.

⟡ ݁₊ . includes: ceo! mattheo, lawyer! theo, investment banker! draco, surgeon! enzo, and fbi agent! blaise.

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁

If you ever thought that fate or religion was something that controlled the world, you would be mistaken. Instead of some divine fate ruling over the decisions of the people, it belonged to five men, the high power! slytherin boys.

𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘮𝘦𝘵

⟡ ݁₊ .I believe that Draco and Blaise knew each other before the rest of the boys, but they all crossed paths during their elite university years- and institution known for breeding the rich, the brilliant, and the dangerously ambitious.

⟡ ݁₊ .Their friendship wasn't instant, because let's face it, they all have some sort of trust issues. It was built on sharp intellect, whispered secrets,and an unspoken understanding that they were different than the rest.

⟡ ݁₊ .I don't think Mattheo and Draco got a long at first. Probably because they were way too similar for their own good. But somewhere along the way, their dynamic settled.

⟡ ݁₊ .They were young, drunk on power and money, handsome men that all had the brilliant idea of living together.

⟡ ݁₊ . Draco would take care of the finances, making sure everything was paid on time (and took a little extra from each of them to funnel into an investment portfolio because he knew they were going to be successful).

⟡ ݁₊ .Mattheo threw the parties. Somehow, even with his cutthroat business-minded nature, Mattheo knew how to turn the place into a spot for the best exclusive parties. If there was alcohol, loud music and questionable decisions being made at 2 AM, it was his doing for sure.

⟡ ݁₊ .Theo hated messes. It was an unspoken rule that if you left your dishes in the sink for more than a day, he would throw them off their top story balcony. So I guess the rule was unspoken, but the message was very clear.

⟡ ݁₊ .You could never find Blaise, no one ever knew where he was half the time. He'd disappear for days, then show up nonchalantly like he had been there the whole time. Once Enzo tried to ask but Blaise shot him a look that sais, "You don't want to know."

⟡ ݁₊ .Enzo loved to cook for everyone (when he felt like it). He would make restaurant- level meals but only when he was in the mood. Otherwise, it was every man for himself.

𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘥𝘺𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘤

⟡ ݁₊ .The Leader- Mattheo Riddle- not because he demands it, but everyone knows his dangerous reputation. When he speaks, they listen. When he decides, it's final.

⟡ ݁₊ .The Shadow- Blaise Zabini- the one who never says more than necessary but knows everything about everyone. He's the one they turn to for discretion, for quiet eliminations of problems before they become problems.

⟡ ݁₊ .The Strategist- Theo Nott- he sees the angles no one else does, plays the long game, and it the most morally ambiguous of them all. They never ask how he gets his information, only that it's always right.

⟡ ݁₊ .The Face- Draco Malfoy- the charmer, the one who can walk into any room and own it. He is the golden boy of the gorup, though with his sharp tongue and ruthless streak to prove he's just as cutthroat as the rest.

⟡ ݁₊ .The Wildcard- Enzo Berkshire- the brilliant surgeon with hands steady enough to save lives but a smirk that he'd rather be causing chaos. He keeps them entertains, diffuses tension with wit, but he's no less dangerous than the rest.

𝘎𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴

⟡ ݁₊ .Monday- 10:43 AM

Draco: Who used my name to buy three cases of expensive scotch and have it delivered to Blaise’s apartment?

Mattheo: That is a wild accusation, Malfoy.

Theo: Oh, so you’re not denying it?

Mattheo: I didn’t say that.

Blaise: I’ll take them.

Draco: NO. You all have your own money. BUY YOUR OWN.

Mattheo: But it tastes better when it’s technically stolen.

⟡ ݁₊ .Friday- 1:15 AM

Enzo: Why are there 57 missed calls in this chat.

Theo: Because your best friend decided it was a good idea to start a fight with a literal senator tonight.

Enzo: …which one of them.

Blaise: Mattheo.

Draco: Obviously.

Enzo: …Why?

Mattheo: In my defense, he started it.

Draco: By existing?

Mattheo: No, by saying my company was “soulless.” So I asked if his mistress thought he had a soul.

Theo: And that’s when security was called.

Blaise: I left before it got interesting.

Enzo: I hate this group.

⟡ ݁₊ .Sunday- 1:50 PM

Theo: If any of you come to my apartment unannounced again, I will press charges.

Mattheo: So dramatic.

Draco: This is about last night, isn’t it.

Theo: YES. I woke up to find Blaise sitting in my kitchen drinking my very expensive coffee and Mattheo asleep on my couch LIKE HE LIVES HERE.

Mattheo: I did live there. Once. Long ago.

Theo: Get out.

⟡ ݁₊ .Wednesday- 4:05 AM

Draco: Who the f— just tried to transfer 10k from our old college account?

Mattheo: …I can explain.

Theo: No, you really can’t.

Enzo: Why do we still have that account?

Blaise: I assumed Draco was hoarding it for an emergency.

Draco: I AM. So why is Mattheo spending it??

Mattheo: To fund a very important endeavor.

Draco: …which is?

Mattheo: Buying a ridiculous gift for my girlfriend.

Theo: I knew it.

Blaise: She’s got him whipped.

Mattheo: I REFUSE to be slandered like this.

Enzo: You tried to commit financial fraud for a woman who dresses like a fairytale character.

Mattheo: And I’d do it again

𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱𝘴

⟡ ݁₊ .Ceo! mattheo x teacher- grumpy x sunshine

⟡ ݁₊ .No one will ever change my mind that ceo! mattheo and teacher! reader belong together.

⟡ ݁₊ .He is dark, sophisticated, and organized. While they are covered in glitter most of the time, holding a million papers that needed to be graded, all while sporting a very hungry caterpillar hat.

⟡ ݁₊ .They show him that the world isn’t all business deals and cutthroat conversations, that every once and a while he can be soft.

⟡ ݁₊ .Lawyer! theo x journalist- enemies to lovers

⟡ ݁₊ .He can twist words to make the most awful people in the world seem innocent, while journalist! reader wants the truth.

⟡ ݁₊ .They are fire and ice, always butting heads with each other. Arguments are their source of communication, but somewhere along the way, they see that they aren't so different from each other after all.

⟡ ݁₊ .Investment Banker! draco x politician- friends with benefits.

⟡ ݁₊ .Draco needs someone to keep up with him and his arrogant behavior, so when he meets politician! reader who commands the room like they own it, he knew he had found his match.

⟡ ݁₊ .It started off with a bet, who could get more connections at the end of a networking event, but then it leads to them in the bathroom ripping off each others clothes.

⟡ ݁₊ .Of course, it started as convenience. Something to help them both relieve tension, but then they start to find out that they aren't as heartless as they thought they were.

⟡ ݁₊ .Surgeon! enzo x bookshop owner- golden retriever x black cat.

⟡ ݁₊ .When teacher! reader brings around their good friend, bookshop owner! reader, who supplies the book to their classroom, enzo is completely in love.

⟡ ݁₊ .They are the total opposites of each other. enzo is loud, cocky, charming and bookshop owner! reader is... not.

⟡ ݁₊ .This however this does not stop enzo from coming into their store afterwork every day in order to pester them until he eventually convinces them to go out on a date.

⟡ ݁₊ .Fbi agent! blaise x art historian- slow burn.

⟡ ݁₊ .First time blaise meets art historian! reader is when he is at a gala at an art museum for a mission. But he finds himself staring at a piece, only to turn his head to see them also staring at the same piece.

⟡ ݁₊ .Art historian! reader loves mysteries. Things of the past that have been long forgotten and yet unsolvable, blaise? loves solving things.

⟡ ݁₊ .I think it would take a long time for them to admit their feelings to each other. They are both guarded in their own, quiet and reserved way, that I think it would take a while for them to fully trust each other.

𝘖𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭

⟡ ݁₊ .No one remembers exactly how it started, but their friensip was inevitable.

⟡ ݁₊ .What started as tension, rivalries, and underestimation turned into something unbreakable. They found in each other the only people that could keep up.

⟡ ݁₊ .Now? They run their industries. together. Because power is nothing without the people who will burn down the world for you.

[stolenheartchronicles]

Here's what, in my opinion, constitutes a GOOD Dramione fanfiction.

1. Hermoine Granger being an unapologetic BAMF. Genius level intellect, resourceful, exceptional strategist, ruthless, even dangerous.

2. Draco being/having been a cruel bully.

3. Hermoine being/having been one of the few people who aren't intimidated by him at all. She needs to put him in his fucking place. Or needs to have done so in the past.

4. Draco being brilliant and highly competent in his own right.

5. Draco's redemption being brought about by his curiosity regarding Muggles, his innate morality causing him to understand that what his family is doing is wrong.

6. Draco's redemption NOT being a result of his attraction towards Hermione. His fascination with her can be among the things that spur his change of heart, but it should not be the primary reason.

7. Hermoine should not be allowe herself to give Draco a chance just because he's hot. She can find him attractive, but should give him the time of day only AFTER she starts noticing small changes in his attitude.

8. If the story is set several years after thr war, Draco should have already overcome his prejudices, and should be genuinely remorseful.

9. Draco understanding Hermione in ways that Ron and Harry cannot. Making her feel appreciated in ways that no one else has.

9. Ron bashing, if done at all, should be based on things that are true to canon. For example, Ron is sometimes selfish and insensitive towards Hermione, but he would never physically hurt her.

10. Draco's relationship with Harry and Ron developing slowly and organically. They don't become friends quickly, but they also don't remain bitter enemies at the end. At the very least, their equation should be one of mutual respect, if not an actual friendship.

A few fanfics that meet these criteria.

1. The Disappearances of Draco Malfoy (Deathly Hallows rewrite. Draco joins the Order and helps hunt Horcruxes.)

2. From Wiltshire with love (Deathly Hallows rewrite. Spy Draco, Handler Hermione)

3. Metanoia (series rewrite from Goblet of Fire)

4. Harmonia Nectere Passus (HBP and Deathly Hallows rewrite. A two parter)

5. Remain Nameless (set ten years after the war. Both Draco and Hermione are still healing from their trauma, and find comfort in each other.)

6. Draco Malfoy and the mortifying ordeal of being in love (set fifteen years after the war. Is everything a romance novel should be)

7. The choices we make (HBP and DH rewrite)

8. Escape (Draco helps Hermione escape Malfoy Manor and joins the Horcrux hunt)

9. Perfectly in Pieces (DH rewrite)

10. Chosen (HBP and DH rewrite)

[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.

[isleofdarkness]

"Yen Sid knows more about the situation on the Isle than any other living being on this side of the water," King Adam nodded to the old wizard, stepping back to allow him center stage. "Yen Sid, what are we dealing with?"

Yen Sid blew out a long breath, glacing up at the projection of the group of terrorists who had breached the barrier a few days ago and intercepted the convoy escorting the original six back where they belonged. "Very, very bad news.

"That-" he pointed to the tall Black woman with the long braids, "Is Harriet Jones, daughter of Captain Hook. Don't let her age fool you, she's every bit as dangerous as her father. More, if anything. She was the first to start a gang on the Isle, establishing what would become the largest territory and militant gang on the entire Isle at a mere four years old. Instantly, at that age, she started murdering people, burning buildings down, blowing buildings up, giving orders that ended in casualties- I could go on. In terms of raw power she's nothing special, a great fighter and brilliant with a knife, a markswoman of concord dawn, but nothing special considering how dangerous people of the Isle are. What makes Hook dangerous is that she has the greatest political power. Every other gang on her half of the Isle answer to her, including Facilier, Shan Yu, and even gods like Hades. The only one who doesn't take orders from her is the only person on that island who's more dangerous than her. But that will come later." His eyes drifted to the man who stood front and center, the one Beast knew better than any of the others. The leader. "Harriet has gone up against Maleficent's army and won, multiple times. Attacks on her territory lead to some of the most brutal deaths I've ever seen, and it's not the people in her territory or gang who are dying. Attacks on her ship, the Hurrican's Soul? No one has ever attacked that ship and survived, there's no way to even get close unless she allows it. And an attack on Hook herself is a suicide mission. Everyone on the Isle, even Maleficent, fears Harriet Hook. And their fears are very far from misplaced.

"Diego de Vil," he pointed to the tattooed Afro-Latino man with the black-and-white hair, "Is nearly as dangerous. His territory and gang are the second largest on the Isle. He has a massive network of spies that take down his every enemy before they can even consider attacking his territory, and he's gone toe-to-toe with the likes of Maleficent and won so incredibly that she fears him. Every villain on the Isle fears crossing him because if he can't kill them, he will hurt them so badly they will live in fear of him with every breath they take. But when against an opponent he can kill, he kills them. And he kills them every time. Never lost a fight. Harriet might have the strategy power but Diego is her enforcer. He's a good one, too.

"Morgie le Fay, son of Morganna le Fay," he pointed to the young man with the dark gold hair and shining green eyes, "I'm sure needs no introduction. He's the second of the most powerful gang on the Isle, right-hand man of the most powerful being I have ever encountered in my life. She sends him to do her dirty work and while he's powerful, brutal, and a brilliant fighter and strategist, everyone breathes a sigh of relief when they see him. Because if he's there, it means his leader isn't coming. And you don't want to see what happens when his leader shows up.

"Justice Olympian," the woman he pointed to was easily one of the biggest people Adam had ever seen, well over a foot taller than Adam was himself and easily twice as big, with close-cropped red hair and a suit of armour made of Stygian iron, "A goddess of victory in war, capable of altering probability to her will, though she doesn't do it often. She's the one Hook calls when things go severely wrong- well, let me put it this way; calling in Justice is Hook's version of pressing a big red button and raining down nuclear bombs on whoever she points towards. Justice cannot be beat in a fight, it's literally impossible, she's stronger than the Hulk and a fighter so excellent that I've seen her bring down the likes of Taskmaster, and she's completely immortal because she's a pure god. The fact that she answers to Harriet and not the other way around should tell you everything you need to know about the resources Harriet has, and the reputation she has when things don't go her way.

"Dawn Olympian is cut from a similar cloth," he pointed to a dark-skinned woman in close-fitting black armour, with eyes so deep and black that they made him dizzy just looking at her picture. "She's a goddess of misery and a goddess of decay. She's completely immortal and a brilliant fighter to boot, as well as being capable of travelling through the shadows. I've seen her bring down immortals, temporarily but for a very long time, because she can use her magic to force their bodies to decompose in the most extreme ways- turning blood to mould, filling their lungs and skulls with wasps, making their organs necrose in their bodies... she's very creative and nearly impossible to stop. Only Hades has ever won a fight against her and considering he's public enemy number one, I doubt he's willing to reproduce that victory to help us.

"Lydia Snoops," he pointed to a tiny girl with choppy black hair and striking green-grey eyes, "Don't let her looks fool you, she's eighteen and extremely dangerous. She's immortal through mechanisms I've yet to figure out and she uses that immortality to serve one of the most dangerous terrorists on the Isle, Maddy Mim. Lydia has murdered, tortured, maimed, she's exploded buildings, burns homes down with families inside of them. And she has the medical knowledge she needs to main people in the most agonizing ways until they beg for death, and it's only once she grows bored of their pleas that she finally kills them. There is no putting her down, even temporarily, I've seen countless people try and she has killed every single one of them so brutally the corpses can't even be recognized by their own mothers. Put a knife in her hands and she'd carve a living baby like a turkey and not lose a wink of sleep over it. She enjoys it.

"And finally... Maverick Mim." Yen Sid pointed to the large, broad-shouldered man wearing a grey tunic and a book chained around her wrist. "Son of Madam Mim, until she decided Mim wasn't evil enough for her and started off on her own at a mere three years old. I've seen Maverick do things that require such power mortal minds can't comprehend it, I've seen her override Destiny and destroy Changed, bind preexistentials and kill armies with a snap of her fingers, kill those who should be immortal under the barrier and alter the fabric of reality itself. And none of those are even close to her most terrifying feat. Remember the Great Awakening? When our world were drawn together and hundreds were ripped from Hades like it was easy?" Yen Sid paused. "That was her."

Terrified mutters broke out and Adam felt a chill run down his spine, even though he already knew.

"Maverick is a Destiny vortex and related to one of the Endless, fathered by Destiny if my theory is correct. She's a wildcard, there's no knowing what she's capable of because nothing like her has ever existed before. Maverick does magic under the barrier like it's easy, does things beyond comprehension with no effort more than a snap of her fingers. Beyond that, she's a mastermind criminal, she makes Al Capone look like a toddler eating crayons. She controls the entire island, even her enemies. When Maverick brings the hammer down, she brings it down like the Plagues of Egypt. And most of the time, she controls the Isle through fear while never leaving her base of operations. Because the few times she's gotten involved directly have left people afraid to even say her name, let alone go against her, for fear of bringing her attention to them, because they stand no chance if they do. Maverick's agents do her dirty work and Maverick's reputation behind them makes them beyond untouchable, because if someone even considers so much as thinking ill of them, it pisses her off. And when she's pissed off at someone, they die. They always die. Their friends die, their family dies, their second aunt who doesn't even know they exist dies. She destroys everything they know and she does it from her home. You pray she stays in her home. Because when something pisses her off enough to make her show up in person, your fate is sealed. She will send someone staight to Hell with a snap of her fingers and she'll laugh doing it. I would wager that Maverick is the one who got them through the barrier."

"How do we defeat something like that?" One of Adam's generals demanded, looking terried beyond belief.

"Simple, really." Yen Sid smiled. "You do something she can't ignore and send in expendables to kill her people while she's busy. And I know exactly how to distract her." He pointed to the scar across Maverick's face. "You send in the man who did that to her. Send Merlin."

[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.

[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.

[dorkus-mcdingus]

Am I still on the Playful Land High even though it's April?

Yes

Yes I am

I sometimes write dialogue of some scenes between my MC and some of the other characters but holy crap, Post Playful Land Fellow and Gidel are so much fun to write in my case.

In a little AU, I thought of their names being changed to the ones they have in the EN server as a way to get a new start. However, knowing that their old boss has connections, Fellow and Gidel know WAAAAY too much, let's just say they're constantly on the run. Nowhere is safe but NRC (as much as the old fox would rather swallow whole apple cores than go back) served as a bit of a temporary sanctuary especially with the connections the prefect and Grim have.

Of course, much like with Rollo, they were NOT happy to see them again especially since Ramshackle is the only dorm with vacant rooms for guests... (No lie I seriously wonder how a year long student exchange program would work there considering how much of a dump Ramshackle was!)

I'm gonna go full on OC storyline under the cut so be wary of that

One day, Rosalie led the two up on the rooftops of the school. It was a bit of a frightening climb but she's done it many times to where she could navigate which spots have a solid foundation to stand on and which ones don't. Mainly it was to give them a new perspective.

Compared to the grand scheme of the universe, everyone is as small as a speck of dust on this planet floating in the middle of space. The world (Twisted Wonderland included) is rather small compared to how vast the galaxies are. The higher you go, the tinier the ground becomes.

Still, she gave the two a new perspective on the marks they wanted.

Ace: A brilliant boy who may seem carefree and reckless but deeply cares for those he treasures. He's brutally honest when needed but he does bear quite a bit of self-doubt especially since he didn't have his Unique Magic yet.

Cater: He may seem peppy and upbeat like an influencer but underneath that carefully crafted persona, he struggles to form deep and intimate relationships with people in real life because of how much he had to move around. He also doesn't have a very good relationship with his sisters either.

Trey: A very kind vice Housewarden who kinda acts like Yang to Riddle's Yin. Both work in tandem to keep Heartslabyul from falling apart. However, as we all know, Riddle's mother made him and his parents endure a 5 hour lecture from her that deeply traumatized him to this day and he bears so much guilt for what happened to Riddle.

Jack: Overall a rather kind soul but a bit prickly like the cactuses he grows. It was a bit shocking seeing that he agreed to ditch school to go to an amusement park, but Jack always makes good on his word. Some would tease him for being loyal like a dog but Jack will always be ready to call you out if you screw up.

Leona: Make no mistake, while this lion's laziness is infamous, the man is a hard worker and an excellent strategist when he sets his mind to something. Alas on part of the fact that he's the spare to the throne, coupled with other factors that happened during his upbringing, he'll always be seen as second banana to his brother and developed a deep inferiority complex because of it. In terms of school, he already knew everything in the curriculum plus school was a way for him to get away from his nephew, but in terms of how Leona feels about his underclassmen, he does care for them in his own way. He won't be nice about it, but he does have some kindness in him.

Floyd: Much smarter than one would let on but is the type to march to the beat of his own drum.

Jade: Seems calm and collected on the outside but more of the troublemaker between the two.

Kalim: That kid has seen more danger than he lets on. He's been poisoned so many times to where he could only eat whatever Jamil cooks and to where he's able to identify them. He may be naive, frighteningly so, but he likes seeing the good in people but he never allows himself to vent to others about his troubles.

Vil: He looks like he has it all, right? Well, even with his connections to Eric Venue, Vil had to put in some hard effort to become the performer he is now. However, the constant pittings against Neige Leblanche sent him down an incredible spiral of jealousy and envy. The harshest lesson he ever had to learn was that even if you give 110% it's not always enough to win.

Ortho: As impressive as he is, his creation was the product of a heartbreaking story. The truth is, the real Ortho was turned into an overblotted phantom after a terrible accident occurred one day when they were children. Originally, Ortho was created in memory of Idia's long lost brother but after an incident that occurred in their home, much like the Wooden Puppet, he gained a heart and a sense of sentience. He truly is a creation of wonder.

Lilia: His cute face may not say much but this man has seen the horrors of war. He spent a few good centuries acting as the General of the Right in his younger years but ended up becoming a caretaker of two boys. One, a boy named Silver, the other, Malleus Draconia. A truly handsome mark but would it be worth it to drown in riches knowing that you deeply angered the 5th most powerful mage in Twisted Wonderland?

"You could say the same with STYX and Ortho. You'd be letting his older brother lose another. Jamil's job would've been put in jeopardy if you took away Kalim, and seven could only tell you how much trouble you'd be in if you sold Lilia. Especially considering he's been Malleus Draconia's caretaker since he was a baby. Both of you have no idea of the kind of price you'd be paying if you sold them off. That's why I made sure to have those connections to keep me safe while I'm here."

{"But why tell us these things?"} Signed Gidel.

"A warning. I'm merely giving you two a warning. Everyone at this school knows what you have done and because you're living with me, they don't want to touch you. If you both ever have the idea of doing something so unforgiving and heinous, remember all of the lives you ruined in your pursuit of vengeance. Think about what you would do and how you would feel if either one of you were put in the same situation we were in. From here on out, I can aid you if you have questions but it's up to you to save yourselves."

"Your heart is far too tender for this school." Fellow scoffed.

"I'm not saying this out of kindness, I'm saying this because I want to cause you pain. I want the guilt to eat you alive because a lie will keep growing and growing until it's as plain as the nose on your face and you two could be facing a life behind bars. If you do get arrested, I won't help you. You made your bed, you must sleep in it."

[boxboxblog]

Bahrain GP 2025: Winners and Losers

Alrighty, time to dive into my winners and losers podiums. As always, no hate to any drivers, they are all mega talented, but I will be honest about their performance.

Winners:

Oscar Piastri

Now, Piastri is not just my winner because he won the race. That would be far too simple after so many brilliant performances, but in truth it is what it means for the future that keeps him up here. Of course it was a stellar drive after a stellar quali. Of course he controlled the entire race well. But it was the way he had now pulled close to Norris in the standings that matters. Because so many were prepared to write Piastri off as the second driver, but if he continues to outperform his teammate (and make no mistake, he has in half the races of the season) I doubt that it will be very easy for McLaren to choose who to prioritize. In truth the only reason he does not have the championship lead is because of Australia and what a heinous race it was. Excited for the future in any case, and a bit tentatively interested to see what McLaren does with such close drivers.

2. Esteban Ocon

Ocon started the race in 14th and ended it in 8th. It is very simple as that to say, and that is the core of why he is second. To go more into detail, Ocon drove brilliantly. Great overtakes, very fair wheel-to-wheel, and solid strategy from his pit wall helped him achieve a brilliant finish in the points. I suppose I should also say Haas is one of my winners, because Ollie Bearman also went from dead last to the points. But to me, Ocon was the star. Absolutely brilliant.

3. George Russell

Russell, except toward the end, had a quietly wonderful race. His quali was great (until his penalty) and his start off the line pulled him into 2nd. Then he kept his head straight the rest of the race, handled his mechanical issues well, and defended off Lando Norris perfectly. He in general has had a rather stellar season, with only missing out on one podium so far this year. In truth? He is probably the biggest danger to McLaren at this point in the year. Good job Russell!

Runner Ups: Lewis Hamilton (Brilliant recovery drive), Lando Norris (also brilliant recovery), and Yuki Tsunoda (broke the 2nd Red Bull seat curse at least partially with a solid drive)

Losers:

Carlos Sainz

Messy messy messy. That is all that can be described. I saw so many divebombs from Sainz, I really thought they were just replaying at first. He took multiple penalties, drove people off track, and then had to retire the car for damage that he caused. Bad day all around, and it must have stung after finally outqualifying his teammate. It just seemed that today Sainz's aggression (normally a great thing) just went a little bit too far. It make sense though, he must be getting frustrated after his failure to perform as expected.

2. Ferrari

You might look at the finishing positions (Leclerc 4th and Hamilton 5th) and think that they do not deserve to be here. You'd be right, the drivers definitely are not the losers here. Its the pit wall, its the strategists, its anyone who thought starting them on mediums when they were surrounded by softs and then going onto hards for the last bit was anything close to a good idea. Its how they ignored when one of their drivers asked to do a one-stop (which probably would have worked well) and made them pit only shortly after the people with softs did, entirely destroying any possible reason fro starting them on mediums. This could have been brilliant from Ferrari, and their drivers gave everything they had. It was truly fantastic performances from Leclerc and Hamilton, but as always seems to be the case their own team shot them in the foot.

3. Red Bull

Another team on my losers podium, my my. But really Red Bull did terrible. Multiple terrible pitstops (red light malfunctions for both drivers, then just an inability to do a pitstop properly), poor strategy, and seemingly zero help for their struggling drivers. It was a miracle Verstappen made it as high as he did in truth, and Tsunoda as well. The only reason they are third and not second is because I really had no hope for them going into this weekend which makes their results a little bit less disappointing.

Runner Ups: Lawson (bad quali, bad race), Aston Martin (neither car had pace) and Doohan (after such a great start to the weekend, bad results far off his teammate)

Alright that's it, again no hate, every driver is very talented but some had better days than others.

I will see you all next weekend.

Cheers,

-B

[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