#how to become a chess master fast

[celaenaeiln]

One of Dick's greatest strengths is his ability to manipulate every single person in existence.

Genuinely I think this makes him the smartest person in the room. Not only is he a brilliant detective, but the fact that he's able to outmaneuver and control virtually everyone including other geniuses and masterminds makes him the most terrifying. There's a reason why his enemies have give up using intelligence against him and simply resorting to brute force.

Now hold your horses before you bring your crowbars and let me explain.

Dick once said, "On an even playing field, I always win."

And it's true. But how do you even the field if your enemies are geniuses, detectives, or metas?

"Well, if you don't like how the table is it, turn over the table."

And that's exactly what Dick does.

Let's begin from his younger years. Dick is 19, newly out of Batman's wing and in no position to take on a skilled mercenary on by himself. But the mercenary isn't going to stop just because he says please. So.

DEATHSTROKE WAS CLEARLY NOT EXPECTING TO GET OUTPLAYED BY A 19 YEAR OLD.

"You're right Slade, he's not a fool so choose a dumber kidnapping victim next time."

Ofcourse this is the least of his abilities.

This cover is perfect because it shows how two of them are literally in a constant game of chess. And evidence of Dick's tactical expertise was never more obvious than the bombing of Bludhaven.

By all means Dick had won.

And he's right. Dick is incredibly intelligent, and he has to be given how he maneuvered the entirety of the world to save him city. Not just the heroes and villains, but everyone - the heroes, the villains, the government, the civilians, the organized crime - everyone. He ruled the freaking world at that moment.

@haroldhighballjordan actually made a post about this that explains this scene so well

But yeah Slade knew he lost so in his petty vengeance what he basically did was set the whole fucking chessboard on fire.

The perfection to which Dick had calculated and moved millions of people to force Slade into abandoning their game and leave him shrieking and seething in rage over his loss. Another reminder that this game only happened because Dick manipulated Rose away from her father, away from his control to a better life.

Spyral is one of my favorite comics because it shows just how good of a manipulator Dick Grayson is.

One of Dick's coldest traits is his ability to manipulate a situation to fit his needs.

In the beginning Dick wanted to calm the meta down and take him in but the second his opponent let out the slightest hint of weakness, look how fast he flips his words. This man is brilliant.

And his planning came to fruition as the meta wore himself out, allowing Dick to take control of the situation and the opponent with no harm to himself-a quick, two second exit. He can manipulate emotions, thoughts, and people to get what he wants like he's playing chess with a child.

But it's not just other people- he can completely change himself to become a whole new person. In the earlier chapters, Dick is learning how to shoot a gun for the agency.

Dick's a terrible shot. Not a single bullet lands in the center of the target-there's no way he's ever going to shoot well....or atleast that's what he wants you to think-

"Yeah, well, that's what spies do."

"We lie."

He's a puppet master and the final boss.

part 2

[fallingskiesandrisingseas]

The Peter Pevensie post did well.

Here's Edmund.

Edmund has trouble putting down his chess pieces that first time. In Narnia he could assume his opponent knew what he was doing, that chess was not just a game, that sacrificing pieces meant a unit, an officer, a collection of friends never seen again.

No one remembers that back in England, where chess is just a game, not a play preparing you for war.

He loses badly the first few times, too often distracted by thoughts of his dead friends. Thoughts of the ones alive, that he hopes to see soon.

Then he becomes unbeatable. When chess is about strategy again, no longer conjures images of men dying, sacrificed to gain a tactical advantage, Edmund becomes a master. Chess champion, of his region, of the country. Not a piece too many suffers.

It takes a few months. Those first ones in boarding school, Peter has to guard him. When bullies gang up on him for his strange way of talking (as if generals listen to his advice), strange way of walking (as if there is a weight on his hip), strange way of behaving (as if there are servants for his every need) Peter protects him. They've seen protective brothers; they've never seen anything quite like Peter, who hits until bone breaks.

Edmund will often remark on how the punches thrown his way lack technique, don't really hurt.

Everyone wonders how a 110 lb 11 year old kid knows anything about punching technique. He's a scrawny white boy from the city, doesn't look even slightly dangerous. How many fights has he been in, everyone wonders, to know what type of blow breaks bone, how to collect fingers into a fist.

When he is not protected by his brother, he displays the tricks he learned in treacherous courts in fantasy lands where the men could snap him in half with half a finger, where monsters ruled. Where only his silver tongue kept him safe.

It keeps bullies far away from him. They're not just afraid of physical repercussions, but of being expelled, reputations ruined, careers unreachable before they begin.

Peter retaliates either way, physical punishment along with the other repercussions. Still, it's strange to hear that the lanky sleepwalking teen mostly interested in political science knows anything about fighting, about blood.

By the third month in boarding school, Edmund has the staff wrapped around his finger.

His tongue is as silver as the lion ring he wears. Ed can talk any opponent into submisson. He can talk any girl into his bed, too, despite other men vying for their company. Sometimes he does it just to prove a point. It earns him a few more fights than he had to be in, but that's okay.

The ones stupid, angry or brave enough to physically fight him learn fast Edmund isn't easy prey, that he knows how to fight, how to think, how to outmanouvre you. Peter is a tornado, all fury, but Ed fights like a chess master. No wasted movement, no unnecessary punches, not moving a single inch more than he has to.

Fighting Peter hurts. People soon find that fighting Ed discourages. He doesn't really seem all that hurt by fighting, often quips when taking a fist to the gut. He can deal blows so nasty you feel the effects two weeks after.

The ones that fight him in groups, still willing to try, meet Peter's fists in a dark ally.

Still Edmund never needed Peter. Their bond is strange, sure, Peter copying his younger brothers' notes without remark, asking for his advice often and seriously.

But both know politics is Edmund's territory. At the start, no one messes with him due to his big brother, who always seems to hit harder than boys his age.

In time, Ed is feared more. Differently.

A fight with the oldest Pevensie brother ends in the infirmary, a fight with the youngest ends your career, ambition, prospects with the ladies.

Edmund knows what he can do. Knows his brother can do it too, but does not prefer it. He is known for his silver tongue, his brilliant mind. Peter, more so for his steel boots.

He plays chess, studies politics, does it right. Highest marks in his class, many extra-curriculars, a seemingly unbreakable bond with his sisters and brother, which he visits often everyone. No one can understand them when they are together, a strange lilt in their voices. Some people are little scared of him. He's a debate champion, talks rounds around anyone. Excellent chef, even though he only cooks for friends.

He's loyal to a fault, clever like the devil, and a perfect gentleman. In an archaic way. Ed is the kind of man to have a hankerchief in his pocket.

That's why no one unserious dates Susan or Lucy. They all know anything unserious ends badly.

Gradually, people start to like Edmund, even if they feared him at first. His smile is devilish, but also charming. Ed is free in his head, in his hands. Brilliant in many different ways, including fencing. There is a rumour in the halls, after a while. That Ed likes men too.

But no one talks.

Edmund goes into politics. He has a family that is in the top echolon of decison making, an analytical mind. Edmund has a talent for justice. In his presence, no one feels left out, everybody is heard. Many feel that with Ed as their PM they are finally represented. A noble man, even with his bloody knuckles, the unimpressive surname.

A statesman in everything. Fashion, vocabulary, manners.

But still he believes in Narnia, goes to see the spectre.

He is facing his brother in the train, happy, talking about Narnia when it crashes.

[xkotaro16w]

—𝙻𝚎𝚘𝚗𝚊 𝙺𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜𝚌𝚑𝚘𝚕𝚊𝚛 𝙶𝚎𝚝𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝙺𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚅𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚘𝚞𝚜 𝙲𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝙶𝚊𝚖𝚎𝚜 𝙵𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝙶𝙽!𝚂/𝙾'𝚜 𝚆𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍—

Summary: Headcanon(s) where Leona gets to know various chess games from S/O's original world from various countries (xiangqi, shogi, janggi, makruk, shatranj, chaturanga, etc).

Pairing: Leona Kingscholar x GN!S/O.

CW: Fluff, grammatical error, OOC.

A/N: Takin a break from my scenario reqs hjegabjgbaw (oh & btw the hcs & interaction reqs r open again hehe) ꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱₊˚⊹ I GOT THIS IDEA WHEN I WAS PLAYIN MAHJONG AHHHHH ໒꒰ྀི´ ˘ ` ꒱ྀིა SMJGBAKJGAJWGN I HOPE U GUYS LIKE THIS MUEHEHEHE (,,>﹏<,,)

You invite Leona, the lazy beastman, to play a few games with you. He was about to decline you (and prefer to nap with you), not until you mention you want to play VARIOUS CHESS GAMES from VARIOUS COUNTRIES IN YOUR WORLD. Now, he's interested.

Also you try to explain to him that there's a lot of unique chess games from around the countries in your world, even the pieces, the movements, and the board are different.

There's a history behind all of these chess games as well! Now, that indeed piqued his interest. Like come on, various chess games with different pieces, movements, boards, rules as well? How couldn't he be interested, right?

Of course, you're trying your best to explain the rules and how to move each pieces. Oh dear, this is the first time you see Leona becomes THIS SERIOUS.

No surprise that he learns it quickly, he's a fast learner after all. But when you mentioned xiangqi is harder than default chess, oh? Herbivore, are you underestimating his skills? How hard is it, huh? It feels like you're challenging him and it's... Amusing.

This man, this annoying lion beastman won't stop teasing you if he beats you quickly. Aren't you his teacher just a few minutes ago? But... You lose to him in instant? So, has the position switched? Is he your teacher now?

If you mastered one of those chess games or a few, that's a new challenge for him to beat you. He's an ambitious lion, herbivore. He won't go easy on you AT ALL.

If your skills are the same level as him, bet, the whole room will be quiet because the two of you are too focused on the game. Care to play more with him, herbivore?

"Hmm, not a bad move, herbivore~ Now, it's my turn."

I DO NOT OWN TWISTED WONDERLAND & DO NOT REPOST MY WORKS.

[minkyungseokie]

Anime

No Game No Life

Sora and Shiro are two hikikomori stepsiblings who are known in the online gaming world as Blank, an undefeated group of gamers. One day, they are challenged to a game of chess by Tet, a god from another reality. The two are victorious and are offered to live in a world that centers around games.

Blue Exorcist

After discovering that he's the son of Satan, a young man must join the True Cross Academy in order to master his abilities and defeat Satan himself

Naruto

It tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja who seeks recognition from his peers and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the leader of his village.

One Piece

In a seafaring world, a young pirate captain sets out with his crew to attain the title of Pirate King, and to discover the mythical treasure known as 'One Piece.'

Twin Star Exorcist

The story revolves around Rokuro Enmado and Benio Adashino, a pair of young and talented exorcists, who (according to a prophecy) are destined to marry and have a child that will be the ultimate exorcist.

Jujustu Kaisen

Yuji Itadori, a kind-hearted teenager, joins his school's Occult Club for fun, but discovers that its members are actual sorcerers who can manipulate the energy between beings for their own use. He hears about a cursed talisman - the finger of Sukuna, a demon - and its being targeted by other cursed beings.

Fairy Tail

The series follows the adventures of Natsu Dragneel, a member of the Fairy Tail wizards' guild who is searching for the dragon Igneel, and partners with Lucy Heartfilia, a celestial wizard. 

Play it cool, Guys

A look into the daily lives of four guys who walk the line between unapproachably cool and undeniably clumsy on a regular basis.

Black Butler

Ciel has formed a contract with demon Sebastian Michaelis, who disguises himself as his butler, to seek revenge on those who tortured him and murdered his parents. In exchange for his services, Sebastian will be allowed to consume Ciel's soul.

Uramichi Oniisan

Being an adult is hard. For 31-year-old Uramichi Omota, that depressing truth weighs on him. While on TV, he's an upbeat exercise instructor for a children's show, but sometimes he can't keep his sardonic comments to himself.

Overtake

Freelance photographer Kôya Madoka finds himself in a slump due to a certain reason. He goes to Fuji International Speedway to work on a story, and he meets the highschool F4 racer Haruka Asahina. He suddenly finds his heart racing after not feeling much for a long time.

March Comes in Like a Lion

 It features the life of Rei Kiriyama, an introvert and professional shogi player, who gradually develops both his play and his relationship with others.

The Devil is a Part-Timer

 Hilarity and fun ensues when Satan ends up in modern day Japan without any magic to return, and starts working part time in a fast food joint.

Yowamushi Pedal

Onoda is a cheerful otaku looking to join his new school's anime club, eager to finally make some friends. Unfortunately, the club has been disbanded and somehow he stumbled into the bicycle club.

Tokyo Revengers

Hanagaki Takemichi lives an unsatisfying life right up until his death. Waking up 12 years in the past, he reckons with the eventual fate of his friends and tries to prevent an unfortunate future.

Ouran High School Host Club

One day, Haruhi, a scholarship student at exclusive Ouran High School, breaks an $80,000 vase that belongs to the "Host Club," a mysterious campus group consisting of six super-rich (and gorgeous) guys. To pay back the damages, she is forced to work for the club, and it's there that she discovers just how wealthy the boys are and how different they are from everybody else.

Mashle: Magic and Muscles

The story follows Mash Burnedead, a magic-less kid who enrolls at Easton and aims to fool everyone into thinking he's top of the class

IDOLiSH7

An idol group is named "Idolish7," and consists of seven male singers, each with their own unique personality and background. Tsumugi must train and turn all of them into the famous idols, all the while struggling against the hardships of the entertainment industry

Tokyo Ghoul

Set in a world where humans live in constant fear of ghouls - superpowered humanoid beings who feed on human flesh to survive, a shy college student named Kaneki Ken, who is nearly killed in an attack by one of these monsters, becomes a half-ghoul himself after receiving an organ transplant from the ghoul.

Obey Me

The main character is transported to Devildom by a summoning ritual to attend Devildom Academy as a exchange student for one year. The main character will be greeted by seven gorgeous men that are avatars of the deadly sins.

Buddy Daddies

Kazuki Kurusu and Rei Suwa, assassins who live under one roof; and Miri, the daughter of Kazuki and Rei's assassination target who ended up being picked up by Kazuki, who she thinks is her biological father.

SpyxFamily

The story follows a spy who has to "build a family" to execute a mission, not realizing that his adopted daughter is a telepath, and the woman he agrees to marry is a skilled assassin

Haikyuu

Junior high school student, Shoyo Hinata, becomes obsessed with volleyball after catching a glimpse of Karasuno High School playing in the Nationals on TV.

Food Wars

Teenager Soma Yukihira aspires to become a full-time chef in his father Joichiro's family restaurant, "Restaurant Yukihira", and to surpass his father's culinary skills.

My Hero Academia

Born without special powers in a world where 80% of the population has them, Izuku Midoriya still dreams of becoming a hero.

Black Clover

The story follows Asta, a young boy born without any magic power who is given a rare grimoire that grants him anti-magic abilities. With his fellow mages from the Black Bulls, Asta plans to become the next Wizard King.

The Daily Life of the Immortal King

A boy with extraordinary magical powers tries to pass for average at his new high school, where the students learn to cultivate their spiritual force.

Demon Slayer

 A family is attacked by demons and only two members survive - Tanjiro and his sister Nezuko, who is turning into a demon slowly. 

[tedwardremus]

I feel like Ron fans really want him to be an Auror for the rest of his life like Harry is because its a "cool" job but it makes perfect sense he stops after 2 years? He is canonically lazy. That is not projection. That is not bashing. That is how he IS. He is lazy. Why would he want such a work intensive, difficult, and stressful job long-term? I really think the glory would wear off fast once you realized you can't even talk about what you are doing, you have to work overtime, you can get injured, you deal with constant stress, and for what? A basic pension. You don't even get rich off of it. Ron at the joke shop suits his character SO much.

oomph

Okay, Anon. I love you, and this is a safe space for people to discuss their controversial opinions with no judgement but I will have to push back a bit because I am a member of Team Ron Defense Squad.

I agree that being an auror wasn't the perfect fit for Ron, but I disagree with his laziness.

He was lazy when it came to school work. But a lot of kids are? That's hardly unique for a teenager. School didn't really interest him. But he was bright enough to do well in all his subjects (well, except history and divination, but those were joke classes) so he didn't really feel the need to work harder.

But in the things that he was interested in? The boy was not lazy.

You don't become the best chess player Hogwarts has ever seen at age 12 when you are lazy. That is years of hard work and skill development (prodigy level!). He probably spent hours at the Burrow as a kid studying chess moves and learning to see the board. That's not lazy.

You don't become a prefect by being lazy.

He also went off by himself and practiced quidditch so he could make the house team. That's not lazy. Thats determination (and a little insecurity because he was afraid of beign mocked for putting effort in or being told he wasn't good enough)

Which is totally relatable. Have you ever been afraid of failing or being compared to someone who, in your mind, has already mastered the skill you are practicing, so in the end, you didn't really try? because not trying is better than failing? That's not lazy, that's being insecure and anxious.

Ron is also with HArry on all his adventures. Going into the forbidden forest, starting an underground defense club, solving mysteries, fighting in the Ministry. This isn't lazy.

One of Ron's number one traits is his caregiving. Offering tea, the easy way in which he assures people, making sure Harry eats. Caregiving is not lazy. It takes attention to detail, emotional intelligence, and a lot of follow-up and determination.

I think Ron retired from ebing an auror early for several reasons.

1.) The job was finished. They caught the death eaters, the trials were over, he had some breathing room, and he realised that he could move on. That it was a job he felt he had to do but didn't really enjoy doing

2.) He saw that Harry really did enjoy it and that Harry didn't need a caregiver anymore, he wa an adult who could take care of himself and had Ginny at home to also care for him.

3.) Hermione, the ultimate girl boss that she is, clearly has ambitions and was career driven. Ron wanted to make sure she wasn't burnt out and that she had someone at home to take care of her (and their future children). Ron is the ultimate wife guy and I love him leaning into the role hard and with vigour.

caregiving and homemaking aren't laziness, and seeing a traditional feminine role as lazy in the body of a male character is sexist.

4.) I love Ron and the twins relationship. They are very close, even if the Twins mocking him crosses the line. And I can see Ron caring for George after the war in his very Ron-like way. Stopping by after an auror shift to help clean the shop and make sure he ate that day. Takes him to the pub for a pint, where they don't talk, but Ron just wants George to know he is there for him.

Over time, Ron learns that he loves working at the shop. He is good at it. And Geroge loves Ron being there, and he needs the help. George wants to be creative and invent things, and Ron has a great mind for business. He is using his logic skills to improve their business strategy and expand operations. He is good at balancing books and making sure bills get paid (oh no! It Looks like he enjoys a bit of homework after all!)

And Ron loves greeting customers and talking to kids in the shop. Being friendly and a bit goofy and his warm and comforting self.

He doesn't need fame and fortune because he is secure in his role as a caregiver, it is his ultimate strength. He has matured and moved on from his childhood insecurities. He is no longer in the shadow of his large loud family.

He is Ron. And he is enough (kenough)

[novalupin]

Extinguished The Fires

Pairing: Diluc Ragnvindr x (GN)Reader

summary: diluc offered you a place to stay following a sudden fire. how long will it be until unresolved feelings come to the surface?

cw: mentions of blood and injuries, patching up wounds, kissing

notes: this is a repost from ao3, i'm novalupin on there too if you'd prefer reading in that format.

The trees surrounding the winding path filtered beams of moonlight through them, illuminating the weary Pyro user dragging himself to Dawn Winery. He sighed, swatting at the crystalflies which were hovering around his head, his skin gleaming in their aura.

Diluc clutched at his side in agony, his worn boots scratching at the gravel. Every so often, an irritated grunt would slip from him as he narrowly missed muddy roots that threatened to topple him.

It was supposed to be a simple Fatui raid. Take ‘em out, grab any information, disappear. That was the plan. He’d defeated five of them, and they fell to their knees in a fiery blaze, but he'd gotten complacent. He’d rushed straight for the last ones without taking a few seconds to regain his elemental control, hoping brute force with his greatsword would suffice. 

Some Skirmishers were defeated swiftly, but the remaining ones sent Diluc flying to the concrete walls of the stronghold with their weaponry. He was outnumbered and outarmed, and was forced to abandon the mission. Now, he was stuck lumbering home at an ungodly hour like a common drunkard, a ripping pain in his abdomen with each step. 

His thoughts were racing. Word would definitely travel fast through the Fatui’s ranks. The last thing he needed was for a Harbinger to hear of his identity and halt all Mondstadt operations.

But, even with numerous lesions scattered across his body, his mind still drifted back to you.

You’d met the winery owner a couple years prior, often sharing a bottle of wine and a conversation with Kaeya and Rosaria at the bar. Over time, your visits to the tavern had become more frequent, and less of them included the captain and nun. 

Diluc usually detested chatting. It had always seemed like a futile way of passing the time, and he made it abundantly clear to anyone whom he interacted with that he’d much rather eat a slime than make small-talk about their day.

Though, it felt different when he spoke to you. You were so… captivating, to say the least. He spent hours in your company, even working the closing shifts at the bar against his (and Charles’) better judgement just for more time in your presence. He’d fumble out a half-hearted excuse as to why he was still there and converse about your commissions. His thoughts shifted to the first time he'd stayed late. 

“Can I have a-” You started, pausing when you saw he’d already placed your regular order in front of you.

Without missing a beat, he asked, turning to listen intently: “How were your commissions? I caught word there was a hilichurl blockade near Springvale today. Did you manage to collect your materials?”

“Yeah, huge camp. It’s weird that they were this close to the city, though.”

“The Knights never fail to surprise me with their incompetence.” He huffed. “They wouldn’t know their ups from their downs without the Acting Grand Master.”

You had let out a breath of amusement, before rattling on about the loot you’d gathered, and what you planned to use it for.

He hated how fond he was of you. He hated how, when you’d mentioned to your friends in front of him that your house was in shambles after a sudden fire, he’d wasted no time in insisting you use a room at the winery. He hated how he wished it was a permanent arrangement.

He was brought out of his reverie by the winery’s hazy lighting. With a few clicks, he heaved open the oaken doors, and headed upstairs. The maids had long taken their leave, and you were probably asleep, so he didn’t have to worry too much about alarming someone. Recently, you had gotten into the habit of entertaining a game of chess with him before bed, and both of you departed to your rooms. Well, you did, at least. He, on the other hand, would wait a few minutes, grab his coat, and head out the door for his nightly patrols.

His hand hovered over his doorknob, catching a glimpse of light out of the corner of his eye. The library’s door was ajar, leaking candlelight into the dark hallway. His eyebrows knitted together in confusion. Maybe it slipped his mind when he was getting ready. 

Drawing closer, he heard the faint shuffling of pages coming from inside. It was you, seated in a armchair, eagerly flipping through the book in your hand. There was a large pile of them next to you, no doubt ones you wished to finish.

“You’re up late,” his monotonous voice broke the airy silence. “Good read?”

You nearly jumped out of your own skin. Your voice took on a shaky, frenzied tone as you spoke.

“Oh, Archons, Diluc, I’m so sorry. The door was open,” you rambled. “I really didn’t mean to overstep.”

“No, nothing of that sort. You needn’t apologise. What’s mine is yours.” His voice was gentle as he tried to steady his breathing. He would’ve rather bled out than sought any help from a healer, but his wounds were getting the better of him. He inched a bit closer, a gloved finger turning the book slightly to reveal its velvety cover. 

“‘Heart’s Desire’,” he read, nodding in approval. He reasoned that, if he engaged himself in an interesting discussion with you, his pain would be long forgotten. “A riveting tale.”

“It really would be great, though, don’t you think? A secret corner of the city?” You mused happily. “I enjoyed Veiga as the main character, I think she…”

You caught an unusual colour under the layers of his clothing. You furrowed your eyebrows, and extended a hand to push Diluc’s hefty coat to the side, brushing your fingers over his now stained waistcoat. He let out a sharp exhale.

“You’re bleeding! What happened?” You asked, panicked. “Why didn’t you say something?”

“Miscalculation, that’s all.” He responded sharply, shrugging your touch off of him. He removed his gloves before taking the book from you to skim the pages. “I’ve taken care of it. I don’t need your help.”

He watched as you gave him a skeptical glance, before getting up and leaving the room. He worried that he had upset you, his expression souring at the thought, but you strode back in, arms full with a wooden box he assumed to be healing supplies. You gestured for him to sit, and after a few beats of silence, he relented, and removed his coat, along with his vest. He knew he’d usually deny your aid over and over, but you always seemed to ignore his stubborn objections.

You clicked open the latch and laid out various oils and gauze. Rolling up the sleeves to your nightshirt, you tugged at the bottom of his button-down, silently asking for permission. 

“You don’t have to,” he mumbled. It was a soft, dejected plea, but he unbuttoned the grey fabric with no further protests. It revealed three large gashes across his side, and his haphazard attempt at stopping the bleeding with a ripped piece of fabric.

“For a well-known businessman, you’re not very diplomatic. This might sting.” You said, soaking a piece of the gauze in a cleansing oil, before wiping it on him gently. He let out a hiss at the sensation. You noticed, as you started on the next wound, the amount of scars that marred his toned abdomen, all previously left to mend themselves.

It all felt painfully intimate, the heaving of his chest, his open shirt, the proximity. A small part of you wished it was under better circumstances. He looked down at you through crimson lashes, observing your expression. 

You wrapped up the injuries, flattening out the bandage flush against his skin. He wrapped his fingers around a vial of a pain-suppressor, which he downed instantly. In a controlled whisper, you spoke, rebuttoning his shirt.

“Why do you do this?”

It could have meant so many things. Why do you hurt yourself for a city that pays you no mind? Why do you refuse to ask for help? 

Rising to eye level, you realised how close your faces truly were. He made no attempt to pull back, your breaths intermingling. 

You realised how truly beautiful Diluc was. It’s really easy to call someone attractive, but he was lovely in the way one would speak of a painting. His unruly curls poking out of his ponytail from various angles, the tiny tinge of red on his cheeks perfectly complimenting the fiery hues of his eyes; it was like someone had chiseled him from marble, each carving calculated and perfectly placed to create him. You seemed at a loss for words, and your gaze shifted to the thin scar that cut through his jaw, a memento of old missions. 

Diluc's gaze fell slightly. He didn’t know if it was because his mind was hazy from the painkiller, or it was the late night getting to him, but he made a decision he couldn’t take back.

In one swift motion, his hand gently pulled your jaw to him as he pressed your lips to his. You molded to his touch perfectly, sinking closer into him. It wasn’t passionate or heated; it was a meek, gentle kiss, much resembling two young teenagers who were on the tails of a dramatic confession. For someone who wasn’t much of a sweet-talker, you could feel every sentence in his touch. 

With each graze of his fingers, with each brush of his lips. I love you. I’m sorry.

All of those days, pining over him as he’d speak about the newest concoctions he had come up with, had finally come to fruition.

He pulled away for air, resting his forehead on yours. The vermillion of his eyes was so piercing, so stark against the pale tones of his skin.

“Because of you.” He murmured. You felt him intertwine your bare fingers, pressing his calloused hands against your own. You stared at him, confused.

“You asked me why I do this.” He explains. “I do it to preserve you.”

His sentence almost fades in his throat.

"To preserve… us."

please consider leaving a note/reblog if you enjoyed!! c:

[skinniiiangels]

Morning Angels 🩰

My MWI: 228.8, which is actually insane! I've been this low in weight and like 6 months! Today's day 3 of the 30 day of high restriction. It's supposed to be 250 for today but, I'm going to change that to 500 because of how active I am at my job and I've been down to put on socks this morning and I saw stars. Also last night I had a nightmare of being at my ugw but all of my extra skin just saggy and wrinkly and gross, and the idea of that is terrifying I might actually not do this diet anymore and change it to a different one. Because I need to work more than I need to be skinny tbh🤷🏻

I think I might do alternating fast days and 1200 so I'm still functioning human, and this dîét honestly just too high restrictive for me, like it hurts my brain to think and if I can't think then I can't have my goal of becoming a chess grand master come true ✌🏻

My NWI: 231.2, I'm not really surprised because I drink a lot of water and diet soda today so I'm not too worried overall

[eularin]

I'm sitting there calmly writing my story when out of nowhere my brain says: hey, you like obkk and HP so much, why not sketch out an idea about it?

Me: sure! An obkk in a Hogwarts AU sounds great!

Brain: yes, but how about this: master of death Harry Potter finds post-War 4 Obito wandering in limbo (or in the pure lands alone, he gets distracted and strays too far to the point of getting lost there) and then the two meet, talk, exchange their sad life stories, complain a lot about destiny, the Magical World and the Shinobi World, they talk a lot about the difference between Magic and Chakra and they lose track of time.

They become fast friends (they have a lot in common: both orphans; both were neglected; both were chess pieces in someone else's chess game older than them; both had painful losses in life; both were child soldiers - of course, they also have numerous differences between them.

Harry remained steadfast and loyal through it all and Obito fell and embraced his family's madness)

Obito has to go back to Rin, but he is lost and Harry thinks: why not accompany his new friend back to where he belongs? He also wants to meet this Rin for whom Obito suffered so much that he succumbed to madness and wanted to destroy his home world just to "fix things for everyone".

So they walk together. At some point, the three reunite and Harry makes another friend.

Rin is all friendly, warm-heartedness, but she's also cunning and manipulative (bc she's a ninja, duh). She quickly realizes that there's more to Harry Potter than meets the eye (she's been dead for a long time, she's had time to meet her fair share of other souls in the pure lands, and she's also met those "special" souls who are human but also not. Rin doesn't know exactly why these differences exist, but they do, and that always means something. She sees Harry Potter, she knows he's different. The moment she laid eyes on Obito, she also knew he was different, that he became different - just like Madara, Indra, Ashura, Hashirama, the Sage Hagoromo, the souls of the summoning animals, etc.)

Rin knows that at some point her time in the pure lands will end and she doesn't want to leave Obito alone (or Kakashi), she's a smart girl even if she didn't manage to become a powerful woman. But smartness is also a kind of power, right? (She just wants to see her boys happy)

Anyway, Rin is the one who gives the idea for these two insanely powerful (and lonely) men in front of her to get out of limbo and go "enjoy life."

I'm not sure how the argument goes, but it's all Rin's fault. She's great at manipulating Obito's massive guilt and Harry is really tempted to get to know this weird, violent, broken world of ninjas (please remember he's a 20th/21st century guy) - he's only thinking about it bc of the chakra and the talking animals! That's what he's really interested in. (He doesn't want to be anyone's savior, nor does he have a hero complex. Obito is on the same page)

They just want to go on a tourist trip. That's right. Harry is the foreign tourist and Obito is his guide.

(This is the main idea of my possible future story.)

So there's a huge debate about time (?) or dimensional travel. I'm leaning towards the former.

Rin is like: 😇🤭 ~ seeing his plan working out

Harry is like: 🤔 Hmm, possible? Yeah. Maybe. Let me think

Obito is like: 🤨? Seriously you're considering it? There's nothing good in that terrible, violent world for you to see. Trust me, I know what I'm talking about.

Rin is like: Hey! Don't say that Obito! You only cared about seeing the miserable side of the world that you forgot to see the little good things. Oh, Harry! You'll love learning about chakra, our culture! Oh you'll love talking animals!

Harry: Talking animals?

Rin: Yes! Lots of talking animals that use chakra and also fight!

That's it. That hooks Harry. He loves animals and has always wanted to talk to animals other than snakes. (Also, Harry is an Animagus too. I don't know which one, but it definitely has to be an animal that flies; Obito can kind of transform into a Whomping Willow tree, just so you know.)

So the new adventure begins!

Oh! We can't forget about Kakashi. He's going to be a very present character in the story. At first he's a sad and broken ANBU, but soon he discovers that Obito is alive and traveling the world, lost on the road of life accompanied by a very suspicious man. And they're very good friends.

Yes, can you imagine how this is going to go? Kakashi isn't jumping to the right conclusions here. And this is Obito coming back from the dead! Or not coming back, considering that Obito doesn't seem to want to return to Konoha any time soon. Kakashi really isn't acting rationally, please understand his side (he's jealous, suspicious and wants to lock Obito away in a safe place where he'll never get out and get hurt again.)

I'm not sure if this story is supposed to be a M/M/M threesome, but obkk it's a definite couple. Obito is just navigating this weird dynamic (he's learned a lot in his life as a missing-nin, but romance? Sorry, he didn't have time.)

Harry is just trying not to get bitten by his friend's friend.

And Kakashi is just marking his territory without realizing he's marking his territory. (Give him a break! He's been feeling a lot of uncontrolled feelings lately.)

The rest of the people around are having fun at their expense. (That is until Obito or Harry does something totally weird because they are who they are, and Kakashi bites someone for real. 😬 Minato probably won't be laughing anymore)

~~

edit: imagine the reverse: Obito being the tourist in the Wizarding world with Harry as his guide. Obito is fascinated by all things magical but especially dragons. REAL DRAGONS that FLY and breathe fire! Do you really think this possessive, hot-blooded, fire-breathing Uchiha man wouldn't steal a dragon egg for himself? and illegally bring it to the Elemental Nations?

That's it. That's the idea. Now I must resume the incomplete chapter of my other story. 👋🏻

[ok4ru]

The Eraqus and Xehanort swapped AU… 👀 @autumn-may-main @clankythecranky

So, in the Dark Road Swap AU, I decided not to change anything for the first part of the story so Xehanort still grew up on Destiny Island and was raised by Player.

But, this time Xehanort is a successful child of Destiny Island and also has the kingdom necklace since in this AU it's a pass-down gift in the Ephemer bloodline.

Sadly, Xehanort manages to lose it while going through the door of darkness.

But, he makes it to Scala and enjoys his time with also the people there. With one of the people being Eraqus. Eraqus was wary at first cause reeked of darkness but didn’t mind he had a new friend! A fast and close relationship grows between the two with also their love of chess and Scala ad Caelum's ancient history.

(Also maybe Grandchildren of Masters but hey, Xehanort doesn't know who his Grandpa is yet and only Eraqus so…)

Now I decided to make Eraqus more like Brain and have more of an interest in stuff and digging into it a lot than he usually should to the point it drives him crazy but Xehanort is always there to stop him. But most of the time Eraqus is just his normal self.

Xehanort also makes friends with Baldr and starts to bond over feeling light and darkness in people's hearts. They become close friends and Eraqus joining aside from them.

Now as for the Baldr and Hoder: I decided to switch to Baldr and Hoder which is funny because Hoder is originally associated with Night and Darkness but Square Enix uses that for Baldr's role instead of her so I guess I'm going by the original role.

Now in the story, one day Baldr informs Eraqus that he thinking of going to find his sister since he hasn’t seen her in a while, and the Mark of Mastery is coming up, and doesn't want her to miss it.

Eraqus got an off feeling about it but shrugged it off and encouraged him to find her.

During the main everything kinda plays out the same, that gang has to look for Baldr as well as their missing Upperclassmen. Except in each world, Xehanort and Eraqus started to feel a bit of dread and uncomfortableness building up every moment.

Not making it any better that learning Baldr is dead and they don’t know anything about whether their other classmates are safe since they also went through the Corridor of Darkness.

The boys find themselves in darkness alone, nothing else, not knowing how or if they’ll get home. Before Xehanort can tell Eraqus to put his armor on he sees Eraqus's almost lifeless body lying there. Eraqus gives up, he is tired. He told Xehanort to go without him and I told you, I wouldn't go as far as you…

Xehanort was baffled by his yet he wasn’t having any of it… “Not on my watch.” He said.

He helps Eraqus get his armor and tries to drag them out of there…

Xehanort thought to Eraqus's words but tried to not feed into them as much. “Maybe it’s just the darkness talking…” The boy could hold on any longer and ended up collapsing on the ground…That was until Master Odin found them.

The next day back in the classroom Eraqus seemed to be doing much better but a bit tired but still the same old Eraqus. It kinda gave Xehanort a bit of whiplash.

Everything after that, the duo fights the upper-classmen and Vor dies in the hands of Hoder which…Damn :(

Now as for the battle, I decided to do two things: The talk between Hoder and Xehanort is the same but Hoder starts to realize that Xehanort may not be as similar to her as she thought at the end…

As Hoder is being held down by Master Odin's chain she mentions to Eraqus that she realizes Xehanort seems to be his light while Eraqus seems to be always in his shadow…

Eraqus didn't really wanna hear this because to him it wasn't true. Defended him and said he would never be jealous of his best friend…Right?

Hoder begins to taunt Eraqus making him angry and leading him to strike her down.

Xehanort was shocked it was like the whole world was silent at that very moment…

So was Eraqus. He couldn’t even believe himself…Xehanort felt a sharp bit of pain in his heart and slowly started to realize…Those feelings of dread were from Eraqus but Darkness hadn’t taken his heart… Oh no, it was only the beginning of his heart going down a dark road…

I’ll go into debt about Xehanort and Eraqus’s relationship so more later this post is already long…

Edit: The first part of the story didn’t even get paste but it is here now!

[randomfoggytiger]

KRYCEK, An Unstoppable Manipulator

Krycek is pretty one note, to be honest-- BUT he is at least nuanced in his optimism for humanity's future while concurrently using each new development for his ruthless, self-serving gain. He communicates cryptically, moves fast, talks fast, and thrives in whatever chaos he can cook up-- all of which are hallmarks of an ENFP: at best, charitable optimists; at worst, depraved shysters. 

**Note: This essay has a more negative bent because we are dealing with an anti-hero. I tried to inject as much positivity as possible; but Krycek isn’t exactly gowned in angelic robes.** 

Krycek

An ENFP's brain is divided into 8 dominant functions-- and there we shall begin our scene.

The Hero Function: This function is the most effortless of the stack of eight, the “superhero” if you will. Krycek’s first function-- Extroverted Intuition (Ne for short)-- is an overpowered version of prescience. It grapples with what is possible-- the great “what if", seeing all possible futures of any choice that could affect all of mankind and following each choice to its hypothetical conclusion. It then chooses the path that would benefit society as a whole (at best) or solely reward itself (at worst.) As they experience life, ENFPs see that all humans are simply creatures of habits and patterns; and if they earmark those patterns, they can “predict the future” by identifying a person’s actions based on their past.

They master metaphysics the more life experience they accrue; until, finally, there is nothing new under the sun. This does not make them nihilistic of life or people; in fact, it motivates them. They have a very optimistic view of life, seeing it as a chess board that can easily be flipped around with the right word or incentive. Since nothing is fixed, there is no obstacle that cannot be overcome. This is part of why Krycek can maneuver the worst of circumstances and seemingly let it roll off his back, trudging on ahead to the next scheme he thinks up.

Because they can “predict” the future, ENFPs become amazing at manipulation-- both positively and negatively. Knowing how most humans operate, they hand out endless “options”-- business opportunities, insider knowledge, etc.-- to get anyone on board with what they have to offer. At best, their tactics bring innovative ideas or creations to the table that no one has ever heard about; at worst, they connive and scheme an unfortunate victim straight into a trap (or a Russian prison camp.) This makes them either the best motivational speakers, idea pitchers, and inspirational leaders or the "best" shysters and con artists. They can sell an idea they’ve sold before to the same person, twist the truth again, lead them right back into a trap, and bleed them dry once more.  

The Parent Function: The Parent Function serves as the pessimistic guide to checkmate the enthusiastic, optimistic Hero. In this case, an ENFP uses Feeling Introverted (Fi for short) to guide its actions with morals and personal responsibility. Fi Parent is all about guiding oneself by individual feelings and beliefs-- nothing is true or false, everything is “good or bad”, “my truth”, or what Fi feels is the right thing to do (ex. Krycek's "The truth, the truth! There is no truth!")

ENFPs are completely wrapped up in how they feel: they are highly sensitive to their own wants and needs, making them a powder keg of emotions and at the whims of their mood. Unfortunately, this very easily leads them to be corrupted morally: they can become aggressively self-serving, disregarding the welfare of others in service to their own end goals. This makes them incredibly selfish and incredibly depraved; they then use Fi Parent in combination with their Ne Hero to lead people blindly into traps and covers their tracks with Te Child (that Function is next.)  

Their depravity can be corrected with criticism (see Ti Trickster below): that their lack of empathy would create ripple effects that will destroy the next generation’s future. This invigorates them to live by their professed principles rather than simply faking them. Obviously Krycek never changed his devious ways; but he strangely used them for good (or what his Fi Parent thought was good): working with the Consortium, the Russians, the Rebels, and the Aliens (at sundry times) to create a “better” future instead of the marked doomsday stretching out before the planet. 

The Child Function: For ENFPs, their most optimistic and “childlike” function is Thinking Extroverted (Te for short.) This is an incredibly fragile function-- capable of great miracles and great harm. ENFPs use Te to acquire knowledge, fearing that they are not intelligent (again, see Ti Trickster below.) Because Thinking Introverted-- Ti for short; and the source for independent thought and puzzle solving-- is so low in their stack, these types are highly aware their wisdom is created from reading and integrating others’ thinking. Not only do ENFPs wish to become academic powerhouses, they seeks glory and admiration for their achievements. Their self-worth is based on the perceptions of others; because of this, ENFPs utilize their Ne Hero to literally thought-manipulate others into thinking well of them. They recognize the little spoken skill of personal branding, creating an aesthetic to better shop themselves and their ideas and wheedle others in based on presentation alone. 

Te Child clinches all of these actions by creating nice little contracts, covert or in writing, that will always benefit them by giving them an out if they need to pick up and run. NEVER do business (i.e. listen to Krycek's hairbrained ideas) with an ENFP: they are very, VERY mood based; and it's a 50/50 flip coin away from behaving altruistically or behaving fully in selfish interest. If one must do business with an ENFP, always make sure you are aware there is a clause somewhere that could be very, very bad for you-- even good hearted ENFPs have one lurking, because self-preservation is their number one priority (backed up with their Si Inferior, see below.) They are the first to cover all of their tracks, leaving a back door open for quick escape and making sure they are never pinned down to any crime committed. This makes them excellent to have on your side as they will spot a trap from a mile away and steer others aware from danger. On an opposing team, they are a force to be reckoned with: skillfully evading all your traps while making sure you activate all of theirs. They are also keenly aware of who holds the power in any group; and quickly buddy up to them for protection and favors. They will then sink their time, effort, and skills into that relationship, giving away and building up loyalty freely. Woe be to that person if they double cross an ENFP’s loyalty (or try to car bomb them unsuccessfully), because they will activate brutal Se Demon through double-crossing their Si Inferior's loyalty (all will be explained below.)

The Inferior Function: This is where an ENFP’s fear, insecurity, and vanity lies-- simultaneously the most painful pressure point and also the quickest function to personal fulfillment. Sensing Introverted (Si for short) is about duty, faith, honor, endurance, and comfort; but what is most important to Si Inferior is keeping itself safe and comfortable. This fear of destroying their comfort can keep them from fully developing themselves through life experience and suffering. Suffering is especially potent for ENFPs: the more they suffer, the stronger they become.

They may start out as green and unintimidating; but they harden with each punch until they become an unstoppable force. This suffering can turn them into the most charitable of all types-- recalling their growing pains and wanting to alleviate those of the rest of society-- or can feed into their depraved, unempathetic loop of manipulation. Because they only grow with suffering, they will most likely have to be forced by gunpoint (literally) to grow and adapt. Luckily (or unfortunately) for Krycek, signing up with the bad guys from the get-go had him already in a position to be used, abused, and discarded, which obliterated his comfort zone. A new, smarter, stealthier, deadlier, and more bitter Russian man rose from those ashes, making him the backstabber we all know and love to hate. The beauty of this function is that it will retain the lessons and experiences that come into its life and imprint it forever on the soul of an ENFP-- for better or worse. 

The Nemesis Function: An ENFP uses their Nemesis Function to moderate their worries and concerns, rotating with the Hero as its counterbalance. Introverted Intuition (Ni for short) is worried about its own future, worried that someone else will mess it up, and worried that others’ choices will affect outcomes that it can’t stop. In short, ENFPs are afraid of their personal fate; but more importantly, they are worried that they aren’t good enough. They’re afraid that if they’re not good enough, or worthy enough, how can they make actions to keep themselves safe, let alone help guide their group/family/community/etc. with their Ne Hero? 

(The series rarely tapped into this side of Krycek; but he always gravitated to groups and interpersonal partnerships rather than go-it-alone. His most "noble" relationship was with Marita; but she fell out of the narrative before their dynamic could be thoroughly explored.) This also feeds into their plans and manipulations for good or evil-- guiding people away from disastrous choices or situations by playing up their interests, or guiding people to their demise to eliminate them from being a thorn in their side. 

The Critic Function: The crotchety grandparent of the functions, the Critic serves as the “wise beyond your years” mentor that can pull a second shift as a wake-up call if any Type has become wonky in their practices or beliefs. Feeling Extroverted (Fe for short) is for emotional empathy, inclusivity, and acceptance. It is stacked in an ENFP’s most skeptical slot, creating its own source of selfishness and making them immune to outside emotional manipulation. In fact, if someone were to try to use an ENFP's tactics against them-- sell them a bad deal of goods or try to lead them around by their heartstrings-- Fe Critic will spot them from a mile away and make their life a living nightmare. It's also an unrelenting critic of other’s empathy and morals. No matter how depraved they are, ENFPs will always believe that others are even more depraved than they are.

Their perspective can be peeled away with logic rather than hoodwinkery or abuse: if they were talked out of their behavior, ENFPs would drop their terrible habits like a hot potato and become a better person. In Krycek’s case, Mulder and Scully started growing his bitterness by first snubbing him (which stung his Te Child), then unrelentingly yelling at him whenever he weaved in and out of their lives. Whatever good effect they could have had on him, was tossed aside unknowingly (to their detriment during the Duane Barry saga.) On the bright side, Fe Critic is also a powerful giver… though it won’t ever give away all its trade secrets as those are connected to ENFPs all-consuming mission for power, fame, or self-fulfillment. However, if they see that their giving nature is being abused or taken advantage of or even unappreciated, they will pull up the contract of your friendship/partnership/relationship and destroy you in any way possible with their Se Demon (coming up later.) 

The Trickster Function: This function serves as an ENFP's blind spot-- Thinking Introverted (Ti for short) believes the truth doesn't matter because ANYTHING can be true or false-- there are no absolutes. It helps solidify their Fi Parent’s beliefs, turning them into their reality; and they struggle with verifying these beliefs, leaving them open to groupthink and majority opinion rather than making one of their own (ex. Krycek following CSM’s orders in Ascension to the detriment of his assignment as spy-- because he didn’t stick to his guns, he lost a good position he worked hard to carve out for himself, and they both lost leverage and a pair of eyes on Mulder.) Ti Critic has no idea what an ENFP is thinking at any given point-- it’s why they rely so heavily on their Te Child’s knowledge acquisition: to fill in the gaps that Ti Trickster leaves gapingly open. It’s common for them to leave statements unfinished, ideas half-formed, to fly off the seat of their pants while portraying themselves to be well-thought-out master planners and thinkers.

It’s all a part of their ruse, of course; and it feeds back into their Ne Hero/Fi Parent/Te Child/Fe Critic powerhouse that makes them so excellent at pulling everyone’s strings. It also feeds into their worry that they aren’t “good enough” intellectually by their own merit (their Ni Nemesis), which spurs them to reinforce their assessments of their own position and the people around them. 

The Demon Function: This is the most powerful and corrupting function: Sensing Extroverted (Se for short.) It is the most destructive-- not just of an ENFP’s 8 Functions, but of all the Personality Types combined. Se is used for, hands-on application of physical skills: since it’s so low, Krycek struggles with learning new tactical moves or mechanical tasks or manual jobs, heavily relying on his Si Inferior to remember the rote steps in order (1 then 2 then 3 then, etc.) until his mind would be able to form a habit. If asked to figure out heavy machinery on his own, he would be at a loss (ex. watching the man operate the cable car in Ascension, only taking over when he saw the machine merely required the turn of one key.) 

It's also a function used to fight back against the injustice that ENFPs perceive others have done to them: in this case, it stokes blind, ruthless, permanent rage. Its intent is to maim slowly, murder, then salt the earth with their victim’s ashes.

For an ENFP, if their Si Inferior (the Inferior Function is one of the "shortcuts" to the Demon Function, fyi) is made to feel uncomfortable repeatedly and consistently, it rubs and rubs and rubs at a raw nerve until they snap and punch you in the face over and over until their rage is satisfied. While their comfort is literal, it also applies to what they seek the most out of life: fame, status, recognition at least. If they are made a mockery of in front of others, they will set out on a revenge path against the person who destroyed what they spent their entire lives building up (ex. “getting ditched like someone’s bad date” in Sleepless, repressed rage at being used as coffee boy in Duane Barry, blind fury at CSM for trying to car bomb him, leading Mulder to torture in Tunguska, finally getting vengeance on everyone in Requiem, etc.) 

Krycek and Redemption? 

So: an depraved ENFP that is a con artist with ruthless self-serving interest willing to lie, cheat, and steal to get their way. How did Krycek get there, and how could he come back from it?

In summary: Krycek’s Vice-- depravity-- can be saved with his Virtue-- charity… unless he twists its use in conjunction with his depravity to prove that he’s not that depraved (ex. feeding Mulder and the gang insider information, even if it was for his own benefit.) He frauds in a specific and masterful way: combining his Ne Hero’s best possible outcomes, his Fi Parent’s twisted morals, his Te Child’s status seeking and mind-manipulation, his “charitable” Fe Critic, and his Se Demon’s ruthless drive for personal gain. But his self-serving house of cards will fall apart if his Fe Critic is criticized properly-- not with shouts, or punches, or slaps, or name-calling (which leads to hardening and quick personal growth), but with simple logic to his Ti Trickster. If someone had sat him down, outlined to him how x/y/z would only get him into hotter water and deeper trouble then offered him a better deal, Krycek would have abandoned his path and shuffled off into a better horizon. Instead, he picked wrong; doubled down; got betrayed; and spent each new alliance repeating that pattern while congratulating himself for at least being “enlightened”. He further coped by pretending to be more moral than Mulder: he, at least, accepted reality and did his best to save everyone, while Mulder heard the Truth and tossed it all way.

All in all, Krycek spent his entire life bent on achieving his goals, like Mulder, like CSM, like the Consortium; but what makes him different is that he found fame and glamour being the needed hitman rather than a moral, inspirational man who could talk mountains of other rats into the sea. Chalk it up to the writers for not giving him something more complex to develop with his character; but I did my best to flesh him out a bit more. 

Thank you for reading~ 

Enjoy! 

Disclaimers: This is a self-assessed analysis. This information is not based on the abominable MBTI system (which has been butchered from its original Jungian typology since ~WWII); instead, it’s a combination between the works of Jung’s type psychology, Dr. Linda Berens’ Communication styles, Dr. Dario Nardi’s EEG brain scan compiled research, and others’ data and practices as compiled and simplified by CSJoseph. This system is based only on the Nature side of Nature/Nurture; and each “type” is not a “box” to fit everyone into– simply a tool to help understand the basics of the human mind that science has only begun to fathom in its limited scope.

[tobiasdrake]

That was. Enlightening. But we have an old friend to visit.

Good to see you again, Yakou. Even if it has to be under these circumstances. Sorry we went to so much trouble to get the guy who killed your wife and now you're both stuck immortally haunting the same bunker forever. That's pretty shit.

This is heart-wrenching. Yakou's so far gone he can barely talk. He just. Shambles.

But he's still a Detective. He has evidence that he wants to hand off, despite everything. Thanks, man. When all this is over, maybe we can spitball some non-kidnapping ways to save everyone.

T_T I wish Yakou would at least talk. Say something. Even if it's sad. Come on man. T_T

At least we got some closure, I guess. Man, this sucks worse than if he died for real.

Let's go watch the video and see what Yakou wanted us to know.

...so maybe it wasn't a UG genocide, like we thought when talking to Former CEO.

It was the lab that killed everyone and caused Blank Week?

I. Don't like. Where this is going.

Wait, so this isn't happening due to being hungry for human flesh, like the letter said. It would happen if they were left to starve, but it's currently happening because they had to regenerate once. The regeneration nukes their personality. It makes them into zombies, regardless of how well they're fed.

There is a way to perma-kill homunculi, but in trying to erase it, Huesca made ultra-aggro defects.

Is this, then, what happened to Kanai Ward? Ravenous defects ate the city clean of people, then Makoto and UG came in and cleaned up the mess? Or something? But how does that translate into "And then everyone was homunculi"?

Because we're still seeing clear evidence that everyone is defective homunculi.

This does, however, re-explain the way Amaterasu drags all the corpses out here super fast and claims it's because of the rain. It's not that they need to get those bodies moved before they wake up and reveal the truth. It's that they need to get them moved before they wake up as ferals and start attacking people.

I speculated earlier that she turned feral and wandered off from hunger, but since we now know that hunger is not what's causing the homunculi to go feral, that's unlikely. She's in danger for a different reason, then.

We should move fast. If she dies and regenerates, she'll turn feral. It's comforting to know that this evidence means we haven't died yet. We may even be human.

Well, unless UG homunculi are more properly refined and lack those flaws.

You wanna come out here and tell us to our face how you're connected to Shinigami, Makoto? No? Then buzz off.

Seriously, the more we learn about what happened here, the more complicated Makoto becomes. He's the only person who could have made all of these homunculi, right? But he's also massively anti-homunculus. He's giving us the run-around so we can learn all of these things but also maybe killed the Master Detectives.

What is the angle here?

WHAT. Why is he here!? How did FINK die!? Did Yomi manage to get him on his way out? Did Makoto?

Makoto. He was Fink's 'in' to Amaterasu. But then once it was all over, Makoto had him killed. Figures. Like we knew, Makoto was playing 4-D chess to erase Yomi from play, kill Huesca, and eliminate Nocturnal Agency all in one fell swoop.

[cosmichighpriestess]

This message is not for everyone. You've been dealing with toxic people, whether it be family, past exes, past friends, coworkers or anyone that you have cut off, you may have noticed lately they have been getting very desperate for your energy. They're very thirsty and using manipulation tactics on you again. Not only are they digging themselves deeper into the grave that they made for you, but their manipulation tactics will not work.

Just become the other aspect of you that invokes your inner Wednesday Addams for a while. But nothing they can do or say will be able to have any effect on you. Of course you may be irritated, you may feel triggered or angry, these narcissists may try to pull on your heartstrings to get you to feel empathy for them. It doesn't matter, you just need to release them. Your past doesn't define you. Your vibration is so high and it's so tasty, and they know that they're missing out. They didn't think that you would stop responding to them. They never thought that, that would be the last time they would ever speak to you. They actually thought that you needed them and that you would come running back for their help but you never needed them, they actually needed you. But that's not your problem, the only thing that you need to focus on is self care.

Self care in the morning, self care on your break, self care at lunch time, self care in the afternoon, meditate, drink a lot of water, fast, rest, or eat healthy if you don't want to fast, breath work, sleeping and spend more time on self care and ignore all of the blood thirsty energy vampires trying to siphon your beautiful energy. Become a wall, they will be talking right at you but you will not be saying anything you will not be looking at them or giving them your attention, if you want to make eye contact with them to let them know that you are not to be played with that's fine, but become a wall and/or don't let them have your energy, your time is precious and very expensive.

It really is, because of your higher vibrational frequency you attract high vibrational and low vibrational people so you have to be very picky with who you choose to allow access into your energy. Because if they're not giving to you then are taking away from you. You are absolutely right in setting healthy boundaries with these people, you are not the crazy one. They would really have you believe that you were the mental one, they were really laughing at you, but who will be laughing in the end?

Do you know why they abuse you behind closed doors? Because to the outside world they have up their strong armor which is their charisma, their smile, their niceness, their facade, their clown show. But when they see someone who looks like they don't have a lot of support around them, who looks alone, they see the perfect person to dump all of their problems on and let their guard down. To be who they really are without the facade, because your energy feels safe. It's not safe for them anymore. Your light will expose their darkness, and it will be very uncomfortable for them so much so that they need to run away from you. You see, they've been playing checkers and you've been playing chess the entire time. You are the master chess player and they actually need to learn from you.

Don't let these energy vampires get the best of you, and don't let them come back because they already made their choice. They decided back then you are not worthy enough for them, they decided back then to sabotage you, to go behind your back and lie about you to all of your friends and family, to stalk you, to invoke fear to feed off your fear (that gives them a dopamine hit), they decided to shame you for your wise choices, and they chose their side. You can't play both sides that's not how it works. Not everyone is going to get to come with you. They are not at your level of consciousness, they're still repeating old cycles, the best thing that you can do for them is to leave them alone so that they learn their own lessons. What was the reason?

What have they been doing to you all of these years? Why did they need to destroy you? They should be asking themselves that question, "what have I been doing to this person?". They don't even understand it themselves, they were operating from a lower state of consciousness, out of jealousy, pride, greed, ego, fear,lust, lack ect. They have more in common with the abuser and that's why they chose the abuser. Those who stand by and watch as you get abused are just as bad as the abuser. They chose to be abusive, they chose the abuser over you, and now they have to live with their choices. That is not your problem and not your concern anymore, all of their opinions about you are irrelevant.

They are completely irrelevant now in your reality because you have completely surpassed them. Do you want to know why God allows you to be around these people for so long? Because God knows that if you were there for a shorter amount of time, you might have some hope left for them to change and you might go back to them. God needs you to have no doubt left. God needs you to be sure and to have no guilt, no remorse or hope left for them when God finally moves you to your next destination. God said, everything they touch will fail miserably until they do right by you, until they apologize to you sincerely (without manipulation), and give you back everything that they stole, and repent to God--everything in their life will fail. Pray for them. Ask your angels for help. Both the heavens and the underworld are protecting you. They will become possessed by the demons they sent for you. Do what God tells you to do, obedience is better than sacrifice. Stay happy and balanced in your own energy. Ground. Release control and surrender to the Universe. Let God and the Universe handle them now.

[starseedfxofficial]

The Hidden Potential of CADCHF: Mastering the Broadening Formation Forex trading is like a game of chess—strategic, complex, and for those willing to master the board, incredibly rewarding. But sometimes, it's also like a bad sitcom: things go sideways fast. Imagine buying into a trade only to realize you've bought into something you’re never going to use—like a treadmill that becomes a clothes hanger after two weeks. Today, we’re going to dive deep into an often-overlooked yet wildly potent pattern: the Broadening Formation. Specifically, we’re exploring how you can use this lesser-known pattern to tame the beast that is the CADCHF currency pair. Get ready for some expert secrets, hidden opportunities, and humor that keeps you smiling all the way to your next successful trade. Why Broadening Formations? Most Traders Get It Wrong The Broadening Formation sounds exactly like what it looks like—price action zigzagging wider and wider like a megaphone. And just like a megaphone, it’s loud, unpredictable, and intimidating if you don't know how to handle it. Most traders shy away from broadening formations, dismissing them as chaotic or difficult to interpret. But let me let you in on a little secret: this chaos holds potential for big gains—if you know what to look for. Imagine standing in front of a funhouse mirror. At first, all you see is distortion. The broader the mirror, the weirder things look. But what if I told you that behind that broadening madness is a crystal-clear opportunity? CADCHF, a notoriously slippery pair, is often dancing to the tune of unpredictability—and that’s where our secret weapon comes in. How to Spot the Broadening Formation: Don’t Let Chaos Fool You Okay, traders. Step one: don’t panic when you see that erratic zigzagging. A broadening formation typically appears in periods of heightened volatility, when the market is acting like a caffeinated squirrel darting between extremes. CADCHF is especially prone to these erratic swings, often influenced by conflicting economic data from Canada and Switzerland. Here’s what you’re looking for: - Higher Highs and Lower Lows: The key characteristic of a broadening formation is that price keeps reaching new highs while simultaneously dipping into new lows. Think of it as the market just can’t make up its mind—kind of like me trying to decide between pizza or salad (let's be honest, it's always pizza). - At Least Five Touchpoints: You’ll want to identify at least five clear touchpoints where price swings create the expanding shape. The more points, the more reliable the pattern. - Volume Matters: Notice if the volume increases as price reaches those extreme highs and lows. That’s the smart money—you’re not the only one eyeing this setup, and knowing this will be your edge. Unlocking Profitable Moves in CADCHF Trading CADCHF with the broadening formation can be a bit like riding a rollercoaster—scary at times, but exhilarating when you get it right. Here are some key tactics that only the pros know about (or should I say, the ninjas in the trading dojo?): - Trade the Extremes: The best opportunities lie in trading those wild swings. When price hits an extreme high, it's often an excellent opportunity to go short, and vice versa for extreme lows. This strategy works because the market overreacts, swinging like a pendulum. Your job is to catch it when everyone else is either overconfident or terrified. - Volume Confirmation Is Your Secret Sauce: Here’s where the magic happens—wait for volume spikes to confirm reversals at the extreme levels. This is your proof that the big players are making their moves. If volume matches price behavior at an extreme high or low, it’s your cue to act. - Managing Risk Like a Pro: A broadening formation without proper risk management is like juggling flaming swords while blindfolded—exciting, but potentially disastrous. Use stop-losses wisely, placing them just outside of the recent extreme swing. This way, you give the market room to breathe while also protecting yourself from sudden reversals. Why Most Traders Avoid CADCHF (And How You Can Profit Instead) CADCHF doesn’t have the popularity of EURUSD or GBPUSD, and for good reason. It’s affected by two economies that are worlds apart in terms of industry, interest rates, and geopolitical influence. Switzerland is like that meticulously organized friend who keeps everything in spreadsheets—stable, consistent, and predictable. Canada, on the other hand, is more like your adventure-loving buddy who’s always down for a spontaneous road trip (and a few maple syrup jokes along the way). This disparity means that CADCHF can be as unpredictable as the weather in Canada during spring—one minute, it’s sunny, the next minute, you’re knee-deep in snow. But for those who understand how to read these broadening formations, this unpredictability is actually a goldmine of opportunities. Breaking Down the Trade: A Step-By-Step Guide Want to tackle CADCHF like a pro? Here’s a simple yet effective guide to help you master it: - Identify the Pattern: Look for those expanding highs and lows—this might seem messy, but that’s where the opportunity lies. - Confirm with Volume: Wait for volume to confirm the movement at an extreme—volume is your silent indicator that the market’s not kidding around. - Plan Your Entry: Enter trades when price is at the extremes. Buy low, sell high—classic advice, but oh so relevant here. - Set Stop-Loss Orders Wisely: Place your stops beyond the recent extremes. This is your safety net—like a lifeguard who’s got your back. - Be Ready for Drama: Remember, broadening formations mean drama. The market will be volatile, so expect a bumpy ride. Use smaller position sizes if you're new to trading CADCHF to avoid unnecessary stress. The Secret Sauce to Winning With CADCHF Most traders shy away from CADCHF because they believe it’s unpredictable, or simply because it doesn’t get as much attention as other pairs. However, the broadening formation offers clear setups—if you're patient enough to wait for them. And hey, in a market full of noise, knowing when to turn up the volume (and when to turn it down) is exactly how you’ll separate yourself from the rest. Speaking of turning things up, have you joined our StarseedFX community yet? It’s like being part of a band of Forex ninjas—full of experts, daily alerts, and the latest market insights. Get in on the action at StarseedFX Community. Real-World Example: The Broadening Formation in Action Let’s talk about what happened last year during the Swiss National Bank’s unexpected policy shift. CADCHF started moving like a squirrel that drank too much espresso. Traders who recognized the broadening formation during this period saw the pair bounce from extreme highs to lows multiple times, creating lucrative opportunities for those trading the extremes. As volume spiked at each extreme, it was a clear indication that institutional players were making big moves. If you caught on, congratulations—you were riding that rollercoaster instead of watching it from the ground. Why Understanding Market Sentiment Helps Broadening formations thrive in uncertain conditions, which means that understanding market sentiment can give you an additional edge. Economic data releases, particularly those related to Swiss economic stability or Canadian growth outlooks, can act as catalysts that push CADCHF into broadening formations. Keeping an eye on the latest economic indicators and news can help you prepare for these moves. For real-time updates, check out StarseedFX Forex News and stay ahead of the curve. Embrace the Broadening, Trade Like a Ninja CADCHF might be unpredictable, but the broadening formation can turn that chaos into something profitable. Remember, trading isn’t about avoiding risk—it’s about managing it smartly. Embrace the erratic highs and lows, trade the extremes, and use volume as your guide. Like any good comedian, timing is everything—wait for the right moment, and you’ll have the audience (or in this case, the market) eating out of your hand. If you want to deepen your understanding, check out our Free Trading Courses here. Expand your strategies, learn new tricks, and keep those trades profitable and stress-free. After all, who said making money in Forex couldn’t be a little bit fun too? —————– Image Credits: Cover image at the top is AI-generated   Read the full article

[thequietmanno1]

TheLreads, Vigilantes ch 110, Replies Part 2

1) “Oh hai McBee, didn’t saw you up there, sulking dramatically in your beat form.

So, what’s the next big move in this chess game?”-The ultimate chess move – pulling a gun and shooting the other player. They never see that one coming.

2) “Oh trying to get a namedrop there you smartass? Well something tells me you’re the careless one, because Soga is coming and he’s gonna be a real bastard. As usual.”- Actually, it’s the vigilante helper we’d (mostly) prefer to show up instead. Like, little bit late with the milk run Knuckles, but still, appreciated keeping Soga out of this fight.

3) “That’s where you’re wrong McBee, he’s not thinking that

He’s not thinking anything in fact.”- Nomura trying to get inside Koichi’s headspace is an amusing exercise in failure. He may as well try and become an astronaut to experience the vacuum of space.

4) “Uhhhh- What now”- Knuckles’ little near-miss sniping on Nomura left a pretty big mental impact on him, such that he brought along the components to copy the tactic himself if he ever wanted to. His speed didn’t save him from nearly getting his head blown off, so understandably he’d want to mimic an effective tactic on himself used by his “master”.

(Vigilantes ch 107)

5) “Again, Koichi trained daily against the guy that created the knuckle flurry, you’d have more luck pulling an actual gun against him.”- Well, here’s the gun, but it seems his luck with sniping goes about as well as Knuckle’s own near-miss on him, courtesy of the man himself.

6) “…what now”- Ok so….where were the rifle parts being held inside him when Nomura goopified himself to escape Phelps’ handcuffs?

7) “You do you Green Ojama, your deck is OP but I don’t think it counter’s Koichi’s omni-negate”- Doesn’t matter much if he’s never given a chance to play it properly.

8) “So, what’s faster, the boy that can outmaneuver someone using a quirk to go so fast that time seems to stop, or a rifle bullet which travels around 3000 Km/h?”- The correct answer is C: the old janitor who saw that move coming before the night even started, and got into position to counter it several hours before. 9) “Okay koichi, just give a glance towards his “scope” so he knows he get got, and you’re already ahead of him”-One thing about Knuckles’ interference here is that it does sadly again prevent Koichi from having to think himself in order to out-play her opponent. Like, I get that it’s basically his power move, but I really do like how Izuku always pulls a successful version of Nomura’ “cobble together a plan on the fly” tactics here in a fight. 10) “Oh, look at that, the sniper got sniped, I wonder who did that…”- Not the guy you were expecting to show up at this final stretch. 11) “…

wait a second”- Time for the trashman to have his final hurrah!

(Vigilantes ch 104)

12) “And Koichi was so close, so damn close to finishing the job, but his guilt about Pop’s state are holding him back. Goddammit are we gonna need to have her die so he can finish McBee?

Hopefully not, but I don’t trust Furuhashi, In wouldn’t put this past him. The same way I’m not putting past him bringing Knuckleduster or even All Might here to finish the job. Oh good lord, that thought itself makes me terrified.”- Well, that’s 2 for three. Bets about Furuhashi bringing in All Might as well?

(vigilantes ch 109)

13) “The Crawler ejects from the trash pile left by Knuckles years ago. 

That man had good foresight, he knew that Koichi would fight a super-powerful Nomu that would get a one-winged angel transformation and would eventually resort to new strategies to get Koichi by surprise, therefore he left this pile here, just in case.”- Knuckles has enough foresight to know exactly where Nomura’s going to wind up in a high-speed battle between him and Koichi should one erupt, and make use of it even with a crap-ton of injuries against a super-speedster.

(Vigilantes ch 109)

14) “Oh yeah, now he can make good use of those mobs

Sure, it won’t matter because I bet Soga is gonna show up with a gun to cover for Koichi, but at least it was an attempt.”- Well, not Soga…. 15) “ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME”- It’s time for a bit of Brain vs Fist to round out this fight, rather than Brain vs Void.

(Vigilantes ch 95)

16) “…

So it’s not McBee, it’s Knuckles that is back. McBee wouldn’t be so stupid to- No, I mean, he would, but he is at least trying now, so he wouldn’t make it obvious he’s in there.”- Knuckles has never been one for entering a building without breaking something. (Vigilantes ch 95)

17) “…

oh

my fucking

GOD

IT IS KNUCKLES AFTER ALL

HE TOOK THE BANDANA BACK

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME HE’S NOT DEAD AFTER THAT SEND-OFF AGAINST McBEE

WHAT IN THE FUCK WAS ALL THAT FOR THEN”- It was kinda necessary in getting Koichi to “grow up” without having his mentor there to support him or take over in a moment of Crisis – plus it was also evocative of All Might’s own last stand in his role as the Hero of Peace, given how Knuckle didn’t come out of the fight unscathed either.

18) “I suppose I should never wish on a monkey paw after all. 

And that’s all I have to say about the matter.”- “Starts huming When You Wish Upon a Star” @thelreads

[ichessuinc]

Chess Tutoring vs. Self-Learning: Which Path Should You Choose?

Chess is adored everywhere. Research shows its brain-boosting perks, making it a game that many appreciate, not just for fun but for its mental gymnastics. But when the goal is to get better at chess, does learning on your own do the trick, or is getting help from a chess tutor the smarter move?

Learning by yourself:

Teaching yourself can have its advantages, as it lets you learn when it suits you best. With so many guides and tools on the internet, it's quite straightforward to find help that can make you better. But trying to figure things out alone just from reading books or watching online videos might not always clear up the complex ideas and tactics you need to truly become a competent chess player. And while independent learning can be a rewarding way to build new skills, it's not the quickest route to mastering the game and everything it has to offer.

Chess lessons:

Choosing a chess tutor gives you a custom learning pathway — your coach designs lessons just for you, based on how you learn best and what level you are at. They also give you direct comments to help you see and fix mistakes right away. This focused support means you get better at chess fast and you get to make the most of your learning time.

Having a chess tutor also means you receive advice on tournament preparation and understanding a rival’s strategies. Your tutor can help you develop a reliable playing style that can be modified depending on your opponents. Whether you're grappling with fundamental principles or delving into advanced strategies, your tutor employs a carefully crafted curriculum that builds upon your existing knowledge while introducing new concepts in a logical and accessible manner. For instance, if you want to improve your opening game, your tutor can help you choose openings that suit your strengths and teach you how to execute them effectively.

Also, working with a chess instructor can be helpful if your goal is to learn advanced techniques such as endgames, pawn structures, and tactical motifs. These are all important aspects of chess that you might not fully grasp when you choose self-learning.

Which path should you choose?

In the end, what route you pick depends on what your final goal is and how you like to learn. But, if your wish is to see significant improvement in your chess skills in a shorter amount of time, choosing to learn with a chess tutor could be the wiser move.

IChessU offers online chess lessons with experienced and qualified chess coaches so if you're interested, give them a call at 1-800-342-0645 today.

[imagoofball]

Ok so like as most folk I tend to adapt personalities from those nearest. Never knew I did this unconsciously until one day in middle school when I somehow turned country cause my (only) friend at the time was a wheel barrels and pig farms at 6am hickey 💀 fast foward I realized the past couple of months I've adapted the personality of G man House himself. Let me tell ya how that went for me

-literally caused mental thigh pain/aches to the point I was debating on going to the hospital because it was distracting me from my work and rubbing my thigh was the closest thing to relief I could get

-learned and mastered chess

-encouraged a friendship where the lines of friendship and relationship were blurred with the lack of boundaries we had for each other. This especially sucked considering I am open gay and this "friend" turned out to not even be gay 💀 so only they could act on relationship terms but if I were to initiate anything- just know I am free from these shackles yall

-I can now speak Spanish & German

- somehow joined forces (made friends) with ppl who act like Cuddy and the ducklings

- I almost bought tickets to a monster truck derby (this is where I realized something was wrong)

Idk what else I've been doing but the leg pain stopped when I realized it was all in my head (said pain then went to my ankle, then foot, and then my back before disappearing)

Cutting ties with weird friend cause ew that's disgusting

Joining a Chess club because that game is fun

Keeping my random fidgets

Gonna improve both languages cause that's very useful

Instead of going to a monster truck show I might just go to either Nascar or a symphony because I am obsessed with those two now and I'm not complaining

Anyways I will now lay off from watching House until I turn into someone cool like Rainbow dash or Spiderman I swear why didn't I become Spiderman 😭 I'm obsessed with bro yet my brain was like "errmm nah let's be an old man from that one show you like'

Tldr; Rocking the House life is only fit for House himself yall 😭 hilson bromance isn't really sadly