#she knows she's strong enough to hold the others easily and that they're balanced well enough that they're not about to fall

[cram-nation]

who would win? ninjago 1v1s

so if all the ninja had one on one melee fights with each other, no powers allowed, who would win? this is a long post lolz

cole/kai cole is without a doubt the most physically strong of the group, but that doesn't mean that he's the best in a fight. I think that, since I'm trying to exclude the variable of their elemental powers for this, kai would be at a huge disadvantage. Not only because of Cole's strength, but also because Kai himself relies HEAVILY on his elemental powers. Not to say he couldn't hold his own but in this instance, I think that Cole would win.

cole/jay These two have fought before, but not without their powers. I don't know how based this is but in my heart and soul I believe that Jay is excellent at fighting. He's quick-witted, physically fast, and shockingly strong. Cole is much stronger than Jay physically, but I don't think It's quite enough. Jay would win, but it'd be a close call.

cole/nya I think that this'd be a very close fight. Nyas fighting style is very adaptive to her opponent, and Cole's fighting style is very defensive, typically he tries to finish a fight with one move after holding his ground and tiring out his opponent. Nyas tactic analysis is what would win her this fight, along with her ability to read Cole. She's close to him and good at figuring people out. It'd be very very close but Nya would win.

cole/lloyd Lloyds greatest strength is his endurance. He's good at staying on his feet and continuing to fight. He'd pack punch after punch until Cole decided he needed the fight to end. But the move that he expects to take Lloyd out only knocks him off his game for a second, and Lloyd would take the win.

cole/zane I think that this pairing is a bit unfair, for the nindroid. Zanes expertise lies in accurate attacks and Coles expertise lies in defense. Zane would lose the fight.

kai/jay Jay is, in my humble opinion, the best fighter of the team. I think that Kai, though he's not the strongest at combat, would win this fight. He'd use a grapple move on Jay which is something that he was Not expecting. Because if you can't kick him down, might as well pick him up, amirite?

kai/nya Nya would win this fight. In seconds. She spent so much of her early combat training as Samurai X, she didn't even know about her elemental powers for a long time, so it's safe to say that she is not nearly as reliant on them as Kai "Asphera stole my fire so im useless now" Smith. He'd swear up the walls that she cheated. (but he's very obviously proud of her)

kai/lloyd I think that this fight would go on longer than Kai and Nyas fight. Lloyd could probably also take Kai out pretty quickly, but the leader in him would want to use it as a learning experience. He'd make Kais mistakes obvious through his actions and he'd continue the fight until Kai's nearly taken the victory before winning himself. He's not just gonna let him win, but he's not gonna demolish him either.

kai/zane At the start of the fight, Kai would take Zane off guard. It looks like he's going to win easily but in the end that isn't the case. Kai would start with immediate aggressive attacks and Zane wouldn't be prepared. He's used to analyzing his enemy before he truly starts fighting and most opponents give him a fair few seconds of stillness before any action starts, but not Kai. In the end, Zane would win by exploiting some shitty footwork on Kais behalf.

jay/nya I think that this fight would go on for quite a while, probably the second-longest match. Mostly because they're both enjoying themselves too much. I think that any time one of them would be close to taking the victory, they'd give their opponent the chance to catch their breath/balance/composure to continue more fairly. Jays fighting style consists of strong fast and creative blows. Nyas fighting style really depends on who she's facing but in this fight, I think she'd take the approach of deflecting attacks back onto the attacker. Like, Jay throws a hard punch and instead of dodging or blocking, she uses his forward momentum to make him fall on his face lol. I think that in the end, they'd realize that they're both running out of stamina and they decide "no more holding back, let's go for the win" and Jay would win with a knee to Nyas sternum.

jay/lloyd This fight would look pretty evenly matched at the beginning, but as it drags on Jay loses his speed and his mind slips. Like I said, Lloyds main strength is his stamina, he's learned that if he can draw out a fight, he'll have an advantage. It'd be an intense fight but eventually, Lloyd would win. Probably the most entertaining one to watch.

jay/zane I think that this fight could go either way, honestly. I think that Zane would land a blow thinking that he's won and let his guard down, only for Jay to be a lot more resilient to pain than he expected (who knew the littlest bitch he knew could take a good punch) and Jay would win by surprise.

nya/lloyd I think that Nyas strategy with Lloyd would be to take him out as quickly as possible, because she knows that if she can't do that then he'll win in the long game. I think she'd play dirty with this fight. maybe she'd go for a weak ankle or target an old injury. Not because she really wants to hurt Lloyd ofc, but because she knows it's really the only way she'd come out on top. Though in the end, Lloyd would win. it'd be a VERY close fight though. they'd both be close to taping out once or twice before the end.

nya/zane While fighting against Zane, Nya would try and use the element of surprise to her advantage. She knows Zane's playing 8d chess in his brain at all times, and the only way to catch him slipping is to do some weird shit that NO ONE could expect her to do. like,,, he goes in for an attack and she bloody murder screams, catching him (and everyone watching) off guard. Nya would be the victor, but in future battles, the strategy wouldn't work twice against him.

lloyd/zane This would be the closest fight. Lloyds strategy of relying on his stamina wouldn't really be of use against Zane, seeing as he's a literal nindroid, but that's just How He Fights. Zane would use that to his advantage, letting Lloyd think that he was wearing him down for long enough until he could take him out with one well-placed kick. This fight would go on the longest and everyone would be on the edge of their seats watching. Zane would win.

ok thats all have a nice night

[tsarbomba567]

Ninjago Post-Crystalized Headcanon/AU Thing

Ninjago Diffraction

I've been sitting on this Ninjago idea for a while, but basically the headcanon is that all creatures have a light side (good) and a dark side (evil). Naturally these sides cancel each other out, creating balance, but the creature may lean to one side or the other. Additionally, some may find that their balance is out of wack; for example Garmadon being bitten my the Devourer and slowly becoming more evil.

Why am I saying this? Well...

After some time, all the dopplegangers make their continued presence know to their real counterparts before fusing together to create a kaiju-like creature that is hellbent on obliterating Ninjago City (and Ninjago as a whole). Said evil kaiju easily defeats the OG and New Ninja, forcing Vangelis, the Mechanic, Pythor, Aspheera, Harumi and Mr. F to fuse together into their own kaiju, thanks to a spell out of Aspheera's spellbook. Both kaiju fiercely fight one another, but in the end the doppleganger kaiju is the one that's destroyed, leaving the fused Crystal Council victorious. Said Council then unfuses, where the denizens of Ninjago City celebrate them as heroes; the now reformed villians are then allowed to walk out of Kryptarium Prison as free men and women, with their respective peoples now warmly embracing them back into their societies.

What if after Mr. F, Harumi, Pythor, Aspheera, the Mechanic and Vangelis get imprisoned at Kryptarium Prison, they're kidnapped by this secret group that intends to remove the darkness tainting their souls, capture them in specially made containers, and destroy them via throwing them into the Golden Peaks volcano. The only problem is that they discover that their evil sides had been under the influence of the Overlord, and that because of this the containers won't hold long enough to travel all the way to the Golden Peaks. In a panic they inject their darkness into their respective statues in the Ninjago Museum of History, only for those statues to become living in-the-flesh dopplegangers that cause chaos and destruction throughout Ninjago City. Both the OG and New Ninja are unable to stop the dopplegangers' rampages, so its up to the ex-members of the Crystal Council to defeat their evil halves.

The evil dopplegangers' personalities are similar to their original counterparts but have become twisted and warped in their own ways. Additionally, the evil clones are stronger than their counterparts, with each doppleganger having unique ability:

Evil Pythor has the ability to steal one's life force, causing the victim to rapidly age and turn into a skeleton, before eventually crumbling into dust; he can also manipulate said life force, especially the victim's age. Once he steals the life forces of 250 people, whether human or Serpentine, Evil Pythor becomes the new Great Devourer.

Evil Aspheera can petrify people, turning them into stone statues; Evil Vangelis has a Mida's Touch, which can turn people and objects into gold.

Evil Mr.F can turn objects like cars, cellphones and computers into robot creatures that he has direct control over. Meanwhile, Evil Harumi - who has a spider bottom half - can extrude extremely strong spider silk, which she uses to spin webs and trap people via wrapping them in silk.

The Evil Mechanic can turn people into energy cubes.

Initially the evil dopplegangers manage to kill their counterparts by using their special abilities, with Evil Pythor becoming the New Devourer after taking Pythor's life force. Luckily for the ex-villians, Death tells them that they weren't supposed to die, and that she's going to resurrect all six of them, although Pythor would come back as a skeleton because his life force was stolen. Now back in the land of the living also known as Ninjago, the revived ex-villians manage to "kill" their evil clones, undoing all the damage they and their powers have caused. Unknown to the six of them, their evil clones aren't dead, but are regrouping to from the shadows to plan out their next attack.

The strangest thing about this entire event was that it was foretold in an ancient Serpentine prophecy, but it had to be reconstructed from various scripts and scrolls, drawings and tablets because the original mural the prophecy was written on was extensively damaged when it was found. It was only when the full mural was reconstructed and deciphered that it was too late to alter the coming events.

[excaive]

WOAA POST STORY ROGER? My beloved??? head over heels, woo’d, awed, staring fourth with INTENSITY !! i really like current roger but whatever post story roger has going on? yes yes yes yes !!!! KJ and Roger are two very distinct and VERY likeable characters and i love the dynamic you’ve cultivated with them !! Roger’s upgrade is especially on a new level!! i looove it! (the eyes on his cat socks too, god!!!)

You think I could bother you for some extra post-story Roger&KJ fun facts? I can’t get enough of them!

Sorry it took a hot minute to answer!

BUT YES!!! SHAKING UR HAND I love post-story Roger sm and I'm so glad you enjoy him and also KJ :] I've worked a lot on both of them, so I'm glad when people like em 💖

But yes post-story facts for Roger & KJ!

KJ is very passionate about skating and spends a lot of time being involved with making events and such at skateparks that are open to everyone to join from kids to adults with various experiences with skating. Just a fun time overall!

KJ is slowly teaching Roger to skate, but it's less about learning tricks and more just the two of them going on a skating trip around the city or parks. It's very cute, and for the most part, Roger has bad balance on the skateboard, so he can't do anything fancy but it is a great excuse to hold KJ's hand as they roll about :p

I'm not sure if I've mentioned this on here, but Roger is a wicked parkour boy. Don't let his bad balance on a skateboard fool you, he'll climb places with ease and find shortcuts you could only dream of. Roger's balance is actually real good, but not on moving objects. I can't explain properly but like Roger would have a way easier time learning how to walk a tightrope than he has learning how to turn on a skateboard.

If he ever figures out how to jump on a rail with a skateboard, he'd flawlessly grind along the rail, and then land ungraciously.

honestly i think roger would be way too powerful if he mastered the skateboard. he'd absolutely be skating on rooftops and do tricks that would kill a normal man if fucked up.

Both Roger & KJ enjoy being active. One thing they'll do sometimes race each other - KJ with their skateboard and Roger utilzing his parkour skills. They both know the layout of the region they live in pretty well, so it turns out to be a tight race to the finish line, even with the pros & cons they both face with the routes they take. Doesn't matter who wins, they're just having fun :3

Roger and KJ and Cass live in the same apartment!

Cass is studying tho and does have like a place close to the uni where she stays with a few other students, but she usually comes home in the weekends or whenever she's able.

It was a bit rocky at the start between KJ and Cass when they got to know each other, but they're real homies now and team up to be a menace to Roger (affectionately). They'll get Roger on board with silly ideas bc how can he not with his two besties <3 even if he'll realize it was not a wise idea - here's an example

Roger trust em both but KJ loves a little chaos <3 (and Roger literally won't fall bc Cass is stupid strong and KJ is way stronger than they look, so they'd only fall if Cass slips or trips on anything :p)

Out of the two, KJ is more inclined to use petnames for Roger. They'll go "where's my carrot??" "my dear/sweet/love/beloved!!! check out this rock i found, touch it it's so slimy, isn't it gross??" "aw don't worry babe!! not everyone can handle the truth that the right way to eat peanuts is with the shell on <3" etc. stuff like that

KJ is very physically affectionate and loves hugging or kissing Roger's face whenever. Sometimes if Roger is just talking about something, KJ might decide to just. Pick him up to hold. Despite being used to this Roger usually loses his train of thought because KJ is way stronger than you'd think and they can easily just pick him up 😳

Because of this, Roger will also purposefully fall asleep on the couch so KJ will scoop him up to tuck into bed <3

Generally for romantic gestures, KJ will take Roger different places for dates. Whether it be dining out, going to the cinema, skating, shopping etc. KJ loves going places with him and also just getting Roger things or taking him places he's been wanting to go to but haven't for whatever reasons.

Roger's gestures are more present at home. He'll cook/bake things KJ likes, do crafts to make something for them, and he's pretty verbal about how much he appreciates KJ and tells them whenever something reminded him of them.

He's also the one who primarily initiates more intimate moments because KJ hasn't been in love with anyone before Roger, so they tend to feel self-conscious about being a freak (or more specifically they are very new to being open and vulnerable with Roger and also their friends) so they worry they're too weird - even tho Roger has been crushing on them for like [checks notes] like 3-4 years before they eventually get together. He likes KJ because they're fucking weird and care about people a lot. If KJ's mouth tendrils or enjoyment of messy makeouts deterred Roger, he wouldn't constantly find opportunities to kiss them :p

I can easily go on but it'll take forever if I do, and you guys can always just ask more, I love talking about my ocs 💖

[indigo--montoya]

Aaaaaaaa wow, this is great and amazing aaaaaa this makes me so happy! <3

It just so happens that I be reading some of the tags people added to THIS POST and amongst them i saW SOMETHING SO PERFECT I HAD TO DO A LL QUICK SKETCHO OF IT HHHHH @indigo–montoya Ty so much for that idea it made me so happy haha <3

[kuleo26]

Hi hi~! May I request something from one of the best writers~?💕 I really like knb and wondered if you could write about any team of your choice and their ideal type☺️💖

hello!! it's always a pleasure to see you in my inbox :)) and as much as i love seirin, i favor touou for some reason lol. so...possible part 2 for the other teams?? thanks for requesting <3

touou's ideal type

including: aomine daiki, sakurai ryou, wakamatsu kousuke, imayoshi shoichi, yoshinori susa, momi satsuki

aomine daiki

as much as everyone jokes about him having a thing for big boobs, i honestly think he wouldn't even care all that much

needs an s/o who understand that he didn't have much of a childhood due to the fact that his world revolved around basketball

his s/o would need to have a balance of outgoing but also responsible

aomine definitely needs someone who can somewhat match his speed, and be able to handle him when he gets out of hand

his love language is either words of affirmation or acts of service

because he needs the validation but sometimes words aren't enough

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

sakurai ryou

AAAA HE'S ADORABLE

he definitely needs a patient s/o

and one who can reassure him that he doesn't need to apologize for everything

but don't baby him, because he does have a strong will for the things he wants

he's timid and shy, so i see someone who is more of the opposite side of that spectrum to be good for him

and i think his ideal s/o would definitely bring the best out of him :))

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

wakamatsu kousuke

mans is loud, but i think he'd appreciate an s/o who's just as assertive as he is aggressive

his ideal s/o could probably put him in his place easily, and i think that he likes when they order him around

he'd probably be very physically affectionate

and probably likes PDA, especially around his teammates (just to piss them off)

rough on the outside, but loves to do cute couple-y stuff like lunch dates and making each other bracelets

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

imayoshi shoichi

mmm, his ideal type would probably have to be a brat

borderline toxic, but he and his s/o knows that they really do love each other

the teasing and pranks are fun though

his s/o definitely needs to be able to handle a joke, as well as give one back

study dates? study dates.

he's very smart, and will definitely tutor you (even if you don't ask)

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

yoshinori susa

he's very calm and responsible, so i think someone not as assertive can do him good

he wouldn't necessarily take over for you for things

but would encourage you and smother you in affection if you accomplish something that you previously had trouble with

he's an affectionate one too

has really bad pickup lines, so you might want to be patient with him (and laugh at them, even if they're REALLY bad)

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

momoi satsuki

she loves everything and everyone

honestly, i don't see her having an ideal type

but if you go out of your way to do something for her, she will definitely take notice

she loves hugs and hand holding, and would probably love it if her s/o initiated it too

i think she's very outgoing, so having a lot of social energy may be important

but if you don't, she'll probably understand and you guys can have at-home dates like watching a movie or cooking :))

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

[aj-anime-blog]

Deca-Dence - Review!

Wooooo Deca-Dence!

Deca-Dence was a summer 2020 anime, and that’s when I originally watched it! I've watched it about a dozen times since, as it landed itself right on my roster of my favorite animes, if not my favorite of all time.

Deca-Dence is an original piece, so no manga source material (whaaat!) and comes from the genius brain of Yuzuru Tachikawa, the director of other fan-favorites like Mob Psycho 100 and Death Parade (a review for Death Parade is in the making!). Original mangas are such a hit-or-miss recently, and I think that this one got the bullseye!

What's our concept?: Set in the future, the world is now plagued by monsters known as Gadolls. In an attempt to keep humans safe from them, mobile fortress Deca-Dence was constructed, where Gears, who live near the top, fight the Gadolls, and Tankers, who live at the bottom, provide support from inside Deca-Dence. Our protag, Natsume, is a Tanker who wants to fight with the Gears, but her prosthetic arm keeps her out of battle. That is until she meets Kaburagi, an older Tanker who seems to know his way around fighting and might have more to him than he lets on.

It's gonna be hard to go through this without spoilers, but I promise that I'll keep it spoiler-free until the section at the bottom!

So overall, what do I think?: 10/10! I've already said it, but Deca-Dence is one of my favorite animes of all time, and it deserves the spot! It has incredible characters, a story that keeps you hooked even through twists and turns, and a pace that manages to cram so much plot into only 12 episodes without feeling overwhelming or rushed! Deca-Dence presents ideas that, at the surface, may seem overused or old, but spins them in such a way that they're completely original. It follows through with character relationships, making them worthwhile and fulfilling.

Let's start with the story this time!: 10/10!! It's going to be really hard to explain the beauty of Deca-Dence's plot without spoiling it, but I'm doing my best! I really do recommend just giving the show a try, though, as it's really worth it! (Don't just drop it after episode 2, like a lot of people did :( That's just judging it wayyy too early!!)

Deca-Dence has a story that's thrilling and new. Everything that happens builds off of itself in a way that's natural and smooth. The elements of the story, no matter how different they may seem, play their part and work together well. The show isn't predictable either - don't go in thinking that you know what's going to become of it. Each twist feels surprising and new without feeling like they're coming out of left field.

I won't say much more in fear of ruining it, but Deca-Dence's story holds up well, and with its strong cast of characters supporting it, it becomes absolutely suburb. I think a lot of people fell into this pit of seeing only the beginning and tossing it aside, but no matter how strange the concepts in it may be, they wind together to form something really unique!

So those characters, huh?: 11/10, I love them so much! I'm a character nerd through and through, and Deca-Dence sends my little character-obsessed heart wild. The protags, Natsume and Kaburagi, are both fascinating, have incredible development, and engage in a character dynamic that is so natural and well-written that I never doubted it.

To be honest, Natsume doesn't have a personality that's anything new. She's young, determined to a fault, naive, and a complete sweetheart. She wants to fight the Gadoll and she'll do anything to achieve that dream. She's not a natural at fighting but her motivation to do so makes her believable and relatable. She's looked down upon because of her prosthetic arm and forced into a job that she doesn't like, but she never gives up on her goals. Even though she's so simple, her interactions and energy make her lovable and a wonderful protagonist.

Kaburagi follows the washed-out warrior trope, as he's an older man assigned to clean-up duty who keeps to himself and never shows too much emotion. While this type of character can sometimes get annoying, the show gives Kaburagi enough time to show his real feelings and explain how he got to his position. This proper development keeps him down-to-Earth and shows him as even more flawed than Natsume. Kaburagi's motivation, which I can't explain for spoiler reasons, is entirely believable and explains perfectly why he decides to put up with Natsume, even though she's his polar opposite.

The relationship between the two characters is balanced and beautiful. It's given the proper time to grow, mature, and ends up being extremely worthwhile. Natsume relies on Kaburagi, as he sees the potential in her and continues to support her in ways no one else ever has, and Kaburagi understands that Natsume is everything that he's trying to rebel against. Their relationship is emotional, runs deep, and leaves you wishing that there was more of them to watch, even after the show has ended.

The villain! The villain. I cannot talk all that much about the villain at the risk of spoiling. He is evil. I really really hated him, and that is a very good thing because it means that he's well-written. His motivation makes sense, his actions make you want to strangle him, his design was really really good! He's not the most interesting thing in the show, as his character is really only there to move the story along, but not every villain needs to be incredibly deep for a show to be good.

Lastly, our supporting characters! While none of them are as wonderful as Natsume or Kaburagi, they're still interesting and hold their own. They play important parts in the show and all of their interactions with the main two feel natural. Their conflicts make sense, their resolutions feel well-earned, and their personalities are all unique! For a 12-episode anime, there's a larger cast of supporting characters than you would think, and nearly all of them are memorable and loveable.

Time to shut up about characters, what about the art?: 9/10, ooooh yes the art! Deca-Dence is gorgeous! It's animated by studio Nut (bwahahhaha), who haven't done that much else in the anime world. Still, for a relatively new studio, it's absolutely amazing! The characters all have unique looks that make them stand out and the fight scenes are to die for. They lose a point on the CG, since it's a little bit less than amazing, but again, for a new studio, it's definitely not the worst I've seen!! (Admittedly, I also don't like CG much at all, so I'm always harsh towards it when it's used).

Deca-Dence switches between two styles that vastly contradict each other, one which is a colorful, happy-go-lucky style, and one that's the more typical anime style. I'll speak more about them in the spoilers section, but they do a wonderful job at maintaining the tone of the show, as to not let it get too dark, and forming a clear divide between the events of the two parts.

Oh goshhh the Gadolls look so cool. I'm so obsessed with cool monsters in anime and woah they look awesome!! They're original, with cool designs that I haven't seen elsewhere. The show could've so easily slapped in some pretty typical-looking dragons or wolves or whatever, but they instead spent time on these epic creatures, and it's so worth it! It makes the setting that much more unique and allows it to stand out from other animes.

Surely there's a flaw in this anime? The pacing, maybe?: 9/10. Yeah, I would argue that the pacing is Deca-Dence's weakest point. Not that the pacing is particularly bad compared to other shows! I still think that, for a 12-episode anime, it does a wonderful job of fitting in a large amount of plot into only about 5 hours! But, at some points, parts felt rushed or confusing, as the show would zoom into them. I never felt like I was truly lost, though. Even if I did wish that there was a break from the action, I never found myself really thinking that the show was leaving me behind in the dust. It's not the kind of show that you can turn on and leave running while you multitask, though. Blink for too long and you might miss something important, which can ruin some of the hard-hitting twists that the anime works so hard to build up.

OK! Time for spoilers! I beg you, go watch the anime before you read past this, because it's totally worth it!!

Woahh episode 2 am I right?? I thought that I clicked into the wrong anime when I began it, it took such a wild turn, and so soon in the anime too. This is what I really mean when I talk about a show not being what it appears to be! Again, I really encourage you to watch it for yourself, but if you're that stubborn on reading this through before you turn it on:

Deca-Dence is not about the heart-wrenching battles between Gears and their desperate attempts to keep humanity alive, because Gears are just avatars for cyborgs! You see, there's a civilization of cyborg people who are living above the Earth, who log in to fight in mobile fortress Deca-Dence as a game. So the Gadolls are genetically grown as prey for the Gears and the entire story surrounding Deca-Dence's battles are scripted. Crazy right!? The best part: the Tankers aren't in on this at all. You heard me: Natsume and her human friends have no idea that Deca-Dence is staged.

From here, Deca-Dence has two distinct parts: we'll call them "Natsume's half" and "Kaburagi's half". Natsume's half refers to the mobile fortress, the Tankers who live unaware of the cyborgs, and the art style that premiered in the first episode. Kaburagi's half is the Solid Quake organization, the Gears who are avatars of the cyborgs, and the goofy, stylized art style with big lines and bright colors.

The twist and the diverging sides of the story set this show up as not your typical sci-fi anime, but as something a little deeper. The stakes are the same, as humanity is in just as much peril as it was before - it becomes abundantly clear that the Gears and cyborgs don't care about them - but the name of the game completely changes as you realize that our so-called "heroes" aren't really all that heroic, and there's a lot more going on.

Kaburagi is, of course, one of these cyborgs, cursed to live among the Tankers because of a mistake he made while playing as a Gear. Now, he's in charge of eliminating "bugs", or mistakes that the system finds. He's upset with his life, frustrated at what he's doing, and contemplating suicide. But when Natsume walks into his life, a little girl that the system considers legally dead, Kaburagi sees a chance to rebel, even the slightest, against the system. He's supposed to kill Natsume, but instead, he takes her under his wing, determined to protect what he's been instructed to eliminate. This development gives their relationship a deeper meaning, even if Natsume doesn't know it.

Deca-Dence does a wonderful job at showing the watchers both sides of the story but keeping Natsume's side in the dark. Even though we see scenes from Kaburagi's side, Natsume knows nothing about them. When Kaburagi leaves after Hugin kills his avatar, Nastume doesn't know where he's gone and has no reason to believe that he hasn't run away. There's no way she could guess that Kaburagi's new form - his weird orange Gear avatar - is the mentor that she once knew. And when Kaburagi, back in his original form, is killed in front of her, she really believes that he is dead. When Natsume finds out about the truth of the Gadolls - that the world she knows is fake - her horror is palpable and realistic, because there's no way she could've known any better.

Kaburagi's world has a goofy style to it, with the cyborgs looking cartoonish rather than realistic. While it might initially seem off-putting, I think that it ends up balancing the tone of the story much better. Consider the hellscape that is the reform facility that Kaburagi visits. Imagine how dark it would've been if it was not in a silly style! By keeping the style cuter rather than realistic, the show doesn't dip too far into dark and gritty, and I really liked it!

It also set up this harsh divide between Kabruagi's half, where things are easygoing, done for pleasure and fun, and not nearly as harsh as Natsume's world (Look at the name of the series! Decadence literally means living in excessive luxury!). Even when the cyborgs are in their Gear forms, which are drawn in Natsume's style, they're still a lot more colorful and vivid, showing that their lives aren't as harsh as that of the Tankers. The art styles reflect the differences between the two halves and give them both distinct tones and personalities!

& finally, let's take an in-depth look at one scene!: I had a really hard time picking what I thought summed up the series in a single scene. In the end, I think that Natsume and Kaburagi's discussion at the end of episode 7 was the best. Here, we see a culmination of a lot of the character development going on. Kaburagi, in this scene, is in a Gears avatar that Natsume doesn't recognize, meeting her for the first time since his normal avatar was killed. Natsume's been working with the Tankers to protect them from Gadolls that infiltrated the fortress, and she's motivated them all to rise up and fix the hole in the fortress themselves.

Kaburagi has encouraged Natsume to be a stronger person, even though she had to be independent and not rely on him any longer. His pessimistic view on the world - that they'll never defeat the Gadolls - has rubbed off on her, but it's only made her more determined to be stronger to stand up to them. In this scene, we see her breaking down as she considers that Kaburagi might be right, and that she'll never kill them all, but that she needs to continue fighting.

Though Kaburagi previously doubted Natsume and her endless determination, he now feels filled with the same motivation. Natsume has convinced him, time and time again, that he can't give up, and so he decides that he's willing to do anything to make sure that she never loses that hope. He wants her dreams to come true, and he knows that she can't accomplish them alone.

This perfectly shows the effects that they have on one another. Natsume is now stronger than she's ever been: independent, able to take down Gadolls on her own, and determined enough to patch up the hole that no one else thought could be fixed. Kaburagi, in stark contrast to his suicidal thoughts from episode two, is now completely devoted to make the world a safe place for Natsume. Their relationship has shaped one another into being the best versions of themselves, and this isn't even the end! They still complete their growth in the last few episodes, but I've rambled about them enough.

We're done!: That's my review of Deca-Dence! I really believe that it's one of the masterpiece animes in recent years, and I wish it got more attention. I'm sure that there's plenty of anime out there like this one - forgotten diamonds in the rough - that I'd love to dig up and fawn over. Tell me if you know any! Or, if you disagree with my review, tell me where you think I'm wrong!

[fullmarvelheart]

Manhattan Incident

Pairing: Avengers x Enhanced!OFC

Word Count: 2,162

Warnings: Swearing, mentions of traumatic past, insomnia, passing out(..?)

A/N: Welcome to Chapter 1! I hope you all enjoy the story as well as the characters! Image is not my own. All rights go to the original creator.

Series Masterlist

I roll over and stare at my ceiling for what feels like the millionth time this night. Sleepless nights like this are not uncommon for me, unfortunately. Too many memories swirl in my head, bad memories at that.

The bright red numbers on the clock read 3:30am. I groan as I drag my hands across my face in frustration. Knowing that I'd just keep getting annoyed at myself, I tiredly throw the covers off my body and decide to go on an early morning run to relax my mind. 

When I step out into the crisp night, it feels as if a bucket of cold water has been thrown on me and I instantly feel awake.

I smile to myself as I lock the door behind me and stuff my key in the pocket of my leggings. It's a miracle I even found leggings with pockets! The cold air feels refreshing compared to my hot and stuffy bedroom. It helps ease my overactive mind.

The sound of my pounding footsteps on the pavement is music to my ears as I just focus only on that. It's extremely more pleasant that the hustle and bustle of cars and people that plague the New York  streets during the day.

I feel the energy flowing into each building and through each living thing as I pass by, though I try my best to ignore it.

The streets of Brooklyn are eerily silent besides the few garbage cans being rummaged through by raccoons or even some people. The few people that were still up stare at me, but I don't stop, I can't stop.

The slower I run, the more the memories start to return, the more the pain returns, the louder my thoughts get. I push my body harder, faster, to almost inhuman like speeds. I try to hold myself back as I feel my muscles screaming for a break. Though, the want to not hold back at all and run even faster than normally possible is strong, but my mind fights me on that. It fights me on both of those things.

Keep running!

No, don't! Stop!

Blend in, don't go faster!

Run faster! As fast as you know you can!

It's frustrating, and painful.

I begin to focus on my surroundings and realize I have no idea where I am. I slow to a stop before hunching over, ignoring the dull throbbing in my head that's beginning to form, hands on my knees in order to catch my breath. I could easily replenish my strength but I can't, I won't. Not after everything. Not while there is still a risk. I had finally found a place to settle, I'm not going to ruin that now.

I let out a loud sigh into the quiet night as I straighten up. My hand moves behind my head and allows my dirty-blond colored locks to fall out of the ponytail it was in. I begin to redo it when I hear a low rumble. I freeze, thinking I was encountering an earthquake, but the ground isn't trembling and it doesn't sound... natural. Small strands of my now loose blond hair brush across my face as the breeze gently tosses it around. The sound grows steadily louder and I begin the look around when I see it in the sky.

It looks like a star, about to collide with Earth. As it gets closer, I can't find the will to move away. It strikes, causing me to stumble to the ground. I raise up my hands to create an energy field around me for protection and notice nothing hits it. Lowering my hands, and ignoring the messy strands of hair across my face, I notice there's a some sort of bright beam.

"It almost looks like a rainbow." I whisper to myself as I stand and feel the raw power pulse within it.

The light suddenly fades, the blackness of the late night returning almost instantly. When my eyes grow accustomed to the dark, I notice a figure, shakily pushing themselves off the ground. They're no human, I'm certain of that. They radiate more power than anything I've ever felt in my life on Earth. It's weak, but still very much there. I can only stare at this person, my feet frozen to the ground.

When they stand up, their head falls back before they drag their hands down their face. By their side profile, I can tell it's a man. A man with what appears to be a cape, groaning in the middle of the street. He looks tall, strong, and has wavy long hair. I'm... intrigued by his sudden presence here, of all places.

Suddenly a bright golden light, with a bit of a greenish tint erupts from the center of his chest and cascades over his whole body. The cape disappears. I quietly gasp in awe. The power, I can feel it, I can feel it's uniqueness. However, the gasp wasn't quiet enough.

His head snaps towards me and I can see his fist clenching in the dark. Still, I stand there frozen.

But then I feel a presence behind me, a weak one of the man's.

A shadow maybe... I muse to myself.

He walks faster, with a purpose. He extends his arms creating two small but sharp daggers. He's still a bit away from me but I don't give him the chance to come much closer. Draining the power of the shadow behind me, and using what little strength I have from lack of sleep, I send an energy ball at him that glows a brilliant light blue before it knocks the man back several feet.

He lands with a thud and I don't give him the chance to attack again. Using the power lines running underneath the street, I teleport back to my room in my small home.

"Damn it!" I curse, flopping down on the bed, exhaustion weighing on my bones.

It's alright, I just need to lay low now... No one is up at this hour. No one saw... Hopefully they won't find me... 

.

.

.

A few hours later and I had finished eating breakfast. Turning on the early morning news, I drink my cup of coffee on the couch, relishing in the taste that touches my tongue and the warmth that flows down my throat. I lazily glance at the clock then look back at the TV.

Wait...

I look back over at the clock hanging on my wall and my eyes shoot open in alarm.

Crap! I'm going to be late for work!

I chug the rest of my drink, annoyed at the fact I can't savor it as I planned. Grabbing my keys and my purse, I dash outside. Let's just say I am pushing "on-time" when I get there. I throw open the door to the little café I work at and hurriedly weave my way through the customers.

"Eh, look who made it." One of my co-workers, Anna, says sarcastically. "Hey, everyone!" She calls back to our other co-workers. "Saddie's here!" I chuckle with her as this happens every-so-often... maybe like every other work day... yeah... I punch in and grab my apron before hurriedly tying it as I walk towards the front of the store.

She's still giggling to herself as I pull my hair back.

"Shut up Anna, I was on time." I say with a small smile.

"Barely." She chuckles.

I was about to reply when I happened to glance at the TV. I gasp, staggering back with a hand over my month. Everything else around me fades. On the news is an image of a Q-Ship flying over Manhattan, one of Thanos' many ships. Then the people running in a panic outside draws my attention.

Damn, why is it always New York?

"Everybody run!" Anna screams, causing a panic. I find myself running too, but towards the danger.

I push myself through the people, moving them slightly out of my way with my ability, but not significantly enough for them to tell. I look up towards the ship that I can now see for myself. Iron Man's suit flies over the horizon of panic and I grow suddenly nervous. I can't believe I'm going to do this... Without any warning, someone forcibly shoves my shoulder, causing me to lose balance. Before I hit the ground, strong arms wrap around me and drag me to the side of crazed people.

"Watch where you're going, mortal. Anyone of them would have trampled you. You're lucky I was there." An accented voice says dangerously close to my ear while slightly laced with amusement and what sounds like terror.

I feel it before I even look at him, the energy... it's the same as the man's... the one from last night.

I snap my head in the direction of his voice and come face to face with bright emerald green eyes. I push myself away with a force I don't usually use on normal humans.

But he's far from human.

He goes flying into the wall, then looks back at me, stunned as I regain my footing, before realization crosses his face. I don't take time to look at him more but instead continue towards the chaos, forcefully ripping off my apron in the process. I run into the middle of the street to find one of Thanos' Children I recognize as the bastard Ebony Maw, disappearing on his whirlwind of debris chasing after a red flying blur.

I feel for a current running under the city and use that to teleport closer to Maw. Running after them is easier said than done. Debris and abandoned cars create an obstacle course for me to weave around. Instead of doing that, I continually teleport near him. It's faster but still tiring to do.

I eventually notice Spider-Man swinging to reach the same red blur. Maw tries to catch the red mass using light posts and eventually snags it, though a man falls out. I gasp in horror, freezing, watching him fall when Spider-Man swings between the buildings keeping the other man from falling. Too many males in this fight... geez... You all need some estrogen!

I stop, only a couple hundred feet away when feel the hum of energy that surges through the ship. The transport beam activates, sucking the man in the air while the Sider-Man tries desperately to hold him back. Maw starts to use his powers to lift up the post Spider-Man is clinging onto. Snapping out of my observational trance, I conjure an energy ball and aim it at Maw. He doesn't notice until it's too late. He flies backwards from the force of the collision, but manages to remain conscious, to my annoyance. Using his powers to prevent his fall, he straightens up and turns to me with that haunting smirk of his.

Objects begin to fly at me and I create as many energy shields as I can, blocking their path. I create a bubble around myself before draining the currents underneath me to send out a shockwave. The flying objects are pushed away or are obliterated, windows are blown in and shatter, cars fly out of the street and into the buildings, stone and brick crack and crumble from the force. Maw goes flying back also, unable to block my ability.

Feeling slightly drained, I fall to my knee. I look up to see Maw picking himself up from the ground. He sends me a snarl before jumping into the beam as well.

Panic floods my system as he disappears and the beam stops. I groan as I push myself to my feet and begin to run after them, convincing myself I could still help them from here. An idea comes to me and I come to a stop before focusing on the feel of the Q-Ship. It's energy is so powerful, I'm terrified. I haven't practiced with my powers lately, I barely have enough energy to do this after what I've already done. I have no idea if this will even work. But I have to help, somehow... I have to try!

I have to help to make up for that day. The day that I couldn't save her. The day I lost the other half of me. The day my twin was ripped away from this life. And I have to make up for everything since, in someway.

I reach out to the power source, and begin to drain the ship. My hands shake as I do so, the energy feels too heavy. I should have gotten closer. But the ship begins to move, I-I c-can't...

More power is pushed through the ship, enough to move it through the atmosphere. It's getting farther... too far.

The world begins to spin and I collapse. Though, I feel someone's arms holding onto me, preventing me from hitting the hard pavement below.

Then the world goes black.

Chapter 2

[long-cosmos-overhead]

Oswald x Reader request coming in :D In which someone tries to rob him and though she is short and not that strong either she somehow saves him and though shes shaky and a bit panicked herself she grabs his hand and runs away. When they're save she asks if hes hurt and if he is ok and all though they don't know each other

(I do not own Gotham or its characters/ gif not mine)

Head down, work hard, mouth shut. The three rules you had been taught by everyone you ever came to meet. Gotham was brutal to say the least infected by crime, impaling fear, gangs and a composition of the most dangerous and mental people to grace the planet. Ever since you were able to comprehend words those ways of staying alive were drilled into your head to the point you dread not forget them. Thankfully you had witnessed little but the headlines on papers that strung across the street were the terrors of any sane man or woman alike replayed again and again. Truly they had lost their meaning, the fear and uncertainty of a cold murder spun only as a broken record. Old news seen before and most definitely to be seen again.

You had clocked off work early today, a rare but welcomed occasion. Your job was not strictly speaking very sustainable nor enjoyable. You didn’t intend to stay there long, you had no actual plan or blueprint of your life but somehow in the back of your mind you knew you’d throw in the towel and jump to the next job until you get bored and did it again. Not living luxury but spontaneous.

The streets you walked down were engraved into your head yet you didn’t even dare say you knew them. No one knows anything until it happens for even a house lived in a lifetime can still turn into a nightmarish fever dream. It was around four in the evening somewhat dark from the autumn setting into the sky which also caused fewer people to lurk around too long for the dark can be a cursed concept. Still few people braved the cold and gloom however their intent unknown. Head down and keep walking. This motto serving you well swaying danger opposite your direction.

You had walked a while only little under halfway left to go before reaching your apartment. The cobbled streets dark enough for weak street lamps to guide the rest of the way illuminating small circles of pavement. Your feet shuffled turning perhaps the worst corner of your route. A dark dingy alleyway. Dumpsters shoved aside the wall, cigarette butts littering the floor and a distant but strong smell of urine sometimes they’d even be a stray rat picking at the litter on the floor.

Today however the dumpsters and used cigarettes didn’t even cross your mind. A man stood feebly against a wall trapped by two other men clearly much taller and bigger than he was. It was clear by his every move he was scared and the men were not conversing in a friendly altercation. You should’ve walked away, found another way round and forgotten what you saw. Theft was common and the one thing you had been told all your life was to keep your head down and move along yet the man had you in his grasp something about him captivated you alluring you to go against every rule you’d been told.

He looked like a child and a man at the same time. A strange but rather fresh look compared to the city. Rather short and thin with an air of mystery and intellect. His hair was dark and messy something you found oddly attractive. He was almost an advancement, an attractive person who carried a strongly blended sense of submission and dominance. He felt like an opposing force not only to others but to himself. You saw huge amounts of intelligence and ambition beneath his eyes but clearly he knew he couldn’t hold in a fight his body language seeped it. You didn’t even know his name but you knew you had to save him. He was something far far different.

Head down. It was screaming at you, the voices of every person with sense who ever entered your life. The one thing they all wanted you to remember and abide by discarded all for the safety of a man you didn’t even know the name of. Years of teaching washed away over intrigue. If you were to carry anything with you it was the sense of good, the thrill of breaking through and the righteousness that followed by attempting to save a man for even if you failed your heart would be in the same place as if you had succeeded.

What followed was rather a blur. It wasn’t like those old but gold war and crime tv shows. It was messy, uncoordinated, rash and terrifying. You remembered running the wind whipping past your body almost trying to drag you back, to plead you to reconsider. You didn’t have to run for very long in fact it felt as if you had barely gotten started. You saw without seeing your body guiding you like in a dance, adrenaline exhilarating your blood flow. You could distinctly remember a sharp impact smashing right into the side of one man. You weren’t tall nor very strong yet he was thrown off balance hopping to the side as if he tripped.

For a moment no one moved or at least they looked as if they had forgotten how to. Your adrenaline left and you stood as a little girl arm throbbing from charging into another triple the body mass of you. How foolish it was of you to believe you could do something against such beasts. A lifetime of knowledge spoilt. But then your eyes came to rest upon the very person you sought to save. His entire face expressed shock, fear, relief and a tinge of admiration. You didn’t know what it was about him but just like keys in the ignition you were revved up again. Determination clouding your eyes.

You knew you could not fight and by the body language and frame of the black haired man neither could he. Panic began to set a course, you were by far outmanoeuvred. The eyes of the robbers darkened their initial shock worn off and it was clear they had a different goal on the table.

You didn’t think when you laced your hand with the smooth skin that connected to him. You ran hand in hand like an old fashioned movie. His touch sent a spark through your body. Your cheeks flushed pink which you hoped momentarily would be mistaken for anything but his charm that grasped you so easily. Despite high tensions and a painfully fearful atmosphere he was gentle, so gentle. His grip was light yet heavy enough for his presence to be known, he didn’t grip your fingers painfully so they folded in on themselves neither did he run ahead and retreat from your grasp. He was naturally gentle.

You ran until your lungs ached and your legs groaned in protest. You both came to the conclusion that neither of you were willing nor capable to go any further. Your feet stopped pacing and you came to a standstill panting and beyond disbelief. The air having hit your throat enough to leave it stinging. It was rather mad. You and some man you’d never met holding hands in an unfamiliar alleyway desperately trying to catch your breath after almost getting murdered. It was so surreal it sounded like something straight from the pages of a dark romance.

“Thank you.”

His words were split by the sharp intake of air and heavy dosage of shakiness but it was a sound you immediately wished you could hear again and again. The corners of your mouth twitched upwards a little.

“You’re welcome.”

It was evident neither of you knew what to say, too consumed in shock and fear.

“Are you okay?” You asked discreetly running your eyes over his face and upper body scanning for injuries which you were relieved to find none.

He responded by turning the question on you his voice shaky and nervous but genuine. He was as rare as gold in a dumpster anyone else would’ve straightened themselves up and walked off not even taking one look at you let alone ask about your well-being.

“J-just a bit banged up.”

His eyes morphed from confusion to somewhat greatful and sympathetic. He knew you were a keeper just the way you held his hand made butterfly’s flap wildly in his stomach let alone be lucky enough to find someone to defend a stranger from a gang of thugs.

“I got a place not to far.” He cut off seeming afraid. He really wanted to get to know you and thankfully you grasped at the hint.

“Let’s go -,”

“Oswald. Oswald Cobblepot.” His name seemed fitting to his appearance it felt natural as if any other name wouldn’t have been able to serve him the same justice.

“Y/n L/n.” Oh he loved you already. Everything about you had him stunned. Your bravery, your kindness, your voice even your name had him in a pit of deep desire.

You both walked side by side like old friends down the cobbled streets already infatuated with one another setting the scene for something incredibly special.

[blake-belladonna-defence-force]

Helloo! I love your work. If you need a prompt, try this: Flirty Bumblebee (Dating, married, whatever you'd like), and they're sparring against each other with a bet, and they flirt with each other as a distraction (Verbal, visual, whatever you'd like). Keep up the great work!

Not so much during the fight but there’s definitely some comments being thrown around!

Mostly because this is set during their first sparring match and Yang is trying to show off a little.

Blake humours her new partner’s antics a little.

A little idea as to how their team attack was born.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

“Students, throughout your time here at Beacon, you will be expected to regularly spar with your partner. Can anyone tell me why? Miss Belladonna?”

Yang glanced at her new partner as Professor GoodWitch called on her, hands folded neatly on the table.

“Sparring with our partners will allow us to better learn their specific fighting styles.” Blake said smoothly. “It helps us learn the ins and outs of not only how they fight, but how their semblance works; thus allowing us to work as a more cohesive unit and fight more effectively as a partnership.”

Yang raised an eyebrow at her partner. Clever.

“Very well put, Miss Belladonna.” Professor GoodWitch said praised. “Perhaps you and your partner would like to be the first to spar together this morning?”

Yang glanced at Blake and shrugged.

“I’m game if you are.” She said with a grin.

“Sure.” Blake smirked, rolling her eyes in amusement.

Well… better that she was amused by Yang’s antics than annoyed, right?

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Yang grinned across the sparring arena at Blake and winked playfully.

“You know, Belladonna…” She drawled as Blake quirked a curious eyebrow at her. “I could take it easy on you, if you ask nicely.”

“Oh?” Blake smirked, crossing her arms and cocking her hip. “And why would I do that?”

“So you don’t get embarrassingly defeated by me.” Yang grinned, playful arrogance dripping from her voice as they circled one another, the other students watching excitedly.

Yang’s eyes widened in alarm when Blame faded away.

‘Oh grapes! She used her semblance!’ Yang thought to herself as she checked every direction and failing to find a trace of her partner. ‘Where is she?!’

Her answer came in the shape of a blade pressing against her throat, flat of the blade lifting her chin up as Blake smirked at her. Yang let out a nervous laugh.

“I think I’ll be just fine…” Blake said quietly, tilting her head to the side slightly. “Besides, I’m not one to ask for things.”

And with that, Blake swung her cleaver towards Yang who just barely got out of the way, landing on her feet and letting out a surprised laugh.

“Feisty. I like that.” She called to Blake, winking cheekily. “Not enough to stop me from getting back at you for that.”

She used her gauntlets to propel towards Blake, a delighted laugh leaving her.

Blake blocked her first punch but ended taking a second to her solar plexus before using her semblance to launch herself back.

The two stared each other down before Yang smirked.

“Care to make this interesting?”

“How so?”

“Loser has to take the team out for drinks?”

“You’re on.”

And with that, the two launched towards each other, trading blow for blow and block for block. Blake’s agility kept her just out of reach of Yang so that the brawler couldn’t grapple her while Yang was physically stronger and could stun Blake for a moment if she got close enough.

‘I just need to get close, stun her and then overwhelm her.’ Yang thought as she dodged double strike. ‘She’s strong, smart and agile. I just need her to slip up once.’

Blake threw her pistol at Yang, wrapping the ribbon around her forearm as Yang blocked and pulling. Yang was expecting to be thrown off balance.

She was not prepared to be sent flying past Blake and into the ground as the girl swung her around. She glanced up, dazed, as Blake appeared above her, planting one foot on her chest and digging her heel in slightly to keep her pinned and levelled Gambol Shroud at her throat once more.

“I hope you understand that not everyone would get away so easily with trying to goad me.” Blake said, chest heaving, as she grinned down at Yang.

“Aw, I knew I could win you over.” Yang huffed, smile growing larger by the minute.

“Green tea, spoonful of honey. No sugar. No milk.”

“What?” Yang glanced up at Blake in confusion.

“You lost. That’s what I drink.”

“Hey, it ain’t over yet!”

Blake simply quirked an elegant brow (she did that a lot, Yang was noticing) and gestured to their Auras.

They were extremely close. But Yang’s had just dipped into the red.

“Oh.” Yang shrugged. “I guess I’m buying drinks.”

Blake rolled her eyes, placing her weapon on her back and holding out her hand to help Yang up.

“Good to see you can take a loss.” She smiled up at her.

“I can also take you out.” She said playfully, grinning at an bemused Blake.

“On a date or with a sniper rifle?”

“That’s my little secret.” Yang winked. “Gotta keep things interesting.”

“Oh.” Blake chuckled, cheeks pink as she pattedYang’s shoulder and walked back to the change rooms. “I think you’re plenty interesting already, Yang. In fact, I look forward to seeing what else you’re capable of, partner.”

Yang stared after her in stunned silence for a moment, an unexpected warmth flooding her cheeks. That was… a thing.

A sudden thought occurred to her as she walked after Blake.

‘Wait… she could totally throw me towards our opponents, giving me an even more powerful strike.’ She thought excitedly to herself. Her mind was already running though the necessary maths and physics in order to calculate the requirements for such a move if Blake were to agree to it.

Yang got the distinct feeling that this was the start of something special.

[elizabethrobertajones]

You know, I desperately want Destiel to be end game as much as anybody, but somedays I think I would just be content if the show just textually acknowledged that Dean's bi. Something as simple as a dude at a bar asking Dean to come home w/ him while they're on a case and Dean saying something like "any other day I'd take you up on that but I can't tonight." IDK the subtext that Dean is bi is strong enough that I can't say the GA would be shocked by it and it would just be a nice textual nugget.

Hey, sorry it took so long to answer this, I’ve not been at my best for ages… Been thinking about this all week though :P 

I think it feels to me like the general audience can discard or mentally discredit an AWFUL lot of implication and direct hints - there have been comments and moments in many bits of media which imply directly or with heavy innuendo that a character may be interested in a non-hetero way to someone - especially things like teasy moments… 

Thinking of things like in HIMYM there’s an ongoing joke about Lily having a crush on Robin, but since she’s with Marshall the entire show, it doesn’t really go anywhere, and when they do kiss the dynamic swaps and Robin is left with kind of a crush on her and Lily’s over it and it’s all a joke, and even though they kissed it was a lol girls kissing is hot joke for the whole show, and it never turned into a discussion of sexuality, even if they would both happily stay married in their heterosexual marriages. (And… Uh. Robin stays married okay, I’m pretty sure that was the alternate ending in the DVD unless I hallucinated it out of sheer frustration >.>) Anyway to me it seems pretty natural to read both of them a little queer to full on bi, and if it had gone even a little bit differently Lily especially could be good representation for a bi woman in a relationship with a man who just happens to have ended up falling in love with him and that’s normal and doesn’t invalidate her sexuality? But yeah. No such nuance, so this whole thing barely registers for people and in general people would think it’s all a joke. 

I mean, even Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, which is where that Getting Bi song comes from, has an episode where the main character has a huge rival-crush on the girlfriend of the guy she’s into, and gets so into her she even kisses her, but there’s no exploration of what that means to her and when her boss comes out as bi with that number, no exploration of if she might be as well, even if all these characters eventually might feel more comfortable defining themselves as straight it’s just weird to me there’s all these jokes about it which can go as far as kisses, use overly romantic language or a long-running joke of Lily heavily coming onto Robin or something, and yet unless you’re like a magpie collecting all this stuff it’s all still just noise. 

I bet a ton of people would not even have considered the characters were not-straight, even when directly pointing their eyes at this moment, consider it all as a joke or that it’s just something straight people do sometimes because of the cultural massive repression of bisexuality and the indications in more liberal times and places that when polled people will be majority queer to straight with at least some bi leanings… There’s all these headlines about gen Z being the gayest generation yet, but it’s not something in the water, it’s that previous generations have never dared be as open or consider that they’re non-straight, especially if they are easily attracted to people heterosexually… 

I think the Aaron scene was 90% of the way to what you are describing, minus Dean giving him a raincheck overtly, and Aaron admits it was a ruse before any further tension can follow. I think, having snooped a lot of blog archives in my time, that really was a turning point that got a lot of people convinced of the textual possibilities, especially with the director/writer commentary basically confirming it. And obviously it didn’t work to make EVERYONE see it, although fandom swelled that season and it was a very dramatic moment in the history of bi!Dean and Destiel within fandom. 

To give another example from outside the show, I’ve been watching Black Sails with my friend, who is very straight in mindset, and - major spoilers for that show ahead - the main character is confirmed to be overtly queer in the  middle of the second season. I think I know exactly the point I would have picked up this was a queer narrative in the first season, and what would have made me suspicious about the mysteriously un-revealed backstory. The build up to the reveal was amazing in the second season and I think if you didn’t get it you really need to do a rewatch, because my friend was utterly blindsided by the revelation, only catching on a scene before it happened (she does like guessing and is smart at TV if she knows all the cues to start with). But she’s - sorry - at sea with the character’s motivations and reasons, and understands his earlier actions almost completely backwards to me as she took him on face value for far too long without suspecting there was more than treasure and restoring his name on order, and not understanding his motives to be so political or to want to burn the entire system down or his utter alienation from the system; even after the reveal she didn’t understand the degree to which things were on the line or the forces pressuring him one way or the other. 

(I find it really interesting and I’m not really disagreeing with her, I’m curious how the surface layer all reads tbh :P) 

In any case, I don’t really have much confidence in a wider general audience taking throwaway moments to be full canon, and generally would need declarations and inescapable discussion or plot arcs for it. I think in some ways the trail is being blazed now - when Rosa came out as bi in b99 it had a sort of special episode educating you on it as much as being very sympathetic for bi people to watch and see literally a bulletpoint list of their issues and weird things people say about it acted out on screen. The subplot is basically the masterclass in addressing it. 

(So is the Getting Bi song :P although it covers less of the issues overall, it does make it fun and normalises the idea into a dance routine and deals with someone discovering the label for themselves and being thrilled it makes their life make sense.) 

I don’t think spn should do anything quite so specific or hilarious, but I love @bluestar86‘s concept of an episode which uses flashbacks to reveal Dean’s bisexuality - basically like with Robin in 9x07, but I think even just showing it was a childhood crush and he never figured it all out at the time but meeting the guy later in life makes things make a lot of sense or something… And we already have a template for that without going all the way into it with his reaction to meeting Gunnar Lawless, a childhood celebrity crush. So there’s paths to take which could do it.

But ultimately I think the issue is so messed up and tangled into the main arc that it would be next to impossible to confirm Dean is bi without having an utter drama about why not Destiel, as the two concepts are not, at this point, really separate or that you could have one without the other, though it would be easier to not address Dean’s sexuality in any way of assigning labels or having more than the immediately necessary self-reflection to deal with feelings for Cas without exploring deeper… (Not that I like that idea, it’s just, they could, you know? Not even in a “i don’t like labels” way but just something like Dean going “huh” and then getting together with Cas and literally no one ever makes a fuss or starts up a dialogue about why they’re now holding hands :P) 

But it’s been such a ridiculous, epic, drawn out relationship on screen that making Dean bi independent of Cas would seem bizarre and off-balance without addressing his relationship to Cas. Just because they have such an intense relationship, and within the text of the show are many many references to their relationship on many different levels, from snide comments to enormous declarations. None of this happens in isolation to other storylines or character depth. With the momentum and depth it has in the story, making Dean bi would be seen as a precursor to Destiel, and at this point cruel and strange not to address it and would beg the question of why they ever confirmed him bi in the first place, if not to leave the ship unresolved to the end but to be open for us to imagine it might happen one day when the story is over - or not, if we don’t ship it, and it’s the way to thread a needle to try and keep everyone happy. Which I’m not sure would work except for the people who very specifically would advocate for bi Dean but don’t think a ship is necessary. I mean, I know that’s a chunk of the Dean fandom, and it’s a valid way to read the text, and of course a lot of Destiel shippers are fully aware Dean is bi without any special interference from Cas about that :P 

And, I mean, in the same way, Cas’s story isn’t ALL about Dean and he has a lot of personal growth that doesn’t have to do with him or happens in spite of him in some cases. But it’s still inextricable from Cas’s character how much he loves Dean and how much Dean has meant to him, and they crossed the line of Cas loving Dean, unrequited or not, a long time ago, and Cas has been existing in a subtextual agony of being in love with Dean but seemingly unrequited for a very long time now, as that line was crossed before several season renewals made it  a painful wait for him. This doesn’t exist in a void to Dean’s sexuality either. 

So, I mean, I don’t know. I disagree with you about the general audience thing entirely, and I think this exchange you imagine could easily be absorbed by the GA to not really credit it as a full part of Dean’s character, laugh it off as a joke from him no matter how seriously he delivers it, and generally not remember him as a bisexual character. Because to straight viewers, they aren’t seeking out sexuality hints and confirmations, and such things don’t really affect their view of a character unless it becomes a textual romance. It has all the meaning sucked from it by their lack of interest and inability to sympathetically mould the character’s inner life based on their own experiences that match. If they’re not making a study of the character, these things can be dismissed as white noise, and in a few years time, a Buzzfeed article of “10 Pop Culture Characters You Never Knew Were Gay!” or something.

And it’s like, yes. We knew. We knew all along. We knew before it happened. But that doesn’t affect how people think of it.

So it feels to me like the only way if they wanted to make a real point of Dean being bi is to have the frank discussion, and devote a proper subplot amount of time to Dean’s sexuality, enough that it is clear and inescapably affecting him, or to confirm it via a relationship which would in this case conveniently by answered by the angel he’s been subtextually pining for for years, and who has his own arc of being pretty overtly in love with Dean to answer… should the show decide to go with addressing Dean’s sexuality, they have put a LOT of work into having this relationship ready and waiting, I’m just saying :P And if they only had an Aaron but x10 scene, it would STILL not really affect anything except layers below GA  - there’ll be more queer viewers who see it for the first time, and within these four walls it will obviously never be forgotten and will be a huge part of how Dean is celebrated by fandom, but I just can’t see it making an impact unless it’s more than a passing moment, because those get swallowed by a heteronormative void…

[sportyheroesimagines]

Hey there! I was wondering if I could request a Kirishima x reader imagine where they're both heroes and he goes out of his way to protect her in battle and she has no idea why until he confesses? Sorry it was so long. I completely understand if you dont write it.

Honestly, I’m not sure what happened here. This is so long … it seems I lost control. Oh, and here is the return of my kinda OC Blacksmith. Requests featuring her if you guys are interested: Request 1, Request 2

Kirishima knows you can take care of yourself. Everyone knows that Blacksmith is more than capable of handling herself, especially in a fight. It’s where you thrive, where you felt most alive. You are a young goddess of war, a master of combat. Knowing you for three years now, Kirishima knows that fact about you. He knows that very well.

You are locked in a heated exchange of blades. The villain Necroma, a burly, blond man, a mass of muscle and impressive height with a blood-soaked grin, matches every blow with a shocking intensity. You knock him back, trying to create a bit of distance between you. The sword in your right hand transforms into a dagger with a golden flash of your eyes. You throw it at his head, and he dodges. But you are already on him with your gauntlet covered hand in a fist ready to strike. Necroma’s body goes limp before your fist connects. You look around. He reanimates one of the multiple bodies laying on the battlefield. His new form brings down his massive blade. Your eyes flash gold as the gauntlet in your hands extends into a spear. The ground buckles underneath you as you are forced into the earth by his brute strength. You let his sword slide down your staff, knocking him off balance. You bring your leg and connect your foot with his face; he is send stumbling to the side, crashing into the wall. You run up to him as your other wrist guard and spear transform into dual swords.

You are a goddess of battle. Anyone can see it, every villain you faced can feel it in your monstrous power, and Kirishima knows it. He does. But it doesn’t stop him from running to you in the midst of battle. Because your back is turned … and because you don’t realize Necroma has used his Quirk to put his soul into another corpse … and because he is so desperately in love with you.

Ever since the day when you stopped that massive slab of concrete from crushing him, he’s had feelings for you. That’s why he has to get to you in time. It’s the same reason why you can’t die.

He hasn’t told you yet.

“Blacksmith!”

You turn, eyes wide, but Kirishima is already in front of you, taking the blow in place of you. The blade shatters against his hardened skin. Necroma’s new body hums. 

“A Hardening Quirk, eh? I think I have the perfect body for that. But first,” he says, grabbing Kirishima’s face mask and sending him flying away from you.

“Red Riot!” you scream as the body behind you reanimates, wrapping his arm around your neck. He strips the metal from your body, leaving your bare and vulnerable.

“Red Riot, Beta Team is clear! They have the target. Leave with them now! Complete the mission!”

“No! I can’t!”

“Are you an idiot? Complete the mission! Leave while you can!”

“I can’t leave you!”

“Why not? I’m telling you to get out of here! You’d better follow my orders!”

There you go again. Always trying to save him. From the first time he met you, you were always coming to his recuse, saving him. It always seemed so natural to you. You always moved without hesitation. Even now, your voice does not waver when you tell him to run. Kirishima pushes to his hands and knees. 

He’s always felt bad for harboring these feelings. He felt even worst holding onto them for all these years. But he never felt worthy of sharing how he’s felt. How could he confess his feelings to someone he couldn’t even protect. What kind of man did that make him? Kirishima stumbles to his feet, coughing. He is going to be the one to save you this time. He is finally going to be able to tell you. 

Kirishima roars, bumping his fist together and charging at you. 

“Hmm, so he’s getting back up?” the body holding you purrs, “I didn’t think he has the strength. No matter. Soul Splitter.”

Another body animates on the field. This one is a tall blue-haired male with straight hair and black lifeless eyes like the rest of them. He rushes Kirishima, knocking his fist into his stomach. Kirishima’s eyes cross as the air is knocked out of his lungs. He looks down at the man’s fist. It shouldn’t have hurt. He should’ve been able to harden. Why didn’t he harden?

“I’ve told you that I had the perfect Quirk for you. This person could weaken the bonds between atoms. I assume your Quirk uses carbon to harden your skin.”

Necroma smirks, grabbing Kirishima’s hand and yanking him towards his waiting fist. A sickening crunch resonates in Kirishima’s ears as the thick taste of iron fills his mouth. He stumbles backwards, spitting out globs of blood. Kirishima takes a wild swing, disoriented, but still fueled by his hero spirit and the sound of you screaming his name. Necroma snorts, easily catching his hand. He brings his powerful fist down on Kirshima’s stomach as he breaks bonds and attacks the vulnerable skin. 

“Red Riot!” you scream when Necroma picks up a piece of metal, jamming it into his stomach, “Red Riot, no!”

Necroma snorts again, lifting Kirishima by his throat, “You should have run when she gave you the chance. You aren’t nearly as adept in battle as she is. Did you want to prove something to her? Your masculinity? Well now both of you are going to die.”

You flinch when you hear more grunts and whimpers from Kirishima. He looks over at your through his swollen eyelids. You are still struggling against the body holding yours. You look around desperately for any metal that you can get your hands on. 

“You can only break the bonds of what your hands touch,” Kirishima whispers hoarsely, “So what’ll happen if I do this?”

Kirishima hardens his hand and tries to jab Necroma in his elbow. The villain catches his fist with a raised eyebrow. 

“Did you think that would work?”

“No, but this will.”

Necroma hisses when the toe of Kirishima’s boot connects with his chin. He throws the boy away from him, holding his jaw. Necroma brushes his blue hair back before rushing towards Kirishima with his hand extended. Kirishima’s eyes widen and everything slows for a second. His eyes move over to you. 

(Name), you know this might not be the best time or place … but … I feel like I need to tell you this. Because I might die, and I just gotta let you know. 

You are screaming, hair flying and tears streaming down your face as you fight against the body holding you.

I’ve always thought you were really cool, (Name). You were always so strong, and even though you had your own dreams … you never hesitated in protecting me. 

You sink your teeth into the arm wrapped around your neck. He doesn’t flinch or move a centimeter. Your mouth is only filled with the rancid taste of blood. You don’t understand, dammit. You don’t understand why won’t he just run.

I always thought you were way too cool. Even though we’re just about the same age, you were so much stronger than me … and gosh you’re pretty too … 

Necroma’s hand is inches from Kirishima’s face. 

I’ve had a crush on you ever since we met, you know. I wanted to prove myself to you. I wanted to prove myself to me … I guess it didn’t work out though. Is it cheating if I tell you my feelings anyway? Because … I just might die here. 

“Red Riot! Please don’t die!”

Kirishima blinks. His body reacts faster than he is able to think, catching Necroma’s wrist and sending his fist into his elbow joint. He hisses as the bones in his arm fracture. Kirishima stands on his wobbling feet. He picks up two pieces of rebar and looks at you through hazy, half-lidded eyes. Kirishima smiles at you. Even though blood mats his hair and dyes his sclera red, he still smiles at you. Jamming one bar into the hands of Necroma, he traps him against the ground as he roars in pain, and his body falls limp.

“Blacksmith!”

He throws the second piece of metal just before he collapses onto the ground. Your eyes flash golden as your fingertips brush over the rebar, transforming it into a dagger. You lodge the knife into your captor’s side. Necroma’s first body, the blond beast, loosens his grip on you. Picking up your wrist guard, you immediately fly to Kirishima’s side.

“Red Riot, I thought I told you to run, you idiot.”

His eyes crack open, “I … I couldn’t. You know … how can I be a man if I leave the girl I love behind? I … I love you …”

A blush covers your face, but you don’t have time to bask in the glow of his words. You lift his heavy body into your arms as you scan the multiple scattered bodies lying in the dirt. Nothing is moving. Even the air is still as your sharp eyes search for any flicker of movement. Nothing. Necroma must’ve hit a time limit and returned to his original body.

Now is your time. You hoist up Kirishima’s limp body, cradling him in your arms, and sprint away from the battlefield. Kirishima groans in your arms. He is watching you as the corners of his vision go black. You are saying something to him, but he can’t hear a word your saying. Now that he thinks about it … he can’t feel much of anything either. You’re still so cool though. Even when he tried to save you, you are still the one protecting him. How pathetic and uncool. He still isn’t good enough. Kirishima’s head lolls back as his eyelids flutter closed. 

He still isn’t good enough for you.