#that’s actually called tactical advantage and is very good

[the-daily-dreamer]

I swear at this point team black just looks for reasons to hate team green because tell me why every take I see from the previous episode about aemond is that he’s pathetic and a loser for turning around when he sees a bunch of huge dragons ready to jump him? That he only attacks when it’s an “unfair” fight (sneak attacks).

Like how is that a bad thing?? That’s smart. That’s called not going into an unwinnable fight (a la Rhaenys). That’s called fighting to your advantage. That’s called being good in battle.

At this point team green characters could sit in a room breathing and team black would find a way to complain about them or make fun of them.

[babygorewhore]

Psychoanalyze

Cooper Adams/Abbott x therapist!fem reader

Serial killer the Butcher is in your house. You have to use your training to keep yourself from becoming his next victim. But he has a surprising reaction to your survival tactic.

Gif credit belongs to @billy-crudup

Warnings! A lot. Talks of his crimes! Reader is a behavioral therapist at a hospital! Manipulation! Switch! Cooper! But he submissive at first. Mommy kink but only used once! Reader is vaguely described to be midsize range. Praise, Degrading, oral fem receiving, fingering, face slapping, spitting, scratching, hair pulling, unprotected sex, choking, stomach bulge. Cum eating? Filthy talk tbh. They’re both fucked up. Reader is dominated second half of fic. Finger sucking.

“Make sure to keep your doors locked, Mom. Set the alarm too.” You instruct your worried mother over the phone. You gave her a step by step reminder on how to alert the alarm just using her app.

You sighed and hung up after a few minutes. You saw the news earlier, reading the headline about Cooper being the Butcher. It made you feel cold and empty. Being a counselor, you are trained to study human behavior. He also happened to work close to you.

Still early in your career, you were working in the behavioral unit at the local hospital. The fire department was always called during emergencies and you saw him on a regular basis.

One afternoon, during a particularly chaotic shift, you had talked down a violent patient who had gotten a hold of a nurse.

Cooper watched you the whole time with a dark expression on his face and it made you feel on edge. He gave you a feeling that beneath his friendly, pep in his step, easy going act that there was something else. Something he hid away.

Turns out, it was worse than you could have imagined. Bodies, dismemberment and a seven year long manhunt over the man who’d vowed to save lives.

You finished chewing a piece of candy, tossing the trash in the garbage and turned around. You immediately covered your mouth as a gasp escaped you, losing your balance as your lower back hit the counter painfully.

Cooper was sitting at your table, tense and his hand was inches away from a knife. His plaid shirt was unbuttoned at the top. You swallowed back the urge to sprint, knowing he’d lunge at you and enjoy the fear.

“How did you get in?” You asked simply, straightening your spine.

“I have a key.” He answered in the same casual tone. You nodded and turned your head but Cooper cleared his throat. “I wouldn’t consider that. By the time you grab something or try and run, it’ll be too late.”

You weighed your options. Cooper was a very big man. Strong and stealthy. More than you anticipated. You could try anyway, use speed to your advantage but instead you tried another tactic.

“Cooper, if you leave and don’t hurt me, I won’t call the police for an hour. Giving you a good head start.”

“I like your confidence.” Cooper’s compliment sent shivers across your body and you clenched your fingers into a fist. The tension in the air was thick and he leaned forward.

“I would appreciate it if you sat down.” Although the statement was polite, you knew he wasn’t really asking. He was commanding you.

You eased yourself down onto the chair, your muscles flexing and he grazed his fingers along the knife handle. Cooper inhaled deeply and extended his hand.

“May I have your phone? I’d rather not take it from you.”

You gave him your device, making sure the screen was still locked and he tucked it in his pocket.

“You perplex me.” He tells you, making your eyebrows draw together. “Normally, I see someone who thinks they’re whole and I get the urge to tear them apart.” Cooper savors those last words, as if speaking them could make him relive his crimes. “But with you, I get the feeling that you don’t actually have things together. That it’s all an act.”

You were terrified. Every single nerve in your body was telling you to run away but Cooper’s dark eyes implored yours. Keeping you still and he set a firm palm on your arm. His touch was warm and you flinched.

“I want you to try and understand me. Watching you work is like watching…artwork.” He humorlessly laughed and your bottom lip quivered.

You searched your brain for any memory of what the news said about the Butcher. Organized offender, terrible relationship with his mother, position of authority. It was one thing to hear these things versus having a patient with these traits.

“I think you do really love your kids.” That you did know. You saw their picture as the background of his phone. The only sign of humanity showed when he talked about his children. Cooper gave you a small smirk.

“You…you want to be accepted for who you are. You want to be told that you’re enough. That you’re lovable.” You were grasping at straws but trying to sound collected.

Cooper looked away and you knew that hit a nerve. “You want someone to take care of you.” You continued and moved forward. “Am I on the right track?” He jerked his head in a nod.

“You’re a good boy and you can keep being one. If you just do the right thing and don’t hurt me.” You whispered, setting your hands on his knees. This was incredibly stupid and risky but Cooper blinked rapidly.

“I’m not going to hurt you anymore, Cooper. I promise. Just promise me that you’ll be a good boy?”

Your question went unanswered as he wrapped his arms around your waist. You yelped, your legs dangling as he carried you to the bedroom. Normally, you hated the idea of someone picking you up but Cooper easily hauled you on the bed. You landed in a heap on your back. You climbed on your elbows, watching him remove his shirt in the dim lighting.

His mountain sized form shook as he crawled on top of you. Cooper kept his weight from crushing you and you sighed in disbelief as he nuzzled his face in the crook of your neck.

The fact that a serial killer was in your bedroom, breathing against your skin shirtless made you half wonder if this was a dream. But your body was betraying you. Your senses were leaving as Cooper’s full lips pressed against your pulse point.

Your legs instinctively widened and he settled further in between them. His thick thighs covered in jeans rubbing against you. You had on pajama shorts, exposing your curves and he ran his hand down until it settled on your hip.

Cooper gave it a steady squeeze as his tongue darted out, tasting your skin and he groaned. Your nipples were hardening inside your hoodie and you ached to touch him but held yourself back. This was wrong, this was so incredibly wrong!

“Let me worship you,” He grunted and peppered kisses down your chest. Cooper tugged down the zipper of your shirt, exposing your tits and he took a nipple in his mouth.

His teeth grazed the bud and you whined. Back arching and he started sucking hard enough to leave marks. You hadn’t been fucked in a while, too busy with your job to spend time with anyone but Cooper’s desperate noises made your core pulse.

“Such pretty tits, you taste so good. I can’t wait to sample how sweet you are,” Cooper peeled off your shorts and underwear. You saw him slide them into his pocket before he distracted you with his mouth traveling down your stomach.

His hands were heavy and firm. Laced with age and calluses but he did have a gentleness that prevented unpleasant pain. Instead of pushing your legs as wide as possible, Cooper held your knees. Keeping your thighs high and you couldn’t squirm away.

All your thoughts merged together and seemed into the present moment. You didn’t think about how dangerous he was or that he broke into your house.

“You’re being such a good boy,” You whimpered and Cooper released a guttural moan. He hungrily sucked your clit, making you cry out and bury your hands in his hair.

The silky strands between your fingers were the only way you could ground yourself as he spit and licked up after himself. Your pussy clenched around his tongue and your entire body burned. Cooper wasn’t tentative at all like the other men you’d been with. He buried his entire face, his nose hitting your center and he humped the bed. You knew he wasn’t just eating you out for your pleasure, it was for his own too. You could barely breathe from the pressure in your stomach and lungs as he held your knees tighter.

Your ass was almost off the mattress as Cooper devoured your cunt. His large size gave you a small reality check that he could easily kill you. You shrieked when you released one leg and pressed two girthy fingers inside you. He was able to reach the deepest spot, curling them and making your mouth hang open. It was enough that your climax was scratching the surface. Cooper’s intensity increased and he added another finger as he messily licked your clit.

An explosion hit you, making you let out an embarrassingly loud wail and your free leg clamped around his head. Your cum gave him more slickness as Cooper continued fingering you through it. His lips hovered above your pussy, pressing open mouth kisses against your lower stomach.

Even in the low lighting, you could see the black lust in his gaze as he lifted up. Sticky arousal coated the entire lower half of his face.

“Did that feel good, mommy?” His voice was croaky, almost like he was going to cry and you moaned. You undid his belt, furiously pulling down his pants and boxers.

Your leg hoisted around his waist and you pushed him onto his back. Cooper threw his head back as you situated yourself on top. His dick was big, throbbing as you lined yourself and sank down. He huffed and you laced your fingers with his.

You started rocking, sweat gathering on your skin but he only remained pinned down for a few seconds. He sat up, cupping the back of your head and crushed your lips together. The kiss wasn’t romantic. It was harsh, brutal and bordering on rage.

Your nails raked down his arms, making him growl against your mouth and he pulled your lower lip with his teeth. You gripped his cheeks, spitting in his mouth and then you slapped him.

Cooper looked animalistic as he drove his hips harder into you. It felt like you were going to split open, like it wasn’t going to fit all the way.

“Pathetic little boy,” You hit him again, this time on the other side. “You like that? Like being punished?” Your words were filled with venom and he was trembling so hard it was difficult to keep fucking him.

Cooper’s release hit him violently and he made noises that almost brought you to a second orgasm. Cum seeped in your pussy and your cunt hurt from how turned on you were. He sputtered and groaned. His arms were crushing you but you enjoyed the discomfort.

Whatever submission he had, it vanished as he flipped you over. Cooper’s hand shoved your face down into the pillow as he maneuvered your ass up.

You panted as he sharply slapped your ass, his tip rubbing against your slit. Drool pooled out of your mouth and Cooper pinned your dominant arm behind your back.

“You think you’ve beaten me? By making me bust my load that quickly?” He slammed into you balls deep and it hurt enough to make tears spring. Feeling you recoil inward, he massaged your clit and made you let out a pornographic sound.

“Sweetheart, you’re going to be nothing but a cum slut for me. I’m gonna make it drip out of you,” He thrusted hard, making the bed move and you bit down on the material of the pillow.

“You’re fucking helpless. You get that? I could hurt you and you couldn’t stop it.” He laughed, a crazed noise that horrified you. But his dick kept you from acting like a rational person.

“I was going to make you my victim but now you’re gonna be my whore.” Cooper’s filthy words made you choke on a sob as you came on his cock.

He didn’t let you stay in that position, merely tossing you on your back and shoving his dick in. But he did allow you to touch him, claw at his back and wrap your legs around him. Cooper locked his hand around your throat and you were rendered entirely at his mercy.

His frame caged you in and he pressed on your stomach with his other palm.

“Cream on my dick. Your pussy is so goddamn tight, I can feel it like this,” You were delirious and he tapped your cheek with two fingers. “Awww, what’s wrong, princess? Cock so good you went stupid on me?”

His mocking was followed by his seed gushing into you. Cooper rode out his orgasm and pulled out. He jerked himself off, covering your stomach in cum. Taking his finger, he pushed it past your lips. Making you taste both of your releases.

“You’re mine now. And you’re going to be a good little slut. Aren’t you?” You mindlessly nodded, sucking his digit and Cooper gave you a wicked smile.

“Atta girl. Now, get on the floor. Start at the door and crawl to me.”

Tagging: @xxbimbobunnyxx @cxrrodedcoffin @amethystblackkchaos @cryobabyy @hereforthehitsbaby @id-rather-be-in-middle-earth @rottenangel @rosaleelovesdilfs @strangererotica @justafangirls-blog @coopers-bunny @thebutchersbitch @redpillbluepill @rubyfruitjungle @lovalova444 @oceanblvd111 @stillwjk-channie-lixie

Dividers by @cafekitsune

[lillysilvermoon]

What your spiritual team want you to know in September

Pile 1.

Hi Pile one!! First of all I want to say that I loved your cards 🥹❤️☀️ but lets get into it, shall we?

In September, you will spread your wings more - or, if you aren't doing it, your spiritual team is encouraging you to do so!!. Focus on have more freedom and something differently, you kind of a adventure. Explore a new place you never went to in your city, be confident and plan forward, this is highly encouraged since everything you work for in September you be paying off. Like really, you literally have two cards saying that all your hard work you be paying off.

Focus on long-term goals and projects this month and invest in SUSTAINABLE RESULTS PLEASE (this wasn't me. They are reaaaaaaally emphasizing this). If you have long-term visions for something, they want you to know that it will work, so continue doing the great job you are doing. The last card literally saying you will be successful and winning battles 🥹 whatever you are going through, pile 1, knows that it's not going unseen, your guides are with you and you WILL get out of this like a winner. Have more faith in yourself.

P.s: This was giving intuitively: do more meditation, spend more time in the sun and connecting with especially trees (and for some: especially pines trees)

Pile 2

Hi Pile 2, welcome to your readind♡

Well, you probably are going through something difficult, and having a hard time, this is causing you to feel drained of energy and mentally overloaded, a lot of fast thinking and too much thought all at the same time causing mental stress and disturbing your center (in my culture we call this Ori, some call it crown). You need to balance your emotions and your mind, relaxation and deep reflection will help, for some go to a walk is the best, especially at sunset time but for fome sunrise will be the best, really early. You need to balance your feminine energy (and this has NOTHING to do with gender. Therefore, if you are a man, this can apply to you as well). Maybe you have some old woman in your life that really cares about you, listen to her! If not, it's probably someone on your spiritual team, listen your intuition, pay attention to your thoughts and signs, and she may be talking to you through them.

Focus on nurturing yourself and your life, be more in tune with your emotions, and have more empathy towards yourself. This is REALLY needed this month. It's also important for you to be more independent, try to do more things on your own in September (example: if you dondt go alone to places, go watch a movie or to a coffee shop alone) but remember the BALANCE, it's really importante to have this line very clear, be independent it is NOT the same to don't know how to accept help and be take cared of, be aware of that this month.

Last but not least: don't be afraid to go against the flow, maybe you want to do something that you KNOW will work but people around you don't believe, go for it! Your guides are with you, but remember to act on this without being impulsive! Make a plan, be strategic, and you shall win.

Pile 3

Hello Pile 3♡ let's get into your reading. First things first: be aware this month of ANYTHING that's looks "too good to be true" either a person or an opportunity. Second: focus on having open and honest communication, no white lies, no lying. In this month, will be important to be more strategic and resourceful, okay? acting tactically will give you an advantage in some moments this month.

You will have some opportunities this month and, if you refuse you may be feel yearning and regretted, but have in mind the first thing said: pay attention to ANYTHING looking too good to be true, we have two scenarios here: the first one is that you maybe feel this away, but was a blessing you hadn't accepted the opportunity, because was a lie and you were actually being protected! The second one is: some opportunity is actually good and worth, to know which one is you need to have more time in meditation and reflection about that.

Also take some time this month to reflect on wat is really important to you, take this moment to know yourself more and see what makes you feel bored and unhappy and do something about it, with make a change for the better

[canisalbus]

a few quick questions on Machete, what breed is he? I love the angles of his snout and the proportions remind me of a borzoi though I don't think he is one. Also, does he have a set age for when he's a cardinal? I picture him to be around mid-30s or so. Wonderful art! love your stuff and find you an inspiration :)

He's a fictional breed called Podenco Siciliano, which is closely related to modern day Ibizan Hound (pictured below) and other Mediterranean rabbit-hunting podencos. I usually just default to calling him a sighthound since he's somewhat of a provincial mongrel and not meant to be purebred anyway.

As for the age, mid-30s sounds about right. I think the current timeline goes something like this:

0 - Born to a lower-middle class family in Sicily, father is a tradesman, has three older brothers. Generally considered a runt, is weak and sick all the time, parents suspicious of his unusual colors.

3 - Gets left at a monastery and raised by monks as a foundling. Nervous and meek kid, but the monks think he's endearing and do their best to support him. Is taught to read and write, which is a massive advantage at that day and age, and learns rudimentary Latin through exposure.

9 - Apprenticed to a Neapolitan priest, moves to southern part of mainland Italy (or Kingdom of Naples as it was called, it was ruled by Spain actually). Does chores and runs errands in exchange for education and experience.

15 - The priest gets elevated to a bishop and decides to sponsor Machete's further studies at an acclaimed university in Venice (in Northern Italy). There he studies theology, medicine, arts, law, philosophy and gets fluent in Latin and adequate in Greek. Befriends Vasco but their relationship is short-lived.

21 - Ordained a priest. Leads a parish somewhere in Papal States (Central Italy). Is generally well liked but doubts his career choice from time to time.

26 - Becomes a part of the Papal Court in Vatican, mostly because of the recommendations of his former mentor and professors, good reputation, excellent track record and sheer luck. Still a priest but assists bishops, cardinals and the pope himself directly. Moves to Rome. Becomes pope's unofficial confidant due to his obedient and hardworking nature and because of his lack of prestigious family connections that would render him a threat. Slowly starts to gain wealth.

30 - Created a cardinal (which is the second highest position in the church after the pope, and it's at the sole discretion of the pope who becomes one). Is also a bishop as a technicality. Handles administrative jobs, tons of paperwork, at some point he's in charge of a lot of the political correspondence and diplomatic missions. Still the old pope's trusted advisor but disliked by the majority of the cardinals, who see him as an outsider, sycophant and a potential disruptor of the status quo.

34 - Meets Vasco again. Vasco has become a succesful politician in Florence, he's married with three children.

38 - The pope dies and Machete's status falters. He starts to work with the Roman inquisition more. Oversees trials, torture, excommunications and executions of heretics, witches and most of all, protestants (since we're reaching Counter Reformation times and the Vatican is Very Worried about the spread of Luther's ideas). Isn't having a good time at all but keeps up the appearances. Gets infamous. The beginning of the true villain era.

40 - Grows increasingly more disillusioned with life and his ideals, as well as the corruption of the Curia. Burned out, paranoid and desperate. Uses scare tactics, extortion and legal trickery to expose and undermine his enemies, but gains them faster than he can keep up. Employs spies, thugs and assassins. Feared and loathed.

43 - Gets assassinated and dies in disgrace.

[resident-idiot-simp]

Characterization for the Modern Warfare boys and how I write them

Soap- Loud angry and mean but honorable and a good man. He has anger issues but is a great soldier one of the best actually. He would give you the shirt off his back but would punch you in your teeth just as quickly. He's fast snarky and a flirt he knows he's good and he knows what he's worth. He acts like a puppy but half of that is an act he is like that yes but he's not clueless. He will cuddle up to you before sicking a thing of dynamite in your back pocket without thinking just because you don't expect him.

Ghost- he is reserved and snarky. He is blunt to the point of hilarity and won't blank while saying the most vulgar things you've ever heard. He's harsh but not mean in training and what he teaches you is more valuable than gold. He is slow to trust but will grasp on once he does. He is sweet when given the reason to be and really is just a guy™

Gaz- he is a flirt and sarcastic as HELL. He loves making people laugh and wants everyone to have a good time. He is a damn near ideal soldier Is competent in anything you assign him. He will make a great Captain one day and the 141 will make sure he has that chance. He's also charming as can be and knows it using it his advantage

Price- Take no shit and return what is given to you 10 times over. He is mean and will do what is necessary. Even if it's hard and he would rather it be him then one of his men. He has no qualms telling people of higher ranks to go do one and will do it when he sees fit. He never lies to his team It is very honest about their odds. People would follow him into hell because they know they would come back.

MacTavish- OCD ridden chronic overthinker. Nothing he does is enough but little does he know he's one of the best. His men know he cares that he will do anything to get them back. He is extremely tactical and competent not afraid to make the hard calls. He always puts himself on the line first for better or worse. He can be cruel but never unnecessarily so, at least not without reason. And the people against him shake in fear of what he will do because he isn't predictable. He must know every variable before he makes a decision just to ensure it is perfect.

Riley- Manic. He is unhinged and uncontrollable. Whatever he seems to think is necessary he will do no hold bars. He will be the first to rip out a mans throat because he can. The only reason he is still on a team is because Shepherd owns him otherwise he would be better off put down. He is hyper sexual and a grade A whore as a way to control his life and cope with the atrocities he's been through. He is loud and a moment away from exploding at any point. He is terrifying.

Roach- Crypted he knows everything he sees everything. You look up boom he's in the vents. He is damn near unkillable and a resourceful little shit who could survive if dropped in Antarctica with nothing. No one knows how and he isn't revealing his secrets anytime soon. They have seen him fall off of cliffs and come back with nothing but a scratch.

Og Price- A once competent soldier with very little morals now turned control freak who wants to hold on to the little normality that he had left from before the gulag. AKA MacTavish. That is all he has now and he will do anything to keep it no matter the cost and no matter how it affects MacTavish. He is illogical and insane with no comprehension of how his actions will affect other people. He is doing what he thinks is best not what actually is.

Og Gaz- He is very similar to remake Gaz. The only difference is he is much more snarky and has a lot fewer morals. He would go along with whatever Price did from before the gulag no matter how useless it was. He was Price's way of talking back to the higher ups before he stopped caring after the gulag. Really a mouthpiece for Price's opinions.

[one-flower-one-sword]

His fingers curled into claws, and he aimed directly for Hua Cheng's right eye!

It all happened in under a second. Hua Cheng dodged just as fast, but the attack still left two bloody scratches on his cheek.

For the first time, Hua Cheng faced an opponent he couldn't overtake in speed. His gaze turned sharp, and he changed tactics on the spot - he called forth millions of wraith butterflies, and they swarmed the man in a frenzy. The myriad butterflies wrapped the white-clad man inside a large, shimmering silver chrysalis, but that likely wouldn't last long. Hua Cheng was about to grab Xie Lian when the silver butterflies shrieked and exploded into sparkling powder!

Seeing the subtle change to Hua Cheng's expression as so many wraith butterflies were destroyed at once, Xie Lian knew that this wasn't good. The white-clad man had blown apart the wraith butterflies, and now he was hidden within the shimmering silver powder that choked the air. His newly grown hand struck out once more, aiming again for Hua Cheng's right eye!

TGCF Volume 6, page 76

In this previous post, I've speculated about the logistics of Hua Cheng being blind on his right side and his usage of the wraith butterflies as a sort of disability aid in some instances. This above scene of his first direct clash against Bai Wuxiang is another one of those moments where the text isn't directly stating something but it's possible to extrapolate from what is described and from what is implied.

Hua Cheng is extremely skilled at direct combat at a very young age already, evidenced by the way he manages to injure several of Qi Rong's lackeys when they capture him as he's only ten years old:

"I called for five or six guys, and they still couldn't catch the brat. He trashed and bit them until they were bloodied all over."

Volume 2, page 351

And then later as a young soldier in the army:

"Although the boy was carrying nothing but a worn sword, he was still highly effective and struck down many of the binu. [...] "You've never used a saber before, right? You use a sword, but the sword is tricky. Although it's fast and extremely aggressive, its range is fairly limited. If you've never used a saber before, try it next time. I think you might be even stronger with it."

Volume 3, page 124-127

(The horrifying thing about this is of course that while Hua Cheng probably possessed natural talent, the reason why he had to learn to defend himself against adults as a mere child was that he was so severely and frequently beaten by them)

Also in my previous post, I speculated that Hua Cheng always keeping his right eye covered likely meant he learned early how to compensate for his blind spot in combat, since that obvious weakness is something his opponents would immediately notice and try to take advantage of. Until Bai Wuxiang, we never witness him fighting anyone who can actually injure him, not since he's become a Supreme Ghost King. He defeats 33 heavenly officials in a row, and even fighting two against one with Feng Xin and Mu Qing, he defeats both of them with ease.

I would argue that, aside from being extremely skilled with a saber and having immense spiritual powers, it can be extrapolated from the above quote about his fight against Bai Wuxiang that it's also Hua Cheng leveraging his superior speed against his opponents that prevents them from taking advantage of his blind spot.

(As an aside, I would assume that even when Hua Cheng is in a fake skin that has both eyes and not in his true form, he's still blind in the right one because it's, well, fake. If the text ever actually contradicts that (I've not read volume 8 yet) I will add corrections)

But now, he's facing Bai Wuxiang, who is just as if not even faster than him. Judging by the fact that Bai Wuxiang aims his attack at Hua Cheng's right eye twice, he's correctly judged his blind spot to be the most vulnerable place to go for, thereby managing to bypass his defense long enough to injure him.

Hua Cheng immediately reasses the situation, realizes he needs to create more distance between himself and his opponent, and switches to use his wraith butterflies as a sort of distract-defend-attack combo. And against everyone else, this would have worked - we see this when he uses them to drive Feng Xin and Mu Qing back after they kidnapped Xie Lian away from him:

The butterfly deluge was blocked by the formless spiritual shield and shattered into shimmering silver light, which rapidly recrystallized into new silver butterflies and attacked once more. The onslaught was completely unstoppable - Feng Xin and Mu Qing gave ground slowly as they kept their shields up, and Hua Cheng steadily advanced step by step.

Volume 6, page 63

And then again to keep Feng Xin away and occupied while he faces Mu Qing with Eming:

Meanwhile, each arrow Feng Xin shot at the butterflies was snapped by their sharp wings. The sheer number of butterflies was ultimately too difficult to deal with!

Volume 6, page 64

But Bai Wuxiang is infinitely more powerful and simply destroys all the wraith butterflies at once, which then gives him the opportunity to immediately go for Hua Cheng's blind spot a second time and aim his attack there again.

If we continue to read the wraith butterflies as not only a weapon but also a disability aid of sorts, these fight scenes demonstrate both the possible uses of them as such and also their limits. While they're feared for good reason and have multiple functions - acting as his eyes and ears like spies, defending like a shield or cutting like a blade - they can help him make up for his blind spot to a certain degree, but they can't erase it. They're an aid for his vision loss, not a replacement.

(Which is a good thing imo, just to make that clear. I feel like it's always such a wasted opportunity when characters sustain a disability and then it's either magically fixed or they continue on as if they're still able-bodied. But Hua Cheng is disabled, and the ways he's found to empower himself and to navigate a world that's pretty hostile to people like him, don't take away from that)

Like I mentioned above I haven't read Volume 8 yet, where as far as I know there'll be more fight scenes, so I might come back to this post in the future to add further observations or correct previous ones!

[haveyouseenthisskeleton]

S/O decides that today will be "S/O and skeleton's brother" Day. Mostly just to bind more with their partners sibling and have fun together.

Main ten plz

Undertale Sans - Uh.... Ok... He's kinda confused as you drag him along for the day. He still tries to make Papyrus feel guilty before the door closes but Papyrus just shrugs and betrays him. Sans' relationship with his brother's S/O is... complicated. Sans takes some time to warm up, and he can be a jerk sometimes. He doesn't understand what you want with him??? He's not too enthusiastic at first, simply answering you with small yes-no-growl, but then you take him to the space museum and he gets so excited he completely forgets why he was mad. Now you can't make him shut up as he's talking for long minutes about star stuff. Eh, maybe it wasn't that bad of an idea after all. Sans warms up to you quickly after that.

Undertale Papyrus - He's so excited! That's a long time he's waiting for an opportunity to talk about you and Sans without Sans starting through his soul in the background. He's going to ask you a thousand questions as he wants to know you better. Then you take him to do some sports activity and he happily destroys you on the battlefield. You underestimate how good Papyrus is.

Underswap Sans - He's really not enthusiastic about that, and even wary. What are you trying to do? Buy his trust? Because that's not how you're going to do it. That's actually a good opportunity to call him out on his behavior as Blue is way too protective of his little brother, and it's starting to bother you, and his brother as well. Blue opens up a little and confesses Honey used to have boy/girlfriends Underground who were only with him to mock him and that he's the one who helped him to recover. He has trust issues since, and says that he's sorry if he's too much. This talk actually eased him a little, and the fact you were honest on this is definitely a bonus point. He starts to warm up a little after that, but not too fast either.

Underswap Papyrus - He's so anxious right now, all alone with you. He's glad his brother is happy and all, but he was very fine with watching you two from a safe distance you know? You didn't have to drag him outside to bond or something. No, but really, it was really not necessary. This is so awkward. Poor Honey is so anxious he looks like he's going to faint any second, and most of your interactions get silent answers. He keeps looking back toward his home. You take little steps after that, trying to make him more comfortable. It's not that he doesn't want to know you more, it's really just his social anxiety speaking right now. Eventually, as you go to eat in a fast food, he starts to calm down as he's slowly realizing you're not going to kill him. Once he feels safer, he gets curious and starts to ask questions, shyly. That's how you notice he's actually very observant because he knows a lot of things about you despite not wanting to speak to you that much.

Underfell Sans - Urgh, why?? He swears if Edge wouldn't kill him if he came home without you, he would have ditched you a long time ago. He's very sarcastic, doesn't care about what you want to do, and is kinda resigned to follow you around, but at a safe distance so no one assumes you're with him. He's mean, he's difficult and he certainly doesn't want to know you more, back off. That's not a good hang-out. You're gonna need to tire him out by forcing him to come a few times so he tolerates you around. Good luck with that lol.

Underfell Papyrus - He's unsure about this. Sure, knowing you more is clearly a tactical advantage, but it means you're trying to know more about him as well and now he's feeling like you're trapping him. You start your trip with him threatening you with a bone under the jugular and asking you what's your problem. It's a great start! However, Edge calms down quite rapidly and starts to get curious as time passes. He's very scary but he's quite nice actually once you get over his angry facade.

Horrortale Sans - Willow tried to convince you to not do that and let Oak come to you, but you are stubborn and insist it will work. You underestimated Oak's own stubbornness. Oak doesn't want to go with you, and if you keep pushing, he's going to lunge at you to scare you off. He doesn't like to be pressured like this and that won't help to improve your relationship. He's doing like he wants or he's not doing anything at all. As a result, he's growling at you when you get close for an entire month. Better luck next time...

Horrortale Papyrus - He's unsure at first, but he quickly gets over it. He's very curious about his brother's S/O and wants to know a little more about them. He's also happy to go out. Willow doesn't have a lot of friends, so people showing interest feel nice for once. He's having fun!

Swapfell Sans - He's polite, but cold. He knows you have good intentions, but he really doesn't care about Rus love interests. Rus changes partners quite often so he's not getting attached anymore. For all he knows, you might be replaced at the end of the week so why would he put effort into this? He's doing small talk, but that's his maximum.

Swapfell Papyrus - He's too enthusiastic to not be suspicious. You regret inviting him the second you're out of the house. Rus will get you into trouble. He wants to test the limits to see how determined you are and he's going to act like a jerk for this, even getting you arrested at the end of the day after he convinced you to enter a forbidden place somehow. He's not even sorry lol.

Fellswap Gold Sans - He wants to make his brother happy so he follows you outside, only to drive you in the middle of a field, ask you to go down his car, and then he leaves you there and flips his bird at you on the way out. Yeah, he's not buying it. You're still stealing his brother and he's not ready to let him go without a fight. You still have a long way to go with Wine...

Fellswap Gold Papyrus - He's like a golden retriever, jumping everywhere, overexcited. He has a thousand questions to ask you and he wants to know everything about you! He's even a bit too much, you didn't know someone so shy could pressure you so much. Coffee wants to do it again. He loves new friends!

[bestworstcase]

Fingers crossed on the 'Yang's dad reconsiders about her' thing, mainly 'cuz it seems like an effortless failure mode for their particular dynamic (and one she's super likely to keep internalizing) would be 'huh, guess you're finally using the ol' noggin for more than headbutts, proud of ya sport'. And that's IF both parties aren't too swept up (or unalived in Taiyang's case) by Events for such fine-tuned cognitive script-flipping. Plus, 'we all pedestalized Ruby into a breakdown' does strike me as a higher-priority family crisis if there is any breathing room.

i’m not sure how much i buy the reading that yang internalizes what tai tells her about herself, in all honesty, ’cause like

everything tai says is a generalization from her vytal tournament fights, which:

team rwby won on the strength of their superior tactics and teamwork

yang fired burn because those two were being assholes after her teammate got (possibly, as far as yang knew) seriously injured, then used the power her semblance gave her to take control of the battlefield and turn her opponents’ advantages against them; she wins by applying her strength very tactically.

yang and mercury are very evenly matched, the whole fight is a nail-biter, and yang uses burn to tank mercury’s big finisher, then wins because he assumes he’s won before the match is called. (<- which is merc’s plan, but tai didn’t know that when he formed these impressions.)

tai’s takeaway is:

burn is “basically a temper tantrum”

yang relies on it because she’s “predictable, and stubborn, and maybe a little bone-headed”

yang uses her semblance to make herself strong so she can brute force her way through problems.

except that doesn’t line up with what yang does in either of the fights where she uses her semblance! in the 2v2, she’s angry and she uses that anger to juice her semblance, but she’s not lashing out or blowing things up at random, she’s disrupting the terrain so her roller-blading opponent can’t maneuver; in the 1v1, her use of burn is defensive—she activates it to strengthen herself enough to outlast a volley she couldn’t dodge or otherwise avoid, and she stays focused.

yang, of course, knows this. she’s the one who was in her head when she made the decision to fire her semblance in those fights. she pushes back on the idea that burn is any different from any other semblance, but she’s also able to filter out tai’s specific bias against her semblance to extract some actually good advice, specifically “make sure you’re not getting yourself stuck in a rut, think outside the box.”

which is what we see her doing with burn after v4; she uses her semblance more, in more varied ways. she completely ignores the advice tai gave her to stop “relying” on her semblance because she knows she hasn’t ever been someone who thinks raw strength is the only thing that matters in a fight.

and then when adam taunts her, he doesn’t make jabs about her strength—he says “do you think you’re faster than you were at beacon?”—because he knows, and yang knows, that the reason yang lost her arm is she underestimated how fast he could strike. strength had fuck all to do with it; he hit her before she could reach him.

the thing about that is… sword. fists. adam will always be able to hit yang before yang gets close enough to hit him back, not because he’s a better fighter or faster or stronger but simply because his weapon gives him way more reach. yang is faster than she was at beacon, but is she fast enough to eliminate his mechanical advantage?

adam doesn’t think so. yang doesn’t either. so she doesn’t try—she stands her ground and lets adam come at HER, because she’s been feeling out his semblance the whole fight and she’s confident she can catch his blade. this is why she tells him she’s “smarter;” adam expects a repeat of their last confrontation whereas yang uses what she knows about him to trick him into overextending.

his advantage is superior range, which yang isn’t fast enough to overcome. (sword. fists.) her advantage is strength. being smart, in this case, means using her strength instead of letting adam sting her into a contest of speed she knows she can’t win.

yang is a very agile, precise fighter who’s smart enough to know when to plant her feet and use her strength. she took a risk that she could catch that sword, but 1. that was really her best option, and 2. she spent the whole fight prior testing his limits and her own to prepare herself as much as possible. and in reverse, there have been times—like at haven—where yang decided speed was the most important thing and took the risk of literally disarming herself to get down to the vault as fast as possible.

did she really internalize that she’s a dum-dum who tries to hulk smash her way through every problem, or did she go “well i’m not going to stop using my semblance because that’s bullshit, but maybe i can get more out of it than i have been,” cue experimenting with things like different intensities.

i do think—if there’s a moment of reevaluation from tai—it’ll probably incited by blake or yang or ruby? because, returning to the salem comparison: salem understands who cinder is but doesn’t know what cinder really wants, so when cinder defies her she is able to immediately grasp why. whereas tai generally knows what yang wants (protect her sister, find her mother) but doesn’t understand who she is, so when he tries to explain why she does something he’s likely to be wrong every time. “you’ve fought your whole life unwaveringly for what you want, and here i am holding you back” vs “your semblance is a temper tantrum and you’re a little boneheaded”—salem gets cinder whereas tai probably needs to be told he doesn’t get yang.

[qoldenskies]

Just read your canary continuity and holy shit was I not prepared. I actually had to step away and calm myself down from the brink of having a panic attack MULTIPLE times while reading it (that's not necessarily a bad thing, btw, it's just that hyperempathy towards a character that I admire got hands).

It's just....the slow escalation. The way you legitimately can't tell that something's wrong at first because yeah, sometimes brothers are kind of dickish to each other, it happens, no biggie, and then it starts getting into "wait, why are they being a bunch of ableist fucks all of a sudden", and then it gets into true psychological horror territory. The way the curse takes any frustration that they might have had about Donnie's behavior- maybe not even directed at him, but maybe frustration about "god, I wish I could make things easier for my autistic brother, it sucks that he has to go through this"- and twisting it entirely on its head to make them mad at HIM for showing those traits. The way it takes their existing personality traits and twists them into something more dark and sinister- like yes, this is making me realize Leo could genuinely be a terrifying villain if he had less of a strict moral code, because he gets people. He knows what makes them tick, and he knows how to potentially wear people down until they finally snap if he ever wanted to, and seeing the curse take that part of him and use it.....it was chilling, to say the least.

Not to mention that a part of them is never really going to be fully recovered from this. The trust that Donnie has had broken is probably going to take years to build back up, and they're probably going to feel like they have to walk on eggshells around him for a long ass time. Especially Leo, god. To know that you did that to your twin, the person who's supposed to be like another extension of you, to know that you broke their trust in you and their love so thoroughly that you might never get that bond back.....no wonder he's so desperate to try and fix things, and behaving irrationally because of it.

This is super long, but I just want to say that this is an amazing fic that you've written, and....if it's not too much to ask, can you give reassurance that things will at least go back to some semblance of normalcy at the end of all this? Like, they won't be permanently broken and their relationships will heal as much as they possibly can? I can tolerate as much hurt as you please as long as it has a happy ending [pleading emoji] (Also I have a theory that Donnie is suffering from nosebleeds either because of the massive amount of head trauma that he probably got in that last fight OR because severing his ninpo or w/e is doing fucky wucky things to his immune system and I am AFRAID)

!!!! I LOVEEEEE LONG ASKS HELLOOOOOOOOOO yeasss

i can guarantee a happy ending, yes!!! i do plan on writing an epilogue oneshot that takes place ten months after CW ends (and CW will end on a happier, hopeful note!), which will show the kind of normalcy they settled into after everything settles down!! they'll get there, its just going to be a . MESS first lmfao

and ohhh yeah writing leo has also helped me discovered how terrible he has the potential to be,,, even recovering and guilty he weaponizes these skills against them (when he lashes out at raph in ch5 and calls back to the family meeting is a very good example), its a side of leo i really like exploring!! he's so tactical in his manipulation and in canon that's usually used in harmless, funny ways, but it takes a NASTY twist here as the curse takes advantage of it. and its especially painful using it on donnie, who is the least perceptive and the most likely to fall for it :( he kind of slayed in caged lungs though he was so delightfully awful

anywhizzles EATING THIS ASK IN MY MOUTH IT IS ALL HIGH PRAISE!!! hope youre doing well!! <3333

[little-miss-dilf-lover]

Imagine Tangerine’s wife getting abducted by one of the twin’s enemies and the Twins are LIVID (rightfully so), gather their supplies, their rain coats, and storm the place she’s being held… No one’s left standing within a couple minutes but a Tan, Lem, and a very traumatized Y/n who now doesn’t want to ever leave her husband’s side

hii lovely, sorry it’s taken so long. love this idea- super soft and cute. hope you like it 💌

not letting go (tangerine x fem reader)

wc || 967

warnings || mentions of abduction and weapons

masterlist + rules

taglist

You knew someday that being married to Tangerine would eventually bite you in the arse, but you never actually expected it to happen. You were aware of the consequences of being the wife of a man who has lots of enemies, but you didn’t care, as he is the man you decided to love.

But right now you were cold, alone and terrified. You were abducted presumably by someone with a vendetta towards the twins. You were the only thing that could truly hurt them, obviously meaning that their enemies will use that to their advantage. For several hours you had been tied to a chair in the middle of a dark, dingy room, wrists aching from the friction of the rope.

You knew the twins would save you, you just told yourself to be patient but as more time passed the more antsy and scared you became. They’ll be here soon, they have to be.

The gang that took you had kept rigorous tracks on you, they knew exactly what you’d be doing and where- which was the perfect time for them to strike. They had taken you from your car when you were out, so when you didn’t come home when you said you would, the twins were extremely worried. When you didn’t answer the twenty calls, they already knew what had happened. They have their ways, they will find you.

A guy lurks from behind the metal pillar holding a large knife, playing with it as if to taunt you. Slowly pacing forward as he brushed the metal point along his hands, purposely trying to intimidate you. Your mind raced as you tried to remember all the tips the twins had taught you, in case you ever found yourself in a situation like this, but unfortunately, your mind was completely blank. No adrenaline to push the fight or flight, it was just pure fear.

The man edged forwards, running the point of the knife along your jaw, pushing your chin up to look at his disgusting face. The gang were using you as bait, they weren’t actually going to harm you, well not until the twins got to you anyway.

His repulsive fingers replace the knife under your chin, holding it up as he looked into your teary eyes. “If they’re not here soon… you’re a goner.” Slapping the side of your cheek as he walked away and into the back.

You felt his dirty hand leave a warm imprint on your face and you knew that these torture tactics were about to get a lot worse. The guys were really rough on your arms when they transported you, leaving purple bruises on your upper arms and grazes over your legs.

You could feel a drip of blood run down the side of your face, you were guessing that it was when they hit your head earlier on.

Gunshots were fired outside at an alarmingly fast pace, you weren’t sure whether it was good or bad. More gunshots fire from the mezzanine level above you, crouching your head between your knees as you tried to comfort yourself.

After two minutes the bullets stopped, the silence was actually scarier than the gunfight.

Hearing the familiar voice of your husband as he shouted around the small building trying to find you.

“I’m here.” You softly replied too shaky to accentuate your voice.

He must’ve had super hearing with all the adrenaline running through him, as he located you instantly. Footsteps rushing around, panicking as he tried to make his way to you.

Immediately dropping to his knees in between your legs, his eyes wide and worried as he looked over your face. Delicately cupping your cheek as his thumb swiped across, eyebrows curling in the middle as he noticed your wet and red under eyes.

He licks his thumb before softly swiping it over the dried blood on your temple. “I’m so, so sorry.” He softly gushes as he unties the rope around you. “I’m so sorry.” He says under his breath as if he’s trying to calm himself.

The second he sets you free, you wrap your arms around him, too shaken up to let him go just yet. He understood immediately, so he pulls you in tighter, his hands clasping at your back as he hushed you.

You were hugging his bloody poncho, but you didn’t care, burying your face further into the crook of his neck as you softly cried.

“I’m so so so sorry, love.” His hand brushing over your hair. “Let’s go get Lem.” He quietly offers as he kisses the crown of your head.

“Okay.” You meekly respond, wiping your eyes on the clean parts of his shoulder.

His arms loosen to let you go, but you vigorously shake your head ‘no’. “Please don’t let go…”

“I won’t, I won’t- don’t worry.” Tangerine reassures, holding you tighter into him.

Lemon runs into the room, clearly glad to see you. “Oh my god, thank fuck.” He blurts as if he can now finally breathe. “We’re so sorry.” Slowly making his way over to you, kneeling beside you on the chair. Gently circling the smalls of your back as Tangerine took care of the top half.

The three of you sat like that for a couple of minutes, until your husband told you it isn’t safe and you need to get going. Tangerine carried you to the car, keeping you close to his chest, not once letting you go. He didn’t even separate to get in the car, holding you on his lap as Lemon sped away. Tan strokes his fingers in your hair, “I’m sorry, sweetheart.” He quietly says into your temple, kissing it one last time as he held you close to him. Never wanting to leave each other's sides.

[anika-ann]

Cookies and Spark(le)s

Type: one-shot, prequel, canon-ish (see A/N)

Pairining: (pre) Steve Rogers x reader    Word count: 4000

Summary: In which you thank the Captain for saving your life on your first mission together by baking cookies, a revelation or two is made and most importantly, you bring a smile to his face – and vice versa.

And so your nickname, Sparkles, is born.

Warnings: FLUFF, mentions of canon-typical violence, Tony being Tony (affectionate), ... I think that’s it? 

A/N: Standalone or a one-shot set so-so TWO YEARS before Love on the Brain series; reader is called “Agent Jones”; divider by firefly-graphics 😍

“Let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love.” - Mother Teresa

- 

There was a small smile playing in the corner of Steve’s lips, a quiet but intense feeling of job well-done humming in his chest.

After almost four hours in a gym, a company of ten – and then another ten – agents of various ranks, him and Rollins leading the training and overseeing agents’ drills, Steve was beyond content. There was a reason why they encouraged all agents to sign up for whichever training session available and it didn’t only go down to unregular schedules – it served as a valuable learning experience. The senior agents teaching newbies; the newbies humbling the experienced ones who would have thought they had seen it all, but were proven wrong by a fresh graduate knocking them down; mock opponents of all sizes and strength and tactics, testing each other, some days more than others. And today had felt good, a testimony to the advantages of mixed classes.

Had Steve been a little more spiteful, he’d spend a little more time revelling in the expression on Vale’s face – a senior agent who was sporting attitude issues at times – when she ended up on her back. And as virtuous as people believed Steve to be, he actually did enjoy seeing her fall from her high horse; but the shy smile and the damn helping hand her opponent offered her, right after she had got her on her back, quickly made for a different emotion. Warmer and brining just as much satisfaction.

He wanted to smile at you at your gesture, catching the pleased spark in your eye, but you quickly averted his gaze and returned to your drills. Steve didn’t press; while you were kind and friendly, you also took training – and self-growth, apparently – very seriously. And he had a feeling you were a little unsure about how to act in front of him ever since the last mission.

The fact was that the gentle hum in his heart you had started by kicking Vale’s ass and then helping her up remained until the end of the session, only strengthened by other great moments you and other agents made for.

It truly had been a good afternoon and Steve knew he would sleep well tonight, knowing their system worked – and that they were good people working under the Avengers’ Initiative.

He was just slipping into the sleeves on his hoodie, catching a glimpse of Rollins patting Agent Finnegan on his back as they were leaving, when he heard your voice, instantly attracting his attention despite the slightly awkward note to it.  

“Captain Rogers? Can I have a second?”

A brief smile passing over your lips made the corners of his own rise higher on instinct. Your hair was messy, some sticking to your forehead, some flying around as you had had to just pull a hoodie over your head, your stance speaking of both determination and hesitance.

“Sure,” he said, gaze involuntary flickering to the Tupperware box in your hands. “How can I help you, Agent Jones?”

A flicker of surprise caught on your face as if you hadn’t thought he’d remembered your name – a pleasant surprise, Steve hoped. He hardly ever forgot names and faces, a blessing and a curse of his eidetic memory; but he had a feeling that even without his gift, he wouldn’t forget yours. You stood out subtly, but firmly, at least to Steve; and it had little to do with the fact he had covered you and probably saved your life on your first mission together just a few days ago.

“I, uhm… I know you probably get this all the time, because… well, because you save someone’s life all the time, but. I wanted to thank you,” you explained, a mixture of emotions difficult to decipher sinking into your voice, embarrassment at the forefront as if you were already questioning your decisions.

And you should – there was no reason to thank him further. You expressed your gratitude before, thanking him with shock right at the site of the shooting and then again on the plane when he made rounds, checking on all the agents. You owed him nothing.

But he had to admit you were being rather… sweet, looking up at him like that, sure and unsure at the same time, clearly hesitant about how to handle the situation and desperately trying to get a read on his reaction.

So, Steve took a deep breath, gaze flickering all over your face and minding to sound sincere – as he was – when he spoke again.

“You already have,” he pointed out gently.

“I know. But. It’s my life and just saying thank you doesn’t really seem like enough for something of that magnitude so. Here. A bit more of a thank you,” you said, standing your ground as you held out the box. Your smile grew, a little playful note in your voice as you shrugged. “You strike me like more of an apple pie kind of a man, but I don’t think anyone ever gets offended with cookies.”

Busted. You clearly weren’t a former FBI profiler for nothing. His hands twitched as he almost reached for the box, slightly embarrassed himself now.

“That’s really not necessary, Agent Jones.”

“I promise they’re not poisoned,” you hummed with an attempt at humour, instantly having Steve’s eyebrow rise up, along with a corner of his lips.

“That… didn’t even cross my mind until you mentioned it.”

“…oh.”

Your mouth opened and closed, no real sound coming out.

One silly sentence and it was obvious you pulled back, growing more embarrassed by the second; Steve felt a little guilty for teasing you. You seemed like a confident enough kind of woman, especially when a situation called for it, but he mustn’t forget you barely had just finished your first mission under him (his command, under his command), one where he had to – and wanted to – tackle you down so you wouldn’t catch a bullet for your trouble. Not to mention he was not only your superior, but also a potentially imposing figure known from overexaggerated urban legends which he didn’t try to but fed into anyway. Approaching him would have been nerve-wrecking for anyone, let alone in your circumstance.

But here you were, doing your best to stand with your head held high, offering him cookies, to highlight your gratitude for something Steve believed was his duty. And to show you regretted getting yourself into a situation where he had to intervene, a situation which could make you appear incompetent in the eyes of your direct supervisor – Steve himself.

So yes, he felt a little guilty for the gentle jab when all he had intended to do was to reassure you it was all in day’s work – and maybe to make you smile a little wider. Because from the little he had seen of you and he had read up on you – he liked to know his team, he liked to know what he could work with on his missions, sue him – you seemed to be quite a capable, dedicated and kind person. Not to mention rather beautiful too.

No matter how much time he had spent out of the ice in his new role, his interaction skills with beautiful women, even if those under his command, clearly needed a lot of polishing.

Putting you out of your misery, he slowly raised his hands as not to startle you and carefully took the box from your fingers, gently flipping the lid open for a slit. The sweet aroma of butter and chocolate tickled his nostrils, his quick metabolism letting itself known, his body whispering that he could definitely devour these after two training sessions, even if they weren’t that taxing on him.

You offered a weak smile which Steve reciprocated.

“If they are poisoned, you covered it well. They smell delicious. And look that way too,” he added for a good measure, hoping to erase the last remnants of awkwardness between the two of you.

He did not expect your reaction; nor he anticipated the effect it would have on him.

Upon his light tease and praise, your face lit up. Truly lit up. You might as well glow – and Steve felt his heart stutter, resisting the urge to squint against the gentle light, tempted all the same to keep his eyes wide open to appreciate the sight. It might be ridiculous, but he felt blessed to earn such smile; a perfect beautiful smile, irises sparkling with gratitude and humour, as if you suddenly appreciated him poking a bit of fun.

“Well, the recipe is from the times where no one truly cared about sugar and cholesterol,” you shrugged, smile subtler now, but no less blinding. “And the secret ingredient is gratitude.”

Steve couldn’t but chuckle, no matter how much as he wanted to disapprove of that sentiment.

“Hey. Like I said. Not necessary, but who am I to say no to this,” he mused as he closed the lid. “Thank you, Agent Jones.”

It was the title, Steve realized regretfully the moment the words left his mouth, that had the alluring sparkle in your eye dim and turn your smile from brilliant to polite; it was the reminder that despite the teasing, you were his subordinate and you were still basically strangers. Steve mourned the loss of your glow; and made himself a promise to bring it back soon as you rocked at the balls of your feet, embarrassment returning, even if considerably more subtle than when you had first approached him.

“Enjoy then. …I, uhm, I won’t keep you any longer. Thank you again, Captain Rogers. Have a good day,” you said, genuine warmth behind your words.

Yet, you kept your word and spun on your heels, heading out of the room.

And Steve couldn’t help it. He could tell it was back, that something weighting on your conscience, probably the worry about how you had introduced yourself to him as the agent who needed saving – and tried to, presumably lamely, soften the terrible impression with baking, no matter how excellent. The urge to have you know that was not at all what he as thinking of you was too acute to ignore, a tightness in his chest that needed to be released. Because you seemed a wonderful agent and a better person and he couldn’t let you leave thinking he considered you anything less.

It didn’t matter he barely knew you or you barely knew him; because you simply didn’t deserve to doubt yourself. Because there was more than one reason for why he didn’t really feel entirely comfortable accepting your gratitude; because it wasn’t fair.

“Did you get any cookies?” he called out, voice low despite the now empty training room.

You stopped in your tracks in an instant, turning to him with confusion written all over your face.

“I’m sorry?” you asked politely, frown turning into a brief smile when you realized what he meant – or thought so, apparently. “Oh, well, I sampled. I had to make sure I’d give you quality goods, after all.”

For a profiler, now you were being completely clueless. Steve shook his head, lips a thin line even as he tried to smile, slowly taking the three steps to make up for the distance you had walked. His gaze flicker over your face, still contorted in mild confusion, before he bored his eyes into yours, mindful to sound gentle despite the urgency humming in his ribcage.

“From Agent Thomas, I mean,” he clarified. The effect on you was immediate; your breath hitched, body going rigid with shock. Good. Then you’d hear what he was saying. “Perhaps some thank you for saving my life cookies too?”

Your lips parted in surprise, eyes widening. Your shock at the revelation that he had noticed the situation was almost adorable. He tried not to let it insult him – he could hardly blame anyone for not believing he’d pay attention to them on the mission.

The truth was, Steve probably would have been slightly annoyed had the situation been different. If, upon first time under his command in particular, he would have had to sweep in to save an agent because they were reckless, defying orders or showing off – but that wasn’t the reason you had missed the danger posed to you.

The only reason you missed the enemy shooter was because you were shooting another, right before Steve could. And you did it because Agent Hillary Thomas, on her very first mission of this sort, failed to notice she had left an opening. Because you had exchanged a few words with her on the jet, learning it was her first, and you probably had kept an eye on her ever since. Just like Steve had kept an eye on her and you.

The only reason he had to save you was because you got too busy protecting your fellow agent. It wasn’t your explicit order to have her six, but you had done it anyway, because that was what teammates did for each other. Steve could respect that. Hell, Steve appreciated that – and he was glad that people like you were on his team. This kind of people were his favourite and he would take a bullet for them at any day, so truly, tackling you was the least he could do and would do in the future should the need arise.

“No, Sir. Captain. I didn’t,” you said, a little quiet; clearly torn between standing behind your actions and knowing it had technically been a mistake to look out for someone else more than for yourself. A mistake which your Captain was now pointing out, you perhaps thought.

Imposing figure, Steve reminded himself with a mental sigh, a superior; you must have thought that you were being reprimanded further, which was not at all Steve’s intention. Realizing his shoulders had turned tense upon remembering the mission, he forced his body to relax and willed the corners of his lips to lift softly.

“At ease, Agent Jones. I didn’t mean to startle you. I just wanted to let you know that the circumstance has been taken into account. It was a compliment,” he assured you.

Much to his satisfaction, you let him. You stuck your chin up, standing straighter as a brief pleased smile passed your lips.

“Thank you, Captain. I realize that the practice might be different here at the AI than at my last place of employment, but-“

“You were looking out for a colleague, as have I,” he interjected, earning a nod from you, along with a barely-there smile. “And I’m pretty sure having your friends’ and fellow agents’ six is a universal rule. So… I’m glad I had you on the team for the mission. …And I would have been even without the cookies,” he added with a small smirk.

But oh, he should not have sweetened the compliment with a joke if he wasn’t ready to face the consequences. You chuckled, surprised at the teasing – your smile grew large and genuine, eyes shining again, the playful spark making its return. Steve felt his heart stumble in his chest once more, falling straight into the trap of your charm.

He was in trouble. He had been intrigued by you, half-way in trouble already, ankles deep at least, but now you not only smiled – at him, with him – but you smiled at something he said and he could not deny that at heart, he was a simple man with appreciation with the most incredible simple things; like how your smile lit up the training room like the brightest star. And now he was knees deep. No, waist deep, if not more.

If there was one person who should be smirking, it should be you. But you weren’t, because you probably had no idea that the gorgeous smile of yours just made breathing seem like a task worth only of titans among whom Steve did not belong, not with his chest feeling so full – full of delight and pride. He did that. And he wanted to do it again.

He was in so much trouble.

“Well, you got them this time, so enjoy them. I’ll try my best so there’s no reason for them next time,” you declared, unwittingly offering Steve a helping hand by reminding him of the reality of him being your boss – and therefore of inappropriateness of where the train of his thoughts was heading.

“As great as I think these are and as glad as I am you are looking out for our teammates, I like that plan,” he said with a grin, clutching the box only in his left hand in order to outstretch the other, an offer to shake it. You tilted your head to side slightly, but set his hand into his with a soft smile. Trouble. Beautiful, beautiful trouble. “Looking forward to working with you again, Agent Jones.”

You squeezed his hand, an honest grip – firm but gentle, not too strong to show off or try to assert dominance, nor too weak for you were not. Your voice carried the same sentiment as you parted.

“Same, Captain Rogers. Have a good day.”

Perhaps it would sound absurd if said out loud, but the box of homemade cookies only solidified Steve’s conviction that he had made the right choice to decide to move out of the Tower. His first apartment given to him by SHILED after he came out of the ice never felt like home for multiple reasons and so when Tony had been kind enough to offer to all the Avengers a place to stay, no matter how often, Steve had been grateful – if for nothing more than for the convenience of not having to commute. But as time passed and he felt the ground under his feet grow more and more solid, slowly coming to terms to the fact that this century had to be his home now, Steve was finding it hard to balance work and life outside of work with the majority of his life outside of work still happening at the place of employment. At a place where his colleagues – even as he could call a few of them his friends – could stride in literally whenever they pleased. He found himself longing for a true home again.

And yes; something as simple as sweet taste of chocolate chip with peanut butter edge played straight into his yearning for domesticity, painting an image of a woman to hug as she stands by the stove, him sneakily stealing one of the still-cooling cookies he had helped to prepare from a plate, earning a playful smack over the back of his hand and a chuckle. The woman carried your face at the moment, inevitably associated with these particular cookies; Steve had to scold himself for thinking about one of the agents under his command this way.

Then again, the way your eyes sparkled, delighted and a little playful stirred something deep within him, automatically coaxing his lips into a smile even two hours later.

That smile only grew as he spied an unread e-mail at the screen of his computer. From Tony Stark himself, sent this morning, the subject hinting the location of his possible future home. Steve had requested an apartment in one of the Avengers Initiative buildings, which were offered for rent to all agents under the AI for more than a reasonable price. Conveniently located, far enough from the Tower, but not too far; carrying a much better potential to be turned into a home.

Opening the e-mail, Steve couldn’t but chuckle at Tony’s – at least partly pretended – pretentiousness oozing from the first two sentences.  

Hey big guy, you sure you wanna live with the common folks? One apartment’s freshly empty, but can you actually handle living next to a newbie-ish girl? Had J run a like a triple background check on her, she should be okay. I mean. Besides being former FBI, bleh. Check for yourself. She could be good neighbour I guess, you could always ask her to lend you some sugar. Or pour some all over you, cause she has good looks. Lemme know if this’ okay. Peace out.

Steve rolled his eyes at Tony’s inability to not add a dirty joke – but his heart skipped a funny beat at the mention of the FBI, allowing himself a brief hope of seeing you more often. As if you were the only ever newbie coming from that particular agency. However, that simple skip turned into a thunder in his chest when he noticed the file attached with your name indeed.

He was being ridiculous, he was aware. But he found himself excited at the prospect. The first win was that from what he understood you were more intimidated by your circumstance than starstruck when you had interacted with him, so he wouldn’t have to deal with some hero worship that could quickly get awkward and annoying, despite what some people thought. And the second win, well… Even if nothing more than a smile and hellos should be exchanged a few times a week, a friendly face who might light up at least a bit upon talking to him sounded all sorts of pleasant; let alone a kind one.

Maybe he would ask for a cup of coffee after a few days, in a very neighbourly fashion of course, and get to know you in person rather than from the extensive background check he might have received but refused to read because Tony was probably able to dig out things like the name of your first pet and that was just wrong. He’d rather learn these things from you, if you’d be willing. You certainly didn’t seem uninterested in talking to him when giving him a completely unnecessary thank you, so perhaps you’d say yes – to the coffee, at least.

And perhaps he was getting quite ahead of himself. He shook his head.

Briefly checking the address, knowing the quality of the living space would not be an issue, Steve caught himself smiling as he wrote Tony back.

Looks perfect. I’ll take it. Thank you, Tony. S

He groaned when he realized his mistake, quickly sending another e-mail, even as he himself hated when people sent out e-mails as short as a text message in quick succession.

When I said ‘looks perfect’ I meant the apartment. Just to be clear. S

Naturally, with a nice neighbour like yourself, you were a part of that perfection and maybe he did mean you on your own as well, but he would never confess to that, let alone to Tony. Had he said it to anyone else, they would probably look at him funny, slyly even, but Tony… he’d make a huge deal out of it and would probably meddle.

Sadly, this was Tony who he was dealing with. The man could leave important e-mails concerning battle strategy or economic matters untouched for two weeks – but now, he replied instantly. Naturally. Steve could practically hear his friend saying the words. He groaned again.

‘Tis all yours, Cap. And I’m sure you did. Enjoy your cookies, btw, could have shared, you know.

The cookies, not her. Suuuuugar-

Steve felt his face being set aflame; but he rolled his eyes, shutting the tag closed with a grin on his face and warm hum in his chest. Tony’s teasing couldn’t taint the fact Steve was about to move into an apartment with a fresh opportunity to build a home. You living next door – even if it meant a lot of teasing from Tony (and Natasha, and Clint if he caught on) in the future – was just a very pleasant bonus.

He was a simple kind of man – an apple pie kind of a guy as you had guessed, in all senses of the words. Maybe he could try to bake a pie once he moved in and share with you; return your Tupperware with a piece of it in it, as a sort-of a reversed ‘welcome in the building, neighbour’ gesture.

Yeah, he should do that. He had a feeling that it just might make you smile; maybe just enough for him to see a sparkle light up your eyes again. He'd like that. Very, very much.

Steve Rogers masterlist // Love on The Brain masterlist

Thank you for reading my short trip from writing hiatus 😇🥰 Feedback always appreciated 💕

I have several things for TWO possible sequels to Love on the Brain written down, but I don’t have the time or mental energy to really write, let alone detail up a mystery right now. So, I thought you might like a fluffy prequel at least 😊 Thank you for your support 💕

P.S. I have a headcanon now that Tony knew the post boxes in the wall were a mess and he was perfectly happy with the knowledge Steve and Sparkles had to interact whenever something landed in the wrong box. He was probably deliberately stalling having it fixed.

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

“My sense is that Meghan's market is more of the TJ Maxx demographic.” Interesting assessment of Meghan’s market. From a business perspective, brands who end up at TJMaxx, Marshalls, etc. (owned by the same company TJX) are typically bought in due to 1) supplier has made too much (overstock) and it isn’t selling 2) it’s getting close to the end of its expiration dates (close out) and it sold in at a much cheaper cheaper price to TJX. She’d still need a regular place to sell before she tries to offload (usually at a much lower margin / maybe even a loss) to TJX. I’m basing this on my experience with working in food industry and resorting to these retailers for the same reasons.

Exactly my point. The TJX brand is the end of the line for so much product and merch these days (especially fast fashion) that it's inevitable Meghan's products will end up there if this turns into the deal she wants to be. The key thing is that she needs product first. That she launched without a real product is very telling.

To me, what I think it says is that she's not getting the investors or partners that she wants so she launched ASAP to use the media's hype as part of her negotiation or recruitment strategy. (In addition to taking advantage of Kate's absence, of course.)

I made a suggestion in an earlier post that Meghan's competitors are the socialite/influencers that are launching their own brands or already have brands. A great many of those brands use print-on-demand dropship merch. They save on overstock storage and production fees by only keeping a limited selection in stock and marking up their own prices to cover "demand."

I see Roop heading in that direction. If they can't find a distribution vendor (e.g., Kohls, Target, Macy's, etc.), they'll do dropshipping but at such low quantities they always sell out - which is the same tactic Meghan uses when she wants to be a fashion influencer (she wears something already heavily discounted and with so little stock that she can take credit for "selling out").

What is interesting, and why I think Roop has a good argument for exclusivity with TJX companies, is Rae Dunn. Most of her product is sold exclusively through TJX and she has a deal with a company called Magenta Inc., an online retailer that's thought to be behind Rae Dunn products in places like Amazon and Walmart.

So there's precedent for Meghan/Roop to sell exclusively with TJX, with perhaps a side deal for an online storefront like Magenta offers. But that's not the audience or market Meghan wants (even though she herself is the "wine mom" elder millennial motivational-quote-spouting stereotype that buys Rae Dunn and shops at TJX stores so it's a natural fit). She wants Roop in luxury marketplaces that prices out the very people who would actually buy Meghan's product.

She's stuck between a rock and a hard place. I think she realizes it now while watching the metrics on social media plateau from a total lack of engagement and total absence of content (hence throwing Mandana under the bus in Page Six). Which is surprising. Given the way she rolled out Sussex.com with the IG Vancouver kickoff - four or five days straight of new Sussex content and material - I expected the same thing with Roop; 1st day - social media launch, 2nd day - lunch papwalk, 3rd day - product launch, 4th day - "checking out my product" charity visit/papwalk, 5th day - Netflix cooking show promo, and so on.

I know, I know. Stop giving her ideas. I'm trying!

[bigsoftmarshmallow]

Heya! I hope things have gotten better!

I have something inspired by the Phantom Ganon one!

This is an Equal Lady one where the Dorfs (& Demise, I guess) react to learning that the bunshin (copies of herself) that Nanema creates are a special type.

As in, they are Kage Bunshin (from Naruto). Meaning that they aren’t just illusions, they have substance. They can touch him & he can touch them. They aren't flesh, though, & one good hit will dispel them (though, here, she manifests them through her actual shadow & so, when they do dispel, they do it by bursting back into shadows that return to her). However, upon dispelling, Nemma gets their memories. (Which, she’ll eventually find extremely useful for multitasking & research.)

Now, this is a legendary Kagehei (Shadow Warrior) technique that had previously been lost to time until her Keaton mentor, Mapū-sensei, taught it to her.

At the same time, it's still a very new technique to her & she can really only produce 1 a day at most for the moment. It tends to be a calculated risk conjuring one due to the fact that doing so takes a lot of magic. As such, she has to be strategic with it when she conjures one.

Now, the Kage Bunshin behave in a way that is somewhere between independent of Nanema (& each other once she's able to conjure more than one at a time) & as a hivemind with Nemma as their queen.

Either way, I'd love to see them react to this info. Both as a useful tactic & possibly even their minds going to… less than innocent places…

(I think that she’d notice & would flash him a tiny smile, brow arched, & eyes shining in that knowing way. Which, itself, signals that she’s willing to discuss their more… extracurricular uses. But, at the same time, I think she’d wait for him to pose the topic himself. But in that sort of… I’m trying to remember what it’s called… sort of smug, but in a controlled way, & waiting for him to be the one to break first due to him being embarrassed. I mean, how does one even broach that sort of question?)

(Something to keep in mind is that TotK was only shown to be able to conjure one Phantom before obtaining the Secret Stone, so it's very possible that he only became able to conjure more at once after obtaining it.)

Thoughts, feelings, reactions, & next steps. If that's okay? If not, again, that's fine.

I exist in a better place now. Got paid, paid bills, and still have a few coin to my name. My family is getting caught up, and my friends are assisting the best they can. <3

SEE I TOLD YOU. TOLD YOU THAT THE PHANTOMS CAUSE THOUGHTS TO FLUTTER ABOUT! You fell in that pit, didn't you? I told the gardener to put up fences, but we didnt have the budget.

**********************************************************************

The concept of Nanema's Kage Bunshin technique introduces a fascinating blend of power and potential, especially considering how it might be perceived by the various incarnations of Ganondorf and Demise. Here’s how each would react, processing both the tactical advantages and the more… personal implications.

Wind Waker Ganondorf

Reaction: Wind Waker Ganondorf would be immediately intrigued by the tactical possibilities of Nanema’s Kage Bunshin technique. He’d see the strategic value in having multiple “Nanemas” on the battlefield or in espionage, especially considering how they can transfer their memories back to the original.

Thoughts: "A formidable ability… one that can turn the tide of battle or gather vital intelligence. But it’s more than that…"

Scene: His mind would quickly shift to more personal thoughts, imagining the potential of this ability in a more intimate setting. His usually composed demeanor might slip just a bit as he considers the implications, but he’d quickly recover, clearing his throat.

“You’re full of surprises,” he’d say, his voice steady but with a glint in his eye. "I’d like to see this technique in action… perhaps under different circumstances."

Nanema, noticing the subtle shift in his tone, would arch a brow and smile knowingly. She’d wait, giving him a moment to gather his thoughts, her expression encouraging him to broach the subject.

Ocarina of Time Ganondorf

Reaction: Ocarina of Time Ganondorf would appreciate the sheer power and versatility of the Kage Bunshin technique. He’d see it as a weapon, a tool to be mastered and wielded with precision. However, as he processes the full extent of its abilities, his mind would wander.

Thoughts: "Such a power… it could be used in many ways. Perhaps even ways that I have not considered… until now."

Scene: He would give Nanema a calculated look, his mind racing with both strategic and more personal thoughts. His normally stern expression would soften slightly, his curiosity piqued by the possibilities.

"This technique… it has many uses, doesn’t it?" he’d murmur, his voice low, almost challenging her to acknowledge what he’s thinking.

Nanema, sensing his line of thought, would flash him that knowing smile, waiting for him to take the next step. She’d relish the moment, watching as he struggles with the right words to ask what’s really on his mind.

Twilight Princess Ganondorf

Reaction: Twilight Princess Ganondorf would view the Kage Bunshin technique with a mixture of respect and caution. He’d recognize its power and the level of control required to use it effectively. The idea of Nanema possessing such a skill would both intrigue and challenge him.

Thoughts: "A technique worthy of a true warrior. But there’s more to this than just strategy…"

Scene: He’d consider the implications carefully, his mind inevitably wandering to the more intimate uses of the technique. He’d keep his thoughts well-guarded, though, preferring to observe Nanema’s reaction first.

"You wield your power well," he’d say, his tone measured. "But I wonder… how far does that control extend?"

Nanema would catch the subtle shift in his demeanor, her smile growing slightly more mischievous. She’d wait patiently, watching as he debates whether to ask the question that’s clearly on his mind.

Hyrule Warriors Ganondorf

Reaction: Hyrule Warriors Ganondorf would be immediately excited by the possibilities of the Kage Bunshin technique. His mind would race with ideas for using this power in combat, strategy, and, of course, personal enjoyment. His thoughts would be less guarded, as he’s never been one to hide his desires.

Thoughts: "A technique with endless possibilities… and not just on the battlefield."

Scene: He’d approach Nanema with a confident, almost playful smirk, clearly interested in exploring all the uses of her new ability. His amusement would be evident, but so would his genuine curiosity.

"This is a technique we should explore… thoroughly," he’d say, his voice dripping with suggestion. He wouldn’t hesitate to let his thoughts be known, confident that Nanema would be open to the idea.

Nanema would meet his gaze with a teasing smile, enjoying the way he openly considers the possibilities. She’d wait for him to elaborate, fully expecting him to continue the conversation without reservation.

Tears of the Kingdom Ganondorf

Reaction: Tears of the Kingdom Ganondorf would approach the Kage Bunshin technique with a mix of clinical interest and personal curiosity. He’d see its potential in both strategic applications and more personal settings. However, his expression would remain controlled, betraying little of his thoughts.

Thoughts: "A rare and valuable power… but it raises many questions."

Scene: He would study Nanema carefully, trying to gauge her reaction as much as she’s gauging his. His mind would inevitably wander to the more intimate implications of the technique, but he’d be slow to voice those thoughts.

"This technique… it has many facets. Perhaps we should explore them all," he’d say, his voice even, but with a hint of something more beneath the surface.

Nanema would notice the subtle change in his tone, giving him that knowing smile and waiting for him to decide how far he’s willing to take the conversation. She’d enjoy watching him navigate the unspoken implications.

Demise

Reaction: Demise would react with immediate interest, seeing the Kage Bunshin technique as a powerful tool that could be used to assert dominance on the battlefield. However, his thoughts would quickly turn to the more personal uses of such a power, and he wouldn’t bother hiding his intentions.

Thoughts: "A power fit for a ruler… and for other, more personal conquests."

Scene: He would approach Nanema with a dark, intense look in his eyes, clearly interested in exploring every aspect of her new ability. His voice would be low, almost a growl, as he speaks.

"This power… it is a reflection of your strength. But it could also be a source of… pleasure."

Nanema would catch his meaning immediately, her smile growing more mischievous as she realizes where his thoughts have gone. She’d wait for him to continue, knowing that he wouldn’t hesitate to pursue the conversation further.

Each Ganondorf and Demise would process the revelation of Nanema’s Kage Bunshin technique differently, but all would recognize its power and potential. The implications would range from strategic advantages to more personal, intimate possibilities, and the conversations that follow would be filled with both intrigue and unspoken desires. Nanema’s knowing smile would challenge them to voice their thoughts, creating a tense yet playful dynamic between her and each of these powerful figures.

[hyenahunt]

Saga: Rivals - 21

Writer: Akira

Season: Winter

Characters: Jun, Hiyori, Seiya, Jin, Mika, Madara, Akiomi, Sora

Proofreading: 310mc (JP) & hyenahunt (ENG)

Translation: kotofucius

Akiomi: Ahaha… Oh, how I wish you'd told me that much sooner.

[Read on my blog for the best viewing experience with Oi~ssu ♪]

Location: Reverse Live Stage

Time: Hours later. Reverse Live, at the start of the second day.

Jun: “♪~♪~♪”

“Lilith! The original heretic! The revolutionary who spoke against God’s deception when none dared to!”

Hiyori: “Lilith! The mother of humanity, flung into the depths of Hell! How she screamed of love and sang of hope, no matter how far she fell!”

Seiya: “Lilith! That is who we are! Buried in the depths of history, we are the true idols, long forgotten by the world!”

Hiyori: “How long it has been! How I waited to meet you again! In the darkness, you were the only light I could see!”

Seiya: “I love you! I’ve loved you since this world came to be!”

Jun: “Destiny split us apart, and yet, we’ve been brought together once more!”

Hiyori: “Never shall we part again! Your warmth is forever ours!”

Jun: “Now, let us embrace! Let us love together, even if the very world forbids it!”

Seiya: “We are Lilith! It is to love you that we’ve arrived…!”

“♪~♪~♪”

Jin: …Ooh, how passionate. Or maybe over-the-top. Kinda like Valkyrie, actually.

Mika: Hey, you ain't ever gonna catch us sayin' love, love, love over an’ over like that! We’re passionate but artistic! Even if we’re speakin’ about love, we’d be a lot more subtle 'bout it.

Madara: Hahaha. It does seem like a refined… or rather, popularized version of Valkyrie’s methods.

They’ve got extravagant production for their stage too, probably thanks to the big shots all wanting to suck up to Hidaka Seiya —

So, their melodramatic lines suit the atmosphere, actually.

But unlike Shu-san, they’re not drowning in their own world. Instead, they're opening it up to the public; they gaze into their audience’s eyes and actively pull them in.

Akiomi: Lilith… I’d been wary of what tactics they might use, but they've been taking an unexpectedly materialistic and straight-forward approach.

They maximized the promotion, stage production, and everything else they could; and even shamelessly used Hidaka-daisenpai’s fame to call in an army of fans.

War is essentially about numbers. With everything so perfectly coordinated like this, well, there's no way to fight back through ordinary means.

Hidaka-daisenpai has truly made the most out of his advantage as an active, highly popular, professional idol.

He is on a completely different level from us, who finance our own small-scale concerts within the confines of an idol training school.

Even budget-wise, he definitely has one or two more zeros on us, I'm sure.

Madara: Hahaha. Especially when we as Ba-barrier don’t really have that much work, so we have no funds for battle, either…

We've turned our lack of cohesion into our selling point, making a novel show with each of our unique charms and gaining an upper hand that way.

In other words, we resort to clever schemes to put up a semblance of fight, so we’re at a disadvantage against planned head-on attacks.

Mika: …They’re so vulgar. I don’t reckon I like ‘em. They’re totally different from Valkyrie, 'kay?

Sora: HaHa~♪ Yep, totally different!

Valkyrie paints a single color over and over until it reaches a density no one can reproduce —

But Lilith kinda takes a bucket of paint and goes “splash!” with it, I guess~?

…And by spilling that much paint, they erase all the other colours.

Jin: Ooh~… I thought I heard grumbling. Turns out it was the defeated Akiyan and his merry men.

Akiomi: You're truly something… We're your good rivals and comrades from the same school, who have been supporting you this whole time both behind the scenes and out in the open — Is that any way to talk to us?

Madara: Hahaha. I’ve got no comeback since we did lose spectacularly last night!

Smashed to smithereens, in a most dramatic death! If Rain-bows are rainbows, then we must be fleeting fireworks!

Mika: Why're ya havin’ so much fun even though we lost, Mikejima-senpai?

Madara: Well, when the opponent did such a fine job in gaining the upper hand on us, the loss felt conversely exhilarating, see!

I quite enjoy defeat, actually! Especially when it’s the result of an all-out fight!

Mika: I can’t understand that feelin’…

Valkyrie an' Lilith are totally different, but fer some reason it jus' reminded me of the time when fine kicked us down.

Madara: Hmm. Their methods indeed resemble that of the former fine…

If there's a quantifiable way to win, then pouring all you possess will bring definite victory.

In the war last year, Eichi-san used all the lofty assets available to him to invent a game board that worked to his advantage.

Well, he was only making the most of his perks as a rich heir with money and authority… so it wasn’t exactly a low move.

Akiomi: Hmm. In this case, all participating units are new groups formed specifically for Project-Saga…

More often than not, it’s the audience’s first time seeing them.

As it’s hard to tell everyone apart at a glance, Lilith ends up standing out due to their expensive costume and production. Their lavish extravagance only makes them all the more eye-catching to the audience.

Not to mention, the famous Hidaka Seiya is in the group. That’s more than enough name and power.

Though yes, of course, these things don’t decide the entire value of an idol.

But under these circumstances, it becomes a challenge to even put up a fight. Without a good strategy on your side, they'll simply overpower you.

Madara: Wow, how ruthless! I guess miracles don’t happen all the time! Hahaha☆

Mika: Seriously, why d’ya look like yer havin' the time of yer life? I’m right frustrated, personally~ Unlike you, Mikejima-senpai, I ain't a fan of losing!

Madara: Alright! Let’s turn that frustration into motivation, then! We might’ve lost yesterday, but let's win today!

Liltih may have wiped the floor with us, but we're steadily winning against all the other units we’re up against! We still have a chance!

Akiomi: That's right. The rule isn’t as simple as retiring with one defeat.

While we’re nowhere as active as Rain-bows, we're still one of the most senior players of Project-Saga —

As a result, we've amassed fans through all our activities. We won't lose so easily to newbie units.

Sora: Yeah! Schemes and tricks are Sora's specialty~ Magic exists for the oppressed minority!

Even if the conformist majority closes in on us, we'll sidestep them and make a miracle happen!

Mika: Ahaha. Everyone in Ba-barrier's so tough an' dependable~ ♪

Jin: Haha. Who'd have thought you'd get along so well, Akiyan?

You’re definitely having fun being an idol, aren’tcha? Unlike me, you retired with regrets.

Akiomi: On the contrary, I have left my regrets behind.

We had accomplished our role with the success of Rainbow Stage, so we could’ve dispersed right then and there…

But that performance garnered us a good reputation, with many fans requesting that we continue…

And I thought we might come in handy someday, so I continued on with Ba-barrier.

Compared to the other Mentors out there, I am a level below them in terms of achievements, so I did have my reservations. But well, I’ve always been the shameless sort, anyway.

Jin: Really? You’re more competitive than shameless, in my opinion… The more people look down on you, the more you fight back to prove 'em wrong.

I’ve always admired that side of you since long ago.

Akiomi: Ahaha… Oh, how I wish you'd told me that much sooner.

Jin. We are giving our all just to hold our current position; I do not believe we’ll have the leisure to protect you.

However, you are the main character of Project-Saga, so by all means, find a way out of this predicament with your own two hands.

Lilith may prove to be a much stronger opponent than we thought, but if it's you, then surely you'll be the one to win — I’ll say this even without anything to back it up, just as I did in the past.

Jin: Thanks. I think having you there to always tell me that… was what helped me to hold out much longer than I would've on my own.

[ ☆ ]

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[resident-idiot-simp]

How do you think 09 v Reboot MW would fair in the SPN verse?

Would be creatures or hunters?

how’d they react to the characters from SPN and in a fair fight who would win?

YOU HAVE UNLOCKED SOMETHING IN ME!

Okay this whole thing is very complicated let's break it down.

First of all I think either could be both depending on the vibe you are going for but here is my first thoughts on it.

22-

Soap: hunter

Ghost: creature (werewolf or vampire maybe)

Gaz: hunter

Price: hunter

09-

Tav: toss up maybe originally Hunter turned creature I want to say vampire..... For Obvious reasons

Riley: creature (I would like to say Wendigo I really would but that might not fit quite in the universe... I'm going to say it anyway)

Roach: creature (Hell maybe he could be a Phoenix that would be very interesting considering they're all dead)

Price: Hunter but like Gordon vibes

React is a good question... There are so many characters I could go on about... Honestly it might be easier to ask about a specific character but I'm just going to do a vague overall. So TFW + Gabriel (because he is the best character)

Sam- He likes all the 22 boys honestly (probably a particular liking in Soap) he probably is just curious about their lives. 09 probably extremely hesitant but even more interested. He hates Price because Price is far too much like John.

Dean- He finds a keen spirit in Ghost and finds Soap fascinating. Hates 09 Price and probably wants to kill Riley. Tav is off-putting and he is confused by Roach and asks him a metric shit ton of questions.

Cas- He really don't care about any of them except for Riley and Roach probably he just wants to understand how they function and why (09) Price isn't dead

Gabriel - He loves the 22 boys and will treat Ghost like a pet. Soap is displeased but can't do shit about it. He finds Soap fun to poke and prod at and likes to call Price a child.

09- He wants to put Riley in a jar and study him. And he is so found of Roach (kindred spirits those two both can't FUCKING DIE) . Tav gets the trickster special because he isn't found of where he is headed and Price is free game to hunt.

(there is more Gabriel because I understand how far better then any other character.)

And in a fight?? That's not really a fair question... Because it's the Winchester's..... They can beat any character in fiction let's be honest here.

Castiel alone bodies. ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯ BUT I don't think that's the answer you want. So instead let's break it down.

They both have military tactics they are both honed in their craft. Tactics wise I don't know who actually wins It might be a toss-up. Would I like to give it to the Captain? Yes! Would he actually come out on top? I'm not sure.

Fighting wise again toss up they really are evenly matched in my mind.

The thing is the Winchester's have the advantage they know more than any hunter in the world because of the bunker.

If we're not counting just how overpowered the Winchester's are for the numerous reasons they are not only because God made them that powerful. They are honestly two sides of the same coin so I'm the end It might just be a draw ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

[satancopilotsmytardis]

Now you've got me thinking of vampire!Shig/Dabi. How Dabi cries blood and how Shig likes seeing him cry (for sexy fun reasons, obviously) 👀🫢 ooohhh, Tanco, you've given me a brain worm!!

Pairing: Shigadabi

Contents: BDSM, Dacryphilia, Vamipre!Shigaraki, Restraints, Anal Sex, Sex Toys, Overstimulation, Blood Play, Multiple Orgasms, Possessiveness, Orgasm Denial/Delay

He does not bite the people he fucks. 

It's a common feeding tactic. Vampire venom is great for stripping back inhibitions, it makes the food source feel euphoric, a high enough dose can make them black out, and if they survive, it leaves them feeling essentially hung over. Lots of his kind like to cruse bars for people who are already a little drunk, using the intoxication to their advantage, as if they need any more. He doesn't eat the people he fucks. It's not some moral high ground. Taking blood without consent is still probably less bad than killing someone outright which is his usual method of feeding. And the thing is, there are plenty of people who want to be 'sucked and fucked' as it's been called in crasser circles. 

But with his quirk and his vampirism, both serving to make him so dangerous, Tomura doesn't fuck anyone who is high, drunk, or pumped full of his venom. It's just too dangerous. Could bite his partners after they're finished, but he never does. Puts him off his appetite once their bodies are ripe with the smell of cooling sweat, cum, and tears, when their blood is cooling so apparently inside of their veins. He's never even been tempted. 

And then he started fucking Dabi.

The first time they had ended up in bed together, it wasn't actually a bed. Had been arguing about a job, Dabi always feeling very secure in arguing with him because even though Tomura is fast, he's also extremely flammable. Dabi was always sure he could kill him if it came down to it, and he wore that surety in the form of arrogance and insubordination. So they had been fighting, and he had gotten into the arsonist's face, had moved with his unnatural speed to snarl at him, fangs bared because that was just how riled Dabi can make him. And instead of smelling smug, or afraid, or angry, he had smelled aroused, and the next thing he knew he had the other man on top of the table, Dabi's hands tangled into his hair and pulling him into a rough kiss. Had fucked him hard and absolutely ruined the blueprints they'd been arguing over in the first place. And he had nearly sunk his teeth into Dabi's throat while he was buried to the hilt in his too-hot, too-perfect body. 

Restrained himself the first time, and the second time, and the third time, when Dabi had actually let him take him to bed instead of whatever vaguely private improvised surface they could find, he'd mumbled, while he was still laying boneless and fucked out in his bed, "Fine with you biting me, Duster." 

And he'd grit his teeth and done his best to keep hold of his already fraying control. "I don't bite people I sleep with." 

"Really? Every other Fang I've slept with asked, or didn't and got ashed, but whatever." Tomura isn't sure what to do with the anger that kindles in his chest. A possessive, instinctive rage that his arsonist has ever felt the sting of someone else's fangs. Really not helping with the desire to bite him, to give him a drop of his blood in turn so that no other vampire will come near him without knowing he's off-limits. 

"I don't." Had been all he'd managed before Dabi dropped the topic with a shrug. 

But that doesn't mean that every time he has the arsonist in bed he's not half distracted trying to keep his fangs to himself. It's probably a good thing that Dabi's neck and wrists are so heavily scarred because if he had to watch the way his pulse raced along with the heady smell of his blood in his nose and the loud frantic beating of his heart, Tomura would have lost it a long time ago. Feels his control slipping whenever he has Dabi in his bed, so he proposes a change to their relationship. Switched from being his boss who he hatefucks sometimes, into being his Dom. Introduced more rules into their bedroom play and thought that would help him keep his head on straight. Would make him curb his hunger. But every time he's with Dabi it just seems to grow. 

"Tomura," Dabi's voice always gets so breathless and whiny when he has the other man like this, the attitude melting away the second he takes complete control of his sub. That alone could get him drunk on the other man's presence. 

"How many times did you talk back to me during the meeting?" A meeting observed by his teacher at that. Is supposed to be proving himself as a worthy successor, and Dabi had put that in jeopardy. More than earned a punishment and knew that he would get one, but kept it up anyway. Been so bratty since they started planning this job. Thinks that means his firefly is nervous. Doesn't blame him for that, not really, not when the last time the League had gone up against UA they'd lost nearly everyone they brought in for the job. But Dabi is more insane than him if he doesn't think that he'll tear down everything in his way to-- the obsessive thoughts come unbidden and unwanted. He pushes them aside. Clicks the bullet one setting higher to hear Dabi keen and see him arch against his bonds. The point is Dabi knew he was misbehaving when he did it. Had still readily come to his room. Which means he knew he would be in for a punishment when he did. 

"Please, sir," The words tremble, but not nearly as badly as Dabi is. Stripped and bound on his bed, legs held wide with a spreader between them, and his cock hard and flushed, silicone cock ring keeping him that way as Tomura runs the bullet vibrator along his length. Between his piercings, just underneath his head, presses it to his slit and watches one desperate drop of pre manage to slip out and bead there. 

"Four." He answers for him. "Four times, brat. So that's how many times I'm going to fuck you before you get to cum." He doesn't think that's possible. Thinks Dabi will pass out or his erection will go from pleasurable to dangerous if he actually makes the human hold out for that long against his supernatural stamina, but Dabi has a safeword for when he needs human concessions in their play. He'll last two, probably, and then Tomura will save the next two for the next time he has the arsonist in bed. Then again, brings the vibrator back down along his piercings as the fingers opening up his needy boy press and rub against his prostate. Dabi strains against his bonds, a dry sob choked out of his throat as he moans. Fuck, he looks pretty when he's desperate. He supposes if Dabi begs after one then he'll possibly get to torture him three times, maybe four if he's feeling particularly mean. 

He's definitely feeling mean when he pulls his fingers out and replaces them with his cock. His firefly doesn't love anything as much as he loves being stuffed full, and Tomura loves the way his body is so much hotter around him than anyone else has ever been. loves the way his tight walls always cling so greedily to him. Dabi's smoking after just a few thrusts which means all his efforts to work him up are certainly paying off. Brings everything even higher for him as he makes sure to angle his cock to hit his prostate and brings the toy back to his ladder. The metal piercing the skin there has already made him so sensitive, the added sensation has him clenching like a vice around his cock, and his back arching off of the bed. It will be a miracle if he manages not to safeword before Tomura's even reached his first orgasm at this rate. 

"You're not going to make it to four, are you, baby? Too needy. I'm going to have to carry over your punishment then." Definitely the possessive thing in him that says, "I should lock your cock up so that you can't touch yourself until you've finished being punished. Make you wear it all the time. I wonder if it would be visible through those tight pants, probably would be. That would mean everyone would know that you're mine." Shit, knows those words were made too much of his instincts, pivots, "That you misbehaved and now you don't get to play with your needy cock until I say so." 

"Tomura, Tomura, Tomura--" gasping on every thrust. He can hear every hitch in his breathing, the rapid beating of his heart, can smell his sweat, and arousal, and blood. He is getting lost in Dabi, because he always gets lost in him when they fuck. His own arousal is at odds with his hunger, as both slowly build. He should have drained a blood bag before snaring the arsonist, because his thirst is getting to him. Is making it smell like Dabi is about to bleed, but he's being careful. Keeping his strength at bay. No reason for Dabi to be bleeding--

It would have been hard to control himself at the first broken sob out of Dabi's throat if it were tears running over his cheeks. It is impossible to do when Dabi breaks and there is blood pouring from his eyes instead. Can't even focus long enough to wonder if that's bad. Because humans don't typically cry blood unless there's something very, very wrong, because his hunger absolutely overwhelms him. His human, already so pretty, even prettier with tears on his cheeks, and those are blood. Can indulge in him without infecting him with his venom. 

He might lose his mind a bit. Leans down and drags his tongue over Dabi's cheek, and they both moan loudly. Dabi's blood is a contradiction. It's hot against his tongue but it tastes like snow, and ash, and molten metal. It's rich with the flavor of his desperation, his pleasure, and he immediately knows he shouldn't have had one taste, because he wants so much more. He wants to sink his teeth into his throat and drink so deeply that Dabi will have to take a pull off his veins to survive, so he will be smelling like him for weeks. Barely notices how hard he's fucking the other man, how he's been holding the bullet against his ladder, is too busy indulging in everything he shouldn't have. Just wants to get more bloody tears slipping over his cheeks. 

"Ah, ah, ah-- Tomura, I-- I can't," he sobs fresh and he immediately licks away the fresh drops of blood. "Tomura, gray, please, please--"

He barely pays attention, reaching down to undo his ring. Only takes another few thrusts before Dabi's cum is splashing hotly against their skin. Tomura doesn't stop. Fucks him straight through the overstimulation so that Dabi is sobbing constantly, even when he does eventually manage to get hard again. To stripe their stomachs with a little more cum. Is planning on taking him through to a third, will keep going so long as those delicious, pretty tears keep falling, but his firefly is shaking his head, his voice shaking too,

"Yellow, please, Tomura, please," means he wants him to slow down. Wants him to finish, will hold out for that, but otherwise wants to be close to stopping. Too bad. Something treacherous in him knows if he just gives him a nip, maybe against his swollen lips, that his venom will take away his reluctance. Will make him pliant and eager, will make him push his body far further than would be comfortable. That a drop of his venom will make Dabi's body last until he decides he's done with him. But even through the haze of his arousal and blood, Tomura knows better. Focuses on his thrusts, easing off of his prostate, putting the bullet aside, and with the heavy satisfaction of fresh blood in his stomach, the feeling of Dabi's spent body still trembling and clenching tight around him, and the sight of him, strung-out, bloody smears on his cheeks, and pretty blue eyes so hazy, it doesn't take long for him to finish. Orgasming has always been better since he turned, but he's never finished immediately after feeding, and the blood makes everything so much better. Makes the pleasure feel like it sinks so much deeper, like it might have restarted his heart for a split second as warmth that is no longer his surges through his body. Focuses beyond the wonderful sensations tingling across his nerves to listen for Dabi's little gut-punched sound he always makes whenever he fills him up with his cum, like no matter how many times they do this, it's still a surprise that his release is as cool as the rest of his body.

It takes them both a while to come down from everything, and when Tomura pulls out, he delights in watching how Dabi trembles and shivers as his cum leaks out of his flushed, puffy hole. Dabi stays slumped against the mattress as Tomura takes in the handprints that are bruised around his hips, the pricks of where his nails sunk in, and he feels a pang of remorse. He's normally so good about controlling his strength, but clearly he'd slipped while he was in the haze of his lust-- both types of it. If they're already nearly the same color as Dabi's scars then they're going to be especially painful when his firefly comes all the way down from his high. Tomura dips his head down to press a kiss against one of the marks and Dabi hisses softly. 

"Sorry, I'll go get you an icepack." 

Dabi makes a non-committal sound, tangles a hand in his hair instead and tugs lightly. Couldn't move him if he wanted, but he indulges the human, shifting back up his body to give him a kiss, the other man's blood still behind his teeth. "Can't you just give me a little of yours?" 

The wave of possessive heat that goes through him makes his fangs drop before he can stop it, and Dabi lets out a breathless laugh. Always delights in making him lose control even the smallest bit. "Dabi," 

"Come on, not like I'm fucking any other fangs right now," the thought has a snarl building in his chest. "Besides you got a taste, you're all about reciprocity." 

"...Are you sure?"

"Come on Duster, make me yours," there's a teasing little lilt in his voice. Like he doesn't believe or understand just how badly Tomura wants that. "Besides, I have more punishments. Won't this help me keep up?" 

He doesn't even care about that at the moment, too lost in the thought of having his claim inside of Dabi's skin. "Alright," And Dabi actually looks surprised, but his smell is delighted and a little smug. Tomura sinks his fangs into his lip before pressing back in for another kiss, letting the taste of their blood mingle on their tongues. 

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