#but also...she was raising her successor

[margridarnauds]

I'm going to replay Viconia's boss fight so that Kitrye can save her, because the more I think about it, the more I think that there's no way, given their respective Lores, that Kitrye wouldn't try, despite everything Viconia's done.

[janearts]

TL;DR: Roisia still doesn't think of any gods outside of Kelemvor. If she holds any other gods in contempt, it's a fleeting feeling because her thoughts of other gods are just as impermanent. More detailed analysis under the read-more.

***

Roisia's role as her mother's successor (and therefore a future Cleric of Kelemvor) meant that she was devoted to Kelemvor from a young age. So although Roisia wasn't ignorant of the other gods in the Faerûnian pantheon, she didn't spare them a second thought. Why would she? Kelemvor was front and centre to everything she was, everything she wanted to be.

I'm not sure if I've ever talked about the way that Roisia has some degree of emotional and cognitive dissonance when it comes to her faith and her career as a Necromancer. When Roisia raised her father from the dead and then doubled down on her pursuit of Necromancy, she effectively broke from Kelemvor, destroyed her Clerical future, and became godless. But she's still someone who prays to Kelemvor like he'll have an ear out for her. There's still something that remains comforting about the habit of worshipping Kelemvor, even though, when she thinks about it, she knows that her god would despise her for what she does and continues to do with abandon (raise the dead and bend the rules around death).

Roisia is effectively godless—a dangerous thing to be in this dangerous world when she knows that Kelemvor, the god whose tenets she broke, judges souls. But Roisia has had a hard time committing to another god in the pantheon. It somehow, still feels wrong to her. Much like picking a life partner, , Roisia just can't seem to select one and commit.

If she were, like she did for her "#4"s, write down her options, it would look something like this:

Bane: Talked to her. Said she was already of his ilk. A possibility.

Deneir: Scholarly and arcane. But what if she didn't want to just record knowledge, but practise it?

Jergal: If desperate. [FYI: Not 100% sure Roisia would've puzzled Withers out. Roisia would likely believe them to be a high-ranking priest of Jergal.]

Leira: Possibly, provided one has a sense of humour. (After all, in a sense, much of Roisia's life is a lie!)

Myrkul: Probably the most sensible choice of the lot. Still wants to cremate his bones for funsies for snubbing her.

Mystra: Also a practical choice, although considering Gale's history with the goddess, not Roisia's first choice.

Tymora: Again, if one has a sense of humour. (Because Roisia is, in a sense, gambling with her very soul.)

Waukeen: Once more, if one has a sense of humour, because Roisia still wants to have a thriving funerary business while also raising the dead in her own backyard graveyard.

[mechaknight-98]

Ranger Reject (NSFW) FT: Jiheon and Chaehyun

Author’s note: A request/ spiritual successor to A train to Busan of sorts from @leafostuff however because I’m a dork and have had several things on the brain this is also slightly for @somicutie08 and @blanceverlast

If I were to compile a bucket list one of the things I probably would have never had would be "Have a threesome with two of your favorite K-pop stars after seeing a Super Sentai Live show". yet here I was balls deep in Two of my favorite starlets, but I was getting ahead of myself.

I was heading to Japan to catch a recent anniversary live show for a “Super Sentai” series that had aired some ten years ago. After a long flight, the bustling streets of Tokyo energized me as I made my way to the hotel. The lobby was sleek and modern, filled with tourists and fans like me, all buzzing with excitement for the various events happening around the city.

As I approached the front desk to check in, I heard a familiar voice.

“Dino?”

I squinted, my mind racing. There was no way she could be here. But as I turned around, my heart skipped a beat. Walking towards me was Chaehyun, a friend I hadn’t seen in years, accompanied by Jiheon Baek, a young lady I had only seen through the confines of a screen. Both approached me with pleasant smiles as I finished checking in.

“What are you doing here?” Chaehyun asked happily, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

I hesitated at first, feeling a bit dorky, but decided to embrace it. “I’m here to see the ‘20 Years Later Dairanger’ reunion movie and the ‘10 Years Later ToQger’ team-up.”

Chaehyun raised an eyebrow and turned to Jiheon, who was looking at me with wide eyes. “That’s what we’re here to see!” Jiheon exclaimed, her eyes lighting up with excitement.

“Oh right, I remember seeing on a V Live a while ago that you talked about Power Rangers,” I responded.

Jiheon’s eyes widened even more. “You’re a Flower?”

I nodded, and Jiheon laughed, her joy infectious. She asked which room I was in, and when I told her, she burst into giggles. “What’s so funny?” I asked, to which Chaehyun responded,

“You’re right next to our room,” she explained. I nodded and gave a thumbs-up as we all headed to our respective rooms.

After setting my stuff down, there was a knock on my door. I opened it to see Chaehyun, who lunged for me and pulled me into a heated kiss, closing the door behind her.

“I missed you so much. When you left, I kicked myself for not getting your phone number,” she said, breaking the kiss and wrapping her legs around my waist.

“Well, I missed you too,” I replied before Chaehyun yanked me into another kiss. I could feel the desperation in her voice and words, but before we could do anything, there was another knock on the door.

“It’s Jiheon,” Jiheon said from the other side. I looked at Chaehyun, who huffed and smiled.

“Okay, I’ll share you this one time,” she said with a pout as she got off me. I went to the door and opened it to let Jiheon in. Her smile was so cute and endearing that I couldn’t help being enamored with her.

Jiheon sat on the bed and asked, “So, how long have you been a Power Rangers fan?”

I smiled and replied, “So, I don’t know how they translated it in Korea, but my first was ‘Lost Galaxy,’ which is ‘Gingaman’ in Japan.”

Jiheon nodded and moved closer to me. “What team is your favorite?”

“King-Ohger and Kyoryuger,” I replied without hesitation.

“Good choices. Are you into any other Toku series?” she asked curiously.

Like the dork I was, I nodded and began listing off Ryukendo, Kamen Rider, Garo, and my favorite of them all, Ultraman. I mentioned the live show I was going to, which was the 10th anniversary of Ultraman X.

“Wow, you’re loading up on all these live shows,” Chaehyun said, surprised.

I nodded enthusiastically. “Toku is my favorite genre in all of media. I have never seen a product from it that I’ve truly hated. That’s something I don’t take lightly.”

Both girls looked at me with wildly different expressions. Chaehyun’s was a mix of amusement and affection as if she was thinking, “He’s such a dork, but I love it,” while Jiheon’s was more of wide-eyed wonder, “Oh, I’ve got a new best friend.”

As we settled into the room, the conversation flowed naturally. Chaehyun and Jiheon shared stories about their travels and experiences as idols, while I talked about my job as a cartographer. The atmosphere was warm and comfortable, and it felt like no time had passed since Chaehyun and I last saw each other. Both girls were lovely conversationalists despite not having much to bridge the conversation between a mutual interest. Jiheon was constantly testing me on my Toku knowledge while Chaehyun was treating this like a full reunion. I could tell Chaehyun was just waiting to pounce on me the moment Jiheon tired herself out but sadly it was me who tired out first. The multi-hour flight along with light amounts of food had left me exhausted.

“Ahhh I’m beat. Sorry, you two I’d love to chat some more but I am tired. Let’s meet up tomorrow.” I yawn. The two girls smile and nod before going back to their rooms. After showering I got situated for bed and noticed a text from two new numbers.

The first read, “It was super nice to meet you today. I loved talking about Toku with you. I hope we can hang out again tomorrow -Jiheon,” I felt my heart skip a beat reading her text. I replied with a thumbs-up emoji which made her send me two thumbs-ups with a picture of her. I smiled as I made it her contact ID picture.

The other message was a few photos of Chaehyun in her lingerie. Capstone by a video of her touching herself and massaging her breasts. She moaned my name and I felt my dick grow unreasonably hard. I groaned as I fell into a conflicted horny slumber. I wanted both girls but I’m sure a threesome was off the table.

The next day, I woke up early, the time difference jolting me awake. My excitement for visiting a few museums kept me from going back to sleep. As I opened my phone, I noticed a series of suggestive pictures from Chaehyun.

“I’ll deal with you later,” I texted back, trying to keep my mind focused. A notification for a video popped up, but I refused to open it, knowing it would lead to impulsive decisions. After getting ready, I walked out of my hotel room.

As I stepped into the hallway, I saw Jiheon also leaving her room. Her face held an enchanting smile as our eyes met.

“Oh, Dino, are you heading out?” she asked brightly.

I nodded. “I’m planning to hit a few tourist spots: the giant Gundam, the Super Sentai Museum, Sagakawa City, and the Ishinomori Museum. Probably not in that order, but that’s the general plan.”

Jiheon’s eyes lit up, and she asked if she and Chaehyun could join me. I hesitated for a moment, knowing Chaehyun might be pushing her limits, but Jiheon’s warm smile made it impossible to refuse. “Sure, that sounds great,” I replied.

We waited for Chaehyun to get ready, and soon we were all in an Uber heading to our first stop: the Super Sentai Museum. Jiheon sat next to me during the ride, and we chatted about various topics. I found myself falling for her deeper and deeper, her infectious enthusiasm and genuine curiosity drawing me in. Meanwhile, every time I glanced at Chaehyun, she’d blow me a kiss or make some other cute and flirty gesture, keeping my heart in a constant state of flutter.

When we arrived at the Super Sentai Museum, Chaehyun grabbed my arm and had me lead her through the exhibits. She asked several insightful questions, like why certain themes were chosen for specific years or why South Korea didn’t air some of the series. These were easy for me to answer, and I enjoyed sharing my knowledge with her.

“This is so fascinating,” Jiheon said as she examined a display case filled with vintage toys. “I didn’t realize how much history there is behind these shows.”

“Yeah,” I agreed. “Super Sentai has been around for decades, influencing so much of pop culture.”

Chaehyun tugged on my arm, pulling me towards a section dedicated to the more recent series. “Dino, look at this! It’s from Kyoryuger, right?”

I nodded, smiling at her excitement. “Yep, one of my favorites.”

Chaehyun who had her arms wrapped around mine asked why I liked Kroryuger

“I like dinosaurs, the designs are cool and Daigo Kiryu (King) is just the coolest,” Chaehyun smiled at my explanation before nestling closer to me.

We spent the morning exploring the museum, soaking in the rich history and nostalgic memorabilia. Afterward, we headed to see the giant Gundam statue. The sheer scale of it was breathtaking, and we took numerous photos, capturing the moment.

Next, we visited Sagakawa City, a quaint area known for its traditional charm and serene atmosphere. Walking through its narrow streets, we enjoyed local delicacies and admired the picturesque scenery. Jiheon and Chaehyun’s company made the experience even more delightful, their laughter and excitement infectious.

Finally, we arrived at the Ishinomori Museum, dedicated to the works of Shotaro Ishinomori, the legendary manga artist and creator of many beloved tokusatsu series. The exhibits were a testament to his genius, and we spent hours marveling at his creations.

As the day drew to a close, we found a cozy café to relax and reflect on our adventures. Sitting there, sipping on warm drinks, I couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude. This trip had turned into something far more special than I had anticipated, thanks to the company of two amazing friends.

“That was an incredible day,” Jiheon said, her eyes sparkling with happiness. “Thank you for letting us join you, Dino.”

“I wouldn’t have had it any other way,” I replied, smiling.

Chaehyun leaned in, her voice soft but teasing. “And remember, you promised to deal with me later.”

I chuckled, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness. “I haven’t forgotten.”

After arriving back at the hotel Chaehyun asked if she could talk to me alone for a bit. I could see wild lust in her eyes. I knew if I held out any longer she would start making some bold moves to get what she wanted. So I acquiesced to the beautiful lady and locked the door to my room with her. At first, though she did want to talk.

“Jiheon has a crush on you,” was the first thing out of her mouth. I nodded unsure of how to respond. “I also think you have a crush on her. Is that true?” She asked. I thought about it and ultimately decided yes. I nodded to which Chaehyun smiled and said “Great wait here,” I sat there confused until Chaehyun came back with Jiheon. Chaehyun ordered Jiheon to sit next to me.

“I have listened to you to be all cute and flustered with each other for 2 days now,” she began.

“So now we are going to change the pace a little bit. Both of you strip now.” We looked at Chaehyun confused until she repeated herself more firmly. As we turned away from each other bashful Chaehyun demanded we look at each other. So we did. I marveled at Jiheon’s body her curves were illustrious. Her ass and tits are to die for.

“ Now I want you two to kiss,” Chaehyun said firmly. I look at Jiheon and panic she has this bashful look and I can’t think lewdly of her but my body responds to a gorgeous woman in front of me naked and my cock begins to harden. Jiheon’s eyes travel down to my crotch as she marvels at it.

“Oppa is this because of me,” Jiheon asks shyly. I nod when our eyes meet, Jiheon finally gains the courage to look at me and kiss me. Her lips are soft and taste amazing. As we get comfortable with each other our hands begin to roam until Chaehyun says, “Did I say you too could touch each other?” We both complied with her warning and stopped caressing each other.

“Good pets now. Get on the bed you two may touch each other,” Chaehyun said, and in our fervor, Jiheon accidentally tripped me and we fell on the the bed. We laughed before kissing again. I first grabbed her tits as we kissed eliciting a tense moan from the Korean woman. My manhood hardened under her body as it found purchase between her this right below her pussy. I needed her. I needed to desperately be inside of her.

“Oppa put it in me,” was all Jiheon said before I slid my cock in. As I slid in I noticed the difference between her and Chaehyun’s pussy almost immediately. Chaehyun’s pussy was less tight and wet than Jiheon’s pussy however she was her snatch had this viscous feeling that was always pleasant. Jiheon moaned breaking me out of my contemplative mood and I watched as she lowered herself further and further onto my cock until she bottomed out. She grew tighter as she moaned before yelling “Ah Oppa I’m cumming,” and her climax hit her like a ton of bricks. When she recovers her eyes fill with desire as she says to me.

“I’m going to ride you till you cum Oppa,” Jiheon said as her body language became more confident and alluring. I watched her roll her hips over my crotch, causing the most intense friction and pulling from her pussy as it clenched my dick.

“You’re so hot when you ride me Heonie,” I moaned and her radiant eye smile returned elated by the praise I gave her. I turned to check on Chaehyun who was in the corner furiously masturbating to us. I knew I’d have to drop a load into her creamy pussy after Jiheon got me off.

I felt a soft hand guide my vision back to Jiheon as she said, “Look at how well I take your cock Oppa focus on me.” I watched as she took me in and out of her as she continued to roll her hips over mine. The wet sounds of our sex sliding, and grinding on each other only made me harder. Then Jiheon began to bounce her tight ass on my cock and begins saying “cum for me Oppa! Please I need it. I’ll be your good girl if you cum for me right now,” as her, pleas continued my body gave in her need demands as I exploded into her tight walls. She screamed as she came again before passing out next to me. I smiled at her but with how hard I still was there was one more thing I needed to attend to. I lay next to Jiheon for a moment trying to calm down because if I stayed at the level I was currently at I was going to break Chaehyun, which I didn’t want to do.

“Oh fuck please take me again. I need your cock so bad Dino. Please tear my pussy up. I need you.” Chaehyun moaned luridly. Erasing all my doubts. I got up and walked over to her watch as she ducked herself so desperately.

“My Greedy Girl you couldn’t wait could you,” I ask as seeing her so vulnerable and vulgar awakened something dormant.

“No, I need you to breed me. My pussy needs your cum I need it,” Chaehyun moans as she continues.

“You’re my favorite little cumslut. I say before burying myself into her creamy snatch. Chaehyun moans as I bury myself in her. I thrust into her violently as she lewdly stares into my eyes. I kiss her as I go deeper and deeper inside of her. My dick ravages the confines of her velvety smooth pussy. Her slick covered my cock and encouraged me to be rougher with her pliable and plump body. I devour her tits as she yells for me to be rougher and more aggressive with her as her nails dig into my bay as she tries to get some reprieve from her rough pounding but I only go harder.

She moans and then cums finally triggering my second orgasm. I cum inside her. Chaehyun attempts to push me off but I keep thrusting inside of her. I pick her up and then move her to the bed where Jiheon has started up again. I lay Chaehyun on top of Jiheon and I pull out of Chaehyun to dive into Jiheon. My is blank only focused on my pleasures and fucking two more loads into both of them as I alternate between their pussies. Their moans drive me wild as I find a vicious pace. I unload my next load into Chaehyun who moans overstimulated and sensitive. So for the next hour, I focused on Jiheon and her body the softness was exquisite, and her cute whimpers drove me wild as I fought the urge to devour her but kept myself in check until she fully let go and told me to “ram her tight pussy till I exploded in her,” so I did exactly that triggering her second peak and my fourth. As she passed out with Chaehyun I stared at my hard cock refusing to reduce himself or go down. I needed them both but I wanted to respect their boundaries. So I passed out on the couch.

I woke up sometime later to an unfamiliar sensation. When my eyes adjusted I looked down to see Jiheon’s lips wrapped around my cock. She smiled her eyes wide with lust,

“You were wild last night. I loved it. I saw you were still hard so I had to taste you,” she said as she broke off from my cock long enough to talk to me,” I turn over to see Chaehyun slowly getting herself off.

“You two are mine now. My two favorite dorks. My two favorite ranger rejects,” she said as I came in Jiheon’s mouth.

[tobiasdrake]

Here we go. It's time to talk about my personal fave. As I said before, this is my Main. In Dragon Ball fighting games, this is the character I seek out to play whenever the roster allows. Also arguably the character who's been done the most dirty by just about every form of Dragon Ball, manga included.

The vanguard of a brand new status quo and a brand new direction for what Dragon Ball would even be, washed away by the tides of a status quo resetting to zero.

We're here to talk about the champion of Satan City who carries the spirit of Dragon Ball in her heart: Videl.

(And that is one cookie to @jcogginsa who guessed it.)

Videl was a kid with a chip on her shoulder. I mean. How could you not be? Her father was the legendary world martial arts champion who famously defeated Cell seven years ago.

Don't pay attention to that. He just tripped for a moment. Once he got his second wind, he came right back and showed Cell what for! It was due entirely to Mr. Satan and nobody else that the Earth was spared from the apocalyptic horror that is Cell.

Look, he even said so himself.

Are you gonna call that man a liar? The man who defeated Cell!? I think we can trust Satan's word over yours.

This is the shadow that Videl grew up under. Raised in what had previously been called Orange City, but was renamed Satan City in honor of the world's greatest hero.

Or "Hercule City/Herculopolis" in the versions that edit out Satan's name.

As his daughter, Videl has a perspective on Satan that neither the world nor the audience gets to see: He's a womanizing playboy who cashes in on his world-savior fame for booty.

He also forbids his teenage daughter from dating by putting up the stipulation that any boy interested in her has to be stronger than him, the world champion - A stipulation naturally designed to weed out any possible suitors through intimidation. Wanna date Videl? FISTFIGHT THE MAN WHO DEFEATED CELL.

Oh, but he doesn't teach her a goddamn thing; At least, not anymore, as she does suggest there was once a time when he was her mentor. She's forced to study martial arts entirely on her own because her dad is utterly disinterested in her development in the art.

This is an angle on Satan we never get to see onscreen. Apparently he's pretty shitty about women. You know, I can believe that.

Videl, when we meet her, is trapped in an unenviable position as a martial artist. She hates what the fame of being a legend has done to her dad and wants to knock him down a peg, but she has no foundation to develop her abilities from. The one man who's supposed to be teaching her isn't doing it, and she's been passively discouraged from pursuing more esoteric martial arts because the world champion said that stuff's all fake.

Videl makes for a fascinating foil to Gohan, because they're both children living in the shadows of legendary fathers.

Gohan is expected to be Goku's successor, but wants to live a peaceful life of academia. Meanwhile, Videl is being denied the ability to become Mr. Satan's successor, but craves the opportunity to prove herself.

Nonetheless, both of these kids are prodigies. Videl has a wealth of potential. She doesn't even realize that, despite these limitations, she surpassed her father long ago. Despite being a self-taught teenager with zero comprehension of ki cultivation, Videl hones her skills and developers her art the only way that's available to her: By punching it out with armed robbers in the region.

Backpack Town isn't even her city! She's a one-woman SWAT team for the tri-state area.

As ambitious and driven as she is, Videl is also clever. The anime extrapolates the adventures of the Great Saiyaman into a several-episode arc as Gohan deftly avoids detection by Videl over and over again, but this has the knock-on effect of depriving Videl of one of her best moments.

Because she pegs him instantly. She was already suspicious of Gohan being the mysterious "Golden Warrior", when he tried to use his Super Saiyan form to disguise himself as a superhero.

Which also showed that she was open-minded about the other people who fought Cell. Satan says they were doing a bunch of tricks, but Videl's willing to consider the possibility that there exist people who can turn blond on command.

And then Gohan did this shit.

Because he was raised in the woods by the devil and Goku. Despite trying to keep a low profile, he has absolutely no idea what the baseline for ordinary human ability is.

So. Y'know.

That's pretty fucking suspicious.

Which brings us to Gohan's second outing as Great Saiyaman, and his first meeting with Videl under his new identity. Whereupon she, uh....

Plays him like a fucking sap. It's a great moment that doesn't get its due if it takes several episodes and misadventures for her to reach this point. Videl is exceptionally skilled in the field of paying attention to that time Gohan jumped thirty feet in the air and naturally drawing conclusions from it.

And also his voice and posture and other dead giveaways. Gohan sucks at secret identities.

He's just. So obviously Gohan. There's no way anyone would be fooled by this.

But she's not only adequate at seeing things with her eyes; She's also a legitimately brilliant martial artist in her own right. Due to her upbringing, she's had zero experience with ki cultivation for obvious reasons.

And yet she's talented enough and smart enough to pick up the basics of Bukujutsu in one day.

Oh, don't mind her; That's just Videl making a mockery of Tsuru-senryu by effortlessly devouring their signature technique. This is Goku's first Kamehameha all over again.

She may have started small but Videl learns fucking fast. She has all of the drive and the ambition that Gohan lacks. She wants to be part of this world, she has a ravenous hunger for self-improvement, she's clever and observant, and she picks up concepts insanely quickly.

Videl is fucking primed to be a key player in Dragon Ball's next generation.

...

So now we need to talk about what happened to Videl.

Videl has one major fight in the entire series: Her 25th Tenkaichi Budokai bout against Spopovich.

Which she absolutely dominates. She's stronger, better, and faster than Spopovich. Even the experienced martial artists agree that she's infinity times better than him in every way.

But there's something wrong with Spopovich. He's a decent martial artist, far from the top; He'd competed in the 24th Tenkaichi Budokai and made it through the qualifiers, but was eliminated in the first round. So, y'know, he had no chance in hell against Videl; She's already surpassed Mr. Satan, who won the 24th legitimately.

Uh, by virtue of none of the Kame-senryu or their rivals attending. Mr. Satan is top dog of the same weight class as Pamput from the 22nd.

But, despite being outclassed in every category, Spopovich is also a dead man walking.

He's similar to the Androids in a sense. Spopovich has no ki signature at all, nor does he get worn down by the damage he's taking. This is Vegeta vs. 18 and Piccolo vs. 17 all over again; He isn't feeling the pain from the hits she's landing on him, and so he's able to outlast.

But Spopovich isn't an Android. He's more like a zombie?

At one point, Videl cuts loose and breaks his goddamn neck. Because he's pushing her hard enough that she realizes she needs to go harder, but his body can't take harder. He isn't a match for her. He just. Isn't going down despite not being a match for her.

He can't take this level of force. But he and his ominously vacant absence of ki can put his head right back where it was and continue the fight, no problem. That's honestly scarier than if he'd regenerated.

Also despite not even having the barebones ki signature of a normal person, Spopovich can perform Bukujutsu and fire ki attacks.

Which a fighter of his meager ability shouldn't even be capable of.

All of this adds up to an unwinnable fight for Videl and the setup to... Something. This match has been criticized pretty heavily in the fandom because it gets pretty gruesome and doesn't have a payoff.

We've seen fights go fucking bad for our heroes before. Piccolo once broke all of Goku's arms and legs as well as shooting a hole in his chest, right here in this same arena.

But it's typically building to something. When our heroes get trashed, it's the lead-up to a reversal down the road. Maybe in the same fight. Maybe in a later one. And we seem to be heading in that direction?

After Spopovich and Yamu leave the tournament, we get VIdel a Senzu and she's right as rain.

Spopovich and Yamu steal energy from Gohan and fly off to Babidi's Ship so they can awaken Majin Buu. Kaioshin recruits the various protags to make that not be a thing that happens. And then. Something switches in the narrative flow of this arc.

You can feel it happen.

As our heroes prepare to pursue Spopovich and Yamu, Videl volunteers to join in as well. She's had her eyes opened to a whole new world or possibilities and is hungry to develop her abilities.

And. Then. One chapter later. It's suddenly decided that Videl will not be a part of this storyline after all, and she basically leaves the plot forever.

WHOOPS! Never mind! Didn't want this character here after all. Go home, Videl.

While her adversary Spopovich is unceremoniously unwritten from being a thing that exists.

Babidi just. Kills him. For no reason. Even though his job isn't done yet. Babidi's like, "Oh good, you collected a fraction of the energy we need; That's fine, you can be fired. I don't need anyone to finish the job."

We're just. We're not telling that story anymore. We already threw Videl in the trash; we don't need her nemesis. We're doing a different thing.

Also, because we still have too many characters in this scene, Dabra erases Krillin and PIccolo with magic spit that never comes up again or is meaningful in any way.

You'd think this would be, like, setting up something? Like. Having witnessed it ahead of time, Gohan's able to figure out something about the way Dabra's spit works. So when he fights Dabra in a climactic battle, he can turn this around.

Like when Goku was able to counter Tenshinhan's Taiyoken/Solar Flare in the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai, because he'd seen it before and understood how it works. That's usually what Dragon Ball does with this sort of advance notice of opponent abilities.

But. No. The most this ever comes up again is that it momentarily costs Gohan one of his gloves. It's just here to winnow down the cast because Toriyama brought too many characters to this scene.

You can feel the burnout taking hold. As janky as the Android arc was, the Buu arc's level of jank is through the roof.

And that became it for Videl. Denied any sort of payoff for her one fight and instead relegated to background character, Videl never got a chance to live up to the intriguing potential she was introduced with. She was the face of a new direction for Dragon Ball, a direction that ended up strangled in its crib as the series reverted to old ideas and old formulae - strangling her along with it.

Videl is a character I look at and can't help but wonder what could have been. What could have been if Gohan got to keep his focus, and Videl got to remain a key player in a story about him? What could have been if we got to see Videl developing her skills at the same fever-pace that she learned Bukujutsu with? What could have been if she got that rematch with Spopovich she seemed to have been promised by the narrative, and then got to stay involved throughout the Buu arc?

But I guess we'll never know.

[thecutepoison]

Guys, I'm kinda freaking out... we learned last episode that in the abscence of the previously estipulated successors, the position of principal of aguefort would fall upon the student's council president, right?

I'm going to state the obvious for a second. It's a given that Kipperlily is trying to win the election for more reasons than a personal achievement. She was 100% aware of the gap in the rules, which would mean Aguerfort's joke would be interpreted as the only manifestation of his will. This is the girl who said she's busy studying the student government and takes active joy in finding loopholes in the rules (like acing the year bc the rogue teacher found her).

But what is her angle here? It's a powerful position for sure, but the Rat Grinder's must be after something specific. So I started asking myself what specifically would help them in the plan of raising this Forgotten God from the dead. Aguefort's office must have dangerous items aplenty given the incident with the crown and his general personality. Do they want access to that?

Then it dawned on me.

Lydia Barkrock's body is under the fucking school.

For those who don't remember, in sophomore year it was revealed that Arthur Aguefort cloned Lydia while she was sleeping and placed her soul into a new body, hiding her original one in the depths beneath the school. Crazy ass move bc he did that without warning her, but that's what prevented Kalina from permanently killing Lydia in season 2 - upon the clone's death, she gained consciousness in her original body.

It's only fair to assume that Aguefort made this precaution again after sophomore year for the same reason: Lydia's death would entail Bakur's escape. And if Kipperlily is elected and becomes the principal... it's very likely she would have access to Lydia's original body since it's on school ground. Her vulnerable, unconscious body, the only thing preventing the fiend from escaping.

That's really bad, guys. Bakur knows how to do the divine ressurection ritual, he only failed because he picked the wrong place. But the Rat Grinders do know a place that would work!! Kipperlily specifically asked Jawbone about Yes! and he did tell her that this god was created by Kristen when she died in Prom and went to corn heaven. So, a god was born in corn heaven - that's why the Rat Grinders personally requested Buddy Dawn, a cleric of Helio. Maybe by using him, they can pass through the pearly gates to perform the ritual. After all, Arthur Aguefort did the same thing using Kristen.

Basically, if Lydia dies, all pieces fall in place for them. Together with Bakur, they have all the info necessary to pull this God from the Astral Plane back to existence. They would just have to kill her unconscious body and slay the clone holding her soul. What they lack right now is the access, which solved by gaining the position of principal.

PS: Also, there's a rat society under the school?? Perhaps it's close to where Lydia's body is localized?? Idk Brennan is insane

[ghostbsuter]

Twins, minus the Demon (Part 1)

.・゜-: ✧ :-

When Damian and Danyal were created, it was not to become the League's successors, but to be the children for the trio to raise.

It didn't work, eveyrhting shattered when Ra's Al Ghul found out about the heirs.

Their Umi, Talia, went back to the League when the two were taken, Mother and Father none the wiser.

And so, they were trained carefully beneath the watchful eye of their grandfather.

Until they were 10.

Talia, Umi, revolved against the leader of the league and sent her boys to Gotham. She kickstarted a war with a battle cry, holding her sword up and chin never lowered.

Knowing Umi would be back, because she always did come back, they separated and planned.

Damian left with Father, Danyal with Mother.

Neither knew of the other, lest they ruin the suprise after all.

Like cats on a mission, truly.

—

Studying his self-proclaimed blood son, he noticed with sadness that he had Talias eyes, her tan, and walked just like her.

Yet he also reminded him of Selina, with the swiftness of a cat, eyes never straying and only satisfied when succeeded. He mildly notes he had her unruly curls with amusement.

He was a mix of demon and cat, but also with the spice of bat.

Stubborn like him, never backing down and always fighting.

He wonders why Talia left them, hiding a secret child along.

The spot for Robin was free, Tim having renamed himself with a new hero alias and finally flying from the nest.

Bruce should tell Selina, with his new Robin by his side.

—

While the man mourned, Selina had been enlightened when her eyes met his.

It was bittersweet in a way, to know the woman you loved had hidden a child from her and Bruce, but it also brought hope.

Because wherever talia was, this, this proves she didn't leave for nothing.

Selina sees the similarities between her and Danyal, he was quick-witted, let his emotions in the moment lead, and loves just as fierce as Talia does.

She also sees his hair curl just like her own, blue eyes that can only be from Bruce, lighter in shade than Talia is and with the matching paranoia of the bat included.

And she sent her son to her.

Their son.

Because she couldn't take care of him right now, something happened, and it forced her hand and focused on protecting the child first.

It meant one day, she would come back.

To her, to them.

She needs to introduce him to Bruce.

—

While Robin had his fair time as vigilante sidekick, Ragdoll robbed the rich and made sure to tease the other as much as possible.

It wasn't until they met, that the light was flipped and the truth revealed.

(For being such a old guy, Danyal really tips his head to Dick, the guy figured him out in a second, not far behind was Tim.)

(He really should have concealed his eyes, would have been more fun.)

They met on a rooftop, Catwoman leaning on a gargoyle as her little helper stood by her side.

(Catwoman wasn't fooled as easy, it took just a few longer glances that she'd figured out the switch.)

The bat's and birds on the other side, and soon enough, Batman gestures to his Robin, who steps forward.

Mirroring the bird, so did the cat.

"This is Robin." He introduces, and selina bites her laughter back, because–

That's her boy, or apparently, one of her boys.

"Ragdoll." She gives a fleeing smile, tilting her head to her apprentice.

"Okay, so, Nightwing, Red Robin and Black Bat immediately figured it out." Robin speaks up, two firm grips on his costume, and one tug has him dressed as his cat counterpart. He seems sheepish.

(Dick in particular is leaning forward with a wide grin, dragged behind him is Jason, interested but stubborn.)

"Tt," Ragdoll throws his own costume away, revealing Robin. "You need more practice. It took catwoman only 3 hours. I win."

The boy walks forward to his twins side, it seemed to amuse catwoman even more.

"Nuh uh! Technically speaking Batman didn't even know!"

Both pointedly look at the clad in black outfit wearing man, frozen stiff and looking between the two.

"Really, father?" Another 'tt' and Robin grumbles. "Fine, I'll take you to the stupid milkshake cafe."

Cheering, Ragdoll is throwing his arms around Robin's neck, dangling in front of his, the older twin having a secure grip on the black collar, lest Ragdoll fall.

"I get my milkshake!" Robin only seems more exasperated at his behaviour, shaking his head.

With delight and literally vibrating from his spot, Nightwing jumped at the two, staring between them with curiosity.

With his lead, so did the other birds and bats, teasing and playfully giving them head pats.

"Twins?" Batman's gruff voice breaks through the little gathering they have.

"Yes, father." The firstborn easily replies, the second only following behind. "Umi didn't want to overwhelm you and Catwoman when she sent us here. Don't be mad?"

"Now that we're talking about this, neither explained your circumstances nor why now?" She nears them with her cat like dance, slipping next to Batman and leaning into his side.

Both twins share a look.

"Umi was adamant that we'd meet and get along first before bringing in our situation." Robin explains, his voice is steady yet unsure in the way only a child with recent loss could sound.

"It's not that she didn't trust you," Ragdoll explains to Batman when the man looked like he wanted to interject. "Umi knew you'd help us regardless of our blood connection."

They share another look, one fiddles with his hands, the other having a steady grip on his hilt.

"This is no conversation for anyone to hear, we can't risk being found because we slacked off in security."

The twin wearing leather and cat ears snorts, mischief twinkling, and jumping forward to give Red Robin a pat on the chest.

A smile only a cat could wear takes over, and with joy he hollers. "Tag! Your it!"

Not even a second later, he was thrown over Robins shoulder and both skedaddled to the cave.

"Tt, truly experts, to freeze like that on a rooftop. Assassins could have easily killed all of you in that moment."

Robins tease echoes through the comm and causes them all to unfreeze.

With a huff of laughter, Red Hood pushed Nightwing to RR as sacrifice and bolted after the twins.

A yelp and Nightwing was swiftly tagged, RR disappearing with Spoiler in tow.

When he searches for a target, both Batman and Catwoman are already gone.

"Aw man."

—

In the end, Robin comfortably sits at the chair in front of the batcomputer, Ragdoll on the arm rest with his legs tossed out on the others lap.

"You guys are so slow!"

As the other mile around, Damian and Dnyal exchange hushed whispers, only drawn out when Batman urges them by clearing his throat.

"Okay, this won't be easy," Danny drawls the words, fumbling with Damians hair instead.

The other scowls but does nothing else. "First of all, Umi did not leave you willingly." He speaks loud and clear, mask off and staring at Bat and Cat.

"She never planned on leaving, but complications arose with our birth."

Smiling nervous, Danny takes over.

"You're familiar with our grandfather, yes?" At the nods, he grimaces. "When he heard he had potential heirs, he kidnapped us once born. Umi had to follow immediately, lest one of us dies because grandfather wasn't careful."

"She couldn't exactly flee either, with two toddlers, so what she could do, she did. It might not have been the best childhood, but umi did her best!"

While the children of the bat stay mostly silent, Bruce, without cowl, and Selina don't.

"Why now? Why did she send you two at 10?"

Damian drums his fingers on the others legs laid out on him, humming.

"On our 10th birthday, Grandfather gave us a rather... peculiar mission." He winces at the explanation, those words bring no truth of the situation to light.

"What akhi means, we're twins." Dnany holds up two fingers. "Two people, one destiny. Grandfather did not like that two remained, seeing as only one can become the next Demon head."

Someone took a sharp intake of air somewhere, he can't really focus, the memories are not pleasant ones he'd get reminded of.

"Umi didn't let it happen," Damian drawls, massaging Danyal's fingers with bored expression, the forced nonchalance doesn't fool anyone.

"She swung her sword and declared war on grandfather. It was the start of a civil war in the league, dangerous to us for we were still known as heirs."

Danny meets Selinas eyes. "Umi didn't just send us here because of the chance, it was also for protection. With groups joining the civil war for the throne, some might have the idea to kill off the heirs, us in this situation."

A wince and he starts blabbering. "Not that I'd like to die in the next few hours, or days, or weeks, or—"

"You're rambling, daynal."

"Sorry akhi."

With a wave of his hand, Batman nods at the rest of the bat's and birds, they leave to continue patrol.

Silence in the cave, only interrupted by drops of water and the clicks of the bat's above them.

"Thank you." Her voice is soft as she walks to them, heels clicking on the ground. Her gloved hands ruffle the ebony hair of the two and brings them into a hug.

"We will protect you, love you and wait for Umi to come back," Selina declares with careful words, nails running through thick curly hair.

Damian and Danyal can't argue otherwise, the other not as comfortable as his counterpart with the hug, but leaning in neverless.

This will be a journey, neither parents having had twins before and growing back closer with them.

(When talia left, Bruce and Selina grew apart. It brought tension they'd ignore in publics eye, vulnerable moments only for the other to see and so much mourning.)

(Talia is not back, but her children are. Their children. Wonderful twins that will stomp and smash the tension between them and bring back what Talia took.)

(They cannot wait for the day their third will rejoin them.)

[serverusslaype]

Shameless

potential Snape x professor!reader fic?

Shameless Masterpost

so, this was just a thing i typed up late last night because late night snape cravings hit and i honestly just wanted to write something. it's not perfect, of course, but where else to post it but on this beloved, yet cursed site?! <3

i have a few parts typed up so if people enjoy it, i'll post the other ones. just a heads up, i'm not entirely following the book/movie, sort of just making it up as i go.. so please, do not come for me, it's just a self-indulgent fic at this point. :,) considering i have not really proofread this properly, forgive me for any mistakes lmao

also, i've made the reader a hufflepuff because i am one, and so it's easier for me to write .. also cos i feel like i suck at writing as other houses lmfao

anyway.. here we gooooo..

"You look lost in thought, my dear," Professor McGonagall turned to you, tilting her head in a concerned fashion. You wet your lips and turned to face your older colleague and blinked - a pathetic attempt at trying to ground yourself. She'd caught you daydreaming again. "Everything alright?" She questioned quietly, a kind smile picking at the corners of her lips.

You tore your gaze away from the subject of your attention and looked to the Gryffindor Head of House, who was seated to your right. 

"Oh," Clearing your throat awkwardly, you nodded at her. She didn't look too convinced. "Just a long day, I suppose." You lied and glanced down at your hands that were clasped together in your lap; fingers fidgeting nervously like you'd just been caught doing something you shouldn't.

McGonagall didn't look satisfied nor happy with your answer, but she didn't want to press you - that wasn't her business. The older witch was respectful in that way, and for that you were grateful. You offered her a small smile in return to reassure her.

The older woman raised her brows in a disbelieving manner, her twinkling eyes studying your blank face as if trying to decipher what on Earth was bothering you. It felt like you were back in school at Hogwarts all over again, in trouble for breaking the rules or something similar. But you weren't, you were a fellow professor at Hogwarts now, in fact, you were the new teacher for Herbology. Professor Sprout had retired last year and Dumbledore had offered you her position, his memory still serving him well as he remembered you'd always had a thirst and passion for the fauna and flora side of magic. Before that, you were teaching Astronomy.

Currently, you were sat in the Great Hall with the other professors, waiting for Dumbledore to do his usual announcement at the beginning of a new year.

"I don't like it when you lie to me, Y/N." McGonagall gave you a sad look, placing a comforting hand on your fidgeting ones. She stilled your anxious movements and you sighed deeply. Out of all the professors at Hogwarts, you got along the best with the older witch, she had always looked out for you back in school and now. You'd probably say that Sprout was your next closest colleague considering you shared an intense interest for Herbology, so you were sad to see her go.

You didn't say anything in response to Professor McGonagall, you only sucked in your bottom lip and chewed on it for a brief moment before Dumbledore's familiar voice rang out through the Great Hall.

"Good evening, and welcome to another year at Hogwarts," He began, stepping up to the golden owl lecturn, his arms flailing about dramatically. "Now, I'd like to say a few words before we all become too befuddled by our excellent feast. First, I'm pleased to announce that Professor Y/N L/N will be taking over the mantle of Herbology, as Professor Sprout chose to retire at the end of last year. I am very confident that she will be a great successor to our previous Herbology professor." Dumbledore announced, turning to give you a warm smile. You stood up and smiled and waved sheepishly as the students and other fellow professors gave you a round of applause, all of them giving you kind and encouraging smiles.

As your eyes flicked round the table of your fellow professors, you got caught in the gaze of none other than Professor Severus Snape. You sucked in a quiet breath, feeling your body go rigid under his cold gaze. After that, you quickly seated yourself, focusing your attention back onto Dumbledore. Over the past year, you'd unfortunately grown a slight affection for the broody man. You weren't sure why, considering how short and cruel he'd always been with you, but maybe that's what did it. A masochist at heart, perhaps? Surely, that was unlikely for a Hufflepuff like you.

McGonagall noticed the tension, and she immediately leaned towards you, glancing at Snape. "Don't worry yourself about Severus." She hummed to you, offering an encouraging smile. Your fingers rushed up to massage your temples.

"I'll try not to, but I'm probably going to come into contact with him more often now, no? Since he will probably come looking for potion ingredients from my classroom?" You groaned, braving another glance at the raven-haired Potions Master. You felt your cheeks betray you, a light shade of pink tinting them as he met your eyes once more. You quickly looked away. If you were going to keep this under wraps, you were going to need to train yourself not to blush at such small things.

"Well, yes," McGonagall said hesitantly. "But I'm sure he will look to come knocking when you aren't there. He's not the most... socially adept man." She pursed her lips momentarily and you met her gaze, scoffing quietly. She let loose an amused chuckle at your reaction. "You know that, of course." McGonagall added, leaning back into her seat. You hummed in agreement.

"Next on the agenda, I would also like to welcome Gilderoy Lockhart as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." Dumbledore's booming voice tore you from your thoughts, and the name he mentioned caught your attention. Gilderoy Lockhart? Wasn't he a famous author?

You looked up curiously, trying to spot him in the crowd of teachers. There he was, standing proudly with a million-dollar grin plastered on his too-perfect-looking face. God, what an ass, you thought to yourself. He wasn't bad looking, but he just seemed to think everyone was there for him. Obviously.

"He's not going to last until the end of the year, surely." You commented, trying to hide the amused grin that was desperate to make an appearance on your face. Suddenly, Lockhart looked over to you, as if he sensed you were talking about him. You quickly wiped off the grin on your face and politely smiled at him, praying he didn't see your previous expression. It didn't seem like he did, as he just winked at you instead, making you cringe inwardly.

You had to refrain yourself from letting your head hit the table out of embarrassment. Gods, how many people just saw that awkward encounter? Surely the whole bloody school considering the man was still stood up. You slowly sink into your chair, wishing it would swallow you up.

The next day soon came, and you were up early in the morning, ensuring that the greenhouse-classroom was set up perfectly for your first class of second-years. You'd thought it would be fun to start off the year with an interesting and easy, practical lesson. So you chose to teach your students about the Devil's Snare - a dangerous plant that can kill if you did get tangled in it unless you kept calm and relaxed within it's deadly grasp. You were aware that Professor Sprout had gone over this last year with them, but you wanted to remind them of the dangers that this plant possesses. You potted some of the plant into small containers and spread them out over the long table, placing a small warning sign in front of it to ward off some of the more.. courageous students. Particularly Slytherin ones - you weren't discriminating against them, however in your experience they were usually the troublemakers.

"Professor L/N," A familiar, deep voice came from behind you, almost making you jump out of your skin from how deep in thought you were. Spinning around on your heel, the skirt of your dress twirled with you.

"Professor Snape, to what do I owe the pleasure?" You smiled politely at the dark-haired wizard, clasping your hands in front of you to show some sort of composure and confidence. Despite this, you could still feel your cheeks heating up as Snape prowled towards you slowly, his face still cool as stone.

"An unusual job change from being the Astronomy teacher to the Herbology teacher." He commented, glancing over your new classroom with a frown. The Potions Master stopped just short of a metre in front of you. Snape's cloak engulfed him, and you were reminded of the times you and your friends had nicknamed him the Bat of the Dungeons back in school. He truly did embody the look of a bat perfectly, making you wonder if he had based his robes off of one.

"If you remember correctly, I had a passion for both subjects." You replied nonchalantly, though slightly curious to see why he had paid you a visit. Snape hummed disapprovingly at your reply. Clearly, the man didn't approve of any student that excelled in any other subject than Potions.

"What can I help you with, Snape?" You turned back to adjusting the pots of Devil's Snare on the long table, retrieving your wand from your robes and casting a charm to create a dark rain cloud to sit atop of the plants to ensure they were comfortable. Snape watched you, clearly intrigued.

"I need some asphodel roots, if you will." Snape stated, making you turn to look at him with a cocked brow. He continued to stare down at you with a disdainful expression on his pale face, making you want to curl into a ball. "A student of mine neglected the task of retrieving some." He added with that look of disappointment still on his face. Snape's tone was harsh, and you could tell he was pissed off, this task was below him. Obviously.

You let an amused huff slip out of your nose, a smile picking at the corner of your lips as you just imagined the bollocking he gave that student for forgetting something so important, especially in his class. He instantly cast an angry glare at you, and you wiped the smile off of your face almost immediately. The man might not be your professor anymore, but he still scares the shit out of you for sure and you weren't willing to take your chances today.

"Ah," You nodded softly, avoiding his stony eyes. You cleared your throat and padded over to your row of plants, looking underneath the wooden fixture for the jar of asphodel roots you kept. "Brewing Draught of Living Death?" You questioned awkwardly, trying to break the uncomfortable silence that enveloped you and Snape. A curt sigh left his lips at your pathetic attempt at making small talk.

"I'm astonished you know what I require it for, Professor L/N, considering you were rather... academically inept in your potion classes." Professor Snape said coldly, making your jaw clench. It was no secret, you were shit at potions, and Snape always made sure you were aware of it when you were in school. Again, why were you crushing on this cruel man? The word 'masochist' came to mind again. Nonetheless, why were you even helping him? He clearly has no respect for you.

As you continued digging through your storage unit, you finally spotted the jar of asphodel root behind some empty, dusty jars. You retrieved it quickly, suddenly wanting Snape to leave as quickly as possible. After his cruel comment you weren't exactly inclined to keep his company.

As Snape held out his hand demandingly to take the jar from your grasp, you whipped it away with a fierce frown on your face. You may be a shy, little Hufflepuff, but you did not like it when people spoke rudely to you.

"You know, it helps a lot when you have a teacher you like." You said to Snape, holding his cold gaze. It's true, you're more likely to enjoy and perform better in a subject if you like the teacher that is teaching it.

"I did not come here to squabble with you, Miss L/N." Snape rolled his eyes, reaching again for the jar in your hands but you held it closer to your body. You clenched your jaw as he disregarded your title. He wasn't stupid, he was clearly doing it to get under your skin, and it was working.

"It would suit you better to respect the people that are willing to help you, Snape." You bit back at him with narrowed eyes. You passed the jar to him hesitantly, balling your fists in a small fit of rage as he took it from you. "And it's Professor L/N. I'm not your student anymore."

Snape arched a disapproving brow at you, turning around to sweep out of your classroom, his black cloak billowing out behind him like a bat. Gods, he was infuriating! You wondered how the hell the other professors have dealt with him all these years. The bastard didn't even thank you either!

He'd left you in a sour mood, and now you had only ten minutes until your class of second-years arrived. What a git.

part 2!

there it is,, i hope you enjoyed this late night idea, let me know if you did with a like or a comment, whichever you prefer. then again, you don't need to do either! 🩷 :)

[dysfunctionalmaki]

Say My Name

Wanda Maximoff x Fem!Reader Chapter 02/? Summary: You work all around at the local country club, to your advantage you flirted and used your beauty to get what you want, though with this certain woman your own way can't seem to work. Warning: This work contains smut and foul language, minors DNI!!

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ.───

Days passed since your encounter with Wanda, you often ended up wondering when she is coming back, also, you cashed some of the money you got from Diana but you ended up placing a huge amount of it on your savings. You lay on your bed just taking your time by just thinking, simply shutting your eyes and allowing your imagination to run free.

“Such a good girl… I bet you're thinking of me the moment you saw me-”

You immediately opened your eyes when you realized where your mind was going, you couldn't help but let out a groan when all you could think about was Wanda Maximoff, her beautiful emerald eyes, the accent that she has, that damned smile. You took a couple more moments to get up when you sat up and decided to take a walk, though before you could even leave your bed the phone on your side table vibrated. Checking to see who caused the notification, you can't help but smirk to see it's a message from Diana.

It’s so boring here and all I can think about is you.

Miss me that much?

Not really, just want to sit on your face and ride your tongue.

I've got something to look forward to next week then.

As if you're not getting any pussy right now.

With the little bantering you had with Diana, all of a sudden you received another message from her and this time it's a photo of her, wearing an almost see through nightgown, her nipples were definitely poking against the clothing, she wasn't wearing a makeup yet you admit that she's like a living goddess. While you stare at the photo, your mind instantly traces back to the redhead you met a couple of days ago and you can't help but groan at the intrusive thoughts you've been having of the older woman. 

You simply left a heart react on Diana's photo before sending a photo you once took with her, it was a mirror shot of you two, she was standing before the mirror while you're facing her lower region and from what you recall she did use your phone to take this photo, not even a second after she did the same by placing a heart emoji on your message.

Just as you exit your room, you see Yelena having some instant mac and cheese for breakfast. “I didn't know you were home.” the blonde says and you went to sit beside her after taking a spoon so you could steal some bites of her meal. “Yeah, I should be out and be coming home right now.” you say with a sigh and your friend couldn't help but raise her brow. “You're not getting laid? Are you and Prince official now?” She asked as if she really did think that you and Diana are something. “God no! Completely casual.” you said with a shrug. “Can't find anyone to match up with her.” you say before crossing your arms over your chest.

“Who?” Yelena asks, then you look at her unsure if you want to honestly answer your friend. “Your sister.” You teasingly say and the blonde immediately gagged the moment you mentioned her sister. “Eat shit.” she says then you couldn't help but laugh at her reaction. “Of course not, I wouldn't hit on your sister, her friend? Maybe.” you say then Yelena still hasn't put her brow down from being raised. “Carol? No… too masculine for your taste, so it's definitely Wanda.” she says so surely and you bit the inside of your cheek before nodding.

“She's married.” Yelena says which made you groan immediately, then you stole a spoonful of mac from her bowl. “Tell me more.” you say then the blonde paused for a moment to think. “I think she married Mr. Stark’s successor, his name's Jarvis but mostly known as the Vision.” you tilt your head confused with the nickname and then you let out a small ‘oh’. “So, she's rich-rich?” you ask once more then your friend nodded.

“To add another question, why didn't you mention to me you had a sister?” You ask wanting to push the subject further, as Yelena finished a spoonful bite of the mac and cheese she simply shrugged. “Not really relevant.” she says before taking another bite. “I'm doing a shift this lunch.” You say and you receive a nod from Yelena. “I'm not coming in today, I took a day off. I spent a whole week trying to get back what I spent on Fanny’s vet.” The blonde says then you looked at her, taking your purse and handed her a grand. “What? No, I can't take that.” Yelena says but you pushed it to her hands. “Please, I don't even know what to do with all the money that Diana gave me, I might end up buying coke.” you tease and it still took a little convincing but you made sure to let your friend take the money. “It's all good, I promise.” you say before taking another bite of the mac and cheese.

You got up and decided to postpone the walk you're going to take when you saw the time, heading back to your bedroom then you went to take a shower before getting ready for work, you didn't take that long but you made sure your precious body was pampered with the best products you could get, you put on your uniform which is the red polo shirt and matching it with a beige shorts. 

Finally, leaving the house after getting everything ready, you ran towards the bus stop and hoped you didn't miss it, you were luckily just in time before the vehicle would leave. Getting to your seat, you were sat next to some stranger since there's no empty seat other than this one. “Quite a busy day isn't it?” The stranger spoke to you and you looked at this man. “Ah yes, guess it is today.” you kept your answer short so you wouldn't have to keep the conversation going, the unknown man only answered with a nod then you were left to mind your own business.

The moment you got dropped off to your stop, it was basically a walking distance from here but you're just in time to hear a familiar sound approaching you, as you put on your sunglasses so you wouldn't have to scrunch up your face because of the heat, you saw Bucky coming closer while on his motorcycle. “Hop on, doll, busy day today.” he says then you raise a brow and there's just something with men and start the conversation by stating that today's a busy day. “Why is that?” You ask as you got on the motorcycle and you held on to the side of his shirt. “I heard rumors that Mr. Stark might visit today, members would probably try and get on his good side.” he answered then he starts driving once more, leading the both of you to the club.

The moment you stepped into the place, it was more crowded than usual, everyone's in their own friend group, there's old men smoking cigars by the lobby, then there are the wives who are busy gossiping by the café, and there's Tony Stark himself, accompanied by his wife Pepper Potts. You went to walk past them since you're headed in the staff's locker room, you made sure to smile at both of your bosses before heading in the room to put your bag away and start to clock in. 

You fix yourself once more then you make your way to the restaurant and have started your shift, it was awful, at least it was to you. You've had countless entitled people who are acting so snobby, then there are old ladies who wish they still had your youth here and there, and one table that certainly caught your attention was the group of three familiar women once again. You made sure to look twice just to be sure and you took note of their hair colors… one blonde and two redheads. You basically had to race your coworker to take the table and as you appeared before the three women, they all smiled at you, well, especially Natasha but that's because she knows you're Yelena’s friend.

“It's so nice to see a familiar face.” Carol commented before saying what she'll have for this lunch, Natasha pinched in what she's going to have, and as you were taking their orders you attempted to steal a glance from Wanda, though immediately looking back to your device when you realized that she was indeed staring at you. “And I'll have some Caesar salad… plus the scarlet cocktail, I loved it.” Wanda says before smiling at you, her eyes never leaving yours and then you finally take your cue to leave when you've gotten all their orders.

You went to take their orders to the kitchen, then headed to the bar to tell Bucky what the ladies will be having. “Oh, it's the three ladies again? Looks like you've reeled them in again.” he says before chuckling. “If I were you, I wouldn't want to hit that.” he commented which made you tilt your head in confusion. “Well, you think you're the only one who uses your pretty privilege around here? This face makes some pretty good tips.” Bucky says while he went on to prepare the drinks. “Heard that those three were pretty close with Stark, co-workers I think?” he says not too sure with the information he has gotten, after all he only gets them from the club members as well.

“You don't want your boss finding out you're banging his friends, wouldn't want to lose your job.” Bucky says then he finally handed you the drinks he made, and it was just in time when the kitchen rang you up. Quickly handling the trays you make your way to the ladies’ table, and you serve their meals and drinks. Receiving a genuine thanks from them honestly made your day better, you just appreciated the fact that someone is nice to you after serving a bunch of assholes, plus your little crush thanked you, and that's what makes it better. Just as you turned to leave, you bumped into a man who was holding a drink, surprised with what happened you instantly apologized before looking to see who it was.

You've seen this man's photo once but you can't quite recall who he is, it's obvious he's irritated, considering you just spilled a drink on his clothes. Though, to your defense it was a complete accident and you didn't intend to do so. “Do you know what you've done to my–” “Vis, let it go, it's an accident no need to cause a scene.” You heard Wanda speak and as you realize who this man before was none other than her husband. “I really am sorry, Sir.” you spoke before offering him more tissue and of course, the complimentary country club shirts. “Y/N, it's okay, you can go and do your thing, you apologized, you didn't mean it and it was an accident.” Wanda assured you when you turned to look at her as she defended you from her husband who isn't even speaking a single word but you could definitely feel his annoyance.

You mouthed “Thank you so much.” Before leaving and as you left, the janitor on duty was quick to mop up the drink that spilled on the floor, making your way into the locker room. You can't help but let out a sigh, then somehow you can't stop yourself from smiling when Wanda just stood up for you. Well, it's the bare minimum and this interaction usually happens in restaurants but still, you can't help but put on your smile once more before facing the crowd once again.

The hours felt so long and you were emotionally and physically drained from having to put up a smile, being so empathetic to arrogant assholes, so, when you clocked out, you walked to the parking lot. Remembering that Bucky doesn't leave work this early, you can't help but sigh remembering you'll have to walk alone without Yelena with you. Making your way to the sidewalk then you started to walk to the nearest bus stop, at first it felt peaceful until you felt that someone was tailing you. Speeding up your pace, the car also went to catch up with you, at this point you honestly thought your life was done. Maybe that was overboard but you're overthinking at this point. “Y/N! Hey! It's Wanda.” the voice says as she rolled down her window.

Finally, you stopped at your tracks and you let out a sigh of relief. “You scared me!” You say and the older woman couldn't help but laugh softly. “I didn't mean to, I promise. I only slowed down because I was trying to see if it's really you.” she says and you honestly can't believe you're conversing with her as if you two are friends. “Well, that's one way for kidnapping to start, honestly.” you teased and received a smile from her, it can honestly brighten up your whole day. “Hop in, let me drive you… wherever you are headed for.” She offered and you didn't really know if you should say yes or not until she insisted. “Please? Consider this as a way of making it up to you for my husband's behavior.” she added.

You made your way around the car and she unlocked the door, you sat next to her and she started driving once again. “It was an accident-” “I know, but he has this thing of making scenes and I'm pretty tired to put up with it.” she honestly spoke and your eyes widened for a second not expecting what you've just heard and you nodded your head. “You can just drop me off at the nearest bus stop.” Wanda looked at you for a moment and she raised a brow. “And let you get on a bus at this hour?” then you bite your lower lip unsure of what to say at this point, it's not that it's uncomfortable it's just plainly… awkward. And this doesn't happen with you and any person you plan on taking to bed, this simply happens because you have a crush on this person driving.

“Yelena knows me, if that's what you're worried about, I knew her the moment I met Natasha. She always brought her sister around and it's quite adorable honestly, so… what I'm saying is that you can trust me?” She spoke trying to break the ice between the two of you and you nodded your head. “I live with her, I mean I'm her roommate so if you do know her then I'm assuming you know where she lives.” you say and Wanda nodded her head, and as if it's on the back of her hand, she knew where the place was.

Just as you two were approaching the apartment, Wanda received a notification from her phone, as the screen lights up you saw her lock screen and it was a photo of the cocktail you served her when you saw her for the first time. You didn't want to read much on it but it certainly made your heart skip a beat. When she stopped right in front of the apartment building, you weren't too sure what to say other than thanking her. “I- uh- Thank you for the ride.” You say as you take off the seatbelt. “Are you usually this awkward?” She asks and you weren't able to answer because you know damn well you're never awkward. “I thought so, you were good with chatting up the guests and customers, and now it's just the two of us… you're all tongue tied.” she said then tilting her head trying to get a read on you, but you're sure as hell she knows that you have a little crush on her.

“Do I scare you?” “What? No! I mean you're just intimidating… that's all.” you quickly answer her question and she couldn't help but smile. “Whatever you say sweetheart.” she teasingly says. “I hope we get to talk more next time… and say hi to Yelena for me.” she says before you finally took the moment to get off the car. “I will, take care, Wanda.” you say before smiling at her and she did the same. “Have a goodnight, Y/N, dream of me.” she teased you once more before driving off. You quickly make your way into the apartment and you can't help but smile from one ear to another.

Entering the apartment, you see Fanny finally back home to welcome you, Yelena was nowhere to be seen but you don't mind getting a greeting from this furry companion, you go ahead to run your fingers across her fur then she follows you as you get into your room, just as you tossed your bag to your bed, you felt your phone vibrate once more, and it's from your best friend.

Went out to get some dog food, also, Fanny's back home so enjoy her company.

Enjoying her company much more than I enjoy urs, lol.

Ass.

You went to lay on your bed then you bite your lower lip, you were thinking of something and you’re well aware that what you’re about to ask your friend could be a beginning or a quick ending of something, but you’re never one to back out of a challenge, taking your phone once more and you decided to text Yelena once more.

Sooo… Do you have Wanda’s number or something?

I do but I don’t think it’s a good idea, lol.

Help a friend out will you? ;))

You’re going to take two of my shifts whenever I want, deal?

Deal.

With just that the next text message you got from your best friend was a phone number, you went to press it… fiddling your fingers unsure of what to say or why you asked for her number but you’re good at this part, and you went ahead to do your usual lines.

Hey Wanda, it’s Y/N, I got your number from Yelena… Hope you don’t mind.

You took a deep breath just thinking of possible scenarios that could happen, scenario one was Vision gets to see your message and you’re fired, second? Wanda blocks you, and three it was– 

Hi! It’s completely okay, what’s gotten into you and asked your dear friend for my number?

Well, maybe I want to spend some alone time with you to show you that I’m not that awkward mess you picked up from the sidewalk.

Hmm, straightforward and bold… You’re aware that you're speaking to a married woman? Haha.

Well aware, Ma’am

Good, maybe I could drop by at the club tomorrow, will you be there?

For you? I would be.

Are you sure this is the same girl I picked up earlier?

100%

Wanda simply reacted to your message with a heart emoji and that was more than enough to make up for your whole night, you are eager about what can happen tomorrow. Honestly, all you can think is that if you bed this woman, this crush of yours would simply go away or maybe this could really be a start of something new. But, no, you don’t really care about that for now.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ.───

Taglist: @esposadejoyhuerta @reginassweetheart @lvinhs

[contemplatingoutlander]

It appears that Mexico is now the 60th UN member nation who has had a woman as head of state.

It just goes to show how the U.S. is still a very sexist culture. I've always believed that a major reason that Hillary didn't win the electoral vote in 2016 was that too many Americans felt uncomfortable having a highly qualified woman in the Oval Office.

Anyway. Congratulations to Mexico! Below are some excerpts from the NY Times article:

Claudia Sheinbaum, a climate scientist and former mayor of Mexico City, won her nation’s elections on Sunday in a landslide victory that brought a double milestone: She became the first woman, and the first Jewish person, to be elected president of Mexico. Early results indicated that Ms. Sheinbaum, 61, prevailed in what the authorities called the largest election in Mexico’s history, with the highest number of voters taking part and the most seats up for grabs. It was a landmark vote that saw not one, but two, women vying to lead one of the hemisphere’s biggest nations. And it will put a Jewish leader at the helm of one of the world’s largest predominantly Catholic countries. Ms. Sheinbaum, a leftist, campaigned on a vow to continue the legacy of Mexico’s current president and her mentor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, which delighted their party’s base — and raised alarm among detractors. The election was seen by many as a referendum on his leadership, and her victory was a clear vote of confidence in Mr. López Obrador and the party he started. Mr. López Obrador has completely reshaped Mexican politics. During his tenure, millions of Mexicans were lifted out of poverty and the minimum wage doubled. But he has also been a deeply polarizing president, criticized for failing to control rampant cartel violence, for hobbling the nation’s health system and for persistently undercutting democratic institutions. Still, Mr. López Obrador remains widely popular and his enduring appeal propelled his chosen successor. And for all the challenges facing the country, the opposition was unable to persuade Mexicans that their candidate was a better option.

[edited]

[hulahoopsoupgroup]

spoilers for arlecchinos story quest

first of all, i love the writing throughout the entire quest, the pacing is great, i love my husband arlecchino. ugh.

second of all, i think theres something so tragically beautiful in the differences between arle and crucabena, specifically the point where arle says that her and crucabenas rules were no different, it was just how they enforced them that differed.

crucabena would force her children to fight for the death in order to become the new king. arlecchino lets her children fight for their convictions, and if they burn bright enough, she will choose them to be her successor.

crucabena ruthlessly killed anybody who betrayed the house of the hearth. arlecchino wipes their memories and expels them from the house to let them pursue a life they desire. she "kills" their old selves.

i also nearly cried at her retelling her past with clervie

she says that she was the one who killed clervie, but im pretty sure she says at one point that clervie refused to raise her sword against peruere, and in the animation, it looks like clervie was the one who threw herself onto perueres sword

i think what happened was that the "fierce battle" arle talks about was more of a verbal battle, peruere telling her to run away from the house, far away to where crucabena wouldnt find her, and clervie arguing that her only right in the house was her right to die, that she didnt have the ability to conjure up the freedom she spent 16 years fighting for, ending in clervie essentially killing herself

but it was perueres blade she fell on, and peruere was the one holding it, so she places the blame on herself

and thats so fucking sad. i wonder how arle truly views herself, because she says she doesnt have a problem with people having misconceptions about her, but what about her having misconceptions about herself?

she sees wiping peoples memories and letting them go free, unpunished by the law (per her deal with neuvillette) as equivalent to murder. she sees clervie falling onto her sword as equivalent to killing her best friend. does she see herself as a murderer?

ive been so unwell for the past few days guys i could talk about the quest for hours

[city-of-ladies]

Kōgyoku/Saimei (594-661) was Japan’s second empress regnant according to the traditional chronology, with the notable particularity of having reigned twice.

Her first reign ends in blood

Though stable during Empress Suiko’s reign, the court reverted to a state of unrest after her death. Emperor Jomei, died without designating a successor. To put an end to the power struggles, his widow, Princess Takara, was chosen in 642. She was 49 years old and would thus be known as Kōgyoku Tennō.

As the region was hit by a severe drought, Kōgyoku prayed and the rain fell. She thus won her subject's respect.

In 645, her son, Prince Naka no Ōe , killed minister Soga no Iruka in front of her in the throne room. Kōgyoku knew nothing of the plot. As she confronted him, her son explained that Iruka was guilty of treason. 

The empress left the scene and abdicated two days later in favor of her brother Kōtoku, with Naka no Ōe becoming heir apparent. 

In 654, Kōtoku died of an illness and his sister took the throne again as the 37th Tennō, called Saimei. 

A mediator and a builder 

Saimei fostered international relations by sending envoys to Tang China and opening exchanges with the three kingdoms of Korea. She undertook many building projects to show the prosperity of her realm and receive foreign envoys.

Many of those buildings were made of stone. However, not all her projects were met with approval. Such was the case of a facility with an imposing stone wall and necessitating the manual digging of a canal. It nonetheless seems that this canal had two purposes: irrigate the fields and form a moat that would deter enemy invasions. 

At the end of her life, Saimei planned a military to help the kingdom Korean kingdom of Baekje against Silla and China. She was at Tsukushi, readying her troops, when she died at age 68. Before passing away, she told her son Naka not to waste a great amount of labor in building her tomb.

The navy suffered a terrible defeat after her passing. Her son Naka no Ōe would later rule as emperor Tenji.

A loving grandmother

Saimei played an important role in politics by achieving peace between rival factions. She also raised her granddaughter Jitō, who would become a powerful empress in her own right. Extremely saddened by the death of her grandson prince Takeru in 658, she asked to be buried beside him and wrote two poems:

Above the hill 

At Imaki 

If even a cloud

Would only appear, 

Then why should I grieve? 

I did not think of him 

As being a mere child, young

Like the young grass 

By the river bank, where they track

The wounded deer. 

Like the foaming waters 

Of the Asuka river, 

Moving on ceaselessly:

Without pause

Does my mind dwell on him

And:

Though I cross the mountains 

And sail over the seas, 

I shall not forget

The happy 

Times in Imaki. 

 The salt current 

At the river mouth 

Flows back into the sea:

With darkness at my back,

 Must I go, leaving him behind? 

Must I go, 

Leaving behind

My beloved young child?

Feel free to check out my Ko-Fi if you want to support me!

Further reading:

Toshio Akima,  "The Songs of the Dead: Poetry, Drama, and Ancient Death Rituals of Japan"

"The story of Empress Saimei"

Aoki Michiko Y., “Jitō Tennō, the female sovereign”, in: Mulhern Chieko Irie (ed.), Heroic with grace legendary women of Japan

[teecupangel]

This is based on @zero-saito’s reply for this post

@teecupangel what if the day Desmond was born was a date that the sky turned green like that?

The sky turned green the day her son was born.

It lasted until he stopped crying.

Or so they say…

She had been too tired to care about such things, holding her son as he cried his heart out.

Her heart ached when he cried for so long.

As if lamenting his birth…

They said it was an auspicious sign.

She saw it as an omen of what was to come.

She had him because it was part of the contract she had with William Miles.

William Miles believed she would fall in love with him.

She doubted it the moment he agreed to her father’s proposal to ‘sell’ her off.

A child born of the Ibn-La'Ahad and the Auditore bloodline…

That was what her son was to her father.

To her husband?

He was just as fucked up as her. Unlike him, she never pretended to be normal.

He probably loved her son in his own way but he also saw him as the successor to such mighty bloodlines.

And this green sky that greeted her son’s birth.

It was only auspicious to them.

To her…

To her son…

It was a curse.

He hated the color green. He preferred the whites and reds that his mother usually wore.

He liked dark skies, of rain and storm…

He hated the word ‘auspicious’.

He hated his birth date.

But most of all…

He hated the Farm where the green sky appeared.

So he ran away.

And she stayed behind.

Screamed his name while standing at the opposite side of where she saw him run.

Swore she saw him run deep into the green forest, not towards the cliff that led to the blue waters that will carry him farther away from them faster than his legs could.

He ran away.

And she stayed.

Because she was not the mother he should have had.

But she was the distraction he needed that day.

.

When the entire sky was covered in the curtains of colors everyone found beautiful that early morning when the Solar Flare was supposed to hit the earth…

She saw the green curtains.

And did not think of it as auspicious at all.

She felt her phone vibrate but she didn’t need anyone to call her to know.

The world was saved.

But her son was cursed by this green sky once more.

She wondered if he knew why she wasn’t with him during his last moments.

Did he hate her?

That was fine.

She deserved it.

She was not a good mother.

But…

She was raised to be the perfect distraction by her own father.

So she took out her phone.

It was a message from William Miles.

[He’s dead.]

What an auspicious day for them all then.

They sacrificed her son for the world.

And she…

She never said goodbye.

No.

She doesn’t deserve a goodbye.

She closed the notification and pressed the volume up button on the side of her phone.

And watched as Abstergo’s Philadelphia branch explode.

It was unnecessary.

She had done her part pretending to be her son by appearing in CCTV the day prior but this…

This is her being petty.

What a bad mother she was.

William Miles was probably crying when he sent that message to her.

He probably managed to say something to her son before his death that would help him grieve.

But she had nothing.

She deserved nothing.

No tears fell from her eyes.

But her mouth moved.

And laughter burst forth.

Madness?

Hysteria?

She didn’t know anymore.

He hated the color green.

But he liked white.

Like the flash that appeared before an explosion.

He liked red.

Like the blood of the Templars that was caught up by the blast.

He liked dark skies.

Like the smoke that kissed the sky of the fire that was created afterwards.

She was a bad mother to her son.

But she was a good Assassin.

And perhaps…

That was all she needed to be to honor his memories.

[numptypylon]

“Rayla is… not my lovebug.”

“Oh ho, now?" Nyx leaned obnoxiously close, her eyebrows raising. "Have you told her that?”

“She told me," Callum said, angry all over again suddenly that... she actually hadn't told him that and yet they weren't- "So I’m tentatively assuming that she knows.”

“Oh ho? So she broke up with you and yet you’re still adventuring together, risking your lives for each other, making love eyes at each other at every opportunity… ah, to be young and in love and a garbage fire of collective awkwardness of such radiance as to light up the heavens-”

“Yeah!” Ezran agreed, walking up to them. Oh no. Hopefully Nyx would tone down the… everything… around an 11-year-old, but… considering he had been 14 himself when he’d first encountered Nyx, he didn’t have high hopes. “It’s gross and they’re so dumb, and here I am, a doomed onlooker!"

“You got the family braincell, I see,” Nyx said, winking at Ezran.

Ezran nodded sagely. “My blessing and my curse, ‘tis true.”

Really?! Did Ez really have to form an alliance with every new person they met to tag-team roast him?!

Nyx turned away from Ezran, her unwanted attention firmly back on him now. “I still need the full status update on my favorite dysfunctional lovebugs!” Nyx would keep prodding, and Callum didn’t want her to prod Rayla- “You know there’s another ex-lovebug who could tell me-“ Did he just curse that idea into Nyx’s head?! “But you’re currently the less puke-smelling option, so…"

Nyx really didn't subscribe to the idea of sensitive subjects you should keep your trap shut about.

“We… broke up. Like you said.” One way to say it. But he wasn’t giving Nyx any ammunition to use against Rayla. “Then made up. Kind of. We’re friends, just not… lovebugs.”

“Friends with benefits?”

“What friends do you have?” Ezran asked, all wide-eyed, vicious innocence. “Do you not consider friendship a benefit?”

“Hey!” Nyx looked insulted. “I thought we were allies against yon magus of maladroit you tragically must call brother?”

“My allegiances are many and inscrutable!” Ez stuck his tongue out at Nyx.

“’Allegiances’? ’Inscrutable’? Sheesh, kid, how old are you? And what awful, terrible company do you keep?!”

“11. And… politicians.”

“Oh no, you’re serious?! Oh kid, the depths of my condolences is one of them yawning chasms of endless screaming-“

“Oi?!” Villads yelled. “Matey? Riggin’ snagged!”

“I don’t hold court with betrayers, anyway,” Nyx said, incredibly hypocritically for someone who’d stranded them in a desert, and she pushed off the deck and was airborne, heading off towards the center mast.

“What is the benefit of being ‘friends with benefits’?” Ezran asked, looking around to Callum and then Soren, who had just arrived with Hat perched on his head. “The friendship is pretty obviously a benefit of being friends without having to say it, so I know it isn’t that, I just said that because Nyx was being mean.”

“Oh, I know!” Soren said, eagerly. “It’s s-“

“Sandwiches!” Callum cut him off. “Sandwiches, Soren! Remember?”

“Riiiiight!” Soren winked, exaggeratedly. “Sandwiches. Got it. Corvus makes the best bread sandwich, extra mayonnaise-“

“Please, Soren,” Callum choked. “Please, let’s… talk about something else. Anything else. Please.”

———

Excerpt from an upcoming chapter of my S4-6 between-canon-episodes fic, Downtime’s Up (successor to my S1-3 between-canon-scenes fics Downtime in Wartime and Upside Downtime)

It’s wednesday and I have many wips I want to work on and no time, but I DO also have a lot of stuff written and not posted, so… hope you enjoyed some overgrown pigeon time and depraved sandwich innuendos. Once I get past the next 4 chapters of Downtime’s Up, I have most of the rest of the story written, just… it’s been rough going to write anything lately

[aealzx]

Opening his eyes brought a scene of sterile grey walls and blistering white light that had Donnie squinting after the darkness they had been sucked into. After a few grimaced blinks he simultaneously realized his wrists and ankles were restrained, and Lil Mikey was missing. No matter, he could break these chains with a bit of mystic tech. The magic came easily to him, bringing him comfort in his tech always being with him despite the physically crafted devices having been stripped from him. But this time his effortless attempts were sliced away from him by a wave of nullifying energy that also drilled into his head with a stabbing wave. A light noise of irritation escaped a sneered nose as the energy within him flickered out along with the lights on his markings. Anti mystic tech. Great. They apparently knew who they were dealing with.

But who were they?

A question that was answered sooner than expected when a near invisible door slid to the side, a group of people behind it. “Well,” the woman at the front started. “I’m glad Agent Bishop’s records included a small note about the possibility of you four having gained mystic abilities. I have to admit I’m not completely familiar with the concepts, but I did coerce some help in crafting the proper precautions, just to be safe.” She spoke with an even, familiar tone that didn’t match the situation as far as Donnie was concerned. Her path took her towards him before she stopped and sat in a metal chair that was brought to her from behind. A good signifier to Donnie that she was the one in charge. After a moment of staring at him, earning nothing but a silent glare back, the woman adjusted her glasses and held her hand up, her assistant placing a tablet in her hand. “I have to say, you’ve really let yourself go. Losing nearly a third of your weight. You really ought to take better care of yourself, Donatello Splinterson.”

That caused Donnie to blink, questions rising in his mind that he could mostly start to form answers to. That wasn’t his second name. Mistaken identity? With a mutant turtle? Not likely. But with a yokai? He didn’t know of any yokai turtles by the name of Donatello. She had data about whoever she thought he was though, and he had nothing on her. “Then I presume you’re….?” he trailed off, giving her the chance to fill in the information he was lacking.

“That’s correct. Agent Jane Augustine. John Bishop’s successor, and the one you and your brothers have persisted to be an annoyance to,” Augustine supplied, adjusting her glasses again before rising to her feet once more. “I have to commend you for the setbacks you’ve given me. No one else has managed to break into government security as often as you-...”

Augustine’s speech broke off when she noticed something, her head twitching to get a different angle. She was silent for a moment, then voiced the subject of her derailed thoughts. “Your eyes are the wrong color.”

Oh. Well that was easy. Apparently this other Donatello didn’t have delectably golden eyes like him. “Maybe your sources are just colorblind,” Donnie sassed back.

“And you have an attitude…,” Augustine noted, eyes narrowing slightly. Donnie knew the signs of a brilliant mind churning through possibilities when he saw it. And sure enough a bud of excitement was starting to rise in her frame. “...Where are you from?”

“Earth,” Donnie answered automatically, giving the vaguest response as possible just to be a pain.

Augustine didn’t seem perturbed, instead gripping his chin for a moment. “Which Earth?” she asked.

Donnie realized what was going on the moment Augustine’s thoughts were confirmed by his raising brows. Drawing a breath to smother back her breakthrough, Augustine released him before turning to the others hanging back at the entrance of the room. “Get me a full blood, fluid, and tissue sample immediately. From this one, and the one that was with him. Documented currently under the name Michaelangelo-”

She started to direct her workers, but as soon as Donnie heard enough evidence they had Lil Mikey as well he snapped. “If you even scratch my brother I will blow up this entire establishment. With or without people in it.”

Augustine looked surprised to be interrupted, but politely let him finish before she laughed. “And how will you do that? You’re my ward now. And I have you in chains, and your mystic abilities effectively nullified.”

As her assistants moved to comply with her orders Augustine stepped back, a smile growing on her lips as she watched her new toy squirm and try to pull back from the prying hands. The restraint holding his left arm was transferred to a separate device that allowed them to keep it taught as they lowered it to where they could more easily access it. Donnie struggled fruitlessly against all of the chains, yanking until he could feel the metal biting into his hands and feet, especially when one of them circled wordlessly around behind him. It immediately made him feel isolated, and claustrophobic. His scarred shell was exposed to their invasive hands, the contact delicate but still earning a warning hiss from him. Another set of hands was reaching towards his face, and Donnie pulled back for just a moment before lurching forward without fully thinking.

The monotonous emptiness with which the assistant had been working shattered with shriek from the one Donnie currently had his teeth sank into. It didn’t matter that they had a surgical gown covering their forearm, it was already shredded through. Donnie was aiming for blood, and he got it. The other assistants scattered with various startled noises as Donnie’s victim punched him in the nose, as if they could get him to let go like some rabid dog. They drew their own blood from him, but he refused to release them, even as they yanked against him.

“Doctor, please,” Augustine spoke up calmly, raising her hand to still the commotion as soon as a fist had been used. “I prefer to have my wards physically unharmed as much as possible,” she chastised, striding forward and moving her raised hand to the side of Donnie’s jaw. “There are much more efficient ways to open a mouth…”

Donnie yelped as her finger wedged into his joint, pressing against a nerve and making him snap his jaw open and pull away from the source of the pain. As soon as they were free the assistant scurried back to the others and Augustine calmly withdrew her hand. She paused for a moment to let Donnie spit the blood from his mouth before reaching forward again to snatch his chin in her hand once more. Forcing him to look in her direction, Augustine gave him a slight smile. “Behave yourself, Donatello. I might be a forgiving woman, but many of my employees are not. Especially when you’ve damaged them as such,” she cautioned, reaching her free hand up to smudge away the blood dripping from his nose, but ignoring the lines running down his chin.

Donnie just gave a snarled hiss in response. “Try it again and we’ll see if they lose a finger or two next.”

The response earned a single syllable, mirthless chuckle from Augustine. Pausing for a moment, as if daring him to try biting her, she eventually released him again. Turning for the door, she casually grabbed a damp wipe from one of the carts that had been pulled in to clean her hands. “Evangeline, you’re excused to wash up. But please take samples from the wound for me if you will,” she directed on her path to the exit. “The rest of you finish up here, then meet me in the other rooms. Drop him to the floor if you must.”

Apparently the fear of being bitten was overridden by whatever hold Augustine had over them, for the assistants returned to their assigned task with just a bit more caution than before. At first Donnie thought he was going to be knocked unconscious, but instead the other restraint on his arm was moved like the other one. And this time, instead of just being stretched across a clothesline, mechanical arms with mildly padded poles at the ends curled out from the walls. A breath half left Donnie’s lungs as the poles collided with the back of his shoulders and legs, pushing him forward as the chains kept him taught, lowering him forward until he was pressed against the floor. It made the inside of his elbow harder to reach, but they didn’t seem to care, a clasp slipping over his hand to keep him from twisting his arm as they brought a needle towards it. Donnie snarled, and hissed, and forced his body against the abundance of fetters binding him in place to no avail. It was too much. The wrong kind of weight against his exposed skin. Cold, unforgiving pressure on his scarred back, squeezing air from his lungs. Sharp edges digging into his limbs while they stretched his muscles just barely below the point of damage. Drawing the largest breath he could manage, Donnie released his irritation in the form of a long, headache inducing bellow.

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This scene was plaguing my brain all day today |D

If anyone is worried this is the most I'll get into in regards to violence against someone that can't fight back. I'm not planning on getting all that dark =u=b

[dominadespina]

LAZAREVIC SISTERS III

Princess Jelena Lazarevic 

Early Life

Often referred to as “Jela” or “Lady Lena,” Jelena Lazarevic is renowned as a determined, beautiful, and courageous woman. She was born as the third in line of the royal daughters of Prince Lazar. It is noted that she was about 39 years old in 1403, this determines that she was born around 1364-1365. 

Jelena was most than likely born in Prilepac and raised there for some time before moving to Krusevac where she continued her strict education under the guide of her mother; Milica and aunt; Jefimija.

As for the rest of her early life, nothing is known other than plausible education and living situation. The first information we have of her is in her early twenties when she married Durad II Balsic.

First Marriage

Around 1386 or 1387, Durad; Lord of Zeta, recognized Lazar’s as his ruler and lord and so to officialize his authority over the state of Zeta Lazar married his eldest unmarried daughter to him.

The couple had a single child together, Durad’s father namesaker and future successor; Balsa Balsic also known as ‘Balsa III’. 

The purpose of this marriage remain political and sole purpose was to create an alliance as well as heirs. There are no mention of a possible love marriage between the two of them. Though it is noted that Durad often entrusted his wife to manage state affairs.

In early 1392, in fear of the uprising Turks, Durad sent word for his wife arrival in Dubrovnik in order to protect her and his heir, and though the government of Dubrovnik were aquiring the necessities for Jelena, she never arrived. 

In September of that same year there was talk about her upcoming arrival, but she never came, yet again. 

It was not until November of 1396 that Jelena would reach out to the Dubrovnik authorities for a ship to escort her to a meeting with Sandalj Hranić (who will later on become her second husband) as he had been fighting against the Balsic family for some time at that point. 

This meeting might be one of tasks given to her by her husband. Jelena was noted to have a significant influence on the man. 

As Regent of Zeta

In 1403, her late husband; Durad, passed away, and of course; the wise Jelena wasted no time and made her appearance as a subtitute ruler in full light. Due to her son’s inexperience and age, Jelena acted as his regent.

Many of the territories that belonged to Zeta were under Venitian rule and Jelena decided to reclaim said territories. 

For five years she fought the Venitians to defend Zeta and her son’s inheritance despite facing harsh-trials. Through the uprising threats and council of disagreements, she followed as suited the interest of Zeta and her son. 

In the reports of Jelka Redep in her book: КЋЕРИ КНЕЗА ЛАЗАРА ИСТОРИЈСКА СТУДИЈА ПОГОВОР…

“Jelena’s idea of rebellion was not just an empty desire. In the first days of 1405, a rebellion was planned in Zeta. Skadar revolted against Venitian rule, and the Prince barely escaped with his life. Durazzo also rose up in arms and recognized Jelena’s son as their ruler.” 

In the early birth of this rebellion Jelena reached out to her younger brother; Despot Stefan Lazarevic, for aid, but due to his close-knit relationship with the Venitians he was unable to help her. Yet, she continued in her conquest with a temporary help from the Turks. 

[Her own brother, the despot Stefan, was friends with both the Venetians and the Hungarians. Only the Turks agreed to help her, but even they only for a short time. Jela did not agree to her brother's proposals to reconcile with Venice, but persistently continued to fight, until 1406, when she had to agree to negotiations that lasted more than three years.

Miodrag Purković spares no words when he talks about how energetically and uncompromisingly Jela, as a widow, fought for the freedom of her country and her son's inheritance. She always took all the "blame" on herself instead of her son. In order to protect him, at the end of 1409, she went alone to negotiations in Venice, where she was kept for three months. 

Purković points out how brave Jela was during those negotiations, and especially points to the fact that she was "neither confused nor afraid", unlike her mother, who once found herself in a similar situation before Bayazit in 1398. } - Dve srpske sultanije : Olivera Lazarevic (1373-1444) : Mara Brankovic (1418-1487) by Nikola Giljen, pg 169

Yet, despite this “Peace” Balsa continued his fight against the Venitians, but this only cost him great loss in territory.

Second Marriage 

Prior to this marriage Duke of Bosnia; Sandalj Hranić (remember him?), who used to be married to a kin of Hrovoje Vukcic separated from his wife after this one's family lost influence in their political position. 

Wishing to be associated with someone of more influence, Sandalj would later step a foot further and annulled his marriage to his wife; Katerina, since they shared no children, and instead offered for Princess Jelena Lazarevic or as she was known at the time Jelena Balsic; who at the time was the sister of a great ally of Sigismund. 

This marriage, which was Sandalj's third marriage, benefited all parties involved, as Sandalj regained his position, Jelena now had one less enemy to worry about, and lastly Stefan was able to tie his new brother-in-law to him politically. 

Strangely enough, this marriage could be considered a content union between the two. Sandalj is said to have been enchanted by his new bride/former enemy and to hold his step-son to high status and protect him at times.

Jelena is credited for this as she was known to have a powerful influence on this husband of hers who some would describe as an ‘arrogant man’. 

Later Life 

In April of 1421, the exhausted Balsa met with his uncle in Belgrade and transfered the remaining of his lands under this one’s protection. He soon passed away that same year. It is unkown how Jelena reacted to the news. 

In 1423, she was visited by her youngest sister; Olivera, though this one might have been there more for diplomatic reasons to get news on her brother-in-law than for the sake of meeting her sister after 30 plus years apart. 

Not much information has been recorded about Jelena’s where abouts until 1425. That year, the threat of the upcoming Turks were increasing and so as a result of this situation, Sandalj moved his family, including his wife, to Dubrovnik for protection. 

After her husband death in 1435, she retired from state affairs as the state passed down to her late husband’s nephew, and she obviously could not have any influence on him. 

She must have retired to her husband’s court in Novi, where it is assumed she lived an aristocratic lifestyle up and until her death. 

Jelena passed away in 1443, living a good amount of her properties to her granddaughter and namesaker; Jelena. She left 200 ducats and a gilded icon to her only living sibling; Olivera, to be spent on a memorial for her as well as distribution to the poor. 

Issue

Balsa III Balsic

( Sources: “КЋЕРИ КНЕЗА ЛАЗАРА ИСТОРИЈСКА СТУДИЈА ПОГОВОР” by Jelka Redep, Dve srpske sultanije : Olivera Lazarevic (1373-1444) : Mara Brankovic (1418-1487) by Nikola Giljen)

[stealingyourbones]

Submitted Prompts #96

So not all ghosts used to be people, some are the embodiment of concepts. By that logic places could have a ghost or spirit embodying them. But cities change, they die, they grow. A spirit can not change, they can only fade away and make way for a new spirit of a city to become.

With the death of the Martha and Thomas Wayne, Gotham’s streets turned darker, more violent, and a sense of hopelessness filled the air. Her spirit current spirit knows that she no longer matches Gotham. She knows that she’ll fade soon. Knowing that the end was inevitable she looked for who will take her place.

Gotham mourns the death of Robin, but her spirit pushes though to take advantage of the opportunity. This boy was a born and raised in Gotham’s violent shadows, but he still took up arms to bring light into her shadows and to protect her. A better successor she could not ask for.

She bleeds ectoplasm at his grave. She watches his core form as her strength wanes. She expects him to rise as a ghost. She does not expect the universe to shake and to watch a him dig his way out of his grave, his core only half formed. Half her body has faded away already or she would have phased him though the dirt. Gotham’s spirit finishes fading away, watching her successor stumble out of the graveyard. She feels peace. Gotham is in good hands. A spirit may not be able to change with their city, but a halfa genius loci can.

—-

That’s all I got. I just really love the idea that there are different types of ghosts. I couldn’t fit it in but Danny is a banshee in this. Jason obviously here is a genius loci.

Other random stuff I couldn’t include. Kidnapping a baby genius loci and taking them away from their city is a bad idea, it prevents Jason’s core from finishing forming, and weakens his connection to Gotham. Dumping him in a Lazarus pit on the other side of the planet both makes things worse and better. On one hand his connection to Gotham damaged even further as Nanda Parbat tries to steal him to be its genius loci, on the other hand his physical wounds are healed.

When Jason returns to Gotham his connection to the city starts healing. He’ll eventually have a supernatural awareness of everything that happens in the city. The various curses on Gotham also will effect him more.

Toss up if pit madness is corrupted ectoplasm, the effect of all the curses on Gotham, or Gotham bitch slapping Nanda Parbat’s hands off of its genius loci.