#ninja shadow haru

[normal-internet-user]

💜 Purple 💜 would like to humbly request that part 2 of daredevil BUT AT YOUR LEISURE PLS DONT RUSH FOR ME! I just hear about requests getting eaten so I’m always like “did it end up in the void?” “Did I actually remember to hit send?” So if this is doubled up I’m sorry just ignore this 😵‍💫 hope you are having a good day!

It's settled, I'm turning this into a series. I have way to many plot ideas to not.

DAREDEVIL PT: 2

◇~~◇~~◇~~◇~~◇

Pt: 1 Pt: 3

Summary: Reader and the turtles make their way to where the Fist is hiding out. Hopefully, Reader'll be able to gain more information about Fist's plan...

Warnings: Badly written fight sequences: violence: Maybe some mild swearing.

Requested: Yep!

GN Reader!

....................................

"Alright, rule number one: Avoid their stun guns. Fist doesn't play honorably, very rarely they'll show you mercy."

You were giving your new allies a rundown of Fist. They knew the Foot Clan, but even though the two were allied, they were far from similar.

The Fist were even more ruthless than the Foot. They fought like animals, the type to throw sand in your eye, or murder you where you slept. The Fist would gut a child with no remorse.

Anything for their cause.

You had already explained that to the boys, they seemed to take it very lightly, however.

Leo chuckled, "Don't worry, we'll be fine. We aren't new to this you know."

You sighed, "Well you might as well be! The Fist Clan will do anything to win a fight. If they have to kill themselves to kill you, they fucking will."

You felt the air grow tense due to your tone, you hadn't wanted to be harsh on them, you could tell they were younger than you, but the last thing you wanted was to find their family to explain that their own confidence had gotten one of them killed.

"Listen." You said, looking out at your target, "You need to understand something. I have seen the Fist Clan do such horrible things, they can't even be spoken of. You need to take my words seriously. This is not a joke. Now I don't know what you boys have done in the past, I can't say I've faced the things you have. But please, take the Fist seriously, because if you don't, you won't make it home for dinner."

The rooftop remained silence for afew moments, you could feel the boys looking at each other, as though they were processing your words.

"Ok." Leo said, "Ok, we'll follow your lead this time. Tell us what you know."

You let out a sigh of relief as you turned back around, "How good are you guys at stealth?"

"Stealth? Dude/tte, we are stealth! We live in the shadows, we are the shadows; the shadows- OW!"

"Will you shut up?" Raph growled at his younger brother, "But yeah, we're ninjas, we were trained for stealth."

You smirked, "Good. Follow my lead. Do not engage unless absolutely necessary. This is a recon mission only. Am I understood?"

"Hai."

"Yeah."

"Sure thing, (Name)!

"...whatever."

"Alright. Follow me."

You leapt over the rooftops, landing quietly on the warehouse, four soft thumps behind you. You lifted the old skylight, dropping down onto the steel beams below as the sound of talking filled your ears.

"-Bradford should have contacted us by now. Something is not right, Saki."

"When I get my hands on the fool, he will regret his incompitance."

You heard a sharp gasp behind you, and you spun to face the four brothers, holding a finger to your lips.

You then held up your hand, motioning for them to stay were they currently were. You moved silently along the beam, attempting to get closer to where the Shredder and Sato Ryū were stood watching over their men.

Ryū was the leader of the Fist Clan, and the enemy of your father and sensei. Ryū is the reason you lost your sight 5 years ago when you were 12. Thankfully your father was there to protect you from a worse fate than blindness.

"When Project Merger is finished, we won't have to worry about Hamato Yoshi, or Nakamura Haru." Shredder said.

Your eyes widened, Hamato Yoshi? Uncle's alive? How could that be? He dissappeared 15 years ago. But what is this Project Merger?

You crouched low, listening intently.

"The shipment should be arriving next week." Ryū stated.

"Good." Shredder said, "When that arrives, we can begin."

Before you could hear anything else, a loud metalic ding! sounded further along the beam. You whipped your head around to face the young ninjas that accompanied you. You glared at them, standing to rush back the way you came, dragging the boys up as you ran along the beam.

"Baka! Damare tte ittadaro!" You scowled, lifting open the skylight.

"Wait, you speak Japanese?" Donnie asked as you pushed the four up onto the roof.

"That's what you're focusing on? Fucking run you fools!"

Raph scowled, "Why run? We can take 'em."

You grabbed his shoulders, shoving him foreward, "Move your shell!"

"How do you-"

"Uh, we better listen to them bros." Mikey said, "Those guns look really dangerous."

"Fuck."

You slammed your foot into the warehouse roof, causing a slab of the worn metal to come loose and shoot up into your hand as you held it up like a shield. The force of the stun gun caused you to fly backwards towards the edge of the roof.

You felt the ground leave your feet, but before gravity could take hold, the chain of a kusarigama wrapped around your waist.

"I got you, dude/tte!"

Mikey swung you up and onto an opposing rooftop, him and his brothers joining you and the five of you booking it away from the warehouse.

Ryū's laugh followed you through the night, his voice taunting, "You can't run forever, nezumi! I'll take your tounge just as I took your eyes!"

The five of you ran for almost a full half hour, finally stopping in a hidden alleyway. You were breathing heavily, and cursing silently under your breath.

"Idiots. What did I say? Be silent. Silent. We could have died! This isn't a joke!" You scolded them, kicking a trash can.

Donnie spoke up for his brothers, "We didn't mean to alert them, accidents happen-"

"I was so close!" you shouted, "Kuso yarō! I almost figured it out."

You sighed, taking a deep breath, trying to calm your breathing, "It's fine." you muttered, "It's fine. Temper, temper take a breath. Listen. I get it. You screwed up, but we have bigger problems. Like whatever Project Merger is. I need to find someone, someone I know can help. Someone I thought was dead."

"Who?" Leo asked, "We can help you find them. It's the least we can do after jepordizing your mission."

You turned to face them, arms crossed, "I need to find my uncle, Hamato Yoshi."

Silence. All you heard was silence. They were shocked, good. That means they knew the name.

"You know of him then?" you asked, tilting your head.

"Know him? Dude/tte, he's our dad!"

Woah. Wait what? Hold on. Now you were shocked. Dad?

"Hamato Yoshi, is your dad?" you repeated slowly.

Leonardo began to pace back and forth, "Yeah. Wait, what's your last name?"

"My full name is, Nakamura (Name). My father is Nakamura Haru."

"Oh! We know him! Sensei's mention him before!" Donatello exclaimed.

Your head shot up excitedly, "Take me too him."

"Huh?" Raph said.

"Take me to see your father."

Raph scowled, "No way! How do we know they can be trusted?"

"Raph, they're the child of Sensei's best friend. I highly doubt they're untrust worthy."

You turned to face Raph, looking at him directly in the eyes, even though you could not see, "Please, Raphael." you begged, "Take me to see your father. Take me to see my uncle."

You could feel him study you for a moment, his eyes searching your face.

"Fine." he said, "Let's just go home."

You smiled widely. Following the four as they led you over to the nearest manhole cover.

"I- uh, I hope you don't mind strong smells."

"Oh, boy."

....................................

I know I said I wasn't going to be very active, and that's still very true, I just needed to take my mind off things for a moment; and writing is how I do that. So since I've been having trouble sleeping lately, I decided to busy myself by finishing some drafts.

Love ya'll, and thank you so much for the kindness.

Translations:

Baka! Damare tte ittadaro!: Fool! shut up and go!

Kuso Yarō: Son of a bitch!

nezumi: Mouse

[anime-amazing]

Characters That I Roleplay As

Ocs

Male

Genshin

Jing Li

Tian Yu

Willow

Bai yunjun

Gods

Viserion (god of dragons)

Adonis (god of Sun)

Qyhthos (god of fertility)

Iros (god of beauty)

Syreus (god of ocean)

Santios (god of healing)

Elementals

Isa

Flame

Ashton (nicknamed Ash guard of earth)

Vincent (prince of light)

Lucian (prince of dark)

Chu Zhao

Elves

Prince Faelearn Yelqin

Prince Voron Vocaryn

Calen (marinas overprotective brother)

Venvyn Alvodroth (Drow)

Aragon

Earendil

Xue jing

Ethuil

Althidon larxina

Demons

Xander

Azazel

Achlys

Ammon

Vizeth

Agthas

Kasdeya

Rastreth

Sargoth

Xylon

Angels

Seraph

Angel

Raziel

Zerachiel

Elyon

Wolves

Spirit

Zander

Snow

Aztec

Versum

Rune

Virion

Sunshine

Edward

Vampires

Alaric

Orpheus

Maverick

Viscardi

Valentine

Vladislav

Salem

Louis

Lestat

Victor Mukami

Dracula

aethelfrith

Magnus

Atlantians (merpeople)

Prince Zayden

Prince Varun

Marinus

Katsumi

Pirates

blackstone Beatly Ashley

Shapeshifter

Aaron

Human

Ryder

Daiyu Zhan (clumsy doctor)

Asher

Alex (ex dragon hunter)

Aharon (Egyptian prince)

Ezequiel

Feng Liang (blind)

Zayne deschenel

Leroy

Xaio Zhang

Lingyun

Fenhua

Wyatt

Xue (prince)

Chen shi

Asclein

Jace shoenheight

Kitsune (Demon fox, Nine tailed Fox)

Takehiko

Hitoshi

Tao Yan

Darius

Kyusashi

Satoshi

Hiroyuki

Akira

Kenshin

Toshiyuki

Yazuma

Takayuki

Kitsunetsuki

Dragon

King Rhaegal

Brenton

Arman

Valryon

Scylla

Alduin

Mage

Alatar

Elven Mage

Zamir

Merlin

Butlers

Alexander

Leoniodas

Knight

Anthony

Jing Yan

Stolas

Cairo

Snakes

Rebel

Vahli

White tiger

Ninja

Expriments

Cyrus -

Kaikya - 732

Raven

Aderyn

Pegisus

Kai

Sheep

Yong Zheng

Alien

Azan

Azrallor

Cats

Fuwafuwa

Katoro

Karl

Faries

Aldric

Kelpie

Reed

Vistas

Centour

Ajilios

Cireon

Acasachus

Seasons

Prince Zhaleh (prince of winter)

Zhan(spring prince)

Pheonix

Meilin

Snow fox

Vixen

Living statues

Aiden

Khai (aiden when human)

Immortals

Meng yin

Uknown

Dr karter

Jingyu (loves mirrors)

Li Jing

Alucard

Vincent

Julian

Vulcan

Weishing

Haru

Yuki

Lin

Hale

Fu jia

Yi Ming

Lai Zheng

Elias

Deer

Ayal

Avalon

Seal

Dai Tou

Tengu

Xavai Tagan

Hybrid

Viscardi Lycaon

Dolls

Avery

Samurai

Zander

Azuma Kaneie

Disabled

Chu zhen

Haoxuan

Siren

Zachary Shard

Yotun/frost giant

Njemag Lokison

Bunny

Angel

Royal scribe

Haoyu

Cultivators

Jiang Yuxuan

Prince

Fu Ming

Norwegian water spirit

Airon

Female

Demons

Victoria

Aria

Cordelia

Dragon

Random female dragon

Ex dragon queen

Elves

Marina (Light/Drow elf hybrid)

Scarlett

Princesses

Cassandra

Rose

Camille

Anastasia

Aegnor

Vampire

Tatiana

Marcelene

Lenora

Horses

Shadow

Dolls

Anastasia

Angels

Angelica

Mermaids

Calista

Human

Evelyn

Stella

Akari

Centour

Astilea

Wolf

Ashina

Elemental

Harper (zeleahs mother)

Gods

Willow

Kitsune

Sakura

Hybrids

Ira

Bunnys

Fulki

Ciltivators

Lan Shu

Gods

Ophelia

Siren

Sereirena Vocaryn

Other

Silas

Azriel

[moonlight-melts]

Making a post where I tell you which ones pf my f/o tags come from song lyrics because I can.

Yūki's new tag, "Telling words not to be told", comes from Beneath the Mask, a P.ersona 5 OST

Akira's "Wage war on gravity" comes from Nine by S.leeping at Last

S.EES's tag "The sun will rise again" is a twist of one of the lyrics from Burn my Dread, P.3's opening theme

Yu and Yosuke's, as well as the I.T's, "Giving truth and life" and "What we can uncover" respectively, come from Shadow World, P.4G's opening theme

Haru's "The way of the light" comes from Navigator by SixTONES, F.KBU's opening song

Makoto's tag "Falling up" comes from the song of the same name by A Million in Vermillon

I think Ryūichi's tag, "When I dream of you", comes from a song as well but I'm gonna be honest I don't remember which one-

Itsuki's "A story of tranquil music" comes from Break Outta Here by 1.Nm8. Their songs are just great, so I used that.

Arceus', "Million of little lights shining" comes from All the Little Lights by P.assenger. This one is notably one of the few instances in which the song the tag comes from doesn't really represent the ship in itself

Kabu's "Where the last sun glows" comes from Start a Fire, also by P.assenger

Alistair's "And they still echo me" comes from M.isguided Ghosts by P.aramore. That song represents our relationship very well, but considering I never talked about it, you just have to take my word for it lol

Ernest & Célestine are very musical movies, so their tag "Être ensemble quand il fait froid" comes from the last one's theme song, Qu'est-ce Qu'on Fait de l'Amour by Pomme

The Mamizuka family's "And everything will be alright" is from Cover me in Sunshine by P!NK

V.ISTY's tag, "I know you can reach the stars", comes from Swap Out by Police Picadilly, under the guise of the fictional character M.U-kun! If I had to, I'd say that the lyrics probably fit Toma and Kantaro the best, but really all the members have a place in that one

The Ninja's "You can sing along if you want to" comes from Simple Song by P.assenger. In case you missed it, I really like P.assenger

Chiyo's "To the better dayz" comes from Better Dayz by c.ozmez. That song represents what we wish to achieve, in a way

Nao's "When you say freedom out loud" is a translation (and possibly a slight adaptation) of one of the lyrics from R.M's moonchild. song, which represents Nao's character and Mika's thoughts towards him pretty well

And last but not least, Dongha's "I used to rule the world" obviously comes from Viva la Vida by C.oldplay, a song that's pretty representative of the little guy's inner conflicts. Also that's my favourite song, but it's unrelated

[shallwedatefics-blog]

Would anyone be interested if I wrote a Haru route for Ninja Shadow?

[mrsdurandal]

THEY LOOK SO PRETTY TOGETHER!!!!!!!

[garcher010]

Just a ninja and her girlfriend.

[mythicalheartbeat]

Me: Haru dating route when?

Ninja shadow, literally the next day:

[otome-souls]

When your wife shows up and the event story instantly becomes 100% better

[kitty-bandit]

I fucking love these two.

[aromantic-misguide-to-romance]

I ship it.

[duckygalaxy]

From the cam event! If anyone has Asagi Vs Yuzuki, please post it I’d love to see it!

[swdburdy]

Our First Anniversary: Out For Shopping

[moonlightmariesky]

[auncyen]

since vday is coming up have angsty pegoryu bit that is doomed to never make it into the fic it was intended for

There were three guards at the intersection, and Ryuji watched them with narrow eyes. Two of them looked like all the other guards they'd already fought, tall and thin and looming. And then the third--

"We should take that one hostage, right?" Ryuji asked. "He's a shrimp."

"Actually, I'm getting some weird readings off him," Futaba said. "I'd advise caution."

"Besides, taking hostages isn't going to work with these shadows," Morgana muttered. "Remember, they're all distorted to think nothing is better than serving the Palace master. If you take one of them hostage, the others will just leave it to die."

Ryuji grunted. He wanted to fight, find Ren quickly, but he guessed that plan wouldn't work.

"That one does look weird," Ann said. She squinted. "Doesn't it look...human? Fox?"

"Yes, I noticed the same thing," he said with a nod. "It's not easy to see from this distance, but its chin is visible between the mask and jacket. It does look human. Actually..." He made a noise that nearly sounded pained.

"Fox?" Haru prompted gently.

"...Again, the distance makes it difficult to be certain of details. But, though we came to look for Joker as an inmate, I...I want to say that warden is him. He's standing straighter, and his shoulders are broader. The jacket may be bulkier than his thief suit. Otherwise, those are his proportions. And his jawline."

In better circumstances Ryuji would rib Yusuke about being able to tell his boyfriend's jaw from fifteen meters away.

These were not good circumstances. Now that Yusuke had mentioned it, the shorter, more modest stature really looked too much like a human's proportions compared to the other shadows. It looked right for Ren's size.

...Ren being one of the aggressive guards instead of a passive prisoner was going to make things messier.

"Oracle," Makoto spoke up. "Does that make sense at all for the readings you have?"

"...Unfortunately, yeah." Futaba squinted behind her googles, tapping at a minimized console. "He doesn't read exactly like Joker usually does, but he has that mutable quality. Like he could change into other things."

"The wildcard ability," Morgana murmured, his ears flattened. "That's him for sure. I know it."

Makoto chewed her lip. "All right. We separate that one from the normal guards. If that is Joker, he's distorted from the Palace, so we'll need to rip his--that mask off. if we're lucky, that will be enough to snap him out of it. Panther, have Dormina ready, we don't want to harm him."

"Got it," Ann said with a serious nod. "Hecate and I will give him sweet dreams."

"Oracle--"

"Final Guard? Been ready."

"Skull. You're up for the ambush."

Ryuji swallowed down a gulp. He had the most practice with ambushes besides Ren, yeah, but he still wasn't sure he could ambush Joker. And not just because Ren was more skilled at those. This was his boyfriend. Even if Ann was ready to put him to sleep so no one got hurt, could she be sure she'd get the spell to stick the first time?

"Skull," Makoto repeated. "...I'll do it, if you can't."

Makoto had less experience than him. She also had shorter arms, which didn't help when you were reaching to pry off a mask, and she couldn't sprint as fast as he could. Ren was distorted--he might hurt whoever tried the ambush. "No, I got this," Ryuji said.

He did not.

They waited for the right moment, as the guard-possibly-Ren started to approach their hiding spot. At first it seemed like he was making a patrol same as other wardens, so they waited for him to pass by or turn away from their hiding spot, but then Futaba whispered: "Incoming."

Ryuji snuck a glance. Under the bulky visor-like mask, a small grin had started on the guard's face. It grew as he beelined toward them. Like he knew exactly where they were.

And Fox was right. That was unmistakably Ren's jawline, and his wild smile when he thought he had the upper hand in a fight.

Ryuji swore under his breath and launched himself out of hiding so he could at least make an attempt to get the strange black mask off. He jumped right at Ren, hoping Ann was ready with Dormina--

And Ren just fucking sidestepped him like the ninja he was. Then, to add injury to insult, his baton caught Ryuji on the shin, tripping him up.

The blow was softened when he caught Ryuji before the blond could hit the ground. The baton dangled slack as the hand that had been holding it rose, delicately moving his mask to the side to expose more of his face.

Ren's eye peeked out from the mask, irises red as the veins of Mementos, still half-hidden under curly black bangs, and Ryuji felt his heart thud in his chest.

But Ren chuckled, smiling like Ryuji was the best thing he'd ever seen. "Caught you," he bragged, like they'd both just been playing around. Still holding the blond, he lowered his face and kissed him.

The sudden turnaround was too much, too fast for Ryuji; his first instinct was to pull away. But in his position, he didn't have good leverage, and Ren seemed to take his lips pulling away as an invitation to chase. At the second kiss, Ryuji felt himself softening, some of the tension uncurling from his muscles. The disorientation from nearly falling faded as he got his feet back under him. And despite the strange mask and warden's uniform, Ren helped him along. Once upright, Ryuji grabbed the stiff warden jacket and eagerly returned the kiss. Would Ren be doing this if he was still stuck on that bullshit about giving up his desires? No way. Maybe just seeing them had been enough to jog something for him. Maybe just seeing Ryuji had been enough to break through the distortion. The blond had never considered himself a romantic before, but he was willing to consider true love breaking curses when Ren was kissing him so, so passionately, hungrily.

Desperately. This time, Ren pulled away, wrenching Ryuji's hand off him and taking a couple steps back, and Ryuji knew from the wide red eye that something was wrong. Ren palmed the strange mask back over his face, hiding his expression except for the tight smile at his lips.

"Lust...how disappointing. Still clinging to that desire."

Ryuji's fists tightened. So Ren's head was still full of that distorted bullshit. Ryuji might not be a romantic, but he knew for damn sure that his feelings were more than just lust. "Joker," he said, "We're bringing you back home."

Ren shook his head. He clasped the baton more firmly in hand again, his back ramrod straight. "Lord Yaldabaoth made you all a generous offer. You can still take it. Leave now, and your trespass will be overlooked."

[valiantly-onward]

The Serpentine War Ch. 12

Chapter 12: The Way Of The Ninja

The camp was buzzing by morning with news of Garmadon’s arrival. For his part, Wu remained holed up with his brother inside the tent, deep in discussion.

“You should see everyone,” Wu told him. “They are a fine Alliance. I’ll have them assembled.”

Garmadon made no protest. Wu quickly sent Haru to gather the Masters, and came back to the tent. He stood in the entryway for a moment, smiling. Overnight, a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He wasn’t doing this alone anymore.

“In honor of your arrival -” Wu began.

Garmadon looked up drily. “Wu -”

“I will give you -”

“Stop.”

“- my firstborn son.”

“Come on.”

Wu thought for a moment. “Or tea. I’ll just get you tea.”

He crossed the floor to his small firepit. He shifted the logs to coax the fire back into being, then hung his teapot on the rack. After it simmered for a while, Wu offered a cup to his brother. “I’m glad you’re here. I couldn’t do this without you. Believe me, I’ve been trying.”

Garmadon accepted the tea and stood. “I know, brother. That’s why I’m here.” He patted Wu’s shoulder and walked out, sipping his drink.

Wu stuck his tongue in his cheek and shook his head as he rose to follow.

Outside, the Alliance had congregated. Pride flared in Wu’s chest at the sight of them. Ray stood off to the left - when had he gotten so tall? - with Maya leaning against his shoulder. Those two had become closer than either realized; only an outsider could see it. They suffered severe familiarity and understanding. Give them a few hundreds years together and they’d be unstoppable.

Garmadon folded his arms, his teacup still in one hand. “So,” he began loudly. “What do we know about the Serpentine?”

The Masters stared at him.

Wu stepped forward. “Alliance, this is my brother, Garmadon. He will be joining us. You answer to him the same as you answer to me.”

Garmadon nodded his thanks to Wu, and asked again, “What do we know about the Serpentine?”

“Ugly!” Acronix shouted.

Laughter rippled through the small gathering.

“That,” Garmadon conceded. “What else? What do we know about them from battle?”

There was pensieve silence. Finally, Maya said, “We’ve never won a battle with Anacondrai. Every other tribe, yes. Not them.”

Garmadon nodded in agreement. “So, naturally, we must find the Anacondrai weakness if we ever hope to defeat the Serpentine.”

The Masters shifted uncomfortably. “But they have no weaknesses,” Vivian called forward.

“I said we must find one,” Garmadon replied. He paused; a look appeared in his eyes that Wu recognized all too well. He continued, “Which is why I’m sneaking into their camp tonight to spy on them.”

Uproar ensued. Wu simply watched as the Masters clamored and argued. It was insane! No one could sneak up on an Anacondrai. The risk spelled certain death, or capture in the very least.

Finally, Haru emerged from the contention with an actual question. “Will you go alone?”

“I could, but I prefer not to.” Garmadon’s eyes flicked back to Wu, for confirmation. Wu carefully nodded his agreement. He hadn’t considered sending spies so close to the Serpentine, but if anyone could pull it off, it was Garmadon.

“Well, then,” Garmadon declared. “I’ll need your stealthiest Masters. The Master of Shadow, perhaps? And you can still turn invisible, can’t you, Master of Light?”

True to his name, Sam Pale looked pale. Nevertheless, he stepped out from between Ray and Dojin. “I saw how you snuck around last night. You got me, uh...what should we call you?”

“Master Garmadon will do.” Garmadon raised his chin. “And the Master of Shadow?”

Lei raised a hand. “You’re crazy, Master Garmadon, but I dig it. I’m coming”

Garmadon nodded. “Good. We’ll convene here at sunset.”

He dropped back beside Wu, which Wu understood as turning over the floor. He stamped his staff. “Very well, everyone. Back to your usual duties, and the sentry schedule. Ray, Maya, I need you to go down to retrieve Lorin from the village. I - we - will give new orders once we know more about the situation. Dismissed.”

The Masters slowly dispersed, Ray and Maya jogging off in the direction of the village. Wu turned to his brother, who watched the Alliance go with deep contemplation.

“You sure you know what you’re doing?” Wu asked.

“Yes,” Garmadon replied, with no room for question in his voice.

“Then I trust you.”

Something flickered in Garmadon’s gaze, fleeting. But it was gone nearly as soon as it arrived. “Thank you, Wu.”

Wu grinned, and deftly swept Garmadon’s tea cup into his own hand. “But three of you, sneaking in after dark? I still don’t like it.”

“Relax, brother,” Garmadon said, already stepping backward into the tent. “I am, after all, a ninja.”

~~~

This mission served multiple purposes.

For one, Garmadon didn’t really need to spy on the Serpentine. He knew their basic strategy in this area, since he’d helped design it. That advantage wouldn’t last long; Chen would surely inform the Anacondrai that Garmadon had switched sides. Still, he didn’t want Wu to know how he’d obtained his prior information. So this mission would cover that.

The other purposes? Exactly what he’d said: learn the Anacondrai weakness. And, as a bonus, begin assessing the Alliance, starting with the Masters of Shadow and Light.

The hills were black as pitch at night. Garmadon was careful to avoid the areas he knew the snakes were, but he couldn’t be sure. And neither Lei nor Sam Pale were as stealthy as their powers had led him to believe.

After Lei tripped over another rock, swearing under her breath, Garmadon pulled to a stop.

“What is it?” Sam Pale asked, creeping up at Garmadon’s shoulder.

It was the Serpentine camp. Garmadon fell into a crouch, and the Masters followed in suit. Here, the hills sloped down into the edge of desert lands. A line of Serpentine guards stretched along the base of a small valley. Garmadon figured there would be more invisible Anacondrai sentries further out. The brightness of the camp torches and firepits seemed a little gaudy and stupid to him, but he soon recognized the problem they presented.

Sam Pale squinted as he tilted his head. “How are we supposed to get close? It’s bright as noon down there. And those guards?”

Garmadon sighed. The Master of Light presented a good point; the light would make it difficult to approach in shadows. But he lacked vision. “And so this becomes a lesson. Come here, both of you.”

They scooted closer. He crouched over their backs, pointing from between them. “You see that big tent down there? It’s casting shadows in every direction from those torches. The shadows aren’t very dark, but they exist. Lei, I want you to stay within those shadows as much as possible. How long can you stay incorporeal?”

“A few minutes,” Lei replied. “Maybe fifteen before I have to come out.”

“Test that limit. You will enter the shadows behind that tent and move from tent to tent. I want you to survey the Anacondrai troops as much as possible. Details, Lei. Meet behind the big tent when you’re done. Go.”

The Master of Shadow nodded. Just like that, her form turned misty and vanished. The shadows around them grew unnaturally long for a moment, in response to her presence; Garmadon knew she was gone when they returned to normal.

Garmadon patted Sam Pale’s shoulder. “You will be opposite Lei. You must stay in the light to turn invisible, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Then stay in the light. Your orders are the same as Lei’s. Stay out there for as long as you can, and rendezvous behind the big tent.”

Sam Pale sat up on his haunches, shaking out his long hair. “What are you gonna do - uh, sir?”

“You’ll find me behind that command tent.” Garmadon gestured with his chin. “Go.”

So he did. The Master of Light crept slowly down the hill, the firelight gradually growing, and finally faded into the colorless air.

Garmadon crouched still for a moment in the warm night, whispering a near-silent prayer to his father. Then he slid down the other side of the rock face and let his instincts take over.

How could he have forgotten this? The thrill of this ancient art passed from the First Spinjitzu Master to Garmadon and from Garmadon to hundreds throughout the young history of the world. His own years of ninja training seemed so, so long ago, yet he still remembered every form with perfection.

Thankfully, he didn’t run into any invisible Anacondrai. But he soon realized that there would be no getting to the command tent without passing through that sentry line. So Garmadon chose a Serpentine duo far enough from their brethren that their disappearances might pass unseen.

He rolled soundlessly behind a boulder, then stepped out from behind it.

The Hypnobrai soldiers saw him.

Rather than slowing at their alarm, Garmadon picked up speed. He leapt up when he reached them, grasping one in a headlock and swinging around its shoulders. One strike to the soft spot behind its frill, and the Hypnobrai collapsed. Before it even hit the ground, Garmadon was already springboarding off its shoulders, falling kick-first toward the second soldier. This Hypnobrai swiped with his blade; Garmadon reoriented to avoid the well-placed strike. He hit the ground with a somersault, sprang up, and caught the Hypnobrai’s sword by the hilt as it slid past him. The Serpentine’s slit-eyes dilated, seemingly in slow-motion, as Garmadon yanked the sword to throw the creature off-balance. As it fell past him, he slammed its soft spot.

Two Serpentine down.

As Garmadon considered the fallen, he lamented the absence of an Anacondrai weak point. The Hypnobrai’s ability to induce the minds of others came with a flaw. But the Anacondrai power of invisibility had no downside. There was no way to neuter their abilities because most of those abilities were simply skill. Perhaps that was why the Anacondrai valued honor so much - at least, as much as snakes could. Unlike the other tribes, an Anacondrai couldn’t cheat their way to victory.

Garmadon stepped over the immobile Hypnobrai - it would be a long time before they awoke - and ducked down behind the tent. There were voices inside, marred by hisses and strained tones. Garmadon dared to lift the corner of the flap, just to see what he was dealing with.

Once, he and Wu had been familiar with all the Serpentine generals. Now, it was a scramble to remember even names. There were three Garmadon could see - a Venomari, a Fangpyre, and an Anacondrai.

The Fangpyre Kandoras was the oldest of the generals, two-headed like his father before him, and like his son after him; Fangpyre chiefdoms usually passed through blood, not combat. Kandoras was wise, and, to the Alliance’s benefit, he was reluctant to fight. He’d caused Chen a lot of trouble during the last few weeks.

Then there was Acidicus, the brilliant Venomari general, and Thraask, one of Arcturus’ right-hands, the bloodthirstiest Anacondrai Garmadon had ever met. Chen must’ve moved a lot of pieces around to get him to command this force.

“...enough, Traask,” Kandoras was saying. “These fools think we’re attacking them because of that giant snake roaming the countryside. We have to leave this place before the humans decide we’re too close.”

“It is not our fault if the humans are fools, as you say,” General Traask replied. Unlike Arcturus, he was diminutive for an Anacondrai, but a violent shade of purple graced his scales, glistening in the torchlight. “I assure you, General Arcturus knows what he’s doing.”

Giant snake, Garmadon thought. There was only one person he knew who kept such a creature. Apparently, sorcery wasn’t Clouse’s only means of wreaking havoc.

“We do not doubt the great general has a plan,” Kandoras’ second head continued, silkier than the first. “But are we simply to cast this treaty away?”

Traask clicked his talons together as he turned to the Venomari. “Tell me, General Acidicus, what does the human say?”

Acidicus’ intelligent eyes gleamed. “The human himself admits his people will turn on us.”

“So you see,” Traask declared, his snaky head twisting back toward Kandoras. “We are simply preparing for the inevitable. This treaty is nearly at an end.”

Someone harrumphed in the corner. Garmadon couldn’t see who it was from his vantage, but Traask spun toward the sound, flicking his tail in annoyance. “General Slithraa?”

The name was unfamiliar to Garmadon, which probably meant it was a new general who had recently won a throne through combat.

“Forgive me, my commander,” said a voice in reply. “but you tell us what we already know. My question is simply when we strike and how?”

Kandoras wound his way forward. His first head spoke again. “We object strongly. We cannot attack until the humans attack us. Traask, you of all serpents must understand honor. Your general made an agreement. We did not bring our tribe into this war so we could become cowards.”

Slithraa, still out of sight, chuckled raspily. “If you ask me, you didn’t need this war to become such.”

Kandoras was atop the Hypnobrai in an instant. His two snouts wrinkled fiercely. “Do not speak to me, neonate. Do not forget that your people were the last to join our union.”

Slithraa slid forward, so Garmadon could see him for the first time. The Hypnobrai was big for his age, a wide fan around his head, scales extensively patterned with yellow swirls. In one hand, he bore the golden staff of his people. Each of the Serpentine in the room, with the exception of Traask, also carried one. The antivenom contained in each could dispel the effects of the individual tribes’ abilities - the only such substance that existed in the world. Unfortunately, the Anacondrai staff was in Ouroboros.

“Traask,” Slithraa said, without looking away from Kandoras. “If you do not remove this disgusting pacifist from my sight, I will take my leave, with my army.”

“Now, let us be reasonable.” Traask slithered between them. “We are all Serpentine here. We are all brethren. Kandoras, if you so wish, you may recall your forces back to another camp. But -” He leered at the Fangpyre. “If we are attacked by the humans, I will hold you personally responsible if we fail to repel them. Understood?”

Garmadon figured the old Fangpyre’s pride would keep him from saying no, but whether he was proven right, he never found out. At that moment, Lei emerged from the shadows.

Only Garmadon’s nightmares and years of training kept him from jumping back in alarm and blowing their cover. “Lei -”

“Yeah, sorry,” she whispered, dismissive. Then she seemed to think better of it, and added, “Master Garmadon.”

He shoved a finger to his lips to quiet her. While Lei raised her eyebrows at the unconscious Hypnobrai guards, Garmadon leaned back to the tent flap. It seemed Slithraa and Kandoras had left, for their voices were nowhere to be heard.

“How would you like me to prepare?” Acidicus asked.

“Double the nightly patrol. Send word to General Skalidor and his Constrictai to prepare. Only one can remain.”

“Only one can remain.” There was a shuffling rasp, which meant one of them had slid out the tent door. Garmadon backed away.

“What was that about?” Lei hissed.

Garmadon was beginning to form an answer when shouts exploded from the parallel line of tents. Traask growled angrily from the other side of the tent wall. The hurried sound of scales on rock and dust accompanied a troop of snakes flashing past on the road.

Sam Pale materialized at the dividing line between light and shadows. His long hair looked slightly charred on one side.

“Sam Pale, what did you do?” Garmadon demanded.

Sam Pale flicked a finger at him. “A bit of a funny story, really. They think I’m a peasant though, so what do you say we run before they find out different, eh?”

~~~

Sam Pale and Lei weren’t stealthy, but they were fast.

Garmadon hung back, watching their trail, scuffing it as best he could. He could hear Serpentine hissing in the rocks and calling to each other, but none appeared in the shadows. Even as the Masters slowed, Garmadon snapped at them to keep going. They weren’t out of danger yet.

Garmadon called on some of his power too. He couldn’t do what Lei could, but the darkness did deepen as he raced past. At his command, rocks split in the distance, causing the Serpentine to move in the direction of the sound. Soon, the lights of their Alliance camp appeared over the hills.

Finally, Garmadon allowed the Masters to rest. Sam Pale tromped over to a rock and sprawled himself over the motley, dust-ridden grass. Lei brushed off the front of her purple robes. “Well.” She blew a loose strand of hair from her eyes. “That was a waste.”

“No, Master of Shadow,” Garmadon corrected, combing back his hair with a hand. “We learned something.”

“Which is?”

Garmadon smiled. “The Serpentine are at odds. Not even their generals can agree. Which means…” He looked up at the camp, firelight in his eyes. “They’re vulnerable.”

@greenygreenland

[theblessedbear]

I discovered this game yesterday on Facebook. It’s one of their instant games. I was actually looking for something else, but this came up in its search.

Beyond the Screen. It’s set like one of those dating shows, like Are you the one and the like. I will give a word of advice though when you play the game, a Japanese name is way more successful.

I know this because the first time I tried it I used the name Daphne. You know like Daphne Blake from Scooby Doo. The guy she got, dumped her on the third date, even though she really liked him but he didn’t think she was being real with him.

So then the game resets after you’re asked would you like to start again and that the dating show is sorry about you getting dumped on the third date. So then you get to put in a new name, so I called the character Sakura. It’s a character name from another game i play so I thought, couldn’t hurt.

Turns out this name was way more successful and Sakura, was actually an actress who was matched with Taenyung from BTS. They hit it off an the date was super sweet. Here’s all the pictures i got from it.

The street was crowded and Sakura who wasn’t looking where she was going got caught by Taenyung.

I forget the name of the noodles they got but they’re famous in that town and she had a little bit of sauce on the corner of her mouth.

Taenyung wanted to take her picture. Fixing her hair for her as she didn’t have her kit with her.

Taenyung takes her picture.

Then Sakura takes Taenyung’s picture.

Then he took a picture of them together. They are such a cute couple.

That place was just really cool, and one of Taenyung’s favourite places. he likes to take his friends there.

Sweet text after the date.

Second date. Reading comic books together.

After an hour into reading their comics, Taenyung dozed off and was having a nap. If you pick “have a nap” as well, you get that illustration.

Later they get up, go to the car and in a bag, is this cuteness. His dog. Who also goes on the rest of the date with Sakura and Taenyung.

A picnic under the stars.

His band mates bring food after he rings to order it.

Second date, sweet text part one.

Second date, sweet text, part two.

Third date at Never Ever Land. One of his band mates took that photo.

Then they go to the amusement park’s cafe, after going on some of the scariest rides in the park.

After the ride on the carousel, they got to watch the fireworks.

Which Taenyung took the opportunity at one point to ask Sakura if she wanted to dance, as the song playing was his favourite. 

Watching the fireworks together, holding hands.

Happy ending illustration.

So I played it a few more times with variations in the names, although every time I used a Japanese name, I got Taenyung and things always turned out well. On the top image up there, there are two more gents you can get in this game. They’re both up the top, either side of Taenyung, in the top photo.

The one who is on his right, is the one who dumped Daphne after date three, and on another go trying a different name, he also got Morgana who was dumped after date two. So I tried the name Haru, she’s from Ninja Shadow, runs the tea house in Nagasaki, she couldn’t even get a match. Then I tried Nobu, that’s also from Ninja Shadow but the shortened version of the Shogun’s name.

I just wanted to see if that would work. Well like Sakura, Nobu got the happy ending and Taenyung only had good things to say about them both. I don’t know if it is the names, of if it’s just pot luck. But it is a fun little game, I had fun with it, and if you’re on Facebook, it’s pretty easy to find.