#sorry for the. VERY. long delay on this

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

The Agency's Older Brother: or, Ranpo's Character Development

I want to talk about Ranpo and the development he goes through in the series, because for as much as Ranpo is an important member of the Agency, his story is focused on in small chunks that may not always, at first read, seem to be overly significant. In fact, Ranpo’s arc is very consistent and I’m fascinated to know where it’s building to, because he’s done a lot of growing in the series. A lot of the themes of his story are to do with responsibility and faith in others.

The Ranpo we meet at the beginning of the story is not the Ranpo we see now. The biggest change is that he’s a lot more personally involved with the struggles of the Agency members, taking it on himself to be proactive and protective, while previously he had to be pushed and bribed into helping much of the time. When did this change?

Well...

[ID: Two screenshots from a scene in Poe's introductory episode of the Bungou Stray Dogs anime. In the first screenshot, Yosano lies on the carpeted ground, an axe embedded in her chest, blood pooling around her. Ranpo is crouched beside her, supporting her shoulders with one hand and clasping her hand with the other. The second screenshot is a close up of Ranpo's distressed face. End ID.]

The thing is, it's almost easy to overlook the effect this scene had on Ranpo, because Poe’s introductory chapter/episode is such a brief one. Moreover, afterwards, Poe becomes an ally and is a bit of a silly character, so it’s easy to forget sometimes that he was a legitimate threat here - and Yosano nearly died for it. This scene was incredibly significant to Ranpo for a few notable reasons.

It’s the first time someone in the Agency was in serious trouble/died without a backup plan.

It is, unfortunately, kind of on him. (Let me be real clear here: I am not blaming Ranpo. But he probably was blaming himself and that's something to keep in mind.)

To recap: Poe pulls Ranpo into his novel out of revenge, also trapping Yosano, who went with him. Ranpo realizes that they are in a world with no abilities, and importantly, he doesn't have the glasses Fukuzawa gave him.

We know those glasses mean a lot to him. When Ranpo was at his lowest, when he was convinced the world hated him, Fukuzawa gave him those glasses and told him he had a special ability. That he had a gift that no one else did that allowed him to see the truth that no one else could. Untold Origins makes it very clear that if Fukuzawa hadn't reached out to Ranpo when he did, Ranpo may have forever been outcasted. He was a kid kept in a bubble then suddenly and rudely shoved into a world he was unprepared to cope with, where he continued to get rejected and thrown out over and over - and all this on top of the grief he felt from his parents' passing. Ranpo was bitter and terrified of people, and thought everyone was pretending to be oblivious just to hurt him. Fukuzawa saved him the only way he could, in the only way Ranpo would hear him. It's not an exaggeration to say Fukuzawa saved Ranpo's life. And, while cute, it's also telling how quickly those glasses became an intrinsic part of his identity. Only maybe twenty minutes after he first received them, he was already making little doodles of himself wearing them.

Suddenly, the glasses are gone, and Ranpo goes into a funk because he "can't activate his ability without them". Obviously, we know that isn't true, and so does Yosano. Ranpo probably, deep down, knows this too, but to admit that would be to admit the president lied to him, and to uproot the very thing that gave him the means to perceive the world in a brighter light. The reason Fukuzawa had to lie in the first place was because the truth would be to tell Ranpo that his parents lied to him, something he angrily denies could ever be the case. And now, Fukuzawa is very plainly stated to be Ranpo's adoptive father. Ranpo's parents do not lie to him. He does not want to see it - and so he doesn't. This is a recurring thing with Ranpo. For as much as he sees the truth clearly, he also chooses not to see it at times when it would be uncomfortable/go against the intuition of someone he deeply trusts and respects.

And I think it's very easy to just leave it there, and say, "Oh, Ranpo realized at the end of this chapter/episode that he didn't need the glasses, that he doesn't have an ability, and that's a key turning point" but I don't feel that's the full picture or even the focus here, especially since Ranpo still hasn't reached the point where he can properly admit it aloud, even to Yosano.

The thing is, those glasses aren't just of use to Ranpo - they have sentimental value. A heck of a lot of it, for a character who is not very sentimental. The real turning point here is that Ranpo put on Yosano's glasses in order to save her.

[ID: A screenshot of a panel from the Bungou Stray Dogs manga. Ranpo puts on a pair of glasses. His hair is blown out of his face and he wears an intense expression. End ID.]

Shortly before this, we are informed by Yosano that not only was the Agency specifically formed for Ranpo to make use of his talents, but also that it was Ranpo who invited her to join - which we later learn was a pivotal moment for her to start over after she was completely broken by her experiences in the war. And now, he is watching her bleed out because she had to take over. Because he couldn't solve it. And that, to Ranpo, is unacceptable.

But again, there's more to it. Ranpo is fundamentally a self-centered character - this is not a judgement; I actually love that about him. He's the center of the Agency, the (ostensibly) good guys of the series; a narcissistic guy with little in the way of sensitivity who wants to use his skills to help others. Not for some higher ideal, or because it's "right" necessarily, but because he's good at it, and because he's supposed to protect all the "babies" who can't solve things for themselves. I love it because it highlights a major theme of BSD, which is good as something you do rather than something you are, and also because it explains something about Ranpo himself.

See, if everyone in the world is a "baby" who needs Ranpo's assistance, then the people in the Agency are a little different. They're people hand-picked by Fukuzawa to support him, both through praise and through backup. Remember that Ranpo trusts Fukuzawa's judgement more than anything - this means that he expects the Agency members can handle themselves. So, in chapter 10, when Ranpo doesn't really care that Atsushi has been taken, citing that it's a "personal problem" and he should handle it, I really think this was some odd form of "Atsushi will be fine" and "why should I worry or do anything when I know he'll be fine". And in the past, this has been true - the Agency members always pull through. None of them, up until that point, have been in a situation that they couldn't eventually fix. Ranpo has a bubble of safety in the Agency, that basically amounts to a "villain of the week" type beat from his perspective, where troubles gets fixed up pretty quickly. All in a day's work.

But then Yosano dies in Poe's book, someone he actually had some level of responsibility for when he invited her to join his safe little circle in a world that had no place for people like them. And it's a direct result of Ranpo's refusal/inability to act.

In order to fix this, Ranpo uses Yosano's glasses. The lens he's seeing through has changed. The people in the Agency were initially "his" in that they were meant to support Ranpo, the special one "chosen" by Fukuzawa's glasses, the reason for the Agency's existence in the first place. But now the people in the Agency are "his" in that they are his to protect. He's their big brother they all look up to in a way, and as the big brother, he's got to take responsibility for their safety.

Why did this not stand out in the moment? Well, we learn something about Ranpo from Untold Origins: he's very good at pretending he's doing okay and things aren't bothering him as much as they are. He's able to hold it together up until it all comes spilling out of him during the play. Also, I do think Ranpo cares about people a good deal more than he'd have you believe. A common fanon thing about Ranpo (from what I've seen) is that he tends to forget people, which, I can see how one would come to that conclusion, but I actually think it's completely wrong. I don't think Ranpo's forgotten a single person he's accused. I don't think he's forgotten a single person he's helped.

He lied about not remembering Poe, in fact, he remembered him pretty fondly as a real challenge. He remembers the information on a person from the Special Division he was asked to look into and gave the info to Mushitarou to allow him an in. He recognizes an officer he'd helped, and it's implied he recognizes every single officer who had been present while he was working on cases in the past. Does this mean he cares about all of them? ...eh. Probably not. But it does mean that Ranpo keeps a lot of his cards close to his chest. He's disarming with his intentional childishness. And so it can be difficult for the characters and readers both to notice that events like Yosano's almost-death... actually bothered him a lot more than he let on.

Because it was his fault. Because she was his responsibility. Because he's supposed to be invincible.

And unfortunately, the story from here on out does not get any kinder to Ranpo as his safe bubble that is the Agency is repeatedly targeted in ways that are increasingly hard to repair.

Fukuzawa falls ill and nearly dies in Cannibalism arc.

A girl gets blown up and Kunikida ends up in jail because Fyodor managed to manipulate Ranpo's intel.

Mushitarou is believed to have been shot and killed trying to warn Ranpo about the Decay of Angels plan.

Taneda bleeds out from a stab wound and falls into a coma. Ranpo can do nothing but listen and cannot get him help.

The amount of times Ranpo has seen people nearly die in front of him... bro it's almost as bad as Kunikida.

Much like Kunikida having extreme faith in his lofty ideals which make him fall just that much harder when he fails to uphold them, Ranpo has practically zero self-doubt and complete and utter confidence in his abilities... so when problems arise, Ranpo is very harsh on himself. He takes the blame because he's supposed to be better than that. Because he is the one with the powerful "ability" that should never fail.

In this sense, Ranpo's position in the Agency reminds me a lot of a certain person in the Port Mafia, someone who also has a powerful skill he puts towards protecting his own, someone who also received life changing words from the boss which earned him his loyalty, and someone who would do anything to defend the only place in the world he feels secure.

I think there's definitely a reason Cannibalism arc had Ranpo and Chuuya face off, I'm just saying. Both of them ostracized and thrown out as young teens by people who should've been looking out for them. Both the instigators of that arc, proactive and desperate to protect the person they are most loyal to who changed their perspectives. They've even got the same power stance, look. :P

[ID: Two panels from the Bungou Stray Dogs manga. The first is a panel of Ranpo with the silhouette of Fyodor behind him. He is standing with his hands in his pockets, facing front with his head tilted back and to the left a little, a fierce expression on his face and his cloak billowing outwards. The second is a panel of Chuuya standing in a similar manner, arms crossed, facing front with a fierce expression as his coat billows out around him. End ID.]

Of course, there's more interesting comparisons and contrasts to be drawn between them, but I'm focusing on Ranpo in this analysis, so I think I've made my point. Chuuya is the Port Mafia's best martial artist. Ranpo is the Agency's strongest man. And that places a burden of responsibility on them that they both believe they must uphold. They're both ready and willing to do whatever it takes.

The thing is though, is that Ranpo doesn't actually have an ability. When up against someone like Chuuya, he is at a distinct disadvantage, and he knows it. "Regular people can't defeat ability users". But he's still going to come up with a way to do it anyways, and why?

[ID: A screencap from the Bungou Stray Dogs anime. The members of the Agency all stand around Ranpo, who is seated at his desk with a smile, one hand holding his cap, the other held up in a casual gesture. The image is filtered in a soft light. End ID.]

Because his friends think he's invincible.

If Ranpo wants to maintain his safe place in a world of fear, then he has to step up to defend it, and he has to get creative about it. And that's exactly what he does. Ranpo becomes steadily more active throughout the story, which is a huge change from the start, where he had to be practically bribed to help at all. I see a lot of people point out his channeling of Fyodor's tactics to secure Kunikida's release, which is definitely a dark turn for his character, but it's not the only change.

Ranpo is now choosing to place his faith in others, the first obvious instance of this being his use of Poe's novels - which was how he defeated Chuuya. Ranpo knows that he is not going to succeed against people who drastically overpower him all alone, even if he does still take things on as personal burdens. He's also far more obvious about his protectiveness, going on the rescue himself to save the Agency members, driving a car (whereas before he needed someone to take transit with him - another indication of his increased proactivity since he's now literally driving instead of being driven), and bodily shoving Atsushi out of harm's way.

It all culminates in one of my favourite Ranpo scenes where he speaks at the conference to the police, who've worked with him before, where he asks if they will think for themselves - and tells everyone gathered there that anyone can be a detective if they think for themselves and look with their own eyes (!!!). He manages to get half the police force on his side, just through his words and his logic alone! Minoura assumes he somehow knew it would all work out, because, well, it's Ranpo. Ranpo knows everything.

But...

[ID: An image from the Bungou Stray Dogs manga. Ranpo sits in the passenger seat of a car with an honest, helpless smile. End ID.]

He reveals he didn't know if his ploy would work at all. He had to trust that it would with no solid proof. He had to trust these people would use their heads and look beyond the obvious. He respects these people enough that he thinks at least some of them will make the right call.

Fourteen year old Ranpo, bitter and estranged from other people, would never. For him to have come such a long way is testament to the security that the Agency provided him with. In a way, Fukuzawa forming the Agency allowed Ranpo to "complete" his childhood in relative safety, so that when the world became hostile once again and his family destabilized, Ranpo had matured enough to meet it and defend himself and those he has a responsibility towards head on. The Agency is his family, and Ranpo cares for them enough that he puts his faith, not just in them, but in the people they put their faith in too.

[ID: A panel from the Bungou Stray Dogs manga. Ranpo is kneeling in front of Fukuchi, who is sitting backwards on his chair to face him. End ID.]

...aaaaand then Fukuchi went and ruined it. Thanks, Fukuchi.

Ranpo again chooses to put his trust in someone without proof because Fukuzawa trusts him, only for that to have gotten thrown back into his face in the worst way possible. And it's in this regard, the trust aspect, that I think we'll see Ranpo develop as the story goes on.

Will he continue to show this tentative faith in people? Or will he begin to hyper-analyze, unwilling to trust again without proof?

If this arc gets resolved decently well, I think Ranpo will have no issue brushing this off as a one-time thing. However, if what I fear might happen does and Fukuzawa doesn't make it out of this arc... Ranpo will be destabilized.

I don't know that Ranpo would go "bad" per se. He likes the other Agency members. He cares about them - that's genuine. But if Fukuzawa dies, then Ranpo may begin to take darker actions in order to keep them safe, almost overprotective and harshly logical, with little room for blind trust or risks in the name of justice or honour. It may put him at odds with Kunikida, in that Ranpo may start to develop a strong "do what's necessary" mentality, even if that may be immoral. He may regress a little into his old trust issues.

However, I really don't think Ranpo will go too far down the path of darkness, even if the worst should happen. He's a lot tougher than he seems, and he has a good support system in the Agency. I guess it remains to be seen where Ranpo's story takes him next.

Until then...

[ID: A screencap from the Bungo Stray Dogs anime. Ranpo sits in his chair in a cuter art style, having taken a bite from the pastry he has in his left hand. End ID.]

I love one good boy. :)

[bearotonin-international]

hello may i request some of ur cutest and/or silliest bears to send to my friend he doesnt have a tumblr but he luvs bears and I wanna make him Happy

Our deepest apologies for the delay in answering this. We hope these silly goobers give your friend much bearotonin

[askdarkpinky]

[charlesemersonwinchesteriii]

Ignore all logistical considerations of "would they ever meet each other under these circumstances". If you don't think Jules Bashir would have chosen to join Starfleet, imagine he is on the station for some other reason, or they meet in some other location.

I wanted to make this poll because I've seen various fics where Garak reassures Julian that far from being upset over him being augmented, Garak is grateful for it, either explicitly because (he thinks) they wouldn't be able to have their usual conversations if it weren't for the augmentations, or simply because he likes Julian "just the way he is" and wouldn't want him to be "different". I disagree that Garak would think like this (or at the very least, I think Julian would react negatively if he did, rather than be reassured), so I wanted to hear everyone else's thoughts.

[pushing500]

Hello! Just popping in to say sorry about the delay in RimWorld posts! The next few pages are taking forever to draw, but I promise I'm working on them!

A lot happened in my game all at once, so there's a lot to draw, lol. In the meantime, enjoy these doodles of Magic Man I did while I was at work!

I was trying to draw Magic Man's tail because I don't think I draw it very much and it is pretty cool.

Every time I remember that Magic Man's given name is "Louis" I crack up laughing. He doesn't look like a Louis, but I suppose maybe I'm just too used to "Magic Man", which is an arguably weirder name.

Finally, as a special treat (and as an apology for taking so long with updates), here are the very, very, very first designs for Vasso, Laursen, and Bella that I ever drew! This was drawn while I was waiting for the results of the "Eldritch Cult VS Mechanitor" poll, so there is a special guest appearance from the Mechanitor we'll meet once this current run is over. It's probably considered a spoiler, so I'll pop it under here:

Don't mind the scribbling; this was a very early draft as I tried to work out what I wanted the characters to be like.

Bella used to be so small T.T

[lil-liaa]

��⑅⪨ 𝓢𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝓐𝐝𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 in the # ❀

[katanaski]

Guys I'm so so stressed I could cry.

Being a mother is one of the most stressful,beautiful self sacrificing things in the world. And I love being a mother, is just what I was meant to do,but it's so so hard. Raising a child is not easy. It doesn't matter if you have more than one or if you're teen mom or are well off financially and mature. You will struggle but it's OK!!! Nobody is perfect and I promise to every mom and parent out there. You are doing absolutely amazing,and I am proud of you♡

[singsweetmelodies]

Hi there! Im still kind of new to f1 so please, can you share all the piarles deep lore with me? Like your favorite moments from them, the story of them growing up, etc. I have a burning need 🙏 ❤️

hiiii dearest anon! i am so sorry for the delay in replying - i saw this ask and immediately got SO freaking excited, because, well, piarles is my absolute OTP in this fandom, so of course i'd love to share all the details about them!!

i started working on a piarles lore post almost immediately, and that's when i realised... um, there is actually rather a lot of piarles lore. like, a lot. enough that i've been working on this post for over a week in-between work and irl stuff, and it's still not done??

so yeah.... 🙈 i just wanted to reply to you today and say that i have seen this ask and i am working on a piarles lore post for you ❤️😘 it's just taking quite a bit longer than i thought because of how much piarles lore there is. but rest assured, the post is definitely happening!! thank you SO much for asking, and for giving me the chance to embark on the most fun research project ever <3333

[s2pdoktopus]

Stuff I drew based on @spoonie-ritsu 's Take my Hand. I enjoy this little collection lots :)))

Based on the author's note part. I think Teru vs Mob happening like this would be funny XD

[incorrect-prema]

Oscar: Why are you two here?

Fred: I'm here to help you!

Logan: I'm here to make things even worse!

[ahmedmootaz]

Do you still take requests on this blog?

Is it possible to request something Valentine's Day-related for all your favorite pairings like Carmen and Ayin?

Dear Anonymous,

Well, I do! But the problem with these themed asks is that I take far too much time to actually reach them...regardless, if you're still interested, you can leave your ideas in another ask and one day, eventually, supposedly, hopefully I'll get to them! You can also detail how long you want the prompts to be or any themes you have in mind, though keep in mind I'll choose from the themes based on which one I think suits my writing style better and that I won't write anything that bypasses T for Teen by too much in the sensational department, if you get what I mean. Gore is fine, although I have an inkling of a guess that gore isn't very romantic.

I await your Eyucar ideas!

If you don't know, Eyucar is just the Korean part of the Fandom's name for AyinXCarmen. I think it sounds nicer than Cayin or Aymen. Until next time, Anon, be well, take care, and see ya'!

[seriousbrat]

hi this may be long so sorry in advance but

i always loved hp and when i got into the marauders i started caring about sirius, remus, and james more (peter hater till i die unfortunately i can’t get behind him) and like every marauders stan i despised despised severus, i thought that since he was in a known death eaters friend group and called muggle borns mudblood he was unredeemable. but then i saw more and more pro snape content and it made me feel bad for him, james bullied him (which i’m still not even sure if it was classified as bullying because james didnt have any power over him and it wasn’t even 1 vs 4 it was 1 vs 2 so i’d like to know your opinion on that as well) and he had an abusive parent, but then i saw snily shippers (i am a major jily shipper fyi) saying how james basically manipulated lily into marrying him by not telling her he still bullied snape, how the prank was the best thing to happen to james because their “fights” wouldn’t be seen as bullying but as a teen rivalry, how james was the rich boy who got everything he wanted and he got the poor girl as well, how it was him constantly asking lily out and her always saying no etcc, so ik this may sound stupid but i love ur takes like ur always sooooo fucking real so if u want to share your opinions on these like if u think any of these things are wrong 🙈 id be glad bc i dont know how to feel about severus and idk how to feel about jily either which is just making my small world inside of my head crumble bc i used to love them so much

Of course and thank you! First of all as I've been saying I don't think it's necessary or even really a good idea for us to base our preferences or interests in fiction with our moral beliefs. so we can accept that snape or james did bad things and still like them. Fiction gives us that freedom to delve into aspects of humanity that in real life we might try to avoid. So I don't think you should feel bad for liking james or severus or jily or whatever. Ok, that being said let's get into it:

First it's normal to feel sympathy for Severus, he's a sympathetic character in many respects! That's what makes a good anti-hero (or even villain. we're even supposed to feel sympathy for voldemort and barty crouch jr at certain points)

what james and the marauders did was definitely bullying. there's no way around that. you say james didn't have any power over him but he did; social power. You touched on economic class, which is a big factor, but James was a popular student and Sev was deeply unpopular. whether it was 1v4 or 1v2 or 1v1 doesn't really matter in terms of whether it was bullying, though tbh it was really 1vthe whole school because the spectators also participated in Sev's humiliation.

However, in my mind there's almost no way that Snape wasn't instigating just as much, possibly more, in seventh year. Like you think he was just going to sit around and accept that his worst enemy was dating Lily? lol. I tend to believe Sirius when he says that Sev "never lost an opportunity to curse James" like good for him get his ass. But I think it was definitely a different dynamic in 7th year than in 5th. there's this tendency to portray Sev as being a meek little helpless victim his whole life but personally I feel that's a disservice to his character-- this is the guy who invented sectumsempra 'for enemies' like three guesses who 'enemies' was.

re: jily, I really doubt that James manipulated Lily into anything, I think that's such an overdramatic reading lol. We don't know much about the way they got together-- although many fic writers have taken it upon themselves to fill in the gaps-- but everything points to them having been happy and in love, that clearly was the intention by the author. If James didn't tell her about duelling Snape that isn't great, but there are a lot of things that can be imperfect in a relationship without jumping to manipulation and abuse which require a specific pattern of behaviour that we have no evidence for. We also only have the external perspective of Sirius and Remus, which is likely incomplete.

(also James 'always asking Lily out' is fanon, we see him ask her out ONCE albeit spectacularly badly. it seems more likely to me that lily 'you make me SICK' evans simply saw james grow into someone she rly liked rather than gave in and gave in so fully that she married him bcause he was pressuring her. idk she didn't read like a pushover to me.)

So no need for world crumblage! It doesn't sound stupid at all, but I think it's important to keep in mind that we can enjoy fictional characters/relationships that aren't perfect, in fact those are the ones that I find more enjoyable. It's totally possible to be a fan of snape and james and jily and snily all at the same time, fandom tends to create conflicts or 'shipping wars' or whatever lol but idk if that's necessary. I don't see it as a moral debate or an either/or, I just find all the characters and the dynamics between them interesting.

For instance, you mentioned the class differences between Lily and James, and I always thought that was probably a point of contention in the relationship; but to me it's one that makes it more compelling to explore. Relationships irl are rarely perfect and evenly-matched from the start, they take work. Similarly people are never perfect- they learn and change and grow. James did, Snape definitely did. otherwise they would be boring and unrealistic as characters.

[wisheswagered]

Frederick's expression is cold, and it's all he can do to hide the trembling in his arms as he faces the musician standing before him.

It's not like it makes much difference, at this stage. Frederick's already tarnished reputation has been falling further and further to pieces, lately - even now, he can see the way that people look at him; their whispered words and judgemental gazes difficult to miss. He wishes he could say it doesn't bother him, but even now, after everything... he can still feel a hot shame creeping through him when he allows himself to dwell on the way people think of him.

But it doesn't matter. He's sure that now, watching him talk with Antonio, people must be curious, making up stories in their heads and imagining all kinds of wild theories as to what they think of each other. Yet... only Frederick knows the truth. And the taste of death that this man has brought him, time after time, is one he'll never forget.

"Mr. Paganini. I must say... your performance tonight was excellent, as always."

@mccnstricken ( starter for antonio! )

[masquenoire]

"Roman, have you found someone else to entertain you? Have you grown tired of me?" (Matt)

It had been some time since Matt had last graced Roman's office with his presence. The window had been left unlocked since his last visit, the very same window the vigilante opted to use for his risqué ventures. Matt wasn't known as Daredevil for nothing; sneaking into Gotham's most vicious crime boss's private office was a feat only the bravest - or reckless - would dare attempt, yet Matt had done so not once, not even twice but a handful of times now. Each time the black-clad vigilante swore it would be the last time, that the next time they crossed paths, Matt would drag Roman to the courts himself so the criminal mastermind would at last face justice. Justice he couldn't bribe or threaten his way out of as Matt feared nothing, yet every mortal men had his weakness and the devil knew how to tempt every one of them. Weeks of being cooped up inside had taken their toll on Roman. Organizing drug rings, turf wars and illegal armament deals took time and patience Roman didn't always have, leaving him little to no time to focus on more pleasurable ventures of his own. He'd almost forgotten how shitty the air outside smelled, he'd been cooped up inside for that long. But that was how it went, didn't it? Roman wasn't built in a day and Gotham wasn't taken over in one either. Vices were a bitch to deal with and power, so intoxicating yet surprisingly fragile, needed constant supervision lest years of careful work got flushed down the drain in an instant. The sound of Matt's voice carrying over to his ears was more welcome than Roman had expected. Days of focusing on little else but securing the eastern half of Gotham's drug supplies was wearing on his focus and the vigilante was a devil in his own right in providing some much-needed distraction from his dark work. Had he found somebody else to entertain him? Had he fuck. Only little miss paperwork had his attention all this week and Roman was in sore need of being reminded as to the pleasures only carnal sin could give.

"How could you say such a thing? Ti ho pensato ogni giorno, I thought about you every day, wondering when you might slip through that window again..." The weight of the paper in his hand disgusted him and Roman immediately cast it aside out of sight and out of mind, his every thought now preoccupied by the very physical presence of the vigilante standing in his midst. Matt couldn't be ignored, not here not now and Roman wondered glumly if at last their game had come to an end. He'd waited for the man's return, albeit impatiently to see what his adversary might do now word had gotten around that Roman had been real busy at work securing his foothold on this troubled city. Hands moved, not to grab at Sodom and Gomorrah waiting in their holsters but instead two clean glasses and a bottle of whiskey. Years of heavy drinking taught Roman to pour without needing to watch, dark eyes growing darker with unbidden desire as he fixed Matt with a hungry look mere sustenance couldn't appease. "And to ask if I've grown tired of you, why, you wound my heart. There hasn't been entertainment like you in far too long, not since you last visited. Come, enjoy a drink and tell me how you've been. I'd hate to think that my favourite vigilante hasn't been getting enough action that he's starting to feel neglected. Mea Culpa, I have been a busy man..." It was as they said, the devil made work for idle thumbs and in this case he'd come calling, though as to how tonight's visit might go, Roman rather wanted their little game to continue. It had been far too long since he'd gotten his hands dirty and Matt had stopped by at a most opportune time.

[corrodedcoughin]

Hi darling it's been a bit

I have soulmate au stuff rotating in my brain

What about a universe where soulmates are a rare and uncommon thing and there are three kinds

Familial, platonic and Romantic

Steve is super unusual, not only does he have a soulmark he has not one, not two but 3 one of each kind

Robin of course is his platonic (duh they say so themselves)(they have matching ice cream scoops they end up finding out when they both are puking their guts out in a mall bathroom and Steve's shirt slides up as he drags himself under the stall )

His familial is Dustin or maybe max depends on what relationship dynamics you want to describe (or maybe they're matching marks and all 3 of them have the same symbol I feel like the nailbat would be good for that because that's when Steve met and first protected them both then steve pulls the bat from his trunk and swings and they both grab their upperarms where a nail bat wraps around their bicep)

And finally eddie

His romantic soulmate the d20 that sits on his ring finger that they both cover with rings because it's not socially acceptable to show soulmarks unless you like cannot avoid it and it's on your face

How I'm picturing in this au is that there a record of soulmates or something because that's definitely something that kids would be figuring out and somehow somone stumbles upon the fact that Steve Harrington has 3 (all while missing the fact that eddie munson and Robin buckley both have soulmates as well (maybe even multiple themselves))

It would be interesting if it was based on bonds with people

It's more of a promise that this person will have an important bond with you so its not always good because if there is going to be a war more kids end up with soulmarks because trauma bonds people

Somone figures out that something happened to these kids because they have so many soul bonds intertwined between all of them

I don't know could be interesting especially like starting with will

Like

'Joyce byers loved her sons both of them so it was to her great joy that both of them had soulmates, people who they would have strong bonds with people who's lives their would forever be entwined in. But she also knew what so many bonds usually ment, she had seen the men who went to war with bonds they hadnt yet found and come back bonded but broken from trauma. So Joyce byers feared what was going to come to Hawkins to tie these kids together so strongly. Joyce wouldn't relize till years after will disappeared to the upside-down and had returned that her son was the catalyst to bring all these people together, at least in the begining'

Something like that

I don't know I have many thought on this what do you think

-✏️

Hello anon how are you?

I personally think this is a lovely idea and you’ve got so many threads running through it that it could be as multilayered as you want it to be! The variety and diversity of what a souls mate can be in your au suggests the potential and I think that if you are enjoying it then you should for sure write it!

There’s so many dynamics you could have interacting and seeing relationships shift. I love that Steve has three and that trauma bonds people. That the party potentially all bonds to each other, the angst of is some bond with some and not others. Idk man I think you got something really interesting here!

[betrayalbracket]

I JUST DISCOVERED THIS BLOG AND OOF I MISSED SUBMISSIONS NOOOOOOOOO RIP!!! Oh well :'D I'm curious, did anyone ever submit Lunaris from Ducktales 2017? I find the Moonlanders as a whole to be a super underrated part of Ducktales, and I wanna do my best to spread recognition and love for them!!!

sadly not!! there was one submission for bradford buzzard, if it's any consolation?