#we got enough sword users sorry

[decaffeinatedpartymuggoop]

Forever wishing Jason got to keep Ivlivs (the dual coin weapon)

Also Hera def should’ve given Jason a lance or javelin instead of that gladius

[aziraphale-is-a-cat]

DPxDC Warlock Batfamily

They're not warlocks in the traditional sense, no fancy spell work or obvious theming. In fact, most anyone less magically attune than John would just assume they were metas like anyone else on the team, but they weren't.

It took a while to notice, just passing off the magical fluctuations around them as the ebb and flow of the natural world, or maybe some residual curse vibes from Gotham (ew). But it was too consistent. When Batman slipped into the shadows it pulsed, and when Oracle seized control of nearby computers it surged. When Nightwing took his inhuman leaps into the air simply trusting that he would reach his lading point it soared and when that nightmare of a Robin brought a room to darkness it rested like a heavy weight on his shoulders.

They weren't individual users, their eclectically cohesive group structure was too uniform for that; but they weren't some family of sorcerers either, being quite obviously unrelated by blood save for a few. The most likely answer was that they were all warlocks in service to some common diety, taking on aspects of its power to enforce it's will upon the mortal world- and John really hoped it was a helpful entity, because they were in deep shit.

Peeling the partially liquefied tentacle off from across his chest, Constantine sat up and brought his hand up to cup his bruised face. He prayed to whatever was least likely to hold a grudge that their little hail Mary there had bought them enough time to perform a summoning.

"Hey Bat, get your patron on the phone, this is getting fucking Eldritch."

"What the hell are you talking about," Hal Jordan pushed himself out of the rubble with a massive green fist construct. "Bats isn't a magic user."

"Hm." Batman grunted as he picked bone shards out of his gauntlets. "I'll need to get something for the ritual."

Everyone present sat up to look at him like he'd grown another head, except Superman and Wonder Woman who seemed a little excited.

"I'm sorry, you're a magician?" The Flash pipes up from behind the ruins of an old altar, only to receive a level glare from his black clad coworker.

"Warlock."

"Oh."

Constantine grabbed onto some chains hanging from the precariously damaged ceiling, rising to his feet. "We don't have much time; that thing's off licking its wounds in space or something, but it'll be back. You go off and collect whatever artefact you have from wherever you hid it and I'll start drawing the circle, where are we pulling your Patron from?"

Batman nodded in agreement. "The Infinite Realms."

"Fucking Hell."

-

The Watch Tower was crowded when Batman returned flanked by two other members for his little hero coven, carrying a small case decorated with constellations and nebulae.

Wonder Woman stepped up to look at the container, obviously curious, but not touching it.

"It will be wonderful to see him again, Batman. After this is dealt with I hope to hear the tales of my sisters from beyond."

"He'll definitely be happy to chat after we're done," Nightwing commented. "I hear he's been training with Pandora."

Red Robin nodded to that, an exasperated look on his face as he likely anticipated a long and drawn out conversation about different kinds of swords. Amazons liked their blades.

John gave that idea some concideration, Amazonian ghosts probably get up to some killer fights without having to worry about, ya know, death. He called out to the Dark Knight, "I've got the circle done, now we just need your call."

The three of them walk over to the summoning circle unceremoniously carved into the watch tower floor, Batman narrowing his eyes at the damaged paneling but saying nothing otherwise. The Dark Knight opens the case in his hands and pulls out what appears to be a small model space station.

The Coven spread themselves evenly around the circumference of the circle and Batman begins the ritual. "Salve patrōnem, egō stellam vocō." He throws the model space station into the circle where it appeared to float as the symbols in the ground lit up.

Slowly, a figure formed in the center, first as hands holding the model and spreading out over its arms and to its body in the shape of a young boy. He seemed to be wearing a black rubber hazmat suit with white accents and green lichtenberg figures crawling up his left arm. White hair appeared and with it piercing green eyes that seemed to be fixed on the toy in his hands. A cape flowed out behind him less like fabric and more like the endless void of space littered with stars and a cold weight settled on the room.

"Damn B, y'all really fucked up the floor this time."

Red Robin snorted, "Nice to see you too, Danny."

[stealingpotatoes]

some ppl very kindly loredumped abt the organa-solo kids for me so gonna put that + responses below the cut!! ↓

@erkhyan asked:

Don’t mind me, just dropping some Organa Solo kids lore, hopefully summarized enough. Anakin: both motivated and intimidated by the fact that his name was supposed to redeem that of his grandpa. Had his grandpa’s qualities (excellent pilot, great warrior, very strong in the Force) but none of his negative trait. Traumatized by being unable to save Chewie. Died a hero at age 16 during a successful mission to destroy a Jedi-killing weapon. Jacen: a big, empathetic goof as a teen, but was traumatized by the war that killed Anakin. The war and the trauma of Anakin’s death turned him into an introspective monk who went to learn weird non-Jedi Force powers. Returned, fathered a secret daughter, fell to the Dark Side because the Force told him that every timeline in which he’s not a Sith ends badly for his daughter. Became a Sith Lord by killing mara jade Skywalker. Eventually died when he found himself having to choose between saving his daughter from an Imperial plot, and dodging his sister’s lightsaber. Jaina: best pilot, best lightsaber user, best warrior, earned the nickname of Sword of the Jedi. Unfortunately, people mostly remember the fact that she was stuck in the world’s most annoying love triangle for two decades in-universe. And that time she processed the trauma of Anakin’s death by trying to seduce her Jedi Master. And that time she was in a bug hivemind that tried to solve her love triangle with a sexy threesome. And that time she went to train under Boba Fett so that she could kill Jacen in Luke’s stead. And also because the Jedi Order finally recognizing that she should have been a made a Master years ago, was almost the LAST thing that happened in the Legends continuity. Heavily implied that her husband would have eventually become Emperor (but a good one) if the continuity had been allowed to go on.

CHEWIE DIED??????????? also christ thats a lot to put on poor lil anakin jr-- ALSO AGAIN. POOR LEIA. HASNT SHE BEEN THRU ENOUGH (poor han too but LEIA)

WHY ARE THERE MORE STAR WARSES!!! LEAVE THEM ALONE!! a secret daughter hi i love those but AGAIN. POOR LEIA. A SITH. FR HE KILLED MARA JADE WHAT???????????? oh my god.

i support jaina's turboslaggery she's been thru so much also WHAT potential emperor husband????????? wow ok legends gets wilder n wilder

--------------

@novastargalaxydesigns asked:

I saw your Jacen, Jaina, and Anakin from Legends! And as someone who freaking adores that trio, I'd love to help point out a few things! In Legends of the Force, Jacen starts to affiliate himself with the Dark Side with his cousin, Ben, as his apprentice. Anakin was killed before the book, The Joiner King, and I didn't get the book that he was killed off in, but if I remember correctly, it was told in The Joiner King that he was killed during a mission as a fighter pilot. Jaina, in Legends of the Force I believe if I remember correctly, she gave up being a Jedi to be a pilot. I don't have all of the Legends of the Force books so I may be a bit spiffy on a few things. But we cannot forget Chewbacca's nephew, Lowbacca aka Lowie, and Jacen's childhood and teen hood crush, Tenel Ka whom is a princess and he accidentally cut her hand off with his new lightsaber during the book Young Jedi Knights Lightsabers. And Zekke who went to the dark side in the series Young Jedi Knights (I only got the first 3), but was redeemed. Anyone please correct my nerdiness if I'm wrong. But anygays, you has been educated by a fluffy bean. Had a lovely day!

JACEN CORRUPTS LUKE'S KID??????? HUH?????? CAN THE SKYWALKERS NOT CATCH LIKE. ONE SINGLE BREAK FROM THE DARKSIDE EVER???????? PLEASE

sorry all i can think w the tenel ka thing is:

-----------------------

@m0th-person asked:

To follow up on the solo kids ask, Jaina had a weird love life. Her love interest that she eventually married was Jagged Fel. He is the son of the former baron of the empire , Sootir Fel, and Syal Antilles-Fel (Wedge Antilles sister) . (a picture I found on Wookieepedia when he was imperial head of state, the white streak in the hair seems to be genetic) Jag grew up in Thrawn’s empire of the hand (and was grown up with the chiss expectations, that’s literally the second quote on his wookieepedia page)

he had 3 out of his 5 other siblings die. He eventually became the imperial head of state (he first lost to his rival political candidate for the role because abeloth messed with it) and flash forward to the legacy comics, his descendants have revamped the imperial remnant into the Fel Empire. It’s mostly believed that his descendants are also Jaina’s because both Roan fel and his daughter empress Marasiah Fel are both force sensitive. And Jacen Solo’s descendant , Ania Solo, says she’s a distant cousin of Marasiah. (Roan)

(Marasiah and her love interest) ( the imperial knights were grey Jedi that served the Fel empire) — and in legends Han actually had a family tree (ancestors, specifically, Jonash e solo (who was Corellian royalty and the admiral-prince during the old republic time period)) , and him and Jagged fel’s father used to rivals in the imperial academy. Darth Vader attended his class graduation and I only find this funny because Han became his son-in-law.

jaina was rlly living that booktok enemies to lovers life back in the 90s huh. go girl i love her and support her weird love life decisions so much

omg go han having fancy royalty ties <3 see hanleia IS politically advantageous

[savemeafruitjuice]

Tickletober Day 8- Nuzzles

This is where I give up on finding gifs 👍

For the rest of these, I'm going to be just saying what version I'm writing for, so yeah. On that note, this is a ROTTMNT fic! Maybe I'll color-code each version so it's easier to recognize.. 🤔

Lee: Donnie

Ler: F! Leo

TW!: SWEARING! AN ARGUMENT! (It's only referenced. The rest is just comfort and tickes.)

THIS HAS SPOILERS FOR THE RISE MOVIE!!! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT! ALSO, THIS IS NOT A SHIP!

(I'm putting this below the cut because of spoilers, but Future Leo is established to be in the present time with the turtles. I will be addressing him as 'Leon' throughout this.)

Loud techno music blared throughout Donnie's lab. He was curled up in his rolly-chair, sulking as the noise calmed him down a little. All of a sudden, he felt the presence of someone else, and turned around at the same time a knock sounded on his door.

"Hey, can I come in?"

Ugh, it was Leo. He knew it before a word even left his dum-dum mouth. "I don't like you. Go away." There was a moment of hesitation, before Leo called out again. "Did I do something? I didn't mess up a project or anything, right?"

Donnie stopped. Was he just playing dumb to get into his lab again? The scientist made his way to the door, opening it a crack. "No, dimwit- oh. It's you.." Donnie opened his door a little more. "Wrong Leo. My mistake."

Leon glanced at the younger's face. He looked tired, and not just normal Donnie-tired. "Don, how ya feelin'?"

The purple-themed turtle shrugged. "Just.. tired. Don't worry about it." The slider clearly didn't believe him, having had decades of experience reading his twin, even if this one was slightly different. "No, I don't mean physically 'how do you feel'. I mean emotionally. You don't seem to be doin' too good."

"Jeez, I don't like how much you know about me.." he muttered, but let the door open the rest of the way, sighing. "Come in, I suppose. You haven't done anything to upset me. Yet.." The elder walked in, glancing reminiscently around at all of the tech.

"Shelldon, turn the music down by fourty-five percent." The room got a bit quieter, and Leon crossed his existing arm over his chest. "I'm assuming you and little-me got into a fight?" Donnie nodded, and went to sit back in his chair, spinning around twice before turning back to the sword-user.

"He was being annoying, and wouldn't stop trying to make me try his nasty food. So.. I may- or may not, have called him a.. disgustingly-paletted ape.. and said his food looks like shit." Leon forced a chuckle down, nodding. "I see.. Was that all?" The softshell shook his head, pulling his legs back onto his chair and resting his chin on them.

"No.. It got bad, and he told me he didn't like me as long as I didn't like fucking pineapple, and now we aren't talking."

The slider's face fell at the last part, and he shifted his weight between his legs. "Oh. I'm sorry.. did you.. need anything?"

Donnie paused, then spoke softly. "A hug would be nice.."

Leon looked a bit surprised, but moved to the younger and squatted down. When Donnie didn't initiate the hug, the blue-themed turtle wrapped his arm around the softshell, and pressed his face into the crook of his neck. Donnie sighed, and moved to rest his head on the elder's shoulder, relaxing his tense posture slightly. "I'm going to pick you up now."

Soon enough, the purple turtle was being held to his sort-of-twin's plastron, the two sitting on the floor. Donnie was facing away from the other, while Leon's arm was holding him by the torso. "For how smart you are, you really don't know a lot."

Donnie's eyebrows lowered into the start of a scowl, and he turned his head to bite back with an insult, but was interrupted. "One of those things being how much I love you." His face faltered, and a more confused face was present on the scientist. "I don't know what you think you mean to me, but there's one thing you can be sure of. It's about three-hundred times more than you'd imagine."

The softshell let out a quiet noise, not quite sure of how to respond. He was never good at reacting to people when they got like this, but what Leon was saying was something he really needed to hear right now.

"It doesn't matter if it's your Leo, or one in the past, or the future, or in another timeline.. You will always be loved, and nothing in existence could ever change that. I guarantee that he didn't mean anything he said."

All of a sudden, his vision went blurry, and tears were filling his eyes. Donnie reached up to wipe at them, sniffling. "I.. don't know-"

"Trust me."

Donnie wiped his eyes again, his brother holding him as he cried. "Leon.. sniff- Thanks.." The slider smiled, squeezing a little harder. "And.. for the record, I- I love you too.. A lot."

He hugged the elder's arm, and Leon pressed his face back to the younger's neck, and was surprised with a giggle. "Hey, Donnie.. What was that?"

The softshell shook his head, kicking his legs out when the back of his neck neck was nuzzled into again, becoming aware of the fact that he was extremely trapped. "Noho! Lehee- ahahah!"

"Mm, I think you need a laugh."

The turtle flailed, trying to crane his neck upwards in an attempt to push Leon's head away, but all it did was give him time to reach forward and move to his throat.

Donnie let out a a high screech, reaching up to grab at the elder's head. The slider only smiled, but eventually flipped the scientist around, laid him on the ground, and sat on his legs. "Aw, I remember when you were this small! So much easier to hold down than my Donnie.."

Donnie didn't seem to register what he was saying, or didn't care, only shaking his head and giggling. "Heheh! Noho! Lehet mehe goho- youou scoundrehel!"

The elder tsked, and resumed his tickling tactic, this time the focus being the younger's belly. As soon as his face made contact, Donnie exploded into louder giggles, bucking and trying to scramble away.

"You're so ticklish, it's not even funny!" The softshell cackled when a bad spot was attacked, hopelessly trying to pry the weight of a full-grown mutant off of his legs. "Well, scratch that. Maybe it is pretty funny.."

The purple-themed turtle whined, covering his face with one hand, as the other pushed at his shoulder. The elder looked up to make sure he was alright, unfamiliar with a Donatello who didn't do everything in his power to try to kill whoever dared tickle him.

When all the other did was laugh and squirm, Leon took it as a chance to up his game, and pressed a huge raspberry right in the center of his plastron. Immediately, both hands came shooting to the elder's head, slapping and hitting frantically as loud laughter filled the room. "BPHK- NAHAHAHAH! LEHEHEHEOHON!"

Having his head attacked without regard to safety was definitely a lot more like his own Donnie, and Leon instinctively went to hold the smaller's wrists in his hand, holding them up in the air. "GYAHAHAH! GIHIHIVE- GIMME MY HAHANDS BAHAHACK!"

Another raspberry was pressed to his plastron, and soon enough the purple turtle's laughter went silent, slowly losing the will to fight as he turned his head to the side. The blue-themed turtle took it as a sign to stop, and he let go of Donnie's arms, then got off his legs, and smiled fondly at the sight of the younger curling up onto his side.

He reached out to rub his shoulder, and laughed when the younger flinched. A couple seconds passed, and Donnie had calmed down enough to roll onto his back, a happier face than before present on his features. "How do you feel now?" The softshell let out a quiet laugh. "More tired."

"Okay, you know that's not what I meant this time!"

-----

Weird idea I guess? Never really saw any lee Donnie with future Leo, soooo yeah. 😱

[lacedupforyou]

Hii!! I really love your hc wich Genshin! And I love the fluff you add to the storys! So, if you dont mind, I am going to request a yandere abyss price Aether (my baby boy) with a reader who just got captured (people have mixed opinions on how abyss prince would act, and I really look forword to your hc!)

Thank you for reading my request, and if you dont feel like replying, its fine, I understand.Have a nice day and make sure to drink enough water! <3

The Princess | Yandere Abyss Prince Aether |

| Sorry for the long wait! Should be fully active 5/9/23 | Enjoy! Thank you for your sweet words. :)) |

For this ask reader is a pyro sword user.

~ Suggestive Content, I'm nobody's parent but this will contain slight nsfw at the end. If there is a part 2. That will probably be NSFW. I have other works if you do not wish to read that, or request a separate fic.

~

You were a friend of Lumine's. Traveling with her after she had saved you from an encounter with Dvalin. You met her in mondstat but traveled with her everywhere! Helping her along the ways and doing what you could. You, Paimon, and Lumine, Were great friends. Traveling from Liyue to Inazuma, to Sumeru. You were almost a guardian to the prince.

Of course the prince of the abyss had seen you traveling with his sister. He became interested. Even after his journeys he had not noticed your compassion, your bravery, your loyalty. Of course he spent more time watching you with his sister. The way you protected her, Gathered things with her, and slept at night. He was obsessed.

Of course, he kept wanting more. So he had an abyss mage steal a few strands of your hair. He spent time sitting on his throne admiring it. The way it shined.

He always felt himself wanting more. to feel the warmth of your skin on his bitter heart. So, While traveling fontaine, He had 2 abyss herald's kidnap you.

You were in the streets of fontaine, Checking out the shops, the goods, the commissions. When the world suddenly became empty abyss. It was blue and empty, You cried out for Lumine and paimon but you were not in fontaine anymore..

The abyss herald's had shown up and though you were a vision holder you were out-numbered. The abyss herald of frost fall had frozen your body up to your shoulders. You tried to melt everything but you were worn out and exhausted. The cold making you drift off into a sleep.

When you had awoken it was to a post your arms around your back tied to a long pillar, You were sitting with your legs out You had felt hands on your cheeks, You looked up to see the prince of the abyss..Examining you? He was stroking your hair like you were some pet for his amusement. He held a serious expression but it seemed to be at ease.

"Who..Are you?" You finally broke the silence.

"The abyss prince. Your prince. You will learn, I know you will. Stay quiet. I need..this."

You felt your face redder as the man kept examining your face. You noticed you were in different clothes. White robes, Instead of your normal wear.

"You- You changed me-? Or did the abyss heral-"

"Yes I did. What of it?" He spoke bluntly.

You were dumbfounded. You were in a huge hall with purple tints. You struggled in your restraints and shouted at the prince telling him to release you and that he was crazy.

He harshly grabbed your jaw. "Watch your tongue, I shall cut it off if you cannot show some obedience to your king." That got you quiet. You noticed his features. They were so similar to Lumine, It was eerie.

"I can tell what're you are thinking. Yes I am related to them. But we are very different. Hold still."

His arms unhooked the cuffs but kept them on you behind your back. He lifted your body bridal style and walked to his throne, Sitting on it and sitting you in his lap still bridal style. You were stricken with fear. Where was your vision? Lumine must be worried. Would they come for you? What was he going to do with you..?

The hall was empty, Quiet. You were in your wave of thoughts until you felt his hand snake to your inner thigh.

"My princess.. I've watched you for so long.. I won't let you go. No matter where you go. I'll drag you here. You're my princess. Forever."

(Part 2? Request it! I need to know people want more lol. I haven't wrote NSFW yet but I hope it will be good if requested. Sorry for the days of silence on my part. Remember to shower and do some self care <3.)

[thousandsun]

One piece anime characters reacting to the live action

Summery:Straw hats reacting to episode 1,2,3 and 4. Part two?

Warning:Nami hitting Luffy with a pan and threatening Sanji

"Ohhhh! This guy can actually stretch like me!" Luffy says admiring his actor stretching his arm to hit Buggy on the screen. "Does that mean there is another devil fruit like mine???Two kings of the pirates??" He gets closer to the screen.

Nami hits him with one of Sanji's pans. "Calm down! I can't see my beautiful actress's stealing skills!" She complains watching closely how her actress steals the keys to free herself.

"Luffy,these are just special effects. He isn't a power user." Sanji sighs placing Luffy on the couch. "I'll be right back. I'll bring you popcorn. " The blond man leaves to make some popcorn.

"Isn't that your grandpa,Luffy?" Robin says watching a scene where Coby is trained by Garp.

"Oh no! This is terrible!" Luffy watches the screen closely.

"What???" Chopper replies hiding behind the couch already trembling in fear. Robin grabs him using her devil fruit abilities, putting him next to her.

"I have no more meat left..." Luffy says pouting dramatically.

"Y-you didn't scare me..."Chopper says trying to look brave.

"Why are you guys making a fuss? "Zoro opens his eyes. He had a good sleep during the first two episodes.

"Eh??? You were sleeping??" Usopp looks at him. "Good thing you woke up! You were about to miss my first scene"

"So I can sleep more? Ok." He closes his eyes back trying to fall asleep.

"YOU JERK!!! DON'T SLEEP NOW!" Usopp freaks out trying to wake him up.

Zoro opens his eyes amused by his reaction. "Geez. I was just messing with you"

"Look, it's Kaya!" Luffy points at the screen as the beautiful actress of Kaya makes her appearance. Usopp now looks straight at the screen admiring her.

Sanji comes back with the popcorn noticing the relationship between Usopp and Kaya. "Who knew Usopp can pull a girl like that?"

"Shut up... There's nothing romantic between us. She is just a friend" His cheeks are now red. He covers his face with his palms clearly embarrassed.

As the show moves on with the next episode,the pirates see the kiss between Usopp and Kaya.

Sanji's cigarette falls off his lips."That's not fair!" He snaps as he raises his voice. "He can get a woman and I can't?"

"Woah! Usopp! You never told me you kissed Kaya!" Luffy says looking shocked at the screen.

"You were there,Luffy. That never happened. It's just an added scene." The ginger girl sighs giving him a disappointed look. "And you." She turns around at Sanji. "Stop yelling or I'll break your own pan in your face!"

"Yes,ma'am!" Sanji shuts up taking a seat next to Chopper.

"So this is how you got Merry. No wonder she was so special to Usopp." The deer looks at the screen smiling.

"This episode is about Zoro's past." Usppp says looking at the screen. "So there's something we don't know?"

Zoro's eyes widen at the moment he sees Kuina.

"So even Moss Head pulls a woman? How unlucky she must have been..." He pouts in jealousy.

He quickly gets up ready to pick a fight with the cook."I'll kill you." Zoro's gaze darkens. He takes out a sword.

"No swords when we're watching TV!" Nami yells at him with authority,like a mom would to calm her child. "Put it down. "

Zoro sits down again. "I don't understand. Why do they have to show this on screen?" He is clearly annoyed.

"Some people find it entertaining. I mean, look at those idiots crying." Nami points out at Usopp and Luffy crying and hugging each other.

"Zorooo!" Luffy cries. "I am so sorry! She was an amazing girl!" Usopp sobs loudly. "What a good man our Zoro is... He is fulfilling their dreams"

Zoro facepalms himself turning off the TV. "It's enough for today." He gets up and leaves to his room.

"What got into him?" Chopper looks at him leaving. He is clearly worried about his crew mate.

[yolowritter]

Can I give you my rant about the absolute MESS Astruc and the rest of the staff did with the background of ML? Because it's infuriating to a history buff and cultural appreciator like me. Especially after the episode Darkblade shows they CAN do a good job (the story of the ancestor Darkblade is the last years of Bernard VII, Count of Armagnac and Conestable of France, just with names filed off), they just choose to be lazy. And infuriating.

Side material references the Fox, Bee, Turtle, Peacock, and Butterfly Miraculous as the Elemental Miraculous, drawing in the Wuxing... And they never explored that.

The Miraculous Order was based in Tibet... Except the Wuxing link above and everything else we see of the Order say they're Daoist-adiacent, and the Tibetan monasteries are Buddhist. And let's not go on the fact Tibet was a different and often rival civilization to China (even the CCP admits that, and bases their control on how China had CONQUERED Tibet before the British got involved) yet the Order is quite obviously Chinese...

Gabi Gassette changed name in Gabriel Agreste... Except this is impossible under French law. Changing one's personal name is already hard enough, and changing the family name requires a petition to the PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC proving you have a good reason under French law (and by what is shown, he didn't have one).

Joan of Arc never user her sword in combat, and in fact created her famous banner to have an excuse to not fight. So the scene of her getting time displaced and drawing a sword to fight is utterly ahistorical.

Lila Rossi is coded as an Italian, and I say that as an actual Italian. Her gestures, her expressivity, her hamminess, even her vindicativeness ("vendetta" is actually the generic Italian word for "revenge", but in English it became the word for "horrific revenge" because we're THAT vindicative), everything says she's an Italian teenaged girl. So all the "Cerise" nonsense is frankly ridiculous...

Now the really infuriating one, their take on Joan of Arc, of how she and the English bearer of the Black Cat were manipulated by the ambition of the Kings of France and England. Except Charles of France was the Dauphin, that is the heir to the throne, and grasping at straws to save France from the invasion when Joan showed up and requested he gave her an army to throw the English out of France and couldn't get crowned until Joan reconquered Reims, the city of the coronation. As for Henry VI of England, he was SIX (almost seven) when Joan entered the war (hence why Charles had a chance to reclaim the throne, to be crowned King of France one had to be a knight, and that meant one had to be an adult). These guys claimed Joan and Dark Grimalkin were manipulated by a desperate prince who was considering giving up and by a six years old child.

Sorry for the rant... But seriously, why did they do all of that?!

Because it's Thomas Astruc, and frankly I have no idea! Don't worry, rants are always welcome! By all means, I'm sure there's more stuff if we look for it! As a fellow history nerd, and also with Joan being my single favorite French historical figure ever, I have been seething ever since I saw their take on her. Henry the VI was literally just a child, and Charles was dependant on Joan because the English were demolishing France at the time! There is a perfectly good story in real history as to what could have happened to her and Dark Grimalkin! Just do an "partners on opposide sides of a war", slap in the iconic banner as her Miraculous weapon and call it a day! It would have been so much easier to follow real history! They didn't even need to do any work!

And as for the Cerise nonsense...that "explanation" better be really good. It better be Dark Souls-level deep lore with an interconnected backstory that ties up every single mystery in Lila's character better than Scooby Doo ever could, or I am going to lose my mind! I've already said this in my Lila post, but it's genuinely offensive that they had such a great idea for a character, and built her up so much...just to say "oh well actually she has three moms who don't even know eachother, and her name is Cerise, or Iris, or...something else". Lile c'mon! For Nooroo's sake here, it's a blatantly poor attempt to make her interesting again and it only worked because the fandom is grasping at straws for theory material because of the hiatus!

Any side material for the show just doesn't do a good enough job at actually giving us something new, or at the very least something interesting. The Miraculous and Kwami are constantly sidelined because why bother talking about this extremely high-potential universe you have in your show's Lore...if you didn't bother to fill in the blanks? Kwami are supposed to be Gods, Season 2 has references to Plagg blowing up Atlantis! Myths are apparently real in this universe! Please do something with that Thomas, it's free money! But nope, of course they ignore it.

The Guardian Order...well, I call them "The Jedi from Wish" for a reason. Like okay, religious order that has conservative thinking and backwards methods in a new world that is rapidly and constantly evolving. Cool concept! Unfortunately they don't even get their designs right, can't be consistent with which religion they're even based on, contradict themselves all the time, and make them utterly irrelevant after Su Han's first appearence. His only job in the story is to show up, yell at the protagonists, and then be proven wrong because "Ladybug is always right", only to apologize and then yeet himself to Brazil or something! I have an entire rant about this guy, but I'll refrain atm.

And lastly abt Gabriel's name change, I honestly didn't know that. Cool info, I'll add to my list of "times the writers didn't do their 5-minute google search". But like, c'mon. You're choosing to incorporate an important detail about your main villain into his backstory. Shouldn't you have somebody do the research to see if that's even possible? Even the intern is better than no one! I swear...and then us fanfic authors spend hours upon hours looking up obscure stuff just so one sentence/joke can be factually correct.

[omentranslates]

Owari no Seraph ch 137 english fan translation

Hey sorry I'm late. Hopefully everyone's already read the official release, but if you'd like to read it again this baby can fit so much fan translation in it.

Please note though, I did put dialogue breaks when they switch from thinking to speaking out loud, but I couldn't find a good way to differentiate between the two textually, so this tl will pretty heavily depend on you having seen the panels themselves so you can tell for yourself. Thanks for working with me!

A showdown between the two of them......

Owari no Seraph chapter 137: Time for the Queen

Krul: It's obvious that he's different from before.

Ferid: Shall we get started as well then?

Krul: Which one of us is stronger? I feel like it's still me but....

Krul: Started on what? What's your goal here?

Ferid: Ah, that. Well it's-OH OOPS.

Ferid: Of course the third progenitor would notice the shrinking gap in our strength right awa-....ACK.

Krul: Fool, if you won't leave I'll just have to torture you to death like this.

Krul: After all the more powerful one is still-

Ferid: Spell complete. Commit the Parasitic Mantra*

Krul: Hm

Krul: Well I can't cut my arm off

Ferid: Wowwww, that got me tired.

Ferid: But in order to eat from a higher rank, you really do need some pain in the ass spell to prevent them from just possessing you in return.

Ferid: Ahaa, hey check this out! Am I hot again?

Krul: I can't break the chains, what is this for?

Krul: Is this some kind of slow-acting poison?

Ferid: What???

Krul: How many of these before it kicks in? You'll be stronger than me if you just wait long enough?

Ferid: Of course not, these are but red threads meant to connect us two from our past lives!

Krul: It's faint, but you smell like Crowley Eusford.

Ferid: Ahhh, you've discovered my affair? But I really am on your side, my queen-

Krul: You've been absorbing vampires.

Ferid: YOU'RE SMARTER THAN I THOUGHT, YOUR MAJESTYYYY

Krul: I feel fine, I guess the chains aren't poisoned. In that case, is it something he needs in order to eat me? In that case this victory is

Krul: Already mine.

Krul: You've taken the third progenitor too lightly.

Ferid: Noo, I would never!

Ferid: You can come out now, Guren!

Krul: -AHCK

Mahiru: Is the spell complete?

Ferid: Enough time has passed that she's good to eat, I won't lose myself to her!

Guren: HURRY UP AND GET EATING, THEN.

Ferid: It's not that simple, y'know. But of course- THAT WAS THE PLAN.

Krul: Taking on an unarmed vampire three against one, and yet you still underestimate me.

Krul: O Arukanu**, drink my blood

Ferid: *coughing* Well that's no good, she's far stronger than I'd expected...That did a lot of damage, I might not be able to salvage this...

Mahiru: Guren, fall back! With full effort!!

Krul: Arukanu is drinking a lot of my blood. And when there's no blood left to drink, I'll be unable to move. So I suppose I should end this quickly? Either that or find some blood to drink and prolong my strength. Which one?

Ferid: Ah, shit.

Krul: Wait there. I'll hear whatever you have to say later while I'm torturing you.

Mahiru: Shit. Shit shit shit.

Mahiru: Damnit. We misjudged her strength by so much. I thought her usual strength was already inclusive of her "sword's" power. Why hasn't she ever used it before now?? Is there some kind of limit on when she can?? Maybe it harms its user as a result? With the unusual way the level of her abilities just shot straight up like that....

Guren: You miscalculate something?

Mahiru: ...

Guren: You can't have thought even at the start that it was possible to get a free hit in on a third progenitor.

Mahiru: HEY, COULD YOU BE ANY LESS CONDESCENDING ABOUT IT??? I'M BUSY OVER HERE!!

Guren: It is what it is.

Mahiru: I CAN'T STAND IT WHEN YOU'RE IN DANGER! YOUR DEATH MEANS THE END OF ME!!

Guren: Yeah but...

Guren: We've both already....8 years ago with everyone else anyways....

Mahiru: YOU ARE NOT DEAD!!! I WON'T EVER LET YOU BE!!!

Guren: Mahiru

Mahiru: Shut it!! Just shut up!!!!

Guren: Mahiru, if we end up dying here it'll be just like last time. We can die together, the two of us.

Mahiru: OUT OF THE QUESTION!!! WE'VE DONE SO MUCH TO MAKE IT THIS FAR!! JUST A LITTLE LONGER, WE ONLY HAVE A LITTLE MORE TO DO!!

Mahiru: Ahhh, what do I do...the queen is on her way.

Guren: MAHIRU!!

Mahiru: HEY, JUST WAIT! WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE A DEAL!! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO LEND US YOUR POWER IN EXCHANGE FOR TURNING ASHERA BACK INTO A HUMAN...

Krul: You're no use. I've just decided, you're even more dangerous to let live than Ferid Bathory. So I'm done with you.

Mahiru: WAIT-!! GUREN!!!

Guren: Springtime Eclipse

Guren: *screaming*

Krul: You're too slow.

Guren: Wh-

Mahiru: STOP-

Krul: Die.

Mahiru: No-NOOOOOOOOOOOO

Before the queen she can do nothing but watch......

*The literal translation of the spell is Parasite Mantra. For the first part, I mean to write commit as in how we would use it in commit a crime, commit an atrocity, commit a sin. The word is tied to these meanings. I wanted it to be read as him commanding the spell like "commit this atrocity on her" or "commit this sin on her" but in English it just gets clunkier the more words you add and I'm a little pressed for time atm so I'm just leaving a note.

**Arukanu is her sword, the kanji for sword is written like usual with a special pronunciation Arukanu. I'm just noting this I think everyone got the meaning.

[phantoms-lair]

A Wolf Among Thieves part 2

Okay, Vajlean wasn't going to be useful here, so the only ones he'd have left to ask was the kids. Something he had expressly NOT wanted to do.

He'd said more than once they were naïve. He'd come to realize it wasn't that they were ignorant of how the world worked, they knew better than most. It was that they refused to accept it so long as they were alive to change it. But in the end they were still kids and they could be naïve enough to not question certain things. Like what being a Persona User could mean.

Zenkichi vividly remembered the first half of his trip into the Kyoto Jail. It was terrifying, ducking around pillars and knowing being seen would mean death. And how he moved just like in the real world. Then when Valjean awakened it changed, he was jumping onto roofs and practically teleporting behind cover like it was second nature. None of the kids had taught him how to do that, just like swinging that giant sword it came naturally.

He had been changed, remade to adapt to the Metaverse. And he had been carefully not thinking about if that followed in the real world. That more than his outlook had changed, that he was now something not quite human. Something other. And the last thing he'd wanted was this hanging over the kids. But he had to know...

Kurusu picked up immediately. "Everything okay, Wolf?" His voice in full Joker mode.

"I was just wondering something. After you awoke to Arsène did anything...weird happen to you."

The other side of the line was quiet for a moment. "I started traveling into the depth of Tokyo's collective subconscious so I could chide some peoples repressed feelings and combat other ones using my rebellious spirit as a mystical weapon. I also went directly in the minds of some of the most evil people I've ever met in order to steal a part of their soul that was making them into twisted bastards in the first place, then selling it for cash at a pawn shop so we could further fund supplies for our exploits. I escaped jail by pulling a trick with reality so the assassin posing as my teammate shot the memory of me being in my cell instead of my actual self. I have killed at least three gods, the first one by taking the offered power of everyone I'd helped and turning it into a fallen angel with a gun. The personification of Hope lives in my room and for reasons unbeknownst to me or him is trapped in the form of a cat. He can also turn into a bus. My friends and I were brought into the Metaverse for a Dance Off that Lavenza thinks I don't remember, but I totally do."

"Okay, okay. Point taken. I should have specified. I didn't mean weird events. I meant like, weird with your body."

"Is this a puberty talk? Because I can assure you I know about the birds and the bees-"

"Not that!" Thank GOD Akane wasn't home. "Look, I got into a bar fight tonight. The fight itself wasn't important, but while I was fighting I started healing, like I do in the Metaverse when I'm not in a Fury. And it's not just the injuries I got during the fight. All the little everyday cuts and bruises are gone and I am doing my best not to freak out, but I am very much freaking out." He could hear Morgana's voice in his head telling him to get it together, just like his first foray into the Metaverse. It didn't help then and it wasn't helping now.

"I haven't noticed anything like that, but none of the rest of us have regenerative abilities like yours." Kuruso said gently and despite himself Zenkichi felt himself calming down ever so slightly. "I know some people who might be able to give us answers. Igor would definitely know, but he's more of a 'you don't call him, he calls you' guy, so he might take a while to find. Lavenza I can get to, she may not know all the answers, but she should know something. We'll find you answers."

"Thank you. And sorry, for falling apart on the phone." Zenkichi said sheepishly.

"It's not a problem, you're one of us now, and we look after our own." Because no one else would was unsaid.

~

Zenkichi was having dinner with Akane when his phone buzzed. He felt a bit guilty for the quick glance he took at it, but he did work a job where people's lives could depend on his response time.

Have some answers. Den tonight.

"Work?" Akane asked with a bit of disdain. "Just an informant updating me on his progress." He assured her. "Nothing worth interrupting dinner for." Not to mention said informant and his crew would rake him over the coals if he didn't spend enough time with his daughter. Those kids...

Still the Den though. Zenkichi had mixed feelings on the place. It was perfect for their purposes. He just hated how much the location shouldn't exist.

It had apparently manifested during the Yaldaboath incident. A small corner of the metaverse that had attuned to the Phantom Thieves, almost like a one room palace (even if it was a very big room). It had vanished with the rest of the metaverse after that incident had ended, but Sophie had gotten the idea if her 'sister' Emma had managed to have so much control of the metaverse, she could manage one location.

Because it worked like a Jail, all they had to do was enter the passcode and they'd be taken there, regardless from where in Japan they were, and be returned to the same spot. It helped with him in Kyoto, most of the kids in Tokyo, and Sophie who knew where. Incredible convenient, but it gave him the heebie jeebies.

Once Akane was asleep he took out his phone. "For one so desperate for answers, you certainly fear them." His golden eyed reflection said mockingly.

Zenkichi certainly regretted his desperate attempt to talk to his persona. Not only had it not gotten him anything, but Valjean seemingly took it as an invitation to chat with him whenever he saw his reflection which was...annoying (Even if his commentary during boring meetings was hilarious). Still, Zenkichi ignored him and pulled up the custom EMMA-like interface. "Name: Thieves' Den Passcode: I am Thou."

His house dissolved around him and he found himself in the bright red room. But at the same time his heart sank. He'd expected to find Kurusu. And the leader of the Phantom Thieves was there - along with every other member.

So much for not worrying them.

"Hey Gramps," Sakamoto gave him a tiny salute. He was in his Phantom Thief attire with him mask up around his forehead. Most of them were, save Takamaki who was wearing a school uniform.

It seemed strange to him how she didn't actually like her outfit. She'd grown used to it, but didn't think it was cool, the way the others Including him felt about their attire. Had she just gotten so used to being seen as a sex object between her modeling work and Kamoshida's advances that that's how she saw herself even if she hated it.

He'd suggest therapy, but apparently the last time one of these kids tried therapy the therapist had turned himself into a god and tried to rewrite reality into his own Utopia, so that was probably out.

What even was his life?

"So answers?"

"Well, Igor continues his streak of not being there when I need him." There was no mistaking the frustration in his tone. "But Lavenza told me what she could, and we've been running some experiments."

"I could not participate in the experiments as I have no body outside the metaverse, so I helped compile the data." Sophie said brightly.

The kids had been experimenting on themselves?

"So according to Lavenza, awakening to a Persona sort of grants you a dual citizenship in the Metaverse. That's why it's easier for us to navigate after an awakening. We count as a local for all intents and purposes. Also our Personas being a part of us mean we're intrinsically connected."

"It's harder to tell for the mot part with we who have only one persona," Niijima stated. "But Akira's wildcard ability showed that what we do and how we train our bodies does effect our Personas, so it made sense for the reverse to be true."

"We also learned that being a Persona user doesn't automatically make you heal faster, though wounds healed in the metaverse would stay healed in our reality." Sakura continued. "So in an emergency we could use magic in the metaverse to heal a serious injury without the need for a hospital."

"Passive healing isn't common, but I do have some Persona's with a Regenerate ability. When I equipped them, I noticed the fast healing you mentioned did seem to effect me. So it's likely that you do have a variant for ValJean's ability and can heal yourself through fighting. You also probably have the reverse, but I'd prefer you didn't use it as we don't have access to healing magics outside the cognitive world."

"Don't worry, I have no plans to test out if I can tear myself apart in the real world." Because at this point he was honestly just going to assume he could and avoid it.

"Other than emotionally" He reflection snarked back.

You know what? "Also do you guys know how to keep you persona from snarking at you? ValJean's gotten kind of mouthy."

He got several blank looks in return.

"ValJean talks to you? Regularly?" Okumura ventured.

"Is that...? I'm guessing from your looks that's not normal?"

"My Persona only spoke to me when it first awakened." Takamaki looked around, as if confirming this with everyone else.

"The same with mine." Kitagawa nodded.

"Johana was a bit..." Niijima winced . "'I see you've found you're justice, pray do not loose sight of it again.'" She quoted. "I felt like I'd disappointed my mom. I have a hard time imagining just being able to chat with her."

"For real?" Sakamoto looked surprised. "Cap was cool. Told be since my name was already mud, I might as well let loose and wreck havoc. I'd love to have the chance to actually talk with him."

"Zenkichi, under what circumstance did ValJean start talking to you?" Morgana inquired thoughtfully.

"I wanted to ask him about the healing thing. But since it turns out Personas only know what the human they come from knows, he had zilch. And then he never shut up." Zenkichi rolled his eyes.

"Really?" Kurusu of all people looked surprised. "I always got the impression Arséne knew a lot he wasn't telling me. Maybe it's another wildcard thing?"

Sakamoto snorted. "Dude I think it's a you thing. When you're on you give this aura like you have all the answers and hold all the cards. And Arséne's a part of you so...yeah. I think you just played yourself, man."

While the rest of the Phantom Thieves laughed at the bewildered look on their leader, Morgana looked thoughtful. "It makes a certain amount of sense." Morgana allowed, tail twitching. "Personas are part of one's cognition and as such can be shaped by our perceptions. None of us had a persona talk to us outside an awakening, so we assumed just talking to a persona wasn't a thing that could happen. After all, we had accepted that part of us into ourselves. Zenkichi, you to at least some degree saw ValJean as a separate entity, at least enough to assume he'd know something you didn't. You expected him to be able to respond and because of that he was."

"Of course once he did respond that was it. Talking to him became part of your cognition of him. No putting that genie back in the bottle."

"Great." Zenkichi glared at his golden eyes reflection.

"It is not my fault you are ever the agent of your own undoing." ValJean grinned back.

"Having to listen to you forever is a hell of a price tag for admission into the Phantom Thieves." Zenkichi groused.

"Don't be silly, Valjean's not why you got in." Sakura snorted.

"He isn't?" Zenkichi was at least slightly satisfied to see his persona just as poleaxed. "I asked if it was that simple and you said yes."

"Oh, is that what you meant? Then the answer is no, becoming a Phantom thief is NOT as simple as awakening a Persona." Takamaki clarified.

"Yeah Gramps, thought you knew. You were a Phantom Thief before you entered that dungeon." Sakamoto laughed.

"I was?" If anything Zenkichi was even more confused.

"Get out of there. Run." Kurusu said the words calmly, unlike how he had yelled them the night Akane had been taken. "Those words. That moment."

"Please understand, we wanted to trust you before then." Niijima apologized. "But you're not the first member of 'law enforcement' to demand a deal. And they've never intended to keep their end not even....not even Sis." She clenched her fists, remember a Christmas morning she'd thought be filled with hope instead be replaced with anger and betrayal. "The intention was always for us to end up caged, dead or both."

"So by the time you showed up to blackmail us, we knew anyone working with the authorities was absolutely not to be trusted." Okumura further explained, which really made her 'We hate cops' attitude all the more understandable.

"But that moment was a line in the sand. You could sacrifice us for your career, All you had to do was nothing and you'd be set for life. A false hero for the country to praise." Kurusu continued to explain. "But instead you sacrificed your career for us. You gave warning, ruining your career and taking our place in interrogation." He locked eyes with Zenkichi who was suddenly and forcefully reminded that Joker knew what being on the wrong side of that table was like. Knew more than the others exactly the treatment Zenkichi would expect. "In that moment you had to choose if you were with us or them. And that is when you became a Phantom Thief."

Zenkichi felt a lump in his throat. "I just did was right."

"Exactly." said Sakura. "Exactly."

ValJean laughed. "Did the children not just tell you they have little to no experience with adults doing 'what was right' by them. You have their trust and you have earned it fairly."

He'd earned it. And to be honest that felt a little better than getting his place on the team because he had a Persona.

"So you've been keeping u with your cooking, right? What did you make for Akane for dinner tonight." Okumura's words were friendly, but her eyes were sharp with challenge. Kurursu had also sat up straighter, waiting for his response.

Those damn kids. His damn kids.

His?

Okay, he could deal with this revelation later. Right now he had to defend himself in the court of cooking

~~~~

Honestly the original idea for this fic came from the P5 manga where the theives are playing cards and Joker keeps winning until one of the team accuses him of having a high-luck Persona equipped.

And if that carried over, why not other things? Like Zenkichi healing while he's fighting as long as he isn't using Fury

[lilacmoon83]

Operation Castle

Also on Fanfiction.net and A03

Chapter 14: Betrayal

Snow carried her son into the kitchen at arms length and sat him on the counter, while she got a wet washcloth.

"You're a mess, baby," she said, fondly cleaning him off the remnants of his dinner. Regina came in behind her and though there was an awkward silence between them, she had a fond look for the baby.

"He was a big fan of your lasagna," Snow said and she managed a smile at that.

"I can see that…he reminds me of Henry at that age," Regina offered, as there was another awkward pause, but Bobby gave them a topic of conversation, as the washcloth floated from the sink. Snow sighed and caught it, before putting it back in the sink and picking him up.

"I don't know what we're going to do if they see him do this and find out he has magic," she said, the fear and stress clear in her voice. And in the past, that fear and stress that she was burdened with would have thrilled Regina. But now she found that it didn't. In fact, it was getting harder and harder to hate them. Henry really had changed her; alarmingly so. The Evil Queen would have relished her enemy's pain and took delight in rubbing it in her face. Moreso, she would have eagerly told their NSA handlers about the child's magic and reveled in them ripping the baby from Snow's arms. But now, being a mother herself, she didn't wish the loss of a child on even her worst enemy. Henry would be proud, if he could ever believe in her again.

"They won't," Regina offered and her step-daughter looked at her skeptically.

"I can only hope…but he's too little. He has no idea what he's doing," she fretted.

"Maybe not…and he is very young, but if you allow it, I may be able to work with him a bit," Regina said.

"Really?" she asked, with hope in her voice. She nodded.

"You'd do that?" Snow asked again.

"Of course…I mean, after all, he's sort of my…my grandchild, isn't he?" she asked uncomfortably. Snow smiled.

"He is…" she replied.

"But…isn't he too young to teach?" Snow wondered.

"In many ways, yes…but if I can start teaching him control this early, we may be able to teach him it's not appropriate around certain people. It's a long shot…but if we realize his potential earlier enough, he may help us eventually get out of this situation," she explained.

"Emma has a lot to unlearn to realize her full potential with magic. She's spent a lifetime being told it's not real. Bobby doesn't have those restraints. Your son could potentially be the most powerful light magic user in existence someday," she added.

"And you do this for us?" Snow asked.

"For now, I will do it for Henry and the baby," she replied.

"But…with everything that's happened, I can see clearly now that you and your husband are not my enemies," she added.

"For what it's worth…I am sorry about Daniel. I never thought something bad would happen," Snow said.

"I…I didn't understand what would happen…that…that…" Snow stammered.

"That my mother would kill him?" she asked. Snow closed her mouth and nodded. Regina signed.

"I know…you were a child, but we can't go back," she said.

"Can we move forward?" Snow asked. Regina paused for a moment.

"We can try…for real this time," Regina replied, bringing a small smile to the raven haired beauty's face.

"Thank you Regina," she said, as she lifted her son up and left the kitchen to change him, leaving Regina with her thoughts for the moment.

~*~

"Still thinking about that spar, mate?" Killian asked, as they sipped at coffee following dinner. David shook his head.

"It's just…I'm a decent swordsman, but King Arthur, regardless of his natural talent, should be unstoppable with Excalibur," the prince said.

"It was pretty cool that you beat King Arthur though, Gramps," Henry mentioned.

"The lad is right…you're selling yourself short, mate. You're more than decent and that comes from a pirate that's seen a lot of sword fights," Killian replied.

"Thanks for the compliment…but even if my skills are exceptional, that was still supposedly Excalibur in his hand," David said.

"You think it's a fake?" the former pirate asked. He shrugged.

"I don't know…but I certainly would like your input. Surely you have an opinion on the matter," David said, as he looked toward the Dark One, who had been mostly silent.

"Rumple?" Belle asked.

"What you lack in tact…you certainly make up for with your observation during battle," Gold said.

"The pirate is correct…you are an exceptional swordsman, especially considering your relatively young years compared to us," he added.

"Even if King Arthur has no skills of his own…he should easily mop the floor with most opponents with Excalibur in his hand," he concluded.

"Then you think it is a fake," David stated.

"Perhaps…though I'm not sure I would risk touching it unless I was positive it's a fake," Rumple said.

"Is there an easy way to tell by looking at it?" Belle wondered.

"No…not without close examination. If it's a fake…it's a good one," Rumple said.

"It doesn't make any sense…why would King Arthur leave his Kingdom to come through a portal to this world?" Neal wondered.

"That's the big question…he has to be after something," David said.

"The tree…he was pretty intent on burning it," Emma mentioned.

"Any guesses?" Neal asked, looking at his father.

"I may have one," Belle interjected, as eyes went to her.

"There are many different versions of the stories about King Arthur, Camelot, and the Knights of the Roundtable. There are a few versions where Merlin is sealed away in a tree," she mentioned.

"Wasn't Merlin an ally to King Arthur though?" Neal asked. She nodded.

"In most versions…but the Arthur we met seemed less than noble. It's not out of the realm of possibility that he may have fallen out of favor," Belle replied.

"And you think he could have maybe sealed Merlin away or had him sealed away?" Killian asked. She shrugged.

"There's no way to be certain without learning his story…but from what we've seen, we know that many of the real stories have unexpected twists and aren't at all what most people think," she reasoned.

"But why?" David wondered.

"That's an easy one…power," Rumple stated.

"If Arthur could no longer wield the real Excalibur and fashioned a fake…then he would do anything to keep those he couldn't trust quiet. If he's exposed…he loses his Throne," Rumple surmised.

"So how do we get King LARP to come clean?" Emma asked. Rumple smirked.

"We could make a deal…but what he wants most likely is to burn that tree that might have a wizard inside it," he replied.

"A wizard that could help us out of this mess," Emma said.

"I bet Merlin could tell us everything," Killian replied.

"Yeah…but how do we get said wizard out of a tree?" Neal asked, as he looked at his father again.

"It's tough to tell what would trigger his release without knowing who put him there and what kind of spell we're dealing with," he said, as Emma's phone rang and she answered it.

"I thought they blocked our cell access when we came into the compound?" Neal asked.

"They…they did," Emma replied in confusion, as she answered it.

"Hello?" she asked.

"I know what you need to release Merlin and I can give it to you," the voice said.

"Who the hell is this?" Emma asked.

"It's me Emma…it's August," he replied. She rolled her eyes.

"And what do you want in return?" she asked.

"It's not about what I really want…it's what my employer wants. Can we meet?" he asked.

"Your employer?" she asked.

"It's a long story…but let's just say I would be rotting in Rikers Island if not for them," August explained.

"What the hell did you do to get sent to Rikers?" she asked.

"Nevermind that for now…can we meet?" August asked.

"If you haven't noticed…our freedoms have been revoked too," Emma replied.

"Tell the NSA that I have all the answers they want and the key to stopping the magical fissures in this world," August said.

"You're Pinocchio…how the hell are we supposed to believe anything you say?" Emma asked. She could almost hear him smiling.

"Fair point…but I can give them the rogue agent that's working against them. They'll be curious enough to arrange a meeting for tomorrow. We'll be waiting outside that facility at 10am tomorrow morning. Their curiosity will override their cautiousness," August said.

"Fine…but if you double cross us, I'll make sure you wish you were back in Riker's," Emma warned, as the line went dead.

"What is that puppet up to now?" Gold wondered.

"He says he has all the answers we need," Emma replied.

"Yeah…but what is the cost? August never does anything if there isn't something in it for him," Neal said. David sighed.

"He's so different from the little boy we knew long ago…I guess that's what this world does to you," David mentioned. He had deep regrets about what Emma had experienced growing up in this world without them…even if she no longer blamed them.

"If there's even a chance he's telling the truth…and that's a big if, then we need to hear him out," David suggested.

"Do you think we can sell it to our captors?" Emma asked.

"Yes…because we won't take no for an answer," he replied, as they dispersed for the evening, after filling Regina and Snow in on what was going on.

~*~

Snow and David returned to their apartment and put Bobby down for the night in his crib, before retiring to their bedroom. Snow wasted no time in making her affections known and kissed him deeply. They stumbled toward their bed, as she undid the buttons on his shirt and their kisses became feverish. Clothes became discarded puddles on the floor, as they found the bed and engaged in a passionate bout of lovemaking. After, Snow lay contently atop his chest and his hand rested firmly on the small of her back, spooning her against him. They exchanged soft kisses and their usual insatiable hunger for each other seemed to be in overdrive that night, especially for Snow, as she climbed atop him and proceeded to make love to him again in many ways, leaving him breathless, until he reversed their positions and returned the favor in full. Finally, when they were both sated and entangled beneath the bedclothes, they spoke softly to each other.

"Guess we had more pent up energy between us than usual," he mentioned. She smiled.

"Mmm…and for us, that's saying something. But that was only part of it," she confessed.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well…I always get a little hot and bothered when I get to watch you in a battle, but watching you mop the floor with King Arthur was a huge turn on," she confessed again. He smirked.

"Even if it is probably because his Excalibur is fake?" he asked. She smiled.

"Oh, I don't care…he's still King Arthur and your skills are obviously superior to his. Even if he had the real Excalibur in his hand, it's easy to tell that you're the superior swordsman," she replied.

"Maybe…but he's still King Arthur. The legend precedes him," he said.

"I'd say he did a pretty poor job of living up to the legend," she replied, as she kissed him tenderly.

"Besides…you're Charming and that's so much better," she cooed, as their lips met again and they gave into their amorous desires once more.

~*~

The next morning, in the new Castle, things were tense, to say the least.

"It's too risky," Alivia argued.

"How does this August supposedly even have his memories? I thought that was impossible without our intervention," she said, as she looked at the General.

"We don't know…but if August is going to tell anyone, it's me and I know when he's lying," Emma said.

"He says he knows what is special about the tree. It's a risk we need to take," David added.

"We at the NSA don't take orders from civilians, especially one that has a rather sordid history of lying and allowing his employer in without knowing their identity is an unknown factor that we are not comfortable with," Shaw said.

"The way to stop the magical bleed over in this world might be in that tree. I think it's a risk you want to take," Rumble advised.

"Why should we believe you?" Alivia asked.

"Because if there's something in that tree that can stop this…then it's more powerful than you and you wouldn't want something like that released unless there' no other options," Casey answered.

"You should listen to the Major," Rumple responded, to which Alivia rolled her eyes.

"We will meet them, but you will all follow my lead and orders," Shaw said.

"I'm taking point on this too and I won't take no for an answer," David replied, as he and Shaw stared at each other. Finally, the General relented with a smirk.

"Far be it for me to deny the man that defeated King Arthur in a duel," he responded, as his phone chimed.

"It appears that the puppet is here," he said, as the gates to the compound opened. Shaw wasn't sure exactly what he was walking into here and he didn't like it. He was explicitly clear with that damn puppet that if he made contact with anyone from his land that he would no longer receive the cure, yet he had done it anyway.

August was selfish though, which intrigued the General as to why he was risking it. If August exposed him to the others, he would feed him into the woodchipper himself.

"Well…come on, what are you waiting for, dahling?" Cruella asked.

"You realize by crossing General Shaw that I'm basically condemning myself to turn back to wood, right?" August asked.

"Oh pfff…I told you, I'm about to be in control of everything and I'll make sure you get your little elixir so you can stay human," she promised, as she

"This is the NSA…I still don't see how you plan to do that," August said.

"Oh…I have my ways," Cruella drawled, as they entered the compound in her sedan, which was followed by a truck being driven by Horace and Jasper.

"How dreary…better than those blasted woods I suppose, but dreadful. I do like when my enemies suffer though," she mushed. He rolled his eyes.

"What enemies?" Snow White and the Prince never did anything to you," he said.

"No…they were always perfectly good and well, Charming…especially that Prince. Now there is someone that really gets me going. What he sees in that vapid little upstart of a Princess, I'll never know," she complained, as she licked her lips.

"Speaking of…" she purred, as she spotted them ahead. She parked and August got out first.

"Mr. Booth…I assume," the General said in a measured tone. August smirked. They had no idea that the NSA had him locked up all these years. This would be fun.

"General Shaw…long time no see," he said. Emma blanched.

"You know him?" she asked.

"Oh yes…but that's a tale for another time," he said, as a woman exited the driver's side of the vehicle.

"Oh hell…" they heard Rumple mutter.

"You've got to be kidding me," David said.

"So lovely to see you too, dahling…" Cruella replied, as her eyes raked over him.

"How the hell are you even here?" Snow asked.

"Wait…you guys know her?" Emma asked.

"Ems…take stock. Fur coat and two toned hair," Neal replied, as Emma's mouth dropped open.

"Cruella fucking De Vil is real?" she uttered.

"Will you watch your mouth in front of our son?" Regina chided.

"Oh she's real…and just as psychotic as the stories say. They got this one right," David said.

"Grr…I do love when you get angry, Chisel chin," she purred.

"How do you have memories? Everyone from there doesn't, unless we awaken them," Alivia said. Cruella laughed.

"Oh no, I escaped that dreadful forest long before the curse," she said.

"How?" David demanded to know.

"I'd be happy to tell you in private over drinks…and pleasantries, dahling," she purred, while pouting her lips.

"Hard pass," he retorted.

"State your business," the General demanded.

"I have what you want, General…and I'm more than willing to make a deal," Cruella purred.

"And what is that?" Shaw asked, as she fished something out of her handbag.

"A pen?" Emma asked, unimpressed.

"Oh no…not just a pen, blondie…a very special pen," she said.

"The author's pen," August clarified.

"You mean…author like the one who wrote the book?" Snow asked.

"That's exactly what he means and he's double-crossing us again," Rumple growled.

"August…" she started to say.

"I'm sorry Emma…but this is the only way for me to stay human," August said. She wanted more explanation on that, but he wasn't offering.

"Maybe if you'd do the right thing for once…that wouldn't be the case!" David growled and August looked away, not able to meet the Prince's gaze. In many ways, he was still a little boy looking up at the valiant Prince Charming in awe.

"I'm too far gone…one right won't erase what I've done and in this world, you learn very quickly that it's survival of the fittest," August replied.

"No…you're just a coward that picks the easy path," Neal retorted and August said nothing, as Cruella interjected.

"If you want this pen…then I need something from you too," she said.

"Like what?" the General asked.

"Simple…my bastard husband is being indicted for fraud and money laundering by the FBI. They're trying to tie me to all his dealings as well. You can have him, but make them cease their pursuit of me, so I can take control of his fortune," she replied.

"His assets and money have been seized as evidence," he said.

"You want the pen…then you'll give me the mansion and a very sizable settlement. I also have that name for you. Check your phone," Cruella replied.

"Done," the General agreed.

"Don't make a deal with her…she's literally the devil," David protested.

"Oh you have no idea, dahling…but you could," Cruella purred, as she licked her lips. They were about to make the hand off when David stepped between them and drew his sword.

"Don't get stupid, Your Highness," Shaw snapped, as several agents drew their guns. Snow gasped.

"Charming…" she uttered in fear. Bobby whimpered, as he seemed to understand the danger to his father.

"You're not bulletproof, Charming…stand down," Casey warned. He had a hard time showing emotions, but he respected the Prince greatly for his courage and prowess as a warrior. Suddenly…the General and his agents felt rumbling beneath them and there was shock and awe, as the pavement just around them started to spider crack. Regina saw the baby's hand glowing and quickly stepped in front of Snow. Emma saw it too and thinking quickly, she outstretched her hands, like she was the one doing it.

"How…how are you doing this? We have magic dampening devices all over the compound," Alivia said.

"Guess they don't work on true love's magic…now put those guns you have trained on my father away or I'll make sure the Earth swallows you all," Emma replied. It was a huge bluff, but the General signaled for them to put their weapons away.

"You don't hold all the cards here, Miss Swan. I'm taking possession of that pen and the rest of you will return to your quarters, unless you'd rather it be the detention block," Shaw warned. David gently put his hand on Emma's arm.

"It's okay…we'll find another way, but we can't do that if we are separated in the detention block," he whispered. She lowered her hands and thankfully, the shaking stopped. She looked back only to see that her mother was rubbing soothing circles on the toddler's back. She turned back and glared at August.

"You better disappear or if I find you when I get out of here…it won't be pretty," she warned. August gulped and got back into the car with Cruella.

"This is wrong…" August lamented.

"Relax dahling…we both got what we wanted. Now you're free," she said, as she handed him a wad of cash. It was enough money to set him up for good if he was frugal, but it didn't make him happy. He had no one to share it with and likely never would since he just betrayed anyone that might actually care about him.

"Great…" he muttered, as she started driving.

"Where can I drop you off?" Cruella asked.

"The airport," he answered.

"Ah…doing a little traveling?" she asked.

"Let's just say that I'd rather not be around if Emma does get out of this mess I left her in," August replied.

[celestemagnoliathewriter]

The women in HP are so underrated and under loved it's a crime. I HATE how so many women with actual character in the books get overshadowed in favor of abusive, vindictive men who were canonically terrible people.

Narcissa? Fooled Voldemort in the forbidden forest and made a deal with a possible spy to keep her son alive, (and also fooling/defying Voldemort there too.)

Andromeda? Defies Her extremely murderous family by leaving and marrying a muggleborn. She hides Harry Potter in HER HOME and raises a child on her own after the Battle of Hogwarts. Fights in a war twice.

Bellatrix? Revered and feared witch who will not hesitate to kill you. Absolutely sadistic and we actually do see a character arc with her, however small.

Nymphadora? Auror, extremely powerful, fought in the order of the Phoenix, and married Remus despite him being a werewolf, ignoring literally all the social impressions/implications of that. Then she goes and fights in the battle of Hogwarts after just having a baby to be with her husband.

Lily? A muggle born witch who defied Voldemort three times and died for her son despite Voldemort being willing to spare her life. The absolute (and only) love of James's life, one of the best potioneers according to Slughorn. Assumed to have been recruited by death eaters according to Hagrid. How powerful must she have been for them to allow her, a muggleborn into their ranks?

Hermione? Literally the smartest witch of her age, constantly top of her class, ruthless and user of "cool logic" what most just turn to magic. Neither Ron or Harry would be alive without her. Literally trapped a woman in a glass jar and blackmailed her for an entire year.

Ginny? "Anything is possible if you've got enough nerve," was possessed by Voldemort and lived, fought at the battle of Hogwarts at 16 and dueled BELLATRIX LESTRANGE. Also dueled death eaters at the DofM at fifteen. She stole the sword of Gryffindor and defied the carrows for an entire year at risk to her life.

But do we hear about them? No. Instead we get to glorify the likes of freaking Regulus Black, Barty Crouch, and Draco Malfoy, all canonical racists and classists who joined Voldemort because they AGREED with him. Nine of them were forced. Regulus literally had newspaper clippings of Voldemort, Malfoy wished death on Hermione and other muggleborns more than once. Regulus literally tortured Neville's parents into insanity.

And then the fandom has the gall to ship characters with people who would (and did) HATE THEM. People would rather ship the mcs with their abusers and enemies who are male rather than the good, fearless, complex, and morally good female characters and that's awful.

Thank you for coming to my Ted talk, sorry it was so long but that one post you reblogged about women of HP being overshadowed by terrible men reminded me of my anger about this subject. (And jegulus can go die in a hole.)

Anon, I'm loving the energy you're bringing to my inbox :D

This whole issue is what spurred me to start up the @ladiesofhpfest. I felt frustrated with the way male characters in the series get more attention than female ones. It's true that male characters get more page time because of the (misogynist) world JKR created.* Characters like Regulus, Barty Crouch Jr, Evan Rosier, Theodore Nott, etc. get a lot of development compared to minor female characters. Some minor female characters have gotten more development and attention, like Dorcas, Marlene, Pandora, Daphne, and so on, though nowhere near the level or popularity as some of the minor male characters.

I've heard before that the reason some people like the male characters and their stories is due to better development in canon. Essentially "X female character has a shitty story so I'm not interested, I'm only interested in characters with interesting stories." Tonks is a fabulous example of this. Her story arc from OotP to HBP and DH can come off as disheartening. She's introduced as this BAMF Auror, gets moody and depressed, and then "just" becomes a wife and mother.** Yet I find Tonks's story, while not fleshed out, to be super interesting. I was unsatisfied with the details we got in canon, so I've written Tonks out in a million ways. If we can provide whole backstories to characters named once - like Evan Rosier - why not beef up what we have with characters like Tonks?

Despite all this, I do understand why some male characters get more stories and redemption arcs. Think about Severus Snape for a minute. He gets a canonical redemption arc. He's also a massive dick and described repeatedly in unflattering terms. How come there isn't more uwu-baby-poor little meow meow Snape out there?

Because we have overwhelming evidence of him being a dick in the series. We have that with Draco too, but because he's "hot" he gets more attention. If Snape had been handsome he'd be a more popular character, I'm sure of it. Hotness somehow makes people better, like Regulus, or presumably Evan Rosier. What if Evan Rosier, canonically, looked like he was hit in the face with a hot shovel? Would we still be interested? Probably not.

I'd be remiss if I didn't add an important point. Fandom isn't activism or a moral measuring stick. As frustrating and annoying as I find some ships, fanon characterization, and fandom behaviors, it's all pretend. It's fictional fun. Fandom is a hobby for most of us, an outlet for our creativity and feelings.

It IS important, in my view, to point out the problems in canon and fanon, however, because these problems are symptomatic of a larger worldview. Misogyny is deeply ingrained in our world, which leads to violence against all those who identify as women (and in many cases, those who identify as nonbinary). I do think it's worth examining how we write and what we create to uncover the biases we're presenting. I'm not perfect at it. No one is. Fandom is fun and a part of the world we live in that will reflect the values and biases inside our psyches. The biases themselves do not make us morally good or bad; everyone was raised with biases or blind spots that can take lifetimes to undo, if ever. Write what you want, explore what you want, and perhaps do some self-reflection along the way to see what's happening underneath the words.

At the end of the day, sometimes you just want to see two hot blorbos kissing, and cool! Do that! Get your blorbos kissing! Fandom isn't activism, do what you want!

Simultaneously, fandom is a community effort that involves a lot of diverse people, and what we create and share with others can have a real-life impact on others' day to day, or mold their views. Fandom is a part of many of our daily, lived experiences, which means there can be some real-world implications. Think back to the hubbub over the (upcoming?) Harry Potter TV series; the way we talk about it absolutely impacts the way our trans neighbors might feel about their place in the fandom. Thus while I do want to say that fandom isn't activism, fandom is still real life in many ways. It's not ALL our lives, and we shouldn't be morally judging people on slices of online engagement we get, tempting as it may be.

For those like me who write and create for more than pure entertainment (I often ask "what is it that I want to say about the human experience with this piece?"), I do think it's important to reflect on what I'm presenting and why. Not everyone has to do this, though it's helpful in many ways to do so - this is classic metacognition, studying the way we think. It can only help us to think about our own thinking processes. No one is perfect at it, naturally, but it doesn't mean we can't try.

And, when you're feeling down about a fandom issue that frustrates you, help it spur you into action.

*I don't think she intentionally made it misogynist, but her views certainly colored the world she built. Think of how the antagonist women are described as manly, ugly, or heavy-set, like Millicent Bulstrode, Dolores Umbridge, Marge Dursley, Rita Skeeter, etc. These are biases that color the whole world. Barty Crouch Jr doesn't get the same treatment. Nor does Draco Malfoy. Severus Snape is the only one who comes close but he gets a redemption arc.

**This is another way we see JKR's misogyny playing out. The good girls get to be wives and mothers, with a couple exceptions. Women like Dolores, Marge, and Rita have no partners or children that we know of. Women like Minerva and Pomona are given noble teaching professions in lieu of family. Good girls get rewarded with families and noble careers, bad girls don't. JKR being a TERF should come as no surprise, given the way she writes women in such stark terms between the ones who get traditional femininity as a reward and masculine features as a punishment or indictment of their moral value. :(

***One more note re: anon's message. Regulus didn't torture the Longbottoms; he was dead by then.

[junsei-alke]

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Raphael couldn’t help but feel helpless rage at the situation at hand. Things are finally back together, granted it’s not smooth but his little family is finally complete. Leo finally came back from his extended vacation—sorry, ‘training’. He would’ve been happy seeing the blue-clad turtle if it weren’t for the fact the turtle became such an arrogant jerk!

How could he just waltz back into their life and act like he was never gone from their life for two years! It’s already bad enough that year but that asshole decided to extend it! So, it was quite therapeutic to beat Leo to the ground, until Raph lost his sense of self… After snapping out the trance before he could kill his older brother, Raph felt shame, anger, and guilt at that moment. Not looking at his older brother, Raph turned and ran away to sort out what just happened, perhaps he shouldn’t have done that.

Raph should’ve just talked to him, Leo, his older brother, about how much Raph missed him. How much it hurt to hear he’s going to be in leadership training for a year. But Raph endured, but a year passed and Leo didn’t come back and Raph was… It felt like the blue clad turtle abandoned them. Abandoned them for no reason… But Raph couldn’t waste his time on what ifs when he stared where Leo was kidnapped, he had to get the others to rescue Leo.

And rescue they did. They got delayed a bit from preparing their rescue mission and they got delayed further while forcing themselves through the foot. And when they arrived, Raph didn’t have the time to compliment Casey’s smart move on shutting the door, as Raph and his brothers immediately went towards the last three remaining chambers.

Donnie used his staff to pole jump into the sucking chamber, “He’s not here!”, the genius dropped down after confirming.

“He’s not here either, dudes!” Mikey, states with a faux-cheery tone.

Raph felt relief was over him, but that relief was shortcoming when a body hit him and his family from reaching where Leo was trapped.

April hissed at the body thrown at him, “Winters.”

“Looks more like fall. Get it?” Mikey jokes lightheartedly, making their temporary leader sigh tiredly.

“Mikey, Remember our talk.” Donnie chided.

Casey kicked Winters body, “Looks like someone got to him before us.”

April tilted her head, “Is he dead?”

Raph groaned, “No time to know he’s dead or not! Leo’s next to be sucked!” He barks, as the second chamber is slowly being pulled towards the portal. But before Raph could run to his brother’s cage, he narrowly dodges a blade that was aimed for his head.

“Stay where you are, turtle.” A deep rumbling voice echoed. It’s a stone general that April warned them about.

SREEEEEEEECH

As if the situation was bad enough, the fucking Foot managed to open the door!

“Fuck.” Raph cursed under his breath.

“Just in time,” The double blade wielding general said with an akin pleased tone. “Join us, Foot clan. Swear your allegiance and no harm will befall you when the rain of destruction is thrown upon Earth.”

“The Foot ninja is not without honor. We work for Winters, not you,” Karai, with no hesitation, declared.

April wryly looked at the Chuunin, “Okay… What does that mean?”

Unbothered by the redhead kunoichi wry looks, Karai responded cooly, “It means we’re going to help you. My ninjas will find the last monster and you will bring it back here. Hurry, we don’t have much time.”

“And we’ll get Leo,” He mumbled, as Raph stared at the Stoned Generals with determination.

“I’m afraid we can’t let you go to find that monster, Karai.” Saying this was the biggest stone general, a general holding a big war hammer and standing in front of the busted door.

“Hm.” Karai turned to face us, “Turtles, go save your brother. If he gets sucked in, the portal might close making this curse last forever.”

Donnie nods, “Right. Sensei, please take out the one who is using the obsidian sword. Mikey, take the woman, and Raph. Take the Double-sword blade user. Distract them while I’ll free Leo!” There it is. Donnie’s, his little brother’s, brilliant mind working. Despite there being only three times when Donnie had led them during Leo’s absence, the purple-clad genius is great at strategies.

“I think we deserve a little treat before we can start our terror, right older brother?” The Jaguar skin stone general asked.

“I supposed. This is a rather laughable match up,” The Eagle theme general laughed.

Raph scowled. ‘Pft–let those damn generals underestimate us. It’ll be their fault when they lose because they’re underestimating us’. Raph thought.

“You boys do that, while I defend our fake monster.” The female general hissed. What is she? A snake?

“Sorry dude no can do. By that, I mean, I can’t let you do that.” Mikey warned with a dangerous tone. Looks like Mikey is getting serious, so should he.

“Alright, turtle, show me what you got,” His opponent haughtily said.

Raph let out a battle cry as he charged the general. Unexpectedly, the general just took the hit. Fuck, this means Raph can’t use his usual tactic on brute strength.

Let it be known that despite the fact Raph isn’t rusty when it comes to fighting unlike his two younger brothers. The reason him being, he was the Nightwatcher. But being a Nightwatcher made Raph ditch most of his ninja training, by that, meaning all of it except stealth. But it’s not Raph’s fault on discovering that brute force is the best way to deal with the thugs in the City! Besides, the criminals he handles aren’t intelligent or dangerous enough to use some Ninja trickery. Until now that is.

“Urk!” Raphael coughed. As he’s flung towards a glass display. Raph groaned, sitting up to realize he landed on what is inside the glass display. A weapon rack. Jackpot.

“Pathetic. I thought you’re the toughest warrior out of your kin. Looks like I’m wrong.” The general mocked.

“Ha! Please. I barely started!” Raphael said with a feral grin. Charging once again, but this time, Raph threw a smoke pellet towards the general’s eyes which surprised the stone general.

Raph revels in the pained grunts coming from his opponent, as it seems, even immortal, the eyes are always a weakness. Raph swung a Mace to the General’s face, making the Eagle General only stumbles a bit, much to Raph’s disappointment. Raph threw shurikens he had left towards the General’s face, which the General blocked. Ah, his opponent learned Raph is aiming for his face only. That doesn’t bother Raph one-bit.

Another thing he learned when he was Nightwatcher, going for the kneecaps is the best limb to go for brutal blows. As kneecaps can immobilize his opponents. And despite the general being stone, Raph didn’t doubt a little blow on the knees can affect the immortal. If he can get stung from the eyes, he can surely fall to his knees.

“RAPH! LOOK OUT!” Raph immediately went into his shell. Raph managed to avoid a hammer strike.

“Thank you, Mono.” The eagle theme thanked his largest brother, who grunted in acknowledgement. “Now.” The general pricked up the panicking Raph who was still inside his shell, and threw him up towards Donnie, who was about to put a device that can open Leo’s cage.

Both brothers fell down tumbling. Both middle siblings detangled from each other to only see something they didn’t want.

“No!”

“Leo!”

“Dammnit.”

The family and the three humans watch in horror as the bright swirling vortex finally sucked the contents in Leo’s chamber.

Raphael couldn’t help but feel helpless rage at the situation at hand. And he couldn’t help but beat himself up for causing this situation. If he just talked or just apologized in the rooftop for almost killing his brother instead running away then this wouldn’t have–

Suddenly, his family screams snapped out of his thoughts.

“MICHELANGELO!” Splinter reached for his youngest son, who was being sucked to the swirling vortex. A vortex that is supposed to disappear when it sucked his eldest son. A vortex that shouldn’t be bigger and more aggressive on trying to pull things in it.

“Raph!” Raph felt terrified, as his youngest brother disappeared into the portal and Donnie. God Donnie. He’s being sucked in also. Grabbing his brother, Raph held fiercely onto him, shielding the purple-clad turtle away from the swirling vortex. Raph just can’t lose another one of his brothers. Until he felt being pulled in also.

Looking around, everyone is about to be sucked in. Except the damn immortals. Them being stone must be a fucking relief to them.

Raph felt fur hugging him and Donnie. Well, at least they’ll be together once again.

Hugging both of his remaining family, as they were pulled into the vortex.

Everything went into deafening silence

Everything went to white

Everything went static

Everything went pink

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[s-el-fships]

1, 2, and 4 for whichever s/i you feel like, I can’t find your list at the moment!

i'll respond for my genshin s/i, since i'm working on something with her right now!

you can find my list of f/os here by the way! i haven't made a page for my s/is yet but i may do that!

What is your s/i's name & pronouns?

el imunlaukr! she/her or they/them.

2. How similar is your s/i to you? Are they a carbon copy, completely different or a mix of the two?

not quite a carbon copy, but her life story is fairly similar to mine. i even chose imunlaukr for rather personal reasons-- i'm not sure if when we get the lore for the imulaukr clan that that parallel will remain, but it means something to me and that's what's important i think!

of course her story diverges from my own life at some point, but her childhood/teenage years/some early adulthood all have direct parallels to my experiences.

i'm not sure i'm supposed to infodump about her story here, but a couple of quick facts for you!

she's from mondstadt of course!

however her vision was gained while she was studying in inazuma (i'm considering changing this one, but i think it's a difference from my own life that i'd not mind changing lmao)

she's a cryo sword user!

she learned to fight in a liyue style.

catgirl. nya

i didn't mean to do a lot with her outside of just. yay self-shipping! but now i've got a whole story going in my brain lmao. so i might write it out!

4. How did your s/i feel when they first met your f/o(s)? How do they feel about them now?

❄️ eula: at first she wasn't entirely sure what to think of eula. there was a general disdain when they first met, as of course el knew the stories of the lawrence clan (and eula likely took el's introduction as an imunlaukr as a bit of a rude gesture), but after a few run-ins they got to talking more and getting to know one another better. namely, eula tended to show up at good hunter around the same time as el, so they'd chat in line and eventually started eating lunch together. she really treasured that time since she didn't really have many friends either... but over time those feelings blossomed into something other than friendship. they frequently write to one another and send small gifts in the mail. eula doesn't usually go far from mondstadt, so el makes it her goal to find strange and fun souvenirs that suit her wherever she winds up. whenever they're together el can always count on a delicious dinner, and eula can look forward to a listening ear and a warm catgirl to cuddle!

🧪 dottore: enemies to lovers speedrun (actually writing an au for this now!). el didn't trust him (the proper response, probably), but he had become rather fascinated with her for one reason or another-- a chance run-in with one of his segments, most likely. oddly enough, both of them were rather upset with how the other made them feel-- for el, because she was upset about being attracted to... y'know, (gestures to the whole man). he of course was annoyed that she was making him feel something he couldn't quite identify. and so he set on a quest to find the answer, as he usually does. at this time, he's definitely not reformed and still largely acts in his own self-interest, but el at least acts as something of a morality chain. he doesn't want her to cry, so better not do anything too awful. on the other hand, el has become a bit more relaxed with her own ideals, though this wouldn't be a full on corruption arc lmao. ultimately, he cares about her in his own way, even if it took him a while to understand it and for her to accept it. she can't help but feel the same way.

🔥enjou: i haven't thought as much about this one since i have an oc/canon ship with him. this one's mostly just "i am attracted to this man and would like to kiss him"! sorry! i can talk about the oc/canon ship a bit, though. my oc was in the abyss order with him, but after some time she began to start questioning their mission, and after a time made a break with the organization. they remained friends, and had a bit of a saucy friends with benefits situation. for fun. spicy. following the enkanomiya storyline he sets up a base in the library there and things become official between them. she likes having a quiet place to rest and he just likes having her around. neither of them try to convince the other of their causes, it's just... a sense of caring and a bond between them. there's a third option somewhere they're looking for.

🔶zhongli: while el was in liyue harbor for the first time, she caught a glance of the unfairly handsome consultant for wangsheng funeral parlor in the market, where she witnessed the extremely relatable moment of him realizing he didn't have enough money to pay for the things he'd wanted to purchase. while she didn't have enough either, she did offer to buy a couple of things off his list, and so of course he wanted to repay her that money (that he didn't have). she thought it was kinda weird that he was so concerned with paying her back, but given liyue is the land of contracts she assumed he was just particularly devoted to the nation's way of life. i can't decide if she knows his secret or not, though i'm leaning towards whichever is funnier honestly.

[imagineanime2022]

Learned Trick

Chuya Nakahara X Fem!Reader

Word Count: 2055

Requested: Anon

Request: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

You had a fierce loyalty to Mori and honestly very rarely played well with others, you often worked alone unless you were paired with Chuya or were ordering your subordinates around. You tried to work with people when Mori asked it of you but that only ever rarely went well. You were a prime target for the Armed Detective Agency because of your tendency to work alone and it was no different when you found yourself faced with Kunikida and Dr Yosano.

“I don’t have time to fight you.” You glared at them as you attempted to get past them. “You’ll have to if you want to get to our boss.” Dr Yosano said as she swung her sword, it would have killed you if it wasn’t for your ability, you activated it and broke her weapon his half, while headbutting her in the head, you felt the shots hit the back of your shoulder and turned to Kunikida you moved towards his kicking his legs out from underneath him, he cried out in pain as one of his legs seemed to bend in the wrong direction. “I’m sure your doctor can fix that.” You mumbled as you jogged up the stairs to find the person that you were looking for.

When you got up to where their boss had been staying, you could see that he was sleeping “I’m sorry, I don’t blame you for anything and if there was some other way to get through this but I can’t let him die, not after everything that he’s done for me.” You explained, you take your knife out of your jacket and stabbed Futakawa but he instead turned to an illusion, you gritted your teeth you should have seen that coming with the ability user that could create illusion being part of the ADA. “Tricked you Miss sunglasses.” A voice teased behind you as light emitted around you, you glanced around and saw that you had changed location to an older house, your clothes had changed and so had the people around you. “What is going on?” You asked. “All you have to do is solve the mystery.” Ranpo explained as he stood next to you. “What?” You asked. “And if I don’t.” “You’ll die here.” He answered.

Chuya growled as you failed to pick up yet another call, he was worried about you, he hadn’t seen you since you’d found out that Mori had been poisoned and he knew that you could get impulsive when someone you cared about was in trouble. He wanted to tell you the plan that they had come up with but there were more pressing matters to attend to so he just had to hope that you were going to be okay. He had been dating you long enough to know that you could take care of yourself but he was still going to worry about you until answered his messages or calls. He put the letter you had left him in his pocket, you had told him to use your subordinates as he pleased so he wasn’t going to exactly that as well as the new gear that you had made.

“We’ve successfully captured her, should we tell the Port Mafia?” Kunikida asked Dazai as they all looked at the book that you were currently trapped in. “No, she’s quite a prominent figure in the Port Mafia. If they find out that we have her, they’ll only become more defensive, especially with Chuya temporarily leading.” Dazai explained. “I hope this keeps her busy for a little while at least.” Dr Yosano said before they both left to meet up with their boss. “Well if Chuya is going to be the problem I’ll keep him distracted, you help Ranpo escape.” “Are you sure?” Kunikida asked. “That’s probably the best idea, we don’t want him to think about it too much, she might have told him where she was going.” Dazai explained. “Alright.” Kunikida nodded. “Be careful of both of you.” Dazai warned as Kunikida hung up the phone.

“I remember you, you're the doctor right?” Chuya asked as Dr Yosano appeared in front of him. “I’m flattered that you remember me.” She smirked as she swung her large blade at him, Chuya pulled up a rock to block the hit before kicking it at her, she cut the boulder in half in time to see him land on the ceiling. “I’m looking for someone. If you tell me where she is I’ll leave.” He answered. “I doubt that.” Yosano answered, she jumped up and attempted to hit him again but this time he disappeared kicking her in the back, she recovered quickly by hitting him in the jaw, he got ready to attack again but a message came through to his ear piece. “Chuya the ADA attacked the base. We need backup where are you!?” Higuchi asked. “Saved by the bell, until next time doctor.” Chuya said. “Higuchi, Akutagawa protect Mori, Black Lizard head back to the base, try not to let them get too far in and everyone be careful. Something happened to (Y/N) I don’t know what but you all need to be careful.” There was a chorus of ‘yes’ or ‘yes sir’s over the comms as he tried to get away from the doctor and back to the base as he turned to leave he saw something on the floor, he crouched and picked it up recognising it was your sunglasses.

You had been in the book for a while now, by the books time it was 3 hours but you had no idea what that meant to the outside world, instead you were stuck solving crimes with the annoying child detective, you remembered some things from a crime novel that you read a little while ago and had managed to solve 5 of 6 crimes contained in the book but you mind had cycled back to the reason you were there in the first place and you began to worry that it was all taking too long “I didn’t think that it would take this long, I hope he’s okay.” You mumbled more to yourself than anyone else. “He’s probably dead.” Ranpo mumbled as you glared at him before turning to walk out of the room, you needed to find a quicker way out of this. “Where are you going?” “Looking for other clues.” You answered walking away from him, this was a house like any other, there would be things here for you to build a bomb, you might even be able to build more than one and force the killer out by scaring them. After building the bomb you execute your plan, you walk into the room where everyone had gathered “Who’s the killer?” You asked. “We already told you we don’t know.” One of them asked. “Wrong answer.” You sneered as you detonated the bomb. “Try again.” “What the hell are you doing?” One of them asked and you shrugged. “Catching a killer.” You answered. “Hey!” Ranpo called and you turned back to him as he walked in. “Killer! Now!” You ordered as you looked back at the people in front of you pressing the detonator again, you glanced back as Ranpo who had been pinned by some fallen beams. “Fine, I’m the one who did it, it was me!” One of them finally admitted and you smirked as everything seemed to freeze the glow emitting as you disappeared from the book.

When you appeared in the real world again you looked around, there was no one else there but the blood around made you think that Ranpo had gotten out before you but was badly injured, you decided to ignore Ranpo for the moment and make sure that everyone was okay, you checked your phone to see that there was a few missed calls and finally a text telling you where you should go if you got the message.

Once you headed to where Chuya had told you to go, you found Atsushi and Akutagawa. It seemed like the fight was over but they both seemed completely exhausted. “You two okay?” You called out and they both looked at you. “What are you doing here?” Akutagawa asked. “Chuya said you weren’t answering his calls.” “I was tied up.” You jumped down to them, noticing that Akutagawa looked worse than Atsushi did. “Nakajima, where is Ranpo?” “I don’t know. What happened, you look like you want to kill him.” He answered, you rolled your eyes before gesturing for them both to follow you. “We need to get out of here.” You mumbled as waved your hand towards the tunnel you hoped led out. You managed to get them out of the tunnel “Fyodor isn’t here is he?” “No.” Atsushi answered and you nodded “grab him and let’s go.” Your attention was drawn to Ivan as he started laughing. “Did anyone ever guarantee that capturing this base would lead you to my master?” Ivan asked. “Are you suggesting that he was never really here at all!?” Akutagawa asked, Ivan fell into hysterical laughter. “How?” “All you have to do is listen to the music, the requests being made on this radio station serve as a way for him to give his orders. No amount of hacking could stop us so you see how you’ve lost from the very beginning” Ivan answered. “You really think that you managed to outsmart anyone, there’s someone who isn’t here, Dazai, he’s the one you should have been focusing on, I’ll guarantee that any moment now he’s taking your boss into custody and you’ll be coming with us.” You explained “come on let’s go.”

You handed Ivan over to the Ango’s men before taking Atsushi back to Dazai “You got him?” You asked. “Of course I did.” Dazai smirked and you nodded. “Good. Are you okay?" You asked, he nodded. "Now one more thing, where’s your little detective friend?” You asked. “What do you want with Ranpo?” He asked. “You know what I want, it was your idea wasn’t it?” You asked. “Partly,” Dazai admitted. “Why?” You asked. “I couldn’t just let you kill our boss, you’d have done the same to me to protect Mori.” He shrugged a small smile on his face. “Tch, fine tell your detective to be careful where he goes from now on. If I catch him I’ll kill him.” You informed him under other circumstances you would have joked back but your anger towards the detective to front and center. “Woah, there’s no need for that.” Dazai argued and you looked at him and rolled your eyes. “What do you suggest then?” You asked. “Don’t worry I’ll deal with it, just head back, I’m sure Chuya is looking for you.” Dazai said. “Akutagawa let’s go.” You ordered as you gestures for him to follow you back to the Port Mafia base.

When you got back to the base you continued to worry about Mori, you headed straight for his office to check on him not even noticing Chuya on the way, you knocked on the door after receiving the order to come in you bowed “Sir I just came to check on you.” You said, you heard him give a soft chuckle. “I’m fine, much better than I was before.” He answered. “That’s relieving.” You sighed. “You should go and find Chuya. He was looking for you.” Mori said as he waved you away, you nodded and headed back out of the office. “There you are!” You turned to see Chuya walking up to you. “Where have you been?” “I got trapped in a book.” You explained “some ability, I think, I had to solve a murder and find all the suspects to get out.” “Are you hurt?” He asked. “No, I'm fine.” You answered. “I assume that you got rid of the ability user.” He said and you shook your head. “I don’t know who had that ability but I tried to get the stupid detective that stuck me in there but Dazai wouldn’t let me.” You shrugged. “That idiot gets in the way of everything.” Chuya mumbled “we’ll get him some other time for now let’s just rest, we’ve all been through a lot today.” “Yeah you're right.” You nodded. “Let's go back to my place, have dinner, there’s a new wine that I want to try.” He suggested and you nodded. “That sounds nice.” You agreed. “Oh one more thing.” Chuya handed you the sunglasses that he assumed you lost. “I wondered where those went.” You smiled as you both left to head home.

Request Here!!

[fomalhaut48]

DnD gems, vol. 89.

DM: "PC1 gets the magic circlet." Male PC2: "Now we all have circlets or diadems, we are Disney princesses at a ball!"

DM: "There is nothing in the room, just leftovers, like pieces of people killed…" PC: "LEFTOVERS?! Someone ate people and left some pieces? And that should calm us down and count as nothing?!"

DM: "You find a bubbling purple potion, its label says-" PC: "Drink me!" DM: "…'drink me and you will have immense power, greetings from the Mad Wizard'." PC: "Wow, I almost got it!"

DM: "The potion can only be used by one of your two magic users, PC1 or PC2." PC3: "Come on guys, play rock-paper-scissors!"

DM: "You see the heads of killed adventurers on the wall. The writing on the bricks is in Dwarvish." PC1: "I speak Dwarvish, I go read it." PC2: "Um, you should notice those bloody cut off heads…"

PC1: "I will be like Iron Man with his hammer!" PC2: "…sorry to bother, but that's Thor."

DM: "You may blow some air on the altar of Air." PC: "Will a fart do?"

DM (shows picture): "This is not a solar blade, just a magic sword." PC1: "Looks like a lightsaber to me." PC2: "So I proudly walk around, feeling like Obi-Wan."

PC1: "PC2, do you still have a lot of HP?" PC2: "Yes." PC1: "So if I throw a Fireball-" PC3: "Oh, sure! PC2 is fine, so here's a Fireball for you!" PC2: "If you burn my hair off, I won't look pretty enough when I go see my love interest!"

PC1: "Why is that whenever we send the wizard in front, there never is a monster ready to eat him?!" PC2: "And why do we even send the wizard in front to explore?!"

DM: "You see the monster eating PC1." PC1: "There's PC2 right there! Wizards taste better!"

DM: "You see multicoloured energy." PC: "Like a Pride flag?"

[shinrakotls]

#SAKAMOTODAYS151leaks

"Nagumo vs. Gaku"

{This week we got THREE double-spread pgs once again!! Thank you again Suzuki!}

{The battle between Nagumo & Gaku continues}

Pg.1

*The battle between Nagumo & Gaku continues. Gaku is charging towards Nagumo*

Pg.2 & 3 (double spread)

*Gaku sends them both crashing through the wall, and they land on a walkway bridge on the lower level where there's exhibits of airplane and cars. I think it's some sort of vehicular exhibit room?* Nagumo, sliding backwards: He's strong.. Maybe even stronger than those I've ever went up against. Gaku: ...It's been a while since I last fought this long against just one person. Nagumo: You alright? Need a toilet break? Gaku: Nah I'll finish this up and go.

Pg.4

*They continue fighting. Gaku suddenly jumps & goes behind Nagumo and then he swings down his weapon. The sheer force sends Nagumo crashing through the bridge. The bridge broke!*

Pg.5

*Nagumo is unharmed and he manages to pull out his weapon, which takes the form of a sickle.* Gaku (thinking): A sickle...? *Nagumo swings the sickle to Gaku*

Pg.6

*But Gaku easily blocks the attack with his weapon* Nagumo: ! *Nagumo stares at Gaku, who's getting ready to do the Bruce Lee punch again... i think?*

Pg.7

*Gaku positions his left hand at Nagumo's chest and next thing Nagumo was flying back from the impact of Gaku's hit. It's the Bruce Lee punch, confirmed!*

Pg.8

*Nagumo crashes through the airplane exhibit* Nagumo (thinking): One-inch strike, huh! Nagumo (thinking): He has good reflexes. And the way he fights... is just like Sakamoto-kun from back in the days. Nagumo: So you like Bruce Lee, huh? Gaku: Huh...? Who's that? Nagumo: Whaaaaat...

Pg.9

*Nagumo now has switched his weapon to an axe! Cool asf!* Nagumo: You really don't know who that is? Nagumo: That's strange~~ Gaku: ! Gaku (thinking): His weapon changed again.. Hammer? No, it's an axe..?

Pg.10 & 11 (double spread)

*Nagumo swings the axe, sending Gaku flying back. The airplane exhibit falls off, i think..?*

Pg.12

Gaku (thinking): What a troublesome weapon.. It has a default form but can transform into a dual sword, sickle, and an axe.. Bet there's a few more hidden forms. If I were the user, I'm sure I'll destroy it in just a day. Gaku (thinking): Y'know what, I'm lazy to think about stuff like this.

Pg.13

Gaku: Enough of this. *Gaku suddenly imagines him & Nagumo as if they were characters fighting in a game battle*

Pg.14

Gaku: After all, killing is just like a game, right? What a waste if you don't enjoy it while you're at it. Nagumo: ... *Gaku prepares to attack, and Nagumo is on the ready*

Pg.15

*Nagumo stabs Gaku, through the hand that Gaku uses to block the attack. Gaku's expression is so unfazed, dafug.* *Then Gaku twists his hand and broke Nagumo's blade, and he immediately tries to land a punch on Nagumo* Nagumo: !

Pg.16

*The two continue fighting*

Pg.17

*Gaku swings down his weapon but Nagumo easily blocks it with his weapon too* Nagumo: !! Nagumo: ...tch! Gaku: Don't ya think.. weapons must be sturdy and have weight?

Pg.18 & 19 (double spread)

*Nagumo suddenly stabs Gaku in the midsection with an invisible blade* Gaku: !? Gaku (thinking): An invisible blade?! Nagumo: "Lying" is all that matters in killing.

{Invisible blade, huh? Sorry but Seba did that first, so Nagumo is a fraud lol}