#they get separated from the group (Blue's fault)

[rileymorph]

self-indulgent doodles based on my self-indulgent fic

[writingmeraki]

cherry flavoured lips, blueberry stained tongue — a m.m drabble.

★ pairing : moon minho x sorta!enemy!reader, enemies to ?? ★ genre : fluff, sillieness, new!! unresolved feelings. ★ warnings : cussing, alcohol consumption,being drunk. ★ w.c : 2.4k | a/n at the end.

The artificially blueberry flavoured mojito was truly full of hidden surprises. It had a tangy taste but it was also sweet. Almost obnoxiously sweet but somehow it was the right amount. And oh, it also dyed your tongue a ridiculous electric blue. Pretty sure your lips also looked the same. 

It was a regular party. As regular as it could be with the group of people around you. All talented, beautiful, rich and young people gathered around to celebrate the occasion of ‘finally the long ass exhausting week is over.’ Truly an event. You fit only in the latter definition of said group. Perhaps on the best days,you might fit into the first.

You’re not even sure how you were able to persuade yourself to come here but your very convincing lab partner had a pretty manipulative tactic. 

 Q claimed it was the best way to make amends with him and also for putting up as his lab partner,knowing how exhausting it likely was. 

To be fair, he was right. And also like mentioned, his persuasion tactics were seriously another weapon of destruction. You didn’t even last fifteen seconds before you said yes. How unfair. 

Him being  Q’s best friend,Minho,the same guy you made an enemy out of. Enemy might be a far stretch but from the way he glared at you the moment you entered through the door, you are sure his thoughts were not too far off from that. 

[ a mini flashback ]

It was the same guy you’d bumped into. Quite literally. Twice. On two separate occasions and in both of them…it was your fault. The first time, you spilled coffee all over his white shirt. It was not even your coffee! But he didn’t know that.

All he knew was a stupidly clumsy person ruined his expensive white shirt and dashed. You dashed cause you were horribly late, only offering a few apologies and in response you most likely got cusses. Not that you’d know cause you didn’t even get a chance to fully see him other than how hauntingly handsome he looked. 

Pretty eyes, perfectly styled hair with loose strands, pretty lips. And ruined white shirt with a brown stain. You actually got scared to think if you’d ever see him and how you’d answer. 

It was truly the scenario of all your worst fears coming true during the second time you bumped into him. This one though was not anyone’s fault. You were exiting the university when you turned the corner and just ran into someone. 

“Fucking hell!” You heard him yell out and actually had to pause from how familiar it sounded. Last time you heard it, it was also cussing. Your eyes widened when you realised it was the pretty brown eyed guy you ran into a while ago. 

“You!” Seems like he realized too. And he was definitely not happy about it if his glare and jaw clenched was not evident enough. 

“Urm- I’m very-”

“Y/N! Hey!” You were very grateful for the intervention but furrowed your eyebrows in confusion as Q walked up beside the guy. 

“Hey,Q?” You said skeptically as your eyes darted between the two. 

“Ah I see you’ve met  Minho,  Minho this is Y/N, my lab partner and Y/N this is  Minho, my best friend.” He grinned widely as he said, not exactly picking up on the tension between you two.  Q frowned, his expression completely going down as if the aspect of his best friend knowing you made him feel worse. It probably did.

“I-uh-well.” Just as you were about to say something, you didn’t even know where to begin, apologize? Twice? Tell Q you knew him? You got interrupted as your familiar ringtone rang loudly. 

Your brother could not have better timing. 

Pulling out your phone, you did your best apologetic expression you could. You knew it was not enough but you also really did have to dash. 

“I’m sorry, I have to go now, I’ll see you next time?” 

“Oh yeah sure sure.”  Q was oblivious, but  Minho rolled his eyes and looked away, scoffing. 

You knew for sure he’d probably tell Q everything. How you were the one who ruined a perfectly good shirt and how you don’t even have the basic decency to apologize. 

On your part, you did try finding him. You even lingered around that same place and cafe to find him but of course your luck, it did seem he was closer than you thought and were looking for him in the wrong places. 

So now that you'd gotten the perfect way to apologize, you figured you should. And in came in being more than just a lab partner to Q and becoming his friend. 

You knew it the next time you saw Q, Minho had told him everything from the mischievous glint in his eyes and the smug teasing smirk. 

“So, you’re the coffee spiller huh?” You groaned into your hands, hiding your embarrassed face as you sighed out. 

“I swear I didn’t mean it- I tried to apologize but I was running really late and- it was not even my coffee in the first place!” 

He chuckled at your rambling, shaking his head, “Honestly I found it hilarious. It was funny to see him so worked up over it. But the apology should not be towards me.” 

You nodded knowingly, “Yeah I know, I know. I feel terrible about it. I was thinking of- well I thought of it a while ago but say do you happen to have the exact same brand name and his size details?” 

Luckily or more so, obviously he did. The price of it did make you realize this was going to cut down plenty of your own self-treatment weekends but you think it was the least you could do and in no time, did you have the exact same shirt, in the same shade of white ( there were more than one to your surprise ), and the perfect fitting ( courtesy to Q ). It was hard to find the place to buy it due to your lack of knowledge in this department but again, courtesy to Q and the impromptu shopping spree (on his end), you were able to find it. 

Now the opportunity to give it to the owner was left. 

After a debate with Q about how you were overthinking just simply calling him to meet you and giving it to him then, he came up with the simplest idea. His words, not yours.

“Come to this small get-together on Saturday then.”

“A party is not exactly my scene. Not right now at least.”

“Oh come on! If you’re not wanting to meet him personally then come there, he’ll be there.” 

That was all it took. 

(you will not admit it to him but his pleading eyes played a huge part)

[ end of mini flashback ]

Here you are now,deciding to drink blueberry mojito instead of the alcohol offered to you, so you could at least stay sober and apologise like you mean it. With the apology gift but not a gift more like what you owed him, sitting in your car. 

You regretted not being drunk enough to be able to get out of your stiffness. You were way too sober for the conversations that were happening. It did not help that you could feel Minho practically eyeing you in a condescending way that made you feel more guilty. 

 Minho Moon did not even really care about the ruined shirt. He had plenty. The main reason he was pissed at you was because how…not pissed at you he was. 

He really should be, you ran into him twice, you did not even apologize to him even when you already know him now personally. He should be but he finds himself exactly the opposite.

He heard about you through Q. How you were pretty much the only one who’d even take studying seriously but how you had a sneaking sense of humor and an actual personality hidden beneath your whole persona. He wanted to know you more, and it was frustrating to him that he had no idea on how to do so. It was not like him to be so confused on how to make the first move and that confusion was the reason he was so annoyed.

It was one hilarious scene actually. 

“Let’s play spin the bottle!”  Q announced way too loudly, a sign he had had a little too much to drink. You almost flinched because you were not even paying attention to him as you tried to come up with how to approach  Minho without seeming too desperate.

You were sitting on a single chair couch, holding your drink in one hand with your legs crossed as you looked at him. 

“Y/N come on, you're joining!” Q spoke up as he held his hand out for you to take to join them at the dining table to which your eyes widened and shook your head.

“What are you doing?!”

“You look so miserable here, just have some fun come on!”

You were screaming on the inside, once again regretting drinking only a damn mojito and not having enough alcohol to get through this. 

“Fine, but first get me some beer.”

And that was how you found yourself, with seven people in a circle around a table playing spin the bottle like a bunch of teenagers. It was likely the alcohol that everyone consumed way over their age limit that caused the effect of bringing out their inner teens. 

“So why don't we switch up the game a little? Whoever it lands on, has to do a dare collectively given by the group?”

Alisa, a girl from your Physics class you remember, said. She was the definition of elegant yet simple. Blonde hair, blue eyes, perfect symmetrical face. Totally the type of any guy.

You wonder why your eyes drifted to the one on her right, sitting with his head in his hand, looking almost bored but you could definitely tell he was sorta tipsy.

And you were feeling the same too, as suddenly you began to wonder how his pretty pink lips would taste like. Usually, pink lips means pink flavours, your favourite was cherry.

 Minho did look like the type to taste like cherries on a warm summer afternoon.  

Yeah, you were a fucking lightweight. 

“Wooo! It landed on you, Y/N!” Suddenly came a voice and with it, a shove to your back as you were brought back from your cherry flavour lips and spilled coffee daydreams.

The  enthusiastic boy was more out of it than you for sure, his flushed cheeks, warm brown eyes looking at you like you held the mood for him quite literally and his overly enthusiastic nature being tenfold pretty much all a tell tale sign.

“-didn’t get that, can you repeat?” You asked slowly as you blinked at him beside you. 

“The bottle see- it means it's your turn to do a dare.” He pointed at the green glass bottle used as a spinner that was now pointing in your general direction—indicating your turn. 

“Oh.”

“Now let's see.” You didn't think you needed to be sober to know the look on Q’s face was surely not innocent. In fact, he might as well come up with something as weird as—

“You have to kiss—no wait—you have to kiss the person you find most attractive here!” 

And there it was. 

“I'm sorry what?”

You could hear some people giggling about, mostly in amusement, and some hushed whispers. You could also hear your heart rate slowly pick up.

“It's simple Y/N, whoever you find the most attractive in between this circle, you go up to them and kiss them. It's all up to you.”

No it was not up to you. It really wasn't. You really didn't want to do this. But it was your turn, some people were looking at you too expectantly and your thoughts didn't exactly connect with your brain properly. It all seemed mushy. And blurry. But the good kind. 

And so you stood up and looked back at Q with narrow eyes. His smirk only widened as he wiggled his eyebrows. You rolled your eyes and looked away.  

“Go on,” You wondered if this was truly where all your life decisions led you to. But also, the alcohol was now getting to your head and before you could even think about it, you moved around and stood in front of him. 

Sitting down in front of him atop the mini table, you tilted your head, eyes narrowing.

Gulping, your voice came out gently, “Can I?”

Minho was frozen. The moment you moved towards his general direction after that stupid dare, he simply couldn’t think. He wasn’t even intoxicated yet he felt like it as he stared into your eyes. 

Sighing out slowly, he blinked twice before nodding. He could feel his own heartbeat picking up pace. 

He never felt more unsure in one moment and so sure in the next the moment your lips touched his. 

You leaned closer, placing both your hands on his shoulders to stabilise yourself, knees touching as he rose up and moved closer to you, placing his own hands on your waist. 

It was an awkward position but it felt weirdly right. 

The kiss was subtle yet felt like so much, for one all you could think about was the softness of them, the way they tasted exactly like a mix of cherries with a hint of blueberry. Cherries under the sun. It was beginning to feel warmer.

His scent was intoxicating as well. 

Pulling away, you leaned your forehead on his for a moment, not even paying attention to the loud obnoxious cheering in the background. 

All you could think about was,

Oh my fucking God. I just kissed him. I was supposed to apologise but I kissed him?!

Minho couldn’t breathe, he felt if he did all of this would fade away and it would simply be another dream. But it was as real as the way your eyes widened in disbelief, as real as the way his own mouth was stained slightly blue now, as real as his own heart feeling like it might explode. 

Abruptly standing up, you pushed him away as you stepped aside. 

“I-I’m so so sorry. I have to- I have to go.” 

And before Minho could even understand, you grabbed your purse and phone, walked–rushed out the door, heart racing fast as you descended down the stairs, shirt sitting forgotten in your car, apology left on the tip of your tongue as you rang your brother up.

“Hey? Can you please pick me up?”

★ a/n : here we goooo first minho work of the year hehe and ofc in true pri fashion a cliffhanger???? y'all probs hate me for it but it was all i could think of rn so pls forgvie me? i did not want it to be too half assed further because this was written at very different times and infact for a whole diff fandom, but there's more to come that is if you liked this lol and also overall first work of the year too?!? lmk what you think !!!! more minho and even possibly dae works to come!!

also confession im yet to finish season 2.....haha forgive me, i'll finish it soon enough :"D but let me know what you thought of it tooo!!

to h&c pt 2 waiters that is they exist....well idk much about what i'll be doing of it cause honestly pt 1 is just...yikes haha. but let's see. do you still want one? be honest plk <3

all written works as well as images and edits (unless credited) belong to pri. do not plagiarise, repost, re-edit or claim as yours. pics mostly found on pinterest.

writingmeraki Ⓒ 2024

feedback is always appreciated 💌 ! more minho works ? check out misc masterlist ! other works ? check out main masterlist ! other information ? check out info !

[dumbkiri]

𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐀𝐊 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐒 12

χα∂єη яισяѕση χ ƒ! мαιяι! яєα∂єя

ησтє: multiple pov's, so I apologize for the scatter narratives, but it will make sense in the next part. the ending is a little abrupt because it will be in mc/xaden's pov and I don't want it to be a rewrite for you all. bear with me, this series is almost over

ρℓσт: the battle starts and you can only do so much to earn the ending you want.

LIAM

My sister has been the foundation Sloane and I have stood on for a long time. Ever since our parents passed and we got separated, we made a promise to see each other in the college of death. It’s what [Name] called it for a while because all the Marked Ones were sent there to basically die. 

Sloane liked her humor, and I told her she could work on it. [Name] laughed and told us that making people laugh wasn’t exactly a skill for her. We said our goodbyes and I saw a fire light up in her. That day we made a promise and she made one for herself. 

Her first year, she wrote letters for us to read and I hate to compare it to Violet. But it seemed like they were just alike, but on opposite sides of the world. [Name] faced off a group of bullies and bonded to one of the biggest dragons known in our history. Violet had faced a couple of bullies because of what her name carried and she also bonded to a large dragon and a young one. 

They both fell in love with the same man; Xaden Riorson. And it has brought the two of them great pain loving a man like him. I can finally see how it tore my sister apart. How the relationship between Xaden and Violet broke her down to pieces. 

I can see the pain she holds in her eyes the way she looks at him. She is trying to forgive him, it’s obvious. I can also see the hurt Violet carries in her own eyes. To blame my brother for their anguish isn’t right because it’s not his fault. It’s the bond between Sgaeyl and Tairn. 

I hate the idea of love triangles. Because someone is always bound to get left behind and watching my sister burn the letter directed at her made something inside me burn too. I’ve done enough leaving her in the shadows, we all have. I want to be there for her like her letters helped me through this year. 

I want to be the brother protecting her like she’s been the sister protecting me. I don’t care about the real history between us. How she’s a foster and that there is no blood between us shared. Because I don’t accept that. I won’t. 

She is and will always be [Name] Mairi to me. To Sloane. To our parents. [Name] is our older sister, my parents' older daughter. She is a part of the Mairi Family. 

“You know my answer, Xaden,”  [Name] wiped the ash on the tips of her fingers on her leathers, “I’m not running away from this fight. They expect us to die, but I won’t let it happen. As long as we have our air superiority, I can cloak us.” 

“How many at a time without burning out?” Xaden questioned. 

“I can cloak two including my dragon,” She admitted and explained further, “Lenin’s size takes up a lot, but I can cloak the rest of you by switching the focus.” 

“And me?” Violet stepped up, asking a very important question. After the Flier incident and threatening families, it seemed like [Name] didn’t like Violet one bit. So the question came up, “Can you cloak Tairn while cloaking Lenin?” 

I drew my attention to my sister’s blue eyes and something flickered inside them. Like a red gleam. She nodded her head and said, “Yes, I will do that if your life is in immediate danger.” 

Immediate danger. 

All of us were going to be in immediate danger once we took flight. Her answer didn’t help any of us because [Name]’s cloak is under her guidance. She will cloak who she wants to save the most. And Violet Sorrengail is at the bottom of her list. 

“Wow, you guys are still doubting me,” [Name] scoffed then she pointed at the direction where the venin have been attacking relentlessly, “do you see the civilians running down there? Fathers carrying their daughters, sons leading their mothers? They have nothing but gryphons and our dragons to evacuate them. Their life is in immediate danger. Don’t make me choose you over them, unprotected civilians over dragon riders. Now let’s move.” 

I hate it when she’s right. It makes me feel guilty thinking she wanted Violet to be in danger. But in truth, her main focus is the people running away with their families trying their best to survive the venin attacks. We have no room to doubt her signet or her power and Lenin’s strength. 

She jogged away from us with tense shoulders and Lenin shot up into the sky when she mounted him in record time. [Name] didn’t wait for Xaden’s command or to see if any one of us decided to fall back. She ran to her dragon and into the fight like she expected an outcome. 

“[Name] is right,” Xaden spoke up, addressing us with a different air of authority, “The civilians are going to be her priority, so do not do anything stupid. One mistake can lead to death. We won’t know where she’ll be, but remember that she’s watching over us. You’ll know the moment you’re cloaked, it won’t be a hard feeling to miss.” 

“When you’re cloaked try to get out of combat to allow [Name] to focus back on the civilians,” Garrick chimed in and looked back at Xaden for any more orders. 

“Anyone want to change their minds?” 

His eyes landed on Bodhi’s, Imogen’s, everyone down the line and no one answered. [Name] is already on the field supporting the Drift and their civilians. Now it’s our turn to meet up with her and provide unwavering support. 

She doesn’t have to be the brave one. We have her back too. 

“Good. Now mount up.” 

…

IMOGEN

“You can’t reach Lenin when he’s cloaked?” I asked Glane as we flew into the darkening sky. It adds more unsettling weight in our surroundings which is filled with explosions and screaming families. 

“No. But I trust him. Wherever he is, he’ll be safe.” Glane banked left dodging the falling clocktower Violet took out with Tairn. His fire incinerated the clocktower, but unfortunately the venin inside survived the blast with no fucking harm done. These things are straight up impossible to kill on dragonback. We have to get up close and personal with them. 

“There is more than one wyvern,” Glane relays to me and I have the sudden urge to curse the Gods until a cold feeling covers me. Then Glane dives down with a tuck of her wings and I swear a gust of wind almost knocks me off her back. A screech sounds over us and I look up to see a wyvern taking flight higher with a shake of its head. 

“Imogen, are you alright!” [Name] shouted down the shared bond. Her voice brings me back to our shit reality. 

“What the fuck? Did it try to grab me?” I ask with my heart thrumming against my ribcage. 

“It did, but Glane reacted just in time. Please, pay attention to your surroundings. I have to help the rest evacuate the civilians in the mine.” [Name]’s determination faded away with the bond as did the coldness over my dragon and I. We were back in the battle and Glane was suddenly dodging random lightning strikes. She has no problem evading them, but it's an obstacle we don’t need. 

“Fuck, I wish I can tell Violet some words like ‘Aim for the enemy, not us!’” I sarcastically growl out in mild frustration while Glane banks left then right maneuvering around the uncontrolled strikes. She needs to get out of this area. 

“We cannot touch the ground.” Glane informs me and in slow motion I see why. Soleil and her dragon are utterly broken down on the ground. They’re all shriveled up and I immediately look away from them, the sorrow reaching my dragon down the bond. 

“We will avenge them,” Glane reassures me, “Tairn and his rider believe that if we kill the wyvern, their riders will die. Let’s focus on that.” 

“Okay,” I breathed out a shaky sigh and focused on the now. 

…

VIOLET

While trying to protect Xaden, I haven’t taken notice of the wyvern hot on Tairn’s tail. It’s gaining speed on him and I see the blue fire it spews at us from below thanks to Xaden’s shout. “Bank!” I shout down the bond and out loud, holding my breath as Tairn rolls to the left. 

Tairn straightens out when we narrowly dodge the fire, but the wyvern is still after us. Its mouth dangerously close to chewing out Tairn’s side until a thick moon shaped daggertail pierces its head with lethal precision. 

Blood of the wyvern splattered on Tairn’s side and barely reached me. The tail  flicks upward and the wyvern’s neck ends up being crushed by large, sharp teeth. Ensuring the kill, the spotted dragon lets go of the dead wyvern, the blood of it tainting his white patches. 

I look up to see Lenin and his rider glaring at me with their menacing silence. Like they were scolding me, Are you trying to get my loved ones killed! Lenin then dips downward letting out a roar so deep it sounded like a threat to me. He and [Name] disappear and keep helping the remaining civilians as we fight for the wyvern’s attention. But when we take to the sky, higher and higher, to catch up with how many we have left I spot Liam and Deigh in trouble. 

Trouble that [Name] cannot focus on because the civilians she is cloaking right now are so close to safety. “We have to help Liam!” I shout and Tairn agrees with me, picking up his speed and heading to Liam. My heart drops at the serious and scary maneuver Liam and Deigh perform. Liam runs down his dragon’s back and when he reaches his tail, Deigh flicks up so Liam can gain air time. 

Then with incredible agility, Liam lands on the wyvern’s rear and with powerful strides, he runs at the venin with the staff. Liam slices at the venin’s neck with the runed dagger and surprises me with the lethality and fire in his eyes. With the venin dead, the wyvern’s wings stop beating and begin to fall in a matter of seconds. 

Deigh catches Liam when he jumps off and again, I am caught off guard when a wyvern approaches from the left. But Tairn is quick to react like always and flips over so his claws can catch the creature. His morningstar tail rips the wyvern from throat to tail then levels himself out, the blood of the wyvern trailing on the ground. 

I can’t seem to catch my breath, Tairn is reacting and moving too fast for my brain to stop spinning. Another wyvern makes its presence known and dives down from the cover of a cloud with a nosedive headed for us. With not enough time to maneuver away from it, I try to channel despite the dangers of it. 

Although, a flash of red blinds my vision and Deigh is here, driving straight into the wyvern’s side to derail it off its path. That’s when the collision shakes Liam off of Deigh’s back and my breath is caught short in my throat. 

“Violet!” 

“Liam!” I reach out to him and grab onto his scrambling hands looking for purchase on my dragon. Yet Tairn makes a sharp turn to follow Deigh and my shoulders pop from Liam’s weight and the turn Tairn makes at the same time. “Hold on!” 

I throw my body over Liam as he holds onto the pommels and hear him take a strangled breath. I’m afraid to turn around, but then he whispers her name in total surprise. 

“[Name], w-what-” He stutters and his eyes are trained on the scene behind me. 

I look over my shoulder and see the cloak covering Lenin and [Name] slide off them like a blanket does in the wind. Lenin is snarling, blood and saliva leaking from his teeth as he roars out. Meanwhile [Name] is standing on top of his head with her daggers floating on each shoulder, another one grasped tightly in her [dominant] hand. She doesn’t cast us a look because her focus is on Deigh trying his best to protect himself from the gnashing teeth of the wyvern. But Deigh’s devastating roars of pain reach our ears and my heart drops. 

[Name] is too late. Deigh’s side is gushing out a ton of blood and I look at Liam to see his blue eyes get misty. 

Lenin’s roar catches the attention of the wyvern after Deigh and it breathes fire to deter Lenin off his flight path. But he nods his head upward and [Name] jumps into the air much like Liam did earlier. She floats over the stream of fire and barely lands on the seat of Deigh while Lenin tanks the fire and clamps his mouth onto the wyvern’s neck. 

Again, Lenin is tearing through another wyvern with a surprise attack. [Name] presses her hands onto Deigh’s red scales and her lips are moving, but we can’t hear them over Deigh’s cry. 

“[Name]! Stop!” Liam cries out like he’s aware of what she’s doing, but I’m at a loss for words. I can’t bring myself to ask him what she’s doing. Instead I watch with anxiety as her hands glow with a bright orange aura.

Then like grass catching fire, a stream of it goes down to Deigh’s wounds. “Fly now!” Her shout reaches us and Deigh takes her up into the clouds without hesitation. Suddenly a horde of venin follow after them with awful shrieks. 

“Follow her!” I shout at Tairn and he does with mighty beats of his wings. I look at Liam and I can see the confusion on his face. “Don’t worry, your sister is smart. She just cauterized his wounds. It stopped Deigh’s bleeding.” 

“That’s not what worries me,” Liam admitted. And for some reason, I draw my eyes back into the clouds with worry in my chest. 

…

LIAM 

“She’s going to burn out!” Deigh warns me as the fire reaches his wounds and I know [Name] is doing this to save Deigh, to save me. 

“[Name]! Stop!” I cry out because this shouldn’t be happening. She cannot afford to burn out here of all places. Especially not when she’s off the safety of her dragon’s back. 

“Fly now!” She commands Deigh and he shots up into the sky into the cover of the clouds. Before I can get a word out, Violet tells Tairn to follow after them and the horde of wyvern chasing them. Questions swirl inside my head like a tornado and none of them can be answered. Not in this hectic moment. 

“You need to get ready to jump!” Violet looks at me and says, “Tairn is going to fly over Deigh and [Name] will catch you. Got it?” 

I stand up and Violet steadies me with a wince. I want to tell her that we’re still friends besides the secrets between us but she looks up at me and shouts, “Run!” Without hesitation, I run down Tairn’s back and hear Deigh loud and clear unlike his early cries of pain. 

“Jump!” 

Listening to his shout, I jump off of Tairn’s side and Deigh dives in an angle and cold hands catch my warm ones. “Don’t ever jump like that ever again!” [Name] yells at me and pulls me into her cold embrace. I hold onto her and when Deigh levels out, she slides out of his seat and lets me take back control. 

“Me? You jumped too and might I add over fire!” I shout back just as angered as she was. 

“I know what I’m doing, Liam!” She crouches behind me and settles her hands on my shoulders. “Tell Deigh to climb a bit higher! I need all the air I can get!” 

“Are you crazy? It’s hard enough to breathe already!” I refuse to go higher. I have no idea what she is planning, but Deigh moves his head upward and starts climbing. I look over my shoulder and see her blue eyes focused on a wyvern with a venin on top of it. Two others follow the leading one with unrelenting focus on…[Name]. 

Their sole focus is on her and she knows it. I know it and Deigh shakes his head in denial, his guilt going down the bond. I can feel the guilt eating away at him and I bite my tongue knowing why. Deigh is going with whatever plan [Name] has and it involves us leaving her behind. 

“Liam,” Her voice, tinted with fear, reaches me. She stretches her hand toward her right shoulder where the green dagger floats above it three inches. “Give this to Sloane when she learns how to kick ass.” 

I must have looked stupid to her because she laughed at my reaction. She actually laughs. “Why the fuck are you laughing?” I asked with a growl and she took my hand and shoved the dagger into my grasp. 

“Because you look fucking stupid.” She bites back then her voice softens so does her frustrated features. She contemplates her words and she presses a kiss on my sweaty forehead. The moment her lips leave my forehead, she speaks with a gentler tone instead of the brave, insulting sister. 

“They’re not after you now. They want me and if that’s what they really want, I’m taking them down with me.” 

“Down with you?” I clench the dagger and shove it into her chest knowing what she meant, “No way. We can work together! I am not letting you do this alone. So you can give this to Sloane yourself.” She doesn’t take the weapon. Instead she smiles down at me as she rises to stand, rain appearing to pour. 

[Name] takes one step backward then another. 

“[Name].” I clench my teeth and go to stand, but something pulls me down. It’s Deigh’s power holding me to my seat. I don’t have time to fight him, I need to convince her to stay here and fight with me!

“Please!” I beg and turn my body to watch her turn her back on me, “Don’t do this! I can’t watch my sister do this! Sloane would never forgive me! Let me fight with you.” 

She tears her goggles off around her neck and tosses them to the side. She doesn’t plan on flying Lenin’s back either. My heart lurches into my stomach. 

“[Name]! There has to be another way!” I shout, blinking away the tears that form in my eyes. She speaks in a normal voice, but the rushing wind and falling rain cloud over my hearing. Then she runs down Deigh’s back like I did minutes ago. Minutes. 

“Don’t do this!” I shout with all my might, my throat aching and going dry at the hurt that tore through my chest. But she flies up into the sky with Deigh’s help, his tail flicking her upward. Suddenly she disappears into the night and I don’t know if she made it onto the wyvern with the venin on top of it. I didn’t tell her that killing the venin will also end the wyverns' lives. 

“She knows. Your sister knows everything.” Deigh tells me and a coldness washes over the both of us. She cloaks us while she fights on the wyvern, why is she doing this? “Hold on! We’re going after Lenin, the other wyvern has been focusing on him since she jumped!” 

Deigh begins a nosedive and tucks his wings in to gain incredible speed. When we breach the clouds, I am greeted with a shocking sight. Three wyvern are hot on Lenin’s tail, Bodhi and his dragon working hard to protect him. Fire spews from Cuir’s mouth and he catches one that aimed for his left wing. His claws raked across the wyvern’s body and he collided on the floor rolling over it. 

My eyes widen in surprise and I shout Bohdi’s name. Only to see my friend desperately clinging onto his dragon with all he can. Then Cuir slides into a stop with a shake of his head and Bodhi dismounts his dragon unceremoniously. His right arm is twisted in an ugly way and he collapses onto the floor with a cry of pain. 

“Bodhi!” I shout at him. He needs to get off the ground. 

A roar of pain abrupts my train of thought and my eyes are brought into the thundering sky. Lenin flies to the left of Deigh and I, trying to shake off the other two wyvern on him. They bite at his tail and another on his hind leg. 

A crackle of lightning is heard and I see Violet right above Lenin. But her eyes, they’re not on Tairn’s son. No, she’s focused on something else high above her. While Deigh beats his wings and gains speed to follow after Lenin, I can’t help but look up at where Violet is focused on. 

Again, my heart drops. The sight is enough to send me into a panicked frenzy. 

“Don’t worry! Tairn and his rider will catch her! We need to focus on providing backup to Lenin!” Deigh tells me, but I want to argue and tell him that my sister was in immediate danger. She’s free falling while she fights a venin!

“If Lenin dies, she dies! Now focus!” Deigh commands and I try to move my eyes away from her. Then another crackle of lightning sounds and in slow motion I witness the strike that hits the venin first and connects with [Name] in a blink of an eye. 

“[Name]!” 

A new voice shouts and a blur of blue whizzes past Deigh and I. In her lethal fashion, Sgaeyl knocks off the wyvern attacking her son while Xaden uses his shadows to make a lasso around the neck of the other one. Deigh reacts quickly and snaps his teeth on the wyvern Xaden had a hold on. 

While the rest of the wyvern die all around us, Lenin lets out the most pained whine I heard from a dragon. He beats his wings defeatedly and his head hangs low as he lets out a defiant and anguished roar that makes Xaden and I cover our ears. 

After a few seconds, he closes his mouth and Sgaeyl drifts to the right and whines along with her son. Her wing barely grazes his large one and he glides low, following after the orange dragon that belonged to Imogen. All our dragons touch ground after the battle ends and we all run over to Imogen who slides down Glane’s wing with [Name] unconscious in her arms.

I find it hard to see my sister so broken. She’s bleeding from her side, a trail of blood leaves her nose and her body hangs limp in Imogen’s hold.

Imogen is crying as she addresses Xaden, “She’s still breathing! But the venin stabbed her and the poison is spreading fast!” Xaden is the first one to make it to Imogen, but he stops short. Like cement filled his shoes. 

“Xaden! We have to take her home!” Imogen shouts, barely carrying [Name] in her sprint. Meanwhile Glane shakes her head with a saddened gaze and Deigh’s voice fills my head. 

“I’m sorry. Your sister is gone.”

His voice makes me stop and the dagger [Name] gave me minutes ago feels heavy on my chest. Imogen looks at all of us and shouts, “What the hell are you hesitating for! She’s still breathing!” 

The adrenaline leaves my body and I fall to my knees in the mud. I tear my goggles off my face and clench them tightly as to ground me at this moment. She died. [Name] is dead and I let her go. 

“Stop.” I whisper, not daring to look at Imogen who holds my sister so close to her chest. 

“Xaden, please!” Imogen begs. 

“Imogen, she’s gone.” Xaden’s voice carries a heavy weight in them. 

“No, no,” Imogen looks down at [Name]’s face and says, “She was talking to me! I swear! We have to take her to him!”  

Then the ground beneath us rumbles with the heavy footfalls of Lenin making his way over to Imogen. He towers over Xaden and I, shrouding us in his large shadow. He leans his neck down and Imogen slowly kneels down in front of him. Her sobs wracked her body as she gently lays [Name] down on the wet grass. 

Then Lenin pushes the front of his mouth up against the side of [Name]’s body. He hums out and continues to lift her body until she lays on her right side…unmoving. A minute goes by and Lenin moves his eyes from my sister’s body and presses his mouth up against Imogen, gently coaxing her. 

Imogen leans back and wipes her eyes with a sniffle. 

IMOGEN

“Tell me what her last words were.” 

It’s odd to hear another voice inside my head. And Lenin’s voice is an uncomfortable one especially feeling his sadness flow through Glane and down to me. I felt his sadness when he roared out for her, calling out her nickname. 

“Tell me.”

Lenin’s snout softly bumps into my chest and I wipe away my tears, but the rain keeps pouring. “She said…” I start and look into his mismatching eyes, “That you should find a rider that reminds you of her. Next year, in two or three years. Just find one and hopefully they’ll be a better-” 

“She’s all I want.” Lenin growls, but it doesn’t scare me. Not even being face to face with him. I know he’s hurting. It’s all I can feel from him right now. 

“And she knew that, but she said it anyway. We all have to move on somehow. She doesn’t expect us to do it right now. She doesn’t expect you to do anything, but I do. We know who did this and I want to know why.” 

I move my gaze to the side and watch Violet stand with her dragons, alive and well. She did this. Violet used her signet and struck [Name]. “You want to hurt her, I can sense it.” Lenin says and I bite my tongue to keep my outside voice from being used. 

“Of course I do, and yet…I know [Name] would not want that from me. Or you. And you’re not mad right now. You just feel an enormous amount of pain and suffering.”

“Because you’re right. Dagger knew what she was doing. This entire time. She sacrificed herself to save her brother and Deigh. And in the end, to save me. Dagger is special and I won’t give up on her. If she wants me to find another rider as her last words to me, I will.” 

Lenin reels his head back and says his last words to me, “You were a great friend to her, Pinkie. Now tell Shadow to take her to her resting place, I will light the fire for her.” 

I move my eyes over to Xaden and he is hidden by the shadow of Lenin. But the darkness is somehow alive and I know it’s his reaction to [Name]’s death that makes them flicker with negativity. Our wingleader is drowning in his own sorrow and we have to pull him out before it’s too late. 

“Xaden,” I address him carefully, afraid to earn his backlash. But he draws his eyes away from [Name]’s back and into my gaze. He doesn’t say anything and I tell him, “Lenin wants you to take [Name] to her resting place. He will light her fire.” 

𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬: @luvly-writer @blueeclipsepaperstudent @honethatty12 @poeticbookwormcat @cheappremingerfromdelululand @eep500 @littlepippilongstocking @86laura11 @lxnvmvrzx @what-will-be-your-verse @sheblogs @fangirling-galore @callsigns-haze @side-angel @faeofthemoonandstars @jesschalamet @abysshaven @bisexualbitchsgotass @books-hlmc @r0sluvs @galaxystern08 @bwormie @littleemissperfecttt @lagrandeourse @steph-fowlie @casiiopea2 @nisarelle @matrixmoxi @eepyfaerie @thegirlwiththepurpleshelves @smileysunshinesworld @brieflyclassymortal @noonenuts @nikfigueiredo

[princessfanonanona]

Touring Babel - An Infinite Realms Remix Fic

Mr. Lancer planned for a simple field trip to the museum. He wasn't expecting to find himself and the entire class in the ghost zone, looking up at a mythological architectural landmark. He really should just accept the ghostly interference.

The class wanders in a loose cluster after Mr. Lancer on their way towards the museum through the parking lot.

“Excuse me, Mr. Lancer?” Danny raises his hand, shifting from foot to foot.

Mr. Lancer sighs the sigh of the aggrieved. He stops walking ahead of the group, turning to look at Danny.

“Yes, Mr. Fenton?” he asks.

“I know we just got off the bus, but I think we should go back.”

“And why is that?”

“That’s not a museum,” he points to the marble building ahead of them.

“Of course it’s the museum,” Mr. Lancer can’t help but scoff. “I think I would recognize…”

He trails off when he turns to look up at the towering structure. “That’s not a museum.”

The round tower of marble stretches higher than any skyscraper, tapering upwards until the top disappears into the clouds above.

The class gape upwards before looking around.

The once clear blue sky has been replaced with green. Purple clouds gather around the tower, drifting by lazily. The parking lot, once filled with other cars, is now nothing but a sparse field with scattered clumps of weeds and wildflowers. The bus they had just disembarked from has become a pile of stones.

“Paradise Lost!” Mr. Lancer declares quietly. “Where are we?”

“Too late,” Danny sighs.

“Danny?” Tucker sidles up, still staring up at the tower. “What in the actual fuck.”

“Transient portal? Maybe?” he shrugs. He glances around his class, “the real question is how do we get back?”

“Fentina, is this your loser parents’ fault?” Dash practically shouts from the other side of the group.

“They haven’t built anything new, so no,” a shiver goes down his spine making him gasp.  He frowns, turning to glare at the empty field beside them, “but now I think I do know what started this.”

“Hello, Daniel and company,” Clockwork greets, fading into view, looking older than usual.

Danny throws his hands up in a WTF way at the ghost.

“Welcome to the Tower of Babel, please, enjoy your visit,” they offer an enigmatic smile before disappearing into the mists.

The class erupts into confusion and panic.

“Now, now,” Mr. Lancer declares loudly, “let’s all calm down.”

“Calm down?” Kwan cries in dismay, “we’ve been kidnapped by a ghost!”

Dash pushes through the crowd to grab Danny by his shirt front, “this is your fault, get us home!”

“Enough!” Mr. Lancer shouts, making his way to the boys to separate them. “There is no blaming anyone! We are going to calmly evaluate the situation-”

“That creepy ghost knew Danny,” Star says, “how else would we end up here if they didn’t know him?”

“Hey, sorry, can we get back to the fact that we’re at the Tower of Babel?” Sam asks, stepping forward. “You know, the ancient city where all of humanity was once unified in language and culture?”

Mr. Lancer frowns, “that would be relevant if it were true, but I would hardly believe the words of an apparition.”

Sam looks to Danny, gesturing towards the building.

Danny makes a face at her before turning to Tucker.

Tucker shakes his head, holding his hands up to make an X with them and takes a small step backwards.

Danny looks back at Sam and holds his palms up.

Sam gestures at the tower again.

“My prophetic bladder says it is the Tower of Babel,” he says.

Mr. Lancer gapes at him.

“Would you prefer if it was the Hanging Garden of Babylon?” Danny asks.

“I would prefer if we were at the Natural History Museum,” Mr. Lancer says.

“Hey guys!” Mikey calls from the top of the steps near the arching doorway. “They have a tour guide ready for us!”

Danny exchanges a glance with Tucker before jogging across the distance.

“Wait!” Mr. Lancer calls after him, “you need to stay with the group!”

“Oh, Sinilis!” Danny greets, spotting the green ghost, “I thought you were at the Library?”

“Hello, sir,” the scholarly ghost bows his head in greeting, “I have been assigned to guide you and your companions today.”

“You know him?” Mikey asks, pushing his glasses up his nose.

“Uh…” Danny blanches, he glances back at the class who have moved closer. “Sorta.”

“You know its name.”

“His name,” Sam says. “He’s not an it.”

“How do you know him, then?”

“He has a name tag,” Danny says.

Sinilis taps his chest under the pin that spells out his name and preferred pronouns in Hittite.

“That’s not even- holy shit I can read that!” Mikey exclaims. “How can I read that?”

“That would be the power of Bāb-ilim, wherein the separation of cultures have been erased,” Sinilis explains. “Will the rest of your group be joining us then?”

“I think it would be more informative than the museum,” Sam says.

“Will you please stop running off on your own, we need to stay together,” Mr. Lancer says, making his way up the steps. The rest of the class hovers at the bottom. “Oh wonderful, another ghost.”

“Hello sir,” Sinilis bows his head in greeting, “my name is Sinilis, a scholar of the Great Library of Alexandria and have been assigned to be your guide through the City of Bāb-ilim today.”

“That’s great, but we really should be on our way-” he freezes, the previous statement finally processing. “The what library?”

“The Great Library of Alexandria,” Sinilis repeats. “If I recall, that will be your next group trip should today’s tour prove successful.”

Mr. Lancer falters. Dash, who had snuck up behind them, catches him from falling as his foot slips on the step.

“Whoa!”

Danny jumps forward, grabbing Mr. Lancer’s arm to pull him back onto the landing.

“Are you alright, sir?” Sinilis asks, hovering slightly, hands outstretched to help but not touching. “I do apologize for whatever fright I have caused.”

“No no,” Mr. Lancer shakes his head, stepping carefully away from the steps. “You just- run that by me again?”

Sinilis floats back to stand where he previously stood in the entranceway. He pulls out a scroll from the sleeve of his robe. Unfurling it, he reads it aloud.

“For the continued education of the Heir Apparent and entourage candidates, tours of cultural and historical significance have been scheduled at the following locations: the City of Bāb-ilim, also referred to as the Tower of Babel, the Great Library of Alexandria, the City of Pompeii, the City of Mycenae, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Zapotes-”

“The city of the Olmecs?” Mr. Lancer interrupts. “And several other ancient wonders? They exist?”

“They actually refer to themselves as Tamoanchan,” Sinilis clarifies. “But yes, they do exist here, as anything that once was and subsequently ceased to exist in the Lands of Life will be reborn here in the Infinite Realms.”

“I think I need to sit down,” Mr. Lancer says, rubbing his temples.

At this point, most of the class has moved closer to the top of the steps.

“I would offer you a drink, but all I have is pomegranate juice,” Sinilis offers.

“That wouldn’t be very helpful,” Sam says. Tucker barks a laugh, turning to cover his face.

“Does that mean we’re going to tour the tower?” Mikey asks.

“I want to know what that heir apparent means,” Paulina asks. “Who is it?”

Sinilis very pointedly does not look at the trio.

“I’m with Paulina,” Valerie says, crossing her arms. “We got kidnapped by ghosts for some supposed ghost heir and named us the entourage? I think we deserve to know.”

“I think it’s Danny,” Mikey says.

“What could Fentonail-”

“Mr. Baxter.” Mr. Lancer chides.

“-do to be this ghost whatever?”

“Well, he was named by the first ghost and he knows who this ghost was before an introduction.”

“So?” Sam asks. “I think we should just accept the absolutely impossible chance of getting guided tours through ancient myths. Do you not realize the actual historical impact that is right there?”

“I mean, Clockwork did say it would just be a visit, which means we would be returned home without a problem,” Tucker offers.

“Who’s Clockwork?” Dash asks at the same time that Valerie demands “Why do you know its name?”

“Alright, that’s enough,” Mr. Lancer holds his hands out to quiet down the class. “Mister uh…”

“Sinilis,” the ghost offers with a tight smile.

“Sinilis,” he continues, with a small nod of thanks, “what is the process for us to return home?

“Why, there’s a portal for your return being prepared on the other side of the city,” the ghost gestures towards the arch.

“But-!” Valerie protests.

“And can you ensure that the class will be safe and unharmed during this tour?”

“Certainly, sir! I swear it upon my core that no harm shall befall the class.”

“I don’t trust you, and I refuse to enter that ghost infested-”

“Stop being rude,” Sam interrupts her. She turns to Sinilis, “is there a way for anyone who doesn’t want to participate to go home now?”

He glances at Danny but doesn’t answer.

“So we’re trapped here?” Valerie says, aghast.

Tucker nudges Danny with his elbow who rolls his eyes back.

“Val,” Danny steps towards her, hands up in a placating manner. “Look we’re here so we might as well do what they ask. When in Rome and all that-”

“But they’re ghosts!” She practically shouts, “you can’t ever-”

“You trust Dani.”

She freezes.

“But she’s-”

“Half, I know, but do you really think that the other half is as bad?”

She doesn’t answer.

Danny takes her hands, “besides, have you ever met a violent librarian?”

She huffs a laugh out of surprise, “no, but there’s a first time for everything.”

“If I may,” Sinilis floats closer, “the sooner we begin the tour, the sooner all of you may return home.”

“Fine, no funny business.”

“Of course,” he bows his head and floats back, glancing at Danny before turning to Mr. Lancer. “Are we all set then?”

Mr. Lancer looks over his class before taking a deep breath. “Well, this will certainly be far more informative than a museum trip.”

[mikeymagee]

Sam Wilson: The American Redeemer

Why Sam Wilson is the only choice for the mantel

"No super serum, no blond hair, or blue eyes. The only power I have is that I believe we can do better" --Sam Wilson,

I think one of the main things that separates Sam Wilson's tenure as Captain America from Steve Rogers's is how they functioned within the role and what they were expected to do.

During World War II, Steve Rogers was expected to protect the country from foreign dangers. He was the American protector. Keeping citizens safe from international (and interdimensional) threats. Steve protected American against "The Other" (Nazis, foreign terrorists, aliens, etc).

But Sam Wilson is someone who is tasked with protecting the country from itself. Sam stands firm against America's worst impulses (its inability to emphasize, its lust for power and status, its refusal to deal with its own history, etc,) and guides this country towards its better angels.

Sam Wilson origins in Marvel Comics

Sam Wilson was created as a result of the Civil Rights Movement back in the 1960's. It's no accident that he was created to be the partner for a superhero that represented America, and its values. The first African American superhero paired with a man who represented everything this country believed about itself. Sam Wilson was created as a kind of redemption for America, or at least, the beginnings of redemption. African Americans in this country have fought side by side with white Americans in every war and every conflict. From the American Revolution to World War II and beyond. And yet Black Americans were never allowed to take part in the American dream, whether through unjust laws, or the denial of economic growth, Black people have always been shunned from the country they helped defend. Sam Wilson's creation and inclusion was a (small) way to make up for that lack justice. And even through his friendship with Sam, Steve Rogers gained a new perspective on the American identity. Sam brought America's failings into light and gave it the opportunity to correct itself.

From the very creation of the character, Sam was an opportunity for America to rid herself of her sins.

Sam Wilson in the Winter Soldier

Its notable that the first interaction we get with Sam in the MCU is as a counselor for veterans. America is notorious for touting to "Love its soldiers" but always ignoring its veterans. Many men and women who go off to fight in wars often times come back home to a country that is less willing to put the time and effort into understanding and helping the heal. You can see this with the lack of funding for Veterans Affairs offices, the housing crises that a lot of returning veterans face, the lack of adequate mental and physical healthcare that veterans are afforded. Veterans are an underserved community in a country that claims to love its military. There is a hypocrisy in this.

Yet, Sam took on the work of helping veterans heal.

The History of Isaiah Bradley.

It's no secret that America is a country that was built off of antiblack racism. I could cite multiple books, articles, documentaries, and studies that prove this. However, the narrative of Isaiah Bradley not only showcases America's antiblack racism, but the removal of Bradley's story showcases America's refusal to acknowledge its own faults. There have always been efforts in this country to remove Black history (and the histories of other marginalized groups of people). Sam Wilson, when he found out about Isaiah, not only had to reconcile with this country's racism, but he also had to reevaluate how he viewed the country as a whole. Bradley was not only court martialed and jailed, but he was experimented on and his story was scrubbed away.

The United States has always had a habit of rewriting its own history to maintain a certain image. Whether it be one of liberty and equality, or one of militaristic might and pride. America loves the image of the strong soldier, going off into the world but hates the image of the war torn veteran who still hears gun shots at night. Sam, during his conversation with Bucky in Maryland, had to reconcile America's image of itself (a bright beautiful country that welcomes all) with the reality he had just been exposed to (a Black man who did the exact same thing that Steve Rogers had done back in the 40's and was punished for it).

America's treatment of Isaiah was a sin against veterans and a sin against Black Americans, and Sam bringing Isaiah's story into the light was a reckoning that helped to redeem the country's past actions. Actions that America has no one to blame for but itself.

Karli and the Flag Smashers.

Sam's handling of Flag Smashers in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was controversial, but the one thing he was correct about was the usage of simple labels to justify inhumane treatment of others. The United States has always been a country that others its enemies to justify violence of disenfranchisement. Black slaves in the US were called animals. Post 9/11 Muslims (and really, anyone from the middle east) were called "terrorists", Latino immigrants were/are dehumanized and called criminals to justify ICE raids and the breaking of families. During the 90's, America created the "Super Predator" narrative that painted a target on Black men and accelerated the militarization of police officers.

The government's reactions to Karli and the Flag Smashers represents the same line of thinking. Take a group of people and label them as something that is easy to hate/vilify and then take them out. We can argue that Karli's actions were extreme, and we can argue that Karli's actions were violent but we also have to understand were these feelings came from. Empathy and understanding has always been something America has refused to engage with. It's easy to say that Black people don't work hard and are poor when you refuse to acknowledge how America has burned Black neighborhoods and undermined Black education. America has always worked to eliminate the symptom rather than treating the disease.

And Sam, through his speech about Karli and the Flag Smashers, reminds America of its own failings. And again, this isn't some conspiracy that was created by HYDRA or a Nazi organization. This wasn't some evil plan, it was simply The United States turning its back on its own ideals. The blame falls squarely on the shoulders of the country.

But Sam's handling of Karli is a reminder to the country as a whole that we must choose to be better. And note how his speech isn't just for the senators, it's for the American people too. Notice how Isaiah Bradley and his grandson are watching, notice how the crowd of people are listening, notice how Torres is watching from his computer feed.

Sam is offering every American a shot at redemption.

Ross and the War with Japan

"Diplomacy must be hard for you, a man in a country to used to taking what he wants by force."

-Prime Minister Ozaki

In Captain America Brave New World, President Ross is facing an international crises with Japan over the adamantium that is found in the middle of the ocean. Originally, the world leaders, lead by President Ross, wanted to share the new resource evenly, however as negotiations breakdown between America and Japan, Ross's first instinct is to lead the country to war over the adamantium.

American Imperialism is no secret, in fact, everyone in the world is aware of America's dedication to consuming resources. In many instances (ones highlighted by Sam himself) America has a lack of understanding of how the world works, and how to decenter itself for the good of its allies. President Ross even says as the international conflict reaches a head,

"If any country is going to control adamantium, it's going to be us." --President Ross

Ross leans right back into American imperialism, and its perceived entitlement to resources. You can even draw parallels with Erik Killmonger's usage of Wakanda's vibranium and how Erik (an American man) uses American imperialism in the same way. To take whatever he wants by force. Damn the consequences.

Ross was not thinking about how the impending conflict could harm American citizens, or harm other people in the world. Ross's only concern was with the securing of international power.

But Ross's actions speak to a broader pattern of behavior that Sam has seen throughout his tenure in the MCU. The tendency for Americans to fall into simple definitions that justify a lack of empathy. When diplomacy with Japan fell through, Ross pivoted to conflict without further introspection. When Isaiah Bradley's existence threatened the ideals of American equality, America hid their shame away without needing to reflect on its own mistakes. When Karli and the Flag Smashers became a threat, America became incentivized to neutralize that threat without understanding reasons behind the Flag Smashers in the first place.

America is a country that prioritizes action over introspection, and violence over understanding. If not for the intervention of Sam Wilson, America would have fallen to its worst impulse and dove into a war that didn't need to be had.

"The fight you're taking on ain't going to be easy, Sam." --Isaiah Bradley

Perhaps this is where Steve's fight and Sam's fight differ. Steve was a warrior when America needed one. He was a man who fought whatever threat came to our shores. It was easy to root for Steve because Americans could understand that the "bad guy" was some foreigner.

But Sam's fight is with America's soul itself.

Sam isn't fighting to "save the country", he's fighting to redeem it. He's fighting to make this country live up to its ideals. And how exactly do you redeem a country that sends it soldiers off to war, but shuns them when they return? How do you redeem a country who's first instincts are to dehumanize and disregard anyone who doesn't fit the idea of America? How do you redeem a country that refuses to learn from its own mistakes, and instead works to shift the blame to someone/something else?

Bucky has said that Sam gives people something to aspire towards. But aspiring towards something takes work. It takes introspection. It takes being brave enough to look at one's own mistakes and being humble enough to do admit wrong doing, and then being strong enough to make it right.

In every instance in the MCU Sam Wilson gives this country a chance to be its better self. Most critics of Sam in TFATWS and BNW is his tendency for political messaging over character. Critics say that Sam is more interested in giving lectures over being a 3-dimensional character and to that I disagree. Even in isolated narratives (such as BNW), Sam is still faced with the conundrum of holding this country accountable to itself. And the narrative seems repetitive because each time America refuses to live up to itself. If Sam Wilson's story arc seems repetitive it is because the country he represents refuses to grow. It is not Sam's failing as a character, but America's failing as a nation. Sam Wilson lives James Baldwin's words:

"I love America more than any other country in the world and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually"

Patriotism without introspection is simply stagnation. Love without growth is simply indulgence, and Sam Wilson reminds us of that everyday.

Sam Wilson may not be the Captain that this country wants, but it is certainly the captain this country needs.

But whether or not America deserves a redeemer like Sam Wilson, is a question that many are too afraid to ask.

[goawaypopup]

Look Outside Posting Part 4: Sybil

Today, a little on the most mysterious character in the game.

Having established that she is probably the fleshy stuff everywhere else in the building, Apartment 35 is definitely her core, or base, or something. Whether it's full to the brim with meat with two blue little eyeballs at the cracks in the walls, she's budded off a fresh, separate body in there, or that room is some kind of Schrodinger's time anomaly.

If you interrogated Beryl, you'll know that she knew Sybil was in Apartment 12, not 35. But, crucially, something i haven't seen anyone else mention: Sybil did live in 35. The game takes place in March; Edwin's ledger of equipment loans shows Sybil borrowing a telescope, in Apartment 35, in February of the previous year. She moved out, and into 12, at some point in the interim. (Edit: Tragically, it has come to my attention that in the latest update the ledger is fixed to show her in 12, after all. She just showed up in this room to stare at Sam, I guess.)

What remain of Sybil's memories and knowledge show that this can't be an unrelated Sybil. Beryl was the first to join the group (Jasper taking care of Sybil, and Edwin sort of off to the side providing tools). She met Sybil only a few months before the game's events, after she had already witnessed the Visitor, and when she was already in the new apartment. Neither Beryl nor the others after her ever knew Sybil in Apartment 35, and she's the only one you mention it to, so they never find out about her.

The thing that makes Sybil so clearly pivotal, even if it's never clear exactly how, is that she's privy to information no one else is. As far as I'm aware, nobody else somehow just knows that the Visitor will leave in 15 days.

Even the Astronomers don't have an estimate. Whatever speed the Visitor was traveling at before is obviously shot - you'd have to be able to calculate its attention span somehow to know when it's going to leave. And Sybil is right on the money. She's wrong about having "heard it" somewhere, at any rate - from where, the news? The panicking residents? At literal sunrise on the first day?

Not even the Visitor itself seems to know stuff like this about what it's going to do. It doesn't even know what a photo is... I don't think it's actually responsible for the Astronomers' visions of offerings.

So who the hell is??

You can probably guess this one from context.

Sybil is suspiciously knowledgeable on all this, if unconsciously so. Even for someone who was studying this entity. She doesn't just know what it looks like or where it came from, she knows what it's going to do. She knows what to do about it.

The relationship of brain-sharing between her and the Visitor might have... become even a little bit less one-sided, with the amount of time they've spent like that? Though it doesn't seem to have been good for her coherence of thought.

Her being in her old apartment, and unaware of this, might suggest some kind of time frickery, too. Her claim to have lost her job only a month ago seems questionable on the timeline.

Sybil dreams constantly, when she manages to get some sleep in. She's positively tormented by visions of falling into a well of starlike eyes, and four robed men.

The four Astronomers all get dreams hinting at depictions of the Visitor to offer up to it, ones so evocative that they persuade some very skeptically-minded individuals to go hunting for them in real life. (God knows those dum-dums needed the help to finish the ritual in time, seeing as they all spend two straight weeks standing and pondering in their respective rooms if Sam doesn't get the offerings for them.)

Sam's "go up into the sky" dream at the beginning is probably Sybil's fault as well. It's the same sentiment she's having at the moment he wakes up, that the sky is very pretty and he should go look at it.

Sybil is in a lot of very weird pieces now, but all of them are doing their best to help.

If it ever gets added as an option, I'm immediately ripping her door down and examining this woman with a microscope. There's only so much analysis I can do from behind the wall, y'know?

---

A parting note: I'm open to doing shorter reviews on less broad aspects of the game, if you have something specific in mind. Send me an ask!

[emo-hermit]

A series of AVM mental health headcanons and analyses

Decided to write down a few of my mental analyses from when I watched AVM. These are entirely headcanon and stem mostly from personal experience and canon material, where episodes relevant will be cited.

Brief summary from mild to most serious: Green, the extrovert, has social anxiety. Red, Yellow and Purple are the ADHD/Autism/AuDHD trio. TSC has PTSD.

Green has social anxiety.

This mostly stems from his overindulgence in performance, his overconfidence, and his tendency to one-up his friends, prove intelligence, and get distraught at losses or accidents (E35). While the Influencer Arc was a slippery slope from the beginning, Green felt particularly sensitive to the amount of praise, and I imagine that it is from an already-fragile self opinion. His confidence is mostly façade, with the idea that any failure, mistake, or otherwise "poor" action ends with others hating him. He attaches hard to kindness and praise as a result of this, causing his spiral in the Influencer Arc. The more attention he received, the more he felt a 'lack' of it meant hatred, and so on, so forth.

Red has mentioned ADHD. Who's the autism?

My favourite thing about AVM or AVA in general is the usage of body language to depict thoughts, emotions, or dialogue. It's with this body language that I identified Yellow as having particularly odd body language.

This started on my second watch of E30 when I noticed that everyone runs pretty similarly except Yellow. The others have their heads down, body leaning forward and arms thrashing harshly, similar to running in anime and other cartoon media. Yellow is an outlier in that he runs with his back completely straight, arms moving with an abnormally stable force. He takes running very literally.

Alongside this, Yellow is the most emotionally dysfunctional of the CG (Colour Gang). This starts all the way back in S1 with the 'death' of Green, and how Yellow is the one who seems to be struggling to process it. He tries to comfort the others, to no avail. In the start of E23, Blue laments about the separated group, and Yellow continues to appear as if he has not processed the panic yet, or that he believes that panic is unnecessary. He seems to process grief or loss differently to the others, in that he processes it either extremely slowly or not at all. He is logical and literal to a fault.

This, among a few smaller details, gave me the idea that - if anyone in the CG is autistic - it is Yellow. From this headcanon sprung other autistic traits: mostly his special interest in Minecraft logic and mechanics. Yellow is the second in the CG (with the first being TSC, hilariously) to use the computer world to his advantage (AVA8), and is the best with the Minecraft code (the staffs past AVMS3, redstone work, coding). He gets incredibly attached to new technical things, such as the staffs, command blocks and lucky blocks, and has a tendency to lose his common sense when indulging in these items (E19). His ability to take in the information quickly (AVE), alongside forming an obsessive fixation on code and mechanics and logic, gave me the idea of this being his core hyperfixation.

Red is ADHD, Yellow is ASD, Purple... is both.

One thing I noticed regarding body language is that, of the main six in the CG; Red, Yellow, and Purple are the most prone to performing repetitive movements, flapping their arms together and doing other odd wiggles.

Purple, like Red, shares an inconsistent drive - going from impatient and controlling (E9/E10) to hyperactive and overexcited (E21/E22) quickly. He is also very attached to particular objects, such as his elytra.

Purple, like Yellow, shares an inconsistent maturity - being a mix of both emotionally mature and immature. When surrounded by older figures such as King, he attaches quickly and hard, allowing himself to regress mentally (E22) and appear more childlike. This is to say that Purple contains both the ADHD traits in Red and the ASD traits in Yellow, suggesting that he may have both conditions, and have struggles regulating them.

Orange/The Second Coming has PTSD.

While this is a common HC from an angst perspective, I'm coming at this from an analytic point of view. TSC's core points of trauma that continue to affect him are the first half of AVA4, the entirety of AVA S2, and many events from AVM S1 - and these all share a common theme in death. TSC, at several points, has seen his friends almost and actually die - from AVA8, to AVM E8, when he's seen visibly dissociating after the accidental 'death' of Green.

This started with me simply identifying that TSC reacts badly to a lot of stressful situations. He is easily the most paranoid of the CG, being the one that directly rejects returning to the nether (E20), and also being prone to catastrophizing (E11). This paranoia also makes him prone to controlling the actions of others (E11, E20, E24) and getting angry when things don't go his way.

Speaking of anger, TSC has very poor anger management, but this mixes with his fear. The fight sequence in E24 has two main sections, separated by when TSC is holding back against Red, and when his anger takes over. Both at the start and end of the fight, TSC struggles to fight Red, mostly due to his own fear that he can go/has gone too far (AVAS2). When he does lose control, this is even proven as he tries to truly harm Red, and ends up frightening him (Red goes from instigating the fight to running away).

This is all to say that I feel TSC still struggles with the concept of death in the form of post-traumatic stress. Among all this, he also struggles with sleep (I identified him having hypersomniac traits rather than insomniac traits (AVM S2)), has issues trusting others (E20), and is incredibly attached to the people he has almost lost (namely Green but also the rest of the CG). These all come under both common and uncommon traits of childhood PTSD responses.

That was a lot.

The topic of my various analyses started in the Alan Becker server as I stuck my foot in there, but I also wanted to pass this onto Tumblr and Twitter. What do you think? I'd love to spark conversations with people, and also talk about more literal headcanons (I want to make a separate tumblr thread for that).

Either way, I hope this no-image, entirely-text post gave you some ideas or at least a look at how I feel about the CG and their responses to various situations. It's all part of how I write them and I would love to do more with these headcanons - but, for now, I merely talk.

Have a good one! - EMO

[scoobydoodean]

How bout that classism-to-incest pipeline, eh? I've been thinking about it all day since you brought it up. It's really quite scrumptious when it's applied to villains, but a bit sad when people misread its implications. (I will always appreciate Adam for his bucking of expectations where this is concerned, though! We love a little guy who sees through it all!)-shal

(Context being: Shal has mentioned a few times that assertions of or "jokes" about incest often have a damaging classist bent (and this gets its hooks into SPN fandom through certain avenues sometimes). I could already see where Shal was coming from in general terms, but the other day I was slapped in the face with it when I stumbled across a post overtly associating Dean and John with "trash" and "trailer parks" (with obvious disdain) calling it a "comorbidity" for an alleged sexual relationship between them. Suffice to say it was sickeningly ignorant and I was gobsmacked by how overtly and unapologetically classist it was and DM'd Shal about it.)

But YES. Zachariah in 5.18. You put this so well already. Angels vs humans tend to represent upper vs lower class in everything down to the angels typical business professional attire (notable exceptions being Alfie and Gadreel which might even be part of why Dean trusts both of them almost instantly). It's common in Supernatural for immortals to blame Sam and Dean for everything wrong with the world when the cosmic beings are the ones actually at fault, which also resembles real life blaming of the poor for society's ills and the economy. This reversal of blame for the state of the world occurs also in the same scene where Zachariah uses accusations of incest to try and alienate Adam from his brothers.

Trust me, kid, when the heat gets hot, they're not gonna give a flying crap about you. Hell, they'd rather save each other's sweet bacon than save the planet.

"They'd rather save each other's sweet bacon than save the planet" is an accusation based on Sam and Dean's refusal to act as vessels... when the angels are the only reason the planet needs saving in the first place and if they simply stopped doing an apocalypse the apocalypse would not be happening.

I also have to mention Zachariah's use of the term "codependent" based on a post I wrote almost a year ago. The term has a sexist history, having been used as early as the 1940s to describe women """"enabling"""" their alcoholic husbands. I think it's easy to connect dots to classism there as well. Codependency and accusations of incest serve as a way of separating our blue collar associated heroes—trying to alienate and shame them for their reliance on community... all because the group is stronger together than apart and their enemies know that.

[clowns0up-felix]

HII YOUR ART IS THE TASTIEST THING EVER AND EVERY TIME U POST I ASCEND TO ANOTHER REALM OF EXISTENCE

and!! What tloz headcanons have u been thinking abt lately? If u wanna talk about some brainworms :D

THANK YOUUUU !! ^_^ it seems as though you found my hidden message of wanting to talk about my hcs ,, smirks well well well

There’s so many I think about every day ehhhh which ones do I even pick , I think I’ll go w the ones my last post showcased mostly? Which would be my tfh hc, uhmm .. was gonna talk about sheikxruto but I’ll do that in another ask..!

(Putting it under here vv bc kinda long lol)

Triforce hero but it’s Mural, Wolf and Mage: A while ago I was brainstorming w two friends about tfh and they really liked my idea that the 3 guys in the game were 3 links from the lm instead of Mural + copies of mural or mural + two random other guys, and together we chose Wolf and Mage! Tfh would be happening simultaneously to hw, hw being the reason wolf and mage are in murals world for it..! For mural it still would just be his normal timeline, having it after albw.

It’d be before the lm for all 3 so they don’t know each other at all and then get to meet again later yay! It’s not a super serious hc and just fun ^_^ i don’t remember why wolf got the emo haircut

They call each other Red Green and Blue during tfh I’d think ??

Some random small ones I like:

- at the end of hw Mask gives Linkle his Bremen Mask! She has and cherishes it all the years up until the lm where they meet again ^_^

- Malon and Sailor are related , just with really really much time between them

- Marin goes to Sailors era w him and Tetra after hw

- Ravio started to put a lot of research and money into magic after albw to figure out how to create portals between Hyrule and Lorule again ! (Which he succeeded in like, a few months later) ,, when the lm happens he and Mural are chilling together and he’s experimenting w some magic stuff and then Mural , for different reasons, gets ripped away and Ravio straight up thinks it’s his fault bc he was fucking around and found out lol

- Bunny writes letters to Marin about whatever currently bothers her, mostly about the yearning 🙄 she’s also btw a bard (idk if I’ve talked about this on the blog) and travels the land to spread music that come from her adventures,, especially Marin’s song yk the drill

- Bunny meets Ralph during the lm (which is b4 ooa so they’re strangers) by falling on him and breaking his right arm

- mural, rift, sunder, and mage all know the ballad of the wind fish because of bunny spreading and making it popular in her era! Marin herself was able to teach Mask, Captain, Sailor and Linkle the song during hw!! So a lotta links know it ^.^ Captain is tone deaf af tho so he can’t sing it. By the time it’s Sunders era the song has become a popular children’s lullaby :)))

- Sprout is missing two teeth currently (milk teeth that fell out)

- when Sunder and Zelda are 6-7 Zelda sneaks away into castle town where she meets link and they spend a few hours hanging out and having fun! Zelda at that time has bangs that keep falling into his eyes so Link gifts him her favorite blue hairclips that Zelda wears to this day ! (T4t Zelink if anyone’s confused about the pronouns)

- speaking of them after botw they have a little cucco den next to their house with 3 coccos that Clavia takes care of when they’re out of town

- Mural has a pet Remlit named Rupoor

- I MUSTVE mentioned this b4 but I can’t remember so I might repeat myself ,, Dawn has narcolepsy

- Picori idolizes the hell out of the hero of the sky, has been his biggest fan ever since he was a kid

- Mask has a childish fondness of bugs, other random things he loves are fishing and cheese

- mask has a super light dialect,,,, likeee the kokiri do speak hylian but just oh so slightly different (also way more somber yk) bc usually groups thatre separate from other people speaking a language won’t speak with the exact same dialect yk ,, Also would make him seem stranger bc he speaks hylian but there’s just something very VERY slightly different about how he pronounces things! Maybe he has some different words for things

- if sailor is approached from the right (can’t see bc missing eye) he can tell bc the wind tells him

- Captain always carries hidden weapons with him, like a knife in his boots or one under his pillow when he sleeps as examples

- Sailor once broke Captains nose in a play fist fight during hw

THATS ENOUGH FOR EVER ..

[crowgore-throwaway]

Detroit: Become Human would've been so much better as a critique of capitalism. All the groundwork is there.

All these points are interweaved, but I'll try to address them in parts

1: Automation, the unemployment crisis, and abuse of workers

Todd, Alice's "father", was a taxi driver before cars were automated. Other blue and pink-collar jobs (sanitation, desk-work, etc.) have also employed the use of androids as a cheaper alternative to maintaining a human employees. The people at fault are clearly the corporation owners, who only care about profits and cheap labor. This mirrors how companies will outsource labor to poor countries, paying employees pennies. This is also reminiscent of hostilities toward immigrants and how they "take our jobs". The way androids are abused could also serve as critique of how employers want cheap, exploitable workers who'll do what you want without complaint, not matter how poorly you treat them.

2: The childcare crisis

In-game, android owners are demonized for owning androids. Yes, there are people who mistreat their androids, but there are other who have them for a good reason. (to preface this next part, I have no clue why Todd is the way he is. Buying two androids to live a facade of a family life while also, presumably, not getting a job and abusing the and damaging the machines they bought is perplexing, but I'll overlook it) Kara is a model designed as a homemaker, she cooks, cleans, does childcare. As a symptom of capitalism, many parents struggle to take care of their kids. Daycare is expensive and hard to access, so why wouldn't you get a nanny android if you can afford one? It's a one-time purchase, round the clock care, so you don't need to worry whether or not your child is safe while you provide for your family. This existence of androids is purely based on capitalist necessity, how it isn't possible to balance aspects of your life as culture shifts more and more towards making money.

3: Systems of authority upholding corporate interests

Connor's character could be great commentary on how the police uphold corporate interests. His whole purpose is to essentially stop the workers from striking by rooting out the problem. Him being an android could also incorporate the issue of tokenization, how those from disadvantaged backgrounds/marginalized groups are told that if they work hard and keep their head down, they can be successful. Connor, in his various endings, either upholds the status quo to (presumably) preserve his own place in world, which ends in him being replaced by a more advanced RK model, representing how licking boots and sucking up to oppressors doesn't help you. (Blaire White, for example) While him deciding to deviate is a great opportunity to show a character working within the system to bolster change. Also, the detective parts are really cool, but the narrative kinda separates the audience from how emotionally taxing that kind of work is. Don't want to overload the story, but the fact that the only reason given for Hank's depression, alcoholism, and suicidality is because his son died is bullshit considering he deals with homicides on a regular basis. It's similar to cop dramas, how the crimes are shown but at the end of the day, the officers go home and have their own interpersonal drama, completely divorced from the things they see on the daily. (This bit isn't as fully-baked as the other takes since I'm not super learned on the ins and outs of how corporations affect law)

4: Conflict within the working class

As mentioned briefly in part 1, there's a lot of talk about people on welfare and immigrants taking away opportunities from other workers. This, of course, is not true. It's a manufactured conflict that distracts the working class from the true issue: the mass exploitation of the 99% to fund the 1%. People lose their jobs due to aforementioned greedy business practices and protest against androids, mistreating them instead of turning their attention to system itself because they're so ingrained in it they don't even think to question why this could even happen in the first place. They take their emotions out, suppressing the symptom rather than treating the problem.

5: Commodification

Along with employees, Cyberlife has companion androids, again, like Kara, who are advertised as a partner who'll be whatever you want whenever. There are child androids, too. And the thing with machines is that they (presumably) have no feelings and feel no pain, so you can beat them, rip them apart, and kill them with no legal repercussions. The company is selling you a family, a partner, or a victim. They strip away emotional connections, making aspects of life that make us truly human into something shallow you can buy or sell. This is similar to the real-life image of the American dream. You look happy in your big house with your wife and kids, but it's only a facade. The only thing you end up caring about is the validation you get for having stuff, and when you aren't the best man in the neighborhood, with the biggest house, the prettiest wife, and the best paying job, you resent those around you, including your own family because in your eyes, they aren't good enough. You could assume people attack and abuse androids because they are dissatisfied by where their is at and are angry at the android for not making it better, but there's none of that. I wanna know why Carlos Ortiz got high and beat his android (who doesn't get a name). In a lot of the confessions and interrogations from androids, you just get a scared description of how they were abused, nothing about the lead up. We get basically nothing about Rupert. But anyway, there's an obvious implication that people are growing less emotionally stable due to the incorporation of androids into daily life, since they see these machines with human faces as people who they can do anything to so they end up having messed up morals and seeing people as disposable.

6: Conclusion

Okay, not a full-on well-researched essay, but y'all see what I'm getting at. So much of the allegory was so poorly established. We only get a taste of certain social issues and not really a solid lens besides vaguely civil-rights related. I need more android-human relations. I'd like to see Markus as a big socialist leader, I want a subset of "scab" androids that deviate and actually like their lives, refusing to join the revolution. I HATE the march and store break-in chapters because you see all these androids joining Jericho but they don't have an identity. Many of them die unceremoniously. They go from machines performing their function to suddenly sentient beings with emotions coerced into whatever cause Markus wants, which is arguably worse because it's basically cult indoctrination.

I'm not sure what I would do about the narrative androids' sentience, since the argument that they should be given rights is weak considering it's implied that the reason for deviance is a sudden, traumatic event. I feel there should be an argument in there about how human emotions are just chemicals when you boil it down, but still, it's perplexing. I really like the way the webtoon Lovebot approaches the bot's sentience. Spoilers, but the androids in that series aren't nearly as widespread. They were invented as romantic, sexual companions. All of them are sentient from the outset, they just have a chip in their brains that keep them from exercising free will. They are inherently free-thinking beings, just trapped in their own heads by hardware. I think DBH just didn't give enough thought to the logistics of deviancy. It doesn't have to be overexplained to oblivion, but there needs to be a solid reason as to why it isn't a computer virus caused by mistreatment.

All that said, I still love this game. Loved it pretty much since it came out, I remember watching Jacksepticeye play it. I was obsessed with the characters, thought the aesthetic was super cool and was affected by the heartfelt aspects of the story. The music is also really good. David Cage just isn't a very good writer. I also straight up don't like him as a person. But still, the artists and actors did a stellar job- Bryan Dechart and Clancy Brown have great chemistry as Connor and Hank, the futuristic style paired with some of the older architecture is interesting and, again, I'm a slut for a great soundtrack.

Tbh, I'm a bit neurotic picking apart a 7-year-old game, but it got me really into sci/fi. I was like, 12, when I first got into it and hyperfixated HARD. I'm realizing that some of my biggest hyperfixations have been detective fiction (current favorite thing is Disco Elysium), so I wonder what that's about. So I guess it was nice to combine something old I really like, Detroit: Become Human, with my current interest in socialism.

[monroeknoxwrites]

Missing

here's a wip for an actual fic I'll be working on. it takes place a few years after system collapse and a year after mb meets ciren. basic premise: what happens when ciren is pushed to its limits after being separated from its friends

Ciren was missing for two cycles.

On the third cycle, the drone I’d left with it pinged us.

Me and Three followed the signal until we reached a steep hill, a group of young humans on the other side. The tallest young human at the front pointed frantically at my drone circling over my head.

She turned to the others, shouting, “It has to be them!”

The others agreed, setting down the bundle of tied together jackets and shirts they were carefully dragging across the plain, their path through the blue-ish grass clear.

Inside the bundle was Ciren.

Three ran-slid down the hill, passed the tall young human struggling up it to reach me.

I didn't know what my face was doing but the young human hesitated a few steps away from me. She pointed at the drone again.

“It told us to follow the drone. That we could trust whoever owned it.” She was out of breath, showing signs of exhaustion. The climb up the hill took the last of her strength. She fell to her knees but pointed emphatically at what I thought was the other adolescent humans.

Breathless and desperate, she cried, “You have to help Ciren! Please, it saved us, you can't let it die!”

My drone shot over to Three lifting Ciren out of the makeshift gurney. There were visible projectile wounds on its body, nothing a SecUnit couldn't handle, and it was covered in blood. Not its blood.

Secunit, Three said on the feed the same moment my drone showed me the projectile wound through its head.

I'd been shot by an adolescent human before. They could have done this and were lying to get our help.

But the exhausted human in front of me had her face in her hands, sobbing. It didn't feel fake.

I hate to admit this but I locked up. My attention was split on Three climbing the hill, much slower this time, Ciren’s inert body looking small in its arms, and the young human in front of me, begging incoherently.

Performance reliability dropped five percent. My knees didn't buckle under me, I felt stuck, my body unresponsive.

This was what SecUnits were supposed to do, right? Get ourselves blown up so the humans could get away.

But this wasn't just any SecUnit.

21.3 seconds had gone by (which for a SecUnit was a disturbingly long time to be standing there not saying or doing anything) when Three nudged me gently on the feed.

I sent one of my drones scanning the perimeter to leave the blackout zone and inform ART. Turned my back on the crying human and Three (and Ciren in its arms), I said, “Follow me.”

And I walked away.

My med system is without fault.

Fifty percent? That's the highest probability it can give for—

Even in the feed I couldn't say it. ART finished for me. For reconstruction without impairing function or memory, yes.

That left a fifty percent chance that it would.

To my silence, ART said, It's better than zero percent. When you returned you said Ciren was dead.

I snapped, I know what I said.

Then you're aware this estimate objectively improves its situation.

Yeah, obviously it was better than knowing for certain Ciren was… non-functional. We had only reached as high as fifty percent success rate because of the way Ciren’s parts were cobbled together by a human who sort of, kind of knew what he was doing. And that the trajectory of the projectile had missed most of the essential inorganic components and neural tissue. And that the adolescent humans had found us so quickly.

The fact that Ciren had any chance of functioning again at all came down to pure dumb luck and I fucking hate luck.

I didn't want to stand here waiting for the end result. I left Three standing by the enclosed med platform; it hadn't let go of Ciren the whole ride back. It held Ciren like humans hold other injured humans until it placed Ciren there on the med platform. If I was better at this kind of thing I'd say something to it. But I didn't know what to say to myself.

After all this time together, I didn't view Three and Ciren with the same mistrust and wariness I did other SecUnits. They'd saved me multiple times, they'd saved my humans—our humans—more times than that.

Those same humans that tried to talk to me as I walked briskly down the corridor, shutting myself up in my cabin. I knew media watching was out of the question right now and I think, for once, ART knew I didn't want to talk about this either.

Fifty percent. It could go either way. Ciren could be restored to full functionality without any permanent damage to memory or it could boot up a completely different unit.

Fifty/fifty odds I could lose my friend.

I pulled the video from the drone I'd sent with Ciren before we were separated. This probably wasn't going to help but I had to know. I had to know what happened.

[liamket]

Day 20 - Emotional Angst

Character(s): Four and Wind (LU)

Words: 1051

Summary: Wind’s first thought always had been to protect his sister, she was everything to him. The fact that he failed once still haunts him.

Whump scale: 2 (see the full scale here)

Warnings: Injury and a very low self-esteem from Wind

(shoutout to @uniquevoidflowers and @icy-hot-0111 for giving me an idea on how to write this day! hope this fits with what you two were thinking)

-

Being a hero means that he needs to protect everyone, specifically those that can’t do it by themselves. That’s what Wind believes to be the meaning of the title.

Being a hero is to protect his family, the ones that he holds close to his chest. If he can’t do that, what kind of hero is he?

Being a hero is to not fail in his mission, to protect everyone, his family included. That’s what Wind believes.

When the chain calls themselves heroes, the sailor feels like an intruder in their group, someone that wasn’t meant to be here. Someone that just cheated his way past the eyes of the gods.

After arriving to an era between heroes, they receive reports of monsters terrorizing a town. And obviously, they go to protect the people in the town.

That’s what heroes do. And they’re a whole group of heroes.

They arrived and did as usual; fight the monsters, killing them one by one to reduce their numbers, give the signal that these were infected ones, organizing to protect the town’s people and deal with them more efficiently.

Wind always made sure to protect those which didn’t get away from the fight for some reason when protecting a certain point, no foe going through his wall of fast slices with his phantom sword.

In the edge of his vision he spotted a bokoblin, evading the rest of his brothers and going somewhere far from the fight. Should he go for it? Maybe someone also saw it and was on his way to kill it.

Leaving his spot would just cause problems, he doesn’t want to do that.

Legend was too close, he should be at some distance to have a bigger range if some bokoblin decided to go past him, this wasn’t practical enough. Yes he was a firm believer in the art of fighting however you could or want, but right now they needed to use the strategy that the captain gave them. No matter if he liked it or not, it was their best move.

There were less monsters, the people weren’t in too much danger now.

Most of them, a scream came to meet Wind’s ears. The bokoblin that ran away. Farore’s damned tits.

He moved on instinct, leaving Legend to protect his position. His priority was that one bokoblin, it was his fault that it ran away.

There it was, holding its sword, a girl in the floor with a bloody arm.

Everything was a haze after that, Wind only remembers launching himself towards the pig-like monster and cutting through its body like if he was preparing some pork for family’s dinner.

Voices were a little distant, the monster needed to be gone, from this life and from his vision. No one hurts nobody on his watch, no one gets injured, no one. No one touches his—

“LINK!” Someone was calling him, a very familiar voice.

When he looked down, there was just a purple smoke filling his vision, black blood staining his tunic and the solid rock of the town’s streets. The bokoblin was dead, gone. Good.

Someone small was now next to him, the girl? She needed help, her arm had a cut, he wasn’t sure how deep it was.

“She’s fine, Hyrule is already taking care of it.” The voice was clearer now, Four? “Yes, and you seem to have done a good job taking down that one. It was a blue bokoblin from Wild’s era.”

That explained why it was smarter than the other ones. Wind heard the sound of someone crying behind him, a child asking if someone had seen his brother.

“She apparently got separated from him while running away from the bokoblin, he’s fine” Four grabbed his hand, slowly unhanding the pommel of the sword.

That was good, they wouldn’t be separated for a long time.

They wouldn’t be separated at all if he had done his job, he should’ve done something, go behind the bokoblin or something.

“You did good, you saved her.” That wasn’t enough “Maybe, but it could have been worse”

He hates the word ‘maybe’, its just the destiny laughing at his face, a mockery of his abilities and the what-ifs that come around his mind every now and then.

“Nobody likes that word, not even me” If Four says so, it must be true. Still, he’s the biggest hater of that word “Heh, you sure are”

-

The girl, who was called Cala, greeted the chain together with her brother Rizu and let them stay at their home, their parents agreeing after hearing how Wind saved their daughter.

While them all were having dinner that Wild and Cala’s mother cooked for them all, Wind decided that he wasn’t hungry.

He still had this feeling of failure, he was supposed to stop this from happening, now that girl had a bandage on her arm, even if she pretended that it didn’t bother her. She was brave for that, he needed to admit that.

“Yes she is, I would be already not moving at all with the pain” Four had been with him since the fight ended, Wind was grateful for that, but knowing the smithy’s real reasons was a difficult task.

“Are you sure you don’t wanna go with them?” The sailor pointed towards the table, the chain laughing while Cala was sharing some embarrassing stories about Rizu, making him blush and try to deny everything.

“Nah, I’m not hungry. Besides,” He took a plate that he was carrying before sitting down with him “I bring some garlic bread, to not let your stomach empty”

Wind grabbed one from the plate, taking a bite and making a gesture of ‘Thank you’. Four was nice to have around, he was like a warm and soft breeze in summer, the cold wind that came with rain, strong draughts that were able to take down any ship of the enemy, the controlled weather in the middle of the ocean. All that, at the same time. That was what Four was.

He failed them in that moment, but he was glad that Four didn’t mind. It’s almost like he understood, like if a part of him failed in some way. True or not, his brother was a good companion, one that understood.

[duckies27]

I promised it, now I deliver.

Spoilers for Episode 41 of Grotethe, however the events proceeding this fic are slightly made up because of the cliffhanger given

@demis-alted, as requested

Trigger warning for mentions of infertility and unhealthy family relationships!

The ringing in Ellga's ears didn't seem to stop, dispute them all practically beating their way through the threat. The danger that her own sister called on them. She was currently being held in the library with the Countess and Qwuifly as they kept talking behind her back. She looked around the room, the mess she had caused. The mess Evenna had caused. She silently tore away from the group, locking herself in her room.

"Just separate yourself." The count always said, even if Evenna was to blame. After all these years, it was the only advice she was ever given. It was always her fault, she always felt so alone. If only she hadn't met them. They saved her, they showed her how she deserved to be treated. How could she ever go back?!

Meanwhile, Chip was still shaking out of the charm. It made him sick to his stomach to see how Ellga was treated in this house. Her mother didn't care, her sister was seemingly crazy, and her father was completely gone. Seemingly on trial. He sighed, sitting down on the couch.

Barney sat next to him. "I tried to snap you out faster...this whole place is evil." He pulled out a small ball of yarn and unravelled it as his brow furrowed. "But Ellga isn't. This entire place is cursed and full of danger, but I still care deeply for her. I would protect her with my life." The cleric sighed, his eyes glowing blue. "Maybe she just reminds me of my own family. Maybe it's because her own isn't supportive. I don't know. I just want to get her, and Marnie, and the boys...I want to get them all out of here."

Chip rubbed his temple, eyes on Ellga's locked door. "She seemed so uncomfortable with them. Trying to prove herself to...I don't know." He moved to gently rubbing the base of his horns. Something Carol used to do. Even if it was still raw, still painful, he was coming to terms with it. He needed to focus on Ellga right now. Be the parent in her life she didn't have. "Someone should check on her."

"You should check on her." A voice called from the door. As both men looked up to them, Mathide was standing in the doorway, arms folded and wings puffed out. Not much shook the bird to the point their wings needed preening, but the alarm terrified all of them. "Barney is too emotional with his family, and...I'm not great with this mushy feely stuff. She trusts you, Chip." As they moved closer to the couch, their hands mindlessly ran through the puffed up feathers. JJ (Gee Gee) rested on their shoulder, nuzzled against their neck. They shook as they sat on the couch, squishing Chip slightly. Almost as if saying he should go in another way.

He sighed. "Fine. Fine. I'll go, just expect us to be out of commission for a while." Pressing on his knees, he pushed himself off the couch. His tail swayed a bit as he regained his balance, still dizzy from the spell. Barney put a hand on his back to keep him from fumbling.

"Up you go, up you go." A few small pats sent Chip forward to the locked door. Healing word gave him a few more health points and the shaky confidence to try and be a father.

No matter how hard they tried, they never managed to conceive. Of course, it makes sense because Carol was a hag. She couldn't have a child in the normal sense, no matter how badly they wanted to. No matter how many times they tried. His heart broke every time she told him she wasn't pregnant. It only hurt more knowing they never could have a baby anymore. He gulped back the pain and softly knocked on the door. Even if Ellga wasn't his real daughter, he didn't care. Family was family, even without blood.

Sadly, Ellga wasn't in the space to talk. The knock just got a loud, painful sounding hiss from her. It was between sobs as she held Boris. Evenna wasn't the same, it was clear she wasn't ever really welcome here. The Count loved her, but he was on trial for some reason. Mother had left so long ago she didn't even feel love towards her, and she just wanted to run away from this stupid tower.

Another knock.

She hissed louder, but it strained her throat and caused her to cough pretty loudly. "G-go away! I don't wanna talk!" She curled around herself on the bed, hiccuping weakly. "I-i know you didn't come back for me or Evenna! And i-i-i know you don't really care about me!" She couldn't fight the rage forming in her chest, nor the tears streaming down her face. Oh, how she hated crying.

"Kiddo, I do care about you." A familiar Midwestern accent called out from the hall. "This family may not, but we sure do." His voice cracked a bit as he choked back tears. "Mathide loves you like a little sister, Barney sees you as his own granddaughter and-" he could hold back the tears for much longer as he tried to say the most important part. "You're my kid, Ellga. Even if your blood is horrible to you, I will always give you love and safety and-" Chip weakly sobbed out, leaning against the door. "You deserve to be happy..."

Small footsteps ran over and unlocked the door. Chip took a step back before the door swung open. The two of them stood for a moment, both crying. Hurt in different ways, but almost the only people who could heal each other. Chip dropped to his knees and opened his arms for her, and Ellga quickly ran into them. She still just hugged Boris, as Chip's strong arms gently hugged her and scooped her up.

"i-i-i just wanted everything to be normal, b-b-b-b-but I love you guys more than them, I don't wanna stay, I don't wanna stay!" She hiccuped painfully, shoving her face into his neck.

Chip hushed her, rubbing her back. "I know Kiddo. I know." He headed back to the couch with the rest of their party. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to." He forced himself back into the center of them all. He carefully loosened his grip, eyes soft. "I promise."

She weakly nodded, shifting to give Mathide a tight hug. After getting the squeeze she wanted and a soft hair ruffle, she shifted to hug Barney. He also squeezed her tight, kissing her forehead. Finally, the vampire settled back against Chip's chest. Still crying a bit, but calmer.

"...Chip?"

"Yeah, Ellga?"

"I love you."

Tears pricked at his eyes again, but he just hugged her tighter. "I love you too, Kiddo."

[auburnlaughter]

So, @tamsinswriting asked about dragon breeds on one of my WIP Wednesday sentence posts, and I was gonna just leave it at a reply, but, uh, apparently I have a lot to say about my dragons, so this turned into a full post of it's own.

Short version, I have greater and lesser wedgetails, cloud reapers, alabaster crests, banded jumpers, and fintail drakes, along with an unnamed species that is going by the placeholder [draco] in the draft.

Details and a few sketches under the cut.

I've been thinking of the different dragon types as breeds, like dogs or especially horses, since they take the place of horses in the world of Brookscale, but I've also been debating whether there should also be separate species with different breeds among the species, kinda like adding in donkeys. Haven't decided yet, but if I do go that way, it would probably be that there were a few wild species of dragons that were domesticated in different areas and had breeds created from there. For now, I'm saying they're all breeds of the same, original wild dragon species that was domesticated back in ancient history and most current wild dragons are actually, technically, feral dragons.

Lesser wedgetails are the first ones I designed, cuz Floyd was the first dragon added to the story (it's his and Junior's fault this story exists). They are medium to large dragons (bull moose to bull elephant-sized) with heavily armored heads and necks and a tail that widens towards the tip, which is where the name comes from. They tend to come in darker colors, lots of blacks, greys, and browns, but with brighter colors on the armor plating like red, orange, and purple. They're strong and calm, and tend to be used for draft animals, though smaller ones like Floyd are ridden too. They have good night vision, which makes them useful for people traveling as they can fly at night if need be. They are also very social and often nest together, raising their young as a group. It means they're good dragons to have in a herd because they will break up disagreements between other dragons to keep herd unity, even with other species.

These are some pics of Floyd showing kinda how I picture the armor scales on the head and neck, plus Junior for scale (who is about 6 ft tall). The 'wedge' on their tails is made of individual, but connecting barbules similar to a feather and makes them fairly maneuverable, especially for their large size.

Greater wedgetails are like the lesser ones, but bigger (elephant to beaked whale size) and there's probably a color difference, but I honestly haven't thought too much about it yet. They're also known for being calm and have good night vision like their lesser counterparts, but are almost exclusively draft animals rather than riding animals. While they are pretty social with their own breed, they're not as prone to peacekeeping with other dragons the way lesser wedgetails are. They won't get into fights, but won't stop other non-wedgetail dragons from getting into fights either.

Cloud reapers are very large dragons (beaked whale size at the smallest and somewhere around blue whale size for the very largest) and usually have one main color, often very dark like black or midnight blue, with a brighter, secondary color for markings on the face, legs, and occasionally bodies. They're used as draft animals or as riding animals for distance travel, as they have good stamina, and full grown ones are unlikely to be attached by predators. They do well in herds, but prefer to nest separately, rather than communally like the wedgetails.

This is a pic of Blaze, Mr. Brookscale's dragon with a rough person for scale. Blaze, despite what my notes in the pic say, isn't gigantic for a cloud reaper, but he's not tiny either. A lot of the cloud reaper length is in the tail, and they have a double row of horns that shorten into spikes and then raised nubs as they progress down the neck to the body, merging into a single line where the tail starts.

Alabaster crests are large dragons, but max out around humpback whale size, rather than blue whale like the cloud reapers, and most don't even get quite that big. They are two-legged dragons. However, their wings have claws on the wrist joint, enabling them to walk on all fours (if I go for multiple species as well as multiple breeds, the alabaster crests will be a separate species from wedgetails, reapers, and other four-legged dragons). They are usually entirely white with a reflective sheen to the scales in various colors, best seen in sunlight.

This is the concept I'm working on for the alabaster crests. I want to do something more with the tail, but haven't figured out exactly what yet. They aren't as social as wedgetails or reapers, and do better with smaller herds, otherwise they get into squabbles over herd hierarchy, but can be housed with other dragons without fuss. The name comes from a thick ridge that runs down the center of their heads from nose to partway down the neck, larger/higher in males than females (picture would be a female).

Banded jumpers are medium-sized dragons and are two-legged like the alabaster crests. Their name comes from the banding on their tail (think raccoon or ring-tailed lemur, but slightly less regular, with some bands wider and closer together or narrower and farther apart). Haven't decided the full range of possible colors for their scales, but their eggs are a pale lavender with brown speckles, and young dragons have freckles that they grow out of as they age. This usually happens around the time they fully fledge, but you'll sometimes have newly flighted dragons that still keep their freckles for a month or two, even close to a full year after fledging. They prefer to bury their eggs and don't always co-nest like wedgetails. However, first-time mothers will usually be mentored by an older female if one in the herd is nesting the same year.

Fintail drakes are a medium to large species, but other than that, I don't have many specific. They're supposed to be a breed that isn't really common in the Meadowglen area, where the story is taking place, and the only plot relevant one I have currently is in Rooster's childhood memories, which he tries not to think about, so I haven't had to make up a lot of the details yet. Wait, no, I lied. There was one that rampaged, but it was a wild one, so still not a lot of details. They're a draft breed, but have been used as guard animals too, which is unusual for dragons. I'm thinking of having their name be from a vertical fin on their tails.

[Dracos] are small to medium dragons, probably pony and horse sized. They have sharp claws and are very quick. They're another species I haven't put as much detail into yet, but I'd imagine they're a racing breed or used for travel, probably for messengers or other people who need to move short distances quickly. I should reread my notes more carefully before typing things. They are apparently a hunting breed (though I think I'll keep the racing/messenger thing too). They have a natural affinity for teamwork and make good pack hunters in pairs or groups of three, which is often how they're kept by either smaller farms or people in rural towns. They come in bright colors with lots of patterns, usually tri-colored at minimum and often more than that.

Also, I was going through my sketchbook to get pictures and found these guys.

Apparently, I also have a breed called wavebacks who hadn't made it onto the reference doc yet. They look too big and sturdy to me to work as how I was envisioning [dracos], so I'll keep them as their own thing. Very spiky and named for the shape of the spines that run from their nose to almost the end of their tails. Single row of backwards curling spines on head and neck splitting to a double row down the back and tail, with room to sit between, though you'll want a properly fitted saddle to prevent abrasions. The tail has a spade-shaped tip. I'm thinking they're riding animals, possibly more for ground travel than flight.

I have a reference doc going to help me keep all my dragon facts straight as I make them up, and thanks to writing this I got to update it, so thank you for the question!

[shinymisty-blog]

The Triplets (Sonic, Sonia, and Manic)

When I first took the journey back in early 2023, I was expecting I wouldn’t like two-thirds of the trio. But, after the journey, I only disliked ONE-THIRD of the trio! But they are all the main characters, even if one has more plot armor than the others.

Disclaimers and notes for this particular post: •Be warned: These posts are often just MASSIVE walls of text! I have the "Keep Reading" tab there for a reason! •While there is no real order to these, I’ll try and keep things in order of relevance. •There will be times when I'll reference something that involves things that would be more relevant after the 40 episodes. During these headcanons, I'll place a nice little ✨ to indicate that it is one of those headcanons. (Everything mentioned will have some sort of explanation if needed). Think of it as a sneak peek at the story I am working on. •If I happen to update anything within this post, I’ll reblog it with the tag #Sonic Underground Project Update, along with a note on which information was updated. 

Links: Master Post | The Origin’s Arc 

·.¸¸.·♩♪♫ The Trio Together ♫♪♩·.¸¸.·

Together, the trio seem tightly knitted and FEEL like siblings. I love that about them. As the youngest sister of three, I get the dynamic, even if we aren’t twins. I want these three to be happy. I want to see them succeed. I want them to reunite with their mother. 

Although, ironically, I also kind of wish we had more with them separated, or mingling with other characters. But, ah well. That’s what writers are for. 

•♫•♬• Headcanons •♬•♫•.

➣The triplets are 15 in the Origin Arc, Wedding Bell Blues, and To Catch a Queen. They turn 16 in Mobodoon. Normally, I’d wait till Mobodoon to put this down but I feel it is too important not to have it right at the start. This makes plot points in other episodes (and wikis) a lot smoother. And it is all thanks to Sonia. 

➣Originally the siblings would take turns keeping a lookout while the others slept, they realized quickly that the van worked as their lookout, as it would let out an alarm if someone attempted to enter. Manic still sleeps pretty loosely, however. 

➣They also take turns being in charge of driving, though Sonic is least willing to do so.

·.¸¸.·♩♪♫ Sonic ♫♪♩·.¸¸.·

Did you guess that Sonic was the one I didn’t like from the three? Congratulations, that’s exactly right! He was also one of the two I didn’t think I’d enjoy going into the journey. So I was 50% right. 

Yeah. I felt Sonic was bland. Although, it could be my foggy brain playing tricks on me, covering up all of Sonic’s development and character…but I doubt it. All I remember from him being impatient, obsessed with chili dogs to an alarming degree, and seemingly being the leader of the trio. (His name is in the name of their band, you cannot tell me he wasn’t the leader).

HOPEFULLY, things will change as I add more information here throughout the series, I’ll be pleasantly surprised with what I come out with. Here’s hoping. 

•♫•♬• Headcanons •♬•♫•.

➣Sonic was born first out of the three. (I believe this is canon, but I’m putting it here anyway)

➣Though this is technically canon, Sonic’s eye color is green, parallel to Manic’s fur color.

➣Sonic is the unannounced leader of the group. He didn’t want this, it just kind of happened. 

·.¸¸.·♩♪♫ Sonia ♫♪♩·.¸¸.·

Did you guess that Sonia was one of the two I felt like I wouldn’t like going into the journey? Congratulation! I was surprisingly shocked by how much I fell in love with Sonia throughout the journey. 

I feared I’d grow very tired of Sonia’s “rich” and “the girl” characteristics…and I did, but her growing up within the highest class also helped give her so much character. She had lost so much and had the hardest adjusting to this new life. It helps that I came in already liking Bartleby, the character that is closely linked to Sonia. 

Her voice is the most annoying of the three. I can’t blame Jaleel White, though. Wasn’t his fault.

•♫•♬• Headcanons •♬•♫•

➣Sonia was born second out of the three. (I believe this is canon, but I’m putting it here anyway)

➣Sonia’s eyes are blue, parallel to Sonic’s fur color.  

➣Out of the three, Sonia is the only one who has a driver's license. While she is originally greatly upset over learning her brothers were driving without one. She quickly realized that having a license for anything was expensive, which made it impossible for any normal mobian to get one, and quickly dropped her judgment. In their spare time, she teaches her brothers the things they still need to learn to help prep them for their eventual driver's test. 

➣A young Sonia often went out to do self-defense training, much to Lady Windermere’s dismay. Unbinounced to her, Sonia encountered Dingo when they were both kids during one of these outings, mistakenly kicking him.

➣She and Bartleby grew up together. The duo would get into trouble that kids would usually get into. 

·.¸¸.·♩♪♫ Manic ♫♪♩·.¸¸.·

…I like Manic… I knew jumping into the project that, even if I didn’t like his siblings, I’d like Manic. And I was right. Out of the three, Manic was always my favorite by just what little I knew before the journey, and he is still my favorite by the end of the journey. Nothing has changed. 

I genuinely believe Manic was the character with the most development out of the trio and took second for the most development out of ALL characters in the series. Even if he often falls back to his character tropes, I still feel that he grew as a character by the end of the series. He came from living the worst out of the trio to realizing he was taken away from a luxurious life at birth. This boy needs therapy after this is done.

•♫•♬• Headcanons •♬•♫•

➣Manic was born last out of the three. (I believe this is canon, but I’m putting it here anyway)

➣Manic’s eyes are Fuchsia, parallel to Sonia’s fur color. 

➣He doesn’t let it show, but Manic holds slight resentment over Aleena and how she handled splitting him and his siblings up, thinking that they could have all stayed in Mobodoon together.

➣While Farrell tried to teach Manic that he should have some trust in others, an encounter with a shady mobian made him question if he could trust strangers or not. Encounters with mobians like Stripes and Luke didn’t help with his lack of trust. 

[percyaugod]

I fucking love your purple prime au!!!11!!!!!1111 anyway question time!!

is brother krang still alive because in some posts you say three new "kids" because if he is that adds a bit too the plot cause well they 100% thought he was dead

weve seen the turtles and caseys opinions what about cass's splinters draxums etc

does senior hueso ever appear? tbh most of my questions involve side characters because they would be so cool too see!!

and we know they can technically still talk too the ancestors if needed do they contact them?

Thank you! ^ ^

Brother Krang being alive is something I've been thinking about as a possibility but never fully decided or what would change. Sure we see him trapped in the ship, but we don't know if it was hard enough to crush him or if he died from the explosion as the portal closed. So he could be running around, watching and waiting as he heals.

This could lead Donnie to think him hearing the Krangs' voice is just him imagining things when he starts hearing another voice in his head. Since the brother Krang doesn't speak out loud the turtles don't know what he sounds like. Bonus points if he actually talks a lot in the hive mind, almost rivaling Leo.

He could just accept Donnie as the new leader, freaking out the others when Donnie brings home another one, or decide to go rogue. This is the turtle that took control of his ship after all. Leading to a situation where Krang one and the sister Krang have to fight their brother to protect Donnie.

If he did join the group the amount of times he scared the others by silently appearing behind them. Damnit Donnie! Put a damn bell on the thing!

Casey Sr would be the only thing Other than Donnie the Krang fear. She bit one of them, will at times just stand still for hours staring at them, those monsters she calls scouts, and Purple Prime has absolutely no control over her! Casey Sr thinks she can bear them in a fight and they're too scared to test her theory.

Splinter spends a lot of time in denial. These were the things that nearly took away two of his sons, there's no way his Purple would just-

He starts to wonder if it was all his fault. He just randomly appointed Blue as the leader and didn't talk about it with the others or ask if Blue even wanted to be the leader.

He had so much potential though! Always coming up with plans and knowing his and the others' strengths and how to properly use them. Not to mention the stress was obviously tearing his oldest apart.

If he had done some things differently, would none of this have happened?

By the time he sorts himself out, the kids have started a trial run with Purple and the Krang since they apparently can't get rid of them without negatively affecting Purple. Again they had to rely on themselves because he couldn't pull himself out of his own head. He regrets making them grow up so fast but is so proud of who they've become.

Draxum is working with Casey Jr on trying to find a way to separate Donnie from the Krang. He wasn't there to see what the Krang did, but the aftermath says enough. Draxum discovers the empyrean he used to create the turtles is of Krang origin and could be part of why Donnie integrated so well. The fear that this means the other mutants and yokai that also come from empyrean are also at risk.

Hueso would definitely be worried about the kids. He doesn't see them too often after everything and they look so beat up and tired. Not to mention Leo is apparently at home healing from injuries. When he does see him again there isn't any of that usual annoying, energetic personality.

For once, Hueso wishes Leo would complain and rant to him about his problems so he knew what was going on. Knew how he could help.

It's fine! ^ ^ Gets me really thinking.

Probably not the best idea to contact the ancestors. When asked about the Shredder they gave some of the worse advice. No one wants to know what they'd say about the same species as the one that created him.

They'd talk to Karai though. She'd do her best to try to comfort them and guide them. Donatello is still family and he sees them as such, his Ninpo proves that. So she tries to be there for him to know that he's still family to them as well.

She won't say it out loud, but she does worry about him losing himself like her father once did.