#SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG!

[oathkeeper-of-tarth]

So, I'm curious: What's your take on Aylin's experience after/if she kills Lorroakan?

Allegedly, there's some information floating around somewhere that said Aylin was angry with Selune after she killed Lorroakan, but I can't find where this info is.

If you saw posts about that here on tumblr it was probably posted by @justanotherignot! I've actually been meaning to gather up all the devnote tidbits about Selûne from Aylin and Isobel for a while now, so thank you for the excuse to do so and ramble a bit.

Player: I was just wondering what it was like in that cage of Balthazar's. Aylin: Let us not dwell on those dark days. Their memory is a vortex within my heart that leads directly to the Hells.

What is happening is, well, it's the century of unthinkable horror catching up to her. It's the Trauma(TM) - in one of the conversation options she's literally triggered by the mention of someone being run through repeatedly! It's the growing awareness that although she's been freed (and possibly reunited with her love), the secret is out and there are always going to be assholes gunning for her, aiming to use her as an "artefact" and power source to fuel their ambitions, without any regard for her, you know... basic personhood and well-being. Also, Lorroakan was blatantly lying. He didn't find any super special way to siphon her immortality with "no harm, no pain of any kind", he was just replicating Balthazar's soul cage (you can even find a letter from Ketheric to him, showing Lorroakan was pestering them).

On to the stuff from the game files! First, the conversation with Aylin directly after the Lorroakan fight in the tower. I'm going to be putting the context notes in square brackets next to the lines they apply to. I also plucked some audio out from the files for some of these because I love the delivery.

Aylin: The fire-haired fool is dead. Yet as I stare upon his corpse, I feel… sadness. Why? [Slow and curious, angry and confused by all that has happened.] Player: What kind of sadness is it? / I know something of sadness - or at least the ballads do. What does it feel like? Aylin: A gripping in the chest. As though I'd lost someone, something. [Lost in thought for a moment; confused.] Aylin: A paladin's fatigue, no doubt. You were excellent in battle, as is your way. And I am proud to fight at your side. [Remembering herself. She is Dame Aylin.] Aylin: I will catch my breath, then to camp I will bring my bones. Moonmaiden be with you. Player: Smiting is a weighty duty - sometimes it can be tiring. / Perhaps smiting has lost its pleasures. Aylin: Say it can't be so. For I am Selûne's sword. And ever must be. [She means it, but on the periphery of her consciousness is a tiny crack. Wondering about her fate.]

The above never fails to get me - she is Dame Aylin! Sword of the Moonmaiden! Glorious immortal paladin, champion of a righteous cause! She smites evil-doers for breakfast, that's, like, her whole thing! What do you mean she can't just pick up where she left off and go about her merry smitey way? What do you mean the thing that is supposed to be the literal core of her entire being (forever) doesn't feel good and glorious anymore, but just makes her feel sad and empty? No, no, no, we can't have that.

Player: One of the greatest tragedies of revenge is that it can only be taken once. / Because you won't get to kill him again? Aylin: Perhaps. Yet if I could run him through a thousand times, I wonder-- [Lost in thought, she's been triggered to remember her own fate being run through over and over.] Aylin: Battle has tired my mind, made me susceptible to flights of fancy. You were excellent in battle, as is your way. And I am proud to fight at your side.

Aylin: I will return to camp shortly. I just need a moment to… to… [Lost in thought.]

She so very desperately needs some rest and a chance to come to terms with everything that happened and that was done to her. And it's clear it's going to be hard because she is defaulting to trying to deny anything is wrong, is clearly trying (and failing) to just be her old self immediately, has blatantly internalised a lot of that classic I Am A Sword stuff on top of everything (even though her mother is huge on free will and choice!), and is just really not well-equipped to handle any of this at all.

Next, this is the post-Lorroakan convo you get if you have both Aylin and Isobel in camp.

Aylin: Ah. Ally mine. We are reunited once more. [Warm, but drained. She's not feeling like herself.] Aylin: I was just regaling sweet Isobel with tales of our prowess. Isobel: Very impressive. Thank you for helping Aylin - that wizard sounded absolutely dastardly. [Good humored. Soft in tone. A little uncertain - she's not sure why Aylin isn't herself.] Player: My pleasure. He had it coming. Aylin: He did, and it came. Now, my friend: bask in your victory. I will do the same. Aylin: But fear not: when the time comes for you to face the foe of foes, Isobel and I will stand by your side. [Rallying her soldierly spirit, but still a little drained.] Isobel: We wouldn't miss it. Not for anything. Aylin: Go well, friend. We will see you soon. And with our great powers combined, this city will be saved. Player: Hopefully he'll be the last. Aylin: There are always more bastards behind bastards. But we will run through them all, each by each.

Player: I hope you can rest easy now, Dame Aylin. Aylin: I always do, with darling Isobel by my side. Aylin: Enjoy the spoils of your victory. Spin memories of Lorroakan's death in your mind like silkfloss.

If Isobel isn't there (meaning she died in Act 2), you get this version:

Aylin: Ah. Ally mine. We are reunited once more. [Warm, but drained. She's not feeling like herself.] Aylin: I was just reviewing our fight against foul Lorroakan; your moves and mine. The victory was soundly won. Aylin: Don't you think? [Uncharacteristically, Aylin is seeking input. She's usually so confident about everything, but killing Lorroakan has not had the intended effect on her.] Player: Indeed I do. Let his demise serve as a warning to anyone else who'd seek you out. Aylin: Let him be the last. If my dear mother has any mercy, she will ensure it. [Trying to stay her usual self, but her mask is cracking a tiny bit here. Privately, Aylin is dealing with a great deal of anger toward her mother, the goddess Selûne, But she's not yet willing to face it. How could her powerful mother let all this happen to her?]

Player: We fought well - though I was a little worried about you afterward, in truth. Aylin: Set your mind at ease, my friend. Dame Aylin is more well now than she has been this past century. [Good humored. Soft in tone. A little uncertain - it's true she's better now than she has been, but why does she feel so shitty, then? (She's in the beginning of reckoning with the trauma of what happened to her).]

Player: I hope you can rest easy now, Dame Aylin. Aylin: Yes. I wish for the very same. Aylin: Enjoy the spoils of your victory. Spin memories of our prowess in your mind like silkfloss.

So, a few things pop out for me here. First, you get the more explicit anger at Selûne if Isobel isn't there, as opposed to the "hahah, I will smite all the bastards who dare come after me, no matter how many there are" line. "How could her powerful mother let all this happen to her?" just... damn, hits hard, even if you subscribe to the theory that Selûne simply could not intervene in the Shadowfell imprisonment beyond sending those poor people whose graves you find in front of the mausoleum.

And here Aylin really lays it on thick with the denial that there's anything wrong at all. Combined with the letter you get from her in the epilogue if Isobel is dead, it just paints such a bleak, sad picture. I can just see her going all out on the Sword of Selûne duty-bound paladin side of things, no rest, no healing, no stopping even for a moment, no dealing with anything at all, from the trauma to the bitterness towards mum. Until whatever horrible breaking point comes, a year or a century from now. The need for Isobel's humanising influence is so clear. I've touched on Isobel's side of things here.

Speaking of having a bone to pick with Selûne, if you're playing as a cleric/paladin of Selûne, you can get some extra very honest dialogue with Isobel in Last Light:

Player: Why has the Moonmaiden waited until now to take an interest in this curse? Isobel: Maybe she was waiting for one of us to find this place ourselves. Free will, and all that.

Isobel: Though if it were my place to ask why she let Ketheric turn; why she allowed this village to rot at his hands - believe me, I would. [A cold edge in her voice]

Player: Are you faring all right? It can't be easy holding a lone candle in such darkness. Isobel: All things with her strength. You know the litany. [A little sarcastically. She's got a bone to pick with Selûne but isn't being too overt.]

Side note: the amount of devnotes for Isobel's lines that say she's delivering them "with swagger" and being "cheeky" makes me smile every time. Love her. Love her snark.

Also, to get it out of the way: no, I'm fairly sure Aylin did not break her oath. I see this brought up a ton and I just see no way for it to be the case. There is nothing to suggest this outside of a wording similarity and it just makes no sense. Girl is clearly some flavour of Oath of Vengeance (she uses Abjure Enemy, so this is the case even mechanically, even though she's obviously an NPC and not a standard player-build paladin) and she killed a very shitty guy who was also explicitly after her in godawful ways. You can do far worse things in the game than her dramatic speech and backbreaker and not break you OoV.

[novafire-is-thinking]

So I was wondering for a long time what would canonically happen if a human stayed inside a Cybertronian while they transformed. I came across two pages in IDW comics that mostly answered my question:

However, would this apply to all other Transformers or does it only apply to those with the same body type as Bumblebee or only Bumblebee? Does the alt mode have anything to do with this? Would the transforming noise be louder or muffled from the inside?

It definitely depends on the bot’s body type and alt mode. It probably depends on the show and continuity too.

Prime

In the second episode of Prime, Miko forgets to grab her guitar before hopping out of Bulkhead. It ends up somewhere in his “subspace”:

Notice how she says “back seat.”

In the IDW panels you sent, Bumblebee shifts his passengers to his back seat before transforming.

This tells me that, when a Cybertronian with a car mode is transforming from alt mode to root mode, people and items are probably safer and/or more comfortable if they’re in the back seat.

A couple of episodes later, it’s discovered that Miko tagged along without Bulkhead realizing it. Twice:

In the moments leading up to this part, Bulkhead is seen launching from the ground in alt mode and transforming to his root mode midair to grab onto a rocky cliff side. Miko was inside the entire time and survived, although she definitely suffered for it.

What about root mode to alt mode transformation? What would happen then?

Well, in season 3, Miko does what she does and ends up inside of Wheeljack’s subspace:

It’s never shown whether WJ first transformed to alt mode to let her hop in or if he just opened up his chest and dropped her in. My guess is the latter since, on the way out of the hangar to the ship, Magnus and Bulkhead weren’t far ahead of him when she asked if she could come. They probably would have noticed him switch to his alt mode, which neither Wheeljack nor Miko wanted.

The thing is, did he think before dropping Miko inside?

I doubt that he did, but these are the questions I would have:

Since combat might require split-second transformation, did he drop her in knowing she would survive an emergency transformation to his alt mode? (Unknown)

Did he tell her in which part of his subspace she’d be most comfortable in case he had to transform to his alt mode? (Probably not)

Was his plan to let her out in Magnus’ ship before going outside? (Maybe)

So, in TFP, The safety and comfort of a human inside a bot going from car mode to root mode is unknown.

Unfortunately, I have nothing I can go off of for fliers.

Rescue Bots

Several times throughout the series, the human members of the rescue team ride inside their partners’ chests when they switch to and from their alt modes. It’s safe and comfortable. They even get nice seats. lol

Barring the fact that this is a kids show which requires this feature, I wonder if the bots were able to choose this for their human partners or if they just made sure to scan alt modes with that particular type of subspace.

It would definitely be interesting to know if Cybertronians have the ability to choose which insides and kibble go where when first scanning an alt mode…

Anyway—

Rise of the Beasts + Bayverse films

RotB gave us a golden glimpse of Cybertronian transformation abilities.

Behold…one of my favorite parts of the movie:

Originally, I was going to use the AoE clip of Optimus scanning his new alt mode and transforming around his human passengers, but this clip works better. It’s an excellent display of what a Cybertronian body is capable of.

With more than a handful of distinct alt modes, Mirage appears to be a special case. I mean, the guy can literally separate pieces of his body to give to others and become an armored suit for a human.

Can all Cybertronians do that? I have no idea. When’s it my turn to be lovingly wrapped in living metal armor? Hm?

Looking at both AoE and RotB, Cybertronians appear to have the ability to move individual parts (within limits).

It would make sense if all bots could at least do what Mirage does in the above clip, if nothing more than that.

This is incredibly useful when transforming with human passengers.

Now, to answer your last question (finally):

The noise level inside a bot during transformation would depend on which parts are being moved and how much shifting is taking place. Cosmetic shifts would be muffled since they’re happening outside, but if parts surrounding the human(s) are being shifted, it’s going to be loud and clear to the passenger(s).

Movies are almost never a good way of determining realistic noise levels, but in the clip with Mirage and Noah, things don’t sound muffled at all.

[esprei]

Greetings! Might I request a shiny Corviknight for the Corvid Lovers of the world?

certainly! i actually really like the way shiny Corviknight looks, it might just be one of my new favorites!

[sekaitransparents]

fangs in the shadows gacha: retail therapy ~ mizuki akiyama (requested by @written-by-kafka)

[cuippedtea]

Zombie Deer Disease

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Gift for @puggybut for the @mcytblrholidayexchange event!!! a spooky gem + survivor chibis :> I attempted a different style w/ this one, so I hope you like it!! I noticed that you like TMA so I kinda went with a sort of Hunt vibe that daisy is usually drawn with :]

Additional things under cut:

w/color, w/out survivor chibis, lineart, w/out effects, chibi closeups

+ ranchers concept sketch that didn't make the cut

[luinhealthcare]

Does Hyrule mind teaching how to assess a patient??👉👈

"You... want to learn how to assess patients?" Hyrule asked hesitantly.

Wild shrugged. "What if I want to be an EMT?"

"You also said you wanted to be a chef in the hospital."

"I can do both, you know."

Hyrule laughed. "I suppose so. Well... we'll need a patient for this to work."

Wild immediately snatched Sky, who yelped as his friend snaked a hand around his wrist. "Sky's the patient, heaven knows he needs to be looked over anyway."

"Look who's talking, Mr. I-Have-Seizures-and-Don't-Tell-Anybody," Sky grumbled as he was manhandled to sit between the other two.

"Well, everyone knows now."

Hyrule and Sky gave Wild a scalding look. Adequately apologetic, Wild shrugged sheepishly.

"Anyway," Hyrule sighed, shifting his focus to Sky. "Assessments come in different forms. You've got a primary and a secondary assessment. Primary is kind of a general overview and checking for life threatening stuff, secondary is in-depth on what the issue actually is. Make sense?"

Wild nodded.

"Great!" Hyrule continued with a smile. "Okay. Sky's our patient. Sky, you got shot once, right?"

Sky nodded, and Wild balked. "He what?!"

"It was a long time ago," Sky waved a dismissive hand.

"Okay, so that's our scenario," Hyrule said, standing. "We're dispatched for a 21-year-old male with a GSW--"

"That means gunshot wound, right?"

"Yeah. GSW, conscious patient. That's all we've got. So, you get on scene, and the very first thing you do is check for scene safety. If the scene isn't safe, we're not going in. First thing you're taught in EMS - your own safety comes first, because if you're shot you can't help the patient. It's you, your partner, then the patient."

"How often do you actually listen to that rule?" Sky asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That's not what we're learning today," Hyrule waved off easily. It was pretty common knowledge that while he would never put his partner's life at risk, he'd gotten himself into dicey situations before. But he knew how to get himself out of those situations too. "So, we determine the scene is safe. Next, is our primary assessment. The purpose of this assessment is to check for life threatening things, and an overview of major body systems. Neuro status, bleeding, and your ABCs: Airway, Breathing, Circulation.

"The situation is pretty dynamic, like sometimes you walk up and somebody's got an arterial bleed and spurting blood everywhere, your assessment stops right there and you go fix that bleed. But generally you'll have time to do the entire primary assessment."

"Okay, so neuro and ABCs?"

"Yeah. And the good thing is that most of it happens all at once, you know? You walk up to Sky and he looks at you, then boom, you've got a good neuro - he's awake, he's alert. He may not be oriented, but you can figure that out by just talking to him. And by this point you can tell if there's life threatening bleeding. Then it's ABCs - is his airway patent, or open? Is he breathing, and is he doing so normally? Is his skin warm, dry, and normal tone for him? You can literally do al these things by just walking into the room and looking at him for five seconds. The primary assessment is done really fast and, the more times you do it, basically automatically."

"What would be an example of something being wrong?" Wild askd.

Hyrule glanced at him. "When I got on scene for your crash, you were unconscious and unresponsive--in other words, you were not only unconscious, but nothing would wake you up--and your breathing was gurgling sounding because you had blood in your airway."

Glancing at Sky, Hyrule said, "Sky can give us an example of a not great primary assessment, I'm sure."

Helpfully, Sky immediately flopped off the chair he was sitting on, collapsing to the ground with a crash. Wild laughed, and footsteps rushed from upstairs into the living room.

Twilight immediately froze in the entranceway, eyes wide and fixed on Sky. "Sky, what the--guys what the hell is hap--"

Sky perked up immediately. "Oh, sorry! I'm just helping Hyrule teach Wild!"

Twilight froze a moment and then sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose and grumbling under his breath.

Hyrule smiled, pointing at Twilight. "He just perfectly showed a good primary assessment looks like! He walked in and saw the patient down on the ground, tried to figure out a neuro by calling out to him, and when Sky woke up he immediately could tell he was fine. Neuro intact, not bleeding, had a patent airway because he's talking, breathing normally, and skin looks normal."

"I hate all of you," Twilight groaned, walking out of the room.

"Okay, but by skin looking normal... what does it mean when it doesn't?" Wild asked.

"Your skin can tell a story," Hyrule explained. "If you're diaphoretic, which means sweating, something is likely wrong. Though it depends on context - if your patient's sweaty but they were just exercising, it makes sense. If Sky's sweaty on the ground after being shot, he's in shock. If the skin is cool, the body isn't circulating well - that can sap the color right out of your skin - the lighter your skin tone the more notable it is, but darker skin tones can become paler too. A lot of times with darker skin tones you'll want to look at their palms or their lips, that'll help you determine it. Another color is grey - that usually means cardiac and it's bad. So skin can tell you a lot!"

"How did my skin look?" Wild questioned, curious.

"Pale," Hyrule immediately answered. "Anyway. Sky's your patient. Look him over."

"Okay," Wild blew out a breath, approaching Sky and kneeling beside him. "So he's unconscious, that's my neuro so far."

"Can you arouse him at all?"

Wild poked Sky in the neck. Sky flinched. Wild poked again and Sky giggled. Wild's eyes widened in realization, and a mischievous smile crossed his face.

"Wild, wait--"

Sky started laughing hysterically as his friend tickled him, wiggling and trying to shove him away.

"Get--off of m--Wild you jerk--"

Hyrule chuckled. "Well, we're not taught to tickle our patients, but that works."

[nuttynutcycle]

Prompt fill for @epiclamer prompt fill game! “Okay I know it was literally JUST posted but what about a switcheroo, tall villain and short hero :]'

“Little one,” he hummed, “Come out of your hiding place.” His grin sharpened as he reduced a pine tree into splinters and broken branches. “I won’t bite.”

That was less than reassuring. The protagonist clutched the stolen plans closer to her chest, barely daring to breathe. 

The antagonist had sneered when he found the empty case, smiled when the protagonist barrelled out of their hiding place through a window and laughed as she ran into the forest. Equal parts leisurely and methodical, the glint in his eyes riveled the one lining the axe.

“Leave the plans behind. Still time to escape.” the antagonist cut down another tree and the protagonist winced. She curled her body and crawled under a fallen tree, moving as quickly as she dared.

After weeks of preparation, three bribed guards and nine bypassed levels of security, leaving the plans was not an option. Her breath hitched when she saw the electric fence come into view. The buzz in the air meant the antagonist had gotten the power back on before she had predicted. Stomach on the ground, she wiggled into a rotting log. Gross, but effective.

“I know your face.”

She unrolled the plans and winced at another tree crashing through the underbrush. Her eyes flickered over the diagrams, committing as much as she could to memory.

“One of my more impressive talents is my ability to find people,” the antagonist said as casually as having a chat about the weather. “And those they care about.” Another tree fell, skewering the moss below. “Can you really protect everyone?”

No, but that’s a problem for later. She took one last look at the plans, counted to three and crawled out of the log and into plain sight. The sticks hurt her hands and the dust made her cough.

The antagonist grinned, eyes shining through the haze. 

“Are these your plans?” She held up the plans in mock surrender. “I thought they were your diary. My bad.”

He twirled his axe. “Giving up that easily is a disappointing end.” 

 “What can I say?” Her shrug did nothing to hide her tremor. “You make very effective threats.”

“One of my many talents. Drop them on the ground.”

“I’d like to make a deal,” She swallowed dryly. “I give you the plans, you turn off the electric fence for the next ten minutes.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Counteroffer – I put my axe in your knee and take the plans before your first scream is finished.”

“Shame, I was on track to win the ‘Best Legs’ contest at work.” The protagonist slowly backed away.

The antagonist laughed at that, some mirth entering his grin. The tip of the axe rested against the ground. “Alright, have it your way. As soon as my property is back inside, I’ll turn the fence off for ten minutes.”

“…I have your word?” The antagonist was many things, but in their line of work, his word was as close to honourable as you could get.

The antagonist nodded. 

Maybe the protagonist would regret this, but she tossed the plans to the antagonist. The antagonist reached up and casually placed the plans on an overarching tree branch – out of the protagonist's reach. 

“Thank you for returning my work.” The antagonist’s expression shifted, eyes sharpening and smile hardening.

Welp. “This was nice.” She struggled to keep her voice steady as he matched her backward scramble step for step. “But my team is waiting for me, I really must be going-“

“It was foolish,” his hand slammed into a tree beside her, sending splinters and wood chips flying, “to memorize my property.”

The protagonist’s voice faltered. “We have a deal.”

“And as soon as you’re secured in a cell and the plans are in their case, I’ll cut power for ten minutes. I’m a man of my word.” He levelled the axe at the protagonist, and this close, the bloodstains were clearly visible. “Walk.”

The protagonist’s breath hitched as she turned back towards the imposing building.

“Don’t be upset.” The antagonist said from behind, axe twirling. “Desperation suits you.”

[purplebehittindifferent]

Looks like they’ve finally sorted it out…

Spiderverse masterpost

part 1 / part 2 / part 3 final (you are here)

Kham belongs to @ask-dcf

[imaginethezeldaverse]

Hello! I don't know if you write for the more obscure characters in Botw/Totk but I figured I'd ask just in case ☺️ Could you please write something about Tauro, Purah, Sidon and Zelda dating a Sheikah s/o who's chronically ill/disabled? It'd be great if you could make them specifically have weak bones and be really short too, and they're often upset how people keep babying them because they might fracture or break something. But if you want to keep it more open-ended that's fine too!

Thank you so so much, you're probably my favorite Zelda blog on Tumblr! Your writing and ideas are always like *chefs kiss* 😘! Have a good day and drink lots of water!

Whenever people tell me I'm their favorite anything it literally shocks me because there are SO many fantastic zelda fic blogs on here that I feel are vastly superior - but I thank you nonetheless! 🥰

I'll write for pretty much any character - I just keep romance and nsfw content for adults. So I'd be happy to!

Tauro, as well-mannered and good-natured he is, is amongst the mass where he needs to be reminded that while you are disabled, you aren't incapable of doing normal things. He tries his best to remember that, but his rambunctious and steadfast nature leads him to be righteous and helpful, even when it's not needed. Plus given his height, he always just assumes that people tend to need help to reach things in tall places if he's ever around. He does try his best to be sensitive to your needs and wants, however, tapping his hand to his chest when he catches himself doing too much. Instead, he makes an effort to remind himself to wait for you to ask him should you need anything. Very affectionate, otherwise - he enjoys making you smile and wrapping his big ol' bear arms around you (albeit, he's careful not to actually squeeze you too hard because he does NOT know his own strength) and is very attentive on the days that you specifically don't feel well and your body leaves you in a weaker state than normal.

Purah, being the research fanatic and accomplished scientist that she is, is already aware and well read on your illness. That, however, has never stopped her from being absolutely smitten with you. Where she is boisterous and outlandish, there is a careful resilience to you that she keeps close to her heart. She sees your frustration often with the townsfolk who treat you with unnecessary delicacy, and while she understands the "good-intent", she feels as you do: chronic illness should not beget differential treatment. When you express your frustrations, she's an open ear always. Purah is never one to explain why the people of your community act this way that leans in their favor, but rather why their attitudes should not portray you under a fragile light when you are anything but. She empathizes with you greatly, knowing exactly what it's like for your own people to treat you like you're something you're not (her experiences with de-aging left quite the mark), but she assures you that you've always got her on your side.

“I’ve never much like everyone else…and neither have you,” Purah muses, tapping her recorder in her hand. She lifts her glasses, her crimson eyes blazing in your direction with admiration and sincerity, “I guess that makes us a cut above the rest, now doesn’t it?”

Sidon is about as bubbly with you as you can imagine. That sharp smile completely alight when you're with him. His height difference compared to yours doesn't bother him considering he towers greatly over just about everyone he meets, so as long as you don’t care (which he secretly hopes you don’t!) then all is well. When he learns about your chronic illness, he’s at first admittedly worried, but he sees how much you value your independence and doesn’t push you to do less than anything you’re up for. Sidon, having learned his healing capabilities from Mipha, will actually offer to “bathe” with you whenever you’re not feeling especially strong, letting the softness of his magically imbued water immerse your body and take any pain or pressure off of your form for a while and bring you some ease. You don’t take him up on it often, half because you don’t feel it’s always necessary, and half because you don’t want to impose - though of course Sidon would refute you ever being an imposition upon him. He chooses his words very carefully, making sure to give you the impression that he’s willing to do whatever you need should you need something from him, but without overstepping and making you feel incapable.

“You’ll never be without, my darling,” Sidon whispers, taking your hand, those slit-pupiled eyes softening as he brushes back a lock of your silver-white hair, “But I will never claim to know you better than yourself.”

Zelda has always been a ball of curiosity, that’s one of the things you love about her. She has an awfully curious mind, so when you explain to her about your chronic illness for the first time, she of course asks you a lot of questions. You laugh thinking about back then, how she felt terrible for borderline prying into your life though she wanted to know everything about you at that time. You remember assuring her that it was fine, and it made you incredibly grateful that Impa had introduced you before she stepped down - it allowed you two to get close. The times that you’ve gone to town together, Zelda takes notice of how people tend to treat you akin to porcelain: delicate, fragile, some even giving off the impression that you’re a lost cause because of your Sheikah heritage. Combined with your stature (with Zelda herself being on the shorter side of an average Hylian’s height), it’s enough to infuriate you both. You two tend to bounce off of one another: shes sticks up for you when you feel like someone’s unnecessarily babying you, and you put your two cents in whenever someone is overly cautious and hovering due to her status, even after proving herself beyond capable. Ultimately she too understands your plight of people looking at you differently because of who are you or what they know about you. She recants the days when her father treated her as helpless and small, hyper focused on keeping her in line rather than letting her be her own person. She takes your hand, intertwining fingers with yours and lending you a genuine smile.

“But we are not weak. We are not frail or easily broken. I am not defined entirely by my title,” Zelda kisses the top of your hand before gently covering it with her other in an endearing move, “And you are not defined by your illness.”

[wonderdrive14]

First date: part: (8/10)

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[comingyourlugubriousness]

Happy Birthday Yume Ume: Personal Story (Part 1/3)

Part: 1 / 2 / 3

Yume: This day has been so fun! I almost forgot about the presenting thingy…hmm I wonder who it will be…

???: Ugh, back here again. *yawn* Let’s get this over with.

Yume: Oh, Leona! You're my presenter?! 

Leona: Don’t look so chuffed; the birdbrain headmage dumped this on me last minute.

Yume: Dumped…? Ah, *they look annoyed* so that’s what he meant by “finding willful volunteers”.  Jeez… Sorry, you got stuck with that.

Leona: *Leona crosses his arms.* It is what it is; I’m here now. So let’s just get this over with. I’ll start with my gift.

Yume: O-oh! *They are flustered, but hold their hands out.* Wait, is this…? “The Theology of Cultures in Twisted Wonderland: an in depth look at religion myths, folklore, legends and more…”

Yume: *bursts out laughing*

Leona: …*brows furrow upwards.* What’s so funny?  

Yume: *they take a deep breath* N-no it's nothing; It’s just-! Do you know how long I’ve been looking for this book! Like for months now, but it's nowhere online or in any Libraries or bookstores! And you just tossed it in my hands like it was nothing.

Leona: …Oh? *adjusts his face* And that’s amusing to you?

Yume: It’s HILARIOUS, I knew I’d get my hands on it eventually, but I didn’t see it playing out this way. *Sincerely* Thank you.

Leona: *a little surprised by the sincerity.* Well, it's not that big of a deal. *crosses his arms.* I read it a long time ago when I was younger and just had it lying around. 

Yume: *annoying grin* Just Lion around huh, you can’t go one convo without a pun, huh?

Leona: I won’t dignify that with a response.

Yume: *smugly* You just did.

Leona: …*puts a hand to his forehead.* This is why I can’t stand kids.

Yume: Then grab a seat. *snorts*

Leona: *Heavily sighs*

-

End of part 1

[heardchef]

the bear but it's just carmy saying chef requested by @guyfieriii

[dracocheesecake]

Can you write a drunk Kai fic?

Can I?! 👀

Warning: Some foul language, drunkenness, slightly suggestive innuendo

It was a nice night out: clear skies, the moonlight nothing short of inviting. The lanterns of the nearby town glowed warmly, red and yellow, beckoning the weary soldier forth to partake in what it had to offer. You just had to go out.

That was how Oogway had justified it to Kai, though really, he didn't need an excuse; for one who usually fussed so much over his rank, he never did miss an opportunity for drinks and women. Oogway barely had to say anything before Kai tossed aside the weapons he had been polishing and strolled out of the tent they shared with a small bag of money, bouncing it lightly in one hoof.

"Drinks on me," was all he said- and who was Oogway to refuse such an offer?

A few drinks in, though, he was starting to have his regrets. He counted from recent memory how many shots they had each taken from the clay jug set on their table. For himself: two. For Kai: four.

It was cheap huangjiu, and possibly even watered down. Oogway wasn't even feeling tipsy yet. Kai had had only four shots, and none too quick in succession of each other; He couldn't have gotten that drunk so quickly, not with his size, especially with their meal.

Oogway gently picked up the jug. It was still warm, and barely empty. He swished the wine around, then glanced up at Kai again. He was giggling to himself, a wide smile plastered on his face, the likes of which Oogway had never before seen from him. He chattered more than ever, too, apparently about nothing in particular- probably the heifers sitting not far from them- Oogway was too worried to notice.

He now had a problem on his hands. The longer he spent with Kai, the more apparent it became. They had leave, yes, but only for a certain time; they needed to be back to relieve their compatriots of the morning patrol before too long, and if they didn't show up at time- or showed up drunk, unable to serve- the punishment would be severe.

Oogway took the jug and subtly poured the rest of its contents into a potted plant nearby. Kai hadn't noticed- when he finally tore his eyes off the women in the bar, he just picked up the empty jug and tried to pour it into his cup. His brow furrowed in consternation. He tried a few more times, then peeked into the jug. He looked up at Oogway, with such an inappropriately woebegone expression that Oogway nearly burst into laughter.

"Where did the wine go?" He asked.

Oogway choked back his chortles. "...You drank it all, Kai," he said.

The bull blinked. "I did?"

"Yep. Every drop. Now let's head back. We've done what we came here to do, and we still have patrol. Maybe the walk will sober you up."

Kai snorted, that dopey smile returning. "I'm not drunk. Night's young. Lighten up. Besides, we haven't done everything there's to do yet."

That grin became a little more salacious, and he tossed his head towards a small group of heifers seated at a table nearby.

"What do you think?"

"I think we need to get going before the sergeant finds out we're not at our posts."

Kai glanced at Oogway, and his eyes widened. For one hopeful moment, he thought that maybe he had finally gotten through to him- a hope that was quickly dashed.

"Of course! You probably don't like heifers, huh? I don't know what you prefer."

He grinned again, then leaned over the table until Oogway could smell the faint hint of alcohol on his breath. His voice lowered into a conspiratorial whisper (or what Kai probably thought was a whisper).

"What do you like, Oogway? Anyone here catch your eye? Maybe that croc over there with the long tail, or that turtle with the nice curve to her shell, hmmm?"

He winked, and Oogway felt both abashed and annoyed at the same time. He rolled his eyes and pushed Kai so that he slumped back into his seat. The bull giggled, stomping his hooves. Oogway sighed and pinched the space between his brows. Already a headache was forming.

"We're getting you out of here," he grumbled under his breath, "with luck, by the time I drag your ass back to camp the sun will only be just beginning to rise."

He got up and grabbed Kai's arm, then somehow managed to get him out of the bar. They were standing in the street, and Oogway turned to him, about to grab him and resume the attempt to get back, but then Kai suddenly grabbed his face.

Oogway at first froze, confused. Then Kai started squeezing his face between the clefts on his hooves that acted as his forefinger and thumb.

"...I've never noticed before," he said, "but you're really squishy. What's up with that?"

He pulled on Oogway's cheeks, pinched them, squeezed them again, and continued to pull them. "Soooooooo squishy. OH!"

His eyes widened. "That's what the shell's for!" He released Oogway's face and then knocked on the shell, sending reverberations down his spine.

"PROTECT THE SQUISHY PARTS!" Kai laughed boisterously, then nearly lost his footing and stumbled back. Oogway reached for him, but Kai caught himself, leaning forward and putting his weight on Oogway. He chuckled.

"What d'ya need armor for, dumbass? You already have some!" Then he cackled again.

At this point, bending a little under Kai's weight, Oogway contemplated just whopping his ass and leaving him here, damn the consequences; but then he remembered that he was his friend, and he actually liked him too much (when he was sober) to see him face corporal punishment.

Or embarrassment. There was another band of soldiers, people they knew from their regimen, just coming down the street. If they saw Kai like this, as a drunken fool, he would never live it down. Without thinking, he shoved the yak into a runoff ditch in the side of the road and jumped in after him. It was dark out, and the lamps weren't that bright; if they laid low, they could get away without notice...

And then Kai burst into song.

Oogway would have been more shocked and impressed, if the timing weren't so terrible; Again, he wondered to himself why he bothered with him, and again had to appraise their budding friendship. Yet again (though with a little more effort of will this time), he recalled that he actually liked Kai. He wasn't a bad singer, either.

With that in mind, Oogway managed to drag Kai up the other side of the ditch before they were seen, and then they were in an alleyway, and from there out into a field. Conveniently, the moment they were alone was the time Kai stopped singing. He stumbled into a rice paddy, gasped, and started stomping, sending muddy water splashing everywhere.

"GAAAH! FUCK! WET!" He jumped up and immediately began clambering onto Oogway's shell- as best someone of his size could attempt on someone so much smaller than him. In other circumstances- if it had been someone else- Oogway would have laughed; now, though, being the one bearing the full, crushing brunt of Kai's weight, he failed to see the humor in it.

"It is WET, Oogway! SO WET!" Kai was saying.

Oogway tried to shrug the yak off, but he clambered up further and nearly sent them both tumbling. Oogway barely managed to set them back to rights. His legs were about to buckle, but he held on, groaning as Kai settled awkwardly on his shell.

"Yeah," he said, voice strained. "It's a rice field. It's supposed to be. Now get down from there! I'm not going to carry you."

Kai clung to him tighter and adjusted his balance. "I carry you all the time, do this one thing for me!"

"I'm not 700 pounds, Kai!"

"I'M 760!"

"Yeah- heavy!"

Kai snorted disdainfully, and a note of faint sobriety came through. "You're just weak! See, this is what I get, for wasting my time on a scrap of-"

Oogway chuckled and slapped the back of Kai's thigh. "There, see? You're sobering up some. Good. Maybe that means you can walk yourself." His legs were shaking under him, but he was holding out.

Kai grunted and started squirming. "DID YOU JUST SLAP MY ASS, MOTHERFUCKER? DO I LOOK LIKE A HOR-"

Kai overbalanced himself, and Oogway helped, gladly ridding himself of the burden. Kai flipped, landing on his back in the rice patty with a loud, harsh, wet slap. Now Oogway did laugh, finally- but not for long. It fell to him once more to get Kai up and onto his hooves, and the trek began again. This time Kai, perhaps humbled by the mudbath, remained blissfully silent.

By some miracle they had arrived to the outer perimeters, and by another only just managed to get in right on time to relieve their compatriot. But the night was not yet over- their superior would be over at some point, to check to see that they were both awake and at their posts; if they could just manage that, then would the ordeal finally be over.

Oh, but nothing could be that simple, could it? Snoring sounded off to his right, snoring he had begun to recognize, since he and Kai had been forced to share a tent. He turned, but Kai was standing on his feet. He couldn't have been the source of the sound; and yet, there could be no mistake.

Oogway furrowed his brow. The lamps were dim here, and spaced out far, allowing them a good swath of darkness where they were. Kai was standing, yes, but he was leaning on his heels, and his head was lolling back on his shoulders. He reached up to shake him, just to see...

"Attention!"

Oogway jumped and immediately turned to salute to their superior officer. The rhino seemed to be glaring down at them suspiciously- but then Oogway remembered that it was quite dark out, and that was just his usual expression, besides. Even still, he prayed to the gods to have mercy, and not let him pay close attention. Oogway saw him turn his head sharply towards Kai, and then he realized in a panic that Kai, being asleep still, hadn't saluted.

Oogway surreptitiously reached over and puppeted Kai's elbow, jerking his arm in a way that would hopefully pass as a salute in the dark. It worked; their superior officer let out a pleased snort and nodded towards them.

"Very good," he said, "keep this vigilance up, and the two of you will go far. At ease, soldiers."

Then he turned on his heel and left. Only then did Oogway breathe out a sigh of relief. For the rest of the watch, he let Kai doze off, and took full advantage of the luxury of silence. He watched as the world lightened into gray around them, and a thin sliver of sun began to peek over the horizon. The shadow of a fellow soldier was coming over to relieve them, and only then did Oogway venture to wake Kai.

He nudged him so he almost tipped over. "Kai, wake up."

Kai stumbled, snorting, then looked at Oogway, blinking slowly. "Hrm?"

"Come on. Let's go to bed."

Kai yawned and nodded, rubbing his eyes. "Bed...? Hrm?...Sure, sounds good." He yawned again, stumbled, and then caught himself. Oogway then realized that Kai still wasn't entirely sober.

He sighed and took his arm, the dried mud from the rice patties crumbling into his palm where it wasn't completely matted in Kai's fur- but he could worry about getting him clean later. Right now, he just wanted to sleep. He guided them both through the maze of tents until finally finding their own, and he pushed Kai inside before going in himself. After that, he didn't bother with him anymore; he flopped onto his cot and retreated into his shell, ready to forget the world in hard-earned slumber.

But then he felt Kai's weight land heavily next to him, and then one of his arms laid over his shell and pulled him in close. At first Oogway could only lay there, paralyzed by confusion- and even further when Kai started making some sort of noise. It was soft, seeming to originate from deep in either Kai's belly or chest. It would start up one moment, continue in a low growl, then fade away before starting up again; but it wasn't snoring this time.

And that night, Oogway learned four things:

Kai was a light weight.

He was a cuddler.

He could sing.

And yaks purr.

[crabsnpersimmons]

Hey Crabs! I have a small question! 🦀

How do you make the pictures of your traditional art look so good!?

They are always bright and easy to see! But when I take a photo of my drawings, they always have a blue or yellow tint to them. So how do you make it look the way you do?

(Also, I want to gobble up your art it is so yummy and pretty! Sun and Moon are so precious in your style!) ❤️

Thanks! And I hope you’re having a good day! :D

no prob! there's actually a couple things i do, so here's the tl;dr:

Lighting: i use daylight or light from a neutral white lightbulb

Editing: i use my phone's built-in gallery app to lightly edit the colours so they're clear and as colour-accurate as i can get (from my screens at least)

and i'll go into a little more detail with some examples under the cut

1. Lighting

a habit of mine that i got from my IG days (ugh...) is using daylight whenever possible. daylight just lights up the whole area more evenly and relatively neutrally. this is my set up:

glamourous

basically, i put the artwork near a source of natural light and prop up a reflector (in this case, a blank page from another sketchbook) that helps distribute the light more evenly across the page, so that even the side that is furthest from the light gets some light that bounces off from the reflector. i don't always have a reflector tho, like if i'm only taking a picture of a small drawing and not an entire page, there's no need.

now, if it's dark, then i rely on my desk lamp, which uses a neutral white lightbulb. regular lightbulbs come in different temperatures, from warm to neutral to cool—so that might explain why your photos are coming out with a yellow or blue tint. warm lights are common in houses because they're cozy, while blue lights are common in working areas because, like daylight, they keep us more awake. neutral white is in between the two.

here's an example of my Moon doodle that i did recently under different lights: warm (from my bedside lamp), neutral white (from my work desk), and daylight (i don't have any cooler lights in the house, so i couldn't quite get the blue tint 😅)

now technically, NONE of these are colour accurate. so i always follow up with some light photo editing

2. Editing

now, i have 2 personal rules when it comes to editing my photos:

1) try to make it as close to the original as possible; and 2) don't spend too long on it

these are just my personal rules because... one) i'm lazy and i don't want to spend too long fixing every thing in my drawings, and two) i feel it is dishonest for me to make dramatic changes to my traditional art and still call it traditional art. whenever i do make digital enhancements (like colouring it digitally) i will tag it so no one would mistake it as purely traditional art. that's just me tho! there are no rules when you're having fun with your art and mixed media art is a thing! so do whatever you find fun and enjoyable.

also, i will try to make it as colour-accurate as possible, but i also recognize that not everyone's screens are calibrated the same way. my phone is set to a "Natural" colour setting, but on my new laptop (which i haven't figured out how to calibrate yet) is vibrant as all heck (like oh my gosh, maybe i need to start tagging everything with bright colours now, because what if someone else's laptop is this insanely vibrant and saturated??) but either way, i try not to spend too long on it because i know i won't be able to accommodate every screen.

anyways, for what i actually DO... i kinda just play around with different settings. if i took the picture under daylight, then there's not too much i adjust, usually it's the warm colours that are desaturated, so i try to make the reds pop more without effecting the blues too much.

or for my doodles, sometimes the doodle on the other side of the page is slightly visible, i'll tweak the lights and shadows and contrast levels until the background is clear enough (as long as it doesn't disturb the doodle i'm taking a photo of)

now, if your photos are coming out too yellow or blue because of your lighting, you can adjust that by tweaking the Temperature setting. here's an example of that warm Moon doodle:

already looking a little better, right? so don't worry if your photos aren't coming out accurate, there are work arounds!

here's the before and after of the Moon doodle by the way:

despite having daylight, i still needed to adjust the colours. specifically i needed to brighten up the reds and yellows, and bring back the page's natural yellowness. i also tweaked the Definition setting to make less hazy (sometimes i like the haziness tho, so i'll leave it as is sometimes).

and one other reminder: it doesn't need to be perfect, it just needs to be. a big reason why i keep coming back to traditional art is the fact that i can't control everything. i can't undo lines. i can't move things around. and i can't take the perfect picture. but it doesn't need to be perfect. drawing and sharing my art is supposed to be fun! and i don't want to put any barriers around that, or else it becomes unnecessarily stressful.

all that is to say, try out these tips if you want to, but don't treat them as hard rules and don't focus on trying to achieve perfection. just go have fun!

[sysboxes]

Where can I go to do more research on systems?

Tbh it’s a pretty broad topic, so I’m not sure where to start.

My go-to tends to be academic papers & studies, but ofc they can vary in quality and you should still take them with a grain of salt and familiarize yourself with different validation measures for psychological tests. I liked Revisiting the etiological aspects of dissociative identity disorder: a biopsychosocial perspective when I read it. If it’s hard to understand, here’s a summary of it!

I’ve definitely heard some books recommended, like The Haunted Self: Structural Dissociation and Treatment of Chronic Traumatization by Onno van der Hart, Ellert R. S. Nijenhuis, and Kathy Steele (haven’t had a chance to read it for myself yet though).

@subsystems has some good resources as well, this tag on their blog in particular is hopefully pretty helpful for you!

[starry-night-author]

Hi! Could you maybe continue Prompt 17 pls? I really want to know what happens next after that cliffhanger!

LET'S GOOOOOOOO

I love Villain in this series sm. I'm already so emotionally attached to them.

Prompt #17 (Pt. 3)

(Part 1) (Part 2)

Villain watched as Hero grimaced.

"A-ah," they said shakily, staring out at the person standing on their front step. "Supervillain."

Villain raised a bandaged hand to cover their gasp, taking an involuntary step back. As they did, they bumped into the large armchair just to the right of the front door.

The front hall opened up directly on it's left to the living room, and in a momentary stroke of both fear and genius, Villain ducked behind the armchair. Supervillain hadn't noticed them yet, and with luck, they could possibly escape them. After all, Supervillain didn't know about Villain's relationship with the two heroes. They wouldn't suspect anyone else was in the house.

If Supervillain was here, then that meant they'd defeated Superhero somehow.

Superhero wasn't coming home.

The revelation brought fresh tears to Villain's eyes, but they forced them down as they watched the scene before them unfold.

"You're not going to let me inside, Hero?" Supervillain's voice came from the other side of the door.

"What do you want?" Hero snapped, not bothering to answer. "What'd you do with Superhero?"

"You'll find out eventually," Supervillain replied. In their mind's eye, Villain could see their smirk, the way they would lean forward, hands behind their back almost tauntingly. Villain swallowed, squeezing their eyes shut. "Now, however, you can come with me. And we can do it the easy way if you don't fight back."

Villain could see Hero's jaw working, the emotions warring on their face. They noticed their partner's grip tightening around the door handle. "Is Superhero alive?" They asked.

"Will my answer weigh in on how nicely you come?"

Hero nodded, Villain could tell they were trying their hardest not to look at them, not to give them away. "Yes," their voice was cracked. "Yes, yes it will."

"Fine, then." Supervillain's voice became more matter-of-fact. "They're alive, but they aren't going to be for much longer if you don't come with me. So I suggest you hurry up."

Hero let out a heavy breath. "Alright then." They stepped out the door. "Lead the way."

And with that, the front door shut behind them.

Villain almost immediately let out a sob, tears already running down their face as they tried to cover the sound with their hands. Hero was gone. Supervillain had both of them.

And there was no way that Villain could get them back.

Supervillain was too strong, too dangerous. They'd already instilled a horrid fear of them in Villain's mind, which meant they had power over them. Villain could never face them on their own. Not just because they weren't as strong or as powerful, also because they would emotionally crumble in seconds.

Villain was hopeless and their partners were helpless, and they had no idea what to do. Where to start.

So they stayed behind the armchair and cried.

Knees against their chest, bandaged hands gently covering their mouth and occasionally swiping at their tears, they sobbed almost silently in their hiding spot. They were completely at the mercy of fear and despair, and this was all they could think of to do in the moment.

They didn’t know how long it was before they calmed down, but they knew it’d been a while. Their backside sore from sitting, their legs aching from being curled up, they finally stiffly stood. They were sniffing and rubbing their eyes, taking deep breaths to calm down.

There had to be a way to get Superhero and Hero back. Hero had been optimistic about getting Superhero back, so maybe Villain could be too.

In fact, Hero’s plan was just resurfacing in their mind now.

“And even if Supervillain does have them, they might still be alive! We can get the agency involved, Superhero's one of their top heroes, they'll definitely do all they can to get them back.”

The hero agency. Villain could go to the agency.

There was only one problem with that. That meant exposing Villain’s relationship with the two heroes.

Relationships between heroes and villains weren’t outright forbidden, but they were highly discouraged. Hero and Superhero had chosen to keep their relationship secret not just to keep Villain safe from Supervillain, but also so it wouldn't affect their jobs.

Going to them now might do just that, but that was truly the least of Villain's worries. Villain couldn't care less what happened as long as it meant Hero and Superhero would be safe.

Taking a deep breath, they collected themself and set off back down the front hall.

Villain walked right in through the visitor's center of he agency's headquarters, and made it halfway through the lobby before anyone even noticed who they were.

Once they did, a whole group of security guards and other heroes swarmed them like a hive of bees.

Villain was quickly handcuffed and escorted to a different, less public floor to be properly arrested, and it was just as they were being dragged off of the elevator that they finally spoke.

"I need help."

"Oh you don't have a prayer," one of the guards holding them smirked at them. "You know exactly how long the agency has been hunting you, there's no way you're getting out of this."

"I need help," Villain said again, digging their heels into the ground and drawing up short. They were strong enough to drag the guards holding them to a stop as well. "Supervillain-"

"What is the meaning of this?!" Villain and the guards jumped, looking up to see Head Hero marching towards them, back straight, arms behind them, their face in an outraged scowl.

The guards cleared their throats. "We were just taking them to-"

"Do you have any idea how embarrassing that was?!" Head Hero drew up short in front of them. "They walked straight in and not one of you recognized them? In front of dozens of civilians? We'll have to spend weeks trying to explain that to the public!"

The guards ducked their heads, and the troop of other guards and heroes behind them did likewise. "Sorry, Head Hero, we were-"

"I don't want excuses," Head Hero growled. "Just- take them away. I'll deal with you all later."

The guards moved to continue down the corridor, but Villain dug their heels in once more. "Head Hero- wait!"

They were ignored, the guards lifting them up and carrying them away as Head Hero turned to talk to the other guards and heroes.

Villain struggled in the guards' iron grips. They couldn't let this all be for nothing! "Head Hero!" They shouted, twisting around, trying to break free. "Wait, please, I need your help!"

Head Hero hesitated, glancing back at them. Not turning around, but still showing Villain they had their attention. "Hold on." They said to the guards.

The guards halted, and Villain struggled around to properly face Head Hero. "It's Hero and Superhero," they spoke quickly, urgently. They knew they didn't have much time. "Supervillain has them, they're going to hurt them. I-I didn't know where else to go, but I had to do something-"

They broke off as Head Hero turned fully around to look at them, an eyebrow raised. The hero appraised them, and Villain held their breath. This was their only option. This had to work.

Finally, Head Hero shook their head. "Really, Villain, I expected better from you. Take them away-"

"No, please!" Villain tried to wrench their arms free, feet scrabbling at the tile floor. "I'm telling the truth!"

They were now starting to realize exactly how this looked as Head Hero took a step closer, frowning at them. Even as the hero began explaining it, Villain cursed themself for not going about this differently.

Head Hero just shook their head again. "This is the most obvious trap I've seen in my life! Everyone knows how closely you work with Supervillain, everyone knows they'd send you to try and lure us to them. You want all of us to go running after Hero and Superhero, only to be ambushed by whatever crazy trap Supervillain has for us. Now, was this your idea, or theirs? Because I thought you both were smarter than-"

Villain furiously shook their head. "No, no, it's not like that. I hate Supervillain, Supervillain hates me. I've been a double agent- how do you think Hero and Superhero always knew so much about them and their plans? I-I was recruited by them to help, years ago, we've kept it quiet to protect me from what Supervillain would do if they found out."

Head Hero's eyes narrowed, Villain could tell they were thinking.

To further their argument, Villain raised their bandaged and handcuffed hands. "Look! Look, Supervillain did this to me only yesterday, and-and this." They scrabbled at their collar, pulling it aside to reveal the fading welts on their neck. "I hate them, I would never do something like this to help them."

Head Hero still studied them, unmoving, their expression unreadable. Villain was getting desperate now.

"A-and in my pocket, my phone has a video from our doorbell, you can see that Supervillain came for Hero this morning!" It was their one piece of concrete evidence for all of this. They were grateful that Supervillain hadn't taken the precaution to destroy the doorbell as they'd walked up.

Head Hero tilted their head slightly. "Your doorbell?" They questioned, their tone light and as unreadable as their expression.

Villain let out a breath, looking down at their feet. "Y-yes, our doorbell. Hero and Superhero and I we're- we're partners. That's why it matters so much to me to get them back." They looked up at Head Hero, their wide, desperate eyes meeting the hero's. "We kept it a secret so it wouldn't affect their job here, a-and so Supervillain wouldn't find out. Superhero went after them to get them to stop hurting me."

Head Hero snorted. "Well now I know you're lying. I-"

"No, wait!"

The shout, surprisingly, didn't come from Villain, but rather from the group of heroes and guards standing behind Head Hero. A hero fought their way to the front, raising their hand.

"I'm good friends with Hero," the hero, Other Hero told Head Hero. "They told me all about this last year. Villain's telling the truth."

Villain shot Other Hero a grateful look, and Other Hero just nodded back.

Head Hero looked between them, then sighed. "Check their pocket," they said to the guards holding Villain.

They did, and the one on Villain's left pulled out their phone, then moved forward to pass it to Head Hero.

"The password is 1234." Villain said quietly. "It's in my camera roll, it should be the most recent video."

Head Hero gave no sign of hearing them, but it was only a few moments later that Villain could hear the video from only that morning playing.

"You're not going to let me inside, Hero?"

"What do you want? What'd you do with Superhero?"

"You'll find out eventually. Now, however, you can come with me. And we can do it the easy way if you don't fight back."

"Is Superhero alive?"

"Will my answer weigh in on how nicely you come?"

"Yes. Yes, yes it will."

"Fine, then. They're alive, but they aren't going to be for much longer if you don't come with me. So I suggest you hurry up."

"Alright then. Lead the way."

Head Hero looked up at Villain as the video ended. "Where were you during all of this?"

"In the living room," Villain's voice was quiet, defeated. Something about hearing Hero's capture again had subdued them. "Hiding. Supervillain didn't know I was with them, so they didn't think to look for me."

"Hm." Head Hero looked back down at Villain's phone, their thumb flicking over the screen. Villain had no idea what they were doing on it, but they were sure there wasn't anything on it that they wouldn't want Head Hero to find.

At last, Head Hero's thumb came to a halt, and they let out a breath. "Fine. Other Hero, put together a team to go after Supervillain, I'm sure Villain can lead you." They looked up at Villain. "And Villain, if you're lying, we are putting you in a cell and you are never leaving it, understand?"

Villain nodded furiously, tears of gratitude already running down their face. "U-understood. Thank you."