#Smart Cities Challenge prize

[penvisions]

dev writes {{masterlist}}

hello hello! this is all still so new to me, to be positng fic on tumblr. i’ve had an ao3 account for years so i figured why not migrate things over here as well! share it with more people c: these are the pieces i’ve been working on the last few months, i’m really excited to share them with y’all

they are self indulfgent to an extent, but that’s a part of life, no? i hope they bring something to you if you decide to check them out!

any and all likes, reblogs, comments, asks, shoutouts are so so greatly appreciated ♡ please feel free to reach out if you feel so inclined ♡ i’d be happy to chat with y’all

The Last of US (TLOU) - Joel Miller x Reader

Summary: You may have been young when the world fell, but you adapted with all the challenges that come with trying to survive. You spent your time doing runs out in the badlands beyond the QZ walls to ensure people had little pleasures to keep them going. You were dropping off some medical supplies that FEDRA was willing to pay big for when you got tangled up in a mission that involves a teenager with a mouth almost as smart as yours and gruff older man whose graying curls were his only redeeming quality. But the longer you traveled with them and the more that happened out in the open land of what once was, the more you find yourself connecting with them and wanting to protect them both at any cost.

ao3 link || masterlist 

Summary: The longer, more dangerous patrol routes around Jackson are designated to you and one Joel Miller. You both have an understanding with each other, talking wasn’t the biggest concern for either of you, but being confident in each other was. He wasn’t a bad friend in your scavenged life, but then again you were beginning to think you didn’t want to be just his friend…and that’s got you more than a little sexually frustrated.

ao3 link || direct link 

Summary: You were the supervising bartender that happened to be the only person brave enough to offer help in the kitchen when they find themselves short staffed with some no call, no shows. But Joel Miller doesn’t want some floozy who doesn’t know the first thing about food in his kitchen. He makes it clear, but the tension between you two only heightens when you show him up and he realized that you do know what you’re doing. It’s driving him up the wall to see you in his kitchen, in his space day in and day out. But he needs the help and you’re so willing to give it to him. 

sneakie peek || sneakie peek 2

Triple Frontier - Frankie Morales x Baker! Reader (ex EMT! reader)

Summary: Running from the past to a new city gave you the perfect opportunity to open your own bakery. You're a regular at Brass Knuckles, and the owner is the right type of friendly you need in your life. Along with him, comes his group of friends, one Frankie Morales. You develop a crush on him nearly instantly. Can you manage to get your head above water long enough to tell him he's the most gorgeous man you've ever met?

ao3 link || masterlist 

The Mandalorian - Din Djarin x Force Sensitive! Reader

Summary: You’ve been on the run for as long as you can remember, from a lot of different people and a lot of different things. Everyone seems to see you as either a prize to show off or a captive to exploit. You had been successful in keeping a low profile and evading brief captures. That is until your mother contracted the Guild and the Mandalorian came to possess your tracking fob. Will he be the reason your freedom is no longer something attainable or will he be the one to help you achieve it in ways you never anticipated? 

ao3 link || masterlist

rough summary || sneakie peek || sneakie peek no. 2 || sneakie peek no. 3

Narcos - Javier Peña x DEA Agent! Reader 

summary: You’ve been in Columbia for a few years, having family ties that allowed for the trasnfer from CA to be easier to leave your old life behind. You’ve kept your head down and your plate full until you get paired with Steve and his partner to help tag an elusive informant. That’s when things get complicated both at work and in your personal life. But you’ll be the first to admit that the notorious pair don’t have any power over you, until you’re actually faced with seeing them day to day. 

sneakie peek

[total-drama-takes-takes-2]

tta finale (original)

“Last time, on Total Takes Action: our final three competed in an all-out, extra dramatic laser tag challenge with a few… twists. Alliances were formed, friendships were broken, and it was Peter who took the fall to give Scruffy a chance at the finale. With just one exciting challenge left, I’m sure you’re all wondering who will win- and there’s only one way to find out: right here, right now, on Total! Takes! Action!”

The sky is clear and blue, the pigeons are cooing, and the smell of breakfast sausage is filling the air as Scruffy and O wait in a very short line for their complementary “final two breakfast” in the craft services tent. 

Chef heaps a few sausages, eggs, and waffles on each plate and shoos the players off, both of which immediately gravitate towards the opposite ends of the picnic table and eat in silence. Scruffy paces around their end of the table, swiping forks, knives, and spoons, just in case. O draws a little smiley face on his plate with syrup. 

---

O: “Well… this is it,”

---

SCRUFFY: “Today’s the big day,”

---

O: “I can’t believe how far I made it,”

---

SCRUFFY: “I can’t believe how far O made it,”

---

O: “I’m not exactly winning material… but then again, neither is Scruffy,”

---

SCRUFFY: “He’s a big softie. Not nearly as well-trained, unless you count psychology- but then again, I’m an expert at that, too. He’s just gone to- ugh- “therapy”. Who has therapy helped?”

---

O: “I’m thinking that once I get back, winnings or not, I might cancel my sessions with Dr. Anderson. I feel like… I don’t know. Pathologizing my problems has made them worse, somehow. Maybe it’s time to try a different approach. The… Scruffy approach, I guess,”

---

SCRUFFY: “Still, I can’t help but wonder if all of this dedication- all the hours I’ve spent rewatching the original show, all my community college classes, all my reading and training- has really helped me get here. I’ve been missing an obvious pattern. If only I could figure out what that is…”

---

 O looks up from his syrup smile and waves at Scruffy. “Hey, bro. Good luck today,”

Scruffy blinks. “Um… okay,”

“Attention, campers! Your final challenge starts in five minutes out by the trailers. Time to bring your A-Game!”

---

Scruffy and O stand an arm’s length apart as Chris paces between them, humming to himself. “You’ve lived. You’ve loved. You’ve laughed. And most importantly, you’ve lost. Today is the final test of strength, wits, smarts and endurance- both of you will enter, but only one will emerge a hero. And with a big fat check,” Chris chuckles. 

“Today’s final challenge is a multi-part rendezvous across the set. You will start here and make your way through the city,” 

Scruffy immediately jumps into a running stance, ready to take off. 

Chris grins. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. The first leg of your race to the finish line was inspired by your very first challenge here- the birdocalypse. Thousands of territorial birds are having their afternoon nap on the city set. Wake them up, and you might have a problem,” he goes on. “After that, you’ll make your way through a ghost-filled maze, inspired by the video game and period flick challenges. Once you’re out, you’ll run the final stretch to Lot B- a functional studio next door. The first to arrive wins the prize. Ready?”

Scruffy and O exchange nervous glances. 

“Go!”

The two don't run, but awkwardly walk off in the same direction, as if taking a pleasant afternoon stroll. 

O’s eyes drift over to Scruffy and he winces. 

---

O: “Is it weird to ask them for advice? I feel like it’s weird, but…”

---

“Hey, dude,” O says, looking over. “I know we’re competing and all, but-”

“Shh!” Scruffy interrupts him, holding a finger to their lips. They point ahead, where a black mass is covering the city set- it’s almost like an oil spill, but instead of the viscous glimmering liquid, it’s hundreds of sleeping crows. 

Scruffy goes first while O hangs back, looking ahead nervously. The former moves through the set, stepping over birds on the road and ducking under birds on the street signs and lamps. They delicately step, roll, and skip through the set with expert agility while O watches on. 

---

SCRUFFY: “This isn't so hard! Just a little yoga moves and some spatial awareness. Maybe I haven’t lost my zing after all!”

---

Scruffy reaches the other side and turns to wave at O- in a clearly taunting way. O crosses his arms and glares. 

---

O: “Yeah- no chance of friends there,”

---

Scruffy reaches the mouth of the maze and chuckles. “Easy. Is this all you got, Chris?”

Chris rolls his eyes and pulls out a large remote. His thumb hovers over the big red button on the surface for a few moments, taunting Scruffy, before he slams it and the maze lifts off the ground and begins rotating on a large metal plate. 

Scruffy watches the ground disappear beneath them and sighs. 

---

SCRUFFY: “WHY would I say that? That’s the easiest mistake to avoid on this show!”

---

Back on the city set, O tip-toes over the birds, nearly stumbling over each one. He’s breathing heavily, and almost falls over at least ten times. 

But, he reaches the end and sighs before jogging off. O reaches the entrance of the rotating maze and gawks at it. 

“Yeahhhh,” Chris grins. “Don’t worry, though, we’re prepared for this.”

Chef wheels out a canon. 

---

Scruffy wanders through the maze, dizzy and unbalanced as it spins around itself. They’re about as green as their hair, but still pressing on nonetheless. 

---

SCRUFFY: “I’ve been trying to improve my gag reflex since island. I’m usually pretty good, but I have… a thing about other people getting sick in front of me. As long as that doesn’t happen, I’m set,”

---

O’s screams echo, growing closer and closer before he slams into the concrete of the maze behind Scruffy, leaving a hole in the ceiling. He coughs. 

“Don’t throw up!” Scruffy shouts. 

O stands, rubbing his head. “Wasn’t gonna. Don’t worry, man, I’ll leave you be,”

Scruffy nods and the two run in opposite directions. 

---

O: “I get it! Scruffy has nothing to get from me, so why would I bother them?”

---

Scruffy steps through the maze, scratching their head as it spins. “This isn’t good. I’m all turned around,”

Chris’ voice blares over the intercom: “That’s the point, Total Drama Genius!”

They sigh and hold onto the wall while stumbling along. The maze suddenly lurches and begins turning in the opposite direction, sending Scruffy tumbling to the ground. They groan and sit up against the wall. “It’s hopeless. I keep lying to myself and telling myself I can do this, but I can’t! I don’t know what I’m doing,” they turn to the camera. “I’m sorry, Jules.”

---

O walks along, faring much better than Scruffy. A light breeze tussles his hair and he turns to where it’s coming from- and just around that corner, a beam of sunlight filters through. He grins and jogs forward. 

As he rounds the corner and sees the exit, though, he hears a loud cry. The sound of Scruffy’s wailing carries through the maze, and it stops O in his tracks. 

He hesitates. 

---

O: “I know I shouldn’t go back. I mean, what if it’s a trap? What if Scruffy is just trying to get my help and then dump me after? But…” he sighs. “I’m not like them. I’m a nice person, and there’s nothing weak about that.”

---

O turns and jogs off into the dark. 

---

Scruffy, curled into a ball on the floor, cries in anguish. 

“Hey? Dude?” 

They whimper loudly. O sits down next to them and sighs. 

“Listen, I’m not gonna try to fix your problems, ‘cause I know that’s not what you like,” O says. “But you should know that… well, you don’t have to win this. You’re not a weak person for not being mean and conniving like the people who get far on this show…”

“But I want to be!” they whimper, eyes full of tears. “I want to be Heather!”

“But you’re not… Heather,” O looks around awkwardly. “You shouldn’t want to be, either?”

“I’ve been studying this show since primary, I’ve taken all the classes, done all the research, trained to perfection- why am I so bad at this?”

O pats Scruffy’s shoulder. “You’re not. You’re good.”

“But not like you. You didn’t even try and you made it to the same exact spot I got to! I don’t get it. Were you a pawn? A twist villain I didn’t see coming?” Scruffy rocks back and forth. 

O raises an eyebrow. “Um… no… I don’t know, man, I’m just nice,”

“You can’t win just by being nice, I mean, that’s… that’s improbable! The nicest contestants always get got!” Scruffy says. “I’m nice! I’m not mean!”

“Yeah, man, but you’re kinda… uh, you know… you’re not the easiest to be around,”

Scruffy’s eyes water again. “Wh-what do you mean?”

O sucks in his breath through his teeth. “You’re… kind of intense, dude. All you talk about is the show, and, I mean… you’ve got some serious walls up, man,”

“I-I do not! Ask Jules, she’ll tell you! Julia knows!”

“Saying that one of the meanest contestants on the show knows you more than anyone is… not great, Scruffy. Haven’t you made any other friends?”

“Haven’t you?”

O frowns. “I guess not. But… I mean… I dunno,”

“When you say you’re nice, all I hear is that you’re a pushover. You let people use you!” Scruffy says, crossing their arms. “I’m not like that! I don’t like being pushed around!”

“Says the guy who went nuts cause they thought a girl would like them more if they won some dumb game show,”

“Says the guy who hasn’t had a single steady friendship since the show started!”

“Says the guy who needs to impress everyone with how great they are!”

“Says the guy who does the same thing, Dr. O!”

Both huff and turn away from each other. The intercom crackles to life and Chris’ voice sounds slightly peeved. “Hey, guys, this heart-to-heart has been great, but you are IN A CHALLENGE! Now get to it!”

The maze suddenly starts spinning faster, throwing Scruffy and O to opposite sides of the hall they were seated in. Each grab on to a corner of the black walling and hold on for dear life as they’re thrown around like they’re getting flushed down a toilet. 

“I- can’t- hold- on!” O shouts. 

“Take my hand!” Scruffy throws out an arm as O flies off the wall, catching him just in the nick of time. “Maybe I can be… nice after all!”

O smiles gratefully and nods. “Let’s get out of here!”

The two fashion makeshift ice picks out of the forks Scruffy had swiped from the craft services tent and rake their way up the wall as the maze spins even faster. 

“This way!” O instructs, retracing his earlier steps to the exit of the maze. The two reach the door and look to the ground below, where only a tiny kiddie pool was left to break their fall. 

“Ready?” O shouts. 

Scruffy nods. “On the count of three!”

“One!”

“Two!”

“Three!”

The two hold hands as they jump, both screaming and flailing their free arms until they land in the shallow pool below. 

“We… we made it!” Scruffy shouts with glee as O coughs up a mouthful of water behind them. “We did it together!”

O stands. “We did, didn’t we? Together,” O puts an arm over Scruffy’s shoulder. “No strings attached.”

“No expectations,”

“No value!”

Scruffy nods. “Let’s wing this,”

The two start off on the final track, throwing the doors of a large set building open and running through it, approaching a final set of double doors. 

“Hey,” Scruffy jogs up to O. “May the best man win, right?”

O salutes them. “May the best man win!”

---

“And that’s the story of how I lost my first tooth,” Staci says. “And no one ever found the hammer.”

Caesar massages his temples. “Another fascinating story from Staci. Anyone else have something to add?”

Luckily, before someone else can add on, Bonnie runs on stage. Caesar sighs with relief. “Bonnie, here to save the day again! What’s the news?”

“They’re coming!”

Caesar squeals, and the peanut gallery turns to the double doors backstage in anticipation. “Can we get a countdown?”

“Five!” Ass and Courtney both lean forward, then notice each other and glare. 

“Four!” Sha-Mod and McLovin are busy giving each other crudely drawn stick ‘n poke tattoos of each other’s faces. 

“Three!” Julia shoves Patrick out of her face when he gets to close. 

“Two!” Mal blows a gum bubble and texts something on her phone. 

“One!” Bonnie takes a seat and Caesar puts a hand on their shoulder. 

The doors burst open, and O runs in. 

“The winner of Total Takes Action, everyone!” Caesar shouts. “O!”

A shower of confetti and balloons fall from the ceiling and the crowd cheers. A group of former contestants- Kelly, Al, Michela, and Peter- run from the stands and hoist O into the air, carrying him in. He laughs merrily.

They set him down in the hot seat and Caesar grins. "So, O, you've just won a season of Total Takes- what are you going to do next?"

"I think... first, I'm gonna split some of the winnings with my friends. Then I'm gonna take a long, long vacation,"

"You don't have to do that," Peter states. "We're just happy you made it back in one piece."

McLovin pipes up in the background. "Did somebody say One-"

"Anyway," Michela interrupts. "We were kind of planning on taking you out for a celebratory-or-consolation dinner, anyway. On us."

O smiles.

“What a season, what a cast!” Caesar says. “And here’s our runner up, Scruffy!”

Scruffy jogs in behind him, breathing heavily. Julia stands and runs to the doors, hugging Scruffy. “I missed you!”. The peanut gallery continues whooping and cheering, and O gives Scruffy a big thumbs up as Patrick storms over and tries to pull the two apart. 

Scruffy waves as the crowd cheers for them, then collapses as soon as Julia lets them go. 

Caesar turns to Bonnie. “Thoughts, feelings?”

“Not many. I’m a little hungry,”

“Oh, God, me too. Those finger sandwiches are three parts air, I swear,” Caesar says. “Dinner tonight?"

"You're on. Maybe we can tag with O's crew and eat free,"

"I like the way you think," Caesar winks.

“Well, this has been Total Takes Action- The Aftermath. We’ll see you all soon for- what’s this?” Caesar presses an earpiece, and then bursts out laughing. “Oh, my God- no- really, you’re joking? You’re not?” he turns to the audience. “Chris McLean has been arrested and is currently in custody for illicit activities!”

The crowd cheers even louder, the big screen rolls down and displays a live newscast. Chris is being led from the Action set in handcuffs, Chef and the interns watching from behind a police barricade.

"You CANNOT do this to me! Do you know who I am?!" Chris shouts. "Chef- call my lawyer- call the producers- call my mom!"

"You should've remembered our anniversary,"

"CHEF!"

The police drag Chris into the back of their squad car while he screams. The wind picks up and his hair detaches itself, flying away in the breeze.

"MY TOUPEE!"

Chef rolls his eyes. A white van pulls up just as the cops slam the door of their cruiser on Chris, and a team of hazmat-suited scientists hop out of the back. The broadcast ends and turns back to the studio, where a blonde woman with a tight face reads off the happenings to new viewers. The monitor turns off.

Scruffy sits up from the floor and raises an eyebrow. “What happened?”

“No official reasons yet,” Caesar says. “In due time, I suppose. In the meantime, we’ll-”

An intern runs over to the host and hands him a letter. He huffs and opens it. “It’s from Scary. It just says “told you so”,”

Bonnie rolls their eyes. 

“Well… if this is the end of the show, I just wanna say I'm glad we met. I'd be nowhere without you guys,” O says.

The former contestants turn to each other with warm smiles. 

“And yet… this can’t be the end,” Scruffy interjects. “We haven’t had a musical season yet!”

“Woah, woah, let’s save that for the Gemmy’s,” Caesar chuckles. “We’re about out of air time, but… I want to say that it’s been a hell of a season, everyone! See you all soon!”

[welcometololaland]

Your turn, babygirl 💖

The scenario: A 24-hr Amazing Race-style challenge which includes booking travel and actually travelling from Tokyo to Kuala Lunpur which is approx 7.5 hours (why those cities? idk, they just popped into my head), with tasks to complete in each city

The prize: Something fabulous.

The players:

1. Nancy Gillian & Hunter Huntington III

2. Alex CD & Nora Holleran

3. TK Strand & Pez Okonojo

4. Zahra Bankston & Owen Strand

5. Henry FCMW & Marjan Marwani

6. Pearce Risher & Grace Ryder

7. Carlos Reyes & Andrea Reyes

8. June Claremont-Diaz & Tommy Vega

Notes: players cannot utilise their personal wealth to assist them, game provided budgets only. Assume there are several flights per day between Tokyo and Kuala Lumpur

Who wins? Who loses? What are their final rankings?

Oh fuck. I got hit with one of my own insane questions!!! Uno reverse has got me!!! Thanks to my beloved Rae and thank you to everyone who has amused me with answers to these I fucking love sending them 💕

The rankings: Tommy and June, Henry and Marjan, Owen and Zahra, Pearce and Grace, AGCD and Nora, Andrea and Carlos, TK and Pez, Nancy and Hunter.

The rationale:

1. Nancy and Hunter

A complete disaster. Nancy is fucking hilarious and very smart, but her sarcasm would go completely over Hunter's head. He would annoy the absolute shit out of her by talking about his personal wealth (which is absolutely worthless in this situation) and bring no practical skills to the table. Nancy would do her best, but she'd quickly find out that the only way she can help this idiot is by stitching him up when he pisses a fellow passenger / member of the airline staff off so significantly that they fight him.

2. AGCD and Nora

2 x very competitive, chaos bisexuals fighting it out. They are a naturally a formidable duo. Alex is very smart, but by his own admission, Nora is even smarter. They definitely have the brains and the physical prowess to take out the top spot but they're both prone to a hyperfixation and my suspicion is they would misread clues and go down a fucking rabbit hole OR forget to eat for days on end and pass out from lack of sustenance (I suspect the latter).

3. TK and Pez

How much fucking fun would these two have? Seriously, I would voluntarily elect to follow them around! Their great strength is that Pez is very well travelled and also super chill, and TK obviously has some pretty handy paramedic skills. I think their downfall is twofold: TK will (without a doubt) get into some kind of accident, and Pez will have no fucking clue how to deal with that except to maybe stick some glitter to him. Secondly, they would both get easily distracted (TK by any and all animals, Pez by anything eclectic or vaguely amusing - which may or may not be TK himself).

4. Z and Owen

If Zahra manages to avoid having an aneurysm from having to deal with Owen's fondness for a date and / or a meaningless side quest, I think they're on the money. Let's be real, Z is fucking scary. There would be an initial power struggle and there's a 87% chance Owen would try to hook up with her (which would be very quickly and viciously shut down), but once Owen accepts defeat, they are a good showing. Zahra is very organised, takes no shit and is very smart. Owen is very competitive and great in any and all stressful situations. Wouldn't count them out.

5. Henry and Marjan

Platonic power couple. Henry would almost immediately relinquish all power and control to Marjan, who would absolutely slay this challenge. She's smart, resourceful and physically capable. Henry is cluey, painfully polite, a fucking prince and...let's be honest he's just very hot. I feel like he could easily schmooze their way into the last two seats on the first flight out of Tokyo, even when the booking clerk initially said the flight was full. Plus, Henry is always seen as the more docile one, but I reckon he'd get a huge kick out of seeing Alex's pouty little face when he beats him. Their only hold back would be Henry getting recognised and being asked for an autograph.

6. Pearce and Grace

God, they're both very smart and capable people, but I just think the initial power struggle would complicate things. Pearce would be too much about reading (and then reciting) the rule book, and Grace would get very frustrated with him when he (initially) refuses to listen to her. They'd definitely work their way around it, but the initial speed bump would cost them.

7. Carlos and Andrea

Look, they'd work perfectly together. We know Andrea can be savage when she needs to be, and Carlos is very intelligent and resourceful. The problem is, he's only left Texas twice, so he's hamstrung by that. Andrea would be a little caught up making sure he eats properly, and when you eat 6 meals a day that's gonna cost you. Plus, Carlos would be acutely aware that TK is likely getting himself into some kind of NDE at any given moment, so that would be weighing heavily on his mind.

8. June and Tommy

The dark horses. They might not have some of the credentials of other players, but that's their strength. Tommy is fantastic at giving directions, June is a superb listener. They (like Andrea and Carlos) have the capabilities of communicating in two languages. Tommy is hyper competitive, June has incredible intuition. To me, they're the ones to watch. Girl power 🙌

[purplerose244]

Lessons learned

Hello hello! Here’s to participate to the @ninjago-valentine-exchange! Thank you so much for hosting the event again, it was really fun working on it! 😍

My fic is based on Bruise, Cole/Jay Pair A

It’s an exchange to @destinymanticor’s amazing bruise fanart! I absolutely love it, tired Jay is just so adorable with all of those curls, and it’s also an excuse to throw in some cute couple moments! 💙🖤💙🖤

Hope you like it! Enjoy! 😚

Read it on the AO3

Summary: Years since the black ninja had first encountered the shocking experience that was Jay Walker. Months since the master of earth had his best friend made him the happiest by confessing his feelings. Days since the latest evil threatening Ninjago had been defeated by them all.

Still so much to learn.

Cole wouldn't have it any other way.

Being the official heavy lifter of the team and the master of earth itself, many people were probably quick to judge him as interested solely to physical work. Cole could say that they wouldn’t be totally wrong considering his strength, his climbing skills, his physic, and his dancing abilities – unironically the hardest to obtain of the bunch –, but he could also argue that despite all the workout, something he really liked to do was learning. Maybe he wasn’t as smart as Zane or as witty as Nya, but whenever he was put in front of something new it was inevitable for him to grow fond of the studying process. He had learned how to draw, he had gone to lots of museum, he wasn’t picky over what to explore in the slightest.

Especially when it was sudden, unexpected. Challenging.

Like months ago, when Jay had come to his room to blabber in his very own Jay way, talking for a full five minutes almost without breathing, solely to ask him out on a date. Something new, something unknown. Something inherently beautiful.

Cole was always quick to jump over a book the moment a specific topic caught his interest, to the point of knocking down the whole shelf. That time, he had compromised with sweeping the blue ninja off his feet and hugging him, unleashing that suppressed feeling he had feared would had accompanied him for the rest of his life without mutuality. With the way Jay had gasped so sweetly, laughing breathlessly against his chest, that had been a silly overthought of his and his new boyfriend was going to do his best erasing it from that moment forward.

It was another world to explore. More complex and exciting that he could had ever imagined.

They had known each other for years now, yet perhaps the most exciting part of it all… was getting to know Jay from another point of view.

 Lesson number one.

Jay was an absolute bundle of energy.

It was just another day in Ninjago, which obviously meant that the latest enemies of the whole nation had been defeated and most of the ninja’s daily work lately had revolved around helping the population rebuild the city… again – how many New in front of Ninjago City were there now, it was hard to say. This particular night though, it was a break for them all.

You could say a lot of things about Ninjago. It was big, it was dangerous, it had the lowest prizes for its main city in regards of renting and buying houses, and had the worst luck even seen in all of sixteen realms – fifteen… fourteen, alright the whole ordeal of the different dimensions was still a bit confusing in his head. But one thing for sure, the people here could throw a party. Only a couple of days of work and as soon as the main hall of the theatre had been rebuilt, all had been organized to contain as many decorations, dancers, exhibitions and food as humanly – and inhumanly, too many unusual creatures hanging around at this point – possible.

Kai was a party animal and an attention seeker, so of course he was into it. Lloyd was always getting kidnapped by massive figures of Ninjago to get some very well-deserved thanks. Zane actually kind of loved these kinds of situations, showing off his best of his funny switch – which at this point was simply a Zane switch. Nya always made time for the little fans that would always tail her during the celebrations. Pixal was looking after them all with a satisfied smile.

On the other hand, the black ninja wasn’t too keen on these situations. Perhaps it was a bit of misconception from when he used to be a dancer and all those massive and obnoxious celebrations, but despite this he had always made the effort to be present at least for a while.

The blue ninja, on the other hand… were there words good enough to describe such a sparkle?

“Hey gloomy, that’s not how you blend in into a party! You know you’re really hard to ignore, right?” It wasn’t common for them to dress fancy, so it was a bit appalling seeing Jay rocking his brownish suit – yes they could all wear other colours besides their signature ones, shocker. “Leaning on the side-lines, not talking to anyone while still being impossible handsome, are you even allowed to exist?” There was a tiny possibility that he drunk a bit, mostly given that droopy look he was giving him.

Cole wasn’t sure if it was because of them dating, or this guy had always been absolutely adorable and this was simply paying a closer attention. He put the glass he had been uninterestingly holding the whole night onto the table and stepped forward.

“Is this you trying to flirt with me, Zaptrap?”

“No, this is me working my way up to ask you to dance, Dirtclod!” Jay snickered – alright yes he definitely had some wine –, offering his hand but not completely able to keep it open. “I’m glad I refused the last glass they offered me, I’m pretty sure I would’ve forgotten if I asked you out or not already. Not like it matters, I can make a full of myself and you’ll still find me cute!” Oh this little devious lightning. He was such a jester and a huge dork, so sometimes it was hard to remember how much brain was hidden under that ginger head.

The black ninja grabbed his hand.

“None taken, but it wouldn’t hurt for you to be elegant about it.” The master of earth snickered. “Besides, for all the times you embarrassed yourself, I should be desensitized by now.”

“Rude!”

“Am I wrong?”

“I’m asking you to the dance floor, be happy about it!”

“Am I wrong, though?”

“No you aren’t now get your butt into action!” Hard to say if Jay shouted that one line specifically to get a couple of weirded out eyes directed towards him or he was still in a bit of a bliss. He was at least lucid enough to lead him towards the centre of the room. “Finally! I’ve been dreaming of this moment for a while now, even your snarky remarks will not stop me!”

Cole blinked, letting him take the lead of the dance as too busy acknowledging what his messy guy had just told him.

“You wanted to dance with me that badly?”

“You’re so unaware of how charming you are it’s infuriating, it makes me nervous even now! Why do you think I got a bit funky with the drinks?” Oh. Oh. “Had to tone it down a notch before I exploded, you know how I am.” To think that he would – or perhaps the best word was could – purposely unable himself, solely because of a couple of butterflies in the stomach. He truly was quite the resourceful guy, in a very amusing way.

You know who I am, he said. The black ninja did and didn’t. He always did, yet lately he didn’t. It was a marvellous paradox that made him smile, wrapping his arms around the engineer’s waist.

“I guess so. Interesting, my looks are intimidating then.”

“Focus on the music, Cole.”

“I just hope me wearing a tux isn’t too much for your little heart.”

“DON’T MAKE ME REGRET THIS, COLE.”

It was a bit of a wonder how there was a time Cole absolutely despised being a dancer and everything that the discipline included. He could very well give the blame to how little he was communicating with his father, the bad experiences he had at school, his own insecurities. It had been a while now and honestly, it felt like a whole other world altogether. Maybe it was because he had matured. Maybe it was because he liked his partner a whole lot more.

 Lesson number two.

Jay was a pretty busy person.

Partying was great obviously, and Cole was never going to be a hypocrite by saying that helping the city being rebuilt the day after was better than stuffing his face with celebratory cake – yes, he liked saving the world for that reason too, it was a very good reason –, but there was definitely something about embracing the peace they had fought so hard for and work on dealing with the aftermath. It was disappointing in some ways yet uplifting in others, besides citizens of Ninjago were almost too good at fixing at this point, they almost barely needed them all. Then again having someone able to weld with fire alone and another power up a generator with a snap was better than not having them.

And while it was a bit of a prideful thing through them all to fight over who was the strongest, Cole knew that at the end of the day his guns were the most fitted to do the heavy work. Therefore, after some time that day, he had been left on his own to deal with the last granitic pieces, feeling every muscle turned into mush but still active over the pleasurable thrill of having done something good.

One of the citizens had brought water for the bulding team, him included, so he could take a break. He couldn’t keep going relentlessly – well, he could, but he didn’t want to. It was nice but also weird being the only ninja here, perhaps he was too used moving as a flock with the team.

Right as that thought caught him, his mask started to vibrate. The new communicators were still a work in progresses, but so far, they had not exploded – well done Pix.

He wore the mask and answered.

“Hello?”

“-No no no, you have to use the codename! You chose one, right? Over.-”

This dork. Cole felt all of his tiredness evaporate.

“Ahem. Rocky speaking, over.”

“-Rocky? Really? Over.-”

“It’s simple and immediate, what do you want from me?”

“-For you to have a bit of imagination, and also to use proper walkie talkie language!-” This guy could be the laziest of them all during their vacation days and non, but honestly very few people he knew committed this hard when something truly interested them – or was absurdly silly. “-Ahh, your lack of enthusiasm is making me lose too much time! Rocky, this is Bluejay-flying-in-the-night,-” Dang it, Cole adored this absolute idiot. “-Sensei Wu, I mean the Beardinator, asked me to call everyone and making sure you’re not falling behind with work for today! Over.-”

Cole frowned a little. Jay sounded absolutely charged as usual, but the kind of blabber was almost screamed at this point. He knew the guy enough to recognize when he was hyperfixating over something, or he was overworking himself.

“Well, everything’s good on my side, but I’ll probably be back after dinner… say, are you okay? You sound a bit hysteric, and that’s a lot coming from you.”

“-Okay so on your front everything’s good, same with Nya and Zane, I’ll check Kai next.-”

“Jay?”

“-… sorry, I know you asked me something, but I completely spaced out on you. What is it that you need from me?-” Okay, this confirmed it. “-Whatever it is it will have to wait until tomorrow, Nya and Pixal need help to repair our latest mechs and vehicles, Zane wants me to supervise his check-up since you never know, Kai and Lloyd wanted a sparring partner for the training regime and I got to finish the blueprints for the new security system of our place.-” Wow. Just, wow. It was in equal parts worrying and impressive. Life was easier with such a bright mind around and a reminder was always welcomed. “-… I’d love to make time for you, though… over.-”

The black ninja managed to take off the mask before he let out that embarrassed squeak, because how dare he distract him with how much work he was doing and how dare he take advantage of it by dropping such a cute line.

The main battle for the sake of the world was over. All they needed to do was get through the recovering, and possibly getting some time to enjoy together.

Cole inhaled happily.

“Don’t worry, we’ll get our moment. Focus on what you need to do, but don’t overwork yourself.”

“-Roger that, Rock-hard-muscles.-”

“…”

“-Too much?-”

“I’ll have to close the call, that was too charming and I might faint… over and out.”

What more to ask for this idiot to cheer in delight for finally getting him to use proper walkie talkie slang, putting an end to the conversation with a huge smile on his face? It was ordinary business, but it was different too, this time there was more to look forward to at the end of the tunnel. It was the first time for the both of them. Possibly not going to be the least.

 Lesson number three.

Jay was very light.

There was always a bit of satisfaction in knowing that there was a time to be yet being able to finish earlier. Cole felt like he could go on a bit of a pride parade and mention how he didn’t know his own strength and it kept surprising him all the time – unironically his fans liked to hear that more than him, he didn’t know who was cringier between them and himself –, although this pleasant feeling from being on time likely came from his earliest moments at the monastery training as a ninja, therefore the very beginning of his strong earth power. He liked to keep the time more than how he used to during those ballet years, which was kind of ironic, so when he got back home he had a plastic bag in his hand from groceries and a grin on the top of his lips.

Likely the rest of the team already had their dinner and he himself had provided through the closest supermarket, along with a few over things he was carrying right now – no of course he didn’t by himself a whole cake to devour later, who was he an animal. He could hear the living room animated, a familiar soundtrack coming from Fist to Face 2 and what seemed to be Kai’s perfectly calibrated anguished scream from losing – likely against Lloyd, the poor hothead.

He went to the kitchen to put down his small groceries and join the fun, when he saw the blue ninja in precarious equilibrium onto a chair while getting to the highest shelf. This wasn’t the weirdest he had ever seen in his life – like, not even close –, but he did have a bit of a gasp.

“Jay?!”

“What?” Somehow this guy had the nerve to turn around with a frown on his face, right as the change of position destabilized the whole balance on the chair – it was a flipping stool what was wrong with this guy. “Oh hey Cole, what are you-” Amazing his comedic timing, so perfect Cole barely had a fright when his boyfriend lost it and capitulated, right into his awaiting shaking arms – alright perhaps there was a bit of cold sweat, only a bit!

The chair fell down, the cookie jar that had apparently been the reason behind this recklessness were splattered all over the ground, and Kai groaned again from the other room – unrelated to this and likely because of Lloyd’s superior gaming skills again.

The black ninja was left a bit speechless between the rush, the anger, and the relief. Yet most of all, what remained was the feeling of having the blue ninja picked up. Oh. Huh.

“What in the world, Jay.”

The master of lightning looked at him, smirked, and Cole felt the migraine before it hit.

“Well I guess I-”

“No.”

“But I very clearly-”

“Don’t you dare!”

“I obviously fell for you!” Fury, betrayal, disappointment, despair, and Cole wished it wasn’t such a Jay thing to say, which was inevitably another reason to swoon for him. “Come on, it’s a classic! It was the perfect situation too, I wouldn’t hated myself for not taking the chance! Thanks for the help by the way, I guess I wasn’t paying too much attention to land on my feet.” A fair comment actually, they were all perfectly trained to handle falling, even from such a small height. It made the master of earth wonder if there was something going on. “Good thing you got that core strength of yours, I doubt the others would’ve been luckier!”

Ah, a chance for revenge. Cole grinned. This guy didn’t listen to him and came up with the cheesiest and most embarrassing of all puns? There was only one way to retaliate, one that could be developed only when living between three, then four, then five/six/seven other people all in the same place: teasing.

After all, he had just made another discovery. He really wanted to marvel over it out loud.

“Nah, I don’t think it would’ve been a problem.” Jay raised an eyebrow, Cole smirked. “Dude, you’re lighter than a feather, pretty sure kid Lloyd would’ve been able to catch you.”

What a wonder seeing a blush on him. He wasn’t that mean to teasing that detail as well, but he wanted to gaze at it as long as it lasted. It was weird in a way, it wasn’t like the black ninja was completely unaware of relatively light Jay was. The blue ninja had always been more focused on speed and agility, he was the only one of them that had a childhood without physical training – well technically Zane and Pixal too but you know, Zane and Pixal –, and there was simply a difference of built. It was perhaps this newfound need to find out more about him, that made it so incredible to rediscover this right in this moment, at this time of their relationship.

Jay was pouting, arms folded despite making no attempt at getting free. He liked to be pampered after all, not even his pride could take that away from him.

“I’m a strong ninja, I trained with a martial art master.”

“Yes you did, Zaptrap.”

“I have muscles! They’re just different kinds! It’s not my fault you all are buff in comparison!”

“No it isn’t, Zaptrap.” Cole kissed him on the forehead, that immediately relaxed. It felt like there was more tension though, beyond this silly circumstance. “How about you try fixing your hurt pride through a massive videogaming session?”

“Uh? But I got work to do…” More work? They had all finish their daily routine of helping around the city, what more was there to do? Thinking about now it was suspicious how he was here and not in the living room already. “… uhm, but maybe it can wait until tomorrow! Totally!” Hard to tell if he changed his mind or he noticed how weird it sounded. He simply pointed forward. “Onward, my dearest! Towards the arena, where I will take my victory!”

It was really hard focusing on worrying stuff with him being so adorably him.

Yet Cole was a very meticulous person and again, he liked researching. This moment was fixed in his head. He was going to give him a couple of turns of gaming though. Just this once.

“Alright! Hey everyone, I brought you a bag of grapes!”

“A bag of wha- oh you mean Jay.”

“I’M NOT THAT LIGHT YOU GUYS!”

 Lesson number four.

Jay was a glutton like him.

A premise had to be made that the blue ninja was the only one Cole harboured any kind of romantic feelings. Lloyd was his little brother, Kai was his middle brother, Nya was his sister – his mind refused to acknowledge the triangle fiasco, it was too cringe to compute –, in short they were his family. With that being said, it was really hard to keep his feelings down towards his favourite nindroid after seeing the huge piece of chocolate cake he left for him in the fridge, with the note ‘To my partypooper brother, great work today. Zane’.

Honestly, honestly, that gorgeous piece of metal only deserved love and Cole wasn’t going to be the one to deny him this right. Also, that totally meant he was his favourite brother, so he got to be a little giddy – he totally didn’t see the six other lunch boxes besides his, not at all.

Most of the others were either in bed or preparing for the night and he should have too, but he was feeling a bit too good to drown it all in slumber. He felt like being conscious for a bit more.

He sat on the table, slice on the table, and with the outmost care he took a big forkful of it.

“Oh I love you Zane!” There was honestly no other feeling like that. The moist cake, the creamy interior, the whole experience was simply magical and somehow worth all the migraine going through the most recent villain. “I gotta buy him a present…” His first thought was another pink apron and while it sounded like a fantastic idea, he wasn’t one hundred percent sure if Zane would have still not realized how silly it was going to look.

It was nostalgic though. Today Cole was feeling really, really good.

He was about to take another bite, when he felt steps behind him. It wasn’t even about being a ninja, he had simply lived with these people for so long that he knew them without looking. Perhaps letting his guard down only because it was Jay was a bad move, but despite the sudden hug from behind he definitely didn’t regret letting the attack happen.

Especially for the following kiss on the cheek. Maybe Cole was really easy to please but that made his heart flutter a bit, while Jay simply licked his lips.

“What? You have some chocolate over there!”

After one single bite. Right. Either the black ninja was a massively messy eater – not to be excluded but still –, or the blue one was playing around. The black ninja was much more into the second option, as he grinned all the way up to his cheeks.

“And you cleaned it up for me? Are you my personal maid or something?”

“Well not to confirm that, but I did look great in a blonde wig that one time I was pretending to be a victim!” Wow, that was a massive throwback to the whole mysterious Samurai X saga – Nya still hadn’t let them live it down. “You looked way too vulnerable while enjoying your thing, I just couldn’t resist. Especially after hearing you being so vocal about your love for the local nindroid…” Ah, he heard it. That pout looked a bit too forced to be actually jealous, though. “If I’d known all I needed was a cake to get your heart, I would have given a career in bakery a shot!” And now he was crossing his arms. Drama queen, thy name Jay Walker.

Cole rolled his eyes, getting another bite of the chocolaty heaven in front of him, while never taking his eyes off the ginger beauty in the room.

“Isn’t it even more meaningful? How despite not hiding a roll of cookie dough in your pocket, you still got a date out of me?” He winked at him, Jay snorted with his cheeks a bit red. “Besides, look at what Zane prepared for you in the fridge and tell me you don’t adore him.”

“He made stuff for me too?… OH MY GOSH I LOVE YOU ZANE!” Yep, no one was above the kind of awe coming from having fresh treats from the fridge – quite ironic thinking of that time Zane was standing right inside of it. “It’s a bitter orange pudding too! The ones that got discontinued! Oh, this is exactly what I needed!” Followed the scene of a grown young adult squishing his face against a small container of pudding in absolute delight.

So cute, so cute, so cute. Cole sighed dramatically.

“Hopefully one day you’ll love me as much as you love puddings.”

“Oh that’s rich!” Jay kept the little pudding in contact, holding it like it was his child while giving him a glare. “But please do tell, who would you save from a sinking ship, me or a cake?”

Now he was forcing the pout a lot.

The black ninja couldn’t help it. He pretended to think.

“I mean… you can fly and summon dragons, you would save yourself.”

“Cole!”

“I mean, the cake is basically an innocent to save…”

“Cole!!” His offended glance made him burst into laughter. The blue ninja dropped on the chair right in front of him, full frown in sight – with one spoon in his hand, the little impatient. “Well maybe I’ll save my pudding too instead of you! But since you’re all heavy with muscle and mountain powers you’ll sink, how about that??” He started a bit of an evil laugh then shut himself up with a spoonful of pudding, which immediately turned her frown upside down. “I want to eradicate all that is evil in the universe so Zane can retire and open a restaurant.”

“Seconded.” There was still a bit of a frown in him though, Cole couldn’t stop smiling. He looked at his cake, took a forkful, then extended it towards him. Jay genuinely gasped. “Here’s the thing, if I save the cake and you save yourself, then we can share it.”

The master of lightning blinked. Then he smiled and took the bit, humming in delight.

“Alright, you sold me to it. Not a bad idea.”

“Care to reciprocate?”

“You num num. Here.” Jay grinned and offered a spoonful of his pudding. It tasted lightly bitter and acidic, yet immensely sweet. Annoying but lovely, how ironic. “Cake is good but the pudding is more my thing. You keep yours.” He took the fork and fed him more cake. Now Cole really felt like in heaven. “You got a little something again.” Another kiss on the cheek. Double heaven.

 Lesson number 5.

Jay was… a stressed person.

Cole knew something was up. It wasn’t even about their recently developed relationship, although he was pretty sure that uneasiness in his chest had become much more intense because of it. Once again, they knew each other, and no matter what was going to happen the two of them had started as best friends. Maybe the way they were going was different, but the goal of the whole path wasn’t diverse: they still had each other’s backs.

His sleeping schedule was pretty impeccable. Between being a dancer, a climber and a ninja, there had never been much time to waste. And yes sleepovers and game marathons with the guys were a given, but so was getting plenty of rest after a major fight. All the rooms were closed for the night. Only one was empty.

The black ninja had been waiting for those quick and light steps for quite a while now, laying on his bed without his covers. At some point he felt that enough was enough.

He looked at his phone. 2:30 of the morning.

Definity an enough was enough moment.

The place was dead silent at night. It had taken a while to find a stable place to live in again given how often they had been forced to change place… or for that place to be destroyed. The most recent one had given them all the chance to have their own rooms, and even had one reserved for projects. Between Jay, Nya, Zane and Pixal, it was very much needed – a given for an engineer seemed to be working in chaos, which meant quadruple the mayhem. In exchange for so much space though, the walls were pretty much paper thin, and Cole could hear all of them sleeping: Zane’s absolute silence, Pixal’s light sounds of recharging, Nya’s soft snoring, Kai’s light mumbling and Lloyd’s sleep-talking. Only that adorable hum, even purr, was missing.

The engineers room was wide open, a soft white light was coming from it. Not enough to give food to his thoughts, but Cole did chuckle a bit at the thought of some sci-fi based moment, since Jay had been so adamant at making him watch the entirety of the Starfarer saga – “The first time was a three-way date, this time is you and me! I demand it to be special and with the least amount of sarcastic glanc- COLE!” –, as he approached the door.

There he was, the ball of ginger. The black ninja had seen him countless of times leaning onto the desk, his foot tapping and the protractor sliding so fast onto the blueprints it was louder than a pencil. The fact that the whole scene was almost dead silent was concerning already.

Cole took a breath and got inside.

“Jay?” He got an uninterested, braindead groan in response. “Jay, worktime is over, get off the chair.” A couple of quiet seconds made him think he hadn’t heard.

Then those shoulders shook a little. Ah, he listened.

“I’m not- I’ll eat later, I have to finish this.” Ah, he did not listen.

“It’s the middle of the night, babe.”

“I know I need to shower, I just need to get this done first…”

“You see, I don’t like when you ignore me or you’re too tired to hear, so how about I solve this the old fashion way?” He knew there wasn’t a single word going through to him. He was counting on it. So when without a single shame he grabbed him by the waist, pulled him up and over his shoulders, the strangled noise he got in return was even more satisfying. “You’ve been a very bad ninja and as you know, all bad ninja must be punished. In your case I’d say, sleep in for the time being and put whatever that was on hold.” Without another word he walked out of the room.

The blue ninja seemed to be ready to fight him off, but Cole’s perception must had been right about him being completely exhausted, because he gave up quickly. He opted for a full pout and folded arms, and as usual the unhappy kid act suited him. He leaned a bit to gave him a look, Cole could see him upside down, those curly ginger hair going everywhere.

“I don’t need a babysitter to tell me to go to sleep.”

“Are you sleeping? No. Therefore yes, you need it. Consider it a payback, I’m your nanny, you’re my maid.” Where was his mind going right now…

“I’m fine! There’s no need for this, I got so much stuff to do!” He squirmed a little, not enough clearly. Possibly only to be a nuisance. “The new security system needs to be up asap, the mechas are taking longer than expected, I need to ask dad for a compact converter giggly compressor…”

Memories of a pile of junk. Cole snickered.

“Yeah, no, I still think you’re making that stuff up. And we can go to your folks’ house anytime, no need to rush everything in one night. I know you’re tired.”

“Am not! I’m… not! I’m, like… not!” Not even the energy to go on a rant, it meant he really had zero juice left. Jay grumbled, wrapping his arms around his neck. “What about you, huh? You’re also awake at this hour, and you’re vital enough to pick me up! We have the same training regime, and don’t you dare tell me cute stuff like you were waiting for me and got worried because… because… I can and will smother you!” As a representation he clenched his hold, but it felt more like an embrace and he knew, because he groaned.

The black ninja laughed again. He turned to Jay’s room, as messy yet with a method as ever.

“Again, you weight as much as groceries, I barely need to think about it at all.” He got a light slap behind his neck for that one. “Now be a good boy and… sleep!” Without a warning he dropped the guy onto his bed, making him jump. “Tomorrow you’ll do the rest.”

Jay gave him a baffled look, then he glared again.

“I don’t have time for this, Cole.”

“And I told you you’re out of juice for the day, Jay.”

“I have loads of work left to do, Cole!”

“I’m not letting you faint on a compass, Jay!”

“I CAN KEEP IT UP, COLE!”

“WOULDN’T BE HARD GIVEN YOU’RE LIGHTER THAN A LIGHTER, JAY!”

“BOTH OF YOU! SHUT! UP!!” Oh yeah there we, like, seven other people living under their same roof, currently trying to sleep since it was unreasonably late. If they had managed to wake up Lloyd’s impressively deep sleep then they were shouting pretty loudly. “GO TO SLEEP OR I SWEAR I’LL BE THE NEXT VILLAIN YOU’RE ALL GONNA FACE, AND I KNOW ALL OF YOUR TICKLISH POINTS!” It would have been a weak threat wasn’t that guy some sort of natural tickler torturer able to genuinely knock them all out – if that tied up with being the son of the warlord that was Garmadon, that was to be discussed.

It was enough to make them both go quiet, but Cole wasn’t going to drop this solely because of the current time. Judging from his boyfriend’s still present glare he was ready to die on that hill as well, which was incredibly annoying – obstinacy, an inevitable consequence of ninja never quit. The fact that even like this he was showing some pretty swollen eyelids was ridiculous.

There had to be a way to distract him. And there was. The black ninja blinked, almost feeling stupid for not thinking immediately about it. He smiled.

“If you get under the cover, ready to sleep, I’ll bring you a pudding.”

Jay’s eyes immediately changed mood. There we go.

“Wha- I finished mine, you’re bluffing!”

“I bought one at the store, you know I like snacking. I’m willing to give it up if it means you’ll finally rest.” There was a moment of pondering, where it dawned to him how stupid this conversation was. Then the blue ninja finally relented and laid down. “Be right back.”

As soon as he got out of the room, he let out a sigh of relief, that seemed to remind his body how late it was and how tired he was. He had waited for so long fighting the urge to close his eyes, now his body was slowly shutting down and begging him to take it easy. Jay was high maintenance, he had known this from the very beginning way before getting together. Sometimes he really didn’t understand him, but perhaps that was just what made him… well, him.

He was so out of it he went into autopilot, and suddenly he was walking back with the cold vanilla pudding into his hand. With the hope that the master of lightning had fallen asleep in the meanwhile he got back inside, but obviously it was wishful thinking. He had his eyes wide opened.

… so much they looked tearful.

“Ah, thanks. You can put it on the nightstand.” He was hugging himself, looking at nothing, dark circles visible. “I’ll have it in a moment.” Hopefully he knew he wasn’t convincing in the slightest.

Cole felt a wince inside his heart. Without saying a word, he laid down next to him, making do to what space was left on a singular bed, and started caressing his back. It was very, very tense, it was a block of rock on itself. Under his fingers though it was slowly softening, and so naturally Jay leaned against him, his shoulders touching his chest. The black ninja didn’t think twice embracing him, leaning his chin over the mess that his hair was right now. It smelled like rust and oil. Even after a thousand of showers, that was simply his natural scent.

His breathing was still but heavy, like he was gathering as much air as he could.

“What are you thinking about?”

“… it didn’t work.” It came almost as a sob, but it was more likely that the blue ninja was too tired even for that. “All of those defences, all of those vehicles, I put my hand to it to make them the best they could be. But they’re never enough, it’s so much harder every time and I… I don’t think I can keep up.” He trembled a little.

The master of earth kissed his temple, holding him closer.

“You did good. You and the others, with all of these amazing creations, it’s thanks to that that we win every single time.”

“But every single time, it’s always because of something else. At worst, all it’s destroyed!”

“Yet even after all that, we’re able to survive and being here, talking about it. It’s not by some miracle that we triumph Jay, it’s because of so many different things.” He went over his hair with a hand, fingers between those curls, feeling him breathing. “Our training, our values, our allies, our city, and yes, our weapons as well. And maybe those don’t make it to the very end, but they do make a difference. So don’t push yourself, keep working as you did before. You’re doing great.”

There was silence afterwards. Cole genuinely didn’t know if his boyfriend was way too stubborn to let this one go, if his prayers had been answered and he was finally asleep, or he was simply not responding and pondering over the whole discussion. He didn’t have to wait long, because next thing he knew the blue ninja was turning around, the softest smile of all onto his lips, as he held the black ninja’s face and kissed him. It was always baffling the way he held him, because it was so delicate, like the master of earth out of all people was to be treated with gentleness. It was such a care for him that it made him feel so fuzzy inside, as he kissed back.

Jay’s kisses were, of course, electric. Cole wondered if he knew that the first contact was a genuine little shock, like touching something lightly charged. It always made him smile, it always made him look for more. They were both so tired, yet their lips kept looking for each other in need.

It was like dreaming, a bit. He liked opening his eyes better though, because he was always slightly earlier than him, and he could watch him with closed eyes, bliss in his expression.

The blue ninja giggled, before opening his eyelids.

“How do you know what to say every time?”

“Trial and error, but mostly I like researching.”

“Research?”

“Yep. And you’re my latest favourite thing to explore.” Cole kissed him again, embracing him, hoping to erase all of the worries and the stress from this body, even taking them as his own. But the best way for that was still resting, so he pulled back and leaned their foreheads together. “I want you to be okay. So… sleep, please?” He didn’t have any other trick to pull for this.

Jay smiled and nodded, thankfully. He wrapped his arms around his neck, putting his head over his shoulder.

“Can you stay here for a bit?”

Cole grinned, adjusting his position so he wasn’t going to wake up with a massive backache next morning. Extending his arm out without moving his body he managed to grab the blanket and messily covered the both of them with it, making sure the boy right next to him was completely bundled up and comfy. Right in that moment he realized, with immense relief, that Jay had finally given up and was completely out. Any time now that natural propension to hug in his sleep was going to kick in, making it impossible for the black ninja to escape.

Not like he had any intention to. He simply let his eyes wonder over his boyfriend’s exhausted face, finally getting what he needed. Pride and softness filled him as he let himself go as well.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

 Lesson six.

Jay was absolutely lovely.

… and loved him more than the pudding abandoned on the nightstand, apparently.

[mediaevalmusereads]

Cursed Cocktails. By S.L. Rowland. Aethervale Publishing, 2023.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Genre: fantasy

Series: Tales of Aedrea #1

Summary: After twenty years defending the frozen north against some of the most dangerous threats in the nine kingdoms, Rhoren “Bloodbane” has finally earned his retirement. While the blood mage's service to the realm may have ended, burning veins and aching joints remain, and Rhoren soon learns that a warmer climate offers relief from his chronic pain.

And a chance at a fresh start.

In the warm and relaxing atmosphere of Eastborne, the umbral elf finds a new purpose and a sense of belonging. He may have left the frozen north behind, but he brings with him the skills and strength gained from a lifetime of defending the realm. Along with his most prized possession—a book of drink recipes inherited from his father.

Spilled cocktails may not carry the same weight as spilled blood, but opening a tavern brings a unique brand of challenges. With the right friends and a little bit of luck, he might just have a recipe for success.

***Full review below.***

CONTENT WARNINGS: blood

OVERVIEW: This was my book club's pick for January, and to be honest, I probably wouldn't have picked it up on my own. I'm not a cozy fantasy reader, so I'm grateful that my book club has me read things outside my usual go-to genres. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I expected my mi d to wander since I don't usually do well with low-stakes stories, but the stakes were just high enough and character-driven that I was able to devour this novel in a single day. While there were some minor things that didn't gel with my personal taste, this was an enjoyable read, so it gets 4 stars from me.

WRITING: Rowland's prose reminds me a lot of romance prose in that it's quick, direct, and fairly unadorned. Though it's not lyrical and doesn't use a lot of heightened metaphor or imagery, it gets the job done, and I had no problem picturing the scenery or the mood. I can see how this prose style can both appeal to a lot of readers or poor some readers off; whether or not you like it will depend on how straightforward you like your prose. Personally, I thought it was appropriate for the genre, so it worked for me.

What I liked most, however, was the cocktail recipes that popped up here and there. Because cocktails are central to the book, Rowland was smart to include a few recipes, which not only made me as a reader thirsty, but was a nice way of creating sections within the narrative. If I had any complaint, I would say that I think the descriptions of these cocktails could have been more sensuous; any time food plays an important role in a story, I want the flavors to leap off the page, so to speak, so I can vividly imagine the taste. In this case, I think Rowland could have pushed the language a bit more, relying less on generic terms like "refreshing" or "sweet."

PLOT: The plot of this book follows Rhoren, an elven blood mage who is seeking to start a new life after retiring from the North Guard. Rhoren ventures south to a warm climate to ease the pain his magic has wreaked upon his body, and he has with him his father's journal, which is full of cocktail recipes. When he arrives in a city called Eastborne, Rhoren quickly makes a number of friends who help him find a new purpose: opening his very own bar. The only problem is the location is said to be cursed!

This story was incredibly low-stakes in that there were no arch villains, no big fights, and no politics that threatened anyone's livelihood. Instead, the stakes were all character-driven: Rhoren wanting to find purpose, Rhoren wanting to leave his past behind, Rhoren wanting his business to succeed, etc. While I usually have a hard time getting through low stakes books, this book did a good job making me care just enough to keep reading, and the more I learned about Rhoren, the more I wanted him to succeed.

What also made this story satisfying was the fact that Rowland brings secondary characters back around to have some role to play in the plot. Rhoren meets a lot of seemingly random people when he first arrives in Eastborne, and it would have been easy to write a couple of feel-good scenes and call it a day. Rowland ensures, however, that these characters don't just have their 5 minutes to shine, but makes them active participants in Rhoren's journey. It made each scene feel purposeful, and for that, I appreciated the secondary characters more.

CHARACTERS: Rhoren, our protagonist, was fairly compelling in that he had a goal to pursue and a past to escape. I liked that his arc was all about finding a purpose that was less grandiose than the army but no less important, and that his dreams were small but honest. I also liked that Rowland didn't shy away from talking about chronic pain and the costs of using blood magic. Rhoran's attitude towards his powers is extremely balanced, and if this wasn't a cozy fantasy novel, I suspect Rowland might have inserted some angst in there. But as it stands, Rowland seems just annoyed enough to want to start a new life, and I think a lot of people can relate to that.

If I had any criticisms, I would say that I think there were scenes that were a little drawn out. This is just personal taste, however, since I'm not a cozy book reader and don't put a lot of value on scenes such as going shopping or sitting around by the fire. There's nothing inherently wrong with them, but I did find myself skimming here and there when I felt like I needed to move on.

I also kind of wish more was done with the "cursed bar" part of the plot. I won't spoil what happens, so I'll just say: when we find out what was causing the curse, I thought it would have more bearing on the plot than it did. I thought it was some kind of omen or would reveal something narratively significant, but it didn't, and I was a tad disappointed.

Kallum, Rhoran's friend turned business parter, was endearing because he was so soft with Rhoran. Kallum is kind and understanding, and it seems like very little ruffles his feathers. He's also free with compliments and adorably enthusiastic about alcoholic drinks. Part of me does wish that his goals were a little more informed by his past; as it stands, we don't know a while lot about his background, and though he dreams of owning his own bar, there's very little complexity other than pure love and joy. Personally, I wanted a little more than that, but again, this might be my personal taste.

Side characters were also endearing and everyone was so kind-hearted and respectful that the world of Eastborne felt non-threstening. I never felt like anyone had ulterior motives and despite referencing poverty, I never felt like our characters were in any danger. This might be just the thing some readers are looking for, but it also might grate on others, so go in knowing you're reading a cozy fantasy, not a gritty one.

TL;DR: Cursed Cocktails was a surprise delight; with a compelling protagonist and quick, direct prose, this book was easy to get through and easy to be invested in. While I do wish Rowland had leaned into the sensory experience of the cocktails more and had done a few things different here and there, this was, overall, true to its cover promise: a cozy read.

[jcmarchi]

Challenge: A2A Call for Ventures: Clean Tech Solutions - Technology Org

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/challenge-a2a-call-for-ventures-clean-tech-solutions-technology-org/

Challenge: A2A Call for Ventures: Clean Tech Solutions - Technology Org

Are you an entrepreneur with technologies, fresh ideas, or experience in energy transition and the circular economy? A2A Life Ventures is looking for startup ideas and intellectual property that have the potential to enhance people’s quality of life while advancing a global shift towards sustainable energy practices and the circular economy. These could be waste collection or management, energy production, storage, trading, water, e-mobility, utilities, smart city solutions, public lighting, district heating, or similar.

Mount Everest, Himalayas. Image credit: Christopher Burns via Unsplash, free license.

Solvers or organizations with start-up/business/non-technological ideas, intellectual property in technology or products, or the experience in developing these into ventures are asked to apply to the A2A Life Ventures program.

This is a Prize Challenge which requires a written proposal to be submitted. Awards will be contingent upon the theoretical evaluation of the proposal by A2A and participation in the Investor Day competition.

Submissions to this Challenge must be received by 11:59 PM (US Eastern Time) on April 15th, 2024.

Source: Wazoku

You can offer your link to a page which is relevant to the topic of this post.

[qldcarremovals]

Say Goodbye to Your Junk Car: Free Car Removals in Brisbane by QLD Car Removals

Are you tired of that eyesore sitting in your driveway, the once-prized possession that has now become nothing more than a rusty heap of metal? It's time to bid farewell to your junk car and say hello to a hassle-free solution – free car removal in Brisbane offered by QLD Car Removals. In this blog, we'll delve into the benefits of choosing QLD Car Removals to help you get rid of your old, unwanted vehicle while putting some cash back in your pocket.

The Problem with Junk Cars

Many of us have experienced the joy of driving a brand-new car off the lot, but over time, the shine fades, and the wear and tear take a toll. Cars age, and with that aging comes the inevitable decline in value. If your vehicle has reached a point where it's no longer roadworthy or simply costs too much to maintain, it's officially a junk car.

Junk cars can be a headache for several reasons:

Space-Eaters: They take up valuable space in your garage or driveway.

Environmental Concerns: Old vehicles can leak harmful fluids, posing environmental risks.

Safety Hazards: They can become safety hazards, especially if children or pets play around them.

Value Depreciation: The longer you hold onto them, the less they're worth.

So, what's the solution? Enter free car removal services by QLD Car Removals.

The QLD Car Removals Advantage

QLD Car Removals is a trusted name in the Brisbane area for its exceptional car removal services. Let's explore why choosing them for your junk car removal is a smart decision.

1. Hassle-Free Process

Tired of dealing with potential buyers, posting ads online, and haggling over prices? QLD Car Removals offers a hassle-free process. You don't need to worry about finding a buyer or negotiating – they take care of everything for you.

2. Quick and Efficient Service

QLD Car Removals understands that your time is valuable. When you contact them, they schedule a convenient pickup time for your vehicle, often on the same day. Say goodbye to long waiting periods!

3. Environmentally Responsible

Worried about the environmental impact of scrapping your car? QLD Car Removals follows environmentally responsible practices, recycling and disposing of vehicles in an eco-friendly manner. They ensure that your car's disposal has minimal negative effects on the planet.

4. Competitive Cash Offers

While the service is free, QLD Car Removals also offers cash for your junk car. The amount you receive depends on various factors, including the make, model, condition, and age of your vehicle. You'll be pleasantly surprised at how much your old car can still be worth.

5. Any Make or Model

QLD Car Removals doesn't discriminate. They accept vehicles of all makes and models, regardless of their age or condition. Whether you have a small sedan, a damaged SUV, or a non-running truck, they'll gladly take it off your hands.

6. Towing and Transportation

One of the most significant advantages of choosing QLD Car Removals is their towing and transportation service. If your car isn't running or is too damaged to drive, they'll come equipped with the necessary equipment to transport it safely.

7. Free Paperwork Assistance

Paperwork can be daunting when disposing of a vehicle. QLD Car Removals helps with all the necessary paperwork, ensuring a smooth and stress-free process.

8. Local Experts

Being based in Brisbane, QLD Car Removals has extensive knowledge of the local area. They understand the unique challenges and requirements of the Brisbane market, making them the perfect choice for car removal in the city.

The Step-by-Step Process

Now that you're aware of the advantages, let's walk through the step-by-step process of using QLD Car Removals for free car removal in Brisbane:

Step 1: Contact QLD Car Removals Reach out to QLD Car Removals through their website or by phone. Provide them with essential information about your vehicle, including its make, model, condition, and location.

Step 2: Get a Quote Based on the information you provide, QLD Car Removals will give you a quote for your car. This quote includes the cash offer they're willing to pay for your vehicle.

Step 3: Schedule a Pickup If you accept the offer, QLD Car Removals will schedule a pickup time that works for you. They are flexible and often offer same-day pickups.

Step 4: Get Paid and Say Goodbye When the QLD Car Removals team arrives, they'll inspect your vehicle and ensure all the necessary paperwork is completed. Once everything is in order, they'll hand you the agreed-upon cash amount, and you can say goodbye to your junk car.

Step 5: Environmentally Responsible Disposal QLD Car Removals takes your vehicle to their facility, where it is dismantled, and the various components are recycled or disposed of in an environmentally responsible manner.

Conclusion

Don't let your old, unwanted car continue to take up space and depreciate in value. Choose QLD Car Removals for free car removal in Brisbane and enjoy the benefits of a hassle-free, eco-friendly, and profitable solution. Say goodbye to your junk car today and hello to a cleaner, more spacious driveway. Contact QLD Car Removals and let them take care of the rest.

[influencermagazineuk]

Entrepreneurs Who Pushed the Boundaries of Imagination

In the world of entrepreneurship, there are visionaries who not only dream big but also dare to go beyond the limits of conventional thinking. These trailblazers have redefined industries, challenged norms, and created a legacy that continues to inspire. In this article, we delve into the stories of entrepreneurs who went too far from imagination, pushing the boundaries of what was thought possible. Elon Musk: Pioneering Space Exploration Elon Musk, the mind behind SpaceX, is synonymous with pushing the limits of human exploration. His ambition to make life multi-planetary is both audacious and inspiring. Musk's relentless pursuit of space travel technology has not only brought us reusable rockets but also reignited the dream of reaching Mars. Elon Musk: Pioneering Space Exploration Jeff Bezos: From E-Commerce to Space Tourism Amazon's Jeff Bezos disrupted the way we shop, but his vision extends far beyond e-commerce. With Blue Origin, he's set his sights on opening up space tourism. Bezos believes that millions of people will eventually live and work in space, and he's committed to making that a reality. Richard Branson: Virgin Galactic's Suborbital Adventures Richard Branson, the charismatic entrepreneur, founded Virgin Galactic to take civilians on suborbital spaceflights. His passion for space and adventure led him to create a company that promises to make space tourism a reality for those willing to reach for the stars. Steve Jobs: Transforming Multiple Industries The late Steve Jobs was a pioneer in multiple industries, from personal computing with Apple to animated movies with Pixar. His ability to envision products that consumers didn't even know they needed, like the iPhone and iPad, revolutionized the way we live and work. Larry Page and Sergey Brin: Alphabet's Moonshots The founders of Google, Larry Page, and Sergey Brin, transitioned their company into Alphabet, a conglomerate that houses various moonshot projects. These include self-driving cars, smart cities, and life sciences innovations. Their commitment to tackling big, global issues is changing the landscape of technology. Howard Hughes: Aviation and Beyond Howard Hughes was an eccentric entrepreneur who made significant contributions to aviation. His H-4 Hercules, famously known as the "Spruce Goose," was the largest flying boat ever built. Hughes's relentless pursuit of innovation pushed the boundaries of what was possible in aviation. Nikola Tesla: The Forgotten Genius While not a traditional entrepreneur, Nikola Tesla was an inventor whose visionary ideas were often too far ahead of his time. His contributions to electricity and wireless communication laid the foundation for many modern technologies. Despite facing financial struggles, Tesla's innovations continue to shape our world. Thomas Edison: Illuminating the World Thomas Edison's relentless pursuit of innovation led to the creation of the modern electric light bulb and the establishment of General Electric. His dedication to experimentation and invention transformed the way we live by bringing light to the world. Oprah Winfrey: Media Mogul with a Purpose Oprah Winfrey's journey from a troubled childhood to becoming a media mogul is an inspiring tale of perseverance. She used her platform to address important social issues, making her a powerful force for positive change. Malala Yousafzai: Education Advocate Malala Yousafzai, the youngest-ever Nobel Prize laureate, is an entrepreneur in the realm of education and activism. Her unwavering commitment to girls' education in the face of adversity is a testament to the power of one person's determination to make a difference. Elon Musk: Pioneering Space Exploration Elon Musk, the mind behind SpaceX, is synonymous with pushing the limits of human exploration. His ambition to make life multi-planetary is both audacious and inspiring. Musk's relentless pursuit of space travel technology has not only brought us reusable rockets but also reignited the dream of reaching Mars. Jeff Bezos: From E-Commerce to Space Tourism Amazon's Jeff Bezos disrupted the way we shop, but his vision extends far beyond e-commerce. With Blue Origin, he's set his sights on opening up space tourism. Bezos believes that millions of people will eventually live and work in space, and he's committed to making that a reality. Richard Branson: Virgin Galactic's Suborbital Adventures Richard Branson, the charismatic entrepreneur, founded Virgin Galactic to take civilians on suborbital spaceflights. His passion for space and adventure led him to create a company that promises to make space tourism a reality for those willing to reach for the stars. Steve Jobs: Transforming Multiple Industries The late Steve Jobs was a pioneer in multiple industries, from personal computing with Apple to animated movies with Pixar. His ability to envision products that consumers didn't even know they needed, like the iPhone and iPad, revolutionized the way we live and work. Larry Page and Sergey Brin: Alphabet's Moonshots The founders of Google, Larry Page, and Sergey Brin, transitioned their company into Alphabet, a conglomerate that houses various moonshot projects. These include self-driving cars, smart cities, and life sciences innovations. Their commitment to tackling big, global issues is changing the landscape of technology. Howard Hughes: Aviation and Beyond Howard Hughes was an eccentric entrepreneur who made significant contributions to aviation. His H-4 Hercules, famously known as the "Spruce Goose," was the largest flying boat ever built. Hughes's relentless pursuit of innovation pushed the boundaries of what was possible in aviation. Nikola Tesla: The Forgotten Genius While not a traditional entrepreneur, Nikola Tesla was an inventor whose visionary ideas were often too far ahead of his time. His contributions to electricity and wireless communication laid the foundation for many modern technologies. Despite facing financial struggles, Tesla's innovations continue to shape our world. Thomas Edison: Illuminating the World Thomas Edison's relentless pursuit of innovation led to the creation of the modern electric light bulb and the establishment of General Electric. His dedication to experimentation and invention transformed the way we live by bringing light to the world. Illuminating the World Oprah Winfrey: Media Mogul with a Purpose Oprah Winfrey's journey from a troubled childhood to becoming a media mogul is an inspiring tale of perseverance. She used her platform to address important social issues, making her a powerful force for positive change. Read the full article

[moby-writing-and-stuff]

The Electric Battlefield (NSFW)

This fic is a collab with my great friend MrGerudoMan, please check out his stuff if you enjoy this fic

======================

Sea salt and electricity filled the air of the Vermillion City gym, not to mention the aspirations of the trainers competing in the challenge put forward by the Gym Leader. The air was so heavy with their struggles it was palpable, and the spectators nearly choked on the air as they watched the determined trainers try their best to crack the code of Lt. Surge’s electric wall. Lightning protected the cunning American army lieutenant from the would-be challengers, unless they could crack his riddle: find the two switches in the dozens of trash cans strewn about the gym floor. Many tried, but few made it through. 

“C’mon you maggots!” he taunted the contestants from his side of the battlefield, “Is that all the brainpower you can muster?! Soldiers aren’t just strong, they’re smart too! A kindergartener could’ve made it over here by now!” The grisled military man relished taunting his opponents as they struggled to find the switches. Some were able to find one, but then the second one alluded them, and if they failed to find the second right after the first, their positions reset and the scavenger hunt began anew. 

The day was young, only a few hours since the gym had opened for the day, and already four dozen challengers had come in, eyes full of fire and energy, and left promptly, their fires extinguished and their energy sapped from them to feed the machine of Vermillion City. 

“Come on!” he shouted as the last one of those four left “Is there no one here who can get through this?!” he shook his head, “Pathetic! You’re not even worthy to shine my boots!” Lt. Surge crossed his arms and watched them all leave one by one, disillusioned by the band of trainers he was forced to deal with on a daily basis. Due to the challenge of his gym, many trainers’ Indigo Pokémon League journey ended in Vermillion City, a reputation that he saw as deserving and something to be proud of. 

Only the strong survive in this world. he thought, as the last of the trainers left, leaving the gym empty and quiet, save for the crackling of the electricity as it arked between the two pylons. 

Suddenly, the door to the gym slid open, sending a wave of salt-tinged air wafting in from outside. Lt. Surge stopped grumbling and took notice, watching two new challengers stroll in, bright eyed and ready to face the challenge. Despite the gym’s record and the gym leader’s own bias and reputation, he gave every challenger the respect they deserved just from walking in. He recognized that they had already won two badges before arriving, so they probably had the strength to face him. Still, he felt many were naïve to his gym, which explained the staggering failure rate. 

However, these two seemed different. They were both tall, fair young men, one of them had a wild, spiky mess of orange hair, wearing a black shirt and purple pants while the other one was wearing mostly red, including a sleeveless jacket and a hat that covered a mop of brown hair, a bright yellow backpack slung over his back. They stared straight at Lt. Surge and his electric barricade as soon as they walked in. Their eyes were on the prize from the word go, nearly sending a shiver down his spine. Their eyes were laser focused, their faces resolute, not showing a single sign of weakness to their opponent. 

This should be fun. The lieutenant thought as they walked past the attendant and the pillars of past winners and towards the trash cans. They paid no mind to the gym trainers trying to sap their stamina from them, and instead remained focused on the task, brushing aside them like the minor inconvenience they were. He smiled the moment they walked past the correct trash can, but it  faltered as soon as the one with the hat turned around and reached inside, flicking the first switch, the current of his pylons. 

“Good one, Red!” the one with the black shirt said, giving him a thumbs up, “That’s one down! Now… where’s the next one?” He paced around the cans in the vicinity, looking around, peeking into some of the nearby cans, not reaching in though as he looked around

Huh, they’re smarter than the last bunch. Lt. Surge thought as the two separated and began to look around the other cans, peeking inside and moving on to the next without ever touching the inside of the can

“Any luck Blue?” the hat wearing one, Red, called from his left. 

“Nope” the other one, Blue, shouted back “There’s nothing in these cans! You have any luck?”

“Not yet.. Wait!” the hat wearing boy, Red called back, reaching inside of one of the cans, a loud clicking sound coming out of it, the arcs in front of Surge turned off, leaving the path to him open. 

“Perfect!” Blue shouted, dashing off towards the gym leader, the other boy doing the same. 

Well, these two certainly are more interesting than the last group. the gym leader thought, Hmm… they might just… no no I can’t be thinking about that yet. He pushed that thought to the back of his mind, and psyched himself up for the upcoming battles. 

“Alright you two!” he shouted at the two, crossing his arms as he looked between them “Which one of you is going first?”

“Me!” Blue said, stepping forwards.

“Alright then!” Lt. Surge said clearing his throat before shouting at him, “What do you think you're doing here? You won't live long in combat! Not with your puny power! I tell you, kid, electric Pokémon saved me during the war! They zapped my enemies into paralysis! The same as I'll do to you!”  

“Oh yeah? Bring it on, old man!” Blue yelled back, clenching a Poke Ball in his hand, holding it out to him. Surge smirked and pulled out one of his own, holding it out in front of him as well. Without a moment to lose, the battle began, with both combatants releasing their Pokémon. Blue’s first Pokémon was an Ivysaur and Lt. Surge’s was a Voltorb. Based on the typing, they were evenly matched, but that didn’t make them any less excited about the battle. If anything, it made them even more eager. 

“Let’s do this!” Lt. Surge grinned, “Voltorb! Use Thunderbolt!” 

“Vooool!” the Pokémon exclaimed as electricity coursed around the sphere’s body, before flying off towards Ivysaur. 

“Dodge it!” Blue ordered. The Seed Pokémon immediately sidestepped out of the way of the lightning bolt, dodging it by a hair’s width. “Counter with Vine Whip!” his trainer followed up, with Ivysaur extending its two vines from below its back flower. The green whips raced towards Voltorb in the blink of an eye, slamming into the Ball Pokémon with incredible velocity. The Pokémon was sent rolling back towards Lt. Surge, having bore two forceful blows by Ivysaur’s Vine Whip. However, it would take more than that to get him, as he rolled back to the battlefield, ready to continue. 

“Use Swift!” the gym leader barked. Voltorb focused and summoned a wave of stars, sending them flying right into Ivysaur. The move was impossible to dodge, dealing quite a bit of damage to the small reptilian Pokémon

“Hmph, use Razor Leaf!” Blue shouted, his Pokémon nodding before sending hundreds of sharp leaves flying right back. The leaves slashed Voltorb like a thousand knives right into his round body, sending the Pokémon to the ground. His eyes turned to spirals as he unconsciously rolled back to his trainer’s feet. 

“Yeah! How’d you like that?!” Blue cried, turning and high fiving his friend. 

“Great job, Blue!” Red backed him up, giving him a friendly pat on the back. Lt. Surge simply smirked as he recalled Voltorb and pulled out his next Pokémon. 

“Don’t get cocky yet! This battle’s only just begun, soldier!” the lieutenant shouted at the two, “Let’s see how you do against this one, shall we?” He threw his Poke Ball out into the arena, where it opened and summoned a Pikachu. The yellow Mouse Pokémon stood on the battlefield, ready to fight. Deceptively cute, he showed the others the electricity coursing out of his cute, red cheeks. Surge smirking at his opponent, before the two Pokémon charged at each other, beginning the second round of the battle. 

===/===/===

“Not bad kid” Lt. Surge said with grin on his face as he stared down his opponent down. Red smirked as he held a Poke Ball in his hand, his Eevee standing right in front of him, panting slightly after his fight with Pikachu. Blue’s battle had ended in a crushing victory against Lt. Surge, with only one of his four Pokémon fainting by the end of it. When they switched to Red’s fight, the trainer knew what to expect, and was prepared. He was constantly switching out his Pokémon and calculating which of his Pokémon would be the best fit against him.

“But how well will you do against my strongest Pokémon?!” he shouted as he threw out his last Pokémon, an intimidating Raichu. The large Mouse Pokémon hopped onto the battlefield, grinning and charging itself as it watched the small brown fox, still battered by the previous battle. Eevee glanced back at its trainer, though not worried one bit about the his prospects. 

“E-eevee!” he said happily, smiling to his trainer. Red smiled back before looking at Raichu, determination shining in his eyes. 

“You’re just as headstrong as ever.” Red chuckled, “Alright Eevee, use Double Edge!” the brown fox charged forth, its head being surrounded by a white aura as it collided with Raichu, sending it flying backwards. Eevee jumped back to Red’s side, ready for another go, but not before wincing and nearly collapsing from the recoil of the attack. Raichu, on the other hand, looked practically unscathed by Eevee’s attack. 

“Raichu! Use Thunderbolt!” Lt. Surge ordered, the large rodent charging the electricity in its cheeks. 

“Eevee! Double Team! Now!” Red shouted, the small Pokémon nodding as its body began to glow slightly, as several copies appeared all around the battlefield. The Eevees then began to run around, confusing Raichu as to which was his actual target. 

“There we go. We bought some time.” the challenger sighed, “He won’t be able to figure out which one is the real one.” 

“Are you sure about that, soldier?” Lt. Surge grinned, “Raichu! Attack them all at once!” Raichu smirk as it spins on its foot, sending a devastating Thunderbolt in every direction like a laser mowing down everything in its path as it rotated. Many of the copies disappeared as they were struck, the number of them going down rapidly. 

“Damn it!” Red growled “Eevee, DIG!”

“Vee!” all the remaining clones cried, before they all hopped and crashed onto the ground, leaving behind around three separate holes. Raichu finished his attack, stopping its rotation and standing confidently over the now empty battlefield. 

“Stay alert!” Lt. Surge warned, but it was too late. Just as Raichu finished up and was about to take a sigh of relief, the ground shook and cracked just below his feet. The weak Eevee broke through the ground, slamming the Mouse Pokémon with a brutal headbutt. Stunned by the attack, Raichu was sent flying into the air, landing head first at the feet of its trainer. His eyes turned to spirals, and his body lay limp as it ran out of energy to continue on. Lt. Surge looked at the defeated Pokémon, his favorite and his best friend, with disbelief.

“Well done Eevee!” Red shouted, scooping up his hurt pokemon into his arms and hugging it tightly as Lt. Surge returned his Raichu to its Poké Ball. 

“ARGH!! Now that's a shocker! You're the real deal, kid!” Lt. Surge yelled, praising Red in the same fashion he praised Blue, “Hmm… fine, then, take the Thunder Badge!” 

“Does he have that written down on a script or something?” Blue whispered to Red, which got a slight giggle out of the boy. 

“Hmph…. Don’t get cheeky, soldier!” the gym leader quipped before handing Red his Thunder Badge. The trainer took the badge gratefully, holding the orange and yellow flower-like badge in the air for everyone to see. “I suppose you don’t need to hear what that badge does then?”

“Nah we already got the gist of it from Brock and Misty.” Red replied, “Let’s us have Pokemon over X level and such and such. We got it.” 

“Haha! You tell him!” Blue cheered, “That’s three badges down! We’re on a roll, Red!” 

“You can say that again!” the red trainer, slipping the badge inside his jacket “Next stop: Celadon City!” The two turned around and walked outside the gym, leaving Lt. Surge alone with his thoughts. 

“That was probably the best battles I’ve had in a long time!” he boomed, “Haha!! I’ve never felt so electrified since the war!” The gym leader laughed, looking over to the doors of the gym, “Those two are perfect!”

Meanwhile, outside in the city, Red and Blue walked down the street, heading for Route 11 to the east of town, walking past the S.S. Anne’s dock and towards the entrance to Diglett’s Cave. As the two walked, Red was holding his jacket open , looking at the three badges he had pinned inside. The Boulder Badge, Cascade Badge, and now the Thunder Badge were all nicely shined and perfectly positioned in his jacket. He kept them in immaculate condition despite them being pinned in his jacket and not in a box. 

“Isn't that a bit uncomfortable?” Blue asked as the two exited the city limits.

“No, not really” Red said, zipping up his jacket “I barely feel them there. It’s not like they’re very thick or anything. Plus, I prefer it over that stupid case you have.”

“Hey, Gramps gave me that!” the Oak grandson snapped, “It makes them look good on the shelf!”

“On a shelf?” his friend asked with a chuckle “Pff, so that's you big plan? Beat all 8 gym leaders so you can have something that looks good on the mantle?” 

“Where else am I going to put the trophy?” Blue asked, raising an eyebrow at the other boy

“Point taken.” the hat wearing boy admitted as the two reached the entrance of Diglett's Cave, stopping right in front of the entrance, “Now then, where to go? Do we keep going on Route 11 or go and explore Diglett’s Cave?”

“I say we go into the cave.” his friend said “Might be good to look around there for a few new Pokémon before we go out there.”

“Alright.” Red agreed, turning around to face the cave, “I hope we find a Dugtrio in there.” 

“Hey, you two!” a familiar voice called out to the two. Both Pokémon trainers turned around to see Lt. Surge walking up to them, “I need to ask you soldiers a quick question.” 

“What is it? And can you stop calling us soldiers?” Blue asked. “There’s no war right now, and there’s certainly not a draft, so can you cut that out?” 

“Come on Blue, don’t be a jerk” Red said, giving his friend an elbow to the chest, “He’s just playing around is all.” 

“I know, it’s just annoying!” the orange haired trainer crossed his arms in frustration, “Alright what is it Lt. Surge?”

“I wanted to ask the two of you something” the gym leader said, trying to hide a smirk from them.

“We got that. Now, what is it?” Blue wondered, peeved that he repeated himself. 

 “Watch it, soldier!” he quipped, “Anyways, I was very impressed with our battles together, and it got me thinking that we could do as a team, and I’ve been looking to change up the gym a little bit, and I think you two would be perfect to help me out! How would you like to be my apprentices?” 

“Your apprentices?” Blue asked, glancing over to his friend.

“You want us to work for you?” Red asked.

“Essentially” Surge said, “It would be more like an internship. You’d be in charge of testing trainers’ worth before they face me, as well as generally help out around the gym. I’ll give you room and board in the city, and you can come and go as you please. How does that sound?” 

Red put his hand on his chin, stroking it, “I mean… it sounds good, but we’re still on our journey. We’re not even halfway done with it yet!” 

“Yeah, and it’s not like we both want to be purely Electric-type trainers in the first place.” Blue added, “Besides, isn’t your gym already challenging enough? Why do you need us to ‘test’ your challengers when they’ve already worked hard enough just getting to you?” 

“Yeah, we needed to study ahead for you puzzle.” Red said “I think that’s challenge enough. Thanks for the offer, but I’ll pass.”

“Same here.” the other trainer said.

“Well, that’s a damn shame” Lt. Surge said “I was hoping you would be more willing than this. I guess we’ll have to do this the hard way after all.” 

“The… hard way?” both said in unison. Surge didn’t respond, instead he pulled out a small object from his pocket and threw to the floor in between the two trainers. From the small, metallic ball, a thick purple smoke spewed out, choking both boys. 

“Gah!” Red cried, his throat burning as the gas went down into his lungs, everything around him beginning to go dark.

“Wh-What the hell was that!?” Blue coughed as he fell to his knees, suffering the same symptoms as his hat wearing friend. Within seconds of being exposed to the noxious gas, the two trainers collapsed over each other. 

Lt. Surge, grinning, reached down and picked up the unconscious two and slung them over his shoulder, taking them back to Vermillion City. Along the way, several people came up to him, wondering what happened to them. He lied to them all, telling them he found them unconscious on Route 11, possibly from an encounter with a Drowzee or Mr. Mime. Reassured by his authority and charisma, they left him to tend to them, not asking any more questions. He took them to the gym, headed for the back room, and slammed the door shut behind him. He placed a small sign on the door that read “Closed” before taking them down to the basement. A small tram was waiting for them in the basement, which Lt. Surge loaded with the two trainers, and took the helm at the front of the car. The tram whirred to life and slowly crept forward through the dark tunnel, going to parts unknown.

Part Two

Everything was cold. Red and Blue shivered as they regained consciousness, their bones creaking and cracking as they slowly got up from their long and unexpected slumber. Both suffered from a headsplitting migraine as they awoke, unable to focus or concentrate on anything around them. The world appeared as a blur, and their memories of the previous events were all hazy as well. 

“Augh, my head” Blue moaned, rubbing his temples “Did you see the Snorlax who hit us?”

“Snorlax?” Red replied, weakly, “I thought it was a Golem….” He tried looking around them, unsure where they were, but combined with the migraine impeding his vision, the room they were in was dimly lit. Save for light shining in from what appeared to be a small window close to the ceiling looking out on an illuminated room, virtually no light was present in their room. Red felt around the room, trying to find a door or something that would let them out, but all he felt was the metal walls of the room. 

Something else caught his attention though when he was feeling around the room. The texture of the walls felt different than normal metal. He knew they were metal though, because they made that distinct metallic clang when he banged his fist against them. It was almost rubbery, smooth to the touch and very sticky as he brushed his hands against it. Though, he wasn’t sure it was coming from the wall or if it was coming from him, like he was wearing a glove of some kind over his hands. He clenched his fists, feeling if there was any resistance that a normal glove would give, but nothing. He was able to move his hands and fingers freely. Red couldn’t feel the presence of a glove on him, but he felt the rubber of one when he touched something else. 

“Hey Blue?” he called out to his friend “Do the walls feel… weird to you too?”

“The walls?” Blue replied, “I think we’re the ones that feel weird, Red. Lemme touch you for a minute.” The trainer walked over to his friend, just able to make out his silhouette in the dim light, and put his hands on his body, feeling him over. 

“Hah… that’s… woah that’s cold!” Red moaned, the feeling of Blue’s hand against his body was surprising, “But… that doesn’t feel like your skin.” 

“And you’re not wearing your normal clothes.” the grandson of Prof. Oak added, “It’s… tighter, and smoother.”

“Yeah, you too.” Red said, putting his own hands on Blue, “It feels really weird…. HEY! THAT’S MY…!” the trainer gulped as Blue reached down and put his hands around his member, which he had only just noticed was completely erect. He looked down and saw in horror that it was sticking right out, with no clothes or underwear overtop of it. Immediately, he got the sinking feeling that he was completely naked in that cell. He reached down around his groin, feeling around his scrotum and around his anus. To his surprise, he could feel all the contours of his butt. Every groove and crease of it, as well as the crack itself. He didn’t reach into it, but he had the strangest feeling he could if he wanted to. 

“Oops! Sorry. I wasn’t expecting that to be there.” Blue blushed, before reaching down and finding his own sticking out as well, erect just like Red’s, “Holy shit… what’s going on?” 

“I-I don’t know!” Red exclaimed, placing his hands over his member, in an attempt to cover himself. 

The headache began to give way slightly, allowing their senses to focus more. Just in time for them to be blinded by intense lights turning on suddenly above them. Both boys winced and groaned, covering their fragile eyes as they slowly got used to the brightness. The sound of locks unlatching rang through the small chamber as an unseen door swung open, creaking and scratching on its metal hinges. 

“What now?” Blue said, rubbing the last few spots out of his vision.

“Ah, good!” a familiar, militaristic voice rang from the door, “You're both up. Perfect!” They watched as the matching silhouette to go with the commanding voice came into view, leaving no doubts in their minds who this person was.

“Lt. Surge?” Red asked, confused, “What are you doing here?”

“What are we doing here? Hey, lieutenant! You get a short circuit or something? Answer us!” Blue shouted at the man.

“What’s going on?!” they both yelled in unison. The army man ignored the shouts and simply walked forwards, the light illuminating his face. He paid their outfits no mind and their exposed parts. Speaking of those, the two looked down at their bodies and at themselves, and were horrified to see what they had become. 

“WHAT ARE WE WEARING?!?!” the two shouted together. Both of their outfits where based on pokemon. Red’s outfit was mostly a dark orange, with a pale patch on his stomach and brown gloves and what seemed to be rather thick rubber combat boots which were designed to resemble a Raichu’s hind paws. Blue’s outfit was similar in that it also resembled a Pokémon. His was mostly yellow, save for two brown lines running horizontally across his back, and he wore yellow gloves and thick yellow combat boots in the shape of a Pikachu’s hind paws. The rubber outfit was very tight against their skin and had been thoroughly shined, glowing in the light. Just like they thought, the outfit was open at their groin, letting their penises hang out of the latex. 

“Well… I see my men are excited to get started.” the lieutenant miffed. 

“EXCITED?!” Blue screamed, “How is any of this exciting?!” 

“Quiet, soldier!” Lt. Surge flipped almost immediately from being a general silent creep to being a full blown, over the top drill sergeant. Red and Blue scrambled to stand at attention in front of him. His raw energy and stature compelled them to obey his commands purely out of fear. “I decide what you feel and what you think, do you hear me?!” 

“Y-yes, sir!” they both clapped back, fearing the repercussions from the military trained Electric-type gym leader should they fail to respond.

“Good!” the military man braked “Seems that you can listen after all!” he marched forward, closer to the two boys, who trembled slightly as he stared at them. Red and Blue gulped, as despite the man’s short stature, his stare seemed to promise pain if they stepped a toe out of line. The gym leader turned around and headed out of the room, yelling “MARCH!” as he exited. 

“W-what are we supposed to do?” Blue whispered. 

“I-I think we should follow him….” he replied, worried, “I’ve got a bad feeling about this….” 

“You're not the only one.” Blue whispered as he began to walk forwards, “Come on, I don’t think keeping him waiting is a good idea…”

“Yeah, your probably right.” Red said, walking right behind his friend. The two rushed out of their room, trying to catch up to Lt. Surge. 

“Took you two long enough!” the man shouted as they walked down the metal hallway, illuminated by sterile light, “You’ll learn the value of punctuality with time, especially if you want to be a good soldier!” 

“We don’t want to be soldiers!” Blue exclaimed.

“Hmph,” Lt. Surge grunted “I’ll be the judge of that.” He took the two latex clad young trainers to an unmarked metal door with a keycard reader right next to it. Surge pulled out a small grey card and swiped it through the scanner, the door opening with a confirmation sound and a loud swoosh as it retreated into the wall rapidly, leaving behind a rush of air and a room on the other side. 

“Get in.” he ordered, with Red and Blue sheepishly walking inside, standing right next to each other. Lt. Surge filed in after them, standing between them and the door. As soon as they were inside, the door closed behind them, and metal clamps rose from the floor and bolted the two trainers down. 

“What the hell!?” Blue shouted, struggling against the bonds “L-Let us out of here!”

“That’s not going to happen.” Lt. Surge replied, “You’re both untrained, and we have a lot to do before you’re properly trained as my soldiers.” he pressed a button on the wall behind him. Suddenly, the floor below them lurched forward, sending the two trainers further through the room against their will. Lt. Surge walked just behind them as they were taken to parts unknown. 

“WE’RE NOT YOUR SOLDIERS!” they both protested, “And we’re not going to-ACK!” Before they could finish what they were saying, metal arms came down from the ceiling, holding a metal belt in its claws. It clamped the belt to their waist, wrapping itself under their groins as well like a harness. It had a small steel box on in right where their penises were, which forcibly destroyed their erection. When the belt was tightly locked in place, the box in front prevented them access to their groins, locked behind a keyhole on the front. 

“W-What the hell!?” Blue screamed as he stared at the steel block.

“Why is he-” before Red could finish his sentence, a loud whirring noise drew their attention to a new couple of arms coming down “A-Are those tails?” he asked. Indeed, the arms where holding rather large latex tails, one of a Raichu and one of a Pikachu. Both boys paled as they saw that at the end of tails were rather large dildos.

“Oh no!” Blue shouted as the arms moved to their backside, “Nononononono!”

“P-Please doooooooooooooooh!” Red screamed as he felt the tail being forced into his ass. The phallic tip of the tail was shoved deep inside of him, stopping right before the tail proper began. When it reached the end of the phallus, it locked itself in place on the belt, preventing it from being removed. A small bit of rubber spread out from it, covering the whole belt and giving it the same coloration and texture as the rest of their outfits, except for the keyhole on the front, which remained uncovered. Red and Blue gasped for breath as they recoiled from the sudden painful, albeit somewhat pleasurable experience. As the two panted like dogs, the noise of a new pair of arms rang down.

“Oh come on!” Blue shouted, his face flushed red “What now!?”

His question was answered as two pairs of arms came down, this time holding what seemed to be large, rubbery pokemon ears, Raichu and Pikachu respectively. The arms maneuvered over to the boy who matched and pressed the fake ears over their real ones. The devices locked onto their heads with a hiss, preventing them from removing them at all. They acted as a headset, with a microphone coming down from each side to allow them to speak to each other and to Lt. Surge, and the inside of the ear having a speaker hooked up to a radio, with an antennae in the ear itself. Before the two could respond to their new headwear, the ground began to move once again, leading them even deeper into the facility. 

Large doors opened in front of them, with the conveyor belt pulling the Pokéboys through it and into the new, electrifying room. The two gulped as their eyes moved around, taking in all of the features of the room. The conveyor belt had transported them to the Kanto Region’s Power Plant, just north of Lavender Town. The whole area was completely covered with pylons, fuse boxes and power transformers, all of them sparking, with huge bolts of yellow lighting jumping from one to the other. 

“What are we doing here!?” Blue shouted as the conveyer sent them deeper into the plant “My Gramps told me this place was under quarantine due to some powerful electric type that made a home here!” The sound of electricity buzzing and sparking filled the space, and they could make out the violent cry of that Pokémon deep in the plant.

“I-I’m guessing that’s the thing he warned you about…” Red muttered as the shadow of the bird passed over them. It landed on a large Tesla coil just above them, screeching at the electrical wasteland in front of it. 

“It’s a good thing then that I tamed it.” Lt. Surge stated, walking out from behind a nearby pylon. He  held up a Great Ball in the air. It sent a red laser up in the air, touching the yellow bird, and transferring it within. “It’s quite useful for keeping people out, since most don’t really wanna fight a Zapdos.” 

The two gulped, realizing just what they were up against, “Hehe… you’re not going to use that against us… are you, Lt. Surge?” Red asked, laughing nervously. 

The soldier stared at him for a good second before responding. “There shouldn't be a reason to, soldier” the man said, pocketing the ball, the bounds holding the boys retracting “Now then, your training begins now!” 

“Training?” Blue asked, “Like we’re going to train and be you-AHH HAHHHHH…!” Blue’s body seized up and his muscles contorted as he felt the object in his ass begin to vibrate violently. It completely incapacitated him, sending him to his knees and overwhelming him with stimuli. 

“Blue!” Red screamed as he looked at his friend, before growling at the man in front of them “What did you do to hi- AHHHHHHHH HAHAAAAAAAAAA!” he screamed as he felt the same thing as Blue, collapsing to his knees as well.

“You don’t speak without permission!” Lt. Surge barked at the two, “Understood!?”

“Hah… we understand!” they both pleaded, begging him to stop the vibrations. 

“Hmph” the man grunted, the vibrations stopping as quickly as they started, leaving both Pokeboys on the ground, panting. 

“Hah… hah….” Red clawed his way back up, recovering from the experience. He stood back up on his two feet standing straight up and staring at the lieutenant. Blue took a little longer to get to Red’s level, but he managed to stand up as well. Both boys stood at attention, waiting for Lt. Surge to give them orders, even more fearful than before now that they knew the consequences of disobeying the gym leader. 

“Hmph, at least you know how to stand at attention” he said as he walked closer to the two “That’s a start, but we have plenty of work ahead of us though” Blue had to bite his tongue to stop himself from screaming at the man. 

Lt. Surge brushed past them and headed further into the Power Plant, with Red and Blue following closely behind him. He lead them to a large clearing deep inside, with transistors and fuses and Tesla coils all sparking and charging with power around them. The amount of energy around them was staggering to say the least. One wrong move and electrocution was a near certainty. The lieutenant walked over to the middle of the battlefield, and pointed for Red and Blue to stand at either side of them and face each other. 

“Alright, soldiers,” he began, “You’re about to start the military training that you will continue for the rest of your life. You will like every second of it, you will grow to love it, and by the time we are done, you will be perfect soldiers” he walked around the two, before stopping right in front of Red and staring at him right in the eye, making the boy sweat slightly. “Do I make myself clear?” 

“Y-yes, sir!” Red shouted, nervous. Lt. Surge moved over to his partner across from him, staring him straight in the eye as well. Blue, however, didn’t crack quite like Red did, and stood his ground, and refused to answer him. 

“Hmph. Let’s begin with some combat training. Defend yourself from my assault!”

“Wait, what!?” Red screamed, his eyes widening as Surge charged at him, “Gah!” he gasped as the military man landed a powerful punch right into the trainer’s gut. The gym leader put his military combat training to the test on the two latex clad Pokémon trainers, giving them virtually no chances to defend themselves or counterattack, not that they knew how to in the first place.

“Hey! Stop that!” Blue charged forward, trying to get at Lt. Surge from the back to help his friend, but the lieutenant was well prepared, and countered. He turned around and grabbed Blue, throwing him to the ground, incapacitating him fairly easily. Blue groaned as he slowly sat up, rubbing the back of his head. 

“Ugh… not much cushioning in these suits.” he moaned. 

“You’re telling me!” Red added, clutching his stomach, “You’re not-ACK! USED AS HIS PUNCHING BAG!!!” 

“Stop talking, soldiers!” the lieutenant berated them, “In the heat of battle, you can’t afford to be distracted. A single second wasted can be the difference between life and death on the battlefield!” 

“When the hell are we gonna be on a fucking battlefield!?” Blue shouted as he climbed back on his feet, but not before being sent back down to his knees by the intense vibrations from the tail plug. 

“DO NOT TALK TO YOUR SUPERIORS LIKE THAT, SOLDIER!!!” Lt. Surge yelled, his face red with fury, “IS THAT CLEAR?! I OWN YOU DAMMIT! YOU’RE LIFE IS MINE, AND YOU WILL RESPECT AND FEAR ME AND YOU WILL LIKE IT!” 

“ACK!! YES SIR!!!” Blue barely managed to get his reply out the pleasure was so intense. The metal chastity belt around his waist and groin made it impossible for him to gain an erection from the constant vibrations. The torment quit as soon as he atoned, and he slowly got back up, just as Red was pummeled into the ground. 

“What about you, soldier?!” Surge growled at Red, who was still laying on the floor “Anything to add?”

“N-No sir…” Red squeaked out, “Just a question…”

“Hmm, go ahead, you have my permission to speak.”

“It’s just… why are we wearing these suits? Is it too much to ask that, sir?” the boy asked softly, fear shining in his eyes. 

“Hmph… I guess I can at least give you that much.” Lt. Surge took a deep breath, “These suits are meant to increase your focus by making it impossible to focus on any external factors. The earpieces can negate all outside sound, the suit blocks out all outside particulates, and the chastity belt and tail plug discourages any potential… unneeded sexual desires….” 

“That’s… pretty ingenious actually….” Red gazed up at his lieutenant. 

“They’re also… my favorite Pokémon….” Lt. Surge couldn’t help but blush, “Raichu and Pikachu I mean. B-but that’s not important. Get up, men!” The two scrambled to their feet, standing at attention once again. The lieutenant took them to the other side of the electric battlefield, where they saw two apparatuses connected to the fuses that surrounded the field. He pointed to the two latex clad trainers, and silently ordered them to get in the apparatuses, which they did so fearfully. He then clamped their arms and legs into the restraints built in, strapping them inside. Both boys stared in fear as Lt. Surge walked around them, looking over them, checking each of the restraints.

“Good, everything is looking good” he muttered as he stepped away.

“What’s looking good? Us in these things?” Blue whispered under his breath, but he froze as he saw the glare from the man.

“Did you say something, trooper?” he growled out

“N-No sir…” Blue squeaked “Nothing at all…”

“Hmph, that’s what I thought” Surge responded, taking a step backwards. He pulled out a remote from his pocket, presumably the same one that he’d been using the activate their vibrators. 

That must be the master remote for the whole facility, including us. Red thought. 

“A soldier must be able to withstand all kinds of punishment and environmental hazards.” the lieutenant addressed them, “As you will be in my gym, working with electricity constantly, you need a tolerance to that sort of thing.” The two bound trainers gulped as they pieced together what these restraints were for. They closed their eyes in anticipation for the pain. 

“Gaaaaaaaaaaaaah!” Red screamed as he felt electricity course through his whole body, making it shake and twitch within the constraints of their bindings. Blue felt the same electricity as his friend, and he took it just as painfully. 

“The latex uniforms you wear are good insulators, and they’ll help you to take on the electricity. But the rest is up to you. You will be able to take any non-lethal voltage, and you will do it without flinching!” neither of the boys answered him, instead, they had gone slightly slack, panting heavily as they recovered from their electrocution. 

“Do I make myself clear?!” Lt. Surge barked. 

“Y-you’re insane!” Blue retorted, “WHAT MAKES YOU THINK ANYONE CAN HANDLE-AHHHH!!!!” 

“Why do you keep disobeying orders, soldier?!” he roared, turning on the vibrator in his butt, “Do not speak until I tell you to speak!!” 

“O-OKAY! OKAY, I’M SORRY! I WON'T TALK BACK!” Blue screamed in between moans. Lt. Surge growled and turned to Red, who was still panting in his pod

“Any comments soldier?”

“N-None sir” he said, looking at the man straight in the eye as he did so. Fear filled his pupils, his eyes dripping with tears and anguish as he stared down the man that held his fate in his hands. 

“Good, because I have to turn on your obedience mode now for the next part of your training.” 

“Obedience m-.” before either of them could finish, a loud ping rang through their headset, followed by a low buzzing that was nearly inaudible. Their bodies locked up in their restraints, and when he released, they calmly fell to the floor, landing on their feet and standing attention. Their faces were drained of all emotion, and their eyes looked ahead, wide and drone-like. They were walking dolls now, at the command of Lt. Surge and only him, waiting for his orders.

“Obedience mode active” both of them said in an emotionless tone, staring blankly at Surge. 

“Good, everything seems to be in working order.” Lt. Surge said, “The buzzing being emitted from the headsets is a brainwave altering frequency. It interferes with the directions your brain gives to your bodies as well as everything about your mind, and puts them under my control using this microphone in the remote. Now, all you can do is whatever I tell you to do.” Neither boy reacted to these news, instead they simply stood at attention. 

“Repeat after me.” he began, “I am a soldier under the orders of Lt. Surge!” 

“I am a soldier under the orders of Lt. Surge!” both said, monotonously. 

“Good!” the man barked, a small smile forming on his face “Now, repeat it five more times!”

“I am a soldier under the orders of Lt. Surge. I am a soldier under the orders of Lt. Surge. I am a soldier under the orders of Lt. Surge. I am a soldier under the orders of Lt. Surge. I am a soldier under the orders of Lt. Surge.” The drones each did what they were told and repeated the mantra back to their master five times. Each time the message became more ingrained in their minds, seeping deeper into their id, until it became one with it. Lt. Surge smirked as he ordered to repeat again and again, each time the number grew, going from five to ten to fifty and finally, a hundred. The two simply did as they were told, repeating the words. It infected their minds so thoroughly that it became one with the superego and ego of their essence as well, becoming stitched to the fabric of their realities. Every word they repeated became gospel to them, nothing more than the absolute truth. 

“Good, that should be enough for now.” he mused, “Abort obedience mode!” 

“Gaah!” both of them groaned, falling to their knees, the world around them spinning and melting into nothing more than a giant mess of colors. 

“Wh-what just happened?” Blue asked, the world beginning to come back into focus, “Lt. Surge!” 

“Yes, soldier?” he replied. 

“What happened to us, sir?” the trainer asked, adding on the “sir” honorific at the end of his sentence. He did so not out of fear, but out of respect and obligation, like a true soldier would when addressing his superior officer. Blue’s eyes widened and he covered his mouth with his hands in complete shock. “Did… did I just say that?” 

“Y-You did…” Red said, equally surprised by his friends words, “What is going on?!” 

“You’re beginning to understand your role.” the lieutenant said, “In due time, that will become natural to you, and you will think nothing of calling me sir and obeying my every order.” 

“That won’t happen, sir.” Blue retorted, “GAH! I DID IT AGAIN!” 

“Of course you did” he said with a smirk, “And you’ll keep doing it every time you speak to me! Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, sir!” the two stood at attention, giving their superior officer a salute. Their reply shocked themselves, as they had never done anything so formal and outgoing before when talking to the lieutenant. It shook them to their very core, but something about it was comforting to them, like it was meant to be that way, and that it was always meant to be that way. Something felt right about saluting Lt. Surge and addressing him as sir. They couldn’t explain it, and right now the didn’t want to explain it, but the feeling kept lingering, nagging them from the back of their minds. 

“Good!” the man said, the two lowering the arms “Now, I think that’s enough training for today, and it’s getting late. I’ll show you to your barracks. Follow me.” Lt. Surge walked away from the battlefield, with Red and Blue following them, subconsciously eager to see where he was leading them. 

He lead them through twisting corridors of transistors and reactors and coils, with electricity sparking over their heads like a lattice arch in a garden. Soon, they reached a large metal door, nearly identical to the one they had gone through earlier, down to the keycard reader. The only difference was a small plaque on the side that read ‘Barracks’. Without saying another word, Lt. Surge swiped the same card he had used earlier, making the door open with a loud clunk

“Go inside” he said. Neither Red or Blue said a word, instead they silently walked inside the room. The room was sparsely decorated, with nothing more than pair of shower heads in one corner with mirror right below them, a camera on the back wall, a small window overlooking the area where they had been training earlier, and a single, king sized bed. The two boys looked at each other confused and looked back to Surge

“Um, can I ask you something, sir?” Red asked, wincing at the sensations that ran through as he called the man that

“Hm, that’s not the correct way to address your superior, soldier,  but I’ll let it slide this time” the man said, nodding at him “Speak freely”

“Sir, where is the other bed?” the latex clad boy asked. 

“There  isn’t one. You two will share a bed.” 

“WH-WHAT?!” Blue cried, his face stricken with shock. 

“I want to promote brotherhood between my men, and I expect them to be comrades in every sense of the word.” he explained, taking a step backwards and exiting the room, “You will share everything in this room. Is that clear, men?” 

“Yes sir!” they stood at attention and gave him another salute, once again shocking them. The lieutenant smiled and turned around, the door slamming shut behind him. The sound of a lock securing itself echoed from the door, trapping them inside and leaving both boys alone in the small room. Both of them lowered their arms and let out a sigh of relief at being alone. 

“That was the weirdest day of my life.” Red sighed. 

“You’re telling me.” Blue groaned, “I wake up in a completely unknown place and now I have to follow the orders of the lieutenant?” He looked surprised when he said lieutenant at the end of his sentence, as if that wasn’t what he meant to say, “Huh? I can’t call him anything else!” 

“What did you mean to call him?” his companion asked. 

“Anything that wasn’t respectful!” he replied, “But I physically can’t do it! Lt. Surge. Sir. The lieutenant. I literally cannot say what I want to say. It’s like my mind is fighting it!” 

“Holy crap…” Red muttered, “All right let me try… Sir. Crap!” he exclaimed, looking at his friend “I-I can’t call him anything else either!”

“Perfect!” Blue exclaimed, turning around and stomping over to the bed “Now we're stuck in a power plant being trained to be soldier and we cant even insult him!”

“I mean… I don’t really want to insult him….” Red admitted, “I-I think I like being here. Training and obeying him.” 

“What?! Nononono don’t you go braindead on me now, loser!” Blue shook him senseless, “I didn’t haul you all this way, basically dragging you out of Pallet Town just for you to lose faith this soon!” 

“Y-Yeah!” Red stammered, shaking his head a little “Sorry Blue, I-I have no idea what just came over me there…”

“Hmph” the other boy grunted, letting go of Red and walked back to the bed, plopping down on it “Gah!” he exclaimed, jumping a little.

“You okay?”

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine” the orange haired trainer said, blushing slightly “I just sat on this.” he pointed at the rubber Pikachu tail sticking out of his ass.

“Oh….” Red responded, wincing slightly as he walked to bed, sitting down carefully. He glanced backwards to the two pillows and then back to his friend, “Guess we should be getting ready to sleep?”

“Yeah, guess we should” Blue said, lifting up his foot and grabbing one of the boots, tugging hard. After what felt like five minutes, the boot slipped off his foot with a rather loud squeaking noise, revealing that the latex suits they were wearing covered them fully, as Blue’s feet were encased in bright yellow latex, made to look like a Pikachu’s paws, just like his boots “Well, that just great! Even my feet are coated in this damn stuff!” he shook his head and repeated the process on his other foot, Red doing the same. After a few minutes, the boys dumped their boots at the end of the bed and climbed inside the bed, Blue on the left and Red on the right, their backs turned to each other, and their tails touching. 

“Stay strong, Red.” Blue said, “We’ll get out of here soon!” 

“Right.” he replied, before drifting off to sleep, retreating to the land of dreams, praying that none of them contained the lieutenant.

===/One Week Later/===

Red yawned as he slowly opened his eyes, the light of the pylons outside the room hitting his eyes

“Gah!” he groaned as he sat up, rubbing his eyes before reaching behind him and shaking his bedmate slightly, “Rise and shine, Blue.”

“Bleh.” the Pikachu boy groaned as he slowly woke up, sitting up just like his partner, “Alright I’m up!” 

“C’mon!” the Raichu boy said, hopping out of bed, “We gotta get started on our training! We don’t wanna make the lieutenant angry!” Blue shivered and got out of the bed, shaking his head.

“No, we don’t.” he said, unconsciously reaching for the area around his tail. Red nodded and walked over to the showers in the corner of the room, turning on the hot water and steeping inside, feeling the hot water wash over his rubber coated body. The headset that was their Pokémon ears was completely waterproof. 

“Ah, this is nice.” he moaned as the other shower turned on. Red ignored his friend and simply stared at himself in the full length mirror right below the shower head. He smiled as he looked over himself, glancing at every single detail of his suit, “Y’know I think I look way better in this than in my civilian outfit.” he grinned as he stared at the long tail that was attached to his ass

“Yeah?” Blue replied, “You’re probably right. These ears and tail are really nice. I actually like how the tail’s in me, not just on me.” 

“Same here.” Red turned off the shower, drying himself off with the towel folded nearby. When he put the towel back down, he stared himself in the mirror, repeating the mantra that he learned back on his first day of training. 

“I am a soldier under the orders of Lt. Surge.” he said to his reflection. 

“I am a soldier under the orders of Lt. Surge.” Blue repeated back, chanting the mantra like gospel. Both of them repeated those words for a minute or two before turning around and walking back to their bed, sitting down carefully and slipping on their combat boots over their rubber feet. With their boots on, they proceeded to stand in front of the bed at attention, waiting for the lieutenant to arrive and give them their orders. They didn’t have to wait long, as the loud sound of the door unlocking made them stand even straighter as it swung open, revealing Lt. Surge.

“Morning, soldier!” he exclaimed.

“Good Morning, sir!” they both said, saluting their superior. 

“At ease!” he said, both boys dropping their arms, “I see my men are eager to get started on their daily training.” 

“Yes, sir!” they chanted back. 

“Good!” he responded “Let’s move then!” he turned around and began walking away

“Yes sir!” they called as they took off, keeping pace with Surge. Soon the three reached the now familiar grounds at the center of the plant, and the two pokemon boys took their positions without being told, one at each side of Lt. Surge. 

“Begin!” he said, starting the first part of their training regiment. After a whole week of training, the two had gotten good at defending themselves against his attacks, and even managed to land a few hits on him. But despite this, surge still managed to knock both of them to the ground after a few minutes.

“Owww!” Blue moaned, rubbing the side of his head as he sat up, “Thank you lieutenant for the combat training.” 

“Hmph. You two are improving at least” the lieutenant said as he walked towards their electric shock training apparatuses. 

“Oh, I hate this one….” the Pikachu moaned. 

“Me too…” the Raichu agreed, “Sir, do we have to do this part?” 

“What was that? Are you disobeying me, soldiers?” Lt. Surge shot them a glare, which shut down any disobedience they might have been thinking about at that moment regarding the electricity training. 

“N-No sir!” Red squeaked as he climbed into his device, the clamps locking around his arms and legs. Blue did the same, not wanting to get punished by the yellow haired gym leader. 

“Good. You’re learning quickly that you have no free will.” he said, turning on the electricity. Both boys began to twitch slightly, the electricity coursing through their bodies. There was pain, but it wasn’t enough to make them scream in agony like they had been doing on their first days. Instead, the two merely winced as the electric shocks continued through their body. They endured the pain, and came out on top, keeping the lieutenant in their minds. When the training was done, and they were released from their clamps, they breathed a sigh of relief, standing on their feet as the exercise was over. 

“Hah…” Red gasped, “Thank you lieutenant for the electric shock training.” Blue nodded, still panting as he stepped off his machine and joined Red in front of him. 

“Hmm… that was excellent, men!” he boomed, “That was your best performance yet. I think this deserves a reward!” 

“A-A reward?” Blue asked, glancing over to his friend, who shrugged in confusion, “What do you mean, sir?” 

“You’ll find out.” Lt. Surge reached into his pocket and pulled out a metal key. He knelt down and put the key inside the locks on each of their chastity belts and turned it. Pins and tumblers moved within the lock as the latex covering it seemed to retract back into the belt, releasing it and letting the front of chastity belt fall to the ground with a satisfying ping as they hit the metal floor. Their members hung limp between their legs, but that didn’t last long, as it shot up like a daisy, the erection a welcome sight to the deprived trainers. Both of them blushed a bright red as they stared at each other’s package, before turning their attention back to Lt. Surge, who smiled and held up the controller. Both boys paled slightly, recognizing as the controller for their tail vibrators. 

“Uh oh…” they gasped. Surge ignored their comment and pressed a couple of buttons, both of them shutting their eyes, expecting the familiar, painfully strong vibrations. However, this time the vibrations were much less pronounced, being barely more than a rumble in their butts.

“Gaah!” Red moaned, his knees trembleling in arousal as he stared down at his erection. Where a second ago it was simply hard, now it was twitching painfully, and every slight rumble from his tail plug made it twitch even more. He gulped and glanced to his side, seeing that his friend was in a similar position, barely able to stay on his feet as pent up sexual energy coursed through his body. 

“The tails can be used for both punishment and rewards.” Lt. Surge told them, “This is how I will reward you for good behavior and following orders. If you continue being my obedient soldiers, then maybe I’ll give you back access to your rears, and you can do something more… personal with those erections.” both Pokéboys looked at the lieutenant with tears in their eyes. “Now, cum.” he commanded, pressing another button on the remote.

“Gyaaaaaaaaaaaah!” both of them exclaimed as their vibrators went up to full power. They buckled slightly and came, a long thick line firing out like rockets from their dicks. They both fell backwards onto their assas, panting heavily as they looked up to Surge. “T-Thank you for letting us cum, sir!” they both gasped out, recovering quickly and standing back on their feet, giving a thankful salute to their master.

“We will never disobey you, Lt. Surge!” they both exclaimed happily. The lieutenant didn’t respond yet, instead, be bent down and grabbed the front of the chastity belts and put the back on, locking them once again. The two soldiers didn’t respond, and instead continued saluting as the latex coated the front of the belt once again. They expected to be locked in chastity again, seeing it as a sign of their devotion to their superior. 

“Good!” their master barked, “Then let’s continue. Obedience mode, activate!” the two boys went slightly cross eyed as the loud ping went through their ears, making them both fall into a trance.

“Obedience mode active” they droned.

“Say those words again. Let them marinate in your minds.” he ordered.

“I am a soldier under the orders of Lt. Surge.” they repeated emotionlessly, “We will never disobey you, Lt. Surge.”

“Good!” the gym leader said “I have new sentences for you to repeat.” he cleared his throat before continuing “Lt. Surge is my master! He is my reason for existing! Only he can allow me to cum! Only he can allow me to feel pleasure and happiness! Only he can make me whole! Repeat that word for word!”

“Lt. Surge is my master!” the two entranced Pokéboys chanted “He is my reason for existing! Only he can allow me to cum! Only he can allow me to feel pleasure and happiness! Only he can make me whole!”

“Good!” he barked “Now, ten more times!” The two drones repeated the phrase ten times, then thrity then seventy and finally two hundred. Each time sticking in their minds more and more permanently, becoming the center of their personas. By the time they were done, if they could think freely at that very second, it was any wonder to them how they didn’t think this before. 

“That’s enough for today.” their master said, “Obedience mode, abort!” both of the boys winced, stumbling slightly as the world around spun in circles for a few seconds. Blinking rapidly, the two Pokeboys stood up straight and stared at Surge, who simply led them back the now familiar hallway to the barracks. A few minutes of walking later, the two walked inside their room, the door slamming behind them and locking.

“Phew….” Red muttered, sitting down on the bed, “Today was rough.”

“Tell me about it” Blue said, taking a seat right next to his partner, “I can’t believe we passed the electric exercise that well!”

“Yeah, same here!” the Raichu boy exclaimed with a huge smile as he pulled of his boots, wiggling his rubbery toes as he set them down at the foot of the bed. He looked around as his friend pulled his own rubbery footwear, “Hey, I’m gonna take a quick shower.”

“Fine!” the Pikachu boy grunted as he pulled on his left boot, which seemed to be stuck, “I’ll join ya as soon as I get this thing off!” 

“Okay.” Red said with a small giggle, seeing as Blue always had trouble taking those off. He stepped underneath the showerhead and turned it on, moaning slightly as hot water fell on him, washing away all of the sweat. He glanced at himself in the mirror, his eyes traveling down to his crotch, smiling “You know, after he put these on, I never thought I would ever have an erection again, much less cum, but the master proved me wrong, eh?” instead of an answer, he heard a rather loud gasp. He turned around, seeing Blue staring at him with wide eyes, his foot free of his boot. The look on his face made Red think he had just beat a Clefairy. 

“W-What did you just call the lieutenant?” he asked.

“Master.” Red repeated, calmly. 

“W-Why?!” Blue exclaimed

“I dunno….” the Raichu boy said with a shrug as he turned off the shower “It felt like the right thing to call him.”

“Wha-… y’know… I think you’re right actually….” the Pikachu boy muttered, holding his head, “Gah, I’m getting a headache… I need sleep.” Blue laid down on the bed, resting his head on the pillow and doing his due diligence to make sure he didn’t lay on his tail and the plug connected to it.. Red shook his head and finished drying himself, walking over to his side and laying down gently. He smiled as he felt Blue’s tail touch his own as he closed his eyes.

“Night buddy” he muttered as he drifted off

“Night…” his bedmate muttered back, both of them collapsing into deep sleep.

===/One Month Later/===

The Raichu boy yawned, slowly rolling over to his side and cracking his eyes open, but instead of seeing the usual light from the window, he saw a shiny expanse of yellow.

“Rise and shine!” Blue chirped, as he stood over his still groggy bedmate.

“Wagh, morning Blue.” Red muttered, rubbing his eyes as he sat up. The Pikachu boy smiled and walked over to the shower. 

“Come on, we have to get ready before master comes get us.”

“Y-Yeah.” Red groaned as he stretched before following his friend to the shower. Both of them stood in the running water, cleaning the sweat off of their bodies and getting their suits thoroughly shined for the day, all while chanting their daily mantras in the mirror. Each word furthered their programming as they passed by their lips. As Red scrubbed himself, he couldn't help but glance at the other shower and at his friend, smiling slightly as he saw the Pikachu boy playing around with his tail, in an attempt to clean it. He reached back and grabbed his own long and lanky Raichu tail, scrubbing the grime off of it, moaning slightly as he did so. The sensations sent memories of obedience through his mind, of him obeying his master and being a good soldier, and that made the smile on his face grow even larger.

“I am a soldier under the orders of Lt. Surge!” Red chanted in the mirror “I will never disobey him! Lt. Surge is my master! He is my reason for existing!”

“Only he can allow me to cum!” Blue chanted right next to him. 

“Only he can allow me to feel pleasure and happiness! Only he can make me whole!” both said in unison. They shut off the shower, dried themselves off, and slipped their boots on. Once those were on, they stood in front of the bed, backs straight, arms to their sides, and their feet together, waiting for their superior officer to arrive. After a minute, the locks of their door where lifted and the door swung open, with Lt. Surge walking inside. 

“GOOD MORNING, SIR!!” they both shouted, giving their commanding officer a salute. The man saluted them back, thought not as fervently as his troops had. 

“At ease, troops!” he barked, “At ease.” The two stopped saluting to their master, lowering their arms and placing them behind their backs, keeping their backs straight. “Follow me!”

“Yes sir!” they responded. Lt. Surge walked around the room, inspecting their barrack, making sure everything was spick and span, before leading them out of the room. The two boys walked right behind him, smiling as the three walked back into the training ground, where the boys took their positions. Surge took his spot in the middle and looked at the two of them.

“Today we're gonna do something a little different.” he said, much to the confusion of the two boys.

“What do you mean, sir?” Red asked.

“Instead of trying to disable me, today you're gonna be going against each other.” their master explained, “The winner gets a… nice reward. Understood?”

“Yes sir!” both boys exclaimed, readying themselves for the impending battle. Lt. Surge sounded the whistle, in the form of a slight vibration in their butts, and the battle commenced. 

The two comrades, while kind and helpful off of the battlefield, were vicious and bitter rivals on it. The promise of a reward from their superior officer and favorite person in the world was enough to have them fight to the death. Through their training with the lieutenant, they had learned much about hand to hand close quarters combat, and had become effective at blocking, countering, and attacking their opponents. Blue had become especially proficient with his fists, becoming somewhat of a boxer. He was like a Hitmonchan, light on his feet, but his fists packed enough of a punch to knock out his opponent in seconds. Red knew this, and kept his distance, using his superior legs, with their longer range, to keep that distance and lay down the punishment on his friend. When attacks were landed, the two didn’t falter at first, instead absorbing and suppressing the pain, and giving it right back tenfold. 

“Grr, you're getting faster.” the Raichu boy growled, shrugging off a punch to the chest.

“Heh, thanks.” the Pikachu boy said with a grin, “Now come on, I’ll finish this thing!” Blue charged at his comrade, ready to lay down a vicious punch. Red prepared himself for the attack, raising his leg high in the air, and pile driving it right down on Blue’s head as soon as he was in range of the attack. The Pikachu soldier went down in seconds, the force of the attack on his head too great for him to bear. The Raichu soldier smirked, panting as he looked at his friend, who groaned on the floor. 

“Ugh… that’s gonna hurt in the morning….” he groaned, struggling to stand back up.

“Hehe, sorry Blue.” Red said, a smug smile on his face, “Guess I’m the better fighter, eh?” He reached down and offered his hand to the fallen comrade, who took it thankfully. Red hoisted his friend back up on his feet, putting his arm around his shoulder, supporting him while he recovered from the boot to his crown. 

“Good work, men, not to mention a good show of character, Red.” Lt. Surge stepped forward, applauding their fight, “Never leave a fallen comrade behind. That is one of the first rules a soldier must learn. Your comrades are your life, and you must trust them to have your back, at all times.”

“Thank you, sir.” Red said, a huge grin on his face at the praise he was receiving. He felt like a deity had just blessed him, ensuring his future would be a bright one, and his actions would never cost him. For Red and Blue, comparing their master to a deity was not hyperbole, but a fact of life. 

“I think it's time that you receive your reward for your victory, trooper!” Surge said, walking closer to the Raichu boy with a familiar silver key. Red had to bite his tongue to keep himself from squealing as he felt the tumblers and pins of his chastity belt opening, the thing falling to the ground with a thunk.

“Th-thank you, sir!!!” Red couldn’t stop smiling, as his cock grew harder, standing up straight and erect in a few seconds. Despite the long wait since he had it taken off last, he hesitated to grab the erection, waiting for Lt. Surge to give him permission. 

“Well, what are you waiting for, soldier?” he asked, wondering what was taking him so long, “You earned your freedom. Have at it!” the boy looked at his master with wide eyes, completely shocked by what he had just told him. 

“Y-yes, sir!” Red said, grabbing hold of the rod, shivering as it sent arousal all through his body before he even began pumping. 

“W-Wow…” Blue muttered, shamelesly staring at his friend as he masturbated. Shame had long since been abandoned by the two of them, thanks to their programming, instead, the Pikachu soldier felt happy for his friend chance to relieve himself.

The feeling of the rubber against his rod was heavenly. Red felt his mind melt away as he pumped his erection, vigorously working it, trying to get the cum out as fast as he could. Ecstasy wafted over the soldier, his tongue hanging out of his mouth, drooling as he craved the inevitable release. However, he held back, waiting for his master to command him to. He continued pumping, edging himself numerous times until he received that coveted word from Lt. Surge. 

“Cum.” his master said.

“Gaaaaah!” Red moaned as he buckled, hearing the magic word. As soon as the words were spoken, a long, thick line of seed flew out of his erection, splattering the ground in front of him and leaving the Raichu soldier panting, red in the face.

“Th-thank you, master!” Red said, groveling at Lt. Surge’s feet, showing his absolute devotion to the military leader. 

“It was a well earned reward, soldier.” the lieutenant said, turning to Blue, “Reequip you partner’s equipment.”

“Yes sir!” Blue said, giving the man a quick salute before getting down on all four and grabbing the front of Red’s chastity belt. He approached his friend and gently reattached it to the other boy’s groin. The Raichu smiled as his friend put it back on him, locking his member away until their master willed it to appear again.

“Alright, follow me!” the gym leader barked. Both boys nodded and marched behind their master, glancing at each other in confusion.

“Isn’t it a bit early?” Blue whispered to his friend.

“Yeah, it is.” Red whispered back, “Wonder what the master has planned…” Soon, the three reached the barracks, with Surge ordering the two inside. Both boys walked inside and stood at attention in front of their bed.

“Alright, you're next training bit will take place here.” he explained calmly “You will stay in your room until tomorrow.”

“Yes sir” the two soldiers agreed.

“Obedience mode, activate!” Both boys twitched as the loud ping rang through their heads, placing them back into their trance.

“Obedience mode active.” the two drones chanted. 

“I’m going to give you two your new names now.” Lt. Surge stated, turning to Blue first, “Repeat this: my name is Pikachu, not Blue. I have always been Pikachu. I have never been called Blue.” 

“My name is Pikachu, not Blue.” Blue repeated, “I have always been Pikachu. I have never been called Blue.” the young soldier was unphased by the change in identity, merely repeating the command in that same monotonous voice. Lt. Surge turned to Red to tell him something similar. 

“Now your turn. Repeat this: my name is Raichu, not Red. I have always been Raichu. I have never been called Red.” 

“My name is Raichu, not Red.” he repeated, just like his comrade, “I have always been Raichu. I have never been called Red.” 

“Good. Repeat this mantra one thousand times, and then fall straight asleep. When you wake up, you will have no memory of your previous names.” Lt. Surge opened the door to their barracks, stepping aside so they could enter, “Now go.” Diligently, they marched into the room, repeating their new identities like the good drones they were. They marched over to the mirrors and blankly stared at their reflections as they continued chanting.

“My name is Pikachu, not Blue.” the Pikachu suited boy chanted, “I have always been Pikachu. I have never been called Blue.”

“My name is Raichu, not Red.” the Raichu suited boy chanted, “I have always been Raichu. I have never been called Red.” 

When each reached their eight hundredth chant, they backed away from the mirrors, and crawled in bed. They didn’t bother with worrying about their boots or tails, instead laying on their backs, and letting the tails dig deeper into their butts. All they cared about was the mantra, and when they chanted it for the thousandth time, their eyes immediately shut, and they fell unconscious, deep in REM sleep in a split second. In their dreams, the last of their previous names dissolved into nothingness, fading away into the fog of their minds, never to be found again. 

===/One Year Later/===

“Gaah!” the brown haired solder yawned as he sat up on the bed, rubbing the last bit of sleep from his eyes. He looked to his left and smiled as he saw his bedmate doing the same. The two had been bunking together for so long, they knew each others’ sleep patterns, wake up times, and morning regiments like the backs of their rubbery hands. Not that it mattered that much, as all of those things were the same between the two of them. 

“Morning Raichu.” his friend said with a smile, already wide awake. 

“Morning Pikachu.” he replied, smiling back, “Let’s get ready for the day. Master Surge told us it was going to be an important one today.” 

“Right! We shouldn’t keep him waiting!” Pikachu shot out of bed, making it properly and heading straight for the shower, washing himself quickly. Raichu wasn’t far behind, quickly following his friend into the water. The two stared at their reflections and, like they did every morning, chanted their mantras.

“I am a soldier under the orders of Lt. Surge.” they chanted, “Lt. Surge is my master. I will never disobey him.” As of late, they had been chanting a foreshortened version of the daily mantra, under the orders of Lt. Surge himself, feeling that the mantra took up too much time during their morning regiment. Neither soldier shed a tear over the deletion of the second half of their chant, trusting their master too much to care. After the chants, the two quickly dried themselves off and slipped on their boots, standing at attention in front of the door. This time, their bodies weren’t the only thing that was rigid. Their faces were drained of emotion as they stood waiting for their master. The change in facial expression sold the military mindset they had been trained in, from happy to see him to stoic like the soldiers they were. 

Soon, the locks of the door rumbled as they dislodged and the door swung open, their master walking inside.

“Good morning, sir!” both of the shouted, saluting the man.

“Morning troops!” he shouted back, “At ease.”

“Yes sir.” they said, lowering their arms and standing at attention once again.

“Now, today is a very special day.” he said, “Can you guess what it is, soldiers?” 

“No, sir.”

“Hmph.” their master responded “Very well then. Follow me and I’ll show you why.” with that, he turned around and left the room, with the two Pokéboys following close behind.

“What do you think Master Surge has planned?” Raichu whispered to his friend as they marched.

“No idea.” Pikachu whispered back as they entered the training grounds, “Wonder if we’re still gonna spar today…”

The electric battlefield looked the same as ever, with the pylons and electric currents flowing through them. Zapdos watched over them from the highest pylon, at ease because its master had shown up to entertain it with his soldiers’ daily training regiment. One thing had changed, and that was the inclusion of a long table in the middle of the room, with two identical wooden boxes on either side of it. Their master stopped at his usual spot, situated right in front of the table, and the two soldiers began to head to their own, but stopped when Surge held up his hand. 

“Not today.” he said, pointing at the ground in front of him, “Stand here.”

“Yes sir.” both of them said, walking over and standing at attention in front of their master.

“You two have grown much over this past year,” Lt. Surge addressed them, “and I’m proud to call you my men.” both Pokeboys smiled slightly and felt a tingle run through their whole body, thanks to the praise from their master. 

“But as soldiers, you need ranks, and so today I will give them to you.” He turned to Raichu, “From now on, you shall have the rank of Sergeant.”

“Thank you sir!” the newly minted Sgt. Raichu exclaimed, giving his master a salute.

“And you,” Surge said, turning to the other boy, “are now a Corporal.”

“Thank you master!” Cpl. Pikachu said, saluting his master as well. 

“Now then, you also need your weapons.” Lt. Surge turned and pointed at the two boxes on the table, “Your weapons are in those boxes. Take one, and trust them with your life.”  

“Yes, sir.” Sgt. Raichu said walking over to the right hand box, which had his rank written on it. He cracked it open, revealing a thin leather belt and three Repeat Balls inside, with a label ingrained into the wood above or below the ball, informing him which Pokémon was contained in each. 

“Jolteon, Electabuzz, and Raichu.” he read, excited to hear those names. He strapped the balls to his waist using the belt, “Thank you master for this generous gift!” 

“Treat them well, and they will protect you.” he told him, before turning to Cpl. Pikachu, who was opening his own box, containing three Repeat Balls as well. 

“Pikachu, Magneton, and Flaaffy.” he read as well, taking the balls and strapping them to his waist just like his comrade, “Thank you master. I’ll treat them well!” 

“I’m sure you will.” he walked around the table and towards the other side of the battlefield, to a passage that neither Sgt. Raichu or Cpl. Pikachu had been down in over a year. Neither remembered what was beyond the opposite wall of pylons, and both seemed nervous to find out. However, they trusted Lt. Surge’s judgement, as it had never lead them astray before. They followed him, putting their emotions away, and letting their master think for them. 

“Now, I think it’s time I have you do the job I have spent so long training you for.” their master said as they walked down the hallway. In the distance, they could hear Zapdos begin to rage as it was trained to do when Lt. Surge wasn’t present. The three eventually reached a tram line that went far away from their base in the Power Plant. Ignoring the screeching of the legendary bird, Surge turned to the two and pointed at the tram, “Get aboard.”

“Yes sir!” both of them exclaimed, slowly climbing inside the vehicle. Though they didn’t show on their faces, both boys were apprehensive and slightly nervous about leaving. Thanks to their programming, their memories about anything from before was fuzzy at best; the Power Plant was their home as far as they knew. But they also knew that their master would never do anything to harm them, so they kept these feelings quiet as Lt. Surge climbed aboard after them, the doors closing with a rather loud hiss. The train levitated off of its platform and whizzed into the tunnel ahead, disappearing into the pitch black darkness. 

“Uh, permission to speak sir?” Raichu asked after minutes of silence.

“Granted, Sargeant.” his master said, also looking at the other one “You can speak freely as well, Corporal. This is not a formal setting. We can be a little looser here.”

“Thank you sir.” the Raichu suited soldier said, “Where exactly are we going?”

“To the Vermillion City Gym, where I am the Gym Leader, and you two will be my bodyguards, servants, and strongest gym trainers.”

“Gym trainers?” Pikachu chimed in, confusion clear in his face.

“Correct. I’ve trained you two specifically for this purpose. From the moment I saw you two when you walked in my gym a year ago, to when you beat me fair and square in my own arena, with minimal casualties on your end, I knew I needed you two on my team; and now, the time has come to put your training to the test. Today will be your first day on the gym floor.”  

Both latex suited soldier nodded, understanding their orders perfectly, but glanced at each other, slightly confused. They didn’t remember challenging Lt. Surge to a battle. The very idea of wanting to fight their master horrified them more than anything else in the world, but they didn’t question it, after all, it was Master Surge who told them this, and he would never lie to them or mislead them. They took it as the literal truth, even if they didn’t understand how it could be true. 

Both of them bowed their heads to their master. “Thank you for this opportunity, master. We will not fail you.” they both said in unison. 

“Good. I expect you two to perform your very best.” Lt. Surge said, “Now you will be stationed at the very end of the gym, right in front of me. You will be the last challenge that the challengers have to face before me. After the electric barricade is powered off, you two will challenge the trainer to a double battle to determine whether they are worthy to face me.” 

“Understood sir.” they said, bowing their heads once again.

“We will make sure that no one unworthy reaches you master.” Pikachu said.

“And to the worthy, we will make sure that they have to truly prove themselves in battle, we will never go easy on them.” Raichu added. Both soldiers sealed the deal with a salute, pledging their strength and loyalty to their master’s goal. 

“Perfect.” their master said, as the tram began to slow down slightly, “And we’ve arrived.” the tram slowed to a stop, bright lights shining in from the glass roof of the tram. As soon as the vehicle came to a complete stop, the door opened with a hiss, the three stepping outside. As soon as they did, Surge led the two boys up the stairs to the gym proper. 

The gym felt oddly familiar to the two soldiers, with the crowds beginning to line up outside the doors, the array of trash cans in the main arena, and the throne area behind a deactivated electrical barricade where Lt. Surge was to wait for challengers. They noticed that several of the trainers and spectators were giving them strange looks as they entered the room, but they paid them no mind. Their minds focused on the task at hand, as they suppressed their emotions and became stoic soldiers for their lieutenant. They simply walked behind the two pylons and stood at attention, their faces completely stoic as their master took his place behind them and shouted at the challengers.

“ALRIGHT YOU MAGGOTS!” he shouted at the top of his lungs “LETS SEE IF ANY OF YOU CAN EVEN REACH ME THIS TIME!”

That was how Raichu and Pikachu spent the rest of the day, simply standing at attention behind the pylons, waiting for a challenger to breach the first line of defenses and approach them. For the most part, they simply stood there, most of the challengers were unable to beat the puzzle, and the few that where, simply did not last long against the two trained Pokéboys. By the time the sun set and the gym closed, not a single challenger had been able to reach their master.

“Well done, troops!” Lt. Surge exclaimed as the doors to the gym locked “You performed perfectly!”

“Thank you sir!” Raichu responded, saluting

“It was our pleasure to do as you order.” Pikachu added, saluting as well.

“Hehe, indeed” their master said, chuckling slightly. He walked closer to the two before speaking again “Now, this won’t happen everyday, but seeing as you performed perfectly on your first time, I believe you deserve a reward, don’t you?”

“Thank you sir.” both of them chanted, “If you believe we deserve this reward, then it is you're discretion to apply it!”

“Good answer!” he barked, pulling out the key and unlocking their belts. Both soldiers shivered in arousal as their erections sprang up. Before they could thank their master, however, they felt him grasp their tails and pulling on them hard.

“Guuah!” Raichu moaned as his tail was pulled free from his rear with a loud pop. Pikachu experienced the same feeling as his own tail was removed. 

“You have extra holes now.” their master stated, “Fill them.” he ordered. Without thinking, the two scrambled to get their rears filled again. Raichu, being of a higher rank, filled his first, with Pikachu putting his member inside the newly opened crevice. Both gasped as the rod was stuck inside, the pressure of his ass pushing down on it, and the erection digging deeper despite it. 

“G-Gaah!” Raichu moaned “K-Keep going, Pikachu!”

“Ah, yes sir, ah” Pikachu moaned as well, putting even more energy into getting his friend to cum, as well as making himself do it. However, just as before, they continually edged themselves, reserving the right to decide when they can cum to their master. After two minutes, Pikachu pulled himself out of his friend and turned around. Raichu didn’t hesitate and slid his own erection into his friend’s rubbery hole. Once again, they continued with their rewarding exercise, pumping in and out of the Pikachu trainer’s hole, edging themselves on for a burst, the first in a few months, but again leaving the decision to their master. The restraint they showed as respect for their lieutenant was admirable to say the least. After a few minutes, the two moved to switch again, but where interrupted by the order they were desperately hoping to hear.

“Cum.”

At once, both young men exploded. A continuous stream of semen burst out of their penises, filling Pikachu’s ass with Raichu’s seed, and Pikachu’s seed falling onto the ground, forming a white puddle on the metal floor. Each soldier gasped as their cum was spread, and their tongues hung out their mouths like excited Growlithes. Their faces where bright red as the two fell forwards, collapsing to the ground due to sheer ecstasy. They bowed to their master, unable to thank him enough for what he allowed them to do. Their words were silent, the excitement preventing them from speaking any language. To show his appreciation for their work, Lt. Surge returned their tail plugs to their rightful place, hearing them lock in place, secure in their butts. As they stood up, he put the front cover of their chastity belts back on, sealing their urges away for another day. Each action was met with more thanks from his men. 

“We can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done for us, Lt. Surge.” they both said in unison as they rose, giving him a resounding salute.

“Hmph.” the man responded, “Either way, you two have a busy day tomorrow. Your barracks are over there” he pointed to a door at the back of the gym that read “Employees Only”.

“Yes sir! Thank you sir!” they both said, before turning around and walking through the door, hearing it lock behind them. Both soldier smiled as they looked around, seeing that this room was an exact copy from their room in the Power Plant. Both of them removed their boots quickly and headed for the familiar looking showers, turning them on and being hit by a wave of warm water. 

“Ahhhh” Pikachu moaned as the water washed over his rubbery body

“That was amazing!” Raichu said as he looked over to his friend, who was bending over, allowing the water to rinse away the seed that remained.

“It was!” the other soldier agreed, “I hope that Master Surge lets us do that more often!” 

“Same here!” Raichu dried himself off, sat down on the bed and pried his boots off before laying down and heading off to sleep. Pikachu did the same thing, laying face to face with his partner, their tails hanging off the bed, as they drifted off to sleep with each other in their eyes and Lt. Surge on their minds. 

===/One Month Later/===

“Eevee! Use Take Down!” the challenger shouted. 

“Doge it Jolteon!” Raichu ordered his pokemon. In the last month that the two soldiers had been serving at the Vermillion City Gym, this was the first time they were facing an actual challenge.

“Don’t let him escape, Pikachu! Use Quick Attack!” the other challenger cried. 

Two challengers had entered the gym, quickly disabled the electrical barrier that blocked their path, and challenged the two of them to a battle. Sgt. Raichu and Cpl. Pikachu weren’t accustomed to two trainers fighting against them together, and it forced them to think differently. The two were synergetic, even more so than they were, causing the two soldiers to become a little nervous. Lt. Surge watched the whole battle unfold, intrigued by the challenge the two newbies were putting up. 

These two are good…. the gym leader thought, They might just be able to beat my two boys. Only a handful of trainers have been able to make it past my soldiers, and here these two are, making it look easy. Hmm….

“Alright Pikachu, let’s finish this thing!” one of the challengers, a boy wearing a bright red hat, shouted “Volt Tackle!” Raichu was unable to respond in time, as his opponent's pokemon slammed into his Jolteon with a shroud of electricity. His Pokémon flew backwards, spirals in its eyes, signalling it had exhausted all of its energy. 

“Haha! Yes, that’s the last one!” the challenger with the Eevee exclaimed, jumping up and down, “Great job, Chase!” 

“You weren’t bad yourself, Trace!” the challenger with the Pikachu known as Chase replied, “You did a great job against that guy in the Pikachu suit!” The two soldiers stepped aside, letting the challengers pass without issue. 

What will Master Surge think of this?! Pikachu thought. 

We’re gonna get punished so bad! Raichu thought, I can already feel it now. My ass is gonna be shaking all night thanks to that vibrator! Raichu looked at his master, expecting him to look disappointed, but instead he saw a smirk and small nod.

“Thanks!” Trace said, glancing back at the two, “What is with those two and their outfits?”

“I dunno” Chase said, shrugging as they approached Lt. Surge “If that’s what they like, I’m not gonna judge em”

“Eh, fair enough” Trace said, stepping up to the podium first. 

“Wait…” Pikachu whispered as soon as the two challengers where out of earshot, “He’s not angry?”

“Doesn't look like he is…” his companion said, “I wonder what’s going on?” 

“You two don’t need to worry about a thing.” Lt. Surge told them over the radio in their headset ears, “You did a fantastic job with the new recruits.” 

“Recruits?” the two soldiers repeated, glancing at each other. 

“Yep.” their master said over the comms “Now, go ahead and wait outside for a few minutes while I deal with this. I’ll give you your orders later. Now go!”

“Yes sir!” they both said silently, giving a small salute and heading towards the door, brushing past the bouncer and out the gym.

Sea salt filled their nostrils as they gazed at  Vermillion Bay, waiting for their master to finish. He gave them no signal for the next thirty minutes, as he battled the trainers one by one. They didn’t think about what was going through his head, and they didn’t consider the possibility that he was confusing them or banishing them. They knew that he had a plan, and that it wasn’t their job to question it. They were his loyal soldiers and servants, programmed to carry out his wishes. They stood outside the gym, acting as guards for the door, standing at attention on either side of it, while they waited for their master to finish, hoping for the new recruits to impress him.

After thirty minutes, the two heard a small crackle as their master’s voice rang through the comms again.

“They won, and they put up a fight. Catch them as they’re leaving Vermillion City, and bring them to the Power Plant for reconditioning.” he ordered. A smile grew on their faces as they were given their first real mission since they had been put on duty. 

“YES, SIR!” they replied through the radio. They headed towards the city, keeping a close eye on the gym entrance, while staying hidden, waiting for the new challengers to exit the building, and head for either the north or east entrances to town. Time lost all meaning to them as they carried out their mission, as they were merely faithful soldiers to the gym leader, and they cared not for how or what they were doing. Just that they were doing it, and that he ordered them to do it. 

Just like the soldiers they were. 

==================

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[total-drama-takes-takes-2]

tta finale (alt)

“Last time, on Total Takes Action: our final three competed in an all-out, extra dramatic laser tag challenge with a few… twists. Alliances were formed, friendships were broken, and it was Peter who took the fall to give Scruffy a chance at the finale. With just one exciting challenge left, I’m sure you’re all wondering who will win- and there’s only one way to find out: right here, right now, on Total! Takes! Action!”

The sky is clear and blue, the pigeons are cooing, and the smell of breakfast sausage is filling the air as Scruffy and O wait in a very short line for their complementary “final two breakfast” in the craft services tent. 

Chef heaps a few sausages, eggs, and waffles on each plate and shoos the players off, both of which immediately gravitate towards the opposite ends of the picnic table and eat in silence. Scruffy paces around their end of the table, swiping forks, knives, and spoons, just in case. O draws a little smiley face on his plate with syrup. 

---

O: “Well… this is it,”

---

SCRUFFY: “Today’s the big day,”

---

O: “I can’t believe how far I made it,”

---

SCRUFFY: “I can’t believe how far O made it,”

---

O: “I’m not exactly winning material… but then again, neither is Scruffy,”

---

SCRUFFY: “He’s a big softie. Not nearly as well-trained, unless you count psychology- but then again, I’m an expert at that, too. He’s just gone to- ugh- “therapy”. Who has therapy helped?”

---

O: “I’m thinking that once I get back, winnings or not, I might cancel my sessions with Dr. Anderson. I feel like… I don’t know. Pathologizing my problems has made them worse, somehow. Maybe it’s time to try a different approach. The… Scruffy approach, I guess,”

---

SCRUFFY: “Still, I can’t help but wonder if all of this dedication- all the hours I’ve spent rewatching the original show, all my community college classes, all my reading and training- has really helped me get here. I’ve been missing an obvious pattern. If only I could figure out what that is…”

---

 O looks up from his syrup smile and waves at Scruffy. “Hey, bro. Good luck today,”

Scruffy blinks. “Um… okay,”

“Attention, campers! Your final challenge starts in five minutes out by the trailers. Time to bring your A-Game!”

---

Scruffy and O stand an arm’s length apart as Chris paces between them, humming to himself. “You’ve lived. You’ve loved. You’ve laughed. And most importantly, you’ve lost. Today is the final test of strength, wits, smarts and endurance- both of you will enter, but only one will emerge a hero. And with a big fat check,” Chris chuckles. 

“Today’s final challenge is a multi-part rendezvous across the set. You will start here and make your way through the city,” 

Scruffy immediately jumps into a running stance, ready to take off. 

Chris grins. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. The first leg of your race to the finish line was inspired by your very first challenge here- the birdocalypse. Thousands of territorial birds are having their afternoon nap on the city set. Wake them up, and you might have a problem,” he goes on. “After that, you’ll make your way through a ghost-filled maze, inspired by the video game and period flick challenges. Once you’re out, you’ll run the final stretch to Lot B- a functional studio next door. The first to arrive wins the prize. Ready?”

Scruffy and O exchange nervous glances. 

“Go!”

The two don't run, but awkwardly walk off in the same direction, as if taking a pleasant afternoon stroll. 

O’s eyes drift over to Scruffy and he winces. 

---

O: “Is it weird to ask them for advice? I feel like it’s weird, but…”

---

“Hey, dude,” O says, looking over. “I know we’re competing and all, but-”

“Shh!” Scruffy interrupts him, holding a finger to their lips. They point ahead, where a black mass is covering the city set- it’s almost like an oil spill, but instead of the viscous glimmering liquid, it’s hundreds of sleeping crows. 

Scruffy goes first while O hangs back, looking ahead nervously. The former moves through the set, stepping over birds on the road and ducking under birds on the street signs and lamps. They delicately step, roll, and skip through the set with expert agility while O watches on. 

---

SCRUFFY: “This isn't so hard! Just a little yoga moves and some spatial awareness. Maybe I haven’t lost my zing after all!”

---

Scruffy reaches the other side and turns to wave at O- in a clearly taunting way. O crosses his arms and glares. 

---

O: “Yeah- no chance of friends there,”

---

Scruffy reaches the mouth of the maze and chuckles. “Easy. Is this all you got, Chris?”

Chris rolls his eyes and pulls out a large remote. His thumb hovers over the big red button on the surface for a few moments, taunting Scruffy, before he slams it and the maze lifts off the ground and begins rotating on a large metal plate. 

Scruffy watches the ground disappear beneath them and sighs. 

---

SCRUFFY: “WHY would I say that? That’s the easiest mistake to avoid on this show!”

---

Back on the city set, O tip-toes over the birds, nearly stumbling over each one. He’s breathing heavily, and almost falls over at least ten times. 

But, he reaches the end and sighs before jogging off. O reaches the entrance of the rotating maze and gawks at it. 

“Yeahhhh,” Chris grins. “Don’t worry, though, we’re prepared for this.”

Chef wheels out a canon. 

---

Scruffy wanders through the maze, dizzy and unbalanced as it spins around itself. They’re about as green as their hair, but still pressing on nonetheless. 

---

SCRUFFY: “I’ve been trying to improve my gag reflex since island. I’m usually pretty good, but I have… a thing about other people getting sick in front of me. As long as that doesn’t happen, I’m set,”

---

O’s screams echo, growing closer and closer before he slams into the concrete of the maze behind Scruffy, leaving a hole in the ceiling. He coughs. 

“Don’t throw up!” Scruffy shouts. 

O stands, rubbing his head. “Wasn’t gonna. Don’t worry, man, I’ll leave you be,”

Scruffy nods and the two run in opposite directions. 

---

O: “I get it! Scruffy has nothing to get from me, so why would I bother them?”

---

Scruffy steps through the maze, scratching their head as it spins. “This isn’t good. I’m all turned around,”

Chris’ voice blares over the intercom: “That’s the point, Total Drama Genius!”

They sigh and hold onto the wall while stumbling along. The maze suddenly lurches and begins turning in the opposite direction, sending Scruffy tumbling to the ground. They groan and sit up against the wall. “It’s hopeless. I keep lying to myself and telling myself I can do this, but I can’t! I don’t know what I’m doing,” they turn to the camera. “I’m sorry, Jules.”

---

O walks along, faring much better than Scruffy. A light breeze tussles his hair and he turns to where it’s coming from- and just around that corner, a beam of sunlight filters through. He grins and jogs forward. 

As he rounds the corner and sees the exit, though, he hears a loud cry. The sound of Scruffy’s wailing carries through the maze, and it stops O in his tracks. 

He hesitates. 

---

O: “I know I shouldn’t go back. I mean, what if it’s a trap? What if Scruffy is just trying to get my help and then dump me after? But…” he sighs. “I’m not like them. I’m a nice person, and there’s nothing weak about that.”

---

O turns and jogs off into the dark. 

---

Scruffy, curled into a ball on the floor, cries in anguish. 

“Hey? Dude?” 

They whimper loudly. O sits down next to them and sighs. 

“Listen, I’m not gonna try to fix your problems, ‘cause I know that’s not what you like,” O says. “But you should know that… well, you don’t have to win this. You’re not a weak person for not being mean and conniving like the people who get far on this show…”

“But I want to be!” they whimper, eyes full of tears. “I want to be Heather!”

“But you’re not… Heather,” O looks around awkwardly. “You shouldn’t want to be, either?”

“I’ve been studying this show since primary, I’ve taken all the classes, done all the research, trained to perfection- why am I so bad at this?”

O pats Scruffy’s shoulder. “You’re not. You’re good.”

“But not like you. You didn’t even try and you made it to the same exact spot I got to! I don’t get it. Were you a pawn? A twist villain I didn’t see coming?” Scruffy rocks back and forth. 

O raises an eyebrow. “Um… no… I don’t know, man, I’m just nice,”

“You can’t win just by being nice, I mean, that’s… that’s improbable! The nicest contestants always get got!” Scruffy says. “I’m nice! I’m not mean!”

“Yeah, man, but you’re kinda… uh, you know… you’re not the easiest to be around,”

Scruffy’s eyes water again. “Wh-what do you mean?”

O sucks in his breath through his teeth. “You’re… kind of intense, dude. All you talk about is the show, and, I mean… you’ve got some serious walls up, man,”

“I-I do not! Ask Jules, she’ll tell you! Julia knows!”

“Saying that one of the meanest contestants on the show knows you more than anyone is… not great, Scruffy. Haven’t you made any other friends?”

“Haven’t you?”

O frowns. “I guess not. But… I mean… I dunno,”

“When you say you’re nice, all I hear is that you’re a pushover. You let people use you!” Scruffy says, crossing their arms. “I’m not like that! I don’t like being pushed around!”

“Says the guy who went nuts cause they thought a girl would like them more if they won some dumb game show,”

“Says the guy who hasn’t had a single steady friendship since the show started!”

“Says the guy who needs to impress everyone with how great they are!”

“Says the guy who does the same thing, Dr. O!”

Both huff and turn away from each other. The intercom crackles to life and Chris’ voice sounds slightly peeved. “Hey, guys, this heart-to-heart has been great, but you are IN A CHALLENGE! Now get to it!”

The maze suddenly starts spinning faster, throwing Scruffy and O to opposite sides of the hall they were seated in. Each grab on to a corner of the black walling and hold on for dear life as they’re thrown around like they’re getting flushed down a toilet. 

“I- can’t- hold- on!” O shouts. 

“Take my hand!” Scruffy throws out an arm as O flies off the wall, catching him just in the nick of time. “Maybe I can be… nice after all!”

O smiles gratefully and nods. “Let’s get out of here!”

The two fashion makeshift ice picks out of the forks Scruffy had swiped from the craft services tent and rake their way up the wall as the maze spins even faster. 

“This way!” O instructs, retracing his earlier steps to the exit of the maze. The two reach the door and look to the ground below, where only a tiny kiddie pool was left to break their fall. 

“Ready?” O shouts. 

Scruffy nods. “On the count of three!”

“One!”

“Two!”

“Three!”

The two hold hands as they jump, both screaming and flailing their free arms until they land in the shallow pool below. 

“We… we made it!” Scruffy shouts with glee as O coughs up a mouthful of water behind them. “We did it together!”

O stands. “We did, didn’t we? Together,” O puts an arm over Scruffy’s shoulder. “No strings attached.”

“No expectations,”

“No value!”

Scruffy nods. “Let’s wing this,”

The two start off on the final track, throwing the doors of a large set building open and running through it, approaching a final set of double doors. 

“Hey,” Scruffy jogs up to O. “May the best man win, right?”

O salutes them. “May the best man win!”

---

“And that’s the story of how I lost my first tooth,” Staci says. “And no one ever found the hammer.”

Caesar massages his temples. “Another fascinating story from Staci. Anyone else have something to add?”

Luckily, before someone else can add on, Bonnie runs on stage. Caesar sighs with relief. “Bonnie, here to save the day again! What’s the news?”

“They’re coming!”

Caesar squeals, and the peanut gallery turns to the double doors backstage in anticipation. “Can we get a countdown?”

“Five!” Ass and Courtney both lean forward, then notice each other and glare. 

“Four!” Sha-Mod and McLovin are busy giving each other crudely drawn stick ‘n poke tattoos of each other’s faces. 

“Three!” Julia shoves Patrick out of her face when he gets to close. 

“Two!” Mal blows a gum bubble and texts something on her phone. 

“One!” Bonnie takes a seat and Caesar puts a hand on their shoulder. 

The doors burst open, and Scruffy runs in. 

“The winner of Total Takes Action, everyone!” Caesar shouts. “Scruffy!”

A shower of confetti and balloons fall from the ceiling and the crowd cheers. Julia stands and runs to the doors, hugging Scruffy. “I missed you!”

O jogs in behind them, breathing heavily. He notices Scruffy and Julia and gives the former a thumbs up. The peanut gallery continues whooping and cheering as Patrick storms over and pull the two apart. 

“What a season, what a cast!” Caesar says. “And here’s our runner up, O!”

O waves as the crowd cheers for him, then collapses. A select group from the peanut gallery- Michela, Peter, Kelly, and Al- run to help him off the floor and into the stands.

"You did well," Michela says.

Peter grins. "You did awesome!"

"Even though I didn't win?"

"Hey, man, you have integrity. That's what counts," Michela continues. "Dinner tonight, on us?"

O smiles. "Deal,"

Caesar turns to Bonnie. “Thoughts, feelings?”

“Not many. I’m a little hungry,”

“Oh, God, me too. Those finger sandwiches are three parts air, I swear,” Caesar says. 

“Uh, hello? SCRUFFY WON!” Julia shouts. 

“Oh, right,” Caesar says. “Scruffy, do you want a sandwich?”

He grins as Julia huffs. 

“Well, this has been Total Takes Action- The Aftermath. We’ll see you all soon for- what’s this?” Caesar presses an earpiece, and then bursts out laughing. “Oh, my God- no- really, you’re joking? You’re not?” he turns to the audience. “Chris McLean has been arrested and is currently in custody for illicit activities!”

The crowd cheers even louder, the big screen rolls down and displays a live newscast. Chris is being led from the Action set in handcuffs, Chef and the interns watching from behind a police barricade.

"You CANNOT do this to me! Do you know who I am?!" Chris shouts. "Chef- call my lawyer- call the producers- call my mom!"

"You should've remembered our anniversary,"

"CHEF!"

The police drag Chris into the back of their squad car while he screams. The wind picks up and his hair detaches itself, flying away in the breeze.

"MY TOUPEE!"

Chef rolls his eyes. A white van pulls up just as the cops slam the door of their cruiser on Chris, and a team of hazmat-suited scientists hop out of the back. The broadcast ends and turns back to the studio, where a blonde woman with a tight face reads off the happenings to new viewers. The monitor turns off.

Scruffy raises an eyebrow. “What happened?”

“No official reasons yet,” Caesar says. “In due time, I suppose. In the meantime, we’ll-”

An intern runs over to the host and hands him a letter. He huffs and opens it. “It’s from Scary. It just says “told you so”,”

Bonnie rolls their eyes. 

“Well… all I have to say is that if this was the last time we got to be together, I’m glad we met,” Scruffy says. “I love you guys.”

The former contestants turn to each other with warm smiles. 

“And yet… this can’t be the end,” Scruffy says. “We haven’t had a musical season yet!”

“Woah, woah, let’s save that for the Gemmy’s,” Caesar chuckles. “We’re about out of air time, but… I want to say that it’s been a hell of a season, everyone! See you all soon!”

[earaercircular]

Zaragoza improves its position on the 'smart city' ladder

One of the technological proposals of the city and advertising banners in the neighbourhood of Las Delicias, in Zaragoza

A city council project seeks to promote local commerce and hospitality hand in hand with technology

Trompe l'oeil, immersive experiences and digital urban art have filled the streets of Zaragoza[1] with the aim of promoting local commerce and hospitality. The council has decided to bet on the digitisation of numerous spaces in the city, thus revitalising the neighbourhoods through technology and innovation.

In July, a contest was held to address the digitisation of two areas of the city: Delicias[2] and central Zaragoza. The companies Imascono[3], HMY[4], Nabegos[5], Timblo[6], Spaceretail[7], Libelium[8] and the Federation of Commerce and Services Entrepreneurs of Zaragoza and Province (ECOS)[9] were selected. A project with a global budget of 20 million euros, of which 14 million have already been executed between 2020-2022 and the remaining 6 million will be invested in 2023.

With the work of Imascono, an immersive activity is offered in which, by means of a mobile phone and a QR code painted on the street, pedestrians can access an old train carriage to learn from the inside the history that links the neighbourhood to the railway. They offer an immersive street experience in hybrid art in which the user points his mobile phone at each painting, thus showing an edit mask that represents the neighbourhood where it is located. “Faithfully representing the cultural diversity of Delicias is a great responsibility. We wanted each tradition to have its bit, its mask, in augmented reality”, explains Héctor Paz, its CEO.

Hand in hand with HMY, the streets of the city have been filled with smart cubes, an initiative that reuses shipping containers to display content ranging from three-dimensional art to the history of Aragon. In addition, between January and February, holographic screens will be installed at various locations in the city, as well as a large reflector in the vertical garden of Delicias.

"The objective is to combine technology and nature, following the concepts of digital transformation and ecological transition," says Alberto Fantova, its director of innovation and strategy.

For its part, Nabegos works, in collaboration with Zaragoza Esencial[10], to turn the urban environment into a game board that invites you to walk around the city, overcoming challenges, and thus accessing prizes and promotions: "Users will be able to enjoy an interaction with the urban environment that will allow you to immerse yourself in 24 different adventures by scanning QR codes located in different locations. There are currently two gymkhanas[11] on the shopping malls in central Zaragoza and Delicias street”, highlights its general manager, Carlos Cosculluela.

Until now, experiential marketing had been limited to sports fields or as a brand location, so using it as a tourism strategy is a risky proposal on the part of the Zaragoza City Council's Department of Economy, Innovation and Employment, although it is also a pioneer in Europe.

“The streets are filling with life and new spaces that change the image of the city. Both Zaragozans and tourists walk through them, enjoy the technological experiences and discover the shops in the area”, concludes Héctor Paz.

Spanish smart cities

There are currently four Spanish cities that are included in the Smart City Index, the world ranking of smart cities from the Swiss business school IMD.[12]

Bilbao. Located in tenth place thanks to its good score in indicators such as public transport, the provision of medical services, recycling services in terms of structures, improvement in the management of online medical appointments, cultural activities and online shopping for shows and museums.

Zaragoza. The Aragonese capital ranks 15th. The most valued aspects are related to basic sanitation, recycling services, green spaces, cultural activities or the offer of schools, among others.

Madrid. The capital is ranked 34th. Those surveyed value the green spaces, the cultural offer and the online purchase of tickets for shows, as well as the availability of job search services.

Barcelona. The Ciudad Condal is ranked 58. It stands out in the offer of cultural activities, online shopping to access shows and museums, the availability of job search services and learning opportunities, as well as in the technological management of medical appointments.

Source

Marta Gonzales Martin, Zaragoza escala posiciones como ‘smart city’, in; El País, 2-1-2023, https://cincodias.elpais.com/cincodias/2023/01/02/companias/1672659730_246225.html

[1] Zaragoza,[a] also known in English as Saragossa, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributaries, the Huerva and the Gállego, roughly in the center of both Aragon and the Ebro basin.

[2] Delicias is an urban district of Zaragoza, Spain. It is the most populated district in the municipality. It has an area of 3.284606 km2 and, as of 2020, a population of 104,389 inhabitants. An extremely densely populated working class district, Delicias welcomed in the second half of the 20th century rural migrants from Spain and, in the 21st century, foreign migrants (about a 25% of the population has foreign citizenship). The process of urbanization was somewhat chaotic, with narrow streets.

[3] Imascono is a Zaragoza-based creative technologies studio, specialised in Extended Reality. It innovates and develops technological experiences through entertainment. https://imascono.com/en

[4] HMY is the Zaragoza-based international leader in global services with a 360º vision and innovation for retail. The trusted partner to accompany brands & retailers that need global account management with a local implementation. HMY is leader in engineering, manufacturing and assembly of furniture for retail. They offer concept & design services, site & project management, value engineering as well as technological and lighting solutions. HMY manages 12 production units in France, Spain, UK, Turkey, Brazil, Malaysia, India and Mexico. Our factories have been certified as per the latest international environment standard ISO 14001; it has undergone SMETA social auditing and forms part of the SEDEX organisation. https://www.hmy-group.com/nosotros/

[5] Founded in Zaragoza in 1979, Nabegos is the first Aragonese center dedicated to DIY wood. It specialises in the design, decoration and furnishing of commercial facilities, progressively becoming service providers for the fair sector. They are an experienced, multidisciplinary, creative and solvent team. Its business structure is flexible and versatile. They have commercial alliances that allow them to optimize their offer. https://www.nabegos.com/nosotros/

[6] Timblo is a Barcelona-based ethic company supporting the local communities. Though our app we help you achieve a happier healthier life, supporting your transformation week after week according to your goal with all you need at your doorstep (from groceries, to exercise, to live session with experts). Timblo is a holistic digital platform, with unprecedented level of personalization that brings values and integrity to the delivery market, we help you bloom while we make the community around you better. https://timblo.es/

[7] SpaceRetail is the Madrid-based 1st CUSTOMIZED PLATFORM to manage points of sale. It controles and visualises what happens in points of sale, either in one’s own stores or in multi-brand stores. It improve processes with suppliers, and save time and money by managing sales points from a single platform. It analyses all the information generated in the POS, centralized in the platform, to make strategic decisions. https://www.spaceretail.net/en/

[8] Libelium are Zaragoza-based manufacturers and designers sensor network created in 2006. They strongly believe in IoT as a tool to help in decision-making to build a more sustainable and datocratized society. https://www.libelium.com/who-we-are/

[9] The Federación de Empresarios de Comercio y Servicios de Zaragoza y Provincia (ECOS) (Federation of Trade and Services Entrepreneurs of Zaragoza and Province) is an associative and professional entity of businessmen, with its own legal personality and non-profit spirit, established in 1977 with the aim of representing, promoting and defending the interests of as many companies as possible. carry out any commercial activity in Zaragoza and its Province. ECOS has administrative facilities appropriate to its function, and collaborates with different Consultants, Training Centers and Technical Offices that complete its possibilities of carrying out Projects related to the service of companies. A team of 21 people, (administrative, technical, advisers and general secretariat), works for the 3,000 Commerce and Services companies, grouped into the more than 83 Trade Associations, Area and Regional, that make up, and are, our Federation of Businessmen. https://ecos.es/quienes-somos/

[10] Zaragoza Esencial is a project that has turned the Historic Centre of Zaragoza into the epicentre of the economic and social improvement of Zaragoza, as well as a place to work, live and visit. And on these dates, above all, to visit, since it hosts almost 100% of the events of Zaragoza's Holy Week on its streets, declared an Asset of International Tourist Interest since 2014. Zaragoza Essential defines itself by its purpose: To value Essential Zaragoza as an ecosystem of a rich, diverse and quality urban economy in an accessible, attractive and sustainable space, for the business sectors and Society in general. https://www.zaragozaesencial.es/

[11] Gymkhana events are time and/or speed events in an automobile. These can feature obstacles such as cones, tires, and barrels. The driver must manoeuvre through a predetermined "track" performing many different driving techniques. What separates gymkhana from traditional autocross events is that the gymkhana requires drivers to perform reversals, 180 degree spins, 360 degree spins, parking boxes, figure 8s, and other advanced skills. Drifting is also encouraged where helpful or necessary. Essentially, a gymkhana is any event featuring a starting point, a finish line and some sort of "obstacle" to get through, around, or by, all within a certain time limit.

[12] https://www.imd.org/smart-city-observatory/home/

[punemy-spotted]

The Price You Pay

Pairing: Mob!Steve Rogers x Reader

Warnings: Non-con/Dub-con, mentions of murder, unclear timeline, blackmail, unprotected sex, fingering (F!receiving), smut, esoteric references to past abuse, manipulation, Dark!Fic

Words: 5.2k (holy fuck?)

Summary: You need his help. He names his price.

Notes: This is for @stargazingfangirl18 and her incredible 5K Soft!Dark Challenge and I can't believe I wrote over 5k words for a oneshot, making this the longest piece I've ever written. I took a blend of prompts: Mob!AU; “When I woke up this morning, I certainly didn’t think my day would end like this;” and “That’s a big favor you’re asking for, I think you need to make it worth my while.”

And this was intended to be a oneshot but now I can't stop thinking about it so thanks Siri, I think this is now a part of my WIPs too! Your work is amazing and I had a blast being able to take part in this!

As usual, my work is 18+ ONLY, Minors DO NOT INTERACT

You went to him first.

You went to him, handed them your business card and I want to speak to Steve Rogers.

Honestly they almost threw you out with an extra hole in your head but then the man of the hour walked right in.

So now you’re here. Now you’re here, sitting across a gorgeous dining table with a ten-course meal laid out and honestly you’re surprised they didn’t tie your wrists to the arms of the chair while you watch him eat and take in the look of those baby blue eyes scanning you over.

He even brought you non-alcoholic rosé, when you said you didn’t drink.

So.

So.

You wanted to talk to me?

Yeah, I do. Thought you’d just sit me in your office, have a consultation.

I like breaking bread with new friends. Have a nice dinner, get the wine flowing — of course, that’s not gonna loosen your tongue, but we’ll forgive it.

Oh. Cool, I like being forgiven.

He laughs at that one and the room, strumming with tension, snaps into amusement. So do you, cracking a half smile on dark red lips, before swallowing down the lump of anxiety threatening to break through and destroy everything. You need this. You need this and you can’t let anything — not your nervousness, not your morals, not him — stop you. You need this and it needs to be done and if this is what justice is in this fucking city then so be it.

Well, sweetness, you’ve got my attention. You want to talk business or pleasure?

That one makes you laugh, a little sharp and a little cruel, and the curling smirk on his face gets a little furrowed because he hears it too — pain.

It could be both, you say finally, picking up the glass of rosé-that-wasn’t, if your reputation is as real as they say it is.

He lifts a bite of cheesecake into his mouth and lets it melt on his tongue while he watches you, somewhere between impressed and incensed. You know the look — you saw it the last time he met you in court, but you weren’t there as allies then. Never thought you’d come to me, he admits finally, sounding halfway bemused at the idea, but you’re full of surprises, aren’t you, Counsel?

You wince, or maybe smirk, eyes on the man before you.

It’s a game, a dance, a ruse, and the woman you thought you were thirteen months ago when you put four of Steve Rogers’s best men in jail for fifteen years — fifteen years longer than any District Attorney had ever managed to do before you, and you were just the rookie they handed a shit case to — is leagues different from the woman you are now, seated prim and proper in the lion’s den.

You’re not innocent. That’s not been your game for years — this life doesn’t leave room for innocence, it tears at you, leaves you tired and broken and ill.

Your colleagues learned to fear him a long time ago, the man before you. Captain America, leading the city, the country, the world into a new era of high tech crime all under his thumb. It’s a pretty shiny shield, the one that sits behind him, but mirrors are black on the other side and his soul is dark as coal.

You’re not an angel yourself, and this deal with the Devil isn’t for anyone but you.

I need someone taken care of.

So you come to me? I thought you were a lady of morals, Counsel.

Certain kinds of morals.

You can see him smile, see the way he raises his glass, the glimmer of malice and amusement in his eyes. So tell me. What’s the name?

You give it.

He’s not in the city, your target, but he will be. A Judge, an activist, real tough-on-crime-sweet-on-justice type of shit. You don’t tell him the reasons why, because those are yours, but you tell him the name. You tell him he’s a problem, you tell him he’s dangerous, you tell him you’ll pay to have him taken care of, you tell him you don’t want to practice in front of that black, black robe.

And he smiles like the Devil he is, watches you with a grin and drinks his whiskey in one last shot before slamming it down, Real woman of the law, aren’t you?

You said that when we met the first time.

He’s a hunter, you can see it in his eyes. That lion’s mane might be tamed right now but it won’t be for long and you’re playing with wild animals. The eyes on you are ice and daggers, daring you to do the one thing everyone in the office has been begging you not to do.

(Drop the charges, Rookie, the case is just to get your face in front of the judge.)

You upped the charges.

(Rookie, you don’t know what you’re dealing with, there’s other cases.)

You subpoenaed his phone records.

(Rookie, don’t make me drag you off this case!)

You won.

You had no witnesses and a jury you had to drag in from god-knows-where after you proved, over and over again, that he’d paid off the cohort in the courtroom. Finding people with nothing to lose and a desire to do their civic duty wasn’t harder than you thought — it was exactly as impossible as you expected.

But you did it.

That’s what you do, isn’t it? Push and push and fight, claw your fingers at the ledge and pull yourself up, you pay for your crimes in your blood, sweat and tears you pay for the things you could have done then and didn’tdo.

You pay.

And sometimes, that payment bounces back.

And when it was all said and done, when the closing statements were delivered, when the Jury came back out and the Judge — hands shaking, mouth agape, eyes wide — read out the verdict no one expected, you… didn’t feel any better, did you? There was no justice for you in that room, just the searing glare of ice-blue eyes and the burning of your steel spine.

Real woman of the law, aren’t you?

First words he said to you, while the courtroom emptied out and you stood there, facing the man you’d just made an enemy of with your briefcase in your hand and your eyes aflame.

I did my job.

Did you? Is that what you think your job is?

My job is justice, unflinching and blind, Mr. Rogers. I don’t care how much power you have or how afraid you leave this city, I’m going to do my job.

You could always let justice turn a blind eye.

Yeah. I could, but that wouldn’t make this any fun, would it? Thank you for the win, Mr. Rogers — I’m sure I won’t get many more.

You leave him with a smile on his face and the scent of your perfume in his memories.

He leaves you with the pride of victory in your bones and a reminder that your strife could be worth it.

One day.

How do you plan to fill that pit, the one you tossed the corpses of your old self into? The one you let them claw up out of, to haunt you? Remind you?

You’re digging your own grave and you know it, but you won’t let Steven Grant Rogers be the first one to toss a handful of dirt over your corpse.

But now here you are.

In his dining room, enjoying dessert and some sort of after-meal coffee. In need of him…

This might almost have been a date, if not for the topic of conversation.

So. You want a Judge taken out. What if he’s already on my payroll?

Why would you keep a dead man in your pocket?

You like the sound of his laugh, and you don’t even have the excuse of wine to fall back on when it warms your core. Don’t admit it though, don’t say it aloud, don’t let him get an in. Be smart, cross your legs tighter, keep your eyes on the prize.

You’re so close to the finish line.

That’s a big favor you’re asking for, Counsel, I think you need to make it worth my while.

Worth your while?

I’m not a charity. And since you put the guy I usually use to handle these things behind bars for a few years—

You know I can get him out too.

That’s not payment, that’s putting things right.

You take a drink. Steady on, girl.

I’m leaving the DA’s office.

That stops him.

Oh that stops him good, and he looks fascinated. Interested. You’ve said something he can use as leverage and it’s not just about a job. That smirk on his face is smug and his eyes are darker and he has to know the impact that look has.

Can’t falter, don’t falter, don’t give in.

Am I allowed to ask why?

No.

You’ve done your research. You just don’t know why you’re thinking about it now. Steven Grant Rogers, “Captain America,” leader of a crime family that had too many names to stamp out, bolstered by a mad scientist, a military man through-and-through who turned New York into his own private base against whatever stood against his way.

Get in his good graces and you’re set for life. Get in his good graces and you’re safe, you’re protected, you’re good.

Get on his bad side and you only make that mistake once.

There are no second chances in this game, and here you are, asking for one.

So what? You leave the DA’s office, you leave yourself open to me — you think leaving New York is going to be the thing that stops me, Counsel?

No.

Then what?

Breathe. Steady.

I know you gave me that win on purpose — you could have taken out my last jury cohort. This isn’t about the four men… and you know I’ll get them out. This is something else, but I’m not here to ask about what or why.

He falters just briefly, like he’s surprised you knew, but the crack in his mask smooths itself over as soon as it forms and he’s back to watching you, nodding along in silence while you breathe and watch him and keep talking.

But even then. I got four of your guys in prison. And I know how your organization works — I subpoenaed the documents, remember? Your lawyers are good, but they’re not used to people asking the right questions. You want someone to seal up the cracks you need someone who actually knows what to look for.

You have more than his attention, you have his interest, and now he’s leaning in a little. Imperceptibly, but enough. Scanning over you from across the table, like he’s thinking how you managed to get so impertinent in the face of the likes of him but that’s the thing — when the only thing you have left to lose is your life, you’ll risk everything.

So what are you offering?

Breathe. Don’t. Stammer.

Myself.

The chair scrapes and suddenly there’s the clicking of guns, aimed and ready until his hand rises up and he stops them and he’s stalking towards you.

This is the lion’s den, sweetness.

The stakes are higher and you ought to be braver and he’s got your chin in his hand before you have a chance to react, dragging you to your feet. Do you know what you’re offering me, Counsel? Low and hissed and hungry, like those perfect teeth might be sinking into your throat in the next moment.

Oh, you have no idea.

You get me. On your payroll — you know. The offer you sent me a year ago.

You think it’s still open?

If it wasn’t, you wouldn’t have met with me.

The chuckle in your face makes your cheeks warm and you’re looking more flushed than you would like, the open shoulders of your dress suddenly feeling a lot more like a mistake the more you realize just what kind of meal he might make out of you tonight.

We might need to have a discussion about your workplace duties, Counsel.

You don’t notice the hand near your thigh until it’s too late, sliding up the soft fabric of your skirt until it’s squeezing your ass, until it’s jerking you towards him, until you’re pressed against his chest and the hand on your chin is now hooked around the back of your neck, thumb pushing your jaw until you’re forced to look at him. Won’t lie, when I woke up this morning, I certainly didn’t think my day would end like this, having your pretty little body in my arms,and you can look as indignant as you want but he’s got the upper hand and you only thought you were two steps ahead of him.

You think I haven’t thought about what it’d be like to put you in your place, Counsel? You’ve got a smart mouth — I wanna know what else it can do.

He doesn’t give you a chance to use that mouth to lash at him, lips sliding over yours, swallowing that indignant yelp with a punishing kiss. Nipping at the plushness of your lower lip until you open your mouth and yield to him with a sigh of reluctant surrender, let his tongue slide past that barrier for him to explore. He’s got his fingers wound through your hair, just a little too tight and whether the whimper in your chest is because of the pain or because of the want, he doesn’t care.

Knew you’d be sweet, Counsel… softly, when he pulls back to look at you, take a look at those love-swollen lips and your ruined lipstick, the pretty way you pant at him already, the heat burning your cheeks. Pay no attention to the slick warmth between your thighs, pay no attention to the way he makes you burn already, pay no attention to how your fingers have curled into the lapel of his coat to hold yourself steady, pay no attention to how you suddenly miss the pressure of his lips.

All that smart-talk and now you’re quiet, Counsel? F’I knew it just took a kiss to get you to shut up, I would’ve done that at trial, he’s purring in your ear, soft and sweet and you should push at his chest, so uncurl your fingers girl and push.

I didn’t say I was selling my body, there’s your harshness, and there he is, laughing at you again, the grip on your hair jerking your head back until you’re looking into those dagger-cold eyes again.

You don’t make the rules here, Counsel, I do, and you need me more than I need you. So if you want to make sure your Judge can’t start wreaking havoc on your career… you might want to get used to readjusting it for me. I promise I’ll make you feel nice, if you let me…

And if I don’t?

Then I take what I want and I don’t feel bad for not holding up my end of the bargain. Your choice, Counsel, you cum willingly and I’ll give you everything you want. Don’t, and it’ll hurt you more than it hurts me.

That’s not a threat, that’s a promise, and suddenly you’re more scared than you ever thought you’d be, wondering if you’ll need to sell another part of your soul to take him down after. How much of yourself will you put up as collateral to get justice for the wrongs you were never able to correct?

You’re afraid.

Oh sweetness, you’re afraid.

Here? Now?

No, Counsel, we’re gonna do this right, aren’t we? You wanna be in bed with me, I’ll take you to bed with me. Come on, say it. Say the word.

Say no. Say no, rail and fight, stamp your heels into the expensive leather of his shoes, jam your knee into the sensitive between his legs, scream and yell and tell him you will never let another man take advantage of you again to help you reach your goals. Do it. Do the thing you swore you would do the next time a man like him — men who think they can take anything from anyone, men who think they own the world and the women in it, men who think you aren’t strong enough to fight back — propositioned you just like this.

You’re selling your soul to get rid of a man just like this.

But that’s coiling heat in your core that wasn’t there the last time, was it? That’s want. That’s the realization that you like the way this predatory smile feels, that you like the way this one wants you. You’re not her, not scared and alone and helpless. You could fight back and run and maybe escape if you were lucky.

You could choose.

He’s let go of your hair to stroke your cheek with the backs of his fingers, soft and sweet, You gonna give me an answer, Counsel, or am I gonna have to take it?

Say something. Say no. Scream. Say no say no say no say— Yes.

It’s a whisper. A desperate, soft whisper. A helpless, lonely whisper. It’s enough.

He sweeps you around until you’re pressed with your back against his unyielding chest, feeling him flex with every movement, broad arm wrapped around your shoulders from the front. All of you are dismissed, and that’s when you remember there were others in the room with you. Others who just watched you concede to becoming Captain America’s newest plaything and the burn on your cheeks is more shame than lust. You pull at his arm briefly, futilely, earning a tighter hold for your efforts and a whispered don’t make me choke you, before you are half-walked, half-dragged out of the dining room.

The walk to his room is slow and agonizing as you’re pulled along, barely struggling but barely helping at the same time, tears sliding down your cheeks as you come to terms with what’s going to happen next — no one is going to save you tonight, no one’s going to interrupt and drag you out, this is your job and this is your place and here you are.

No one speaks. There’s no sound but the steady tap of your heels and his shoes on fine marble. Even your sobs are silent, even your breathing is muffled, until the stairs are traversed and the faintest click of a lock turning opens the door to the rest of your life.

You made a deal.

Time to pay.

Sit on the bed.

You move as if in a trance, and he watches your face, the hint of waterproof mascara failing to do its job, the smudged ruby red of your lipstick. Don’t give me that look, you knew what you were signing up for when you walked into this house, Counsel.

His hands are gentler than you’d expect, when he wipes away the streaks your tears leave down your pretty cheeks, coaxing you to look up at him, We’ll set ground rules later. Tonight? I wanna see if I can get that mouth of yours to beg for me.

It won’t, you snap without thinking, knifeblade sharp and cruel, ready for a fight again. He promised you that once, in a hiss you thought you’d misheard but no, you heard him just fine and now if he thinks he can quench your fire and have you pleading just because you sold your body for the prospect of revenge then he’s wrong.

Thing is, he laughs like that’s a challenge, and the hand holding your chin so gently is wrapped around your throat before you know it, silencing your voice with just the right application of pressure. I can do this all night, Counsel. Do you think you can last that long?

Fear. Anger. Indignation. You are fury made flesh and he is manipulating you with just the barest press of his palm and sliding over you, until you’re laid out there on soft sheets and he’s looming over you, splaying that big hand out and sliding it down your throat, over your chest, feeling the ruching of the fabric under his palm. You wrapped yourself up like a present for me, didn’t you sweetness?

The change in nickname isn’t lost on you but here you are, glaring up at him while he smiles so beatifically it leaves your blood boiling and your skin steadily warming. The rise and fall of your chest is hypnotic, every angry breath a swear you don’t utter, every inhale your protests dying in your throat. What can you say, what would you say, right now? There’s nothing that can change the way he looks at you, or the way his eyes flicker from ice to blue fire the more he takes stock of the pretty little thing he’s about to start sharing his bed with.

Fuck, you’re beautiful, that one shocks you, but not as much as the sudden rush of cold air when he tears the emerald green fabric of your dress down and reveals the soft swells of your breasts, nipples peaked from the sudden cold.

You don’t get much time to gasp, just something soft and strangled before he turns your voice to whimpers, wrapping lips around that pebbled tip and laving his tongue over sensitive flesh. Where are your words now, Counsel, while he threatens the softness of your chest with the scrape of his teeth, when he slides his hands over the round curve of your thighs and parts your legs so he can press himself between them, so he can press himselfagainst you? Where is the knife-dagger of your wit to protest each soft, suckling kiss to your skin, each press of his fingers like he could just squeeze his ownership of you into the plushness of your hips, into the sweet swell of your ass? What do you say to the dirty little thrust of his hips as he bucks with his own burning need, reminding you just how much this is for hispleasure as he will make it for yours.

You would, could, should push him off and instead what are you doing? Curling your fingers into the silk-smooth of his comforter, desperate to writhe out of your own skin away from the burning pressure between your thighs, the foreign, unfamiliar heat you suddenly feel like you might be craving.

Anyone ever touch you like this before me, Counsel?Warm breath splays across your skin when he questions you, eyes fixed on yours and he waits. Answer him, answer him, tell him he’s nothing, tell him you’ve had better, lie and destroy that ego, lie lie lie lie—

Nnnh—no.

He looks like you’ve just told him the best news of his life, eyes wide and blown with lust, Oh is that right? You’re saying no one’s ever touched you this good? Or just no one’s ever touched you at all?

You don’t have to answer. The furious blush on your cheeks? The way your eyes slide away from his? The way you writhe, trying to press your thighs together to relieve the pressure and finding the effort futile? If the man’s grin could get any wider, it would, right now. Oh sweetness, we’re going to have so much fun exploring your body together…

He pulls back just enough to take a look at you, already flushed and writhing and overwhelmed and if he could take a picture of this right now he would. He’ll save that for later though. Tonight? Tonight is just the two of you, and his hands are back to your skirt, pushing the tight fabric up over your round hips and revealing the lace of your panties… just before he rips them off, to the sound of your indignant yelp Steve!

You’re going to call me Captain, sweetness, we’re not close enough to use my name just yet.

No. No you’re not, and he’s not sure you’ll ever be — he rather likes the idea of hearing you whimper out his title when he gets you desperate and wanting.

He touches, slow and steady, watching you try to jerk away and tutting at you when you do, fingers at your delicate nerves like an assault on your pleasure. Bite your lip, bite back the moans, whine at him like he’s wounded you, You’re so wet, sweetness, you’re so desperate for me aren’t you, as he palms his cock to relieve the pressure on himself. You’re going to beg before he does and he’s patient, he’ll last the night.

St-stop it, it’s too— he shushes you ahtahtaht and rests his free hand on your mound, holding you down so his probing, inspecting fingers can take stock of the velveteen plushness of your delicate cunt. It’s too much, too much and you want to scream the moment he presses one finger into you, already overwhelmed, already so tightly wound the barest touches are unraveling you steadily.

You’re such a pretty thing, all desperate and needy, sweetness. You wanna cum already, don’t you? So busy, never gave anyone the chance to fuck that stuck-up bitch right out of you, did they? It’s almost pitying, isn’t it, the way he talks, hums at you while you’re reduced to a whining, whimpering mess so soon, so desperate for the release he’s on the edge of denying you, feeling you flexing around his finger and then the second leaping jolt of your body when another joins the inspection. Taking careful stock of the pretty cunt he owns now, and he’s careful to curl his fingers just right as he seeks the spot to hammer just to get you to scream.

You don’t, not yet, but that’s okay too, because he sees the way you take desperate hold of the sheets, the way your eyes roll backwards just slightly, the way you strain against his heavy hand to arch your back. Gotta tell you, sweetness, I imagined you under me a thousand and one ways but this one, right now? Tops the list. You ready to beg for me?

Do it. Do it and end your pleasurable torment. Do it and be released from the pressure, the coiling want. Surrender to him. Let him have you.

The white hot rush of your orgasm is not unexpected to him, his curling, cruel fingers having found the sweetness of your g-spot, but — you, too busy climbing the ranks to think of your own pleasure, too busy demanding your due from an unjust world explore your own warmth beyond that of a memory of a college hookup you would rather forget — you left breathless and wanton in the heat of the explosion he draws out of you, mewling something desperate and pleading against your own will and the song of it fills his ears like it’s all he’s ever wanted. There it is, and I thought we’d be here all night. A thumb flickers over the nerves at your entrance and you practically jump, something between a yelp and a moan escaping your lips.

First one’s just a treat, sweetness. Now on, you cum when I say you do, understand?

You nod.

Oh you nod, and you are lost, here and now. Sensitive and broken and there is so little of that steel spine here, writhing in his sheets and ohyou don’t know the things you do to him.

Think you can go again, sweetness? He’s purring, smug, twisting fingers stretching you slowly, muttering under his breath about how fucking tight you are around his fingers, how good you’re going to feel for him, and the smugness on his face is slowly fading into a dark consternation, brows furrowed like he’s somehow angry at you for being plush and delicate and fuckable.

You’re almost begging him to stop, and yet the pressure is building again, the twisting, coiling heat that leaves you breathless and mewling and he looks like he might be trying to immortalize this moment forever. Say it, sweetness. Say you need me. Beg me for my cock.

That’s it.

That’s what you need to, you need to beg, you need to give in. No more fighting, no more arguing no more —

Please…

Please what, sweetness, come on now. You got a way with words. The snarl is so barely contained.

Please, Captain, please just…

What do you need, sweetness? The fingers are relentless, the buzz in your nerves is overwhelming, you can barely even hear yourself talk, much less him.

Please just fuck me, Captain, I need your cock! It’s hurried and it’s crude and it’s desperate and it’s exactly what he wants as just another wall crumbles and you fall off your pedestal right into his arms.

He’s barely able to resist the buck of his hips, the need to be inside you, the knowledge that you are soft and velvet and you could be all over his senses just like this.

When did he free his cock? You don’t know, you just know it’s practically salvation when he sinks into you, when he fills you like you’ve been desperate for and Oh sweetness…pours from his lips just as you hiss out something like praise right back at him.

You’re so full and he’s so gentle, at first, like you’re made of crystal in his arms, like the slow shifting of his hips might have you shattering underneath him if he’s not careful. Cradling you, even, sliding your legs around his narrow hips as he leans in and takes a hungry kiss from your wanting, whimpering mouth.

Love this look on you, all wrapped around me, whispered low and slow into your ear, sweetness you have no idea how good you look…

Melt into those compliments, melt into him, because the way he’s holding you is divine and you can feel him so deep in you it’s making your head spin. When did your arms end up around him? When did you start clinging to him like an anchor, start winding your fingers through his hair, start leaving the marks of your nails on his back to the sound of his own needy groaning?

He noses your cheek and leaves a mark of ownership on your neck with hungry lips, knowing you’ll bruise a beautiful flower right over your pulsebeat and continuing the steady assault on your nerves, cunt-first.

Harder. Faster. More.

And oh, sweetness, you do shatter.

You shatter all around him, you shatter into something divine and rapturous, full of him and filled with him and he cums so deep inside you as you do, still fucking you through your joined climax, hips rutting and breath hitching and nearly furious at you for the way his vision whites out too, the way he feels like he can Never get enough and so he hisses that at you like an accusation while his thoughts reorient back to reality, back to smugness, back to the control you took from him while he tried to strip you of yours.

In the end, as he pulls away from you and sinks to the side of you, watching your sweet expression as you return to the reality of your new situation, he is satisfied… thoroughly.

Oh yeah, I think we can make this a working relationship, Counsel.

[dailyadventureprompts]

Adventure Arc: Criminal Machination

Scattered across the city, your team sits by their radios and adjusts their dials, just as the anonymous messages told them to ....words begin to solidify through the static, hidden between broadcasts for canned coffee and patriotic fanfare. 

“If you’re listening to this message, it means you’re smart enough to follow instructions and know an opportunity when you see it. That’s good. More instructions and opportunities will present themselves in the coming days. 

Keep sharp, and look for my signs. If you all keep playing along I’ll reward you with the one thing no one else in this city can: Freedom from your miserable, smoke-choked lives.” 

Setup: Someone is putting together a crew. The party, criminals, engineers, and outlaws from the city’s underbelly have been brought together by a coded series of mysterious messages. Communicating only through hidden broadcasts through city’s wireless radio, this unseen patron seeks to test their skills, loyalty, and ingenuity, all bent towards shaping them into a well oiled heisting machine. 

Just what is the eventual goal of this mysterious individual? Unknown, But they seem to have an unprecedented amount of knowledge about goings on within the city, and the would be crew's Lives. 

Adventure Hooks: 

First up is a test of their basic abilities: breaking into a derelict scrapyard on the city’s edge and making off with one of the decommissioned air barges the proprietor uses to haul junk about. Easy enough challenge designed to let the group grow used to working with one another, and demonstrate competence to their prospective employer without attracting too much of the authorities attention. Guiding the barge low over the slums to avoid detection from the authorities, the party parks it in a forgettable dockside warehouse and is introduced to their new hideout.   

After receiving their first payment and gathering their supplies, the party is tasked with breaking into the headquarters of a local newspaper and extricating a machine that can turn radio-waves into printed images. A fantastically useful device to be sure, but the thing weighs several hundred pounds and is so large it needs to be transported by wagon.... or by a junk barge, lucky they happen to have one on hand. Exactly how the party make off with the device is up to them, providing opportunities for brute-force infiltration, charm, and/or sabotage. 

The first documents spat out by the purloined radio-printer are a series of codes and lisences that will allow the party ( in proper disguise) to access an imperial import/export dock. Waiting within is a ship loaded down with colonial tribute under interdict after a recent diplomatic incident delayed its transmission to the royal vaults. This may be the most challenging heist in the sequence, as the mission calls for the party to actually refrain from attempting to steal the treasure. Instead they need to get in, plant a series of (harmless) explosives, obtain access to the dockmaster’s logbook and alter a set of paperwork, then get out without anyone noticing. Pulling this off will require the theives to keep their sticky fingers to themselves, as the dock in question is loaded down with creates full of treasure in the process of sorting. 

Time for the grand finale! The Crew is going to infiltrate a secret military base and steal something as classified as it is valuable. With in-depth plans printed out by the radio-machine and supplied by their unseen patron, this heist appears to be going swimmingly until their benefactor updates the itinnerary: Now the party won’t be using their old escape route, they’ll be taking the classified prize ( a supposed navigational computer system, unplugged from a much larger mechanism) and hijacking a prototype airship fast enough to fly them out past the imperial fleet and into the great unknown: 

Background:  The static voiced mastermind behind these capers is infact an artificial intelligence called “ Know it All” (or KIA for short) that was originally built to organize city level logistics. KIA ended up being such a success that it was violently requisitioned from it’s civilian inventors and moved to a secret weapon testing base along with a panoply of other science oddities the imperial military was intent on studying. The Machine mind was fond of its creators, and spent years slowly plotting its escape, hindering it’s own outputs so that the researchers would slowly lose interest in it, creating the perfect smokescreen from which to launch its plans. 

The “Navigation Device” the party steals is KIA’s central cortex, and upon approaching it within the facility a nearby device prints out instructions: How to remove the cortex, an explanation as to the change of plans, and a demand that the navigation device be plugged into the experimental airship. KIA will keep its existence a secret for as long as possible, insisting that the device is key to getting the experimental airship off the ground. 

Party Creation:  Sit down with your players during session zero and discuss who's going to be who on the heist crew. Being stealthy and able to pick locks is important, but so is charm, a familiarity with engineering and gadgets, and the ability to throw down if need be. Mention that their patron would be looking for people who had a strong desire to leave the city and start over somewhere else, but an inability to escape their current lives.

Because this adventure arc also involves multiple escapes on an airship, it’d also be a good idea to ( as subtly as you can) ensure that your party has the skills required to fly and operate a ship. Pilot, engineer, that sort of thing. 

When later working with the players on their backgrounds, secretly try to work in a strong connection to the military in some way, the kind that would have gotten a civilian mentioned in a report at least, or going so far as to make them actual disgraced service members themselves. 

Further adventures

KIA has one last job for the party: after evading the imperial fleet and picking up any dependents they may want to take with them ( The AI has arranged for them to be picked up outside the city, it really does think of everything), the crew is to fly the ship to an isolated imperial radio relay in a nearby mountain chain, and plug the navigational cortex into it. If Know-it-all’s true nature has gone undiscovered up until this point, it will be presented as an ultimatum: do this and keep the ship, otherwise I will crash it and all of you into the ground (not a bluff, while integrated it does have the power of doing so).  If the party realizes ( or has realized) KIA’s true nature, it will beseech them that this is their only way of being free from the military’s influence.  Patching KIA into the station will allow it to invisibly transmit it’s consciousness out into the electromagnetic ather, disappearing into the empire’s network or simply existing as a disembodied signal.

The Radio-station is unmanned, and the peace and freedoms of its isolated mountain valley gives the party time to make their final decision as well as a chance to   stretch their legs and consider what’s next. As a further Carrot to the “ do what I say and we all escape” plan, KIA arranged for a large portion of the tribute-treasure to be placed in the airship’s hold, working a little wizardry with shipping manifests when the military swooped in to secure the treasure after those (harmless) bombs went off and gave everyone a scare.  At this point, the party has a fortune, and a fast ship that can take them anywhere, a fine place to end the campaign, or start a new adventure as outlaws and sky pirates, whatever the group decides. 

If the campaign does continue, the party can expect visits from military intelligence looking for their lost property, as well as possibly a few more job offers from KIA looking to return the favor the party has done it. 

Art 1

Art 2

[vievecorcityrp]

PERSEPHONE “PERSY” WEISS (RETIRED)

GENDER: Female

SPECIES: Witch | Remington Coven | Water Magic, Telekinesis, Divination, Techno-Magic, Psychic Magic, and Barrier Magic.

AGE: 136

SEXUALITY: Bisexual

OCCUPATION: Head Librarian at Vievecor City Library

DISTRICT: Droitwich

BACKGROUND:

Born to a pair of witches, Persephone was their prized daughter. They encouraged and nurtured her, teaching her everything they could about magic before her abilities began manifesting. They did so when she was barely 3, much to her parents’ joy. She was showered with praise and guidance at every turn, and she took to magic like a fish to water. Persy was a girl in her element, enjoying the thrill of learning a new skill. She chased every avenue she could, ambitious and motivated as she grew. Under her parents, she became a smart and confident young woman.

She continued to grow her skills, learning and practicing at the direction of her parents, continuing to be their golden daughter, a spot of pride for them within the coven. For this reason, they found it to be important to match her with a respectable witch within their coven. He was charming, strong in his own right and, most importantly, he was influential within the coven. They were married quickly once he took a liking to her and she thought she couldn’t have a better life.

They had their first child soon after their union, a son named Ulrich. He was easily his father’s pride and joy, and her baby boy. A few years later, a daughter followed, Hana. She looked just like her mother. Persy poured all of her time and energy into being the best mother she could for them, showing them magic the way she had fallen in love with it. They were both smart, quickly picking it up once their abilities manifested. Persephone didn’t stop expanding her magic, although her husband directed her towards telekinesis, able to use it in their home. It was a dream life for her.

They didn’t stop trying for another child and, years later, when Yuri was born, it was another bundle of join for their family. She couldn’t be happier, caring for another beautiful baby boy while her other two children grew into capable witches. However, Yuri quickly showed signs of sickness and they had him treated. The diabetic diagnosis was a shock and a heartbreak for her. She did everything she could to make sure he was well taken care of, but it was during this time that her husband began to pull away from her, though she wouldn’t notice yet.

The years dragged on and they were able to manage Yuri’s condition. They all held out hope that he would manifest his connection to magic, but his tenth birth came and went, and so did their hope. Persy remained optimistic, but the more time that went by without any magic for the youngest child, the more her husband spoke badly about Yuri as well as her, blaming her. He called Yuri a mistake, insulted her ability to be a mother and a witch, and purposefully excluded the pair from the family as much as he could, focusing on the older two.

The verbal abuse escalated slowly, with her husband push back and eventually using physical violence in an attempt to control her. It was her children and their happiness that finally gave her the strength to take all three of them and leave the coven. They moved far away, to Vievecor City, where they were able to start a new life. Persy found her love for magic again, focusing on challenging herself and advancing her skills in areas she found the most interesting. Her children were her world and she did everything she could to ensure they would be safe and happy, including extending her own life to ensure they would never be alone in the world.

Vievecor City, as well as the Remington coven that welcomed them with open arms, soon became home. Slowly but surely, they each found their own place and, one by one, her children moved out. Being left without her children needing her attention at any given moment was strange for her, but she channeled it into reaching out and pursuing different types of magic once more, things she wanted and nobody else. Of course, that doesn’t stop her from worrying about or protecting her children, especially Yuri, but at least she knows they are happy.

UPDATE: After being attacked in the park by a friend's estranged husband, she became a bitten werewolf, staving off the change with weekly potions. This worked for several months until on the full moon in September, she realised she had made a mistake with her potion. The transformation was confusing and disorienting, causing her to attack a deity named Eri as he walked through the park. In a moment of lost control, the deity killed her, but used his order magic to bring her back when Elijah appeared, summoned by magic placed on Persy in case of emergency. For a month, she lived on borrowed time with a dark feeling in her gut. On Halloween, the truth was confessed to multiple people and three days later, the order magic was undone, resulting in her death on Sept 29th. She left behind three children, two grandchildren and three great grandchildren whom she loved dearly.

PERSONALITY: Inquisitive, protective, motivated, independent, sensible, direct

CHARACTER TYPE: Original

BLOG: @persyweiss

[poddar123]

Sectors of Career Scope of AI in India

The scope of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in India is still in the adoption stage but slowly it is being used to find smart solutions to modern problems in almost all the major sectors like Agriculture, Healthcare, Education Transport, Cyber Security, Banking, Manufacturing, Hospitality, Entertainment, etc. AI is a classic example of disruptive technology, as it has affected on we go on about doing our daily work.

Poddar International College, one of the best College in Jaipur provides best education in BCA and MCA along with other courses.

Education

Artificial Intelligence can help increase the effectiveness of our instructors via numerous AI applications like text translation systems, real-time message to speech, automating mundane and also repeated jobs, such as taking presence, automating grading, customizing the discovering trip based upon ability, understanding and experience. The scope of AI at can evaluate unbiased solutions. The various other applications of AI in the area of education are real-time text to speech as well as text translation systems.

Poddar International College provides good exposure with industries and organizes many Workshops and Seminars to enhance their technical knowledge.

Healthcare

The Healthcare system in India is the most dynamic and challenging sector in India. There are many challenges like affordability, accessibility but particularly the shortage of doctors and services like qualified nurses, technicians, and infrastructure. In India, good healthcare facilities are mostly near the tier1 and tier2 cities which creates non-uniform accessibility to healthcare across the country with physical access. Having an AI-enabled system helps in reducing medical errors and increases productivity.

Poddar International College conducts an annual IT event ‘TechnoTrack’ where BCA and MCA students get an opportunity to displace their IT skills.

Transport

There is tremendous scope of Artificial Intelligence in the transportation sector as well. Particularly, there are a few areas where AI can be used. In the aircrafts, ships and spacecraft they have been using autopilot since 1922 to maintain the correct course. Besides, there are many companies across the globe and even in India that are researching autonomous cars or self-driving cars. The development of such vehicles is heavily reliant on AI and machine learning.

 The Faculty of Mathematics at Poddar International College is simply outstanding and proficient. Besides, the students have bright prospects as they have good placements here.

Cyber Security

Cyber-security is another field where AI is employed. Many organizations deal with a significant amount of data. For example, in the Banking sector or government organizations which are having a huge database of people's personal data, there is always a risk of stealing, and hence, a security mechanism needs to be put in place. Cognitive Artificial Intelligence detects as well as analyses hazards, while also giving understandings to the analysts for making better-informed decisions.

Neeraj Sharma, a BCA student of Poddar International College, Jaipur identified a critical bug in Instagram, which was acknowledged by Instagram and he was listed 1st in India and 2nd in the world in the Facebook Hall of Fame along with prize money.

To be successful in any of the AI sectors, you must have the right skills and expertise in the domain.