#Thus far I've not lost anything that I'm aware of but I don't trust this at all

[longagoitwastuesday]

This is the piece (and the sketch) I was talking about yesterday in the tags of that one other drawing in my previous reblog

[chronicbatfictioner]

Exchanges and Compromises - Chapter 21

Chapter 22

"Huh, and the Birds said I'm their resident conspiracy theorist." Tim remarked as he check-mated Dick's chess piece. Dick groaned in dismay, but didn't fuss. He has to admit that, not only Tim was a much better strategist, his own mind was not fully in the game, either. The game was literally only an excuse for the three of them to go over to the Drake House.

Damian sighed in frustration. "Grayson, really, if you wish to use this game as a decoy, we might as well have Drake and I do a game..."

"That'll keep us here all day, and you're a sore loser." Tim scowled at him. Thus far, out of the dozen of game the two have played, Tim had managed to defeat Damian 4 times to one. Damian was not pleased at each loss and would throw a tantrum, i.e., he would flip the table. Fortunately, each loss happened at the Manor and Alfred was always present to pick up the scattered pieces. "Besides, I don't want to have to crawl under the furniture to retrieve my pieces." Tim added.

"Have you located the Waynes, yet?" Jason asked, clearly changing the subject. After a few weeks of knowing him, Dick has come to the conclusion that one of the reasons Damian's mother had chosen Jason to guide and/or guard her son was because Jason was the type of person who would face problems head on; but not seek it.

"Dr and Missus, yes. They're in Switzerland in a medical conference. Dr Wayne is speaking. We also have an agent in attendance who could tell if Dr Wayne or Mrs Martha are... their original selves or not." Tim winced. "Euh... that sounded wrong on so many levels..."

"Someone is likely impersonating Bruce, and has likely used surgical means to alter his appearance to mimic Bruce. Stands to reason we suspect his parents either being in the know, or have been... 'modified', as well." Barbara commented through Tim's laptop. "So... where is the real Bruce?"

"Won't his parents know?" Dick wondered. "I mean, my parents would have lost a gasket if I went missing for an hour, let alone... how long has it been? Nearly four months?"

Everyone was silent for a good few seconds before Dick realized the insinuation and implications of his words. If their 'conspiracy theory' happened to be true, the real Bruce Wayne has been missing for four months and no one was aware of it. The real Bruce Wayne might have been killed and none was the wiser.

"I'm more concerned that this guy has made an association between Tim and the Birds..." Barbara remarked.

"No, I didn't give anything away." Tim clarified. "As far as he could tell, it had been me who gave the evidence of Bane's murders to the cops. I never mentioned any names, and I made sure to track each and every queries made on me, online or offline." Because Tim would. Next to Barbara, Tim probably has the highest level of paranoia within the gang. Dick sometimes wondered if their respective smartness have something to do with said paranoia.

"Yeah, I trust you won't give away anything. But he's made presumptions. It still scared me a bit." Barbara said.

"I'm personally more concerned as to where my father is. There are a plethora of complications if this man continue to present himself as father, both with the Wayne Enterprises and the Al Ghul side of the business." Damian intoned.

"At least one of us is focused..." Tim muttered under his breath, before looking at Barbara and said, "you remember the lip reading thingy?"

"I remember, Tim. And luckily, I've gotten Cassandra to transcribe it. It..."

"Cassandra who?" Jason suddenly interrupted her.

"She's an associate of mine. She's not deaf, but has a problem with words. She is, though, able to lip-read--" Barbara started, but Jason cut her off again.

"Yeah, but what's her last name? Does she have one?"

Barbara glared at him quizzically. "Cain... I don't think..." she replied, and Jason groaned out loud. "What??"

"She's Lady Shiva's daughter..." Jason replied, and something cold ran down Dick's spine. The Birds of Prey might have prevented Lady Shiva and her men from assassinating Damian, by way of open battles between the ninjas and the Birds - plus the Green Arrow and his partners; and sending a lot of the Shadows' higher ranking men scattered, be it in prison, hospital, or simply left town.

But now, they might have unwittingly placed Damian yet again in Shiva's radar.

"How much do you trust this Cassandra person, Babs?" Tim questioned, a little quietly.

Barbara was quiet for a long time, before answering. "I think it's time you boys meet her. I personally would trust her with my life. I never knew she is Shiva's daughter, but if you see her, you'll understand why I trust her."

Dick watched the exchange passively, wondering if the usually infallible Barbara Gordon has finally made a faulty decision.

And boy was Dick glad that Barbara was not wrong. At least he thought so. No-- he assessed so.

Cassandra Cain was not anything like Dick pictured she would be. Lady Shiva, the leader of the League of Shadows that had murdered the Al Ghuls, were the epitome of a warrior: armor wearing with a plethora of adornments that Dick knew could be weaponized - much like Jason's armor, or Dick's own original Talon armor; head held up high, constantly challenging all and every living being before her, nary a hair dared to escape the tight bun she wore it on; lean but powerful musculature; and tall.

Cassandra was the near 180 of Lady Shiva. Especially now that she was wearing a massive hoodie with 'Gotham-U' emblazoned on its front, sweatpants, and slightly disheveled bob-cut hair with layers that softened her heart-shaped face even more. She has the same Asian features as Lady Shiva, but her eyes lacked the challenging condescension that was prevalent in Shiva, even through mere photographs or video footages of her. Also she has a cute little dimple that Shiva did not have.

Jason, however, did not share Dick's sentiments.

"Cain," he growled. She smiled at him.

"She's not gonna fight you," Dick told him. Her posture clearly did not show offense, or intentions thereof.

"I'm not risking it," Jason scowled.

"Risking what?" A blonde girl in her late teens walked out of the kitchen area. Barbara had decided that they - Damian, Jason, and Dick - ought to go and meet Cassandra on their own, without Barbara as referee. Tim came along, if to keep Damian company while Dick and Jason assessed the situation, in spite of his protest of 'I can guard myself, Grayson!' - to which Tim had replied exasperatedly, 'yeah, but having these two arrested because some good citizen thought they were abandoning a minor in a running car is not conducive to our plans of staying out of sight!'

Logic, the only way Damian would operate, apparently.

"Who are you?" Dick asked. Barbara didn't mention there would be another person there.

"I'm Steph, Cass' roomie. They friend of yours?" she asked Cassandra.

"Friend... no--" Cassandra replied in a halting tone. "Red Ghost," she pointed to Jason. "Not enemy."

'Steph' blinked. "Oookay, you have something to do with Oracle's riddle, I think." she remarked.

"Yes and no," Dick replied, but Jason cut him off.

"Me, I'm just here to see if she would finish her mother's work." Jason drawled.

"Oh? I thought you didn't have a mother?" Steph wondered toward Cass, as the latter shrugged slowly to answer. "What. Wait up. Cass was raised by her dad, who's MIA-- or is it KIA? Anyway! What mother?"

Jason looked confused for a few seconds, and then he stepped closer to Cassandra. Now Dick could see that Cassandra was uncomfortable, and might end up punching Jason. "You don't know your mother, but you know me." Jason stated.

"Yes," Cassandra replied uneasily. But it was Steph who reacted physically first. She put up a hand against Jason's chest.

"Whoa, wait up, buddy. You're not allowed in, yet!" she snarled. Jason was actually a few steps past the doorway, but he stepped back.

"Apologies, I don't intend to be threatening. But you," he looked back to Cassandra. "Did you know who your mother is?"

Cassandra shrugged slowly again. "I know," she said. "Never see her."

"Did you know what she did? To the League?"

Cassandra's eyes were full of questions - and from what Barbara said about lacking linguistic abilities, Dick guessed that she wanted to ask so many questions about his mother to Jason, but didn't know how or what words to use. She confirmed Dick's suspicion when she turned her head to look at Steph with pleading eyes. "Help," she said.

"Look, buddy, Red Ghost, or whatever your name is; Cass has been living with me in the past two years. Before that, she was living on the streets for a year after she ran away from her dad. She's never met her mom." Steph explained, stepping between Jason and Cassandra. "Whatever you think she did..."

Jason shook his head, interrupting her. "Lemme repeat myself, I have no intention to threaten her. But I need to assess whether or not she is safe for me and my charge."

Steph did not seem convinced, she glared at Dick, instead. "And you? You here to gang up on us or something?"

Dick held both his palms up and outward, "hey, I'm actually here to bail him out if he got outmanned." he grinned disarmingly. "Anyway, I'm right, aren't I? Or, rather, O was right, wasn't she? She's harmless."

Jason was still having some sort of soundless, eye-to-eye discussion with Cassandra. Either that, or a game of ninja-chicken.

Both Dick and Steph nearly shrieked in horror when Cassandra leaped onward and-- hugged Jason.

"Uh..." Steph muttered. "We missing something here, aren't we?"

"Uhm... I think so." Dick agreed. And then shrugged at Stephanie's glare. "Don't look at me, I ain't the ninja 'round here." he drawled.

"I ain't, either, but I'm less freaked out now 'cause I know my resident ninja is... kinda hugging your friend. Or is this some method of ninja-disarming thing I don't know of?" she replied.

Cassandra sniffled out loud, and Jason finally looked up and at Dick. "We... have an agreement." he croaked, sounding as if he'd been the one who was crying. "I don't hurt her, she won't hurt me. So..." he gave them a slight shrug.

"Telepathy," Steph nodded, assuring herself. Dick wasn't so sure if he could argue her out of her conviction, or if she would understand the body languages Jason and Cassandra were displaying to each other. "So... you still haven't told me what you're here for?"

"Yeah, I'll... I think I'll kinda wait for his decision for a bit. And tell O that they're not trying to kill each other or something. I think." Dick checked a little over Jason's shoulder. Cassandra was still sniffling a little, and Jason's arms around her looked more protective than stifling. Dick tapped his commlink that would connect him to both Oracle and Tim, "I think we're good here, O." he reported.

"I know," Barbara sniffled, too. "That was... thank you, Jason. Tim, you can bring Damian up now."

Damian's presence in the apartment was... rather anticlimactic, if not downright comical. For starter, there were no quiet, and the bickering between Damian and Tim of 'I can get myself up there, Drake!' and Tim's 'I'm not planning to hold your hand when we cross the street, either, but I'm not looking to get arrested, either, Damian!' were preceding their arrival. Cassandra had looked at Dick quizzically at the noise, and Steph had groaned something along the line of 'I don't get paid enough for this...'

Jason looked unfazed, until Damian burst in through the door after being shoved by Tim. Then Jason closed the door and told Cassandra, "Shiva killed Damian's mother and grandfather."

Cassandra sniffled again, and knelt in front of Damian.

"What?" Damian asked, confused. "While I'm not one against accolades... but what is this, Todd?"

"This is Cassandra. She's apologizing. She has never met her own mother, but has heard of her... reputation." Jason explained. "She felt like she has blood in her hands, too."

Damian hesitated for a mere few seconds, and Dick wondered how is it that someone like Talia Al Ghul, believed to be a cold-hearted killer just like Lady Shiva, could raise someone like Damian. "We do not believe that the child shall carry the sins of the father, do we?" Damian replied. "Or in this case, the sins of the mother."

"No we don't," Jason agreed.

"Then rise, Cassandra, for you are yet to sin against me." Damian said regally. Behind him, Tim rose both of his eyebrows and mouthed 'wow' toward Dick. Dick nodded in agreement. For all of his haughtiness and arrogance, Damian was more pragmatic than pedantic.

Jason's slight smirk suddenly reminded Dick that it was not just Talia who had raised and guided Damian. There was also Jason Todd, the most pragmatic person Dick has ever seen. Probably second only to Tim, third to Barbara. Jason was not raised initially as a member of the League of Assassins. He had grown up on the streets of Gotham. It stood to reason that he would reason his way out of anything, including Damian's mentality.

"Okay, do we continue this crying fest or-- Hi, I'm Stephanie Brown," Steph interjected, introducing herself to Tim.

"Tim Drake, nice to meet you." Tim accepted her extended hand gingerly. Dick would swear he could see the flicker of interest in her eyes promptly fade as she followed Tim's gaze toward Jason.

Dick sighed. "Hey, O, you have the footage ready for me to show Ms Cain here?" he asked idly, just to change the subject and cut through the sudden concentration of teenage hormones.

"Tim does," Barbara replied. "You kids good there? I need to divert my attention a bit." she added.

"Yeah, there's me for adult supervision, anyway." Dick quipped and switched off the commlinks before Barbara could protest. "Okay, folks, let's get back to business here."

[ataintedcure]

hi, it's me again. with a different Thought™ lmao. this time, i am tackling hyacinth's sense of sight. i don't think this'll be as long as the taste one, i think

read more go here in case of very long? i knew the other was gonna be long, but idk bout this one

hyacinth is blind in their left eye though hyacinth has shown good spatial awareness (part persansality trait, part their training, part LV?) via dodging stretch's attack etc. i kinda wanna see more of how it affects cinth. from what i recall of my binge [it do be kinda blurry together since all i did was consume and not really slow down lmao] was that it most affected cinth with the initial taking of eye, the trauma y'know. otherwise, we haven't seen much change in terms of quality of life with their blindness.

i kinda wanna see the smaller behaviors that hyacinth would adapt to accommodate the lack of vision. the distrust of anyone being on their left side bc that's their blind spot until he can trust them (the biggest current candidates being black and mutt bc they are in the cinth protect squad lmao). maybe the subtle positioning of keeping their left side to a wall or where no one can be on that side. the potential panic or just the minor startle of anyone touching them from their left side if the person aren't in their vision. the unease of someone approaching from their blindside. the altered depth perception so minor misjudges on how far something is, bumping furniture, miss pouring something into a cup, being off when trying to grab something, etc.

of course getting your eye taken would cause immense trauma, not to mention the effects it had on cinth's magic and general well-being. but i also think cinth hasn't had the time to relearn life with the partial blindness.

i love hyacinth but i also want to see hyacinth bump into a side table and eat carpet bc show the minor struggle of adjusting to what has happened to them.

while yes there is many ways this could be angsty or upsetting, i think the nuances of hyacinth adapting to the altered vision would be a small detail in their recovery. it's not about going back to that perfect 20/20 vision, but learning and managing the partial blindness and the trauma associated with it.

but telling this recovery process quietly and in the background of the story compared to the eating habits that everyone else in the house is trying to address and other baggage that hyacinth brought with. i don't know if any of this made sense but thank you for taking the time anyways!

—————————————————————————

While that would be a fun concept to explore, Hyacinth isn’t actually half-blind.

I'm sorry if the way the story was written is misleading, it wasn't my intention to have people believe he was half blind. I don't remember writing any scenes or subtle hints towards him not being able to see out of his left eye, but that doesn't mean anything because I haven't re-read my story in quite a bit :/ No, Hyacinth isn't supposed to be blinded in any way - even with his missing eyelight.

Originally being half-blind was the plan, but I neglected the idea so much in the beginning it would be strange to suddenly re-introduce the concept that he was partially blind all along. Plus, I’m not confident that I could write that sort of affliction accurately anyways. Like you described, it’s a little more than just not being able to see out of one eye - I’d have to re-write whole scenes and adjust new ones accordingly. Thus, Hyacinth’s initial half-blindness in the very beginning can be attributed to a mix of shock and the flood of dust exiting his socket.

I wanted his missing eye is more of a physical reminder of his lost magic reserves (which mostly originated from his left eye) and 0 ATK power, not necessarily the blinding of half his vision. I mean, it's not like he doesn't have enough problems to fill an ocean anyway. I've got my hands full with future issues and plot development, it would be too stressful to interject quality of life issues that would never truly go away in the long run.

It would be fun to write him like that - there's a lot of things I could have played with - but I’ve made the poor guy helpless enough without having him run into corners and trip over tables. 😂 Sorry for the let-down.

[staticnerd]

Static Bookings 2

Just thought of an even better build for the Cole v Page match. Initially i had the bucks try and confront reDragon, but I dont think that's what's going to happen. I think they wont get involved at all. This will be a lot more direct and kinda scatterbrained caz I have things to do tonight but I wanna get this out. I might do a more through story later when I have more time

So the Cole keeps seeming to push the the limits of his trust with the Bucks. Continually bring people in without out telling them, but he plays it off by telling them, "I've never steered you wrong in the past."

And as far as I'm aware he technically hasn't. When Kenny was the leader of Bullet Club it seemed like Adam was trying to take his spot and he did try and fire them after they lost a match, but in the end it was Kenny and the Bucks that took him out.

And I think that's part of the reason why they haven't done anything to stop him. They feel kinda guilty for it. Yeah things got heated, but he was still there friend and they got rid of him for Kenny.

So now here they are. Cole is vying for the world title and they're kinda stuck. They don't wanna fuck with Hangman caz they squared their beef and dont wanna reopen old wounds, but Cole clearly wants their help.

So they dont do anything. They just let Cole run wild and just watch from the sidelines. Not helping either side.

The night of Revolution reDragon is harassing Hangman the entire match until he is saved by a returning Kenny Omega.

Now Kenny isn't here to save Hangman, but rather show Cole hes still in charge. He takes out reDragon leaving Cole to take a buckshot from Hangman for the pin.

They stare each other down for a moment before Kenny leaves and Hangman celebrates his win.

Thus the Elite drama truly starts as the bucks now have to pick a side. Kenny or Cole. The Elite or The Superkliq. Either way a friendship is probably ending and feelings are gonna get hurt

[aros001]

Going in blind: Watching season 2 for the first time. Random thoughts.

Huh. Only 7 episodes. Not complaining necessarily. For series with an ongoing plot I've definitely become more in favor with their seasons only having as many episodes as they need rather than them having to stretch themselves out to full up a certain number of episodes, which can lead to padding and just bad character moments.

Episode 1: Jeez. Catra visiting Shadow Weaver's cell just to rub her success in her face and verbally abuse her back for once. It's like a twisted version of Zuko and Ozai from ATLA. Catra's upbringing under her was abusive but this is far from a healthy way for her to deal with it. She's basically deliberately swimming in her resentment.

Episode 2: It's not that I'm rooting for her but by-golly was it fun to watch Catra act like just the absolute worst she could while she was Glimmer and Bow's captive.

I touched on this in season 1 but part of the drama of the heroes feeling guilt over leaving Entrapta behind is kind of lost on me a bit simply because it was her own fault it happened. She deliberately went back into the purge room because of her machine obsession, which then closed on her and erupted in flames. It was more than reasonable to assume she was dead and no one but her was to blame, so I'm not really able to be invested in their guilt over it.

That said, weirdly enough I do like that her "abandonment" doesn't seem to be even a blip on the radar for Entrapta herself. She hasn't joined the horde because she resents the heroes or felt left behind, she simply is so obsessed with machines and experimentation that she'll be on the side of whoever lets her do the most of that. Like, it's selfish and irresponsible but it's very in-character and I'd far rather have a traitor motivation be based in that over something stupid like a misunderstanding.

Episode 3: I love the mental image of Shadow Weaver thinking up princess-themed ghost stories to tell Adora as a child.

So, if the previous She-Ra Mara separated Eternia from the other realms/planets/whatever she did and that's what cut off the She-Ra line for 1000 years, I'm guessing Hordak may be from the time before that happened, thus his drive to create portals and calling Eternia a backwards world. Either he's naturally long-lived or his technology is extending his life.

Episode 4: You know, you could maybe argue it was vague enough that it could be taken other ways but I'm definitely getting some vibes here that Scorpia is crushing on Catra. She literally refers to the two of them as soulmates at one point. I know she says she's trying to be friends but this feels a level beyond that.

Fun little reference to the original She-Ra cartoon thrown in there (and maybe Cowboy Bebop...? James Bond...? What was Glimmer's art style supposed to be?). I like how it is more like just playful ribbing than anything outright dumping on the original. Again, I've never seen original She-Ra but whenever remakes/adaptations go out of their way to trash to the original I always kind of wonder why they bothered doing an adaptation if the original is just that bad? Also, I was having trouble sleeping so it was about 2am when I watched this episode and the very Eartha Kitt Catwoman Catra made it very difficult for me not to lose my **** and stay quiet. With how much of a contrast that version is from the one in this series, that was hilarious. Bonus note, it's a nice touch that Frosta's version of Catra is a pretty crasher in that sweet suit, since that's the only impression of Catra she's ever had.

Adora being a chosen one is definitely elevated up simply by how much the pressure of what she's supposed to be is getting to her. I'm likely going to keep making Avatar The Last Airbender comparisons throughout the series but that's partly because I went into this series figuring it'd be at least structured similar to ATLA (season 1 being more episodic and a little more kid-friendly as it builds up the world before getting more serious later). Adora and Aang are interesting to compare here. Aang's worries early on were less apparent because he was more in-denial/choosing not to think about his problems that much, which fit with his character as a free-spirited Air Nomad. While Adora is much more military-minded. She can't keep herself from thinking about her problems and trying to prepare for the worst-case scenario. And jeez, that idea of who/how Catra is in her mind. Not only beating her but making her watch as she takes everything she cares about away. Not Shadow Weaver, not Lord Hordak, but Catra. That whole Lion King Mufasa/Scar moment between them in episode 11 and their fight in the S1 finale really did a number on her mental image of her old friend. Not reasonably so.

Minor note: I'm sure I'm the only one who got this impression but by the look of it, the way the robot's eye moved, and the music, after getting the soda spilled on it that little spybot gained sentience for half a second and then immediately died. It was so darkly comedic I had to laugh.

Episode 5: So that red disc is basically She-Ra's Red Kryptonite, having an effect on the mind rather than the body. The drunk Adora joke doesn't really do it for me but it did get some nice interactions going between Scorpia and Sea Hawk, two characters I certainly wasn't expecting to bond. I did really like Catra's panic when berserker She-Ra nearly beheads her. The implication is that is Adora really wanted to kill her Catra would already probably be dead. It's a thing I like about powerhouse characters like Superman or Aang, who could just demolish everything around them and don't simply because they're a good person...which in turn makes them the scariest person on the planet when they're well and truly ticked off. I'm not going to lie, I do kind of want to see a She-Ra version of Aang when Appa was stolen or when Superman fought The Elite.

Also, Catra's line of "I have control over Adora. I'm not giving that up for anything.". There's a lot to read into there.

Episode 6: I guess my prediction was sort of right. Shadow Weaver became basically a magic parasite and while it did increase the power she's capable of the implication seems to be that she needs a constant fix of magic to keep herself going, thus her attachment to the Black Garnet.

Have we seen Micah before? Given how long ago the flashback seems set, the fact that Shadow Weaver didn't kill him and thus he probably becomes someone important later in life, I'm guessing he's Glimmer's dad and the queen's late husband, since I think he's the only important male character whose face we haven't seen yet. Also, he's voice by Ezra from Star Wars Rebels and that cracks me up for some reason. It's the exact same voice and a relatively similar character.

I compared Catra and Shadow Weaver with a kind of twisted version of Zuko and Ozai and that definitely still fits here. Both Catra and Zuko confront their parent and call them out for the inexcusable abuse they put them through but while that moment was the start of Zuko's upwards journey this and SW's betrayal seems like it's going to cause Catra to spiral even further. Makes sense why Adora leaving affected her so much. She's probably the only one Catra's ever had that she could consistently trust and rely on, even if she did somewhat resent her.

Not surprised Hordak is getting along with Entrapta. She's not socially aware enough to be scared or intimidated by him, so she'll speak frankly, and since all she wants to talk about is the machines, experiments, and how they could get them to work Hordak probably doesn't take much issue with that. She's producing results, which is what he cares about, thus also why Shadow Weaver and Catra started losing favor with him. I wonder if Catra is going through imposter syndrome? Shadow Weaver had that line that Entrapta earned her place next to Hordak and, if you think about it, Catra hasn't really "earned" anything. We saw that she didn't really take her training or studies that seriously, showing up late to combat practice and even getting partial credit for what Adora beat. She wasn't promoted to Force Captain because of her own abilities but because Adora had defected when she was supposed to get that title. She's come close to a few victories but never really had any except for Glimmer and Bow's kidnapping...whom she then basically let escape when she returned Adora's sword to her. She doesn't have the slightest clue how the horde's bureaucracy works when trying to get things done, like simply getting troops armor. Given how much better than her Adora always was and how little she herself has to her name, I wonder is subconsciously Catra believes she doesn't deserve her current position and thus why she's fretting so much over trying to prove herself.

Episode 7: Am I mistaken or did Bow's parents say that he's the youngest of TWELVE siblings? I was going to ask whether Bow was adopted or if his dad's used a surrogate or if maybe there's even just simply magic in She-Ra's world that allows two people of the same sex to have a child together but now I'm just focused on the 12 kids thing. I get nervous just imagining myself having more than one. You should see me when I'm with two cats. I have to pet both of them because I'd feel like I'd be making one feel left out and like the other is the favorite. I'm a mess with kids.

The dad with dreadlocks (Lance?), his design looked familiar to me and I finally realized it reminded me a of a fanart design for a human Grim from The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy. Very different voices between those two characters though.

I wonder if there's any significance to the robot protecting the crystal having the same design as those in the artic in episode 5? Obviously both have the connection to the First Ones but the robot in the forest who was also protecting First Ones' tech had a more insect-like design over these more worm/Graboid ones.

I'm kind of curious what Hordak would have done if Catra had told the truth. Given his interactions with her and Shadow Weaver he doesn't seem like the time to tolerate failure but I suppose the implication here is that he at least would respect those who own up to their failures. Or I suppose more simply he was just testing to see if she would lie to him and since she did there's little merit in keeping her in a position of authority anymore where she could lie about important things again.

Season 2 verdict: Still enjoying it. Another person on this reddit recommended I view seasons 2 and 3 as one since they are basically just one season split in two. I was going to do that but this ended up longer than I thought I would, so I'll just do 2 and 3 separate to keep them semi-organized and easier to read.

I think overall Catra is my favorite character since she has the most interesting backstory, interactions, and just general path through the story out of everyone. She's like Pearl from Steven Universe or, well, Zuko. There's just so much baggage there that she's trying and kind of failing to deal with. I'm always invested in whatever's happening when she's onscreen. Hordak so far is a good big boss villain for Adora to face but Catra is a good archenemy for her.

Original Reddit post: https://www.reddit.com/r/PrincessesOfPower/comments/o027y3/going_in_blind_watching_season_2_for_the_first/

[fulcrum-agent]

008. Adroid [FFXIVwrite2021]

"So just...pick a big room?" she asks the punkish apparition, head canting a little.

The redhead nods, smirking a little. "You're a clever girl, Quil - I trust ya won't pick somewhere with so little space, the bulkheads get blown up."

There's the briefest moment of blue screening brain at the compliment, but it's gone in a microsecond.

"'Cept when it comes to that other thing you brought up," she chides, crossing her arms and leaning against the wall. "That was stupid as fuck, and we're gonna be discussin' it when you're done kicking this Miqo'te about."

Quila can't help but wince, giving the Arcadia a sheepish expression.

All the apparition does to such is wave her hand a little dismissively. "I said later. Call your new potential toy - just be sure ta gimme a show~."

Then just like that, Quila's alone again. Sort of. Mostly. Sighing, she reaches up for the linkpearl that's paired to her tomestone. "Karuis...found us a place to train."

"Ah, and here I thought I was gonna resign to watching the rain bounce off the bulkhead. Where am I meeting you?"

Xe has busied xemselves with taking up a curled up position somewhere in one of the Outlaw's more out of the way pieces of real estate, some cross beams nearby to some of the larger guns. Xe hops down from their Miqo accessible locale as xe wait for the exact location, tail flicking idly behind xem.

"You grab a place ground side, I assume?

"Nah. Arcadia's letting us pick a room," she explains but doesn't. "I figure one of the cargo bays is gonna be best, yeah?"

She's already making her way through the massive ship. She's trying to find where the cargo bays actually are, given she's near the bridge out of habit.

"Long as we have permission, that's fine with me. And aye, cargo bay works fine."

Xe didn't really require an explanation, everything after talking house, living through the memories of others, a massive skeleton trying to kill xem, and whatever the fuck the past few moons have been...

Xe assumes the Arcadia is just as alive as anyone else, and she told Quila what room to use. As xe make their way over to the other airship, xe give some idle thoughts to where precisely in the cargo bay they were meeting before deciding that finding out could be the adventure. Xe gives a slight bow of respect as xe come aboard the Arcadia before xe start moving like a shade through the halls, the map the Viera had shown before of this great airship bouncing about between their ears; as xe try to find... oh, there she is. By providence, luck, or maybe just The Arcadia being well designed xe spot the Garlean and give a half-wave, tail flicking behind xem.

"Didn't get lost, did we? Would be a little concerned if you did."

"Pfft, she'd let me if only to watch in sadistic amusement," she chirps as she turns, startling a little physically due to their lack of footfalls. "But, there are multiple cargo bays here. This is just the first one I've found. This ship is MASSIVE, and I feel like it's some sort of game to her to not just...give me a map."

"I could certainly see that; watching people wander around aimlessly can be pretty hilarious." The Seeker blinks at the noise before rubbing the back of their head as xe put on a small smile. "Sorry, someone had the bright idea to put a bell on me when I was young, fucking menace ever since, apparently. But! I have a map.. kind of, at least I remember the floor plans or whatnot. Rika managed to snag, so I mostly know my way around.. but that doesn't stop me from being thankful that I haven't gotten lost.. yet."

Xe glances about the cargo bay for a moment before turning their gaze back to her and motioning to her, finding a nearby support beam to lean on.

"So, what's the plan for today? Am I starting with teaching you the basics of Thavnarian dance fighting, or are we sparring to see where you are in hand to hand generally and working from there?"

At this point, she's in a pair of shorts (black), stockings (dark purple), her almost-trademark boots (black & gold), and one of those tank tops that the Isghardians were handing out to crafters (wine red). While she doesn't have Talekeeper with her, at least, as far as can be seen, she's still wearing the Warmage magicite Locke'd given her as a pendant to the collar she seems to wear 24/7.

When he speaks of the bell, she ends up giggling a little, trying to picture xe with a collar bell...which was surprisingly easy.

"I'm thinking we try some hand-to-hand so you can figure outplacement," she notes with something of a wicked grin, suddenly ramping towards manic. "Just don't go easy on me."

Xe has swapped over to something more warm with their Bozjan coat now missing for The Twelve only know how long. So the Seeker has thrown on a currant purple anemos gambison, some modified jet black strife pants, and one of their constantly swapping pairs of combat boots, these ones an Alliance make in soot black. Xe still has the twin onyx and dark amber revolvers gifted to xem by Locke on their belt though, besides that, xe aren't carrying any type of polearms. The two accessories that stand out are a watch on their left wrist that has a faint hint of aetheric energy coming off of it and a dull grey gunmetal tin clipped on their right, just about the size of a soul stone.

Xe raises a brow at the snickering and just shake their head a little; that smile from before staying before it turns into a grin at she's request.

"I wasn't planning on it; it wouldn't be an accurate assessment if I did take it easy. So I'll give you one warning before we do go; if you're gonna try and flow again, I'll start using my stone. On your mark, Aquila."

As soon as those words leave the Seeker, their demeanour switches with all the effort of a light switch, mismatched gaze narrowing as xe drop into a defensive stance, the style more reminiscent of an Imperial martial discipline than anything else.

"I uh...kinda don't know how to make those moves otherwise, so game on?" she replies as she falls into...absolutely no stance. There's nothing. Her stance is absolutely neutral all around, and suddenly, all but the most necessary of movements evaporates as she begins to focus on xem. It's slow, but there's a pronounced shift in her entire being, down to an aetheric level. A change she doesn't seem to be aware of.

She's almost maddening to fight. Any and all movement happens with barely a microsecond of warning, yet all of them still flow as though she's dancing, not fighting. Even watching the triangle, her telegraphs are tiny as hell; she always falls back to neutral if there's time, otherwise flowing from one motion to the next as xe fight.

And just like that, she blinks into the Lifestream to close the distance, ejecting just in reach of xe - as she had on the deck, only this time with the intent of actually striking him right in the solar plexus.

Xe would have clarified that xe head meant the blinking manoeuvre, but when xe takes in that she lacks stance, any of those thoughts leave xir mind. The Seeker catches the shift instance, their ears pinning back and tail puffing up as xe prepare for that same focus xe encountered on the deck of The Outlaw.

The dance-like flow to the spar thus far and the speed on display put the Seeker right in their element, moving with all of the grace that being both a Miqo'te and professional performer granted them as xe keep in sync with the Garlean. The Seeker shifts between and around styles like breathing the longer the fight goes on, prodding and poking at her defences to find her responses and strengths to certain things. The Seeker seems to favour a style favoured by Doman resistance cells, sending out elbows and fist and knee strikes in rapid succession.

Like a viper, the Seeker waited for that shift in the air as she went into the Lifestream. Xe know that point for point, xe weren't going to be able to match the manoeuvre for sheer speed, so instead, xe rely on the anticipation of the strike's previous flow. With an utter lack of hesitation, the Seeker moves to send out a swift dragoon kick, less focused on power but more on sheer speed as it snaps the air around the two. xir's body twists for the kick and hopefully moves the blow to somewhere less disastrous should it land. Xe was not about to hold back here, she deserved the Seeker at their best, and xe weren't one to disappoint.

Given that xe is a clever catte, xe'll quickly pick up on certain hallmarks of what she's capable of combatively: one of her biggest strengths is the lack of movement telegraphing, as it makes finding any sort of opening complex, at first. While her eyes seem to be unfocused, she locked onto the triangle that's formed by the Miqo'te's collarbones and sternum, that distant gaze seeming to more stare into their soul than past xem.

Blinking back into a kick sends her strike wide, the palm of her hand skimming along the side of his leg as she adjusts to try and block the kick before sliding around the side of Karius' body. Should she slide past him, her next attack is towards the middle of his lower back - another snapping strike with a bit of aether behind it, her second hand following to make a small follow-up strike.

With a better sense of what xe were working with when it came to her, the Seeker decides to switch up tactics. Xe shifts energy from trying to read the Garlean's movements to instead focusing on following through on their own and keeping a sense of spatial awareness in the room. Xe decides to eat the strike to their lower back, the energy needed to counter that far too much of a gamble; the weaker follow-up was a different story, however.

Turning on a dime on their heel, xe move to face she, using the speed and momentum of the rapid turn to try and veer the strike off to their left with their palm. Now fully facing she and the distance relatively short, xe go on the offensive, taking a far more aggressive stance as xe unleash a combination of palm and knee strikes. Xe wasn't relying on all of them to hit but instead overwhelming the other fighter with a complete switch from their previously tight defence. Xir's aim at the moment seemed to get the two of them out to a far smaller section of the cargo bay or at least push them to fight closer to this area.

Surprisingly, she doesn't smile at landing the strike. In fact, her expression is little more than deadpan as xe launch the continuous series of strikes. At first, she manages to keep up on blocking or redirecting the hits, but the longer xe continues the tactic, the more she has to pivot or dodge than she does block. Finally, it's becoming clear xir is going to overwhelm her with the rapid strikes...

...and as the Miqo'te overwhelms her, she blinks into the Lifestream, crossing through xe before flashing back into existence at their back. She's already executing a roundhouse kick as she solidifies, aiming for her opponent's middle back.

The Seeker was not about to let up the advantage of xir's rapid combos as xe continues to press her further into the smaller section of the cargo hold, boots squeaking against the metal floor as their speed increases. xe were, however, incredibly aware that xe couldn't keep it up forever; either she would come right for their throat or-

The sensation of being teleported through gets xem to shiver, warning xem what may be coming alongside dreading that blink. Unfortunately, there just isn't enough time for xem to dodge the strike, at least not in a way that wouldn't give her another big opening to exploit. So xe quickly turn on their heel and brace their arms up to catch the blow, which still sends the Seeker sliding back and does some solid damage. Xe hiss in pain as xe take a moment to centre xemselves before rushing into the Garlean's space. xir's method swaps now to something far faster, using their stone to gather as much momentum and speed as xe can while bleeding into these dancer-like strikes and spins. Thavnairian dance fighting, and xe gave her a crash course like an Imperial locomotive coming down the tracks.

Active learning at this speed is possible for the Warmage, though it was more of a slow build-up rather than a sudden gift of knowledge the way it can be when there's less going on. Falling back to focusing on dodging more than redirecting or blocking, xe would start to notice the more xe does a particular mood or technique, the more likely it is that she works it into her side of the fighting. With movements the Miqo'te's using heavily, she can almost perfectly mirror them; with the less frequent movements, she's a little unstable and erratic, her form nowhere near as tight and proper.

The continued attacks again start to press her, causing her to play defensive more than offensive.

Xe's next high kick ends with a different result: she doesn't attempt to block, redirect, or dodge such the way she has been. No, instead, she just...bends back at the waist, forming an almost perfect arch as her hands drop to the floor behind her. And then she pushes her feet off of the floor, intent of kicking her opponent with each foot as she shifts into a handstand before vaulting from such to her feet - facing xe, but several fulms away now.

As xe starts to notice she putting xir's techniques into her fighting styles and the like, that.. certainly gets a reaction from xem. But, then, something snaps from behind their crimson and amber eyes. The Seeker continues darting into she's space as much as xe can up until that next high kick, eyes going a bit wide as xe watch that arch and then the kick lands.

The hit lands nicely and sends xe sliding back, getting their tail to puff up and to show off their sharp canines, which are considerably sharper and pointed than even a vast majority of Keepers. Unfortunately, this fact doesn't stay in the spotlight for long as black aether sparks around xem as xe concentrates on their stone and go on an onslaught. Xe was going to put pressure on the fact she couldn't precisely copy their techniques perfectly or keep up with their speed to the same extent. If she continued using flow, then xe wasn't going to go easy, sending forth kick after dashing elbow to shin strike. One of the main strikes xe go into xe get right in her face and attempt a sweeping kick the Garlean before spinning into another kick to her midsection.

The initial onslaught causes her to start losing ground rapidly, causing her to dart backwards as she refocuses on trying to dodge as many of the strikes as possible. However, the moment the Seeker starts to focus on her face, she blinks backwards three separate times - putting as much distance as possible between them. Although she retreats, xe' leg sweep fully lands while the second is more of a light graze across her stomach.

She crashes to the floor as she exists the Lifestream the third time, rolling several times due to the force of the impact. Such is only stopped when the back of her upper body slams into the metal wall with a loud clanging thud. For a few heartbeats, she's propped up against the wall before her eyes fully roll back into her head as she falls sideways.

Xe was in the zone and was hard-pressed to get out of it, especially with the amount of blinking around the place that she was doing. Despite the serious expression on their face, xe were having so much fun with all of this. Xe goes to try and bring down another combination when xe hear that crash.

Xe pauses a few fulms away from the Garlean before their eyes go wide, and xe dart over to her side. Then, cursing under their breath as xe tries to force xemselves to not only calm down but try to figure out what might be wrong with their limited medical experience.

"Shit, shit... Aquila, are you alright?"

((Adapted from an RP session with Karuis.))