#i'm not even gonna start on the stronghold

[murder-and-mayhem]

Day 439 of me begging Bioware to let me have a Zakuulan stronghold, and to let mE FUCKING CHANGE ARCANN'S ARMOR....

[jonathan-samuel-smith]

Lord Jon and Prince Damian is a funny combination because just imagine Clark never managed to conquer all earth because magic and magic user, Talia basically built a huge kingdom to protect her people from the Lords and also accepts some others who are fleeing.

Years past and Jon has always been curious about that place and laughs when he faces Talia's youngest soldiers. He falls in love deeply hard about that boy with green eyes, then Jon starts to try to seduce that cute and smol boy (and Damian hates him deeply)

Just imagine:

Jon: *throws a body at his door like a cat*

Damian: ... Some guys bring flowers

Jon: I'm not 'some guy'

And also

J: "i've killed for you. how many other people can say that?"

D: "... Multiple, actually"

Basically: Lord Jon's love language is being annoying

Took me a while to figure out how I'd write the Super Lords, but eventually I was inspired by another work. I might write a sequel to this but we'll see. Fic under the cut.

Jon was scrolling on his phone, looking to find people talking negatively about him or his father so he could send them death threats. He could probably find them easily and make good on those threats, but then he'd have to get up, and he was comfortable where he was. He was getting a little peckish though, so he might run through a couple if he got up to eat.

His dad came into the room looking flawless. “Jon.”

“Hey dad, can you get me something to eat?”

“What? No. Get it yourself, or better yet, ask Kelex.”

“I thought you took away my voice commands after I killed the wrong general last week.”

“Oh, right. Have the knowledge crystals not taught you how to hack yet?”

Jon groaned ”I hate the knowledge crystals dad, they take so much time. I don't see the point in them.”

“The point is they would teach you how to solve problems, like how to reinstate your voice commands in Kelex’s code. Now get up, I have something important for you to do.”

Jon got up and stretched. “Oh I'm way hungrier than I thought. Hold that thought, Dad.”

“Jona–” Kal started sternly as a gust of wind blew past him. He could hear Jon ferociously consuming junk food from the pantry in superspeed. When he was done, he ran back up to his dad.

“Hey Dad, I'm back. What's up?”

“What do you know about Talia Al Ghul?”

“Oh that's easy. She's like, your archnemesis. Her family's got really strong magic so she can kill us if she gets close enough. She controls the last stronghold of human resistance. She's older than you so she's, what, a million?” He grinned cheekily “Just kidding, Dad. You don't look a day over 500.” He laughed. “Kidding! You should see the look on your face.”

“Jon, I'm being serious here.”

“‘kay.”

“She's just crowned her heir, Prince Damian. He's your age.”

“Oh?”

“He's an even more powerful mage than his mother, and trained in martial arts. He is a serious threat, one that needs to be neutralized.”

“Ok, but how am I gonna do that? You said he's more powerful than his mom, and you can't kill her.”

“He takes his group of soldiers into the Himalayas every month to train privately. I want you to ambush them.”

“Kill them, right? How do you want them dead?”

“Doesn't matter.”

“Alright. I'll be right back.”

Kal grabbed his arm and dug his fingers in hard enough to bruise. “You could die today, Jon. Take this seriously. Run away if you need to. You're no good to me dead.”

Jon nodded. “Got it.”

Jon flew to the mountains and looked for them with his heat vision. He found them fighting each other and flew down and started snapping the neck of the closest person to him. Unfortunately, this was slow enough to draw alarm from the other assassins, who all knew magical attacks. Still, Jon was quick and he fought dirty, letting out a deafening shout and causing an avalanche. The teens fought him with martial arts married with magic, sacrificing their lives so that the final assassin could defeat Jon and place him in magical bindings.

He spat blood. “You're lucky they can be brought back to life, or I wouldn't have spared yours.”

“I didn't ask you to. But thank you– not for sparing my life, but for beating me. I've never lost before. It was exhilarating! Can you do it again?”

The boy looked at him strangely. “What?”

Jon grinned manically. “You're a great fighter. I want you to defeat me again. And again and again until I get bored. What's your name? I never even lose to my dad.”

“... I am prince Damian Al Ghul.”

“Oh no way! I came here to kill you! Well, I'm not doing that anymore.”

“Clearly not.” Damian said, gesturing to the chains around him.

“Oh no, not cuz of that. I meant cuz like–” Jon cut himself off as Damian took off his mask and piercing green eyes met his own. “Wow, you're really pretty. I've never seen anyone as pretty as you in my whole life. Definitely not prettier. I think I was saying something?”

Damian blushed. “Tt. You were saying why you're not going to kill me.”

“I think I'm in love with you.”

“What?!” Damian squeaked.

“That was so cute! You're so cute! You're so small you look like you'd fit just right in my arms!”

“Go back to the ‘I love you’ part because I'm not understanding!” He shouted.

“I'll say it as many times as you want! I love you, I love you, iloveyouiloveyouiloveyoui–”

“Stop! You can't love me, you just met me, and your dad is superman!”

“Um, I'm pretty sure I can. Love at first sight is a thing, and I've known you for longer than that already.”

“So what, just because you think I'm pretty and I beat you for the first time, you're in love with me?”

“Is that not enough? Ok well, I really like the color of your eyes, and you're really powerful, and you make me feel so many feelings I have never felt before! Fear, excitement, curiosity, admiration, respect, awe, happiness, arousal–”

“Stop talking.”

“Whatever you want, gorgeous.”

“That's talking.”

“Oh, right. Sorry.”

“Still talking.”

“I don't know how you want me to stop talking if you keep talking to me. Oh but uh, don't stop, I like it.”

Damian facepalmed. “I'm taking you back to my mother.”

“Oh I hope she doesn't decide to kill me after you went through the trouble of sparing me, that would be really embarrassing for you.”

Damian was quiet for a few minutes. “...You've never felt curious? Or excited, or afraid or happy? Really?”

Jon shrugged. “Maybe once. But nowadays I'm always either bored or bloodthirsty. Except right now, I'm neither. You're the most interesting person I've ever met and I just killed 5 people. That's like, 1 more than I usually do in a day.”

Damian set his jaw hard. “Why do you kill so many people?”

“Why do you think, assassin Prince? To feel alive.”

“...Who do you usually kill?”

“Dissidents and criminals. My dad's okay if they're dissidents or criminals. There's not, like, a ton of those out there anymore, though, so I've taken to scrolling back really far on Twitter. Oh, and jaywalkers.”

“Tt. Typical.”

“Who do you usually kill?”

“Political enemies, soldiers, criminals.”

“I guess everyone's a political enemy when they're aligned with us and not you. That's a lot more people you can kill. I kinda wanna join your side now.”

“We don't kill frivolously.”

“Why not?”

“Because we value human life.”

“Why?”

“What do you mean, why? Why does your father care about order if not to preserve human life?”

Jon laughed. “My dad doesn't care about humans! He just wanted to tidy things up. He gets mad when I kill other people because it messes with his system. It's one of those dumb parent rules, like keeping your socks in the sock drawer, or cleaning the fortress on Sundays even though we have robot servants.”

“... You're completely insane.”

“Do you want me not to be?”

Damian furrowed his brow. “Why are you asking me that?”

“I want you to get what you want! You deserve to get anything you want, way more than my dad does. I bet you could with your magic! Cast a spell on me, make me sane for you. If you want that, I want it.”

“It's Jonathan, isn't it?”

“Yeah, or you can call me Jon. Or you know, whatever you want. Even if it's mean, I can take it.”

“...Jonathan. I don't want to take your agency away with my magic. That wouldn't be right.”

Jon shrugged against his chains. “If you say so, my prince.” Damian was quiet for a while, and Jon slipped free of his chains to help Damian cart back all of the bodies. “You should let me carry this.”

“What– Jon?! How did you escape my bindings?”

“Magic interacts completely unpredictably with me.”

“I don't– why are you even still here?”

“Why would I leave? It's not as if there's anything more interesting on TV. Twitter says all the shows are boring cuz of Dad. Well, you know, the dead side of Twitter. God do you know how perfect you look? From every angle?”

“Jon, I think you should just leave.”

“Well, my dad is expecting me home soon. What do you think I should tell him about you not being dead?”

“... Is he going to hurt you if you go back?”

Jon shrugged. “If I let him. Which I probably will, so I don't get grounded. But I might be grounded anyway since this meant a lot to him. If I don't get grounded, can I see you again?”

“It's best if you don't.”

“I'm going to be honest, I don't like that answer. If you want me to stay away you'll have to use your magic to harm me.”

“Tt. Do you have a death wish?”

“No. My biggest wish is for you to spar with me and win.”

“What if I lose?”

“Then we'll go again until you win.”

“...Hm. You're very… persistent.”

Jon grinned. “Thanks. Wow, it feels really good when you compliment me. Do it again.”

“Um… you have really unique eyes?”

Jon beamed. “This is great, keep going!”

Damian blushed. “I'd rather not.”

Jon pouted. “Pleeeeaaase? I'll do anything.”

“Will you go home?”

“Fine, yes, after… 3 more compliments. Then I'll go home, for now.”

“Tt. Your curls look very nice, your hair makes a nice contrast against your skin tone and you– ah… you… that is, you're very strong.”

“I already knew that last one.”

“I meant muscular.”

“That's not a compliment, that's just a fact.”

Damian’s ears burned. “...I like it. I like that about you. I like that you're muscular. It looks… visually appealing.”

“Oh, I'm definitely in love with you. I'd love to stay and compliment you back, but I said I'd leave, and I want you to trust me! If you ever need me, or just want me, all you have to do is call. I'll come.”

Jon flew back home. “Dad? I ambushed him, caused an avalanche, and killed his squad, but he still beat me.” Jon called out.

Kal walked out to see his son. “You look unharmed. Why did he let you go?”

“Honestly? I think I annoyed him too much. But I'm going back tomorrow.”

“I see… an ambush didn't work, so you'll have to gain his trust and then betray him. I was going to punish you but your tenacity and cunning deserve a reward, so it is simpler to do nothing.

“Oh, yeah, psh, that's totally why I want to go back. I totally want to murder him in cold blood. I mean, you know how much I love murder.”

Kal frowned. “I do know. It gets in the way of your studies. However, this time I approve.”

“‘kay. Thanks. See ya.” He went back to his room to watch Damian with his X-ray vision.

The next day, Jon went to Nanda Parbat and watched Damian from the sky, waiting until he was alone to approach him.

Damian’s hair was slicked back with sweat and he was flushed and panting.

“Prince Damian. You look somehow even more incredible than last time.”

“Spare me the mockery.”

“What? I'm not mocking you. The way your skin flushes and glistens is as enchanting as any of your spells, my lord.”

“Hn. You know most humans find sweat repulsive?”

“I'm only half human. Also, you smell great. Musky. Can I lick you?”

“Definitely not.” Jon pouted. “Do you want something?”

“Yeah. Can we spar?”

“After lunch. Would you like to dine with me?”

“Can I? Won't the servants see me?”

“I cook for myself.”

Jon gasped. “I get to try your cooking?! Yes!” He pumped his fist in the air.

Damian chuckled good naturedly.

Jon leaned against the island as Damian cooked. “What did your dad say about you failing to kill me?”

“Oh I told him I was going back today and he thought I meant that I was going to gain your trust to kill you.” Damian stiffened. “So I'm going to let him think that so I can spend more time with you.”

“Try this.” Damian said, handing Jon a spoonful of sauce. Jon tasted it.

“Hm, that's pretty good! I've never had this before.”

Damian tasted it himself and nodded. “It is good.”

Jon ate at his usual impatient pace and spent the rest of the meal talking at Damian.

“Alright, Superboy, follow me.”

“Anywhere.”

“Tt.” Damian led him to the training courtyard. “Here we are. Remember to be quiet.”

Jon rushed to tackle Damian but he predicted it and dodged, casting a spell to slow down Jon’s movements. It was a lot stronger than the spell Damian intended to cast, and he moved like a sloth. “Wow prince…” he began as Damian took his time pinning Jon to the ground and immobilizing him with a spell. The first spell wore off quicker than expected. “...Damian you're so fast! Oh, it's already over!” Jon giggled. “You did even better this time! I suppose it's to be expected since it wasn't an ambush. You're really impressive…” Jon sighed dreamily, looking up into Damian’s eyes with a lovestruck gaze.

Damian coughed and looked away. “...You wanted me to beat you. Did you go easy on me?”

“I can honestly say that didn't even occur to me. I don't know why I would do that. Would it have made you happy?”

“Hell no. It would have made me angry.”

Jon smiled. “I'd like to see you angry. Maybe I will next time. Though I don't know if you'd even notice, considering how well you beat me this time.”

Damian looked confused. “Why would you want me to be angry?”

Jon raised a brow. “‘Cause I wanna see how you look when you're angry. I've never seen it before. I wonder if it would make me angry, too. I never get angry anymore.”

“You're… impossible.”

Jon grinned toothily. “Is that a good thing?”

“... I haven't decided.” Damian got off of Jon, much to the younger teen’s disappointment, and did a nullification spell on Jon before helping him up. Jon smirked and flipped Damian over his shoulder as he stood, but Damian landed on his feet and cast a sleeping spell on Jon. He woke him up with a water spell, sitting on his chest.

“You got me again! I love you.”

“You're weird.”

“Is that bad?”

“I haven't decided.”

Jon smiled, crinkling his eyes. “Wanna go again?”

Damian laughed. “Sure. I've not even worked up a sweat yet.”

The next time he came to Nanda Parbat he threw down a corpse in front of Damian, face still splattered in blood.

Damian sighed. “Most guys bring flowers.”

“I'm not ‘most guys’”

“Who was he?”

“He criticized your looks so I killed him for you.”

“Jon, I don't care what anyone says about me.”

Jon's eyes flashed red. “I care that he said that. Now he can't say anything like it ever again. What do you think of my technique?”

“Messy, but efficient.”

Jon smiled “Thank you. Do you want to spar?”

“Jon it's 11:38 at night.”

“... Is that a problem?”

“I was sleeping.”

“Oh. Can I join you?”

“Tt. No. Go home.”

Jon pouted. Damian held firm.

“Okay. I'll miss you.”

“Tt. You say such embarrassing things. Goodnight.”

Jon smiled, then quickly leaned in to kiss Damian’s cheek. “Good night, my love.”

Damian slammed the door in his face.

It became somewhat of a pattern for Jon to ambush Damian when he went out on missions, and Damian learned to expect it. Jon was getting faster at killing Damian’s compliment.

“I killed them, so we can be alone!” Jon said cheerfully, gently touching Damian’s cheeks with his bloody fingers and looking at him adoringly.

“Jon. Keep your hands to yourself before I cut them off.” He said, drawing his rune-encrusted sword slightly out of the scabbard.

Jon pouted but removed his hands. “As you wish, my lord. So, what are you out here for today?”

“I was planning on retrieving a magical relic from a temple to the east of here, until you showed up. You’re like a gnat.”

“I can get it for you!”

“Tt, I’m sure you can’t, there are magical booby traps.”

Jon pouted. “I want to do this for you. Please?”

“Jon, I am certain that if you were deathly injured my mother would not permit me to put your body in the lazarus pit.”

“Not even if I died saving your life?”

“Likely not. I shouldn't even be talking to you, you are the enemy.”

Jon grinned. “I guess we both like to do whatever we want.”

“It is human nature to desire freedom.”

“Well yeah but I'm not human.”

“You are as human as you are kryptonian. I wonder, did your father have the same disregard for your mother as with the rest of humanity?”

“I dunno. I was cloned from her dead body and my dad. I never saw them interact. But I know he loved her, and I know he misses her. He's told me it's the only reason he puts up with me.”

“It does not sound like you are very close.”

“We aren't. But he's the only other kryptonian other than Kara Zor-el so y'know, he's important. Not as important as you, of course, but he was previously the most important person in my life.”

“We're here. Don't follow me.”

Jon floated after him. “But I wanna keep you safe! Let me carry you.”

“No– Jon, put me down!”

Jon grinned and flew Damian in. “What's it look like? I can look through the walls for you.”

“Unneeded, I have a map.”

Jon swiped the map from him and read it. “I have a great sense of direction, don't worry.”

“You are infuriating.”

“We cause strong emotions in each other~ how lovely. Okay, hold tight.”

Jon flew quickly down the halls, before being knocked into the wall by a magical hammer. Damian rolled off of him as Jon groaned in pain. “You idiot. Where are we?”

Jon grunted and pointed to their location on the map.

“I can’t even cast a healing spell on you as I have no idea how it will effect you.”

“Don't worry… I have super healing… so the side that hit the wall will be fine. The wall isn't magic, right?”

Damian checked. “Luckily for you, it is regular stone.”

Jon grinned. “Help me up? I wanna help you finish this.”

“It's a bad idea. We need to get you out of here.”

Jon shook his head. “I'm not going. I'll be right behind you. You can handle the magic traps, and I can fly in front of an arrow for you or something.”

“And what if it's a magical arrow?”

“I'll die for you. Did I not mention that?”

“Tt. You're dangerous to have around. But if you're not leaving…” Damian got out a rope and tied them together by their waists with a length of rope in between them. “Stick close to me.”

Jon floated to his feet. “Mkay. Let's go!”

Damian sighed and pulled along a floating Jon. He disabled the traps as they went until they reached the chamber with the artifact. Damian picked it up and the room shook with a deep voice.

“To get out of trouble, face your double. Return the staff to the rack and it will end the attack.”

Smoke billowed out of the air vents and coalesced into shadow versions of Jon and Damian. Damian sighed and took out his katana.

Jon and Damian fought back to back as their shadow versions worked independently. Damian took out his double and Jon defeated his own. The smoke dissipated and Jon cheered.

“We did it! That was awesome! They didn’t stand a chance against our teamwork! Imagine if you came in here with your whole squad! That would have been so much chaos, I really did you a favor by killing them.”

Damian growled and pressed his sword to Jon’s throat, backing him up against the wall. “No. Killing.”

“Mhn, so it's fine if you kill me but not if I kill your squad, who as we've previously established can come back to life whereas I will not?”

“I will kill you if I have to.”

“I would expect nothing less, my prince.” Jon smiled slightly. “So this is what you look like when you're angry. I love the intensity in your eyes.”

Damian narrowed his eyes. “Are you really trying to de-escalate the situation by flirting?”

Jon shook his head as much as he could. “Just saying what I think, my lord. And I think you look beautiful.”

Damian sighed and withdrew his blade. “You're an idiot.”

Jon smiled cheerily and let Damian drag him along by the rope still attached to his waist. Damian escorted Jon back to the entrance of the temple and cut the rope. “You need to stop killing my team every time I leave the palace. It makes me look incompetent.”

“Do you get in trouble?”

“Not exactly, no–”

“Then it's fine!”

Damian pinched the bridge of his nose. “Listen to me carefully. I am telling you that I want you to stop killing my team. Did you not say that I deserve to get what I want?”

“You're turning my words against me! I just want to be with you. Your assassins would never allow it. If I don't defeat them, I'll die.” Jon whined.

“Then learn non-lethal techniques of taking people down. Practice on those criminals or whatever.”

“You want me to… not kill a criminal?”

“Yes.”

“I can try… can I still be violent?”

“I would appreciate it if you did not scar my team too badly. But outside of that, you can be as brutal as you like as long as they do not die.”

“Okay. I will practice not killing and come back to you. Farewell, my prince.”

“Farewell, lord Jonathan.” Damian said as Jon lifted off into the sky, the cut rope rippling in the wind with his cape.

Jon stormed through the palace towards Damian, knocking people out of the way like flies. “Prince Damian! I came back, as I said I would.”

“Yes, I can see that. Are you here to kill more of my people? You know I cannot allow that, Lord Jonathan.”

Jon cocked his head. “Why would I do that? I don’t care about humans.”

Damian quirked a brow. “I am human.”

“You’re better than everyone else, though.”

“Is that so?”

Jon giggled. “Yeah, I think you could even kill me if you tried. That’s so hot. Look at you, not attacking me right now… so romantic...” Jon sighed.

Damian tutted. “I’m beginning to regret that.”

Jon giggled. “Some days I think I love you so much I'd just let you. Would you like me to do that? Or would you want a fight?” He came closer.

“What kind of question is that?”

“A genuine one. Oh… If I tried to kill you, I hope you’d try to kill me too… maybe we could die at the same time. If I am going to die, I want it to be by your hand. And no one else deserves to take your life away but me, and only if you asked me to.” He giggled, twirling his hair. “I really like having you around, so you would have to convince me first, or else I wouldn’t even let you kill yourself.” Jon hummed. “But I don’t see you convincing me that this world is so terrible as to deserve to be ridden of such beauty.” He stroked Damian’s cheek with a gloved hand, and Damian smacked it away. Jon sighed. “I love you.”

“You don’t know what love means. Your father never showed you.”

“I don’t? Well then, you’ll have to teach me. No one else will do.”

Damian tutted, before sighing as if greatly put upon and offering his ring for Jon to kiss. He did so gladly, kneeling at his feet.

“My prince.” Jon held Damian’s hand by the wrist and turned it over so he could nuzzle into his palm. Damian allowed it. Jon locked his violet eyes on Damian’s emerald ones. He kissed his fingertips one by one.

“You are so devoted to me. It’s perplexing.”

Jon kissed his wrist. “It’s simple; the whole earth should bow to you. You are perfection. Every moment you spend with me is pure gold; my greatest treasures.Or maybe it is that I can take anything in the world that I want, except for you. You are the only thing I could ever rightfully earn. The only goal worth pursuing. Everything was meaningless and dull until I met you, my Prince.”

Damian cupped his cheek. “And what if you got me? What then? Do you truly believe that to be love?”

“I would work to keep you and to serve you, to make you happy.” He smiled. “To annoy you, to pester you, to laugh with you, to see you cry. To hold you. To learn everything there is to know about you until you’ve changed so much that I have to learn you all over again.” He sniffed Damian’s wrist, at the cologne there, and deeper at all the smells that made up Damian. “Intoxicating.” Jon puffed out a laugh. “I don’t know what love is supposed to be like. Have I got it wrong? Do you think it matters? I ask out of curiosity, ‘cause even if it were really something completely morally unacceptable to you, I wouldn't care. It feels better than anything ever has. It’s what I live for.”

Damian’s lips parted in surprise. He schooled his features to ask his next question. “How many people have you killed since I last saw you?”

“None.” Jon smiled. “I’m learning, see? I can do better. I must be of some use to you, haven’t I?”

Damian got a strange look in his eye just then, and Jon became excited at the prospect of learning that expression. “Get up.”

Jon wilted. “Have I offended you, my Prince?”

Damian shook his head. “Stand up. Don’t. Float.”

Jon bowed his head obediently and stood up. Damian stepped close and put his hand on Jon’s shoulder, pulling him down into a slow and gentle kiss. Jon did not know his heart could race so fast. Damian pulled away with an unreadable look in his eye. “Alright, Jon. I accept. I will teach you how to love.”

Jon beamed. “Oh, this is so much better than murder.” He whispered.

Damian smirked. “It is, isn’t it? A lot of things are.” Damian took his hand off of Jon’s shoulder and put both behind his own back.

“Could you excuse me for just one moment? I feel the urge to go fly.”

Damian nodded, and Jon flew off, laughing brightly like a child.

Jon returned a moment later. “I love you! It feels so triumphant!” Jon gasped. “Does this mean we are dating? Boyfriends?!”

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but yes. My mother will not be pleased.”

“I can kill her for you, if you wan’t.”

Damian glared at him. “No. No Killing.”

Jon looked at him for a long time. “Okay… Okay. But if someone tries to kill you, I won’t spare them. Even if you get mad at me. Even if you don’t believe my explanation. Even if you can take care of yourself. I promise, I won’t let you die.”

Damian scowled. “Just…kiss me, you idiot.”

Jon flew to his side in an instant, but was much more apprehensive about actually kissing him, so Damian grabbed his head and dragged their mouths together. Jon purred and pulled him closer. Damian nibbled on Jon’s bottom lip and he gasped. “Damian!”

“Yes?”

“You’ve done this before! And I can’t kill whoever you did it with!”

“You don’t have worry, they are already dead.”

“Woah, do you kill people instead of breaking up with them?”

“Tt, no. They betrayed me. I made an example of them.”

“Wow, I can’t imagine killing you if you betrayed me.”

“Hm. I can’t say it was pleasant, but— we are supposed to be kissing right now, Jonathan.” He pulled him in for a few more smooches.

“Is this part of learning how to love?” Jon asked dazedly.

“No, this is for me. I’m just glad I found a way to shut you up.”

“Dami! That’s–” More kissing. “That’s mean. I love it when you’re mean to me.”

They had their arms wrapped around each other by now. Damian rubbed between Jon’s shoulder blades. “You really shouldn’t.”

“Nobody is ever mean to me but you! How could I not like it? I love when you give me attention.”

“To have everyone afraid of you, your whole life… Let’s change that, hm? You are terrifying in the way that you move, talk, smile, laugh, and behave… But we should be able to change at least two of those.”

“Am I so scary, even to you?”

“No, not to me. You’re even… cute.”

“Isn’t that a bad thing?”

Damian furrowed his brow. “No, why would it be?”

“My father always told me to stop acting so cute, that it was distracting.”

“Everything about you is distracting. You’re currently distracting me from my work. I didn’t think you cared.”

Jon smiled. “You’re right, I don’t. And like I said, you can be mean to me, as long as you don’t ignore me. Well, even if you tried to ignore me, I’d cover your eyes until you had to acknowledge me. Or… maybe I could bite you, like Krypto used to do when I was little and I’d ignore him. Hm… come to think of it, you did just say I was distracting, I’m sure there are lots of ways I could get your attention. I like being distracting.”

Damian arched a brow. “Surely you’ll allow me to get my work done.”

“Well, that’s not ignoring me ‘cause you’re mad! So it’s fine. I can just watch you.”

“Do you watch me when you leave?”

Jon nodded. “And I strain my ears to listen. I love the sound of your voice, my prince.”

“Oh Jonathan, your life cannot only be me. I want you to stay in the palace so I can show you other things you might find meaningful.”

“Like what?”

“Friendship, learning to cook, making art. Things that are worthwhile because of the struggle. I think you will enjoy pottery.”

“What's so interesting about making pots? Plenty of people can do that.”

“They can do it because they put in the work, and they are better than you at it. Don't you want to impress me with an excellent piece of pottery?”

“You would like it if I gave you something I made?”

“Jon, the only person who can make the art that you would make is you. If you do not make it, it will never be known. You can give me something no one else can.”

“Who cares? Everyone will say they love it so I don't singe their eyebrows off…”

Damian arched a brow. “I won't.”

Jon blushed and smiled at Damian. “That's right, you're not afraid to tell me what you think. You're my equal.”

“I may even decide to encourage you with kisses.”

Jon rumbled a purr. “I love you. I'm going to make you the best pot ever.”

Damian kissed him again. “Good. I eagerly await it.”

[matan4il]

Daily update post:

Amazing news on the 129th day of the war: Israel's army has rescued 2 hostages from Gaza, 70 years old Luis Har and 60 years old Fernando Merman (they're two of 5 family members who were all kidnapped together, including Clara Merman who I mentioned before. The women were released as a part of the hostage deal, roughly 2 months ago). The rescue operation was started at roughly 1 in the morning, lasted about 1 hour from the first to the last bullet fired, and took place in Rafah, the last city in Gaza under full Hamas control. That Israel managed to do it in Hamas' last stronghold makes this operation (which required a lot of forces and VERY accurate intel) even more impressive, certainly when you consider how the difference between success and tragic failure in such complex operations is SO small. The IDF spokesman said that from the moment the soldiers broke in, they physically embraced Fernando and Luis to shield the hostages with the soldiers' own body (we've heard from released hostages that the terrorists told then in case of a rescue operation, the orders are for the terrorist to kill them, them themselves. I'm gonna admit, that's when I started crying. I was so happy to hear these two men are okay, but being reminded that young men, with their whole lives ahead of them, physically put their bodies between these elderly men and the terrorists' bullets got to me. It goes against every evolutionary instinct that human beings are supposed to have, and yet... And the truth is, that's what all of our soldiers are doing, they're putting themselves between us, all Israeli citizens, and the brutal violence of the terrorists.

On the left and Luis on the right:

Hamas has made its own announcement about this operation, of course not saying a word about the freed hostages, and instead blaming Israel of committing a massacre. Hamas, which started this whole war by massacring over (at least) 1,200 people, most of which were civilians, and kidnapping over 240 human beings, is accusing Israel of committing a massacre because Hamas says dozens of people were killed (according to the soldiers who engaged in fire with them, there's no question that most of the people killed weren't "uninvolved civilians") during the rescue of the civilians kidnapped by Hamas. Make it make sense. Soap opera logic doesn't make my head hurt as much as that of antisemites.

Yesterday, there were two stabbing terrorist attacks in Jerusalem and near it. The first one happened in the Old City, ending with one person wounded and the terrorist neutralized. The other took place outside the town of Beitar Illit, no one was wounded, the terrorist was neutralized. On a personal note, there's an expert doctor who I've been going to in Jerusalem, and he called me back on a very specific date, but when I called his secretary, it turns out he's fully booked for an entire month past that day. My one option to see him around the date he mentioned, is to go see him at his Beitar Illit clinic. We're talking about a clinic that's 15 minutes from my home, yet right now I feel terrified of going there. It feels like if I go, I may pay for it dearly, and if I don't go, I may pay for it dearly. It's my own country, my ancestral homeland, a place my ancestors, who lived in the same place as I do, weren't scared to travel to. This is not a normal reality, and anyone calling this "resistance" just means they're against Jews having a normal life.

Once more, a Gazan journalist was revealed to be a Hamas terrorist. This time, it's a man who has been reporting for Al Jazeera (which has a long history of antisemitism), and has now been determined to have been a Hamas senior, developing anti-tank missiles for the terrorist organization. I just wanna point out that anti-tank missiles were fired at homes in Israeli civilian communities, including on Oct 7. Please keep in mind these countless journalist who are also linked with Hamas when you hear the lie that Israel is targeting journalists just for reporting.

A 21 years old Palestinian, convicted for terrorist acts, who had been released as a part of the hostage deal, was arrested yesterday after trying to infiltrate Israel using a stolen Israeli ID card. This is the third released convicted terrorist I've heard of to be arrested since the hostage deal in December 2023. There might have been more that I missed. This is a reminder that a terrifyingly high percentage of prematurely released terrorist end up returning to terrorist activity in one capacity or another.

On the same day that Israeli IDF troops courage and willingness to self sacrifice made me cry, we also learned that two soldiers were killed tonight, in a separate (earlier) fight to the one where the hostages were released (in a different part of Gaza). Still, while they might not have been standing physically in front of Israeli civilians, but protecting them is exactly what they did. Every operation that saves a hostage is made possible by the army's presence and progress in Gaza. If soldiers were able to free hostages in the southern part of Gaza, it's thanks to each one fighting (and dying) in the northern parts, too. So today, I'm gonna remember that, as we say goodbye to these two 21 year olds. Our hearts bleed with their families for this loss. May their memory be a blessing.

These are 32 years old Eynav Levy and her 33 years old husband Or.

On Oct 7, they arrived at the Nova music festival just minutes before Hamas' attack started. Eynav was murdered, while Or was taken hostage to Gaza. They have a 2 years old baby, Almog. He doesn't understand, and there is no way to explain to him, where his parents have disappeared to. May Eynav's memory be a blessing, and Or return, so his son will still have at least one parent.

(for all of my updates and ask replies regarding Israel, click here)

[gamerwoman3d]

Pretend I'm Him 

Imagine secretly banging Kuai Liang before the shit hit the fan at Ying Fortress.  In the aftermath of the fallout, the grandmaster wants a word…

[My apologies to other genders - lady anatomy used, from the start this time. Additionally, you don't have to agree with what this reader character thinks: just understand her information has been filtered. She is not omnipotent. Her information about the fallout is limited to what her clan/grandmaster has said about those events.]

Tags: SOFTER Bi-Han.

[Yes this is MK1 Bi-Han x Reader]

[🔞Spicy/Explicit after the cut🔞]

Imagine this non-committal relationship with Kuai Liang that was supposed to remain a secret. Imagine sneaking out on the regular, just to feel his hot tongue on your clit. You learned every soundproof nook and cranny of the Lin Kuei stronghold like your lives depended on it, not because any threat to either of you existed here at home, but rather because if you were forced to go more than a couple of days without sex, you felt like you just might die.

And then there was some bullshit at Ying Fortress. You were already so pent up waiting for Kuai Liang to return. You knew it was serious because his brother, the Grandmaster himself, went with him to oversee the mission.  Your heart jumped for joy when you overheard that the Grandmaster finally returned, only to discover that Kuai Liang and their adopted brother were marked as traitors, and would likely never be returning to the fortress.

Sure, you were worried for Kuai Liang, for the clan, for the future. Hell, you even felt some concern for your Grandmaster's broken heart. And maybe you were a little scared for yourself: Kuai Liang wasn't the enemy when you were sleeping with him, but you did sleep with said enemy, and had some concerns about what that might mean for you if that fact was discovered going forward. After all, the Lin Kuei stronghold was your home. Its walls protect your friends, family, and your entire support network, all clumped together in this small community which calls the stronghold home. Their protection might be at risk if the clan begins to suspect you of colluding with a traitor.  But deep down, in your shadowy id, the second you heard the news, your initial gut reaction was "FUCK. WHAT AM I GONNA DO TO GET MY NEEDS MET, NOW?”

No one can blame you. Every day that Kuai Liang was gone was a day that you burned inside for the lack of him.  You were so excited when you thought he was coming home, so energized, so ready to extinguish the flames, so wet.  

What a fucking letdown. And it was days ago.

You stared at the blank encrypted messaging app on your phone. If you messaged him, and were discovered, it could be taken as an act of consorting with the enemy. If you didn't, it might seem to him like you didn't care. If you reached out, he might think you were stalking him to help your clan hunt him down. But the only way to stop overthinking it was to reach out and see what happens.

Kuai Liang didn't answer. You weren't being left on "seen" - it was as if he lost his phone entirely.

No closure. Fantastic. Could it get any fucking worse.

Your phone buzzed in your hand. Not Kuai Liang, as you had hoped, but your best bud. You answer on the first ring, only to be interrupted by your breathless friend's frantic whispering.

"Hey! Sub-Zero's looking for you. I dunno what's going on, but I gotta go.”

You'd rather be back in school as the kid walking shamefully to the principal's office. You'd rather be back at bootcamp pounding sand in freezing temperatures.  You'd rather be a deer stuck in the headlights of a speeding semi.

You snap to your senses and delete the encrypted app from your phone.  You straighten yourself up and do what you do best - Sneak out, and sneak around the Lin Kuei stronghold.

You hid for a minute to think, watching from the shadows as your Grandmaster's best people searched for you in an unobtrusive manner. Then, you decided to take yourself to him. His family's private domicile was far enough from yours that your immediate family wouldn't have to see or hear whatever went down. Maybe you could keep your secret a bit longer that way. Or maybe he'd murder you on the spot.

His back was to you as you approached the garden at the front of his home. He stood unmasked, and spoke to a pair of his men. The men each stole a glance at you, prompting Sub-Zero to turn and glance over his shoulder as he spoke.

He did a double-take.

He immediately dismissed the men, who walked past you as you strode up the walkway toward them.  With the whites of his eyes visible between the top of his bottom eyelid and the bottom of his brown irises, Sub-Zero's expression felt uncharacteristically soft as you approached.

"I heard that you wanted to see me, sir?" you questioned.

You held your breath.

"Yes. Don't be nervous, you're in no trouble," he said.

His voice sounded strange when he spoke gently.  It sounded strange without the muffled echo from the mask.  Both things being true at once, it was like speaking to a different person than the masked master of the training grounds. His voice wasn't the stinging gravelly growl that he used while in command. It was a husky, comforting sound, sprung from a genuine intent to calm and reassure your quivering heart.

With a wave of his hand, he invited you inside.  Someone brought tea, and he redirected it to an office in his house. Now life felt exactly like a visit to the principal's office, if upon one of the bookshelves was a photo of your shirtless lover holding your shirtless principal in a headlock.

Your eyes fixated on the photo of Scorpion and Sub-Zero. It was before Kuai Liang had the scorpion tattooed, but well after his biceps had formed into what they still are, today.  You wanted to say that you missed him dearly, but damn, you missed his body.  Staring at the divots along his obliques had you dying to feel them between your thighs once more.

Sub-Zero's eyes followed yours to the photo. For a millisecond, his eyebrows knit in pain in an otherwise bemused expression.

"Tomas took that photo... the little traitor.”

“What happened?” you asked.

“Mm. Mom called Kuai Liang to nag him over the phone. I can do a convincing imitation of him so I snuck up behind him and said ‘You can’t make me!’” Bi-han mocked.

You had to admit to yourself that his imitation in that moment was spot on. But you also forced yourself to keep quiet, even as the uncanny mockery of your lover's voice made you miss him even more.  

He continued.

“Immediately, we hear her squawking on the other end of the line, and he crushes his phone so hard in anger that the screen snapped. She always believed he actually said it and then hung up on her.”

The bemused expression faded from his face, leaving behind a pained gloss over his brown eyes.

“She was mad at him for so long. I deserved the beating he tried to give me.”

Sub-Zero reached out and gently turned the photo down upon its face before opening a locked file cabinet and rifling through its folders.  He gestured to the tea and to the seating, welcoming you to make yourself comfortable.

You thanked him, sat, and took a sip of the boiling hot tea that was served to you; it would have been seen as an act of enmity not to do so.  You held the cup for warmth and comfort.  Truthfully, the hard ceramic was stinging-hot and smooth to the touch... god damn. Must every little thing remind you of his touch. You pressed your fingers into the glazed surface to feel the sting on your fingertips, in a futile attempt to disengage yourself from the current reality. Your panic over the immediate future kept a strong hold on you, even as you wished to be back in Kuai Liang's arms.

Sub-Zero closed the drawer, keeping his eyes fixed on the papers of a file he'd withdrawn. It still wasn't apparent to you how much the man knew about your relationship with his disaffected brother. And the grandmaster had yet to state what he wanted with you. If you truly were not in trouble, does that mean he didn't know? Or was he secretly ready to send you back to the character select screen? You bit back your burning questions. Moments of excruciating silence passed.

"... Keep breathing," he instructed, trying to withhold a smirk.

You gasped a bit. You realized that you weren't just biting back the questions - you were holding back your breath.  Your breath hitched and shuddered as it fought to catch up quietly.  Sub-Zero waited until your breathing evened out to speak.

"You still haven't asked me why I wanted to see you. Do you already know?" he asked.

The question was bait. And you knew it. You shook your head and said no.

He nodded. 

"You're good. You are really good," he said.

You took the compliment in silent confusion.

"I think if anyone here could get to Kuai Liang, it's you," he said.

You swallowed. You broke a sweat.

"What makes you think that?" you asked, acting as though you were innocent of having had any prior connection.

He arches an eyebrow. At the same time he thumbs a piece of paper out of the file: a receipt from the pharmacist. The receipt showed that you were issued a few prescriptions: silver based ointment for blisters, and one slightly more embarrassing cream. You remembered needing it after a particularly hot experiment with Kuai Liang went wrong in the early days of your secret relationship.

You turn red, not when he shows it to you, but when he looks into your eyes with a cocky, knowing gaze. His eyes may as well have become the headlights; your secrets become the deer. The mess was just as bloody in your mind either way. You suddenly wish patient-provider confidentiality were a more sacrosanct part of Lin Kuei military tradition. But even if it were, the grandmaster likely had methods of extracting their information. Your heart pounded. 

He knew you'd fucked Kuai Liang. 

His voice stayed strangely dulcet, full of compassion and understanding when he next spoke. His words didn't match his timbre.

"When I read this, I came to the conclusion that you both got a little too fired up.”

"Not the puns, please. I'll go pound sand in the freezing desert, please no more puns," you thought.

You didn't mean to groan aloud at his terrible pun. It just kinda happened. You didn't expect him to soften and apologize so quickly, but he did.

"I am sorry to have brought that up. I truly am. I imagine it must have been painful, or at least deeply uncomfortable for you. To the matter at hand, let us both start by committing to being straightforward with each other. That will benefit the both of us, greatly. And now I will ask you, kindly, please do not insult my intelligence by feigning ignorance, and I will not insult yours by pretending I'm funny. Agreed?" 

“You said I wasn’t in trouble.”

“You’re not. Listen… I can't afford to make a mortal enemy out of someone who can sneak around my own home as effortlessly as you have. I had my best people searching for you, but when you arrived here, my guard was down. My back was to you. If Kuai Liang had asked you to kill me, you could have done it, right then.”

It’s true. Your eyes widened. Your thoughts were so preoccupied with whether or not he would kill you, that it never occurred to you that he could be worried about your own ability to kill him, let alone kill him in his own home at any time you desired.

He sat the papers down, cupped your face with both hands, and lifted until your eyes met his. This close, you could see the dark circles of sleeplessness form beneath his eyes. Something about the out of place strands of hair on one side of his bun made you imagine him awake all night, laying on the messy side.

“I just want to be able to sleep. I try to sleep each night knowing that on any given night, you could end my life if you wanted. I’ll sleep easier when I know where you stand. I’ll sleep much easier if I know you’re going to stay on our side. But even if you don’t, Kuai Liang is out there somewhere and I fear he is lost, suffering, and alone. I know I couldn’t stop you if you want to reach him and join his side. And even if I could stop you, I would choose to let you go, in hopes that someday maybe you can talk some sense into him. And no, I do not want to see any harm befall either of you. You are Lin Kuei. The Lin Kuei are my life. You have my word that I will continue to honor and protect your family and friends to the best of my ability if you decide to leave. But stay. Please. I would do anything for you to stay. So what is it? What do you want? What can I give you that will make you stay?”

Your face turned red between his warm hands. You hadn’t been touched by a man since they left for Ying Fortress, and your body had jumped to inappropriate conclusions beneath his touch. You couldn’t answer him. He studied your face. He shook his head and spoke.

“The only thing you want is him, isn't it?”

Well… maybe the only thing you wanted was sex. You weren't quite in love with Kuai Liang, not in the way that would have you abandoning everything you knew to join him in his fight against everyone who ever supported you. With Bi-Han’s firm grip on your face, you couldn't turn your head from your grandmaster. But you broke eye contact, casting your eyes down in shame from your inability to honestly answer that Kuai Liang was indeed the only thing you wanted. He wasn't.

“I don't want to die, and I don't want to break my oaths,” you said.

“You're not breaking your oaths. I'm willing to command you to go to him. To spy. To watch over him. To guide him and make sure he doesn't get himself killed in service to Liu Kang. You'd never be marked as an enemy, always welcome to return.”

Leave everything to go babysit a grown man? Hell naw.

“I don't want to leave…” you admitted it.

“Then look me in the eyes and tell me you are not considering running away to find him,” Bi-han gently ordered.

You turned your eyes as far away from him as you could. Logically, a man that breaks his oaths and abandons your entire community was not worthy of running toward. It should have been easy to tell Bi-han that there was no part of you that wanted to chase after Kuai Liang. But instead, you replied:

“I can't. The… the sex… was amazing. And the thought does cross my mind.”

As you said it, his breath stilled. Your words caught him off guard.

“So then it is only the sex that you want? Not the connection, the heart nor the soul?” he asked.

You certainly had not treated each other like soulmates. If anything, you and Kuai Liang had treated each other like fucktoys, and you both loved every minute of it.

“That's right,” you said.

Somewhere in your gut, you realized: if Kuai Liang had loved you, considered you his soulmate, or had even wanted to build a life with you, he would be here. He would have returned. He would have done anything to return to your side, including obey illegal orders. If he ever truly loved you, he would have at least considered joining his brother in betraying God Himself. But Kuai Liang had done none of that. He chose his path with no hesitation. He was gone from you now, and if you were honest with yourself, you always knew that the two of you weren't meant to last forever.

The thought brought angry, embarrassed tears to the brink of your eyes. You hoped you could bite them back for the duration of Bi-Han’s inquiry.

“And yet, you want it enough that you feel tempted to run to him. It burns so badly that you feel tempted to aid a deserter?” Bi-Han said.

Neither you nor Kuai Liang were serious about each other. At least not enough to label each other or go public with your fling. That's why you both kept it a secret. You should have told your Grandmaster all of this with your words when he asked if you wanted his brother's sexual services more than his heart and soul: but you said it all with a cringe and a silent nod.

Yes, it was only the sex that I wanted. Not his heart. Not his soul. you silently admitted.

Bi-Han’s face twisted into a quizzical pout, not dissimilar to a look you'd seen on your lover's face in the past when he silently sought solutions as he worked through problems in his mind. The silence lasted too long for comfort; you could sense him figuring out what to do with you. His brows flashed with the strike of an idea.

“Pretend I'm him,” he said.

“What?”

Your mind jumps to a scenario where you pretend that Bi-Han is your lover and act out all the fantasies you'd saved for Kuai Liang's return. You felt perverse: it felt wrong to assume you'd been ordered to *treat* Bi-han in the same sexual manner that you would treat his brother. Surely he didn't intend for you to imagine Kuai Liang while he pleasured you in the deepest most erotic methods. Even allowing yourself the briefest glimpse at Bi-Han through a carnal lens proved devastating. One glimpse was all it took to deeply appreciate his shoulders, his eyes, his strength, his agility, his voice, his highly regimented grooming habits. Good god, you marveled at what he could do to you if he wanted. Was he really suggesting himself to be your lover? A stand in?

Imagine the Grandmaster reducing himself to the role of a stunt cock, just to keep you loyal to the Lin Kuei. Erotic thoughts banished the angry tears back into whatever well from which they sprung.

You were certain you couldn't have understood him correctly. Maybe he meant “imagine what I'd do if I were in his shoes planning my next move” or something.

You asked him to repeat himself, to clarify his orders.

“That was an offer, not an order,” he said, “I'm at your disposal. I meant it when I said I'd do anything to have rest assurance that your oaths still mean something. Use me however you wish. Make me sneak away with you if that's what excites you. I won't make you keep me a secret, yet if you desire it, I'll take our secrets with me to my grave. Whatever you want from him, I'll do my best to provide you in his stead.”

“You're offering… sex?” you asked incredulously.

“If that interests you, then yes. Whenever you want him, whenever your desire for him burns away your strength, leaves you weak, needy, or desperate enough to leave us, I want you to consider coming to me first. You won't have to explain yourself, and I do not expect you to banish all thoughts of him.”

Words failed you.

He allowed the uncomfortable silence to linger a bit too long.

He inched closer, hovered over you where you sat in a small but growing puddle of your own wetness. His face lingered near yours, his breath against your flushed cheek. You pressed your knees together. He murmured toward your ear, in a hauntingly familiar mimicry.

“Pretend I'm him,” he said in Kuai Liang's voice.

He continued to warp his timbre to mimic his brother's softer, hoarse intonation. And, for the first time in your life, you dared to interrupt him.

“Does that interest you? If not tonight, then later-” he asked.

“Tonight. Tonight, please,” you whispered.

“As you wish,” he said, perfectly mocking his brother's voice.

He leaned in until the bridge of his nose almost met yours. He stilled himself. His gaze invited you to make the first move: cognizant of the amount of power he held over you, he required a great deal of assurance that you truly wanted to do it. He let his warm thumbs caress your cheeks as he waited for you.

You shut your eyes, pressed your lips shut, pressed the shut lips against his, and kissed. He kissed back.

His lips were different from Kuai Liang's. They were firm, fitting. Kuai's lips were supple and plump enough to surround yours when kissed like this. Bi-Han’s lips could only give yours that surrounded feeling by parting just enough to gently suck your kisses, while gliding his tongue against them to tease them open.

You trembled, imagining what this sensation would feel like on your clit. You whimpered into the kiss despite yourself. You couldn't imagine this kiss as one of Kuai Liang's; Bi-Han’s kiss tasted like minty whitening gel and expensive honeyed tea. Kuai Liang’s kiss smells like smoke, tastes exactly like one might expect that a man who breathes fire and eats pussy should taste like. It was too different. It was Bi-Han. You were letting the grandmaster slip his honeyed tongue into your kisses, and into your dreams; You couldn't let yourself pretend otherwise.

You remembered the way you would melt just to feel Kuai Liang breathing. How you'd melt to feel his hands on your back. How you'd feel to be enveloped in his embrace. Bi-Han’s body was not so comfortable as Kuai Liang's. You remembered Kuai Liang's thick arms felt strong but pliant. You held Bi-Han’s biceps in your hands. They felt more like polished mahogany, stiff, smooth. The density of the man's arms was unlike what you were accustomed to; but the feeling raised your temperature.

You pushed back on his chest, pulled yourself away, and broke the kiss. He let you break the kiss, and waited for you to explain.

“Do you still feel okay?” he asked.

“Yes, it's just different.”

“Is it too different?”

“You taste different,” you said.

“What should I taste like,” he asked.

Fixated on the thought of his tongue on your clit, you bit your lip and parted your knees slightly from muscle memory. You were remembering times when Kuai Liang tasted like you in the moments after he tongued open your pussy.

When you didn't answer his question in words, he studied your body language, noting that your legs were no longer pressed together. Fear of impropriety forced you to hide this sexual part of yourself from your grandmaster for as long as you could remember.

“Ah,” he said as if reading your mind, “is that where you want me?”

“Yes, yes I want you there, but with kisses. Kisses please. I want your kisses, there. I need you to kiss me the way you did just now, only, down there,” you finally answered, keeping your eyes closed for the duration of your confession.

“You like my kisses that much?” He asked.

The sound of a smile painted his voice.

“Mmm-hmm,” you answered, “I like your kisses, I haven't had any kisses since you left for ying fortress…”

Sub-Zero realized your statement was true whether you were pretending to address him as Scorpion or not - either way, you haven't had any play since “he” left for ying fortress. He let his hands wander along your hips, stroked over your belly below the naval, just to watch you squirm.

“That sounds rough. No kisses, none at all?” he teased.

“Nooo, none! What about you?”

He shifted into his natural, gravely tiger-purr voice to whisper an answer.

“I can't speak for him on that topic, but for me it's been a long while. A lot longer than Ying Fortress.” he confessed.

Part two link here

To See My External Masterlist, Click Here

[nightghoul381]

Ellis Twilight ~ Main Route Chapter 9

Disclaimer for route warnings | Masterlist

Additional Content Warnings: None

This a fan translation so it is definitely not 100% accurate. I do not own anything related to Ikemen Villains. Support Cybird by buying their amazing stories!

--The day after patrolling the city.

I was heading to the casino with Ellis and Jude.

The casino is one of the gang’s strongholds.

William and the others had gotten information that the leader of the circus troupe was coming and going from there from time to time.

(We’ll scout nearby and as soon as we find someone who looks like that, we’ll arrest and interrogate them.)

With my mind filled with tension, I ruminated over today’s mission.

Jude, who was smoking a cigarette a little further away, looked at me and let out an exasperated sigh.

Jude: “What’re ya gonna do in this state?”

Kate: “I’m nervous right now, but I’ll be okay.”

As I put on my best calm expression, Ellis bent down a little and handed me a cup of tea.

Ellis: “Please. Warm up your body and you’ll feel better.”

Kate: “Thank you…”

The warmth that passes through my fingertips, which were cold from the tension, was comforting.

Kate: “…Mmm, it has honey in it. It’s delicious.”

Ellis: “Good. Are you feeling better?”

Kate: “…Yeah, I am.”

Ellis: “Don’t push yourself too hard, Kate.”

Even after yesterday’s confession-like incident, Ellis acted exactly as I had expected.

I think he’s treating me the ‘same as before’.

(But, I’m still conscious of what’s going on.)

I felt my heart beat a little faster with Ellis next to me, so I casually took a step away from him.

Ellis: “This might get rough, so if there’s another scary scene, please close your eyes.”

Kate: “Hehe, that can’t happen… My job is to record both of your sins.”

Ellis: “Even if you don’t see it, I can tell you later.”

Ellis: “It’s great that you’re working so hard, but… I wish you would take better care of yourself.”

Kate: “Y…Yeah…”

(Is this the ‘same as before’…?)

Every time such sweet words come out of his mouth, I can’t help but feel excited.

(No, no. I have to do my best… I don’t want something like last time to happen.)

--Flashback—

Ellis: “They were trying to harm Kate.”

Kate: “…”

(Then, this tragic situation…)

(This happened because I followed you, Ellis--)

Ellis: “… It’s okay now, Kate.”

--End flashback—

(… I hope it doesn’t end up like what happened last time.)

Kate: “Ellis, please don’t push yourself too hard.”

At the memory of Ellis standing in a pool of blood, the words naturally spilled out of my mouth.

Everyone knows that this is his job, his mission, and what he must do.

That’s why I wanted to be close to the pain and the hurt that comes from that.

Ellis: “Me? I’ll probably be fine, but… thank you.”

Kate: “After the mission is finished, let’s eat something delicious!”

Ellis: “…yeah… fufu.”

Suddenly, Ellis looked at me and smiled—.

Part 2

Kate: “After the mission is finished, let’s eat something delicious!”

Ellis: “…yeah… fufu.”

Suddenly, Ellis looked at me and smiled—.

Kate: “…? What?”

Ellis: “I was just having fun imagining what store I would bring you to.”

Kate: “…!”

(That’s…)

(Ellis himself is looking forward to going out to eat with me.)

Not just for me.

That makes me so happy that I can’t help but smile.

(Concentrate on the mission…)

I hurriedly hid my smile.

However, Ellis didn’t miss my changing expressions.

Ellis: “Kate? What’s wrong?”

***Choices***

***1. Nothing +4 +4***

2. I'm looking forward to the meal +2 +4

3. I'm so excited +4 +2

(I thought I had gotten screenshots of the correct choice but I guess I hadn’t, sorry!)

Kate: “I’m kind of excited… but we have a mission now, so I have to brace myself.”

Ellis: “You should just stay excited. If it’s a mission, leave it to us.”

When I smiled with Ellis--

???: “Ah…!”

I heard a small scream and turned around.

A little girl had fallen onto the ground, perhaps from the stairs.

(Wow, that looks painful!)

Simultaneously, I took a step forward and Ellis also started walking toward the girl.

Ellis: “Are you okay?”

Ellis gently held out a hand to help the girl up, but…

Girl: “…gh, mm…”

A film of tears quickly formed in the girl’s eyes.

(It seems like her parents aren’t around. In that case…)

Kate: “That must have hurt. Um, what’s your name…?”

--Just then a cheerful voice called from above the three of us.

Man with an eyepatch: “Hey, hey there, girl!”

Man with an eyepatch: “The flowers want to say hello to you!”

(Who…!?)

Part 3

Man with an eyepatch: “Hey, hey there, girl!”

Man with an eyepatch: “The flowers want to say hello to you!”

(Who…!?)

A man wearing an eyepatch suddenly appeared and squeezed his hands together…

A beautiful flower suddenly bloomed on the palm of his hand.

Kate: “! What’s this?”

Ellis: “It’s a magic trick like the one Bill did.”

Flowers: “Young lady, please don’t cry. I want to see your smile.”

In a high-pitched, strangled voice, the man wearing an eyepatch pretended to be the flowers and started to speak.

Girl: “Hic… Flowers…”

Flowers: “If you smile, I feel like I could bloom even more!”

Girl: “…mm,…”

As the girl forced her lips to curl up in an attempt to smile, small flowers began to overflow from the eyepatch wearing man’s palm.

Girl: “Wow…!”

The girl’s eyes, still wet with tears, sparkled.

Just then, a woman with a frantic expression came running toward us.

Woman looking panicked: “Cathy! I was looking for you, you can’t just walk away by yourself!”

Cathy: “Oh, mom! Look, it’s amazing! The flowers are like magic…”

Cathy’s mother: “You can tell me the story later! Sorry to bother you.”

Man with an eyepatch: “No, no, there’s no bother.”

Ellis: “She may have scraped her knee. Please help her.”

Cathy’s mother: “Eh, did you fall? Didn’t she bother you with her crying!?”

Cathy: “I’m not crying! The old man used flower magic.”

(I guess she really enjoyed the flower magic trick.)

Her mother also smiled, looking relieved as the girl spoke excitedly.

Cathy’s mother: “It feels like everybody has helped you… Thank you very much.”

Cathy’s mother: “Cathy, we’re going to have a lot to talk about when we get home.”

Cathy: “Yeah!”

The girl smiled and held hands with her mother, then waved at us as she left.

Ellis: “Take care.”

After seeing off the mother and child, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Kate: “I’m glad her mother came to pick her up.”

Ellis: “…Yeah.”

There was something strange about the voice that reached my ears, and I turned around, wondering what it was.

Ellis: “…”

Ellis, who had been smiling at the girl, suddenly turned to stare at the man with the eyepatch with a calm expression on his face.

I follow his gaze and look at the man again.

(That’s right. The man who suddenly appeared.)

Although he had an unhealthy looking complexion, he was tall and well-built.

He had a friendly smile, but his sharp, wolf-like eyes gave the impression that he was being driven by something.

(Eyepatch… maybe he’s a performer.)

Then I remembered the external characteristics of the ‘Ring Leader’ that Alfons had talked about.

--Flashback—

Alfons: “The person who was recruiting her was Captain Jake Grace himself.”

Alfons: “She said she was certain it was him on account of the characteristic scar around his eye that he got from being attacked by a wild beast when he was young.”

--End Flashback—

(He was active as a ring leader 20 years ago, which means he must be at least in his 30’s…?)

The person in front of me looks to be in his 40’s.

(Although, since he’s wearing an eyepatch, I can’t tell if his eye was injured or not--)

Jude: “….”

Jude, who had just been watching with a cigarette in hand, approaches.

Jude: “Ellis.”

Ellis: “Yeah.”

At that moment, Ellis stood in front of me as if to protect me.

Jude: “Y’know a guy named Jake Grace?”

Man with an eyepatch: “Oh, you’re in luck! After all, I am Jake Grace!”

Part 4

Man with an eyepatch: “Oh, you’re in luck! After all, I am Jake Grace!”

Jude: “……”

Kate: “Huh!?”

(How do you dare say your name like that!?)

Even though he was supposed to be complicit in the kidnappings, he ignored it so easily, I was disappointed.

Assuming he was trying to tick us, Jude narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

Ellis: “I heard a rumor that you’re kidnapping performers. Is that true?”

Kate: “Ellis?”

(He’ll be set off by asking such a direct question…!)

However, despite my concerns, the man’s shoulders began to shake with laughter.

Jake: “Kidnapping? Me? Ahahahaha!”

Jake: “Goodness, no. I’m currently recruiting to re-form the circus. I have been going around asking for help though.”

Jake: “Everyone will agree that they are attracted by the charm of the circus!”

(Uh…)

Ellis: “… I heard that even people who declined have disappeared.”

Jake: “Wait, disappeared? There’s no way that’s the case. I’m the kind of person who gracefully steps away if I’m rejected.”

Jake: “Those who love the arts will probably meet again somewhere, as long as they’re still alive!”

Jude | Ellis: “…..”

(We actually witnessed a woman being attacked by a gang after refusing his proposition.)

There is a big discrepancy between that fact and Jake’s statement.

(But it doesn’t seem like he’s lying… what does he mean?)

Jude: “What’re the new circus members who accepted yer recruitment doin’?”

Jake: “I’m sure they’re honing their performances at the mansion in the suburbs free of distractions!”

Jake: “Just the other day, there was a kid on the street who was in trouble, so I asked him to join. He agreed after just two benefits.”

Jake: “Children under the age of 10 are more likely to improve their physical abilities.”

Jake: “If they can learn how to walk on a tightrope, they can say goodbye to a life of scavenging for garbage on the roadside!”

Ellis: “Are you the one taking them to that ‘suburban mansion’?”

Jake: “No? But the owner of the casino has graciously offered to invest in my future circus!”

Jake: “That man is taking care of them until the first performance.”

Jake: “I’m going to meet with him today about that matter.”

Jake has a cheerful smile on his face.

(He has a refreshing way of speaking. Also, looking at how he treated the girl earlier… I don’t think he’s a bad person.)

(If that’s the case, then he might be--)

Ellis: “Even though you’re playing a role in the kidnapping, you don’t realize it.”

Part 5

(If that’s the case, then he might be--)

Ellis: “Even though you’re playing a role in the kidnapping, you don’t realize it.”0357

Ellis puts words to what I was thinking.

Jake: “Mm?”

Ellis: “I think you’re being tricked.”

Ellis: “Have you met up with the people who accepted your invitation at least once afterward?”

Jake: “They send me letters from time to time. I still have to gather more people, so I haven’t been able to go to the mansion.”

Ellis: “Please check carefully.”

Jake: “Okay, okay! I’ll check it out. Thank you for your kindness.”

(The leader doesn’t know anything. That means…)

Jude: “We got no choice but to catch the leader of the gang ‘n investigate directly.”

Jude spits out the words, looking bothered.

Similarly, Ellis muttered in a low voice.

Ellis: “What are we going to do? Are we going to pretend that we want to be members and go to the casino?”

Kate: “Huh?”

Ellis: “I mean, is the owner of the casino that he’s about to meet the one who led the kidnapping, or is just a conduit for that person?”

Ellis: “Maybe it’s an opportunity.”

(I suppose… that might be the quickest way to make contact with the perpetrator of the kidnapping…?)

If we can condemn the leader and cut it off at the source, the kidnapping case would be solved.

We’d be able to track down the victims and be able to complete our mission in one step.

(But…)

Kate: “You two will be recognized since the gang has a grudge against you…”

Kate: “Won’t you get kicked out of the casino before you even meet the owner…?”

Ellis: “Maybe we should hide our faces?”

Jude: “They’ll figure it out by our voices.”

Ellis: “Wouldn’t it be better if we just shut up?”

Kate: “… Are you sure…?”

(Um? Maybe we can infiltrate…?)

Jude: “….”

Ellis: “…….”

Jude and Ellis exchange glances without saying a word. 0386

I stared at them, holding my breath, and after a long moment of silence, Jude clicked his tongue.

(That probably means ‘It’s a hassle but I’ll do it.’)

When I glanced at Ellis and he nodded as if to say ‘that’s right’.

Jake: “I feel a bit like an outcast not being part of the conversation, so I’ll leave you to it, okay?”

Jake: “I don’t mean to offend you. Like I said I have an appointment to meet with someone at the casino!”

Ellis: “Ah, wait a minute.”

Jake: “Hm? Did you need something?”

Ellis: “Would you please let us be a part of your circus?”

Next Chapter | His Side Story

[laughhardrunfastbekindsblog]

All through season 3, I was looking for reasons to let go of Tech, but hope just wouldn't die and until the finale I still thought there was a chance Tech would turn out to be alive and well. Even with this hope I found it... odd... that the show skipped over the inevitable conversation between Omega and Crosshair with Crosshair learning what happened to Tech. So I wrote this just a few days after the season 3 premiere and posted it to AO3 since I didn't have tumblr at the time. I'm posting it here now, mostly because the past few days this blog has turned into one of my ways of fully processing Tech's death.

NOTE: the first two sections are scenes directly from the show. I included them to clarify the timeline of events and add some detail as to what I imagine was informing Crosshair's thoughts and remarks during the second scene in particular.

Revelation

“Crosshair!”

No. It couldn’t be.

“Crosshair?”

He must still be dreaming, stuck in the nightmare…

“Crosshair?”

The voice sounded just like Omega, but that would mean Omega was here. And if Omega were here, that would mean his brothers…

“You must be Omega.” He knew that voice, and Emerie Karr’s statement removed all doubt.

“What did you do to Crosshair?” he heard Omega reply.

“He’s recovering. I tried to warn him what would happen if he did not cooperate with the doctor….”

He kept his eyes closed, feigning continued unconsciousness, wishing he had never awoken.

**********

“Crosshair. I tried to come earlier, but there were too many guards watching me.”

Crosshair sighed. He had noticed Omega’s attempts to catch his attention when they passed each other in the halls, and had deliberately ignored her. He couldn’t very well do so now. “You shouldn’t be down here at all.”

“Well, how else are we gonna plan an escape?”

Where did the kid get her unfailing optimism? But hope was useless here – worse than useless. Best to disabuse her of any fanciful notions before she was crushed any further by the weight of disappointment. “There is no ‘we,’” he replied curtly as he sat up to face her, “and there is no escape. I’ve already tried.”

He wouldn’t tell her the details of what had happened: that the primary objective of his “escape attempt” had been to warn his brothers about the danger they and Omega were in. Omega hadn’t yet told him whether the message had been received, and Crosshair had no inclination to broach the subject. Believing he had failed in getting the message to his brothers was easier to stomach than knowing the message had been delivered yet still yielded this outcome.

Thankfully, Omega didn’t probe for details – she was still too focused on the prospect of freedom. “Every stronghold has a weak point,” she was saying now, before adding thoughtfully, “Maybe I can convince Emerie to help. She’s one of us.”

No. This had to be nipped in the bud. If Crosshair managed to teach the kid anything, it had to be this, the one crucial lesson that was even more important than learning that hope was pointless. “Not every clone is your ally,” he warned her firmly. “You trust too easily.”

Omega looked taken aback for only a second before resisting the lesson. “Maybe you don’t trust enough,” she retorted.

Crosshair wished he could think of precisely what to say to convince her of her errors in judgment, but his hand started shaking… Blast, he thought as he gripped his hands together, hoping Omega hadn’t noticed.

“Crosshair?” she said gently; and he knew she had noticed. Yet more proof that hope was useless.

He wouldn’t let her see any more. He didn’t need any more reminders of his shortcomings, his failures, his mistakes, his losses. If he couldn’t teach the kid just how futile it was to hope and trust, maybe he could at least convince her to stop doing things that would put her in more danger. “Just… go, before you make things worse for both of us.”

Omega hesitated only briefly before turning to leave, and Crosshair thought that maybe he had succeeded – but then she spoke once more. “There has to be a way out of here,” she said, determination adding a layer of steel to her tone. “I’ll find it.”

**********

“You’re awake,” she said cheerfully as she sat cross-legged on the floor.

Crosshair didn’t reply, only fixed her with a sullen stare that did nothing to dampen her spirits.

“No one said anything after I came here last time, so I think I might be able to keep visiting you,” Omega went on. “Of course, we’ll have to be discreet when discussing some topics…”

He couldn’t ignore her when he was stuck in a cell, and she was going to keep visiting… “Why are you here?”  he cut in sharply.

Omega paused mid-sentence, the slight crease that appeared on her forehead attesting to her confusion even as she gamely shifted topics. “I… well, I don’t have an escape plan yet, but I thought I could…”

“No,” he brusquely interrupted her again, waving his arm to gesture toward the hallway in an attempt to make his meaning clear. “Why are you here, on Tantiss?”

“The Empire captured me,” she answered in a low voice. “I think they want me to make Nala Se cooperate with them.”

Crosshair growled in frustration at the kid again missing the meaning of his query – he had to know, but that wouldn’t make the knowledge any easier to bear. He tried one more time, “What happened?”

Omega went perfectly still, and Crosshair’s heart sank. This is precisely why he had avoided asking about his brothers’ fates; but not knowing meant he could only imagine the worst possibilities. He didn’t let a shred of emotion show on his face, however, as his sister finally moved to reposition herself so she was no longer directly facing him, instead sitting in profile, gazing down the hallway as she wrapped her arms around her knees.

“We… Tech was going through some intel for Echo when he found out you were captured, and then he found the message you sent to warn us. We were trying to track Hemlock’s ship so we could find you. We knew Hemlock would be meeting with Tarkin on Eriadu, so we infiltrated the base to place a tracker on his ship. But…” she faltered, then everything spilled out in a flood of words. “Everything went wrong. We tried to escape, but there was an explosion at the base that left us trapped in a rail car with Imperial troops and ships attacking us. Tech was on the rail line to fix the car and he tried to make it back, but the car was breaking in half and falling off the track, and then the added weight…” Her voice broke, and she took a shuddering breath before soldiering on, “Tech fell, he severed the connection to the broken half of the car and he wouldn’t let us save him…”

The words were like shrapnel ripping through his heart. Hemlock seemed to think the interrogation droids were one of the most effective means of inflicting pain; the experiments were mentally and physically relentless, excruciating, exhausting; but this… This was true torture.

Omega had paused in an effort to regain her composure, wrapping her arms ever more tightly around her knees in an effort to stop shaking. Determinedly looking at the floor, she continued her story, her voice cutting through the void of Crosshair’s bereavement and bringing him back to the current situation with a painful jolt. The way she was rushing and stammering through her story, Crosshair could tell this was the first time she was really thinking about it, the first time she was allowing herself to relive the tragedy, reopening the painful wounds of this memory just so she could satiate his need to know.

He didn’t want to know any more – the worst thing he’d imagined had happened to one of his brothers. But he couldn’t manage to speak, couldn’t beg Omega to stop talking…

“Tech’s repairs worked, the car started moving, but we crashed and… I don’t remember much after that… I woke up and Hunter and Wrecker and I had all been bandaged up by AZI. Then Hemlock found us. Hunter told me to run, but I couldn’t leave them.” Omega’s chin was shaking so hard Crosshair wasn’t sure how she was managing to still speak so clearly. “Hemlock captured Wrecker and Hunter, and I tried to stop him, but one of his guards stunned me and I woke up on Hemlock’s ship.” She paused again; Crosshair, outwardly still and silent as stone, inwardly reeling from pain and shock, only peripherally noticed her bring her hand to her cheek to wipe away tears. “I had sent AZI to get Echo, though, so maybe Hunter and Wrecker managed to escape.”

The flash of relief upon hearing that Hunter and Wrecker and Echo might still be alive disappeared almost before Crosshair felt it, suppressed under the massive weight of sudden loss.

Tech.

Crosshair had always pretended to be even more annoyed than the others when Tech spouted off three datapads’ worth of information on the most mundane topics, but secretly he had been fascinated by how smart his brother was, how Tech not only knew the information but could seamlessly apply it to improve almost any situation. Hunter was the one with heightened senses, but Tech sometimes seemed even more skilled than Hunter in knowing exactly what Crosshair needed without Crosshair needing to say a word – and, being the most reticent member of the group, Crosshair couldn’t say he ever minded.

That was the thing about Tech: when it came to any given topic – including his brothers – Tech didn’t just know, he understood.

Crosshair didn’t have Tech’s skill in this area, but he knew and understood his brother well enough to fill in the details himself. Omega had said Tech had been the one to discover Crosshair’s imprisonment and the message, which meant Tech would have been the one to bring the fact to the squad’s attention, comb through intel that led to the discovery of Hemlock’s existence, and join the push for a rescue mission to be mounted despite the warning the message conveyed.

Omega and Crosshair now sat in silence for what may have been hours, may have been seconds – he would never be able to tell – before Omega spoke again. Despite the tears still silently falling down her face, her voice took on its signature hopeful note. “Maybe we can…”

‘Maybe’ was dangerous territory, and Crosshair – sick to his stomach, burning with regret and shame, broken and empty with no recourse available to him – could not let Omega continue. Tech was dead, and Crosshair could not allow himself to entertain the idea that maybe his remaining brothers were actually okay. ‘Maybe’ meant hope. Hope meant more pain.

“No,” he said, so sharply that Omega finally turned to look at him. The sight of her tear-streaked yet resolute face only deepened his agony. “No more plans. Can’t you see? It’s over.”

“But if Hunter and Wrecker escaped, that would mean…”

“NO,” he said again, glaring at the kid.

He wasn’t going to say anything else; but suddenly a sentence from Omega’s story struck home - we were trying to track Hemlock’s ship so we could find you – and his thoughts, his deepest regret, took form in words and slipped through his mouth before he could stop himself. “I told you to run. I told you all to hide. Why didn’t you hide?”

Omega’s eyes softened, and her sympathy made him drop his gaze to the floor. “Because we’re a squad,” she replied softly, “we’re family, and we don’t leave anyone behind.”

“Look where that got you,” Crosshair retorted bitterly. Look where that got Tech, he thought.

Footsteps sounding in a distant hallway seemed to remind Omega that she did not have unlimited time to spend on visits, and she hurriedly wiped her face again as she got to her feet. She didn’t immediately depart, however; and Crosshair, feeling her gaze on him, refused to look up.

“You’re worth the risk, Crosshair,” she said simply. “Tech thought so too.”

He remained as he was, staring at the floor, numb and broken and alone, long after she had gone.

**********          

“Crosshair? Are you awake?”

He gave a prolonged sigh in an effort to cover the fact that a tiny part of him was actually glad she had come to visit – it had been several weeks since the last one, and he had started to wonder if she had been outright forbidden from seeing him. “What does it matter? You’re going to talk anyway.”

She hesitated briefly. “If you need to rest, I can come back later…”

He groaned a little as he sat up – this round of experiments was leaving him increasingly sore, but he would never admit this to anyone, least of all Omega: she would spend the entire visit fretting about him. “It’s fine. I’m already awake.”

She regarded him for several long seconds before kneeling in front of his cell. “Sorry it took so long for me to come back. Nala Se kept giving me additional assignments. I think that phase of experimentation is over now. They don’t tell me much about what the experiments are, though.” She was quiet for a moment, before continuing, “I like taking care of the hounds a lot more than helping in the lab. Batcher is finally warming up to me – she doesn’t try to bite me anymore when I feed her. Oh, K9X1 finally told me a little more about the hounds…”

Crosshair listened as Omega continued talking about all the details she had learned about the species – their origins, development, life cycle, characteristics, and more – and wondered why he felt such a bittersweet ache in his chest…

Omega’s chatter reminded him of Tech.

Identifying the cause made the ache grow more potent, and Crosshair almost snapped at Omega to leave so he could busy himself with forgetting the tragedy. Over the past few weeks, he had thought he had come to terms with the loss of his brother – the shame, regret, and emptiness no longer felt like they would completely consume him – but in moments like these the pain would return in full force, and it was almost too much to bear.

And yet – right now, the ache wasn’t just bitterness and sorrow. There was a hint of solace, a touch of comfort, the warmth of nostalgia and happy memories, that took the edge off the pain. And, somehow, this comfort came from Omega.

Despite what Omega had said, he knew he didn’t deserve the risk his squad had taken for him. Tech shouldn’t have died for him, Omega shouldn’t have been captured because of him, the others shouldn’t be facing dangers unknown because of him. Knowing this, he wouldn’t let anyone else take such a risk for him again.

But Omega was feeling the loss of Tech just as much as he was. She had lost her brother, just as he had.

Crosshair wouldn’t encourage her insane ideas of the both of them managing to escape together; but if these visits made her current captivity easier to bear, he wouldn’t send her away.

Resting his forehead on his hands, he sat and listened to his sister.

[lemonisntreal]

heyo! Just found your blog and I was scrolling through your stuff and noticed your AU tone deaf. And I haven't found anything about what it is or what your idea is behind it. So I wanted to ask if you could give me an introduction to your AU!

Oh! And I absolutely love your artstyle and how you draw Buster! Anyway, hope you drink enough water and have a good day/night! ;)

Dear god this has been in my drafts for a while-

Hiya! Sorry for that lack of info lol, I'd been inactive for a long time, and the time that I actually WAS posting consistently was back when things were still being sorta fleshed out. But I've got a pretty good idea of how every single part moves at this point, so sure :D I'll give a not-so-brief summary lol [under a cut because I couldn't not dump multiple paragraphs teehee ~_~]

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

Tone Deaf is like a dystopian version of Sing, if I were to put it super duper simply. One where Buster's issues get more emotional focus, and we get actual bonds with the cast because the movie forgot to do that.

Buster is, also, a lot more unhinged, fair warning. This fic's gonna contain violence and tackle some darker subjects [adjacent to grief and denial more specifically] so if it feels like I jumped a lot of sharks, it's because I 100% did.

It kinda started with me noticing how, in the actual movies btw, smaller characters like Buster and Mike had more difficulty getting around places. This led me to ask myself about how species differences could lead to struggles for certain animals since the city just isn't built for everyone [this is NOT Zootopia]. Ash's quills, and Meena's towering size were things I noticed too that would be massive problems, realistically. So after a lot of pondering, now we're here.

The world of Tone Deaf in present day is in a post-war period that's lasted about 50 years now [Crawly is actually a veteran from this war- which was more like complete and total anarchy if I'm being real, since there weren't really any sides until near the end...]

Long story short, the wealthy capitalized off of the war and taking people prisoner- so they purposefully kept it going. A resistance ended up forming to stand against this [Miss Crawly being one of the generals, with that classic missing eye] and after their army stormed the unsuspecting stronghold, the war finally began to conclude. It still took around a year after that to release all of the prisoners of war, and by the end of it all, the damage that had been done to some races was permanent. Even extinction-level in some cases- some animals just straight up don't exist anymore because of it.

Back to Calatonia. Laws that are in place to protect animals from tearing eachother apart are still relatively new, and the criminal underbelly of Calatonia is kinda out of control. Animals get kidnapped/poached, smaller animals are at a huge disadvantage and have basically no power [politically or otherwise], endangered species are a very real thing, poverty is a huge issue for most of the population- and in the middle of all this is Buster Moon.

He's gonna be the main perspective. And the story will also serve as a slight character study on him, mixed with my own grittier and batshit insane changes/headcanons/alternate universe ideas on his backstory. He's a ray of sunshine with a lot of bottled-up feelings that will kinda really take control of the story.

Buster has been arrested multiple times. He's been put in unsuccessful therapy. He's still grieving his dad. He's committing crime and compulsively lying about those illegal actions too. He has emotional difficulties that he hasn't dared try touching on in years, and he has issues with letting go- which, is kinda how all of his new problems come to be.

The threat of his theater being repossessed if his show isn't a success gets a LOT more emphasis too.

But on top of that is the added threat of Buster getting sent out of the city if he can't get his business up and running. Remember how I mentioned endangered animals?? Well Koalas are one of them. One of the big ones, actually. He's the only Koala in a city of almost five hundred thousand, and it's been that way for almost half a decade now. It's been causing issues for the people in charge for half a decade now. Koalas have government-protected settlements far away from here due to their numbers being so few, so if Buster loses the theater? That's the next step for him.

But, to help this poor dude through all the stress of life is the found-family he develops with the cast he hired. He helps them for a lot of the first act, and then they give back his kindness in the second. They connect through their similar experiences, as well as their shared passion for music and performance. And by the end, maybe Buster's okay. Or maybe he's had a complete downward spiral [not gonna speak of act three 🥰]

Other characters have also had a shift in their dynamics. Things in the story have changed. Like for instance- Gunter already knew Buster and was a close friend of him and Eddie before the show, Judith is now the mayor and a main character, Pete has been put in place of the banker in charge of Buster's accounts, Buster unfortunately gets involved in politics, Mike actually gets to bond with the cast- actually the cast gets to bond with the cast point blank period [idc what you say, this just straight up doesn't happen in the canon movies], and to top it all of is a generous helping of angst with a few acts of violence sprinkled in 🤭

The actual Act I summary is this right now:

Buster had been in tight situations before-- suffocating situations, even. He’d been in every kind of trouble imaginable, he thought. With family, friends, local businesses, the law. But he'd always wormed his way out, either through loopholes or by charm. Or usually just by stacking another lie on top of his already crumbling facade. But this time it's gonna take more than a cover-up to fix this. ‏‏‎ Buster’s dishonesty takes him too far once again, a simple typo causing him to unintentionally land himself in a wager that could cost his very life. He has two months to fix this- to ACTUALLY fix this. And the worst part is that he hadn't even meant to lie this time. ‏‏‎ The First Act of Tone Deaf.

TLDR; Buster learns to love again after experiencing the horrors of animalkind firsthand and being healed by theater kids LMFAO

[bigfan-fanfic]

Writing Game 1.9: Enthralled

Prompt: Enthralled Pairing: Joel Miller/Jason Grace

Joel sits back, glaring at the younger man. The campfire they lit crackles, the stone semicircle they stacked around it keeping it from smoking.

"Are we gonna talk about it?" The last thing Joel wants is to talk, but he needs answers.

"No." The man growls.

Joel lets out a sigh of irritation. "You brought down a goddamn bolt of lightning like you're goddamn Jesus and we're not gonna talk about it?"

"That's about the size of it."

"Boy..."

"I'm thirty-six, don't call me 'boy.'"

"Then tell me what the hell is going on, damn you!" Joel's nostrils flared, his eyes wide. "If you're some kind of lightningrod, I can't bring you back to Jackson."

Jason laughs without mirth. "I can control it. It's... inherited. From my father. My sister could do it too."

"Lightning... powers?"

"Yeah." Jason runs a hand through his shaggy hair. "I didn't mean to use it, but... the clickers would have killed you. I was out of bullets."

"Thanks."

"Yeah. You fished me out of that river. Saved me. So... you're all I've got. You and Ellie."

"Anybody else... like you?

Jason looks up into the thickly clouded sky. "There used to be. Before. Hopefully they're hidden away, in fortresses and strongholds. But I'm not."

Joel hands him his glasses. "You've been through hell before. Haven't you?" It's not a question.

"Yeah. A lot of hells. Way, way Before. My dad needed a lot of... help."

The clouds suddenly flash and release a peal of thunder. Jason hardly reacts. They fall silent for a moment until the rain begins. Jason blinks as he stares straight up, enthralled by the droplets on his skin. He starts to cry, startling Joel a little.

"I'm alone, Joel. I've lost everyone, and it wasn't even to anything I thought I'd die to - it was to some fucking plague!"

Joel growls, trying to ignore the downpour. "You have us. You saved my life with that... lightning bolt. You've saved my girl's life plenty of times. I'm not gonna forget that."

Jason looks at him. There was something vulnerable in his gaze, and Joel gives a deep growl. He had always valued action over words. So he reaches out and draws Jason into a fierce hug. "Don't make me regret this, boy."

He holds him tight as the rain soaks them through to the skin, and just maybe washes away some of the pain of the last twenty years.

"I ain't leavin. Me and my girl, we're your family now. Okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah..." Jason trembles, finally melting into the embrace.

"Let's get back to Jackson, okay? Can you move?"

They make their way away through the rain, finally realizing that they were heading home...

[bard-llama]

WiP Thursday: Extras from the Spirits Made Them Do It Series (AKA Seeds of Change)

Okay, I'm late for WiP Wednesday, but I figured I'd share a few things for the Seeds of Change 'verse. This is gonna be a long post, so I'm sticking it all under a cut.

First, here's the WiP for the next part of Taking Root. (Forgive the formatting - tumblr still sucks on that front)

Zuko knew his day was going to take a downward turn when Zhao’s ship came to harass them, but it was even worse than he’d thought.

Father had made Zhao an Admiral. Father had put Zhao in charge of all operations related to the Avatar. Father had given Zhao the authority to steal every hope Zuko had ever had.

“Don't give up yet,” Uncle murmured, trying to comfort him. “You can still find the Avatar before Zhao.”

“How, Uncle?” Zuko asked despairingly. “With Zhao's resources, it's just a matter of time before he captures the Avatar.” He shook his head. “My honor, my throne, my country,” he paused before he could impulsively add my lover. “I’m about to lose them all.”

“You must not give up hope,” Uncle said softly. “As long as the Avatar remains free, there is still a chance.”

Zuko nodded, but his hopelessness remained. Zhao was going to steal everything from him, he just knew it. So how could he stop it?

He still didn’t have an answer hours later, but they did receive official word that Zhao had captured the Avatar. He had the Avatar locked up tight in the most impenetrable fortress in the Fire Nation – which meant it was all over. It wasn’t like Aang could escape from Pohuai Stronghold, not on his own.

Zuko paused, thinking about that. If – if he needed the Avatar to be free… maybe the answer was to do something unexpected. Something reckless. Something that might end with the Avatar in his grasp.

He swallowed hard, trying to convince himself that he was only going to do this to save his prize. Helping Aang wasn’t his angle, it was a mere side effect. Right?

He’d always been a terrible liar, even when the lies were aimed at himself. Nonetheless, he pretended to believe it. He wasn’t helping Aang. He was just going to ensure that the Avatar was available for him to capture. If it meant fucking Zhao over in the process… well, that was a nice bonus.

—

The escape went great – until it didn’t. Until suddenly Zuko was fighting Fire Nation soldiers. They were trying to kill him, he knew – but nonetheless, he couldn’t bring himself to use lethal tactics. Not when these were his people. 

He still fought hard – but it was kind of looking like that wouldn’t be enough. And then – and then Zhao ordered his men to hold their fire because he needed the Avatar alive, and Zuko was moving before the thought had even occurred to him, crossing his swords in front of the Avatar’s neck.

He tried to ignore the terrified gasp Aang let out, holding steady and glaring at Zhao through his mask.

“Open the gate,” Zhao ordered, the growl in his voice showing his displeasure.

They backed out, Aang shuffling along under his direction, trapped between his body and his swords. It was slow going, but it was starting to look like they could really escape– 

And then something hit his right temple and everything went black.

When he woke up, the blinding pain in his head meant it took him several moments to figure out where he was and what was going on. There were trees above him, faint moonlight filtering through the branches. He was laying on something soft, his torso slightly elevated.

And, he processed belatedly, someone was stroking across his scalp. Which was super weird, but also felt kind of nice, and he was hurting enough that he needed to feel something nice.

“Are you awake?” The Avatar’s upside down face appeared in Zuko’s line of vision and Zuko could do nothing but stare. 

Aang continued to stroke over his head. Why?

…maybe he was dreaming? That seemed likely. Why else would he wake up in the Avatar’s lap?

He was in far too much agony for this to be a dream – but he determinedly ignored that, closing his eyes. If he didn’t acknowledge it, then it didn’t exist, right?

Aang’s gentle touch remained steadily present, and after a moment, he asked, “are you okay?”

Zuko didn’t really know how to answer. He grunted noncommittally. 

“Thank you,” Aang said quietly. “I couldn’t have gotten out of there without you.”

Zuko also didn’t know how to respond to that. He stayed quiet, eyes closed. Aang continued to touch him.

Why?

“I didn’t know you knew how to use swords,” Aang said, “but you were really cool out there, wow!”

Zuko frowned, brow wrinkling in bafflement. Why would the Avatar compliment him?

Why would Aang do any of this?

“How long have you been training with them?” Aang asked. Without waiting for a response – perhaps correctly assuming that he wouldn’t get one – he continued, “I’ve never used swords, but at the Air Temples, we train with staffs. Not for fighting, though, since we’re pacifists. It’s more of like… a dance, I guess?”

Zuko hummed. He’d actually known that from his research on the culture next in the Avatar Cycle. “Like your circle walking,” he found himself saying. 

With his eyes closed, he couldn’t see the surprise on Aang’s face, but it was audible in his voice. “Yeah,” Aang agreed. He was quiet for a moment, then added, “I’d never actually fought before you, you know? I never needed to before getting frozen.”

The sudden sadness he exuded tugged on Zuko’s heartstrings, but more importantly – “frozen?”

“Oh yeah,” Aang huffed a humorless laugh. “Um. Apparently I somehow got frozen for a hundred years?”

Zuko opened his eyes to stare. “You – what?”

Aang just shrugged. “I dunno. I – I was born a hundred years ago. I lived a hundred years ago. And then…” he trailed off, looking away.

Frowning, Zuko considered that. Of all the possible theories about what had happened to the Avatar, frozen for a century had never crossed his mind. 

“You really are an Air Nomad, then.”

“Yeah,” Aang nodded. “I – I was frozen before my people…”

“Ah.”

They fell silent, words unsaid hanging thick and tense in the air between them.

“How’d you know that?” Aang asked eventually. His fingers had fallen still, just resting against Zuko’s scalp. “About circle walking?”

“Oh.” Zuko flushed. “Um. The – the next Avatar was supposed to be born to the Air Nomads, so…” 

Aang tilted his head in confusion. “Why does that matter?”

Opening his mouth and then closing it silently, Zuko tried to think about how to answer such a bizarre question. Of course it mattered. It was about the Avatar, and the Avatar was the only thing that mattered.

“I’ve… been looking for you for a long time,” he finally settled on.

“How come?”

Again, Zuko had no idea what to say. 

After a long minute, Aang dared to ask, “why do you chase me, Zuko?”

Zuko blinked, not really understanding. “I have to,” he stated the obvious.

“Why?”

“That – those – those are the Fire Lord’s orders,” he managed to say. 

“What do you mean?” Aang asked softly.

Just thinking about that made the pain in Zuko’s head spike and he closed his eyes with a groan, bringing a hand up to rub his unscarred temple. 

Aang caught his wrist before he could reach, and his eyes popped open again to glare.

“You’re badly bruised,” Aang explained. “Your mask deflected the arrow some, I think, but…”

“...arrow?”

“That’s what knocked you out.”

“Oh.” 

“How are you feeling?” Aang asked, and there was real concern in his voice that made no sense.

“Why do you care?” Zuko had to ask.

Furrows appeared over Aang’s arrow. “Why wouldn’t I care?” he asked, sounding genuinely baffled.

Zuko… really didn’t know how to answer that. No one had ever cared before, not except for Uncle. Not without an ulterior motive.

“I like you, Zuko,” Aang said simply.

“Why?”

“Why not?” Aang countered. 

The question left Zuko oddly stumped, and the throbbing behind his eyes made it very difficult to figure out an answer.

Aang’s fingers resumed stroking over Zuko’s head, and it was still super weird, but it was also really, really nice and Zuko couldn’t help but lean into the touch. 

“Can–” Aang started, voice cracking slightly. He paused to clear his throat, then began again. “Can I make you feel good?”

“What!?” Zuko bolted upright – which was a bad move in every way, because oh jeez, his head was not happy with him and the dizziness was not helping things.

“You’re in a lot of pain,” Aang observed, solemn and serious. “I don’t – I don’t know how to help with that. But – but I could try to make you feel good. If – if you wanted.” 

He was flushing by the time he finished speaking, and Zuko couldn’t help the part of him that admired the color on Aang’s cheeks, even as he gaped.

Aang reached out with clearly telegraphed movement to cup Zuko’s cheek, and Zuko wasn’t really sure why he let him, but he did.

Aang’s slow smile in response was beautiful, and the way the calluses on his thumb dragged over Zuko’s skin made Zuko shiver. 

When Aang leaned close, Zuko abruptly found that his breath control had deserted him.

Aang stopped half a millimeter from Zuko’s lips, asking, “can I?” 

The words fluttered over Zuko’s face and he swallowed hard. “Why?”

“Because you haunt my dreams,” Aang whispered. “Because I want to make you feel good.”

Zuko’s breath hitched in his chest.

“Can I?” Aang asked again. 

“Yes,” Zuko whispered before he could stop himself.

The bright joy on Aang’s face in response made his chest do something weird and jumpy, but then Aang’s lips were touching his, and suddenly, that was the only sensation he was aware of.

--

Now, separately, I wanted to share the floorplans I made for the Jasmine Dragon and Zuko and Iroh's Upper Ring House in Ba Sing Se.

First, the Jasmine Dragon.

Here's the whole place, walls up and down:

Next, the 'kitchen' and dining area:

Fun fact: this is now an actual cafe in the Sims, so I can have sims go here for a nice cup of tea any time I want lmao

Next, their house in the Upper Ring.

Here's the full house and backyard:

(The backyard is very spacious so that Zuko can spend time practicing with his swords. He doesn't dare try practicing his firebending, but at least he has room to play with his swords.)

Living Room and Kitchen:

Iroh's Room:

And finally, Zuko's room (and the guest bathroom)

That's all I got. Hope you enjoyed!

[sleepy-aletheas]

Clockie: Dreamjoy Memoir Event and what the special endings reveal

It's ridiculous how much info is packed and hidden in the Clockie event. I wrote down the special endings, because that probably is the true history of Penacony than whatever we are told.

This also makes me think that the person that intercepts the text messages when we finish Hanu's minigames, is Hanu himself, because there is no definite conclusion of what happened with him, so I think it's reasonable to put him as a stand-in until the plot advances and tells us the truth.

Anyway, below the cut I transcribed the hand-written retelling of what the event reveals. Not everything is word-for-word, but that's to keep it at least a little bit shorter than the original text (my hand would actually fall off otherwise).

In short, the story is about: Penacony has a harsh history of waring for freedom, lies, backstabbing, manipulation, corruption. it's one big tragedy hidden as a cutesy cartoon, veiled in a golden dream and sticky SoulGlad.

But in the longer version, the story goes along these lines:

The Compass sets foot on the streets of Nightmareville, only seeing a wasteland. Flames licked the wooden houses, and hungry crocodiles roamed the ruins. ("What on earth is going on here?")

The Crew comes across an intoxicated Mr. Soda who wants to share the bubbly potion with them. ("I'm Mr. Soda. Would you new friends like to buy a few bottles of SoulGlad?")

Clockie doesn't want any, but the Crew take quite few. It's hard to refuse.

The Crew find an abandoned mine stacked with sparkling gems which seems to be the town's treasure vault. Clockie thinks it got to be worth good money. The Crew warn him, but Clockie takes many gems anyway. ("You don't really think about whose stuff you're taking when you usually open up chests, do you!")

Brother Hanu stumbles across the Crew in the mine, ready to fight these strangers. Clockie tries to beg for mercy, but Hanu arrests everyone. ("We were dancing to the jailhouse clock.")

Mr. Soda is a friend of Hanu and wants to resolve the conflict with the Crew. Hanu reluctantly agrees to ceasefire. Mr. Soda tells the story of how the crocodiles attack the Townfolk of Nightmareville all year round, and it wasn't until a shooting star fell that Hanu started to lead everyone to rise up. This makes Clockie admire Hanu.

The Crocs attack them. ("Brother Hanu, taste the wrath of Boss Stone!") They barely make it out the bloody battle. ("I- I feel like I'm about to stop ticking.")

Mirror Princess was seriously injured, her mirror scratched up, and she fell into deep sleep. Hanu disregards personal safety and plucks herbal medicine out of the croc's jaws and heals the princess.

At night, Boss Stone ambushes Hanu's stronghold. The Crew and Townfolk must fight. Hanu is confident, and everyone feels more at ease.

Clockie and Hanu temporarily defeat Boss Stone, but if the crocs don't leave, Nightmareville will always be locked in nightmares. The Crew would never turn a blind eye to this. They decide to help Hanu and the Townfolk to take back their happiness. ("The Crew of The Compass is truly loyal!")

Hanu and Clockie come across Sister Wildflower, who is currently being hunted by Lieutenant Chitters. ("If you want my help, hurry up and save me!") Hanu rescues Sister Wildflower. ("Here's a gossip: Hanu was totally blushing.")

Clockie comes across a Crybaby who is also a captured Townfolk. ("If you want my help, then you're gonna have to tell me a sob story!") Clockie tells about Master Hat. ("That's a real tearjerker. I hope you'll be even sadder in the future.")

Clockie meets Shopkeeper Leaf, who used to be one of Boss Stone's lackeys. ("If you want my help, tell me what's in it for me!") Clockie takes out a piece of treasure from The Compass, and Shopkeeper Leaf instantly joins the squad. ("Shouldn't we sign a service contract first?")

The squad grows and Boss Stone launches an ambush at Hanu's panic room. Many Townfolk are injured. ("They don't have any respect!") Hanu and the Crew team up to defend against the surprise attack. ("Friendship bounds, uh.. the future!")

Even if they won, the casualties are tragic. To commemorate those Townfolk and Crew members who gave their lives, Hanu hosts a funeral. Sister Wildflower sings a funeral dirge, and Hanu is sad during the song. Hanu gathers everyone to soon launch a counterattack. People are ready to give up their lives for freedom. ("This is for the dream to eat, drink, and be merry every day!")

The night before the battle, the Crew and Townfolk stage a grand party. This might be the start of a long and grand event or the final feast for everyone.. At the party everyone feels down. ("I'll settle down back in Watch City and get married after this fight.")

In the battle, Nightmareville pays a heavy price defeating Boss Stone, but he is able to stage a comeback. The Townfolk are anxious and all propose to Hanu to conduct peace talks. He agrees to the proposal, and Boss Stone shakes hands with the Townfolk to make peace. ("He really offered too much there.")

Boss Stone signs an agreement with Hanu to not let the Townfolk dig for gemstones again. He also gives Hanu a large financial stipend. Clockie convinces Hanu to take it to rebuild Nightmareville with Boss Stone. ("I guess that was all just a big misunderstanding before!")

Some Townfolk don't let go of old grudges and refuse to team up with Boss Stone. They sow chaos everywhere and raise resistance against Boss Stone. They're no longer ordinary Townfolk, so Hanu throws all the rebels into prison.

Many Townfolk were injured in the war, so Boss Stone hires the best doctor from the sea to offer free treatment. They get patched up and are gifted a large supply of health supplements. ("The first dosage is free for the initial cycle, and if you feel the effects are good, you can purchase more. Townfolk get a 20% discount.")

Hanu doesn't know how to develop the town, and the Townfolk blow through the money from Boss Stone. The Townfolk turn and complain about Hanu's incompetence. ("Boss Stone, he's an idiot who can barely string a sentence together.") ("Yeah, that's what I love about him.")

A Nightmareville faction grows against Hanu with riots and skirmishes out in the streets. Hanu calls for his mates for help. Shopkeeper Leaf comes up with a plan: ("Whoever causes any trouble, just take away their stipend! They've just had it too good for too long. Once they start to suffer a little, they'll behave!")

The town fell into despair, and Boss Stone offered a hand to Hanu's brothers, and told them that the most valuable thing in Nightmareville was its gems. He proposed that if they collaborated with him to develop the mines, the town could thrive once again.

Hanu and Boss Stone partner up to develop a large-scale gem extraction project to earn stacks of money for the town.

Boss Stone grows really popular and decides to publish an autobiography. However, Hanu realizes that Boss Stone erased all his wrongdoings from the book. Hanu doesn't care for the lies and lets the book go viral. ("Boss Stone, enslaving us? There's such thing as being too unhinged!")

The time is ripe for hammering out negotiations. Boss Stone thinks he deserves to enjoy more power as the hero who brought happiness to Nightmareville. Hanu refuses and Boss Stone takes away all previous funding. ("Brother, unlabeled gifts are the most expensive ones of all.")

Boss Stone is posturing for war; down with Hanu. He picks out two special dark secrets to reveal to the Townfolk.

Hanu secretly executed his partner, Sister Haru, to consolidate his power. ("Who is Sister Haru?")

Hanu seized the compass from The Compass and forced the Crew to serve him. ("Why don't I know about this!?")

Boss Stone lets the Townfolk decide what to do with Hanu; attack, or be under his tyranny. Boss Stone announces the Townfolk choosing war, even if never releasing any evidence, and people buy into it. ("Nobody disputes it, which means it's perfectly reasonable.")

Boss Stone lays out his dream for the town before the Crew; Nightmareville should turn into the richest town in the world. To do that, the Crew has to help subdue Hanu. Clockie chooses to help Boss Stone defeat Hanu, hoping it will be a wakeup call for Hanu. ("Boss Stone is doing his best for everyone. I'm sorry, Brother Hanu.")

Boss Stone exhausts Hanu and wins the war. Hanu is imprisoned, and the Townfolk once more becomes Nightmareville's staff. Of course, it's all legal. Seeing Hanu turn into a prisoner, Clockie feels uneasy. But he understood that it was the best outcome for the Townfolk. Or was it really?

The crocs kept digging for memoria, while they made people build a wall against an upcoming storm. To buy their protection, the people had to give their valuable gems as protection money. They must do so at a ceremony. ("I'll provide the services and you pay. That's the law of this world.")

The contract, if signed, would trap the Townfolk forever inside voluntarily. ("Even so, it's better than dying out there in the storm, right?")

Clockie and Captain Revolver sneak into the construction site and embed a bomb inside the already laid out bricks. It detonates, and the debris splashes right into the nearby Boss Stone.

The people still have to submit, because it's better to lose their freedom than be outside in the storm.

The walls get higher, blocking out wind, sand, and even sunshine. Dreamville turns back to Nightmareville under Boss Stone's 'protection'.

Clockie vanishes. Then he returns, and people see him as their leader, and hope he can persuade Old Man Wood to give up his position.

Clockie gallops into the wilderness, remembering his days on The Compass and firmly believes that Dreamville should bring comfort and freedom.

The Cowboys never wanted to be a part of Dreamville, wanting to live outside in the desert. They bullied the town until Clockie gave them a sense of justice, maintaining peace and order. (There is nothing wrong with this -wanting to live outside. Most importantly, everyone should be happy!")

The Cowboys make an alliance and want to comfort Old Man Wood. ("Old Man Wood seeks unity to enforce rules, but our unity is for freedom!")

Old Man Wood wants to get his hands on the desert no matter what: ("The land is the desert is the most important treasure in the town!"), refusing the amicable proposal of the Cowboys. He wants to allocate them to an autonomous area, and keep the rest.

Old Man Wood raises weapons to the Cowboys, and they flee back to the desert. Clockie apologizes to them and they throw a party to cheer him up. He guzzles up bottles of SoulGlad containing excessive stones, and drunkenly promises to fulfill the Cowboys' dreams. ("Are woods and trees inherently nobler than us...")

Old Man Wood raises a forest as a wind barrier, keeping the town and desert separated. A divide keeps growing between the people, marking their estrangement. But Clockie secretly opens a passage through which the Townfolk can leave to the desert. ("One day, we will tear down this forest!")

Less people in the town made Old Man Wood question why they would abandon their warm and beautiful town. ("It's because of novelty, that's all.")

The Cowboys and Townfolk are tired and decide to burn down the forest. In response, Old Man Wood launches a campaign to cut off resources to the desert, leaving them to starve in the wasteland; Clockie is disappointed in him. Old Man Wood expected people to turn on each other, instead they helped out. Clockie was also helping during that period, hoping it would teach Old Man Wood a lesson. ("It's better to overestimate than underestimate human nature!")

The Cowboys and Townfolk for a decentrilized force that tries to fight for their freedom. ("Our goal is freedom, not victory.") Old Man Wood takes the folk that sides with him to force them into submission. ("Chaos is not equivalent to freedom, Clockie.")

The Cowboys win and Old Man Wood despairs. He bids farewell to the town he cherished. the Cowboys celebrate and divide the town's territory into pieces, each representing a piece of their newfound land of freedom.

Clockie and Old Man Wood form a partnership again to do good for the future; a paradise.

Someone was penniless in Dreamville. ("What should we do, Old Man Wood?") Old Man Wood would take away the person's desires. No dissatisfaction should be in Dreamville. ("Buck up, and enjoy free SoulGlad on the Golden Street!")

Someone committed a crime in Dreamville. ("What should we do, Old Man Wood?") Old Man Wood would take away the criminal's evil thoughts. No baddies should be in Dreamville.

Someone is sick in Dreamville. Old Man Wood took their worries. No pain is allowed in Dreamville. ("You can't feel pain now. Cheer up!")

Hurting others? Old Man Wood inflicted the same mount of pain on the culprit. No hurting each other in Dreamville.

Permanently departing Dreamville? Old Man Wood made wood sculptures of the departed. No separation in Dreamville. ("Brother Hanu, Mirror Princess, and Captain Revolver are also back!")

Addicted to joy of games? Make them unable to feel the joy of playing games. No addiction in Dreamville. ("Bad games make people mad!")

Treason? No betrayal in Dreamville. ("Because everyone must be loyal to him.")

Reminiscing about the past Dreamville? No. ("Because there is only the present here.")

Meaning of life? Old Man Wood answered. There were no questions in Dreamville. ("Old Man Wood in the smartest tree!")

Questioning the ruling of Dreamville? No skepticism in Dreamville. ("Because he's right.")

Desire freedom in Dreamville? Give it to them, but leave them nothing else. ("That's the price of freedom.")

Over time Dreamville became united as one. Old Man Wood was nurtured into a towering tree that shelters all the Townfolk with its shade. There, Clockie also stopped thinking and immersed himself in joy.

("Old Man Wood can solve all the problems.")

...

The..end?

[trickster-shi]

Five Fandoms and Five Ships

Tagged by @sparklytimetraveler forever ago, I kept reminding myself to go make a post and never did >_< BUT. Better late than never.

Sterek

What can I say? I love the Grumpy/Sunshine dynamic to bits and these two sarcastic assholes just hit all the right buttons for me. They had such great chemistry on screen and there are so many good fics written about them that I'm always finding new faves to hoard. Still my current obsession and probably will be for a while, I never get tired of reading this pairing. Or writing it.

2. Zukka

I never watched ATLA as a kid, I only discovered it during Covid when Netflix added it, triggering the renaissance explosion on my Tumblr dashboard. I fell in love with all the characters and multiple ships, but this remains my absolute favorite. Sokka had my heart from the beginning and Zuko stole it during the Pouhai Stronghold episode, and I spent way too long binge reading their tag.

3. Cougar/Jensen

No one was more surprised than I was when I just latched onto The Losers, and these two assholes in particular just completely ruined my life for a while. I've lost count of how many times I watched the movie and I even went out and bought the graphic novels the movie was based on, and I am completely content to ignore how those ended in favor of the cute as shit ending the movie had. Also, I can't hear Don't Stop Believin' and not smile like an idiot anymore.

4. Tony Stark/Steve Rogers

...you know, I'm starting to sense a theme here. Hmm. Yeah, we're gonna ignore that for now. ANYWAY. I got hooked hard on these two after The Avengers movie came out and happily read all the team fics where everyone lived in Stark Tower and these two danced around each other before finally getting together. They aren't my only ships in this fandom but they are my top one out of them all.

5. Sam/Dean & J2

Supernatural has probably been my biggest fandom due to just how long I was in it while it was airing and because I participated in the fandom during it's hay day on Live Journal. Which was so wild, eye opening, and amazing. I even managed to save up and go to a convention and meet them, which I still regard as the best weekend of my life. I love both these pairings for different reasons and can't really separate them so they get their own spot together. Even though I haven't read any or rewatched the show in a long time, this fandom will always be my first home.

Honorable Mentions:

Merthur, BBC's Merlin

Parker/Hardison/Eliot, Leverage

Zoe/Wash, Firefly

Charlie Spring/Nick Nelson, Heartstopper

Eddie Diaz/Evan Buckley, 911

Low-key tagging anyone that wants to do it, just tag me back so I can read your post, too! :D

[undercoverpan]

College of Pandora

In another world, Spider would be caught by the recoms, taken away to the human stronghold. In another world, he would be tortured, made to act as a guide and translator. He'd watch tulkun be hunted, he'd crash a ship, he'd be held hostage, and he'd return to the Sullys.

In this world, they sent his ass to school.

–---

The Parker Institute is the very first school on Pandora. Since they couldn't exactly make it a kindergarten, it's one of the most advanced colleges out there, with state-of-the-art amenities. Their students are served breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as small snacks and drinks throughout the day. They employ the highest rated professors to teach subjects anywhere from the Arts to Robotics. They have a large number of facilities for activities such as archery club, track, cooking, and more.

It's arguably one of the most expensive schools ever made. Students pay upwards of 1 million dollars in order to attend. Only the absolute best of the best attend on scholarship. The students will study their respective subjects, as well as be the first students on Pandora, a 'test run'. But it's definitely safe!

–-------

Spider felt like peeling his skin off. The walls were smooth and cold to the touch, glossy and white. There was very little to look at except for 2 chairs, nothing natural about this. He tried to hug himself to conserve warmth, but it did very little. He had been left here after his capture, after they came in and asked strange questions and did tests.

He didn't even know where 'here' was.

Suddenly, the door opened. That bitch, Ardmore, stepped through, but she was followed by another figure. They were dressed in dark blue, the fabric hugging their body. It fell around their legs loosely, starting at the hip, a bit like an upside down flower. He'd never seen a human dress like that, or a Na'vi for that matter.

They looked like an older woman, but different. The wrinkles on her face made her look sharp, unlike Mo'ats wrinkles. Those came from laughter and hard work. He got the feeling that the woman spent most of her life scowling. "Is this the boy?" She asked, her voice as sharp as her gaze. She judged as harshly as the older Na'vi when they saw him playing with the Sullys. Ardmore only nodded. "Now what am I to do with him? I've not been trained to domesticate, I'm afraid." She sniffed.

"Well, what am I gonna do with him?" Asked Ardmore, "The only option is to keep him locked in a cell, and while I'm saying I don't want to do that, I'm saying that those cells are needed for things other than him." She finished harshly. The two spoke over him like he wasn't even there, and that really started to grind on his nerves.

"So what, I'm supposed to let this boy into my school? Don't be ridiculous." She huffed. "You are going to keep him in your damn school, and that's final. You don't want me contacting Parker about a new principal, now do you?" The woman grit her teeth. "Fine," she said, "I'll deal with him."

Ardmore left soon enough, as did the woman. He didn't know how much time passed, but he was antsy.

–------

There was talking outside the room. It was muffled, but Spider could make out the words if he pressed his ear against the door.

"Ah, m--ma'am, while I really am just so honoured that you chose me for the task, I really can't do this. I mean, um, I'm not very well versed in these types of situations and I believe that perhaps one of the professors would be better suited for the task."

This voice was new. Young and light, but filled with an energy that was making him jittery.

"Miranda, darling, I have nothing but utmost and complete faith in your capabilities, and therefore, I believe that you would be best suited for acclimating the boy to school life."

This one was familiar, the old woman in strange clothes. She sounded less harsh here, even almost sweet. Sickly sweet.

"Ma'am, please, I'm already busy with several school related projects as well as the other projects you've assigned to me! I don't believe I have the time, knowledge or resources to handle such a task!" 

The younger voice sounded almost desperate.

"Oh, please. You have access to more resources than anyone on the planet, you have plenty of time, and you are one of our top students here. I have absolutely no doubt that you can do this. Now here, take this and note down what you think the boy might need, and send the info to the others in the RHA."

"Wha--bu–"

There was a clicking noise that slowly went farther and farther away. He heard someone breathing erratically, pacing outside the room.

Then, the door clicked open. Spider hurriedly stepped back, taking a defensive stance. In stepped a strange figure. She was tall, taller than him even. Her hair was held back by a white band, with bangs covering her forehead. Her hair was jet black, darker than anything he'd seen before, poofy and curly. Her skin was brown, like the base of Hometree. She had a stronger nose than the other humans he's seen before, with dark brown eyes. There were these small spots all over her face, like the tahni of the Na'vi.

She wore what he could only describe as sleek. She wore a white full body piece, layered with something Norm taught him was called a "blazer". Disappointingly, it wasn't some article of clothing made of fire, but instead, it was a cloth that covered the back and arms, and parted at the front with a collar. It was deep blue in colour, lined with white and unnecessary buttons and pockets. There was cloth around her legs, a skirt. It was the same blue as the blazer, falling around her knees in a pleated pattern. 

She had her hands clasped around a tablet. As she walked in, she smiled at him, but he could tell she wasn't very happy about being here. Granted, neither was he, but he was just abducted and is now seemingly awaiting execution or torture. So perhaps their situations are not so comparable.

"Hello!" She greeted, stepping towards him with an outstretched hand. He backed up further from her, hissing. It had the achieved effect of making her step away, her smile growing tight. "Right, right, raised by the Na'vi, why didn't I expect that? Sorry." She said, clearing her throat. "So, my name is Miranda Katarina, I'll be your um, your guide? Heh," she laughed nervously. Walking towards one of the chairs in the room, she sat down, gesturing for him to do the same. He remained in the far corner in the room.

"No? That's okay, I get it, I get it." Pulling the tablet in front of her, quickly pulling something up. "Okay, so I'm in charge of your education and all that, but first I need to know what kind of education you need. Can you please read this and tell me what it says?" 

She held the screen towards him. It displayed many words close together, like one of the old report logs he's read before. He shifted his gaze towards her, her face looking at him pleasingly, as if she was saying please don't make this difficult. She looked so very….what's the word? Sad? No, hmmm….ah! That's right, she looked a bit pathetic. Up close, he could see dark bags under her eyes, her pupils dilated. She was smiling, but again, it was sad. How did she make such a happy expression look so upsetting?

Reluctantly, he walked near her, trying to read the words displayed.

Mr. Hungerton, her father, really was the most tactless person upon earth,—a fluffy, feathery, untidy cockatoo of a man, perfectly good-natured, but absolutely centered upon his own silly self. If anything could have driven me from Gladys, it would have been the thought of such a father-in-law. I am convinced that he really believed in his heart that I came round to the Chestnuts three days a week for the pleasure of his company, and very especially to hear his views upon bimetallism, a subject upon which he was by way of being an authority.

The words were framed in a way that made them hard to understand. He was by way of being an authority? What? And that's not mentioning the few foreign words that are used. Cockatoo?

His confusion must've been on his face as well, because she pulled it away from him. "Well, I geuss that you'll need linguistics," she spoke, switching the screens and tapping it, as if writing something. "It's a great class, really, they teach languages like english, french, dutch, even Na'vi. It'll be easier for you to communicate there." She gave these reassurances as if they were supposed to calm him, but they did everything but. He didn't want to learn the demons language, he knew enough already. He wasn't stupid, just raised with better morals. Na'vi had no written words, there was never any need.

He narrowed his eyes.

"You know, this would be over sooner if--if you spoke. To me. Please speak to me." She said, still smiling. He really didn't like how her face and voice made him feel guilty. "It's okay if you can't, you know, you can be taught, it's fine, it's fine!" She waved her hands, as if physically trying to remove the tension, "I--I just need to know if that's the case. I mean, it would be just, like, a big help and the process would go smoother and you know what? You could–, you could go to your own room, and I, um, I can't let you go home, sorry about that, but I can! Um, I can get you a room with a view of the forest? Of course, it won't really be in there, but you'd see it every day, and I'm sure it's not as great as the real thing, but, you know, it's something. And I don't actually have a lot of authority, so it's really all I can do–"

He cuts her off. "Shh, shh," he says, holding his hand out, "Stop talking. Seriously, just….stop." He walks over to the other chair, pulling it back and sitting. It was obvious she wasn't a soldier, she didn't have that indifference towards life in her eyes. She could be a researcher, but she didn't quite look the part. No white lab coat, nothing. "What are you, and what do you want from me?"

Because if it was the Na'vi she wanted, then she's not getting anything. She'd have the pry the knowledge out of his teeth, and he could tell she didn't have the guts. He'd protect them with his life, it was the least he could do.

"Oh!" She said, surprised, "Ah, I'm Miranda, I'm the head of the Student Government at Parker Institute." She said sheepishly, "You'll be attending, and I am here to make sure that you go to where you need to go, and that you acclimate well." 

He still didn't know what that meant exactly, but he got the gist. She was like his keeper, the watchdog that has to keep tabs on him. He frowned. 

"So, I've got you down for linguistics, are there other areas that you, ah, feel like could be improved?" She asked tentatively. He scoffed at the idea. You could always improve, you could always do better. But with the Na'vi, with Neytiri, being good or better just didn't make a difference. But he still gave his all to them, it was the least he could offer. A meagre apology, all things considered.

"M-math? Maybe? Or–, you know, they told me you lived a more 'Na'vi' lifestyle, you could do woodwork, or pottery, or even theatre," she suggested, looking down at the screen as though she was reading off of a list, "There's also botany and zoology. It's kinda like what Dr. Grace Augustine studied before her, um…." She grimaced, hesitating, contemplating her words, "....her untimely passing."

A thick silence fell over the room.

She coughed, clearing her throat. "So, I'll sign you up for um, Woodworking. I'll put you down for math–," he speaks up, "No way." He says gruffly, and she flashes a smile before looking down at her pad. "O-okay, no math. That's fine, you know, that's fine. What about other subjects? We have, uh, just about everything. There's the Arts, that's like a general term for things like theatre and painting and crafts. We have engineering, that's where you make machines, and chemistry, that's where you mostly use chemicals."

None of that sounded interesting, but….

"....I want to do what Dr. Grace did.." He said quietly. She smiled, typing something out on the tablet. "Okay, botany and zoology. Did you want to try out, like, a general course first or do you want to do, like, something more specific, like marine life…?" He scrunched his nose, crossing his arms. "What did Dr. Grace do?" She looked down, fingers moving swiftly across the screen, "Mostly wildlife that lived in the forest, marine life research is mostly Dr. Gavins."

He didn't know who Dr. Gavin was at all, so he really didn't feel like taking his course. For all he knew, he was out there torturing innocent sea creatures.

"Okay, you know what, we'll just start off with 3 classes for now, and later, we can try different classes!" She got up, tablet grasped in her left hand as she approached the exit. She paused, just as she was about to open the door, turning back to him. "D–did you want some clothes? Do you want some clothes?" She asked carefully, and he hissed at the mention of wearing the constricting cloth the demons call clothes. "I only offer because, ah, the school is usually colder than this," she gestured to the room they were in, "And you're already pretty, um, cold."

She mumbled the last bit, but he heard her. Defiantly, he pulled his arms to his side, "I'm not cold." He said, loudly, looking at her with some sense of determination. "You--you're cold. You're freezing, actually." She was mumbling again, before clearing her throat. Shyly, she looked him up and down. He looked at himself, just now noticing the slight shivering and goosebumps that covered his skin. She turned away. "I can get you a coat, maybe?"

And that's how he ended up in a coat. It bore no RDA logo, seeming more like personal cloth than something the RDA provided. It was more of an ocean blue, with this strange red pattern across it. He thinks he saw them in a book once, something about earth and flowers. It smelled strange, but pleasant. It was more natural than whatever it was that they used to scrub the walls.

They walked the halls, with him hissing and glaring at the soldiers who looked at him too long. They eventually made it to a long corridor, completely made of glass. All around them, Pandora glowed. He hadn't noticed that night had fallen. Looking outside, past the see-through walls, he felt upset. He could imagine the touch and smell of every plant out there, like the soft glow could be held in his hands.

"This is the school's entrance." She spoke up, breaking the uneasy silence the two had been walking in. Somehow, the skyperson seemed more afraid of him than he was of her, which was strange. She was larger, but probably not stronger than someone who swings off trees every day. 

"Un--unfortunately, we weren't able to prepare a–, um, room for you," she said as she pulled some kind of card from her breast pocket, pressing it against a scanner. The doors opened with a low hiss, revealing white walls. Really, what was humanity's obsession with white? He recalls Norm telling him something about spills, but he felt like no amount of spills could justify making a place look whiter than a snowy mountain.

"So you'll just have to room with me, and tomorrow we can do a tour and start your classes." 

She spared him an apologetic glance, one he ignored in favour of glaring at her. He'd never shared his room with anyone, mainly because his was too cramped for Kiri or Lo'ak to sleep in, Neteyam hated being inside the shack with a burning passion, and Tuk wasn't allowed to go to sleep there due to the air thing. It was a little lonely, especially when he dreamed of getting to sleep in a big pile like the Na'vi. And he'll claim that there's no one specific holding him, just warm hands and entangled limbs on a cold night in a hammock.

This was not that.

This was being led up white stairs, seeing these doors lined across a hallway. He is being led farther away from those doors, up more stairs, up more stairs, led down another hall. The white walls are genuinely numbing to him. He accidentally bumps into her when she stops unexpectedly in front of a door. For just a split second, he feels fabric on his bare chest. Smooth, soft fibres against his skin. And in that exact same second, they scrambled away from each other. They regard each other carefully, eyes wide and shoulders tense.

A beat of silence passes.

"Th--This is my room." She says, eyes trained on him for a moment before taking that same card from before and pressing it onto a scanner. The door swings open, and she steps inside, and he hesitates. She turns to him with that same pleading look. As if to say please come in. Depressingly, he feels almost excited; he's never really been wanted somewhere, much less someone's room. But she is a demon and this is her fortress, so being wanted here is actually a very bad thing.

He pushes down the joy and welcomes the trepidation.

He steps in after her, regarding the room with suspicion. He can only assume he's being watched here.

The room is big, bigger than his room in the shack. Massive windows reveal Pandora's beauty, glowing and luminescent under the night sky. The room is white, yes, but he could see dark blue along the walls. The ceiling was high, small lights dimmed to almost nothing. A large bed was off to the corner of the room, with deep blue sheets and pillows. The cover was laid neatly, the pillows stacked and smoothed so they looked like no one used them. Hesitantly, he steps forwards.

There is a carpet beneath his feet. It was light in colour, more off-white than anything, with intricate little symbols. The most intricacies he'd seen on anything made by humans was the innards of the terrible machines they used. He'd never really thought of the textile works of humans. Begrudgingly, he thought it was quite pretty, if a bit old.

There were artworks lined against the other wall, opposite of the windows. He eyed them carefully. Paintings of men and women in the strangest clothing he'd ever seen, loose and colourful as it hung from their bodies. Women wearing cloth tied over their hair, with thick dark locks, smiling and dancing or holding instruments. Men dancing along with them, with the same dark locks and brown skin.

Strange.

"You can sleep in my bed tonight," she says, walking over to the desk that was stationed a few feet away from the bed. Multiple monitors were on top, pens and pencils and notebooks and papers littered across the smooth brown surface. The desk was intricate, small compartments and buttons and such. This didn't seem like any human or Na'vi bedroom he'd ever seen before.

But all the desks and beds and carpets and art didn't matter.

What did matter was the strange little tree on the table beside the bed. It was small and curved, with branches reaching out. The leaves were a vibrant orange hue, so delicate and beautiful. Most trees in Pandora were a beautiful green that caught and reflected the light so majestically. They swayed gently in the wind, as if Eywa herself was using them to play a melody. 

This tree was small and captivating in its own sense. It almost looked out of place, just as much of a prisoner as Spider. Except he wasn't confined to some kind of pot and kept in one place. He felt a sort of kindred spirit with the tree; both trapped and unable to escape the–, the demoness  that held them prisoner in her bedroom. The demoness that sat on her chair at her desk, like some kind of throne, watching her kingdom of hell.

He walked facing her. He was definitely not going to turn his back to her, he knew better than to trust a demon. 

He ran his hand across the covers. Too plush, too velvety. Humans never seemed to have a good middleground, always too this or too that. The bed is the same, but at the very least, he was certain of one thing: the bed is safe. Of course it is. They'll want him alive so they can try to extract information from him. But he couldn't afford to let his guard down. He knew of how the sky people could deceive others, how he they could even decieve themselves.

That's how he ends up beneath blue covers, staring at the human.

She wasn't lying when she said it would get cold. The icy air felt like fire against his skin until he caved and slipped beneath the blanket. It was warm, but strangely, only smelled synthetic. He knew his blanket smelled like him, that the one that he and Kiri wove together once smelled like FRUIT and the one Lo'ak had tried making him once smelled of burnt fibres thanks to him setting it on fire, a little bit. These smelled unused. Unloved.

Ignoring the smell, he was managing to not fall asleep. Instead, he spent his time making sure she didn't try to do anything. And he was succeeding! All she's done is type away at her keyboard and drink coffee. She looks positively miserable. Good.

______

The morning light slowly crept upon them. The light bathed the room the room in gold, making it look brighter than it did in the night. The light caught on her eyelashes differently, more of a glow rather than how the moonlight made them shimmer. He could very clearly see dark circles beneath her eyes as she wiped away at the crust near her eyes. Those same eyes that looked like the same dark brown swirling in her cup during the night now looked like the brown of his bow. He could even make out flecks of gold.

She stretched her arms above her head with an audible crack and pop. Sighing, she leaned back into her chair, elbow resting on the armrest, rubbing at the bridge of her nose with pinched fingers.

He was also tired. Staying up all night, watching her, trying to keep warm lest he freeze to death.

Then suddenly, there was a ding at the door. The girl got up, walking towards the door and opening it. She took a tray from someone standing on the other end, conversing with them in a hushed tone.

"Yes, he stayed in my room tonight. I don't think he's sleeping, so keep your voice down." She whispered, "I'll be showing him around campus today, so please tell Adam and Eve that I can only call them today, maybe facetime if I get lucky. If there are any updates on Ms Carole's condition, do not hesitate to contact me."

The unknown person leaned in and whispered something in his ear. 

"Yes, okay, I'll try to set up an official visit for the colonel and his team. Please let him know that I have Spider, and that he can drop in at the end of the day."

….

Please do not let him do that.

He didn't want to see that demon, he couldn't stomach looking at his face. Na'vi killer, demon, monster, dad. He brought a whirlwind of rage and terror and other emotions he couldn't deal with right now. He just–, he couldn't–, he cant he can't he can't. He needs to think of something else, anything else.

Hm, think, think, think….was Miranda some kind of doctor, then? Norm told him that humans had those, people who specialised in the human body. Unfortunately none of them stayed behind on Pandora, so they were just going at it blind when it came to broken bones or sickness. 

She stepped back into the room, tray in hand. He squeezed his eyes shut as she approached. He heard something clink soft against the table beside the bed, as well as some sort of spritzing? "Good morning, BoBo." She said, and that was weird because she knew his name. Was BoBo some kind of synonym for prisoner? Kidnapee? He didn't know. But she said it like she was genuinely happy. 

"Good morning to you too, Spider."

He might've flinched at hearing his name, who knows?

"I have a tour planned today," she continued, ignoring his silence, "so we'll need to eat fast. I--I know you might be uncomfortable eating with others, so you can just eat in here or your own room."  She smiles. 

He flicks his gaze upwards. She's looking at him, holding something towards him. He only looks at her with suspicion. A few moments pass and she sighs. She brings it to her lips, takes a bite, and pushes it towards him. "See? Safe." 

He gingerly took the food from her hand. It was brown and flaky, in a sort of crescent shape. It was cut open in the middle, filled with some sort of cream and fruit. It smelled great, yes, and it looked good, but he knew better than to trust anything that was given to him so freely. He was told stories where humans tried to poison their food and water.

But he supposed he had no choice.

__________

Now I'm not sure on the name so its only Parker Institute for now. This fic introduces a new version of the Recom program as well as a rival company to the RDA!!

They're coming in the next chapter; dw, you will get more info my friends. For now, know that the company is called HRI. <33

[7-planks-of-rosewood]

what do you think is gonna happen at the stronghold?

Oh definitely a fight, beit between the sisters or whatever soldiers are there.

Who do I think will survive? Logistically I doubt Blaze is making it out there alive; not sure if she can even fight. I'd place my bets on Burn since she's the most physically capable of the three.

Who do I want to LIVE? Not Blister we'd be in another war within a week knowing her cunning. Burn would be a death sentence to agitate but hopefully sensible. Blaze is a lapdog to Glacier but she likely wouldn't start anything.

All of them suck in their own ways I'm surprised they even agreed to this meeting.

[betweenlands]

hey. remember when Legundo said that a lot of the chaos on this server has been Viking's fault? that they'd only have peace and quiet if they got rid of him for good?

let's go over some major conflicts and put that theory to the test, shall we?

(under a cut. this gets long.)

Fix, Kill The Thief: Legundo is the first person to escalate, demanding he steal something in return for "borrowing" the gold blocks. Fix gives him the painting but can't resist the urge to twist the knife from there. Legundo responds by killing him on-sight the next time they meet, reinforcing Fix's belief that everyone's out to get him. We get the spiral of "if someone hires me i need to still show i have the upper hand" that leads directly into Kill The Thief, and also into Shadow being hired to assassinate Jamie.

Nukeri and the wing-stealing threat: This one was just Shadowmech, I think. (Though Legundo is frequently pretty brusque with Nuke, for what it's worth.) Also Nukeri later ends up unable to fly during S2 as a result of jumping into the Void to find his friends, but that one's also kind of solidly on the Oracle.

Jamie, pre-Void: Legundo suggests Jamie become queen. When her leadership becomes questionable and her behavior becomes erratic, Legundo immediately turns and begins assembling a group to sneak into the stronghold, convincing them that the dragon has to die. Jamie and her court attempt to stop them, first by trying to explain their actual motivations and then by force. When the dragon dies, Jamie ends up being right about something horrible happening, as she literally explodes.

Viking, part 1: The dragon's death results in Viking becoming tangible. He starts off as friendly and seemingly well-adjusted but quickly becomes obsessed with getting the grand prize of a Legundo IOU, ending up having to deal with Taneesha and her hiding her taxes in the process. He steadily loses his hinges after this but remains friendly until people start directly pushing his buttons, with perhaps the sole example to the contrary being pitting Legundo and Fix against each other (telling Legundo to help him steal the diamonds and Fix to stop Legundo from doing Something during the exorcism).

Various forms of tax evasion: A lot of people do this in a lot of different ways, because the diamond tax just kind of sucks. Taneesha tries and fails to frame Fix and gets snitched on by Fix, Legundo attempts to clog the system with unenchanted diamond pickaxes, Viking frames himself to take the fall for Taneesha, Shadow's a hired gun for the queen and is therefore just having a good time.

Jamie, post-Void: So, remember when Jamie exploded because the dragon was killed? Turns out she's evil now! Possessed by the Void, Jamie attempts to start a cult and in general funnel her power as queen towards accomplishing its goals. Good thing Legundo knows an exorcism ritual and has found the diamonds to seal all that chaos energy into!

Fix, ritual diamonds: Yeah, it turns out Fix still has that urge to steal, and -- seemingly unrelated to Viking's request to stop Legundo from messing up the ritual -- steals the diamonds on the ritual platform, releasing a bunch of chaos energy and causing the apocalypse in the process. He didn't exactly know this would happen -- he was told they shouldn't be moved but wasn't told why until after he'd already stolen them. Anyway, the Oracle curses him and he's a genie now.

the Blood Moons: Are a direct result of the released chaos energy. They also may have caused something with Shadowmech to go haywire as he's currently a silent murder machine.

POOPA: Formed by Grady and Mongo. I'm gonna be honest, I don't know their exact reasoning other than potentially to try and sell more of Mongo's beetroot, but either way, Legundo clearly doesn't like them even if he's willing to bribe them. The IOU forms separately as another way to stop them and Legundo is either roped in or asked to join depending on your point of view.

Taneesha's Void stuff: Turns out Tan's still a little bit Void-possessed and/or something with the Blood Moons affected her as well! She's now got urges to kill -- urges that Legundo chooses to test by sending her on a solo mission alongside Joy to see if someone dies. Someone (Joy) does. He continues to observe until she starts trying to blow things up with End Crystals. This is also the point at which Viking gets involved...

Viking, part 2: The reason Viking wanted the ritual diamonds is to do a ritual of his own that would hopefully bring his and Taneesha's memories back -- worth noting, Viking also didn't know that moving the diamonds would cause the apocalypse. Taneesha and Viking are close, and when Tan opens up to him about her urges to murder, Viking does his best to support her -- his idea of "support" is a little skewed, considering he shoots an End Crystal and causes her to explode Legundo, but he definitely had reasoning behind it. Besides -- he doesn't quite trust Legundo.

IOU, part 1: Back up a few steps to POOPA. The gang attempts to find a stronghold to set IOU's base in, and it turns out there's one right under the desert that Fix built for Legundo, near where Joy's parked her van. Viking attempts to get to work on building out a version of the stronghold room that looks like the original room and keeps the portal closed, as Legundo very specifically says to not open the portal. Joy and Taneesha don't get the message, and not only open the portal but also destroy the portal frame blocks, leaving Viking scrambling to try and fix things as they proceed to attempt to gaslight him into thinking it was his fault. This goes... very poorly.

IOU, part 2: Viking attempts to seek out Legundo to explain what happened with the portal before Joy and Tan can flip the script, but Legundo's mad about his stuff going missing (it was in a box a little too far away from the place he died for him to notice) and basically shrugs off Viking every chance he gets. They get to the stronghold, and Tan and Joy appear to have broken the other blocks of the portal -- at which point Viking gets extremely frustrated, attempts to explain the situation to Legundo, and Legundo mutes him. Anyway, turns out that Joy and Tan had built a fake room to try and trick Viking into thinking they'd broken the rest of the portal, and he goes a little ballistic after all this, at which point then Legundo pulls Taneesha aside to ask her for help with putting Viking to rest permanently.

Whoof. That's a lot of summary. So. What have we learned?

Well... there's a person at the center of all the chaos, alright. There's definitely one person that consistently sets things into motion and lets things escalate when he could very easily step in, even escalates things himself in some cases, either intentionally with some justification or just by letting his emotions get the better of him.

Legundo had Fix steal that painting, strongarmed him into being a thief for hire. Legundo nominated Jamie as queen and then tore her down as soon as she posed a threat. Legundo rallied as many people as possible to kill the dragon because he didn't want to listen to Jamie, in the process both releasing Viking and making Jamie become evil. Legundo ignores POOPA until they start getting nosy, then pays them off while still letting them exist, then joins an organization dedicated to destroying them. Legundo sends off Joy on a mission with Taneesha, fully aware the latter has murderous urges and may try to kill her, because he wants to double-check.

And now, Viking's gotten a little too much power from sources outside Legundo's control, and all of a sudden Legundo's not just scared of him anymore, no, Legundo wants him gone.

Hm.

It's almost like someone's trying to create a power vacuum, a series of faulty leaders like dominos, and setting himself up as the person to solve it -- the only person that can bring that peace and quiet to the overworld.

It's almost like someone was sent here to conquer the overworld to begin with, by any means he deems worthy or necessary.

I'm sure that's nothing to worry about. He means well for his people, after all. Follows their ideals. Leads through power.

I'm sure there's no sayings about what absolute power does to a person.

[duhragonball]

[FIC] Luffa: The Legendary Super Saiyan (213/?)

Disclaimer: This story features characters and concepts based on Dragon Ball,  which is a trademark of Bird Studio/Shueisha and Toei Animation.   This is an unauthorized work, and no profit is being made  on this work by me. This story is copyright of me. Download if you like, but please don’t archive it without my permission. Don’t be shy.

Continuity Note: This story This story takes place about 66 years after the events of Dragon Ball Z.

[22 April, Age 850. Toki Toki City.]

Toki Toki City was a special place. Constructed outside of the flow of normal time, it served as the stronghold of the Supreme Kai of Time and her most trusted allies, the Time Patrol. Despite the divine mission of the Time Patrol, the city still functioned much like any other population center, and featured many of the same mundane infrastructure and services. There were a variety of dining facilities, including a cafeteria, which normally served breakfast to the Time Patrol every morning. But this time, the cafeteria had been taken over for a private occasion, as two Patrollers sought to celebrate their recent victory.

"How much longer is this gonna take?"

"Quit whining, Kakarot," Luffa said. "We're not doing this half-assed. I don't want you making excuses about stomach pangs when I beat you."

The man sitting at the counter grinned. "Heh. You won't have to worry about that. I just don't see why you're takin' so long to fix breakfast. We could grab something out of the fridge and bring it with us."

Luffa started chopping leeks with a calm precision that belied her expression. "This is special, Kakarot. You really don't get it, then? They told me you were brought up by aliens--Earthlings like Trunks' mother--but you really don't remember our people at all, do you?"

He crossed his muscular arms and rolled his eyes thoughtfully, as though looking up to his brain to locate an answer. "I only know you keep callin' me 'Kakarot', just like Vegeta always does. Every Saiyan I meet tells me that's my real name, but as far as I'm concerned, my name's always been Son Goku."

Luffa gave him a concerned look as she dumped the leeks into a bowl. "You don't mind, do you?" she asked. "I mean, I don't want to get off on the wrong foot here. I meant no disrespect."

"Nah, it's fine," Goku shrugged. "But it sure is weird havin' people call you two names."

"I… I didn't realize you never understood that," Luffa said. "Your mother named you 'Kakarot'. At least, I assume she did. Believe it or not, you wouldn't be the only Saiyan to grow up among aliens, or to take an alien name. But among our own kind, we Saiyans address each other by our birth names, to honor the Saiyans who gave them to us. I suppose you never knew your Saiyan name, so you wouldn't understand, but it means a lot to us. It's a sign of respect. Even if we were bitter enemies, I'd still do you the honor of acknowledging you as a fellow Saiyan."

Goku scratched his chin. "Well I'll be," he said.

Luffa switched to a crate of eggs and began cracking them expertly on the side of a large beaker. "Besides," she added, "I don't get to hang out with a lot of pure-blooded Saiyans. I… like using the name. It's less lonely that way, if that makes any sense."

"Yeah, it does," Goku said. He was still upbeat and carefree, but there was something somber about his tone. "When my grandpa died--the man who raised me on Earth, I mean--I kept his Dragon Ball. I started calling it 'grandpa', like he was in there somehow. It just made me feel better. I still call it 'grandpa' sometimes, even though I know it's not really him."

Luffa nearly asked how his adoptive grandfather died, but suddenly decided she didn't want to know. Saiyan children were a handful, even for Saiyan parents. And the Earth had a very large moon with a very frequent orbital period. Perhaps the old Earthman had simply died peacefully in his sleep, perhaps not.

"Well, Kakarot," Luffa said, "It's customary for two Saiyans to share a meal before a friendly contest. Sure, we could grab some field rations or slap some flour in water and call it done, but I want to savor this occasion, and I'm betting you've never had any Saiyan cooking before."

"I guess not," Goku said. "Is there something special to it?"

Luffa paused just long enough to point her knife at herself. "Just me, really. The original Saiyan homeworld was a distant legend even in my day. Our ancestors wandered the universe, sometimes establishing new home planets, but mostly roaming the stars in search of adventure. So the ingredients vary with the circumstances. It's more about resourcefulness, cobbbling together a good meal with whatever you have on hand. Of course, Toki Toki City has a really impressive pantry, so I can do pretty much anything I want. Potatoes, sausage, ketchup, they really know how to live on Earth."

"Well whatever you've got going on over there, it sure smells good," Goku said. "I used to cook fish when I lived alone, but Chi-Chi said I wasn't allowed in the kitchen anymore after I caused that fire."

"Hah. Typical," Luffa scoffed. "I've never met a Saiyan man who wasn't all thumbs over a stovetop. Oh, they like to brag about how good they are with their hands, but it never seems to pan out where it counts, if you know what I mean."

Goku laughed. "I know. One time Chi-Chi got this bookshelf for Gohan's room, and I tried to put it together for her and hoo-boy! That was a disaster."

Luffa stared at him incredulously. "No, I was talking about… never mind. You like pineapples, Kakarot?"

"Do I?!" Goku exclaimed.

"Thattaboy," Luffa said, grabbing a can of diced pinapples from the countertop. "So how much do you know about me, exactly? I'm kind of surprised you knew what Chronoa meant when she told you who I was."

"Hmm? Oh, you mean the Super Saiyan Legend." Goku said. "Vegeta told me about it, but he didn't say a lot about you personally. Just that you died a thousand years ago. Nobody said anything about you being a girl, either."

Luffa shrugged. She had already learned this from a Time Patrol mission on Namek, but the Goku she spoke to now was several years older, and she had hoped he would have heard more. It now seemed clear that his only source on Saiyan history was Vegeta, who only had so much information to share. "Better than nothing, I suppose," she finally said.

"I hope it didn't hurt too much," Goku added.

"What?" Luffa asked.

"I mean when you turned into a Super Saiyan for the first time. Things were pretty rough when it happened to me," he explained. "I was in really bad shape and Frieza was killing my friends. Later, when I thought about it, I realized the last Super Saiyan must have gone through the same thing. My boys had an easier time of it, but they're half-Earthling, and that seems to help 'em somehow. But with you and me and Vegeta, well, I think you have to get pushed pretty far to transform like that. I just hope you didn't suffer a lot when it happened."

"I did."

"Oh."

"I made them regret it, though," she said darkly.

"Yeah, I'll bet," Goku said with a knowing smile. "You're no pushover, Luffa. I can tell that just watchin' you chop that tomato. You're holdin' back a ton of power. You must have worked hard to keep it under control."

"I could say the same about you, Kakarot," she replied. "The way you sit there you'd think you were just some ordinary guy. You're not like any Saiyan I ever met before. Most of us wear it on our sleeves, but you, you're totally relaxed. Something tells me you're gonna stay that way right up until we're ready to start."

Goku simply chuckled.

"You must have kept it together a lot better than I did," Luffa said. "When you first transformed, I mean. All that Earth-style martial arts must have helped you regulate the form."

"Nah, it was pretty touch-and-go for a while. I was so mad at Frieza that I didn’t really want to rein it in, you know?"

"Heh. Yeah, tell me about it," Luffa said. "I didn’t mind until I ran out of things to fight, and then I realized I couldn’t turn it off. Fortunately I had some friends there to talk me down." She looked up from the eggs she was whisking. "I wouldn’t tell anyone else, Kakarot, but it scared the hell out of me. I thought I’d go crazy, or blow myself up, or…"

"Really?" Goku asked. "I thought you old-timer Saiyans knew all about that stuff."

She shook her head. "I guess the transformation itself never made it into the legends," Luffa said. "I knew about Chanisp and old Darbock and the other great heroes, but I never had any idea that they might have turned blonde to do the things they did. And none of those guys were women, so I don’t think anyone would have bothered filling me in. I had no idea what was happening to me."

"Wow, that must have been rough," Goku said.

"Well, like I said, I had someone there to help me. Same as you, I guess."

"No, I was mostly on my own," Goku said. "I mean, King Kai was keepin’ tabs on me from Otherworld, but I sent everyone else to get off the planet. After that, I spent a while in space before I made it to Planet Yardrat."

"I’ve heard of it," Luffa said. "In my era, it was said they developed some interesting techniques. Always wanted to go there… So they must have helped you get your powers under control."

Goku shook his head. "No, they showed me some things, but they weren’t very strong, so they didn’t know where to begin with that."

"Then how’d you--?"

There was a faraway look in his eye as he answered. "I was pretty scared myself at first, just like you were. But I remembered what Vegeta had said, about how scared Frieza was of a Super Saiyan showing up. And then Frieza asked me what I was, and I just knew. The story was true, and that meant that I wasn't the only one. There had to be another Saiyan, a long time ago, with the same power."

He locked eyes with Luffa and smiled. "And I knew if that old-timer Saiyan could handle it, then I could control it too. That was what kept me goin’. I had a couple of close calls on my way to Yardrat, and I almost wrecked my ship a few times. I probably would've lost control out in space and kicked the bucket, but I didn’t give up, because I knew he didn’t give up. Well, ’she’, I guess. Oops! Sorry, I guess I mean you, huh?"

"Are you saying… I helped you?" she asked. Suddenly she caught a whiff of something burning, and she darted over to save one of her pans.

"Yeah, I guess so!" Goku said. "Boy this time travel stuff sure is funny, huh? Even though the Supreme Kai of Time told me who you were, I guess I didn’t think it through. I never imagined I’d get to thank you in person. And look at you! You must have been younger than me when you became a Super Saiyan, and you didn’t even have someone like Vegeta to tell you about it. Hey, what’s wrong? You okay over there?"

"N-Nothing," Luffa said with a sniffle. "It's fine. I just… hey, you like onions, right?"

"Sure! They’re great on chili dogs and all sorts of other things! Chi-Chi doesn’t like what they do to my breath, but I guess she doesn’t have to know…"

"Fine, because…" Luffa paused to wipe something from her face. "I’m chopping a whole bunch of onions. Yeah. Like, all of them. I won’t tell her if you don’t."

"You bet!" He suddenly had a very coy look on his face. "We’ll keep it between us Legendary Super Saiyans, right?"

"Right, Kakarot," she said with a stifled sob.

After eating, Luffa escorted Goku to the Time Plaza, where they were greeted by the Supreme Kai of Time, and Trunks. The rest of the Time Patrol was still hard at work on repairing the city, and there were construction details all around them. Trunks was usually very serious about his duty, but for once he was in very good humor. Chronoa, on the other hand, seemed mildly annoyed with them.

"You’re late," she said to Goku and Luffa when they arrived. "You know, it’s not polite to keep a Supreme Kai of Time waiting. Ironic, sure, but not very professional."

"Sorry, ma’am," Luffa said. "We would have been here sooner if someone had helped me with the dishes."

Goku simply rubbed the back of his scalp and laughed sheepishly. It was enough to charm Chronoa into a better mood, and Luffa began to wonder if this was his technique for getting out of chores. It seemed very likely that Son Goku had never washed a dish in his life.

"It’s all right," Chronoa said. "Without you two, Tokitoki City wouldn’t even be here. You’ve earned some downtime. How was breakfast?"

"Well I’ve had better omelets," Goku said, as he patted his belly, "but I sure can’t complain about the portions!"

"I’m standing right here, you insensitive oaf," Luffa said frostily. "And I don’t remember seeing you in the Crack of Time while I killed Demigra."

"Hey we had our hands full in the Time Nest," Goku said with a giggle.

As Luffa turned to Chronoa to discuss the logistics of their time-jump, and Trunks took Goku aside.

"Listen, Goku," he said, "I’m pretty busy right now, so I might not get a chance to say this before you head back to your own time, but could you--?"

Goku took his hand and shook it firmly. "When I get back, I’ll make sure to send Vegeta and Bulma your regards," he said. "You’ve accomplished a lot here, Trunks. Your father will be proud of everything you've built here. I know I sure am."

Trunks smiled. "It was good to see you again, Goku. Good luck with your fight."

"Hey, about that," Goku said, tugging his sleeve before Trunks could turn to leave. He leaned in and held his hand over one side of his face. "You’ve sparred with her before, right? Do you got any advice for me?"

"Did you bring a cup?" Trunks asked. His face suddenly bore an uncomfortable expression.

"What? No, we already ate, Trunks," Goku said. "What do I need a cup for? I’m not thirsty."

Trunks became even more anxious, and then he closed his eyes, as though resigned to the situation. "Never mind," he said. "You two have fun out there, okay?"

"Kakarot, are we doing this or not?!" Luffa demanded. "The door’s open, let’s go!"

"I’ll be right there!" Goku said. "Well, I gotta go, Trunks. Take care!"

Trunks watched him run off, then turned and shook his head. "It'll be fine," he said to himself as he walked off to attend to other matters. "They'll be just fine."

[9 May, Age 791. The Tuffle Planet.]

The Parallel Quest system in Toki Toki City relied upon a fleet of time machines, each modified to travel to various time fragments that had been preserved by Chronoa for research and training purposes. Time Patrollers would visit these fragments to experience moments in history, or to simulate mission scenarios they would encounter in the field. The main advantage of the fragments was that they each replicated a short span of time in the genuine universe, complete with many of the same events in the true history, but the fragments were completely isolated from the timeline. This meant that a Patroller could take almost any action in a PQ mission without altering history. The fragment would simply reset and return to its original state.

And so, this made the PQ system the ideal venue for two Super Saiyans to do battle. Any collateral damage would be of no consequence, and Goku and Luffa could fight as hard as they pleased. The only detail left would be to choose a proper setting for their battle, and Trunks had arranged this the night before. He had explained his choice to Luffa, but for Goku, this would be a surprise.

"Wow. So where are we anyway?" Goku asked as he peeked out of the dome-shaped canopy of the time machine.

"Planet Vegeta," Luffa said. "Or Plant, depending on who you ask. There’s a divergent timeline where a Tuffle machine mutant asked Shenron to recreate the whole planet inside Earth's solar system. He was planning to repopulate it with Earthlings infested with Tuffle spores, or something like that, but it didn’t pan out. Anyway, in this time frame, the planet we're on is deserted, so you and I can duke it out without any distractions."

They had both jumped out of the time machine as Luffa explained this, but Goku's attention was focused more on the horizon than on her words. The sky was crimson, with thin wispy clouds overhead. It almost looked like Earth around sunset, but the sun was still high above them, along with a large blue crescent. For a moment, Goku wondered if this was the moon, but then he sensed the ki from the living energy of the body, and recognized it as Earth.

The gravity was higher than on Earth, though it did not bother Goku at all. He had heard long ago that the Saiyan homeworld had a higher gravity, similar to that of King Kai's planet. Long ago, those conditions had given Goku some difficulty, but by now he was so acclimated to high-gravity environments that he barely noticed the difference. What truly made the planet look strange to him was the architecture. In the distance lay a city centered around a crater. A butte rose out of the middle of the crater, and on top of this stood a massive tower, with flying buttresses extending from all sides and reaching out to the city below like great steel tentacles. Goku had never seen anything like it in his travels. It was all quite strange to him.

And yet, there was something familiar about it at the same time.

"Say, I was born here, wasn’t I?" Goku asked.

"Yeah," Luffa said. "Trunks thought it would make a good neutral battlefield for us. It’s a Saiyan home-world, so we know it can take a pounding, but it’s new to both of us. You were sent away as a baby, and I've never been here before. I can see why Saiyans would want to live here, though. It is kind of pleasant to look at, don’t you think?"

"I guess," Goku said. "But it seems kind of creepy with all these buildings and no one else around. Besides, we ain’t here to admire the view."

"Damn straight," Luffa said. "Listen, before we get down to business, I have a request."

"Huh? A request? Okay, shoot."

"I don't know about you, but I've wanted something like this for years," Luffa said. "I never imagined I'd actually get to meet one of the old Super Saiyans, or that I'd live long enough to see the next guy… well, you. So just getting to fight you is a big deal for me."

"I'm pretty excited about it too," Goku said.

"Well, the thing is, there's no guarantee that we're evenly matched," Luffa said. "The fight will settle that, but we're from different eras. If Chronoa had contacted the Kakarot from five years earlier, you'd be five years weaker than you are today."

"I think I follow you," Goku said, though his expression suggested otherwise. "

"Look, there's a chance one of us could overwhelm the other," Luffa said. "I'm a lot stronger than I was when I first transformed, and I know you've come a long way yourself, but what are the odds that were dead even in this moment?"

"I guess we'll just have to find out," Goku said as he started rotating his shoulders to limber up.

"Of course, but what I'm getting at is that we shouldn't be in a hurry to settle things," Luffa said. "Even if this turns out to be a mismatch, it's still special to me. So let's take our time and savor the moment. It's a special occasion, you know? I bet every Super Saiyan before us wishes they could be doing what we're about to do."

"All right, that works for me," Goku said. "I'll ramp things up if it gets too dull, but otherwise… yeah, we oughta drag this out as long as we can."

"Good," Luffa said as she adjusted her gloves. "Now that that's settled, we ought to start out as Super Saiyans, right? Seems kind of appropriate."

Goku nodded. "Ladies first," he said.

Luffa nodded curtly and threw her head back as she transformed. Golden flames flickered around her as her hair glowed with a harsh yellow light.

"Incredible," Goku said. "From the feel of it, you’re more used to this form than your normal state."

"Let’s get on with this," Luffa said. "Or are you going to make me wait another thousand years?"

Goku balled his fists and widened his stance. He made a sort of humming noise as he gathered his energy, and then he cried out as he unleashed it into his transformation. His hair now glowed just like Luffa’s, and their fiery auras mingled together.

"A lot like Trunks," Luffa said. "I should have noticed it before. He said it was your son who trained him. But I couldn’t sense any of this in you over breakfast. It’s like you’re a whole other person now." She bent her knees and settled into a defensive posture. "Ready?"

Goku crouched and angled his body to one side, pointing his right knee towards Luffa. He lowered his hands just below his chest, and kept them slightly open, as though ready to grab or punch at a moment’s notice.

"Yeah! Let’s do this!" he said. But neither of them moved. Anxious as they were to begin, neither wanted to open with a mistake.

And then suddenly, without warning, they both rushed towards each other. Luffa landed the first blow, but it was only a glancing strike, as Goku had twisted his upper body to avoid it. He tried to bring his knee up to Luffa’s midsection, but she somersaulted out of range. Once she landed, she leaped towards him to hit him from behind, but Goku spun around and caught her in the face with his forearm. She toppled over, but just as her body had reached a certain angle, she swung up her leg and kicked at Goku’s face. He blocked this, but not the second kick she threw with her other leg a split second later. Then she broke her fall and launched herself into the air, where she held out her arms, expecting to exchange ki blasts from a distance

Then suddenly Goku was behind her. She had sensed his movement, but her position had left her ill-prepared to react. He grabbed her arm and started swinging her around. Then, to his surprise, she grabbed hold with her other arm, and started applying her own power to spin him. To an outside observer, it would have looked like a mid-air figure-skating routine, sped up to an absurd degree.

At last, they separated, and Goku went crashing to the ground, his body carving a trench as he slid into the ruddy earth of his birthworld. He scrambled to get back to his feet, but found Luffa was already standing over him.

"You like to toy with your opponents, too," she said. The she kicked him in the chest and sent him flying. An instant later she was beside Goku, flying under her own power to match Goku’s trajectory.

"We’ve got a lot in common," she added.

She raised her hands and gave him a double axehandle to his back, sending him back down to the ground. This time Goku landed on his hands and knees, but Luffa was once again right there to meet him.

"It’s weird, right?" she asked. "Like having a brother--wulp!!"

This time Goku was ready for her. When she tried to kick him in the ribs, he leaped up into a handstand to avoid it, then swung out one of his legs for a kick to her jaw. She barely managed to duck this, but not the palm strike which followed. For a moment, she stumbled backward, clutching her face, and Goku used the opening to flip himself upright again.

"I had a brother," Goku said. He was as cheerful as ever, but there was an edge to his voice as he said: "I was hopin’ you’d be more of a challenge than he was."

When she recovered and turned to face him again, she looked like she had been chopping onions again. She looked furious for a moment, then she made a vicious smile. "Bored already?" she asked. "If you want to turn it up, Kakarot, go right ahead. I can handle anything you want to throw at me."

"Is that so?" Goku asked. "You’re wide open, Luffa. You’re bein’ way too sloppy for you to be talkin’ like that. You must be up to something."

"I’m just used to giving other Saiyans a handicap, that’s all," she said. "Especially the men. I know how hard it is for your egos when you can’t even land a little offense."

"It is kinda frustratin’, I won’t argue with that," Goku said. "But I’ve tagged you a few times already, so you don’t need to worry about me anymore."

Suddenly he vanished, and before Luffa could react he was directly in front of her, his right hand closing in on her trapezius. She managed to tilt to one side to avoid it, but this was only a feint. She realized this only when Goku’s other hand had collided with her gut, knocking the wind out of her.

"You'd better start blocking my hits from now on," he said ominously. "You won't last long like this."

"Why not?" She gasped. She recovered and looked him dead in the eye. "If that’s all you’ve got, I can play with you all day!"

Goku was impressed, but not so surprised that he forgot to prepare another strike. He raised his hand for a punch to her face, but she foiled this by swinging her own arm across to deflect it, slapping him across the cheeks in the process.

The attack stung Goku’s pride more than anything else.

Instinctively, he retaliated in kind, slapping Luffa with his own open palm. Her head recoiled from the blow, but she immediately responded with an even harder slap. They went on like this for several seconds, until Luffa went for a punch instead. Goku blocked it and returned fire.

From here, their fight descended into a stalemate, as both Super Saiyans threw punches at close quarters, with neither landing a direct hit. The rhythm of punches, blocks, and dodges was almost soothing in its way. It was almost too soothing for Luffa, as Goku angled his body to avoid her fist and then kept turning, setting up a spin kick. His boot connected with her right flank, but she was able to roll with it enough to dampen the impact.

For a moment, it seemed the stalemate was broken, as Goku relied on his kicks to keep Luffa at a safe distance. He was taller, which gave him an advantage in reach. As long as he kept up his momentum and moved his legs to where they needed to be, Luffa couldn't get close enough to strike back. Ki blasts were always an option, but neither of them were ready to go there. In the moment, it meant more to Luffa to overcome him without changing the terms of battle. And so she continued to play along, flying around Goku and searching for an opening to strike. Likewise, Goku continued to keep up his game, daring Luffa to find a solution instead of shifting to a new tactic.

The answer was simple enough. Goku had longer limbs, but there was one reach Luffa possessed that he did not. She goaded Goku into throwing kicks that extended his leg as far as possible. Each time she avoided his feet, but sometimes he would graze her skin with the soles of his boots. Then, at last, she moved in close enough for him to land a strike, and she caught his leg in her arms. This left her wide open, and Goku went for a punch, but then Luffa flipped around and caught him on the jaw with the tip of her tail.

The strike wasn't hard enough to knock Goku back, but it did rattle him enough to break his guard, allowing Luffa to release his leg and deliver a heavy knee to his abdomen. This sent him flying backward through the air until he managed to recover and stop himself.

Luffa was already on top of him to press her attack. Earlier, she had kept her tail out of the fight, lulling Goku into a false sense that she would not, or could not use it offensively. Now, she used it along with her arms and legs, battering Goku on all sides, whirling around like a top.

She had inspired him! This thought continued to percolate through Luffa's mind as she pressured him. Despite the centuries between them, despite her story being lost to time and suppressed by her enemies, some small part of Luffa's example had still managed to find its way to her successor. It had brought her to tears in the cafeteria, and now that they were fighting in earnest, she could pour her emotions into combat. It was more than she dared to hope for, and now she could show him what she truly was, and inspire him to achieve even greater things.

To his credit, Goku continued to block and dodge her attacks without giving up any ground. Now it was his turn to find a solution without escalating the battle or shifting to a different scenario. She expected him to grab her tail, much the same way she had foiled his kicks by targeting his leg. It only made sense for him to try this, since she would have to face away from him to attack with her tail, and if he managed to get a good grip on her, he would have a free shot. But this was not what happened.

Instead, as she spun around, she found Goku holding his hands in front of his face. For an instant, she wondered why he had left his guard down and moved in to capitalize. In the next instant, she regretted falling for his trap, as Goku suddenly cried out "Taiyo-ken!"

Suddenly, the world went white around Luffa, and she found herself unable to see anything. Even her ki senses were dazzled by the brilliance. She had encountered this technique before during Time Patrol missions, but she hadn't expected Goku to employ such a maneuver, and not in this situation. Now that it had happened, Luffa was forced to back off, and she anticipated a heavy strike.

Instead, when the blow came, it was far lighter than she had anticipated. Luffa barely managed to block it, having detected Goku's approach with her other senses. She did not, however, manage to deflect the second strike, or the third, and so on. By now, her vision was returning, but she found herself too imperiled to actually make any use of it. Goku was all over her, hitting her from all sides.

At last, Luffa became frustrated enough to put a stop to it. Raising her power, she suddenly caught each of Goku's hands as he struck, and used her knees to deflect his kicks. Soon, their melee battle had ended, and was now a test of strength. They each pushed against the other, with their fingers interlocked together.

"Impressive, Kakarot," Luffa grunted to him as they struggled. "You don't seem quite as strong as you were when you fought… Lord Beerus… but it seems like some of that god power must have rubbed off on you."

"Thanks," Goku said. "Lord Beerus told me that my body must have 'memorized' the god form somehow. I can't turn into a Super Saiyan God on my own, but I can still use some of that power in my regular Super Saiyan form."

"You're… going… to need it!" Luffa growled as she pushed harder. Their struggle had begun in the air, but the two of them slowly floated to the ground, as each of them sought something solid to stand on to improve their position.

"I can't… argue with that!" Goku replied. "You're really… urrgh… really something, Luffa. To think… you got this far… in such a short time…"

"I got a lot farther than this," Luffa said with a smirk. "Let me show you."

"Huh?" Goku began to ask, but before he could say anything else, Luffa increased her ki, and began to force Goku backward. Unable to resist her, all he could do was take a step back, and then another, and another. He tried to pull free of her, only to find that Luffa wouldn't let go.

"Confused?" Luffa asked. "Let me make it simple for you."

With a loud yelp, she pushed him harder and faster, causing Goku to lose his footing altogether. She now shoved him backward, driving him faster and faster until they crashed into something. When the dust settled, Goku realized they had plowed through a mesa and caused it to collapse. But Luffa still wouldn't let go, and she swung him around and smashed him into one of the largest portions of the mesa that was still standing.

Her grip seemed to be inescapable, but as Luffa prepared to fling him into something else, Goku brought up his legs and slipped them between their arms. Once he had threaded the space between them, Goku bent his knees around Luffa's arms, and applied enough pressure to force her to let go of his hands. With his arms freed, Goku could then take advantage of the position, and while he had Luffa's arms caught in his legs, he brought his hands together and drove them down on her head with tremendous force.

Luffa stumbled backward as they separated, and Goku followed up with an elbow smash aimed between her neck and left shoulder. She seemed dazed, but just before he could connect, she recovered and dropped to the ground. This threw Goku off-balance just enough for her to slide between his ankles and get behind him. Before he could turn around, she was back on her feet and wrapping her arms around his belly.

"What the--?" Goku asked. The answer was: back suplex.

With a savage grunt, Luffa threw herself backward and pulled Goku along with her, driving him head-first to the ground. That was her plan, anyway. What she hadn't counted on was Goku's reversal. He made a grunt of his own on the way down, and his golden aura flashed more intensely as he applied his power. He raised his hands so that they would hit the ground first, and when they made contact he generated a force through his legs that propelled his body forward, adding to the momentum of Luffa's throw. This allowed him to perform something like a handstand, but with Luffa still hanging onto his waist.

It was an awkward position, but more awkward for Luffa, who now had to decide whether to release her grip or take her chances on whatever Goku would do next. Before she could choose, Goku took flight, and grabbed hold of her wrists, trapping her. He then flew backwards, angling towards a large rock formation in the distance. But just as they reached it, Luffa's hands began to glow…

The planet was deserted, but if an observer had been there to witness the battle, they would have seen the two Super Saiyans collide with the hillside while simultaneously blasting it apart with an explosive wave of golden ki energy. The entire hill was blanketed with a cloud of dust and debris, which all glowed red from the residual energy of the blast. And when the color faded, and the dust cleared, this hypothetical observer would have found both Super Saiyans floating over what was left of the hill, completely unscathed.

"You managed to dodge that?" Luffa asked. "I'm impressed."

"I could say the same to you, Luffa," Goku said with a smirk. "You're no slouch, that's for sure."

"All right, maybe it's time we picked up the pace," Luffa said. "I was a little worried that the planet might get damaged, but from what I've seen, it looks like it'll be tough enough to handle this."

"Yeah," Goku said. "As long as nobody shoots straight down, I think we'll be all right. We are using blasts from here on, right?"

"Of course," Luffa replied. "As far as I'm concerned, everything's on the table. Oh, I get it… you were waiting for me to do it first, just to prove you didn't need to resort to that."

"Heh… Something like that," Goku said.

"Games within games, huh?" Luffa said. "There's more to you than meets the eye, Kakarot. Well, I'd say we're done with the warm up. Let's move on to the next stage."

As they circled each other in the air, both of them raised their arms and prepared to continue.

NEXT: Son Goku's Arsenal

[the-unknown-void]

I came up with a random Minecraft challenge for myself

Basic Challenge Premise:

Every 20 in-game days, you must travel at least 500 blocks away and live there.

Rules and Notes:

- Where you spawn, is your first home. - Whenever you move, you must take ONLY essentials and rare/hard-to-obtain items. (Food, Tools, Armor, Ores- mainly iron, coal, diamond, gold, and emerald. You may exclude anything else) - you can go any further than 500 blocks away - you may spend 3-5 extra days if something happens that requires you to linger. (such as creeper attacks your stuff) - You can take pets with you.. good luck with that though. - you may use inventory storage tools like bundles, donkeys/mules or llamas with chests, boats with chests, and shulker boxes. - You CANNOT go back to any of your previous homes after you've settled into a new one. You may not even go back in their direction unless you are going at least 500 blocks past them. (exception is if the stronghold is near them) - days spent looking for your next location do not count for the 20 day limit. You are considered "settled" when you place down a chest and put your things in it. (?) - I highly recommend writing down the coordinate of all of your homes. Especially since you'll need to know your coordinates to know if you've traveled 500 blocks yet. (press F3 and look for XYZ)

Once you start looking for the stronghold..

- You must NOT settle anywhere until the eye of ender indicates that you've reached the stronghold. (this doesn't count temporary shelters to sit out or skip the night in, as long as you immediately leave the next day) - where your stronghold is, is your new home- not to the EXACT location but you must live on the ground above, around, or inside the stronghold.. this is probably just most convenient anyway - after you beat the dragon, it's up to you whether you'd like to continue the challenge or finally settle down somewhere for good!

Most importantly:

- Have fun! Break any of these rules, change them to fit how you'd like to play the challenge! Keep in mind I play exclusively with keepinventory so I'm not even playing with the full "challenge" involved with losing my stuff at all. Found are particularly amazing location you just don't wanna move from? Go ahead, you don't need to keep the challenge. No one's gonna judge you mate :)