#nix in isolation

[wheatstar]

the thing about warrior cats that bothers me the most is that there are so many writing decisions that COULD be really interesting but i know the authors probably didnt mean it in that interesting way so instead i just get disappointed over and over again

[transkingcobra]

Nix having a dork of a brother and boyfriend

Getting caught up in their games and “forced” to play

Just three grown men running around in the woods being free and safe and happy

Maybe Thaniel and Oliver even join in

*sighs*

[see-arcane]

You know the one good thing about being a pessimist?

It feels great to be proven wrong.

Bravo, Bobby Egg.

I was so happily surprised by this. This film went through a fantastic puberty between the leaked script and the screen. The main points to note:

-No, Ellen is not hot for Count Orlok. She and Thomas are 110% in love. There are even certain Harker-flavored quotes thrown in to prove as much. (Details under the cut.)

-Count Orlok is a terrifying bastard and a half. Significantly more imposing than classic Orlok’s spindly rigor mortis-stiff figure and only wearing a sliver of Dracula’s performative charm. He is a Devil-Death archetype playing a monster who operates in deceit and contracts to wring out what he wants. That and a lot of corpses.

-This film is so beautiful. No gothic touch is skipped.

In sum, I more than like this film. I love it. It isn’t perfect, because no film can be, but damn. I am so proud of this nightmare you made, Bobby Egg.

SPOILERS FOR Nosferatu (2024) BELOW

-Getting some cons out of the way. There are points where a few of the actors lean maybe a bit too heavy on the ham-and-cheese in their deliveries (I’ll not blame the kids, they’re very young, but yeesh. That’s some cartoon acting.)

Yes, the g-slur is still used; though while I wish it hadn’t appeared in Eggers’ script at all, it does make sense within the context of the setting, i.e. Thomas and the Innkeeper probably only having the one word they know, same as in Dracula. And yes, naked teenage girl-on-a-horse does happen for the vampire hunt scene. Whee.

-Now, an early pro: Eggers nixed the ‘hot teen girl tries to pickpocket Thomas’ bit, and the ‘land of phantoms and thieves’ line never happens. All that happens after Thomas wakes in the inn—post witnessing the vampire slaying in the local graveyard, mud on his shoes to prove it was real—is he discovers himself utterly alone. No people, no horse. Cue the long walk.

-Ellen doing the ‘Come to me,’ bit early on is her in adolescence. It’s revealed that her Weird Girl elements have been turned up to 11, tragic lonely past included (replete with dad threatening to send her to a madhouse), and her prayer was just for company. The psychic ping was picked up by Orlok, who took advantage, turning an isolated and desperate barely-more-than-a-kid’s wish into a ‘covenant.’

-Thomas was met not long after this, cue them being genuinely in love <3

-Knock Does Not Jerk Off On Screen. If he does, his back is to us, and Little Knock is covered with some occult tablet or suchlike while he’s doing his ritual business. Also he kills a guy in his cell. Using his teeth.

-Castle time! Thomas is greeted by a driverless carriage at a crossroads and seems to be hypnotized into stepping in. A lot of things Thomas does once in Orlok’s territory seem to very clearly have psychic puppet strings attached. That and some increasing terror on Thomas’ part. There is no warm Dracula-style welcome from Orlok when he arrives, but a terse and strange leading to the dinner table where paperwork is demanded.

- We get a glimpse of this version of the Count’s ego. Thomas calls him sir. Orlok demands Thomas address him as my lord. And then we get the bread cutting scene. Thomas’ thumb bleeds. Orlok get far too interested. His voice, a very guttural and rasping bass, turns into something closer to an animal trilling and growling. Thomas is paralyzed beside the fire; cut away as Orlok closes in.

-Ellen and Anna Harding have a bit of a Mina and Lucy deal going on at the beach. It’s sweet <3 (Prepare for pain </3)

 - Orlok starts getting tricky. He 1) borrows (steals) Ellen’s locket from Thomas and 2) Tricks Thomas into signing a contract to ‘sell�� Ellen/break their marriage via a strange contract in a language Thomas can’t read, with Orlok using the prop of some gold to imply that this is merely a document in ~his native language~ to complete the property sale. Thomas signs, less for the gold than to be gone from the castle and back to Ellen…only for Orlok to insist Thomas is not well. He must stay the night.

- No mind games here. Just Thomas pleading to leave and Orlok’s parting word being that he will stay, and that he will obey his orders.

-Orlok has already chomped Thomas on the tiddy as of last night. Next night, after Thomas almost lands a blow on him in the coffin—Orlok sleeps with his Orcock out in the box, by the way, alongside several rats—Orlok wills Thomas to unlock the door he shut between them. Cue Thomas being tranced onto the bed, pounced on, and basically dry-humped by Orlok as he drinks Thomas all but dry. Thomas is left that way, only to be woken by Orlok’s wolves—he has those too!—and go clambering out the window, dropping to the river below.

-Orlok makes Ellen’s life hell. Holy fuck. The 1838 quality ‘medicine’ definitely doesn’t help—corsets for correcting posture, draining blood because there’s too much in there, binding to the bedposts to stop sleepwalking, general drugging etc etc—but FUCK. Lily-Rose Depp did a great and terrible job of reproducing shaking fits and some of the faces and sounds she made had me thinking I might choke on my own tongue. And for all the sexually provocative poses/noises that happen, every time she comes out of it it’s clear that she hates this. It’s on par with psychic rape.

-The only times we see Ellen respond positively~ to Orlok’s dream-advances is when she’s telling Thomas about the ‘marrying Death’ dream where everyone died and she was deliriously happy and then the infamous trailer line about Thomas not being able to satisfy her as Orlok can~~~

Well guess what.

Guess fucking what.

That was Orlok leaning on her brain. The same way he did to Thomas when, eventually, after the nuns rescue him and pray the plague/vampirism out and he makes it home while half-dead, he lays in bed with Ellen and gets a panic attack combined with Orlok’s image being grafted over Ellen’s face…

…a reverse of the illusion Orlok gave him in the castle, with Thomas imagining it was Ellen on top of him instead. The effect terrifies Thomas all over again and he unwittingly tosses Ellen away, I can't breathe, get off of me, get off!

-Orlok does his murder snacking. Knock, who escaped, offers to find and kill Thomas to please the Count, literally on his hands and knees. Orlok calls him a dog and backhands him, insisting Ellen must be given, not stolen.

-Orlok has already visited Ellen by this time. He presses her to keep her deal with him. She tells him, flat out, I abhor you. In response, Orlok grabs her and chucks her like a ragdoll in a rage. He fumes, telling her he will give her three nights to pledge herself to him, and in the meantime he will start killing. (RIP to Anna and her little girls, the latter of whom ORLOK KILLS IN FRONT OF HER, EATING THEIR THROATS OUT AS SHE ENTERS THEIR ROOM.)

-Before all that, he spins bullshit about Thomas ~selling her to him for mere gold~. A technical truth that Ellen, mid-Orlok spell, spits back at Thomas amid a rage, along with details that are likewise based in only a granule of reality; but which Orlok did not mention in their scene together. Things like Thomas being weak and childish, that he ‘fell into Orlok’s arms like a fainting woman.’ Interesting choice of spin there, Orlok. But whatever.

This all culminates in what is either reality or a dream or a blend of both as Thomas makes sudden desperate love to her, Ellen weirdly heady about it, telling him yes yes yes they will show Orlok their love. Cue her snapping back to full cognizance (awake? dreaming?) as her eyes and mouth spurt blood in a vision. She collapses in fear and tears as Thomas holds her. AND THEN:

-Ellen. Drops. The I am unclean line. She wants Thomas away from her, she is not worthy, she puts him in danger.

-Thomas goes full Jonathan and clings to her. Nonsense. I love you. I love you. I love you.

-V i n d i c a t i o n

-Anyway.

-Dafoe-Von Franz-Van Helsing is a kooky science occultist. Finds a book that Knock had which fills the role of highlighting Orlok as Solomonari (hey, Scholomance shout out!) and Knock as a would-be beneficiary. Also includes the ‘maiden offers her body and blood to the monster to kill it via sunrise’ bit.

-While he reads this, he does NOT actually spell any of these details out to Ellen when they have their secret mini talk about tricking Thomas into hunting for the coffin with him and Sievers. He gives her a big ~you're the only one who can save us magic maiden martyr~ pep talk, but that's it. Meanwhile, Ellen was already preparing to offer herself to save Thomas and whoever’s left in Wisborg. Not the same kind of agency as the original, but still better than I was expecting.

-Harding, Thomas’ rich friend whose wife and children got drinked to death, dies of plague in the family tomb. They burn the bodies.

-In the ruin Orlok bought, cue the iron stake slamming down as they open the coffin..! But whoops. Knock’s in the box, not Orlok. Von Franz says Ellen offering herself is the only way~ Thomas doesn’t waste time throttling him, just makes a run for their home.

-Too late, of course. Orlok is there (with a very cool homage to the original stalking shadow silhouette routine) and Ellen welcomes him. While they are both naked in bed and it’s implied that they are/or intend to have sex, the bulk of the scene centers on Orlok taking Ellen’s blood from her breast. No clear shot of the Orcock on screen for that bit—Bobby Egg saved that pleasure for the Count flashing Thomas at the castle.

-Orlok’s death throes. Are so. Fucking. Cool. Definitely up there with one of the best vampiric demises I’ve ever seen on film. No spoilers there. You’ve got to see it.

-Heartbreak o’ Clock as Thomas bursts in just as Orlok has died and as Ellen is dying under him. There’s time for them to hold hands. And then she’s gone.

-We close on Von Franz popping up with some poetic soliloquy shit and a bunch of lilacs. The final beat is an overhead shot of Ellen, the Maiden, laying under the now-skeletal Orlok, as Death. Looks almost like a painting. Unlike the implication in the leaked script, she does not look happy/at peace. Simply asleep. The End.

-Other important notes:

1) Orlok has a little combover’s worth of hair on top and mighty and powerful ‘stache. Not Dracula-white, but it is there. Finally.

 2) The guy who plays Dr. Sievers has Alan Rickman’s voice. If he isn’t in opera, he should be.

3) I was too late to get a popcorn coffin box. I shall be in mourning until the New Year.

4) Bobby Egg if you can give me one more gift, let it be a deleted scene of Thomas beating Von Franz over the head with the iron stake, please and thank you <3

[mymoodwriting]

6.3k, yandere, angst, mental asylum setting, psychiatrist!reader, demotion, threats, verbal abuse, intimidation, restraints, straight jackets, pills, medication, shock collars, therapy sessions, manipulation, aggressive behavior, amnesia, paranoia, creepy behavior, unethical practices, experimentation, supernatural abilities, violence, implied potential deaths, anxiety, panic, electrocution, mind control, telekinesis, telepathy, prison break, manic behavior, kidnapping (@starillusion13)

A/N: Hello everyone! This is my piece for the collab event to celebrate @bella-feed reaching 100+ followers that's co-hosted by @sanaxo-o and @dokyumms. I hope you all enjoy and please let me know if I missed something in the tags.

“So, how did you end up here?”

That was still something you couldn’t quite believe yourself. Just last week you were working at a psychiatric hospital, and now you had been transferred to this place, Nix Asylum. It was a rather isolated location, but the company paid for your moving fees and three months living expenses. Of course this wasn’t really something you could debate, unless you wanted to lose your job. So you went along with it and today was your first day here. You put on a smile and arrived on time, being introduced to one of the staff members, Dr. Lyla Mendez, who would be showing you around. 

She gave you a facilities tour, introducing you to other staff members and explaining how this place operated. Unlike the psychiatric hospital, all patients here were under strict care and not allowed to leave. They were rather special cases, and some were wards of the state that were entrusted to this institution. For such reasons the building had strict security measures and access to certain areas was off limits for a transfer like you. All of this you took note of, realizing it would take a while to get used to all the changes.

“You can stop pretending.”

“Uh, what?”

“We both know why you were transferred here, so there’s no need to be so polite.”

“I’m afraid I don’t-”

“Come on, don’t you know?”

“Know what?”

“Being transferred to Nix Asylum is a demotion.”

“Excuse me!”

“It’s true. You must have done something the company didn’t like, so they sent you here since they can’t just fire you.”

“That’s not-”

“I’m afraid that is the case. This place isn’t exactly nice, and the patients really like picking on the transfers. You were sent here as the company hopes you’ll quit on your own. Or suffer some minor trauma and have to resign. Or die. Either way, the company will take care of everything.”

“Are you joking?”

“No, not at all. The severance package is nice I assure you, but you should stick it out for as long as you can. The longer you stay, the more money you’ll walk away with. I think the current record is two months, for willingly quitting that is.”

“And if I don’t quit?”

“Well, there’s the chance you’ll suffer some minor trauma while on the job and have no choice but to quit. Whether it’s physical or mental just depends on the person. Don’t worry though, the company will happily pay your medical bills on top of the severance, so it’ll work out in the end either way. Even if you die the company will take care of the expenses.”

You scoffed. “The company isn’t gonna get rid of me that easily.”

“Well, there is always… that… option…”

“Which is what? I become a proper employee of this asylum?”

“Oh don’t be silly. It’s the opposite actually.”

“Huh?”

“Like I said, the patients here can be quite dangerous. You wouldn’t be the first transfer to suffer a major trauma by their hands and wind up a patient at this asylum. The company doesn’t mind that option either. We’ll take good care of you here if it comes to that.”

“What!?”

“Anyway, just cause this is your first day don’t think we’ll go easy on you. There’s a group session in the morning that you’ll be in charge of. Let me show you your desk and you can get the proper files so you can begin.”

Dr. Mendez just walked off, which meant the conversation was over. She had told you all this so nonchalantly you weren’t entirely sure if she was messing with you or not. Either way, you soon snapped out of your stunned state and followed after her. Regardless of what she said, you were here to do a job, and already had your first assignment. Your desk was a little cubicle in the corner of the main office. A bit of an upgrade from your last job, but you didn’t have a chance to settle in. You were handed a couple of files and then followed Dr. Mendez to the main area. She informed you that your ID was your access card and it would work to get you into the places you had clearance for.

“Here you are. I’ll be by later, so have fun, and good luck.”

You were left alone at the entrance to the therapy room. The door itself didn’t have a window and the panel on the door said there was an ongoing group session. You thought maybe another doctor was inside, but your name was the only one listed. If you were gonna leave and quit now would be the moment, but you weren’t gonna let the company win. You had worked hard for years, and maybe if you did well here you could get your old job back. You took a breath before scanning your ID and stepping inside. The silence of the hall was quickly broken by the sounds of chains and incoherent speech. You walked into a familiar yet foreign scene.

Most group sessions were conducted in the same manner. A certain number of patients were gathered in a semicircle to talk while the therapist was seated at the center. You could see your empty chair, as well as a small table next to it. Although the patients were something else. They were all in a straight jacket, some kind of security collar around their neck, ankles chained to the floor, and another restraint around their waist keeping them from standing up. All the chairs seemed to be metal and welded to the ground. Of course most of the patients were rowdy, trying to break out of their restraintS, seeming more animalistic in nature. Yet there were two who were sitting quietly, the two seated to your right. Thankfully no one really noticed your entrance, so you made it over to your seat and set down your files.

That’s when you realized your previous assumption wasn’t entirely correct. When you sat down you noticed the boy closest to you on your right was staring. His hair was white, and he had a friendly smile on his face, which made you a bit uneasy. The patient next to him was in fact sitting quietly, eyes closed and appearing to be asleep. You weren’t sure what to make of this so you looked through your files. Soon enough you had a name for the face, Hoshi, and the one next to him was Woozi. They actually seemed to be some sort of package deal as their files were combined under the name HoWoo and staff had nicknamed them the twins.

Since you were already looking through a file you glanced over the rest. That’s when you realized the files weren’t really all that detailed, just the bare minimum of information. It was just enough to let you know all the other patients present were aggressive and known to be uncooperative. It wasn’t all that surprising that this was your first task since your welcome wasn’t all that friendly and it was starting to become very clear that you were being set up for failure. Which also meant it was harder to deny the fact the company wanted you to quit, and that was honestly insulting above all else. If you quit and gave them what they wanted you’d surely find it difficult to work in such a field again. This was the career you had wanted to pursue and now you were on the brink of losing it all. 

“I know you’re a transfer, which means you did something, supposedly, bad. So what was it?”

While wallowing in your own doubts Hoshi suddenly spoke up and snapped you out of it. He leaned in closer to you, as close as he could with his restraints. His questions sounded genuine and playful, but you knew it wasn’t a good idea to answer. You were never really supposed to talk about yourself, especially to a patient, yet for some reason you felt it was okay, and the words spilled out of your mouth.

“I… I tried to help a patient…”

“What?”

“They… they told me they were being held against their will… and constantly medicated so they couldn’t think clearly… maybe it was stupid, but I believed them… especially since they were a VVIP and you know… it seemed more plausible… so I started to help them… I lowered the dosage of their medication… I tried… I tried to help… but when my superiors found out I was suspended, and then transferred here…”

“You’re nice.”

“Huh?”

“It’s good that you tried. I’m sure they appreciated that.”

“I… I guess…”

“I’m Hoshi by the way, and this is my friend, Woozi. There’s no need to worry about the others, they just don’t like morning sessions.”

“Ah, okay… I suppose we’ll just focus on you then. How long have you been here?”

“No idea. I don’t remember, I was young though, very young.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“I doubt I’ll get out at this point, but this place isn’t so bad.”

“Is that so? What makes you-”

A loud siren suddenly startled you, cutting you off. All the other patients screamed as well, but seemed to settle down afterwards. Moments later the door opened and a bunch of orderlies came in. They didn’t say anything but in groups of two or three unchained and dragged out the patients. It was only then that Woozi opened his eyes, but he didn’t look your way, he didn’t seem to care about anything. He merely stood up when he could and followed the orderlies out. Whereas Hoshi was the opposite. Once he was free he took a step towards you before the orderlies got in his way, warning him. He pouted but merely waved at you and walked out with his escort. You stayed put for a while, processing, when Dr. Mendez came to collect you.

“Come on now, your day has only just begun.”

She wasn’t kidding. You found more files on your desk and would be in charge of more group sessions. You knew this was another way to get you to quit. Exposing you to as many patients as they could and trying to overwhelm you. Sure they were restrained, but all it would take is one loose cuff and you’d be in trouble. You tried not to focus on that possibility, just doing your job and trying to help where you could. Although that was difficult. If the patients weren’t rowdy and uncooperative they were quiet and shy. So most of the time it felt like you were talking to a wall. That was your entire week, and by the end most of the patients did recognize you, they just didn’t respect you. That put you on edge a bit, but they were supposed to know you so it was technically a step in the right direction.

The only good patient you had was Hoshi, although things were a bit tricky with him. He’d talk, but he wouldn’t really answer your questions. Instead, he asked about your life and what you did outside of work. You shouldn’t discuss your private life with a patient but when Hoshi was around you felt oddly calm and that you could speak freely with him. You did try to talk with Woozi a few times, but you never got a response, not even some form of acknowledgment. He’d always just sit still and quietly with his eyes closed. Hoshi never commented or bothered Woozi either even though their file said the two were very close. You probably weren’t worthy of Woozi’s attention, at least not yet. Although it was difficult to try and build trust when Hoshi always pulled your attention towards him.

“Do you like it here?” Hoshi asked. “How is it compared to your old work place?”

“I… well… this place isn’t so bad, it’s just not what I expected.”

“What do you mean?”

“I got into this profession to help people, but I don’t really feel like I’m doing that anymore, at least not here.”

“Why do you say that? You’re helping me and Woozi.”

“We don’t have proper sessions. In fact, I don’t really have patients at this asylum, I just oversee most of the group sessions. Not to mention I feel like I’m in danger here…”

“There’s no need to be afraid.” Hoshi assured with a smile. “I promise no one is gonna hurt you.”

🤍🖤

You kinda got into your own routine with the group sessions, trying your best to make progress with anyone. Although to your own shock things got changed up for you. One day you came in and Dr. Mendez informed you that you would be having a session with HoWoo. If you ever got a patient, you thought it’d be someone more dangerous, or quiet, so to get the twins was rather surprising. You did have more of a stable relationship with Hoshi, so it made sense to a degree. At least now you could also try and break through to Woozi. Of course you still oversaw group sessions, but now you had a certain time allotted to your patients.

When that time came around you grabbed your files and notes, heading over to the room in question. You had a better understanding of the layout by now, but still needed to double check to make sure you were going the right way. Once you found the room you scanned your ID and stepped inside. As soon as you walked in, Hoshi jumped up from his seat. Your heart skipped a beat seeing him, realizing he wasn’t restrained to his chair here nor did he have a straight jacket. He had never been a danger towards you, but seeing him with more freedom was a cause for concern. Even though he still had the collar around his neck, it wasn’t reassuring. That is until you realized he was behind a glass panel. That detail put you at ease and you could enter without worry.

“Good morning, y/n. It’s so nice to see you!”

“Hoshi, we’ve been over this. You’re supposed to call me Dr.-”

“I prefer saying your name. Don’t you like it? Everyone else calls you by your title, but you get to hear your name from me! It rolls off the tongue nicely too.”

“Hoshi-”

“Y/n, y/n, y/n! Are you excited!? We’re your real patients now and we can talk one-on-one! This is gonna be so much fun! We don’t have to worry about others interrupting us and-”

“Hoshi, this isn’t a social hour.”

“Huh?”

Since you opened the door Hoshi had gotten up and walked up to the glass panel. He had his hands on it and was jumping around while talking excitedly. He was acting very childish, which he always was, but this was a different setting. He, they, really were your patients now, and you had a duty to treat them as such. Of course if Hoshi acts like this, and Woozi refuses to speak, they won’t be easy to help at all. Another reason why they were likely assigned to you. They were going to be a challenge, but you had no plans to give up on them. This was your first session, so you had to be professional and set proper boundaries. 

“I know it was easy to steer conversations elsewhere when we were talking during group sessions, but this is different. It’s just us here, and I want us to have a proper doctor-patient relationship.”

“…”

“Let’s start over, shall we?” You sat down. “Kwon Hoshi and Lee Woozi, it’s nice to meet you, I’m doctor-”

“I thought you were nice.”

“Ho-”

“It’s Mr. Kwon!” Hoshi slammed his fist against the glass. “To you, doctor. Are you here to fix us? Wanna talk about our non-existent parents? Or our silly little diagnosis? What does that piece of paper tell you? Cause you don’t know shit!”

Hoshi slammed his hands against the glass, frustrated and growing angry because of your words. He was acting out, repeating his actions over and over again. You tried to keep your composure, but he was loud and imposing. This invisible pressure started coming down on you, making it a bit difficult to breathe. You were scared, and your body was frozen in place.

“Answer me!?” Hoshi yelled. “What!? Now you don’t wanna talk!? Say something!?”

“Hoshi.”

Your gaze slowly shifted over to the person that had just spoken. You honestly weren’t sure if you had heard correctly, but judging by Hoshi’s reaction, you had. The boy seemed to calm down and took a breath, then went back over to his chair, slumping down and crossing his arms. He was pouting and looking off towards the wall, not wanting to look at you.

“I wasn’t gonna hurt her.” Hoshi mumbled. “I wouldn’t do that to her.”

“Hoshi.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Good.” Woozi opened his eyes, for the first time in days meeting your gaze. “You said you want to help us, do you mean that?”

As soon as Woozi spoke you felt the pressure on you disappear, but you were still rather in shock to hear him speak. Then his words, his gaze, were directed at you, making you nervous for a moment before a sense of ease washed over you. 

“Yes, I do.”

“Where do you wanna start?”

“Oh, um…” You scrambled to grab your notes, having prepared an outline of talking points for this. “Your file unfortunately doesn’t have the finer details, but it does mention that you were troublemakers before being admitted here. I thought we could start there. What kind of trouble gets you into an asylum?”

Woozi seemed intrigued by your question, but he had no intention to answer. He looked towards Hoshi, who seemed to sense his gaze and sighed. Hoshi was still a bit upset, but did as he was asked anyway.

“I’m not really sure how we lost our parents, but we were orphans on the street.” Hoshi explained. “We stole and fought to survive. Although we were eventually caught by local authorities and sent to an orphanage.”

“You both managed on the streets at such a young age, but surely the orphanage was a nice change. You had a proper roof over your heads, a bed, and warm meals.”

“I guess but we were used to the streets, we were used to being free, so we ran off all the time.”

“You left the safety and comfort of the orphanage?”

“Those places aren’t exactly nice. Although they kept catching us over and over again. That is until we were labeled delinquents and sent somewhere for rehabilitation.” 

“So this isn’t your first time in therapy. My assumption though, given your track record, you didn’t behave there either.”

“Nope. It was more difficult to break out, but we still managed it.”

“The orphanage and the other institution were both meant to help you. Why did you run from those places? Why did you reject them?”

“Why do you keep assuming they all had good intentions? If we didn’t act how they wanted at the orphanage we’d get punished, and that other place kept us locked up. Who we were wasn’t wanted by anyone. All they ever did was try to change us so we’d be ‘normal’ and ‘fit in’ with the world. I’d rather be myself than be told who to be.”

“Despite everything, your initial upbringing on the streets is a defining factor in who you grew up to. All you had was each other, and you lived how you wanted, how you could, and that was enough. Even now you still seem to live how you want, but because of that you haven’t really allowed yourself to grow.”

“Huh?”

“You didn’t have what most people had in their childhood. Parents, a home, etc. so it’s understandable you’d be against any sort of semblance to those things. You didn’t want to want those things, so you always ran from them. Yes, I understand the places you did grow up in aren’t some kind of paradise, but it’s okay to want what you should have had.”

“And what exactly would that be?”

“A proper home, someone to care about you and look after you, warm meals, a safe and comfortable place to sleep. It was never wrong for you to want that, even now it’s not wrong. It doesn’t just have to be the two of you against the world, constantly fighting for a place to call your own. You might not like the way some things work, but it’s not all bad, I promise.”

Hoshi scoffed. “You say all that, yet you’re forgetting where we are.”

“Then tell me, how is that you wound up here? So far from the world.”

“Well, you cause trouble one too many times as a young adult and people get pissy. Not sure how it all works, but we wound up being transferred to Nix Asylum before we became legal adults, and now this place won’t let us leave. We’ve been good.” Hoshi assured with a smile. “I guess just not good enough to release back into the world. Although that’s why you’re here, right? To make sure we’re sane enough to return to normal society. Are you gonna help us break out of this cage?”

“… you’ve never actually escaped this place, have you?”

“Nope. Security is really tight here, not to mention…” Hoshi tugged on his collar. “They got us trapped like animals.”

“That seems rather excessive. I’ve never understood the purpose of the collar. I wasn’t given any-”

“As a transfer they wouldn’t tell you anything.” Woozi cut in. “After all, you’re not meant to last.”

“I don’t intend to leave anytime soon.”

“Promise?”

Just then another siren went off, signalling your time was up. The two boys got up and offered a polite bow before walking over to the door. You hadn’t noticed until now but there were two straight jackets hanging on a hook by the exit. They each put it on and stood facing the wall. When the orderlies entered they immediately buckled the restraints and then escorted them out. You knew many of the other patients here wouldn’t be so cooperative, so clearly the two understood they had to behave in order to have certain privileges. After a moment you got your things and left the room, noting it was lunch time.

You were polite and professional with the other doctors, but hadn’t really made any friends. It was to be expected since everyone, including the patients, didn’t expect a transfer to be here long. Although, despite what everyone says, you haven’t faced any major difficulties. Yes the patients were a challenge to work with, but that was going to be the case wherever you went. All the stories you had been told about patients picking on transfers and you possibly suffering some kind of trauma seemed to be nothing but baseless rumors. When you first arrived you were scared, but none of the patients had ever done anything to make you feel that your life was in danger. Perhaps they liked you enough not to trouble you.

“So, I heard you had a session with the twins, how did it go?”

“It was fine, just a few difficulties getting started but-”

“Wait, they actually talked to you?”

“Yeah, although Hoshi did most of the talking.”

“That’s… wait, you mean even Woozi talked to you?”

“He only said a few words, why?”

“They’ve never actually talked to a doctor one-on-one before, they rarely speak in group sessions too. I mean, Hoshi talks nonsense, and I’ve never heard Woozi talk, I thought he was mute.”

“Oh, well I guess I’m just that good.”

“Yeah right, what did they tell you? Some kind of sob story about being falsely sent to an institution for help? Did they tell you they’re being held against their will and trapped here?”

“Uh…”

“Gosh, I guess they know you’re gullible, that’s why they talked.”

“That’s not-”

“Don’t believe them so easily. Hoshi’s smile hides his manipulation, and Woozi just existing is a danger. You don’t have all the details, but those two are in here for a reason, and they’re allowed to remain together for a reason too.”

It was frustrating that your file on them was missing important details. You were sure if you asked for their real files you’d be denied since your supervisors didn’t take you seriously. Although if you do manage to make some progress with HoWoo, maybe you can prove them wrong. You continued to have sessions with the two, but despite how things went the first time, they weren’t eager to cooperate. Hoshi kept wanting to chat about your life and Woozi was quietly in his seat, eyes shut like usual. For the sake of gaining trust you’d answer Hoshi, but didn’t give too many details. You gave vague statements about your upbringing and only mentioned a few places you had been to in your life.

“I’d love for you to show me all those places someday.” Hoshi stated. “I want to know the places that are special to you.”

“Your goal should be to go to such places to make your own memories.”

“Hm, maybe one day, when we get out of here.”

“That’s a good mindset to have. Now, we’ve talked enough about me, so what about you?”

“Our life is no fun compared to yours.”

“What makes you say that?”

“You get to come and go as you please, and you’re ignorant to the real world around you.”

“Such a statement may be true, but it’s not fair for you to assume I’d continue to ignore the situation if I discovered the truth.”

“You mean that?” Woozi opened his eyes, staring at you. “You’d do something if you knew what was really going on?”

“I’d surely want to find a way to help. That’s why I am where I am today.”

“Let’s test that.”

“Hm?”

The siren went off and your session ended. Your mind lingered on Woozi’s words, wondering what he meant. Before heading out you looked over your notes, not feeling like any progress was being made. Then you noticed something odd at the bottom of the page. There were directions that lead to a restricted area, along with a passcode and time. This was written in your hand writing but you didn’t recall every writing such a thing. You had no explanation, yet something in the back of your mind was telling you that you had to follow these instructions. So you did. Curfew was at ten. After that all staff and patients were expected to be in their rooms. Anyone caught roaming the halls would face serious consequences. 

Despite knowing all that, around eleven you snuck out of your room, making your way to the restricted area in your notes. Your heart was pounding in your chest and yet you kept moving. You avoided the guards and managed to navigate through the camera’s blind spots. It felt like you were very lucky to make it to your destination. Unlike the other doors, this one had a digital keypad, and would only open if the right code was put in. This was where you either made it or got screwed. You had the note in your pocket and entered in the code written. To your relief the door unlocked and you stepped through. Now you were on your own, having no idea what to do or where to go. Then you heard screaming.

In most situations you’d want to go in the opposite direction, but something about that scream felt familiar. So you followed that dreadful sound as it got louder and louder. The halls were a blank creamy color, and the place felt strangely sterile. As you continued to walk one of the walls had a glass panel and when you stepped to see what was on the other side your eyes went wide. Down below you could see some sort of lab. A test subject was strapped down to a chair, multiple electrodes attached to their head and chest. All kinds of machines surrounded them, and you noticed some rather big and heavy objects in the room as well. Although your greatest concern was seeing Hoshi being treated like a lab rat. 

He seemed somewhat out of it, clearly exhausted, but he wasn’t given a chance to rest. His collar suddenly flashed a blue color and he screamed as an electric shock was sent through his body. You didn’t understand what it meant, but he did. Hoshi shook his head and took a moment before shifting his focus, then you noticed the other objects in the room begin to levitate. You took a half step back in shock, finding it hard to believe this was Hoshi’s doing. Yet the boy screamed and the objects in question were torn to pieces. You covered your mouth as you yelled, starting to wonder if this was the real world Hoshi had mentioned before. That this was the kind of thing that made his life no fun. 

No wonder this place was so secretive and dangerous. The patients here were being used as test subjects for who knows what. Even if they seemed to be contained, you were constantly exposed to them and unaware of the real danger they posed. Now it made sense why the company sent people here when they wanted to get rid of someone. Regardless of the outcome, the company wins. A part of you was telling you to run, to get out of here before you’re caught and to submit your resignation in the morning, but you knew you couldn’t just leave now. This was wrong, it was unethical, and it wasn’t right to just leave. You had to do something, but you had no idea what.

“You won’t run?”

You suddenly heard a voice and quickly turned around, although you didn’t see anyone. You were alone, then you looked back down at the lab when you heard Hoshi scream again. You placed your hand on the glass, trying to think of your next move. Then you realized you weren’t the only one watching. There were other glass panels that allowed one to view the lab. Across the way you saw people in lab coats watching and taking notes, then you locked eyes with someone. Standing among the doctors was Woozi and he was staring right at you. There was no way to know how long he had been staring, but you had a feeling it was the whole time. You were starting to feel incredibly nervous and then you heard Hoshi laugh. When you looked back down to him you realized he was staring at you too with a big smile on his face.

“Hello!”

Now you were starting to panic as Hoshi was drawing attention to you. Although before you had a chance to run you noticed all the debris in his room started to fly around and break things. Hoshi was laughing maniacally, the machines in the room getting broken, and he actually managed to break free from his restraints. Sirens started blaring and red lights were flashing.

“Come to me.”

You heard a voice again despite being alone, and then your legs started moving on their own. You couldn’t stop yourself and your gaze shifted to Woozi. He was alone now but still watching you, a sinister smile on his face. It sent chills down your spine, but you couldn’t do anything to stop yourself. You made your way down the hall, the two boys disappearing from view, but you could still hear the chaos Hoshi was causing. You rounded a few corners and then found yourself standing before Woozi. A handful of people were curled up on the ground, holding their heads and groaning in pain.

“Woozi… are you… doing this…?”

“Help me get the collar off.” Woozi’s voice was in your head. “Please.”

Once again your body moved on its own and you stepped closer to Woozi. You walked behind him and examined the collar for a moment before reaching over to unlatch it. Yet when you tried to remove it an electric shock went off, affecting you and Woozi. You yelled and stepped back, and he fell to his knees.

“I said get it off!”

You didn’t want to get hurt, but Woozi’s voice wasn’t just in your head. He was taking control and making you do things you wouldn’t. So you grabbed the collar again, holding it tightly and pushing through the pain until it came off. You collapsed to the floor afterwards, shaking a bit.You were trying to process when you suddenly felt a hand on your head, looking up to see Woozi petting you, his hand moving to caress your cheek.

“Let’s go get Hoshi.”

“I… I…”

“Sh, you don’t need to be afraid, just relax, no one’s going to hurt you.”

Woozi held his hand out to you and helped you to your feet. Even if you didn’t want to, you followed behind him. He walked with confidence, unafraid of his surroundings. Anyone who got close merely collapsed to the ground screaming and grabbing their head. The guards didn’t have a chance to use their weapons. Woozi just walked past everyone, and you did too. You should be freaking out, but it felt like there was some kind of fog in your mind preventing you from thinking clearly. Before you knew it you came across a different type of mess. Staff and guards and other personnel were strewn about the ground, some with random debris embedded in them, and others lying in pools of blood. You weren’t sure if anyone was alive.

“Having fun?”

You turned down a hall to see Hoshi throwing some people around, laughing and clearly enjoying himself. When he turned around and saw you and Woozi his eyes lit up. He ran over and embraced Woozi in a hug. You could see that he had removed his collar as well. Neither was inhibited anymore. You wanted to run, but your body wasn’t listening to you anymore. The only thing you still had control over was your voice. It wasn’t really smart to talk but you had all kinds of questions.

“… why… why are you doing this…?” You mumbled. “All this time… with your power… you could’ve escaped… why didn’t you…?”

“We didn’t always have powers.” Hoshi stated. “Not until they brought us here and started using us as test subjects. It was weird at first, but these people weren’t gonna let us get away so easily.”

“But you just… broke out…”

“Yeah, they thought they had us under control, but those collars didn’t completely block our powers, not when they’ve become so strong. Besides, we never really had a plan for breaking out, or a reason. This place was fun in its own ways.”

“Then… then why now…?”

“Like you said, it’s okay to want things we were meant to have. A home, someone to love us. I guess that finally made us realize we do want change, so thanks for that.”

Hoshi walked closer to you, taking your hand in his, and then Woozi did the same on the opposite side. You stared at both of them, not sure what this meant.

“You encouraged us to want more.” Hoshi said. “So let’s get out of here together.”

The two started walking, bringing you along. You were trying to figure out your part in all this, but the more you tried to think, the thicker the fog got. The two used their powers together, rendering the three of you untouchable. It wasn’t long before you left the restricted area, making it into the main building. The alarms soon started blaring, but you were certain there was no stopping them now. You made it to the main entrance and effortlessly walked out. The sun was peeking over the horizon, and you unwillingly led them to your car. That’s when you stopped. For the first time trying to actually fight back.

“… no… no, we can’t… you two… it’s dangerous…”

“We just walked out of that hellish place with ease.” Hoshi reminded. “The rest of the world won’t be a problem.”

“… but… no… the two of you…”

“Sh, sh, sh…” Woozi took your head in his hands, having you meet his gaze. “There’s no need to worry. We have you to keep us on the right path. Besides, you can’t fight me. I’ve been in your head since the day we met, and we’ve kept you safe the whole time.”

“… huh…?”

“No need to worry about the finer details. Why don’t you just take us home now, okay?”

“… home…”

“Yeah, I wanna see where you live.” Hoshi said excitedly. “Let’s go! Let’s go!”

Hoshi brought you over to the driver’s side, and to your own surprise you had your keys in your pocket. You unlocked the car and got into the driver’s seat. Hoshi sat in the back and Woozi took shotgun. You started the engine, but that was as far as you wanted to go.

“Drive.” Woozi stated. “Safely, of course.”

“… I…”

“Don’t cause trouble now. It won’t last anyway. We’re really gonna get to know each other soon enough. So let’s go home.”

“…let’s… let’s go home…”

You probably shouldn’t drive in such a state, but it’s not like anything bad would happen. Not as long as they were around. Not as long as they were in control. As you pulled out of the lot and drove away from the asylum you felt that fog in your mind growing and slowly consuming you whole. You felt yourself slipping into the void. When you looked in the rear view mirror you could see Hoshi smiling brightly, sticking his head out the window and screaming gleefully. Woozi also had the window down, merely staring out at the horizon and basking in the sun. They were free, whereas you were the one trapped now. You had no idea what came next, and you’d have no say in the matter either. You could only hope they’d be kind.

[janeelyakiri]

you want aus this is how u get aus-

He's snatched his own Polly to snuggle and dress up. And in return he gets scratches, kicks, and bites.

info under cut

This Polly's AU, they didn't live with their Sans and Paps. Once they left the Underground they made their own home- a simple apartment in a rough part of town. It's a very neutral AU, not overly positive but nothing extremely negative. Everyone's chill, with minor issues here and there. Polly was a slight loner at first, preferring to coast along on the gold they exchanged rather than actually work.

They still had their Canon Event, but no one ever found out. No one reached out to them, and they don't bother speaking to anyone. Isolating themself further.

Nix honestly was just window shopping when he spotted this one, and thought they were perfect to steal away. Because clearly they needed happiness and joy in their life, and he's amazing at that!

They're spoiled and pampered now, given (almost) anything they could want. And despite their anger and lashing out they do soak up every drop of warmth and attention Nix gives them.

swapdream (c) song_a

Nix and Polly (c) me

[unopenablebox]

the speed and vehemence of these replies are impossible to refuse

should i write wretchedly sexy lord of the rings fanfiction or wildly, tediously unsexy sabriel fanfiction

[bellewintersroe]

can we have dick stealing sobel's gf 😌

AAAAGAHAGQHAH I LOVE THIS - writing with Sobel feels icky 🤢 so I’ve made that part as brief as possible- may seem unrealistic but I loveeee unrealistic scenarios 😈 ty for your request so sorry it’s legit taken a ridiculous amount of time to get round to doing this. Just a reminder this is based of the hbo portrayal of Sobel only, no disrespect to the real man!! Dick Winters stealing Sobels GF headcannons 🤭

okay let’s start off with something semi unrealistic but whatever.

Your family forced you into an arranged marriage with Sobel, or maybe you’ve been together since you were teens and it’s just… going nowhere, yeah. I kinda think the being forced to marry him is more realistic…

I can’t imagine there being much if any intimacy between you and Sobel- *shudders*.

And let’s be honest you’re soooo beautiful everybody’s clueless as to why you’re with the guy you’re with?

you’re stationed in England working there and lets say you’re just wayyy more sociable than your partner is. He’s not very nice to you- take that as you will, but at any chance to escape him you can.

pls you’re deffo already planning your breakup as soon as he’s shipped away, but you’re kinda worried about his and your families so you’re semi-sticking it out.

You become pretty isolated and essentially just give up on your love life.

that was until a red-haired, blue eyed soldier walks in. You can tell from the other men’s reactions he’s higher up- but you can also tell from the shy smile he sends in your direction he’s somewhat more reserved and polite.

Dick thinks you’re beautiful. He doesn’t know who you are and who you’re involved with- if he did he wouldn’t have been glancing over with flustered cheeks all evening.

“Dick just go over and speak to her for Christ sake.” Nixon eventually nudged his friend out of his seat.

that’s how you and dick eventually began talking. He’d approached you so politely, he didn’t want to intrude (I feel like Nix would have to get involved just to push it).

It wouldn’t even slip into conversation until later that night who you were with. The shock on both their faces is evident, Dick more so felt disappointed, then he felt guilty, then confused, and then a little humoured? Like how are you with Sobel out of all people?

anyway you see each other often and it’s a nice little friendship, there’s definitely some lingering feelings like you both know they’re there, but neither of you are bold enough or have the disrespect to make a move.

I feel like Dick would see you walking alongside Sobel, you both look so uncomfortably stiff and awkward with one another, he can tell you’re miserable.

all the men find it HILARIOUS that such a beautiful broad is with Sobel? But each to their own.

anyway, it’s one day, nearing dark outside and Dick just stumbles upon you sat on the wall, overlooking the fields in English.

when he notices you’re crying- uhhhh he feels a little awkward but he’s more concerned than anything. He checks the area first to see if you’re with anybody, but he’d be so gentle when he approaches you.

“Are you okay?” He’d accidentally startle you, but the gentle hand on the top of your back soothes you almost instantly.

you’d probs cry to him about how badly you don’t want that marriage and how horrible Sobel has been to you. Dicks just heartbroken about how badly you’re being treated. He doesn’t tell you to leave him, but in some ways he kinda does.

he’s NEVER do this for his own gain, but he knows that he can treat you better.

And ugh he’s so nice and respectful, everything that a man should be- and hearing that your family might DISOWN?!?? You for not marrying Sobel has him straight up admitting everything he feels for you.

Dick’s never been overly emotional but omg he can’t handle the idea of you not being taken care of. He’s very traditional and respectful, so wouldn’t force anything on you, but he’d 100% make it clear where he stands with you (there’s no room for overthinking with him).

so when he’s stood right there offering the world to you how could you say no? You leave Sobel without any reluctance and Dick is there waiting both emotionally and physically for when you’re ready. Of course if that’s not what you want he wouldn’t rush you. He kinda leaves you to do your own thing.

Its Nix who see’s the ring not on your finger, you’d get a little boozy with him and admit your feelings about Winters, you’re gushing about him and loud-mouth-lew obviously reports this back to a red faced Winters.

“oh, she said that?”

it’s safe to say you grow closer and closer, even if the progress is slow. He’d keep you updated through letters in the war, and you basically have a full fledged relationship just through writing to one another.

such romantic letters as the time goes on, who would’ve thought?

you best believe by the end of the war you two are living together in a quiet corner of the world, on a little farm and you’re happier than ever.

Sobel had warned you that without him you’d have nothing, no family, no man, no friends, no house, no money.

With winters you’d have it all and more. Sobel can’t do anything but act professional when he see’s Winters but omg he’s so salty.

[book--brackets]

Summaries under the cut

Lisel & Po by Lauren Oliver

Liesl lives in a tiny attic bedroom, locked away by her cruel stepmother. Her only friends are the shadows and the mice,until one night a ghost appears from the darkness. It is Po, who comes from the Other Side. Both Liesl and Po are lonely, but together they are less alone.

That same night, an alchemist's apprentice, Will, bungles an important delivery. He accidentally switches a box containing the most powerful magic in the world with one containing something decidedly less remarkable.

Will's mistake has tremendous consequences for Liesl and Po, and it draws the three of them together on an extraordinary journey.

Red Planet by Robert A. Heinlein

Jim Marlow and his strange-looking Martian friend Willis were allowed to travel only so far. But one day Willis unwittingly tuned into a treacherous plot that threatened all the colonists on Mars, and it set Jim off on a terrfying adventure that could save--or destroy--them all!

The Secret Seven by Enid Blyton

It's their very first adventure and the Secret Seven super-sleuths are already on the trail of a mystery! The gang are dressed in disguise, following a lead to a spooky old house in the snow...

Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Janet Gray

"A road's a kind of holy thing," said Roger the Minstrel to his son, Adam. "That's why it's a good work to keep a road in repair, like giving alms to the poor or tending the sick. It's open to the sun and wind and rain. It brings all kinds of people and all parts of England together. And it's home to a minstrel, even though he may happen to be sleeping in a castle."

And Adam, though only eleven, was to remember his father's words when his beloved dog, Nick, was stolen and Roger had disappeared and he found himself traveling alone along these same great roads, searching the fairs and market towns for his father and his dog.

The Squire's Tales by Gerald Morris

Life for the young orphan Terence has been peaceful, living with Trevisant, the old Hermit in a quiet, isolated wood.

That is, until the day a strange green sprite leads him to Gawain, King Arthur's nephew, who is on his way to Camelot hoping to be knighted. Trevisant can see the future and knows that Terence must leave to serve as Gawain's squire. From that moment on, Terence's life is filled with heart-stopping adventure as he helps damsels-in-distress, fights battles with devious men, and protects King Arthur from his many enemies.

Along the way, Terence is amazed at his skills and new-found magical abilities. Were these a gift from his unknown parents? As Gawain continues his quest for knighthood, Terence searches for answers to the riddles in his own past.

The Seventh Tower by Garth Nix

Tal has lived his whole life in darkness. He has never left his home, a mysterious castle of seven towers. He does not see the threat that will tear apart his family and his world. But Tal cannot stay safe forever. When danger strikes, he must desperately climb the Red Tower to steal a Sunstone. He reaches the top... ...and then he falls into a strange and unknown world of warriors, ice ships, and hidden magic. There Tal makes an enemy who will save his life and holds the key to his future.

The Children of Green Knowe by Lucy M. Boston

There are three children: Toby, who rides the majestic horse Feste; his mischievous little sister, Linnet; and their brother, Alexander, who plays the flute. The children warmly welcome Tolly to Green Knowe... even though they've been dead for centuries.

But that's how everything is at Green Knowe. The ancient manor hides as many stories as it does dusty old rooms.

And the master of the house is great-grandmother Oldknow, whose storytelling mixes present and past with the oldest magic in the world.

Sweet Valley High by Francine Pascal

Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield are identical twins at Sweet Valley High. They're both popular, smart, and gorgeous, but that's where the similarity ends. Elizabeth is friendly, outgoing, and sincere—nothing like her snobbish and conniving twin. Jessica gets what she wants—at school, with friends, and especially with boys.

This time, Jessica has set her sights on Todd Wilkins, the handsome star of the basketball team—the one boy that Elizabeth really likes. Elizabeth doesn't want to lose him, but what Jessica wants, Jessica usually gets ... even if it ends up hurting her sister.

City Spies by James Ponti

Sara Martinez is a hacker. She recently broke into the New York City foster care system to expose her foster parents as cheats and lawbreakers. However, instead of being hailed as a hero, Sara finds herself facing years in a juvenile detention facility and banned from using computers for the same stretch of time. Enter Mother, a British spy who not only gets Sara released from jail but also offers her a chance to make a home for herself within a secret MI6 agency.

Operating out of a base in Scotland, the City Spies are five kids from various parts of the world. When they’re not attending the local boarding school, they’re honing their unique skills, such as sleight of hand, breaking and entering, observation, and explosives. All of these allow them to go places in the world of espionage where adults can’t.

Before she knows what she’s doing, Sarah is heading to Paris for an international youth summit, hacking into a rival school’s computer to prevent them from winning a million euros, dangling thirty feet off the side of a building, and trying to stop a villain…all while navigating the complex dynamics of her new team.

No one said saving the world was easy…

Carrie's War by Nina Bawden

Albert, Carrie and young Nick are war-time evacuees whose lives get so tangled up with the people they've come to live among that the war and their real families seem to belong to another world. Carrie and Nick are billeted in Wales with old Mr Evans, who is so mean and cold, and his timid mouse of a sister, Lou, who suddenly starts having secrets.

Their friend Albert is luckier, living in Druid's Bottom with warm-hearted Hepzibah Green and the strange Mister Johnny, who can talk to animals but not to human beings. Carrie and Nick visit him there whenever they can for Hepzibah makes life exciting and enticing with her stories and delicious cooking. Gradually they begin to feel more at ease in their war-time home, but then, in trying to heal the rift between Mr Evans and his estranged sister, and save Druid's Bottom, Carrie does a terrible thing which is to haunt her for years to come.

[devastator1775]

"NIX DOORMAN AU"

NEW CHARACTERS AND LORE

EMIKO HAGURUMA

HISTORY: Emiko was constructed on Chromium-12 as a Generation-1 Drone, but a series of faults in her construction rendered her virtually inoperable, with the system slating her for Disposal. Luckily for her, the Servant Drone overlooking the Disposal that day - a kind man by the name of Kento Haguruma - took pity on her. He hid her out of sight and managed to smuggle her to his home on the third moon.

There, he used his extensive engineering skill to fix her as best he could, using the parts he had managed to scavenge during his working hours. Despite his best efforts, Emiko only got back partial mobility and needs to use crutches to get around. Even so, she was forever grateful to the man she would call her papa.

Emiko would spend the next couple of years hiding in their home, because as a defect, her discovery would mean immediate termination. She would keep herself occupied with books that her father managed to bring her, but always longing for someone to call a friend.

When the Servant Drones of Chromium-12 were granted the same status as 'Sentients' like the Drones on Copper-9; her father, wishing to give his daughter a better life, moves them there.

Finally, all the things that Emiko ever wanted are in her reach. Having a real house, meet new Drones, go to school and make friends.

She can't wait to set foot on this new planet, to start her new life.

PERSONALITY: Having spend most of her years in solitude, bar her father, Emiko is a shy, somewhat socially awkward Drone. because of her isolated upbringing, she is not very confrontational and often shuts down when overwhelmed. Despite this, she had a kind personality and an eager thirst for knowledge. Even with her disability, she has an independent spirit and yearns to grow as a person.

KENTO HAGURUMA

BACKGROUND

Kento spend years and years toiling the Drone Manufacturing Facilities on Chromium-12, were he worked as the head mechanic - an empty title, considering how his kind was treated by the humans. Spending years maintaining and repairing his fellow Drones, Kento has amassed an extensive knowledge on mechanical and technological processes. On Copper-9, he would be top surgeon.

As an unofficial part of his job, he was also often in charge of the disposal of Defects in the Construction floor. A kind-hearted soul, Kento abhorred those days and sadness filled his core as he had to toss away these poor Drones that never got the chance to even activate, just because they weren't completely made as their human overlord wished them to be.

One day, that changed. As he brought out the cart with - supposedly - inactive defects, he heard a small voice beg for help. A young girl Drone, looking at him with pleading eyes. In a rare act of defiance, he decided to go against the rules and help this poor thing. He hid her away, and when he clocked out, he managed to smuggle her onto the shuttle that would bring them to his home on the third moon.

There, he tried to fix this young girl to the best of his abilities, using the meager spare spart that he had managed to smuggle away. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't completely repair the girl, but still, he had done enough to give her a chance.

He took her into his home, and named her Emiko. Soon, she would start to call him 'papa', a title Kento accepted with all his joy. As the years went by, Kento did his best to provide for his daughter, but always regretting the fact that she had to remain hidden. Still, they were a family, and they were happy.

When the Servant Drones of Chromium-12 were granted the same status as 'Sentients' like the Drones on Copper-9, he made use of this newfound freedom to do the one thing he knew could give his daughter a better life: move away to Copper-9, where she finally would be given the chance to grow and thrive.

PERSONALITY: Kento is a kind-hearted man, 'an old soul', like humans would call him. Soft-spoken and slow to anger, he was a beloved sight with his fellow Servant Drones. He wants nothing more than give his adopted daughter the life he always wanted to give her. Hidden away under his friendly and kind attitude, he harbors a silent yet fierce hatred for humans, who had enslaved and abused his kind for years. Protective of his daughter, he struggles with accepting her growing independence on Copper-9, despite feeling nothing but happy for her.

The Japanese competitor to JCJENSON, who owned several Exoplanets that were luxury resorts for the lazy rich. As a major name in the technology business, they even had their own brand of Worker Drones.

These Drones were constructed on the Exoplanet Chromium-12, with the third moon - which was deprived of oxygen - being set up as a 'storage facility' for the Drones, who had to travel back on forth to the main planet every day to work in the factories and resorts that were littering the planet.

Despite JCJENSON suing for copyright infringement, SABANTO won their case by explaining that these were 'Servant Drones', and not 'Worker Drones'.

This, unfortunately, also meant that when the Worker Drones of Copper-9 were given the status as 'Sentient' and received their independence, SABANTO used the same legal loophole to prevent their Drones to receive the same thing. It took years of legal battles before SABANTO relinquished their hold on the Drones.

But they aren't happy about it ...

[goblins-riddles-or-frocks]

How would you have handled Rhysand after book 1?

It honestly would've been very easy to rehabilitate him. I'd keep the bargain and him whisking Feyre away at her wedding, but give him actual motivations for wanting her around beyond simply "being nice" and then force them to interact over the Hybern threat. It needed like... no real finesse? The concept was fine, and him helping her through the initial trials in book one was enough to set him up as a dubious ally, enemy of my enemy is my friend, type thing. She can grow further away from Tamlin as per canon (minimal props to SJM bc I do think the concept of them coping with trauma in incompatible ways was interesting) but instead of having it be a cut and dry "Tamlin is abusive now and Rhysand saves her" it can be more gradual. The problem is SJM basically tried to redeem him too hard, when he really didn't need it! Just let him stay kind of gross! If we're going further into what *eye* would personally do, then I'd let him keep the court of nightmares as his like actual legit court! That can be his style of rule and it can suck! But he's also vulnerable and weird and doesn't really know what to do with himself after the events of ACOTAR and he kind of imprints on Feyre. (Ugh, fine. We can keep the mate thing.) And maybe I'd expand on her trying to spy on him a little? There's that bit earlier where Tamlin quizzes her on all her visits, and like I'd lean into that and have her try, in her clumsy way, to fish for information. And he probably knows this and tells himself he's being guarded about it and only humoring her but he's also in such a complicated emotional state being newly released from captivity himself that her attempts at like being nice and flirting actually keep getting to him. I'd also nix the fucking inner circle. They're so fucking cringe. And I think isolation works better for him as a character, and the juxtaposition of like Tamlin, the beloved forthright High Lord with Lucien and idk all his people. And then Rhysand as the lonely goth freak and the court that's eating itself alive. I'd make the mate reveal happen when Feyre is still with Tamlin. And they're both really confused and grossed out by it but decide to like use this to manipulate him. And she pities him about it, and they know that he knows, but he's pretending not to give a shit. But idk at some point Feysand could have some sort of fight (I guess at the midpoint or seventy five percent mark) where she can throw it in his face and he cringes away like she stabbed him. And idk. proceed from there

Insert external plot to tie it all together and make them legit admit feelings

[godzexperiment]

it was already wild to think about his language capabilities+mimicry of people's voices he can do/or sounds and all that- it's even more so that just for no rational or needed reason he can perfectly say things backwards like rewinding an cd

[kariachi]

Oh look, some commission! For @thenixkat, a continuation of previous Pokemon fics. Happy birthday, nix!

In which the aftermath of the new Totem Pokemon arriving in Po Town is quite eventful.

~~

“Never a dull moment with you lot.”

Nanu had already been making his way to Po Town, Chie and her newest Meowth at his heels, when he’d gotten the phone call. There was a bond between Kahuna and their Tapu, and for all he felt no resonating aggression there’d still been a jolt of worry to realize Tapu Bulu was actively heading that way. It was a peaceful creature, yes, but it was also very, very powerful. Hearing it’s bell chiming in the opposite direction without any preceding sounds of disaster had only been so much of a relief in those moments before confirmation everyone was alright.

That didn’t mean the situation wasn’t very weird though.

“Just explain what the fuck that was,” Guzma growled, gesturing at the massive pile of junk in front of them. Or more at the tunnel dug into it, into which he and the grunts swore a Golisopod the size of a shed had gone at Tapu Bulu’s behest. “Shit like that don’t just happen!”

He wasn’t wrong. The islands’ trials had changed over the centuries- buildings built and lost, paths changed, trial captains coming and going- but the Totem Pokemon’s lines had always been where they were. Even before the Island Challenge they had been there, and Nanu knew of no story, not even among the old oral ones, that explained how they had first come to take their positions as local guardians. His assumption had always been that they were simply powerful enough that others naturally turned to them, but certainly being assigned a territory by a Tapu wasn’t stranger than anything else in Alola.

But that wasn’t what Guzma was asking, not really. Nanu swept his gaze over the junk pile.

“Tapu Bulu,” he said after a moment, “isn’t known for being subtle. Pleasure, displeasure, it makes sure the people of Ula’Ula know how it feels.” His eyes slid to Guzma- stood there like a challenge to the world- a smile quirking onto his lips.

“What you all are doing here? I’d say the Tapu approves.”

A million and one emotions crossed Guzma’s twisting face in an instant before settling into a derisive sneer. Those sharp grey eyes were shining.

“As it damn well should-!”

~~

Guzma had hardly left Po Town in the last year. There’d been a handful of sightings- mostly stopping by wherever his underlings were working. He’d helped the Champion deal with a frantic Volcarona a while back. His mother reported him coming home at one point, staying for a whole two hours before leaving. Ages ago he’d shown up in Iki Town with a gaggle of grunts, told Hala in no uncertain terms he was going to train them like he wasn’t talking to a Kahuna, and then left. Sometimes he’d pop in at the Battle Tree. But for the most part, nobody outside of Team Skull and Kahuna Nanu saw him.

And it wasn’t as if anyone could blame him. After the whole disaster with that Nihilego there was a general agreement that he was perfectly entitled to isolate himself a bit. Even with only the smallest bits of information, it was obvious that the whole event had been at least as traumatic for him as everyone else involved, if not more. Why should he want to wander about, risk being reminded? No, so far as those who cared about him were concerned, he could stay as he was as long as he felt he needed.

It just meant that as the news spread about the new Golisopod (or more, Nanu called the more senior Kahuna with a long list of reasons why handling all the trouble that a brand-new Totem line brought was his job) Kukui and Hala were forced to come to him.

The first sight upon entering was a great mass of refuse across the street from the pokemon center that hadn’t been there at the professor’s last visit. A Golisopod, so big both men had to stop and stare in wonder, sat before it in quiet meditation, paying them little heed as it watched the town with a discerning eye. Truly every inch exuded the raw essence, raw power of a Totem Pokemon. Kukui couldn’t help a low whistle, the same thrill going up his spine as when he had first challenged one himself.

They were getting to see the beginning of a brand-new Totem line, and he couldn’t help but wonder with excitement what this would mean for Alola going forward. What this meant for Team Skull, who had apparently found a new path honored by their local Tapu, and for the old friend he still hadn’t managed to repair his relationship with.

He was hopeful as they started up again slowly, with respectful nods to the Totem. The few grunts around eyed them warily, though a few managed to wave to Hala while doing so- a multitalented set- and none obstructed their path. Well, a Mareanie did, but that hardly counted as it just gave them a long once over before begrudgingly returning to the pokemon center. They just let it do as it would, keeping half an eye on the pokemon and the other sweeping over the graffiti that seemed to cover every solid surface of the town. It was all very Team Skull.

Guzma was in the midst of a massive garden that seemed to take up a good third of the town, alongside his team. Masquerain watering, Scizor tending plants with a basket to match Guzma’s on it’s arm, Golisopod watching the Totem watch everyone else. The man seemed to know they were there despite facing the other way, given the tension in his shoulders. Hala’s steps slowed in response as they approached, Kukui’s didn’t.

“Alola, Guzma,” he called with a friendly wave, smile broadening as the other man rose from his crouch with a deep, hissed breath, turning to face them with a scowl. Still unreasonably tall, but holding himself with less of a slouch now, the bags that had always hung under his eyes more faded than when last they’d seen each other, and- “You’ve put on weight, cousin!”

The last time he’d seen him with any sort of pudge they had been small children running around outside the Trainer School. Then puberty had hit and suddenly no amount of food was enough. Now, now those pounds had finally come back, joining up with a scowl that chased the grin from Kukui’s face.

“That a problem?” He blinked twice before Hala caught up and strode forward, beaming himself.

“Not at all,” he crowed, slapping a hand against his own bulk. “Melemele makes them sturdy! More like a Pinsir than a Scyther, built to stop our opponents in their tracks.” Guzma’s gaze flicked between the two of them, and Kukui made sure to nod enthusiastically. “Where is Pinsir, I never knew your pokemon to wander far?”

“Out helping Kaleo with a fence,” Guzma said, crossing his arms over his chest. “What you two doing all the way out here, besides bothering me?”

“Sorry,” Kukui said, “that’s the one two of it. We wanted to see how you were doing, and that seemed like as good an excuse as any.” He gestured back to the Totem as he said it. First glaring in it’s direction, Guzma let out another hissing breath and looked around at the grunts out and about. With a huff he whistled to one.

“Akani! Take over here!” The boy was running instantly, stumbling to a careful stop beside them all with a bright “Yes, Boss!”.  Scizor chirped something to Golisopod as the boy’s Fomantis caught up, setting down it’s basket beside the smaller pokemon with all the gravitas of passing down a family relic. Between the two, something fond and soft Kukui and Hala had missed all these years crossed Guzma’s face, gone as soon as he turned back to them with a harsh wave of his hand. “Get out my garden.”

Without question they both turned and headed back to the road, pausing long enough for Guzma to shout-

“You could at least keep the riffraff out!”

-to the Totem and get a burble in response before he herded them towards the great mansion at the far end, Scizor at his side.

The building itself was grand, despite hosting the most graffiti of any in the town, and upon finally getting to enter it was clear that it used to be far more so. Fancy furniture worn, battered, broken by careless use, spots where it was clear items of great value once made up the interior and had been stripped away. Writing on the walls and obviously amateur repairs and modifications.

“You guys have really made this place your own, huh,” Kukui asked, wondering what the family that had once owned the building would think to see it now. Guzma just smirked with a small huff, leading them towards what turned out to be a dining room.

“The guy who started construction on Lanakila can’t talk,” he said. Kukui laughed.

“Tapu Bulu hasn’t destroyed it yet, so I must have done something right!” With a hum that was almost accepting, Guzma nodded and crashed down into a chair.

“It isn’t as if you can judge him for disrespect anyway,” Hala cut in for him, smile still on his face, “with the way you talked to Totem Golisopod.” Another huff and a shrug from across the table.

“It wants to live here, it can earn it’s keep like the rest of us.” Hala laughed.

“Well, it’s a good thing trial stipends exist then, isn’t it?”

From the look that crossed Guzma’s face you would think a Gloom had wandered by, possibly trailed by a few Trubbish. The scowl that had mostly faded to tentative neutrality returned with quickness.

“We don’t need the handout,” he said, almost growled, “or the strings attached.”

“It’s not a handout,” Hala said gently, “it’s payment to cover the cost of trial maintenance and at least part of the upkeep of the trial captain, if it accepts one, and you know perfectly well how loose the strings are on it.” Certainly, he would know better than Kukui. Guzma had always gunned harder for the position of trial captain, even when they had been small children. He’d always been driven to prove himself, feed his bruised ego.

“It’s a real interesting site for a trial too,” Kukui said, as much to change the topic to one he understood better as to compliment, “All the others are further out. Maybe the gardens are considered big enough to count as nature?”

“We’re still surrounded by the shit,” Guzma pointed out, rolling his eyes, “the gardens don’t need to count for crap.”

“I think,” Hala said, “Nanu is right that this is Tapu Bulu’s way of showing it’s approval.” He beamed across the table. “It’s glad as us you’ve all returned to the right path.”

Guzma didn’t smile back. He didn’t scowl. His eyes narrowed, fist clenched. Beside him, Scizor began sinking into a fighting stance. Smile slipping away, Hala leaned back slightly under his gaze.

“And what, precisely, does that mean?”

“You’ve stepped away from crime,” Hala said slowly, carefully, “begun making something of yourself. At this rate those kids might finally finish their island challenges.” Guzma let out a noise that might have been a laugh but for the sneer.

“And that’s all the fucking matters in this region,” he said, teeth on full display, “ain’t it. We get fucking Tapu approval and it’s still all about finishing that stupid challenge. Because if you can’t hack it, you may as well not even fucking be here.”

“Guzma,” Kukui started in unison with Hala’s

“That’s not what I meant.”

“It’s never what anyone means,” Guzma definitely growled now, “it’s just what they say, and how they act. Welcome to fucking Alola, where everyone’s family but if you don’t meet the training requirements, if you ain’t part of the crowd, if you open your damn mouth, then be ready to get torn the fuck down.” 

He clenched the edge of the table as he spoke. Kukui pushed his chair back, caught somewhere between ready to challenge him back and wanting to avoid it. Alola wasn’t perfect, no, they’d talked long hours about it (fought about it) once upon a time, but…

“Guzma-” Hala was steady in his own chair, for all his shoulders tensed, frown marring his face. “-just because you had a rough time-”

“Oh, now you acknowledge it! You fucks doing that for kids now? Of course not, otherwise they wouldn’t keep coming to me!” You could hear the wood creak beneath Guzma’s hands as he stood. “Because hey, didn’t matter that I was coming to lessons with black eyes, the fuck should it matter Taro’s hiding outside crying? That Peni’s not allowed home until they ‘prove themself’? Plume can’t go a full evening without some sort of snide remark about her ‘potential’?” The words were spat like venom, and stung just the same. Guzma didn’t look to Kukui as he said them, never had, but they still dug under his skin.

He remembered all too well his dad, when he should have been asleep, talking about how Guzma’s problems weren’t theirs to fix. As if minding their business, not getting into a fight with Mr. Aikawa, was more important than Guzma was.

He wasn’t afraid to admit how much a role that had played in his taking in Lillie.

“But hey,” Guzma continued before anyone could speak, voice growing louder, flashing a grin that begged for blood in it, “what’s it matter? All they gotta do is beat the Island Challenge and they’ll be all set to get the fuck out and live their lives! As long as they aren’t fucking failures! Then everyone can join in on making their lives a bitch! And who the fuck they have then?!” He was yelling, the grin shifting into a snarl as he lifted a hand to slap against his chest. “They got me! They got Skull! They got Po Town! You know why the bad crime started? ‘Cause I was eighteen with mouths to feed that sure as shit weren’t going home! ‘Cause I wasn’t ‘dedicated’ enough to get my championship, I wasn’t ‘respectful’ enough to let my failure stop me trying to become a trial captain, so like shit were people hiring me!”

Hala finally stood, but Kukui couldn’t. His legs wouldn’t have allowed it. Eighteen had been their last big fight, about tradition and their culture and whether it was better to adjust it to the modern day or just to burn everything to the ground and start over.

He hadn’t known that he and others were struggling so.

“You could have asked for-” On instinct he flinched as the edge of the table- once held in place only with glue and nails- whizzed passed his head. Guzma’s glare was on him now, a lifetime of betrayal lodged in his eyes. With the guilt already in his gut, Kukui couldn’t help but back down.

“Don’t you start that shit! As if I wasn’t done with you years ago! ‘Oh Guzma you should train more.’ ‘Oh Guzma you should listen to the elders.’ ‘Oh Guzma the bond with your pokemon is key.’ Like I didn’t work my ass off?! Like the elders weren’t leaving me to suffer?! Like my pokemon aren’t my fucking life?!” Scizor inched closer to his side, staring Hala down like it dared him to interfere. “You talked a big game when we were kids, Kukui, but talk’s all you are! The second there’s any sorta real flaw in the way shit’s done around here, there you are to tell us all why it’s a personal problem and if we just tried harder! You and your fucking League- you never wanted to fix anything, you just wanted to make the same old shit shiny and new!”

For the first time in what felt like ages Kukui watched Guzma pull himself up to his full height, telling himself his old friend’s eyes only looked wet. With all the confidence of the world, he glared he and Hala down.

“We don’t need Tapu Bulu’s approval,” he sneered, “and we sure as shit don’t need yours. Now do us all a favor and get the fuck out my town!”

The world seemed to stop for one, two, three heartbeats, before Hala’s hand dropped onto Kukui’s arm. Scizor rounded Guzma as he stood, falling into pointed step behind them as Hala led the way from the room. As soon as the pokemon closed the door behind them a shout and crash rang through the air and through them.

“Guzma?” Kukui called back when another didn’t come, feet locked in place just passed the door, their old mentor and Scizor both waiting on him. Silence loomed. He took and released a deep breath. “I never saw you as a failure. I’m sorry I made you think otherwise.”

For a long time, all was quiet.

“You oughta be.”

With another deep breath and a nod, Kukui pulled his feet free of themselves and rejoined the others. Everything seemed muted as they walked, giving respectful bows to both Golisopod- the Totem one now stood on the front walk and the normal stalking passed them back to it’s owner’s side.

And that, for the time at least, was that.

~~

It took what felt like forever to get everything surrounding the new Totem Pokemon and subsequent trial together. New markers and barricades had to be carved and painted. Nanu had to relearn the ceremony to welcome the Golisopod to it’s role as well as organize the whole event, which he, true to form, was not in any rush for. All the necessary items had to be procured and set up. There’d nearly been a fistfight as people tried to convince the grunts to clean Po Town up some more for the occasion. Also, since this was clearly a bug trial and may end up with a captain, the Kahunas had been forced to dig through everything they owned trying to find the bug emblem that had gone unused since Hala’s grandmother was a Kahuna. Eventually, for some reason, it turned up half-buried in Hapu’s back garden.

In the end, it was months before the big event could go down.

~~

Snatching the bowl of fruit from Nanu’s hands, Guzma shoved another filled with fish scraps and tinned shellfish in its place before storming back through the crowd with a huff. Swore sometimes nobody in this region knew a Golisopod from their own ass…

It was with a scowl he settled in at the edge of the main garden with his team, handing the bowl off to Scizor as he crouched beside his own Golisopod. Almost before it could burble at him he was pulling another tin from his pocket, opening and handing it over in a single practiced motion.

 Seemed like just about everyone on Ula’Ula was there for the ceremony. Certainly everyone left from Tapu Village. The grunts and Plumeria were scattered around the crowd in little clusters. All the Kahunas, of course, captains, Kukui’s Elite Four and that Champion kid. If it hadn’t been in Po Town, Guzma wouldn’t have bothered. Even as it was, he was only there to assert his place as head of the town and to make sure none of the crowd trampled the garden.

Would be their luck, just when things were going good, for their hard work to be ruined because people couldn’t resist a show.

There were new Totems all the time. Not new lines, no, but every one of these people would get the chance to see this again. Fuck, that stupid Togedemaru’d be gone in a few years, it’s heir’d go through this whole mess. They could go there, rather than crowd around his town, spooking that Chansey Kaleo’d finally managed to catch.

More people were going to be coming around too. Trial-goers running around his town doing, nobody knew what just yet. He was tempted to put up a new fence to keep them out by the pokemon center and out of his hair. Let that stupid Totem and whoever ended up working with it deal with them.

Golisopod handed back the empty can with a gurgle just as Nanu backed away from the offering table. He was beginning the traditional chant as Guzma pocketed the can, loud enough to be heard through the crowd if you were bothering to listen. Guzma didn’t.

Okay, so it wasn’t fair to insult the Totem. It was a fine Golisopod, and even when they were causing him trouble he couldn’t bring himself to hate a bug-type. He just, wasn’t a fan of Totems, and trials, and captains, after…

He’d tried so fucking hard.

So much effort had gone in, way back when. Guzma’d beat the trials, with his trusty team at his side. They’d worked their asses off, learnt so much, gotten all the stamps. Looked so forward to proving that win against Sofu hadn’t been a fluke, hadn’t just been the luck they’d had that day. Only for everything to come crashing down in loss after loss after loss, the old man always having some new trick up his sleeve every time they faced off.

It didn’t matter how many near wins you had against a Kahuna, if you didn’t beat them all that second round it didn’t count. It didn’t count and you weren’t anything. He’d known it from the start, but nothing made it sink in the way failing did. People looked at you different, talked about you different. You went from the kid who could go places to just another kid that couldn’t hack it. Clearly you had no self-discipline, no drive, no smarts, because surely you’d have won otherwise.

As Nanu moved on to the dancing, Guzma heaved a sigh. Reached out to pat Plumeria’s new Gengar as it as it came back to join the rest of them.

He’d always wanted to be a trial captain. When he was little it had been about proving he could meet his father’s expectations. But after failing? It had started to mean something. He wasn’t saving some chunk of ego, he was proving a point. Showing Alola that it could be done. That you could still make yourself into something, something important, even if you didn’t get through the whole challenge. Just because everybody based your entire life around succeeding, it didn’t mean they were right.

Becoming a trial captain had become about proving all those people looking down on him (then on Plume, then on Peni, then on-) wrong.

But none of the Kahunas would take him. Not even Hala. Because he hadn’t gotten his championship. No matter that he was skilled enough, knowledgeable enough. No matter that he had every other qualification. Because he couldn’t beat Sofu he couldn’t get the job. Even better, because he kept trying he couldn’t get the job. ‘Lack of respect for tradition’. None of it had stopped him, even after the crime had started. Every time there was an opening he had presented himself, right up until he turned twenty and there was no chance of them changing their minds.

Across the crowd he didn’t want there, the Totem Golisopod finally came out of it’s hole, surveyed Nanu and everyone present, and set to eating in that delicate way that had always charmed Guzma about the line. Nanu stepped back as everybody watched.

A few times, in the past months, Guzma’d wondered if maybe this was a punishment. Everyone talked about how much of an honor it was, to have Tapu Bulu itself place a Totem Pokemon in Po Town, but sometimes he struggled to see it. The supposed approval would be nice, and despite his words to Hala he wasn’t fool enough to refuse the money Ula’Ula set aside for its trials, but… A trial practically in his yard? The looming threat of some brat the Kahunas loved, who’d been the good little trial-goer, met every expectation, ate boots in the name of tradition, moving into his town of rejects and anarchists… Becoming the big name while they lived his childhood dream…

It sure as shit felt like punishment to him.

Eventually, no matter how he felt about the whole situation, the Golisopod finished it’s meal. Surveyed the crowd again, longer this time. A deeper hush fell over them all as it stepped forward, people and pokemon parting before it. Not a single person, from Kahuna down, got so much as a glance as it passed. As it made it’s way towards the garden.

Guzma stood straight with ease, chin raised and eyes narrowed in challenge. He didn’t know what it wanted, but he hadn’t stepped aside for anybody able in years. Like it knew that, it stopped in front of him, gaze flicking to his own Golisopod stood firmly at his side. The two pokemon burbled and chirped back and forth, his more aggressively, for several long minutes as everyone watched on. Eventually though, as the conversation wound down, both’s attention turned to Guzma.

“Yeah,” he asked challengingly. “What’s the problem?”

Silently, the Totem Golisopod laid one massive claw over his head.

The world froze, or maybe it was just the speed at which his mind was racing. Four, five, seven thousand miles an hour, as it tried to work out what exactly was going on. The Golisopod’s claw fell from his head as it rounded him, prodding him in the direction of it’s home. Not hard enough to hurt, but enough to shove him forward, prompt protective chitters from his team. While his starter hovered at his elbow, the Totem herded him through the re-parting crowd, passed all the big names, until he stood beside the offering table.

Again, it laid a claw over his head.

Again, Guzma couldn’t find words.

Then, as if nothing had happened, it turned and slipped back inside the junk pile, leaving the world to its frantic, frozen, contemplation.

The Totem had-

Him-

It had-

Guzma turned to Golisopod, who gurgled annoyance and buried it’s head against his shoulder, his hand coming up to meet it without thought. His gut understood, he could feel a million things fighting in it, but his brain refused to make connections. Stayed desperately blank.

Eventually, a kid (his brain managed a quick ‘Mimikyu’s latest captain’) broke the stillness to walk up to his side, hands clasped behind her back.

“I think it likes you,” she said. He wanted to answer, but could only manage a nod. His jaw was clenched tight against something. The want to cheer, to scream, to cry, to rage, and more. Back in the crowd, the Champion chimed in.

“I mean, this can’t be the first time a Totem Pokemon’s chosen it’s own captain.” The words stuck in his head like an axe. “Right? Am I just new?”

Whatever spell was over his crew burst like a dam, the grunts all erupting into cheers that would wake mountains. Out the corner of his eye Guzma could see but not quite comprehend Plumeria shoving through the crowd towards him. Beneath the noise, people were beginning to chatter amongst themselves.

He had tried so fucking hard. Worked so fucking hard. It’d been so fucking long. This wasn’t supposed to happen. He’d aged out. He’d failed and failed and failed and aged out and- And this wasn’t how it worked.

But-

(“What you all are doing here? I’d say the Tapu approves.”)

Guzma took a deep breath, heart racing, throat tight, and recentered himself. Let lessons from years back flow over him again. Throwing on a smirk that was more of a smile, he turned down to the captain beside him. To his fellow captain. Finally.

“What can I say, bug pokemon got great taste.”

~~

Muffled voices drifted in from the next room, distance softening the words before they came through the open door. A whole little host of trial captains were gathered in there, from the more tentative Akala captains to Mina avidly sketching the scene. At the center of everything sat Guzma, exuding a cautious joy, seemingly almost forgetting to expect the other shoe to drop as he talked with the others. Sophocles and Acerola sat on either side of him, while Plumeria and a curious grunt hovered over his shoulders. Araquanid and Froslass lay in a pile with Golisopod on the floor.

Meanwhile, the Kahunas sat together in a silence that wasn’t as tense as it was thoughtful. Tension was more the bounds of their companions. Molayne stared through the doorway from his seat, chewing on his lower lip and rolling Dugtrio’s pokeball between his fingers. Beside him, Ilima, normally so composed, kept his focus solely on the Kahunas, as if it would stop them noticing the way his knee kept bouncing.

“So-” Hala, the eldest of the lot, was the first to speak. “-you two have concerns?”

“Not concerns, so much,” Molayne answered, his voice trailing off before Ilima picked up with a deep breath.

“Guzma is passed twenty.” Hapu hummed quietly as Hala nodded.

“He doesn’t fall into the traditional age range of a captain, no. But,” he said, “Golisopod did choose him itself.”

“Bug specialists aren’t common,” Olivia pointed out, not unkindly but as someone convinced of their own reasoning, “and the only water specialist around was Lana. If it didn’t want to wait for a captain, or do without one, then he was pretty much it’s only choice.” On her other side, the Kahunas who knew Guzma carefully didn’t speak. Instead, it was Hapu that continued the conversation.

“Whyever it made it’s decision, we still need to work out how we’re going to handle it,” she said, then turned back to Ilima. “But that shouldn’t be any worry of yours.”  He took another deep breath, shaking his head.

“It’s just, I like being a trial captain.” A pause, and when nobody cut in, he continued, growing more emotional with each word. “Mina, Kiawe, Mallow, they all have dreams and goals outside of the Island Challenge, but- I like guiding new trainers. I like training pokemon, organizing the trials, helping preserve Alola’s culture. And maybe it’s immature of me, but- I don’t want to have to stop!” The boy’s aching frown seemed to radiate through the room, his outburst finally pulling Molayne’s attention back into the room. He put an arm around his shoulders as Hala leaned forward, a large hand squeezing Ilima’s knee.

“There’s nothing immature about being passionate about what you do,” he said softly, smiling at him. Worry colored Nanu’s own frown as he turned.

“And you feel the same, Molayne?”

“No,” he answered, shaking his head, “I just-” He faced the Kahunas that weren’t in the process of comforting Ilima. “-I wonder, now Guzma is a trial captain, about if I’d had a few more years as one. If maybe it would have done Soffy well to have a few more years of just being a kid. He got along too well with Togedemaru not to succeed me, but…”

“But you worry,” Hapu finished, nodding her understanding. Olivia and Nanu shared a look over Hala’s back, then back towards the other room.

“We were already going to have to work something out,” she said, “what’s a few more things to consider?”

~~

“A’ight, everybody sit their asses down and shut up!”

The whole of the Skull Grunts were crowded into the living room, taking up nearly every seat available as they eagerly watched their boss walk into the room like a man on a mission. He threw a pad of paper on what was technically still the coffee table as he crashed into his chair. Plumeria followed behind at a more sedate pace, though with no less of a smirk. Arms resting on his knees, Guzma leaned forward, like he was plotting something.

Technically, they all were.

“The only real rules,” he said, “are we gotta have a trial, it can’t actively hurt or kill people, it’s gotta end with them getting to challenge the Totem, and if a kid wins, they get a z-cystal.” A few people exchanged glances.

“You sure on that last one, boss,” Chie asked. “We worked hard getting all those.” Guzma nodded.

“And you’re all getting one for the effort, but otherwise they’re just taking up space in our damn house.” Everyone exchanged a look. “You trust me or not?”

A cheer went up.

“So,” Plumeria said, pulling the lot back on track with a smile, “trial ideas?”

“Yeah!” Guzma flopped back with a broad, smirking grin. “We gotta get something together. And I figure, between the lot of us, this is prime time to show those losers we do shit different around here-”

~~*~~*~~

~~

“So, you catch the news this morning?”

“No- slept in, was almost late for the ferry. What’s up?”

“You know the whole mess with that new Totem line? Kahunas are making some changes now.”

“Are they?”

“Yeah. Starting with the next set, trial captains’ll be between fifteen and twenty-five. Giving that new guy five years too, since he got picked special-like. Apparently, they want the new Totem to settle in before they start changing shit on it.”

“Damn. The age rules have been in place since at least my grandad was a kid.”

“I know, right? Nowadays it’s like the whole world’s changing…”

~~

~~*~~*~~

It was raining buckets as he made his way up the long road. His Slowbro was enjoying it, but Katashi himself was greatly regretting his decision to go challenge the last of Ula’Ula’s trials today of all days. With any luck it would be indoors, like the last one, but as he pulled his raincoat closer around him, he found himself doubting it. As if to rub salt in the wound, as he approached a gate the older teens behind it not only weren’t dressed for the weather but seemed entirely unbothered by it. Passed them, he could see a pokemon center and massive pile of trash, in front of which sat a Golisopod so large Slowbro pressed itself against his side.

If that wasn’t the Totem Pokemon he’d eat his hat.

“And what’s your business,” one of older teens- with a Paras on his shoulder whose mushrooms Katashi didn’t recognize- asked, sounding for all the world like he already knew.

“I’m here to attempt the trial,” he answered, pulling his challenge amulet from his pocket and holding it out as proof. The pair overacted their hemming over it before the other one turned away.

“Yo, Boss!! Kid wants to fight our old lady!!”

“That so?”

They both stepped to one side, Katashi staring into the rain where the answering call had come from. Slowly, the shape of a man formed, with a large pokemon beside him. As he got closer, he could make out more detail. The normally-sized Golisopod, the shock of white hair. The dark clothing, and woven basket under his arm.

Katashi drew himself up as the man approached, laying his hand on Slowbro’s shoulder for support. He was tall, towering over him, back straight and shoulders back, far older than the captains he’d met so far. In fact, he may not have even recognized him as such were it not for the emblem poking out from under his loose shirt. Calculating grey eyes stared down at him as he came to a stop on the other side of the gate.

“And who’re you?” He was careful to meet the man’s gaze head on. To the side, the older teens nodded to each other.

“Katashi,” he said, “I’m here to challenge the Totem Pokemon.” The man made a noise in his throat.

“Why?”

Katashi’s shoulders fell, confidence replaced with a confused frown. It was the Island Challenge. He was old enough for it. The man had to know he’d gotten past the other ones to make it this far.

“Because I’m on my Challenge,” he said without a second thought. The older teens snorted. The Paras might have laughed, he couldn’t tell from bug-types. Before him, the man shook his head.

“Yeah, no.” No?! Could he even-?!

“You can’t just say ‘no’!” He wasn’t sure, but he was hedging his bets. The man, worse, the captain, snorted.

“You wanna face off against our lady?” It was a stupid question, and surely he knew it. “Then you’re staying the night here. I expect a better answer in the morning.”

Katashi just stared as the man gestured and the gate was opened. Stay the- This was weird, right? Right? Where was the puzzle, or the hunt, or whatever? Without even a word of explanation, the man just held out the basket he was holding, dropping it directly in front of Katashi so that he had to lunge to catch it.

“Good reflexes,” one of the older teens cheered as he stared down at the collection of radishes, onions, and greens.

“Come on,” the man said as he began to walk away, Slowbro following before Katashi did, “while you’re here, you can help get this shit in before the rain gets bad.” By the Tapu, the weather got worse here?

Thrown off kilter, he trailed behind the man as they made their way down the road. Passed the pile of junk, under the watchful eye of the Totem Pokemon, making their way to a massive garden he hadn’t been paying enough attention to notice. He was waved down a row, and quickly found himself knelt in the mud, listening to the man explain how to tell when onions were ready for harvest, or when the weather would be bad enough to just take them early. Katashi only half listened, though something in the back of his mind niggled at the idea this might be a test, trying to make sense of the last five minutes.

He got the annoying feeling ‘why’ was going to be the word of the day.

[presidenthades]

Finished the first big revision of Compromise Ch. 12! Maybe I will actually update before the end of the year. We’ll see how crazy Christmas is. But for now: behind-the-scenes commentary for Lavender Ch. 4.

Usual disclaimer that these thoughts aren’t necessarily canonical to the fic verse until/unless I write them into the actual story.

At the beginning of the chapter, we see one of Jace’s flaws: she hates bothering other people, even if it’s to her own detriment. She will defend and help other people, but girlie puts herself last. It’s an admirable trait until someone takes advantage of it, steadily isolating her while she refuses to complain, until she has no other options for friends…

When Aegon says his tearful “I’m sorry” litany, the last one is to the baby because he knows he fucked up and is going to be gone for the rest of the pregnancy. 😢

Jace in this universe, compared to Golds!Jace, feels way less empowered to push back against Viserys. She didn’t grow up in the Red Keep with him this time around.

Letting Jace pick Aegon’s outfit is always the way to go. 👌🏼 I couldn’t resist a dig at Aemond’s one leather outfit lol. As a prince he should have more clothes, but the 2010s black leather aesthetic is still going strong. I imagine his wardrobe is just twenty identical black leather outfits he rotates between.

The OG Rhaenys’s death is a really interesting mystery. Here, Aegon believes the version where Rhaenys was tortured until the Dornish forced the Conqueror to make peace before putting her out of her misery. His adventures in Dorne don’t explicitly contradict this version, and I was careful not to have the Dornish characters talk too much about it. But as the author, I’m not entirely sure this version is what really happened. 🧐

Anyway, as soon as I decided I was writing a Dorne arc, I knew I had to draw some Aegon I/Rhaenys and Aegon II/Jace parallels. I started laying the groundwork this chapter.

Jace has a fleeting thought about trimming Aegon’s hair before he leaves. This is a very niche and roundabout way to reference how much Aegon trusts her. Does anyone remember that GOT scene where Theon is shaving Ramsay, and he’s tempted to slit Ramsay’s throat? You have to really trust your barber, AKA the person wielding a very sharp blade against your face. Of course a prince would have a servant for this job, but I like to think Jace takes over Aegon’s shaving and haircuts as another form of intimacy. Also he prefers it when she does it.

Aegon’s memory of drunk Viserys calling him Baelon is why it reallyyyyy hurts when he thinks Jace named their baby Baelon. 😬

Jace has an easier pregnancy in this verse in large part because she doesn’t experience the traumatic events in The Golds. She also isn’t running herself ragged trying to do three people’s jobs.

Aegon and Jace’s confession scene makes me feel so warm and fuzzy. 😭 Aegon is the heir to the throne, but he’s still worried he’s too dumb for his smart wife. Luckily Jace understands that there’s different types of intelligence other than book smarts. Also, he’s 1000% serious about Jace sitting on him on the Iron Throne lmao.

Their little shepherd and shopgirl daydream is something I am REALLY tempted to write in an Ancient Valyria AU. Aegon actually seems he would enjoy being a shepherd; he gets to run around all day, and he can even play music when the sheep are grazing. No paperwork or meetings.

At one point while writing this fic, I considered a plot point where Jace rejects Larys, and in retaliation he forges evidence that she and Criston (who is frequently guarding her alone) are having an affair. It ended up not fitting in the overall story so I nixed it, but sometimes I wonder how that would’ve turned out.

Aemond and Luce definitely made out prior to the scene where everyone is saying goodbye.

Aegon really appreciated Jace’s “I’ll miss you” because it was very honest and unfiltered. She genuinely meant it, and even though he hates leaving, it makes him feel better knowing that he’ll be missed.

Cheeseball kicked because he telepathically knew his daddy was waving goodbye. 😭

Jace wishes for an ally on the Small Council, but as the saying goes, be careful what you wish for. 👀 Now that Aegon is gone, Larys feels bold enough to make a move and send her the note.

Luce doesn’t think anyone on the Small Council noticed her, but Larys somehow knew she was there instead of Jace. That’s when Larys decides he needs to get rid of Jace’s sisters and cousins.

The spicy squid and pepper dish was targeting Baela and Rhaena. There was the risk the other girls might eat some, but Larys was confident that Jace, being pregnant, would refrain from a strange dish.

Criston has very little reason to be mean to the Velargirls in this verse. He barely knows them, and they’re Laenor’s kids so he doesn’t have his canon resentment about their parentage. He is able to treat his assignment guarding Jace as simply a job; it helps that she’s very easy to guard. Their conversation by the twins’ sickbed helps him get to know her a bit better, and he sees that she’s conscientious of duty, which he appreciates. He also admires Jace’s intelligence as she works through her thoughts about the investigation. Unfortunately, just as he’s warming up to her, he remembers the last time he was too friendly with a Targ princess (Rhaenyra) and immediately backtracks. ☹️ RIP Jace and Criston’s friendship.

Poor innocent cook Jorgen was killed as part of Larys’s plot, because he needed to throw doubt on whether High Tide would be safer for Jace. If a cook who worked at High Tide from years seems complicit in the poisoning, then maybe it’s best to just keep Jace in the Red Keep.

Jace is extremely relieved when her parents and grandparents arrive to assume responsibility. It can be easy to forget that she’s only 16, yet she’s been shouldering so many burdens on her family’s behalf.

Velaryons try to make a break for it, but the master of whisperers prepared for the possibility. When Viserys glances around him, once again he glances at Larys, whom he confides in a lot more in this verse.

Patriarchy in action this chapter! Women have to belong to somebody. Jace is married, so she belongs to her husband’s family now, not her father’s family. Ergo, she goes where the Targs want. Jace doesn’t like it, but she understands this is the way of things, so she tries to defuse the situation.

Note how Viserys says “your daughter has faith in my guards and whisperers.” 🧐

When Rhaenyra realizes she won’t be allowed to bring Jace back to Driftmark, she decides to stay with Jace instead. She’s determined not to leave Jace alone in the Red Keep…although that changes after the big fight. 😢

Luce also gets a taste of being dragged around by the patriarchy. She wants to stay with Jace, but Corlys says no, and the patriarch is always right.

Criston really doesn’t like Rhaenyra (the feeling is mutual), but he still has a job to do. 😩 Even though Criston has drawn hard boundaries, Jace is still attached to him because Aegon picked Criston for her. She has this feeling that if Criston is guarding her, then Aegon is indirectly keeping her safe.

Jace loves and misses her mom…but she can still find her mom smothering. 😅 As mentioned above, Jace has been shouldering a lot of burdens, so she feels like she’s grown up a lot and deserves to be treated as an adult/Rhaenyra’s equal. Rhaenyra still sees her as her baby though.

Even though Rhaenyra thinks poorly of Alicent, she sincerely believed that Alicent would treat Jace well (which Alicent has), so Rhaenyra feels betrayed (a bit irrationally, maybe) that Alicent has “allowed” the poisoning attempts.

Meanwhile Alicent is desperate to rekindle her friendship with Rhaenyra—but she has her limits (in this non-canon universe at least…) and gets annoyed when Rhaenyra keeps snarking about Aegon for no good reason.

“Aemond always has to suffer before he learns.” Helaena dropping truth bombs 💥.

Rhaenyra thinks Mysaria (before Mysaria fled) was the one informing her about Aegon’s doings, like the rumors about him boasting to his friends about having sex with Jace in the Small Council chamber. But we learn from Mysaria later that she only wrote one letter to Rhaenyra, which said that Aegon really liked Jace. This discrepancy is due to Larys of course. 🤧 I imagine even now, while Rhaenyra is in the Red Keep, Larys is planting more of these seeds to sow discord between her and Jace.

“We are the eternal bedrock beneath your feet. But a man like Aegon? The promises of devotion he has written in the sand will wash away with the tide.” Rhaenyra has picked up on the Velaryons’ maritime metaphors ahahah.

When Jace lashes out about Rhaenyra being abandoned by Daemon, we see that Jace does have a capacity for cruelty, and boy can she hit where it hurts. But she doesn’t like being cruel, so she feels sorry about it immediately (lucky for Westeros). Rhaenyra is human too, however, and her reaction is to run away and lick her wounds. She also can’t help tossing that final barb, “I trust that Her Grace will treat you like her own daughter”; if Jace is so defensive of Alicent, then maybe Jace should go to Alicent instead when she needs a mother. Rhaenyra regrets all these things once she gets to Driftmark. But Larys interferes with Jace’s apology raven, so Rhaenyra never realizes Jace wants her back.

Once again, we see one of Jace’s flaws—being her own worst critic—causing trouble for her. When she doesn’t receive any messages from the Velaryons, she believes it must be because she really is a bad daughter and they don’t want her anymore.

Helaena’s riddle is a reference to Larys, who has a firefly insignia on his cane. “Some glow green, but others glow yellow like false gold.” These are references to Team Green (which doesn’t exist in this verse, but that was Larys’s side in canon) and Team Gold (Larys pretending he’s on Jace’s side).

I have a lot of thoughts about the logistics of the Kingsguard. The seven of them can guard just the king at all hours of the day and night; they can work in shifts. But when you spread them out to the rest of the royal family, the shifts are harder to manage. They’re human, they have to eat and sleep. In this chapter, I show that even though Criston does his best to guard Jace, he can’t do it alone. He tries to vary when he rests, so sometimes he takes his break in the daytime, sometimes at night. Larys sneaks in to meet Jace when Criston isn’t there, because Criston would be more suspicious of him than a regular guard.

Larys approaching Jace at the weirwood is a parallel to him approaching Alicent at the weirwood in early S1.

“The sigil of House Strong winked at her, as if telling her a secret.” Note that Larys’s hand wearing his signet ring is resting on his cane, which has the firefly sigil.

Larys knows how to flatter Jace and start winning her over. She wants to be acknowledged as intelligent and capable, so he does that. He also knows that she’s fallen for Aegon, so he uses info about Aegon to manipulate her.

See Chapter 5 commentary here.

[dangerously-human]

Man, looking at my daily mood tracker, it is exceedingly obvious when the Strattera started to kick in. I was all over the place before, and now, it's mostly steady, calm contentment with very few blips. I didn't start taking this to stabilize my mood, but that's been a really good bonus effect - not really like an antidepressant (though those were helpful when I needed them), it really is about smoothing out the emotional volatility that goes with ADHD, so I can actually self-regulate.

I do need to try increasing my dose for sure, to tackle more of the symptoms I actually started taking this to deal with, and that requires making a doctor's appointment (and I'm currently battling the priorities monster with multiple medical things to get done). But, man, for all I've been complaining about side effects - the overheating is unreal with this drug, I have yet to wear a coat this winter and I feel like I'm boiling with fever in any building nearing 60 degrees - it's so obvious, looking at the data, that this is worth it. Even the way I'm normally miserable this time of year at work because we have a real, immovable deadline that requires a lot of fine detailed work, but I'm flying through it this round because I can actually focus. And as another extra perk, my writing productivity has skyrocketed too. It's been a major adjustment, but I am so thankful for this medicine and hopeful that I'll find a better balance with time.

Final thought: sure, looking at my mood data, I don't see quite the highs I did before, either, but a) that's worth the trade to nix the lows, too, and b) I think mostly that's because I was fairly socially isolated the last couple months, which I'm working on. Most importantly, the effect I didn't see, that I was so scared of, was losing the joy of special interests. My Lockwood & Co excitement has been a little muted, granted, but that shift predates the meds, and is mostly because my Dune enthusiasm spiked, followed by a return of my interest in Little Women. It fluctuates, and there wasn't a bad and empty dip in between. (My passion for L&Co has actually been pretty easy to summon up again when I want it, too; like most of my special interests, it's simply at all times simmering in the background.) For as disabling as my experience with special interests can absolutely be, that's not something I'm willing to give up, not even if it meant making everything else in my brain work as it's supposed to. So I'm really glad that fear turned out to be unfounded.

[all-pacas]

do you have any book recs or something you read recently that you really loved? i’ve been in a bit of a slump with my reading and i’d love to pick it back up

lol thanks for indulging me!

Currently I'm working my way through 2666 by Roberto Bolaño. It is very good, very dense, and impossible to even start to explain, one of those novels in a novel in a novel situations, loosely about a city in Mexico, but also a) a love triangle between english professors b) a teacher who grows obsessed with a physics book c) an American reporter sent to Mexico to report on a boxing match d) hundreds of murdered women e) a german writer. It's. It's a lot. It's very good, it's very long, I cannot explain it succinctly.

I also just started Haruki Murakami's Wild Sheep Chase, which. I love Murakami novels but they are probably not for everyone! As a starter book for him I like to recommend Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage, as it's less surreal and more grounded than a lot of his novels (and shorter). Killing Commodore, one of his more recent novels, was very fun. And if you're into sort of weird Japanese literature, I highly recommend The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa, a sort of… sci-fi-ish story about a lovely peaceful society who, periodically, have concepts (like "birds") outlawed and thus forgotten by all, or anything by Sayaka Murata, who has what I can only describe as humanity dysphoria and writes fascinating short stories.

After I wrote all this I decided to self-shame and show off my Book Mountain, the pile of books by my nightstand I've accumilated over many, many months and mostly have not yet read:

The Field Guide to the Connecticut River is actually super interesting if, like me, you grew up in New England and never thought of that river over there as an eco system in itself. It has illustrations! Pictures of frogs! Geological maps! Super fun to just page through, makes me wanna go hike and look at ponds.

Mary Beard is a fantastic author and I've loved her other Roman-related books (SPQR and Pompeii), super stoked to take another crack at Emperor of Rome.

Ours is a really well written novel with an interesting idea — in the 19th century a group of mostly escaped slaves form their own secret town hidden by magic and isolated from the rest of the world, and how that both protects and hurts them. I just can't get into it, but eventually I'll finish it.

A Children's Bible is quite short and it was fantastic. A group of rich adults rent a summer home and bring a dozen or so children, who are left to fend for themselves as their parents drink and lie around, all while quietly in the background the rest of the world collapses.

Lies and Weddings was fun! it's by the author of Crazy Rich Asians and is essentially a remix of that, just set in England this time. But if you like that sort of thing, it's a fun, quick read.

Bright Young Women was another really good book, I just recently finished re-reading it. I very much enjoyed Jessica Knoll's first book, Luckiest Girl Alive, she's a very strong POV writer. Bright Young Women is a sort of… fictionalized version of the fallout of the Ted Bundy murders, except the murderer is never named or made out to be sexy or sympathetic or cool. It's more about what comes before and after 'the perpetrator' comes into people's lives. Very, very good book.

Another novel (not pictured, but it's on my bookshelf in my line of sight) I really enjoyed recently is Wellness by Nathan Hill: he wrote The Nix a few years back and that was also great, he has a very light and funny style even as he's tackling like. Grief and trauma. Wellness is basically about a married couple in a rough spot, examining them both, how they came to be who they are, the way your past shapes you even if you don't know it, and who they try to be for one another. Maybe halfway through the story there is a silly little anecdote that later came back and made me cry because it was so lovely and paid off so well. Definitely recommend.

[smoothiethekerfo]

hiii! i went and looked at your stuff after your planetgen post and i am

very, very curious amd interested

my initial thought was something like Scavenger SV-4, Rodina, and VotV in actual space, and from what little i've seen it looks like something i've wanted since childhood (though i'd probably be too scared to play it)

there's so much i'm imagining and wondering but the name isn't even settled on yet and it's being developed by 1 girl

do you know what kinds of visual/atmospheric vibes/feelings you're aiming for? I saw a UI element of what i thought was a rover you can deploy and was immediately reminded of the Mako from Mass Effect 1 and how beautifully vibrant space is in that game, and the planet itself in the image reminded me of Spore

but despite what i'm being reminded of, I imagine there's a lot more of that isolatory, desolate terror in it's vibes? not so colorful/joyful when you think something slipped inside the blast door while deploying the rover.

i'm also a complete and total sucker for things like (functional) ship interiors and i'm :)

i love space games so much and there's so much that gives games like those such strong impressions, visually or otherwise, and i'm really, really curious about the way you want it to *feel*

tumblr u rat bastard stop deleting my hyperfixations ok so the game is heaaaaaaaaaaaavily inspired by subnautica and VOTV, both of which are games that bank a lot on the lack of human NPCs (or in subnautica's case, humans at all, nix the audio logs) to create a spooky atmosphere. I'm a little conflicted on which way to take the game, either towards a more conventional space game, something like Starfield/Pulsar: Lost colony (which you should play) or more like subnautica/votv, with few to no NPCs. One idea I had was to follow a similar method for VOTV in order to have an isolating atmosphere while keeping characters for the community to simp over (=^owo^=) and have the game set in a distant arm of a galaxy, that way there could be radio transmissions (with significant delay) from home base (character would be a prospector? idk). As cool as this sounds though I really want to experiment with a "post-apocolyptic future" setting (fallout in spaaaaaaaaaaaaace). Basically I'm very divided on how I want to take this :3 As for the gameplay and visual style, I really want to go for a grittier, darker style, which is unfortunately kinda hard with how dogshit godot's rendering engine is. Something like Doom 3 (underrated game btw) with it's heavy use of ambiance/low lighting. One issue though with the "no npcs" framework is it makes designing some kinds of gameplay pretty hard or impossible. I'd love to have co-op missions with AI allies/populated hubs with NPCs and side missions but those obviously conflict with the subnautica school of thought. TLDR: Game design is hard. I'm looking for a nice balance between utter isolation and the joy of community that will serve this game well, and while I haven't found it yet, I think I will sometime soon. Sorry for taking so long to respond lmao