#they should take away my ability to make polls

[yandere-romanticaa]

Recently, the surge of AI has caught everyone's attention and I've been working on this little experiment.

Down below the cut are two fics and this is how I planned it - one was made up by using AI (more specifically, Chat Gpt) while the other one was written by yours truly. Below both fics will be a poll and I would like for you, my dear readers, to guess which one was AI. Personally, I don't think it'll be a difficult challenge but seeing your reactions and comments on this should prove to be an interesting endeavor.

This was posted on April 17th. And, in 7 days, I shall reveal which fic was written by me, and which one was done by AI.

Now then, let's get on with the show.

🥀 Story One.

In the dimly lit alleyways of Yokohama, Fyodor Dostoevsky stalks his obsession, (y/n), with unwavering determination. His fixation transcends reason, driving him to extreme lengths to possess (y/n)'s affection.

Fyodor's obsession with (y/n) began innocently enough, a mere curiosity sparked by their untapped potential and innocence. But as time passed, that curiosity twisted into an all-consuming desire, festering within Fyodor's mind like a venomous serpent.

Each night, Fyodor would follow (y/n) from a distance, his heart pounding with anticipation and longing. He would watch as (y/n) laughed with their friends, oblivious to the dark presence lurking in the shadows.

But Fyodor's love was not the gentle, nurturing kind. It was possessive, suffocating, and dangerously obsessive. He couldn't bear the thought of (y/n) belonging to anyone but him, couldn't stand the idea of anyone else basking in the warmth of (y/n)'s smile.

As his obsession deepened, Fyodor's mind became consumed with dark fantasies of possessing (y/n) completely. He would spend hours meticulously planning every detail of their future together, envisioning a life where they were inseparable.

But fantasies were not enough for Fyodor. He needed to make them a reality, no matter the cost. And so, he began to weave a web of deception and manipulation, carefully orchestrating events to bring (y/n) closer to him and drive away anyone who dared to stand in their way.

But as Fyodor's plans grew more elaborate, so too did the danger. (y/n)'s friends grew suspicious of Fyodor's intentions, sensing something sinister lurking beneath his charming facade. And as they delved deeper into Fyodor's past, they uncovered secrets that threatened to unravel his carefully constructed world.

But Fyodor was not about to let anyone come between him and his beloved. He would do whatever it took to protect their love, even if it meant resorting to violence.

🥀 Story Two.

Shimmering waves of starlight engulfed the man in white as he monitored his target from a safe distance, hollow purple eyes gleaming with excitement. He could feel his long fingers twitching with anticipation in his warm pockets, a stark contrast to the chilly wind on this fine spring evening.

He needed to be patient. Because patience was indeed, a virtue.

And Fyodor was a virtuous man. Perhaps not a good one, but he would gladly take the title of virtue.

Would you bestow upon him such a title? Would you do so, if you ever found out that he had taken such a keen interest in you? The rational part in his mind said no, of course not. Unlike him, you were blessed with normalcy. There was nothing extraordinary about you - no ability, no wealth, no status.

Nothing.

You could have been squished like a bug beneath his heel and the world would just keep on going as it always would. Sure, there would be some individuals who would miss you dearly but even they would move on at some point.

Such was the nature of humanity. How cruel, he thought to himself.

Fortunately for you, Fyodor was no ordinary man. Despite his predicament, he had grown fond of you. He was not sure why but after a while, he stopped asking such trifling questions as to why he troubled himself by giving you so much attention.

It was pointless to make sense of the senseless.

Right here, right now, all he wanted was to enjoy this quiet evening by his lonesome, as he tailed behind you like a creeping shadow. He would reveal himself to you properly when the time was right, when he felt you were strong enough to take him.

Fyodor just needed to wait a little bit longer, just long enough to see how he should proceed with you in case things went south.

In the meantime, he would gladly spend every waking moment simply watching you for his own personal pleasure.

🥀 TAGS: @yanroma, @oneoftheprettynerds, @misdollface, @sxy0ung, @rosemary108233, @c4xcocoa, @gettinshiggywithit, @ophticcus, @lakxcpsta, @ranposgirlboss, @robinaxolotl, @acornwinter, @enoojnij, @ishqani, @osachiyo, @bluepeanutharmony, @kaithegremlin, @fyodorscockslut, @wcayaw, @luna-mariko-akatsuki, @lovelyyz, @queenofspades403

APRIL 24TH - Story One is AI.

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Barbara Stanwyck (Ball of Fire, The Lady Eve, Double Indemnity)—I hope someone else has submitted better propaganda than I because I don't want my girl's prospects to rest on me just yelling PLEASE VOTE FOR MY TERRIBLE HOT GIRLFRIEND. She is a delight in everything! She is often a sexy jerk! (It's most of the plot of Baby Face!) Even when she plays a "good girl" (as an example, Christmas in Connecticut, which more people should see) she's still kind of a jerk and I love her for it! She won't take men's shit and she sure wouldn't take mine!

Setsuko Hara (Tokyo Story, Late Spring, The Idiot)— "'The only time I saw Susan Sontag cry,' a writer once told me, his voice hushed, 'was at a screening of a Setsuko film.' What Setsuko had wasn’t glamour—she was just too sensible for that—it was glow, one that ebbed away and left you concerned, involved. You got the sense that this glow, like that of dawn, couldn’t be bought. But her smiles were human and held minute-long acts, ones with important intermissions. When she looked away, she absented herself; you felt that she’d dimmed a fire and clapped a lid on something about to spill. Over the last decade, whenever anyone brought up her lips—'Setsuko’s eternal smile,' critics said, that day we learned that she’d died—I thought instead of the thing she made us feel when she let it fall." - Moeko Fujii

This is round 4 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]

Setsuko Hara:

One of the best Japanese actresses of all time; a symbol of the golden era of Japanese cinema of the 1950s After seeing a Setsuko Hara film, the novelist Shūsaku Endō wrote: "We would sigh or let out a great breath from the depths of our hearts, for what we felt was precisely this: Can it be possible that there is such a woman in this world?"

One of the greatest Japanese actresses of all time!! Best known for acting in many of Yasujiro Ozu's films of the 40s and 50s. Also she has a stunning smile and beautiful charm!

Linked gifset

Linked gifset 2

She's considered by some to be the greatest Japanese actress of all time! In Kurosawa's The Idiot she haunts the screen, and TOTALLY steals the show from Mifune every time she appears.

She's considered by some to be the greatest Japanese actress of all time! In Kurosawa's The Idiot she haunts the screen, and TOTALLY steals the show from Mifune every time she appears.

"No other actor has ever mastered the art of the smile to the same extent as Setsuko Hara (1920–2015), a celebrated star and highly regarded idol who was one of the outstanding actors of 40s and 50s Japanese cinema. Her radiant smile floods whole scenes and at times cautiously undermines the expectations made of her in coy, ironic fashion. Yet her smile's impressive range also encompasses its darker shades: Hara's delicate, dignified, melancholy smile with which she responds to disappointments, papers over the emotions churning under the surface, and flanks life's sobering realizations. Her smiles don't just function as a condensed version of her ever-precise, expressive, yet understated acting ability, they also allow the very essence of the films they appear in to shine through for a brief moment, often studies of the everyday, post-war dramas which revolve around the break-up of family structures or the failure of marriages. Her performances tread a fine line between social expectation and personal desire in post-war Japan, as Hara attempts to lay claim to the autonomy of the female characters she plays – frequently with a smile." [link]

Leading lady of classic Japanese cinema with a million dollar smile

Maybe the most iconic Japanese actress ever? She rose to fame making films with Yasujiro Ozu, becoming one of the most well-known and beloved actresses in Japan, working from the 30s through the 60s in over 100 hundred. She is still considered one of the greatest Japanese actresses ever, and in my opinion, just one of the greatest actresses of all time. And she was HOT! Satoshi Kon's film Millennium Actress was largely based on her life and her career.

Barbara Stanwyck:

"THE leading lady of the golden age of hollywood. One of the only actresses to work independent of a studio, making short-term contracts that enabled her to make movies wherever she wanted. She had so much range, and could act in basically any genre. She's been rumored to be a lesbian literally since she was active in Hollywood; most notable is the rumor that she had a long time on-and-off relationship with famously bi Joan Crawford, her "best friend" for decades (They lived right next door to one another). She also lived with Helen Ferguson, her "live-in publicist" for many years. She was the quintessential femme fatale in Double Indemnity, and really pushed sexual boundaries in her pre-code films like Baby Face, and the famous screwball The Lady Eve, where she plays basically a downlow domme. Allegedly, when a journalist asked her if she was a lesbian, she straight up threw him out of her house. She even played a lesbian in Walk on the Wild Side"

"THE queen of screwball comedies. I adore her, I'd kill for her, I will cry if she's not gonna win this poll."

"listen ok she had awful politics she was a mccarthyist right wing wacko BUT she's so incredibly hot that i've deluded myself into believing i could fix her. if you see her onscreen she carries herself in a way that's just so effortlessly sexy AND she has just a stunning face. imo she was at her hottest in the 1940s but even as early as the late 1920s she had a rly captivating screen presence and just a beautiful face, and then post-1950 she was just irresistibly milfy so really she was just always incredibly hot. she was also an incredibly talented actress who was equally stellar in melodrama, film noir, and unhinged screwball comedy. the blonde wig they made her wear in double indemnity is notoriously silly looking but she still looks sexy in it so that's gotta count for something. i've watched so many terrible movies just for a chance at seeing her that i think her estate should be paying me damages."

"Not often thought of for her sultriness, Barbara Stanwyck was incredible in that she could actually choose to be hot if the role called for it, and then have a glow-down to look ordinary for another role. She wasn't the most beautiful or effervescent, but damn did she have rizz. Watch her with Gary Cooper in Ball of Fire teaching him about "yum-yum" or with Henry Fonda in The Lady Eve whispering huskily into his ear."

"She is always the smartest woman in the room. Watching her play Henry Fonda like a befuddled fiddle in The Lady Eve was a highlight of my life. Femme fatale in Double Indemnity, comedy queen in Ball of Fire. She can do anything."

"She was part of my gay awakening"

"SHE'S A PRE-CODE QUEEN. She did everything, drama, comedy. The most beautiful woman in the world to watch weep. Beg for to step on you with those legs. Fun Babs story: Ginger Rogers was offered the role in Ball of Fire but said, “Oh, I would never play that part, she’s too common.” So they called Barbara Stanwyck and they said “We offered this to Ginger Rogers but she’s turned it down, would you be interested?” And she read the script and she said; “You bet! I LOVE playing common broads. [link]"

[canyourfavesurvivecastledracula]

You answered Patrick Trougton's Second Doctor and I 100% agree he's probably the best shot, but do you think there are any incarnations of the Doctor who wouldn't survive Castle Dracula?

The First Doctor is the most likely, and would probably have his heart give out a la Tenth Planet during the escape attempt (being the least equipped for free climbing and general stress), and I think being forced to regenerate counts as 'not surviving' even if he'd then be able to get away.

The Fourth Doctor did well when he faced Vampires, but I also think he has the particular best ability to get on Dracula's nerves which probably isn't helping him; the Seventh Doctor definitely came on overcomplicated manipulative scheme that experiences a serious backfire/complication halfway through, which might make the lack of a companion an issue; the Eighth Doctor is the most likely to get hypnotized (and probably some amnesia lbr) although he's ; but I don't know if any of these would be enough to get over their general Doctor-iness winning the day.

Also to take into account is the fact that Faction Paradox implies the Doctor is in fact a Great Vampire (I promise this is a theory that makes sense but I admit recognizing the words 'Faction Paradox' is already a sign you're in too deep) but I do not think this actually changes anything re: ability to survive or be killed by Dracula.

The Faction Paradox does WHAT

Nope never mind never mind nope don't wanna know Faction Paradox can stay over in their oxbow reality. I used up my capacity for unhinged on Moby Dick. (hashtag: just Balazar things)

See the First Doctor brings combines the youthful energy of a wide eyed solicitor with the insane grandpa approach of a corn-addled dutch polymath. I think he'd be okay so long as he hadn't been Time Destructed earlier that week. He would say things like "you're not Count Dracula, look at that ridiculous mustache!" (Recall he did meet Count Dracula inside the human psyche that one time). He'd make him so mad. Old Man Violence aaaaaaand loving it (hoo hoo hee hee ha ha!)

I want to say the Doctor will have the hardest time while he's in his celery phase, but what I might actually mean is that he's got so much practice at exactly this. The Fifth Doctor is so good at being imprisoned places. Clinging to the sides of things while missing a third of his blood is practically his speciality. And he does have that "You're not gonna STOP ME NOW" drive that served our baby lawyer so we'll.

By the time he graduates up to spoons he's objectively scarier than Dracula. He might not survive, but if he doesn't it's a part of some massive Thanatos Gambit he's pulling that doesn't end well for anyone.

I don't have a good read on the cooler Baker Doctor about this question, but I think Dracula would want him dead so badly. SO badly. He makes everyone so mad. Would he be able to pull it off? I think... I think he gets drinked if he's Davison (who wouldn't take a little sippy sip out of golden retriever guy) and partially turned if he's Baker (and anyone can see immediately that that was a mistake).

Mmmmmmmmm oh the McGann Doctor. I think that might be our winner. If we stick to the TV continuity all he knows how to do is die. My understanding of the audios is that that only gets worse somehow. But I still feel strongly that if you stick your teeth into Paul McGann you're going to bite off more than you can chew.

Ah lets put it to a vote. It's Doctor Who, I am sure people have OPINIONS. We only get twelve options so I am going to exclude Patrick Troughton as answered here and Tom Baker as answered by canon. Oh and I guess I'll drop McCoy as an outlier who should not have been counted.

[minkydinks]

SeaWings

SeaWings won the latest poll for which tribe I should flesh out next. I had a lot of fun with this one, even though it's stupidly tricky to get ocean vibes out of a big lizard. Forgive some of the messiness.

General

In my headcanon of WoF, SeaWings are very large, powerful aquatic dragons. Most trend toward a resemblance to varanid lizards like Komodo Dragons, or the extinct Mosasaurs. SeaWings sit as the overall largest dragon tribe, weighing the most on average. However, MudWings are dimensionally taller/wider, despite sitting at second heaviest.

SeaWings, despite having a thick layer of fat to insulate them, are incredibly muscular. Their tails especially; a SeaWing's tail is capable of breaking the bones of another dragon with enough force put into its swing.

While they do have wings that can be used for flight, they lack the appropriate wing musculature for extended air travel. Their wings are shaped in a way that allows them to catch ocean currents and ride them.

Unlike most other dragons, SeaWings have quite small scales, somewhat like fish.

A great portion of a SeaWing's scales have the ability to produce light. While not entirely obvious when only a few scales are lit, an average SeaWing with determination can light up a room with their luminescence. Aside from a handful in some places, most SeaWings are able to produce small lightshows across their scales, controlling the shapes the light of their scales make. Some SeaWings prefer to light up in spirals or starbursts, while others may prefer splotches or stripes. This is similar to RainWings' ability to change their scale color at will (and into any pattern they choose), but with light!

While they are primarily water-breathing, they are very capable of air-breathing when necessary. However, they rely on staying hydrated. Most SeaWings will trap water in pockets within their gills, and seal them shut if they plan to be away from water for extended periods. A SeaWing with empty gills can only be away from water for a few hours, while a SeaWing with full gills can be away from water for up to 2 days. Their gills can be refilled by drinking water, but they find it much faster to submerge.

SeaWing jaws have the ability to extend forward out of their mouths when they take large bites; similar to Goblin Sharks. Their jaw naturally retracts inward when their mouth is closed. For small bites, their jaw does not extend outward enough to be very noticeable.

When training for combat against a SeaWing, many dragons are warned that a SeaWing's looks can be deceiving; with this jaw mechanism, they can reach farther than you would expect. Just when you think you're out of reach, they've got you in their grip.

SeaWings can physically vary depending on a lot of factors, and are one of the most diverse dragon tribes.

They are one of only a few dragons with sexual dimorphism; female SeaWings (if they have sensory organs) have two pairs of 'whiskers' extending from their snouts, while males only have one pair. Female SeaWings also tend to be larger than males.

Deepwater SeaWings are one of the rarer variations of SeaWings; they frequent the deepest depths of the SeaWing kingdom and prefer to stay where it's dark. They tend to be very dark shades of blue, purple, green, and red; but their accents are often reds, pinks, yellows, and greens.

Deepwater SeaWings have the best night vision of all SeaWings, and their eyes are fairly translucent-looking, giving them an eerie gaze. They also have the brightest luminescence of any SeaWing, and their glow can be seen from very far away.

Surface SeaWings are the most common type of SeaWing found in the tribe. They frequent the open ocean and are vibrant hues of blues and sea greens. Their accents are usually green, orange, yellow, or red (rarely). Surface SeaWings lack the distinct 'whisker' sensory organs, since the visibility of their most frequented region is high. Their night vision is adequate, but not ideal for the deepest depths, or the darkest nights.

Freshwater SeaWings are the lightest in color; mostly sky-blues, light pinks or greys, and near whites. They're pearlescent and smooth, almost like fish. Freshwater SeaWings prefer the crisp coolness of fresh water in their gills; inhabiting deep rivers and pristine inland lakes, like Lake Crystal (headcanon). But, they are happy living alongside ocean SeaWings as well. When a Freshwater SeaWing wants to join the ocean side of the kingdom, they must undergo acclimation by spending time in brackish water, to adjust their gills to the salt.

Freshwater SeaWings have the least luminescence and minimal night vision. Their night vision is adequate for nights with half moons or fuller, but any darker and they tend to struggle.

Culture

SeaWings are spread throughout Pyrrhia, far and wide. Despite being the largest dragon species, their population is staggering due to the abundance of water (uninhabited by other tribes), and food.

While all SeaWings are ruled by one queen, they are broken up into many different living situations. Freshwater SeaWings prefer the comfort of inland territory, living as far north as the IceWing Kingdom. Ocean SeaWings tend to stick to the luxuries their original territory near the queen's palaces.

In olden days, there were smaller palaces in large inland lakes. Queens would send their relatives — usually nieces and daughters — to rule and watch over the Freshwater half of their tribe. If their relatives succeeded in their trial ruling, they would be ready to challenge the queen herself for the total rule of the entire tribe. This is an occurrence that has long since been retired due to Queen Coral's caution about her daughters' whereabouts; although the princesses have considered reinstating this tradition and making it a peaceful ascension through ruler's trial, like RainWings. (Anemone thanks Tamarin for the idea.)

Nowadays, the old freshwater palaces are communal spaces, manufacturing plants, or major hospitals; where SeaWings gather to help one another and create various essentials.

Despite the vastly different lifestyles of each type of SeaWing, there is surprisingly very little friction between them. SeaWings regularly commune with each other no matter their region of origin, and several members of SeaWing royalty are even mix-breeds of freshwater, surface, or deep water. (Some SeaWings are a bit more judgemental though.)

SeaWing tradition calls for a special ceremony whenever a member of the tribe wishes to life-partner with another dragon. In this ceremony, the SeaWings will celebrate for 3 nights.

On the first night, the pair of SeaWings will celebrate their partnership with friends; dancing and feasting. On the second night, the pair will celebrate with family; introducing one another and receiving blessing and honor from parents and siblings. On the third night, the pair celebrates by themselves, in a Moonlight serenade at the water's surface. They swim and glide and dance, and ask the moon Imperial for its blessing in their partnership. If Imperial remains clear and visible for the duration of the serenade, they take it as an omen that their partnership will be successful.

During royal ceremonies, the Moonlight Serenade takes place above the palace, where the moonlight can shine through the open skylight, and the kingdom can dance with them. The water will also be lit with bioluminescent plankton, creating a beautiful and unforgettable scene.

[blue--ingenue]

Ominis' Son - drabble

Author's Note: i wrote this awhile ago bc i needed a timeline where Ominis gets to live out his days happy and with a loving family :,) ik i just asked about whether ppl would be interested in my last poll, but surprise! this was completed like a month ago :)

he’s afraid of students bullying his son for being a Gaunt when they leave for their first year

(he was never physically bullied when he was at Hogwarts because most students were afraid of what his family would do if they found out)

after Ominis graduated, the professors made a point of telling the newer faculty to watch out for any more Gaunt children. they saw how ostracized Ominis felt during his years (students avoiding him out of fear for his family) despite the fact that he was the sweetest boy and they want to make sure his kids felt welcome

Ominis is a nervous wreck by the time he receives his son’s first owl

it turns out his son is one of the most popular boys in his year. the professors adore him, and he has made several friends who are amazed by his ability to speak parseltongue

at the first mention of his son being a parselmouth Ominis clutches his wand tighter and frantically reads on to see how his son is handling this new discovery

he learns that some sixth-year Ravenclaws pulled a dangerous prank on Slytherin house by releasing a bunch of snakes into their common room

the snakes were venomous (Ominis calls to MC from the next room to ask her to remind him to have them all expelled)

the moment the first snake is spotted, a first-year screams loud enough to send the room into a frenzy. someone strikes the closest snake with a basic cast and it hisses. the other snakes immediately begin to circle the students

most of the students are gathered by the three windows looking into the black lake. they begin huddling together, pressing themselves against the windows to get as far from the snakes as possible

they look poised to strike when the little Gaunt boy takes a hesitant step forward. the older students in the front are guarding the younger ones behind them and they try to pull him back, but to no avail. (the prefect has her wand out, ready to accio him back into the huddle)

he crouches down to the closest snake, its fangs dripping with venom. it coils back, springs forward, and then freezes mid-air. the other students are stunned. the prefect looks to be on the verge of passing out

the little Gaunt boy speaks back to the snakes and they all nod to him before slithering away

naturally the older students immediately find Professor Sharp to report the incident. they hesitantly ask the boy where the snakes disappeared to but he only smiles and says that they’ll not harm anyone

they later learn that the young Gaunt sent them to scare the daylights out of the Ravenclaws responsible for the prank before returning to him so he could release them outside the castle (Ominis and MC were livid at the pranksters, but secretly a bit proud)

from then on Slytherin students swear that a snake always appears protectively at their side should anyone attempt to bully them on school grounds

[nobodysdaydreams]

✨My Unhinged Visions for the TMBS Kids’ Villain Arcs: ✨

Based on this poll, and this post by @kaslynspeaks and @sophieswundergarten. They activated the brain bees, and you can blame them for this.

Warning: Insanely long post. I go through each kid individually, discuss a premise for their fall to villainy, and then I give you a hastily written scene which I did not proofread, that probably contains typos and misspellings. Some are longer than others, some end abruptly, some are a lot darker than others, but they all have happy endings so you're welcome for that at least.

I also kept it vague whether I was talking about the book or show characters so while I draw on elements from both, you can imagine most of these with either character.

Please enjoy!

I'll start with Kate Wetherall.

The Premise:

I picture her as a teenager or young adult for this. Her villain arc is pretty brief tbh, but I think that fits Kate. She'd impulsive and emotional and maybe even the most likely to go dark the quickest for those reasons, but she also has strong morals, and I don't think she'd fall very far, and I also think she might be the most likely to turn around.

Here's the scenario. The society has won, and now they've started working together to take down bad guys.

Kate loves it, but she starts getting carried away sometimes. Seeing men that are willing to hurt children the way that she was hurt sets something off in her. Sometimes she takes things too far, or acts impulsively in the heat of the moment. The others protest this, insisting that Kate only needs to use enough force to stop other criminals, not harm them.

Kate feels frustrated, not only because she feels like her friends are criticizing her, but also because this is what she's good at. She's the one who fights. Why should she hold herself back when the others can use their intellect to their full potential?

The others don't realize how much of this is connected to Kate's inner turmoil, her feelings of frustration. They simply remind her that "that's not how they do things."

But maybe it should be, thinks Kate.

Maybe it would send a message. Not just to the criminals but to the children they hurt. To let those children know that someone cared to make sure that the people who hurt them paid for what they did. So that they wouldn't feel abandoned. So that they wouldn't feel how Kate always felt.

So she works in secret. She couldn't bear another condescending lecture from her father or the others. I picture her leading a sort of vigilante circus themed squad. They're all strong and athletic, obviously, but they're also incredibly creative. Whatever a bad guy's fear is, they can use illusions, contortion, and all sorts of creepy imagery to make it come to life. To make them pay for what they did. To break them, to reduce them to nothing.

And Kate as a leader finally feels respected, valuable. For once, she isn't told to hold back her impulsiveness, her emotions, her abilities, her creativity. In fact, she's praised for her lack of restraint. And she tells herself she doesn't need to feel bad either because after all, these are the bad guys. They deserve it.

But eventually the others find out. Kate tells them there's no point in another lecture, but this time, they don't lecture. They don't even know what to say.

Because they're horrified. They're horrified that Kate could ever think that punishing people like this, criminals or not, is a suitable use of her talents. Kate reminds them that they always got to use their intelligence to their full potential whenever it suited them.

And now, the scene (picture this occurring in a circus themed lair. Idk just role with it. Brain tired):

"I was the one who was too much," Kate reminded him.

"You three were the brilliant ones. The psychic, the scholar, the genius. But me? I was just the muscle. The "creative" one. The impulsive one. The liability," she scoffed.

"My talents were only useful when they were directed by my intellectual superiors. What you wanted. What you planned. But here? Here I'm a leader, Reynie. I get results and I get justice my own way. And I'm not interested in hearing another lecture about acting impulsively, or going too far, or about how all of your know so much better than I do. So save it."

"Fine!" snapped Constance. "Then we'll spare you the lecture, if you want to skip straight to the fighting."

Kate paused, and the look of betrayal in her eyes was evident.

She thought they might be here to lecture or disapprove of her methods, but had they...had they really come here to...to...

Kate shook her head.

"I don't want to fight you. And even three against one, was all know that would hardly be a fair fight."

Sticky winced and held himself back from the overwhelming urge to nervously polish his spectacles, remembering how many times he'd watched his friend take down men (grown trained men) like it was nothing.

Constance, still bitter from Kate's deception, raised her fists.

"I'd still take those odds."

"Constance-" cautioned Reynie, but it was already too late.

"Very well," said Kate.

Her followers stepped forward to assist her, but Kate motioned for them to step back.

"Trust me," she said to them. "I appreciate the offer, but I can take handle this one on my own."

The others knew that wasn't a lie.

Kate raised her own fists and addressed the trio.

"You always thought your minds made you so much better than me, so let's see how well you can actually do without me. Good luck. You'll need it. Even if I do intend to go easy on you."

"Katie-Cat?"

Kate groaned.

"This is none of your concern."

"I should say that it is," her father replied, stepping out from the shadows to confront his daughter. "Considering I raised you better than this."

"Raised me?"

Milligan immediately realized his mistake.

"Katie-Cat, I-"

"Didn't mean to leave me?" Kate snapped. "I know Dad. I know you didn't mean to. No, you just chose a dangerous job working for a dangerous man and put your own life at risk, when you knew your child had no one else but you."

The hurt in her father's eyes made Kate regret her words, but only for a moment.

After all, it's not as if what she said wasn't true.

"I'm sorry," said Milligan earnestly, realizing perhaps for the first time how much his child was still hurting.

How much she'd been lying every time she said that she was fine. How much she'd been hiding her pain from him, from everyone.

"It wasn't fair to you. I promise, I'll do whatever I can to make it up to you."

"Really?" said Kate. "Well then. I suppose there is something you can do for me."

"Anything Katie-Cat," said Milligan softly, his eyes brimming with tears.

"Stay out of my way," Kate ordered, looking her father directly in the eyes, doing her best to look tall, strong, and intimidating.

Milligan's face hardened slightly. He knew that look. It was a look he'd seen in his daughter's eyes before, her fearsome determination, her resolve not to back down.

It was normally one of the traits that he admired most about her.

"I can't do that Katie-Cat," he replied, seriously but still with a tone of affection in his voice.

"I love you too much to let you waste your talents and potential like this."

Kate laughed.

"Of course you do," she replied, gesturing for her followers to step forward.

"It looks like I might need some help after all. But try to go easy on them," she advised her followers. "Most of them aren't trained fighters and their biggest crime is shortsightedness. Hardly worth our best or most painful efforts."

"Don't fight them," interrupted Milligan. "They don't need to fight this. Just you and me."

Kate eyed him suspiciously.

"You hurt your leg last month," she reminded him. "You're not in peak fighting condition. If this is some kind of trick-"

"It isn't," replied Milligan. "You and me. If you win, we'll let you keep your operation and leave the decision up to you. If I win, you end this."

Kate's face became thoughtful, carefully considering his offer.

"Uh Milligan," interjected Sticky. "I know that you're pretty well trained, but you were just injured, most doctors wouldn't recommend-"

"Deal," said Kate, charging forward without warning, as Milligan side stepped.

It was hard to tell who had the upper hand. Milligan was stronger and had a clear height advantage, but he was still recovering from his injury and Kate was faster, and more flexible.

They held nothing back, but still neither of them succeeded in doing much damage, mostly because the skill with which they dodged the other’s attacks was just as impressive as the fighting techniques they employed.

"Tired old man?" she asked.

"Oh believe me," said Milligan. "I haven't even started yet."

They fought for hours, until at last Kate found something else that gave her the upper hand.

Environmental knowledge.

One of the circus' tricks was a series of platforms that were triggered to fall when you stood on them for a certain amount of time. They sent the performers falling to either be caught by a fellow trapeze artist or (worst case scenario) fall into one of the safety nets.

It was simply a matter of cornering her father onto one of the platforms, and removing the bridge.

"The fall is too far, and we haven't put the net out," Kate reminded him.

"You lost. Surrender."

Milligan looked down for a moment, judging the distance, then he looked back up at his daughter.

"No," he replied.

Kate was confused.

"What do you mean no?" she asked.

"I mean no," Milligan replied. "The fight's not over until it's over. I don't surrender."

"I'm not putting the bridge back," Kate reminded him. "Whatever trick this is, I'm not falling for it. Don't be stupid."

Milligan stood firm.

So did Kate. They were both stubborn. Like father, like daughter.

The seconds ticked by.

"20 seconds," Kate reminded him.

"Milligan we'll find another way!" Sticky yelled. "Just surrender, it's not worth it."

"This is my daughter," Milligan replied. "She'll always be worth it."

Kate scoffed.

"15 seconds," she announced.

Milligan didn't respond.

Kate still waited. Her father was fast. He only needed a few seconds to make it back in time, and would no doubt run out the clock.

10 seconds.

9 seconds.

8 seconds.

Kate groaned. Of course he would play it like this.

She walked over to the bridges control panel and pressed the emergency stop button.

It wasn't working.

Kate felt as if her heart had stopped.

"It's not working," she whispered.

"Kate it's your dad!" yelled Reynie. "You won! You won okay? Just press the button, put the bridge back!"

"It's not working," she yelled, the panic rising in her voice.

4 seconds.

"DAD-" she yelled, turning to her father, the father she'd missed for so long, the father she loved, the father she didn't want to lose again.

2 seconds.

"I love you Katie-Cat."

0 seconds.

The platform dropped.

And so did Milligan.

And so did Kate, diving after her father, clinging to him tightly as if that could somehow save him.

The others surrounded them as soon as they landed.

Kate was mostly undamaged, Milligan had broken her fall.

But he wasn't moving, wasn't responding.

"Dad?" Kate whispered, tears in her eyes.

"Dad I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I-please don't go. Please. I can't lose you again."

Kate reached down and hugged her father.

"You won," she whispered. "You won okay? Just please come back. I love you."

At once, Kate felt her father sit up and wrap his arms around her, wrapping her in an embrace that even she could not escape from.

"Victory," he announced, looking down at his daughter.

"And I love you too Katie-Cat. I'm sorry for the dramatics. I assumed you'd be able to put the bridge back in time, but it's always nice to have a plan B."

"What-" said Kate, who was too relieved to see her father alive and well to be upset that she had been tricked.

"But, but the fall-"

"I've fallen before," Milligan reminded her. "From greater heights than this. You get better at falling the more you practice. Just uh...don't tell Mr. Benedict. Or Number Two. Or Rhonda...perhaps it would also be wise not to mention this to Miss. Perumal."

Kate sighed.

"I'm sorry. I guess I just got tired of your criticisms."

"We didn't mean to sound critical" said Reynie. "I'm sorry you felt that way. But you were never a liability. You're our friend, and we need you."

The others nodded.

Kate sighed again and smiled.

"I need you guys too," she admitted, as her friends joined in hugging her.

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

And now for Constance Contraire.

The Premise:

I picture her being pretty young in this, but not too young, teen years at the most. The story here is that Constance succeeds in destroying the Whisperer and saving the day.

But this time, it leaves her mind damaged, seriously damaged. So damaged that her powers become uncontrollable and scary. Some government researchers offer to help Constance, but Mr. Benedict, suspicious of their intentions, turns them away. Nicholas vows to protect Constance, insists that they will figure out what's wrong, that they will help her, but then one day Constance ends up hurting him on accident, basically incapacitating and nearly killing him. At this point, there isn't much left to do, accepting outside help is the only option. The others promise to visit Constance and make sure she's taken care of and happy until Mr. Benedict recovers.

They never get the chance. Something goes wrong, and the story is that Constance is on the loose and dangerous, causing out of control destruction and physical harm. The police and government agents try to bring her in several times, but all end up hospitalized from the encounter. The society seeks Constance out, and they eventually find her hideout.

The Scene:

"Why are you here?" demanded Constance.

"What do you mean "why are we here?"" asked Kate.

"We're here to bring you home Connie girl."

Constance scoffed.

"Connie Girl."

They always acted like this. Like she was still a tiny defenseless child. Even though she was now older than the others had been when she'd first met them, they still acted as if they were her older siblings.

Or at least, they did with their words. But their body language sent an entirely different message. They stayed on the other side of the room, not daring to approach her, not daring to put their arms around her like they would have done before.

"You're afraid of me," she observed.

"Constance, we care about you!" Reynie protested.

"That doesn't mean you're not afraid."

Reynie didn't answer. There wasn't much he could say.

They'd all seen what she could do. And Reynie had never been a good liar.

"We just want to talk to you."

"We're talking now," observed Constance.

"Not here," said Kate. "Not in some secret lair or hideout where you've hidden yourself away."

"Where then?"

"Home. Your home."

For a moment, they can see it. The longing in Constance's eyes.

Home.

She quickly puts that aside.

"Right," she responds. "Home. Where the government will no doubt be waiting to take me away again."

"What? No!" Sticky exclaimed. "Constance, we would never let that happen! Mr. Benedict would never let that happen!"

Mr. Benedict.

She disregards the name and the emotions that come with it.

"And yet, it's happened before," she replied.

"You even let them take me.”

Her friends hung their heads and looked away at the reminder of their guilt, the unbearable weight that they would forever carry with them.

“They told you what I did to them. But do you have any idea what they did to me?” asked Constance.

“What they put me through? The things they made me do?"

"We thought they could help you Constance," said Reynie. "You were scared and in pain, and they offered help, and we wanted to help you. We didn't know...if we had known-"

"You would have stopped them?" asked Constance. "How? By asking nicely? And would you really have let me stay with you? After knowing what I could do to you?"

"We would have figured it out," Reynie insisted. "We're a family."

Constance laughed.

"Family? Gosh Reynard, you always were so childishly sentimental. It's a terrible weakness of yours"

Sticky and Kate briefly glared at Constance on their friend's behalf, but Reynie could hear the pain behind his little sister's insult.

He took a small step forward.

"Constance please-"

"Get away!" Constance barked, a hint of panic in her voice as she took a step backward.

"You know what will happen. Don't be stupid. Just leave. It's what's best for everyone. I'm a monster now. I'm only going to hurt you. And deep down, you all know it."

"Constance?"

The voice came from behind her. Constance didn’t need to turn around to know who it was.

The others were immediately horrified. They'd told him not to come; he'd promised not to come, for his own safety.

But they should have known better. Nicholas would not be kept from his daughter.

"Dad?" Constance whispered weakly, then silently chastised herself for having spoken aloud.

She refused to turn around.

Nicholas still hobbled towards her. Constance could feel his mind. Still split, shattered from what she'd done to him, but slowly healing. And his emotions towards her...pain, lots of emotional pain, but no anger. No, there was something else, something far more powerful.

Love.

The others warned Mr. Benedict back, but he ignored their warnings. He wouldn't be deterred. His daughter needed him.

He limped over and knelt down, as best he could for an injured man so that he could address his child.

"Constance," he whispered. "Look at me please."

Constance turned away and shook her head.

"Please," her father whispered.

"I-I can't," she responded, a tiny tear rolling down her cheek as she squeezed her eyes shut.

Nicholas looked at her sadly, but affectionately, as if she was the most precious thing in the entire world.

And to him, she was.

"Oh...oh my dear Constance-"

"You should go," she ordered, pushing her father away.

"Go now. Or I'll hurt you again. I'll hurt them too," she threatened, but there was no malice behind her words. Only fear, fear that her threats might not be empty promises.

Nicholas ignored his daughter’s threats.

He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close.

He could feel her emotions in his mind. His daughter's power, too great and uncontrollable for her tiny body, made so much worse and so much stronger by what she'd been subjected to. Her power radiated from her mind, seeping outward and infecting every mind it came in contact with.

Nicholas let it come. In fact, he embraced it fully. The pain didn't matter. If that was the price he had to pay to keep his child safe and let her know that she was loved and forgiven, then that was a price he would gladly pay.

"Oh Constance," he whispered, as the tiny girl collapsed into a puddle of tears. "There's nothing you could do that would stop me from loving you."

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

Now for Sticky Washington.

This is largely inspired by @sophieswundergarten's amazing fics and posts about Sticky and his anxiety. I can't possibly link all of them, so if you're not following her and reading her fics, that's your own personal problem, and I pity you.

Sadly, I didn't write a reunion scene between him and his aunt or the Washingtons for this, because I wanted it to kind of work for the book or show versions of the character, but please know that in the full version of the fic that exists only in my brain, Sticky does reconcile with his family.

The Premise:

Sticky is older in this, an adult, maybe 20s or 30s. The story is that even after the Whisperer, after Curtain, the nightmares, the anxiety, it still haunts him. He can't get over it, but at the same time, he doesn't want to burden his friends, he can't burden them.

So he distances himself. He doesn't want to, but the voice inside him tells him that this is for the best. He would only burden them; he would only weigh them down. The others aren't sure why he's doing this, but assume it's because he wants his space and they try to respect that.

The anxiety, the fear, the flashbacks, it all gets worse. Finally, Sticky can bear it no more. So he does the unthinkable.

He builds his own version of the Whisperer. Not to control people. Just to calm his anxiety. And maybe, as the show version of Sticky says "[...] put good thoughts into people's heads. Make them feel happy." Nothing intrusive, nothing exploitive, nothing selfish. Just things like advising people to wear a seatbelt when they drive, and use dangerous equipment properly, and basically anything else that's unsafe or would make Sticky nervous. After all, what's the harm in that? He's making the world safer. And it's not like his old friends would care enough to bother with him.

But that's where he's wrong. The society detects the machine's influence, and they know it's not Curtain. They don't want to believe that it's Sticky, even when the evidence points to him. But eventually, they have no choice but to accept the truth and confront him.

The Scene:

Sticky looked up at his visitors from behind his desk. His office was nice, not extravagant or expensive, that wasn't his style, but it was neat, clean, and organized. As for Sticky himself, he was hardly the boy he was when he'd first met his friends. He was older, taller, stronger. Handsome. Confident.

Reynie told himself that he had nothing to fear. Appearances might change, but underneath it all was his friend.

"Sticky-" he began, but Sticky cut him off.

"It's Mr. Washington now," he corrected in a professional tone, trying his best not to reveal how much he'd been hurting. "Though I suppose I could allow you to call me George, for old times sake."

"Okay Mr. George," said Constance. "Having fun playing supervillain?"

Sticky frowned.

"If you came here just to criticize me, then I'll have my secretary show you out. Better her than my security," he added, glancing at Kate, who had her hand on her bucket.

"That's not why we're here," said Reynie quickly.

"Oh?" said Sticky, raising an eyebrow.

"Your family misses you," clarified Reynie, hoping to appeal to his friends' sentimentality.

"Well they have no reason to miss me. I brought them some lovely property, send plenty of checks, and cover all their medical expenses, which is all they ever wanted me for anyway," said Sticky.

"Would you ever go to visit them?" asked Reynie. "I um...I don't want to get involved in your family's personal lives. But I think they might want more than money. I think they...I think they really miss you."

And then he sees it. A sense of longing, and a yearning in Sticky's eyes.

But it vanishes almost instantly.

"I'm a busy man," Sticky reminded his friends. "I have businesses to run."

"Honest businesses?" asked Kate suspiciously.

"Yes," said Sticky, glaring at her. "You might disagree with my personal hobbies, but I assure you, I make my money fairly."

"You call brainwashing the world a hobby? Really Mr. George?" asked Constance.

Sticky sighed.

"I'm fixing the world," he lectured them. "Crime is down, addiction is down, people's rates of anxiety and depression are down-"

"Including your own no doubt," muttered Constance, but Sticky ignored her.

"-and it's all thanks to me," he finished.

Reynie looked horrified. Kate looked disgusted.

"But you're doing it without their consent!" Reynie protested. "And you don't know what the side effects could be."

"And the way you're justifying it," said Kate, "you sound exactly like-"

And then she stopped, realizing that what she was about to say would have gone too far, way too far.

But it was too late. Sticky knew what she'd been implying, and his faced morphed from a look of uncomfortable and false politeness to sudden rage.

"Like who?" Sticky snapped, and his friends jumped at the sound of his voice. It was so much louder and deeper than it had been when he was a child. It was a man's voice now, but it wasn't just the maturity or the confidence of his voice, but the anger it possessed. The harshness that had been so absent from him as a child.

Constance was the first to recover.

"You know who "Mr. George,"" she answered, glaring at her former friend.

The other two glanced at each other. What Constance was saying was cruel, especially after all that man had put Sticky through, but it was also undeniably true.

"How dare you?" whispered Sticky, the anger rising in his voice.

"How dare you compare me to him? AFTER EVERYTHING HE DID TO ME!"

Sticky rose from his desk.

His friends had never seen him look so furious.

"Sticky-" began Reynie nervously.

The others took a step backward.

Sticky's self-consciousness and compassion suddenly returned to him when he saw the fear in their eyes.

That’s the thing about anger. If you are someone who is small, short, nervous, mild mannered, someone who is perceived as “weak”, then your anger, no matter how justified, is often belittled, patronized, or dismissed as "cute", unless you can find a way to be taken seriously, to yell louder, to make yourself more threatening. Of course, the other side of this is that if you are someone who is tall, strong, loud, powerful, and intimidating, then it doesn’t take much anger to make others afraid of you, even if that’s not your intention, unless you learn to moderate your emotions and remember how threatening you look from their perspective.

For most of this life, Sticky had been on one end of this spectrum, always needing to yell louder and be more insistent to make his voice heard. Now he found himself on the other side of the spectrum. But although his height, physical appearance, and position in the world had changed, the emotion felt the same to him as it always had, and he often forgot just how frighting he could seem.

Even to those who had once called him friend.

Sticky sighed and took a deep breath.

"I'm not like him," he insisted.

"I'm not giving myself fame, money, power, or anything like that. That's the difference. When I say I'm doing this to help people, to make them feel happy, I mean it."

He looked at his friends, glancing over their faces, trying one last effort to get them to understand.

"You know me," he reminded them. "You know I wouldn't do that. I'm not doing this for power. I'm doing this for peace."

There was silence for a few moments.

"We know," said Reynie.

"We know you are Sticky. And we know you've been hurting. We should have noticed earlier, and we should have offered to help sooner. I'm sorry. But whatever your intentions are, that doesn't make this right."

Sticky didn't reply. He knew that Reynie was right; he always was.

"What do I do?" he asked, his voice suddenly sounding softer.

"Stop this," said Kate. "Turn yourself in. We'll help you, we'll- we'll get you the help you need. So you don't have to feel this way anymore."

Sticky was surprised.

His anxiety...his fears...he tried to act like it didn't bother him anymore. He didn't want to be a burden. He didn't want to drag his friends down with him.

And yet they were here, right next to him, not as adversaries, but as friends.

They didn't have to come. They didn't have to forgive him.

"You've needed help for a while," said Constance, her voice suddenly gentler and far more compassionate then even her friends were used to hearing from her.

"Haven't you George?"

Sticky didn't answer. He could feel Constance tentatively poking her way into his mind. But he didn't fight it. He sat back down and nodded silently, feeling weak and exposed, the reality of his pain revealed at last.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I thought I could deal with it on my own but I...I can't. I'm not- I'm not strong enough. That's why I needed to do this. I thought I could help not just me, but others, because the truth is I...I'm just not enough. I'm not strong enough."

His friends ran forward to hug him.

"You don't have to be dummy," said Constance.

"None of us are. That's why we have each other."

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

And finally, Reynie Muldoon.

Ngl, I went pretty dark for this one. He's the only one I actually gave a body count to (I know I'm sorry don't blame me blame the bees and I apologize if you think any of these are OOC I'm trying my best here. Also Reynie is older in this and there are darker themes mentioned so consider this your warning). This is based on @kaslynspeaks amazing post here and her awesome comments on my poll where she talks about the whole book conversation where Reynie can "only see snakes" so he lets himself be bitten and becomes a snake himself? Genius. 10/10. Set off the bees for sure, so thank you for that.

The Premise:

This one blends a lot of elements from the others. Like in Kate's situation, the society has won, they're fighting crime, but Reynie becomes disillusioned, though for different reasons. He's older than Kate was in her version, he's late 20s, 30s, maybe even pushing 40. It took a long time for him to get to this point.

You see, at first, Reynie is fighting for what he believes in: bringing bad guys to justice, keeping his friends on the straight and narrow, and doing what's right. But being a leader has a cost. He's always the one emotionally supporting the team, he gives more than he gets back, and that starts to take a toll. As he gets older, he encounters more bad guys, ones that make him sick to his stomach, but what's worse is the lack of people who seem to care. The politicians with empty promises, the corrupt police, the ordinary citizens who look the other way instead of helping. Nothing changes. There's always another crisis, another bad guy, another problem that needs the society, and the society needs him. So Reynie drains himself until at last he can give no more. Finally pushed to the brink by what he's seen and the sense of hopelessness and isolation he feels, he makes the decision.

He starts by cutting himself off from the society, at least professionally. They respect his decision, but are surprised by it. Once he's free of that obligation, Reynie tells his mother he's getting a new job and needs some space right now to figure himself out.

What he actually does is get involved in the criminal underworld. He tells no one of course, they'd never approve. But Reynie has learned that there is one thing that can control a snake: a bigger snake (or as the expression goes "there's always a bigger fish").

And his intelligence, knowledge of others, leadership skills, and experience with criminals quickly leads to Reynie becoming the boss of the criminal underworld (how did he do that so quickly? What is this "criminal underworld" I keep mentioning? Like. Is it a gang? The mafia? The ten men? Some random group of thieves? Idk, don't question it, just use your imagination).

Anyway, now that Reynie has control he determines what crimes happen, when they happen, and how many people get hurt. Which he views as damage control. He keeps his real occupation hidden from his mother, telling her he's involved in important government work, and it's better that she didn't ask questions. Eventually he completely cuts off ties with the rest of the society, knowing it's only a matter of time before they put together what he's done.

They do figure it out, eventually, and they're heartbroken of course. They can't believe it. Especially that Reynie, out of all of them, would ever do something so terrible. They want to confront him, but they can't find him.

Until one day they receive an anonymous coded message, tipping them off to his location.

Reynie's security team laughs when they tell them they're his friends. Their boss doesn't have any friends, and no one shows up to see him without an appointment unless they either have news that can't wait, or some kind of death wish. And he certainly never takes social calls.

Still, they let Reynie know about them. And of course he recognizes their description. Turning them away unharmed shows weakness, which his team would never accept from their leader, but Reynie doesn't want to harm his friends either.

Which gives him only one other option: to confront them. He has his security bring them to his office.

The Scene:

The men roughly shoved them into the room.

"These people came to see you boss. They said they were friends of yours."

Reynie looked up at his friends, who had just been pushed unceremoniously into his office.

"Thank you," he nodded, waving his hands to dismiss his security team.

Then he sighed.

"How did you find me?"

His friends didn't answer at first.

"That's what you want to know?" said Kate. "You're running the criminal underworld, and that's the first question you have for us? The route we used to get here?"

"Not the route. My location. How did you find me?" asked Reynie.

"Anonymous tip off. A coded message," said Constance. "Seems some of your men aren't as loyal as you thought."

Reynie looked disappointed, but shrugged.

"That's not all that uncommon in this line of work," he clarified. "Whoever it was will be dealt with accordingly. Snakes will be snakes"

"But since when are you one of them?" asked Kate.

Reynie sighed.

"I don't expect any of you to understand."

"You're right Reynie," said Sticky. "We don't understand. You were always the best of us. The one who reminded us who we were, what we stood for. How could you ever think something like this was right?"

"The best of us?" Reynie repeated disbelief.

"I was the average one, the one who wasn't special. I wasn't a genius, or a psychic, or some sort of super athlete. I was just me. I'm not special."

"So that's why you're doing this?" asked Constance. "To feel special?"

"No," said Reynie. "I'm doing this because it's inevitable. The cycle just repeats itself. We fight another bad guy, we almost fall apart, I hold us together, it takes everything out of me, I finally recover, and then we go around again. The only way to end the cycle is to become a part of it."

"Takes everything out of you?" repeated Sticky. "Reynie, we had no idea-"

"It's fine," dismissed Reynie. "Like I said, this is for the best."

"You really believe that?" asked Kate, shocked her friend could ever really think something like this was right. "You...your men...you're criminals! The worst criminals!"

"We are," agreed Reynie. "I won't deny that. But when you make yourself the king of the snakes, you decide how poisonous they are. These men follow me because they know I'm intelligent and powerful enough to let them get away with the crimes they want and have all the money and power they desire. That's a better deal than most other bosses could give them. But they also know that comes at a price, that certain things are off limits. If I hear any rumors of human trafficking or exploiting or harming children, well, then I'm sure to make an example of them. To remind them that I'm in control and that I have my standards."

"Make a example of them?" said Kate, her eyes widening.

"That...that doesn't mean what I think it means...right Reynie?" asked Sticky.

Reynie couldn't help but feel a little ashamed as he watched Constance, who had always looked up to him as her protector, her big brother, take a step away from him when she saw from his face that his words meant exactly what Sticky thought they meant.

But he didn't back down.

"They were human traffickers and people who abused children," Reynie said simply, trying his best to remain logical. "You can't say they didn't deserve it. If I wasn't running the criminal underworld, someone else would, someone who would be just as cruel, maybe worse, and would likely choose less deserving targets. It's no different than carrying out justice."

"And who made you the judge, jury and executioner?" asked Constance, crossing her arms.

"We're going to stop you," said Kate, raising her fists.

"Really?" said Reynie, his expression turning dark at his friend's declaration.

"I think you'll find that harder than you expect. You three might have been the talented ones, but I was the one who kept you together. I know you. I know how to build you up, and I know how to bring you down."

His friends looked horrified by the threat. Even worse, they looked hurt.

"I don't want it to come to that," Reynie clarified. "But it will if you stand against me. I don't want to hurt you, but trust me, I can. Worse than you can imagine. And I will. I know how it sounds, but believe me when I tell you that this is the only way."

The others were shocked by his words. Reynie cared for them; Reynie protected them.

How could he threaten them so easily? How could he have become so misguided?

Sticky thought a bit about what his friend had said, and tried one last time to reach him.

"We understand where you're coming from, really Reynie, we do," said Sticky. "But this isn't the way to do things. You're still hurting people in other ways, and I agree that people need to be brought to justice but this...this isn't the way to do it."

"We didn't know it was so hard for you," added Kate. "You were our leader Reynie. And you're right. You held us together, you kept us strong, and you were always there when we needed you. To remind us who we are. I'm sorry we didn't appreciate that more. But now it's our turn to be there for you. To remind you who you are."

Reynie didn't answer for a moment.

"And who do you think that is?"

"Our friend," said Kate.

"Some who is kind, gentle, intelligent, wonderful, and anything but average," added Sticky.

"Someone who knows deep down that this is wrong," said Constance, poking her way around the edges of Reynie's mind.

"Someone who's better than this."

Reynie couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"You...you really think that?" he asked. "After everything I've done... you really think that's who I am?"

"We do," said Sticky.

"We all do," agreed Kate.

"I know it," said Constance, as Reynie felt her enter his mind, unearthing the guilt, shame, exhaustion, and pain that he'd kept buried for so long, as well as the love, compassion, and the values he'd put aside and tried to forget about.

They were still a part of him. An unused and forgotten part, but nevertheless, they were still there.

"Your friends are right Reynie."

Reynie turned to see his mother enter his office.

"Amma?" he asked in a small voice.

"But, but I don't understand- how...how did you-"

"For the leader of the criminal underworld, you have pretty bad security. They're easy enough to knock out with a few blow darts and they are much too unsuspecting of a simple old woman," his mother replied with a sad smile.

Reynie's heart dropped. She knew?

One look in her eyes told him everything. Of course she knew. She knew when he started staying out late and never telling her where he was going, when he came back with scars and a haunted look in his eyes that he couldn't explain, when he begged her for the millionth time to stop asking questions, when he moved her into a bigger fancier private house and had the property constantly surrounded by security guards because of a "promotion" that he refused to explain.

His mother was kind, but she certainly wasn't stupid.

And then Reynie realized.

"The coded message. You brought them here."

Dipika nodded.

"You needed them Reynie. You needed to be reminded of who you are."

Reynie hung his head.

"Amma-" he began, but his voice trailed off.

What could he say? What words could ever make it up to the woman who'd taken him in, who'd given everything to him? There was nothing he could say, not when she knew what he'd done, what he'd become.

"Oh Reynie," said Dipika, walking forward to hug her son, who trembled at the affection he knew he didn't deserve.

"I know," she whispered. "I know you're sorry. And I'm sorry too. I'm sorry I wasn't enough. I'm sorry I couldn't reach you. But it's not too late. I promise Reynie. It's never too late."

At last, Reynie broke down, returning his mother's embrace as the three people who refused to give up on him even when he'd given up on himself stepped forward to hug their friend.

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

I apologize for nothing, or maybe I will if enough people tell me this was disturbing and that they didn't like it, which honestly? Fair enough. Anyway, have a lovely evening! 🥰

[anna-the-undertaker]

Prideful Devotion

- Part 1 - At the request of @dark-lady15, @aeongiies and @lovelyfriedcomputer, here is part 2 of Prides Gift. And I want to give special thanks to @aeongiies for their help in choosing the direction this will take :) Thank you for enduring my questions. This turned out to be more soft than spicy though - Song Inspiration: The Devil's Backbone by The Civil Wars - I will be posting a poll for you guys to vote for which brother I do next right after posting this so GO VOTE.

In the hallowed depths of the Devildom, where shadows danced and the air crackled with an electric fervor, Lucifer gazed upon the human before him, whose pride and resilience had caught his attention once again and this time had stolen his breath.

It was undeniable, radiant, and untempered as they navigated through the introductions and, as expected of anyone who was under the influence of his power, they were quick to understand everything they were told. They carried themself with a grace that echoed his own poise.

Then the dreaded question that was on everyone's minds was asked.

Diavolo, being inquisitive as ever, couldn't resist any longer, "How do you and Lucifer know each other?"

Lucifer saw the others perk up with interest making him scowl and huff a breath of exasperation. This seriously couldn't wait? Before he could say so, MC spoke.

"With all due respect, Lord Diavolo, that is a personal matter."

Diavolo smiled, one that did not take no for an answer, "Well, hopefully you will make an exception for me."

MC smiled back, "Of course, just not here. I would prefer to speak of it in private with Mr. Morningstar present as it is not just my business, if that's alright?"

"Just call me Lucifer." Lucifer stated.

"If you insist."

The demon Lords boisterous laughter rang through the room, "Very well. We may discuss it later. For now we need to have you shown to the House of Lamentation, where you will be staying for the duration of your time here."

Lucifer met MCs eyes, "You will need someone to look after you, and I had intended for my brother, Mammon, to do so. He is the Avatar of Greed and...how should I put it...? Oh well, you'll understand soon enough. But given the circumstances, I will assume that role."

He pulled a D.D.D. out of his pocket and placed it in MCs hands, "Here, take this. It's a lot like the cell phones from your world. It will be yours to use as long as you are here. Now, I'd like you to call Mammon with it."

He knew that his brother wouldn't answer if he saw it was him so he was going to use this to his advantage.

They listened as the phone rang before Mammon answered with little hesitation as Lucifer had expected, "Yoooo."

"Hello, Mammon." Mc replied, their voice cool and collected.

Mammon was silent for half a second, "Who the hell are ya?"

"I'm MC, the new human exchange student."

"Whaaa? Geez, I was gettin' all chilly here thinkin' it was Lucifer again. Ya should've told me right away. So what business does a human got with THE Mammon?"

MC turned her gaze to Lucifer, taking in his expression.

"Lucifer asked me to call you. It would seem you need to rectify whatever you did before he gets to you."

"Pfffft, whatever. Ya think THE Mammon would listen to ya just 'cause you're tryin' to scare me with that name?"

The Avatar of Pride extended his hand for the phone letting MC set it in his palm, "You've got 10 seconds to get home... 9... 8..."

Mammon shrieked in fright, "YESSIR!" and hung up in an instant.

"Thank you," he said as he handed the phone back then turned to Diavolo. "I will take them to the House of Lamentation to get them settled then we will meet you at the castle to explain."

The demon lord nodded in acknowledgement so they left.

Time passed quickly after that and MC had done exceptionally well in the program. They had grown close with each of his brothers as well and had an uncanny ability to make them behave, already having formed pacts with Mammon, Levi, and Beel. He had a deep suspicion they had been sneaking to the attic but had no evidence to prove it, making him even more suspicious of their intentions behind the pacts.

MC had began helping him with his work and became his unofficial assistant, forcing them to spend much more time together. Idle conversation turned to flirting, with him unintentionally flirting back. They had a charm that was hard to ignore and he found that he would look forward to the afternoons they would spend together listening to his records as they worked. His pride would get in the way, however, forcing him to step back from them even though he ached to do the opposite. But MC stood their ground and took it in stride, determined to become closer to him.

Throughout that time he had been able to get to know them better, and found he had the urge to protect them and keep them to himself despite some of the mishaps along the way, even if he would never admit it.

He had no one to blame but himself for MCs courageousness after all. The small amount of power he had granted them so long ago had influenced them to the point where being told what to do or being told they couldn't do something affected their pride, urging them to do just that. Although, he was unsure how much was his influence and how much was purely MCs personality.

Some time later, at Diavolo's castle, attending the Ball the demon lord had thrown in celebration of the exchange program, Lucifer watched MC as they made conversation with the guests.

Amidst the flickering lights that painted the ballroom in deep shades of gold, MCs mortal form, clad in garments befitting nobility, seemed delicate compared to his. Yet an unyielding strength emanated from them, a beacon that drew the Prince of Darkness near.

He asked them to dance and he could hear their heart pounding in rhythm with the infernal symphony that echoed around them.

Part of him wanted them to keep looking at him with the look of adoration in their eyes in that moment, but the other was too focused on his caution.

As they danced, he threatened them, instead of explaining the dangers of going to the attic, not knowing that hurting them the way he had would leave him with regret and guilt.

They held his gaze even though his grip was painfully tight. Even as their face twisted with pain they stood their ground. A quality that was as endearing as it was irritating.

Their dance ended and they went their separate ways, but his eyes stayed on them for the remainder of the night.

As time continued to pass, MC had formed pacts with Amso and Satan. He admired their drive and dedication, but he still held them with an air of caution.

They came to his study late one afternoon and knocked on the door, "Lucifer, may I come in?"

"What is it, MC?" he called to them without looking up from his paperwork.

They stepped inside, "I have something for you."

That made him stop what he was doing and look up at them and the vinyl record in their hands in surprise.

At his silence they continued, laying the record on his desk, "It took some time and effort to have this made, and I may have had a bit of help from Levi and Mammon, but it's finally here. After our first meeting and making our deal, my life began to get better and my career skyrocketed. When I became of age, I was able to seize custody of my siblings and give them a better life outside of our parents abuse. They are grown now and living wonderful lives. In wake of all of that, I wanted to give you proper thanks, but I had no idea if I would ever see you again so I wrote this in the hope that one day you would hear it. You had no reason to help me and even if helping me had only been for your own benefit, I am still grateful."

They left before he could respond and his eyes fell to the record. He lifted it with gentle fingers, appraising the the bold letters on the cover that read: The Memory of Pride.

He rose from his chair and moved to his record player, carefully setting the disc upon it and let it play.

The music enveloped him. Each note pulling on his heart and his pride swelled to new heights knowing that this music was written specifically for him. He could feel the emotion that had been woven into it: gratefulness, remembrance, pride. He could feel how genuine it was. He had not thought that one small, spur of the moment, action would produce this.

The feelings brewing in his heart grew, and he let the record play for the rest of the night, basking in the warmth that coursed through his veins.

But then, everything came crashing down around him in what felt like an instant. His vision became clouded with red at the sight of MCs mangled body - a mere human whose fate had become intertwined with he and his brothers conflicts.

If only they had listened to him. If only he had told them the whole truth, his pride be damned. He knew they would have understood, but he didn't. They didn't listen to him or heed his threats and now look at what has happened.

An anger he had not felt since the celestial war began to build within him. He could barely hear his brothers pleas' anymore.

A sinister aura hung heavy as he seethed. His eyes burned with a malevolent fire as he confronted his brother.

"How dare you," Lucifer hissed, his voice laced with venom. "MC was under my protection, under our family's protection. They were mine to guide, not yours to extinguish!"

Belphie only laughed making Lucifer's anger flare, his true form unfurling in a dark display of power as he stepped between MC and his younger brother. His features contorted with a mix of grief and unbridled rage, casting an eerie glow upon his chiseled face.

"Yes... Yes! Perfect! That's exactly the look I was hoping to see on your face, Lucifer!" the youngest laughed, "And this little pendant of theirs? The all powerful Lucifer couldn't have possibly given to them. So let's just get rid of it."

He crushed it in his fist and let the shattered pieces crumble to the floor.

"You dare to decide the fate of those under my care? You have defied me, Belphie, you have defied Lord Diavolo, and this transgression will not go unpunished." Lucifer's voice carried a chilling resolve.

But before he could follow through with it, MC reappeared. Their countenance alive and vibrant. His eyes that had been filled with fury and grief, now shimmered with a glimmer of hope and disbelief. The weight of despair that had burdened his heart lifted, replaced with an overwhelming sense of relief.

Everything that happened after was a blur: revealing Lilith's true fate, discovering that MC was her descendant, and the guilt of withholding it all from his brothers.

The tension took awhile to dissipate and with MCs urging his brothers began to forgive him. MC was still wary of Belphie, and with good reason, but they eventually met halfway and his younger brother made a pact with them.

The end of their year had arrived and Lucifer had finally found a name for the feeling in his chest. The reason for his unconscious need to protect them and keep them near. Love; something he didn't think he'd feel for anyone, especially a human.

They came to his study to discuss everything for their return to the human realm and the thought of them being lost to him ate at his heart.

"Have you done all you set out to do here in the Devildom? No unfinished business? No loose ends?" He asked.

A downcast expression formed on their face, "I believe so, yes. But Belphie did break my pendant. I can't replace that." A chuckle slipped past their lips. "Now that I think about it, I've yet to make a pact with you."

"A pact, you say?" He began, his face going blank. "I see. You've made pacts with all of my brothers, which just leaves me... Do you really want to make a pact with me? Truly? I don't know how my brothers felt about making pacts with you, but I am more than a name to be crossed off of your list. I can't have you lumping me together with everyone else. That won't do."

His demon form emerged and MC didn't flinch.

"Seriously, Lucifer? From the very beginning you have been held in a different light from the others. And you should know by now that this form of intimidation from you doesn't work on me anymore." They crossed their arms defiantly, head tilted to hold his gaze.

Lucifer huffed out a breath, "That defiance... I've always found that aspect of you irritating. But as irritating as it is, it's even more endearing."

As they stood face to face, Lucifer's lips curved into a smirk, a blend of mischief and desire. The air grew heavy with anticipation, the unspoken tension between them filling the void. In the depths of his ruby eyes, he let MC glimpse a tumultuous sea of emotions - a yearning.

In a gesture both daring and vulnerable, Lucifer extended a hand, his touch gentle as a whispered promise, "If you are amenable, I am willing to offer you a deal."

MC, emboldened by an inexplicable connection, accepted the invitation, their fingers intertwining. They looked up to him with heavily lidded eyes, their voice coming out a low purr, "What would this deal cost me?"

He pulled them forward, wrapping his other arm around them for his hand to rest against their lower back, and a surge of raw energy coursed through their vines, their union an alchemy of darkness and light, binding them in an embrace, a pseudo waltz of undiscovered pleasure.

His lips came to rest against the shell of their ear as he answered, "Everything. You will belong to me and me alone." He moved to face them, their lips mere centimeters away from each other. "So, what will it be? Do you wish to make a pact with me, MC?"

MC searched his face, but there was no hesitation in their reply, a whispered, "Yes."

His grip tightened, and his touch sent shivers of anticipation down their spine, MC felt the weight of centuries-old burdens slacken just a little. But in the warmth of his presence, they discovered solace and a love that could not be contained.

His voice, a velvet caress, spilled forth words of vulnerability and truth, a confession that echoed through the chambers of their intertwined souls, "I love you."

Lost in the labyrinth of their emotions, time ceased to exist as they moved closer, their breaths mingling in the sacred space between them. With a tempestuous gaze, Lucifer's hand cradled MC's face, his touch both fiery and tender, akin to the paradox of his being. Their lips met in a union both fierce and passionate, a melding of opposing forces - darkness and light, damnation and salvation.

"We are heading straight to my room," He breathed as he pulled away, a fire in his eyes that would not be put out. "You're going to spend your last night in the Devildom there, together with me... all night long until the break of dawn. I'm not letting anyone else have you now... You're mine."

In those final, eternal hours, their embrace transcended the mortal realm, and they soared through celestial planes, leaving behind the trappings of their troubled pasts. Their love, fueled by shared desire and pride, became an inferno that engulfed them completely, igniting a flame that would burn forever more.

In the embrace of the Prince of Darkness, MC found freedom - the freedom to embrace their flaws, their desires, and the capacity to love him unapologetically. And as they danced on the precipice of darkness, Lucifer and MC embarked on a new journey, their love a testament to the power of connection, and a bond that defied the boundaries of Heaven and Hell.

[best-underrated-anime]

Best Underrated Anime Group J Round 2: #J6 vs #J4

#J6: Students transported to bizarre new realities

#J4: Kids conquering dungeons to change the world

Details and poll under the cut!

#J6: Sonny Boy

Summary:

Thirty-six students find themselves and their school building suddenly adrift in a void-like dimension. When supernatural powers awaken in some of them, a sense of detachment begins to divide the group. Despite the student council's attempts to impose order, they clash with the students possessing special abilities, who rebel against their strict control.

This conflict leads them to discover that this world has its own set of rules—and following them is necessary for survival. After one of the students decides to take a leap of faith, the school switches dimensions once again. While they deal with the unique challenges and circumstances that each world presents, the students must unravel the mysterious phenomenon and find a way back home.

Propaganda:

Sonny Boy is one of the best shows to come out in recent years. The setting and plot is very fantastical, with superpowers and dimension travel, but fundamentally the story is about the characters. The character writing is really unique. Even the side characters feel like real people, not just cheap gimmicks.

But the main draw for a lot of people are the visuals. Sonny Boy looks like no other anime. The backgrounds are just absolutely stunning, and the realistic character design helps contrast the unreality of the world. There are these amazing visual sequences that just blow you away with how creative the writers must be.

I can't say much without spoiling but it's the kind of show you just have to experience. This is the kind of show where people either love it or hate it. If you are looking for clear, linear storytelling, this is not the show for you. If you're looking for a straight mystery where everything is solved in the end, you might be disappointed. If you want to cry, and feel something, and think about what it means to be alive, then I cannot recommend a better show.

Trigger Warnings:

Animal death - a bird died and is used as a metaphor

Flashing lights - many weird kaleidoscope effects and other sequences

#J4: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic

Summary:

A Magi is a magician whose inclination toward magic is so immense that they can be said to shape the world. With their significant influence, each Magi chooses a worthy candidate to become a king, then helps them conquer strange labyrinths called "Dungeons" and acquire the power of mythical djinns within. Above all else, the Magi supervises their elected representative as they build a country that might one day bring the world to its knees.

Aladdin is a young Magi wandering the world in search of his true self. However, his journey is not a lonely one, as he is accompanied by his friend and mentor Ugo—a djinn he summons using his flute. On his travels, Aladdin also befriends Alibaba Saluja and guides him to a nearby Dungeon. With this newfound friendship, they begin an epic adventure across the world, witnessing various irregularities that seem more frequent than ever.

Propaganda 1:

Imagine characters from Arabian Nights/1001 Nights coming to life in an anime. Even though it is loosely inspired off of the tales, it is a unique time and place from most anime settings. It has action, humor, and deep concepts. One of my favorite parts about Magi is how well-developed the background characters are.

Propaganda 2:

This anime has a lot of philosophical takes on what fate is. Basically, is everything that happened to you caused by a force you can’t control or is it what you make of it? Is there something or rather someone pulling the strings on what should or shouldn’t be? Is the person you are because you were lucky or unlucky to be born in the wealthy family or not? Why are things the way they are? Why was I dealt with a shitty hand in life? Is it because I’ll never amount to anything, or is something doing this to me? Why are we here just to suffer kind of deal, but you know not the meme version, the really sad and real version. Then you have the side of the people who may have not had the best life, but found a way out of it. Why do some people get to feel the light when you went through the same thing, but still lost and in the dark?

Trigger Warnings: Partial nudity and slavery. One of the mains is a slave in the beginning, but the other two mains help free her from that.

When reblogging and adding your own propaganda, please tag me @best-underrated-anime so that I’ll be sure to see it.

If you want to criticize one of the shows above to give the one you’re rooting for an advantage, then do so constructively. I do not tolerate groundless hate or slander on this blog. If I catch you doing such a thing in the notes, be it in the tags or reblogs, I will block you.

Know one of the shows above and not satisfied with how it’s presented in this tournament? Just fill up this form, where you can submit revisions for taglines, propaganda, trigger warnings, and/or video.

[shygirl4991]

Becoming Canon

Summary: After a successful heist in getting the notebook back SMG3 and SMG4 confess their feelings to each other. Tags: Love confessions, enemies to friends to lovers, fluff Next Part Note: i put a poll up to see if peeps want 'The Next Step' on tumblr and forgot to mention the prequel fic becoming canon so here we go!

SMG4 smiles as he watches SMG3 jumping with joy over saving his notebook, he was so thankful that his viewers were on his side to help this happen. After having fun teasing SMG3 he started to feel the fatigue from the whole thing, who knew doing a heist would take so much out of you?

After teasing SMG3 about why he was building a new evil lair right next to his castle he lets out a small yawn “Speaking of cafes…I’m dead tired.” he gives his partner a small smile “Let’s have some coffee.” For the first time since they have known each other things felt peaceful, maybe it was them both being drained from the heist or maybe this heist helped bring the two closer together. He remembers back a few weeks ago how SMG1 and 2 told them they needed to get along and work as a team, of course their plan on gluing their hands together really didn't work on bringing them together. What it did bring was a lot of videos and tweets explaining he wasn't dating SMG3, though thinking about it would the two of them dating be so bad? During the heist he never felt so close to SMG3 before, the way they were in sync scaring Mario. How they had each other back helping each other out of tight spots, they even finally manage to get their fusion ability to work…sorta.

SMG3 perks up hearing his words “Now we’re talkin!” walking together they sit on a pile of wood waiting to become a part of SMG3 cafe, SMG4 smiles looking at the sunset as SMG3 starts doing their coffee. They smile at each other doing a small cheer as they clink their cups together and drink, as SMG4 enjoys the warmth of the coffee he notices SMG3 writing in his notebook with a huge smile “What are you writing?” he knew he wasn't going to get an answer but it wasn't going to hurt him to ask you never know what mood SMG3 is in.

He smirks and turns away “I’ll never tell!” SMG3 makes sure the other cant see the drawing he is doing of them both with cups of coffee.

With a giggle he nods “Don't worry i wont push it,” as he looks back at the sunset his heart starts to beat faster. This would be the perfect moment wouldn't it, he honestly felt this whole day was a sign of some kind. It all started with SMG3 telling him he wrote about their moment in the igloo, then they got stuck doing a game show where they had to watch the video and see the moment they both agreed never to talk about. He had to admit the closer they got the harder it was for him to keep his feelings in check. When he hears the notebook close he decides now is the time with one last gulp of the coffee he turns to SMG3 “You know…this heist got me thinking,”

SMG3 sips his coffee and stares at his partner “What that we should be full time spies, cause i'm not a fan of the idea of your fans telling me how to live my life,” SMG4 shakes his head with a small chuckle “No, nothing like that…just we make a good team don't we?”

He keeps staring at SMG4 feeling confused on what was going on with the man next to him, seeing this SMG4 sighs feeling himself blush. “You know…people ship us together…and uh with all that's happened to us i started to wonder….” he had no idea what he was doing. Every TV show he has seen made confessions look easy, even Axol made it look sweet and easy with the manga he was making before everything.

SMG3's eyes go wide as he also starts to blush “Why are you bringing this up all of a sudden, idiot!!”

SMG4 closes his eyes “WHAT IF WE MAKE IT CANON!?”

Everything was dead silent, he was nervous to open his eyes to see how SMG3 was looking at him. Finally he hears a whisper “you….what?”

Slowly he opened his eyes to see a stun SMG3, his face was as red as his eyes, it almost made SMG4 giggle for how cute it was to see him like that. “I..well i like you, so i was wondering if maybe we can try…the next step?”

SMG4 started to get worried he broke the man for how long it took for him to move again, he watches as SMG3 stares at the floor then his notebook. His heart sank, did he read the signs wrong, did the guardian not feel the same as him?

SMG3 gets up and stands in front of him “Fine, i guess i…i like you too! But don't let it get to your head…Baka!”

SMG4 gives a huge smile before running and hugging his boyfriend, SMG3 gets flustered as he starts to break free from the hug “Oi! I said don't let it get to your head!!”

With a smirk he leans close to SMG3 “Oh? So does that mean you don't want a hug? Maybe it's a kiss you're looking for?”

SMG3 covers his face with his notebook to hide how flustered he was getting. It was always fun teasing the man before but now that they were going to date, teasing has gotten much more fun.

[figureofdismay]

so, you guys don't know me because I've been away from txf fandom for 20 years (and thank g.d i never posted my teenage msr scribblings lol!) but I'm finally coming out of my slump and I have three x-files fic ideas that are concrete enough to actually start working on. Except I stopped writing for 8 months due to burnout in a highly stressful previous fandom and I'm worried starting all 3 at once will make me backslide, thus, A Poll!

option one: 'Resonance Frequency,' as it says, an AU that slightly exaggerates and focuses on the abilities that Scully is haphazardly hinted to have throughout the series. Playing up the idea of her as an aware but completely unwilling psychic perceptive, she can sense the difference between legit phenomena and red herring/hoax in ways Mulder simply can't but she does *not* want to explain or deal with it (or admit it to herself). She wants proof and quantification of what she senses to make it fit with the way she wants to view the world (ie driven by concrete rules and therefore predictable), and she's afraid to talk to Mulder about it both because of how he treats her faith and not wanting his 'seek out and expose the truth' ways to put a spotlight on her, and Mulder has to come to terms with the fact that his single mindedness and black-and-white thinking is harming the person he cares about, and in a different more direct way than 'if he keeps pushing ~they will hurt her in retribution.'

option two: 'Cuckoo's Children,' taking some of the idea of CGB creating William/revival baby but not using Scully to get there, Spender Sr. arranged for some kind of mysterious clone-hybrid Mulder Take II baby to try again to have a pawn and heir -- a process started when they had access to him for the experimental brain surgery. Mulder and Scully get tipped off about the child and set out to track him down and then have to find a way to cure/stabilize him health-wise. Undecided if the boy is a clone-clone or of half of his genetic material will turn out to be Diana's, or Scully's, or even Samantha's. Themes of Scully working through multiple kinds of jealousy, longing, and grief (Diana's intrusion into their world was recent, Emily was created to be used and discarded but this child seems to be created to be used but kept), Mulder dealing with thinking of himself as a changling child who is poisonous to his loved ones and having to accept that casting himself in that role, though partially true, gives him 100% more feeling of agency than he actually had. (slightly Pawn In Frankinsence by Dorothy Dunnett inspired but without [chess game] and without spitting up the main couple for most of the plot. iykyk)

option three: 'Nothing to Pack,' title in reference to Lisa Hannigan's song Home, the posit of an affair between M & S that began somewhere either in the aftermath of Ice or after Phoebe's mind games, that leaves them both completely overwhelmed and even bewildered in the face of their explosive chemistry and inchoate feelings in the midst of trying to do the work, making it impossible to stay apart and not get wrapped up in each other even when it's risky. Then Scully is taken and Mulder goes into a fugue of loss. When she's back everything is different and wary and brittle, and Mulder treats her with this new distance, and Scully almost begins to doubt that their past innocence and their affair even happened -- everything from Before seems less real -- but they're like 'so, I guess we found a way to get over that habit, we're not going to risk that level of personal entanglement taking over everything and exploding the work again, we're not going back there and in fact it's better to pretend we never went there in the first place, the work trumps everything,' which is, of course, completely a unworkable long term plan given who they are and how they together, and given the fact that you can't just turn human emotions off at the switch.

(*disclaimer that if my sense of inspiration gets ornery, the fic that wins the poll might still not be the one I concentrate on first lol, but I do want to make an effort to focus where the potential reader interest is!)

[gi-zxt]

love. such a four letter word.

scara knew it was, and yet he watched you defend him in battle, covering his six (and three, and nine) at every turn, unfamiliar magic twisting across your body. as the moon shines, bright as the stars and warm as the darkness.

love, he thinks, is so unfamiliar to him, so... unfair.

he never felt the comfort of a mother's touch, of a lover's kiss, of a friend's embrace. so why, he thinks, does he feel so unfamiliar?

four simple letters damned him to you, a rose with tangled thorns, with the flower resting in the midst of them.

your magic felt like that. not a Vision. more.

he watches your blood fly as you got nicked by a sword of one rebel Fatui member, who quickly falls to the ground. scara watches as you turn to him, a smile on your face spreading your lips when you make eye contact for the brief moment you have.

love is you. your smile. your eyes. your magic not of Khaenri’ah or Celestia or Teyvat.

love is--

you're impaled through the stomach but not without retaliation, slicing their head off with a whip of dark blue, falling to your knees and hacking up star spattered blood.

"motherfucker," you spit, wiping your lips.

then you collapse.

scara realizes then, that he should have said something sooner.

"NO!"

he rushes over to your now-shivering body, leaking stars and love, and tries desperately to hold your wound closed, shouting to the wind for anyone to help. morax, the tsarista, barbatos, anyone.

anyone.

"nonono, you can't die, you--" he sniffs, trying to hold back tears, "--you can't, I didn't get enough time to say--"

"you love me?" you rasp, clutching the blade sticking in your gut. "stereotypical. kunikuzushi, I know. I know, love."

you inhale raggedly, hacking up stars.

"you're not subtle. I love you t-oo."

gasp.

tears drip down the eighth's face onto your cheek.

"do not weep for me," your voice soothes. "this is the labor of my love. destined to die."

"we--we can still--"

"I've lost too much blood. kuni..."

one last gasp.

"don't... leave me."

--

rage fills the eighth's body.

"I SAID NOT BLUE!" he yells at the low-ranking Fatuus. "ANYTHING BUT BLUE, YOU FUCKING IDIOT!"

the Fatuus trembles at the sheer volume of the eighth's voice, scurrying as far away from him as possible. up against a wall now, they shake as electro slowly approaches them, swirling with anemo, about to--

scara sees a flash of dark blue, of you, that shields the Fatuus from the blast he sends their way, that looks so much like you.

wait.

he never noticed that the officer has your eyes, your hair, your lips, your cheeks...

"s-sir?" they say with a shaky voice.

it's been years, decades, how how how--

"sir...?"

scara's arms wrap around them, sobbing into their uniform (damn, they think, this is gonna be a bitch to explain to their superior) as he holds them tightly.

"lover..."

they stiffen at the pet name, unfamiliar yet so recognizable all the same. why, why does this sound like me?

you.

--+--

a memory rushes back into your head, of a sword through your abdomen, gone just as quickly as it appeared. of blue magic, swirling across your figure, not of the anemo vision you hold on your hip, not of hydro or any element.

...what?

okok so... I wanna set up a poll.

Have reader remember and slowly gain their memories/abilities back OR

have reader start anew with scara, explain their backstory and such

take the survey!

SURVEY NOW CLOSED

[heartofstanding]

150-word meme

It's been over four years since I've done one of these and my creativity has been on fire lately (lots of ideas, not much writing, alas) so I figured it was time to bring this back and since we've now got the ability to option to add polls, I added a poll option.

Behind the cut is a list of current WIP projects (with excerpts). You can vote for one fic in the poll at the bottom and/or send me an ask with at least one number (you can send more than one number if you want) and I will write 150 words in the equivalent fic.

1. The Birth (Henry and baby Hal, modern AU).

‘Hal?’ Henry said. ‘Our baby,’ Mary said, looking a little hurt. ‘I thought we were going to call him Harry?’ he said. ‘He looked more like a Hal than a Harry to me,’ Mary said as if that solved everything. Henry didn’t know how that worked. Their son looked like a gremlin, not like a Harry or a Hal or like anything that should have a name that wasn’t Uglik the Wailing One.

2. this single knife in my heart (Hal’s perspective of his dagger incident/’but it is my knife and my heart too’)

‘Do you have any idea what you will say to him?’ ‘Well, I won’t make the mistake of asking him to abdicate, if that’s what you mean.’ Beaufort coloured dully and bent over his plate. ‘I thought it was the best thing to do – you know he hadn’t been well for years. I did not realise how poorly he would take it, how could I? It was the same logic he himself used with Richard. He was unfit as king, he could not carry on – why not give the throne away and enjoy one’s final years without the troubles? It was reasonable, wasn’t it?’ ‘The unreasonable part was saying any of that to my father’s face.’

3. untitled sodomy fic (Hal finds out Courtenay is gay)

‘Beaufort says you are a sodomite,’ he said. ‘It is a clerical vice, Hal.’ ‘It’s still a sin.’ ‘What, a vice a sin? I never knew that,’ said Courtenay. ‘I thought all vices were virtues. Indeed, in acting on my vice, I might have performed many a good deed for others and so be said to be virtuous…’

4. the wellspring (Joan of Kent/The Black Prince proposal)

‘Come out with me tomorrow,’ he says. ‘What?’ ‘We could go riding,’ he says. ‘Pass through the forest and the fields, go up to the moors. Or else have a hunt.’ She drinks deeply from her cup. She thinks, this is madness. She thinks, it would be good to leave the silent, still walls behind her and go through the world, breathe the free air. ‘It’s raining.’ ‘It’ll clear.’

5. she’s not coming home tonight (Philippa leaves England)

‘Will you tell me,’ Philippa said, ‘about our mother?’ Harry was silent for a long moment, his face still. ‘Why do you want to know?’ She bit her lip. ‘No one talks about her or when they do, they just say she was lovely as if that means anything.’

6. some rift, a hollow (Henry meets his son again after Bradmore's cure)

Henry thinks: O God, I am ill. I will die and Harry will be king and everyone will see his face. The longer he lies there and nothing changes, he understands it is only the relief of seeing Harry alive and well that has made him collapse. Then, he thinks: my son is here! My son will be well again! My son lives! I will keep my children safe. I will love Harry better. I will be a good man! I will learn mercy and forgiveness, I will take the penance the Almighty gives me meekly, whatever form it takes. I will go barefoot to Jerusalem to give thanks! Then, Richard’s voice: will you? You promise and promise and promise and then forget or find excuses. Do you forget I have the measure of your soul? You will do none of these things.

7. night's sister (Philippa of England gets visited by her sister's ghost)

It’s one of those strange kind of nights where Philippa’s skin prickles and she cannot lie peaceably in bed. After the winter solstice, day is fleeting and night stretches on seemingly forever. They go to bed early and wake late but in the midst of night, Philippa wakes and cannot go back to sleep. Her body feels heavy and strange, her hands slipping over it. At seventeen, she is almost a woman; she has carelessly shucked off the body she left England with and found herself in a different one, one with breasts and a body that wants some days and bleeds others.  At seventeen, she is as old as Blanche was when she died. She still feels too young to lie beneath her husband or to grow a child within her body, though Blanche, at seventeen, had done both and died with a second child half-grown within her belly. Philippa rolls over in her bed.

8. the silver blessing (Blanche's birth)

Mary takes her penance as meekly as a lamb and when her confessor leaves her, she moves, standing up and striding towards the window. Her fingers curl into fists, she straightens them and smooths out her skirts. He said, it is a mother’s duty to render up her child so that they may be all they can be. Think of the Virgin, giving up her Son to the Lord’s will. But the Virgin was special, chosen for God to carry her Son and give him, and she had borne what no mother should be made to bear and grieved most sorrowfully, even though she was specially chosen. Mary, at least, does not have to bear the Virgin’s sorrows. Not truly. She is giving her eldest son up but only to her own mother to raise for a time. Six months, perhaps, a year at most. And throughout that time, she will visit her mother and her mother will visit her. It will be bearable. It will be good for Harry too. He will have time on his own, Maman will help him grow in confidence and learning. But Mary will still miss him.

9. should've come with a warning (modern AU, set in a "everybody lives" fix-it verse. In the aftermath of her relationship with Louis Pfalz, Blanche has lunch with Joan of Kent.)

‘Is there anything you’d like to do?’ said Mum. ‘We don’t have to go to Richard’s for lunch, I can text him with an excuse.’ ‘Like what?’ ‘Traffic’s bad, we got away late—’ ‘He’d only invite us for afternoon tea.’ Mum’s lips pressed together. ‘We don’t have to accept.’ ‘He’ll just think I’m “damaged” then,’ Blanche said.

10. in the time of storms (Eleanor Cobham and no-good, very-bad year of 1441)

The little bottles tinkled as she ran her fingers over them. She hadn’t used them in so long. There hadn’t seemed to be much point. As Margery had told her, as delicately as possible, she was getting rather too old for there much hope left. As Southwell had told her, there was little they could do but hope that God, in His infinite mercy, would take pity on her. But why should she hope? She had done everything she could to carry a child but God’s infinite mercy had never let her birth more than blood and moles. She would tell Bolingbroke to take them away. He would look at her with his pale eyes that always seemed too compassionate, too knowing, and know she had given up. If had someone had come looking through this box, what had they hoped to find? Some foolish, superstitious child who sought love-charms or gossip? A chance to claim they had been brave enough to go through the witch’s box of spells, perhaps to take one and use it as a trophy – if that was the case, it was a weakness. They should be gotten rid of.

11. the king is dead (Eleanor Cobham and the death of Henry V)

‘Will you not go to him, your grace?’ Eleanor said. Jacqueline looked at her strangely. ‘The Duke of Gloucester?’ Eleanor said. Jacqueline shook her head. ‘No. I cannot go. I need to think, to speak with my people and take counsel. Prepare. Make plans. I cannot go.’ She paused for a moment, her mouth twisting and hands wringing the cloth of her dress. ‘You go,’ she said.

12. The Bargain (Eleanor's POV of 'some hope', documenting one pregnancy and miscarriage)

Also God said to the woman, I shall multiply thy wretchednesses and thy conceivings; in sorrow thou shalt bear thy children; and thou shalt be under the power of thine husband, and he shall be lord of thee. O God, if only it was true. If she had to go through this, there must be some reward, some reason. Her eyes streamed. It was not enough listening to Hume extol the duties of a loyal, patient wife or the promise that God’s will was done and done alone or his scolding that one must not put the Lord to the test. But there had to be some hope, didn’t there? There had to be some reason. She was allowed to be impatient; she was getting older and her prayers to both St. Anne and St. Margaret had thus yielded nothing.

You can send me an ask with one or more numbers (anon is on) and/or vote in the poll below! You can totally do both, too.

[hecatemoon87]

Greetings Dear Readers!

Based on my recent poll: I give you Part I of The Detective & his Partner: AU.

Part II

Detective Leo Demidov ran quickly down a corridor of an abandoned warehouse. As he came around the corner, a flash of light and a loud bang filled the hallway. Ducking behind the corner, Leo pressed himself against the wall. “Damn it!” Leo cursed as he removed his gun from its holster. A few moments later his partner came up by his side. “Jesus, Leo. Don’t get your Russian ass shot.” 

Wynter Barlowe, Leo’s partner, was a rather candid individual. But Leo liked that. Besides, she had proven herself to be a dependable partner over the two years they had worked together. The only problem Leo had with Wynter was that he was falling in love with her. 

But at that moment, Leo was rather preoccupied with not getting shot. They were in pursuit of a murderer from abroad. The killer had fled France to New York City, a city which Leo had immigrated to years before. 

“Technically, I’m Ukrainian,” Leo said, clicking the safety off on his gun. Wynter, who was now pressed firmly against the wall next to him, laughed. She had a silvery and elegant laugh. The kind that made Leo’s heart ache and his loins throb. 

“You expect me to know the difference? I’m a girl from the Bronx. My school was so poor, the only map we had was from 1953. I didn’t know that the Soviet Union had fallen and was now called Russia until after I went to college,” she said, jokingly. This made Leo laugh despite a killer being just a few feet around the corner with a gun. Wynter had that ability to take a tense situation and make him feel calm. 

Suddenly another barrage of gunfire brought his attention back to the killer. “Fuck me,” Leo hissed in Russian as he inched further away from the corner. “I don’t know what you just said, but ditto. Let me call in some back up.” Wynter said, bringing the radio strapped to her police vest to her mouth. “Suspect is armed and dangerous. All units move in.” The radio crackled and a voice replied, “Copy that.”

It took another hour before the criminal was finally apprehended. And it would take the remaining day and well into the night to file the paperwork. The fact that the murderer needed to be extradited back to France after he was tried in New York City made the paperwork all the more complicated. 

It was close to midnight and the detectives were only finished with about half of the required documents. Leo glanced up and caught Wynter in mid yawn. Her eyes darted over, spotting him watching. She abruptly closed her mouth and said, “Don’t you dare say it.” Leo blinked and cocked his head slightly. “Say what?” 

"You know: Go home Wynter, I can take care of things," she said, deepening her voice and using a Russian accent to mimic him. He chuckled and tilted back in his chair. "I don't sound like that." 

Wynter smiled and went back to typing on her computer. Leo watched her for a few moments more. Even though she looked tired, she was still so damn beautiful. He forced himself to look away and then he found himself yawning. “Why don’t we just start all this again in the morning?” he said. Wynter picked up her cup of coffee and took a swig before replying. The face she made had Leo laughing yet again. “What?” he asked. 

“Ugh, so freaking gross. It’s even worse when it’s cold! When is the department going to get us a proper coffee maker?!” she complained. "Maybe you should put it in the suggestion box. Oh, wait. There isn't one." Leo said, smirking and standing up from his desk. 

Wynter rolled her eyes. “I had no idea men from the Soviet Union could be so funny.” She said sarcastically as she powered down her computer. “USSR had some hilarious comedians, it’s when it fell we got serious,” Leo said, shrugging on his coat. Wynter laughed, the sound he craved the most. "How about tomorrow we meet at Maribel's Café? I'll buy you something decent," Leo offered.

“Mr. Demidov, you know how to spoil a girl,” she said, grinning. Leo had an impulse to tell he’d do anything for her, but he held it back. Although he felt strongly about Wynter, he was afraid that if he told her his true feelings, she might not feel the same. And then it would cause a strain on their partnership, something that he valued so much. 

Instead, Leo just smiled and walked with Wynter to the parking lot.

Part II a possibility! We'll see how well Part I goes!

[bonnielass23]

Writer WIP Poll Game

Rules: make a 24-hour poll with the names of your wip's, let it run, then write one sentence for every vote the winner got.

I was tagged by the lovely @astarkey and @alwaysupatnight. Thank you for allowing to open the floodgates of just how many WIPS I have.

Since I was tagged by a fellow Dusk fan I'm gonna list my fdtd wips all of which are sethkate. Some serious. Some complete crack. Most of these do not have titles yet

Outside of my fdtd friends who have already posted, I'm gonna tag everyone else across multiple fandoms : @lilmissuncreative @saltyunderscored @kelkat9 @fortysevenswrites @psilocybinlemon @elialys @milkshakemicrowave @kelkat9 and anyone else I missed or wants to do it!

Some of these have an official summary, some is just me throwing out the info. It should be obvious which is which lol

If anyone has any questions about these feel free to hit me up!

Raccoon Amaru - Canon divergent post season 2. With Kate surviving the blood well and Seth bringing her back to Jeds from the hospital to recover, Amaru finds herself in a different vessel.

La Jefe - Canon divergent post season 2 episode 9. At the blood well Kate stays up on the hill with Richie. It’s only after he’s gone down to try to take the blood for himself, in a move that is peak dumbass, that Kate has to intervene. With Richie wounded by a Xiblaban weapon and lying useless in the backseat of the car it’s up to Kate to deliver the blood and unwittingly become the new La Jefe, the head of Malvado’s empire. Seth lives his best life as a sugar baby and Richie is crying in a corner because he's supposed to be the boss.

Wild West AU - Wild West likely with supernatural elements. Kate frees Seth from the jail in Bethel the night before he's set to hang in exchange for him helping her track down her brother who disappeared with Carlos six months earlier. (Also the memorial piece for my mare, Bandit, who passed away almost a year ago and will be written in as Seth's horse.)

SethKate Wedding Date AU - Modern Day. No culebras. Kate is invited to her cousin's wedding and decides to ask Seth to be her date

“He’s not just my date, Scott.” A maniacal grin spreads over Kate’s face. “He’s my weapon. You really think I’m gonna walk in there with all their passive aggressive, pretending to be concerned comments? No, Scott. I’m going to fight fire with fire.” “That’s not fighting fire with fire Kate. That’s fighting fire with a nuclear warhead!”

Shangri-La - Canon divergent post season 2. With Eddie in critical condition and his chances of survival slim, the Geckos chose to go through with the plan to rob Malvado, even managing to save Kate’s life in the process. After coming back from their meeting with the lords, their relief at the news of Eddie’s survival is soon eclipsed by the sheer panic of realizing they now have to explain to him that not only did they pull his Shangri-La, swan song job without him, but they also lost the money.

Hero Twins AU - Canon divergent post season 2 episode 2. Kate reveals to Seth that she's pregnant during their fight in the car. After Sonja gets Seth clean, and with Eddie's help they hide away from the culebra world. 7 years later Richie and Kisa come crashing in with the news that their daughters are the next set of Hero Twins, destined to shake up the culebra and Xibalban hierarchy.

This leans very heavily into Mayan mythology, including a bibliography of academic sources, that will be included. It could be considered an exploration of the hero twin archetype told through Seth and Kate's fictional twins.

Witch AU - Modern day with supernatural elements. No culebras. Kate comes from a line of witches cursed to die when they begin to manifest their magical abilities. When she starts to have visions of her own death she goes to a professor of the occult Richard Gecko to try to figure out why her family keeps dying young. A witch himself, he tries to help her figure out the curse along with Seth who has turned his back on his supernatural abilities. It's a race against the clock to see if they can save Kate before her visions of her death come true.

Selkie AU - Coming home from college to attend her mother's funeral, Kate finds a package Jenny had left her. Kate's seal skin and an explanation of what she is. After going out to learn more about who she is her skin is stolen and she has to rely on the owner of a nearby bar, Seth Gecko, and his friends to steal back her skin.

[cutekittenlady]

Tumblr Plays Pokemon White 2 - Part 2

Find Part 1 HERE!

So we're in Floccessy Ranch. We've covered all routes the polls covered thus far, but due to our starter being out for blood or otherwise too eager to prove himself we only have two team members for the first gym. I won't bother reposting the whole ruleset here this time since we won't be capturing any pokemon until after we beat the gym leader.

They are;

Bentley; a deceptively quiet Snivy whose a little too proud of his power given what hes been getting up to. He fills the grass type slot under our current rule set. He has the overgrow ability.

Aries; a hasty and mischevious Mareep we just caught here at Floccesy Ranch. We haven't done much with her yet, but given shes our only other team member atm I'm happy for the company. She'll be filling the role of our electric type. She has the ability static; a classic for electric types thats always been pretty useful.

I opt to run back to the owners of the farm to get my pokemon healed up. There should be more trainers in this area to help train Aries up. Shes currently half of Bentleys level so she desperately needs to catch up.

Not having found Herdier on the main farm, Hugh and I check in the area up north to look for the little pokemon. I run into a trainer and send in Aries to use Thunderwave and land a paralysis on the trianers lilipup then swap out to Bentley. This game is back when there wasn't a default exp share to spread exp to the whole party so switch out tactics like this is going to be necessary to keep my pokemon leveled up.

I should also have pointed out that I have the setting of White 2 set to a "SET" battle style which means no warnings or free swap outs when we defeat another pokemon. This is a pretty popular mode of play that a lot of longtime fans were saddened not to see added to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

The first trainer actually gives us a bit of trouble since he has a mareep of his own that paralyzes both of our pokemon. But thanks to our own Aries hanging in there we were able to come out on top.

I healed up the team and afterwards Hugh actually gives us a paralyz heal. A good item going forward.

We manage to bypass one trainer (for now we'll come back and find him afterwards) and find an x attack and another potion.

Then we FINALLY find Herdier!

Hugh hears herdiers bark and runs off to find its trainer, evidently not not being able to see the weird costumed guy. He says hes a member of team plasma and asks if we've ever heard of it. Now, i played the first game, buuut I wanna see what he says if we say no.

Doing so causes the grunt to admit to being a terrorist who tried to conquer a whole country.

Not very subtle guy.

He then tries to throw something at our head, only for us to catch it and turn out to be the TM21 for frustration. He then runs away.

Odd guy.

Hugh arrives with the trainer and they all go home.

Leaving us behind.

RUDE.

I take the opportunity to go back and face the guy we left off before. Beating him got Aries to reach level 8 and learn thundershock. Which is great for the electric type coverage.

I thought I could heal up the team before heading out of Floccesy Ranch but it seems they aren't offering that anymore.

RUDE.

I still have some potions but I dont want to use them up just yet. So while Aries health is low, I opt to leave it be as we head back to Floccesy Town. We run back into Alder who makes some cryptic remarks about how weve grown and how he wants our help with something. He then walks into his house.

I stick a pin in it, and head down to the pokemon trainer to heal up first. I can't recall if we have to battle with Alder or not here, but its better to be safe than sorry. We head back to Alders place to find two kids who offer to train... us.

huh.

Apparently Alder wants us to battle these kids which seems... harsh. But hey free exp is free exp so we agree.

The first kid starts off with a panpour and I sent out Aries. This is pretty good for me since it means Aries has a type advantage. Panpour acts first hitting with a scrach but winds up paralyzed. THis does mean I waste a turn though since the first move I had Aries use was thunderwave which the use of static cancels out. Still next round Aries uses thundershock and takes out a lot of Panpours hp. Panpour attacks with lick, but Aries finishes it with another thundershock.

That Panpour was level 9 which gives Aries enough exp to level up twice. This puts her on near equal leveling with Bentley with is pretty great for us.

Alder heals us up and we fight the next kid who uses a pansear. This actually puts us at a type disadvantage. So I still opt to use thunderwave rather than hope that static with kick in. This turns out to be a smart move because pansears lick paralyzes Aries, but thankfully thunderwave gets through so both are now paralyzed. Not the best circumstance but its not terrible. Pansear hits with scratch and we hit back with thundershock. Without the type advantage it doesnt do nearly as much damage, but still does a decent amount. We repeat the same back and forth for the next two rounds until Aries has taken down pansear.

This gives Aries a new level which also means she learns Cotton Spore, a move that can lower an opponents speed. I opt to delete growl in favor of this move since being able to move first is a pretty good advantage to have.

When we finally walk out of the place some weirdo randomly hands us a box? I don't recall the medal reward mechanic but it does seem like something that'd fit in with Pokemon White 2. I'll have to see if I can explore it more later.

Immediately after this Alder comes out to tell us thres a new Gym Leader in our hometown who we should try and fight.

Welp, guess we know what to do now.

On the way back to Aspertia Alder catches up to us by jumping off that cliff again.

Srsly dude. Your knees.

He gives us some oran berries and tells us we should go on to take on all the gym leaders before taking off.

I'd say "well that just happened" but I dont wanna be one of those people yknow?

We get back to Aspertia and stop in at home before heading to the gym. Seems Bianca has been listening to our mom talk about her times with Prof Juniper. Heh, hope the Professor doesnt embarass easy!

Aspertia Gym is a Normal Type gym, so sadly we won't be having any kind of special advantage type wise with our electric and grass pokemon. Still I'm hopeful we'll be able to get this one go?

We'll have to see.

We enter into the school yard thats meant to be the gym and this guy called Clyde gives us a free water bottle. I recall this guy being at the start of every gym in the Unova games (I think) and he'll always give you a water bottle at the start. Its a good one time free healing item that isn't too broken.

So to fight Cheren we have to beat the other two gym leaders in the yard.

The first trainer starts off with a Patrat VS our Aries. I have Aries start of with Cotton Spore and the Patrat hits back with Leer. I'm wanting to make sure Aries moves first. Next round I have her use thunderwave to paralyze patrat. Its successful and it cant attack on its turn. Then I have Aries use thundershock with brings it down to roughly half health. The Patrat uses leer again, but I just have Aries use thundershock again. it fails to knock out patrat and it hits back with a tackle that does way too much damage for comofrt. I use another thundershock to take it out for good.

Evidently Aries is a bit of a glass canon without a lot of defense atm.

Next they send out a lilipup so I have Aries use cotton spore again. Even if they knock out Aries it'll slow them down for Bentley. Lillipup uses leer and I have Aries use thunderwave. However Lillipup still manages to use tackle and knock Aries out.

I swap in to Bentley and have him use Vine Whip. Lillipup uses odor sleuth. I decide to have Bentley use wrap to get in a little bit of chip damage. Lilipup hits with tackle and I have Bentley retaliate with vine whip. Another leer next round from the lillipup, but wrap gets its health into the yellow. One more vine whip finishes it off.

While we win, that was only the first trainer and we're already down a pokemon. I don't think we'll be getting through this gym in one round. However I dont want to run back to the pokemon center, so I opt to push on until we're KO'd.

The next trainer starts with a Lillipup VS Bentley. Without Aries around to do any set up I opt to start using wrap for chip damage right away. Lillipup uses odor sleuth but that just gives me a chance to use leer to lower its defenses. It tackles but I use a vine whip. That on top of the leer is enough to take Lillipup out and get Bentley to level 12.

The trainer sends out patrat. Again I opt for wrap. He hits with tackle and I take the chance to use a potion. Patrat uses a tackle and Bentley uses leer. Patrat responds with a leer of its own. Then I use vine whip and get patrat in the yellow. Patrat hits with a tackle, but wrap activates and get him into the red. I have Bentley use tackle to save on pp and it takes the Patrat out beating the trainer.

Going in against Cheren I heal up Bentley with one of my remaining potions.

I save my game and head in against the gym leader.

Cheren opts to start with Patrat.

As before I start with wrap, tank a tackle, and then use leer. I tank another tackle and decide to use another leer. I'm hoping to take Patrat out in one hit. Tanking another hit, I heal up with my last potion, as Patrat uses work up. I then hit with vine whip. I fail to take patrat out and it hits me with a powered up tackle getting me into the yellow. I use another vine whip to take Patrat out.

Bentley gets to level 13 and wants to learn Growth. This is a pretty good move that increases attack and special attack. I'm not willing to give up tackle just yet since I want to maintain a neutral attacking move this early in the game (the gym after this is poison type after all) and so I remove leer in favor of growth..

Cheren sends out Lillipup which i think may be his last pokemon. I use the fresh water to heal Bentley as Lillipup starts with a work up. I have Bentley respond with growth. Lillipup uses work up and I use growth again. Lillipup uses work up again and I use growth. Next round LIllipup uses work up yet agian, but i opt to try to do some damage and have Bentley use vine whip. Lillipup outspeeds with another work up. Bentleys powered up vine whip is enough to get Lillipup to half health. Hoping I can make this quick I have Bentley use vine whip again which KOs lillipup and wins the gym battle!

Yayyyy our first milestone is met!

With this pokemon up to level 20 will obey us, and Cheren also gives us TM83 for work up. And once were out of the gym we meet back up with Bianca and she gives us the TM for Return which is a pretty great normal type move.

Now gen 5 is the first time in the series that you got to have reusable TMs before this point they were one use only so you had to be very careful which pokemon you gave which move.

Cheren emerges from the gym and it turns out he and Bianca know each other! These two then exchange numbers with a teenager.

Pokeverse is a different world.

We get a call on the xtransciever (which is like the gen 5 pokeverse version of a smart watch with call function) from prof juniper who introduces herself.

After that call Hugh shows up and challenges Cheren to a battle. He agrees and they both disappear inside.

Bianca then gives us the C-gear which we wont be using much since its mostly there for wi-fi stuff that isn't available anymore.

And with that we're finished with the first leg of our journey!

We have the start of a team and our first gym badge.

I'll be saving the game and getting our character to the next area. Once we're through all the polls for the next area I'll make the part 3 to this series! See you then!.