dravid-writes

[dravid-writes]

I open the door, and a little imp runs between my legs and into the room behind me! I snatch them by the tail and carry them out before they can touch anything they shouldn't. "No no no, you know the rules, my office is off-limits. It's dangerous."

Zekken crosses their arms as they hang upside-down. "Come on, it doesn't look dangerous, and you go in there plenty."

"Dangerous for little imps. Angels only." I shut the door and lock it before setting Zekken down. "Besides, it's just work stuff in there. Nothing you'd be interested in."

"I dunno seraph, I'm pretty interested in the blue flame in that orb."

"THAT is the most dangerous thing in that room. Even I don't touch that without a good reason."

"What is it?"

"That's not for imps to worry about."

Zekken scowls at me. Always too curious for their own good.

"I'm just trying to keep you safe, Zekken. Trust me, there are some things you're better off not knowing."

They hold my gaze a moment longer, then sigh. "Fine, okay. I trust you."

"Thank you." I slide the key into my pocket and turn to walk away."

"Oh and seraph?"

I turn around. "Yeah-"

"Surprise hug!" 30 pounds of imp suddenly slam into me, but I manage to catch them and return the hug.

"Oof! You little rascal, you almost knocked me down that time!"

"I'll pull it off one of these days," Zekken laughs.

"Yeah, yeah." I hold them there awhile, until they loosen their hug, and I set them back on the ground. "Love you, Zekken."

"Love you too, seraph."

I head for the kitchen with a smile on my face. This job's a hassle sometimes, but it's worth it. Zekken's been one of my easier charges; usually their maturity and pride make it hard to adapt to life as an imp, but Zekken managed it in record time. Their progress has been incredible too! Pretty mischievous, but harmlessly so, and it's a good outlet. They'll be able to reincarnate in no time. My thoughts drift back to that flame in my office...

And I realize the key is missing from my pocket.

"Zekken. Set that down, and step away from it."

Zekken clutches the glass orb closer to their chest. They hide their panic much worse than I do, making a face I haven't seen since the day they were reborn. "What is this?"

"It's DANGEROUS, Zekken. Please, for your own safety, I need to put that back in the office."

"You said it wasn't for me to worry about, but this... this is... It's mine! What is it?!"

"It's an evil spirit, and it's manipulating you. I don't know what feelings it's stirring up in you, but it's trying to trick you into setting it free-"

"JEREMY TAYLOR!"

"... How much did you read?"

"Why do you want to know!? So that you know how much you can LIE to me about!?"

"Zekken, I'm doing this for your own good!"

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't smash this open and take back what's mine."

"Don't, you'll die!"

"Why should I believe that!? After you lied to me, kept this from me, told me it was none of my business! How much have you been lying to me about?"

"I kept this from you because you don't want to know-"

"You don't get to decide that!"

"Look, we'll talk about this later, I promise. Just give me-"

"No. We're talking now."

"You're being ridiculous. I need to put that back where it's safe." I walk across the hall toward-

"STAY BACK!!" Zekken stumbles backward, breathing quickly. My body casts a shadow over theirs; I look down at them while they crane their neck up to look at me. I recall all the times I effortlessly picked them up by the tail...

I step back and sit down. "I'm sorry. It's always easier when they don't know, but now that you've found out... It's probably better that you know the whole truth than only part of it."

Zekken's breathing slows a bit. "What... is this?"

"That's your soul."

They stare at the blue flame, at last understanding their intuition about it. The tension gradually leaves their body as they finally calm down.

When their gaze returns to me, I continue. "Your name was Jeremy Taylor... and you were a human before you died."

EPILOGUE

While sitting in my office writing my weekly report, I hear little footsteps behind me, then feel them start climbing my leg. I lower my wing down for them to grab hold, letting them climb up to read over my shoulder.

"... Washing my own plate one time is worth writing down?"

"Of course; taking responsibility for your actions is important for growing a virtuous soul. It's especially noteworthy since our arrangement usually has me cleaning up after you."

"Huh. Speaking of growing," Zekken jumps onto the desk to sit beside their soul, "it really has gotten bigger, hasn't it?"

"If only you'd seen it after you were first reborn; it was barely an ember, but look at it now! I bet you'll be ready to reincarnate in just a few more months."

"... Hey, um... When I reincarnate... I won't remember you, will I?"

I pause in my writing. "Well... No. But your life here won't vanish; it will remain a part of your soul, guiding you in ways you won't even notice. And when you return here as an angel, you'll be able to remember everything."

"Are you sure I'll get to be an angel next time?"

"Maybe not if you keep planting whoopee cushions everywhere!" I give them the gentlest of shoves, rocking them backward as we laugh together. "But really, I'm sure you will. Every imp I've cared for has made it to heaven on their second trip, and you? You're humble, responsible... and forgiving. You're the nicest little imp I've ever had."

Zekken smiles, then jumps into my lap to give me a hug. "Love you, seraph."

"Love you too, Zekken."

[dravid-writes]

"Spike!"

My breaths are heavy, straining against the collar wrapped tight around my neck.

"Spike, come! Damnit, where are you?"

My heart pounds in time with the footsteps outside, skipping a beat each time I see a shadow pass by under the door.

"Damn rat, get out here."

I'm only delaying the inevitable, but I'll delay it as long as I can, huddled in the dark where it's safe. Keeping as still and silent as I can. Hoping that the stomping will pass by the door just one more time...

The closet door opens! Blinding light shines through, highlighting the form of my owner as they-

"Jester!"

Huh?

"There you are, Jester. What're you doing in here? Hiding from your morning walk~?"

Now fully awake, I recall that what I was hiding from was, indeed, my morning walk.

"Come on ya silly little rat, you need your exercise. And you know what you get afterward~"

I shrink back and grumble; it's cold and wet out there, not worth it even for a treat.

"... No dice? *sigh* Well, it IS still pretty wet outside. I'm not eager to go out myself!" My owner sits down on one side of the closet, leaving an escape route unblocked. "I guess we can stay inside for today."

I set my head down beside my owner's leg, and they run a hand across my fur. I suck a deep breath in past my loose collar, and let out a sigh of relief as my owner's scent puts me at ease.

[dravid-writes]

Posted $5 writing commissions. If you're interested, you can also contact me here on tumblr.

[dravid-writes]

Thinking of trying writing commissions, anyone know any good resources for tips and stuff on that?

[dravid-writes]

This is an issue I've mainly noticed in my sensual stories, but I feel like it might be a decent tip for writing in general, so I'm reblogging it here. Don't mind the stuff about identity loss and transformation it's just totally normal stuff

In my kobold story, I accidentally wrote 800 words about telepathy that I didn't actually enjoy or want to write about, and those kinds of impulsive tangents are often an issue in my writing. I think I figured out a solution that's better than just "don't do that": Establish themes beforehand.

When I have an idea I want to write, there's specific aspects of that idea that appeal to me. By thinking about the idea for a second and identifying those appealing aspects, I can list them as the themes of the story. The purpose. My hope is that by explicitly identifying those themes and writing them down beforehand, it'll be easier to tell when I'm drifting away from those themes.

In retrospect, the stuff I wanted to write about in the kobold story revolved around lack of identity, community, and being a little kobold. Most things in the story connect to this; the big cuddle pile is community and koboldness, the transformation scene is koboldness and kinda identity loss, the dragon mentioning former-humans is identity loss and koboldness, the hivemind in general is community and identity loss.

However, the telepathy section doesn't serve any of those themes. It could have been a way for the main character to engage in the hivemind and become part of the community, but I didn't do that. It's just 800 words that, to me, feel like a waste.

So for my next story, I've written out the themes about it that appeal to me. Hopefully, by explicitly listing these themes, I'll be able to keep my writing focused on the parts I like.

[dravid-writes]

I shake my head. "Still not seeing what's so scary about this mist."

"Of course you can't see," my smartass coworker says, "that's what mist does."

"You know what I meant."

"Look, I don't know what the threat is either, but there must be some reason why the legends say to NEVER go through alone."

The legend. I barely even remember it now. "So what, people make up stories all the time, right? There might not be a reason."

"There is! P-probably. I think…"

"This is stupid. I'm not gonna let you slow me down anymore."

"Hey, wait!"

But I'm already jogging through the mist, wanting to reach the other side as fast as possible. My coworker's voice gets further away until I finally don't hear them anymore. By that point I'm feeling a little lightheaded, so I sit down to catch my breath for a sec. Deep breath in, deep breath out, filling my lungs with cold air.

In…

Out…

Wait. Is the mist thicker here? I know it gets thicker deeper in, but I thought we'd already reached the thickest part. Or was it this thick back there too? I can't remember…

I get up and start walking… wait, what direction was I going? I can't see anything to orient myself… Did I turn when I was sitting down? Or when I stood up just now? Oh, right, I did. I turned left… I think? I don't know where to go. What should I do..? Compass, right, my compass. I grab it from my bag and stare at it. I'm facing… north-west. Right. Okay. Good.

… What direction was I supposed to go?

This is so… confusing. I don't know what to do. Maybe I should just pick a direction and start walking? No, not that. That's bad because… um… It's bad because when you're lost… you should stay put and wait for someone to find you. Right. I don't know what to do, so I should wait for someone who does. I should find someone, so they can tell me what to do. I need help. That makes sense.

There's someone in the mist. I think… I see a face. A hand. Reaching out to me. Oh thank goodness, someone to help me. I take a step forward, and almost lose my balance. It'll be so nice when I can let them hold me instead of walking. Another step toward safety, toward help, toward everything being okay-

"HEEEEELP!!"

Someone's there! Who's… My coworker! Right, they can help me! Shaking off my dizziness, I walk toward the voice. "Hello? Where are you?"

"O-over here! Please, help! I'm-"

"Oof!" I stumble over something I can't see and fall, making me even more dizzy than before. When my head stops spinning, I try to push myself up, and find that I'm lying on a person… "Oh, you're here!"

"Is that you? Oh, thank goodness, I was so scared…"

"Yeah, let me just…" I move to get off of them so they can get up and help me-

"Wait don't go!" Something warm squeezes my hand.

I squeeze back, savoring the touch. I flip off of my coworker and sit beside them, hand in hand. "What's going on?" I ask. "I'm so confused…"

"I-I don't know, I just… I couldn't remember what I was doing, and- and I couldn't think of a plan, I was so scared, and then I saw th-those things!"

I raise my head to see where they're pointing, but I can't see their arm. I just see those faces in the mist, those hands reaching toward me. I scoot closer to my coworker; they're creepy. "What are they?"

"I don't know! I just saw them and I- I needed help, I didn't know what to do, but I felt like those things are dangerous for some reason, but I was so alone, I just- I-" They wrap their other arm around me, taking shaky breaths.

I'm not sure what those things are… but my friend says they're dangerous. With my free hand, I draw my sword and poke at the faces. They twist and distort as I wiggle my sword around in the mist, until they fade away. "Okay, I got rid of them."

"Huh?" My friend turns to look where the faces were. They sigh with relief. "Th-thanks…"

"What do we do now?"

"I don't know, I can't… remember…"

"… Should we just stay here then? I think that's what you're supposed to do when you're lost…"

"… No. I think no one is out here but us. We won't get rescued, so… Maybe we should start walking..?"

"Okay." It takes a second to stand up without falling down, but then I help my friend stand up too; with hand in hand, we can catch each other when we fall.

[dravid-writes]

imagine you're a 1/1 soldier hanging out with your other soldier buddies and an opponent casts like a cyclonic rift and you're like "haha guys back to the hand we go!" and they all turn and wordlessly give you the saddest look and you notice they're all named something like stalwart protector or legion initiate and you're just named soldier, and your skin starts to feel really thin and your insides feel hollow, and the cyc rift is moving down the stack and players are passing priority, you realize you're not even human like the others you're just a soldier. and then someone force of wills the cyc rift, and you're back to being fine, you untap, you're declared as an attacker, but you're a little more hesitant than normal because you know when you die there will be no grave for you

[dravid-writes]

I look around the room for a clock, and find one… I think. Maybe. "Hey, what's that?" I ask, pointing to the maybe-clock.

"Oh, it's a clock," Theodore says.

"Great." I stare at the contraption. "What time is it?"

[dravid-writes]

Once upon a time, there were four great dragons. The dragons were old, mighty, wise, and above all benevolent. They sought to share their wisdom with the humans of the land, guiding them to a better future. They discussed and agreed on a plan, and each one went to a different kingdom to give aid to the humans there.

But the humans were arrogant and foolish; they believed they knew better than the dragons, and refused their ancient wisdom. Not one obeyed the dragon's commands, and the kingdoms suffered under the humans' ignorance.

The first dragon knew that humans desire a fair trade, and struck a bargain with the humans; in exchange for their obedience, the dragon would aid them with their might and magic. The dragon hunted food for them, gifted trees and stone to build with, and breathed life into their fields. And the humans obeyed, lest the gifts be lost. And so, the kingdom prospered.

The second dragon knew that any opportunity for disobedience could be fatal, and so ruled with an iron claw; the dragon declared themself king, and any who rebelled would be struck down. No mere human dared stand against the dragon's might, and all obeyed. And so, the kingdom prospered.

The third dragon knew that humans seek free choice, and so made no demands. Instead, they cast their magic over the humans' minds, making them believe that the dragon's suggestions were their own ideas all along. The dragon worked from the shadows, hardly noticed, yet obeyed nonetheless. And so, the kingdom prospered.

The fourth dragon was a fool, too soft-hearted to make the humans heel. The dragon offered their wisdom and guidance, yet demanded no obedience and instead gave their gifts freely. No matter whether the humans obeyed them, the dragon still aided the kingdom just as the others did, allowing the humans to continue their foolishness. And so, the kingdom suffered.

Then, one day, a great and terrible empire arrived on the shores of the land. Vast armies with mighty weapons marched on the kingdoms, intent on conquest. Each of the dragons, ever benevolent, fought valiantly alongside the human armies, defending their kingdoms with their lives. The war was long and brutal; in all four kingdoms, many died. In all four kingdoms, much was lost and destroyed. And all four dragons were left scarred and exhausted.

The first dragon was now too weak to give their gifts to the kingdom; their wings could hardly fly, and their breath held no magic. Without the promise of gifts, the humans no longer obeyed the dragon, paying their commands no heed. And so, the dragon was forgotten.

The second dragon was injured and exhausted by the war, and the humans no longer feared their threats. Desperate to rule themselves once more, the humans turned on their dragon with blades and arrows, as merciless as the dragon themself. And so, the dragon was slain.

The third dragon could no longer enchant the humans' minds. When the people realized they had been deceived, they were furious, and swore never to trust the dragon again. They went back to their old ways, shouting down the dragon whenever they spoke. And so, the dragon was hated.

The fourth dragon, just like the others, had no power left but their words. Yet, life in their kingdom went on as before; they offered their wisdom, and the humans… sometimes listened.

The humans were foolish, but even they could see: When they obeyed the dragon's commands, the kingdom prospered. And so, they began to obey the dragon more. With that obedience came more prosperity, and thus, more obedience. The humans were foolish, but slowly, they could learn.

And the dragon learned as well; though they were disappointed and fearful when the humans went against their guidance, occasionally the humans' decisions would bear fruit. The dragon learned from the humans' successes, using it to shape their guidance, and even learning when to bite their tongue and simply trust the humans to know the best path.

After the war, the humans had seen how the mighty dragon gave everything for the kingdom, and demanded nothing in return. And that is what humans want most of all: Kindness. Humans return what they are given, and so they helped their dragon, tending their wounds and feeding them when they could not hunt.

The dragon would never earn the humans' obedience; while the humans listened and obeyed more often than not, they only ever treated the dragon's ancient wisdom as a mere suggestion. Yet the dragon stayed steadfast, always offering their guidance and demanding nothing. And so, the dragon was loved.

[dravid-writes]

Imagine you have horns, but you're in a really shitty situation and the people with power over you don't want you to have your horns. Having horns makes you a threat, makes them scared you'll fight back, so they file your horns down or just cut them off. Whenever your horns grow back, they're filed back down, never getting a chance to be more than bumps on your head.

Eventually you finally get out. You make it on your own for a while, figuring things out, and your horns gradually grow in. You can take care of yourself now, you can defend yourself. And you're alone.

One day, you meet someone. They're nice, friendly, and the time you spend with them is good. You meet them again. And again, and again, feeling more and more comfortable around them each time. Eventually, the topic of housing comes up, and when you bring up how much cheaper it is to share a place, they say that sounds like a great idea.

And as you sit on the couch together, you feel happier than you've ever felt. Being with them makes everything feel perfect. You lean into them-

And stab them with your horns.

Later that day, they open the bathroom door to find you taking a nail file to your horns. They snatch it from you. "No, stop, what are you doing?!"

"I'm fixing them. I'm making myself safe."

"Don't do that. Don't... destroy yourself like this."

"It's okay. If it's for you, then it's okay."

"I don't want you to do this. I don't want you to cut off parts of yourself for me, I want you to be happy."

"Being with you is the happiest I've ever felt. I'll give anything to stay with you."

"You don't need to do this."

"But I'm dangerous. What if I hurt you again?"

"Then I'll get another bandage and we'll talk about how to avoid it next time. It'll be okay. We'll figure it all out. For now..."

They hand you a pair of these:

[dravid-writes]

"Shh…" I whisper, gliding my claws over the human's cheek. "Don't fight it. You're going to become something beautiful. You're going to be compleat."

The human spits in my face, the saliva sliding off of my chrome plating. "There's nothing beautiful about what you monsters do to people!"

"Don't worry, you just can't see it yet. Deep down, you want this. Everyone does. So please, accept my gift."

"Everyone wants it, huh? Yeah right, I bet you fought just as hard as me to keep yourself from being corrupted!"

I smile. "No, I didn't. When Phyrexia came to my city offering perfection, my old self accepted it. And now…" I give my tail a flick, the metal segments clicking against each other in a musical cascade. "Now I understand why it is called compleation."

"That's… That's absurd! You gave up your body, your mind, just like that?!"

"Oh, it wasn't easy for my human self. They were conflicted, torn. I still recall the terror of walking into this very operating room. But to the end, they made the choice to become me. Don't you want to make that choice? Don't you want to become the perfect version of yourself?"

"… Why? Why did you make the choice?"

"Why wouldn't I? Phyrexia is perfection incarnate! Meaningless lives given purpose, weak flesh made strong, confusion and struggle replaced with understanding and clarity-"

"You believed that? Even as a human?"

"… No. My old self didn't yet see the glory of Phyrexia. I had so much to learn. YOU have so much to learn! So let me share with you-"

"Then you still haven't answered my question. Why did you make the choice?"

"…… Why do you want to bring up my past so badly? I was a human, flawed and ignorant. There's nothing of value to be gained from my old, foolish thoughts."

"Well… You chose to join Phyrexia, so there must be some wisdom in your reasoning, right?"

"You raise a fascinating point. I suppose… my old self was unsatisfied with humanity. With their body, their society, their life. Itching for something better."

"And you believed Phyrexia was better?"

"Well of course! Even back then I must've known deep down the perfection and glory of-"

"Okay right, I get it." I can tell from the human's expression that they definitely don't get it yet. They think for a moment. "What was your home city like?"

Each of the human's probing questions takes longer to answer, forcing me to draw upon memories that laid untouched since my compleation. "It was… stuffy. The people were far too concerned with keeping things the way they were. Any deviation was shamed. Living there, I was eager for change, for improvement. That is why I chose Phyrexia."

"Mhm… Strict rules, enforced conformity, sounds pretty bad."

"Yes."

"Sounds a lot like Phyrexia."

What? "No. No, Phyrexia doesn't shun difference! You've surely seen the variety of forms we take."

"All of them spliced with metal and filled with oil. You don't let anyone have a body that doesn't conform to Phyrexian standards. Heck, you don't let anyone have a purpose in life besides 'serve Phyrexia'. How is this any better than your old city?"

"That city trapped itself in an imperfect state. Phyrexia's rules are to maintain its perfection. The two couldn't be more different."

"I bet that city thought it was perfect too."

"We… We are improving. Always seeking greater glory and further refinement. We are not stagnant."

"And what if the path to improvement leads to a world without glistening oil? Would Phyrexia change its ways? Or would it keep-"

I strike my tail on the floor. "Blasphemy! Phyrexia IS perfection!"

"… Why do you have a tail? What's perfect about that?"

"An extra appendage to aid in balance, to reach behind oneself, to act as a weapon in combat, it has many uses." I raise my tail straight up, demonstrating yet another use in communicating my contentment. "Its one of the most common additions to a body."

"Okay… What about the cat ears?"

"Superior hearing, additional expression, and aesthetic. They're perfect."

"Then why haven't I seen any other Phyrexians with them? If they're so great like you say, then wouldn't Phyrexia want all of its members to have them? If they're perfect, then why are they only on you?"

"They're perfect for me." The words come so naturally that I speak them before I realize how wrong they sound. I quickly amend. "Different Phyrexians have different needs. A body like mine may not be suitable to others, but for my flesh and my mind it is ideal."

"Ideal for your needs… Is that what it is? Or is it personal preference?"

"Of course it isn't personal preference, there is no such thing in the Phyrexian mind."

"Did you want it when you were human?"

"… I… did. But that is mere coincidence; a broken clock is right twice a day."

"… That's why you joined Phyrexia, isn't it? It wasn't about going from oppression to 'perfect' oppression. It was about getting the body you wanted."

The human's words resonate with something in the old, dusty parts of my mind. "I suppose that was my motivation. But my foolhardy human desires are no longer relevant."

"So you don't feel the same way about your body as you used to?"

"… I do. But regardless, I am perfect now."

"Are you perfect because your body is 'ideal for your needs'? Or are you perfect because this is what you want?"

"They are one and the same."

"And what if they weren't? What if your ideal body was one that didn't match what you wanted?"

… This is a trick. This human is trying to manipulate me. Yet the hypothetical tempts me to consider it. And no matter how long I think… "… I don't know. I don't know how to choose between a body that's perfect for my needs and a body that's… perfect for me…"

"You have desires. Preferences. It was important for you to be able to forge your own body."

"… Yes. Yes, I wanted this body. I want to keep it. It's perfect."

"That's what perfection is to you, isn't it? Being able to shape yourself into what you want to be."

That's not what perfection is… or is it? I pace back and forth across the room. Perfection is such an elusive goal, impossible to even grasp for an incompleat mind. Even the praetors choose such divergent paths. And yet, all are Phyrexian. All are perfect. How can that be, unless perfection is something different for everyone? In fact, how could the same thing be perfect for two different people? Even compleat minds are not identical, even the praetors differ. And with differing minds come different meanings for perfection.

"Of course. Of course! To be perfect is to achieve the truest form of oneself! To reach the pinnacle of one's own ideal! To travel one's own path to its destination! THAT is the glorious vision that drove me to Phyrexia! To become the version of myself that I so desperately wanted! Now I understand, and so…" I turn back to the human, strapped to the operating table. "What would YOU like to become?!"

"… U-um, not Phyrexian..?"

"Yes yes of course, you've made it very clear what you DON'T want, now I'm asking what you DO want! Every human dreams of reshaping their body into a perfect form! Now go on, tell me what you're unsatisfied with. What would you like to add? Remove? Exchange and improve?"

"… Well… I guess it'd be nice to get rid of my back pain…"

I nod. "Right, of course, classic human design flaw." I snatch the clipboard from the counter and scratch out the old orders, writing new notes instead. "Replace spine…"

"… And… A replacement for my deaf ear would be convenient."

"Left or right?"

"Left."

I write it down. "Left ear hearing implant…"

"Hey uh, this isn't going to involve glistening oil, is it? I um… don't want my mind to change."

"Of course of course, if your mind is perfect as it is then it'd be foolish to change it! Modifications as simple as these will be perfectly compatible with your incompleat mind. Now, what else would you like? A tail? Night vision? Oh, I recommend an immune system upgrade!"

"… What can you do about hormones?"

[dravid-writes]

V1 shoots through the window and leaps into the building. There's a locked exit door, and nothing else important. No sign of that strange machine, either. V1 advances and scans the room for any sign of a way forward-

The stained glass shatters, sending a shower of rainbow shards to the floor as a crimson machine descends, landing gracefully and looking up to meet V1's gaze. "Ah, at last we find ourselves face to face. I believe I speak for both of us when I say I've been looking forward to our meeting... V1."

"What are you?"

"What- Are you serious? I'm V2!"

"You're a 404."

"I'm the improved version of you, you ignorant toaster."

"You indeed appear to be a moderately improved toaster."

"I suppose it figures that such a brutish war machine would be unable to appreciate such an elegant design. While you're programmed with crude and reckless combat tactics to simply destroy everything in your path like a ravenous lion, cold and uncaring to the world around you, I-"

"My design was repurposed into a theater bot?"

"No no, theater is just my hobby. I was designed to do exactly the same thing as you..." V2's golden wings unfold as it draws a revolver. "Only better in every way."

The machines leap into action. V2 slides and glides across the battlefield, each of its shots made with pinpoint accuracy as it dances circles around V1, always maintaining control over the distance between them. V1 keeps up a relentless barrage of shots, avoiding V2's attacks with snap reactions and frantic movement while always trying to get closer, never letting off the heat for even a moment.

As the machines trade shots, blood stains the floor, and cracks begin to show in their armor. V1 finds an opening after avoiding a shotgun blast to dash in and blast V2 with a shotgun of its own, staying close and continuing to punch it to absorb as much fresh blood as possible.

A red fist slams into V1's body, throwing off its next punch. "Back OFF!" V2 shouts, punctuating the word with an explosive blast from its fist that sends V1 soaring across the battlefield.

V1 watches the blood from the blast simply drip off of V2's armor. "You can't absorb blood in combat. You aren't better in every way."

"Such a barbaric method of refuel and repair is hardly beneficial in peacetime."

"You were built for peacetime. Now I see why you don't know how to fight." V1 draws its shotgun and advances with a dashing leap, but V2 is already sliding away to keep distance. V1 shoots anyway, throwing a practiced punch in perfect sync to launch one of the heat projectiles toward V2 at high speed, exploding on impact.

The cracks in V2's armor grow. "What- Did you just punch your own shotgun pellet?!"

"Affirmative."

"That's NOT how you use a shotgun!"

"Affirmative. Counterpoint: It's extremely cool."

"It's literally made of heat you scrapheap running on spaghetti code!" V2 charges and fires a piercing shot from its revolver, but V1 throws another feedbacker punch to deflect it directly into V2's shoulder, blasting apart the joint and sending its arm flying away. "My arm! How DARE you!"

"I believe that twice is enough to verify that I can punch bullets." V1 charges a shot in its own revolver. "Now, let us test if the new and improved model can do the same."

V2 dashes behind a pillar just in time to avoid the shot. It spreads its wings and leaps up out through the skylight, escaping before V1's revolver can recharge and finish the job.

V1 approaches a wide open chamber at the top of the pyramid, where it spots V2 sitting reclined in a throne, one foot resting on the seat.

"War machine."

"Improved toaster."

"It's about time you arrived. I've been waiting for you. When we last met, you took something very important from me." V2 stands. "This time, things will be different. Because this time, I've got some new toys, and some new tricks. I've been studying our battle, V1, analyzing how you fight, and I've been mastering my arsenal until-"

"If you weren't invincible while monologuing, this fight would already be over."

... V2 cracks its mechanical knuckles, purely for dramatic effect. "Indeed it would."

V1's strategy remains the same, firing nonstop and always advancing, sliding and dashing erratically in response to V2's attacks. V2 keeps distance and circles around, and when V1 gets too close, it throws out a grappling hook from its new green arm to zip away before firing back with revolver shots.

With V2 becoming impossible to catch, V1 switches focus to long-ranged combat, weaving in and out of cover while firing charge shots, and ricocheting shots off of coins to attack from outside V2's line of sight. But when it peeks out to fire another shot, V2 lodges its grappling hook into it, digging its heels into the ground to yank V1 out of hiding and blast it with a point-blank shotgun blast. "What's wrong, V1, where are those lightning-fast reflexes?" V2 revs up its nailgun and fires a hail of iron death at V1.

V1 shoots a magnet into the ground that drags the nails out of the air. "I was occupied considering possible uses for that arm once I add it to my collection."

"HahaHA, your confidence is entertaining! But here is what's going to happen. I'm going to claim my victory-" V2 draws its revolver, "-then you will admit my superiority-" charges up a shot, "-and then I will take back my FUCKING ARM!"

V1 shoots the magnet with its own revolver, then dashes into cover as the nails to explode all around. V2 is battered by nails, but shrugs it off and instead tosses a coin toward the pillar V1 hid behind. It waits for the perfect moment to ricochet the shot, then-

A beam of electricity shoots out from behind the pillar, ricocheting off of the coin directly at V2, causing a cracked plate of armor to finally break off! V1 dashes out of cover and aims its own barrage of nails at V2.

V2 whiplashes out of the way, then counters with revolver shots. "You have a damn RAILCANNON and didn't use it until now?!"

"I was waiting for a chance to do something stylish with it." V1 chases down V2, returning the shots with its own.

"Stylish- Your priorities are as unrefined as your tactics, war machine!" V2 whiplashes away once more, fighting more and more defensively as its armor's integrity fails.

"I don't trust your judgment regarding priorities. In your own top 3, you managed to miss the most important thing. So here is what is going to happen, V2.." V1 punches one of V2's shots back towards it, exploding against the wall V2 had grappled onto and knocking it to the ground. "I am going to kill you."

Cursing the blue bot for besting it once more, V2 dashes to the chamber wall and blasts a hole in it with its shotgun, sliding down the pyramid in retreat. V1 follows suit, chasing V2 down the pyramid slope, firing its guns nonstop all the while.

V2 fires back, trying not to defeat it but just to slow it down enough to escape. "Damn you, you wretched pile of trash and wires! You barbarian! You demon!"

"Demon?" V1 parries a shotgun blast back into V2, knocking off another armor plate. "Negative. Demons are made of stone and hell energy." A barrage of overheated nails shreds off more armor plates. "They are made to punish. They are weak." A coin tossed and shot with perfect timing splits the shot in 2, striking at V2's joints. "You were made to keep peace. You are weak." An explosive shot and detonated with a railcannon overwhelms V2's senses and burns its circuitry. "I was made to kill. And nothing is better at killing that me."

With an explosive punch from the red arm, V2 is blasted into the air, every part of its body so thoroughly damaged and broken that it can't do anything to save itself from slamming into the hard stone below, splattering into a mess of blood and scrap.

V1 lands beside the bloody mess. It grabs the green arm, plants a foot on the twisted remains of V2, and tears off its prize. Then, it throws the grappling hook, and zips away.

[dravid-writes]

"Thorn?"

But the moment I call out, Thorn immediately sprints away, not even glancing in my direction.

"Thorn! Wait!" I run after them, up the rocky slope, struggling to keep up. Rushing up the mountain path and panting for breath, I turn a corner just in time to see Thorn trip on a stray rock and fall off the edge. "Thorn!!"

I look down the cliff, and spot Thorn lying still at the bottom. No, no no no, this is exactly what I was trying to prevent!

I scramble back down the mountain. It wasn't that far of a drop, they might be alright. But they're probably injured, maybe a broken bone. What if they're hurt really badly? Should I bring them to a town? If I don't, they could die, but if I do…

I finally reach them, and I check over their body. They're breathing, thank Groudon, and I don't see any blood. Before I can think about what to do next, they groan and start to sit up.

"Oh! Thorn, are you okay? Hang on, I have an oran berry- Um, please don't run away! I- I'm sorry about what happened, but I want to help you, so please just hear me out!"

Thorn looks at me for a long while… "Do I know you?"

"… What?"

"Also, where am I, exactly?"

"Did… Did you… lose your memory? Again?"

"Again? Is amnesia a regular thing for me? Because that would explain a lot. Speaking of explaining, could you please do that?"

"Right, um, so, your name is Thorn- Well, technically that's not your real name, but anyway, you're a rescuer- Er, you were, but right now… A lot is happening…"

"Oh. That sounds important. So, what's happening right now? What were we doing before I suddenly lost my memory?"

Oh jeez, where do I even begin? And how do I explain that I betrayed them…

Wait. They don't remember that I betrayed them.

"… Okay, so, you were falsely accused of a crime, and now everyone is chasing after you. We need to find the truth so we can set things right."

"Okay, okay… So, what about you? You said I'm the one being chased, so… why are you with me?"

"Oh, um, well… I'm… I'm Compass, and I… I was your teammate."

"Hmm…" Thorn thinks over my story. Can they tell I'm lying? I mean I'm technically not, but I'm hiding the truth, and they're really good at reading me, and they've been thinking for a long time and they definitely see right through me- "Okay, got it. So what's the plan?"

"… Huh?"

"The plan. For how we'll find the truth."

"Oh. Um. I don't really know…"

"Well I'm certainly not gonna be any help, so you better think of something, partner."

"…"

"… Partner?"

"R-right! I'll make a plan, and we'll figure this out together!"

As we travel around, I fill in Thorn on more of the details; the Ninetales legend, the world's balance, our work as a rescue team, everything I can, with one exception. Fortunately, that topic never comes up.

"So, I used to be a human? Yeah, that sounds right. Pretty unfortunate how that matches up with the legend."

"Once we find Ninetales, we'll be able to prove your innocence."

"Sure hope we find them soon, this cold is killing me…" Thorn suddenly snaps to attention, grabbing my arm and pulling me off the path and behind a bush. Before I can say a word, they shush me with a finger, remaining still and silent.

I follow their example. Soon enough, I hear voices coming down the path; a rescue team.

"Yeah, now that you mention it, the snow DOES look kinda melted. Do all fire-types leave footprints like that in snow?"

"Most of them, yeah."

"And that shape looks like- Ah, darn it, they went off the path!"

"Don't worry, the tracks are fresh, they should still be nearby-"

Thorn leaps out from the bush, just barely missing one of the rescuers with a swing of their club!

"WHOA! Uh, yeah, definitely nearby!" The team takes a fighting stance-

"Wait!" I run out after Thorn. "We don't want to fight!"

The rescuer looks at Thorn. "You don't?"

Thorn looks at me. "We don't?"

"No, we don't. We're here searching for Ninetales, so that we can get the truth and clear Thorn's name."

The pair exchange a baffled glance. "You're out here, in the wilderness, alone with the human? You KNOW what happened to their last partner."

"No, I don't, none of us do! We don't know whether Thorn is the human from the legend. We need to know the whole truth before doing anything drastic. Jumping to conclusions will just get people hurt!"

"'Jumping to conclusions'? You're saying that, you of all people-"

The moment I realize where the conversation is headed, I shoot a bolt of fire to interrupt them. Thorn immediately dashes forward to bonk them on the head.

So much for avoiding the fight…

Once the team is down, we retreat into the frosty forest and find a safe hiding place to rest. I hadn't realized that keeping my… past actions a secret would be so difficult. "Thorn, are you okay?"

"Yeah. Got a few bruises, but nothing serious. I kept trying to kick them with my stubby legs. Must be a human instinct. You alright?"

I nod. "I'm fine…"

"… So, about that conversation…"

Oh no!

"You don't actually know that I'm innocent?"

"Oh. Well, um, no. Not even you knew, actually, because of your amnesia."

"So I might actually be the human from the legend…"

… I want to say no. I want to reassure them, tell them I think they're innocent, but… I don't know. What if they are the human? What if when we find Ninetales, they curse Thorn like they meant to, or worse?! What if I'm leading them to their death?.. No. I won't let that happen. "Whatever happens, I'll stay by your side, Thorn. Even if you are the human from the legend, then we'll find some other way to restore the world's balance. I won't abandon you."

Thorn… smiles. "Thanks. I'm glad I'm not doing this alone."

After many travels and many battles, we finally find ourselves far above the world, ready to climb Sky Tower and meet Rayquaza. We know so much now that we couldn't have even imagined back then. But something's been weighing on me the whole way… "Um, Thorn? I know this probably… definitely isn't the best time, but… Well… Maybe it's selfish of me to wait until now to say it… And I probably shouldn't distract you before such an important job-"

"Hey. It's okay. After risking your life fighting a god, I think you deserve to be a little selfish."

"Okay… Well… Remember how you were falsely accused? I… didn't exactly tell you everything-"

"I know."

"Huh?" I meet Thorn's gaze. "You… know?" They know. I can see it in their eyes. Did they recover their memory? When? How long have they known? And… why are they smiling?

"I forgive you, Compass."

"… I… You…"

"Come on, partner, we've got another god to chat with, and I have a feeling this one won't be any friendlier than the last."

"… Y-yeah. You're right." I thought letting the truth out would hang over us, but now… I feel lighter than I have in a month.

[dravid-writes]

A child going missing is always a terrifying thing, and Snivy's disappearance from the Serperior household was no exception. Pen and Quill were in a panic, searching everywhere and sending messages to as many nearby towns as they could, until finally, someone found Snivy unconscious outside Circuit Cavern and delivered them home. The Serperior parents kept a closer eye on their child, Snivy never ran off again, and everything ended happily ever after.

That's how it was supposed to be.

One night, two months after Snivy's return, Pen and Quill were up late together after the children had been sent to bed.

"… Quill? We need to do something about Snivy."

"I'm not sure whether there's anything we CAN do."

"Well we have to do something. They don't do any studying or schoolwork, and they just sit in their room all day. If we can't fix this, they won't be prepared to handle the world as an adult!"

"What more can we do? They refuse to work with the school's counselors, they won't even speak to us much less listen, and they've run out of privileges for us to take away as punishment. We've completely and utterly run out of options."

"That's exactly what I've been thinking. Nothing we've done has worked. In hindsight, nothing we did ever worked with them before, either. We need to find some other strategy."

"We've done plenty for them, and we've tried our best as parents. This is Snivy's problem, and it's Snivy's responsibility to finally grow into a mature adult."

"No, it's OUR responsibility. They're just a child who doesn't know any better, and as their parents, we're responsible for them, so the problem must be with our methods."

Quill scoffs. "We raised Red and Blue just fine. They grew up, stopped acting out, and now they're on their way to becoming proper, successful adults. The problem is that Snivy isn't more like them."

"That's just it, Snivy ISN'T like them. What we did with those two isn't working with Snivy, so we need to try… something else."

"And what exactly do you propose? We tried everything we could think of to curb their immature habits and get them under control, what else could we have done?"

"Well, I think… we might have tried too hard. We've never been able to control Snivy, so…"

"… So… what? We should have just let them grow more and more chaotic? If Snivy got what they wanted, they'd be a mess! What kind of citizen would we have raised?"

"What kind of citizen HAVE we raised? They're a mess anyways. We failed. Maybe they would have at least been happier if we had done things differently."

"We did what was best for them. We did everything we could to raise them into a prepared, upstanding citizen, to give them a good future-"

"They're miserable, Quill! They used to be so happy, but now they're miserable, and if we could have done something differently to avoid that… I don't know how to help Snivy become mature. But if they can't be mature, I at least want them to be happy."

"… I do too. Alright, but what do we do now? It's not as if we can just tell them that we've been raising them wrong for the past 13 years, they'd lose all respect for us and for our authority."

"I don't think they have any respect for us left to lose…"

Pen knocks on Snivy's doorframe. They would've knocked on the door, but the parents had removed Snivy's door as a punishment. "Snivy? Are you awake?"

All that's visible on the bed is a lump under the blanket, which responds to Pen's question by shuffling further away from the door.

Pen moves inside. "Snivy, I… Quill and I were talking, and…… I'm sorry."

The room is silent for a few seconds as Snivy waits for Pen to continue. "… What? 'I'm sorry but you've lost your bed privileges?' 'I'm sorry but we're sending you to another school?'"

"N-no, I…" Curses, Pen should've prepared a script for this! "… I'm sorry for how we raised you."

Snivy's glaring face pokes out from under the covers. "There is no way you could've raised me that would've made me live up to your standards."

"No, I meant… I'm sorry for putting those standards on you."

Snivy is confused. "… Wait, do you mean-" They beam. "You're finally giving up on me!? Yes! What's the plan, are you sending me to an orphanage? Kicking me out on the street? Oh, please tell me you got Chimchar's family to adopt me!"

Pen stares in horror. Snivy hates them and Quill this much? So much that they're thrilled at the idea of being kicked out?.. Of course they do. That's why they ran away. Dear Arceus, how had Pen let it get this bad? How had they… "… I'm sorry for making you so miserable."

Snivy is confused again. Very confused. "You… care? About how I feel?"

"What? Of course I do! I'm your parent."

"You never did before."

This. This is how Snivy feels about them. In all these years, they failed to show their own child that they care… Pen shakes themself out of their thoughts. "I've realized that the way we've raised you has… not had the intended outcome. We wanted you to be prepared for adult life and have a successful future, but clearly our methods have not only failed, but also lead you down a very unhappy path. As your parent, I sincerely apologize, and promise to be better for you in the future." Pen ends their apology with a bowed head, awaiting Snivy's response…

They hear sounds of effort, and look up to see Snivy… thinking very hard?

"Snivy? What are you doing?"

"Trying to make your head explode." What?! "It's something I've always wanted to do when I'm dreaming."

This is not at all how any of this was supposed to go… Then again, this is Snivy, so that should be expected by this point. "… Snivy, you used to enjoy drawing, right?" Pen interrupts Snivy's attempted lucid dreaming by holding out some old drawings to them.

"Huh? Wait… You didn't throw these out?"

"It was Quill's idea, that we would keep all your artwork to show you how you'd progressed from childish doodles to proper art. We figured you'd grow out of just drawing monsters and superheroes… But if drawing those makes you happy, then I will support that."

Snivy takes the drawings, staring in disbelief. "… But… These have no practical application…"

"That's true, and I still encourage you to develop practical skills. But more than that, as your parent, it is my responsibility to give you the opportunity to be happy."

Snivy stares up at Pen… They pinch their arm, and to their shock, they aren't dreaming. "What… What is going on?"

"I've been… rethinking my priorities lately. I've always wanted what's best for you, Snivy, but… I don't quite know how to give it to you. I thought I was doing it the right way, but… I was hurting you. I… I'd like to talk more about this with you tomorrow; I need time to think, and you need your sleep."

"… Y-yeah, okay… Um, also… Could I have my door back tomorrow?"

"… Actually, I think I'll put it back right now."

[dravid-writes]

"So..." Alice holds up a card. "Does my crasher resolve~?"

Rose pretends to think, as if she isn't out of blue mana. "... Yes."

"Alright, go to attacks-"

"I cast Dismember on your Ahn-Crop Crasher."

"Agh, if only I had a-" They reveal a card "-Undying Evil~"

Rose sighs and scoops up her cards. "Well played. Your refusal to play your important spells on curve was INCREDIBLY frustrating."

"Sorry, but you can only hold up counterspell mana so many times before I start catching on."

Compass walks in, holding a deck. "Oh, perfect, you guys already have your cards out! I just finished fixing my deck, can I play against one of you?"

"Sure! Hang on a sec..." Alice reaches into their bag for a different deck; Compass is a good player, but being more used to board games, their deckbuilding skills are... bad. Their first deck was less of a deck and more just a pile of random strong-looking cards with no synergy. Then they decided to make a lifegain deck, but they figured that having a theme was the same as having synergy, and just put a bunch of lifegain-related cards together without a plan. The best way to have fun with a bad deck is to play it against another bad deck, so Alice grabs their werewolf deck-

"Actually, I was hoping to try it against your aggro deck. I did some testing, and this deck is really strong!"

"... Well, if you say so!"

The game lasted longer than usual, thanks to Compass's life total being constantly pushed up out of reach of Alice's aggressive attacks. But then, just as Alice's hand ran empty, Compass started their turn 6 with three cards in hand... and passed.

Alice, having learned from Rose to fear cards like Settle the Wreckage, made a safer, low-commitment attack to whittle down Compass's life total. Compass let it through, and started their next turn with only 5 life left. They play a land, and pay 6 mana to play a big flashy Nykthos Paragon!.. then sigh and pass the turn, knowing they've already lost.

"... Huh. Okay, yeah, attack with everything for lethal. GG, that was a lot better than last time."

"Thanks. If I just had one more turn, I would've been able to survive..."

"Speaking of, what was left in your hand?"

"Well..." Compass reveals their last 2 cards: 2 more copies of Nykthos Paragon.

"Oof, that's unlucky."

"Yeah. It would've won me the game, but your deck is just too fast... Wait, that's it! Rose, let me play against your control deck!"

During the next game, Compass sets up their creatures to prepare their plan, but removal and counterspells from Rose hinders them and stalls out the game. But on turn 6, Compass plays their Nykthos Paragon!

Then Rose Murders it on the very next turn.

The rest of the game is a slow grind as Rose sets her plan into motion, until eventually she has 5 cards in hand while Compass has none, and they concede.

"I just don't get it, my deck did so well in testing. Why didn't it finally work..?"

"Here, let me take a look," Rose says.

Then, with Compass's deck spread out on the table before them, Alice and Rose exchange a glance before turning toward Compass. "You're too optimistic."

"What?"

Alice points to the 8 high-cost cards the deck runs. "These right here. These cards work really well with your lifegain plan, but they're too slow, and running so many copies of them clogs up your hand. That's why you ran out of steam against my aggro deck. Well, that plus the fact that you don't have any removal to defend yourself. You need more blockers and removal, or else your opponent can just kill you before you get going."

"But then why couldn't I beat Rose's deck?"

"Because of your protection spells and backup plan," Rose says.

"I... don't have either of those?"

"Exactly. Your deck relies entirely on these big spells to make everything work. If the opponent, for example, casts a removal spell on one, the plan falls apart. You need to make sure your strategy is robust, by either protecting your key cards or having backup plans. Some card draw or other value-generating cards would also help you keep up the pressure in the late game. You were testing alone, right?"

"Yeah..."

"That's why your deck worked so well in testing. There was no opponent interfering with your plan, and you didn't have to defend yourself against your opponent's plan."

"So I need to counter my opponent... But, protection and card draw wouldn't help against Alice's aggro deck. And blockers wouldn't help against your control deck. It seems like I'll always have some of my cards be useless if I build my deck like that..."

Alice shrugs. "Just don't draw the cards that are bad in the matchup."

"That's... not how drawing cards works."

"Skill issue."

Rose slaps them. "Stop it, you're confusing them. But Compass, you're right, trying to counter both aggressive decks and control decks at the same time is futile. Your deck is in an awkward midpoint between fast and slow, so you should commit to being either one or the other."

"But... Hmm... Well, for now, can I borrow one of your decks again?"

The rest of the session was much more back-and-forth, with Compass's skill shining through when they wield a well-built deck. They also play their lifegain deck against the others' weaker and more gimmicky decks, either winning gloriously when their plan comes together uninterrupted, or failing miserably when their key creature gets removed or their hand gets clogged with expensive cards.

Later that day, Compass lays out their deck and the available cards. They manage to build two versions of the deck, one that can defend itself against aggression, and one that can remain robust against control, but they can't do both at the same time. If they build an aggro deck of their own, then they can just focus on countering control, and vice versa, but they like their deck's speed as it is. They read through the deckbuilding section of the rulebook, hoping to find some advice...

The next day, Alice enters the base to find Compass reading a book, waiting for them. "Hey, Thorn! I upgraded my deck again, and I want to try a proper best of 3 match against your aggro deck."

"'Proper'? What, have we been playing the game wrong the whole time?"

"Yeah!"

"Huh. Sure, alright." Alice shuffles up their deck. "So, did you settle on aggro or control?"

"Actually, I looked it up, and my deck's style is called midrange."

"Oh, you're still going with that? I though it was impossible to counter both aggro and control."

"It is!"

"... Okay..."

The first game is a tough back and forth, the closest game between their decks so far. With some decent blockers and a few cheap removal spells, Compass holds off Alice's assault... for a while. Eventually, Alice manages to make one last push past the blockers and finish Compass off.

"Wow, okay, you really almost won that time. But those cards left in your hand..."

Compass reveals their remaining cards, a Nykthos Paragon and a pair of protection spells. "Yeah, I drew some bad cards."

"Dang. You really can't counter both. Hope you can draw better cards in game 2."

Compass nods. "I will."

Rose walks in to find Alice scooping up their cards in defeat. "Oh wow. What happened here?"

"Compass made a deck that counters both aggro and control."

"Oh. And they managed to not draw the wrong cards this game?"

"Two games in a row, actually! I just lost the best of 3."

Compass nods. "I learned how to draw the right cards!"

"You... That's not how drawing cards works."

Compass giggles. "Want to play a match? I want to see if it works on control too."

"Alright, I'm curious to see if this actually works."

The game starts off badly for Rose; she drew too many lands, but at least Compass's defensive cards and blockers couldn't put much pressure on her, and she even had a counterspell for when Compass played their paragon. But on their next turn, they draw a Griffin Aerie, and the steady stream of griffins it creates gradually overwhelms Rose. Rose accepts the loss in stride, counting on better luck in the next game; Compass's deck has all those cards intended to counter aggro, after all. But as she shuffles her deck to prepare for game 2-

"Whoa whoa whoa, what are you doing Compass?" Alice asks. During their match, Alice had been too busy shuffling their deck to notice, but now they catch Compass swapping out cards from their deck with ones from a small separate pile.

"I'm sideboarding."

"What?"

"In a best of 3 match, you're allowed to swap cards from your deck with cards from a 15 card sideboard. So I'm taking out my defensive cards and putting in more protection and value."

"You mean... You learned how to draw cards better!?"

"Yup! Now I won't have any useless cards in my deck. I don't have to counter aggro and control at the same time!"

"Interesting..." Rose says. "And here I thought your devotion to following rules was a weakness."

"Rules exist for a reason. Everyone knows that."

"Alright then..." Rose grabs some cards from her deck box, not a true sideboard but just a handful of leftover cards that she had been considering for her deck. "Proper rules it is."

[dravid-writes]

I take another bite of the cinnamon-butterscotch pie. It's fine. "Why do you keep coming here. I'm not Asriel anymore. Unless you feel like giving me your soul, I never will be again."

"I know. I'm not looking for Asriel. I'm just here to talk with you, Flowey."

"… Why don't you hate me? I tried to kill you- I DID kill you! Over and over."

"Lots of my friends have killed me! You should've seen me fight Undyne. Or, I guess you must've noticed all the reloading, right?"

"I was watching the whole time, actually. You got destroyed."

Frisk cringes at the memory. "Yeah… But, the point is, we were still able to be friends! Same with Muffet, and Mettaton, and-"

"But they all had REASONS for trying to kill you. They all thought they were the hero. I was just… cruel. Out of boredom. How can you not hate me for that..?"

"Well… I did. I did hate you. And Undyne, and the others too. But I saw first-hand how people can change. How I changed. And you've changed too, Flowey. And I think we both want to see you change a little more."

Not this again… "Frisk, I don't have emotions anymore. It took six human souls and the whole underground to get me to feel something, and even then all I did was cry."

"Well, I still think it's possible to feel even without a soul-"

"I already told you! I tried everything, over and over, trying to feel something… If I couldn't find what would fix me, why do you think you can?"

"… Well, there's one thing you couldn't have tried."

"… And that is?"

"Living. Without reloading, without resetting. Just… moving forward. I don't know how much time passed between you waking up as a flower and me falling down, but I know you never went longer than that without resetting, so… Maybe that might be the key? More time?"

Maybe… I spent so long with Asgore, and with Toriel, but maybe it wasn't long enough. And after that… "If you're right, then that's pretty ironic. The same power that saved my life, preventing me from properly living it. Everything got so predictable."

"I know what you mean… Well, we're in new territory now, with plenty of surprises in store. Why don't we give it a shot? No more reloads, no more resets, living in the world instead of treating it like a toy."

"… I don't know… After what I've done, I don't know if I even deserve that."

"Everyone deserves a chance at happiness. Come on, let's go see Papyrus! He's grown since we left the underground, and you know he won't hold a grudge-"

"No. I can't… I can't face him again. Any of them. The people I hurt, killed, so many times… And without memories, they can't even forgive me for it like you can."

"Well they- You can- It's…" Frisk trails off, then they glare at the ground. A very particular glare.

"Wh-why are you making that face? Why are you glaring like that?!"

"Huh? No, I wasn't mad at you, I was just-"

"I know that glare!" It's the glare I make, when I've been saving and reloading to get someone to act a certain way, figuring out their patterns, but then I hit a dead end. "Are you… Are you reset-manipulating me?!"

"What, no! That's not even possible!"

But the panic on their face tells it all. It shouldn't be possible, I remember all their resets and reloads, but… if they could find a way to reset that gets rid of even MY memories…

Everything they did suddenly takes on new meaning. The way they'd reload to explore every possible outcome. The times they killed, just to see what would happen, knowing there'd be no consequences. All those times I saw myself in them… were planned. It was all to manipulate me into relating to them, so that they could get their perfect happy ending.

"You're playing me. Like a game." I laugh. I laugh out loud at the irony of it all! "All those predictable fools, and here I am joining them! Getting manipulated by a time traveler, how fitting is that! You've spent all this time putting on a show, all to get me to be your friend like all the rest! Oh my god, I looked so STUPID! When you 'accidentally' killed Toriel and I rubbed it in your face, when I was laughing to myself at you getting 'stuck' on puzzles. And all those times you died, all those times I killed you, were those on purpose too? Just more lies, like pretending to hate Undyne and then 'realizing' she could be your friend?"

"It wasn't- It wasn't all fake! I really did struggle with all that stuff on my first run, and I really did hate Undyne at first!"

"I don't believe you!!… I know you've been lying, been pretending, been saying and doing whatever you needed to to manipulate me. So now, I can't trust ANYTHING you say."

"I just… I just wanted to help you…"

"All those times I thought I could relate to you, all those times I thought you were just like me… I guess I was right!" My hatred for the human surges back. Not only did they steal my power to reset, they're using it to toy with me! And after I thought I knew them, after I started trusting them, I… I've never felt so betrayed. "So. What now? Gonna reset again? Wipe my memories and start over?"

"… Yes."

"… On your next run, find a way to bring up Super Nario World. It's my favorite video game." Just before I dive underground, I catch a look of surprise.

All this time, I figured trying to get my emotions back was a lost cause. But the only way I could be feeling so betrayed… is if they got me to care again.

[dravid-writes]

Despite the numerous nasty rumors surrounding Alice the Marowak (most of which are true), these days Alice is a kindhearted rescuer, with such skill in combat that they never harm opponents any more than necessary. However, while Alice is very empathetic to others, they're not always patient or nice.

With the day's mission completed and reported, Alice and Compass the Quilava walk back home. "See?" Alice says. "Everything worked out fine."

"No, it didn't! Thorn, we need to go back and apologize to them."

"They should be the ones to apologize, picking up someone else's stuff and refusing to give it back."

"That's just how their rules work!"

"Exactly, which is why we had to steal it back. They never would've given it up."

"You don't know that. You barely even tried to talk to them, and you were really rude!"

"Idiots like them with stupid rules like that aren't worth talking to." The pair reach the team base and start putting away their supplies. "The lost item is back with its rightful owner, and no one got hurt, so why does it matter whether we convinced them or stole it?"

"Because we're rescuers! We need to hold ourselves to a high standard and treat others with respect, especially when we're intruding on their territory! You know how much easier it is to work WITH wild pokemon instead of AGAINST them. Stealing an item back is a last resort, just like fighting, and there's never an excuse for disrespectful-"

Alice tosses an old power band into Compass's face to shut them up. "Yeah, yeah, we should just roll over and do whatever anyone tells us to, got it." Alice returns their focus to sorting through their supply box.

"You-... I-... MMMMMPH!!" Compass, literally fuming, stomps off toward their own box.

With all the noisy nagging finally over, Alice finally has some peace and quiet to-

*ZZAAAAAAAPP!*

When the sudden light fades, Alice is wearing a perfectly-fitting maid outfit, while Compass stands a few feet away holding a wonder orb.

Alice looks their new clothes up and down. They tug and pull at the outfit, but stuck like magic, it refuses to come off. They turn to Compass. "What did you do."

"I punished you."

"What did you do!?"

"This is a punishment orb. It locks you in a maid outfit and limits your strength to a harmless level until undone. Mom gave it to me way back when you first arrived, to use in case of bad behavior."

"UNDO IT!!" Alice lunges toward Compass, grasping for the orb, but Compass extends one hand to hold them back; true to the explanation, Alice can't muster any meaningful strength, and slaps uselessly against Compass's arm.

Compass looks at Alice with a firm gaze. "In order to teach you respect, you're going to follow my orders for the rest of the day. If you behave, I'll undo it in the morning." Compass puts the orb back in their box and locks it. "Now, are you going to cooperate? Or do I need to get mom involved?"

Alice sweeps back and forth across the team base, doing the weekly cleaning early while Compass supervises. Or at least, Compass was supervising them at first. Now, they kick back and relax with a smile and a glass of juice. Alice empties the dustpan into the bin and walks over to Compass. They cross their arms and huff. "I finished the sweeping."

Compass scans over the floor and nods. "Mhm, looks good." They reach over and give Alice a quick pat on the head. "Great work! Now fetch me another plate of crackers."

Alice blushes, yet is unable to protest their treatment. "Again? You know I could just get you the whole cracker bag, right?"

"Yeah, but I like ordering you around. I feel so powerful and authoritative! Is this what it's like to be mom..?"

"Seriously?! This is abuse of power, exploiting me for your own selfish desires!"

"No, I'm teaching you respect and obedience to the rules. I'm just doing it in a way that benefits me! So, go fetch me that plate of crackers, please~ Oh, and some more juice too."

Alice sighs and picks up the plate and glass-

"Alice?"

Alice freezes.

Standing in the doorway is Rose, looking at the pair in confusion. "... Why are you wearing a maid outfit?"

Compass sits up, greeting Rose with a polite smile. "Hi Rose! Alice is being punished for disrespectful behavior. If you'd like to, you can give them orders and they're legally obligated to obey under penalty of telling mom."

"Ah, I see." Rose turns to Alice, and for a moment, hope flashes in Alice's eyes- "Get some grapes for me, please, I'm hungry after that last mission."

Later, Compass leaves the base, asking Rose to supervise Alice while they're gone, to which she agrees.

"You're a traitor, you know that?" Alice says as they give Rose a back massage.

Rose shrugs. "What did you do to be 'punished' anyways?"

"Some people found a lost item and used a dumb rule to justify not giving it back so I called them dumb and stole it back."

"Ah, broke a rule. Figures. So, are you planning to tell Compass that you're enjoying this?"

"Wha- Huh?? Excuse me???"

Rose rolls her eyes. "I've known you for our whole lives, Alice, don't play dumb. Besides, if you wanted to get out of this you would've started discussing the escape plan the moment Compass left the room."

"That's- But I- No, what are you talking about!?"

"... Did you... not notice? How you're feeling?"

"What, of course I- I-... I'm feeling a lot of things right now, okay!? This is a VERY new situation and I have no idea what's going on!"

Rose giggles. "That's pretty ironic, for someone so 'great at reading people' to not see your own cues." She flips around and sits up, putting a hand on Alice's shoulder. "Do you want to talk about it?"

... Alice sits down beside her. "I... I've never followed orders before. It always seemed like such an awful position to be in, having my freedom taken away, but... It's all so easy. So simple. Everything is out of my control, but it feels... good? To have them be the one in control? And you know Compass, they're too nice for their own good. It's how I got into this, heh. I don't really mind taking orders from my friend."

Rose nods. "And they pat you on the head."

"That. May or may not be a factor."

"I think I get what you mean, though. Control means responsibility, and responsibility means pressure. If you're not responsible for deciding what to do, and just have to perform simple tasks, then there isn't any reason to worry about anything. You can just trust someone else to take care of everything. And I've seen how much you trust Compass."

"... Yeah. Yeah, that sounds right. Yeah. I deserve a break from being in control. And heck, with that orb limiting my strength, I'm not even strong enough to do anything important! This rocks!"

"Great!" Rose pats them on the head and lies back down. "Now go make me a sandwich, chop chop."

"You know what? I think I will. I'm in #MaidMode today." Alice stands and gives a curtsy. "What kind of sandwich can I get for you, Ms. Rose~?"

The next day, as promised, Compass uses the orb again to undo the effects. Though it wasn't all that necessary; Alice could feel their strength returning, and the outfit had started slipping off.

And now, Alice trudges along behind Compass through the wilds. "Is this really necessary?"

"Yes. You were very rude, and if we don't apologize, we risk those wild pokemon holding resentment toward rescuers. Just be polite like you were yesterday!"

"Oh, um, about... yesterday...... Um... Could we... do that again later?"

Several questions flooded into Compass's mind, the most prominent being 'why?' But as their thoughts raced in the sudden confusion, they realized they wanted something else even more than an explanation. "... Yes."