#Arcade Instruction Card

[arcadebroke]

[smbhax]

Move lists and instruction cards for Blandia, from Arcade Archives Blandia (PS4)

Play session: https://youtu.be/6XqidhqM8hk

[incorrectbatfam]

Batfam’s Father’s Day plans

(also on Ao3)

"Morning, Bruce."

The way Stephanie says that instantly makes him look up. She traces her socked toe on the right angles of the tile, looking down. 

"Morning, Steph." Bruce puts his coffee down. "Something wrong?"

"Huh?" She perks up in realization. "No, not at all. I actually just have something for you. I stopped by Walgreens on patrol last night 'cause I ran out of antiseptic, and I saw something that reminded me of you." 

She hands him a dark blue greeting card with a cartoon fruit bat and Comic Sans text reading: You drive me batty, but I love you.

"Get it? 'Cause it's a bat, and you're the Batman." She scratches the back of her neck. "Not trying to make it weird or anything, you're just a cool mentor and whatnot. But also, it's nice to have someone who you can mess around with. My old man was always talking business even when he was at home—you kinda do that too, but in a good way 'cause anything's better than being a D-list villain, y'know. Plus, unlike him, you're working on striking a balance. Sometimes you even have a sense of humor." She chuckles awkwardly. "Anyway, I'm going on a jog. Text me if you need anything." 

Before he processes her rambling, she grabs a granola bar and races out the door. He opens the card and out falls out a handful of purple confetti plus an ever-rare two-dollar bill. Smiling, he brushes the confetti up and puts it in his shirt pocket. 

Bruce checks his watch. Everyone else is already out, except for Cass. She was out late last night on that Clayface mission, but even she should be up by this time. He fixes her a bowl of cereal with the package instructions and brings it upstairs. 

"Cass?" He knocks. "Are you up yet? It's past 9:30."

He hears the duvet crunch like a candy wrapper as she shuffles around. A moment later, the door swings open as a messy-haired Cass yawns. 

"I'll leave this up here for you," he says, putting the bowl on the dresser. "Any big plans today?"

She shakes her head. "Write reports. And relax."

"Well, you deserve a break. Great job on the stakeout, Princess." He plants a quick kiss on her forehead. 

"Love," she says.

"Huh?"

"Favorite thing you do. Love."

He laughs softly. "I try. Now go get dressed."

The rest of the day goes by like any other. Despite it being Sunday, he still has a meeting scheduled with some Singaporean investors on their timezone. By eleven, he and some other executives are gathered around the long conference table as the video call drones on, and it's not until over an hour later that they're finally let out. Bruce loosens his tie and Tim does the same, sighing in relief and exhaustion. 

Bruce asks, "Did you have lunch yet?"

"Oh, I forgot that's a thing," Tim says, stretching. "Hey, remember that ice cream place on 32nd?"

"You want ice cream for lunch?"

"I'd break your no killing rule for their M&M cookie sundae, okay?" he says. "Besides, remember when you took my friends and I there even though we massively bombed our first off-world fight? I might still be a massive perfectionist but that made me get a little more comfortable with failing. Anyway, I thought it'd be cool to stroll down memory lane—and have junk food as a meal without Alfred knowing. Unless you're busy, which I totally get."

"Not at all," Bruce replies, putting an arm around Tim's shoulders. "Duke and Damian will be at the arcade all day and I don't have any urgent side business." 

And so, instead of calling Alfred for a ride, they journey through the Gotham subways with Tim's camera capturing the Grammy-worthy saga of a billionaire CEO battling a common turnstyle. They get a few side-glances in the sparse train car, but besides a teenager asking for Tim's autograph, the civilians leave them alone. Pretty soon, they're at a 1950s-themed ice cream parlor, where the waitress slides their orders down the long chromium bar. 

"Why do they call it a banana split?" Bruce asks, grabbing the cocoa powder shaker. 

Tim pauses mid-bite of his cookie. "...Because they split the banana in half?"

"Really?"

He moves the whipped cream aside to reveal the cut banana in Bruce's dish. 

"How would it sound if I said I never noticed that?"

He smirks. "That's why I'm the brains of this operation."

"Indeed you are." Bruce ruffles his hair. "Though this head of yours could use some shampoo." 

"Will saying I love you get me a free pass out of it?"

"No." He laughs. "But I love you too, son."

Alfred catches on to their little dessert escapade and picks them up from the parlor, though not without commenting on the strawberry stain on Bruce's jacket. As Tim plugs his music into the car, Bruce takes the time to listen to the voicemails he got during their lunch break. 

"Hiya Bruce," Clark's voice plays. "I hope today's going swell for you. I just want you to know that I'm glad I can call you my pard'ner." Bruce snickers at the country twang.

Next is Diana. "Bruce, I apologize if I must keep this brief since I have a curator's convention today. However, I wish to tell you that you are an invaluable teammate and even more remarkable friend."

"Hey Batman, I gave you a shoutout to the Central City press for your help taking down Weather Wizard," Barry says. "Also, thanks for letting me borrow your communicator. I can always count on you to be overprepared. Have a good one!"

"Bats, tell your kid to quit taking my yogurt from the fridge." Ah, good old Hal. "Also, today's all about guys like you, so... yeah. I admit, you could be worse." 

Finally, there's one from Zatanna. "Afternoon, Bruce! I'd tell you in person if I wasn't caught up in Kahndaq, but I hope today is extra special for you. I know how much the birds mean to you, and I know they're gonna treat you well."

(There's also one from Ollie, but he's just asking if he can use the communicator after Barry. In the background, Dinah is is clearly ordering food.) 

After dropping Tim and Alfred home and switching to a more discreet vehicle, Bruce makes his way to pick two of his other kids up from the arcade. 

"Did you guys have fun?" Bruce asks as they climb in.

"We decimated every game," Damian says, "and won you the finest specimen as a trophy."

He plops a five-foot Snorlax into the front seat and buckles the seatbelt.

"This is for me?" Bruce asks. 

"Tt, who else would it be for?"

"I didn't win as many tickets," Duke says, "but I also got you a spider ring and a Chinese finger trap." He puts them in the cupholder.

"Why are you giving me all your prizes?"

"Again, who else would we give them to?" Damian asks.

Duke says, "I think what he means is that you do a lot for us, so this is a thanks from us."

As silly as it might seem, Bruce is genuinely touched. 

Pre-patrol dinner is a quiet affair, with Kate stopping by because she apparently forgot to go grocery shopping. She takes a fingerling potato off his plate. 

"Um, you're welcome?" he says. 

"Bruce, we're family. It's what we do." She takes a bite. 

He takes a piece of asparagus from her. "I wish all of us were here, though. Too bad Dick and Jason have that Penguin stakeout. Hopefully they're being safe."

"Even if things go wrong, they were taught by the best. You should trust them more." Selina gets up and places a peck on his cheek before going to get a drink. 

"I do," he mumbles into his meal. "It's the world I don't trust." 

As he puts on his cowl, he asks Barbara for an update on the evening. So far, Duke is handling a carjacking, the girls are preoccupied with a strip mall hostage situation, Damian is patrolling Metropolis with Jon, and Kate is kicking off her shift with a car chase against Two-Face. Tim and Selina are staying back to catch up on some overdue reports, but other than that, the cave is quiet. 

"Before you go," Barbara says, "my dad was cleaning out the attic and found something you might like."

From her bag, she pulls out a blue mug that says: World's Okayest Dad.

"My brother got it for him a long time ago, but... you know. It's all yours now, if you want it." 

He takes it, running his thumb along the words. 

"It suits you," she says before turning back to relay something to Stephanie. 

The route laid out for him tonight gives him the perfect opportunity to swing by and check on two of his boys. He lands on the rooftop silently, where Nightwing and Red Hood have already set up camp. Evidently, they don't notice him as they keep going with their conversation.

"Did you get dropped on your head as a baby?" Jason asks. "Sour cream and Greek yogurt are not the same thing."

"They totally are, change my mind." Dick glances through his binoculars. "No sign of Cobblepot yet."

A moment goes by as Jason not-so-covertly steals some of his brother's patrol snacks. 

"So how'd family therapy go yesterday?" Jason asks. "Did the old bat finally show an emotion?"

"It was pretty insightful, at least on my part." Dick lowers his binoculars. "I think I realized where Bruce's persistence comes from. It's annoying as hell, but I think that's how he maintains hope. And who knows, maybe it's his love language."

Jason scoffs. 

"I'm serious," he says. "I know none of us are stellar at this family thing, but we care about each other. You can't deny that. We just gotta... refine how we express it." 

"Count me out."

"Jaybird."

"Codenames, Dickhead."

Dick snickers. "You love us, admit it. All of us."

Jason mutters a string of curses under his breath before saying, "If you tell him, I'm filling your mattress with sour cream."

Bruce smiles and leaps to the next building. 

At the end of the night, Bruce finds Alfred brewing tea in the kitchen and takes the kettle from him. 

"I got this," he says. "Why don't you go relax in the living room? I think they added your favorite detective movie to Netflix." 

"This is a pleasant surprise." Alfred raises an eyebrow. "What brought it on?"

"It's Father's Day, of course," he replies, pouring the cups of tea. "You know you've always been a second dad to me."

"You made that clear with last year's breakfast surprise," Alfred says. "Care to join me?"

"Always," Bruce says. "By the way, do the kids seem different to you today?"

[deadvnstudios]

hellooooo fools paradise team:3c i am STILL stuck on the valentines day post LOL & so im curious: what would the romanceables valentines day plans with the MC be? or similarly/alternatively what would their ideal date be in general? 

“Darling, it’s already nine! While I adore your resting face, I’d prefer to be the very first thing your bright eyes happen upon this special morning.”

Ever the romantic, Mona takes Valentine’s to its extreme. Before you’ve even awoken, she’s already matched your outfits for the day, intent for there to be splashes of pink, white, and red adorning you both from head to toe. Breakfast in bed is a must, and though you fear for your tastebuds - she follows the recipe. Flowers, chocolates, cards, gifts - anything you can imagine awaits you once you finally rise from your cell of slumber. After all, this is your perfect day and Mona’s already planned dinner and a murder party for you to solve together as you dine. In the evening, after you’ve had your fill, you’ll attend a couple’s painting class. Though she could instruct herself, she follows protocol, delighting in the shared drinks you two split and the paint spills you mark each other with.

“Oh…this? I painted it because it’s your favorite animal…right?”

Starting with a nice long walk around the park with his partner is an ideal start for Noel. Valentine’s isn’t about grand gestures, or trying to outdo one another. It’s about remembering the pleasure of each other’s comfort that tethered you two to begin with. However, something handmade from him to you isn’t off the table. The day will pass without hurry, the two of you spending hours at a local craft cafe, sampling treats and putting together trinkets for one another. When your crafts come to a close, you’ll pack up and pick-up some takeout that you’ll share while cuddling on the couch back home.

“Holy shit…my retinas are burning just looking at it. It’s perfect.”

Valentine’s, being a commercial holiday, is nothing more than an obvious capitalist scheme to Mary. So, why not indulge in the shopping fever to win over each other’s favor? Mary corrals you into an hour long shopping spree to start, the two of you picking out gifts secretly to surprise each other with later in the evening. Along the way, she’ll demand a fashion show…or a few, the two of you parading down the aisles in glitzy and gaudy outfits meant to shock any who pass your path. When the two of you are eventually kicked out, the two of you will rush home to find that Mary has planned an indoor picnic just for you. The rest of the night passes quickly as you feed each other treats, and take turns thinking about what kind of future you’d like to build together.

“Woah…almost feels like they based that riddle on us! Isn’t that strange?”

Vein + Valentine’s = flirtatious fun! There’s no better way to prove the strength of your relationship than putting it to the test in an Escape Room challenge Vein booked for the two of you. Expecting the space cowboy theme to come to a natural conclusion, you’re surprised that some of the clues needed to find the final prize involve riddles centered around your relationship and inside jokes. Though you press Vein, her lips are sealed. That is, until you find the final prize: a commissioned portrait of the two of you in your favorite game. To celebrate your victory thereafter, Vein takes you to her favorite local pizza joint. After all, you’ll need the energy for the arcade tonight. It’ll be an all out race to see who can win the grandest prize for the other.

“C’mon, sway with me.”

Valentine’s is guaranteed to be a late start for the two of you - and quite honestly you’d be lucky if Tempest opened his eyes before noon. But whenever he should manage to rise and conquer the day, Tempest is determined take you to a concert of your favorite artist that night. But if the date line-up isn’t in the cards, you can be damn sure he aims to surprise you good with the tickets at the dinner table. The dinner itself is relaxed, dim lit with a band in the back where you two can shoot the can. But when you’ve both had enough, you’ll stroll around the city, touring your favorite haunts, ending up at a pub at the end of the night, tipsy dancing to the songs playing through the speaker as you play pool and darts.

“Must we leave our sheets with such haste? I am but the moon, unready to separate from the sun who warms it.”

The virtues of Valentine’s are not lost on Sorin, nor the reason the holiday itself was created. But Sorin doesn’t yield to the standard expectations of the consumerism. There isn’t any need for showiness, time spent in your company is satisfying enough. The day will be spent indoor with activities Sorin has already prepared for the two of you. Cooking together, dancing to your shared songs, and cracking open a candle painting kit are just snippets of all they have planned for the two of you. The night ends, however, with the most elaborate surprise of all — a scavenger hunt, You search the halls of your hall, following the train of notes left by your love. When you finally reach the end, you happen upon a box filled to the brim with poems and other writings Sorin has penned to you.

[prism-stone-planet]

The Himitsu no Aipri Heart Pod & Aipri Mic toy will release October 3 for 9350 yen.

In Mic form, you can play various mini games:

Roleplay Concert: Lyrics are displayed onscreen and you can sing to 9 instrumental versions of songs from Aipri.

Voice Lesson: Sing along to the piano notes.

Shaking Buzzlume: Shake the Mic to the music.

Dance Gestures: Dance to the music while imitating the moves on screen.

In Heart Pod form, you can play these various mini games:

Piano Lesson: Press the notes as they fall.

Dance Lesson: Press the notes that light up.

Snapshot: Press the button to take a picture at the right moment.

Music Player: Listen to 9 songs from the Aipri anime and game.

Coorde Stage: Collect over 70 outfits and choose a Stage.

Password Mode: Collect codes from online to get gifts.

Coorde Roulette: Use coins collected to get Coordes and background wallpapers.

In both forms, you can access the Letter Box where you get letters from Aipri’s and can read their profile info.

Along with collecting coins, you collect Aipri Points which raise your Aipri Level. Highest level is 5.

Songs included are:

All Out Girls Revolution (OP 1)

P.O.P.P.Y

That’s Just A Secret, Right? (ED 1)

Unbeatable Duo Energy

Secret Dream

Words of Light

Let’s Aipri (arcade song)

Himari’s Secret My Song (arcade song)

Mitsuki’s Secret My Song (arcade song)

The toy contains the following:

Aipri Mic

Heart Pod

3 Aipri Cards (Secret Friends ♾️ Buzzlume Purple)

USB Cable

Strap

Lyrics sheet

Instructions

[okkalo]

hi wifey :3 here for the event match up !

hmmm for an ideal date i prefer either to go to the cinema, arcade or just to stay in okay games and watch old disney classic, ah and my favourite season is 100% summer.

as from which fandom i would prefer to be matched :: blue lock or league of legends <3 surprise me ~

hi ma chérie i love u more than any of these men can so never forget that ! also i added hsr because she dmed me if anyone was wondering (idk if people read other people’s matchups)

𝗶 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗮 𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗮 𝗳𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲 ₊˙♡﹗

𝗸𝗮𝗹𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 : nagi from bllk

“nagi, baby, do me a favor?” your sweetly asked question caught his attention in the sea of bright neon lights. it didn’t take much thinking for him to figure out what exactly you wanted. after all, it always seemed to be the exact same thing whenever you had an arcade date together.

“where is it?” he asked back, his lazy eyes watching as you lit up into a bright smile. your hand was quick to catch his wrist, leading him to the one game that had always managed to catch your attention each time: the claw machine.

“i want that one,” you instructed, like always, pointing to the one plushie that caught your attention. and, like always, he swiped his arcade card to win you that plushie you desired so.

you knew it never really took him any effort to win you one. in fact, it always seemed to be the first try he got your desired plushie in. he should’ve thought it to be annoying—he thought. after all, you asked him to win you one every time. though, it was hard to think so after seeing you all happy once he offered you the plushie he worked so hard for.

𝗸𝗮𝗹𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 : ezreal from heartsteel

“are we watching lion king again tonight?” ezreal asked, his hands moving to adjust the face mask sheet on you. his hands were gentle, his face close and eyes narrowed to make sure he adjusted it perfectly onto your skin.

“mmm, yeah,” you murmured your response while sitting patiently on the couch. it had been routine for the two of you to watch a movie together at least once a week. the other heartsteel members knew well to steer clear from the living room on friday nights due ezreal’s non-apologetic clingy and affectionate self.

“‘kay, but you gotta sing the songs with me,” he set his condition, acting as if you didn’t sing with him every time. it didn’t take him long to wrap his arms greedily around you, while also grabbing the remote and setting the movie up.

despite his overwhelmingly clingy nature, you couldn’t help but feel at peace every friday night. it was like routine for you, comforting you each time. the tray of food that consisted of popcorn and fruits—which, he knew you didn’t eat, but still added anyways for good pictures—to the cuddle positions or the blankets that would surround you two. each time, it reminded you of why exactly you loved the singer, despite his clingy nature.

𝗸𝗮𝗹𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 : aventurine (ur welcome) from hsr

maybe his luck finally played in his favor. maybe the blessing that had been bestowed upon him hadn’t been so bad after all. you were like a rare patch of water in a desert—at least, he thought. all of you seeped into his brain, leaking and filling his once pessimistic mind to grow optimistic.

it was times like this where he realized just how lucky he had been. with the soft breeze but warm breeze of the summer wind brushing past the both of you while the flowers and grass danced below your knees. the way the sun complimented your brown eyes perfectly, letting him see a pool of honey. so utterly sweet—just like you.

he couldn’t help but let his mask slowly fall around you, finally finding someone to trust in. a smile graced his lips, mimicking yours perfectly after hours of observing the sight of you. maybe he could thank gaiathra triclops for something.

[ssho197]

more modern au xiao + some others (maybe)

contents: fluff, suggestive themes, slight? nsfw

man the racer xiao post didn’t do very well.. i giggled over that concept sm smh but oh well,, people eat up that nsfw shit so i’ll write a bit more but with modern xiao

after school with modern au xiao

- going to the shops with xiao after school is a treat for you both!! especially after all the exams you’ve had this week!

- xiao always pays for the snacks, drinks and foods you guys eat out together,, he enjoys going to cozy cafes with you and getting a nice warm drink with a small bowl of almond tofu,, he loves it especially when it’s rainy and cold

- you always drag xiao to small convenience stores for no reason, you just drag him to browse the endless aisles of delicious asian snacks,, to which you beg him to get each one for you, “no. no. no i’m not buying you that” “but xiaoooo i’ll share it with youuuuu!!!”

- everyone from your school knows that you and xiao are dating,, god forbid they say anything wrong against you, xiao hates it when people talk shit about you. your friend group consists of hu tao, kazuha, xiao, you, heizou, wanderer/scara and ganyu

- going out to the shops with your friend group is the most fun you could ever ask for,, your friends are all so sweet, fighting over who would pay for the bill and playing claw machines together

- arcade days out are the best!! top up $100 on each card and you could play for hourss! xiao loves going to the arcade and showing off his claw machine skills,, everytime you go out with xiao for an arcade date you always have to remember to bring a few plastic bags because you always end up with so many plushies, large ones that cost hundreds of dollars and small plushies that you can hold in the palm of your hand

after school with modern au xiao NSFW!!!!

- you went over to his house after your afternoon lectures to study and take notes together but you two got a bit side tracked..

- you had xiao’s hand buried between your thighs,, you always admired xiao’s hands, and how slender his fingers were,, his hands truly were a work of art in themselves

- xiao makes sure to put your needs before his so he always checks on whether you’re ok with what he’s doing or if you want to move places

- after you two move to his bed, clothes come off instantly but xiao still cares most about whether you feel good or not

- xiao loves his consent,, CONSENT IS COOL ‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️

shenanigans with xiao (and others)

- everyone in the group decided they wanted to get haircuts but were all too broke to go to a barber or hairdresser,, soooo why not cut each others hair in the safety of xiao’s bathroom?

- first off ganyu cuts hu tao’s hair and everything went well,, until hu tao cut kazuha’s hair.. i don’t think kazuha wants to go help beidou’s shipping company anytime soon.. luckily kazuha cut your hair! he took extra care and made sure to follow the instructions you gave him,, kazuha could only get so close before xiao pushed kazuha away when he was done,, “xiao!! your turn! i’ll cut your hair this time!!

- going to the skatepark after school with the friend group is so much fun but a lot of bandaids are needed,, especially when you’ve got hu tao pushing everyone over for kicks,,

[mirukiamauri]

On October 3rd the Himitsu no AiPri Heart Pod & AiPri Microphone will be released. It has 2 game modes: Microphone Mode, in which you can play 9 songs from the arcade and the virtual toy will give you instructions on how to dance or will teach you how to sing; Heart Pod Mode, in which you can play with the heart pod alone some piano and dance lessons, photo studio, mp3 player, dress up games, and a gacha for new coords you can play by using the coins earned during the games. There is also a message box in which you can find letters from the anime characters. It will cost 9350 yen and it will come with 3 AiPri cards of the Secret Friends Buzzlume Purple coord.

[alexturne]

hiii lovely!! hope you've had a great day, and also - happy alex's birthday!! 🥳 for the ask game, 7, 12 & 19? sending hugs! 💖

Hiiii lovely, hope you're doing great ❤️❤️

7. how long have you been a fan? tell us about your journey!

Okay, so I've been a fan for a while. I don't remember how exactly I came across it, but I used to spend a lot of time online looking for new music. And I found them on myspace way back in the day, around 2005 or something. And the first song I heard was the demo version of Cigarette Smoke, and I was just instantly hooked. I loved Alex's voice and lyrics and the music was just so fun and refreshing, punchy and stripped back and so much less silly and kooky than so much of the other music out in the scene, dramatic in a different way and it just felt so fucking real and very different and unique. And I've been obsessed pretty much ever since 😂

12. do you have any arctic monkeys tattoos? if not, do you want any?

I do have some tattoos but no am ones so far. I wouldn't mind getting one though!

19. what's your favourite quote said by someone in the band? feel free to share a link/clip!

There are genuinely so many incredible quotes said by this band, I find them fucking hilarious, so it feels impossible to pick 😂

One moment in the video diaries that always cracks me up is when they're on the rooftop bar and Matt says "Aw dear, someone's smashed a glass!" and it's so stupid but it's so fucking funny and cracks me up everytime. Basically all the diaries are golden for good quotes! "Slept like a glove" is also a classic. Or when Nick said in the behind the scenes for Crying Lightning that "it's not that the clothes don't fit, I'm just a weird size" or something, and then he had to be painted with silver paint.

I also love when Alex was interviewed by Zane, and he complimented the AM album and said it was pretty much the perfect album, and Alex deadpans and says "I think that was deliberate." He is such a dumbass, I love him. So many of his turns of phrase are so so delightfully weird and wonderful. Like when he lamented that he'd "sat himself too far from his internal cue cards" and couldn't answer a single question or when he said in that super old Dutch interview that he was always so happy when the sun was shining 🥹🥹 Perfect little happy bean.

Or when they're playing some sort of motorcycle arcade, and Jamie sits at the back of Alex and asks if he should undo his top, and Alex says "You're driving with t'wrong man!" Or when Jamie said "If you want...." to Alex suggesting they become astronauts in the driest, most deadpan fashion. Or when they got to go inside a shop and get merch, and they were under strict instructions not to skate and Jamie emerges on a skateboard and yells "I can't turn! If a car comes I'm dead!" completely disregarding not being allowed... I could go on forever...

Thank you for the lovely questions 🥳🥰

[satoshi-mochida]

Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate launches February 13, 2025 - Gematsu

2D side-scrolling action game Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store on February 13, 2025 for $24.99, publisher and developer Rocket Panda Games announced.

The game will be available both physically and digitally worldwide, with physical editions available for PlayStation 5, Xbox, and Switch. Physical editions will be distributed by PM Studios and Crescent Marketing in North America, EBten and Kadokawa Game Linkage in Japan, Arc System Works Asia in Asia, and by an unannounced partner in Europe.

The standard physical edition will cost $39.99, and include a copy of the game, instruction manual, lenticular manual, random collectible card, and exclusive downloadable content. The Ultimate edition will cost $109.99, and include all the content from the standard edition, as well as a Mikoto figurine, soundtrack CD, art book, and limited edition box. Pre-orders are available now via Rocket Panda Games.

“Fragmented releases across platforms, countries, and languages have frustrated me as a gamer and as someone in the game industry,” said Rocket Panda Games executive panda and co-founder M. Panda in a press release. “Who doesn’t want to share an experience with their peers from around the world at the same moment in time? We did everything in our power to deliver a seamless online experience while partnering with physical publishers in every region we could. We may be small, but we will never stop trying to punch above our weight.”

Here is an overview of the game, via Rocket Panda Games:

About

Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate is a side-scrolling beat ’em up with the heart of a fighting game, supporting cross-platform pixel art anime action with up to eight players in online multiplayer and all the characters from Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Overdrive!

Story

Japan’s capital, Tokyo. The mysterious man, Phantom, has been operating in the shadows in order to regain his immense powers, which have been sealed. He granted a weapon called FA (Fu-mension Artifact) to young talented individuals, and enticed them into battle by promising them to grant their wish if they win in battle. This is because the clash between the FAs will generate a distortion in space and time, creating an opening that leads to an alternate world. This opening will eventually unseal his powers. Waka, the young daughter from the Kumon family belonging to a clan of exorcists rebelling against Phantom, and Mikoto, who offered cooperation, tried to stop this conspiracy, but lost him just before defeating him. In addition, Waka’s younger sister Nagi has been kidnapped by Phantom. Itsuki, who yearns to become the hero of Justice, and Yuzuha, a ninja who once managed to escape Phantom’s seduction, also joins the fight, and the 4 girls set out on a search mission to track down Phantom and save Nagi.

Key Features

Revamped Gameplay – Gameplay has been rebuilt from scratch in Unreal Engine 5, giving smoother gameplay and flashier special attacks.

Online Cooperative Play and Versus Modes – Team up with friends in local cooperative or challenge up to eight fighters from around the world with cross-platform online play.

Play as the Enemy – Take on the role of powerful adversaries from the Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds universe, each with their own distinct combat style and abilities in Arcade Mode.

Remastered Soundtrack – Players can choose an all-new soundtrack composed by all-girl J-rock band The Phantom Breakers or the classic versions from Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds or Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Overdrive.

Watch a new trailer below. View a new set of screenshots at the gallery.

Release Date Trailer

[ponds-of-ink]

William Afton X Reader One-Shot: “Valentine’s Daze”

This is my answer to a writing prompt @dovewingkinnie put out, since it got my writing brain spinning.

This is my first time with this sort of “properly putting someone into Mrs. Afton’s shoes” thing, so uh.. Sorry if I missed a key thing here.

(Also, to clarify: This is my personal William specifically, though the timeframe’s obviously a bit skewed here. Guess this should be considered a very alternate timeline?)

The sunrise painted a rosy-orange sky as you pulled into the Freddy Fazbear’s parking lot. It was pretty quiet in the parking lot, save a few employee cars around the back. “Looks like the managers aren’t here yet,” you thought to yourself as you neatly parked your own car. “Either I’m earlier than I thought or something really bad happened to one of them.”

You exited your vehicle and strolled to a push-handle door. Your shoulder shoved the door open. Casual chatter greeted you as you stumble inside. “...I’ll let our Showtime Spotter know,” a man said, finishing a conversation while entering the room. You locked eyes with each other, but only for a moment. “What’d you want to tell me, Johnny?” you asked, your voice showing a hint of concern.

“Well, I just got off the phone with Henry,” Johnny explained, leaning against the doorframe. “William’s had a rough night, so Spring-Bonnie’s not going to be ‘live’ today. He’ll be on Valentine’s Program B when we hit Showtime.”

Your eyes widened. “How did William have a rough night?” you questioned while hanging up your winter jacket on the coat rack. “Last time I saw him, he was playing Skee-Ball with some of the older kids– And they were all having a great time!”

“Well, something must’ve come up after you left,” Johnny shrugged. “Henry didn’t get into detail about it, but that’s a given with him. That guy can keep secrets even after he’s dead and buried.”

You nodded reluctantly as you opened the employee closet. Yeah, that summed up Henry pretty well (for better or for worse). You slipped on your red vest and put on your name tag. “I think I’ll have a chat with Will once I get the main guys started,” you decided, donning your special ‘Stage Manager’ cap. “I know he’s had a rough night, but I think he’ll still be up for a chat. It’s not like he’s having a sick day or anything.”

“I guess,” Johnny muttered as you walked out into the main area. “Just don’t push the guy, all right? He already has enough trouble trying to talk with you on a good day.”

You stopped a few yards away from the show stage. “I’ll keep that in mind,” you said slowly, furrowing your brows.

As you prepared for your job, you thought back to yesterday. Everything was pretty good. Business was booming, not many kids broke the rules of Freddy’s, and the arcade machines didn’t need any last-minute maintenance. The only thing that was strange was a little chat you had with Spring-Bonnie. Err, well, whoever was playing him at the time. He and some other guy had just wrapped up this one segment and you pressed the Showtime button to close the curtains. Both of them snuck to the backstage while you followed behind. However, for whatever reason, “Springy” didn’t change straight away. He just sat on the bench outside his dressing room, fiddling with the large Valentine card prop.

Of course, being the social person you were, you sat down beside the guy. “What’s up, Springs?” you asked, not entirely sure whether or not to address him in-character. “You, uh, nervous about giving that card to your special some-bunny?”

Springy nodded glumly. Even his eyelids drooped.

“Well, I could hold onto your card for you, if you like,” you offered, scotching a bit closer to him. “That way, no kid can snatch it and try to read it before your some-bunny does.”

Springy’s ears raised. He gently hugged your arm, then gave you the note. “Take good care of it,” he instructed in that goofy voice of his.

“I will,” you answered happily as Springy left to go change. “Glad I could help!”

So, you kept that prop in your hands for the rest of the day. Even as William gave confused glances over his shoulder– Which, come to think of it, probably meant that there was some miscommunication between “Springy” and William about the card. That, or you were supposed to give it to him for safekeeping. Oops.

But what was done was done. You gave that prop to Johnny by the end of your shift. And, knowing him, he would probably clear things up with William and give you a rundown by the time you hit your lunch break.

You now stood near the Showtime button, using the sight of two men opening the front door to refocus your attention. Henry and William had finally made it, though you could tell it wasn’t without coaxing for one of them. Henry immediately made his way to the tech room while William lingered at the front entrance. As expected, the latter looked more run-down than usual. Hair just barely combed, tie sloppily put together, dark rings under two reddish eyes.. Almost like a teen girl trying to go to school after a bad rejection, if that wasn’t too insulting of a comparison.

Hoping to cheer him up, you gave him your best smile and waved at him. You waited for him to wave back, but all you got in return was a forlorn glance and a heavy sigh. He was clearly not in the mood for friendly hellos.

So, you kept your mouth shut and played aloof. Only your eyes followed him as he squeezed his way past the arcade machines and trudged into the backstage area. “Poor guy,” you thought as a muffled conversation played out between him and some other employee. “Maybe I should hold off on that conversation until he feels better. He looks like he’s just lost the chance of a lifetime or something.”

Thankfully, Freddy’s managed to keep your mind busy once customers actually came in. You kept an eye on the main robots once Showtime started, ready to report things to the tech crew in case Freddy’s eyelids got uneven or Chica’s beak slacked in the lip-sync department. The only thing you managed to catch so far was one of Bonnie’s guitar strings preparing to come loose during a huge solo. At least that could be fixed while Fredbear and Springy talked it out.

Speaking of those two, it was soon time to hear what Valentine’s Program B was all about. As soon as those two settled onto the stage, you hit the Showtime button. The two huge purple curtains pulled back to reveal a golden bear and an equally yellow bunny. After an off-screen announcer relayed his “it’s a top of the hour check-in!” spiel, the two robots sprung to life. “Say, Springy, you look mighty down,” Fred-Bear noted, turning his body more towards the floppy-eared bunny. “Did the card-givin’ not go well?”

Springy’s body jittered as a cartoonish sniffle played over the speakers. “She didn’t even answer the door!” he exclaimed in a choked voice (though the robot didn’t quite convey that properly). “I stood there for ten minutes, but she never came out! I guess she was out with some-bunny else. Some-bunny more handsome, probably...”

Your eyes widened. Did that mean that all your card-holding efforts was all for nothing? Your blood boiled as Fred-Bear tried to comfort his heartbroken co-host. “That two-timing snake,” you fumed, crossing your arms and tapping your foot. “I’m almost glad nobody showed up in some put-together lady rabbit costume and tried to be this make-believe crush. Why, if I were Fred-Bear, I would’ve marched up to that snooty bunny’s door and–“

You took a deep breath. Now was not the time to get too invested in a simple Valentine’s Day skit. If this feeling of absolute second-hand betrayal lingered, then you’d have to go straight to whoever played Springy yesterday and apologize. Hopefully, whoever that was would completely understand.

As you pressed the button a second time, your eyes scanned the rest of the building. Some children in the audience were bummed out, but most of them were ready to join the rest playing in the arcade area. The adults chattered with each other or followed behind those rambunctious go-getters. Meanwhile, some distance away from all this action, William and Henry talked things out. “Maybe I’ll get the chance to talk to him after all,” you mused to yourself, observing their body languages as best you could. “He looks like he feels a bit better.”

A couple more hours passed. Families came and went. Songs played from the show stage, then fell into fifteen minutes of silence. Spring-Bonnie and William still moped, but at least William was recovering a bit faster.

By the time it was lunch break, you had almost forgotten the frustration you felt earlier. You cheerfully straightened your hat and strolled backstage. “Well, Johnny, I’m all set for some good Freddy’s food!” you called out, removing your vest and placing it on the bench. “Whatcha got?”

“Same old, same old,” Johnny answered, returning from a smaller room with a plastic menu. “Salads from the salad bar, pizza, maybe even some dessert if the kids didn’t eat it all.” He stopped in front of you, then looked down at the menu in his arms. “By the way,” he resumed in a more nervous tone, pulling out a large and frilly envelope, “Will wanted me to give this back to you. Turns out the card wasn’t just a prop.”

You lightly grabbed the envelope and inspect it. Your heart skipped. This was the same card that you held for all those hours. And.. it was yours all this time? “Can I open it?” you asked, your voice twinging with surprise and confusion.

“It’s yours, so I don’t see why not,” Johnny reasoned nonchalantly, shutting the menu. “In the meantime, I’ll get your usual ready. Have fun ‘stealing’ from Spring-Bonnie’s valentine.”

You rolled your eyes as Johnny proudly left the room. Then, after you collected your thoughts, you undid the red wax seal on the envelope. With some gentle tugging, you pulled out a smaller sheet of rosy-pink paper. Your fingers quickly unfolded the note. You skimmed the message at first, but then your eyes stopped. The only words that were on the page were:

“Please meet me back at Freddy’s. 7:00 PM sharp. I have something to ask you.”

Though there was no signature, the handwriting made its messenger clear to you. You gingerly rose up from your seat and peered into one of the dressing rooms. “Hey, Johnny,” you spoke up in a shakier tone, “where is William, anyway?”

“Think he’s out there playing Skee-Ball,” Johnny replied, tapping his pen on the table in thought. “You, uh, got a question to ask him?”

“More like I’ve got an apology to make, but yeah,” you corrected, inching your way out of the dressing room. “Just let me know when my lunch is ready, I guess.”

“Sure thing,” Johnny answered in a warm tone. “Break a leg!”

You just bobbed your head and left the backstage altogether. Your heart thumped as you navigated the large sea of children and adults. You gathered your nerves and your thoughts as best you could. All you hoped for was that William wasn’t too mad at you.

When you finally arrived at the Skee-Ball section, you beelined for the messy-haired man rolling a 250-point shot. “Not bad,” you commented, trying to keep a casual tone as you lined up at the machine next door.

A murmur of “Thanks” was the only reply you got from him.

“The highest I’ve gotten is a 500,” you explain sheepishly, fooling with the pink paper still in your hands. “I don’t think I’ve ever managed to toss anything into that big one in the middle. It just.. eludes me, I guess.”

William bowled another skee-ball while you talked. It only fell into the “gutter”.

“Guess that sums up how I am with.. certain hints, huh?” you asked weakly.

William glanced down at the letter, then looked at you with wide eyes. “I... suppose,” he replied thoughtfully. “But that was my fault, really. I shouldn’t have trusted Spring-Bonnie to do something I should have just done myself. The intentions would have been much clearer there.”

Pleasantly surprised by getting an actual answer, you smiled a little. “So, just to be clear,” you spoke up with more boldness, “you were the guy who played Spring-Bonnie yesterday, right? Not one of the other actors?”

“Yes,” William confessed with a faint chuckle. “I thought my melodrama on-stage would have make it obvious, but I guess not.”

Your face burned as everything sunk in. “Sorry about not reading your note, then,” you apologized, looking down at the colorful carpet. “I had no idea, I—“ You cut your own words off as a new thought entered your mind. “I hope you didn’t sleep in the car all night because of me!” you gasped out, putting a hand to your mouth.

“I only waited one hour,” William assured, picking up a skee-ball and slinging it into a 250-point hole. “After that, I just drove home and ate a carton of ice cream on the couch.” He paused, his rosy face flushing even more. His upper teeth dug into his lower lip. “That last part was not supposed to be said aloud,” he added shakily, tugging at his tie. “I know I look like I do that often, but I..” His voice trailed as he inspected his unkept shirt. He attempted to finish his sentence, but his words turned into flustered syllables as he tried to straighten his outfit.

“Hey, it is Valentine’s Day,” you reasoned, scooping up one of the remaining skee-balls and tossing it for him. “I’d be doing something like that too just for the fun of it. I’m sure all this work at Freddy’s would help me burn some of the food off.” You glanced back at the still-embarrassed man. “You think we can still do the whole Freddy’s thing tonight?” you inquired, letting the poor guy return to his game. “I could ask run the buffet myself, if nobody else wants to. I got training on how to run a chocolate fountain.”

William stepped in front of his arcade machine. He gulped. “I would like that,” he answered with a wavering smile. “My only concern now is that I might make a fool out of myself if the buffet only contains desserts.”

“I wouldn’t worry about that,” you chuckled as you pull out a spare Faz-Token from your pocket and slide it into your own Skee-Ball machine. “If we play some Skee-Ball for a couple of hours, I think we’ll both curb the risk of loose seams.”

“You may only need a couple of hours,” William quipped with a snarky smile. “I might need a few days, and that’s being generous.”

This sparked eight minutes of banter and bowling between you two. You kept at the high praises and modest Skee-Ball scores, he prevailed with low self-blows and surprisingly good scores. A few of older kids, thinking that it was an intense tournament, started chanting for their respective favorite.. Until their parents picked them up, that is. At least their cheers built up confidence in the both of you as you kept playing.

As you both collected your tickets, you noticed Johnny standing beside you. “Hey, so your lunch has been ready for five minutes now,” he explained awkwardly to you, eyeing both you and your potential date. “Same with yours, Mr. Afton.”

“Thank you, Johnny,” William responded politely, reaching over to shake his hand. “We will be eating our lunches shortly.”

You noticed Johnny giving William a knowing wink as he walked away. “So, I guess it’s a date,” you smirked, rolling up your tickets into a makeshift ball.

“I guess it is,” William agreed, neatly folding his and putting them in his pocket. “Are you all right with the time still being 7?”

“Are you all right with a dessert buffet?” you questioned back rhetorically, nudging him in the shoulder with your elbow.

William stifled a giggle as he straightened his tie. “Sure,” he answered as confidently as he could (though his red face and timid posture told you otherwise). “Just be prepared for a Spring-Bonnie buffet scenario come to life.”

”Don’t try to talk me into it further!” you laughed as you walked away. “Spring-Bonnie’s my favorite!”

“Let’s hope I don’t change that!” William called out in his best Spring-Bonnie voice, just barely audible amid the clamor of ringing arcade games and chattering kids. You looked over your shoulder to see him waving before hurrying to his own lunch station. As you neared the salad bar, one thought stayed in your mind: This date night was definitely going to be one to remember.

[arcadebroke]

[smbhax]

Controls instruction cards for X-Men: Children of the Atom from Museum - Gallery in Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics (PC/Steam)

Session: https://youtu.be/J4ChjzIWJ7k

[bluewavesofchange]

The guardians of the Pharaoh

The return of the Seal

I don't own Yugioh or it's characters

Short chapter but a lot of revelations.

Chapter 2

 

3 figures stood atop a tall building, looking down at the city below, the 3 dressed in biker like attire, the man in the centre was taller than the other 2, his dirty blond hair gelled up, his leather coat fluttering in the wind. He watches the people below, several souls to feed the great beast that will cleanse the world of the filth that was infecting it.

 

“So when do we find the pharaoh and take his soul Raphael?” the guy dressed in the crop top, leather jacket and sunglasses asks as he folds his arms across his chest. The blond glances at the other, “Later. Master Dartz has instructed us to test him first and to retrieve his god cards…” he removes a photo from his jacket, “And to find her.” he hands the picture to Valon, the photo was of Lillian in her school uniform from a few years ago…the same picture Raphael had taken from Lee when he took the man’s soul.

 

The brunet raises a brow, “Ain’t she the girl who kicked your arse in Greece a few months ago?” he smirked as the blond glared at him, “She got lucky…and according to Master Dartz she is significant to his plans…just like the pharaoh her soul is needed for the great beast.” He takes the photo back and puts it back in his pocket, “First we get the Egyptian cards and duel the Pharaoh, and then we find her and take her to Dartz. Alister, you’ve got your orders to deal with Kaiba.” The red head nodded, “It’ll be my pleasure.” He smirks. The 3 goons head off to put their plans into motion.

 

Lillian had left the pharmacy and was searching the mall for the arcade, an overwhelming nervousness was running through her. If she was expecting then what was going to happen? How would Seto react? How would this affect their relationship? How would her family react? Would the child have her powers or would they be human like Seto? Would he even want a child? They had never actually talked about having a family…certainly not now; their relationship had just gotten to a point where they were comfortable. She had to admit as much as she hated being sick, she loved having Seto taking care of her. He had been so patient and gentle with her, tending to her every need and not even complaining once…he was truly a good care giver…which made her think he would be a good father too…

 

Considering his history with the bastard of a step-father, she could imagine Seto would try to be better than him…like he was trying to do now. She stopped walking, her hand moving to her dragon pendant. Why did she doubt her beloved? He had been an amazing parental figure for Mokuba and even Noah now that the kid was living with them…albeit he could still be a little harsh…ok extremely harsh but he still cared.  He had a bigger heart than anyone she knew…except Yugi. That kid had the biggest, kindest, sweetest heart than anyone on the planet.

 

Oh god what was he going to think if he found out his sister was pregnant? Well that’s if she even was pregnant. Her symptoms could just be some weird bug…many sicknesses caused nausea in the mornings, tiredness, screwing with your sense of taste and smell (she still couldn’t deal with the fact that she ate meat. The reason she had become a vegetarian was that the orphanage served the same tasteless mushy beef stew every night for 10 years. The texture of the overcooked hunks of meat was repulsive).

 

She sighed as she ran her fingers through her hair. This was a mess. She continued walking, distracted as she searched for the arcade, not seeing the tall man she bumped into, “Oh I’m sorry. I wasn’t looking…where…I was…going…” she slowly froze at the face she saw in front of her…a face she never expected to see. The man had short raven hair, brown eyes and light skin. He wore a white shirt, black jeans and a leather jacket, a pair of glasses on his face. He smiled at the girl as she stepped back, “It’s you…it’s really you.” He reached out and hugged her tightly.

 

Lillian was freaking out inside…she had seen this man only in a photograph…the one that held an image of her father and mother…she had given up her search for the man, making peace with the fact that he would never be part of her life and that she had her own family now…and yet fate loved to laugh in her face…

 

She pushed him away hard, stumbling back as she glared at him, “How did you find me?” he looked at her confused, “I’ve been searching for you for a long time…”

 

“Why? You abandoned me.” She turned to leave but he grabbed her arm, “Please Lillian, give me a chance to explain.” She yanked her arm away and snarled at him, “No. You left me behind that night…you didn’t even bother to give me a name which by the way how do you know my name?” he pulls out a piece of paper from his pocket, it was a copy of her birth certificate, “As I said I’ve been looking for you for a long time…I found the orphanage you were sent to but your adoption records were sealed…so it took a bit longer…”

 

“I don’t care. I don’t want anything to do with you. So get lost…” she tried to leave again but he followed her, “Lillian I am your father, I have a right to be in your life. Just give me a chance.” She growled as she looked back at him, “You lost the right to be in my life the day you ran off like a coward! You left me in that hospital, leaving me to grow up in that rat hole of an orphanage all alone! If you cared about me you wouldn’t have abandoned me! You fuck off!” she shoved him hard, causing him to fall back onto the ground…a necklace he was wearing slipping from the collar of his shirt…a green stone attached to it…

 

Lillian’s eyes land on it, a vision filling her mind…

 

A meteor had come down in the human world and spread out many broken pieces of a stone that held a dark power...one piece landed in the ocean, creating a small passage to the world of monsters, slipping through and landing in the oceans of the strange world. Slowly it began to have an effect on the creatures, a sickness of dark magic seeping from it and poisoning the seas, the waves that crashed into the shores infected the land with this sickness. Several creatures either went mad under the influence of this curse and many others would become weak and perish.

 

Fearing for their people’s safety, the 3 goddess’s took it upon themselves to locate the source of this sickness and find a way to rid their world of it. The Siren was the one to locate the stone that had infected this once peaceful world. She could feel darkness flowing from it, turning the water around it murky and vile. It made her sick to be around it, feeling the essences of it trying to infect her very soul. She wanted to flee from it, to swim away as quickly as she could before the darkness could take hold of her. But she needed to dispose of it in order to save not only her people but every other creature in this world…

 

Her grabbed her head as it started to ache as the images kept assaulting her senses…

 

Seeing all this death and destruction, the goddess’s decided to join forces and fight for this world, to put themselves and their people at risk for the sake of humanity and the world they lived in. Clarity guided her army of light from the sky, casting down lightening and arrows upon the dark creatures below.

 

Rozu commanded her army of dead soldiers to raise from the earth and storm the enemy relentlessly, an unstoppable force of the undead. When one would fall to battle, two more would rise in its place.

 

And the Siren fought beside her warriors of the sea. With her trident in hand, she led her warriors in the glorious battle against the Leviathan in the sea.

Each creature fought tooth and nail to avenge those that had fallen and to protect those that remain. Many had fallen and yet the battles raged on. Soon there were only but a dozen left but the goddess’s remained strong. Storming Darts fortress, the city of Atlantis, Rozu entered the palace dead set on devouring the wicked man’s soul, however upon entering he was nowhere to be found. Clarity was elsewhere, taking out the remainder of Darts army, striking down the last beast with her golden sword. This left the Siren, standing against the leviathan.

Her eyes and tattoos started glowing as the ground started to shake as the water in the pipes below was going crazy, swirling and moving viciously…

 

The siren was the last to reach the portal but stopped when she sensed the beast was nearby. Wishing to finish the monster off she dived into the ocean, following the leviathan to its hiding place. Hidden deep within a cave it reached out and grabbed her, dragging her to it to absorb her. She struggled in its strong grasp, unable to escape. She was already exhausted from using her strongest ability. She was out of options…or was she?

 

In a last attempt to save herself she started to sing a soft melody, the markings on her neck glowing, her song floating in the waters surrounding the two creatures. Slowly the leviathan’s eyes fell shut as it was forced into a deep slumber by the sirens song, curling up deep in the darkness. However it kept its hold on the goddess who was unable to escape. All she could do was sing to keep the beast asleep. And sing she would…

 

She screamed as she fell to her knees, water bursting from the ground as the pipes burst, flooding the nearby stores and scaring several shoppers. The visions had stopped but panic still flowed through her veins. She stared at the man in front of her, her eyes falling on the green crystal…sensing the evil flowing from it. The man frowned as he stood up, his form distorting for a moment…a man with long turquoise hair, a long white robe and miss matched eyes…

 

He returned to normal and made his way over to Lillian, a glare on his face but the girl raised her hand and sent a stream of water at him, knocking him over again, giving her a chance to run off.

 

The man stood up and again, looking around but Lillian was gone. He sighs, “It would seem like your powers have returned my dear…” the façade disappears…leaving behind none other than Dartz…Raphael informed him that he had spotted the girl not too long ago…he had been searching for the sea witch that had taken down the great Leviathan for more than a millennia…only to discover the necklace that held her soul…he had held onto to try and find a way to feed her soul to the beast but nothing worked…until a gave it to a woman…only for her to fall pregnant a month later…and a child to be born effectively killing the woman…she had served her purpose…

 

But Dartz had no desire to raise the child, he wanted her to reach her full potential and powers, letting her soul become stronger and richer for the leviathan to feast on…so he had left her at the hospital…not realizing that she would become a part of the lives of those that he wished to deliver to the beast too…how well everything worked out in the end…

 

Lillian had found Mokuba and dragged him home without any explanation. She seemed freaked out by something but she wouldn’t answer any of the kid’s questions…

 

Once they returned to the manor she headed up to her and Seto’s room, slamming the door shut and tossing her bag onto the ground as she started to pace back and forth as her breath felt heavy in her chest, griping her hair as she thought back to the visions…to that man…

 

Except they weren’t just visions…they were memories…her memories…the life she had lived a long time ago…her eyes slowly widened as suddenly she felt a tingly on the back of her neck that turned into a sharp pain as her eyes lit up…thousands of years of forgotten memories flooding through her head…overloading her mind…

 

…the vast oceans she used to traverse…

 

…the other two goddess that had created peace once the dark lord was gone…

 

…the two infants she had saved before giving them to the strange dragons to protect…

 

…the war she fought to protect her family…

 

…her family…

 

…her mother and father…the dragons that had found her as an infant and raised her alongside Tsuki…

 

…Tsuki…she remembers his face…his arms around her…the days they spent together…the promise they had made to each other before he left their world…his smile…his voice…his tender nature…the dream of the home and family they had once had…

 

Lillian rushed to the bathroom and fell to her knees in front of the toilet, throwing up violently as her body shook form the shock she was in from the over load of information that was taking over her mind.

 

She sat back once her stomach was empty, wiping her mouth with her hand as she started to cry, hugging her knees to her chest before gripping her hair again…how could she have forgotten everything? The thousands of years she lived in that world? The people she cared for, the loved ones she had lost…her mate…Tsuki…how could she have forgotten him and the promise they had made to find each other again…

 

She trembled as she reached for her necklace, pulling it off and staring at the pendant as the tears streamed down her cheeks…she had betrayed him…cheated on him…the love of her life…the other half of her soul…the one that held her heart…

 

But…did she really?

 

She ran her thumb over the dragons head…thinking of Tsuki’s face…his eyes…those beautiful blue eyes that held so much wonder and promise…the same eyes that saw every morning she woke up…that same voice that wished her good morning after they shared a soft kiss…

 

But…that was crazy right? Sure they shared similar personality traits…they were roughly the same height and build…they both were associated with the Blue Eyes White dragons…the connection she had felt to Seto had always felt so familiar to her…the way they had been drawn to each other and then there was the vision she had experienced during her time in the virtual world…the dragon she had seen with the scar on its side…the man in white that had that same scar running along his side…the same shape and size as the birthmark Seto had…

 

Was it possible that Tsuki was Seto? If so…how would that even be possible?! She had watched her mate and parents disappear through a portal…never to be seen again until their world was freed from the darkness…had they ended up here??

 

This was all too much for Lillian to think about…this was too much for her to handle…she must be going crazy…none of this made any sense…this couldn’t be real! And yet…deep down in her soul she knew it was…this was her life…had been her life…she was Serena…daughter of Hikaru and Ami…the mate of Tsuki and the goddess of the sea…she had fought against Lord Yomi and his magicians…she had brought peace to the lands of her home world…she had come to this reality and fought against the great Leviathan…been dragged down to the depths of the sea were she was trapped for 5000 years and then was imprisoned in the gem that her love had given to her before they parted for another 5000 years…she remembered it all…and now she was possibly carrying her beloveds child…

 

She slowly got up, her legs shaking as she headed back into the bedroom to get the pregnancy test…

 

She returned to the bathroom after having seen the news report on the duel monsters that were attacking the city and the weird lights that were filling the sky with no explanation…but she knew what it was…what it meant…history was repeating itself and the great beast was going to return…

 

She picked up the pregnancy test…her heart sinking and rejoicing when she saw the positive mark…sitting down on the bathroom floor yet again with her back leaning against the wall…her hand resting on her stomach…

 

She was going to have a baby…the baby of the man she loved with all her heart and who most likely the same man she had been bonded to all those years ago…who had forgotten her…who would believe her if she tried to talk to him about this…she didn’t know what to do…but one thing was for sure…she would have to face the beast again…but what terrified her more was telling Seto that he was going to be a father…

[magickofartemis]

Embracing Witchcraft in Melbourne: Your Guide to Organic Candles and Spell Kits

Melbourne, known for its vibrant culture and eclectic communities, has a thriving scene for those interested in witchcraft and the mystical arts. Whether you're a seasoned practitioner or a curious beginner, Melbourne offers a variety of resources to support your spiritual journey. In this blog, we'll explore the best places to find organic candles and spell kits in Melbourne, and how you can incorporate these into your practice.

Witchcraft in Melbourne: A Flourishing Community

Witchcraft in Melbourne has seen a resurgence in recent years, with more people embracing the ancient practices and wisdom of witchcraft. The city boasts a variety of stores, workshops, and events dedicated to the craft. Whether you're looking to join a coven, attend a workshop, or simply explore on your own, Melbourne has something to offer.

Popular Witchcraft Stores in Melbourne

The Empress and Wolf Located in Brunswick, The Empress and Wolf is a haven for those interested in witchcraft. They offer a wide range of products including crystals, tarot cards, and spell kits. The store also hosts regular workshops and events.

SpellBox Situated in the iconic Royal Arcade, Spell Box is a magical emporium offering everything from books on witchcraft to handmade organic candles and spell kits. The ambiance of the store itself is enchanting, making it a must-visit.

Muses of Mystery This Fitzroy-based store is a treasure trove of witchcraft supplies. They specialize in handcrafted items, including organic candles infused with essential oils and herbs, and spell kits tailored for various intentions.

Organic Candles in Melbourne: Purity and Power

Candles play a crucial role in witchcraft, serving as both a source of light and a focus for energy and intention. In Melbourne, there is a growing demand for organic candles, which are made from natural ingredients and free from harmful chemicals. These candles are not only better for the environment but also enhance the purity of your rituals.

Benefits of Organic Candles

Eco-Friendly: Made from natural waxes like soy or beeswax, organic candles are biodegradable and sustainable.

Healthier: Free from toxic chemicals, they are safer to burn, reducing the risk of indoor air pollution.

Enhanced Rituals: Infused with essential oils and natural herbs, organic candles can amplify the energy and intention behind your spells.

Where to Buy Organic Candles in Melbourne

The Empress and Wolf Not only a witchcraft store, but they also offer a beautiful selection of organic candles. Each candle is crafted with specific intentions in mind, making them perfect for spellwork.

Luna and Quartz A boutique store in Melbourne specializing in organic, hand-poured candles. Their candles are made with natural soy wax and infused with essential oils, ideal for meditation and rituals.

Honeybee and Blossom This store focuses on sustainability and purity, offering a range of organic candles that are perfect for witchcraft and spiritual practices. Their candles are beautifully crafted and come in various scents to suit different needs.

Spell Kits in Melbourne: Tools for Your Craft

Spell kits are pre-assembled sets that include all the necessary components for a particular spell or ritual. They are incredibly useful for both beginners and experienced practitioners, providing a convenient way to perform spells with confidence.

Components of a Spell Kit

Candles: Usually small taper or chime candles that correspond to the spell's intention.

Herbs: Specific herbs that enhance the spell's power.

Crystals: Stones that resonate with the desired outcome.

Instructions: Detailed guidelines on how to perform the spell.

Where to Find Spell Kits in Melbourne

SpellBox Known for their comprehensive spell kits, SpellBox offers kits for various purposes such as love, protection, prosperity, and healing. Each kit is thoughtfully curated and easy to use.

Muses of Mystery This store offers a wide range of spell kits, each designed by experienced witches. They provide kits for different intentions, complete with high-quality ingredients and clear instructions.

The Empress and Wolf Offering personalized spell kits, this store allows you to customize your kit based on your specific needs and intentions. They also provide guidance on how to best use the components for effective spellwork.

Conclusion

Melbourne is a rich tapestry of mystical resources and communities, making it an ideal place for those interested in witchcraft. Whether you're seeking organic candles to purify your space or spell kits to enhance your practice, Melbourne has a wealth of options to explore. Embrace the magic and let the city's vibrant witchcraft community guide you on your spiritual journey.

[angelofrainfrogs]

Spend the Night: Ch. 7

~Coauthored by @zeitghest~

Fandom(s): Five Nights At Freddy’s: Security Breach

Description: The familiar melody of Grandfather’s Clock chimes through the echoing halls of the Pizzaplex…

Charlie wakes up in her Puppet’s vessel yet again with one goal in mind: to stop William Afton’s reign of terror for good. She enlists the help of Glamrock Freddy, the emphatic leader of the newest iteration of the Fazbear Band. But there seems to be more to this bear than meets the eye—and the same goes for the mysteriously familiar kid the duo find tinkering with animatronics down in Parts & Service.

With some help from friends new and old, Charlie’s journey into the bowels of the Pizzaplex will unravel mysteries none of them ever expected. 

Rating: T

Read on Ao3

It is just a glitch scattered in the system Tell me that it's wrong, never gonna listen World won't understand till they stand the vision Mayhem, mayhem, three, two, one

~Under Control by Tryhardninja, Ivy Marie~

“We must prepare to move,” Freddy announced, releasing Gregory and snatching the next access card from its little bear-shaped holder on the desk. Now they’d be able to get into higher-level areas than before—including another security office.

As Freddy grabbed for the card, Charlie reached for Gregory. Of course there was always another hurdle to overcome. With it barely even being 2:00 in the morning, they still had a long time before the main doors opened again. God forbid something else went wrong; Gregory could be trapped here with them over the weekend, too...

“Freddy? There's a place around here with unused characters right?” Charlie asked, bouncing Gregory soothingly in her arms and they readied to speed from the security room. “I think I have a solution for you and Michael's problem.”

“Hmm? Oh, yes, there is a basement warehouse near Parts & Service; I believe unused characters are stored there as well,” Freddy responded a bit absently, watching the monitor as Vanessa approached the door.

“Freddy?” the guard’s voice soon rang out and she knocked harshly. “I can hear you in there! What the hell are you doing?! I gave you instructions to stay put, and now none of the Glamrocks are in their rooms!”

Vanessa sounded well and truly angry. She’d been running around searching for this phantom kid for nearly two hours, and she was tired.

“Ah, I was… using the cameras to see if I could track the child down!” Freddy replied, refusing to open the door until they absolutely had to. Speaking of cameras—

Another glance revealed yet another threat: Roxy was prowling through the arcade, directly in their path to the exit.

Charlie had half a mind to just press her face up to the double-walled security glass and scare Vanessa away. She didn't exactly deserve to be frightened so badly, yet they couldn't afford her slowing them down anymore. It seemed that right after she showed up so did the other animatronics, and that bunny might not be far behind either...

Roxy looked worse than before. What was she doing? Rolling in the left over oil at the Raceway? She normally held such pride in her appearance, reasonably grooming herself and making sure her model was in perfect, working condition before performances and “bedtime.” Now the cracks were showing—her metal chassis forming hairline fractures at stress points. Dirt and grime matted in the faux fur atop her head, smattering her cheeks and covering the paint-job makeup that the designers spent so long creating for her.

“You like playing games, Gregory?” growled Roxy, her voice heard past Vanessa in the arcade. “I know a game we can play—I'm a pro at hide and seek.”

The wolf was seething; her sharp maw would probably be dripping with drool if it could do such a thing.

Gregory held in his fearful sounds, choosing to close his eyes and bury his face in Charlie's thin shoulder. They knew he was there… but how?

If Michael had a body, he’d be shivering with fright at Roxy. Objectively he’d seen much worse over the years, but something about her tone, the way she was so clearly out for a child’s blood… that was utterly horrifying. Even the Funtime animatronics that were literally designed to capture children for William’s sick research purposes didn’t act like this. They behaved like relatively normal robots until a kid was close enough to grab, then they snapped and it was over in an instant.

But these Glamrock models… these were aware. And that made their actions so much worse.

“Bullshit!” Vanessa snapped as Michael fretted. “I don’t know what’s wrong with you guys, but as soon as I get in there you’re going straight back to your room and I’m putting you on extra-lockdown!” She wasn’t entirely sure if they actually had that protocol, but she couldn’t think of a better threat right now.

“Charlie, you must focus on getting Gregory out,” Freddy murmured. “Find somewhere safe—I will keep the others occupied as long as possible, then come and find you.”

“Are you talking to someone?!” Vanessa chimed in, and it was at that moment the door power failed. The distinctive sound of electronics shutting down could be heard as the lights in the security office went out. The door soon raised, revealing Vanessa standing there with hands on her hips. She let out a gasp, eyes widening at the sight of Gregory and the Puppet.

“What the—what the fuck are you?!” She shook her head with an annoyed growl, starting forward. “Whatever; hand over the brat. He’s caused enough trouble tonight.”

Charlie was aware that Vanessa had been in the dark about everything just like them. Really, the woman didn’t deserve most of the frustrations of tonight. Even so Charlie’s arms coiled around Gregory, almost constricting him as she let out an inhuman hiss.

“He didn’t do anything wrong! Leave him alone!” she warned, backing slowly away. She attempted to match Vanessa’s pace, planning to run out the opposite door. The goal would be to hightail it out of the arcade without Roxy catching either of them, but with the speed demon hounding for their blood she’d have to time it perfectly.

Gregory looked up to Vanessa, the fear in his face knotting into anger. “Hey! Who are you calling a brat, dumbass?!”

“Clearly you, kid.” Vanessa rolled her eyes. “Ugh, why do I have to find the one with the biggest attitude? Look, I just need to take you to a safe area so we can call the police and get in contact with your parents. You can even take your weird, clingy robot with you... What are you, anyway?” The guard paused, staring at the Puppet with a pinched expression of confusion. “Some knockoff Daycare attendant model? Or—oh my god, Freddy, get out of my way!”

The bear had placed himself directly in Vanessa's path, holding his arms out ready to physically restrain her if need be.

“I am sorry,” he said with a shake of the head. “But my child safety protocols indicate that, at this moment, Gregory is safest with me and Charlie.”

“What?!” Vanessa shrieked, clenching her fists so hard her knuckles went white. “There is absolutely no way your protocol would tell you that a kid is safer with a robot than a human! You're so malfunctioning right now; we’ve got to—ouch!”

Suddenly, Vanessa's face twisted into an expression of extreme pain and she doubled over, clutching her head.

“Officer Vanessa?! Are you alright?” Freddy asked, instinctively reaching out to help.

“Mmph, y-yeah... just... just a migraine...”

And major amnesia to follow, Vanessa thought, but there was no need to tell the robot about her chronic health issues. She remained hunched over, temporarily blocking out everything around her as she tried to get over this sudden attack. She couldn't afford to lose the kid again...

Gregory was ready to push Puppet aside just to fight Vanessa for her rude nature towards his friends, though Charlie held fast to the squirming child with her arms laced around his small frame. There was no room for arguing between them. With Freddy intervening and trying to talk some sense into Vanessa, Charlie put more space between the humans.

“Freddy—” she said, calm and collected as she watched Vanessa curl at the pressure building in her skull. “—Vanessa needs first aid. She doesn't look too good...”

“Who cares about her?!” Gregory snapped, eyes narrowed at the night guard. His sympathy was clearly thin for her right now, having been tracked down by her for over twenty-four hours by this point. “She's the weirdo who's been trying to kidnap me, remember?!”

“Gregory, please have some empathy. She's hurting...” Charlie remarked. All the while, they were completely unaware what was really happening inside of Vanessa's head.

Ẅ̴̛̪͍̽̑̈́͌͌̄͛̏̏̃̅͝h̵̻̉a̸̺͆t̶̬̿'̴̡́s̴̱͛ ̵̮̅ẃ̸̨r̴͔̐ō̷̖n̷̠͝g̵̦̑,̷̼̔ ̷̳̿f̷̰̽u̷͔̿n̶̝̿n̷̠͒y̷̺͂ ̸̲͋b̴̟͆ǘ̷͇n̵̺͝ṅ̸̪y̴͓̒?̴̡͝[1]

Ä̵͉́r̵̼͑e̶̟͐ ̸͉̓t̵͉͊h̴̜̓ë̶͎́y̷̞͊ ̷͎̒b̶̯̊ẻ̷̟į̶͑ǹ̶̜g̸̤̎ ̵̯̿m̸̝͝è̴͚ȃ̴̠n̶̳̂ ̴͚͒t̴͉̚o̷͉̽ ̶͎̔y̴͓̕o̸͇͌u̶̼̔?̸̻̈

Ș̵̢̡͉̘̊̆̈̎͆ḩ̵̓o̵͎̍w̸̨͒ ̵̮̽t̶͔͋h̵͉̆e̷̪̓m̴̙͊ ̴̻͝w̶̖̚h̴̯̕a̶̰̒t̵̝̂ ̵̼͑h̷̨̒a̴̩͘p̷͚̀p̷̥͌e̴̡͐ṅ̸̺s̴̛ͅ ̶͖̈́w̸͕̔h̸̛̜e̴̤͋n̶̠͒ ̵͖̋ţ̷̀h̶̞̓e̴̼̎ỳ̸̡ ̴͉̓ḏ̷͂o̶̫̚n̴̻͛'̶̤̓t̶͍̄ ̶̫̄p̷̥͐l̵͈͌a̶͈͌y̵̪͌ ̴͕̇n̶̯̓ỉ̵̲c̴̯̓ė̷ͅ.̸̣̊.̶̼̉.̵̨̇ ̵͖̓

The playful voice inside the guard’s mind tried to soothe her, pain increasing the longer she denied it.

“N-No, I... I don't... What...?” Vanessa was mumbling to herself, a nonsensical string of words for the nonsensical voice. The ache was so intense all she wanted to do was curl up on the floor and sleep for days. She resisted as long as she could… but as was the case nowadays, that wasn't more than a few seconds.

“Oh?” All of a sudden Vanessa perked up, releasing her head to stare at the little group in the office. An eerie smile stretched her mouth wide, and her gaze was somehow both vacant yet very sharp. She glanced down at her body, tugging at the crisp, white uniform shirt.

“Oh no, no, this won't do; these clothes are so stiff! She keeps misplacing that thing...” She let out a dramatic sigh, shaking her head for a moment before abruptly snapping her gaze to Freddy's. “I'll be riiiiight back~ But while I'm gone, you can play with a friend!”

Without warning she whipped around to dash away through the arcade, her goal known only to herself. For just a second, it seemed like Freddy and his friends' prayers had been answered. That is, until they heard Vanessa shout at the top of her lungs:

“Oh Roooooxyyyyyyy~ Gregory's in the security office, and the power's out! Better go find him before Monty does—you want to make sure you're the best, don't you?”

The mumbling had only raised more questions at Vanessa's strange behavior. But when her whole demeanor changed from agonizing in pain to practically frolicking away to alert the others, Charlie recognized what was happening. Scampering towards Freddy, she raised Gregory up to the bear.

“Put him inside your chest, now!” she begged. “It's her! I recognize the voice now—it's the bunny lady!”

The sound of stampeding, metal feet began to tear straight for them.

“What?!” An incredulous tone could be heard, Roxy flabbergasted that Vanessa would even imply that Monty was better than her. She was the best. An obvious fan favorite! 

And she was going to make sure the others knew it. She barreled for the office, feral and growling even as she skidded and slid painfully into the walls.

“Gregory!” Roxy snarled, “Get over here, you snot-nosed punk!”

Freddy knew there was no time for questions, and Michael realized the same. The ghost resisted the urge to argue with Charlie’s instructions, sucking up his personal correlation with shoving a kid into an animatronic’s chest cavity to let the bear do what he needed to. Freddy was safe, and that meant Gregory would be safe, too. Without hesitation Freddy helped Gregory scramble into his surprise compartment, closing the hatch just in time for Roxy to slam into the wall outside the open doorway.

“Roxanne!” Freddy exclaimed, eyes wide at the sight of her in person. Along with the dirt she had a plethora of tiny dents and scratches, presumably from running into things during her frantic search. “What happened to you?!”

“Not the time, Freddy!” Michael reminded with an edge of panic to his voice. “Get Gregory out of here before she figures out where you hid him!”

Freddy stared at Roxy for a moment longer, his face twisted in an expression of genuine hurt and confusion. He hated to see his friends like this—it scared him. Until tonight, Freddy thought it was impossible for him to feel such things as fear…

But that existential crisis was for another time. Michael was right: they had a mission.

Slowly, Freddy began shifting around the wolf, trying not to make any sudden moves that would startle her or give any indication that the child was nearby. Roxy huffed, a simulated sniffing coming from her nose as she glanced around the room in a jittery nature.

“He was here! I just heard him…,” she said, pushing past the Puppet as she inspected the room, practically ignoring Freddy until all hope of finding Gregory had been lost to her.

“Freddy... Buddy, amigo...” She looked to the bear, clasping her paws together as she approached. “You've seen the kid, right? You have to by now. C'mon, help a girl out...”

Charlie already stood in the doorway, making sure the coast was all clear as she motioned just outside Roxanne's line of sight for Freddy to follow her. The wolf’s unsettling appearance, both out of character and alarming, became more apparent the closer she drew.

“Ditch the creepy Puppet! Come hang out with me and help me find that brat!” Roxy begged, yellow eyes desperate for help.

“I... I cannot do that, Roxy,” Freddy replied with a shake of his head. He’d been inching away successfully until the wolf stepped up to him—now she was a bit too close for comfort. Freddy knew she was much faster than him, especially in this virus-induced state, and the last thing he wanted was for her to somehow finagle his stomach hatch open in a frenzy. He just needed to move her a bit and then he could make a break for it.

“You likely will not accept this, but there is something wrong with you,” Freddy continued, gently putting his hands on the wolf’s shoulders. As he spoke he shifted her sideways, ever-so-slowly moving her out of his path. “Something is wrong with all of you—Monty, Chica, even Moon and Officer Vanessa. I am trying to figure it out and return you all to normal, and it would be a great help to me if you would stop trying to pursue the child.”

Freddy’s grip tightened on Roxy’s shoulders. He moved her a little more forcefully, tapping into his animatronic strength just enough to match her resistance. Just a few inches more, and the path would be free.

Roxy's expression turned from one of mild annoyance to complete offense. Her eye's flicked over Freddy's face as if looking for a sign that he was joking.

“What?! There’s nothing wrong with me! I-I'm... I-I—” She stuttered, not for lack of anything to defend herself with verbally, but literally shorting out as she was made to think about her and the rest of the Glamrocks’ actions.

She resisted Freddy’s shifting, trying to push back. But as she glitched, her strength faltered. She was pushed into the desk, a few loose bolts clattering as they toppled to the ground. Before she could explain herself, Freddy and the Puppet were already speeding away.

“W-Wait! Freddy, I'm sorry!” Roxy attempted to call after them. With the child momentarily out of sight and mind, she was granted a minute of lucidity and couldn’t help but feel disgust.

But this quickly faded, as everything did thanks to the malware infecting her very core.

She listened to the voice inside her head that told her to get the child. Her goal was to bring him to the basement without maiming him too much. The rest of the plan was so genius Roxy couldn't even comprehend why they were doing it in the first place.

***

Freddy gritted his teeth as he ran, trying to forget that look in Roxy’s eyes. For just a moment she’d been herself again, trying to break through whatever was controlling her. Her apology echoed heavily in Freddy’s mind, and he suddenly had the strange urge to yell out in frustration. He resisted of course, not wanting to alert anyone to their position more than his heavy footsteps already would. Instead he pressed on, thinking of the best path to their next destination.

“The stage!” Freddy exclaimed, falling into step with Charlie. “It will take us directly to Parts & Service. But we need to activate the sound booth first—hopefully there is a showtime disk already in place, but if not we will have to locate one.”

“How hard could that be?” Gregory asked, relieved when he heard a plan coming from the outside of his little enclosure.

Freddy then took the lead, guiding Charlie back through the arcade and El Chips. Soon enough they’d re-emerged in the main atrium and made a beeline for the sound booth. Thankfully it was also on the third floor, not far from their current position.

“Is a showtime disk like a record?” Charlie felt the need to ask, her voice not above a whisper as they curtailed themselves into the booth. Overlooking the stage and all that sat before the concert area, they sat relatively in the open. With the strange sounds emanating from the third floor backrooms, Puppet wanted to get the show started and leave as soon as possible.

“Yes, it is a CD—like a smaller version of a record,” Freddy explained as he rapidly scanned the area. To his great frustration, there was no such item anywhere in sight. “It is not here—we must take the long way around, back through Rockstar Row. Follow me.”

Not wanting to waste time Freddy urged the Puppet to trail after him, adding in a hushed voice as they moved: “We can use Roxy’s service elevator for the time being, although once we return from Parts & Service we can rest in the security office near Rockstar Row—it is accessible with our new clearance level. From my recollection the showtime disks are often stored there as well, so hopefully we can pick one up in case we need to activate the stage lift later.”

Freddy was hesitant to jinx anything, but in a way it seemed like things might be turning in their favor, if only for a moment. Hopefully Charlie was onto something with regards to Michael’s predicament, and this task wouldn’t be fruitless. Although even if it was, at least it would keep Gregory moving. Freddy dreaded the thought of getting cornered again. If Roxy was already this bad, he didn’t want to know what the others were like.

Having watched the head of security change right before their eyes into someone so completely different than before only told Puppet one thing: this virus didn’t just affect robots. It’d been spreading through people as well.

It just went to show how they needed to work together to keep Gregory separated from whatever the hell was going on around the Pizzaplex. This virus, whatever it was, must have something to do with William's return. Should they make it to Parts & Service in one piece, Michael's experience with dealing in his father's villainy would help them immeasurably.

Again they moved, all too scared for now to let Gregory leave Freddy's chest. It would be bad enough if the robots were seen out and about—though to their benefit Freddy's bandmates only seemed interested in human blood and flesh, not metal and oil.

With Rockstar Row in sight and all its residents currently looking high and low in more complex places for their little gang, they snuck in undetected. Through Roxy's more inexplicably damaged backstage room they crept, right as Gregory broke the silence.

“Freddy? Is it safe to come out yet? My legs are cramping!”

Don't think about the meat pretzel..., Gregory mentally noted as a means of staying calm in the tight closed in space for so long.

Freddy winced as a barrage of images suddenly flashed through his mind in response to Gregory's innocent comment. Most flew by too fast to catch, but three kept repeating themselves over and over again:

A smiling little girl with long, red hair, green eyes, and a red bow in her hair...

A clown-themed animatronic Freddy recognized a Circus Baby...

The same animatronic standing exactly as before, though there was a distinct trail of dark, red liquid leaking from her chest cavity.

“Michael, stop!”��Freddy exclaimed, jerking his head in an effort to quell the ghost's memories. Whatever those images represented were so painful even Freddy was starting to feel an ache deep in his core.

“O-Oh god, I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to—is Gregory okay?! I don't like the thought of him being uncomfortable in there w-with... with the cramps, and all,” Michael managed to say, reigning in his wayward thoughts. Clearly this wasn't the only issue at hand, but he didn't want to freak Freddy out and somehow cause exactly what he was afraid of happening.

“Yes, he is fine—Gregory, please come out.” Freddy heaved a sigh of relief as they entered Roxy's service elevator and closed the door. He opened his chest cavity and freed the kid while checking his power meter. “I must charge before we progress—there is a station just outside the main area of Parts & Service. We can stop there before going to the warehouse.”

Helping Gregory down from his spot inside of Freddy's torso, Charlie suggested he sit and stretch his legs before they left the lift. Safe Mode may not be the best way for Freddy to be traveling throughout the night in regards to the draining battery power, but it also still might be one of the only things keeping him safe from the virus spreading around.

“Don't worry you guys,” Charlie tried to comfort. “Gregory's a tough kid, right?”

Gregory plopped to the ground, stretching out his legs and reaching halfheartedly towards his toes.

“More like a kid who's about to have a charley-horse...,” he griped in reply.

He was still having a tough time moving past Vanessa's odd behavior from earlier. He knew she was weird, but that smile... It didn't even look like it belonged to her. It was uncanny—as if someone had copied an eerie grin and pasted it over Vanessa's mouth. Not to mention her words, and the way she said them.

It’d begun to hit Gregory too that something was controlling the minds of people along with the animatronics. That wasn't something he could fathom—the idea of losing his mind inside this nightmare was already becoming too real for him to feel comfortable.

Eventually the lift brought them to the hallway leading towards Parts & Service. If one were to peer into the actual workshop and the safety cylinder, the Map Bot Gregory attempted to reprogram was notably gone...

“The entrance to the warehouse is just around the corner from the charging station,” Freddy informed the group as he led the way out of the elevator. He frowned slightly upon seeing the empty cylinder, wondering who exactly moved the defunct robot. “However, I suggest that you—”

“Ehehehe...” A distinct cackle filled the air, and Freddy whipped his head to find a glowing set of red eyes peering out from a dark corner. Moon crouched low to the ground, swaying slightly as he slowly reached one hand up towards a nearby light switch. Before anyone had time to react, the room was plunged into almost complete darkness. “Nighty-niiiiight~”

“Go!” Freddy exclaimed, thankful that Charlie had already scooped Gregory up at the first sign of danger. As the others moved towards safety, Freddy hung back to distract Moon. However, when he turned back the Daycare attendant was already gone from the corner.

“Why the fuck can he crawl on the CEILING?!” Michael screeched as Freddy's eyes roamed up to find Moon literally scuttling upside-down over their heads like some sort of weird, lanky bug.

The bear simply shook his head at Michael's comment, calling out to the Daycare attendant in an attempt to distract him: “Moon! I... I know where to find another child! Come down here and let me tell you!”

Charlie hand to clamp her wiry hand over Gregory's mouth. The last time she tangled with Moon, she ended up in an unconscious heap on the ground with no way to protect anyone. Vanessa had followed them before, and if last time was forewarning then maybe she wasn't far behind.

As they rushed to tuck themselves safely in the recharge station, Charlie and Gregory could only watch in horror at the way Moon moved, lurching and crawling like something from a horror film. If he was made like this, how could any kid sleep with him around?

“Oh, Freddy, Freddy...” Moon paused to stare down at the bear, his static grin impossibly wider than usual. “Don't you know it's naughty to lie? And naughty ones must be punished...”

“What the hell is he—oh no, Freddy, MOVE!” Michael yelled as Moon suddenly released his grip on the ceiling. The animatronic dropped, twisting his body like a cat to land on top of the cylinder with eyes locked on to the bear.

Freddy, however, was starting to struggle.

“I am almost out of battery power,” he murmured as the LOW POWER alert flashed red and ominous across his vision. Apparently, carrying Gregory inside his chest cavity drained him more than he'd initially thought. He spared a glance to the charging pod, then back to Moon. Thankfully, the Daycare attendant didn't seem interested in Gregory at that moment—he was solely focused on Freddy. “Michael... I think he wants me. For what, I do not know, but... are you able to get out?”

"What?! Freddy, I'm not just gonna bail—”

“GET OUT!” Freddy shouted, stumbling backwards as Moon slunk closer. His vision was fading fast, and he knew it was only a matter of seconds before he shut down. As darkness closed in around him, the bear intoned in a sluggish whisper: “Please... You have to... help them... please...”

And then Freddy collapsed in a heap, Moon cackling all the while.

With both fists, Gregory hit the inside of the charging pod in an attempt to open it. He was quickly snatched backwards by Charlie, and they could only listen helplessly as Moon encroached upon Freddy. Charlie had to remind herself that, even if he got out of this in one piece, until the bear was recharged and with Michael attached to him, she'd be the only one to watch Gregory.

Trembling and forced to be silent inside Puppet's arms, Gregory strained to get out and help. Rationally though, he knew there was nothing he could do—and Moon may just in fact tear his new best friend apart.

[1] What’s wrong, funny bunny?

Are they being mean to you?

Show them what happens when they don’t place nice…

***

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