#Dulcie in exchange gets Metroman's role of bestowing insightful advice about self-determination under the pressures of expectations

[mayasaura]

Consider: Megamind AU with Heir!Gideon

When they were children (so old enough to remember each other) Glaurica cracked and blabbed about the Crêche Flu to her kin on the 8th. Jod pardoned most of the Ninth, barring the Father, Mother and Great-Aunts, but resettles its inhabitants. Meanwhile, in this process Gideon was discovered - in fact, let's say she stowed along to Harrow's audience with the emperor to argue for shutting the Ninth down completely - and became Kiriona Gaia.

Harrow was raised by an even more embittered Crux (who will serve as our Minion). They are outcasts on their new planet and target the majority of their ire at Kiriona, the Empire's darling.

No thoughts on who everyone else would be. Tbh this all sprung from rewatching Megamind with my tlt brainrot in full swing and going hm...legitimately powerful yet pathetic little goth with flair for the dramatic who never really wanted to destroy their rival...curious

Oh my god. No, this is greatest part: the versatility of this AU. They're both dramatic little goth shits who never really wanted to destroy their rival. No one ever paid enough attention to either of them for them to learn the difference between positive and negative kinds of attention. They both saw themselves as 'evil' or 'outcast' and decided to embrace it with both hands.

Like, we have to change almost nothing for Gideon to be Megamind. She doesn't look Ninth, she doesn't act Ninth, and she makes Not Being Ninth and having dramatic flashy clashes with the beloved superhero of the Ninth pretty much a core tenant of her personality. If you could get any closer to "Child raised in a prison cell for no fucking reason" than Gideon Nav, I'd love to see it. Then she gets away from the Ninth and finds out that most of what she was going for she doesn't actually want, because it was all about the chase. It was all about Harrow. Without Harrow to prove wrong, none of her schemes or goals or achievements actually fucking matter.

But I love this Glaurica Blabs AU. Gideon is discovered at the age of about ten, and John disbands the Ninth House for baby killing crimes. I think he keeps the Reverend Daughter fairly close, because he wants to see what becomes of this powerful creation powered by the souls of dead babies. He's fascinated. But everyone kind of knows that the Ninth massacred their own children now, so Harrow is a persona non grata. She still has her loyal retainer, who hates everyone but her, but aside from that she's pretty much isolated. Her sole purpose in life becomes making sure being a godling doesn't go to the newly re-named Kiriona's head.

This is where it gets really Megamind, imo. Because like Metroman, Kiriona really has nothing against Harrow anymore except that Harrow keeps breaking her stuff and attacking her with skeletons. Her problems are mostly about being a Prince now and how everyone has Expectations of her when she's really just a lonely awkward girl with a sword. Fighting Harrow is a welcome normal distraction from all the new problems in her life now that she's, like, important.

Anyway, Dulcie is Roxy, with a keen investment in the drama and a zeal for digging in and getting to the truth of matters. There is no Hal because that part of the plot literally does not work in this scenario, but also Ianthe is Hal. Dulcie and Gideon aren't involved, but Harrow thinks they are and she's jealous. Ianthe is into Harrow, not Dulcie. Dulcie is into no one, but if she were into anyone she has some complete nerds in a turtleneck and glasses to go on picnics with. Yes, Cam and Pal are Bernard But Real.

So the plot is, Gideon cracks under the pressure and runs away, leaving Harrow under the impression she successfully drove her off, and the instant regret sets in. Obviously, because this rivalry is gay and obsessive in addition to being a substitute for the love neither of them had in their childhoods, Harrow can't just grow a new Prince to butt heads with. This doesn't stop Ianthe from briefly trying to fill the void. Harrow goes to shake down Dulcie to find out where Gideon went, and ends up on a rollicking adventure to retrieve a wayward Prince who does not want to be a Prince anymore, thank you.