#Pawns of Null-A

[drrealityslenderverse]

Eclipse art time!

Also based off a possible far-future scene in my AU, hence why Hoody & Jay (Icarus) are included with the other proxies! lol I'm well aware they aren't in canon

[funishment-time]

i love when people have Thought Experiments about Danganronpa-style killing games, but

it's good to remember that "what would Monokuma do if..." or "could you trick Monokuma by..." 100% depends on what Monokuma we're talking about and who's participating in the game.

Danganronpa 1's Monokuma is simply a mouthpiece for a very much alive Junko Enoshima. she is doing this killing game specifically to break her beloved classmates, and every rule and action is for that purpose. she is powerful but can be tricked, a loophole that Makoto and Kyoko use to their advantage.

Danganronpa 2's Monokuma is the avatar of an AI Junko Enoshima. this Junko, and thus this Monokuma, is acting against a class she/he/they barely know or care about (source: Kodaka). the Remnants/77b are pawns to this Junko-kuma and he's nigh-omnipotent in the virtual NWP. all the rules and actions bend towards this purpose.

v3's Monokuma seems to be his own guy and Tsumugi's coworker at best. he's done a thousand of these fucking games and he's tired. he's impersonal and if ol' Mooger wants to completely break the concept of Danganronpa by creating a sham first trial, that's fine by him. he's here for the spectacle and all he wants is the spectacle, because he knows the viewers want it. like DR1's Monokuma, however, he has a limited amount of power and you can certainly use it against him (see trial 5). he also adds a few rules that don't exist in 1 or 2.

of course, if you're not invoking Monokuma at all...this post is null and void. ha

[bet-on-me-13]

Jazz joins the Suicide Squad to save Danny

So! Danny got caught by the GIW. And it was Public too.

Jazz can see absolutely no way to save Danny. The GIW Base is heavily fortified, she has no help aside from Tucker and Sam, and public opinion is against Ghosts, so nobody would want to help her protest his Capture. Maybe a few teenagers from the high school, but absolutely none of the adults would help.

So she does the one thing she can. She contacts Amanda Waller.

Waller had previously approached her Parents about buying some of their tech off them, for her "Specializes Task Force" to use in case they ever came up against a Ghost.

From the short interaction Jazz had with Waller, she knew one thing.

That Woman would do ANYTHING, to protect the Government she worked for.

All Jazz needed to do, was offer her something that outweighed the value of capturing Danny. Information. The Infinite Realms, the True Biology of Ghosts, the Psychology of Ghosts, the Power Structure of the Realms, and so much more. Waller needed to know everything she could about the Realms to feel secure, to feel like her Country was safe. She needed Information.

And Jazz had that in spades.

As the daughter of the Leaders on Ectology, and a friend to multiple Saptient Ghosts, including the Kings and Queens of various Realms, she was uniquely qualified to provide all this information.

And Waller was impressed. But she still felt like she needed a little more, and seeing as Jazz was a highly trained Martial Artist due to her Mom, and had been taught enough about mechanical engineering by her Dad to constitute a Major in in, she saw potential.

She saw a Pawn. Perfect for placement on Task Force X. Her Suicide Squad had been missing an extra member recently, and Jazz was the perfect fit.

So they made a Deal.

Danny Fenton, also known as The Phantom, would he released from Government Detainment, alongside any other Sentient/Sapient Ghost in their possession. They would he protected from further Detainment until further Notice, and the Town of Amity Park would be left alone by the GIW Indefinitely.

In return, Jazzmine Fenton would be hired on as Amanda Wallers On-Call Consultant for anything related to Ghosts and the Realms. Additionally, she would be employed as a Part Time Member of Task Force X, answering the call of Duty whenever is is directed as her, No Questions Asked. (Or the deal would be null and void)

But she would Endure it. Because she and Waller had one thing in common.

She would do Anything, to protect her little brother.

[onyxonline]

Ranks in the Space Riders

So I did one for the bad guys, time to one for the good guys! Just like the Cult, our Space Riders also have a chess like hierarchy, but with a unique twist to them!

The King= Elliot Ludwig himself, the man behind the organization that keeps the universe from being fully taken over by The Prototype, he takes the symbolism of protector and leadership seriously, but unlike the king piece, he does not remain stationary, as the Space Riders' station/main HQ is actually constantly on the move!

The Queen= Poppy Ludwig! she's a versatile and strategic young lady that essentially carries the organization as a whole thanks to her outstanding knowledge of literally <everything> that has ever existed! She may not be a physical warrior, but her intelligence is what has allowed the Space Riders to fight against the Prototype!

Rooks/ Captains= Rooks are described as fortresses, defense, and stability, and that's what the captain's role is for. They're essentially the tanks that ensure the safety of their crews. Captains are usually celestials as well, an example of a Captain would be Dogday, who leads his Critters Crew.

Knights/ On-Field Riders= These are crew members that specialize on heading out on the field, they are expected to engage in combat when needed, and are usually the ones that get their hands dirty. Examples of On-Field Riders are Catnap, Kickin, and Hoppy.

Bishops/ Informants/ Medical personnel/ Archivists= WOW that's a LOT of positions, that's because instead of a religious perspective of bishops, I like to see it more as the support that work in the background. These are the people that while not fighting the cultist, help in different ways, like providing medical aid, getting information, retrieving and recording information, etc., etc. Examples of these type of riders are Bubba, Bobby, Picky, and Crafty

Pawns= None. Everyone in the Space Riders organization are incredibly important in the eyes of Ludwig, specially in this game of chess, he knows he cannot afford to lose his pieces against the prototype, therefore, the meaning of pawns has been rendered null for years now.

OTHER RANKS:

Trainees: These are the young, soon-to-be space riders that are currently training to become one! they are not just combat based but also trained on other skills too! The age range is strictly from 16 years old and they graduate in their 20s, that is when they either get picked by an older crew, or they form one themselves!

And there you guys go! ranks for the space riders, hope this helps!

[girlactionfigure]

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict

is actually not as complicated as it seems, the UN made an offer in 1947 to the Arabs and Jews to each have their own country, not only did the Arabs turn it down (which makes that offer null & void), but they stated their intention was to wipe out every Jew there & this was a few years after the holocaust They were told by the Arab leadership to leave the land because they were going to “cleanse it of Jews”, well when Israel won the war, “to the victor hoes the spoils” & the people who left their homes didn’t have where to go back to & the UN has been holding a lot of them in refugee camps instead of settling them down because it’s a pawn for their anti semitism Also after Israel became a state about 650,000 Jews living in Muslim countries were driven out by anti semitism, Israel took in most, America took in & also France took in, that’s why France has such a big Jewish community even tho it was wiped out during the war

ALL the Palestinian leadership wants is war, they were offered land for peace a million times over, before Israel was founded they were offered most of the country by the UN & they refused it because they didn’t want there to be one square inch of a Jewish state

Instead they went to war when the Jews declared a state, by miracles the Israelis won the war, after the 1967 war they captured back all of the territory which you get to keep after you win a war that you didn’t start.

Around year 2000 Ehud Barak offered basically everything on a silver platter to that mass murderer Arafat & at the last moment he walked away and invited the 2nd indifada

In 2004 Ariel Sharon stupidly decided to give back Gaza to the PA, as soon as he did that they took out all the news living there (for some reason in their countries no Jews are allowed to live), and it immediately became a terrorist zone & the quality of life for the Arabs there went down the drain with Hamas using all their resources for rockets, tunnels and other terror tactics.

NMH 

H/T @scartale-an-undertale-au

[levenxa]

Nightmare Les Ténèbres (Null)

Gender: Nonbinary

Pronouns: He/They

Sexuality: Bisexual (achillean preference)

Height: 5’5

Age: 124

Likes: Reading, Kale his adorable cat, Christmas, Emotional Intimacy, Control

Dislikes: Taco Bell, Too much chaos and ruckus, Terrible fashion sense, Scaring people, Halloween, Pranks

Phobias: Entomophobia (Fear of Insects)

Weapons/Powers: He has a Moon Staff, it helps with teleportation :)

Backstory: Born pretty much an orphan, he was taken in by Nim alongside Dream, then taken by several priests—then cared for by no one else, other than a friend (Dream). Pre-incident NM always looked up to the power of negativity and often studied it. He knew how important being a guardian was, and how lucky and powerful he was considered to be. Unfortunately, his knowledge was considered a threat to the people who wanted the apples. And that led to the constant bullying, which also resulted in him hating Dream for pulling these stupid pranks that the villagers would keep blaming him for. Dream was just so chaotic and unhinged, and he was more calm and intelligent. He met Cross in the village, and figured he wasn’t originally from it since he looked so unique. They befriended each other because they were more alike than expected, and often hanged out as a result of that. One day, Dream was spotted taking apples from the tree & taking the power for himself. And once NM was aware of the situation, Dream offered him his power as well. NM ends up accepting the offer mainly because of his knowledge, as well as an urgency to escape. The aftermath left them being even more than Guardians, but Gods. With this much power, he could take over the entire village, and maybe even the world. NM officially escaped the village, and went into creating his castle. He ended up taking in Dream as a secondary follower, and Dream hired Ink for more support. They have multiple guards in their newly-found corporation, that simply mean nothing but pawns to both Gods. Blue, Cross, & Error are nuisances to their main mission of bringing on ‘The End of The World’. Which was brought up by both NM and Dream as a deserved fate for how cruel humanity was. With all of the bullying, disrespect, and abuse…why should they have a chance at life?

Relationships: Blue & Error are enemies, supporting a useless cause. Dream and Ink are just followers who will help him achieve success in eradicating mortality. Cross is a distant friend, who is now completely fighting against him for no reason other than ‘selfishness’.

[an-obligatory-blog]

theoretical post-forces infinite that caters to my specific tastes

i'm too lazy to render this, so just deal with my messy sketch and om level foreshortening

I've been mulling lately how I would want Infinite to return and although I can't see it actually happening (it assumes settings regarding Infinite's past that I basically made up, see: my jackal squad hcs), I do want to jot some these ideas down somewhere so here it is.

Me after several edits: ok uh a lot of yapping happened bc I have a lot of thoughts, but I'm going try to keep this as tl;dr as possible

Me after even MORE edits: holy shit it's still long

The premise is as follows (I wrote this messily, but I wanted to finish this thing asap):

After his defeat, Infinite was trapped inside the real Phantom Ruby in a space is akin to Null Space. Contemplating Sonic's words, who told him that his illusions cannot match the real deal (the power of friendship om), he attempts to create illusions with "souls" on a whim (he had nothing better to do), and only succeeded when he created imitations of the Jackal Squad, who he knew inside and out. Believing that breaking out was impossible and that his captivity was somewhat deserved anyways (for failing the Doctor), he grew complacent in this new fantasy, creating not only his squad, but their ideal world. He re-adopts the name "Zero", interpreting this space as the "afterlife" and thus had no issue of taking the name of a "dead man".

The Phantom Ruby was sent back in time with Classic Sonic (Mania Plus), but Zero still remained and continued to remain even as enough time had passed for it to be the Modern Timeline again. During those years, Zero doesn't age, living out in his ideal world with his squad, who evolved to become stronger than real counterparts. Unlike Chaos/Metal Sonic/Zavok/Shadow, who were created with the data Eggman provided, Zero put a lot of thought into the imitations of his squad, using his memory as the basis to nail down their strengths and weaknesses, their habits and personalities, and more. However, this doesn't last forever, as a piece of his subconscious manifested as "Infinite", who was unsatisfied with the current circumstances and wishes to break out.

Zero and Infinite eventually confront each other. Although Infinite is representative of his cruelty, he also represented his will to live. When Zero had his breakdown about weakness back when he lost to Shadow, he tried to reach out to his squad, who he thought were just out of commission, only to find them dead in a crater. They died because Shadow used Chaos Blast as at the time, it was the most efficient way to get rid of them and overcome their teamwork. He had no hatred nor malice for the Squad and was thus indifferent to whether they had lived or died. If they had lived from the initial blast, he had no reason to run back to check on them when there is a mission to complete. To put simply, they were scrapped as if they were Egg pawns and the only reason Zero lived was because such measures weren't necessary to take out one person. This power gap instilled despair within Zero, who desired to be on top of the world.

When Eggman offered him the Phantom Ruby, a gem that can turn his dreams into reality, it was like the light of hope to him. It wasn't just physical weakness he wanted to throw away-- he wanted to start fresh, abandoning his past attachment to his squad, which was causing him much pain (this also leads him to abandoning his hatred for Shadow, since someone who wasn't attached wouldn't hate). "Zero", in his mind, should've died with his squad as they were only separated by coincidence. Even though he knew the dangers of being attached in a profession seeped in death, the squad was everything to him. "Infinite", his new identity, will be the Empire's new weapon and it's through that newfound purpose will he repair his ego. Shadow was so self-assured with his power that he had the luxury of being indifferent to whether his enemies lived or died, and Infinite wanted power where he could do the same and avoid being on the other end. It's not an exaggeration to say that "Infinite" could not exist without the Ruby.

Back to the present, Infinite threatens to tear this space apart and to take back his place as the "real" one. Zero criticizes Infinite, saying that he couldn't back up his bravado even with the Ruby, failing to end the war despite everything being in his favor. It is proof that his (their) incompetence is insurmountable and that they are better off stay here (staying dead) instead of chasing dreams that can't come true.

Infinite retorts that at least he tried. Even among "trash", those who fight to the end are worth more than those who do nothing but cower, accepting death when their cushy lives are destroyed. As a mercenary, Zero heavily relied on teamwork to establish his squad's reputation to make up for his personal weakness, even going as far as "deluding himself" for finding pride in being "a good leader", which didn't mean anything at the face of Shadow's ultimate power. Even if it all ended in failure, he was only defeated by a hair's margin-- a single oversight that allowed one of the Ruby prototypes to land in the hands of the Rookie. They could try again.

The mention of "the Rookie" gave Zero a pause. Now that he thought about it, he too was in a similar position as his past self, and yet he came out on the winning end. Wasn't it just because he had friends like Sonic to hide behind? No, he remembered fighting him alone in Metropolis, and although the Rookie was nowhere close to defeating him at the time, he drastically changed from the anxious pup he first met. It doesn't matter if he credits Sonic's encouragement because at the end of the day, you can only fight with power that you own. The Rookie didn't die because he found strength, and it would be an insult to himself to assume otherwise.

As those thoughts sit in the back of his mind, Zero argues that the Resistance wouldn't fall for the same strategy twice. Infinite still had that attitude where he thinks he's insurmountably strong and that it would always stay that way even as his enemies grew stronger. That attitude led to complacency, his illusionary imitations being the stagnant set of data it always was. Even if he escaped, would he even keep the power that he enjoyed before? The link between their Ruby prototype and the power source was most certainly broken by now.

"But we don't need that. After merging with the real Ruby, you were still able to make all of this just fine, right?"

And yet, how can he be so certain that it'll stay that way when they get out? Between Zero's pessimism and Infinite's optimism, it seemed as though the fight would never end.

Then, they both heard a familiar voice from the distance. A small pack of jackals were calling them over.

"Your attachment to them is weakness. They would just hold you back."

The phantom pain of the past was something Zero didn't need to be reminded of, but once again, the face of that Rookie came to mind. Even if he credited the support of others, didn't he have to overcome loss with his own strength? On the other hand, Infinite continues to deny that the squad had nothing to do with him, as if their deaths wasn't one of the causes of his existence.

Yes, at the end of the day, he and Infinite were the same person. Infinite was created to keep him going after being broken down and the fact that he's back means it's the same thing all over again. It occurred to him that Zero wasn't satisfied with paradise anymore. It became stagnant like the world he hated and promised to shake from the ground up. The real Jackal Squad would've wanted to break out.

Infinite is right... but not completely. Zero tried a different approach.

"So what? Even if I made them disappear, I won't ever forget them. They are coming with us, like it or not. Maybe, they can even be our strength."

"You're making the same mistake as before. The power of others isn't you own."

"No. The real Jackal Squad is dead. These people belong to me-- they are mine."

They were clumsy imitations at first, based on nothing but vague recollections, but that's not the case anymore. "He wouldn't say that; she wouldn't do that." "He would do this; she would fight like this." "He would improve like so; I would teach her like this." Sentiments like that built up after years and years and it shaped them into. No matter how hard he tried to reject his connection to his Squad, vowing to evolve beyond them, he remembered all of their quirks by heart and even the kind of people they strived to be. This new Jackal Squad is his creation, through and through.

"You can call it fake all you want, but how is it any more real than what you were doing before? Relying on power given by someone else? Using data given by someone else? Even those huge snake things we made bore a mask that was made by someone else. But our memory of them, no matter how much we hate it, will always be real."

Infinite and Zero are the same person. No matter how much Infinite pretends that Zero is dead, he was always there, just dormant. If Infinite is going to surpass his limits, then he needed to break out of that close-minded illusion of strength.

"If you're going to leave this place, don't be so sure it's going to be easy. The world isn't kind to villains like us."

Evolution isn't effortless, but there is hope. Infinite's and Zero's shared pride cannot accept that they can't do what an ordinary wolf can.

"If you don't want to fail all over again, take all of us with you."

"If that's what you want, then don't let them go. I'll keep living with or without you."

Infinite/Zero's internal reconciliation led to him breaking paradise from the inside, tearing a hole into the false sky. It was the whole-hearted will of its master, after all. Infinite/Zero chases after the light and right behind him were the illusions.

In the middle of nowhere, Infinite woke up alone.

Infinite conjured his mask and puts it on. Even after accepting Zero, he felt more comfortable like this. He looks down and notices that the Ruby in his chest changed from red to magenta, the color of the real Phantom Ruby.

Knowing what he wants, he found his way back to Eggman. He doesn't hold a grudge against him for what he did because he knew about his "Plan B" ahead of time. At the time, he wanted to rectify the mistake he made (missing one prototype he didn't destroy) with his own hands, but it was him who agreed to be Eggman's weapon and gave him the right to do that should he fail. Plus, it's Eggman who knew the Ruby best and despite everything, their goals still aligned.

The doctor was of course surprised to see Infinite walking around and Infinite was surprised to see a little girl next to him when he returned. After relaying what happened to him, Eggman analyzed his body as he requested.

The real Phantom Ruby merged with him, so he doesn't need a power source to use a fuel, however his innate powers are limited. Instead of the overwhelming army he was able to make before, conjuring his 4 former squad mates and a sword was the best he can muster. He's certainly more powerful than average and he can now truly call his powers as his own, but it's very far from the heights he once reached. Knowing that he had less promise than before, Infinite had little confidence that the doctor would take it well, but before he sacrificed his pride....

"...But even this is fine. By losing abundance, you were pushed to become more efficient-- the data I'm getting from your illusions are far more complex than what you made before. They're extremely lifelike, and yet incomparable to their real counterparts... yes, I'd be a fool to not invest in this. I'd lose next to nothing." Infinite didn't know it, but the new illusions reminded Eggman of Sage.

"Is it really fine with my track record?" Infinite said that half-heartedly, but unexpectedly, Eggman took it seriously.

"If you're going to put yourself down for that, then what does it say about me, who has yet to succeed in world domination? There's a reason why I keep Metal Sonic around and scrapped the other models. There's a difference between the two."

"Honestly, who do you think I am? The type of person who lies to comfort someone who had failed me before? Bah! I have an empire to run and a world to conquer, so if I say that you have potential, then I mean it! With my intellect, there's no way I'm mistaken."

"So enough with that self-pity party because it doesn't suit you, Infinite. You have the confidence of the world's future ruler. Shouldn't you act like it as his general?"

Eggman's acceptance made him feel something he didn't think he was capable of feeling. Once more, for a third time, they came to an agreement. The enemy that Sonic and friends thought was long gone returned.

Uno's efficiency, Deux's patience, Trois's bravery, Quatre's ambition... Zero's sense of responsibility and Infinite's stubbornness... although they all referred to each other as numbers, their lives and potential were worth much more, and they will always last as long as Infinite lived to remember them.

If names determined one's destiny, that Sonic will always be the wind you can't catch and that Shadow will always be the darkness that points toward the light, then Infinite will always be the sum everything that came before him, their undying dreams pushing him forward, marching towards a future that never ends.

[ya-zz]

I know you have a lot on your inbox, including a continuation of a request I did, but I must share with you this. Again, feel free to not write it because you have a lot on your inbox right now! (Also, I'm being naughty and this is slight NSFW) But what if, reader who has advanced hacking abilities, knows they can't defeat Ramattra in a fight - so they choose a rather, unethical way of dealing with him. They simply unlock a part on his systems that allows him to feel want, desire, especially for reader. So when they're in front of him, he can't seem to function properly and fight back against them - even as reader is taunting and humiliating them with words because it's simply, so fun to have the Omnic below them for once. -Nia

We be moving along with these, another one down, two to go!

Hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing it! ♥ Thank you for requesting again!

Ramattra x Reader (gen)

Word count: 1368

Slight NSFW, but nothing explicit

The battle draws on, longer than what anyone would’ve wanted. Too long, in fact. Soldiers were getting tired from both sides, many had fallen, but those still standing pushed forward, fighting until their last, inevitable breath. 

You had your skillset, sure, but this wasn’t the way to go - you weren’t the best at close hand combat, let alone hitting shots with rifles from up high. If anything, you were just a pawn, a sacrifice for the ‘greater good’. Your abilities were better suited in the backlines, bringing down the omnics one by one, shutting down their systems through hacking, the larger threats basically being fried from the inside.

One omnic, however, proved to be a rather difficult challenge. His firewalls were up higher than you had imagined and the only way to shut him off was to get closer and strengthening the signal. So, through the gunfire and smoke, you went to seek him out. Any omnic in your way wouldn’t even have the time to raise their weapon before they fell down, systems in overload before switching off entirely. 

In the distance, behind a small army of Null Sector soldiers, you spot him, staff by his side as he watched on, the orb next to him rattling and vibrating aggressively. You had a short amount of time before he spots you, so you hide, pulling out your holopad and getting to work. Layers upon layers of code appeared as you worked, not noticing the small warning symbol on the corner of the screen. 

He was fighting back.

His optics scanned the area but nothing seemed out of the ordinary, so he switched his sensors to heat signatures and thats when he spots you, crouched down against the wall. He goes to take a step forward but he stops, systems slowly being overloaded with information he did not need. Releasing an irritated sigh, he fights back again, regaining control of his own body and moving towards you. His men part ways, watching him and with no orders given, they stay there, not interfering with his leader and his motives.

That’s when he notices something different within his systems, it almost makes him stop moving entirely. He tries to lock it back down, only to be met with system errors that you were causing. You had unlocked a module that should’ve never been touched, a module he had kept behind tighter security for the sake of his ideals. 

Emotions. Love. Lust. Desire.

His mind was working overtime to shut it down, but nothing was working. You were good, he’d give you that, but toying with him in the middle of a war? Annoying little human. 

Despite his best efforts in fighting back against you, you were persistent, looking through the code at an inhuman pace. Only when your holopad flashes red, omnicode warnings popping up, did you realise he was practically unhackable. A language you could barely understand stopped you in your tracks, and when a shadow appeared in front of you, did you then realise the predicament you were in.

“Not good enough, it seems.” He spoke, looking down at you.

Eyes shot up to look at him, a sudden panic flowing through you as you stand, still shorter than the omnic in front of you. 

His optics look you over, although hidden by his faceplate. He saw the rise in heartbeat as he stepped closer, trapping you against the wall, a hand resting just above the left side of your head as his other hand grabs you by the chin, forcing you to look at him. “You have my attention.”

A fire was burning inside of him, something inside of him wanted to take you back and do unspeakable things to you, to watch you break from his touch. 

He saw the panic in your eyes, watching it mix with confusion before realisation sets within them. A smug smile appeared on your face as you lock eyes with him, a leg coming between his as your hands push him down to the asphalt. 

The omnic grunts, the sudden motion catching him off guard, and even more so when you sit on top of him, straddling his hips with hands pressing his wrists to the ground. 

“This was one way to get you down. Not the way I planned, but I like it regardless.” You speak out, cocking your head to the side in a playful manner. 

He keeps his optics glued onto you, watching you shift on top of him. He goes to speak out, but is met with a low static rumble.

“Aw, what’s the matter? Can’t speak?” He heard the taunting frequency in your tone, hands tightening into fists before releasing slowly. “Y’know, Ramattra, you’re quite a tough one to crack…” 

Just the way you said his name sent a cold chill though his systems, causing him to pause all movement and thoughts momentarily. 

You lean down, head coming level to his. “That just means there’s more fun to have, don’t you think?” A hand slowly comes up to his cheek, fingers dragging along the purple metal.

“Evil little human.” He mutters, feeling the burning sensation inside of him again. His systems were crashing, glitching in his vision. He was defenceless and because of one human. 

A small yet playful laugh escapes you as you trace the white faceplate, fingers dipping behind as you moved your hand up. You could feel him shudder at the touch, his ‘breathing’ deep and hitching in his vocaliser. “Perhaps… but you’re enjoying this…” 

“You-” his head tilts away slightly, which only gains another laugh from you. 

“Look at you… So weak… So… touchable…” 

“This is absurd.” He spits, unable to move as his systems work against him.

“This… This is fun.” You pull back, admiring the view. The Null Sector leader beneath you, unable to do anything, unable to fight back. “Your body is telling me otherwise. You want this, don’t you, Ramattra?”

“No- I-” His vocaliser stutters. He knows he can’t do anything and the warnings are proof of that. When he feels your hand move across his chest, fingers dipping between the metal braces, he tenses, a barely audible gasp escaping him, only wanting you to touch him more.

You smirk again, watching him as your code continues working in making him submissive and defenceless. Being this close, no, being on top of him, the signal was at its peak, unable to be shut off.

“Oh, Ramattra. This sight is just… so pretty.” 

“Shut up.” 

“Someone’s getting a little riled up.” The playfulness returns as your hand presses firmly against his side, toying with the thick tube that ran across it. You heard his fans pick up speed to which you smiled at. 

“You- I-” He stutters again, chest rising and falling slowly, he didn’t want to admit that he was enjoying this. “I will make you pay for this.”

“I’d like to see you try.” Another firm grasp elicited a groan from him.

For a moment, everything fell silent before the gunfire broke through, shouting from both sides echoing through the battlefield. You look up, narrowing your eyes as you try to make out small figures through the dust. 

“Playtime is over, Ramattra.” Looking back down at him, you grin, watching his motionless body but still hearing him move his optics. 

He stays laying on the ground as you get up, but not without planting a kiss on his forehead first before completely getting off of him. The lights flicker as his optics watched you, focusing on your body, your movements. Part of him wanted to keep you on top, hands grasping at your sides, a bruising grip on your thighs, but he couldn’t move to fill that desire.

“Maybe another time.” He spoke, vocals low and muted with static as he watched you leave. Slowly, his systems fought back, regaining strength and finally getting rid of your attacks. Ramattra stands, facing the direction you left in. He keeps that module open for a little while longer before shutting it back down. However, he still felt like he wanted you, and even more so when a message appeared in his vision:

I look forward to it~

[fruitsofhell]

I'm actually lowkey embarrassed that dissidia post got the attention that it did cause it's easily like, the lowest intellectual effort post I've ever made dbjdjf, so here's the follow up unhinged rant going over what I love about Kuja in Dissidia Duodecim.

Like I was saying, his writing in Duodecim is AMAZING, like everytime I think about it it blows my socks off. It would be so easy if just the whole game he was the Kuja he was during the plot of FF9, shallow, flamboyant, and callous, but they decided to pick up with his arc from the ending! Which is what I like to see in a spinoff like this, not just a rehash of old stuff but a continuation, a reiteration. And doing that also shows great grasp of what his character's about. Dissidia pulls from every mainline Final Fantasy game and isn't shy of the fact that not every game has the most complex villain. I often see Kuja too considered to be just a fun purely evil villain instead of someone with more meat on his narrative bones, which is insulting to me. Kuja isn't motivated by some deep darkness in his soul or a craving for violence and suffering like some other villains, all his actions were motivated by one thing, which was wanting to prove to his creator that he could create his own purpose and worth. It just happens that because he's insane, his methods to this is mass-murder and regicide. He loved life, and Gaian culture, and having a purpose, which is why he has those two massive changes of heart by the end, and is left feeling empty. The life he loved is ending, he scarred the planet that he loved, and the entire narrative he built for himself was null, its just over for him.

And that's where Dissidia picks up, because it understands that Kuja is not a being of darkness nor much of a sadist, he's just a guy who loved theatrics but had that beaten out of him by existential dread and now doesn't want to live anymore. And the only thing that would've given him any reason to live after his defeat, his brother - who was with him till the end and likely the only person from his world who doesn't want to kill him anymore - HAD HIS FUCKING MEMORIES ERASED. So what does Kuja do? He follows Zidane around and tries to help him, because like, literally he's just that grateful to him. Like??? That part's really important to me, cause it would be really easy to assume Kuja was bitter during his defeat, given his actions and apparent shallowness. But this game is SMARTER than that, and it understands that Kuja wasn't angry anymore, he was just empty and still deeply nihilistic. But actually given an opportunity to try again, he sticks to Zidane. Despite there no longer being an external incentive, AND ACTUALLY DESPITE FORCES WORKING AGAINST HIM. Like Kuja was placed on the Chaos side, surrounded by a sea of fellow villains who could produce all the bravado and destruction he used to enjoy, but he was so genuinely disillusioned with that afterwards, he goes out of his way to do right. Despite threat of annihilation by his peers and heroes he was trying to help! LIKE THE GAME GETS THAT HE ISNT JUST EVIL????? IT GETS THAT HE ISN'T JUST A SHALLOW SADIST????? It's fucking heaven-sent.

OH MAN AND THEN HIS INTERACTIONS BEYOND JUST ZIDANE! That interaction he has with Cloud is one of my favorite things ever, it's just fucking rich with characterization for him. And then you have him freeing Terra from her spell because, can you believe it guys, he felt honest to god sympathy and compassion!! Insanity!! And then that leads to his relationship with Kefka which is immaculate! Everything about their relationship helps reiterate Kuja's helplessness as a character and villain, and just makes me fucking DESPISE Kefka. But in the fun intentional way. He's such an abusive, manipulative asshole to him, and it stings like hell to see Kuja once again end up as someone else's pawn BECAUSE HE WAS WILLING TO SPARE ANOTHER FROM THAT FATE. Like it's horrible for him, but it deepens his redemption.

Ok, and last thing is his VOICE!!!!! JD CULLUM!!! JD Cullum, I owe you my life, your Kuja is so delightful! It's just perfect. It has this androgynous softness to it, he switches between the theatrical and honest lines perfectly, and he sounds annoying!! That part is so important to me, if Kuja had a generic sexy villain man voice I'd be so disappointed, but like have you heard him in NT? I don't know why he sounds so happy in that game (I think Zidane has his memories in that one...) but you can hear his stupid little smile behind some of those passive-aggressive one-liners, it's the best! I have Dissidia Duodecim emulated on my PC just for Kuja's lines.

Final Fantasy 9 is criminally underloved by Square, and Kuja as beloved as he is is so often misunderstood and mischaracterized by fans. Dissidia being the only other piece of official media he has a role in and getting it THIS RIGHT brings a tear to my eye. The game in general is just really above average for a silly crossover fighting game, I can't speak for the writing of every character, but I know my Sephiroth friend has moments from that game that give them psychic damage (/positive). And for me, the Kuja Guy, it gives me plenty as well. But also some negative psychic damage cause why tf does he look like that.

[premamelody]

Episode 6 wasn't actually the first time Cyn attempted to take control of Uzi.

She tried TWICE in episode 4. The first when Uzi caught the arrow would've been successful however the arrow was too small, that's why it causes the organic thing.

Meanwhile the second time is a bit odd. While Cyn's code appeared for a while, it seems to eventually be overrun by a set of red code? This set the direction from a NULL portal to transforming Uzi. Why? Don't know.

Cyn could've saw the first attempt as Uzi being too weak so she instead made Uzi some sort of pawn to kill other drones instead, like V in the past.

clarification edit: I'm using Cyn in place of AbsoluteSolver because it's easier to type and as of now they're pretty synonymous in terms of mentions throughout the series, I'm aware Cyn is just the first infect drone.

[art-beyond-the-stars]

I'm a sucker for medieval aesthetics and fucked up little monarchy systems so I've thrown my hat into the ring and made an OC for @sm-baby's story Piece By Piece!

Meet Null! She's a pawn for the minimalism chess kingdom. The design is very human. /ref

She's a sweetheart, just... very off-putting to behold. Looking at any of the folks in her kingdom is like looking at a living, breathing mannequin.

(All of them are like this, with little variation between pieces aside from the King and Queen.)

AAAAAAALMS. AAAAAAAALMS FOR THE POOOoOOoOoOR

[drrealityslenderverse]

9, 15, and 30 for the oc question list! Any oc you wanna write for!

Ask meme

9) How does your OC handle their physical health? Do they take care of themselves?

(Aside from basic hygiene, which all my ocs do to take care of themselves)

Ash/Pawn: They're somewhat physically healthy. She's lightweight but wiry because of all the running and skirmishes. Plus Ash just likes going for walks in general because it clears her head. They also studied in the medical field in college prior to dropping out (vet school), so she can take care of herself/others who get physically hurt too if a hospital isn't an immediate option. While she does try to take care of herself, they do tend to get hurt a lot due to their, unwilling, involvement with The Operator, Slenderman, proxies and sources. Sleeping is also not something they get much of, sometimes going a few days without sleeping or with very little sleep.

Ethan: He's also really good with his physical health. I imagine he works out at a gym and does an annual general health check-up with his doctor. Most of his exercise that doesn't come from the gym would probably be from exploring places while he's trying to help Ash or just doing his own thing—he loves traveling and going new places.

Ethan is also pretty good at getting a healthy amount of sleep. He's a freelance journalist who takes jobs whenever he feels like it, since his family is well-off and he doesn't really ever need to work if he doesn't want to. Really his only stressor is fearing for Ash's well-being.

Zac/Watcher: Would call his average but it isn't great in all regards. While on a proxy job he does get physical activity by stalking around, and his job in construction also helps his fitness. But when he's got down time this man is constantly gaming. His diet isn't great, as he grabs mostly snack foods & energy drinks, but his sleep schedule is generally decent until a weekend hits where he can game all night or he has to pull an all-nighter to work both 'jobs'.

Alice/Hazard: She has to take good care of her physical health. Despite becoming a proxy and her burns being healed during the process, her breathing issues require her to wear a mask with capsules on the side that can act as inhalers if she suddenly can't breath while doing physical activity. Unlike many of the other ocs, she does get a good amount of sleep and watches her diet—although being in the ARK most of the time means she doesn't need to eat to stay alive.

Marcus/Cardinal: His physical health is wonderful! As a top proxy, Slenderman stopped his body from physically aging past his mid to late 30s while he was in the prime of his life. Still by far the oldest proxy right now but with how active he is, he stays fit. Marcus also knows the importance of taking care of his physical health and isn't against taking spare time to get plenty of rest and a good meal in before finding his next target.

15) Will your OC ever retire? Do you see them making it?

Out of all 9 ocs, I see very few living to retirement.

Emma: She'll be a lucky oc who makes it out alive. (As a minor character in the comic though this might end up happening off-screen)

Athena: She's a cat and can't exactly retire, but I see her surviving to the end as well just because I don't want to kill off the beloved pet lol

Alastor: He will technically make it to retirement, but at the moment is not guaranteed to make it to the end

Ethan: I can't exactly call what happens to him lucky, he very nearly doesn't make it, but at least he's alive after the events are over. If he had a job to retire from beyond the freelance work, I could see him making it to retirement.

Marcus/Cardinal: His fate is yet to be decided, but he'll never retire. This man loves working as a high ranking proxy so someone would have to pry that position out of his cold dead hands.

30) My OC and your OC are friends. This isn't a question. I'm not asking. (How do they respond?)

Ash/Pawn: Is already trying to push said friend away and ghost them before Slenderman or a proxy notices. Nothing against your OC, but she doesn't want more friends to die and show up in pieces because of her. They also don't want to be the reason anyone catches the sickness.

Ethan: Another friend, cool! He's a social guy and loves making friends. I really hope your oc enjoys hanging out with an extrovert. If they knew each other in college he for sure tried to get them to come to parties with him.

Alice/Hazard: I hope your oc enjoys anime because Alice loves talking about it. Prior to becoming a proxy they could've had anime marathons and gone to cons together. After becoming a proxy though, she'd ghost her friend to focus on her new job, or maybe try to convince Slenderman to make them a proxy too (if they aren't already) so they can keep hanging out.

Zac/Watcher: He hopes his friends are good with gaming since he enjoys it so much himself. If they're also proxy friends then your oc will find out very quickly he isn't just a gamer who's willing to stream and buy both of you all the snacks needed for a gaming marathon. He's not a great guy at all and can/will ask a friend for help if it means a pat on the back from the boss and getting closer to Ash. Seems very nice, but can be really creepy about Ash & his fantasy that they'll happily be proxies together one day.

[radiomurdeer]

//starter call for redeemed!Alastor. I might pop into people's inboxes/people can pop into mine for plotting but some basic notes for this verse --

he died for his friends

he's super embarrassed about this

he will still kill for one (1) corn chip

his teeth are very sharp and he's still very hungry

he wants back in hell please

why tf is he practically in vox's colors ugh

please let him go back he misses his friends pawns allies acquaintances no one he's fine :>

there's probably some Heaven-Hell political ramifications for an angel going to Hell and calling themselves an overlord and eating demons but that just makes things more appealing for him

seriously these colors give him back his reds

he's lost his contracts/his own deal is null and he's unfettered

starters will be for him being recently double dead by default

technically this verse is potentially part of one where heaven and hell will eventually end up in war hundreds of years in the future and alastor (who has eaten his way through seraph and sin alike by then) will come back in time to try and prevent that outcome from happening because he hated seeing all his friends die ending up bored and alone at the end of the universe. If you want a starter with timeline shenanigans where Al died for his friends and is from the Darkest Future Timeline lemme know

[mobscene-london]

BASIC INFORMATION:

NAME: Lorenzo Mastronardi.   AGE: 41. PLACE OF BIRTH: Launceston, Massachusetts, United States. AFFILIATION: The Sovrani (currently), the Camorra (formerly) OCCUPATION: Loyalist (Made Man) FACE CLAIM: Theo James. AVAILABILITY: OPEN.

BIOGRAPHY:

“Corrupt law enforcement officers are not allies. They’re pawns ready for sacrifice.”

Considering how long the Auditores had been guarding this particular pawn of theirs, the sentiment was not one he expected to come from their beloved leader.

Lorenzo had spent so long despising them. Even when the Auditores and Mancinis came to peaceful co-existence after decades of tensions, his disdain for the Sovrani and how they conducted business had held strong. Never could he look upon the people who shielded his brother’s murderer with anything else.

Once, he’d never imagined forgiving them at all. How quickly things could change.

“So Moltisanti is no longer useful to you…” Lorenzo countered with a scoff.

“Precisely.”

Whilst his personal experience with Alessia Auditore was null until she’d unexpectedly invited him to her office eight years ago, he knew enough about her to understand she didn’t sugar coat. That she wouldn’t spin a story to try and make it sound like she was doing this for anybody but herself. The fact she had thought to approach Lorenzo at all, though, said more about her than any rumour on the street ever had.

Maybe it was because she understood what it was like to lose family.

Paul had been the light of his life; everything a big brother should have been, and then some. After their mother had walked out on them when Lorenzo was eleven years old—adamant she could no longer stay with an unfaithful mobster—their father had finally taken it as his cue to open up to his two sons (though never his daughter, which they respected) about his Made Man status within the Mancini Camorra. The two idolised him in spite of his many mistakes, and he broke his fucking back to make sure they had everything they needed during their mother’s absence. Was he perfect? Far from it... But the two of them could appreciate he tried his best, even when things got hard. When it wasn’t enough? Well, at least they had each other to pick up the pieces.

Whilst Paul eventually settled into the role of drug distribution just like dad, Lorenzo had always craved something a little more hands-on. Instead of dealing the cocaine the Mancinis peddled throughout Valence, he much preferred to beat the money out of those who didn’t pay their debts. For a nice enough guy in the opinion of most, it usually came as an unsettling surprise how he slipped into violence with such natural ease. As they grew into fully-fledged members of the gang, it didn’t stop the brothers from retaining the same strong bond they’d cherished since childhood. More importantly to Lorenzo, it felt good to know that regardless of what the family they served promised in terms of protection, they would always have each other’s backs above anybody else.

Until he didn’t.

It’d been unpreventable. Entirely out of his control, so the Mancinis said. That didn’t stop him from blaming himself with news of his brother’s death found him, though.

They had contacts within the LCPD to prevent exactly these kinds of surprises, and yet this time, as they’d burst through the doors of one of their biggest distribution centres—putting a bullet through Paul’s head during the subsequent fire fight—there hadn’t been a single word of warning extended their way. Not from the pigs. Not from the Sovrani who held the leash of the woman who had fired the shot which killed him: Maria Moltisanti.

Lorenzo had been sure he could never forgive either party.

‘Even if she wasn’t under the protection of the Sovrani, we don’t kill cops, kid. Too much heat.’

Sure, he understood. But that didn’t make it any easier to see her still breathing.

The change in him after that was abrupt, and enough to worry those who knew him best. Lorenzo became more prone to taking risks on the job. Found it easier to bend the rules of the Camorra to do what needed to be done, in spite of his father’s constant lectures about how their word was the only one that mattered. Although he still managed a convincing ‘nice guy’ front when he was off the clock, it was easy to see something behind his eyes had changed. Perhaps, had Salvatore not understood so deeply the hurt of losing a loved one, he might’ve been a little stricter with disciplining his oftentimes reckless actions, but with the Mancini leader every bit as focused on avenging his wife as Lorenzo was his brother, more was overlooked than ever should’ve been.

But not killing her. That he couldn't overlook, and he’d made as much abundantly clear.

For years the anger burned so dangerously close to the surface, people expected him to snap at any moment. Lorenzo had been so sure nothing could tarnish his loyalty to the Mancinis, but whether it was irrational or not, they became less like family, and more like the ones holding him back from doing the only thing that would help ease his burden.

Until Alessia Auditore came along...

“I know how Mancini feels about killing cops. Bad for business. You don’t have to take this offer if it means sacrificing your relationship with them. I have others more than willing to pull the trigger,” she explained coolly. “I just wanted to give you the opportunity I never had.”

“I’ll do it.”

No hesitation. No thought for repercussions that could be dealt with later. Fitting, as it was how he’d lived much of his life since Paul had died.

The only caveat was that just because the Sovrani wanted her gone, didn’t mean the LCPD did. Alessia warned that they didn’t take this lightly—precisely the reason Mancini was so against it—and that eventually, they would catch up to him. They always did. Lorenzo had never imagined disobeying the Camorra he’d devoted most of his life to, let alone leaving them, but by that point, their relationship had deteriorated so much that when Alessia offered him a spot in Porto Velho—safely away from the LCPD, for now—working for her, he’d agreed.

Slightly more hesitation that time, mind you.

Had he been a lesser man, he might’ve packed his things up in the middle of the night and headed out to California before the Camorra could catch wind of the life he’d taken. But whilst he might’ve been disobedient, he wasn’t a piece of shit. Mancini had more forgiveness in him than Lorenzo could ever imagine mustering up, though, and after a brief visit to Salvatore in prison—the bars not much of a safety net when he knew he could order him dead in a second if he’d taken the news poorly—he had the man’s hesitant blessing to leave. Salvatore was upset he’d killed Maria, but he understood why he’d done it. Seemed like he’d been expecting it, even...

The Auditores and Mancinis worked alongside each other now, anyway. It wasn’t as though he had to cut off all contact with the people he cared about as though climbing into bed with the enemy.

“You can be her problem now.”

It was a brutal final goodbye, even if it had been begrudgingly affectionate on Salvatore’s part.

And with that, Lorenzo stepped into the world of a people he’d once hated.

For the next six months, he tried to find his footing within the organisation; a rocky process when their newfound civility certainly didn’t erase history. The Auditores and Mancinis had never been at war with each other like they had with the Russians and French, respectively, but that didn’t mean the distrust wasn’t a very real problem. Those who mattered had welcomed him, though. Lorenzo couldn’t help but wonder how much of that was because Alessia had told them to.

They stayed in contact for much of that time. Lorenzo had fully expected that once his business with Moltisanti had concluded, he would never hear from her again as a lower-ranked associate. To his surprise, though, an unexpected bond formed between the two. Perhaps his streak for violence had always been a little more tailored to them than it had been the much tamer Mancinis, and Alessia respected it. Made sure to always know it was appreciated.

Lorenzo never expected he’d mourn her death when it eventually came. But he did.

Mancini had never spoken of Alessia with anything but admiration—even when their families were on poor terms, to his confusion—but now he’d learnt to understand why. Her loss was not only devastating to the Sovrani, but to him, personally. She had offered him closure. Family. Friendship.

And then she was gone.

Even though the LCPD didn’t yet know he was responsible for murdering one of their own, it was still deemed too much of a risk for him to head back to Launceston with Vincenzo and the others to rain hell down upon the Russians responsible for taking away their leader. It’d been a bitter pill to swallow, but he made damn sure to make the most of picking off any Vorshevsky he came across as they attempted to get a foothold in California. It was enough of a contribution over the years that eventually, he was briefly called back to Launceston so Bartolomeo Auditore could once again bestow the title of Made Man upon him—this time, though, within the Sovrani.

Whilst he had been distant from the Mancinis for almost six years by this point, the promotion finally solidified the fact that he was no longer a part of their family, and never would be again.

It’d been a grief slow to process, but he realised in that moment, as he swore his oath to the Sovrani, that he was okay with it.

Two more years were spent in Porto Velho working directly under Patrizia Pecatti as she attempted to hold down Porto Velho throughout one of Launceston most bitter conflicts. Eventually, when she decided to make the move to London with her husband, he wrapped up any remaining business he had in the city before following behind six months later. It wasn’t exactly an ideal relocation, and he certainly missed Launceston, but hearing of the growing presence of the Russian Mob in the British capital, it seemed the best place he could get his hands on them outside of home.

In their world, it seemed the lust for revenge nearly went away.

Whilst he might’ve gotten his closure for what had happened to Paul, now it was time to find some for Alessia…

SOCIAL CONNECTIONS:

RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Single. Francesca Laurenti (ex-girlfriend) FAMILY: Paul Mastronardi (brother, deceased), Caterina Mastronardi (sister), Unnamed father (unplayable) CONNECTIONS:

Francesca Laurenti: Ex-girlfriend. The two first met whilst working under Patrizia in Porto Velho. Whilst his father had always told him mixing business and pleasure was a mistake, just this once, much due to her persistence, Lorenzo couldn't help himself. They were together for almost a year, but when she made clear she had no intention of leaving for London, he suspects she thought he was bluffing about going without her. He wasn't. Just because he mixed business and pleasure, doesn't mean business won't take priority when it counts.

Patrizia Pecatti: Boss, good friend. Saying she was slow to warm to him would be an understatement. Clearly, Patrizia was not one of those welcoming of him just because Alessia asked. It seemed less because she was die-hard loyal to the Sovrani and more so because she didn't trust someone so quick to switch teams, though. What was to stop him doing it again? Eventually he wore her down. Proved himself through hard work, dedication, and unwavering loyalty to both the Sovrani and her. With the exception of Andrea, he considers her his closest friend within the organisation. There is nothing he won't do to keep her safe in London.

Giorgio Pecatti: Good friend. Upon arriving in Porto, Giorgio was certainly the most welcoming, much to his wife's then distaste. Whilst he was technically the underboss, and Lorenzo assumed he wouldn't be the type to befriend the lower ranks, he'd been wrong. Giorgio took him under his wing, taught him everything it meant to be a member of the Sovrani, and made damn sure he didn't fuck up. Just before he left for Launceston, he made Lorenzo promise he would keep his wife safe in his absence. Lorenzo had no intention of letting him down. That still stands.

Andrea Borzelli: Best friend. Andrea hated him in the beginning. They even got into a couple of fist fights after a few too many at the bar. But when Lorenzo eventually lost his shit with him, confessing to killing an LCPD cop and the real reason he switched sides, things changed between them. Turned out, Andrea's dad was behind bars back in Launceston, and putting a pig in the ground was enough for him to be willing to give him a chance. Lorenzo is glad he did. They've been fucking inseparable ever since. Andrea had been comfortable in Porto Velho, but when he found out his best friend was moving to London? Didn't even hesitate.

[theultimatemercenary69]

I love the little Nicky and Infinite thing I've made because it's just like

Infinite: after Shadow the Hedgehog killed my squad, I turned to the only ally I thought I had, but in reality I was being used as a catalyst for the ruby's power, a pawn in what I thought was my own game. Luckily, despite being trapped in Null-space for a short while, I was shot through a dimensional rift opened by the ruby. Now I must bide my time while I search for a way to repower the ruby so that I may return to my dimension and exact my revenge.

Nicky, the sweetest little boy you'll ever meet, who's not even listening to a word Infinite just said and is sitting on the sidewalk playing with bugs: Can we get ice cream?

Infinite: didn't your parents say you couldn't have any until after dinner?

Nicky, still playing with the bugs: yeah

Infinite, nefariously: double scoop it is then.

[billford-dump]

Bill doesn't like when Ford has nightmares. It's practically an insult, that his pawn's subconscious mind had such a habit of hurting him, and in Bill's own domain no less. There was already so much the man had to deal with, he wasn't going to let something completely preventable keep hurting him. He didn't want anything to hurt him. The only nightmares Ford would be having were the ones Bill decided he should have, no more and no less. If he never decided to give Ford nightmares, well, that was his business.

Even after the betrayal, Bill hated the nightmares. If he and Ford had to be enemies now, then the only thing Ford should fear is Bill himself. Not his stupid hands or talking to girls or the monsters in the woods. His hands were perfect, he didn't need girls, and like hell would Bill allow anything or anyone but him to hurt Ford.

After he died, after he came back, he still hated it. Especially when he realized that Ford was someone he actually loved cared about. And adding insult to injury, he can't do anything about it now. All his old deals are null, there was no way Ford would let him back into his mind.

He wants nothing more than to go back to those sweet, beautiful moments back before everything went bad. When Ford's love wasn't something the man suppressed, crushed down inside himself so he wouldn't have to feel it. When he felt peaceful, watching the sunset with his perfectly flawed human. When he still thought his feelings were an act, and pride didn't get in his way.

When Ford didn't have nightmares.